Multiplayer Co-op Mode Scheduled to Release Shortly

May 18th, 2021 — Arcen Games is excited to announce the release of a new expansion for its space strategy cult hit AI War 2 — AI War 2: Zenith Onslaught — available now on Steam for $9.99!

To celebrate, the new and definitive AI War 2: Titan Edition is also available today on Steam — including the first two DLCs and the base game. Plus all Arcen titles and DLC are on discount up to 75% off through May 21st at 10:00a Pacific Time!

Zenith Onslaught Trailer:

The most devious and acclaimed artificial intelligence in strategy gaming has continued to evolve over the last year, with many major updates culminating in our recent Paradigm Shift (tutorial and overview videos included in link). AI War 2 is a grand strategy/RTS hybrid that reverses many of the conventions of both genres. Take territory without attracting attention, build your empire with care, and adapt to an ever-evolving galactic battleground.

AI War 2 Tutorial Video: 

The Zenith Onslaught expansion is absolutely jam-packed with features. From “small” details like powerful new elite Cruisers that you can put in a new slot in your fleets, to galaxy-spanning empires like the Dark Zenith and the Zenith Architrave, this expansion is filled with new tools to use and new foes to best. Wormhole Borers let certain AIs alter the map topology, while Nomad Planets alter the map topology on their own as they roam around. The Zenith Miners consume entire planets, and Golem variants abound. There are also options to make some of the new fations your allies, and take on the AI together.

AI War 2 and its expansions are available now on Windows PC, Mac, and Linux platforms.

Multiplayer co-op has been feature-complete for months, but is still undergoing testing. The original intent was a simultaneous launch with Zenith Onslaught, but the novel heavily-multithreaded shared-simulation approach has required more testing time than expected. Please feel free to join in and share any feedback you have! The multiplayer in this game required some novel design work that we hope can be useful to other developers; once we’re past the last of the bugs we hope to present our findings so that other games in other genres can benefit from our work in making self-correcting mod-safe multi-threaded complex simulations of arbitrarily large sizes a reality. We expect no more than 1-2 more months of MP beta, as the bug count falls with weekly updates.

To learn more about AI War 2, visit: https://store.steampowered.com/app/573410/AI_War_2/
Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/5g9ETKn

About Arcen Games
Eclectic indie developer since 2009. Strategic thinking in everything — even our action-oriented games.

Just Dropped! Award-Winning RPG Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition Comes to iOS NOW (That’s May 18)

Nearly two years in development by a dedicated team with the goal of creating a 1:1 experience with PC and consoles

DUBLIN — May 18, 2021 — Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition, the award-winning RPG from Larian Studios, comes to iPad and iPad Pro on May 18. That’s now, actually!

Developed through almost two years in partnership with our friends at Saint Petersburg-based Elverils, we wanted to bring the game to hardware capable of handling the entire Divinity experience without compromising on quality or features. The objective is to release a truly mobile version with a gameplay experience that exceeds or mirrors consoles and PC, with no microtransactions, and all included Gift Bag DLCs under one sensible price of $24.99 or your regional equivalent.

The over 100-hour, 95 Metacritic-rated RPG has been built for Metal from the ground up, taking advantage of the newest Apple hardware to offer a premium, AAA gaming experience on the go. That means that not only does DOS2 now support touch controls, with a new UI to match, but it also supports connected-devices (e.g., gamepads, including the PlayStation®5 DualSense™), as well as mouse and keyboard.

We decided early on to target hardware that matches the ambition of the Divinity: Original Sin 2 experience, and so therefore DOS2 will run on graphics settings equivalent to ‘highest’ on iPad Pro (2018) and above. On the 2021 iPad Pro (M1), the game runs at 60fps, even in local co-op, which of course features seamless split-screen, with drop-in, drop-out co-op. A full list of supported devices is listed on the App Store.

Those who wish to venture forth with friends on other platforms can do so thanks to cross-play between PC, Mac and iPad, while cross-save will allow you to continue your adventure from your Mac at home.

Take a look at the website for further information about the game, which you can find at https://divinity.game. Since you’re heading over there, why not take a look at the History of DOS2, which now needs an update!

