Tuesday, November 30, 2021

2022 Video Game Release Schedule

If you're wondering what games are coming up in 2022, we've put them all in one convenient location. This list will be continually updated to act as a living, breathing schedule as new dates are announced, titles are delayed, and big reveals happen. This should help you plan out your next several months in gaming and beyond.

As the gaming calendar is constantly changing, we highly recommend you bookmark this page. You'll likely find yourself coming back to this to find out the most recent release schedule for the most anticipated games across PC, consoles, handhelds, and mobile devices. If you notice that we've missed something, feel free to let us know! Please note that games will not get assigned to a month until they have confirmed release dates.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

January

Madison (PC) – Weird West (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – Monster Hunter Rise (PC) –  – Read review God Of War (PC) –  – Read review Rainbow Six Extraction (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC) – Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch) –
Horizon Forbidden West

February

Life is Strange Remastered Collection (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – The Waylanders (PC) – Dying Light 2 Stay Human (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – Sifu (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC) – Know By Heart (PC) – Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – The King of Fighters XV (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PC) – Horizon Forbidden West (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4) – Destiny 2: The Witch Queen (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC) – Monark (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, PC) – Martha Is Dead (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – Elden Ring (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) –
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands

March

Elex II (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous (PlayStation 4, Xbox One) – Gran Turismo 7 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4) – Triangle Strategy (Switch) – Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) –
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl

April

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (Switch) –  – Read review S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl (Xbox Series X/S, PC) –
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown

September

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) –
Starfield

November

Starfield (Xbox Series X/S, PC) –
GhostWire: Tokyo

To Be Announced

A Little to the Left (PC) A Plague Tale: Requiem (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) A Quiet Place Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (Switch) Arcadegeddon (PlayStation 5, PC) Ashwalkers (Switch) Asterigos (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC) Astroneer (Switch) Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia, PC) Aztech Forgotten Gods (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Bayonetta 3 (Switch) Bear and Breakfast (Switch, PC) Blood Bowl 3 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince (Switch, PC) Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (Switch, PC) Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch) Company of Heroes 3 (PC) Crossfire: Legion (PC) Cult of the Lamb (PC) Cursed to Golf (Switch, PC) Cyber Knights: Flashpoint (PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android) Cyberpunk 2077 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)  – Read review Deathverse: Let It Die (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4) Demon Throttle (Switch) Destiny 2: Lightfall Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) Diablo Immortal (iOS, Android) Digimon Survive (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Dolmen (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Dordogne  (Switch, PC) Dragon Ball: The Breakers (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) EA Sports PGA Tour Earthlock 2 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Edge of Eternity (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One) eFootball 2022 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) Endling (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Evil Dead: The Game (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Eville (PC) ExoMecha (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One) Far: Changing Tides (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis (iOS, Android) Forspoken (PlayStation 5, PC) GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon (Switch, PC) GhostWire: Tokyo (PlayStation 5, PC) God of War: Ragnarok (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4) Goodbye Volcano High (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC) Gotham Knights (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Grand Theft Auto V (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)  – Read review Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition (iOS, Android) Grid Legends (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Grotto (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch) Gungrave G.O.R.E. (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Hogwarts Legacy (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) How to Say Goodbye (PC, Mac) I Am Jesus Christ (PC) In Sound Mind (Switch) Instinction (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC) Jack Move (Switch, PC) Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja (PC) Keo (PC) Kerbal Space Program 2 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch) Lab Rat (Xbox Series X/S, PC) Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (Switch)  – Read review Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (Switch)  – Read review Last Days of Lazarus (Xbox One, Switch, PC) LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Lil Gator Game (Switch, PC) Little Devil Inside (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Lost Ark (PC) LumbearJack (Switch, PC) Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Switch) Marvel's Midnight Suns (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Metal Slug Tactics (Switch, PC) Metal: Hellsinger (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Midnight Fight Express (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Mineko's Night Market (Switch, PC, Mac) MultiVersus (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Nobody Saves the World (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, PC) Pac-Man Museum + (Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Park Beyond (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) Phantom Abyss (PC) Phantom Breaker: Omnia (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Planet of Lana (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) Pokémon Trading Card Game Live (PC, Mac, iOS, Android) Prehistoric Kingdom (PC) Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time Remake (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Read Only Memories: Neurodiver (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Redfall (Xbox Series X/S, PC) Replaced (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) Rogue Lords (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch) Rune Factory 5 (Switch) Salt and Sacrifice (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC) Scars Above (PC) Scavengers (PC) Sea Of Stars (PC) Serial Cleaners (PC) Shadow Warrior 3 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Shovel Knight Dig Shredders (Xbox Series X/S) Skull & Bones (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Slime Rancher 2 (Xbox Series X/S) Sol Cresta (PlayStation 4, Switch, PC) Somerville Sons of the Forest (PC) Souldiers (Switch, PC) Splatoon 3 (Switch) Star Ocean The Divine Force (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Star Wars: Hunters (Switch, iOS, Android) Stray (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC) Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) Tchia (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Switch, PC) Temtem (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) The Callisto Protocol The Chant (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) The Invincible (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) The Last Oricuru (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel (Switch) The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) The Outlast Trials (PC) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)  – Read review Thymesia (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) Total War: Warhammer III (PC) Trek to Yomi (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) Two Point Campus (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (PlayStation 5, PC) Untitled 2022 Sonic Game Untitled Layers of Fear Game Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt (PlayStation 5, PC) Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) Voidtrain (PC) Volcanoids (PC) Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (Xbox Series X/S, PC) We Are OFK (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC) Wizard With a Gun (Switch, PC) WWE 2K22

