Helldiver’s 2 players will be able to access new weapons in the battle against the Terminid and Automaton hordes in the acclaimed game.

Those loyal to the fight for Super Earth will get not one, but two new heavy weapons to add to their arsenal.

Helldivers adds new content

The co-op game from Arrowhead Studios has added another supply drop in the form of the LAS-99 and the MG-101 joining the armory. The official X account posted:

Helldivers, support has arrived! The LAS-99 Quasar Cannon and the MG-101 Heavy Machine Gun are available now for use against the Automaton horde. pic.twitter.com/EZSzXJWSPn

— HELLDIVERS 2 (@helldivers2) March 28, 2024

The two new weapons mark a busy week for the studio as Arrowhead published an article looking at the previous patch for the game. Patrik Lasota said “I’m responsible for how Arrowhead listens to feedback and balances its games. I’d like to talk about the changes we made in this patch and why.”

Latosa is the Head of Product Testing (HPT) at Arrowhead and was also a designer on the original Helldivers game.

He broke down the weapons, nerfs, and fantasy and a few of the key supporting pieces that help Helldivers on their missions.

”All too often in the games industry the core fantasy, and what makes a weapon feel good and fun, is ignored for the sake of Balance,” Latosa said of finding harmony in the game.

Feedback is incredibly important to the method Arrowhead adopts and can be seen in the HPT’s views on game design. “It is extra important to us to tread carefully so that we don’t ruin fantasy and fun when we do nerfs. We hope you, our players, will tell us when we cross that line inadvertently.”

Arrowhead dropped game content earlier this month in the form of the Warbond upgrades. “Helldivers… we need your help. The brainiacs in Super Earth Research & Development have some cool experimental armor ready to be field-tested. This is where you come in, you’re just the right people for the job,” said the Sony blog post.

The content drop was well received off the back of a massive update patch that brought fire tornadoes and meteors to the co-op shooter, as well as stabilization and balancing fixes.

Arrowhead continues to impress with its player and content-focused updates to the game. We await what is next for the saviors of Super Earth, but knowing the tongue-in-cheek studio they will probably drop a few hints.

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The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has decided not to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into the advertising of the iconic show Doctor Who.

We reported earlier this month that David Housden, a senior executive with the BBC had initially said that there is “a rich variety of content in the Whoniverse collection on iPlayer to test and learn with, and Doctor Who thematically lends itself to AI, which is a bonus.”

Now the fans have spoken and the broadcaster has had to file an official statement saying “We have no plans to do this again to promote Doctor Who.”

BBC backpedals on AI incorporation

The Doctor Who Companion site was “disgusted” at the attempt to incorporate the generative AI into any aspect of the show.

The site would post that “shortly after the news was published, outrage from fans resulted in the (AI announcement) article being deleted — replaced by a webpage which states “Sorry, we couldn’t find that page.”

Housden had stated “We’re going to take it one step at a time, starting simple and learning as we go. We have chosen to start with Doctor Who, as it is a joint content priority for both BBC Public Service UK and BBC Studios marketing teams.”

This was a marquee moment for both the established pop culture character, who has fought storied battles against AI and robots in comics, television, and radio dramas, and the BBC.

The cherished Tardis-traveling Doctor and their fanbase won in the end. In response to the complaints levied at the BBC, the broadcaster released a statement acknowledging the backlash, writing:

“We received complaints about reports that the BBC is exploring generative AI in Doctor Who promotion.”

“As part of a small trial, marketing teams used generative AI technology to help draft some text for two promotional emails and mobile notifications to highlight Doctor Who programming available on the BBC.

We followed all BBC editorial compliance processes and the final text was verified and signed off by a member of the marketing team before it was sent.”

Doctor Who returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in May 2024 for the UK and Disney+ for the rest of the world.

As we reported earlier this year, Doctor Who will also be making a debut in the world of Fortnite to possibly coincide with this new series of science fiction adventures, according to well-established gaming leakers.

Image: BBC.

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The cryptocurrency Ether (ETH) hits the one million validator milestone with 32 million Ether currently staked. This 32 million is valued at around $114 billion according to current market prices.

According to one report on Cointelegraph “the network achieved a validator count of one million, with the 32 million ETH staked accounting for 26% of the total supply.”

The CEO of BlackRock, Larry Fink, caused a surge in the price of Ethereum this week after his comments on a recent interview panel. Fink said that designating ETH as a security won’t be “deleterious.”

After Fink’s comments, the value of Ether would rise to $3,658. We covered BlackRock’s application for an ETH exchange-traded fund last year.

Ethereum reaches landmark

The staking platform Lido saw 30% of the total ETH in play and allows investors in the cryptocurrency to stake in smaller amounts as part of a collective.

This collective then takes part in the staking process (which has a maximum effective staking 32ETH limit) and their presence helps to approve transactions. For playing their part these validators get a small reward in the shape of ETH.

Not all onlookers are happy to see the number of validators increase as they believe it could bring issues with transactions. Investors such as Evan Van Ness took to X to share his concerns on the increase in the number of validators:

Definitely not, arguably already too much staked

— Evan Van Ness (@evan_van_ness) March 27, 2024

Gabriel Weide, who runs a staking pool, responded to Van Ness’ post saying that too many validators can lead to “failed transactions.”

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has tabled several legal challenges against cryptocurrency operators for their practices. Ethereum isn’t escaping this scrutiny as we reported earlier this month.

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has been vocal about his and the regulator’s stance on cryptocurrency operators, speaking recently at Columbia Law School saying “There are participants in crypto securities markets that seek to avoid these (SEC) registration requirements. No registration means no mandatory disclosure. Many would agree that the crypto markets could use a little disinfectant.”

The SEC is currently locked in legal battles with Coinbase, which is set to move to a trial date. U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla wrote that “the Court finds the SEC has sufficiently pleaded that Coinbase operates as an exchange, as a broker, and as a clearing agency under the federal securities laws, and, through its Staking Program, engages in the unregistered offer and sale of securities.”