If you are not familiar with Divinity: Original Sin 2, it is the RPG that lets you bust out of jail by using your boney undead finger as a lockpick, talk to crabs, and have conversations with the people you may or may not have killed in the form of ghostly dialogues. It is demonstrably a pretty good time. Winner of over 160 awards and nominations including a BAFTA, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is an in-depth, open world sandbox fantasy adventure for up to four players. In addition to its iPad release, the game has launched on Windows PC in 2017, Xbox One and PlayStation®4 in 2018, and both macOS and Nintendo Switch in 2019.

• No microtransactions. One great price. An experience meant to be enjoyed, without interruption. No loot boxes, no ads, no nonsense.
• Potentially the first 1:1 AAA premium experience on a mobile device, with dynamic lighting and shadows and over 8000 shaders. This is the whole experience, as it’s meant to be played. (Equivalent to ‘highest’ graphics settings on PC).
• A story-driven adventure built for your hero. Weave your own tale and make your own choices. The world reacts, for better and for worse.
• Made to be played. Three input devices and cross-save progression means you can take the adventure wherever you go.
• Fair-weather friends? Drop-in, drop-out co-op lets you continue, even if life gets in the way.
• Seamless in-world turn-based combat with hundreds of skills and abilities: flow from combat to exploration with no loading screens.
• Battle a world full of bosses and mythical creatures in hand-crafted combat situations designed to test your wit and feel rewarding.
• Loot Rivellon! Explore, you’ll be rewarded! But be careful who catches you stealing. You might find yourself locked up.
• Split-screen co-op on a single device, with support for gamepads. Long trip ahead? We’ve got you covered.
• Game Center integration brings the bragging rights. Compare achievements, invite, and matchmake. iCloud has your back.
• For a full list of supported devices, check the store page.

About Larian Studios

Larian Studios is an independent RPG developer founded in 1996 in Ghent, Belgium. Over 200 people work between the five worldwide studios in Ghent, Saint Petersburg, Quebec, Dublin and Malaysia. 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.

© 2019 – 2021 LARIAN STUDIOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. LARIAN STUDIOS IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ARRAKIS NV, AFFILIATE OF LARIAN STUDIOS GAMES LTD.

Divinity Original Sin II ©2021 Larian Studios. All rights reserved. Larian Studios, Divinity and Divinity Original Sin are registered trademarks of the Larian Studios group entities.

Apple and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions ALL COMPANY NAMES, BRAND NAMES, TRADEMARKS AND LOGOS ARE THE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

Frontier Foundry welcomes you to the very first developer diary for time-bending combat strategy shooter Lemnis Gate.

In this first instalment, join Game Director James Anderson as he shares more about the game, how it plays and the world it’s set in. Explore the ingenious time loop mechanic that sets Lemnis Gate apart from other FPS offerings, uncover the outlandish strategies you can employ, and discover the bold new possibilities afforded by a game set across four dimensions.

Each of Lemnis Gate’s seven operatives bring their own unique abilities, powerful enough to change the course of battle yet perfectly balanced to ensure masterful planning and skilful execution win the day. From using one operative as bait so you can snipe attackers across the map with long-range specialist Striker, to denying areas by spreading pools of harmful poison as Toxin, Lemnis Gate lets you innovate multi-layered tactics over five intensely cerebral rounds.

Click below for a mind-expanding insight into Lemnis Gate, a game in which the past impacts the future, strategy is just as important as skill, and death is not the end. 

Lemnis Gate is available to wishlist on PlayStation and Steam now, and will be launching this Summer on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One

Stay in the loop by following Lemnis Gate on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Visit the Lemnis Gate website at: https://www.lemnisgategame.com/

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – May 18, 2021 – FUSER, the music-mixing game from Harmonix (Rock Band™, Dance Central™) and NCSOFT, will receive a new everyday price. Beginning May 18, the Standard Edition version ofFUSER will be $39.99 and the VIP Edition will be $79.99 (international pricing may vary). This discount will be available across all platforms: PC, PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. FUSER challenges players to combine elements from songs by some of the world’s top artists, including Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and Zedd. Since launch, FUSER has added 92 additional DLC songs, adding hits from artists such as 24kGoldn, Dua Lipa and The White Stripes to its growing library. For more details, including a full list of songs available in FUSER, please visit FUSER.com.

“FUSER gives players the power to unleash their creativity by mixing some of the hottest songs from the world’s top artists,” said Kendall Boyd, Head of Marketing “With the game-changing Headliner Spotlight update dropping soon, FUSER will get a new game mode that puts players into the spotlight in front of 250+ friends and fans.”

