Nintendo has officially unveiled Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club, the next game in the Famicom Detective Club series.

Emio - The Smiling Man, the first new entry in the series in over 30 years, is coming to Nintendo Switch on August 29 and was teased last week with a cryptic trailer along with our first look at the titular Emio character.

Thanks to a brand-new trailer, we now know that the game will be a horror game where players must investigate a brutal death and its connection to an urban legend as a member of the Utsugi Detective Agency.

"A student has been found dead! His head was covered with a paper bag with an eerie smiling face drawn on it - much like the victims of Emio, the Smiling Man - a killer of urban legend who is said to place such a bag over his victims’ heads," the synopsis reads.

"As an assistant private investigator, you are tasked with helping police solve this crime, which is reminiscent of a series of unsolved murders from 18 years ago. Has a serial killer returned, or is this the work of a copycat? Are these crimes inspired by the Smiling Man story, or the origin of it?"

Familiar characters from the Famicom Detective Club series will also make a return, including the protagonist from previous games, as well as Ayumi Tachibana, who will now be playable "in certain sections of the game" for the first time.

The first two games, The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind, were released for the Famicom Disk System 30 years ago. The team behind the series are currently working on Nintendo Switch remakes for both.

Series producer and writer, Yoshio Sakamoto, also shared some insight into the creation of Emio - The Smiling Man in the latest trailer. According to the developer, while working on the remakes in 2021, he wanted to expand the series with a brand-new game.

Sakamoto explained that the urban legend was a culmination of everything he and his colleagues learned and the ideas they've accumulated from working on the previous games and their remakes.

"It's the result of a lot of deep creative conversations and work with the intention to go all out on the screenplay and animations," Sakamoto said. "I'm confident in saying that this is the Famicom Detective Club series at its best."

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Modern Warfare 3's next update is Season 5, a sizeable new season refresh that adds in everything from fresh Battle Pass content to new weapons and maps. So far, plenty has been revealed about the upcoming season, which is set to launch this week.

In terms of what to expect from Modern Warfare 3 in the coming months, there are changes to Warzone, as well as updates to the game's ongoing weapon meta. The Modern Warfare 3 best weapons will likely change quite a bit once the new guns arrive, so it's worth reading up on the new ones that are set to arrive.

Here's when to expect Modern Warfare 3 Season 5, as well as some info on the new weapons, maps, and modes that'll arrive alongside it. As we get closer to launch day, we'll be sure to update this page with everything that's going to be added. For now though, here's what we know about the next season of Modern Warfare 3.

Modern Warfare 3 Season 5 release date

Activision has now confirmed that Modern Warfare 3 Season 5 will launch July 24 at around 9am PT / 12am ET / 5pm GMT. Just be sure to relaunch the game, which will hopefully trigger the update on your chosen platform.

Modern Warfare 3 Season 5 update - new maps, modes, and more

There's a decent chunk of content being added to Modern Warfare 3 as part of the Season 5 update. Below, you'll find a list of the main talking points, including the maps, weapons, and modes coming soon. For a full breakdown, head to the Call of Duty blog.

• New Guns - New assault rifle, Static-HV (SMG), Spear (Melee), Torque 35 (Bow), EMP Grenade
• New Maps - Bait, Yard, Celship, Toonoxide, Ink-House
• New Modes - Slam Deathmatch, Arcade, COD Warrior, Fishfection, Paintball, Defuse or 
• Warzone - Modes: Superstore Resurgence (Urzikstan), Supreme Resurgence (Rebirth Island). Features: Redeployable Drone Beacon Field Upgrade, Bounty Contest Public Event, Elite Contracts, Recon Flyover Public Event. Map Update: Superstore Point of Interest.
• New Operators - Valeria, Rhea Ripley, Ivan
• Events - Conquest, Wildlife Most Wanted, Echo Endo Live!, Emotional Overdrive
• Store - WWE: Cody Rhodes, Rey Mysterio
• Final Story Mission

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Ubisoft has confirmed Assassin's Creed Shadows will feature romance options for its dual protagonists.

