HellHades collab, Freya debut, and Real-Time Arena headline explosive livestream
Shanghai, China — 28 April, 2025 | Thousands of fans tuned in over the weekend for Etheria: Restart’s global pre-launch livestream, where XD Games officially announced that the highly anticipated next-gen RPG will launch on June 5, 2025 across iOS, Android, PC, and Steam. Alongside this announcement, the team revealed a final closed beta starting May 8, giving select players early access to the latest systems and characters ahead of release.
Set in a dazzling digital metropolis, Etheria: Restart immerses players in a future where elite warriors known as Hyperlinkers command sentient beings called Animus in sleek, tactical combat. During the livestream, XD pulled back the curtain on several major features debuting at launch. Chief among them was the introduction of Freya, a brand-new SSR Animus. Poised and powerful, Freya brings chilling frost magic and a layered backstory to the battlefield, quickly becoming one of the most anticipated characters in the roster. With her elegant, glacial-themed design and devastating area control abilities, she’s expected to play a pivotal role in both PvE and competitive team compositions. Freya’s narrative, shaped by isolation and resilience, mirrors the icy precision of her combat style — offering players a hero who’s as emotionally complex as she is strategically versatile.
Gameplay enhancements also took center stage, including the unveiling of new systems like the Smart Shells, which offer tactical AI support in battle, and Origin Gear, a modular progression tool allowing deeper customization of Animus builds. Revamped Instance Dungeons streamline endgame PvE while retaining the game’s signature cinematic feel, with new boss mechanics and layered environments adding challenge and visual flair.
Multiplayer and competitive updates rounded out the preview. The Phantom Theatre, a cooperative PvE mode, lets players team up to overcome bosses in dramatic staged encounters. PvP fans can look forward to the launch of Real-Time Arena (RTA) — a head-to-head combat mode where players engage in live, synchronous battles that demand tactical thinking, team synergy, and real-time decision-making. RTA introduces a ranked ladder system with seasonal resets, exclusive rewards, and matchmaking designed to challenge top-tier players while remaining accessible to casual competitors. Looking further ahead, XD Games also announced the Etheria World Summit (EWS) — a high-stakes global tournament circuit set to feature the best players from each season. With structured qualifiers, championship brackets, and broadcast support, EWS marks Etheria’s official entry into the competitive RPG esports scene.
“This is not just another turn-based RPG,” said Jack Zhou, Game Director at XD. “We’re building a platform where narrative, tactics, and player mastery collide — and we can’t wait for the world to dive in this June.”
In a major move for the global strategy community, Etheria: Restart also confirmed an official collaboration with renowned RPG content creator HellHades. Known for his deep-dive tier lists, team-building strategies, and gameplay analysis, HellHades will serve as a strategic content partner for the international release. He will be co-producing guides, launch-day breakdowns, and ongoing meta analysis to support players throughout the game’s competitive lifecycle.
The journey through Etheria begins on June 5, 2025, with pre-registration now open across all platforms. Richly animated battles, real-time tactical depth, and a constantly evolving world awaits as Etheria: Restart invites players to step into the future — and take control of their legacy. Those who can’t wait until June can look forward to a final closed beta from May 8, offering select players hands-on access to the newly revealed features ahead of launch.
XD Games
Founded in 2003, XD Games. is a global video games developer and publisher with extensive experience across development, publishing and operations. As of 2022, XD has 38 free-to-play and paid games with over 50 million monthly active users worldwide. In addition, TapTap — a mobile games community and app store — was launched by XD in 2016 and is estimated to currently have 44 million monthly active users.
XD’s mission is to assemble like-minded talented games industry craftspeople with a common goal of touching the hearts of players around the world. XD produces games of the finest quality with passion, offering a pure gaming experience, and encouraging players of all ages to embrace the unique joy of video gaming.
Skövde, Sweden, April 28, 2025 – Stunlock Studios is thrilled to announce that V Rising Update 1.1: Invaders of Oakveil is officially available now on Steam and PlayStation 5.
