PUBG Season 6 is Live

PUBG Corporation today announced that Season 6 and Survivor Pass: Shakedown are now live. The update includes a brand new 2×2 map, Karakin, which introduces breach points on buildings, sticky bombs, penetrable walls to shoot through, and the Black Zone, which takes away the safety of buildings by destroying them utterly.

Update 6.1 is now live on PC servers and will be arriving on console January 30th.

Focus Home Interactive and Blackbird Interactive Partner on New Game

Publisher Focus Home Interactive today announced their partnership with Blackbird Interactive, creators of Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak and the upcoming Homeworld 3, on a new project. Set in an original IP, the upcoming game will be unveiled at PAX East next month and released later this year.

Tencent Seeks to Acquire Full Ownership of Funcom

Tencent today announced a voluntary cash offer to acquire all shares in Norwegian game developer Funcom. Tencent is a shareholder in many leading gaming developers, such as Riot Games, Epic, Supercell, Ubisoft, Paradox and Frontier. The company already owns close to 29% of the shares in Funcom. Following the intended acquisition, there are no planned changes to Funcom management, staffing, or structure, with the company set to remain an independent business. Funcom are currently developing an open world multiplayer survival game based on Frank Herbert’s Dune.

Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost ON Announced

Bandai Namco today announced that Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost ON will officially be coming to the Americas for the first time on PlayStation 4. The 2-on-2 Extreme Vs. fighting game was originally released exclusively for Japanese arcades in 2010.

Set in the Gundam universe, Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost ON enables players to take 2-on-2 PVP combat to the next level with Mobile Suits spanning the entire breadth of the franchise’s history. In total, the game features 183 playable units from 36 different Gundam iterations, each with unique abilities designed to match any fan’s personal playstyle. Players can choose between three different EX Burst Systems – Fighting Burst, Extend Burst and Shooting Burst – to coordinate with allies and lay waste to all that stand – or fly – in their way.

ScourgeBringer Hits Steam Early Access on February 6th

French developer Flying Oak Games, composer Joonas Turner and publisher Dear Villagers announced today that the fast-paced rogue-platformer ScourgeBringer hits Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Pass for PC on February 6th ahead of its full launch on PC and consoles later this year.

Disintegration – Technical Beta Trailer

Private Division and V1 Interactive today revealed a new trailer for Disintegration, which spotlights next week’s multiplayer technical beta. The closed beta for the new first-person shooter will begin on January 28th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC via Steam.

The open beta will run shortly after, starting on January 31st and running through February 1st. Both betas will allow players to test two of the three multiplayer game modes that will be available in the full game at launch.

Trials of Mana – Character Spotlight Trailer: Hawkeye & Riesz

Square Enix today revealed the final character introduction trailer for Trials of Mana, showcasing two more of its playable cast of six unique heroes. Hawkeye is a laidback and charming young man hailing from the desert fortress of Nevarl, home to a guild of noble thieves, while Riesz is a young princess from the mountainous kingdom of Laurent and captain of the renowned Amazon guard, with an iron will and kind heart.

Trials of Mana will be available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Steam on April 24th.

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions Announced

Bandai Namco today announced that Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions will be making its return to consoles in the Americas for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. Based on the works of series creator, Yoichi Takahashi, the game chronicles the athletic exploits of Tsubasa Ozora and the glory and success his teammates experience under his leadership.

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions immerses players in an anime portrayal of the world of professional soccer. Players will be able to execute an array of offensive and defensive super moves as they battle powerful soccer teams. The game will feature multiple gameplay modes including Story Modes, Versus Mode, and Online Versus Mode.

Dying Light 2 Delayed Indefinitely

Today, in a letter to the community, Techland announced that Dying Light 2 has been delayed indefinitely from its original launch window of Spring 2020.

“We were initially aiming for a Spring 2020 release with Dying Light 2, but unfortunately we need more development time to fulfill our vision. We will have more details to share in the coming months, and will get back to you as soon as we have more information. We apologize for this unwelcome news. Our priority is to deliver an experience that lives up to our own high standards and to the expectations of you, our fans.”

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Console and PC Post-Launch Content Plans

Capcom today released a roadmap for upcoming free Monster Hunter World: Iceborne post-launch content updates for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam. In addition, Capcom has also confirmed that the timing for subsequent major Iceborne content updates on PC and console will sync starting in April 2020.

Following the recent PC release of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, title updates for PC will begin in February. The free content will include monsters for players to conquer, expanded gameplay features, limited time events and more. The centerpiece of the first PC title update on February 6 is the Rajang, the fan-favorite monster that offers a challenge for even the most seasoned hunters. A new Volcanic Region will be added to the end-game Guiding Lands, and becomes accessible once players have started the special assignment quest to battle Rajang. Popular survival horror icons Leon, Claire and Tyrant also pay a visit to Iceborne for the limited time Raccoon City collaboration, where hunters can acquire materials to craft Leon α+ and Claire α+ full armor sets plus three Raccoon City themed pendants to spruce up their weapons. The first title update also brings the ability to visit other players’ rooms, and limited time quests that provide materials to forge the Hunter Weapon and Palico armor + weapon from the Iceborne Design Contest winners. Paid DLC options for room décor have also been added for those that wish to spruce up their place even more for guests.

On March 12, the second PC title update will star Stygian Zinogre, a more vicious subspecies of the Zinogre, that harnesses dragon elemental damage instead of lightning this time around. A new Tundra Region will expand the Guiding Lands further with a snowy landscape that’s home to monsters such as Barioth and Viper Tobi-Kadachi. As an added incentive, special materials exclusive to the Tundra Region can be used to further customize and upgrade weapons. Hardened PC hunters will also be able to attempt the challenging Safi’jiiva Siege to earn an arsenal of new Awakened weapons and craft powerful armor sets.

From February through March, console players receive new limited time event quests that increase the odds of encountering gold crown monsters, decorations, and Great Spiritvein Gems while maximizing their rank. A subsequent major title update brings two additional variant monsters to Iceborne, which will be available for console players in March and in April for PC. Later in April marks the beginning of major content updates for both PC and console being released on the same schedule. New Arch-Tempered and Master Rank versions of existing monsters will be available at the same time for both PC and console players, followed by the return of a fan-favorite monster in May. More synced updates and additional monsters will be available in June and beyond, with details coming at a later date.