Xbox Series X|S Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

The Finals is off to a flying start in its latest beta, with its developer having to add a temporary feature to process the number of players.The Finals is set 75 years in the future where the virtual game show of the same name is an opportunity for nobodies to compete against each other for fame and fortune.Cashout is its core mode (teams of three players try to find cashboxes scattered across the area and deposit them in vaults).

Remedy Entertainment has shed a little light on the upcoming Alan Wake 2 expansions, and one seems to suggest that the game will cross over with Control once again.The developer confirmed that there are two paid expansions in the works for Alan Wake 2 in an updated frequently asked questions page on the game’s official website.These are Night Springs and The Lake House. Players who purchased the Deluxe edition of Alan Wake 2 will receive both of these additions as part of the game’s expansion pass, however, their individual pricing or launch dates have not been shared at the moment.Night Springs involves “[playing] as several familiar characters from the world of Alan Wake and experience the unexplainable in multiple self-contained episodes of Night Springs“, a fictional television show set inside the game’s world.On the other hand, The Lake House is the name of a facility that is the headquarters of “an independent government organisation to conduct secret research”.Protagonists Alan Wake and Saga Anderson will contend with the crisis emanating from The Lake House on “two separate adventures”.The mention of the “independent government organisation” is very likely to be the Federal Bureau Of Control, introduced in Control, Remedy Entertainment’s paranormal action title released in 2019.Control had an expansion which integrated the events of Alan Wake into its own timeline, thereby cementing the Remedy Connected Universe as a core concept of both games.It isn’t totally surprising that Alan Wake 2 might return to Control, but it is pleasing news for fans who have missed the brutalist setting of The Oldest House and the weirdness of its research and records.Alan Wake 2 is out now for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.In other

‘Life Is But A Dream…’, Avenged Sevenfold has launched limited-edition custom PS5 and Xbox controllers in collaboration with SCUF Gaming.The controllers are purchasable as part of two bundles. The bundle contains an exclusive signed Avenged Sevenfold 7” vinyl record, a certificate of authenticity and either the a SCUF Instinct Pro or SCUF Reflex FPS controller.Both bundles are the same – the only difference is the type of controller and all products are “clad in the band’s iconic sepia toned ink-sketch Wes Lang painted album artwork”.“Gaming has been an important part of my life ever since my earliest memories.

The Chinese Room have shown off a snippet of their psychological horror Still Wakes The Deep, set on an oil rig that becomes distorted by paranormal forces.The footage, which was presented in the Xbox Partner Preview event last night (October 25), was split into two scenes. The first had protagonist Caz McLeary trying to climb across the exterior of the rig, and then the second saw them try to avoid something that is stalking them in a flooded room.

The Finals has announced another beta for the upcoming free-to-play shooter and players will be able to earn in-game extras and keep them for launch.Held from October 26 to November 5, this will be available for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players and it will an open beta allowing for cross-platform play.Two maps from the closed beta will return, Monaco and Seoul, and a new map titled Skyway Stadium will be introduced.Players can get to grips with The Finals mechanics and movements in the practice range before entering one of the four game modes.Cashout involves teams of three players who will compete to find cashboxes, secure them and then deposit them in vaults.

Diablo 4 is free to play for all Xbox players as part of the platform’s Free Play Days, alongside Hokko Life, Lawn Mowing Simulator and NBA 2K24.Though Hokko Life, Lawn Mowing Simulator and NBA 2K24 require an active Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to play them for free, Diablo 4 is available for all Xbox players.However, Diablo 4 is limited to 10 hours of play, which is a little less than halfway through the story should the player focus only on the main missions.Owing to the open world structure of the game, exploration of Sanctuary and its side missions is encouraged and will offer players a sense of what the entire game is like.Additionally, multiplayer is possible in the free timed trial and all progress achieved in those 10 hours will transfer over to the full game if the player chooses to purchase.All four games are available between October 19 and October 22.

