Tag: xbox series

Microsoft Plans to Bring More Xbox Games to PS5 As Part of ‘Latutude’ Plan: Report

Microsoft had announced in February that it would bring four of its exclusive Xbox titles to rival platforms from Sony and Nintendo. It seems the company is not stopping with its four first-party games coming to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. A new report claims that the Xbox parent intends to make a multi-platform push for more of its games. Under the plan, internally codenamed “Latitude,” more upcoming first-party Xbox titles are said to be in development for the PS5.

The Windows Central report didn’t name any Xbox titles planned for a PS5 release, but it claimed the titles were “potentially obvious games” that one would expect to release on rival platforms. “More upcoming Microsoft-owned games slated for PlayStation are already being developed,” the report said.

While announcing its plan to release some of its exclusive titles on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch in February, Microsoft had sought to draw a line, confirming that its biggest exclusive titles like Bethesda’s Starfield and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would not release on PS5. The new report, however, said that Microsoft was ready to consider a more unrestricted approach towards launching its games on rival platforms. “… Microsoft is pushing for no “red line” for what games could come to PlayStation, and it all revolves around Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood’s mandate to increase every department’s margins,” the report claimed.

Even as the company is working on plans to bring more games to Sony and Nintendo consoles, “Latitude” isn’t without internal contention. The report said that the plan has sparked debate and unease at Microsoft, with looming questions over its merits.

As part of its announcement early this year, Microsoft has already released Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Grounded and Sea of Thieves on rival consoles, indicating a shift in its strategy towards exclusivity. Announcing more upcoming games for PS5 and Nintendo Switch would cement that shift towards finding new players for its games beyond its own Xbox ecosystem.

Microsoft’s gaming division added considerable muscle last year with the $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard, but Xbox has struggled to see the fruits of its expanding roster of studios. Last week, the company announced it was shutting down three of its studios and absorbing another one into an existing team as part of its plan to shift focus on to its “priority games.” Hi-Fi Rush maker Tango Gameworks, Redfall developer Arkane Austin and Alpha Dog Games, makers of the mobile game Mighty Doom, were closed, while Roundhouse Studios, which also contributed to Redfall development, was absorbed by ZeniMax Online Studios.

Following the shutdowns, a report from Bloomberg claimed that Microsoft was planning more cuts at Xbox and the company had begun offering voluntary severance agreements to producers, quality assurance testers and other staff at Bethesda parent ZeniMax.

Microsoft is yet to make an official statement on the studio closures and reported cuts, but the company is set to hold an Xbox Games Showcase event on June 9, where it will reveal its upcoming lineup of exclusive and third-party titles.

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Fallout Games Surge as Prime Video TV Series Helps Drive Close to 5 Million Players in a Single Day

Fallout games have seen renewed interest since the release of the Fallout TV series on Amazon Prime Video earlier this month. Just as the show has received acclaim and attracted new viewers to the world of Fallout, new and returning players have been flocking to the role-playing games from Bethesda. Now, the studio has confirmed that Fallout titles have received almost five million players in a single day, including one million in Fallout 76 alone.

The official Fallout X account posted the milestone early Wednesday, thanking one million players who tried out Fallout 76 in a single day. “Thank you to the over one million of you who adventured with us in #Fallout76 in a single day…,” the post read. Additionally, close to five million players have been registered across all Fallout games in a single day, Bethesda said in a follow-up post.

Fallout 76 also broke its all-time peak concurrent player count on Steam recently. With the success of the Fallout TV series, players have flocked to the game to experience its post-apocalyptic wasteland first-hand. Fallout 76 is currently the 23rd most played game on Steam, with 31,547 active players at the time of writing, according to SteamDB. The game has gone past its previous all-time peak this week, registering a new peak of 73,368 concurrent players.

Fallout 4 is faring even better. The 2015 RPG is currently the ninth most played game on Valve’s service, beating popular titles like Grand Theft Auto 5, Destiny 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3. At the time of writing, Fallout 4 has 62,738 active players, with a 24-hour peak concurrent player count of 120,870.

