The gang behind the Call of Duty games continues to work on reducing the number of cheaters and people who misbehave with others. A consequence of that is that half a million Call of Duty players have been banned so far. In addition, 300,000 account names have been changed since an automatic filtering system was launched. The changes apply to names that are judged to be offensive, offensive and similar.
The administration uses both automatic systems and human moderators to keep chats and names in order. The policy has been tightened and the amount of offensive nicknames is said to have decreased by 55 percent after that. But it is expected to continue fighting against unwanted behavior in the future as well. It's windy at the top, as it's usually called.
Lego Bricktales has been looking really impressive since it was announced at the beginning of the year. So far we've had to settle for "2022" as a release date, but now they've finally announced that the game will be released on October 12 for PC, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.
The announcement also comes with a new trailer that gives us a quick look at some of the dioramas we'll be visiting, building, solving puzzles and searching for secrets in. They include a jungle castle ruin, a commercial port, what looks like an ancient burial chambers, a pirate ship in a cave, a pyramid, a … you get the idea, there are many different environments.
For some time now, there has also been a demo of the game that you can download from Steam. It should include the game's first two courses, which we previously got to see in gameplay walkthroughs.
The next generation of graphics cards have been unveiled, which will initially consist of three cards: RTX 4090 24 GB ($1599), RTX 4080 16 GB ($1199) and RTX 4080 12 GB ($899). However, the prices are suggested retail prices, and as we've learned in recent years, it's not impossible for them to skyrocket when the cards are actually released, depending on availability and how eager enthusiasts are to snap them up.
The card is powered by the new Ada Lovelace architecture, which should provide better ray tracing capabilities and access to version three of Nvidia's AI-based upscaling technology, DLSS 3. This new version should be able to reconstruct significantly more of each display (up to seven-eighths), which relieves both graphics card and processor and provides better performance. The downside, in turn, is that this technology will not be available for previous RTX cards, but only the 4000 series.
The RTX 4090 is supposed to be released on October 12, while the two RTX 4080 cards are due in November. However, at the launch of the 3000 series there was a severe shortage of cards, so it remains to be seen if Nvidia is better prepared for the demand this time around.
Geforce RTX 40x series is on the horizon and with that most likely a new price-range. As reported by Nvidia, the new RTX 40x series will start at $899 and will, if we look back at history, probably increase in time for launch.
So now we wonder, how much do you feel that a GFX card should cost? Sound off in the comments as well.
It's going well now, Cyberpunk 2077. The sad release (not least on the old-gen) is well documented, but in the wake of updates, the Netflix series Edgerunners and the disclosure of a expansion have rushed the number of players. In fact, CD Projects yesterday tweeted that the game was visited by 1 million players each day this week. CD Project thanks for the support of all "Chooms".
The future looks bright, with the expansion Phantom Liberty on the horizon. While it will be the only expansion, CD Project promotes "full engagement" in the series even beyond expansion.
That, and they have also revealed the next Witcher game that will be the start of a brand new story.
Just as expected, it is a machine that does not rely on its own horsepower to run the games, but instead invests in streaming games through the cloud.
Basically, it's a tablet with Android as the base, with integrated support for the streaming services Geforce Now and Xbox Game Cloud. We can probably assume that other services, such as Stadia and Amazon Luna, will also work great - as long as there is an Android app, most things should be possible.
The leaked specifications also proved to be correct, which means it is equipped with a Snapdragon 720G processor, 4 GB of internal memory and 64 GB of storage. It also offers haptic feedback, stereo speakers and a microphone with noise reduction. Logitech claims that you can lira for up to twelve hours on a charge, and charging it full then takes 2 1/2 hours, under the condition that the unit is switched off.
The price is $300 if you pre-book or $350 if you don't, and the launch seems to take place October 18 in the United States.
We haven't seen much from Detroit Become Human developer Quantic Dreams' Star Wars Eclipse . There was a pre-rendered announcement trailer and then … silence, as if on rumors of some development problems . Now, however, we can enjoy some vague first-hand information, and it comes from CEO Guillaume de Fondaumiere, who sat down with IGN Japan.
