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Battlefield: Redsec, the new free-to-play Battle Royale launches today

Redsec is Battlefield’s first-ever free-to-play Battle Royale game, and it’s launching today. But it’s not just Battle Royale – this experience includes Gauntlet, a round-based elimination mode that samples from the franchise’s rich Multiplayer history, as well as Redsec’s Portal Community Creations, an ever-evolving sandbox from our community developers.

However, your first steps into Redsec will more than likely come in the form of the Battle Royale Initiation playlist:

Battle Royale initiation

In BR Duos, eliminate hostels, track intel, and dodge the chemical ring on a condensed map.

Battle Royale Initiation is built for new players as a low-stakes learning environment. In this variant, you and a squadmate can drop into a match with the following key differences:

This version of Fort Lyndon is significantly smaller than its full version.
Players who can access this mode are limited to newer players.
A 48-player maximum, inclusive of Bots.

Your path towards victory will involve the following:

Dropping in

Choose your class

Assault – The ultimate frontline fighter, skilled at punching through enemy defenses. Dominate close to mid-range encounters and limit the enemy’s ability to fight.
Engineer – The battlefield’s leading vehicle and equipment technician. Execute repairs to keep allies combat effective, or strike hostile armor with force to break their attack.
Support – The backbone of any combat unit for defense and sustained fighting. Heal and resupply friendly forces, while fortifying defensive positions to keep them protected.
Recon – The perfect intelligence and counterintelligence operative. Neutralize targets from a distance, or infiltrate, gathering intel and disrupting hostile forces.

You also get to choose a Sidearm, a small personal defense weapon that is great in a pinch, but is not meant to carry you through an entire match.

Next, get ready to parachute into Fort Lyndon. Either you or your duo will be labelled as the Squad Leader; when the Squad Leader calls for a jump, both of you will leap out of the infiltration plane.

At any point, the non-Leader can break away from the formation and continue dropping on their own. However, we highly recommend that new players stay in formation. Your parachute will automatically deploy when you get close to the ground. Alternatively, you can manually deploy the parachute to delay landing in favor of a more intentional landing spot.

Securing better weapons, ammo, and armor

Scavenging for weapons, ammo, and armor become the tools for survival.

These are all available through a variety of crates found in the map; look for giant rectangular boxes that are green (Common), red-and-black (Rare), or red with Class symbols (Class Chests). Look for vehicles that can be opened to contain more items, as well as locked vaults.

Crates can also contain ammo, which is shared between all weapons in a given weapon category. While there are other ways to gain more ammo, like picking it off eliminated enemies or getting an Ammo Resupply Call-In, the easiest way to restock is to use the Support Class’ Supply Box.

Completing Contracts

Your primary mission in Battle Royale is to eliminate all enemies. Second are Contracts, objectives that can be accepted on your full map screen and reward powerful items. Whenever a Contract becomes available to choose, you will receive a prompt below the compass on your HUD.

Avoiding the Circle of Death, respawning, and achieving victory

The Circle of Death. One step into this area will near instantly down and eliminate you. Mind the red-shaded areas on your mini-map or heed the warnings on your HUD when it shows a red skull icon and a distance.

In Battle Royale, death is not always finite. In the first few minutes of every match, you automatically get a Second Chance, redeploying immediately from the sky. If you don’t use your Second Chance, you get a sizable chunk of XP, which is great for ranking up and unlocking more Loadout items.

Alternatively, Battle Royale includes Respawn Points where squad members can revive their allies. After activating a Respawn Point, stay within its radius for a short period of time to respawn all dead allies. If you are spectating from beyond, you are able to request a respawn.

The last remaining Battle Royale squad wins the match.

Tips for Battle Royal survival and victory

At the end of your Initiation journey, you should be ready to drop into Battle Royale.

Stick to your initiation zones. Learning the backstreets, rooftops, and corridors can give you an advantage over other new players who may be unaware of the surroundings.
Know your class. Remember to use everything your Class offers and ask a battle buddy with more experience to walk you through its basics.
Work with your team. Battle Royale is about surviving as a squad; don’t stray too far from squadmates, be sure to share enemy locations and precious high-value items, and remember to revive them whenever it is clear to do so.

Gauntlet – round-based elimination multiplayer

In Gauntlet, eight squads of four players each go head-to-head in a series of special operations that push every squad to their limit. If you like traditional Multiplayer FPS experiences, then you’ll love Gauntlet.

Gauntlet involves creating a custom loadout and pits squads against each other in a series of high-octane missions. Every mode includes a helpful in-game description and demonstration of how to play, including what actions score points for your squad. Failure to secure enough points results in elimination, while winning four modes in a Gauntlet match means victory.

Here are three quick tips to get started in this pick-up-and-play experience:

Watch the briefing. The small sequence before each operation gives a short demonstration of how it is played, as well as the points earned for each action.
Play the objective. Using what you learned in the briefing, focus on the actions that will score your team the most points.
Communication is key. Use the ping system, voice chat and text chat to effectively plan and execute coordinated efforts, otherwise be prepared to be reassigned or get sent back to the start of the Gauntlet.

