Black Salt Games, a small indie studio from New Zealand driven by a love for video games, is announcing its debut title, Dredge, a game filled with fishing, friends, and foreboding seas that may appear calm, but they’re actually far from it.
Set in a Lovecraft-inspired world, players begin their extraordinary adventure when they take up fishing at their new home in The Marrows islands and strange things begin to occur. The core mechanics of Dredge involve a combination of collecting and selling resources, upgrading your equipment and abilities, and exploration.
Players will come across a number of peculiar inhabitants, both on land and at sea, that will reward you for your help. While some island dwellers will ask players to complete simple tasks, there are some stranger folk that are willing to pay big if you’re willing to retrieve some more exotic artifacts from the ocean floor. What they do with these relics is unknown, but you might want to consider if earning extra cash to upgrade your sea vessel is worth bringing about the end of the world.
By day, the seas can be a quiet oasis filled with plenty of opportunities for a fisherman to become profitable. But when the sun goes down, the waters surrounding The Marrows become less inviting. Dangers may approach from down below, above your head, or within your mind. We recommend getting home in time for supper lest you lose your sanity, or worse.
Game Features
● Explore multiple different regions within the world of Dredge
● Improve your boat equipment including rods, engines, lights and cargo space
● Upgrade your vessel, trading in for bigger and better boats
● Fish with multiple different rods, trawl nets and crab pots
● Discover mysterious relics that unlock supernatural powers
● Endure the lonely nighttime waters
● Survive what is awaiting you in the depths
Dredge is currently scheduled to release on Nintendo Switch and PC in the first part of 2022.
Leading gaming accessory maker Turtle Beach Corporation (Nasdaq: HEAR), today announced that gamers on Xbox can now get their hands on the award-winning Recon™ Controller. Turtle Beach’s all-new Designed for Xbox Recon Controller was proudly designated with “Best of E3” awards from CNN Underscored and Android Authority because it is the first controller to blend responsive and precise controls with Turtle Beach’s signature audio technologies, including Superhuman Hearing®, Mic Monitoring, Signature Audio Presets, and more. This combination of powerful, innovative controls and integrated audio heightens gamers’ senses and elevates gameplay experiences when playing on Xbox and compatible Windows 10 PCs. Turtle Beach’s Recon Controller for Xbox comes in black or white for a MSRP of $59.95, and is available for purchase today at participating retailers worldwide and from www.turtlebeach.com.
“With millions of headsets being worn by gamers on Xbox, the Recon Controller is the best complementary accessory because it provides access to Turtle Beach’s exclusive audio technologies to any wired headset,” said Juergen Stark, Chairman and CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. “The Recon Controller was designed with the same industry expertise that has made Turtle Beach the best-selling gaming headset maker for over a decade, and its unparalleled features and design will help it make a striking entrance into the console controller market. I’m proud of how the Turtle Beach team has once again delivered an amazing product, and I’m excited to have Xbox gamers get the Recon Controller in their hands.”
Designed for Xbox, the all-new Recon Controller is the first controller to pair Turtle Beach’s signature audio innovations with game-winning controls. Gamers on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and compatible Windows 10 PCs will be able to plug in any wired headset with a standard 3.5mm audio interface and take advantage of proven Turtle Beach features, including Superhuman Hearing, Mic Monitoring, Signature Audio Presets, and more. Additionally, Pro-Aim™ Focus Mode lets gamers tune the thumbstick sensitivity for enhanced long-range accuracy, while up to four profiles can be saved on each of the mappable rear quick-action buttons. Feel the recoil of gunshots and the purr of vehicle engines through next-gen vibration feedback from dual-rumble motors in the handles and triggers. The Recon Controller lets gamers play longer and stay cooler thanks to its ergonomic shape and cooling rubber grips. The Recon Controller is the perfect companion for any wired gaming headset, like Turtle Beach’s all-new Recon 500 and best-selling Recon 70 series headsets.
For more information on the latest Turtle Beach products and accessories, visit www.turtlebeach.com and be sure to follow Turtle Beach on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
In partnership with the Ocean County Health Department, Six Flags Great Adventure will host a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic Aug. 5, 11, and 17 from 10 am to 7 pm. All guests who receive the COVID-19 vaccination onsite will receive a free ticket to the Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure for the 2021 season.
