Category: Video Gaming

Joseph Staten, known for his work on the Halo series, has been hired as a Creative Director on an unannounced Netflix Games project. In his announcement tweet, Staten confirms that the game is a brand-new IP and referred to the project as a “AAA multiplatform” experience. You can read the full tweets below.

Staten is best known for his work as a writer and cinematic director at Bungie and Microsoft, mainly working on the Halo series. While he spent a few years working at the publishing side of Microsoft, in 2020, he returned to the Halo series to work on Halo Infinite, where he worked as the game’s creative director. This continued until earlier this year when he returned to the publishing side of the company amidst widespread layoffs. Now, he’s left the company entirely to work on this new project with Netflix.

This is only the latest news in Netflix’s spree of expansion into the gaming industry. It recently released a sequel to Valiant Hearts as part of a collaboration with Ubisoft. Last year, it acquired the developers behind Cozy Grove, bringing its total number of internal development teams to five if you include the in-house studio that Staten just joined. On top of that, the film and tv side of Netflix has been working on loads of game adaptations, including Gears of War, Pokémon Concierge, and a new patch of episodes of Sonic Prime.

---

Do you play games through your Netflix subscription? Let us know in the comments!

Nexon, the publisher behind MapleStory and other online games, is embroiled in a series of legal actions against Ironmace Games, the developer of indie hit Dark and Darker. The conflict has led to a police raid, the game’s removal from Steam, and a developer-distributed torrent. With a new lawsuit, it seems as though this convoluted conflict may be far from over.

Dark and Darker is a fantasy game first made available for playtesting in 2022. Players take the role of typical fantasy classes like barbarian or mage, and then battle their way through fantasy dungeons, assaulted by both nefarious skeletons and other players.

The game has enjoyed interest during its playtests, but Ironmace has been hindered by allegations made by Nexon that Dark and Darker is created from stolen code and assets. Nexon has pursued legal action against Ironmace; in March, Nexon filed a cease and desist and DMCA takedown that led to Ironmace removing Dark and Darker from Steam. Ironmace prematurely published, then pulled, a GoFundMe with a goal of $500,000 to cover legal fees and continue to pay staff during development on Dark and Darker. With Ironmace unable to conduct its planned playtest through Steam, the developer made the game available through torrents instead.

Now Nexon is following up with a lawsuit against Ironmace, alleging copyright infringement. Nexon alleges Dark and Darker was built in part from one of the publisher’s projects, announced as “P3” in 2021, and that P3 and Dark and Darker are substantially the same game. Developers from Nexon would go on to be a part of Ironmace, a studio which describes itself as “a merry band of veteran game developers disillusioned by the exploitative and greedy practices we once helped create.”

Nexon filed a lawsuit on April 14 at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington demanding a jury trial.

Nexon’s complaint names Ju-Hyun Choi, a developer at Ironmace, and Terence Seungha Park, CEO of Ironmace. Choi is a former Nexon employee and the director of the P3 project, Nexon said in its complaint. Choi is alleged to have “solicited the members of the P3 Project team to recreate P3 outside of Nexon”; “succeeded in recruiting nearly half of the P3 team including Park”; and “transferred 11,602 P3 Project files from Nexon to his own private servers.”

Nexon says that gave Ironmace a substantial leg up on Dark and Darker’s development:

While it normally takes a significant amount of time to develop a video game of P3’s complexity from scratch, Ironmace was able to release a demo of P3—renamed “Dark and Darker”—just ten months after Ironmace was formed. The reason Defendants were able to release Dark and Darker so quickly was that they took advantage of the head start given to them by stealing Nexon’s trade secrets—trade secrets that took a team of more than twenty people working for eleven months at Nexon’s expense to develop.

The lawsuit also compares assets of P3 and Dark and Darker, like a chest-opening animation and a potion’s position on the player.

Nexon is seeking injunctive relief to block the distribution of Dark and Darker and undetermined monetary relief from damages. Throughout the conflict, Ironmace has maintained its innocence, saying that all code was written in-house and most assets were purchased from the Unreal Engine Marketplace.

News

Glad we don’t have to wait until a possible Hogwarts Legacy 2.

