When a game like Highguard, with its Apex Legends creators and reported Tencent funding, comes out and just kind of flops, you have to wonder what happened to get it to this point. Well, a new report from Mr. Scoop himself Jason Schreier over at Bloomberg appears to have shed a bit of light on the whole palaver through speaking with former Wildlight staffers.
Coming in update 1.7.
In case you missed it, Stardew Valley turns ten years old today and to celebrate, the game’s creator Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone held a special broadcast on YouTube looking back at the farming sim’s development and update history.
But the big draw was the reveal of two new marriage candidates, who will be eligible for holy matrimony when the 1.7 update releases. And the fresh bachelor and bachelorette will be Clint and Sandy.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
I’ve always found the “ah ha!” moments of game development yield some of the most interesting stories, because that moment of inspiration can come in many forms — and when you least expect it. It could happen on a stroll in the park, in the middle of the grocery store, or in the case of Kiln, while looking at clay pots on the Internet.
“I had this idea of clay molding in the back of my head ever since I had come across some pictures of pots when I was online researching something else,” Project Lead Derek Brand tells me. “It immediately stood out to me that there’s a lot of variety in pots, and you could probably make that on a controller because it’s more of a 2D kind of representation. Then it all started snapping into place from there, and I had a pitch for the next Amnesia Fortnight. It kind of came together at the last minute.”
Amnesia Fortnights are semi-annual game jam events that Double Fine holds internally with members of its studio. Here they’re given a limited amount of time, a fortnight (two weeks), to turn the inkling of an idea into a playable game – this is when Derek pitched his idea to bring Kiln to life. “I played a lot of action games at the time, and I wanted to make my little clay characters fight someone else’s little clay characters. I was thinking that’d be fun — and so that was in the back of my mind — but didn’t know how to do that on a controller.”
One of the many fun details Derek revealed was that as development started to kick off in earnest, the team at Double Fine started to take pottery classes in real life, which contributed to understanding all the different elements involved in the making of pottery. That’s when the ideas really started to flow.
“There are a whole world of techniques and processes and so much raw material to pull into the game, that once we were like, ‘Okay, you can sculpt a character,’ there’s so much more you can do with clay. And all those ideas just piled on,” Brand explains. “We spent a long time talking about your basic shape, but now I want to dip it into glaze — to glaze a pot you take a pair of metal tongs and you dunk it into a bucket of glaze — and really trying to pull those pieces of real-life pot making into the game and introducing those ideas to players.”
From there, more ideas came about in terms of how a player could customize their pot beyond its basic shape. From sticking on handles, lids and spouts, and even getting a little sillier by adding stickers, there are countless different ways you can take a basic clay pot and really make it your own. “It all came down to research and ideas from people on the team and then having a pile of those ideas and whittling them all down to something that is coherent and well designed,” Brand says.
But how do you translate a difficult hobby like clay pot making into a competitive multiplayer game? Ensuring it’s as approachable as possible. “After the Amnesia Fortnight prototype, we got through that part and a lot of the initial ideas of, ‘I can make a character on the wheel like a pottery wheel’ — that initial thought was naive on my part. I had taken ceramics in college and learned a little bit about pot making, but it was more of a way to fit character creation onto a controller.”
By using a controller, you can move your little spirit hands up and down the shape of the clay as it rotates on a virtual turning wheel. In addition, you have access to several shaping tools that can bring another level of detail to the pot creation. As I touched on in my first look at the game, it didn’t take long for me to get the hang of it – it all felt very natural when given a few minutes of time with clay molding tools. I get the impression players will be able to engage with this creative aspect of Kiln just as easily.
When asking Derek if he had any tips for the budding clay pot maker in all of us, it was simple. “Don’t be scared. Don’t be precious with it,” he tells me. “Try a bunch of stuff and figure out what you like because there’s not a lot of limits put on you in terms of what you can shape and how many things you can try. So really experiment with the tools. If you like really straight lines, there’s tools for that. And if you like more curvy, wiggly things, just go with your gut or your heart.”
Another one of those iterative ideas to occur during this time was adjusting the player’s viewpoint. “We have this mantra on the team that the pots are the star of the game. When we started pulling the camera out, and the lens got longer, you could see all the weird creations that people were making together and see teams as units on the battlefield. And it just felt like a better choice for the way that we wanted to present these cool player creations.”
Having played a few rounds myself, I can see what Brand is talking about. Part of Kiln’s appeal, beyond being pick-up-and-play friendly, is seeing everyone’s creativity on full display – both on your team and on your opponents’. Also, seeing more of the pathways of the level layout above your character is vital to effectively navigating through both the battlefield and the fights that surround your pot.
