The creators of the House Flipper Franchise – Frozen District, are more than excited to announce that December 12 is a very special date for all the fans of virtual renovations!
December 12th, Krakow, Poland. The developers from Frozen District, as promised in their recent roadmap, invited their PC community to join the Open Beta for the upcoming Co-op feature in House Flipper 2. This long-anticipated opportunity is free and available to everybody who’d like to give it a go. Up to 4 players can enjoy flipping fixer-uppers together. To sign in, go to the House Flipper 2 Steam Store Page, find the “Join the HF2 – Co-op Playtest” field, and click the “Request Access” button there. The access should be granted instantly! The Winter Update might be even cooler when flipping together!
The House Flipper 2 Winter Update is live on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, bringing the fans a solid chunk of winter holiday vibes! The players can now enjoy a new heartwarming job, a purchasable property in a snowy environment, and over 260 winter-themed items. On top of that, snowball fights and a sled assembly have also made their way in! Oh, and a new RGB lighting feature for all the light fixtures to give the festivity levels a bit of an extra boost.
Along with this exciting release, the developers also revealed the plan for the first-ever House Flipper 2 DLC!
The Free House Flipper 2 – Co-op DLC has been announced to bring a special set of brand new houses and jobs tailored specifically towards up to 4-player cooperation enthusiasts. Whether you’re on PC or console, with the planned cross-platform support, up to four players will be able to team up in both story and sandbox modes.
What is more, another House Flipper 2 Community Contest has begun, pushing the contestants towards some intense festive frenzy!
With The Coziest Christmas Community Contest, the devs decided to go back to the roots, and presented the players with a “shell” that has to be used in the contest submissions!
Feeling up for the challenge? Are you enough of a Christmas enjoyer to impress the developers with an unseen level of Holly Jolly atmosphere?
To make it all even better, the House Flipper Franchise and other Frozen District games are currently available at record-high discounts as part of the Frozen District Publisher Sale on Steam. Don’t miss it!
For more information about the Frozen District Publisher Sale, please visit the following page: Frozen District’s BIGGEST SALE of the year! Last but not least, an addition to the original House Flipper has also made an appearance! The Party Furniture Pack seems to be a bow towards the players who’d like to prepare their virtual homes for a full-scale New Year celebration party! It is planned to come out on December 30 and promises to include over 200 new items.
For more information and updates, follow House Flipper 2 on X and Facebook or visit the official store pages on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox.
About Frozen District:
Frozen District is a group of gamers – personalities full of passion for virtual entertainment—regular people still ready to pull some all-nighters playing their favorite titles. They know what gamers need, as they are a part of the gaming community, and through creating their projects, which they would play themselves, they fulfill their ambitions. At the same time, they all want to be the best at what they do, still trying to reach the peak of their performance by polishing their skills and seeking innovative solutions. That is why you can find experts in programming, marketing, graphics, design, and many more in their midst. The main priority is constant improvement and crafting all the valuable experience gathered this way into the uniqueness present in their current and upcoming titles. https://frozendistrict.com/
Experience the eccentric world of the Grombi Isles in the wonderfully wacky Completely Stretchy, available now on Steam
London, UK – December 12, 2024 – Get ready to stick, swing and stretch in the vibrant and light-hearted 3D platformer, Completely Stretchy, from Super Rare Games’ ‘Originals’ label and in partnership with Warp Digital and Dan Ferguson.
Completely Stretchy is a first-person exploration and 3D platformer set in the weird and wonderful Grombi Isles. After a rough day of work at the Elektro factory, you find yourself suddenly transformed – with a blue, stretchy and sticky body! Your fellow citizens are befuddled by your new look – but worse yet, the Elektros have escaped containment and have spread across the isles, and it is your job to bring them home.
Stretch, swing and stick your way across this bizarre world. Hunt down the hidden Elektros to restore power, and unravel the mystery of what happened to you. The residents of the Grombi Isles are always on hand to talk, and may need some help of their own. Throughout your journey, you will encounter plenty of Grombis, Towes, Scrimblis, Finginais and Scromblis – which is to say nothing of the Chunkos! Take your adventures on the road, as the game is also Steam Deck verified.