These numbers only reflect Fallout players on PC, with PlayStation and Xbox platforms also likely experiencing a surge in player numbers. PS5 and Xbox Series S/X consoles are set to receive more Fallout 4 players soon, too. Earlier this month, Bethesda announced that Fallout 4 would get a free next-gen update on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X on April 25.

Starting tomorrow, players on those consoles will get native game applications, with new features like Performance mode and Quality mode settings, stability improvements and bug fixes. The next-gen update for Fallout 4 will support higher resolutions and up to 60fps performance. Some new Fallout 4 features and improvements are also arriving on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

Last week, Fallout 4 also became Europe’s best-selling game following the launch of the TV series. According to a report from GamesIndustry.biz, sales of the RPG jumped 7,500 percent week-on-week across the continent.

It’s worth noting that both Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 are available to play for free to PS Plus subscribers on PlayStation and the entire Fallout series is available at no additional cost to Game Pass members on Xbox and PC.

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Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Announced With Visceral Reveal Trailer, Will Arrive Later This Year

Kingdom Come: Deliverance, 2018’s meticulous medieval action-RPG, is finally getting a sequel. Publisher Plaion has announced Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, set for release in 2024 across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X. Developed by Warhorse Studios, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 promises to be a “true sequel” to the first game, bringing visceral first-person melee combat and a deep RPG experience.

The game was announced with a 14-minute-long reveal video late Thursday, with developers Warhorse diving into gameplay details and features. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 also received an announcement trailer that showcased the story, combat and detailed visuals.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is set in a war-torn 15th century central Europe and continues the story of Henry of Skalitz from the first game. Henry, son of a blacksmith and a simple peasant, was thrust into a saga of revenge during the events of the first game, where he learned and rose through the ranks to become an able warrior.

In the sequel, players will get to continue Henry’s journey amidst a raging civil war, meet new characters and take on new adventures. “In this gripping sequel, players will traverse a meticulously crafted medieval landscape, from the humble confines of a blacksmith’s forge to the grandeur of royal courts, all while navigating the treacherous currents of a kingdom torn apart by civil war,” a press release from Plaion said.

The trailer showed off improved and polished visuals over the first game and highlighted realistic first-person sword combat. Plaion said that the sequel features two new maps, double the size of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, featuring detailed real-world locations. Aside from a focus on role-playing mechanics and combat, the game also promises to offer a detailed story, just like its predecessor.

The combat has been revamped as well, with Plaion opting for more accessibility. Aside from melee and ranged weapons like swords and bows, the sequel adds crossbows and early gunpowder weapons to the mix. The first game’s immersive RPG elements are being brought back, as well. Players can take various routes to completing a quest and their choices impact the story and characters.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 arrives six years after the first game was released on PC, PS4 and Xbox One in 2018. The game was recently ported to Nintendo Switch, as well. With its flexible and detailed RPG experience, an affable protagonist and an engaging story, Kingdom Come: Deliverance found a niche audience of players. The sequel promises more of the same in an updated package for current-gen consoles and PC.

There’s no concrete release date yet, but Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is set to arrive sometime later this year. There are no details about pricing and editions yet, but the game is currently available to wishlist on Steam.

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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Sets June 21 Release Date, Gameplay Trailer Reveals New Story, Map, Bosses

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, the first major expansion for the acclaimed action RPG, received a gameplay trailer, detailing a new story, characters, and a new map, and a release date. The DLC will launch June 21 across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X, with preorders for the game now live across all platforms. Shadow of the Erdtree, which will focus on the story of Miquella, brother of Malenia, is FromSoftware’s largest expansion to date and will task players with uncovering a new mystery.

The DLC will take place in the Land of Shadow, a new region that will take players beyond the Lands Between. “The Land of Shadow. A place obscured by the Erdtree.
Where the goddess Marika first set foot. A land purged in an unsung battle.
Set ablaze by Messmer’s flame. It was to this land that Miquella departed. Divesting himself of his flesh, his strength, his lineage. Of all things Golden. And now Miquella awaits the return of his promised Lord,” FromSoftware’s description reads.

The three-minute-long gameplay trailer, though cryptic as ever, showcased plenty of new enemies, bosses and the new setting, giving fans enough fodder to come up with theories for the central mystery. The trailer opens with the withered arm of Miquella dangling from his cocoon. “Come, now. Touch the withered arm, and travel to the realm of shadow,” the trailer later says, suggesting that the new Land of Shadow region will be accessed by touching or holding Miquella’s arm.

