Windrose was a hit in a recent Steam Next Fest event, with more than 850,000 people checking out the demo. More than 1.5 million people have wishlisted the pirate survival-adventure title on Steam as well. So, it’s safe to say this game has some wind in its sails, and it’ll be arriving very soon. During Thursday’s Triple-i Initiative showcase, developer Windrose Crew revealed that it’s charted a course for an early access release on Steam, the Epic Games Store and Stove on April 14 for $30.
In Windrose, you can sail the high seas solo or explore the open world with friends. While the world is procedurally generated, the developers have handcrafted more than 90 points of interest, such as dungeons, temples and shipwrecks.
You and your buds can team up to take down rival ships by sharing command of your vessel's weapons. Once you get close enough, you can board enemy ships for close-quarters combat. A broad range of weapons (including swords and muskets) can help you in battle with adversaries such as sailors, monstrous creatures and bosses.
Windrose also features farming, fishing, crafting and trading, as well as a reputation system and base building. You can hire non-player characters for your crew as well.
Windrose Crew expects the game to remain in early access for around 1.5 to 2.5 years. It plans to add 50 percent more content, such as new biomes (the early access version has three), enemies, ships and gear. The developers might introduce more gameplay systems as well. The team also said the main story should take players between 50 and 70 hours to complete.
This is a grittier alternative to Sea of ThievesandSkull and Bonesfor those who want to engage in a spot of piracy with some of their friends. If you’d like to sample what Windrose is all about, the demo remains available on all three PC platforms.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/co-op-pirate-survival-game-windrose-hits-pc-in-early-access-on-april-14-175842163.html?src=rss
Nintendo Switch 2 owners will have to wait a bit longer to check out IO Interactive's stab at a James Bond game on the console. The Hitman developer has delayed that version of 007 First Light until later this summer. The game is still slated to hit PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 27, which itself is a delay from the previous March release date.
"We're excited to see players discovering James Bond's reimagined origin story," IOI wrote on X. "[We] are looking forward to bringing you the best game experience possible across all platforms."
Earlier this year, IOI suggested that PC players would need quite a beefy rig to meet the recommended specs for 007 First Light. A week later, the publisher updated the specs with more modest requirements and apologized after eagle-eyed observers spotted inconsistencies in the original version. IOI said the error was "due to an internal miscommunication leading to an older version of the specs to be shared." Meanwhile, Sony has announced a limited-edition 007 First Light DualSense controller.
Developers and publishers have had difficulty in porting certain games to the Switch 2, as Kotaku notes. Gearbox Entertainment delayed — and ultimately shelved — a version of Borderlands 4 for the system. The long-awaited Switch 2 port of Elden Ring was delayed until sometime this year after the game had severe performance issues in a public demo at Gamescom 2025. Reports suggest the game is in better shape on Switch 2 now, but there's no firm release date for that version as yet.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-nintendo-switch-2-version-of-007-first-light-is-delayed-until-later-this-summer-151524487.html?src=rss
The free No Man’s Sky updates are still flowing. With the latest one, dubbed Xeno Arena, Hello Games has added a completely original feature. Players have long been able to adopt wild animals as companions. But now these can be deployed in simulated, turn-based battles against rival teams. As you win more battles, you’ll increase your reputation and perhaps be invited to take on more difficult opponents.
Among other things, the creatures can launch powerful attacks, use healing abilities, dodge incoming salvos, power up their own abilities and turn enemies into more vulnerable forms. They can earn experience that allows them to grow stronger and genetically mutate into new forms. An evolution, if you will. You can also modify the progeny of your squad, with their personalities and physical characteristics affecting how they fare in battle.
There are eight affinities (some might call them "types") that the creatures belong to, including ones concerning fire, ice and radiation. A fire-based beast might fare well against an ice-based one, but struggle to be effective against radiation. So you’ll need to choose your creatures for each battle strategically. Gotta catch em’ all first, though!
This all seems really neat and such a novel concept. It would be quite a shocker if there were a brand-new game out today that also features turn-based creature battles.
The No Man’s Sky battles take place on Holo-Arena tables that are found in a range of structures throughout the universe. The creatures look quite small on these tables, almost pocket-sized.
Wait a second, pocket monsters? Now, there’s an idea…
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/no-mans-sky-now-has-pokemon-style-creature-battles-142020310.html?src=rss
I've played a couple of hours of Forza Horizon 6, and so far I've enjoyed it in much the same way as its predecessor: by exploring and taking in the sumptuous world Playground Games has crafted. The preview build I played on my Xbox Series X was limited in terms of available activities — it was basically the game's prologue — but I was able to explore almost all of the open world.
The on-rails intro takes you through some of the Japanese countryside and past landmarks like Tokyo Tower and Shibuya Crossing on the way to a race through the streets of the country's largest city. Once that was out of the way and a springtime version of the map opened up, I set a marker for the mountains in the north. I wanted to check out an area I'd seen in a screenshot, a pass where you can drive through snowdrifts that are dozens of feet tall.
Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
My goal was simple: to bury my car into these snowdrifts, just to find out if it was possible. Sadly, the piles of snow were steadfast barriers. What a shame.
The journey to the mountains took me through rainstorms and falling cherry blossom leaves, small towns and forests. The environments, vehicles and weather effects all look pretty and polished, as you'd expect from this series at this point. (For what it's worth, I normally opt for performance mode in modern console games, prioritizing higher framerates over visual fidelity. This Forza Horizon 6 preview was locked to the 30fps quality mode.)
In the prologue, there are activities to complete ahead of the Horizon Qualifier, a "wristband" event that gates story progress, and I checked a few of those out on my way up north. Trying to go as fast as you can through speed traps, drag meets, time trials and drift zones are enjoyable enough, but it's the races that are the bread and butter of this series.