See you in Fort Lyndon!

Loulan: The Cursed Sand is coming to PS5

Loulan: The Cursed Sand is an action RPG set along the ancient Silk Road in the Western Regions of China. You play as the Cursed Sand, a skeletal warrior wielding the power of sand and sets out to explore the lost kingdom of Loulan, battle mighty foes, and search for his beloved princess.

Inspired by the archaeological discovery of the “Xiaohe Princess,” the story follows the Cursed Sand, a royal guard resurrected after death, as he embarks on a tragic journey to find the lost Princess of Loulan.

For the protagonist, we drew inspiration from the Loulan mummies and the iconic desert sand of the Western Regions, creating a dual-form warrior:

In Sand Form, golden sand wraps his body — a balanced fighter who wields the power of sand.

When he unleashes the sand and forges a massive sand blade, he shifts into Bone Form — a powerful stance built for one-versus-many combat.

On his journey, he will face powerful factions ranging from the Loulan royal family, who embody the power of the sun, to the frost-bound spiders of the Western Regions.

We’ve reimagined iconic landscapes of the western region through a fantastical lens, from vast deserts to flowing rivers of sand.

Loulan is supported by SIE as part of the China Hero Project. We are a 16-member cross-regional team, aiming to deliver a rich, ancient Loulan world and a unique, immersive gameplay experience.

Our core team is made up of veteran gamers born in the ’80s and ’90s. We grew up playing action games and were deeply inspired by classics like the original God of War and arcade action games. Many of us have worked on action titles at studios in the U.S. and Japan, including Santa Monica Studio, FromSoftware, and PlatinumGames. We’re truly passionate about this genre and dedicated to pushing its boundaries.

At the same time, we’ve always been fascinated by fantasy worlds inspired by the ancient Silk Road — especially the mysterious and radiant kingdom of Loulan, once a shining jewel along that route. With this project, we aim to bring the beauty and enigma of ancient Loulan to life through a retro top-down camera perspective. Our goal is to blend classic arcade-style combat with modern gameplay innovations — such as the unique interaction between the protagonist and his sandblade. We truly hope players will enjoy the experience.

Halo: Campaign Evolved launches on PS5 in 2026

I’ve had the honor of working on Halo for nearly two decades, and I’ve been lucky to share so many incredible moments with players along the way. Today’s announcement is one I’ll never forget: Halo is coming to PlayStation.

For nearly 25 years, Halo has offered players an epic sci-fi universe to explore, unforgettable characters to meet, and exhilarating gameplay to experience together. From large-scale battles to friendships formed over late-night co-op sessions, Halo has always been more than just a game – it’s about the players who’ve made it part of their lives.

From the beginning, we wanted to build a world with stories and experiences that bring people together. And now, for the first time, PS5 players will get to be part of that journey too.

Back to the beginning

We’re going back to where it all began – the legendary campaign from Halo: Combat Evolved. This is the story that first introduced players to the Master Chief, a super-soldier leading humanity’s fight for survival, and Cortana, the AI who became his closest ally. It’s where we met the Covenant, an alien alliance waging war against humanity, and uncovered the mystery of the Halo ring – an ancient megastructure holding secrets that could change the fate of the galaxy.

For some of you, it’ll be a chance to revisit a classic in a completely new light. For others, it’ll be the very first time setting foot on the ring and discovering what makes Halo unforgettable.

What to expect

Halo: Campaign Evolved has been rebuilt from the ground up to honor the original while modernizing the experience. The full campaign returns with every mission enhanced through high-definition visuals and all-new cinematics. We’ve also evolved the gameplay experience itself with smoother controls and movement, as well as improved wayfinding and combat flow. The soundtrack has been fully remastered, while the sound design has been rebuilt to deliver a more immersive experience.

Top: Halo: Combat Evolved (2001), Bottom: Halo: Campaign Evolved

Combat feels sharper than ever, with nine additional weapons from across the series added to the arsenal. You’ll also find new challenges woven into the experience, including three brand-new prequel missions starring the Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson – a decorated Marine who’s been at Chief’s side since the beginning. These missions are set before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved and introduce new environments, gameplay, and characters.

Vehicles remain a hallmark of Halo’s sandbox, and this time you’ll have even more freedom to wreak havoc. For the first time in Halo: CE, you can hijack enemy rides and even take control of the Covenant’s massive Wraith tank. And if you’re looking for a new challenge or just want to shake things up, the campaign includes the largest set of “Skulls” ever – optional modifiers that remix missions with randomized weapons, enemies, and environments for endless ways to play. Some Skulls push your limits, like one that disables your HUD entirely for a greater challenge, while others prove that not every fight has to be serious (yes, Grunt headshots still burst into confetti).

