As part of the ESO 2024 Global Reveal livestream, Zenimax Online gave us a look at the upcoming Elder Scrolls Online expansion, Gold Road.

The new expansion will take place just east of the Gold Coast in the Colovian Highland and West Weald regions of Cyrodiil, which was last depicted in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion. The region contains the city of Skingrad, a location that was teased in the Greymoor Expansion. The map shown off in the post-trailer discussion shows that it’s filling in a vast region just West of t?he PVP region of Cyrodiil.

Forgotten Prince Ithelia, the Daedric Prince of Paths, is the central antagonist of Gold Road. The deity is said to have the ability to mess with fate and destiny, so Hermaeus?? Mora deleted the Prince from existence. They were only really mentioned in ESO, supposedly teasing their appearance here. Normally, Zenimax just worked with the schemes of existing Daedric Princes, but this is the first time they really inven??ted a new one.

The Chapter is also going to add Scribing, which is a take on spell crafting from the core series. Spellcrafting was initially planned as a feature for ESO’s release, but it was shelved, assumedly because of how difficult it would be to balance. I know a lot of players who are going to be excited to see it arrive in some form. Though, really, it seems more like it's just skill customization. You will need to own the Gold Road chapter to be able to use this system.

Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road will be released for PC on June 3, 2024, followed by a release for Xbox Series X|S and? PS5 on June 18.

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The Thief series has sadly been blackjacked to death, but diehard fans will always remember t??he original releases. Hailed as classics in the early days of the stealth g??enre, one person has decided that the first game needed some new content.

As spotted by Eurogamer, user skacky �also known as Feuillade Industries �has released The Black Parade, an unofficial expansion for Thief Gold. A trailer swoops us through some of the add-on's moody setting and famili??ar gameplay.

Spending seven years in development, there's a lot of content to keep you busy if you're after some old-school Thief goodnes?s. Here's a list of what you'll find in the download??:

• 10 huge, open-ended and meticulously crafted missions with varied themes packed with content.
• A brand new protagonist thrown into a dark, intricately woven story of crime and conspiracies.
• 4 new tools happily supplied by the undermarket, at a price.
• Many tweaks to the AI to make the game a bit more challenging but still fair.
• A brand new "banter" system where AIs greet each other during their rounds and nightly life.
• 28 voiced characters totaling roughly 1,800 new lines of dialogue.
• 30 minutes of gorgeous hand-drawn briefings and cutscenes.
• Brand new AI motions making the denizens of The City look more alive.
• Full English subtitles.

Not playing Garrett, though

With a new story comes a new character. The creator describes The Black Parade?? thus (and no mention of My Chemical Romance, either):

In The Black Parade you play the character of Hume, a hardened criminal who was sent into exile as a punishment for his crimes. The year is 833, you are now back in The City, a ??sprawling metropolis of soot-caked brick, greasy fumes and noisy machinery, with many a sinister conspiracy whispered behind closed doors. Lost and without a penny to your name, you are back to your life of thievery and must find your old associate Dahlquist. Shadows and silence are your allies. Light is your enemy. Stealth and cunning are your tools. And the riches of others are yours for the taking.

It should be noted that the add-on is for Thief Gold, which was the expanded version of the original game released in the late 1990s. It is, of course, completely free to play as w?ell.

It's been many-a-year since we had a Thief title. The last one, the 2014 attempt at a reboot, was something of a let-down. At least with Feuillade Industries' expansion, we get to revi?sit the iconic stealth game.

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The story will stay live

Destiny 2 is heading towards the conclusion of its big Light vs. Dark rumble, and Bungie is planning to keep as much of that story live as it can. Bungie says it will not sunset any more expansions in Destiny 2 moving forward.

The announcement arrived at the end of today's Destiny 2 showcase, which debuted the date and trailer for the upcoming Lightfall expansion. Bungie says it has been working on the Destiny 2 engine behind-the-scenes to make this story, starting with the comm??union with darkness on the moon, to be playable start-to-finish.

If you're unfamiliar with the concept, "sunsetting" is shorthand for making certain content inaccessible. Previously, Bungie vaulted content as new expansions arrived, citing the size and complexity of content in Destiny 2. This includes locations, raids, and, notably, the Forsaken campaign. Moving forward though, Bungie says it does not plan to sunset any more Destiny 2 expansions.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=om28A9hTST0

While this isn't un-vaulting everything, it does mean that moving forward, it should be easier to hop back in. That's a big plus for returning, lapsed Destiny p??layers who want to see what's been goi?ng on with the story.

Bungie is adding a sweetener, too: all Destiny 2 campaigns are free-to-play this week. So if you saw today's news and were thinking about running some old Destiny 2 content, now's a good time.

The battle of light and darkness

Catching up on the story would be a good idea if you plan on hopping into Destiny 2: Lightfall. The new expansion was revealed today during the showcase. Guardians will be jaunting over to Neomuna on N?eptune, to face off against Calus and the Witness.

You won'??t be without any new powers, of course. Strand is the new tool for this expansion, letting players zip around the neon city with sick grappling moves and also use the neon strands as a source of damage.

Lightfall is also set to bring a bunch of quality-of-life improvements to Destiny 2, ranging from loadouts to commendations. It seems like the onboarding process for Destiny 2 should be a lot smoother over the coming months.

