A troublesome raccoon did not stop the brave Tools Up! renovation team from giving the garden a spring makeover. Now it is time for summer work in the garden plot, which means new challenges, tools, mechanics and a new opponent – The Hole Mole. Garden Party Ep. 2, the second DLC for our popular party game, will be released today!

Summer is what all gardeners look forward to, in order to lie down on a freshly mown lawn, ponder life under an apple tree and indulge in a barbecue. Unfortunately, not every garden is ready for such idyllic scenes, but the team of Tools Up! professionals is here to help!

The second game DLC Garden Party Episode 2: Tunnel Vision provides new challenges for up to 4 players. A rake makes planting flowers easier, rocks can be used to create beautiful garden features like paths between garden beds, and pools… Pools are a great way to relax after finishing a task, but in the ensuing chaos of renovation they are also a tool for transporting materials. Have we mentioned lava in the garden yet?

In the second add-on for Tools Up! players will be pestered by The Hole Mole, who occasionally comes to the surface, leaving telltale earthy mounds in his wake (and no, we do not mean a mole mound cake). Fortunately for you, he is the pouty type who lays low when he senses he is not welcome.

In order to play the Garden Party Episode 2: Tunnel Vision  DLC you must have the first part of the add-ons or the Season Pass.

Tools Up! Garden Party Episode 2: Tunnel Vision is available today on PC for $5.99. The add-ons can be purchased as part of the Season Pass that includes all three Tools Up! expansions for $14.99.

To celebrate the release of the new DLC, the main game is available now at a discount on Steam and Switch, with PlayStation 4 to follow (55% off on PlayStation 4, 70% off on Steam and 80% off on Nintendo Switch!).

More about the main game of Tools Up!

●    Hard work pays off – paint walls, lay tile and throw everything you need into other rooms.
●    Play better together – grab up to three other players and move couches against the clock.
●    Expect the unexpected – environmental elements spice things up. Have you ever renovated a building surrounded by lava? You haven’t?!
●    Lead a team – whoever holds the blueprint is in charge of the camera angle.
●   Join the fun – simple controls and an easy learning curve make Tools Up! a perfect party game for everyone.

About All in! Games

All in! Games is a video game publisher based out of Krakow, Poland, and has been in the game industry since late 2018. The company publishes and creates unique games for PCs and consoles, working on Polish and international projects. All in! Games is a publisher for titles such as Paradise Lost (PolyAmorous), Chernobylite (The Farm 51), Alaloth – Champions of The Four Kingdoms (Gamera Interactive) and Tools Up! (The Knights of Unity). Beginning in 2020, following its merger with Setanta, All in! Games has been listed on the primary market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The company boasts an international team (Poland, USA, UK, Spain, Italy, France, Lithuania) of approximately 100 employees.

UPDATE 2 NOW AVAILABLE; CONTENT INCLUDES PC ALPHA PHASE FOR NEW ZOMBIE MODE, WATCH DOGS: LEGION OF THE DEAD

Title Update 4.5 brings Tactical Op 2: Project Omni; Cross-Gen Play and 60 FPS Enabled on New-Gen Consoles

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – June 2, 2021 – Today, Ubisoft announced that Title Update 4.5 for Watch Dogs: Legion is now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, PlayStation^®4, PlayStation^®5, the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store on Windows PC, Stadia, Amazon Luna and Ubisoft+*, Ubisoft’s subscription service.

Title Update 4.5 features Watch Dogs: Legion of the Dead, a brand-new online PvE mode currently in Alpha phase on PC. Watch Dogs: Legion of the Dead delivers a rogue-lite experience where players will have to “Survive-as-Anyone” against the looming threat of the undead and hostile living roaming the re-imagined fallen city of London. In solo or up to four friends in co-op, players will need to strategise on how to reach the extraction point for each run and gather as many supplies as possible along the way. Players can use abilities such as the Bee Swarm to decimate enemies, the AR Cloak to escape threats, and a Combat Spider-Bot equipped with a turret for protection.

The update also includes other free content across single-player campaign and online modes:

Online mode:

• Tactical Op 2: Project Omni is an intense and challenging mission which will require players to strategise with their team of four to infiltrate a secret project to find out why Londoners’ Optik devices are negatively affecting their brains.

Single-player campaign and online modes:

• A free download of everyone’s favorite gran, Helen (available June 15).
• 60 FPS on new-gen consoles via Performance Mode.
• Cross-gen play.
• New Free Reward Track, with outfits, weapon skins, and more.

