Innovative Audio Technology Creates a Profound Immersive World and Brings Triple-A Quality Narrative to the Visually Impaired and Sighted Gaming Communities This August

St. Catharines, Canada (July 28, 2021) — Independent developers Falling Squirrel today announced an August 19, 2021 release date for their award-winning audio-only action-adventure game The Vale: Shadow of the Crown on PC and Xbox One. Winner of the 2018 Ubisoft Indie Special Prize and the Reboot Develop Red 2019 Special Selection Prize, The Vale: Shadow of the Crown trades visuals for audio cues, creating a distinct take on action combat and breaking down barriers for low-vision and blind gamers. Challenging battles, exciting quests, and AAA quality voice acting performances from dozens of acclaimed voice actors including Karen Knox (Starlink, Far Cry 5), Samer Salem (The Expanse, The Handmaid’s Tale), and Steve Cumyn (Far Cry 3, Versailles), make for a gaming experience unlike anything you have ever played!

Official Website: https://www.fallingsquirrel.com/the-vale

Developed in close consultation with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), The Vale: Shadow of the Crown utilizes the latest in assistive technologies, including binaural audio and haptic controller feedback, to create an immersive experience and a thrilling action-adventure game. Falling Squirrel is committed to their mandate to develop inclusive and accessible games — The Vale: Shadow of the Crown’s development features sincere and deliberate representation by employing visually impaired voice actors and developers.

In The Vale: Shadow of the Crown, players embark on the emotional journey of the Second-to-the-Throne — blind from birth and recently exiled to the edges of the kingdom upon the coronation of their elder brother as King of the Land. Through the ears of the hero, players must embark on a treacherous journey as they explore the world around them, fight off enemies in challenging, interactive combat, hunt for resources, acquire gear, and lose themselves in a rich narrative supported by top-tier voice acting.

Key Features: 

• Accessible Gaming For All: Haptic controller feedback, binaural audio technology, and professional cinematic voice acting guides players through real-time combat, exploration, quests, and cut scenes, making this a gaming experience that is accessible to visually impaired and sighted players alike.
   
• Diverse Soundscape Environments: The bustle of busy villages, the gentle rustling of leaves through the trees in the forests, the eerie echoes of the unknown in dank caves — full 3-dimensional sound surrounds players from all sides as they adventure in over 20 diverse locations ripe for exploration.
   
• Immersive Medieval Combat: Players become engaged in the action in a way that is entirely refreshing as a diverse set of enemies attack with random and story-based encounters, boss battles, and more. Intuitive battle clamor guides players towards enemies as they attack and defend against their foes.
   
• Meaningful RPG Elements: Presented with a choice of combat styles, players will guide their fully-voiced hero and build their potential as they unlock upgradable magic paths, loot enemies, hunt animals for valuable items, and visit shops to purchase weapons and armor — each with unique sounds and stats.
   
• A Story for the Ages: With optional narrative paths including over 20 side quests, and more than 70 audio cutscenes players will uncover twists and surprises as they travel the land and speak with the many unique and fully voiced characters they encounter. 

The Vale: Shadow of the Crown will be available for Windows PC via Steam and itch.io, and Xbox One on August 19, 2021. The game will also be available on the Epic Games store shortly after. Players who wish to learn more may visit the official webpage: https://www.fallingsquirrel.com/the-vale.
 
Follow Falling Squirrel on Twitter and like them on Facebook to keep up to date with the latest news.

