It’s a race to complete tasks, unlock power ups via an all-new Relics system, and level up as fast as possible to earn rewards and become top of the League.

Previous Leagues II event saw Old School hit its highest-ever number of simultaneous players

Wednesday 19^th January 2022, Cambridge, UK – The fast-paced world of Old School RuneScape‘s time-limited competitive Leagues events returns as Leagues III: Shattered Relics goes live in-game today for both PC and mobile players. The Leagues III: Shattered Relics trailer and new music video, ‘Between Two Worlds’ by Tal Richards featuring Ciele, is now playing here.

First introduced in 2019, Leagues events enable players to experience Old School RuneScape in a completely fresh way. Playing as an Ironman and starting from scratch in an alternate version of Gielinor, players compete in a race to complete tasks and level up as fast as possible to earn valuable rewards.

Previous Leagues events have proved a massive hit with players; Leagues II: Trailblazer (October 2020) saw Old School RuneScape hit its highest ever number of concurrent users with more than 170,000 players competing simultaneously.

Now live in-game and running through until to 3^rd March 2022, Leagues III: Shattered Relics is themed around collection and adventure and introduces an all -new Relic system for players to master.

Powerful Relics have been shattered across an alternate version of Gielinor and players must earn Relic fragments from skilling, minigames, and defeating powerful bosses. These Relics provide powerful buffs and modifiers to the player’s character, offering the best chance to compete and earn exclusive trophies and rewards. The event also enables players to experiment with the highly versatile system by collecting and combining Relic fragments to unlock and discover greater powers.

Delivering Old School RuneScape’s most open and versatile Leagues season yet, Shattered Relics is the first Leagues event that gives players access to the entirety of Gielinor – but there’s a twist: nearly everything is locked off. In the tutorial, players first unlock the defence, thieving and fishing skills, along with one combat skill of their choice. However, other skills, and more, need to be unlocked as the adventure continues.

It’s also the first Leagues event to expand upon the lore of the game mode, which includes the introduction of a new character known as The Sage. Additionally, a new Leagues Hall has been added to allow players to display trophies and rewards for ultimate bragging rights throughout the competition.

Whether battling for glory or spectating, players can follow the Shattered Relics League here: https://www.runescape.com/oldschool/leagues3.

Relics – A source of passive effects that buff your character, such as experience boosts, drop rate boosts and effects related to Gathering, Production and Combat.

About Jagex
A leader in creating deep and engaging live games on PC and mobile, Jagex’s flagship MMORPG, RuneScape, has welcomed almost 300 million player accounts to its world and is a $1billion lifetime revenue franchise. Today the RuneScape franchise exists beyond running games in live operations; our titles are living games that connect and inspire millions of players, with content and experiences both inside and outside of inexhaustible game worlds. Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, on PC and mobile, offer ever-evolving, highly active worlds and our community-focussed development ethos empowers players to have a real say in how each game is shaped. Now we’re expanding and extending our portfolio with fresh franchise titles and new IP to bring life to the living games of the future. Jagex employs more than 450 people at its Cambridge headquarters. Career information can be found at www.jagex.com

About Old School RuneScape
Launched on desktop in 2013, and now also on mobile devices, Old School RuneScape is the industry-leading collaboration between players and developers. Embracing its nostalgic heritage, hundreds of thousands of active players control the direction of the game with an in-game polling system. Featuring adventures for solo play through to 100-player strong raids, Old School RuneScape caters for every brave adventurer. Since 2016, Old School RuneScape has established itself as a competitive game with the seasonal free-for-all Deadman Tournaments, where winners receive huge cash prizes and membership.

Player Favorite Ski Resort Map Introduces ‘Keep Warm Pack’ –  Because Everyone Looks Good in a Striped Ushanka

Denver, CO – Jan 19th, 2021 – Independent developer Invisible Walls ApS and game publisher Versus Evil are excited to announce that the latest ‘Keep Warm’ content pack for their multiplayer social deduction game First Class Trouble is available to buy now on Steam for PC and the PlayStation Store.

Hot off the slopes from December’s indoor Ski Resort map, the fourth new area added to the game, developer Invisible Walls has added some additional cozy attire for players to enjoy for sessions on the chilly winter slopes. This latest content pack gives players a snazzy new selection of winter clothing including a full body ski suit, colored snow shoes, a warm cocoa hat, big winter coat, sweaters and even a Racoon hat, the pack also adds a Scandinavian styled beer tray vruumba to serve some cold ones too!