The vampire survival action RPG V Rising expands today with a new biome: Oakveil Woodlands, a once-peaceful forest now twisted by corruption. Players will venture into this eerie region, teeming with dangerous enemies, hidden secrets, and a deadly new invading force. At the heart of this invasion lies Megara, the Serpent Queen, and her fanatical warriors, the Venom Blades. Players must fight to reclaim their power, raise their castles, unlock the secrets of venom sap, and confront Megara within her ritual sanctum.
Alongside the free Update 1.1, fans can also look forward to the launch of the Eternal Dominance Pack, a new cosmetic DLC priced at €19.99 / $19.99. This exclusive pack offers players even more ways to personalize their vampire’s dark dominion and embrace their immortal style.
Update 1.1 Key Highlights:
Explore the Oakveil Woodlands: Venture into a deep forest filled with dangerous enemies and dark secrets. Uncover the hidden threats of a new invading force, Megara: The Serpent Queen and her devoted Venom Blades, as you fight for control over the heart of Oakveil
Castle Arena & Duels: Design custom arenas in your castle, set your own rules, and engage in risk-free, epic duels or team battles. Test your strategies without losing gear or challenge players around the world in one-on-one duels
Three New Weapons & Seven New Spells: Wield new weapons – Claws, Twinblade, and Throwing Daggers – each offering unique playstyles. Additionally, unlock seven new spells, including a powerful ultimate ability tied to Megara’s legendary shard necklace
Ascended Alchemy: Discover new body-enhancing elixirs from the Venom Blades, which will allow you to boost your combat prowess and enhance your magical abilities. Elixirs boost more than just attack power and spell power now, unlocking new strategies with greater variety!
Blood Reborn: Reworked blood types, including the new Corrupted Blood! Build the Blood Homogenizer in your castle, mixing bloods together and offering greater flexibility and customization in combat. Craft the perfect blood type to fuel your Vampiric conquest!
Fuse and Reforge Your Gear: No longer wait for the perfect drop! Use the Fusion Forge to combine and customize your weapons or jewels to create your ideal loadout
Improved Combat Mechanics: A complete overhaul of combat, including stat reworks, rebalanced gear, and deeper customization, giving players more control over their vampire’s progression
New Castle Features & Cosmetics: Enhance your vampire lair with new decor, craft directly from chests with Treasury Rooms, customize your production lines with the Gloomrot-inspired electrical routing, and upgrade your wood-cutting station for even more customization and efficiency
New Cosmetic DLC ‘Eternal Dominance Pack’: Available for €19.99 / $19.99, this new cosmetic DLC adds luxurious dark designs for your castle. Adorn your domain with gilded decor, golden cages, and opulent coffins, making your vampire’s fortress truly supreme
V Rising’s Update 1.1: Invaders of Oakveil is available now on Steam and PlayStation 5. Prepare for the next evolution of vampiric warfare. Conquer or be consumed!
About Stunlock Studios Stunlock Studios is one of the leading independent Swedish game developers in Skövde, known for the vampire survival game V Rising and arena brawler Battlerite. V Rising’s gothic world has already attracted more than 5 million vampiric initiates and Battlerite was among the most popular free-to-play games on Steam with over 6 million unique players entering the arena. With a passion for multiplayer action games, the studio crafts groundbreaking and community-driven games, always with their players in mind.
Madrid, 28 April, 2025. Meridiem and Wired Productions are pleased to announce that KARMA: The Dark World, a first-person cinematic psychological thriller set in a dystopian world where the Leviathan Corporation is omnipresent, will launch a Limited Edition physical release on June 19th, 2025. The year is 1984, the place is East Germany, and things are not quite what they seem. Developed by Pollard Studio and digitally distributed by Wired Productions, you will delve into a dark and strange world with an investigation officer from the Thought Bureau, to find traces of lost memories and fulfil your destiny.
Meridiem has been responsible for the design and manufacturing of KARMA: The Dark World-Limited Edition for PlayStation 5, which includes a special case, three art cards,a physical Leviathan ID Badge, a downloadable code for the soundtrack and a downloadable code for the art book!
