Pokemon Go developer Niantic became a household name after its pocket monster mobile game took off a few years ago, and for its next project, the company is looking to adapt Transformers into an augmented reality game.

As reported by Bloomberg, Niantic’s next game will be Transformers: Heavy Metal, a mobile experience that will allow fans to battle each other with characters from the Hasbro property.

Scheduled for release this year, Niantic will first start testing out a pared-back version of the game in New Zealand this month, with Autobot and Decepticon characters appearing against a static background instead of a real-world location.

“It’s almost as if it was designed for augmented reality,” said John Hanke, Niantic’s chief executive officer, to Bloomberg. “This isn’t battle on a distant planet in a galaxy far, far away. It’s about giant robots coming to Earth and having battles in the middle of Los Angeles. For us, giant robots walking around the real world is just too good to pass up.”

The appeal is definitely there, and concept art from the game of Autobot scout Bumblebee hints at the game providing a more modern twist on the Generation One art style of the Transformers franchise. Something which should appeal to longtime fans of the franchise, which has grown over the last decade to include several new animated series, more live-action feature films, and a ton of toys.

As for Niantic’s bread ‘n butter game Pokemon Go, new activities are launching soon. Beginning June 17, Team Go Rocket leader Giovanni will have a Shadow Ho-Oh in his possession, making this your first chance to catch the Shadow form of the Legendary Pokemon from the Johto region.

Pokemon Go Fest 2021 kicks off next month, and like last year the event will be open to players around the world as it features rotating virtual habitats, special Pokemon spawns, and various other bonuses. As part of the event, Niantic even teased that the Mythical Pokemon Meloetta will be introduced to the game.

IGN Store Official Sweepstakes Rules

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Death Stranding Nendoroid Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is governed by these official rules (the “Sweepstakes Rules”). The Sweepstakes begins on June 14, 2021 at 12PM PT and ends on June 17, 2021 at 12PM PT (the “Sweepstakes Period”).

SPONSOR: IGN Entertainment, Inc., with an address of 2231 S. Barrington Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90064 (the “Sponsor”).

ELIGIBILITY: This Sweepstakes is open to individuals who are eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of entry who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States of America or the District of Columbia. By entering the Sweepstakes as described in these Sweepstakes Rules, entrants represent and warrant that they are complying with these Sweepstakes Rules (including, without limitation, all eligibility requirements), and that they agree to abide by and be bound by all the rules and terms and conditions stated herein and all decisions of Sponsor, which shall be final and binding. 

All previous winners of any sweepstakes sponsored by Sponsor during the nine (9) month period prior to the Selection Date are not eligible to enter. Any individuals (including, but not limited to, employees, consultants, independent contractors and interns) who have, within the past six (6) months, held employment with or performed services for Sponsor or any organizations affiliated with the sponsorship, fulfillment, administration, prize support, advertisement or promotion of the Sweepstakes (“Employees”) are not eligible to enter or win. Immediate Family Members and Household Members are also not eligible to enter or win. “Immediate Family Members” means parents, step-parents, legal guardians, children, step-children, siblings, step-siblings, or spouses of an Employee. “Household Members” means those individuals who share the same residence with an Employee at least three (3) months a year.

HOW TO ENTER: To enter the Sweepstakes, go to IGN Store’s Instagram Account @theignstore and follow our account and reply to our Instagram Post announcing the giveaway. Subsequent attempts made by the same individual to submit multiple entries by using multiple accounts or otherwise may result in disqualification of the entrant.

Only contributions submitted during the Sweepstakes Period will be eligible for entry into the Sweepstakes. No other methods of entry will be accepted. All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be returned. Entries are limited to individuals only; commercial enterprises and business entities are not eligible. Use of a false account will disqualify an entry. Sponsor is not responsible for entries not received due to difficulty accessing the internet, service outage or delays, computer difficulties and other technological problems.

Entries are subject to any applicable restrictions or eligibility requirements listed herein. Entries will be deemed to have been made by the authorized account holder of the email or telephone phone number submitted at the time of entry and qualification. Multiple participants are not permitted to share the same email address. Should multiple users of the same e-mail account or mobile phone number, as applicable, enter the Sweepstakes and a dispute thereafter arises regarding the identity of the entrant, the Authorized Account Holder of said e-mail account or mobile phone account at the time of entry will be considered the entrant. “Authorized Account Holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned an e-mail address or mobile phone number by an Internet access provider, on-line service provider, telephone service provider or other organization which is responsible for assigned e-mail addresses, phone numbers or the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. Proof of submission of an entry shall not be deemed proof of receipt by the website administrator for online entries. When applicable, the website administrator’s computer will be deemed the official time keeping device for the Sweepstakes promotion. Entries will be disqualified if found to be incomplete and/or if Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that multiple entries were submitted by the same entrant in violation of the Sweepstakes Rules.

WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION: Sponsor shall select the prize winner(s) (collectively, the “Winner”) on or about June 18, 2021 (“Selection Date”) by random drawing or other randomized process from among all eligible entries. The Winner will be notified via Instagram direct message. Notification of the Winner shall be deemed to have occurred immediately upon sending of the notification by Sponsor. Selected winner(s) will be required to respond (as directed) to the notification within 48 hours of attempted notification. The only entries that will be considered eligible entries are entries received by Sponsor within the Sweepstakes Period. The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to choose an alternative winner in the event that that a possible winner has been disqualified or is deemed ineligible for any reason.  

PRIZE: Three (3) winners will receive the following prize(s) (collectively, the “Prize”): 

One (1) winner will receive: 

• Death Stranding Cliff Nendoroid, valued at approximately Fifty-five dollars ($55).

Two (2) of the winners will receive:

• Death Stranding Sam Porter Nendoroid, valued at approximately Fifty-five dollars ($55).

No more than the stated number of prize(s) will be awarded, and all prize(s) listed above will be awarded. Actual retail value of the Prize may vary due to market conditions. The difference in value of the Prize as stated above and value at time of notification of the Winner, if any, will not be awarded. No cash or prize substitution is permitted, except at the discretion of Sponsor. The Prize is non-transferrable. If the Prize cannot be awarded due to circumstances beyond the control of Sponsor, a substitute Prize of equal or greater retail value will be awarded; provided, however, that if a Prize is awarded but remains unclaimed or is forfeited by the Winner, the Prize may not be re-awarded, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. In the event that more than the stated number of prize(s) becomes available for any reason, Sponsor reserves the right to award only the stated number of prize(s) by a random drawing among all legitimate, un-awarded, eligible prize claims.

ACCEPTANCE AND DELIVERY OF THE PRIZE: The Winner will be required to verify his or her address and may be required to execute the following document(s) before a notary public and return them within 72 hours (3) days (or a shorter time if required by exigencies) of receipt of such documents: an affidavit of eligibility, a liability release, and (where imposing such condition is legal) a publicity release covering eligibility, liability, advertising, publicity and media appearance issues (collectively, the “Prize Claim Documents”). If an entrant is unable to verify the information submitted with their entry, the entrant will automatically be disqualified and their prize, if any, will be forfeited. The Prize will not be awarded until all such properly executed and notarized Prize Claim Documents are returned to Sponsor. Prize(s) won by an eligible entrant who is a minor in his or her state of residence will be awarded to minor’s parent or legal guardian, who must sign and return all required Prize Claim Documents. In the event the Prize Claim Documents are not returned within the specified period, an alternate Winner may be selected by Sponsor for such Prize. The Prize will be shipped to the Winner within 6 weeks of Sponsor’s receipt of a signed Affidavit and Release from the Winner. The Winner is responsible for all taxes and fees related to the Prize received, if any. 

OTHER RULES: THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS SUBJECT TO ALL APPLICABLE LAWS AND IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. ALL SUBMISSIONS BY ENTRANTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE SWEEPSTAKES BECOME THE SOLE PROPERTY OF THE SPONSOR AND WILL NOT BE ACKNOWLEDGED OR RETURNED. WINNER ASSUMES ALL LIABILITY FOR ANY INJURIES OR DAMAGE CAUSED OR CLAIMED TO BE CAUSED BY PARTICIPATION IN THIS SWEEPSTAKES OR BY THE USE OR MISUSE OF ANY PRIZE. 