About Falling Squirrel
 
Falling Squirrel is an independent video game studio, service provider, and proud member of Niagara, Canada’s growing independent game development industry. As a studio, their commitment to creating compelling, Triple-A caliber story-driven game experiences for the visually impaired has spearheaded their goal of pioneering advances in narrative design and audio-based game mechanics. Their core team derives a passion for video games through their combined experience in Triple-A multi-platform game development and extensive background in Film and TV, both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Although The Vale: Shadow of the Crown is the first game developed by Falling Squirrel, the studio has contributed creative direction and narrative design to a wide range of interactive projects, such as Creative Byte Studios’ Embers of Mirrim and Phantom Compass’ Rollers of the Realm: Reunion. To find out more about Falling Squirrel, visit the official website, found here: https://www.fallingsquirrel.com.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends Introduces State Heist, a Free New Stealth-focused PvE Mode Playable Today

PARIS — July 28, 2021 — Hood: Outlaws and Legends, the co-op PvPvE heist game from Sumo Digital and Focus Home Interactive, has just launched a free update today adding an exciting new PvE game mode: State Heist.

State Heist Trailer:

State Heist mode replaces the enemy player team with even deadlier opposition from the AI-controlled State, introducing challenging new mechanics that emphasize stealth and cooperation. Your team of four will be pitted against a far more dangerous and responsive State, with limitations on respawning for a completely new dynamic that requires a more careful and methodical approach for success.

To celebrate today’s launch of State Heist, Focus and Sumo are kicking off the Survive the State Event. Players who successfully steal the chest in State Heist without dying will receive the new Shadow Lords costume for the character they are playing — be tenacious and get them all! Rewards will be unlocked when the event ends on August 2.

Since release, Focus and Sumo have been actively working on building the best heist experience possible by listening carefully to community feedback. The game has already received a number of gameplay updates and tweaks, and players can look forward to even more free content over the course of this year. Season 1: Samhain is just around the corner, bringing a free, game-changing new outlaw, a full rework of the winch system, tons of cosmetics and events, and many more improvements.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends is out now on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and PC. You can also buy the game’s Year 1 Edition, which includes three Battle Passes due to be released post-launch. For more on Hood, visit www.focus-home.com/en-us/games/hood-outlaws-legends.

The award-winning, all-digital Indie Arena Booth will invite players across the world on a playable RPG journey with quests, loot, levels and 120+ of the best new indie titles to experience

Hamburg, Germany – 28 July 2021. The Indie Arena Booth at gamescom 2021 begins on 25 August with 120+ of the best new indie games present in a playable RPG experience titled Summercamp of Doom. The Summercamp of Doom Event MMO will offer players a unique set of themed worlds and the best indie games of 2021 as they explore the camp and interact with dozens of attending developers, exclusively accessed from the gamescom now content hub.

Checkout the Summercamp of Doom lineup trailer here.

As well as the Summercamp of Doom MMO experience, the Indie Arena Booth at gamescom 2021 will feature a packed schedule with indie publishers such as Finji Games, Tiny Build, Ravens Court and more offering a further look at their titles. Our multiple days of indie streams will be presented by Shay Thompson and include the annual Indie Arena Booth Awards Show as well as a special Steam event page packed with playable demos and discounts on dozens of indie titles.

Players can keep up to date with all the announcements by checking out indiearenabooth.de and following @IndieArenaBooth on Twitter.

The Indie Arena Booth and Summercamp of Doom MMO offers indies another avenue of discovery to players in what are still challenging circumstances for so many. “Due to our extended partnership with gamescom and a stronger curated line up of games, we think Indie Arena Booth Online will once again be the digital go-to event this year for the Best Indie games in 2021”, said Wolf Lang, CEO at Super Crowd. “After the massive success of 2020’s event, the whole team at Super Crowd has worked hard to improve all aspects of our online event and we’re excited for players to get hands-on with our Summercamp of Doom MMORPG with its own story line, quests and levelling system.”

The Indie Arena Booth has a lot of returning and trusted partners for 2021, including US indie publisher Finji Games: “Even before COVID, we valued the opportunity to bring our games to the European audience and as a North American studio it has been a great experience working with the crew at Indie Arena Booth to make this more accessible”, said Rebekah Saltsman, Finji, CEO.  “Even with the steep learning curve on online events in 2020, our commitment to our games and our audience didn’t change! We are super excited to participate in the online event again in 2021 with both the online demos of our games and our additional streaming content.”