What starts out as another case for Roam Agent Daniel McGovern, sees him discover a world of deceit and betrayal, where everything you know starts to be questioned, including your own identity.
Explore a city under the iron grip rule of the Leviathan Corp, where employees are drugged to increase productivity and surveillance is widespread. But are you ready to confront your demons and uncover the truth lurking in the shadows of your mind?
Features
Welcome to the Leviathan Corp: Immerse yourself in a dystopian world built on future technology, where the city never sleeps and every shadow holds a secret.
Become a Roam Agent: Step into the shoes of Daniel McGovern and use a combination of investigative tools and your own keen intellect to solve puzzles and unravel the truth.
Open Your Mind: Dive into the memories of suspects to retrace their steps and piece together your investigations, but be careful – the human psyche is a dangerous place where emotions, will and desire hold power.
Discover the Truth: Keep your sanity and wits as you uncover a dark story of love, loss and deception, where nothing is as it seems and every corner brings another twist to unravel.
Next Generation Visuals: Explore a meticulously detailed world with stunning visuals and effects all powered by Unreal Engine 5.
A Stunning Soundtrack: A completely original OST featuring original songs that draws you into the cinematic world of Karma, and created in collaboration with Dolby Atmos.
Karma: The Dark World – Limited Edition will launch as a physical edition for PlayStation 5 on June 19th, 2025.
About Meridiem
We are Meridiem, a video game publisher and distributor in love with its culture, which we protect and pass on in order to preserve it. We do this by fostering talent through investment in independent projects with potential, bringing back classic titles, promising indies and AAA games while continuing to support the physical format.
About Wired Productions
Wired Productions is a true Indie Publisher proudly presenting a diverse range of specially curated games from some of the greatest storytellers and independent developers. Named as “Indie Publisher of the Year” at the MCV / Develop Awards, Wired is home to an award-winning collection of titles including: DIG VR, Gori: Cuddly Carnage, Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, Arcade Paradise VR, Tin Hearts, Martha Is Dead, The Falconeer, The Last Worker, and Deliver Us the Moon. Upcoming titles include: Hotel Architect, Beneath and KARMA: The Dark World.
About Pollard Studio
Pollard Studio is based in Shanghai, China. They are an elite team with talented and passionate developers with experience on many titles from studios such as EA, Virtuos, and other game companies. Founded in 2018, they are a team of 20 with four based in LA, USA.
New players from all over the world will step into the malfunctioning body of an escaped Sleeper, commandeer a ship, find a crew, navigate relationships, and take on contracts as they explore the Starward Belt – all while trying to survive.
Players will have to choose between pushing their luck for greater rewards or potentially taking on stress that damages their dice – their only true means of survival – and accrue glitches in their Sleeper’s system.
Fellow Traveller is an indie games publishing label exploring the possibility space of what narrative games can be. Since our founding in 2012, we have sought out and partnered with pioneering game developers working on unusual games with narrative at their core.
You may know us from the tabletop-inspired RPG set in the ruins of interplanetary capitalism (Citizen Sleeper), the polar exploration survival story riddled with life or death decisions (The Pale Beyond), the noir adventure set before, during, and after the Big Bang (Genesis Noir), or the murder mystery with a cast of otherworldly suspects (Paradise Killer).
About Jump Over the Age
Jump Over the Age is a one-person game development studio founded by Gareth Damian Martin (they/them). Gareth is the winner of GDCA and Indiecade awards, and has been nominated for a Games Award, multiple IGF Awards, a GDC Award, and four BAFTAs. They have been named both “An accomplished world-builder” (Edge Magazine) and “one of the most exciting indie talents around” (Eurogamer).
For Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, Gareth was once again joined by renowned comic book artist, Guillaume Singelin and celebrated composer, Amos Roddy – the same exceptionally talented development team responsible for Citizen Sleeper’s moving narrative, eye-popping art and immersive music and sound.
