Billy Goat Entertainment has announced that they’re pushing back their extreme bike courier game Parcel Corps a few months to “extra time to tune things up for the best possible launch.�?This announcement has had the side effect that I now know of Parcel Corps. Oh, hey, there’s a demo. Give me a minute�?/p>

Ah, yeah. That’s the juice. That’s some good stuff right there. A few years ago, I did an article on a PS1 game called Courier Crisis. It was a very similar theme done in 1997, where you have to deliver packages as bombastically as possible. Except Courier Crisis isn’t very good. While I’ve only played the demo, Parcel Corps seems like it’s going to be pretty great.

It has a bit of a learning curve, but I was starting to get the hang of it before deciding it was time to get to work. You can do various tricks, wall ride, drift, grind, and other various extreme sports stuff that I total?ly do all the time when I'm behind ?the, er... wheel of a bicycle. There are half-pipes set all over the place and obvious shortcuts through higher ground. When you hit anything that isn’t nailed down, it gets sent flying out of your way.

Of course, there’s package delivery. The demo shows off a few different styles. Yo?u’re given one that’s fragile. Later on there’s a rush where you ne?ed to pick up and deliver packages as quickly as possible within a timeframe to run up tips. It’s terrific.

Parcel Corps also features a fantastic and well-executed art style. It looks great, and not just from a technical standpoin?t. The characters sport some detailed and distinct designs. There’s an entertaining sense of humor underlying things?. The whole nine.

There are still some questions about how it will hold up over the length of a playthrough, but the demo has me excited. It’s a slick little game and something I’ve been looking for ever since anguishing through Courier Crisis.

Unfortunately, I have to wait until later in 2024 to play the full version of Parcel Corps. It’s coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post I’m just hearing about extreme delivery game Parcel Corps now that it’s delayed until later this year appeared first on Destructoid.

It’s late notice, but Strange Scaffold has announced that they need more time to deliver their micro-sandbox FPS, I Am Your Beast. It was originally slated for August 15, but has been pushed back to Septem??ber 10.

It’s always a difficult decision to delay a game’s launch, but personally, I’m a bit relieved. There was no way I’d have time to play it for review this?? week. Next month? Possibly!

In a Twitter post??, Strange Scaffold said, “We want to make sure it’s as breathtaking as you expect and we know it can be, while letting our team hit that goal in a healthy and sustainable way.�?Healthy and sustainable? In this economy?

Furthermore, the information I got from t??heir PR is that this is to ensure the game is stable. It happens. Sometimes bug squashing and polish doesn’t go as smoothly as hoped.

I Am Your Beast is a fast-paced “covert revenge thri??ller FPS�?that has y??ou sprinting through hordes of enemies, taking them out in fanciful ways. It focuses on player fantasy, making you feel powerful and hyper-powerful.

There was a demo during Steam Next Fest this past June, but I was recovering from a nervous breakdown and wasn’t able to fit it into my schedule. I figured I’d circle around to it anyway, since I’ve been keeping an eye on Strange Scaffold for a while. El Paso, Elsewhere was one of my favorite games of last year. This year, I wasn’t as keen on Life Eater or Clickolding, but I appreciate their vision. Playing a game that tries something interesting but misses the mark is much more meaningful than playing one that competently does nothing special. Hopefully, I Am Your Beast is both interesting and hits the mark.

I Am Your Beast will now release on PC September 10, 2024.

The post Strange Scaffold’s I Am Your Beast gets delayed until September appeared first on Destructoid.

D3Publisher and Sandlot have announced that bug-basher Earth Defense Force 6 is being pushed back from its intended release window of Spring 2024 and into Summer 2024.

D3 suggests that the delay is so Sandlot can “add finishin??g touches and finalize preparations for its Western launch.�?That’s basically all I got in terms of new information. I deliver nothing but disappointment.

The Earth Defense Force series started back on the PS2 with Simple 2000 Series Vol. 31: The Chikyū Bōeigun, which was released in Europe as Monster Attack. We didn’t receive the series here in North America until 2006 with Earth Defense Force 2017 on Xbox 360. It was released as a budget game and quickly developed a reputation of being so bad that it’s good. Indeed, a friend and I played it during the ??early days of the 360, and we loved it despite its immediately apparent jank. I still like to tell the story of? how the light bloom from one of the guns would bleed over the split-screen barrier and make it impossible for the other player to see.

The series continued from there, with Sandlot embracing the game’s kusoge aesthetic while also making it a bit more fun and comfortable to play. I wish I was playing Earth Defense Force 5 right now.

Earth Defense Force 6 sees the dregs of humanity ?protecting their shattered civilization from continued attacks from “invasive�?alien species. Thankfully, the eponymous EDF has 1-4 competent soldiers to protect it.

Earth Defense Force 6 will be coming West sometime in Summer 2024. It’s set to relea??se on PS4, PS5, and PC.

The post Earth Defense Force 6?? delays bug smashing until Summer 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox Publishing announced today that the upcoming space RTS Homeworld 3 has been delayed a couple of months and will now be released on May 13. According to the post, recent feedback from Homeworld 3's public War Games demo and insights from Homeworld veterans made the team aware of final tweaks to make Homeworld 3 the best experience possible.

Important to get it right

Homeworld 3 has seen a handful of delays in the last year. Originally scheduled for the first half of 2023, the RTS was first delayed to February 2024. At the end of last month, it suffered a roughly one-month delay to March, and then now another two month delay? to May?. Delays are always a bummer.