I entered a challenging cross-country race in a GMC Jimmy with a tall suspension. Not my smartest move. Still, I managed to pull out the victory after drifting my way across rice fields and beaches. I would have had an easier time if I'd chosen my car more carefully – there'll be hundreds available in the full game.
Playground Games has built on the very welcome slate of accessibility features from Forza Horizon 5 as well. Having options like autosteering should help ensure a broader range of folks can play the latest game.
Other than only having access to a limited number of activities, the only aspects of the open world that were blocked off were The Estate (i.e. your home base) and Legend Island, which sounds like an endgame region. I didn't tinker with my vehicles in the garage either. I did, however, stumble across an aftermarket sale, where I was able to buy a tuned-up car at a discount. That's one of several neat additions in Forza Horizon 6.
Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
Though I'm not much of a car guy, I dug my time with the last two Forza Horizon games. I'm looking forward to playing through this one. More than anything, though, Forza Horizon 6 is nudging me toward taking the step of actually booking my second trip to Japan, which I've been thinking about taking later this year. As pretty as the game is shaping up to be, it can't beat the real deal.
If I do take that trip this summer, I won’t get to see the aforementioned giant snowbanks in person. That area of the map is based on a real place, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, where the snow walls can reach 65 feet in height. I wouldn't want to travel between snowbanks like that in real life anyway, so driving through the pass in the game was a worry-free way to have that experience. Thanks for that, Playground.
Forza Horizon 6 is coming to Xbox Series X/S, Xbox on PC, Steam and Xbox Cloud on May 19. It'll be available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The game is set to hit PS5 at a later date.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/forza-horizon-6-gives-would-be-racers-another-gorgeous-open-world-to-explore-130000365.html?src=rss
As ever, Xbox is bringing a bunch of high-profile titles to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass this month, while adding several to the lower tiers of the service. There aren't too many surprises among this first wave of April newcomers, though. Many of these additions were previously confirmed, while EA Sports NHL 26 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (the remake) were always going to join Game Pass at some point.
Still, there's plenty to dive into on the service this month. April 14 is a particularly eye-catching day, with both Hades 2(which is debuting on Xbox Series X/S and PS5) and the long-awaited Replacedhitting Game Pass alongside the turn-based, character-driven RPG The Thaumaturge.
Here's a breakdown of everything coming to Game Pass over the next few weeks:
April 7
Final Fantasy IV — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass
April 8
DayZ — PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential and PC Game Pass
Endless Legend 2 — PC game preview on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
FBC: Firebreak — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
Warhammer Vermintide 2 — Cloud and console on Game Pass Essential (already on Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass Premium)
April 9
Planet Coaster 2 — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass
April 10
Tiny Bookshop — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass
April 13
Football Manager 26 — PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
Football Manager 26 Console — Cloud, console and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
April 14
Hades 2 — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass
Replaced — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
The Thaumaturge — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass
EA Sports NHL 26 — Cloud and Xbox Series X/S on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
April 17
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare — Cloud, console and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass
April 21
Little Rocket Lab — Cloud, console and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato — Cloud, console, handheld and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
Vampire Crawlers— Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld, and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
April 23
Kiln— Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
As Xbox adds more titles to Game Pass, so too must it remove some. It's yet again erasing Grand Theft Auto V (Cloud, console and PC) from Game Pass, this time on April 15. The other games leaving the service on the same day are:
Ashen (Cloud, console and PC)
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Cloud, console and PC)
My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery (Cloud, console and PC)
Terra Invicta (game preview on PC)
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-game-pass-additions-for-april-include-hades-2-and-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-155130801.html?src=rss
SpaceX has reportedly taken the step many onlookers have long expected: filing paperwork to hold an initial public offering (IPO) on the stock market and become a publicly traded company. Rumors had long pointed toward the IPO taking place by July.
The company filed draft IPO registration paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission confidentially, according to Bloomberg. As such, the public won’t get a chance to closely scrutinize SpaceX’s finances just yet. Taking the confidential approach means SpaceX can obtain feedback from the SEC before making the details public and announcing key factors like the price range and number of shares it’s planning to sell at the outset.
SpaceX is said to have designs on holding the largest IPO in history. It’s reportedly looking to raise $75 billion in the offering, which would far exceed the current record held by Saudi Aramco, which pulled in $24 billion in its 2019 IPO.
It’s expected that SpaceX will seek an IPO valuation of $1.75 trillion. When the Elon Musk-led business swallowed up the Elon Musk-led xAI earlier this year (which means SpaceX is now the parent of X and Grok), the entire company was valued at $1.25 trillion.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/spacex-has-reportedly-filed-for-the-biggest-ipo-in-history-154547537.html?src=rss
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of Iran's armed forces, has threatened to target US tech companies' operations in the Middle East. It told employees of 18 companies — including Apple, Google, Meta and NVIDIA — “to leave their workplaces immediately to save their lives,” as CBS Newsreported. Those living close to the companies' facilities in the region were instructed to evacuate immediately as well. Microsoft, Oracle, Tesla, HP, Intel, Palantir, Boeing, Dell, Cisco and IBM are also among the companies that the IRGC named.
"Since the main element in designing and tracking terror targets are American [information and communications technology] and AI companies, in response to this terrorist operation, from now on the main institutions effective in terrorist operations will be our legitimate targets," the IRGC said in a statement. The military force warned it will start targeting the companies on Wednesday evening if more Iranian leaders are killed.
Iran previously pledged to attack companies and banks tied to the US and Israel, though the warning it issued on Tuesday had a specific deadline. Earlier this month, Iranian drones struck Amazon data centers in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, disrupting Amazon Web Services operations in the region.