The trailer also introduces a new villain, Messmer the Impaler, who seems to be the final boss of Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Messmer rules the Land of Shadow, which has been left in ruin from his flame. FromSoftware has not revealed any details about the new character, but it likely won’t be long before fans pick apart the trailer and find all the hidden clues.

Shadow of the Erdtree will feature a chunky new story, taking players on a new adventure through the Land of Shadow. “Guided by Empyrean Miquella, players are beckoned to the Land of Shadow, a place obscured by the Erdtree where the goddess Marika first set foot,” the DLC’s story description reads. “In these strange new lands, players discover the dark secrets of the world as they meet others who follow in Miquella’s footsteps with ulterior motives.”

The Land of Shadow is a completely new world within Elden Ring, separate from the Lands Between from the main game. While the size of the new map is yet unknown, FromSoftware says the “vast” new region will allow players to seamlessly travel back and forth between different sections. Just like the Lands Between, the new map will be diverse, with players encountering new mysteries, enemies, situations and dangerous dungeons.

In addition to new lore, enemies and bosses, the expansion will bring new weapons, equipment, weapon skills and magic previously not seen in Elden Ring, with FromSoftware promising a deeper RPG experience.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC will be available separately in a standard edition and a Premium Bundle that includes a digital artbook and the original soundtrack. The expansion will also be available as part of a bundle with the base game. And finally, there’s a Collector’s Edition, available in limited quantities, which includes the expansion, a 46cm statue of “Messmer the Impaler,” an art book and a download voucher for the original soundtrack.

Shadow of the Erdtree is currently available for pre-order across Steam, PlayStation and Xbox storefronts, with a release set for June 21. Bear in mind that the base game would be required to play the expansion.

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Next-Gen Xbox Will Be the ‘Largest Technical Leap’ for a New Console Generation, Says Microsoft

Microsoft shared new details about its plans for Xbox hardware, teasing the next generation of Xbox consoles and providing updates about its gaming business in a special edition of the Official Xbox Podcast Thursday. While the company confirmed that four Xbox-exclusive games would launch on PS5 and Nintendo Switch, it reiterated its commitment to developing Xbox hardware and exclusives titles on the platform. In the podcast, Xbox president Sarah Bond said that Microsoft was focussed on delivering the “largest technical leap” for a new console generation for the next Xbox.

Bond also confirmed that fans could expect new Xbox hardware later this year in the holiday season — likely to be the rumoured mid-generation refresh of the Xbox Series S/X consoles. “There’s some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re going to share this holiday. And we’re also invested in the next generation roadmap,” the Xbox president said. “And what we’re really focussed on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have seen in a hardware generation,” she added.

Xbox currently offers the Xbox Series X, its flagship current-generation console, along with the lower-end, digital-only Xbox Series S.

Back in September last year, leaked court documents from the Federal Trade Commission antitrust trial over Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision-Blizzard had revealed that the company was planning a mid-gen refresh for its Xbox Series X and Series S consoles sometime in 2024. The documents also included concept images of upcoming Xbox hardware, along with the platform’s roadmap for future releases.

According to the leaked concept images, Microsoft’s mid-gen refresh of the Xbox Series X is codenamed ‘Brooklin,’ an all-digital console that boasts the same peformance and features as the original one, except for the optical disc drive. The console appears to have a cylindrical design and an upgraded 2TB storage and will likely maintain the Series X’s pricing — $499, or Rs. 54,990. The leaked documents had claimed that ‘Brooklin’ would release sometime in October 2024. In addition to the console, Xbox also plans to launch an upgraded controller with gyro, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, just like PlayStation’s DualSense controller.

In the podcast, where Bond was joined by Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty, the Xbox president did not disclose a launch window for the next generation of Xbox consoles, but Microsoft expects the next-gen Xbox and PS6 to launch in 2028, as also revealed by court documents from the FTC trial in June last year. “This term would, in any case, go beyond the expected starting period of the next generation of consoles (in 2028),” the company had said in the documents. The current generation of consoles — Xbox Series S/X and PS5 — was launched in 2020.

