Commander Fury

Hi, I’m Tomas Sala, the sole creator and developer of The Falconeer, a third-person air combat game, coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on August 5. As an individual/solo creator, what truly excites me is that the power of the PS5 has removed so many of the constraints that would have made a game like The Falconeer impossible only a few years ago. I’m here today to give you a little insight into that, along with the ways in which the PS5’s features and DualSense wireless controller have given me the freedom to create a deeply immersive and unique game world. So, firstly, what exactly is The Falconeer? Imagine riding atop a giant bird of prey, flying amongst the clouds, gracefully drifting and climbing as a golden sun rises on the horizon. Now, imagine the opposite of that, a dream of a dark ocean, of bottomless depths that won’t let you go anywhere but down to their dark reaches. This core contrast is at the heart of The Falconeer, and at the heart of the world I’ve crafted for this game, a dark and harsh ocean world. It’s a place of haunting beauty, from which you, an airborne Falconeer warrior, soar above. Yet nowhere is safe in a world where the rich ride airships, the powerful tame dragons, and even the lowly sailing captains arm their ships to the teeth against the monsters from the deep, as well as against those from the sky. It is a sheer thrill to explore the vast open world of The Falconeer on PlayStation and the advanced haptic feedback of the DualSense controller give the intuitive aerial dogfighting mechanics an incredibly tactile and fluid feel. I also made use of the adaptive triggers to mimic the feel of the recoil and force feedback of weapons. One thing that can perhaps be overlooked is the impact the DualSense controller speaker can have. This gives strong audio cues that when combined with the haptics and triggers, offer even greater immersion and ‘feel’ to gameplay. In The Falconeer, I used the speaker specifically for NPC radio voices. The Falconeer is a very personal game to me, and it is one that explores themes of escapism and freedom but also at its core it is a homage to the classic air combat and dogfighting fighting games I played growing up. If you play the Falconeer you will recognise that it is not a typical shooter, even though you are riding a mythical giant warbird, the gameplay will still require you to build up your classic dogfighting skills, getting behind an enemy, deflecting gunfire, but now riding a giant bird that can perform acrobatics unlike any airplane could ever attempt. The game is created with an art style that forgoes textures completely, many of its effects and visuals being created by basically math-powered expressions, something that was unthinkable in the past. The vivid colours, mathematical gradients and sharp dramatic edges of The Falconeer truly come into their own with the 4K resolution and 60 FPS capabilities of the PS5. And it’s not just the visuals and art that really ‘pop’ on PlayStation. The all-encompassing Warrior Edition, the definitive version of the game, for the first time truly matches the vision I had all those years ago. With a world more filled out with unique adventures, be it helping the brewmasters of Castellus against giant turtle riding pirates, joining those same pirates as a raiding criminal, flying atop drakes and pterosaurs or visiting some of the exotic locations previously only hinted at before. Thanks to the PS5, the world of The Falconeer is now more alive, vibrant and immersive than ever before. I actually came upon the world of the Ursee and the early beginnings of the game when I worked on TrackLab, which was a PS VR exclusive music creation experience, published by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2018. In a sense that opportunity to work on such ground-breaking hardware and console would first open my mind to crafting a world and game by myself, rather than as part of a team or production studio. And now, many years later, here we are. The Falconeer, a game I’ve created over the last five years is set to release on PS4 and PS5 on August 5, and in a very tangible sense its journey has made full circle. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy playing The Falconeer and experiencing the enhanced immersion made possible by the PS5. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/prnr4BQAFW8View the full article

Hi everyone! Seiji Aoki here, chief producer of Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown, available now at no additional cost to PlayStation Plus members until August 2. Also available now as part of the PlayStation Now library. It’s been an incredible month watching millions of players jumping back into the ring with this legendary fighting series, especially all the new players getting their first taste of the deep strategy and intricate balance that define Virtua Fighter combat. Today we’re offering top tips for newcomers taking their first steps towards becoming the next World Fighting Tournament legend. Deceptive simplicity Virtua Fighter uses intuitive and simple controls compared to many other fighting games. There are just three basic commands: Punch, Kick, and Guard. Each can be performed with one button. Simple, right? Hardly. Pairing just those three buttons with different movements of the stick opens up literally hundreds of combinations for each character. Add in the dynamic strategy of fights conducted in 3D stages and you start to experience the real depth behind such a simple control scheme. Perfecting the timing required to pull off the right combo in the right moment is the first step towards Virtua Fighter mastery. For new players, your first destination should be Training Mode. Every Virtua Fighter has had a robust tutorial and VF5 Ultimate Showdown is no exception. Taking the time to learn the basic systems and moves before experimenting with more complex combinations will bear fruit once you’re ready to jump into competitive play. The first two moves to learn are takedown attacks and breakfalls (fall recovery). In Virtua Fighter, you can continue attacking when your opponent is down (or take damage if you’re down). Stacking extra damage (or avoiding it) after a crucial takedown is often the difference between victory or defeat. The other crucial system to learn is how basic frames work. Understanding how frames work will help you intuitively perform the right attack or counter in any given situation. It’s a challenging system to master, so when you’re first starting out, it’s best just to keep in mind that “if your attack is blocked, immediately defend” and “if you block, immediately go on the offensive.” Learn to reliably do those two things and you’ll be well on your way toward experiencing the fast-paced, fluid fights unique to this game. Picking the right character Every Virtua Fighter character has a unique fighting style with many different combos to choose from. Choosing the character who suits your play style (and mastering your choice) makes all the difference when jumping into competitive play. For new players, I’d recommend starting with one of three characters: Jacky Bryant, Jeffry McWild, or Sarah Bryant. Jacky is a relatively standard, balanced character. He’s a great choice if you’re just looking to get your basic moves down. His Somersault Kick (↖K when facing right) is an effective way to turn the tables on an overeager opponent but be wary of overusing it against more advanced fighters. Jeffry is a powerful character who can dish out a lot of damage using his no-holds-barred Pankration fighting style that combines boxing, wrestling, and kicks. His commands are pretty simple, so try getting in a Knee Attack (➔K when facing right) or mixing in a throw for major damage. Sarah is a slightly more technical fighter whose diverse martial arts style utilizes a lot of kicks. Focus on learning the combos that open up for an exceptionally elegant fighting style. No matter what character you choose to start with, take the time to learn their basic moves and combos in Training Mode before testing your skills in competitive play. Practice pays off, and once you get a feel for all the many combinations and move sets available to you, you’ll start to truly experience the depth of gameplay Virtua Fighter has to offer. I hope this has been helpful – it’s been so incredibly rewarding to see millions of new players experiencing Virtua Fighter for the first time after all these years, and we’re so incredibly grateful to our community for continuing to invest your time and passion. As always, thank you for your support – we’ll catch you back in the ring! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/PJZDzQoT8xIView the full article

Greetings, racers! It’s a pleasure to be back and bring you the latest details on Dirt 5, our award-winning off-road racer, available now on PS5 and PS4. Whilst Dirt 5’s launch may’ve been all the way back in November last year, we’ve been at full throttle ever since, supporting our players with content drops, free updates, community-requested additions, and much more. We’re in mood to slow down, either – as a summer of thrills for Dirt 5 begins with our biggest ever game update, launching July 20. New cars, new tracks, new ways to play, and much more arrive next week, and they’re all boosted on PlayStation 5 by some dedicated changes that change the feel and sound of every epic racing moment. We’ll take a closer look soon at the exclusive advancements for PS5 players, but first, let us give you a guided tour of this huge update… Dirt 5’s biggest ever update Dirt 5’s Career experience and roster of cars gets even bigger, with the Super Size Content Pack – available July 20 to Amplified/Year One Edition players, and available for purchase at the same time at PS Store for others. The pack includes our largest single expansion to Career, with 27 new events, and four additional extra-large cars to tear up the tracks with: the Bentley Continental GT Ice Racer, Armada Rock Racer, Rezvani Tank, and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Baja Concept. Fresh liveries for each of the cars, two extra selectable sponsors, and customisation items are all included, too. Everything else coming to Dirt 5 on July 20 is free and available to all players, so strap in. The Parts Unknown Playgrounds Pack adds more objects to use in our custom arena creator mode, all themed around space and sci-fi influences. Also in Playgrounds, we’re adding unique Weekly Challenges and Creator Rewards, to offer more competition and incentive to use all aspects of the mode. Elsewhere, more iconic liveries are available for five different cars, another five Trophies have been added, and finally there’s the small matter of two brand new circuits! The first additions to our track list since launch, check out San Conrado and Rio Seafront, both winding through the beaches and jungle of Brazil. DualSense controller haptics and adaptive triggers Along with all of that, players on PS5 will feel more connected to Dirt 5 than ever before with this update, as we implement full haptics and adaptive trigger support for the DualSense controller. These enhancements allow Dirt 5 to give you more feedback throughout every event. Notice the changes in traction across different surfaces, feel the brake trigger pushing against you as you slow down, sense the clunk of a gear change, and find the limit of adhesion as you steer and accelerate through corners. Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers will help racers make the right decisions and maintain control of the car, as Dirt 5 sends a bucket-load of information to the DualSense pad and through your fingertips. It’s a racing sensation that must be played to be believed. 3D Audio in Dirt 5 for PlayStation 5 Plug in a stereo headset to your PS5 DualSense controller to add another layer of immersion when playing Dirt 5, as we’ve further refined our use of its 3D audio capabilities. Hear the roar of other cars racing all around you thanks to our dynamic audio range, and hear track-side speakers and spectators rise and fall in volume as you race by them. Our attention to detail with audio in Dirt 5, paired with the 3D audio support, creates a true soundscape that takes the overall experience up another notch. Experience it all in Dirt 5 We are incredibly excited to continue supporting the Dirt 5 community with this massive update on July 20, and can’t wait to see the reaction from PlayStation 5 players to our DualSense controller enhancements. Simply download the update for Dirt 5 on PS5 to experience it for yourself from next Tuesday. We’ll see you on the track – or the dirt… or the snow… or the sand… or the ice… you get what we mean. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/Q0y4aS_O6W0View the full article

