This morning on Xbox Wire, Microsoft Flight Simulator announced that as part of ongoing digital preservation efforts, the world’s largest aircraft, the Ukrainian-built Antonov An-225 Mriya is available in the in-game marketplace on PC today for $19.99. All proceeds will go to the Antonov Corporation to re-build the An-225.
The Antonov An-225 Mriya is an ultra-heavy lift jet transport aircraft featuring six engines, holds the record as the world’s longest plane and many other size-related aviation records. Only one Mriya was ever completed, and it was rendered catastrophically inoperable in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Efforts are underway to attempt to rebuild the aircraft and fly it again.
The Antonov An-225 Mriya is available in the in-game marketplace on PC today. It will be available for Xbox Series X|S and on Xbox Cloud Gaming starting in late March. For more information about Microsoft Flight Simulator, stay tuned to Xbox Wire and follow us on Twitter for the latest news and updates.
After an Early Access journey filled to the brim with updates, the sci-fi u-boat sim Barotrauma is finally going to emerge into version 1.0 on Steam on March 13th, with lots of new features and a wonderful community on board. The game is on track to entice even more brave submariners to dive into Europa’s depths with its huge variety of u-boats and missions, disgusting enemies, varied biomes and hilarious ragdoll physics. As Barotrauma is approaching its 1.0 release, the game reached another major milestone: more than 2.5 million players already call this superb submarine spectacle their own.
Barotrauma is a sci-fi submarine sim with both a single-player mode as well as co-op with up to 16 players, who navigate the depths of Jupiter’s frozen moon Europa and fulfill various missions. Together with their active and passionate community, developers FakeFish and Undertow Games have greatly expanded and improved the game since its Early Access launch in summer 2019: They overhauled the campaign and tutorials, added new monsters, missions and outposts, improved graphics and environments, implemented a scripted event system and much much more. All of this was made possible with the feedback and support of more than 30,000 Discord members as well as 60,000 player-made entries on the Steam Workshop. To show their deep devotion to their players and their fanbase the devs even added a player-made submarine to the base-game as part of a community competition.
Full list of updates since EA launch:
New graphics and environments
Campaign overhaul
Explorable outposts
Wrecked submarines, abandoned outposts and improved alien ruins
Submarine upgrading and switching
More and new monsters and missions
New scripted event system
Talent system for character progression
Reworked tutorials
The community is especially looking forward to the introduction of rival factions with version 1.0 and the new ending of the campaign. Joonas Rikkonen, Barotrauma’s lead developer, on the Barotrauma community states: “Barotrauma has been a great community-assisted effort for almost a decade now, and we’re thrilled to be reaching 1.0 after all these years. We can’t wait to hear what our players think about the faction overhaul and the real ending of the campaign, and look forward to making more updates even after this release.”
Paradox Interactive, a developer and publisher of announcements about announcements, today revealed an upcoming Announcement Show which will air on March 6, 2023, at 18.00 CET and feature world-first reveals of brand-new games from the publisher’s network of studios and partners.
The show, presented in partnership with Xbox, will premiere on Paradox’s YouTube and Twitch channels, and will include the debut of new games from Seattle-based Harebrained Schemes, the master storytellers behind The Shadowrun Trilogy and BATTLETECH; Paradox Tectonic, the Berkeley-based studio working with industry veteran Rod Humble; and Colossal Order, the Tampere-based developers of the genre-leading global hit Cities: Skylines.
Details about the Paradox Announcement Show and its program can be found today on the show’s website.
“I don’t want to say we have too many announcements, but it’s hard to choose which one has me most thrilled,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. “Talking directly with our players about our games, sharing their excitement for what’s coming next, comparing how many hours we’ve played – it’s something everyone at Paradox profoundly enjoys. I’m also eager not to have to keep these announcements secret for much longer.”
In addition to reveals of new games, the Paradox Announcement show will feature new content for a variety of existing titles in the Paradox library, with new expansions, free updates, as well as news from the Paradox Arc publishing initiative. For updates on the show, fans can visit the website or follow Paradox Interactive on their social media platforms.