In Watch Dogs: Legion, London is facing its downfall. Amidst the growing unrest of a restless London, an unknown entity named Zero-Day has framed secret underground resistance DedSec for coordinated bombings across London. In the aftermath, criminal opportunists from every corner of London took hold and filled the void left by a defeated government. As a member of DedSec, players will be going up against those criminal opportunists in Watch Dogs: Legion; sadists, mercenaries, cybercriminals, and more; they’ll have to be prepared for a variety of situations. Players must recruit members into their DedSec Resistance to take on these criminal opportunists, liberate London and uncover the identity of Zero-Day.

Watch Dogs: Legion has a variety of accessibility options, ranging from fully customisable controls to directional audio captions. A full list of accessibility options can be found on news.ubisoft.com.

For the latest news on Watch Dogs: Legion and all of Ubisoft’s games, please visit news.ubisoft.com.

For more information about Watch Dogs: Legion, please visit watchdogs.com, and join the conversation by using #watchdogslegion.

*$19.95 per month. Cancel anytime. The Ultimate Edition (Excluding VIP status) will be available as part of a Ubisoft+ subscription. More information at ubisoft-plus.com.

ABOUT WATCH DOGS

Watch Dogs launched in 2014 as the video game industry’s best-selling new IP at launch. To-date, the award-winning franchise has registered more than 50 million unique players worldwide. The hacker series extends to other entertainment media, including books and comics. The latest opus in the franchise, Watch Dogs: Legion, was released on October 29, 2020.

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: www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2021 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Watch Dogs, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are registered or unregistered trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries.

Customise every aspect of virtual life in Wonderscope’s debut title, share designs with friends, and enjoy the wellbeing of being a Hokko citizen.

Wednesday, 2^nd June 2021 – Team17 and Wonderscope Games have today announced the launch of cosy community sim Hokko Life into Steam Early Access, available from 5pm BST (9AM PDT, 12PM EDT, 6PM CEST). Hokko Life gives players the freedom to design each aspect of their charming new home, customising everything from the wallpaper and floor designs to the size, shape, and angle of a chair cushion, players will be able to create their perfect laid-back life in Hokko.

Cosy creativity awaits in the welcoming world of Hokko:

Every aspect of life in Hokko can be tailored to picturesque perfection. Hokko Life gives players the freedom and creative space to alter shapes, materials, and colours to design everything from the clothes they wear to the furniture in the houses, all of which can be shared with friends. Players wanting to take a break from the workshop and put down their paintbrush can amble around town collecting bugs & critters, spend time interacting with the friendly locals, and truly enjoy integrating themselves into the Hokko lifestyle.  

Hokko Life Key Features:

• Get Creative: The workshop awaits as players take control over every aspect of Hokko, with the 3D design tool, every aspect of a player’s creation can be tailored to perfection
• Dare to Design: No detail is too small, everything from the colour, fabric, and angle of the pillow on a chair can be edited
• Sharing is Caring: Players will be able to share their meticulously crafted designs with friends and other players around the world
• Back of the Net: A lazy afternoon in Hokko can be spent with a net or pole in hand, catching and collecting the critters crawling around town
• Meet the Neighbours: Hokko’s townsfolk offer a warm welcome, and with varying personalities, they all make for fantastic friends.

Players can Wishlist Hokko Life on Steam now. To keep up to date with all the information on Hokko Life please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and join us on Discord.

Hokko Life will be available for $19.99 / £15.99 / €19.99 on Steam.

About Wonderscope Games
Wonderscope Games is based in Stockholm, Sweden and headed by British-Swedish developer, Robert Tatnell. The studio’s debut title, the community life simulator Hokko Life, is currently in development for PC.

About Team17 Group plc

Founded in 1990, Team17 Group plc is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Floated on AIM in 2018, Team17, with its extensive portfolio of over 100 titles, embodies the spirit of independent games. In addition to the award-winning Overcooked!, Yoku’s Island Express, and the iconic Worms, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020, Team17 has helped bring critically acclaimed titles including Hell Let Loose, Moving Out, Golf With Your Friends, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Blasphemous, and The Escapists to gamers everywhere.

Get your badges ready for early access on June 17

Duesseldorf/Germany, June 1, 2021 – With the last preparation in full swing, Police Simulator: Patrol Officers, the new simulation project of the Munich-based developer studio Aesir Interactive and the successful German publisher astragon Entertainment is almost ready to be released as an early access game on Steam™ on June 17, 2021. From this point on, police and simulation game fans are called upon to contribute their ideas and wishes to the ongoing development and to join forces with the Police Simulator team in the continuation of this ambitious project in the coming weeks and months. The game is supported by a game-grant of the German funding body FilmFernsehFonds Bayern.