Top: Halo: Combat Evolved (2001), Bottom: Halo: Campaign Evolved

Better together

What makes Halo special isn’t just the gameplay, it’s who you play it with. Bringing Halo to PlayStation means even more players can share in that experience. In Halo: Campaign Evolved, you can jump into four-player online co-op with friends or kick it old school with two-player couch co-op on your PlayStation- now with cross-play and cross-progression across console and PC.

Looking ahead

Halo: Campaign Evolved is coming in 2026, launching day and date on PlayStation 5. We’ll have more to share in the months ahead, but for now, you can wishlist today.

As the Master Chief once said: “I think we’re just getting started.”

Share of the Week: Ghost of Yōtei – Landscapes

Last week, we asked you to share beautiful landscapes in Ghost of Yōtei using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

ForgottenJasmin shares a forest of red-leaved trees framing a castle fortress

SheikhSadi80 shares a sea cliffside view

DeathStalker131 shares a mountain shrine view

valeria_ame shares horses running past Mount Yōtei at sunset

call_me_xavii shares Atsu strumming her shamisen in front of her home’s ginkgo tree

Leumir4 shares a shrine and Mount Yotei framed by cherry blossoms

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on X or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Spooky
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on October 29, 2025

Next week we’re ready for a fright. Share moments from the spooky game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Need some inspiration? Explore PlayStation Plus October chills and thrills like Silent Hill 2, Alan Wake 2, Until Dawn, V Rising, and more.

Ghost of Yōtei – tech deep dive

Ghost of Yōtei has been a labor of love for Sucker Punch, and we’re happy to have it out in the world for everyone to play. Now that players have gotten a taste of the game, we thought this was a good opportunity to talk a little bit about the technology that helped get us here.

Coming off of what we achieved with Ghost of Tsushima, the project vision for Ghost of Yōtei put a stronger emphasis on a player’s sense of freedom in an untamed wilderness. This meant striving for less intrusive ways to guide players, beautiful environments with longer sightlines, more flexible weapon combat, memorable characters with personality, and emotional story moments. Trying to do all this while maintaining a good frame rate is clearly a challenge.

So, let’s dig into a few aspects of the technology we used to create Ghost of Yōtei!

Wandering a wild world

In prototyping our vision for free exploration, we found it most effective if players could gaze across a beautiful landscape and follow their curiosity to find the game. From a technical perspective, landing that feeling required longer sight lines, meaning better rendering for grass, terrain and mountains into the distance.

We improved the appearance of distant mountains by baking models and detailed terrain materials into textures that we could display at higher detail. We also doubled the amount of grass and renderable items our GPU compute renderer is allowed to produce. In this shot, the distant mountains with over one million trees, rocks, and bushes are culled down to about sixty thousand individual items that we render to generate our G-buffers to build the final image.

We use procedural assisted authoring techniques and lean heavily on GPU compute to process all of these instances efficiently without CPU involvement. This involves sequences of compute jobs to perform occlusion culling, memory allocation, fill out draw records before we readback that information on the CPU to stitch into the final command lists for the frame. Here’s an animation of a similar shot with all GPU drawn geometry animating into place to give you a sense of the scale involved. We use these techniques for runtime generated data as well like our broad fields of flowers, and even occasionally for things like ropes and chains.

To give each area of the world a unique flavor, we built interaction systems that help emphasize their themes. Much of the world has grass or small plants, and in addition to deforming with wind and character motion, we added a system that renders weapon sweeps into a “cut buffer.” This buffer is then sampled by cuttable geometry and is used to spawn particles with the geometry above the cut. This allows Atsu to cut most grass, flowers and small plants in the game.

Hokkaido has Japan’s most extreme winters, so we wanted to realistically portray the interaction of characters with deep snow. To support that, we built a terrain tessellation system that both increases the amount of detail that can be represented by the terrain, and which can be dynamically deformed at runtime. To achieve this, particles and geometry are rendered to a displacement buffer as characters walk, roll and fight through it. This was flexible enough that we extended it to allow characters to knock snow off of trees and bushes, spawning snow particles in the process. When we combine that with a new snow sparkle effect using stable screen-space noise, it ends up looking like this.

Tall mountains like Mt. Yōtei are often covered by clouds, so we had to come up with a way of rendering clouds in front of world geometry, which wasn’t possible in Ghost of Tsushima’s engine. We also wanted to give the impression of stormy, unsettled weather by increasing the speed at which clouds could move. To enable faster cloud motion without objectionable artifacts, we store the average visible depth of each texel in the cloud map (measured from the camera), which allows us to use parallax mapping techniques while scrolling each cloud frame. (We also blend three cloud frames instead of just two, which results in even smoother motion.) By also storing the average visible squared depth in the cloud map, we are able to reconstruct a simple statistical distribution of the cloud opacity along each ray, and this lets us compute how much the clouds should obscure world geometry like mountains.

