Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, is coming up to three years now, but at the Future Games Show this evening, all these years on, developer TaleWorlds Entertainment announced that the strategy action game will be getting its first bit of DLC, War Sails. If you can’t gather from the name, featured image above, and trailer below, the DLC is all about boats; sailing ’em, fighting with ’em, trading with ’em, you name it, these boats can do it (within reason).
It’s a post-apocalyptic, action adventure platformer, and now ReSetna has made 14 updates in just one month after responding to fan feedback. Indie developer Today’s Games calls it a “game reworked by players” and is dedicated to continuing working with its community.
The latest update, the Ruby Armor Upgrade, includes an overhaul of the combat system, better player controls, and a strong focus on the way battles will feel. Players facing the final boss will get a new cut scene, the game’s environments have had a renovation, and the UI has been tweaked to provide clarity for players. Oh, and there’s that gorgeous red armor set too.
ReSetna launched on January 30 on Steam and Nintendo Switch, and its titular robotic hero, ReSetna, has been woken from dormancy by Apex AI to track down the origin of a mysterious signal that is driving robots insane. Luckily there’s back up from a drone companion called IXA who can help out by hacking enemies and providing medical aid.
Rachel Weber is IGN’s Managing Editor.
Frosthaven – the sequel to Cephalofair’s knock-a-horse-out massive board game – is getting a digital version from Julian Gollop’s Snapshot Games. You can sign up here to its closed beta kicking off March 27th, and it’s coming to Steam early access later this year.
Like predecessor Gloomhaven, Frosthaven is a tactical RPG where you’ll resolve story events and encounters between dungeon delving, retiring old characters and unlocking new classes as you progress. New to Frosthaven is a fleshed-out management game that has you build up and protect an outpost, while dealing with harsh seasons and invaders.
InZOI kind of looks like an exercise in pushing the uncanny valley to me, something I’d wholeheartedly respect if that were definitely the intention behind the game, but I have a hunch that it really is just meant to be The Sims, but if it looked like real life. Whether that’s enough to win over Sims lovers or not, I’m not sure, its early access release isn’t until next week so we’ll all know more then. However! You do now have the opportunity to try and test the limits of its character creator, as like a few games have done in recent years, its Create a Zoi feature is available to download as its own thing… if you’re happy to do a bit of homework.
A Mimic miracle.
If you’re anything like us, you probably spent a fair amount of time soaking up the 3D vibes of Pokémon Stadium in the early 2000s. This was the franchise’s first foray into the third dimension and, at the time, it was mind-blowing. Charizard? With depth? Is this the future? But no matter how long we played, some features remained hidden to us. That is, until today.
You see, today we stumbled across this informative YouTube Short from D0UBLESLAP, which promised to show us “secret animations” from our beloved Pokémon Stadium — and that it did.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
As we touched on earlier this week, there are now over 1,000 developers utilizing Xbox Play Anywhere (XPA) for their games, bringing their amazing experiences to players across a variety of devices they own.
If you’ve never heard of XPA before, let us give you a refresher: when you buy a digital game that supports XPA through the Xbox Store or the Windows Store, it’s available to play on your Xbox console, Windows 10/11 PC, and supported handheld gaming devices at no additional cost. Even better, your progression comes with you across all platforms.
While the benefits of XPA for players are clear, we wanted to show you how developers have embraced this feature for their games. At this year’s annual ID@Xbox Showcase event at GDC, we chatted with the teams behind upcoming XPA games Clair Obsur: Expedition 33, Detective Dotson, and Towerborne to learn more about what influenced their decision to implement this feature and what benefits it may hold for their gaming communities.
“I mean, I think for us it’s all about discovery,” says Detective Dotson Director Sharlin Shodhan. “Making a game is hard enough, but selling a game in 2025 is super hard. This just gives us all the surfaces that Xbox and Microsoft have as a common access point to sell our game.”
In chatting more with Shodhan, he cites that being able to connect with players across multiple platforms is a key benefit in supporting Xbox Play Anywhere. Having all types of players access their game, and know that it can be played on multiple owned devices, is important for them because it widens the surface where people can access it — and thus share it.
The upcoming Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, launching day one with Game Pass on April 24, will also support Xbox Play Anywhere at launch. Again, allowing a variety of gaming communities on different platforms to come together thanks to XPA was seen as a tremendous benefit, especially for a new studio.
