As part of this month's exclusive coverage of Hades II, associate editor Marcus Stewart sat down with two of the lead developers at Supergiant to bombard them with 78 questions. How many endings does the game have? Could Melinoë beat Kratos in a fight? What's the difference between Chronos, Cronus, and Cronuts? Creative director Greg Kasavin and studio director Amir Rao answer all that and more.

Watch Our Hades II Rapid-Fire Interview:

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MultiVersus makes its grand return on May 28, and a new trailer reveals that the Joker is joining the roster. Even better, Mark Hamill is voicing the Clown Prince of Crime once more.

Though we don’t see gameplay, a cinematic trailer sets up a dramatic confrontation (and likely emotional reunion for fans) between Batman, voiced in the game by the late Kevin Conroy, and his archnemesis. 

This marks the first game to feature both Batman: The Animated Series actors together as their respective characters since 2018’s Lego DC Super Villans. Conroy passed away in 2022, and prior to 2024's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, MultiVersus was the final game to feature his Batman performance. Following his death, Hamill had alluded to retiring the Joker role for good. However, dataminers uncovered Joker’s existence in MultiVersus in 2022 and found audio files revealing Hamill’s performance. This means he likely recorded his lines before Conroy’s passing. 

Joker is the first new character to join the existing line-up of fighters, but he won't be the last. We're curious to see who else joins the fray after MultiVersus re-launches on May 28 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. 

With the sun out and the temperature rising, it must be summer. That means it's time to stay cool indoors and watch a litany of gaming showcases airing throughout the season. Highlighted by Summer Game Fest, we've created a schedule listing every notable showcase occurring over the coming months, the date and times they air, and a summary of what they entail. Be sure to bookmark this page, as it will be updated regularly as new events are announced and airdates are confirmed. 

June 4

OTK Games Expo

Start Time: TBA

How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: Hosted by popular streamer Asmongold, the event will provide a stage for over 40 games and includes sitdown interviews with their creators. 

June 6

Guerilla Collective Online Showcase 

Start Time: 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET

How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What Is It: Each year, the Guerilla Collective provides a platform for indie and AA games. The event also serves as an umbrella for other showcases taking place over the week. 

June 7

Access-Ability Summer Showcase

Start Time: 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET

How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: Host Laura Kate Dale confirmed late fall that the Access-Ability Summer Showcase will make a return in June. The event highlights accessbility-focused titles and features created by disabled developers.

Summer Game Fest 

Start Time: 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET

How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: The flagship gaming showcase of the summer returns to the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles. Organizer and host Geoff Keighley will take the stage to show off what’s likely to be a litany of world premieres and game updates.

Day of the Devs

Start Time: Immediately following Summer Game Fest

How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: iam8bit and Double Fine's annual showcase offers an entertaining bastion for a litany of the most creative, eye-catching, and, perhaps, bizarre upcoming titles in the industry. 

June 8

Wholesome Direct 

Start Time: 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET

How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: The coziest presentation of the year highlights over 70 artistic, emotionally resonant titles with one thing in common: they'll give you all the feels. 

Future Games Show

Start Time: TBA

How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: The seasonal event will feature 40 upcoming games in what is being billed as "the most ambitious showcase yet". We don't know what else to expect besides updates on "blockbuster games" and deep dives on in-development titles. 

June 9

Xbox Games Showcase/[REDACTED] Direct

Start Time: 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET

How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: Typically Xbox's biggest showcase of the year, it's probably safe to expect several hopefully big announcements coming from the publisher's many first-party studios. Immediately following the Showcase is a not-so-mysterious presentation centered on probably, maybe, almost certainly, the next Call of Duty game. 

PC Gaming Show

Start Time: 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET

How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: It's the 10th anniversary of the PC Gaming Show, and its celebrating by rolling out over 50 games coming this year and beyond. The batch includes world premieres, exclusive announcements, and more. 

June 10

Ubisoft Forward

Start Time: TBA

How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: Ubisoft hasn't revealed what it has up it's sleeve, but it's tough not to imagine that Assassin's Creed Codename Red won't appear. Other known titles in its upcoming slate that are likely to appear include Star Wars Outlaws, The Rogue Prince of Persia, Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition, and maybe, if we're lucky, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake and/or Beyond Good & Evil 2. 

Other Confirmed June Showcases Awaiting Dates

Nintendo Direct

Start Time: TBA

How to Watch: YouTube, Twitch

What It Is: Nintendo has promised to hold a June Direct focused on games launching in the latter half of 2024. The company also confirmed that the presentation will not mention the Switch successor. 

Future of Play Direct

Start Time: TBA

How to Watch: YouTube

What It Is: The anime-themed indie showcase is a summer staple. If previous years are an indication, expect a Vtuber host, musical performances, special guests, and, of course, plenty of game trailers. 

Upload VR Showcase

Start Time: TBA

How to Watch: YouTube

What Is It: This event is for virtual reality aficionados by virtual reality aficionados. Expect to see the latest and greatest VR and AR titles racing to headsets.  

August 2

THQ Nordic Digital Showcase

Start Time: 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET

How to Watch: YouTube

What Is It: So far, THQ Nordic has confirmed that Gothic 1 Remake and Titan Quest II will appear at its digital showcase. As for speculation, we know it's publishing the remake of Disney Epic Mickey launching this year and the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin. We're curious to see what else the publisher has to show. 