Destiny 2: Lightfall drops on February 28, 2023.

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Including The Following and The Bozak Horde

While Dying Light 2 is out here talking about a years-long content roadmap, Techland has (at least) one more surprise for folks who are still into the original game. Dying Light 1's? Enhanced Edition is a free upg?rade today, and that'll be the case going forward.

The Enhanced Edition comes with a story expansion, The Following �that's the one ??with the buggy, pictured above, and it's the true highlight �plus a few assorted DLC packs: The Bozak Horde, Crash Test Skin Pack, Ultimate Survivor Bundle, and C?uisine & Cargo.

While its name might suggest otherwise, The Bozak Horde is a series of stadium challenges, with trials like ?defusing hidden bombs, fending off specialized infected, and completing parkour feats. Cuisine & Cargo adds a pair of "hardcore" Quarantine Zones (a restaurant and railyard), while the other p?acks are about cosmetics and weapons.

[caption id="attachment_320363" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{An overview of what's included in Dying Light Enhanced Edition.}[/caption]

How do you claim this stuff for free? With update 1.49, boot up Dying Light, choose "DLC Packs" on the main menu, and downl?oad away. No seaso??n pass needed!

Alongside this upgrade news, the developers have prepped a new Dieselpunk Bundle; for three bucks, you'll g??et a chainsaw, SMG, and a "Flesh Ripper??" saw blade.

Techland has also updated the game's Be the Zombie PvP mode and demon-slaying Hellraid DLC, if you're tuned into either of those. This final update includes "Deathbringer �the one and only firearm available in Hellraid." It's a shotgun, naturally. If you still need a copy of Dying Light, it's $11.99 on Steam, and Hellraid is down to $4.99 right now.

With players sticking around for years, Dying Light has never drifted too far out of sight and mind �not even with a long-awaited se?quel now in the picture. Setting the Enhanced Edition content free is the ideal way to cap things off. It's been a great run.

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Out on May 17

If you've played tabletop in any fashion you've probably at least heard of Gloomhaven, even if you haven't plunked down the cash for it. It's also entirely possible that you've played Jaws of the Lion: one of the most accessible tabletop strategy games ever made for multiple reasons. Not only is it roughly $30 on sale constantly (making it one of the cheapest in the genre to date, worldwide); it's also very easy to learn, and engineered to be less daunting compared to similar games. So it makes sense why we're getting Jaws of the Lion DLC for the Gloomhaven PC adaptation.

Interestingly, Asmodee Digital estimates that this will add "30 hours of new content," giving people a straight number as to how long people can expect to play the expansion (the first time around). Then there's four new characters, which are taken directly from the tabletop edition and pasted into the Jaws of the Lion DLC:

• Valrath Red Guard (a tanky damage dealer)
• Inox Hatchet (a ranged character who has to pick their hatchet back up)
• Human Voidwarden (a buff-based mage that can also manipulate enemies)
• Quatryl Demolitionist (a melee character that also excels at opening up the environment)

All four characters, based on my experience with Jaws of the Lion proper, are unique additions to the Gloomhaven ecosystem, and are fun to play even if you don't do anything related to the expansion's new quests. It should be a good time! It may also get people to take the plunge on the physical editi??on, which is barely more expensive than the digital version.

The Jaws of the Lion DLC for Gloomhaven is out on May 17, and is currently priced a?t $17.99, with a limited-time 15% pre-order discount.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyc7r23grA4

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Shadowlands created a lull, so fans are expecting a lot

Blizzard has announced the World of Warcraft Dragonflight expansion today during their "expansion reveal" stream: two months after their canceled BlizzCon 2022 event would have taken place (the opening for today even had BlizzCon nostalgia shots in it). This is the ninth expansion for World of Warcraft, a feat in and of itself.

Presented by Holly Longdale (lead producer WoW Classic), John Hight (franchise general manager), and Ion Hazzikostas (game director and VP), the roundtable of devs noted that they "needed to do better," and incorporated feedback into the future of the game. They reiterated cross-faction play is part of update 9.2.5, as a way to give people more chances to play with one another, as a "closing chapter for Shadowlands."

Dragonflight, however, is the near future. It'll be "going back to Azeroth," and plays off of events from thousands of years ago. "The awakening of the Dragon Isles" will be the key component, which has "??removed the [convenient] concealment" of the region that cordoned it off from the rest of Azeroth.

World of Warcraft Dragonflight features:

• An all-new playable mail-wearing race â€?Dracthyr (with skin/hair/jewelry customization), which has a secondary human form that can also be customized.
• The Dracthyr will also use the Evoker [hero] class (which has a healer spec and a new "hold buttons to charge a spell" mechanic) exclusively â€?which will start at level 58 with a new starter zone.
• The expansion will consist of five zones: four standard leveling zones (the roiling Waking Shores; the vast Ohn’ahran Plains; the stark Azure Span; and ancient, majestic Thaldraszus), and the new starter zone â€?you will progress to the new cap of level 70 here.
• The WoW core system will be "overhauled," including the talent system (with bigger talent trees focused on "granularity" of old expansions pre-Pandaria), the UI (with more customization without needing to rely on add-ons), and professions (which will deliver on fantasy as a crafter; I see big influences from FFXIV here).
• Dragon riding will feature "momentum, and dive bombs" to allow for a more dynamic version of flight, with a "customizable dragon mount at the start."
• Duck critters will be in the new expansion areas.

