Grand strategy wargame marks anniversary with new bundle

STOCKHOLM – 03 June 2021 – For five years, wargamers around the world have been challenged to outbuild and outfight history’s most terrible war machines in Hearts of Iron IV, a grand strategy wargame from Paradox Development Studio. Millions of tanks and planes have been built as players fought through an infinite variety of alternate histories set against the backdrop of humanity’s greatest struggle.

In honor of the fifth anniversary of Hearts of Iron IV, Paradox has announced a new bundle that will give players even more style as they prove that they are the master of modern total war.

The Hearts of Iron IV Anniversary Bundle Includes:

• Eastern Front Planes Pack: Over 50 new airplane models for nations fighting in central and eastern Europe, including Germany, the Soviet Union, Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia and Hungary.
• Eastern Front Music Pack: 13 new music tracks including the Soviet National Anthem, Lili Marlene and My Pierwsza Brygada.

A newly available Immersion Bundle collects the game’s cosmetic touches that add further visual and audio detail to the game, including:

• Radio Pack: 35 songs spread across all three factions, as well reproduced music from earlier games in the Hearts of Iron series.
• Axis Armor Pack: Over 60 armored vehicle models for the German, Japanese and Italian armies, including the StuG III, Japanese experimental heavy tanks and the L-6 light tank.
• Allied Armor Pack: Over 50 armored vehicle models for the American, Soviet, British, and French armies, including the M7 Priest, the French Renault tank and a host of new tank destroyers.
• Allied Speeches Pack: Over 70 minutes of speeches from some of the most inspiring moments from the Allied campaign, including MacArthur’s celebrated “I shall return” and Churchill’s pledge to “fight on the beaches”.

Paradox has also updated the Mobilization Bundle to include all of the available Hearts of Iron IV expansions.

These Hearts of Iron IV compilations are all available at the Paradox and Steam stores.

www.heartsofiron4.com

Paradox Interactive is a leading global publisher of strategy games for PC and console. The company has developed and published a world-renowned catalog stretching back to 1999, with players hailing from all around the world.

The publisher’s steadily-growing portfolio includes firmly established franchises such as the critically acclaimed Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, Hearts of Iron, and Stellaris series created by Paradox Development Studio, the Age of Wonders series created by Triumph Studios, as well as award-winning titles such as Cities: Skylines, Pillars of Eternity, and more from a network of partner studios. Paradox is the owner of the World of Darkness IPs and is publishing Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Today, over four million people play a Paradox game each month, and the number of registered Paradox users is over twelve million.

Paradox’s head offices are located in Stockholm, Sweden. Our development studios are located in Stockholm, Malmö and Umeå, Sweden, in Delft, The Netherlands, in Seattle, Washington, and in Berkeley, California. We share a passion for gaming and gamers, and our goal is to provide deep and challenging games with hours of gameplay and endless variety to our ever-growing community.

For more information, please visit our forums and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Comet sighted!

NEVER PRESS PAUSE ON PLAY: HIT THE COURT IN STYLE WITH THE NEW PUMA x 2K COLLECTION

Sydney, Australia – June 3, 2021 – Global sports company PUMA and global videogame publisher 2K has revealed a new collab which includes the latest addition to the Court Rider franchise: the PUMA Court Rider 2K. The new shoe boasts a showstopping design with vibrant colors and playful vibes that’s perfect to hoop on court in reality and virtually in NBA 2K21, the latest title in the best-selling NBA 2K videogame series.

The Court Rider 2K features a full-length Rider foam midsole engineered for ultimate comfort while the full-coverage rubber outsole and dynamic lacing system provides athletes with support and stability for a better performance.

Starting today, NBA 2K21 gamers can suit up their MyPLAYERs in the new PUMA x 2K collection.

In addition to the Court Rider, the PUMA x 2K collection also includes short sleeve and long sleeve T-shirts with the PUMA Hoops mascot and a dual-colored hoodie with a bold 2K21 graphic. The collection will launch June 21 on PUMA.com and at participating retailers. 

