Back in August, The Sims competitor inZOI released a demo of the games Character Studio to the public so that they could make their own ultra realistic Zois ahead of the game’s la?unch, which was originally planned to be at some point before 2024 was over. 

On November 8, inZOI Director and Producer Kjun took to Discord to issue a statement, giving the disappointing yet understandable announcement that the early access release of inZOI has now been delayed until March 28, 2025. 

Thanking fans of the game for their support, and their overwhelmingly positive reception at Gamescom (they had a giant fluffy cat overlooking their booth, it was truly something to behold), Kjun went on to reveal the sad news and the reasoning behind th??e delay.

“After reviewing your feedback from inZOI: Character Studio and analyzing a wealth of data from our various play tests, we have made our decision to release inZOI in Early Access on March 28, 2025. We apologize that we could not bring you the game sooner, but this decision reflects our commitment to giving inZOI the best possible start.�/p>

While it is disappointing for life simulation fans who have been desperate for a Sims competitor for a long time now, it’s at least reassuring to know that the team behind inZOI will be taking their time to iron out bugs, rather than releasing a game filled with glitches and issue?s from the very beginning. 

Kjun went on to compare the process of developing inZOI to that of a primate raising a human child, which is a weird analo??gy but I guess it makes sense if you really think about it. 

“It is said that among primates, raising a human child to adulthood takes the longest time because humans must be prepared to endure and adapt to their ever-changing surroundings. The extra love and care that is required to properly nurture a child is how I see our journey with inZOI—a game that we will be nurturing together from its Early Access birth.�/p>

In the comments of the Twitter announcement post, fans were supportive and expressed their patience, but some were asking whether the Character Studio demo would be made available for us to carry on messing around with in the meantime. There has been no word from KRAFTON or inZOIs development team on this front. 

If you want regular updates about the development of inZOI, the best thing to do is join the official Discord Server. Not only will you get updates and announcements first, but there’s also a solid community of players ?discussing the game and all of its known feat?ures, so you might even make some like-minded friends in the run-up to release day.

The post The Sims competitor inZOI will n?ow enter earl?y access on March 28, 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

PUBG has been around since 2017, so it would be und??erstandable if you’ve matured a little since then and hold some embarrass??ment about the edgy nickname you gave yourself all those years ago. 

Thankfully, KRAFTON has given players a way to give themselves a new name, and this can be done on all platforms, although the process is a little different depending on what platform you play on. There’s a free and a paid method to consider so let’s look at all of the name-changing options in PUBG. 

How to change your name on PUBG Mobile

In PUBG Mobile, you’ll need to get your hands on a Rename Card. There are a ?couple of different options:

• Play until you hit level 10 when a Rename Card will be given to you free of charge
• Purchase a Rename Card through the store for 180 UC. 

UC is the in-game currency for PUBG Mobile, and you purchase it using real-life money. To get the required 180 UC, your best bet is to purchase the 300 UC pack, which costs $4.49and gives you an ?additional bonus of 25 UC??. 

Then, while on the home screen of PUBG Mobile, press the “Store�button in the top right corner of the screen. Na??????????????????????????vigate to the “Treasures�section of the store and scroll down to find the Rename Card. Follow the steps to purchase your card. Then we can move on to actually using it. 

Whether you purchased your Rename Card through real money or got it at level 10, using it is the same in both cases. Just open your Inventory and select the Rename Card, then “Use.�A pop-up will appear where you can type your new name and then click “Ok�to save it and move on with your life, forgetting ?the ??questionable decisions of your younger self. 

How to change your name in PUBG on PC

Changing your name on PUBG on PC is more or less the same as it is on PUBG Mobile, but there are some name changes?, and it will cost you almost double if you’re looking to purchase the item that allows you to change your name. 

Before you can change your name, you’ll need to ?get a Nickname Change card. To find it, head to the Store, select “Items�and then “Utility� You’ll need 990 G-Coins to purchase a Nickname Change card, and the best way to do this is by purchasing the 1,000 G-Coin Pack for $9.99, which gives you an add??itional 50 bonus G-Coins. 

When you’ve got the Nickname Change card in your b?ack pocket, select “Customize�from the top of the sc??reen, then “Utility�in the sub-menu underneath. Here, you can use the card and change your name to whatever your more grown-up self wants it to be. 

How to change your name in PUBG on PlayStation & Xbox

Changing your name in PUBG on either PlayStation or Xbox is more straightforward but also potentially more challenging, as your in-game name is the s?ame as your PSN or Gamertag. If you want to make this commitment, here’s how to do it on both platforms.

PlayStation

On PlayStation, yo?u’ll be able to change your PSN for free the first time, and then subsequent changes will require you to pay either a $5 fee if you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber or $10 if you’re not. 

To change your PSN (and therefore your name in PUBG),?? go to the home screen and then select “Settings.�Here, select through the following option?s:

• Users and Accounts > Account > Profile > Online ID

Type in your desired PSN into the box, then select “Check Availability.â€?If it’s available for you to use, select “Continue.â€?If itâ€??™s your first time, that’s all there is to it. If you’ve been through this before, you’ll need to pay before the change is made. 