While the initial reception to the current expansion (Shadowlands) was fairly positive, fans have turned on it over time. Not only did the game itself fail to compel people to log in on a constant basis, fail to deliver interesting updates, and fumble storylines for long term classic Warcraft characters; but the series of Activision Blizzard scandals have soured the perception of the company as a whole, leading fans to leave in droves for Final Fantasy XIV.

A lot of pressure is on Dragonflight to deliver the goods and actually shake up WoW in a meaningful way that also goes ov??er well with long-term fans; ma??ny of which are the lifeblood of the game. It's an unenviable position from a developmental standpoint, but there are many inspirations to draw from as well, including the game's own history.

As a reminder, the Microsoft and Blizzard deal will apparently close, according to the former, in the "fiscal year of 2023," which begins in July of 2022 and ends at the end of June 2023. So by the time World of Warcraft Dragonflight arrives, it could be the first WoW expansion under Microsoft's umbrella.

World of Warcraft Dragonflight professions update preview:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEIwhN68O3Q

World of Warcraft Dragonflight talent tree and UI changes preview:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YJO0mZ2JjI

World of Warcraft Dragonflight Dracthyr race and Evoker class preview:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQkwYB5B3Es

World of Warcraft Dragonflight zone previews:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRA9I1prGsk

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyR3glRrmLc

World of Warcraft Dragonflight story preview:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIKV-FtuA2s

World of Warcraft Dragonflight cinematic reveal trailer:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZtedjN1JXY

[gallery?? link="file" ids="317578,317635,317632,317582,317605,317614,317619,317608,317613,317617,317643"]

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The Retem region is live

I've been waiting a long time for this Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis expansion. The game has a lot of potential under the hood with its frantic action system and freeing locomotion; the game just needed more content to sustain itse?lf long term. It just got a ton of it.

As of now, the December content update, which includes said New Genesis expansion, is live. The biggest bit is the new (desert-based) Retem region, which was tease?d at the end?? of the original 1.0 campaign, and continues the storyline. It's a stark contrast to the lush plains and mountains of Aelio, and they did a pretty fantastic job with its design.

Other big changes include additional skills for every class (including the newish Bouncer), on top of an increased level ??cap from 20 to 35, wind/light/dark elements, new enemies, and enhanced "world trials." Sega describes them in the new update: "Unlike normal Trials, they will occur over multiple Sectors for an extended period of time. For example, the objective of the World Trial: Stella Grace Recovery Operation is to collect as much of the Stell?ar Grace that appears in the Exploration Sectors as possible within the time limit to receive rewards."

This is all happening with a winter event in progress. So?? if you've been a lapsed player, now is the t??ime to dive back in.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLNyaWoeRP8

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Wakanda Forever

Square Enix has revealed cinematic footage for the next expansion headed toward its epic comic book release Marvel's Avengers. War for Wakanda will see the amazing Black Panther defend his homeland from the nefarious Klaw, who has invaded King T'Challa's home with an aim to steal the precious an??d powerful resource, Vibranium.

Marvel's Avengers: War for Wakanda will arrive as free DLC on all platforms i??n August.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf7W4CG-7MA

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Hold your shot

CI Games has announced that stealthy shooter Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 will not arrive on PS5 June 4, alongside its PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S brethren. The PS5 port o?f the head-popping sequel has been pushed back to late-2021 due to "unforeseen technical issues" discovered just weeks before th??e title's launch.

"We could not have foreseen these issues," said CI Games' executive producer Tobias Heussner.? "However, we would like to assure our players that our highly experienced, professional and dedicated team are working hard with the platform holder and engine provider to re?solve the problems as soon as feasibly possible, to ensure we can bring the PlayStation 5 community the high caliber sniping game they have been waiting for."

To apologize for the lengthy delay, CI Games has announced that Contracts 2's first DLC drop — which is expected to contain a brand new map filled with unlucky marks — will be released free-of-charge across all platforms when it arrives sometime after the base game's launch. The PS5 edition of Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 will be offered as a free update to all players who purchase the PS4 edition. So if you can't wait upon the delay, you can at least jump into the  act??ion without fear of double-dipping??.

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What, no mansion?

[Update: And just like that, the set has been officially announced! The LEGO Luigi Starter Pack launches August 1, priced at $59.99/£59.99. Pre-orders are live at the official LEGO store.]

A since-removed listing from retailer Amazon China has leaked the existence of a new LEGO Super Mario expansion set that will see Mario reunite with his slippery-footed brother, Luigi. The set was originally spotted by dedicated LEGO site The Brick Fan.

Titled "LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Luigi", the new set will add a Luigi variant of the interactive LEGO Super Mario figurine, along with a brand new Starter Course. The kit includes p?latforms, warp pipes and question blocks, alongside LEGO figurines of Pin??k Yoshi, Bone Goomba, and Boom Boom. The kit contains 280 pieces in all, and had a listed launch date of July 9, although no price was specified.