While you could ride a broom all around the Hogwarts grounds, the broom-based sport Quidditch was conspicuously absent. As it turned out, Warner Bros. Games is bringing players the Quidditch they longed for in a separate game. Many players had speculated on a future Qudditch DLC for Hogwarts Legacy, but it seems that wasn’t in the cards.

A Tweet and website for Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions have popped up to let interested gamers sign up for playtests. Quidditch Champions will be an online-only multiplayer game. The game comes from developer Unbroken Studios rather than Hogwarts Legacy developer Avalanche Software.

The site’s FAQ for the game seems to dispel the notion that Quidditch was removed from Hogwarts Legacy to sell it otherwise, saying it has been “in development for several years.” Though, it does seem that they waited for players to cool on Hogwarts Legacy before making this announcement. Nothing on the site suggests that Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will be free-to-play.

Despite Harry Potter being directly part of the title, it’s hard to say if the Boy Who Lived will actually show up in the game. The FAQ only says that the game is “firmly rooted in the magical universe of the Wizarding World.” However, further information reveals he won’t be a playable character if he does appear. A different section regarding characters says, “players can create and customize their own Quidditch Champions.”

At the moment, there isn’t any idea of a possible release date, and even platforms are relatively unknown. The FAQ only mentions PC and unconfirmed consoles. The air of mystery continues as there is a similar lack of information regarding the first playtest date.

Wuthering Waves is a multi-platform free-to-play action RPG by Kuro Game. Wuthering Waves emphasizes freedom and exploration in its fast-paced Player-versus-Enemy (PvE) combat. If you’re a fan of free-to-play games that offer deep gameplay mechanics, you should keep an eye on Wuthering Waves’ upcoming closed beta.

The world of Wuthering Waves was bombarded by an apocalyptic event called the “Calament” over a century ago. Strange beings arrived and sowed havoc and violence across the lands, leaving the dregs of civilization to tremble on the edge of annihilation.

But peace was forged between the surviving peoples, all of whom pitched in to rebuild cities, homes, and factories from the ruins left behind by the violent invasion. There’s a dreamlike serenity hovering over Wuthering Waves, but it’s deceptive; some unnamed threat still lurks in the shadows. Your sudden, mysterious arrival to the land where you’re only known as “Rover” inexplicably lines up with the growing unease. Expect the Resonators of Wuthering Waves to keep a close eye on you–but the upside is they’ll stay close by your side and watch your back as you fight a host of strange, twisted monsters.

Wuthering Waves‘ graphics aren’t yet developed fully, but already feature large cities and settlements nestled amongst overgrown structures and towering, lush hills and mountains. Both characters and enemies alike are animated while in combat, with dashes, hits, and dodges all showing off as many details as possible while each one dives in and out of each other’s attacks.

Wuthering Waves is a full-bodied RPG that emphasizes interaction in the world. Additionally, you and your Rover will have several battle styles at your disposal via the varied Resonators. With plenty of skills to learn and weapons to master, gameplay might sound intimidating but

Wuthering Waves‘ onboarding process is engineered to make newcomers comfortable. This is good news if you’re rusty at action RPGs because you shouldn’t have trouble finding your footing. If you’re an old hand at action RPGs however, there are plenty of fierce opponents and meaty quests for you to seek out in Wuthering Waves‘ wide world.

Thankfully, cliff faces and heights aren’t blockades or mere hazards in Wuthering Waves. You can scramble up a sheer rock wall by simply running up it–provided your stores of stamina will hold instead of sending you tumbling back to the ground for another try. Climbing these hazardous sentinels is worth it when you’re rewarded with the view of the landscape, not to mention a perfect jumping-off point for your glider.

Exploring and fighting occasionally rewards you with Echoes, spirits of felled monsters that can be summoned to aid in battle or exploration. Mixing-and-matching these monster skills adds new layers to Wuthering Winds‘ combat. Plus, chasing after monsters for collection purposes is always a draw!

If sprinting directly up cliff faces after executing big sword combos sounds like your kind of fun, sign up for the closed beta test of Wuthering Waves that starts on April 25. Wuthering Waves is slated for PC and mobile, and multi-platform testing will be conducted during the beta.

