Publisher News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

A new strategy game by BoomBit Games has hit Android globally. It’s Dawn of Ages: Medieval Games which has no magic, but has plenty of fighting, building and crafting. A free-to-play game, its publisher is known for other hit titles like Bowling Club: Realistic 3D PvP, Zombie Survival Apocalypse, Boxing Ring and Idle Boutique (Role-Playing).

Blizzard has published today's hotfixes for Dragonflight, including fixes for issues with Dungeons not rewarding the proper number of Flightstones and Crests, issues with players earning Season 4 achievements to trade crests up, and changes to the Blooming Dreamseeds quest, which now only takes 3 Dreamseeds instead of 5.

This year, Mother’s Day is on next Sunday, May 12th. So, over at upjers GmbH, the team is gearing up to celebrate Mother’s Day across several of their popular games. Celebrating moms with fabric art and confections? Count me in! Want to know more about the upjers Mother’s Day 2024 celebrations, too? Keep reading!

According to Moon Studios ' CEO, the unfortunate closure of Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Prey, Redfall developer Arkane Austin may not be as senseless as it appears.

May is Military Appreciation Month, and players can earn in-game rewards and support veterans by participating in the U Assist Veterans Challenge, presented by USAA. The U Assist Veterans Challenge features eight total in-game rewards earnable by completing challenges across Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® III (Multiplayer and Zombies) and Call of Duty: Warzone™. While facing these objectives, players can also help allocate funds for the Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) by calling in UAVs.

The alien-filled hospital management sim Galacticare will launch on 23rd May, developer Brightrock Games and publisher CULT Games have announced. Interstellar healthcare will be coming out across PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam, Epic and GOG.

The news that Xbox was going to buy Bethesda caught me by surprise. And not just because of the sheer size of the $7.5bn acquisition.

Apple's first big event of 2024 has come and gone, showcasing a new iPad Pro and the powerful Apple M4 chip. While the latest technology throws up plenty of possibilities, though, running Baldur's Gate 3 on said new Apple goodies isn't one of them. 

Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson has doubled down on the company's commitment to generative AI in game development processes.

Microsoft has signed Lords of the Fallen and Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 for release in its subscription service, Game Pass.

Remember Mighty Doom, the 2D endless runner based on the Doom series? Well, it’s preparing to shut its servers down soon. Developed by Alpha Dog Games and published by Bethesda Softworks, the game was soft-launched in April 2021 and released worldwide in March 2023. So, why is it pulling the plug so quickly? Keep reading to find out.

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf appears to be the next big title from developer BioWare and publisher EA, though we've heard very little official information about the title ever since its name was revealed. Things have been heating up in recent months though, with BioWare promising more news about the title this summer, and now EA seems to have all but confirmed the title will be launching within the next 12 months.

Whether you’re a new Game Pass subscriber or just looking to renew your membership, you’ll want to check out this deal at Woot. Through May 10, the Amazon subsidiary is offering three-month Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions for just $36.99 (was $49.99), saving you a grand total of $56 if you purchase a whole year. With three-month subscriptions of Game Pass Ultimate regularly discounted to around $45 at places like Target and Amazon, this deal is the best price we’ve seen in some time.

Microsoft has shuttered three ZeniMax teams: Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks and Alpha Dog Studios. The company is also folding Roundhouse Games into Zenimax Online Studios. Arkane Austin is the home of Prey and Redfall, while Tango is responsible for The Evil Within, Ghostwire Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush. Alpha Dog is the creator of Mighty Doom and Roundhouse was a support studio for ZeniMax projects.

Amazon is currently discounting a handsome collection of core curriculum and supplementary adventures for Dungeons & Dragons. Whether you’re trying to rope your friends into your next tabletop session or need an ample supply of one-shot adventures to kill time while we all wait for D&D’s revised fifth edition, you’ll want to check out this modest selection of discounted tomes.

For a game of Dungeons & Dragons you really only need a few things: some dice, the barest idea of a possible encounter, and a few other people with characters in-hand. So when I’m coming to the game’s publisher, Wizards of the Coast, for one of their campaigns I’m expecting quite a lot for my dollar — an excellent hook, for starters, but also a lengthy experience with lots of extras to pull my players in.