Hello PlayStation fans – I’m Jerome K. Jones, design director at Robot Entertainment and I’m here to tell you a bit about what’s new in Orcs Must Die 3, a third-person tower defense game launching for PS4 (and PS5 via backwards compatibility) on July 23. In Orcs Must Die 3, you set up traps and use weapons to defend against enemies trying to breach the rifts. As you play you receive rewards and earn skulls to buy new traps, weapons, and trinkets as well as purchase upgrades to enhance your arsenal. We’ve created a new game mode in Orcs Must Die! 3 that we call Scramble. In it, you try to beat five tiers of progressively harder scenarios using one rift point pool – meaning, if a bunch of Orcs make it into the rift in the first tier, you won’t have many more rift points to survive later on. At each tier, you choose which scenario you want to play from two choices, each of which comes with a debuff that is applied. This increases the challenge and provides interesting choices. After beating each tier, you choose a buff to aid yourself in future tiers. These buffs and debuffs stack across all tiers making the later tiers more challenging. If you lose all your rift points, you have to start a new run from scratch! Coming up with game modes in the Orcs Must Die franchise has always been a focus of ours. Endless mode and Weekly Challenges have garnered strong audiences, but we believe that our newest mode may pose new and interesting challenges. With Scramble mode, we feel we have hit the mark for later game content. I thought it might be interesting to show the list of goals we had for a new mode. This list was made before we ever started the design on paper. Goals for Scramble Evergreen content Encourage more loadout and play experimentation due to choices made Leaderboard chasers welcome Time goal is about one hour per gameplay session Intended post campaign mode Most players are able to OR feel (with practice) they can beat the mode Easily expandable Doable mode in development time Given the list of goals, there were things from previous Orcs Must Die games that we wanted to keep and simplify because they had their own merits. One of those things we wanted to revisit was the stacking of buffs and debuffs as you played through the mode. The first thing you see when you enter Scramble mode is that choice between two scenarios, each with their specific debuffs. This becomes quite interesting depending on your playstyle, favorite loadout, comfort level with the scenario or whether you chase leaderboards. All these things can influence your decisions. Choices get more interesting as debuffs stack in later tiers. You can reroll one debuff per tier, however, rerolling a debuff can be tricky due to the fear that you may get something more threatening than you currently have. But back to the good news. As you beat each tier, you get to choose one of three buffs that stack as you progress which can encourage “builds” as you try to beat all five tiers. The buffs are very strong and we’ve found that what we pick is often influenced by the choices that we made on previous tiers. For instance, choosing between “All wall traps do double damage” and “Double your hit points” may seem like a no brainer, but if debuffs from earlier tiers are “lose 10 rifts points on death” and “Gnoll assassins added to every wave” it may be smart to bolster HP. It is important to remember that you have 100 rift points across all five tiers and your score accumulates over your entire run. You can change your loadout at the beginning of each tier so you can take advantage of chosen buffs or mitigate debuffs that might hinder you based on your selections. Skulls are also granted upon completion of each tier, as well as some bonus skulls if you are able to beat all five tiers. We are always thinking about the future of our games and their modes. For Scramble, there are ideas about allowing players to continuously turn up difficulty each time they conquer the mode or simply adding more tiers. We always welcome community feedback as we continuously improve our games. But with that… let’s move on to one of our newest trap additions. The Acid Geyser It was obvious to our design department that Tar, Brimstone, and Floor Spikes were becoming the go-to floor traps taken as we played and watched others play the game. In order to make floor trap choices more interesting we designed the new Acid Geyser. The Acid Geyser provides a new (acid) damage type that causes Orcs to die in totally new ways. The placement footprint of this trap is one trap space, but the area of effect is bigger than the footprint itself. The “melt” status effect applies to enemies hit by the acid, which increases physical damage taken while the status effect is on. This makes the Acid Geyser great for combos. The upgrades include reducing the trigger cool down as well as unique upgrades that increase how long the acid sprays or how long the melt status effect lasts. Given our loadout slot limit of 10, the Acid Geyser further diversifies choices when equipping your floor traps. But don’t let the loadout slot limit discourage you, there is no right way to kill an Orc, the only important thing is that Orcs Must Die! We hope to see you and your friends in-game on July 23. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/pG_4-7Eqk7gView the full article

This year’s MLB All-Star Game festivities will be one for the ages. With both the MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby, we are certain home runs will not be in short supply. Who do you think will win the All-Star Game MVP? To help celebrate MLB All-Star week, the Live Content Team at San Diego Studio is hard at work putting the finishing touches on some amazing content for everyone to try in MLB The Show 21. You can look forward to a new Team Affinity Program featuring 2021 All-Stars, and two packs with Home Run Derby and All-Star Game players. Earn your way to all 30 players in Season 3 of Team Affinity and be sure to look for those Home Run Derby cards. In fact, whichever player(s) have the most outstanding performance during All-Star festivities on July 12 and 13, be on the lookout for them to possibly be included in the special All-Star Game Pack. The Live Content Team will be watching both the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game and will be working to get all this amazing content released throughout the festivities on July 12 and 13. Be sure to look for new players in packs after the event ends in The Show Shop online in-game. How do you earn this content? Play Moments, Missions, and Showdown online to earn all 30 Team Affinity Season 3 All-Star players. If you haven’t had a chance to try MLB The Show 21, now is the perfect opportunity. For a limited time now through July 14, the MLB The Show 21 Standard Edition is up to 33%* off MSRP and Stubs are up to 40% off. Check TheShow.com for all the news, and follow our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and our YouTube accounts for the latest updates about MLB The Show 21. For more detailed information on MLB The Show 21 please read our announcement FAQ here. *PS4 Standard Edition is 33% off MSRP, PS5 Standard Edition is 29% off MSRP http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/3F98Ann-B6oView the full article

Pack your bags for Berlin; it’s zombie slaying time! From the return of the classic Mule Kick Perk to new advanced weaponry like the gravity-bending LT53 Kazimir and CRBR-S Wonder Weapon, you’ll have all you need to survive the trials ahead in Mauer der Toten, the eagerly awaited next chapter in the Dark Aether story. Along with new content for the PlayStation-exclusive Onslaught mode, new items and events in Warzone, the addition of Rush and Capture the Flag in Multiplayer and more, it’s shaping up to be a great second half of the season. Season Four Reloaded of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone arrives on PlayStation July 15. Here’s the full briefing: Play Video The next Zombies Chapter: Mauer Der Toten As Perseus brings CIA satellites crashing down to earth, a second war is escalating in the Zombies Dark Aether universe. Colonel Lev Kravchenko, leader of the Omega Group, has masterminded a brutal attack against Requiem, capturing their strike team for his own nefarious purposes. Fight to escape the clutches of Kravchenko and the undead in the next classic round-based Zombies experience. In Mauer der Toten, players must navigate the dark streets of war-torn Berlin, including an undead-infested U-Bahn, and enlist the help of Klaus, a new robotic companion who will assist the Requiem agents in their battle against the horde. New items: Mule Kick, LT53 Kazimir, CRBR-S Wonder Weapon Chug down the new Mule Kick Perk-a-Cola, allowing you to carry three weapons as opposed to the default two. Find Mule Kick in its own signature machine in Mauer der Toten and stocked in Der Wunderfizz machines throughout round-based Zombies maps and Outbreak. Head to any crafting table throughout Zombies to discover a new piece of Equipment: the LT53 Kazimir Grenade. Upon placement, a black hole–like effect will pull in and neutralize nearby undead. What’s on the other side? Jump in to find out. Turn zombies into mincemeat with the new CRBR-S Wonder Weapon, an energy-based Pistol with an orbiting repeater and three unique upgrades via Mod Kits that turn into a completely new Wonder Weapon each time. Get more on PlayStation — exclusive content for Black Ops Cold War Prepare for the latest new map, Rush in the PlayStation exclusive, two-player Onslaught mode. Defend against relentless zombie attacks on this classic map, and rush into combat in the new Onslaught Accelerated playlist, where the Dark Aether orb never stops moving and enemies never stop spawning. Survive 20 accelerated surge waves to unlock the Chemtaminate LMG Weapon Blueprint. Let’s cover some fundamentals to help you on your way. Tips for Onslaught: 1. Don’t leave the orb! Once orb power reaches 100, the vicinity is cleared of enemies and the orb moves onto the next zone. Stick close to it or risk getting eliminated in the dimensional phase. 2. As a two-person team, it’s important that both players beef up with upgrades like higher-tier weapons, armor, and Perks. Communicate and call out drops for each other so you can evenly spread your power gain. 3. Try to save your grenades and other equipment for Elite Surge waves. The faster you take down these tough foes, the better. Completing Elite Surges awards powerful items to aid you against increasingly difficult future waves. Multiplayer adds Rush, Capture the Flag Rush (6v6): Prepare for frenetic firefights in Rush, a small-sized 6v6 map set in and around a speedball course. Remastered from Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Rush features narrow choke zones and plentiful exterior paintball structures. The paintball fun will continue in the new Paintball Moshpit later in the season, complete with paintball impact visuals and sound FX in 6v6 Multiplayer. Capture the Flag: Take the enemy team’s flag and return it to home base before they capture yours in this classic Call of Duty game mode. A short respawn timer encourages smart, tactical play, with an equal emphasis on offense and defense. Get two new weapons Fresh in-game challenges offer the chance to unlock two new weapons: the OTs 9 and Mace. OTs 9 — Comparable to the Bullfrog in terms of damage and fire rate, the OTs 9 is a fearsome SMG that’s sure to be favored by close-quarters Operators. Mace — Show them you mean business with the Mace, a new bludgeoning tool that’s sure to get the job done. New mode, Event, Killstreak, and more in Warzone Payload: In this 20v20 mode, the attacking team must escort vehicles across all checkpoints within the time limit to win the match. The defending team must prevent them from doing so at all costs. Blueprint Blitz: Later in the season, complete two regular Contracts to spawn the new Contraband Contract, rewarding you with a permanent Weapon Blueprint if you’re able to extract it from the DZ, plus a load of cash on completion. Sentry Gun: Get your hands on some impressive stationary firepower as the Sentry Gun joins the list of Warzone Killstreaks. Find the Sentry Gun in Red Door room Supply Boxes… if you’re extremely lucky. Red Doors, Loot Update, and More: Further intel suggests that the mysterious Red Doors will appear [[REDACTED]] and take you to [[REDACTED]]. As Perseus sleeper cells are still at large in Verdansk, we caution you to [[REDACTED]]. Get the new Special Ops: Pro Pack Visit the in-game Store to purchase the new six-item Special Ops: Pro Pack bundle, featuring a new Legendary Portnova Operator Skin and two Legendary Weapon Blueprints along with other cosmetic items. The bundle includes a whopping 2,400 COD Points that can be spent toward another bundle or Battle Pass purchase. Free Black Ops Cold War access From July 22 to July 29, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will host a Free Access Week featuring various Multiplayer and Zombies playlists, including the new Rush and Mauer der Toten maps! Season Four Reloaded arrives July 15 Season Four Reloaded of Black Ops Cold War and Warzone launches on PlayStation on July 15. See you online. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/rTGydeyeGT0View the full article

