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Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Getting Several New Open-World Activities

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Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Getting Several New Open-World Activities



Assassin’s Creed games usually include a large open world, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows is no exception. While there are familiar elements to the travel and exploration abilities in this game, Shadows is also going to allow its two leading characters, Naoe and Yasuke, to take some time to appreciate the beauty of nature by creating art.

Ubisoft unveiled this feature during an extended explanation about how the game’s exploration mechanics will work. Letting Naoe or Yasuke create art may not give them an edge in battle, but it’s an activity that they find rewarding.

Yasuke and Naoe will also have their own character-specific activities that they can do outside of quests and missions. For example, Yasuke can find experts who can teach him more about how to use his Kata, which gives his character special attack movies. On the other hand, Naoe’s Kuji-kiri meditation will open up more of her backstory.

Ubisoft has placed a great deal of importance on scouts in this game, as the recruits can help Naoe and Yasuke find places of importance in the game’s world without having to transverse every step on their own. Scouts can also raid enemy strongholds one-at-a-time, and so subtly that their marks may not realize what’s happening until it’s too late. With the resources from scout raids, Naoe or Yasuke can customize their safe houses. Additionally, scouts can help the players cancel provisional alerts if either character has been caught breaking the law.

Viewpoints are also making a return in Shadows, with some modifications. Player characters can now spot and discover distant locations by getting on a high building and using the 360-degree observe function, which will mark special locations on your map.

As before, viewpoints will open up fast-travel points as well. However, not every fast travel point is safe to go to. Some of them are in enemy-controlled land, and you’ll have a major fight on your hands if the enemies discover that your characters have dropped by unannounced.

If players need a clearer idea about where they are going, the pathfinder feature can be used on horseback. It’s not unlike the tools used in Grand Theft Auto games to keep your characters on the right track to their intended destination.

A recent rumor suggested that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will come to Switch 2, but it remains unconfirmed for now. Assassin’s Creed Shadows was also recently delayed again. The new release date is March 20, and it will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.



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Nintendo officially reveals Switch 2 console – WholesGame

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Nintendo officially reveals Switch 2 console – WholesGame



Image Source: Nintendo

Nintendo has officially unveiled its highly anticipated next-generation console, the Nintendo Switch 2, confirming a 2025 release date. The announcement came via a video on the company’s YouTube channel, offering the first glimpse into the console’s enhanced hardware and features, which aim to redefine hybrid gaming.

The Switch 2 introduces several noteworthy hardware upgrades. One standout feature is the inclusion of magnetically attachable Joy-Cons, a design improvement that promises a more secure and versatile gaming experience. The console also sports a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, aligning with modern industry standards. Additionally, a newly designed button on the right Joy-Con adds functionality that Nintendo is expected to elaborate on in future updates.

In November 2024, Nintendo had previously confirmed that the Switch 2 would support backward compatibility, a feature highly requested by fans. This means players can carry over their libraries of both physical and digital games from the original Switch. However, Nintendo has added a caveat, clarifying that some titles “may not be supported or fully compatible” with the new console due to hardware differences or other technical limitations.

The console’s screen is also expected to see improvements, with reports indicating a larger display and upgraded resolution for better visual fidelity, as detailed in coverage by Polygon and The Verge. Sources suggest that the new screen could enhance the handheld mode significantly, making it a competitive option for gaming on the go.

Nintendo also emphasized continuity for its subscription service, Nintendo Online, which will seamlessly carry over to the Switch 2. This ensures players retain access to their cloud saves, multiplayer capabilities, and exclusive content without interruption.

The announcement has generated excitement among gaming enthusiasts, with more details promised during a Nintendo Direct presentation on April 2, 2025. Analysts speculate this showcase will delve deeper into the system’s technical specifications, launch titles, and potential innovations in gameplay.

With the original Nintendo Switch revolutionizing hybrid gaming, the Switch 2 appears poised to build on that legacy while addressing long-standing player feedback. Stay tuned to Nintendo’s official channels for more updates as the 2025 launch approaches.



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UPDATE: Dragon Age: The Veilguard game director Corinne Busche is leaving BioWare, having spent 18 years at publisher EA

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UPDATE: Dragon Age: The Veilguard game director Corinne Busche is leaving BioWare, having spent 18 years at publisher EA


UPDATE (17/01/25, 4:20 PM GMT): Corinne Busche has now confirmed to Eurogamer her departure from BioWare and EA via a statement, in which she wrote: “My departure was voluntary, as I have been presented with an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. I don’t want to say much more right now, but you can count on it being in the CRPG space and upholding the traditions of great characters.”

