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.
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."
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.
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 ConcordBeta 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.
(Image credit: Firewalk Studios)
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
Amazon Prime Day 2024 is almost here and to celebrate the annual event, Amazon is giving away three more PC games free of charge for Prime subscribers.
The 10th Prime Day kicks off on July 16 and will run until July 17, and during this time, those with an Amazon Prime membership will be able to claim three free games and keep them for good.
These games are exclusive to the Epic Games Store and include Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Chivalry 2, and Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, which comes with the base game and all Season Pass content, like the Blood Ties and Lara's Nightmare stories.
Each game will become available for a limited time on July 16 at 12am PT / 3am ET, and members will have 48 hours to claim them.
Alongside these freebies, members can also still claim Prime Day’s Prime Gaming Lead-up titles which were revealed last month, including games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 – The Sith Lords, Forager, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge.
If you're not a Prime member, you can currently claim a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime to get access to this year's Prime Day deals. Just like a regular membership, you'll get access to a ton of discounts, including savings on free delivery and access to other Amazon services like Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Gaming, and more.
After claiming the 30-day trial, you can cancel any time you want to avoid paying the regular fee the following month, which is $14.99 / £8.99 per month.
According to a new report from Insider Gaming, which has now been corroborated by Windows Central, the 2023 Call of Duty title will be the first of the currently released games in the first-person shooter series to arrive on the subscription service.
It's also understood that Microsoft intends to make a formal announcement soon, perhaps even this week and will seemingly tie in to the recent news of the Xbox Game Pass price surge.
The company confirmed that it will increase the subscription tiers for every membership, including Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Game Pass Core and PC Game Pass. It will also introduce a brand-new membership tier called 'Standard' that doesn’t include day one releases.
Massive Entertainment has shared brand-new details about Star Wars Outlaws' planets and revealed just how big they actually are.
In a recent interview with IGN, creative director at Massive Entertainment Julian Gerighty, and game director Mathias Karlson offered new insight into the planetary designs of their upcoming open-world Star Wars game and were able to confirm how traversal works in the galaxy far, far away.
According to Gerighty, the first moon that you visit in the game, Toshara, will take "four or five minutes nonstop" to cross in completion on your speeder and compared the size of the game's maps to Assassin's Creed Odyssey's zones, but combined together.
"It was less about how big, but more about how long in terms of traversal with the speeder it would be,” Gerighty explained. "[Toshara takes] four or five minutes nonstop, which doesn't sound like a lot, but once you're committed it's a fairly large amount and you are always going to be distracted.
"Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which was one of the games that we were looking at while creating this, you have different zones on the map [...][Toshara is] two or three of those put together."
It was also said that every planet in Outlaws varies in scale, but that Toshara is roughly the same size as the jungle planet of Akiva, but slightly smaller than the iconic planet, Tatooine.
In the same interview, we also learned that the game will have a fog of war over every map and that every planet won't feature icons or markers on maps until the player explores.
Star Wars Outlaws is scheduled to release on August 30 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with pre-orders now available. While Outlaws will be a single-player game, players can also expect two narrative expansions to arrive post-launch, including one that has already been revealed as "a Day 1 exclusive mission", called Jabba’s Gambit.
Star Wars Outlawswill feature a fog of war that will cover the game's many maps.
Ahead of its launch next month, Massive Entertainment has revealed all-new details about what to expect from its open-world, action-adventure Star Wars game, including how traversal works and what maps will look like.
Speaking in a new interview with IGN, game director Mathias Karlson explained that when the players first touch down on a new planet, it's up to them to discover the sights for themselves. This means that the map won't be littered with map icons or information, something that is usually present in most Ubisoft titles, such as the publisher's Assassin's Creed games.
"Kay [the playable character] hasn't seen the galaxy, she doesn't know everything," Karlson said. "The first time you come to Toshara you'll have a map where you can see mountains over there and stuff, but discovery is what gives you more information."
Julian Gerighty, creative director at Massive Entertainment, added that this means that planets and their respective maps will have a fog of war and that through further exploring the player will slowly uncover more and more.
"You're going to have to take some risks," said Gerighty. "You're going to have to go to a cantina [...] and you can eavesdrop and pick up on some conversations that will lead you to another location that reveals a location within the open world that you have to get on your speeder to go and find. And there will be a fog of war that you'll be able to clear up and that's really where your curiosity will open things up even more."
Star Wars Outlaws launches on August 30, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Pre-orders are also now available. The game will be a single-player experience, but players can expect two additional expansions that will arrive post-launch, one of which is called Jabba’s Gambit - "a Day 1 exclusive mission" featuring the iconic crime lord.
Elden Ringis an enormous game and - in true FromSoftware fashion - has reams of dialogue, item descriptions, and environmental details for lore heads to obsess over. Surely it'd be wonderful if all that detail was immediately to hand in a comprehensive book, right?
