Produced by Oasis Games in Partnership with October Media, Friendship-Themed Action-Adventure Game Arrives as Part of Multi-Platform Launch

BEIJING – October 17, 2019 – Publisher Oasis Games today announced it has launched Monkey King: Hero Is Back, the action-adventure game based on the beloved Chinese animated blockbuster film, on Steam. The PC game is available digitally in both Standard Edition (US$34.99) and Deluxe Edition with additional content ($59.99), and the game is also available today in physical editions for PC and PlayStation®4 published by THQ Nordic and produced in association with Sony Interactive Entertainment and Oasis Games.

Monkey King: Hero is Back is based on the record-breaking Chinese animated movie of the same name that was itself inspired by one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels, Journey to the West. The game story, as in the original tale, follows the journey of three protagonists: Monkey King, Pigsy, and the child character, Liuer—with new episodes not portrayed in the original film. The game combines epic Chinese mythology with kung-fu action for a delightful action-adventure that aims to bring the authentic Chinese spirit from the film to a global audience via a high-quality gameplay experience.

“Monkey King: Hero is Back transports PC gamers into the classic tale for a unique action-adventure journey filled with kung-fu battles, strong characters, and friendship,” said Daniel Lin, VP Marketing of Oasis Games. “Players will become the Monkey King as they overcome enemies using their combat skills, magic, and the bonds they create with their companions.”

Through over 10 hours of gameplay, players will be immersed in the world of the Monkey King as the characters fight monsters using varied skills and magic alongside their cooperation and shared individual wisdom. As their journey continues, the three characters deepen their friendship and discover missing pieces of their separate lives.

Game Features

• 10 Epic Levels: Explore 10 unique levels with fast-paced action and lush environments full of secrets and epic boss battles
• Be the Monkey King: Control the Monkey King and engage in Chinese kung-fu with combos, comical finishers, QTE-counters, and a plethora of items and skills
• Unlock Your Powers: Unlock skills and abilities while advancing and gain powerful super moves, a superior magical staff, and the ability to fire projectiles at enemies
• Cinematic Action: The game incorporates scenes from the film as well as never-before-seen content featuring talented voice acting in all major languages

Monkey King: Hero Is Back is digitally published on PC by Oasis Games and officially licensed by October Media Group, holders of the IP for the movie. Monkey King: Hero Is Back is now available on Steam, with the Standard Edition, which includes the full game, priced at $34.99. The Deluxe Edition, which includes the game, two additional episodes, five game items, and two additional costumes, is priced at $59.99. The game is also available in physical editions for PC and PlayStation 4 published by THQ Nordic and produced in association with Sony Interactive Entertainment and Oasis Games. The game has not yet been rated “T” (Teen) for fantasy violence and mild language by the ESRB.

About Oasis Games Ltd.

Oasis Games Limited was established in 2011 and has since become one of the top global interactive entertainment publishers. The company’s games have been translated into 16 different languages and published in more than 130 countries. The company continues its pioneering presence as the first strategic publishing partner of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) Shanghai for the global publishing market—uniquely positioning Oasis Games to bring high quality games to PC, console, and mobile players worldwide. The company has launched a lineup of exciting Steam and PlayStation®VR games, and also has highly anticipated titles such as Monkey King: Hero Is Back on the horizon for release. For more information, please visit oasgames.com.

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Gajeel and Juvia Join the Fight in a Quest to Restore the FAIRY TAIL Guild’s Prestige!

Hertfordshire, 17^th October 2019 – Today KOEI TECMO Europe and developer GUST Studios announced all-new details on the extended storyline arcs of their upcoming JRPG, FAIRY TAIL, available in 2020 on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC via Steam®.

FAIRY TAIL’s enchanting storyline includes the fan-favourite Tenrou Island arc, the Grand Magic Games arc, and the Tartaros arc, as well as other episodes from the original canon based on Hiro Mashima’s best-selling manga and anime series of the same name. The game’s plot focuses on the time period about half way through the anime and revolves around the FAIRY TAIL guild’s near demise after the mysterious absence of Natsu’s party. The guild’s prestige has plummeted in the years since they’ve been gone and is drowning in debt. Thankfully, Natsu and his crew of mages are back and ready to return FAIRY TAIL to its glory days by joining the Grand Magic Games and competing for top guild. Action includes Natsu’s party facing Hades in an action-packed showdown, Erza clashing swords with Kagura of Mermaid Heel, and breath-taking battles against the dark guild Tartaros. In addition, original episodes will also be playable to help characters bond while unlocking unique scenes in the game.