• Platform: PC
• Engine: Unreal® Engine 4
• Release: Early access starts on June 17, 2021 on Steam™
• Several update phases follow the initial release
• Game modes: Single player from launch; cooperative multiplayer to be added later 
• Price: 19.99 Euro/USD 24.99/17.99 GBP (RSP) – all future content until the official end of the early access phase are included at no additional cost

At the start of early access, players can choose from a total of 8 different characters and slip into the role of a male or female US police officer. In this role, they go on patrol in the first city district of the fictional US metropolis of Brighton. They start in the neighborhood of North Point, where they collect shift points and duty stars by completing their first shifts and patrols, which in the course of the game will give them access to four more neighborhoods as well as new tasks and equipment. Initially they will patrol the streets on foot to look out for parking offenders, speeders and suspicious persons. With a good work performance officers can soon get behind the wheel of the first patrol car included in the game as well.

Brighton itself offers players a varied urban landscape that exudes liveliness and authentic city flair thanks to a complex city simulation. Here, the players can expect numerous tasks and emergencies in which they have to decide for themselves which action is appropriate depending on each situation. All measures taken should always be proportionate and compliant with the rules of law, as police misconduct or even police violence in Police Simulator: Patrol Officers results in the loss of shift points or even in the immediate end of the game.

When working out the individual tasks, developers Aesir Interactive and publisher astragon Entertainment attached great importance to the level of detail in order to let players experience the everyday work of the virtual police officers as realistically as possible.

Four short clips on dealing with parking violations, speeding violations, accidents and interrogations are intended to shed light on this depth of detail.

Parking Violations Clip

Speeding Violations Clip

Traffic Accidents Clip

Interrogations Clip

But that’s not all! In the coming months, Police Simulator: Patrol Officers will be expanded through regular updates and will receive even more game depth through the addition of new districts, tasks, equipment, and vehicles as well as a cooperative multiplayer. As it should be for a game in early access, the intensive involvement of the player community will be an essential part of the ongoing development. Interested players can not only exchange ideas with developers and other gamers on Discord, the Steam™ page and of course the game’s official channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but also use the Police Simulator: Patrol Officers Roadmap to find out more information about the planned next steps, and to express their wishes and ideas as well as to vote on their favorite features.

Police Simulator: Patrol Officers for PC will be available in early access via Steam™ and the official astragon homepage starting June 17, 2021 for 19.99 Euro/USD 24.99/17.99 GBP (RSP). 

Unreal, Unreal Engine, the circle-U logo and the Powered by the Unreal Engine logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. All titles, content, publisher names, trademarks, artwork, and associated imagery are trademarks and/or copyright material of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

About astragon Entertainment GmbH
astragon Entertainment (founded on July 25, 2000 in Hagen/Germany, since 2019 based in Duesseldorf/Germany) is one of the leading independent German games publishers. The focus of the diverse product portfolio of our company, lies on high-quality technical simulation games such as Construction Simulator, or Bus Simulator, but also many other exciting games such as Police Simulator: Patrol Officers or Drone Swarm. The distribution of high-quality licensed and distribution products such as Farming Simulator, Transport Fever 2 and SnowRunner complete our attractive product range. astragon games are available world-wide on many different platforms such as consoles, smartphones, tablets, and PC. Find more information at: http://www.astragon.de/en/. 

About Aesir Interactive
Aesir Interactive is a German development studio based in Munich, Bavaria. Over 35 passionate designers, artists and programmers lay the foundation for engaging games and innovative interactive applications. As a leading Unreal Engine developer, Aesir established a formidable tech-stack and workflow for smooth continuous development and integration, creating lively and beautiful worlds for passionate gamers across the globe on all major consoles and PC.  The diverse members of Aesir come from all over the world, yet they share a common path – Crafting memorable experiences through elegance, discipline, and excellence. For more information, visit aesir-interactive.com. 

About FilmFernsehFonds Bayern
FFF Bayern provides funding for story and project development, the production of feature and television films, international co-productions for feature films or high-end series, (web)-serial and virtual reality formats, distribution and sales, cinemas as well as games. Besides its funding activities, FFF Bayern is also involved in extensive consulting and information services for the film, television, and games industry. Shareholders of FFF Bayern are the Free State of Bavaria, the Bavarian regulatory authority for new media (BLM), Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), Zweites DeutschesFernsehen (ZDF), Seven.One Entertainment Group, RTL Television and Sky Deutschland Fernsehen. For more information, visit www.fff-bayern.de

OWLCAT GAMES CLOSES OUT COMMUNITY QUEST WITH EPIC GAMES STORE ANNOUNCEMENT AND EPIC-ER STORY TRAILER

EPIC GAMES STORE JOINS STEAM AND GOG TO OFFER PATHFINDER TO PC GAMERS; COHH CARNAGE VOICEOVER DETAILS REVEALED

Moscow, Russia, June 1, 2021, — Owlcat Games is proud to announce that Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous will also be available for purchase on the Epic Game Store when it launches for PC later this year on September 2nd. This hotly-anticipated title is a faithful CRPG adaptation of the popular tabletop roleplaying system, Pathfinder First Edition.

