MICROIDS AND IMPS/THE SMURFS SIGN A MAJOR PUBLISHING DEAL REGARDING FUTURE SMURFS VIDEO GAME ADAPTATIONS

New details about the upcoming game The Smurfs – Mission Vileaf,
announced last year!

Sydney, Australia – April 9 2021 – French publisher Microids and IMPS, the Smurfs world license holder, are pleased to announce a major publishing deal regarding the development of four new Smurfs video game adaptations. These games will explore different genres and will gradually launch over the next five years.

“We’re thrilled over this ambitious deal with IMPS, as it extends even more our lasting and very promising partnership.” says Stéphane Longeard, Microids’ CEO. “Working on such a rich franchise that speaks to all generations allows us to create a wide variety of different games: there will be something to suit all tastes! Besides, thanks to this partnership and the Smurf’s incredible international notoriety, Microids continues to significantly reinforce and diversify its catalog of renowned IPs.”

“It’s a great pleasure to collaborate with Microids, we fully trust them in coming up with iconic, creative, gorgeous games with our little Smurfs.” adds Véronique Culliford, Peyo’s daughter and IMPS’ founding president. “I’m sure both kids and adults alike will be delighted.  Additionally, with the new Smurfs TV series that will be broadcast worldwide in 2021, the notoriety of the Smurfs will grow even more! I am really proud to consolidate our bond with another company from the Media Participations group.”

In addition to these four upcoming games, the Smurfs will also be a part of Microids’ 2021 line-up, as the new Smurfs game that was announced last May will launch at the end of the year. Entitled The Smurfs – Mission Vileaf and developed by Osome Studio, the game will launch simultaneously on PC, PlayStation®4, Xbox One consoles, and Nintendo Switch. In this new 3D adventure-platformer, the Smurfs will once again have to thwart evil Gargamel’s schemes to save their village… and the whole forest!

Stay tuned: Microids will soon unveil more information about The Smurfs – Mission Vileaf!

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The Smurfs: www.smurfbusiness.com

2K today revealed updated NBA 2K21 player ratings coming to PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

The competition is heating up with less than six weeks until the postseason kicks off. Top contenders are already making their mark with the Western conference seeing the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets holding strong as they both land six game winning streaks and hope to maintain this level of performance to propel them into top playoff spots. 

Impressive on court performances from some of the game’s most dynamic guards, Luka Dončić and Jrue Holiday, saw their ratings climb by 1 point to a 94 and 87 overall respectively. Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanović earns a 3 point increase to a 79 overall rating, as he surpassed the 20-point mark in four of his last five games. And Zion Williamson lives up to his reputation as one of the best finishers with his latest on court performance, gaining a 1 point increase to land a 90 overall rating and breaking him into the 90s for the first time. 

Check out @NBA2K on Twitter to see more highlights and the full list of updates below:            

Luka Dončić: 94 OVR (+1)

Zion Williamson: 90 OVR (+1)

Jayson Tatum: 88 OVR (-2)

Jaylen Brown: 88 OVR (-1)

Paul George: 88 OVR (-1)

Bam Adebayo: 88 OVR (+1)

Karl-Anthony Towns: 88 OVR (+1)

Russell Westbrook: 88 OVR (+1)

Julius Randle: 87 OVR (-1)

Jrue Holiday: 87 OVR (+1)

De’Aaron Fox: 87 OVR (+1)

Ben Simmons: 86 OVR (-1)

Domantas Sabonis: 86 OVR (-1)

Fred VanVleet: 84 OVR (-1)

Michael Porter Jr.: 84 OVR (+1)

Gordon Hayward: 83 OVR (-1)

Malcolm Brogdon: 83 OVR (-1)

Caris LeVert: 82 OVR (-1)

Wendell Carter Jr.: 82 OVR (+1)

Evan Fournier: 81 OVR (-2)

John Wall: 81 OVR (-1)

Bobby Portis: 81 OVR (+1)

Robert Williams: 81 OVR (+1)

Jalen Brunson: 81 OVR (+1)

Anthony Edwards: 81 OVR (+1)

Jusuf Nurkić: 81 OVR (+1)

Paul Millsap: 81 OVR (+2)

Kevin Love: 80 OVR (-2)

Lauri Markkanen: 80 OVR (-1)

Danilo Gallinari: 80 OVR (-1)

Victor Oladipo: 80 OVR (-1)