If it wasn’t clear just by looking at the screenshots and gameplay, the pot making in Kiln is what really helps it stand out amongst other party brawlers – nowhere else can you have this level of deep character customization to bring into a multiplayer battler. The sheer variety of pots you’ll face off against in the game, when factoring in glazes, shapes, and stickers, is practically limitless. This helps give Kiln a singular, personal touch because these fighters really make you feel like you’re contributing to the game in real time. And that’s pretty special.
Having all these playable spirits create and discover clay bodies for each other is a key component to your time with Kiln. But don’t feel pressured to have to go to battle. As Derek tells me, if you want to really focus on the pot making, you can hang out in the lobby and just pull up a chair. “There’s no limit to how many times you can throw clay on the wheel, and you can just experiment and make all sorts of things and try out all sorts of combinations. We really want people to engage with the creation and destruction elements of the game. The theme of the game right now is you make and destroy, and it’s okay to get broken because you can just, you know, make a new thing.”
When you’re moving through The Wedge, the game’s social lobby, you’re also free to jump out of your pot and jump into someone else’s creation. And equally, someone could come along and take your shape as well and add it to their collection. “The name of the person who made it is always saved on that pot,” Brand explains. “So those pots can travel. They can go to different servers. There’s also a place in the lobby, these pedestals lined up around The Wedge, those are your favorite pots. And that will be displayed for everyone to try out and dive into. And if you see a pot that you really like, you can dive into it and save it to your collection.”
And this circles back to the mantra the team at Double Fine are bringing to Kiln in that the pots really are the star of the game – you will directly have a hand in shaping your journey within Kiln. “I’m excited for people to get excited for pottery,” Derek says when asked what he’s looking forward to now that Kiln has been revealed to be in development. “I think it’s an underrepresented art form. I just want to introduce more people to that craft. It’s super cool. It’s a super old, amazing art form. And there are very few games that leverage that cool activity.”
And with its day one arrival on Game Pass in Spring 2026, players who are curious about checking it out will have it right there at their fingertips. “My favorite part about Game Pass, I think it’s just the reach that you get. Anyone who’s just curious about this weird pottery game can load it up and try making a pot — then try smashing each other. I can’t wait for the game to be that accessible to such a wide variety of people. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Kiln is launching Spring 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Play Anywhere, Handheld Optimized, PlayStation 5, Steam, and with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Sign up at DoubleFine.com for a chance to play in the closed beta taking place in March 2026.
Xbox Game Studios
The shape of your pots affect your attributes and your play-style. Will you be big, or small? Wide, or tall? Will you make a plate, a jug, a cup or a bowl?
There are a multitude of different sizes and combinations to discover, each with unique abilities and attacks, along with new and surprising ways to play. Work together to find the best combination of pots and play-styles to break through enemy lines, and collect enough water to douse the flames of the enemy’s kiln — Does your team have what it takes to shape and smash your way to victory? As the battlefield becomes strewn with the shattered fragments of friend and foes alike, your brawling skills and some great teamwork will be required to assure victory.
After the battle is won, head to The Wedge to practice your pottery prowess, decorate your pots to make them yours, then share your creations with others (and admire their handiwork, too).
Create and Destroy Together – Making pots and breaking pots are both better with friends. Hang out, experiment with clay and share what you make, or jump right into multiplayer battles and start swinging!
Become a Master Potter– Manipulate realistic clay to craft and decorate in an immersive pottery wheel experience featuring a variety of tools and techniques.
The post How Kiln’s Two-Week Prototype Became a Full-Fledged Journey appeared first on Xbox Wire.
I first took notice of Samson: A Tyndalston Story when its team of former Just Cause and Mad Max developers posted a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it teaser of Tyndalston itself. The fictional city reminded me of GTA 3’s Liberty City or Max Payne’s New York. My first look at proper gameplay in a demo with the creative director only upped my interest, and now that I’ve had the chance to actually play Samson – albeit only for an all-too-brief hour – I’m officially amped for this gritty, grimy, run-down brawler with pseudo-open world freedom where your heavy punch can drop bad guys in one bloody shot and you pop painkillers to stay in the fight.
The setup for this 1990’s-set crime story sees you as Samson McCray, fresh out of prison after eating a charge as a result of a robbery in St. Louis gone bad. Your sister, Oonagh, pulled some strings to help keep you safe while you were inside, and she cut a deal upon your release: you’ve got to repay the money lost from the failed heist to people that will absolutely kill you both if you come even one cent short.