“We’re honored to partner with the Ocean County Health Department to encourage New Jersey residents and our out-of-state guests to get vaccinated,” said Six Flags Park President John Winkler. “The vaccination helps us protect ourselves and those we love.”
The vaccination center will be located in the Membership Building in park’s outer mall and operate from 10 am to 7 pm. Participants will have the option to choose their vaccine from the two-shot Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Reservations are not required. Parking fees may apply.
Marvel Studios’ first animated series, What If…?, is taking fans on an all-new adventure, exploring pivotal moments from their groundbreaking Cinematic Universe, and reimagining them in unexpected ways.
Today, Hot Toys unveiled the first in their new line of Television Masterpiece Series 1/6 scale figures — Zombie Hunter Spider-Man!
This expertly crafted 1/6 scale figure is based on the appearance of Zombie Hunter Spider-Man in the soon-to-be-released animated series. The figure features an all-new masked head sculpt with multiple interchangeable eyepieces to create different combinations of expressions, an ultra-poseable 1/6 scale figure body, and a finely tailored costume that combines Spider-Man’s classic blue and red suit with a Cloak of Levitation. The Zombie Hunter Spider-Man also comes with a number of interchangeable accessories, including multiple hands to recreate signature poses, assorted swap-out web effects, and a dynamic figure display stand.
Kick start your Marvel collection by asking What If…?
-Detailed likeness of Zombie Hunter Spider-Man in Marvel’s What If…?
– Newly developed masked head sculpt
– Three pairs of interchangeable eyepieces
– Specialized 1/6 scale body with over 30 points of articulation
– 10 interchangeable hands including:
– One pair of fists
– One pair of opened hands
– One pair of web shooting hands
– One pair of web swinging hands
– One pair of gesturing hands
– A tailored Zombie Hunter Spider-Man Suit with gray-black trim, web pattern, and black spider emblem on chest
– One pair of web shooters
– One Cloak of Levitation (embedded with poseable wire) with magnetic feature
– Six strings of spider web in different shapes and lengths, attachable to the web-shooters
– One open spider web effect accessory
– A dynamic figure display stand with series logo and character nameplate
Pre-order the Zombie Hunter Spider-Man, via Sideshow.
Prime Matter and Dark Crystal Games are pleased to announce that Encased – the upcoming isometric dystopian sci-fi RPG – will be launching on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 for PC. Accompanying today’s announcement are seven new screenshots from areas in the later stages of the game.
Set in an alternative 1976, Encased has players exploring a hostile area called The Dome, a sealed wasteland packed to the brim with amazing technology but also deadly enemies.
Players start off in one of five disciplines – science, engineering, security, management, or convict – which affects their initial stats, specialization, and opens (or prevents) unique dialogue within the game.
As with all classical RPGs, the game is a mix of exploration, combat, and quest interaction as you journey across the environment crafting supplies and weapons while trying to ensure each day is not your last.
As you level up, you’ll encounter six different factions that have sprung up in The Dome. Whether they become your friends or enemies is entirely up to you.
The game owes some of its spiritual inspiration to books like Roadside Picnic – as well as several classic post-apocalyptic RPGs – creating a familiar but unique environment that will appeal to both the veteran aficionado and RPG newbie alike.
Encased, which will be a digital PC release on Steam, Epic, and GOG is currently in Early Access where users can experience all the first act and part of the second.
Game studio RocketWerkz announced today that its highly anticipated session-based survival game, Icarus, will officially open beta gameplay on August 28 with the first of several “Beta Weekends.” The company will roll out brand new features and content every two weeks for players to test out (see the schedule below). Anyone that has already pre-ordered Icarus, or pre-orders the game during August, will be able to play in the beta when it launches.
Icarus is a uniquely session-based PvE survival game for up to eight co-op players. Set on an Earth-like planet where terraforming failed, players explore, craft, build and survive against the elements as part of an interstellar goldrush. Initially equipped with nothing, players drop to the planet for missions lasting from hours to weeks, before returning to orbit to progress their character and tech for the next drop.
New features will be unlocked for the community to test every second weekend. “In the first Beta Weekend players will be invited to put Icarus’ core survival gameplay to the test,” says gamerunner Dean Hall. “Then we’ll start throwing more at them every two weeks. We’re really looking forward to playing Icarus with our community and hearing their feedback.”