“The Indoor Ski Resort Map was our most successful addition to the game to date in terms of content and player engagement, players loved the activities we introduced last month including the devious ways personoids could take out other players. In terms of area size and scope it was also our largest map, so introducing some new character content seemed appropriate given its popularity” said Niels Wetteberg, CEO of developer Invisible Walls.

First Class Trouble has a vast array of cosmetic options from seven other DLC packs available for the game, providing players with a huge selection of outfits such as uniforms, evening gowns, hats, tuxedos, swimwear and Winter gear to customize their player characters with.

First Class Trouble is a multiplayer social deduction game where six players must work together to shut down C.A.I.N., the rogue A.I. of a failing luxury space cruise-liner that is trying to kill them. Two of the six players are chosen at random to secretly play as Personoids, killer humanoids sent by C.A.I.N. to betray the other players. 

For more details on the latest pack check out the full release notes here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1840110/First_Class_Trouble_Keep_Warm_Pack/

First Class Trouble main website: https://www.firstclasstrouble.com
Versus Evil First Class Trouble page: https://versusevil.com/fct/
First Class Trouble Steam page:  here.
Sony PlayStation Store page: here
Stay up to date with First Class Trouble via Twitter here.

About Invisible Walls
Invisible Walls is an award winning indie studio established in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2017. Their focus is to create games with a strong emphasis on the social experience as well as making games that are as fun to watch as they are to play – underlining their ambition to embrace both players and audiences. 

About Versus Evil
Founded in 2013, Versus Evil, LLC is the US based video game publisher behind critically acclaimed video games First Class Trouble, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire and The Banner Saga trilogy. Publishing games on all major mobile, PC and console platforms, Versus Evil works with independent development studios from around the world. The corporate philosophy is to champion for the independent game developer. For more information visit versusevil.com

The latest release of the most beloved and realistic Supercross videogame is finally available for digital pre-order!

Sydney, Australia, (January 19, 2021) – Milestone announce today that Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 5 is available for digital pre-order on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One. Preorderingon consoles, players have access to two different versions of the game, Standard and Special Edition, each one with dedicated contents. In specific:

Standard Edition

• Full Game
• Customisation Pack Ice Blizzard
• Customisation Pack Fire Storm

Special Edition

• Full Game
• Season Pass (which includes Credits Multiplayer, Legends Pack Vol. 1 & 2, US Open Track, Neon Pack, Allegiance Pack)
• Early Access 3 days
• Customisation Pack Ice Blizzard
• Customisation Pack Fire Storm

On Steam, players can add the game in the wish list to always being update about the game’s news and purchase it at launch.

Together with the pre-order opening, Milestone also unveils the Rider Shape System Trailer.

Available only in the Career Mode, the Rider Shape System affect riders’ performances in case of falls and injuries. Training and completing specific tasks are key to quickly recovering and restoring your rider to always be in top form. The Rider Shape System can be managed by its dedicated menu in which players will find all the information to monitor and heal their rider.

Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 5 will be available worldwide on March 17, 2022, on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC®/STEAM.

Follow us on:

• Website: www.supercrossthegame.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/SupercrossTheGame
• Instagram: instagram.com/supercrossthegame 

About Milestone

Founded in Milan in 1996, Milestone S.r.l. is one of the leading and longest established racing game developers in the world.  The 200-people team is responsible for hit series like MotoGP™ and MXGP – The Official Motocross Videogame as well as own IPs Ride and Gravel.

About Feld Entertainment, Inc.

Feld Entertainment® is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment experiences that bring people together and uplift the human spirit. Properties include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, Disney On Ice, Disney Live!, Marvel Universe LIVE!, Sesame Street Live!, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Jurassic World Live Tour and DreamWorks Trolls The Experience. Across the brand portfolio, Feld Entertainment has entertained millions of families in more than 75 countries and on six continents.

Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass: Rainbow Six Extraction, Hitman Trilogy, Death’s Door, and More

by Megan Spurr, Community Lead, Xbox Game Pass

This announcement is dedicated to everyone who loves games, loves reading about games, or those people who click on links about games – this one’s for you. We’ve got more coming to Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass soon; some are even available today! Whether you’re looking to squad up with your friends to take on a constantly evolving alien threat, become a world class assassin, or planning to brush up on your dog photography skills (we’ve seen them on Instagram!), we’ve got you covered. Let’s dig into the games!

Available Today

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Investigate murders, search for clues, and talk to your classmates to prepare for trial. There, you’ll engage in deadly wordplay, going back and forth with suspects. Dissect their statements and fire their words back at them to expose their lies!

