Warner Bros. has announced when Mortal Kombat 2, the sequel to 2021's Mortal Kombat film adaptation, will arrive in theaters and IMAX, and it's coming next year. More specifically, Mortal Komat 2 will hit the silver screen on October 24, 2025, meaning we still have about one and a half years to go until we see what's next for these characters.
The first Mortal Kombat movie in this rebooted film series hit theaters on April 23, 2021, and Game Informer had a great time with it – read our 8 out of 10 review to find out why here. Here's hoping we enjoy the sequel just as much, if not more.
Mortal Kombat director Simon McQuoid will return to direct Mortal Kombat 2, and it will be written by a new writer, Jeremy Slater (alongside McQuoid), who wrote Disney's Moon Knight series. Alongside returning cast and characters, The Boys Karl Urban will join the fight as Johnny Cage.
Amazon has ordered a new Tomb Raider TV series to production, and it will be written and produced by Fleabag star and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who also starred in last year's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Like Amazon's Fallout series, this Tomb Raider show will premiere exclusively on Prime Video to more than 240 countries and territories around the world.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena Shaw in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
"With great IP, the possibilities are endless," Amazon Games vice president Christoph Hartmann writes in a press release. "The richness and depth of the fiction allows the Tomb Raider series from Prime Video and the video game from Amazon Games to tell separate stories about Lara Croft's adventures. We're honored that Crystal Dynamics has entrusted Amazon with this iconic franchise, and we're looking forward to seeing where this collaboration takes us."
This is the second upcoming TV adaptation to star the iconic treasure hunter. Netflix's animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, starring Haley Atwell, is set to premiere sometime this year. That particular show is set within the continuity of Crystal Dynamic's reboot trilogy, taking place after the events of Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
If you're curious about Crystal Dynamics' recent Tomb Raider reboot, you can pick up Tomb Raider: Game of the Year Edition on PC via GOG for free if you're an Amazon Prime member throughout May. For more, read Game Informer’s thoughts on the most recent Tomb Raider game in our Shadow of the Tomb Raider review
Sony Interactive Entertainment has revealed in its latest financial earnings report it sold 20.8 million PlayStation 5 units in the fiscal year that ended on March 31. In doing so, Sony sold more than any fiscal year since the console's launch in November 2020. However, despite that achievement, Sony still fell short of its original PS5 sales target for this year, missing it by more than 4 million units.
Originally targeting 25 million units for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, Sony sold 20.8 million, bringing the grand total up to 59 million, despite the 4 million units miss. As noted by VideoGamesChronicle, however, Sony revised that 25 million unit target in February to just 21 million; it still didn't hit that target, though, just narrowly missing the mark.
At 59 million units, the PS5 is just behind the PlayStation 4's 60 million units at the same point in its life cycle. However, Tokyo-based video game analyst Serkan Toto told VGC that 20.8 million units sold is likely going to remain the peak for the PS5, and that this number would have been much lower if not for the release of Helldivers 2 in February, which is PlayStation's fastest-selling game ever after selling 12 million copies in 12 weeks.
On the earnings call, Sony told investors to expect gaming sales to decrease in the fiscal year that just began (and ends March of next year) due to an expected decrease in console sales. There are also no major games from existing franchises releasing between now and then, according to the company. However, Sony says it still plans to release Concord, the new multiplayer online shooter IP from Firewalk Studios coming to PS5 and PC, this year.
Helldivers 2 is PlayStation's fastest-selling game ever, the company has announced in its latest financial earnings call. It achieved this title after crossing 12 million copies sold in 12 weeks, beating out the record previously held by God of War Ragnarök, which sold 11 million copies in 10 weeks, as reported by VideoGamesChronicle.
Developer Arrowhead Game Studios' live-service multiplayer shooter sequel hit PlayStation 5 on February 8, with a simultaneous PC launch that same day, which is new for PlayStation. Its usual PC strategy sees PlayStation games launching on PC years after the game's console release – Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is only just now coming to PC this month, for example. It seems launching on PC day-and-date with PS5 was the right call, though, as Helldivers 2 is now a bonafide hit for PlayStation.
Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Johan Pilestedt celebrated the news, noting there are more Helldivers 2 players than Swedes (the studio is based in Stockholm, Sweden) while thanking players for helping the team and PlayStation reach this achievement.
As announced in the Sony earnings call, we have sold over 12M units!
It's crazy to think that there are more Helldivers than there are Swedes 🤯
What a massive achievement from everyone involved in realizing @Helldivers2. A massive thank you to the community for your support,…
Notably, Arrowhead Game Studios is independent – PlayStation published Helldivers 2 as a PS5 console exclusive, in a way previously referred to as second-party. However, given acquisitions are happening more and more this generation, it wouldn't be surprising if PlayStation attempted to bring Arrowhead Game Studios under the first-party umbrella.
Sony has appointed Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino as dual CEOs of PlayStation, following Jim Ryan's departure from the company this spring; they will begin June 1. Ryan announced he was leaving PlayStation last year, with Sony Group Corporation COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki stepping in as interim CEO following his departure in March. After that brief stint, PlayStation is tackling the CEO position with two figures, each with different focuses.
Hulst has been appointed CEO of SIE's Studio Business Group while Nishino has been appointed CEO of SIE's Platform Business Group. Totoki, now through as interim CEO, will serve as a Chairman of SIE in addition to returning to his role as COO and CFO of Sony Group Corporation. Both Nishino and Hulst will report to Totoki.
"Sony Interactive Entertainment is a dynamic and growing business that delivers incredible entertainment experiences through the connection of content and technology," Totoki writes in a press release. "These two leaders will have clear responsibilities and will manage strategic direction to ensure the focus remains on deepening engagement with existing PlayStation users and expanding experiences to new audiences."
Nishino was the senior vice president of PlayStation's Platform Experience Group, "responsible for developing the experiences and technology with PlayStation products and services," including the PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR2, and PlayStation Network. Sony says in his new CEO position, he will continue to be responsible for technology, products, services, and platform experiences. He will also oversee third party publisher and developer relations and commercial operations, including sales and marketing of hardware, services, and peripherals, the press release reads.
"We will continue to connect players through world-class products, services, and technology," Nishino writes. "We always strive to grow our community even bigger with innovation in every area at Sony Interactive Entertainment. I am honored to be appointed such an important role alongside Hermen. By working more closely together, we will be positioned to build incredible experiences for an ever-expanding audience now and in the future."
Hulst was the senior vice president and PlayStation Studios head, responsible for "developing content across many devices including PlayStation consoles and PCs, and bringing video game IP to new mediums such as film and television through PlayStation Productions." As CEO, Hulst will be responsible for the development, publishing, and business operations of first party content.
"I am thrilled to lead the studio business group and continue to build on our success with PlayStation 5, while preparing for the future," he writes in the press release. "The video game industry is one of the largest entertainment industries in the world and has been built on the marriage of content and technology, and I look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of play and entertainment."
Totoki says in a separate blog post that later this month, players will "learn more about the long-term vision for Sony Group and the essential role SIE plays in that vision," hinting that the company might have some kind of event happening in May. He adds, "[Fiscal Year 2024] marks the start of the Mid-Range Plan period for Sony Group in which we will set the course for sustainable growth."
Square Enix, the developer-publisher behind this year's Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, is set to lay off an unspecified number of employees across its U.S. and European offices, which are headquartered in California and the United Kingdom, respectively, this week. According to those in attendance, Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu delivered this news in a company-wide meeting, as first reported by VideoGamesChronicle.
As you can see above, as part of Square Enix's plan to rebuild its overseas business divisions from the ground up, the company "began optimizing costs at its European and American offices via structural reforms." After more than 10,000 layoffs across game studios and publishers this year, it's easy to read between the lines – structural reforms sound a lot like "layoffs," and now VGC has confirmed as much.
The publication reports these layoffs will happen over the course of the next month, with those affected set to find out this week. The total number of expected layoffs is not known, but VGC's sources say staff was told it will mostly affect those working in publishing, IT, and Square Enix's Collective indie games division.