About Paradox Interactive
The Paradox group today consists of both publishing and internal development of games and brands. Paradox has a broad portfolio of games and owns the most important brands, including Stellaris, Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, Crusader Kings, Cities: Skylines, Prison Architect, Victoria, Age of Wonders and the World of Darkness catalog of brands.
Since 2004, the company has published its games all over the world, initially through physical distribution but primarily in digital channels after 2006. Paradox games are developed primarily for PC and console platforms, but the company also releases games on mobile. The largest markets today include the US, UK, China, Germany, France, and Scandinavia. In total, Paradox games have over five million players each month.
Today, KOEI Tecmo and developer Team NINJA released the final demo for their highly-anticipated action-RPG, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. The demo will be available from Feb. 24 through March 26, 2023 and is available across all systems the game is scheduled to release on, including Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, and on PC via Windows and Steam®.
The final demo features two early stages of the game that were not featured in the first demo, including Chapter 1: Village of Calamity along with Chapter 2: Two Chivalrous Heroes. Both chapters showcase the electrifying combat and intense fighting of a demon-plagued, fantasy Three Kingdoms, as an anonymous militia soldier fights his way through waves of monsters and enemy soldiers in this Later Han Dynasty thriller.
Online multiplayer will also be available in the demo, and by transferring the cleared saved data from these early stages to the main game, players will earn the in-game item “Crouching Dragon Helmet” upon the game’s release.
To help celebrate the final demo, KOEI TECMO also unleashed the game’s epic launch trailer, showcasing some of the historic warriors from the Three Kingdoms featured throughout the adventure.
Players who purchase either the physical or digital version of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty by March 16 will receive special “Baihu Armor”, while those who pre-order the game digitally will receive both the early purchase bonus along with the pre-order bonus: “Zhuque Armor”.
A limited-edition SteelBook version of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will also be available at launch. The SteelBook Launch Edition includes an exclusive collectible case along with bonus DLC items “Crown of Zhurong” and “Crown of Gonggong”.
For more information on Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, visit the official site, Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/koeitecmous and Follow us on Twitter @WoLongOfficial and @koeitecmoUS.
SQUARE ENIX® today released OCTOPATH TRAVELER™ II, the second standalone entry in the critically acclaimed OCTOPATH TRAVELER RPG series, for the Nintendo Switch™ system, the PlayStation®5 (PS5™) console and the PlayStation®4 (PS4™) console, with PC via STEAM® launching later today.
Developed by the creators of the critically acclaimed original, which has sold over three million copies worldwide*, OCTOPATH TRAVELER II introduces players to the brand-new world of Solistia, where eight travelers with unique storylines and motivations must navigate treacherous lands, conquer enemies in strategic turn-based battles and navigate the perils and promise of a new industrial era.
OCTOPATH TRAVELER II tells a brand-new epic story, set in a new World independent from the original title. Players will be introduced to eight original characters and experience all-new features and gameplay elements. OCTOPATH TRAVELER II is the perfect entry for newcomers to the series, while also preserving the charm of the original game for existing fans by improving upon the series’ iconic HD-2D visuals, which feature a striking blend of retro 2D characters in a beautiful 3D world.
New and returning gameplay features and elements include:
Break & Boost Battle System – Players must act strategically to exploit enemy weaknesses to “Break” them to inflict more damage, and “Boost” their travelers to enhance their abilities.
Path Actions – Players can interact with NPCs throughout the world in various ways by using actions unique to each character, such as challenging people as the Warrior or stealing belongings as the Thief. Path Actions will vary depending on the protagonist and whether it is day or night.
Brand-New Story and Characters – Players can embark on a grand adventure in the new land of Solistia and experience the intertwined stories of eight new travelers: Hikari (Warrior), Agnea (Dancer), Partitio (Merchant), Osvald (Scholar), Throné (Thief), Temenos (Cleric), Ochette (Hunter), and Castti (Apothecary).
Day/Night Cycle – The townscapes and Path Actions available to each character will change depending on if it is night or day, creating more opportunities for exploration and discovery.
Latent Power – A new battle element in which characters can unleash a powerful ability once the ability’s gauge fills up during combat.