As we reported last week, the government regulator is also seeking $2bn penalties from Ripple Labs.

Image: Ethereum.

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Global gambling group 888 Holdings parts ways with several business-to-customer (B2C) assets after a strategic business review.

Hard Rock Digital benefits from 888’s move that the company is calling a “controlled exit of its remaining US B2C operations”.

Hard Rock Digital is one of the United States’ leading sportsbook and online gaming operators. The company has been quick to pounce on the 888 assets after the company conducted its review.

888 sells B2C assets

The operator’s review earmarked the sale of their American-based assets after a rocky 2022 and 2023. The company reported a £115.7 million ($141m) loss in 2022 and £121.3 million ($151m) pretax loss in 2023 respectively.

Per Widerström, CEO of 888 said that “in the US, the intensity of competition and requirement for scale means huge investment is required to reach profitability.”

The leading man at the gambling operator said that despite some U.S. gambling markets doing well, “we (888) have concluded that achieving sufficient scale in the US market to generate positive returns within an accelerated timeframe is unlikely.”

888 concluded that as a “result of the review the Group has agreed the sale of selected assets to Hard Rock Digital (“HRD”), completion of which is conditional upon, amongst other items, relevant regulatory approvals. It is expected that the disposal will be completed in a number of phases, with final completion expected in Q4 2024.”

The dynamic of the U.S. gambling and online gaming market is only continuing to become more complex as 2024 unfolds.

Other than existing businesses giving up their territory in the U.S. market there are limited opportunities for gambling operators to expand their existing markets. This is unless a state allows for more gambling options to be present.

The biggest operators in the U.S. are ready to capitalize in states that have no form of gambling legislation.

An example is the state of Missouri. The home of the current Superbowl-winning champions the Kansas City Chiefs. The football team and other sports teams in the state are lobbying for an ease of the current restrictions on gambling. These established brands are looking to benefit from lucrative sports betting partnerships with brands such as Hard Rock Digital.

Image: Ideogram.

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Rockstar Game’s acclaimed western game Red Dead Online is encountering a flying horse glitch in the game after a recent patch

Patch 1.35 dropped to fix several quality-of-life issues that loyal fans of the game fed back to developers. Coincidentally, one new issue that would spawn out of the update couldn’t be predicted by anyone, but flying horses is a new one for all players of the old-timey shooter.

Red Dead Online flying horses

Initially reported via social media by user @OnlyPVPCat, the issue would show a player riding a horse over what looks like St Denis. The city is a landmark part of the game and a popular spot for online players picking up guns, and ammo.

New bug discovered in Red Dead Online after resent patch – flying horses (on consoles, not PC!). It's the funniest thing that ever happened to this game, but still I hope Rockstar will fix it asap or flying griefers will be in every lobby pic.twitter.com/VIwhbgE46T

— OnlyPVPCat (@OnlyPVPCat) March 25, 2024

The rider is in the sky hurling dynamite and Molotov cocktails down on the urban sprawl. PVPCat flagged the issue as a possible source of online harassment saying:

“It’s the funniest thing that ever happened to this game, but still I hope Rockstar will fix it asap or flying griefers will be in every lobby :).”

‘Griefers’ are disruptive gamers that thrive off of issues or glitches in games to exploit them purely to troll other players. This type of gamer is the root of players choosing to toggle off the player-versus-player (PVP) elements of a game. Thankfully Red Dead Online has this option.

The fact that these bugs can be used for ill-gotten gains should be a concern for Rockstar, but the studio is proactive with their community when it comes to bugs.

Rockstar Patch Notes

However, not all of the fixes in last week’s patch are bad. Some great additions came into the game’s stability, and performance and brought online-specific changes:

• Red Dead Online General Fixes
• Fixed an issue that resulted in Naturalist samples not being counted toward Daily Challenges
• Fixed an issue in Dead of Night that resulted in Night Stalkers being able to collect the Night Stalker mask
• Fixed an issue that resulted in ambient vehicles not appearing in certain content
• Fixed an issue that resulted in Free Roam Missions not launching
• Improved an issue that resulted in players becoming stuck when entering the stables
• Improved an issue that resulted in players being unable to summon horses and wagons
• Voice Chat now defaults to Off

The full list of changes from the Grand Theft Auto studio can be viewed here. We’ll be keeping on top of any other flying animals that happen to take to the skies in the American old west.

Featured image: Ideogram

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The Final Fantasy series is bursting with larger-than-life characters that defined generations of fans and the game’s story.

One of the fan-favorites of the series is Vincent Valentine, who could be missed in the earlier incarnation of Final Fantasy 7. In this most recent take on the Square Enix series, he features later in the main storyline.

According to the official Final Fantasy Rebirth site, Vincent is a “self-proclaimed security guard who hibernates in a coffin deep below Shinra Manor. This man of mystery is swathed in a red cape and boasts the genes of a monster as well as a hidden connection to Sephiroth.”

How to find Vincent in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Vincent is in Chapter 11: The Long Shadow of Shinra and meets the party in the depths Shinra Manor. In the original game, Vincent can be seen hibernating in his coffin. Players had to solve a puzzle to have this companion join them in their travels.

This time around the meeting with the dungeon-dwelling man of few words is part of the main storyline. Players must go through Sinra Manors depths to find him and work hard to add him to the group.

The party will take on Vincent in a boss battle when he is in his Galian beast form. After he has been bested Cid offers the sullen red-eyed character a chance to join them. Vincent will refuse and sulk back to his shadowy lair until later in the Chapter.

Once Chapter 11 progresses after a series of tricky battles, Vincent will appear yet again. When players go back to characters Cid and the Tiny Bronco, Vincent will then agree to join the party as a story character.