To help in the quest, two new playable characters were also announced, as “The Iron Dragon Slayer” Gajeel Redfox and “The User of Water” Juvia Lockser join Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Gray Fullbuster, Erza Scarlet, and Wendy Marvell in their heroic journey to restore their FAIRY TAIL guild to its former brilliance. Throughout the game, mages accept jobs from the request board inside FAIRY TAIL headquarters. Battles often accompany these jobs, so characters must coordinate their attacks with other party members. Once completing the task, players report back to the guild to receive rewards, including money, items, and guild fame. Guild rank will vary in line with fame, rising from D to S – the higher the rank, the more challenging the mission, but with that comes even bigger rewards. Rise the ranks to take on the most challenging missions in the courageous quest to become the greatest guild in Fiore.

FAIRY TAIL is available to pre-order now from GAME and independent retailers through Centresoft.

To stay up-to-date with the latest information on FAIRY TAIL, please visit the official site at https://www.koeitecmoeurope.com/fairytail/, Like us on www.facebook.com/koeitecmogames, and Follow us on Twitter @koeitecmoeurope.

ABOUT KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD.

KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI TECMO’s best known for their signature ‘one versus thousands’ Warriors series, the fan-favourite Ninja Gaiden and fighting entertainment title Dead or Alive. Through collaboration with strong existing franchises, such as A.O.T. Wings of Freedom (Attack on Titan), has brought fan-favourite shows to life in video game form. The company’s desire for innovation and diversity has seen the creation of the critically acclaimed dark-samurai action title Nioh, which takes on new and unique gameplay styles. The company’s acquisition of GUST, developer of a variety of heart-warming titles, has seen their flagship Atelier series span generations of consoles and fans alike. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com

Based on the manga “FAIRY TAIL” by Hiro Mashima originally serialized in the weekly SHONEN MAGAZINE published by KODANSHA Ltd. ©Hiro Mashima, KODANSHA/FAIRY TAIL Committee, TV TOKYO ©KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. The KT logo is a registered trademark of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

“PS” Family logo, “PlayStation” and “PS4” logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

© 2019 Nintendo

© Valve Corporation. Steam and the Steam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

New Italian cruisers drop anchor in World of Warships 

Update 0.8.9 sees early access launch of new nation, kicks off Halloween celebrations with the return of Saving Transylvania and Sunray in the Darkness Operations

17 October 2019 – Wargaming has today rolled out the latest update for World of Warships – 0.8.9 – which sees the launch of the brand-new Italian cruiser line into early access of the popular online naval combat game. The introduction of the Italian cruisers comes with new mechanics, a game event with new directives, the new Taranto Port, and much more. 

Update 0.8.9 also kicks off the Halloween celebrations with the return of the popular Saving Transylvania and Sunray in the Darkness Operations. The second Halloween phase will be available from October 31st and will bring to light a new game mode “Raid for the Filth” allowing players to do battle against otherworldly forces while their own ships slowly transform from man-made machines into gigantic sea monsters.

A new developer diary taking an in-depth look at update 0.8.9 including the new cruisers of the Italian Navy and the Halloween event, can be viewed here. 

The Italian warships included in update 0.8.9 present the first researchable branch of the Italian Navy. Players can now get early access to the first Italian cruisers with the introduction of the Raimondo Montecuccoli (Tier V), Trento (Tier VI), Zara (Tier VII) and Amalfi (Tier VIII). The new cruisers are notable for their manoeuvrability and powerful 203 mm guns on Tier VI ships and upwards. Two new mechanics are also introduced: 

• Semi-armour-piercing (SAP) shells combine certain characteristics of both AP and HE shells to steadily inflict large amounts of regular damage to enemy ships, but are unable to start a fire.
• The Exhaust Smoke Generator is a unique consumable that can conceal a player’s ship without it having to reduce speed. 

A new game event gives players the opportunity to earn special rewards, including new containers and a new temporary resource: Italian Tokens. These can be exchanged in the Armoury for permanent and expendable camouflages, signals, days of Warships Premium Account, credits, Random Bundles or event containers for a chance to unlock early access to the Italian Cruisers. Finally, players will have the opportunity to admire their recently acquired ships in the brand-new Taranto Port.

