Steven Ogg, Ned Luke, and Samantha Béart take on new roles as larger-than-life travel agents

KEY POINTS

• Travelling reimagined: Characters that gamers know and love return in a fun alternate-reality travel agency
• A peek behind the curtain: Ned, Steven, and Samantha share behind-the-scenes moments on set
• ROG products transport gamers to new worlds everyday: Zephyrus, Flow, Ally, and Strix devices take gamers wherever their heart desires

TAIPEI, Taiwan, August 16, 2024 — ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today released the first video in a series featuring iconic video game voice actors as employees at an off-beat ROG travel agency desperately trying to help their customers experience new worlds. The first video features Steven Ogg, Ned Luke, and Samantha Béart, known for their iconic roles in Grand Theft Auto V and Baldur’s Gate III. The trio also share a glimpse behind the scenes of the video with ROG. ROG Zephyrus, ROG Strix, ROG Flow and ROG Ally products take gamers to new places every day. 

Traveling reimagined

Starring Steven Ogg and Ned Luke, perhaps best known for their portrayals of Trevor and Michael in Grand Theft Auto V, and Samantha Béart, who stars as Karlach in Baldur’s Gate III, this first episode is set in an ROG travel agency. This off-beat business makes numerous references to these two games as the characters attempt to sell a customer a fantastic vacation. From reassuring phrases that you want to hear from a travel agent like “an easy escape from… cops” and “Because your safety is our priority”, to a larger-than-life battleaxe for exploring dungeons, the trio make clear that gaming can be a perfect holiday from everyday life — with the true ticket being an ROG gaming machine.

A peek behind the curtain

The incredible actors shared some thoughts on the shoot with the ROG team. The long history between Steven and Ned was front and center, with Steven saying “Absolutely not” when asked if Ned was a good supervisor for ROG Travel. These two voice actors have worked together for years, and they seemed to enjoy embodying two characters that played off of their interpersonal tension again. Steven did think that ‘bullying Ned’ was a pretty sweet perk of working for the agency, along with the pants-optional dress code at ROG Travel. When asked what ROG device he would recommend on the go, Steven suggested “[The ROG] Ally X. Fast, powerful, portable”. The complete behind-the-scenes video will be available on September 13, 2024.                    

ROG products transport gamers to new worlds every day

These videos are a lighthearted way to highlight that ROG products transport gamers to incredible new worlds every day. With cutting-edge hardware, jaw-droppingly gorgeous displays, and incredibly compact chassis designs, ROG has an entire lineup of laptops and handheld gaming devices to send gamers wherever their heart desires. Whether gamers are planning a LAN party with a Strix laptop, playing a little after work with a Zephyrus machine, or gaming at 35,000 feet with an Ally X, ROG has the perfect machine to whisk them away.

About ROG

Republic of Gamers (ROG) is an ASUS sub-brand dedicated to creating the world’s best gaming hardware and software. Formed in 2006, ROG offers a complete line of innovative products known for performance and quality, including motherboards, graphics cards, laptops, desktops, monitors, audio equipment, routers and peripherals. ROG participates in and sponsors major international gaming events. ROG gear has been used to set hundreds of overclocking records and it continues to be the preferred choice of gamers and enthusiasts around the world. Learn more about the choice of champions at http://rog.asus.com.

Five fantastic titles from the publisher’s diverse portfolio will be showcased in the Indie Arena Booth

Barcelona, Spain – 16th August, 2024. Global publisher and distributor SelectaPlay is thrilled to reveal the five fabulous titles available to play in the Indie Arena Zone at gamescom 2024. 

The publisher has announced that the dark-humoured 2D action-adventure narrative game NetherWorld, 2D action platformer Morkull Ragast’s Rage, the exciting 2.5D rhythm-action puzzle platformer Antro, adventure platform-puzzle game Bubble Ghost Remake and first-person horror survival game Dark Atlas: Infernum are all confirmed for hands-on play for fans attending the gamescom consumer show from 21-25 August. 

Fans heading to the show can find SelectaPlay’s eclectic line-up in the Indie Arena Zone, Hall 10.2. Here’s a rundown of what to expect: 

Bubble Ghost Remake 

Guide a little ghost and his bubble through an enchanted mansion filled with dangers and thrilling challenges in this incredible remake of Bubble Ghost. Master levels of skill and clever puzzles as you unveil the story hidden behind the spirit of Heinrich Von Schinker. This remake of the game features a fresh new look and a myriad of new features (like new game modes, fierce bosses, collectibles, and many more surprises) that will captivate you for hours. Get ready to protect your bubble through the rooms of this mysterious castle… Will you uncover all its hidden secrets?

