Retro-inspired exploration game harkens back to classic RPGs, adding in modern trimmings with thrilling battles and dozens of exciting sidequests

Vilnius, Lithuania — 22 September, 2020 — Video game publisher Nordcurrent and Max Mraz, the developer behind Zeldalike tribute to Bloodborne, Yarntown, today announced they are bringing their newest IP, Ocean’s Heart, a beautiful pixel-art adventure RPG with modern twists and turns, to Steam for PC in early 2021.

Explore a detailed and spirited world, brimming with secrets hidden within misty forests, isolated mountain peaks and saltwater marshes as Tilia, a young woman whose father and best friend have been kidnapped by the ruthless pirate, Blackbeard. While following their trail through the ruins of a flooded kingdom, Tilia encounters a vast wilderness where she will discover powerful artifacts, unravel pirate conspiracies, sail across the sea, and battle fearsome monsters using various weapons and ancient magic.

Every area of Ocean’s Heart is filled with unique and meaningful sidequests, intriguing mysteries, danger and a spattering of humor, for good measure. Tilia must gather various items along her journey to craft potions, upgrade her weapons and expand her ever-growing arsenal, constantly increasing her skills to fight boss adversaries and survive deadly dungeons.

“Ocean’s Heart draws inspiration from the captivating 90s adventure RPGs that so many of us grew up with, but with a more intricate storyline than many of the classics featured,” said Artūras Surgutanovas, Head of Marketing from Nordcurrent. “The game aims to both pay homage to the greatness of the originals while still advancing the genre through the many sidequests, puzzles, upgrades, bosses and dungeons. If you feel nostalgia for action-RPG or action adventure games that focus on exploration, then Ocean’s Heart is for you!”

Ocean’s Heart will be translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and Simplified Chinese.

For more information, check out Ocean’s Heart official website, Facebook, Twitter.

About Nordcurrent Founded in 2002, Nordcurrent is a video game developer and publisher headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. With over 50 game releases under its belt across various platforms, the studio is mostly known for its biggest hit, Cooking Fever, a food-themed time-management game with 250 million downloads and 15 million monthly active users on mobile. Additionally, the studio is proud of its recent award-winning and nominated release, Murder in the Alps, an action-packed shooter Sniper Arena. For more information, visit: https://www.nordcurrent.com

Divide, loot and conquer with swords, spells, blades and blasters in Phase Two Games fun action RPG

Melbourne, Australia – September 22nd, 2020 – Independent developer Phase Two Games today revealed more about their squad-based fantasy adventure RPG Battle Hunters which launches on PC and Nintendo Switch on October 20th. Art Director Dan Tonkin provides more insight into the games characters, combat and character abilities with this short developer walkthrough video.

Battle Hunters lets players form an adventurer party of 3, chosen from a line-up of 28 unique hero characters who are met and recruited along the journey. Be it the Wizard, the Gunslinger, the Assassin, or any other hero, each has their own specialized fighting skills and unique abilities that players can level up and enhance along the way. 

Ahead of its October launch a playable demo of the game will be available on PC courtesy of the Steam Game Festival Autumn Edition taking place between the 7th and 13th October.

Steam store link- https://store.steampowered.com/app/1393340/Battle_Hunters/

About Phase Two Games From their early years at Beam Software on PC games like ‘Krush, Kill and Destroy’ to bringing the first ‘Sims’ game to iPhone for EA, and later going on to bring ambitious brands like ‘Need for Speed’ and ‘DeadSpace’ to the smartphone and tablet, Dan and Toby have a long and respectable history of both making games and dealing with top IPs. At Phase Two Games we are determined to produce quality experiences with a small, talented team. We have deliberately stepped away from large-scale corporate-style production to pursue a more traditional style of development in the hope that our games can be free of influences that undermine the creative vision. We love games, and hope you enjoy playing the games we make.

InnoGames, Germany’s leading developer and publisher of online and mobile games, celebrates the 11th anniversary of its online strategy game Grepolis. Grepolis is one of InnoGames’ classics and has experienced continued growth and success since its launch on browser in 2009. The game is enjoyed by millions of players around the world and has earned more than EUR 150 million in lifetime revenue. The top countries in terms of revenue are Germany, the United States and France. Coinciding with the anniversary is the Aegean Battleships event, which takes place through September 30th and tasks players with finding and sinking enemy ships to protect their cities.