The fact that Vincent isn’t a playable character has disappointed some fans picking up the game. The third installment of the Final Fantasy VII remake will give players the chance to enter into his gold-clad boots.

Who voices Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth?

Vincent is voiced by Matt Mercer in this incarnation of the Final Fantasy universe. Mercer is part of the Critical Role series of Dungeons and Dragons adventures. Mercer voiced Minsk in Game of the Year Award-winning Baldur’s Gate 3 and is a pillar of the pop culture surrounding anything with a twelve-sided dice.#

Image: Square Enix.

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Marvel Rivals has been doing the rounds on social media after a series of leaks showed off some of the in-game content.

With the release trailer set to drop later today the comic giant will be unhappy that this new venture has hit the headlines before the developers could officially tell the world about the title’s features.

The only official statement comes from Marvel Games, which teases a reveal at “8 AM PT/11 AM ET,” the post says that an “evil experiment has caused a unique disruption in the timestream. Who will be pulled into this epic showdown?”:

An evil experiment has caused a unique disruption in the timestream. Who will be pulled into this epic showdown?

Get ready for an exciting reveal tomorrow at 8AM PT/ 11AM ET! pic.twitter.com/o0YblUHxUA

— Marvel Games (@MarvelGames) March 26, 2024

Marvel Rivals leaks on social media

Multiple users on X have used the social platform to spread the leaks of the upcoming game’s roster. Spider-Man, Magneto, and the Hulk all make an appearance. User @BoujeeDaddy has shown off the presumed roster:

#MarvelRivals will be announced today. A new Hero Battler (al la Overwatch) for Console/PC. Color me Stoked! pic.twitter.com/LRyOVat6PL

— Boujee Dad (@BoujeeDaddy) March 27, 2024

So we know that the below superheroes will be taking part in this new battle arena brawler:

• • Bruce Banner
  • The Punisher
  • Loki
  • Storm
  • Doctor Strange
  • Mantis
  • Rocket Raccoon
  • Black Panther
  • Groot
  • Magik
  • Luna Snow
  • Iron Man
  • Spider-Man
  • Magneto

Twitter user @Sanchowest showed off the X banner for the upcoming shooter and this can also be seen on a dormant ‘Marvel Rivals X account:

The new Marvel Rivals art from their Twitter banner…..

I'm in. pic.twitter.com/5t1xwMoEjk

— SanchoWest (@SanchoWest) March 27, 2024

The game is in the same vein as Overwatch and according to multiple reports, the developers are most likely Net Ease Games, who were responsible for Marvel Super War. This title would be Marvel’s first Multiple Online Battle Arena (MOBA) according to the developer.

The comic company recently announced Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra at the State of Unreal during this year’s Games Development Conference. The Epic Games event displays the games that have been developed and produced in Unreal Engine 5.

This comic book game follows Steve Rodger’s Captain America and the World War 2 version of the Black Panther, Azzuri as they fight to overthrow the Axis in occupied Paris. It is unknown which consoles will run the title, but it will most likely need to be a powerful device to run the Unreal Engine-developed adventure.

Marvel Rivals looks to be a competitor for the mobile gaming market in contrast. Games like Valorant and Overwatch have seen a surge in popularity, so this 6v6 battle arena title looks set to enter the fray to challenge the established games that have defined the genre.

We will have all the details when the trailer drops later today, so stay tuned true believers!

Image: Marvel Games.

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Phil Spencer, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microsoft Gaming believes that the habits of Gen Z individuals have led to the recent business decisions by the company.

Speaking in an interview with Polygon, Spencer would explain the moves by the gaming arm of Microsoft and give perspective to the ‘pivot’ that the company has made in making as many games as possible multiplatform and cross-device compatible.

Xbox Chief explains business pivot

Spencer has had a busy 2024 so far and at the first-ever Xbox partner preview, he laid out some of the cross-platform decisions by Microsoft such as HiFi Rush, Starfield, and a host of other titles leaping to rival PlayStation.

“I will say, every decision we make today and tomorrow is for the better of Xbox,” Spencer would candidly approach the moves made by the gaming company. “I know sometimes things get weaponized, that there’s some evil in the background that’s making us do things — ‘Phil hates exclusives and that’s why we’re like PlayStation and Switch now.’ Every decision we make is to make Xbox stronger in the long run. It doesn’t mean everyone’s going to agree with every decision we make. But it is fundamental for how we make decisions.”

These decisions have led to gamers seeing Xbox exclusives like Sea of Thieves sail over to the Sony console and Spencer is content with the new approach to how Xbox is viewed.

The CEO said “This notion that Xbox can only be this one device that plugs into a television isn’t something we see in the Gen Z research. Because nothing else is like that for them.”

The Gen Z market enjoys cross-console and mobile gaming as a whole, Spencer made light of this by saying “Some of them (Gen Z players) will have an iPhone, some will have an Android, but all the games and everything is the same. I can still get to TikTok on both of them, at least for now.”

Phil Spencer and Xbox’s decisions to release on rival consoles could be seen as an attempt to wring out the value of existing titles that have an untapped audience.

It can “cost $300 million to build a video game these days,” said Spencer, and “(continuing Xbox console and Game Pass) exclusivity gets pressured as the cost of the game goes up,” he would say of ring-fencing games to a particular console audience.

PlayStation console owners now have exclusive titles such as Spider-Man 2 and God of War, but now can anticipate the Microsoft studio slowly releasing exclusive games at a later date.

This seems like the best of both worlds for those who thought games like Bethesda’s upcoming titles would mean having to invest in a new console.

Phil Spencer’s ‘money-for-old-rope’ approach to the existing catalog of Microsoft games will be a smart move for the company, but those loyal to the brand will possibly rethink their device choices shortly as ‘exclusivity’ isn’t in the business plan for Microsoft moving forward.