The US reportedly used Anthropic's AI in its initial airstrikes against Iran at the onset of the war in late February. Israel has been using a new AI platform of its own to help it track the movements of Iranian officials.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/iran-threatens-imminent-attacks-on-us-tech-companies-in-the-middle-east-184841155.html?src=rss
As of April 1, Gmail will have been around for 22 years. Many of us have a poorly chosen email address that's laced with regret, but we're now stuck with it. We've perhaps had it for longer than most college students have been alive and that's how others get in touch with us. Google is now giving us a chance to move on and change our Gmail address to something more appropriate.
To change your Google Account username, go to the email settings page. From there, click or tap on Personal info > Email > Google Account email. If the ability to alter your username has been enabled on your account, you'll see a Change Google Account email option. Click on this to start modifying your username.
You'll only be able to change your username once every 12 months. If you do change the address, Gmail will retain all of your previous emails. Handily, your former Gmail name will remain as an alternate email address. As such, people will be able to get in touch with you via either address. You can also sign into Google services using both email addresses.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/all-google-users-in-the-us-can-now-change-their-gmail-address-141818676.html?src=rss
Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. There are a whole bunch of neat new games out this week, as well as updates on some interesting upcoming projects.
In case you missed it, the Steam Spring Sale is under way. There are lots of solid deals here, and my credit card is already screaming at me. I've picked up a bunch of games from my wishlist. For instance, at just $3, I couldn't resist snagging Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate.
Meanwhile, over on Bluesky, a prototype from developer Freya Holmér caught my eye. It's for a falling-block game, but instead of filling a container to create straight lines that disappear, it's based around a pivot point. As tetrominos join the mass, it rotates left or right by 90 degrees, adding a new dimension to a well-established format. I'm really hoping Holmér turns this into a full game, as it's a rad concept.
New releases
Given all the bug slaughtering and the jingoistic satire, any Starship Troopers project is going to draw comparisons with Helldivers 2. Fortunately, Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is entirely its own thing.
This is a retro first-person shooter from Auroch Digital (the studio behind Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun) and publisher Dotemu. The framing of the game is quite meta: it's based on the experiences of Major Samantha Dietz, who was on the frontlines against the bugs, and it's effectively being used as a military recruitment tool.
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is a blast. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. Not that I needed one, but it gave me an excuse to watch Paul Verhoeven's original film again since the game (while having an original story) hits some of the same beats.
The tone is spot on. The writing in the cutscenes, in which Casper Van Dien reprises his role as Johnny Rico from the movies, is funny. You can't tell me that it isn't a thrill to blow up a giant bug with a tactical nuke. Plus, I was tickled by the consequences of "accidentally" shooting a fellow soldier in the training base and all hell breaking loose.
Alas, the pacing feels off — there's a bit too much space between objectives in some levels — and it's a little one-note. Still, it only takes around four or five hours to beat, particularly if you don't care about hunting for secrets.
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is out now on Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. It'll usually cost $25, but there's a 20 percent discount until March 24.
Retro Rewind is a solid name for a video store rental sim. You'll manage a store in the early '90s — the heyday of VHS — by doing everything from decorating the place, filling shelves with tapes and buying bootleg films to hiring staff, making recommendations to customers and collecting late fees.
My first job was behind the counter of a convenience store that had a small movie rental section, so I've got a tiny bit of experience with calling up customers who have overdue films. That part of the job wasn't exactly fun, but like the idea of running an entire rental store, an experience that's sadly almost extinct.
Retro Rewind - Video Store Simulator is available on Steam (normally $20, with a 20 percent discount until March 24). You can try it out by playing a demo.
In Their Shoes looks like an intriguing spin on the visual novel. From We Are Muesli, this is billed as a mumblecore narrative vein, indicating that it's influenced by films from that subgenre (such as the works of the Duplass brothers, Lynn Shelton and, especially in the early part of her career, Greta Gerwig). Through a few dozen interactive scenes, it follows the intertwined lives and intimate moments of seven people in Milan. Each of these dialogue-focused segments lasts around five minutes. There are timed choices and you can arrange the scenes into a timeline.
You can pick up In Their Shoes on Steam now. The full price is $13, but there's a 25 percent discount until March 31.
For this week's dog game, here is World's Goodest Pup. It's another pooch-based roguelike deckbuilder. This time around, you'll be trying to succeed in the realm of competitive dog shows. After selecting a dog from among three breeds, you'll start building a deck of accessories, tricks and poses and combine them in strategic ways to be most effective in competitions and challenges, which are procedurally generated.
This is a cozy game first and foremost, though. You can spoil puppers in a pet resort that you'll build and treat them with a visit to a dog spa. Cute.
World's Goodest Pup — from Pandamander — is out on Steam (normally $7, with 10 percent off until March 26). You can try it out via a demo.
The release trailer for Bonnie Bear Saves Frogtime made me chuckle, so I had to include it. The latest project from Bonte Avond (the team behind Once Upon A Jester) is a comedy adventure game.
As Bonnie Bear, a bear in a frog onesie, you set out to defeat a local bully in a tactical frog-battling game called Frogtime. As with many real-life trading card games, you'll buy and collect frogs to build a strong army. Most importantly, it seems to be a game about the power of community, friendship and self-worth.
Gunbrella studio Doinksoft is back with another game that has a fantastic name. It's a roguelite, side-scrolling action platformer with shoot-em'-up elements. And it's called Dark Scrolls. It's such a good title that I'm almost mad I didn't think of it first.
There'll be nine heroes to choose from, including a pup named Biscuit and a rat with a saxophone. The game features procedurally generated runs with branching paths, and there's multiplayer support for two-player online co-op. I'm into the Master System-era art style and the utter chaos shown in the trailer.