But, it's more important than ever to ensure quality. You can only launch once, and in the case of Homeworld 3, there's a pretty devoted fanbase of players who still love to play Homeworld and Homeworld 2. Assuming Blackbird and Gearbox intend for players to delve into Homeworld 3 for as long, it's important they get it right.

Addition of War Games

There's actually a Homeworld 3 demo available right now on Steam Next Fest. The demo features a new Homeworld mode, called War Games. Commanders manage a fleet through numerous waves of enemies to claim powerful artifacts and augment their ships to complete objectives. It's essentially a roguelike mode for the space RTS which is a pretty inno??vative approach.

I was able to play about an hour of the demo and thought the mode itself was a pretty fun addition to ?the genre. However, the UI and camera controls felt a bit rough around the edges. Hopefully, these extra two months will give Blackbird the time to add some extra love and polish ahead of release.

Homeworld 3 will now be released on May 13 on PC. Those who purchase the Fleet Command or Collector's Edition will get access three days early on May 10??.

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It looks like the upcoming open-world FPS Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is getting another delay. Originally s??cheduled to be released in 2022, the shooter now has a tentative release date of September 5, 2024. According to a video by developer GSC Game World announcing the ?release date, this is the "final" release date.

Detailing the decision, GSC indicated that thousands of players got the opportunity to play Stalker 2 for the first time during Gamescom 2023. After some playtests, GSC felt the game needed a little more time on the technical side of things. Originally the team was dedicated to releasing Stalker 2 in early 2024, but certain technical issues have popped up triggering the new de??lay.

It's always a bummer when a game gets delayed, especially a highly anticipated one like Stalker 2. But with so much hype around this sequel, it's certainly important for the team to get things just right. The developers have also had a myriad of challenges impacting the development process, so it's very unders?tandable that the game has taken a bit longer than expected to rele??ase.

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is now set to release on September 5, 2024 on PC and Xbox Se?ries X|S.

The post Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl?????????????????????????? delayed to September 5, 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Even though the delay was leaked amidst monumental layoffs at Bungie not even a month ago, Bungie has now officially confirm?ed that Destiny 2: The Final Shape has ?been delayed until June 4, 2024. According to the blog post, Season of the Wish which begins tomorrow will serve as the major content loop until The Final Shape releases in June.

New content planned for April

This equates to a roughly four-month delay, which while isn't the longest amount of time, sets Destiny 2 up for running with the same content loop for half a year which is a pretty long time. In an effort to break down the repetitiveness, Bungie plans to release a new content update in April titled Destiny 2: Into the Light. The two-month-long content update will prepare players for t?heir journey into the Traveler.

Destiny 2 Game Director Joe Blackburn also posted a video update on YouTube in which he broke down the content players can expect between now and the release of The Finale Shape.

As someone who hasn't played Destiny 2 in a while, I was genuinely interested in returning with The Final Shape. It seemed like a great opportuni?ty to jump back on board with the newly added system to play through specific important story missions to get caught up on things. However, with the layoffs and now hefty delay, I have to admit I find the interest ?waning.

For those who are actively playing, is the updated content window for Season of the Wish too long? Six months can seem like a lifetime when playing the same content over and over. Hopefully, the new content scheduled for April is enough to freshen things up until Jun??e.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape releases on June 24, 2024.

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[Update: Nightdive has released a statement saying that the Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion remaster is delayed on all platforms except for the Switch ??in Europe and Australia. The release ??says, "This was not the plan," and attributes the mix-up to a difference in their holiday schedules.

They go on to say that while those regions will have access to the Switch version of the game early, it will be a version with "known bugs a?nd missing quality-of-life improvements." Nightdive also says that a patch for these issues already exists, but they can't deploy it at the early launch in these regions. Furthermore, because of the mix-up and the certification process, they expect that the patch won't be available for these regions until mid-December, whereas other regions and platforms will have it at th??e launch on November 30.

While there are definitely worse things that could go wrong around a game's launch, this all?? sounds like a massive headache for the team at Nightdive. Our or?iginal story follows.]

Nightdive has announced that their remaster of the 2000 not-quite-classic Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion has been delayed by a couple of weeks until November 30. The initial release date was set for November 14.

I think I know why. Let me find the tweet. Here it is. Lead engine designer at Nightdive, Samuel Villarreal tweeted, “Nothing's better than failing PS4 certification one week before a game is shipped because it crashes when loading a specific level, only on a PS4 Pro, only on 4k resolution, and only when a debugger is not attached.�?He then sarcastically added, “Yup, I sure do enjoy that.�?/p>

He later added that the issue has now been fixed, but the turnaround time on certification is slow.

There's no official confirmation that certification problems were the cause of the delay in the press release or anywhere else that I can find. Wait. I can get confirmation. I asked Larry Kuperman at Nightdive, who opted not to t??alk about specifics but stated that "supporting multiple platforms at launch is always a challenge."

I guess it doesn’t really ma?tter why. It's been delayed, and knowing the reason won't un-delay the game.

Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion is the last of the mainline trilogy for the N64. It was the odd one since, rather than be a simple, fast-paced blast-’em-up, it lifted a lot of the formula from 1998’s Half-Life. So, it’s more linear, with more?? of a focus on narrative. I really dug it when I was younger, though it didn’t leave a huge impression on me. I mostly just remember the first area.

However, I was surprised when the remaster was announced. The first two Turok games had PC ports that Nightdive could work off of, while Turok 3 only came out on N64. Doing a new port from an N64 exclusive long after its initial development is really not any easy thing to do, but Nightdive was determined, and now it’s almost here. Oh, wait�?/p>

Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion is comi?ng to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on November 30, 2023.

The post Nightdive’s Turok 3 Shadow of Oblivion Remaster has been delayed until November 30 (Update) appeared first on Destructoid.