Leon’s a man of many talents in Resident Evil 4’s remake, but he’s also possibly a magician who functions like a heavily-armed David Copperfield. While Leon starts out with nothing more than his trusty government-issued 9mm in the remake, it’s not long before he arms himself with shotguns, rocket launchers, grenades, submachine guns, and more during the course of his adventure, all of which he keeps in a fashionable attache case.

And as one intrepid explorer has discovered, that case might have come from the set of Doctor Who, because it’s definitely bigger on the inside. Twitter user Texas_USS decided to compare just how big a case Leon would need to carry all of his gear, and he even managed to rope in a friend who is roughly the same height and build as the Resident Evil 4 hero to add some scale to their measurements.

For reference, the largest case you can obtain in the Resident Evil 4 remake has a 9×13 grid layout, which can house several weapons, ammo, herbs, and cute charms. In real life, and using the decoy Leon as a measuring stick, you’d need an attache case that’s at least 176cm long and around 140-150cm wide to fit all of that gear inside of it. Roughly. Trust us, we’re scientists.

Such cases don’t exist commercially, and the closest equivalent is an art portfolio carrier, which is still tragically undersized and will probably rip apart from the weight of a rocket launcher and several questionable herbs alone.

Seeing Leon lug around a suitcase bigger than him would probably also make for some janky and hilarious gameplay. Resident Evil 4 would probably start with the government agent arguing with his airline about the accepted dimensions for carry-on luggage before he ever got to Spain.

In other Resident Evil news not related to dubious luggage case dimensions, Resident Evil 4 is looking better after recent updates from Capcom. While the game mostly looks sharper on console, the previous remakes have seen some features removed. As players have noticed, the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes no longer have ray tracing options, and Capcom hasn’t explained why these features have been removed.

1979’s Akalabeth: World Of Doom, eventually renamed Ultima 0, is the first commercial game by Richard Garriott (himself aka’d Lord British), and one of the very first roleplaying video games to enter the market. It’s also a precursor to Garriott’s Ultima series, introducing many elements that formed the core of the following games. But everything that Akalabeth invented would eventually be abandoned, first by its sequels and then the entire RPG genre.

(more…)

Just days ahead of Earth Day, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of the work that we are doing to protect our planet and share opportunities for our community to celebrate alongside us.

At Microsoft, we have set the commitments to operate as a carbon negative, water positive and zero waste company by 2030.  Microsoft strives to empower the world to do more, and driving positive, transformational change requires thinking beyond traditional boundaries. Gaming provides an incredible platform to drive cultural change on a global scale and encourage players to explore, experiment, and connect with the world and with each other in new ways. Sustainability is a team sport—and we are excited to see how far we can go when everyone plays together.

An Update on our Sustainability Efforts

Last year, we shared an update on our sustainability efforts. Here is what we have been up to since:

Reducing Waste:

The Xbox Wireless Controller – Remix Special Edition takes us one step further in our journey towards our zero-waste commitment, featuring recovered plastics with one-third of it made from regrind and reclaimed materials. By incorporating regrind materials, post-consumer recycled resins, and including the Xbox Rechargeable Battery Pack – Xbox is exploring ways to use less new plastic and reduce waste.  Check out the unboxing video below to learn more!

More things we are doing to reduce the waste we create and use as a business, and help Microsoft achieve our goal of operating as a zero-waste business by 2030:

• We are increasingly finding new opportunities to incorporate recovered plastics into our controllers.  We started with the Daystrike Camo and the Electric Volt controller and have been transitioning some of the controllers already in the market to contain more Post-Consumer Recycled resins (PCR), including our Shock Blue and Pulse Red controllers. Visit the Xbox Sustainability Hub to view a collection of controllers that contain 20% or more PCR content.
• Xbox Design Lab, our controller customization platform, launched with 15 new colors that contain Post-Consumer Recycled plastic. Since then, we have transitioned most of the color options offered on the platform to contain PCR.
• In the Nordic region (Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland), we partnered with retail partner Elkjøp to launch the Urban Miner campaign, where we invited all Nordic households to collect old electronics in their households and return them to an Elkjøp store for recycling. In return, the consumers received Minecoins for use on the Minecraft Marketplace. The campaign resulted in more than 11,000 items returned, representing approximately 17 tons of electronic waste.
• Microsoft has eliminated the usage of polystyrene on new point-of-sale activation (POSA) cards (like gift cards) transitioning to paperboard across our partners. We have also changed the plastic bags in which we used to bundle our POSA cards to paper bands in most of our markets, which we expect will avoid the equivalent of over 2 million plastic bags over the next two fiscal years.  