Battle Colossal Titans, Tame Exotic New Creatures, and Uncover Earth’s Final Secrets in this Element-Infested Map
SEATTLE, WA – APRIL 28, 2025 – ARK Survivors can return to Earth today as the game’s third expansion map “Extinction” is available now in ARK: Ultimate Mobile Edition. This element-infested map is now available for all mobile survivors on the App Store® and Google Play Store™.
Finish your journey through the worlds of ARK in the game’s third canonical expansion map ‘Extinction,’ 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?
The Ultimate ARK Experience on Mobile ARK: Ultimate Mobile Edition brings the full ARK: Survival Evolved experience to mobile devices, including all major expansion packs such as Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, and Genesis Parts 1 & 2. Extinction is the latest addition to this already expansive world, ensuring thousands of hours of immersive gameplay for mobile players.
For those looking to maximize their survival experience, the ARK Pass Subscription ($4.99/month or $49.99 annually) unlocks all current and future expansions, plus exclusive in-game bonuses including:
God Console for single-player commands
Access to all Expansion Packs
Bonus XP across all game modes
Monthly in-game currency drops
Exclusive access to premium servers
Players can also purchase each map and feature individually.
In ARK: Ultimate Mobile Edition, players are stranded in a harsh prehistoric world where they must hunt, harvest, craft, build, and tame over 150 dinosaurs and creatures. Whether playing solo or online, survivors will battle to endure the elements and uncover the secrets of the ARKs.
For the latest ARK: Ultimate Mobile Edition updates, join the ARK Survivor’s conversation on Discord, follow us on Twitter or on BlueSky, subscribe to us on YouTube, and visit our website at playark.com.
ABOUT GROVE STREET GAMES
Located in Gainesville, FL, Grove Street Games has been an influential game developer since 2007. They have delighted fans of the world’s greatest games with bold interpretations on new platforms and have delivered fresh and original games to millions of happy players. They have grown to be a leader in the industry because of their commitment to building incredible and accessible gaming experiences. Their games can be found worldwide across all major gaming devices, including consoles, PC, and mobile. www.grovestreetgames.com
Google Play is a trademark of Google LLC
ABOUT SNAIL GAMES
Snail is a leading, global independent developer and publisher of interactive digital entertainment for consumers around the world, with a premier portfolio of premium games designed for use on a variety of platforms, including consoles, PCs and mobile devices. https://www.snailgamesusa.com/
ABOUT STUDIO WILDCARD
Since revealing its flagship game ARK: Survival Evolved in 2015, Studio Wildcard has tirelessly strived to bring its dinosaur-filled vision to the masses. With millions of players worldwide, the team has delivered an amazing amount of new content and leveraged cutting-edge technology to keep fans engaged. With a transmedia universe, the ARK story can be discovered on all gaming platforms, within spin-off titles, and now as a new epic narrative featuring a star-studded cast in ARK: The Animated Series on Paramount+. www.studiowildcard.com
This weekend, id Software revealed never before-seen location and enemy details within DOOM™: The Dark Ages. The DOOM Slayer will explore the strange lands of the Cosmic Realm, battling insane enemies including the monstrous Cosmic Baron and otherworldly Cacodemon.
See what the unholy union between Hell and the Cosmic Realm holds in store here below:
DOOM: The Dark Ages launches on May 15 for Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, PC, and Battle.net. Pre-order the Premium Edition to receive two days of early access, along with the Digital Artbook and Soundtrack, the Divinity Skin Pack, and access to the campaign DLC coming at a later date. See all pre-order options here: https://doom.bethesda.net/en-AU/the-dark-ages/buy-now
Inaugural IEM Melbourne sets milestone as the biggest esports tournament ever held in Australia, breaking all previous attendance and viewership records.
Melbourne, Sunday 27 April — This week, global pro gaming tour Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) made its debut in Melbourne, Australia. 26,000 fans flocked to the sold-out Rod Laver Arena over April 25-27 to cheer on the world’s top Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) teams. After a week of unforgettable esports action, Team Vitality emerged victorious and walked away with their share of the $1,000,000 USD total winnings.
