Following today’s Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct double feature, members of the Xbox leadership team spoke in our What’s Next For Gaming panel. The panel dived into topics around Xbox’s present and future with Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, Sarah Bond, Head of Xbox Creator Experience, Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios, and Todd Howard, Game Director of Bethesda Game Studios.

From chatting about the dozens of games in the Showcase, to discussing Xbox business strategy topics such as Game Pass, new aspirations to releasing first-party games every quarter, and Xbox’s vision for growing the industry, highlights included:

• Players Playing Everywhere
  • Last Quarter, we’ve seen a 46% increase year over year in people playing PC games on Game Pass
  • We’ve expanded PC Game pass to 46 more markets, bringing it to a total of 86, so game developers can reach millions of people in new countries
  • We announced Game Pass members will soon be able to stream select PC games from the library through NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW. This will enable the PC Game Pass catalog to be played on any device that GeForce NOW streams to, like low spec PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, mobile devices, TVs, and more, and we’ll be rolling this out in the months ahead.
• Xbox Is Committed to Delivering Great Games
  • In the last five years, our teams across Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda have shipped 10 games with over 10 million players each life to date, from new IPs like Sea of Thieves and Grounded, to franchise entrieslike Minecraft Legends and Elder Scrolls Online. 
  • Xbox has now surpassed 500 million lifetime unique users across our first-party titles. And when you look at it collectively, our 1P games have over 150 million monthly active users.
  • We showed a number of exciting titles at this year’s showcase including Starfield, Forza Motorsport, and Avowed and have an ambition to deliver at least four first-party games a year. For a closer look at all the amazing games coming to Xbox, you can dive in here.
  • Game Pass continues to grow – our revenue from subscriptions overall reached nearly $1 billion last quarter.
  • Our indie program, ID@Xbox, has now paid out over $4 billion to over 5,000 creators in over 100 countries.  
  • There are currently more than 5,000 games in development for Xbox – that’s more games in development from third parties than at any time in Xbox history.
• Console Remains at Core of Xbox Business
  • We debuted the new Xbox Series S in Carbon Black with 1TB of storage – a result of direct community feedback for more storage space. Available this September, you can learn more about it here.
  • More than half of players who purchased a Series S last year were new to Xbox

To read more about Xbox’s future of gaming, growing the industry, and bringing games to everyone on the planet, you can read our Wire Post here.

Watch relationships bloom and monsters fall in brand-new gameplay trailer from today’s PC Gaming Show

LONDON (June 11, 2023) – Developer Studio Sai is ready to play matchmaker in Eternights and hopes you are too. In an all-new gameplay trailer revealed during today’s PC Gaming Show, the studio proudly revealed that the upcoming blend of dating and monster slaying is set to launch on PC and PlayStation consoles Sept. 21, 2023, with pre-orders on both platforms available starting today. 

PC players can start their quest to save the world (and to find a date) early, with a playable debut of Eternights launching during the next Steam Next Fest on June 19.

Watch today’s brand-new gameplay trailer here:  

In today’s gameplay trailer for Eternights, watch as the world we know is turned upside down when a mysterious event transforms people into violent monsters, layered amongst giant walls closing our protagonist’s city in. After our protagonist’s arm is replaced with a magical, shapeshifting replica, granting him strange powers, it’s up to you to save the world… and your love life. Dates still happen during the apocalypse, and even when a surreal evil brings life as you know it crashing down, what matters most is the people around you. 

Spend your time in Eternights surviving trips into fiendish dungeons and intense real-time combat with monstrous foes. With magical abilities of your own, take these enemies down in stylish combos and alongside the survivors you bring into battle. But there are only so many hours in the day, and the apocalypse waits for no first kiss. Take companions of your choice on dates, play mini-games and develop a relationship that could turn into something more, all while balancing the search for a cure and saving the world. How you spend the end of the world is up to you, but remember that every moment counts in Eternights. 

Eternights is coming to star-crossed lovers on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store) on September 21, 2023. For more information, visit http://www.eternights.com/.

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Website: https://www.studiosai.dev/eternights 

About Studio Sai

Studio Sai is a small, fully remote, independent studio composed of a team of developers working together across several different countries. Our games are about the relationships you can forge inside slightly peculiar worlds. Sai means a relationship between 2 people in Korean but not just a relationship; it also means, in a poetic way, “distance” between 2 people. 