Xbox

As with the system on PlayStation, you can change your Gamertag for free as a one-time offer from Microsoft. If you want to change it again, you’ll need to pay the $9.99 fee. Regardless, if you want your name to show up differently in PUBG, you’ll need to go through this process. 

To change your Gamertag, press the Xbox button to open up the home screen, then go to “Profile & ?System.â€?Select your profile, then select “My Profile,â€?then “Customise Profileâ€? There’s an option here ??to choose a new Gamertag, so choose that and then enter the desired new Gamertag. 

If the Gamertag you want has a?lready been taken, the console will let you know via a message, and you’ll need to keep trying until you come up with something unique to you. When you’ve got your Gamertag sorted, you’ll be taken to a new screen showing how it will look across different Xbox services. If you’re happy, select “Change? Gamertag�and, if you need to, pay to complete the process.

The post How to change your name in PUBG (All platforms) appeared first on Destructoid.

South Korean publisher Krafton has confirmed that it signed a licensing agreement with Palworld developer, Pocketpair. The agreement will see PUBG: Battlegrounds developer, PUBG Studios, bring Palworld to mobile devices for the first time.

Touted as "Pokemon with guns" by fans, Palworld was a surprise gargantuan success upon its Early Access launch earlier this year. Few, least of all Pocketpair, could have seen its eyewatering sales figures coming, as it stormed to the top of the charts on PC and Xbox consoles at the start of 2?024.

Player counts have dropped in the months since, although a recent PlayStation 5 release has helped bring new fans into the fold. Nintendo and The Pokemon Company suing Pocketpair has also played a part in keeping Palworld in the news cycle of late.

Krafton confirmed Palworld's upcoming mobile port in a statement on its website, with its subsidiary PUBG Studios moving forward on the project. The announcement gave no release window for Palworld on Android and iOS, although it did confirm it "plans to faithfully reinterpret and implement the original’s main fun elements t?o fit the mobile environment." Wh??ether this results in any significant gameplay changes remains to be seen.

The post PUBG developer is bringing Palworld to mobile appeared first on Destructoid.

If you’re a fan of the life simulation genre, you’ve undoubtedly heard of inZOI at this point. The Character Studio demo is currently available for a limited time and players have been cre??ating their ‘Zoiselvesâ€?in droves. 

One of the best parts of the Character Studio is the inbuilt Photo Mode, which allows you to to take almost pho??to-realistic shots of your created characters. The graphics are stunning and if you take some tim?e, you can get some truly beautiful photos that wouldn’t look out of place in a photo album. 

There’s a lot of settings which can be tweaked and played with in order to make the most of Photo Mode in inZOI, and I’ve spent approximately 10 hours over the last couple of days getting to grips wit?h everything that’s currently available as part of the demo. 

Here’s 10 of my best tips to help you make ??the most of the time you have with ?Photo Mode, as well as the Character Studio itself by association. 

Use the lighting options to create interesting shadows

Changing the lighting is done through the Studio feature when creating a character. There are four sliders, two for the main light and two for the backlight. Moving these around can ??result in some really inte??resting shadows which can completely change the feeling of a photo. 

Play with filters

There are currently 9 different filters available for use in the Character Studio demo, and all of them add a unique twist to any photo. By default, the filter is set to ‘Realistic� which also happens to be my favorite of the bunch due to the photo-realism it offers, but there are also options to turn a photo into a sketch or one to desaturate the image. There’s even a fish-eye lens (shown above) which I urge you to try at least once, even if it isn't exac??tly the most flattering. 

Experiment with Dof and FoV

FoV (Field of Vision) is used to change how much of the area you can capture in a picture, with a lower DoF allowing y?ou to take extreme close-ups of your Zoi. DoF (Depth of Field) is?? used to choose where you want to focus in the image. By tweaking these manually in the Camera Options menu, you can end up with some really interesting shots. 

Use the world around you

There are currently a choice of four different pre-made backgrounds outside of the basic white character creation ??screen. In each of them, there are elements which can be used to help with framing or as additional focal points in a photo. For instance, in the bedroom background there are fairy lights around the windows and in the basketball court, there is a parti?cular piece of Angel Wings graffiti which can be used to add to your shot.

Make bold outfit choices

Not only does inZOI allow you to create endless patterns using generative AI, it also allows you to upload whatever image you want to use as patterns on your clothing. This allows you to make infinite design choices that will never be the same as anybody elses and that’s something that you shouldn’t ??pass up. 

Even if you choose not to upload your own images or use the AI software, choose bright colors that really pop against your chosen bac?kground - it really helps create an interesting shot.

Don’t be afraid to get abstract

Perhaps I’ve spent too much time in art galleries, but there’s nothing I love more than abstract portrait photography. While the Photo Mode of inZOI doesn’t quite allow for full abstraction just yet (I live in hope that one day it may), it ?does allow you to get creative with your angles and lighting to ?take photos of your Zoi. 

Get expressive

There are 11 expressions which can be used in Photo Mode and mixing them with the long list of poses can result in some really interesting phot?os of your Zoi. Admittedly, some of the expressions are more realistic than others, with ‘Joyful�being particular??ly unsettling on my Zoi (shown above), but try them out on your own Zoi and you’ll soon find your own favorites.

