With each day of new reveals and updates indies take the spotlight

At long last, the battle shall commence! We’re excited to announce that pre-orders are now available for Chivalry 2 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 Both versions come with a guaranteed spot in the Cross-Play Closed Beta on April 23-26.  The Chivalry 2 Closed beta is guaranteed with all pre-orders of the game and will be available on April 23, 2021 at 10:00am PT / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST. To download it to your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 system, visit the Chivalry 2 page at PlayStation Store, and simply add the beta to your library.  To celebrate the news, we present this special animated trailer that reveals the motivations of the Agatha Knights – one of the two factions you’ll play as in Chivalry 2 along with the Mason Order.   Play Video Buy Chivalry 2 on PlayStation 4 and you’ll get a free upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version.  Chivalry 2 is enhanced for PlayStation 5 and features 4K visuals and DualSense controller adaptive triggers and haptics. A few examples: On the left trigger, holding block gets harder as your stamina fallsThe right trigger will increase pressure for bows as you hold back the stringLocalized haptic feedback on strikes let you feel where every hit lands Chivalry 2 is a multiplayer first person slasher launching June 8 that throws players into the thick of epic, medieval warfare. Fight in massive 64-player battles across a variety of maps that feel straight out of the best medieval movies of all time. Whether you’re sieging a walled city to assassinate the heir to the throne, or setting a village on fire while peasants (and chickens) scream in protest – in Chivalry 2 you’ll use the freedom of traditional FPS-style control to become a whirlwind of steel on the battlefield.  Our team Torn Banner Studios is composed of industry veterans as well as members of the original development team for Chivalry: Medieval Warfare (2012). Chivalry 2 began development in 2017 and we’re so excited to finally unleash the full game in June 2021.  The Cross-Play Closed Beta (April 23-26) will be a global test with servers available worldwide. Here’s a tease of what you’ll be able to try out in the Cross-Play Closed Beta: Wage war in The Siege of Rudhelm, an epic Team Objective mode map that sees you protect or invade an entire city and its castleContinue the fight in more Team Objective, Team Deathmatch and Free-for-all mapsFind your fit: play as 12 subclasses ranging from Skirmisher (hybrid melee/ranged fighter) to Poleman (fighter that keeps opponents away with long melee range)Cut your teeth in a full tutorial- – learn every technique in the book. The full release will include all of the above — and more. In total you’ll fight in five unique Team Objective mode maps, which are sprawling, multi-stage levels where attackers have to push through each stage successfully or risk the entire game ending early. Siege entire cities in this mind-blowing game mode that truly feels like all-out war on a massive scale.  Chivalry 2 at full release will also have three additional, normal size maps to conquer in traditional Team Deathmatch and Free-for-all modes. But the conflict won’t end there! Much, much more content will be added after launch, including more maps, weapons and game modes.  As the battle approaches, here’s five tips for how to succeed in the Cross-Play Closed Beta: Swing with your hips, not your eyes! Think of the crosshair as the direction your character’s hips face. When you swing a weapon, you can turn your hips to accelerate into a hit.You can hold down a block if you’re feeling overwhelmed — but be sure to aim your block at the point of your enemy’s strike in order to parry, then riposte and earn the advantage. Look around you. Make use of interactive traps including spikes, bear traps, chandeliers and more to kill your enemy without even clashing your swords. No fight is complete without a bit of banter. Cycle the voice line and emote menus to shout out hundreds of hilarious character voice lines on demand. Feeling desperate? Chuck your weapon at the enemy and then pick up anything you can find around you to use as your improvised tool of death. How about a wagon wheel, a giant tree limb, or even a full sized church bell? Anything goes. Onward to glory!