The second Beta Weekend will unlock Icarus’ base-destroying storms, followed by the arctic biome two weeks later, then the desert biome, and special faction missions set by the corporations vying for control of Icarus in the following weeks.
“We wanted to do a smart beta,” says Hall. “By focusing on a new gameplay system each Beta Weekend we can gather more useful feedback from our community as we iterate and evolve the world. Icarus is ready for players, and we weren’t afraid to delay the game so we could get as much of their feedback as possible to make it the very best it can be.”
Icarus’ developers at RocketWerkz have been very open with their community during the game’s development, with regular community Twitch streams, a ‘Making of Icarus’ video series and an active Discord community. “We did this intentionally with the aim of developing the game collaboratively as we evolve the world,” says Hall. “We plan to continue this approach during the beta.”
1C Entertainment and Prime Matter are delighted to announce that King’s Bounty II has gone gold and is on track for its August 24th release date. After years of hard work, the legend returns and the dev team behind the project can’t wait to show it to all fans of turn-based RPGs.
The reception so far from the press has been extraordinary, and to celebrate this important moment 1C Entertainment is pleased to reveal the first official gameplay trailer. This narrated video showcases a taste of everything that awaits adventurers in the full game, where your wits, your exploration skills, and your ability to build and command a personal army are the tools you’ll employ to restore peace and order in the Kingdom of Nostria.
Additionally, 1C Entertainment can today unveil the minimum and recommended system configurations for PC players, helping you pick out the parts for a King’s Bounty II-ready system that delivers the experience you desire.
Darkness descends over the world of Nostria. Conspiracies, sabotage, and necromancy are overshadowing the country. Counties are demanding independence, bandits prowl the roads, and rumors about the overwhelming power of Blight emerge from a whisper in the dark. The old King Claudius was poisoned and cannot lead the kingdom, and so his son, Prince Adrian, must now unite the struggling lands while his power and faith fall under attack. But maybe a saviour – the kingdom’s last hope – is already here, to fight back and finally restore peace and order in Nostria?
King’s Bounty II will launch on August 24th on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Six Flags Great Adventure, the World’s Ultimate Thrill Park, today announced that its iconic fall festival, Fright Fest, will return in 2021 with new scares.
Fright Fest will feature family-friendly “Thrills by Day” and terrifying “Fright by Night.” Admission will include six elaborately-decorated areas, attractions for kids including the popular Trick-or-Treat Trail, nine live shows including its signature “Dead Man’s Party,” and the world’s greatest thrill rides in the dark. With its location along a mist-covered lake, the all-new Jersey Devil Coaster will deliver five intense elements in the eerie, nighttime fog. Plus, nine haunted mazes will provide the most extreme scares for an additional fee. The park will release details of its full Fright Fest program in the coming weeks.
“We’re thrilled to bring back one of the most anticipated Halloween events of the season. Fright Fest has been a fall ‘must-do’ since the early 1990s,” said Chris Allen, Six Flags Great Adventure operations director. “In 2021, Fright Fest will incorporate all of the thrill rides, extreme scares, and fantastic shows that guests love, plus innovative twists that we introduced in Hallowfest last season. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Due to the pandemic, the theme park introduced Hallowfest in 2020, which featured family-friendly activities and socially-distant scaring. The event was extremely successful, but Fright Fest fans have been eager for the return of its exciting show lineup and full complement of haunted mazes.
Fright Fest will stretch for eight weeks, kicking off Sept. 10 and running weekends and select weekdays through Oct. 31. Six Flags is currently hiring scare actors. In-person scare actor/zombie auditions will take place August 6 and 20 at 6 pm, and August 28 at 2 pm in Six Flags Great Adventure’s Employment Center. Group auditions are perfect for those with no previous experience in scaring, and include fun exercise before the casting team. Applicants are encouraged to showcase their quirky, strange, funny, and creepy qualities. All participants must be at least 16 years old. Applicants will enter through the employee entrance at 1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson, NJ.
Candidates should apply online before attending an audition at www.sixflagsjobs.com or text SCARE to 220MONSTER. Seasonal team members who work through October 31, 2021, can earn up to an additional $500-$1,000 or more with a 10% bonus for wages earned from July through September and a 15% bonus for wages earned in October.