“We are proud to celebrate another successful year with Grepolis. The team works hard to provide game updates that include new content and community requests among other additions on a biweekly basis. We thank them for their hard work as well as our dedicated players, both new and existing,” says Jędrzej Czarnota, Product Manager at InnoGames. “Games have served as an important space to unwind and connect with friends and family over the last 11 years. We’re glad we could do our part by continuing to offer a positive, enjoyable experience with Grepolis and we look forward to sharing all that is to come in the future.”

In the Aegean Battleship event, players need to find the exact location of enemy ships. In order to fire at them, players will need ammunition, which can be gathered by completing regular actions in-game. Ammunition can be found up to 10 times each day. Hit or miss, each shot will result in a reward, with additional ones for successfully sinking a ship. These are known as ‘Sink Rewards’. Daily prizes are also available. New this year is the Divine Battle Strategy. All battle points received while this power is active are increased by 100%. In addition, each successful hit will also produce a Map Piece. Players need to collect all the Map Pieces to navigate the treasure map and unlock the sought-after grand prize: Ares’ Rage, which permanently improves attacks from the city it is cast on.

Grepolis was launched on browser in 2009 and the mobile app followed in 2013. Over the past eleven years, players have accumulated more than 62,000 years’ worth of playtime. During this time, players founded over 6 million poleis, but they did not just focus on constructing their own metropolis. Players also joined forces to form approximately 825,000 alliances and train upwards of 98 billion units in preparation for battle during this same period. All of this work led to the successful completion of over 568 million quests, helping players win the favor and assistance of the gods. 

Grepolis is free to play and available for browser and on mobile for iOS and Android devices.


About Grepolis
In 2009, Grepolis became InnoGames’ third game released on the market. Grepolis sends players into the world of ancient Greece: Starting with a small polis, which they build into a metropolis over the course of time, they forge powerful alliances with other players and draw on the powers of the Greek gods. In 2012, Grepolis won the award as “Best Classic Browser MMO” at MMO of the Year. Celebrating its 11th anniversary in 2020, Grepolis is highly acclaimed by players around the globe.

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’ first mobile title Warlords of Aternum is a fantasy turn-based strategy game. 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.

R6 SHARE: UBISOFT^® REVEALS the 42 SELECTED TEAMS AND TIER PLACEMENTS

Sydney, Australia — September 22, 2020 — Today, Ubisoft^® revealed the list of professional organisations selected to be part of R6 SHARE, as well as their initial Tier placement in the program. R6 SHARE is the cornerstone of Ubisoft’s vision of sustainable esports for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six^® Siege and aims to ensure a mature and virtuous environment for partner organisations. R6 SHARE will support 42 organisations worldwide and introduces a multi-tier support system with three Tiers, to adapt both revenue shares and requirements to the variable situations that organisations worldwide face.

Following a qualitative in-depth selection process conducted with the assistance of an independent third party, the 42 selected teams have been placed in Tiers listed below. R6 SHARE organisations will then be assessed every three months and ranked against other organisations in their Tier on a set of criteria; the performance of their in-game items, viewership of their matches, support provided to their players, and the performance of their communications around Rainbow Six. Tiers will be adjusted once a year starting in August 2021, with organisations being promoted and demoted to different Tiers to more accurately reflect their performance in Rainbow Six Siege. Tiers and ranks will determine what level of support an organisation receives, as well as the amount they will earn from the Performance Pool.

TIER 1 – 10 organisations

Tier 1 organisations will receive a branded Headgear, Uniform, Weapon Skin, and Charm.

• FaZe Clan
• Fnatic
• G2 Esports
• Natus Vincere
• Ninjas in Pyjamas
• Rogue
• Spacestation Gaming
• Team Liquid
• TSM
• Vitality

TIER 2 – 15 organisations

Tier 2 organisations will receive a branded Weapon Skin and Charm.

