The massively popular PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is now available on mobile. Following a round of beta tests in Canada, PUBG Corp. has rolled out the mobile version of PUBG in “many” regions around the world, including the US.
Described as a “faithful adaptation” of the PC game, PUBG Mobile features the same last-man-standing gameplay experience that helped propel the title to become the third best-selling game in Steam history. Like the PC and Xbox One versions, PUBG Mobile pits 100 players against each other on an increasingly shrinking map, with the object being to outlast all the other players.
The mobile version of PUBG was developed in collaboration with mobile gaming giant Tencent. “We are working hard to create an authentic PUBG mobile experience that players new and old will love,” said Chen Jerry, Tencent’s Corporate Vice President. “A lot of [work] went into controls and optimization to give players a smooth and intuitive experience.”
Unlike the just-released mobile version of Fortnite, which is currently only available to select iOS users who have signed up for the invite-only test, PUBG Mobile can be downloaded for free on both iOS and Android devices from the App and Google Play stores. Those with iOS can grab the game here, while Android users can download it here.
PUBG Mobile arrives after receiving “large amounts of positive feedback” following Android and iOS beta tests in Canada last week, which took place on March 15 and 16, respectively. However, whereas the mobile edition of Fortnite features cross-play and cross-progression with other versions, PUBG Mobile doesn’t appear to offer either.
Nintendo today hosted a video livestream event to reveal new games for Nintendo Switch. Whereas it highlighted many of its own games during the big Nintendo Direct recently, this event–the Nindies Showcase Spring 2018–focused exclusively on indie games coming to the system in 2018. Although it ran for only about 10 minutes, it was an event packed with announcements for a lot of new games.
Many of these games are ports or remasters of existing titles–something that many of us have been asking for, given that games can feel like new experiences on the portable Switch. Others are brand-new games that have yet to be released. In all, there were more than a dozen games featured, and we’ve rounded up the basic details on all of them below.
Mark of the Ninja Remastered — Fall 2018
Nintendo started out the event with news that Klei Entertainment’s stellar 2D stealth-platformer, Mark of the Ninja, is being remastered for Switch. Few details were shared, but it’s getting a “high-definition remaster” for its release on Switch.
Fantasy Strike — Summer 2018
Next up is a fighting game from Sirlin Games called Fantasy Strike. Despite having the appearance of a standard 2D fighting game–albeit with a cel-shaded look–it features an unusually wide variety of weapons. The brief glimpse we got showed wind, paint, and even a slot machine all being utilized in the middle of the fight.
Just Shapes & Beats — Summer 2018
Launching on Switch before other consoles, Just Shapes & Beats is described as a “musical bullet hell” game. Bullet hell might be a stretch–we didn’t quite see the screen completely flooded with enemy fire–but the game does feature a pleasantly minimalist visual style. It also features a story mode that can be played solo or with friends and music from 20 different chiptune artists (though none were called out by name).
Garage — Spring 2018
Another game launching on Switch before other platforms, Garage is a top-down shooter from TinyBuild that Nintendo says was inspired by VHS B-movies. You’ll deal with zombie-like enemies as you shoot your way through levels using a variety of weapons.
Pool Panic — 2018
From Adult Swim Games comes Pool Panic, where you’re effectively playing pool through a wide variety of unusual locations like the top of a rocking pirate ship. You’ll knock around a cue ball and have to deal with a wide variety of other types of balls that don’t conform to what you’re used to seeing in billiards. There are more than 100 levels in the game and support for four-player local co-op. Pool Panic launches first on Switch.
Bomb Chicken — Summer 2018
The aptly titled Bomb Chicken is a 2D platformer where you play as a chicken who can lay bombs, rather than eggs. Those bombs can then be used to destroy parts of the environment, block incoming fire, or push you up to hard-to-reach places. It launches on Switch before other platforms.
Lumines Remastered — Spring 2018
Another of the remasters announced during the event was for Lumines, the classic puzzle game from Q Entertainment. It’s described as an “HD remake” and features the involvement of Tetsuya Mizuguchi. It includes HD rumble support that matches up with both the beat of the music and the action on-screen, as well as local multiplayer support.
Reigns: Kings and Queens — Spring 2018
Reigns: Kings and Queens packages together the two existing Reigns games (Reigns and Reigns: Her Majesty). Like the original versions, this humorous Tinder-inspired RPG has you swiping left or right on various cards to make decisions on how you’ll rule. New for this Switch collection is a local co-op mode that allows you to make decisions with a friend.
Light Fall — Spring 2018
Light Fall is a gorgeous 2D platformer set in Numbra, a “forgotten world.” You’ll use a magical box called the Shadow Core to navigate the environment. It’ll be a timed console exclusive when it releases on Switch.