Play with posing

There are? ?a lot of poses to play with in the Character Studio demo, including some designed explicitly for couples, despite the fact that you can’t actually create a couple in the demo, but I digress.

Even though you’re flying solo for the d??uration of the demo, you can still use these couple poses to get some close ups of your Zoi. Not only that, but two of the poses come with their own props - Shoot Money Gun, which comes with a money gun and flying?? cash, and Laundry Room 2 which for some reason comes with a coffee cup. 

Use the pause button!

A lot of the poses currently available are actually long animations which provide an almost infinite number of frozen moments to capture. Rather than trying to be quick with the capture and save buttons, make use of the pause button on the left hand side of the Photo Mode interface. This allows you to freeze your Zoi in place during the animation, making sure you never miss an opportunity to tw?eak your camera angle. 

Don’t settle for basic backgrounds

While we can’t add our own backgrounds to the Studio (yet, it’s a par??t of the full game but not quite available in the demo), that doesn’t stop us from being able to tweak the ones we have to be more unique in our photos. 

You can alter certain colors in each background, like the neon lighting in the Gas Station scene or the color of the sky and ??clouds in the, well, cloud s?cene. In the latter example, which I've shown above, you can see that changing the background color also causes a change in the tone of the Zois skin, without any changes to lighting or filters applied.

The post 10 tips and tricks to get the mos?t out of inZOIs Photo Mode appeared first on Destructoid.

Canvas is the built in design sharing platform for inZOI,?? and it’s an ?amazing tool if you’re struggling for inspiration or simply want to skip over designing your own Zoi or items. However, it can be a little daunting to begin with. 

There are a lot of options on Canvas. As with any social media profile, you can gain followers or follow others, share pictures, use hashtags, and make comments. Constantly updating with new creations from other players, Canvas is thriving during the limited release of the inZOI Character Creator demo. 

How to sign up for a Canvas account in inZOI

As long as you’re logged in to inZOI via your Krafton ID, you’ll already have a Canvas account, b?ut you’ll want to set a nickname for yourself unless you’re happy with being publicly kn??own as “Trainee_xxxx�

To do this, open Canvas either via the computer on the main screen of inZOI or in the top right corner of the Character Studio screen. You’ll se??e a bunch of other playersâ€?Zois, but don’t worry about those for now, let’s focus o??n getting you a unique username. 

You’ll need to open up your profile on the right side of the C?anvas interface, then click “Edit My Profileâ€? 

Setting your nickname couldn’t be easier. Just select where it currently says “Trainee_xxxx�and type in the name you wish to be known by on Canvas. This name must be unique, and once inZOI releases fully, you’ll retain thi?s nickname, although it can be c??hanged at any time. 

As well as setting your nickname, you can also change your profile picture, header image, add a small description of yourself, and even link your social media accounts so that people can follow you outside of inZOI. 

How to upload creations to Canvas in inZOI

Once you’ve got your profile all set up and ready to go, ?you can start uploading your creations to Canvas for others to enjoy or download as they see fit. The only way to do this currently is via the Character Studio itself. 

Once you’ve come up with a character you want to share with the world, you’ll need to take some photos in inZOIs built in Photo Mode. Take your time with this, because there are a lot of settings and it’s possible to take some amazing, super realistic looking shots. When you’re ready, select “Upload to Canvasâ€?in the top right corner of the Character Studio screen. ?;

This will open up the upload options, where you can choose up to four photos to upload. You can either take new photos of the Zoi as they are now, or upload photos that you’ve taken previously in Photo Mode. Saved photos taken in inZOI can be found in the following location:

• AppData\Local\inZOI_Character_Studio\Saved\Photo

After uploading photos, you’ll need to give your creation ??a name, description, and select which presets you want others to be able to download. If you’re happy with other players using your entire Zoi, then you can leave all three options selected. 

Each option allows others to downlo?ad the following parts of the uploaded Zoi:

• Zoi presets - Allows players to download the entire Zoi to use in their game
• Face presets - Allows players to download the face of your Zoi to use on their own body
• Outfit presets - Allows players to download just the outfit on display

Canvas will send you a notification if another pla?yer likes, comments on, or downloads one of your uploaded cre?ations. 

The post How to set up and use Canvas in inZOI appeared first on Destructoid.

The limited release of the inZOI Character Studio is just hours away and will run from August 21 to August 25. You’ll h?ave t?he chance to make as many characters as you like, get to grips with the incredibly in-depth customization features, and share your creations through Canvas. 

Before you can dive into the Character Studio, though, you’re going to need to set up a Krafton ID in order to log in to Inzoi. This is a relatively straightforward process, and if you’ve ever played any other Krafton games (PUBG or Subnautica, for instance), you’ll likely already have one. 

If yo??u haven’t got a Krafto?n ID already, you’ll need to follow these steps:

• Head over to the Krafton Accounts site and set up a Krafton ID using your email, Google account, Facebook account, or one of the many other options
• Once signed up, go to Linked Accounts and link your Steam account to your Krafton ID

When you’ve downloaded the Inzoi Character Studio through Steam, you’ll be able to immediately log in ?with your Krafton ID and dive str??aight into making your ideas a reality. 