Nobody Saves the World (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox
Available on day one with Game Pass: When the ancient Calamity re-awakens, who can save the world? Nobody! (That’s you, you’re Nobody.) Master the art of transformation to become a Slug, Ghost, Dragon, and more. Combine your forms to create powerful hybrids and defeat the forces of evil. Join a friend for online co-op and save the world together! Plus, Ultimate members can play on mobile devices with touch controls with Xbox Cloud Gaming, no controller needed!

Coming Soon

Death’s Door (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – January 20
Reaping souls of the dead and punching a clock might get monotonous, but it’s honest work for a Crow. The job gets lively when your assigned soul is stolen, and you must track down a desperate thief to a realm untouched by death – where creatures grow far past their expiry and overflow with greed and power. Ultimate members can play on mobile devices with Touch Controls with Xbox Cloud Gaming, no controller needed!

Hitman Trilogy (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – January 20
Experience the World of Assassination trilogy and become Agent 47, a legendary assassin. Embark on a globetrotting adventure, where hyper-detailed missions are packed full of creative opportunities to take down your targets. Go loud with some serious firepower, steal a disguise, or play as a Silent Assassin. It’s all up to you.

Pupperazzi (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – January 20
Available on day one with Game Pass: This dog photography game puts your love for pups to the test. As you take better photos, you’ll unlock new breeds, camera lenses, chew toys, and accessories to dress up dogs with. Don’t just pet and play fetch – save your memories of those very good boys and girls on film.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction (Cloud, Console, and PC) – January 20
Available on day one with Game Pass: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction is a tactical co-op FPS for 1-3 players, featuring beloved Operators from the Rainbow Six universe. With deep gear and ability progression, over 90 weapons and gadgets, 12 ever-evolving maps, unpredictable enemy mutations, and 13 dynamic mission types, no experience is ever the same.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege: Deluxe Edition (PC) – January 20
Available now on Console and Cloud and coming soon to PC Game Pass. Experience explosive 5v5 gameplay, high-stakes competition, and thrilling PVP team battles with over 70 million other players worldwide. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege features an ever-expanding roster of Operators with unique skills, environment destruction as a tactical tool, and limitless opportunities to perfect your strategy.

Windjammers 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – January 20
Available on day one with Game Pass: The best flying disc game of all time is back! With amazing hand-drawn graphics, crazy new moves, gameplay mechanics and awesome new characters and stages, Windjammers 2 is the sequel you’ve been dreaming of.

Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master (Console and PC) – January 27
Available on day one with Game Pass: Drum out high scores by playing along with Don and Ka in Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master! Choose from over 70 songs and play with friends in local multiplayer mode and online ranked matches. Light your drumming spirit on fire!

In Case You Missed It

Spelunky 2 (Cloud) ID@Xbox – Available now
This challenging roguelike platformer offers you immense freedom to carve your own path through its randomly-generated caves and ruins. Exercise your creativity and through your actions, tell a unique story each time you play. Uncover the secrets alone or with friends! Learn more about the game here.

The Anacrusis (Game Preview)(Cloud) ID@Xbox – Available now
The Anacrusis is a four-player, cooperative first-person shooter set aboard a massive starship stranded at the edge of explored space. Team up with your friends in an infinitely-replayable fight against alien hordes to unlock perks, weapons, and new ways to play that you can share with your team! Learn more here.

DLC / Game Updates

Far: Changing Tides Pre-Install – Available now
Set sail for a new journey in Far: Changing Tides, coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on March 1! Members can start their pre-install today to be ready to play at launch. Learn more about Far: Changing Tides here!

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks

We hear you like Halo Perks, so we’re going to give you more Halo Infinite Multiplayer Perks.  Check out these brand-new Perk offers below that you can go claim now via the Perk gallery on your Xbox console, Windows PC, or the Xbox Game Pass mobile app for iOS/Android.

Halo Infinite: Pass Tense Warthog Bundle – Available now
Customize your multiplayer arsenal with the exclusive “Pass Tense” Warthog Vehicle Coating, four 2XP Boosts and four Challenge Swaps!

Doom Eternal: Raze Hell with Three Cosmetic Packs – Available now
Grab three cosmetic packs now and fight the hordes of Hell in style in Doom Eternal’s epic campaign and Battlemode, or show off your player and weapon skins in the campaign’s Photo Mode.

World of Tanks: Premium Trifecta Bundle – Available now
Dominate the battlefield with three premium powerhouse tanks, bristling with devastating weaponry! Seven days of Premium Time plus 850 Gold round out this bundle for the ultimate tanking experience.