Dragon Age: The Veilguard game director Corinne Busche is reportedly leaving BioWare, having spent a total of 18 years at publisher EA working on various titles.

This is according to Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb, whose confirmation of Busche leaving has since been corroborated by Eurogamer. Rumours of Busche’s departure had been coupled with speculation about the closure of BioWare’s Edmonton studio, the latter of which Grubb has suggested he doesn’t currently believe to be happening.

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“Corrine BuschE, director of Dragon Age, really is leaving BioWare,” Grubb’s tweet reads in full, “But I don’t think EA is closing BioWare Edmonton. Was told there is nothing solid about that part of the rumour.” Eurogamer reports that it’s heard Veilguard’s “commercial performance was not a direct factor in Busche’s departure”.

VG247 has contacted both EA and Busche herself for comment.

Prio to becoming game girector on Veilguard in 2022, Busche had racked up a total of 18 years at EA, both as part of BioWare in various postitions, as well as working on The Sims series. She and creative director John Epler were key figures on the latest Dragon Age game in the run up to and following its release in October last year.

“This is a proficient, polished game with certain mechanics and ideas that threaten to be best-in-class,” our Alex Donaldson wrote in his review of Veilguard, “In a certain sense, this game has it all – but that all doesn’t quite coalesce in the way I’d hoped, which leaves features that are deep on paper feeling shallow. It’s a head-scratching conundrum.”

As recently as December 2024, Busche was discussing ideas that could be potentially explored in future Dragon Age games in interviews conducted with her and Epler, saying that tackling the Elven and blighty stuff Veilguard’s story revolves around had left her “curious about the other aspects that are less explored and equally as interesting: the nature of the qunari, what’s across the seas, what’s happening with the titans, the development of the dwarven people”.

How do you feel about Busche reportedly departing BioWare and did you like Veilguard? Let us know below.





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Don’t miss the Fanatical Build your own Explosive Bundle as it’s an awesome deal for FPS fans

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Don’t miss the Fanatical Build your own Explosive Bundle as it’s an awesome deal for FPS fans


Another awesome deal for you here in the Fanatical Build your own Explosive Bundle. A chance to build up your collection of action-packed games and seriously cheap too.

You can get 3 + Games for £1.66 each, 5 + Games for £1.60 each and 7 + Games for £1.43 each. And when you look at what’s available, I think you’ll agree you can do well with this one.

Available to pick from:


WRATH: Aeon of Ruin
Wolfenstein: The New Order
Prey (2017)
HYPERVIOLENT
GRAVEN
SPRAWL
BPM: BULLETS PER MINUTE
Hands of Necromancy II
Eden Survivors
Anomalous
The Pony Factory
Jawbreaker
GROSS
Chop Goblins
DIMENSIONAL SLAUGHTER
QUAKE
Viscerafest
Deathbloom: Chapter 1
Deathbloom: Chapter 2
The Hong Kong Massacre & Splatter – Zombiecalypse Now Double Pack
Diluvian Ultra

Check it all out on Fanatical.

Fanatical also list the official Steam Deck Verified rating on each game to make it easier for you.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.



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Sony Has Cancelled Two More Live-Service Games, Including a God of War Title

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Sony Has Cancelled Two More Live-Service Games, Including a God of War Title


Sony has cancelled two live-service titles that were being developed by Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games.

The new was broken by gaming pundit Jason Schreier over at Bloomberg, and then apparently confirmed by Sony themselves who confirmed that two “live-service” projects had been cancelled “following a recent review”.

 “Bend and Bluepoint are highly accomplished teams who are valued members of the PlayStation Studios family, and we are working closely with each studio to determine what are the next projects,” the spokesperson told Bloomberg.

On Bluesky, Schreier offered further details, stating that the cancelled live-service game at Bluepoint was actually a God of War game.

“Fans have long wondered what Bluepoint has been working on for the last couple of years. I can report it was a live-service God of War game.” said Jason.

Sony announced plans in 2022 to have 12 live-service games running by 2025, but would later bring that number down to 6. Helldivers 2 launched in 2024 and was a massive success, and still draws great numbers. Of course, Concord also launched last year and was an unmitigated disaster that lost Sony hundreds of millions of dollars. If we count those two and now the cancelled projects, that would mean Sony is down to two live-service projects left. Presumably, those are Bungie’s upcoming Marathon and Haven Studios’ PvP game.