If you’re hoping to upload your realized creations through Inzoi's built-in sharing platform, Canvas, you’ll need to select a separate nickname for the platform. This nickname will be unique to you, and you’ll be able to continue using it upon the full release of Inzoi later this year. 

Inzoi will also hold an event during the time in which the Character Studio is availab??le to play. To be in the running to win unspecified ‘special gifts� you need to upload your customized Zois to social media using the following three hashtags:

• #inZOI 
• #CAZ 
• #CreateAZoi

Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to fill out this google form, including a link to your social media post, to be entered with a c?hance to win.

The post How to make a Krafton ID f??or Inzoi Character Studio limited release appeared first on Destructoid.

KRAFTON's up and coming competitor to The Sims 4, inZOI, is ?due for release later in 2024, but the Character Studio? demo will be available to play for five days starting on August 21. If you’re wondering whether your rig can handle the game, here’s what you need to know. 

inZOI looks undeniably fantastic. Early displa??ys of gameplay show a fully immersive world where you can alter and control almost everything from the state of the city, to the animals who ??wander around, to the weather. ;

All of this without mentioning the frankly genius use of generative AI to customize not only yourself, but the world around youâ€?inZOI looks truly promising. You can even upload photos of things from the real world and inZOI will present you with an in-game 3D scul?pt of said item to us??e in game. 

But with all of those features comes some fairly hefty system? requ??irements, so can your computer run the game? Let’s find out.

inZOI minimum PC requirements

To simply dive in and play inZOI without necessarily having your visual settings at thei?r highest, you’ll need to meet the fo?llowing system requirements:

inZOI recommended PC requirements

If you’re wanting to turn all settings up to their highest and enjoy inZOI in the best state possible,? you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

The post inZOI minimum and recommended PC system requ??irements appeared first on Destructoid.

If you’ve been looking for a fresh new take on life simulation, then inZOI might be the answer to your prayers. From KRAFTON, the developer behind PUBG: Battlegrounds, inZOI?? is set to revolutionize the life sim genre, and you can try out character cre??ation for yourself later this month. 

Like many long-time The Sims players, I’ve sunk hours of my life into character creation, downloading CC to improve my characters and tweaking the most minute of details. With that said, inZOI looks to have?? made some major improvements on what I’ve grown used to, and I can see myself sinking at least 20 hours into the Character Studio alone. 

Speaking of the Character Studio, it will go live on Steam for just five days on August 21 before going offline again on August 26. This sneak peek into the potential competitor to The Sims will come just one day after we get to see a brand new trailer for inZOI at Gamescom 2024 Opening Night Live. 

According to a press release from KRAFTON, the Character Studio features over ??250 customization options, includin?g the following:

• Length and style of hair
• Sleeves on a shirt
• Age
• Fingernails
• Height
• Body Type
• Complexion

The Character Studio also uses generative AI in order to create truly unique patterns on items of clothing, and players are encouraged to share their creations on ‘Canvas� which is a built-in platform where the community can share their creations, similar to The Sims 4 Gallery. 

KRAFTON is also partnering with Overwolf, a platform that allows creators to create and monetize in-game apps, mods, and more. The hope is that the partnership will allow in??ZOI players to build on the base game and add further customization options as soon as the game launches into Early Access, which is set to be sometime in late 2024. 

The post PUBG dev’s Sims competitor inZOI to release Character Studio in August appeared first on Destructoid.

While we were hoping for a spiritual successor to Dead Space, Striking Distance Studios' The Callisto Protocol didn't leave a huge impact on horr??or gaming. I didn't mind it personally, but accor?ding to director Glen Schofield, the team was under pressure to deliver ahead of schedule.

In a recent video from Dan Allen Gaming, the titular host sits down with Schofield to discuss his pretty lengthy career in the industry. One thing that did crop up in conversation was the development problems of The Callisto Protocol. That specific topic begins around the 12:32 mark in t?he below video.

W?ithout mincing words, when asked ??whether more time was needed to complete the game, Schofield replies �with slightly tired eyes �"yes, I did." He goes on to then say he wanted another three and a half months, adding that he was "led to believe" that that was going to be the case for the project. Alas, things didn't turn out that way, with the higher-ups insisting on a December 2022 release date.

"It's going to cost you more."

Schofield then makes a pretty interesting point about how rushing games out isn't an effective way to save money, saying that it actually costs a studio or publisher more. He explains that, as well as struggling to finish developing The Callisto Protocol in the allocated time period, it would necessitate him bringing on a lot more peopl?e to get the job ?done (30-40 instead of 20, he says). Hence, costs simply go up. Not to mention the additional expense of having to fix a broken game post-release, but that's just my take.

Add onto that the impact it had on Schofield's health. Dan Allen says how stressful a job in the video game industry must be, particularly in that kind of situation. The director insists that he still enjoys what he does, though he does add that he's not sure how much more of it he could take, given that his career began in the early 1990s. It also seems that health concerns were one of the reasons he eventually left the company.

It's a shame The Callisto Protocol was something of a let-down, especially upon release. As I said, I did quite enjoy it, but I played it after the fact, once it had been patched and fixed up. Sadly, the resultant middling reception (the game has a review score of "mixed" on Steam) meant that Striking Distance had to lay off 32 employees last August. On the plus side, it looks like the studio may be working on a new game.

