Games

Welcome to day 3 of the world’s biggest gaming event and the Capcom E3 2021 presentation. Yesterday we caught the PC gaming show as well as the Guardians of the Galaxy title in the Square Enix showcase and the massive 90-minute long Xbox and Bethesda event. Before that we saw Ubisoft take the stage just after our first good look at Elden Ring, but it’s now time to hear what Capcom has brought to the virtual show floor this year. Head below to watch the Capcom E3 2021 presentation. 

It is now time for the Square Enix E3 2021 presentation. Hot on the heels of the massive Microsoft and Bethesda event that just wrapped up (new Starfield footage, 27 Game Pass titles, Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, and more), it is now time to see what Square Enix has in store. You’ll want to catch up on the Ubisoft and Gearbox events from yesterday as well as the Summer Game Fest presentation that capped off with an Elden Ring reveal, but for now all eyes are focused on the future of gaming during the Square Enix E3 2021 showcase. It’s waiting for you down below. 

Welcome to the Microsoft Xbox E3 2021 showcase, Bethesda included: Halo Infinite, Fable, Elder Scrolls 6, Starfield, Indiana Jones, and more. Microsoft acquired the behemoth game publisher for an equally massive $7.5 billion last year, which should almost certainly make for a particularly special event today. We have already caught some major reveals and announcements this year, including Elden Ring, Rainbow Six Extraction and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope alongside everything from yesterday’s Gearbox presentation. While we’ll have coverage of today’s big Square Enix show later this afternoon, for now it’s on to one of this year’s biggest events, the Xbox E3 2021 showcase, and it all starts now down below. 

E3 2021 is now in full swing with yesterday’s showcase (Elden Ring included), and Microsoft has now announced its second Summer Game Fest Demo event. Last year, as part of Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest promotion, Microsoft offered up loads of playable demos to its gamer base via the ID@Xbox Summer Game Fest Demo event, and it will be making a triumphant return again this year. Starting next week, there will be over 40 demos for gamers to try out, almost like being on the show floor at E3. Head below for more details. 

While the show proper doesn’t start until June 12, OtterBox is unofficially kicking off E3 2021 today with the announcement of its new Power Swap Controller Batteries. Officially part of the “Designed for Xbox program,” the OtterBox Power Swap Controller Batteries offer what the brand refers to as an “industry-first power solution for console and cloud gamers at E3” with uninterrupted gameplay time in a complete wire-free setup. Head below for a closer look. 

E3 2021 is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, June 12, but we will actually be getting some major presentations well before that, including today’s Summer Game Fest showcase. Hosted by video game personality Geoff Keighley, Summer Game Fest initially started last year as a sort of replacement for the cancelled E3 2020 event and has transformed into what will presumably be a yearly summer celebration of gaming. This year it’s showing up to E3 2021 with a host of its own special game reveals and announcements including Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War content, Among Us, gameplay world premieres, and some “other surprises and reveals.” It all starts now, and you can watch the live stream down below. 

Today’s the day. Battlefield 2042 has been announced, and we got our first glimpse at the game during the reveal trailer. Battlefield is out of the early 20th century and is now solidly seated 21 years in the future, taking place in 2042. This time around, you’ll have to battle dynamic storms, environmental hazards, and “total combat freedom” to become the winning team in the up-to-128-player battles. So, what all did we learn today? Let’s take a closer look.

After unveiling its 12-in-1 Mortal Kombat Legacy Cabinet and seven others at CES earlier this year, Arcade1Up is now announcing a new Simpsons arcade machine. And by new we mean a sort of re-release of The Simpsons classic arcade in celebration of the original’s 30th anniversary. We still don’t have all of the details on the new 3/4 scale machine just yet, but we do have pre-order information and a closer look at the marquee art down below. 