R.J. Barrett: 80 OVR (-1)

Myles Turner: 80 OVR (-1)

Malik Beasley: 80 OVR (-1)

Dwight Howard: 80 OVR (+1)

Tim Hardaway Jr.: 80 OVR (+1)

Immanuel Quickley: 79 OVR (-1)

Carmelo Anthony: 79 OVR (-1)

Shake Milton: 79 OVR (+1)

Brook Lopez: 79 OVR (+1)

Marcus Morris Sr.: 79 OVR (+1)

Devonte Graham: 79 OVR (+1)

Jakob Poeltl: 79 OVR (+1)

Rudy Gay: 79 OVR (+1)

Dario Šarić: 79 OVR (+1)

Darius Garland: 79 OVR (+2)

Bogdan Bogdanović: 79 OVR (+3)

Goran Dragić: 78 OVR (-1)

Malik Monk: 78 OVR (+1)

JaMychal Green: 78 OVR (+1)

Hamidou Diallo: 78 OVR (+1)

Gary Trent Jr.: 78 OVR (+1)

Kevon Looney: 78 OVR (+1)

James Johnson: 78 OVR (+2)

Kelly Olynyk: 78 OVR (+4)

P.J. Washington: 77 OVR (-3)

James Wiseman: 77 OVR (-2)

Donte DiVincenzo: 77 OVR (-1)

Daniel Theis: 77 OVR (-1)

Josh Richardson: 77 OVR (-1)

Saddiq Bey: 77 OVR (-1)

Eric Paschall: 77 OVR (-1)

Tomas Satoransky: 77 OVR (+1)

Grayson Allen: 77 OVR (+1)

Miles Bridges: 77 OVR (+2)

Moses Brown: 77 OVR (+3)

Coby White: 76 OVR (-2)

Ricky Rubio: 76 OVR (-2)

Xavier Tillman: 76 OVR (-1)

James Ennis: 76 OVR (-1)

Trey Burke: 76 OVR (-1)

Eric Bledsoe: 76 OVR (-1)

Langston Galloway: 76 OVR (-1)

Tony Bradley: 76 OVR (-1)

Danny Green: 76 OVR (+1)

Isaiah Hartenstein: 76 OVR (+1)

Terance Mann: 76 OVR (+1)

Onyeka Okongwu: 76 OVR (+1)

Elfrid Payton: 76 OVR (+1)

Dwight Powell: 76 OVR (+1)

Saben Lee: 76 OVR (+1)

Chuma Okeke: 76 OVR (+4)

Justise Winslow: 75 OVR (-1)

Nemanja Bjelica: 75 OVR (-1)

Talen Horton-Tucker: 75 OVR (-1)

Avery Bradley: 75 OVR (-1)

Ty Jerome: 75 OVR (-1)

Jarred Vanderbilt: 75 OVR (-1)

Jaylen Nowell: 75 OVR (-1)

Kent Bazemore: 75 OVR (-1)

Mohamed Bamba: 75 OVR (+1)

Drew Eubanks: 75 OVR (+1)

Taj Gibson: 75 OVR (+2)

Goga Bitadze: 75 OVR (+2)

Kira Lewis Jr.: 75 OVR (+2)

Kenyon Martin Jr.: 75 OVR (+2)

Juan Hernangómez: 75 OVR (+2)

Thanasis Antetokounmpo: 75 OVR (+3)

Jaden McDaniels: 75 OVR (+3)

Pat Connaughton: 74 OVR (-2)

Desmond Bane: 74 OVR (-2)

Kevin Huerter: 74 OVR (-2)

Al-Farouq Aminu: 74 OVR (-1)

Payton Pritchard: 74 OVR (-1)

Tony Snell: 74 OVR (-1)

Maxi Kleber: 74 OVR (-1)

Aron Baynes: 74 OVR (-1)

Devin Vassell: 74 OVR (-1)

Dean Wade: 74 OVR (+1)

Terence Davis: 74 OVR (+1)

Edmond Sumner: 74 OVR (+1)

Patrick Patterson: 74 OVR (+2)

Cody Martin: 73 OVR (-2)

P.J. Dozier: 73 OVR (-2)

Damion Lee: 73 OVR (-2)

Chandler Hutchison: 73 OVR (-2)

Bryn Forbes: 73 OVR (-1)

Jeff Teague: 73 OVR (-1)