• Disrupt Gaming
• Tempo Storm
• Cloud9
• Team Empire
• DarkZero
• Black Dragons
• MIBR
• eUnited
• Pittsburgh Knights
• Team Secret
• Chaos EC
• Virtus.Pro
• INTZ
• BDS Esport
• Giants Gaming

TIER 3 – 17 organisations

Tier 3 organisations will receive a branded Weapon Skin.

• Soniqs
• Team oNe
• Elevate
• GUTS Gaming
• FAV Gaming
• Talon Esports
• SCARZ
• FURIA
• Cyclops Athlete Gaming
• Nora-Rengo
• Qconfirm
• Xavier esports
• Santos
• W7M
• Oxygen Esports
• Tempra Esports
• Electrify Esports

R6 SHARE guidelines also ensure that:

• For every team-branded item sold, the R6 SHARE organisations will receive 30% of the proceeds from their respective team-branded items. Moreover, 30% of the organisation’s revenue share will contribute to the organisation’s players and content creators.
• For every regional league set sold, 30% of the net revenue will be split four ways between Tier 1 organisations, Tier 2, Tier 3 and a Performance Pool.
• For each Six Major starting with the Six November Major, an Operator bundle will be produced. 30% of the net revenue from these items will contribute to the prize pool of the corresponding Six Major event.
• Road to S.I. Battle Pass: 30% of the net revenue from the Road to Six Invitational Battle Pass will go towards the Six Invitational prize pool.
• For revenue generated by the Six Major items and the Road to S.I. Battle Pass contributing to the respective prize pools of those events, if a team wins part of that prize money in the competition, then 70% of this prize money will go to the players and 30% to the organisation.

R6 SHARE will run until March 1^st, 2024, representing a long-term commitment to Rainbow Six esports, and allowing our partners the ability to plan their participation in the long-term.

For extensive details on the R6 SHARE program, Tier system and items, please visit: rainbow6.com/r6share2020tiers

To learn more about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Esports, please visit https://www.rainbow6.com/esports and follow us at https://twitter.com/R6esports and https://instagram.com/R6esports.

About the Rainbow Six Esports global program

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege’s Esports includes 4 main regions, Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. All four regions run in parallel their own dedicated regional leagues, all feeding into one unique and global race towards a qualification for the Six Invitational, the pinnacle of the Rainbow Six Siege competitive year. Each regional league ties into a coherent global program, one unique race towards a qualification for the Six Invitational. As teams across the four regions face off in regional and global competitions, featuring 3 Majors and regional leagues, they will be ranked based on a new and in-depth point system that rewards sustained performance. Each competitive Season runs for nearly a year, from March through the following February. Each Season will be divided into 4 quarters. The first three quarters correspond to the 3 “Stages” of the regional leagues and conclude with a Six Major bringing together 16 of the world’s best teams – four per region across the four regions. Each stage awards prize money and points for the Global Standings. The Global Standings determine the sixteen teams earning a spot to the annual Six Invitational. Following the 3 stages, the last quarter of the season will be dedicated to regional finals and relegations. The season will then conclude with the Six Invitational that will crown the world’s best team. Four additional teams will also have a chance to qualify for the Six Invitational through Regional Open Qualifiers, making the Six invitational a 20-team competition. A notable exception to the global structure will be the first Season of 2020. As the transition and sunset of the legacy Pro League program, this year will shorten the program to only 2 stages with two Six Majors this year.

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 trademarks in the US and/or other countries

Introducing Our Launch Line-up of Next-gen Xbox Accessories, Coming November 10

by Navin Kumar, Director of Product Marketing, Xbox

On November 10, we’re jumping into the next generation of gaming with Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. To ensure the most optimal next-gen gaming experience, we’ve created a new lineup of Xbox accessories, developed with you, the gamer, in mind.

New Options for Your Next Controller

We’ve introduced the new Xbox Wireless Controller in Carbon Black with Xbox Series X and more recently, Robot White with Xbox Series S. Additionally, this November, we’re providing three more options so you can choose the controller that best fits your personality and gaming style.