 

Sega has revealed Sonic Rumble, a 32-player mobile platforming battle royale, and it's coming this winter. As is par for the course of battle royale-type games, Sonic Rumble puts 32 players against each other competing on various levels and obstacle courses to remain the last person standing. 

In the reveal trailer, it's clear players control various characters from the universe of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series, including Sonic, of course, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Amy, Dr. Eggman, and presumably more. As you play, you collect rings and these are used to customize your characters in special outfits and more. 

Check it out for yourself in the Sonic Rumble announce trailer below: 

There's no release date for Sonic Rumble yet, but Sega says it's releasing this Winter. Given it's a mobile game, it's expected to hit iOS and Android. If you're interested in trying the game out, you can sign up for beta tests right now. 

For more about everyone's favorite blue blur, read Game Informer's Sonic Frontiers review, and then read Game Informer's Sonic Superstars review. After that, watch Game Informer's exclusive video interview with Sonic's Takashi Iizuka about Sega's road to the Dreamcast. 

Are you going to play Sonic Rumble later this year? Let us know in the comments below!

Nintendo has revealed Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, a game designed around speedrunning challenges and more across 13 classic NES games. Set to hit Switch on July 18, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition features more than 150 challenges to complete, and you can compete for top spots on global online leaderboards or with friends. 

Nintendo revealed this compilation title with a trailer that pulls heavy on the Nintendo World Championship nostalgia, with previous winners appearing, footage from old competitions, and more throughout. 

Check out the Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition announcement trailer for yourself below: 

As you can see, challenges in the game include reaching the Super Mushroom as fast as you can in Super Mario Bros., defeating the Octorocks the fastest in The Legend of Zelda, and reaching a specified gate as quickly as possible in Metroid. And those are just three of the 150+ challenges available in the game, spread across 13 NES games. 

Each week, you can compete for the top spot in the World Championships Weekly  Global Online leaderboards, or you can compete against up to seven friends in the local eight-player Party Mode. 

"With 'byte-sized' challenges and an automatic rewind feature, you don't need to master entire games to feel like a Nintendo World Champion," the trailer's description reads. 

Alongside today's reveal, Nintendo has also unveiled a Deluxe Set for Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. It includes collectible items, like art cards, a golden NES cartridge, and a physical game card.  

 

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition hits Switch on July 18, 2024. The Deluxe Set will cost $59.99, and the digital eShop version will cost $29.99. 

Are you going to pick this game up? Let us know in the comments below!

In this episode of New Gameplay Today, editors Marcus Stewart and Kyle Hilliard explore Crow Country. This retro-inspired horror title by Snipperclips developer SFB Games takes inspiration from the early entries of Resident Evil and Silent Hill, delivering an adventure that's enjoyable in its comforting, eerie familiarity. To learn more, be sure to read our review of the game, in which we awarded it an 8 out of 10.

Head 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.

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: SFB Games
Developer: SFB Games
Release: May 9, 2024

The Resident Evil series has redefined and refined survival horror in recent years, arguably single-handedly. However, as the venerable series continues to push the genre forward, a growing number of indie games are looking back to survival horror’s late ‘90s heyday for inspiration. Crow Country joins those ranks, offering a respectable nostalgic homage to the past. Veterans won’t encounter anything they haven’t seen, but the experience is comforting in its spooky familiarity.  

Developer SFB Games clearly understood its self-imposed assignment. Crow Country’s grainy, low-polygonal presentation faithfully evokes the PS1/N64 era while still establishing a unique charm, thanks to its doll-esque character designs. Thankfully, the studio stops short of replicating more archaic elements like the static camera angles of the time, opting for a much preferred 360-degree camera and free movement instead of tank controls. The presentation adds a nostalgic sinisterness to the game’s setting, a derelict amusement park called Crow Country. 

As agent Mara Forest, you arrive in search of the park’s missing owner, Edward Crow, and quickly find it overrun by grotesque monsters of an unknown origin. Despite the game’s eerie vibes, scaredy cats shouldn’t fret; Crow Country isn’t anywhere near as terrifying as its Silent Hill/Resident Evil influences. That may be disappointing to horror aficionados – I count myself among them – but I didn’t mind. Outside of a few decent jump scares, the game is more about establishing an intriguing, oppressive mood, and that’s enough for me. The creatures look appropriately gross and unsettling despite having a strange cutesy charm due to the art direction. The writing has a good sense of humor that contrasts nicely with an otherwise dark and generally enjoyable mystery highlighted by a cool story twist. 

Blasting monsters with various firearms, such as a pistol, shotgun, and, if you search well enough, a magnum, feels adequate, and attachable laser sights add a contemporary assist. Evading enemies to conserve ammo is relatively easy, and the game is generous about keeping your clips full. This speaks to Crow Country’s wide approachability. It’s not challenging in regards to combat and inventory management, making it a great introduction to the genre for newcomers or a good option those wanting a lighter take on a typically tough gameplay style.

Another aspect in which SFB Games commits to Crow Country’s old-school approach is exploration and puzzle-solving. The game’s elaborate puzzles are generally clever and well-designed, but the real challenge is keeping track of over two dozen notes containing hints or solutions. That’s because you can only view these messages in save rooms, which creates a lot of backtracking to double-check an employee memo. The game’s condensed level design means a save room usually isn’t too far away, but running around did feel less convenient as my notebook expanded. To mitigate this, expect to jot down notes or take photos of clues with your phone. 