Phasmophobia for consoles for the second time as a result of “unforeseen challenges”.Posting to the game’s Steam page, Kinect Games shared how the fire from the summer has changed the way that the team work together on Phasmophobia.“As we still try to adapt to our new remote working life after the fire incident and to establish a new office, we’ve encountered unforeseen challenges in adapting the game for consoles,” it said, ascribing these “combined factors” to the extended development time for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.Additionally, the entirety of the Maple Lodge Campsite map has been reworked in the interest of optimisation for the PlayStation VR2.It now has a “new reception building, more hiding spots, new decorative assets and better performance across the board”, with the developer offering a brief look at the revised layout in screenshots.Last but not least, Phasmophobia‘s Halloween event – scheduled for on or around October 26 – will task players with the crafting of a potion in Maple Lodge Campsite’s new cauldron. Recipe cards will be scattered in the rest of the maps with instructions on how to brew the potion.“While we had hoped to present you with a special launch alongside the Halloween event, the complexity of our current challenges means we need more time,” continued Kinect Games.“We will keep you updated on our progress and provide a revised release date as soon as we have more information to share.

Warhammer Age Of Sigmar: Realms Of Ruin has shown off its fourth and final faction ahead of its launch in November: the Disciples of Tzeentch.“Favouring intellect over brute strength, Tzeentch’s minions are gifted with arcane powers and eldritch mutations,” explained Frontier Developments in the announcement on Steam. Check out the video deep dive from the developer below:Though these units are not particularly physically strong, these characters are chaotic, wielding “raw magic, insidious cunning and the worst kind of change”.As spellcasters, the Disciples of Tzeentch are specialised in magical attacks and debuffs.

Microsoft‘s Phil Spencer has shared that special Call Of Duty content or events on Xbox would exclude the rest of the “Call Of Duty nation”, and therefore is not a part of the company’s plans for the series.On October 13, the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft was finalised, passing on properties like Crash Bandicoot, Diablo, Overwatch and World Of Warcraft as well as the immensely popular shooter series to the corporation.In spite of repeated insistences from Microsoft that it would not exclude players on other platforms from the future of Call Of Duty, there were still some concerns from fans.Spencer addressed these in the latest episode of the official Xbox podcast, reiterating that exclusive content for Xbox is not in Microsoft’s vision for the series (via Video Games Chronicle).“For Call of Duty players on PlayStation, and in the future Nintendo, I want you to feel 100 per cent a part of the community,” said the CEO.“I don’t want you to feel like there’s content you’re missing out, skins you’re missing out, there’s timing that you’re missing out on… that’s not the goal.”Historically, the series has prioritised those on PlayStation – Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 offered players exclusive monthly double experience point events, weapon bonuses when playing in parties with other PlayStation players, and additional loadout slots, to name a few features.This will not be replicated in future entries on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

Paradox Interactive has revealed that Cities: Skylines 2 will not use Steam Workshop to support its mods.Instead, Paradox Mods will be the one-stop shop for creative side of Cities: Skylines 2. This will create a cohesive experience for both PC and console players, without those playing on the latter feeling left out by the features available on the former.“One of the core reasons for this is its inclusivity; modding capabilities will be extended to players across platforms – both PC and console – aligning with our commitment to provide as many as possible with the opportunity to modify and enjoy the game,” explained the publisher in a post to its forums.The route to the total integration of Asset Mods across all three versions of Cities: Skylines 2 might lead to teething issues with players, acknowledged the publisher.“As with all major updates, we are fully aware of the learning curve it might present, but we’re committed to providing resources to ensure a smooth transition to Paradox Mods,” it affirmed.Moreover, the in-game editor will be “basic” at launch, but will continue to “expand and enhance” to allow players to let their imagination run rampant with their cities.Cities: Skylines 2 launches for PC and PC Game Pass on October 24, however, the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions were delayed to spring 2024.“We have come to realise that we need more time to reach the quality targets we have set,” said Colossal Order and Paradox Interactive back in September.

