Pixonic’s hit game receives a full visual and technical overhaul

Thursday, October 22, 2020 — Pixonic, a MY.GAMES studio, today launched War Robots Remastered worldwide on iOS and Android. Featuring a host of visual upgrades, the Remastered version of the game introduces incredible new levels of performance, technical proficiency, and detail to the popular online action shooter. This update also provides a solid foundation for future updates to introduce further optimizations to visuals and other aspects of the game.

81 robots, over 105 weapons, and 4 maps have been fully revamped, with many other textures and 3D models in War Robots Remastered also receiving improvements. Complementing these changes, the implementation of new, realistic lighting allows for detailed environmental shadows and reflections. 

From the dynamic glare on robot hulls, to the raging exhaust of jet thrusters, and even the blast particles flying through the air, so many textures, effects, and UI elements have been upgraded. Players can delve into this new dimension of detail without having to re-learn the ropes — all maps, robot behaviors, and game mechanics remain fundamentally unchanged!

The developers employed cutting-edge technologies to bring the new, highly-detailed graphics and technical upgrades to life even on low-performance devices. Thanks to careful optimization, memory and battery resources are used sparingly to reduce the demands on players’ hardware.

War Robots Remastered can deliver a smooth performance of 60 frames per second on high-end devices. The game will soon feature five graphics settings, with Minimal and Performance settings available right now, and High, Balanced, and Ultra settings launching in 2021. Selective downloads are also planned at a later date, allowing players to install high-resolution textures and models separately to optimize storage space.

War Robots Remastered is available to download now on iOS and Android, with the updated version of the game coming soon to Steam, Facebook, and Amazon. The new War Robots Remastered trailer is also available now and features the song ‘In Circles’ by the Russian post-rock band I Am Waiting For You Last Summer.

ABOUT PIXONIC

Pixonic is a Moscow-based developer founded in 2009. They found early success with social games, before pursuing development in the growing mobile market. They joined Mail.Ru in 2016, later becoming a part of MY.GAMES. War Robots is their most popular game to date, having been downloaded more than 180 million times. In 2020, the studio also launched the PvP mobile shooter Dino Squad. Pixonic is developing rapidly, researching markets, and preparing to launch new projects, including the visually upgraded War Robots Remastered.

About MY.GAMES

MY.GAMES is an international gaming brand (part of Mail.ru Group) and a leading Eastern European online entertainment company. MY.GAMES is comprised of 11 regional offices in Russia, Europe and the US, over 1,800 staff, and 12 development studios. MY.GAMES creates titles for the PC, consoles, and mobile devices. The company operates over 60 projects, with more than 150 titles in its portfolio including War Robots, Hustle Castle, Left to Survive, Skyforge, and Allods Online. MY.GAMES portfolio includes renowned titles like Warface, ArcheAge, Perfect World, Revelation Online, Conqueror’s Blade, Lost Ark, and more. About 700 million players have registered within MY.GAMES titles. The company also develops its own media, operates the MY.GAMES Store platform, has a dedicated investment division (MGVC), supports gaming and esports services, and much more.

In December last year, Swedish independent game developer 10 Chambers Collective – formed in 2015 by nine industry veterans known for titles such as PAYDAY: The Heist and PAYDAY 2 – released their first game GTFO, a 4-player co-op action/horror FPS, in Early Access.

It has been described as “Left 4 Dead meets Aliens”, and uses a Rundown concept, where the game is regularly updated with new expeditions (i.e. maps, scenarios, enemies, etc.) that replace the previous ones. Today, they’re dropping a trailer announcing the release of their biggest Rundown update to date (together with 1.5 hours of uncut gameplay with the developers playing); introducing features such as the much-awaited match-making and a unique layered difficulty system – as well as a new environment, new enemy, new weapons and tools.

GTFO takes place in a terrifying underground facility called “the Complex”, where your team’s survival relies on your ability to communicate, coordinate – and count your bullets. In the new update, players will explore the data center of the Complex for the first time. The new Rundown also comes with a range of weapons and tools, which will come in handy when you encounter the new, creepy enemy.

“This Rundown is easily our biggest update yet. We’re adding core features such as matchmaking, and introducing a new system we call “layered difficulty”. Depending on what route you choose throughout some of the expeditions, you will find it either very hard – or extremely hard. This will make it easier – or should I say less hard – for new players to take on GTFO, but at the same time giving our more seasoned community members a hardcore challenge right from the first expedition”, says Ulf Andersson, Creative Director of GTFO.

Match-making has been a long-awaited feature for new players to quickly find others to join them down in the Complex. Match-making will be in alpha in the new Rundown and the developers will update the feature continuously until they nail the perfect balance for the system. So far, people have found their squad at the GTFO’s thriving Discord server which now boasts over 200 000 members.

“As GTFO requires a lot of communication and teamwork, we haven’t wanted to use a basic match-making system, as it could generate poor matches and risk giving new players the wrong experience. When we’re adding it now, we will need our community’s help to refine it. We’re starting off with it in alpha mode and will continue to develop it iteratively as we go on to see how it works with the volume of players we have”, says Simon Viklund, composer and game designer of GTFO.

