Tag: steam

Cricket 24 Launches Globally; New India Edition PS5 Bundle Announced

Cricket 24, dubbed ‘the most licensed cricket game ever,’ is out now on PlayStation and Xbox consoles — both current and old-gen — alongside PC via Steam. Developer Big Ant Studios had also promised a Nintendo Switch port, though it won’t be available until late November. It’s not far-fetched to assume that developer Big Ant Studios rushed to put the game out right in time for the real-life ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which also kicks off today. As a result, we have an uneven launch, with Sony PlayStation trying to capitalise on India’s love for the sport by unveiling a Cricket 24-themed PS5 bundle.

“We’ve spent years going around the world signing up nations from the majors to the minnows,” Rory Simmons, CEO, Big Ant Studios said in a developer diary. “It has a full calendar, so one minute you’re playing in the Caribbean, then you’re playing the T20 in India, and then you’re down for the big bash — up for the hundred, maybe in Ashes.” His choice of words to describe the Indian tournament is worth noting here, as it seems the team never received licensing from the annual Indian Premier League (IPL), albeit player and jersey likenesses of teams like Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians are present throughout. The Ashes, the longstanding test series rivalry between England and Australia, is another major draw in Cricket 24, promising detailed cutscenes, press conferences, and training sessions — all of which immerse you in the tour.

In addition to big tournaments like the KFC BBL and Weber WBBL, the licensing also carries over to 50 official stadiums and sporting equipment that features familiar branding. Then, of course, there’s the Career mode, which lets you chart a fledgling club cricketer’s journey, as they hone their skills to become the next big sensation on the international stage. It’s unclear how in-depth this mode is, but Big Ant Studios claims that players will have to grow their fan base, and will be given more agency in how they want to balance Test matches and the big leagues.

As part of the launch, PlayStation also revealed a Cricket 24 PS5 bundle, costing Rs. 47,990 — Rs. 7,000 cheaper than the console’s retail price in the country. This introductory offer goes live from October 8 onwards and will be available to purchase from leading online retailers like Amazon, Croma, Flipkart, GamesTheShop, Reliance Digital, ShopatSC, and Vijay Sales. For now, though, the price is set at Rs. 57,990, so it’s recommended that you wait for the discounted price. The package itself comes with the 4K Bluray-equipped PS5 console, alongside a digital voucher code to download Cricket 24 (Indian Edition) and a DualSense controller. If you already own a PS5 or a PS4 console, the game is available to purchase digitally at Rs. 4,399 from the PlayStation store.

Cricket 24 is out now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. A Nintendo Switch version is planned for late November.

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Counter-Strike 2 Has Officially Launched on Steam, Replacing CS:GO

Counter-Strike 2 is finally available on Steam, after spending months in limited testing. Billed as the ‘largest technical leap’ in the perennial shooter’s history, CS2 replaces the original CS:GO and is ready for download on the platform. Running on the Source 2 Engine, which powered the acclaimed Half-Life: Alyx, the successor now gets a graphical facelift with redesigns to certain maps, alongside some technical upgrades that strengthen the overall gunplay. Interestingly, while Valve never openly announced a release date, the official Counter-Strike Twitter account updated its header image with cryptic phrases like “Dawn of the Final Day” to signal its imminent launch.

CS2 functions as a free update to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, automatically transferring all purchased skins and cosmetics to the new version. All classic maps — Dust 2, Inferno, Mirage, and the ilk — come with lighting improvements that create reflections on surfaces like tiles and puddles, alongside more realistic shadows. Using Source 2, the maps have been rebuilt from the ground up to suit a modern aesthetic — the same tools will be available to community map makers so they can build and share their own creations. One of the major physics-based shifts has to be the inclusion of volumetric 3D smokes that are super-reactive to movement, be it any bullets passing through or a nearby explosion that causes the plume to change shape naturally. Previously, these used to be stagnant — like a grey mass.