 

Additionally, intentionally cluttered environments easily hide useful items and clues, meaning it’s easy to miss things. Expect to hug the walls of every room to thoroughly comb them of their interactable elements (though the game does track how many secrets you find). As a long-time fan of the genre, I didn’t mind this nostalgic approach, and it never became a true hindrance. Consider this less a critique and more of a PSA to those hoping for a streamlined experience. 

Speaking of save rooms, the game’s intentional lack of autosaves means dying results in losing progress between your last visits. I was burned by this initially, having died before reaching the first save room and replaying the first 20 minutes. Again, your tolerance will vary; losing chunks of progress rarely becomes an issue if you’re diligent about saving. But if you’d rather not deal with that, Crow Country may be too faithfully retro for you. 

As reductive as it sounds, when it comes to delivering a classic survival horror experience, Crow Country is a good “one of those.” Familiar elements and tropes are well executed, and the succinct runtime of five to six hours is perfect for its smaller scope. I had fun reliving the genre’s golden years through Crow Country’s eyes; playing it feels like relaxing under a warm, blood-stained blanket. 

Score: 8

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Destiny 2: The Final Shape is set to wrap up the decade-long War of Light and Darkness story arc when it launches on June 4, but ahead of that, developer Bungie is giving players an easy way to catch up on previous expansions. Unveiled yesterday under the initiative name "Expansion Open Access," all Destiny 2 players can access and play through the game's Shadowkeep (2019), Beyond Light (2020), and The Witch Queen (2022) expansions. 

"Prepare for The Final Shape with three epic campaigns and earn an arsenal of exotic and legendary gear," the Expansion Open Access trailer's description reads. And speaking of trailer, check out the Destiny 2 Expansion Open Access trailer for yourself below: 

Now, of course, these three aren't the only Destiny 2 expansions but they're the only ones currently available to play through in the game. As such, it might be smart to watch a playthrough or read a narrative summary of all expansions released before The Final Shape next month. 

Here's every Destiny 2 expansion/DLC released since the game's launch: 

• Curse of Osiris (2017)
• Warmind (2018)
• Forsaken (2018)
• Shadowkeep (2019)
• Beyond Light (2020)
• The Witch Queen (2022)
• Lightfall (2023)

The Destiny 2 Expansion Open Access period lasts from now until June 3. If you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you also currently have access to Lightfall, making now a perfect time to catch up. 

For more, watch the Destiny 2: The Final Shape reveal trailer here, and then check out this breakdown of The Final Shape's new prismatic subclass, enemy faction, exotics, and more. 

Are you going to play through these expansions before The Final Shape next month? Let us know in the comments below!

Arkane Austin was reportedly set to release a big Redfall update this month that would have added offline play to the always-online game before Microsoft suddenly shut the studio down, according to IGN. This follows yesterday's news that Microsoft was shutting down Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks, Mighty Doom studio Alpha Dog Games, and absorbing Roundhouse Games into ZeniMax Online Studios.

This offline play update would have addressed one of players' biggest complaints with the game – that Redfall always requires a connection to the internet – but now that update will never see the light of day. It's an especially concerning detail considering now that Arkane Austin is closed, the day when Redfall servers are no longer live, rendering the game unplayable, seems closer than ever before. 

IGN also reports that it was told the now-canceled Hero Pass, which would have added two additional playable characters to Redfall, was scheduled for release around Halloween. It obviously won't be released now – Bethesda says those who purchased the Hero Pass will be eligible "to receive the value of the upgrade" – but if it had hit the game around Halloween, that would have been roughly 18 months after Redfall's launch. 

Redfall hit Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 2 to poor reviews from critics – read Game Informer's review here – and players alike, and the first-person multiplayer vampire shooter failed to recover, with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer saying, "I'm upset with myself," when asked about its launch.

According to reports, some of Arkane Austin's staff hoped Microsoft might cancel Redfall or reboot it as a single player game, following the former's acquisition of ZeniMax Media in 2020 for $7.5 billion. Arkane Austin director Harvey Smith said Microsoft canceled a PlayStation 5 version of Redfall following this acquisition. 

[Source: IGN]

How do you feel about Microsoft shutting down Arkane Austin? Let us know in the comments below!

Reviewed on: PC
Platform: PC
Publisher: Edigger
Developer: Imagine Wings Studio
Release: May 7, 2024

Everyone can empathize with waking up late at night and sitting in agony as your brain forcefully makes you relive a traumatic, embarrassing, or heartbreaking moment. Our past is with us forever, and how it manifests in the present is a toss-up from day to day. With My Past, the debut game from developer Imagine Wings Studio, attempts to blend those feelings with platforming-puzzle gameplay and does so excellently. The result is a therapeutic five-hour adventure I'll be thinking about long after today. 

After being startled awake at 3 a.m. by her past, an unnamed blue-haired girl goes on a journey through her labyrinth mind, which is holding her back. This translates to six distinct chapters of gameplay, each with a unique theme in narrative and mechanics. The first introduces you to her "Past," the throughline mechanic with which With My Past shines. Your past is just you, but two seconds prior. If you walk forward and jump, two seconds later, it will too. With My Past playfully builds upon this in its opening moments as it teaches you the ropes, but by the end of the game, I was pulling off moves that bent my brain in all directions.