That's where Grace Given: The Mythology of Elden Ring comes in, a 500-page lore book published by Tune & Fairweather, penned by popular Soulsborne lore YouTuber Geoff 'SmoughTown' Truscott, and featuring eye-popping works by artists like MenasLG, Chris Lewis Lee, Shimhaq and Elliott Wells.
Arise now, ye Tarnished...Introducing Grace Given: The Mythology of Elden Ring.A lavish, 500+ page appraisal of the most ambitious RPG in video game history, written by beloved Elden Ring lore expert Geoff "SmoughTown" Truscott.Pre-orders are now open. pic.twitter.com/Jrxbp1coiNJuly 10, 2024
The book's pre-order page is live now, and it'll help you get a better idea of just how premium a project it is. Top edge-gilded pages, flocked velvet slipcase, and hundreds of pages featuring in-depth lore detail and tons of gorgeously crafted artwork - it seems to be a fitting collector's item for the most dedicated Tarnished.
And then there's the price tag, which is as eye-watering as the fate of General Radahn. Expect to pay $279 / £215 for the base collector's edition (pre-orders of which are open until August 10, 2024). A nicer limited edition, bound in genuine leather and including a signed collectible art print, can be pre-ordered for $773 / £602. Lastly, there's also the Benefactor edition which includes all previous goodies and a page dedicated to the names of those who purchased it. This will run you $1,104 / £860. A pricey package all around, then.
It's an expensive piece of merch, to be sure, but it does look to be a very high-quality product. Fancy bells and whistles aside, I can personally vouch for creator SmoughTown's content for its informative and highly entertaining nature. Plus, the store page is already showing off plenty of high-quality artwork which leads me to believe that those who can afford it will undoubtedly have a real page-turner on their hands.
A full Civilization 7 gameplay reveal is happening in August 2024, with the specific date yet to be confirmed. We'll likely hear more sooner rather than later, so be sure to check back in to see what was shown off.
Civilization 7 has been officially revealed. At present, we don't have a whole lot to go on about the next installment in the strategy game series, though this is set to change in the coming weeks, as a gameplay reveal is planned for August. Thanks to a short teaser trailer, we now know roughly when the game is coming out, and what platforms it'll be available on.
While there's still plenty we don't know about Civilization 7 yet, the franchise's pedigree makes it one of the more exciting upcoming games to watch out for and certainly gives it a good chance at giving the games on our best PC strategy games list a run for their money.
Here's everything we know about Civilization 7 so far, including a look at the release year, the platforms it's coming to, and some info on when we're likely to see gameplay. As new details are released, this page will be updated.
Civ 7 - cut to the chase
What is it? The newest entry into the long-running strategy series
When does it come out? TBC 2025
What can I play it on? PS5, PS4, XSX|S, XBO, PC, Switch
Who's making it? Firaxis (Civ, XCOM)
Civilization 7 release year and platforms
(Image credit: Firaxis)
Civilization 7 will launch in 2025. This was confirmed alongside the game's announcement at the Summer Game Fest 2024 event. As for platforms, Civ 7 is coming to PS5, PS4, XSX|S, XBO, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Civilization 7 trailers
So far, we've only seen one trailer for Civilization 7. It's a short teaser that shows characters through different ages of history. It all culminates in the launch of a space shuttle before the release year is given. Not too much to go off of yet, but still, it's very nice to have the franchise back after a nine-year wait.
While we wait for more on Civilization 7, it's worth keeping an eye on the game's official YouTube channel. This is likely where new trailers will be posted, after which we'll be sure to update this section.
Civilization 7 gameplay - when will we see it?
(Image credit: Firaxis Games)
As teased at the end of the first Civilization 7 trailer, we'll be getting a full gameplay reveal in August 2024. We don't know exactly what will be shown, but according to the game's official website:
"Rule as one of many legendary leaders from throughout history. Establish your civilization, construct cities and architectural wonders to expand your territory, conquer or cooperate with rival civilizations in pursuit of prosperity, and explore the far reaches of the unknown world. Will you build an empire that stands the test of time?"
Seems like your standard Civ gameplay loop to us, but there will no doubt be a whole host of modern touches and upgrades to enjoy in this new entry. We'll likely get the specific gameplay reveal date sooner rather than later, so be sure to check back in for more.
Civ 7: FAQs
(Image credit: Firaxis)
Can you pre-order Civ 7?
Civilization 7 is currently not available for pre-order. You can wishlist it though, on your preferred platform of choice. Head here for more info on how to do so.
Who is developing Civilization 7?
Civilization 7 is being developed by Firaxis Games, who most recently worked on Marvel's Midnight Suns. They specialize in turn-based strategy, having also worked on the Civ and XCOM series. Don't worry, the new Civ entry is very much in safe hands.