Valve has also introduced a new sub-tick architecture, which lets the official servers know the exact timing at which you hurled a grenade or fired a bullet. CS:GO relied on a discrete time interval mechanic called ticks, which were set to 64hz by default, causing a chunk of ranked players to flock over to unofficial servers offering a more responsive 128hz tick rate. Speaking of ranked play, CS2 brings an all-new rating system that is split between two modes: the classic competitive and Premier. The former functions the same as before, allowing you to pick your choice of map and strive to gain the highest elo, going from Silver 1 to Global Elite. However, now the ranks are divided based on maps, so you could be a Master Elite on Dust 2 while simultaneously being a Gold Nova level player on Vertigo.

Premier is being touted as the main competitive mode, introducing an active pick-ban system that lets you ban certain maps before the start of a match. So, it’s ideal that you master certain maps on the standard ranked mode, before heading into the serious leagues. Upon finishing 10 placement games, players will be granted a numeric skill rating — called CS Rating — instead of a rank emblem, as a means to show where you rank among friends, the region, and even worldwide. As a general bonus feature, CS2 also lets you refund any weapons, equipment, or throwables you purchased on accident, as long as you manage to do it during the prescribed buy time.

Counter-Strike 2 is now available to play for free on PC via Steam.

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Starfield Preload Dates for Xbox and PC Confirmed, Q&A Session Reveals Jail System

Starfield has finally gone gold ahead of its release next month, indicating that main development on the game has ended and that it’s ready to hit store shelves soon. As such, developer Bethesda has confirmed preload details for its expansive space-set RPG, with Xbox Series S/X receiving early treatment on August 17. Meanwhile, PC players on Steam can begin pre-installing the game in anticipation, starting August 30. Additionally, the game will be available to play for free to those who’re subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, though access for them will begin on launch day i.e., September 6.

Leading up to the release, lead game designer Emil Pagliarulo and lead quest designer Will Shen also held a Q&A session on Starfield’s Discord server (via ResetEra), revealing some interesting details such as the inclusion of a jail system. Just like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, performing sketchy acts such as smuggling contraband can get you in trouble with law enforcement of the galaxy. Upon being caught, you’ll be presented with two main options to deal with the situation: you can either pay the required fine when apprehended or get thrown into jail. And of course, there is the third alternative, which is to blast your way through them and go on the run. Those looking for smooth sailing, however, can invest in spaceship parts and modules that help conceal those illegal items, as you get past security.

The items themselves have a set price in Starfield’s universe but can be sold for a profit if you have the right skills unlocked. That money can then be spent on property located in major cities or you can complete specific quests that grant homes as a reward. An interview from last year revealed that Bethesda is heavily leaning on character customisation in this game — to the extent that picking up the ‘Kid Stuff’ trait makes it so your in-game parents resemble your appearance. The developers weren’t entirely clear in what capacity parents would be involved in Starfield, but noted that the feature is quite similar to Fallout 3 and Fallout 4. Another feature derived from Fallout is the Persuasion system, which can be used to avoid confrontations by smooth talking your way through, albeit Bethesda confirmed that a full pacifist playthrough isn’t ‘totally feasible.’

Just like previous Bethesda RPGs, Starfield presents companions who would tag along for the ride — in this case, over 20, all of whom are named and have unique backstories. The Q&A also confirmed that while real-world religions are present within the game’s universe, the focus is mostly on the three fictional ones. We’ve got the Sanctum Universum, which preaches that God is somewhere out there in the wider universe; a group of atheists who called themselves The Enlightened; and The Great Serpent, who is worshipped by mysterious citizens.

Starfield is out September 6 on PC and Xbox Series S/X. Preloading on Xbox begins on August 17, while PC (Steam) players can start on August 30.

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Baldur’s Gate III First Patch Will Include Over 1,000 Fixes, Changes to Character Customisation in Works

Baldur’s Gate III is prepared to receive its first patch and by the looks of it, it seems like a huge one. Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke confirmed a roadmap on Twitter, promising to fix issues and make relevant tweaks to ability balances, based on user suggestions. First up, is hotfix #4, which would make some emergency fixes to crashes and progressions blocks, in addition to any bugs that hinder the general interface. That will be followed by the massive patch, boasting over 1,000 fixes, followed by patch 2, which will ‘incorporate some requests.’ It’s unclear what those requests could be, but we already know that the team is planning an update that would let players change their character’s appearance mid-game.

