Sony has released a first look teaser at its upcoming adaptation of Until Dawn. Adaptation is being used pretty loosely in this context, as the film does not directly cover the events of the PlayStation 4 game. We’ve known for some time now that the filmmakers planned on telling an original story, but we didn’t know exactly how that would work in practice. In a short video, Sony has now revealed the basic concept of Until Dawn, and how it relates to the source material. Apparently, the filmmakers are trying to replicate the gameplay’s basic concepts instead of its storyline.

In the first look video, writer/producer Gary Dauberman explains that his goal was to not give audiences the same experience they had while playing the game. Director David F. Sandberg says that the movie will have “the same tone and the same vibe, but it expands upon the universe.” Sandberg goes on to say that the game had players making different choices that resulted in the characters having different deaths. The film will attempt to replicate that idea, where the characters die and essentially start over in a different horror genre. To actually make it out alive, they have to make it through these events until dawn. The first look video can be found below.

All in all, this sounds like a fascinating attempt at bringing the game to the big screen. Like the movie, the Until Dawn video game mashed up different horror genres, starting out as something closer to a slasher film, before pivoting to a creature feature. In that way, the concept of these characters waking up in new horror genres does fit in pretty well with the game. Whether or not fans of Until Dawn will enjoy the result remains to be seen, but it’s an interesting approach, and the filmmakers clearly put a lot of thought into how best to adapt the game.

In addition to the concept of characters having multiple deaths, the filmmakers have also brought over one of the main actors from the game; Peter Stormare will be back in the film. In the Until Dawn video game, Stormare played Dr. Alan J. Hill, and he will also play someone named “Hill” in the movie. However, these two do not appear to be the same character.

RELATED: Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 Rumor Points to 2027 Movie Release

Unfortunately, the first look doesn’t offer a whole lot more information. We’re given some brief teases of the main cast, and some of the freakier occurrences they’ll be dealing with. The end of the first look promises that a trailer for Until Dawn will be arriving soon, so hopefully Sony won’t be keeping us in suspense for too much longer. With the movie slated to arrive in theaters on April 25th, we can probably expect to see something within the next few weeks, as Sony begins the hype cycle.

Are you looking forward to Until Dawn? Would you have preferred a direct adaptation? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Until Dawn First Look Explains the Movie’s Differences from the Game appeared first on ComicBook.com.

PlayStation is starting 2025 off with an all-new collection of “Midnight Black” PS5 accessories. Sony ended 2024 with the PlayStation 30th Anniversary line, which included consoles, controllers, and other accessories that resembled the PlayStation 1’s iconic grey style. With this new ‘Midnight Black“ collection, fans might assume that PlayStation means to subconsciously remind players of the sleek look of the PS2. All of these new PS5 products will release on February 20, and preorders are expected to begin January 16 at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET via PlayStation Direct and the Amazon links below. Direct links will be added after the launch, so stay tuned for updates.

DualSense Edge (Midnight Black) – $200: The highly customizable controller looks sleek in Midnight Black. The new accessory includes two pairs of remappable back triggers: standard and lever styles, two function buttons, three pairs of stick caps: standard, tall dome, low dome, braided USB-C cable with optional connector housing,  and a hardshell carrying case. Pre-order here at Amazon.

PlayStation Portal (Midnight Black) – $200: The remote-focused PlayStation Portal includes an 8” LCD Screen and it’s capable of 60fps at 1080p resolution. For fans who want consistent, stable play while on the move. Previously, the Portal was only available in white. Pre-order here at Amazon.

PlayStation Pulse Explore Wireless Earbuds (Midnight Black) – $200: These Earbuds include six earbud tips for a comfortable fit and are compatible with PS5, PC, Mac, PlayStation Portal, and mobile devices via Bluetooth. Works well with 3D Audio supported PS5 games for a more immersive experience. Pre-order here at Amazon.

Pulse Elite (Midnight Black) – $150: Like the earbuds, the Pulse Elite Wireless Headset allows for spatial 3D audio, increasing the immersion in any videogame. Included is the  PlayStation Link adapter, USB-C cable, a charging hanger, and a mounting plate. Pre-order here at Amazon.

According to the PlayStation blog, “each Midnight Black accessory features a unique, rich shade of black, with sleek detailing on various buttons and accents such as the PlayStation logo. The Midnight Black design extends to the included charging case for Pulse Explore earbuds, charging hanger for Pulse Elite headset, and carrying case for DualSense Edge controller. The Pulse Elite wireless headset and Pulse Explore wireless earbuds will also include a felt grey carrying case.”