The new store page for Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous on EGS will include the new Wishlist feature so gamers can stay up-to-date regardless of which client they buy games on. Owlcat wants players to be able to access the game no matter their preference of storefront and invites players to wishlist the game on the EGS, Steam, or GOG. 

This announcement comes on the heels of the Community Quest series coming to a close. The community event started in February and gave the dedicated backers of Wrath of the Righteous the opportunity to vote on critical events across the story, leading to this climactic trailer. This finale shows off one of the main antagonists of the game; a demonic priestess named Areelu Voresh that players will come to dread when the game releases this fall.

Owlcat Games is excited to reveal that streamer Cohh Carnage has joined the crusade and players will be able to use his voice for their commander! Choosing the male voice option “optimist” during character creation will enable a solid voicepack, full of Cohh’s charm and joy of life.

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous will launch for PC via EGS, Steam, and GOG on September 2. Fans may wishlist the game on their preferred platform today or pre-order at wrath.owlcatgames.com.

About Owlcat Games
Owlcat Games was founded in 2016 by a group of developers united by their love of CRPGs. The team is led by veteran game designers behind titles like Heroes of Might and Magic V, Silent Storm, Etherlords, Evil Islands: Curse of the Lost Soul and other games. Team members also took part in the development of popular MMO titles Allods Online and Skyforge. The first project unveiled by Owlcat Games was 2018’s Pathfinder: Kingmaker, an isometric computer RPG based on the highly popular Pathfinder pen-and-paper roleplaying game by Paizo Inc. The success of Kingmaker has allowed them to continue working with Paizo on a new Pathfinder adventure, Wrath of the Righteous.

About Paizo
Paizo Inc. is one of the world’s leading hobby game publishers. Since 2002, millions of players have joined the goblin army by playing the Pathfinder® and Starfinder® roleplaying games across tabletops, at conventions, at their favorite local game store, and digitally on virtual tabletops. Paizo.com is an online retail hobby destination for gamers that carries the latest products from top hobby game publishers. Players also find accessories, like dice and maps, miniatures, T-shirts, goblin plush toys, and the newest releases to quickly replenish those adventuring supplies for the next dungeon run.

ROGUEBOOK’S ART OF WAR – Learn more about the combat mechanics of this roguelike deckbuilder

Lesquin, France, June 1, 2021 – With two weeks before its launch on PC, Roguebook – the roguelike deckbuilder developed by Abrakam Entertainment and co-designed by Richard Garfield, creator of Magic: The Gathering^TM – is unveiling more about the combat mechanics. Only the finest strategists will manage to defeat the evil entity hidden within Roguebook’s pages!

Click here to watch the new video for Roguebook

In Roguebook you choose a team of two heroes from a selection of four available. Sharra cuts down enemies with power, Sorocco blocks enemy attacks with resolve, Aurora wields magic with talent, and Seifer unleashes his rage against those unfortunate enough to attack him.

Each hero has their own unique cards. Players will need to develop strategies and play their cards at the best moment and in the right order to create devastating combos. At the start of each turn, players know what the enemy attacks will be. Sometimes the best defence is attack, but sometimes it’s wiser to focus on defence to avoid a crushing defeat.

In true roguelike fashion, you must start again from the beginning after a defeat. But you become more powerful with each run thanks to the new cards and skills you have unlocked. It’s by starting again and again that players can fight their way through a bestiary that includes over 50 different enemies.

Roguebook will be released on Steam on June 17, 2021, and later on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch^TM

Add Roguebook to your Steam wishlist

All NACON Games and accessories are here: nacongaming.com

About  Abrakam Entertainment
ABRAKAM ENTERTAINMENT is the AA Video Game Developer of the successful PC strategy game ‘Faeria,’ which launched in 2017 to 85% positive Steam reviews and praise from critics and major influencers. With their own tools and a very dedicated team, ABRAKAM has the ability to develop innovative strategy games efficiently. Roguebook, a roguelike card game, is their next next major title to be launched on PC and Consoles.

About NACON
NACON is a company of the BIGBEN Group founded in 2019 to optimize its know-how through strong synergies in the video game market. By bringing together its 10 development studios, the publishing of AA video games, the design and distribution of premium gaming devices, NACON focuses 20 years of expertise at the service of players. This new unified business unit strengthens NACON’s position in the market, enables it to innovate by creating new unique competitive advantages and achieve its ambition to become one of the world’s leading players in gaming. https://www.nacongaming.com/

VIRTUA FIGHTER 5 ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN NOW AVAILABLE

The groundbreaking 3D fighting game returns as a PlayStation®4 console exclusive, free for PlayStation Plus users for two months

Sydney, Australia – 2^nd June 2021: ROUND ONE! READY! GO! SEGA of America launched Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown worldwide as a PlayStation®4 console exclusive, available for free for PlayStation Plus members until 2^nd August. Remade for a new generation as part of SEGA’s 60^th Anniversary project, the legendary 3D fighter returns with new graphics, online features, music, visual effects and more. A bundled edition of Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown and the Legendary Pack (DLC) can also be downloaded from the PlayStation Store for AUD$29.99 with the DLC separately available for AUD$9.99.

