SAN DIEGO – January 19, 2021 – Psyonix, the San Diego video game developer, and ESPN’s X Games have teamed up to celebrate the upcoming X Games in Aspen with new Rocket League items and a Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) X Regional event.

Rocket League will feature X Games-inspired items in the Item Shop from January 21-24 and from January 28-31. Items in the X Games Tab will include the X Games Octane Decal, X Games Wheels, and Snowblind Topper. There will also be two free items to claim, the X-Skis Player Banner and the X-Board Player Banner.

In addition, RLCS X will see the introduction of the RLCS X Games: North American Regional that will take place online on January 23-24 and January 30-31. This regional is both an official part of the RLCS X circuit and an official X Games Aspen event where the top North American teams will compete against each other, with the winning team earning RLCS X Games medals. The RLCS X Games will be available on the ESPN App and live on Twitch and YouTube starting at 10 a.m. PT (6 p.m. UTC) beginning on January 23.  Viewers will also have a chance to earn new X Games Fan Rewards (the Knuckle Huck Player Banner, and X-Board and X-Skis Toppers) if they tune-in on Twitch for the duration of the RLCS X Games.

Psyonix and X Games previously collaborated in 2017 for the FACEIT X Games Rocket League Invitational within X Fest in Minneapolis. For more information about the Rocket League and X Games collaboration, read the latest blog post HERE

ABOUT ROCKET LEAGUE
Winner or nominee of more than 150 “Game of the Year” awards, Rocket League is one of the most critically-acclaimed sports games of our generation. Rocket League is a high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem with easy-to-understand controls and fluid, physics-driven competition. Available on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and PC from the Epic Games Store, Rocket League includes nearly endless customization possibilities, a fully-featured offline season mode, multiple game types, casual and competitive online matches, and special “Mutators” that let you change the rules entirely.

To learn more about Rocket League, please visit www.RocketLeague.com, “Like” it on Facebook, and follow it on Twitter @RocketLeague for all the latest developer updates and news.

ABOUT PSYONIX™
Based in San Diego, CA, Psyonix is a critically-acclaimed video game developer and a leading expert in Unreal Engine technology. For more than 15 years, the studio has been a driving force behind some of the most successful games in the industry, including Gears of War, Mass Effect 3, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Bulletstorm, Unreal Tournament III, Unreal Tournament 2004, and the award-winning Sports-Action hit, Rocket League®.

© 2015-2021 Psyonix LLC. Rocket League, Psyonix, and all related marks and logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Psyonix LLC. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Enjoy the magic of BALAN WONDERWORLD in an upcoming demo – available for download from January 28th, 2021

SYDNEY, 20^th January, 2021 – Today Square Enix Ltd., announced that a free demo will be released next week for BALAN WONDERWORLD™ – the all-new action-platformer from the creators of Sonic the Hedgehog. The demo will be available to play from January 28th, allowing players to experience two hours of BALAN WONDERWORLD gameplay ahead of its March 26th release date. The demo can be enjoyed with friends and family in local co-op mode or in single player mode and will be available on each platform that the full game will be released on.

Demo Release Date: Midnight, Thursday 28th January

* The Steam® edition will be available for download from 5pm, Thursday 28th January.

Platforms: PlayStation®5/PlayStation®4/Nintendo Switch™/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Steam®

Two players can explore the game as the stars of the show Leo and Emma in local co-op mode, combining abilities from different costumes to access new paths that are unavailable in solo play! Simply connect a second controller and push any button on it to activate co-op mode. Using a range of costume abilities, players will be able to collect Balan Statues in each stage as well as access the hidden Balan’s Bout mini-games.

The demo will feature three of BALAN WONDERWORLD’s twelve magical worlds:

World 1 – The Man Who Rages Against the Storm

Playable Areas: Act 1, Act 2, Boss Battle

World One is set in a beautiful farm, made up of rolling hills and giant crops. This mysterious world is woven from the memories inside Jose Gallard’s heart, a farmer whose beautiful cornfield is struck by a storm. The boss lurking in the depths of Jose’s world is Barktholomew, the embodiment of Jose’s despair after seeing his cornfield being destroyed.