So, whether this “Midnight Black” collection is here for nostalgia points or not, at least we know it looks super cool and sleek. And if it reminds you of the PS2 and all its beauty, well that’s just a plus. 

Want to stay up to date with all PlayStation news and collectibles? Then keep an eye on our Gear Page!

The post New PS5 Midnight Black Collection Pre-Sale Starts January 16 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The director of Helldivers 2 has opened up about the level of involvement that developer Arrowhead Studios will have with the upcoming film. This past week, PlayStation surprisingly announced that it was now developing a live-action Helldivers movie. Work on this big-screen adaptation of the popular co-op shooter seems to only just beginning, which means that the movie likely won’t hit theaters for a few more years.

In response to one fan’s question on X, Helldivers 2 director Johan Pilestedt shared his first comments on the Helldivers movie. Specifically, Pilestedt was asked whether or not those at Arrowhead would be working on the film to ensure that it “stays faithful to the games.” Pilestedt then verified that Arrowhead will be involved in some capacity, but also acknowledged that those at the studio don’t know anything about making a movie. As such, they’re letting others with more experience take lead on the adaptation.

“I’ve been dodging this question. The short answer is yes,” Pilestedt said. “The long answer is that we’ll see. We are not Hollywood people, and we don’t know what it takes to make a movie. And therefore we don’t, and shouldn’t, have final say.”

The Helldivers movie is one of many live-action projects that PlayStation Productions is currently working on. In addition to Helldivers, PlayStation is creating films tied to Days Gone, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon Zero Dawn, Gravity Rush, and Until Dawn. On the TV front, it’s then working on new seasons of The Last of Us and Twisted Metal in addition to a television version of God of War. Release details on all of these projects are virtually nonexistent other than Until Dawn, which will arrive later in 2025.

Related: 7 Actors We Think Would Be Perfect for the Helldivers Film

As for Helldivers 2, Arrowhead continues to support its popular shooter with new content and will keep doing so throughout 2025. What this support will look like next isn’t yet known, but there’s a good chance that a new patch for the game on PS5 and PC is right around the corner.

The post Helldivers 2 Director Reveals Level of Involvement With New Movie appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is coming to modern platforms on January 23rd, including PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The original version came out more than two decades ago, but the new version will feature some improvements. Most notably, 13 additional playable characters are being added to the roster, including Rifle Droid, Staff Tusken Raider, Ishi Tib, Mercenary, and Jar Jar Binks. As the game’s release date approaches, ComicBook can exclusively reveal three more characters that will join the playable cast of characters.

Pilot Droid– The Battle Droids used by the Separatists were a massive part of the Star Wars prequels, and they came in a variety of flavors. While the Rifle Droid is great for attacking at a distance, the Pilot Droid is better for players that like to attack close up. The character has strong agility, allowing it to bring down opponents using kicks and punches.

Weequay– Like Ishi Tib, the Weequay species first debuted in Return of the Jedi, and have appeared in a significant amount of Star Wars fiction in the decades since. Most notably, the Weequay Hondo Ohnaka has been a major character over the last few years, and will be appearing in the DLC for Star Wars: Outlaws. In Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles, Weequay will be a good fit for players looking for a shooter with tactical attacks.

Rifle Tusken Raider– As seen with the Battle Droids, some of the playable characters will be slightly different takes on one another. The Rifle Tusken Raider is ideal for players that want to play as one of the denizens of Tatooine, but would prefer to use a ranged weapon, as opposed to their classic staff. One of the most memorable scenes in The Phantom Menace centered on a Tusken Raider using its rifle to cause chaos in the Podrace, so this one seems like a nice fit!

Right now, it’s impossible to say how these new additions will handle in Jedi Power Battles. The original version of the game put a bigger focus on the Jedi themselves, with players being able to control characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, and Qui-Gon Jinn. Obviously those original options will still be available to players, but there’s going to be a much larger pool to choose from this time. That should make the game even more appealing to single players, as well as those that plan on tackling the game in two-player co-op.

RELATED: Skeleton Crew Further Proves Star Wars Is Better Under Disney

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles was one of several games based on the first entry in the prequel trilogy. The new version is being handled by Aspyr, who also brought Star Wars Episode I: Racer to modern platforms in 2020. There are still a number of other Episode I games that could get that treatment in the future, including well-regarded ones like Battle for Naboo. Star Wars fans will have to wait and see what comes next, but hopefully more classic games will get a similar treatment in the future!