That claim comes from Michael Douse, Director of Publishing, Larian Studios, who responded to a fan’s tweet requesting the ability to change their look in the game. Once you lock in a suited appearance at the start of your Baldur’s Gate 3 journey, the game simply doesn’t let you change it — forcing you to stick with whatever tattoos, hairstyle, or makeup you chose, leading up to the end game. This does not seem to be the case with character classes, which you can respec by simply interacting with the NPC Withers at your campsite in exchange for 100 gold pieces. It’s a wild anomaly for a role-playing game, considering how much customisation is present in other aspects of the game — some even tied to story elements. I’m going to assume that this has to do with hard coding one’s appearance to work flawlessly with all cutscenes from the moment they were created.

Another reason I could think of why a person would want to change their appearance has to do with its lighting effects, where any punkish colours such as teal or pink might look fine in the character creation screen, but once they’re set against the game’s environment, it ends up looking way too dull or bright. When Larian does implement the update in the future, I feel like there are more creative ways to do it. For instance, instead of opening a menu or interacting with an NPC, we can walk over to the rogue Astarion’s tent and use his mirror to change our appearance — akin to the mirror at the Roundtable Hold in Elden Ring. I think it would also be great if there are no limits to how often you can change your looks or if it doesn’t ask for any in-game currency or consumables for it.

The newest hotfix (#3) makes it so that your dog Scratch now finds digging spots by himself, in addition to resolving several bugs in Act 3, some of which prevented game completion. Since its launch, earlier this month, Baldur’s Gate 3 has become a quick success, garnering 875,343 peak concurrent players on Steam, cementing its position as the ninth-highest-ranking PC game, sitting right beneath Hogwarts Legacy. In an interview, Larian boss Svencke claimed that since the RPG was already playable in early access for three years, he believed that the game had already peaked. For this reason, he was expecting the full launch to break only 100,000 players, only to be surprised with eight times the amount.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is out now on PC. The PS5 version releases September 6, while the Xbox platforms might not see a release before 2024.

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Overwatch 2 Becomes Steam’s Worst-Reviewed Game of All Time

Overwatch 2 has made history by becoming the worst-reviewed game on Steam. Publisher Blizzard, which usually kept its PC games locked to the Battle.net client, brought its team-based shooter to Steam on August 10, only to be flooded with negative reviews. At the time of writing, merely nine percent of the overall ratings (111,234) are positive, with many criticising the title’s approach to locking heroes and cosmetics behind a battle pass and the cancellation of its long-advertised PvE mode. While Blizzard might have expected some backlash, this reception must’ve been eye-opening for them, given Battle.net did not have a review system in place.

With the release of season 6 ‘Invasion,’ Overwatch 2 had moved on from early access, though it still swayed from the purpose of its existence. You see, the sequel was announced to have PvE as an always-on game mode that would let players gather XP by completing story missions to level up their preferred heroes, by way of a role-playing-game. It was supposed to push its overarching lore forward, but back in May, Blizzard confirmed that it was no longer in development, instead releasing it in gradual, smaller batches as a means to flourish the co-op experience. Not only does this render the sequel useless, but the addition of a battle pass and other live-service gimmicks at the start didn’t sit well with longtime fans.

Another cool thing to note here is that nearly two-thirds of those reviews are reportedly in Simplified Chinese. As per games analyst Daniel Ahmad, Overwatch 2 and World of Warcraft were the biggest PC games in China before the regional servers were shut down due to a disagreement between Blizzard and its Chinese distributor NetEase. The 14-year-old partnership was brought to an end earlier this year over new terms in the licensing agreement, which ultimately led to gamers in the country using VPNs to play those games. There haven’t been any announcements of the servers returning, and Overwatch 2’s arrival on Steam was a means for them to communicate those concerns, in addition to criticising the aforementioned changes made to the game. The reliance on VPNs also forced them to suffer slow logins and connection issues.

With these numbers in merely three days, Overwatch 2 has overtaken the Chinese card-battle game War of the Three Kingdoms as the worst-reviewed game on the platform. The former has garnered 101,826 negative reviews, at the time of writing, dropping it to an ‘Overwhelmingly Negative’ tag. Blizzard also has plans to bring a selection of its other titles to Steam, which would be highly beneficial to PC players since a good majority of them hate having to switch between different accounts and clients to play their favourite games. It’s unclear which ones would be making the jump, but I really hope that the Diablo games are next.