That's according Shadows' associate narrative director, Brooke Davies, in a new interview with JorRaptor, who was able to verify that the mechanic will make its return after being noticeably absent from the series' most recent game, Assassin's Creed Mirage (via GamesRadar).

Davies explained, however, that romance this time around will play out much differently considering there are two playable characters in this tale, Naoe and Yasuke. 

While Odyssey and Valhalla allowed you to romance the same character no matter which protagonist you chose to play as, Naoe and Yasuke's relationship will be more unique to their individual stories, and will also feature platonic relationships that will develop over the course of the game.

"I think something that's unique in Shadows is we're going to have some more developed relationships," Davies said. "A chance to really get close to people, get to know people, all sorts of different relationships for Naoe and Yasuke to explore.

"So it's not like a dating simulator," Davies continued. "We do have really more serious relationships, a long-term relationship, to develop."

The developer also added that there will be "lighter romances", too, "but you get to know some of these people quite well and pursue something." We've yet to learn about these characters just yet, but it's mentioned by JorRaptor that the game could potentially allow you to progress relationship through branching questlines, similiar to Odyssey.

We recently learned that Shadows will also feature a knockout mechanic that will allow for an optional pacifist playthrough, as well as an open-world with changing seasons that impact combat and traversal.

Assassin's Creed Shadows launches on November 15 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna, and PC.

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PlayStation Store's Summer Sale is officially here, offering big discounts on some of the best games.

The annual Summer Sale is back this month with hundreds of titles now on offer for users across PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Running until August 14, this year's promotion includes discounts on a total of 4,770 items on the US PlayStation store and 4,520 items on the UK PlayStation Store, although some offers will be removed prior to the sale's end date.

Some of the best discounts also apply to some of our favorite games available on PlayStation, including the critically acclaimed role-playing game from FromSoftware, Elden Ring which is now priced at $41.99 / £34.99. 

This offer only applies to the base game, however, so you'll need to pay full price for the recently released Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.

Other games on offer also include 2023's best horror games, Resident Evil 4 and Alan Wake 2, and fantastic Soulslike Lies of P. There are also featured titles that have been released this year, such as one of the best fighting games you can play right now, Tekken 8, and even Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

You can take a look at some of our recommended discounts below:

• Elden Ring - $41.99 / £34.99 (-30%)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 - $19.79 / £18.14 (-67%)
• Grand Theft Auto 5: Premium Edition - $14.99 / £14.99 (-50%)
• Grand Theft Auto 5 (PS5) - $19.99 / £17.49 (-50%)
• Tekken 8 - $39.99 / £39.89 (-43%)
• Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth Twin Pack - $74.99 / £71.24 (-25%)
• Resident Evil 4 - $29.99 / £26.24 (-25%)
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - $31.49 / £31.49 (-55%)
• Alan Wake 2 - $38.99 / £32.49 (-35%)
• Lies of P - $35.99 / £29.99 (-40%)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - $38.49 / £38.49 (-45%)

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Nintendo is set to launch an official Joy-Con charging stand, but it looks like it'll only be available in Japan - at least initially.

Spotted by Nintendo Life, the charging stand is available to pre-order now at the official Japanese My Nintendo Store, and it's listed at 3,300 yen - or roughly $21 / £16. It's scheduled to launch on October 17 in the region.

The purpose of the charging stand is to be able to charge up your Joy-Con controllers without them needing to be attached to the Nintendo Switch handheld. Now, any USB-C connection will do the trick. What's more, the central charging unit can also be detached from the stand; potentially useful if you want to carry on playing while the controllers are charging.

"You can easily charge the Joy-Con at any time without having to attach it to the Nintendo Switch console," reads the translated store page description. "This is recommended for those who have multiple Joy-Cons, such as when you want to charge the number of Joy-Cons for everyone to play games such as the Mario Party series or Nintendo Switch Sports together, or when you want to charge Joy-Cons that you are not using while playing in portable mode. It can also charge the Family Computer Controller for Nintendo Switch."

It does seem a little baffling that Nintendo would wait more than seven years to release an official charging stand. Especially so when third-party charging stands from the likes of PowerA exist and came out close to the console's 2017 launch window.