West of Loathing — Spring 2018
West of Loathing is a comical RPG where you and everyone in the world is a stick figure. You’ll solve puzzles and take part in traditional turn-based combat as one of several classes. It launches as a console exclusive on Switch.
Pode — Spring 2018
Pode is a puzzle/adventure game inspired by Norwegian art that can be played with a single Joy-Con. Each of the two characters has special abilities they can use to help the duo navigate the world. Although it appears to primarily be a two-player co-op game, it can also be played solo.
The Messenger — Summer 2018
The Messenger is an old-school 2D action-platformer where you play as a ninja who acquires a variety of abilities over the course of the game. What distinguishes it more than anything else is the ability to transition from an 8-bit-style game to a 16-bit “time-traveling adventure.”
Bad North — Summer 2018
A blend of real-time strategy and roguelikes, Bad North tasks you with defending small islands. Whenever you lose one of your commanders, they’re gone permanently, and the game ends completely if you lose them all. It launches first on Switch.
The Banner Saga 3 — Summer 2018 / The Banner Saga 1 + 2 — “soon”
The upcoming conclusion to the Banner Saga series, The Banner Saga 3, is coming to Switch in addition to other platforms. This tactics game has a strong emphasis on story and allows progress to be carried over from one game to the next. To ensure players get the full experience, both The Banner Saga 1 and 2 will also be released on Switch “soon.”
The latest Nintendo broadcast, the Nindies Spring Showcase 2018, was fairly short–it lasted just over 10 minutes, but it was packed with news on more than a dozen games coming to Switch. Not long after it concluded, Nintendo held a Nindies event for press where it revealed several more acclaimed games that are coming to the system.
Three more game ports have been revealed. First up is Nidhogg 2, the competitive action game where you and one opponent (AI or human) square off in a swordfighting duel to reach the opposite edge of the screen. Developer Mark Essen subsequently confirmed the news on Twitter, saying it’s due out on Switch in North America and Europe sometime in 2018.
Next up is Hyper Light Drifter. The stylish action RPG comes to Switch this summer. (The game will also have a crossover shirt in Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes.) Finally, rounding out the list is Crashlands, an RPG where you’re stranded on an alien planet and have to build a base, tame creatures, and fight off enemies to survive. A release date for it has not yet been shared.
It’s unclear why none of these were announced during the stream, which was used to reveal some other remasters and ports. Regardless, the bottom line is this: There are a ridiculous number of Switch games coming, with even more likely on the way, as Nintendo claimed that the number of developers working on Switch content has quadrupled since last year.
In recent years, French media conglomerate Vivendi has acquired more and more stock in Ubisoft, fueling concerns that the company would eventually attempt a hostile takeover of the games publisher. Ubisoft and CEO Yves Guillemot have made it clear they oppose the moves, and now they’ve gotten precisely what they were seeking–a complete sell-off of Vivendi’s Ubisoft stock.
The news was shared today, with Ubisoft saying it has reached an agreement for Vivendi to sell its entire stake in the publisher. The shares being sold will go to multiple sources; the Guillemot brothers will acquire some, Ubisoft will initiate a buy-back for some, and the company will get two new “long-term investors:” the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Tencent. The latter is the massive Chinese company that also owns stakes in a variety of game companies, including Fortnite maker Epic. This acquisition by Tencent (which amounts to 5% of the company) is part of a new partnership meant to “significantly accelerate the reach of Ubisoft franchises in China in the coming years,” according to a press release.
“The evolution in our shareholding is great news for Ubisoft,” Guillemot said in a statement. “It was made possible thanks to the outstanding execution of our strategy and the decisive support of Ubisoft talents, players and shareholders. I would like to warmly thank them all. The investment from new long-term shareholders in Ubisoft demonstrates their trust in our future value creation potential, and Ubisoft’s share buy-back will be accretive to all shareholders. Finally, the new strategic partnership agreement we signed will enable Ubisoft to accelerate its development in China in the coming years and fully leverage a market with great potential.”
To all our passionate players, fantastic partners and amazing teams around the world, thanks for all your support! ? #WeAreUbisoftpic.twitter.com/WGmmIDOweY
“Today, Ubisoft is fully reaping the benefits of our long-term strategy and the successful transformation towards a more recurring and profitable business. Ubisoft is perfectly positioned to capture the numerous video game growth drivers in the coming years. We are focused more than ever on delivering on our strategic plan.”
Vivendi said on more than one occasion that it did not plan a hostile takeover of Ubisoft, at least on a short-term basis. In November, it announced that it didn’t intend to make such a move in the next six months–a window that was coming up in the near future. Despite this, Vivendi’s 27.3% stake in the company meant it was approaching a threshold where it would be legally required to pursue a controlling interest in the company.