The post Glen Schofield says he was promised more tim??e for The Callisto P?rotocol appeared first on Destructoid.

There's been some concern among the Subnautica fan base that the next entry will be going for a more "Games-as-a-Service" model. It's a trend that's of?ten met with negative response, but it turns out this is probably not the case for the? upcoming game.

According to a recent update on Unknown World's website �the developer behind the Subnautica s?eries �there are no plans to implement GaaS for the next installment. This is almost certainly a respon?se to what publisher Krafton said in a recent earnings call.

Interestingly, while writing the original draft of this story, it looks like Krafton may have changed what it originally said. The screenshot of the financial report in question from PC Gamer shows "Games-as-a-Service" being touted as a selling point for Subnautica 2. However, in the latest updated earnings report which you can see here, it no longer says that. You'll note no use of GaaS when t?alking about the game, but it does mention it once in the "Scale-up Direction" part of the PDF, which is likely referring to company plans in general.

Curious-er and curious-er

However, the studio itself insists the game will feature "no season passes. No battle passes. No subscription.?" The team is simply planning to keep updating the seq?uel "for many years to come," similar to the current games.

On top of this, there is no plan to put emphasis on multiplayer. The stat?ement does say that "co-op ??will be an entirely optional way to play the game," but you'll still be able to enjoy it single-player.

As for a release date, there isn't anything concrete yet. However, Unknown Worlds says we probably won't get an Early Acc??e??ss release in 2024, but there should be "a lot more information later this year."

I think a lot of fans can breathe a little easier now, knowing that Subnautica 2 isn't going to be subscription-based or have season passes. It's just going to be a good old-fashioned terrifying game about thalassophobia and isolation. Huzzah!

The post Subnautica 2 dev rebuffs concerns that it’s going games-as-a-service appeared first on Destructoid.

It appears the next Subnautica game is diving deep sometime in early 2025. It's been roughly two years?? since fans dove into the chilly waters of the series, and it feels like it's nearly time to strap back into that diving suit once more. And then get eaten by a Reaper Leviathan.

As spotted by RPS, the game's potential launch window came out of a recent financial report by publisher Krafton. Details are sparse and will continue to be so until the company is ready to announce the game proper. It's currently unknown if the next Subnautica in 2025 is set to be a spin-off or sequel, but judging by the development time, it's likely going to be the latter. Of course, that's just?? s??peculation. But isn't it fun to imagine?

The next Subnautica game set to terrify in 2025

The next Subnautica has been in the works for some time now. We last heard of it back in April 2022 when developer Unknown Worlds advertised a Senior Narrative Designer position on Twitter. Since then, fans of its signature undersea horror themes have been waiting to know more. If the game is scheduled for a release in the first half of 2025, I wouldn't expect to see any reveal until Summer Game Fest next year at the very earliest. It should at least make for a go?od addition to a prediction list.

As noted by RPS, the financial report covered some future Krafton projects. Project Gold Rush is an "Action-Adventure Sandbox" set to launch in the first half of 2025, much like the new Subnautica. The publisher also listed a Dark and Darker mobile game, Project inZOI, and Project Black Budget all under development for 2024.

The post The next Subnautica game will apparently pull you und??er in 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

PlayStation owners will also get it early

While hype has definitely died down for Striking Distance Studio's The Callisto Protocol, fans will be pleased to hear that some content is coming very soon. As of next week, you'll be able to download "Final Transmission," which is? said, as the title denotes, to be the final chapter of the game.

A post on the official Twitter account describes the closing content as "heart-pounding," and adds that PlayStation owners can exclusively get hold of the DLC 48 hours early. This means they? can receive access to the title's climactic chapter on June 27, while other systems will see it release on June 29.

When it launched in December 2022, The Callisto Protocol was met with a string of negative reviews. While touted as a spiritual successor to Dead Space, Glen Schofield's latest horror outing was plagued with technical issues. The studio did roll out updates to try and patch some of t??he major one??s out, but it was clear that fans were not impressed with the finished product on day one.

//twitter.com/??CallistoTheGame/status/1669804170734362625

At the start of 2023, the release received a New Game+ update, but outside that, not much has happened with The Callisto Protocol for some time now. For those that were after something that could plug a Dead Space-sized hole, Striking Distance's survival horror title left some feeling rather unfulfilled. Kind of like how Back 4 Blood was supposed to be a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, but was, ultimately somewhat lacking.

In any case, for anyone who did enjoy The Callisto Protocol, The Final Transmission DLC is definitely something to lo?ok forward to. Perhaps Schofield and his team will move onto a new project after this.

The post The Callisto Protocol will get its ‘heart-pounding final chapter’ next week appeared first on Destructoid.

Mid Space

Sorry this review took so long! Our reviewer had the game crash on them on PS5 during the initial process: and after the performance patch. Meanwhile, I had a smoother experience playing The Callisto Protocol: but it didn't help all that much.

The Callisto Protocol (PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: Striking Distance Studios
Publisher: Krafton
Released: December 2, 2022
MSRP: $59.99/$69.99

At first, I was floored to dig more into this world. When your horror adventure starts off with a sci-fi plane crash and the main character (played by a confident Josh Duhamel, who recently did a mean rendition of Harvey Dent/Two-Face in The Killing Joke animated two-parter) is hauled away by hulking robotic guards to prison, I'm in.