As you progress through each chapter, With My Past introduces new mechanics, like a Kiwi fruit that lets you teleport to your past's location or a way to solidify your past and climb on top of it to reach new heights. It's hard to describe how unique this mechanic plays in With My Past because it's genuinely unlike anything I've played in a puzzle game, but Imagine Wings Studios excels at adding new layers to its depth each step of the journey. I'm reminded of 2018's Celeste, which does the same, incorporating narrative elements into the game's mechanics. 

On that same note, With My Past is more vague than Celeste's journey of transformation and self-love, instead allowing players to graft their own past onto the protagonist here. But it works well. As on-screen words that tell the story dive into self-hate, the ways our past bubbles up at the worst times, and the loneliness sometimes felt even when surrounded by love, I found myself thinking about my past, and it was wondrous to watch how With My Past suggests tackling those issues through gameplay. 

 

Your in-game past transforms from a mysterious specter, to an enemy on the hunt, to an ally you must reckon with and understand as a part of what makes you. And it does so while With My Past serves up great puzzle after puzzle. A handful of the 150+ challenges left me more frustrated than satisfied, but a skip option allows players to keep the story moving along. My only real dissatisfaction happened in the game's final (and only) "boss" fight. Perhaps I missed the point, but in an otherwise cohesive experience, it felt unattached to everything else I played through. 

Void of voice acting, with a minimal soundscape coloring the protagonist's steps, With My Past's score does the talking here, and the result is one of my favorite scores of the year. It's grand, sweeping, and almost feels more at home in a movie theater than coming from my desktop screen, but the game's music is as integral to this journey as the story and its puzzles. 

I began With My Past yesterday on a whim and finished it later that afternoon with an aching smile on my face; that "hurts so good" type of smile. With My Past is a short but powerful burst of emotional storytelling on top of excellent and intuitive puzzle design. With few misses, it's an impressive reminder of the power of games and how savvy developers can blend storytelling into how we play.

Score: 9

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The success of Marvel Snap rolls on, as does the seasonal structure of the free-to-play, deck-building card-battler from Second Dinner. Recent seasons have been themed after corners of the Marvel Universe, like Avengers vs. X-Men or Thunderbolts, but this season leans a bit more into the Marvel Multiverse with Blink and the Exiles. This season, titled "A Blink in Time," introduces five new characters, two new locations, and more.

The new characters joining the game in A Blink in Time are as follows:

• Blink (5 Cost, 7 Power)
  • On reveal, swap the last card you played with a higher-cost card from your deck.
• Nocturne (3 Cost, 5 Power)
  • You can move this once. When this moves, replace its location with a random new one.
• Sage (3 Cost, 0 Power)
  • On reveal, +2 power for each different power among all other cards here.
• Namora (5 Cost, 6 Power)
  • On reveal, give +5 power to each of your cards alone at another location.
• Sasquatch (6 Cost, 10 Power)
  • Costs 1 less for each card you played last turn.

 

On top of those all-new characters joining Marvel Snap collections, there are two new locations: Panoptichron, where cards that didn't start in your deck get +2 power, and Cancun, where power at that location doesn't count toward winning the game. New albums featuring Dan Hipp and Rian Gonzales also further incentivize Variant collections by rewarding items themed after Werewolf By Night, Silk, and Iron Lad. Finally, we know the dates of the Series 5 releases of this season. Baron Zemo and Nocturne get their Series 5 release on May 7, Sage arrives on May 14, Namora on May 21, and Sasquatch on May 28.

Marvel Snap's May season, A Blink in Time, kicks off today. For more on Marvel Snap, check out Charles Harte's opinion piece from when the game originally arrived on mobile devices.

To wrap up our exclusive Star Wars Outlaws cover story, we're publishing a 15-minute video interview with Massive Entertainment's Alice Rendell, senior narrative systems designer on Outlaws, and Lead Systems Designer Matthieu Delisle, wherein we learn about the sorts of encounters players can expect to experience while interacting with the game's Reputation and Wanted Systems. Please enjoy the video, which you can watch below.

Exclusive Interview: Inside Star Wars Outlaws' Reputation System

Subscribe to our YouTube channel if you enjoy this interview and want to see more like it! Lastly, visit Game Informer's exclusive coverage HUB to learn more about the making of Star Wars Outlaws.

Xbox is closing Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and more under Bethesda, according to IGN. Alpha Dog Games, which is behind last year's mobile Mighty Doom, is being closed as well, according to the report. Roundhouse Games is also affected, but it will be absorbed by The Elder Scrolls Online team ZeniMax Online Studios. 

Tango has confirmed the news online, with a thank you to its fans: 

pic.twitter.com/KhhqgR902g

— Tango Gameworks (EN) (@TangoGameworks) May 7, 2024

Arkane Austin has followed suit, confirming the news online as well alongside word that players who purchased Redfall's Hero Pass will be eligible "to receive the value of the upgrade." Here's the studio's statement: 

Signup here https://t.co/wb1R4m4emj to receive details on how eligible players can receive this credit. pic.twitter.com/69Os17kpQ8

— Arkane Studios (@ArkaneStudios) May 7, 2024

These closures arrive after Tango delivered the extremely well-received Hi-Fi Rush last year a few months before Arkane Austin released Redfall, which unfortunately didn't pan out as expected, with both critics and fans disappointed in the first-person vampire shooter from the studio behind the Dishonored series. 

