Over the past 18 months, Embracer Group has been scrambling to to fix its financial situation by shutting down studios, selling off others and cancelling various projects in a quest to find more commercially viable games. TimeSplitters, which has a cult following, was cancelled, and a similarly popular IP, Red Faction, had a similar cancellation in the past year. 

According to Rock Paper Shotgun, a new Red Faction game had been pitched and approved at Embracer before all of the financial issues came to light. The game, which was planned to follow in the footsteps of Red Faction: Guerrilla, but was scrapped in late 2023.

It is claimed that the team at Fishlabs was working on the game under the codename ‘Project White', and they brought in cosplay and a  trailer to represent the visual target for the game in an effort to sway executives into keeping the project alive. Unfortunately, the vote was split amongst executives and rather than obtaining a budget, Fishlabs' management was instead told to let go of any employees not currently attached to a greenlit project.

The new game would have been set 100 years after the events of Red Faction: Guerrilla. At this stage, it is unclear if Red Faction holds enough potential commercial value for Embracer to invest in a new game in the series. Currently, we're also wondering about the futures of other IP like Deus Ex, TimeSplitters, Saints Row and others.

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KitGuru Says: I had a lot of fun with the Red Faction games when I was younger but I'm not sure I would be there day-one if a new game was made today. Have you played any of the Red Faction games? Would you like to see a new entry into the series? 

Ubisoft announced plans to re-release Beyond Good & Evil again with a new 20th Anniversary Edition that includes some hints at what's to come in the long awaited sequel, Beyond Good & Evil 2. Now after much waiting for a release date announcement, Ubisoft has finally confirmed that the new remaster will finally drop this week. 

Beyond Good & Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition is launching on the 25th of June. The original game released in November 2003, so Ubisoft had just a few months left to get this remaster out without having to rename it. A 21st Anniversary Edition doesn't roll off the tongue quite as well. Below you can find the launch trailer, giving a little peek at what fans can expect from this new version of the game.

This is not a remake, so the game still looks like an early 3D adventure game, rather than a modern graphics showpiece. However, the cartoony art style can hide a lot of flaws and do look crisper at higher resolutions. This remaster will run at 4K/60FPS on current-gen consoles, while PC players will be able to push resolutions and frame rates as high as their hardware will allow.

Beyond Good & Evil 2 is still in development at Ubisoft but it has faced multiple setbacks since its announcement in 2017. For some reason, the game is still available for pre-order for Xbox One and PS4 consoles through retailers like Amazon, despite the fact that the game is almost assuredly not going to release on those platforms at this point. The new remaster for the original game includes a newly implemented ‘narrative link' between the first game and its upcoming sequel, so hopefully that is a sign that the plan for Beyond Good & Evil 2 is now set in stone.

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KitGuru Says: Are you planning on revisiting Beyond Good and Evil with the new remaster? 

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree finally dropped last week after a lengthy waiting period for fans. The expansion has already received a ton of praise from critics, in part due to its sheer scope, and in part due to the inventive new bosses. Elden Ring soared in player numbers over the weekend, surpassing 750,000 concurrent players. However, not everyone is happy with the new content judging by the Steam reviews. 

The Elden Ring expansion saw hundreds of thousands of gamers jumping back in to the game on Steam. Over the launch weekend, the game hit a new 24-hour peak of 765,984 players a little lower than the game's all-time high of 950,000 concurrent players during the game's original launch in 2022.

While many are playing the game, and the expansion went on to become one of the highest-rated games of the year based on critic reviews, the game's Steam reviews have dropped to Mixed. Based on just over 34,000 user reviews, players are calling out the DLC as being ‘unfairly difficult', which is somewhat funny to see, given that From Software has built its reputation on creating difficult games that you can't just breeze in one sitting.

One common point of pushback I've seen to these negative reviews is that players aren't utilising the tools available to them properly. Some of these players are trying to get through the game without using advantageous items like Scadutree fragments, which is a new upgrade material that will enhance your offensive and defensive stats. Others are also avoiding using summons to help out in boss fights. The game might be difficult, but we can't exactly say that From Software hasn't provided tools and mechanics for players to make things easier on themselves.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru Says: What do you think of the new Elden Ring DLC? Is it too difficult? 

Last year, Shinji Mikami left Tango Gameworks, more than a decade on from founding the studio. Less than one year on from his departure, Microsoft announced that it was shutting the studio down. Now, it seams that Mikami's departure may have had more to do with the shut down than expected.