U.K. employees laid off will enter into a "one-month consultancy period" in accordinace with local U.K. law, while affected U.S. staff could be out of their jobs potentially before the end of the month.
These layoffs join a string of other disheartening 2024 layoffs and closures, which now total more than 10,000 in just the first five months of the year.
Square Enix is rebooting itself, "aggressively" pursuing a multiplatform strategy that includes PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and PC in the process. This comes from the company's latest financial earnings report, which details Square Enix's three-year reboot plan for long-term growth.
Within that three-year reboot plan, Square Enix lists four pillars:
Enhance productivity by optimizing the development footprint in the Digital Entertainment (DE) segment
Diversify earnings opportunities by strengthening customer contact points
Roll out initiatives to create additional foundational stability
Strike a balance between shareholder return and growth investment when allocating capital
As part of this plan, Square Enix "will aggressively pursue a multiplatform strategy that includes Nintendo platforms, PlayStation, Xbox, and PCs," according to the financial report. "Especially, in regards to major franchise and AAA titles including catalog titles, it will build an environment where more customers can enjoy these titles," it continues, possibly alluding to multiplatform releases for future Final Fantasy games and more.
Square Enix also says it will "devise a platforms strategy for SD [Smart Devices/PC Browser portfolio] that includes not only iOS and Android, but also the possibility of PC launches. It continues, "Furthermore, the Group will strive to maximize the acquisition of new users when launching a title and that of recurring users after starting management of game operation."
Throughout the financial report, Square Enix uses the word "fun" as a focal point for the future development of its games. It says it wants to focus on the development of titles "delivering 'fun' that only [Square Enix] can create and build."
In terms of numbers, Square Enix's net sales are up 3.8% year-over-year at $2.28 billion this year, with digital entertainment sales up 2.5% at $1.59 billion. However, its operating income – $209 million – is down nearly 27%.
These numbers and subsequent strategy shift aren't surprising, considering at the end of April, Square Enix canceled some of its in-development games to be "more selective and focused," which lines up with its new philosophy. This likely means we'll be seeing more titles like Dragon Age XI, Final Fantasy XVI, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on various platforms and less games like Foamstars and The DioField Chronicle. Only time will tell, though, and Square Enix thinks it will take three years for this company reboot.
Marvel Studios has cast Ralph Ineson as the planet-eating Galactus for The Fantastic Four. PlayStation 5 players might recognize that name as the voice of Cidolfus Telamon, aka Cid, in Final Fantasy XVI. This casting comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which reports that the production will begin shooting mid-summer in England.
Ineson, whom you might also know from The VVitch, The Northman, and The Creator, joins a star-studded cast for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first film about Marvel's First Family, which features Pedro Pascal (HBO's The Last of Us) as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby (Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning) as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), as Ben Grimm/The Thing. Joining Ineson is a female Silver Surfer played by Julia Garner (Ozark).
Paul Walter Hauser (Cobra Kai) and John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich) will also appear in The Fantastic Four, although their roles are currently undisclosed.
If you've played FFXVI, you already know Ineson has an incredible voice, certainly perfect for the role of a massive galactic entity that devours planets; we can't wait to see what he does as Galactus when The Fantastic Four hits theaters on July 25, 2025.
Earlier this week, Xbox closed four Bethesda studios, including Redfall developer Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, the team behind last year's Hi-Fi Rush. While each of the four studios affected, which also included Mighty Doom developer Alpha Dog Games and Bethesda support studio Roundhouse Games, released a statement about the closures, Xbox remained silent.
However, four days later, Bloomberg's Dina Bass interviewed Xbox president Sarah Bond and asked her about the Bethesda closures, to which Bond cited a desire to keep the Xbox business healthy in the long term, even through hard transition periods.
Here's what Bond said:
"It's always extraordinarily hard when you have to make decisions like that. I'll go back to what I was saying about the industry, and when we look at those fundamental trends, we feel a deep responsibility to ensure that the games we make, the devices we build, the services that we offer are there through moments, even when the industry isn't growing and when you're through a time of transition. And the news we announced earlier this week is an outcome of that and our commitment to make sure that the business is healthy for the long term.