IGN learned of these closures in emails sent to staff by Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty, where the executive cited reprioritization as the reason for the closures. Here is the email, in full: 

"Today, I'm sharing changes we are making to our Bethesda and ZeniMax teams. These changes are grounded in prioritizing high-impact titles and further investing in Bethesda’s portfolio of blockbuster games and beloved worlds which you have nurtured over many decades.  To double down on these franchises and invest to build new ones requires us to look across the business to identify the opportunities that are best positioned for success. This reprioritization of titles and resources means a few teams will be realigned to others and that some of our colleagues will be leaving us. Here are the changes going into effect: Arkane Austin – This studio will close with some members of the team joining other studios to work on projects across Bethesda. Arkane Austin has a history of making impactful and innovative games and it is a pedigree that everyone should be proud of. Redfall’s previous update will be its last as we end all development on the game. The game and its servers will remain online for players to enjoy and we will provide make-good offers to players who purchased the Hero DLC. Alpha Dog Studios – This studio will also close. We appreciate the team’s creativity in bringing Doom to new players. Mighty Doom will be sunset on August 7 and we will be turning off the ability for players to make any purchases in the game. Tango Gameworks – Tango Gameworks will also close. We are thankful for their contributions to Bethesda and players around the world. Hi-Fi Rush will continue to be available to players on the platforms it is today. Roundhouse Games – The team at Roundhouse Games will be joining ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS). Roundhouse has played a key role in many of our recent game launches and bringing them into ZOS to work on The Elder Scrolls Online will mean we can do even more to grow the world that millions of players call home. With this consolidation of our Bethesda studio teams, so that we can invest more deeply in our portfolio of games and new IP, a small number of roles across select Bethesda publishing and corporate teams will also be eliminated. Those whose roles will be impacted will be notified today, and we ask that you please treat your departing colleagues with respect and compassion. We will provide our full support to those who are impacted in today’s notifications and through their transitions, including severance benefits informed by local laws. These changes are not a reflection of the creativity and skill of the talented individuals at these teams or the risks they took to try new things. I acknowledge that these changes are also disruptive to the various support teams across ZeniMax and Bethesda that bring our games to market. We are making these tough decisions to create capacity to increase investment in other parts of our portfolio and focus on our priority games. Bethesda remains one of the key pillars of Xbox with a strong portfolio of amazing games and thriving communities. As we look to the future, there is an impressive line-up of games on the horizon. In 2024 alone we have Starfield Shattered Space, Fallout 76 Skyline Valley, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, and The Elder Scrolls Online’s Golden Road. As we align our plans and resources to best set ourselves up for success in this complex and changing industry, our teams across Arkane Lyon, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, MachineGames, ZeniMax Online Studios and the Bethesda publishing and corporate teams will be well-positioned to build new IP, explore new game concepts, and expand on our existing franchises."

Game Informer has reached out to Xbox and Bethesda for comment and will update this story if it learns more. 

Arkane Austin is one half of the Bethesda-owned Arkane Studios, the other half being Arkane Lyon. Both studios often work together on Arkane games, but Arkane Austin led the charge on titles like Redfall and 2017's Prey while Arkane Lyon is behind 2021's Deathloop and the in-development Marvel's Blade game. 

Arkane Lyon studio director and Marvel's Blade creative director Dinga Bakaba posted on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after news of Arkane Austin's closing hit the internet to explain his frustration and sadness: 

"This is absolutely terrible," Bakaba writes. "Permission to be human: to any executive reading this, friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment/cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists/entertainers and help them create value for you." 

He continues, "Don't throw us into gold fever gambits, don't use us as strawmen for miscalculations/blind spots, don't make our work environment darwinist jungles. You say we make you proud when we make a good game. Make us proud when times are tough. We know you can, we seen it before." 

You can read Bakaba's full thread below: 

This is absolutely terrible. Permission to be human : to any executive reading this, friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment/cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists/entertainers and help them create value for you.

— Dinga Bakaba (@DBakaba) May 7, 2024

Tango released Hi-Fi Rush as a surprise "out today" game during an Xbox Developer Direct in January of last year, and the game recently came to PlayStation 5. Before Hi-Fi Rush, Tango released Ghostwire: Tokyo, and outside of those two games, it is perhaps best known for The Evil Within series. 

These studio closures join a string of other disheartening 2024 closures and layoffs, which now total more than 10,000 in just the first five months of this year. 

Last week, Take-Two Interactive closed Rollerdrome studio Roll7 and Kerbal Space Program 2 studio Intercept Games alongside major layoffs to its indie-publisher Private Division label. That same week, we learned Deliver Us Mars developer Keoken Interactive had laid off nearly its entire staff. 

Elsewhere in the year, EA laid off roughly 670 employees across all departments, resulting in the cancellation of Respawn's Star Wars FPS game. PlayStation laid off 900 employees across Insomniac, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla, and more, closing down London Studio in the process, too. The day before, Until Dawn developer Supermassive Games announced it laid off 90 employees. 

At the end of January, we learned Embracer Group had canceled a new Deus Ex game in development at Eidos-Montréal and laid off 97 employees in the process. Also in January, Destroy All Humans remake developer Black Forest Games reportedly laid off 50 employees and Microsoft announced it was laying off 1,900 employees across its Xbox, Activision Blizzard, and ZeniMax teams, as well. Outriders studio People Can Fly laid off more than 30 employees in January, and League of Legends company Riot Games laid off 530 employees. 