What’s important to make clear up front is that Samson is not a AAA game. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was at first glance, because its Unreal Engine 5-powered visuals are quite impressive, both in terms of Samson’s character model and the city of Tyndalston. Lighting has a very fluorescent-tinged yellow tint to it that you really had to live through the ‘90s to understand, vehicles look great, and the city itself looks very, very lived-in. But Samson doesn’t have the scope of a AAA game, and that’s not a complaint – it’s just important to properly calibrate your expectations. The opening cutscene is not a full-blown cinematic but a voiced-over motion-comic, voice acting is so-so at best, and this isn’t a 40+ hour open-world sandbox. You do plenty of driving around a neighborhood – perhaps more of Tyndalston unlocks the further into the story you progress – but this is not a massive playground full of chatty NPCs and side activities.
Again, this isn’t a complaint, but it’s important to emphasize because when you first fire up Samson, it seems like it’s following a very GTA-esque playbook. But I really like the choices that Samson makes within its more limited scope. For instance, there are numerous little things around the world to take note of and interact with, from notes and photos in your apartment to sandwich-board signs you can knock over with your car in order to gain small bursts of nitro boost.
It gets better: there is a progression system. The more bad guys you beat up and the more missions you complete, the more XP you earn that gets redeemed for a point in one of four skills: Instinct (boosts your adrenaline), Tactics (health), Aggression (power), and Cunning (finesse). This allows you to tailor your Samson to your preferred playstyle, whether you’d rather absorb and dish out maximum punishment in each fight or strike quickly and frequently in order to speed up the maxing out of your adrenaline meter, at which point you can click in both thumbsticks and enjoy a brief period of dealing extra damage.
Gameplay segments are split into days, and within each day are afternoon, evening, and night. Every time the sun rises, you have to pay back a certain amount of your debt. In order to do that, you’ll need to take various small jobs around Tyndalston. Fortunately, you’ve got choices each day; it’s not a linear mission structure. My first job involved finding the manager of a club called Chubb’s and, well, beating the crap out of him. Naturally, it wasn’t quite so simple. I had to worm my way through the bowels of the club first, fighting my way through his goons in the process. This mission functioned as a bit of a tutorial, allowing me to practice parries, dodges, light punches, heavy punches, and triggering my adrenaline meter after I’d built up enough adrenaline during fights.
It didn’t hurt Samson’s chances of me loving this game when the very first dude I threw a heavy punch at dropped immediately, his face covered in his own blood. Most of the time in a game like this, guys can take an unrealistic number of hits. But not in Samson. Not everyone will hit the floor after a single punch, but the fact that it can happen not only made me feel like a badass, but it added to the underworld grittiness that is clearly oozing out of every square inch of Tyndalston.
Anyway, back to the missions: as I was saying, you’ve got choices at each segment of the day, but each choice takes a certain amount of time. Meaning, you can’t just do a dozen jobs in a single day in order to quickly pay down your debt and break the game. Every job, realistically, takes time, so when I was, for example, shadowing Dave the Bookie, that took all afternoon of in-game time. First I had to drive to where Dave had last been seen. Then, once I’d clocked him, I had to follow him from a safe distance (lest he recognize the tail and get spooked, triggering a mission failure) so that he’d lead me to evidence of what he was suspected of by the people that I took the job from: that Dave was playing both sides. Sure enough, I caught Dave red-handed, and then I had to square up against Dave and his associates. By the time it was done and I got paid, the day moved to evening.
Some jobs can only be taken at certain times of day. And some jobs will cost you money. Like when I had to take out the cars of two guys who were avoiding my temporary employer. First I drove to where they’d last been seen, and then both cars came flying around the corner in front of me and the chase was on. The problem was, my car was already pretty beat up from the erratic driving I’d been doing in previous jobs. So the first time I tried the mission, my pursuit led us to a freeway onramp, where I was able to get behind the closest of the two target cars, and then nitro-boost directly into his rear bumper, slamming his car into the curving wall of the onramp and taking it out. Problem was, the bumper boost also took my pre-battered car out, and by the time I’d grabbed another car, the second of the two cars I was pursuing – who was already in front of me – had gotten away.
On the retry, I stopped at a gas station repair shop first, spent some of my hard-earned cash (which, I remind you, I needed every cent of to try and make my daily debt payment), and was then able to keep my car intact while taking out both of my four-wheeled targets. I got paid, and headed home for the evening. But who was waiting for me? Two debt collectors, and so before I could crash on my own couch for the night, I had to bloody my knuckles one more time.