The initial mystery of Callisto Protocol is particularly intriguing. What is even happening in this universe? How are you going to escape? What's the deal with the organic Resident Evil-esque creatures? Being a prisoner immediately puts you at odds with this world and grounds you in it. The slow buildup is fun to play through, and the entire idea of "a prison escape with creatures" must have been a hell of a pitch. All of this is sold with fairly lifelike character models and some decent performances, but Callisto Protocol just doe?sn't deliver as time goes on, after the secret sauce is plopped on your plate. The more you progress, the less ??interesting things get.

As the creatures take the center stage, a few of them are more annoying than formidable. Callisto Protocol relies heavily on jump scares, which sucks away a lot of the legitimate tension when things start feeling artificial. You'll battle these creatures with a melee weapon (a crowbar, which is quickly tossed for a shock sti??ck upgrade), and you'll get your first gun (a pistol) around an hour in. It has the whole survival horror suite: limited inventory, scarce ammo, the whole nine yards. There's even a dedicated stomp button that squishes out items from dead enemies, in a super (welcome) arcadey way.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2jrVnnefE8

On paper, this seems like a decent way to build a survival horror game, but the seams slowly disintegrated. The dodge system is utterly bizarre, for one. It encourages players to press a direction on the analog stick to dodge enemy attacks, alternating directions for subsequent strikes. One-on-one, Callisto Protocol feels manageable. But in the thankfully rarer sequences where? more enemies are thrown in, it can get unwieldly because of the clunk, especially when deciphering enemy animations. Throwing QTEs in for good measure (you can turn them off in the options menu) is a risky move, but another left hook I can dodge.

One very cool half-done mechanic is quick-firing, which can be done after a reticle pops up on-screen after a melee attack. It's essentially a quick draw shot that aims at a critical body part of an enemy, and it felt legitimately action-hero-cool to pull it off quickly, then weave another melee hit in afterward. Like every facet of Callisto, there's flashes of brilliance there to remind you that some of these developers worked on Dead Space.

If you like navigating messy systems, you might see it as a challenge, especially on normal difficulty or above (which is a great PS+ or Game Pass gamble, if that opportunity ever arises). I know I did! This is such a weird game to assess, because although I did adapt to it, it's mind-boggling how some of these mechanics passed the idea phase. It's like s??omeone wanted to reinvent the wheel of how survival horror action systems should work, and no one told them "no." I can see why it's been so polarizing, and I have played worse, but alongside of the technical problems, it's clear that this game could have used more time in the oven.

As I said earlier I played it after some patches were applied, and while I didn't have hard crashes or concerning framerate issues, I did encounter audio bugs (where some intense dialogue wouldn't even play, despite having subtitles for it). Also, having to remain stationary to listen to audio logs in 2022 is a choice. Checkpoints are amateurish too: if you die, depending on the checkpoint, you may have to redo every single thing you did for minutes at a time, including slowly buying safe zone ?upgrades and waiting for them to 3D print.

Like many things that Callisto Protocol does, the linear structure could be a source of contention, but I actually enjoyed it. There's enough open world/live service games in the market as it is, and Callisto has some degree of freedom with hidden rooms or extra caches of ammo or upgrades: all with the mostly welcome burden of inventory management. When you have enough ammo to take on an enemy it feels like an achievement, because you took the time to uncover a secret are?a.

If Callisto Protocol was able to get out ??of its own way (and was less glitc?hy at launch), it probably would have been an even bigger hit. If they're aiming for a follow-up I hope they take a lot of the criticism to heart, because there's something here.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: The Callisto Protocol appeared first on Destructoid.

Further fixes in the works

[Update: Striking Distance Studios has released a second major update for the PC edition of The Callisto Protocol, focusing on PSO Caching and aiming to further reduc??e screen stuttering and improve overall performance. Further patches for both PC and console are in the works.]

Krafton and Striking Distance Studios have begun addressing the technical issues affecting sci-fi horror title The Callisto Protocol �/em> The development team has already rolled out new patches on PC and console platforms, hoping to fix some of the bugs and glitches plaguing the occupants of Black Ir??on Prison.

The Subnautica studio has a new IP on deck for Opening Night Live, and it's turn-based

As August ramps up, more pieces in the Gamescom puzzle are falling into place. Subnautica and Natural Selection creator Unknown Worlds has already locked in the reveal of its next game �a turn-based sci-fi strategy game that's ???a part of a "new IP."

We'll learn more about this strategy game during the Geoff Keighley-hosted Gamescom: Opening Night Live streaming showcase on August 23 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific.

According to Krafton, Inc., "Unknown Worlds co-founder and game director, Charlie Cleveland, will officially reveal a new IP set in a sci-fi world that features imaginative turn-based gameplay. Striking Distance Studios' CEO Glen Schofield will also take the stage at Opening Night Live to share a new look at The Callisto Protocol, the upcomi?ng next-generation survival horror game that is set to launch on Dec. 2, 2022."

"So excited to finally share what I've been obsessed with, and working on every day, for quite a few years," tweeted Cleveland. "OBSESSED."