"With that said, our commitment to having our own studios and working with partners to have games large and small – we're a platform where you can play [Grand Theft Auto], but you can also play Palworld, or you can play Call of Duty or you can play Pentiment, that doesn't change. And frankly, our commitment to Bethesda and the role that it plays is a part of Xbox and everything we do.
"It's actually been pretty fantastic. I don't know if you've gotten a chance to check it out. The Fallout TV show was on Amazon, and it's been great to see people fall in love with that universe but also what it's done for the games themselves, and people going back and exploring everything inside of that. There are some other great things that are coming from our studios later this year. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – I was a big Indy fan growing up – so you should check that out. But really right now, for us and our teams, our focus is on the people impacted and doing everything that we can do to help them through this hard transition."
Bass then asked Bond specifically about the closure of Tango Gameworks after Hi-Fi Rush, which by Xbox's own admitted metrics, was a big success. Bond's answer here was less straightforward – you can read it below in full:
"One of the things I really love about the games industry is it's a creative art form, and it means that the situation and what successes for each game and studio is also really unique. There's no one-size-fits-all to it for us. And so we look at each studio, each game team, and we look at a whole variety of factors when we're faced with making decisions and trade-offs like that. But it all comes back to our long-term commitment to the games we create, the devices we build, the services, and ensuring we're setting ourselves up to be able to deliver on those promises."
While it's great that Bond addressed these closures at Xbox, it still lacks the clarity you'd expect from one of the biggest companies in the games industry. Neither Microsoft nor Xbox, including Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, has yet to address the layoffs and closures in an official capacity beyond this.
The Rogue Prince of Persia, the upcoming roguelike from Dead Cells developer Evil Empire, will double-jump into Early Access on May 27. This new release date follows a delay from the original May 14 release date as a result of Hades II, which is gracing the latest cover of Game Informer, launching into Early Access last week.
Evil Empire delayed The Rogue Prince of Persia's Early Access launch to give its team members, their mothers, and players around the world more time with Hades II. The team said at the time The Rogue Prince of Persia would still hit Early Access this month, and now we know it's May 27.
The Rogue Prince of Persia's new release date is 27th May! If you didn't see our previous post, the TLDR is to give people time to play Hades 2, including us😄
But if Silksong shadow-drops in the next two weeks we're burning the whole thing down!
Anyway, we can also reveal The… pic.twitter.com/ZQM3l5DcBI
Dead Cells developer Evil Empire has delayed its upcoming roguelike, The Rogue Prince of Persia, because of Hades II. Originally due out on Tuesday, May 14, in PC Early Access, Evil Empire has delayed the game to later this month to give potential players more time with Hades II, which is another roguelike that hit Early Access this week (and it's also gracing the latest cover of Game Informer Magazine).
"So it's been a bit of a crazy week for us," a statement from Evil Empire reads. "It all started when a little game called Hades II released – you might have have heard of it? Seeing as everyone and their mum is playing that game (including our entire team...and their mums), we have decided to let people have their fun with it before we release The Rogue Prince of Persia.
"We will still be releasing in May and will be back with a precise date on Monday. While we have every confidence in The Rogue Prince of Persia, it's not every day that a game in the same genre as you, which is one of the most anticipated upcoming games of 2024, will release into Early Access a week before you plan to do the same. We are not prideful enough to ignore the implications of that, and we truly believe that this short delay is the best decision for us and our Early Access journey."
The team says this extra time will be used to polish The Rogue Prince of Persia even more, add "even more cool things," and fix some bugs. It also notes the Day One patch for the game was getting big and this extra time will give the team more time to test it (and lower the team's stress as a result).
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League's release was "disappointing" for the company. He said this during Warner Bros. Discovery's Q1 financial results call, noting its games revenue declined a lot compared to last year, as reported by IGN.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was likely never going to perform well for Warner Bros. Discovery's gaming division compared to the sector's revenue last year, which was anchored in the release of Hogwarts Legacy, the best-selling game of 2023 and the first non-Call of Duty game to take that spot in years. Still, as critics and players will tell you, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was a disappointing release from Rocksteady Studios, the team behind the Batman: Arkham series – you can read Game Informer's Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League review here to find out why we gave it a 6 out of 10.
