Ubisoft has canceled The Division Heartland. First announced in 2021, the game was a free-to-play spin-off of The Division franchise developed by Red Storm Studio.

Ubisoft revealed the cancelation in an earnings report, stating,

“As part of Ubisoft’s efforts to streamline its operations and adapt to evolving market trends, there have been further reorganizations within the Global Publishing teams, both at the APAC region, that is not organized into three engagement hubs, and at the central level. Additionally, in line with the increased selectivity of its investments, Ubisoft has decided to stop development on The Division Heartland and has redeployed resources to bigger opportunities such as XDefiant and Rainbow Six.”

The Division Heartland had been quiet for some time after its reveal, including being delayed. It eventually resurfaced with closed beta tests, but scarce updates on its existence caused doubt and confusion among fans. The game was billed as a PvEvP survival action experience with players controlling a Division agent tasked with protecting a small town from enemy factions and chemical contamination. 

Despite the cancellation, we know it doesn't mean the end of the franchise. Ubisoft announced The Division 3 last September, with series creator Massive Entertainment back at the helm. That game currently has no release window. 

Heartland joins an expanding graveyard of canceled Ubisoft projects over the past few years. In January 2023, the publisher canceled its upcoming team-based arena battler Project Q and three other games in development. In 2022, the battle royale Ghost Recon Frontline, Splinter Cell VR, and two unannounced games were also axed. An unannounced sequel to Immortals Fenix Rising was also reportedly scrapped last July. 

After teasing its reveal earlier this week, Ubisoft has officially unveiled Assassin's Creed Shadows with its first cinematic trailer, revealing dual protagonists in the process. As many speculated, Shadows puts players in control of Japan's first African samurai, Yasuke (a real historical figure), and a female shinobi character, Naoe. It will be released on November 15.

This dual protagonist approach isn't too surprising given it's Ubisoft Quebec developing the game – it did the same with Kassandra and Alexios in 2018's Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Jacob and Evie Frye in 2015's Assassin's Creed Syndicate – but it's exciting nonetheless. According to the game's PlayStation preorder page, players can, "Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny," confirming you can control both in the story. The trailer also showcases the beauty and scale of the feudal Japan we'll be exploring in Shadows. 

Check it out for yourself in the Assassin's Creed Shadows reveal trailer below: 

Elsewhere in the game's PlayStation preorder listing, Ubisoft says players can explore the "captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes," while adventuring through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments. The changing seasons line seems to indicate the narrative of Shadows could take place over a long period of time, or at least a year. 

As a shinobi Assassin, Naoe uses stealth to avoid detection and agility to confuse enemies whereas Yasuke, a legendary samurai, uses lethal precision and power. You unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character. Plus, as you explore the world, you can create your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across Japan, and different allies will have unique skills to help you accomplish missions. 

"Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base's layouts, decorations, and accessories," the preorder listing reads. 

Here's another look at Yasuke and Naoe: 

 

Shadows is an exciting entry in the sprawling Assassin's Creed series. It's finally bringing players to feudal Japan, something the fanbase has wanted for years and years, and it's the next open-world mainline RPG installment since 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla. While last year's Assassin's Creed Mirage was quite enjoyable – read Game Informer's review here to find out why we gave it an 8 out of 10 – it was a throwback to the more linear worlds of the Assassin's Creeds of yesteryear; Shadows is the series returning to its newer open world format that began in 2017 with Assassin's Creed Origins. 

Assassin's Creed Shadows launched November 15, 2024, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S,  Amazon Luna, PC (via the Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store), and Mac (with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store)

For more about the series, head to Game Informer's Assassin's Creed Mirage hub for exclusive behind-the-scenes details, videos, and more. After that, check out Game Informer's ranking of the entire Assassin's Creed series. 

Are you excited for Assassin's Creed Shadows? Let us know which protagonist you're most excited about in the comments below!

Platform: Switch
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios
Release: June 25, 2024
Rating: Everyone

Last month, I had a chance to play Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, the first all-new entry in the Super Monkey Ball (SMB) franchise in more than a decade. While I went into the demo skeptical that the series, which experienced its best years in the early-to-mid 2000s, could feel like a modern experience in 2024, I emerged from the demo impressed by the gameplay improvements, single-player level design, and the game's approach to multiplayer (you can read my full preview here). 

Shortly after the preview, I had a chance to dig deeper into Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble with several of the developers behind Ryu Ga Gotoku's franchise that isn't about the seedy underbelly of the Japanese organized crime to learn how the team worked to modernize the franchise while still remaining true to its roots.

Recently, we've received some remakes and remasters, but no new entry for many years. Why did the franchise take such a long break?

Nobuhiro Suzuki, Producer: We believe this is the result of a combination of factors. Whether it was due to development resources being refocused towards other large titles, the creators leaving the company, sales numbers, and more, the SMB development line disappeared and there was a period of time when production came to a halt. However, after releasing two remakes, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz HD in 2019 and Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania in 2021, and after receiving positive feedback from our fans, we decided to release a completely new title, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. We hope fans are excited to play this first brand new entry in over a decade!

With that unique position in mind, what were the primary goals of Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble?

NS: Following the release of those two remakes, Banana Blitz HD and Banana Mania, our goal is to firmly establish the revival of the SMB franchise with this completely new title. To that end, we set out to make a new entry that firmly inherits or captures the best qualities of past SMB titles while also feeling like an all-new game with 16-player online battles, refined game and character designs, and the addition of new characters and storylines. 

With such a big gap between the last all-new, non-remake/remaster release, were there any updates to the design and gameplay best practices that needed to be applied to this latest entry to ensure it feels modern in 2024?

Daisuke Takahata, Director: Based on the data we pulled, such as the number of people who cleared each world of Banana Mania and comments from various playtests, we updated the game with a level of challenge that new players (as well as longtime fans) will enjoy. Compared to the past titles, the difficulty level of the early worlds is now milder (in previous games, things were too difficult right from the beginning). We also made it so that the first time you boot the game, you will be taken to a tutorial that will help you learn how to play the game and use the controls. The same goes for the camera, where we made some small adjustments to the default settings to help make things feel smoother. Players will also be able to fine-tune these settings in the Options menu, which we think longtime fans will appreciate.

The physics in Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble feel good. How did the team go about overhauling the physics, and how did you know you got them just right?