BY ENTERING THE SWEEPSTAKES, EACH WINNER GRANTS THE SPONSOR PERMISSION TO USE HIS OR HER NAME, CITY, STATE/PROVINCE, E-MAIL ADDRESS AND, TO THE EXTENT SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY, HIS OR HER PHOTOGRAPH, VOICE, AND/OR LIKENESS FOR ADVERTISING, PUBLICITY OR OTHER PURPOSES OR ON A WINNER’S LIST, IF APPLICABLE, IN ANY AND ALL MEDIA WHETHER NOW KNOWN OR HEREINAFTER DEVELOPED, WORLDWIDE, WITHOUT ADDITIONAL CONSENT OR COMPENSATION, EXCEPT WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. By submitting an entry, entrants also grant the Sponsor a perpetual, fully-paid, irrevocable, non-exclusive license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, distribute, display, exhibit, transmit, broadcast, televise, digitize, perform and otherwise use and permit others to use, and throughout the world, their entry materials in any manner, form, or format now known or hereinafter created, including on the internet, and for any purpose, including, but not limited to, advertising or promotion of the Sweepstakes, the Sponsor and/or its products and services, without further consent from or compensation to the entrant. By entering the Sweepstakes, entrants consent to receive notification of future promotions, advertisements or solicitations by or from Sponsor and/or Sponsor’s parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries and business partners, via email or other means of communication. 

If, in the Sponsor’s opinion, there is any suspected or actual evidence of fraud, electronic or non-electronic tampering or unauthorized intervention with any portion of this Sweepstakes, or if fraud or technical difficulties of any sort (e.g., computer viruses, bugs) compromise the integrity of the Sweepstakes, the Sponsor reserves the right to void suspect entries and/or terminate the Sweepstakes and award the Prize in its sole discretion. Any attempt to deliberately damage the Sponsor’s website(s) or undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be in violation of U.S. criminal and civil laws and will result in disqualification from participation in the Sweepstakes. Should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages (including attorney’s fees) to the fullest extent of the law, including pursuing criminal prosecution.

DISCLAIMER: EXCLUDING ONLY APPLICABLE MANUFACTURERS’ WARRANTIES, THE PRIZE IS PROVIDED TO THE WINNER ON AN “AS IS” BASIS, WITHOUT FURTHER WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. SPONSOR HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL FURTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO THE PRIZE.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: BY ENTERING THE SWEEPSTAKES, ENTRANTS, ON BEHALF OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR HEIRS, EXECUTORS, ASSIGNS AND REPRESENTATIVES, RELEASE AND HOLD THE SPONSOR ITS PARENT COMPANIES, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATED COMPANIES, UNITS AND DIVISIONS, AND THE CURRENT AND FORMER OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, SHAREHOLDERS, AGENTS, SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS OF EACH OF THE FOREGOING, AND ALL THOSE ACTING UNDER THE AUTHORITY FO THE FOREGOING, OR ANY OF THEM (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL AGENCIES AND PRIZE SUPPLIERS) (EACH A “RELEASED PARTY”), HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, ACTIONS, INJURY, LOSS, DAMAGES, LIABILTIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER (COLLECTIVELY, THE “CLAIMS”) WHETHER KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, SUSPECTED OR UNSUSPECTED, WHICH ENTRANT EVER HAD, NOW HAVE, OR HEREAFTER CAN, SHALL OR MAY HAVE, AGAINST THE RELEASED PARTIES (OR ANY OF THEM), INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE SWEEPSTAKES OR ENTRANT’S PARTICIPATION IN THE SWEEPSTAKES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, CLAIMS FOR LIBEL, DEFAMATION, INVASION OF PRIVACY, VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT OF PUBLICITY, COMMERCIAL APPROPRIATION OF NAME AND LIKENESS, INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT OR VIOLATION OF ANY OTHER PERSONAL OR PROPRIETARY RIGHT), AND THE RECEIPT, OWNERSHIP, USE, MISUSE, TRANSFER, SALE OR OTHER DISPOSITION OF THE PRIZE (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, CLAIMS FOR PERSONAL INJURY, DEATH, AND/OR PROPERTY DAMAGE). All matters relating to the interpretation and application of these Sweepstakes Rules shall be decided by Sponsor in its sole discretion.  

DISPUTES: If, for any reason (including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Sweepstakes), the Sweepstakes is not capable of being conducted as described in these Sweepstakes Rules, Sponsor  shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes. The Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. The Sponsor is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, providers, computer equipment, software, or failure of any e-mail or entry to be received by Sponsor on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, or any combination thereof, including, without limitation, any injury or damage to any entrant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participating or downloading any materials in this Sweepstakes. Because of the unique nature and scope of the Sweepstakes, Sponsor reserves the right, in addition to those other rights reserved herein, to modify any date(s) or deadline(s) set forth in these Sweepstakes Rules or otherwise governing the Sweepstakes, and any such changes will be posted here in the Sweepstakes Rules. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Sweepstakes Rules shall not constitute a waiver of any provision.