AMD and Intel CPU shipments were up significantly by as much as 33% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year.

Microsoft is closing four Bethesda studios: Redfall developer Arkane Austin, Mighty Doom developer Alpha Dog Studios, Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks, and support studio Roundhouse Games. Xbox Game Studios leader Matt Booty announced the news to staff in an email Tuesday citing a reprioritization of “high-impact titles,” according to IGN. Arkane, Alpha Dog, and Tango Gameworks confirmed the closures on their respective X accounts.

Vecna: Eve of Ruin is unlike anything yet published for the modern incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons. The final campaign for the original 5th edition rule set begins at level 10, far higher than some other published adventures reach over the course of their entire run. It then proceeds to top out at the system’s hard level cap of 20. That much experience will convert you and your party into magically infused, professionally trained killing machines. Trust me when I say that there will be plenty of opportunities to put those skills to work.

Microsoft has confirmed it is closing studios with Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Studios all having their operations ceased. Roundhouse Games is being absorbed by ZeniMax Online. An email was sent by Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty to teams, and it has been verified by IGN. The email is below.

Today, publisher Mindscape Games and developer Aesir Interactive announced Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori, a new entry in the equine-focused franchise that also features Windstorm: Start of a Great Friendship (which is getting a remaster in June) and Windstorm: An Unexpected Arrival.

Nintendo has finally addressed the future of the Nintendo Switch,confirming that players can expect news on the company's next major console in the very near future. Rumors have swirled for years that the notoriously elusive publisher has been developing a new console to take over from the Switch given the console's lackluster power compared to the likes of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. While details on what the next piece of hardware will entail are still unknown, consumers now at least have an idea of when to expect the big reveal.

It might seem like a boastful name, but Rockstar Games really are rockstars in the gaming world. The developer is responsible for arguably the most important and lucrative gaming franchise of all time with the Grand Theft Auto series. While the open-world crime series is what the studio is best known for, it has dipped its toes into a wide range of genres and styles as a publisher since its first game in 1997. While the studio’s output has certainly slowed, with an over eight-year gap between Red Dead Redemption 2and GTA 6, there’s a backlog of over 40 games in its portfolio. That’s a lot of history to digest, but it’s important to understand the entire scope before we decide which games are the best.

Bethesda fans should be excited to learn that QuakeCon is returning this summer from August 8 to 11 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. Bethesda made the announcement on its webpage, promising an array of thrilling activities for gaming enthusiasts.

In a press release published on the Polish financial website Bankier.pl, CI Games confirmed to have reached an agreement with Microsoft to bring Lords of the Fallen and Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 to Game Pass.

Helldivers 2 was on top of the world. Released in February to surprise acclaim, PlayStation and Arrowhead’s co-op shooter quickly became the kind of success story that any gaming company would want to emulate. In a world of live service risks, this one was paying off thanks to a dedicated community whose commitment to democracy showed no signs of slowing down.

The Helldivers 2 debacle has reached new hellish lows as the year's best-selling game is now unavailable on Steam in over 170 countries. 

Over 145,000 negative user reviews have hit Helldivers 2's Steam page these last few days, tarnishing its once spotless score. 

Helldivers 2 PC players who live in regions without access to the PlayStation Network will still be able to play the game, even after the account linking mandate comes into effect, according to one developer. 

Love point-and-click games? Well, another one has just hit Android and it looks pretty interesting. Titled The Apocalypse Sacrifice, it’s been published by FOG Games. It’s their first title on Android and is free to play. It’s a new take on the classic genre, where piecing together who you are is just the beginning.

May the 4th may not be an important date on Star Wars’ in-fiction calendar, but it has turned an otherwise entirely arbitrary date in spring into the best day of the year to find discounts on movies, games, and other merch from a galaxy far, far away. We’ve looked at different retailers to find the best deals on Star Wars Lego sets, games, 4K Blu-rays, and other cool stuff to celebrate this massive contribution to pop culture.

Helldivers 2's Steam page has taken an absolute beating over the last 48 hours, with 68,000 recent reviews causing it to drop to a "Mostly Negative" rating thanks to the PSN sign-in controversy.

