The last game we got in the Doom series was 2020's Eternal. A fine game it was a?s well (though I personally prefer the 2016 entry). Given that it's only been four years then, one would hardly expect a new installment so soon. We know how long AAA titles take to develop in this climate. However, something may be on?? the horizon soon.

Back in January of this year, ZeniMax Media registered a trademark that many interpreted as being Doom related. The trademark itself was given the title "IDKFA," a well-known reference to a cheat code from the earlier games. Given this, many have assumed that this has to be in relation to an upcoming game.

The Verge's Tom Warren also teased a Doom may be on the way in a recent write-up on what's happening inside Microsoft and Xbox right now. "Microsoft will be banking on some new game announcements lifting the Doom around Xbox," Warren writes. Eurogamer also reports that it's heard similar things.

We have so few details about this speculation that I'm surprised I'm able to fill the required word count for this article (though I do waffle sometimes). As such, it can't be said what ZeniMax has planned. All we can do is play the Speculation Game based on what people strongly suspect, given the Doom reference.

Could an announcement be made soon?

Not long ago, the Xbox Showcase for 2024 was announced, which will be going ahead on June 9. This will be a chance for a lot of Xbox-related content to be shown off and teased. Seeing as id Software �the studio behind Doom �is part of this business umbrella, there's every possibility a new game in the iconic series could be an??nounced.

I'm spit-balling, of course. None of the official Twitter/X accounts from the likes of id, Bethesda, Xbox or even the Doom profile itself mention any kind of announcement i??nbound. Makes sense if they want to kee??p it schtum, though.

We don't even know if id Software will be the developer of any future Doom games. I mean, it would seem likel??y, given the studio has been making them since 1993 (albeit not with the sam?e people onboard). But as I say, these are just rumors, so we'll hopefully know more either during or just before the Xbox Showcase goes live.

The showcase will be an important moment for Xbox either way, as the company faces scrutiny for its recent closure of several studios, including Arkane Austin and Tango GameWorks. This summer's stream will show what road Xbox has ahead without the makers of Prey and Hi-Fi Rush on-board.

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[Update: According to a statement made to IGN, the disput?e between Take-Two and Rem??edy was "resolved amicably late last year."

According to IGN, Remedy said, "Unfortunately, it took a little longer to complete than we had hoped due to some holiday scheduling. The legal filing was simply an initia??l formality, and Remedy and Take-Two continue to work together in partnership."

Yeah, I mean, considering Rockstar is reportedly remaking the first two Max Payne games alongside Remedy, you would certainly hope th?at they could come to some sort of agreement. Our original story follows.]

As reported by RespawnFirst, Take-Two, the parent company of Rockstar Games, has filed a trademark dispute against Remedy Entertainment over the latte??r’s new logo.

The application was made in April 2023, shortly after Remedy revealed their new logo, and appears to still be ongoing as of writing. It currently looks like Take-Two has not followed through with a lawsuit, and it’s unclear if they have any intention of doing so. It seems more like Take-T??wo is trying to pre-emptively protect their claim to, uh�the capital R.

Take-Two has been aggressive in protecting its trademarks in the past, including over the use of the letter R in a logo and merely the word �a href="//tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn97482049&docId=DRW20220702114650&linkId=15#docIndex=14&page=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rock Star.�This kind of stands out since it’s against the developer of Alan Wake 2, which won many awards last year and is i?n the public consciousness.

Another notable example of this is the 2021 co-op title, It Takes Two. The developer of that game had to drop their trademark on the name after Take-Two disputed its use of the words “Take(s) Two�

It’s also, in my opinion, ridiculous. The logos aren’t really that similar. They both feature a long capital R, and that’s about it. The fonts are different, they’re stylized in different ways, and the Rockstar logo has a star on it. I’m more likely to get Rockstar confused with Rockstar Energy Drinks, which apparently are unrelated. But then, Take-Two sometimes waves the trademark stick at PepsiCo, as well.

Again, this application ma?y not go anywhere, but R?emedy still has to oppose it if they want to maintain the trademark on their logo.

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Feeling Catty

Capcom has quietly issued a brand new trademark for the unannounced title Monster Hunter Puzzles: Felyne Islands, suggesting that the Japan-only PSP release, Airu de Puzzle, may be getting dusted off for ??an all-new worldwide release. The? trademark was filed with multiple international licensors.

As noted by Gematsu, Airu de Puzzle is a cute, block puzzle title that launched on PlayStation Portable (PSP) way back in 2012). The fun handheld title has players battle it out in typical block-busting action, championed by the adorable feline friends of the Monster Hunter franchise. The backstory sees the characters, (and even some of the monsters), of Airu village gather together?? for an exciting puzzle festival, which will also, conve??niently, provide plenty of the mythical energy to bring prosperity back to the island.

You can check out the or??iginal trailer for the PSP release? below.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v??=UkjSRmqcnGU&ab_channel?=CapcomChannel

Now, to be clear, this is just hearsay, but the new title of Felyne Islands sure sounds like a localization of the 2012 release, unless Capcom is planning to build a brand-new title from scratch. Given the newfound love of Monster Hunter on a global scale, it would make sense that the developer might simply be mining its back catalog for timeless titles that would most certainly sell in 2023, perhaps when afforded just a little HD polish. Either way, we'll be sure to give you the heads-up when Felyne Isles is officially announced, ?in whatever form it eventually presents itself.

Capcom trademarks Monster Hunter Puzzles: Felyne I?sles worldwide [Gematsu]

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The Steam store page has also disappeared

Zombie survival MMO The Day Before was due to launch fairly soon. But now its developer Fntastic has pushed the launch back into November and delayed a ga?meplay showcase, citing concerns over the trademark of the name.

