Xbox Series X|S Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Paradox Interactive has revealed that Cities: Skylines 2 will not use Steam Workshop to support its mods.Instead, Paradox Mods will be the one-stop shop for creative side of Cities: Skylines 2. This will create a cohesive experience for both PC and console players, without those playing on the latter feeling left out by the features available on the former.“One of the core reasons for this is its inclusivity; modding capabilities will be extended to players across platforms – both PC and console – aligning with our commitment to provide as many as possible with the opportunity to modify and enjoy the game,” explained the publisher in a post to its forums.The route to the total integration of Asset Mods across all three versions of Cities: Skylines 2 might lead to teething issues with players, acknowledged the publisher.“As with all major updates, we are fully aware of the learning curve it might present, but we’re committed to providing resources to ensure a smooth transition to Paradox Mods,” it affirmed.Moreover, the in-game editor will be “basic” at launch, but will continue to “expand and enhance” to allow players to let their imagination run rampant with their cities.Cities: Skylines 2 launches for PC and PC Game Pass on October 24, however, the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions were delayed to spring 2024.“We have come to realise that we need more time to reach the quality targets we have set,” said Colossal Order and Paradox Interactive back in September.

Alan Wake 2, has shared that the sequel will receive a “significant” amount of downloadable content (DLC) and that it will be free to all players.Speaking at EGX in London over the weekend, Lake revealed that fans will learn more about what’s in store after Alan Wake 2 has been launched. Check it out below:Sam Lake confirms there is FREE DLC coming to Alan Wake 2 post-launch as well as the paid DLC projects! @EGX @SamLakeRMD #alanwake2 #EGX2023 #HorrorCommunity pic.twitter.com/cH27jO9T7G— John (@TheVoidRetro) October 13, 2023“We do have free DLCs drops coming, and they too are pretty significant,” he said.

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will not feature an English dub when it launches on November 9 – this will instead arrive in a post-launch patch.Voice actor Yong Yea, who plays protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in the game, pointed out the fine print on publisher Sega’s official website for Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name in a post to X.Since Like A Dragon: Gaiden is a few weeks away and many may not know about this, thought I should let you know the English dub will not be available on the 11/8 launch date and will release as a post-launch patch (no official date yet).

Hexworks has shared that the PC and PS5 versions of Lords Of The Fallen will launch “as intended” while the Xbox version may not be totally ready.In a post to X (fka Twitter) on October 12, the developer expressed its gratitude for the content creators who have been playing Lords Of The Fallen to identify technical issues ahead of the sequel’s arrival.“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the content creators who have worked with us to enable the rapid deployment of patches, updates, and performance improvements ahead of tomorrow’s exciting launch of Lords Of The Fallen,” it said.“As such, PC and PlayStation 5 players will be able to enjoy the game as intended.

One More Level and publisher 505 Games have revealed ‘Aerial Assault’ from Daniel Deluxe, which will be included in Ghostrunner 2‘s soundtrack.Deluxe will return to feature on the anticipated cyberpunk action game’s soundtrack, as well as Arek Reikowski, Dan Terminus, Gost and We Are Magonia. Check it out below:Ghostrunner 2 will include “incredible boss fights, a deeper exploration of the world beyond Dharma Tower, worthwhile combat improvements, nonlinear levels with complex motorbike sections, exciting new modes, and all the action you loved about Ghostrunner“, said 505 Games.Set one year after the events of Ghostrunner, the last of the survivors are under threat from exiled Ghostrunners who would see humanity eradicated in a new world order.The Interface Council is the only ally left and the player will assist these characters in the restoration of hope for humanity in a desperately deprived cyberpunk city.Ghostrunner 2 will be released for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on October 26.There are three editions on sale – Standard, Deluxe and Brutal.