« 2021 Video Game Release Schedule

Halo Infinite: New Multiplayer Update Gives Players Increased XP In First Six Matches

For many of us at Game Informer, Halo Infinite's free-to-play multiplayer is a blast that feels nostalgic and refreshingly new at the same time. However, a point of contention (one that's also been shared by the wider Halo community) is the monotonous grind of accumulating XP points. Infinite's progression system leaves a lot to be desired, and leveling tends to be a painful slog. Initially, 343 Industries implemented an update to give players longer durations for XP boosts (among other features). Today's new update goes a step further and increases XP payouts for the first six matches of each day. 

343 community manager John Junyszek took to Twitter (see above) to talk about how the new changes were in direct response to previous multiplayer progression updates:

"When we made our initial change to progression, which added Daily "Play 1 Game" Challenges, updated Weekly Challenges, and doubled the duration of 2XP Boosts, we promised that we'd monitor the data and make additional changes if needed. Now, it's time to follow up on that. After seeing how XP was earned with those changes, we noticed that players were starting their sessions with slower payouts than we'd like. To address this, we will be increasing the XP payout for the first 6 matches of each day."

This comes a day after 343's head of design, Jerry Hook, noted his frustrations with Infinite's progression and promised that the dev team would prioritize a fix. The XP points that correlate with each match are as follows:

  • 1st Game = 300XP
  • 2nd Game = 200XP
  • 3rd Game = 200XP
  • 4th Game = 100XP
  • 5th Game = 100XP
  • 6th Game = 100XP
  • 7th+ Game = 50XP

Junyszek concluded the thread by stating that the new update is a quick response based on player feedback and that more substantial changes are on the way but will take more time to configure. 

So, there you have it, Spartans. Halo Infinite's singleplayer story (coop is still in the works) launches on December 8 for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. To prepare for the Master Chief's upcoming journey, watch our exclusive interview about What You Need To Know About Halo Infinite's Campaign

Best Xbox Game Pass Deal UK: 2-Months of Game Pass Ultimate for £16

Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, and GTA San Andreas are all available on Xbox Game Pass, so this definitely isn't the time to let your subscription expire. Thankfully, I've found some excellent deals to keep your membership going for a little while longer.

I've found deals for both active and new Xbox Game Pass subscribers at the moment, both of which are incredible discounts, and well-worth stocking up on before the offer expires. Here's the absolute best Xbox Game Pass deals in the UK, available right now.

What is the Best Xbox Game Pass Deal?

Post-Cyber Monday sales, the best Xbox Game Pass deal right now comes in the form of a conversion trick. Right now, 3-months of Xbox Game Pass for PC is down to £15.99 on Amazon. This means if you're a current Game Pass Ultimate member, you can extend your current subscription at a reduced cost, as 3-months of Game Pass for PC will auto-convert to 2-months of Game Pass Ultimate (current members).

2-months of Ultimate would usually cost £21.98, so you're saving just under £6 in total. If you really want to maximise your savings, stack these Game Pass for PC codes, and get 4-months for £31.98 (saving you £11.98 in total), or 6-months for £47.97 (saving you £17.97).

I can personally confirm that this deal is active, and the conversion trick works perfectly, as I've tested it myself. Here are the relevant steps broken down for you as well.

How to Get 2-Months of Game Pass Ultimate for £16

  1. Confirm you are a current member of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
  2. Buy an Xbox Game Pass for PC (3-Month) Code - see here
  3. Enter the code at the official Microsoft web store - see here
  4. Microsoft will then auto-convert your membership to 2-months of Game Pass Ultimate

New Game Pass Users: How to Get 4-Months of Game Pass for £11.99

New Xbox Game Pass members can also secure a brilliant deal right now, all thanks to the Xbox Game Pass for PC sign-up offer. Just follow these steps if you're currently not a Game Pass member.

  1. Confirm you are currently NOT a member of Game Pass Ultimate
  2. Sign up to Xbox Game Pass for PC, 3-months for £1 - see here
  3. Upgrade your membership to Game Pass Ultimate for £10.99 - see here
  4. You will now have 4-months of Game Pass Ultimate for £11.99

66% Off Xbox Game Pass for PC Codes with Xbox Accessory Purchases

If you've bought any gaming accessories during the Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales, such as the Xbox 1TB SSD, make sure you take advantage of the discount code it has provided you with. This 66% code will get you an Xbox Game Pass for PC 3-month membership for just £7.99 (was £23.99).