First up is our new Xbox Wireless Controller in Shock Blue – a vibrant new hue, not yet seen on any of our previous controllers. The striking blue top case is accented by the bold, black hybrid D-pad and ABXY buttons and softened by the crisp, white back case for an eye-catching look. Just like the new Xbox Wireless controllers in Carbon Black and Robot White, our new Shock Blue is optimised for next-gen game play.

­­­For our fans who prefer to game on PC, we’ve updated our PC controller bundles to include the new Xbox Wireless Controller in Carbon Black. Choose between the Xbox Wireless Controller + Wireless Adapter for Windows 10 bundle for freedom of movement, or play connected with the Xbox Wireless Controller + USB-C Cable bundle.  You can also connect these controllers to your PC with Bluetooth.  With these updated bundles, you get the same controller refinements that you’ll find with all the new Xbox Wireless Controllers, so you can elevate your game no matter how and where you choose to play.

These new controllers feature a more-inclusive, ergonomic design and performance-boosting updates now standard on all new Xbox Wireless Controllers. Textured grip on the bumpers, triggers, and back case keep you locked in and on-target, while the Elite controller-inspired hybrid D-pad enables greater precision with easier access to diagonals and sweeps. With the new integrated Share button, you can capture and record your most epic or meme-worthy moments right from your controller. Then post them to your favourite social media platform from the console dashboard or the Xbox app without missing a beat. You can pair your controller to devices including Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10 PC, and mobile devices and quickly switch between them, while Dynamic Latency Input ensures a more responsive, almost instant gaming experience. For the best possible experience, visit Xbox Support or log into the Xbox Accessories app to install the latest firmware update before you dive in. To learn even more about the design innovations in the Xbox Wireless Controller, check out this interview with Senior Designer for Xbox, Ryan Whitaker.

We’ve also refreshed our rechargeable battery solution and are introducing the Xbox Rechargeable Battery + USB-C Cable. Plug in the rechargeable battery and fully charge your controller in under 4 hours before, after or while you play.

The Xbox Wireless Controllers in Carbon Black, Robot White, Shock Blue, the PC controller bundles, and the Rechargeable Battery + USB-C Cable will be available beginning November 10 in nearly all Xbox markets worldwide. We’ve worked hard to give you improved controller features and experiences at the same $59.99 USD starting price as our previous controller, which also plays all games on Xbox Series X|S. The Xbox Rechargeable Battery + USB-C Cable will be available at $24.99 USD.

If you’re eager to lock in your next-gen setup or upgrade your Xbox One or PC setup, you can pre-order all of these accessories beginning September 22 at 8AM in your local time (8AM PDT in US). Pre-order an Xbox Wireless controller in Carbon Black, Robot White, and Shock Blue or the Xbox Rechargeable Battery + USB-C Cable and have them delivered to your door on November 10, so you can play on their release date without ever leaving the house. The Xbox Wireless Controller + Wireless Adapter for Windows 10, Xbox Wireless Controller + USB-C Cable and any Xbox Rechargeable Battery + USB-C Cable kits pre-ordered from Microsoft Store will ship on November 10. Check your local retailer for product availability and specific pre-order timing in your region.

Xbox Design Lab

Since its launch in August of 2016, the Xbox Design Lab program has grown and evolved from basic colour customization options and engraving to include patterned top cases, metallic accents, rubberized grips, and even licensed NFL team logos to offer over a billion possible colour combinations to fans. We’ve loved seeing the unique designs you’ve created and how your design inspiration included games, special moments in your lives, sports, and even favourite shoes shared through #XboxDesignLab across social media. As we look ahead to a new generation of Xbox accessories, Xbox Design Lab is also preparing for its next evolution. Beginning October 14, Xbox Design Lab will be going offline temporarily so that we can bring you some updates, returning in 2021.

The personalized nature of the program has always made Xbox Design Lab controllers a popular holiday gift, but because it won’t be a gifting option this holiday, we encourage you to think about your gifting plans a little earlier than you might otherwise. If there’s someone on your list who has been eyeing a particular design or would love one personalized by you, be sure to place your order by October 13. Or, if you’ve been on the fence about a custom controller for yourself, now’s the time to order.