Carbon Reduction:

At Game Developer Conference (GDC) this year, we announced that Xbox is the first console to release dedicated energy and carbon emissions measurement tools designed for (and with) game creators. Using these tools, studios and game developers have found opportunities through game design to lower their carbon emissions without impacting the player experience. To learn more about the Xbox sustainability toolkit, watch the video below!

At Xbox, we hold ourselves accountable to the emissions created by our products in our players’ homes—here are some additional things we are doing to reduce those emissions.

• In January, we announced that Xbox is the first Carbon Aware console.  When your console is plugged in, connected to the Internet and regional carbon intensity data is available, Xbox will schedule game, app, and OS updates for your console at specific times during the nightly maintenance window that may result in lower carbon emissions because a higher proportion of electricity is coming from lower-carbon sources on the electric grid.
• At the same time, we began experimenting with automatically updating consoles to the Shutdown (energy saving) power mode and are bringing these updates to more consoles throughout the year.
• We also provided the “Active Hours” option for those that want to use the more energy intensive Sleep power option. This allows players to select the hours that they want to use Sleep mode features like remote wake. The console will fully shutdown outside of those hours (using up to 20x less power when turned off vs. Sleep). Players can select for their console to automatically schedule their active hours, to configure a manual schedule, or to keep their console always active.

Collective Action: 

We are always looking for opportunities to partner with players, industry partners and external organizations to make gaming a better industry for the environment. To learn more about these partnerships, watch the video below:

• Minecraft Education and BBC Earth teamed up to create an exciting Frozen Planet II experience, with five Minecraft worlds inspired by the iconic series. Minecraft players can play as eight different animals, experiencing Earth’s cold habitats and learning about the impacts of climate change. Students in more than 110 countries have played the Frozen Planet II Minecraft worlds, and the maps have been downloaded by millions of players and are available in 29 languages, accompanied by educational resources for teachers and families.
• Schools Reinventing Cities has been developed by Minecraft Education and C40 Cities to give students around the world the opportunity to design climate solutions for their city and present their ideas to city leaders. In city-wide challenges, students learn about climate action in cities. They then build their climate solutions in Minecraft Education, a game-based learning platform used by millions of teachers and students that inspires creative, inclusive learning through play.  
• Last year, Xbox had the opportunity to educate a wide range of audiences through learning events like the United Nation’s 50th anniversary congress on sustainability, and directly to valued partners in bespoke workshop events with external industry players.
• In May of 2022, for the first-ever time, we invited the public to experience a selection of the talks from Xfest 2022, one of which is ‘A Deeper Look at Gaming Sustainability and How Everyone Can Play Their Part’. This explores how game publishers can make an impact by integrating environmental themes in games, reducing emissions, and supporting the global environmental agenda in collaboration with Xbox.  
• Xbox has continued our work as a founding member of the Playing for the Planet alliance. Playing for the Planet recently released the 2022 Annual Impact Report which reveals strong progress on decarbonization efforts across the industry.

Engage  

Learn About Ocean Conservation on Twitch this Earth Day with Xbox Plays and the Seattle Aquarium

Please join Team Xbox on our Twitch livestream channel on April 22nd at 8:00am Pacific Time as the team shares a behind the scenes tour of the Seattle Aquarium, a conservation organization working to regenerate the health of our one ocean. You’ll meet special guests like Barney the harbor seal, get an inside look at the Aquarium’s work to save endangered species, and see a demonstration of a remotely operated vehicle steered via Xbox controller that is being used to research the depths of Puget Sound. Marine conservationists and experts will join us live to answer your questions about the species you’ll find in the Sound and beyond, as well as the steps you can take to help protect our world’s one ocean.