Bend Studio, 2019

As for previous live-service projects, there was a rumoured Spider-Man title based around the multi-verse which was apparently canned, along with Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer title. That one was supposed to have been axed when Bungie provided feedback suggesting it wasn’t up to snuff. A live-service Twisted Metal game was also cancelled back in 2023 when Firesprite faced layoffs.

Out of all this, it’s Bend Studio I feel the most sorry for. Their pitch for a Days Gone sequel was denied by Sony. They revealed in 2021 that they were working on a new IP. If that was the same game that was cancelled then that’s four years of work down the drain. If that’s the case and if it’s the only project they’ve been working on, the lengthy triple-A development times mean it will likely be 3-6 years until they get a chance to release something else. Their last game was the underrated Days Gone in 2019, meaning Bend Studio might end up going an entire console generation without releasing a single project.

The success of games like Helldivers 2 and Marvel Rivals shows that companies absolutely should at least experiment and explore the live-service space, but it’s pretty clear that it isn’t an area where we



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How to Make Persimmon Sour Fondue in Disney Dreamlight Valley

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How to Make Persimmon Sour Fondue in Disney Dreamlight Valley


Persimmon Sour Fondue is one of the 2-star Dessert Meals added with the Storybook Vale expansion. Players can make this meal for themselves to restore energy or gift it to villagers to increase their Friendship Level. However, this recipe is exclusive to the owners of the expansion. This guide will help you make a Persimmon Sour Fondue in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

Required Ingredients to Make Persimmon Sour Fondue in Disney Dreamlight Valley

All the ingredients to make Persimmon Sour Fondue are exclusive to Storybook Vale. That means, players can only find them in the biomes of the Storybook Vale. Players can make a Persimmon Sour Fondue dessert meal with the following ingredients.

You can get the Persimmon by harvesting them from Persimmon Trees in The Bind biome. However, you must first progress in the main story and unlock the Bind biome. During the A New Chapter quest for Merida, you will get to unlock the Bind biome with 500 Story Magic. After that, you can freely roam the biome and look for Persimmon trees to harvest the Persimmon. Fortunately, you can also find the Sour Berry Trees in the Bind biome from which you can harvest the Sour Berries. So, unlocking the Bind biome will help you get both of the ingredients for Persimmon Sour Fondue.

How to Cook Persimmon Sour Fondue in Disney Dreamlight Valley

After gathering all the ingredients for the Persimmon Sour Fondue, go to any Cooking Station to start making it. Go to any cooking station in the Valley/Eternity Isle and interact with it. After that, put the ingredients into the Cooking Pot individually and then select the “Start Cooking” option to cook the Persimmon Sour Fondue Dessert Meal.

Use of Persimmon Sour Fondue

Players can choose to eat the Persimmon Sour Fondue to restore 1,240 Energy, gift it to another villager to increase their Friendship Level or sell it to Goofy for 84 Star Coins.



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Severance Season 1 Finale Was Almost Shot From The Innies’ Perspective

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Severance Season 1 Finale Was Almost Shot From The Innies’ Perspective


Image: Apple

Much as we viewers try to mentally piece together all the scenes in Severance to better grasp the big picture of its mysteries, Ben Stiller and his team engage in the similar process of considering how to present those scenes to us. On the final episode of The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott’s first season, Stiller explains the intricate way he filmed the season finale in pieces, and reveals the original way the final episode was supposed to go.

According to Stiller, who directed the climactic episode, the finale was shot in spurts over the entire nine-month production. If they were shooting a scene at the home of Mark’s sister and her husband for the first episode, they would also shoot Mark’s cliffhanger moment when he yells “She’s alive!” around the same time. That piecemeal style of filming wasn’t the only quirky directing choice made by Stiller, who reveals on the podcast that he originally was going to shoot the entire finale from the Innies’ perspective on the outside.

“I always imagined it was going to be totally different, visually, than the rest of the show because everything is very set and ordered; not a lot of handheld [cameras], if any. But, for episode nine, we were like, ‘We’re going to use Steadicam the whole time, and it’s going to be flowing because we want to be in the point of view of these characters.”