As a condition of participating in the Sweepstakes, entrant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved between entrant and Sponsor, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the Sweepstakes or these Sweepstakes Rules, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court of competent jurisdiction located in San Francisco, California, and entrant irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of the federal and state courts located in San Francisco, California with respect to any such dispute, cause of action, or other matter. All disputes will be governed and controlled by the laws of the State of California (without regard for its conflicts-of-laws principles). Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby irrevocably waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than entrant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs incurred directly in connection with entrant’s participation in the Sweepstakes), and entrant further irrevocably waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased, if any. EACH PARTY EXPRESSLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply.

PRIVACY: Information collected from entrants in connection with the Sweepstakes is subject to Sponsor’s privacy policy, which may be found here. You understand that when you register on the Twitter website or submit information to or via Twitter, such submissions are also subject to Twitter’s privacy policy.

SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION: Although the Sweepstakes may be featured on Twitter, Facebook and/or other social media platforms, the Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or association with Twitter, Facebook and/or such other social media platforms and you agree that Twitter, Facebook and all other social media platforms are not liable in any way for any claims, damages or losses associated with the Sweepstakes.  

WINNER(S) LIST: For a list of name(s) of prize winner(s), after the Selection Date, please send a stamped, self-addressed No. 10/standard  business envelope to Ziff Davis, LLC, Attn: Legal Department, 28 East 28th Street, 11th floor New York, NY 10016 (VT residents may omit return postage).

BY ENTERING, YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO ALL OF THESE SWEEPSTAKES RULES.

A collection of demos from new and upcoming games are available right now on Steam as part of the Future Games Showcase. The games are available on the showcase’s Steam page under the “virtual show floor” section.

The games featured are a variety of upcoming indie titles, including Backbone (which launched on June 9), a 2D detective game where you play a raccoon, Get Packed: Fully Loaded, Get Packed: Fully Loaded, a co-op physics game about forcibly removing stuff from a building, and Timberborn, a city management game about building the perfect society for beavers.

Gamedec is a single-player, isometric RPG, taking place in a cyberpunk future. You play as a detective who must solve crimes in a virtual world. Beacon Pines is a cute but creepy adventure game where you must explore and find word charms to change the course of fate.

Here is a full list of the game demos available through the Future Games Showcase on Steam:

• A Tale of Paper
• Get Packed: Fully Loaded
• Gatewalkers
• Gamedec
• Backbone
• Beacon Pines
• Trifox
• Timberborn
• Rift Breaker

This isn’t the only set of demos you can play in the next week. Xbox and Summer Game Fest have teamed up to release over 40 Demos on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on June 15.

The week of E3 2021 is in full swing, and we’ve already seen a slew of trailers, first gameplay, and new reveals from different developers and publishers. While you may have heard many of the big announcements like Starfield, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and The Outer Worlds 2, there were plenty of other announcements as well. So with this roundup, we wanted to give you a detailed recap of the noteworthy games of E3 2021 so far.

We’re currently on Day 2 of the show, and so far, Ubisoft, Microsoft and Bethesda, and Square-Enix have had their major press conferences. While there have been other noteworthy shows, we wanted to focus on the larger titles that we’ve seen from this year’s E3. That said, we have a roundup of other announcements below as well. GameSpot’s coverage of E3 2021 also includes some exclusives for Play For All 2021, so be sure to check back with this page as more games from the show are revealed.

E3 2021: Day 1

Ubisoft Forward

This year’s Ubisoft Forward focused heavily on the recently revealed Rainbow Six Extraction, the co-op action-horror spin-off of the popular Siege game. Along with that, we saw a new look at Watch Dogs Legion’s Bloodline expansion that brings back Aiden Pearce, got a new look at Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Siege of Paris DLC, and saw the reveal of the Mario + Rabbids sequel, Sparks of Hope. Closing out the show was the first look at the next game set in the universe of James Cameron’s Avatar, a new game from Ubisoft Massive called Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. If you want a more detailed look at each game, then check out our breakout roundup of the games from Ubisoft Forward 2021.

