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'Rocket League' will go free-to-play on September 23rd
Current players will receive their Legacy items tomorrow.
Switch RPG 'Octopath Traveler' is coming to Android and iOS
Apparently, Square Enix doesn't believe Octopath Traveler is mobile enough. The developer has unveiled plans to bring the well-received Switch RPG to Android and iOS devices, in the form of a prequel, Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent. It'll preserve the signature mix of 3D environments with retro-style 2D characters, just with touchscreen-friendly controls. The team isn't shedding much light on the plot, but you'll play a 'Chosen One' who'll fight a horrific evil that has "fortune, power and fame."
EA's 'Apex Legends' already topped 10 million players
It has only been a few days since EA and Respawn Entertainment's battle royale entry appeared, and so far Apex Legends is getting a decent reception. Respawn CEO Vince Zampella announced that it has already attracted over 10 million players in three days on PS4, Xbox One and PC, with more than one million people playing at the same time. That still leaves it with considerable ground to make up on the game it most closely mimics, Epic's also free-to-play Fortnite, which last reported a peak concurrent user count of over 8.3 million, and may have topped that with 10 million during a live concert last week. While a vocal group online has expressed their disappointment that the game isn't Titanfall 3 -- EA said there is something new in that franchise on the way -- our impressions have been mostly positive so far. Now, whether or not it has staying power among the heap of similar shooters that includes Call of Duty: Blackout, PUBG and, of course, Fortnite, remains to be seen.
Classic puzzler 'Lemmings' returns as a free-to-play mobile game
It's been a long time since there was a Lemmings game on phones, but the clear-a-path game is back -- albeit with some catches. Sony and Sad Puppy have released the simply-titled Lemmings for Android and iOS (no, no PlayStation), offering that familiar experience of saving self-destructive creatures through their talents. The interface has logically been adapted to touchscreens, and Sad Puppy has gone so far as to design levels with vertical phone and tablet screens in mind. On the surface, at least, it's a dose of nostalgia for people who grew up on Psygnosis games, with a few modern twists like collectible "tribes" and online tournaments.
Konami launches free-to-play version of soccer sim 'PES 2019'
Looking for some football action without forking out full price for FIFA? Konami announced today that it is releasing PES 2019 Lite, a stripped down and free-to-play version of its soccer simulator, for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The focus of the "Lite" title is MyClub, a game mode that allows players to assemble super squads of their favorite footballs past and present. The mode includes optional in-app purchases, which may be how Konami plans to make its money with the free-to-play game.
‘Quake Champions’ is free-to-play forever
Id Software released Quake Champions out of beta and in to Steam Early Access a year ago as a revival of its predecessors' arena shooter gameplay. Later, the studio stated that the game would be free to play, but only once the game fully launched. But at QuakeCon today, it announced the title is F2P, now and forever.
Battle royale shooter 'H1Z1' officially arrives on PS4
You're in a tough spot if you're a PS4 owner who likes battle royale, but doesn't care much about Fortnite. PUBG is a no-go, Realm Royale is still in a closed beta and titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will cost money just to play. It's a good thing, then, that Daybreak has officially launched H1Z1 after weeks of open testing. The free-to-play shooter makes its formal debut on the console with familiar game mechanics that focus on fast-paced matches in a semi-realistic world. The main improvement is content -- the 'finished' version has considerably more than you initially saw in the beta.
Co-op shooter 'Warframe' is coming to Nintendo Switch
Add another game to the list of seemingly unlikely Switch ports. Digital Extremes has announced that its cooperative free-to-play shooter Warframe is coming to Nintendo's console. There are precious few details -- not even a general release window. Doom and Wolfenstein port developer Panic Button is responsible for this conversion, though, so you can expect some creative software tricks to make the title play as well as its PS4, Xbox One and PC variants without sacrificing too much of the visual splendor.
'Jurassic World Alive' is like 'Pokémon Go' with dinosaurs
Before kids had Pokémon to obsess over and memorize, they had dinosaurs. And now, Universal Studios and developer Ludia Inc. are smashing those two worlds together with Jurassic World Alive, basically Pokémon Go with dinosaurs. From the looks of the launch trailer below, that's an accurate summation rather than a reductive statement.
The latest Harry Potter mobile game puts Hogwarts in your pocket
In Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, which launched today for Android and iOS, players create their own character and progress through seven years of rigorous tutelage at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They must choose their preferred House, survive potions class with Professor Snape, Transfigure themselves under the supervision of Professor McGonagall and even duel with other students. Not only that, players must also unravel the mystery as to why their in-game older brother was expelled from Hogwarts and reveal the sinister secrets he was pursuing.