Everyone was confused when Microsoft announced it was shutting down Tango Gameworks. The studio was its only foothold in the Japanese market, and it had just shipped a hit game, Hi-Fi Rush, the year before. However, Shinji Mikami and his protege, who directed Ghostwire Tokyo, Ikumi Nakamura, both departed the studio. Xbox's head of Game Studios, Matt Booty, has alluded to these high profile departures being part of the decision to close down Tango Gameworks.

As spotted by Eurogamer, Booty was interviewed by Variety for the Strictly Business Podcast. Without giving away any “nitty gritty details”, Booty said: “I think the thing to be considered is that for us, it's as much a forward-looking situation as much as it is looking back at one certain game… There are a lot of things that go into success for a game. What leadership do you have? What creative leadership do you have? Is the team the same team that shipped something successful previously?”

Booty said Microsoft has to look at those things and decide if they are “set up for success” going forward. The implication here is that Tango Gameworks was not set up for future success. For whatever reason, Microsoft had a lack of faith in the remaining team at Tango Gameworks and rather than trying to juice up the studio with new hires, it instead decided to cut costs.

I think it is also worth noting that Japan is a bit of a tough market right now, as the Japanese Yen has tanked in value. That may also have played a role in Microsoft's decision to scale back on its Japanese studio ambitions for now, while their economy recovers.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Tango Gameworks shutting down was a shock but with Microsoft's reputation in Japan, and Xbox's low fan base in the region, it is unclear if Microsoft would have been able to draw in top Japanese talent to lead the studio after Mikami's departure.

We had hoped that when Sony announced the PlayStation VR2, it would use some of its first-party development resources to deliver more impressive VR games. Instead, we got Horizon: Call of the Mountain, which was… not great. Now, it seems Sony has ‘scaled back' its VR efforts, according to a new report.

A source speaking with Android Central has claimed that Sony is cutting funding for VR projects. Apparently there are going to be ‘very few opportunities' for VR development at Sony's studios moving forward. Sony itself also recently shut down one of its UK studios, which primarily worked on VR.

It is unclear of this means we'll also see less funding for exclusive games, like Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 4 Remake, which are only playable in VR mode on PS5, cutting out other platforms like PC VR.

This follows on from reports that PlayStation VR2 headsets have not been selling well, missing Sony's ambitious sales projections significantly at launch.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Sony has been known to lose interest in devices. It happened with the PS Vita, the original PSVR didn't get a whole lot of first-party love and now, if this rumour is true, it appears that PS VR2 will be in a similar boat, relying primarily on third-party developers.

Ubisoft's new shooter, XDefiant, officially launched in May and quickly drew in some players after some initial server issues. The game appears to be doing well, but fans have been asking for more game modes. In particular, the game's lack of Team Deathmatch mode has raised some eyebrows. Fortunately, as of today, XDefiant now has Team Deathmatch. 

Team Deathmatch is a staple of the multiplayer shooter genre. The idea is simple, you put together two teams on opposing sides and you let them fight it out, all while working together and communicating to win rounds. In XDefiant, the two current modes, Escort and Domination, encourage a fast-paced style of play, so it will be interesting to see if Team Deathmatch ends up being a bit more tactical.

What has two words, no objectives, and has been a frequent community request for many moons?

Jump into Team Deathmatch this Friday, June 21st at 10AM PT. pic.twitter.com/QV4gTeK6dy

— XDefiant (@PlayXDefiant) June 18, 2024

The XDefiant team made the surprise announcement that Team Deathmatch would be coming to the game earlier this week, confirming that the update will drop today, June 21st. If you have XDefiant installed, the update should be waiting for you to download by 6PM tonight (UK time).

XDefiant was billed as Ubisoft's competitor to Call of Duty and during its beta tests last year, a lot of players believed it could overthrow COD multiplayer in an off year for the long-running franchise. However, the game was hit by multiple delays, pushing it well out of its original late 2023 release window. The game is available now on PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5 as a free-to-play title. If you want something purely tactical, then Ubisoft's other shooter, Rainbow Six Siege, is still going strong to this day and is continuing to get new updates.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have you been playing much XDefiant since it launched last month? Will you be diving in this weekend to check out the new Team Deathmatch mode? 