Check out the launch trailer here

“Our fans are unbelievably passionate and we’re so excited for them to get their hands on Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown,” said Seiji Aoki, Chief Producer. “This project was developed as a gift for our community – an opportunity to return to an iconic, groundbreaking series beloved by so many. We can’t wait for players to jump back in the ring with the fully reimagined, definitive edition of one of the greatest fighting games of all-time.”

Widely celebrated by fighting game fans for its perfectly balanced mechanics and fluid, 60fps martial arts combat, Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown re-envisions the classic Virtua Fighter experience for modern players. Key features include:

• Stunning New Graphics: Remade character models and stages, enhanced effects like lighting and shaders, and an all-new opening cinematic dramatically upgrade the visual look and feel.
• Enhanced Online Play: Match types like Tournaments and Leagues, 16-player private rooms, a new Spectate Mode and room UI, and communications tools like stamps offer players and viewers more online functionality than ever before.
• Classic VF Reimagined: Enter the ring with one of 19 playable characters and master each of their unique fighting styles across a variety of classic modes like “Rank Match,” “Arcade,” Training” and “Offline Versus.” 
• New UI and Background Music: Fully updated in-game UI features automatic match replays from top competitors around the world on the main game menu. New background music composed by long-time members of the Virtua Fighter sound team has been added for every stage in the game.

Also available at launch is the Legendary Pack (DLC), which includes a wide range of customisation items, costumes, classic characters models, and other content celebrating the history and legacy of Virtua Fighter:

• Character customisation items (around 2,000 types)
• Alternate costumes for all 19 playable characters
• Original Virtua Fighter retro character models (38 total, 2 for each playable character)
• Original Virtua Fighter retro stage and battle UI
• Nearly 180 new and classic songs/background tracks for every stage in the game
• 36 additional Spectator stamps

Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown is available worldwide for digital download today on PlayStation 4.

About SEGA® of America   

SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA CORPORATION, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America’s website is located at www.sega.com.     

Celebrate Pride and LGBTQIA+ Players and Creators with Xbox

by Katrin Hilman and Todd Bohanna, Community Co-Leads, Team Xbox LGBTQIA+

This Pride, LGBTQIA+ communities at Microsoft invite everyone to join us in our call for justice and equity. By working together, we can make an impact and bring about change for all.

Gaming is a big part of the lives of many LGBTQIA+ players and it’s important that we celebrate everyone who plays. At Xbox, we are committed to creating a safe and inclusive space for all members of LGBTQIA+ communities to experience the joy of gaming and we are championing content that represents all of today’s players. We will continue to do our part to ensure that everyone can play as their authentic selves and feel empowered and represented throughout the industry.

Team Xbox proudly supports LGBTQIA+ players during Pride month and beyond. To honor Pride, we are focusing on intersectionality and lifting up LGBTQIA+ voices across gaming. We are also highlighting stories of Team Xbox and Microsoft members, and Microsoft is making a $150,000 total donation to LGBTQIA+ nonprofits. Explore all of the ways Microsoft stands up for justice and equity at Pride, and check out some of the ways Xbox is celebrating this year.

Get the Gear

Xbox Pride Gear

The Xbox Gear Shop celebrates Pride Month with new Pride collections from Xbox, Halo, and more.

Show your support with limited-edition t-shirts, bags, and more — all created by and with LGBTQIA+ communities. This year’s collection is packed with Xbox Game Studios designs and eco-friendly options. Shop Pride gear now.

Pride 2021 Xbox Wireless Controller Gift

Team Xbox has designed the Pride 2021 Xbox Wireless Controller with and for LGBTQIA+ people to give visibility to communities that have often been overlooked and neglected. It combines the flags of various LGBTQIA+ communities in an interwoven energetic way, creating a sense of unity, and evoking both technology and the modern age. To celebrate, Team Xbox will share these controllers with key influencers and media in the U.S. and internationally. Learn more here.

Want to celebrate Pride while playing Xbox on your Surface? Check out the Surface Skin, inspired by this Pride design. Learn more here.

Play

Tell Me Why Available for Free in June on Xbox Consoles, Microsoft Store, and Steam!

Tell Me Why, the award-winning narrative adventure from DontNod Entertainment and Xbox Publishing, will be available for free on Xbox consoles, the Microsoft Store and Steam for the entire month of June 2021. Whether you’re returning to Delos Crossing or experiencing the Ronan twins’ reunion for the first time, we can’t wait for you to join us this Pride Month.

