Cyanide Studio and NACON are pleased to present a detailed look at how the very first Blood Bowl 3 competitive tournament will be run. Blood Bowl 3 is available on PC, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
This first competitive PC-based online tournament is organised in 3 phases: a preliminary qualifier phase, a knock-out match phase (the Play-Ins) and a final phase which will see the best Blood Bowl 3 players face off in the Season Finals.
1. Qualifiers (21 September 2023 – 11 December 2023)
The majority of qualifications are based on the PC players’ overall ranking, as per the Official Ladder at the end of Season 2, on 11 December:
The top 2 in the ranking will qualify automatically for the final phase, the Season Finals.
The next 26 players, ranked between 3rd and 28th, will qualify for the second phase, the Play-Ins.
Then the top 2 players on the Ladder for each of the 14 available factions, outside of the Top 28, will be selected for the Play-Ins. Hence another 28 players will qualify for this phase.
On top of that, the 2 finalists from the NAF tournament, organised on Blood Bowl 3 by the international Blood Bowl players’ association of the same name, will also qualify for the Play-Ins.
2. Play-Ins (starting from 12 December 2023)
This phase consists of a series of matches between the 56 players who qualified from the previous phase. Just 14 of them will survive, and win a ticket entitling them to take part in the Season Finals.
3. Season Finals (13-14 & 20-21 January 2024)
The culmination of the competition, this phase will bring together the 16 best Blood Bowl 3 players. They will face off for the honour of becoming the tournament champion and for a share of the 5000-dollar cash prize, divided between the top 3 players in the tournament.
Watch this space, new info drops coming over the coming weeks!
10 Chambers — a Swedish game development studio composed of industry veterans known for PAYDAY THE HEIST®, PAYDAY 2®, and GTFO — today announced Den of Wolves at The Game Awards, a techno-thriller cooperative heist game from the original designer of PAYDAY: The Heist and PAYDAY 2, Ulf Andersson.
Rise from the underground of Midway City as professional criminals in the conflicts between rival corporations, operating within the city’s cutthroat black market and offering your services to the highest bidder. Consider yourself a vital part of the ecosystem of industrial espionage, sabotage, assassinations — or “unauthorized errands,” as the suits say. It’s up to you and your assembled crew to successfully execute futuristic, mind-bending heists that blur the lines of reality.
With free reign in Midway City, corporations heavily invested in unregulated technological innovations designed, first and foremost, to protect their capital. Thus, an entirely new data transmission and storage concept based on the biological intricacies of the human brain was born. Impervious to AI, neurological data security became a dominant technology that stabilized the world economy. With new security protections in place, corporations turned to a society of outcasts in the city’s underbelly to infiltrate rivals’ minds and extract high-value data — forever redefining corporate warfare.
“We value the art of worldbuilding enormously, so even though Den of Wolves isn’t an open-world game, the history and narrative we’ve built around Midway City is considerable. We want Midway to feel like a believable city of the near future where late-stage capitalism has gone rampant, and corporations set the rules,” said Simon Viklund, 10 Chambers co-founder and narrative and audio director. “As a player, you reside in Midway City’s underground domains without any real identity or documentation, building your allegiances to become a criminal entrepreneur through its black market of gig jobs.”
To learn more about Den of Wolves and wishlist the game, please visit www.denofwolves.com.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is out now on Xbox Series X|S! The long-awaited release of Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox is finally here, as the 96 Metacritic-rated RPG launches today at The Game Awards. Baldur’s Gate 3 was met with critical acclaim with its original PC launch on Aug. 3, 2023, and since its release for PlayStation 5 on Sept. 6, 2023, the game has seen over five major patches improving the experience well beyond its initial content.
Patch 5, the latest update, includes two new game modes: Honor and Custom. This content drop also expands upon the game’s ending, adding a playable epilogue that’s different for players depending on the choices they’ve made throughout their own personal adventure.
Choose from 12 classes and 11 races from the D&D Player’s Handbook and create your own identity, or play as an Origin hero with a hand-crafted background. Or tangle with your inner corruption as the Dark Urge, a fully customizable Origin hero with its own unique mechanics and story. Whoever you choose to be, adventure, loot, battle and romance your way across the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Gather your friends and take the adventure online as a party of up to four.
Starting today, Xbox players can enjoy the complete experience with the benefit of every patch since launch, greatly enhancing the experience. Players on Xbox Series X can avail of split-screen co-op and online play; players on Xbox Series S can play cooperatively online.
Baldur’s Gate 3 features cross-platform save-progression through Larian’s own account system, so any player who has started the game on another platform can continue their adventure on Xbox if they purchase the game for Xbox and sign up for a free Larian account.