Make use of a range of costumes to successfully complete this level, including the Jumping Jack costume that allows players to jump to places they just can’t quite reach and the Dainty Dragon costume that uses its fiery breath to clear obstacles in its path!

World 4 – The Boy Who Would be One with the Wind

Playable Areas: Act 1

World Four takes place in a fantastical setting born from the heart of Chang Haoyu and his love of the open sky, where bicycle parts and floating islands of all sizes are scattered through the sky.

Costumes in this world that could come in handy include the Soaring Sheep costume that can float away by puffing up its fluffy fleece, and the Aero Acrobat costume that can soar through the sky and aim kicks at balloons and enemies!

World 6 – The Girl and the Kitten

Playable Areas: Act 1

World Six follows the story of Cass Milligan, depicting the town where she meets a cute kitten. In this magical world built from Cass Milligan’s fond memories, candy pieces and books float in the air and there are mysterious buildings full of moving gears.

Costumes that will help players solve mysteries and perform powerful attacks include the Gear Prince costume that can spin switches with the gear on its stomach to operate machinery, and the Pumpkin Puncher costume that can shoot a rocket punch!

Players will also be granted access to the Isle of Tims – a base area and gateway to the three mysterious worlds. Here, players will meet the magical creatures called Tims; whose powerful abilities can help Leo and Emma as they explore each world and battle Negati! On the Isle of Tims, players can also harvest magical droplets from the colourful flower patches found around the island. These droplets can be fed to Tims in order to evolve their abilities.

BALAN WONDERWORLD will release March 26th, 2021. Physical copies of the game also include a collectible Balan Theatre ticket, while supplies last.

About BALAN WONDERWORLD

BALAN WONDERWORLD is a wondrous action-platformer game themed around the mysterious Balan theatre; home to a mischievous maestro named Balan. The stars of the show will use special abilities from a multitude of characterful costumes as they adventure in the bizarre and imaginary land of Wonderworld. Here memories and vistas from the real-world mix with the things that people hold dear. Twelve different tales await our stars in Wonderworld, each with their own unique quirks. Players will explore all corners of these labyrinthine stages, battling Negati and playing mini-games that are hidden along the way, to get to the heart of each touching story.

BALAN COMPANY brings together talented videogame developers, visual artists, and composers to tell the greatest stories and provide the ultimate platformer experiences. 

BALAN WONDERWORLD will be available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X with support for Smart Delivery, PlayStation®5 console, PlayStation®4 console, Nintendo Switch™, and PC (STEAM®) on 26^th March.

Related Links:

BALAN WONDERWORLD Website: www.balanwonderworld.com
Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/SquareEnix
Twitter: @balanwworld
Instagram:  @balanwonderworld
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/SquareEnixNA

#BalanWonderworld

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 159 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 82 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 81 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found at https://square-enix-games.com.

##

Royale Pass Season 17 is now available with new interfaces, missions and more, following massive Version 1.2 content update

LOS ANGELES – Jan. 19, 2021 – Beginning today PUBG MOBILE players can enlist in the “Runic Power” themed Royale Pass Season 17, and collect all-new collectable rewards by completing in-game challenges, all part of the version 1.2 PUBG MOBILE update, delivering an unprecedented game variant with added equippable powers.

Today’s update arrives as part of the massive Version 1.2 of PUBG MOBILE. Thenew version introduces a new Classic game mode on the popular Erangel map, where players spawn with one of three pre-selected sets of powers. Similarly, the latest update adds a fresh variant to PUBG MOBILE’s ongoing collaboration with hit first-person shooter title Metro Exodus. Players can collect Honor from fallen foes, which accumulates to unlock specially-themed voice packs, outfits and other permanent rewards.