Massively multiplayer online games (MMO for short) can be a load of fun. Sure, things like Apex Legends, Call of Duty, and many other titles are technically MMO, but nothing fits the category better than sims, I think. While I’m still waiting for proper multiplayer support in Sims 4, there’s a distinct lack of fun in online multiplayer sims that don’t have some form of heavy story to them. In comes Palia, a unique MMO that features an “enchanting world full of mystery.” You play as a newly re-emerged human in Palia, where you’ll have to find your place in the world. What all does it entail, and how does the game itself look? Well, the trailer has me intrigued for sure, so let’s take a closer look.

A new wave of consoles tends to lead to a bunch of new accessories, and a couple of new Hori offerings are now available for pre-order. There’s a new Hori DualSense Dual Charger and a 3D Surround Gaming Neckset that works with Xbox Series X|S. While the former tries to go head-to-head with Sony’s first-party DualSense charging dock, the same cannot be said about Hori’s gaming-focused Neckset. Wearable speakers have been made by Sony, Bose, and others, but none of those were specifically made with game consoles in mind. Continue reading to learn more.

Remember that quirky little Playdate handheld gaming console we featured last year? Well, it’s finally ready to hit store shelves after a series of delays alongside a completely new slate of launch titles and internals. Made in collaboration with equally as unique boutique tech brand Teenage Engineering, the mini hand crank-laden handheld looks as though it’s actually about to see the light of day with a launch presentation scheduled for next week. More details below. 

With rumors of a potential Nintendo Switch Pro console announcement looming, we now have details on the Nintendo E3 schedule for this year’s show. After last year’s event was cancelled, the ESA confirmed this year’s all-digital show in April followed by details on the virtual show floor, social lounges, and the usual smattering of broadcasted events. And now, Nintendo has taken to its official Twitter account to confirm the details of its E3 showcase, but it doesn’t sound like this is where we are going to get details on the new Nintendo Switch Pro (maybe). More details below. 

Well, the day has finally come for us to see some actual Horizon Forbidden West gameplay. Sony has a special State of Play event scheduled for later this afternoon focused on Aloy’s next adventure on PlayStation 5, and we will be covering the event down below, as it happens, come 5 p.m. ET. It has been nearly a year since Sony and Guerrilla Games showed off their highly-anticipated next massive open-world game, but it’s only a matter of time now before we see the new frontier region (roughly modern-day Utah and the west coast) and Aloy in action once again. Head below for more details and to watch today’s  Horizon Forbidden West gameplay presentation. 

We now have the official release dates for the next open-world Pokémon games including Pokémon Legend Arceus and the upcoming remakes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. All three titles were announced back at the tail end of February during a special Pokémon Presents showcase where we saw more of the now released New Pokémon Snap. The Nintendo Switch exclusives will start to hit store shelves just in time for holiday 2021, but you’ll have to wait a bit longer than that for the next highly anticipated mainline Pokémon RPG. All of the details are waiting for you below. 

While we got a glimpse as to what’s to come this summer for The Sims 4, June 1 will be the start of upcoming content for the game. It’s starting with the The Sims 4 Dream Home Decorator Game Pack, which will allow you to become the interior decorator that you’ve always wanted to be. The latest Sims 4 blog was translated from Simlish and is written by Patina Wainscot, an interior designer inside of the Sims 4 game, so let’s take a look at what she has to say.

After seeing some enhancements to Super Mario Party and the release of PAC-MAN 99 battle royale, Nintendo has now unveiled the next entries to the Switch Online game library. While this month’s additions aren’t quite as popular as some of the Donkey Kong and Mario titles, it will bring the total number of games available to subscribers to more than 100. While new games aren’t landing on the server quite as regularly as they once did a couple years back, the library has since become an impressive one and is really the main reason most gamers will pay the $20-per-year fee for it. Head below for more details on the titles hitting the service next week. 