PUMA

PUMA is one of the world’s leading Sports Brands, designing, developing, selling and marketing footwear, apparel and accessories. For more than 70 years, PUMA has relentlessly pushed sport and culture forward by creating fast products for the world’s fastest athletes. PUMA offers performance and sport-inspired lifestyle products in categories such as Football, Running and Training, Basketball, Golf, and Motorsports. It collaborates with renowned designers and brands to bring sport influences into street culture and fashion. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and stichd. The company distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 16,000 people worldwide, and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany. https://about.puma.com/

‘80s video gaming icon Atari targets the living room with the Atari VCS — a completely modern gaming and video computer system

Thursday 3 June, 2021 —Bluemouth Interactive today announced 10 June as the Australia/New Zealand retail on sale date for the Atari VCS, Atari’s modern video computer system that blends the best of PCs and consoles. The Atari VCS is the company’s first new hardware product in 25 years, which retails for AU$849.95 / NZ$899.95 and is currently available for preorder from JB Hi-Fi, EB Games, Catch.com.au, The Gamesmen, and Mighty Ape for NZ residents.

“We’re so excited to bring this reimagined ‘80s icon back in a completely modern way to everyone’s living rooms with the Atari VCS,” said Bluemouth Co-Founder and Managing Director David Provan. “The system brings a hit of nostalgia to fans with its classic arcade titles, but also complete versatility to play newer games and stream all in the same place.”

“June 10th is a day that eager Atari fans have been waiting for. The Atari VCS has been well-received by our early-adopter community and we are thrilled that more people will have an opportunity to enjoy Atari’s Video Computer System in their homes.” said Michael Arzt, COO of Atari VCS and Connected Devices.

“We appreciate the strong support of Bluemouth and their retail partners, including EB Games, JB HiFi, The Gamesmen, Amazon Australia and Catch.com.au during this exciting launch.”

The Atari VCS offers something for every gamer, starting with over a dozen titles from popular independent game developers — including Boulder Dash Deluxe, Danger Scavenger, Guntech, Jetboard Joust, Sir Lovelot, Something Ate My Alien, Tailgunner, Atari’s Missile Command: Recharged, and more — with new titles to launch on the Atari VCS store through the year. The Atari VCS also comes preinstalled with the Atari VCS Vault, an exclusive collection of over 100 arcade and Atari 2600 classics, fully optimised for use with the Wireless Classic Joystick, with its rumble and LED light effects that give retro favourites new life.

To coincide with the launch of Atari in Australia and New Zealand, Antstream Arcade is launching for Australian gamers, giving players access to a massive library of classic arcade games. Dubbed as the Netflix of retro games, Antstream opens up a catalogue of over a thousand carefully curated games to choose from, providing Atari users in Australia an expansive gaming experience. Antstream is currently live in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane^[1].

The Atari VCS includes Chrome as its built-in browser, allowing full access to Google’s Workspace apps for productivity use such as checking emails and social media, catching up on work, or streaming content. The Atari VCS’s unique PC Mode is compatible with Linux, Windows and Chrome OS operating systems, among others, making the system a versatile two-in-one device. The Atari VCS is compatible with most PC peripherals including keyboards, mice and game controllers to create a flexible home game system.

The Atari VCS PC/console hybrid is designed as a multimedia PC and home game system to delight a whole new generation of gamers and creators. The Atari VCS is powered by an AMD Raven Ridge 2 APU and Ryzen GPU and comes equipped with 8GB DDR4 RAM and a 32GB hard drive with the option to customise and upgrade both RAM and storage. Atari VCS All-In system bundles also include a Wireless Classic Joystick and the all-new Wireless Modern Controller designed for both retro gameplay and the latest PC game titles.

For more information on the Atari VCS, visit atarivcs.com.

About Atari

Atari is an interactive entertainment company. As an iconic brand that transcends generations and audiences, the company is globally recognized for its multi-platform, interactive entertainment, and licensed products. Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including world-renowned brands like Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command®, Pong®, and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari has offices in New York and Paris. Visit us online at www.Atari.com.

About Bluemouth Interactive

Established in 2003, Bluemouth Interactive is a leading independent supplier of video game, mobile phone and audio accessories in Australia and New Zealand. Bluemouth’s award winning product portfolio and distribution capability have positioned the business at the leading edge of entertainment distribution. Bluemouth’s Management team is comprised of entertainment industry professionals who have previously held senior roles at leading public listed entertainment companies including Disney and Take-Two. Bluemouth’s insistence on genuine partnership and market development ensures that Bluemouth Interactive remain the trusted business partner of choice for entertainment accessories and pop culture products in Australia and New Zealand.