It's been over two years since Crystal Dynamics announced the next Tomb Raider game. Powered by Unreal Engine 5 instead of the studio's Foundation Engine, it will be published by Amazon, which also has plans to create an interconnected universe of games, films, and TV based on Lara Croft's franchise.

Hades, the supremely successful Roguelike from the team at Supergiant Games, is discounted to its lowest price ever on Steam through May 13. Available for $24.99 at launch, you can currently pick up a copy for just $8.49, which coincidentally, is just about 66.6% off. Following a brief technical test, the Early Access launch for Hades 2 is likely right around the corner, which makes this an ideal opportunity to get acquainted with the underworld.

Linking to a random third-party account when you just want to play a video game you paid for is truly annoying and, honestly, keeps me from even launching certain games by certain publishers who shall remain nameless. Helldivers 2 players are experiencing this frustration right now, as the PC version of the massively popular third-person shooter will soon require a link to a PlayStation account.

Today, Helldivers 2 publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment announced with a brief Steam blog post that Helldivers 2 PC players will soon need to register a PlayStation Network account (unless they already have one) to keep playing the game.

Helldivers 2 players who’ve been playing the game on Windows PC via Steam since launch will now need a PlayStation Network account to access the game. Helldivers 2 publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment posted a notice to the game’s Steam page on Thursday informing Steam players of the change.

A new Fortnite update is arriving today (Friday 3rd May 2024), bringing a whole load of new Star Wars content into the game.

Ubisoft's upcoming multiplayer arena shooter XDefiant has bravely positioned itself as a potential rival to Call of Duty, though it feels like it's been in development for a century. After several test sessions and community feedback, Ubisoft has finally announced a release date for the title, as we'll finally be able to hop into some fast-paced multiplayer action when the game drops later this month on May 21 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.

Amazon’s latest Gaming Week promotion is offering discounts on some of our favorite gaming accessories through May 5, with some items on sale for their lowest prices ever. Hundreds of products are on sale, including gaming monitors, keyboards, headsets, and more, but if you’d like to see an abbreviated breakdown of what we’d spend our money on, check out the list below.

Sins of a Solar Empire 2, the anticipated strategy sequel by Ironclad Games that is being published by Stardock, is finally releasing on Steam this summer. But unbeknownst to many fans, it effectively stealth launched on the Epic Game Store more than a year ago — a release that publisher Stardock has mostly declined to publicize until now.

The VR space is still somewhat niche compared to traditional console and PC gaming but has advanced very quickly from its early experiments.

We hope your calendars are clear over the next few months, because the games industry is pretending E3 is still alive with numerous showcase events this summer. The latest publisher hopping on the bandwagon is THQ Nordic, as it's bringing back the THQ Nordic Showcase this August.

Despite having the best-selling game of all time in Grand Theft Auto V, and GTA VI on the way, mega publisher Take-Two Interactive have been going through some belt-tightening, recently cutting 5 percent of its workforce and canceling some projects. When the news of the cuts were first announced, we didn’t know exactly who was impacted or which games had been canned, but we may now have a better idea.

THQ Nordic has confirmed its annual digital showcase will take place on August 2, 2024, and has already teased some of the games that will be part of the lineup. Among the confirmed games are Gothic Remake and Titan Quest 2, two games that made an appearance at THQ Nordic's 2023 Digital Showcase but still don't have a set release date. The publisher also promises some surprises at the event.

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This author thought Helldivers 2 was going to be a colossal flop, so it just goes to show how unpredictable this industry can be. According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, it currently sits behind a trio of Spider-Man titles, a couple of God of War games, and Ghost of Tsushima as Sony’s seventh highest grossing game in the United States to date. It’s been out less than three months, and isn’t even being sold at full-price.

Take-Two will shut down OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome studio Roll7 as well as Kerbal Space Program team Intercept Games as it looks to cut five per cent of its workforce. The news was revealed by Bloomberg after the outlet obtained documentation indicating Roll7 will close and offer severance agreements to staff. Meanwhile, a notice has been filed with the Washington State Employment Security Department to close a Seattle office, where Intercept Games is based.