The spookiest day of the year, Halloween, will see the start of the new “Raid for the Filth” game mode. Players will be able to research and command magic-infused ships across three different branches: destroyers, cruisers, and battleships. They will face off against other human opponents as well as hordes of dark forces controlled by AI. The main objective is to gather Filth, a special resource, both from set locations or from defeated enemies before escaping through a centrally situated portal. Filth can then be exchanged in the Armory for valuable rewards such as credits or random bundles for new permanent camouflages, signals, XP and much more.  

Finally, in Update 0.8.9, players can keep on celebrating Halloween as long as they want with a new set of creepy, monster-styled permanent camouflages. 

Head over to World of Warships now to sign up for World of Warships for free.

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About World of Warships

World of Warships is a free, historical, online combat game from Wargaming. Command a massive naval fleet featuring some of history’s most iconic war vessels, level up important tech modules and prepare to dominate the oceans in World of Warships. With four classes of ships, myriad upgrades, and strategically designed environments, the action never ends and every match is a unique experience. World of Warships brings players endless hours of strategy, tactical gameplay and pulse-pounding combat!

About Wargaming

Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 4500+ employees and offices spread all over the world. Over 200 million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Their flagship products include the massively popular free-to-play hit World of Tanks and the naval combat game World of Warships. The company’s dedicated unit, Wargaming Mobile, is forging collaborations to deliver new mobile experiences alongside their in-house game development.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 launch timeframe update

STOCKHOLM – October 17th 2019 – Paradox Interactive and Hardsuit Labs have shifted the launch window for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. The game will no longer launch in Q1 2020, but later in the year.

Over the last few months, it has become clear to Paradox Interactive and Hardsuit Labs that hitting the original launch time frame of Q1 2020 would risk shipping a game that does not meet the ambitions that developer and publisher share. This decision has been made to ensure that Paradox and Harsuit deliver the best Bloodlines 2 experience possible. 

You can learn more about this decision from Narrative Lead Brian Mitsoda’s letter to the community here: https://www.bloodlines2.com/en/dev-blog-post

Over the course of PDXCON, Paradox’s press and community conference taking place in Berlin, Germany this weekend, Hardsuit Labs and Paradox will give more insight into the development Bloodlines 2 as well as their ambitions for the game. Fans who want to learn more can tune into the Paradox Twitch channel to watch the talks and panels throughout the event at https://www.twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will launch on PC and consoles in 2020. To learn more about Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, please visit www.bloodlines2.com.

About Paradox Interactive:

Paradox Interactive is a leading global publisher of strategy games for PC and console. The company has developed and published a world-renowned catalog stretching back to 1999, with players hailing from all around the world.

The publisher’s steadily-growing portfolio includes firmly established franchises such as the critically acclaimed Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, Hearts of Iron, and Stellaris series created by Paradox Development Studio, the Age of Wonders series created by Triumph Studios, as well as award-winning titles such as Cities: Skylines, Pillars of Eternity, and more from a network of partner studios. Paradox also owns White Wolf Interactive, though none of the publisher’s employees are vampires.

Paradox’s head offices are located in Stockholm, Sweden. Our development studios are located in Stockholm, Malmö and Umeå, Sweden and in Delft, The Netherlands. We share a passion for gaming and gamers, and our goal is to provide deep and challenging games with hours of gameplay and endless variety to our ever-growing community.

About Koch Media

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

KUNAI Confirmed to Adorably & Efficiently Lay Waste to Robot Fools
on Nintendo Switch, PC Early 2020

New gameplay from jumpy stabby techroidvania showcases swift baddie-scrapping action

PARIS – Oct. 16, 2019 – Publisher The Arcade Crew and developer TurtleBlaze announced today that the adorable but deadly KUNAI is set to unleash seriously cute damage on your PC and Switch devices in early 2020. Dropping all-new gameplay footage, fans can get a look at the various weaponry and moves that will be at their disposal as they slice and stab their way through a hellish but aesthetically pleasing warscape.

An adventure best explored through ninja-tier parkour and best survived with razor sharp combat reflexes, KUNAI is a warrior’s delight. Right off the bat players have ample opportunities to reduce enemies to scrap metal while swinging on ropes across chasms, dashing up walls to lofty goals, and dropping in on unsuspecting targets.