The IEM Melbourne Group Stage kicked off on Monday, April 21, with 16 of the world’s best Counter-Strike 2 teams competing for a spot at the Playoffs in Rod Laver Arena. Following three days of intense competition, Team Vitality and MOUZ topped their groups to secure a spot in Playoffs, and were joined by GamerLegion, Team Falcons, The MongolZ, and Team Liquid.
Wins against GamerLegion and MOUZ in the Playoffs saw Team Falcons secure a slot in the Grand Final, where they faced off against Team Vitality who blazed their path to the match with a historic undefeated run. After an incredible five map series, Team Vitality raised the trophy in Rod Laver Arena with a 3-2 win in triple overtime.
On top of their 1st-place total winnings of $285,000 USD, Team Vitality also took home $1,000,000 USD after claiming the ESL Grand Slam. Team Vitality are now the fifth team to win this accolade in history, and team member ropz will be the second player ever to have won this prestigious accolade twice.
Over 1,253,000* people tuned in at once to watch IEM Melbourne across livestreaming platforms, earning the title of the most viewed esports event ever hosted in Australia, and the 2nd highest peak of a non-Major Counter-Strike tournament, of all time.
At the close of the event, ZywOo was announced the DHL MVP of IEM Melbourne 2025 for their role in the finals series, and the tournament as a whole.
The legendary Caches showmatch also made a return for the 5th time, pitting Team Australia against Team UK in a Counter-Strike spin-off of the famous cricket series. This year, Henry “HenryG” Greer returned to captain Team UK, unsuccessfully facing off against Team Australia captained by Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill, who led his home team to a fifth consecutive win. The IEM Expo made a return, featuring exhibitors including Intel® and DHL showcasing the latest and greatest in games, technology, and more. Within the Expo, attendees also took part in signing and meet-and-greet sessions with attending teams, including hometown heroes FlyQuest.
“As the world’s longest running pro gaming tour, Intel Extreme Masters has been taking place around the world for almost 20 years. This year, we made the decision to bring the tournament into a new city, and one of the world’s most iconic sporting arenas – a decision that was rewarded with a record sell-out crowd,” said Marc Winther, Director Game Ecosystems – Counter-Strike at ESL FACEIT Group. “Australian fans have proven their appetite for the highest tier of competitive Counter-Strike is only growing, and helped make our first trip to Melbourne a truly memorable one.”
IEM Melbourne 2025 results:
Placement
Team(s)
Total Winnings (USD)
1st
Team Vitality (Includes ESL Grand Slam prize winnings of $1,000,000 USD)
ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) is the world’s largest esports and video game entertainment company, dedicated to creating worlds beyond gameplay where players and fans become a community. Built on a legacy of world-renowned brands including ESL, FACEIT, and DreamHack, EFG provides innovative ecosystems for global communities of players, fans, and creators around the games they love. In January 2022, EFG was acquired by Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group—a company 100% owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund—for $1.5 billion. As the main official operating partner of the Esports World Cup for the next five years, EFG continues to shape the future of esports on a global scale. Working alongside leading partners, brands, and global IPs, EFG operates an unmatched portfolio of live events, digital platforms, and developer tools that reach and engage millions of gamers worldwide. For more information, visit www.eslfaceitgroup.com.
About ESL
ESL creates a world where everybody can be somebody. For more than two decades, we have been shaping the industry and leading esports and gaming innovation globally across the most popular video games, creating a comprehensive ecosystem with opportunities for players to go from zero to hero and for fans to witness the best stories esports has to offer. The ESL portfolio consists of high-profile products such as the ESL Pro Tour, Intel® Extreme Masters, the Snapdragon Pro Series, and many more, ranging from grassroots to global elite competitions. ESL is part of ESL FACEIT Group, the leading esports and video game entertainment company.
About Intel® Extreme Masters
Intel® Extreme Masters is the longest-running global professional esports tournament circuit in the world. Started in 2006 by Intel® and ESL, the competition features the world’s best gamers in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, StarCraft® II, and other esport titles. Approaching two decades of history and many record-breaking events in terms of viewership and stadium attendance, IEM is widely considered one of the most prestigious and traditional esports tournaments in the world (www.intelextrememasters.com).