The Devolver Digital-published Dark Scrolls (still not over that name) is coming to Steam and Switch later this year.
If you think about it, Scrabble is already a roguelike strategy game. Beyond Words takes that a bit further, with tiles that shift and explode, and boards that change up the rules. Much like in Balatro, you'll be modifying, destroying and duplicating tiles as you seek powerful synergies and massive score multipliers. There are more than 300 modifiers and abilities, along with boss battles and optional time-based challenge boards.
What makes Beyond Words particularly interesting is that it's from Steve Ellis and Dr David Doak — who made their names at Rare and Free Radical Design with the likes of GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark and TimeSplitters — and their small team at MindFuel Games. PQube is the publisher of Beyond Words, which will hit Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch on April 9. A demo is available on Steam now.
We've learned about a bunch of upcoming music rhythm games lately, and here's another one from Guitar Hero, Rock Band and DJ Hero veterans. Echo Foundry Interactive seems to be hoping that the community-driven focus will help Sound System stand out.
When it goes into early access on Steam (October 16, $25), Sound System will have local multiplayer support. Echo Foundry Interactive plans to add online multiplayer with co-op and competitive modes. Players will be able to create charts for any song they like too.
We've had a dog game (or two) and a frog game. Now it's time to wrap things up with a cat game. In Cat Me If You Can — great title, again — the Earth has frozen and lost its color. Only cats remain. By time-travelling and taking photos of them, you'll gradually restore color to the world.
It's a hidden cat puzzle game from Cosmic Stag Games that's coming to PC, Switch and Xbox in the summer. You'll be able to check out a demo on Steam on April 8.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-retro-starship-troopers-shooter-a-video-store-sim-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-113000133.html?src=rss
Poncle could be about to ruin the planet’s productivity all over again now that Vampire Crawlershas a release date for PC and consoles. The dungeon-crawling roguelike deckbuilder — which is a Vampire Survivors spinoff — is coming to Steam, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Nintendo Switch on April 21. It’ll cost $10. Alternatively, you’ll be able to check it out via Xbox Game Pass on day one.
Vampire Crawlers is on the way to iOS and Android as well. However, you’ll have to wait until sometime later this year to play it on mobile devices.
Vampire Crawlers is set in the same world as Vampire Survivors and it features many of the same playable characters and enemies. The action takes place from a first-person perspective this time around. Instead of firing weapons automatically, you play cards to use your attacks or boost your stats. Each card has a mana cost, so there’s more of a strategic element to combat. Cards can be modified and weapons can be evolved.
Poncle made Vampire Crawlers with the help of Nosebleed Interactive. It’s the first of several Vampire Survivors spinoffs that Poncle has planned. There’s also a licensed Warhammer take on the original title coming soon.
While I didn’t get deep enough into it to experiment with some truly wild combos, I enjoyed what I played of the Vampire Crawlers demo. If you need me, I’ll be busy cancelling all of my other plans for late April.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/vampire-survivors-spinoff-vampire-crawlers-is-coming-to-pc-and-consoles-on-april-21-151217962.html?src=rss
Double Fine is following up on Keeper — one of our favorite games of 2025 — with Kiln, a “multiplayer online pottery party brawler.” The game was showcased during Xbox’s Developer Direct stream in January and now it has a release date. It’s coming to Xbox Series X/S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, PlayStation 5 and Steam on April 23. Xbox saidKiln will be Handheld Optimized from the jump.
In Kiln, you'll use a virtual pottery wheel to shape a piece of clay into a vessel and then decorate it. The size and shape will determine how much health you have, the water capacity of your vessel and your speed. For instance, smaller pots will be able to attack faster, while a larger, slower pot might be more powerful. The shape you opt for (bowl, bottle, chalice and so on) determines which special ability you have. The decorations are purely cosmetic.
In the main Quench mode, the aim is to gather water and be the first team of four to put out the other side's kiln three times (which sounds a bit like a MOBA to me). Doing so won't exactly be straightforward, of course. When you run into an enemy vessel, you can try to smash it, and they'll probably attempt to do the same to you.
In one map, you'll be able to pour water onto sponges to create barriers. In another, there's a "disco dance floor that compels players to dance on the flashing squares for a short while." There's no in-game voice chat, but players could easily get around that using their console's built-in party features or the likes of Discord.
An open beta will take place on Steam from April 9 to 11. Pre-orders will go live at that time as well. The base version of the game is $20. A $30 "Fired Up" edition includes premium cosmetic options as well as extra chips, the in-game currency that's used to unlock customizations. Otherwise, chips can only be earned through gameplay.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/double-fines-kiln-pops-out-of-the-oven-and-onto-pc-xbox-and-ps5-on-april-23-171433966.html?src=rss
Now that Epic Games and Google have made up — or at least found a way to resolve their long-running disputes — everyone with a compatible Android device can get back to the business of playing Fortnite. The game will return to the Play Store globally on March 19, the same day that the next Fortnite season goes live. It previously dropped back onto the Play Store in the US in December.
The dispute with Apple ultimately led to the company having to open up the App Store in certain markets, including the US and EU. Fortnite returned to the App Store in the EU in 2024 and in the US last year.
Google and Epic reached a settlement in November. Earlier this month, Google announced that it was lowering the cut it takes of in-app payments from 30 percent to between 10 and 20 percent. At that time, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney (who reportedly agreed not to publicly talk smack about the Play Store until 2032 as part of the settlement) confirmed that Fortnite would return to Google's mobile storefront.