To help with the game’s story, 10 Chambers have brought on Adam Gascoine, who has previously worked on DOOM, DOOM Eternal, and The Last of Us.

“With the last Rundown, we added more to the story of why you are down in the Complex, and we will continue building the story with this one. I don’t want to spoil anything for our community, but let’s say that the Rundown is called ‘Contact’ for a reason”, says Simon Viklund.

This new update, named Contact (Rundown #004), is now available to everyone that owns GTFO Early Access. When owners update the game, it will wipe and replace the previous Rundown with the new one.

GTFO Early Access is available on Steam for $34,99, but to celebrate the update it’s right now 20% off!

GTFO Early Access is available on Steam now. ​Interact with 10 Chambers Collective on Twitter, Discord, YouTube, and Facebook, and join the Ambassador Program for access to future perks.

PAYDAY THE HEIST® and PAYDAY 2® are registered trademarks of their respective owners. After Impact AB is not associated with, affiliated with, sponsored by and/or endorsed by them.

About 10 Chambers

Founded in 2015, 10 Chambers is a game studio based in Stockholm, Sweden. The studio was founded by Ulf Andersson who also founded Overkill Software and was the brain behind the PAYDAY franchise. GTFO is developed in Unity and is the debut title from the studio. More information about 10 Chambers is available at www.10chambers.com.

The trucking experience is going places with its the free ‘Hidden Places & Damage System’ DLC 

Rotterdam, The Netherlands – October 22, 2020 – Today SOEDESCO® delivered their free ‘Hidden Places & Damage System’ DLC for Truck Driver®. A brand-new trailer shows the first gameplay footage of the DLC, which is now available on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One. The trucking experience launched on console in September of last year and has since gotten numerous updates. Now SOEDESCO revealed they are far from done with the title by launching their free DLC. Besides an upcoming Nintendo Switch™ version, Truck Driver, which is a SOEDESCO original IP, will continue to be improved and expanded. 

Information
Title: Truck Driver®
Platforms: PS4™, Xbox One
Upcoming Platforms: Nintendo Switch™, Steam®
Genre: Simulation
Release date: 19 September 2019
Nintendo Switch Release Date: 17 November 2020
Hashtag: #TruckDriverGame

Since its release, Truck Driver has gotten a completely new AI System, improved weather effects and a Unity Engine upgrade among others. In an in-depth blog, SOEDESCO looked back at a full year of updates and improvements since Truck Driver released on PS4™ and Xbox One. They plan to continue to support the game with more content and updates in the future. As of now, SOEDESCO released the free ‘Hidden Places & Damage System’ DLC to further enhance the trucking experience.

SOEDESCO is aware of the issues with the Xbox One version of the DLC and is currently investigating this.

About ‘Hidden Places & Damage System’ DLC 
Get ready to hit the road and discover hidden places and new vehicles. Drive safe though, since a new damage system shows visual damage on your truck and other vehicles at the point of impact. With three hidden places, you can search for unknown roads and unlock new achievements/trophies. You can also spot five brand-new vehicles in traffic, including a tow truck and minibus. So drive responsibly and go exploring!

Features

• Get visual 3D damage with dents and scratches on your truck and other vehicles
• Find three hidden places that are off the map and unlock new achievements/trophies
• Spot five new vehicles: a minibus, classic muscle car, tow truck, box truck and pick-up truck
• Discover your clients’ new look with revamped character art 

About SOEDESCO
SOEDESCO® is a worldwide publisher of both digital and boxed games on multiple platforms. The company was founded in 2002, with its headquarters in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Their portfolio includes titles such as Monstrum, Owlboy, Among the Sleep, Remothered: Tormented Fathers and Teslagrad. SOEDESCO also publishes their own IPs including Truck Driver, Adam’s Venture®, and Real Farm.

More information about SOEDESCO® and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.soedesco.com or by following @SOEDESCO on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Onmyoji New Spinoff—Onmyoji: The Card Game—Launched Today in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Australia

GUANGZHOU, China – Oct 22^nd 2020 — Developed by NetEase Games, Onmyoji: The Card Game, the new spinoff of Onmyoji, has been launched today in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia.

Download it now: https://onmyojitcg.onelink.me/NZxL/48f340fc

Onmyoji: The Card Game is a duel card game derived from the Onmyoji IP. It inherits the iconic Japanese style fantasy world view, where players step into Shinkiro, the exclusive land of Yokai and enjoy Hyakubun, the most popular card game there. With each duel, players will be able to unlock fascinating stories about Yokai and encounter their favorite Shikigami from Onmyoji once again.

Onmyoji: The Card Game adopts a new card duel gameplay, which requires players to build a deck with 4 Shikigami and their exclusive cards. Each card has a unique function, affording the duels with card upgrade, transformation, and combination.

During the launch period, tons of free stuff and activities are waiting.

Activity 1: Launch Rally Bonus

After the game is officially launched, bonuses for all players will be unlocked according to the rally number. There are 5 target numbers of rallying, the more players participate the bigger the bonus goes: Gold*6666 for reaching 20,000, Myth Scroll*10 for reaching 100,000, Jikikaeru Ticket*15 for reaching 250,000, Talisman*200 for reaching 400,000, and the special title Joyful Gathering for reaching the final target number 600,000.