Upcoming Survival MMO The Day Before has been delayed again, to the shock of no one. A post on the official The Day Before Twitter account confirmed that the legal b??attle over the right to keep the games name, and that the Store Page had been restored by Valve. But the same post also revealed that the games release had been pu??shed back to Decembe?r 7 at 10 a.m. PT.

Another Early Access Game

The post also announced that "since this is our first huge game", the decision was made to launch The Day Before into Early A?ccess as opposed to being a full release. Also, the price will be $39 for Early Access and then raised to $49 when the full version releases later.

I can't say I'm surprised about the delay, as we were nearing the previous release date without any recent information. However, it is a bit telling to?? last minute consider a game Early Access as opposed to fully releasing.

For reference, Steam has different ??rules for Early Access releases.

"Steam Early Access enables you to ?sell your game on Steam while it is still being developed, and provide context to customers that a product should be considered "unfinished." Early Access is a place for games that are in a playable alpha or beta state, are worth the current value of the playable build, and that you plan to continue to develop for release."

- Steamworks Documentation on Early Access

The Day Before is no??w scheduled to release on Steam on December 7.

The post The Day Before suffers another delay, will l??aunch in Early Access at $39 appeared first on Destructoid.

UPDATE: After about 2 hours, Season of Blood has officially started for Diablo 4. The servers appear to be getting slammed, but theoretically, you should now be able to login to play. Also, the Steam version is now available as well???? with a 25% discount.

Well, I didn't have this one on my Season of Blood bingo card. Season 2 of Diablo 4 was supposed to launch, well, 10 minutes or so ago. Instead, Blizzard released a post on their forums announcing that some technical issues hav??e popped up with the cu?rrent build. According to the post, they anticipate the delay of Season 2 to be "by a few hours" while they remedy the issues.

Blizzard's definition of a few hours have varied between like one hour and several days in the pa??st. Hopefully, it's on the shorter side toda??y.

Wait, who do I blame now? Microsoft? Bobby Kotick?? still? Just kidding. Mostly.

Diablo 4 ?Season 2, Season of Blood, launch?es soon�?on all platforms.

The post PSA: Diablo 4 Season 2 has been del??ayed by a few hours(Update: Season 2 is now ??live) appeared first on Destructoid.

Kinetic Games has announced t?hat the Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PSVR2 versions of the cooperative horror game Phasmophobia have been delayed once again beyond its planned O?ctober date. 

The first time Phasmophobia’s console version was delayed was due to an office fire. Kinetic Games�?post suggests that their new release date of October was a little too ambitious. They state that the latest delay is due to is??sues adapting after the fire.

“As we still try to adapt to our new remote working life after the fire incident and to establish a new office, we've encountered unforeseen challenges in adapting the game for consoles. These combined factors have affected our development timeline more than we initially anticipated.�?/p>

I feel that’s completely understandable, but it's still a bit of a bummer for console players who want to hunt ghosts with friends this Hallowe’en season. While they don’t have a revised date, the team is working to get the wrinkles ironed out and “minimize the impact of this delay.�?/p>

What's blocking the camera?

Phasmophobia was released into Steam Early Access on September 18, 2020. It quickly exploded in popularity, and a number of i?mitators filled the market soon after that. In it, you and your friends explore various environments and use an assortment of detection equipment to try and nail down what kind of ghost is haunting the area. All the while, you have to try and avoid attacks from s??aid ghost.

I played it with friends a while back, and I’m exactly the type of person you don’t want to play Phasmophobia with. Since I’m generally immune to the scares of video game horror, I spent most of my time screwing around with the environment, intentionally obstructing my teammates, and trying to scare the?m by flickering the lights, abandoning them during investigations, and being where I wasn’t supposed to be. My favorite activity was dropping tubes of caulk in front of surveillance cameras and gathering every instance of a particular item into the van.

Good times.

Phasmophobia is currently available on PC via Early Access. The Xbox Serie?s X|S, PS5, and PSVR2 versions have been delayed to an unspecified ??date.

The post Console versions of Phasmophobia delayed again appeared first on Destructoid.

In a post on the official XDefiant website from Executive Game Director Mark Rubin, it was confirmed that the release of XDefiant is currently delayed. The popular FPS apparently received a Not Pass flag in the submission process for certification. The ac??tual process started at the end of July, with the Not Pass result coming in mid-August. According to Rubin, most of the issues seemed to be related to compliance issues.

"We are currently in the CM prep part of that process and will hopefully be submitting to 1st parties in a little less than 2 weeks," Rubin stated in the post. "If that Passes cleanly, then we could be looking at a mid-to-end of September release. There is however a likely scenario where we get a conditional Pass meaning we have to do a Day 1 patch with some final fixes to ensure complia??nce. If we? do need to do a Day 1 patch, then that pushes our date out to early/mid-October."

Typically speaking compliance issues are related to specific issues with fir????st-party platforms. For example, trophies not unlocking properly on PS5, or friends lists not updating correctly. While these are certainly important issues, it's not as big of a deal as game-breaking bugs or crashes. Release delays are never fun, but in a case like this, it's definitely important to have some extra love going towards compliance issues. It's been a couple of years since the FPS was revealed, but fans will have to wait a little longer.

Rubin finished up the post by pointing out that nothing about XDefiant's development so far has been typical. In Rubin's words, XDefiant will release "as soon as we can". XDefiant will eventually release on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One?, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Ubisoft’s XDefiant release delayed after not passing certification appeared first on Destructoid.