Denzel Valentine: 73 OVR (-1)

Luke Kornet: 73 OVR (-1)

Trevor Ariza: 73 OVR (-1)

Alex Caruso: 73 OVR (-1)

Michael Carter-Williams: 73 OVR (-1)

Facundo Campazzo: 73 OVR (-1)

Justin Holiday: 73 OVR (-1)

Sterling Brown: 73 OVR (-1)

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk: 73 OVR (-1)

Jake Layman: 73 OVR (-1)

R.J. Hampton: 73 OVR (+1)

Caleb Martin: 72 OVR (-2)

Furkan Korkmaz: 72 OVR (-1)

Troy Brown Jr.: 72 OVR (-1)

Cedi Osman: 72 OVR (-1)

Matt Thomas: 72 OVR (-1)

Ben McLemore: 72 OVR (-1)

Bol Bol: 72 OVR (+1)

Jordan Nwora: 72 OVR (+2)

Alize Johnson: 72 OVR (+2)

D.J. Wilson: 72 OVR (+2)

Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot: 71 OVR (-1)

Tyler Johnson: 71 OVR (-1)

Ryan Arcidiacono: 70 OVR (-1)

Aaron Nesmith: 70 OVR (-1)

Sam Merrill: 70 OVR (+2)

Damyean Dotson: 69 OVR (-2)

Brodric Thomas: 69 OVR (+3)

Check out the full Courtside Report written by the NBA 2K dev team for all the details on the player rating updates here: https://nba.2k.com/nba-2k21-player-ratings-update-courtside-report-04-8-21/

The second half of Season Pass 2 arrives, bringing with it a brand new raid boss, murder mystery story missions, daily and weekly challenges via Vault Cards, and a cache of behind-the-scenes content

Attention Vault Hunters! New challenges await you in the Borderlands® 3 Director’s Cut add-on, which is now available for purchase separately and available to download for owners of Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition or Season Pass 2.* In addition, the brand new Disciples of the Vault cosmetic packs just debuted alongside Director’s Cut; two new loot machines have been added to the base game for use by all players; and Borderlands 3 has joined the PlayStation Now library.

As the add-on’s launch trailer shows, Director’s Cut includes a colossal Varkid raid boss named Hemovorous the Invincible, as well as an interplanetary murder mystery. You’ll also find the first of three planned Vault Cards. By completing Vault Card challenges, you gain progress toward unlocking themed rewards, including unique Legendary gear, tons of new cosmetic items, and a brand new in-game resource: Diamond Keys.

For those interested in learning more about how games like Borderlands 3 get made, Director’s Cut also includes a wealth of behind-the-scenes content. Explore a gallery full of concept art, view deleted scenes, see some of the team’s favorite pre-release bugs, and maybe find answers to some questions you didn’t even know you had.

Coinciding with the release of Director’s Cut, the Disciples of the Vault cosmetic packs have been granted to players who own Season Pass 2 or Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition and are now available for purchase separately. These cosmetic packs show who Borderlands 3’s Vault Hunters would have become if they’d joined the Children of the Vault. Each character-specific pack includes a one-of-a-kind Vault Hunter body and matching head, which you can mix and match with any other customization options you have in your collection.

In addition, two new machines have now been added to the base game: Crazy Earl’s Reroll and Maurice’s Black Market Vending Machine, both of which are available to all players at no additional cost. Crazy Earl’s Reroll replaces the existing Anointment on a specified item in exchange for some Eridium. Maurice’s Black Market Vending Machine offers top-tier Legendary loot and will be hidden in a new location within the base game each week. It’ll be up to the Borderlands community to track it down and see what he’s got.

Borderlands 3 is available now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Mac, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. For assets and additional information, please visit newsroom.2k.com.

*Requires a copy of the Borderlands 3 base game to play.

Borderlands 3 is developed by Gearbox Software for 2K. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

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Free Season Two of Game Dev Sitcom 3 out of 10 Arrives on Epic Games Store

BOSTON — 8 April, 2020 — 3 out of 10, the episodic playable sitcom about daily life at the world’s worst game development studio, debuts the entire Season Two on the Epic Games Store for free today. Five new episodes continue the satirical story grabbed by over 9 million players during Season One.