Lords of the Fallen Publisher CI Games laid off 10 percent of its staff, Unity will lay off 1,800 people by the end of March, and Twitch laid off 500 employees. 

We also learned that Discord had laid off 170 employees, that layoffs happened at PTW, a support studio that's worked with companies like Blizzard and Capcom, and that SteamWorld Build company, Thunderful Group, let go of roughly 100 people. Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive also reportedly laid off 45 people, too. 

[Source: IGN]

How do you feel about these closures? Let us know in the comments below!

Update, 5/07/2024:

Last year, CD Projekt Red announced it was working on a mod editor for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, set to hit PC sometime this year for free. Now, we know exactly when: May 21, 2024. That means we're just a few weeks away from The Witcher 3 REDkit, "an extensive mod editor based on the game's engine," being released to players around the world. 

CD Projekt Red announced this today on X (formerly Twitter), reminding players it will be free for everyone who owns The Witcher 3 on PC. 

Mark your calendars — The Witcher 3 REDkit, an extensive mod editor based on the game’s engine, releases on May 21st, 2024! ⚙

It will be available for free for everyone who owns The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on PC.

Wishlist on @Steam, @GOGcom or @EpicGames:

🖤… pic.twitter.com/wCx8CE9SJo

— The Witcher (@witchergame) May 7, 2024

If you don't own The Witcher 3 on PC yet but want to mod the game using this REDkit, you can purchase the game on Steam, GOG, or the Epic Games Store. 

The original story continues below...

Original story, 11/15/2023:

It's been a big year for Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt developer CD Projekt Red. It released Phantom Liberty, the first and only expansion for Cyberpunk 2077, debuted its soundtrack on streaming services, revealed plans for a live-action Cyberpunk project, and just this week, nabbed four nominations for The Game Awards 2023. Now, CDPR has announced it is working on a mod editor for The Witcher 3 that will hit PC sometime next year for free. 

"We're thrilled to announce that we're working on a mod editor for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt," a tweet from the official Witcher Twitter account reads. "It will allow you to create your own experiences in the game by making something completely new or editing existing quests and content. We're planning on releasing it for free in 2024. Stay tuned – we'll have more to share next year." 

We're thrilled to announce that we're working on a mod editor for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt! ⚔️

It will allow you to create your own experiences in the game by making something completely new or editing existing quests and content. We’re planning on releasing it for free in 2024.… pic.twitter.com/e2kvXRqegZ

— The Witcher (@witchergame) November 15, 2023

Notably, CDPR says this mod editor for The Witcher 3 will allow players to create their own experiences in the game, meaning people can develop their own fantasy adventures starring everyone's favorite monster hunter. In a reply on Twitter, the official account confirms this mod editor will only be coming to PC.

If you haven't yet played The Witcher 3, you should and you can read about why in Game Informer's review of The Witcher 3. 

For more about CDPR, read Game Informer's Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty review and then check out this feature about how the team behind Phantom Liberty created its spy-thriller soundtrack. 

Do you have any plans to use the mod editor coming to The Witcher 3 next year? Let us know in the comments below!

Remedy Entertainment, the studio behind last year's Alan Wake 2 and 2019's Control, has canceled Codename Kestrel, its "premium cooperative multiplayer game." The game, which was being co-financed and co-published by Tencent, was in the early concept stage, according to Remedy, with only a small team working on it. 

The studio says it canceled Codename Kestrel to focus on other games it's developing in its portfolio, noting that because of this cancelation, its other projects will get "experienced developers reassigned from Kestrel."

Plus, Remedy says planned investment and the need to recruit additional employees for Kestrel is removed with this cancelation. 

"Codename Kestrel showed early promise, but the project was still in its early concept stage," Remedy CEO Tero Virtala writes in a press release. "Our other projects have advanced well and are moving to the next stages of development, and increasing focus on them provides us with benefits. We can reallocate talented Kestrel developers to these other game projects, and many of our support functions get additional focus on their operations. This is yet another means to ensure that our game projects continue advancing well.  "I want to thank our Kestrel development team. Though we decided to discontinue the project for wider Remedy benefits, our team has done good work and provided us with valuable learnings. I also want to thank Tencent for their partnership so far. They have been very professional and supportive."

Codename Kestrel, as a project, began in November 2023 as a reboot from an earlier Remedy project codenamed Vanguard. 

This cancelation arrives just a couple of weeks after Remedy's latest update about its in-development games, which is where the studio said Codename Kestrel remains in the concept stage. It's also where Remedy revealed the Control 2 team is focused on finalizing the proof-of-concept stage and that Max Payne 1 & 2 Remake are expected to enter full production in Q2 of this year. You can read that update here. 

Do you think Remedy is making the right call by canceling Codename Kestrel? Let us know in the comments below!

Updated story, 5/07/2024:

Nintendo has released its latest round of financial results, this time for the end of Fiscal Year 2024 (which ended in March). The Switch has surpassed 140 million units sold, further securing its place as the second-best-selling console in the company's history, and Nintendo has also revealed it will announce the Switch successor by March 2025. 