Completely Stretchy is available now on Steam for £15.99 / $18.99 / €17.99
About Super Rare Games
Super Rare Games strives to be the indie’s best friend. Defined by that mission, we are both a wholly original publisher as well as a publisher of limited physical content for the Nintendo Switch™. We operate alongside our partners to bring the most exclusive offering of the very best indie games to collectors worldwide. From the packaging of the products to opening the limited edition trading cards, we aim to provide gamers with the purest experience. As we continue to expand our collection of games, we hope you join us and grow yours too.
About Warp Digital
Founded in 2016, Warp Digital is an independent development studio based out of London, U.K. Their small, close-knit team have worked on a variety of titles. From indie favourites such as Return of the Obra Dinn and Choo-Choo Charles – to larger AAA titles such as Dune: Awakening and Metal: Hellsinger. Warp are passionate about crafting immersive and quirky experiences for players across all platforms. Completely Stretchy is their debut original title.
About Dan Ferguson
Dan Ferguson is an indie developer based in Australia. He is passionate about crafting weird and wonderful worlds with a focus on expressive and engaging gameplay. Dan has worked across a range of disciplines from Art/Design to Programming and Tech Art. He has also helped develop an assortment of games at SMG Studio, Super Spin Digital, and Halfbrick. Completely Stretchy is his first commercial title, getting its start as a small university project and growing into what it is today!
Get ready for a triple dose of indie gaming excellence!
WARSAW, Poland – December 12, 2024 – Retrovibe, the indie game publisherknown for its captivating retro-inspired titles, is thrilled to share that Janosik2, Undead West, and Only Lead Can Stop Them are available nowon Steam and GOG.
Janosik 2 – Colourful Platforming AdventureAwaits
Developed by Onix Games, Janosik 2 is aretro platformer with metroidvania elements, inspired by the legendary tales ofthe Highland outlaw, Janosik. This sequel introduces more complex dungeons, 4playable characters with their own abilities, all wrapped in nostalgic pixelart visuals. Master your arsenal of skills as you explore a world filled withsecrets, traps, and folklore-inspired enemies. Will you live up to Janosik’sheroic legacy?
Undead West – Shoot Your Way Through theTwisted Wild West
From solo developer Deathless Games,Undead West is a roguelite bullet hell set in a gritty, supernatural Wild West.Resurrected by Death after a fatal duel, your gunslinger embarks on a missionto hunt down the mysterious Man in Red. Arm yourself with an array of deadlyweapons, use whiskey-infused boons to power up, and face off against hordes ofundead enemies across themed stages with randomized rooms and enemy spawns.
Only Lead Can Stop Them – Shoot Your WayThrough Spanish Civil War
Developed by Warcry Interactive, OnlyLead Can Stop Them is a fast-paced retro shooter set during the Spanish CivilWar. Step into the boots of a soldier defending the republic from the crushingforces of fascism. Spanning three epic campaigns with a total of 30action-packed levels, players will explore ancient castles, muddy trenches,catacombs, dense forests, and war-torn battlefields.
All three titles already available on Steam andGOG, so whether you’re into platformers, roguelites, or first person shootergames, there’s something for everyone.
About Retrovibe
Retrovibe is a publisher that aims to unlocknext levels of fun by delivering new indie games with a retro heart. It wasestablished in 2021 by a group of experienced games industry professionals.
Jump back into Rockay City with the all-new Cold Strike multiplayer mission and more gameplay enhancements
CALABASAS, Calif. – December 12th, 2024 – Leading video game publisher 505 Games, and developer INGAME STUDIOS are proud to announce a new update for Crime Boss: Rockay City, featuring the all-new Cold Strike multiplayer mission as well as even more gameplay enhancements.
Cold Strike is a brand new, epic heist that will see players escorting a nuclear bomb from an old German WW2 bunker. In addition, the Rockay Rumble horde mode will see its map updated with some appropriately festive decor – just in time for the holiday season.