After Zaslav called the game disappointing, Warner Bros. Discovery chief financial officer Gunnar Wiedenfels added, "Starting with studios, the $400 million-plus year-over-year decline during Q1 was primarily due to the very tough [competition] we faced in games against the success of Hogwarts Legacy last year in the first quarter, in conjunction with the disappointing Suicide Squad release this past quarter, which we impaired, leading to a $200 million impact to EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization] during the first quarter."
That's a lot of money lost, and given the state of the games industry this year, it's hard not to worry about the status of Rocksteady post-Suicide Squad. With studios closing left and right, and more than 10,000 employees laid off this year in the games industry, it wouldn't be surprising (however heartbreaking) to see Rocksteady go through job cuts. Here's hoping they don't.
More cuts at Xbox are reportedly on the way, with some staff at ZeniMax getting offered voluntary severance agreements this week. This news comes from a Bloombergreport that says employees across the Xbox organization have been told to expect more cuts.
These potential layoffs would follow Xbox's decision to shutter four Bethesda studios earlier this week, including Hi-Fi Rush team Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin. As for the staff offered voluntary severance agreements, Bloomberg reports that producers, quality assurance testers, and other staff at ZeniMax are receiving them.
The publication also reports the reason Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin were shut down this week is that they were in the process of pitching new projects and hiring additional staff for said projects, something suggested by ZeniMax head Jill Braff and Xbox president Matt Booty during a town hall held this week. Xbox and ZeniMax chose to shut these studios down – both in the beginning processes of creating new games – instead of closing a studio deeper in development on projects.
Elsewhere in Bloomberg's report, which details an internal town hall held at Xbox following the studio closures this week, Booty reportedly described its studios as spread too thin, like "peanut butter on bread," and that leaders across the company felt understaffed. Xbox closed three studios and had ZeniMax Online Studios absorb Roundhouse Games to free up resources. Braff said during the meeting, "It's hard to support nine studios all across the world with a lean central team with an ever-growing plate of things to do. I think we were about to topple over."
These studio closures follow the January layoffs of 1,900 employees at Xbox, Activision Blizzard, and ZeniMax, which add to the total of more than 10,000 laid off in the games industry just this year.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II hits Xbox Series X/S and PC later this month on May 21. However, its release arrives at a rocky period for Xbox, which just shuttered four Bethesda studios, including Hi-Fi Rush team Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin. As a result, Xbox players have wondered how safe Hellblade II developer Ninja Theory might be after its sequel's release, given Hi-Fi Rush was a "break out hit" for the company but wasn't enough to keep Tango open.
Perhaps to help boost Hellblade II's sales, Xbox is reportedly considering bringing the game to PlayStation 5, according to The Verge. The publication's Tom Warren writes, "I understand Hellblade II is another game that Microsoft has been considering for the PS5. If that ever happens, at this point, it's not clear if even that would be considered a success."
Hellblade II coming to PS5 wouldn't be out of left field, considering Xbox has brought previously exclusive games like Grounded, Sea of Thieves, and Hi-Fi Rush to PS5 this year. However, with the launch of Hellblade II happening in just a few weeks, it seems if it does come to PS5, it will be post-launch, which lines up with Xbox's strategy in this realm thus far.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II hits Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 21, 2024.
Microsoft is reportedly debating putting Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass alongside a price hike to the subscription service. This comes from a new report at The Vergethat follows news earlier this week that Xbox was closing some of its Bethesda studios, including Hi-Fi Rush team Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin.
The Verge's Tom Warren writes, "Microsoft has also had internal debates about whether to put new releases of Call of Duty into Game Pass. I understand this is a debate that has been ongoing internally for quite some time, with concerns from some that the revenue that Call of Duty typically generates for Activision Blizzard will be undermined by Game Pass."
