Elden Ring developer From Software is already hiring for “multiple” new games, as the company tweeted a link to a new recruitment site that includes listings for several positions. The site also includes artwork of From Software’s biggest games, including Sekiro, Elden Ring, and the long-dormant Armored Core.

複数の新プロジェクトに向けて、幅広い職種のスタッフ募集を開始いたしました。フロム・ソフトウェアで一緒にゲームを作ってくださる皆さんを、お待ちしています。よろしければぜひ、特設サイトをご確認ください。https://t.co/p9FvoxnB9T pic.twitter.com/rvDKkipjQA

— FROMSOFTWARE (@fromsoftware_pr) June 24, 2022

In an interview with 4Gamer (via VGC), From Software’s Hidetaka Miyazaki also mentioned that an unannounced project is in the final stages of development and that he intends to continue focusing on directing games. One such future project by the Elden Ring director was described as a more abstract fantasy that uses ideas that don’t quite fit into the usual Souls-like adventure template.

As for other projects that From Software is recruiting for, it has been rumored that the studio’s sci-fi series Armored Core is being revived. Back in January, alleged screenshots of the game surfaced alongside gameplay details of three-dimensional and dynamic action, a “high degree of freedom in customization” as you move your mech around an “overwhelmingly scaled” map to explore.

Interestingly, the image above also includes a snapshot of Deracine, From Software’s 2018 PlayStation VR game. With PSVR 2 in development and planning to have around 20 launch games, from whom the studio could be making a new VR title.

Elden Ring will still continue to receive support in the future, although Miyazaki mentioned that he wasn’t ready to reveal what fans could expect to see next. For more on the game, you can check out GameSpot’s complete Elden Ring lore guide, an adorable Game Boy demake, and how modders are working on adding a seamless co-op mode to the PC version of the game.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Like most sandbox games, 2007’s Assassin’s Creed gave you access to a horse that could help you get around the map more quickly. What you might not have known, though, is that Altair’s steed was in fact a human skeleton that Ubisoft’s engineers had stretched out and transformed into a horse due to the developer’s tools only supporting bipedal characters.

“The horse in AC1 was just a twisted f***ed-up human skeleton because our tool chain only worked with biped in 3ds max,” former Ubisoft developer Charles Randall tweeted. “Cheers to the amazing animators and riggers that managed to make that guy look like a horse!”

Your developers were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.

Randall also shared a few other non-nightmare fuel stories from the development of Assassin’s Creed. For the character of Malik, who only had one arm, Ubisoft didn’t have the budget for a custom skeleton so the solution was to turn his extra limb inside out and push it up into his abdomen. “I assume if you could get the camera to clip into him you’d see a tiny little scrunched-up arm inside the bicep,” Randall tweeted.

Gamedev hack: In Assassin’s Creed, we didn’t have budget for a custom skeleton or mesh for Malik, so his “missing arm” is just inside out. I assume if you could get the camera to clip into him you’d see a tiny little scrunched up arm inside the bicep. pic.twitter.com/DJW7RsOOXM

— Charles Randall (@charlesrandall) June 23, 2022

If you ever found yourself dying unexpectedly because you went out of bounds in Assassin’s Creed, you can also blame Randall for that as his solution at the time was to simply kill the player if they got too close to a boundary wall. “Up until that point I always said ‘If all else fails, kill the player,'” Randall explained. “Was super happy to finally get to put it into practice.”

In AC1 there was always a new way of getting your character through the level boundaries, allowing you access to places you shouldn’t go.
I got to fix it by deploying my theoretical ultimate fix: Kill the player.
So if you ever died near a boundary wall for no reason? All me.

— Charles Randall (@charlesrandall) June 23, 2022

Game developer Twitter is currently full of other stories from people sharing secrets of how games were made after a tweet about invisible squirrels being used as in-game timers in Titan Quest went viral. Though Assassin’s Creed likely isn’t using mutilated digital skeletons in current titles, you can expect to see what’s next for the franchise in September.