But this may support rumors surrounding the upcoming (and tentatively named) Nintendo Switch 2. Specifically, the rumor that it'll have revamped Joy-Con controllers that magnetically attach to the console, rather than the rail system we have on the current Switch. As such, this charging stand could allow older Joy-Con controllers to remain usable with the Switch's successor if they can't be attached to the console itself.

Time will tell, of course. But it's certainly very interesting as to why Nintendo chose now, of all times, to release such an accessory.

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PlayStation users can now grab a three-month Apple TV+ subscription for free.

Starting today (July 18), PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 users will have until September 22 to redeem a three-month extended free trial for Apple TV.

Unfortunately, the deal is only valid for "new and qualified returning subscribers" to Apple TV+ and also limited to one offer per PlayStation device, account for PlayStation Network and Apple ID.

After claiming the offer, members will be able to watch Apple TV programs through the Apple TV app on their PS4 or PS5 console, including popular series like Severance, Presumed Innocent, Dark Matter, Sugar, Masters of the Air, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and more.

The subscription service also offers a big collection of films too, such as Napoleon, Killers of the Flower Moon, and more.

If you're claiming the free trial, you'll need to be sure to cancel your membership before the three months are up, otherwise you'll be charged on the next renewal date. 

Here are instructions on how to redeem your offer:

• Find the Apple TV app in the TV and Video section on PS4 console or in the Media Home on PS5 console.
• Download and open the Apple TV app and follow the on-screen instructions.
• Sign in with or create your Apple ID.
• Enjoy your 3 month extended trial of Apple TV+.

Elsewhere, the PlayStation Portal appears to be doing well, as recent reports indicate that its now the best-selling accessory in the US for 2024. Eight months after its release, the official remote player for the PS5 has exceeded Sony's expectations, with PlayStation’s VP of product management Hiromi Wakai saying the Portal’s popularity is helping Sony in "shipping more units consistently".

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Microsoft has revealed the next batch of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass this week.

Among the collection of games joining the subscription service are Flock and Magical Delicacy, both of which launched today (July 16) and are now available as day one titles. 

From publisher Annapurna Interactive and developer Hollow Ponds, Flock is a multiplayer co-op game about the joy of flight and collecting adorable flying creatures with your friends. 

Magical Delicacy is another indie game, this times from Whitethorn Digital, and pixel art platformer, with a witchy twist. Players must cook magical foods from a vast collection of ingredients in their own shop, and as they explore an unfamiliar town, they'll also be tasked with delivering their creations to the townsfolk.

Game Pass members can also look forward to three more games arriving later this week, starting with Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn on July 18, an action-RPG about killing gods. 

Dungeons of Hinterberg, also releasing on July 18, is another colorful action-RPG, blended with social simulation elements, and finally, there's Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, an action-strategy game developed and published by Capcom set to release on July 19.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, Dungeons of Hinterberg, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, will all be available day one on Game Pass. You can take a look at the full list of games arriving this week below.

New games coming to Xbox Game Pass:

• Magical Delicacy (Cloud, Console, and PC) - Now available
• Flock (Cloud, Console, and PC) - Now available
• Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – July 18
• Dungeons of Hinterberg (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – July 18
• Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 19

As with every new drop, there are also a number of games leaving the service by the end of the month. Members can pick these up for up to 20% off before they go.

Xbox Game Pass titles leaving July 31:

• A Short Hike (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Train Sim World 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Venba (Cloud, Console, and PC)

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A BioShock 4 screenshot has apparently leaked online, giving us what could be our first look at the game since its announcement.

First spotted by MP1st, the in-game screenshot seems to provide us with our first clear look at developer Cloud Chamber's next entry - codenamed Parkside - in the BioShock series.

According to the report, the screengrab is from an early demo build of the game featured in a 2021 showcase reel. In it, we can see a simple HUD with an ability wheel in the bottom left with LB and RB icons indicating certain actions. By their respective designs, it looks as if there could be powers relating to magnetism and lighting, as well a compass mechanic.