FUSER is the ultimate celebration of music festival culture, putting players on stage at the world’s largest digital music festival and allowing them to create custom music mixes from the beats, instrumentals, vocals, and electronic elements of 100+ songs in the standard edition. FUSER regularly receives content updates, including new songs available as free and paid DLC, weekly events, new cosmetic items, audio and visual FX, quality of life improvements, and beginning with the Headliner Spotlight update, a new game mode.

About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Boston, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of groundbreaking music-oriented video games. Harmonix was founded to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and has pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information, please visit www.harmonixmusic.com.

About NCSOFT
NCSOFT, headquartered in Pangyo, Korea, is the world’s premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games, including the critically acclaimed Aion®, Blade & Soul®, Lineage®, and Guild Wars® franchises. NCSOFT West is a division of NCSOFT that holds operating responsibilities for North America, Europe, South America, and Australia/New Zealand. More information can be found at www.ncsoft.com.

©2021 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. ©2020 NCSOFT Corporation. All rights reserved. FUSER, Harmonix, Rock Band, Dance Central and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

SnowRunner Releases Today on Nintendo Switch & Steam Alongside “New Frontiers” Expansion & Reveal of Year 2 Post-Launch Content

PARIS — May 18, 2021 — SnowRunner, the ultimate off-road driving experience from Saber Interactive and Focus Home Interactive, has wrapped up its first year in style! After debuting on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and the Epic Games Store last year, SnowRunner is now available on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and the Microsoft Store. And the game keeps growing with the release of “Season 4: New Frontiers” today, plus the announcement of the new Year 2 Pass featuring four additional seasons of content to look forward to.

“New Frontiers” takes you to Amur Oblast, Russia, with 12 massive square kilometers of rugged wilderness to navigate to rehabilitate an abandoned rocket launch site. With the release of “New Frontiers” into the wild, SnowRunner’s total size has been effectively doubled since the first phase of the Season Pass landed last year, and all of the content released so far is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC including Steam.

With Year 1 coming to an end, more than two million players have charted their own routes in SnowRunner, with over 30 million mods downloaded across PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The Year 2 Pass is right around the corner, delivering four bonus seasons of content featuring new maps, vehicles and activities alongside free new content for all players, including customization items, add-ons and more.

The Premium Edition of SnowRunner features both the base game and Year 1 Pass, which includes “Season 4: New Frontiers.” The Year 2 Pass is also now available. For more information, visit www.focus-home.com/en-us/games/snowrunner.

Tripwire Interactive Brings World’s First Action-RPG Where You Play as a Shark to All Major Platforms

ROSWELL, Ga. – May 18, 2021 – Developer and publisher Tripwire Interactive announced today that Maneater, the award-winning action-RPG where you play as a shark (aka shARkPG), is expanding its hunting grounds and is launching on May 25, 2021 for PC (via Steam). In addition, Xbox Game Pass subscribers can look forward to exploring the waters of Port Clovis on both PC and Xbox consoles for six months, starting on May 25, 2021 when Maneater releases on Game Pass. As previously announced, the Nintendo Switch version of Maneater also releases on May 25, 2021 digitally and in stores from retail partner Deep Silver. Soon, players can eat, explore, and evolve their way to the top of the food chain on their gaming platform of choice as the ultimate apex predator of the seas – a terrifying shark!

Maneater is a single player, open-world action-RPG (ShARkPG) where YOU are the shark. Starting as a small bull shark pup you are tasked with surviving the harsh world while eating your way up the ecosystem. To do this, you will explore a large and varied open world encountering diverse enemies — both human and wildlife. Find the right resources and you can grow and evolve far beyond what nature intended, allowing the player to tailor the shark to their play style. This is fortunate, because to get revenge on the cruel fisherman that dismembered you will take evolving into a massive shark, an apex predator of legends. Eat. Explore. Evolve.