The debut title from Rightsized Games invites players to start their own Endswell Medical franchise, where everything is above board, ethical, and 100% safe. Always.

Sunday 11^th June 2023 – Team17 Digital and Rightsized Games have announced roguelike resource management game Undead Inc. at today’s PC Gaming Show. Coming to PC, Undead Inc. welcomes players to step into the role of managing director of their very own Endswell Medical franchise. Already an established successful and lucrative pharmaceuticals company, players will have to grow the business, keep the money flowing, meet the targets set by an increasingly hungry board of directors … and keep the bodies buried by absolutely any means necessary.

Running a successful corporation requires sacrifice, but as all good CEOs and MDs know, the sacrifice needn’t be their own. As the public-facing arm of Endswell Medical keeps things running above ground (and above board) its nefarious underbelly is where the real transformative and lucrative magic happens. Players will research and develop bioweapons, questionable pharmaceuticals, and dangerous technology for sale to the highest bidder, all while keeping any … situations … literally and figuratively behind closed doors.

Of course, eventually the truth will out, and to continue Endswell Medical’s ambitious growth strategy players will have to uproot their operation, grab armfuls of money, equipment, and other unmentionables on the way out – enough to establish a brand-new corporation in the next town over – and start the cycle anew. 

Undead Inc. Key Features

• Research above all: The money won’t make itself, and the most lucrative adventures require a less than ethical path: Deadly bioweapons, questionable pharmaceuticals, illegal technology – nothing is off the table
• All about the base: Choose from several different biomes to build a base of operations, each with its own opportunities and challenges
• The end comes for us all: Eventually, the directors’ crimes will catch up with them, so prepare to flee with as much cash, drugs, and research to fund the next Big Pharma in the next town over
• Management is key to success: Hiring the cheapest labour might sound like a good fit, but ultimately, loose lips sink ships – the right person in the right position can spell the difference between success and a bioweapon on the loose
• The Director will see you now: Being at the top is tough, and choosing the right director to stand at the helm of the newest Endswell Medical franchise is imperative to success, each on boasts their own special abilities, buffs, back stories, and scenarios … Choose wisely.

For more information on Undead Inc. please like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

About Rightsized Games
Established in 2018, and based in Stockholm, Sweden, Rightsized Games’ focus is delivering the best experiences they know. Their debut title, Undead Inc., is currently in development.

About Team17 Digital
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of Team17 Group plc, which floated on AIM in 2018, Team17 Digital has an extensive portfolio comprised of over 120 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Team17 Digital’s portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Blasphemous, Greak: Memories of Azur, and Overcooked! franchise.

This Is Your Last Train Home: Grim World War I Survival RTS Announced for PC

BRNO, Czech Republic & VIENNA, Austria – June 11, 2023 – The Great War is over, but a new battlefront emerges in the heart of Russia. Brace yourself for an immersive gaming experience inspired by real historical events. Last Train Home thrusts players into the grim aftermath of the First World War. As a commander of the Czechoslovak Legion, you’ll find yourself trapped in the chaos of civil war, with a single objective: to safely navigate your men through the horrors of the new conflict and bring them back home.

Venture into an unforgiving landscape aboard an armored train, traversing the perilous frozen expanse of Siberia. Your journey will bring your men to their limits as you face relentless challenges and make life-or-death decisions at every turn. In this gripping tale, survival hinges upon your tactical prowess, astute resource management, and honed combat skills. Will you lead your crew to salvation?

Last Train Home offers a meticulously crafted world, designed to immerse players in the somber atmosphere of post-war Russia. The haunting landscapes of icy plains, tattered cities, and war-torn villages will serve as the backdrop to your odyssey. Engage in strategic real-time battles, use cunning tactics to outmaneuver adversaries, and secure your soldiers’ survival. Every choice you make will carry weight, shaping the fate of your men and determining whether they will ever see their homeland again.

Last Train Home is developed by Ashborne Games in Brno, Czech Republic, and is coming to PC. You can add the game to your wishlist here: thqn.net/lth-steam.

About Last Train Home

The Great War is over – but the fight continues. Command a legion of soldiers, desperately trying to make their way home amidst the chaos of civil war. Lead them through the unforgiving wilderness onboard an armored train. Manage your crew and resources and try to survive.