About Visit Victoria
Visit Victoria is the state’s tourism, business and major events company, inspiring people to visit Melbourne and Victoria through creative story-telling and enriching events.
When it comes to the Phantom Breaker series and the West, you never really know what to expect. The original release of the fighting game was something we managed to preview only for it to never be released when 7sixty shuttered but not even a year later a brawler featuring roughly half of the roster arrived in the West featuring a follow-up story called Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds. Now not only has Rocket Panda Games managed to bring over the actual fighting game in the form of its enhanced version Phantom Breaker: Omnia, they have now released Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate as well. Featuring a number of enhancements and arriving over a decade after the original’s release, is this anime brawler worth checking out?
Story
The story picks up following the events of Phantom Breaker‘s bad ending for Waka that sees the priestess manage to defeat Phantom’s minions but have her sister Nagi kidnapped as a result. With enough clashes of the character’s battling against one another using Phantom’s provided “fu-mension artifacts,” the barrier between worlds has started to splinter. With Phantom’s mind-controlling powers leaking into the normal world as well as flooding it with his demonic and robotic army, the four warriors find themselves battling against countless enemies and even finding their own powers drained as they are sent to the other realm by one of Phantom’s minions but still striving forward to save Nagi and put a stop to Phantom’s plans.
Although Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate allows players to select from one of four main heroines, Mikoto, Waka, Itsuki, and Yuzuha, the story mostly remains almost the exact same throughout with the only differences being character dialogue between the player’s chosen character and the boss they are about to fight in most instances, and even this is rather minimal as there are barely any interactions in the first place. This is rather unfortunate as not only does it make replaying the story a bit lacking, outside of using it to obtain equipment or level characters, but feels like a missed opportunity, especially in an “enhanced” version like this, not to add extra potential story elements, especially for characters that are given only the briefest of screen time and explanation as to who or what they even are.
That being said, it is nice to note that unlike the original release, all of the character dialogue is voiced in English this time around should the player choose. It must be said also that without any prior knowledge of playing Phantom Breaker: Omnia, players will likely have no clue as to who certain characters are, their motivations, or even the slightest hint about many plot elements as Ultimate, just like the original, does not spend much time explaining things outside of a quick introduction in the beginning. At least this time around fans of the franchise have access to the fighting game it is based on, though that does make this brawler something of a niche within a niche.
Gameplay
Mechanically Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate still plays very close to the original though things have been smoothed out a bit, enhanced, and given brand new forms. For example, one of the late game stages is no longer an actual maze which makes playing through it a far better experience. For newcomers though, this beat’em up takes advantage of its fighting game roots by giving every character (besides enemies) their own unique attacks depending on button press. This means players can string together light combo attacks, heavy attacks, high combos that can even include juggling an enemy or low attacks as well. Characters, once the skill is unlocked, can also perform special moves just like they could in the fighting game as well, using up part of their “special” meter to do so.
This special meter charges as players dish out damage or pick up food that can either heal them or charge their meter. Alongside executing special moves or finishing attacks players can trigger a powerful “outrage” attack that will vary depending on the type of equipment they have, initially players will only have access to auto-locking lighting balls, but more on that in a bit. Alongside this players will find themselves being able to fight in both the front and back lanes, with upgrades available to unlock attacks that can target the other lane directly. Swapping between lanes can be strategic both for picking up items as well as for getting some breathing room when enemy swarms become too intense, especially on harder difficulties. Speaking of harder difficulties, as mentioned before, once players complete the game once they will obtain the ability to gain rare equipment and “outrage” drops from enemies. These equipment items boost things such as attack, defense, experience, or point gain and the outrage attacks can heal, trigger powerful explosions in pinpoint areas, and more.