To celebrate the update’s launch, there will be a limited-time Double XP Event that runs from December 13-15, where players can earn double XP in all activities across single player and multiplayer modes. A Community Advent Calendar will run until December 16 and Crime Boss will also be included in the Steam Pre-Winter Sale, which will start on December 12.
505 Games, a Digital Bros’ subsidiary, is a global publisher focused on offering a broad selection of video games for players of all ages and skill levels. The company publishes and distributes premium and free-to-play games on console and PC platforms as well as mobile devices. Publishing highlights include DEATH STRANDING (PC), Control, Assetto Corsa Competizione, Ghostrunner, Gems of War, Journey to the Savage Planet, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. 505 Games has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, China and Japan.
The Splitter is a new Elusive Target mission, available as part of the Free Starter Pack for new players andas an Elusive Target for HITMAN World of Assassination players, until the 12thof January
Players canget permanent access to the Elusive Target through the Splitter DLC pack, also giving access to a new outfit, items, and a set ofcosmetics for the freelancer house
Copenhagen,Denmark, December 12th, 2024 – IO Interactive, the independent video game developer and publisher behind, among others, the internationally acclaimed HITMAN franchise, is happy to announce the latest launch of the Elusive Target mission, The Splitter, featuring the likeness of Hollywood action legend, Jean-ClaudeVan Damme. The mission is available to play in the Free Starter Pack* for new players and as a regular Elusive Target for HITMAN World of Assassination players, from December 12th to January 12th, 2025. The Splitter is available globally on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, XboxOne consoles, Nintendo Switch™ and PC.
The Splitter
In this new role, JCVD stars as Max Valliant, once one of ICA’s best operatives who was thought to have been successfully dealt with years ago after discovering that he was dealing with other organizations, but he is now back with a vengeance. He has now resurfaced, taking control of an ICA data storage facility in Chongqing,and requesting a meeting with the ICA board. Agent 47’s mission will be threefold: escorting an ICA board member within the facility, uncovering MaxValliant’s sinister agenda, and most importantly, taking down Max Valliant.
The Splitter Pack – Available in Stores (RRP:$4.99/€4.99/£3.99)
The Splitter Pack, a brand new DLC pack themed after the latest Elusive Target, is available now on all platforms. The Splitter Pack includes:
Permanent Access to the Replication – A two-level Arcade contract featuring The Splitter Elusive Target
The Splitter SMG
The Splitter Kukri Knife
The “Good Quark Vol.3” VHS Tape
A set of sixcosmetics for the Freelancer Safehouse inspired by the Elusive Target
The Season of The Splitter – Live Updates, Free for HITMAN WOA Players
The Splitter will not be the only content addition to HITMAN World of Assassination with some more activities to come, including a new challenge, featured contracts, and returning Elusive Targets. A new Twitch Drop, the Purple Streak ICA19 Classic Baller, will also be up for grabs by watching one hour of HITMAN World of Assassinationon Twitch between the 12th of December 2024 and the 8th of January 2025.Additionally, players will be able to unlock the Purple Streak Boxer Suit, by supporting Twitch streamers with a subscription, with the campaign also running from the 12th of December 2024 to the 8th of January 2025.
HITMAN World of Assassinationis also now officially supporting PlayStation®5 Pro features, meaning that players can play at a locked 60 Frames per Second, and at a resolution of 3840x 2160.
HITMAN players can now instantly play highlights of The Splitter Elusive Target for free in just one click with Ludeo! Execute Agent 47’s latest contract in the limited-time, Ludeo open beta available by playing the Trash Compactor challenge here.
HITMAN World ofAssassination is available now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox SeriesX|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The Splitter DLC Pack is available from today, the 12thof December 2024, for $4.99/€4.99/£3.99 on every platform.
To learn more about HITMAN World of Assassination, please visit the official website.
*The Free Starter Pack isunavailable on Nintendo Switch
About HITMANWorld of Assassination
HITMAN World of Assassination brings together the best of HITMAN 1, HITMAN 2, and HITMAN 3 in a bumper package of content that includes the main campaign, Contracts mode, Escalations, Elusive Target Arcades, and featured live content.