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey is the latest step in Frontier’s long-term vision for the game. We first wrote about it in June of last year, as the expansion that would let players take their first steps off a ship in the game’s history. Well, that update is finally here, and we now have our first trailer to showcase just what Elite Dangerous: Odyssey will consist of.

After launching another year of its Play at Home campaign, more freebies are coming our way as part of the PlayStation 2021 Days of Play program. This year’s event is focused on multiplayer action, plenty of exclusive PlayStation freebies, and bringing the community together. That’s on top of scheduled and specially themed “Share of the Week” content as well as an upcoming Days of Play game sale on PSN. Let’s dive in down below. 

With Mario Golf Super Rush — the latest entry in Mario’s golfing career — set to launch on Switch in June, Nintendo has now released a brand-new overview trailer to give gamers a better idea of what to expect on the course next month. The game initially debuted during Nintendo’s big Direct presentation in February, but we now have a much better idea of the characters, a battle royale-style mode, RPG campaign, and more. Now up for pre-order, you’ll find even more details sown below alongside today’s new Mario Golf Super Rush overview trailer. 

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, first talked about back in 2019 and then confirmed in 2020, received its first DLC today dubbed Wrath of the Druids. This isn’t just a standard DLC, either, as it’s the game’s first major expansion. It’ll bring players to Ireland and allow them to “uncover the secrets of a mysterious ancient cult.” You’ll discover the occult forests, haunted landscapes, and gain influence among regional kings. Sound interesting? Keep reading to find out everything we know about this expansion and how to get it for yourself.

Fans of the Mandalorian have had no shortage of merchandise from the popular Star Wars series to get their hands on as of late, but a popular pinball game maker is now joining the fray with the launch of some all-new arcade machines. Sporting three different designs straight out of a galaxy far, far away, these limited-edition cabinets pair the brand’s expertise with some unique Mandalorian-inspired designs. Head below for all of the details.

This year, Xbox turns 20. That’s right, our favorite gaming console is nearly of legal age, and Microsoft is taking a walk back down memory lane for a celebration. You’ll find exclusive gear drops, wallpapers, profiles, and even the ability to go back to where it all started: Halo. So, let’s take that stroll back in time and see how far Microsoft has come in the past two decades.

We now have even more details on what to expect from this year’s E3. After confirming there would be a digital event for 2021 back in April, the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) has issued a press release today with plenty of details on how E3 2021 will roll out, including a series of broadcasted events, social forums, and even a virtual show floor of sorts. Head below for all of the details. 

Sony just unveiled two new DualSense controller colors via the official PlayStation Blog. Set for release starting next month, the new Midnight Black DualSense is joined by a Cosmic Red take on the latest PlayStation 5 controller. The announcement comes alongside a new reveal trailer you’ll find below alongside more specific details on when and where to score one next month. Hit the jump for more details. 

Few games achieve the longstanding popularity that Minecraft has garnered. It was officially released in 2011 and became so popular that Microsoft decided to buy it for $2.5 billion roughly three years later. Fast forward to today, and it’s available on even more platforms and is popular pretty much everywhere it is sold. To keep the game fresh, quite a bit of Minecraft DLC has debuted over the years. This trend continues with both Minecraft and Minecraft Dungeons getting more new and exciting content. Continue reading to learn more.

Destiny 2 Season 14, Season of the Splicer, launched today. With it comes quite a bit of new content, but there’s one thing that’s working for some that we’ve been waiting for: cross-play. Now, it’s not in full swing, and it doesn’t work in every scenario, but multiple people have reported being able to cross-play with PC and Xbox in Season of the Splicer. This feature wasn’t set to roll out until Season 15, which launches this fall, but it’s awesome to see it already working. So, let’s take a closer look as to why cross-play is seemingly working, as well as the other changes that Destiny 2: Season of the Splicer brings to the table.

We first heard about Mass Effect: Legendary Edition back in February. With fresh information being released over the past few months, the game is set to launch on console and PC this Friday. Featuring brand-new 4K visuals, enhanced performance, and HDR, there’s quite a bit to explore in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the game and where you can pre-order it.

