PS5 Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Alan Wake 2‘s The Dark Place trailer appeared last night (August 22) as part of the Gamescom Opening Night Live show, and fans were sent into a frenzy when it seemed that Max Payne would be a character in the new survival horror.Introduced in Remedy Entertainment‘s shooter series of the same name, Max Payne is a detective and an undercover member of the mafia in New York City. Though he is voiced by James McCaffrey, he is portrayed by Sam Lake in the original game, and Lake is the writer of Alan Wake and the director of Alan Wake 2.In the latest trailer, a character voiced by James McCaffrey and portrayed by Sam Lake slams Alan Wake against a wall and accuses him of being both a killer and cult leader.

Warhammer Age Of Sigmar: Realms Of Ruin has confirmed it will be launching this November, with a reveal trailer confirming its third playable faction.During Gamescom‘s Opening Night Live showcase, Frontier Developments confirmed that Realms Of Ruin will be launching on November 17 for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.The release date was shared with a new trailer for the fantasy game, which also revealed that the Nighthaunt will be one of the four playable factions available at launch.The Nighthaunt are undead servants of Nagash, the god of death, and rely on swarming opponents with ethereal units. In a hands-on preview, NME got to play against the Nighthaunt in a single-player campaign level, where human Stormguard forces are beset by the forces of Nagash at a haunted temple.There, a number of the Nighthaunt’s units could be spotted, including units of Craventhrone Guard.

latest trailer for Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 out now, players are worried that several central characters will be killed off in the third entry of the rebooted series.The scene in the trailer that got fans talking was Captain Price slumped to the ground with Sergeant Kyle “Gaz” Garrick yelling, “We need medevac now!” Additionally, slow-mo shots of characters like Commander Farah Karim, Sergeant Johnny “Soap” MacTavish, Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley and Gaz to a cover of of Blue Öyster Cult’s ‘Don’t Fear The Reaper’ seem to suggest that all of them are equally at risk of dying. Check out the trailer below:In the original Modern Warfare 2, General Shepherd, Ghost, Sergeant Gary “Roach” Sanderson and Private Joseph Allen are killed off, with Ghost and Roach’s deaths being the most memorable for fans.

Stardew Valley fans will soon be able to cook their way through the seasons with the official cookbook from developer Eric ‘ConcernedApe‘ Barone and author Ryan Novak.With over 50 recipes inspired by the game, like the famous Pink Cake that is the favourite of a few of the villagers, the cookbook focuses on seasonal ingredients to reflect Stardew Valley‘s sustainable principles (spotted by PC Gamer). While some of the dishes are self-explanatory like the Farmer’s Lunch or the Crab Cakes, there are surprises in store.The Strange Bun is featured, and seeing that this requires wheat flour, periwinkle and void mayonnaise to bake it in Stardew Valley, it’s a mystery what Barone and Novak will choose for its real world version.Long-time fans of the farming simulation game will also be thrilled to find out that the cookbook contains original illustrations as well as the photographs of all the nibbles and desserts.

Hyenas, the sci-fi extraction shooter from developer Creative Assembly and publisher Sega, dropped a new trailer showing off its chaotic zero gravity combat.In a post-Earth galaxy, players will stick together in trios to invade Plunderships that hold priceless pop culture memorabilia from the planet’s history. Each Hyena has a unique personality and a set of weapons and abilities that sets them apart from their competitors.

Baldur’s Gate 3 hotfix 2.1 has resolved the issue where story databases would balloon in size as a result of the player’s rising total of campaign choices.In the post to Steam, Larian Studios also announced that cross saves for PlayStation 5 have been reactivated for the release of the role-playing game on the console in September.“As it turns out, many of you were doing so much in Baldur’s Gate 3 that some of your personal ‘story’ databases (where your choices and actions are stored) got too big,” said the developer.“We now made the size infinite (or at least as infinite as you have storage space), to account for the sheer amount of things you’re all doing on your journeys,” it explained, adding that any other issues should be sent to the Baldur’s Gate 3 support team for fixes.Baldur’s Gate 3 has been a sensational success for Larian Studios, with over 800,000 players jumping into the game on the weekend after its mid-week launch. At the time of writing, it is the highest rated release of the year, toppling The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom from the number one spot on Metacritic.Yet, the developer was in hot water when it was found that none of the Brazilian Portuguese translators who worked on more than one million words of story were credited.Only the executives of Altagram Group were seen in the list and the developer clarified that this was a complete oversight.