Blizzard Entertainment has shared how it will overhaul Diablo 4 through game changes in Season Of Blood to ensure that fan feedback has been heard.While Diablo 4 was off to a strong start in June, patch 1.1.0 led to significant decreases in player damage output and capabilities in what was already a challenging game to play.The responses from fans were so disastrous that Diablo 4 developers held an emergency Campfire Chat – a livestreamed event where the team run through the latest changes to the game – in July in order to apologise.Though the sentiment towards Diablo 4 from its fans has been gradually getting warmer and warmer, Blizzard Entertainment wanted them to know that the feedback has been actually acted upon in the upcoming Season Of Blood. Season Of Blood, which kicks off on October 17, will involve a “five point strategy” that “[focuses] on addressing player feedback and making systemic improvements”, as said in the most recent Campfire Chat.The five points are “update elemental resistances”, “make uniques more exciting and impactful”, “class improvements to address commonly talked about issues”, “update damage buckets” and ensuring that all of these changes feel like bonuses to players.Community lead Adam Fletcher and designers Adam Jackson and Charles Dunn talked through these points, starting with the fact that resistances will now be additive up to a 70 per cent limit in Season Of Blood. Furthermore, uniques have been subject to a “giant pass” that has altered almost every unique in Diablo 4 with new statistics and larger ranges, for example.The full list of changes in patch 1.2.0 are available on Blizzard Entertainment’s website.In other gaming news, Rocket League players were dismayed to discover that

Assassin’s Creed Mirage has been said to be a tribute to a fan’s pet who passed away before the game was released.In the game, the player is able to pick up and fuss cats that are strolling the streets of Baghdad. Interacting with animals is a feature that has been present in a lot of the Assassin’s Creed games, but Valhalla and Mirage are the only ones that let the character pet the animal for as long as they want.

Croteam and publisher Devolver Digital have revealed that The Talos Principle 2 is available as a free demo for players to try out ahead of its release.The Steam demo contains a selection of puzzles from the start of the game and then jumps to the halfway point to show off how its mechanics and world has changed over the course of the story. Check out the trailer for the demo below:As a “specially tailored” slice of the game, players’ progress in it will not transfer to the full game should they purchase and play it.At the moment, there is a 10 per cent discount on the game for pre-orders and another discount on top of this one if the customer already owns the original The Talos Principle.Writers Jonas Kyratzes and Tom Jubert have returned to pen the story of the sequel along with Verena Kyratzes.

Starbreeze Studios has claimed that matchmaking issues with Payday 3 have been fixed, following the heist shooter’s rocky launch last month.Following its release on September 21, Payday 3 struggled with significant server issues that prevented players from matchmaking and starting heists. Due to the game’s always-online nature, this meant Payday 3 has been frequently unplayable, and last week Starbreeze claimed a third-party matchmaking partner was responsible for the errors.Today (October 2), a post on Starbreeze’s website announced that “initial matchmaking issues” have since been fixed, and the studio “will now intensify the commercial activities around Payday 3“.Tobias Sjögren, the CEO of Starbreeze Entertainment, also thanked players for their “patience” with Payday‘s launch.“Our community is the engine that drives both our games and our company forward,” he shared.

Cyberpunk 2077‘s Phantom Liberty expansion includes tracks from Idris Elba in its soundtrack, and the actor and DJ has dropped a new EP featuring three of the songs.The Phantom Files EP “[explores] a darker and more heavily produced sound, where glitches and industrial sounds speak to the game’s dystopian feel”, read the press release. The tracks are ‘ChokeHold’, ‘Walk Of Shame’ and the lead single ‘Rolla Coaster’.It is available through Apple Music, Amazon Music, Anghami, Deezer, Spotify and YouTube Music.

Payday 3‘s launch issues have been so severe that Starbreeze is considering removing its controversial always-online requirement.Payday 3, which launched for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on September 21, became a trending topic on social media sites like X for sporadic server connections, crashes, persistent matchmaking issues and incorrect versions of the game being playable on PS5.Given that it had been a decade since Payday 2, these problems irked players who had been awaiting the third game with a lot of anticipation. Starbreeze’s CEO said that the team would “work tirelessly” to ensure that Payday 3 would meet their expectations once more following these unfortunate incidents.In an official statement, the developer explained that “matchmaking software encountered an unforeseen error” and that this overloaded the third-party matchmaking partner that handled the game.It reiterated that this issue did not manifest in either the technical beta or early access periods for Payday 3 and that the team is dedicated to resolving it in the immediate.“In the short-term, this means Starbreeze’ focus is to ensure the player experience.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and its sequel Survivor, has confirmed the existence of a third game in the series.In a panel at this year’s Ocala Comic Con in Florida, Monaghan said that things are moving and shaking on the third Star Wars Jedi game. However, it doesn’t appear that production has started based on his statement.“We’re in the process of doing that right now.