Overwatch 2 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

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Baldur’s Gate III Peaks at Over 800,000 Concurrent Players on Steam; Larian Studios Only Expected 100,000

Baldur’s Gate III is dominating the Steam charts with record-breaking numbers, surpassing the 800,000 concurrent player mark on August 6. To be precise, the peak count was 814,666, perching it as the ninth-highest ranking PC game, when sorted by all-time peak variable — right below Hogwarts Legacy. It’s an impressive feat, considering the game had been out for nearly three years now, albeit in early access, which allowed developer Larian Studios to slow-cook it to perfection based on player feedback. The completed version of the game dropped August 3 on PC and has shown no signs of slowing down.

While Baldur’s Gate 3’s release timing might’ve placed it in a position with no major competition in sight, it’s being received well for its in-depth story, characters, and outlandish romance options, all of which are determined by stats and dice rolls. It’s simple Dungeons & Dragons role-playing mechanics, filtered to suit a newer gaming audience fatigued by the overabundance of microtransactions, in-game purchases, and the need for an always-on internet connection. Even the cosmetics included in the Deluxe Edition were given for free to those who supported development by purchasing the Early Access version, as a kind gesture. Such smooth player-to-developer understanding is bound to bring good results — results that have now exceeded Larian Studios’ expectations.

Late last week, Larian CEO Swen Vincke tweeted out that he asked his IT team to expect Baldur’s Gate 3 to break 100,000 players. The result, however, was mindblowing, with the title breaking the 500,000-limit following launch day, sitting right beneath multiplayer behemoths Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2. As it crossed the aforementioned 800,000 barrier, Vincke was mainly concerned that there are no game-breaking bugs left in it. “God, I hope there’s no big bug left,” he said in an interview. “I don’t want to have that anger over me, but it’s part of the risk of making these very large RPGs.” Their previous title, Divinity: Original Sin II, which also featured turn-based combat and was based on DnD, peaked at just over 93,000 players.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s sales figures are unclear for now, but moving up the PC release from the initial August 31 date to August 3 clearly worked in their favour — helping them avoid a slew of bigwigs such as Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, EA’s Immortals of Aveum, and Starfield (going into September). The thing that’s startling about this achievement is that on paper, Baldur’s Gate 3’s turn-based RPG design is something that doesn’t get adapted in mainstream gaming these days, but still, both fans and novices have flocked over to buy it despite the 20 years it has been since the previous instalment. It’s in fact so vast and in-depth in terms of lore that it caused some developers online to raise concerns that it shouldn’t become a new standard for RPGs. Understandably, this caused some backlash as well. For now, it’s a strong Game of the Year contender — garnering almost the same level of hype as Elden Ring last year.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is out now on PC. The PS5 version releases September 6, while the Xbox platforms might not see a release before 2024.

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Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Gets a Mech-Crunching Gameplay Trailer; System Requirements Revealed

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon just got a gameplay trailer, confirming leaks from earlier this week, that it is indeed releasing on August 25. Marking the first new release in the AC franchise since 2012, the new footage offers a glimpse at the various mech types zipping around, their attack patterns, and key story details. Despite the naming scheme, producer Yasunori Ogura confirmed in an IGN interview that Armored Core 6 will feature a brand-new story that isn’t directly linked to previous titles. Publisher Bandai Namco also unveiled pricing details and system requirements for its next game.

While certainly not a souls-like title, developer FromSoftware has used its years of experience in the genre to revitalise Armored Core VI for a modern era. It is set on a devastated dystopian planet, Rubicon 3, which was reduced to flames and ashes after an unstable energy source called Coral went out of control. Fifty years after the catastrophe, the rare substance surfaces once again, causing extra-terrestrial corporate forces to send out their mechs in an attempt to invade the planet and acquire Coral. Yes, it’s structured quite like Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic Dune. The forces are at war with the natives who resist the advances, and our character, a lone AC pilot is thrust into that war.