Despite Black Myth Wukong being announced for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC since its initial reveal, this month, we learned that the game would not actually be available on Xbox at launch. This immediately kicked off rumours that the developers were struggling to get the game running on Xbox Series S. However, a new statement indicates that the real issue here is that the publisher behind the game has signed a late timed exclusivity deal.

In a statement sent to Windows Central, a Microsoft spokesperson said: “We’re excited for the launch of Black Myth Wukong on Xbox Series X|S and are working with Game Science to bring the game to our platforms. We can't comment on the deals made by our partners with other platform holders, but we remain focused on making Xbox the best platform for gamers, and great games are at the center of that.”

We don't know if Microsoft has knowledge of a new exclusivity deal between Sony and Game Science, the developers behind the game. However, based on that statement, it seems that it is their belief that an exclusivity deal has been signed. If true, then Game Science' comment on the Xbox delay could appear a little shady.

In the studio's own statement announcing the delay, it stated that it is now “optimising” the Xbox version of the game but that it won't be ready in time for launch. This led to renewed rumours that the Xbox Series S is ‘holding games back'. If the real reason behind the delay is actually a PlayStation exclusivity deal, then Game Science should really confirm that to clear things up.

Game Science has not yet responded to Microsoft's new statement on Black Myth Wukong and its status.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: We've seen a lot of current-gen games running fairly well on the Steam Deck, albeit with extremely dialled back graphics settings. With that in mind, I find it difficult to believe that the Series S is truly an issue, but Microsoft should be more flexible when it comes to feature parity between its two consoles. If it went in that direction from the beginning, maybe Halo Infinite's co-op plans wouldn't have been scrapped.

In recent weeks, a game simply titled ‘Banana’ has been topping the Steam charts and accruing hundreds of thousands of concurrent players. The game is simple, it shows a banana on the screen and all you do is click it as many times as you feel like. The game is clearly being used by bot farmers to try and cash out via the Steam marketplace. However, the developers behind Banana claim the title isn’t a ‘scam’.

On the game’s official Discord server, one of the co-owners of the studio said there is “no scamming” going on with Banana. In fact, the team apparently has plans to turn it into more than just a simple clicker game. “We cannot wait to turn this game into something bigger and better than just a clicker game. Please stay on the lookout as we have been and still are working on a large amount of updates to improve the game and let you all do much more with your bananas,” the developer wrote.

Currently, Banana is one of the top ten most played games in Steam’s history, which is quite an achievement for the biggest PC gaming platform. However, sleuths eventually discovered that one of the people involved in the game was previously involved in a Bitcoin scam, back when Steam allowed Bitcoin transactions on its store.

The game also has a known bot problem, something the developers are being open about. However, they have not yet figured out a way to put a stop to bot farms, which are using thousands of alternative accounts to try and earn skin drops in bulk. Those skins can then be sold on the Steam Marketplace. When a skin is sold on the Steam marketplace, Valve takes a cut, the seller takes a cut and the game developer also gets a cut, so there has been doubt around how motivated the team really is to address it.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Crypto scams have been prevalent for a long time now, and we've started to see some of those ideas applied in the world of video games. In recent years, some developers have announced games with fake trailers or images, built up hype around the project and then quickly shut down operations. Given how this game is being utilised as a Steam Market engine, I don't blame anyone for thinking that perhaps this little Banana clicker falls into a similar boat. 

If you were planning on jumping into Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree today on your Steam Deck, then you may want to hold off for a few days. From Software has confirmed that the new expansion has introduced a bug on Steam Deck, leading to unresponsive controls.

Elden Ring is one of those games where you absolutely do not want any latency spikes or controller hiccups to take place, as gameplay is based on well-timed attacks and dodge rolls. If you are playing the game on Steam Deck, you may encounter some frustrations after the most recent patch, but From Software is working to address the issue.

Speaking on the issue, From Software shared the following message: “Note: a Steam Deck related issue has been identified and a hotfix is being worked on. Leaving your Steam Deck inactive for more than 5 minutes may stop the game from accepting inputs. We apologize for inconvenience. The date and time of the hotfix will be announced separately.”

In the thread, other users are also encountering an issue where the game is unable to start in online mode, but others have said that verifying the game files through Steam can fix this.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Are you jumping into Shadow of the Erdtree this weekend?

Earlier this week, a hacking group claimed to have breached AMD, stealing employee and customer information, as well as other sensitive documents, source code and more. The veracity of these claims has yet to be verified, but AMD has confirmed it is investigating.

