2K and WWE is kicking off the “Never Say Never” marketing campaign for WWE 2K19with a bang. As part of the announcement introducing AJ Styles as the cover star for WWE 2K19, 2K and WWE are running a contest that will see the finalist go head to head against AJ Styles. The contest is open to players around the world on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (sorry PC gamers). Players will need to beat a soon to be announced mode in WWE 2K19 and create a video showing why they will beat AJ Styles at WWE 2K19. The makers of the four best videos will go head to head in a semi-final round. The winner will then play AJ Styles in a round of WWE 2K19. If the winner can beat AJ Styles, they will take home a million US dollars.The full contest rules aren’t up yet, but the basics are outlines here.
Additionally, 2K has revealed the retail editions that will be available when WWE 2K19 launches on October 9th. A standard, deluxe, and collector’s edition of the game will be available. Those who purchase the deluxe and collector’s edition will get early access to the game, allowing them to play on October 5th.
The deluxe edition will come with the base game, the season pass, and special digital collector’s content. The deluxe edition will be available both online and in stores for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
The collector’s edition will only be available in stores for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It comes with the deluxe edition content plus premium packaging, physical collectibles to be revealed at a later time, and limited edition WWE SuperCard content.
Handmade Aquatic Adventure ‘Harold Halibut’ Coming to PC and Consoles in 2019
Curve Digital partners with Slow Bros. on narrative exploration game that merges analogue crafts with digital art
London, United Kingdom – June 19th, 2018 – Cologne-based developer Slow Bros. has partnered with publisher Curve Digital on its hand-crafted subterranean adventure Harold Halibut. Targeting a 2019 release on PC and consoles, Harold Halibut is a narrative exploration game that combines underwater atmosphere and self-reflective humour with a unique art style.
Comprised entirely of real world supplies and made in Unity, Harold Halibut aims to bridge analogue and digital art. Slow Bros. sculpts, paints, and glues together the models and puppets that make up the world of Harold Halibut, while a team of digital artists renders these objects into the virtual space.
Harold Halibut tells the tale of a clumsy lab-assistant and janitor who was born on a submerged spaceship that crash-landed on an alien planet made entirely of water. Never knowing what life was like on Earth, Harold spends much of his time daydreaming about what’s beyond the subterranean vessel in which he is bound. After spotting an unidentified swimming object, Harold becomes obsessed with uncovering the mystery behind this aquatic planet.
“Harold Halibut started out as a dinner table conversation about the adventure games we played as children,” said Slow Bros. designer, writer, and composer Onat Hekimoglu. “We soon started building dollhouse sized sets and puppets in our bedrooms. The result works like a game but it looks like a stop motion film. Welded metal, carefully sewn textiles against tiny wooden floorboards, and clay faces the size of walnuts pull the player into Harold’s world.”
“We are beyond excited to be partnering with Slow Bros. on Harold Halibut,” said Simon Byron, Publishing Director at Curve Digital. “The sheer amount of work and intricate detail that Harold Halibut brings blew us away, and we can’t wait to show you all more.”
About Slow Bros.
Slow Bros. was founded in 2015 by long time friends Onat Hekimoglu, Ole Tillmann, Fabian Preuschoff and Daniel Beckmann. The studio member’s diverse backgrounds including video game production, filmmaking, carpentry, apparel, and illustration give them a unique skill set with various applications, from games, over VR-experiences to art installations. Currently the studio is producing their first full-length video game, Harold Halibut. Learn more at http://haroldhalibut.com
About Curve Digital
Curve Digital is one of the world’s leading publishers of games on PC and consoles. Since 2013, the company has been working with some of the world’s best game developers to help bring their games – from indie hits like Dear Esther to the likes of the million-selling Human: Fall Flat – to the broadest possible audiences all over the world. In 2017 Curve Digital was recognised by the celebrated Develop Industry Excellence Awards as ‘Publishing Hero’ and in 2018 was crowned the ‘Indie Games Publisher of the Year’ at the MCV Awards. Most recently, Curve Digital has been shortlisted for the ‘Publishing Hero’ at the 2018 Develop Industry Excellence Awards www.curve-digital.com
DEATHGARDEN™: CLOSED BETA LIVE TODAY, EARLY ACCESS IN AUGUST!