E3 2021: Day 2

Xbox + Bethesda Showcase 2021

Unfortunately, the Microsoft show got off to a particularly rough start with the unfortunate leak of Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield, which looks to be the developer’s next leap forward for the open-world action-RPG genre. With that said, the larger slate of the show offered a wide array of reveals and updates on the library of games that Microsoft has for the Xbox consoles and PC. Along with the first look at Starfield, we also saw the reveal of The Outer Worlds 2, new Forza Horizon 5 gameplay, the next Sea of Thieves expansion that brings in Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean films, and additional footage of Halo: Infinite‘s multiplayer mode.

Closing out the show was the first look at Redfall, Arkane Austin’s next new IP that stars a group of super-powered vampire hunters. That’s only scratching the surface on the slate of the showcase, which also included first gameplay of STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl. Below, you can find the full breakdown of the Microsoft + Bethesda showcase.

Square-Enix Showcase 2021

The latest Square-Enix showed that Marvel games were still a priority for the publisher, but the Final Fantasy series is still firing on all cylinders with new upcoming games. Kicking off the show was the reveal of Square Enix Montreal’s single-player focused Guardians of the Galaxy game, which we got a first look at before the show. Along with that, Platinum Games’ Babylon’s Fall also made its return with a new look at the game, which is now a live service that lets players join others online to clear dungeons and collect loot. Closing out the show was the reveal of Final Fantasy Origin: Stranger Of Paradise, a collaboration with Team Ninja and Square-Enix that brings back classic FF villain Garland. Check out our roundup below to see a full breakdown of the list of games we saw during the show.

Other Notable Announcements

Along with the other significant showcases, we’ve also seen various games from various streams like the Koch Media showcase, PC Gamer Show, the Wholesome Direct, and the constantly weird Devolver Digital Showcase. Here’s a quick rundown of the most noteworthy games from the other conferences of E3 2021.

Back 4 Blood

Coming from Turtle Rock Studios, the original developers of Left 4 Dead, Back 4 Blood is essentially the spiritual successor to the co-op zombie survival shooter. It looks to inspire those familiar feelings of dread when gunning through hallways filled with the undead while running from giant mutated monsters. Back 4 Blood is set for release this October, which means you’ll be able to experience the closest thing to Left 4 Dead 3 sooner than you think.

Diablo 2: Resurrected

The much anticipated remaster for Diablo II is set for release this September, and before its launch, you’ll be able to jump into the next beta for the game in August. Following the reveal at the Microsoft showcase, Geoff Keighley had an extended interview with Diablo franchise lead Rod Ferguson where he talked more about the upcoming game. The remaster also marks the first time Diablo II will play on consoles, as the original stayed as a PC exclusive.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus

The original Doki Doki Literature Club was a game about catching you off-guard for those who don’t know. On the surface, it looks like an average visual novel game. But, as it turned out, it was a deeply unsettling psychological horror game that subverted the cutesy image of the game to present some horrifying, fourth-wall-breaking moments. It was a surprise hit, and now the developers are revisiting with an upgraded re-release on PC and consoles.

Elden Ring

While Elden Ring was revealed shortly before the beginning of E3 2021, it’s hard to deny that we aren’t still feeling the rush from the recent trailer shown during the Summer Games Fest event. It was a stunning trailer that gave us a detailed look at the game’s expansive world and its slick combat mechanics. We also learned that the game releases on January 22, 2022.

Trek To Yomi

One of the more surprising reveals from the Devolver Digital showcase was Trek To Yomi, a 2.5D action game that takes classic samurai action films. It’s being made by Flying Wild Hog, the devs behind Shadow Warrior 3, and it looks to be a visually stunning that showcases some slick action and platforming.

Check back with GameSpot as more updates from E3 2021 come in. We’ll be adding more games and rundowns for the later shows as they happen, including what’s new with Nintendo in 2021.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human developer Techland unveiled a new story trailer during the PC Gaming Show at E3 2021, where the studio discussed elements of the narrative and reiterated that the infected aren’t zombies (despite looking and behaving a lot like your traditional zombie).

In the four-minute-long trailer, Techland walked through the narrative setup, revealing that the virus from the first game spread to the sequel’s setting. Dying Light 2 Stay Human takes place in 2036 and follows protagonist Aiden as he hunts for his sister Mia. The two were medically experimented on as kids, but after a fire, Aiden managed to escape. Where Mia is remains unknown, as she is the only one who can fill in the gaps to Aiden’s story.

