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Dark Horse Comics Unveils Dark Horse Games Division

Multimedia publisher and entertainment company Dark Horse Comics has revealed Dark Horse Games (“DHG”), its new gaming and digital division. With two main offices in Oregon and Shanghai, DHG’s mission is to create unique experiences — both through close licensing partnerships with the industry’s best game makers and its own in-house, first-party titles — inspired by Dark Horse Comics’ diverse portfolio of over 425 story-driven characters and universes. Over the company’s history, Dark Horse has published such world-renowned IPs as Hellboy, Frank Miller’s Sin City and 300, Umbrella Academy, Polar, Lady Killer, Emily the Strange, Usagi Yojimbo, Resident Alien, and many more.

“We’ve spent the past thirty-five years developing a long list of original, fan-favorite IP with many of the best partners in digital entertainment. Now is the perfect time to expand our vision into gaming,” said Dark Horse Comics founder and President Mike Richardson. “Dark Horse Games gives us exciting new ways to engage with fans of all kinds on a multitude of platforms.”

Dark Horse Games is currently in discussions with some of the world’s top gaming studios to create AAA licensed titles based on Dark Horse Comics’ vast library to be released over the next several years across all platforms, including PC, consoles, mobile and cloud-based services. Meanwhile, DHG’s first-party games will focus on refreshing older and less established IPs as gaming first IPs. DHG will also produce and release multimedia projects (e.g., webtoons and anime) in conjunction with the first-party games. DHG is in active discussions with the world’s top game co-development studios and content production studios, with the first of these in-house projects already in production.

“Dark Horse Comics sits at the intersection of consumer entertainment, production and publishing. We’re one of the few companies that own IP nimble enough to execute coordinated strategies across multiple platforms, and that’s a huge advantage in gaming and digital,” said Dark Horse Games General Manager Johnny B. Lee.

Interested parties can reach out to hello@darkhorsegames.io for business inquiries.

E3 2021 Announces Voices of E3 Panel Series

As part of the all-virtual E3 2021 taking place June 12 through June 15, noteworthy personalities in and outside of the video game industry will participate in the E3 experience, whether it’s within segments throughout the show, as part of the panel series “Voices of E3,” or within clips shared on E3’s social media channels.

Outside of a handful of surprises to be revealed during the broadcast, fans can expect to see T-Pain, talent from 100 Thieves and Team Liquid, Erika Ishii (Apex Legends, Destiny 2, World of Warcraft), Arin Hanson (Game Grumps), Arif “Azerrz” Zahir (Family Guy), JD Witherspoon (Lazor Wulf), Ariel “Powerzsurge” Powers (WNBA) and many more.

In addition to guest appearances, E3 will also present a panel series titled “Voices of E3,” which will cover a broad range of topics including diversity, accessibility, video game development, video game voice acting, the evolution of video game media, the impact of current events on games, and much more. Highlights include:

  •  A roundtable discussing how games media acts and reacts in the current sphere of commentary with Editors-in-Chief from GamesIndustry.biz, GameSpot, IGN, PC Gamer and Polygon.
  •  Nerdist’s Dan Casey hosts a session with the cast of the gaming-development focused TV series Mythic Quest.
  •  A conversation with legendary women of video game voice acting including Courtenay Taylor (Mass Effect, Fallout 4, Call of Duty), Anjali Bhimani (Overwatch, Apex Legends, Fallout 4: Nuka World), Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Overwatch), Carolina Ravassa (Overwatch, Valorant, GTA5) and Krizia Bajos (Sims4, League of Legends, Casagrandes).
  •  Insights from streaming leaders including Zack “ZackTTG” Mowery (100 Thieves), Fiona Nova (G4, RoosterTeeth), Jay-Ann Lopez (Black Girl Gamers) and Tanya DePass (I Need Diverse Games) about representation in games and empowering black voices.
  •  A discussion about young entrepreneurs in gaming that includes Nicole LaPointe Jameson (Evil Geniuses), Taylor Heitzig-Rhodes (Queens Gaming Collective), Katrina Salazar (weThink) and Brittani Johnson (G2 esports), moderated by Mary Margaret (Entertainment Weekly).

In addition, E3 has partnered with a handful of well-known streamers to co-stream the event across their channels. This includes Lirik, AnneMunition, CohhCarnage, Jordan Fisher, NoahJ, OMGitsFireFoxx, Queens.gg, ihasCupquake, GameRanx, Renee, AyChristene and Fextralife, among others.