Crossed Paths – Additional stories will unfold between the protagonists as their journey progresses, further intertwining their narratives.
The OCTOPATH TRAVELER II Prologue Demo is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam. The Prologue Demo allows players to choose any of the eight protagonists to start their journey with and play for three hours. Save data can be carried over to the full game once purchased.
OCTOPATH TRAVELER II is now available on the Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4, with PC via STEAM® launching later today. The game is rated T (Teen) by the ESRB. For more information, visit: https://www.octopathtraveler2.com
Living with Chucky takes an in depth look at the groundbreaking Child’s Play franchise from the perspective of a filmmaker who grew up within it. Featuring interviews with cast and crew such as Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Alex Vincent, creator Don Mancini, and much more, this personal film recounts the dedication, creativity and sacrifice that went into making the franchise and its long-lasting impact on the horror community.
Storming into pop culture in the late 1980s, the three-foot menace known as Chucky, proved that Child’s Play was anything but. The horror film went on to spawn six sequels, a television series, a reboot, comic books, a video game and merchandise.
Written and directed by Kyra Elise Gardner, daughter of legendary special effects artist Tony Gardner, Living With Chucky looks back at the groundbreaking horror franchise by those there from the beginning. The documentary details the history of the Child’s Play films by the cast and crew, in addition to Gardner’s own relationship with the series and the impact it had on her family. Gardner, who grew up alongside Chucky the killer doll, seeks out other families involved with the Child’s Play films as they recount their experiences working on the franchise and what it means to be a part of the “Chucky” family.
FILMMAKER KYRA ELISE GARDNER
With a dad in special effects makeup, blood and guts became a normality for Kyra at a young age. Combat nursing was her first goal, but she soon discovered that real blood is way grosser than the fake stuff. She’s been pursuing a career in directing since attending Florida State’s film program and plans on creating quirky fantastical films from the lore of her unconventional childhood.
Street Fighter™ 6 continues to Tatsu its way toward launch with today’s PlayStation State of Play digital event, which saw the reveal of three new characters, including the legendary Cammy and Zangief, plus the high-flying newcomer Lily. This trio of combatants complete the jam-packed 18-character launch roster which includes all eight of the original Street Fighter™ World Warriors (Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, Zangief, E. Honda, Blanka, Dhalsim), four returning franchise favorites (Cammy, Juri, Dee Jay, Luke), and six brand new faces (Lily, Jamie, Kimberly, Manon, Marisa, JP) for players to test their mettle with. Players around the world can get their hands on all the hard-hitting Street Fighter 6 action starting on June 2, 2023 across PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
Cammy, Zangief, and Lily each bring their own personality and highly skilled fighting expertise to the game:
Cammy: First appearing in Super Street Fighter™ II, the cat-loving Cammy returns with her beloved arsenal of high-powered attacks, including Spiral Arrow, Cannon Spike, and Hooligan Combination. The Heavy version of each of those three moves has been enhanced to allow for a delay which results in altered properties for some big damage. Visit King Street, Cammy’s foggy, industrial stage, and perform deadly Super Art moves like the Killer Bee Spin and Delta Red Assault to send opponents to their knees and get the crowd buzzing.
Zangief: Rumbling his way onto the scene is the immense Zangief, an original World Warrior who loves to show off for the crowd at Barmaley Steelworks. A professional wrestler by trade, Zangief keeps hold of his trademark throws like the Screw Piledriver and Siberian Express, picking up new moves like the counter throw Tundra Storm. His Level 2 Super Art Cyclone Lariat and Level 3 Super Art Bolshoi Storm Buster are sure to be crowd-pleasers.
Lily: A new addition to the roster, Lily will seem familiar to some as she is a descendant of the Thunderfoot tribe, the same tribe as the iconic T. Hawk who was first seen in Super Street Fighter II. Small but mighty, Lily speaks with the spirits of nature at her home in the vibrant Thunderfoot Settlement and defeats enemies with her ferocious Condor Dive, Condor Spire, and Tomahawk Buster. Condor Wind will grant one Windclad stock, which powers up each of the aforementioned moves. Lily wields her war clubs to barrage opponents in her Level 1 Super Art Breezing Hawk and slams her enemies to the ground with her Level 3 Super Art Raging Typhoon.