The Forza Franchise Gets Festive for Pride!

Forza is getting festive! The 2021 Forza Rainbow livery, adorning the 2017 Ford Focus RS, is available for free to all players in both Forza Horizon 4 and Forza Motorsport 7. Players will automatically receive the livery through the in-game message centre the next time they log in after June 1. (Ford disclaimer: 2017 Focus RS no longer in real world production.) 

Unity Nameplate for Halo: The Master Chief Collection

In Halo: The Master Chief Collection, our players can customize their profile with special nameplates commemorating in-game activities or celebrating special events.  Any players who log in during the month of June will automatically gain access to this unique “Unity” nameplate! 

Celebrate with Gamerpics and New Profile Theme

Xbox has released new Xbox profile customization content. The new “True Colors” profile theme and gamerpics will be available to fans on PC and console. Celebrate and show your support with this new content! (Availability may differ by region.)

Give

Microsoft is donating a total of $150,000 to LGBTQIA+ Nonprofits

Together with our employees, Microsoft has donated $2M+ to organizations that support the LGBTQIA+ community in the last year, and we are making an additional $150,000 total donation to nonprofits around the world to help in the fight for LGBTQIA+ equity including ACLU Foundation, The Trevor Project, Act to Change, OutRight Action International, BEAM, and Mermaids. We remain committed to advocating for and supporting equity and equality for all, including our LGBTQIA+ employees, gamers and members of our communities. Learn more.

Microsoft Rewards on Xbox

Microsoft Rewards members in the United States can earn points for donation to organizations supporting LGBTQIA+ communities through Xbox. All Microsoft Rewards donations made to the organizations listed below will be matched by Microsoft throughout the month of June.  

• The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people.
• OutRight Action International: OutRight Action International fights for the human rights of LGBTIQ people everywhere. OutRight works at the international, regional and national levels to research, document, defend, and advance human rights for LGBTIQ people around the world.
• Transgender Law Center: Transgender Law Center changes law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.

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

The Coalition/Gears 5 on Microsoft Rewards

This month, join Microsoft and The Coalition and support the social good organization of your choice through the MS Rewards program. Complete a Gears 5-based MS Rewards Punch Card and get the Pixelated Hearts banner set for use in Gears 5 multiplayer. Program is open to players in the following regions: US, CA, MX, BR, AU, UK, FR, DE, IT, ES. 

Discover

Discover Games, Movies, and TV Curated by LGBTQIA+ Communities at Microsoft

During June and beyond, we are highlighting games, movies, and TV selected by LGBTQIA+ communities at Microsoft that bring focus to LGBTQIA+ creators, experiences, and protagonists, plus award winners and nominees from GLAAD and the Gayming Awards.

Check out a few highlights from the full games collection featuring creators, relationship options,protagonists, playable characters, character creation options and LGBTQIA+ award winners and nominees.

Tell Me Why – This award-winning narrative adventure from DONTNOD Entertainment and Xbox Publishing stars Tyler Ronan, a trans man, alongside his twin sister Alyson as they reunite for the first time in ten years and explore the secrets surrounding their mother’s death. Download the game for free all month long on Xbox consoles, Windows 10 and Steam!
Undertale – We won’t spoil it, but this popular RPG is rich with representation and is now available to play on Xbox.
Ikenfell – This tactical RPG features a number of LGBTQIA+ characters and follows a group of magical students including three non-binary party members.
2064 Read Only Memories – We love that MidBoss seeks to make the world more inclusive through content, and how this game presents gender identities and expression, including the option to choose your pronouns.

The Outer Worlds – Join Parvati, one of your companions who identifies as asexual, as she pursues a relationship with Junlei, the captain on the Groundbreaker in this GLAAD award-winning action-RPG where you’ll get a taste of that space colonist life.

Standouts from the full movies and TV collection featuring creators, leads, educational views, and  family entertainment, and GLAAD award winners include: 

“Moonlight” – This moving story follows the journey of Chiron, a young African American man, and his journey with his identity and sexuality into adulthood.
“Saving Face” – Before Alice Wu created, The Half of It, she created Saving Face featuring Wilhelmina, a Chinese-American lesbian, balancing her relationship with her mother and cultural expectations.
“Love, Simon” – Greg Berlanti’s coming-of-age film follows 17-year old Simon’s path to coming to terms with his identity.
“The Craft: Legacy” – Zoey Luna brings visibility to trans and Latina identities in this continuation of a 1996 hit.

View the complete collections on the Microsoft Store on Xbox, the Microsoft Store on Windows 10, and the Xbox App on Windows in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. Visitors to both the Xbox and Windows Stores can find LGBTQIA+ community picks at any time by searching for “Pride” and related terms. 