A whole host of Nyko console accessories have launched today. Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5 have all been shown some love. Nyko takes on Sony with a DualSense dock of its own called Charge Arc, and there’s even an affordable Switch controller dubbed Prime, which clocks in at a fraction of the cost of Nintendo’s Pro solution. It doesn’t stop there, though, as a few gaming headsets are also up for grabs, all of which are quite affordable. Continue reading to learn more.

Star Wars Day game deals are now starting to go live on the digital Xbox store, Nintendo’s eShop, the App Store, Google Play, and PSN. While we are still a few days away from this year’s big May the 4th celebration, as is customary, the game deals are already going live. Microsoft has kicked off a wide-ranging Star Wars game sale featuring titles new and old alongside some classics on the eShop and we are even starting to see some PSN price drops as well. Head below for a closer look at the now live Star Wars Day game deals alongside some great little mobile apps and more.

We’ve been talking about Apex Legends Legacy for the past few weeks now, taking deeper dives into the Arenas mode and overviews of all the changes coming with the update. Today, the patch notes dropped for the incoming expansion starting on May 4, so let’s take a look at the changes we can expect to see in Apex Legends Legacy.

We are about to get bombarded with Star Wars Day deals (they have already started), and we now have the specifics on what to expect from the 2021 May the 4th celebration. Over on the official Star Wars blog, Disney and friends have unveiled a massive collection of games and experiences that will be on tap for this year’s festivities, including everything from PC titles and mobile games to “details on the release of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order for next-gen consoles” and Minecraft add-ons. There’s a lot to get through here, but you’ll find the highlights broken down below the fold. 

Ok folks, like it or not, it looks like we’re going to be getting some SEGA NFTs here in the near future and possibly even injected into future game releases. In a recent announcement, SEGA said it plans to begin supporting and selling NFTs related to its classic games and characters. This move comes along with the announcement of a partnership with Japanese game and blockchain platform company Double Jump Tokyo — SEGA has invested an undisclosed amount in the brand as well. Head below for more details. 

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart launches on June 11, which is under two months away at this point. It’s a “brand-new, full-length standalone Ratchet & Clank adventure” that’s geared toward both returning players and newcomers alike, according to Insomniac Games. While we got a look at the title back in February, it’s time to take a deeper dive into what we’ll get with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, as we now have our first look at an all-new character, Rivet.

Nintendo is finally issuing a free update to introduce proper Super Mario Party online play. While the game launched back in 2018 with some online action included, there were only a small number of mini games that could be enjoyed over the internet with friends, which is something that always seemed lacking for a flagship Nintendo at-home party game. But with the free update that’s launching today, all but 10 of the 80 in-game activities can now be played with friends online. Head below for more details on today’s Super Mario Party online update. 

Last week, we got our first look at the upcoming Apex Legends Season 9 update, dubbed Legacy this time around. Centered around Valkyrie and her legacy, this update was also rumored to bring an all-new game mode. Well, it’s rumor no more. Apex Legends Arenas is official as of this afternoon, and will be a part of the upcoming Legacy update. So, what will this 3v3 game mode bring and how will it play? Let’s take a closer look.

Today we’re looking at the recently announced Evercade VS — a new console version of the handheld Evercade machine that debuted last year. It provides a sort of nostalgic approach to retro gaming, with proprietary cartridges as opposed to those emulator consoles in which you stick an SD card. The Evercade VS console version plays (almost) all of the same Evercade titles, but adds in some new capabilities like multiplayer action and a dual cartridge slot. Head below for a closer look and more details on the new Evercade VS. 