Xbox Touch Controls Added to Nine More Games

Ultimate members, we’ve added Xbox Touch Controls to nine more games ready to play from the cloud today! Play over 100 touch-enabled games with cloud gaming on the Xbox app for Windows PCs, Xbox Game Pass mobile app on Android devices, or Xbox.com/play on your Windows PCs and Apple phones & tablets, no controller needed.

• Anvil (Game Preview)
• Archvale
• Exo One
• The Forgotten City
• Nobody Saves the World
• One Piece Pirate Warriors 4
• Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator
• Stardew Valley
• Unpacking
• Death’s Door (January 20)

Leaving January 31

The following games will be leaving the Game Pass library soon, so don’t let these games leave without a proper send off! Remember to use your membership discount to save up to 20% on these games before they go!

• Cyber Shadow (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Nowhere Prophet (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Prison Architect (PC)
• Xeno Crisis (Cloud, Console, and PC)

That’s a wrap for January! I’ll be going into stasis for the next couple of days until Rainbow Six Extraction comes out, please wake me up when it’s time to fight some aliens. As always, be sure to follow us on @XboxGamePassPC and @XboxGamePass for updates when these games are available. Catch you next time!

Sydney, Australia – January 19^th, 2022– Studio Revolution Software and publisher Microids are delighted to unveil a new Dev Diary for Beyond a Steel Sky, exploring the game’s themes. From Charles Cecil, creator of the Broken Sword series, with art direction by Dave Gibbons, legendary comic book artist behind Watchmen, Beyond a Steel Sky is the spiritual successor to the classic Beneath a Steel Sky. The game is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles and Nintendo Switch. 

“We are thrilled to have partnered with Microids to bring Beyond a Steel Sky to consoles” stated Charles Cecil, CEO & Game Director at Revolution Software.  “We’re blessed to have such a positive and enthusiastic community of fans, and it was really gratifying to receive such positive feedback from players about the enhancements for this new version as well as the extensive content for the retail versions. It’s always a pleasure to see new players engage with the game’s story and lore, and it’s great to be able to provide them with extra information about the game’s carefully considered themes through a new Dev Diary.”

In this new Dev Diary, Charles Cecil details the social themes of the game. The story of Beyond a Steel Sky is set in Union City, where a benign artificial intelligence is in charge of making the citizens happy. “I thought it would be very interesting to work out where a society would go once an A.I. had done as much as it could to create this sense of happiness, and ultimately of wellbeing.” says Charles. “I very much based this on the idea of an American psychologist called Maslow who, in the 1940s, conceived of this idea of the pyramid of the ‘hierarchy of needs’, and this pyramid, starting from the bottom, satisfies basic human needs, then psychological, and then finally self-fulfilment, and as you move forward, so, people become happier.” In the game, this Maslow pyramid concept is embodied by ‘The Council’, made of five ministries: the Ministry of Plenty, the Ministry of Comfort, the Ministry of Safety, the Ministry of Aspiration, and the Ministry of Wellbeing. But what happens when all the needs from the Maslow pyramid have been met? This is one of the themes explored in Beyond a Steel Sky: “I was reminded of a quote by Will Durant, which says that every society ‘starts stoic, and ends epicurean’, and by that he is talking about the demise of a society due to decadence.”

Another major theme of the game is aspiration. “It can be both positive and negative. From a personal perspective, you can be driven to achieve things that you wouldn’t be able to do previously, but that can make you very competitive, and want to put other people down as you aspire.” In the game, this translates into Qdos, a currency rewarding people for doing something that an A.I. believes is beneficial to society.  “The problem, of course, is that the A.I. is the one that decides what’s good, and conversely what’s bad, and that might not be the best of ideas.”

Beyond a Steel Sky also cleverly use hacking both thematically and as a gameplay mechanic. Hacking allows players to look into the logic of all the hacked devices to then subvert the world around them. Changing the logic of the world means unexpected things happen, for both the player, but particularly for people in this world, because the people know that the A.I. is never wrong, leading to interesting outcomes and puzzle solving. “Of course, this is just a video game story. Players need to decide whether they think that any of the themes bear any relationship whatsoever to modern day society” concludes Charles.

***

Key features:

• A fascinating sci-fi world – An adventure set within a dynamic world, populated by willful characters driven by motivations that the player can subvert. In combination with a unique hacking tool, multiple solutions to puzzles emerge from player choices.
• A thrilling story full of humour – Unravel dark conspiracies, defeat a terrifying antagonist in this dramatic, humorous, cyberpunk thriller, which explores contemporary themes: social control, AI, and total surveillance.
• A unique 3D comic book art style – A beautifully detailed, comic-book styled world, from the mind of legendary comic artist Dave Gibbons.
• Ingenious puzzles – Intelligent puzzles are interwoven with an intriguing dramatic narrative to deliver a compelling gameplay experience.