Maneater Key Features Include:

· Eat: Feed on humans, consume nutrients, and find rare shark loot to evolve past what nature intended.
· Explore the Gulf: Explore seven large regions, including bayous of the gulf coast, resort beaches, industrial docks, the open ocean and more. Experience a living world with a full day/night cycle.
· Evolve Into a Legend: Unlock and equip various Evolutions that improve and enhance your shark as you progress through the campaign.
· Unique Story: Play through a full narrative, story-based campaign narrated by Chris Parnell (Rick and Morty, Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock) and set against the backdrop of a reality TV show.
· Diverse, Compelling Combat: Battle fierce wildlife including other apex predators or fight against various types of human hunters ranging from town drunks all the way up to the Coast Guard.
· Includes the Tiger Shark Evolution: The Tiger Shark is often called the ‘garbage disposal of the sea.’ Appropriately enough, this evolution allows you to digest nearly anything, increasing your ability to gain vital nutrients from all varieties of prey.
· Includes Nintendo Switch™ Features: Maneater for the Nintendo Switch™ is the most portable version of the award-winning Action-RPG (aka shARkPG) to date! Playable in Docked, Tabletop, and Handheld mode, Maneater also supports Rumble and Vibration on the Switch Pro Controller and Joy Cons as well as the Nintendo Online Save Backup system.

Out now on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via the Epic Games Store)—and launching soon on May 25, 2021 for PC (via Steam), Xbox Game Pass, and Nintendo Switch™, Maneater boasts a truly unique premise and never-before-seen approach to the action-RPG and open-world genres with an MSRP of $39.99 / €39.99 / £34.99 — and ESRB rating of M for Mature, PEGI 18 rating, and USK 16 rating. For more details on Maneater, please visit the official website – and follow the developers at Tripwire Interactive on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch.tv, and Instagram.

©2019 Tripwire Interactive- published by Koch Media, Austria. Deep Silver® is a registered trademark of Koch Media in the USA and elsewhere. Maneater © 2019 Tripwire Interactive. Maneater® is a registered trademark of Tripwire Interactive in the USA and other countries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

About Tripwire Interactive

Formed in 2005 as a humble independent developer founded by gamers who found success in the video game modding community, Tripwire Interactive has developed and self-published multiple critically acclaimed titles in the wildly popular Killing Floor and Rising Storm franchises, which have collectively sold over 20 million units to date. The studio’s latest project, Maneater, breaks new ground in the popular action RPG genre and finds players taking on the role of a deadly shark with the uncanny ability to evolve as it feeds.

Since then, Tripwire Interactive has expanded its business and now turns its experience and resources to include publishing titles spanning multiple platforms and genres from other talented independent studios. The publishing division aims to help like-minded independent studios bring their titles to market, including Chivalry 2 developed by Torn Banner Studios, Espire 1: VR Operative developed by Digital Lode, and Road Redemption developed by EQ Games and Pixel Dash Studios.

About Deep Silver

Deep Silver develops and distributes interactive games for all platforms. The Deep Silver label means to captivate all gamers who have a passion for thrilling gameplay in exciting game worlds by creating products of the highest possible quality, always focusing on what the customer desires.

Deep Silver has published more than 200 games since 2003, including its own brands like the open world extravaganza Saints Row, the zombie action franchise Dead Island, and the gritty, post-apocalyptic Metro series. Upcoming highlights from Deep Silver include the next entries into the Saints Row, TimeSplitters and Dead Island franchises. Deep Silver also owns the development studios Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK; Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, and Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com.

Koch Media is a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products (software, games and films). The company’s own publishing activities, marketing and distribution extend throughout Europe and the USA. The Koch Media group has more than 20 years of experience in the digital media business, and has risen to become the number one distributor in Europe. It has also formed strategic alliances with numerous games and software publishers: Bethesda, Capcom, Kaspersky Labs, NC SOFT, Sega, Square Enix and Tecmo-Koei, etc. in various European countries. With Headquarters in Höfen, Austria Koch Media owns branches in Germany, England, France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Nordic regions, Benelux, Australia, Czech Republic and the United States.

All product titles, publisher names, trademarks, artwork and associated imagery are trademarks, registered trademarks and/or copyright material of the respective owners. All rights reserved.

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20% LAUNCH DISCOUNT AVAILABLE IN FIRST WEEK

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, TUESDAY 18 MAY 2021: Koch Media and Black Eye Games are pleased to announce that Siege Survival: Gloria Victis is now available on Steam, Epic and GOG with a RRP of $35.95 and a launch discount of 20% off for the first week. 

The medieval survival management strategy game tells the story of how a humble band of civilians, trapped by a besieging army in the small keep of the city, attempts to keep the last defending troops equipped – and the survivors alive – as they wait for a desperately needed relief force to end their suffering.

Build your base, craft supplies, scavenge the fallen city for resources and carefully manage your survivors to keep them alive and able to support the last remaining troops standing between you and the invading barbarians.

A launch trailer has also been released, which you can check out here.