The Royale Pass Season 17 content update delivers 100 ranks of tiered rewards, all unlockable through new activity missions and weekly challenges. Players can spin the added Wheel of Fate to choose between the Resplendent Dawn and Deadly Sickle at Rank 50m followed by the majestic Guardian Armor Set, Uzi and M16A4 at Rank 100. Mission Activity Packs can also be completed and converted into UC currency, which can be spent at the in-game shop for additional loot.

Season 17 also delivers new content to the PUBG MOBILE x Metro Exodus collaboration in the form of Metro Badges. As players collected exclusive supplies, they can unlock the story and earns one of two sets, including exclusive vehicles and other valuable treasures. Similarly, players can now choose between UC and AG currency at any time, which an increased payout at lower Royale Pass ranks.

PUBG MOBILE is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play. 

ABOUT PUBG MOBILE

PUBG MOBILE is based on PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS, the phenomenon that took the world of interactive entertainment by storm in 2017. Up to 100 players parachute onto a remote island to battle in a winner-takes-all showdown. Players must locate and scavenge their own weapons, vehicles and supplies, and defeat every player in a visually and tactically rich battleground that forces players into a shrinking play zone.

Visit the official PUBG MOBILEaccounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for more information.

# # #

Farming Simulator 19’s New “GRIMME Equipment Pack” DLC Launches January 26 on PC, Mac & Consoles

PARIS — Jan. 19, 2021 — GIANTS Software and Focus Home Interactive have announced that Farming Simulator 19 will expand its already huge roster of content once again with its next DLC: the “GRIMME Equipment Pack.” Coming January 26 to PC, Mac, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One, this new installment brings an extensive collection of tools and machinery from international farming equipment manufacturer GRIMME to the game!

Focusing primarily on potato farming activities, the “GRIMME Equipment Pack” delivers 14 new pieces of farming machinery, including potato harvesters and planters, weeders, transport belts and trailers. The “GRIMME Equipment Pack” has been made possible by Team FSI Modding, winners of the Farming Simulator Mod Contest special award.

If you own Farming Simulator 19’s Premium Edition or the Season Pass, you’ll be able to download the new DLC for free when it launches.

London, 19th January 2021 – Miniclip, a world leader of market-defining mobile titles, announced today the acquisition of Gamebasics, developer of the successful franchise OSM (Online Soccer Manager). OSM was first launched in 2004 and since then has grown to become a leading soccer management game across both web and mobile. Miniclip is excited to welcome Gamebasics to the Miniclip Family!

Gamebasics is an independent studio based out of Zoetermeer in the Netherlands. The studio consists of a 60-person team, dedicated to developing the OSM franchise, plus new unannounced titles. Miniclip will support the studio in achieving its growth plans and continuing to build its development capabilities. The acquisition continues to cement Miniclip’s position in the mobile sports category. Miniclip sees the Netherlands as a great gaming ecosystem and the acquisition will accelerate our plans to make new and exciting projects there. The current management team have been running the business well for many years and Miniclip is delighted to be working with them to drive the future success that it believes Gamebasics to be capable of.

Gamebasics CEO Jasper Schwartz, said: “Over the last couple of years, our team has worked hard to make Online Soccer Manager the success that it is today. Together, we have built a company and cultivated a culture that people want to be part of. Miniclip recognized this and valued this in the right way. We believe that Miniclip will give Gamebasics a push in executing our ambitions. Together we will be able to take OSM to new heights and expand our portfolio of games. This partnership is yet another confirmation that the gaming industry in the Netherlands plays an increasing role in our economy. It is an industry that will continue to grow and contribute to employment, careers and the wellbeing of people in the coming years.”

“Partnering with Gamebasics was really a “no-brainer” for us. We were impressed with the team from our first encounter. Both Miniclip and Gamebasics share a similar culture and a focus on casual games which we believe are key ingredients in helping us to unleash the gamer in everyone. We couldn’t be more excited to collaborate and start this partnership”, said Jurgen Post, CEO of Miniclip.