Fog and atmospheric scattering was an important focus when establishing the art style of Ghost of Tsushima, and for Ghost of Yōtei we wanted to build on that by adding support for local fog volumes. These are computed efficiently by using the PS5’s expanded 16-bit floating point GPU instructions. As a side effect of our cloud optimizations, we compute a light-space cloud shadow map, and this enables crepuscular rays (“god rays”) to be visible in our volumetric fog, even far from the camera. We also let artists place “god ray targets” in the world so that they are more frequently lit by a hole in the clouds.

Character and movement

One of our primary goals was to make the world of Ghost of Yōtei feel alive. We want everything on the screen to move with the wind, including all the clothing characters wear, the tassels on weapons, and all of the hanging cloth in settlements. When you roll around and fight, we want to kick up dust and leaves while leaving you muddy and bloody, to really anchor you in the world.

Atsu’s complex costumes can only move realistically thanks to the new layering support we built into our high-performance GPU compute cloth system. In addition to adding support for multiple layers of simulated cloth (seen below), we support cloth collisions, and use a set of carefully tuned heuristics to simulate large numbers of individual cloth simulations efficiently. Here is an example of Atsu in one of her more complex costumes, surrounded by moving cloth.

GPU particles have been a strong suit for Sucker Punch since Infamous Second Son. In Ghost of Yōtei we continue to add to our bag of tricks, allowing particles to sample terrain material, deformation and water flow. For example, this shot shows particles landing on and flowing down river.

In addition to affecting the world, we anchor characters by having the world punch back. We do this by splatting information into a directional grid deformed around the character which we then use to layer in texture effects to make the character wet, bloody, muddy or snowy.

We also leverage our particle systems to allow the player to swap to the past to explore Atsu’s family history. To swap between past and present, we change the skeleton and geometry of Atsu while keeping her character state and animation consistent. Elements of the background and lighting are also changed instantly thanks to the speed of the SSD with some carefully chosen prefetching. This is done behind a curtain of animating particles which sample a copy of the frame buffer from just before the transition.

Ray Tracing and PS5 Pro enhancements

As a native PS5 game, we knew we wanted to improve image quality by leveraging some of the platform’s newer technology. With the release of the PS5 Pro, we also wanted to push in a direction that would help us with future games. Based on the solid support from the PlayStation central technology teams, we invested in two big areas: ray tracing, and image upsampling with PSSR.

Since Ghost of Yōtei takes place in the wilderness of 17th century Hokkaido, there are few mirror-like surfaces that lend themselves to ray-traced reflections. Instead, we decided to use ray tracing to improve the fidelity of our global illumination solution. We attacked this from two directions: first with a more automated, improved baked lighting model, which we could then augment with short-range ray-traced global illumination (RTGI). This required significant changes to our mesh streaming format, allowing us to dynamically decompress the acceleration structures used by the ray tracing hardware. By using the PS5 Pro’s more efficient ray tracing hardware, players can enable RTGI targeting 60 frames per second on Pro consoles.

For Ghost of Yōtei we rebuilt our frame to use a more general dynamic resolution algorithm, with upsampling, partly so we could take advantage of PSSR. PSSR works very well for us with only a few tweaks, including running conservative rasterization for small particles. By comparison, our standard upsampling algorithm requires significantly more hinting and authoring help to achieve good results. Here’s a side-by-side look. If you zoom in very close (16x before gif compression), you can see that PSSR does a better job reconstructing fine details on architecture and foliage. It is also more stable under motion.

Loading speed

For a long time, Sucker Punch has prided itself on getting players into our games as quickly as possible. In Ghost of Yōtei we continued this tradition by doubling down on fast load times.

We optimize loading by preprocessing data so that it requires only a handful of SSD reads and patching operations per location or terrain tile to load gameplay-relevant data. We then compute and load only the texture mips and mesh LODs needed to render the first frame, with one read per element. Here’s what loading from the far south to the far north looks like without the screen faded out. (Note that this is somewhat slower than it would be if we didn’t have to render the world the whole time.)

Throughout development we “dog food” these systems rather than using a different loading model for shipping builds. Dog fooding is programmer-speak for every programmer, artist and designer testing what we ship to improve its quality.

Conclusion

This is a small peek into some of the technical work we do at Sucker Punch. Making games is more than that though — it’s a huge team effort with art informing technology and technology informing art throughout.

When we began this project five years ago, our goal was to build a game world that players would love getting lost in. Many of our technical decisions were anchored around the core fantasy of Ghost of Yōtei — that of a wandering warrior coming to terms with events from her past. We’re thrilled to see this vision coming to life with players sharing their experiences and posting incredible in-game screenshots and videos using Photo Mode.

We’re certainly proud of the result and we hope everyone enjoys wandering the wilderness in Ghost of Yōtei.

If you’re interested in more info on Sucker Punch’s technology and development process, take a look at our past presentations at conferences like GDC and SIGGRAPH. We expect to share more in 2026.