Red Barrels, the indie development studio behind the critically-acclaimed and terrifying Outlast franchise, announced during The Game Awards that it is bringing its survival horror multiplayer The Outlast Trials to PC, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox® Series X|S and Xbox One® on March 5, 2024.
The Outlast Trails will be available digitally at launch in two versions, which can be pre-ordered on Microsoft and PlayStation digital stores now:
STANDARD EDITION (game only) for $39.99 USD / $49.99 CAN / €39.99 EUR / £31.99 GBP
DELUXE EDITION (game + Reagent Starter Pack*) for $49.99 USD / $63.99 CAN / €49.99 EUR / £41.74 GBP
Red Barrels also confirmed that there is a pre-order incentive for both versions of the game: the Grizzly Hazmat Outfit.
Today, Ubisoft® announced that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora™ is now available worldwide on Ubisoft+, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna and PC through Ubisoft Connect. The game is rated T for Teen, and its standard edition is available for $69.99.
Developed by Massive Entertainment – a Ubisoft Studio* in close collaboration with James Cameron’s production company Lightstorm Entertainment and Disney, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a first-person standalone adventure that takes place on the same timeline as the Avatar films, built using the latest iteration of the Snowdrop engine.
“From the soundscape of Pandora to the living and reactive open world, every moment of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is designed to keep players immersed in this incredible world,” said Magnus Jansen, creative director at Massive. “We worked closely with the Avatar filmmakers to create a faithful extension of the Avatar universe while giving players a new setting and story to experience.”
“The world of Avatar is as rich and diverse as our own. It offers the opportunity for more stories than we could ever explore through feature films,” said Jon Landau, Avatar producer. “Through our remarkable partnership with Massive Entertainment, we have embraced the opportunity to tell new stories and expand the world. The result of the partnership will allow fans to be transported to never-before-seen regions of Pandora and their rise to the challenge of becoming Na’vi.”
“It has been a privilege to join Massive and Lightstorm Entertainment’s close collaboration to bring this powerful fantasy to Avatar fans around the world,” said Luigi Priore, VP, Disney, Pixar, and 20th Century Games. “With Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, players will be able experience an epic original story while exploring the world of Pandora in a way that’s only possible in games.”
Vice President of Global Brand at Ubisoft, Brenda Panagrossi, added, “Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora delivers an immersive expansion of Pandora that both Avatar and fans of action-adventure games will enjoy; from soaring through clouds on a banshee to overpowering enemies in combat to exploring the beautiful and dangerous Western Frontier – the game truly has all the ingredients of an amazing blockbuster experience.“
Set in the Western Frontier, a never-before-seen continent, players can explore Pandora firsthand. With brand-new Na’vi clans, flora, and fauna, including a banshee companion to bond with and ride in the open skies, players can interact with the vibrant open world in single-player or online in two-player co-op. In Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, the human militaristic RDA corporation is back on Pandora and stripping away resources from the land and its inhabitants. Players will play as a Na’vi, born on Pandora but abducted as a child and raised away from Na’vi culture in an RDA training program. With Na’vi roots and a human upbringing, players will find themselves suddenly free only to feel like strangers in their homeland. Players must protect the Western Frontier from the RDA’s return, reconnect with their lost Na’vi heritage, and unite disparate clans for the greater good.
Across the expansive Western Frontier, players will meet unique clans who will teach them what it means to be Na’vi, such as honing their “Na’vi Senses,” mastering their strength to navigate the beautiful and dangerous open world, as well as upgrading their skills to push back the RDA; using traditional Na’vi weapons like bows for precision and spear-thrower for high impact; and forming a lifelong bond with a banshee – who can also be a powerful aerial combat ally. Players can leverage their human training and use weapons like stun grenades and employ multiple combat styles to fend off the RDA.
Players can customize their character with options including different body types and voices. As they journey across the Western Frontier and connect with their Na’vi heritage, players can equip more gear, craft better quality weapons, and upgrade skills to fit their playstyle. Customization also extends to the player’s banshee with unique gear pieces, and more.
PlayStation players will have free access to the Aranahe Warrior Pack. Season Pass owners will also have a bonus quest available at launch, and two-story packs that will be available in 2024 for players who want to continue their adventures on Pandora. Through Ubisoft+, players can access The Ultimate Edition, which includes the season pass, digital artbook, the Sarentu Heritage cosmetic pack, and the Sarentu Hunter equipment pack, valued at $129.99.
To transport players to Pandora at any given time, the Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – Original Game Soundtrack featuring music by Emmy-nominated conductor, composer, and performer Pinar Toprak, can be streamed, and purchased on December 8.