Media interested in checking out this year’s Indie Arena Booth and trying out Summer Camp of Doom can write us via mail for early access to attendees from 23 August.

The Indie Arena Booth 2021 is proudly supported by:

About Indie Arena

The Indie Arena Booth, operated by SuperCrowd, is an open home for independent game developers from all over the world. It is a platform for the developers as well as a showcase for the colorful and vivid game scene between Avantgarde and AAA. Starting as a small hand-made exhibition space for indie developers at gamescom in 2013, Indie Arena Booth has since grown to become the place to be at gamescom for hundreds of fresh indie games. Our intention is to give games of all sizes a platform to be presented to the audience of gamescom, supporting local as well as international developers.

About Super Crowd

Super Crowd develops the premium gamified online events of the future. We are the experts in creating innovative digital experiences for entertainment and corporate events. We already shipped our award-winning virtual events to more than 30.000 happy visitors and more than 500 happy exhibitors around the globe. Using our proprietary SUPER CROWD X5 framework, we combine the strengths of interactive media with the charming appeal of physical events to create a unique online experience for your audience. We feature a booth editor for your exhibitors, an in-game chat system, full streaming, and online product integration – all packed in an easy to navigate browser experience. 

Celebrate the Series’ 20^th Anniversary With a Special Digital Deluxe Edition!

Hertfordshire, 28^th July 2021 – Today, KOEI TECMO Europe unveiled the long-awaited release date for their thrilling Japanese horror-adventure title, PROJECT ZERO: MAIDEN OF BLACK WATER. Horror fans will be able to get their hands on this spine-chilling new title when it launches digitally on the 28^th October 2021 across Europe on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC via Steam®. 

PROJECT ZERO: MAIDEN OF BLACK WATER is an enhanced version of the 2014 Wii U release of the same name, allowing players on all platforms to enjoy this unique horror experience. Players will step into the shoes of Yuri Kozukata, Ren Hojo, and Miu Hinasaki as they venture up the eerie Mt. Hikami in the hopes of finding those that have previously disappeared. To help them overcome the malevolent spirits housed in the mountain’s waters, they will have to master the Camera Obscura – a unique camera that can deal damage to ghosts upon taking a photo. Each successful shot will cause a spirit to emit Spirit Fragments and if players are able to capture an image of the ghost and these mysterious fragments in the same frame, they will unleash a high-damage Fatal Frame attack. Upgrading the camera’s parts, such as equipping a stronger lens or changing out the film, allows more powerful images to be taken, giving players more protection as they venture further up the mountain. When a ghost has been defeated, the camera is able to perform the Glancing ability to uncover the ghost’s past – helping to uncover the truth behind the disappearances on the mountain. An Overview Trailer was released today to demonstrate these gameplay mechanics in action!

New to this enhanced version is a brand-new Photo Mode where players can use any character or any ghost from their adventure, position them on a background of their choice, and add a variety of effects (from lens type, frame choice, focus, etc) to make the perfect scary photo. New costumes and accessories have also been added including the ‘Punk Ensemble’, ‘Cutesy Goth Ensemble (Black)’, ‘Swimsuit (Blue)’, and the ‘Triathlon Suit’ for Yuri; the ‘Miku Hinasaki Outfit (The Tormented)’, ‘Cutesy Goth Ensemble (White)’, ‘Swimsuit (Yellow)’, and the ‘Swimsuit (Pink)’ for Miu; and the ‘Groom’s Outfit’ for Ren.

The Project Zero franchise celebrates its 20^th anniversary this year, with the original game launching in Japan back in 2001. In celebration of its 20-year milestone, KOEI TECMO Europe revealed a special Digital Deluxe Edition for PROJECT ZERO: MAIDEN OF BLACK WATER that comes packed with a copy of the game, a digital artbook, and six costumes inspired from previous characters in the series. These anniversary costumes include; the Mio Amakura and Rei Kurosawa outfits for Yuri, the Mayu Amakura and two Miku Hinasaki outfits for Miu, and the Kei Amakura outfit for Ren.