Season One’s cliffhanger ending left us with more questions than answers—sorry about that! New animator Midge managed to survive five episodes of her coworkers’ game dev shenanigans—shipping interns back to their game dev college, an office-wide battle royale, sentient mannequins, the usual—only to cohort with the mysterious man beneath the parasol and attempt to sabotage the studio’s game! What’s the deal with Mr. Parasol, anyway? Why is Midge sneaking behind her coworkers’ backs? 

With Season Two’s debut today, there is a 50% chance that some, all, or none of your questions will be answered.

Step back into the lives of the most ineffectual game developers in existence. Tag along with a dynamic quintet of memorable characters—plus at least four others—as they aspire to earn a review score higher than a 3 out of 10 while doing everything in their power to do anything else. Prove your cred in a colorful gamer nightclub, survive the lead designer’s discovery of coffee, and defend against murderous motion-capture drones.

Hijinks ensue in this loving mash-up of animation tropes, sitcom laughs, and the video game industry. Easy to pick up and play, 3 out of 10 offers revolutionary, TV-inspired features like scene selection, scene skip, fast forward and rewind. Replay the best moments, jump back to previous areas to find collectibles, or skip mini-games you don’t love at first sight.

Then again, what’s not to love about spike-filled and fire-fueled gauntlets, surviving the subterranean horrors of a ball pit, twisting metal off vehicular monstrosities, or playing a tabletop version of Shovelworks Studios’ endless runner with an end? Bust a rhyme in a rap battle about trains, enjoy the world’s most exciting loading screen, and battle through a ventilation system inspired by dungeon crawlers.

“When developing the mini-games for Season Two, we looked to gaming’s past to concoct humorous takes for the present day,” said Joe Mirabello, guy creatively in charge at Terrible Posture Games. “Then, during a viewing of Die Hard, I thought, ‘What if: vents?’ and the rest was history.”

3 out of 10: Season Two premieres today on the Epic Games Store for free. For those looking to catch-up or revisit the story, 3 out of 10: Season One is available now on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One, as well as the Epic Games Store. For more deft humor and flawless comedic stylings, hang out with Terrible Posture Games on Twitter, Facebook, Discord, and the official website.

About Terrible Posture Games

Terrible Posture Games is an independent studio founded by veterans of game development on the idea that great talent is global, so studios should be completely remote. Responsible for the creation of Tower of Guns and co-development of MOTHERGUNSHIP, the studio aims to be a compassionate place for developers to grow and make fun things.

KENT, UK – Apr. 8, 2021 – Experience classic railroading moving heavy coal and manifest freight through the heart of Virginia’s coalfields with Train Sim World 2: Clinchfield Railroad.

Fabulous and famous: The Clinchfield Railroad was one of America’s most extraordinary railroads. Often called “The Rio Grande of the East” for its spectacular scenery and challenging mountain railroading, the Clinchfield (which is now CSX’s Kingsport Subdivision) was both an extraordinary coal hauler and a busy and vital bridge line for manifest freight traffic, providing a link between the Chesapeake & Ohio on its north end and the Seaboard Coast Line in the south.

It’s your job to take charge of the heavy coal and manifest freight services through the rugged Appalachian Mountains. Load coal from one of several mines in peaks of Virginia, and explore not only the main line, but the various local branches, each with its own challenges and character.

Take control of the instantly recognizable EMD F7 diesel locomotive, dressed in the vibrant and coal dust-coated Clinchfield Railroad livery. Alternatively, get a taste of something then-new, the EMD SD40, before its more recent upgrades to become the loco that exists today.

Train Sim World 2: Clinchfield Railroad is out now, priced at $29.99/£24.99. The route features:

• 37 mile Route – Between Elkhorn City, Kentucky and Dante, Virginia. It also includes the 5-mile Haysi branch, 14-mile Fremont branch, 2-mile McClure spur and 6-mile Nora spur!
• Iconic Locos – Drive the CRR F7A & B and SD40 diesel locomotives featuring highly detailed driving cabs with accurate true-to-life performance and handling
• In-depth Tutorials – Learn how to drive the F7 & SD40 with training modules that introduce you to the braking and safety systems.
• Journey Mode – Featuring over 24 hours of activities to master, including unique scenarios with changing weather and real-world services.
• Collectables – Walk around the route on foot and complete tasks like clearing fallen logs and refilling fire buckets.
• Customization Tools – Use the Livery Designer to create your own unique designs, and the Scenario Planner to build your own service.

For further information please visit www.trainsimworld.com.