New Xbox Gear products features recycled content as well, check out the latest collection featuring colors and topographical lines pulled straight from the Xbox Wireless Controller — Remix Special Edition

Check out the latest Xbox Gear featuring colors and topographical lines pulled straight from the Xbox Wireless Controller – Remix Special Edition. This collection features a selection of premium, ECOLIFE cotton garments. The garments are made of 50% recycled yarn and 50% BCI (Better Cotton Initiative– the world’s leading sustainability initiative for cotton). The raw materials are cut & sewn in Los Angeles, garment dyed to match the special edition Xbox controllers, printed with eco-friendly inks and packaged with biodegradable poly bags. These ECOLIFE cotton garments are available as a t-shirt, pullover hoodie and sweat shorts.

Gaming and Impact with Microsoft Rewards: World Wildlife Fund, Water.org, and The Nature Conservancy

Microsoft Rewards members in the United States can earn and donate points to support select environmental organizations with Xbox. The below organizations will be featured on console throughout April:

• The Nature Conservancy – The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Their mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.
  • Additionally, for every two dollars that Microsoft Rewards donates in April, The Nature Conservancy will plant a tree as part of their Plant A Billion Trees program. Learn more about this program here and plant your tree today!
• Water.org – Every living thing requires water to survive and thrive. Yet 771 million people around the world don’t have access to safe water. Water.org is working to change this by empowering people living in poverty with lasting safe water solutions for their homes. Water.org is dedicated to increasing access to this critical resource that matters to our planet and everyone that lives on it.
• World Wildlife Fund ​– As the world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works in nearly 100 countries. At every level, they collaborate with people around the world to develop and deliver innovative solutions that protect communities, wildlife, and the places in which they live. Their mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.  

Xbox players can earn Microsoft Rewards points in various ways, such as playing or purchasing games after downloading the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox. Earn points and redeem them for real rewards. Join us today and donate through Xbox. 

To learn more about our continued Sustainability Efforts at Xbox, visit the Xbox Sustainability Hub.

To explore more ways Microsoft is celebrating Earth Day, visit aka.ms/EarthDay.

---

The cast for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off series all about Knuckles has been revealed, bringing back some familiar faces and a fan favourite hat.

As reported by Variety, the live-action Knuckles series has now been fully cast outside of Idris Elba returning as the titular character. Joining Elba is Adam Pally, who is also reprising his role as Wade Whipple, the inept deputy cop in Green Hill, from the first two Sonic films. There’s also a bit more story information for the Knuckles show, as it apparently takes place between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (set to release December 20, 2024). Knuckles has apparently agreed “to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior.”

As well as Pally, the cast also includes Edi Patterson (Knives Out), Julian Barrat (The Mighty Boosh), Ellie Taylor (Ted Lasso), and Scott Mescudi, also known as Kid Cudi, who performed the main theme of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. They will all have recurring roles in the series, with Game of Throne’s Rory McCann, and Tika Sumpter (who played Maddie in the second Sonic film) making guest appearances. More casting is planned to be announced at a later date – presumably Sonic and Tails will be making an appearance somewhere along the way, but their respective actors (Ben Schwartz and Colleen O’Shaughnessey) weren’t mentioned in the cast list.

Production has started now too, with Sonic 2 scriptwriter John Whittington serving as head writer and executive producer, and the film’s director Jeff Fowler directing the pilot and also executive producing.

Perhaps most importantly of all, is that the tweet announcing production has started from the official Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter account shows a hat that might look familiar to the more involved Sonic fan – to be specific, a cowboy hat that Knuckles first wore in the 1999 animated film Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie. I just don’t care if the show is good or not, I will always gladly welcome cowboy Knuckles with open arms.

A release date for the Knuckles show hasn’t been set yet, but it’s set to air on Paramount+.

In a recent update for the remakes of both Resident Evil 2 and 3, Capcom has removed raytracing options for the games, but no one’s quite sure why.