In KUNAI, players dish out swift death as Tabby, an emotive, tablet-powered hero infused with an ancient warrior’s soul. Tabby is resuscitated and rebooted in the midst of a futuristic war between AI robots gone wrong. Humanity is on the brink of extinction thanks to a famed inventor’s botched AI creation, and Tabby sets out to solve things as any handheld consumer electronic warrior hybrid would: with heaps of violence.

With vertical and horizontal level design aimed at keeping you on your toes, navigating the fast-paced world in KUNAI is engaging, challenging, and immensely rewarding. Slicing baddies and soaring through KUNAI’s sprawling areas with Tabby is a joyous escape, and toppling the land’s merciless bosses in all-out showdowns is thrilling.

To keep tabs on KUNAI, slash your way over to the  official website (https://kunaigame.com/), ambush The Arcade Crew on Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheArcadeCrew), or pin the game to your Steam wishlist (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1001800/KUNAI/).

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About TurtleBlaze
A lively Netherlands-based trio brought together in part by a shared quarter-life crisis, TurtleBlaze’s team draws guidance from the keystone gaming experiences which sparked and have since fueled its adoration of video games as a medium. To stay up to date on TurtleBlaze’s creations, please visit the studio’s official site (http://turtleblaze.com/) or follow them on Twitter (https://twitter.com/turtleblaze).

About the Arcade Crew
The Arcade Crew is based in Paris as a separate division of Dotemu. The boutique publisher is dedicated to producing and publishing awesome original games with a retro feel from small creative teams. The Crew is thrilled to discover and support new talents and create a real community around classic inspired titles. Get in touch with us at https://www.thearcadecrew.com/ and follow us on Twitter @thearcadecrew.

Horror Adventure Tokyo Dark – Remembrance – Terrifies Switch on 7 Nov.

PlayStation 4 in Q4 2019; Consoles Feature Additional Content

TOKYO – 16 Oct. 2019 – Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) publishing label UNTIES in collaboration with developers Cherrymochi and mebius. will bring Tokyo Dark – Remembrance –, the anime-style murder mystery merging visual novel and adventure features, to Nintendo Switch on 7 November. The macabre tale will creep up on PlayStation 4 this year.

Tokyo Dark – Remembrance – expands the gripping story of the original Tokyo Dark with updated and additional content as well as new endings.

Detective Itō Ayami hasn’t had a full night’s sleep since the horrifying occurrences leading to her partner’s disappearance. Haunted by eerie images of a young girl and red marks painted all over town, she must fight the mysterious, dark power threatening her sanity on her mission to reunite with her lost colleague.

Every action impacts the storyline, thanks to the S.P.I.N. (Sanity, Professionalism, Investigation, Neurosis) system. Stay cool to gain Professionalism and help from coworkers. Drink on the job to cope with the ghastly images threatening Ayami’s Sanity. Stuck on a puzzle? Wandering around too much can raise the Neurosis stat. Everything Itō does can open new doors or cut her off from other options down the line, affecting the availability of more than 10 possible endings.

Tokyo Dark – Remembrance – features animated sequences from Graphnica, the studio responsible for scenes in Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Hellsing Ultimate and more. Accented by a sinister soundtrack, eye-catching graphics inspired by real locations in Tokyo, propelled by Japanese mythology as well as urban myths, and tempered by the cultural influences of an international development team, Tokyo Dark – Remembrance – presents a compelling story that’s hard to shake once it takes hold.

“Walking the streets of Tokyo will never feel the same after playing Tokyo Dark – Remembrance –,” said John Davis, G&R Representative, UNTIES. “With new content and additional endings, the tale has more horrific variety than ever, appealing to fans of Japanese horror stories and western murder-mysteries alike.”

Tokyo Dark – Remembrance – will come to Nintendo Switch on 7 Nov. for $19.99 USD/€17.99, with pre-orders beginning 31 Oct. The game will have English and German text options with full audio and text in Japanese.

To learn more, visit the Tokyo Dark – Remembrance – website and its official Facebook page.

About UNTIES

Based out of Tokyo, Japan, Sony Music’s publishing label UNTIES is dedicated to expanding the reach of Japan’s best indie developers. Their name derives from their goal of untying games from specific platforms and sharing them worldwide. For more information, visit the UNTIES website or follow @UNTIES_Games on Twitter.