The Armored Core 6 gameplay trailer is flush with mech-crunching action, as our AC is seen sliding around the map via thrusters and gunning down enemies while airborne. Assault Boost is a new button-activated feature that instantly switches between long-range to close-range melee fighting modes by closing down the distance. After unloading a barrage of missiles to stagger the enemy mech, you can swoop in and whip out the pulse blade to score a direct hit. Speaking of stagger, FromSoftware has added a version of Elden Ring’s riposte mechanic, where if an AC takes too many hits over a short period, its guard will fall, leaving them vulnerable to a massive attack. You could argue it’s more similar to the deflect mechanic in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but this is solely offence-oriented rather than counter.

FromSoftware is lauded for its ingenious boss designs and Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon promises a lot of them “Huge combat helicopters, heavily armoured mobile turrets, and unmanned heavy demolition machinery that’s programmed to indiscriminately crush intruders,” game director Masaru Yamamura revealed in a PlayStation blog post. “Armored Core VI will offer a number of explosive battle experiences that challenge players to fight against the odds and overcome these ginormous, more abnormal mechs.” The gameplay loop, however, will be focused on customisation — assembling mechs and swapping out parts to fare better in battles, but it isn’t limited to damage numbers or other perks.

“The leg part, which controls the AC’s movement — you could have tank-type legs that can perform drift, and this changes the very basic behaviour and traversal type of the AC,” producer Ogura explained in an IGN interview. But it’s not entirely combat-heavy, as Armored Core VI’s main campaign will have you scour around town to recover data logs and perform other side activities.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon PC system requirements

FromSoftware also dropped the minimum system requirements for Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, which is slightly harsh on the CPU — demanding at least an Intel Core i5-8600K or an AMD Ryzen 3 3300X. You’d also need 65GB of storage space, which is significantly low when compared to most recent AAA releases.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon ‘Minimum’ PC requirements

  • Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit)
  • Processor (CPU): Intel Core i5-8600K or an AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
  • Graphics (GPU): Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 (4GB) or AMD Radeon RX 480 (4GB)
  • RAM: 12GB

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon price and editions

On PC (Steam), Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is priced at Rs. 2,499 for the Standard Edition. The Deluxe Edition is only slightly more expensive — Rs. 2,699, and comes with a digital artbook and soundtrack. As for the pre-order bonus, you receive a ‘TENDERFOOT’ customisation option, in addition to early part and emblem unlocks. FromSoftware notes that the latter items can be unlocked through game progression as well.

For PlayStation owners, AC6 will set you back by Rs. 3,999/ $59.99 for the Standard Edition, and Rs. 4,799/ $69.99 for the Deluxe one. Standard Edition prices on Xbox are the same, but the Deluxe Edition costs Rs. 4,974, for some odd reason.

Publisher Bandai Namco has also listed Collector’s and Premium Collector’s Editions on their official website, which include some physical accessories such as a figurine, a steelbook, a hardcover artbook, stickers, and more. They are priced at $229.99 (about Rs. 18,812) and $449.99 (about Rs. 36,807), respectively.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon releases August 25, across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

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Resident Evil Village Gets Rid of Denuvo DRM on Steam

Capcom has quietly removed Denuvo DRM (digital rights management) protection from Resident Evil Village. As per a new report, the controversial anti-tampering tech was removed in the game’s latest update, and it’s no longer listed on its Steam store page. The technology – which is implemented to prevent piracy – is notorious for crippling game performance on PC. The issue was prevalent in Resident Evil Village as well, but Capcom decided to remove the DRM almost two years after its release. Pirates still managed to get the best of Capcom back in 2021, by releasing a cracked version which performed considerably better than the authentic copy.

“Capcom has also removed Denuvo from the game’s Steam store page. As such, we are certain that this removal was intentional, and not accidental,” a report by DSOG states. A Crytek leak from 2020 revealed that Denuvo charges game companies based on how long the software is being used in a title, with the highest fee being collected within the first six months.

The cost tends to rapidly go down over time, and most game titles eventually get rid of it — some within weeks, while others such as Resident Evil Village take years. Capcom has followed a similar strategy with its other titles such as Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes, Devil May Cry 5, and Monster Hunter: World. It will be interesting to see how this DRM-free Resident Evil Village functions overall, given that many PC players had boycotted it due to performance issues.

More recently, Resident Evil Village received a virtual reality mode on the PS VR2 as a free DLC, allowing players to go through the entire game as they once again step into the shoes of protagonist Ethan Winters. It also comes with a dedicated VR tutorial and shooting ranges to master the new format. A demo version is also available to all PS VR2 owners.