Jack Ko, Programmer: Banana Rumble's physics actually builds upon those in Banana Mania, which in turn was based heavily on the original GameCube version's physics. We made special adjustments to the movement in the previous game to make it viable as a remake, but thanks in part to comments from fans, we were made aware of a few elements that might contribute to some of that unintuitive behavior caused by the physics in Banana Mania. With Banana Rumble being a new entry to the series and having its own new stages, it means that this time around, we were able to focus on making the movement feel simpler and more intuitive.

Additionally, the physics system is extensively parameterized, meaning that designers can make adjustments to different parts of it on the fly. With internal testing happening at least once a week during development, tweaks were made incrementally and whenever needed. We knew we had it right when anyone could just pick it up and be able to immediately roll out like a pro.

Why was the Spin Dash such an important inclusion in this entry? What do you think it most adds to the experience?

NS: In creating this all-new game, we wanted to add the right technique that would give users a wider range of play and challenge. Also, in order to implement the 16-player battles, we needed something that would really emphasize the user's technique so they can overcome the competition. As a result, the Spin Dash was implemented. While the Spin Dash is simple to perform, we believe it adds a lot to the game; for beginners, it's an exhilarating element that allows them to sprint and bounce off obstacles, and for advanced players, it can serve as a way to find shortcuts and quickly reach the goal. We are very pleased how players have been responding to it.

This question may be better asked to the localization team, but with the Super Monkey Ball franchise so reliant on puns and wordplay related to bananas, did the team ever consider calling it "Peel Out" instead of "Spin Dash?"

NS: To be honest, we didn't think about it at all. [Laughs] We wanted to make it easier for users to understand just by looking at the name, so we made it straight out "Spin Dash."

When creating a level in Adventure mode, what factors must be considered to create an effective stage?

Yukio Oda, Designer: As for "what elements," our basic idea is to combine "various elements" in a complex and effective manner. For example, if we break down a stage into smaller pieces, you can see that the "path" includes various elements such as "thickness," "curve," "slope," "moving path," and so on. Depending on how these parts are combined, the stage can be easy or difficult, interesting or boring. The Monkey Ball team has a lot of expertise in these combinations, all accumulated over many years with the series, and we always aim to create an interesting stage based on that know-how. But the first step in creating a single stage starts with the inspiration of the stage designer.

How does the team balance fun with challenge when designing stages?

YO: The stages created by our stage designers are regularly playtested by dozens of people inside and outside the team. Not only do we pick up a variety of opinions, but we also analyze data such as the percentage of clear rates and times, and we are constantly making adjustments to make the stages even better. We are also strongly aware that the Monkey Ball series has been characterized by its contrast between having very easy stages and very challenging stages. Sometimes, even if a playtester finds that a stage is deemed "too difficult," there are cases where we end up leaving it the way it is. However, we are always pleasantly surprised when, after launch, we see users uploading videos showing how they were able to complete extremely difficult stages with ease. 

The stages I played were very enjoyable and sometimes over-the-top, but they were just in the first two worlds. How wild should players expect the challenges in Adventure mode to become?

DT: We are glad you enjoyed the early stages of the game! As we announced, there are 200 all-new stages to be found in Banana Rumble's Adventure Mode, all spread across different worlds. The final world, in particular, has a variety of exciting gimmicks waiting for players, which will prove challenging even for fans who started with the previous titles. Stay tuned for a "very wild" challenge!

Can you talk to me about the process of designing the Battle modes? They bring such enjoyable twists on the Super Monkey Ball formula, and I've always found the minigames/side modes to be as enjoyable as the main Adventure mode.

YO: Thank you very much! When it comes to the game design of Battle Mode, we paid close attention to how "control" and "sense of speed" were expressed during gameplay, as they are key characteristics of this series. We also took care to ensure that the skills players learned and improved upon by playing through Adventure Mode can be utilized in Battle Mode as well. One of the main features of this game is its emphasis on "ease of understanding" – basically, we made sure not to make the rules overly complicated when adding any twists and turns, so players are able to enjoy themselves.

Where would you like to see the Super Monkey Ball franchise evolve from here? Do you think there is a place for multiple releases in a shorter time window than we've seen in recent eras?

NS: First of all, as a basic premise, we will continue to carry on the fun and originality the SMB series is known for, and make sure SMB fans can fully enjoy their time with it. On top of that, we would like to evolve the series to a level that offers something that incorporates a variety of exciting new ways to play that is altogether unique to Sega. With the support of our players, we believe we will be able to continue to release new games on a regular basis. We would really appreciate everyone's support for Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble and the Super Monkey Ball series!

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble arrives on Switch on June 25. For more on the upcoming series revival, head here to read our full, hands-on impressions.

Purchase

HBO/Max has released the first look at Pedro Pascal's Joel and Bella Ramsey's Ellie in Season 2 of The Last of Us, and the scenery looks familiar. As Season 2 shoots are underway, images from filming have begun to leak, but today's images are the first official shots from the upcoming season, which is due out next year. 

Pascal's Joel appears to be in the barn where a very important and intense scene between he and Ellie takes place, while Ellie appears to be inside a wintery location, likely somewhere in the game's beginning where snow is abundant. 

Check out the first official look at Season 2 of The Last of Us for yourself below: 

 

Pascal and Ramsey are obviously returning cast members for the series, and they'll be joined by various newcomers in the show next year. Booksmart's Kaitlyn Dever will play Abby, while Young Mazino joins as Jesse. Manny, Mel, Nora, and Owen will be played by Danny Ramirez (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Top Gun: Maverick), Ariela Barer (Runaways), Tati Gabrielle (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and Spencer Lord (Riverdale), respectively. 

We won't spoil these characters' roles in The Last of Us Part II, which is likely to match their roles in HBO's The Last of Us Season 2, but if you know, you know. 

Fans of Naughty Dog's Last of Us games eagerly await the second season of HBO's The Last of Us. The first season debuted in January of last year, covering the events of the first game and its Left Behind DLC. HBO quickly confirmed the show would be getting a second season, which is set to premiere next year.

We loved the first season and can't wait to see how it adapts The Last of Us Part II, which got the remaster treatment in January. It seems we aren't alone either – The Last of Us' premiere was HBO's second-largest debut since 2010, and viewers stuck around for the entire season. 