It’s no secret that Ubisoft wanted Vivendi out of the picture. Guillemot argued that Vivendi threatened Ubisoft’s ability to innovate and be agile–a convincing argument given how successful the publisher has been in recent years. With Vivendi out of the way, one hurdle is out of the way for the company.
When Yakuza 6 was delayed, the sting was eased somewhat by news that we’d be getting a demo to play in the meantime. This would allow players to check out the upcoming game’s prologue and then transfer their progress to the full game. It turns out that, through a glitch, players could access and play the entire game through the demo, forcing Sega to pull it from the PlayStation Store.
The demo has now been fixed and is back on the store for PS4 owners to download–grab it here. It’s still a huge download–36.53 GB–and allows you to carry your save game file into the final version of Yakuza 6 once it’s released. You just won’t be able to play past the opening stages using this demo.
In addition to the demo, there’s also a free PS4 theme for users to pick up on PSN here. This is not directly related to the demo, so if you are planning to wait for the full release to play, you can still grab the theme. It’s called a “locations” theme and is a dynamic one that showcases–you guessed it–various spots you’ll visit in Yakuza 6.
Yakuza 6 originally released in Japan back in December 2016 and is finally due out in the West on April 17. In our Yakuza 6 review, Edmond Tran says the game “reins in its scope, but doubles down on what has made the series great. It’s a unique and fascinating representation of the modern Japanese experience, worth playing even if you’re a newcomer.” Next up for the series beyond this is Yakuza Kiwami 2, a PS4 remake of Yakuza 2 that releases in August.
Rainbow Six Siege received a major update, Chimera, in early March to kick off Year 3 of the game. The first patch since then is now rolling out on PC, with a PS4 and Xbox One release to come later this week. Unlike the Chimera update, however, this one deals primarily with fixing things, rather than introducing new content.
Ubisoft has reset its patch numbers for the start of Year 3, making this patch 1.1. It makes changes to both the standard game and the ongoing limited-time Outbreak mode. Many of the adjustments don’t directly impact gameplay, such as overlapping text in the shop menu and equipped cosmetics resetting to the default options when your connection is lost. Others are just funny, like Ash’s eyes not being aligned correctly on the MVP screen while wearing the Sidewinder Elite uniform.
Other, more serious problems are addressed. That includes characters being invisible when a last-minute Operator change is made and the missing revive icon and timer when a hostage is in the DBNO state before being escorted. R6 Credits not showing up after they’re purchased has also been resolved.
On the Outbreak side, the bugs addressed are not terribly serious for the most part, although turrets will no longer be rendered unusable (and unable to be picked up) when they run out of ammo. Additionally, Buck will be able to refill the ammo for his Skeleton Key while his secondary weapon is equipped.
Fixed – The operator can be invisible for all users or have a different BDU equipped instead of the selected one when switching operator at the last moment.
Fixed – All equipped weapon skins, charms, uniforms and headgear (except those awarded by the Season Pass) are reset to default after losing connectivity.
Fixed – R6 Credits are not received after buying them from Shop.
Fixed – The Starter Pack discount pop up for Blitz cannot be closed.
Fixed – Player lose access to Operator from Starter Edition bundles when purchasing Standard Edition.
Fixed – The play ranked button can be selected for a second after a user below clearance level 20 join the squad.
Fixed – The Gold Skin for Hibana’s P229 is corrupted.
Fixed – Text overlaps the preview Operator image in Highlights tab from the Shop Menu.
Fixed – While wearing the Sidewinder Elite uniform, Ash’s eyes will be slightly misaligned in the MVP screen.
Fixed – When the Hostage is DBNO before escort, there is no “revive” icon or timer.
Fixed – Occasionally, in poor network conditions, Hostage can remain stuck if it enters DBNO while being pick up by a player.
Fixed – He Grunt Chibi is stuck to the magazine while reloading.
Fixed – Drone can be placed inside walls of plane from 3F cockpit stairs on Plane.
Outbreak
Fixed – During the intro cinematic, the hands of the right-most operator will be misaligned with the weapon.
Fixed – If a player leaves the sessions during the transition from Part A to Part B, shaders do not load properly
Fixed – Buck cannot refill his Skeleton Key while holding the secondary weapon.
Fixed – Outbreak Collection icon is missing from Ash’s Operator Card when equipping the Black Viper Elite.
Fixed – Incorrect victory pose model is shown for the Ash Black Viper Elite in the Collection menu.
Fixed – Some operators have the Outbreak load out in the Operator screen.
Fixed – The Outbreak Collection button does not work.
Fixed – Operator’s voice lines are not heard, nor subtitles displayed, when starting the game in a language different from English.