Special thanks to Jasmin Patry, Doug Davis, and Eric Wohllaib who helped me edit and prepare content for this post, as well as all the Sucker Punch folks whose work I am representing here.

The first-ever Gran Turismo World Series Fan Fest comes to Los Angeles

For the first time ever, the Gran Turismo World Series is heading to Los Angeles, and you are invited to join the celebration at the inaugural GT World Series Fan Fest, a full day event dedicated to the passion, culture, and community that define Gran Turismo.

On November 8, the Orpheum Theatre in downtown LA will host a weekend of racing excitement as we celebrate Gran Turismo’s incredible milestone — 100 million games sold worldwide as of June 25, 2025. Fans can cheer on the world’s fastest drivers, get an early look at new tracks, cars, and features from the upcoming SPEC III update*, test their skills on GT racing sleds, explore a display of highly customized GT Awards vehicles and partner showcases, enjoy some of LA’s best food vendors, and visit a kids zone designed for the next generation of racing fans.

Return of the GT Awards**

The legendary Gran Turismo Awards return, featuring an incredible showcase of custom and modified cars from the Gran Turismo community and tuners. From iconic track machines to one-of-a-kind builds, the parking lots adjacent to the Orpheum Theatre will transform into a celebration of automotive artistry.

One remarkable vehicle will be crowned Best of Show and be digitally immortalized in a future release of Gran Turismo for players from around the world to drive.

Think your car has what it takes? Owners of custom builds located within the Los Angeles area are invited to submit their vehicles for judging at the GT Awards. Accepted entrants must have their cars delivered to the Orpheum Theatre on Saturday, November 8, to be part of the event showcase.

Click here to register your vehicle for consideration.

GT panels + experiences GT

Throughout the day, fans can dive into panels and workshops led by automotive photographers, builders, and car collectors as they explore the artistry of speed and design that defines both Gran Turismo and real-world car culture.

Catch every moment of the live Gran Turismo World Series races on a massive LED screen outside the Orpheum and experience the thrill of Gran Turismo in an all-new way.

Union x Gran Turismo

Be among the first to see the Union × Gran Turismo collaboration — a new capsule collection that merges Union’s timeless streetwear design with Gran Turismo’s racing heritage. Fans will get an exclusive first look at this limited-edition apparel debuting at GTWS Los Angeles.

Gran Turismo World Series

The action inside the Orpheum Theatre begins with an Invitational Race at 3:00pm when 12 creators and members of the media get their chance to show off their Gran Turismo 7 skills on stage in front of the live audience. That, of course, is just the warmup with the main events being the Manufacturers Cup at 4:00pm PT and the Nations Cup at 7:00pm PT.

The Manufacturers Cup will see 12 drivers from North, Central and South America battling on behalf of their favorite automaker. So far Subaru have dominated proceedings with Japanese star Takuma Miyazono taking victory in Round 1 in London followed by Frenchman Kylian Drumont at Berlin’s second round. Veteran GT World Series racer Daniel Solis will hope to follow his teammates onto the top step of the podium on home soil. The rest of the field will hope to stop Team Subaru’s run.

The Nations Cup sees the same field of 12 elite racers competing at each Round in 2025. So far Spaniard Jose Serrano has been unstoppable with two wins. But Italian Valerio Gallo is snapping at his heels after consecutive podiums. Serrano’s fellow Spaniard, Pol Urra, sits third in the standings.

Tickets on sale now

This is Gran Turismo brought to life, celebrating virtual racing and car culture under the LA skyline.

Be part of the celebration! Tickets are on sale now. Availability is limited, so secure yours early and join the Gran Turismo community in Los Angeles for an unforgettable day of racing, innovation, community and incredible cars.

Event: GT World Series + Fan Fest Los Angeles
When: Saturday, November 8, 2025
Where: The Orpheum Theater (842 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014)
Tickets: GTWS LA Event Page

Follow Gran Turismo social channels for artist announcements, panel schedules, and more.

*Available via patch v. 1.64. Internet connection and account for PlayStation required.

Battlefield 6 Season 1 first details and hands-on report

Battlefield 6 has blasted onto the FPS scene, revitalizing Electronic Arts’ franchise with a return to classic elements and a hefty dose of widespread destruction. But its October 10 release was just the beginning. Developer Battlefield Studios has more free content coming for the game, starting with its first season, which kicks off on October 28 and runs to November 11.

Seasons for Battlefield 6 are broken into three timed, themed updates. The first in Season 1 is Rogue Ops, bringing a new map, mode, and weapons for players to try. I hit the dirt with Rogue Ops’ new content, going hands-on with its new map, Blackwell Fields, and its gameplay mode, Strikepoint. I also got to try the map and mode coming with the second update, California Resistance, on November 18.

Here are all the hands-on details for what’s coming in Rogue Ops, as well as a few looks ahead to California Resistance.