The LEGO Super Mario range launched last summer, and has since seen in the region of 17 sets total. The range is pretty creative and smartly designed, as the LEGO brand has always been, but is also fairly expensive... as the LEGO brand has always been. Earlier in the year, The LEGO company also revealed the existence of a fan-designed Sonic the Hedgehog set, which is due for release this year as part of The Blue Blur's 30th anniversary celebrati??ons.

Fo?rget the console wars, it's time for the LEGO wars.

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Sharpshooting franchise takes aim at next-gen

CI Games has announced an official launch date for its long-distance shooter Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2. Arriving on PS4, PC, and Xbox One June ??4, the developer/publisher has also newly-announced next-gen editions will also launch day-and-date on PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Donning the laser-sighted eyeballs of master assassin "Raven," players will journey across a large, Middle-Eastern sandbox map, completing various objectives and giving a selection of hapless marks an extra hole in the dome. Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 prides itself on its authentic weaponry and long-distance engagements, ranging well over 1000 meters. Pin-point accuracy rewards tho?se who take every element of the environment into account before squeezing the tri??gger.

You can check out a brand new gameplay trailer below. Pre-orders for Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 are now live at selected retailers and include a bonus DLC bundle containing the Marcus Tactical light sniper rifle, the FFF-45 ACP Luring Pistol? (for distraction purposes), and two exclusive weapon skins - because snipers are nothing if not renown for standing out against their hiding spots.

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Still available for purchase piecemeal

Even though Crusader Kings III is already out and available for all your nepotistic megalomaniacal fantasies, Paradox is continuing to push its Crusader Kings II candy on strategy fans at large. The base grand strategy game was previously made free for all just before the announcement of the sequel in late 2018, and it's currently free-to-play on Steam.

The problem is that the Crusader Kings II base game is simply that, a base – and Paradox used that base to build and sell six years' worth of DLC and expansions, some of which vastly changed how the game was p??????????????????????????laye??d. If you wanted to buy the entire catalog of expansions, DLC, and soundtrack additions, it would run you around $300. That's a lot of dosh.

To give new players the option of trying all the DLC at a reduced rate, Paradox has now implemented a subscription service where $5 a month grants you access to the entire collection. You'll stil?l be able to buy a??ny and all of the DLC that tickles your fancy to own forever, which is nice as there's a lot of fluff in the form of art and music packs. To me, those seem a bit frivolous when compared to the mechanic and gameplay expansion sets.

In the forum release announcing the start of this new venture, Paradox ?stated that it is exploring the option to bring a subscription service to other games. Ominous.

The real question I have is what does this tell us about Victoria III? Nothing? I reject your answer.

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One of these days Alice, bang, zoom, you're going to the moon

Final Fantasy XIV is arguably the most celebrated MMORPG on the market today, and this fall, Square Enix wants to take it to the moon. During a livestream on Friday night, producer Naoki Yoshida announced its next expansion, Endwalker.

Really liking that Star Destroyer in the logo.

Like prior expansions for FFXIV, Endwalker is bringing a lot of new content. The level cap is rising to 90, and there will be new regions to explore, including Thavnair, as well as new cities, such as Radz-At-Ham and Garlemald, the capital of the Garlean Empire. A new eight-person raid known as Pandaemonium will also debut in Endwalker, as will two new classes. Sage, a new healer class that you can? check out below, was revealed during the stream with the second, a Melee-DPS class, set to debut this May.

A new feature called Island Sanctuary was also announced for the expansion, offering a more laidback way to enjoy the world of FFXIV. Judging but the concept art shown, it ?looks like the MMO is cashing in on the far??ming genre.

While the name "Endwalker" might lead people to believe this is the end of Final Fantasy XIV, Yoshida promises the 6.0 expansion is merely the end of the Hydaelyn and Zodiark saga. Starting with version 6.1, players will embark on an entirely new adventure. During the livestre??am, Yoshida said the game is his life's work and he has no plans to stop working on it.

Even more information, such as th??e removal of belts, was announced during the live??stream, which I've embedded below for anyone who missed it.

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It'll also take you to new places

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Bokujo Monogatari/Story of Seasons franchise, and Marvelous is doing what it can to keep players hooked to its upcoming release throughout 2021. The next entry in the series, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, is slated for release in the west this March. Starting in April, players will be able to download DLC expansions that will add new locations and scenarios to th??e game, as well as some returning faces.

The expansion pass will include five parts, with one part to release each month from April through August. Included in this DLC? are:

Part 1 (April 2021)

• Animal Attire costumes.
• Olive Town Mystery Files: A new scenario featuring Mikey and Cindy as they investigate the mysteries around Olive Town.

Part 2 (May 2021)

• Windswept Falls Expansion Pack: Four characters from a previous 3DS title return in a brand new area players can explore. Includes two marriage candidates.

Part 3 (June 2021)

• School Uniforms costumes.
• Terracotta Oasis Expansion Pack: Four characters from Story of Seasons return in an exotic oasis location players can explore. Includes two marriage candidates.

Part 4 (July 2021)

• Yukata Set costumes.
• The Legendary Sprite Dance: A new scenario featuring the sprites attempting to revive their legendary dance and feast.

Part 5 (August 2021)

• Twilight Isle Expansion Pack: Four characters from Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns return in an island location covered in twilight. Includes two marriage candidates.