Alan Wake 2, has shared that the sequel will receive a “significant” amount of downloadable content (DLC) and that it will be free to all players.Speaking at EGX in London over the weekend, Lake revealed that fans will learn more about what’s in store after Alan Wake 2 has been launched. Check it out below:Sam Lake confirms there is FREE DLC coming to Alan Wake 2 post-launch as well as the paid DLC projects! @EGX @SamLakeRMD #alanwake2 #EGX2023 #HorrorCommunity pic.twitter.com/cH27jO9T7G— John (@TheVoidRetro) October 13, 2023“We do have free DLCs drops coming, and they too are pretty significant,” he said.

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will not feature an English dub when it launches on November 9 – this will instead arrive in a post-launch patch.Voice actor Yong Yea, who plays protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in the game, pointed out the fine print on publisher Sega’s official website for Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name in a post to X.Since Like A Dragon: Gaiden is a few weeks away and many may not know about this, thought I should let you know the English dub will not be available on the 11/8 launch date and will release as a post-launch patch (no official date yet).

Hexworks has shared that the PC and PS5 versions of Lords Of The Fallen will launch “as intended” while the Xbox version may not be totally ready.In a post to X (fka Twitter) on October 12, the developer expressed its gratitude for the content creators who have been playing Lords Of The Fallen to identify technical issues ahead of the sequel’s arrival.“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the content creators who have worked with us to enable the rapid deployment of patches, updates, and performance improvements ahead of tomorrow’s exciting launch of Lords Of The Fallen,” it said.“As such, PC and PlayStation 5 players will be able to enjoy the game as intended.

One More Level and publisher 505 Games have revealed ‘Aerial Assault’ from Daniel Deluxe, which will be included in Ghostrunner 2‘s soundtrack.Deluxe will return to feature on the anticipated cyberpunk action game’s soundtrack, as well as Arek Reikowski, Dan Terminus, Gost and We Are Magonia. Check it out below:Ghostrunner 2 will include “incredible boss fights, a deeper exploration of the world beyond Dharma Tower, worthwhile combat improvements, nonlinear levels with complex motorbike sections, exciting new modes, and all the action you loved about Ghostrunner“, said 505 Games.Set one year after the events of Ghostrunner, the last of the survivors are under threat from exiled Ghostrunners who would see humanity eradicated in a new world order.The Interface Council is the only ally left and the player will assist these characters in the restoration of hope for humanity in a desperately deprived cyberpunk city.Ghostrunner 2 will be released for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on October 26.There are three editions on sale – Standard, Deluxe and Brutal.

Blizzard Entertainment has shared how it will overhaul Diablo 4 through game changes in Season Of Blood to ensure that fan feedback has been heard.While Diablo 4 was off to a strong start in June, patch 1.1.0 led to significant decreases in player damage output and capabilities in what was already a challenging game to play.The responses from fans were so disastrous that Diablo 4 developers held an emergency Campfire Chat – a livestreamed event where the team run through the latest changes to the game – in July in order to apologise.Though the sentiment towards Diablo 4 from its fans has been gradually getting warmer and warmer, Blizzard Entertainment wanted them to know that the feedback has been actually acted upon in the upcoming Season Of Blood. Season Of Blood, which kicks off on October 17, will involve a “five point strategy” that “[focuses] on addressing player feedback and making systemic improvements”, as said in the most recent Campfire Chat.The five points are “update elemental resistances”, “make uniques more exciting and impactful”, “class improvements to address commonly talked about issues”, “update damage buckets” and ensuring that all of these changes feel like bonuses to players.Community lead Adam Fletcher and designers Adam Jackson and Charles Dunn talked through these points, starting with the fact that resistances will now be additive up to a 70 per cent limit in Season Of Blood. Furthermore, uniques have been subject to a “giant pass” that has altered almost every unique in Diablo 4 with new statistics and larger ranges, for example.The full list of changes in patch 1.2.0 are available on Blizzard Entertainment’s website.In other gaming news, Rocket League players were dismayed to discover that

Assassin’s Creed Mirage has been said to be a tribute to a fan’s pet who passed away before the game was released.In the game, the player is able to pick up and fuss cats that are strolling the streets of Baghdad. Interacting with animals is a feature that has been present in a lot of the Assassin’s Creed games, but Valhalla and Mirage are the only ones that let the character pet the animal for as long as they want.