KOEI TECMO Europe also revealed that those who pre-order PROJECT ZERO: MAIDEN OF BLACK WATER, or purchase the game within the first two weeks of launch, will be entitled to a special Ryza costume – inspired by the one featured in the first Atelier Ryza title – allowing the main characters to don the popular alchemist’s outfit and hat.

For all of the latest news on PROJECT ZERO: MAIDEN OF BLACK WATER, check out the official site, ‘Like’ us on www.facebook.com/koeitecmogames, and Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @koeitecmoeurope.

ABOUT KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD.

KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI TECMO’s best known for their signature ‘one versus thousands’ Warriors series, the fan-favourite Ninja Gaiden and fighting entertainment title Dead or Alive. Through collaboration with strong existing franchises, such as A.O.T. Wings of Freedom (Attack on Titan), has brought fan-favourite shows to life in video game form. The company’s desire for innovation and diversity has seen the creation of the critically acclaimed dark-samurai action title Nioh, which takes on new and unique gameplay styles. The company’s acquisition of GUST, developer of a variety of heart-warming titles, has seen their flagship Atelier series span generations of consoles and fans alike. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com

©2015-2021 Nintendo / KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. ©2015-2021 KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.

“PlayStation”, “PS5”, and “PS4” are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox One X, Xbox Live, the Xbox logos, and/or other Microsoft products referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo.

©2021 Valve Corporation. Steam and the Steam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Play as Stain and Tomura Shigaraki

Tokyo, Japan – July 28th, 2021 –My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero has received a new update adding two new villains to the hit-anime based game. Since it first arrived on the scene back on May 19th in Europe, it’s been downloaded over 2 million times for both Google Play and the iOS store.

The new update introduces the notorious villain Stain. With his long, reptilian tongue, crimson scarf and onyx armour, Stain has proven to be a fan favorite in the My Hero Academia community. His Quirk, Bloodcurdle, paralyzes his opponents, lengthening their hit recovery duration, while also allowing him to inflict damage upon executing a dodge. He’s definitely a strong S type hero.

Additionally, the League of Villains’s own Tomura Shigaraki will be joining the fray this week, with more evil doers planned to follow in future updates.

Other additions to My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero include the option to permanently increase your stamina by buying the permanent stamina buff beverage.

A recent update now allows players to access premium characters through basic summons one time for free every day.

On top of that, the newly added characters start with a chance of pulling 6 star Support Cards.

Website：https://myherotsh.com
Facebook：https://www.facebook.com/MHA.TSH.EU
Twitter：https://twitter.com/MHA_TSHGame_EU
YouTube：https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClNxCniJAoR3gkxrkKx-irA
AppStore：https://apps.apple.com/app/id1559676632
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mhatsh.eu

About My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. It follows the story of Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a world where everyone else has them. Japan’s greatest hero All Might chooses this unlikely candidate as his successor and enrolls him in a prestigious academy for heroes in training. Since debuting in 2014, My Hero Academia has sold over 50 million copies globally and spawned a popular animated series by Bones, which debuted in 2016, had three feature length spin-off films, and a fifth season will premiere in 2021.

About A PLUS JAPAN INC.
A PLUS JAPAN INC. focuses on Japanese anime-based mobile game development and publishing. They have a solid long-term partnership globally with several anime IP and broadcast / distribution channels. Under the mission of “Bring fun to the world”, they continue to get exciting games derived from anime to players all over the world.

About Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll connects anime and manga fans across 200+ countries and territories through the content they love. Best known as a top streaming service delivering AVOD and SVOD content, Crunchyroll also provides experiences to deepen fan engagement and community through social, events, games, consumer products, content distribution, content creation, and manga publishing. More information can be found at http://www.crunchyroll.com

A major content update, bandits and more – Start your new life in the middle ages

July 28th, 2021 – Toplitz Productions and Render Cube invite players to turn back the clock and start a new life in Medieval Dynasty, their Middle Ages survival sandbox life sim. After a full year in early access, over 17,000 user reviews (91% positive) and a successful debut on the Xbox Game Pass for PC, developers Render Cube are putting the final touches on the game for a September 23rd launch on Steam, Epic, GOG.com and the Microsoft Store.