What’s most interesting about the video, though, is the classification of the game’s zombies–er, Freakers. According to Techland, the infected aren’t zombies at all but instead “half-alive, suffering people.” They attack everything that lives because of their pent up pain and rage, Techland said.

You can check out Dying Light 2 Stay Human’s new story trailer below.

In other news, Techland came under fire earlier this year following accusations of workplace toxicity that stemmed from management and limited developer creativity. The studio responded, saying the game was not in development hell.

Techland recently attached a December 7 launch date to Dying Light 2 Stay Human, confirming the game will drop on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S with a release date trailer.

Paid DLC for co-op shooter Back 4 Blood will be available to all party members as long as the leader of the party owns it developer Turtle Rock Studios confirmed during its E3 2021 livestream. This includes new maps and gameplay additions.

E3 host Greg Miller tweeted two screenshots from what appears to be Back 4 Blood‘s official support page. The images read, in part, that as long as the party leader owns any paid content drop, other members can play it for free as well. It’s worth noting that this refers to the game’s PvE content, not PvP.

Still, any content drop that the leader pays for–including maps, campaign add-ons, and gameplay additions–will be made available to other members.

All PvP DLC, though, will be free for everyone through in-game progression. Furthermore, every player has access to the same cards at the start of a match, ensuring that DLC owners don’t get an unfair advantage in PvP.

Back 4 Blood launches on October 12 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. An open beta goes live on August 5.

Unfortunately, it looks like Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin‘s PS5 demo may be corrupted. The demo launched following Square Enix’s E3 2021 press conference, but some folks haven’t been able to actually play it.

Once you download the demo, you may be greeted by the following message: “Can’t continue using this game or app. The data is corrupted. Delete it from your PS5, and then download it again from your library.”

We’re not the only ones facing this issue. On Twitter, Nibel and IGN’s Matt Kim have posted that they have also gotten this message after trying to download and play the Origin demo.

In a tweet, developer Team Ninja says that it is aware of the issues and is working to resolve them. This demo is only available for a limited time (it’s live until June 24, 7:59PM PT) so hopefully a fix is coming sooner rather than later.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin injects a more Nioh-like gameplay formula into the Final Fantasy universe. In a press release, creative producer Tetsuya Nomura said, “While it is Final Fantasy, it feels different–but there’s no doubt that the blood of Final Fantasy runs through its veins. We’ve undertaken the challenge of finding this difficult middle ground for this mature and stylish title. We need a little time until we’re able to complete it, and while the battle system is a bloody one, it does link to the story, so I hope you’ll use this opportunity to give it a try.”

This Sunday is all about Xbox Game Pass. With dozens of awesome games about to be dropping onto the service, now is a great time to sign up. If you’re a first time user, you can sign up for just a $1, and for returning users, we have a deal to save you 11% across a three month term. If you’re looking to preorder some games, we’ve got that as well and of course a nice mixture of other stuff, like a handy air fryer at Best Buy and an ongoing Anime sale at Amazon.

Showtime Deal

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Daily Deals for June 13th

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E3 Preorders

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One of the biggest games revealed during Microsoft’s E3 2021 showcase was undoubtedly Forza Horizon 5, a new open-world racing game set in Mexico. Forza Horizon 5 releases on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC on November 9, just in time for the holidays. Those interested in burning rubber across a sprawling and gorgeous open world can preorder their copy of Forza Horizon 5 now.

Forza Horizon 5 is available to preorder in three editions: standard, Deluxe, and Premium. The Premium version of the game comes with early access starting November 5. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play the standard edition for free at launch, and add-on bundles will be available for purchase if you want the Deluxe/Premium content. If you’re not already signed up for Game Pass, be sure to take advantage of a limited-time offer that gets you your first three months for $1.

$60

Forza Horizon 5’s standard edition is available to preorder now at Best Buy for $60. Digital preorders are available on the Xbox Store. You can also add it to your wishlist on Steam (preorders should be live soon).

$80

Forza Horizon 5’s $80 Deluxe edition is available to preorder at Best Buy and the Xbox Store. At this time, only digital versions of the Deluxe edition are up for grabs. It comes with the Car Pass, which grants access to a bunch more vehicles in the game.

$100

Forza Horizon 5’s $100 Premium edition is available to preorder digitally at Best Buy and the Xbox Store. In addition to the Car Pass, you also get two expansions when they release, a VIP membership, and Welcome Pack (contents of the pack are unknown at this time). You also get to start playing on November 5, four days before Forza Horizon 5 officially launches.