Earlier this year PQube announced that they were working to bring Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue to the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch to the West later this year and now the company knows when the NekoNyan developed game will be releasing. The game will be released on August 21st on both platforms with a limited edition physical release being available for the Nintendo Switch version of the game that includes a hundred page art book.
The story of Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue takes place in a world where science finally did it and invented anti-gravity shoes. With the dreamlike ability to freely fly through the skies, a form of sport called Flying Circus became popular, where athletes soar through the air to score points. Slip into the role of Masaya, a former competitor, that encounters the new transfer student Asuka who strives to learn how to fly. Get involved in the Flying Circus sports club, support the ambitious girls and eventually end up with your own head in clouds.
To go along with this announcement PQube has also released a number of new screenshots that can be found below.
Today, Respawn Entertainment announced what’s next for its award winning shooter Apex Legends in Season 5 – Fortune’s Favor, set to launch on Wednesday, May 13 AEST for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Named best Multiplayer Game of 2019 by the BAFTAs, Windows Central and The Golden Joystick Awards, Apex Legends continues to evolve its narrative in Season 5.
Featuring some early details for Season 5, today’s reveal also included a new Stories from the Outlands trailer that delves deep into new Legend Loba’s path to the Apex Arena. A cunning thief whose life turns into a quest for revenge when she finds her nemesis Revenant competing in the Apex Games, Loba’s mission is driven by the loss of her parents and her need to uncover secrets from inside the arena.
You can watch and share the Stories from the Outlands – Legacy of a Thief trailer via YouTube here.
When Apex Legends Season 5 – Fortune’s Favor arrives on May 13, players will find a new game mode, Quests- that will have players hunting for treasure and answers each season. Those who complete the journey will be richly rewarded.
With the start of Season 5 also comes Ranked Leagues Series 4. Players can expect the season split once again with the Series kicking off in Kings Canyon before the return to World’s Edge in June. The Ranked Leagues Series 4 will continue the emphasis on rewarding competitive players for the time they invest in Apex Legends. For more information on Ranked Leagues Series 4 please check out the full blog here.
Players can see some of Apex Legends best compete before the launch of Season 5 this weekend in the Apex Legends Global Series Online Tournament #5. Starting this Sunday, May 3, 2020, top contenders including TSM, Complexity, Team Liquid, Rogue and more will compete live on the Apex LegendsTwitch and YouTube channels.
After quite a long wait it seems that the strange adventures of Special Agent York will be continuing in July as Rising Star Games and developer Toybox Games have announced that Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise will be released digitally and physically for the Nintendo Switch on July 10th. The game will once again feature a unique brand of storytelling that will serve as both a sequel and a prequel to the events of the first game as players will take the role of York in current day Boston as well as in the past in Le Carré through the memories of a former FBI agent.
To go along with this release date announcement an extended trailer for the game has been released alongside a few screenshots that you can check out below.
Burnout Paradise Remastered Races onto Nintendo Switch on June 19; Pre-Orders Now Live
Burnout Paradise Remastered is releasing for the Nintendo Switch on June 19, and is now open for pre-orders for $69.95.
SYDNEY, Australia – May 1, 2020 – Burnout Paradise Remastered is releasing for the Nintendo Switch on June 19, and is now open for pre-orders for $69.95.
Burnout Paradise Remastered is the definitive Burnout Paradise experience, delivering the complete original game and eight high-octane DLC packs including Cops and Robbers pack, Legendary Cars, Burnout Bikes, and Big Surf Island. Racers can smash through traffic and rule the roads in adrenaline-fueled online multiplayer with up to eight other players, or pass the controller (or console!) in local party play. Optimized for the Nintendo Switch with a range of technological enhancements, players will race and rampage through the open world in 60 glorious frames per second, along with high-resolution textures, and pinch-and-pull map controls.
For assets, visit the press portal and head over to the official blog post for more details. Let me know if we can do anything to assist with your coverage.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.
In fiscal year 2019, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.95 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognised for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, Madden NFL, Need for Speed™, Titanfall™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee comingto Nintendo Switch May 14th!
Time to Save Oddworld’s Endangered Species!
Sydney, Australia and Oddworld, CA – April 30, 2020 – Oddworld Inhabitants, Inc. and Microids team up to announce a May 14th release date for the classic game Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee. Initially available on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch, Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee is the classic action adventure game with an ecological heart ported to the world’s most innovative and popular handheld, tabletop, and traditional all-in-one gaming console. The physical version will be released later this year.