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A popular Pokémon fan gaming site, Relic Castle will be forced to close after a takedown notice was filed.

The Digital Millennium Copyright (DCMA) notice was filed by a third party on behalf of the Pokémon Company and Relic Castle would use several social media accounts to convey the news to fans. Relic Castle posted on X on Thursday:

pic.twitter.com/4oW0whJncL

— Relic Castle (@RelicCastleCom) March 21, 2024

Has the Pokémon Company filed a takedown notice?

In a post shared to Reddit and Discord, the owner and manager of Relic Castle would post several items to inform fans of the site about the decisions taken. The message was posted with the comments locked and one of the Relic Castle’s moderators was firm in this decision to keep the messages around the news above board, saying:

“The community will need to wait a few days (at minimum) to see what happens next. After some time has passed, and more info has been gathered, we may open the topic up for public discussion. Yes, we are controlling the discussion in our community, as is our right as its leaders. We’re not interested in being a place that hosts toxicity and spreads misinformation. As we stated above, Everything we know is detailed here, so if you have questions that aren’t answered, there’s probably no one who can answer them (at least right now)

Relic Castle’s guardians said, “TPCI (The Pokémon Company International) should not be contacted, as it was a third party who is authorized by TPCI to supply DMCAs and looks legitimate.”

The moderator of the Reddit post would conclude by saying “Please be patient, and rest assured that the Pokémon fan game community is not going anywhere. This kind of thing happens and is ultimately inevitable. But it is not indicative of a massive crusade against fan games. Nor does it mean RC has gone away entirely and/or forever.”

What was Relic Castle?

The site was a forum for fan-made Pokémon content that boasted 20,000 members and 65,000 posts across a 10 year history. This nexus to chat and share content will now be forced to close, but the Discord community will “not going anywhere and the site is still visible as an archive using the Wayback Machine.”

The custodians of the Relic Castle would say at the base of the post “What will RC staff do next? Is there a new site, or will the discord be expanded? A: We don’t know right now. Put love into the world today.”

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Meta Quest 2 the popular virtual reality (VR) headset has seen the price of the device fall below $200.

The device has not seen a price dive since the holiday season when the Meta Quest 2 outperformed Sony’s Playstation VR headset in sales by thirty to one. During this festive period, Meta’s portable headset was $250.

Why has Meta Quest 2 dropped in price?

The Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 have received favorable reviews in contrast to the expensive Apple Vision Pro equivalent, which was released last month at a $3,499 price point.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to Instagram to break down the Vision Pro, saying “Quest (2&3) I think is just a lot more comfortable. We designed it to be 120 grams lighter, which makes a really big difference on your face. There are no wires that get in the way when you move around. Our field of view is wider and I found our screen to be brighter also.”

The Quest 3 is still a lofty $300 more than the older version, but Quest 2 boasts PC connectivity, hand-tracking, and a whole host of games that can be accessed. The lower price point appeals to users who will want to dip their toes into the augmented reality world without a substantial monetary investment and are looking for solid specs on their first VR device.

The price dip also sparks rumors of a possible new version of the Quest 3 around the corner, the Quest 3 Lite. Although information is scarce and Meta has not officially said anything about a possible lighter and cheaper option to the Quest 3, the decline in the Quest 2 in such a short space of time could be a sign of a new device entering the VR headset fray.

Those hoping to pick up the popular headset can do so from major brands like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. The larger 256 GB version of the headset has seen a limited stock since launch and with the Quest 3 being updated substantially it would be a very slim chance to see a restock hit stores brand new.

The Quest 3 headset received a substantial update, as we reported last month, version .62. New features like being able to record spatial video, and the three-dimensional capture of the environment around you, were an attempt by Meta to get ahead of the Vision Pro release.

Users can upload straight from their iPhone to the Meta Quest app to view their recorded content without contesting Apple’s divide in price points between the two brands.

The Quest 3 also has controller support for those who like to use a physical device to take on adventures, but stream content through the headset as an alternative to the motion controllers or hand-tracking.

Meta has a few alternatives to the Vision Pro without matching the Apple device’s price point, but news of a more portable Lite version of the Quest 3 remains a rumor, unlike the deal for the 2020 Quest 2.

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Betano the Greek sportsbook operator has reportedly signed a new deal with Premier League outfit Aston Villa.

The soccer side penned the deal according to an article exclusive via the UK newspaper The Telegraph.

Aston Villa and Betano deal

The deal is rumored to be the biggest sponsor to be emblazoned on the jerseys of the Birmingham Premier League team. Coming in at £40m ($50.4m) they will wear the Mediterranean parlay site’s logo and branding across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 Premier League seasons.

The new sports betting sponsor will be in place for a brand-new kit deal with Adidas that the Aston Villa faithful will flock to in droves. They are leaving behind the current sponsor Castore for the world-renowned Three Stripes created by Adi Dassler.

Betano has deals with Portuguese clubs FC Porto and Sporting Lisbon, as well as Brazilian teams Atletico Miniero and Fluminense.

The Brummy side are battling for a place in the Champions League next season. This is the top European competition that all sides want to be a part of as it has the most lucrative branding, broadcast, and sponsorship deals that come hand-in-hand with qualifying for the elite tournament.

Aston Villa is in a good spot to qualify as they are fourth in the world’s most elite soccer league. However, they battle to remain in contention for one of the coveted places.

The Betano deal will reportedly be the biggest in the club’s history and will help the side with financial fair play (FFP) requirements that are enforced on European clubs to avoid dodgy dealings or the club’s spending more than they can afford. The club from Birmingham recorded a loss of £120m ($151m), which regulatory body UEFA said was the biggest across all European clubs.

The side helmed by Spaniard Unai Emery had a spectacular start to the season with eight consecutive home wins and a notable feather in the cap with a December win over Arsenal. They fell out of the hunting pack for the Premier League title but retained a vice grip on the fourth spot despite a turbulent recent run of games.