Resident Evil 4 Remake Review

Capcom’s latest title Resident Evil 4 (2023) received its Mercenaries Mode free update on April 7, throwing special agent Leon S. Kennedy and other characters into wave-based enemy missions. However, the update also added a bunch of microtransactions to the game’s digital store. In Resident Evil 4, players must collect Spinels by completing missions and exchange them with the Merchant to collect tickets that help upgrade weapons. Now, players who are unwilling to go through that effort can simply pay for those tickets using real money. On Steam, the tickets start at Rs. 169 each, going up to Rs. 409 for a pack of three and Rs. 589 for a pack of five tickets.

Elsewhere, Lily Gao, the voice artist who gave life to Ada Wong in the Resident Evil 4 remake, hit back at the bitter comments she received in regard to her performance. “Being the first Asian actor to portray Ada in the Resident Evil video games is an honour, and I will forever be grateful to our producer and director, for making the decision on authentic representation,” Gao said in an Instagram post, which she previously deactivated in response to the harsh messages. “It’s unfortunate that with the game’s release, also came the all too familiar feeling of ‘I don’t belong’.” She further went on to criticise Asian stereotypes and how an inauthentic casting creates an unhealthy image.

“It is time we stop only capitalising on the sexualised, eroticised, and mysterious Asian woman, and make space to honour every kind of Asian woman,” Gao continued. “My Ada is a survivor. She is kind, just, intelligent, and funny. She is unpredictable, resilient, and absolutely not a stereotype.”

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Asphalt 9: Legends Adds the Lamborghini Revuelto to Coincide With Real-World Release

Asphalt 9: Legends has added the brand-new Lamborghini Revuelto to its already impressive roster of supercars. The Italian manufacturer’s newest flagship V12 hybrid car was introduced on Thursday, March 30, making Asphalt 9: Legends the first and only video game for now to feature it. Starting today, players can participate in an exclusive challenge to add the new sports car to their in-game garage, simply after completing the first stage. The event ends on April 27 and promises additional liveries and rewards to those who continue playing long after unlocking the Lamborghini Revuelto. Developer Gameloft has also noted chances of winning ‘surprise real-world prizes’ from Lamborghini as well.

“The launch of a new flagship Lamborghini is always an exciting time for car lovers around the world. We couldn’t be more excited by yesterday’s announcement since we’ve also been able to launch a digital version of the Lamborghini Revuelto in Asphalt 9: Legends,” Ignacio Marín, Asphalt 9 Game Manager, Gameloft said in a prepared statement. “Our longstanding partnership with the company gave us unprecedented access to internal documentation to prepare for this reveal, and we’re confident players are going to love getting behind the digital wheel of this incredible — and faithfully recreated — vehicle.” To celebrate the release, studio Gameloft also dropped a cinematic trailer featuring glamour shots of the vehicle, as it cruises through the streets. After the event, players can look forward to an ‘official Lamborghini eSports competition’ as well — details for which will be revealed in time.

Keeping in tune with the Lamborghini Revuelto’s arrival, Asphalt 9: Legends will feature a new tutorial, a themed splash screen, a new app icon, and more. The Asphalt series has set a benchmark for mobile racing games, boasting a diverse car lineup and an autopilot mode called ‘TouchDrive’ that takes some work off your fingertips as you merely worry about timing left and right swipes. There are plenty of customisation options as well, letting you swap out wheel rims, paint jobs, and spoilers to compete in solo and online multiplayer across several in-game locations around the world — be it the landslides of the Himalayas or the tornadoes in the American wilderness.

A Career Mode is included as well, spanning 60 seasons across 900 events, in addition to some story-driven scenarios that pit you against skilled racers in Asphalt 9: Legends or have you compete against racers from your Club to dominate the leaderboard. The game also features excellent immersion, thanks to HDR rendering, realistic reflection and particle effects, and a suave soundtrack.

Asphalt 9: Legends is available to download for free on the App Store, Google Play Store, Microsoft Store, and Steam on PC. The new Lamborghini Revuleto will be available on the Nintendo Switch at a later date.