This touches on a potential issues players and analysts have pointed out with Xbox's strategy. After spending billions on acquisitions in recent years, Xbox presumably needs to make more money. However, it's big draw as a platform is Game Pass. Ideally, big new releases and critical hits, like Hi-Fi Rush and Call of Duty games, bring in large swaths of new subscribers, which offsets the loss of full-price sales that happens because of Game Pass. But Game Pass subscriptions have leveled off, with a peak around 2019 to 2021. If Game Pass isn't getting new subscribers, and Game Pass releases hurt traditional sales of a game, it's easy to see why the company might be debating internally about whether or not something like a new Call of Duty (almost always the best-selling game of any given year) should launch on Game Pass.
Alongside this debate, The Verge's report states Microsoft has also considered increasing the price of Game Pass Ultimate again, noting that this and the Call of Duty discussion are just considerations and might remain that.
Sega has revealed Sonic Rumble, a 32-player mobile platforming battle royale, and it's coming this winter. As is par for the course of battle royale-type games, Sonic Rumble puts 32 players against each other competing on various levels and obstacle courses to remain the last person standing.
In the reveal trailer, it's clear players control various characters from the universe of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series, including Sonic, of course, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Amy, Dr. Eggman, and presumably more. As you play, you collect rings and these are used to customize your characters in special outfits and more.
Check it out for yourself in the Sonic Rumble announce trailer below:
There's no release date for Sonic Rumble yet, but Sega says it's releasing this Winter. Given it's a mobile game, it's expected to hit iOS and Android. If you're interested in trying the game out, you can sign up for beta tests right now.
Nintendo has revealed Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, a game designed around speedrunning challenges and more across 13 classic NES games. Set to hit Switch on July 18, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition features more than 150 challenges to complete, and you can compete for top spots on global online leaderboards or with friends.
Nintendo revealed this compilation title with a trailer that pulls heavy on the Nintendo World Championship nostalgia, with previous winners appearing, footage from old competitions, and more throughout.
Check out the Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition announcement trailer for yourself below:
As you can see, challenges in the game include reaching the Super Mushroom as fast as you can in Super Mario Bros., defeating the Octorocks the fastest in The Legend of Zelda, and reaching a specified gate as quickly as possible in Metroid. And those are just three of the 150+ challenges available in the game, spread across 13 NES games.
Each week, you can compete for the top spot in the World Championships Weekly Global Online leaderboards, or you can compete against up to seven friends in the local eight-player Party Mode.
"With 'byte-sized' challenges and an automatic rewind feature, you don't need to master entire games to feel like a Nintendo World Champion," the trailer's description reads.
Alongside today's reveal, Nintendo has also unveiled a Deluxe Set for Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. It includes collectible items, like art cards, a golden NES cartridge, and a physical game card.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition hits Switch on July 18, 2024. The Deluxe Set will cost $59.99, and the digital eShop version will cost $29.99.
Are you going to pick this game up? Let us know in the comments below!
Destiny 2: The Final Shape is set to wrap up the decade-long War of Light and Darkness story arc when it launches on June 4, but ahead of that, developer Bungie is giving players an easy way to catch up on previous expansions. Unveiled yesterday under the initiative name "Expansion Open Access," all Destiny 2 players can access and play through the game's Shadowkeep (2019), Beyond Light (2020), and The Witch Queen (2022) expansions.
"Prepare for The Final Shape with three epic campaigns and earn an arsenal of exotic and legendary gear," the Expansion Open Access trailer's description reads. And speaking of trailer, check out the Destiny 2 Expansion Open Access trailer for yourself below:
Now, of course, these three aren't the only Destiny 2 expansions but they're the only ones currently available to play through in the game. As such, it might be smart to watch a playthrough or read a narrative summary of all expansions released before The Final Shape next month.
Here's every Destiny 2 expansion/DLC released since the game's launch:
Curse of Osiris (2017)
Warmind (2018)
Forsaken (2018)
Shadowkeep (2019)
Beyond Light (2020)
The Witch Queen (2022)
Lightfall (2023)
The Destiny 2 Expansion Open Access period lasts from now until June 3. If you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you also currently have access to Lightfall, making now a perfect time to catch up.