Both combat and driving were a lot of fun in my one-hour hands-on. I have no idea if Samson will ever introduce guns into the mix, but I kinda hope it doesn’t. The melee combat system feels heavy in a really good way, meaning that Samson takes shots just as hard as he dishes them out. I like the mix of punches, parries, and dodging. Sure, the Batman: Arkham combat arguably remains the brawler standard, but Samson’s fisticuffs are slower and more deliberate in a way I quite enjoy.
Driving, meanwhile, also has a welcome weight to it. All of the (fictional) cars in Samson are ‘90s era at the newest, given the ‘90s setting. Samson’s own car is a ‘70s Chevelle-like two-door muscle car, and as such it’s no light Lotus. Are these simulation-style driving physics? Absolutely not. You have the aforementioned nitro boosts and there’s a side-slam button – and of course, the B button lets you pull off sick handbrake turns once you’ve got some practice under your belt. By the end of my hour I had really started to get the hang of the driving and was eager to zip my way around Tyndalston some more.
As you can probably tell by now, I had a fantastic time in Tyndalston. If Samson can keep its mission variety fresh – which is no small thing, I recognize – it’ll go a long way towards making its campaign enjoyable over the long haul, versus the extremely fun hour I had with it. I’m curious to see if the city opens up more as the story unfolds, and I hope the story itself is engaging enough to keep me motivated to continue playing and isn’t just “keep doing jobs to pay down your debt until a big climactic mission happens at the end.” Samson is due out on April 8 for PC, so it won’t be too long before we find out if it can keep up the good stuff it’s got going for it.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our semi-retired interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
Samson looks like it’ll offer the sort of dumb action fun I can’t resist, and it’s now locked in a full release date. Liquid Swords, the Swedish studio founded by former Just Cause and Mad Max developer Christofer Sundberg, are set to let their game about a bloke attempting to brawl and car chase his way out of crippling debt loose in early April.
Highguard studio Wildlight Entertainment reportedly has less than 20 people remaining to work on the game following a round of devastating layoffs just weeks after the game’s launch.
This comes from a new Bloomberg report, which tells the story of Wildlight’s rise and fall since its founders first assembled the team back in 2021. Made up of Respawn veterans, the group hoped to recreate the successes of Apex Legends and Titanfall, initially with a survival-focused shooter.
When that design didn’t quite work as well as they’d hoped, they scrapped it and pivoted to Highguard, leaving remnants of the original survival game in the final draft of what was now a hero shooter. As the game progressed, testers had positive feedback that had the developers hopeful, though notably they also said it was more fun on microphone with voice chat, and the experience was too complicated and less fun without them.
Sources speaking to Bloomberg say the studio largely had a positive culture and the team felt good about what they were making up until the game’s announcement at The Game Awards last December, which apparently came about at Geoff Keighley’s urging after he enjoyed what he played of it. The team originally intended to announce and launch Highguard simultaneously, but with The Game Awards announcement that left a month-and-a-half-long silence between announcement and launch during which the internet had a field day.
The game launched to a celebration-worthy number of Steam concurrents, but unfortunately was unable to retain players for very long at all, meaning it made very little money from microtransactions. Reviews were also poor. Though the developers at Wildlight believed they had financial runway to improve, financial backer Tencent suddenly pulled its funding, and most of the 100-person team was laid off as a result. Fewer than 20 individuals remain to try and save Highguard. Those developers have recently reassured that a new patch is on the way, after a website issue led players to believe the whole game was being taken down.
The full story is at Bloomberg.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Why do they always make cyborg types in movies and games talk like that? You know what I mean, that kind of “I’m not a robot but I talk as if I am one,” kind of cadence. We may never find the answer, but in any case, such a case has cropped up again in the latest update for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, which introduces the Techmarine class for you to spill some guts with.
Ta ra, turn-based.
We’ve grown used to the Disgaea series’ tried-and-tested tactical gameplay on Nintendo consoles over the last ~20 years, but the next game promises something a little different. In Disgaea Mayhem, it’s all about the action.
NIS America has today announced that this action RPG spin-off (which launched in Japan as ‘Kyouran Makaism‘ last month) will be launching in the West on Switch 1 & 2 at some point this summer.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
From the creators at Stoic, Towerborne is a cooperative, side‑scrolling action RPG brawler that blends fast, satisfying combat with deep customization and a hopeful, heroic tone. Venture across a crumbling world, uncover the mysteries of the City of Numbers, and fight back the corruption threatening humanity—solo or alongside friends.
The full game launch delivers:
Check out our last Xbox Wire post from Stoic’s CEO & President Trisha Stouffer for more information on what’s gone into this full game update.