Eleven, Hopper, The Demogorgon, and The Mindflayer are not in Hawkins anymore. They’re in the Battleground of the Gods, as part of the all new Smite x Stranger Things Crossover event starting July 13 on PlayStation 4! Bringing Stranger Things to life in Smite has been a dream come true for our team, and I can’t wait to tell you all about how our dev team got turned Upside Down. Play Video What is the crossover? The Smite x Stranger Things crossover brings four fan-favorite characters from Stranger Things to life in Smite. Eleven, Hopper, The Demogorgon, and The Mind Flayer are all available as part of an all-new Battle Pass. Each Stranger Things character comes to life as an incredible skin for an existing Smite God: Eleven Scylla, Hopper Apollo, The Mind Flayer Sylvanus, and The Demogorgon Bakasura. When you purchase the Battle Pass, you’ll instantly unlock Hopper Apollo, or buy the Battle Pass Plus to instantly unlock everything up to The Demogorgon Bakasura. Of course, there are tons of free rewards as well — and a Prestige Track featuring 60 extra levels of goodies and a special 80’s mall-themed Starcourt Eleven Scylla. The Battle Pass is not all we have planned for this epic crossover. For the first time ever, we’re implementing a crossover into the environment of one of our game modes. When you take a look around the Arena map, you’ll notice that Stranger Things’ trademark Upside Down has seeped into the classic Roman coliseum. The skybox has been updated to a dark, doomed sky with The Mind Flayer looming over the Battleground. You can also find fun callbacks to the show like the flashing Christmas lights. Take a close look to see if you can find any surprises our environment artists may have hidden. Titan Forge Games loves Stranger Things When the team first heard about the Stranger Things crossover, we were beyond excited. Our studio includes some major superfans who wanted to get the characters just right. We knew from the start that Eleven had to have her iconic blindfold, and the Mind Flayer had to be as fleshy and creepy in-game as he was in the show. I mean who throws a car, really? We start each crossover by focusing on our Gods’ abilities. If Eleven was to become Scylla, the Greek Horror of the Deep, how could we change her ultimate? We know that Eleven isn’t secretly hiding any dog-headed monsters, but Scylla’s iconic ultimate “I’m a Monster” sees those giant hounds attack her foes. How could we replace that ultimate with something true to Eleven? We sat down and watched a few episodes of Stranger Things, and we found our answer in Season 3. There’s an unforgettable scene where Eleven picks up a car with her abilities and throws it across the mall. It was one of our artists who first said, “What if that was Eleven Scylla’s ultimate?” It was challenging to get the car to feel equal to the gameplay mechanics of the hounds (i.e hitting the target similarly, audio cues) but once the team saw it in playtest, we knew it was the path forward. From God to Monster The Roman Keeper of the Wild Sylvanus is a God deeply entwined with nature… while The Mind Flayer is a monster who is an affront against nature. But as we looked closely at Stranger Things, we realized this unlikely pairing was the perfect fit to bring The Mind Flayer to life in Smite. Sylvanus’s peaceful tree is replaced by the fleshy tendrils of The Mind Flayer. Watch closely and you’ll even notice that the tendrils go in and out of his body, much like how The Mind Flayer absorbed and changed body parts in the show. The ability Nature’s Grasp is changed from a grasping vine to a slimy tendril, reaching out from The Mind Flayer’s mouth to grab unsuspecting foes. It’s creepy yet really cool. These are just a few changes that the team has put into the game and I can’t wait for players to get in the game and check everything out. If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll love the callbacks we made, and if you’re just a Smite fan who has never seen Stranger Things you’ll still love these creative takes on your favorite Gods. Special offer for PlayStation Plus members To celebrate the Stranger Things crossover, we’ve put together a limited time offer for all PlayStation®Plus Members. The Smite x Stranger Things Mega Plus Pack unlocks all four Gods featured in the Battle Pass, their Voice Packs, 5000 Battle Pass Points, a 30 day Account Booster, and 10,000 Viewer Points for the Viewer Store. Plus: You can unlock a Daily Deal bundle of your choice, containing three great cosmetics chosen just for you. Visit the Deals tab in the Store to redeem your Deal of the Day Token. The Stranger Things Mega Plus Pack is a great way to get started on the Battle Pass! You’ll need to purchase the Battle Pass though to unlock the Stranger Things skins. I hope you all log in tomorrow to claim your Smite x Stranger Things Mega Plus Pack, and to check out this incredible crossover. Our team was thrilled to bring these four Stranger Things characters to life and I can’t wait for you to experience them in the Battleground of the Gods — Upside Down or rightside up. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/NMM_8P02yFEView the full article

Hi all! Damoun Shabestari (aka Shabs) here, game director at First Contact Entertainment — developers behind Firewall Zero Hour*, the team-based multiplayer shooter exclusive to PlayStation VR**. Since launching nearly three years ago, we have continued to offer our players new content in the form of seasonal operations. I am excited to announce that the seventh season of Firewall Zero Hour will be kicking off July 13, with Operation: Rubicon. While there won’t be new maps or contractors featured this season, there are a wide variety of missions for you to complete & fantastic rewards for you to earn, so let’s take a look at some of the awesome content coming tomorrow with Operation: Rubicon. New cosmetic rewards There are over 24 new cosmetic rewards available this season. Upon completion of Missions, a variety of different trinkets, face paints, and camo skins can be equipped by players. We have added in a new blue smoke grenade variant which you’ll be able to earn through missions as well. In addition to Free Mission Rewards, Rubicon Op Pass*** holders have access to Premium and Bonus Mission Rewards. New Legendary Weapon The Legendary Weapon Skin of Operation: Rubicon is the Gilded Sten — available to Rubicon Op Pass holders who complete all Free, Premium and Bonus Missions in Operation: Rubicon (a total of 24 Missions) and redeemed for 250,000 Crypto. Reminder: Op Pass and Hack Key bundles The Rubicon Op Pass*** allows players access to 16 additional Mission cosmetic Rewards, plus the ability to unlock the Legendary Weapon Skin, the Gilded Sten after completion of all 24 Missions this season. Hack Keys can be used to instantly complete any Operational Mission and receive its cosmetic Reward — a great option for players who don’t have as much time to play as they would like. If you have any Hack Keys left over from last season (Operation: CloudStrike), you can use them on Missions this season (Operation: Rubicon). Firewall Zero Hour – Rubicon Op Pass + 25 Hack Keys ($19.99 USD) Firewall Zero Hour – Rubicon Op Pass + 5 Hack Keys ($7.99 USD) Firewall Zero Hour – Rubicon Op Pass + 1 Hack Key ($3.99 USD) Firewall Zero Hour – 5 Hack Keys Pack ($4.99 USD) Firewall Zero Hour Digital Deluxe Edition and Deluxe Pack As a reminder, Firewall Zero Hour Deluxe Pack is also available at PlayStation Store, released in conjunction with the Firewall Zero Hour Digital Deluxe Edition. This is a great add-on for those newer to the game! The Deluxe Pack features some of the most popular Contractors, skins, and face paints released for Firewall Zero Hour since launch. The Deluxe Pack ($19.99 USD) includes the following: Contractors: Jag, Nash, Node, Ruby, Lynx, Kane, Proxy Camo Skins: Banana, Bella, Dark Carbon, Fractal, Graffik, Lava, Snakeskin, Sunset Face Paints: Aztec, Clownface, Eagle, Fierce, Janus, Kiwi, Rotten Weapon Skins: Banana, Bella, Dark Carbon, Fractal, Graffik, Lava, Snakeskin, Sunset It’s been a dream come true to see the Firewall Zero Hour community continue to grow around the world after nearly three years since launch! A huge thank you to everyone for sticking with us over the years. We appreciate every bit of support! Let’s squad up and I’ll see you online, Contractors. * An internet connection is required for all modes of Firewall Zero Hour, including Single Player Training Mode. An active PS Plus membership is required for Multiplayer Training and Multiplayer Contract modes. **PlayStation®4 or PlayStation®5 system, PlayStation®VR and PlayStation®Camera are required to experience VR functionality. PlayStation® Camera adaptor required for use with PlayStation®5 system. ***Rubicon Op Pass sold separately. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/p47Glb0ShvQView the full article

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here This week, this team recaps the latest news from State of Play, and chats with Naughty Dog Lead Game Designer Emilia Shatz about level design and Pride in gaming. Stuff We Talked About Deathloop Lost Judgment Moss: Book II Arcadegeddon Death Stranding Director’s Cut The Last of Us Part II (Interview with Emilia Shatz begins at 32:50) Astro’s Playroom The Cast Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE Tim Turi – Manager, Content Communications, SIE Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/bSynXTThqYAView the full article

Last week, we asked you to soak in the summer sun from your favorite games using #PSshare #PSBlog. From beachy shores or green summer fields, here are this week’s seasonal highlights: JRPyznar explores a beachy scene in Astro’s Playroom. CGBehemoth shares the blue waters of Hitman 3. imroyank lounges in the sun of Fortnite. M_Joe_Hort is ready to surf in GTA Online. TysonaterVA shares Aloy enjoying a sun-dappled break in Horizon Zero Dawn. AhmadYuanda_1st says, “It’s Summer, time to Porky Party” with this share from Far Cry 5. Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? THEME: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Photo Mode SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on July 14 Next week, we’re diving into Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’s newly updated Photo Mode! Share epic interdimensional moments using new sticker packs and colored backgrounds using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/IuDOxQ-9EswView the full article

