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SAM’S STORY, THE SECOND MAJOR DLC EXPANSION FOR METRO EXODUS ARRIVES ON FEB 11, 2020

Philip Federico
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SAM’S STORY, THE SECOND MAJOR DLC EXPANSION FOR METRO EXODUS ARRIVES ON FEB 11, 2020

EXPLORE THE RUINS OF VLADIVOSTOK IN A BRAND NEW ‘SANDBOX SURVIVAL’ LEVEL


Larkspur, Calif. | Jan. 27, 2020 | Deep Silver and 4A Games today revealed more details for Sam’s Story, the second major story DLC for Metro Exodus, and confirmed that it will release on Feb. 11, 2020.  

Sam’s Story follows former U.S. Marine Sam, a Spartan Ranger who has worked under Colonel Miller since the nuclear war devastated Moscow, and followed Artyom in search of a world outside of the Metro.  Sam had long dreamed of returning to his homeland, and perhaps even finding his father alive. The prospect seemed impossible in the darkened tunnels of the Metro, but when the Spartans discovered that Moscow was not the only city left alive after the war, holding out hope didn’t feel so foolish anymore.  

Sam, determined to find a way back to the U.S., departed from the Aurora to make his way through Vladivostok’s tsunami-ravaged harbours, ruined industrial buildings, and crumbling residential districts. However, to complete his journey, Sam will discover that he needs every tactic he has learned so far to survive, as his surroundings prove to be far trickier than expected.  

In this expansive ‘sandbox survival’ level, players will experience another gripping storyline featuring new characters, weapons, and mutant variants in a huge, non-linear environment that offers hours of gameplay.

Sam’s Story will be available to purchase on Feb 11, 2020 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC and Stadia – links will be available from launch at https://www.metrothegame.com/buynow. It is included in the Metro Exodus Expansion Pass, which also entitles holders to the acclaimed DLC, The Two Colonels, which was released in August 2019.

Metro Exodus Expansion Pass Store Links
PlayStation Store: https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP2047-CUSA11408_00-METROEXODUSEASON
Microsoft Store: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/metro-exodus-expansion-pass/bt97gwv28b9z
Epic Games Store: https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/metro-exodus/expansion-pass

Be the first to learn more about Metro Exodus by registering for updates at MetroTheGame.com, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @MetroVideoGame or on Facebook at Facebook.com/MetroVideoGame.

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© 2020 Koch Media GmbH and published by Deep Silver. Developed by 4A Games. 4A Games Limited and their respective logo are trademarks of 4A Games Limited. Metro Exodus is inspired by the internationally best-selling novel Metro 2035 by Dmitry Glukhovsky. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners.

ABOUT DEEP SILVER

Deep Silver develops and distributes interactive games for all platforms. The Deep Silver label means to captivate all gamers who have a passion for thrilling gameplay in exciting game worlds by creating products of the highest possible quality, always focusing on what the customer desires.

Deep Silver has published more than 200 games since 2003, including its own brands like the open world extravaganza Saints Row, the zombie action franchise Dead Island, and the gritty, post-apocalyptic Metro series. Upcoming highlights from Deep Silver include the next entries into the Saints Row, TimeSplitters and Dead Island franchises. Deep Silver also owns the development studios Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK; Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, and Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com

Koch Media is a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products (software, games and films). The company’s own publishing activities, marketing and distribution extend throughout Europe and the USA. The Koch Media group has more than 20 years of experience in the digital media business, and has risen to become the number one distributor in Europe. It has also formed strategic alliances with numerous games and software publishers: Bethesda, Capcom, Kaspersky Labs, NC SOFT, Sega, Square Enix and Tecmo-Koei, etc. in various European countries. With Headquarters in Planegg near Munich/Germany, Koch Media owns branches in Germany, England, France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Nordic regions, Benelux and the United States.

All product titles, publisher names, trademarks, artwork and associated imagery are trademarks, registered trademarks and/or copyright material of the respective owners. All rights reserved.

ABOUT 4A GAMES

4A Games is a multicultural, multinational video game development studio with offices in both Malta and Ukraine – known for its atmospheric first-person shooters Metro 2033, Metro: Last Light, and Metro Redux.

Established in Kiev, Ukraine in 2005, the studio was founded by a passionate team of game industry veterans with the goal of creating AAA-quality games for current gaming PCs and then “next-gen” game consoles. In 2014, the studio moved its headquarters – along with more than 50 team members and their families — from Ukraine to the island of Malta.