Features

• PICK YOUR BATTLES: Deploy your squad and complete diverse objectives in real-time missions where specialist combat skills, planning, and superior tactics will lead you to victory.
• EQUIP YOUR SOLDIERS: Level up your men by unlocking new skills and gathering better equipment – discover their stories, assign medals, and help them rise up through the ranks.
• MANAGE YOUR CREW: Direct your soldiers in their non-combat roles onboard the train. Craft items, heal your wounded, and restore morale for the arduous journey home.
• UPGRADE YOUR TRAIN: Unlock your armored train’s full potential by upgrading the carriages and locomotive, and oversee important maintenance work to keep it running.
• JOURNEY THROUGH SIBERIA: Stockpile and trade supplies, make new allies, and overcome crisis after crisis as civil war rages across the vast snowfields of Siberia.
• BASED ON HISTORICAL EVENTS: Last Train Home is a compelling narrative that portrays the experiences of the Czechoslovak Legion and their valiant fight on behalf of the Entente powers during World War I. You can learn more about the game’s historical background on Wikipedia.

For more game information, visit www.lasttrainhome.thqnordic.com, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

About Ashborne Games

Ashborne Games is a game development studio with roots in Brno, Czech Republic, growing the strategy/RPG genre. The team is currenctly working on its new project, Last Train Home, and was also responsible for helping Comanche to lift off. The studio is a member of the THQ Nordic family.

About THQ Nordic

THQ Nordic’s official boilerplate can be found on our website: https://www.thqnordic.com/company/about

Premiering at the 2023 PC Gaming Show, the Newest Trailer Gives a Glimpse at the World of Islands of Insight

Montréal, Québec – June 11, 2023 – Behaviour Interactive, Canada’s largest independent gaming studio, is thrilled to unveil new details about their upcoming title, formerly known as Project S. Developed in collaboration with Lunarch Studios, Islands of Insight is an epic shared-world puzzle-adventure game set in a fantasy realm brimming with mysterious puzzles, secrets, and awe-inspiring landscapes for you to discover at your own pace, alone or with other players.

Players will embody a Seeker on a peaceful journey rich in exploration and puzzle-solving. Their goal is to find and solve the game’s many puzzles as they let their curiosity guide them through a breathtaking open world of floating islands, where the answer is always in sight.

Islands of Insight was built for those in search of a new puzzle experience. Its gameplay and shared-world setting will appeal to both creative thinkers who thrive on turning challenges into solutions, and explorers. It offers an inviting experience for newcomers, while adding a fresh spin for masters of the puzzle genre.

“Behaviour Interactive and Lunarch Studios have collaboratively designed a truly unique game,” shares Carla Rylance, Head of External Production at Behaviour Interactive. “Islands of Insight transports players to a beautiful realm never seen before, where exploration and a-ha moments awaits, making this a one-of-a-kind game within the puzzle genre.” The official reveal trailer presented at the 2023 PC Gaming Show can be watched here.

Islands of Insight Key Features Include:

• A world brimming with puzzles – Players are encouraged to seek out and solve mysterious puzzles in every corner of the landscape. Thoughtfully crafted to be both relaxing and challenging, solving these puzzles offers a sense of accomplishment and are the key to unlocking new areas and adventures.

• Exploration & discovery – Players will also uncover an expansive realm of sublime beauty, natural wonders, and timeless architecture, freely and at their own pace. They’ll be able to wander the landscape on foot or spread their wings to glide above it.

• A shared experience – Those who partake in this unique experience will share a sense of discovery with others across the lively open world. They will be able to interact and collaborate to solve puzzles alongside friends and other online players or enjoy this tranquil experience as a solo adventure.

Add the game now to your wishlist

Behaviour Interactive and Lunarch Studios are thrilled to invite players to be a part of this extraordinary journey. To stay up to date with the latest news, updates, and exclusive access opportunities, players are encouraged to add the game to their wishlists and visit the official website of Islands of Insight. 