The group ‘IntelBroker', which has previously targeted the likes of Barclays and the LA International Airport, has claimed to have breached AMD's systems and made off with a ton of sensitive information relating to future products, code, employee and customer details, internal communications, ROMs, firmware and more – basically, all the trade secrets you don't want getting out. The group is now trying to sell this data online.

In a statement sent to Bloomberg, AMD confirmed that it is investigating the claimed breach, saying: “We are aware of a cybercriminal organization claiming to be in possession of stolen AMD data. We are working closely with law enforcement officials and a third-party hosting partner to investigate the claim and the significance of the data.”

A sample of the stolen data has been shared on BreachForums in an effort to get bidders interested, so it does appear that this breach may be legitimate, but we've seen fake ransom attempts in the past, so we'll have to wait and see how the investigation plays out.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Unfortunately, these cyberattacks are quite common. Back in 2022, Nvidia went through something similar, leading to a number of leaks about upcoming products, as well as sensitive information like employee credentials. AMD is investigating, so we'll keep an eye out for further updates.

Today, Razer is launching the latest version of the DeathAdder mouse. The new DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed retains the same ergonomic shape as the DeathAdder V3 Pro, offering what many deem to be the perfect fit for competitive esports games.

The DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed weighs just 55g, making it one of the lighter gaming mice on the market, allowing for faster manoeuvres in the heat of battle. The tweaked design reduced weight by 12 percent compared to the Pro version, and better yet, you'll get trust worthy wireless connectivity to take cable drag out of the equation.

Razer claims up to 100 hours of battery life on a single charge, but if you ever need to top the mouse up, it features a convenient USB Type-C port for wired connectivity and charging. With HyperSpeed technology, you'll also benefit from Razer's latest features, like 8000Hz polling to ensure your mouse is sending signals to the PC as fast as possible whenever you press a button. However, you will need the Razer HyperPolling dongle to turn 8000Hz polling on, which is sold separately.

Other features of the mouse include Razer Optical Gen 3 switches, the Razer Focus X 26K Optical sensor, and a new dynamic sensitivity feature for greater customisation of DPI. The Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is available starting this week, priced at £119.99.

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KitGuru Says: Are you looking to pick up a new gaming mouse this year?

As Bethesda is unlikely to release a new mainline Fallout game this side of 2030, many fans have speculated about potential remasters. In the past, we've heard rumours about a Fallout 3 remaster, as well as an Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remaster. However, Todd Howard has now thrown some cold water on that idea. 

In an interview with YouTuber MrMattyPlays, Todd Howard was asked about the potential for remasters of older games. While many others are in a rush to remake or remaster classic games with more modern graphics and gameplay, Howard sees Bethesda's classics differently, preferring to avoid ‘tarnishing' them, instead preferring that gamers experience those games as they were.

As pointed out by Windows Central, Bethesda does have its plate full at the moment. The studio is planning to release its first Starfield expansion this year, with more to come in the years ahead. Alongside this, Bethesda is also continuing to update Fallout 76, which has seen a surge in popularity this year. The most important task right now, however, is the development of The Elder Scrolls 6, which is now finally underway, six years on from the game's original announcement.

Fortunately, for those of us on PC, we can create our own remasters with mods. If you have an Xbox Series X/S console, you can also run most of Bethesda's older games at 60FPS via backwards compatibility mode.

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KitGuru Says: Would you like to see any older Bethesda games remastered?

Earlier this month, Larian Studios announced plans to bring official mod support to Baldur's Gate 3. The new modding kit is currently in testing, with an official release scheduled for September. Now, it appears that the mod support update will be the last major content update for the game as Larian begins to ramp up work on new projects.

Modding support on Baldur's Gate 3 for PC will be evaluated to guarantee service compatibility and general stability before approval, similarly to how CD Projekt Red recently handled the release of The Witcher 3's upgraded modding tools. On PC, mods can be installed from any source, but console users will be limited to mods approved for Larian's official launcher.

Speaking during an interview recently, Larian's CEO, Swen Vincke, confirmed that the modding update will likely be the last one for Baldur's Gate 3, handing the keys over to the community to make additions to the game:

“One of the big things for us, and the one that we’re really working towards now, is the ability for players to mod themselves, because then they will be able to make their own things. I think that will be the point where we’re going to say ‘ok, now it’s yours fully’.”