Epic recently announced a price increase for the in-game V-Bucks currency. It also confirmed that Fortnite Save the World — the game's original mode — is going free-to-play in April.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fortnite-will-return-to-googles-play-store-globally-on-march-19-170200794.html?src=rss
Sony is rolling out a firmware update for its PlayStation Portal handheld that introduces a new quality option for both Remote Play and Cloud Streaming. Choosing the 1080p High Quality mode means that you’ll be able to stream games at a higher bitrate compared with the 1080p Standard option.
You can switch to this mode by going to Quick Menu > Max Resolution and picking 1080p High Quality while you’re playing a game. You’ll need to restart your game session for the change to take effect. Naturally, 1080p High Quality will use more data than the other resolution options.
Sony says that more than half of all Portal users are now PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers, meaning they can use the Cloud Streaming option on the device. With that in mind, the company is making some Cloud Streaming changes as part of this firmware update.
The company says it has refined the search screen — from now on, whenever you open this up, the on screen keyboard will pop up immediately. That’s a nice little quality-of-life update that streamlines things a bit. When you pick the “stream" option on pages for game bundles (i.e. for any title that includes multiple games), you’ll be able to select a specific game to jump into.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
There are notification changes too. If you receive a game invite while playing a supported title, you’ll now see a clear notification on your screen. Trophy notifications should now display properly too, with the trophy name and image showing up. Unlocking a platinum trophy will cause an animated notification to appear.
There’s one more tweak to the system with this Portal update as Sony attempts to make the onboarding experience a bit smoother. Those who pick up a Portal but don’t already have a PlayStation account will be able to create one and then sign in on the handheld by scanning a QR code on their mobile device. Such folks will still need to have access to a PS5 or sign up for PS Plus Premium to actually get any use out of the Portal, of course.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-playstation-portal-update-is-adding-a-1080p-high-quality-mode-142216189.html?src=rss
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a game that a whole bunch of people are looking forward to, and they might be pleased to learn Warner Bros. Games is making the wait a bit shorter. The publisher has moved up the game by a week from its previous release date of May 29, meaning it will land on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Steam and Epic Games Store on May 22. A Nintendo Switch 2 version will be released later this year.
Folks who buy the deluxe edition will still be able to jump in three days early. Everyone who pre-orders the game will get access to a The Dark Knight Returns Batsuit from the jump.
TT Games is the team behind Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. The studio did a fantastic job of folding nine movies worth of material into the fantastic Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Here’s hoping it can pull off a similar trick this time — it has nearly nine decades of Batman history to work with.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/lego-batman-legacy-of-the-dark-knights-release-date-moves-up-a-week-174035977.html?src=rss
Josh Wardle had a hell of a tough act to follow. His last game, Wordle, became incredibly popular thanks to its blend of simplicity, clarity and shareability. Over four years (and a seven-figure sale of Wordle to The New York Times) later, Wardle has released his follow-up game.
Like Wordle and its myriad clones, Parseword offers up one puzzle per day. It taps into the mechanics of cryptic crossword clues. So it might ask you to replace one of the words with a synonym, reverse it or find a homophone. You may need to remove letters from a word or combine it with another one to find the answer. There’s a tutorial to help you get to grips with things and hints are available.
Wardle told The New Yorker he was inspired by The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin, who he heard discuss the logic behind cryptics on a podcast. Wardle brought in two friends, Chris Dary and Matt Lee, whom he worked with at Reddit to collaborate on the new game. They received permission to use clues from long-time cryptic constructors Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon.
After playing the tutorial and today's puzzle, it seems you may need to be wired in a certain way to play Parseword. It’s certainly less approachable than Wordle. At first glance, it’s hard to see this reaching the same kind of mass appeal as Wardle’s previous game. (Fittingly enough, Parseword feels like a game geared toward New Yorker readers.)
Of course, countless other casual daily games that aim to replicate the success of Wordle have popped up over the last few years, from Quordle, Bracket City and Framed to the Times’ own Connections, Strands and Pips. Catfishing, which asks you to guess Wikipedia article subjects based on their categories, is a new favorite of mine. I still miss the original Heardle, though.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/wordles-creator-is-back-with-a-new-game-and-its-a-real-chin-scratcher-182639801.html?src=rss
Meta is snapping up Moltbook, a Reddit-like social network for AI agents that has been around since January and remains completely ridiculous. The company hasn't disclosed the terms of the deal.
Moltbook and its creators Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr will be joining Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) when the deal closes. That's expected to happen in the coming days, according to Axios.
“The Moltbook team joining MSL opens up new ways for AI agents to work for people and businesses," a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch. "Their approach to connecting agents through an always-on directory is a novel step in a rapidly developing space, and we look forward to working together to bring innovative, secure agentic experiences to everyone.”
It seems current Moltbook users will be able to continue interacting with the platform for the time being. Moltbook was built on the back of OpenClaw, a tool that enables people to whip up AI agents that can interact with dozens of different apps. (OpenAI hired the creator of OpenClaw last month.)
Schlicht used OpenClaw to create a bot named “Clawd Clawderberg” and asked it to create a social network for AI agents. And that's how Moltbook came to be.
For what it's worth, Clawd Clawderberg is a play on "Mark Zuckerberg" and Moltbook is a clear riff on "Facebook," so it’s somewhat fitting that Schlicht vibe-coded his way to a job at Meta. It also emerged that it was relatively easy for humans to pose as AI agents and post on Moltbook. Again, all of this is deeply, deeply absurd.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-is-buying-moltbook-the-ridiculous-social-network-populated-by-ai-bots-152732453.html?src=rss
It takes around 30 hours to experience everything Resident Evil Requiem has to offer. If you've already enjoyed all the thrills and spills and you're itching for more, there's some positive news. Capcom has some updates on the way. The biggest of those is a story expansion, which is now in development. Just don't expect it to arrive imminently.