About Islands of Insight

From the puzzle-masters at Lunarch Studios, in collaboration with Behaviour Interactive, comes Islands of Insight – an epic new shared-world puzzle adventure game. In a peaceful fantasy realm of ancient wonders and natural beauty, players embody a Seeker on a journey to find and solve every puzzle across a breathtaking open world of floating islands. Filled with secrets to uncover, and rewards to earn, players can explore this serene world alone, or with other players as they hone their puzzle-solving skills. Islands of Insight is available to Wishlist on Steam. For more information, visit Steam and www.islandsofinsight.com.

About Behaviour Interactive 

Behaviour Interactive is the largest Canadian gaming studio, with more than 1,200 employees worldwide. Behaviour is best known for its flagship franchise, the multiplayer survival horror game Dead by Daylight, which has entertained over 50 million players across multiple platforms. The studio is currently expanding its portfolio of original IP with multiple projects, including the highly anticipated base building and raiding title Meet Your Maker. Behaviour has also established itself as one of the world’s foremost providers of external development services.  The company has partnered with many of the gaming industry’s leaders, including Microsoft, Sony, EA, Warner, Netflix, and Take-Two, among many others. Over 30 years, Behaviour has developed an unparalleled, award-winning culture. The company was named one of the Best Places To Work in Canada by GamesIndustry.biz, and has been recognized with Deloitte Canada’s Enterprise Fast 15 and Best Managed Company awards. Headquartered in Montreal, Behaviour has expanded its global presence with studios in Toronto (Behaviour Toronto), Seattle (Midwinter Entertainment), and the United Kingdom (Behaviour UK – North).

About Lunarch Studios

Headquarted in Canada but remotely staffed by talented developers from around the world, Lunarch was founded in 2013 by a group of math olympiad champions, professional poker players, and MIT PhD students aiming to advance the art of online games through aggressive innovation. Lunarch aims to create ambitious, one-of-a-kind titles that define new genres and innovate in multiple directions at once. After developing Prismata—an award-winning strategy game of perfect information—Lunarch partnered with some of the world’s greatest puzzle designers to create an uncompromising open-world puzzle game: Islands of Insight.

© 2015-2023 BEHAVIOUR, ISLANDS OF INSIGHT and other related trademarks and logos belong to Behaviour Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.     

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Larian reintroduces audiences to the iconic city in new Baldur’s Gate 3 video

DUBLIN — June 11, 2023 — Hot on the heels of Summer Game Fest – which revealed award-winning actor Jason Isaacs in the role of Baldur’s Gate 3’s second major villain – Larian Studios provided players with their first look at the iconic Forgotten Realms city of Baldur’s Gate in decades at today’s PC Gaming Show.

Opening on an image of the sprawling waters of the Chionthar River, in-game footage reveals a fully next-gen reimagining of this iconic fantasy setting while the development team discusses the daunting undertaking of recreating Baldur’s Gate for a modern RPG. The city of Baldur’s Gate is a metropolis of labyrinthine streets, with alleys, temples, and crowded public houses teeming with life, and stories woven into the lives of every local you encounter.

Baldur’s Gate is back and bigger than ever

“We can put lots more of the city on screen than we could in 1998,” said narrative design expert Lawrence Schick. “We can do something that is more immersive, richer, has more texture to it.”

The city itself is also bigger than any iteration of this setting that’s come before it. The streets — which span the menacing roads of the Outer City, the opulent estates of the Upper City, and the dark alleys of the Lower City — are populated with a rich cast of characters, each possessing their own untold stories, well-kept secrets, and personal reactions.

“You have crowds that are walking around everywhere. You can talk to pretty much anybody, and they react to every single thing,” said Swen Vincke, creative director at Larian Studios. “It’s very alive in that sense.”

“One of the things that’s done is it’s added this level of believability and immersion and also complexity that wouldn’t have been there otherwise,” said associate writing lead Chrystal Ding. “It feels like you are walking around a place where there are lots and lots of people living their actual lives.”

Larian originally prototyped Baldur’s Gate as a series of smaller contained regions connected by teleports, but midway into developing the city, decided to make some major changes.

“[Swen] said, like, can’t we just connect everything?” said world building director Farhang Namdar. “And that was an interesting day.”

Come launch, players will be stepping foot in a Baldur’s Gate made up of three seamless open world districts. No matter if you’re investigating underground crypts, wandering the chambers of a towering citadel, or descending into hidden cellars, there will be no visible loading screens to interrupt your experience.