Activity 2: Seven-day Sign-in Daily Rewards

Upon launch, players can log-in and get rewards every day on the first 7 days, including Card Packs, the exclusive card of popular Shikigami—Evolved: Shuten Doji, a random SSR, and special card back—Gather Together.

For more detailed content, please follow the official Facebook to get the latest information.

Official site: https://www.onmyoji-card.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnmyojiCardGame 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl45kCvmxSgfe81fjFHGL0Q

About Onmyoji: The Card Game

Onmyoji: The Card Game is a Yokai-themed collectible card mobile game developed by NetEase games and a spinoff of Onmyoji. Hundreds of top painters and voice actors teamed up to create a hidden world of Yokai. The soundtrack is the work of Satoru Kosaki, famous Japanese composer.

Onmyoji: The Card Game creates a very different sensation from the original work, Onmyoji. Not only are the portraits redesigned, but also a new soundtrack is produced, bringing a brand new Yokai feast for Onmyoji fans.

About NetEase Games

NetEase Games is the online games division of NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES and HKEX: 9999), developing and operating some of the most popular mobile and PC games in markets including China and Japan. As one of the world’s largest incubators of quality online game content, NetEase Games is dedicated to supporting the growth of innovative studios around the globe and growing an international presence along the way. To complement its self-developed games and world-class R&D capabilities, NetEase Games also partners with other industry leaders including Blizzard Entertainment, Mojang AB (a Microsoft subsidiary) and other global game developers to operate some of the most popular international online games in China. For more information, please visit neteasegames.com.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/NetEaseOfficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NetEaseOfficial
Official Website: https://www.neteasegames.com/

They grow up so fast

Redmond, Washington, October 22nd, 2020 – Team Meat has revealed all new footage of its long awaited platformer sequel Super Meat Boy Forever as part of a developer livestream commemorating its predecessor’s 10-year anniversary. 

This new footage reveals a spoiler-free look at the light world and dark world in the first 4 chapters in the game, information about how New Game Plus works in Super Meat Boy Forever, and some other stuff that you’ll just have to see for yourself.

This much anticipated sequel also moves the Meat Boy saga forward, as Meat Boy and his partner Bandage Girl have had a child, Nugget, who has unfortunately been kidnapped by the sinister stillborn psychopath, Dr. Fetus (I hate that guy!). So now it’s up to Meat Boy, Bandage Girl, and some surprising new characters in the Meat Boy Cinematic Universe, to rescue the kidnapped child.

In the time since we saw him last, Meat Boy has been hitting the gym and he now packs a punch with an oversized, Battletoads-esque right fist that packs a mean whollup! Combined with new slide and plummet maneuvers, Meat Boy is more agile than ever!

What’s better than playing through Super Meat Boy Forever once? The answer is simple: Playing through Super Meat Boy Forever several times and having new levels to play each time! Levels are randomly generated and each time the game is completed the option to replay the game appears and generates a whole new experience by presenting different levels with their own unique secret locations. We’ve handcrafted literally thousands of levels for players to enjoy and conquer. You can replay Super Meat Boy Forever from start to finish several times before ever seeing a duplicate level. It is truly a remarkable feat of engineering and a monumental example of ignoring the limits of rational game design and production.

“Much has happened in the decade since Super Meat Boy launched on Xbox Live Arcade,” said  Team Meat co-founder and Creative Director Tommy Refenes. “A new generation of consoles came and nearly went, some folks made a movie about the development of Super Meat Boy, 2020 happened and the less said about that the better. And we’re proud that Meat Boy remains as beefy and bloody as ever!”

Super Meat Boy Forever will launch when it’s ready on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. We promise it won’t be another 10 years!

Visit the Super Meat Boy website: http://supermeatboy.com/
Follow Super Meat Boy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/supermeatboy?lang=en
Like Super Meat Boy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuperMeatBoy/

About Meat Boy
Meat Boy took the world by storm in 2008 when it was conceived as a free Flash game by developers Edmund McMillen and Jonathan McEntee. This devilishly difficult love letter to arcade platformers went so viral that over 8 million people played it. Due to its popularity, Team Meat founders Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes collaborated on a commercial successor that became the 2010 megahit Super Meat Boy, which went on to sell over a million copies in its first 15 months. Now 10 years later, Super Meat Boy is still capturing the populace’s imagination as its Switch port’s launch sales nearly matched that of its 2010 debut on Xbox 360. The franchise’s latest project is Super Meat Boy Forever, which is due very soon on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Thursday, October 22, 2020 — The changing of the leaves signals the return of fall in the world of Elvenar and the beginning of this year’s new Halloween event. From today through November 11 players will celebrate this spooky season by completing a line of quests and daily tasks in exchange for new items and rewards. Through Elvenar’s collaboration with M·A·C Cosmetics, players will also be eligible to win additional prizes, conjure up their own Halloween look and select from new in-game avatars inspired by makeup looks from three outstanding content creators. With diversity at the core of this collaboration, all are welcome and there are no limits to the imagination this Halloween.