Currently at the heart of the company are over 100 talented designers, programmers, artists, effects specialists, and writers from all over the world with a diverse and unique set of backgrounds – bringing countless years of experience in software development and computer games in particular. To learn more, please visit www.4A-Games.com

ABOUT DMITRY GLUKHOVSKY

Dmitry Glukhovsky is the author of the internationally best-selling series of Metro novels and creator of the expanded Metro universe which includes the video games by 4A Games.


Born in Moscow, Glukhovsky has also lived in Israel, Germany and France and is fluent in English, German, Spanish, French, Hebrew and Russian. He released his debut novel Metro 2033 online as a free-to-read in 2002, and since then the series has grown to become a multi-author franchise in which professional authors and fans alike from across the world have been writing their own stories set in the post-apocalyptic world of Metro.

Metro Exodus continues the storyline as told in the games Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light, and interweaves with the wider Metro saga contained in Dmitry’s novels, Metro 2033, Metro 2034 and Metro 2035. The storyline of Metro Exodus was co-developed in close collaboration with Dmitry to bring Metro fans the next chapter in Artyom’s adventures.

ATARI ® ANNOUNCES WORLD-CLASS VIDEO GAME-THEMED ATARI HOTELS™

Philip Federico
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First Atari Hotel to Begin Construction in Phoenix in Mid-2020 

New York, NY (January 27, 2020) – Atari® — one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands and entertainment producers — today announced a deal with GSD Group — a leading innovation and strategy agency, led by founder Shelly Murphy and partner Napoleon Smith III — to acquire the rights to build video game-themed Atari Hotels in the United States, with the first location breaking ground in Phoenix, AZ later this year. 

Atari, a trailblazer in the gaming industry, is pioneering an exciting new concept: a unique lodging experience combining the iconic brand with a one-of-a-kind video game-themed destination. Atari Hotels level up hotel entertainment with fully immersive experiences for every age and gaming ability, including the latest in VR and AR (Virtual and Augmented Reality). Select hotels will also feature state-of-the-art venues and studios to accommodate esports events. 

Hotel development and design is being led by Shelly Murphy’s GSD Group and Napoleon Smith III, producer of the wildly successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film franchise reboot. True North Studio, a leading Phoenix, AZ-based real estate developer — currently working alongside GSD Group with Steve Wozniak’s Woz Innovation Foundation — will develop the first Atari- branded hotel.

“We are thrilled to partner with GSD Group and True North Studio to build the first-ever Atari branded hotels across the United States. Together we’ll build a space that will be much more than just a place to stay,” said Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari. “Atari is an iconic global brand that resonates with people of all ages, countries, cultures and ethnic backgrounds and we cannot wait for our fans and their families to enjoy this new hotel concept.” 

More than 2.5 billion gamers across the world spent more than $152.1 billion (US) on games in 2019 alone; an increase of +9.6% year on year. One of the most distinctive trends in gaming is gamers gravitating toward recognizable intellectual property. Atari Hotels will offer consumers exactly that, marrying the origins of gaming and the future of the booming industry into a fun and unique travel destination. 

“When creating this brand-new hotel concept, we knew that Atari would be the perfect way to give guests the ‘nostalgic and retro meets modern’ look and feel we were going for. Let’s face it, how cool will it be to stay inside an Atari?!” said Napoleon Smith III. 

“Atari Hotels will be the first of their kind in the U.S., offering gamers of all ages the ultimate in immersive entertainment and in every aspect of gaming. We’re excited to be working on this project with such great partners and to bring a big win to Arizona,” added Shelly Murphy.

The first of the Atari Hotels is planned to break ground in 2020 in Phoenix, AZ with initial additional hotels planned in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose. For more information about Atari Hotels, please visit www.atarihotels.com.

About GSD Group 
GSD Group is a leading innovation and strategy group — with experience in finance, education, entertainment and creating innovative verticals with legacy brands. GSD Group is associated with Steve Wozniak’s Woz Innovation Foundation and DesTechAZ. 

About True North Studio 
True North Studio is a collection of talented professionals that hail from a variety of specialties, but share a common goal — to create and curate exceptional spaces where incredible things happen on a daily basis. And they have the expertise and acumen to make it work. The founders have decades of experience in commercial real estate construction, development, finance, and accounting and have been involved in more than $6 billion in projects around the world. The team consists of some of the best people and partners in the industry and the portfolio of properties is carefully managed, and provides an incredible array of opportunities and experiences. 

About Atari 
Atari is an interactive entertainment company. As an iconic brand that transcends generations and audiences, the company is globally recognized for its multi-platform, interactive entertainment and licensed products. Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including world-renowned brands like Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command®, Pong®, and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari has offices in New York and Paris. Visit us online at www.Atari.com. 