Arkane Austin was reportedly set to release a big Redfall update this month that would have added offline play to the always-online game before Microsoft suddenly shut the studio down, according to IGN. This follows yesterday's news that Microsoft was shutting down Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks, Mighty Doom studio Alpha Dog Games, and absorbing Roundhouse Games into ZeniMax Online Studios.
This offline play update would have addressed one of players' biggest complaints with the game – that Redfall always requires a connection to the internet – but now that update will never see the light of day. It's an especially concerning detail considering now that Arkane Austin is closed, the day when Redfall servers are no longer live, rendering the game unplayable, seems closer than ever before.
IGN also reports that it was told the now-canceled Hero Pass, which would have added two additional playable characters to Redfall, was scheduled for release around Halloween. It obviously won't be released now – Bethesda says those who purchased the Hero Pass will be eligible "to receive the value of the upgrade" – but if it had hit the game around Halloween, that would have been roughly 18 months after Redfall's launch.
Reviewed on:
PC
Platform:
PC
Publisher:
Edigger
Developer:
Imagine Wings Studio
Release:
Everyone can empathize with waking up late at night and sitting in agony as your brain forcefully makes you relive a traumatic, embarrassing, or heartbreaking moment. Our past is with us forever, and how it manifests in the present is a toss-up from day to day. With My Past, the debut game from developer Imagine Wings Studio, attempts to blend those feelings with platforming-puzzle gameplay and does so excellently. The result is a therapeutic five-hour adventure I'll be thinking about long after today.
After being startled awake at 3 a.m. by her past, an unnamed blue-haired girl goes on a journey through her labyrinth mind, which is holding her back. This translates to six distinct chapters of gameplay, each with a unique theme in narrative and mechanics. The first introduces you to her "Past," the throughline mechanic with which With My Past shines. Your past is just you, but two seconds prior. If you walk forward and jump, two seconds later, it will too. With My Past playfully builds upon this in its opening moments as it teaches you the ropes, but by the end of the game, I was pulling off moves that bent my brain in all directions.
As you progress through each chapter, With My Past introduces new mechanics, like a Kiwi fruit that lets you teleport to your past's location or a way to solidify your past and climb on top of it to reach new heights. It's hard to describe how unique this mechanic plays in With My Past because it's genuinely unlike anything I've played in a puzzle game, but Imagine Wings Studios excels at adding new layers to its depth each step of the journey. I'm reminded of 2018's Celeste, which does the same, incorporating narrative elements into the game's mechanics.
On that same note, With My Past is more vague than Celeste's journey of transformation and self-love, instead allowing players to graft their own past onto the protagonist here. But it works well. As on-screen words that tell the story dive into self-hate, the ways our past bubbles up at the worst times, and the loneliness sometimes felt even when surrounded by love, I found myself thinking about my past, and it was wondrous to watch how With My Past suggests tackling those issues through gameplay.
Your in-game past transforms from a mysterious specter, to an enemy on the hunt, to an ally you must reckon with and understand as a part of what makes you. And it does so while With My Past serves up great puzzle after puzzle. A handful of the 150+ challenges left me more frustrated than satisfied, but a skip option allows players to keep the story moving along. My only real dissatisfaction happened in the game's final (and only) "boss" fight. Perhaps I missed the point, but in an otherwise cohesive experience, it felt unattached to everything else I played through.
Void of voice acting, with a minimal soundscape coloring the protagonist's steps, With My Past's score does the talking here, and the result is one of my favorite scores of the year. It's grand, sweeping, and almost feels more at home in a movie theater than coming from my desktop screen, but the game's music is as integral to this journey as the story and its puzzles.
I began With My Past yesterday on a whim and finished it later that afternoon with an aching smile on my face; that "hurts so good" type of smile. With My Past is a short but powerful burst of emotional storytelling on top of excellent and intuitive puzzle design. With few misses, it's an impressive reminder of the power of games and how savvy developers can blend storytelling into how we play.
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Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena Shaw in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