Street Fighter 6 is available for pre-order now and represents the next evolution of the Street Fighter series with a combo of unique fighting game innovations and brimming with content across three brand new game modes – Fighting Ground, World Tour, and Battle Hub.
For additional details on the announcement, check out the trailer here on YouTube. More info and assets can be found at the Street Fighter 6 website
At today’s State of Play Event held by Sony, Larian Studios announced via a new gameplay trailer that Baldur’s Gate 3 will ship on PlayStation 5, PC and Mac on Aug. 31, 2023.
Larian’s latest Baldur’s Gate 3 trailer gave players their first glimpse at one of the next-gen RPG’s as-yet-unseen antagonists, General Ketheric Thorm, a seemingly invincible necromancer leading an army of the dead towards the eponymous city of Baldur’s Gate – and voiced by none other than acclaimed character actor J.K. Simmons.
“Ketheric is a man with complex ambitions and motivations, so in searching for his voice, we knew we needed to work with a renowned character actor who could deliver the kind of nuanced performance we were looking for – so we decided to cast J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Spider-Man). While we expected it, we were still amazed at how much his performance helped deepen the character. We’ll introduce you to two more antagonists over the coming months – keep an eye out,” explained Larian creative director Swen Vincke in a post on the PlayStation Blog.
Here’s a peek inside the recording booth with J.K. Simmons as Ketheric Thorm:
The latest Baldur’s Gate 3 trailer also includes several gameplay-related reveals:
Split-screen Co-op: Play with up to two players on one PS5 using split-screen co-op, or play online with up to four players!
Controller Support:Baldur’s Gate 3 has only supported mouse-and-keyboard gameplay during early access on Steam, but the new trailer provides a first look at what to expect from full controller support at launch.
Finally, the PlayStation Blog post went into detail about the offerings from Baldur’s Gate 3‘s Deluxe Edition and the Collector’s Edition, both available to pre-order for PS5 via the PlayStation Store.
All early access players on PC (including anyone who purchases the game between now and release) have been automatically upgraded to the Deluxe Edition.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Deluxe Edition
This fully digital Deluxe Edition of Baldur’s Gate 3 contains:
Playable Bard Song Pack featuring songs from Divinity: Original Sin 2
Exclusive in-game dice skin
An Adventurer’s Pouch containing supplies to help you get your journey started
Digital downloads of the Baldur’s Gate 3 Original Soundtrack, artbook and character sheets
72-hours early access to Act I of Baldur’s Gate 3 beginning Aug. 28, 2023 [PS5]
As well as this pack of items inspired by the BAFTA Award-winning Divinity: Original Sin II:
Mask of the Shapeshifter: Allows you to change race and appearance on the fly, inspired by Fane
Cape of the Red Prince: Cloak inspired by the Red Prince
Lute of the Merryweather Bard: Playable instrument inspired by Lohse
Needle of the Outlaw Rogue: Dagger inspired by Sebille
Bicorne of the Sea Beast: Headgear inspired by Beast
Paintings from Rivellon: Discover a new collection of paintings across the Forgotten Realms
Baldur’s Gate 3 Collector’s Edition
Each Collector’s Edition contains:
A digital copy of Baldur’s Gate 3 Deluxe Edition
Custom sticker sheet
25cm Mind Flayer vs. Drow battle diorama
160-page hardcover art book
Cloth map of Faerûn
Set of D&D-inspired origin character sheets
Metal tadpole keyring
Magic: The Gathering booster pack
Custom-engraved metal d20, plus an in-game version!
Certificate of authenticity
By pre-ordering the Collector’s Edition, players will also receive the contents of the Deluxe Edition, which for PlayStation 5 players also includes 72-hours early access to Act I of Baldur’s Gate 3 at launch. All pre-orders will ship in time for launch.
More information on Baldur’s Gate 3 is available on the official website. You can stay up to date with the latest Larian Studios news via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and the official Discord Server.