***

Find Microids on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

Or visit our website: http://www.microids.com/

Watch all our videos on YouTube

About Microids

Microids is a French video game publisher. Founded in 1985, Microids’ editorial strategy now focuses on 4 major areas: adventure games, racing games, retro gaming and games inspired by iconic titles. By collaborating with renowned studios and authors (Pendulo Studios, Eden Studios, Benoît Sokal, Paul Cuisset, Philippe Dessoly and Pierre Adane), Microids has become a major player in international video games. Taking inspiration from legendary titles, Microids reaches a wide audience and creates original adventures which give gamers the chance to play as some of their most beloved characters.

About Revolution Software

Founded in 1990, Revolution is a world-leading developer of narrative-driven adventure video games with titles such as the Broken Sword series, Beneath a Steel Sky and numerous major licenses. Having achieved sales of over $100 million and been played by over 10 million players, Revolution’s Broken Sword series is one of the world’s best loved adventure series.

The 2022 season will kick off on January 28 with the online Winter Championship and conclude with the largest fighting game tournament prize pool ever.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – January 19, 2022 – Today, Ubisoft announced the details for Brawlhalla Esports Year Seven, which will feature a series of events in which players can earn points in Brawlhalla Power Rankings and their share of the USD $1,320,000 total prize pool. Players from across the world will compete in 1v1 and 2v2 matches during online Seasonal Championships in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. The season will kick off with the Winter Championship on January 28, which will run for two consecutive weekends until February 6. The matches will be streamed at https://twitch.tv/brawlhalla and https://youtube.com/brawlhalla. Players can register for the Winter Championship 2022 and, when the brackets are live, every other open tournament here: https://smash.gg/brawlhalla.

On top of the seasonal competitions, Year Seven will also feature many other unique pro player invitationals. The first will be the OMEN Oasis Online Championship, which will see the top players in the Power Rankings from North America and Europe battle it out online in their respective regions in February. Future competition will see the top 32 players in the worldwide Power Rankings compete at the Mid-Season Invitational Championship in June 2022. More information on these upcoming tournaments soon.

The competitive season will conclude in November with the seventh annual Brawlhalla World Championship, also known as BCX, which will feature the largest fighting game tournament prize pool ever. As a true celebration of the year, BCX 2022 will be an open sign-up competition, giving every player, regardless of their ranking, a chance to compete for the most prestigious title in Brawlhalla Esports and a share of USD $500,000. Details will be communicated over the coming months.

Lastly, the 2022 season will also feature new additions to its esports ecosystem, with an improved Viewership Rewards system to offer new rewards for fans, and the first ever official online Japanese tournament in Brawlhalla. More details will be shared at a later date.

Developed by Blue Mammoth, Brawlhalla is an epic free-to-play platform fighting game that transports over 80 million players to a fight for glory in the halls of Valhalla. Choosing from more than 50 unique characters, players can jump into single-player and co-op modes as well as online and local competitions. Brawlhalla also supports cross-platform play between the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation 4^® and PlayStation 5^® system, PC, Mac, iOS, and Android devices where players can play custom games and queue together for all online matchmaking.

For more information on Brawlhalla, please visit: https://www.brawlhalla.com/

For more information on Year Seven of Brawlhalla Esports, please visit: https://brawlhalla.com/esports

For the latest news on Brawlhallaand all of Ubisoft’s games, please visit: https://news.ubisoft.com/

# # #

About Blue Mammoth

Founded in 2009 and acquired by Ubisoft in 2018, Blue Mammoth Games is a development studio based in Atlanta, Georgia. The experienced team specializes in online multiplayer games with large player bases.

Blue Mammoth develops Brawlhalla, a Free-To-Play fighting game on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, Mac, PlayStation® 4 and PlayStation 5® system, iOS, and Android devices. Brawlhalla has over 80 million players and is currently the most played fighting game on Steam.

About Ubisoft 

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, For Honor, Just Dance, Watch Dogs, and Tom Clancy’s video game series including Ghost Recon®, Rainbow Six and The Division. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2020-21 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €2,241 million. To learn more, please visit: http://www.ubisoftgroup.com. 

© 2022 Ubisoft. All Rights Reserved. Brawlhalla is a registered or unregistered trademark of Blue Mammoth Games in the US and/or other countries. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered or unregistered trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. Blue Mammoth Games is a Ubisoft Entertainment company.