About Miniclip:
Miniclip is a global leader in digital games with a mission of unleashing the gamer in everyone. The Company develops, publishes and distributes highly engaging games to an audience of over 200 million monthly active users across mobile, social and online platforms.

Founded in 2001, the Company has successfully grown a huge global audience in over 195 countries and across six continents. Miniclip has a unique understanding of the digital games space and has developed a strong portfolio of over 60 high-quality mobile games, extensive worldwide distribution, and an internationally recognised brand name. To date, Miniclip franchises including 8 Ball Pool™, Golf Battle™, Football Strike™ and Agar.io™ have generated more than 2 billion downloads. As of April 2020, Miniclip has more than 50 million daily active players reaching people across the world in the pursuit of ‘unleashing the gamer in everyone’.

In February 2015, Miniclip was excited to receive a large majority investment from Tencent, one of the world’s largest technology companies and the world’s largest games publisher. This new chapter in Miniclip’s history strengthens the Company’s position, with Tencent recognising its achievements to date an future potential.

In the past two years, as part of their ambitious growth plans, Miniclip have been delighted to welcome the teams from Playsport (famous for Motorsport Manager), Yakuto (creators of Darts of Fury), Masomo (home of Head Ball 2), Ilyon (designers of Bubble Shooter), Eight Pixels Square (Sniper Strike), and more recently, Gamebasics (creators of OSM Online Soccer Manager) to the Miniclip Group.

For more information, visit http://corporate.miniclip.com

About Gamebasics
Founded in 2004, Gamebasics has become one of the leading mobile game studios in the Netherlands. Serving over 3 million monthly users with the worldwide evergreen game Online Soccer Manager (OSM), we are dedicated to the growth of the company and our people, whilst creating those fun and memorable moments in a gamer’s day. For more information about Gamebasics please visit https://www.gamebasics.nl

In Fantasy Network, typical metroidvania features are given a whimsical social media slant, as players are tasked with exploring a vibrant world and unconvering its many secrets.

Raven Travel Studios is excited to announce Fantasy Network – a metroidvania adventure game aiming for release on PC and consoles (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch) in 2021. 

Players will explore the colorful, open world of Holua, fight scary monsters and chat to hand-drawn, larger-than-life characters to discover a story that runs deeper than it may seem.

A Kickstarter campaign is planned for the first quarter of 2021 to help fund the last stage of development and the porting of the PC version to consoles.

Since 2017, Fantasy Network’s development has been led by Paolo Cattaneo, working under the alias Raven Travel Studios.
“I’ve been a game developer for 20 years and dreamed about making Fantasy Network from the beginning. I left my job as a software developer to make this dream a reality, creating a whimsical game which offers my thoughts on the media-centric world we live in.” – Paolo

Fantasy Network on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1492100/Fantasy_Network/

More about Fantasy Network: 

• Metroidvania adventuring: Explore a vibrant world brought to life through hand-drawn graphics and 3D cel-shaded environments. 
• Using a range of weapons and unique items, take on a colorful variety of enemy critters and venture deeper into the expansive world. 
• The player’s goal is to win Holua’s five famous talent shows and the presidency, but look deeper to uncover a sinister plot. 
• Get advice and gossip from colorful characters. If done a favor, many will help the player in their quest. 
•  The player can customize their character, choose a name, and save up for cool items and armor.  
• If a break is needed, chill out with five retro, pixel art arcade games or hang out with Holua’s residents. 

About Raven Travel Studios:
Raven Travel Studios was founded in November 2011 by italian artists who worked in the software development industry for over a decade. Studio’s works are inspired by the early 80’s – the golden age of the arcade games.

