First Glimpse At Gameplay Direction For VR Music Game Unplugged*

Developer Ricardo Acosta shares his vision for the VR music game that will make players feel like a rockstar on a virtual stage

Sydney, AU – December 18, 2020: VR publisher and developer Vertigo Games and newly formed VR studio Anotherway have released a brand new video for their upcoming VR music game Unplugged (*working title), revealing a behind the scenes look into the development of the game, and sharing more details into their vision for the gameplay direction.

Watch the Unplugged Developer Video here

“Unplugged is a VR music game that puts you in front of a crowd,” Ricardo Acosta says in the video. “It’s not about learning to play guitar, it’s about feeling like a rockstar, it’s about immersion. We want you to feel like you are there, you are a rockstar in front of a big crowd and you’re interacting with them.” The video shows a first glimpse of what that interaction looks like as we see the development team in VR headsets, using hand tracking technology to play air guitar and wave to the virtual audience, which then waves back.

A publishing partnership between Vertigo Games and Anotherway was just announced last week, where Vertigo Games stated they had big plans for the title and would be “elevating the gameplay concept in exciting ways”. “With Unplugged, Anotherway applies novel and high-quality hand tracking technology to VR gameplay in the best way possible and creates a whole new level of immersion that really impressed us,” said Richard Stitselaar, Managing Director at Vertigo Games. “We are excited to bring Anotherway’s unique vision to VR in 2021.”

Unplugged is developed by Anotherway, a newly formed VR studio led by Ricardo Acosta and Julia Casal, developers with roots at Microsoft Hololens and Activision. During lockdown, they started working on Unplugged as a passion project, which seemed to really resonate with the VR community. “At that point we realized we had something worthy in our hands,” Ricardo Acosta says in the video. “By partnering with Vertigo Games we have the resources to create a great game.”

Unplugged is a VR music game that uses novel and quality hand tracking technology to make you feel like a musical legend on a virtual stage. Published by Vertigo Games and developed by Anotherway, Unplugged is coming to VR in Q3 2021. For more news about Unplugged, find Unplugged on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and sign up for the newsletter at unplugged-vr.com.

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About Vertigo Games

Vertigo Games is a multi-platform VR entertainment company with offices in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Los Angeles, California. With teams in the areas of development, publishing and LBE (location-based entertainment) distribution, the company offers a growing portfolio of quality VR games that provide novel, powerful and full-featured gaming experiences both in- and outside of the home. Current games include Vertigo Studios’ evergreen brand Arizona Sunshine®, critically acclaimed VR titles such as A Fisherman’s Tale, and LBE-exclusive VR experiences like Ghost Patrol® VR. Vertigo Games has six releases in the 2021 publishing pipeline, including Vertigo Studios’ next VR action FPS game After the Fall®, the VR music game Unplugged and the tongue-in-cheek VR sim Traffic Jams. Vertigo Games is a Koch Media Group company. vertigo-games.com

About Anotherway

Anotherway is a newly formed VR development studio, founded in 2020 by Ricardo Acosta and Julia Casal. For many years, Ricardo and Julia worked as developers for major clients and agencies such as Microsoft Hololens and Activision. While these environments were ideal for learning and skill development, the two always felt a need to build something of their own, on their own terms, away from the corporate grid. During lockdown, they started working on their own passion project “Unplugged”, which seemed to really resonate with the VR community. Realizing the potential Unplugged held, Ricardo and Julia decided to break their corporate chains and chase their ambitious dreams. Anotherway was finally born. unplugged-vr.com.

Back 4 Blood Gameplay Showcase – Game Details Unveiled

Today, Warner Bros. Games broadcast the Back 4 Blood Gameplay Showcase to unveil game details for Back 4 Blood, the upcoming first-person cooperative zombie shooter from Turtle Rock Studios. In addition to the development team speaking to the vision behind the game, viewers were treated to an extended gameplay demo and an explanation of what players will get to experience.

To view and share the official Back 4 Blood Gameplay Showcase event, visit the Turtle Rock Studios Twitch Channel.