“Forming new friendships with players who are discovering our game is really the most we can hope for,” explains Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Producer and Studio Co-founder François Meurisse. “Having players able to play our game on different devices they already have at home is ideal. This helps them discover the game and feel a link with the universe, to the characters, and maybe even follow-up [for] future games [we make].”
Other teams I talked to had Xbox Play Anywhere on their mind from the get-go. In talking with Towerborne Game Director Daniel McLaren, whose game is focused heavily on co-op, implementing XPA was necessary so anyone could join their community, whether they’re on PC or Xbox.
“We have built a game structured around playing together. From couch co-op to online co-op, or even just sitting by yourself with someone next to you telling you how to play. We needed to implement Xbox Play Anywhere so that anyone could join our community, whether they’re on PC or Xbox,” says McLaren. “No matter how you access your Xbox, be it through Game Pass or direct purchase, it was important for us to make sure we had the maximum number of players able to sit down anywhere, anytime, and just be able to play together.”
And it’s not just about utilizing XPA to connect with their gaming communities. As players themselves, these developers are also huge fans of what it means to play games they own with their friends and family, then taking that learned experience to implement into their games. In chatting more with McLaren, having XPA as an option to play across platforms is a huge benefit both personally and professionally.
“Well, the fact that I don’t have to segregate my audience [is what I like most about the Xbox Play Anywhere feature]. When trying to build an online game, It [would be]’s absurd that I can’t sit down at my PC on some games and play with my buddy, who is not a PC person at all, who only has an Xbox console, it just boggles my mind. So, being able to do this… I don’t understand why everybody wouldn’t do it,” McLaren says.
Shodhan also looks at it from a player perspective. “This is how it should be: If I own a game and several devices, the developer will want me to play their game on as many devices as possible without paying each time or having to go through different store procedures. So, I think that’s the ideal player experience, and that’s why I’m happy to support this for our players and make it a great experience.”
“As a player and a Game Pass member, I really enjoyed the experience,” says Meurisse. “I haven’t got a Steam Deck yet but being able to play games on my iPad (with Xbox Cloud Gaming) while in bed is fantastic. The bigger screen of the iPad, combined with a controller, makes for an enjoyable gaming experience.”
Xbox Play Anywhere offers incredible convenience to players and a strong benefit to developers in fostering a cross-platform community for their games. And only having to purchase a game once to play it on both Xbox and PC is a huge perk for playing on Xbox, wherever you are. When you’re a developer, at the end of the day, you just want more people to play your game — XPA is here to help make that happen.
The post How Developers Have Embraced Xbox Play Anywhere for Their Games appeared first on Xbox Wire.
God of War Ragnarök update version 06.02 patch notes are here to help celebrate the franchise’s 20th anniversary with details about everything included in the Dark Odyssey Collection.
Santa Monica Studio unveiled the full patch notes today. They come with a breakdown of everything included in the celebratory update, including the Dark Odyssey cosmetics for Kratos, Atreus, and Freya, as well as an updated look for all of the God of War’s godly weaponry. It’s a solid bundle of content available now at no extra charge.
In addition to all of the Norse-themed goodies included in this latest God of War Ragnarök update, players can now enjoy a special customization option. Found as the “Edit Appearance” feature, the option allows players to pick and choose their favorite looks without sacrificing each specific armor’s abilities and skills. For those who have yet to see Kratos fight off Thor and Odin or even if you’re going back for another stab, now is the best time to hop into the sequel regardless of if you’re on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, or PC.
While the Dark Odyssey Collection fills Kratos’ pockets with an armory of cosmetic options that should make series veterans smile, it’s not quite what some had hoped to see from Santa Monica Studio for the franchise’s 20th-anniversary festivities.
When the update was announced last week, some fans called for modern remasters of titles like God of War, God of War 2, and God of War 3. However, no plans for reimaginings like this have been announced, and there’s not been much of a sign that they will eventually be revealed — at least not yet.
Still, these along with some of the other bonuses in store, such as new merch and vinyl releases, promise that Sony is more than willing to keep God of War fans entertained for years to come. As you download the God of War Ragnarök 20th Anniversary Update for yourself, you can read about why we think the series needs to reinvent itself for its next outing.
You can see the full patch notes below.
[Game Version 06.02]
As a gift to everyone who owns God of War Ragnarök, the Dark Odyssey collection is now available in-game at no additional cost!
Inspired by the working name of God of War (2005) and the skin that originally appeared in God of War II as a reward for beating the game on God Mode difficulty, we have brought back the black and gold theme for the anniversary.