New maps

Blackwell Fields — Coming in Rogue Ops, Blackwell Fields is a massive oil field in the California chaparral. The All-Out Warfare map is set in a desert landscape that catches fire easily as helicopters, planes, and tanks fight over the vast area. Blackwell Fields provides a lot of open space, with rolling hills and low brush that are great for snipers to set up camp. Vehicles also have plenty of room to maneuver on their way to different objectives. But with oil wells, construction equipment, and shipping containers dotting the landscape, there are plenty of places for infantry to dig in and get into some intense fights.

Eastwood — With Pax Armata attacking new targets, NATO soldiers find themselves fighting cells in the suburbs of Los Angeles in the California Resistance update. Eastwood is one such Southern California town, where the fighting takes place in the streets and through the houses. Eastwood’s suburban landscape offers a lot of locations for intense skirmishes, with battles fought in and out of living rooms and through drained pools and back yards as tanks shred high-end homes. A wide-open golf course means you’ll need to take care not to get sighted by enemy troops as you move, but there’s still a whole lot of variety in this map.

Get to the … golf cart! — One very cool aspect of Eastwood is that it’s littered with driveable golf carts that are great for an impromptu escape or trip to a new objective. You might also try ramming them into enemy vehicles, provided you remember to jump out in time.

New modes

Strikepoint — Rogue Ops also gets a new 4-on-4 multiplayer mode, which pits two squads against each other in close-quarters combat as they battle over a single objective. Players only get one life per round in Strikepoint, so it’s essential to play carefully, stick with teammates, and watch for ambushes. Victory in a round is attained when a team either captures the objective or eliminates the other squad, and the first team to win six rounds takes the match. Strikepoint is a tough mode that hardcore players are sure to love, where tactical awareness, good strategies, and clear communication are all essential to taking down a win.

Sabotage — An 8v8 mode coming with California Resistance, Sabotage gives you one of two objectives: destroy boxes of equipment scattered across a small, close-quarters map, or prevent the opposing team from doing so. Teams switch between offense and defense, with the team that destroys the most equipment winning the match. The trick to the mode is to destroy the caches as quickly and efficiently as you can, using everything in your arsenal to get the job done — while still defending yourself against enemy fighters. Explosives are at a premium, for attackers, while defenders need to use smart positioning to box out the opposing players as they continually stream into the battle zone. Sabotage is a chaotic, action-packed mode that might be a bit more welcoming to casual players who want to continually rush into the action with little downtime. It’s full of players constantly fighting and quickly respawning.

New weapons

In addition to new modes and maps, the three updates in Season 1 bring new weapons to the fight. I tried each of the three guns that will be available with Rogue Ops, as well as its new vehicle. You can earn all of them through the free tiers of Battlefield 6’s battle pass, and with four different paths through that pass, you’ll be able to choose which rewards you want to prioritize. Complete all four paths and you’ll unlock a fifth free path to work through.

You can also purchase Battlefield Pro, which nets you additional battle pass rewards and cosmetics.

SOR-300C – Carbine — This carbine is built for close-range engagements and is highly lethal when you’re near to an enemy. It has a lower fire rate than other carbines, but deals higher damage, making it great for tighter confines and smaller maps. At shorter ranges, it can be effective both hip-firing and aiming down sights, and it’s pretty solid at midrange if you fire in bursts to manage the recoil.

Mini Fix – Sniper Rifle — Good news for Recon players: Rogue Ops drops a new, faster sniper rifle option. The other snipers currently in the game force you to lower the rifle to cycle a new round every time you shoot, unless you equip an attachment, making them pretty slow. But Mini Fix can shoot through its entire 10-round magazine much more quickly than its counterparts, without interrupting your aim. It doesn’t hit quite as hard as some other rifles as a result, but the ability to keep firing on a target might make up for it.

GGH-22 – Sidearm — The new Glock 22 sidearm is a solid middle-of-the-road choice that feels pretty lethal at short range, even firing from the hip. It serves a balanced position among the other sidearms, with a few more shots and a little more damage than some, but a slower firing rate than others. It might not replace the sidearm you’re already comfortable with, but it’s a solid option in an emergency.

Traverser Mk. 2 – APC vehicle — A new armored personnel carrier hits the field in Rogue Ops, and it’s great for capturing objectives. The APC is a support vehicle for infantry fighters. It can carry soldiers across maps and is outfitted with mounted weapons, while also offering attachments like an integrated med bay to heal players, and an emergency repair station to keep the APC in the fight.

New attachments — Rogue Ops also introduces a few new modifications you can add to your guns. Rail Covers for some rifles and light machine guns increase the gun’s draw speed, while Low Powered Variable Optics scopes give you a few new options for the magnification on LMGs and rifles.

There’s a whole lot of new stuff coming to Battlefield 6 in Season 1, and the themed drops of Rogue Ops and California Resistance are poised to keep the game fresh for squads throughout the end of the year. You can check out everything that Rogue Ops has to offer when Battlefield 6’s first season drops on October 28.