The Back 4 Blood story takes place after a catastrophic outbreak where most of humanity has either been killed or infected by the parasitic Devil Worm. Hardened by unspeakable events and emboldened to fight for the last of humanity, a group of apocalypse veterans called the Cleaners have rallied to take on the infected horrors known as the Ridden and reclaim the world. Back 4 Blood features thrilling, dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay and highly variable, customizable action to keep players coming back for more.

Back 4 Blood includes a four-player cooperative story campaign in which the Cleaners must fight the Ridden and work together to survive increasingly challenging missions. Players can team-up online with drop-in and drop-out co-op to fight the ever-evolving Ridden threat together or play the campaign solo with three AI teammates. The game also features competitive multiplayer in which participants can play with or against friends in online PvP that supports up to eight players and teams take turns playing as both the Cleaners and the horrific Ridden.

Back 4 Blood is scheduled for a worldwide release on June 22, 2021 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4 and PC.

To learn more about Back 4 Blood please visit: www.Back4Blood.com or join the community conversation on Facebook (Back4Blood), Instagram (turtlerockstudios), Twitter (@Back4Blood), Twitch (Turtle Rock Studios), YouTube (Back 4 Blood),  Discord (Turtle Rock Studios) and @WBGamesANZ

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Microsoft Flight Simulator is Fastest Growing Entry in the Series with Over 2 Million Players to Date

by Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is Microsoft’s longest running franchise with a history of 38 years, and we are proud to announce that the latest entry is the fastest to grow to over 2 million pilots. This was possible thanks to the incredible community of fans, real-world pilots, flight enthusiasts, and virtual travellers who have embraced the new simulation since its arrival on August 18 and made it the biggest game launch in Xbox Game Pass for PC history. On behalf of the entire team, a huge thank you to all the fans who have taken to the skies and are exploring our world while discovering the magic of flight with us.

The community have piloted more than 50 million flights and have logged more than 3.5 billion miles flown to date – the equivalent of flying 19 times roundtrip from the Earth to the Sun, or around the world over 400 thousand times. It’s been humbling to see the positive reactions to Microsoft Flight Simulator and we feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to have such a highly engaged community that continually helps us improve the simulation with their ongoing and insightful feedback. We are also so energized by the community of creators who have already embraced our SDK and developed over 500 airports, aircraft, and other add-ons in the short few months since launch. The quality of work, knowledge and passion on display from creators is an inspiration to our team every day.

Looking back, December has already been an incredible month. It was a lot of fun to be part of the 2020 Microsoft Holiday Commercial in which Microsoft Flight Simulator helped Rufus and Sam soar over the sunny skies of snow-covered Pittsburgh!

Winning “Best Sim / Strategy 2020” at The Game Awards a last week was such an honor as well. The team is extremely proud that we have been able to follow the storied history of previous Microsoft Flight Simulator titles that received such accolades, and we feel humbled to be selected from the amazing group of games that were nominated for this award. The evening was perfectly rounded out as we announced that Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to Xbox Series X|S in Summer of 2021. The trailer, which was captured in real-time on Xbox Series X, already gives a glimpse into how incredible the sim will look when it comes to console in a few short months.

As a thank you to all of you – die-hard simmers and newcomers to flight simulation alike – we are pleased to announce that we are preparing a few surprises alongside the VR update launching on December 22. Everyone will receive a unique Microsoft Flight Simulator-themed livery for the entire launch plane fleet and simmers will be able to fly with the same cute dog-themed liveries that Rufus and Sam flew in their Pitts Special. Finally, given the time of year, the update will add real-time snow and true-to-life ice coverage to the entire planet.

As we’ve said time and time again, our launch in 2020 was only the beginning of our journey with Microsoft Flight Simulator. We are excited to carry this momentum into 2021 – we will launch on Xbox Series X|S in the summer, we are planning 3 large updates to the simulation, and we will update the world 4-5 times with additional World Updates (as well as a few other surprises we have planned).

