Author - Jerry Paxton

Grit and Valor – 1949 Steam Demo Trailer

Megabit, the new publishing arm launched by Aonic to support the company’s 1st and 3rd party video game studios, today announced the first demo for Grit and Valor – 1949, is available now on Steam.

In this dieselpunk real-time tactics roguelite from developer Milky Tea, players lead their brave squad of resistance mech pilots against the Evil Axis forces and turn the tide of World War II in this alternate history dieselpunk setting. Grit and Valor – 1949 coming to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch in 2025.

The demo provides an early look at content from the game, with the first of four regions available to play.

MONDO and Funko Fusion SDCC 24 Panel Line-Up Announced

Mondo and Funko Fusion have unveiled their panel lineup for the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con! Check out their full schedule below:

MONDO

Thursday 7/25

  • 4:30 – 5:30 pm

    •  Behind The Scenes – Mondo panel in Room 6DE with Peter Santa Maria, a.k.a. AttackPeter (Mondo Senior Creative Director), Hector Arce (Mondo Senior, Director, Creative and Product Development), and Bob Fulkerson (Mondo Senior Director of Merchandising, Sales and Operations) join moderator Nick Scarpino to showcase Mondo’s Comic-Con exclusives and reveal upcoming artist-first offerings. As a special treat, the panelists will be joined by a surprise guest panelist, who is also one of the industry’s most prolific comic book artists.

Friday 7/26

  • 12:00 – 1:00 pm

    • Meet and Greet in Funkoville (Booth #5341) with Peter Santa Maria, a.k.a. AttackPeter (Mondo Senior Creative Director) and Hector Arce (Mondo Senior, Director, Creative and Product Development)

  • 4:00 – 5:00 pm

    • Signing in Funkoville (Booth #5341) with Bear McCreary

Saturday 7/27

  • 11:00 -12:00 pm

    • Signing in Funkoville (Booth #5341) with John Wayshak

FUNKO FUSION

Friday 7/26

  • 10:15-11:15 am

    • Funko Fusion: A Festival of Fandom Panel in Room 6BCF moderated by Coy Jandreau of Reel Rejects, the panel will feature a stacked list of talented creators and producers, including 10:10 Games Head of Publishing Arthur Parsons, Creative Director Jon Burton, Funko’s Vice President of Licensing & Business Development Jason Bischoff, Monkeypaw Productions’ Creative Director Ian Cooper, and voice actor artist, Kellen Goff. Attendees can anticipate a plethora of surprises, giveaways, and special guest appearances.

Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable Official Early Access Launch Trailer

Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable, the first-person action-adventure VR platformer based on the highly-acclaimed manga circulated around the world to more than 140 million fans, topples Titans on Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro via Meta Quest Store Early Access today. Early Access features the first two chapters, each offering 2-3 harrowing hours of action.

Titans have breached the outer wall, and the Scout Regiment serves as humanity’s final bastion. Swing into combat with Omni-Directional Mobility (ODM) Gear, soaring over buildings through the different districts. Storm the battlefield with regiment soldiers and defend civilians from the Titan invasion.

Choose from several distinct blade variants and fling forward into aerial combat. Race against the clock, dodging incoming threats while securing supply drops and defending command posts. Stack points to earn more stars, unlocking new weapons with unique abilities.

Traverse the world of Attack on Titan and its horrors through the eyes of a Scout Regiment recruit. Fly across the tops of buildings, deftly weaving through the onslaught of Titans accurately scaled for a terrifyingly authentic experience. Help save the human race alongside fan-favorite characters reprised by the original cast of English and Japanese voice actors.

“Launching the first part of Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable to anime and manga fans from around the world is a huge honor,” said Keigo Fujikawa, CEO of UNIVRS. “Production will move forward as we continue collecting and implementing feedback from the community to create a more polished gameplay experience.”

Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable is now available on Meta Quest 2, 3, and Provia Meta Quest Store Early Access for $4.99 USD. It supports Japanese and English voice acting alongside subtitles for both languages. To learn more, follow Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable’s official website and X, as well as UNIVRS’s official website, YouTube, and X. The UNIVRS team values your input and asks fans to join the official Discord, providing feedback and helping to perfect the ultimate Titan slaying experience.

Railroads Online to get Full Launch this Fall

astragon Entertainment and developer Stefan Kelnberger are pleased to announce that Railroads Online will leave Steam Early Access later this year. Simultaneously, the sandbox railway simulation will be released for PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The announcement trailer showcases what PC and console players can expect:

Numerous improvements and new content
Since the launch of Railroads Online, new features and content have been added to the game through regular, free updates. These include new locomotives and wagons, buildings, production chains and goods, fuels, and two more lovingly designed maps where players can build their own railway networks.