“Kudos to our awesome community for the ongoing support during the Early Access phase, and many thanks for all the great ideas, general feedback and bug reports! You folks made Medieval Dynasty into the game we all dreamt of! We are excited to see players all over the world getting absorbed into its relaxing and at the same time thrilling atmosphere and gameplay”, explains Tamara Berger, Head of Marketing & PR at Toplitz Productions.

After delivering five major content updates, developer Render Cube and publisher Toplitz are hard at work on the last and largest update for Medieval Dynasty’s full release. A full list of changes will be available closer to release, but in any case, players can expect new content, balancing improvements, overall performance and game polishing, as well as new story elements and – of course – the biggest menace to your village yet: bandits.

Players will also be able to dabble in herbalism, which opens up many new options for trade and healing. For more details on this update, stay tuned to Toplitz on Twitter, Facebook, Discord, and Steam for new insider videos, dev blogs providing more insight into version 1.0 soon.

Toplitz Productions and Render Cube are also happy to announce one last sale before the 1.0 release on Steam. Starting today at 7pm and running until August 9th, players will have the chance to snap the game up at a 20% discount off the current early access price. As of August 15th, the price will increase from € 24,99 to € 29,99 as previously mentioned in our Early Access dev update.

Very soon the Team will also be releasing a new development roadmap to share with our community, detailing our launch plans and all the new updates and content you can expect in the months after release.

“Medieval Dynasty is our baby. We worked hard (often day and night) to help it grow into the game it is today. There won’t be any eventuality that would stop us from supporting the game as it evolves being version 1.0. Release day is not the end – it’s the beginning of a new exciting time for Medieval Dynasty”, promises Damian Szymanski, CEO of Render Cube S.A.

Features:

• Beautiful and realistic open-world 3D landscape with state-of-the-art graphics
• Full 4 seasons with day/night cycle and realistic weather conditions
• Interactive environment with trees to fell, various fruit to pluck, stones to collect, caves to explore and many more
• Many different buildings with various levels from hay shacks to full stone mansions
• Over 60 pieces of equipment to craft, including weapons, tools, furniture and clothing
• Realistic wildlife interaction with plenty of different animals such as wolves, wild boars, deer, rabbits and others
• All activities will impact on food, water, health and endurance status
• Detailed skill tree for individual character development
• Dynasty reputation system triggering events from the king
• Quests, trade and economy, sandbox option, social connections to NPCs and many more

About the Dynasty series

Toplitz has cultivated a reputation for delivering games involving simulation, survival, role-playing and life sim elements. These four pillars combined have led to the “Dynasty” series of games, a line of massive, ambitious and immersive virtual worlds united by these themes.

With Farmer’s Dynasty and Lumberjack’s Dynasty out, Medieval Dynasty in Early Access and the upcoming Wild West Dynasty set to deliver Toplitz’s most expansive and immersive world yet, the future looks bright. The Dynasty series gives players the chance to experience whole new lives in massive landscapes to explore, alter and create their own individual Dynasty.

Choose your story and create your Dynasty today:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1129580/Medieval_Dynasty/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/678900/Farmers_Dynasty/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/968970/Lumberjacks_Dynasty/

Wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1329880/Wild_West_Dynasty/

About Render Cube

 Based in Łódź, Poland, Render is a small team of 18 game enthusiasts aiming to create artistic content of the highest quality for game projects across all major platforms.

Together with Toplitz Productions, Render Cube are hard at work on their most ambitious project yet – the historical sandbox life- and survival sim Medieval Dynasty, which quickly became an enormous critical and commercial success after launching into early access.

Stay up to date and learn everything worth knowing about Toplitz Productions by following the company on Twitter, Facebook, the official website and Instagram.