Welcoming the Incredible Teams and Legendary Franchises of Activision Blizzard to Microsoft Gaming

by Phil Spencer, CEO, Microsoft Gaming

Creators of Call of Duty, Warcraft, Candy Crush, Tony Hawk, Diablo, Overwatch, Spyro, Hearthstone, Guitar Hero, Crash Bandicoot, StarCraft and more join Team Xbox

• Today, Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard, Inc., a leader in game development and interactive entertainment content publisher.
• This acquisition will accelerate the growth in Microsoft´s gaming business across mobile, PC, console, and cloud and will provide building blocks for the metaverse.
• The planned acquisition includes iconic franchises from the Activision, Blizzard and King studios like Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Call of Duty and Candy Crush, in addition to global eSports activities through Major League Gaming. The company has studios around the world with nearly 10,000 employees.
• Microsoft will acquire Activision Blizzard for $95.00 per share, in an all-cash transaction valued at $68.7 billion, inclusive of Activision Blizzard’s net cash.
• Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and he and his team will maintain their focus on driving efforts to further strengthen the company´s culture and accelerate business growth. Once the deal closes, the Activision Blizzard business will report to Phil Spencer, CEO, Microsoft Gaming.
• When the transaction closes, Microsoft will become the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony.
• The acquisition bolsters Microsoft’s Game Pass portfolio with plans to launch Activision Blizzard games into Game Pass.
• Game Pass has reached a new milestone of over 25 million subscribers.
• With Activision Blizzard’s nearly 400 million monthly active players in 190 countries and billion-dollar franchises, this acquisition will make Game Pass one of the most compelling and diverse line-ups of gaming content in the industry.
• Upon close, Microsoft will have 30 internal game development studios, along with additional publishing and esports production capabilities.

As a team, we are on a mission to extend the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. We all know that gaming is the most vibrant and dynamic form of entertainment worldwide and we’ve experienced the power of social connection and friendship that gaming makes possible.

As we pursue that mission, it is incredibly exciting to announce that Microsoft has agreed to acquire Activision Blizzard.

Over many decades, the studios and teams that make up Activision Blizzard have earned vast wellsprings of joy and respect from billions of people all over the world. We are incredibly excited to have the chance to work with the amazing, talented, dedicated people across Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, Beenox, Demonware, Digital Legends, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, King, Major League Gaming, Radical Entertainment, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob, Treyarch and every team across Activision Blizzard.

Until this transaction closes, Activision Blizzard and Microsoft Gaming will continue to operate independently. Once the deal is complete, the Activision Blizzard business will report to me as CEO, Microsoft Gaming.

Upon close, we will offer as many Activision Blizzard games as we can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalog. We also announced today that Game Pass now has more than 25 million subscribers. As always, we look forward to continuing to add more value and more great games to Game Pass.

The fantastic franchises across Activision Blizzard will also accelerate our plans for Cloud Gaming, allowing more people in more places around the world to participate in the Xbox community using phones, tablets, laptops and other devices you already own. Activision Blizzard games are enjoyed on a variety of platforms and we plan to continue to support those communities moving forward.

As a company, Microsoft is committed to our journey for inclusion in every aspect of gaming, among both employees and players. We deeply value individual studio cultures. We also believe that creative success and autonomy go hand-in-hand with treating every person with dignity and respect. We hold all teams, and all leaders, to this commitment. We’re looking forward to extending our culture of proactive inclusion to the great teams across Activision Blizzard.

Around the world, there is no more exciting venue for fun and connection than video games. And there has never been a better time to play than right now. As we extend the joy and community of gaming to everyone, we look forward to welcoming all of our friends at Activision Blizzard to Microsoft Gaming.

UBISOFT’S THE CREW^® 2 SEASON FOUR EPISODE TWO: THE CONTRACTOR, AVAILABLE VIA FREE UPDATE 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – January 19^th, 2022 – Today, Ubisoft announced that The Crew® 2 Season 4 Episode 2: The Contractor, the latest update brought to Ubisoft’s open-world motorsports game, will be available tomorrow on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, as well as Windows PC through the Ubisoft Store and the Epic Games Store. Players can also subscribe to Ubisoft+ on PC. 

After travelling through America’s most iconic cities to complete missions for Marco’s Cab, Diamond Limousine and Rocket Co., Season 4 Episode 2: The Contractor will allow players to explore the wildest spots of the United States by making deliveries for two brand-new companies: Intrepid Outdoor, specialized in the delivery of camping equipment, and US Wildlife Watchers, a charity dedicated to the protection of animals and their reintroduction to nature.  