Watch the Bubble Ghost Remake trailer below

About Dark Atlas: Infernum 

You are Natalia Asensio, former Grand Master of the oldest occult order in the West: the Night Council. And while everything burns and the sky cracks, you must descend into the abysses of your mind, walk the paths of hell and seek answers to all questions. Unlock your memories, resist the influence of the enigmatic character known as “The Word” and find your way out of the maze in which you find yourself locked up. Do it before those whose ambition is to control this new apocalyptic world get it.. Do it before they discover a way to reforge the Corona Radiata, the grimoire that will give them ultimate power. And above all, do it before… you are the one to tell them how.

Watch the Dark Atlas: Infernum trailer below 

About Morkull Ragast’s Rage 

Morkull Ragast’s Rage is an exciting 2D action game that combines platforming and action with a touch of exploration. Take control of Morkull, God of Death and Darkness and Lord of the Ragast, and get ready to experience awesome gameplay mechanics that allow him to break the fourth wall and communicate with the player in some exciting and unexpected ways! He knows that he is a character in a video game. He also knows the existence of a player who controls him (that is, you) and he knows of some developers who have created him (that is, us). Your objective? Help Morkull escape from the Ragast so he can rule and carry out his evil plans around the world. Yep, that’s right. your typical cliché villain…. 

Watch the Morkull Ragast’s Rage trailer below

About NetherWorld

Developer Hungry Pixel has created a truly unique narrative adventure experience with NetherWorld. Follow the story of the crestfallen protagonist Medoo, the weird jellyfish, after being abandoned by his wife. While drowning his sorrows at the bottom of a vodka bottle, Medoo finds himself lost in a surreal and twisted land and must journey through a dark and decadent land full of filthy creatures and quirky fellow travellers. 

Watch the NetherWorld trailer below

About Antro

After The Collapse, only 1% of humankind survived and was forced to take refuge underground. Under the old city of Barcelona stands Antro, a dirty and dark hole divided into geographical strata. The inhabitants of the lowest levels fight for survival by working forced labour, while the ones in the higher levels rule over the new underground world. Journey through the most remote places in the underground metropolis of Antro, and join the protagonist, Nittch, as you embark on a mission to deliver a package to a mysterious, unknown recipient. While you’re at it, how about overthrowing the totalitarian government of La Cúpula? Play to the rhythm of urban music in a thrilling adventure full of action, puzzles and 2.5D platforming.

Watch the Antro trailer below

SelectaPlay is looking forward to seeing you in Cologne! 

About SelectaPlay

SelectaPlay is SelectaVisión’s video games publishing branch. The company works with talented studios on unique video games and helps them publish their titles in both physical and digital formats worldwide.

About SelectaVisión

SelectaVisión is a media entertainment distributor company founded in 1984. Based in Spain, SelectaVisión’s catalogue includes anime and live-action feature films, TV shows, and movies. Publishing both anime classics and the latest Japanese productions since 1997, SelectaVisión has built a long relationship with fan-favourite Japanese producers and distributors, becoming the major publisher of anime content for Spanish audiences. 

Epic Medieval War Strategy Game from TiMi Studio Group and World’s Edge Heading to Gamescom to Showcase Fresh and Innovative Experience for Iconic Franchise  

SHANGHAI & LOS ANGELES (August 16, 2024) – Mobile gaming fans around the world can prepare for a brand-new take on a strategy classic as Age of Empires Mobile will officially launch on the Apple App Store and Google Play on October 17. Co-developed by TiMi Studio Group (Call of Duty: Mobile, Pokémon Unite) and World’s Edge, an Xbox Games Studio, Age of Empires Mobile is a fresh and innovative experience for the beloved series, bringing familiar elements from the iconic Age of Empires games with brand-new and mobile-specific gameplay to mobile players. 

On the road to global launch, players will have the opportunity to participate in on-site events at the Xbox booth, and the stage event with fun engagement activities at the Level Infinite booth, during Gamescom in Cologne, Germany. Media and creators will be invited to preview the game in the business area. 

Players can pre-register now for the official launch on the App Store and Google Play, join the game’s official Discord or head to the game’s website for more information. 

“We expect players to mystify, mislead and surprise their enemies through the realistic, immersive, medieval gameplay featured in Age of Empires Mobile,” said TiMi Studios team leader and studio general manager Brayden Fan. “We’ve already seen alliances form and alliances crumble through our multi-month playtesting. Through it all, players have shown strategic wit, savvy teamwork and a passion for an entirely new Age of Empires experience.”  