The first season of The Last of Us has already won eight Emmy awards. For more, read Game Informer's review of The Last of Us and then read Game Informer's review of The Last of Us Part II. 

What do you think of Ramsey and Pascal's looks as Ellie and Joel in Season 2? Let us know in the comments below!

Hi-Fi Rush is getting one final patch today to address some minor issues in the game. Plus, the Hi-Fi Rush X (formerly Twitter) account has reconfirmed a physical edition of the game is coming from Limited Run Games. 

This update from the Hi-Fi Rush X account comes roughly one week after Xbox shut down the game's developer, Tango Gameworks, alongside Redfall studio Arkane Austin, and two more Bethesda teams. While there won't be any more Hi-Fi Rush content coming from Tango Gameworks, hopefully today's patch puts the game in the best playable state possible so that future players can enjoy the 2023 hit. 

Thank you all for your continued support.

We’re working to release the physical edition of Hi-Fi RUSH with our partners at Limited Run Games, as well as a final patch to address some minor issues releasing later today.

❤️

— Hi-Fi RUSH (@hifiRush) May 15, 2024

The closure of Tango Gameworks arrived roughly a year after the team delivered the extremely well-received Hi-Fi Rush, which by Xbox's own admitted metrics, was a big success. A few days after the closure of these studios, Xbox president Sarah Bond addressed the situation, stating that it's about keeping the business healthy in the long-term. 

For more, read Game Informer's Hi-Fi Rush review, and then read Game Informer's profile on the life and career of Hi-Fi Rush creator John Johanas. After that, check out this Game Informer feature about exploring Tokyo's Shibuya with Tango Gameworks. 

Have you played Hi-Fi Rush? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below!

Warner Bros. has announced when Mortal Kombat 2, the sequel to 2021's Mortal Kombat film adaptation, will arrive in theaters and IMAX, and it's coming next year. More specifically, Mortal Komat 2 will hit the silver screen on October 24, 2025, meaning we still have about one and a half years to go until we see what's next for these characters. 

Mortal Kombat 2 will arrive in theaters and IMAX on Oct. 24, 2025. pic.twitter.com/ayWHhFe2Hu

— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) May 14, 2024

The first Mortal Kombat movie in this rebooted film series hit theaters on April 23, 2021, and Game Informer had a great time with it – read our 8 out of 10 review to find out why here. Here's hoping we enjoy the sequel just as much, if not more. 

Mortal Kombat director Simon McQuoid will return to direct Mortal Kombat 2, and it will be written by a new writer, Jeremy Slater (alongside McQuoid), who wrote Disney's Moon Knight series. Alongside returning cast and characters, The Boys Karl Urban will join the fight as Johnny Cage. 

For more Mortal Kombat, read Game Informer's Mortal Kombat 1 review, and then check out John Cena's Peacemaker debut in the game here.  

Are you excited for Mortal Kombat 2? Let us know in the comments below!

The Casting of Frank Stone, the upcoming narrative horror game set in the Dead By Daylight universe by Until Dawn developer Supermassive Games, has its first gameplay trailer. The game was first announced at the 2023 Game Awards. 

The story unfolds in 1980 in the town of Cedar Hills, a town scarred by the murderous killer Frank Stone. It stars four friends who set out to create a horror film at a derelict steel mill dubbed Murder Mill. Naturally, that goes as horribly as you’d imagine, and players must survive by making choices that decide the characters’ relationships and fates. Sudden quick-time events can also be the deciding factor between whether someone lives or dies. 

Similar to Supermassive’s previous titles like The Quarry and the Dark Pictures Anthology, The Casting of Frank Stone can go down multiple paths based on your choices. Players will also solve environmental puzzles and gather clues to learn more about Cedar Hills

The Casting of Frank Stone still has no release date, but it will launch later this year for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. 

Studio director Amir Rao gave us an office tour while visiting Supergiant Games for our Hades II cover story trip. Enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at the studio that previously brought you Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and Hades!

See The Supergiant Games Office Tour: 

During our trip to Supergiant Games for our Hades II cover story, we had a chance to speak with one of the studio's original seven employees and its principal voice actor, Logan Cunningham. From providing the voice of Rucks in Bastion to Red's titular Transistor to Hades himself, Cunningham has played a vital part of every Supergiant title. In this rare interview, we ask Logan how he entered the world of voice acting, how he joined Supergiant Games, and which characters are his favorites to play (and which he'd want to redo). 

Game Informer: When did you first discover that you were good at creating or imitating voices?

Logan Cunningham: I don't think there was ever a moment that I discovered that. I always did that. From when I was a kid, my brother and I, we would record stupid little... almost like our own little radio plays but based on Star Trek: The Next Generation, just with a cassette recorder. I don't know; maybe it started there. The first time I think I realized I had a voice that people consider to be nice was in elementary school because my English teachers would always ask me to read from whatever book we were studying at the time. But I never set out to be a voice actor. [I] certainly [had] no formal training. There's not really any formal training for voice acting that I think exists. Everybody falls backward into it, just like I did. From my understanding, from my experience with everyone, every voice actor that I meet, I ask them like, 'Oh, how did you start?' and it's always the same story. 'I did one, then I did another, a third one, and now 15 years later here I am'. And my case is a little different in that the way I got my first job was from knowing one of the people who started Supergiant Games and then also knowing [Supergiant composer] Darren Korb.

Did you have any go-to characters you liked to imitate? Or was there a character you concocted that became your primary voice?

I was pretty much weaned on Star Trek: The Next Generation, so I think even at, like, six I had a pretty good Patrick Stewart. But not really. I didn't really focus on anybody in particular. If I encountered a voice that I liked, I would just sort of do it – not for anyone, just for me. Just on my own in the bathtub, which I still do.

The most sacred places to practice: the shower, the bathtub.

It's where you're at your most vulnerable. 

Yes, quite literally. When you first made your big leap into doing voice acting, as you mentioned, coming on with Supergiant, what was that initial conversation like?