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The Pokémon Company Issues Statement After Palworld Attracts Plagiarism Allegations

Palworld, the viral hit action-adventure survival title that has come under intense scrutiny over the alleged likeness of its in-game creatures to the cute monsters from Pokémon, could be staring at legal trouble. The Pokémon Company, which manages the iconic franchise, has finally released an official statement addressing the swirling plagiarism accusations against Palworld, albeit without naming the game directly. Palworld released in early access on January 19 and quickly took the Steam charts by storm, with developers Pocketpair confirming Thursday that the game had sold over eight million copies.

In its statement issued Thursday, The Pokémon Company said it intended to investigate any alleged instances of copyright infringement on part of the newly released game. “We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024,” the statement said, pointing to Palworld in all but name. “We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future.”

The Pokémon Company manages the intellectual property rights of Pokémon, said to be the world’s most lucrative media franchise with revenue estimates reaching $88 billion. The IP rights are collectively owned by Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures, with Nintendo infamously known to be highly litigious when it comes to protecting the rights for its franchises. In fact, the Pokémon publisher might have already acted against Palworld PC mods that turn the game’s in-game creatures into actual Pokémon, with one modder saying “Nintendo has come for me” after his modded gameplay video on X was taken down earlier this week.

Palworld has been surrounded by plagiarism allegations since its release, with several gamers, game developers and Internet commentators pointing out uncanny similarities between the creature design of the game and that of Pokémon. An X user even went as far as to compare 3D models from Palworld and Pokémon games side-by-side, pointing out resemblances in specific creatures. Back-and-forth discussions over the limits of inspiration and what constitutes plagiarism in gaming have since raged on, with several developers weighing in. Some have defended Palworld, noting the derivative nature of the medium and claiming that Pocketpair’s survival title contains enough original ideas, in addition to effectively mashing together elements from popular games like Ark: Survival Evolved, Fortnite, Rust and Pokémon.

Meanwhile, Pocketpair confirmed Thursday morning that Palworld had sold over eight million copies in less than six days. The game continues to be a sensation even with the cloud of plagiarism accusations hanging above. Palworld is currently the most played game on Steam with a 24-hour peak concurrent player count of a whopping 2,018,905. It is now only behind PUBG: Battlegrounds in the list of all-time most played games on Valve’s platform.

Palworld features Pokémon-style animals, or Pals, that can be captured and tamed for combat, traversal and base building in the game’s open world, thus attracting the moniker “Pokémon with Guns.” The game is available on PC (via Steam), Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X and is also included with Xbox Game Pass.

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Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Will Add the Joker as a Playable Character via Free Post-Launch DLC

As Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League nears its launch, developer Rocksteady has confirmed that the game’s post-launch DLC will bring iconic DC villain Joker as a playable character. The studio made the announcement Monday in the third episode of its Suicide Squad Insider developer diary series, detailing its plans for delivering free post-launch seasonal content to players who buy the game, multiversal concepts and a few multiplayer features that will be present at launch. According to Rocksteady, each post-launch season will feature two episodes and will follow the theme of a DC villain, bringing new ways to play. The new announcement follows the developers teasing hundreds of character builds and distinct loadouts earlier this month.

In the Suicide Squad Insider episode titled “Introducing Elseworlds,” Rocksteady laid out its plans for alternate universes in the game, each of them bringing unique DC characters to the mix. With the launch of the first season of post-game content in March, players will be able to unlock the Joker as a playable character for their squads, Rocksteady confirmed. The video shows off a younger version of the Clown Prince of Crime from an alternate universe — Elseworld, as Rocksteady calls it. Bear in mind that the Joker in Rocksteady’s Arkham series of games died in Batman: Arkham City. “He (Joker) was part of the Suicide Squad in the Elseworld that he’s from,” associate design director at the studio Johnny Armstrong explained in the video.

While the Elseworld Joker retains the look and mannerism we’ve come to expect from the iconic villain — the purple suit, the green hair and face makeup and a penchant for chaos, he will have to figure out his place in a new universe, Rocksteady said. The younger, more inexperienced Joker will, however, come with his own unique combat and traversal gameplay systems and distinct weapons to boot. Joker’s new traversal mechanics are based around a rocket-power umbrella, which can be used to propel the DC villain up in the air and glide around. Joker’s umbrella can also be flipped down to grind along buildings like a skateboard and knock away enemies in your path.