Built from the ground up for mobile and social play, Age of Empires Mobile includes a variety of game features:  

• Multiple single-player modes built on the Age of Empires lineage and featuring iconic elements from the original series 
• Build your empire in a lively, realistic medieval world featuring stunning civilizations, imperial cities and historical figures 
• Immersive battlefields offer one of a kind original gameplay with large-scale castle sieges featuring realistic weapons taking on multi-dimensional defenses in a fight with thousands of players worldwide 
• Be strategic as you encounter realistic and interactive terrain and weather and manage multiple troops with real-time micro-control 

Built to expand on the series’ lineage, Age of Empires Mobile offers players the opportunity to select from some of the world’s most legendary historic figures to lead their armies. Players choose from dozens of these leaders, such as Barbarossa, Darius the Great, Hammurabi, Joan of Arc and Leonidas I, each featuring unique individual talents and synergies with each other to unleash on your foes.   

“Our goal at World’s Edge is to bring the magic of Age of Empires to as many different types of players around the world as possible. Partnering with TiMi Studio Group means we can combine their expertise in mobile gaming with the strength of our franchise and history – to bring a brand-new take on Age of Empires to even more gamers, in even more places,” said Michael Mann, Studio Head at World’s Edge. 

About TiMi Studio Group   

TiMi Studio Group, a subsidiary of Tencent Games, is a leading global video game development and operations team that strives to improve global players’ entertainment quality. Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, with offices in Montreal, Los Angeles, Seattle, Singapore, Shanghai, and Chengdu, TiMi creates high-quality, high-fidelity, and highly creative games across a wide variety of genres and multiple platforms. Founded in 2008, TiMi has developed a string of hit titles including Honor of Kings, Speed Drifters, and Arena of Valor. TiMi is also a trusted partner to some of the biggest gaming brands in the world, creating AAA titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile, the first strategic Pokémon team battle game Pokémon UNITE, and the upcoming Age of Empires Mobile.

The genre-defining adventure will launch on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC in glorious high-definition

‘Paris in the fall. The last months of the year, at the end of the millennium. The city holds many memories for me: of cafés, of music, of love… and of death.’

York, UK – Friday, 16th August 2024 – Revolution Software is excited to announce that gamers, both original fans and new players, can look forward to exploring the Parisian streets in search of adventure this fall, with the developer confirming Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged will launch on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC on Thursday, 19th September 2024.

A substantial enhancement of one of the most popular adventures of all time, Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged was revealed to much fanfare back at Gamescom 2023 in Köln. Standing as a completely revitalised and ‘reforged’ version of George and Nico’s original globe-trotting adventure, players will be taken from the atmospheric avenues of the French capital to the mystery-laden mountains of Syria, the sun-soaked coastline of Spain and a whole host of stunning locations in between.

The backgrounds have been repainted from the line art originally drawn by Don Blooth layout artists, the sprites have been reanimated and the audio has been enhanced to bring new levels of fidelity to the speech and the legendary soundtrack composed by the late great Barrington Pheloung.

Redefining adventure gameplay for the modern era, a new ‘story mode’ will dynamically balance narrative and gameplay progression to offer a stunning gameplay experience for a whole new generation of adventure fans to enjoy.

“Point and click offers a simple interface from which captivating, challenging gameplay emerges,” says Charles Cecil, founder and CEO of Revolution Software. “But the user experience has remained unchanged since the ‘90s when Broken Sword redefined the genre. Our research suggested that gamers now prefer a more contemporary experience. Broken Sword has a hugely passionate fan base, which runs over three generations. With these graphic and user experience enhancements,  we look forward to hearing from fans once the game crosses over, once again, to a fourth generation who love narrative-driven games.”

The news comes months after Revolution raised more than £600,000, more than twelve times its original £50,000 goal, for a physical Collector’s Edition version of Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged.

Known for combining scripts laced with sharp wit and logical but challenging puzzles, Broken Sword is a celebrated franchise within the adventure genre, having first released on PC and PlayStation back in 1996. The original release became an instant classic, having sold half a million copies on PlayStation alone, and was voted one of the best PlayStation games ever by Official PlayStation Magazine readers. A re-released Director’s Cut of the original game went on to enjoy similar success 15 years later, amassing over 5 million downloads.

Broken Sword remains one of the genre’s most acclaimed series, featuring in top adventure game lists to this day.

In Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged, you will:

• Step out onto the streets of Paris as American tourist George Stobbart finds himself embroiled in a mysterious journey of intrigue and jeopardy.
• Enjoy a globe-spanning adventure, exploring exotic locations, solving ancient mysteries, and thwarting a dark conspiracy to reveal the secret truths of the Knights Templar.
• Voyage through the game’s iconic locations illustrated in beautiful 4K (on supported formats) on PC and contemporary consoles for the first time ever.
• Listen to enhanced audio as Revolution delivers the finest, most stunning version of George and Nico’s original adventure to date.
• Switch between the original 1996 version of the game and the new reforged visuals at the click of a button.
• Play the game the way that you want to – choose between a ‘traditional mode’ for people who enjoy adventures the way they used to be, and a ‘story mode’ for those who want subtle hints to ensure they never get frustrated

Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged will launch digitally on PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC (Windows, macOS and Linux) on Thursday, 19th September 2024.