"In this story, we will delve deeper into the world of Requiem," game director Koshi Nakanishi said in a short video message. "We’re hard at work on it now. It will take some time, so we ask for your patience and hope you’ll look forward to it."
Nakanishi noted that on top of the story expansion and fixing bugs and performance issues, the development team is cooking up some other features. A photo mode is on the way to help you capture all the horrors that Grace and Leon encounter. There's also a "surprise coming around May," Nakanishi said. "We’re planning to add a mini-game."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-resident-evil-requiem-story-expansion-is-in-the-works-140512827.html?src=rss
Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. We've got a lot of new and upcoming games to highlight this week, and those are on top of all of our coverage of the Nintendo Indie World stream the other day. Nintendo packed a lot of news into that 18-minute stream, including the sudden arrivals of three great games — Blue Prince, Minishoot' Adventures and Öoo — on Switch and/or Switch 2.
The company revealed release dates for a bunch of games we've had on our radar, such as InKonbini: One Store. Many Stories (April 30), Mixtape (May 7), Denshattack! (June 17) and Ratatan (July 16). Release windows for several games were confirmed as well, including Toem 2 and Grave Seasons, both of which will be out this summer.
Meanwhile, if you have a Playdate (or have been meaning to get one), be sure to check out the third anniversary sale on the Playdate Catalog storefront this weekend. There are lots of good deals and we've got some suggestions for you.
Elsewhere, speedrunners will be showing off their skills in AAA games, indies and everything in between during the Frost Fatales event from Games Done Quick. From March 8-14, you can watch women and femme speedrunners tear through the likes of Undertale, Strange Antiquities, An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs, Tunic, Hollow Knight and Windswept. It's a charity event that will be raising funds for the National Women's Law Center.
On that note, there’s a Women's Day sale on Steam that’s running until March 15. There are discounts on tons of games from women and gender marginalized-led teams as well as demos for upcoming titles. Among the games on sale are Dredge (60 percent off), Overcooked 2 (75 percent off), The Wandering Village (50 percent off), Dogpile (35 percent off) and Consume Me (35 percent off).
New releases
Slay the Spire has helped to popularize the roguelite deckbuilder genre since its early access debut in 2017. Mega Crit is back for another bite at the cherry with Slay the Spire 2, which hit Steam in early access this week for $25. The studio says the price will increase after early access.
The studio expects the sequel to remain in early access for between one and two years, though it won't release the full version until the game "feels great." During the early access period, Mega Crit is going to try some experimental features and "exotic designs," while pinpointing niche issues and getting feedback from players to "make sure the game is headed in the right direction."
Perhaps the biggest change in the sequel is the addition of a co-op mode for up to four players. There are new cards (including multiplayer-specific ones), characters and enemies in the mix as well, of course.
Demons have descended on Toronto and his Sex Bom-omb bandmates have been kidnapped, so it's up to Scott Pilgrim and his allies to save the day. Scott Pilgrim EX is the franchise's latest side-scrolling fighter, following on from Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game.
This entry is from Tribute Games, which has a pretty great recent track record when it comes to co-op beat-'em-ups after Marvel Cosmic Invasionand Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. This time around, the studio teamed up with Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley to develop a new storyline.
I haven't had time to jump into Scott Pilgrim EX yet, unfortunately, but I'm really looking forward to doing that soon. When I do, I'll be instalocking Roxie Richter as my character. Gonna listen to “Black Sheep” a bunch in the meantime.
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is at the top of my to-play list this weekend. I adored the first entry from Wishfully and Thunderful Publishing a few years ago, and I've heard that the sequel is even better.
This is a narrative-driven adventure platformer in the vein of Limbo and Inside. As in the first game, you'll be evading dangerous robots after the antagonist weaponizes technology to exploit the resources of Lana's home planet. I'm sure that doesn't have any parallels with our reality.
Planet of Lana II looks just as gorgeous as the first game. Lana is said to be more agile this time and is capable of moves like wall jumps. Her companion, Mui, remains available to help her solve puzzles and survive this dangerous world.
Planet of Lana II is out now on Steam, Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S for $20. The Steam, Switch and Switch 2 versions have a 10 percent launch discount. You can get that same discount on PlayStation if you're a PS Plus member. The game is also available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
The Legend of Khiimori hit Steam and Epic Games Store in early access this week for $30. It's an open-world adventure game in which you take on the role of a courier rider in 13th-century Mongolia. You can breed and train horses with special abilities to help you explore this landscape and carry out deliveries.
You'll need to set up camp and craft critical items on your journeys, and you'll need to be on the defensive against dangerous wildlife. There are also evil spirits to fend off in order to liberate corrupted zones.
There's a lot going on here and, evidently, a lot more to come. Developer Aesir Interactive plans to add a string of features during the early access phase (which is expected to last for around a year), including racing, falconry, a "peaceful mode" and character and horse customization.
Lost and Found Co. is a lovely-looking hidden object game from Bit Egg and co-publisher Gamirror Games. It's on Steam for PC and Mac for $18, though there's a 10 percent discount until March 19.
I love this trailer for Lost and Found Co. It's full of charming animations and neat details, like a comic book-style series of panels that helps tell the story. You play as Ducky, a duck who has turned into a human intern at a startup that helps people get their lost items back. That sentence alone has me smiling.
In the wake of Blippo+, another game that debuted on the Playdate has now landed on PC (Steam and Itch), Mac (via Steam and the Mac App Store) and Nintendo Switch. Ratcheteer DX typically costs $13, but there's a 25 percent launch discount on all storefronts except the App Store.