The story begins with you playing as a Gabbit named Munch, the hero of the Oddest Oddysee of all. Munch’s luck is about to change – for the worse.
How would you feel if you broke your leg in a scrab trap, were abducted by soulless scientists, had an alien device implanted in your skull, and found out your race had been hunted to extinction?
Due to the rich variety of consumer products derived from the Gabbit species, their legacy has nearly come to its end. For the amphibious Gabbit, there is only one lonely individual that survives. However, it won’t be spotted where one might typically find such a Gabbit. This one is currently an entrapped test subject within the horrible testing facility known as Vykkers Labs. It is up to you to help guide Munch in efforts to rescue fellow test creatures. These critters will be forever loyal to Munch and in turn enable his escape.
Once free, Munch teams up with Abe and together they are guided by the wisdom of the Almighty Raisin. They are informed as to how to accomplish their goals, but in order to do so, they must work together. For Munch, his dream is to bring back his species from the brink of extinction. For Abe, it is to rescue his Mudokon buddies.
You can “switch” between Munch and Abe depending on the situation. Using special psychic powers, cool power-ups, and other special abilities to deliver payback to the Vykkers, Abe and Munch set out to reclaim the last gabbit eggs on Oddworld, which have been packaged in a can of gabbiar.
For many of us, the current global health situation has made it more difficult to spend time with friends, family, and the people we care about most. We are heartened to see many people using games to be entertained, to find inspiration, and to strengthen social connections through shared adventures.
At Xbox, our mission has always been to bring you the best games to play, with the people you want to play with. That’s why we created Xbox Game Pass, a community with unlimited access to a curated library of over 100 great Xbox console and PC games.
We’re excited by the response to Xbox Game Pass and yesterday we announced that Game Pass now has over 10 million members from 41 countries worldwide.
Xbox Game Pass inspires a new era of gaming – where the community with the same Game Pass plan can play a large common catalogue of the best games, discovering new titles and experiences together. With Game Pass, we want to answer the question: what to play next with my friends?
We’re still early on this journey, and in the last two months we’ve seen how important gaming can be to our community.
Since March, Xbox Game Pass members have added over 23 million friends on Xbox Live, which is a 70% growth in friendship rate. Game Pass members are also playing twice as much and engaging in more multiplayer gaming, which has increased by 130%.
Xbox Game Pass is empowering players and their friends to branch out and discover new games they might not have played before. We know this because after joining Game Pass people play 40% more games and more than 90% of members have played a game they wouldn’t have tried without Game Pass – often discovering new genres they have not yet experienced. This speaks to our passion at Xbox for sharing and celebrating the games that we love and for showcasing works, from blockbusters to indie developers with unique points of view.
The Xbox Game Pass library includes some of the biggest blockbuster franchises like Forza, Gears of War, Halo, Minecraft, NBA 2K, and The Witcher. It also includes dozens of high-quality games from independent developers, and 30% of our most popular games are family friendly titles like Kingdom Hearts III, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Sea of Thieves.
We’re humbled by the reception to Xbox Game Pass. It’s changing the way we play and discover games together, and it inspires us on our journey to help people connect through gaming.
We’re also inspired to deliver you our fastest, most powerful console ever that will set a new bar for performance, feel, speed and compatibility when it releases this holiday; as well as a library of games from our 15 Xbox Game Studios and thousands of development partners around the world. Later this year our cloud game streaming technology, Project xCloud, will come to Game Pass—so you and your friends can stream and play the games you love together on your devices.
I’ve always believed gaming has a unique power to bring us together, and I’m proud of how our artform is introducing this unique power to more people during a time of need. I have no doubt that we’ll come through this experience stronger than ever.
First Single-Player Killer Queen Game, ABS vs THE BLOOD QUEEN, Revealed
Arcade Action Platformer Launches June
Brooklyn, NY — 1 May 2020—ABS vs THE BLOOD QUEEN, the first single-player game in the Killer Queen franchise enjoyed by millions, flies soon on PC, Mac and Linux via the Steam Marketplace. BumbleBear Games crafts the action platformer while in quarantine, for friends and fans stuck at home and away from the arcades. BumbleBear hopes to add a Nintendo Switch version to the hive later this year.