Zen Studios is packing the holiday season with a huge update today! Seven brand-new and two remastered tables have arrived in Pinball FX onPlayStation, Xbox, Steam and the Epic Games Store to brighten the end of the year for pinball fans. The tables will launch on Nintendo Switch on December 28.
Star Trek™ Pinball Pack
Star Trek™ Pinball: Kelvin Timeline: Experience the vision of the newest trilogy of Star Trek blockbuster movies in this epic table. Join Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise on their mission to discover new civilizations, form alliances and neutralize threats to the Federation.
Star Trek™ Pinball: Discovery: Michael Burnham and the shipmates of theU.S.S. Discovery rely on your pinball prowess, as you play through iconic moments from the first four seasons of the series. Make contact with the residents of 10-C and utilize the time loop for victory!
Star Trek™ Pinball: Deep Space Nine: Travel to the edges of the final frontier and arrive at the space station Deep Space Nine! Use your pinball skills to lead the crew and Captain Benjamin Sisko in ending the Dominion War.
The Star Trek™ Pinball Pack is available for $14.99.
A Charlie Brown Christmas™ Pinball
Find the real meaning of Christmas in A Charlie Brown Christmas™ Pinball! Join the Peanuts crew in putting on a play and decorating the most perfect tree there is.
A Charlie Brown Christmas™ Pinball is available for $5.49.
Game Night Pinball Volume 1
Terraforming Mars Pinball: The race for taming the Red Planet has begun! Run one of the mega-corporations and use your pinball skills to raise the oxygen level, heat up the planet, and create vast oceans on your way to the top of the leaderboards.
Gloomhaven™ Pinball: Delve into the world of Gloomhaven as mercenaries! Infiltrate the Inox Encampment, defeat Jekserah’s army of corpses among other adventures to enter the Void and confront The Gloom!
Exploding Kittens®: A Pinball Cat-astrophe: Complete main modes inspired by the kitty-powered card game, clean the Transdimensional Litter Box, and collect famous Tacocat, Cattermelon, and other cards to get the highest scores.
Game Night Pinball Volume 1 is available for $9.99.
Charity Pack
Support pinball and charity with this two-pack, available for $4.99! The purchase of Epic Quest and Excalibur brings joy to those in need and helps preserve pinball culture, as Zen will donate 50% of proceeds to Project Pinball (United States 46-3417202) and 50% to the Budapest Pinball Museum (Hungary MK/20980/2013) for each sale of this product.
Project Pinball: The Project Pinball Charity Group, Inc. is a non-profit organization that places pinball machines in Children’s Hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, and Assisted Living Facilities to provide recreational relief to patients, family members, and hospital staff. Donating pinball machines since 2011, they have donated pinball machines to hospitals across the United States.
Budapest Pinball Museum: The museum – by now with over 160 pinball and arcade machines – opened its doors in Budapest on April 10, 2014. The museum is considered to be Europe’s biggest interactive pinball museum in continuous operation.
The day has come to plunge into the void. Owlcat Games is proud to announce that Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is now available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Inherit the Lord Captain’s throne and command a varied crew of companions as the mysteries, conflicts, and turmoil of the Koronus Expanse frame the valiant (or cautionary) tale of House von Valancius.
Warhammer 40:000 Rogue Trader is the next high-quality turn-based cRPG title from developers Owlcat Games. Players take the role of the titular Rogue Trader, the leader of a mighty starfaring voidship and its crew. Whether enacting gunboat diplomacy with newly discovered planets, leading from the frontline in turn-based tactical combat, or engaging in thrilling voidship battles with pirates and renegades, the Rogue Trader’s fate is truly in their own hands.
“The roar of engines, the recoil of cannons. That is where the true joy of battle lies.” – Sergeant Antaro Chronus of the Ultramarines.
A Rogue Trader is only as strong as their crew, and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader gives plenty of options from across the Warhammer 40,000 landscape. Perhaps a rigid adherence to the Imperial Creed leads them to the devout Battle Sister Argenta or the unstoppable Space Wolf Ulfar. Will they see the value in the more unconventional crew members such as Idira, an Unsanctioned Psyker, or Cold Trader Jae? Or what about stretching their autonomy as a Rogue Trader to the limit by associating with the Aeldari Ranger Yrliet or even Drukari Dracon Marazhai? No matter who the Rogue Trader’s crew includes, the relationships and dynamics the player forms with and amongst each other could lead to triumph or disaster.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader allows players to shape the game’s story in their own way, offering three distinct paths and multitudes of ways to walk them. Each path will raise difficult questions, test the player’s resolve, and determine the fate of the Rogue Trader, their crew, and the entire Koronus Expanse. Will it be a tale of the Imperium victorious, the legend of a renegade swashbuckler, or the rise of a new champion of Chaos?