About Revolution Software:

Founded in 1990, Revolution is a world-leading developer/publisher of narrative-driven adventure video games with titles such as the Broken Sword series, Beneath a Steel Sky and numerous major licenses. The company is a pioneer of digital self-publishing.  Having achieved sales of over $100 million and been played by over 10 million players, Revolution’s Broken Sword series is one of the world’s best-loved adventure series. In 2011, Broken Sword: Director’s Cut went to #1 on the Apple App Store in every major European territory and achieved 5 million downloads, with ‘Broken Sword’ becoming one of the world’s top 10 most tweeted keywords. The game still has a Metacritic rating of 91% (iPhone). Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse, which was successfully crowdfunded in 2012, built on this rich heritage.

Fall in love with the idyllic countryside life 

Manchester, United Kingdom – August 16, 2024 | After the successful PC launch, developer RainyGames is now debuting their charming farming game SunnySide on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S! From cosy cave card-based combat, heartwarming romance, and modern farming techniques, SunnySide has it all.

Players might not be prolific farmers – yet – but with over a hundred different crops and neighbours who are always eager to assist, farming will feel like second nature in no time! This modern spin on the traditional farming sim offers more than just shovels and watering cans, as players also have access to a plethora of modern appliances to streamline their farm.

Time flies when getting settled in, decorating a new home, and shopping for the latest goods, but there is always time for romance! Maybe love can bloom while planting crops, browsing the stalls, or even over a shared dinner. 

And just as players can customise their character to perfectly represent their vision, the residents of SunnySide have their own personal preferences, so only time will tell if love will blossom too.

If the thrills of the heart are not sufficient, players can also attempt to uncover what lies beneath the idyllic surface of SunnySide. The caves are filled with mysteries, and only the bravest farmers would dare to uncover them. 

In SunnySide, even the biggest city dwellers will turn into gardening aficionados. So take a leap of faith, move to the idyllic Japanese countryside and create your dream farm supported by the lovely SunnySide locals.

Inspired by the Persona games and Harvest Moon, SunnySide is the perfect summer game for fans of Animal Crossing and Boyfriend Dungeon who are looking to start a new adventure! 

Check it out now on Playstation, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. Following on from today’s launch, physical versions are also out now for PlayStation 5, available at all good retailers, including Signature Edition Games!

About Maximum Entertainment 

Maximum Entertainment is a global entertainment company dedicated to crafting indie to AA video game experiences through original content and licensed partnerships. A fully integrated group with a broad portfolio of content, the company emphasizes collaboration and inclusivity in its partnerships to produce the highest level of interactive entertainment. With more than 300 titles in its catalog, Maximum Entertainment has joined forces with talented creators and renowned franchises around the globe to deliver magic to the gamer in everyone. Maximum Entertainment employs experienced professionals across the entire value chain of video games including development, publishing, transmedia, sales, and operations.

About RainyGames

RainyGames is an international indie gaming studio based in the US and UK. With a studio mission to challenge conventional genre norms and create innovative, inclusive video games, RainyGames aims to foster diversity and community through empathetic fiction, self-expression, and harmony. Led by Siavash (Rainy) Shahlaei and Sydney Stockdale, RainyGames always strives to maintain a transparent and honest company that puts the players ahead of profits while always making a point to speak out for those with smaller or quieter voices. At RainyGames, video games are more than just a fun pastime or hobby, but rather are beautiful pieces of art that can and will heavily impact the lives of all those who interact with them. For this reason, every project at RainyGames will always come from the heart.

Steal from the rich, fight tycoons and reclaim the city block by block in low-life simulation inspired by GTA, Bully & The Simpsons: Hit & Run

Edinburgh, Scotland – August 16th, 2024 – Firestoke and Usual Suspects are excited to announce that their off-the-wall, third-person open world simulation, It’s Only Money, will be exiting Early Access for a full release on Steam on October 14th and that a new demo to try it out is available now! Inspired by the likes of GTA, Bully and The Simpsons: Hit & Run, It’s Only Money sees you take on the role of an Undercity resident, cast down by the newly elected evil mayor into the sewers and subways. Your goal is to venture to the surface, along, or with up to three other players via online co-op, to steal, fight, destroy and, ultimately, take down the corporations owned by the Mayor’s corrupt cohorts.