Larian Studios said that adding an expansion to Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t as easy as it might appear to players.Baldur’s Gate 3, which draws on Dungeons & Dragons‘ Forgotten Realms campaign, restricts players to a level cap of 12. Usually, tabletop players are able to reach level 20, and so PC Gamer asked in its interview with Swen Vincke whether or not an expansion would let players surpass this constraint.“Honestly, we haven’t started on an expansion,” started Vincke.

Tekken 8 players were found to be illegally playing the game’s closed network test and as a result have been threatened with pre-release bans by Bandai Namco.Available for all platforms, the second closed network test for the forthcoming fighting game was held over the weekend (July 29-30). But because Tekken 8 was playable on PC, this allowed the players who had an awareness of how to circumvent the software to continue playing the game outside of its authorised hours.An important reminder from the TEKKEN Project and Bandai Namco Esports Team.

Baldur’s Gate 3, one of the game’s three villains.“Orin is, affectionately, unhinged,” said Robertson of her character in a video from Larian Studios reintroducing players to the shapeshifter. “You don’t know when she’s going to pop up, you don’t know in what form she’s going to be, she’s incredibly tricksy.”Orin the Red briefly appeared in a Panel from Hell livestream from Larian Studios in early July with the assurance that fans would learn more about her motivations.

Activision Blizzard has confirmed that the next Call Of Duty game, widely believed to be Modern Warfare 3, will be revealed through a “limited-time event” in Warzone.Yesterday (July 27), Activision Blizzard shared a blog post outlining the contents of Warzone Season 5, which launches for the battle royale on August 2.Within the post, it was confirmed that Modern Warfare 2 antagonist Graves, presumed dead after one of the game’s closing missions, is still alive. As the leader of mercenary group Shadow Company, Graves will arrive in Warzone as a playable operator — while his mercenary group will seemingly be involved in the next Call Of Duty.“Drop into Call of Duty: Warzone to experience the worldwide reveal for Call of Duty 2023 in a limited-time event,” reads the blog.

Larian Studios, the developer behind the upcoming Baldur’s Gate 3, addressed the future of its other series Divinity and assured that there will be a return.“We’re definitely gonna get back there at some point,” answered CEO Swen Vincke in an interview with IGN, mentioning that Divinity: Original Sin is Larian Studios’ own creation while Baldur’s Gate 3 is set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe.Vincke explained that it is “quite a thing” to see the team pour all of their efforts into Baldur’s Gate 3 over the course of six years of development. “We will get back there at some point.

Baldur’s Gate 3‘s Karmic Dice is a feature that might put the player at risk of suffering a major spike in enemy damage outputs, and fortunately, players are sharing a guide on how to switch this off.Via GamesRadar, players akdavidxy and Havelok worked together in the game’s subreddit to alert new Baldur’s Gate 3 fans that this setting will be active at the start of their playthroughs. Karmic Dice alters the outcome of the next dice roll in a sequence when the rolls have consistently failed, allowing the player to succeed in that specific situation.

Baldur’s Gate 3 should not create a “raised standard” for other role-playing games, due to the upcoming game’s large scale.Xalavier Nelson Jr, accomplished independent developer and founder of Strange Scaffold, took to Twitter to explain that Baldur’s Gate 3 is an abnormal game. To exemplify this, Larian Studios began work on the new entry in the series in 2017, using seven different studios with over 400 developers, and benefitted from a significant volume of fan feedback in a three-year early access period.Like a lot of people, I'm deeply excited about what the lovely folks at Larian accomplished with Baldur's Gate 3, but I want to gently, pre-emptively push back against players taking that excitement and using it to apply criticism or a "raised standard" to RPGs going forward1/10— Xalavier Nelson Jr.