Based on the feedback from the community, many technical improvements have been implemented over the last three years including adjusted physics performance or construction controls. Last year, the game switched to the Unreal Engine 5, featuring dynamic weather and a day-night cycle. Until leaving Early Access, the game will receive more updates – including a completely revised UI.

Console release and first DLC announced
In addition to the full release on Steam, Railroads Online will be available in stores for PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S. With a fully optimized controller support on both new platforms, even more players will soon have the opportunity to build their own rail empire in an open sandbox world, either alone or with other players.

As a thank you and appreciation for the support during the Early Access phase, all Early Access purchasers on Steam will receive the Pioneer Pack free of charge with the full release. This applies retroactively to all current Railroads Online owners.

Railroads Online will be released digitally this autumn for PlayStation®5, and Xbox Series X|S at a price of 39.99€ / $39.99 USD (SRP) or a regional equivalent. A retail version will be released for PlayStation®5 later.

Texas Chain Saw 50th Anniversary Food Truck at San Diego Comic-Con

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Dark Sky Films continues a series of year-long fan events by partnering with local BBQ food truck operator UP IN SMOKE BBQ to create an official popup homage to the film’s iconic “WE SLAUGHTER BARBECUE” roadside store at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, the world’s largest pop culture event in the US. The food truck will be located in Comic Con’s Petco Park Interactive Zone, a no-badge-required event area across from the San Diego Convention Center.

Offering a bespoke menu of Texas Chain Saw Massacre victim-inspired offerings, each food purchased will come with a San Diego Comic Con-exclusive collectible button. (limited quantities available)

EVENT DETAILS:

THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE 50TH ANNIVERSARY FOOD TRUCK 

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, enjoy barbecue offerings inspired by the horror classic and feast on freshly slaughtered menu items presented by Leatherface himself. Each food order comes with a collectible Texas Chain Saw Massacre 50th anniversary button (until supplies last).

Dates: Thursday, 7/25 – Sunday, 7/28

Location: Petco Park Interactive Zone (badge-free, across the street from the San Diego Convention Center)

THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE 50TH ANNIVERSARY FOOD TRUCK

  • “WE SLAUGHTER BARBECUE” MENU
  • PICK YOUR MEATS
  • “KIRK” (brisket)
  • “JERRY” (pork)
  • “PAM” (chicken)
  • “SALLY” (Impossible meatballs / vegetarian)

ENTREE OPTIONS

  • SLAUGHTERHOUSE SAMMIES: Your choice of meat served on a French roll with our homemade coleslaw and served with a side of house seasoned potato chips
  • SLAUGHTERHOUSE SLIDERS: Your choice of meat served on one or two slider rolls with our homemade coleslaw served with a side of house seasoned potato chips
  • SLAUGHTERHOUSE SALAD: Fresh mixed greens topped with one of our meats and our homemade coleslaw served with a side of house seasoned potato chips
  • ALL BEEF “FRANKLIN”: A 1/4 lb all-beef hotdog served a side of house seasoned potato chips
  • LEATHERFACE’S STACK ‘O’ MEAT: Our house seasoned potato chips topped with ALL THREE of our meats, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, black beans and drizzled with our homemade ranch dressing

ALSO SERVING

  •  GRANDPA’S SMOKED CHIPS
  •  THE COOK’S SECRET BAKED BEANS
  •  HITCHHIKER ICE COLD DRINKS (Sodas/water)

The 50th Anniversary festivities kicked off with an audience-capturing social activation at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, where fans watched the live creation of an ice sculpture unveiling the new 50th anniversary TCM logo with a chainsaw wielding Leatherface. Fans were then treated to one of the largest Chain Saw reunions ever with twelves guests appearing at this year’s Texas Frightmare Weekend this past May.

Throughout the summer and fall, fans of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE will continue to be treated with special appearances and fan panels at various events acrossst the country.

In August, the restored film will premiere at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, where it is a part of the revered institution’s permanent collection. This weeklong presentation opens on August 8, when members of the film’s creative team, including screenwriter Kim Henkel, cinematographer Daniel Pearl, actress Teri McMinn, and production manager Ron Bozman, will join curator Ron Magliozzi and Caryn Coleman, founder of The Future of Film Is Female, to discuss The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’s production and legacy.