About Dovetail Games

Dovetail Games was launched in 2013. Previously trading as RailSimulator.com Ltd, the business launched in 2009 initially producing and marketing PC game Train Simulator. Today Dovetail Games is responsible for train, flight and fishing simulation games and is developing for PC and leading consoles. http://www.dovetailgames.com.

About SimuGraph

Developed by Dovetail Games, SimuGraph Vehicle Dynamics Engine is a powerful visual modeling and simulation framework for the construction and real-time simulation of electrical, mechanical and hydraulic systems in the context of vehicle dynamics.

About Unreal Engine

Developed by Epic Games, the award-winning Unreal Engine is known for world-class graphics, tools and scalability across PC, console and mobile platforms. Unreal Engine technology is designed to accelerate developers’ productivity for creating high quality games, applications, training simulations, visualizations, digital films and animated entertainment. To access UE4, visit www.unrealengine.com and follow @UnrealEngine.

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DECEIVE OR BE DECEIVED IN A HOMICIDAL ROBOT REVOLT ON THE MOST CHAOTIC CRUISE YOU’VE EVER BEEN ON

Baltimore, MD – April 8th, 2021 – Independent developer Invisible Walls in partnership with indie publisher Versus Evil are excited to announce that their multiplayer social deduction game First Class Trouble is now available on Steam Early Access.

Set in an alternate 1950’s universe on board the ISS Alithea, a passenger cruise-liner on its maiden 20 year journey across the solar system, First Class Trouble is a multiplayer social deduction game where six players must work together to shut down C.A.I.N., the rogue A.I. onboard the luxury space cruise-liner that is trying to kill them. Two of the six players are chosen at random to secretly play as Personoids, killer humanoids sent by C.A.I.N. to infiltrate and ultimately betray the other players, known as Residents.

Collaboration underpins the nature of First Class Trouble’s gameplay which utilizes built-in proximity-based voice chat to elevate the social dynamics of actual conversations. As friends split off from the group to scheme and plot, you won’t hear a victim’s cry for help if they’re too far from you.  Residents will need to use teamwork to accomplish different co-operative tasks to navigate the different maps while the Personoids lie, disrupt, and deceive their way through the ship to kill off the Residents. Players can find themselves offed in a number of unique ways including being dumped out of airlocks, drowned in spa pools, electrocuting each other, pushed into a burning fire or freezing to death from being locked in freezers.

Partly funded by the Danish Film Institute as well as a recipient of an Epic Games MegaGrant, developer Invisible Walls is utilizing the Unreal Engine to bring the world of First Class Trouble to life. The game emphasizes how development teams, publishers and government contribution can combine to deliver new player experiences under one creative vision. 

“First Class Trouble combines all the chaos, hilarity and fun you’d expect from a social deduction game played with friends. It’s as hilarious to watch as it is hugely entertaining to play, and the mix of personalities and the actual social aspect of getting together is a welcome pause from everything happening around us in our daily lives. Without a doubt, the team at Invisible Walls have created a competitive addition to the hugely popular social deduction genre.” Said Steve Escalante,General Manager of Versus Evil.

Further details to bring First Class Trouble to consoles will be announced by Versus Evil and Invisible Walls sometime later this year.

To wishlist the game or to find more details on the forthcoming updates during early access be sure to check out the First Class Trouble Steam page here.

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

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

Rescue Missions, Firefighting, and Convoy Escort are Just a Few of the Challenges in the New Windows PC Title from Ziggurat Interactive

DENVER, COLORADO (April 8, 2021) — Ziggurat Interactive, publisher of multiplatform retro and modern games, announced today the upcoming release of their newest title — Super Chopper. In the game, players will pilot an attack helicopter bristling with weapons and rescue gear as they fly combat sorties and missions of mercy! Super Chopper challenges players to show off their flying skills as they traverse canyons, jungles, deserts, and snowy mountains while battling through more than 50 missions. To keep the action going, Super Chopper also includes a fully-featured level editor for players to design their own missions.

“Super Chopper combines all the elements of old school helicopter combat and rescue games with awesome 3D graphics, diverse terrain, and an intuitive interface. We can’t wait to get it in the hands of aspiring armchair pilots everywhere,” said Michael Devine, SVP, Business Development, Ziggurat Interactive. “Unique to Super Chopper is a robust level editor tool, and we are eager to see what home-brewed levels players will challenge themselves and their friends with.”