There's also a health bar, and what could be a Plasmid, Vigor, or power bar of sorts, along with another icon that looks like a sand timer which could correlate to a power the player will have; perhaps something to do with time.

As for the weapon, the text in the bottom right identifies it as a "Ricochet Shotgun" with blue glowing elements.

The rest of the visuals are little less clear, but we can clearly see a tall glowing structure, or a tower, with what looks to be a statue of the sun on top. It's certainly reminiscent of the lighthouses from the opening scenes of the first BioShock games, which play significant roles in their prologue's and where the player ends up.

Considering the game is still in active development, assets are very likely to be a work-in-progress and we can expect a lot to potentially change before the full reveal. 

We don't have a release date for BioShock 4 just yet, but Cloud Chamber recently confirmed that it was "ramping up" development after sharing a set of new job listings.

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Baldur's Gate 3's long-awaited Patch 7 gets new details ahead of its September release.

Larian Studios has today released Community Update #28, wherein it provided new information about the next major patch for its popular role-playing game. 

Although it couldn't reveal a specific launch date in the post, the developer did offer a deeper look into what players can expect when it does arrive later this year, such as split screen updates, bug fixes, and the previously announced official modding toolkit.

The latest post is quite lengthy, but among the most notable mentions is that of the promised additional evil endings for Dark Urge. Larian explained that Patch 7 will bring "several new cinematics that offer your more evil playthroughs a grander finale" that will adhere to both avatar Origin characters, as well as Dark Urge, and the paths they take. 

Unfortunately, the studio wasn't able to provide too many juicy details, but did share two animated gifs teasing two different endings.

Dynamic split screen mode is also coming to Baldur's Gate 3 with Patch 7. This feature will soon give players the option to gave split screens merge into a single screen when they are near each other; no longer forcing them to stick to their side of the partition.

Honour Mode will also see combat improvements in the form of additional Legendary Actions for creatures, and the upcoming modding toolkit will offer players the ability to edit or create entirely new content.

Larian is asking mod authors to register for a chance to take part in the Patch 7 Closed Beta, which goes live on July 22, for additional playtesting.

Every Origin character will receive updates, too. Warning: Spoilers ahead! 

First, there's Wyll, who will get a ton of fixes to his dialogue reactivity and romance scenes after much feedback from players. 

"If you’ve experienced issues triggering the romance scene with Wyll, this update will fix that," Larian explained. "Should your relationship be headed in that direction, the cutscene in question will now trigger when you speak to Wyll at camp before your Long Rest."

Tav's facial animations will also be improved when your smooching ascended Astarion, and tweaks will be implemented to how Origin characters react in some cutscenes, to enhance their emotional impact. For example, companions will show Astarion more empathy when he loses his ability to withstand sunlight.

Karlach will now react to Dammon if she finds him dead, among other bug fixes, and Gale's magical item donation UI has also been improved and will show all items eligible for donation - including those on your person, your party’s inventories, and your Traveller’s Chest.

Larian has also tweaked a few make-out session scenes for Shadowheart, fixed a broken romance cutscene, smoothed out a kissing animation that would kick in before a dialogue option was chosen, and even polished up the neck kissing.

Patch 7 won’t be the final update for Baldur’s Gate 3, as Larian is still working on implementing community-requested features like crossplay and a photo mode to the game, among other enhancements. Although we currently don't know when these features will arrive.

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The dates for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's multiplayer Open Beta have been revealed.

Ahead of the launch of the next major Call of Duty title, Activision has shared that it will be holding two Beta tests in the lead-up to the release that will allow players the chance to experience the game's multiplayer and its features.

In a new community post, the publisher confirmed that the Black Ops 6 will receive two Beta weekends, the first being Early Access, for players who have pre-ordered the game on PC. 

The second Open Beta will begin a week later and will be available for all players on all platforms simultaneously. You can take a look at the release dates and times below.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - Open Beta release dates:

Weekend One: Early Access (PC pre-order)

• August 30 at 10am PT / 6pm BST - September 4 at 10am PT / 6pm BST

Weekend Two: Open Beta - (All platforms)

• September 6 at 10am PT / 6pm BST - September 9 at 10am PT / 6pm BST

Activision has also shared some extra details about what to expect in the multiplayer Beta sessions.