Larian has already confirmed that it has plans for two new games and has no plans to work with Wizards of the Coast on a new Baldur's Gate game.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Given how beloved Baldur's Gate 3 is, we'll no doubt see some fantastic mods and new community-created stories. 

While Sony has confirmed that it will be skipping Gamescom again this year, Xbox is looking to take advantage by hosting its largest booth ever at the event. We aren't going to get another huge showcase of announcements at Gamescom, but fans can expect to see more from World of Warcraft, Diablo, Obsidian's upcoming RPG, Avowed, and more. 

Nine of the major games that will feature prominently throughout the Xbox section at Gamescom will include Age of Mythology: Retold, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, Diablo Immortal, The Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 76, Towerborne and World of Warcraft: The War Within.

The Xbox team is heading BACK to @gamescom

Visit us at our biggest booth yet August 21-25! #Xboxgamescom pic.twitter.com/5lO8uvfsQJ

— Xbox (@Xbox) June 20, 2024

Xbox has also teased that there is ‘more to come', so we may see a few more major games confirmed. One prominent candidate not currently listed would be Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which is also scheduled to release later this year, but does not have an exact date yet, similarly to Obsidian's Avowed, which is also due out later this year.

With E3 stopping several years ago, many publishers have turned to Gamescom, putting more effort and budget into their booths at the annual event in Germany, despite Summer Game Fest positioning itself as the ‘E3 replacement'.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Will you be attending Gamescom this year? Are there any games you are hoping to try out early?

A while back, Microsoft announced that the upcoming Redfall DLC, which promised new playable heroes and had already been sold to players, would no longer be coming out. The planned ‘Hero Pass' has been scrapped and Arkane Austin, the studio behind the game, is also being shut down. Now, Microsoft has finally begun the process of reimbursing players who paid for the scrapped DLC. 

If you bought the Redfall Bite Back Edition, your account should be credited with an amount matching the value of the Redfall Hero Pass. In the US, that should mean you get $26.99 back, while in the UK, the figure will be closer to £20.

Several purchasers have now confirmed that they have received their refunds. If you check your Xbox account, you should have a message from Xbox directly confirming the refund.

This comes a little over a month on from Microsoft announcing plans to shut down several studios under the Zenimax umbrella, including Arkane Austin (Redfall, Prey), Tango Gameworks (Ghostwire Tokyo, The Evil Within, Hi-Fi Rush) and Alpha Dog (Might Doom).

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Did any of you happen to buy the Redfall Bite Back Edition? Have you received your refund yet?

Nvidia's list of DLSS-supported titles continues to grow. This week, three more games are launching with DLSS 3 technology, including Frame Generation, allowing RTX 40 GPU users to bump up frame rates even further. One of the big surprise games is none other than Pax Dei, an MMO that has been catching some attention in recent years due to its ambitious sandbox plans.

Pax Dei is now available via Steam Early Access. As it is a pre-alpha title, there will be very little optimisation in place, meaning it may be a struggle to run on a lot of hardware. However, if you have an RTX 40 series graphics card, you can switch on DLSS 3 to improve performance by up to 3x at 4K resolution. Those with an RTX 30 or RTX 20 series graphics card can still enable DLSS, but they will not be able to switch on the Frame Generation option.

Still Wakes The Deep, a game set on an oil rig in the middle of a vicious storm out at sea. The game supports DLSS 3 with Frame Generation too, improving performance by 2.6x on average.

The final game on the list today is Sail the Isle of Skye, a new game from Aurora Game Studios. With DLSS 3, you'll see an average frame rate boost of 2.4x. As with all DLSS 3 games, Nvidia Reflex is also supported, so you can reduce system latency for more responsive gaming.

If you enjoy mining up rock and stone, then you will also be pleased to know that Deep Rock Galactic has also added DLSS 3 recently, although you may not need it, as that title is generally quite forgiving on hardware.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Are you picking up any of the new DLSS-supported games this week?

The Netgear Nighthawk series returns this year with an upgrade to WiFi 7. The new Netgear Nighthawk RS300 is launching this week, offering advanced features while maintaining a much more affordable price compared to the WiFi 7 Netgear Orbi 970 series, priced at £299 rather than £2000. 

The Nighthawk RS300 is part of Netgear's strategy to expand its WiFi 7 portfolio, known for providing secure and high-performance wireless connectivity. WiFi 7 technology is recognised for delivering substantially faster speeds compared to its predecessor, WiFi 6, achieving up to 2.4 times the speed. This enhancement is crucial for supporting high-bandwidth activities such as 4K and 8K streaming, video conferencing, and immersive gaming experiences.