Following an explosion of the witch’s brew, players are enlisted to find Mrs. Sniffle’s cat Bruno and rebuild the witch’s hut by completing quests and searching the outskirts of their cities for Magic Ingredients. These can then be traded for candles, lanterns and flash flasks to clear the way through the misty forest. It’s important to use the items wisely as each clears a different amount of mist. One never knows what may lie ahead.

“This year’s event is brand new and for the first time we’ve introduced the tile mechanic into the game to give players a new challenge in addition to the new storyline, prizes and avatars,” says Product Owner Nino Protic. “Our team works hard to provide regular updates that deliver new, diverse content on a biweekly basis. Collaborating with the content creators to design new avatars based on their makeup alongside the new event has allowed us to do just that. We hope to see many players using these new human and elf avatars not only because they look fantastic but also as a statement for diversity.”

Daily Exclusives can be found beneath the fog and allow players to acquire items old and new, including brand new buildings, buildings that have returned from past events and other exciting rewards. The forest is also home to some Friendly Spirits. Find enough spirits and more prizes are in store, including Witch’s Hut Artifacts, which will allow players to upgrade the Witch’s Hut building to its highest stage. Milestone Rewards are available at several points during the questline as an extra treat.

The Halloween event also brings with it new avatars based on makeup looks created by drag queen Vava Vilde, M·A·C Global Senior Artist Angelo Rauseo and M·A·C National Artist Luisa Sporkenbach. Inspired by the magical world of Elvenar, each creator used M·A·C products to design their looks, more of which can be found on the InnoGames, Elvenar and M·A·C social media channels. New M·A·CxElvenar filters are available for use on Instagram and will give users and idea of how the makeup would look on before following along to the creators’ step-by-step YouTube tutorials available here: https://bit.ly/3m1akX0

“It’s exciting to see an avatar based on one of my makeup looks,” says drag queen Vava Vilde. “I was inspired by Elvenar’s Fire Elementals to create a look that works perfectly for Halloween. I hope these looks show people that every day products can be used to create unique looks and that this encourages others to get creative and rethink what they can do with M·A·C products.” 

To further celebrate, Elvenar and M·A·C are hosting a giveaway competition with exciting prizes for those who create and share their own Elvenar-themed looks – including the chance to be featured in Elvenar. Prizes will be available for the top three looks, with the grand prize winner receiving M·A·C Cosmetic products worth EUR 500, a makeup bag, 5,000 diamonds of virtual in-game currency* and the creation of a new in-game avatar based on their submission. To enter, participants should (1) Follow Elvenar on Instagram, (2) Follow M·A·C Cosmetics Germany on Instagram and (3) Post of picture of your Elvenar-inspired makeup on Instagram using the hashtag #MACxElvenar between now and 23:59 CET on November 11, 2020.

Elvenar can be played for free and is available on browser and for iOS and Android devices.

*Virtual in-game currency, no cash out, non-transferable.

About Elvenar
Elvenar (www.elvenar.com) is a city-building Strategy-MMO set in a fantasy world. Tasked with creating a flourishing city, players can choose between Elves or Humans. This choice affects the appearance of the cities and their inhabitants, as well as the available technologies and units. The Elves live in the midst of magical creatures in harmony with nature, while Humans are ambitious builders and engineers. Between managing resources, leveling up buildings and unlocking new perks, players should also pay attention to the multiplayer-map if they want to find valuable relics. Yet, players might have to fight numerous fantastic creatures for them. Since its release in May 2015, Elvenar has been receiving continuous content updates, and as a cross-platform title, players can switch between browser, iOS and Android devices at any time.

About InnoGames
InnoGames is Germany’s leading developer and publisher of mobile and online games. The company based in Hamburg is best known for Forge of Empires, Elvenar and Tribal Wars. InnoGames’ complete portfolio encompasses seven live games and several mobile titles in production. Born as a hobby, InnoGames today has a team of 400 employees from more than 30 nations who share the passion of creating unique games that players across the globe enjoy for years.

About M·A·C
M·A·C is the world’s leading professional makeup authority because of our unrivalled expertise in makeup artistry. Every day, M·A·C celebrates diversity and individuality – we are for All Ages, All Races, All Genders. M·A·C is at the forefront of fashion trendsetting, collaborating with leading talents from fashion, art and popular culture. Our Artists create trends backstage at fashion weeks around the world. Visit maccosmetics.de/chat-live and book your free 20-minute personal makeup session with your M·A·C Make-up Artist via video chat: www.maccosmetics.de/chat-live

2K has revealed the last of three NBA 2K21 Next-Generation Gameplay Courtside Reports written by NBA 2K Gameplay Director, Mike Wang. The final report outlines changes coming to the MyPLAYER build systems alongside reworked AI to fully utilize the incredible power, speed and technology of next-gen consoles.

The next-gen MyPLAYER system gives players a level of customization never seen before in a basketball game. These changes to the MyPLAYER build system gives ballers control over setting each individual rating to the cap they prefer and the new badge system offers more experimentation options.