Cyberpunk 2077, the developer has suggested that players “start fresh” with a new playthrough.Update 2.0 rolls out for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S tomorrow (September 21), five days ahead of the Phantom Liberty expansion. The changes it contains are vehicle combat, car chases, an improved police system, a redesigned perks and skill tree system, a cyberware overhaul, UI and UX improvements and a scattering of new weapons and other items.“While you’ll be able to continue the game with your current character on an existing save, we recommend starting a new game after [update 2.0],” advised CD Projekt Red in a post to X.

Starbreeze has taken out the anti-piracy software Denuvo from Payday 3, as stated in a short announcement to Steam.“Hello heisters, we want to inform you that Denuvo is no longer in Payday 3,” said the developer. “We look forward to seeing you in New York City! Happy heisting!”Payday 3 is set to be released for PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 on September 21, so Starbreeze only just managed to make the change before the fans descend onto the game.In addition, it offered no reason for the omission, though it is likely to be music to the ears of some of Payday 3′s potential players.

Cyberpunk 2077 will roll out before the launch of Phantom Liberty, introducing a new police system, vehicle combat, and revamped cyberware.CD Projekt Red dropped the latest trailer for the update yesterday (September 14), featuring formidable battles between V and the Night City Police Department and explosive car chases. Check it out below:The police were one of the more lacklustre elements of Cyberpunk 2077 even with the enormous changes that the game has seen since its original launch in 2020.

Ascendant Studios, the Californian company founded by former Electronic Arts developers, has lost almost half of its employees in a wave of layoffs.Polygon‘s report attributed this to the poor commercial performance of its debut title, Immortals Of Aveum, though no sales statistics were supplied in the official statement. CEO Bret Robbins said he was “heartbroken” to be imparting the news and that it was a “painfully difficult, but necessary decision that was not made lightly”.“I am so proud of what out independent development team has accomplished with Immortals Of Aveum,” he continued in a post to X.

Starfield player challenged their self to recreate Chunks, the ubiquitously successful brand of food in the sci-fi game, and players have been won over.Chunks are small cubes infused with flavours that are reminiscent of natural and processed foods and drinks. The idea that the founder based his enterprise on was that the majority of people did not care what they ate as long as its taste was pleasant.As such, no one knows how Chunks are made in the world of Starfield.

Starfield has become something of a golden goose for players by letting them loot the entire contents of a store without incurring a bounty.Jamie Moran took to X to post what they had stumbled upon on the planet of Akila. If the player walks over to the Shepherd’s store, located in Akila City, there are a number of muddy puddles on the path outside.

Ubisoft has announced XDefiant has been delayed due to console certification issues, with the game now “likely” set for an October launch.XDefiant, a free-to-play crossover shooter featuring factions from Tom Clancy titles fighting against Watch Dogs‘ DedSec and Far Cry‘s Libertad, has been in development since 2021. Ubisoft, however, never pinned a specific date on XDefiant. A closed beta was held in April of this year but it suffered from technical disruptions like server downtime and performance issues.In a post to Ubisoft’s official website, executive producer Mark Rubin said that he wanted to offer fans “full transparency” over why the game would not meet its previously planned release in the summer.“At the end of July, we started [the console certification] process, and we got our first results back by mid-August which was a Not Pass.

Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl developer GSC Game World has confirmed that a fire recently broke out in its Prague office.As reported by Vortex, the fire started on September 7 and prompted an evacuation from the office. While there were no injuries, the fire reportedly caused 1.5million Czech crowns (£52,639) in damages.GSC Game World has since confirmed the report. Speaking through Discord, a GSC Game World employee going by Mol1t outlined the situation to fans.“It is true,” they shared.