A recently updated demo that allows users to experience the first seven days of the campaign that can be accessed via Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1167140/Siege_Survival_Gloria_Victis/

There are three core elements to the game:

• Crafting & resource management: You need better weapons, a roof over your head, hot food and all the other trappings that just existing entail; and the only way you’ll get these is if you and your team craft them. But resources are scarce and you’ll need to manage them wisely to make it through in one piece.
• Scavenging: Venturing out from the safety of your keep, you have to explore the ransacked city at night to collect raw materials, abandoned goods and weapons that you need to survive and hold out long enough for the reinforcements to arrive. Unlock new routes to various districts of the city, recruit more   survivors and avoid enemy soldiers patrolling at night. If you don’t make it back by dawn, you’re as good as dead.
• Surviving the siege: Defending what’s left of your city are a few tired troops in dire need of arrows, weapons, and armour; along with treatment for the wounded. You need to keep this squad supplied and supported in every way possible ahead of their battles every few days; otherwise, the enemy will storm the keep. Although you don’t participate in the fighting directly, the fate of the city lies in your hands.

All this is woven into a grim narrative with numerous moral dilemmas, forcing the player to regularly make tough decisions as they scavenge the city of Edring and desperately try to save it and themselves from impending doom. Sustain the troops or keep the civilians alive? Only the player can decide.

Siege Survival: Gloria Victis is published on Koch Media’s Ravenscourt label: www.ravenscourt.games

About Black Eye Games

Founded in 2012, Black Eye Games are a team of developers based in Lublin in Poland, releasing their first title – the MMORPG Gloria Victis – in June 2016. Originally created remotely and “after hours” by an independent team of 7 developers with no initial budget, the game sold hundreds of thousands of copies since launch and has continued to expand its community and player base year after year.

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 which publish games for consoles, PC and VR platforms across all physical and digital channels.

“The Odyssey”, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey’s launch trailer, signals the start of a new era for the long-standing space epic ahead of its 19 May release.

Cambridge, UK – 18 May 2021. Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV) confirmed today that, after a successful 5-week public Alpha phase, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey, releases on 19 May for Windows PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and FrontierStore.net.

Building upon an install base of 12 million Elite owners, the launch of Elite Dangerous: Odyssey marks the next exciting step in Frontier’s long-term vision for Elite Dangerous, heralding the start of a new era for the definitive space simulation. Odyssey allows players to touch down on newly accessible planets with light atmospheres beautifully rendered by stunning new technology; to explore, to engage in combat and trade, take on missions, work together or alone over their surfaces with complete freedom from a first person, feet-on-the-ground perspective.

Watch the launch trailer here:

This new on-foot expansion is seamlessly integrated with the classic galaxy-spanning Elite Dangerous experience, adding a new and exciting layer of detail and gameplay opportunities that provide new depth within Elite Dangerous’ full scale Milky Way. Being adventurous explorers or callous bounty hunters, every Commander will be able to customize their Odyssey experience by acquiring specialized space suits and gear tailored to their chosen paths.

David Braben, Frontier’s CEO and founder, said:

“This is the next step in what has already been an incredible journey and labour of love with Elite Dangerous since the Kickstarter over eight years ago. The team have pulled off a fantastic achievement here across a mind-bending scale – from the detail within a human footprint to the vast distances across stellar systems and beyond is breathtaking, in a rich, detailed and accurate recreation of the Milky Way in 1:1 scale. For me it is not just the detailed exploration and combat, but the gothic beauty of watching stars, planets, moons, moons-of-moons rise and fall or slowly pirouette in their often complex paths in the night sky, while each tiny dot or nebula in that sky is really there and can be visited.”

Prospective Commanders still have the chance to get hold of the exclusive Pioneer suit skin pre-ordering the Elite Dangerous: Odyssey expansion with an SRP of £29.99/$39.99/€34.99, or the new Deluxe Edition, with an SRP of £34.99/$44.99/€39.99. This includes the Odyssey expansion and the official soundtrack.

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey releases on PC on 19 May, via the FrontierStore.net, Steam and the Epic Games Store. Releases on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and the Xbox One all-in-one games and entertainment system are planned for autumn 2021.