The RS300 router boasts tri-band technology, capable of reaching speeds up to 9.3Gbps. It is designed to meet the needs of technology enthusiasts looking for budget-friendly options without compromising on performance. The router's innovative internal antenna design ensures extensive coverage and signal strength, capable of providing up to 2,000 square feet (186 sq metres) of WiFi coverage and supporting up to 100 devices simultaneously.

In terms of connectivity, the RS300 is equipped with a 2.5 Gig Internet port and additional LAN ports that facilitate fast wired connections. These features are particularly beneficial for latency-sensitive devices, such as gaming consoles and PCs, ensuring an uninterrupted entertainment experience.

According to Netgear, security is a significant focus, especially given the increasing prevalence of IoT threats. The Nighthawk RS300 includes a 30-day trial of Netgear Armor, powered by Bitdefender. This integrated security solution aims to give users comprehensive protection for devices connected to the network – from computers to baby monitors – without the need for separate security subscriptions. Netgear also offers a ‘Smart Parental Controls' subscription.

The technical specifications of the Nighthawk RS300 are impressive. It supports ultra-wide 320MHz high-capacity channels and 4K QAM to maximise device performance. The router also offers easy file-sharing capabilities through its USB port and enables users to manage their network remotely via the Nighthawk App. This app provides various management features, including internet speed tests, data usage tracking, and guest network setup.

Availability of the Nighthawk RS300 begins on Netgear’s official UK website and will extend to major retailers shortly.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What do you all think of the new Netgear Nighthawk? Are you looking to make the jump to a WiFi 7 router this year? 

It has been well documented that CD Projekt Red originally had plans for two expansions for Cyberpunk 2077. However, after the game's rough launch, the studio decided to drop the second expansion. Not much has been discovered about this second expansion, as references to it were few and far between in the game files, leaving little for dataminers to find. However, thanks to some concept art leaks, we now know more about what CDPR had planned – and it included a trip to the moon. 

After Cyberpunk 2077's disappointing launch in late 2020, CD Projekt Red was hit with a massive cyber attack in early 2021, which saw a ton of the company's internal files being leaked. Some of the information contained in this leak has made its way onto the wider web since then, but not much regarding Cyberpunk 2077's mysterious second DLC.

Image credit: Netflix / Studio Trigger

That changed this week, with dataminers releasing a number of screenshots claiming to show concept art and in-progress files for maps, and new locations, including bases set on the moon, and vehicles like Rovers to get around. The leaks were posted to 4Chan, which would normally give me pause, but it is also the exact place you would expect a shady darkweb leak to end up after doing the rounds in closed circles.

The moon plays a significant role in the world of Cyberpunk. For instance, the hit anime series, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, heavily focused on two of its main characters trying to leave Night City to go to the moon. In Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, another major character also heads to the moon.

KitGuru Says: In Cyberpunk lore, the moon is the home to some of the most advanced technology humanity has created. Perhaps some of the ideas CDPR originally had for this location can be repurposed for the sequel, which is currently in development at CDPR's newly formed US-based studio. 

Ubisoft has not brought up Assassin's Creed Infinity in quite some time, despite announcing the project several years ago. It seems the project is still on the way, and it may be ready in time for the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows later this year. 

Assassin's Creed Infinity was billed as the ‘hub' for all future Assassin's Creed projects. Infinity would house future single-player campaigns, across multiple timelines in the Assassin's Creed universe. Now, according to Game File, AC Infinity has been renamed to the Animus Hub, which makes much more sense given the planned functionality and in-universe lore.

The Animus is the machine in Assassin's Creed that allows modern day humans to re-experience the past by extracting memories of ancestors through DNA. With that in mind, the Animus Hub being the home of future Assassin's Creed games makes perfect sense. Depending on how ambitious Ubisoft gets with this, the Animus segment could be the new home for future modern-day story telling in Assassin's Creed, while everything that takes place in the past is reserved for new campaigns as they come through.

The report also indicates that the Animus Hub might be on track for the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows, which would make this year's game the first in a sprawling collection that will grow over time. As Insider Gaming points out, this would not be far off how Call of Duty handles its games nowadays, with all of them linking up to the COD HQ application.

KitGuru Says: Assassin's Creed Shadows is due out on November 15th, so Ubisoft should confirm its plans in a few months time, ahead of that date. 