Square Enix appears to have cancelled or at least rescoped the size of multiple unannounced games as a result of an internal review into its development process, with a «content disposal» loss totalling 22.1 billion yen, or $141 million. As a result of the investigation, the publisher shall «revise the Group’s approach to the development of high-definition (HD) games with the intention of being more selective and focused in the allocation of development resources».

There's been a lot of discussion surrounding the commercial success of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The PS5 exclusive launched on the 29th February, but despite garnering near universal acclaim from critics, questions were quickly raised regarding sales numbers, with Square Enix yet to provide any official statistics (which usually isn't a great sign).

Deliver Us the Moon, Deliver Us Mars developer KeokeN Interactive has laid off its entire team due to a lack of publishing options — a worrying sign of things to come. Co-founder and CEO Koen Deetman warned last month that this might be the case following the frosty reception many smaller studios seeking funding received at this year's Game Developers Conference (GDC).

THQ Nordic will host THQ Nordic Digital Showcase 2024 on August 2 at 12:00 p.m. PT / 3:00 p.m. ET, the publisher announced. It will kick off with a pre-show hosted by HandyGames. You will be able to watch it on YouTube, Twitch, and Steam.

Bloomberg reports that Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive will close two game studios as part of a recently announced plan to lay off 5% of its workforce.

Always in motion is the future of the Star Wars universe… at least when it comes to movies and television, where well more than half of the projects currently in development still have no publicly available release date. The world of Star Wars tabletop games, on the other hand, is a bit more predictable. Both this year and last, it seems like new releases have been coming down the Pyke just about every few months. Taken together with some excellent older titles still in print, it’s clear to me that we’re living in a golden age of Star Wars board games — especially if you roll in card games, TTRPGs, and miniatures games as well. Here are the very best ones.

Rainbow Cotton, a poorly remembered 3D offshoot of one of the definitive entries in the cutesy shooter canon, is somehow making a comeback in English 24 years after its original launch, and the devs have provided a helpful explainer on the differences between emulation, remakes, and remasters. The catch is that they might've gotten it wrong.

Helldivers 2 has continued a surprisingly frequent trend over the past couple of years of titles, such as Baldur's Gate 3 and Palworld, that have blown up in popularity more than anyone could have possibly predicted, even the developers themselves. We're yet to get official numbers for just how impressive Helldivers 2's launch has been, but it has been revealed that it's already managed to become one of PlayStation's highest grossing titles in the US.

Take-Two is reportedly planning to shut down Private Division studios Roll7 and Intercept Games as part of recently announced restructuring.

It's natural that everyone's been a little antsy about Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth lately. For weeks, analysts and fans have been discussing the game's potential underperformance compared to its predecessor, Remake, amid worries this might impact the future of the 7 Remake trilogy. Today, we got a little more data on what's really going on here - though the jury is still out on how publisher Square Enix is looking at the numbers.

Intercept Games is among the many casualties of Take-Two Interactive's layoffs, as its parent company is laying off 70 people from the developer behind the Kerbal Space Program 2.

Today, Stardock and Ironclad Games have announced that Sins of a Solar Empire II will finally arrive on Steam this Summer after launching in early access Technical Preview around a year and a half ago on the Epic Games Store.

The early portion of the year is always slow for tabletop releases. The deluge begins in the summer once convention season kicks off and then carries on through the holidays. Despite the transition period we’re now in, there has been a small collection of exciting new games that have emerged. These six titles contain innovative ideas, creative adaptations, or clever twists on existing systems.

Blizzard has published a blog detailing the changes coming toDiablo 4 in its crucial fourth season, and given the season a name that lays it all out in the open: it’s called Loot Reborn. The focus of the season is completely revamping Diablo 4’s weak and fussy item game, making equipment drops more impactful and easier to understand.

On April 24th, I shared the news that Brown Dust 2 was bumping up the age rating in South Korea. Neowiz, the publishers, tweaked the age requirement from 12+ to 19+ starting April 25th. I also said that this age rating bump wouldn’t hit other places, but it looks like I was wrong! Yep, now Brown Dust 2 global age rating is also getting tweaked.