Welcome back! Last month’s PS5 chart was a busy one, with big debuts from Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Chivalry 2, Guilty Gear Strive, and Scarlet Nexus, while Cyberpunk 2077, Beat Saber, and Fortnite topped the PS4, PS VR, and Free-to-Play charts, respectively. Peruse the full rundown below. PS5 Games 1 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart 2 Chivalry 2 FIFA 21 3 Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Chivalry 2 4 Guilty Gear -Strive- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales 5 SCARLET NEXUS It Takes Two 6 Dark Alliance STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order 7 NBA 2K21 Next Generation Metro Exodus 8 FIFA 21 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War 9 Mortal Kombat 11 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla 10 MLB The Show 21 TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX | SIEGE 11 It Takes Two NBA 2K21 Next Generation 12 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Demon’s Souls 13 STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order Dark Alliance 14 Returnal Mortal Kombat 11 15 Demon’s Souls SCARLET NEXUS 16 FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE Returnal 17 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Resident Evil Village 18 TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX SIEGE Guilty Gear -Strive- 19 Resident Evil Village Necromunda: Hired Gun 20 Metro Exodus FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE *Naming of products may differ between regions *Upgrades not included PS4 Games 1 Cyberpunk 2077 Cyberpunk 2077 2 Grand Theft Auto V FIFA 21 3 NBA 2K21 Grand Theft Auto V 4 Minecraft Minecraft 5 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War NBA 2K21 6 Chivalry 2 Red Dead Redemption 2 7 Rust Console Edition The Crew 2 8 MLB The Show 21 CarX Drift Racing Online 9 God of War Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War 10 FAR CRY 5 Gran Turismo Sport 11 Knockout City Chivalry 2 12 Red Dead Redemption 2 Far Cry 5 13 Friday the 13th: The Game eFootball PES 2021 SEASON UPDATE 14 CarX Drift Racing Online Anthem™ 15 Guilty Gear -Strive- TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX | SIEGE 16 Mortal Kombat 11 Far Cry 3 Classic Edition 17 FIFA 21 Friday the 13th: The Game 18 Dark Alliance ARK: Survival Evolved 19 Need for Speed Heat Green Hell 20 UFC 4 Gang Beasts *Naming of products may differ between regions PS VR Games 1 Beat Saber Beat Saber 2 Job Simulator Job Simulator 3 SUPERHOT VR SUPERHOT VR 4 Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality RICK AND MORTY: VIRTUAL RICK-ALITY 5 The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Cave Digger 6 Creed Rise to Glory The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners 7 GORN Creed: Rise to Glory 8 Swordsman VR GORN 9 Gun Club VR Gun Club VR 10 Vacation Simulator Swordsman VR Free-to-Play (PS5 + PS4) 1 Fortnite Fortnite 2 Call of Duty: Warzone Call of Duty: Warzone 3 Rocket League Rocket League 4 Genshin Impact Genshin Impact 5 Apex Legends Brawlhalla 6 Rec Room Apex Legends 7 Brawlhalla Destiny 2 8 Destiny 2 Rogue Company 9 Rogue Company Rec Room 10 DC Universe Online Free-to-Play World of Tanks http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/1XeZqB2snyQView the full article

Hello, Travelers! On behalf of the entire Genshin Impact team, we’re very pleased to share with you that Inazuma, the much-anticipated third city of the seven major cities, will finally arrive with the upcoming Version 2.0 The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia on July 21. Today, for the first time, we’re going to take you on a short tour of the unique cultural landscapes of this major city completely surrounded by the ocean, and the beings that inhabit it. Meanwhile, we’d also like to share some latest features and supports added to PlayStation, including the cross-save function among PlayStation, PC, and mobile. The Nation That Seeks “Eternity” While Mondstadt believes in freedom and Liyue honors contracts, Inazuma and its ruler, Raiden Shogun, the Electro Archon, pursues eternity. But what makes the Archon with the power of the fleeting lightning seek eternity? As the story unfolds, this will be a theme that runs through your adventure in Inazuma. In contrast to her Almighty Shogun’s pursuit of eternity, Inazuma is a place where you can find ephemeral beauty everywhere. Unlike the clear sunny days in Mondstadt and Liyue, the weather in Inazuma changes quickly and drastically, tinting the landscapes with a strong sea breeze, flickering light and shadow, and raging thunderstorms in the blink of an eye. The Inazuma area consists of six main islands and a series of islets scattered across the ocean, each with a unique landscape and history. You may visit the Grand Narukami Shrine and Sacred Sakura on the mountain of Narukami Island, or admire the blooming cherry blossoms and the magnificent Tenshukaku where the Shogun resides at in Inazuma City. You may also witness the giant skeleton and the palpable aura of the Tatarigami at Yashiori Island where the Raiden Shogun battled a great serpent, or traverse the desolate coastline where lies the ruins of war at Tatarasuna. You may also find yourself getting lost in the area shrouded in thunderstorms, or stumble into huge mysterious underground areas and ruins hidden beneath the sea surface. With Version 2.0, we’re only releasing three of the six main islands of Inazuma. There are many more landmarks and locations with distinct scenery, stories, secrets, and their respective connections to the history of Inazuma and the Electro Archon waiting for the Traveler to explore. Living Beings in Inazuma Inazuma is ruled by the Electro Archon, so purple has become the dominant color for many local species affected by the power of the Electro element. This vast land isolated by the ocean is also home to some unique and peaceful animals that are very different from the creatures of Liyue and Mondstadt. Due to Inazuma’s unique location and traditions, you may also come across some lovely animals that coexist in harmony with the locals. However, not all beings come in peace. Across the Inazuma islands, Travelers will inevitably encounter wandering samurais and even a new branch of the Fatui. Meanwhile, new boss enemies will be added to the map for Travelers to challenge and obtain more rewards. The Hypostasis family will see a new Pyro member joining – the Pyro Hypostasis. Strangely enough, the Perpetual Mechanical Array and a few other bizarrely-shaped machines similar to the Ruin Guards in Mondstadt and Liyue will also appear in Inazuma. In addition to the new enemies, after its debut in Version 1.6, Maguu Kenki will also be found as a World Boss and a source for Character Level-Up Materials in Inazuma. A New Chapter of Your Journey We hope to leave more of the fun of the new areas including the latest Archon Quests as well as side quests for players to explore. But before you embark on a fresh new adventure, we’d like to introduce three new reliable companions Ayaka, Yoimiya, and Sayu from Inazuma, who may join your party. Not only can these three characters become valuable assets in your daily battles and exploration, Ayaka and Yoimiya will also make their debut in the upcoming Archon Quests. Kamisato Ayaka is a long-awaited character who has been familiar to many fans since closed beta testing. Ayaka is the daughter of the Yashiro Commission’s Kamisato Clan, a branch of the Tri-Commission under the Raiden Shogun. Wielding the power of Cryo and a sword, Ayaka has often been conceived as dignified, elegant, wise, and strong. However, she also has her own worries and desires like other young girls of her age. Yoimiya is the other five-star character joining in Version 2.0. She’s a Pyro archer and an expert in fireworks. Known as the Queen of the Summer Festival, Yoimiya excels in her craft of creating fireworks that symbolize people’s hopes and dreams. The last character, Sayu is a four-star ninja character who wields an Anemo Vision. Despite her petite stature, she can wield a giant claymore bigger than herself. During the journey, you will also discover various new puzzle-solving gameplay. Unlike puzzles in Mondstadt and Liyue, Inazuma’s puzzles do not require you to have a character in your team who can use specific elemental powers in order to solve the puzzle. Successfully solving the puzzle only requires a little bit of your wisdom to make good use of all the clues and items around you! If you want to take a break in your journey, we strongly recommend revisiting your realm in your Serenitea Pot. With Version 2.0, you can now collect seeds of plants via a special container gadget, and grow different plants in your realm once you have cultivated some fields with the help of Chubby, the teapot spirit. An Upgraded Experience on PlayStation Thanks to the efforts of our partner Sony and the whole Genshin Impact team, we’re very proud to announce that starting from Version 2.0, all Travelers will be able to share game progress across PS5, PS4, and all other available platforms. Meanwhile, we also have more good news for PlayStation players. A list of new trophies will be added with Version 2.0. Furthermore, some PS5 players may already notice that we’ve been adding parts of the haptic feedback features on the DualSense wireless controller since the release of the native PS5 version in May. For example, when a combustible barrel explodes, you can sense stronger quakes if you’re closer to the explosion. With Version 2.0, you can expect a lot more tactile feedback with your DualSense controller when you draw a bow, use your wind glider, rush into the woods, and perform various actions in the game. We’ve also enhanced the character shading so that the effects of real-time lighting can be more clearly shown on your character. As you bathe in the setting sun and stroll down the streets under Inazuma’s sakura trees, your characters will be tinted red in the sunset glow, with swaying leaves casting their shadows on them. We’re very proud to finally bring all players and Travelers a new city and a better gaming experience on the PlayStation platform, after months of efforts by the entire team. Inazuma is a huge area surrounded by sea, with very different geography, people, and cultures. All music that players will hear in the Inazuma region are also brand-new, composed by Yu-Peng Chen and performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. We’re only showing parts of it in Version 2.0, and there are more surprises waiting for you in the future. And that’s all for now, Travelers! We hope you’ll have a great time exploring Inazuma this summer. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/kzR-T5ll7bIView the full article