HITMAN World of Assassination also includes the ‘Freelancer’ mode, a new way to play on yourown terms, that combines rogue-like elements and deep strategic planning with apersistent and infinitely replayable gameplay experience.
Costs as Much as a coffee, but the fun lasts longer!
Darmstadt, Germany – December 12th 2024. Indie publisher Yalpakor Bou·tique invites you to grab your spade, roll up your sleeves and get ready to get your hands dirty as they announce A Game About Digging A Hole, a minimalist game about, well, digging a hole in your garden! Developed by a solo artist from Cyberwave (developer of the upcoming Solarpunk) as a fun side project, A Game About Digging A Hole will launch on PC via Steam in 2025 for £3.99GBP / €4.99EUR / $4.99USD and can be added to your Wishlist now!
A Game About Digging A Hole challenges you to dig a hole in your newly purchased house. On your way down, collect resources to sell and upgrade equipment to dig deeper and take garden excavation to a new level! But beware! With every spadeful you take, you start to uncover a mysterious secret, and the deeper you dig, the closer you get to the truth. But take your time, as there is no rush and no rules. Just you, your spade and a great underground adventure!
Watch the A Game About Digging A Hole announcement trailer below
The idea for A Game About Digging a Hole was conceived during an early stage of Solarpunk’s development when the artists were testing voxel-based islands and the basics for terraforming and digging. Although too complex for such a small team, the core mechanics were already functional. As a big fan of the game Motherload, one artist had the idea of combining digging mechanics with randomly spawning ores and shovel upgrade options. This led to the quick development of a 3D digging minigame, built on a proven concept without requiring lengthy prototypes or testing phases. Developed during the artist’s vacation and saving development time by using licensed assets, A Game About Digging A Hole was developed in just 14 days.
More exciting news on the launch of A Game About Digging A Hole will be announced soon, so stay tuned for all the latest info! A Game About Digging A Hole will be launching for PC via Steam in 2025, for the price of a takeaway coffee (£3.99GBP / €4.99EUR / $4.99USD), but the fun will last a lot longer! Fans can add the game to their Wishlist now.
The Fairy Tail franchise has remained one of Hiro Mashima’s most popular and long-lasting works throughout his long career. While he may have started making his mark with Rave Master and recently completed his recent series Edens Zero, not only did Fairy Tail manage to garner a sequel to its completed run back in 2017, that sequel is still running to this day with Mashima providing the writing for Natsu and the Fairy Tail guild’s continued journey in the 100 Years Quest. It only makes sense then that Koei Tecmo and Gust would also release a sequel of their own to their 2020 Fairy Tail RPG that saw its own rather strange beginning and ending points. Now, four years later, with a completely revised combat system and once again set during an odd place in the story, is Fairy Tail 2 worth it for fans?
Story
Considering Fairy Tail 2 is already a sequel to the original RPG back in 2020, players should be expected to have at least some knowledge of the franchise if they want to get the most out of this game. Not only did the first title start at an incredibly odd point but it also happened to end right before the big climactic arc of the Fairy Tail manga. That means that this one, Fairy Tail 2, is set almost entirely within that arc and those who are unfamiliar with the franchise or characters will mostly be left in the dust here as this is a game clearly designed and written with fans in mind.
Fairy Tail 2 begins by glossing over a number of elements involving the in-between events of the original game and this one in an effort to kick players right into the Alvarez Empire arc almost immediately. The Alvarez Empire Arc serves as the final arc of the original Fairy Tail manga and sees the Fairy Tail guild, including numerous allied guilds, battling against the invading Alvarez Empire that is led by the dark Emperor Zeref and his powerful mages called the Spriggan 12. As mentioned before, there is very little background information given as to what led up to this point outside of some small history summaries in the glossary and the ability to pull up small descriptions of specific terms, guilds, or characters during dialogue sequences.