Xbox Ambassadors Celebrate Pride

In the Xbox Ambassadors community, we are dedicated to sharing and amplifying community voices. So, in celebration of Pride Month in June, we asked those who identify as LGBTQIA+, how games with diverse representation have impacted them and to share their stories about being a member of the gaming community. Here are their stories.

Tune In

Xbox Plays Celebrates LGBTQIA+ Communities 

The Xbox Plays team will continue to celebrate LGBTQIA+ communities during Pride Month and beyond. Our team will feature games connected to these communities, as well as invite prominent live streamers and content creators onto our channels. We will also have game developers on-hand to talk about their experiences while creating games that represent LGBTQIA+ communities. Follow the action on Twitch.tv/Xbox!

Join us each week as we feature a different theme:

• Week of June 1st – LGBTQIA+ Game Creators.
• Week of June 7th – LGBTQIA+ Community Streamer Takeover
• Week of June 14th – LGBTQIA+ Game Protagonists
• Week of June 21st – GLAAD/Gayming Award Nominees
• Week of June 28th – LGBTQIA+ Playable Characters

Xbox Podcast Talks Pride and Safety for LGBTQIA+ Players

Xbox’s Major Nelson will be joined by GM of Xbox Trust & Safety, Kim Kunes, on the Official Xbox Podcast for a special Pride month episode in late June that will discuss the importance of safety at Xbox. The episode will cover how Xbox is supporting LGBTQIA+ communities to play as their authentic selves and experience the joy of play free from fear of intimidation or harassment.  

Xbox UKI + DIGIPRIDE Events

This summer, Gayming Magazine, the world’s only LGBTQ video game magazine, is celebrating its DIGIPRIDE season which runs from June through August on gaymingmag.com. Presented by Xbox UKI, the season will see a number of major activities happening on the Gayming site and across Twitch. Events include a digital drag show, DIGIPRIDE panels, special Let’s Play streams, weekly Rainbow Arcade DIGIPRIDE streams, special episodes of the Gayming Podcast Live, and more to be revealed! All this plus exclusive ‘money can’t buy’ competitions, reviews, features and interviews on Gayming Magazine. Learn more.

Play. Connect. Impact: Learn more about all that Xbox and Microsoft are doing in celebration of Pride all month long at the Xbox Pride Community Hub and Microsoft’s Pride Community Hub.

CAVES & CLIFFS: PART I HAS A RELEASE DATE!

Baaaaaaa!
“What’s that sound?”
Baaaaaaaaaa!
“Aww, it’s a little goat! Come here, buddy! I have a treat for y-OOF!”

As I tumbled down the mountain, I pondered all the choices that led to installing the Caves & Cliffs snapshot. My act of sheer folly as I approached the goat and extended the proverbial olive branch – a bundle of hay. All my belongings now strewn at the base of the mountain. But there is time to make this right – because the Caves & Cliffs Update: Part I is coming out on June 8! And in the meantime, I will be officially petitioning the Vanilla team to remove goats from it.

The update will be available for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and Windows 10 – as well as Java Edition on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Clearly, nobody is safe from those dreaded creatures. The good news is that the update also includes the lovely and totally-harmless-unless-you’re-a-drowned axolotls! Unfortunately, they’re confined to either water or a bucket, so they won’t be able to join my anti-goat crusade.

But that’s not all – the once Minecraft Earth-exclusive mob, the glow squid, will also be gracing our oceans! While I was Team Mooshroom (another petition I need to get around to), I’m just glad this one won’t be rewarding my kindness with a brutal shove. Plus, it’s so pretty it might just motivate me to build that huge aquarium I’ve always wanted.

And what would a Minecraft update be without blocks? This round, there’s plenty of them. Some of them will just pop up in the world, while others might be a bit trickier to discover. If instant gratification is your thing, then you can always switch to Creative mode, where you can access them all, from amethyst to dripleaves, and the highly anticipated copper block! Much like my referential humour, this block shows its age after being placed in the world, giving your builds a sense of history and a more organic feel. However, I think the most exciting thing for me is the spyglass! My eyesight isn’t what it used to be, so those goats really seem to come from nowhere right now.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to private message every Mojang Studios employee about my petition. 

Weird Beluga Studio partner with Koch Media for upcoming Top-Down Shooter Clid the Snail

Launching in 2021 on PlayStation®4 with additional support from the PlayStation Talents Program

Sydney, Australia, June 2^nd, 2021 – Koch Media, the leading global publishing partner, and the Spanish independent games developer Weird Beluga Studio, are delighted to announce their partnership for Clid the Snail, a grim, narrative-led top-down shooter with a unique approach to the genre. With the support of the PlayStation Talents program, the business accelerator Lanzadera, and Koch Media as publishing partner, Clid the Snail will slide onto PlayStation®4 in 2021, with the PC version due to arrive this same year on a later date.