Dark Odyssey Collection
Dark Odyssey Armor & Appearance for Kratos
Dark Odyssey Companion Armor
Dark Odyssey Weapon Appearances & Attachments*
Dark Odyssey Shield Appearances & Rönd
*Please note, the weapon appearances are made for the fully upgraded version of each weapon and will only be available for use upon reaching that upgrade.
Edit Appearance for Weapon and Shield Attachments
With the addition of the new Dark Odyssey weapon attachments and shield rönd in the patch, we have added the ability to use the ‘Edit Appearance’ feature on those components of Kratos’ arsenal.
You’ll be able to pick whatever visual suits your look with the functionality you want for your build!
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Fans quick to celebrate the reveal of a Microsoft Flight Simulator PlayStation Store page were left let down after it was discovered that the actual product is little more than “copycat shovelware.”
Xbox and PlayStation fans gathered to discuss a potential port for the popular flight simulation game after Reddit user CreativeRaspberry314 shared Trophy information related to a potential PS4 and PS5 version earlier today. It would be exciting – if not somewhat unsurprising – to see Microsoft bring more Xbox titles to PlayStation fans, but the spotted store page isn’t officially related to Microsoft Flight Simulator in any way, shape, or form.
“Sadly, this is just a copycat shovelware game,” one Reddit user added. “Straight up shovelware,” another added. “Actually mental tbh, the picture is a straight up rip-off. If it was MSFS, it’d have the same achievements as the Xbox/Steam versions.”
Instead, the Flight Simulator 2025 on PlayStation is being published by a company named Grizzly Games Limited. As spotted by Eurogamer, the company shares a name with Thronefall developer Grizzly Games but is also completely unrelated to that entity. While that team is responsible for other titles like Superflight and Islanders, the Grizzly Games Limited website reveals a catalog of what appear to be mobile games featuring glossy, AI-generated materials. The art for its Flight Simulator 2025 project also appears to be generated by AI judging by some of its muddy plane parts and strange designs.
The Thronefall team, meanwhile, provided a statement to Eurogamer related to the discovery of Flight Simulator 2025 on PlayStation and Grizzly Games Limited. Grizzly Games says it is not associated with the company, adding that it is using “both our name and logo illegally.”
“Furthermore they seem to incorporate the absolute opposite of our values, of what we stand for and what we’re trying to give to the gaming community,” Grizzly Games continued. “Unfortunately our legal resources are limited as a two-person indie team, but honestly I’d love to see this kind of stuff being stopped, especially since it’s not only happening to us but lots of indie devs that just lack the legal power.”
As of this story’s publication, the Flight Simulator 2025 page remains live on the PlayStation Store. It describes an experience that “sets a new standard in aviation simulation, combining ultra-realistic flight dynamics with breathtaking visuals.” No gameplay for the project has been revealed.
“Can shovelware just be banned from the store please? It’s packed to the brim with it and makes browsing an absolute chore,” another Reddit user added. “I don’t remember it being this bad in prior generations.”
PlayStation took a stand against what many refer to as “spam” titles in 2022. At the time, it was believed the move was made to fight back against easy-to-Platinum games, or titles that exist almost solely for the purpose of increasing players’ Platinum Trophy count. However, many shovelware titles still exist on the PlayStation Store and other digital storefronts today.
We brought a magnifying glass up to the issue last month to take a closer look at how shovelware titles impact both gamers and developers. We spoke to multiple developers to learn more about not only how these games find their way onto digital storefronts but PlayStation, Nintendo, Xbox, and Valve’s vetting process.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Early 2025 contender for longest game title.
Famitsu has published the latest boxed charts for Japan, and as expected, Monster Hunter Wilds retains its position at the top of the pile.
In fact, the only newcomer this week is Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Myth – Fullland of Water and Light, a game that is almost certainly an early contender for the longest title of 2025. Still, it looks pretty fun if you want to check out some gameplay videos over on YouTube.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
There are numerous features developers must consider implementing when developing their games. These could be large, overarching ones – ‘How big should the game world be?’ ‘Will it need to support multiplayer?’ – or some of the less critical, but no less important, questions to answer… like what color should the doors be on a house?
Accessibility in gaming has grown significantly in recent years among game developers who have been more conscious of adding these types of features into their games, ensuring more people can play them across all facets of the gaming community. This could be anything from including a color-blind option, a high contrast mode, or game difficulty adjustments to name a few.