"I think with every new title we try to innovate, we try to explore new ground. With Star Wars Eclipse, we will absolutely keep the basic elements of a Quantic Dream game: very strong plot, very strong characters, multiple playable characters and of course the ability for the player, with their actions and decisions, to influence how the plot develops.
- Guillaume de Fondaumiere
At the same time, he points out that since they're doing an action-adventure this time, the formula has also been changed to suit it. He does not want to go into what this will look like, but promises to tell more later.
Sad, but at least we have rumors from a reasonably reliable source that says the game's battles will be reminiscent of those in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order , while betting on a mix of action and gameplay reminiscent of The Last of Us .
We'll just have to wait and see, but don't count on the game to release next year - rumors even say it could be released "as early as 2025".
Yesterday we reported on the massive GTA 6 leak, where tons of footage, source code, and other material from Rockstar's blockbuster game seems to have leaked online. Blizzard is probably not happy now but might just not be that sad either, because it took some of the spotlight off the fact that a Diablo 4 leak also appeared yesterday.
There are two leaked gameplay videos totaling 43 minutes. The movie shows how a Barbarian runs some quests, and also the skill tree, the shop and more. It is of course an unfinished game seen in the videos, which does not necessarily look like the finished game will. Reddit has a link to a place where the videos can still be seen, but that can change quickly.
The number of Cyberpunk 2077 players on Steam has multiplied in recent days. Yesterday, the peak was just over 85,000 concurrent players, which is more than four times the peak in August, according to figures from Steam Charts. It is also the highest number of players since January 2021, the month after the game was released.
One reason for the renewed interest may be the series Cyberpunk Edgerunners, which premiered on Netflix last Tuesday, PC Gamer predicts. Another could be the announcement of the Phantom Liberty expansion the week before; it will be released for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series (but not PS4 and Xbox One) in 2023.
Cyberpunk 2077 was released in December 2020 and received a mixed reception to say the least. Some praise the game, others say it's buggy beyond playability and has significant flaws. Everyone can agree that the PS4 and Xbox One versions were sub-par, with lousy framerate and other issues. CDPR has been working hard to improve the game, and maybe it will get a new spring when the expansion lands. That would make both players and shareholders happy.
As you know, it was not only Rockstar that suffered a troublesome leak in the past few days, but also Blizzard. But the exciting news for Diablo IV isn't just of the unofficial kind, as they also gave us more information about upcoming beta tests.
First of all, testing a very important part of the game, namely the end game - i.e. what you do after you've run through the plot and reached max level. In order to make the game's end game as good as possible, they will invite players to a closed beta test (from which they are not allowed to share anything), which will include Helltide, Nightmare Dungeons, Whispers of the Dead, Fields of Hatred and Paragon Boards. More info about these activities here .
Which then gets to participate in this closed beta test? Blizzard will go by game data and select players who have recently spent a lot of time with the end game in Diablo II: Resurrected , Diablo III , and Diablo Immortal . In order to be invited, you also seem to have to log into your Battle.net account and click that you want to receive "News and Special Offers from Battle.net" in the communication settings.
The closed beta will own on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Playstation 4/5 this year. If you are not selected, however, you do not need to despair, because open beta tests will also be held at the beginning of next year.
It was a breach of Rockstar's network that caused the massive GTA 6 leak. This is evident from a comment from the company, which at the same time confirms what everyone believed - the leaked material is genuine, and thus the very first material from the next GTA title.
The culprit(s) came across "confidential information" including "early development material from the next Grand Theft Auto," Rockstar writes. There have been reports that the source code is also on the loose, but this is not commented on by the developer.
"We recently suffered a network intrusion in which an unauthorized third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage from the next Grand Theft Auto.
Rockstar is disappointed that things leaked, but promises that work will continue at the same pace as before. They also promise a status update shortly.