Last week players noticed that the most recent update for the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes took out any options related to raytracing in the PC versions of the game, without an explanation for doing so. This was pointed out by Reddit user pmc64 on the pcgaming subreddit, who noted that both games are “still DirectX 12,” but the options are now missing, alongside the Dolby Atmos for headphones setting in Resident Evil 3 specifically.

No one knows why raytracing options have been removed from both games, and Capcom hasn’t provided a comment on the matter. It could be that some kind of bug has arisen, but it’s not exactly common to remove a feature that many PC gamers opt for so unceremoniously like that. Players have been speculating the reasoning behind the removal, some believing that it could just be a mistake, others noting that the console versions still have their raytracing options. We’ll just have to wait and see if Capcom says anything on the matter, or if it just as quietly adds them back in.

Obviously the main Resident Evil that’s been on everyone’s minds at the minute is the recent release of Resident Evil 4 Remake. VG247’s review of the game gave it a full five stars, with Kelsey writing, “The continuing string of successful Resident Evil Remakes makes me hopeful for the future, too. I’ve made it very clear over time that I am not the biggest fan of Resident Evil 5 or 6, however, this Remake – and seeing all the intricate detail entwined into the remake of this timeless classic without losing its magic – has me more open-minded for what’s coming next.”

It’s also been selling incredibly well too – though things have been ever so slightly soured by Capcom offering up pointless microtransactions.

Today we’re happy to reveal the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for April 2023. All games will be available on Tuesday April 18. Let’s dive in.

PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe | Game Catalog

Kena: Bridge of Spirits | PS4, PS5

Immerse yourself in a story-driven action-adventure set in a charming world rich with exploration and fast-paced combat. Play as Kena, a young Spirit Guide travelling to an abandoned village in search of the sacred mountain shrine. Find and grow a team of tiny spirits known as the Rot who maintain balance by decomposing dead and rotting elements. Enhance your companions’ abilities, create new ways to manipulate the environment and uncover the secrets of a forgotten community hidden in an overgrown forest where wandering spirits are trapped.

Doom Eternal | PS4, PS5

Hell’s armies have invaded Earth. Become the Slayer in an epic single-player campaign to conquer demons across dimensions and stop the final destruction of humanity. The only thing they fear… is you. Experience the ultimate combination of speed and power in Doom Eternal – the next leap in push-forward, first-person combat. Armed with a flamethrower, wrist-mounted blade, upgraded guns, mods and abilities, you’re faster, stronger, and more versatile than ever. Use demon takedowns tactically to keep yourself equipped for battle: Glory kill for extra health, incinerate for armor, and chainsaw demons to stock up on ammo to become the ultimate demon-slayer.

Riders Republic | PS4, PS5

Jump into the massive multiplayer playground! Grab your bike, skis, snowboard or wingsuit and squad up with your friends to compete in a wide range of multiplayer modes. Feel the rush of downhill races, dominate maps in team vs team competitions, or give it your best shot in epic mass PvP races with more than 50 other players. Live out the rider’s fantasy as you roam free in a huge, vibrant open world, always buzzing with other players around you. Immerse yourself in iconic American national parks including Bryce Canyon, Yosemite Valley, Mammoth Mountain… all mashed up for you to shred!

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus | PS4

An exhilarating adventure brought to life by the industry-leading id Tech 6 sends players to Nazi-controlled America on a mission to recruit the boldest resistance leaders left. You are BJ Blazkowicz, aka “Terror-Billy,” member of the Resistance, scourge of the Nazi empire, and humanity’s last hope for liberty. Only you have the guns and gumption to return stateside and spark the second American Revolution. Fight Nazis in iconic American locations, equip an arsenal of badass guns, and unleash new abilities to blast your way through legions of enemy soldiers in this definitive first-person shooter.