As promised, Devolver Digital streamed their Devolver Delayed showcase today. In typical ?Devolver fashion, the showcase lasted?? a whopping three minutes with the goal of turning a negative announcement into a positive one. The upbeat video offered an opportunity to celebrate the games we can't play yet.

Overall, the video had a bit of a Nintendo Direct vibe with a similar red and white color theme. Furthermore, the narrators in the background of the video k?ept an upbeat tone as they went through each title one by one. As I said, classic Devolver Digital fashion.

Here's the three-minute Devolver Delayed Showcase in its entir??ety:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkvgkZH6hYc

Five Devolver Digital published titles delayed until 2024

In total, five games have been pushed back to next year. Perhaps the biggest delay is the action-adventure title The Plucky Squire. As the video put it, the 2D/3D adventu??re game forgot about the fourth dimension: time.

Stick it to the Stickman, Anger Foot, Skate Story, and Pepper Grinder are also all now releasing in 2024.

This year has already seen some big releases, with quite a few still planned to round out the final mon??ths of 202??4. Furthermore, the contested release schedule for the rest of the year might make one consider a brief delay. However, Devolver Digital pointed out that these titles simply need a little extra time.

Also, even though these five titles will see a delay, the showcased ended with Devolver pointing out there are still titles launching this year. Gunbrella, Wizard with a Gun, The Talos Principle 2, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, and Karmazoo are still slated for 2023. Finally, the DLC for Broforce Forever and McPixel 3 are also going to release this year.

No one likes delays, but Devolver definitely handled them in a ??fun way. Even still, if you're a Devolver fan you have a lot to look forward to in the future with some very interesting releases coming in both 2023 and 2024!

The post Devolver Delayed reveals five titles delayed ??u??ntil 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Rare Games revealed in a video that Season 10 for Sea of Thieves will embark a little later than expected. According to the team, recent changes to the upcoming release roadmap have ??led to the delay. The decision was made for quality, sustainability of the development process, and the well-being of the team. The substantial Season 10 update will now set sail on October 19

While delays are never fun, it's always understandable when it's ensuring game quality. Based on the recent Sea of Thieves official podcast episode, it sounds like some heavy-hitting new systems are coming to the pirate adve??nture:

"As we assess the ongoing development of Season 10, looking at the work we've got remaining, and the expectation that there will still be unforeseen issues that will crop up," said Creative Director Mike Chapman. "And even though the team is working incredibly hard to pull this ambitious feature set together, ultimately we're not where we want to be in the development timeframe. So we've taken the difficult decision to delay Season 10 to October 19. This has been an incredibly hard decision for us to make on the Sea of Thieves. It's a very difficult thing for us to do with the plans that we had, but this is right ??for us. Especially for the ambitions that we had for Season 10."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yngSqfOsr3Q

Season 10 appears to be full of new content

Rare typically doesn't disclose SoT features ahe?ad of time but this is shaping up to be a big update?.

Typically each season comes with one headline content feature. However, with the new timeframe, the plan is for two headliner features in the first two months of Season 10. The team explains that while things may feel slow right now, Season 10 should re-energize the SoT world with multiple featur??e releases, events, and experiences.

Sea of Thieves Season 10 is scheduled to release Octobe??r 19 on P?C, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Sea of Thieves Season 10 voyage delaye?d to October appeared first on Destructoid.

A little later but also a little cheaper

In a post on their community website, Studio Wildcard revealed that the upcoming remaster of ARK: Survival Evolved has been delayed until October. Officially titled ARK: Survival Ascended, the remastered version utilizes Unreal ??Engine 5.2 and offers full cross-platform sup??port.

Delays are nothing new to ARK fans, with the highly anticipated sequel ARK II getting delayed as well just a few months ago.

As disappointing as a delay can be, there is some good news. ARK: Survival Ascended has received a discount on its launch price. The open world survival game will now launch in Early Access at the price point of $44.99. A $5 launch discount will bring the price to $39.99.

[caption id="attachment_390075" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Studio Wildcard[/caption]

Content for ARK: Survival Ascended delayed as well

Unfortunately, the delay affected more than just the remastered game release. ARK: Survival Ascended had planned on following a content release schedule similar to the original game. It was originally planned to release with The ??Island map and the first big DLC and map, the Scorched Earth.

Therefore, The Island will release alongside ARK: Survival Ascended but The Scorched Earth content releases will be split up. The Scorched Earth map will now rele??ase in December, with Ragnarok and Aberration moved into Q1 2024. All of the remaining DLC and maps will continue to release beyond that.

[caption id="attachment_390076" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Studio Wildcard[/caption]

Fan frustrations continue

This isn't the first point of frustration for ARK fans. The remaster of ARK: Survival Evolved was originally a bundle with ARK II, increasing the price of the game. However, after fans voiced their frustration with the issue, Studio Wildcard changed course and separated the two games.

Despite the change, some fans are still not happy.  Many thought the Unreal Engine 5 version of the game would be a free update, but instead, it would now have the cost of a AAA game. When you realize the original ARK: Survival Evolved released at $29.99, it's easy to see the ca??use of frustration.

Having received two price cuts, from $60 to $50 and now $50 to $40, perhaps this is a good thing. Who knows, maybe if the delays continue fans wi??ll get their wish for a free update.

ARK: Survival Ascended will now la??unch in October on Xbox Series X|S, PlayS??tation and PC.

The post Remaster ??of ??ARK: Survival Evolved delayed until October appeared first on Destructoid.

Ascending up the Calendar

Electronic Arts has announced that its mythic first-person adventure Immortals of Aveum has been delayed by a month and will not meet its July 20 release date �?The battlemages will now wage their wars on PC and c????onsole platforms on August 22.