That would mean instead of watching Innie Mark (Adam Scott) try to visibly squirm his way out of talking with a Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) who’s suspicious of whether she’s actually talking to Outie Mark, we would have been staring directly into Arquette’s judgemental eyes as Mark stammered along. As enjoyably immersive as that would’ve been, it would’ve taken away from scenes like Mark’s punctuating ”She’s alive!” moment, which carries an extra emotional weight thanks to Mark’s shocked look. This is a fact Stiller thankfully realized.

“It can’t be in their point of view the whole time because then we’ll never see them.”

The second season of The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott debuts tomorrow, right after the Season 2 premiere is released. They’ll be breaking down all the nuances of the second season so we can better make sense of the mindfuck we’ll be embarking on for the next 10 weeks.



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Things Too Ugly: Uncover Corporate Secrets in This Atmospheric Puzzler | TheXboxHub

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Things Too Ugly: Uncover Corporate Secrets in This Atmospheric Puzzler | TheXboxHub


Things Too Ugly: Uncover Corporate Secrets in This Atmospheric Puzzler | TheXboxHub
Things Too Ugly – now available

Clock in for a night shift that will challenge your mind and unravel a corporate conspiracy with Things Too Ugly!

Professor Space Games and Baltoro Games are releasing Things Too Ugly, a unique and atmospheric puzzle game that’s now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

Prepare to delve into the archives of TEREBRO INC., a company with a dark past and secrets that are best left buried.

A Night Shift of Mystery and Intrigue

In Things Too Ugly, you take on the role of a Risk Assessment & Management Data Processor at TEREBRO INC. Your seemingly mundane task of safeguarding the company’s future takes a sinister turn as you uncover disturbing documents, cryptic codes, and unsettling photographs hidden within the archives.

Features That Will Keep You Up All Night

Puzzle Solving: Decipher cryptic messages, solve challenging math and logic puzzles, and piece together fragments of information to uncover the truth behind TEREBRO INC.’s dark history.

Atmospheric Setting: Immerse yourself in the eerie ambiance of a 1980s office, illuminated by the glow of a desk lamp and the hum of a vintage radio.

Narrative-Driven Gameplay: Experience a compelling story with voice-acted characters and a mysterious plot that unfolds as you delve deeper into the company’s archives.

Retro Technology: Utilise vintage tools like a GPS and encoder device to analyse data and solve puzzles.

Environmental Horror: Uncover unsettling details and face the psychological tension of a workplace that’s not what it seems.

Unique Soundtrack: Enjoy a captivating soundtrack that blends 80s synth with rural influences, creating an eerie and atmospheric backdrop for your investigation.

A Puzzle Game with a Twist

Things Too Ugly is more than just a puzzle game; it’s an interactive narrative experience that explores themes of corporate corruption, environmental horror, and the consequences of buried secrets.

It is available now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S (here’s the Xbox Store link for you), Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. Expect to pay £6.69.

The PlayStation version has been slightly delayed.

Clock in for your night shift, grab your decoder ring, and prepare to unravel the secrets of TEREBRO INC. in this captivating and atmospheric puzzle adventure! And stay tuned for our full review.

Things Too Ugly Description

Clock in for the night shift at TEREBRO INC., 1986. As a newly promoted Risk Assessment Data Processor, your job is simple: safeguard the company’s future. But the deeper you dig into the archives, the stranger and more unsettling the details become. Using vintage tools like a GPS and encoder device, you’ll sift through cryptic documents, unravel hidden codes, and piece together fragments of the company’s dark history. The glow of your desk lamp and the hum of a radio accompany you as tension mounts and eerie discoveries unfold. As the night deepens, so does the mystery. What truths lay buried within TEREBRO INC.’s past, and what will you choose to do with them? The fate of the company reputation hangs in balance. Will you be its guardian or its destroyer?



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Marvel Rivals Season 1 win rates reveal a massive Meta Shift for the superhero game

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Marvel Rivals Season 1 win rates reveal a massive Meta Shift for the superhero game


You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you’re reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here

NetEase’s Marvel Rivals is still going strong with the release of Season 1, the free-to-play game saw a huge meta shift with the arrival of huge buffs and nerfs. With new heroes coming every month-and-a-half, and the developer’s plans to never add a Role Queue, NetEase is hoping that frequent meta shakeups will keep the game alive.

After Season 0 win rates revealed the game’s most popular characters were also its biggest losers, the huge balance changes have changed everything.

Marvel Rivals Season 1 win rates

Via stat-tracking website Rivals Meta, it’s possible to see exactly what characters are getting the most wins in Marvel Rivals. In Season 0, Hulk was the top character in the free-to-play game, but the radiation-powered behemoth is now the tenth-best character in the game.

