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Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure is Now Available

Today is an exciting day for all of us here at Playground Games as we bring you Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure. This is our second massive expansion for Forza Horizon 5, and it introduces players to the rugged Sierra Nueva, where you’ll get to drive purpose-built rally monsters in dirt, asphalt and challenging night races across miles of Horizon’s most thrilling routes.

Available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC on Windows and Steam, and Cloud Gaming (Beta), buckle up for a closer look at the driving expeditions that await in Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure.

To create a uniquely Horizon rally experience, we designed 38 miles (61km) of the most exciting driving roads ever in Forza Horizon full of unpredictable turns with steep inclines, blind crests and asphalt jumps. Pack some extra tires and keep those brakes handy, as massive sand trails kicked up by the vehicles ahead could stop you in your tracks! These dust plumes are physics-driven and result in the most complex weather effect in a Forza Horizon game.

To fully utilize its incredible roads and terrain, we’ve given Sierra Nueva the largest number of racing events of any Horizon expansion in an exciting new career, where you’ll get to join three rally teams and take on timed point-to-point Horizon Rally stages and traditional Horizon Races. Listen out for navigator callouts as your co-driver follows the action from the dynamic Horizon Rally Helicopter, which includes the dramatic night-time spotlight – essential for those low visibility routes!

Miracle on the Sea of Thieves: How a Single Idea Powered a 10-Year Journey

In 2013, in a meeting room set at the heart of Rare’s leafy, countryside campus, a small group of minds set out to decide what was next for the studio. After three Kinect Sports games, there was a desire to try something new, something radical. The fruits of that conversation are playable right now in the form of Sea of Thieves, a success story for Rare that changed how the studio makes games, how it thinks about new ones, and even the company motto. But on that day, the talk wasn’t about an open-world adventure game about pirates. It was a very different game about spies.

“The earliest germ of an idea came out of us playing a party game called Werewolf, which is all about subterfuge,” says Creative Director Mike Chapman. “It’s about a game that showcases soft skills: verbal communication, social dynamics, player psychology. We were thinking: Is there a game that could showcase things like that?

“And we actually started with, ‘wouldn’t it be cool if it was about secret agents?’ Wouldn’t it be cool if I’m there completing my mission with you, but then you get a voice over the intercom saying, ‘Drop him.’ And you’ve got players tearing each other apart.”

The key idea here was about freedom, the ability to not just complete missions the game sets you, but set your own personal missions in a world with other players. The team came up with a mantra to encapsulate this: “Players Creating Stories Together.”

PowerWash Simulator: Fight Grime in the World of Final Fantasy with the Free Midgar Special Pack

When PowerWash Simulator launched in July of 2022, I initially dismissed it as just another sim game. When it began topping the charts, trending on social media, and skyrocketing in popularity, I decided to give it a shot — and was immediately hooked. After I completed the campaign and cleaned up nearly every achievement, I wound up having a conversation with a fellow fan about the endless collaboration opportunities available to the game, and potential expansions I hoped to see.

Fast forward to present day and my PowerWash Simulator dreams are coming true, as FuturLab and Square Enix have brilliantly partnered to bring some of the biggest brands in the gaming industry for future power washing opportunities. January delivered us the Tomb Raider Special Pack, and today, we’re being treated to one of the most unforgettable episodes in the Final Fantasy series. What’s even more amazing is both packs are available as free add-ons to the base game, which is also included with Game Pass.

The PowerWash Simulator Midgar Special Pack features five new levels, including the Hardy Daytona and Shinra Hauler, Scorpion Sentinel, Seventh Heaven, Mako Energy Exhibit, and the Airbuster.

Overwatch 2 x One-Punch Man Genos-Genji skin revealed

Overwatch 2 is teaming up with the world-renowned One-Punch Man anime to bring a set of collectible cosmetics to the game, available for a limited-time from March 7 – April 6! Overwatch 2 Associate Director Aimee Dennet and Art Director Dion Rogers share their thoughts ahead of the ground-breaking collaboration, which marks a first for Overwatch 2 and paves the way for other exciting potential IP crossovers for the game in the future. The team is excited to reveal the Genos – Genji skin from the collaboration here, for the first time, today on PlayStation Blog.