Season 4 Episode 2: The Contractor will be accompanied by a brand-new Motorpass. It will offer 50 tiers of new exclusive rewards, both free and premium, including vehicles such as the Koenigsegg Gemera Outclassed Edition (Hypercar), the Land Rover Defender V8 Works Intrepid Outdoors (Rally Raid), the Hummer H1 Alpha US Wildlife Watchers (Rally Raid) and a brand-new creation by the Ubisoft Ivory Tower team, the Creators Hunter 51 (Rally Raid). 

Apart from the Motorpass, Season 4 Episode 2: The Contractor will continue its free monthly vehicle drops, letting players enjoy and drive new vehicles including the Chevrolet Silverado Intrepid Outdoors (Rally Raid) or the Ariel Atom (Street Race), both available on January 19. Additional vehicles will be available over the course of the Episode alongside new vanity items, including new animated rooftops, as well as smokes, tires, underglows and window tints. 

The LIVE Summit experience also continues during this Episode with a new batch of weekly iterations. During LIVE Summits, there is only one objective: getting as high up the leaderboard as possible. Each week, the best players will be rewarded with exclusive items and vehicles based on their ranking. In addition, no less than 3 fully-modded LIVE Summits will be playable during this Episode, including one of the most ambitious events released to date. 

For the latest news on The Crew and all of Ubisoft’s games, please visit: news.ubisoft.com 

For more information about The Crew 2, please visit thecrewgame.com and please follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/thecrewgame.usa and on Twitter at twitter.com/TheCrewGame or #TheCrew2.   

ABOUT THE CREW® 2 

Developed by Ubisoft Ivory Tower, a studio based in Lyon, France, The Crew® 2 lets players experience the thrill of the American motorsports spirit inside a fully redesigned USA. The game’s playground pushes physical boundaries to let driving and open world fans test their skills in nonstop competition and exploration. From coast to coast, drivers can explore America and compete to become the greatest motorsports champion by collecting a wide variety of exotic cars, bikes, boats and planes, and dominating the motorsports scene on land, on water and in the air. They can find challenges and inspiration among four different motorsports families: street racing, off-road, pro-racing and freestyle, and will be given a broad set of options among a wide selection of vehicle types.    Now in its fourth year of live support, The Crew 2 introduced a new seasonal system, centered around a fictional new company, Motorflix, a television production company known for creating the very best motor-fueled action flicks. Players will be recruited to play the starring role in different TV series with themed episodes per Season. Every Season lasts four months and is comprised of two successive Episodes running for two months. 

About Ubisoft 

Ubisoft is a creator of worlds, committed to enriching players’ lives with original and memorable entertainment experiences. Ubisoft’s global teams create and develop a deep and diverse portfolio of games, featuring brands such as Assassin’s Creed ®, Brawlhalla®, For Honor®, Far Cry®, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon®, Just Dance®, Rabbids, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®, The Crew®, Tom Clancy’s The Division®, and Watch Dogs®. Through Ubisoft Connect, players can enjoy an ecosystem of services to enhance their gaming experience, get rewards and connect with friends across platforms. With Ubisoft+, the subscription service, they can access a growing catalog of more than 100 Ubisoft games and DLC. For the 2020-21 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €2,241 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com. 

Sydney, Australia – January 19^th, 2022 – Prime Matter and Smilegate are announcing that the non-stop action fest real time strategy (RTS) Crossfire: Legion will enter Early Access on Steam in Spring 2022. Based on the hugely popular Crossfire universe, the game pits player against player as rival factions battle for global domination.

Going into early access will allow players, across the world,  to experience a true modern day action RTS – with a historical nod to the original games that defined the genre – allowing them to shape and define the game; from game modes to maps and units. The game is being developed by Canadian developers Blackbird Interactive. Maurice Grela (Game Designer) said community and player feedback was a key element on how they wanted the game to shape up. “RTS gamers know what they want and what a modern-day game should deliver. Who better to make sure that we are in synch?

“We are offering all fans of the genre the chance to be involved in how we grow the game. We have some great features and game modes to reveal to you over the next months and look to add a wealth of content as we enter early access”.

The developers have also unveiled a roadmap outlining all the upcoming activities ahead of the early access launch, including a new third faction.

Players who would like to get into the action can do so by signing up for the chance to join the Technical Test where they have the opportunity to choose from one of two factions – Blacklist or Global Risk – along with the respective commander. They’ll then be able to battle it out across two very diverse maps in either 1v1 or 3v3 multiplayer.