MONTREAL, Canada — June 19, 2018 — Behaviour® Digital announced today two major releases for Deathgarden™, an asymmetrical multiplayer action game where an overpowered Hunter attempts to track down and execute five limber Runners. The next phase of live-testing commences today, June 19, when closed beta launches for a period of one week on Steam. Following closed beta, Deathgarden will move into Steam Early Access in August.
NEW CONTENT FOR THE CLOSED BETA
Players are invited to the Garden from June 19 at 3pm ET – June 26 at 9am ET to embody the Hunter or Runners and help test the robustness of Deathgarden’s dedicated servers and game balance. New players may request a beta key by registering at deathgardengame.com. Those who participated in the closed alpha are guaranteed beta access.
The development team has worked hard to integrate the feedback received during the alpha and continue to improve the core gameplay and balancing. Players can expect the following new content in the beta:
New weather (daytime)
Improved party system
3 new Runner powers
2 new Runner perks
1 new Hunter weapon
1 new Hunter power
2 new Hunter perks
STEAM EARLY ACCESS IN AUGUST
Behaviour Digital is also excited to announce Deathgarden will launch on Steam Early Access in August. “The goal of this final phase prior to the official release is to establish the post-launch content delivery cadence while better integrating community feedback and implementing further improvements,” explained Matt Jackson, Design Director.
PRE-ORDER OFFER
Players who pre-order Deathgarden before August will automatically be upgraded to the game’s Deluxe Edition, which includes: guaranteed access to the closed beta and soft launch, exclusive Origin cosmetics sets, a digital game soundtrack, and a digital art book (a combined value of $49.99) for $29.99.
Behaviour Digital will discuss and showcase the Deathgarden beta during the game’s second Twitch livestream on June 19 at 2pm ET at www.twitch.tv/deathgardengame.
About Behaviour Interactive
Established in Montreal, Behaviour Interactive is Canada’s largest independent game developer, employing over 400 talented people. The studio has sold more than 60 million games on every platform since their beginnings in 1992, such as the award-winning original IP Dead by Daylight, which has sold over 4 million copies to date. Over 200 million people have played Behaviour’s mobile games. The company’s activities are divided within four business units: Digital, Studios, Mobile Publishing and Business Solutions. They collaborate with many of the world’s top brands and corporations among which Activision Blizzard, Air Canada, Bombardier, Codemasters, Double Down, Disney, DreamWorks, EA, GAEA, HBO, La Capitale, Microsoft, NBCUniversal, Pixar, Sony, Ubisoft, and WB Games. For more information, please visit bhvr.com.
About Behaviour Digital
Deathgarden™ is produced by Behaviour Digital Inc., the studio behind the creation of Dead by Daylight®, a multiplayer horror action game released in 2016 and still growing. Behaviour Digital Inc. is a subsidiary of Behaviour Interactive Inc., whose mission is to “create remarkable games we would play, our way.”
STUDIO WILDCARD REVEALS FIRST TRAILER & GAMEPLAY DETAILS FOR ITS UPCOMING EXPANSION PACK, ARK: EXTINCTION
Seattle, WA – June 19, 2018 – Today, Studio Wildcard released into the wild its first trailer for ARK: Extinction, the upcoming expansion pack of its dinosaur action-adventure game ARK: Survival Evolved! Finish your journey through the worlds of ARK in ‘Extinction’, where the story began and ends: on Earth itself! An Element-infested, ravaged planet filled with fantastical creatures both organic and technological, Earth holds both the secrets of the past and the keys to its salvation. As a veteran Survivor who has conquered all previous obstacles, the ultimate challenge awaits: can you defeat the gigantic roaming Titans which dominate the planet and complete the ARK cycle to save Earth’s future?