© 2020 Atari Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. Atari word mark and logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc. 

Disclaimer: The realization of the plans, and their operational budget and financing plan remain inherently uncertain, and the non-realization of these assumptions may impact their value.

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales now available for Nintendo Switch!

Philip Federico
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CD PROJEKT RED, creators of The Witcher series of games, announce that Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales is now available for Nintendo Switch!

Thronebreaker is a single player role-playing game that combines narrative-driven exploration with unique puzzles and turn-based battles, and spins the tale of Meve, war-veteran queen of two Northern Realms — Lyria and Rivia. Facing an imminent Nilfgaardian invasion, Meve is forced to once again enter the warpath and set out on a dark journey of destruction and revenge.

A set of free digital goodies comes with Thronebreaker, including the official soundtrack, concept art from the game, as well as an annotated map of Lyria. Details on how to claim these goodies can be found on the dedicated website. 

Ported to the Nintendo Switch by Crunching Koalas, in close cooperation with CD PROJEKT RED, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales can be purchased right now from the Nintendo eShop. The title is also available on GOG.COM, Steam, as well as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. For more information regarding the game, visit thewitcher.com/thronebreaker.

About The Witcher franchise
Created by CD PROJEKT RED, The Witcher is a series of fantasy role-playing games following the adventures professional monster slayer Geralt of Rivia. To date, the series has sold over 33 million copies worldwide and garnered over 1000 awards. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which released in 2015 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, won a total of 250 Game of the Year awards. The Witcher games are based on the prose of Andrzej Sapkowski.

About CD PROJEKT RED CD PROJEKT RED is a game development studio founded in 2002. It develops and publishes video games for personal computers and video game consoles. The studio’s flagship titles include The Witcher series of games, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, GWENT: The Witcher Card Game and the upcoming futuristic AAA role-playing game — Cyberpunk 2077. Together with GOG.COM, a game store offering hand-picked titles for PC and Mac, CD PROJEKT RED is part of the CD PROJEKT Capital Group. CD PROJEKT S.A. is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ISIN: PLOPTTC00011).

F2P Torchlight Frontiers to be Converted into Torchlight 3

Jamie Laike Tsui
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F2P Torchlight Frontiers to be Converted into Torchlight 3

Echtra Games announced a major shift in direction for their free to play RPG Torchlight Frontiers. The game was originally conceived as an MMORPG, but gamers often expressed disappointment how far the game strayed from its old school ARPG roots. After a year of complaints, Echtra Games and publishers Perfect World Entertainment have decided to listen to feedback and return the Torchlight franchise back to its roots.

Torchlight Frontiers will be rebranded as Torchlight 3 as part of the change in development direction. The horizontal progression is returning to the classic vertical progression model. The zones are being reorganized into acts for a more linear experience. While public towns will remain an MMO-style space, combat zones will now be private by default. Those who prefer to avoid social interaction or have poor internet connections will now be able to enjoy the game with the new offline characters support.

The changes will also require a different business model. Torchlight 3 will be a premium game and will be sold on Steam. The in-game real money store will be removed as a result. Anyone who played the Torchlight Frontier alpha will receive a Steam key for the closed alpha test in the near future. The game is expected to launch on Steam this summer (winter 2020 for those in the southern hemisphere).

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Review

Jamie Laike Tsui
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MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Review

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries

Developer: Piranha Games
Publisher: Piranha Games
Platform: Windows
Release Date: 10 December 2019
Price: $49.99 USD – Available Here

Video Review

Overview

The MechWarrior franchise has been given another breath of life thanks to the success of MechWarrior Online. Piranha Games has now taken their years of experience with the online-only title to revive the main line of singleplayer games. MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is set before MechWarrior Online, during the Third Succession War. Players take the helm of a newly reformed mercenary outfit looking to re-establish their presence while taking revenge on the mysterious Black Inferno mercenary group.

Story

The writing is very dull. The story is told through cutscenes, conversations between members of the crew and the player on the ship, and text briefings before and after missions. The dialogue is dry and wooden. At times, it sounds a little awkward as the dialogue style does not match the character very well. The characters themselves tend to be shallow and predictable, making it hard to care about them at all. The plot itself is a standard affair that never manages to do it well enough to compensate for its predictable nature.

Gameplay

Combat is one of MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries’ strengths. Up to four pilots and their mechs will wade into battle against a variety of mechs, armoured vehicles, and turrets. One of the joys of MechWarrior is the vast possible combinations of weapons, equipment, and mechs. Players can easily find a role that works with their playstyle and can fill out the rest of the team with complementary pieces. Once in a match, the combat is intense thanks to the location-based destruction system that rewards skill and accuracy.