"We are extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared with you all in this way. Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto game will continue as planned and we remain as committed as ever to delivering an experience to you, our players, that truly exceeds your expectations. We will update everyone again soon and, of course, will properly introduce you to this next game when it is ready. We want to thank everyone for their ongoing support through this situation.
The leak contained upwards of 90 clips from apparently early versions of the game. The interesting thing is that the footage seems to confirm previous information that the game has (at least) two protagonists - one of which is female. It also seems to take place in Vice City-like environments, which has also been speculated about before.
Rockstar has confirmed that they are working on a new GTA game, but it doesn't have an official name yet - as you can see in the quoted text, it's called "the next Grand Theft Auto game". It is also unknown when it is supposed to be released.
The Polish studio has gone out of its way to patch up its action RPG, and it seems to have paid off. Earlier today we wrote about the number of players rushing on Steam. Paweł Sasko does not take this lightly, saying that it is "a second chance" .
In short, but sometimes a sobbing emoji is worth a thousand words. Although there will be an expansion in 2023 – Phantom Liberty – many had expected a second one later. No such plans exist, but CD Projekt promises "full commitment" to the brand beyond Phantom Liberty.
Battlefield 2042 was not quite what the players wanted, mainly because it differed quite significantly from previous parts of the series. Anyone who agrees with this is welcome Battlefield boss Vince Zampella In an interview with Barrons (via VGC ), he says:
"I think they strayed a little too far from what Battlefield is. They tried to do a couple of things that were maybe ambitious: grow the number of players etc. I don't think they put enough time into further developing what makes it fun.
- Vince Zampella
Dice is now working on trying to fix the game and has, among other things, rearranged some maps to make the battles more focused, reduce transport distances and provide more protection for infantry. They have also said that they are working on a class system more similar to the older games to introduce, although they are not ready to do away with the criticized "specialists" used in the game today.
Whether the game can be saved in the eyes of the players remains to be seen, but it is at least clear that the single player is on its way back in some form, signed by the relatively newly formed Ridgeline Games.
Last week, the filming of Rupert Sanders' "The Crow" remake was completed in Prague. After more than three months of intensive work. Bill Skarsgard stars as the revived and vengeful musician Eric Draven in the new adaptation of James O'Barr's graphic novel.
"I just finished the film a week ago. It has been an incredibly ambitious project. And far. I was in Prague for 3.5 months and worked the whole time. Now I'm trying to digest it a bit. When you are so involved in something, you become quite blind. It is difficult to see the big picture, says Bill.
But I think it will be very original. It tries to do something new, which may not exist in the market, in this genre. It's a dark, romantic superhero movie. Quite emo, he laughs.
- Bill Skarsgard
The director is Rupert Sanders, a visual director who previously made the action-heavy films "Snow White and the Huntsman" (2012) and "Ghost in the Shell" (2017). It remains to be seen how the film differs from the 1994 cult version starring Brandon Lee, but Bill hopes that even the more skeptical fans will be satisfied.
"Rupert Sanders has devised this new style, feel and look for the film. He's visually very gifted. And if you want to make a new adaptation of the graphic novel, you have to come up with something new. It cannot be exactly the same. Then it can make or break.
- Bill Skarsgard
In addition to Bill Skarsgard in the lead role, FKA Twigs and Danny Huston also star. The new version of "The Crow" does not yet have a release date.
Electronic Arts is working on a brand new "Iron Man" game that will delve into the character of Tony Stark.
Electronic Arts Motive Studio announces that a new "Iron Man" game is in the works. The game will be a third-person action adventure and is being developed in collaboration with Marvel Games.
The game's development team is led by executive producer Olivier Proulx, who previously worked on Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" at Canadian game studio Eidos Montreal.
This is the start of an exciting new collaboration between Marvel and Electronic Arts, with "Iron Man" being the first of several new games to come.
The game will feature an original story that taps into the rich history of "Iron Man." We players will get to immerse ourselves in the complexity, charisma and creative genius that can only be found in Tony Stark . The vision is to feel what it's like to really play as "Iron Man".