About Cherrymochi

Cherrymochi is a team of international game developers based south of Tokyo and blending their multicultural experiences to make narrative-focused games inspired by Japanese pop culture, anime aesthetics and Western adventure games for people all over the world. For more information, visit the Cherrymochi website or follow @CherryMochii on Twitter. 

PUBG MOBILE RELEASES MASSIVE HALLOWEEKS CONTENT UPDATE WITH PLAYLOAD MODE ON THE WAY

Massive update provides new game mode, Halloween themed content and more for PUBG MOBILE on iOS and Android

LOS ANGELES – Oct. 16, 2019 – Today, PUBG MOBILE released the full version 0.15.0 content including new firearms and vehicles, new features and the updated Survive Till Dawn – Halloween Mode and more coming. Players can skydive into the latest update for free on the App Store and Google Play.

New features have been added to all PUBG MOBILE maps and game types as part of the 0.15.0 content update, including:

• BRDM-2 Amphibious Armored Vehicle – Players can travel on both land and sea with this flare gun-exclusive tank, which reduces damage taken
• Ledge Grab – The highly anticipated ledge grab feature now allows players to climb and clamber buildings to reach previously-inaccessible places for new kinds of combat
• Desert Eagle – This new weapon with the highest damage and muzzle velocity out of all pistols deals a daunting 62 damage per bullet and is ready for Red Dot, Holo Sight, Laser Sight and magazine attachments
• Fuel Drums – All vehicle gasoline containers found around the maps can be exploded by shooting several bullets at them
• Graffiti – Players can make their mark on the battlefield with up to four types of graffiti
• Firearm Improvements and balances – The M16A4, Vector, UMP45 and MK47 Mutant have all been adjusted with new attachments, ammo types and carrying capacities, along with other performance and graphics fixes.

Earlier this year, PUBG MOBILE teamed up with Resident Evil 2 to give the classic battleground an undead makeover with the introduction of the Survive Till Dawn mode. Beginning today, players can get into the “Halloweeks” spirit with an all new Survive Till Dawn mode boasting modified background objects and “Halloweenized” monsters. There is now a hostile human faction in abandoned factories and strongholds. Players can defeat them to earn better rewards, while killing zombies grants special bio-warfare equipment that is effective against zombies and other players.

Late in this month, PUBG MOBILE fans can enjoy the new gameplay experience with the coming all-new Payload Mode with high-octane features never-before-seen in the classic mobile tactical tournament, including:

• Helicopters – For the first time ever, players can take to the skies to seek and destroy enemies with the new attack helicopter
• Super Weapon Crate – Spawns regularly and activates after three minutes. Contains air drop weapons, Lv. 3 armor, Payload Mode weapons and more!
• Teammate Recall – Fallen teammate identification cards can be collected and taken to the nearest Communication Tower for a quick revive
• New Payload Weapons – The explosive RPG-7, M3E1-A, M79 Grenade Launcher and M134 minigun are now available
• Air Strike Beacon – Players can call in air strikes to targeted areas around the map
• Vehicle Repair Packs – Packs can be unlocked to fixed damaged vehicles and tires.

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.

For more information, please visit the official PUBG MOBILEaccounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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Sequel to much loved Devespresso debut, The Coma: Recut, ‘The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters’ is a Korean survival horror-adventure arriving on Steam in Q1 2020 with Early Access starting on November 7th.

October 16th, 2019 – Independent game publisher, Headup, and Korean developer, Devespresso Games, are pleased to announce a publishing partnership for The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters, an atmospheric, story-driven Korean survival horror game scheduled for release on Steam in Q1 2020 with Early Access starting on November 7th, 2019.

The title features vibrant, hand-illustrated in-game visuals and Korean manhwa styled comic strips by Minho Kim that combine with a nightmarish story of relentless pursuit by T. L. Riven. The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters is a survival horror adventure with a uniquely stylish look that merges with compelling gameplay sure to garner some jump scares. The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters continues the dark and sinister adventure from the first title’s once-familiar, but now deserted setting, Sehwa High School. The player will now be able to journey beyond the school and into the surrounding district.

“We are thrilled to be working with Devespresso Games again. After recently launching Vambrace: Cold Soul and bringing The Coma: Recut to the German retail market last year, it’s a pleasure to go the next step by publishing this picturesque horror-adventure”, commented Dieter Schoeller, founder of Headup.