Ubisoft will reveal “the future of Assassin’s Creed” in an event that also celebrates the 15th anniversary of the series. As for what could be shown, it could be the ambitious Assassin’s Creed Infinity (codename) project or the rumored smaller-scale Assassin’s Creed title that focuses on Valhalla character Basim.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

343 Industries has confirmed that it is exploring the idea of adding microtransactions to Halo: The Master Chief Collection. In an update on the Waypoint site, community writer Alex Wakeford explained that 343 will be renaming Season Points as Spartan Points and is looking into adding a new form of microtransactions.

“For players who are new to the MCC, or who may not have dedicated much time specifically to unlocking items during the seasonal updates, or are simply completionists looking to catch the last outstanding items they need, we are internally exploring a potential new feature for the future in the form of purchasable Spartan Points,” Wakeford wrote on Waypoint.

The new system is described as being an “optional, additive alternative” for players and is being designed as a way for people to either skip the grind of obtaining items or be given the option to purchase the ones that they want. The existing method of earning points by leveling up and completing challenges would remain in place.

“In the interest of transparency with our dedicated and passionate community, we wanted to inform you of this exploration in advance and provide assurance that purchasable Spartan Points would be an additive feature,” Wakeford added.

Beyond that, new features such as functionality, further mod support, campaign collectibles across all games, the Steam Workshop modding upload / download tool, new customization options, and quality-of-life improvements, are also being worked on for the game.

In more Halo news, 343 Industries recently apologized for a Juneteenth cosmetic in Halo Infinite that was briefly named after an endangered ape. Halo Infinite also received its first mid-season “Drop Pod” update this month, which added changes to ranked matchmaking, bug fixes, and adjustments to the game’s vehicles.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

GameStop’s Pro Days sale has officially begun, with hundreds of games, collectibles, accessories, and more getting some of the biggest price cuts of the year. The sale only runs through tomorrow, June 25, so you’ll have to make your picks quickly. It’s possible that some of the best deals will sell out before the sale officially ends, too. Also, if you’re looking for a PS5, select GameStop stores have PS5 bundles in stock for Pro Days.

Pro Days sales are exclusive to PowerUp Rewards Pro members. A Pro membership costs $15 per year, but comes with plenty of goodies, including close to $150 in incentives. New members receive a $10 reward simply for signing up. You’ll also get a $5 voucher to use at GameStop every month for the duration of your membership. Keep in mind that GameStop also sometimes offers early access to console, GPU, and Pokemon TCG drops to Pro members.

If you see a few things below that you want in the sale but are not a Pro member, you could essentially pay off your membership fee with the discounts you’re getting today on games, accessories, and more.

We’ve scoured every listing in the GameStop Pro Days catalog and pulled together a comprehensive list of our favorite deals. From video games and carrying cases to headsets and keyboards, here are some of the best discounts you’ll find during GameStop Pro Days.

Nintendo Switch Games

Dozens of Switch games are currently available at a discount, including several exclusives–such as Pokemon Sword, New Pokemon Snap, and Super Mario Party. You can also pick up the latest Lego Star Wars title, with The Skywalker Saga now available at a great low price. Mortal Kombat 11, Crash Bandicoot 4, and The Witcher 3 are also up for grabs. Select titles are seeing a massive 50% price cut, making it a great time to stock up on games you’ve missed out on over the past few years.