For continuous updates and official news about the year-long celebration, follow the official Texas Chain Saw social media accounts @thetexaschainsawmassacre and follow us at @darkskyfilms.

Vampire Therapist Official Launch Trailer

What do the undead have to worry about? How do they deal with the challenges of immortality? And what would a 3,000-year-old vampire do if not live atop a gothic nightclub in Europe? Well, these questions and many more are about to be answered in Vampire Therapist!

Created by and starring Cyrus Nemati (Dionysus in Hades), he is joined by voice actors Matt Mercer (Critical Role), Sarah Grayson (Hades 2), Francesca Meaux (Hades) and newcomer Kylie Clark, to bring these eccentric vampires to life.

Launching today on Steam and GoG, players will step into the boots of Sam, a cowboy from the Old West who is looking to change his murderous ways and connect with what’s left of his soul. Looking for answers in his immortality, Sam travels to Europe and is taken under the (bat)wing of reformed assassin, warrior and undead heartthrob Andromachos.

Together, they help blood-sucking immortals realise that just because they’re dead, it doesn’t mean they can’t live. All of the techniques discussed and used in Vampire Therapist have been created in consultation with licensed therapists to give the game an authentic message.

YouTube Video.
Inspired by the likes of What We Do in the Shadows and Horrible Histories, Vampire Therapist merges this comedic style with deep, introspective subject matters and heartfelt characters and real-life historical personalities.

Lovingly crafted by solo developer Cyrus Nemati, Vampire Therapist promises to take players on a unique journey through the psychology of vampirism that will leave them changed forever!

F1 Manager 24 Official Launch Trailer

Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV, ‘Frontier’) today invites players to create their own team and take total control of the big decisions as their career unfolds in F1® Manager 2024, which launches digitally today across PC, PlayStation® 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation® 4 and Xbox One for a suggested retail price of £29.99/$34.99/€34.99.

Fans can enhance their experience with F1® Manager 2024: Deluxe Edition, which expands their creative options with five additional classically inspired Create A Team livery patterns, whilst an additional five fictional Race Replay scenarios offer unique single-race challenges, all for a suggested retail price of £39.99/$44.99/€44.99.

F1® Manager 2024 turns F1® fantasy into reality with the new Create A Team mode, where players can experiment with detailed logo and livery creation tools, choosing their challenge level using editable Team Origins to live out their own story and set the starting parameters of their career. Taking their team to the top will require careful management of both talent and resources, from negotiating sponsorships to maintaining their driver and staff mentality, ensuring every aspect of their constructor is ready for race day.

With enhanced AI decision-making ensuring each team is always in the hunt for success, leaving a lasting legacy on Formula 1® requires effective decision making over multiple seasons. Players can cement their position by building a successful stable of up and coming affiliated drivers, or shake up the system by departing their team to take on their legacy with one of the established 10 constructors. The future of the sport is theirs to decide, with the option to simulate races bridging the gap between vital upgrade packages, or bringing tomorrow’s talents to the fore to see who will reign over the next chapter of F1®.

Race weekends place simulation and strategy at the fore, as players react to every moment of tension; from a sudden downpour of rain and a late safety car, to the managed risk of new mechanical failures. Team Principals are required to weigh the cost of every decision and instruct their drivers to deliver the best possible results. Using the new Heli-cam to strategise from the skies or immersing themselves in the action with broadcast style cameras and an impressive 70,000 lines of real team radio, F1® Manager 2024 brings the sport to life like never before.

SHIFT 87 Official Launch Trailer

Thank you for taking on the role of “Anomaly Detection Expert” here at Norn Corp. We are thrilled to have you on board after the mysterious events of March 24 at the Nelson Bros Circus, also known as REVEIL. Your primary responsibility is to report anomalies and observe horror elements, so it might not be that different from your previous job! Shift 87 is out today on Steam so request your key right away. But please, read on! There’s more exciting stuff yet to come!

As an “Anomaly Detection Expert,” you will experience more variety, more environments, and more details than in comparable jobs. You will be able to find up to 66 anomalies. The shift duration, or total playtime, is about 2-3 hours, meaning you’ll have plenty of free time after your shift! However, there is one caveat: 50% of the anomalies may be creepy but easy to spot, while the other 50% are more subtle and easy to miss. Sounds doable? Great! Good luck with not getting paranoid!

Thank you for being a part of NORN Corporation! ❤️

FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail New Raid Features Vocals of Chrissy Costanza

In collaboration with lead singer Chrissy Constanza of Against the Current, SQUARE ENIX® announced a joint effort that brings an original song to FINAL FANTASY™ XIV’s latest expansion pack, Dawntrail™, as part of the critically-acclaimed online game’s all-new raid series, The Arcadion.