Looking at the list, I am all for new scenarios and locations, but I'm not quite sure how interested I'm going to be in new marriage candidates when I'll definitely be married by the time the first pack hits. Nevertheless, it'll be fun to see which characters from those previous 3DS games -- Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning, Story of Seasons, and Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns -- will return. I mean, I'm going to have to assume the Windswept Falls pack is for A New Beginning and not Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns.

If you are interested in getting more out of Pioneers of Olive Town, the expansion pass will retail for $19.99 or as part of the Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town + Expansion Pass set for $69.99. If you buy the DLC before March 23, you will receive three sets of costumes from Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town and Trio of Towns.

Xseed Games Details 'Expansion Pass' and Post-Launch DLC for Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town on Nintendo Switch [Xseed]

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What's that glimmer over th...

It won't be long now before wannabe Tom Berengers are popping skulls in CI Games' Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, currently in the works for PS4, PC, and Xbox One. But ahead of this sharpshooting sequel, the polish developer has announced that the Sniper: Ghost Warrior franchise has hit a new milesto??ne of 11 million global sales.

In a blog post on the official CI Games website, CEO Marek Tyminski spoke of the company's pride in the Sniper series. "The franchise is important to us, " said Tyminski in the post. "We have learned a lot from Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 and we successfully launched Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts, which just passed the 1 million units mark. The next installment in the franchise Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 will be released globally soon."

The Sniper series began in earnest back in 2008, with the poorly received PC release Sniper: Art of Victory. Since then, the franchise has evolved into a modern, hi-tech shooter, with 2019's Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts focusing?? on objective-based missions housed within small sandbox maps. Tyminski has expressed regret with the franchise's earlier attempts to chase the A?AA military shooter market, and now seems content to focus on a continued scaled-down approach, befitting the series' smaller, but dedicated audience.

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It's delicious, and we're hungry

Here's a development that won't shock many people, and probably would've been completely missed had the creator not provided an update: Cuphead's The Delicious Last Course expansion won't launch in 2??020 as previously pl?anned.

Now, eleven-twelfths of the way through 2020 and without any recent roadmap to guide us, everyone had passively assumed Cuphead's DLC wasn't going to show up this year. Studio?? MDHR made it official by posting this on social?? media:

The last we had heard, Studio MDHR delayed The Delicious Last Course from 2019 and into 2020. The pandemic is the chief culprit for this postponement, but an even better reason might be that Cuphead has just always been developed at its own pace. It takes a long time to create and that's the history of Cuphead. 

We're left to assume that 2021 is the new target release date for The Delicious Last Course. Either it'll be ready next year and we're given a more narrow launch window, or it won't and we'll have to look toward 2022. Cuphead operates on its own schedule, and that formula worked wonders the first time 'round. No one expects Studio MDHR to rush the expansion out the door until it's ??100 percent perfectly refined.

@StudioMDHR [Twitter]

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Don't Push Me! (which he never said)

Today is a big day for fans of Mortal Kombat 11, for today sees the launch of Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, the latest iteration of NetherRealm's grisly fighting title. The new update brings with it a slew of balance changes, and transitions the 2019 fighter onto next-gen platfo??rms PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

Perhaps the most exciting addition - especially for a particularly frenzied portion of the MK fanbase - is the arrival of Kombat Pack 2, bringing with it returning kombatants Rain and Mileena, alongside the M-60-toting soldier of fortune himself, John J. Rambo. The three new kharacters are now available for purchase, bolstering MK 11's roster to an impressive 37 fighters... Interesting overkill given only one warrior actually matters.

Players who have purchased MK 11 on PS4 or Xbox One will find that they are already able to download MK 11 Ultimate - alongside any pre?viously purchased DLC - on the respective next-gen plat?form. The PS5 and Xbox Series X editions promise faster load times and slicker visuals, though there's zero promise that you'll actually be any better at the game itself. This is purely an upgrade from a video game standpoint. You need to get back in the lab... And by "you," I mean "me."

Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is available now on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and Stadia. This release includes the base game, the Aftermath expansion, and Kombat Pack 1 & 2.

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She be spittin' nails

Y'all looking forward to the return of Mileena? I know I am. The deadly clone of Princess Kitana will be arriving in Mortal Kombat 11 in a little under a week from now, alongside fellow kombatants Rain and - Sly Stallone himself - John Rambo.

NetherRealm Studios has released a second trailer, giving Mileena's fans another look at their usurped Empress. The video not only showcases ol' fang-face's acrobaticfighting style, but also gives us our first look at some of her Brutalities, which include her classic "nail-spitter" fatality from 1995's Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. We also get to see?? some of her alternate looks, including a wide variety of ornate sai daggers and sinister face-masks.

Also on display is a neat ??"side-shave" haircut, which suits the psycho-sibling quite well.

Mileena, Rambo, and Rain will all be available to purchase on November 17 as part of Kombat Pack 2. The same day will also see the launch of Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, containing the base game, the Aftermath expansion, and both Kombat Packs, on current and next-gen platforms. In addition, players who already own MK 11 on PS4 and Xbox One will be able to upgrade to a visually enhanced edition of the fighter on the respec?tive next-gen platform free of charge.

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That's sooner than expected after the recent delay

When does Shadowlands drop? Right befor??e Thanksgiving, as it turns out.