It was literally my friend Amir [Rao], who I knew had left his job at Electronic Arts with his friend Gavin Simon, and they moved from LA back to San Jose, which is where we're all from, Amir, me, and Darren, into his dad's house and they started a startup; which was a game developer, which I don't even think I knew that term at the time. All I knew was a friend of mine was making a video game. And they had gotten to the point where they wanted to try something with voice-over, and so now they needed an actor, and I was the actor that they happened to know personally. And they had no money, and so I was cheap. And I was roommates with Darren in New York at the time, who was already involved. He came on board maybe, like, December '09? And then I recorded the first lines of Bastion [in] February; yeah it was Presidents Day weekend 2010. Yes, it really did just start with me doing a friend of favor.

When you look back on your first big role as a voice actor with Bastion, how did you feel about that performance at the time? And how do you feel about it now that you've had a chance to reflect on it over a decade later?

I was just trying to get through it. I had no idea what I was doing. None of us did. Darren and I certainly, that was our first time working on a video game in any capacity, but I just approached it as an actor. I just tried to keep the character consistent and give it as much life as I could. I had a lot of help from Greg [Kasavin] writing an amazing character and amazing story. Once we were working on Transistor, the Transistor performance is pretty much just me, but just kind of at a whisper. And with Rucks in Bastion, the narrator, what made a good take during those sessions was if the voice was right. And then in Transistor, what made a good take was if the performance was right.

Hades

To jump ahead to Hades II, what new characters do you provide the voice for in the game?

I'm not going to say. I'll let people guess and figure it out. Hades, I can confirm because he's in the trailer.

How did it feel when you first heard Supergiant was doing its first sequel? How did it feel to be returning to a world for the first time instead of preparing for a whole new one?

Really happy and I wasn't surprised at all. At all. Because we loved making that game so much. It was so clear, to me anyway, that we weren't done with it. There was so much still left to do and explore and characters to meet and stories to tell. So I was thrilled.

I was excited, too, especially because I really enjoyed your work as Hades in the first game. Can you talk about the process of preparing for that role, what that looked like, and what you felt you needed to bring to that role to bring that character to life?

Just imagining not the worst dad possible, but a very difficult one who's just a workaholic, is constantly busy and never has time for you, is really powerful, and has a really important job. And because of it, [he's] miserable most, if not all, the time but is also still kind of a person and has a past and regrets and all those things that make a character interesting. But yeah, coming up with the voice was a lot of fun because it is basically just Tywin Lannister and Tim Curry as the Lord of Darkness in Legend, if you've ever seen that movie. So yeah, getting to play around with that.

The Voice of Supergiant Games

Here are all of the characters Logan Cunningham has voiced in Supegiant's first four games. 

Bastion - Rucks

Transistor - The Transistor

Pyre - The Voice, Bertrude, Dalbert, Lendel, Ignarius

Hades - Hades, Poseidon, Achilles, Charon, Asterius, The Storyteller

Of all the characters you've voiced in your games, do you have any ones that stand out as your favorite or most cherished characters? Do you feel particularly close to them the way some actors do about a role or character that they've played?

Favorite is probably a tie between Rucks and Hades. Rucks because he was the first and my introduction to Supergiant; my foot in the door, if you like. Hades, because he was so much fun to do. It's really fun to play someone who's just, like, a bastard. He's just like a s****y person. But what often comes to mind is the Transistor, actually. Like, if I have the opportunity to sort of do that one over, I might. Or I will at least heavily think about it. My kind of immediate reaction once I played the thing from start to finish was like, 'Okay.' I wasn't quite sure I was playing that guy. I felt I was maybe playing somebody else.

Now that you've been doing this for so long, and you mentioned before not being formally trained, what were some of the on-the-job training lessons you've learned over the years to improve as a voice actor?

All kinds of vocal warm-ups. Whereas at the start, it might take me a couple of hours to get ready. Now I am pretty much good to go in 20 minutes to half an hour. I know how much time I need to spend with the script if I'm lucky enough to have the time to see the lines beforehand because very often, it's just 'Hey, who are we doing today? Achilles? Great, all right'. And it's mostly in the recording session itself, I'll get a chance to read the line, whatever the next line is that we have to do, I'll get to read through it once or twice and then I just have to go for it. So, I guess I've gotten more efficient. But I think everyone at Supergiant, certainly all of us who worked on Bastion and we're all still there, we've all gotten more professionalized, I guess.

I always wonder about this with voice actors because I find myself doing this. You mentioned before it's fun to sort of do a voice when you're alone, you're around the house just doing a voice; do you ever find yourself doing that with any of the characters you've played in the past? Do you ever just go around the house and start talking as Hades randomly since you mentioned how much fun it is to occupy that role? Or do you sort of retire them once the project is over? 

I don't really, but I will find myself doing, randomly at times, voices that inspired some of those characters. I still love just walking around my place just doing lines from Deadwood as Al Swearengen, which was a huge influence on Rucks. At the very least, it's a nice vocal exercise. But it's just kind of one of those silly, crazy things that actors do, and one of the reasons it's good that I live alone.

Bastion

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing voice acting or to aspiring/young voice actors who want to improve?

Make sure you're an actor, that you know how to act. Because it's not just doing funny voices. I think it used to be that way years and years ago. It's not anymore. Keep working, keep improving. Take classes, take every opportunity you have. If you know people who are making things, work with them. If you know a decent amount of those people who are making stuff, one of them might make it and remember you and take you along. That is absolutely what happened to me.

How would you compare your experience working on Hades II to previous games? Has this felt the most challenging or the most exciting? How do you feel about what is being asked of you for this game compared to what you've done before?

Not necessarily more challenge. It's just different. What I will confirm, and I think this has been confirmed maybe in other places, there are a number of returning characters that I did in Hades in Hades II in addition to some new ones, which are the ones that I can't talk about. So there might be a character of mine from the first one where Melinoë, the protagonist, might mention, 'blah, blah, blah' to 'blah blah blah' and that'll inform the performance. There is a kind of melancholy that I've certainly felt with a lot of the characters that I've been doing in the sequel compared to the original, Hades 1, which hopefully adds interesting layers. I don't know, we'll see. We're still working on it.

Is there a character you've played from the Supergiant Games that you most identify with on a personal level?

Is it weird to say Charon?

Why is that?

He's someone who doesn't say words and generally would like to be left alone, I think [laughs]. I can imagine running a store just like, 'Ah, get what you want, get out.' I identify with that.

Transistor

What is the thing that you're most proud of with Hades II, both in regards to what you're bringing to it as an actor and what the game is doing to build upon the first game? What are you most excited about for players to experience?