Battle royale pioneer 'H1Z1' comes to PS4 on May 22nd
PS4 players don't have many major choices for battle royale games: there's Fortnite, of course, but you won't find PUBG or up-and-coming games like Radical Heights. All that is about to change in a month, though, as Daybreak is releasing H1Z1 (the title that arguably started the battle royale trend) an open PS4 beta on May 22nd. It'll remain free-to-play with purchasable cosmetic items, but will pack new progression mechanics to keep things quick, including the pacing of the gas (the zone of death in battle royale titles) and airdrops.
Battle royale hybrid 'Darwin Project' is now free to play
It's tough to compete in the battle royale world, especially with Fortnite in the room. How do you convince players to try your game if they aren't immediately enraptured? Scavengers Studio knows how: give it away. The company has turned E3 darling The Darwin Project into a free-to-play title, with a new customization progression system coming on April 24th. Scavengers isn't shy about the reasoning, noting that a lack of players on some servers led to longer queues and trouble finding matches for the survival-themed brawler.
Cliff Bleszinski's 'LawBreakers' is in a death spiral
LawBreakers, the gravity-defying shooter from Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski, is on borrowed time. The game has never had a huge player-base, even after doling out new game modes and offering up free-play weekends. Developer Boss Key took to its blog to say as much. "The fact is LawBreakers failed to find enough of an audience to generate the funds necessary to keep it sustained in the manner we had originally planned," the post reads.
CrunchyRoll's first game is based on 'DanMachi'
Anime streaming network CrunchyRoll is making a video game based on the Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? series. The free-to-play Memoria Freese/Dan-Memo is available for both Android and iOS and will feature in-app purchases and an original storyline from the show's first season. Series creator Fujino Omori is handling writing duties, with Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Inori Minase, Saori Ōnishi and others lending their talents to the voice cast. And don't worry about dubs here: CrunchyRoll promises there will be Japanese voices with English subtitles.
Blizzard is making a 'StarCraft II' campaign free to play
Blizzard is taking StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty's campaign free to play. As Polygon reports, come November 14th, you'll have access to the entire narrative and if you already own that, you'll get the Protoss-themed Heart of the Swarm campaign for free. The other narratives will run you $15 each. Unlike StarCraft II: Starter Edition that included free multiplayer, the adversarial mode that comes in tow here will feature ranked play -- not just casual, unranked matches.
Sequel to 'Final Fantasy' creator's free-to-play game launches today
Final Fantasy creator Hironubu Sakaguchi has had some good success with his action-RPG-puzzle mobile game, Terra Battle. The free-to-play sequel — Terra Battle 2 — is out on both iOS and Android, but if you want to play it, you'll need to wait until 11:00 PM PT on September 20th, according to the in-game message you'll get when launching the app.
'Adventure Time' role-playing battles come to your smartphone
There are more than a few Adventure Time mobile games out there, but deep games? Not as many. However, YesGnome and Cartoon Network want to improve this state of affairs. They've just launched Champions and Challengers, a tactical game for Android and iOS that has you gathering and outfitting a team from over 70 heroes (including Finn, Jake, Fionna, Cake and Princess Bubblegum) and pitting them against rivals in Final Fantasy-style, turn-based role-playing battles. There are over 120 battles in the solo game, where you take on the Dice Lord, but you can also square off against other players online.
‘Quake Champions’ isn’t finished, but you can play it August 22nd
Been green with envy over your pals playing the Quake Champions closed beta? Time to stop being jealous and start working on your rocket jumping because the classic shooter's revival is moving to Steam's Early Access on August 22nd, where everyone can play. Now, there was an open beta during E3, but that was a limited-time deal. To celebrate, publisher Bethesda is knocking 25 percent off the Champions Pack, bringing the price down to $29.99.
Command a spaceship fleet in the 'Dreadnought' PS4 open beta
Ever dreamed of commanding a whole fleet of giant spaceships? You now have your chance. Six Foot, Yager and Grey Box have launched the PS4 open beta for Dreadnought, their long-in-the-making tactical space battler. The test expands on the long-running closed tests on PC and PS4 by giving everyone access to eight new maps, a new vessel (the Trident Hero Ship), an in-game friends list, squads and a slew of PS4-specific additions like PS4 Pro support and Remote Play. An expanded beta like this wouldn't normally garner so much attention, but the closed betas (and the open beta on PC) have racked up some positive buzz -- this is a game concept that appears to work well in practice.
The 'Futurama' crew returns today in a new mobile game
Good news, everyone: after no small amount of hype, you can revisit the Futurama universe on your phone. Jam City's TinyCo has released Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow for free on both Android and iOS. It's clearly another not-so-subtle attempt to cash in on a much-loved TV series, but this title promises to do more than trade on a familiar name. It has a relatively rich story created by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen and a writing team from the show, and the original show cast is on tap for dialogue. However, the most intriguing part may be its extremely varied gameplay -- it's more ambitious than many console or PC titles in some ways, even if it's not necessarily as deep.