After missing its previous October 27 release date, the World of Warcraft expansion will launch on Monday, November 23 at 3:00 p.m. Pacific. That's not as bad as "later this year" originally sounded.

Here's what the worldwide rollout looks like:

Find out when #Shadowlands launches in your region. 👇 pic.twitter.com/tGfrjLF2X3

— World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) October 29, 2020

"Since we first told you about our decision to delay, we've used the time to further polish the expansion and shore up the endgame, including overhauling the combat and rewards in the Maw, and reworking the Covenant systems to make your choice more immediately imp?actful and have clearer long-term goals," said Blizzard. The team also brought up a couple of other important dates worth remembering.

Shadowlands' pre-launch event is happening on November 10 (expect a Scourge invasion), and the Castle Nathria raid will arrive several weeks later, on December 8, alongside Shadowlands Season 1.

Busy month. I?'m going ??to have to make some tough calls on which games to prioritize.

Shadowlands Arrives November 23 [World of Warcraft]

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Steel Dawn's first trailer

Big lugs lumbering around in their Power Armor, toting their laser beam-shooting gatling guns. That can mean only one thing. The Brotherhood of Steel is he?re to impose its will with a gruff attitude ?and self-righteous ideologies. And with big guns.

Fallout 76's Bombs Drop Day is here (along with a whole in-game event), and it comes with the first official trailer for the upcoming Steel Dawn expansion. That's the update that finally brings the Brotherhood of Steel to Appalachia. Fallout's most familiar? faces (err, helmets) have?? nearly arrived.

It's not just the big guys who are new in Steel Dawn. Bethesda says the expansion will also add: "new NPCs, new locations, and new gear to the game. It will also add features, like C.A.M.P. Shelters, a host of rewards, including weapons, armor, and C.A.M.P. Plans, the return of the Holiday Scorched Seasonal Event??, and a variety of additional gameplay improvements."

Anyone who's playing on the test server doesn't have to rely on a trailer to see the Brotherhood. Some Steel Dawn quests are available on the PTS, which is open for all Bethesda.net users. If you're unwilling or unable to hit the PTS, the Steel Dawn update is currently scheduled for December.

Fallout 76: Inside the Vault -- Steel Dawn ??Trailer, Bombs Drop Events & More! [Bethesda]

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Don't Push It.

NetherRealm Studios has revealed the existence of Kombat Pack 2 for its spine-ripping fighter Mortal Kombat 11. The new DLC bundle will see the return of MK veterans Mileena and Rain, alongside a very differe??nt kind of?? "veteran", action movie legend John J. Rambo.

John Rambo, star of the hyper-violent Rambo movies will be joining fellow action movie legends The Terminator and Robocop in MK 11. A new trailer reveals that NRS has secured both the likeness and the voice of Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone. I can't help but smile at this ridiculous addition, even if many in the MK faithful - myself included - are bored of MK 11's lame love affair with guns.

The real news for many will be the return of MK's murderous minx, Mileena. The clone sister of Princess Kitana, Mileena is spliced of both human and Tarkatan blood, which results in her grisly visage. Having fallen at the hands of newcomer D'Vorah in Mortal Kombat X, Mileena's return has been rabidly yelled for by many in the MK fanbase - with some of them definitely taking things too far on numerous occasions. Regardless, with Mileena on board, the MK 11 roster is really starting to feel komplete.

The third and final addition in Kombat Pack 2 is Edenian prince Rain. Having made his debut in 1995's Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, he of the purple garb (a prince... purple... rain, get it?) is renown within the kommunity as one of the more kult kharacters of Mortal Kombat lore. A master of water, Rain dispatches his opponents via v??arious aquatic means, utilising streams, bubbles, and waves of H2O to send his foes to watery graves.

The new trailer also makes mention of Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, an upcoming release for PC and current and next-gen consoles. This new edition, the most komplete to date, will include MK 11, both Kombat Pack 1 & 2, and the recent Aftermath expansion.

Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate and Kombat Pack 2 launch on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Serie??s X,? Stadia, and Nintendo Switch on November 17.

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Now coming 'later this year'

"Shadowlands will arrive in the fall, even if we have to ship it from our homes." That take hasn't aged well! One a few months ago, World of Warcraft executive producer John Hight insisted that nothing is going to stop Shadowlands from launching on time. As it turns out, something -- a whole entire pandemic, to be clear -- has stopped Shadowlands from launching on time.

Once set to release on October 27, Blizzard has been forced to delay World of Warcraft: Shadowlands to sometime "later this year." There's no new date given, but it'll have to be in November or December if Blizzard wants to make good on this new window. At this point, i?t wouldn't be unreasonable if Shadowlands&nbs??p;fell back into 2021.

The reason for the del??ay is that Blizza?rd is having some trouble tuning the balance of the endgame. The content (story, zones, quests) is complete, but there's need for polish and balancing.

Even though there's no firm date on when Shadowlands will arrive, Blizzard's releasing the pre-patch relatively soon. That will go live on October 13, and it includes "level squishing" which revamps how character leveling works. (Read all about the pre-expansion patch here.) You'll have more time than expected to get used to the changes in the p????atch.