Thank you very much for all your support and see you in the skies! Happy Holidays from the Microsoft Flight Simulator team. Let it snow!

Team Up to Earn Additional Loot in Borderlands® 3’s Co-op Loot Drop Mini-Event

Starting today, get more gear by playing with friends during the free Co-op Loot Drop mini-event!

Vault Hunters who slay together stay together, so we’re bringing back Borderlands® 3’s Co-op Loot Drop mini-event! From December 18 through January 21, all Badass enemies will drop more loot than normal whenever you’re playing online or local split-screen co-op. Plus, the bigger your player party, the more loot that drops, making this the perfect time to boot up four-player split-screen for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S!

Co-op Loot Drop’s effects apply to all Badass enemies game-wide, including any you encounter in paid add-on content*: Moxxi’s Heist of The Handsome Jackpot, Guns, Love, and Tentacles: The Marriage of Wainwright & Hammerlock, Bounty of Blood, Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck, and even the Arms Race portion of the recent Designer’s Cut add-on (albeit at a slightly lower bonus rate for balance purposes).

If you’re playing with a new group of freshly minted Vault Hunters, the Co-op Loot Drop is a great way to gear up quickly. Meanwhile, more seasoned slayers can take advantage of the boosted co-op rewards in challenging endgame content like Takedown at the Maliwan Blacksite and Takedown at the Guardian Breach.

Whether you’re quarantined with pals or just gaming online, this mini-event offers quality bonding time with a multitude of mayhem-filled moments. Show those Badass enemies who’s boss and reap the extra rewards before Co-op Loot Drop ends on January 21, 2021.

Got a loved one who still needs a copy of the game? Then why not give the gift of mayhem this holiday season! If you want the complete Borderlands 3 experience, be sure to pick up Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition, which is now available on PC, Stadia, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. Ultimate Edition grants you access to the award-winning base game, multiple bonus cosmetic packs (including the recently revealed Final Form Cosmetics), and both the original Season Pass* and Season Pass 2.*

And just a reminder: Borderlands 3’s next-gen upgrade is now available for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. All players who own or purchase both a copy of the game and a next-gen console will be able to download the upgrade within the same console family for free. Players who own a physical disc of Borderlands 3 will need the Xbox Series X or standard PlayStation 5 console model that includes a disc drive to take advantage of this feature.

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

*Requires a copy of the base game to play.

2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

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JUST DANCE 2021 BRINGS A DANCING FAIRY TALE WITH A NEW SEASON, ONCE UPON A DANCE

Let yourself be enchanted by a new season full of magic, starting today!

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – December 18, 2020 – Today, Ubisoft^® announced a new content update for Just Dance^® 2021, the latest installment of the #1Music Video Game Franchise of All Time*, to celebrate the upcoming season. This update offers Just Dance 2021 owners free new content including premium songs available for limited time and online contests, as well as exclusive and iconic songs only accessible via Just Dance Unlimited**, the dance-on-demand-streaming-service.

The first season Once Upon a Dance brings an enchanting fairytale journey that will bring sparkles to your eyes. Between the holiday spirit, and the magic of the stories that cradled our childhood, it’s time for players to celebrate and dance with their loved ones. Once Upon a Dance will include a Part 1 and Part 2 within Just Dance 2021.

Part 1 will be available starting December 18^th to December 31^st, bringing two iconic songs to Just Dance 2021 until the end of the event***, “Love is All” by The Sunlight Shakers and “Dancing Queen” by ABBA. The event will also include the release of “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?” byYlvis, coming to Just Dance Unlimited*** on December 24th. All songs are accessible with an ongoing Just Dance Unlimited subscription or an active trial period.

Part 2 will be available starting January 14^th until February 4^th, delivering a new playlist, 3 exclusive songs and 3 hits from previous games accessible via Just Dance 2021 with an ongoing Just Dance Unlimited Subscription or an active trial period. Among the new releases, players will be able to celebrate the return of 3 fan favorite tracks:

• “Born to Be Wild“ by Steppenwolf, available on January 14^th
• “Only You (And You Alone)” by Love Letter, available on January 21^st
• “Burn” by Ellie Goulding, available on January 28^th

Along with the release of Once Upon a Dance, Just Dance will launch free events in the World Dance Floor, the online mode of Just Dance.