Starting on Saturday, June 12, fans around the globe will tune into the E3 2021 live broadcast to catch the latest game reveals, major publisher showcases, live press conferences, special guest appearances, and more. The broadcast schedule will be announced in early June. More information is available on the E3 website.

Wreckfest PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X Launch Trailer

Critically acclaimed demolition racer “Wreckfest” is coming to PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series S|X on June 1st, 2021, just as announced… wait a second. Did we forget to announce Wreckfest is coming to Xbox Series S|X as well? Whoopsie!

Well, Wreckfest is indeed coming to Xbox Series S and X and will also be available on June 1st, offering the same features as the PlayStation®5 version.

Wreckfest is available for PS5™ and Xbox Series S|X today, both digitally and as a retail boxed version. The SRP is $ 39.99 / € 39.99 / £ 34.99. Owners of Wreckfest on PS4™ or Xbox One™ can upgrade to the enhanced version for $9.99 / € 9.99.

New Tournament & Track

June will bring a new tournament for all Wreckfest-owners: Wrecking Madness. And the new track “Wrecking Grounds” is sheer madness as well, it’s a physics playground where cars will get shattered and torn apart like never before with devious machinery like giant shredders, presses, and ventilators to smash, crush, pound, smack, slam, and batter all vehicles that get too close. Additionally, new monthly and weekly challenges are offering cool rewards, such as the modified Speedbird GT car. Good luck, drivers!

PERISH Announcement Trailer Released

Carve a gold-soaked path into the underworld up to Elysium and defeat the denizens of the realms of hell with cold steel. Spew molten golden bolts from the rotating barrels of your otherwordly pieces of handheld artillery. Gather the golden Danake and satisfy the demands of the Priests of Purgatory to earn your redemption!

All this is accompanied by an appropriately brutal Death-Metal soundtrack explicitly written for this game by the devs themselves!

Necromunda: Hired Gun Cinematic Released

Focus Home Interactive and Streum On Studio have released the opening cinematic trailer for Necromunda: Hired Gun ahead of its June 1 launch. Set in the darkest reaches of Warhammer 40,000’s most infamous hive city, this new video gives you an extended introduction to the treacherous depths of the Underhive, Necromunda’s lawless haven for scum, gangs, outlaws, and bounty hunters looking to become a legend (and make a quick buck in the process). Suit up with new upgrades for you and your cyber-mastiff companion, pick up a high-profile contract, and get to hunting!

Necromunda: Hired Gun launches digitally on June 1 and is available to pre-order now on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC. All pre-orders receive the Hunter’s Bounty pack, featuring unique cosmetics for your knife, stub gun and outfit, plus a new dog chew toy for your best friend. Physical copies for consoles will release on June 30.

For more information, check out www.focus-home.com/en-us/games/necromunda-hired-gun.

Oakley Partners with University of California Irvine for Gaming Eyewear

The University of California, Irvine’s esports program has announced a partnership with Oakley, a leader in sport performance and optical innovation. During the yearlong partnership, Oakley will provide UCI esports student athletes with eyewear equipped with Prizm™ Gaming Lens Technology. This partnership is the first major sponsorship from a sport performance brand for the university’s 5-year-old esports program.

Oakley will supply the esports athletes with eyewear featuring Prizm Gaming Lens Technology, the brand’s first optical solution developed specifically for gaming. The lenses are built to enhance visual contrast, deliver sharp vision and provide blue-light filtering technology. The gamers will also have access to Oakley’s line of headset-compatible frames, which have thinner temples and are designed for all-day comfort. In addition, UCI gamers will have the opportunity to work with the Oakley Vision Performance Lab to help support the Research & Development teams in creating and testing new product.

“As a world-class brand and Orange County-based company, this is a partnership that benefits both organizations,” said Mark Deppe, director of UCI Esports. “Through this partnership, our athletes and staff will have a hand in developing – and first access to – the best eyewear in gaming.”

“The passion of the gaming community at the grassroots level is beyond inspiring,” said Caio Amato, Oakley’s global brand director. “This partnership expresses Oakley’s commitment to the gaming scene beyond professionals. It allows us to inspire the kids that are there for the love of gaming but dream of great achievements. These students are the present and future of gaming, and our main goal is to equip them with the best eyewear to achieve their highest level of performance.”

“Eye care and health are paramount to success both in game and out of game for our esports scholarship players here at UCI Esports,” said Haylesh Patel, UCI Esports exercise physiologist. “This partnership with a world-class manufacturer of eyewear and apparel helps our athletes to perform at their peak potential.”