No Man’s Sky’s all-new Breach update live today

A little over a month ago, the tiny No Man’s Sky team held its breath as we pushed the button on the super ambitious Voyagers update. We poured a lot of love into it for over a year but didn’t know what to expect. It has been incredible for the team to watch the reaction and see us hit our highest player numbers since launch over nine years ago. I genuinely never thought that would happen, what a journey it’s been.

It has provided some of my favourite moments of these last nine years. Standing in the Nexus and seeing these beautiful, creative, sci-fi ships that other players have built. And just floating in space outside of your ship, has really resonated with players and provides these tranquil moments of calm that I love. It has made us instantly excited to work on a new update!

Today, with our latest update, Breach, we’re introducing space wrecks to explore, leaning into that thrill of spacewalking, and giving players more excuse to enjoy it. Salvaging these wrecks unlocks a huge array of new ship building parts which has been greatly requested. We’ve also improved and expanded ship building in response to watching players spend so much time in the workshop designing their dream ships.

In Breach, there is also an expedition launching – where players will traverse a desolate and abandoned universe to discover what happened to a mysterious abandoned wreck. Voyaging to the edge of space will be required if you are to salvage from the wreckage of the ill-fated ship and add unique parts and modules to your ship-building workshop.

Many such wrecks have begun to appear throughout the far reaches of space, and there are rewards for the bravest of Travellers prepared to scavenge from them, including new vertical and structural parts which allow players to build colossal ships and rare, glowing Atlas-themed wings, engines and features.

The Breach expedition also brings players together to explore the strange and rare purple-star solar systems. The planets in these systems are particularly fun to explore with their deeper oceans, incredible terrains and volatile gas giants. It guides players towards the new space wrecks, is a great way to salvage some new rare ship parts, while uncovering a spooky story – suitable for the Halloween season!

It has been a crazy year for the No Man’s Sky team and we’re so proud and pleased to be able to continue working on this game we all love so much nine years after launch. Seeing so many folks enjoying Voyagers has really inspired us, and we can’t wait for you to see what we have in store in future.

Our journey continues.

Festival of Accord: Dreamspell comes to Monster Hunter Wilds starting October 22

Hunters on PlayStation, today we’re sharing new details on our fall seasonal event, the Festival of Accord: Dreamspell, taking place in Monster Hunter Wilds from October 22 to November 12.

Take part in this splendid festival being held in the Grand Hub for a limited time, with decorations, special meals, gestures, and pop-up camp decorations available.

Festival of Accord: Dreamspell | Fall Seasonal Event

Collect limited-time Dreamspell tickets to craft special hunter armor, the Dreamwalker α Series, and Palico equipment, the Meowrionette α Series. Limited-time event quests will also be available and many past event quests will also return.

As with past seasonal events, special limited-time meals will be available at the Grand Hub. Receive your login bonus each day to earn Dreamspell Voucher and other items during the event. The regular login bonus will also be increased, with two Lucky Vouchers and three Barrel Bowling Vouchers available during the event period.

Bounties will be updated daily, allowing you to obtain special tickets and items. In addition, the Provisions Stockpile will be running a sale during the event.

Obtain the Spectral Barrel Bomb through login bonuses.

Limited-time login bonus content

Gesture: Pumpkin Head

Special Seikret Decoration: Living Doll Caparison

Customize your Hunter Profile with a special Nameplate, Background, Pose, and Titles, themed to the Festival of Accord: Dreamspell.

Here’s a look at some of the special items that can be used to customize your pop-up camp.

Obtain the special pendant Dreamspell Felyne Teddy and additional music (BGM) tracks during the seasonal event as well!

Here’s a look at some of the special Event Quests and their rewards, available during the Festival of Accord: Dreamspell.

Event Quest: Hirabami Harvest

Collect special materials to obtain the Harvest α Series armor and the Felyne Ghost α Series Palico equipment!

Event Quest: “That Won’t Faze Me!”

Become one with the pack by collecting special materials to obtain the Gelidron α Series armor set with a Gelidron look!

Alma’s costume change equipment

(Alma’s costume change will be unlocked after clearing a specific side mission.)

You can also forge new glasses for your hunter and for Alma as well! Forge the Kitten Frames α, Aviator Shades α, and change Alma’s style to your heart’s content!

Permanent Event Quest: Be Cursed, Ye Shadowy Flame

The apex predator of the Oilwell Basin appears in the permanent event quest as an Arch-tempered monster. Special rewards allow you to craft the powerful hunter armor Nu Udra γ Series and the Palico equipment Felyne Udra γ Series.

The Handlers’ new looks for the Seasonal Event

We’ve prepared special Handler outfits to match the atmosphere of the Dreamspell festival.

During the event period, you can try on the special outfit, Alma Outfit: Autumn Witch for Alma, and Erik Outfit: Autumn Therian for Erik.