In the months leading up to Extinction, there will be regular drops of Extinction-related Explorer Notes within ARK and its already released expansion packs, which once collected will unlock new skins, as well as the appearance of powerful Tek-themed Dinosaur variants within the ARKs. Studio Wildcard released the first set of these Explorer Notes last Friday, along with the first Extinction related skin ‘Corrupted Helm’. ARK: Extinction will release worldwide November 6, 2018, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam, joining the desert-themed Scorched Earth and the underground, derelict biome Aberration, in continuing to unravel the mysteries of ARK!
ARK Survivors who own the Explorer’s Pack or Season Pass will automatically receive Extinction for no additional cost, it will also be available as a standalone expansion pack and upgrade.
Haven’t yet explored the island of ARK? The massive hit survival game has 100+ prehistoric creatures, from dinos to mega-sharks, has huge discounts happening on all platforms (PlayStation, Xbox and Steam) during the month of June. Score this fantastically huge Jurassic-themed survival-adventure at a fantastic price!
For the latest updates follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, visit the Website at playark.com and watch us tame and train leviathan dinosaurs on Twitch.TV.
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ABOUT STUDIO WILDCARD
Studio Wildcard was co-founded in 2014 by industry veteran Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak, former Technical Art Director at Microsoft Game Studios, with the mission of bringing AAA quality to ambitious indie productions that are designed for core gamers. With combined 25 years of industry experience across multiple independent and studio-backed titles, Jeremy and Jesse have teamed up with other veteran developers for Seattle, WA-based and Gainesville, FL-based development studios that also include distributed team members across multiple continents. Wherever talented, driven developers may reside, Studio Wildcard intends to seek out and work with them!
BAFTA YGD Award Winner Dan Smith Launching ‘The Spectrum Retreat’ This July
Pre-order available now for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with a 10% discount
London, United Kingdom – June 19th, 2018 – BAFTA Young Game Designer winner, Dan Smith, and publisher, Ripstone Games, are proud to share the release date for The Spectrum Retreat for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The upcoming first-person narrative puzzler will come to PlayStation 4 from July 10th. The game will launch globally for Xbox One and PC on July 13th with Nintendo Switch following later this summer. In The Spectrum Retreat players must explore the pristine and uncanny hotel, The Penrose, solving a series of ingenious colour-coded puzzles, all the while uncovering the reasons behind their seemingly never-ending stay. To celebrate the news, Ripstone Games has produced an all-new launch trailer, showing never seen before footage. The Spectrum Retreat will launch for £9.99 / €12.99 / $12.99.*
Having won the BAFTA Young Game Designers Award (YGD) 2016 for the prototype when he was only 18 years old, Dan Smith has subsequently developed The Spectrum Retreat with the support of Ripstone, building an intriguing narrative around the intuitive first-person puzzle action. Putting players in the role of a guest at a peculiar, pristine hotel where nothing is as it seems, The Spectrum Retreat is a trippy, art deco-inspired sci-fi adventure, albeit grounded in the possibility of current technology.
“I can’t wait for people to finally play The Spectrum Retreat now that we’re only a few weeks away from launch,” said Dan Smith, Designer of The Spectrum Retreat. “The game has been a part of my life for the last five years and to get to this stage is hugely exciting. I’m really proud of the game, and working with Ripstone I’ve been able to create something that looks and plays great, with an intriguing story and new mechanics.”
“Announcing the release date today makes us realise how close we are to the culmination of such focused hard work,” said Matt Southern, Head of Development at Ripstone Games. “Dan’s puzzle design has got stronger as we’ve worked with him, and the game is now a must-play for fans of elegant first-person puzzle design. But remarkably it’s also a milestone in emotional, intelligent narrative adventure, especially for anyone interested in how new technologies might impact our lives very soon.”
The Spectrum Retreat takes place in the near future at The Penrose hotel, a peaceful yet unsettling refuge from the outside world. As a valued guest, your existence is embedded into the corridors and guest rooms of The Penrose. Through exploration of the striking art-deco hotel you will begin to uncover the mysteries of both The Penrose and the uncertainties surrounding your current stay. Your desire to unearth the truth is obstructed by an array of colour coded first-person puzzles, mind-bending physics challenges and the growing fear of exposing your true intentions.