For more information about Just Dance 2021, the Just Dance Controller App or Just Dance Unlimited, please visit justdancegame.com. Follow Just Dance on Twitter @justdancegame and use hashtag #JustDance2021.

These events are available for all Just Dance 2021 owners on Nintendo Switch™, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation®4 Pro, PlayStation®4,  PlayStation®5, and Google Stadia.

*Source: NPD, GfK & GSD – August 2017

**Just Dance Unlimited is an additional subscription service available through Just Dance 2017, Just Dance 2018, Just Dance 2019, Just Dance 2020 and Just Dance 2021.
***Free for two weeks for all Just Dance 2021 users.

***About Just Dance Unlimited

With Just Dance Unlimited, get access to a diverse catalogue of more than 600 songs and exclusive new content every month, including international and local artists, along with great updates and community challenges all year long via Just Dance® 2021, and to over 400 songs via Just Dance® 2020, Just Dance® 2019, Just Dance® 2018, Just Dance® 2017 and Just Dance® 2016 for the duration of your subscription. A 1-month free trial is available with each Just Dance 2021 copy. Internet connection required.

About Just Dance Controller App

The free Just Dance Controller App enables players to use their smartphone to play the game without any peripherals or added console cameras. Available on all platforms, the Just Dance® Controller App makes the game more accessible for current-gen and next-gen owners with its phone-scoring technology, which allows up to six players to dance without any additional accessories, available for free on iOS and Android™.

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, 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 2019–20 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €1,534 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2020 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered or unregistered trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries.

Prepare for a swashbuckling journey into Terraphage…

Intrepid explorers Skeleton Crew Studio and washed up boatswain Devolver Digital today announced that the enchanting action-fantasy game Olija will set sail for adventure on January 28th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch. Cast your eye over the courageous new gameplay trailer and ready the main sail for launch! 

Olija is a game about Faraday’s quest, a man shipwrecked then trapped in the mysterious country of Terraphage. Armed with a legendary harpoon, he and other castaways try to leave this hostile country to return to their homelands. 

Through adventurous exploration, narration and razor sharp combat, the player will discover a strange world and its inhabitants, including Olija, an enigmatic lady that Faraday finds himself bound to over time. Inspired by swashbuckling tales and cinematic adventure games, Olija is a story about facing the unknown in adversity.

PC plunderers can get a taste of the action on Steam in a free demo, available now! Learn more about the mysteries that await over at olija.com.

US Battleship Campaign, Holiday Events, North Cape Bureau Project, and an Armour Viewer

World of Warships: Legends is bringing a bunch of events and the legendary battleship Massachusetts just in time for the holidays. The December update, that lands on December 21, will bring plenty of events for the occasion: a special “icebreaker” event, a new bureau project, ranked battles, and more. Players will have lots to choose from in this update!

The highlight of the update is undoubtedly the new Big Mamie campaign. This event features the Premium Tier VII American battleship Massachusetts (affectionately known as “Big Mamie”) as the final reward. A World War II classic, the Massachusetts is one of the South Dakota-class battleships armed with nine 16-inch (406mm) guns and has excellent armour protection. In-game, she also has an effective battery of secondary guns unlike most US battleships. In real life, she is preserved as a museum ship in Fall River, MA, resting after battling her way through the entire US involvement in the Second World War without losing a man. For the first time, this campaign also features a second premium ship as a reward—the Japanese light cruiser Yahagi. Fast and well-armed for a Tier IV, Yahagi is available at milestone 40 of the campaign. The Big Mamie campaign will run for six weeks and has 120 milestones to reach over the holiday season.