Carrion Crash Bandicoot 4 Destroy All Humans Hot Wheels Unleashed Hotline Miami Collection Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Monster Hunter Stories 2 Mortal Kombat 11 NBA 2K22 New Pokemon Snap Pokemon Sword Pokemon Shield Skyward Sword Spyro Reignited Trilogy Super Mario Party WarioWare: Get It Together The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Xbox Games

GameStop is giving FPS fans a lot to be excited about. Back 4 Blood, Battlefield 2042, Cyberpunk 2077, and more are now listed at a discount. If you haven’t played It Takes Two, consider picking up the stellar cooperative game during Pro Days. The innovative platformer tasks you and a friend with navigating increasingly difficult levels–but the quirky cast of characters and interesting storyline makes it more than worth the effort. And while we probably won’t be getting a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, you can snag Pro Skater 1+2 for cheap. Most games are seeing a generous 25-35% price cut, although certain titles are down as much as 50%.

Back 4 Blood Battlefield 2042 Biomutant Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy Cyberpunk 2077 Far Cry 6 Hot Wheels Unleashed It Takes Two Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Mass Effect Legendary Edition NBA 2K22 Resident Evil Village Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2

PlayStation Games

Take a trip down memory lane with Crash Bandicoot N’ Sane Trilogy–which remasters three iconic platformers, bundles them into a single package, and is now available at a steep discount. Another remaster, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, is also up for grabs at a great new price. Not only does it give the series a fresh coat of paint, but it updates the original Mass Effect’s shooting mechanics to make it more in line with its successors. You can also grab the recently released Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga at a discount. A bunch of other great games are up for grabs, with select titles seeing a 50% discount.

Back 4 Blood Battlefield 2042 Biomutant Cyberpunk 2077 Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy Far Cry 6 Hot Wheels Unleashed It Takes Two King of Fighters XV Lego Marvel Collection Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Mass Effect Legendary Edition Resident Evil Village NBA 2K22 Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2

Gaming headsets

GameStop’s Pro Days sale covers more than just video games. A slew of accessories are up for grabs, and there’s a nice variety of headsets included in the promotion. The premium BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless Headset, for example, is seeing a generous price cut–along with its more affordable sibling, the BlackShark V2 X Wired Headset. Select Razer products are getting up to 50% price cuts, and with the Kaira X and Barracuda also up for grabs, there’s no shortage of great ways to upgrade your audio.

Arctis 3 Headset Kraken V3 X Headset BlackShark V2 X Wired Headset BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless Headset Kaira X Wired Headset Barracuda X Wireless Headset

Controllers

Whether you need an affordable backup controller or something high-end for competitive gaming, you’ll want to take a closer look at the Pro Days catalog. Its selection isn’t as extensive as other categories, but the discounted Wolverine V2 Chroma Controller for Xbox and PC should be enough to pique your interest. Two mappable function buttons, a hair-trigger mode for quick activation, and a sleek design make it a popular option for FPS fans. The Rock Candy Wired Mario Controller for Switch is also discounted, although it’s better used as a backup gamepad or for a second player.

Razer Wolverine V2 Chroma Controller (Xbox) Rock Candy Wired Mario Controller (Switch) Fusion Pro Wireless Controller (Switch)

Razer Gaming Chairs

Both the Razer Enki X and premium Razer Enki are discounted right now. The Enki X is a slightly more affordable version of the Enki, offering an ergonomic design with unique shoulder arches and a wide seat base for added comfort during extended gaming sessions. The standard Enki, meanwhile, adds 4D armrests for additional comfort and an adjustable headrest.

Razer Enki X Gaming Chair Razer Enki Gaming Chair

Switch Carrying Cases

Looking to transport your Switch in style? A bunch of carrying cases are on sale as part of Pro Days. Most of these are standard carrying cases, but they offer sleek, minimalist designs that take inspiration from some of the best Nintendo games around.

PDP Peach and Daisy Case PDP Mario and Luigi Case Rainbow Mario Case Dodo Animal Crossing Case

Mice and Keyboards

If you’re looking to upgrade your PC setup, consider picking up Logitech G502. It found a spot on our best gaming mouse list, thanks to an accurate 25K sensor and a bunch of customizable buttons. It’s discounted alongside the Razer Blackwidow V3 Keyboard, Huntsman V2 Wired Keyboard, Naga X Wired Mouse, and more. Select products are discounted up to 50%, so be sure to check out the savings while you can.

SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wired Mouse Atrix MMO Mouse Logitech G502 Wireless Mouse EVGA Z12 Gaming Keyboard Razer Blackwidow V3 Keyboard Naga X Wired Mouse Basilisk V2 Ergonomic Wired Mouse Huntsman V2 Wired Keyboard

Collectibles

GameStop has quickly become a go-to destination for collectibles, so it should come as no surprise that a bunch of figurines, board games, and more are included in the Pro Days festivities. Funko Pop enthusiasts, in particular, will have a lot of options to wade through, although a discounted Pikachu Pop is one of the more intriguing deals. You’ll even find the Assassain’s Creed Orlog set on sale, along with select board games that are 40% off. There’s also a gigantic Snorlax Beanbag Chair on sale if you need a stylish centerpiece for your game room.

Funko Pop (Pikachu) Funko Pop (Halo Master Chief) Assassin’s Creed Orlog Set Figpin (Boba Fett) Monopoly: Animal Crossing Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi Waffle Maker Snorlax Beanbag Chair

Apparel

Most apparel deals are in-store only, but you’ll find a few good discounts on GameStop-related shirts, hoodies, pants, and more. The Astronaut Shirt is a particular standout, as it’s both affordable and a tongue-in-cheek way to pay homage to the GME run of 2021.

GameStop Astronaut Shirt (Grey) GameStop Logo Hoodie (Black) GameStop Logo Sweat Shorts GameStop Logo Joggers

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

As has previously been understood, Overwatch 2 will replace the current game at launch. In essence, current owners of Overwatch will download a patch and the game will become Overwatch 2, with all the associated changes to multiplayer. For example, the game will change to a 5v5 format and introduce various balance alterations. The promised PvE campaign mode is slated to release in 2023.

The clarification came via a Reddit AMA. In a post from the Overwatch 2 Game Director, Aaron Keller, stated that the game’s launch on October 4th represents the beginning of Early Access. He added, “We’re using the term Early Access to indicate that this is just the start of many new things coming to the game.” The plan to replace the original Overwatch also fits in with the new free-to-play model. Larger content updates will come seasonally, every nine weeks, according to the roadmap Blizzard recently put out. Season 1 will feature Sojourn and Junker Queen, as well as a new map. You can find more details of the game’s launch in GameSpot’s guide everything we know about Overwatch 2 and our interview with Aaron Keller.

Any news about Overwatch 2 occurs in the context of sexual harassment and abuse allegations, as well as unionization efforts, at developer and publisher Activision Blizzard. Microsoft recently agreed to recognize a union after they acquire Activision Blizzard. In the meantime, however, the shareholders voted to keep CEO Bobby Kotick on the board of directors. Despite the demand from many employees that he should resign, it seems that he will stay on until 2023.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

As the Steam Deck gets into more users’ hands, more people are exercising their right to tinker with the device. Given the space limitations of Steam Deck generally, it’s not surprising that some of those efforts have been put into expanding the amount of storage it has.

As shipped, the Steam Deck supports only the smallest variety of M.2 drives, the 2230. Twitter user @TheSmcelra, as reported by Hot Hardware, found a way to allow for a slightly bigger drive: a M.2 2242. To do this, they used a 30 to 42 mm bracket extension to push the retention screw slightly further on the motherboard and simply moved a thermal pad out of the way. As a consequence, the back board of the Deck pushed out slightly. However, the larger drive did not interfere with any other part of the device. The thread concludes with them successful installing SteamOS onto the new drive.

The pcb appears to work fairly well for adapting a 2242 m2 to the steam deck, it doesn’t collide with anything on the motherboard or put any extra strain on any cables. However, it does make the heat spreader bow a tiny bit. The back plate reassembled without issue. pic.twitter.com/4j4LVbS0NG

— Belly Jelly (@TheSmcelrea) June 21, 2022

If you have experience building a computer, you know this is not a particularly complicated modification. However, any tinkering with any electronic device comes with a little risk and potential anxiety. It’s also worth noting that one could expand storage space with an microSD card, without any tinkering needed.