About Dan Smith
Dan Smith Studios is an independent game development studio, represented by Dan Smith. Founded in 2016, its first focus has been on the development of first person puzzle game ‘The Spectrum Retreat’, which is due for a 2018 release for PC and consoles. Dan Smith is a BAFTA YGD Game Making Award winner and Computer Science student at the University of Leeds. He is based mainly in Newcastle and Leeds, England.
About Ripstone Games
Ripstone is an independent games label that fully fund the development, distribution, marketing and sales of games made by indie teams worldwide. Founded in 2011 by publishing and film industry veterans, to date they have financed and published 15 games across 14 platforms and have worldwide sales in excess of 10 million units. Their focus is on supporting indie developers to make games for PC and home consoles, making sure gamers know about them, and rewarding the talent for it.
Ripstone’s back catalogue includes Ironcast, Stick It To The Man, Pure Pool and Extreme Exorcism. At their home in Liverpool, England they also have a first-party development studio, and their stunning first title Chess Ultra launched in Summer 2017. www.ripstone.com
’39 Days to Mars: Additional Victorian Adventures’ Free Content Update Arrives July 23rd for Windows, Mac and Linux
New puzzles coming soon for acclaimed co-op adventure game
June 19th, 2018 — Developer It’s Anecdotal is excited to announce a new and free content release for its PC puzzle-adventure game 39 Days to Mars is set to launch July 23rd on Steam, Humble Store and itch.io!
Dubbed ‘Additional Victorian Adventures’ and free for all current owners of 39 Days to Mars, the update will contain a variety of new puzzles cleverly-devised for co-op play — join Sir Albert Wickes and The Right Honourable Clarence Baxter once again for another set of exciting 19th century adventures!
39 Days to Mars is a 1-2 player co-operative adventure game set in an alternate reality some 150 years in the past. You’re tasked with piloting the HMS Fearful — a masterpiece of unreliable engineering — on its maiden voyage to Mars. When the steam engine runs out of coal, the ship’s cat shreds the navigation chart, and the tea gets cold, it becomes clear that interstellar transportation isn’t a walk in the park. It will take the talents of two working together on a mix of puzzles and action sequences to get to Mars in one piece (let alone in 39 days).
39 Days to Mars is available on Windows, Mac and Linux platforms. A console release is also in the works for later this year.
It’s Anecdotal is the one-person indie development studio of Philip Buchanan. Having previously worked on titles such as Lara Croft GO and Hitman GO, Philip is now focused on bringing small indie titles to life. Working out of Montreal, Canada; and Christchurch, New Zealand, his aim is to produce concise games that give memorable experiences and have strong atmosphere.
CLOSERS UNLEASHES SWORDSWOMAN VIOLET AND NO FATIGUE GAMEPLAY TO NEXT MAJOR UPDATE JULY 3
En Masse Reveals Plans to Fulfill Top Request in Removing Fatigue and Details of Final Wolf Dogs Team Member
En Masse Entertainment announced today two major changes coming to the upcoming major update to Closers, the anime-styled, online RPG beat’ em up. Arriving July 3, gamers will be able to select the greatsword-wielding Violet, who utilizes her Phase Force abilities in conjunction with her devastating sword attacks to ravage all enemies within sight. Assisted by her personal assistant Hyde, Violet secretly hides her own goal while working for the Wolf Dogs – to bring her real father’s killer to justice.
With the release of the final Wolf Dogs character, En Masse has heard the feedback from players about Fatigue and is delighted to announce that the in-game Fatigue system will be permanently removed July 3. Removing Fatigue allows gamers to spend more time pursuing more achievements, finding elite loot, and improve the overall Closers gameplay experience.