For more information on Xbox Design Lab’s next evolution, stay tuned to Xbox on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Whether you’re upgrading your current setup, adding to an existing collection, or starting a new one, we’re as committed as ever to bringing you options and giving you choice in how to game with Xbox. We’re diving headfirst into the next generation of gaming and look forward to seeing where it takes us.

Mazes, Hats, Explosions and all that Jazz

Oslo, Norway – September 21st, 2020 – Inconspicuous Creations is pleased to announce that its jazzy puzzler about a worm shuffling its way through a series of mazes, Worm Jazz, is out now on the Nintendo Switch eShop for $8.99 / £7.99 / €8.99 and during the first week of launch, a 10% discount on Steam  for $6.99 / £5.19 / €5.69. Can you dig it?

Worm Jazz is a unique, wriggly puzzle game that combines the elongating body mechanic of  Snake with the explosion-heavy demolition of Bomberman. You take control of Mr. Mark, an earthworm with a taste of smooth jazz and dapper headwear. Writhe your way through the many intricate, mind-bending mazes filled with mines, wormholes, and powerups! Shrink when you blow yourself up and expand when you scarf down some chow. Are you able to gobble up all the food on each stage to reach the highly coveted golden apple?

Worm Jazz appeals to every type of player: from puzzle aficionados who will enjoy unearthing the path through the labyrinthine levels, to the completionists who will attempt to gobble all the food in each stage; while casual players will enjoy the challenge of progressing through the 50+ stages. The open world overworld structure allows players to prioritise which tasks to tackle first, with wormholes and boulders popping up as new environments become available. With no timer, Worm Jazz can be played at your own pace and every move can be undone. This laid back atmosphere is complemented by a swanky soundtrack composed by jazz maestro Oliver Getz, who painstakingly put together loops of calming, upbeat tunes to chill out to. Worm Jazz can at times confound challengers, so this smooth soundtrack offers the chilled vibe needed to master the maze.

“Something I love about both video games and jazz is their unique ability to let us relax, focus, and chill out,” said Inconspicuous Creations founder and developer Yu He. “Worm Jazz is that in a nutshell. It can be very challenging, but in a cozy way. Like a Sunday crossword or sudoku puzzle on a rainy day. Only with a bopping bespoke soundtrack and nifty hats!”

Launching on the eShop for Nintendo Switch this summer Worm Jazz will be available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Visit the Worm Jazz website: https://wormjazz.com/
Follow Inconspicuous Creations on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WormJazz
Wishlist Worm Jazz on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1259370/Worm_Jazz/

About Inconspicuous Creations
Inconspicuous Creations consists of  indie game developer Yu He and friends. Its first commercial release is the upcoming wriggly puzzler Worm Jazz, coming to Nintendo Switch and Steam in Summer 2020.

Coming soon digitally and physically

We are excited to announce that the side-scrolling arcade shoot’em up Söldner-X 2: Final Prototype Definitive Edition is coming soon to PS4 and will be available both digitally and physically.

Inspired by genre classics and updated with modern HD presentation, Söldner-X 2: Final Prototype offers a wealth of shoot’em up content across 10 grand stages. Choose between 3 unique ships, unlock a wide array of bonuses and challenge enormous bosses with screen-filling attacks, all set to an adrenaline-pumping soundtrack!

This complete edition is optimized for 60fps performance and features all previous updates, DLC and a brand new gallery mode. Detailed score tables and replay data sharing extend the experience and will have you competing with friends for high scores just like an old-school arcade.

About Söldner-X 2: Final Prototype Definitive Edition

A side-scrolling shooter sensation returns, bigger and bolder than ever before! Blending traditional arcade gameplay with scorching HD visuals and rocking audio presentation, Söldner-X 2: Definitive Edition is laser-focused on bringing everything the genre is known for into the current generation.

Dynamic score-linked difficulty, a challenge mode that rewards skillful performance with bonus features, devastating limit attacks and a pumping soundtrack are just the beginning. All previous DLC is now included in the base game, replay sharing and online scoreboards support friend lists, weapon and boss effects have been updated, challenge difficulties have been rebalanced, plus there’s a new gallery mode. This is the ultimate realization of Söldner-X 2, fully revised and reborn!