Hello everyone! It is with great pleasure that today, Kojima Productions can officially announce Death Stranding Director’s Cut is in development and will arrive on the PlayStation 5 console on September 24, 2021. Death Stranding Director’s Cut is the definitive experience Featuring the unique Social Strand System which allows players to stay connected with other players from around the globe*, Death Stranding Director’s Cut will enable players to experience Death Stranding, the genre-defying open world action-adventure game starring Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux and Lindsay Wagner, fully remastered and expanded for PS5 consoles. Play Video Tomorrow is in your hands In the future, a mysterious event known as the death stranding has opened a doorway between the living and the dead, leading to creatures from the afterlife roaming the fallen world marred by a desolate society. As Sam Bridges, your mission is to deliver hope to humanity by connecting the last survivors of a decimated America. Can you reunite the shattered world, one step at a time? New Delivery Order! Enhanced and expanded content Death Stranding Director’s Cut is packed with a ton of new content and enhanced gameplay features. We are introducing more weapons, equipment and vehicles, a variety of new modes, missions and areas to explore, expanded storylines, and enhancements to the UI. We will also be adding new online features including Friend Play and Leaderboards, more news on that coming soon! Today however, I wanted to take this time to clear up a few things that have been floating around following our teaser release during Summer Games Fest back on June 10 … if you didn’t see it, check it out here… Play Video For starters, the content that we’re introducing to Death Stranding Director’s Cut was all built and developed from the ground up, following the launch of the original Death Stranding. Everything from the Firing Range area, to the additional missions, to the all-new Fragile Circuit racing mode, the aim was to introduce new content that would further expand the world within Death Stranding while enhancing the core game experience. The new content isn’t simply bolted on either, it’s been carefully woven into the core game experience and will be made available through discovery as you play. Most of the new content is fairly easy to find, though there are some bits and pieces that will take some time to find and unlock. Although I can’t really go into too much detail about the new missions and extended storyline at this point, what I can share is that a few hints have been added to the latest trailer we’ve released that give a few clues as to what you can expect – we’ll have more to share on that in the weeks to come – though I can confirm now that all the Half-Life and Cyberpunk 2077 content introduced to the PC version of Death Stranding will also be available in Death Stranding Director’s Cut. PorterS, Thank you 4 your contribution! Before we get into the PS5 features, wanted to also confirm to the many Porters who have either just made their first delivery, or you’re off building loads of structures to help other Porters – Unite the Divided! – PlayStation 4 console save data will be transferable. We wanted to ensure that players, no matter where they are in their journey, could pick back up relatively in the same area as they left off when playing the PS4™ version, while also enabling players who have already completed the game the ability to jump to the areas where new content and equipment can be discovered. PlayStation 5 features Experience environment effects with the DualSense wireless controller’s haptic feedback. Get closer to the world of Death Stranding with bespoke adaptive trigger resistance. Hear sound effects come to life in 3D Audio (requires compatible headphones). Get into the action quickly with the PS5 console’s ultra-fast SSD and near-instant load times. Choose from two picture modes – Performance Mode with upscaled 4K and up to 60FPS or Fidelity Mode in native 4K – both with ultra-wide and HDR support**. Upgrade path defined If you already own the PS4 version of Death Stranding, you can get the PS5 Death Stranding Director’s Cut Digital Deluxe Edition Upgrade for only SGD18 / MYR50 / IDR150,000 / THB300 The Standard Edition of Death Stranding Director’s Cut (Disc/Digital) is SGD67.9 / MYR209 / IDR729,000 / THB1,690 / PHP2,490 / VND 1,249,000 and you can get the Death Stranding Director’s Cut Digital Deluxe Edition with SGD79.9 / MYR249 / IDR879,000 / THB1,990. Buy any version of Death Stranding for PS4 to get the Death Stranding Director’s Cut Digital Deluxe Edition Upgrade for PS5 for the same price mentioned above.*** Let’s stay connected Before we close things out, on behalf of the entire Kojima Productions studio, I wanted to say THANK YOU to the PlayStation community for all the support you have given us over the years. You contribute so much; from sharing fan art, cos-player outfits and photomode shots, to delivering helpful hints and tips to new Porters, all of these efforts not only help us stay connected, they also continue to inspire us here at the studio as well. So again, we sincerely thank you. I hope you enjoyed the official reveal of Death Stranding Director’s Cut. There is a lot more to come in a few weeks’ time, so don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @KojiPro2015_EN and stay up to date with all the latest news and announcements coming from Kojima Productions. For more information on Death Stranding Director’s Cut, please be sure to visit the game’s official page at PlayStation Store. In the meantime, thanks again for stopping by, stay safe and keep on keeping on! *Internet and account for PlayStation™Network required **4K and HDR require a 4K & HDR compatible TV or display. ***Owners of a PS4 disc copy must insert the disc into the PS5 every time they want to download or play the PS5 digital version of the game (which you can then play while your PS4 disc is in the drive). PS4 game disc owners who buy the PS5 Digital Edition disc-free console will not be able to get the PS5 version of the game for the discounted price. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/mFF_yNLmNWsView the full article

Miss the live broadcast earlier today? We’ve got all of today’s news collected in one handy spot! Play Video Catch the highlights of the latest State of Play episode with this quick video recap. Moss: Book II Play Video Quill returns in this intriguing follow-up to one of the most beloved PS VR titles of all time. Get your first look in today’s brand new trailer. Arcadegeddon Play Video Early Access begins today on PS5 for Illfonic’s kaleidoscopically chaotic loot-based shooter. Tribes of Midgard Play Video Norsfell Games’ action-RPG launches July 27, but that’s just the beginning. The team dives into its post-launch plans in this State of Play update. F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch Play Video Robo-rabbit Rayton takes center stage in this exciting look at his combat abilities, aided by his giant mechanical arm. Explore this unique world on PS4 and PS5 September 7. Hunter’s Arena: Legends Leap into 30-player melee matches when Hunter’s Arena joins PlayStation Plus August 3*. This combat and systems overview could be the edge you need on launch day. Sifu Play Video Fight, fall, fight again in this latest look at Sloclap’s kung fu beat ‘em up. Each time the hero gets KO’d, he does rise again… but ages each time. Excited to learn more as we close in on the game’s 2022 release. Jett: The Far Shore Play Video Thoughtful exploration and an inquisitive atmosphere make this adventure stand out. Learn more about the game’s laid back approach in this new State of Play trailer. Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles Play Video See Tanjiro and the Tsuzumi Mansion episode in this latest look at Aniplex’s upcoming anime adventure. The popular series comes to PS4 October 15. Lost Judgment Play Video Equal parts grisly and goofy, this trailer for the anticipated sequel is sure to turn heads. Attempt to solve two impossible murders when Lost Judgment hits PS4 and PS5 September 24. Death Stranding Director’s Cut Play Video Your first look at the enhanced and expanded Death Stranding experience for PS5. New missions, new equipment, and more await, porters. Deathloop Play Video Even when armed to the teeth and sporting supernatural abilities, Colt’s mission to take down his targets and break free of Blackreef’s time loop will be a challenging one. See him track Aleksis “The Wolf” Dorsey in this nine-minute gameplay sequence. Arrives on PS5 September 14. *PlayStation Plus is an ongoing subscription with recurring fees until cancelled. Age restrictions apply. See here for full terms & conditions. PlayStation Plus monthly games are available to play for the duration of your subscription only. Quill’s epic adventure continues in Moss: Book II, coming to PS VR Arcadegeddon Early Access begins today for PS5 Tribes of Midgard: Post-launch plans revealed Designing Rayton, the iconic rabbit protagonist in F.I.S.T. 30-player battle royale Hunter’s Arena hits PS4, PS5 August 3 Sifu: New trailer, updated launch window First glimpse at the gameplay of Jett: The Far Shore Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles comes to PS5 October 15 Lost Judgment: New trailer, gameplay details Deathloop: First look at extended gameplay Death Stranding Director’s Cut launches on PS5 September 24, 2021 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/YAdud8HL9EcView the full article

Hello everyone! It is with great pleasure that today, Kojima Productions can officially announce Death Stranding Director’s Cut is in development and will arrive on the PlayStation 5 console on September 24, 2021. Death Stranding Director’s Cut is the definitive experience Featuring the unique Social Strand System which allows players to stay connected with other players from around the globe*, Death Stranding Director’s Cut will enable players to experience Death Stranding, the genre-defying open world action-adventure game starring Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux and Lindsay Wagner, fully remastered and expanded for PS5 consoles. Tomorrow is in your hands In the future, a mysterious event known as the death stranding has opened a doorway between the living and the dead, leading to creatures from the afterlife roaming the fallen world marred by a desolate society. As Sam Bridges, your mission is to deliver hope to humanity by connecting the last survivors of a decimated America. Can you reunite the shattered world, one step at a time? New Delivery Order! Enhanced and expanded content Death Stranding Director’s Cut is packed with a ton of new content and enhanced gameplay features. We are introducing more weapons, equipment and vehicles, a variety of new modes, missions and areas to explore, expanded storylines, and enhancements to the UI. We will also be adding new online features including Friend Play and Leaderboards, more news on that coming soon! Today however, I wanted to take this time to clear up a few things that have been floating around following our teaser release during Summer Games Fest back on June 10 … if you didn’t see it, check it out here… For starters, the content that we’re introducing to Death Stranding Director’s Cut was all built and developed from the ground up, following the launch of the original Death Stranding. Everything from the Firing Range area, to the additional missions, to the all-new Fragile Circuit racing mode, the aim was to introduce new content that would further expand the world within Death Stranding while enhancing the core game experience. The new content isn’t simply bolted on either, it’s been carefully woven into the core game experience and will be made available through discovery as you play. Most of the new content is fairly easy to find, though there are some bits and pieces that will take some time to find and unlock. Although I can’t really go into too much detail about the new missions and extended storyline at this point, what I can share is that a few hints have been added to the latest trailer we’ve released that give a few clues as to what you can expect – we’ll have more to share on that in the weeks to come – though I can confirm now that all the Half-Life and Cyberpunk 2077 content introduced to the PC version of Death Stranding will also be available in Death Stranding Director’s Cut. PorterS, Thank you 4 your contribution! Before we get into the PS5 features, wanted to also confirm to the many Porters who have either just made their first delivery, or you’re off building loads of structures to help other Porters – Unite the Divided! – PlayStation 4 console save data will be transferable. We wanted to ensure that players, no matter where they are in their journey, could pick back up relatively in the same area as they left off when playing the PS4™ version, while also enabling players who have already completed the game the ability to jump to the areas where new content and equipment can be discovered. PlayStation 5 features Experience environment effects with the DualSense wireless controller’s haptic feedback. Get closer to the world of Death Stranding with bespoke adaptive trigger resistance. Hear sound effects come to life in 3D Audio (requires compatible headphones). Get into the action quickly with the PS5 console’s ultra-fast SSD and near-instant load times. Choose from two picture modes – Performance Mode with upscaled 4K and up to 60FPS or Fidelity Mode in native 4K – both with ultra-wide and HDR support**. Upgrade path defined If you already own the PS4 version of Death Stranding, you can get the PS5 Death Stranding Director’s Cut Digital Deluxe Edition Upgrade for only [$10]. Buy any version of Death Stranding for PS4 to get the Death Stranding Director’s Cut Digital Deluxe Edition Upgrade for PS5 for the same price mentioned above.*** Let’s stay connected Before we close things out, on behalf of the entire Kojima Productions studio, I wanted to say THANK YOU to the PlayStation community for all the support you have given us over the years. You contribute so much; from sharing fan art, cos-player outfits and photomode shots, to delivering helpful hints and tips to new Porters, all of these efforts not only help us stay connected, they also continue to inspire us here at the studio as well. So again, we sincerely thank you. I hope you enjoyed the official reveal of Death Stranding Director’s Cut. There is a lot more to come in a few weeks’ time, so don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @KojiPro2015_EN and stay up to date with all the latest news and announcements coming from Kojima Productions. For more information on Death Stranding Director’s Cut, please be sure to visit the game’s official page at PlayStation Store. In the meantime, thanks again for stopping by, stay safe and keep on keeping on! *Internet and account for PlayStation™Network required **4K and HDR require a 4K & HDR compatible TV or display. ***Owners of a PS4 disc copy must insert the disc into the PS5 every time they want to download or play the PS5 digital version of the game (which you can then play while your PS4 disc is in the drive). PS4 game disc owners who buy the PS5 Digital Edition disc-free console will not be able to get the PS5 version of the game for the discounted price. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/i2B6k0Z-4ioView the full article