At this year’s ID@Xbox Showcase event at GDC, I had a chance to talk with Philip Crabtree, technical director and co-founder of Kaizen Game Works Limited, who was showcasing Promise Mascot Agency, which had the Xbox Adaptive Controller as well as the newly launched Xbox Adaptive Joystick enabled at their demo station. I was immediately curious to ask how the team decided to dedicate development resources to accessibility, and why it was important to them.
“I don’t think there was a decision; I think it was just something we wanted to do. And I think it was pretty much an unspoken understanding. Whenever an idea came up for an accessibility feature, we didn’t have a meeting about it. It’s just, ‘I’m putting it in,’ it’s as simple as that,” explains Crabtree. “If something comes to us, like a suggestion from someone who played the demo or something we’ve seen in another game, then it’s just mentioned, and we put it in where we can. It’s not a very complicated process.”
In Promise Mascot Agency, you play Mitchy, an exiled Yakuza living in a dying town who is seeking redemption. Your goal is to rebuild a mascot agency by recruiting mascots, helping them regain confidence, and renovating the town where they live. Crabtree describes it as an open-world narrative adventure game that combines crime drama with mini-games – and car battles.
Crabtree’s previous game, Paradise Killer had several accessibility settings that Kaizen’s community responded well to, but they also identified several limitations, such as the inability to alter the style of text dialogue. So, with Promise Mascot Agency, accessibility was a feature they wanted to push further and prioritized it early in development.
“In our Promise Mascot Agency, you drive around in a truck, so we wanted to make sure you could do things like drive without having to hold the triggers. So, we’ve implemented modes where you can just tap to drive and tap to reverse. Same thing with boosting — tap to do this or that. We also wanted to introduce options like high contrast mode so you can easily see objectives on the screen,” Crabtree says while detailing some of the accessibility settings they’ve implemented. “Where there are elements of difficulty, like timers, we wanted to make all those settings changeable so you can make it easier to chase or have more time to read the text. Anything we could think of that was achievable for a small team, we tried to get it in there.”
I asked Crabtree if there were any specific accessibility features the team really wanted to ensure worked well with Promise Mascot Agency, including those that may center around playing with the Xbox Adaptive Controller – which was on-hand at the event for attendees to try. The answer? Everything.
“Everyone wanted the whole game to work (with it). There’s no point in just having 10 percent of the game accessible — we wanted the whole thing. So, once we had [the Xbox Adaptive Controller] in front of us and we could use it, it was then just trying to figure out what the correct method of control is,” explains Crabtree. “As I mentioned before, rather than holding a button down to accelerate, you could tap. And then when you want to brake, do you tap the same button? Do you tap a different button? It’s just trying options to see what fit — we wanted every feature to work with it and I think we managed to get that.”
The team also got to experience using the new Xbox Adaptive Joystick with their game. “The new Xbox Adaptive Joystick is great — I didn’t realize it existed until very recently. I’m happy just to have held it – it’s a wonderful little thing,” says Crabtree.
“When we got the first [Xbox Adaptive Controller], the obvious downfall was we needed an analog stick — the games we make need an analog stick. So, you’d need most if not all the buttons on the controller. That was the first problem when looking at our old games before the new controller came out. But the Xbox Adaptive Joystick is very flexible to assign how you want. It didn’t take anytime at all to figure out how to just control it.”
As Crabtree points out to me, it’s about spotting opportunities in how you approach accessibility. It’s not that a developer needs to think too hard about getting it perfect or questioning who will like it or who won’t like it. “It’s about giving players options and trying to identify what they might be; it’s fairly straightforward,” he says. “Any developer making a game just wants people to play it and wants people to enjoy it. And with these controllers, more people can enjoy it. It feels pretty good to be able to let people find it and connect with the games that previously might have been out of reach.”
And for those developers who are just starting to look at ways to make their game accessible, Crabtree boiled it down simply here as well: Just do it.
“Don’t overthink it. Just have a look at your game and say, ‘Well what is accessibility?’ Don’t just think about motion. Think about things like timers, which could add initial stress or cognitive issues, where you can give people more time to understand what they need to do to take things at their own pace,” Crabtree details.
“Think about all the actions players take in a game. How can you make it more accessible? You don’t have to hit everything. It’d be wonderful if you could, but every little bit helps. And once you’ve done one implementation, then that bit of knowledge can go forward to implement something else. And then on your next game, you can start with that and then keep expanding. So, just do it. People want to play your games. Help them play it.”
Promise Mascot Agency is set for release soon for Xbox Series X|S. You can also check out a free demo of Promise Mascot Agency here.