Gust’s handling of the massive Alvarez story arc is a bit of a mixed bag here. Fans of the franchise will obviously be able to get the most of the storyline but even then there are quite a few liberties taken with specific events and others that are omitted entirely. In fact, one of the first largest battles that players have that features only a section of the Fairy Tail guild will have other fights happening that feature other members of the guild and their allies only be revealed afterwards, these fights happening off-screen and given only the briefest of summaries. Along these same lines, various character encounters only happen through certain “Character Stories” that are only available at campfire rest points. These character stories are actually quite nice most of the time, as they either feature flashbacks that showcase brand new interactions between characters or little flashbacks of events that were never previously detailed even in the manga, but there are also character stories that are time limited and provide context about what is happening to the other guild members or battles as Natsu or whoever the current lead character is as they continue down the core storyline.
Unfortunately the side-missions within the game are barely worth mentioning as they boil down to simple gathering quests that generally revolve around luck thanks to obtaining items from destroying field items or killing enemies to return them to the requester for a miniscule reward that has nothing to do with the actual storyline. Thankfully while the side-mission’s aren’t the best, the actual character interactions with one another, both between Fairy Tail members, other guilds, and even against enemies, remain as impressively written as ever. Whether it is Lucy dealing with the numerous issues that arise thanks to her family’s history, Natsu coming to terms and battling against his fate, or even the smaller romance subplots between the likes of Gray and Juvia and Gajeel and Levy. These interactions between characters still shine here and nearly every character still has a chance to shine, even the smaller side-members at this point in the storyline, despite the somewhat truncated storyline.
In general, the handling of this major Alvarez arc is handled well enough, even if it feels like a bit too much was cut out or relegated to simple summaries in an effort to keep players on the move rather than having them jump around and deal with the multi-faceted fights that the invasion involved. This means that, while plenty of content is covered and the pace is always on the move with climactic battles happening left and right, fans will definitely miss out on some fan favorite battles as a result. Once players conclude this story arc, Fairy Tail 2 does not delve or even tease much into the Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest but instead features a completely new and originally written by Hiro Mashima set of smaller storylines that take place after this arc.These brand new stories are enjoyable and give characters quite a bit of extra time to shine, even the few that didn’t have a chance throughout the story by this point and serve as a solid enough conclusion even if it doesn’t continue into the next step in Fairy Tail’s journey.
Gameplay
While the first Fairy Tail from Gust was a purely turn-based affair that saw players entering battles with up to five total fighters, Gust has taken the game in an entirely different direction with Fairy Tail 2. In general, exploration is still the same as players will roam around a sprawling world where they can fast travel to key landmarks, unlocked campfires, and primary buildings with there occasionally being a mediocre shop or side-quest NPC along the way. While traveling players will encounter obstacles that can only be surpassed later on in the story such as the ability to climb higher ledges or destroy large obstacles, encouraging some retreading to access previously inaccessible treasure chests or area bosses that are generally worthwhile to challenge. Other than that, players will also encounter plenty of enemies while traveling around.
Should players be far stronger than the enemies that they are about to encounter they can slay them with one strike of a field attack, gaining a miniscule amount of “Origin Points” (EXP) and drops. Attacking an enemy of equal or closer level will give players a bit of an advantage starting the fight as their Fairy Guild level will be a bit higher to start. Once in combat players will be able to experience the brand new combat system in its entirety. This involves having three characters fighting at the same time through an “Active Time Battle” pseudo-turn system. Players can only directly control one fighter at a time but can swap between their party members with a press of a button. It is also nice to note that while players will only be able to fight with three characters at a time, they can swap reserve fighters into the battle at will as well. This means that if a character might be strong against fire attacks, Natsu can be swapped out for Wendy or Laxus or vice versa.
Standard combat will flow with players using basic attack combos to build up “mana” that can then be used to trigger a character’s stronger skills. The stronger the skill, the more mana it requires and if players want to chain skills together for combos they will also require additional mana for every use. Ally AI is competent at targeting enemy weaknesses and staying on top of things thankfully, meaning they will utilize their skills properly to try and target opponent elemental weaknesses or breaking their stances or incoming power move. Yes, Fairy Tail 2 utilizes a break mechanic for enemies, especially bosses, that allow for players to stun them for a moment and trigger Link Attacks for high damage and team-wide buffs most of the time by selecting one of their team members to perform a follow-up attack. When fighting bosses or stronger enemies, fully breaking an enemy’s gauge will allow for a massive Unison Attack that can deal even more damage, especially when certain characters are paired together as some characters have unique attack animations that deal even more damage than normal.