Throughout the update, there’s a special event running in the background to collect unique Icebreaker Coins for even more rewards, including the Tier VII Russian battleship Lenin. Renowned for its “icebreaker armour” along the bow, this ship is tough and mounts nine 16-inch guns in a forward arrangement similar to the British battleship Nelson. Besides Lenin, there’s also some gear available plus three rental Legendary-tier ships: Conqueror, Worcester, and Gearing! You can collect Icebreaker Coins by participating in the holiday events, such as the new season of Ranked battles, fighting in or against Legendary-tier ships, opening Super Santa Containers, or by finishing Icebreaker Havoc missions after finishing the Big Mamie campaign.

World of Warships: Legends is also remembering a dramatic north Atlantic battle this December—the Battle of the North Cape. A special bureau project is available to unlock unique ice-covered arctic skins for three ships: Scharnhorst, Duke of York, and Edinburgh. Duke of York and Scharnhorst fought each other during the confrontation, and ultimately the British ship won out the harsh duel. Although she wasn’t involved in the battle, Edinburgh is available to all players and is closely related to the Belfast, another ship that fought in the battle. This project will only be available until February 1st, be sure to start on it quickly.

This update features a new season of Ranked Battles with a few rule changes. This time, players can battle in competitive 5v5 battles with a limit of one destroyer per team. This will make for an intense season with each player’s actions having a larger impact on the team’s outcome. The much-requested feature armour viewer feature is also arriving in-game. Players can now see the layout and thickness of each ship’s armor in-game to help you create builds and counter strategies to maximise the effectiveness of the ships in battle.

Brace yourselves for an event filled holiday season in World of Warships: Legends and keep turning the tide!

PAC-MAN Stories™ is back with its second adventure ‘PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Snack Attack’

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment is proud to announce the second adventure in the ‘PAC-MAN Stories™’ series for Amazon Alexa, ‘PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Snack Attack’. PAC-MAN Stories is a fun, engaging, interactive and educational experience for parents and children to explore using Amazon’s popular platform. This new adventure is available now.

PAC-MAN Stories has a unique goal to provide fun through original “Choose your own adventure” stories that are fully interactive, featuring challenges and important decision-making whilst focusing on important themes including, saving the planet, respecting others, being helpful and working to a positive end-goal for the PAC-MAN planet. These stories are available as a skill set for Amazon Alexa and accessible to people of all ages.

Since release, ‘PAC-MAN Stories’ has been enjoyed by kids across the world with the first adventure, ‘PAC-MAN and the Ghastly Garbage’. These unique adventures help children listen, learn, engage, and make important moral choices whilst understanding why it is important to protect the planet and help others.

As part of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment’s continued efforts in children’s digital entertainment, the team has been working on a bigger second story with a brand-new theme, a new cast of fun characters and new puzzles to explore. ‘PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Snack Attack’ will push even further the possibilities for children to experiment and learn as they will try to find out what happened with all the stolen fruits and vegetables from PAC-MAN planet.

“After the release of our first, critically-acclaimed, interactive story PAC-MAN and the Ghastly Garbage, we are proud to release PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Snack Attack which expands the level of interactivity and possibilities with the same high-level of audio recording”, said David Aubert, Innovation Project Leader BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe. “With PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Snack Attack, parents and their kids can have fun together and learn all about the importance of healthy eating, whilst having fun in this all-new, 100% free, adventure!”

PAC-MAN Stories is available in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and India, on all Alexa-enabled devices, including Amazon Echo and Echo Dot, as well as on the Alexa app for iOS and Android and features two interactive adventures for families to experience, just ask “Open PAC-MAN Stories”.

PAC-MAN and the Ghastly Garbage

• Someone’s dumped garbage all over PAC-MAN planet. Join PAC-MAN and inhabitants to find out who is behind this awful act!

PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Snack Attack

• Someone’s stolen all the fruit and vegetables from PAC-MAN planet. Join PAC-MAN and a new cast of characters to find out what’s happening to all this wonderful food.