Wiesbaden, Germany 28th July, 2021. Today, German publisher Assemble Entertainment announced its presence at Gamescom 2021, the world’s largest video game industry expo. As an official partner of Gamescom, the publisher will present its current portfolio of indie titles, including two world premiere unveilings. 

The entire Assemble Entertainment line-up will be available in the Gamescom Now content hub and two popular titles will participate in the Indie Arena Booth 2021. More details will be revealed on August 25, 2021, including all official Gamescom streams, events, and panels that Assemble will participate in.

Assemble Entertainment is inviting all media to attend its digital developer game presentations, where you’ll get exclusive insights into the company and see previously unpublished footage of its portfolio. The publisher will also offer exclusive first-look hands-on opportunities outside of the planned demos to be made available via Steam during the conference.

View the complete list of Assemble Entertainment’s Gamescom 2021 Line-up:

1. Unannounced Title (3D- Action Adventure/Zelda-like) by TinyRoar 
2. Unannounced Title (Text-Adventure) by RobotPumpkin Games
3. Endzone – World Apart: Prosperity by Gentlymad Studios
4. Sphere – Flying Cities by Hexagon Sphere Games
5. ITORAH by Grimbart Tales
6. Super Catboy by Pixelpogo
7. Orbital Bullet by SmokeStab
8. Ultimate ADOM – Caverns of Chaos by TeamADOM
9. Squadron 51 by Loomiarts, Fehorama Filmes
10. Roadwarden by Moral Anxiety Studio

For the latest news and updates about Assemble Entertainment titles, follow the publisher on Twitter, Instagram, “like” them on Facebook, and join the official Assemble Discord server.  

Please reach out with any questions about the above-detailed games showcase or press preview scheduling. Private bookings will be made available to select media. If interested, please reply to this email. 

About Assemble Entertainment

Based in Wiesbaden, Germany, Assemble Entertainment is an independent games developer and publisher, best known for the modernized, award-winning Leisure Suit Larry series, featuring two new entries in the iconic decades-spanning saga, and the multi-award-winning Endzone – A World Apart, that challenges players to survive and thrive following an environmental apocalypse. Assemble Entertainment also organizes GermanDevDays, an annual conference that attracts more than 1,200 attendees from across the German-speaking video game development industry.

Join Ayo in his perilous quest to find his lost dog

New Jersey, USA – July 28th, 2021 – Indie game studio Cloud M1 is happy to announce its 2.5D clown-themed platformer Ayo the Clown has now launched on Nintendo Switch and Steam for PC. With a brand new trailer, Ayo the Clown is ready to set off on a quirky, family-friendly adventure in the quest to find his precious dog, and make some friends along the way. Be prepared for the wacky sights, crazy conundrums and fiendish foes that Ayo will discover as he embarks on his fun-filled adventure. 

“Ayo won’t stop at anything in order to rescue his beloved pooch and as a result is a very well traveled clown. The World of Ayo is a weird but wonderful place filled with more things to see and do than you can shake a balloon stick at!,” said Xiu Liang, Cloud M1 Game Director. “Ayo the Clown is finally here and we can’t wait for players to join in on the fun.”

On this incredible adventure you play as Ayo, your not-so-average clown, in search of his best friend and beloved dog, Bo, who has mysteriously disappeared. This journey will take Ayo across eight regions from the lush Hills, to the wacky Water World and all the way to sickeningly sweet Candy Land in search of clues to Bo’s whereabouts. This world is full of friendly people and interesting creatures that are willing to lend a helping hand but beware of the fiendish foes who are out to cause you harm. Pick up a water balloon, balloon sword, toy hammer, dinosaur, helicopter, tank, everything a healthy clown needs to survive in the great outdoors. Since Ayo is not the kind of clown to make the same joke over and over again, you’ll travel across many uniquely themed platforms and come into contact with larger than life bosses and hordes of enemies that will prove that this clown is much tougher than he seems.