"We'll show you lots of gameplay too," Keighley added.

[caption id="attachment_338829" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Krafton's Gamescom 2022 crew.}[/caption]

I honestly keep forgetting that Krafton owns Unknown Worlds, but this reveal should be a firm r??eminder. Previously, the pair described the new game as "genre-defining" and suggested it would have an Early Access la?unch; par for the course for this team.

Unknown Worlds has also been hiring for more Subnautica, so don't sweat it

What about the next Subnautica? I'm all riled up?? thinking about the possibilities.

Last we heard, the team was looking for a senior narrative designer to take point on "the next game in the Subnautica universe." Some of the most memorable moments are also the most terrifying, and while it's good to have a wide appeal, freaky ocean exploration sets this series apart. Of course, it can't?? be unsettling the whole time �calmer, quieter breaks need to be there too. There are a lot of directions the story can go from here.

Unknown Worlds has quite a bit of goodwill to spare, so whether it's this new sci-fi strategy title or another Subnautica, they've got our attention. See you at Gamescom?

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Ooey gooey sci-fi horror is back on the menu

Between EA Motive's Dead Space remake in January 2023 and Striking Distance Studios' new IP The Callisto Protocol on ?December 2, 2022, sci-fi horrors fans are eating well.

During today's State of Play showcase, we got a fresh look at The Callisto Protocol's gamep??l?ay, which looks familiar in an ooey, gooey, screeching body horror sorta way.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysFqUiXBAd0

To quickly refresh you on the story, Josh Duhamel plays Jacob Lee, "a cargo ship pilot trapped deep within Black Iro??n Prison." We're headed to Jupiter's "dead moon," Callisto, and we've got a nasty o??utbreak to survive and sketchy corporate secrets to uncover.

Just last week, we learned that the game is no longer set within the PUGB universe, as was originally the plan for Striking Distance and Krafton. As CEO Glen Schofield put it, The Callisto Protocol snowballed into "its own world, story, an?d universe." For t?he best, right?

"Survival horror games have been my passion for decades, and I’m excited to take advantage of the latest consoles to take the genre to terrifying new places," Schofield said today. (If you've never seen it, Ars Technica has a great "War Story" with Schofield.)

Why not both?

It's wild to think that Dead Space came out in 2008 (good lord, it's been that long?), and that after an arguably much-needed hiatus, its vibe is living on with both a remake *and* a new? ??IP coming back to back. I really hope EA Motive and Striking Distance both knock it out of the park, as I've been longing for a fleshy return to sci-fi horror in gaming.

The Callisto Protocol launches December 2, 2022, across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. There's much more to see in the coming months, bu??t I'm root??ing for it.

The post The Callisto Protocol serves up sci-fi horror in Decembe?r appeared first on Destructoid.

PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold won't be needed after the free-to-play switchover

PUBG held on as a premium game longer than I ever would've expected, especially as the battle royale landscape has matured, but in 2022, it's finally shifting to a free-to-play model. Announced last night at The Game Awards 2021, Krafton plans to turn PUBG into a? free-to-play game on January 12, 2022 �that goes for the PC and console versions.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak2S07fFhdk

As someone who was out there dropping with the boys early on in Erangel but hasn't touched PUBG in years, this trailer is interesting. I?'ve clearly missed a lot.

And while it's easy to underestimate a game like PUBG when you aren't keeping tabs on its community, the game is still big from a global perspective �it's ultimately still a top 10 most active game on Steam based on concurrent player counts. It peaked at 358K players today. (Just so?? we're clear �and you know, this figure completely blows my mind to this day �the game has "sold more than 75 million copies across? PC and consoles.")

"Battlegrounds free-to-play now gives us the opportunity to expand?? our community even more and bring all the thrills of the game to everyone, while providing new friends, faster matchmaking, and let’s be honest, more targets for our existing player base," said Krafton.

So, free-to-play: where does that leave players who paid good money for PUBG?

There are a few moving pieces, but the major change to note is that Ranked Mode will not be accessible to free-to-play players �unless they upgrade. PUBG will have a Basic account with "access to most of the game's features," as well as a Battlegrounds Plus account, which costs $12.99 (unless you already own PUBG) and includes:

• Survival Mastery XP +100% boost
• Career - Medal tab
• Ranked Mode
• Creating and playing a Custom Match.
• Captain's Camo Hat
• Captain's Camo Mask
• Captain's Camo Gloves
• Bonus 1300 G-COIN

Again, if you have PUBG before the January 10 deadline, you don't need to pay for Battlegrounds Plus. The process is a little different between PC, PS4, and Xbox One (especially when it comes to the PlayStation Store's Transition Pack), so it's worth double-checking what you need to do to guarantee access before PUBG goes free-to-play.

On top of that, Krafton is also trying to get the word out with a pre-registration website that includes in-game items and bonuses. There's a friend referral i?ncentive, too.

It's natural to wonder about cheaters whenever a big game is about to become even bigger by opening the free-to-play floodgates. Krafton published a new anti-cheat dev letter that talks about "quietly, yet fiercely, preparing a number of countermeasures to combat cheat programs." That said, anti-cheat??? is "always a never-ending fight."