As a thank you for their great support, Towerborne Founders will also get a special treat at launch with Day 1 access to unlock Brutal Mode — the ultimate endgame challenge, deadlier AI, elite Vanguard enemies, harsher encounters, and a less forgiving battlefield built to test true combat mastery.
Whether you’re returning from Early Access or stepping into the Belfry for the first time, now is the perfect time to become an Ace.
Towerborne is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Steam, PlayStation 5, Game Pass (Premium and Ultimate), is handheld verified and supports Xbox Play Anywhere.
Xbox Game Studios
Master the Mayhem
Experience classic combo-based brawler combat combined with a modern RPG. Customize your Ace with powerful gear, experiment with diverse combat styles, and refine your skills through relentless battles. Every fight makes you stronger, every victory opens new strategies, and every weapon reshapes your journey.
Fight Your Way
Whether you want quick pick-up-and-play sessions or intricate systems to master, Towerborne lets you choose your play style. Its fast-paced, responsive combat rewards timing and creativity, making every encounter feel fresh and challenging as you grow stronger.
Grow Stronger Together
Join forces with up to three other Aces* or venture solo with Umbra lending unique abilities to your side. Teamwork amplifies the chaos and the thrill, where synergy and strategy make the difference between victory and defeat. Rally together to fight as one.
Take an Unforgettable Journey
Towerborne expands beyond combat with a compelling Story Campaign designed to spark excitement and fuel unstoppable action. For players who crave more than battles, Towerborne’s full story campaign brings to life the lore, characters, and stakes of the Belfry’s survival. Explore, progress, and uncover the world at your own pace and take your Ace’s journey offline then reconnect online to fight alongside friends without missing a beat.
The post Towerborne’s Full Game Update is Available Today appeared first on Xbox Wire.
When players return to Nosgoth in Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered on PS4 and PS5, they are not only revisiting a defining chapter of the saga, but are also stepping into one that was never released.
Included with the definitive edition of Defiance Remastered is a playable demo of The Dark Prophecy, the unfinished sixth entry in the Legacy of Kain series. For years, this project existed only in fragments, remembered through concept art and early development materials. Now, players can experience a preserved segment of that lost chapter firsthand.
The demo is presented as a historical artifact rather than a reimagining. Freely explore its tone, environment direction, and early gameplay ideas as they were originally conceived. This is a rare chance to experience the direction the series was preparing to take and to witness how Nosgoth’s next chapter was intended to unfold.
For longtime fans, it is a fun, what-if experience. For new players, it is a fascinating look at the creative ambition that followed Defiance.
While The Dark Prophecy looks toward an unrealized future, Defiance Remastered focuses on strengthening the experience seasoned players will remember.
Across the main campaign, environmental gaps and stretched geometry have been repaired. Areas that once showed seams now feel structurally complete. Standing at the edge of a cathedral or overlooking a distant ruin, the world holds together without distortion or missing detail.
In addition to the original fixed camera, the remaster also boasts a new third-person free camera. For the first time, players can also rotate the camera across those vistas to admire Nosgoth from any angle without breaking immersion.
Now players have clearer sightlines when managing multiple enemies, navigating vertical arenas, and switching between Raziel’s spectral abilities and Kain’s telekinetic control. The encounters remain the same, but players can read and respond to them with far greater confidence.
Every level has been relit to enhance mood and depth. Shadows are more deliberate. Fog feels denser and more atmospheric. Interiors carry a heavier sense of presence, while exterior spaces feel more expansive.
If players prefer the original lighting style, they can switch back at any time. The updated lighting system is entirely optional, allowing players to tailor the experience to their preference.
The original static menu has been replaced with a new ring menu designed to keep players immersed. The interface grants access to the maps, character skins, and a world encyclopedia filled with rich lore. Beyond these, expanded bonus galleries and restored content further support the narrative and smooth out pacing across the campaign.
Game audio has also received a meaningful upgrade. Additional music is integrated into levels and cutscenes, increasing variety and reinforcing emotional tone throughout the story.
Environmental sound design is also refined. Footsteps now respond accurately to different surfaces. When Raziel crosses a wooden bridge, players can hear the wood cracking beneath him. When Kain steps onto rough stone or plush carpet, the sound shifts accordingly.
Defiance Remastered is about preservation and clarity. Players experience the same story, the same characters, and the same dramatic weight that defined the original – what changes is the stability, responsiveness, and cohesion of the world around them.
Alongside those improvements, The Dark Prophecy demo offers something rare in game history: the chance to play a chapter that once seemed lost.
Together, they form a more complete view of Legacy of Kain’s past and the paths it might have taken.