Prowling stealthily across rooftops or tearing through the streets of Blackreef in a hail of bullets. Finding a hidden entrance or busting in through the front door. There are many ways to reach your objectives in Deathloop. Our target in this extended look at the game is the Visionary Aleksis “The Wolf” Dorsey. Watch Colt infiltrate his well-guarded nightly party and take him down in this first extended look at Deathloop, with commentary from Dinga Bakaba, Game Director at Arkane Lyon. Deathloop launches on console exclusively on PlayStation 5 on September 14, 2021. Tips to master the island of Blackreef If you were paying close attention in that gameplay, you might have noticed some handy tips for tackling Blackreef and its many obstacles. The writing is on the wall… and in the air… and everywhere All across Blackreef you’ll spot messages for Colt. Often they seem like helpful pieces of advice or guidance, but sometimes the messages are disjointed or confusing. They’ll start making more sense when you uncover more of the secrets hidden on the island, but you’ll learn to rely on them from the earliest moments of your adventure on Blackreef. Watch and listen Learning from each loop is vital to mastering the island and uncovering its secrets. Of course, there’s the high-value information regarding the Visionaries and their routines, but there are also smaller conversations happening everywhere on the island. If you slow down and pay attention, you may learn something helpful. Like, maybe something a careless Eternalist lets slip about a back door into Aleksis’ party? If at first you don’t succeed… … Mix it up a little. Experiment with different playstyles. Maybe certain areas or missions are more suited to a stealthy, panther-like approach, while others are just begging for the razzle dazzle of an explosive entrance. You’re in a time loop. Play around and try something new. Make their power your own In the extended gameplay, you saw Colt pick something up after killing Aleksis. That was an upgrade to his Karnesis ability, which lets him toss people around like dolls. Killing Visionaries will always net you a huge reward, whether it’s a new ability or a powerful upgrade to an ability you already have, so it never hurts to kill them more than once. You’ll be able to keep your favorite abilities and upgrades, thanks to our next tip. Save up that Residuum As you progress through Deathloop, you’ll eventually discover something called Residuum as you take down Eternalists and Visionaries. Once unlocked, Residuum can be used between loops to lock in your favorite abilities or pieces of gear, meaning once you unlock something, you won’t have to unlock it again if you spend Residuum to add it to your arsenal permanently. Reprise Reprise will be one of your closest allies on Blackreef. Thanks to this ability that you unlock early on in the game, death isn’t an automatic restart. If you’re killed, you’ll have two chances to do a little time rewinding without restarting the loop. Die a third time, however, and the loop will end. It should be noted that time only rewinds for Colt when you expend a Reprise. As you saw in the extended gameplay, everything else on Blackreef is unaffected by Reprise, meaning all enemies you killed before being taken down are still dead. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/VPiYoosNXRAView the full article

Hey everyone! SEGA is proud to be a part of the latest State of Play and raise the curtain on new gameplay for Lost Judgment, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s upcoming action noir thriller. Tokyo District Court, 2021. A convicted police officer reveals the location of a murder victim’s body, the man who had once bullied his late son. Private detective Takayuki Yagami is called to investigate the impossible case of two crimes committed at once. But what starts out as a straightforward tale of revenge bleeds into a growing criminal network, a flawed legal system, and those who would take advantage of both. It’s up to you and Yagami to hunt down the truth, even if it means scaling buildings, going deep undercover, or breaking out the martial arts to defend yourself when push comes to punch. The new trailer showcases two of Yagami’s new investigative actions: athletics and stealth. Take detective work to new heights by scaling buildings and smooth acrobatics to access otherwise unreachable areas. Stealth can be used to sneak past security or silent takedowns to get a goon out of the picture without making a scene. …But if making a scene is unavoidable, Yagami has access to three combo-heavy, flashy martial arts styles: Crane, Tiger, and the new Snake style. The Snake style’s advantage is redirecting an opponent’s attacks right back at them for more merciful takedowns. Each style rewards active play and meter management in a unique way. Yagami’s leads take you across several districts of Japan and into a local high school where he must get to the root of how a mysterious rise in delinquency is connected to his case. In order to “infiltrate” the school, Yagami goes undercover as an outside counselor advising the activity clubs. In comes the School Stories, where you can befriend students from all walks of life while on the job. Groove to the rhythm in Dance Club, battle for bot supremacy in Robotics club, and enjoy off-campus activities like sticking and swaying in a boxing gym and burning rubber in a biker gang. Spending time with students might be worth your while – you’d be surprised at who knows what in this town. It’s all part of the job for this intrepid private eye. Ready to start your investigation? Digital and deluxe pre-orders for Lost Judgment are now open! All digital pre-orders come with the Quick Start Support Pack, a set of handy items to kickstart your detective work. Plus, if you pre-order the Digital Deluxe or Digital Ultimate Editions, you can hit Ijincho three days early on PlayStation Early Access starting September 21 — three days before the game releases worldwide on September 24, 2021. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/h5qfhGHeCDMView the full article

We are proud to reveal our first game footage of “Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles” “Tsuzumi Mansion” episode in solo play mode. In this broadcast we give a brief look at PS5 gameplay. The game’s solo play mode features the stories of the anime’s “Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc” up through the “Mugen Train Arc,” where players walk the path of the protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado, and re-experience his story. Players will find themselves immersed in the world of “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” as depicted in the manga and anime as they explore the locations and battle demons alongside familiar allies. In the solo play mode’s “Tsuzumi Mansion” episode, players will get to take control of other characters besides Tanjiro, including Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira. As these characters, they will be besieged by attacking demons as they explore inside. While Tanjiro has a basic skillset with high controllability, Zenitsu’s and Inosuke’s fighting styles are different. Zenitsu uses his speed to his advantage, employing his only skill in a way that allows for continuous attacks. Inosuke has high offensive capabilities and impressive charging skills. Please enjoy the various character skills, controllability, mannerisms, and dialogue featured in the solo play mode! The game is heading toward a global release on October 15, 2021. We look forward to telling you more about both the game’s solo play and Versus modes, so stay tuned! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/qhT7SRypekMView the full article

It’s been about a year since we first unveiled Jett: The Far Shore to you during the PS5 reveal event. Now we’re excited to share this brand new three-minute clip which provides a glimpse of Jett’s gameplay. In Jett you play as Mei, an interstellar explorer who is part of a team hoping they’ve found a home for their civilization. The directives given to you by Overseer Jao are clear: you must trace the source of the hymnwave signal that led you to this mysterious planet and scout the landscape for habitability without bringing harm to its unique flora and fauna. To that end, you will observe, inspect and catalog your findings as you explore the unfamiliar environment. You’ll need to make careful use of your jett’s tools such as the resonator, the dazzle lights, and the mechanical grapple which can grab, transport, and punt heavy objects. The far shore is brimming with entities that coexist in a dynamic, interactive ecosystem where your jett is the interloper. By inspecting and experimenting, you can learn to lure predators to their prey, or combine resin with an ionic liquid to create a much-needed explosive, or ditch an enormous airborne pursuer by triggering a burst of debilitating nectar from an otherworldly plant. There are many creatures and interactions to discover, and not all players need to overcome Jett’s challenges the same way. PS5’s DualSense controller provides an exciting opportunity to do something new in videogames. In Jett, we’ve used the controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to immerse you in the vast world of the far shore and in the pilot’s seat of your jett: the nuance of walking on foot over different types of terrain, the feel of your jett as it pounces through aerobatic maneuvers, the pull of the trigger as you lay on the surge, and of course crucial gameplay feedback like the buzz of your scramjets starting to destabilize when you push them to their limits. Perhaps most exciting is Jett’s particular blend of story and gameplay. You’ll be swept up in the fate of Mei and her fellow scouts as they persevere through obstacles in their heartfelt quest to establish a peaceful home for their people against heavy odds. But this carefully-crafted narrative is actually set within an open world that you explore and traverse at your own pace. From scientific problem-solving to surreal psychological excursions to white-knuckle racing against the clock, there’s a feeling of finding yourself at the center of a distinctive cinematic experience. We’ll have more to show you in the coming weeks. Jett will deploy in 2021 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. It’s nearly time to embark together to the far shore. See you on the other side! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/m5LqRomoEIgView the full article