Croteam and publisher Devolver Digital have revealed that The Talos Principle 2 is available as a free demo for players to try out ahead of its release.The Steam demo contains a selection of puzzles from the start of the game and then jumps to the halfway point to show off how its mechanics and world has changed over the course of the story. Check out the trailer for the demo below:As a “specially tailored” slice of the game, players’ progress in it will not transfer to the full game should they purchase and play it.At the moment, there is a 10 per cent discount on the game for pre-orders and another discount on top of this one if the customer already owns the original The Talos Principle.Writers Jonas Kyratzes and Tom Jubert have returned to pen the story of the sequel along with Verena Kyratzes.

Starbreeze Studios has claimed that matchmaking issues with Payday 3 have been fixed, following the heist shooter’s rocky launch last month.Following its release on September 21, Payday 3 struggled with significant server issues that prevented players from matchmaking and starting heists. Due to the game’s always-online nature, this meant Payday 3 has been frequently unplayable, and last week Starbreeze claimed a third-party matchmaking partner was responsible for the errors.Today (October 2), a post on Starbreeze’s website announced that “initial matchmaking issues” have since been fixed, and the studio “will now intensify the commercial activities around Payday 3“.Tobias Sjögren, the CEO of Starbreeze Entertainment, also thanked players for their “patience” with Payday‘s launch.“Our community is the engine that drives both our games and our company forward,” he shared.

Cyberpunk 2077‘s Phantom Liberty expansion includes tracks from Idris Elba in its soundtrack, and the actor and DJ has dropped a new EP featuring three of the songs.The Phantom Files EP “[explores] a darker and more heavily produced sound, where glitches and industrial sounds speak to the game’s dystopian feel”, read the press release. The tracks are ‘ChokeHold’, ‘Walk Of Shame’ and the lead single ‘Rolla Coaster’.It is available through Apple Music, Amazon Music, Anghami, Deezer, Spotify and YouTube Music.

Payday 3‘s launch issues have been so severe that Starbreeze is considering removing its controversial always-online requirement.Payday 3, which launched for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on September 21, became a trending topic on social media sites like X for sporadic server connections, crashes, persistent matchmaking issues and incorrect versions of the game being playable on PS5.Given that it had been a decade since Payday 2, these problems irked players who had been awaiting the third game with a lot of anticipation. Starbreeze’s CEO said that the team would “work tirelessly” to ensure that Payday 3 would meet their expectations once more following these unfortunate incidents.In an official statement, the developer explained that “matchmaking software encountered an unforeseen error” and that this overloaded the third-party matchmaking partner that handled the game.It reiterated that this issue did not manifest in either the technical beta or early access periods for Payday 3 and that the team is dedicated to resolving it in the immediate.“In the short-term, this means Starbreeze’ focus is to ensure the player experience.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and its sequel Survivor, has confirmed the existence of a third game in the series.In a panel at this year’s Ocala Comic Con in Florida, Monaghan said that things are moving and shaking on the third Star Wars Jedi game. However, it doesn’t appear that production has started based on his statement.“We’re in the process of doing that right now.

Cyberpunk 2077, the developer has suggested that players “start fresh” with a new playthrough.Update 2.0 rolls out for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S tomorrow (September 21), five days ahead of the Phantom Liberty expansion. The changes it contains are vehicle combat, car chases, an improved police system, a redesigned perks and skill tree system, a cyberware overhaul, UI and UX improvements and a scattering of new weapons and other items.“While you’ll be able to continue the game with your current character on an existing save, we recommend starting a new game after [update 2.0],” advised CD Projekt Red in a post to X.