As players fight, their guild rank will increase and this can contribute to allowing players to hold onto more mana at a time, giving them better access to combo attacks, but also the ability to call in a summon system of sorts. Not every character in Fairy Tail 2 is a fighter, even those that actually are fighters aren’t always playable and are relegated to special summons as a result. These can be triggered after players reach a certain Fairy rank and are on a cooldown after every use and when used they can range from teamwide healing abilities to straight up attacking the enemy. Later on, players can also obtain the ability to trigger Awakening, giving a character even more powerful attacks and major boosts for a limited time.
After a battle is over players will gain aforementioned Origin Points and, when a character levels up, they gain a full Origin level that can be applied to one of three skill trees. These skill trees are incredibly basic to the point that they feel superfluous. Using Origin Points and occasionally limited items found during exploration characters can unlock parts of a skill tree that often provides character buffs, team wide buffs, and even new skills or enhanced versions of previously obtained skills. This is a very simple way to upgrade characters and the same can be said in regards to the equipment in the game. Each character can equip up to three “Lacrima” that provide various stat boosts with some higher quality Lacrima providing additional bonuses but, given the game’s mostly simple nature and surprisingly easy combat, this isn’t too much of an issue. That said, players who do want to have some challenge with the game’s combat should go on at least Hard difficulty as even Normal is quite easy.
Audio & Visuals
Fairy Tail 2 looks rather impressive and mimics the art style of the anime quite well from the designs of the characters and the general world itself. The random enemies that players encounter are a bit of a mixed bag, ranging from generic monsters to those that feel like they would fit into the universe perfectly fine. Considering the game has shifted to a more action-based combat system the attack animations are still handled well enough, especially with Erza Requiping on the fly or Mirajane’s Take Over form shifts as they fight. That being said, some of the more elaborate looking skills these characters can unleash feel a bit less impressive now as they are streamlined to better fit into the flow of combat rather than feel like signature finishing attacks. The title also occasionally features some impressively drawn CG artwork to portray certain scenes, be it something fan service focused or a major story clash.
Similar to the past game, Koei Tecmo and Gust have chosen to forgo an English dub in favor of retaining the entirety of the original Japanese cast for the characters. While this might be disappointing for some, the retained Japanese cast is a signature at this point for the long running franchise and most fans will be more than happy to hear their favorite characters still sounding the same from the anime. As for the game’s soundtrack the title features a mix of original tracks as well as some of the signature themes used throughout the anime, including the main theme that always plays when Natsu or his friends are about to turn the tables for victory.
Overall
Fairy Tail 2, more than ever, is a game designed for fans in mind and for the most part fans will be pleased with what is on offer here. Sure, the developers take some liberties trimming parts of the Alvarez Empire arc entirely and relegating some of it to off-screen summaries but the biggest battles and events still unfold wonderfully here. The side-quests are unfortunately as basic as they come and the game’s leveling and equipment systems are incredibly shallow but the completely reworked combat that is fluid and action packed feeling and this sequel serves as a solid continuation and conclusion to the core Fairy Tail storyline, especially with its brand new character interactions and newly written epilogue content.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Out now! The travelling circus comes to the gulch and bayou until February 10th, plus Hunt joins Xbox Game Pass from December 12th
Frankfurt, DE – December 12th, 2024 – Crytek is thrilled to announce that their in-game Event, Post Malone’s Murder Circus, is now live in Hunt: Showdown 1896! The newest Event brings a twisted travelling circus to the world of Hunt in a dark and deadly show. Fans of 9x Diamond Certified artist Post Malone and Hunt: Showdown 1896 will be able to enjoy our biggest Event yet with a new thematic circus compound, new equipment, new enemies, and much more! The Event will run from today until February 10th, 2025 and is available on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.
