Month: March 2019

The battle royale trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and Battlefield is the latest series to get in on the action–Battlefield V‘s battle royale mode, Firestorm, went live today for all players on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Firestorm is a free add-on for Battlefield V; you must own the base game in order to play.

Luckily, you can grab the base game for up to 50% today: the standard edition is selling for $30, and the deluxe edition is only $40. The deluxe edition includes five sets of paratrooper outfits, special assignments, and 20 weekly Airlifts with customization items. The deluxe edition for PC also includes the Firestorm ranger set, paratrooper gear, and instant access to Battlefield 1 weapons.

Like other battle royale games, Firestorm begins with players dropping from the sky onto a map called Halvøy, which is 10 times larger than Battlefield V’s largest map, Hamada. The 64-player matches can be played solo or in squads up to four players. A ring of fire slowly shrinks around the battlefield, forcing you and other players to move inward. Once you hit the ground, you’ll be searching for resources, weapons, and gear, with the most valuable stockpiles held at Re-supply Points and Vehicle Lockups. Vehicular combat plays a much bigger role in Firestorm than other existing battle royale titles–as of now, there are 17 different vehicles to control, such as choppers and tanks; however, they’re susceptible to anti-vehicle weaponry.

Among Firestorm’s rarest loot are Reinforcements, which you can use to spread destruction with artillery strikes or combat vehicles, or to call in supply drops for you and your squad. Just like any Battlefield game, buildings can be destroyed, so nowhere is truly safe to camp out and hide.

Battlefield V has been out since November, so players have been waiting over five months for the release of Firestorm. In that time, Apex Legends has swept onto the battle royale scene with rapidly growing player counts, and Fortnite continues to thrive, so it remains to be seen whether Firestorm can capitalize on the popular genre and build its own loyal player base.

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Microsoft has been courting indies for years through its ID@Xbox program, but now the company is giving independent games their very own showcase. The newly titled ID@Xbox Game Pass stream will premiere on March 26 and showcase a variety of indies coming to Xbox One.

Though a full line-up hasn’t been announced, Microsoft did mention a few by name including Afterparty, Void Bastards, and Supermarket Shriek. Plus, given the name, it seems likely this will emphasize the indies that are included as part of the company’s Game Pass subscription service. That service offers all-you-can-eat from a curated selection of games for $10 per month.

This show will follow a spate of publisher showcases, including the spring Nindies showcase that featured a collaboration with Microsoft to bring Cuphead to the Nintendo Switch. Similarly, Sony announced its own State of Play stream, airing March 25. Between the regular Nintendo Direct presentations, Microsoft’s Inside Xbox and new ID@Xbox Game Pass streams, and Sony’s new State of Play streams, all three major platform holders are now hosting their own streaming programs.

Check below for a schedule of times, and come back here at show time to watch it all go down.

Microsoft ID@Xbox Game Pass March 26 Livestream Start Time

• 9 AM PT
• 12 PM ET
• 4 PM GMT
• 3 AM AET

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Sony’s first Nintendo Direct-style State of Play presentation has ended, and it’s given us a look at a number of games on the way to PS4 this year. The broadcast kicked off with the reveal of a new Iron Man VR game, but that was hardly the only announcement; we also learned about a No Man’s Sky VR update and got to see new trailers for Days Gone and Mortal Kombat 11, among other titles.

If you missed out on the presentation, we’ve rounded up all of the biggest news and announcements from it below. You can also watch a replay of the stream here.

Marvel’s Iron Man VR

Sony started off its State of Play presentation by unveiling Marvel’s Iron Man VR. Developed by Camouflaj in conjunction with Worldwide Studios and Marvel Games, the game puts players behind the visor of the Iron Avenger. No further details were shared beyond that, but Iron Man VR is slated to release for PS4 this year.

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled

The remastered kart racing game Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled launches on June 21, and we learned the PS4 version will include some exclusive content in the form of blocky, PS1-style character skins for Crash, Coco, and Cortex, along with a retro track and karts.

No Man’s Sky VR Update

Developer Hello Games is adding PSVR support to its sandbox space exploration game, No Man’s Sky, this summer as a free update. Rather than being a separate mode, however, players will be able to play through the entire game in VR. Additionally, the PS4 version of No Man’s Sky: Beyond will receive a physical release, and it’ll come with the base game, VR support, and every update through Beyond.

ReadySet Heroes

The isometric dungeon crawler ReadySet Heroes is coming to PS4 later this year. The game features four-player multiplayer and pits you against another team in a race through a monster-filled dungeon. Reach the end of the dungeon and you’ll face off in a winner-takes-all showdown.

Five Nights At Freddy’s VR

Arriving on PSVR (as well as HTC Vive, Oculus, and Steam) next month, Five Nights At Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted is a new VR take on the fan-favorite horror series, featuring remastered levels from the original games along with “all-new nightmares.”

Concrete Genie

Sony revealed the PS4-exclusive action adventure game Concrete Genie is arriving this fall. Additionally, the company shared a new trailer that sheds more light on the game’s story.

Days Gone

Sony’s zombie survival game Days Gone has been a long time coming, but it finally arrives on PS4 on April 26. Ahead of its release, Sony has shared a new trailer that sets the stage for the game’s story.

Mortal Kombat 11

Sony capped off the State of Play presentation with a new trailer for Mortal Kombat 11, confirming three more returning fighters in the process: Lui Kang, Kung Lao, and Jax. The video showcases the modern-day characters coming face-to-face with their younger selves from the past.