Despite great numbers in this round of financial results, Switch software is down roughly 5% compared to the same time frame for Fiscal Year 2023. Nonetheless, its games are still selling well comparatively in the wider market. With the latest numbers on Switch software, here's Nintendo's most up-to-date list of its best-selling Switch games: 

1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 61.97 million units
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons: 45.36 million units
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: 34.22 million units
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: 31.85 million units
5. Super Mario Odyssey: 27.96 million units
6. Pokemon Sword and Shield: 26.27million units
7. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: 24.92 million units 
8. Super Mario Party: 20.66 million units
9. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: 20.61 million units
10. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe: 17.45 million units

The original story continues below...

Updated story, 5/09/23:

Nintendo has released its latest round of financial results, this time for the end of Fiscal Year 2023 (which ended in March). While the Switch has surpassed 125 million units sold, both hardware and software sales for the platform are down. 

Overall, hardware sales are down 22.1% while software sales are down 9%. 

With recent releases like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Splatoon 3, and more, here's Nintendo most up-to-date list of its best-selling Switch games: 

1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 53.79 million units
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons: 42.21 million units
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: 31.09 million units
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: 29.81 million units
5. Pokemon Sword and Shield: 25.82 million units
6. Super Mario Odyssey: 25.76 million units
7. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: 22.10 million units 
8. Super Mario Party: 19.14 million units
9. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe: 15.41 million units
10. Ring Fit Adventure: 15.38 million units

The original story continues below...

Original story, 8/03/22: 

Nintendo released its latest round of financial results, this time for Quarter 1 of the 2023 Fiscal Year, which accounts for April, May, and June of 2022. In it, the company revealed that the Switch surpassed 111 million units sold but, despite that, overall sales are down. 

In terms of hardware, sales are down 22.9%, with Nintendo citing the ongoing semiconductor shortage as why. Software sales are down too, declining 8.6% this quarter. However, while 8.6% is a sizeable drop, Nintendo still moved 41.41 million units in Q1 FY23. It also revealed its top 10 best-selling Switch games, with many having seen increases since the last round of financial results earlier this year. 

Here are the top 10 best-selling Nintendo Switch games as of June 2022: 

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 46.82 million 
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons: 39.38 million
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: 28.82 million
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: 27.14 million
• Pokemon Sword/Pokemon Shield: 24.50 million
• Super Mario Odyssey: 23.93 million
• Super Mario Party: 18.06 million
• Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Pokemon Shining Pearl: 14.79 million
• Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu!/Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee!: 14.66 million
• Ring Fit Adventure: 14.54 million

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had the biggest jump in this list, selling 1.48 million units this quarter. According to Nintendo, new 2022 releases are also selling well. Nintendo Switch Sports sold 4.84 million units, Mario Strikers: Battle League sold 1.91 million, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land sold 1.88 million units, making it the second-best selling Kirby game of all-time. 

For more, read about Nintendo's latest financial results released earlier today and then check out this list of every NES, SNES, N64, and Sega Genesis game available on Nintendo Switch Online. After that, feast your eyes upon all the new Pokemon from Scarlet and Violet revealed in today's Pokemon Presents showcase. 

Are there any Switch games on this list you haven't played yet? Let us know which ones and why!

Nintendo has revealed the Switch has surpassed 140 million units sold, further securing its current place as the second-best-selling console in the company's history. This news arrives at the same time Nintendo has revealed it will announce the Switch successor by March 2025, meaning there's still some time for the Switch to catch up to Nintendo's best-selling console: the Nintendo DS. 

Since the last financial results call, the Switch has sold an additional 1.96 million units, bringing its grand total up to 141.32. That keeps it in second place, only behind the Nintendo DS' massive 154.02 million. It's possible the Switch surpasses the Nintendo DS, especially considering the Switch will likely continue to sell even once its successor is released, but that's a big 13 million-unit gap to close. 

Elsewhere in the financial results, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has hit 20.28 million units sold, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has sold through 11.96 million, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe another 6.79 million, and Pikmin 4 3.33 million. The fiscal year ending with March 2024 was a strong one for Switch software, selling 163.95 million units in Q1 through Q3 of Fiscal Year 2024. However, compared to the same quarters for Fiscal Year 2023, Switch software is down 4.7%. 

With the Switch successor on the horizon, that number will likely be way up this time next year. 

In the meantime, read about the Nintendo Direct happening next month, and then check out Game Informer's top 10 Switch games. After that, check out this list of the Switch's best-selling games. 

Do you think the Switch will surpass the Nintendo DS? Let us know in the comments below!

Nintendo will reveal the Switch successor within the current fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2025. However, the company says there will be no mention of this successor during a Nintendo Direct it is holding in June; this Direct will instead be focused on the games coming to Switch in the second half of 2024. 

While this isn't the first hint of a Switch successor from the company, it is the most direct and comes from the same financial results where we learned the Switch has sold an additional 1.96 million units since the last one, bringing its total up to 141.32 million. Software has reached 1.235 billion units. 

"This is Furukawa, President of Nintendo," the company's announcement reads on X (formerly Twitter). "We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year. It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015. We will be holding a Nintendo Direct this June regarding the Nintendo Switch software lineup for the latter half of 2024, but please be aware that there will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during that presentation."

This announcement follows industry reports from earlier this year stating the Switch successor was targeting a March 2025 release date. That could still be the case given Furukawa's reveal, but given the timeline, Nintendo could also announce the successor that month, meaning we likely wouldn't have it in our hands until later that year. Only time will, though, but at least we now officially know that by this time next year, we'll know what the successor to the Switch is. 