Increased computational power from next-gen consoles also allowed Visual Concepts to redesign the AI system in NBA 2K21 to more accurately model basketball better than ever before. Changes coming to both the defensive and offensive AI systems will give ballers a seamless on-court experience to do what they want to do, when they want to do it.

Check out all the upcoming next-gen gameplay features in the final NBA 2K21 Next-Generation Courtside Report here: https://nba.2k.com/courtside-report/nba-2k21-next-gen-gameplay-courtside-report-3/

Stay tuned for more details and announcement in the days leading up to the next-gen release. NBA 2K21 on next-gen is available on November 10 for Xbox Series X|S and November 12 for PlayStation®5. Additional information is available at: https://nba.2k.com/faq.

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NBA 2K21 Next-Gen Gameplay Courtside Report #3 – MyPLAYER & AI

Hi again 2K fans! Welcome to my final Courtside Report. We’re just a few weeks away before players can get their hands on the next-gen version of NBA 2K21, which will be released on November 10 for Xbox Series X|S and November 12 for PlayStation®5*.

We’ve discussed a lot already from scoring to our revolutionary new movement and impact technology and the great enhancements they’ve brought to gameplay. But I know a lot of you are chomping at the bit to find out what’s new with your MyPLAYER, while others are curious how we’re pushing Simulation into the future. Well, this blog is for you! There’s going to be a lot of info to digest this week, so I’ll try to keep the points as concise as I can.

Player Builds, Badges, & Takeover

The next-gen MyPLAYER Builder is all about customization. We’ve taken in a lot of feedback from the community over the past few years as we’ve evolved the MyPLAYER building experience. One thing that we hear loud and clear from you is that you want more options. Here’s our response:

No More Pies: You no longer choose from preset skill breakdown pie charts for next-gen. Instead, we’ve given you control over setting each individual rating to the cap that you prefer. Obviously, there are restrictions based on your vitals and you can’t max out everything, but there’s much more control to make the exact type of player you want to be.

Badges: A lot of thought and re-design went into badges for next-gen. Many favourites return, but most have undergone some significant functionality changes. There are also some new ones, some revived ones, and some removed ones. The badge point system and equipping process is similar to what you’ve grown accustomed to: perform well in the various categories (Finishing, Shooting, Playmaking, Defence/Rebounding) in any mode to earn badge points, and then apply those points to whatever badges you want within those related categories. But my advice when you get next-gen is to experiment with different badges that you may have overlooked in the past because you might find some new favourites that compliment your playstyle in ways you may not expect. Here are some of the new/returning badges and what they do:

• Fearless Finisher – Boosts contact layups and decreases fatigue
• Heat Seeker – Boosts takeover progress on inside shots
• Highlight Film – Boosts teammate takeover progress on flashy dunks
• Hook Specialist – Boosts hook shot ability
• Revived Posterizer – Contact dunks!
• Rise Up – Boosts ability to do standing dunks in traffic
• Anti-Freeze – Harder to get cold and lose takeover meter progress
• Blinders – Less affected by peripheral defenders when shooting jumpers
• Circus Threes – Improved ability to hit pull-up and stepback 3’s
• Fade Ace – Boosts all post fadeaways
• Hot Shot – Increases takeover meter faster when knocking down jumpers
• Deep Threes – Dame and Curry range 3 balls
• Rhythm Shooter – Boosts shot %’s out of size-ups as well as 1-step pull-ups
• Set Shooter – Shooting ability gets better the longer you set and wait before pulling
• Sniper – Boosts the ability to hit shots when using Pro Stick aiming
• Stop & Pop Three – for the JJ Redicks who want to pull-up for threes in transition
• Bullet Passer – Gives you the ability to throw laser dots like LeBron
• Relay Passer – Boosts the shooter on pass to assist situations
• Special Delivery – Boosts takeover progress for the passer and receiver off a flashy pass assist
• Ankle Braces – Makes it tougher for ball handlers to break your ankles
• Clutch Defender – Boosts your defensive ratings in clutch moments
• Hot Stopper – Boosts takeover meter for good defensive plays like steals, blocks, and good contests

And here are the badges that we retired because they were either redundant, didn’t fit in the new design, or the community just didn’t like them: Consistent Finisher, Contact Finisher, Cross-Key Scorer, Fancy Footwork, Fastbreak Finisher, Deep Hooks, Pick & Roller, Relentless Finisher, Showtime, Deep Fades, Flexible Release, Hot Start, Pick & Popper, Pump Fake Maestro, Range Extender, Quick Draw, Steady Shooter, Pass Fake Maestro, Flashy Passer, Lob City Passer, Lightning Reflexes, Moving Truck.

Takeover: In case you’re new to 2K, Takeover is the ability to get hot and take over games. It’s been a popular feature for the past couple years and we wanted to take it to the next level for next-gen.

Instead of limiting players to eight general archetype-based takeovers, we’ve broken those eight into 24 more specific takeover abilities. In a way, you can think of them as unique badges that you can fire off when you get hot.