At long last, the battle shall commence! We’re excited to announce that pre-orders are now available for Chivalry 2 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 Both versions come with a guaranteed spot in the Cross-Play Closed Beta on April 23-26.  The Chivalry 2 Closed beta is guaranteed with all pre-orders of the game and will be available on April 23, 2021 at 10:00am PT / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST. To download it to your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 system, visit the Chivalry 2 page at PlayStation Store, and simply add the beta to your library.  To celebrate the news, we present this special animated trailer that reveals the motivations of the Agatha Knights – one of the two factions you’ll play as in Chivalry 2 along with the Mason Order.   Play Video Buy Chivalry 2 on PlayStation 4 and you’ll get a free upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version.  Chivalry 2 is enhanced for PlayStation 5 and features 4K visuals and DualSense controller adaptive triggers and haptics. A few examples: On the left trigger, holding block gets harder as your stamina fallsThe right trigger will increase pressure for bows as you hold back the stringLocalized haptic feedback on strikes let you feel where every hit lands Chivalry 2 is a multiplayer first person slasher launching June 8 that throws players into the thick of epic, medieval warfare. Fight in massive 64-player battles across a variety of maps that feel straight out of the best medieval movies of all time. Whether you’re sieging a walled city to assassinate the heir to the throne, or setting a village on fire while peasants (and chickens) scream in protest – in Chivalry 2 you’ll use the freedom of traditional FPS-style control to become a whirlwind of steel on the battlefield.  Our team Torn Banner Studios is composed of industry veterans as well as members of the original development team for Chivalry: Medieval Warfare (2012). Chivalry 2 began development in 2017 and we’re so excited to finally unleash the full game in June 2021.  The Cross-Play Closed Beta (April 23-26) will be a global test with servers available worldwide. Here’s a tease of what you’ll be able to try out in the Cross-Play Closed Beta: Wage war in The Siege of Rudhelm, an epic Team Objective mode map that sees you protect or invade an entire city and its castleContinue the fight in more Team Objective, Team Deathmatch and Free-for-all mapsFind your fit: play as 12 subclasses ranging from Skirmisher (hybrid melee/ranged fighter) to Poleman (fighter that keeps opponents away with long melee range)Cut your teeth in a full tutorial- – learn every technique in the book. The full release will include all of the above — and more. In total you’ll fight in five unique Team Objective mode maps, which are sprawling, multi-stage levels where attackers have to push through each stage successfully or risk the entire game ending early. Siege entire cities in this mind-blowing game mode that truly feels like all-out war on a massive scale.  Chivalry 2 at full release will also have three additional, normal size maps to conquer in traditional Team Deathmatch and Free-for-all modes. But the conflict won’t end there! Much, much more content will be added after launch, including more maps, weapons and game modes.  As the battle approaches, here’s five tips for how to succeed in the Cross-Play Closed Beta: Swing with your hips, not your eyes! Think of the crosshair as the direction your character’s hips face. When you swing a weapon, you can turn your hips to accelerate into a hit.You can hold down a block if you’re feeling overwhelmed — but be sure to aim your block at the point of your enemy’s strike in order to parry, then riposte and earn the advantage. Look around you. Make use of interactive traps including spikes, bear traps, chandeliers and more to kill your enemy without even clashing your swords. No fight is complete without a bit of banter. Cycle the voice line and emote menus to shout out hundreds of hilarious character voice lines on demand. Feeling desperate? Chuck your weapon at the enemy and then pick up anything you can find around you to use as your improvised tool of death. How about a wagon wheel, a giant tree limb, or even a full sized church bell? Anything goes. Onward to glory!

Hello Travelers! The Genshin Impact dev team is back once again with some exciting details on Version 1.5, which lands on April 28. In this latest version update, Beneath the Light of Jadeite, you can hone your adventure and combat skills with new events and formidable new enemies, continue your journey with Zhongli, meet new friends Eula and Yanfei, and hang out with more of your favorite characters, creating new memories ranging from the fun to the philosophical. In addition, we are delighted to finally invite all Travelers to Teyvat to set up your very own home-away-from-home, where you can enjoy some much-needed moments of rest and respite from your busy journey through this world. More fun and friendship If you enjoyed the Hangout Events added to the game in Version 1.4, you may be glad to know that Version 1.5 gives you the chance to continue your hangout story with Noelle and start hanging out with Diona, the popular bartender of The Cat’s Tail in Mondstadt. We’d also like to introduce you to two new characters: Eula, the Spindrift Knight from Mondstadt, and Yanfei, a legal adviser from Liyue Harbor. As the Captain of the Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance Company, Eula is a five-star character, a claymore-user, and the bearer of a Cryo Vision. Her Elemental Skill, Icetide Vortex, increases her resistance to interruption and her DEF while dealing Cryo DMG. Her Elemental Burst deals AoE Cryo DMG to nearby enemies and creates a Lightfall Sword that follows her around for a certain duration, increasing her resistance to interruption. By dealing damage, Eula charges the Lightfall Sword until it explodes at the end of its duration, dealing AoE Physical DMG. Find out more about Eula in her upcoming story quest. Meanwhile, Yanfei is a young half-human, half-illuminated beast born in Liyue during peacetime. She has dedicated herself to studying and interpreting Liyue’s extensive legal code and helping her clients extricate themselves from even the most complicated of legal wrangles. The four-star Pyro-using catalyst-wielder generates Scarlet Seals with her Normal Attack, Elemental Skill, and Elemental Burst. Scarlet Seals provide a stackable buff that decreases Yanfei’s Stamina consumption and can be consumed to increase the power and range of her Charged Attacks. For those of you interested in the culture and history of Liyue, you’ll hopefully enjoy picking up where you left off with Zhongli to explore more legends and relics of the far-flung past. But be warned — sometimes, digging up the past reveals why it was buried so deep in the first place… Get ready to confront new enemies In Version 1.5, a new Trounce Domain and a new Boss Enemy will be introduced, offering perilous challenges for precious rewards. Azhdaha, the “Lord of Vishaps,” is a formidable adversary sealed deep underground, with the power to unleash various elemental attacks and change the environment of the battlefield. Once unlocked, Travelers will be able to challenge the Trounce Domain “Beneath the Dragon-Queller” and claim rare weekly rewards. Recently, a new boss-level enemy has also been discovered in Dragonspine. The Cryo Hypostasis is the latest addition to the Hypostasis series, and as well as bringing its unique combat style to the mix, Travelers will also need to contend with Sheer Cold during the battle. Another enemy worthy of introduction is the Abyss Lector: Violet Lightning, a new enemy from the Abyss. Unlike the Abyss Herald introduced in Version 1.4, the Abyss Lector prefers to use ranged attacks and wields the power of both Electro and Hydro. If that isn’t enough to deal with, some of its attacks also deduct Elemental Energy from the player. There’s nothing like a home brew  Still remember that magical teapot owned by a certain adeptus granny? Well, now you will have a chance to get your hands on your very own “Serenitea Pot,” courtesy of Madame Ping. Enter a realm you can call your own and build your dream home! The adepti of Liyue possess a number of miraculous abilities, one of which allows them to manifest an entire realm within a medium such as a teapot. Once you become the owner of the Serenitea Pot, you will be prompted to choose from several realm styles when you first enter: Floating Abode, Emerald Peak, and Cool Isle. Each has either a Mondstadt- or Liyue-style building with several indoor rooms and plenty of space for outdoor recreation. To make your realm into a place you can call home, you will need to remodel it inside and out. Thankfully, Tubby the teapot spirit will be on hand to help you with this task. As you travel around Teyvat, you will discover various furnishing blueprints, which can be used to make furnishings for your home. The more furnishings you make, the more Trust you can earn from Tubby, and the more help and resources Tubby can offer in return. Once your Trust Rank is high enough, Tubby can even help you switch realm layouts. The adeptal power that generated your realm will also generate Realm Currency over time. As you place more furnishings in your realm, the adeptal power will increase further, generating even more Realm Currency. Realm Currency can be exchanged in Tubby’s Realm Depot for furnishings and items, or traded with the Teapot Traveling Salesman, when he shows up, for precious wares and rare resources. You can also invite your friends to visit you in your realm. The Serenitea Pot item and the Realm Within that it provides access to will be added and supported from Version 1.5. Further gameplay and functions will follow in future updates. We’d also like to mention a couple of gameplay optimizations to look forward to in this version. The first three times you claim rewards in a week from Trounce Domains, it will only cost you 30 Original Resin. Also, you will now gain double the amount of Companionship EXP for gameplay completed in co-op mode. New seasonal challenges and events with bountiful rewards will also be on offer, but we’ll save the details on those until a later date. And finally: we are extremely excited to announce that a native version of Genshin Impact for PlayStation 5 will be released on April 28. With native support for PlayStation 5 comes 4K resolution, enhanced textures, and faster loading times. We look forward to sharing more details with you all in the near future, so watch this space.