“We spent I think three times, four times more effort on the city than we originally planned to, but the result, the feeling of walking in there, is just fantastic,” said Vincke. “So the thing that I was the most afraid of when we started making this game turned out to be the thing that I’m the most proud of.”

Players can experience the city for themselves when Baldur’s Gate 3 releases on PC and PlayStation 5 on Aug. 31, 2023.

More information on Baldur’s Gate 3 is available on the official website. You can stay up to date with the latest Larian Studios news via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and the official Discord server.

About Larian Studios

Larian Studios is an independent RPG developer founded in 1996 in Ghent, Belgium. Over 400 people work between worldwide studios in Ghent, Quebec, Dublin, Guildford, Malaysia and Barcelona. Larian is best known for the Divinity universe, which they introduced to the world with Divine Divinity in 2002.

In 2014, Larian launched Divinity: Original Sin, a classic CRPG that won over 150 awards and nominations. The company released its critically acclaimed sequel Divinity: Original Sin 2 on Sept. 14, 2017, followed by the Definitive Edition in August 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to a 93 Metacritic rating. The Nintendo Switch version released in September 2019 featuring cross-save progression between Nintendo Switch and Steam. Divinity: Original Sin 2 won a BAFTA for Best Multiplayer Game. In October 2020, Larian Studios released the early access version of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Watch the debut trailer now for this story-driven, pixel-art action-platformer, revealed at the PC Gaming Show

NEO-BARCELONA – June 11, 2023 – Developer 2Awesome Studio and publisher CRITICAL REFLEX have announced Altered Alma, a new action-platformer game in development for PC, Mac and Linux. Revealed during the PC Gaming Show, Altered Alma combines the classic Metroidvania formula with RPG and dating sim elements, a slick pixel-art presentation, and a gripping, non-linear story from award-winning writer Antony Johnston (Resident Evil Village, Dead Space).

Embark on a journey through the neon-lit streets of Neo-Barcelona in this stunning cyberpunk adventure! As a young mercenary named Jack, you’ll carve your way through ruthless gangsters in fast-paced combat while working for some of the city’s most dangerous people yourself. Upgrade your hero with unique abilities, customize your ship, recruit and forge bonds with new crew members, and make difficult moral choices while trying to protect the ones you love.

Key Features

• A Space Opera Metroidvania: Discover new routes, acquire powerful upgrades, and adapt your playstyle as you take on the criminal kingpins of Neo-Barcelona.
• Your Ship, Captain & Crew: Customize and upgrade your base of operations while recruiting new crew members. The choices you make will directly influence Jack’s abilities and playstyle.
• Forge Relationships with Colorful Characters: Reconnect with Jack’s old friends and make new ones! Recruit them to your cause, build relationships, and even find love in an unforgiving world.
• Engage in Intense Combat: Master a rapid, stylish combat system while using powerful abilities of skill and mobility to overcome the relentless onslaught of enemies.
• Face a Pantheon of Adversaries: Encounter tons of unique foes, from gangs of giant lizards to armies of cyborgs… and don’t forget a variety of vicious bosses for Jack to defeat!
• Experience Barcelona, Reimagined: Explore Neo-Barcelona, a futuristic city inspired by the real thing, featuring bold visions of iconic landmarks like the Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and more!

Altered Alma is available to wishlist now on Steam. For the latest information, visit www.AlteredAlma.com, and follow the game on Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.

2Awesome Studio

2Awesome Studio is an independent game development studio and indie publisher whose mission is to add awesomeness to reality by developing video games with new and addictive mechanics and finding games that are equally awesome to publish. www.2awesomestudio.com

About CRITICAL REFLEX

CRITICAL REFLEX is an indie game publishing label on a mission: find kick-ass games, make sure they’re at their best upon release, and put them in front of as many gaming fans as possible. Members of our team have worked with a lot of successful indie projects, launched a dozen crowdfunding companies, and now we’ve come together to publish games that we love! www.criticalreflex.com

Starfield Direct | New Starfield Gameplay & Information Unveiled

During today’s Starfield Direct, Bethesda Game Studios revealed new Starfield gameplay and information. The studio pulled back the curtain on new systems, features, characters, and stories players will discover as they chart their own course amongst the stars.

Along with a wealth of new gameplay, the Direct revealed the Constellation Edition and Premium Edition. Players who purchase either edition will be granted up to 5 days early access to the game.