In terms of new content, "all of our team's focus is on the free-to-play service transition," which has shuffled other things around. "For example, the codename 'Kiki' unfortunately has been postponed to around mid-2022. In addition, as introduced in the Update 1?4.2 Patch Notes, the next Survivor Pass will b??e available to you around March 2022."

Anyone looking to give PUBG another chance? Or maybe a shot, period?

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The studio will have a new early access game next year

The company currently behind PUBG: Battlegrounds has announced that a new studio will be joining its ranks. Krafton has confirmed it will be acquiring Subnautica and Natural Selection developer Unknown Worlds.

This adds another games studio ??to Krafton's lineup, which already includes PUBG Studios, B??luehole Studio, RisingWings, Dreamotion, and Striking Distance Studios. Unknown Worlds will continue to function as an independent studio, with its structure and leadership intact.

"It was immediately apparent how closely Unknown Worlds and Krafton are aligned in the way we think about games and game development," said Unknown Worlds CEO Charlie Cleveland in a press release. "Subnautica and PUBG both started humbly and evolved successfully through constant iteration and feedbac??k. We want to bring new games to the world stage—and with Krafton, we’re a big?? step closer. We’re truly looking forward to our future together."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdix1XxaZyU

Unknown Worlds will continue working on updates for Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero. Today's announceme??nt also confirmed the developer is currently worki?ng on a new "genre-defining" game, which is set to launch in early access next year.

Krafton has been steadily acquiring new projects over the past few years. One very notable one is The Callisto Protocol, which is a sci-fi horror game set in the PUBG universe being developed by Striking Distance Studios by former Dead Space developers.

It also recently rebranded PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, often shorthanded into PUBG, to be PUBG: Battlegrounds.

There's no more information on what Unknown Worlds is working on, or whether it will have similar ties to the PUBG brand. That said, Subnautica is one of those games that? really seems to inspire a lot of fervor in its fans. Their next pr?oject will likely be one to keep an eye on.

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The team will explore systems needed to enable massive scale in open worlds

Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene, the creator of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, announced his departure from PUBG owner Krafton today. The cr??eator is forming a new studio in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Greene's studio, PlayerUnknown Productions, is an independent development studio. Krafton will, however, have a minority stake in the studio. Its site also lists Prologue under its games, at least for the time being. Announced in 2019, Prologue was set to be something else entirely for Greene and his team, and als??o wouldn't have been a ??battle royale.

Greene said?? in a statement that the team is exploring the systems needed to enable massive scale within open-world games. The studio will have more to ?reveal about its upcoming project at a later date.

"I'm so very grateful to everyone at PUBG and Krafton for taking a chance on me and for the opportunities they afforded me over the past four years," said Greene. "Today, I'm excited to take the next step on my journey to create the kind of experience I've envisaged fo?r? years."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lgQtGSliG4

It's interesting to see Greene depart, as PUBG has been steadily building up over the last few years. PUBG Corp recently rebranded PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds to PUBG: Battlegrounds, as part of an effort to establish the PUBG acronym as a brand.

Krafton and PUBG Corp also picked up former Dead Space dev Glen Schofield to head up Striking Distance, which is currently working on its own sci-fi horror game The Callisto Protocol. That game is also set within the PUBG universe.

What Greene's departure means for PUBG remains to be seen, but I'm intere??sted in seeing what his newly independent studio works on. As the battle royale trend has calmed down a bit over time, you have to wonder what exactly PlayerUnknown will look to next.

The post ??PlayerUnknown leaves PUBG owner Krafton t?o form new studio appeared first on Destructoid.

We heard you like Battlegrounds

Of the many battle royales that came and went, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, or PUBG, is easily one of the most recognizable. It helped kic??kstart the whole movement and even today, it's stil??l around and kicking. It's apparently even going for a rebrand.

As spotted by PC Gamer, Krafton recently changed the name of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds on Steam to PUBG: Battlegrounds. So, y'know, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds: Battlegrounds.

When PC Gamer reached out to Krafton to verify the name change, and what it means for the original PUBG acronym, they got this response:

"Krafton is actively expanding the PUBG brand through a variety of new experiences set in its universe. Rebranding PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds to PUBG: Battlegrounds is the first step in us realizing this vision. Additional titles in the franchise will carry the PUBG name, as you see with our upcoming game, PUBG: New State."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bytx9GCxQfE

It might sound wild, but this is the video game industry. The same video gam?e industry that saw Valve and B?lizzard tussling over the Defense of the Ancients name, when that Warcraft III mod wanted to break off on its own, and so coined Dota 2. As PC Gamer notes, H1Z1 also went through a litany of name changes and rebrands. And Fortnite: Battle Royale eventually became Fortnite, with its PvE element taking up the subheading of Fortnite: Save the World.

With the PUBG universe looking to expand with both the aforementioned New State mobile game and the upcoming horror game The Callisto Protocol, a condensed PUBG brand makes sense to me. It would be a little unwieldy to call it PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds every time. But it still led to this beautiful word-collision of double-Battlegrounds magic.

Is there a middle ground? Do we call it PU:BG, or just PUBG, without the Battlegrounds? Or do we just accept that our Battlegrounds are now all the more Battlegrounds-y?

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