Are you planning to check out Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles? What do you think of these new playable characters? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles Reveals Another 3 New Playable Characters (Exclusive) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s only been a few days since Doom Match was added to Marvel Rivals, but a leak may have revealed another new mode in the works. According to the Rivals Leaks account on X/Twitter, a source told them “they had experienced a PvE mode in the game.” This information was provided “some time ago,” and nothing had been heard about it since. However, the Rivals Info account also received a tag about a possible PvE (Player vs. Environment) mode. At this time, none of this information has been confirmed, but the existence of multiple sources could add a little more credibility to this whole thing.

As with any rumor, readers are encouraged to take all of this with a grain of salt. That said, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if NetEase is testing or considering ways of expanding Marvel Rivals. The game has found huge success since launching last month, and new modes are a great way to lure in players that might not otherwise be interested in the main game. It’s possible the PvE mode could just be a limited time addition, or something a little more substantial.

How exactly a PvE mode would work in Marvel Rivals remains to be seen. Replies to the post from Rivals Leaks have shared some interesting ideas. X/Twitter user @Thisesportslife suggested this could be a way for the game to bring in Ultron, who has been leaked as a playable character, but not officially announced. Having players take down swarms of Ultron’s robotic drones could be a great way to introduce the Avengers villain, while also adding some fanfare around his addition to the game. By the same token, a mode where players have to take down swarms of vampires could also make sense, given the current season’s theme.

Whatever the case might be, it will be interesting to see if this rumor pans out. Marvel Rivals Season 1 just began last week, bringing in the Fantastic Four and Dracula as new playable characters. While Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny all leaked ahead of time, Dracula’s announcement seemed to come completely out of nowhere (though vampires had been established in the game’s narrative). It’s certainly not implausible that this mode leaked well ahead of an official announcement, but there’s simply no way of knowing how far along PvE might be, or when we might see it.

RELATED: Marvel Rivals Devs Shut Down Requests for Role Queue

Thankfully, Marvel Rivals players should have plenty to keep them busy in the game, regardless of whether this rumor pans out. Live service games can be quickly abandoned by players if they don’t get enough support, but it seems NetEase has ambitious plans for the coming months, including several more playable characters. The Marvel Universe has no shortage of content for the developers to mine, so we’ll have to see if the game can maintain its current momentum.

Would you like to see a PvE mode in Marvel Rivals? Have you been enjoying the game so far? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Marvel Rivals Leak May Have Revealed Another New Mode appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The premiere date for Season 2 of The Last of Us seems to have been discovered in advance of an official announcement from HBO. Roughly one week ago, HBO released a new trailer for The Last of Us Season 2 alongside confirmation that this next wave of episodes would begin rolling out in April. To this point, a more well-defined date within April has yet to be given, but some fans of the series think they’ve determined when Season 2 will begin.

Annotated by @TheLastofUsNews on X, it’s likely that The Last of Us Season 2 will premiere on Sunday, April 13th. The reason for this belief is due to one of HBO’s other shows that is soon set to air. Specifically, Season 3 of The White Lotus will return on February 16th and will run weekly until its conclusion on April 6th. With The White Lotus Season 3 having concluded on this date, it’s quite feasible that its time slot would be replaced by The Last of Us the week after.

Based on how HBO has operated historically, it would make a ton of sense for the network to slot in The Last of Us Season 2 on this April 13th date. For starters, The Last of Us is essentially guaranteed to air on Sundays as this is what HBO does with all of its biggest shows. With The White Lotus set to still be running on April 6th, this really only leaves three possible dates left in April for The Last of Us to premiere which would be the 13th, 20th, and 27th. To have TLOU Season 2 start its run on April 13th would ensure that HBO would have a seamless transition from one of its big shows to the next without any gaps in programming.

Related: The Last of Us Fans Turn on HBO TV Show Over “Terrible” Casting

If April 13th is indeed the date that HBO intends to start airing Season 2 of The Last of Us, we should find out in an official capacity soon enough. Until then, all we know for certain is that The Last of Us Season 2 will be considerably shorter than its first season and will only run for 7 episodes in total.

The post The Last of Us Season 2 Premiere Date Seemingly Discovered appeared first on ComicBook.com.

