Outer Wilds was undoubtedly one of the most talked-about games of 2019. Two years later, indie game fans are still talking about it, and it isn't uncommon to see Outer Wilds come up in recommendation discussions or as a highlighted deal during sales. Later this year, we're going to have a reason to return to the Outer Wilds universe, as the game is getting a new expansion.
Forza fans take note because we're about to lose another game in the franchise. Microsoft has announced that Forza Motorsport 7 will be reaching end-of-life later this year, which means that the game and its DLC will be disappearing from digital storefronts. The game will also vanish from Xbox Game Pass, so if you've been eyeing Forza Motorsport 7 but have yet to take the plunge, now is the time to act.
Just a few days ago, 343 Industries suggested that the first Halo Infinite multiplayer beta - which 343 refers to as a "technical alpha" - was coming up quickly. As it turns out, 343's suggestion was right, and that first technical preview is happening this weekend. Emails have already been going out to Halo Insiders who have been selected to participate, so check your inbox to see if you've been selected (if you haven't already).
Following leaks that apparently revealed the release date for Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris, today Ubisoft revealed the actual date for the expansion. In addition to announcing the release date for The Siege of Paris - which is the second expansion for Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Ubisoft also detailed the more immediate Season 3 update, which is heading to the game later this week.
The Siege of Paris, as Ubisoft has announced, will be arriving in Assassin's Creed Valhalla on August 12th. Previously, leaks suggested an August 5th release date for The Siege of Paris, but it turns out those leaks were off by a week. In any case, The Siege of Paris will add new weapons, abilities, gear, and skills to the game, and it sounds like players will need those as they go up against brand new enemies as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gELHVtjEH4g
The Siege of Paris is based on the real Viking invasion and siege of the area in 845. Ubisoft says that the expansion will "set Eivor on a dangerous path of full of gripping questlines across the Frankish countryside, towards one of the infamous conquest battles in Viking history." The expansion will also serve up Infiltration missions, which are the successors to the Black Box missions from earlier in the franchise. The Siege of Paris will cost $24.99 as a standalone purchase, but it's also included in the Season Pass.
Later this week, Ubisoft will launch the Season 3 update for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which will kick off with the Sigrblot Festival on July 29th. The festival will run until August 19th and will offer various activities at the bonfire in the Ravensthorpe settlement, including three new quests, dice mini-games, fighting tournaments, and new rewards like settlement decorations and customization items.
Of note, one of the rewards you can get from participating in the festival is the one-handed sword Skrofnung, which can be purchased from the festival shop with the Sigrblot tokens you earn. To participate in the festival, you'll need to have reached England and completed either Grantebridgescire or Ledecestrescire in the main narrative and have a settlement level of at least 2, which most players should have by now. Look for the season 3 update to drop on July 29th.
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Last month, we heard a rumor which claimed that one of Battlefield 2042's unrevealed modes was actually a sandbox mode that would let players combine different Battlefield eras. Today at EA Play Live, EA and Ripple Effect - the new name for DICE LA - revealed exactly that. The new mode is called Battlefield Portal, and it's described as "a love letter to fans and creators."
Microsoft has revealed the games that will launch on Xbox Game Pass in the second half of July, and it looks like it's going to be a packed couple of weeks. The new additions are led by the Xbox Series X|S version of Microsoft Flight Simulator, which will be launching on Xbox Game Pass the same day it releases: July 27th. Sorry, Xbox One users, but this will be one of the few games on Xbox Game Pass exclusive to Xbox Series X|S.
While Tom Clancy fans are going to have to wait until 2022 to get their hands on Rainbow Six Extraction, it seems that Ubisoft will have another Tom Clancy game ready to go in the near future. Today the company announced Tom Clancy's XDefiant, a new free-to-play arena shooter that seems to have a heavy focus on player customization.
We're quickly closing in on the release date for Diablo II Resurrected, but before the game arrives in September, Blizzard has shared the big changes it's making to it based on player feedback. Blizzard collected this feedback during the technical alpha that took place back in April, so if you played through that and submitted ideas to Blizzard afterward, you might want to check the list to see if your feedback prompted some change.
Electronic Arts and DICE have already revealed a surprising amount about Battlefield 2042, and more is coming later this month during EA Play Live. In the meantime, the folks at EA have answered some questions about the game, revealing new details about cross-play and cross-progression in the process. Just as well, we're learning some new things about how AI soldiers will work in the game.
2K Games today announced NBA 2K22, the next installment of the long-running sports franchise. Today's announcement mostly centered around the NBA players that will grace the covers of NBA 2K22's various editions, with more details about the actual game to follow later. For the first time this year, a WNBA player will be on one of the covers of NBA 2K22, but sadly, that edition will see only limited availability.
We've seen several different companies try their hands at Super Smash Bros-like platform fighters throughout the years, and today, Nickelodeon decided to throw their hat into that particular ring. Today the company announced Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, a platform fighter that looks a lot like Super Smash Bros with the key difference being that it'll be famous Nickelodeon characters going head-to-head.
The recent reveal of FIFA 22 might be exciting for a lot of gamers out there, but the process of upgrading the game between generations is anything but. Many publishers offer next-gen upgrades for their games, meaning that if you buy it on a last-gen console - PS4 or Xbox One - you can upgrade it to the current-gen version - Xbox Series X|S or PS5 - when you get one of those consoles. Many of these upgrades are free, but in the case of FIFA 22, it's going to cost you.