Tennis Clash Takes the Laver Cup Online

The most popular mobile tennis game will host an online themed tournament based on the international team tennis competition, giving fans the opportunity to experience the event in a fun new way.

San Francisco, September 21, 2020 – In recent months, the sports world has had to adapt and come up with innovative solutions to connect with their audiences. The Laver Cup, the renowned international men’s team tennis competition has teamed up with Tennis Clash, the world’s most popular tennis game for mobile platforms, developed by Wildlife Studios, to create a Laver Cup-themed in-game tournament. Fans will have the opportunity to experience the event in a fun new way.

Between September 24th and 27th, fans will be able to take part in a virtual version of the tournament and experience what it’s like on the court. The online competition will be divided into four leagues (Beginner, Rookie, Junior, and Challenger), with each player assigned to a skill level based on previous game play stats. In each league, the winner will receive a pair of tickets to attend Laver Cup 2021 at TD Garden in Boston, United States. The runner-up will win a limited-edition racket, signed by tennis superstar Roger Federer. The third-ranking player will receive commemorative Laver Cup merchandise.

Tennis Clash characters will be outfitted with uniforms in the characteristic blue and red colors of Team Europe and Team World, respectively, while playing 10-point match tie breaks on a black court, all signature components of the real Laver Cup. Complete details about the tournament and how to participate will be posted on Wildlife’s website.

“Many organizations have looked to the gaming world to stay connected to their fans this year, and that’s how this innovative partnership came about,” says Mark Panelo, Wildlife’s Vice President for Business Development. “Working with Laver Cup allowed us to create a really fun experience for Tennis Clash and Laver Cup fans by bringing the two brands together for this special themed event,” says Ana Costa, Game Director of Tennis Clash.

“We are excited to collaborate with Tennis Clash to offer this limited-time Laver Cup-themed tournament in their popular online sports game. Fans will have the chance to experience signature elements of the Laver Cup in a fun new way. The black court, gameplay, and graphics will make you feel as if your Tennis Clash character is at the event representing Team Europe or Team World,” says Laver Cup CEO Steve Zacks.

Developed by Wildlife and based on in-depth studies of the sport, Tennis Clash offers an experience that is very close to that of a real match. As a result, it has become highly popular not just with mobile gamers, but also tennis fans. Easy to learn but hard to master, Tennis Clash is consistently ranked in the top 5 in the sports games category in App Store, and it was selected as one of the “5 best competitive games of 2019” in Google Play.

About Wildlife Studios

Wildlife is one of the world’s biggest mobile gaming companies. In the space of nine years, it has launched more than 60 games, including hits such as Sniper 3D, Zooba, Tennis Clash, War Machines and Colorfy. The company’s games have been downloaded more than 2 billion times across the planet. Founded by brothers Victor and Arthur Lazarte in 2011, the company now has more than 700 employees, working from five offices around the world. 

Wildlife is now hiring for various positions, especially in the areas of game design, engineering and distribution. Even if you don’t see the perfect role for you, if you are passionate about games and technology, we would love to hear from you. To find out more about Wildlife and our career opportunities, visit www.wildlifestudios.com.

About the Laver Cup

The Laver Cup is a joint initiative between TEAM8, Tennis Australia, the USTA and Jorge Paulo Lemann and is part of the ATP Tour calendar. The three-day tournament pits a team featuring six of the best tennis players from Europe against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world.

The tournament is named in honor of Australian tennis legend Rod Laver. One of the greatest tennis players of all time, he is the only person to have won all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same year, twice. The Laver Cup’s unique format features tennis superstars competing on the same team, in singles and doubles matches, and rooting each other on from the sidelines.

The Laver Cup is supported by Founding Partner Rolex and Global Sponsors Credit Suisse and Mercedes-Benz.

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by Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox • Sep 21, 2020 @ 6:00am

Critically acclaimed creators of The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, DOOM, Dishonored, Quake, Starfield and more join Team Xbox

Today is a special day, as we welcome some of the most accomplished studios in the games industry to Xbox. We are thrilled to announce Microsoft has entered into an agreement to acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.