More information on Ayo the Clown:
Buy Ayo the Clown on Steam: 
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1114900/Ayo_the_Clown/
Buy Ayo the Clown via the Nintendo eShop page: 
https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Ayo-the-Clown-2000423.html
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cloudm1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cloudm1games
Visit the Ayo the Clown website: https://www.cloudm1.com/games/ayo-the-clown/

About Cloud M1
Cloud M1 started as a studio for 3D animation projects, working on commercials and CG projects for advertising and media. While working on these projects they realised their strengths and decided to enter the mobile app space, publishing games and apps for iOS. As huge gamers and fans of classic gaming they created Ayo the Clown, their most ambitious game to date and the first of many games to come.

iGi indie Game incubator receives the support of PlayStation®, increasing the total number of supporters to 12 companies and 2 associations. Three supporters comment on their ambitions for the local indie scene.

Tokyo, Japan – 28th July 2021 – iGi indie Game incubator, sponsored by Marvelous Co., Ltd. (President: Shuichi Motoda/ Location: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo) has, since its start in February 2021, received support and sponsorship from 11 companies and 2 organizations. It is our great pleasure to announce the addition of PlayStation® (Sony Interactive Entertainment) to our list of highly respected supporters (Sony Interactive Entertainment will participate as Playstation®).

PlayStation® is actively engaged in the indie game scene, supporting indie game developers in various ways such as participating in events.

With this announcement, iGi indie Game incubator has now received the official support of 12 influential companies and 2 organizations from within the global gaming ecosystem, and will continue to look for fruitful collaborations both within and outside the gaming industry. iGi is also looking to strengthen the relations between industry, government and academia going forward.

We have received comments from Sony Interactive Entertainment, but also from Microsoft Corporation and Unity Technologies Japan K.K., whose support we received in April 2021. These companies are planning to hold lectures for the five participating game developer teams, in order to provide the knowledge and tools to succeed (Microsoft will participate as ID@Xbox).

Shuhei Yoshida, Representative of Sony Interactive Entertainment Indies Initiative
“We welcome the start of Japan’s first incubation program for indie games. Through cooperation with iGi, we will further work to create an environment where new Japanese creators can express their art freely.”

Chris Charla, ID@Xbox Senior Director
“We at ID@Xbox were thrilled to support iGi and are excited to collaborate with independent game developers across Japan. We look forward to deepening our understanding and relationship with the development community in Japan and continue helping them bring their games to the world”

Yohei Yanase, Representative Judge of the Unity Youth Creator Cup
“The Unity Youth Creator Cup is a starting step for our contestants, not the goal. We look forward to seeing applicants from various competitions, including the participants from the Unity Youth Creator Cup, spread their wings and explore the world through incubation programs like iGi!”

Mike Haruki Yamazaki, iGi Chairman & Executive Producer/Marvelous Co., Ltd. Global Business Department:
“We are delighted to receive the support of PlayStation®, Microsoft and Unity Technologies Japan K.K. to further increase the value we provide to our incubated teams. As the first and only game incubation program in Japan, we will keep advancing the local indie game scene working closely with our top-notch sponsors, supporters and mentors.”

About iGi
iGi indie Game incubator is the first incubation program for indie developers and games based in Japan.

▪ Program name: indie Game incubator (abbreviation: iGi)
▪ Period: 6 months from June to November 2021
▪ Organizer: Marvelous Co., Ltd.
▪ Program cooperation: GameBCN (Barcelona, Spain)
▪ Program management cooperation: HEAD-HIGH Co., Ltd., LUDiMUS Co., Ltd.

*Please refer to the official website below for program details and application guidelines.
Official site: https://igi.dev/

*Please refer to the official website below for program details and application guidelines.
Official site: https://igi.dev/

About Marvelous Europe
Founded in April 2012, Marvelous Europe is the European based publishing operation of Marvelous Inc., overseeing operations for all European territories as well as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. Marvelous Europe has been responsible for publishing games across various platforms, including mobile, handheld, consoles and PC. Marvelous Europe is a 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of Tokyo-based Marvelous Inc., a publicly traded company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Runners up from last years’ ultimate 2v2 CS:GO tournament, Dead Weight, have this year leveled up to take the gong, as teams battled it out to find the best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive duos
in Australia for Red Bull Flick 2021.