"We are excited to partner with the talented team at Motive Studio to bring their original vision of one of Marvel's most important, powerful and beloved characters to life.
- Marvel Games Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Bill Rosemann
Bill Rosemann, also says he's excited about the partnership and that they aim to "deliver a love letter to a legendary hero in the form of the ultimate Iron Man video game."
The game does not yet have a name and is in the early stages of production, so it will be quite a while before we see the game released.
Saints Row was released exactly a month ago and … probably didn't impress very many. The ratings have been relatively low - enough to cause the Embracer share to decline - and sales do not seem to have been very good either. During Embrace's annual meeting, CEO Lars Wingefors had the following to say:
"Personally, I had hoped for a better reception for the game. It has been very polarizing. There are many details to address about it - on the one hand I am happy to see so many players and fans happy, but on the other hand I am sorry to see fans who are not happy, so it is difficult.
I think we need to wait for the quarterly report in November to get more details on this. We are still quite early in our release window and are still collecting data, and so we have bug fixes and more content on the way.
- Lars Wingefors
He also says he is sure that the game will actually go with a profit, but that it will probably not be as big a profit as with "many other games". Regarding how this will affect Saints Row as a series, he said that hundreds of people are involved in the game and that he trusts that they can make recommendations for the future.
At least I very much liked it, memories from the classic series came back and made me giggle several times.
The long and shaky development journey of the System Shock remake seems to be coming to an end. Developer Nightdive confirms that the game will be released in March, which has been on the game's Steam page since October.
The announcement is made in a status update on the Kickstarter page. Nightdive writes there that this is not the first time the game has a release window (the first plan was to release it in 2017), but that the situation is different now.
"As some of you have already pointed out this is not our first time announcing a tentative launch window, but over the past few years much has changed - the scope and scale of the project has evolved dramatically and with Prime Matter joining the project it’s enabled us to focus on quality-of-life improvements, bug fixing, and localization support - the last major steps towards releasing a game we’re all incredibly proud of. This has also given us time to go back and polish various aspects of the game that needed that extra shine.
So, if no further issues crop up, hopefully we'll get a firm release date soon, and the project will reach port after seven long years. Keep your fingers crossed.
There will be no Splinter Cell in VR, but the remake of the first game is still happening. They have already said that the remake will be built from the ground up, and now it also seems that the plot will be updated.
In a job ad where Ubisoft is looking for a screenwriter, they write that they are compiling a team with passion and respect for the "three-focal glasses" and that this is a chance to be part of a popular series while delivering the next generation of graphics and modernized sneak mechanics. But they also write:
Thus, we can probably expect to learn more about Sam Fischer, Anna Grimsdóttír and the other characters, although the basic act may remain as untouched as possible. In other words, at least the undersigned hopes to expand what already exists instead of writing about it.
A Plague Tale: Innocence was a pretty big adventure that took most players 10-12 hours to run through, but the sequel seems to be a completely different beast. A Plague Tale: Requiem not only looks absolutely state-of-the-art and appears to have much deeper gameplay - it's also 50% longer.
This is revealed by Lead level designer Kevin Pinson from Asobo Studio in an interview with Play Magazine (issue 19), where he tells us that the title will take 15-18 hours to play through. And he adds that it's also no filler content to artificially extend the adventure:
A Plague Tale: Requiem launches on October 18 for PC, Playstation 5 and Xbox Series S/X. It also comes in a streamed Switch version, and is also included with Game Pass from day one.
July 1st this year, the Polish company CD Project Red celebrated 20 years as a company. A few days ago, the company released an 18-minute video on the history behind everything. In the video, Adam Badoski, Piotr Nielubowicz and Marcin Ivinski talk about the company's journey from the first Witcher to today.
There is also a website dedicated to the celebration where you can read about the games and the company's history. They also encourage readers to share screenshots, selfies and more to participate in the celebration.