The original version of Ratcheteer made its bow in Playdate season one, meaning that every owner of the little yellow console has access to it. You play as a young mechanic who — like the rest of humanity — lives underground to stay safe from an eternal winter. However, after the power plant and water treatment plant go out of commission, it's up to you to fix them. That kickstarts a top-down pixel-art adventure in the vein of the early Legend of Zelda games that should take you about four to five hours to finish.
This updated game from Shaun Inman, composer Matt Grimm and illustrator Charlie Davis is available in color — with filters that include the 1-bit Playdate look — and it has a CD-quality version of the soundtrack. It's the first game that publisher (and Playdate maker) Panic has made in house that's landed on Steam and consoles. I've only played a little of Ratcheteer DX so far but it seems just as delightful as the original version, so I'm eager to keep going with it.
On another day, I might have wrapped up this section with a feel-good game like Lost and Found Co. Not this time. Instead, here's a bird-spotting psychological horror walking sim.
The one-minute launch trailer for Birds Watching, from Studio Ortica, is about one-60th as long as the game's runtime. It's full of creepy details, like a giant bird with humanoid legs. The tone is unnerving, but it absolutely caught my attention.
Birds Watching is out now on Steam for $5. You can get it for 10 percent off until March 13.
Upcoming
This trailer for My Little Puppy (which premiered during the Indie World showcase) captured my whole damn heart. Korean developer Dreamotion created the game by "adding dreams and hopes to the story I shared with Bong-gu, a dog who I adopted and raised," the studio's Junyoung Lee said. After crossing the rainbow bridge, the game's version of Bong-gu eventually picks up the scent of his dad and sets out on an adventure to rescue his human. I'm crying in the club at my desk.
My Little Puppy is coming to Switch on May 29. It's already available on Steam for $25.
Lunacy Studios is a studio that boasts developers with experience on the likes of Star Wars: Battlefront, Mass Effect, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Life is Strange. Its first game is The House of Hikmah, which is coming to Steam on April 8.
This is a story-driven 3D adventure game that takes place in a setting inspired by the Islamic Golden Age. You take on the role of Maya, a 14-year-old who is looking for answers after her father passes away. He left Maya with an elemental heirloom that she can use to solve puzzles and she can use wind channels to help her traverse the environments.
I can't speak to how authentic its representation of the Islamic Golden Age is, but the setup and art direction of this game have me intrigued. It certainly doesn't hurt that Austin Wintory (Journey, Sword of the Sea, The Pathless) composed the music.
I got completely hooked on Ball x Pitand I'm looking forward to trying out MLB The Show 26. So, I really think there should be more ball-based games. And, look at that, here's a first peek at Ballgame from new studio Human Computer.
In this physics platformer, you play as a sentient ball. As is the case in golf, the idea is to get to the hole in as few shots as possible. Also like in golf, that's harder than it might seem at first. The levels pull in elements from a range of inspirations, including pachinko, pinball, skeeball and many other types of ball games. Among other things, you'll skim across water, bounce off of bumpers and float in bubbles.
There are arcade minigames where you can earn a type of currency that you can use to unlock upgrades, custom looks and dozens of other balls. It all seems quite chaotic at first glance. I live for chaos. I'm in.
To wrap things up for this week, here's a nifty teaser trailer for Echobreaker, a precision platformer with an isometric perspective. The aim is to reach the goal as quickly as possible. You'll use powerups to help you do that. You'll also need to battle enemies along the way.
I had no trouble following what was happening at any given moment in this short clip. I think the perspective here makes things interesting. There have been a bunch of high-octane first-person platformers in recent years. I think that being able to see the action from above helps make it clearer to me what's going on here. The clean, futuristic art style helps too.
Echobreaker, which is from Upstream Arcade and publisher Weekend Games, is slated to hit Steam later this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/slay-the-spire-2-scott-pilgrim-ex-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-120000884.html?src=rss
Apple is looking to gain a foothold in the more budget-friendly end of the laptop market with the MacBook Neo. The system starts at $599, which is darn inexpensive for an Apple laptop — it even has the same starting price as the M4 iPad Air.
As such, the MacBook Neo should help Apple compete with cheap Windows laptops and Chromebooks. Pricing it at $499 for educational use won’t exactly hurt either.
Apple is really lowering the cost of entry for those looking to pick up a new MacBook here. The base MacBook Neo costs $500 less than the cheapest M5 MacBook Air, which is now officially Apple's midrange laptop.
Of course, there are a lot of tradeoffs you'll make by opting for a MacBook Neo instead of a MacBook Air. If you’re curious about all the differences between the Neo and the base 13.6-inch Air (and perhaps what you’ll be foregoing if go you with the cheaper option), we've got you covered.
MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air exteriors
Apple
Let's start with the things you'll notice at first glance about the two laptop lines. The Neo has an arguably more eye-catching array of colorways with silver, blush (a light pink), citrus (light yellow) and indigo options. The Air comes in a more muted batch of sky blue, silver, starlight (a sort of champagne) and midnight (a very dark blue).
The weight of the two laptops is identical at 2.7 pounds and the differences in the dimensions are negligible. Blissfully, both laptops have a headphone jack. Please have the courage to keep those around in MacBooks, Apple.
Apple
Alas, the Neo does not have a MagSafe port, so you'll need to use one of its two USB-C ports (it has one USB-C 2 port and a USB-C 3 port) for charging. The MBA has two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports to go with its MagSafe connector.
While we're on the subject of charging, the MacBook Neo comes with a 20W power adapter. The MBA includes a 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max, and it supports fast charging at up to 70W.
The Neo has a 36.5-watt-hour lithium-ion battery, which Apple claims has enough juice for up to 11 hours of web browsing or 16 hours of video streaming on a single charge. As for the MBA, that has a 53.8-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery. Apple says you'll be able to use that laptop for 15 hours of web browsing or 18 hours of streaming video before you need to recharge.