From the Joker gameplay footage shown in the video, the villain can be seen gliding around the map with his umbrella and dispatching enemies with glee using melee weapons and firearms. Joker will be the first of a series of DC villain recruits that players will be able to unlock as part of post-launch seasonal content. Rocksteady said it intends to build a library of playable DC characters over time, each with their unique move sets for combat and traversal.

Along with new characters, post-launch content also promises to bring new environments, challenges, missions, gear and more, all at no extra cost to players who have purchased the main game. Rocksteady also confirmed that post-launch playable content will not be locked behind a Battle Pass system and will be directly delivered into the game with the launch of a new season. In addition to detailing their seasonal content plans in their latest video, Rocksteady also provided details on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s multiplayer features like squad-based leaderboards and emotes. Additionally, the developers showed off an outfit customisation system for the squad members.

While Suicide Squad developers have promised a ton of free post-launch content to keep players engaged, the studio, which was earlier known for narrative-focussed single player titles in the Arkham series, and publishers Warner Bros. have attracted criticism over the live service direction of their upcoming DC game. The gameplay reveal for the title back in February 2023 was met with fan backlash over its looter shooter leanings.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League puts players in the shoes of four DC supervillains — Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and King Shark, allowing players to play solo or up to four-player co-op and take on brainwashed and rogue members of the Justice League. The game releases February 2 across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X.

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Palworld Accused of Plagiarising Pokémon as Game Sells 6 Million Copies, Pocketpair CEO Responds

Palworld, the viral hit action-adventure survival title from Japanese developers Pocketpair, has taken the gaming industry by storm, climbing to the top of Steam charts and selling six million copies in just four days of release. But as the game’s player count balloons, it has found itself embroiled in a plagiarism controversy, with many on the Internet pointing out alleged similarities between the designs of Palworld’s creatures and those in popular Pokémon games. A user on social media platform X has gone as far as to compare in-game 3D models from both Palworld and Pokémon, claiming evidence of outright plagiarism.

Palworld features Pokémon-style animals, or Pals, that can be captured and utilised for combat, traversal and base building in the game’s open world. Gamers and commentators have even called the new survival title from Pocketpair “Pokémon with Guns.” Some, however, have gone beyond the claims of Palworld’s creatures being inspired by or satirising cute pocket monsters from the iconic Game Freak franchise and levelled accusations of plagiarising in-game assets.

On Sunday, X user @byofrog posted side-by-side mesh comparisons for character models from both Palworld and Pokémon games, first highlighting the similarities between a creature from the newly released game and the Cinderace model from Pokémon Sword and Shield. The user went on to post several other side-by-side comparisons, sparking more copycat accusations against Pocketpair. Since Palworld’s January 19 early access release, gamers and game developers have engaged in intense discourse over the game’s perceived Pokémon inspirations, with some alleging plagiarism and others defending the developers.

A former game designer at Blizzard, Eric Covington, quoted one of @byofrog’s comparison posts and claimed that the close similarity seen between character models couldn’t be accidental. “To “accidentally” create a complex model mesh with so near-exact proportions is practically impossible. To repeat that improbability throughout your roster… doesn’t pass the sniff test,” he said in a post on X. Others, meanwhile, were more cautious in their judgment, claiming the game included enough original ideas. Dinga Bakaba, studio/co-creative director at Arkane Lyon, defended Palworld in a series of posts on X, saying the game effectively mixed and matched gameplay concepts from popular games like Pokémon, Fortnite, Ark: Survival Evolved and Rust. “As a game designer, I’m baffled that some say this is lazy. Even if you copy an idea from another game you can just copy/paste it. Even doing a sequel to your own game with the same programmer in a new engine, it takes crazy amount of time to develop a viable V2.0 of a mechanic,” Bakaba said in one of his posts.

X user @byofrog also went on to qualify his posts comparing Palworld and Pokémon in a later post, saying the 3D models from the two games weren’t identical, despite close resemblances. “I want to emphasize that while some elements are similar these meshes are not literally “exact” copies of each other,” they said.

Meanwhile, game director and Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe responded to the plagiarism accusations on X Monday, claiming the team had received what appeared to be death threats on the socil media platform. “I have received a variety of opinions regarding Palworld, but all productions related to Palworld are supervised by multiple people, including myself, and I am responsible for the production,” Mizobe said in his post (translated from Japanese). “I would appreciate it if you would refrain from slandering the artists involved in Palworld.”

Amid all the noise, Pocketpair confirmed Tuesday that Palworld had sold six million copies in just four days, with its all-time peak player count surpassing 1.7 million. The studio also said that it was prioritising issuing fixes for bugs and other issues reported by Palworld players. At the time of writing, Palworld has hit the third-highest all-time peak concurrent players in Steam history, surpassing Lost Ark and Dota 2. Palworld is also currently the most played title on Steam with almost double the player count of Counter Strike 2.

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Palworld Hits Fifth-Highest Peak Concurrent Players in Steam History, Beats Cyberpunk and Elden Ring

Palworld, an open-world action-adventure title where players can combat and capture Pokemon-like creatures, has become a phenomenon, rising to the top of Steam charts days within launch. The game, which also incorporates elements of the survival genre, now has the fifth-highest peak concurrent players in the history of the Valve storefront, going past heavyweight titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring and Hogwarts Legacy. Palword developers Pocketpair also confirmed Monday that the game has sold over five million copies within three days of launch.

Released on January 19, Palworld, popularly described as “Pokemon with guns,” is tearing up Steam charts to become one of the most played titles in the platform’s history. According to SteamDB, which aggregates Steam player data, Palworld is now the fifth most played game on the service, with an all-time peak of 1,291,967 concurrent players. The action-adventure survival title is now only behind games like PUBG: Battlegrounds, Counter Strike 2, Lost Ark and DOTA 2.

Palworld’s massive success also means that it has left behind top-selling games like Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring and Hogwarts Legacy in its wake. CD Projekt Red’s RPG has all-time peak concurrent player count of 1,054,388, while FromSoftware’s acclaimed action-RPG stands at 953,426. Hogwarts Legacy, which sold over 22 million copies in 2023, peaks out at 879,308 all-time concurrent players.

The numbers are even more staggering if we look at current concurrent player counts. Palworld tops the chart with 895,847 players at the time of writing, with CS 2, DOTA 2 and PUBG: Battlegrounds rounding out the second, third and fourth positions, respectively. Palworld also tops the list of titles with highest peak concurrent players in the last 24 hours.

In a post on X, Palword developers Pocketpair announced Monday that the game had sold a whopping five million copies in only three days. Palworld reached the four-million mark on Sunday, with Pocketpair claiming latest sales momentum figures of 86,000 units per hour. The gamemaker has also been flooded be support requests, receiving over 50,000 inquiries. Players have complained about server outages, bugs and other serious issues hampering the game. The developer said that it was working to bring fixes for the reported issues, but it might take some time. “The development team is aware of serious bugs that are occurring, such as being unable to enter servers, unable to play multiplayer, and losing saved data, and are currently working on fixing them,” the developer said on X. “We will share information about the fixes for these issues as soon as possible.”

Palworld released January 19 across PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X consoles. The game allows players to capture, utilise and combat cute Pokemon-like creatures — Pals — and survive in an open-world multiplayer setting. The game has been received well on Steam, with the overall verdict standing at “Very Positive” after 39,554 reviews. On Steam, Palworld is currently available in Early Access for Rs. 1,300, with an introductory discount of 10 percent live till January 25.

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Xbox Developer Direct 2024: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Unveiled, Senua’s Saga Gets Release Date

Xbox kicked off its 2024 with a jam-packed Developer Direct showcase, bringing reveals and updates on four upcoming releases from four studios, plus a bonus update from Square Enix. The 45-minute presentation, streamed live on YouTube and Xbox’s other social channels late Thursday, took the covers off MachineGames’ upcoming Indiana Jones game, provided a release date for the highly anticipated Senua’s Saga, and revealed a release window for Avowed, Obsidian’s next big fantasy RPG.

While 2023 was a quiet year for Xbox, the news is good this year for players on the platform — all games showcased at the Developer Direct presentation will launch across Xbox Series X/S, PC, Game Pass and/or cloud later in 2024. The four games, which saw deep dives and extended gameplay trailers along with release details, will also arrive as day-one Game Pass titles, Xbox confirmed. There were no surprise shadow releases like Hi-Fi Rush, announced at last year’s Developer Direct on January 25, 2023, and released into the wild the same day, but with concrete information on upcoming titles, Xbox fans should have little to complain. Here’s a handy rundown of everything announced at Xbox’s Developer Direct 2024 presentation:

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – MachineGames

When: 2024

Where: Xbox Series X/S, PC, Game Pass

Indy is back and he’s on Xbox. After an eternity of speculation, developer MachineGames, the studio behind recent Wolfenstein titles, finally revealed Indiana Jones and the Great Circle at last night’s Developer Direct. First things first: No, it is not a third-person action-adventure title; Indiana Jones will instead play out from the first-person perspective — an interesting choice that perhaps mirrors the initial surprise and disappointment of finding out that Cyberpunk 2077 would not be a third-person title. But on second thought, it seems to be a wise choice, not just from an artistic point of view, but also as a smart way to avoid inevitable comparisons with Uncharted and Tomb Raider games.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, set between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, will put you in the shoes of the iconic, whip-cracking archeologist and adventurer. And while Indy retains the facial likeness of Harrison Ford, he will be voiced by none other than Troy Baker in the game. The first-person action-adventure title promises arcane mysteries, hidden treasures, puzzle-solving, fist-fighting, whip-combat, first-person shooting, and more. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is arriving sometime later this year on current-gen Xbox consoles and PC.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II — Ninja Theory

When: May 21

Where: Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud, Game Pass

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II finally received a release date at the Xbox Developer Direct presentation. The game, announced over four years ago, is coming May 21. We’ve already seen multiple gameplay and cinematic showcases from the game over the years and yesterday’s segment provided a little more insight and details about the game’s story, showing off some more gameplay and stunning visuals. Developers Ninja Theory also detailed some of the enhancements coming to the third-person action-adventure title compared to the first game, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.

Avowed — Obsidian

When: Fall 2024

Where: Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud, Game Pass

RPG veterans Obsidian provided a first gameplay deep dive into Avowed, first announced at Xbox Games showcase in July 2020. The fantasy RPG is in line with prior Obsidian RPGs, featuring an immersive world, deep questlines and dynamic combat. And of course, the choices you make in the game will leave a mark on the narrative, changing the course of the story later down the road.

The trailer showed off the vibrant world of Living Lands, where players are tasked with stopping a mysterious spiritual plague and uncover a big secret behind it all. It also provided a detailed look at the first-person melee and magic combat, both of which can be quickly swapped out. Avowed is launching sometime in Q3 or Q4 this year.

Ara: History Untold — Oxide Games

When: Fall 2024

Where: PC, Game Pass

The Developer Direct showcase also featured Oxide Games’ upcoming strategy title, Ara: History Untold. The turn-based grand strategy game, made by a team of developers that includes veterans from the Civilization series, will arrive on PC and PC Game Pass later this year.

First announced at the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase in 2022, the game will focus on building up a nation from scratch and leading it through different periods of an alternate history. The trailer showed off expansive strategic combat, design features and other gameplay systems. The developers stressed on the fact that player choices will leave indelible impacts on the game world

Ara: History Untold is launching sometime later this year
Photo Credit: Xbox

Visions of Mana — Square Enix

When: Summer 2024

Where: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, PC

Amid all Xbox and PC exclusive titles from in-house developers, Square Enix popped in at the Developer Direct presentation to give a detailed glimpse at Visions of Mana, the first new mainline entry in the Mana series in over 15 years. Square Enix showed off cute, cartoony visuals, real-time combat and other gameplay details for the game, in addition to providing a detailed look at the colourful world.

Visions of Mana also showed off its varied monster design, evocative score and giant cat-like companions, the pikuls, which can be used as a mount to ride around the game world. Visions of Mana arrives on Xbox, PlayStation and PC sometime later this year.

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