Designed for veterans and newcomers to the Killer Queen Universe, ABS vs THE BLOOD QUEEN provides a practice space for returning worker bees as well as a fun and engaging entry point. Control the titular Abs as he outruns a terrifying wall of undead warriors and repeatedly clashes with a twisted, maniacal version of the game’s most iconic character, the Blood Queen.
Call upon the technical skills and maneuvers utilized in high-level Killer Queen play to survive — ride the snail, earn wings as a powerful Warrior and grab Berries to discover hidden abilities and secret rooms. Test those abilities in devious new ways while further developing or refining a Killer Queen skillset to transition seamlessly back into arcades once they are back in business!
Procedurally-generated levels, global leaderboards, and tantalizing “just one more run”-style gameplay make ABS vs THE BLOOD QUEEN the friendly competition currently missing from the world and arcades. After launch, BumbleBear plans to continue to update the action platformer and introduce it to arcades in its own cabinet. Some of the new features and artwork made for the game will eventually find its way into Killer Queen’s arcade edition.
As developers at the forefront of the Modern Arcade, BumbleBear Games shaped its vision and talents around cultivating the physical, real-world space arcade games inhabit. Community, camaraderie, love and support for arcades and other small businesses — all remain on hold while the country bands together to try and stop the spread of COVID-19.
As millions of Americans struggle to cope with the stress and uncertainty of this experience, the ways we develop community and shared experiences evolve and change. With ABS vs THE BLOOD QUEEN, BumbleBear Games sets out to provide a little much-needed arcade-style love to gamers stuck in quarantine.
“While our community can’t go to arcades and enjoy the competitive spirit behind Killer Queen, we wanted to think outside of the box,” says Josh DeBonis, president of BumbleBear Games. “ABS vs. THE BLOOD QUEEN uses the framework we’ve created to serve as both a Killer Queen training ground and a new game with surprising new challenges for our fans.”
BumbleBear Games aims to release ABS vs THE BLOOD QUEEN in June and launches a Kickstarter today with a funding goal of $33,000. Backer tiers include full access at launch for $14, in-game graffiti submissions for $25, and go all the way up to $8,999 to secure the very first prototype ABS vs THE BLOOD QUEEN arcade cabinet BumbleBear develops. May 21 is the final day to pledge.
To learn more, please visit the game’s pledge page, watch for updates on the Killer Queen Twitter and Facebook.
About BumbleBear Games
BumbleBear makes games for smart people to play together in public spaces. Its “platform”, the New Arcade, is a blend of digital and physical worlds through arcade cabinets, installations, and VR. The team is based in Brooklyn, NY, and created arcade phenomenon Killer Queen. Late last year, BumbleBear joined forces with Liquid Bit to develop Killer Queen Black, a new 8-player experience on PC and the Nintendo Switch system.
3D Bullet Hell Touhou Mechanical Scrollery Flies to Steam Today
TOKYO – 1 May 2020 – Touhou Mechanical Scrollery, the full freedom 3D bullet hell where flying girls hunt gigantic mecha spiders across gorgeous landscapes from publisher Phoenixx Inc. and developer Mikosan Manners, takes off to Steam for PC today.
Weave through projectiles filling the sky like fireworks to get in melee range then beat robotic invaders to build up energy for long-range attacks. Knock off enemy parts including weapons, then obliterate what’s left with a hail of bullets from up close or long-range. Harvest parts from their broken bodies to combine with materials found in the environment and create new equipment.
Soar over the beautiful forests, snowy fields and desert sands of Gensokyo across four difficulties. Play as one of two girls, each with her own special abilities, as they fend off the invaders.
“The story will be familiar to Touhou Project fans, as we’ve reimagined Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom, the 15th title in the main series, in 3D,” said Shokutaku no G, co-founder, Mikosan Manners. “The members of our team bonded at university over our love of the Touhou Project series, and we thought it only fitting our first game should combine the beauty and power of modern game development with that beloved franchise to make an unrivalled 3D bullet hell experience.”
Touhou Mechanical Scrollery will cost USD $19.99/16.79€ and support English, Japanese and Chinese (Traditional and Simplified). It is an unofficial entry in the Touhou Project, recognized by the Guinness World Records as the “most prolific fan-made shooter series.”
Mikosan Manners was started by a group of university friends sharing a love for the Touhou Project to learn game development. Touhou Mechanical Scrollery is the studio’s first project.