• Advanced Gathers – Unlocks more effective spin, euro, hop step, cradle gathers
• Finishing Moves – Able to absorb contact and finish at the rim
• Easy Blowbys – Enhances ability for slashers to beat defenders off the dribble
• Pull-Up Precision – Boosts well timed/aimed shots off the dribble
• Anklebreaking Shots – More anklebreakers off of spin and stepback jumpers
• Negative Impact – Reduces defensive impact against pull-ups and other skill shots
• Limitless Range – Extends your shooting range out to the logos
• Spot-Up Precision – Boosts well timed/aimed stationary jump shots
• Team Ratings Boost – Playmakers boost their teammates’ offensive ratings
• Team Takeover Boost – Boost your teammates’ takeover meter progress
• Team Badge Boost – Boosts your teammates’ badges up a tier
• Extreme Clamps – More stone wall and lost dribble body-up resolutions for locks
• Perimeter Badge Drop – Knocks shooting badges down a tier when you get close
• Enhanced Jump Shot Contests – Boosts your ability to contest jumpers
• Stuff Blocks – Unlocks more swat, backboard pins, and grab blocks
• Paint Intimidation – Boosts your ability to affect shots around the rim
• Interior Badge Drop – Drops opposition’s scoring badges down a tier in the paint
• Boxout Wall – Improves ability to seal off opponents for easy boards
• See the Future – Shows where missed shots are going to end up
• Glass Clearing Dimes – After rebounds, kick out passes boost your teammate’s shooting
• Power Backdowns – Easier to push defenders around when posting up
• Post Playmaking – Boost your teammates’ offensive abilities when passing out of post
• Advanced Post Moves – Easier to beat defenders with post moves
• Post Shot Daggers – Increased scoring ability with hooks, fades, shimmy shots, etc.

We’ve also changed Takeover to be a multi-tier system! Once you set up your ratings caps and vitals, you’ll be presented with a subset of the list above based on the type of build you made. Then you choose one ability for your primary and another for your secondary, or if you want, you can put the same ability in both slots if you want to “double up” on it. When you’re in-game, your takeover meter will fill up your primary takeover slot first. Once filled, you can choose to activate it right away or wait to try and fill up your secondary slot. You must be careful because you take the risk of losing all your progress if you turn the ball over or miss a bad shot. But if you can fill in your secondary slot, you can activate both the primary and secondary takeovers together and keep them active for a longer period of time. Finally, if you want to devastate your opponent even further, you can wait even longer and try to fill up the Team Takeover meter. If you can fill all three, activating will enable your entire teams’ takeovers and it’s pretty much over for the competition. And just like in current-gen, activating Team Takeover also allows you to have user-control over your teammates in MyCAREER games. We know our MyCAREER fans love that ability!

Last thing I wanted to mention about Takeover. We wanted to honour our late friend, Kobe Bryant, who we tragically lost way too early this year. When you’ve earned all your badge points, you will receive the Mamba Mentality badge which allows you to change your takeovers whenever you want. So just like Kobe, you can vary up how you choose to take over from one game to the next!

Next-Gen AI

Next-gen was an opportunity to reset on a lot of areas of gameplay. This was especially true when it came to artificial intelligence. Some of these items are immediately noticeable and some are more nuanced for the hardcore X’s and O’s hoop heads. But one thing’s for certain, NBA 2K21 continues to lead the way in accurately modelling its respective sport better than anyone else out there. That’s something we pride ourselves in and know that the true students of the game appreciate about the franchise.

Defense

• New switching logic update: Both on-ball and off-ball screen logic has been rewritten and the auto-switching logic was refined to reduce bad switching instances. So expect to see fewer cases of the AI calling for a switch without a screen and leaving a player open.
• Adaptive Coaching Engine (ACE) now has the ability to recognize and adapt to different types of off-ball actions including: Flare screens, Down screens, Back screens, and Handoffs.
• Improved logic for CPU defenders to get in position to take charges.
• Several improvements to transition defence.
• Overhauled the Hedge defensive system for better screen positioning and angle targeting.
• The player can now call for help defence by holding L1/LB instead of just calling for a double team. This is a great mechanic that you can use when guarding the ball; instead of hoping the AI selects the right time to send help, it’s now under your control with a simple press and hold of the button.
• Improved logic for defenders in avoiding each other when moving around obstacles. This works hand-in-hand with the off-ball movement changes I detailed in last week’s blog.