The name Rick doesn't typically inspire fear and awe, but it definitely does with Splatterhouse. The hand-to-hand combat of this game alone makes it pretty metal, but what he can do with meat cleavers and other makeshift weapons? It's art, man. He can also regrow his limbs back if they are severed, so that's something nifty. Collecting the blood of his enemies, Rick powers up and rolls out to cause mayhem, destruction, and an impressive killstreak that would make the devil himself jealous.  [embedded content] Splatterhouse is a pretty straightforward single-player experience that holds a deeper plot than one might think. Driven by the desire to save his kidnapped girlfriend, Splatterhouse is honestly made even better by jamming out to your favorite band.  Band recommendations for this treasure include Judas Priest, Motorhead (RIP Lemmy), Anthrax, Fear Factory, and Children of Bodom.

There are quite a few gaming adaptations in the works, including a show based on a hit franchise from Naughty Dog. While we are still quite a bit away from a trailer, we do have another face that is joining the fray. HBO's The Last of Us TV series has revealed another new cast member, this time with Gabriel Luna playing the role of Joel's younger brother. As reported by Variety, Luna is the latest cast member to be joining the HBO adaptation as Tommy alongside Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) as Joel and Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) as Ellie. Tommy is a former soldier that is a bright ray of sunshine in an otherwise bleak world, and honestly? He's a good fit, especially with Pascal as the lead character.  Luna has an impressive roster of roles under his belt already, having played Gabriel/REV-9 in Terminator: Dark Fate, Robbie Reyes in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and Eddie Lunez in Rosewood.  In a new previous report from CBC Canada, the Director's Guild has confirmed the location and the time after months of rumors that this is where the show was headed. The Guild currently says that the HBO take is set to begin filming on July 5, 2021, in Calgary, with an expected wrap-up slated for June 8, 2022.  The upcoming TV series is under the umbrella of Sony Pictures Television, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog. The HBO adaptation is meant to be a new beginning for the franchise following The Last of Us Part II's release. The games themselves artfully intertwined combat and narrative cutscenes, so setting this franchise adapted in TV format isn't really a huge stretch. While the sequel was met with a very mixed reception, the first game is pretty universally loved. With reports that Sony is remaking The Last of Us for the PlayStation 5, it will be interesting to see a fresh lens on a universe that was a vital part of the last two generations.  What do you think about the latest casting decision regarding the upcoming The Last of Us TV series from HBO? How are you feeling about the franchise as a whole with so much news centered around it in the past year? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below and tell us what you think. Do it for Ellie.