Closers is a multiplayer online action RPG (MOARPG) beat-em-up in which players take the role of one of the “Closers,” a group of psychic teenagers chosen by the world government to stop an alien invasion by defeating hordes of lethal monsters and closing interdimensional gates to thwart the invaders and their evil incursion. Fast, intense, and eye-poppingly beautiful, the game masterfully combines the frenetic action of old school arcade 2D beat ‘em ups with the engaging combo mechanics of fighting games, and the vivid art style and drama of an episodic anime.
ICEBERG INTERACTIVE AND LUMINOUS ANNOUNCE RTS GAME ‘CIRCLE EMPIRES’ (PC)
NEW TRAILER SHOWS OFF UNIQUE GAME WORLD
Iceberg Interactive and developer Luminous announce PC RTS game Circle Empires. Many may recognize the title as an indie demo which was available on Game Jolt and has been downloaded by well over 150.000 strategy fans.
Since then Circle Empires has blossomed into a fully-fledged real time strategy game, with completely overhauled art and countless new features, which will be available at an impulse price of $7.99.
“We worked on the Circle Empires demo for many years and we’re pleased to now have a final product in our hands. Folks who played the demo can expect a greatly improved experience with a lot more content. Love from thousands of Youtubers during the development (who only played the demo, without having the faintest idea Luminous was making it into a full-sized RTS) actively inspired us to stay focused on bringing the game to a new level of experience.” – Mihkel Trei, lead developer at Luminous.
Circle Empires Announcement Trailer
The Circle Empires universe is made up of interconnected circles, each containing loot to plunder, and foes to be defeated. You are the god-like leader of your tiny kingdom, on the road to power. Using your guile and strategic prowess, you must hunt down increasingly powerful foes and expand your territory. The game world changes every time you play – no two games will be the same. And… you can grow pumpkins!
Future circle conquerors can wishlist the game on Steam now.
KEY FEATURES
Fast-paced real-time strategic gameplay with large-scale battles
Expand your empire, circle by circle
Units can gain XP and level up
Procedurally generated worlds containing unique flora and fauna
150+ different creatures, buildings and resources
18 Different faction leaders, a variety of bonuses
12 enemy boss monsters
A magnificent treasury that grows with each battle
ABOUT LUMINOUS
Luminous is an Estonian indie game company founded by developer Mihkel Trei. He’s been developing games since 2002 and got the idea of Circle Empires from a famous graphic designer who said “Always start a design by drawing a circle”.
In 2016, Luminous partnered with Edvin Aedma, a developer on the Estonian indie hit Teleglitch: Die More Edition. Together, they decided to involve two more Estonian indie dev companies run by Edvin: Interactive Fate, to create a complete overhaul of all Circle Empires graphics, and Playtest Games, to ensure smooth production of the entire project.
ABOUT ICEBERG INTERACTIVE
Iceberg Interactive is an independent video game publisher founded in 2009 by an international group of games industry veterans and is located in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Staffed with avid gamers, Iceberg works closely with an international assembly of game developers, both midsize and indie. Having enjoyed recent success with titles such as Starpoint Gemini Warlords and Oriental Empires, the company has many exciting games in the pipeline, including Gas Guzzlers Extreme (PS4), Conarium (PS4/XB1), as well as Headsnatchers (PC/PS4) and Circle Empires (PC). To learn more, please visit www.iceberg-games.com
STEAMWORLD DIG 2 RELEASES TODAY AT PHYSICAL RETAIL ON Nintendo Switch™ AND PLAYSTATION®4 WITH EXCLUSIVE DOUBLE-SIDED POSTER AND REVERSIBLE INLAY
Image & Form’s Much Beloved Title Releases Today Across North America, Complete with Additional In-Box Items
LOS ANGELES, CA – June 19, 2018 – Videogame publisher Rising Star Games, in collaboration with critically-acclaimed developer Image & Form, announced today that the smash-hit title SteamWorld Dig 2 is available now for the Nintendo Switch™ System and PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system as a physical retail release. The boxed editions include an exclusive double-sided poster featuring iconic artwork from the game, along with a reversible inlay with never-before-seen artwork.