VENN TV recently named UCI the No. 1 gaming school, based on team talent, scholarship opportunities and student support. The Anteater esports athletes continue to train remotely for competitions due to COVID-19.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister 1.0 Release Trailer

Solasta: Crown of the Magister has launched into 1.0! Solasta is a team-based tactical role-playing game where each character plays a critical role in the campaign and can be a hero. The dynamic and mysterious world features elements of verticality, allowing players to use their surroundings as an element of strategy. Players can position ranged characters on high vantage points or send their rogue down into shafts and caverns to scope out what lies ahead. In Solasta, light is a tool to explore the depths and hallows of dungeons or can be used as a weapon against the creatures of the dark, but if players are not careful, it will give away the party’s position to nasty creatures bent on their demise.

In addition to 1.0 launch, the Solasta: Crown of the Magister soundtrack is now available to purchase as a digital download. Produced and distributed by G4F Records, the soundtrack features 23 tracks, all composed by Maxime Hervé (“Beyond the Aquila Rift.” Love Death & Robots, Netflix 2019). Enjoy a listen at the title track World of Light music video HERE: https://youtu.be/9ltV2U6Sa9M.

Scarlet Nexus Demo Out Now on PlayStation Consoles

A playable demo of SCARLET NEXUS, the new Action-RPG title from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., is now available for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. This demo is also currently available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. SCARLET NEXUS will be available on June 25, 2021 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via STEAM.

SCARLET NEXUS is a thrilling Action-RPG featuring a unique dual protagonist storyline where players can choose to play through the game as either Yuito Sumeragi or Kasane Randall and experience the story through their eyes. Interact learn new details about each character’s squad members and finish both Yuito and Kasane’s playthrough to get the complete SCARLET NEXUS storyline. Beyond the story, both characters allow for different gameplay experiences. Yuito attacks with his blade while Kasane uses kunai for wide, sweeping attacks. Both Yuito and Kasane also feature their own skill trees and will be teamed up with a wide variety of characters through their missions. Combine your squad’s powerful psychic abilities with Kasane and Yuito’s attacks to take advantage of enemy weaknesses and dominate the battle.

Caesars Entertainment Announces Return to Full Occupancy

Caesars Entertainment announced today that the Nevada Gaming Control Board has approved a return to full occupancy, without social distancing, on the casino floors at all five of the company’s Northern Nevada properties.

The change comes through a Nevada Gaming Control Board waiver recognizing that Caesars Entertainment has taken measurable and material steps to vaccinate its Northern Nevada workforce.

“The expansion to full capacity and the elimination of social distancing on our casino floors is a result of our Team Members’ commitment to doing their part to put us all on the road to recovery,” said Stewart Massie, Caesars Entertainment Regional President. “We are grateful to our Team Members who have chosen to be vaccinated and will continue to offer incentives and provide easy access to vaccines for all of our Team Members. We are encouraged by the continued progress and look forward to a fully open summer of excitement at our Resorts in Reno and Lake Tahoe.”

Following CDC recommendations, Caesars Entertainment guests and Team Members who have been fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear a mask on our properties in Nevada. Unvaccinated guests and Team Members will still be required to wear masks at all times.

The health and safety of our guests and Team Members alike remain our priority. We will continue to offer Team Members easy, convenient access to vaccination, follow enhanced safety and cleaning protocols, and comply with all applicable CDC, government, and regulatory guidelines.

Caesars Entertainment’s properties moving to 100% fire code capacity, without social distancing, on the casino floor are:

  • Silver Legacy Resort Casino
  • Eldorado Resort Casino
  • Circus Circus Reno
  • Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
  • Harveys Lake Tahoe

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground 15 Minutes of Gameplay

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground, the action-packed, turn-based strategy game developed by Gasket Games and published by Focus Home Interactive based on Games Workshop’s iconic fantasy IP, launches with full cross-play support on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on May 27. But today you can check out 15 new minutes of gameplay showcasing the game’s fast-paced battles with insight from the developers.

Join Jeff Lydell (Game Director) and Ian Christy (Design Director) from the dev team at Gasket Games as they take a deeper look into the many strategic options of the Stormcast Eternals army during a mid-to-late critical battle of the campaign against the chilling Nighthaunt forces. Your units can be used in a variety of ways and customized to fit your preferred playstyle. Before each battle, you’ll get to choose between unique weapons, armor, spells and passive abilities for your units and create your own powerful synergies, with over 500 items available to collect.

Pre-order Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground today to get a special discount and the Spoils of War Weapon Pack, featuring one exclusive weapon for each of the game’s three armies. Visit the official store for more information.