The Evil Within | PS4

Developed by Shinji Mikami and Tango Gameworks, The Evil Within embodies the meaning of pure survival horror. Highly-crafted environments, horrifying anxiety, and an intricate story are combined to create an immersive world that will bring you to the height of tension. With limited resources at your disposal, you’ll fight for survival and experience profound fear in this perfect blend of horror and action.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood | PS4

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is a standalone prequel to the first-person action-adventure shooter, Wolfenstein: The New Order. The adventure, which spans eight chapters and two interconnected stories, features the hallmarks of MachineGames – thrilling action, immersive story and intense first-person combat. As war hero B.J. Blazkowicz, arm yourself with new weapons such as the bolt-action rifle and grenade-launching Kampfpistole as you attempt to thwart the advancing Nazi war machine, and take advantage of duel-wielding pipes that can be used for wall climbing – or for vicious take-downs of never-before-seen Nazi adversaries.

Bassmaster Fishing | PS4, PS5

For the first time ever, compete as or challenge 10 pro anglers from the Elite tour across 8 different real-world venues. Climb the ranks, earn your sponsors, and progress through your B.A.S.S. career to become the Bassmaster Classic Champion. Or take to the water and compete with other players in a variety of all-new massive multiplayer modes to conquer the global leader boards.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure | PS4, PS5

Iconic PlayStation hero Sackboy bursts back into breathtaking action with a huge, fun and frantic 3D multiplayer platforming adventure. Go solo in an epic race against time stuffed with danger and peril or enjoy local or online party play, creating teams of two to four adventurers as you work together to overcome nefarious tasks however you can imagine, including unmissable co-op only levels.

PlayStation Deluxe | Classics

Doom | PS4

First released in 1993, Doom introduced millions of gamers to the fast-paced, white-knuckle, demon-slaying action the franchise is known for. Relive the birth of the first-person shooter and experience the demon-blasting fun that popularized the genre. This version includes expansion, Episode IV: Thy Flesh Consumed, local 4 player deathmatch and local 4 player co-op.

Doom II | PS4

To save Earth, you must descend into the depths of hell, survive demon hordes, and take part in the fiercest battle ever. This beloved sequel to the groundbreaking DOOM (1993) gave players the brutal Super Shotgun to bear against deadlier demons, and the infamous boss, the Icon of Sin. This version includes the Master Levels, 20 additional levels made by the community and supervised by the developers, local 4 player deathmatch and local 4 player co-op.

Doom 64 | PS4

Fight against demons in your crusade to hunt down the Mother of Demons and stop Hell’s invasion. As you battle through more than 30 action-packed levels, be on the lookout for enhanced weapons and secrets to help you put an end to the demonic threat.

Doom 3 | PS4

In this critically acclaimed action-horror re-telling of the original DOOM, players must battle their way through a demon-infested facility before entering the abyss to battle Hell’s mightiest warrior – and put an end to the invasion.

This version includes the Resurrection of Evil and The Lost Missions expansion packs.

Dishonored: Definitive Edition | PS4

Arkane Studios’ Dishonored, winner of over 100 Game of the Year awards, and all of its additional content come to together in this Definitive Edition! With Dishonored’s flexible combat system, creatively eliminate your targets as you combine the supernatural abilities, weapons and unusual gadgets at your disposal. “Void Walker’s Arsenal” offers unique character bonuses, additional bone charm slots, and more that will aid you in pursuit of revenge. Enter the world of the Outsider in “Dunwall City Trials” where you will put your combat, stealth and mobility skills to the test. Finally, play as the legendary assassin Daud in ‘The Knife of Dunwall’ and “The Brigmore Witches”.

As part of our normal content refresh, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Resident Evil, and NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 will be among some of the titles leaving the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog in May. Members with Game Catalog benefits can still play by May 15. You can always check the ‘Last chance to play section’ on the PlayStation Plus -> Collections page on the PS5 console, or PlayStation Plus -> Games -> Games Catalogue on the PS4 console for titles you might want to play before they leave the service.

We hope you enjoy this month’s Games Catalog lineup. Check back monthly for new games added to PlayStation Plus.

Minecraft Legends diamonds aren’t quite as rare as their original game counterpart, but you’re still going to have to go out of your way if you want to gather and use them to upgrade your anti-piglin defences. Unlike the other precious resource, gold, you can actually gather diamonds the same way as any other material using your trusty Allays.

That said, diamonds are only available in certain places on the map. Here, I’ll explain how to unlock them as a mineable material, where you need to go in order to locate some, plus a handy trick for getting a few extra.