[Aimee Dennett, Associate Director, Overwatch 2] We’re obsessed with anime on the Overwatch team! Much like our player base, we have fun thinking about crossovers and similarities shared between characters from our favorite shows. Doomfist and Saitama were a very natural fit in our minds, given their abilities. They’re also both bald. It doesn’t hurt that our game director Aaron Keller is also a big One-Punch Man fan.

Crash Bandicoot Heads in a New and Unexpected Direction with Crash Team Rumble, Available for Pre-Order Today

Crash Bandicoot crashed The Game Awards 2022 a few months ago literally by rappelling in from the rafters to reveal Crash Team Rumble, the next title starring everyone’s favorite marsupial. Details since then have been scarce, but that all changes today, with Toys For Bob revealing gameplay details, key upcoming dates, pre-order availability, and more!

Crash Team Rumble is a 4v4 team-based competition starring iconic heroes and villains from the Crash Bandicoot universe. Your goal is simple: collect more Wumpa fruit than your opponents. Working together with your team, you will dash, jump, slide, and bounce across a variety of locations to pick up and bank the most Wumpa fruit, capture key gems to boost your score, and block the opposing team from scoring.

The complete player roster is still a secret, but we do know that Crash Bandicoot, Coco, Tawna, Neo Cortex, and Dingodile will be in the starting lineup and available to try during a closed beta this April. Additionally, Lou Studdert, Associate Creative Director at Toys For Bob, shared with us that, “You can play as a hero or a villain, and you can have a mixture of as many heroes and villains as you want on your 4-person team. For example, you can have a team with three teammates playing Neo Cortex and one as Crash Bandicoot.”

Teamwork is essential to winning, and teams that select a balance of characters and work together will have the advantage. Each of the available heroes is exceptional at either being a Scorer (collect Wumpa and add it to your team’s Wumpa Bank), Blocker (defend your team’s Wumpa Bank and disrupt the other team from scoring), or Booster (capture gems to increase your team’s Wumpa score and activate Relic Stations to give your team an advantage).

New McPixel 3 Levels Announced

McPixel is not your regular superhero. While he tries to save his own skin in the most unpredictable way, his adventures usually end in absolutely hilarious failures. You control the titular character and explore over 100 tiny levels trying to find the right solution by using and combining anything you can find. Every solution has an outcome, but there’s only one good answer so you’ll never get bored!

Each of the levels has a time limit before the calamity happens, and the levels are arranged in rounds, that you circle through until you finish all of them so that you are never bored being stuck in a single place. In these rounds you will travel around the world, go back in time, perform in TV shows, get shrunken down to the size of a pebble and more!

Fallout 76 Mutation Invasion Update is Available Today

Mutation is just a way of life in the irradiated wilds of post-nuclear Appalachia. Fallout 76’s latest update, available now, takes things to a new level with Mutation Invasion, offering a mutated take on Public Events, updates to Daily Ops and a brand-new Season to uncover!

If you’re familiar with Fallout 76’s Daily Ops, you may have already come across Mutations. These modifiers ramp up the challenge, offering deadly traits to your enemies ranging from caustic acid blood, to cloaking capabilities, to exploding upon death! Now, thanks to the launch of Mutation Invasion, Mutations are coming to Public Events as well!

At the top of the hour, every hour, a Mutated Public Event becomes available inside Appalachia, indicated by a special icon. For the remainder of the hour, other Public Events operate as normal, but these Mutated variants offer up more challenge for the chance for more rewards!

Completing Mutated Public Events will net you XP, Legendary Items, Treasury Notes or even Mutated Packages containing all kinds of rare loot.

Zombie Derby: Pixel Survival Now Available on Xbox

Summary
Zombie Derby: Pixel Survival is now available to purchase on Xbox and Windows
Survive a post-apocalyptic world by driving through hordes of zombies
The game also features a garage where players can purchase upgrades and more powerful vehicles
The latest part in the Zombie Derby series, Zombie Derby: Pixel Survival, is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows!

This is our first release of the game for Xbox. We approached it with great responsibility and were able to achieve stable gameplay at 4k and 120 fps on Xbox Series X|S, as well as implement various achievements and convenient gamepad controls.

The game combines simple controls with fun gameplay. The player has the ability to press the gas, shoot zombies, turn nitro to the maximum, and adjust the flight angle.

WWE 2K23: How Showcase Mode Is an Unexpected Trip Down John Cena’s Memory Lane
John Cena is one of the WWE’s most beloved Superstars, and WWE 2K23’s Showcase mode is an endearing love letter to one of sports entertainment’s biggest stars.