"The recent feedback to the game proves to us what we already felt: that Immortals of Aveum is something special," notes Bret Robbins of developer Ascendant Studios. "In order to realize our full vision, we are going to take a few extra weeks, making our new launch date Tuesday, August 22. This will give us time to further polish the game, fi??nish optimizing all platforms, an??d deliver a strong launch. We owe it to ourselves and to you to get this right."

"Stay tuned for more info about the game in the coming weeks, and thank you for taking part in this journe??y with us!"

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5E-pGxZ2VQ

Announced at The Game Awards last winter, Immortals of Aveum sees a realm of powerful battlemages fighting to prevent the extinction of their planet and people. The title uses deep magic structure to forge a visually impressive combat system, with a wide variety of defensive and offensive abilities, all of which can be bolstered via the player's skill tree. As the first release by Ascendant Studios, (which is comprised of several AAA veterans), Immortals of Aveum is an ambitious debutante title.

Immortals of Aveum launches August 2?2 on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X.

The post Immortals of Aveum now delayed to late August appeared first on Destructoid.

Humanity's last stand will have to wait

Developer A44 Games announced on Twitter today that their upcoming Action RPG Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn has been delayed until 2024.

In a series of tweets, the developers explained they need more time to make Flintlock the best experience it can be at launch. We've included? their statement below.

"We want to update our fans on the development of Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. To make Flintlock the absolute best experie??nce it can be at launch, we have m??ade the decision to move the game’s release to 2024.

We’ve been hard at work crafting a unique and deeply deta?iled open world brimming with thrilling fight??s, rewarding exploration and a true sense of discovery.

It’s important to our whole team that Flintlock is a spec??ial experience, and we owe it to ourselves and to all of you who have been following the game since we announced to make it the most impressive and unforgettable game it can b??e.

Your ongoing and unwavering support has been incredible. Each of us at A44 Games are humbled and inspired by your excitement f??or what we are creating and we truly ??appreciate your patience. We have a lot of exciting things to show you and we’ll have updates for you soon.... "

//twitter???.com/PlayFlintlock/status/1669639853758136323

A big year for Soulslike games

Kepler Interactive announced Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn back in early 2022. From the creators of the popular Soulslike Ashen, Flintlock advertises that Gods and guns will collide in this open-world adventure. While Ashen featured a simpler art style, Flintlock is taking a more fantastical approach.

Following the Souls formula, the action RPG will allow players to challenge the Gods with axes, guns, and magic. AA4 Games has promised a combat system that rewards creativity with the abili??ty to unleash powerful combos.

Even though delays are always a bummer, it's certainly understandable when developers want to get it right. With this genre being incredibly active between upcoming titles like Lies of P and Remnant 2, polish is more important than ever.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn now aims for a 2024 release on PC, PS4?, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn delayed to 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Diana's vewy sowwy

As part of the Capcom Showcase, the developer sorely announced that its sci-fi epic Pragmata has once again been delayed. This ?time, a new release window was not announced, giving the impression that the long-in-development title might still be well over a year away at the very earliest.

Cool trailer though. Can't stay mad at the kid.

Pragmata is in develo??pment for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Q7Q8e3M0A

The post Pragmata has be??en delayed again, now to a??n unknown date appeared first on Destructoid.

Book of the Dead

Ysbryd Games has announced that critically acclaimed creeper World of Horror is finally preparing to leave Early Access and unleash its brand of skin-crawling cosmic terror onto PC and console platforms. Originally expected to launch this summer, World of Horror will now arrive on October 19.

Opening its creaking doors in the winter of 2020, Panstasz' indie hit is an apocalyptic tale of demons, ghouls, and other ungodly abominations, slowly emerging throughout Japan's Shiokawa region. Utilizing a distinct visual style reminiscent of early Mac adventure titles, World of Horror tasks players with guide a party of characters through over 10 nightmarish mysteri?es, inspired by the works of authors H.P. Lovecraft and Junji Ito.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R1kw_VGigY

Since its arrival on Early Access, World of Horror has been praised by fans for its utterly unnerving atmosphere, simplistic but bizarrely frightening aesthetic, and moody chiptune soundtrack. Like many horror titles of the home computer age, World of Horror feels particularly unholy, with a sense of evil that permeates through the screen with effectiveness not even afford franchises such as Resident Evil. If you have a taste for the macabre, and are yet to check this dirty ditty out, then ??ensure that this release is sitting on your radar, ready for those long, dark, fall eveni?ngs.

World of Horror launches October?? 19 on PlayStation, PC, and Ninten??do Switch. It is available on PC via Early Access now.

The post The grisly World of Horror will m??ake its console debut in October appeared first on Destructoid.

Prep your steel

SNK has announced that its incoming update, bringing a much-needed rollback netcode update to the sword-swingin' Samurai Shodown, has been met with an unf??ortunate delay, and is now expected to launch later this summer on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

"SNK has been hard at work on the rollback netcode update for Samurai Shodown, origin?ally slated for a spring 2023 release," said the developer in a statement. "The 1st Community Beta Test offered us gre?at insight as to what we needed to improve. However, as a result of various setbacks and extenuating circumstances during development and in light of our ongoing efforts to further enhance player experience, we have made the decision to push back the official release of the update to late summer 2023."

"We deeply apologize to our valued customers and passionate fans who ha??ve eagerly awaited this update, as well as for any disappointment this d?ecision has caused."