The mech UI and the AI are two major sore spots during combat. The UI is not well thought out. Weapon cooldown and heat are two of the most important pieces of information in battle. Heat in shunted to a small bar on the lower left of the screen. Cooldowns are located in an even more difficult to read area in the bottom right, crammed into a full table of weapons. These may be nods to the old MechWarrior layouts, but there is plenty of wasted space in the bottom and top middle of the screen that would help players keep their eyes focused on their targets. The enemy AI is basic. Enemies will generally take the shortest path to the player and engage. The friendly AI is usually passable but is not very smart. They don’t move with much tactical skill, but they will do their best to keep up with players and follow commands as closely as possible. Unfortunately, the AI really struggles with base defense missions as they will plough through the very buildings they have been tasked to protect.

While mechs may look humanoid in appearance, the game handles more like a light simulation than a mechanical version of a first- or third-person shooter. The experience is more like maneuvering in a tank. The legs of the mech is independent of the torso and uses a throttle system. For those new to the franchise, the game does a decent job of getting new players into the action as quickly as possible. The tutorial is very thorough and teaches the basics well. Learning the intricacies of mech and team optimization is a longer process, especially if players plan on mastering the detailed mech customization menus.   

The mission design is one of MechWarrior 5’s biggest struggles. For starters, the difficulty curve is inconsistent. The first couple of introduction missions that caps off the tutorials are one of the hardest in the game, partially due to their length, the number of enemies hurled at the player, and the fact the player must engage alone. Once players have a full squad, missions put up a mild challenge at most. Next, there is only a limited pool of mission objectives in the game. Missions quickly fall into a rhythm of doing the same mission repeatedly against different mechs in different environments. This feeds the grind-heavy nature of MechWarrior 5 as players need to play these missions to gain enough reputation so the actual campaign missions are unlocked. While it fits within the whole idea of being a mercenary company, the lack of difficulty can make these missions feel like filler content designed to take up time.

The controls are generally solid. As a simulation title on the lighter end of the spectrum, the game can still be keybind heavy; however, almost all the keys feel like they have an actual purpose. For controller users, a few of the lesser used keys will need to be offloaded on a keyboard. The ship controls cannot be changed in game at the moment, but the ability is being added in a future patch. In the mean time, I was able to manually make the changes in the config files.

The loading screens is an endless source of frustration. While modern SSDs can minimize the issue, the number of unnecessary load screens is still frustrating. The game needs to load into missions, load out of missions into the 3D ship, then load again every time the ship hops to a new planet. If you want to play co-op, you’ll have to load back out into the main menu and load back into co-op. The ship sections feel unnecessary as players rarely interact with the crew. For the most part, players simply hop out of the mission and go straight into the menus. Going to a new planet needs a loading screen for some unknown reason, which really discourages players from making extra stops to go shopping for parts and mechs. Everything seems like unnecessary eye candy and could easily be replaced with a 2D menu that offers an option to hop into the 3D ship when story conversations are available.

Visuals

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries look a bit dated stylistically. The camera angles and direction look like older games from the early 2000s that were trying to emulate the 90s action movie style. The graphics are generally sharp, though the environment can look a little blocky at times. The game does a good job with building destruction. It’s a blast to watch a mech plough right through a building with reckless abandon.

Audio

The audio experience is decent. The sound effects are good and immerse the player into the experience of piloting a massive mech. The soundtrack is forgettable. The rock heavy tracks tend to sound very similar and quickly blend together into a blur. The voice acting is passable. All the major characters are voiced by average actors who won’t wow the player but won’t offend the ears either. The voice actors for the random pilots are weaker and a few do have some cringe worth moments.

Overall

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is far from a perfect game. While the combat is enjoyable, the game struggles with load screens, repetitive missions, poor UI design, and a dull story. It is hard to tell if the game is simply capitalizing on the success of MechWarrior Online, experimenting to see if the public is receptive to a singleplayer MechWarrior game, or if the developers simply didn’t have the resources to pull off a game of this scale. MechWarrior 5 is a great option for fans of mech games looking for a more simulation-like approach to the genre, but those with only a passing interest will probably want to wait for a discount before hopping in.   

Activision Blizzard And Google Enter Into Multi-Year Strategic Relationship To Power New Player Experiences

Philip Federico
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Activision Blizzard And Google Enter Into Multi-Year Strategic Relationship To Power New Player Experiences

Together, companies will usher in a new era of gaming experiences through Google Cloud as Activision Blizzard’s preferred cloud provider and YouTube as its exclusive live esports streaming destination

SANTA MONICA, Calif. and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 24, 2020 — Activision Blizzard and Google announced today a multi-year strategic relationship to power new player experiences. Google Cloud will serve as the preferred provider for Activision Blizzard’s game hosting infrastructure and YouTube as its exclusive streaming partner worldwide, excluding China, for live broadcasts of its popular esports leagues and events — including Overwatch League, Call of Duty League, Hearthstone Esports, and more. 