Thunderful and ClockStone’s acclaimed brick-building adventure, LEGO® Bricktales VR, enters a new dimension today, with the mixed-reality VR version now available on Meta Quest 3 at a price of €/$29.99. This new version of LEGO® Bricktales puts lovingly crafted brick dioramas built entirely with authentic LEGO elements into your home, using mixed reality to place the dioramas on your table and let you delve into its beautifully crafted environments using the power of Meta Quest 3.
The creative brick-by-brick building mechanic that made the title such a hit on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android in its original incarnation have been adapted to the Meta Quest 3’s VR controls to put the game’s LEGO pieces at your fingertips like never before, allowing you to unleash your imagination as you construct fun builds to help you solve puzzles and save a rundown amusement park.
The year is coming to an end, and the Christmas Holidays are upon us. However, until today, it didn’t seem that way for Pieces Interactive, the team developing our upcoming survival-horror game, Alone in the Dark. With our initially planned release date in January 2024, the Christmas season would have been filled with stress and anything but a jolly time for them.
Therefore, THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive have decided to give Alone in the Dark a new release date: March 20th, 2024.
The well-being of the teams is a top priority, and both companies want to avoid any potential crunch over the Christmas holidays. Furthermore, THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive want to ensure that the game not only meets but exceeds the expectations of the community, especially with the outstanding performances of Hollywood stars David and Jodie as the main protagonists.
We understand that many people are eagerly awaiting the release, but your patience will be rewarded. We are thrilled to scare the living daylights out of you on March 20th, 2024!
Alone in the Dark – Overview
Alone in the Dark is a love letter to the ground-breaking original, allowing players to experience a haunting story through the eyes of one of the two protagonists: play as Edward Carnby, portrayed by David Harbour (Stranger Things, Hellboy), or Emily Hartwood, portrayed by Jodie Comer (Free Guy, Killing Eve) in this reimagined classic survival horror game, where Psychological Horror meets Southern Gothic. Explore your surroundings, battle monsters, solve puzzles, and uncover the unsettling truth of Derceto Manor.
The compelling story by Mikael Hedberg (SOMA, Amnesia: The Dark Descent), the exceptional monster design by legendary Guillermo del Toro collaborator Guy Davis, and the haunting Doom Jazz melodies by legend Jason Köhnen come together to create a chilling and atmospheric survival horror experience.
Alone in the Dark is beeing developed by Pieces Interactive in Sweden and will be coming to PC, Xbox Series S/X, and PlayStation®5 on March 20, 2024.
An off-road adventure, a new family roller coaster, a giant swing, and the carefree fun of summer camp bring so much to explore in 2024 at Knott’s Berry Farm. Today, the theme park released exciting details about its six-acre, reimagined Camp Snoopy set to open Memorial Day weekend. Inspired by the California High Sierras, Camp Snoopy is theplace where the iconic Peanuts Gang made its first debut outside the comic strip back when it opened in 1983. The reimagined land will allow campers of all ages to become full-fledged Beagle Scouts as they explore new rides, new character experiences, new entertainment, a new dining hall, a new camp store, plus more seating and ambiance.
“Experiencing first rides and first theme park moments as a family, is what Knott’s is all about,” said Jon Storbeck, vice president and general manager. “Our newly reimagined Camp Snoopy will allow parents and kids to ride and play together and be truly immersed in a summer camp experience right alongside the entire Peanuts Gang.”
Camp Snoopy 2024
As guests cross into the world of Camp Snoopy, they’ll become official campers, joining Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang for the camp’s annual jamboree, a fun week of camp competitions and activities. They can begin their adventure at Beagle Scout Headquarters at the new Snoopy’s Tenderpaw Twister Coaster, where Beagle Scout Master Snoopy and his troop will take them on a new first coaster experience through the forest.
Snoopy’s Tenderpaw Twister is the only family coaster that takes parents and kids up a lift hill and delivers a pint-sized launch, making this a first, big coaster experience for everyone. The best part is that guests get to ride twice so it’s double the fun and double the adventure every time.
Rocky Mountain Trucking Company will be transformed into the new Camp Snoopy’s Off-Road Rally. Guests will jump into their own colorful four-wheel jeep, each themed to Snoopy or a Peanuts character, drive through an expanded track and terrain, and race to the finish line. In this fun and colorful road rally, riders will encounter funny road signs and obstacles to go over, around, and under. Success is measured not by speed but by how many course checkpoints can be found.