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Disco Elysium Adds a Collage Mode to Fabricate New Scenes, Former Creatives Dispute Studio ZA/UM’s Claims

Disco Elysium’s PC version just got a Collage Mode. After a couple of Valentine’s Day-themed tweets teasing it, studio ZA/UM has dropped a fun diorama tool that lets you set up custom scenes with beloved characters hailing from Revachol, with added flair such as filters, magnification, stickers, and more. The free update weighs about 300MB and can be accessed from the main menu. It also features “Bonus Secrets to Find” relating to the history of Martinaise — the location in the game — a new voiceover from the deep-voiced narrator Lenval Brown, and five new unlockable Steam achievements. This news comes in the midst of the ongoing legal dispute between Disco Elysium’s creators and studio ZA/UM.

Contrary to a photo mode, Disco Elysium’s Collage Mode does not let you pause the game midway to take screenshots that can be edited. Instead, it lets you create a setting from scratch — you can drag and drop characters, choose locations from the game, adjust weather conditions and time, add filters and frames, and even add text. The game is set on a two-dimensional isometric plane, on which every item appears hand-painted. Think of it as a scrapbooking tool with cutouts that you glue on to create your own scenes. The drag-and-drop controls let you place dozens of assets wherever you want and even zoom in to comically magnify the characters. You can set them in daft poses such as a backflip, curling into a ball, dancing, or even making out.

There’s a sticker collection for added flair as well, ranging from item images from within Disco Elysium’s inventory to custom-made, emoji-like material. It goes without saying that playing around with the Collage Mode before finishing the game could reveal some spoilers — at least in terms of characters and environments. Heck, I myself discovered two new characters that I never met in my six thorough playthroughs of Disco Elysium! Time to hunt them down in my seventh one, maybe? There’s also a dialogue reel you can enable to input some wacky lines for your own detective story. The tool serves as a good break from the game’s heavy-hitting narrative, as you can just mess around and create art while the beautiful music from Sea Power plays in the background. The images you create can be saved locally on your PC or even in-game for use/ editing later.

The response to this update has been mixed, with some loving the content but others unable to show support for it due to the ongoing legal dispute that Disco Elysium is embroiled in. Late last year, a Medium post from Martin Luiga, co-founder and secretary of the “ZA/UM cultural association,” confirmed that Disco Elysium’s core creators, designer Robert Kurvitz, artist Alexander Rostov, and writer Helen Hindpere, haven’t been working at the company since late 2021. “…their leaving the company was involuntary. Which would seem like bad news for the loving fans that are waiting for the Disco sequel,” the post reads. “The reason for dissolving the cultural organization is that it no longer represents the ethos it was founded on. People and ideas are meant to be eternal; organizations may well be temporary.” Luiga served as an editor on the game.

Studio ZA/UM responded to this by claiming that Disco Elysium “was and still is a collective effort” and that it had “no further comment to make” besides promising a new project from the team. Bear in mind that the aforementioned ZA/UM cultural association and ZA/UM studio are being treated separately. This was followed by Kurvitz and Rostov issuing an open letter to fans, in which they claimed that the new owners of the studio took control through fraud and reiterated that they were booted out of the company. The Estonian businessmen Ilmar Kompus — now CEO at ZA/UM — and Tõnis Haavel fired back arguing that the employees were fired for misconduct and creating a toxic work environment. Amidst this, former executive producer Kaur Kender launched his own legal battle, claiming that he too was fired after the new management took over.

Earlier this week, studio ZA/UM stated that the ongoing legal battle with Kender was resolved, but in a new statement to Eurogamer, creatives Kurvitz and Sander Taal dispute a lot of the claims. “The press release quotes Kender admitting that he has filed a ‘misguided’ lawsuit against ZA/UM in late 2022. We disagree. Kender’s lawsuit was based on the misuse of ZA/UM’s funds (€4.8 million) by the majority shareholders [and new owners] Kompus and Haavel to increase their own stake in the company,” the statement reads.

“In the press release, Kompus and Haavel admit to this misuse, arguing only that the money has been ‘paid back to ZA/UM’. Paying back stolen money, however, does not undo the crime; here, it does not undo the majority that Kompus and Haavel have illegally gained in ZA/UM.”

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