With hundreds of millions of monthly active users around the world, Activision Blizzard sought a partner to help enhance its gaming infrastructure, as well as deliver superior, low-latency player experiences. The company turned to Google Cloud because of its highly reliable global footprint, advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and commitment to open source, creating a platform for building future gaming innovations.

Players will benefit by experiencing premium network quality-of-service, including low latency and packet loss when playing high-fidelity games on any device. They will also have optimal personalized interactions, as Activision Blizzard can tap into Google Cloud’s AI tools to offer curated recommendations for in-game offers and differentiated gaming experiences. 

“We’ve worked closely with Activision Blizzard for the past few years across mobile titles to boost its analytics capabilities and overall player experience,” said Sunil Rayan, Head of Gaming, Google Cloud. “We are excited to now expand our relationship and help power one of the largest and most renowned game developers in the world.”

“We’re excited to partner with Google to drive the next generation of gaming innovation for the industry. Google Cloud’s best-in-class infrastructure gives us the confidence to deliver great entertainment to our fans around the world,” said Jacques Erasmus, Chief Information Officer, Activision Blizzard.

Additionally, beginning this week, YouTube will host the official live broadcasts of Activision Blizzard’s popular esports leagues and events including the newly created Call of Duty League, Overwatch League, Hearthstone Esports, and more. The inaugural Call of Duty League season kicks off on Friday, January 24, with 12 teams competing in Minnesota, and the Overwatch League’s 2020 season will follow on February 8. All competitions will be livestreamed on each league’s YouTube channel and will include archived and other special content. 

“With more than 200 million gamers a day watching more than 50 billion hours of gaming content per year, YouTube provides gamers and their passionate fans with the most popular video gaming platform in the world,” said Ryan Wyatt, Head of Gaming, YouTube. “Both the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League are the quintessential examples of world class esports content. As a former Call of Duty esports commentator myself, I couldn’t be more excited for Activision Blizzard to choose YouTube as its exclusive home for the digital live streaming of both leagues. This partnership further demonstrates our dedication to having a world class live streaming product for gaming.” 

“This is an exciting year for Activision Blizzard Esports as we head into the inaugural season of Call of Duty League and our first ever season of homestands for Overwatch League all around the world,” said Pete Vlastelica, CEO of Activision Blizzard Esports. “It’s our mission to deliver high-quality competitive entertainment that our fans can follow globally, live or on-demand, and to celebrate our players as the superstars that they are. This partnership will help us deliver on that promise at new levels, by combining our passionate communities of fans and players with YouTube’s powerful content platform and exciting history of supporting next-generation entertainment.”

This collaboration with Activision Blizzard represents Google’s ongoing commitment to supporting game developer success around the globe. Across its business units, Google offers comprehensive solutions for game developers, empowering them to create great games, connect with players, and scale their businesses.

About Google
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Google Cloud, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.

About Activision Blizzard
Activision Blizzard, Inc., connects and engages the world through epic entertainment. A member of the Fortune 500 and S&P 500, Activision Blizzard is a leading interactive entertainment company. We delight hundreds of millions of monthly active users around the world through franchises including Call of Duty®, Spyro®, and Crash Bandicoot™, Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Hearthstone®, Diablo®, StarCraft®, and Heroes of the Storm®, and King’s Candy Crush™, Bubble Witch™, and Farm Heroes™. The company is one of the Fortune “100 Best Companies To Work For®.” Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Blizzard has operations throughout the world. More information about Activision Blizzard and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activisionblizzard.com.

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Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD now available on Nintendo Switch!

Philip Federico
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0

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD now available on Nintendo Switch!

Sydney, Australia, January 24, 2020 – Oddworld Inhabitants Inc., creators of the upcoming 2020 release Oddworld: Soulstorm, announced that their award-winning classic action adventure game, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD is now available for Nintendo Switch.

Co-published with Microids, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD is available beginning today in the Nintendo eShop.  Microids and Oddworld will release standard and limited boxed editions at retail later this year.  

Originally released in 2005, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath earned a Metacritic score of 88/100 due to its potent mix of unique gameplay, engrossing storytelling and universal philosophical themes. The HD version for Nintendo Switch offers the same innovative mix of shooter, platformer and puzzle genres with a hybrid viewpoint that allows the player to switch between 1st person action with 3rd person exploration.