This means if you convert it with your current Ultimate membership, you're getting 2-months of Ultimate for just £8. This is a huge discount, as 2-months would usually cost £21.98.

Will Halo Infinite be on Xbox Game Pass?

Halo Infinite's campaign will be available at no extra cost to current Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Halo Infinite's multiplayer is free-to-play, and is available for all Xbox users - so you don't need to be a Game Pass subscriber to play the online player-vs-player multiplayer.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.



source https://www.ign.com/articles/best-game-pass-deal-uk

Monday, November 29, 2021

New World Is Being Overrun By Fishing Bots

Bots are becoming an increasingly large problem in Amazon's New World MMO, and this time they're coming for your fish, PC Gamer reports.

Bots are a problem when any MMO launches, to be sure, but players on the New World subreddit are reporting what appears to be an increase in bots reaching higher levels, suggesting issues with bot reporting and the issuing of bans.

"Over the last week I have seen a huge influx of bots on my server again," writes Reddit user JustDaveInTheLBC. "But they're all higher level now, 20's & 30's. They're out harvesting and mining in full effect. Are other servers seeing this again? I've reported the same bot three times in three days. It's starting to get really annoying competing for materials with bots."

YouTuber Gladd has even made a game out of spotting bots in the wild, analyzing their behavior and movement in-game. Gladd points out characters casting fishing poles into currently empty lakes and beelining between empty ore deposits. At one point, he runs into what appears to be a bot doing the same beelining motion, and then seconds later runs into another character exhibiting the same bot-like behavior. Literally seconds after that, he encounters a third identical character.

Other players are expressing anger with Amazon for seemingly allowing bots to do as they please despite players submitting multiple reports.

One Reddit user described a bot that has remained in the same spot fishing for 18 hours a day, and continues to impact item prices in-game despite "hundreds" of reports.

"On Mag Mell, it is impossible for ocean fish in Restless because literally every hotspot has a bot that has been camping it for weeks, and I have reported them daily," user Ralisti wrote on the New World forums.

Without more input from Amazon, it's difficult to tell how deep the bot problem truly runs. IGN has reached out to Amazon's PR for comment.

New World has suffered from a number of exploits that are impacting the in-game economy, including repeated issues with gold duplication, and an ongoing currency crisis. The latest update's changes have also sparked off plenty of player backlash, spurring Amazon to apologize. Despite the struggles of launching a new MMO, New World has climbed to the top of Steam's most-played games of 2021.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/bot for IGN.



source https://www.ign.com/articles/new-world-bot-fishing

Call Of Duty Fans Reveal Why They Aren't Buying Vanguard

Activision Blizzard is currently facing serious ongoing allegations of harassment and mistreatment of marginalized workers. To learn more, please visit our timeline as well as our in-depth report on the subject.

This year's regularly scheduled Call of Duty entry — Call of Duty: Vanguard — doesn't appear to be doing as hot as previous Call of Duty games in terms of sales. One big reason why may be that everyone's just too busy playing other games.

GamesIndustry.biz, in collaboration with PAX and EGX, conducted a survey of 671 gaming convention attendees in recent months about their Call of Duty purchasing habits. Of those, 284 individuals said they had purchased a Call of Duty game in the last five years — but only 59 (21%) of that group said they had bought Vanguard.

Of the remaining group that had recently purchased a Call of Duty game but did not buy Vanguard, more than half of respondents (55%) said that they were too busy playing other games already.

In fact, a lot of respondents seemed to have other games on their minds. Thirty-four percent said they had played too much Call of Duty lately, and 14% said they were already happy with Call of Duty: Warzone. Another 11% said they were specifically waiting for another game to play, with some offering Battlefield 2042 and Halo: Infinite as examples.

Still others said they were put off by reviews (20%) or price (4%), not interested in WWII games (24%), did not want to support Activision Blizzard due to 'business practices' or 'treatment of employees' (6%), felt the community was full of cheaters (3%), thought the single-player mode wasn't good enough (2%), or thought the download size was too big (2%).

While this is a small sample of game enthusiasts, a seeming apathy toward Vanguard does seem to be reflected in early sales numbers. Vanguard sold fewer units at launch than last year's entry, Black Ops Cold War, in the UK and Europe, both in physical units (down 26%) and digital (down 44%). That said, in the same regions it remains the second-biggest game launch of 2021 (behind FIFA, as usual).

It's not getting the best review scores, either. While we thought Vanguard had a highly-polished campaign, said campaign is also very short and has a lack of variety, and its multiplayer didn't really distinguish itself from prior Call of Duties. And the critical consensus on Vanguard seems to be that it's just not quite as good as its Call of Duty brethren.

Meanwhile, fellow war shooter Battlefield 2042 is reviewing even worse, but last week was one of Steam's most-played games. Fortunately, the folks surveyed who were holding out for Halo Infinite look like they're in for something special.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.



source https://www.ign.com/articles/call-of-duty-fans-reveal-why-not-vanguard