About Antstream

Antstream Arcade is a retro games platform with over a thousand carefully curated games to choose from. With one account across multiple devices (from gaming consoles to phones and tablets), take on friends or foes in our exclusively coded challenges or try your hat at our casual esports tournaments. It’s your choice whether you dip in, or go deep!

*servers currently live out of Sydney with coverage guaranteed, coverage available in some regions in Victoria, New south Wales and Queensland but not guaranteed. Further roll outs anticipated.

Ghostrunner Upgrades Onto PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S September 28 

Switch Physical Edition Launching June 25 in Europe, June 29 in U.S.

CALABASAS, Calif. — June 2, 2021 — Publisher 505 Games, alongside developers and partners All In! Games, One More Level, 3D Realms, and Slipgate Ironworks™ announced today the official physical and digital PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launch date of Ghostrunner, the first-person cyberpunk parkour action game, coming Tuesday, September 28.

Ghostrunner’s critically-acclaimed fast-paced cyberpunk action makes the leap into next-gen with improved graphics, performance and awesome new features. Cut through cyborgs while grappling across deadly chasms post-processing HDR, ray tracing fidelity mode, 3D audio, Haptic feedback for the PlayStation 5 and more. Split-second reaction timing and impressive moves feels even more impressively aggressive with 4K/120 FPS and instant loading.

PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of Ghostrunner include all modes added since launch, including the time-attack style Kill Run Mode and intuitive Photo Mode. One More Level will continue to expand the title even further throughout the year, with the recently-announced roguelike Wave Mode and more accessible Assist Mode coming later this summer.

Ghostrunner launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S Tuesday, September 28 in physical retail stores and digital storefronts for $29.99 / €29.99 / £24.99. Owners of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions can upgrade to their respective new generation console version for free. Pre-orders for physical editions on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S will open soon. Ghostrunner’s physical Nintendo Switch version launches June 25 in Europe and June 29 in the U.S.

Ghostrunner is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Amazon Luna, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG. 

Ghostrunner is published by H2 Interactive for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation in Asia.

For more information about Ghostrunner, including full language support, visit the official website.

Grappling hook drift racer packs friend-based leaderboards

June 2nd, 2021 — Eponymouse is excited to announce its upcoming time trial racing game Twilight Drive is releasing for Windows PC June 16th on Steam for $9.99 — set faster and faster track times to earn medals and beat your friends!

A top-down driving game where you turbo, drift, and use a grappling hook mechanic to turn corners, Twilight Drive isinfluenced by fair but challenging games that are fun with tight, responsive controls.

Features:

• 40 different tracks to drive on, with varied settings: grass, desert, sea, underground; day, night, twilight
• Unique way to take corners by attaching to them
• Fun driving physics model, including drifting
• Custom-written game engine with fully dynamic shadows
• Race against bronze, silver and gold times to earn medals – and beat your friends
• Support for accessibility: fully voiced menus, slower game speeds, magnification, high-contrast mode, adjustable field-of-view
• Individual per-track 90s UK electronica soundtrack
• Dynamic music that adjusts to your race progress

To learn more about Twilight Drive, visit: https://www.twilight-drive.com/
Twitter:@Eponymouse_com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/eponymouse_com

About Eponymouse
Eponymouse is a one person studio run by Neil Brown. This is his first game, developed as a side project. In his day job Neil works as an academic researcher at a university.

Communicate with your troops by sending messengers with letters. Replay unique scenarios taking part in famous medieval events, such as the Hundred Years’ War, the Battle of Grunwald, or the Wars of the Roses. Become a medieval ruler in King’s Orders – a strategy simulation game that has just been announced for PC.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 2nd, Warsaw, Poland.

Imagine you’ve moved back in time a couple of centuries. Picture a world without immediate communication, internet, mobile phones, social media, modern means of transportation, or any sort of infrastructure that would allow a fast flow of information. Instead, all you’ve got at your disposal are stables full of horses, a bunch of courtiers awaiting your orders, and a whole kingdom to rule. Decisions are to be made, new territories to be conquered, and the realm’s economy to be handled. Will you be able to stay at the top of your game and win your dominance over Europe in a world where you wait weeks for news from a distant battlefield, in which orders might get lost on the way, and where decisions are made based on reports from several days ago?

Add the game to your wish list on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1369690/Kings_Orders/), and don’t miss any news about your future realm.