In Season 1, the most successful character is the weather-controlling mutant Storm. During the season, Storm has gained a total win rate of 56.48% with a pick rate of 17.55%. This gives the character a massive lead with the second most successful character, Rocket Raccoon, resting at a 54.85% win rate.

In terms of popularity, Cloak and Dagger is currently the most popular pick for Marvel Rivals Season 1 with 48.30% of picks. However, the character’s success rate has massively dropped to just 48.20%.

As for the game’s biggest loser, the sniper-focused assassin Black Widow takes both spots. With a disastrous pick rate of just 2.7% and a win rate of just 40.32%, Black Widow is, by far, the biggest loser of Rivals’ Season 1 update. Take her back to Vormir, guys.

With Rivals’ developers working on a host of new heroes and villains for the game—including Ant-Man/Iron Man villain Ultron, every season should hopefully see huge meta shifts just like this one. Who will be the biggest loser of Season 2? Me. The answer is me.


marvel rivals cover image showing marvel characters line up

Marvel Rivals





Platform(s):
macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X


Genre(s):
Fighting, Shooter



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Fantastic Four-ce Awakens: Season One of ‘Marvel Rivals’ Joins GeForce NOW

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Fantastic Four-ce Awakens: Season One of ‘Marvel Rivals’ Joins GeForce NOW


Time to suit up, members. The multiverse is about to get a whole lot cloudier as GeForce NOW opens a portal to the first season of hit game Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games.

Members can now game in a new dimension with expanded support for virtual- and mixed-reality devices. This week’s GeForce NOW app update 2.0.70 begins rolling out compatibility for Apple Vision Pro spatial computers, Meta Quest 3 and 3S, and Pico 4 and 4 Ultra devices.

Plus, no GFN Thursday is complete without new games. Get ready for seven new titles joining the cloud this week, including multiplayer online battle arena game SMITE 2.

Invisible No More

Sink your teeth into the Fantastic Four.

Eternal night falls for Marvel Rivals, the superhero, team-based player vs. player shooter that lets players assemble an ever-evolving all-star squad of Super Heroes and Super Villains battling with unique powers across a dynamic lineup of destructible maps from the Marvel Multiverse.

The Fantastic Four will be playable in season one of the game. For Eternal Night Falls, Invisible Woman and Mister Fantastic will be released in the first half of the season, followed by Human Torch and The Thing in the second. Season one will also feature three new maps, special events and an all-new Doom Match game mode.

Stream it all with a GeForce NOW membership across devices, from an underpowered laptop, Mac devices, a Steam Deck or the supported platform of virtual- and mixed-reality devices.

Head in the Clouds

VR UI on GeForce NOW
Headset on, latency gone.

The latest GeForce NOW app update is expanding cloud streaming capabilities to Apple Vision Pro spatial computers, Meta Quest 3 and 3S, and Pico 4 and 4 Ultra virtual- and mixed-reality headsets starting this week.

These newly supported devices will give members access to an extensive library of games to stream through GeForce NOW. Members can gain access by visiting play.geforcenow.com or via the Android-native client on the PICO store. The rollout will be complete on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Members will be able to transform their space into a personal gaming theater by playing, on massive virtual screens, their favorite PC games, such as the latest season of Marvel Rivals, Dragon Age and more. With access to NVIDIA technologies, including ray tracing and NVIDIA DLSS on supported games, these devices now provide an enhanced visual experience with the highest frame rates and lowest latency.

Here Comes The New

SMITE 2 on GeForce NOW
Become a god and wage war.

SMITE 2 is now free to play and has brought a huge update to mark the start of open beta. New god Aladdin joins, along with SMITE 1 fan favourites Geb, Agni, Mulan and Ullr — bringing the total god roster to 45. Twenty of the gods now feature Aspects — an optional spin on each god’s ability kit that opens up even more strategic options. The 3v3 mode Joust has also arrived, featuring a brand-new, Arthurian-themed map. Assault and Duel game modes are also available. Finally, the Conquest mode brings a wealth of updates to the map, features and balance.

Hyper Light Breaker (New release on Steam, Jan. 14)
Aloft (New release on Steam, Jan. 15)
Assetto Corsa EVO (New release on Steam, Jan. 16)
Generation Zero (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED 2 – Turbocharged (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
SMITE 2 (Steam)
Voidwrought (Steam)

What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.



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