Editor’s Note: We incorrectly listed this title was coming to Game Pass. We have removed the mention from the post.
Kaizen Game Works Limited
Welcome to the Mascot Hustle
You thought mascots were just fluffy, innocent brand ambassadors? Think again. The Mascots are all living, breathing, fully formed personalities, with dreams, fears, and the occasional breakdowns of their own- just like us! Whether it’s Trororo, a charming cat who’s a little too obsessed with “adult video” or sweet, silken To-Fu, who can’t stop sobbing, your job is to befriend, mentor, and (hopefully) get these mascots to finish their jobs without causing a major catastrophe.
Play Your Cards Right
Sending your mascots out to work is never as easy as it sounds. One minute they’re promoting delicious food, the next they’re stuck in a doorway or starting a kitchen inferno. Need help? Good thing Kaso-Machi is full of intrepid everyday heroes ready to lend a hand (if you’ve managed to befriend them, of course). Unlock Hero Cards, featuring Kaso-Machi’s lovable local weirdos like Captain Sign, Japan’s only road-sign superhero (don’t ask questions), or Mama-San, a bar owner with a serious latex collection. These heroes will step in to provide help when your mascots inevitably lose control.
Tear Through Town in Your Upgradable Kei Truck
Kaso-Machi is a town full of secrets, and Michi isn’t just stuck in an office managing mascots – he’s on the road in his rusty (but upgradeable!) Kei Truck. This nifty little ride may look like a heap of junk, but with a few tweaks, it’ll have nitro boosts, glider wings, and even the ability to launch Pinky☆ – Michi’s maniacal mascot assistant – like a missile. Use your truck to explore the strange, forgotten town, unlock collectibles, and uncover hidden mysteries. Who knew a Kei Truck could be your best friend in a town where literally everything else hates you?!
Crime! Drama! A Walking Finger?!
Exiled after an ambush that left his clan in shambles, Michi finds himself piecing together the mystery of what really happened, while the town seems to actively conspire against him. Nightmare spirits seem a little too interested in your business, and there’s an ever-present sense that something’s very, very wrong in this place…
Think you can resist? Think again. The mascots know where you live. Step into the world of Promise Mascot Agency and claim your place in this brave new world of mascot domination.
Kaizen Game Works Limited
Welcome to the Mascot Hustle
You thought mascots were just fluffy, innocent brand ambassadors? Think again. The Mascots are all living, breathing, fully formed personalities, with dreams, fears, and the occasional breakdowns of their own- just like us! Whether it’s Trororo, a charming cat who’s a little too obsessed with “adult video” or sweet, silken To-Fu, who can’t stop sobbing, your job is to befriend, mentor, and (hopefully) get these mascots to finish their jobs without causing a major catastrophe.
Play Your Cards Right
Sending your mascots out to work is never as easy as it sounds. One minute they’re promoting delicious food, the next they’re stuck in a doorway or starting a kitchen inferno. Need help? Good thing Kaso-Machi is full of intrepid everyday heroes ready to lend a hand (if you’ve managed to befriend them, of course). Unlock Hero Cards, featuring Kaso-Machi’s lovable local weirdos like Captain Sign, Japan’s only road-sign superhero (don’t ask questions), or Mama-San, a bar owner with a serious latex collection. These heroes will step in to provide help when your mascots inevitably lose control.
Tear Through Town in Your Upgradable Kei Truck
Kaso-Machi is a town full of secrets, and Michi isn’t just stuck in an office managing mascots – he’s on the road in his rusty (but upgradeable!) Kei Truck. This nifty little ride may look like a heap of junk, but with a few tweaks, it’ll have nitro boosts, glider wings, and even the ability to launch Pinky☆ – Michi’s maniacal mascot assistant – like a missile. Use your truck to explore the strange, forgotten town, unlock collectibles, and uncover hidden mysteries. Who knew a Kei Truck could be your best friend in a town where literally everything else hates you?!
Crime! Drama! A Walking Finger?!
Exiled after an ambush that left his clan in shambles, Michi finds himself piecing together the mystery of what really happened, while the town seems to actively conspire against him. Nightmare spirits seem a little too interested in your business, and there’s an ever-present sense that something’s very, very wrong in this place…
Think you can resist? Think again. The mascots know where you live. Step into the world of Promise Mascot Agency and claim your place in this brave new world of mascot domination.
The post How Promise Mascot Agency is Being Built with Accessibility in Mind appeared first on Xbox Wire.