Today ArenaNet and NCSOFT provided the first look at Guild Wars 2®: End of Dragons, the third expansion for the award-winning and critically acclaimed MMORPG Guild Wars 2. Featuring a host of new gameplay features and epic adventures set in the lost land of Cantha, End of Dragons will enrich the vast, subscription-free online world of one of the most enduring and beloved PC games of all time.
End of Dragons™ will feature an all-new story set in the mysterious island realm of Cantha, a multi-ethnic land of magic that is home to the oldest nation of humans in all of Tyria. First seen in 2006’s Guild Wars Factions, this lush region dotted by islands and exotic architecture has been closed off and isolated from the rest of the world for over 200 years in the aftermath of The Jade Wind, a magical curse that petrified everything it touched and devastated the southeastern coastal regions. Canthan innovators have long sought practical applications for the material now known as “dragonjade,” achieving solutions undreamed of elsewhere in the world thanks to this vast store of magical energy. But the dragon cycle that has sustained and blighted Tyria for ages is collapsing…
“We’re incredibly excited to bring players back to the realm of Cantha for the first time in 15 years,” said Colin Johansen, studio director. “End of Dragons represents the realization of the entire development team’s passion for Guild Wars 2, and our continued commitment to creating quality content for players old and new.”
Players will take their first steps in rediscovering this hidden land when End of Dragons launches in February 2022. A roster of new voice talent, including Erika Ishii, Noshir Dalal, Ry Chase, Rina Hoshino, Tina Huang, and Sarah Sokolovic will serve as guides, allies, and foils on a new adventure that promises to reveal some of the Guild Wars franchise’s oldest canonical secrets.
End of Dragons will introduce a wealth of new features, activities, and storylines to the game, including the triumphant debut of the game’s first multiplayer mount, the Siege Turtle. Capable of hosting two riders, this walking war machine will bring co-op gameplay to Guild Wars 2’s renowned and acclaimed selection of game-changing mounted beasts.
New personal watercraft called Skiffs will serve as a mobile ferry for friends and guildmates, and for the first time fishing arrives in Guild Wars 2, providing a new way to interact with the fauna of Tyria, be it catching up some dinner or taking part in tournament events for new anglers.
As with previous expansions, new Elite Specializations for each of Guild Wars 2’s nine professions will provide new ways to play even maximum level characters, presenting new gameplay to master. All Guild Wars 2 players are invited to partake in monthly week-long Elite Specialization beta events coming to the game beginning August 17, and continuing in September, October, and November. Free for everyone, players can log in and create a new character during the beta period that will provide early access to the new Elite Specializations in advance of the expansion launch next year.
On top of a new set of Masteries, a new suite of third generation Legendary Weapons inspired by the iconic Elder Dragon Aurene will be available for players to seek out at launch, offering the ultimate heroic character reward, while new Strike Missions provide challenging encounters to tackle with a squad of 10 players. For the first time, challenge modes for each of the new Strikes will be enabled shortly after End of Dragons launches, which will put even the most battle-hardened groups to the test.
Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons is available for pre-purchase starting today at guildwars2.com/end-of-dragons for $29.99, and includes a bundle of pre-purchase bonus items, including a Flame Serpent Weapon Chest, a Shing Jea Mosaic Cape, a special Prodigy of Shing Jea character Title, a shared inventory slot, and a level 80 character boost. The Deluxe Edition ($54.99) comes with the standard edition bundle, plus another batch of exclusive items: a Shing Jea Dragon Boat Skiff skin, a Canthan Raptor mount skin, an additional character slot, and an Identity Repair Kit. The End of Dragons Ultimate Edition ($79.99) includes the exclusive Standard and Deluxe Edition items, plus 4,000 Gems, Guild Wars 2’s premium in-game store currency.
Additionally, to commemorate the launch of End of Dragons, ArenaNet is making available a special edition premium statue of the Elder Dragon Aurene, the player character’s stalwart in-game companion. Sized at 8-by-10 inches, this translucent crystalline sculpt of Aurene in her regal Eye of the North pose will be available for pre-order from the Guild Wars 2 web site between July 27 and August 20 for $120 plus tax and shipping. She will also come with a digital redemption for a unique in-game character cape with her logo emblazoned upon it.