Players who have pre-ordered the Vault Edition will be able to play as any of the four available Operators from the Hunters vs. Hunted Operator Pack - Park, Adler, Brutus, or Klaus - and also test out the five weapons from the Mastercraft Weapon Collection.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is set to launch on October 25 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Microsoft has already confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will arrive on Xbox Game Pass day one for all members when it launches later this year, which will make it the first new game in the series to be brought to the service.

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Cyberpunk 2077's quest director Paweł Sasko has revealed that the sequel is being worked on by former modders.

This comes from a recent interview with Flow Games (via PCGamesN), where Sasko, who is now the associate game director of the sequel, explained that Project Orion is made up of a big team and that some developers have their origins in modding.

"Half of the quest team [on the next Cyberpunk] - this is the team that builds the quests which is at 24 people right now - are former modders," Sasko said. "[They come] from Witcher, Cyberpunk, and other games. Błażej Augustynek, who’s a quest director now, was a modder of StarCraft 1 and 2.

"We also have modders in other departments. There’s a small team called Jigsoft that’s composed only of modders. It’s around 20 of them and they’re working with us," he added.

The developer also offered some advice for those looking to get into the business, while also praising the work of the modders out there.

"I always advise young people when they ask how to get into the industry, ‘go and learn how to mod," he said. "There are so many toolkits, so many ways to do it, and some of the best people we have are former modders."

Cyberpunk 2 is a long way away, but we do know that the game is now being worked on by the team of developers responsible for the Phantom Liberty expansion. 

Back in April, CD Projekt Red confirmed that over 400 developers are currently working on Project Polaris aka The Witcher 4, while the remaining 223 team members are spread across other titles like Orion - the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel - Sirius, and Hadar, as well as shared services and "other projects".

The studio just recently released The Witcher 3's official mod editor, almost 10 years after the game's launch, allowing players to create their own experiences in the game by making something completely new or editing existing quests and content.

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Firewalk Studios has revealed the details for Concord's Early Access and Open Beta weekends.

In a new PlayStation Blog, the developer confirmed that the Concord Beta Early Access weekend on PS5 and PC will begin tomorrow, July 12 at 10am PDT / 7pm CEST / 6pm BST and run to July 14. Those on PS5 can pre-download it starting today (July 11).

The game's Open Beta will follow a week later on July 18 at 10am PDT / 7pm CEST / 6pm BST and run through to July 21. Players on PS5 will be able to pre-download the game starting on July 17. 

Additionally, PlayStation Plus members can participate in the Beta Early Access weekend by looking for the option to download and play the trial from the game's store on the console.

Players who pre-order any edition of Concord will also gain access to the Beta Early Access weekend, as well as four extra codes to share with friends. But it's important to note that extra codes will be for the same platform you pre-order the game on. 

Firewalk also confirmed that all 16 of Concord's Freegunners will be unlocked and available to play and customize during the Early Access and Open Beta weekends. 

Three modes, Clash Point, Trophy Hunt, and Cargo Run, will be available to play during the Beta Early Access weekend, as well, which can played in four maps: Freewater, Star Chamber, Water Hazard, and Shock Risk.

The developer explained that when the Open Beta weekend begins, it will then add another mode called Area Control and a new map called Bone Mines. 

Progress will carry over between the weekends, however, progress from either Beta will not carry over to the game's official launch on August 23, 2024.

For participating in both events, players will also receive rewards upon the game's release, including a Frog Weapon Charm - which stands for “From Orbit to Ground”, and is the name of the Northstar’s drop ship - a Star Flare Icon and Business Card.

The PC specifications have also been revealed for the full game in the previously mentioned blog post, along with some features that will be supported during the Beta, which you can read below. 

The Concord Beta will support:

• 4K*
• Ultrawide 21:9*
• Uncapped Framerate*
• KBM and DualSense Controller Support
• Custom Key Mapping
• FSR 3**
• DLSS 3.7**

* Requires a compatible PC and display
** Requires a compatible PC and graphics card

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