Activision Blizzard and Google Sign Esports, Cloud Deals

Activision Blizzard and Google announced today a multi-year strategic relationship to power new player experiences. Google Cloud will serve as the preferred provider for Activision Blizzard’s game hosting infrastructure and YouTube as its exclusive streaming partner worldwide, excluding China, for live broadcasts of its esports leagues and events — including Overwatch League, Call of Duty League, Hearthstone Esports, and more.

Commandos 2 and Praetorians HD Remasters Out Now

Kalypso Media and developers Yippee! Entertainment and Torus Games today launched Commandos 2 – HD Remaster and Praetorians – HD Remaster. The games can be purchased individually on Steam or as a special double pack via the Kalypso Store. Each title contains a full high-definition refurbishment of its Pyro Studios precursor whilst adding revamped tutorials and campaign missions, controller support, as well as an integrated version of Praetorians – HD Remaster’s multiplayer mode.

The console versions of Commandos 2 – HD Remaster and Praetorians – HD Remaster are set to launch in Spring 2020.

Rune Factory 4 Special Coming to Switch on February 25th

XSEED Games today announced that Rune Factory 4 Special will launch February 25th on Nintendo Switch. Rune Factory 4 Special is a remastered version of the RPG simulation released on Nintendo 3DS in 2013. The updated Switch version adds brand new content such as ‘Newlywed Mode,’ self-contained adventures unlocked after marrying the character of your dreams. For the first time, the game also fully supports both Japanese and English audio.

Mosaic Out Now on Switch and Xbox One

Krillbite Studio and Raw Fury today announced that Mosaic is now available on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One.

Mosaic is a surreal adventure game about corporate culture, urban isolation and our warped relationship with modern tech inspired by the monotony of our daily routines and distractions. As a cog in the machine with a repetitive existence in a cold, crowded city, you’ll live out the tedium of everyday life — until something strange and wonderful happens.

Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind DLC is Now Available

Keyblade wielders can jump back into their journey with Sora and friends as the Re Mind DLC for the RPG, Kingdom Hearts III, is now available via digital download on the PlayStation 4. The Re Mind DLC will be available for the Xbox One on February 25th.

In Re Mind, players who have completed Kingdom Hearts III can journey through a new playable episode with Sora as he experiences battles through his friends’ perspective and uncovers new truths along the way. Players can also take on multiple boss battles, including 13 boss battles in the Limitcut episode and a boss battle in the Secret Episode, experience the new Data Greeting mode, and try the slideshow features and a new “Premium Menu” mode that includes diverse difficulty settings and gameplay challenges.

Project xCloud (Preview) Comes to Canada

Today, Microsoft announced that the Project xCloud (Preview) will expand to Canada, inviting even more players to participate and enjoy more than 50 games, including new titles such as Destiny 2, Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Civilization VI. Project xCloud preview will begin in Canada on January 29th, and those interested in joining should register here starting now.

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.