Just in time for the release of New Pokemon Snap at the end of the month, Fujifilm is launching a new mini Nintendo Switch printer. Based on the brand’s Instax Mini Link smartphone printer, Fujifilm and Nintendo have now joined forces for a special edition model that will allow gamers to print directly from their Switch console to the printer via a dedicated smartphone app. The oddly named INSTAX Mini Link for Nintendo Switch Smartphone Printer is not just for New Pokemon Snap, though. It also works with Animal Crossing New Horizons, Super Mario Odyssey, and just about every other title your Switch can play. Head below for more details and a closer look. 

EA has just announced a new standalone Battlefield mobile game. Along with a new AAA console/PC title in the works, EA has now unveiled a new Battlefield game, made from the ground up from iOS and Android to “kick off all-out war on smartphones and tablets.” Likely looking to tap into the wild success its direct competitors have experienced on mobile platforms, Battlefield will finally make its way to your pocket computer sometime next year. More details below. 

Way back at CES 2020, we heard a new mini Street Fighter arcade was on the way from My Arcade, and it is finally here. Part of its growing Micro Player lineup of mini collectible, but very much playable, arcade machines, the latest entry in the family brings 1992’s Street Fighter II Champion Edition to a tiny screen near you. Just starting to go up for sale at Amazon and elsewhere, be sure to head below for a closer look and more details on the new mini Street Fighter arcade. 

Sony gave its new console’s controller a significant overhaul. Not only are haptics taken to the next level, but tension in the triggers can be tweaked by developers to make interacting with a variety of items feel different in games. Unlike Microsoft, the new DualSense controller relies on a built-in rechargeable battery for power. This approach can leave you stranded once out of power until you can refuel it or rely on a tethered connection while gaming. Thankfully a new Hyperkin DualSense Battery Pack is here to save the day. Continue reading to learn more.

Xbox Game Pass members will get MLB The Show 21, Fable Anniversary, Phogs!, Second Extinction, Destroy All Humans!, and more this month. Microsoft took to the Xbox Wire blog today for another edition of its “Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass” feature this morning. You’ll find details on when and how each of these titles will or are already available as well as details of improved touch controls for a series of cloud-enabled titles. Everything you need to know is waiting for you below. 

Apex Legends is about to enter its ninth season on May 4, and with it, we’ll be getting a new Legend, weapon, and even map rendition. Valkyrie is joining the team this time around featuring a “bold, brash, fiery, and fierce” personality. She grew up in the shadow of her father’s legacy, but it’s time for her to step out on her own. Olympus is getting its first makeover in a way we’ve never seen before. Oh, and don’t forget about the new Bocek Bow, the first stringed weapon to enter the Apex Games. Let’s take a closer look at what to expect in Apex Legends Season 9 Legacy launching on May 4, 2021.

The PlayStation store closures recently announced are now being overturned. Gamers were up in arms when Sony made headlines with what appeared to be the imminent closure of its PlayStation 3, PS Vita, and PSP online storefronts. However, in a glimmer of positive news today, Sony has now taken to the official PlayStation Blog to admit that it “made the wrong decision here.” With so many gamers still making use of these stores, Sony has now decided to reverse its decision to shutdown the PlayStation Store for PS3 and PS Vita, despite going ahead with the PSP side of things. More details below. 

inXile entertainment just announced that Wasteland 3 is getting its first story expansion, The Battle of Steeltown. Releasing June 3, you’ll explore the “towering factory complex” of Steeltown that manufactures all of the tech that keeps Colorado running, as well as the Patriarch in power. Delivers have stopped, and all that’s going around are excuses. What happens in Wasteland 3 The Battle of Steeltown? Well, let’s take a look at the trailer as well as information released by inXile on the expansion.

In case you haven’t heard, a new FREE Resident Evil Village demo is on the way. One of the most anticipated games of the spring is now set for release early next month. There are some completely free demos on the way spread across all platforms, early access for PlayStation gamers, and a somewhat confusing schedule to make sense of. Head below for all of the details and timed FREE demo windows for your next chance to experience Lady Dimitrescu and her terrifying daughters.