Now, as players play through either story mode or through local four player co-op mode (that can be done with CPUs) where any of the base game characters can be used, they will obtain experience points that will level up their chosen fighter and give them skill points. These skill points can be used to unlock various skills such as the aforementioned ability to use special attacks or attack the other row, extend combos, or straight up boost a character’s attack, defense, and speed parameters. The side modes are also where players will be able to access most of the side characters available in the game such as Cocoa, M, J, Nagi, and more. This includes the two guest-characters that were added to the original as DLC, Steins;Gate’s Kurisu Makise and Robotics;Note’s Frau Koujiro are also available in this mode. It is worth noting that no matter what character players use, the skill tree and stats are always the same when unlocking and players can reset their build at any time, though with a level cap of 99 it is possible to max it all out eventually.
Arcade Mode allows players to replay through either a stage or even the entire game again at any difficulty aiming for a high score or fastest completion time but it is worth noting that players can also have access to the entire roster of not only playable characters but even the enemies as well. This includes playing as everything from a golf-club swinging businessman to a giant demon or even a big truck. Obviously these gimmick picks are stranger than simply playing as the main fighters but do add some novelty to the game if players really want to try out something different. There is also the “Battlegrounds” mode that is literally pitting the player against four others locally and seeing who will be the last fighter standing. This mode can be done locally with friends or against CPUs as well and once again makes use of the entire roster of characters including enemies.
While local co-op is fun and giving players the option to have CPUs run alongside them to fight makes for some chaotic action even when playing solo, there is even more fun to be had online, or at least on most platforms. Online players can play with up to six total players running co-op through stages with one another or battle against one another in up to eight person brawls with cross-play enabled to make finding rooms easier. Unfortunately for the co-op mode, there is no way to drop-in to battles already started, so joining a group midway is unfortunately impossible. Also, at least at the time of this writing, it is nearly impossible to currently play any form of online on the Xbox Series X. Finding a lobby to join will make things work just fine, but trying to create a lobby either for co-op play or battlegrounds will almost instantly crash to the Home screen every single time. This issue has persisted throughout our time with the game and hopefully will be patched sometime in the future..
Audio & Visuals
Making the jump to Unreal Engine 5 has been an extreme improvement for Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate as the character sprites are as crisp as can be for every character and special move that they unleash. Even the backgrounds have been given significant facelifts which make the few city stages look even better. The frame rate is solidly locked even when four characters are battling against a mass wave of enemies on Nightmare difficulty with no slowdown in sight.
As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest improvements to Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is the fact that the entire game now features complete English voice acting. This doesn’t mean that the story isn’t still rather thin overall, but it is nice to hear characters talking and interacting in English and utilizing their special movies with their signature phrases from the fighting game. The Japanese voice track is still available should players wish to use it. As for the soundtrack players can select from a nicely modified remix version or the original, though the remix does sound quite a bit better.
Overall
As said before, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is already something of a niche within a niche. Basing a beat’em up off of a fighting game and providing only the bare minimum of story building to help set things up. That being said, the fact that it was able to release at all is already a welcome surprise and between a graphical overhaul, the addition of co-op play both online and locally, even if it is with CPUs, makes for some truly chaotic fun especially on harder difficulty modes. While it may have been nice to see a little more done to add to the game, such as improve upon its story or bring new characters from the core fighting game into the roster beyond simply adding in enemies as playable characters, this enhanced brawler is everything a fan of the franchise could ask for and a colorful good time for fans of the genre in general, even if the story will leave newcomers scratching their heads.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
LOS ANGELES – APRIL 25, 2025 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games, is preparing to celebrate the 1-year anniversary for its action game Solo Leveling: ARISE with fantastic in-game updates and events.
Pre-registration for the upcoming 1-year anniversary celebration update is currently underway. Players who pre-register in advance of the next update will obtain 10 Custom Draw Tickets. Additional rewards will be unlocked as the number of pre-registrants reaches certain milestones. All players of Solo Leveling: ARISE will be rewarded with special hidden rewards if the total number of pre-registered users reaches 500,000.
This update will launch in early May to mark the game’s 1st anniversary since its release and will feature new story updates about a Knights Guild raid in Busan and a terrifying dungeon break at Sung Jinah’s school. There will also be massive content updates will include a never-before seen hunter type and new raid content.
