gaming

Eight months after the game’s original launch, EA Sports is now finally testing out cross-play for FIFA 22. The announcement was made in the game’s latest edition of Pitch Notes, which revealed that the publishing giant will now be running tests on the new feature across the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Unfortunately, previous-gen consoles such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One weren’t mentioned, so it’s not known at the moment whether cross-play will ever arrive properly on those platforms, but those on current-gen devices will be able to play with each other across both Online Seasons and Online Friendlies. EA noted that it has decided to restrict cross-play to just these two modes for now because it doesn’t want to introduce more potential issues with the game, but players can pro...

Netflix has expanded its game lineup with the addition of a new title. Billed as an action-packed RPG, Relic Hunters: Rebels hit the streaming platform on May 3. The game arrives as the first-ever mobile game from developer Rogue Snail’s Relic Hunters franchise. Users can play as one of the game’s four fighter characters — Jimmy, Ace, Pinkyy or Raff. Tasked with defeating the evil Duncan Empire, they’ll have the opportunity to craft and collect a variety of weapons, each with its own special abilities. In an interview celebrating the launch of Relic Hunters on Netflix, Rogue Snail CEO Mark Venturelli said that the studio “tried to make a game that would run easily on older phones, so we could reach a wider audience in places where people can’t afford a new device every year.” He also hinte...

If you’ve finished fighting Thomas the Tank Engine in the Lands Between and are looking for something new to do in Elden Ring, a new mod will now let you reign in terror as none other than Darth Vader himself just in time for Star Wars month. Created by modders drs2 and Xelerate, the new mod for FromSoftware‘s massively popular open-world action RPG allows you to transform your character into the infamous Sith Lord. The mod essentially changes the skin for the game’s confessor armor, allowing you to gear up with Vader’s helmet, suit, boots and cape. Thanks to Xelerate, you’ll also be able to complete the entire look with his red lightsaber as well, which comes impeccably made with full lighting effects too. You can check out the full character model in action against Godrick the ...

Spotify on Tuesday announced that its entering the metaverse with Spotify Island on Roblox. As the first music-streaming platform to exist on Roblox, Spotify’s virtual universe will connect fans and artists across the globe in a “wonderland of sounds, quests, and exclusive merch,” according to the brand. The digital island takes on signature elements of Spotify’s branding with a primarily green layout, alongside colors and iconography that users will recognize from the app. Players will be able to collect heart-shaped “Like” icons in order to unlock merchandise and “climb the charts,” or rank on the game’s leaderboard. Artists will earn an unspecified percentage from sales of in-game merch, which can also be taken into other destinations on Roblox. At launch, users will be able to unlock f...

When Valve‘s Steam Deck first launched, the amount of titles for the platform was slightly underwhelming, but over the course of March, its roster of supported games surged dramatically. According to new statistics, the handheld console originally launched with roughly just 399 games that were verified for the platform, with another 300 that were listed as playable but probably not optimized. Luckily for those who managed to get hold of the device, things changed dramatically over the last two months, with the Steam Deck now featuring a much better 1,289 verified games and another 1,169 playable titles. As Kotaku points out, the number is likely to continue increasing over time, since games that aren’t listed in either category will become fully tested eventually, and those that haven...

Since its original announcement back in July of 2020, Forza Motorsport 8 has only been attached to Microsoft’s newer Xbox Series X and S, but new leaks from Turn 10 Studios now seem to suggest the long-awaited racing game will be coming to the previous-gen Xbox One after all. Spotted by Eurogamer, leaked images of Forza Motorsport 8 were posted on the subreddit r/gamingleaksandrumours over the weekend, showing what appeared to be a developing version of the game running on an Xbox One. While there’s still no confirmation from Turn 10 itself, the images were deemed authentic by the subreddit’s very own moderator team and could represent very good news for those who have yet to swap over to current-gen consoles. Of course, it’ll also be fully optimized for the Xbox Series X/S and P...

Square Enix has sold three of its major Western game studios — the U.S.-based Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal and Square Enix Montreal— to Swedish gaming group Embracer. The deal encompasses the intellectual property rights to its game franchises, such as Tomb Raider, Deus Ex and Thief and Legacy of Kain. It also includes the rights to “more than 50 back-catalog games.” Embracer’s purchase of the three studios amounts to $300 million USD “on a cash and debt free basis, to be paid in full at closing.” The acquisition includes 1,100 employees across the three studios and eight global locations. The giant gaming group currently owns more than 100 studios and has reportedly spent more than $8 billion USD making over 60 acquisitions since 2020, according to The Guardian. ”Embracer is the ...

The sequel to the popular family-friendly Wii Sports series, Nintendo Switch Sports, was officially released over the weekend exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. The new title will bring black classic party games such as tennis, bowling, golf, soccer, volleyball, badminton, and chambara (sword-fighting) with a free update this fall adding golf to the sporting mix. Like its predecessor, which was introduced with the Wii console in 2006, players use intuitive motion controls on the Joy-Con to play mini-games based on real competitive sports. In addition to being able to play with friends and family in the living room, Nintendo also offers ranked online leagues, in which competitors can strive to reach the top of the Pro League in every sport. Nintendo Switch Sports is now available on the N...

Ridge Racer, a racing video game series first released in 1993, may soon be making its return on PlayStation 5. While the inaugural game was designed for Namco System 22 hardware, it was adapted for the PlayStation a few years later. As Sony plans to bring older titles — including games dating back to the PS1, PS2 and PlayStation Portable — to the PS5, it appears that Ridge Racers 2 will receive a relaunch. An update to the original version of the game, Ridge Racers 2 was made for arcade systems and introduced a multiplayer mode and features such as rear-view mirrors. PlayStation now hosts an official URL with cover art for Ridge Racers 2, as well as a Title ID, which corresponds to each game sold by the company store, Jalopnik reported. While the URL isn’t an official announcement by any ...