I won't be able to speak to my own work on it until it's done. All I know is just I'm working on it, I'm doing it. Darren, who's my director, is happy with what I'm doing. I seem to be delivering what he's asking. Greg seems to be satisfied as well. It's feeling good. It's sounding good to me. I'm just happy that [Hades II] is happening, that it exists, and that it is already as good as it is. And that people are beginning to discover that on a larger scale. 

Hades was such a massive success for the studio. As someone who was there from the humble beginnings, how have you personally internalized Hades' overwhelming success?

I get recognized occasionally on the street for Hades, which is very strange. And that's largely I think due to the NoClip stuff that we did. In support of Hades once 1.0 came out, we did some videos for Twitter, for YouTube, and, obviously, through NoClip, quite a few of our faces got out there in a way that they hadn't before. Pre-Hades, the sort of public faces of Supergiant, the recognizable faces, were basically Greg and Amir. And Darren, on occasion. But now it's me at the bar that I go to all the time, and some, like, 23-year-old kid coming up to me like, 'Sir, are you are you...? And I'm like, 'Yeah, yeah, I am'. And it blows his mind, and in my head, I'm like, 'Yeah, I'm him. Somebody's got to be. It's me, yes. Thank you for playing, nice to meet you, good to see you.' So that's been an alteration or an accommodation I've had to make my life since release. Obviously, winning the BAFTA was huge. I was much more excited for all the other people who won BAFTAs. Greg and Jen [Zee] in particular, who I feel have gone unrecognized for their amazing work for far too long. 

How has it felt seeing Supergiant's growth from what it was in the beginning to where it is now?

We just have more resources now. Certainly, from my perspective, from my role there, I'm privy to this; we have access to a much higher, I don't know if caliber is the right word, but we are able to at least get in contact with and have conversations with and possibly even cast actors that we wouldn't have been able to get 100 feet in front of, or even 100 miles, even five years ago. And now, that seems to be something within our reach and is within reach, and I'm excited for people to discover that as well.

But at its heart, we're the same. We're the same people. Amir and Darren and me, we still make each other laugh with the same jokes that we made each other laugh at when we were 17 or whatever. We still share, whenever we do get together, horror stories, war stories from making Bastion. From Transistor, how terrified we all were making that one. The kind of wild child that is Pyre and how we didn't learn really how to describe that game until it was out.  But we're kind of like a shark: we don't really stop. We don't take too many breaks. We just move on. We finish something once we're happy with it, and then we let it out.

We're in a better place now than we were. Hades was our first experience with our Early Access, and that worked out really well for us. And we're doing the same with this one. We were pretty still early on with Hades, and we knew that Early Access was something we were going to do, I remember talking to Amir about it and him just saying 'Yeah, this is the game we've made so far that I'm least worried about'. Because of Early Access, anything that's wrong with the game, we'll just fix it before we ship it. So we're not gonna have to wait three years until we ship a completed thing to figure out if people like it or not. Or even know what it is or how to describe it.

Hades II is available now in Early Access on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Be sure to visit our cover story hub for more exclusive features and videos about the game. 

If you subscribe to the digital edition of Game Informer, you can now learn all about our trip to Supergiant for Hades II! Following the cover reveal our digital issue is now live on web browsers, iPad/iPhone, and Android devices.

Alongside our 12-page Hades II cover story, you will also find big features on our trip to Wizards of the Coast to learn all about what is next for Dungeons & Dragons, how Digital Eclipse is conserving video game history with its documentary video games, details from our trip to South Korea to play The First Descendant, a feature about tracking down and playing a thought-lost Star Wars arcade cabinet, a piece on the history and current state of Final Fantasy XI, and lots more! We've also got previews for The Rogue Prince of Persia, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Monaci 2, Still Wakes the Deep, Tales of the Shire, and reviews for Stellar Blade, Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes, Sand Land, TopSpin 2K5, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Animal Well, and much more!

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Amazon has ordered a new Tomb Raider TV series to production, and it will be written and produced by Fleabag star and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who also starred in last year's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Like Amazon's Fallout series, this Tomb Raider show will premiere exclusively on Prime Video to more than 240 countries and territories around the world. 

This series order arrives as part of a larger deal between Amazon MGM Studios and Tomb Raider reboot developer Crystal Dynamics, which is currently working on a new Tomb Raider game in Unreal Engine 5. In December of 2022, we learned Amazon Games will publish that in-development Tomb Raider game, which Amazon describes as a "single-player, narrative-driven adventure that will add a new chapter to Lara Croft's story in the Tomb Raider series." 

Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena Shaw in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

"With great IP, the possibilities are endless," Amazon Games vice president Christoph Hartmann writes in a press release. "The richness and depth of the fiction allows the Tomb Raider series from Prime Video and the video game from Amazon Games to tell separate stories about Lara Croft's adventures. We're honored that Crystal Dynamics has entrusted Amazon with this iconic franchise, and we're looking forward to seeing where this collaboration takes us." 

This is the second upcoming TV adaptation to star the iconic treasure hunter. Netflix's animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, starring Haley Atwell, is set to premiere sometime this year. That particular show is set within the continuity of Crystal Dynamic's reboot trilogy, taking place after the events of Shadow of the Tomb Raider. 

If you're curious about Crystal Dynamics' recent Tomb Raider reboot, you can pick up Tomb Raider: Game of the Year Edition on PC via GOG for free if you're an Amazon Prime member throughout May. For more, read Game Informer’s thoughts on the most recent Tomb Raider game in our Shadow of the Tomb Raider review

It's a stacked month for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. The long-awaited Senua's Saga: Hellblade II launches onto the service next week, and noteworthy 2023 titles such as Immortals of Aveum, Lords of the Fallen, Humanity, and Chants of Sennaar join the library. Take a look at all the games coming as well as those leaving Game Pass at the end of the month. We've also included links to our reviews for applicable titles. 