Minecraft Legends diamonds: How to get them 

News

Stardew Valley modding is about to get even “more powerful”.

Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone has revealed that an upcoming Stardew Valley update – update 1.6 – will make modding much easier and more powerful, in news that is sure to please the game’s dedicated modding community.

Stardew Valley, since its 2016 release, has entertained players across the world as they inherit and reinvigorate their deceased grandfather’s farming world. Like most titles available on PC, it has developed a passionate modding community in which players use their own skills and creativity to build on the world given to us by the game’s devs.

Now, Stardew Valley founder ConcernedApe has confirmed that the game’s 1.6 patch, expected in the near future, will be aimed at the modding community and maximizing the power of mods and the ease with which they can be implemented.

In an April 16 tweet, Barone said: “There is going to be a Stardew 1.6 update. It’s mostly changes for modders (which will make it easier & more powerful to mod). But there is also new game content, albeit much less than 1.5. I’m taking a break from Haunted Chocolatier to work on this at the moment. Then back to HC.”

There is going to be a Stardew 1.6 update. It’s mostly changes for modders (which will make it easier & more powerful to mod). But there is also new game content, albeit much less than 1.5. I’m taking a break from Haunted Chocolatier to work on this at the moment. Then back to HC

— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) April 16, 2023

The confirmation of new content – alongside the exciting adjustments to modding – mean the patch promises something for all Stardew Valley players.

In follow up comments, Barone also shed a little bit of light on the changes players can expect to Haunted Chocolatier, saying “the town is on the water and there are docks”.

the town is on the water and there are docks

— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) April 17, 2023

He also confirmed the upcoming update for Stardew Valley would include add more dialog and conversational options for characters, adding to the community’s excitement ahead of the patch’s implementation.

Unfortunately, we don’t have details on when update 1.6 is set to release to the Stardew community. Major patches have been spread out, with 1.5 dropping way back in February 2021. No release date for The Haunted Chocolatier has been shared, either.

Either way, there’s sure to be tonnes of new content for anyone and everyone when it does launch.

Following complaints by the community of it being too cluttered, Microsoft has said it is going to change course on the planned changes to the Xbox Home dashboard.

In September 2022, Microsoft announced that Xbox Insiders were to be invited to “help shape the new Xbox Home experience.” This test was a “multi-month series of experiments to learn how to create a more personalized home screen experience and address some of the top trends and fan requests.”

Unfortunately, the changes haven’t been as well received as Microsoft had hoped and the company, in a blog post, said it is pausing those experiments and will work to “balance the experience, accessibility, function, and the needs of our community and bring you a great and refreshed Home experience.”

One of the biggest issues the community had was with how crowded everything felt and how the new UI blocked the backgrounds that users could choose. As you can see in the image below from Microsoft, the Halo image is mostly blocked by all the tiles, and the community would like to see a bit more balance between items to interact with and the backgrounds that make their home theirs.

As Microsoft works to address the complaints, Alpha and Alpha-Skip Xbox Insiders will be reverted back to the original Xbox Home experience they were using and their previous settings and backgrounds from before the test will be activiated. The “new Home” settings will be saved for the future.

“Thank you for all the feedback you’ve shared. It’s a key part of our process, and our team is working hard to incorporate it into the experience and get it to you to use,” Ivy Krislov, senior product manager lead, Xbox experiences, said. “We are excited to share even more details with you soon!”

For more in the world of Xbox, check out our list of the top 15 Xbox Series X/S games and our chat with Xbox’s Sarah Bond and her committment to indie support.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Players who were excited to finally experience 2013’s The Last of Us on PC have been less excited by the fact they have to experience what PC ports were like in 2013 to do so. (I’m looking at you, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.) But Naughty Dog’s efforts to patch its wayward child have resulted in some improvements, with previous patches fixing camera jitter when using a mouse as well as unexpected character moistness in cutscenes.

The latest patch brings The Last of Us Part 1 up to v1.0.3.0 and deals with various issues, like adding audio compatibility options to help those who find the music or dialogue in cutscenes too quiet or are hearing “pops, clicks, or distorted sound”, and letting you reassign the arrow keys at long last.