For information please visit www.bandainamcoent.eu. For more information regarding PAC-MAN STORIES please visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/BANDAI-NAMCO-Entertainment-Europe-SAS/dp/B07BQDCK71 

About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S. part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc. is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content for platforms including all major video game consoles, PC and mobile.  The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN™, TEKKEN™, SOULCALIBUR™ and DARK SOULS™ as well as new franchises such as LITTLE NIGHTMARES™ and THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY.

About PAC-MAN

Born on May 22, 1980, PAC-MAN immediately rose to meteoric popularity, first in video game arcades, then on the pop culture stage and through an array of branding and entertainment appearances throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. With a brand recognition rate of 90% around the world, PAC-MAN’s image and brand continues to be one of the most beloved and recognized on the planet.

To learn more about PAC-MAN’S 40^th Anniversary celebrations, please visit:  https://www.pacman.com/en/. You can also follow PAC-MAN on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pacman/, on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/officialpacman?lang=en, or on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/officialpacman/?hl=en.

PAC-MAN™&©BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

Studio 369 and Ragnarok Game, LLC are excited to announce that an update will be coming soon to their open world, action-RPG bloodfest, RUNE II: Decapitation Edition on Steam. Featuring new PvP game modes, the new Goblin Mine dungeon, and the ability to dual-wield weapons, the ‘Duplicity Update’ will deliver bloody holiday fun for everyone! The new ‘Last Viking Standing’ and ‘Last Clan Standing’ PVP modes feature quick mini-battle royale sessions on two newly revised PVP maps – Redheim and Lost Thorstadt. Descend into the new Goblin Mines and slay annoying goblin runts while avoiding their incendiary weapons. Lastly, players can now dual wield weapons to become a tornado of blades and blood as you wade through hordes of enemies.

The ‘Duplicity Update’ for RUNE II: Decapitation Edition will launch next week. RUNE II: Decapitation Edition is now available on Steam for $29.99. For keeping up on all things RUNE II: Decapitation Edition, join the epic Viking war cry on Discord, read the latest update on our website, like us on Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and follow us on Twitch and Twitter.
 

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Cloud Imperium Games Sets Stage for Large-scale Dynamic Events and Launches Free Drake Dragonfly Black Ship Referral Program

LOS ANGELES – Dec. 17, 2020 – Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) announced the launch of the latest Alpha update for Star Citizen. Available for all active and new Star Citizen pilots, the Star Citizen – Alpha 3.12: Assault on Stanton update introduces refinery gameplay, new ships, updated planetary environments, new space cloud tech, a multi-purpose handheld tractor beam tool, AI and combat optimizations, and a wide array of other additions and improvements based upon player feedback.

Additionally, the release of the Star Citizen – Alpha 3.12: Assault on Stanton update enables the highly anticipated server-wide Dynamic Events to take place in the ‘verse. Launched and managed in-game by the Star Citizen gameplay team, each server-wide mission event can vary in subject matter, challenge, and duration. Information on the first such Dynamic Event will be made available in the near future.

“As we close out 2020, we’re excited to add more gameplay and spectacle to Star Citizen with the introduction of refinery decks, new gas cloud tech, and visual improvements to Hurston, Daymar, and microTech,” said Cloud Imperium co-founder and Star Citizen Creative Director Chris Roberts. “As the name implies, Alpha 3.12: Assault on Stanton also includes our first implementation of Dynamic Events, starting with an exciting server-wide scenario, pitting players against and alongside AI-controlled spacecraft and behemoth capital ships to defend Stanton system, as we continue in our goal to make Star Citizen a living universe. We’ll be turning on this first Dynamic Event over the holidays, and are planning more Dynamic Events in space and on planets in the year ahead.”

In addition to the exciting new dynamic event technology, Star Citizen pilots can also look forward to new content and further system improvements with the Star Citizen – Alpha 3.12: Assault on Stanton update, including the following highlights: 

• Refinery Gameplay: Miners and Traders can look forward to a new gameplay loop, extending career paths while further rounding out both professions. Players may now visit refinery decks at select space stations in Stanton and refine raw materials into more valuable and high-quality materials.