What's Coming To Game Pass

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (Console, PC, Cloud) - Today | Our Review

Chants of Sennaar (Console, PC, Cloud) - May 15

EA Sports NHL 24 via EA Play (Cloud) - May 16

Immortals of Aveum via EA Play (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) - May 16 | Our Review

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) - May 21

Galacticare (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) - May 23

Hauntii (Console, PC, Cloud) - May 23

Moving Out 2 (Console, PC, Cloud) - May 28

Humanity (Console, PC, Cloud) - May 28 | Our Review

Lords of the Fallen (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) - May 30 | Our Review

Fireworks (PC) - June 4

Rolling Hills (Console, PC, Cloud) - June 4

What’s Leaving Game Pass on May 31

Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Console, PC, Cloud) | Our Review

Farworld Pioneers (Console, PC, Cloud)

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle (Console, PC, Cloud)

Pac-Man Museum Plus (Console, PC, Cloud)

Little Witch in the Woods (Console, PC, Cloud)

Railway Empire II (Console, PC, Cloud)

Dungeons & Dragons has a big year ahead of it. The classic tabletop RPG is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and the most significant event of that celebration is undoubtedly the release of a revision for the game's core rules, including the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual. Backwards-compatible with the entirety of the 5th edition of the game, the new books are nonetheless a big new step forward for the game, reflecting a decade of iteration and evolution as the game has exploded in popularity.

The books aren’t far off. Players and Dungeon Masters alike can watch for pre-orders starting on June 18; each book is set to be priced at $49.99. Each of the three new books comes in at a hefty 384 pages apiece.

Characters from the classic D&D cartoon get a makeover in this internal art from a chapter opener in the new Player's Handbook. Artist Credit: Dmitry Burmak

We had the good fortune to visit Wizards of the Coast a few weeks ago to learn more from the artists and designers about what to expect in the revised game, and we have a ton of exclusive details about the revised D&D in this month’s Game Informer magazine. The magazine article includes extensive insight from Wizards of the Coast designers, including Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford. Our conversations with the designers offer great depth into what to expect out of each of the three core books on the way. We hope you’ll support that kind of exclusive coverage of D&D with a subscription to GI for less than $2 an issue so you can check the article out for yourself.

In addition to all the fun new design insights discussed in our magazine article, we also wanted to show off some of the remarkable art coming as part of the latest books. We’re including that here, alongside details from the art team working to craft the game’s look.

We’re especially excited to reveal a close look at the cover art for the new Player’s Handbook. 

The front cover of the newly revised version of D&D's Player's Handbook. Artist Credit: Tyler Jacobson

As the first planned release of the three new core rulebooks, it’s also likely the one that’s most important to the broadest swath of D&D players; its appearance in each prior edition has helped define the tone of the game.

The new Player’s Handbook front cover embraces the game’s revitalized approach to pushing forward legendary characters from across the history of the game. We see the likes of Yolande the Elven queen, Strongheart the knight, Elkhorn the Dwarven warrior, the divine Mercion, and the rogueish Molliver, all charging together into an adventure. These are figures hearkening back to the earliest era of the game. Wrapped around them is a benevolent gold dragon – a nod to the “golden” 50th anniversary of the game and an enticing reminder that the dragons in the game’s title can be allies as frequently as enemies.

A gold dragon teams up with a party of legendary heroes to confront a red dragon and its kobold minions in the full front cover art for the new Player's Handbook. Artist Credit: Tyler Jacobson

The new cover art comes from the experienced hand of freelance illustrator, Tyler Jacobson. “I’ve worked on DND since 2009. And I did the covers back in the fifth edition,” Jacobson says. “I did the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon Master's Guide, as well as many of the other covers that came after that for [titles] like Storm King’s Thunder and Volo’s.”

The direction for the cover art is highly intentional, meant to reflect the content inside. “With the cover art, we wanted to represent each experience,” Jacobson says. “How do we make the Player's Handbook look like it's the players' experience? And how do we make the Dungeon Master’s Guide feel like the Dungeon Master’s experience?”

The back cover of the Player's Handbook features an unknown party of adventurers flying into danger on the back of a bronze dragon. Artist Credit: Tyler Jacobson

A separate piece of art on the reverse side of the Player’s Handbook goes the other direction from the mythical heroes depicted on the front, depicting a party of unknown heroes, and nodding to players who will craft their own legends.

The new Player’s Handbook (and all the rulebooks moving forward into this new era of the game) features a red book spine, which, in my mind, subtly nods to some classic visual cues like the classic red boxed set from the 1980s. But whether that’s intentional or not, the red hue also easily sets the new books apart from any other recent rulebooks you have on your shelf.

From sketch to completed art of the new Player's Handbook. Artist Credit: Tyler Jacobson

Early book printings will bear a D&D 50th seal on the back – a recognition of the big five-decade anniversary.

As fans have come to expect, you can also look forward to alternate book covers available in your local game store – the new alternate Player’s Handbook depicts a gorgeous scene of elves and a sinuous gold dragon, all printed in a gold foil treatment.

Beyond the cover, there’s no shortage of art filling the books' pages, as evidenced by the extensive visuals we saw from the interior pages of the Player’s Handbook.

Artist Néstor Ossandón Leal shows the process from sketch to completed art. Artist Credit: Néstor Ossandón Leal

“A lot of our chapter openers are famous heroes,” says studio art director Josh Herman. “Almost every chapter opening features a different hero, or group of heroes in a different setting. So, you've got Dragonlance, and other ones, like Ravenloft; you’ve got a whole suite of them. Whereas the Dungeon Master’s Guide is all about villains. The cover is all about the villains and the sort of threats that the DM gets to play up. And in that art, you get to see a lot of our famous locations and some of our famous villains in its chapter openers. So, it's sort of like the opposite side of the coin; we want to present all of the facets of the game in a way that hopefully people can understand.”

The completed art that launches the Fighter class section in the Player's Handbook. Artist Credit: Néstor Ossandón Leal

I was especially struck by the mix of characters and settings on display in the revised books. Where many prior official books seemed to default to the familiar Forgotten Realms setting (chief home of the Baldur’s Gate video games), these new core books seem to embrace the multiversal nature of D&D, including the characters and locations of myriad worlds.  “I think like 10 years after [5th edition’s launch], all of these settings have come out,” Herman says. “Like Spelljammer, Dragonlance, Planescape. That's probably why the differences are so much there; we want to show off all the different ways that players can play just like you can choose any type of character, and we want to create a broad gamut for you to pick from.”