Civilization 7 news
Gameplay reveal to be aired in August
While the initial trailer for Civilization 7 left a fair bit to the imagination, we won't have to wait long to see the game in action. A full gameplay reveal is set for August, hopefully giving us a look at some of this entry's new features.
Civilization 7 revealed
A brand new Civ game was revealed as part of Summer Game Fest 2024. A short teaser was shown, with platforms and a release year of 2025 shown.
A strange, horror-themed teaser for a project named 'Emio' has suddenly appeared across Nintendo's YouTube and social media channels.
Accompanied by the hashtag "#WhoIsEmio", the bizarre 15-second teaser is already creating speculation that the famously family-friendly company might just be developing (or at the very least publishing) a mature horror game.
The age-restricted teaser gives very little away and certainly shows no gameplay. A human figure wearing a paper bag over their head sporadically appears on screen, with several jump cuts highlighting various features like the bag, their coat, and hands. The Japanese text for 'Emio' - meaning to laugh or smile - is then shown at the end.
The Nintendo Switch splash screen at the beginning of the teaser shows that this is indeed a Switch-related project, and the ESRB 'Mature' rating indicates that it will in all likelihood be a game.
Nintendo is no stranger to inserting darker or mature themes in its games, but it famously strays from developing games that would require anything more than a 'Teen' (or PEGI 12) rating. In fact, there are only a handful of 'Mature' rated games Nintendo has published - including Bayonetta 3, Devil's Third on the Wii U, and GameCube cult classic Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem.
Whether 'Emio' is a project developed internally at Nintendo - or just something the company is publishing - remains to be seen. That said, the game has a bespoke landing page over on Nintendo's Japanese website, lending weight to the idea that this could well be an internally developed project.
We'll be keeping a very close eye on the game as more details are revealed. A Nintendo-developed horror game is an extremely enticing prospect, especially given the company's often-tactful deployment of mature themes in otherwise family-friendly titles.
Microsoft has introduced sweeping changes to the tiers and pricing model of its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.
As of today (July 10), Xbox Game Pass subscription tiers have seen price increases across the board for new members. The monthly fee for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate - the all-in-one tier that also packs in PC Game Pass, EA Play, and more - has risen from $16.99 / £12.99 to $19.99 / £14.99. If you're currently on recurring billing for your subscription, the price increases will take effect from September 12. Further details are available on the relevant Xbox support page.
Meanwhile, a 12-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Core (that's the standard Xbox Game Pass library with online play included) has shot up from $59.99 / £49.99 to $74.99 / £55.99. US players will feel particularly stung there, no doubt. Thankfully, it looks like Core's per-month price has remained the same. The breakdown of price increases by country - including further price increases to PC Game Pass - can be viewed in Microsoft's official documentation.
Additionally, Windows Central reports that Xbox Game Pass for Console has been phased out for new users (though existing subscribers aren't being affected). In its place, a new Xbox Game Pass 'Standard' tier is being introduced soon. This will have most of Game Pass's bells and whistles sans the inclusion of day-one titles. Microsoft says Xbox Game Pass Standard will arrive "in the coming months," and the US price has been revealed to be $14.99 (around £12.99) per month.
Xbox Game Pass Standard seems to be something of a halfway house between the Core and Ultimate subscription tiers. On the support page, Microsoft states that: "Some games available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on day one will not be immediately available with Xbox Game Pass Standard and may be added to the library at a future date."
The PlayStation Portal is reportedly the best-selling accessory in the US for 2024.
The latest from Mat Piscatella, executive director and video game industry advisor at Circana, via PlayStation Lifestyle, who reports that eight months after its release, the official remote player for the PlayStation 5 has continued to sell well in the US markets.
It's doing so well, in fact, that according to Circana, the PlayStation Portal was the best-selling accessory in dollar sales for both May and 2024 year-to-date.
The continued success of the PlayStation Portal follows earlier statements from Sony, which previously said that the sales for its handheld exceeded its own expectations.
Earlier this year, PlayStation’s VP of product management Hiromi Wakai told Gamefile that the PS Portal is a niche product meant for people with specific needs.
May spending on Accessories dropped 8% when compared to a year ago to $148M. Headset and Headphone spending growth 10% in May when compared to a year ago was offset by a 12% dip in Gamepad spending.July 8, 2024
"From the beginning, PlayStation Portal was intended to be a product best suited for people with specific needs and those who want to play in a specific way, so the reactions after the announcement were very much within our expectations," Wakai said at the time.
Wakai added that the Portal’s popularity helping Sony in "shipping more units consistently", and that "We will continue to bring more units to the market."
In TechRadar Gaming's five-star review, Managing Editor Rob Dwiar called the device "a tremendous success" and a "brilliant evolution in Remote Play", and said it offers "a smooth and stable way to play your PlayStation 5 library in your hands..."
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