After recently announcing their partnership, Nordic Games and Cliffhanger Productions have now fixed an April 28th launch date for their tactical turn-based RPG Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown. The game will be available for PC in retail stores and on various digital platforms.

Square Enix today announced that it will be releasing Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster for the PlayStation 4 on May 12th. This new North American version will include system-exclusive features and a special pre-order bonus item: an exclusive calendar featuring artwork by the artist, Yoshitaka Amano, available at participating retailers and the Square Enix Online Store.

Epic Games announced today that Unreal Engine 4 is now available to everyone for free, and all future updates will be free.

Anyone can download the engine and use it for everything from game development, education, architecture, and visualization to VR, film and animation. When shipping a game or application, developers pay a 5% royalty on gross revenue after the first $3,000 per product, per quarter. Epic succeeds only when creators succeed.

This is the complete technology Epic uses to build their own games. Unreal Engine 4 scales from indie projects to high-end blockbusters; it supports major platforms; and, it includes 100% of the C++ source code. Epic’s goal is to give developers everything, so they can do anything and be in control of their own schedule and their own destiny. Whatever is required to build and ship a game can be found in UE4, sourced in the Marketplace, or built and shared it with others.

Tactical Simulations Interactive (TSI) today unveiled Gateway, a system that allows players to transfer their favorite characters across supported RPGs. The initiative will be rolled out in TSI’s debut title, Seven Dragon Saga – an original fantasy RPG for PC based upon an original pen and paper role-playing system designed by former Strategic Simulations Interactive (SSI) alumni Keith Brors and David Shelley. Developers inXile (Torment: Tides of Numenera) and Harebrained Schemes (Shadowrun:Hong Kong) have also announced support for Gateway, with more set to sign on in the coming months.

With Gateway, TSI is inviting RPG developers to take part in an initiative that hearkens back to the days of classic RPGs like The Bard’s Tale, Ultima and Wizardry — a time when players could fully transfer their characters and parties into different games, without having to create them from scratch for each game.

Harmonix has released a new trailer for Amplitude, a reboot of the 2003 cult classic music game coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 in 2015.

ASTRO Gaming today announced support for the launch of Battlefield Hardline with three sets of speaker tags designed for its ASTRO A40 Pro-Gaming Headsets. Developed alongside EA and developer Visceral Games, the ASTRO Gaming Battlefield Hardline speaker tags will feature artwork taken directly from the game.

The three sets of ASTRO Gaming Battlefield Hardline speaker tags, including Class, Faction and Hardline will be made available exclusively, as follows:

• Battlefield Hardline CLASS Speaker Tags sold exclusively at Amazon (www.amazon.com)
• Battlefield Hardline FACTION Speaker Tags sold exclusively at ASTRO Gaming (www.astrogaming.com)
• Battlefield Hardline HARDLINE Speaker Tags will be sold exclusively at The Penny Arcade Expo East (ASTRO Gaming Booth #6124) in Boston, March 6-8.

The three sets including Class, Faction and Hardline are fully compatible with existing ASTRO Gaming A40 Pro-Gaming Headsets and can be purchased individually for $24.99 each. Bundles including the latest A40 Headsets with Battlefield Hardline speaker tags are also available for $160 and $260, respectively.

Interceptor Entertainment and 3D Realms today announced Bombshell, an isometric action role-playing game set for release on PC and consoles.

Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison is a bomb technician turned mercenary for hire. Shelly lost her arm and her squad after failing to disarm an otherworldly bomb in what became known as “The Washington Incident.” Held responsible for the explosion, Shelly was discharged from the Global Defence Force and later approached by a private military contractor with the promise of a second chance: an arm constructed from technological remnants found in the wake of the incident.

Follow Bombshell’s quest for redemption as she fights through surreal alien worlds to rescue the President and save Earth using a growing array of special skills. With her own tech­tree upgrades, destructive weaponry and combat abilities, Bombshell and her countless arm configurations make her the perfect soldier to stop the Kyrr, an evil alien race lead by diabolical scientist­ turned­-madman Jadus Heskel.

Team17 today announced their partnership with Bulgarian indie studio Ivent Games. Together they will release the 3D brawler Strength of the Sword: Ultimate on PC and other platforms yet to be confirmed.

Hi-Rez Studios has released a new developer diary to welcome SMITE and MOBA newcomers on Xbox One.

As the online Battleground of the Gods, featuring over 60 playable deities, SMITE includes a pantheon of cooperative and competitive game modes to play alone or with friends:

• Arena (5v5) – SMITE’s take on Team Deathmatch. Go online, or load up some bots for local or co-op play.
• Conquest (5v5) – Classic MOBA gameplay. Three lanes, minions, towers and a titan boss fight.
• Joust (1v1 to 3v3) – One-lane, head-to-head competition. Quick, brutal and fun.
• Siege (4v4) – Two-lane combat fueled by colossal siege monsters that either team can summon.
• Assault (5v5) – All Gods are picked randomly before duking it out in one giant lane of chaos.

There’s also the Match of the Day, which mixes the daily challenge up in different ways, as well as practice, tutorial and co-op modes for those just getting started.

SMITE, currently in Season 2 on PC, will enter closed alpha testing on Xbox One on March 11th to prepare for its official release. To sign up for the upcoming closed beta, coming to Xbox One this spring, visit www.SmiteGame.com/Xbox.

Visceral Games today announced Battlefield Hardline Premium, an exclusive membership program delivering new content and early access to Battlefield Hardline fans all year long. Battlefield Hardline Premium members will enjoy four super features – Masks, Gun Bench, Competitive Play, and Legendary Status – as well as two weeks early access to four story-themed digital expansion packs. In addition, members will receive monthly rewards and access to exclusive in-game events and items.

Battlefield Hardline Premium membership includes:

• Four super features:
  • Masks – New player masks with unique gameplay benefits tied to the theme of each mask.
  • Gun Bench – Provides players with the ability to visually customize their weapons and track their kills per weapon.
  • Competitive Play – Support for competitive play through Battlefield Hardline Premium-access only tournaments and ladders.
  • Legendary Status – Provides replayability of the entire progression system.

• Four digital expansion packs featuring new multiplayer maps, modes, vehicles, in-game content and a story themed throughout all four:
  • Battlefield Hardline: Criminal Activity – Players have to make a name for themselves in fast-paced, highly-destructible new maps littered with small-time crime jobs. Available summer 2015.
  • Battlefield Hardline: Robbery – Take down the opposition head on and progress through key locations with major cinematic action. Available summer 2015.
  • Battlefield Hardline: Getaway – This is frantic, high-speed chases that immerse players deeper in the heist. Available fall 2015.
  • Battlefield Hardline: Betrayal – There is a rat in every operation and players will have to find out who to trust. Available winter early 2016.

• Two weeks early access to all expansion packs
• 12 Gold Battlepacks
• New personalization options including gun camos, ammo skins, and more Battlefield Hardline Premium exclusive in-game items
• Access to double-XP, in-game missions, and more Battlefield Hardline Premium exclusive events
• Priority position in server queues