An Update on Shadowlands [World of Warcraft]

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It's joining the base game next month

If Elite Dangerous is the final frontier, then its Horizons expansion is the free frontier. St??arting in a month, anyway.

Elite Dangerous is getting an update next month that rolls the Horizons add-on into the base game on all platforms. You could look at this and say it's permanently free. But, it might be more appropriate to say that Horizons is just part of the standard Elite Dangerous experience from now on. 

Whichever way you view it, Elite Dangerous is going to get bigger on October 27. For anyone who already purchased Horizons, they'll get Azure paint jobs that can be used on all ships in the game. Horizons will remain on sale until October 26, effect?ively only so people have a last chance to buy those Azure paint jobs. That doesn't seem like an amazing use of $30 but I'm not in charge of your personal finances.

Horizons is Elite Dangerous' only real content expansion, but this shrewd move is clearly a means of onboarding new players before 2021's Odyssey add-on. There's a lot to be excited about when it comes to Odyssey, as this is the expansion that'll allow you to ditch the spaceship and explore planets on foot. Developer Frontier is knocking down barriers to get deep into the Elite Dangerous ecosystem in hopes that it'll translate to Odyssey sales. It makes sense. When a game like Elite Dangerous gets its hooks in someone, it usually?? doesn't let up for a long time.

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Did you hear someth-

It's time to check your wind-speeds all over again, CI Games has released a new teaser trailer for its scalpel-precise shooter sequel Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, w??hich launches later this year on PS4, PC, and?? Xbox One.

The short video focuses entirely on one of the key elements of Contracts 2: "Extreme Long-Range shooting." In the video, our patient protagonist - ominously known as "Reaper" - successfully completes a shocking 1506-metre shot, hitting his mark from almost a full mile away. The video's intent is to spotlight Contracts 2's heightened realism and pin-poin??t weapon accuracy.

"The Sniper community really enjoyed the changes we made with Contracts and the sniper's paradise sandboxes but, based on their feedback, we designed the latest game with very long-range shots in mind," said CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski. "We hope to continue building on the best sniping gameplay around and make significant steps forward in bringing modern, realistic sniping experience to consoles and PC. Our team is really excited to introduce the extreme range campaign in Contracts 2."

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 laun??ches later this year on PS4, PC,?? and Xbox One.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 teaser trailer [Gematsu]

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But first, one more major content update is on the docket

With Risk of Rain 2 now out of Early Access and the console relea??se of update 1.0 on the horizon, Hopoo Games has shared a state-of-the-game blog post detailing what went right, what could've been better, and what the future holds for this surprisingly great 3D sequel ??to a beloved 2D roguelike game.

The team says that while its roadmap kept Risk of Rain 2 on track, compromises had to be made and some "cool but challenging" ideas had to be cut f?or time. That's to say nothing of longstanding bugs, ?incomplete lore entries, and "a passionate modding community that has no official mod support."

Now that Early Access is in the rear-view, Hopoo hopes to transition into a more "sustainable, creative de?velopment" strategy – starting with a final "thank you" content update on all platf?orms.

Following that update – and keep in mind, there isn't a timeline for this stuff yet – the developers want to expand the team and begin creating expansions for Risk of Rain 2 at a pace of one or two per year.

"These Expansions will most likely be themed – for example, we could have a 'Void Expansion' or an 'Imp Expansion' – with new content built around that theme," according to Hopoo. The idea is to deliver fresh content that's exciting and compelling enough to get players hooked all over again. Having more tim??e to dream up fun ideas and let them coalesce makes sense, and I won't mind paying fo??r DLC.

"Quality of life,?? bug fixes, and balance changes will still be free as pa??tches to the base game."

Dev Thoughts #18 - The Future of Risk of Rain 2 [Steam]

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What dreams may come

Did you expect to spend Halloween playing World of Warcraft: Shadowlands?

During the slow-moving Gamescom: Opening Night Live stream, Blizzard announced an October 27 release for Shadowlands after dumping a ton of cool Uther lore into an animated video called Bastion. The expansion will launch at 4:00 p.m. Pacific, and you can see the global release times over here.

They said this was coming in the fall, and they meant it.

@Warcraft [Twitter]

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All DLC, all content

In today's contest you can win Remnant: From the Ashes - Complete Edition for PC, Xbox One, or PS4!

When we last visited Remnant: From the Ashes, the Swamps of Corsus DLC had just hit, meaning we got to do what we do best -- give it away! Now that the newest expansion, Subject 2923 is out, th?ere's also a complete edition of the game floating around.

...meaning we get to do what we do best. Win Remnant: From the Ashes - Complete Edition for your favorite ?platform, and get? to playing this awesome game!

Read about it, and then be about it.

The world has been thrown into chaos by an ancient evil from another dimension. Humanity is struggling to survive, but they? possess the technology to open portals to other realms and alterna??te realities. You must travel through these portals to uncover the mystery of where the evil came from, scavenge resources to stay alive, and fight back to carve out a foothold for mankind to rebuild...

In the Subject 2923 DLC you'll pick up where the Remnant: From the Ashes story left off, in a brand-new campaign where you will traverse unfamiliar zones, meet unexpected allies, a??nd conquer new threats as you seek to put an end to the Root once and for all.

I thin?k the trailer above should be ample reason enough for you to ente?r.