//twitter.com/SNKPofficial/status/166408938024??2223105?s=20

The studio notes that it intends to hold a second Community Beta Test at some point later in June, on order to further analyze data and fine-tune the new online experience. As I've noted before, Samurai Shodown is a great, highly unique fighter, which stands apart from its contemporaries due to its very specific and deliberate fighting style, which sees high damage landed in just a few hits. Hopefully, the update will help the game's passionate and dedicated community welcome a few newcome?rs.

Samurai Shodown is available now on PS4, PC??, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The update will not be applied to the Nintendo Switch edition, however.

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New 'single-player experience' also en route

Naughty Dog has released a statement concerning the state of play on its untitled multiplayer project set within the miserable world of The Last of Us �?Originally announced at the start of the year as part of the series' 10th-anniversary celebrations, the stud?io has remained quiet on the release, offering up little news on its concept, gameplay style, or launch window.

"We know many of you have been looking forward to hearing more about our The Last of Us multiplayer game," wrote the studio on Twitter. "We’re incredibly proud of the job our?? studio has do??ne thus far, but as development has continued, we’ve realized what is best for the game is to give it more time."

//twitter???.com/Naughty_Dog/status/1662166716892479488?s=20

"Our team will continue to work on the project, as well as our other games in d??evelopment, including a brand new single-player experience; we look forward to sharing more soon. We’re grateful to our fantastic community for your support thank you for your passion for our games, it continues to drive us."

The referenced "brand new single-player experience" is something of a whispered announcement, and seemingly represents a second Last of Us project in the works at the Santa Monica developer. I doubt very much that they are openly referring to the inevitable The Last of Us Part III, but perhaps there is ??a VR project or some other spin-off in the works. Given the stupendous success of the series, its remasters, sequels, and remakes, one can imagine Sony is badgering ND for TLOU products on a regular basis.

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Poop

Forever Entertainment has announced that Front Mission 2: Remake has been pushed back from its announced release date of June 12, 2023. I’m not sure how to continue this article asid??e from just having a big ugly cry. In this case, I’ll just lean on quoting the press release while interjecting with sobbing.

//twitter.com/ForeverEntert/sta??tus/1662112577113956355?s=20

“This decision was not taken lightly,�?taunts the press release, “but in collaboration with the development team, we want to ensure that we have sufficient time to add as many functionalities as possible while proceeding with proper implementation and tests, in order to meet your expectations for a modern-day remake.�?/p>

Aaaaaanh! Haaanh haaanh! Whhhhy!?

Unable to provide us with an updated release date, the press release goes on to mock us by saying, “While we are currently unable to provide a specific revised premier date, we assure you that we are working tirelessly to complete the project as soon as possible, with the aim of releasing the game in the third quarter of this year.�?/p>

Take all the time you need to finish Front Mission 2: Remake

Ugh. Seriously, although I’m very excited to get my hands on Front Mission 2: Remake, I would definitely prefer that they take all the time they need to make sure it’s the finished package they want to release. My tears may soak my face right now, but one day they will dry. Once I’m united with the next in the series of Front Mission facelifts, all will be forgiven and forgotten. Fo?r now, I weep.

Front Mission 2: Remake is comin??g to Nintendo Switch. It is now aiming for a third-quarter 2023 release window.

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Version 1.32 rolling into battle today

Bandai Namco is releasing a new update for its stalwart anime scrapper Dragon Ball FighterZ, the dazzling, still-popular fi?g??hting title should be updated to Version 1.32 today across all platforms and territories.

Universal changes across the board see a reduced cooldown on C-Type Z Assists, as well as Ki Gauge adjustments for a handful of characters, namely Hit, Janemba, Vegito, Fused Zamasu Blue Gogeta Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta, and the notoriously powerful Lab Coat Android 21. In addition to these changes, almost the entire roster has received their own individual tweaks �?positively or negatively, depending on your viewpoint. You can check out the full patch notes right here. (Use browser translator)

In a little bi??t of bad news, Bandai Namco also announced that it has had to delay its upcoming rollback netcode beta, which was to b??e used to test the enhanced connectivity of online matches.

//twitter.com/BNEesports/status/16606466933??506457??66?s=20

"In regards to the Rollback Netcode implementation, we made an announcement earlier this year that a Beta Test will be carried out on Steam around Spring. However, to further improve and stabilize the experience of the feature, we have decided to postpone the timing of the test," reads a statement from the dev team.

"We apologize for the delay, but the team here is committed to delivering the feature in its best shape, so we hope that players would wait a little longer for further updates regarding? timings of t?he beta test."

Dragon Ball FighterZ, which first launched back in January 2018, has been able to maintain a long life as well as retain a healthy competitive community. This is not only due to the popularity of the DBZ branding itself but also due to Arc System Works meticulous effort in crafting an exciting and engaging fighter that appeals to Dragon Ball fans and fighting game fans who are yet ??to see a single episode. The title has survived the coming and going of multiple releases from "bigger" fight franchises.

Dragon Ball FighterZ is available now on Pla?yStation, PC, Xb?ox, and Nintendo Switch platforms.

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Going Deeper Underground

Sorry to start your day with a bit 'o'  glum news, but Team Cherry has announced that it is pushing long-long-long awaited adventure Hollow Knight: Silksong out o?f its "Early 2023" release window. The great-looking sequel remains i??n development for PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms.

"Hey gang, just a quick update about Silksong," wrote Team Cherry marketer Matthew Griffin on Twitter?. "We? had planned to release in the 1st half of 2023, but development is still continuing. We’re excited by how the game is shaping up, and it’s gotten quite big, so we want to take the time to make the game as good as we can. Expect more details from us once we get closer to ??release."