A silver dragon enjoys the adulation of a city's parade route. Artist Credit: Campbell White

The art in the new core books has a chief goal of helping to further an understanding of the game. Spells are often shown being cast. Art for character backgrounds shows a possible place your hero could have come from. It even extends to the visuals of creatures in the Monster Manual. “There's a lot of mindfulness about the mixture; to pick the monster design accurately to the stat block,” says art director Emi Tanji. “If it's a creature that does slashing damage or something like you want to make sure we see claws. And you want to make sure if the art has shows something that's like a stinger, but there's nothing in the stat block – that would be weird, right?”

As I had the chance to explore completed pages during my visit to Wizards of the Coast, I was impressed by the bounty of art that fleshes out the books and how the art is presented to act as a visual tool for organization. “We worked with the design team to ensure that every class starts with the left-hand page,” Herman says. “Whereas before in 2014, it was just kind of a running journal. Now what we wanted to do is every class would open with a full-page piece of art on the left-hand side with a similar set of lead data on the right hand, so that every time you get to a new class, you get sort of an immediate visual, which we tried to theme around almost like an iconic version of what that class is.”

Concept art reveals the redesigned look for the red dragon. Artist Credit: Alexander Ostrowski

The revised books also gave the art and design team at Wizards of the Coast a chance to return to some of its most iconic visuals and refine the approach, including the titular dragons of the classic five metallic and five chromatic species. “All the dragon stuff was really great,” Herman says “We went through all 10 of them. We have new designs for all of those and there will be a lot of that in the Monster Manual for sure. We are trying to update those designs to be something in which players could see that dragon's personality or what biome they live in, or where they fit in the cast of all of the dragons.”

The new look for the bronze dragon, and concepts for its breath weapon. Artist Credit: Alexander Ostrowski

As a longtime D&D player, I came away from perusing this new version of D&D with a lot of excitement. The art we’re sharing here publicly is just a sampling of what I had the opportunity to look over; there’s a cohesive visual language to the new books that is enticing. And I love the way the game seems to embrace the long history of heroes, villains, and iconic named monsters that have arisen over 50 years of play.

If the art on display here has you excited, I hope you don’t miss out on our in-depth tour of the design work expressed in the books themselves, as described in this month’s Game Informer magazine. Our eight-page article includes details on all three books, including new character options, building player bastions, new apex-tier monsters on the way, and the surprising importance and inclusions of what is arguably the oldest D&D campaign setting of them all – Greyhawk. In a magazine that is chiefly focused on video games, we figuratively rolled the dice on offering this level of depth on a tabletop game like D&D in one of our issues, thanks to its incredible influence on gaming, and its recent success and reach to newcomers. If that kind of coverage is something you like, we’d appreciate your support in checking out the magazine. 

In the meantime, enjoy exploring the breadth of all this new Dungeons & Dragons art! Click through the gallery below for full-size images of all the art included in this article, plus additional first-look pieces on the way in the new books. 

 

 

Sony Interactive Entertainment has revealed in its latest financial earnings report it sold 20.8 million PlayStation 5 units in the fiscal year that ended on March 31. In doing so, Sony sold more than any fiscal year since the console's launch in November 2020. However, despite that achievement, Sony still fell short of its original PS5 sales target for this year, missing it by more than 4 million units. 

Originally targeting 25 million units for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, Sony sold 20.8 million, bringing the grand total up to 59 million, despite the 4 million units miss. As noted by VideoGamesChronicle, however, Sony revised that 25 million unit target in February to just 21 million; it still didn't hit that target, though, just narrowly missing the mark. 

At 59 million units, the PS5 is just behind the PlayStation 4's 60 million units at the same point in its life cycle. However, Tokyo-based video game analyst Serkan Toto told VGC that 20.8 million units sold is likely going to remain the peak for the PS5, and that this number would have been much lower if not for the release of Helldivers 2 in February, which is PlayStation's fastest-selling game ever after selling 12 million copies in 12 weeks. 

On the earnings call, Sony told investors to expect gaming sales to decrease in the fiscal year that just began (and ends March of next year) due to an expected decrease in console sales. There are also no major games from existing franchises releasing between now and then, according to the company. However, Sony says it still plans to release Concord, the new multiplayer online shooter IP from Firewalk Studios coming to PS5 and PC, this year. 

For more about PlayStation, read about how Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino have been named dual CEOs of the company, and then read Game Informer's Stellar Blade review. After that, check out Game Informer's Final Fantasy VII Rebirth review. 

How do you feel about the PlayStation 5 at this point in its lifecycle? Let us know in the comments below!

Jake Solomon, former long-time Firaxis designer and director who spearheaded Marvel’s Midnight Suns and was a lead designer on XCOM: Enemy Unknown, has announced he’s formed a new company following his departure from Firaxis last February. Midsummer Studios is a team consisting of veteran Firaxis and Maxis designers. 

Midsummer was founded by Solomon, who serves as CEO and creative director, game director Will Miller (also formerly of Firaxis), and COO/CFO Nelsie Birch, a newcomer to games with a 25-year career in financial and operations management. They’re joined by executive producer Grant Rodiek, an 18-year veteran of Maxis Studios and former producer/director on several entries of The Sims. In addition to them, the small team currently consists of six other designers.

The company’s debut game will be a next-gen life sim that, according to the press release, “emphasizes player-driven narratives, allowing communities to share memorable moments that grow out of the creativity of players themselves.” 

“The best stories in games are written by the players,” said Solomon in the press release. “At Midsummer we’re making a life sim focused on the drama of modern life, where our players will write meaningful stories just by playing, and then share those stories with the world.”

Midsummer has secured a $6 million investment with several partners and is focused on growing a sustainable studio that values the health and happiness of its employees.

Paper Trail is a neat upcoming indie game, especially if you're into papercraft. The adventure stars Paige (get it?), a young girl with the power to fold reality like it's made out of paper. She uses this ability to run away from home in pursuit of her dreams, with players solving origami-focused pathfinding puzzles to get her from one scenic locale to the next. Join editors Marcus Stewart, Kyle Hilliard, and Wesley LeBlanc as they take a look at the opening chapter of this pleasant and mind-bending journey. 

Head over to Game Informer's YouTube channel for more previews, reviews, and discussions of new and upcoming games. Watch other episodes of New Gameplay Today right here.