They face a rematch away from home against Arsenal, which has a bit of added spice as Emery was once the manager of the London club before being shown the exit door. Manchester City also await away from home before the season ends.

The biggest fixture for the claret-wearing club comes at home as rivals Liverpool will close out the season at Villa Park. This game could decide the European ambitions of the club and the men in red could be the real villains of the piece if Aston Villa’s form doesn’t improve.

Image: Aston Villa FC.

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Larian Studios will not be involved in any successor or DLC for Baldur’s Gate 3 according to CEO Swen Wicke.

In a conversation with GameSpot, Wicke would chat in detail about the success of the Game of the Year-winning role-playing title but would confirm that the studio’s adventures in Faerûn would be at an end, leaving the intellectual property in Wizards of the Coast’s hands.

He would say the idea of another installment in any fashion is “literally the opposite of what Larian is about. We want to do big, new things. We don’t want to rehash the thing that we’ve done already.”

Larian closes the book on Dungeons and Dragons

Wicke would tell GameSpot that the studio’s next title “is not Baldur’s Gate 4, it’s not Dungeons and Dragons (D&D).”

“Larian has been built for making big things,” Wicke would say. “Ever since we took our destiny in our own hands and left publishers behind our Meta Critic (rating) has been going up.”

He spoke about the organic creative process that Larian had with Wizards of the Coast and how early access allowed the studio to sound out what gamers thought of the content. On the new project, Wicke would say “We know the general direction and where we are going to end up.”

“We knew that when we started Baldur’s Gate, there would be a lot of passion for it,” the CEO would say when asked how he kept the momentum and focus of the team high. “It took six years, we didn’t want it to take six years, but the summation of our problems was blending immersive gameplay and cinematics…it was very complicated, so that delayed it (BG3) then we had Covid, the war in Ukraine, lots of things going wrong, so the sum of all those things added quite a lot of delay.”

“When most of the teams had finished, but not all of them we had to make a decision if we were going to delay it again, as we were competing with Starfield (for the same release slot), the team said fuck no! Excuse my language, we’re not going to go (delay release) any later.”

Wicke will probably let down gamers hoping for a quick successor built in the same engine, as he said “If we could do one (a new project) in four years, we’d be happy,” when asked what the ideal time is to spend on a new project or intellectual property.

When asked about the current gaming climate, Wicke would starkly say “I don’t have a crystal ball, there’s a lot of people losing their jobs and it is really upsetting. We’ve seen this happen before, like in 2009, which was one of our darkest days with the global financial crisis and people were making a lot of derivative work, like 500 versions of My Little Pony, where people were chasing the same thing over and over. I think we will see a lot of opportunities and new studios rise (from the mass layoff environment in the creative world).”

“Wizards of the Coast have seen massive layoffs…there is no one left from the original meeting with them, you share so much knowledge about D&D (Dungeons and Dragons). It’s sad, and I’m not judging anyone, but they are gone, but their knowledge is now out there.”

Larian’s creative fuel

Wicke would wrap the interview by talking about the mentality of Larian and how robust the studio has become due to having “fallback positions. As we have progressed and the studio has been growing, we’ve been increasing these fallback positions, so if something goes wrong I know exactly what we are going to do.”

When asked about the pitfalls that success can bring and what Wicke didn’t want Baldur’s Gate 3’s eventual successor to become he would say “You need to have fuel. We had reserve fuel with the success of Divinity Original Sin and more with the success in early access, but we would have not done that (achieved BG3) if early access wasn’t so successful… you have to have reserves.”

“That’s why when we did take on Baldur’s Gate 3 I knew we would be fine. You know if you are driving across the North Pole in your car you need a dashboard, you need to know how much fuel you have in your car or you’re going to freeze to death. You need to know what you are doing, even in something as messy as game development.”

Fans of Baldur’s Gate 3 will be disappointed, but Wicke and the Larian team have gone from strength to strength since becoming the masters of their own fate. Players will just have to be patient and trust the studio has plenty in the tank to take on their next adventure.

Image: Larian.

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The LEGO Group and Epic Games have announced that Fortnite players can build their own brick-based islands.

The news comes as they both took the stage at the 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC) unveiling that LEGO items are now available in Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) and Fortnite Creative.

LEGO in Fortnite

Starting off the creative process are four template islands that players can use as a blank canvas to apply their own builds. The pair also announced on the GDC floor that three more islands will be released:

• LEGO Prop Hunt – builds on popular ‘Prop Hunt’ mechanics to create zany LEGO fun for you and other players within the expanse of a wacky shopping mall!
• LEGO Battle Arena – allows gamers to become the next Spinjitzu master! You can enroll in special training at the LEGO NINJAGO Dojo with Lloyd and the Masters of Spinjitzu, where you can compete against other trainees, hone your skills, and prove yourself.
• LEGO Cat Island Adventure – a playful game all about meeting and nurturing your relationship with a friendly cat on an island and spending time together. Players need to complete tasks to keep their cats happy, and they’ll let you know if they are not!

The announcement video shows players making worlds with an assortment of items in the UEFN:

Kari Vinther Nielsen, Head of Play & Creator Growth at LEGO GAME said: “We want kids and families to be able to enjoy a whole host of fun and engaging play experiences within Fortnite, and the potential this news offers for creators is incredibly exciting – we can’t wait to see what everyone builds and how much the community enjoys the creations.”

Interestingly those creators who take part in the Fortnite Island Creator Program will be able to benefit from the amount of play and interaction that users have with their creations. The official program site page states that “engagement payouts proportionally distribute 40% of the net revenue from Fortnite’s Item Shop and most real-money purchases each month among eligible island publishers, including Epic, based on player activity in Fortnite.”