In WWE 2K22, Visual Concepts took players back in time to relive and recreate some of Rey Mysterio’s greatest matches as the Master of the 619 himself. This year, WWE 2K23 flips the script by pitting players against Cena in the ring, rather than having them don his iconic jean shorts. With 14 Historical Matches to choose from, players will challenge Cena and many of his career-defining moments on some of the WWE’s biggest stages. Prior to 2K23’s launch, members of the Visual Concepts team answered a few questions about the mode and what it was like taking this trip down memory lane.

John Cena is the face of an era. He is a historic figure, an easy member of WWE’s Mount Rushmore. From his debut in 2002 until today, he has done nearly everything you can imagine as a member of the WWE roster.

In his career, he’s competed against—and defeated—an absolute gauntlet of certified legends, and has earned the love and respect of his peers in the process.

His accomplishments are well-documented. We liked being able to take an essential part of John—”Never Give Up”—and to show how it’s not just something he says to everybody else, but that it’s something he uses daily himself.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0 Season 02 Reloaded arrives March 15

Season 02 Reloaded launches on March 15 for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0. The midseason update continues the epic action from the start of the season with the introduction of Special Ops Raid Episode 02, the Himmelmatt Expo 6v6 Multiplayer map, new Camo Challenges, a new free functional weapon, and more across both games.

The Abyss Queen Emerges in the Paladins Season 6 Update

Since his arrival in the Realm, Azaan has been preparing for a looming threat – a foe whose advent could tear the world asunder. But just before Azaan is able to enact his last ditch efforts, she has arrived…and the Realm will never be the same. Give welcome to your new matriarch – Nyx, Queen of the Abyss, has emerged from the darkest corners of the Abyss into the Realm.

Nyx is the newest Frontline Champion to tower over the Paladins roster, bringing the total number of playable characters to 58. Her passive ability, Queen of Change, gives her a healing bonus while near an objective, encouraging players to stay up close and personal at all times. Nyx doesn’t have a traditional weapon and instead deals with foes using her fists. Her primary fire is a five hit chain of melee strikes and her alternate fire, Rift Slash, splits open reality in an area, dealing damage and slowing enemies caught in the effect.

But what would a queen be without a way to punish those who would dare raise a hand at her? Nyx’s first ability summons a wide shield in a target location and her second ability deploys a poison aura around herself that deals persistent damage to enemies caught within it. Nyx’s ultimate is Chaos Nexus – she unleashes three powerful attacks around her that pulls and stuns enemies, forcing them to grovel at her feet.

Drums Rock launches February 22: PS VR2 features detailed
Drums Rock, the arcade game of playing drums while smashing demons to the rhythm of rock, offers its most complete edition (and the craziest news) as it arrives with the launch of PS VR2!

The Last Worker features a gorgeous stylised world, that blends custom shading and art from concepts drawn by comic artist legend Mick Mcmahon that have been lovingly adapted by our team hand drawing each and every pen stroke in 3D!

It’s been almost five years since Sea of Thieves launched on March 20, 2018, and we’re planning on celebrating the momentous milestone in true style!

Today we’re happy to reveal the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for March .As announced at last week’s State of Play, the Monthly Games lineup of Battlefield 2042,Minecraft Dungeons and Code Vein will be available to PlayStation Plus members on Tuesday.

Sniper Elite 5 – Season Two Available Today and Includes New Campaign Mission, Free Content, and More

Like a Dragon: Ishin!

1860s Kyo is plagued by widespread inequality, and one samurai will change the course of history in his search for justice.

Seven Things to Know Before Playing the Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Demo

Together at Blue Isle Studios, we have brought numerous games to market over the past decade and have always envisioned developing a game where players are offered the opportunity to mod within the game and create content that adds to the game’s playability.

We always designed this game to be as accessible to as wide an audience as possible. It was a rule that anything we made for it had to pass “the Mom Test” — meaning that our non-gaming mothers could enjoy it as easily as the most

Ever since co-director Will Hellwarth conceived of this title seven years ago, as a student project at USC, we’ve dreamed of it one day coming to virtual reality. What we never could have dreamed of is finding as exciting home for it as a launch title for the PS VR2.

Sure, improving the visuals is part of the deal. We were able to update to 4K, 60FPS graphics, enhance volumetric lighting, improve particle systems, and enhance the environments with increased asset density.