In other Valve news, the Steam Sale has just begun. Should you be the proud owner of a Steam Deck, now might be a good time to load it up with games.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Amidst concerns over microtransactions, Blizzard will soon share more details about Diablo Immortal’s next battle pass, new features, and bug fixes.

Diablo community lead Adam Fletcher recently took to the game’s subreddit in response to a player asking when patches or updates will be coming to Diablo Immortal. The game launched in most regions on June 2, and since then, there hasn’t been much word from Blizzard on when players should expect new updates.

According to Fletcher, news about what’s next for Diablo Immortal will be coming “in the next few weeks as we get to the tail end of the current battle pass,” which expires in around two weeks. Blizzard will detail its content release cadence and discuss more about the game’s next battle pass, upcoming features, and planned fixes around that time, Fletcher writes.

Fletcher also took the time to reiterate that content updates for Diablo Immortal, including new dungeons, raids, quests, and classes, will be free “for everyone to experience.”

Diablo Immortal made around $24 million in its first two weeks, even as the game has found itself in hot water over its microtransactions and pay-to-win systems. One of the game’s first critics, a Diablo fan in attendance during Diablo Immortal’s unveiling at BlizzCon 2018 who asked the game’s developers if it was an out-of-season April Fool’s Day joke during a Q&A, recently chimed in with his opinion on Blizzard’s mobile RPG. He wasn’t impressed. In GameSpot’s Diablo Immortal review, we called the game “a surprisingly premium-feeling adventure in the series that hits all the right notes, even if its endgame starts to depend on microtransactions too heavily.”

Given concerns about Diablo Immortal’s microtransactions, Blizzard has clarified that Diablo IV, which is set to release sometime in 2023, won’t include the ability to buy power like in Diablo Immortal. It will, however, feature an in-game shop and microtransactions in the form of cosmetics. Blizzard recently revealed the Necromancer will be Diablo IV’s fifth and final class at launch, and will feature a new unique Necromancer class mechanic called the Book of the Dead.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Diablo Immortal has been out in the wild for several weeks now, and in that time the verdict has become clear–in addition to being heavily monetized, Diablo Immortal is, without a doubt, pay-to-win.

Ahead of release, fans knew Diablo Immortal would have microtransactions. After all, the game is free-to-play, and none of the story content or main features are locked behind a paywall. Blizzard needs to make money on Diablo Immortal somehow, but it wasn’t clear to what extent the studio would monetize what it heralded as the most “ambitious” Diablo game to date. Fans assumed it would include a premium currency, paid cosmetics, and a battle pass, and it includes all that and more. What was less clear, and what Blizzard failed to disclose, was how heavy a role money plays when it comes to progressing your character in Diablo Immortal’s endgame and the advantage doing so gives you over other players.

At the heart of the issue is Legendary Crests and Legendary Gems. You see, not all Legendary Gems are created equal–some are incredibly rare and powerful. These 5-Star Legendary Gems are miles above 1- or 2-Star Legendary Gems, granting more powerful effects, but also higher stats in the form of more Resonance, a stat which boosts the life and damage value of items. As a player, you want as many of these powerful gems, and as much Resonance, as possible. You also want to upgrade them as many times as possible to further increase their power. Gems are upgraded by salvaging unwanted Legendary Gems, and higher level gems not only require the leftover scraps of unwanted gems but also require dozens of gems of the same type in order to be upgraded.

The issue is that obtaining these highly coveted and extremely powerful gems is only possible through Legendary Crests. These crests are a premium item that can be purchased for real money and guarantee a Legendary Gem of some sort will drop when used in conjunction with the game’s Elder Rifts. Legendary Crests also include a small–roughly 5%–chance to drop a 5-Star Legendary Gem.