“Devespresso Games is proud to, once again, have the opportunity to work with our publishing partners at Headup after the successful launch of Vambrace: Cold Soul.” adds developer Tristan Riven. “This time, through our combined efforts, we’re bringing the second exciting chapter of The Coma to gamers around the world. It’s a real privilege to continue the story that started our journey in the gaming industry together.“ Currently in development, The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters is set to arrive in Q1 2020 on Steam with further details to be announced.

About The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters
Mina Park, a student of Sehwa High, awakens in the dead of night in her school. It isn’t long before she realizes that something is amiss. The once-familiar school where she spends her evenings studying looks twisted by something dark and sinister. She finds herself pursued by someone or something that looks eerily like her English teacher. To survive, Mina must venture beyond the boundaries of her school and into the surrounding district. There, she will encounter strange creatures, mysterious strangers, and uneasy allies.

About Headup
Headup is a hybrid games publishing and development company providing players worldwide with the best content in the independent gaming sector. Established in 2009, it is active on all major platforms such as consoles, mobile devices and PC, and was awarded as “Best Publisher” at the German Developers Awards in 2012, 2013 and 2017. With over 80 million customers served on mobile and further several million players on the PC and consoles, Headup is always looking to raise awareness and commercial success for developers thinking outside the box. More information can be found at headupgames.com and twitter.com/headupgames.

About Devespresso Games
Devespresso Games is an independent, four-man team based out of Seoul, South Korea and San Francisco, USA. The team focuses on crafting interactive stories, immersive worlds, and memorable characters through the medium of games. The guys followed up on the success of their console debut and cult hit, The Coma: Recut, with the fantasy, roguelike adventure game – Vambrace: Cold Soul. More at www.devespressogames.com.

TEAM17’S STEAM PUBLISHER SALE NOW ON!

Save money on new and heritage franchises right now.  Wednesday, 16^th October 2019 – Dozens of current and heritage franchises from Team17 are available at reduced prices for a limited time, as the company’s publisher sale on Steam is now on. Running until 21^st October, the Team17 Steam publisher sale sees dozens of classic games, including Alien Breed and Worms, join the publisher’s more recent titles, including The Escapists and Blasphemous, as well as the award-winning Yoku’s Island Express and Overcooked!, with price reductions ranging up to 90%.

In addition to full games, downloadable content is available at reduced prices, including the Overcooked! 2 season pass, which includes the recently released Carnival of Chaos, Surf ‘n’ Turf, Campfire Cook Off, and Night of the Hangry Horde packs – all of which are also available to buy separately in the sale.

Team17 Steam publisher sale highlights:
Overcooked! 2 – 40%
Blasphemous – 15%
Golf With Your Friends – 35%
Monster Sanctuary – 25%
The Escapists 2 – 70%
Worms W.M.D. – 75%

About Team17 Digital Ltd
Founded in 1990, Team17 Group plc is a leading international video games label and creative partner for independent developers. The portfolio comprises over 100 games, including The Escapists, Overcooked, Yoku’s Island Express, Yooka-Laylee, the Worms franchise and many more from developers around the world. Visit www.team17.com for more info.

By Dave McCarthy, Corporate Vice President, Xbox Operations

At Xbox, we are investing in building a positive gaming community. We believe that gaming should be inclusive and welcoming for everyone, which means creating experiences and communities that invite everyone to play safely and responsibly.

Since we launched Xbox Live nearly two decades ago, we’ve been constantly learning and investing in new tools to make Xbox a welcoming and inclusive space to game. This includes creating Community Standards for Xbox, which complements our Code of Conduct and provides gamers the ability to report inappropriate behaviour or content, being more transparent when enforcement has taken place so people who have been reported for inappropriate conduct have the chance to learn what behaviour is acceptable or not, ongoing improvements to family settings, and working closely with Xbox Ambassadors to encourage and promote positivity from within the community. It’s our responsibility to ensure gamers of all walks of life feel welcome on our platforms, and we’re proud to lead the industry with our customisable family settings on Xbox. Now, we’re taking the next step in this responsible gaming journey by rolling out player-centric text filters on console.