Steam now allows you to copy games to Steam Deck and other PCs over a local network

A handy feature for those with slow internet connections or data caps.

Valve is giving Steam Deck users with slow internet connections or bandwidth caps a new way to install games on their devices. The latest Steam and Steam Deck betas add local network game transfers, a feature that allows you to copy existing files from one PC to another over a local area network. Valve says the tool can reduce internet traffic and lessen the time it takes to install games and updates since you can use it to bypass the need to connect to a Steam content server over the internet.

“Local Network Game Transfers are great for Steam Deck owners, multi-user Steam households, dorms, LAN parties, etc,” the company points out. “No more worries about bandwidth or data caps when all the files you need are already nearby.” Once you’ve installed the new software on your devices, Steam will first check if it can transfer a game installation or set of update files over your local network before contacting a public Steam content server. If at any point one of the devices involved in the transfer is disconnected from your local network, Steam will fall back to downloading any necessary files from the internet.

By default, the feature is set to only work between devices logged into the same Steam account, but you can also transfer files between friends on the same local area network. It’s also possible to transfer to any user on the same network, which is something you would do during a LAN tournament. Valve has published a FAQ with more information about local network game transfers, including details on some of the limitations of the feature, over on the Steam website.

We plugged the PSVR2 into a PC, and here’s what it does

Sony’s new PlayStation VR2 headset doesn’t officially support PCs, but will someone get it working anyway?

Sony’s new PlayStation VR2 headset is designed to work exclusively with a PS5, but will it ever work on PCs? That’s a big question that I can’t answer just yet, and one that even Sony is dodging right now. While the original PSVR got unofficial support for PC, the PSVR2 could be just as complicated to get working with SteamVR without help from Sony.

“The PSVR2 is created for use with the PS5 console,” says Sony PR representative Beca Truong in a statement to The Verge. We asked whether Sony would ever officially support the PSVR2 on PC, but the company failed to answer.

So, what does happen when you plug the PSVR2 into a PC? During our review testing, I tried connecting the PSVR2 to a PC directly into a USB-C port on an AMD Radeon RX 6800XT GPU. Windows picked it up as a second screen and limited the resolution to 1080p, but SteamVR just kept asking me to plug in my VR headset, as it couldn’t recognize the PSVR2.

Sony hasn’t encrypted the video signal over USB-C, but without driver support, there’s not much you can use the headset for other than a fancy second screen. I also tried the PSVR2 controllers, connected via USB, and they show up as HID compliant game controllers. I’m hopeful that someone might get this all working eventually, in much the same way that PSVR has been modded to work on PC.

Third-party tools like Trinus PSVR or iVRy allow the original PlayStation VR headset to work on PC with SteamVR. But as iVRy’s developer pointed out on Reddit recently, it was a lot of work to get things like the accelerometer working, and the open-source we**am tracking solutions still aren’t as good as Sony’s own.

While the PSVR2 connects over a single USB-C cable, the bigger challenges for modders will be supporting its inside-out tracking, haptic feedback, and controllers. Obviously, it would be far better if Sony just officially supported it, though. Sony has made a big deal about bringing PlayStation games to PC over the past couple of years, but there’s still no sign Sony will ever officially support PSVR2 on PC.

That’s disappointing because, for $549, this would be a really interesting alternative for PC gamers looking at VR headsets.

Journey to Deep Space with the Stellar Shift Special Edition Wireless Controller

We are excited to announce the Xbox Wireless Controller – Stellar Shift Special Edition as the newest member of the Shift Special Edition series. The Shift series debuted with Aqua Shift, inspired by the deep sea, and Lunar Shift capturing the awe-inspiring aura of the moon, but we knew that the Stellar Shift had to take it one step further. The Stellar Shift controller features a striking color shifting blue-purple shimmer that gives it a mesmerizing feeling of deep space vibes. Each controller has unique swirl grips that allow you to hold onto all of your gaming action.

Explore new adventures with textured grips on the triggers, bumpers, and back case that provide a better hold of the controller. Alongside is a hybrid D-pad that gives the Stellar Shift an accurate yet familiar input. While you are out making discoveries, you can utilize the dedicated Share button, which can seamlessly capture and share content with all your other friends like video and screenshots on the Xbox Accessories App. Using this app, you can also create custom controller profiles and remap your buttons to your liking. The 3.5mm jack allows you to connect any of your favorite headsets. Feel free to take your controller beyond the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, with Bluetooth technology that allows for wireless gaming on your PC and mobile devices.