Hello everyone, At Sloclap we felt it was high time to give an update on Sifu to the PlayStation community! Since our reveal in February’s State of Play, the team has been hard at work on Sifu. We were hoping to release the game by the end of 2021, but we now realize that in order to release a polished game, this won’t be possible before 2022. The Covid crisis and the subsequent lockdowns have been a huge challenge for everyone, and although we were lucky enough not to face the important revenue losses that many businesses have gone through, the situation did create some real challenges for us. Since March 2020 we have had to adapt to changing regulations, switching the whole team to remote working while we continued our development work, and we lost some velocity as a consequence – remote working has its advantages, but losing daily informal interactions between team members can also be hard to manage. We still felt earlier this year that we could make our original planned launch date, but as the deadline grew closer, it became clear that we wouldn’t be able to do so without putting the quality of the game at risk or creating huge pressure on the Sloclap team – and neither of these options were acceptable to us. We’re very sorry about this delay – as gamers ourselves, we know how frustrating this can be, and as an independent studio, working multiple years on a single project, delaying a game can also create financial risks, so it’s certainly not a decision that we took lightly. But at the end of the day, our top priority is to make the best possible game, a hugely entertaining and polished experience, and we’d rather ask our fans to wait a little longer than planned than release something we’re not totally proud of. Mastery through practice, or the art of getting back up and trying again In today’s State of Play trailer, we wanted to give you a short glimpse of our aging mechanic in an all-new environment. Starting in a night club, our main character will soon find themselves in an underground fight club and will have to prevail through combat in order to reach their target. The progressive and subtle evolution of your surroundings as you get deeper into the hideouts of your enemies is a strong theme throughout the game. Kung Fu is the mastery that comes from a life of training and practice, and the aging mechanic and death are also central to this trailer. In Sifu, that concept inspires both the main character’s drive and philosophy, and we want to make it part of the gameplay experience itself. Players can make mistakes, try again, and learn in the process. We want to make that experience smooth and fluid: players will be able to restart instantly where they died and keep going forward like an unstoppable force of revenge. You cannot age eternally, however; eventually you will become too old and have to start your path again. You don’t get weaker as you age. On the contrary, like the old masters of classic Kung Fu movies, as the main character becomes older, they have more experience, skills, and knowledge to apply to the fight. Like a true Kung Fu student, to reach your objective you will have to improve through practice and perseverance. Sorry again for this delay – we are now very confident that we can release in the very first months of 2022, and we will announce a precise date as soon as possible! We hope you enjoyed what we’ve shown so far. Thank you for your patience! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/Uh67_bLPOfsView the full article

Greetings, Hunters! I’m Sanha, Project Manager at Mantisco, and our team is excited to officially reveal new PS5 footage of Hunter’s Arena in today’s State of Play. Hunter’s Arena takes you to a beautifully crafted ancient East Asian world where you play as a Hunter who must fight deadly demons as well as each other to survive in the one-of-a-kind melee battle royale. During your journey, you must master skills of swordplay and martial arts to defeat everything that tries to claim your life. So, grab your sword and brace yourself as we take a deeper look at the threats lurking in the dangerous and mystical world of Hunter’s Arena. Your ultimate goal in Hunter’s Arena is to fight your way through 30 other players and prove yourself as the deadliest Hunter. You must always plan out strategies before diving straight into the action – stay cautious, as at any moment you could become the hunted in this unyielding world. As shown in State of Play, you will always find yourself in the middle of the action. Instead of engaging in PvP fights right away, you can encounter and slay ancient demons to collect loot and grow stronger. We recommend that you take your time exploring and battling demons, as each has distinct fighting patterns and drops unique rare items. Each time you enter the arena, you will be able to choose from 17 different Hunters. I recommend that you try out different Hunters as they range from close range to long range. Close range Hunters can deal great amount of damage if you manage to close the gap between you and the enemy. Few of them even have abilities to pull enemies towards them or create shockwaves that will draw enemies to a spot. Long range Hunters are perfect for kiting enemies from a distance. However, even though projectiles deal large damage, it will require practice to perfectly land them in fast paced fights. There are three modes available in Hunter’s Arena: Solo, Trio, and Tag Match. Solo Solo mode is a 30-player free for all where your skills as the ultimate hunter will be tested. You will experience boundless freedom as you won’t be forced to constantly battle other players to claim your victory. Instead, you will be given the freedom to explore dungeons and hunt dangerous boss demons to collect loot and grow stronger. Another interesting element is that you can temporarily team up with other players to hunt down a strong boss demon. It’s all mind games from here: As soon as you finish off your foe by working together, it will become a life or death battle for precious loot. Trio In Trio mode, you will enter the arena along with your friends or other players as a team of three. You will face harder battles as trio composition comes in play in Trio mode. Communicate with your teammates before the match starts to include Hunters with different abilities to successfully coordinate your fight. For example, Gyeonjo can be utilized to keep ally Hunters safe by providing shields and being able to muscle his way through enemy projectiles. Jun, my favorite Hunter, can pull enemies in from afar — a great way to weaken enemy trios. Tag Match Lastly, Tag Match is a special mode where we put your survival skills aside and compete solely based on your skills of swordplay and martial arts. You will enter the arena with two Hunters of your choice and go face to face with your opponent until one defeat the other. It is very similar to traditional fighting games and acts as a place for you to show off your combos and fighting techniques. The core element of Tag Match is about how well you know your Hunter’s abilities to string your combos and make fast decisions to enemy’s attack. So, if you feel that you are ready, take your fight to Tag Match and climb the rankings to become the deadliest Hunter of all. I would also like to share few combat strategies that can be useful on your hunt. Drop Attack This is a deadly move that strikes the enemy from high grounds. By successfully using Drop Attack, you can ambush unexpecting enemies from above and deal massive damage. Locate an enemy underneath you, carefully time your strike, then launch yourself to get Quickstep Quickstep is an essential move that separates a rookie hunter from a master hunter. Quickstep is quick dash that can be used either offensively or defensively. If you are too far away from your enemy, you can use Quickstep to get up close and personal with your opponent. You can also utilize Quickstep to evade enemy skills and reposition yourself to turn the fight around. Slipstream Slipstream is a small air stream that is created behind a running Hunter. You can run faster in someone else’s Slipstream, which is useful for chasing down an enemy running away from a battle. If you find a Slipstream, you can follow it to guide yourself to an unsuspecting enemy. Our team is thrilled to announce Hunter’s Arena is one of August’s PlayStation Plus titles, both for PS4 and PS5*. We’re so excited to finally be able to share the game with you, and we hope that you will enjoy the action-packed world we created for you. Head on to the merciless battlefield by yourself or grab your friends to have an epic fight like you have never experienced before. We will see you again soon, Hunters! *PlayStation Plus is an ongoing subscription with recurring fees until cancelled. Age restrictions apply. See here for full terms & conditions. PlayStation Plus monthly games are available to play for the duration of your subscription only. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/b9j3f2CZroUView the full article

It all came from the basic idea that an outstanding, iconic protagonist helps players love and remember a game, and we believe Rayton, the rabbit in F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch, is a great example of that. We’d like to share what we tried to express when we designed him. When we first started to create the world of F.I.S.T., we tried to design a human protagonist, but soon we realized that no human character would be as universal and acceptable for everyone as an animal character. Compared to cats or dogs, a rabbit with two long ears has a more recognizable shape in a side-scrolling platformer. And more importantly, people imagine rabbits as a kind of weak and vulnerable creature, so when a rabbit becomes a silent veteran wielding a giant mechanical fist, a significant conflict comes out, and Rayton comes out. But why a fist? Swords or blades would definitely be cool, but a fist contains a rage that you want to vent on the enemies in your way, especially since it’s so disproportionately big. In the story, this mechanical fist was removed from Rayton’s armor from a war six years ago. We designed Rayton wielding one fist instead of two because the imbalance and incomplete shape would be an external symbol of his psychological trauma from losing that war. Along with the fist, the drill and the whip are the other two unique weapons that Rayton will obtain during his journey. Each has its own advantages, covering various damage, range, or special abilities for exploring the map. There are also some other designs to make the character vivid. For example, Rayton will drink carrot juice to recover when he is injured, and he really loves it. But never drink too much or you can’t ignore the change. F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch will be released on PS5 and PS4 on September 7 for $29.99, and PlayStation Plus members can save 10% when they pre-order at PlayStation Store! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/KT2FtlXAghwView the full article

Hi there, I’m Sydnee McLeod, Community Manager at Norsfell, taking you through a deep dive of Tribes of Midgard! Sure, you might be ready to take on a few Helthings, but even greater battles lie ahead! The prophesied End of the World: Ragnarök is coming! We’re here to talk more about it…so you’ll know what you need to do to stop it. First up, a quick refresher. In Tribes of Midgard, you’ll hack and slash through various enemies and monsters, either going solo or teaming up with 2-10 players (and any number in-between). You’re going to have to start out by thriving in the wilderness, collecting the resources necessary to defend your village from a nightly invasion of Helthings and colossal Jötnar. This will all make sense if you watch our new trailer! Before we dive in, let’s chat a bit about how we’re going to support Tribes of Midgard long past launch. We will keep the game fresh with seasonal updates that we call Sagas, and we’ve got an early look at our content roadmap to share with you. One quick note: while the below roadmap applies to both the story-driven Saga Mode and the endless Survival Mode, Saga Mode is where you’ll discover the Saga Boss quest line and earn exclusive seasonal rewards. With all that, let’s check the roadmap: Runes of Ruin Before we go charging into Ragnarök, you’re going to want to pick up some Runes. What are Runes, you ask? More than just the Viking alphabet, in Tribes of Midgard Runes are also powerful modifiers that players can equip to increase certain stats, imbue abilities and a whole lot more! There are 30 Runes in the game, so you’ll need to do some experimenting to find the right combination to best compliment your tribe and help you take down foes. Each Rune can be the difference between being a crusher or just getting crushed. We don’t want to spoil all the Runes, most you’ll discover for yourself! But here are some of them to get you started: Keeper of Souls: Allows you to keep 20% of your Souls when you die. This is important, because in Tribes of Midgard, souls are power. You use them to do pretty much everything from building defenses, upgrading merchants, healing Yggdrasil and more. Use this Rune, Viking. Nothing is worse than dying AND losing all the Souls you farmed from clearing that enemy camp. Ire of Thór: Who hates Jötnar? Thór does, that’s who. So this Rune increases damage dealt to Jötnar by 10%. If there’s one thing you can count on showing up in Tribes, it’s Jötnar. Björn Again: It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this Rune to revive downed Allies and immediately trigger a healing pool of 1000 HP around them. Useful for those times you’re the sole survivor of a particularly devastating enemy attack. Coldblood: Tribes of Midgard takes place in Midgard… mid-crisis. That means that the Endless Winter, known as Fimbulwinter, is approaching. Use this Rune to keep warm by regenerating 50 HP per second when suffering from Cold temperature. Nothing to Hide: No clothes? No problem! This Rune increases your damage for every empty slot of armor. Fit for the bravest and most skilled – and maybe the most foolhardy. Nothing is scarier than an Einherjar in their underpants! Alright, Einherjar. You’re ready. You’ve got your Runes. Now let’s zoom in on our first Saga — before a great beast breaks from its chain — with some new info about Tribes of Midgard’s first Saga: The Wolf Saga! The Final Countdown It’s time to get Ragnarök-ing! A powerful Saga boss awaits – and while he’s currently chained up in his mysterious lair – this fearsome beast is the mightiest of challengers, and holds the best and most powerful loot! To find him, you’ll need to collect a number of specialized items from completing events, defeating Jötnar, fulfilling quests and clearing dungeons in order to unlock his Lair. But for now, let’s take a peek at the kind of events you’ll take part in: Roosters of Ragnarök Event: Gullinkambi and its siblings Fjalar and the famous (ok, maybe not) Unnamed Rooster have crowed! And when these roosters of legend crow, it is said to be the first sign of Ragnarök. Find those roosters and don’t be afraid to resort to “fowl play” if you must. Prisoner Event: The Dark Elves have taken prisoners and you can free these captured souls from their nefarious clutches. Keep a particular eye out for Ottó the Adventurer, who has ambitions to become a true Viking. To help him get there, you need to stage one of the oldest traditions in Viking lore, a prison break. Free him, and event fragments are yours. World Tree Stags Event: Some event fragments are brought to you as you protect your village. Four Magical stags live in the branches of Yggdrasil: Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Durathrór. You’ll get an alert when they descend from the World Tree to visit this Realm. Track them down and commune with them, then consider it your lucky day! All of these in-game events not only are great chances at loot, items and equipment… you’ll get event fragments, too! The Big Bad Brrrrr. You feel that cold wind blowing, Einherjar? It means Fimbulwinter is fast approaching, and you’re running out of time. When you see the swirling snow, even in former green areas, you’ll know Ragnarök is about to arrive. Pool those fragments, because the moment is nigh: your road throughout this Saga has led you to the most-epic-of battles (and, should you survive, to equally-epic-rewards to use on your next adventure in Midgard!) If you think you are tough enough, grab your best armor, some cold resistance potions, repair your weapons and bundle up in your warmest gear. Just make sure you’re not leaving your village defenseless, if the Helthings (or, Odin forbid, a Jötunn) come, those you’ve left behind will have to defend it while you quest for glory! During your explorations of Midgard, you may notice an ancient crumbling bridge. You’ll need to rebuild it to connect the Midgard mainland to a remote island where the Saga Boss awaits those foolish enough to enter its domain. After you cross the bridge, you’ll enter a forbiddingly frozen land. In the game, we literally call it “A Land Best Forgotten.” Endure the cold, find the Saga Boss’s Lair, unlock the entrance with your fragments and strap in for the fight of your life! We are so excited to send you on your journey to face the first Saga of Tribes of Midgard! We have worked hard to make the final Saga Boss a memorable (and challenging) one – you’re saving the world after all. To reward you and your Tribe for your questing efforts, our team has littered The Wolf Saga with exciting rewards and Saga-exclusive gear to collect along your way. Remember, Einherjar, Midgard needs you. Valhalla can wait! Tribes of Midgard will launch on PS5 and PS4 on July 27. Pre-order at PlayStation Store now. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/WmdI4hsQhU8View the full article