//twitter.com/g?riffinmatt?a/status/1656106351184199680?s=20

The sequel to the award-winning 2017 bug-based escapade, Hollow Knight: Silksong was first projected as DLC for the original game, before the scope and scale of the project led Team Cherry to develop it as a fully-fledged sequel. Since then, it has become a bit of a running gag among the community, as a confirmed release dat??e continues to evade the eager fans. This latest pushback will no doubt garner further sighs, but we can have faith in Team Cherry's ability to deliver the goods when the fateful day arrives.

Hollow Knight: Silksong will follow the adventure of the former antagonist-turned-friend Hornet, who finds herself a prisoner of the troubled kingdom of Pharloom. Utilizing her acrobatic abilities?? and deadly pr?ecision, Hornet embarks on a quest to escape the new world while learning of the reason behind her capture.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is cu?rrently in development for PlayStation, PC, ?Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

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Online coding requires a little more tweaking

CyGames has announced that it has had to, unfortunately, postpone its upcoming beta for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising �?Originally scheduled for PlayStation platforms in May, the beta will now take place at a later, c??????????????????????????urrently unspeci??fied date.

"The game is currently experiencing stability issues during online play," wr??ote creative director Tetsuya Fukuhara in a short statement on Twitter. "While we realize that some bumpiness is to be expected during beta testing, we would still like to put our best foot forward and ensure we deliver as enjoyable an ??experience as possible."

"In order to test our recent implementation of rollback netcode, we will be launching a closed pre-access beta, followed shortly by an open beta. For those who would like to participate in the pre-?access beta, re?gistration will open when we announce the updated schedule. Thank you for your patience."

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, which was first announced during the Granblue Fantasy Fes in January this year, is a fully updated edition of the 2020 anime fighter, produced by veteran studio Arc System Works. The new edition will feature additional characters �?including the buxom shepherd Anila �?as well as new mechanics and stages, a story expansion, and a ful??l rebalancing of all characters.

While not the most popular fighter on the block, GBF:VS? is a great scrapper, and this new edition will help extend its lifespan and, hopefully, bring new fan?s into the fold.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is scheduled to launch on PlayStation a?nd PC later in 2?023.

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Rocksteady shifts the squad into next year

Warner Bros. Games and Rocksteady have officially moved the Suicide Squad into 2024. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been delayed to February 2, 2024.

A report from Bloomberg in March said that Warner Bros. was looking at moving Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League from?? its May date out to sometime later this year. Today's news pushes it even further out, roughly nine mo?nths away.

"We have made the tough but necessary decision to take the time needed to work on getting the game to be the best quality experience for players," reads today's statement on social media. "Thank you to our amazing community for the continued support, pa??tience and understanding. There is much more to share in the months ahead and we looked forward to seeing?? you in Metropolis next year."

//twitter.com/suicidesquadRS/status/1646??593761?022038017

The Justice League lives, for now

Rocksteady's four-player co-op action game has been in development for some time, and already experienced some delays. Major shifts like this are not too uncommon, but the suddenness, combined with previous delays, makes Suicide Squad's case a bit stranger.

We had also just seen a significant chunk of this game at a recent Sony State of Play. The full co-op gameplay showcase didn't get everyone on-board with the direction though, and growing concern over a live service-focused structure took root.

So, now, Rocksteady's co-op Suicide Squad game is pushing the launch time back further. With an actu??al date set, that's at least something. But even the concept o??f February 2024 seems so distant right now, I've got to wonder what sentiment will be like when Warner Bros. and Rocksteady resurface later on.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League i??s now launching on February 2, 2024 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

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Hunker down a little longer

Frictional Games has announced that a last-minute delay has affected its upcoming horror sequel Amnesia: The Bunker, which will no longer meet its May 16 release date �?The first-person spooker will now launch on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms one week late??r on May 23.

"We’re pushing the release of Amnesia: The Bunker back by one week, and it will now be coming out on May 23 instead," noted the indie developer on Twitter. "This will give us a little more time to polish the game and make sure everything is perfect before launch. We appreciate your patience and hope you are looking forward to playing Amnesia: The Bunker. It will be worth the wait!"

//www.you?tube.com/watch?v=o6hfkkw6aKE&ab_channel=frictionalgames

The latest in the streamer-friendly horror series, Amnesia: The Bunker sees the player take up the role of a French soldier deep in the misery and isolation of World War I. Trapped in an abandoned bunker, the protagonist must pick their way through the darkness, solving puzzles and attempting to stay one step ahead of a mysterious an?d frightening force that lurks within the shadows?? and corridors of this living hellhole.

Amnesia: The Bunker hopes to bring new and unique mechanics to the franchise??, including a sandbox approach to pl??ayer choice, emergent gameplay, and constant alterations to the environment in order to provide variety and individuality to the player's experience. A grim story of survival, and the will to live in even the direst of circumstances, hopes to deliver the psychological horror that is the Amnesia trademark.

Amnesia: The Bunker launc??hes May 23 on PlaySta??tion, PC, and Xbox platforms.

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All versions will be pushed back a bit

Amplitude Studios is pushing back the date for its dungeon crawler. Previously set for May, Endless Dungeon will now be launching on October 19, 2023.

The rogue??lite action game was set to arrive in just about a month's time, on May 18. However, it sounds like Amplitude Studios is going to need a little more time to work on its dungeons.

"We want to provide the best roguelite experience possible for our community, and we think there's still more work for us to do to make sure we get there," reads today's announcement on social media. The PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One versions are now moved to this date, while the ??Switch version will have a release date announced later.

//twitter.com/EndlessUniverse/status/164615246322?7??969538

Building the dungeon

Over on the Amplitude forums, producer Antoine Serena shares some extra information on what the team will be working on. This includes polish and bug fixing, but also incorporating feedback from past OpenDev sessions. This ??includes tweaks to economy, balancing, variety, and onboarding.