Offense

• Next-Gen Game Planning: This is a great new feature that allows players and AI to have more specific game plans for their teams. In the past, you could choose to run pick & rolls with LeBron, but the new system allows the AI to target a team’s best players. So for the Lakers, not only will they run pick & rolls, but you can have them run exclusively with LeBron and Anthony Davis. There’s a new game plan option in the pause menu. Here, players can select between 8 pre-selected game plans that they can access in game through the On-The-Fly-Coaching panel (OTFC). Each game plan has default options already set up for them, so the player can pick a single option and have all the important details for that game plan ready to go. Here are two examples of game plans you can choose:
  • Play Through Star: This game plan will have ACE automatically select the best scorer on the team and only run scoring actions for them, both via plays and freelance actions. It also sets the tempo and rebounding choices automatically to accommodate your star’s playing style.
  • Pound the Ball Inside: ACE auto selects the best post scorer on the team and will exclusively run post scoring actions and plays for them.
• Double team counter intelligence: You’ll see the AI using less movement and create more spacing for shooters spotting up behind the three point line to punish excessive double teaming.
• End of game logic: Improved the AI’s ability to time plays with the shot clock for buzzer beater situations.
• Starters and Bench favourite Plays: This year we expanded the favourite plays to allow players to set up one group of plays for their starting unit and another group of plays for the bench units.
• Moved player-specific plays and player-specific ball screens back to the L1/LB button. This was something many people were requesting so they could get quick access to icon pick control again. Favourite plays are now mapped to the DPAD.
• Play and freelance flow: As we have done every year, the play and freelance offensive flow has been greatly improved moving to next-gen. There are several actions that we just had a hard time getting to run smoothly in past 2K games, but thanks to the logic upgrades and vastly improved motion engine, everything flows extremely well in NBA 2K21 fornext-gen.
• Fixed AI players accidentally positioning themselves out of bounds.
• New pick & roll spacing: New spacing code gives some of our pick & roll and isolation sets that extra adjustment on dribble penetration. It’s much more solid now but expect continued expansion on this module as the year goes along with our in-season play and AI updates.

Closing Thoughts

As I stated in the NBA 2K21 current-gen blog a few weeks ago, this has been a rollercoaster year for 2K. With the changes to our work from home culture in addition to having to roll out both current and next-gen versions of NBA 2K21, I’m amazed at the talent and grit that the entire Visual Concepts team has shown over this wild year. Again, a HUGE thanks to all the gameplay engineers and producers (as well as their families) for coming together to create, without question, the best basketball game ever to grace a console. I’ve been working and testing on this title non-stop everyday, and I still get excited to play every time I boot the game up. I hope these Courtside Reports give you a small glimpse of some of the awesome things the gameplay team has created for you and we look forward to hearing your feedback to help us continue to refine 2K basketball and take it to even greater heights as we move forward into this next generation. And if these gameplay blogs even have you a little excited about NBA 2K21 for next-gen… just wait. We have A LOT of jaw-dropping news coming soon about all the amazing stuff happening off the court that’s going to blow you away!

·         Mike Wang @Beluba (NBA 2K Gameplay Director)

*PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S required to play the next-generation version of NBA 2K21. The PlayStation 5 console will be available on November 12 in the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, and November 19 in all other regions.

Ubisoft’s player ecosystem gets the biggest overhaul in its history
and paves the way for cross-platform features and communities

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – October 22, 2020 –Today, Ubisoft announced that its existing ecosystem of player services and loyalty program, Uplay and Ubisoft Club, will be refreshed and expanded as Ubisoft Connect. This new universal interface, through which players from all platforms will now interact with Ubisoft’s in-game services, activities and community, will be releasing from October 29 this year, starting with Watch Dogs: Legion.

The Ubisoft Connect experience will be available with an intuitive and seamless in-game overlay in Ubisoft’s latest and new titles. Ubisoft Connect is founded on Ubisoft’s ten-year experience of operating online services on Windows PC via Uplay, as well as the Ubisoft Club loyalty program that has provided 1.1 billion rewards to players to date. While the PC experience will continue to improve with dedicated services, this expansion enables players to now access Ubisoft’s in-game and social features, regardless of the platform they use, including consoles and cloud gaming services.

“A decade ago, Ubisoft was one of the first publishers to enhance players’ experience with more services and social features. We wanted to build upon this legacy to fulfill Ubisoft’s vision of a global community and bring these benefits to all our players,” says Charles Huteau, Ubisoft’s Creative Director on Ubisoft Connect. 

Gathering millions of players, Ubisoft Connect is the ideal destination to connect with friends or participate in events and activities. Along with new exciting time-limited and community challenges, the service brings a cross-game loyalty system that lets players earn an uncapped amount of Units to spend on unique rewards, like weapons, outfits and consumables.

This more social and personalized gaming experience also comes with a newsfeed interface gathering friends’ activities and achievements, while a brand-new “Smart Intel” feature brings players dedicated tips and video recommendations based on their game activities. Each player will have access to data on their personal stats and playstyle to keep improving or compare with select groups of friends through an improved leaderboard system.

Designed for a new gaming era, one where players expect to be able to play, progress and stay in touch with friends anywhere, Ubisoft Connect lays the foundation that will enable Ubisoft’s games and services to live across platforms and make cross-platform features a standard moving forward*. As part of this commitment, full cross-progression, across all platforms and services, will be available with some of Ubisoft’s most highly anticipated upcoming titles, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Immortals Fenyx Rising and Riders Republic.

“Next-generation gaming goes beyond technological improvements and better graphics. To us, as a creator and publisher, it is about bringing more fluidity and versatility in the experience to have the freedom to play games on whatever device and with whoever you want,” says Stephanie Perotti, Ubisoft’s Vice-President of Online Services. “Ubisoft Connect is our take on a new seamless experience to not only ease the transition between generations and platforms, but also be the starting point for new services that further contribute to new, more player-centric ways of enjoying games.”