I sat in Scotland with my heart in my stomach during our Christmas break. 2020 wasn’t a kind year to anyone, but the news that the game our team had been working on for the past year was no longer moving forward had just been shared with me…this seemed to be a very fitting end to an extremely hard year. That was not even what bothered me the most, games are canceled all the time in our industry, but this one was different; we had the mechanics to a solid game and it was fun. The IllFonic management team and I came together, determined to save not just the game, but the larger team. Once we all agreed the fun we had created was going to live on and we were going to publish it on our own (for the first time), I sat down and cranked out the concept for Arcadegeddon during the last two weeks of the year. This game was my answer to the frustrating question, “How do we fight for our place in this universe?” And, at the same time, it was also an answer to quarantined life. This game needed to be a pure escape after the year we’ve had. Once the concept was done, I worked with our Art Director, Izaak Moody, to bring it all to life. With the Muppets, Gorillaz, and 90’s punk rock as its influence, we both wanted to capture a world like none other, that still felt like a nostalgic escape and that is how Arcadegeddon and Gilly’s Arcade was born. What’s Arcadegeddon you ask? Gilly, the owner of a local arcade, is trying to save his business from a faceless mega-corporation. To do so he takes all the top arcade games and connects them all to make a super game, unfortunately, the mega-corporation, Fun Fun Co. hacks the game and injects a virus. You and your friends need to save the game and the last hometown arcade. This ever-evolving multiplayer shooter allows you to play solo or with up to three friends to explore multiple biomes, play mini-games, find hidden chests, and defeat numerous enemy types and boss levels. Arcadegeddon is a co-op multiplayer experience that provides a mix of PVE and PVP experiences that allows for all different speeds of play. As you continue to play you can take on additional challenges from the local “gangs” that hang out in Gilly’s Arcade. These will earn you much more than street cred. Speaking of street cred, earn your spot on the global leaderboards. One of my favorite parts of Arcadegeddon is the gangs within Gilly’s Arcade. There are nine different gangs to interact with. Each leader has their own individual style and a set of challenges for you to complete. Successful completion of these missions, if you choose to accept them, will unlock Surge Gauntlet Abilities to help you in defeating the arcade’s enemies. Not to mention once you complete their tasks you can pick up some sweet skins and sport their look as a sign that you really earned your street cred. If you’re looking to place on the global leaderboard, then these gang leader challenges are your key to success. How will Arcadegeddon play? As for how it will play, we are launching Arcadegeddon in Early Access. There is a lot of insight that can come from releasing a title in Early Access. We play our games a lot and build a lot of the “fun” factor off of our experiences, but Early Access gives us a chance to see people who haven’t designed the maps and levels play. Then we can dive into the data and community feedback to dial-up, or down, the experience. The great thing about this game is that how it will play is really dependent on you, the gamer, and your preferred style of play and the pace which you like to play at. This along with the Early Access monitoring we will be doing will help make this game a unique adventure. We plan to be in Early Access for seven months. During this time there will be planned seasonal updates as well as patches as needed each month. You can keep up to date on all the details on the game’s website and social media handles. One of the best parts about Arcadegeddon is the biomes (aka maps) the player will explore. It’s also where you can really experience the game’s outside influences. Each biome has a very distinctive style and feel. There are three biomes that will be released for Early Access. We plan on releasing at least five total by our 2022 launch. The Nerve Center biome is a neon-pulse-like electrical grid. This map is the very foundation of Gilly’s super game and it is the focus of Fun Fun Co. sabotage attempts. Mystic Isles feels like a tropical getaway island. It is home to an ancient magical presence and the temples were created by an unknown entity. The last biome launching today with Early Access is Aftermath. Aftermath is a slightly futuristic city that is now being taken back by nature after being mostly destroyed by war. Each is unique and due to the game’s ever-changing quality, every run will be different. Other factors to success come down to the weapons you chose, the hacks you pick up, and the Surge Gauntlet Abilities you acquire. There are seven different types of weapon classes and about 28 different weapons to choose from at the start of Early Access. Weapons feature a range of effects from fire, electricity, freeze, nano-tech, and more. But more importantly, it’s how and when you use these guns that will send you skyrocketing up the leaderboard. Don’t forget that along with weapons, there are over 25 hacks and 8 Surge Gauntlet Abilities for a player to acquire. These will all be necessary for beating the bosses and running the biomes at increased difficulty. To find out more, jump into the game and try them all out! Whether you play alone going for daily leader challenges, or on a team of up to four, there is one undeniable thing that we know will set Arcadegeddon apart from other games this year and it’s the music. First, we have original music for the game by Aaron Rutherford, Jimmy Blythe (AFK), Mark Rutherford, and Ray Volpe. We’ve also got music from Getter, UZ, Thook, Halogenix, Milano, South and Swrly. Even our very own Grammy Winning CEO, Charles Brungardt, is making a return to music and produced a few tracks for the game. Look to our social for more artists/music announcements coming with every patch. So from all of us at IllFonic, we hope you enjoy this escape to the arcade as much as we do. See you at Gilly’s! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/ZdUC2sF9EUgView the full article

Hello again, It is hard to describe my feelings today as I represent the Polyarc team in sharing the news that fans around the world will soon be able to—quite literally—open the next book of Moss and reunite with our brave mouse hero Quill and her beloved uncle Argus. Since we released Moss in 2018, fans have been telling us they want to learn more about the stories within Moss, explore more of the beautifully crafted environments, and experience more adventures with their new friend Quill. And finally, today, we can stop saying that “we have nothing to share at this time” and instead confirm that we are indeed bringing fans exactly what they’ve been telling us they want with Moss: Book II. Today we shared a sneak peek into what lies ahead for Quill in our announcement trailer as part of State of Play. The trailer highlights several new locations, interactions, and dangers that you’ll face on this follow-up adventure. In Moss, players built an extraordinary bond with Quill. They not only lifted her up guiding her throughout gameplay, but they also reached into the world as their own character—their every action had an impact. Players will return to this role in Book II with the story picking up right where things left off following the successful rescue of uncle Argus. Their adventure continues with the revelation that a winged tyrant leading the Arcane forces has turned its focus on Quill and is now on the hunt for her within the hexed castle where her uncle was held captive. Lined with dangerous terrain, challenging puzzles, and enemies twisted in fire and steel, Quill’s journey will be trying—filled with triumph and heartbreak alike—but new allies, old friends, and the very nature of the castle itself can help as she works to save the world from a great unmaking. Our hope with Book II is that players are once again reminded of the joy of physical interaction and the power of the emotional feedback they can experience within VR. Meeting up with Quill and her uncle again in the world of Moss isn’t from an outside vantage point—players are physically inside of the world, and they share a real presence with those characters. It’s that immersion that makes the journey feel all the more real and the stakes even higher. Within Book II, players will be treated to new mechanics, environments, enemies, and abilities. Along with new weapons like the hammer and nature attunement ability for creating new pathways for exploration, we were excited to build upon the player’s ability to charge Quill’s weapons. This not only provides Quill unique ways to solve puzzles, uncover secrets, and defeat enemies, but it feels really good to be able to reach out and connect with her through that kind of teamwork. We’ve said it before, but I feel it is important to say every time: Polyarc’s goal is to make the most of the capabilities of VR to create truly immersive gameplay experiences that ask the player to interact with the world and its characters in compelling and rewarding ways. It takes a lot of effort to craft a world like this, and the entire team has been paramount in accomplishing these goals. We’re proud of what we’re showing the world with this trailer and are excited to share more in the coming months. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/W8p-SD-s5UgView the full article