Frictional Games, famous for the Penumbra and Amnesia series, shared its intentions to tone down the horror elements in its future games.In an interview, creative director Thomas Grip explained that the emotional investment is the most important aspect of a game from Frictional Games, rather than the fear factor (via 80lv). “While all of our games have been horror in some way, what we really try to do is to get a kind of ‘playable immersion’,” he said.Referring to Amnesia: Rebirth‘s themes of motherhood and SOMA‘s philosophical questions on how we define a human being, Grip praised the team’s “holistic” efforts to balance both these complex subjects as well as an entertaining and terrifying experience.“We delivered these themes within a horror context, but those stories could be told in another genre,” continued the creative director.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 senior creative director Bryan Intihar has shared that he felt “so scared” when it came to casting Venom in the upcoming PS5 exclusive.In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Intihar and other members of the Insomniac Games team said that there was a lot of pressure to develop a new experience that would be as beloved as the original Marvel’s Spider-Man.“We knew it would be so anticipated and people would have a lot of opinions on it,” said Intihar. Casting the role was “one of the things I was avoiding for as long as possible, because I was so scared of who we were going to get to do the voice,” continued the senior creative director.As luck would have it, Intihar heard actor Tony Todd’s voice in the trailer for the newest Candyman movie in 2021.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone patch has brought a crossover with The Boys, adding four playable characters and superpowers from the Amazon TV show.The crossover kicked off today yesterday (July 12), with The Boys‘ own Starlight joining Call Of Duty with an operator bundle. Homelander will then arrive on Sunday (July 16), while Black Noir will be added on July 20.Priced at 2,400 CoD points (£16.79) each, every bundle will also come with three Tracer Weapon Blueprints and their own finishing move, along with weapon cosmetics and a loading screen.Besides cosmetics, Warzone players will also have a chance to find the ‘Temp V’ field upgrade, which will grant users one of four random superpowers: Charge Jump, Electric Shockwave, Laser Vision, and Teleport.While Charge Jump “propels players across the map” without any fall damage, Electric Shockwave “sends a powerful electrical explosion that injures Operators and AI Combatants, as well as destroys vehicles and equipment”.Meanwhile, Laser Vision lets players hover in the air and fire laser beams from their eyes, and finally, Teleport lets players warp into the sky.You can check out all four powers in action below:This is the latest in a string of crossovers for The Boys.

Assassin’s Creed Codename Red, an upcoming Assassin’s Creed title set in Japan, will be launching next year according to one Ubisoft employee’s post.In a LinkedIn post spotted by Access The Animus, a member of Ubisoft’s business development and brand partnership team shared that they are looking for sponsorship partners for Assassin’s Creed Codename Red.While no release date or official title for Assassin’s Creed Codename Red has been confirmed, the post suggested that it will be launching in 2024.“We are seeking sponsoring partner for this title Assassin’s Creed Codename Red for next year [sic],” it reads.

Annapurna Interactive Showcase today (June 29), Dinogod founder Ben Ruiz has spoken to NME about Bounty Star, their studio’s upcoming base-buiilding mech game.Announced last year, Bounty Star follows ex-soldier Clem, who must build up her base of operations while hunting bounties in her mech. Thanks to Bounty Star‘s elements of farming, base-building and 3D mech combat, along with its “post-post-apocalyptic” Western setting, fans have been struggling to find an existing game to compare it to — something its director, Ruiz, is pleased with.“I think it’s cool that that’s the response,” Ruiz tells NME.

Destiny 2 voice lines have now been added to the game.After the death of Destiny 2 voice actor Lance Reddick, it looks as though his final voice lines have now been added to the game by developers at Bungie.According to Destiny 2 developer Robert Brookes, he overheard those lines while playing the game just a couple of days ago.“Sobering moment listening to the final radio conversation in the HELM today,” he said on Twitter. “Pretty sure these were the last lines I ever recorded with Lance.”Sobering moment listening to the final radio conversation in the HELM today.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has been moved forward, if you’re on PC.Larian Studios has confirmed that Baldur’s Gate 3 will now launch almost a month early for PC on August 3, 2023, while the PS5 release will come a little later on September 6, 2023.“We’ve always been a studio that aims to release on as many platforms as possible, in order of readiness,” said director of publishing, Michael Douse “We’ve also aimed for the highest possible quality on every platform we’ve released on.”The Baldur's Gate 3 Collector's Edition is still available in strictly limited quantities, and now comes with a Deluxe Edition upgrade! Stuffed with treasures and digital delights, get yours before it's too late! Secure your Collector's Edition: https://t.co/08FNbYKwy5 pic.twitter.com/XhtTxh3Kri— Baldur's Gate 3 – Launching August 31st (@baldursgate3) June 9, 2023It may be delayed by a week, but the PS5 version of Baldur’s Gate 3 is still moving forward.“We’re at a point where we’re reaching 60fps on PlayStation 5, which is remarkable considering the breadth and depth Baldur’s Gate 3 aims for,” said Douse. “It features over 170 hours of cinematics, more than twice the length of the entirety of Game of Thrones, and more than three times the dialogue of all three Lord of the Rings novels combined.

Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki ‘Yoshi-P’ Yoshida has shared that fans should “look forward to” the current PS5 exclusive coming to PC, though a timeframe for its launch is yet to be confirmed.Final Fantasy 16 launched yesterday (June 22), and while the game is currently locked to a six-month exclusivity deal on the PS5, it’s expected to make its way to PC platforms at some point beyond that window.In a recent livestream spotted by PC Gamer, co-producer Naoki Yoshida shared that Square Enix hasn’t “had the time to optimise the PC version” of Final Fantasy 16 because it has been focusing on getting the PS5 version ready for launch.Specifically, Yoshida explained the studio is still working to optimise Final Fantasy 16‘s seamless loading screens for PC.“We will be sharing more about the PC version when the time is right, please look forward to it,” added Yoshida.It’s been a confusing few years for Final Fantasy 16‘s PC version. The game was initially announced for both PS5 and PC, however Square Enix went on to deny reports of a PC launch.In March, Yoshida acknowledged that he would like to “eventually” launch Final Fantasy 16 on PC, fans shouldn’t expect it to launch immediately after its exclusivity deal ends.“First of all, it is true that Final Fantasy 16 is a six-month limited-time exclusive on the PS5 platform,” shared the producer.

Cyberpunk 2077‘s upcoming Phantom Liberty expansion, will also be directing a full sequel to Cyberpunk 2077.Amatangelo confirmed the news to Bloomberg (via PC Gamer), where he stated that when work wraps up on Phantom Liberty, he will continue on to direct a currently-untitled sequel to Cyberpunk 2077.Besides Phantom Liberty, Amatangelo is the current director of Cyberpunk 2077, and has led development since 2021. This included leading development on last year’s patch 1.5, which was seen as a major turning point for the game following its disastrous launch in 2020.CD Projekt Red‘s Cyberpunk sequel was announced in October 2022, and is currently working under the codename Orion.

Square Enix has unveiled a Final Fantasy 16 demo for PS5, which is available right now on the PlayStation Store.Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida made the announcement during a key-note speech at a pre-launch event, which was streamed online.The demo will let players jump straight into Final Fantasy 16‘s prologue, and will last for approximately two and a half hours. Additionally, Yoshida confirmed that progress made in the demo will carry through to the full game when it launches this month.“The demo will give PlayStation 5 players a taste of the game’s vibrant world and fast-paced action combat with two lengthy sections showcasing what you can expect from FF16,” reads an official blog post.The prologue itself introduces Clive Rosfield, Final Fantasy’s newest protagonist.

Bloober Team has shared a new trailer for its upcoming horror game Layers Of Fear, revealing key story details ahead of the game’s launch this month.Set to launch next week (June 15), Layers Of Fear will include the first two Layers Of Fear titles and all of their downloadable content, along with a new story that will “tie the entire series together,” according to the game’s Steam page.Today (June 10), a new trailer detailing that story was shared during the Future Games Show. Check it out below:“This is the story of the Writer,” reads the trailer’s description.

Sega has revealed Sonic Superstars, an upcoming Sonic The Hedgehog title that will blend the long-running series’ retro and modern-day identity.Set to launch this autumn, Sonic Superstars is a 2D platformer that will see players take on the villainous Dr. Eggman, who is attempting to turn the North Star Island’s animals into Badniks.“Join Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose on an adventure that takes ‘classic’ to another level,” reads a description for the trailer.

Blizzard Entertainment, for failing to bring Diablo 4 to her “favourite gaming system” — the Apple Mac.Seeing that Diablo 4 is said to be the fastest-selling game in Blizzard Entertainment’s history, it’s unsurprising that Goldberg has been swept up in the hype.According to her speech (via PC Gamer), she’s been a longstanding fan of the series. “There are a lot of terrible things happening in the world but what I’m about to tell you is not on any scale like that,” said Goldberg in a video posted to her Instagram account.

Finally, we were able to see Sony’s Spider-Man 2 thanks to a gameplay reveal. It had been a very long time since we last heard anything about this game. Spider-Man 2’s creative developer Bryan Intihar recently held an interview and stated that “We’ve been waiting to finally show Spider-Man 2.

EA has unveiled two brand-new DLC (downloadable content) for The Sims 4, the Grunge Revival and Book Nook Kits.The Grunge Revival Kit is exactly what The Sims 4 players would expect from the name, as it features a variety of grunge-inspired styles, including worn textures, layered options, and bold accessories.The Kit is straight from the 90s, allowing players to create comfortable and stylish alternative looks. “Whether it’s rocking an old band tee or a baggy hoodie and faded jeans from the thrift store, these slouchy silhouettes are now yours to make new with styles for every frame,” the blog post reads.For players who are in love with books and creating cozy at-home libraries in The Sims 4, the Book Nook Kit is perfect.

Mojang Studios has announced that Minecraft‘s upcoming 1.20 Trails and Tales update will release on June 7.The developer shared details about update 1.20 back in October but has officially confirmed the release date, stating that all players can download the major patch next month for free across all platforms.A new blog post provides more information, where Mojang dived into the specifics.