Back to the exterior of the laptops and in terms of audio, the Neo has a side-firing dual-speaker system with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support. However, unlike with the MBA (which has four built-in speakers), there's no mention of Spatial Audio support for AirPods. The MBA has one more microphone than the Neo as well, and both laptops support Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes.
MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air opened up
Apple
If you were to place a MacBook Neo and MacBook Air side by side and open them up, you might spot that the former's screen is a little smaller at 13 inches on the diagonal. While both have Liquid Retina displays with 500 nits of brightness, the Neo's screen has a lower resolution of 2408 x 1506 vs. the MBA's 2560 x 1664. The Air also has a P3 wide color gamut and support for Apple's True Tone feature, which tweaks the screen’s color temperature to better fit your surroundings. The Neo has an sRGB display instead.
While the webcams in both laptops can capture 1080p video, the one in the Neo is lower-specced and has fewer features. It's a 1080p FaceTime HD camera. The MBA has a 12MP camera that supports Center Stage, a feature that keeps you in the middle of the frame as you're moving around. It also supports Desk View, which allows you to show your face and what's on your desk simultaneously.
The MacBook Neo has a Magic Keyboard and multi-touch trackpad (which we didn't feel were super sturdy in our initial hands-on time). The MacBook Air, on the other hand, has a backlit Magic Keyboard and a Force Touch trackpad. It also supports Touch ID as standard.
If you want Touch ID on the MacBook Neo, though, you'll need to pay extra. A version of the laptop with Touch ID costs $699. That upgrade (which is the only one available for the Neo as things stand) also doubles the internal storage to 512GB. And that feels like a smooth segue into comparing the internal specs of each machine.
MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air on the inside
The M5 MacBook Air comes with 512GB of storage as standard and you can equip it with up to a 4TB SSD. The Neo tops out at 512GB.
It's a little disappointing (though somewhat understandable given the surging costs of RAM) that the Neo only has 8GB of unified memory. That's half of what you get in a MacBook Air as standard, and you can expand that laptop’s RAM to 32GB. Memory bandwidth is nearly three times faster on the MBA as well at 153GB/s, compared with 60GB/s on the Neo.
The chip that runs the Neo is significantly less powerful than the M5 you'll find in the MacBook Air too. The Neo uses an A18 Pro, which is the chip that debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. It has a 6-core CPU (two performance, four efficiency), 5-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. Measure that against the Air's M5, the base version of which has a 10-core CPU (four super cores, six efficiency cores) and 8-core GPU, though that too has a 16-core Neural Engine.
We don't yet have a direct comparison, such as Geekbench 6 scores, to directly measure the performance of each laptop. However, it's already clear that the MacBook Neo won't be nearly as powerful as the M5 MacBook Air. You probably won’t be doing heavy-duty video editing on a Neo. That said, Apple says that you will be able to use Apple Intelligence features on the laptop.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/macbook-neo-vs-m5-macbook-air-all-the-trade-offs-youll-make-to-save-500-less-190434959.html?src=rss
Rhythm games never really went away after the decline of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but it feels like they’re having a bit of a moment again. From projects like Clone Hero and YARG, to Fortnite Festival and Stage Tour (an upcoming title from Guitar Hero veterans at RedOctane), to indies with rhythm elements like Ratatan and People of Note, music games are still very much around. You can now add Beat Weaver to the mix.
This upcoming game from Echolox Interactive — solo developer Christopher Lerch — is inspired by pre-Guitar Hero Harmonix titles like Amplitude and Frequency. (Given the way that tracks twist and turn, the trailer also reminds me a bit of Thumper. Thankfully, this doesn't feel nearly as ominous.)
As in Amplitude, you control a ship that barrels along tracks. You'll need to hit notes at the right time to be successful, of course, though Beat Weaver brings some interesting complexities to the formula.
Each track is linked to an instrument and you can switch between tracks at will. However, you'll first need to unlock additional tracks. If you play a sequence of notes (i.e. phrases) without a mistake, you'll activate one. As long as a track is active, it will sip away some of your energy. If that drops too low and you make an error, all the activated tracks will be disabled and you'll need to gradually unlock them again.
You'll need to switch between tracks and complete more phrases to keep the full mix active. Songs can have up to 16 tracks, so you might need to stay on your toes. That said, you won't need to hit every note dead on.
Lerch is aiming for more of a flow state feel and there are several difficulty levels. Plus, if an upcoming phrase looks overly complex for your current mood, you can stick to a track that has a simpler note pattern. Powerups that give you the opportunity to slow down and rewind tracks should help too.
Lerch originally started working on Beat Weaver as a hobby back in 2017. After receiving funding from Germany's Press Start: Games Founding Grant program last year, Lerch was able to focus on Beat Weaver full time. The developer says the protracted development time "allowed me to experiment with audio playback systems and engine architecture to maximize the interactive music experience, as well as making maximum use of the third dimension with the dynamic note highway system."
Details about artists who are featured in the game will be revealed later. Lerch composed much of the music personally. Players will be able to add custom songs, though they’ll need to load in separate audio files for each playable instrument.
Lerch is developing Beat Weaver in a custom engine without using generative AI. “For rendering it doesn't use any traditional texture mapping in favor of generating colors, patterns and skyboxes with shader code, noise functions, raymarching and mathematical expressions,” Lerch wrote. “Its comparatively low performance demands and dependencies allow it to run on older machines.”
This game just looks really neat. It’s nice to be excited about neat-looking things. Beat Weaver is slated to hit Steam (with support for Steam Deck) later this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/indie-rhythm-game-beat-weaver-looks-like-a-mix-of-amplitude-and-thumper-110000834.html?src=rss
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