Summer is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate its arrival than to spend some time looking at what’s been happening in the world of gaming this week?
Alright, alright, so that’s what we were planning to do anyway, but hey, any excuse is as good as any other, right? If you’ve been curious about the gaming world over the past seven days, we’ve got you covered.
Draw up a chair, make a cup of something hot (or a glass of something cold if you’re that way inclined) and let’s take a look at the week in gaming news!
A second Naughty Dog game is in the works as well as Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Last year, Naughty Dog announced Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, its latest action-adventure game, but it turns out that another project is in development alongside that game.
As confirmed by creative director Neil Druckmann, there is “another game that’s being worked on at Naughty Dog”, one on which Druckmann will serve as “more of a producer”.
Of course, Druckmann doesn’t announce what the game is, so we don’t know if it’s a new Uncharted game, a new entry in the Last of Us series, or something altogether new.
Another Helldivers 2 update is here
Helldivers 2 got another major new update this week, and this time, you’ll be defending the cities and landscapes of Super Earth against alien incursion.
The Heart of Democracy update takes the action to the home of democracy itself, Super Earth, and asks you to repel an Illuminate invasion from the planet’s surface.
You’ll be protecting civilians from Illuminate, helping roaming squads of soldiers to fend off aliens, and loading up planetary defence turrets to repel the otherworldly threat.
Clash of Clans is getting an animated series
Netflix announced this week that it’s bringing the world of mobile game Clash of Clans to the small screen thanks to an animated series coming…well, sometime in the future.
The show, which is currently in pre-production, will be directed by Clash of Clans animated video head Fletcher Moules, with Futurama producer Ron Weiner also joining the project.
According to Netflix, the show will revolve around a “determined but in-over-his-head Barbarian who must rally a band of misfits to defend their village and navigate the comically absurd politics of war”.
Randy Pitchford says you’ll buy Borderlands 4 for $80 “if you’re a real fan”
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford landed himself in hot water this week when he suggested that “real” Borderlands 4 fans would “find a way” to pay $80 dollars for the game.
When a fan expressed concern that the game might cost that much on release later this year, Pitchford responded that not only was the price of the game “not [his] call”, but that “if you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen”.
Naturally, the responses to Pitchford’s comment weren’t exactly positive, so either there are a heck of a lot of not-real Borderlands 4 fans out there or Pitchford has once again put his foot in it.
Stellar Blade 2 is happening
In a development that will almost certainly surprise precisely nobody, it was revealed this week that developer Shift Up is working on Stellar Blade 2.
The studio revealed the news as part of a financial presentation to mark its first quarter of the year, and while the mention of a Stellar Blade sequel is pretty fleeting, this is the first official confirmation we’ve had that such a project is coming.
Of course, given Stellar Blade’s success and popularity among its fanbase, we probably shouldn’t be shocked that a followup game is in the works.
Xbox Game Pass’ second May wave has been revealed
Xbox revealed which games are coming to its Game Pass service in the second half of May this week, and there are some bangers on the list.
Atlus’ JRPG Metaphor: ReFantazio is probably the biggest draw, but underrated Metroidvania Tales of Kenzera: Zau, looter-shooter The Division 2, and quirky action-adventure game To a T are all worth looking at as well.
That’s all in addition to this month’s Doom: The Dark Ages, which landed on the service a couple of weeks ago, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a weighty JRPG that many are still playing.
PlayStation Stars is coming to an end
It’s the end of an (admittedly rather underwhelming) era, as Sony announced this week that its PlayStation Stars loyalty program will be coming to an end.
According to Sony, you can no longer sign up for PlayStation Stars, and anyone who’s still a member of the program has until July 23rd to earn new points and level up.
After that, in November next year, the Stars program will come to a complete halt. You can still redeem any points you’ve got left over until then.
There’s some fun new Warhammer 40,000 stuff on the way
The Warhammer Skulls event was held this week, showcasing some of the things that are coming to the wargaming franchise in the near future, and there’s some fun video gaming stuff on the horizon.
First up, Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader developer Owlcat is working on a brand new CRPG by the name of Dark Heresy, which will be based on the tabletop property of the same name.
A sequel to boomer shooter Boltgun is also on the way, and we got to see the debut of the Leagues of Votann faction in Warhammer 40k: Mechanicus II as well.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is off to a good start
Beleaguered developer Level-5 revealed this week that “slow life” RPG Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time has already sold 500,000 copies in its first week.
If you’re playing the game right now, you might want to head in to claim your free gifts, which are being offered in order to celebrate the game’s milestone.
News of Fantasy Life’s strong sales performance will doubtless come as a relief to Level-5, which has been in dire need of a hit for a long time now.