Features of Super Chopper Include:

• Jump in and Play: Super Chopper makes it easy to dive into the action with intuitive flight controls — no pilot’s license required
   
• Airborne Arsenal: Quickly swap between four weapon types, including a standard machine gun, rapid-fire machine gun, missiles, and bombs
   
• Five Environments: Fly missions in multiple conditions and environments including red rock canyons, grassy plains, steamy jungles, snowy mountains, and desolate deserts
   
• Mission Briefing: Master five mission types: stealth, combat, rescue, escort, and fire prevention
   
• Hours of Fun: Play through all 50 missions to become a true ace pilot
   
• Level Editor: Create your own custom missions with the robust editor tool:
  • Create all five mission types: rescue, stealth, combat, escort, and fire patrol
  • Select the number and placement of enemies and modify their behavior
  • Drop waypoints, objectives, and set the victory conditions for each mission

Ziggurat Interactive will release Super Chopper via Steam on Windows PC for $9.99 USD later this month.

More info about Ziggurat Interactive, its current lineup, and upcoming announcements is available on Facebook, Twitter, and the company’s official website, with info on their upcoming products to be announced on the same.
 
About Ziggurat Interactive
 
Ziggurat Interactive was launched in late 2019 with the goal of preserving and expanding the legacy of video games. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Ziggurat creates and celebrates games — expanding the audience for both retro and new titles by making them accessible to all types of players across multiple platforms.
 

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Commanders now have access to multiple systems, starships and new on-foot Conflict Zones

Cambridge, UK – 8 April 2021. Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV) announced today the start of the second phase of the Elite Dangerous: Odyssey PC Alpha. The Alpha, accessible since 29 March, is available for Lifetime Expansion Pass owners and players who have pre-ordered the Odyssey Deluxe Alpha expansion pack. The second phase of the Alpha will roll in today at 2pm BST.

Check out the ‘Conflict Zones’ YouTube trailer, below: 

This second stage of the Odyssey Alpha will expand the playable area to 20 light years and grants players access to their own starships. Adventurous Commanders can also drop in to perilous Conflict Zones by signing in with the Frontline Solutions mercenary company.

The list of new features available in the second phase of the Elite Dangerous: Odyssey PC Alpha phases include*:

• Conflict Zones on foot are now accessible through the Frontline Solutions front desk.
• Commanders will have free access to starships and will be immediately issued with a Cobra Mk III, including multicrew seats.
• Expanded playable area of the galaxy to approximately 20 light years.
• New space suit available for purchase: Manticore Dominator combat suit.
• New starting system: Nervi.
• 300,000 starting credits for new Commanders. (This amount will also be added to existing Alpha Commanders’ balances.)

*Areas of play and features during the Alpha are subject to change.

A full list of updates can be found on the Elite Dangerous Forums here.

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey releases on PC in late spring 2021. Prospective PC Commanders can pre-order now and secure access to the Alpha via Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Frontier 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.

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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.

Zynga Launches Modern Match-3 Mobile Game Puzzle Combat

Follow Up to the Hit Game Empires & Puzzles, Puzzle Combat Mixes RPG Systems With Unique Matching Combinations  

SAN FRANCISCO – April 8, 2021 – Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA), a global leader in interactive entertainment, today announced the worldwide launch of Puzzle Combat, a new mobile match-3 action role-playing game (RPG) where players recruit heroes, build bases and compete in player-vs-player (PvP) battles in a zombie-themed setting. Puzzle Combat is developed by Helsinki-based Small Giant Games, a subsidiary of Zynga Inc. and the studio behind the hit game Empires & Puzzles.

In Puzzle Combat, players will immerse themselves in battling enemies from the dangerous Dread Army with power-ups by creating unique match combinations. Players recruit spies, medics, demolition experts and more to fight on their side, each bringing unique special attacks to the fray. Players will also design impenetrable bases by constructing and upgrading buildings like foundries, workshops, training schools and quarters.

“Puzzle Combat gives players the rush of commanding the ultimate squad of heroes, all through the familiar fun of a match-3 experience,” said Jose Saarniniemi, Managing Director of Small Giant Games. “By combining key elements of Empires & Puzzles with a new, modern combat-themed game design, Puzzle Combat immerses players in a dynamic, action-packed virtual world filled with zombies. Following today’s release, we expect Puzzle Combat to build a community of engaged gamers with additional themes and upgraded features designed to appeal to players around the world.”