As one of the largest, most critically acclaimed, privately held game developers and publishers in the world, Bethesda is an incredibly talented group of 2,300 people worldwide who make up some of the most accomplished creative studios in our industry across Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios. These are the teams responsible for franchises like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, DOOM, Dishonored, Prey, Quake, Starfield and many more.

Bethesda’s games have always had a special place on Xbox and in the hearts of millions of gamers around the world. Our teams have a close and storied history working together, from the amazing first DOOM, and its id Tech engine, innovating games on PCs to Bethesda bringing their first console game to the original Xbox, the groundbreaking The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Over the years I’ve had many deep conversations with the creative leaders at Bethesda on the future of gaming and we’ve long shared similar visions for the opportunities for creators and their games to reach more players in more ways.

Just as they took the bold first steps to bring The Elder Scrolls franchise to the original Xbox, Bethesda were early supporters of Xbox Game Pass, bringing their games to new audiences across devices and have been actively investing in new gaming technology like cloud streaming of games. We will be adding Bethesda’s iconic franchises to Xbox Game Pass for console and PC. One of the things that has me most excited is seeing the roadmap with Bethesda’s future games, some announced and many unannounced, to Xbox console and PC including Starfield, the highly anticipated, new space epic currently in development by Bethesda Game Studios.

Like us, Bethesda are passionate believers in building a diverse array of creative experiences, in exploring new game franchises, and in telling stories in bold ways. All of their great work will of course continue and grow and we look forward to empowering them with the resources and support of Microsoft to scale their creative visions to more players in new ways for you.

All of our work, and the foundation of our relationship with you, starts with a commitment to deliver a breadth of amazing games to discover and play on Xbox.  Over the last few weeks, we’ve been excited to share more detail on important elements of a plan we’ve been building towards for years. A plan that is the fulfilment of a promise, to you the Xbox player, to deliver the most performant, immersive and compatible next-generation gaming experiences, and the freedom to play blockbuster games with your friends, anytime, anywhere. Today is a landmark step in our journey together and I’m incredibly energized by what this step means for Xbox.

Please join me in welcoming all of our friends at Bethesda to Team Xbox.

World of Tanks’ Steel Hunter Is Coming Back with a Bang

A new episode of the game’s Battle Royale event kicks off later this month

A brand-new episode of Steel Hunter, World of Tanks’ most popular event, kicks off on September 21. For one week, players will be able to see who’s the best on the battlefield in the game’s very own Battle Royale. Tankers can also expect more episodes to come in October and November of this year, each bringing unique rewards.

Steel Hunter sees 20 lone wolves or 10 platoons battle it out to be the last tank (or tanks) standing. Tankers will need to loot items found on the map (such as precious ammunition, Battle XP and HP refills) or take them from destroyed vehicles. Players must be careful though as a safe spot can become a Danger Zone, which will quickly see them leave the battlefield.

2020 has brought some changes to Steel Hunter: there are now more tanks: 5 compared to last year’s 3. Each of these vehicles has their own specific roles (Scout, Hunter or Survivor) to perform in battle, which is reflected by their in-game regular abilities and ultimates as well as the way they handle and their crew skills and/or perks. Also, players who’ve yet to brave the Steel Hunter mode this year will notice a brand-new map: Arzagir 4.04.

“The new episode of Steel Hunter is coming later this month, and in 2020, the experience of our most popular event has just gotten better,” states Max Chuvalov, Publishing Director, World of Tanks. “Players have been really enjoying the new additions, and what’s better the return of the same gameplay and battles they know and love!”

Along the Steel Hunter journey players will be duly rewarded and the main prize for each episode is something that tankers can show off on the battlefield to let people know just how skilled they are: a unique 2D style.

For a roundup of all the information on Steel Hunter, click here.

For more information about Steel Hunter, visit worldoftanks.com.

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About World of Tanks

World of Tanks is the first team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with gamers all over the world. Your arsenal includes over 600 armored vehicles from 11 nations, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

Official website:

·         worldoftanks.com

About Wargaming

Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 5000 employees and offices spread all over the world. Over 200 million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Their flagship products include the massively popular free-to-play hit World of Tanks and the strategic naval action game World of Warships.

Official website:

·         wargaming.com