In a statement from the developer, Fntastic says that Steam has blocked The Day Before's page at the request of a "private individual" because of the game's name, The Day Before. Fntastic claims that sometime after The Day Before was announced, someone filed an application to register the trademark for The Day Before in the United States, linked here.

Fntastic and publisher Mytona claim they were not aware of this, and only found out on ?Januar??y 19, when they received a complaint from the trademark holder.

"As a result, we have made the difficult decision to postpone launch to November 10, 2023," the statement reads. "We understand this may disappoint many of our fans, however we ??want to ensure we release the best possible game. Our 100% focus remains on?? the game itself and how to deliver you the best game possible."

Additionally, the gameplay video meant to arrive later this month has been indefinitely pushed back. "For the gameplay video, we will consult with lawyers first, and then we can publish it," said the developer.

//twitter.co??m/FntasticHQ/st??atus/1618113906878337024

The days before it all happened

The Day Before had been fairly popular in the overall Steam wishlist charts. However, it's also run into some controversy. Developer Fntastic was pressed over its use of volunteer work.

"Anyone who is open to life can become a volunteer with Fntastic, and there are two types of volunteers," the developer said in a statement to Eurogamer. "Today we have over 100 full-time internal volunteers (employees) from Singapore, Russia, the Netherlands, Thailand, Ukraine, Finland, Kazakhstan, and Belarus who w??ork as engineers, artists, HR professionals, etc. We ??also have 40 external US and worldwide volunteers (supporters) who help with testing and reviewing our products at a very early stage."

The Day Before is now aiming for a November 10 launch date.

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Fans believe .hack collection is in the works

Bandai Namco, the mighty publisher behind some of Japan's biggest-selling game franchise, is seemingly looking to add to its catalog of IPs, having quietly registered a brand new trademark for something called "Last Recollection." The trademark was filed in Europe and Japan on April 1.

As noted by Gematsu, there are little to no details pertaining to Last Recollection, including whether we are looking at a brand new franchise, a sequel, or a remaster or collection. Readers on Resetera are of the opinion that the title relates to an as-yet-unannounced collection of games pulled from the niche JRPG fr??anchise .hack, though is purely speculation on their part.

While the most recent titles in the virtual world-diving adventure series were previously bunded together for modern platforms, the original tetralogy (.hack//Infection, .hack//Mutation, .hack//Outbreak, and .hack//Quarantine), has only been released on PS2, and is thus ripe for a modern compilation or even a full remaster. Just be sure to hold your horses, .hack fans, as this is purely the excited whispering of the fan communities... For ??now.

We'll be sure to give you a heads up when Last Recollection is ready to reveal its secrets.

Bandai Namco trademarks Last Recollection in ?Europe, ??Japan [Gematsu]

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Carnival of Terror

Supermassive Games has already won over a crypt full of horror game fans with its super-creepy anthology series The Dark Pictures �And it seems that the fun is only just beginning, as the studio has filed trademarks for ??further potential entries in its grim library of frightening features.

Yesterday, on the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), five new listings appeared for as-yet-unannounced titles in The Dark Pictures anthology. While it should be made clear that this does not necessarily guarantee that all five games will be developed and published, it is a clear sign that Supermassive is far from finished ??with its spooky-ook??y franchise.

The five trademarked titles are as follows:

• The Dark Pictures: The Craven Man
• The Dark Pictures Presents: O Death
• The Dark Pictures: Directive 8020
• The Dark Pictures: Intercession
• The Dark Pictures: Winterfold

The new games, if any, will join previous Supermassive releases The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan (2019), The Dark Pictures: Little Hope (2020), and The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes (2021). While th??e titles are perhaps not the most non-linear of video?? games, they have won over horror fans with their intriguing stories, varied settings, and tense, branching gameplay.

The Dark Pictures is essentially a digital ghost train, one that many will continue to purchase tickets for. It would behoove Supermassive Games to continue the series while it remains profitable. If you want to get up to speed, then The Dark Pictures trilogy is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbo?x platforms.

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It takes one to create a messy situation

Hazelight, the developer of co-op adventure game It Takes Two, is facing a trademark claim from Take-Two. Eurogamer reports that the game was the target of a ??trademark claim from Take-Two, and has had to abandon its trademark.

Records show Hazelight's abandonment of the It Takes Two trademark. It was reportedly struck with a claim earlier this year when it launched, and has since had to let the trademark go.

A spokesperson for Hazelight told Eurogamer that the studio cannot comment on ongoing disputes, but the team remains "hopeful it will be resolved." The studio didn't comment on how this has affected its ability to market It Takes Two, or how it affec??ts any plans to rename the game or any potential sequels.

We reached out to Take-Two, but they decl??????????????????????????ined to comment on the matte?r.

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

Take-Two has recently been going after a number of disputes. So, at least It Takes Two has company. The co-op marriage repair simulator has otherwise been having a good year, too. It was well-received on release and is even up for the Game of the Year award at next week's Game Awards. Josef Fares and the team at Hazelight previously worked on the co-op prison escape A Way Out, so the team has really cemented its place?? in the co-op pantheon at this point.

Hopefully this trademark dispute with Take-Two is a blip in the pan for Hazelight. Though I'd expect their next game won't contain any words or phrases like Rock, Star, Pain, Max, or anything of that nature. Lawyer Richard Hoeg did a tweet thread on the matter and Take-Two's broade?r copyright claims, saying he suspects that Hazelight will rely on copyright moving forward.

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