Puzzle Combat matches players in PvP battles with other players around the world. To achieve combat dominance, players summon hundreds of individualized powerful heroes, each with unique abilities, and collect different weapons to upgrade and use in the field. As players progress, they can also join alliances to share best tactics and compete in challenging team events to promote their heroes, advance together and form the ultimate fighting force.

Key gaming highlights include:

• More than 200 unique heroes for players to collect and upgrade.
• Fast-paced match-3 action with special attacks unlocked by matching similar tiles in unique combinations.
• Base-building designed to train your recruits into heroes, farm for food, mine metals, craft critical battle items and more. 
• Extensive PvP raid seasons with valuable rewards.
• Cooperative alliance game modes to dismantle powerful war machines, attack rivals in team battles and dominate in team events.
• Social features, such as global and alliance chats, allow players to exchange tactics and form teams to achieve the next level of gameplay.
• Limited time events to earn unique rewards and compete against other players.

Puzzle Combat is available now for iOS and Android as a free download.

Zynga will release its first quarter 2021 results after the close of the market on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.

About Zynga Inc.                                                                                                        

Zynga is a global leader in interactive entertainment with a mission to connect the world through games. To date, more than one billion people have played Zynga’s franchises including CSR Racing™, Empires & Puzzles™, Merge Dragons!™, Merge Magic!™, Toon Blast™, Toy Blast™, Words With Friends™ and Zynga Poker™. Zynga’s games are available in more than 150 countries and are playable across social platforms and mobile devices worldwide. Founded in 2007, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with locations in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, India, Turkey and Finland. For more information, visit www.zynga.com or follow Zynga on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or the Zynga blog.

Development continues with Divio at the helm as Kickstarter campaign planned to go live soon

Košice, Slovak Republic – 8th April, 2021. Grindstone is today thrilled to announce a publishing deal with development team Divio to bring the tactical RTS game, Liquidation, to PC via Steam in 2022. Divio has acquired the IP for Liquidation from German developers Kiwi Brothers Studios and has previously worked as part of the development team. 

Liquidation is a tactical RTS game in which you take on the role of a faction commander tasked with crushing other insurgent factions and stake your claim as ruler of the war-torn world of Veá. The Liquidation universe blends elements of both fantasy and science fiction to deliver a fresh perspective in the genre with support for both single-player and multiplayer modes. This is tactical RTS, reborn. 

This publishing deal will see Liquidation benefit from Grindstone’s publishing experience including marketing and community outreach and launching the Kickstarter campaign scheduled for early May, 2021. With the Kiwi Brothers Studio stepping back from the development of the game, the Liquidation community and fans need not worry. Grindstone will be taking the publishing lead and team Divio headed up by Erik Vinclav will take over the development duties and software solutions for Liquidation. 

“We are thrilled to bring Liquidation to Grindstone’s growing portfolio of exciting titles” commented Peter Nagy, founder and CEO of Grindstone. “ With Divio, one of the key creators from the original team, taking over from Kiwi Brothers Studio and driving the development of the game, we can focus our attention on the publishing side including launching the Kickstarter campaign and building up an active community. We are excited to continue the groundwork already laid out by the team and to establish Liquidation as a must have title for any RTS fan”. 

“The development of Liquidation has been quite a ride so far” said Erik Vinclav, CEO at Divio. “We are looking forward to taking the lead on the games’ development and working with Grindstone who will be able to take our game to the next level and help us realise our vision for what Liquidation can deliver. We are excited to see what the future holds.” 

The Kickstarter campaign for Liquidation is scheduled to start in May, 2021, with the aim of engaging with fans and building an active community to support the next phase of this exciting project. More information on the Kickstarter campaign will be available soon, so stay tuned!

Liquidation is scheduled for an early 2022 release for PC and fans can wishlist the game on Steam now. For more information please visit the official Liquidation website at https://liquidationgame.com/ or follow on the official social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, Discord and YouTube

About Grindstone 

Grindstone is the new age publisher from Slovakia founded by industry veteran Peter Nagy in 2015. Despite starting low profile, projects produced and supported by Grindstone stand out of the crowd with their unique concept, ideas and production quality. Beyond the production of games, Grindstone leads the growth of the regional game development ecosystem, organizes the international game conference Game Days Kosice, and aims to become a major global publishing and production company.