Established in 2019 by industry veterans, Phoenixx aims to support innovative and creative developers from Japan and around the world. Its mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one creator, one game and one community a time.
Become a Legendary Viking RaiderIn Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla
Sydney, Australia — May 1, 2020 — Today, Ubisoft announced the next installment in the Assassin’s Creed® franchise, Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla, will release worldwide Holiday 2020 on Xbox Series X, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, PlayStation®4, Stadia, and for Windows PC exclusively on both the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store. The game will also be available on UPLAY+*, Ubisoft’s subscription service.
Developed by the team behind Assassin’s Creed® IV Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed® Origins at Ubisoft Montreal**, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla invites players to live the saga of Eivor, a fierce Viking raider raised on tales of battle and glory. Offering a captivating Viking experience, the game brings players to a dynamic and beautiful open world set against the brutal backdrop of England’s Dark Ages. In this latest iteration, players can take advantage of new features including raids, growing their settlement, building their power and expanding their influence.
“We can’t wait for players to experience the incredible Viking journey ahead of them,” said Ashraf Ismail, Creative Director of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. “Being in Eivor’s boots as both a Viking raider and a clan leader, players will face the conflicts of establishing a new home while in the midst of a power struggle for control of England.”
Players will be able to choose to play as either a male or female Eivor, and will have access to customization tools including the ability to customize hair, tattoos, war paint and gear. Political alliances, combat decisions, and dialogue choices can influence the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, so players must choose wisely to protect their clan’s home and future.
Driven from Norway by endless wars and dwindling resources in ninth century AD, players will lead Eivor’s clan of Norsemen across the icy North Sea to the rich lands of England’s broken kingdoms. Players must carve out a new future for their clan, reliving the ruthless fighting style of Viking warriors with a revamped combat system that includes the ability to dual-wield weapons against a greater variety of enemies than ever before. To secure resources players can lead raids to select locations using their longship to earn much-needed riches and resources. As the Vikings begin to settle in their new home, they encounter resistance from the Saxons including King Aelfred of Wessex, who denounces them as heathens and looks to be the sole ruler of a civilized England. Against all odds, Eivor must do what is necessary to keep Valhalla within reach.
Additionally, the Gold, Ultimate, and Collector’s Editions*of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla were announced as well as the Ubicollectibles® products:
The Gold Edition will include the base game and the Season Pass.
The Ultimate Edition will include the base game, the Season Pass and the Ultimate Pack giving access to players to exclusive customization content: the Berserker Gear Pack, the Berserker Settlement Pack, the Berserker Longship Pack, along with a Set of Runes to improve weapons or gears.
The Collector’s Edition will include the base game, the Season Pass, the Ultimate Pack, the high-end Ubicollectibles replica of Eivor and her Drakkar (height: 30cm), a Collector’s Case, a Steelbook® with a unique artwork, a numbered certificate of authenticity, a Viking Statuette of Eivor with his raven and Dane axe (height: 5cm), exclusive lithographs as well as a Selected Soundtrack of the game. The Collector’s Edition is available exclusively on the Ubisoft Store.
The standalone Ubicollectibles products including the Eivor Wolf-Kissed Figurine and his Hidden Blade Replica.
Fans who pre-order**** Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will receive at launch an additional mission The Way of the Berserker, in which players will join a legendary Norse Berserker on his quest for revenge.
Finally, fans will be able to step even further into the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla with the original novel published by Penguin Random House, available starting now for pre-order.
For more information on Assassin’s Creed, please visit: assassinscreed.com
* $19.95 AUD per month. Cancel anytime. The Gold and Ultimate Editions will be available as part of a UPLAY+ subscription. More information at uplayplus.com.
**Associate studios are Ubisoft Sofia, Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft Montpellier Ubisoft Barcelona, Ubisoft Kyiv, Ubisoft Bordeaux, Ubisoft Shanghai, Ubisoft Chengdu, Ubisoft Philippines, Ubisoft Quebec, Ubisoft Bucharest, Ubisoft Pune, with additional help from external partner Sperasoft.
***Final content and release dates subject to change. Some features may not be available at launch. Content may be available for purchase and/or as giveaway(s) separately at Ubisoft’s sole discretion at any time.
**** Pre-order currently available digitally for PC on the Epic Games Store and Uplay, and in retail for Xbox One and PlayStation®4.