If you are a completely free-to-play player, or even a player who only buys the battle pass and a few one-time bundles, you will have only a few Legendary Crests by the time you reach the endgame. To earn more, you need to spend more money. Instead, free-to-play players are relegated to using Rare Crests, which do not include any chance at all of a 5-Star Legendary Gem and don’t even guarantee a Legendary Gem of any sort upon completing an Elder Rift. Considering how many Legendary Gems are also needed for upgrade purposes, players who aren’t using Legendary Crests can expect to make almost no progress for weeks or months at a time when it comes to one of the key ways to improve your character.

There is no question Diablo Immortal’s Legendary Gem system is pay-to-win.

The problem here is clear. People who spend money to buy dozens and dozens of Legendary Crests will not only have more Legendary Gems than players only buying, say, the battle pass, but will also have far more of the game’s most overpowered 5-Star gems as well. Free players, quite simply, will never be as powerful as a person willing to spend hundreds of dollars. While there are technically some ways for free-to-play players to earn 5-Star Legendary Gems without spending money in the form of crafting, it’s so time-consuming, resource-intensive, and luck-based that you might as well not even try.

Players that spend money will be much stronger than players who don’t by a wide margin. It would be one thing if this only applied to the PvE portions of Diablo Immortal like dungeons, raids, and Challenge Rift leaderboards. However, it applies to PvP as well, which is a major focus of Diablo Immortal with its new Cycle of Strife system that pits two player factions against one another and the inclusion of PvP battlegrounds. While the game’s Combat Rating stat is capped in PvP to ensure a more even playing field, the powerful Legendary Gem effects and the Resonance boosts to stats the gems provide are not, meaning players decked out in the game’s best 5-Star Legendary Gems (which, once again, are realistically only obtainable by spending money) will absolutely decimate free-to-play players.

These types of paid systems aren’t exactly new for many mobile or free-to-play RPGs. Genshin Impact, for example, is one of the most popular free-to-play games in the world. It relies heavily on a glorified slot machine system (aka the gacha system) where players spend real money for a chance to score rare characters and weapons that are vastly superior to those that free-to-play players have access to. Lost Ark, which just like Diablo Immortal is a free-to-play ARPG MMO, lets players directly purchase materials used to upgrade gear from its in-game store. The difference between those two examples and Diablo Immortal, however, is that Genshin Impact is PvE only and Lost Ark balances its PvP so that stats are equalized to ensure a fair and competitive environment.

If you ignore the PvP element, Diablo Immortal sadly isn’t an outlier when it comes to popular free-to-play RPGs, and it doesn’t do anything that dozens of cash-extracting mobile games haven’t done before. These types of microtransactions aren’t even a first for the Diablo franchise. When Diablo III released in 2012, it included a real-money auction house where players could sell in-game items for cash, with Blizzard getting a small cut of each transaction. As players reached higher difficulties and progress slowed to a crawl, many felt forced to engage with the auction house in order to improve their character. Blizzard listened to feedback and eventually removed the auction house from Diablo III entirely, seemingly having learned its lesson.

To see the same kind of scenario play out once again in Diablo Immortal–which also includes an auction house where players can sell items like Legendary Gems to one another via a special currency that can be acquired with another premium currency bought with real money–is Blizzard not only failing to learn from the mistakes of the franchise’s past, but seemingly appearing hellbent on repeating them. Diablo as a series is all about slaying countless demons, obtaining more powerful loot, and progressing your character to tackle greater and greater challenges. Being able to simply buy your way to success, whether it’s through Legendary Crests or the game’s auction house, undermines the very essence of what Diablo as a franchise is all about.

There are few ways Diablo Immortal isn’t monetized.