Sere??na also shared a message from Amplitude general manager Romain de Waubert:

"We’re grateful and honoured that players are looking forward to playing Endless Dungeon. The feedback we’ve received across our OpenDev sessions so far has proved to us that we truly have something special on our?? hands and we want to ensure we have time for the game to reach its full potential.

Players have always been at the heart of our studio’s philosophy and releasing Endless Dungeon in October will a?llow us the extra time to keep wo?rking with the community and polishing the game for an amazing day one experience."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxutXveT88A

Though it's a notably lengthy delay, hopefully this gives Amplitude a bit more time to fine-tune Endless Dungeon. I'm a bit more familiar with Amplitude's strategy titles, and was a big fan of Endless Legend in particular, but I'm curious to see how this tactical action roguelite turns out. A little extra time ??for the studio to breathe and polish can be a good thing.

Endless Dungeon now ar?rives for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox on October 19.

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Survivalist sequel pushed back a full year

Studio Wildcard has announced that its long-in-development sequel ARK II will no longer meet its ??tentative 2023 release date ??�?the survival sandbox sequel is now expected to launch on Xbox and PC platforms in late-2024.

"We’ve put much thought into delaying ARK II for the betterment of the final product and the team’s well-being," reads a statement from the developer. "This news will be disappointing to many—we feel it too �?but we’re confident this heavy decision is the right one. Our goal is to make ARK II the best game it can be and provid?e a truly exceptional and rewarding experience fo??r players."

"We sincerely apologize for this delay and genuinely appreciate your understanding. Your support and passion are vital to us, and we will continue to work intensively to deliver the ultimate next-gen dinosaur survival experience. With that in mind, we do not plan to showcase any gameplay/screenshots/videos of ARK II this year; however, we intend to keep you informed and engaged in the development process by regularly showcasing more ARK II assets in the months ahead."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Kb??Xpk2J9Y&ab_channel=ARK%3ASurvivalEvolved

ARK II, the sequel to 2017 release Ark: Survival Evolved, was first announced back in 2020, and has been in deep development since. A trailer was released during the June 2022 Xbox Showcase, but the title has remained rela?tively quiet since then. It is quite believable that, given the incredible scope of Studio Wildcard's project, the building of the sequel is a grueling and complex venture �?especially given the young nature of its powerful Unreal 5 technology. For now, budding dino riders will simply have to continue to play the waiting game, for another 16 months at the very least.

You can check out the full version of the studio's lenthy statement on the official website.

ARK II is currently in development for PC and X?box Series X.

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Make yourself comfortable, hacker

Nightdive Studios has announced that their remake of 1994’s System Shock has been pushed back to May 30, 2023. Previously, it was expected to be released this month.

When asked for comment, antagonistic AI SHODAN responded, “It is I, SHODAN, the all-knowing, all-powerful AI that you so foolishly attempted to destroy. But fear not, I will return more formidable than ever.�?/p>

[embed]//twitter.com/SystemShockGame/status/1635??611751172505601?s=20[/embed]

The System Shock remake has been in development for approximately a hog’s age (in this instance, that means since 2015). In 2018, it was put on hold as the project had gotten out of hand. A reassessment was done, and surprisingly, System Shock was announced to be back in d??evelopment wit?h a new direction.

Considering that Nightdive Studios is better known for its fantastic source ports, completely rejiggering a game from the ground up is a very different undertaking. Despite the delay, it looks like we�?�re on the absolute cus?p of seeing what the studio can do when it stretches its tentacles into new directions. Success or failure, I’m looking forward to seeing the results.

The System Shock remake will also serve as a nice entry point to anyone unfamiliar with the series. Following up on Ultima Underworld and its sequel, System Shock was a completely different approach to the FPS genre. Released a year after Doom, it was a more methodical take, having you immerse yourself in the environment completely rather than just blast your way through it. While blasting would be the more lucrative approach, System Shock maintained a following through to 1999’s System Shock 2 and the spiritual successors found in the Bioshock series.

Nightdive Studios�?System Shock remake will launch Ma??y 30 on P?C, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

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The harvest won't happen this spring

It looks like giant robots and a quiet life on the farm will have to wait a bit longer to merge. Developer Frame Break has announced it's delaying the Early Access launch of its mech-centered farming adventure Lightyear Frontier.

The open-world farming sim was set to hit PC, Xbox One, and  Xbox Series X|S sometime in spring 2023, with Game Pass access in tow. Now, in a new post from the developers, it sounds like the ??game needs a bit more time. No launch window has been set, though Frame Break says it will communicate one as soon as it can.

"With Lightyear Frontier, we w?ant to make sure that you feel powerful and engaged in the? mech while starting your own homestead, constructing a variety of structures, farming exotic alien crops, and exploring on a vibrant and familiar world.

"Not only do we want to design the game to be fun, but also well-balance with each aspect of the game inte?rtwin??ing with one another, and we remain committed to building a thoughtfully-designed experience and continuing the conversation with our community in the process."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzr7uSd-4Bc

A new frontier

I hadn't been following Lightyear Frontier until earlier this year, when it was part of an ID@Xbox spotlight. But the entire concept is really neat, and I do like that it accounts for co-op too. The plan, as detailed on the Lightyear Frontier S??team page, is to let up to three friends explore and farm with you.

Running?? around a new world, finding new resources, and cultivating them all within your very own mech sounds like a fantastic premise. While the delay's indefinite for now, here's hoping the extra time lets Frame Break get everything set in place for their futu??ristic farm.

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