About Elite Dangerous
Take control of your own starship in a cutthroat galaxy. Some may know you as an ally; others will call you a pirate, a bounty hunter, a smuggler, an explorer, an assassin, a hero… Fly with friends, fight for a cause or go it alone. Your actions change the galaxy around you in an ever-unfolding story. Explore a detailed 1:1 model of our real galaxy, and be the first to discover one of 400 billion star systems. Start with a small starship and a handful of credits, and do whatever it takes to earn the skill, knowledge, wealth and power to stand among the ranks of the Elite.
 
About Frontier
Frontier is a leading independent developer and publisher of videogames founded in 1994 by David Braben, co-author of the iconic Elite game. Based in Cambridge, Frontier uses its proprietary COBRA game development technology to create innovative genre-leading games, primarily for personal computers and videogame consoles. As well as self-publishing internally developed games, Frontier also publishes games developed by carefully selected partner studios under its Frontier Foundry games label.

Help shape the future development of this unique and exciting new game from solo developer Erik Rempen

Bangkok, Thailand, 18th May, 2021. Following the official announcement last week, Erik Rempen, self taught solo game designer, is today thrilled to announce that the Kickstarter campaign for his new roguelite village-builder Kainga: Seeds of Civilization is now live! 

Kickstarter is a very important step in the journey of bringing Kainga: Seeds of Civilization to life. The support and funding from this campaign will not only provide external resources to add a layer of professional polish to the music and UX/UI design but will also allow Erik to focus his time on enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Kickstarter is also a fantastic way of creating a community around the game and helps guide the future development in new and interesting ways. With the support of the fans, the dream of releasing Kainga: Seeds of Civilization is one step closer to being a reality. 

You can visit the Kickstarter page for Kainga: Seeds of Civilization below and check out more information on the game as well as the great rewards on offer for people who support the campaign. 

“I am excited to finally be able to launch the Kickstarter campaign for Kainga” said Erik Rempen, solo designer of the game “It has been a dream of mine for almost three years and today I can see that dream coming to life. With your support, I will be able to bring Kainga over the finish line and share this wonderful experience with the ever growing community and fans around the world”.

Take a look at the Kickstarter video here and see solo game designer Erik Rempen talk about his three year journey developing Kainga: Seeds of Civilization and his hopes for the future of the game. 

Kainga: Seeds of Civilization is a roguelite village-builder set in a world full of mystery and surprise. Taking on the role of the Thinker, the leader of the village, you will need to adapt to the procedurally generated environment and surroundings and make the right choices to allow your people and village to flourish. The Thinker is responsible for passing the players’ decisions and commands on to the people. Although the citizens are somewhat expendable, if the Thinker falls, you lose. Much like the king in chess, they’re weak and vulnerable and must be protected at all costs. 

Instead of following the long-winded city builder formula, Kainga: Seeds of Civilization is focused on short, 30 minute to 1 hour challenges. Each challenge is a fresh and diverse experience in a new location which still allows the player to make progression between runs.

Features of Kainga: Seeds of Civilization. 

• Create A Unique Culture. Using the unique thinker skill tree, select research from a diverse branching technology tree inspired by civilizations around the world, make your mark on the world, with your choice of buildings, festivals, resource production and more! 
• Adapt to Your Surroundings. Use the terrain and resources to your advantage, keep an eye on the resources you have available and carefully plan and adapt to an ever changing environment, as you battle against the elements, disasters, other villages and even the beasts that roam the lands. 
• Train Units and Tame Beasts. Keep your village safe by researching technologies to equip your villagers with weapons to repeal attacks, or even use the beasts to your advantage by taming them and turning them on your rivals. 
• Acquire New Knowledge for Future Runs. Every end carries the seed of a new beginning, unlock new technology, biomes and challenges to add further complexity to each run.. Earn Karma to purchase advanced structure types and rescue thinkers to play with their leadership style and unique quirks.
• Live Amongst or Upon Giant Beasts. The wildlife of these lands wander and interact with the environment, and often destroy those in their way. Can you learn to live with these animals? Or better yet, manage to tame them and build upon them. 
• Build Legendary Structures. From towering stone menhirs, to great halls and more. Construct and protect massive buildings using materials sourced from around the map.
• Customize Your Playstyle. Choose a look and starting layout personalized to how you play best before diving into the procedurally generated world and putting your skills to the test.

Kainga: Seeds of Civilization is live on Kickstarter now. Fans can also wishlist the game on Steam here. 

For more information please visit the official website here, follow Kainga: Seeds of Civilization’s journey on social media via Twitter and don’t forget to join the conversation on the official Discord channel.