The Solo Leveling: ARISE team has prepared a series of events to celebrate the anniversary, such as a check-in event that will reward players with valuable gifts, including a Transcendent Blessing Stone [Select], 1-Year Anniversary SSR Hunter Selection Ticket, 1-Year Anniversary SSR Hunter Exclusive Weapon Selection Ticket, and more.
In addition, players who complete the daily missions will have an opportunity to earn the Pixiv Competition-winning Sung Jinwoo Costume as the final reward. A variety of other events will be held offering 100 Custom Draw Tickets, SSR Jinwoo Weapon Selection Ticket, Special Player Weapon Design, and other generous rewards.
Solo Leveling: ARISE is an action game adaptation of the hit webtoon, Solo Leveling. Taking on the role of Jinwoo, players can experience his journey through the beloved webtoon tale firsthand, leveling up, taking on dynamic battles, and creating their own combat styles by selecting various combinations of skills and weapons. Not only can players team up with hunters from the webtoon, they can summon their own “Army of Shadows” with the iconic phrase: “Arise.”
Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of top-grossing mobile games worldwide. Through powerful franchises and collaborations with acclaimed IP holders, Netmarble strives to elevate the gaming experience and entertain audiences globally. As a parent company of Kabam and SpinX Games, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Solo Leveling: ARISE, Seven Knights Idle Adventure, Tower of God: New World, Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds and The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com.
After selling over 150,000 units in Steam Early Access, the hit 3D platforming parkour game will launch into 1.0 and onto consoles with a load of new content & features
PARIS – April 23, 2025 – Freshly-created indie-publisher Radical Theory has recently partnered with ML MEDIA and Shine Group for the release of Rooftops & Alleys: The Parkour Game. After a successful Steam Early Access period with over 150,000 copies sold, the team is excited to share the 1.0 release of the game is coming on June 17, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. The full release of the game will bring a load of new content and enhancements, including a new online game mode, a brand-new map, new challenges, a full progression system, customization options, a photo mode and more!
In 2024, the one-man studio ML MEDIA (led by Michel Losch) launched Rooftops & Alleys in early access on Steam. Michel’s passion for gaming, creative talent and a strong community connection proved to be the magical recipe making Rooftops & Alleys so special. It only took a few weeks for the game to sell over 100,000 copies, earning an outstanding 96% (!) Steam user score.
ABOUT THE GAME
Rooftops & Alleys is more than just a game about parkour and freerunning. It’s the adrenaline rush of landing an impossible trick combo, defying gravity, and feeling like you’re flying… until you crash face-first into a dark alley 30 meters below.
In solo or with your friends, explore massive, parkour-ready maps with total freedom. Reach every corner of your playground to uncover hidden spots — time trials, trick challenges, and more! In multiplayer, dive into game modes like TAG, Capture the Flag, Trick Battles, or simply freeroam with your friends!
Discover, learn, and master every trick, move, and their endless combo possibilities
Call on your pigeon to discover new areas, fast travel, and plan your routes
Tons of challenges and game modes — solo or with friends (TAG, Capture the Flag, Trick Battles, and more)
Unlock over 100 customization options for yourself and your pigeon
ABOUT Shine Group
Founded in 2012, Shine Research was built around acknowledged technical expertise. They have contributed to the development and porting of thirty titles on PC and game consoles for several AA publishers. Architect Life: A House Design Simulator, published by Nacon, is the first title they have entirely developed in-house. https://www.shine-group.tech
ABOUT Radical Theory
Radical Theory exists somewhere between a global publisher and your usual service providers. Imagine your favorite publisher, offering AAA-Quality Services, funding solutions, worldwide impact – but with full transparency, with fair deal-terms and refreshingly cool attitude. We believe that’s RAD. https://www.radical-theory.com/
ABOUT ML MEDIA
In 2024, the one-man studio ML MEDIA (led by Michel Losch) launched Rooftops & Alleys in early access on Steam. Michel’s passion for gaming, creative talent and a strong community connection proved to be the magical recipe making Rooftops & Alleys so special. It only took a few weeks for the game to sell over 100,000 copies and collect thrice more wishlists, earning an outstanding 96% (!) Steam user score.