Xbox players can also expect to see Hunt: Showdown 1896 join the lineup of Game Pass titles on December 12th, allowing anyone with a Game Pass subscription to join the action on the platform for free!
Additionally, we are thrilled to announce the return of the upgraded and overhauled Lawson Delta map!
The map has now been revitalized and re-envisioned for Hunt: Showdown 1896. Just like with Stillwater Bayou before, this map has undergone significant enhancements thanks to the communities’ feedback and CRYENGINE 5.11. Compounds have been refined with new options and tactical choices for both attackers and defenders. Windows, ladders, doors, new paths, and strategic access points have all been added to encourage dynamic gameplay.
Post Malone’s Murder Circus Compounds
The Event introduces a circus-themed compound which will appear on the map in every Bounty Hunt Mission. Players will be able to step under the big top, explore the grim sideshow booths, and spend their hard-earned Pledge Marks on rare rewards and equipment.
But beware—inside the tent and booths, danger lurks at every turn. Post Malone’s Murder Circus is crawling with corrupted members of the old circus. Circus Grunts emit sinister, blood-chilling laughter and can be killed for extra Event Points.
As the Ringmaster of this twisted Event, Post Malone inspired a host of unique visual and gameplay elements, new weapons and equipment Skins, as well as eerie attractions on the circus grounds, giving players a whole new reason to dive into the world of Hunt: Showdown 1896.
Additionally, our new and widely-loved game mode, Bounty Clash, will also be available throughout the entirety of the Event.
New Monster & Weapon
With the circus comes a new monster: the two-headed bear Ursa Mortis, who roams free in the circus compound with an insatiable hunger and thirst for blood. This new ferocious monster can sense bleeding Hunters and will charge at them with a deadly frenzy, but also gives a chance to score a random Trait.
Another highlight of Post Malone’s Murder Circus is the Shredder, an exciting new weapon like no other. This fast-firing sawblade launcher is a game-changer and is capable of bouncing blades off surfaces and ricocheting them in the direction of nearby enemies. It can also fire Fragblades, which explode on impact, dealing lethal shrapnel damage. Only one Shredder appears in the circus tent per Bounty Hunt Mission, so if you want to make it yours, you’ll have to either hurry there to buy it with Pledge Marks or loot it from whichever Hunter got to it first.
The Shredder will only be available during Post Malone’s Murder Circus.
Key Features
Exclusive New Content & Mechanics:
Circus compound – unique, Event-specific compound that appears on the map for every Bounty Hunt Mission.
Mysterious Fortune Telling Machine – players can spend Pledge Marks to earn random traits and rare items.
Circus balloons – strewn throughout the entire map, players can earn Event Points by popping them.
Pledge to Three Troupes:
The Trickshooter Troupe – for those who seek to enhance the mastery of weapons.
The Ringmaster Troupe – for those who seek to weaponize their connection to the Land of the Dead.
The Mystic Troupe – for those seeking to use chaos and confusion to their advantage.
New Enemies:
Ursa Mortis – a new Monster that can sense bleeding Hunters and will prioritize attacking them. Watch out for thorny branches strewn around the circus, which will cause bleeding if stepped on!
Circus Grunts – new AI Grunt enemies bringing thematic weapons and unique sound design.
New Weapons & Equipment:
Shredder: An experimental weapon that shoots rune-etched sawblades
Post Malone’s Murder Circus is now live and available to all Hunt: Showdown 1896 players. This new Event brings together the thrill of the circus with the terror of the Corruption, and we can’t wait for players to dive into the chaotic and tense world of Hunt. Whether by trying the new Troupe-exclusive Traits, battling Ursa Mortis, or collecting all-new rewards, Post Malone’s Murder Circus promises an unforgettable experience.