Dirt developer Codemasters has revealed EA Sports WRC, a “truly next-generation rally game” and a “quintessential title for sim-racing enthusiasts” for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.The trailer, mixing footage from the forthcoming game and real rally races, is a short yet sweet glimpse of what fans of the motorsport will look forward to with EA Sports WRC. Check it out below:“This is the rally game we’ve always wanted to make,” said senior creative director Ross Gowing in a statement, adding that this new venture “[combines the] studio’s deep knowledge and expertise with the power of the official WRC license representing the pinnacle of rally motorsport”.In 2021, Codemasters shared that it was working on the “most ambitious and biggest game that [it] has made in over a decade“, and we can now assume that this was EA Sports WRC.The new game will recreate 18 official FIA World Rally Championship locations, constituting 600km of tracks.

Remedy Entertainment has revealed new footage of the anticipated Alan Wake 2, and it featured a fan-favourite character from its 2019 title Control.The latest deep dive into the supernatural survival showed off combat, puzzles, and profiling of suspicious characters with one of its playable protagonists, Saga Anderson. Check it out below:What has fans in a spin is the reappearance of Ahti who is singing ‘The Finnish Tango’ at the start of the footage.

Blizzard Entertainment announced that Diablo 4 will benefit from annual expansions alongside its quarterly seasons to retain player excitement for the game.In an interview with Dexerto, general manager Rod Fergusson replied to the question of how long will the seasonal additions will go on for with: “How long is a piece of string?”“It’s years and years. That’s the thing we’re focused on,” he clarified.

Baldur’s Gate 3 will get cross-play between PC and PS5, and eventually Xbox Series X|S, according to an interview with a Larian Studios employee.Michael Douse, director of publishing for the developer, shared the news with Eurogamer. “It was always in the planning, but we knew it wouldn’t be for launch,” he said.

Sad Cat Studios has decided to delay Replaced into 2024 to avoid “overpromising and under delivering” on its debut title.Replaced features an especially eye-catching yet resource-intensive art direction, with 2.5D pixel character and environments.It is this element that has won over a lot of the fans of the game and, while the developer “[does] understand the game’s scope”, Sad Cat Studios claims it does not want to disappoint in any way.Sharing statement from @sadcatstudios #ICYMI pic.twitter.com/nyxuxJq3Yz— REPLACED (@REPLACEDGame) September 5, 2023“After Replaced‘s initial announcement in 2021 and its follow-up trailer in 2022 we had this incredible high bar of community’s expectations,” said the company in a statement posted to X. “And at this point we knew that we can’t afford to release a sub-par game… This is our first game, and we want to make every aspect of it the best it can be.”Sad Cat Studios underscored that development on Replaced is “at a steady pace” and thanked fans for their continued support for Replaced and their understanding.

War Thunder player leaked the flight manual of the Eurofighter Typhoon DA7 on the game’s official forums because they would like the aircraft to be a playable plane.“This is a 730-page manual for the DA7 that contains EVERYTHING on all the systems, weaponry, flight data, etc,” explained the player in the deleted post (via PC Gamer). “I hope this data will help the devs to add this magnificent jet faster and make it as accurate as possible! Can’t wait to fly it in the game.”A moderator then responded to the player and said “Do not post the DA7 manuals”, adding that there is a specific policy that no classified documents should be shared on the War Thunder forums.This policy is in fact described in a sticky thread at the top of the forum’s landing page, meaning that the player would have ignored the evident warning not to do what they did.As a clarification, this person stumbled upon the manual themselves, added it to the game out of perceived helpfulness, and did not leak it from their place of work.

Teyon and publisher Nacon have delayed the release of RoboCop: Rogue City to November, however no reasoning has been offered yet.Originally announced in 2021, RoboCop: Rogue City is intended to be an “authentic RoboCop game experience that is faithful to the franchise’s DNA, while immersing gamers in an original story that enables them to play as none other than RoboCop himself”.Footage of the game was shown off in 2022, which revealed the return of the robot ED-209 as well as determinant dialogue systems and explosive shootouts in the streets of Detroit. Additionally, the decisions that the player takes will impact the fate of those involved and the conclusion of RoboCop’s story in Rogue City.Teyon and Nacon aimed for a release in June 2023 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, but it was pushed to September, and again to November.

Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions of Baldur’s Gate 3 will not share the same features, but this is an concession that allows Larian Studios to release the role-playing game for the consoles before the end of the year.At the moment, Baldur’s Gate 3 is only playable on PC with a PS5 port arriving next month. Yet, the game has been an enormous success for Larian Studios, snagging enviable review scores and becoming a sensation on social media.Phil Spencer, Microsoft‘s CEO of Gaming, recently stated that the feature parity policy between the two consoles is something that guarantees as much accessibility as possible.