ArenaNet and NCSOFT will reveal more about the expansion throughout the summer on their Twitch and YouTube channels via a series of Friday live streams, with many more surprises in store throughout the remainder of 2021.
Today, Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of online games, and Cryptic Studios announced that Neverwinter’s 21st module, Jewel of the North, is now available on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store and Arc Games) and will arrive on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One later next month. This major update allows all adventurers – whether new, returning or veteran adventurers – the opportunity to experience all of the epic content the free-to-play Dungeons & Dragons® MMORPG has to offer like never before. For the first time since 2016, Neverwinter introduces a brand-new class, the iconic and multi-skilled Bard, which hails from the original pen and paper adventure game. Jewel of the North also features major quality of life improvements, including a new streamlined leveling system which makes content more accessible for adventurers of all experience levels, making this the best time for gamers to play Neverwinter.
“With Jewel of the North, we wanted to make it easier than ever for players to create a character and set out on adventures throughout the Forgotten Realms,” said Matt Powers, Executive Producer for Neverwinter. “The leveling experience has been streamlined, now better aligning with the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop experience, and we’re extremely excited to bring the highly-expressive Bard class to Neverwinter.”
Neverwinter: Jewel of the North introduces an all-new class, the Bard, inspired by the popular Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition class archetype. Neverwinter adventurers who choose the Bard become daring heroes who possess the ability to weave magic into their swords, inspire allies with music, manipulate minds, and heal wounds. Adventurers will find that the Bard stands out due to its Perform Mode that lets them play a variety of songs that can enhance, heal, or hurt their targets, and its Free Perform Mode in which Bards can use their equipped instrument to freely create and play their own songs for other adventurers to enjoy.
Along with the new class, Neverwinter: Jewel of the North brings major game-changing improvements that make it easier for all adventurers to access and enjoy all of the content available in Neverwinter. With the new streamlined leveling system which follows the beloved system found in Dungeons & Dragons, the max level cap in Neverwinter has transitioned from level 80 to level 20. This allows new and returning adventurers to reach epic-level content much faster (in approximately 10-12 hours) and gives veteran adventurers the option to quickly level up their alternate characters. Additional notable improvements geared towards providing a greater experience for all adventurers include the new Adventures feature, two new locations (the Adventurer’s Guild and Training Room) and revamped tutorials and early game performance improvements.
Below is a detailed list of key features:
New Bard Class – Inspired by the iconic and multi-skilled Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition class, the new class for Neverwinter weaves together quick, deadly swordplay and powerful magical ballads into an orchestra of destruction for enemies and boons for themselves and allies. The class offers two unique Paragon Paths for players to choose from:
Songblade – Charming swashbucklers who dispatch their foes in style with swordplay, magic, and music. This path is for those who want to be close and mid-range damage dealers, and who want to make use of dramatic spells and supporting songs to enhance their natural combat ability.
Minstrel – Master musicians who support allies from afar with songs of bardic inspiration. These healers can also use music to create psychic attacks and illusions.
New Streamlined Leveling System – Following the beloved system found in Dungeons & Dragons, the max level cap has transitioned from level 80 to level 20, making it easier for all adventurers to experience the many adventures available within the Forgotten Realms in Neverwinter.
New Adventures Feature – A new and intuitive way to play through content, track progress, and get some great rewards. The Adventures feature allows adventurers to know what to explore and experience next as they continue their epic journey.
Major Quality of Life Improvements: All adventurers can prepare and be ready for their many adventures thanks to the following new improvements:
Two New Locations:
The Adventurer’s Guild – Located in Protector’s Enclave, the guild serves as place for all the greatest adventurers to meet, train, and claim their hard-earned rewards.
The Training Room – A special demiplane created by the wizards of the Adventurer’s Guild where adventurers can hone their skills and explore combat systems using a variety of modifiers.
Revamped Tutorialization – New tutorials, messaging and visuals have been added for new and returning adventurers to better understand what it takes to be a true adventurer in Neverwinter.
Neverember Recruitment Event – During Neverember’s Recruitment event, any new characters who log in during this event will earn extra rewards, such as rare mounts and companions, while leveling as well as Neverember Incentives, which can be exchanged for account-wide rewards.