Starbreeze has taken out the anti-piracy software Denuvo from Payday 3, as stated in a short announcement to Steam.“Hello heisters, we want to inform you that Denuvo is no longer in Payday 3,” said the developer. “We look forward to seeing you in New York City! Happy heisting!”Payday 3 is set to be released for PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 on September 21, so Starbreeze only just managed to make the change before the fans descend onto the game.In addition, it offered no reason for the omission, though it is likely to be music to the ears of some of Payday 3′s potential players.

Cyberpunk 2077 will roll out before the launch of Phantom Liberty, introducing a new police system, vehicle combat, and revamped cyberware.CD Projekt Red dropped the latest trailer for the update yesterday (September 14), featuring formidable battles between V and the Night City Police Department and explosive car chases. Check it out below:The police were one of the more lacklustre elements of Cyberpunk 2077 even with the enormous changes that the game has seen since its original launch in 2020.

Ascendant Studios, the Californian company founded by former Electronic Arts developers, has lost almost half of its employees in a wave of layoffs.Polygon‘s report attributed this to the poor commercial performance of its debut title, Immortals Of Aveum, though no sales statistics were supplied in the official statement. CEO Bret Robbins said he was “heartbroken” to be imparting the news and that it was a “painfully difficult, but necessary decision that was not made lightly”.“I am so proud of what out independent development team has accomplished with Immortals Of Aveum,” he continued in a post to X.

Starfield player challenged their self to recreate Chunks, the ubiquitously successful brand of food in the sci-fi game, and players have been won over.Chunks are small cubes infused with flavours that are reminiscent of natural and processed foods and drinks. The idea that the founder based his enterprise on was that the majority of people did not care what they ate as long as its taste was pleasant.As such, no one knows how Chunks are made in the world of Starfield.

Starfield has become something of a golden goose for players by letting them loot the entire contents of a store without incurring a bounty.Jamie Moran took to X to post what they had stumbled upon on the planet of Akila. If the player walks over to the Shepherd’s store, located in Akila City, there are a number of muddy puddles on the path outside.

Ubisoft has announced XDefiant has been delayed due to console certification issues, with the game now “likely” set for an October launch.XDefiant, a free-to-play crossover shooter featuring factions from Tom Clancy titles fighting against Watch Dogs‘ DedSec and Far Cry‘s Libertad, has been in development since 2021. Ubisoft, however, never pinned a specific date on XDefiant. A closed beta was held in April of this year but it suffered from technical disruptions like server downtime and performance issues.In a post to Ubisoft’s official website, executive producer Mark Rubin said that he wanted to offer fans “full transparency” over why the game would not meet its previously planned release in the summer.“At the end of July, we started [the console certification] process, and we got our first results back by mid-August which was a Not Pass.

Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl developer GSC Game World has confirmed that a fire recently broke out in its Prague office.As reported by Vortex, the fire started on September 7 and prompted an evacuation from the office. While there were no injuries, the fire reportedly caused 1.5million Czech crowns (£52,639) in damages.GSC Game World has since confirmed the report. Speaking through Discord, a GSC Game World employee going by Mol1t outlined the situation to fans.“It is true,” they shared.

Dirt developer Codemasters has revealed EA Sports WRC, a “truly next-generation rally game” and a “quintessential title for sim-racing enthusiasts” for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.The trailer, mixing footage from the forthcoming game and real rally races, is a short yet sweet glimpse of what fans of the motorsport will look forward to with EA Sports WRC. Check it out below:“This is the rally game we’ve always wanted to make,” said senior creative director Ross Gowing in a statement, adding that this new venture “[combines the] studio’s deep knowledge and expertise with the power of the official WRC license representing the pinnacle of rally motorsport”.In 2021, Codemasters shared that it was working on the “most ambitious and biggest game that [it] has made in over a decade“, and we can now assume that this was EA Sports WRC.The new game will recreate 18 official FIA World Rally Championship locations, constituting 600km of tracks.