Clid the Snail is a dark fable about a grumpy humanoid snail armed to the radula. Focused on the narrative, and with a methodical, mindful approach to combat, players will take control of the exiled snail and join forces with a peculiar gang of outcasts to get rid of the slug plague that is ravaging their world. Clid the Snail encourages creative gun play with its vast array of weapons and mechanics, alongside exploration and puzzle solving with its delightfully grim environment.

Alejandro García, one of the five co-founders of Weird Beluga Studio, shares his team’s excitement about this partnership: “We are very happy about our partnership with Koch Media. For a young and small team like ours, it is like a dream come true. It is also a big push for the team now that we are on the final stage of the development. It encourages us all to give our best to finish the game!”

Stephan Schmidt, Director of Global Partner Publishing at Koch Media, adds: “We are excited to welcome the team from Weird Beluga and that Clid the Snail will join our 2021 releases as exclusive PlayStation 4 title. This title is made with love and attention to detail from the developers and it fits perfectly to our diversified games line-up!”

Watch the latest trailer:

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About Weird Beluga Studio

Weird Beluga Studio S.L. is a video game developer company from Madrid, founded in 2019 by 5 friends from college. WBS is developing its first game, winner of the VI edition of PlayStation Talents Awards: Clid the Snail.

Weird Beluga’s twitter: https://twitter.com/BelugaWeird

About PS Talents

Launched in 2015 by Sony Interactive Entertainment Spain, the PlayStation® Talents program aims to unify all the initiatives put together by the local Spanish branch in order to develop the Spanish creativity. The goal of the PlayStation Talents program is to support the local industry as well as to create video games fully developed in Spain to be sold around the globe. The PlayStation Talents program is formed by:

• Two educational areas: PlayStation® Future Talents and PlayStation® First

• The PlayStation® Awards, aimed at independent studios.

• PlayStation® Games Camp, a business incubator that is present in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Málaga, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

• PlayStation® Alliances, where different projects with well-known local studios that have been sold overseas come together.

More information at http://www.playstationtalents.es/

About Marina Empresas/Lanzadera

The startup incubator and accelerator Lanzadera, alongside EDEM Escuela de Empresarios and the investment company Angels, is a part of the entrepreneurship pole Marina de Empresas. It is a Juan Roig´s initiative based in Marina de València with the mission to shape, advise, and finance the entrepreneurs of today and tomorrow, and that constitutes a bet in the creation of wealth, employment and promotion of entrepreneurship culture.

Since its creation in 2013, Lanzadera has supported more than 700 startups, contributing with more than 15M€ in financing Lanzadera loans. They have managed to generate more than 4.000 direct jobs between all of them, as well as more than 175 million euros in external investment. To join the program, entrepreneurs can send their projects to www.lanzadera.es at any time of the year.

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About Koch Media

The Koch Media Group is a global developer, publisher and distributor of video games, VR games, gaming hardware and merchandise.

The group’s publishing activities, marketing and distribution extend throughout Europe, America, Australia and Asia. Koch Media has more than 25 years of experience in the digital media business and has risen to become a leading global publishing partner. The Koch Media Group runs a multi-label strategy with fully owned publishing units such as Deep Silver, Milestone, Vertigo Games and Ravenscourt, publishing games for consoles, PC and VR platforms across all physical and digital channels.

Additionally, as global publishing partner Koch Media has formed long-term multi-national publishing collaborations with numerous game publishers including Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, Capcom, CI Games, Giants Software, Kalypso, Koei Tecmo, Konami, Paradox, Sega, SNK, Square Enix, Techland, Tripwire, Warner Bros, and many others.

With its parent company in Höfen, Austria, and the Publishing HQ in Munich, Germany, Koch Media owns local publishing companies in Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Australia, the United States as well as Japan and Hong Kong. 

The Koch Media Group owns nine game development studios: Deep Silver Volition (Champaign, IL / USA), Deep Silver Dambuster Studios (Nottingham / UK), Deep Silver Fishlabs (Hamburg / Germany), Warhorse Studios (Prague / Czech Republic), Milestone (Milan / Italy), Voxler (Paris / France) , Flying Wild Hog (Warsaw, Kraków, Rzeszów  / Poland), Free Radical Design (Nottingham / UK) and Vertigo Games (Rotterdam /The Netherlands). Additionally, the Koch Media Group collaborates with numerous independent development studios around the world.

Part of the Koch Media Group is also Koch Films, a leading European independent film distributor with business primarily in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy as a cinema, TV, online and Home Entertainment distributor. The Koch Media Group also owns Gaya Entertainment, a leading video game merchandise company in Munich, Germany, and the Quality Assurance Facility in Olomouc, Czech Republic.  

Koch Media is an Embracer Group company.