The new song, titled “Give It All,” is composed by reknown FINAL FANTASY XIV composer Masayoshi Soken and performed by the official FINAL FANTASY XIV band THE PRIMALS with vocals from Costanza. This anthemic rock track plays during the final battle of The Arcadion’s thrilling raid tier, as Costanza effectively embodies the boss through the lyrics. The new track will also be featured on the “THE PRIMALS – Riding Home” album due to release on September 7, 2024.

Warriors of Light can view a video message from Chrissy Costanza here: https://x.com/ChrissyCostanza/status/1815769330283639164

In an interview published today on the SQUARE ENIX blog, Costanza gave deeper insight into her background as a gamer, her relationship with the FINAL FANTASY series, her thoughts on how video games and music elevate each other, and more. Costanza declared her excitement for the collaboration, stating that having her music featured in a FINAL FANTASY title is a “dream come true,” calling the experience “completely surreal.”

Read the full interview here: https://sqex.to/trTx1.

“I’ve been both a musician and a gamer my entire life and LOVE both worlds so much. I think music is the foundation of so much of the world, whether it’s the soundtrack of movies or just playing in a store while you’re shopping, it can completely change the emotional landscape of your experience.” said Costanza. “Gaming itself is an immersive experience – video games can be exhilarating, exciting, scary, sad, awe-inspiring and more. Pairing the right music with the right game just completely enhances the player’s experience, and also brings the game out into the real world. It’s more than just a song, it’s more than just a game.”

Released on July 2, 2024, FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail marks the beginning of a new chapter of FINAL FANTASY XIV as the Warrior of Light is poised once more to embark upon the road to adventure. Journey to the distant continent of Tural, explore new areas such as the mountainous region of Urqopacha, the deep forests of Kozama’uka, the rain starved plains of Shaaloani and more as claimants prepare to compete for the throne of the Dawnservant. Eorzea’s champion is to accompany Wuk Lamat, as her ally in this rite of succession—an endeavor which calls them across the glittering seas.

With more than 30 million total registered players, there has never been a better time for newcomers to begin their adventures in the critically acclaimed FINAL FANTASY XIV Online saga. The Free Trial includes all content from A Realm Reborn™, the Heavensward™ and Stormblood™ expansions (and updates through Patch 4.58), including an additional playable race (Au Ra) and five additional playable jobs (Dark Knight, Astrologian, Machinist, Red Mage, and Samurai). Free Trial players can enjoy hundreds of hours of award-winning gameplay and story experiences equivalent to three full FINAL FANTASY titles, without a limit on playtime. The Free Trial and full game are now available on Windows®, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Mac and Steam®, More information can be found at: https://sqex.to/FFXIVFreeTrial

For more information on The Arcadion raid series and further updates to Dawntrail and the 7.x series of patch updates, please visit the promotional website: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/dawntrail/.

Lidia Sobieska Coming to TEKKEN 8

TEKKEN™ 8 is adding Lidia Sobieska, the next playable DLC character coming to the game since it launched in January. Debuting in TEKKEN 7, Lidia will join the game’s roster on July 25, 2024. Players who purchased the TEKKEN 8 Deluxe Edition, Ultimate Edition, or Deluxe Upgrade Pack will get early access to Lidia Sobieska on July 22. Developed by Bandai Namco Studios Inc., TEKKEN 8 harnesses Unreal® Engine 5 to bring new weight and atmosphere to the game’s battles, with every character remodeled in stunning detail and new dynamic and destructible environments added to the game. TEKKEN 8 is available now on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam®. For more information on the game, please visit https://tekken.com/.

Check out the Lidia Sobieska release date trailer here:

Also known as the “Warrior Prime Minister” of Poland, Lidia Sobieska continues her journey for justice in TEKKEN 8. Her brave political stance and refusal to bend a knee to unjust power have earned her the trust of people around the world.

Lidia Sobieska’s debut is the second DLC character after Eddy Gordo, expanding the game’s playable roster to 34 fighters. Earlier this week, Bandai Namco announced the next character coming this Fall, revealing “The King of Iron Fist Resurrection” DLC bringing back Heihachi in a new free Story Mode expansion and adding him to the roster as the third DLC character. To learn about the TEKKEN 8 fighters, their histories, and their place in the TEKKEN™ saga on the official TEKKEN 8 roster breakdown.