For more, read about how Nintendo reportedly demoed the Switch successor to developers at Gamescom last year, and then check out Game Informer's top 10 Switch games. 

What do you hope to see from the Switch successor? Let us know in the comments below!

Hades II has launched into Steam Early access, and it’s also Game Informer’s next cover story (which launches on May 14).  Whether you’re a returning fan or a newcomer, it may take a few runs to get your bearings as Hades II sports new progression systems, resources, and new layers to existing mechanics. It can be a lot to dig into, given the game more or less tosses you into the deep end without context for how things work, at least initially. Instead of spending several runs figuring things out, here’s a short, spoiler-free primer explaining some core new features to get you going on the right foot. 

What Are Ashes? 

Ashes are a currency used for unlocking Arcana cards. They serve a similar purpose as Darkness from the first game. They often appear as a reward for completing a room, but you can also purchase more from the Wretched Broker’s shop. 

What Are Arcana Cards, Grasp, And Psyche?

These are unlockable character perks found at the Altar of Ashes, located in The Crossroads. Fans can draw a similarity to the Mirror of Night from Hades 1. Examples of Arcana card effects include gaining two health points every time you exit a location or starting each run with 200 gold. Arcana cards require spending a certain amount of Ashes to obtain (and some require an additional resource). Cards consume portions of your Grasp. 

Grasp of the Arcana (or just Grasp for short) is a meter dictating how many Arcana cards a player can have active at once. Every Arcana card consumes a certain number of Grasp bars. If the Grasp meter has 10 bars, then equipping cards that consume 5, 3, and 2 bars would max it out. If you’re a Transistor fan, this system is similar to how managing Functions worked in that game. 

By spending a large amount of Psyche, another currency obtained by completing rooms, you can increase the limit of your Grasp. For example, instead of having only 10 bars, it could have 12 or 16. This way, you can have more cards active or use more powerful cards that consume a larger portion of Grasp. 

What Are The Purple Bones?

This is another resource/currency called Ancient Bones. It’s a reward for completing encounters and is primarily used to purchase resources from the Wretched Broker’s shop. 

How Do I Mine Ore, Fish, And Compel Shades?

During runs, you’ll come across metal ores prompting you to mine. In the first area, Erebus, you’ll find piles of silver crescent moons, for example. Additionally, certain shades prompt you to “compel” them, and you’ll also encounter fishing holes. 

These situations require one of Hades II’s Gathering Tools. Mining ore requires a pickaxe, fishing holes need a respective rod, and compelling shades require a magical tablet. You gain Gathering Tools at the Cauldron, but you’ll still need to trade specific resources to unlock them fully.

How Does The Cauldron Work? 

The Crossroads features a giant cauldron situated in front of Hecate. This is where you’ll bring resources/currencies gathered during runs to perform “incantations,” which are permanent upgrades for The Crossroads and general quality-of-life perks. 

For example, one incantation summons the Wretched Broker, allowing him to permanently set up shop in the Crossroads. Another unlocks the aforementioned Gathering Tools. One incantation even allows you to view the recipes for other incantations in the menu (before unlocking this, you can only view these recipes at the cauldron itself). One particular incantation is called Fated Intervention; without spoiling, prioritize unlocking this one. It likely won’t have an immediate effect, so be patient. 

One incantation that becomes available early (that you should unlock as soon as it does) is called Divination of the Elements. It allows Melinoe to perceive the elemental affinities of Olympian boons. 

What Are Elemental Affinities?

Olympian boons now have one of four elemental properties tied to them: fire, water, air, and earth. After unlocking Divination of the Elements, you’ll see small icons indicating each element on every boon you encounter. Demeter’s frost-based boons are generally (but not always) water types, while Hestia’s tend to be fire. 

The elemental affinity matters because there are now boons that can only be used if you possess enough boons of a certain elemental type. One may require you to have three wind-based boons in exchange for a powerful ability, for example. This adds another layer of strategy to selecting boons, as you’ll be torn between chasing a long-term investment or short-term power gain. 

Hades II is available now in Early Access on Steam and in the Epic Games Store. Be sure to check out our cover story hub below for exclusive Hades II stories and videos throughout the month. 

Hades II now available in Early Access. Yes, for real. Like right now. Why are you still reading this? Go play it, you've got some gods to kill/flirt with/buy things from/etc!

However, while you're waiting for it to download on PC, why not check out Game Informer's slew of exclusive Hades II content available right now because Supergiant's first sequel is gracing the next cover of our magazine:

• Hades II Cover Reveal
• Beating Hades II's second area and boss fight | New Gameplay Today
• Our Exclusive Hades II coverage hub

If you're hopping into Hades II today, which is now in Early Access after a quick bout of recent technical tests, you can purchase it on Steam or Epic Games Store for $29.99. 

🌒HADES II is HERE !!🌘

Experience the bewitching sequel to our god-like rogue-like, now available in Early Access.

🌜Steam: https://t.co/MwAiwL8ZeW
🌜Epic Games Store: https://t.co/bKD6BvLhw6#HadesGame #Hades2 #DeathToChronos pic.twitter.com/jXhqctKj95

— Supergiant Games (@SupergiantGames) May 6, 2024

Are you hopping into Hades II today? Let us know in the comments below!