To celebrate the launch of Ubisoft Connect and its improved loyalty program, more than 1,000 legacy Ubisoft Club rewards are unlocked today, for free, to all players. Regular updates will add more features and rewards to improve players’ experience along the way. With Ubisoft Connect, the Ubisoft experience is available via current and soon to be released platforms: Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. To offer the most seamless integration and adapt to new cloud gaming and streaming services, Stadia, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Amazon Luna will also offer some Ubisoft Connect features later this year**. Additionally, players can also access the ecosystem via the Ubisoft Connect mobile application, the desktop app and on ubisoftconnect.com. 

For more information on Ubisoft Connect, please visit ubisoftconnect.com.

Adventurers Taking a Break Invited to Return to Eorzea in Latest Free Login Campaign

FINAL FANTASY® XIV Online celebrates the arrival of its latest in-game event today, with the return of the ever-popular Make It Rain campaign to the Mandeville Gold Saucer. Running from today until 20^th November, the event sees all MGP rewards from the Gold Saucer increased by 50%, while campaign attendants will be offering a range of items at discounted prices, including furnishings awarded during previous seasonal events. Additionally, tracking down Nanaphon in Ul’dah and helping him out will unlock a special “Consider” emote.

This year’s event has an added spooktacular twist, as the Continental Circus will be sending a special representative to the Gold Saucer. Players can seek out the genial guiser, and accept their invitation to the Haunted Manor masquerade…

More information on the Make It Rain campaign can be found here: https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/2020/the_make_it_rain_campaign/

Furthermore, players who are currently taking a break from their adventures are encouraged to return to Eorzea as part of the latest Free Login Campaign. From today until 23^rd November, eligible players can play free for up to four days, providing they meet certain criteria. Full details on the Free Login Campaign can be found here: https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/freelogincampaign/

Having recently announced 20 million total registered players, there has never been a better time for newcomers to begin their adventures in the critically acclaimed FINAL FANTASY XIV Online saga. The recently expanded Free Trial now includes all content from A Realm Reborn and the Heavensward™ expansion (and updates through Patch 3.56), as well as an additional playable race (Au Ra), and three additional playable jobs (Dark Knight, Astrologian, and Machinist). Free Trial players can enjoy hundreds of hours of award-winning gameplay and story experiences equivalent to two full FINAL FANTASY titles, without limit on playtime. New players who wish to experience the free trial may register here: http://sqex.to/FFXIVFreeTrial

FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers is the third expansion for FINAL FANTASY XIV Online and has received acclaim from critics and fans alike since its release in July 2019. Packed with striking new environments, the new gunbreaker and dancer jobs, Hrothgar and Viera races, Trust system and much more, FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers offers players both old and new hundreds of hours of content to explore.

Related Links

SQUARE ENIX® Press Site: https://www.square-enix-press.com/
Shadowbringers Teaser Site: http://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/shadowbringers/
The Lodestone®: http://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com
Official Facebook®: https://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasyXIV
Official Twitter®: @FF_XIV_EN

About Square Enix Ltd.

Square Enix Ltd. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 154 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 82 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 78 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered Boxed Edition Also Coming for PlayStation®4

SYDNEY, 22^nd October 2020 – Square Enix Ltd., today announced that two of gaming’s most cherished RPGs, FINAL FANTASY® VII and FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered will unite in a twin-pack physical release for the Nintendo Switch™ system across Australia & New Zealand this December.

A timeless classic loved by a legion of fans across the globe, FINAL FANTASY VII is an epic adventure culminating in a battle to decide the fate of the planet which has fallen under the dominion of Shinra Electric Power Company, a sinister corporation monopolizing the world’s energy force. Cloud Strife, a former member of Shinra’s elite SOLDIER unit now turned mercenary, lends his aid to an anti-Shinra resistance group calling themselves Avalanche to fight for the planet. In addition to a powerful and emotional storyline, FINAL FANTASY VII also includes:

• 3x Speed Mode: Play through the game with three times the speed.
• No Encounters: Players will have the ability to turn battle encounters off to enjoy the storyline uninterrupted. While enemy encounters are turned off, players can still enjoy the story’s event battles.
• Battle Enhancement Mode

Over 20 years on from the game’s original release, FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered breathes new life into the game’s characters and story like never before. With newly rendered visuals, players step into the shoes of SeeD recruit Squall Leonhart and resistance fighter Rinoa Heartilly as they work together to save the world from the military nation of Galbadia. FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered features the following boosts to enhance the experience even further:

• Battle Assist: The ability to always have maxed out HP and ATB, and trigger Limit Breaks at any time.
• No Encounters: An enemy encounter option that allows players to enjoy the storyline uninterrupted. While enemy encounters are turned off, players can still enjoy the story’s event battles.
• 3x Speed Boost: Play through the game with three times the speed.

The FINAL FANTASY VII and FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered twin-pack will be available for the Nintendo Switch™ from 4^th December and is available to pre-order from select retailers across Australia & New Zealand now. In addition, a boxed version of FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered will also be available for the PlayStation®4 system from 4^th December.

Related Links:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasy
Twitter: http://twitter.com/finalfantasy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finalfantasy/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/finalfantasy

# ENDS #