ABOUT KING’S ORDERS

King’s Orders is a game offering a unique take on the strategy genre. Unlike many other titles where you manage your armies in real-time and see instant results of your actions, here you’ll be communicating with your troops by sending messengers with letters. This means waiting for messages to be delivered, dealing with the fact they may never reach their destination, and building your whole ruling plan on reports and feedback that might be long outdated. Become a medieval ruler and manage armies and cities on the map of Europe. Claim new territories, expand influences, and replay unique scenarios taking part in famous events of the time, such as the Hundred Years’ War, the Battle of Grunwald, or the Wars of the Roses. Re-enact historical goings-on and see how you can change the course of history. Create a dominating empire that shall last for centuries!

KING’S ORDERS – MAIN FEATURES

• A simplified historical strategy game with a twist. Rule your kingdom, give orders by sending letters to your generals, and make decisions based on the reports you receive.
• Real medieval war scenarios. From the Hundred Years’ War, through the Battle of Grunwald, and to the Wars of the Roses.
• The grand campaign allowing you to become the ruler of any medieval kingdom of Europe.
• Magnified realism and a deeper level of immersion. Deal with the lack of battle preview in real-time and the fact that messengers with your orders might never reach their destination.
• Loyalty and morale system that impacts gameplay. Monitor your generals’ attitude as they will help you stifle potential rebellion that might occur if you keep making unpopular decisions.
• Kingdom economy to be handled. Gold gained will give you various opportunities. Will you train more troops or focus on fortifying? You decide what kind of ruler you are and how you’re going to manage your realm.

King’s Orders™ is being developed by Afterlife studio and will be published on PC by Games Operators.

More information about the game can be found on Steam, Facebook, and Twitter.

About Games Operators

Games Operators is a publishing company that invests in, releases, and promotes video games. The company helps develop innovative and unique video games like 911 Operator, Radio Commander, 112 Operator, BE-A Walker, Transport INC., and Rustler by getting involved in projects at various levels of progress – from the conceptual phase to nearly-finished products. http://www.gameops.pl/

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Winner to perform comedy and entertainment show for leading social virtual community reaching millions of members worldwide

HELSINKI, Finland — June 2, 2021 — Azerion, the leading pan-European digital gaming and monetisation company, announces today that it will be hosting in Hotel Hideaway, a 3D social virtual community, an upcoming performance by renowned American singer, actor, and drag queen Trixie Mattel. The free event will take place virtually in Hotel Hideaway on June 4, which aligns with LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, celebrated with events and parades throughout the month of June in the US. Hotel Hideaway is operated by Finnish gaming company Sulake, which was fully acquired by media company Azerion earlier this year.

Valtteri Karu, CEO of Sulake said: “Our priority is to make Hotel Hideaway an inclusive space for our diverse community. We want to celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community, and so we couldn’t be more thrilled to have renowned drag artist Trixie Mattel join us for a special performance during Pride Month to delight and entertain our global community.”

Trixie Mattel said: “One of my passions is gaming and engaging with fellow gamers online, so I was excited to collaborate with Hotel Hideaway for this opportunity to perform and connect with its community.”

“We’re pumped to be partnering with an icon like Trixie to give visibility to all communities in our games and inspire players to show their pride support. At Azerion one of our biggest strengths is our diversity. We are proud to show our solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community in celebration of Pride Month,” says Jurriaan van Teunenbroek, VP Games and Content at Azerion.

On June 4, beginning at 5PM PDT, 8PM EDT, 2AM CET, Trixie Mattel will be performing standup comedy in addition to a musical performance for free to audiences in Hotel Hideaway, followed by a Meet & Greet and live Q&A with Trixie Mattel on the Hotel Hideaway Youtube channel.

Recently, Hotel Hideaway held several virtual concerts for its community, including performances from artists Cookiee Kawaii, DJ Luuk van Dijk, DJ Mark Sixma and Sidney Samson that altogether drew close to 300,000 concert-goers who viewed and danced through the 30-minute performances, and purchased concert merchandise, including clothing featuring the headlining artists’ brand. To cover all major time zones, Hotel Hideaway arranged these events during a 24-hour period. Additionally, Hotel Hideaway plans to announce more upcoming virtual events soon.

To learn more about the upcoming Trixie Mattel performance on June 4 and stay up to date on all the latest news from Hotel Hideaway, fans can download the app and join the concert conversation online.