About Ubicollectibles
Ubicollectibles is a branch of Ubisoft that is composed of a team of genuine video game and geek culture fans who bring to life a wide range of premium, limited-edition collectible products. The Ubicollectibles items are meticulously crafted in close collaboration with the studios to appeal to the fans of Ubisoft’s popular brands. For further information, please visit facebook.com/ubicollectibles.
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 2018-19 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €2,029 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com/.
Owlcat Games announces Slacker Backer campaign to fund new class and dinosaur companions
Moscow, Russia, April 30, 2020 – Owlcat Games has announced that the first alpha test for its classic isometric CRPG, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, is now available for all the backers who contributed to the title’s Kickstarter campaign and got the appropriate access. All the fans of Pathfinder who missed the Kickstarter can also purchase access for $15 after selecting a tier to contribute to the crowdfunding campaign via the game’s official website. The studio has launched a Slacker Backer campaign in an effort to add a new Hunter class and Dinosaur companions and mounts to the game.
“These are rough times we are living in right now, but we are doing our best to keep up with our development schedule and deliver the game as promised,” says Oleg Shpilchevskiy, Owlcat Games’s Head of Studio. “Now that the alpha version is available to our backers, we are thrilled to receive feedback from our core fans.”
From now until May 21, testers are able to play through the first two chapters of Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, thereby experiencing the beginning of their epic adventure. The alpha allows fans to try out six new classes (each with a plethora of archetypes) and two prestige classes alongside the full roster featured in Pathfinder: Kingmaker. This version also includes 10 new companions and gives players the opportunity to take their first steps toward one of six Mythic Paths (eight will be available once the full game launches next year).
Features that were backed as Kickstarter stretch goals have also made their way into the alpha build, including mounted combat, increased reactivity for companions and a meeting with a new companion named Woljif Jefto. Fans should note that these features have not been completed and will be improved upon in the future. Additionally, some content may be missing or replaced in later builds. For instance, romances, Crusade Commander features, and the Locust Swarm and Golden Dragon Mythic Paths are absent, and the alpha’s UI has not been updated. Owlcat Games encourages testers to report the bugs and glitches they encounter via a survey.
“This is a significant moment for us – it will show us if we are on the right track,” adds Mr. Shpilchevskiy. “Moreover, a lot of the new features we’ve included were funded as stretch goals during our Kickstarter campaign. It’s time to show our progress on some of them, and I hope the backers will be happy with what they see.”
Kickstarter backers are now able to access a personal account to manage and upgrade their pledges, select specific add-ons, receive digital rewards, and edit personal information such as their shipping address. Fans may also pre-order the title and purchase packs similar to the tiers offered during the game’s Kickstarter campaign if they wish to continue supporting Owlcat Games.
Curious CRPG aficionados who missed out on Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous’s crowdfunding campaign can support development via a Slacker Backer program. The funds collected through this initiative will help Owlcat Games finance its last active Kickstarter stretch goal: the addition of both a new Hunter class called Hunter and ferocious Dinosaur companions and mounts. The warrior of the wilds will be able to command these giant reptiles as pets and ride them into battle. Of course, Hunters will be able to form bonds with other animal allies, too.
Owlcat Games will continue to update fans on Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous’s development progress after the game’s alpha test is complete. Additional details regarding the title can be found on its official website or Kickstarter page.
About Owlcat Games Owlcat Games was founded in 2016 by a group of developers united by their love of CRPGs. The team is led by veteran game designers behind titles like Heroes of Might and Magic V, Silent Storm, Etherlords, Evil Islands: Curse of the Lost Soul and other games. Team members also took part in the development of popular MMO titles Allods Online and Skyforge. The first project unveiled by Owlcat Games was 2018’s Pathfinder: Kingmaker, an isometric computer RPG based on the highly popular Pathfinder pen-and-paper roleplaying game by Paizo Inc. The success of Kingmaker has allowed them to continue working with Paizo on a new Pathfinder adventure, Wrath of the Righteous.
About Paizo Paizo Inc. is one of the world’s leading hobby game publishers. Since 2002, millions of players have joined the goblin army by playing the Pathfinder® and Starfinder® roleplaying games across tabletops, at conventions, at their favorite local game store, and digitally on virtual tabletops. Paizo.com is an online retail hobby destination for gamers that carries the latest products from top hobby game publishers. Players also find accessories, like dice and maps, miniatures, T-shirts, goblin plush toys, and the newest releases to quickly replenish those adventuring supplies for the next dungeon run.