Australia, July 28. Determined to level up from their 2020 runner up position, Dead Weight have this year claimed victory in the Red Bull Flick 2021 Australian finals.

For the second year running, grassroots competition Red Bull Flick, gave amatuer Australian players the opportunity to get their wings – while playing against some of the nation’s best pro players in custom CS:GO 2v2 maps with a futuristic twist.  

Pairs of players faced off in a set of brand new custom Red Bull maps specifically designed for new game mode, Hold the Flag, alongside a new narrative for players to immerse themselves in a sci-fi setting. The 2021 competition featured capture points, with each duo fighting for control with themed maps and content incorporated into the Red Bull event.

The Australian online qualifiers kicked off on June 26 and 27, July 3 and 4. There were more than 550 registrations for the competition, with 16 duos (four from each qualifier) competing in the final qualifying round to determine which eight teams would make it to the national finals. The top eight teams then battled it out in the national final on July 10, with more than 7,800 viewers tuning in across the tournament, with duos Dead Weight and Steam Support making it to the final round.

Dead Weight, made up of Mr Sharky and Velocity (Velo), were no strangers to the series having almost secured the victory last year in a down-to-the-wire finals match against eventual 2020 champions Dynamic Du-Woah. After learning from the experience and focusing on leveling up their game, this year Dead Weight brought with them confidence in spades.

“Our expectation for this year’s Flick experience was no lower than top two, and we were very confident that we could win it out this year in the Grand Final as we wouldn’t have to worry about our nerves this time around,” says Velocity. “We did a lot of practice and scrims prior to joining the tournament so we were confident we would be a favourite to win.”

However, there were a few bumps in the road to victory.

“We came into the tournament as first seed and didn’t drop a single round,” says Velocity. “But unfortunately for us, we ended up versing Steam Support on the only map that we didn’t have any experience on as we thought it was a very straightforward map. After we lost to them and went into the lower bracket we were confident that we would verse them in the Grand Final and come out victorious as the maps for the grand final we were very well versed on.”

For the full interview with Dead Weight and velocity, please go to https://www.redbull.com/au-en/red-bull-flick-australia-dead-weight-interview.

About RedBull Flick

Red Bull Flick first launched in 2019 with a local event in Turkey, and is now a prestigious global tournament, with over 45,000 registrations in over 30 countries competing in 2020. Last year’s 2020 Red Bull Flick Pro EU Invitational saw exciting upsets and incredible duos from Team Vitality, BIG Clan, ENCE and G2, with Team Germany emerging victorious over the likes of Kévin “⁠misutaaa⁠” Rabier and the undisputed best player in the world, Mathieu “⁠ZywOo⁠” Herbaut. Red Bull Flick 2021 will comprise national tournaments in more than 30 countries and international online qualifiers open to all. Winners will earn a spot in the Red Bull Flick Invitational Helsinki. There they will compete against other regional winners, as well as some of the best pro players in the world.

About Global Partners

SteelSeries

For the 2021 season, SteelSeries, the worldwide leader in gaming and esports peripherals, joins as the official Peripheral Partner to support the event with their award-winning gaming headsets, keyboards and mice for the ultimate competitive edge. The exciting new partnership will ensure that competitors will have access to the peripherals they need for success. The hyper durable materials, sound quality and input precision are perfect for the fast decision making competitors require.

AOC

AOC, the global leader in gaming monitors, returns to join the Red Bull Gaming universe once again, bringing the event to life, and providing cutting-edge hardware for the esports tournament. As the official Monitor Partner for 2021, AOC will provide top-notch high performance gaming monitors for the ultimate gaming experience for contestants. High refresh rates and short response times mean competitors will have the best possible in-game experience.