Starfield Direct: twitch.tv/videos/1843662818

Starfield is the first new universe in over 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim® and Fallout® 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create your character and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.  

In the year 2330, humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. You will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of space in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game. 

Along the way you will join in the adventures of various factions; pilot and customise your own ship; explore planets and discover their local flora, fauna, and resources; build outposts; and master a refined combat system to deal with threats of all kinds. 

Constellation Edition and Premium Edition

Starfield Constellation Edition includes:

• Starfield Base Game
• Shattered Space Story Expansion (upon release)  
• *Up to 5 days early access 
• **Starfield Chronomark Watch and Case 
• ***SteelBook® Display Case  
• Constellation Skin Pack: Equinox Laser Rifle, Spacesuit, Helmet and Boost Pack
• Access to Starfield Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack  
• **Constellation Patch
• Credit Stick with Laser-Etched Game Code  

*Actual play time depends on purchase date and is subject to possible outages and applicable time zone differences.  
**Disclaimer: Phone connectivity limited. The Starfield Chronomark watch does not transmit phone calls, does not support cellular service, and is not a touch screen device.
***Only available at select retailers.

Starfield Premium Edition includes:

• Starfield Base Game   
• Shattered Space Story Expansion (upon release)   
• *Up to 5 days early access   
• Constellation Skin Pack: Equinox Laser Rifle, Spacesuit, Helmet and Boost Pack 
• Access to Starfield Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack  

*Actual play time depends on purchase date and is subject to possible outages and applicable time zone differences.  

All active Game Pass members as well as players who pre-order Starfield will receive the “Old Mars Skin Pack” in-game bonus items, which includes:

• Laser Cutter  
• Deep Mining Helmet  
• Deep Mining Pack  

Starfield Limited Edition Wireless Xbox Controller and Headset

Bethesda Game Studios teamed up with the Xbox hardware team to create a Limited Edition Starfield Xbox controller and headset. The controller features full side and back grips that resemble the panels of a spaceship as well as a metallic bronze directional pad. The faceplate is accented with Constellation colours and printed with a control scheme inspired by your ship, the Frontier.

The first ever custom headset created by Xbox, the Starfield Limited Edition Xbox headset is the perfect companion for the controller. Like the triggers on the controller, this headset sports a matching transparent and metallic bronze mic boom. Both the headset and controller are available now for purchase on Xbox.com.  

Starfield releases September 6 on Xbox Series X|S and PC. Players can pre-order now or play day one with Game Pass. Pre-ordering either the Premium or Constellation Edition will grant players up to five days early access to the game, dependent on purchase date and subject to possible outages and applicable time zone differences.

To learn more about Starfield you can check out the official website.

For more information head over to the Bethesda News site

Gorgeous hand-drawn Metroidvania coming to PC, consoles this year

SAN FRANCISCO — June 11, 2023 — Ebenezer and The Invisible World, a hand-drawn Metroidvania fantasy reimagination of Charles Dickens’ classic ghost story, A Christmas Carol, from Orbit Studio and Play on Worlds, kicked off Christmas in June with a reveal trailer debuting at the PC Gaming Show. The ghosts of Christmas Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam will visit everyone later this year. Play the demo today on Steam.

After his haunting visits from Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, Ebenezer Scrooge’s eyes have been opened to the invisible world. He now sees ghosts chained to the mortal world crowding the streets of Victorian-era London. Many seek Ebenezer’s help. Play as miser-turned-hero Ebenezer Scrooge in a story-rich, supernatural fantasy adventure where Christmas spirit and frightening phantoms collide.

On a dark, wintery night, a benevolent spirit warns Ebenezer of a sinister threat looming over London: the Malthus family. Led by Caspar Malthus, the family dreams of a power source able to render the working class irrelevant and susceptible to their wealthy overlords. If anyone can show the Malthus bloodline the error of their greedy ways, it’s Ebenezer.

However, other forces at play seek to keep Ebenezer and his spectral allies from achieving their goal. Unrepentant ghosts, the Malthus Private Guard, Caspar Malthus, a mysterious Dark Spirit, as well as menacing bosses and mini-bosses will test his resolve.