Helldivers 2 is PlayStation's fastest-selling game ever, the company has announced in its latest financial earnings call. It achieved this title after crossing 12 million copies sold in 12 weeks, beating out the record previously held by God of War Ragnarök, which sold 11 million copies in 10 weeks, as reported by VideoGamesChronicle. 

Developer Arrowhead Game Studios' live-service multiplayer shooter sequel hit PlayStation 5 on February 8, with a simultaneous PC launch that same day, which is new for PlayStation. Its usual PC strategy sees PlayStation games launching on PC years after the game's console release – Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is only just now coming to PC this month, for example. It seems launching on PC day-and-date with PS5 was the right call, though, as Helldivers 2 is now a bonafide hit for PlayStation. 

Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Johan Pilestedt celebrated the news, noting there are more Helldivers 2 players than Swedes (the studio is based in Stockholm, Sweden) while thanking players for helping the team and PlayStation reach this achievement. 

As announced in the Sony earnings call, we have sold over 12M units!

It's crazy to think that there are more Helldivers than there are Swedes 🤯

What a massive achievement from everyone involved in realizing @Helldivers2. A massive thank you to the community for your support,…

— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) May 14, 2024

Notably, Arrowhead Game Studios is independent – PlayStation published Helldivers 2 as a PS5 console exclusive, in a way previously referred to as second-party. However, given acquisitions are happening more and more this generation, it wouldn't be surprising if PlayStation attempted to bring Arrowhead Game Studios under the first-party umbrella. 

For more, read Game Informer's Helldivers 2 review, and then read about how PlayStation recently walked back its Helldivers 2 PlayStation Network changes. 

[Source: VideoGamesChronicle]

Are you one of the 12 million Helldivers 2 players? Let us know in the comments below! 

Sony has appointed Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino as dual CEOs of PlayStation, following Jim Ryan's departure from the company this spring; they will begin June 1. Ryan announced he was leaving PlayStation last year, with Sony Group Corporation COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki stepping in as interim CEO following his departure in March. After that brief stint, PlayStation is tackling the CEO position with two figures, each with different focuses. 

Hulst has been appointed CEO of SIE's Studio Business Group while Nishino has been appointed CEO of SIE's Platform Business Group. Totoki, now through as interim CEO, will serve as a Chairman of SIE in addition to returning to his role as COO and CFO of Sony Group Corporation. Both Nishino and Hulst will report to Totoki. 

"Sony Interactive Entertainment is a dynamic and growing business that delivers incredible entertainment experiences through the connection of content and technology," Totoki writes in a press release. "These two leaders will have clear responsibilities and will manage strategic direction to ensure the focus remains on deepening engagement with existing PlayStation users and expanding experiences to new audiences."

Nishino was the senior vice president of PlayStation's Platform Experience Group, "responsible for developing the experiences and technology with PlayStation products and services," including the PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR2, and PlayStation Network. Sony says in his new CEO position, he will continue to be responsible for technology, products, services, and platform experiences. He will also oversee third party publisher and developer relations and commercial operations, including sales and marketing of hardware, services, and peripherals, the press release reads. 

"We will continue to connect players through world-class products, services, and technology," Nishino writes. "We always strive to grow our community even bigger with innovation in every area at Sony Interactive Entertainment. I am honored to be appointed such an important role alongside Hermen. By working more closely together, we will be positioned to build incredible experiences for an ever-expanding audience now and in the future." 

Hulst was the senior vice president and PlayStation Studios head, responsible for "developing content across many devices including PlayStation consoles and PCs, and bringing video game IP to new mediums such as film and television through PlayStation Productions." As CEO, Hulst will be responsible for the development, publishing, and business operations of first party content. 

"I am thrilled to lead the studio business group and continue to build on our success with PlayStation 5, while preparing for the future," he writes in the press release. "The video game industry is one of the largest entertainment industries in the world and has been built on the marriage of content and technology, and I look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of play and entertainment."

Totoki says in a separate blog post that later this month, players will "learn more about the long-term vision for Sony Group and the essential role SIE plays in that vision," hinting that the company might have some kind of event happening in May. He adds, "[Fiscal Year 2024] marks the start of the Mid-Range Plan period for Sony Group in which we will set the course for sustainable growth." 

For more about PlayStation, read Game Informer's Stellar Blade review, and then read Game Informer's Final Fantasy VII Rebirth review. After that, check out this Game Informer interview with former PlayStation boss Jack Tretton about acquisitions, live service games, E3, and more. 

What do you think about PlayStation's dual CEO approach? Let us know in the comments below!

Last week, The Joker was announced as the first new fighter joining MultiVersus ahead of its upcoming relaunch this month. The reveal was purely cinematic, however, but today’s new trailer shows off his gameplay.

The video not only gives fans a sample of actor Mark Hamill’s new voice lines, but also reveals that Joker has an alternate costume modeled after The Batman Who Laughs. The video also shows what appears to be unique dialogue interactions between Joker and his long-time sidekick, Harley Quinn. 

MultiVersus has other new characters joining the fray that will be revealed over time. Following a lengthy hiatus since its open beta concluded last year, the game will return in an improved form on May 28.

Atlus has announced that the original version of Shin Megami Tensei V will be delisted from the Nintendo eShop on June 13. That’s one day before the launch of its expanded definitive edition, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance.

On June 13, Shin Megami Tensei V’s Digital Standard and Digital Deluxe editions and all of its DLC will be removed from the eShop. However, owners of the physical and digital versions will still be able to play and redownload this content after it’s been delisted. SMT V first launched in November 2021, and Atlus declared it the best-selling game in the series in January 2022.

The original Shin Megami Tensei V Digital Standard, Digital Deluxe, and all associated DLC will be delisted from the Nintendo eShop on June 13.

Previously purchased physical and digital versions will remain playable and re-downloadable after this date.

— Official ATLUS West (@Atlus_West) May 13, 2024

Atlus has not provided a reason for this move, but given the timing, it’s likely to avoid confusion with the upcoming SMTV: Vengeance, which is the same game (including all DLC) but with quality-of-life improvements and an additional storyline that introduces new locations and demons. Think of it as the Persona 5 Royal of SMT V. Vengeance will also be multi-platform, whereas the original game was a Switch exclusive, and it will run for the same price as the original Standard version, $59.99.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance launches on June 14. You can read our extended preview of the game here, and you can also check out our review of the original SMT V here.