Since the launch of LEGO Fortnite, which we covered, in December 2023 the partnership between Epic and the Scandinavian toy giant has only gotten stronger. The Battle Royale game has seamlessly synergized with the LEGO creative approach and subsequently announced Building Kits in the game’s latest update, which can be snapped up as in-game purchases via the Fortnite currency, V Bucks.

The relationship between both global gaming companies is blossoming, with Vinther Neilsen saying that today’s announcement “is a hugely important step in us democratizing creativity and putting the power of the LEGO brand into creators’ hands like never before .”

Image: LEGO.

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The PlayStation Network is currently facing issues across all features of the online gaming platform.

The official Playstation Network Service Status page is reporting that across all of the services there are issues affecting users.

PlayStation Network down

Account management, Gaming and Social, Playstation Store, Video and Direct all are sporting red highlights on the service status page.

Status tracking site Downdetector is reporting that the bulk of issues that users are plagued with when attempting to log on are with the server connection to the Playstation Network.

The first outages were reported by the site at 09:51 PST/ 12:51 EST/ 16:51 GMT, so those wrapping up their work day in central Europe will have to wait to get online.

The dreaded #PSNDown is trending on X, with some users taking to the social platform to vent their ire:

“We are sorry the PlayStation Network is currently unavailable. Our engineers are working to resolve this as quickly as possible”

The engineers:#PSN #PSNDown pic.twitter.com/wN8ozcHe2t

— Wando (@Wandoful) March 21, 2024

Rockstar Games is also confirming the news that the Playstation Network is encountering problems:

PlayStation®Network is experiencing issues. For more information, please refer to: https://t.co/PAlbCbBceR *MM

— Rockstar Support (@RockstarSupport) March 21, 2024

There has been no official statement or release on any of Sony’s socials, but hopefully, this unexpected downtime is resolved as soon as possible.

This will be a serious hindrance to the players getting ready to hop on to the platform’s most popular title, Helldivers, and the players gearing up to download Dragons Dogma 2.

Helldivers has seen a surge in players after Arrowhead Studios dropped a new patch that added fire tornadoes and meteors to the game. The update was swiftly followed with new Warbond content that brought new weapons and experimental armor to the game for the first time since launch.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is the highly anticipated sequel from Capcom that is set to launch globally on March 21 in the Americas and March 22 for the rest of the world. The fantasy title comes with a 70 GB pre-load, so the server outages couldn’t have come at a worse time for those hoping to have it ready to rock for release.

If there is an extended downtime we’ll be covering the outage as it continues.

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Coinbase Exchange has filed to list Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and Dogecoin futures trading with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The CFTC has not yet responded officially to the move and more importantly, has not opposed the filing made by Coinbase that seemed to fly under many radars until now.

Coinbase goes down the self-certification route

Coinbase’s letters of intent were sent to Christopher Kirkpatrick, CFTC Secretary, to go down the path of self-certification that shows the company doesn’t want to wait on official approval and can use the CFTC Regulation 40.2(a) to list these futures contracts.

The letters were listed on X by community poster Summers:

Coinbase Derivatives LLC quietly filed certifications with CFTC to list US regulated futures for Dogecoin, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash.

They filed them on March 7 and surprisingly nobody seemed to notice.

Futures are set to start trading on April 1 if there are no objections from… pic.twitter.com/DYbWjuS6G2

— Summers (@SummersThings) March 20, 2024

As long as the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations are adhered to at this time then Coinbase can list the Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and Dogecoin products.

The fact that Coinbase chose to go through the CFTC and not the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is notable, but understandable in the way that the SEC views crypto exchanges that attempt to gain the title of a “security”.

The CFTC has a track record of being more lenient on crypto exchanges than the SEC, with the latter arguing vehemently that the bulk of cryptocurrencies are commodities and not securities.

The SEC and its Chair Gary Gensler have faced pushback from crypto exchanges that feel the regulator has been too harsh. The SEC for example has a standalone “Crypto Assets and Cyber Enforcement Actions” section on the government site that keeps a healthy toll of monthly filing activity in shutting down the crypto elements it sees as unlawful.

All three of Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and Dogecoin products have their origins with Bitcoin so it will be up to the hands of time and the response of the CFTC to see if they are approved or shot down like many other hopeful crypto listings.

Image: Flickr/Ivan Radic/CC.20

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Blizzard has announced a plethora of changes that will overhaul Diablo 4 entirely.

The dungeon crawling role-playing game has a hardcore following that is always vocal about the changes that can be made, but the announcement on Diablo’s YouTube Campfire Chat has left a lot of gamers wondering if this really is Diablo 4 2.0.

Diablo 4 big changes

The changes coming to the medieval fantasy looter impact all of the core gameplay mechanics and Joe Shely, the Game Director of the franchise framed the update by saying “Everyone knows what an ARPG (action role-playing game) is, but it is a broad category.”

Shely would continue that Diablo is a “SARPG, a systems action role-playing game. Systems are all foundational elements of any ARPG, but in a Systems ARPG the systems in particular, including the endgame itemization, and things like crafting, those are what comprise the soul of the game and they’re the lifeblood of a game like Diablo 4.”

This focus on rehauling the itemization and loot system in the game can be seen as the development team’s focus on the decisions “before, during, and after combat” that are important to Diablo fans.

They are the most time-consuming and as the Campfire Chat says “One of the persistent points of feedback that we’ve gotten since we launched Diablo 4 last year was that a lot of the items that you find in Dungeons and throughout the game you end up just sifting through a lot of junk.”

The developers recognized that “it never really felt great and so with this update that’s been our number one goal, to focus on making sure that when we do give you items they’re high quality items they’re much more likely to be useful for your build.”

So let’s break down this mass list of changes.

Loot and gear will now drop to give a better benefit to classes and have more worthwhile items of a higher quality. Base item updates will see many affixes taken out of the game to save players from being bombarded with irrelevant stats.