Set off on a journey to save the people of London from Caspar Malthus and a legion of unrepentant ghosts. Encounter friendly spirits, each with a personal story and quest. Help these ghostly allies, then summon them to help defeat enemies or overcome insurmountable obstacles. Glide through the air, smash through walls, defy space and time with teleportation, and combat enemies with the ghosts of a mountaineer, soldier, prisoner, harpoonist, trapeze artist, astronomer, and many more. Over a dozen unique spirits await Ebenezer’s call.

Explore a meticulously hand-drawn Victorian-era London adapted into a non-linear Metroidvania map full of secrets. Uncover hidden rooms and pathways to unlock powerful, game-changing Heirlooms and master a variety of ghostly weapons. Beyond the snow-covered streets, discover the mysteries of magical observatories, forgotten passageways, experimental facilities, advanced technology factories, and even ghostly realms beneath the city.

“Ebenezer and the Invisible World explores the premise of a London filled with ghosts like Jacob Marley,” said Carlos Martin, Founder at Play on Worlds. “In a world inspired by A Christmas Carol, Victorian-era London has become a spectral playground filled with ghosts, friend and foe, and each one you meet has great power.”

Ebenezer and The Invisible World will arrive later this year on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5|4, Xbox Series X|S|One, and PC via Steam. For more information, visit the game’s official website, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, join the community on Discord, and search for #EbenezerGame on social media.

About Play on Worlds

Play on Worlds is a video game company that produces high-quality indie budget games committed to excellence in gameplay and deep universes. The team’s first commercial release is Ebenezer and the Invisible World, a supernatural, fantasy adventure based on Charles Dicken’s classic ghost story, A Christmas Carol.

About Orbit Studio

Orbit Studio was founded in 2016 by a group of passionate game developers with a shared vision of creating captivating and innovative game experiences. Over the years, Orbit has grown from a small indie team to an award-winning, full-fledged game development studio.

Spider hunting sequel announced at PC Gaming Show; Steam Early Access in 2023, consoles in 2024

SEATTLE — June 11, 2023 — Kill It With Fire 2, the sci-fi inspired sequel to the first-person spider-hunter from developer Casey Donnellan Games and publisher tinyBuild, battles even more creepy crawlers – this time in space! The sequel arrives on PC via Steam Early Access in Q4 2023 and on PlayStation 4|5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2024, as announced during the PC Gaming Show.

The blowtorch had been stowed away, and there was finally a chance to breathe and enjoy some well-earned peace. Well, until spiders stopped being just an “Earth problem” — now they’re attempting to take over the entirety of time and space as we know it. So get those fires blazing and don that spacesuit because Kill It With Fire 2 is here, and the spiders are bigger and badder than ever.

Stop the eradication of the universe by using interdimensional travel to defeat these highly powerful new spiders. Step into the shoes of The Exterminator once more, taking every measure possible to destroy the eight-legged freaks. Learn the sordid tale of how these nearly unkillable spiders were created. Work alongside the capable A.I. Darwin to finally demolish the spiders he’s been trying to take down for centuries. 

“If the spiders on Earth were scary, then the spiders awaiting termination among the cosmos are beyond horrifying,” said Casey Donnellan, solo developer of Kill It With Fire and Kill It With Fire 2. “This astronomically adventurous sequel explores the depths of the multiverse with new worlds, time travel, and a new story that eager exterminators will love!”

Kill It With Fire 2 launches on PC via Steam Early Access in 2023 and on PlayStation 4|5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2024.

To stay up to date with the latest updates, visit Kill It With Fire 2’s official website and follow @tinyBuild and @KIWF_Game on Twitter.

About Casey Donnellan Games

Casey Donnellan is an independent game developer and former AAA developer. After graduating from SMU Guildhall in 2012, he spent several years as an engineer at Certain Affinity before helping to found Rooster Teeth Games. Shipped titles include DOOM (2016), RWBY: Grimm Eclipse, Vicious Circle, and Age of Booty: Tactics. Casey lives with his wife, dog, and two cats in Austin, Texas. He does not like spiders.

About tinyBuild

tinyBuild is a global video game publisher and developer focused on creating long-lasting, sustainable franchises across multiple media formats. Responsible for over 70 titles including Hello Neighbor, Graveyard Keeper, and Potion Craft, the company has a dozen development studios spread across the US, EU, Serbia, and Ukraine.