(You can change the outfits any time during the event period from the Appearance menu. The Handlers’ outfits can be purchased as paid DLC to be worn even after the event ends.)

The Dreamspell DLC Pack will also become available when the event starts on October 22.

The Dreamspell DLC Pack features special pendants, gestures, a sticker set, and a Seikret decoration, as well as Alma and Erik’s seasonal outfits! These items can be purchased separately, or as together as part of the Dreamspell DLC Pack. (Please note that it may take some time for the content to appear in the store.)

Happy hunting!

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 hands-on report, out Oct 21

As the night draws near, the fangs come out and the darkest of deceptions begins. From its tabletop roots, to its transition into visual novels and action role-playing games, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 raises the stakes in the popular series.

I got to explore a sinister Seattle in this final version of the first-person adventure sequel, to unearth what has come to light in the World of Darkness for its October 21 launch on PlayStation 5.

A living undead world

The Emerald City has adopted a distinct shade of white in Bloodlines 2, following a brutal winter snowstorm, restricting all transport. It’s the perfect setting of isolation for assuming control of a 400-year-old Elder vampire only known as Nomad (or Phyre, for the more familiar), who you can customize via a massive variety of outfits, facial styles, and accessories. These choices can also affect how others react to you – want to get a biker to respect Phyre? Then slipping on a power suit isn’t going to cut it.

After finishing an action-packed tutorial through a derelict building, I was free to explore Seattle’s brightly lit streets, rat- infested back alleys, and impressive skyscrapers. Despite being set in the depths of night, the city heaves with life. Between its varied wanderers, street art, and radio shows broadcasting everything from weather bulletins to the mood of the people, environmental storytelling is everywhere, filling each area with something to pay attention to.

Move like a vampire

From its opening minutes, the game teaches you the importance of verticality, with Phyre’s enhanced jump via a quick double tap of the X button allowing them to scale high fences and reach tall ledges.

Between supernatural leaps, a super-speed dash, the ability to clamber up drainpipes and fire escapes with ease, and being able to glide across the sky without worrying about fall damage, navigating the city was an empowering experience. Especially as I often had to use Phyre’s enhanced senses via R3 to track scents across the rooftops. However, there’s a catch…

Preserve the masquerade

As per the series’ established rules, performing unusual, supernatural, or outright vampiric actions within the public eye is punishable by the Camarilla, the code-enforcing vampire court. This meant my activities had to be governed with caution to prevent hunters from being sent to collect my immortal head. And mortal police roaming these snowy streets will not hesitate to fire if they suspect ill intent.

Supernatural skills

But none of this limited my bloodsucking expression. The fun was in figuring out how to work around the law, supernatural or otherwise, especially as combat is a big part of Bloodlines 2.

Starting off simple, a tap of L1 lets you dodge attacks, while R1 delivers a melee strike. The latter is devastating to humans – often turning them into instant mulch – but will only slightly damage enhanced enemies such as ghouls or other vampires. Given I was fighting around half a dozen brutes at one time, stealth and hit- and- run tactics were essential to survival.

However, Phyre has another trick in their coffin. Pressing R2 activates their telekinesis ability, which can be used to levitate items from a distance, steal weapons from enemies, and even throw their bodies. This allowed me to draw people into the shadows so Phyre could feed, but also, in one instance, gave me the chance to provoke the police into attacking a band of ghouls – leaving me to find a safe spot to watch them wipe each other out.

A clash of clans

Of course, there are other ways to fight, too. The clan you choose at the start of the game determines your ability tree progression and unlockable skills. I bit into Ventrue, which specialises in mental domination perks like temporarily possessing or entrancing enemies, and passive attack resistance.

Other clans offer different talents, such as the brawling Brujah with abilities like Earthshock, a Hulk-like ground- shaking slam. The Tremere clan specialises in ranged attack blood magic, Banu Haqim focuses on stealth perks, including the ability to prevent an enemy from calling for help, the shadow-driven Lasombra clan allows skills designed to trap or scare opponents, and Toreadors are all about overpowering the weak-willed at close quarters. Handily, you can also unlock skills outside of your chosen clan by feeding on people with particular types of blood.

Adding another layer to all of this is Fabien, the vampire detective, unexpectedly trapped in Phyre’s head. During short interludes, I was transported into Fabien’s past, tying a previous case to the current- day mystery of their psychic entanglement, giving access to fresh powers, like reading emotions to glean information from the tight-lipped.

Choose your words carefully

In situations where fists don’t fly, the branching dialogue system nicely changes the pace. When engaging in conversation, you’ll often be given different ways to respond, with Fabien sometimes hinting at the personality you’re facing. It’s important to know when to employ flattery, discretion, directness, or intimidation to yield the best results, as your responses can affect these relationships and how others perceive you as the story progresses,on top of the influence of your clan affiliation.

Put your vampiric powers through their paces when Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 releases on October 21.