And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a brand new trailer teasing the upcoming game and giving players a sneak-peak of the characters and action.
Watch the trailer here

For more information including sign up for a chance to participate in the Technical Test please visit :
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1072190/Crossfire_Legion/

Logos, assets, screens and more can be downloaded here:

About Smilegate  smilegate.com

Smilegate is a global gaming company that owns global game IPs, including the world’s No.1 online FPS game ‘CROSSFIRE’, blockbuster hack & slash MMORPG ‘Lost Ark’, and mobile turn-based RPG ‘Epic Seven’. With roots in game development, Smilegate now also provides game publishing and investment business and is expanding as a global company with regional offices in the US, China, Southeast Asia and Europe. Its flagship IP, ‘CROSSFIRE,’ is one of the largest and most successful franchises in gaming history, with more than 670 million registered users to date and over 8 million concurrent players globally.

About Blackbird Interactive blackbirdinteractive.com
Blackbird Interactive is an independent game development studio – headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia – dedicated to creating world-class, immersive, compelling and stylish interactive experiences. We are committed to building engaging gameplay, telling amazing stories, and delivering uncompromising quality to all of our customers. The company was founded in 2007 and became operational in 2010. The founders are a team of experienced video game industry veterans including senior EA staff and founders of Relic Entertainment.

About Prime Matter primematter.gg

Headquartered in Munich, Prime Matter is a premium gaming label dedicated to delivering a range of immersive and diverse games from amazing gaming development talent all around the globe.

Working across projects of all styles, scopes and sizes, from distribution, to publishing, from ambitious indies taking their first step that need full support without compromising their dream, to larger established studios searching that next step in the global market and building of brands.

Prime Matter looks to lead through creativity, expression and passion, with games that will grip and enchant with enthralling story-telling, winning an audience with its incredible moments and larger-than-life experiences.

Military Gaming Charity Stack Up Sets New Annual $1 Million Fundraising Record in 2021

LOS ANGELES – 19 Jan 2022 — Stack Up, the 501(c)3 military charity dedicated to supporting US and Allied Veterans’ mental health through gaming and working to end the epidemic of veteran suicide, announces a new fundraising record of $1,204,343 in 2021, the charity’s first time breaking the $1 million mark in cash donations and crossing the seven-figure milestone.

Stack Up set a new record for the second consecutive year, setting a previous high of $942,038 in 2020. The real heroes came from the Twitch and Facebook Gaming streaming community, with veteran-allied livestreamers raising over $810,000 over the course of 2021. The streamer community also helped set this goal by generously exceeding Stack Up’s $50,000 goal during the remote Call to Arms Live event over Veterans Day weekend in 2021.

Cash and in-kind contributions support active duty and recuperating service members in the United States and allied nation militaries, through the proven therapeutic benefits of gaming. Stack Up’s first initiative, still going strong to this day, provides Supply Crates, video game care packages containing games, systems, and accessories, to provide much-needed respite and interaction with friends and family.

With more events returning to in-person experiences, Stack Up will continue its Air Assaults thanks to these contributions, providing all-inclusive trips enabling veterans to attend pop culture and video game events. These opportunities create long-lasting memories and friendships, connect people with similar interests, and let those who attend know that they are not alone.

Funds also go toward supporting the Stack Up Overwatch Program (StOP), which provides round-the-clock mental health support from trained crisis management volunteers for those who deal with PTSD, depression, and emotional distress. StOP earned a 2019 Newman’s Own award for its efforts in supporting the military community and a grant from the Centers for Disease Control.

“It’s easy to keep track of fundraising, and we’re proud of our numbers, but we can’t forget that this is about the people we’re helping. Our Overwatch program alone had over 430 interactions with veterans in need, almost three times as many as we had in 2020,” said Stephen Machuga, Executive Director, Stack Up. “We couldn’t have gotten there without our amazing team, as well as all the incredible fans believing in what we’re doing for veterans who donate to Stack Up year over year! But if you think this is great news, wait until you see what we’ve got in store for 2022 with our new effort, codenamed the ‘PHALANX Project’!” 

To learn more about Stack Up, please visit their website at www.stackup.org. To donate directly to Stack Up, please visit Stack Up’s Donation page.

About Stack Up

Founded in 2015, Stack Up brings both veterans and civilians together through a shared love of video gaming. Through programs such as The Stacks, Supply Crates, Air Assaults and the Stack Up Overwatch Program (StOP), Stack Up has helped more than 36,000 U.S. and Allied military service members get through deployments to combat zones and recover from traumatic physical and emotional injuries through the power of video gaming.