To throw your name into the hat, use the widget below to drop your info and tell us which platform you'd like to win. You can enter daily. Be sur??e to click?? around for ways to earn bonus entries, and if you've already played it help out your new brethren with tips and tricks in the comments below.

We have two copies each for PS4, Xbox One, and PC to give away; winners wi??ll be randomly selected on September 1.

Remnant: From the Ashes- Complete Edition is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and Steam.

Contest: Win Remnant: From the Ash?es - Comp??lete Edition for PC, Xbox One, or PS4

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Shout-out to my MK 3 O.G.s

NetherRealm Studios has revealed the second of its trinity of skin packs headed to blood-soaked fighter Mortal Kombat 11. The Femme Fatale skin pack launched August 25 and offers klassic l??ooks to the roster's dangerous kunoichi.

The Femme Fatale pack includes outfits and accessories for Edenian empress Kitana, her BFF and loyal bodyguard Jade, and the mysterious and vampiric Skarlet. The new skins are reminiscent of the looks that Kitana and Jade sported in 1995's Mortal Kombat 3 - all scraped-back hair and revealing bodysuits. Of course, Skarlet did not actually appear in this early iteration of MK, so this pack gives the deadl?y usurper an opportunity to go a little old-skool.

The Femme Fatale pack launches August 25 and joins the previously released Summer Heat pack and the "Thanks a Million" Johnny Cage skin. A third skin pack, featuring a Halloween theme, will launch on October 8. All of the above content will automatically be made available to all Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath owners.

Mortal Kombat 11 is available now on PS4, PC, Xbox One, Nintendo S??witch, and Stadia.

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Frontier doesn't want the expansion to feel 'compartmentalized'

Frontier Developments is starting to open up about Elite Dangerous: Odyssey, the next step in the space sim's ongoing adventures. In this "early 2021" expansion, you'll be able to ditch your ship for a bit of otherworldly on-foot exploration. Better yet, you'll be able to scan alien?? ve??getation and sell the data.

I recently spoke with a pair of developers working on Odyssey to try and fill in a few of the blanks.

Art director Jonathan Bottone called Odyssey "one of the largest updates where we've taken the technology that we had originally, reworked it based on the simulation, and created an even more immersive experience than before." Players have been losing themselves in Elite Dangerous since 2014.

Odyssey is a visible new entry point for the long-running game but "not at the expense of the existing player base," according to lead designer Gareth Hughes. Frontier is sticking to the "fundamentals" of Elite. "For u?s, it's combat, ??trade, exploration, and all the blurry bits in between that merge," he said.

"It's 'How can we take those things from the space game and transpose those int??o on-foot so it doesn't feel like we're making a compartmentalized addition?' It feels like a layer across the whole game."

Planetary exploration will be a matter of "How far can I go before?? my suit energy starts to run out? Am I going to be able to make it back to my ship? Am I going to be ambushed while I'?m out there?"

"We're playing around with how heat, gravity, and radiation will a??ffect t??he player," said Hughes.

"We're still bal??ancing that stuff. It has to be enough of a threat without suppressing your ability to actually go out and explore. It's a really fine balance to make these environmental factors meaningful without them affecting th?e gameplay loop so severely that it's no longer fun."

Whatever it takes to fill in Codex entries, I'm probably in. They'll c??law away at my mind.

Aside from your pilot's scanner – a t??ool used to "identify organics in your locality on the planet surface" and extract "genetic information that can be sold back at port" – I had to ask about outposts.

Hughes told me that human settlements are "populated by the factions you're used to seeing." You can accept missions from NPCs, trade with them, "massacre them," play the role of pirate – the usual. Elite Dangerous "doesn'??t tell you who you have to be and when you have to be that."

Players will also be able to disembark at ports. They're intended to be "social hubs where you can meet other players, find mission givers that you might not otherwise experience, and create a safe space where pilots can meet and do piloty?? things," according to Hughes. "The social element is importan?t."

I'm curious to see how on-foot combat shapes up – it wasn't shown during the remote press event – and how well Frontier will manage to keep planets feeling distinct from one another given the scope of Elite in general and this DLC in particular. Odyssey seems like a chall??enge, but it's one worth taking on.

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Kitana looking klassy

NetherRealm Studios has finally revealed the first of its promised DLC skin packs, which will be winging their way to owners of Mortal Kombat 11 expansion pack Aftermath.

The Summer Heat Skin Pack - launching August? 6 - includes a barbecue outfit for Baraka, which outfits the Tarkatan warlord in a chef's hat, apron, and a link of sausages. Also bundled is a lovely summer outfit for Kitana, which features an ornate robe, mask and hat, and a gaudy Stars and Stripes suit for gunslinger Erron Black. In addition, a new skin for Johnny Cage, which outfits the superstar in an all-gold ensemble, is available right now.

This pack will be followed by a Klassic Femm?e Fatale pack on August 25 and? an All Hallows' Eve Pack on October 8. I get the impression none of these packs will come bundled with a Wi-Fi filter option for online lobbies. All three packs will automatically be made available to all MK 11 Aftermath owners as they release.

Mortal Kombat 11 is available now on PS4, PC, Xbox One, Nintendo S??witch, and S?tadia.

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