Lavished with praise and accolades since its digital release in late 2017, SteamWorld Dig 2 has proven a runaway smash-hit with consumers, fans and critics alike.
SteamWorld Dig 2 takes players on a platform mining adventure forged in Metroidvania flames. When an old trading town is struck by mysterious earthquakes, it’s up to a lone steambot and her unlikely companion to uncover what trembling terrors lie beneath.
SteamWorld Dig 2 key features:
Dig your way underground and explore vivid worlds riddled with treasure, secrets and traps.
Combat dangerous enemies at every turn of the underworld’s twisted paths, including shadowy creatures and the haunted remains of an ancient electrical threat.
Upgrade your gear to forge deeper into the earth and take on bigger challenges.
Swing across large chasms with your Hookshot and fly through caves with the jet engine!
And finally, learn the truth about your long lost friend…
SteamWorld Dig 2 for Nintendo Switch™ System and PlayStation®4 System, developed by Image & Form and published at physical retail by Rising Star Games, is now available at selected retailers across North America and beyond. For more information follow Rising Star Games on Instagram, Twitter,Facebook, or visit the official Rising Star Games website.
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ABOUT IMAGE & FORM
Image & Form Games is a video game development studio made up of more than a dozen childishly creative people in Gothenburg, Sweden. We’ve been at it since 1997, and are more productive than ever. Historically we’ve developed more than 25 award-winning PC/Mac edutainment titles for Scandinavian publishers. Since then we’ve moved on to more ambitious projects. Our best-sellers SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Heist have captivated gamers of all ages all around the world and are blessed with multiple Game of the Year awards and nominations, including Best Original Game, Best Indie Game, and – wait for it – Overall Game of the Year!
ABOUT RISING STAR GAMES
Rising Star Games is a privately held video games publisher with a global reach. With operating offices in Europe and USA the company publishes video game entertainment across all gaming platforms from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and via Steam. With decades of combined experience and a genuine passion for interactive entertainment, Rising Star Games is proud of its ever-expanding and enormously diverse catalogue of over 130 titles. www.risingstargames.com
Seligenstadt, June 19th, 2018 – Libredia, specialist in digital distribution of computer- and videogames since 2008, is expanding its business. The company, founded by industry veteran Stefan Layer, is starting to venture into publishing its own projects and expanding its team.
The company’s goal is to bring new titles produced and financed by Libredia into international markets, by taking advantage of the vast network of distribution partners that Libredia established during the past ten years.
“With our strong global presence working with over 120 partners and hundreds of portals and digital stores around the globe, we have established an ideal basis for the distribution of digital entertainment products”, says Stefan Layer. “It is only reasonable to use this potential for the successful placement of our own products on a wide scale, on top of our existing line-up.”
The first fully self-produced games are already planned for 2018, including the roguelike retro shooter Woodpunk from Spanish developer Meteorbyte Studios.
“Woodpunk has already attracted fan attention during Steam Greenlight and we’re seeing great potential in its exhilarating gameplay”, says Beco Mulderij, Head of Marketing at Libredia. “This is a game for true gamers that fits well into our young portfolio, and our broad digital distribution network is perfectly suited to reach this audience on a global scale.”
Libredia’s publishing activities are not restricted to new IP however, the company also takes over the publishing of selected titles from its existing portfolio. This includes the over-the-top fighting game GUTS, which is currently being reworked and enhanced with features for future console releases. The same is true for the acclaimed indie adventure Bohemian Killing.
These planned releases only mark the start for Libredia in building up a high-quality publishing portfolio, which is planned to comprise half a dozen titles by the end of the current year.
About Libredia Entertainment GmbH Libredia is an independent games publisher offering games of all genres on PC, consoles, smartphones and tablets. Specialized in digital publishing and distribution, Libredia always strives for innovation and high sales potential. Even though Libredia as a company has grown to an international level, we are still gamers at heart and understand our customers’ needs. The team of Libredia possesses the knowledge, the resources and the passion in sales, producing and marketing to bring games to international markets.