Relic Entertainment™, Inc. and SEGA Europe Limited are excited to announce that Company of Heroes™ 3, the highly anticipated third installment in the beloved strategy franchise, is officially out now on PC on Steam!
Since Company of Heroes 3 is the biggest launch in the series’ history, we’ve joined forces with some of our greatest community members to produce a hefty 23 brand new tutorial videos, covering everything from combat fundamentals, intermediate techniques, and advanced techniques like breaching and countering.
Longtime Company of Heroes content creator SkippyFX pours over the basics of issuing commands to your units, how to hold onto victory points for dear life, and the strategic importance of capturing airfields. CoH tournament caster StormlessUK covers the subtle art of using the right tank for the right job, how to position them for maximum armor value, and how to smash new routes for your infantry.
Meanwhile, covering more intermediate tactics, content creator Elpern explains how CoH3’s Veterancy system rewards your most persistent units, or how upgrades can turn basic units into specialized threats, like the flamethrower-wielding Royal Engineer.
Last but not least, content creator Tightrope shows players how to counter every possible threat at a strategic or tactical level, including defensive anti-tank units and deadly eagle-eyed snipers.
Check out all these tutorials now to help get you started on your journey across the Italian Dynamic Campaign, the North African Operation, or your next multiplayer match in Company of Heroes 3.
For more information about Company of Heroes 3, head to www.companyofheroes.com, where players can also sign up for CoH-Development – Relic’s community feedback platform. You can follow the game on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. For more information about SEGA Europe, log on to www.sega.co.uk and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube on Twitter.
Fresh off an appearance as part of IGN Fan Fest 2023, Offworld Industries, in collaboration with Sony Pictures Consumer Products, are excited to bring fans an all-new look at Starship Troopers: Extermination. The time is coming for players to do their part and enlist as part of the elite Deep Space Vanguard. Get a look at some new gameplay and prepare for the hectic action of fighting against the Arachnid threat in this United Citizen Federation recruitment trailer! The 12-player, squad-based co-op FPS inspired by the 1997 film will arrive in Steam Early Access on PC in 2023.
Starship Troopers: Extermination puts players on the far-off front lines in an all-out assault against the Arachnid menace. Squad up as a Trooper in the Deep Space Vanguard, an elite Special Forces group within the Mobile Infantry. And get ready to stomp some Bug because no Trooper will ever stand alone as they line up shoulder-to-shoulder with their fellow Vanguards—trusty Morita Assault Rifles in hand—to battle against hordes of bloodthirsty insectoid aliens on the hostile surface of the planet Valaka.
Work together to complete objectives, acquire resources, build and defend your base of operations, and then escape to the extraction point together. The battle will be intense but, as hardened warriors standing for all of humanity and the United Citizen Federation, leave no inch of ground safe for the Arachnids!
Suit up and ship out, Troopers! After all, the only good Bug is a dead Bug!
Key Features:
Cooperative Gameplay – 12 players can team up in squads of four to defend their base, complete objectives, gather resources, and try to kill every Bug in sight.
Three Playable Classes – Choose from Assault, Support, and Defense classes to best suit your playstyle and support the rest of your squad.
Build Defenses – Construct walls, towers, ammo stations, and more using resources acquired from planetside refineries.
Class Progression System – Unlock new weapons, equipment, and perks for each class to become an elite warfighter among the Deep Space Vanguard.
5 Unique Bug Types –At Early Access launch, encounter Drone, Warrior, Gunner, Plasma Grenadier, and Tiger Elite enemy Bugs during missions.
Escalating Infestation Levels – Increasing Bug threat levels during missions bring bigger and more dangerous enemies to the fight.
Large-scale Battles – A massive map with five unique zones, and swarm-based combat with hundreds of enemy Bugs on screen delivers the sense of an overwhelming planetary war.
Ground War – Retake bases and refineries, destroy hives, and complete a variety of side objectives to wrest control of the map away from the Bug menace.
Ping system – Communication is key! The ‘Ping’ system gives players a quick and easy way to call out points of interest, objectives, incoming enemies, and more to teammates