The new demo, dubbed It’s Only Money: Minimum Wage Edition, offers around 45-60 minutes of gameplay, including the whole tutorial to introduce you to the game’s key mechanics and 15 minutes of free play once the tutorial is completed. Throughout your 15 minutes of playing, you’ll be offered up random odd jobs that aim to funnel you into experiencing one of the many things Rockhaven has to offer. For each job, you’ll be rewarded with cash that you can spend on clothes, weapons, car mods and more, but most importantly, you’ll be graded at the end of the 15 minutes based on how much money you make. Based on your grade, you’ll unlock some sweet stuff in the full version of It’s Only Money if you decide to check it out! We encourage you to play through the demo as many times as you like, engage with a bunch of random jobs to experience the various systems and features within the game, or just ignore them in general and go for a cruise. 

Win back the city block by block as you buy houses, businesses, clothes, cars and whatever else your materialistic heart desires as you become the low-life living the high life. Pickpocket the rich, lockpick and hotwire cars, get in fights with the local police department while wearing a hot dog costume – everything is possible in Rockhaven, a city that serves as your playground.

Already enjoying rave reviews on Steam during its Early Access phase, It’s Only Money has steadily been adding a host of new features. There are new side Hustles like Metro Dungeon, a rougelite combat experience and WTF3K, a drone racing challenges, epic ‘Takeover’ missions, improved combat systems and much more. Experience all this and more for yourself when It’s Only Money releases on October 14th.  

Remember that you don’t have to do it alone! Join with up to 3 other friends (or randoms) to steal together, fight together, complete missions together or just hang out in a club and gamble. If you’re feeling competitive, why not engage in various PvP minigames, such as Prop Hunt, where you disguise yourself as couches, fence posts, garbage cans or whatever you can find in the street. Think of it as hide and seek for your inner shapeshifter!

“We’re really excited to release It’s Only Money on October 14th and to release the demo now to allow people to visit Rockhaven and see what it has to offer,” said Aaron Alexander, Co-Founder of Usual Suspects. “There’s a wealth of chaotic possibilities in the game and we’re confident that once people play with some of those in the Minimum Wage Edition demo, they will want to come back for more!”

About Usual Suspects

Usual Suspects was founded in 2020 by Aaron Alexander & Jayde Cohen. They had no ambition to run a real company, but very quickly found investment and other opportunities after they had quickly developed an open world prototype in Unreal Engine. Being mature and wise businessmen, they decided the best thing to spend their money on was hiring multiple friends full time to help flesh out the project into a real game. Against all conventional wisdom and sensible business practices, somehow It’s Only Money was successfully developed and released to the world. Despite an admittedly “rough” exterior, the developers at Usual Suspects have a combined 35 years of experience in the games industry, shipping titles from the indie level all the way up to AAA at various studios.

About Firestoke

Firestoke’s vision is to connect a growing global audience of players with the games they love. They are driven by creative inspiration, but informed by data, enabling them to bring players the best indie games from the brightest development talent. They love games that bring people together, that can be shared with friends and family and which spark joy!
Collectively, they have contributed to numerous global hits including some of the industry’s biggest and most loved brands. Their extensive experience in video game development, technology and publishing enables them to offer collaborative partnerships that make a difference.

Master dynamic combat, unlock powerful techniques, and survive relentless street battles in this action-packed roguelite

August 16th, 2024 – Get ready to channel the spirit of classic ’80s action movies as Karate Survivor enters its open playtest phase on Steam. Developed by Alawar, this thrilling roguelite challenges you to become a martial arts legend, fighting through waves of relentless enemies in fast-paced, intense street battles. 

In Karate Survivor, you step into the shoes of a martial arts master, using your fists, feet, and anything you can find in your environment to survive. Whether it’s a plastic flamingo, a mop handle, or even a child’s toy hammer, you’ll turn everyday objects into deadly weapons as you face off against waves of foes. The game’s dynamic combat system allows you to create unique combinations of up to six different attacks, tailored to your fighting style. With each battle, you’ll unlock new techniques and skills, enhancing your abilities and pushing you closer to mastering the art of combat.

But the fight isn’t just about brute strength — your environment is your greatest ally. Use your surroundings to outsmart your enemies: push objects, collapse scaffolding, or slam them with a microwave door. Every location presents its own unique challenges and items for combat, culminating in epic boss battles that will test your skills to the limit.

Karate Survivor isn’t just about survival — it’s about progression. As you collect experience, you’ll unlock and master new permanent techniques and skills, making each playthrough more rewarding. From diverse locations to powerful bosses, each run offers new opportunities for discovery and mastery, ensuring that no two battles are ever the same.

Now’s your chance to unleash your inner martial artist and test your skills in the Karate Survivor open playtest. Wishlist the game on Steam and join the official Discord server to connect with fellow fighters and stay updated on all the latest news.

Are you ready to become the ultimate martial arts legend?

How to Join the Playtest:

1. Visit the Karate Survivor Steam page.
2. Click “Request Access” to join the open playtest.
3. Play the game.
4. Leave feedback via the survey in the game. 