Sally’s Swing Along is a new experience and offers a carefree break from camp life. Not your backyard variety, this super-sized swing set is big enough for the entire Peanuts gang! Kids and parents can sit side-by-side on the giant bench swing and glide 10 feet toward the sky, back and forth, giggling and getting a taste of the good life.
Campers who want to test their Beagle Scout skills and earn their merit badges will be able to explore the great outdoors at the Barrell Bridge and Waterfall area of the camp. With a brand-new lookout terrace area, parents can relax up top or join in the fun down below as the kids navigate the bouncy, buoy-like barrel bridges to explore the cave and waterfall as Snoopy’s canoe teeter-totters up above.
For a scenic journey throughout Camp Snoopy, campers will board the newly upgraded Beagle Express and take a locomotive ride through a series of camp vignettes, crossing over a covered bridge, and watching as Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang prepare for the jamboree events. They’ll see fellow campers along the route decorating their cabins for a “Best Cabin” contest and getting ready for potato sack races and more.
It’s not officially summer camp until you sing songs around the campfire. At the new Camp Snoopy Theater, campers will gather under a giant, new rustic-themed theater, filled with log benches for seating that surround a large firepit at the base of the stage. The firepit will be lit in the evenings for special campfire entertainment. During the day, the theater will debut a new Camp Snoopy show and offer more shade and a larger stroller parking area.
Meet-and-greets with Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Pigpen, Sally, Marcie and, of course, Snoopy will now be found throughout Camp Snoopy at varying times daily.
Guest favorite Woodstock’s Airmail reopens in a new area called Camp Post Office. Guests will strap into their seats and once again soar into the sky and back down again with Snoopy’s favorite feathered friend.
And finally, rounding out the experience will be an updated Grizzly Lodge dining hall, with new décor and menu items, new family restrooms, and an immersive new Snoopy Camp Store with all the essentials needed for camp and then some.
FUN IS ALWAYS IN SEASON
Knott’s is proud to announce its annual Seasons of Fun lineup, starting in January when the beloved PEANUTS characters take over the entire park for Knott’s Peanuts Celebration, January 27-February 25.
SPRING
In the spring, the famous Knott’s Boysenberry Festival returns March 8 – April 28 with countless one-of-a-kind boysenberry-inspired food and drink offerings created by Knott’s culinary team, artisan crafters, live shows, music, and entertainers around every corner.
SUMMER
Summer 2024 brings back two favorites – Ghost Town Alive! immersing guests in the western town of Calico in all sorts of new adventures and role play, and Knott’s Summer Nights, where the fun heats up when the sun goes down, with Tastes of Summer, the best of So Cal’s local music scene plus backyard fun from Calico Park to Charleston Circle. Both events run from June 14 – September 2.
Summertime at Knott’s wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Knott’s Soak City Waterpark May 18 – Sept 8, where guests can catch a ride down 23 different speed, tube, and body slides or take a relaxing trip down one of the longest lazy rivers in the country.
FALL
For fall, the spooktacular family-friendly daytime Halloween event, Knott’s Spooky Farm, runs September 26 – October 31 plus Columbus Day, and invites little ghouls to wear their favorite costumes and go trick-or-treating.
And of course, for those guests who dare, Knott’s Scary Farm, California’s longest-running, Halloween theme park event, promises terrifying scare zones and frightening mazes from September 19 – November 2.
WINTER
The year will end with Snoopy, snow, and Santa, at Knott’s Merry Farm, November 22 – January 5, where guests will be immersed in classic holiday cheer as they enjoy festive treats, holiday shows, and Snoopy and the PEANUTS in their annual show on ice.
BEST WAY TO EXPERIENCE IT ALL
Unlimited access and unlimited visits to all this fun for the remainder of 2023 and all of 2024, can be found with a 2024 Season Pass. A Regular Season Pass includes admission to Knott’s Berry Farm for as low as 10 payments of $7 after the initial payment plus applicable fees with no blockout dates. A Gold Season Pass includes admission to both Knott’s Berry Farm and Knott’s Soak City Waterpark. Additional pricing and information on passes can be found at knotts.com. Offers end on January 7, 2024.
Think about extending the fun with an overnight stay at the newly renovated Knott’s Hotel, debuting in early 2024. The multi-million-dollar investment will transform the property – all guest rooms, lobby, conference rooms, ballrooms, and outdoor event space. The new hotel promises to incorporate the hospitality, charm, and character of park founders, Walter and Cordelia Knott in this unique, cozy 322-room guesthouse on the farm.
Come explore more in 2024 by using #KnottsBerryFarm on social media or visit www.knotts.com