Alan Wake 2‘s The Dark Place trailer appeared last night (August 22) as part of the Gamescom Opening Night Live show, and fans were sent into a frenzy when it seemed that Max Payne would be a character in the new survival horror.Introduced in Remedy Entertainment‘s shooter series of the same name, Max Payne is a detective and an undercover member of the mafia in New York City. Though he is voiced by James McCaffrey, he is portrayed by Sam Lake in the original game, and Lake is the writer of Alan Wake and the director of Alan Wake 2.In the latest trailer, a character voiced by James McCaffrey and portrayed by Sam Lake slams Alan Wake against a wall and accuses him of being both a killer and cult leader.

Warhammer Age Of Sigmar: Realms Of Ruin has confirmed it will be launching this November, with a reveal trailer confirming its third playable faction.During Gamescom‘s Opening Night Live showcase, Frontier Developments confirmed that Realms Of Ruin will be launching on November 17 for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.The release date was shared with a new trailer for the fantasy game, which also revealed that the Nighthaunt will be one of the four playable factions available at launch.The Nighthaunt are undead servants of Nagash, the god of death, and rely on swarming opponents with ethereal units. In a hands-on preview, NME got to play against the Nighthaunt in a single-player campaign level, where human Stormguard forces are beset by the forces of Nagash at a haunted temple.There, a number of the Nighthaunt’s units could be spotted, including units of Craventhrone Guard.

Mortal Kombat 1 features an accessibility setting that describes the fatality that characters are suffering aloud, and fans are finding it very funny.Mortal Kombat‘s fatalities are the most famous aspect of the enduring fighting series, with each special move riffing off the fighter’s abilities and personality. For example, one of action star Johnny Cage’s fatalities has the victim slammed into a wet concrete slab in a reference to Hollywood’s Walk Of Fame sidewalks.The accessibility setting narrates what is happening on the screen to visually impaired players.

Hyenas, the sci-fi extraction shooter from developer Creative Assembly and publisher Sega, dropped a new trailer showing off its chaotic zero gravity combat.In a post-Earth galaxy, players will stick together in trios to invade Plunderships that hold priceless pop culture memorabilia from the planet’s history. Each Hyena has a unique personality and a set of weapons and abilities that sets them apart from their competitors.

Starfield is now less than a month away from releasing, and in the run-up to launch, Bethesda has shared a timeline that covers 300 years of history in the sci-fi game’s universe.As visible on Bethesda’s website, the timeline begins with humanity first arriving on Mars in 2050, and runs up to 2328 – just two years before Starfield takes place in 2330.As for what the timeline includes, after landing on Mars it takes humans another 50 years to begin living in space. Settlers then make it to the Alpha Centauri star system by 2156 and establish one of the game’s major factions, the United Colonies (UC).However, 2188 sees the foundation of rival faction The Freestar Collective, which ultimately goes to war with the UC in 2196.

Tekken 8 players were found to be illegally playing the game’s closed network test and as a result have been threatened with pre-release bans by Bandai Namco.Available for all platforms, the second closed network test for the forthcoming fighting game was held over the weekend (July 29-30). But because Tekken 8 was playable on PC, this allowed the players who had an awareness of how to circumvent the software to continue playing the game outside of its authorised hours.An important reminder from the TEKKEN Project and Bandai Namco Esports Team.

Fable game, has announced that she is leaving the Leamington Spa-based developer Playground Games.“In August, I’m stepping away from my role as Narrative Lead on Fable. I’ve had several wonderful years scribbling away in my fairytale cottage, but the time feels right for new challenges,” said Megill in a tweet posted on July 14.“Working on Fable was a dream come true for me, and it’s wrenching to leave it behind.

Microsoft has prevailed in the court case against its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, where it had to defend the impact it would have on competition in the video game industry.Video Games Chronicle spotted that today (July 11), the United States District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that the Federal Trade Commission’s request for a preliminary injunction was not necessary. The FTC had asked for the injunction in order to let its in-house court discern the full effects that the acquisition would have on the consumer.“Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision has been described as the largest in tech history.