About Hunt: Showdown 1896
Hunt: Showdown 1896 is the new era of the competitive first-person bounty hunting game, packing the thrill of survival and the reward of profit into a horror match-based format. Set in Colorado and the Louisiana Bayou in 1896, the game boasts a mixture of PvP and PvE elements that create a uniquely tense experience. It’s not just the monsters who are a threat—it’s every Hunter on the map. In the classic Bounty Hunt game mode, a match pits 12 players—playing solo or in teams of two or three—against each other as they race to take out gruesome creatures for a Bounty they must collect and extract from the map. Hunt’s Soul Survivor mode offers a shorter match for solo players to scavenge for weapons as they compete for a diminishing pool of Bounty. The higher the risk, the higher the reward–but a single mistake could cost you everything. Hunt: Showdown 1896 is out now on PC, PlayStation 5 and Series X|S.
12/12/24 – Team17 Digital would like to take a moment before the great Christmas hibernation begins to say a huge thank you to all the developers we’ve worked with across the globe, on amazing titles covering genres for all to enjoy. Team17 are committed to our indie partners and are excited to be by their side as they share their wonderful games with audiences of all demographics.
This year we’ve seen the release of award winning Dredge: The Iron Rig DLC and WW1 survival horror Conscript. The dinorific Amber Isle, deep-sea psychological drama Thalassa: Edge of Abyss and the classic Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition hit consoles. We also saw DLC come to much loved titles such as Blasphemous 2 and Trepang2.
You can see it all in this special Team17 Winter Wrap video
That’s just the games released this year, with many more wonderful games to share in 2025 such as Golf With Your Friends 2, Date Everything!, Rogue Point, Jumping Jazz Cats, Sintopia, Wraith and Ritual of Raven.
To find all Team17 games, find out when special events and check out special offers available right now head over to the Team17 Steam Page.
Have a happy and safe Christmas from everyone at Team17!
About Team17 Digital
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of Team17 Group plc, which floated on AIM in 2018, Team17 Digital has an extensive portfolio of over 120 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Winner of the ‘Publishing Star’ award at the 2023 Develop: Star Awards, Team17 Digital has assembled a portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Blasphemous, Greak:Memories of Azur, DREDGE, and the Overcooked! franchise.
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Thursday, 12th December 2024 – HEXWORKS, a CI Games studio, has announced it’s to release Version 1.7 for Lords of the Fallen on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation®5, today at 6pm GMT (10am PT, 1pm ET, 7pm CET). The update delivers a notable upgrade to the dark fantasy, action-RPG’s combat ‘feel’, following an extended period of community feedback and rigorous player testing. As a result, version 1.7 gives players enhanced and more responsive combat and control through a series of measures, including more accurate animation cancelling, improved invincibility frames, more intuitive dodge and rolls, grievous strike button prompts, an across-the-board stamina recalibration, and more.
These latest improvements help make character control feel more dynamic and natural, especially in combat, lowering the entry barrier for new players while also increasing the skill ceiling for more experienced players.
Version 1.7 also features numerous quality-of-life updates, including the option to toggle automatic Vigor collection (first added in November’s v1.6 update), more realistic enemy attack ranges and tracking for more immersive encounters, and brings further balancing to the New Game Plus experience. To support new Lords of the Fallen players, HEXWORKS has introduced the ability to beckon NPCs to help in boss battles before their first encounter (previously this could only be done after being initially defeated) and has tweaked their stats to make them more viable allies in combat. Version 1.7 also sees a player-favourite character, the Hallowed Sentinel Hound (aka ‘Good Boy’) become a new NPC to beckon for boss battles.
Since the release of Version 1.6 at the start of November, HEXWORKS has continued to provide further support for Lords of the Fallen. This includes improved platforming, the start of ongoing tutorial improvements, and a more exploration-friendly Umbral realm, as well as ongoing quality-of-life enhancements and bug fixes.
Founded in 2002, CI Games is an independent, global video games developer and publisher. The company has created internationally recognised and celebrated titles for nearly 25 years, including the acclaimed Lords of the Fallen and Sniper Ghost Warrior franchises. CI Games has two internal studios: HEXWORKS, which is currently developing the next major instalment of the Lords of the Fallen franchise due in 2026, and Underdog Studio, which is currently in pre-production of an original, fantasy action-RPG, due in 2028.