When Diablo Immortal was first announced at BlizzCon 2018 as mobile-only, it was met with widespread disapproval from fans, who asked if the game’s reveal was an out-of-season April Fool’s joke and if the game would also come to PC. Blizzard responded as if players were the ones out of touch, asking “Do you not have phones?” While part of Diablo Immortal’s disastrous announcement was due to Blizzard’s hardcore PC-centric fans hoping to see Diablo IV and instead getting something completely different, the negative reaction also stemmed from the justified reputation free-to-play mobile games have as being riddled with predatory microtransactions. The idea of a heavily monetized, pay-to-win Diablo game sounded like the antithesis of everything Blizzard stood for.

As time went on and Blizzard eventually announced Diablo Immortal would also release for PC, some longtime Diablo and Blizzard fans, myself included, dared to hope Blizzard would use Diablo Immortal to buck mobile game trends and instead deliver a polished, freemium title fans of the franchise would be proud of, and some of that came to pass. Diablo Immortal is undoubtedly fun. It controls great on mobile and includes some top-notch production values, especially for a free phone game. It’s entirely possible for casual players to play through and enjoy the game’s main story without spending money. But as any fan knows, Diablo largely begins once the main story is complete, and Blizzard is capitalizing on that for Diablo Immortal.

The real disappointment of Diablo Immortal stems not from the fact it includes so many microtransactions or even that it’s pay-to-win. It comes from the sad reality that instead of using Diablo’s mobile debut to move the mobile RPG landscape forward, as Blizzard has done with numerous genres over the years, it instead chose to embrace the platform’s worst practices. Diablo Immortal’s pay-to-win mechanics encourage players to spend hundreds of dollars (or by one player’s estimate, upwards of $80,000) to max out their character via Legendary Gems. Premium item bundles in-game can start as low as $1 and include made up “value” percentages of 800% to rope players in. Then as players progress and more bundles are unlocked, the bundles start to go up in price. Three separate paid services are present to give players who are willing to spend money more and more of an advantage over the player who thought they would be able to compete by just buying a simple battle pass. There’s even an entire endgame progression system which revolves around opening progressively more expensive loot boxes with keys that can also be opened with a special currency bought with a premium paid currency. The list goes on. When you have players spamming the game’s chat looking to exclusively form groups with other pay-to-win “whales” (a term used for players who spend vast sums of money in a free-to-play game compared to the average player), there’s a serious problem.

There is a lot of potential money to be made in the free-to-play mobile game market, and there’s no denying Blizzard’s strategy seems to be working. Diablo Immortal reportedly made upwards of $24 million in its first two weeks, and that’s with the game being banned in two European countries and having not yet released in China (the game’s Chinese release was recently delayed to July 7). People seem more than willing to spend thousands of dollars on Diablo Immortal, even if it’s just to point out how terrible of an idea that is. One popular streamer spent roughly the equivalent of $16,000 US dollars to acquire just one of Diablo Immortal’s coveted 5-Star Legendary Gems, only to immediately dismantle it, delete his character, and then uninstall the game in protest.

Spending thousands of dollars in Diablo Immortal just to make a point (as more than a few streamers have done) may seem hypocritical, but it doesn’t change the fact that many of these streamers have disposable income to waste. They can throw thousands of dollars at a game like Diablo Immortal to get the attention of viewers, then delete their character once they become bored. The reality is the majority of players can spend a few dollars in Diablo Immortal, play for a bit, and then carry on with their lives. But for a minority of players with gambling and addiction problems who find themselves sucked into the predatory systems and microtransactions like those found in Diablo Immortal, that kind of luxury doesn’t exist. Those are the players who can’t afford to toss hundreds or thousands of dollars down the drain, but feel compelled to–and are in many ways pushed to–do so anyways that are the ones most hurt by these types of mobile game practices, of which Diablo Immortal is a textbook example of. That Diablo Immortal appears to be a financial success and players are spending large sums of money within it doesn’t change the fact that the game’s monetization model is predatory. In fact, Diablo Immortal’s financial success further proves the point.