Complete with new graphical and performance upgrades, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD offers dramatically improved audio and full 1080 HD graphics at 60 fps, super tight gyro-aiming for fine adjustments, and blazing-fast load times.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is a classic 10-plus hour Western motif with sci-fi and socially conscious elements. For completionists, there is an additional five hours of side missions. Coming shortly after launch players will be able to download a free patch providing subtitles for all language in-game (cut scenes already have subtitles) in English, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Swedish, Finnish and Simplified Chinese.

Stranger is a mysterious bounty hunter in poor health who refuses to use guns. Needing an exorbitant amount of Moolah to buy the lifesaving surgery he desperately needs, Stranger decides to help the local town folk capture wanted outlaws and scoundrels before accepting the ultimate bounty. Rather than traditional shooters with bullets and bombs, Stranger takes a more organic approach to ammunition, using various critters (Live Ammo) to launch at enemies from his crossbow.

Led by founders Sherry McKenna and Lorne Lanning, the storytellers at Oddworld Inhabitants fashion cinematic experiences within the Oddworld universe as analogous to that of our own world. Mindfully balancing compelling storylines with propulsive gameplay, Stranger’s Wrath is able to examine timely philosophical themes such as the displacement of indigenous people, the privatization of natural resources, and the rising cost of health care without sacrificing fun.

CALL OF DUTY LEAGUE™ UNVEILS INITIAL BRAND SPONSORS AHEAD OF 2020 SEASON

Philip Federico
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0

CALL OF DUTY LEAGUE™ UNVEILS INITIAL BRAND SPONSORS AHEAD OF 2020 SEASON MTN DEW® AMP® GAME FUEL® Named the Official Beverage Sponsor of the Call of Duty League

PlayStation® Named Presenting Sponsor of Call of Duty Challengers™, The Official ‘Path to Pro’ Amateur Competition of the Call of Duty League

New Multi-Year Sponsorship Deals with ASTRO Gaming as Official Headset and SCUF Gaming as Official Controller Detailed; Also Added to the 2020 Season is the U.S. Airforce

SANTA MONICA, Calif.—January 23, 2020—The Call of Duty League™ today announced sponsorship deals with top brands for its inaugural season including MTN DEW® AMP® GAME FUEL®, PlayStation®, Astro Gaming and, SCUF Gaming, returning partners in Call of Duty esports. Also added to the 2020 season is the U.S. Airforce.

“This coming weekend in Minneapolis we kick off the next chapter of Call of Duty esports, and we couldn’t be prouder to have these incredible brands as partners for the inaugural Call of Duty League season,” said Brandon Snow, Activision Blizzard Esports League Chief Revenue Officer. “Our partners not only support the players on their mission to win the first Call of Duty League Championship, they provide our fans around the world a better experience while attending Home Series matches or streaming at home.”

MTN DEW® AMP® GAME FUEL® returns to Call of Duty esports in a multi-year agreement which solidifies the brand as the official beverage of the Call of Duty League, the official beverage of the Call of Duty League City Circuit™ and the official beverage of the Call of Duty Challengers™. The sponsorship extends to the 2022 season of the Call of Duty League.

“We’re honored to continue our partnership with the Call of Duty League in celebration of players around the world and their love of the iconic game,” said Erin Chin, Senior Director, Marketing, MTN DEW. “As MTN DEW AMP GAME FUEL enters another banner year, we’re thrilled to keep delivering unique partnerships and best-in-class experiences for the gamers and fans who inspired the product’s creation.”

PlayStation® returns to Call of Duty esports in 2020 with PlayStation®4 as the official platform of the Call of Duty League and the official partner of Call of Duty Challengers. At League Weekend events – including the Call of Duty League Launch Weekend – PlayStation® will be the presenting sponsor of Call of Duty Challengers competition. As part of the path to pro amateur competition structure, PlayStation® will present the Challengers Points Leaderboard on CallofDutyLeague.com as well sponsor key video content, including the post-match on-stage series “Instant Reaction.”

ASTRO Gaming extends its sponsorship of Call of Duty esports through the 2022 season as the Official Headset and MixAmp of the Call of Duty League. In addition to ASTRO Headsets and MixAmps on the mainstage of all events, the company will sponsor a new video content series for the Call of Duty League and will sponsor the Call of Duty League season MVP award. ASTRO Listen-In segments will be featured in every match played this season. Finally, ASTRO is producing a special edition Call of Duty League A40 TR Headset and A40 Speaker Tags for each pro team. 