I am looking forward to another (at least) 20 years of CDPR games. And I personally want to thank the developers behind Cyberpunk 2077 for their dedication to the game, making it what it deserves to be. It's my all time favorite game!
What are your best memories from CDPR games?
A few days ago , EA and Koei Tecmo confirmed plans to show the first trailer for Wild Hearts today. Said and done. Now "a new kind of hunter game" has been revealed and there is no doubt that it will have tons of things in common with Monster Hunter.
February 17 will be a release for Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. It takes place in a kind of fantasy feudal Japan where you hunt Kemono beasts. The journey goes through a colorful world where you can either go hunting on your own or with two co-op friends by your side.
Crafting will be an important part of the adventure, here in the form of the "Karakuri" mechanism.
That's what Yosuke Hayashi, Tecmo Games' vice president, tells us. The game will be, like for example It Takes Two and Unravel , an EA Originals game. EA's Stuart Land is visibly excited:
Long before "Avengers" he made one of the film's first portraits of the infamous serial killer.
The currently streaming miniseries "Dahmer - Monster: The Story of Jeffrey Dahmer" has made the whole world re-discover and horrify one of America's worst serial killers. Eva Peters is well deserved for his role, but he was not the first to take on the complex and unpleasant character.
Already in 2002 came the first feature film about Jeff Dahmer. Then you could see a relatively unknown 30-year-old Jeremy Renner, who until then has had mostly guest roles in television series.
The daring lead in David Jacobson's "Dahmer" became something of a breakthrough that made critics and the film industry aware of Renner, and has led him to greater roles - in both Oscar-nominated films and successful blockbusters. The trailer for "Dahmer" shows us several nasty scenes that are recognized by Netflix's own drama series - including how Jeff drugs his victims and how a young boy tries to escape from his apartment.
The film received good reviews and has 73% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience was a little less positive as the average rating at IMDb is 5.6. Unfortunately.
Unlike its predecessor, Overwatch 2 will be free-to-play, which of course increases the risk of cheating and people creating accounts on the fly to be able to act like fools. However, Activision is ready with a set of solutions that they call the Defense Matrix , and part of this is connected to whether the fans have mobiles or not.
In order to play the game, you have to connect a mobile phone number to your Battle.net account, and this applies regardless of the platform you play on and even if you own the first game. This is not only to be able to get the account back in case of something unexpected either, but also to make it harder for people who get banned to come back, since a specific mobile phone number can only be used for one account.
Banned persons must therefore prepare another number if they want to be able to create a new account. Blizzard also writes that certain types of numbers will not be able to be used, including debit card numbers and VOIP numbers. This latter requirement has upset some, as it appears that many will not be able to play the game. However, it does not seem to be completely clear whether this really applies to all prepaid card numbers or only with certain operators.
Overwatch 2 is released on October 4th.
Whatsapp has now released a security update to fix two critical security flaws in the messaging service's IOS and Android apps.
According to cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes, the vulnerabilities could be used to take control of the app. The flaws are to be found in Whatsapp and Whatsapp Business for Android and IOS that do not run version 2.22.16.12 or later.
The Hacker News writes that one of the vulnerabilities (CVE-2022-36934), which has a CVSS rating of 9.8 out of 10, could be used to execute arbitrary code by simply opening a video call.
The second vulnerability (CVE-2022-27492), with a CVSS score of 7.8, could be activated by the victim receiving a specially crafted video file.
Cyberpunk 2077 has been getting quite a boost since the release of the Edgerunners series, the game received an update and we learned more about the planned Phantom Liberty expansion. And now they can add another proper milestone, namely that the game has sold over 20 million copies.
On Twitter, Cd Projekt Red writes that 20 million cyberpunks are now roaming the streets of Night City, which can be compared to the 18 million they reported in April.
The milestone also means that the game has sold about half as much as The Witcher 3, which managed to sell over 40 million copies. The Witcher 3, on the other hand, was boosted by two fantastic expansions, while Cyberpunk 2077 only looks to get one.