One special feature of the Stellar Shift Xbox Wireless Controller you won’t want to miss out on is the unique dynamic background that is only unlocked once you connect your new controller to your Xbox Series X|S console. Dynamic backgrounds are animated augments that bring your Xbox dashboard to life. Bask in the deep purple and blue swirling design as you venture off to wherever your Xbox takes you. To access this feature, click the Settings button on your console dashboard. Under the General tab, hit the Personalization button and find the “My Background” button. Once there, you’ll be able to see Dynamic Backgrounds and can pick between this or multiple other fantastic dynamic looks to customize your Xbox experience even further. Once you have your background applied, you will retain it until you swap it for a new design. To restore this background, simply connect the Stellar Shift controller back to the console and navigate to the menu to reapply.

Get Surreal with the Lunar Shift Special Edition Wireless Controller

We’re excited to introduce a new Special Edition controller to add to your personal collection. The Xbox Wireless Controller – Lunar Shift Special Edition, the second member of the Shift series after the Aqua Shift Special Edition controller, is inspired by fantastical gaming worlds and brings us to new heights beyond Earth’s orbit.

Be among the first to experience the all-new Lunar Shift Special Edition controller. Much like the awe-inspiring aura of the moon, this controller shifts from silver to gold when the light hits it just right, giving the controller a stylized, smokey atmosphere. Experience the rubberized gray and black swirl grips with a mesmerizing pattern that makes each one unique by design. The textured grip on the triggers, bumpers, and back case makes sure you stay connected to the game no matter how intense things get. Make the controller your own by customizing button mapping with the Xbox Accessories app, allowing you to unleash your best game. As with all Xbox Wireless Controllers, you can wirelessly connect the Lunar Shift Special Edition controller to many devices including Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles with the built-in Xbox Wireless radio. You can also connect to Windows 10 PCs and mobile devices with Bluetooth Low Energy when playing on the go. The 3.5mm stereo headset jack lets you plug in your favorite headset, fully immersing yourself into the experience and allowing you communicate with friends.

The Xbox Wireless Controller – Lunar Shift Special Edition is available today in select Xbox markets worldwide for $69.99 USD MSRP. Check your local retailer or Xbox.com for more information.

If you’re looking for the best way to keep your Xbox controller at prime power levels, then go for the perfect pairing with the new Razer Universal Quick Charging Stand for Xbox – Lunar Shift. The charge stand uses the same durable material and shares the same shimmery colors as the Lunar Shift Special Edition Wireless Controller, making it a great choice to proudly display your new controller.

Don’t attempt this RGB Steam Deck mod just yet

This neat mod adds RGB lighting to the back of the Steam Deck, but it can damage the device.

As cool as the Steam Deck looks with RGB lighting, you might not want to attempt to mod your device just yet. One Reddit user who tried the mod found that while adding the RGB LEDs doesn’t draw a significant amount of power from the battery, it can cause pretty big issues with the Steam Deck’s motherboard.

The “RGBDeck” mod started making the rounds on Reddit earlier this month, with u/WUBBSY documenting the process of affixing a small microcontroller and LED strips to the device. They topped it off with a transparent backing from JSAUX, allowing the lights to shine through the case while the Steam Deck’s switched on. The end result gives the Steam Deck a nice pop of color (in a very gamer PC kind of way).

Adam Honse (u/CalcProgrammer1), the developer behind the open-source lighting platform OpenRGB, also attempted the mod and even came up with an integration that lets users adjust the Steam Deck’s lighting through the app. However, Honse has since posted an update on Saturday night that advises against trying it, noting that it “seems to be a significant hurt on the motherboard.”

According to Honse, the source of the issue is a tiny component “that did not like the added power draw on the internal USB connection between the motherboard and controller PCB,” where he sourced the 5V needed to power the RGB lights. That piece ended up failing after a few days, causing the lights and controller to exhibit some funky behavior before they stopped working altogether.

It also did some damage to a component on the Steam Deck’s motherboard, which is supposed to cut off the 5V of power to the controller board when the device is in sleep mode. As explained by Honse, that piece no longer switches the power off to the controller when the Steam Deck’s on standby, causing the device to lose power. “We’ll need to find a new source of 5V power that can handle higher current,” Honse explains.