“We’re proud to extend our long-term partnership with Call of Duty esports in the new Call of Duty League. We’re committed to providing all competitors with immersive game audio and precise voice communication,” said Aron Drayer, Vice President of Marketing at ASTRO Gaming. “We’re also excited about creating a special edition headset for the league and all of the new city-based teams.” 

Pre-Order your CDL A40 TR Headset and CDL A40 Team Speaker Tags here today @ https://www.astrogaming.com/en-us/customize/special-editions/call-of-duty-league.html

SCUF Gaming will continue its longstanding sponsorship in Call of Duty esports through the 2021 season as the official controller of the Call of Duty League. SCUF will activate throughout League Weekend events and continue its sponsorship of the documentary short series “Behind the Controller” and produce official, special edition Call of Duty League controllers for each of the twelve franchise teams.  

SCUF Gaming “SCUF®” is a creator of high-performance gaming controllers and provides accessories and customized gaming controllers for console and PC that are used by top professional gamers as well as casual gamers. Built to specification, SCUF controllers offer a number of functional and design features custom built to increase hand use and improve gameplay.

“Both esports and Call of Duty are deeply rooted in our core DNA so we are delighted that the day has finally come for Call of Duty League to launch. We couldn’t be prouder or more excited to be a foundational partner and to continue innovating the way gamers use a controller to help them perform at the highest level,” said Duncan Ironmonger, CEO & Founder of SCUF Gaming. “Since inception, we’ve been dedicated to supporting the growth of esports; creating the features that have made SCUF an extension of the player to maximize their performance. After 17 years in the making, we’re excited that Call of Duty League Launch Weekend has finally come.”

New to Call of Duty esports is The U.S. Air Force. As part of a one-year agreement, the U.S. Air Force will activate on-site at League weekend events and be featured in League broadcasts.

The U.S. Air Force and Call of Duty League will offer fans an opportunity to experience flight simulators in technology-enabled experiential activations for Call of Duty fans. The U.S. Air Force will also be sponsors of a “Match Metrics” broadcast feature, as on-air talent leads pregame examination of the teams that are about to square off.

The Call of Duty League season begins in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with the Call of Duty League Launch Weekend – hosted by the Minnesota RØKKR franchise – on January 24, 2020.

The Call of Duty League follows a home-vs-away format with 5-vs-5 professional match play, with 12 teams in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Florida, London, Los Angeles (2), Minnesota, New York, Paris, Seattle, and Toronto. Throughout the season, each team will host “Home Series” weekends in their market, with multiple pro teams competing at each event.

Call of Duty League also announced Outerstuff, an industry leader in branded apparel, is the developer of official player kits and fan apparel for the 2020 season. In addition, Call of Duty League has signed Mitchell & Ness for authentic, league-licensed headwear across all teams in the league.

Call of Duty League fans worldwide can now access all of their favorite team gear from Outerstuff and Mitchell & Ness, and other League Licensees, through the official Call of Duty League Store at Shop.CallofDutyLeague.com, a Fanatics experience, both domestically and internationally. This further broadens the long-term relationship between Activision Blizzard Consumer Products Group (ABCPG) and Fanatics, the global leader for licensed merchandise.

About Call of Duty League

Call of Duty League™ is the official esports league of the Call of Duty franchise, from publisher Activision Publishing (“Activision”). The inaugural season of Call of Duty League includes 12 teams from four countries and spotlights the best Call of Duty esports players from around the world. The Call of Duty League launches in 2020 and will feature fresh ways for pro players, amateurs, and fans to come together around one of the world’s most beloved games. To learn more about the Call of Duty League, visit callofdutyleague.com.

About Activision Blizzard Esports

Activision Blizzard Esports (ABE) is responsible for the development, operation, and commercialization of Activision Blizzard’s professional gaming properties including the Overwatch League™, the Call of Duty® League™, Call of Duty Challengers™, Hearthstone Masters, the StarCraft II World Championship Series, and the World of Warcraft Arena World Championship and Mythic Dungeon International, among others. ABE also operates Tespa, the leader in collegiate esports. It is ABE’s vision to be the most innovative, scalable, and valuable developer of global competitive entertainment. 

About Activision

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), a S&P 500 company. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com or by following @Activision.

©2020 Activision Publishing, Inc. CALL OF DUTY, MODERN WARFARE and CALL OF DUTY LEAGUE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Blizzard’s expectations, plans, intentions, or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the dates, features and locations of the Call of Duty League and the Call of Duty League Launch Weekend, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Blizzard’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

“PlayStation” is a trademark or registered trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

KINGDOM HEARTS III RE MIND DLC NOW AVAILABLE ON PLAYSTATION®4

Philip Federico
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KINGDOM HEARTS III RE MIND DLC NOW AVAILABLE ON PLAYSTATION®4

SYDNEY, 24th January 2020 – Square Enix Ltd., announced today that Keyblade wielders can jump back into their epic journey with Sora and friends as the Re Mind DLC for the award-winning RPG, KINGDOM HEARTS III, is now available via digital download on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system.