Could some aspects of how Diablo Immortal is monetized change over time? Sure, and they probably will be considering the state of the game’s heavily pay-to-win PvP scene and overall negative public perception. Many longtime Blizzard players and Diablo fans are, to put it lightly, not happy about the state of Diablo Immortal. But Blizzard had years and the ever-present memory of Diablo III’s failures to get this right the first time. Now the damage has been done, both to Blizzard’s reputation and the Diablo franchise as a whole.

Diablo Immortal was among my most anticipated games of 2022. As a longtime fan of both Diablo and MMOs like Blizzard’s own World of Warcraft, the idea of a free-to-play title that blended the best of Blizzard’s storied ARPG series with the more social elements of an MMO was, on paper, a dream come true for me. I was excited about innovative new PvP systems like the Cycle of Strife, the likes of which has never been seen in a Diablo game before. I was excited about running dungeons, rifts, and raids with a clan of friends. I was excited to experience the world of Diablo in a new way. Unfortunately, that excitement soon turned into the depressing realization that Diablo Immortal was merely a demon in disguise–an entertaining Diablo game in many ways, albeit one currently corrupted by the power of the almighty dollar.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Four years after Into the Breach’s original release, the game comes to mobile exclusively through the Netflix app. Subset Games took to Twitter to announce the Advanced Edition of Into the Breach. It is a free content update for all existing players and it also heralds a port of the new version to mobile through the Netflix app.

The updates are expansive across every facet of the tactics game, which tasks you with leading time-traveling mech pilots attempting to prevent the end of the world. The Advanced Edition introduces five new mech squads as well as 40 additional weapons. More bosses, a wider variety of enemies, as well as new mission objectives await those squads. Four new pilots and new abilities also add to your arsenal. Outside of tactics, the Advanced Edition offers seven more languages and new music from Ben Prunty. What exactly those new tactical possibilities entail is not stated, though a GIF on the Subset Games website shows off one new squad in action. More details are sure to come.

If you already own Into the Breach, you can wait until July 19 to get the new content. If you purchase the game before or after the update is released, you will also have access. Alternatively, you have a Netflix subscription, you can play the game on your mobile device through the Netflix app on release day.

In the final bit of news, there is also a physical edition of Into the Breach coming to Fangamer. The physical edition is a Switch exclusive and features goodies like a sticker set and game manual.

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For the second time, the Xbox Series X|S consoles have outsold the PS5 in Japan. Usually seen as having a home ground advantage in Japan, the PS5 only managed to shift 3,035 units–a combined total of both the disc and digital edition–in the week beginning on June 13, while the Xbox Series X sold through 3,272 units.

It’s worth noting that the ongoing semiconductor shortage has resulted in supply constraints for both consoles not only in Japan but across the world as well. So while unusual, this appears to be more of a supply-based anomaly rather than a sudden, genuine change in consumer interest.

According to Famitsu (via GamesRadar), the Xbox Series S sold 3,423 units in that week as well. When split up, the disc-based PS5 sold a total of 2,371 units and the cheaper all-digital version only managed to sell 664 units. This is the second time that Microsoft has outsold the PS5 in Japan, as the Xbox Series S on its own beat the PS5’s sales figures by 6,120 sales to 2,963 back in May.

Even with the occasional week where Microsoft comes out on top, Sony is still enjoying positive sales figures for the PS5 lately. Sony confirmed at the start of June that PS5 sales have surpassed 20 million units sold since launch in November 2020, and has promised a “significant ramp-up” in PS5 production for 2022 to help meet demand.

Sony has estimated that it will sell 18 million PS5 consoles during the fiscal year that began April 1 and runs through March 31, 2023, with this number being based on the company’s “current visibility” into parts procurement. If you’re looking to acquire your own PS5 console, you can check out our PS5 restock feature to see when fresh supplies of the device are in stock.

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