SINGLE/CO-OP ACTION-SHOOTER RPG THE ASCENT SHOOTS ITS WAY ON TO XBOX CONSOLES AND PC ON 29 JULY

Blast your way into the cyberpunk world of Veles this July and make your mark in the sky high sci-fi metropolis. Available to pre-order today on Xbox and PC for £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99 / ¥148.

London, United Kingdom – 18 May, 2021 – Video games publisher Curve Digital is delighted to announce that the highly anticipated debut title from Swedish indie studio Neon Giant, The Ascent will be released on 29 July 2021 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC and be available on Xbox Game Pass.

A solo and co-op action-shooter RPG set in a sci-fi cyberpunk world, The Ascent is the first title from Neon Giant, a new 12-person studio composed of games industry veterans who were some of the minds behind iconic AAA titles such as the Gears of War, Bulletstorm and Wolfenstein franchises. The game will target 60 fps and have full 4K support on the Xbox Series X, offering amazing gameplay performance for new generation console players.

“We are super excited that people will soon be able to jump into the world of The Ascent,” said Arcade Berg, Creative Director and co-founder of Neon Giant. “We love making games and we do it because we want people to enjoy the experience and world we have created – so we’ve designed a game that lets all players have fun with the element of gameplay that interests them the most. Whether you’re someone who enjoys exploring every corner, loves exciting combat or gets invested in the story and lore, we’ve tried to put something in The Ascent for everyone.”

Fellow co-founder and Creative Director of the studio Tor Frick added: “A month ago we celebrated Neon Giant’s third anniversary and we’re so happy to be launching our first title just after this milestone for our young studio. We have a very passionate and dedicated team and each person in the studio has brought something new and great to the overall experience of The Ascent, so we’re really excited to share the planet of Veles with everyone and see what people think of the world our team has created.”

The Ascent will see players dive into ‘The Ascent Group’ arcology, a self-contained corporate-run metropolis, stretching high into the sky and filled with creatures from all over the galaxy. Taking on the role of an indentured worker, the world starts to go haywire when The Ascent Group shuts down for unknown reasons. Life becomes a case of survival, with rival corporations and crime syndicates looking to fill the empty space. Players will have to take up arms and hold them off. The Ascent begins here.

The Ascent will offer players the chance to step into an action-orientated sci-fi RPG powered by Unreal Engine that takes the genre to new levels, available to play in both single-player and up to four-player co-op.

Features:

• A free-roam play style in a cyberpunk inspired dystopian world
• Classic RPG mechanics to enable players to build up their character including cyberware, augmentations and looting
• An unprecedented sense of verticality within its world, with different levels and platforms discernible within play
• Double-aim mechanic enables players to utilise the full screen and choose between multiple targets anywhere in the environment
• A narrative-led adventure playable in single and up to four-player co-op modes

The Ascent will launch on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles and PC and be available on Xbox Game Pass 29 July 2021.

Pre-order today on Xbox: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/the-ascent
Pre-order today on PC: https://store.steampowered.com/app/979690/The_Ascent/

Game price £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99 / ¥148.

Related Links

The Ascent Twitter: @AscentTheGame https://twitter.com/AscentTheGame
Curve Digital YouTube: @CurveDigital https://www.youtube.com/curvedigital
Curve Digital Website: https://www.curve-digital.com/
Neon Giant Twitter: @NeonGiantGames – https://twitter.com/neongiantgames
Neon Giant Website: www.neongiant.se

About Curve Digital

Curve Digital is an award-winning independent label working with developers across the world to deliver the best in interactive entertainment. With a uniquely diverse games catalogue that includes renowned indie hits such as For the King and Bomber Crew, critically acclaimed titles like Flame in the Flood and Autonauts, and the multi-million selling smash hit Human Fall Flat, Curve Digital has taken its place as one of the leading games publishers worldwide. More information on Curve Digital can be found at http://www.curve-digital.com

About Neon Giant

Neon Giant is a small team of experienced games industry veterans with a heritage in some of the world’s biggest action game franchises. With our combined know-how, passion and ambition, we’ve set out to create a new type of studio. Our intention is to draw upon our AAA experience and focus on working efficiently, empowering each individual in order to maximise our creativity and push the boundaries of making really fun videogames. At Neon Giant, every team member is a key player in our bold vision of creating world-class action games that will stand proud and tall with the giants. Small is beautiful, small is Neon Giant.