During the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this month, Microsoft impressed a lot of fans with its reveals for Gears of War: E-Day and Fable, both of which got brand new trailers. However, the show was lacking when it came to specific release date news. Fortunately, it seems we now have a good idea of when to expect these titles, with both targeting launch dates in 2025. 

According to The Verge, a site that has been known to have close links to Microsoft, Playground Games is aiming for a Q4 2025 release date for Fable, meaning the release date will land somewhere in the holiday season, between October and December.

The report also claims that Gears of War: E-Day is also targeting 2025, and should release even earlier than Fable. However, given that no exact release dates have been announced yet, and the dynamic nature of game development in general, delays could certainly push things back.

The Coalition has a good track record with meeting release dates and is a highly efficient studio when it comes to working with Unreal Engine, in part due to the studio being formed by ex Epic Games employees. Additionally, with this game being a prequel based on clearly established lore, I do think it has a good chance of making its way out earlier than expected in 2025. However, release dates are usually kept a secret for a reason, so as not to disappoint fans if there is a delay.

Fable on the other hand has been in development since 2018, going through some extensive changes over the course of development. At this point, it seems Playground has the scope and content plan nailed down, so hopefully that 2025 release date sticks.

KitGuru Says: After a few months of doom and gloom in the Xbox world, it has been nice to see some genuinely exciting first-party games beginning to appear. Now we'll just have to see if Microsoft can keep this pace up for the foreseeable future. Consistency will be key  when it comes to maintaining growth. 

GOG has made a name for itself by offering DRM-free PC games, including some major AAA titles from third-party studios, as well as DRM-free day-one releases from CD Projekt Red, like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. Looking ahead to the future, GOG is looking to expand by offering its games via the cloud too. A new partnership between GOG and Amazon's Luna service was announced back in March and now, GOG games have officially arrived on the service. 

GOG games are now available to play via the cloud through Amazon Luna. The service is available in just a few countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Austria and The Netherlands, but its reach should expand to more areas across the globe over the next couple of years. Luna is powered by Amazon Web Services, one of the largest cloud service offerings in the world, enabling massive games to be played on a broad range of devices like smartphones, tablets, Smart TVs and PCs. The service supports Bluetooth controllers too, so you can connect an Xbox or PlayStation controller, or stick to your trusty mouse and keyboard.

CD Projekt Group, owners of GOG and CD Projekt Red, have previously supported cloud gaming services. CD Projekt Red was an early supporter of Google Stadia prior to its shutdown, and games like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 have been available through GeForce Now for quite a while already.

The best part about this all is that you do not forfeit your DRM-free purchase. If you have bought a DRM-free game on GOG, you will freely be able to stream it through Luna. If you buy a GOG game through Luna, you will be able to download the game directly as well and install it locally on any PC you like, as many times as you want.

KitGuru Says: Do many of you use GOG regularly for DRM-free games? It is certainly a cause worth supporting nowadays with growing concerns around game preservation.

Meta's Reality Labs business has been bleeding money for years at this point, although so far, company executives have been happy to continue footing the bill with the goal of expanding the mixed reality device market. However, Meta is now restructuring the unit, splitting it into two distinct groups with their own objectives. As a result, some lay-offs are also now taking place. 

Meta Reality Labs was born after Facebook acquired Oculus for $2 billion, kickstarting Zuckerberg's ‘metaverse' ambitions. The Reality Labs division is responsible for software like Meta Horizons, as well as hardware like the Quest headsets and Meta's smart glasses. Moving forward, Reality Labs will be split into two divisions, one in charge of Quest and ‘Metaverse' projects, and another focused on other wearable devices.

As reported by The Verge, Reality Labs employees were sent a memo this week confirming some additional changes. A “relatively small number” of staffers will be let go from the division, as revealed by Meta CTO, Andrew Bosworth. The idea behind the shake-up is to create “integrated product experiences across hardware” with “less friction and fragmentation”.

The success of the Quest platform has Meta feeling that it has finally got “all the major components in place” to expand the software platform consistently. Hopefully that will mean more marquee Quest games and other ambitious software updates.

KitGuru Says: With Reality Labs continuing to lose tens of billions each year, a shake-up was inevitable. It will be interesting to see what a ‘relatively small number' means, because well, in an organisation as large as Meta, even a 1% reduction in workforce can impact hundreds of people. So far, Meta has let go of around 20,000 workers since late 2022.