Please remember that this is an early version of the game, so you may encounter bugs or issues. Your feedback is crucial in helping us refine the experience and make it as thrilling as possible.

Alawar is an international developer, distributor and publisher of video games for PC, Mac, iOS, Android, PlayStation, Xbox, social networks and other platforms. The company’s games have sold over 200,000,000 copies and are known in more than 100 countries around the world.

Alawar Entertainment, Inc. • 16192 Coastal Highway, Lewes, Sussex County, Delaware, USA

Thursday, 15 August 2024, Cambridge, UK. Jagex is thrilled to reveal a roadmap of new content coming to RuneScape throughout 2024 and 2025, providing players with a variety of story, skilling, boss content and more, all revealed for the first time in the latest ‘RuneScape Ahead’ video.

Following on from the roadmap reveal earlier this year, RuneScape Ahead delves deeper into what is planned for the iconic MMORPG for the rest of the year and even lifts the lid on plans for the first half of 2025. Players can expect to see 110 skilling updates, new combat bosses, new storylines as well as the first reveal of the highly requested new area expansion.

Watch RuneScape Ahead here: 

RuneScape Ahead 2024-25 – Key Highlights:

• Group Ironman – This highly-requested mode comes to RuneScape later this year, allowing up to five friends to start a new RuneScape adventure without XP bonuses or the ability to benefit from players outside your group. With communal features like Group Storage, and additional cosmetics, including new Milestone Capes that upgrade as your group progresses, Group Ironman is a punishing new mode that will put players’ RuneScape skills to the test. 
• New Skilling Boss: The Gate of Elidinis – Coming this autumn, face the latest Skilling Boss solo or as a group as you venture to the top of the Sanctum of Rebirth to discover a mysterious new shrine dedicated to the absent goddess Elidinis. Uncover the entrance to her shrine as part of this thrilling next story quest, with a range of active mechanics to master alongside some powerful new skilling rewards. 
• New Story Quests – Embark on even more adventures across Gielinor with additional Story Quests coming to RuneScape throughout 2024 and 2025, starting with a new story quest this winter that sees the return of classic storylines. Due to popular demand, players will be returning to the Desert for some unfinished business with Amascut as some familiar faces await you in the sweltering heat. 
• New Boss Encounter – Once players have resolved their unfinished business in the Desert Finale quests, players will be going toe-to-toe with Amascut, the Devourer, in a brand-new end-game boss encounter.
• 110 Skilling Updates – Take your skills to the next level with the 110 Woodcutting & Fletching update later this year, featuring a new skill tree and new weapons to unlock, followed by 110 RuneCrafting and 110 Crafting in 2025.
• Seasonal Events – Seasonal Events return later this year with ‘Harvest Hollow’ to celebrate the spooky season, complete with a brand-new quest, seasonal activities and bone-chilling rewards, followed by the ‘Christmas Village’ making its return at the end of the year. As the festivities begin, the Christmas Village will be expanding with a new quest, seasonal activities, and a bunch of Christmas rewards to get your hands on.
• New Area Expansion – The world of Gielinor is expanding, with a new area expansion on the horizon for late 2025. The team are keeping all the details under wraps for now, but players can expect more information on this as plans progress. 
• And More – In between the main content updates, look out for brand new player-requested features including a series of new combat achievements, a fourth Necromancy conjure ability, plus a new Slayer Monster.

In addition to the RuneScape Ahead video, players can get further details on all the planned updates, including a very special sneak peek at the new Area Expansion in a special livestream taking place later today, August 16th at 16:00 BST on the RuneScape Twitch channel or by joining in on the conversation on the RuneScape Discord.

RuneScape is available now on PC, Steam, iOS, and Android, complete with cross-platform progression and play on PC and mobile. 

About RuneScape   

Celebrating more than twenty years of adventures and acclaimed by PC Gamer as “one of the most endearing and unique MMOs available”, RuneScape is an ever-expanding, community-driven game that’s bursting with activity and life. Today RuneScape is one of the world’s longest-running online games, with over 300 million player accounts. 

Set in a medieval fantasy land, players embark on epic journeys through a vast sandbox world that’s full of gods, warring races, unexplored dungeons, and glittering riches. Propelled by the game’s narrative, choose your own path through enthralling quests, and progress through 29 diverse skills to shape a single character in a classless world. RuneScape is available across PC, iOS and Android devices.

Become the hero you were born to be at www.runescape.com.   

About Jagex   

A leader in creating deep and engaging forever games that empower our communities across PC, mobile and consoles. Jagex’s flagship MMORPG, RuneScape, has welcomed over 300 million player accounts to its world and is a $1billion + lifetime revenue franchise. Today the RuneScape franchise exists beyond live operations; our titles are forever games that connect and inspire millions of players, with content and experiences both inside and outside of inexhaustible game worlds. Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, on PC and mobile, offer ever-evolving, highly active worlds and our community-focussed development ethos empowers players to have a real say in how each game is shaped.