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hotel-hideaway-virtual-world/id922825959
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.piispanen.hotelhideaway

About Hotel Hideaway
Hotel Hideaway is a 3D social virtual community full of opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. With over 15 million users worldwide and more than 800,000 monthly active users, Hideaway is a lively and vibrant world full to the brim with social adventures and fun activities! Listen to the music you love in the game’s virtual Concert Venue and chat and interact with your favorite artists. Dress your avatar to impress, and stand out from the crowd with an exceptionally large and diverse collection of clothing, items and accessories. Customize your room with a variety of furniture items and decorations. Learn secret gestures and dance moves – and then party into the early hours inside unique public rooms! No matter what you like to spend your time doing, Hotel Hideaway is the place to be! Dutch digital gaming and monetisation company Azerion acquired Sulake in January 2021, after being a majority stakeholder since 2018. Sulake’s headquarters are located in Helsinki, supported by design and marketing in London and a user care centre in Madrid.

About Trixie Mattel
Trixie Mattel is the stage name of Brian Michael Firkus, an American singer, actor, drag queen and recognized “Skinny Legend.” Trixie is the winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” season 3 (originally competing on season 7). He is also a Billboard Heatseekers #1 charting recording artist (One Stone, 2018), a wildly successful touring act, and one half of a comic duo with Katya on YouTube (“UNHhhh” & Netflix’s “I Like To Watch”).

In 2019, Trixie worked the festival circuit as the subject of a bio documentary, “Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts,” (now on Netflix) and debuted his cosmetics company Trixie Cosmetics, a booming cruelty-free beauty company creating pro-level makeup in toy-like packaging. He also released his first standup special, “Skinny Legend” for Viacom and OUTtv.

2020 found Trixie releasing his third album ‘Barbara’ to acclaim from Rolling Stone, Billboard, People, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Vanity Fair, GQ, Esquire and more. He also released a New York Times best-selling book with Katya called “Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood” and started a podcast called “The Bald And The Beautiful,” which consistently ranks among the most streamed podcasts in the US and abroad. Trixie also boasts more than 2 million subscribers to his Youtube channel, Trixie Cosmetics TV, where he continues to release new videos weekly.

Trixie most recently dropped the ‘Full Coverage – Vol. 1’ EP which includes a critically acclaimed cover of “Jackson” featuring Orville Peck, applauded by Billboard, Rolling Stone, MTV, Entertainment Tonight, Consequence of Sound, and more.

New studio formed off the back of a BlitWorks-Larian Studios asset deal

The new Spanish studio consists of the former engineering team of BlitWorks, a
video game developer known for its console and mobile ports of acclaimed games such as Super Meat Boy, They Are Billions, FEZ, Spelunky, Bastion, Sonic CD and Don’t Starve – not to mention Larian’s own Divinity: Original Sin 2, which it helped bring to life on Nintendo Switch in 2019.

Under this deal, Larian acquired the developer’s entire dev team while BlitWorks itself will continue working independently as a publisher.

“BlitWorks’ story with Larian goes way back. After porting most of the best indie games to console, we were challenged to port Divinity: Original Sin 2 to Nintendo Switch and without knowing, that was the start of a long-lasting relationship,” said BlitWorks co-founder Tony Cabello. “No need to say fitting DOS2 on Nintendo Switch was one of the most difficult projects we’ve ever done, but working with Larian was simple and straightforward, we felt at home.”

“In the end, we could deliver a port of the ‘utmost quality’, as initially required, and what we also require ourselves on every project we work on. After that, things flowed naturally and we can only say we’re excited to finally put all our focus exclusively on Larian’s projects moving forward, and help build Larian Barcelona!”

Larian Barcelona is now the 7th studio under the Larian umbrella, joining teams in Gent, Dublin, Quebec, Saint Petersburg, and recently announced offices in Guildford and Kuala Lumpur.

“The team at BlitWorks are one of the hidden gems of our industry. They have been nothing but excellent, have consistently delivered high quality, and share a deep passion for games. They’re a natural fit. I’m therefore doubly happy today. A place by the beach that features actual sun and a significant boost to our capacity,” adds Larian Studios founder, Swen Vincke.

About Larian Studios
Larian Studios is an independent RPG developer founded in 1996 in Ghent, Belgium. Over 300 people work between the seven worldwide studios in Ghent, St Petersburg, 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 September 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.