• Improved AI and Capital Ship Security Response: Lawbreaking players that have ‘achieved’ the required CrimeStat will now have the UEE Navy to answer to, and it’s bringing the big guns. NPC weapon use and turret targeting have also been improved, making combat more realistic and engaging. Players are also receiving a combat boost thanks to torpedo and countermeasure reworks, making them more deadly and effective, respectively.

• Gas Clouds in Space: The first iterations of Star Citizen’s Gas Cloud Tech can be experienced in voluminous clouds, typically found near rest stops at Lagrange points throughout the ‘verse. These beautiful points-of-interest are a particularly effective hiding spot for ships of any size.

•  New Ships: Esperia Talon and the Shrike Variant: The Talon is the perfect example of Tevarin spaceship-building. Designed to emphasize speed and maneuverability, the Talon excels at striking first and striking hard.

• Tractor Beam for Multi-Tool: The new Tractor Beam attachment allows players to move objects, such as cargo. In zero gravity environments, the tractor beam also effectively works as a grappling hook to collect cargo, offering new and fun gameplay opportunities!

• Planetary Improvements: The frozen vistas of microTech, Hurston’s endless plains, and the rocky environs of Daymar now benefit from higher-quality environments, increased topological variety, and new flora ready to be discovered.

• Drake Dragonfly Referral Rewards: For a limited time starting with the release of Alpha 3.12, all backers will receive a free Drake Dragonfly Black loaner ship until Jan. 11, 2021. Furthermore, all players who refer new players into Star Citizen will keep their Dragonfly Black permanently with lifetime insurance included. The players referred into the game will also get to keep their Dragonfly Black with lifetime insurance!

• Tobii Eye Tracking Support: Take flying and dogfighting in Star Citizen to the next level with the advanced precision and speed of Tobii eye tracking hardware. In order to take advantage of eye tracking support in Star Citizen, players must have the appropriate Tobii hardware, such as the Tobii Eye Tracker 5. For a limited time, Star Citizen players will benefit from a 10% saving from the regular price of the Tobii Eye Tracker 5. For more information about compatible eye tracking devices and systems, please visit Tobii Gaming | Powerful Eye Tracking for PC Games. 

For full details on the Star Citizen – Alpha 3.12: Assault on Stanton update, please head here.

Star Citizen combines classic space sim gameplay with boundary-pushing visuals in a massively multiplayer setting with unprecedented fidelity. Live how you want to live: shift paths from cargo hauler to outlaw, explorer, or any other role, whenever you want. Explore multiple planets and moons, including vast cities and underground caverns, all created with a unique combination of procedural planet technology and complimentary hand-crafted design.

For further information, including how to download and play Star Citizen, visit the official website. Enlist today and join this ever-expanding universe by visiting the game’s Welcome Hub and Guide System for tips on how to play. Millions of players from around the world have already joined to help CIG build the most ambitious game ever made. For continued updates, keep up with Star Citizen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, Twitter, and YouTube.

About Cloud Imperium Games and Roberts Space Industries®

Cloud Imperium is a new kind of independent studio dedicated to delivering AAA games outside the established publisher system. It was founded in 2012 by renowned visionary game developer Chris Roberts (Wing Commander series, Freelancer, Privateer), Sandi Gardiner, and international media lawyer and producer Ortwin Freyermuth (Carlito’s Way, Shattered, Das Boot – Director’s Cut), with industry veteran and studio director Erin Roberts (Lego videogame series, Starlancer, Privateer) joining the team in 2013. Cloud Imperium is creating Star Citizen, a record-shattering, largely crowdfunded space sim, and Squadron 42, a Hollywood-caliber, story-driven single-player game set in the same universe. Cloud Imperium operates in “open development” – sharing progress and updates in near real time. This paradigm-shifting development process (game development usually occurs behind closed doors) gives the community an unprecedented look at Star Citizen and Squadron 42’s development and allows direct feedback and interaction between players and developers, thereby ensuring that the games being developed are what players want to play.

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