News | Futuristic farming in Lightyear Frontier
The unique farming game Lightyear Frontier was unveiled during the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase.
The game from independent developers Frame Break and Amplifier Game Invest is set on a distant planet, where players can farm with futuristic tools in a large mech.
The game can be played by four players in online co-op. In addition, it is hinted in the trailer that the planet is hiding secrets, so the game may also contain an overarching story besides farm life. Still, the overall experience should be above all “peaceful”.
Lightyear Frontier is set to release sometime in Spring 2023 on Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and PC. The game will also be available on Game Pass from release.
News | Xbox Snap feature probably not coming back
The Snap feature previously available on Xbox One is not returning.
Eden Marie, Xbox’s engineering lead, made this known on Twitter. “We all miss Snap, but I don’t think it’s coming back.”
Snap was available on Xbox One for a while from the console’s release. The feature allowed people to continue playing a game while having another app open on the side of the screen. In this way, for example, one could turn on Twitch or a YouTube video while playing a game. You could also open the Achievement app next to a game, so that you could keep an eye on the various attainable Achievements.
Eden! If possible please to bring the snap feature back would be amazing it’s a feature I and most of the community miss 💚🙏🏾
— SammyV604 (@DjSammyV) May 26, 2022
The Snap feature disappeared from the Xbox One OS in 2017, when Microsoft released a revamped OS that laid the foundation for the current operating system of modern Xbox consoles. Microsoft then announced that Snap disappeared because it would make the operating system slower than desired.
News | Top Gun Expansion Now Available for Flight Simulator
The Top Gun expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator is available starting today.
Players of the game can download the update for free on Xbox Series X or PC. It was already known that the update was coming, but Microsoft has now also clarified what the content of the DLC exactly includes.
For example, the update includes a skin for the F/A-18E Super Hornet that gives the plane a Top Gun: Maverick Edition appearance. There are also three training missions for the Super Hornet with which various dangerous maneuvers can be trained. Finally, there are several challenges to find, as well as a new mission and challenge to land on a ship landing deck.
The Top Gun: Maverick expansion was announced last year and eventually delayed to this year. The film was also delayed last year. The film is now in cinemas.
News | Sea of Thieves adventure Lost Sands starts May 26
The sixth season of Sea of Thieves concludes with a new adventure called Lost Sands, which starts on May 26.
Developer Rare has revealed this in a new trailer. It is the fourth part of the Season 6 story and is unique in that it gives players the chance to choose an in-game faction with permanent consequences for the game world, and in particular the Golden Sands island that takes center stage this season .
One can choose to join the Reaper’s Bones, leaving the site in ruins. People who don’t join that are in favor of rebuilding Golden Sands. The adventure ends on June 9 – then it should become clear which faction has gained the upper hand.
News | Bethesda reveals new Fallout 76 content for 2022
Bethesda has unveiled a roadmap for content coming to Fallout 76 this year.
In the spring, for example, Invaders From Beyond should be released, in which alien visitors may play a role. Test Your Metal will be released in the summer, full of new public events and challenges.
Expeditions: The Pitt will be released in the fall, apparently set in Pittsburgh from Fallout 3. Nuka-World on Tour will then appear in the winter, with new public events and a boss character. More details about the specific content players can expect will follow.
Coming to #Fallout76 this year:
— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) February 21, 2022
👾 New Public and Seasonal Events!
🗺️ Travel outside Appalachia to The Pitt.
⚔️ New Region Boss.
This year's 2022 Roadmap has arrived. pic.twitter.com/2CpaERT4Hs
Fallout 76 was released in 2018. On and shortly after launch, the game came under fire for bugs and flawed gameplay, but Bethesda has continued to support and improve the game ever since. The multiplayer game is available on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
News | The Eternity's End for World of Warcraft goes live on February 22
The Eternity's End, the next content update for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, goes live on February 22.
Blizzard has announced that. The company hints that players “must prepare to face Zovaal, the intangible Jailer and the head of the Maw, before he rewrites the rules of reality”.
Players will visit a strange new land called Zereth Mortis, which serves as a “workshop” for the First Ones to create the afterlife. There, players will also meet the Enlightened, who will help them defeat the Jailer.
At the end of last year, Blizzard already posted a preview of what players can expect from The Eternity’s End. It also featured the video below.
It is also known that the second Shadowlands season will end on February 21. Then the current PvP content for the game will also disappear. The third season of Shadowlands will most likely start in the first week of March.
News | Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard
It has been officially announced, Microsoft will acquire Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft has announced that. The deal would cost $68.7 billion, the most expensive purchase in the game industry ever. It is clear that the deal is not yet fully closed at this point – that would not happen until 2023. Until then, both companies will continue to operate separately from each other. The plan is to offer as many Activision Blizzard games as possible via Xbox Game Pass when the deal is finalized.
Activision Blizzard has been under fire since last year for persistent toxic and sexually harassing behavior in the workplace. According to reports, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has known about the situation for years and has not done enough to change the situation. Kotick remains appointed as CEO.
Xbox head Phil Spencer said he was evaluating the working relationship with Activision Blizzard late last year. The CEO may have already hinted at the purchase at the time.
Activision Blizzard owns some of the biggest franchises in the game industry, including Call of Duty, Candy Crush, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Diablo, Overwatch, Warcraft, Spyro, and Crash Bandicoot. The company includes studios such as Activision, Blizzard, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob, Treyarch and King.
Microsoft has bought several other game companies in recent years, including Minecraft maker Mojang, Obsidian and the parent company of Bethesda.
News | The Halo Infinite campaign launch trailer
Microsoft has released the launch trailer for the Halo Infinite campaign.
The campaign will launch on Xbox consoles and Game Pass on December 8. The multiplayer became available in November and is free-to-play. The single-player campaign is set to become the “biggest, most open, and adventure-filled Halo experience to date,” according to 343 Industries.
Halo Infinite should have launched in late 2020, but the game was delayed after criticism of initial gameplay footage.
News | The first images of the Halo television series
Microsoft has aired the first teaser of the Halo television series.
As expected, the company did this last night during the livestream in which the 20th anniversary of Xbox works. The video shows a Master Chief donning his iconic outfit without clothes. A voice – possibly Cortona – then says “Hello, Master Chief”.
The series based on Halo was announced way back in 2013, but it took some time before the project got off the ground. Production on the show has been going on for quite some time now. The first season of the series will have nine episodes. Actor Pablo Schreiber plays Master Chief, Natascha McElhone plays Dr. Halsey, Jen Taylor voice Cortana and Shabana Azmi plays Admiral Margaret Parangosky. The series is set to launch on Paramount+ next year.
News | New Halo Infinite artwork shared
Microsoft and 343 Industries have shared new artwork from Halo Infinite.
The new artwork can be seen at the bottom of this post and includes main character Master Chief. Twitter user Klobrille liked the artwork and posted it to social media this weekend.
Microsoft is expected to show more of the highly anticipated game at E3. The company will be holding an online presentation together with Bethesda on Sunday, June 13 at 7:00 PM Dutch time.
Halo Infinite should have been released with the Xbox Series X and S launch, but was delayed to sometime this year. It is known that online multiplayer will become free-to-play. The game will be released on Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and PC. The game will have cross-play and cross-progression.