Putting Players in Control

Communication is a core part of Xbox and gaming in general, whether it’s telling someone “GG” or planning your next move with your squad. With such a large community of players with varying backgrounds from around the world, this diversity means that everyone has different levels of what language they are comfortable with while gaming. While the vast majority of communications are innocuous, some can make people uncomfortable – not all people interpret things in the same way, and even the same person can have different thresholds for what content is acceptable in different scenarios.

We want to give you, the gamer, the control over what messages you want to see when you are engaged in the Xbox community, so we’re enabling new ways to filter content, specifically text. These new automated text filtration capabilities will start rolling out across the Xbox ecosystem soon, starting first with private messages and expanding over time to profiles, LFG, Clubs and your Activity Feed.

With this update, you will set your own specific levels of automated filtration so you can decide what’s acceptable and what isn’t in the text-based messages you receive across Xbox Live. Filter levels can be customised based on four tiers of filtration – Friendly, Medium, Mature and Unfiltered.  And as always, if you receive a message that violates our Community Standards for Xbox, even with filters in place, you can still report this conduct to Xbox Enforcement for follow up.

Settings pages showcasing how you can customise your filtration level for different types of communications across Xbox Live. Filter levels include Friendly, Medium, Mature and Unfiltered.

Settings pages showcasing how you can customise your filtration level for different types of communications across Xbox Live. Filter levels include Friendly, Medium, Mature and Unfiltered.

Filters with Added Flexibility

With content filtration, it’s essential that every player has the ability to choose their own filtration level, and that the settings work for gamers of all ages. For example, we recognise that while some adults use profanity without any ill intent while gaming, parents with small children likely won’t find this same experience acceptable. Similarly, there are differences between the everyday speech you’d use with your friends and harmful insults that could negatively impact anyone. With this in mind, we’ve ensured our safety settings are configurable along a spectrum from most filtered to least filtered so you can choose what is best for you.

There is also an important distinction between conversations with friends versus people you don’t know, so we’ve added functionality allowing you to turn the filters completely off for messages from your friends while leaving the filters on for Message Requests so that you don’t receive unwelcome content from people you don’t know.

How It Works

Example of a filtered message on Xbox Live while using the Friendly filter. This filter hides most things that could be offensive, while allowing for some words or phrases commonly used to refer to game play.

On your console, you can configure your message safety by going to Settings > General > Online safety & family > Message safety. Whenever you receive a message that’s beyond your safety setting, it’ll be replaced with a [Potentially offensive message hidden] placeholder. You can click on that placeholder to learn more about the settings, and there’s a handy shortcut to go change those settings. Adult accounts will have the ability to choose whether to see what content has been filtered based on the filter they choose.

If you’re a parent, you can manage the settings for your child’s account as well.  By default, child accounts will be set to the highest level of filtering, Friendly, but you’re in total control of what’s right for your family and can change this setting as appropriate. The ability to view filtered content will be off by default for all Child and Teens accounts.

We also know that keeping in touch with your gaming friends is important whether you’re on the console or on the go. With that in mind, we’ve made sure these settings work across Xbox One, Xbox Game Bar, the new Xbox App on Windows 10, and the Xbox Mobile app.

Example of filtered messages on the Xbox mobile app with the Medium filter level set. This filter level allows for some vulgar words while still limiting harsher vulgarities and phrases identified as bullying.

Example of filtered messages on the Xbox mobile app with the Medium filter level set. This filter level allows for some vulgar words while still limiting harsher vulgarities and phrases identified as bullying.

Creating content filters that work for all types of gamers is a journey and our work doesn’t stop here. We will continue to improve, evolve and expand our work based on your feedback. And even with filters in place, it’s still important that players adhere to our Community Standard for Xbox as well as report any conduct that violates this to Xbox Enforcement.  To learn more about our approach to the different filters and what kinds of content they’ll filter out, you can visit https://xbox.com/MessagingSafety.

Looking Ahead

Text filters are designed to be additive to the existing work we’ve done to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience on Xbox. Ultimately our vision is to supplement our existing efforts and leverage our company efforts in AI and machine learning technology to provide filtration across all types of content on Xbox Live, delivering control to each and every individual player. Your feedback is more important than ever as we continue to evolve this experience and make Xbox a safe, welcome and inclusive place to game.

Text filters will first debut to our Xbox Insiders today; our plan is for them to roll out to everyone later this fall, so stay tuned for more updates.