In 2022, Jagex expanded with the acquisitions of PipeWorks and Gamepires, bringing its expertise in building forever games to SCUM, a multi-million selling open-world survival title in Steam Early Access & other unannounced titles. Jagex employs more than 600 people globally, and is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom. 

Long-Standing Independent Publisher Opens North Beach Games Prague, Led by Survival Crafting and Game Design Luminaries 

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. and Prague — Aug. 16, 2024. Independent publisher and industry leader in the survival crafting genre, North Beach Games today announced the formation of a new development studio, North Beach Games Prague. Founded in 2018, North Beach Games was built on the vision of bringing innovative games to market through a unique hybrid approach to publishing and partnerships. Now, the company will leverage decades of collective experience handling some of gaming’s biggest licensed IP and its proven track record of success releasing top survival crafting games to evolve into a multi-faceted business that not only publishes games on PC and consoles, but also develops them internally through its global footprint. 

North Beach Games Prague is based in Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic, and is led by Chief Technology Officer and acclaimed survival crafting game designer, Sam Edwards (Beam Team Games, creator of Stranded Deep), and General Manager, Tomáš Pšenička (Keen Software House, creator of Space Engineers). The core development team will operate primarily on-site at the new studio facility, while also supporting some staff working remotely from around the globe. 

The initial focus for the studio will be to create and support new games within the survival crafting space, a genre that the collective global team has forged with the release of genre-defining games such as Stranded Deep, 7 Days to Die and The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria™. North Beach Games now reunites with Sam Edwards, co-creator of the multi-million unit-selling survival crafting hit, Stranded Deep, to develop the long awaited sequel – Stranded Deep 2. 

“We’re super excited to be kicking off the development of Stranded Deep 2 with our new development team, North Beach Games Prague,” said Sam Edwards, Creative Director and Chief Technology Officer of North Beach Games. “Tomáš and his talented team will be a great partner to build out the studio as we look to the future of the franchise and explore new horizons.”

Stranded Deep 2

With the launch of its new Prague studio, North Beach Games takes direct control of its future, levelling up its capabilities and creativity in an environment where the company can take risks on new ideas with a passionate, highly skilled team. From publisher, to developer, and now global studio, it is the company’s mission to reimagine the way games are made and played through empowering the world’s best independent developers with the support and resources they need to create and successfully launch games worldwide. 

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring Sam and Tomáš into the North Beach Games fold, heading up our new Prague development studio,” said John Miller, CEO of North Beach Games. “We’ve worked with both of them for years as partners, so to all be on the same team is a great feeling and will allow us to do even more exciting work together in the survival crafting space. After all of the volatility in the market and industry for the past year, the time feels right to start this next chapter of our business, carving our own path towards a positive future for our company.”

North Beach Games will continue to support and expand its publishing efforts, building upon relationships with platform, development and licensing partners, exploring new opportunities to collaborate with creatives in the survival crafting space to bring innovative products to market in the future. Currently, the company is working with developer Free Range Games and licensing partner, Middle-earth Enterprises to release The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria™, the only survival crafting video game set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth™, the iconic fantasy world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, on PC via Steam and Xbox Series X|S on Aug. 27 worldwide.  

Additional information about Stranded Deep 2 will be made available in the future. To learn more, visit the game’s teaser website. 

About North Beach Games:

North Beach Games is a global independent game company that publishes PC and console games with a focus on the survival crafting and role-playing categories. Its mission is to partner with and empower the world’s best independent developers and studios. Headquartered in San Rafael, CA, North Beach Games is comprised of industry veterans with a wide range of experience in publishing, marketing and game development. The company opened a new internal development studio in 2024 in Prague, to expand its global footprint as a premier expert of survival crafting and RPG experiences. Most recently, North Beach Games has published The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria™ with developer Free Range Games and licensing partner, Middle-earth Enterprises for PC via the Epic Games Store and the PlayStation®5 computer entertainment system in 2023, with versions for PC via Steam and Xbox Series X|S console systems scheduled to release in August 2024. 

© 2024 North Beach Games and associated logos and names are trademarks of North Beach Games, Inc. All rights reserved.

Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Kollection Now Available for Pre-Order 

Warner Bros. Games have released a new Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns gameplay trailer spotlighting Cyrax, one of six upcoming playable characters coming to Mortal Kombat 1, which has sold more than 4 million units worldwide to date. The trailer features an in-depth look at Cyrax’s abilities and moveset, along with story elements that provide insight into her unique role within the reimagined Mortal Kombat 1 Universe.  