Deliver Us The Moon and Deliver Us Mars studio KeokeN has laid off its entire team after failing to get funding for new projects, co-development or work for hire opportunities through the start of the year. Founders Koen and Paul Deetman have committed to rebuilding KeokeN “brick by brick” in an effort to round out a Deliver Us trilogy with Deliver Us Home

Right now, Amazon is offering a $25 discountwhen you spend at least $250 on select gaming products, which includes handhelds like the standard and OLED models of the Nintendo Switch. Purchasing a Nintendo Switch OLED will discount the final price to $325 at checkout, while the vanilla Switch is on sale for $275. While this isn’t the lowest price we’ve ever seen on either of these handhelds, Amazon’s promotion is the best way to save on a factory mint model of the Nintendo Switch.

Deliver Us the Moon and Deliver Us Mars developer KeokeN Interactive has laid off its entire staff, the studio announced.

The big “E3” announcement season (E3 is dead, but you know what I mean) is almost here, and Microsoft has officially staked out their spot. Taking place in early June, the Xbox Games Showcase will feature games from Microsoft’s full portfolio of developers, including “Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda, Xbox Game Studios” and even some third-party publishers. Interestingly, like last year with Starfield, this will be a “double feature” with a main showcase, and a “Direct” which will dive deeper on a specific game.

Deliver Us Mars developer Keoken Interactive has laid off the majority of its staff after struggling to secure funding or future work during GDC 2024.

More than a month has passed since developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone released the big 1.6 update for Stardew Valley, but the fun isn’t over yet. Barone teamed up with writer Ryan Novak to craft the Official Stardew Valley Cookbook. Publisher Random House Worlds will launch the book on May 14. You can already pre-order it from online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.

Kingdom Hearts IV will grace PS5 boxes next year, according to the increasingly reliable online tipster Daniel Richtman (DanielRPK). The TV and film leaker posted to his Patreon that he's heard about a 2025 release date for Kingdom Hearts IV, just days after his claim Sonic Frontiers 2 is in development was backed up by another reliable insider in Midori. The rumour may suggest we'll see more of the Square Enix title later in 2024 after two years of radio silence since its reveal.

Humble is currently offering an $18 bundle that features a collection of lore books and graphic novels inspired by The Witcher, and Cyberpunk 2077. This bundle features PDFs of The World of Cyberpunk 2077 and The World of the Witcher, two massive tomes published by Dark Horse Comics that are full of amazing illustrations, and lore that power CD Projekt RED's open-world adventures. You’ll also get access to Gwent: Art of the Witcher Card Game, which features 216 pages of illustrations used in the stand-alone version of Gwent.

It’s no secret that game install sizes are absolutely out of control, with some games occasionally requiring over 100 GB of storage. If some of your recent titles have got the internal storage on your favorite handheld feeling a bit crowded, we’ve got a deal you should definitely check out.

Game of Thrones is reportedly the basis of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set from The Finals publisher Nexon.

Looks like a crossover with all the good stuff-ing is going to drop soon in China. It’s the Reverse: 1999 China x Pizza Hut collaborations that’s about to drop for the Chinese servers. Bluepoch, the publishers of the game, is all set to bring three of the most popular characters of the game into Pizza Hut’s world. Who are they and what else is going down? Keep reading to find out!

A Game of Thrones MMORPG is reportedly in development, handled by Korean publisher Nexon. The game is said to take place midway through the TV show, between Seasons 4 and 5, and will focus on the North and the Wall.

Medieval strategy title Manor Lords has sold north of one million copies.

Manor Lords’ huge Steam wishlists have translated into a bumper launch that saw over one million copies sold in just a day.

Japanese publishing giant Capcom has increased its financial outlook for the financial year ending March 31st, 2024.

Stellar Blade has launched to huge acclaim this weekend, but not every fan is delighted with Shift Up’s PS5 debut. Eagle-eyed players spotted some changes to a couple of costumes in the final product, prompting accusations of censorship from publisher Sony. Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time the Japanese giant has requested changes in PlayStation games, as more titillating cutscenes in titles like Devil May Cry 5 were inexplicably edited on PS4 in the past. This decision was later reversed.