In Re Mind, players who have completed KINGDOM HEARTS III can journey through a new playable episode with Sora as he experiences battles through his friends’ perspective and uncovers new truths along the way. Players can also take on multiple powerful boss battles, including 13 boss battles in the Limitcut episode and a boss battle in the Secret Episode, experience the new Data Greeting mode, and try the slideshow features and a new ‘Premium Menu’ mode that includes diverse difficulty settings and gameplay challenges.

SQUARE ENIX also teased details of all-new KINGDOM HEARTS content coming to mobile devices. An original story, centred around the mysterious Young Xehanort, is now in development. More information will be available on the official Twitter account: https://twitter.com/ProjectXehanort

The KINGDOM HEARTS III Re Mind DLC is available now for the PlayStation®4 system. The KINGDOM HEARTS III Re Mind + Concert Video package, which includes all KINGDOM HEARTS III Re Mind content as well as footage from the KINGDOM HEARTS – World of Tres – Orchestra concert recorded in Osaka, Japan on 30th November 2019 is also available from today.

The KINGDOM HEARTS III Re Mind DLC will be available for the Xbox One family of devices on 25th February 2020.

Related Links:

Official Website: www.kingdomhearts.com
Twitter: @KingdomHearts
Facebook: @KingdomHearts
YouTube: www.youtube.com/KingdomHearts
Instagram: @KingdomHearts
#KingdomHearts

OVERHIT’S ROSTER OF MORE THAN 120 HEROES GROWS WITH MASSIVE UPDATE

Philip Federico
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OVERHIT’S ROSTER OF MORE THAN 120 HEROES GROWS WITH MASSIVE UPDATE

Nexon’s popular turn-based action role-playing game receives more new content on iOS and Android

SEOUL – Jan. 23, 2020 – The wicked Crow and glorious Awakened Sophia heroes join the fray of enchanted characters in Overhit, the widely-popular turn-based action role-playing game (RPG) from NEXON Korea Corporation, subsidiary of NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO), a worldwide leader in free-to-play online and mobile games. Beginning today, mobile players worldwide can experience the latest update for free on the App Store and Google Play.

Today’s massive content update furthers Overhit’s strategic action adventure gameplay with a myriad of new additions, including:

  • Epic New Heroes – Today’s update adds two powerful new heroes to Overhit’s roster. From now until Wednesday, Feb. 5, players can experience Chance Boost Gachas for both characters:
    • Crow arrives as a Dark type Dealer and Assault hero who wields his terrifying power and unrelenting cruel temperament to eradicate foes
    • Dark-Type Sophia, the Successor of the Sun and Dark type Healer recently returned to Overhit with awakened power and special armor to protect the world with Ash, Colette and Malpion
  • Powerful New Raid Boss – Players can now go head-to-head with Gabriel, a strong Light type Raid Boss and galactic monster who requires cooperation and teamwork to defeat. Players can earn new Chaos Gear form Gabriel
  • Hero Balances – Dark-Type Xanthippe has been rebalanced to become stronger than ever before
  • Special Events – To celebrate today’s massive update, players can participate is several festive events including:
    • New Seven-Day Attendance Rewards event
    • Hero Growth event for Dark-Type heroes
    • Rock Paper Scissors event
    • Bingo event
    • Legendary Gacha Bonus event
    • AP Usage event

Overhit invitesplayers to command the Black Wings resistance army packed with characters from across time and space. A cast of more than 120 unforgettable heroes voiced by world-renowned anime voice actors such as Ishikawa Kaito, Uchida Aya and Morikawa Toiyuki take charge in agorgeous world with console-inspired 3D backgrounds.

The latest Overhit content update is now available for players worldwide on iOS and Android. Additional information for members of the press:

  • Check out the official Facebook page here
  • Check out the latest Overhit teaser video here
  • Visit the official Overhit website here

About NEXON Co. Ltd.
NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO) is a worldwide leader in free-to-play online and mobile games. Founded in Korea in 1994, Nexon developed one of the world’s first graphics-based massively multiplayer online games. Nexon also pioneered the concept of microtransactions and the free-to-play business model, setting a new standard in which play is free, and users have the option to purchase in-game items to enhance their experience. Nexon currently services nearly 100 titles in more than 190 countries. The Company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and its shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

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