In Fire God Liu Kang’s New Era, Cyrax is a young Lin Kuei warrior from the Zaki clan whose prodigious skills earned her an invitation to serve directly under Sektor. She seized the opportunity with her trademark vigor, but while her skills impressed, her independent streak created rifts between her and her mentor. It has become clear that Cyrax remains untamed and will serve the Lin Kuei on her terms, or not at all. Cyrax’s high-octane moveset is on full display in the new trailer, including her ability to leverage cybernetic technology to perform impressive aerial attacks and evasive maneuvers, complemented by her utilization of energy nets to pin down opponents, explosives to extend combos, and sawblades for devastating strikes. 

The new video also teases Cyrax’s Animality, the brutal finishing move allowing her to morph into a hornet to annihilate her defeated opponents. The fan favourite Animalities will be available as a free content update for all Mortal Kombat 1 owners in conjunction with the Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns release on Sept. 24. 

Additionally, new players can join the fight with the Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Kollection, available now for pre-order on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch. Pre-ordering this edition grants immediate access to the Mortal Kombat 1 main game, previous Kombat Pack, and 1,250 Dragon Krystals (in-game currency), plus access to the Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Expansion at launch on Sept. 24.  

• View and share the Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns – Official Cyrax Gameplay Trailer:  https://youtu.be/1cGWOy-ssLM

Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Expansion 

Players who own Mortal Kombat 1 can pre-order the Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Expansion on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch. The expansion features the next phase in the game’s genre-defining narrative centered around peace and anarchy with all-new cinematic Story mode chapters, along with the addition of Kombat Pack 2 including six playable characters – Cyrax, Sektor, and Noob Saibot (available at launch on Sept. 24), and guest fighters, Ghostface (Scream franchise), T-1000 (Terminator 2: Judgement Day), and Conan the Barbarian (post-launch release timing to be announced at a later date). 

Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Bundle 

Players who own Mortal Kombat 1 can also pre-order the Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Bundle, which includes immediate access to the previous Kombat Pack on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch. The Kombat Pack features six characters (Omni-Man, Quan Chi, Peacemaker, Ermac, Homelander, and Takeda Takahashi), five Kameo Fighters (Tremor, Khameleon, Janet Cage, Mavado, and Ferra), and the Jean-Claude Van Damme character skin for Johnny Cage. 

Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Kollection 

New players can pre-order the Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Kollection on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch, including immediate access to the Mortal Kombat 1 main game, previous Kombat Pack, and 1,250 Dragon Krystals (in-game currency), along with the Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Expansion (available on Sept. 24). 

All pre-orders will receive four new character skins, including Wedding Scorpion, Empress Mileena, and klassic Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 versions of Sub-Zero and Noob Saibot, when the Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Expansion launches on Sept. 24. 

Mortal Kombat 1 is available now for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store). To learn more about Mortal Kombat 1, please visit MortalKombat.com or join the community conversation on Instagram (@MortalKombat), TikTok (@MortalKombat), Twitter/X (@MortalKombat), Twitch (NetherRealm), YouTube (Mortal Kombat), Facebook (MortalKombat), Discord (MortalKombat), or Reddit (MortalKombat). 

About Warner Bros. Games 

Warner Bros. Games is a part of Global Streaming and Games for Warner Bros. Discovery and a premier worldwide publisher, developer and licensor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all platforms, including console, handheld, mobile and PC-based game titles.

About NetherRealm Studios 

NetherRealm Studios is a leader in the development of interactive entertainment, and the creator of the billion-dollar Mortal Kombat franchise. Mortal Kombat has spawned two theatrical films, multiple television series, and has sold more than 80 million games to date. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the award-winning NetherRealm team has been working and creating games together since 1992.

About Sony Pictures Consumer Products  

Sony Pictures Consumer Products (SPCP) is the licensing and merchandising division of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group and Sony Pictures Television for Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services, and technologies. Sony Pictures Television operates dozens of wholly-owned or joint-venture production companies around the world. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, 3000 Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, Sony Pictures International Productions, and Sony Pictures Classics.  

Mortal Kombat 1 Software © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Developed by NetherRealm. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. Mortal Kombat, the dragon logo, NetherRealm Studios, NetherRealm logo and all related characters and elements are trademarks of © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. WARNER BROS. GAMES LOGO, WB SHIELD: ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s24). PEACEMAKER and all related characters and elements © & ™ DC and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s24). THE BOYS™ © 2024 Sony Pictures Television Inc. and Amazon Content Services LLC. All rights reserved. Based on the animated series Invincible by Amazon Content Services LLC and the comic book Invincible by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley.  INVINCIBLE and any related images are registered or otherwise protected trademarks of Robert Kirkman, LLC. Used with permission. All Rights Reserved. SKYBOUND, SKYBOUND GAMES and any related logos are registered or otherwise protected trademarks of Skybound, LLC. Used with permission. All Rights Reserved.