Fixed – After using all the ammo on the turret, it can’t be picked up or interacted with, losing all of its functionality.
Wildly popular Twitch streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins recently set a new record when he streamed Fortnite with Drake. While that proved to be a particularly big moment for Fortnite streaming, it’s hardly a one-off success story for Ninja.
The streamer recently confirmed a Forbes report suggesting he makes upwards of $500,000 a month. That’s driven by Twitch channel subscriptions, which pay out a portion of the money to the channel’s owner. Twitch users can pay to subscribe to a channel, and Twitch Prime memberships (a perk of Amazon Prime) come with a free subscription.
Since then, Ninja has spoken with CNBC in a segment you can watch below. Although he doesn’t specifically address how much he’s making, he does talk a little about his business, what he’s doing with his money, and his recommendations to those who wish to follow in his footsteps (in short: don’t leave your job and school).
In the video, Ninja is initially speaking about Fortnite, which has enjoyed a tremendous level of success since the release of its free-to-play Battle Royale mode last year. Ninja’s recent stream with Drake topped 600,000 concurrent viewers on Twitch. That came just prior to the release of the 3.3 update, which paved the way for the newly launched Blitz limited-time mode.
Sea of Thieves developer Rare is known for its sense of humor, and with its new game, it appears to be focusing more than ever on embracing its community. Those two things have come together to make for a special day one patch–which is not at all what you likely think.
It’s customary for games in this day and age to receive large updates on day one that add essential features or make big changes or fixes. Rare has decided to poke fun at that and leverage the fact that it has a game where eyepatches are en vogue. As pictured in the image below players can now acquire a Day One Patch–an eyepatch with the number 1 on it. It can be purchased for one gold from the General Clothing shop from now until March 29.
This is a callback to an early suggestion from Reddit user Jefabell, who recently proposed this exact idea. Rare doesn’t shy away from its inspiration either, as the item’s description reads, “A message in a bottle from Jolly Jefabell washed ashore. Eyepatch makers read it and said, ‘aye.’”
Epic Games announced earlier this year that it would close the doors on one of its ongoing projects, the third-person MOBA Paragon. Part of its rationale for doing so was trouble acquiring and retaining players, but the massive success of Fortnite‘s Battle Royale mode–which has required more of Epic’s resources–was also a contributing factor. With a move made today, the success of Fortnite and death of Paragon is suddenly great news for many developers.
In addition developing games of its own, Epic is the studio behind Unreal Engine, which is licensed by numerous companies to create their own games. As of today, Epic has decided to not let the work it did on Paragon go to waste. A “full array” of Paragon’s assets have now been released to all Unreal Engine 4 developers. Epic estimates the cost of building those assets–which include 20 “AAA-quality characters” and their skins, animations, visual effects, and dialogue, as well as environmental assets–at over $12 million, which is an eye-opening figure. And that’s now all in the hands of developers for free from the Unreal Engine Marketplace.
What this means is that UE4 developers can now freely grab those assets and put them to use in their own projects. In addition to what’s already available, Epic will also release even more Paragon assets that cost millions of dollars to produce. These will be released this spring and summer. More details for developers are available here.
It’s an unusual move to see, as developers rarely give away assets even from unreleased projects. Just how developers choose to make use of these assets remains to be seen. You probably won’t suddenly see Paragon characters running around in Friday the 13th: The Game or other UE4 games, but the work Epic has already done may benefit other developers, particularly younger ones who can learn from it.
Paragon remains playable for the time being, but Epic is offering refunds for all purchases ever made in it. Paragon’s servers will shut down on April 26.
Bandai Namco has announced Broly and Bardock, two DLC characters for Dragon Ball FighterZ, will be available on March 28. Alongside the additional combatants, there will also be the Comentators Voice Pack. Looking further ahead, the publisher has also detailed a free update arriving in spring 2018.
This free update will introduce Z-Unions competitions. Currently, players can join a Z-Union to show their love of a particular character and receive rewards for doing so. However, the update will add an element of competition between these groups. Bandai Namco hasn’t explained what form these competitions will take, but we’re guessing it will likely lean on the Dragon Ball manga and anime’s love of tournaments.
Broly and Bardock, meanwhile, are included in the FighterZ Pass which, over time, will deliver eight characters to owners. They can also be purchased individually, but Bandai Namco hasn’t confirmed how much they’ll cost as of yet.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is now available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. GameSpot critic Peter Brown awarded the title a 9/10 in our Dragon Ball FighterZ review and said, “Even if you think Dragon Ball is old hat, and even if you’re intimidated by fighting games, there’s a good chance you’ll be drawn into the explosive action and personalities that expertly evoke the anime’s infectious spirit.”