Fantasy Network on the Internet:
https://discord.gg/hga6Fh9tfe
https://twitter.com/raventravelstd
https://www.facebook.com/Raven-Travel-Studios-262066380519528/

The top teams of the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six ^® Esports global circuit will compete in a LAN environment, following strict safety measures

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA— January 19, 2021 — Today, Ubisoft^® revealed more details about the 2021 edition of the Six Invitational, the World Championship of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six^® Siege and the pinnacle of the competitive year. The fifth edition of the tournament will take place in Paris, France from February 9^th to 21^st.

The top teams of the Rainbow Six Esports global circuit will compete in a LAN environment, following strict sanitary measures, with no audience on site. With the well-being of pro players, staff and partners as the main priority, Ubisoft has been working with partner organiser Live Nation, health and safety agency ACEPS, medical agency ISMA and the French Government to develop a controlled, safe and competitive offline environment throughout the entire event, in line with the guidelines of the health organisations and local authorities. More information on the health and safety measures is available here: http://rainbow6.com/si2021eventguide

The Six Invitational will feature the world’s best 20 teams coming from the 4 main regions of the Rainbow Six Esports circuit (Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America). All teams will start competing in the Group Stage, from February 9^th to 14^th, where they will be split into 2 groups of 10; at the end of the Group Stage, the 8 best teams from each group will qualify for the Playoffs, running from February 17^th to 21^st.

More than just a tournament, the Six Invitational also marks the kick-off of a new year in Rainbow Six Siege. At the 2021 Six Invitational, the Rainbow Six Siege community will get a glimpse at everything the development team has in store in Year 6, including a few surprises. The event will feature panels on the game and the esports scene, as well as a Showmatch involving some of the finest content creators from the community.

All new details about the Six Invitational, such as (but not limited to) competitive format details, dates, participating teams, Group Stage team dispatch and health and safety measures, are available in the Event Guide of the competition: http://rainbow6.com/si2021eventguide

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six esports, please visit http://www.rainbow6.com/esports and follow us at https://twitter.com/R6esports and https://instagram.com/R6esports with the hashtag #SixInvitational.

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.

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

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.

© 2021 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered trademarks in the US and/or other countries

It has been two years already since ACE COMBAT ™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN was released, reaching more than 2,5 million units sold worldwide.

In order to mark this two-year milestone and as we keep celebrating ACE COMBAT series 25^th anniversary with our community of pilots across the world that supported the game throughout those years, a free update will be released today, January 19, bringing more skins and emblems to customize their aircrafts!

Please find below the full list.

Skins: X-02S Glowing, F-22A Phoenix, F-4E Mobius, F-15E Garuda, ASF-X Ridgebacks, F-16C Crow, Su-37 Scarface, Typhoon UPEO, F-22A Gryphus & Su-37 UPEO.

Emblems: 25th Anniversary Nugget -Mobius 1-, 25th Anniversary Nugget -Yellow 13-, ACE COMBAT 7 2nd Anniversary, Shooter, Spooky, Falco, UNF, UNICS, Arrows (Low-Vis) & Falco.

For more information about ACE COMBAT ™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN or other BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe products, please visit our website or follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Prepare for the dramatic conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy with IO Interactive’s latest look at Agent 47’s next adventure

SYDNEY, 19^th  January 2021 – HITMAN 3 is the dramatic conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy and takes players around the world on a globetrotting adventure to sprawling sandbox locations. Agent 47 returns as a ruthless professional for the most important contracts of his entire career.

Supported by his Agency handler, Diana Burnwood, 47 joins forces with his long-lost friend Lucas Grey. Their ultimate mission is to eliminate the partners of Providence, but they are forced to adapt as their hunt intensifies. When the dust settles, 47 and the world he inhabits will never be the same again.

Featuring music by Bjarke Niemann and vocals by Mindy Jones, the HITMAN 3 launch trailer gives players a fresh new look at the game’s varied locations, gameplay opportunities and thrilling narrative.

HITMAN 3 will be available on 20 January 2021 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC.