Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick recently addressed the British Competition and Markets Authority’s preliminary approval of the company’s merger with Microsoft. Chief Commercial Officer Lulu Cheng Meservey and Microsoft President Brad Smith also commented separately on the CMA’s decision.

Activision Blizzard’s CEO is confident about the merger

Kotick recently sent an email to Activision Blizzard staff about the decision, the text of which Activision shared with the public. “Microsoft recognizes the commitment to excellence and creative independence that has served us well for the last 30 years,” he wrote. “I am confident that their resources, technology, and tools will provide us even greater opportunities to create even better games.”

While the CMA still needs to gather third-party feedback and make a final decision, Kotick stressed the importance of this milestone. He credited the company’s “solutions-oriented work with regulators” and expressed optimism that the merger will continue to go forward. The Activision Blizzard CEO also thanked employees for their dedication and focus.

In addition to Kotick’s formal statement, Activision Blizzard’s Lulu Cheng Meservey and Microsoft’s Brad Smith made their own comments on X. “The CMA’s preliminary approval is great news for Activision Blizzard’s future with Microsoft,” said Activision Blizzard’s CCO. She said the company is glad to see the CMA’s positive response to Microsoft’s proposed solutions.

Smith made similar comments. Speaking for Microsoft, he wrote, “We are encouraged by this positive development in the CMA’s review process.” He believes that Microsoft has fully addressed the CMA’s concerns regarding cloud gaming. The company will move forward with the Activision Blizzard merger. Smith said Microsoft will continue its efforts to close the deal before the October 18 deadline.

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A new trailer reveals the Zombies mode for the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. Zombies have been part of Call of Duty since Treyarch’s Call of Duty: World At War in 2008, with modes appearing in both the World War 2 and Black Ops games. However, the next game will be the first Modern Warfare title to feature a Zombies mode.

Modern Warfare III Zombies Trailer

The trailer opens with a team of operators assaulting a checkpoint with a light armored vehicle. The vehicle covers them as they scale a wall and breach a nearby building. Blasting their way through a wall reveals a hidden basement. This otherwise typical Modern Warfare III trailer takes a turn when they find four desiccated bodies sitting around a strange device. The object opens, revealing several glowing vials. Meanwhile, the lead soldier removes his gas mask to reveal Viktor Zakhaev from the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Zakhaev’s escape is interrupted by the arrival of a police SWAT team. Pinned down by a sniper, he hurls one of the vials like a grenade, releasing a cloud of zombifying gas. From the safety of the armored car, Zakhaev and his driver watch as the undead devour both sides of the battle. The scene then cuts to an operator’s perspective as Kate Laswell and “Soap” MacTavish brief them on the situation.

Modern Warfare III Zombies lore

In a blog post, Activision provided some additional lore about Modern Warfare III Zombies. Players are part of Operation Deadbolt, a CIA contingency put in place after the events of Black Ops Cold War’s Zombies mode. The team arrives a few weeks after Zakhaev released the zombies.

Modern Warfare III Zombies will see players fighting both humans and the undead. Players must stop Zakhaev and his Terminus operatives while battling more zombies than ever. Operators will embark on multi-stage tasks in increasingly difficult open-world PvE extraction missions. According to Activision, the mode combines the best of Treyarch Zombies and Modern Warfare’s map design.

Modern Warfare III Zombies launches alongside Campaign and Multiplayer when the game releases on November 10, 2023. Players can also get the exclusive “Zombie Ghost” Operator Skin by pre-ordering or pre-purchasing any digital edition.

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EA may soon end support for Wild Hearts if a recent leak is accurate. Developed by Dynasty Warriors studio Omega Force, the fantasy action RPG launched in February. However, despite mostly favorable reviews, it doesn’t seem to have met sales targets, with EA ending support after only seven months.

Wild Hearts losing support soon

The leak comes from a Reddit user called BeardyShaman, who is also a moderator on the Wild Hearts Discord. According to their sources, EA plans to announce the end of support soon, though they didn’t say exactly when. They also could not say where they got the information from to protect the identity of the leakers.

The game does not require players to have an internet connection, so it will still be playable after support ends. There is also no indication that EA is shutting down the game’s multiplayer servers. However, Wild Hearts will not receive any further DLC or patches, and prospects of a sequel seem unlikely.  

While Wild Hearts was not the biggest success, it was far from a colossal failure. The game received mostly positive reception from critics, with Metacritic scores in the high 70s. Critics praised the game’s building mechanics, feudal Japanese-inspired world, orchestral score, and monster design. The PS5 version of Wild Hearts was also the second best-selling game in Japan on the week of its release.

Of course, EA’s decision isn’t entirely surprising, given recent developments at the company. EA subsidiary BioWare announced major layoffs last month, ostensibly as part of an internal reorganization. However, some believe it was motivated by EA’s desire to recoup losses from Apex Legends’ underperformance. If EA is determined to cut costs, that could explain why the publisher is cutting Wild Hearts off so early.

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Alan Wake 2 creative director Sam Lake discussed the new game’s length in a recent interview. According to Lake, developer Remedy has felt pressured to make longer games. The studio is finally doing that with the upcoming Alan Wake 2, whose 20+ hour runtime makes it Remedy’s longest game ever.

Alan Wake 2 will be over 20 hours long

As summarized by Rock Paper Shotgun, Lake recently went on an episode of Kinda Funny Games Daily. The hour-and-a-half-long conversation touched on a variety of topics, not all of which are immediately relevant to the Alan Wake sequel. However, he did have an opportunity to talk a little about the upcoming title. This includes Remedy’s efforts to make a much longer game than it usually does.

“I think that with Remedy games – if we go back through the whole history – being very story-focused games, have traditionally been quite short, like 10 hours or so,” Lake explained. “And we have always internally felt that we need to find ways to do longer games because it’s just like, people are looking at it from a value of money perspective as well – to get enough.” He explained that Control, which takes 11-20 hours for a non-completionist playthrough, is the company’s longest game so far. However, the upcoming Alan Wake 2 will surpass that with a 20+ hour runtime.

Lake explained that part of this may come from the game’s slower pace. While the first Alan Wake was a horror-themed action-adventure game, the sequel leans more toward survival horror. “With that comes somewhat slow pacing for the overall experience,” said Lake. However, he indicated that the new game isn’t too out of line with Remedy’s other works. Fans will have a chance to see for themselves when Alan Wake 2 launches this October.

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Neowiz Games and Round8 Studio’s Pinocchio-inspired soulslike action RPG Lies of P launches for PC and consoles on September 19. Earlier today, the developers gave fans something new to look at with the upcoming Lies of P’s boss fight gameplay showcase.

Lies of P boss fight showcase and teaser

The six-minute video showcases several combat encounters, and some of the weapons and abilities players have at their disposal. The gameplay video shows protagonist Pinocchio encountering an armored automaton armed with two large metal shields. After sword attacks prove ineffective, Pinocchio switches to an electric weapon. An electric blast from his arm also proves useful at stunning the machine and lowering its defenses.

The next scene shows Pinocchio’s battle with a towering root monster. This second boss is much more reminiscent of a From Software enemy, both in appearance and how it moves. However, the classic Dark Souls tactic of dodge rolling still works in Lies of P. The next battle saw Pinocchio battling a group of soldier automatons before a giant clown robot knocked him to the ground. Fans also get looks at a deformed creature in a flooded cellar, a hulking beast in a crumbling building, a towering sword wielder, and a massive muscular mutant. The video closes with a showdown against a colossal automaton in a burning opera house.

Unfortunately, the video does not give an uninterrupted look at any one boss fight. Still, it’s a great window into the enemy variety that players can find in Lies of P.

Today also saw the release of Lies of P’s launch teaser trailer. The 15-second ad obviously isn’t as in-depth as the boss fight showcase. Still, it offers a few more peaks at what fans can expect when Lies of P launches next week.

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After a long early access period and successful launch on PC, Baldur’s Gate 3 finally made it to PS5 last week. Developer Larian celebrated this milestone with a hilarious animated short symbolizing the game’s transition from early access to a finished product.

Baldur’s Gate 3 releases hilarious “Launch Party” short

The “Baldur’s Gate 3: Launch Party” short stars human wizard Gale, vampire rogue Astarion, Half-Elf cleric Shadowheart, and Tiefling barbarian Karlach. After completing their adventures in the realm of “Ear-lay-axe-ease,” the four prepare to enter a portal to the land of “Le-onche.” Upon arriving at Baldur’s Gate, the team soon encounters the launch version of themselves. The Launch version of Asterion is quick to point out how much they’ve changed, noting Gale’s face and Shadowheart’s old haircut. The short also has enough sight gags, in-jokes, and memes to justify multiple replays.

This is the second animated short that Larian released for the popular Baldur’s Gate 3, releasing “The Greatest Foe” in June. The earlier short featured Gale, Shadowheart, Astarion, Wyll, and Lae’zel preparing for their rematch with an overpowered frog. It referenced the notoriously broken Addled Frog, which was infamous for its ability to wipe the player’s party in early access.

Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios worked with the animation YouTube channel Mashed on both videos. The channel makes animated shorts based on many popular game franchises, though Sonic and Nintendo parodies are the most common. Still, it seems fair to say that Mashed was the right choice for these collaborations.

Baldur’s Gate 3 fans were very impressed with the second short, with some commenters hoping this becomes a full animated series. Larian and Mashed didn’t respond to those comments, and it seems unlikely that wish will come true. Then again, shows like The Legend of Vox Machina prove there is a market for adult D&D cartoons.

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2K and Firaxis announced that the Civilization VI Leader Pass is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Previously exclusive to the PC version, Civ 6 players can now grab 18 new Leaders and Personas for $19.99 on consoles. The Leader pass is also free for players who own Civilization VI: Anthology, the Anthology upgrade, or all Anthology contents.

Civ 6’s Leader Pass includes 12 wholly new Leaders and alternate Personas for six existing leaders. The new Leaders include the United States’ Abraham Lincon, England’s Elisabeth I, Mali’s Sundiata Keita, Germany’s Ludwig II, Persia’s Nader Shah, Kongo’s Nzinga Mbande, Egypt’s Ramses, Korea’s Sejong, Byzantium’s Theodora, Japan’s Tokugawa, and China’s Wu Zetian and Yongle.

Here are the Civilization VI personas in the Leader Pass

Meanwhile, the six Personas include alternate versions of Cleopatra, Qin Shi Huang, Suleiman, Saladin, Harald Hardrada, and Victoria. Initially introduced in Civilization VI’s New Frontier Pass, Personas have different costumes, map colors, abilities, agendas, and sometimes different religions. This makes them functionally separate Leaders from their default counterparts.

Civ 6’s Ptolemaic Cleopatra gains a bonus toward producing food, culture, and appeal on floodplains. Age of Steam Victoria gets production bonuses on industrial zones and strategic resources. Meanwhile, Suleiman the Magnificent’s bonuses add interesting dynamics to the Golden Ages from Civilization VI’s Rise and Fall expansion. He grants additional science and culture during Golden Ages. When the Ottomans aren’t in a Golden Age, Suleiman’s troops are stronger against civilizations that also aren’t in a Golden Age.

Alternatively, military-inclined Civ 6 players might prefer Qin Shi Huang the Unifier, whose land units can convert barbarian units into Chinese ones. Varangian Harald Hardrada levies city state troops for 75% less and levied troops produce faith, culture, and science by winning battles. He also changes Norway’s default religion from Protestant to Eastern Orthodox.  

Finally, Civilization VI players can unlock Julius Caesar by signing up for and linking their 2K account to the game. The Roman Dictator gains gold from conquering cities and destroying barbarian outposts. His Gallic Wars agenda means that Caesar likes it when other civilizations destroy barbarians and dislikes civillizations who ignore them.

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Nintendo Game Boy title Trip World is on its way to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Switch. The re-release is in development with Limited Run Games, under the title Trip World DX. There is no indication that Limited Run Games is working on a possible Xbox or PC release.

A Game Boy Cult Classic comes to modern consoles

Developed by Limited Run Games, Trip World DX is an updated port of the 1992 original. The port features remastered audio and new color graphics. However, players who appreciate the original black-and-white graphics can choose those instead. It also includes behind-the-scenes content, including video interviews, cameo appearances, and Trip World’s original design documents.

While Limited Run is developing Trip World DX, the original developers aren’t out of the loop. Sunsoft assisted with development, and Limited Run even worked with the original director, Yuichi Ueda. Retro gaming fans also don’t have long to wait, as Trip World DX launches in a few days on August 31.

Japanese developer Sunsoft released the side-scrolling platformer Trip World for the original Game Boy in 1992. It follows a shapeshifting bunny-like creature called Yakopoo in his quest to save the world by recovering the Flower of Peace. Sunsoft never released the game in the US, and it didn’t leave too much of an impression on the industry. However, it saw some success in Japan and Europe, becoming a cult classic. Nintendo added it to the since discontinued 3DS Virtual Console in 2011.

This port takes advantage of Limited Run’s proprietary Carbon Engine. The Embracer Group subsidiary designed the engine specifically to make it easier to port early console games to modern systems. Trip World DX is not Limited Run’s first port using the Carbon Engine. Still, it shows how Carbon can help preserve niche games that might otherwise fade into obscurity.

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Konami and Epic Games announced they are teaming up for a crossover between Fall Guys and Super Bomberman R2. Players can take control of the jellybean “Bean Bomber” shortly after the latest Super Bomberman installment launches this September.

Fall Guys meets Bomberman

Konami and Fall Guys publisher Epic Games announced the Super Bomberman R2 Crossover with an official trailer on August 21. The 26-second trailer shows off the Bean Bomber, who resembles a pink Fall Guys Bean with Bomberman’s antenna. Players can grab him from SBR2’s in-game store from day one. However, Konami hasn’t disclosed whether the Bean Bomber is free or an additional purchase. The company also indicated that he would only be available for a limited time but hasn’t set an end date yet.

Konami describes the upcoming game as “the most feature-rich entry in the long-running Bomberman series.” The game supports up to 64 players in online multiplayer and lets players create and share custom stages. Another new feature is Castle mode, where two teams of eight battle to steal or protect treasure chests. Super Bomberman R2 also supports cross-play between all platforms, so Bomberman fans can battle their friends on any system.

Super Bomberman R2 officially launches on September 14 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch for $49.99. Physical copies go on sale starting September 12, while players can download digital copies beginning September 13.

Bomberman is one of the most storied franchises in gaming. The original title was released for early PCs in the 1980s before hitting the NES in 1989. Starring the titular robot, the Bomberman Series has spanned over 60 installments. Konami took over the series after Bomberman’s original developer dissolved in 2013, relaunching the series with 2017’s Super Bomberman R. SBR also had a short-lived Online battle royale. The most recent game, Amazing Bomberman, was released on Apple Arcade in 2022. However, Super Bomberman R2 is the series’ first full console release since 2017.

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Activision has confirmed that a Zombies mode will be included in the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. Previous leaks indicated this was likely, but fans now have confirmation. It also appears that Treyarch is developing Modern Warfare III’s Zombies mode, though information is limited.

Activision has confirmed that there will be a Modern Warfare 3 Zombies mode

Activision recently teased Modern Warfare III’s Zombies mode with an audio clip fans could hear by texting to get information about the upcoming first look at the Modern Warfare III. Fans who text the word “Zombies” will receive a short audio clip of a zombie screeching.

Activision then posted about the Modern Warfare III reveal on the Call of Duty blog. The post included a brief mention of the undead-filled co-op mode, promising the new game would feature the “largest Zombies offering to date.” It also said that more news was on its way soon.

Treyarch also tweeted about Modern Warfare getting Zombies. While mainly known for developing the Black Ops games, Treyarch also helped make the Zombies mode for Sledgehammer Games’ Call of Duty: Vanguard. This will even be the first Modern Warfare with a Zombies mode, as the other five entries have either had Spec Ops against human AI or no co-op mode at all.

Call of Duty fans first heard of Modern Warfare III’s Zombies mode from a leak in May. Leakers described it as an improved version of Outbreak, the large-scale Zombies mode from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. At the time, Activision reportedly hadn’t decided whether it would be part of the core game or a separate free-to-play experience like Warzone. It looks like the publisher will answer that question tomorrow when fans get their first look at the upcoming shooter.

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