Only Sacred items will appear in World Tier 3 and only Ancestral items will appear in World Tier 4. More Unique items will drop in World Tiers 1 and 2 and Uber Uniques can now drop in World Tier 3 from level 55+ enemies. Dropped Legendary and Unique items will now be tradeable between players as well (with the exception of Uber Uniques).

Level 95+ enemies only drop capped 925 gear and gems that players receive will be “simpler, better, and have a much longer crafting tail.” In relation to this the gold cost for crafting will be capped and not be rerolled.

Forgotten souls will also drop occasionally from elites and more often from Whispers. Greater affixes will also drop with a 1.5 multiplier, but will only appear on Ancestral Legendary and Unique items.

A new “Tempering System” will also be added to the game that allows players to add cool new affixes to gear. Tempering manuals will be dropped from most content in the game and cannot be target-farmed. Manuals have four affixes and one will be randomly applied to a piece of gear. A tempered item will also have a limited durability, that can only be rerolled so many times.

Another new system will be the twelve-tiered “Masterworking” progress system for upgrades that will see one random affix added every four tiers that are applied.

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Sea of Thieves has announced a “cornucopia of events” to celebrate the 6th anniversary of the plundering multiplayer.

The game’s site has a handy countdown clock to the end of the Sixth Anniversary Celebration that runs until March 25. Players can uncork Legendary Messages in a bottle to Athena’s Fortune treasure, snap up the Golden Sailor Capstan, and those plucky enough to complete enough Legendary Voyages will add the Seaglass Rapier to their belt.

Players can “also earn double gold, reputation, Seasonal Renown, Allegiance, and Guild Reputation via Gold & Glory boosts while this Event is live from March 20th-25th.”

Rare released an announcement video that shows some of the content coming to the title in Seasons 12, and 13 and a “sneak peek behind the curtain on Season 14.”

Sea of Thieves turns six

The Rare preview event showcased some of the features coming to the title across 2024. Shelly Preston one of the Sea of Thieves Design Team introduced the upcoming changes saying “There are tools and items that might seem simple on the surface, but when they are in the hands of real players, who are playing in their own way and bringing their creativity, it really showcases that the sandbox is more than the sum of its parts, as it creates these memorable stories.”

The tools in question also involve the introduction of two new weapons to the game which will be the first since the treasure hunting title launched in 2018. “An area we haven’t delved into since launch is adding new weapons to the game,” says Mike Chapman the game’s Creative Director. “So in Season 12, we are going to be adding the double-barrelled pistol and throwing knives.”

The throwing knife will be available in Season 12 which Preston says “can be used as a melee item, they have a light and a heavy melee action, but they can also be thrown and used at range as well.”

The double barrel flintlock is a new type of pistol weapon with two shot types. You can fire both bullets inside the barrels separately or charge them up for a stronger shot to stop rival pirates in their tracks. The three new tools are the Wind Caller, the Scattershot, and the Bone Caller.

The Scattershot is a collection of four cannonballs and has a “much shorter falloff and a really widespread, allowing you to hit multiple targets at the same time,” says the announcement video. The Bone Caller fires an ethereal projectile that causes helpful skeletons to appear to help you take control of a rival ship or to conjure some helpful allies as you roam the beaches for loot. This new tool will be a boon for solo players to get some extra bony hands on deck.

The Windcaller is a shell that can be used to propel your ship via the elements. Players can blow into the conch and gain extra billow in their sails to help them evade enemies or hunt down evasive high-sea prey. Season 12 will also see tightrope traversal get an overhaul as harpoon lines can be used to add an extra layer of verticality or allow players to tightrope their way over to enemy ships. Some islands will also see the addition of zip lines to help traverse the deserted environments.

Later Seasons

Season 13 brings the “return of Captain Flameheart to the Sea of Thieves,” says Chapman. His Burning Blade ship makes a comeback in a “more monstrous and terrifying form than ever before.” The ship will move around the world and offer players the chance to prove themselves and pledge their allegiance to the enclave of pirates to crew the flamethrower-mounted ship.

Captain Flameheart expects a pledge in return and world events will be in place to take on Skeleton Camps to gather orbs to increase the worth of his ship. Players will be playing a deadly game to add loot to the legendary ship and must be coy about how they cash in the orbs as they battle the bony denizens of these dungeons and rival players after their horde.

Preston says “It’s really up to you how long you think you can hold on to it with that risk/reward because everybody in the world is going to be coming for you, they’re going to know you’re in there and know you’ve got high value, so it really becomes this dynamic player-created World Event with players versus players in the sandbox.”

Rare has been keeping Season 14’s details under lock and key with the exception of the introduction of new stealth mechanics to help players sneakily move around the world, crouch, and hang off the side of ships via an all-new grapple gun.

So a host of content is coming to the plundering pirate title and PS5 players will be eagerly awaiting their first venture into the high seas as the title comes to the console on April 30th and coincides with Season 12 hitting the shoreline at the same time.

Image: Rare.

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The state of Pennsylvania has raked in a record iGaming revenue for the month of February to the tune of $184.9m.

The Keystone State did however map year-on-year declines in all the other markets involving staking in sports betting markets.

Pennsylvanian iGaming record profit

The report from the Pennsylvanian Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reports a 9% overall increase in total gaming from February 2023 to 2024. This figure would sit at an impressive $499,093,210 overall for the haul from games of chance across the year.

The returns from retail slot machines was “$202,742,794, a 0.04% decrease in revenue when compared to the $202,822,213 generated in February 2023,” according to the report. This shows a small dip in contrast to the previous year, but retail slots remain the largest source of iGaming revenue for the state.

IGaming slot revenue saw a significant 35.6% jump from $92m to $125.9m, and internet table games more than doubled with from $36m to $56.6m, a 56.7% increase.

Online poker seen an 8.3% revenue decline to $2.4m, the only major negative report alongside the sports wagering figures.

Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course led the pack of operators with a 36.8% year-on-year increase in iGaming coming in at $77.3m, with Valley Forge Casino Resort the next in line with $44.8m, taking home the bronze was Rivers Casino Philadelphia on $29.3m for the year.

Pennsylvania would also see a 30% decline in taxable sports wagering revenue, which would also mark a year-on-year decline. This was despite an increase in annual revenue which the report would highlight as “$661,740,812 or 10.38% above the February 2023 total of $599,529,429.”

Valley Forge Casino would be the standout across the year for the Keystone State with annual revenue of $17.7m with Hollywood Casino at the Meadows trailing behind on $7.6m. The Fantasy Contest revenue market would see a 5% decline from 2023’s watermark and Video Gaming Terminals (VGT) in the state would see a marginal dip by 2.4%.

The report would say of the VGT’s that “By the end of February 2024, all VGT Operators offered the maximum permitted five machines at 72 qualified truck stop establishments, compared to five machines at 66 establishments at this time last year.”

The PGCB is currently promoting gambling awareness month for the state and took to X to promote their activity to tackle problem gambling:

PGCB Program Analyst Jack Gallick (3rd from left) and Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling Director Liz Lanza (4th from left) joined other professionals in the capitol in Harrisburg today to promote Problem Gambling Awareness Month. pic.twitter.com/iHBmKuoyAE

— PGCB (@PAGamingControl) March 18, 2024

Image: Pexels.

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Skydance New Media and Marvel have shown off the story trailer for the new ‘Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra’ at the State of Unreal event.

The Epic Games event displays the games that have been developed and produced in Unreal Engine 5. This comic book game follows Steve Rodger’s Captain America and the World War 2 version of the Black Panther, Azzuri as they fight to overthrow the Axis in occupied Paris.

The game’s description page tells us that “in the chaos of war, worlds collide. Captain America and Azzuri, the Black Panther of the 1940s, must overcome their differences and form an uneasy alliance to confront their common enemy. Fighting alongside Gabriel Jones of the Howling Commandos, and Nanali, a Wakandan spy embedded in Occupied Paris, they must join forces to stop a sinister plot that threatens to turn the havoc of WWII into the ultimate rise of Hydra.”

Marvel 1943 trailer

The game features four playable characters including America’s greatest solider and the grandfather of the Wakandan superhero T’Challa who is most notably recognized by Chadwick Bosman’s stellar performance as the claw-wielding African icon.

Two other characters will be involved in this epic story including U.S. soldier Gabriel Jones and Nanali, a Wakandan spy. Jones is a member of the Howling Commandos that have been represented in the comics, led by Nick Fury, and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America.

Marvel Games has released more information on the characters and the voice actors, alongside the news that Grammy Award-winning composer Steve Baron will score the adventure. Baron is most known to gaming fans for his work on Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Apex Legends, and Titanfall.

Khary Payton plays Azzuri, T’Challa’s grandfather and our WWII-era Black Panther. Drew Moerlein plays Steve Captain America. Megalyn Echikunwoke plays Nanali and Marque Richardson plays Gabriel Jones. Lyne Renée plays Julie, a key ally in the French Resistance, and Joel Johnstone rounds out our cast as Howard Stark, the father of Iron Man, Tony Stark.

In other gaming and Unreal 5 Engine news, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater’s voice actor David Hayter would release information on the upcoming remaster of the stealth classic. The iconic bandana-wearing special agent will be seeing his prequel tale retold in the gaming engine and will be making shadowy moves in 2025.

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Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater’s infamous actor David Hayter has released a new teaser for the acclaimed Konami title.

Hayter is the iconic voice of Snake that fans have grown up with, so for him to leak the news on X, there is a massive element of excitement for fans of the series who want to see this remake to stay true to the origins set out by Hideo Kojima. He would say “Please don’t tell anyone…It was spectacular.”

Please don’t tell anyone…

(But I played the opening of #MGSDelta up to the bridge scene the other day.)

(It was spectacular.)

pic.twitter.com/1A1MZqLwFV

— David Hayter (@DavidBHayter) March 20, 2024

Metal Gear Delta: Snake Eater first look

Metal Gear Solid is one of the Playstation and Konami’s most revered intellectual properties and Snake has seen many iterations over the years. He first made is debut in 1987 on the MSX2, a relic in gaming terms for home computer systems, but it sowed the seed of the now world-renowned bandana-wearing stealth icon that would be synonymous with the 1998 launch on the PlayStation.

Snake Eater made its mark with Playstation 2 owners in late 2004 and serves as the first chapter in the story of Snake and the Cold War set prequel to all other games in the series.

Konami’s last update on the title was a look at the in-game engine that features the flora and fauna of the fictional southern USSR territory of Tselinoyarsk:

The Japanese game studio has said they “are working hard for METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER to be a faithful recreation of the original story and game design, while evolving the gameplay with stunning visuals and a seamless user experience.”

This is despite Hideo Kojima not being part of the remake. The legendary games developer and series artist Yoji Shinkawa, known for his inked illustrations of Snake “are not involved”, a Konami spokesperson told IGN in the middle of last year. “However, the development team will work hard to create this remake and also the ports (for Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection) so that they can be enjoyed on multiple platforms by even more players all around the world,” say the studio.

Kojima is a rockstar of the gaming world and his standalone studio Kojima Productions ushered in the way the Unreal Engine 5 works with a new generation of consoles with games like Death Stranding 2 hotly anticipated to make the best of the technology.

The Japanese gaming icon would also announce that he’s currently devising a new stealth gaming title, as we reported last month. This is an interesting development given he is no longer involved in this remake of such a seminal stealth title as Snake Eater.

It remains to be seen just how authentic this remake will be, but one thing is for sure, fans are excited that Hayter is so readily involved and will be watching his social posts eagerly for more information on this Soviet-era espionage classic.

Image: Konami.

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