PlayStation fans could be getting their first look at the Until Dawn movie sometime in the near future. According to Discussing Film, the first trailer for the Sony film has been rated, and can be released as soon as Sony is ready. As of this writing, we don’t have any indication when it will be released online, or what movies the trailer could be attached to. However, it’s likely we’ll see it playing in front of a whole bunch of horror films in the lead up to Until Dawn‘s theatrical release on April 25th.

At this time, details about Until Dawn are fairly slim, so the first trailer should give us a better idea of what to expect. We know that the movie will be telling an original story, rather than retelling the events of the PS4 game. That means an entirely different cast of characters. The movie will still be set in the “Until Dawn universe,” but what that means exactly is unclear. It’s possible this could be a sequel to the game, or that we could see references to the events that took place on Blackwood Mountain. One thing we do know is that the movie will feature actor Peter Stormare, who appeared in the original game. However, the actor will not reprise his role as Dr. Alan J. Hill.

On one hand, it might seem unusual to use the Until Dawn name to tell a completely different story, but at least it means fans that know the game’s narrative won’t be able to predict the twists and turns of the adaptation. The Until Dawn video game was already plenty cinematic on its own, and simply carrying over the events in a movie could have proven boring and inferior to the game itself (where the player’s decisions can impact who lives and dies). Instead, we’ll be getting something totally original, and that’s promising.

Hopefully the movie’s creators will deliver a story that lives up to the Until Dawn name. The PS4 game was very well-received back in 2015, and still has a passionate following a decade later. A big-screen adaptation seems like a great way for Sony to celebrate the game’s 10th anniversary, and it’s going to be interesting to see how it’s received. Sony is putting a lot of effort into bringing its various PlayStation franchises to the big screen, and Until Dawn is just one of several currently in development.

RELATED: PlayStation Boss Wants to Bring Back Dormant Franchises

Until Dawn is directed by David F. Sandberg, who previously directed horror movies such as Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation. The script for the latter film was written by Gary Dauberman, who is also handling the script for Until Dawn. In addition to Stormare, the movie will feature Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, Maia Mitchell, Odessa A’zion, and Belmont Cameli.

Are you excited to see the first trailer for the Until Dawn movie? What are you hoping to see from the adaptation? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Until Dawn Movie’s First Trailer Is Going to Release Soon appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A recent change to Kratos has come as a surprise to some God of War fans. Back in 2018, Santa Moncia Studios, under the leadership of Cory Barlog, rebooted the God of War franchise to massive success. 2018’s God of War is widely considered among the best games of all time, and the same is true of its 2022 follow up, God of War Ragnarok, which continued the reboot. What’s next for the God of War series, remains to be seen. To this end, PlayStation fans are already divided about the setting of the game. This is the future though. Right now, and for the next couple years most likely, God of War fans are still spending time with the 2018 reboot and Ragnarok, and discovering new things in the process.

The biggest difference between the reboot and Ragnarok compared to previous and older God of War games is the design of Kratos. Because he’s much older in these games, and now with a son, his personality is substantially different and far more grounded. He’s also older looking, bearded, and smaller in size. It’s the first thing anyone will notice playing the 2018 game or Ragnarok, assuming they have played the older God of War games. There are some other smaller changes though that have gone unnoticed.

One of the top posts on the God of War Reddit page at the moment is a post highlighting that the 2018 reboot changed the location and the shape of Kratos’ tattoos. This was a brand new discovery for the one sharing it, and judging by the popularity of the post, many on the God of War Reddit page. However, some in the comments were quick to point out while this change is easy to miss, it’s not unique to the newer games.

“I don’t think there have ever been more than two consecutive games where the tattoos suffer no change at all in the series,” reads one comment on the post above.

It’s also true that this is not the only minor tweak. The images above also demonstrate and even more subtle tweak, which is that his stomach scar has been moved in the newer games as well.

Why Santa Moncia Studios continues to tweak these minor details, we don’t know, but it’s a continuing pattern at this point. To this end, whenever the next saga begins we suspect the same thing will happen again.

For more God of War coverage — including all of the latest God of War news, all of the latest God of War rumors and leaks, and all of the latest God of War speculation — click here.

The post New Kratos Change Comes to the Surprise of God of War Fans appeared first on ComicBook.com.

PS5 and PS5 Pro users, via the PlayStation Store, can grab a popular AAA game for just $1.99 thanks to a significant 90 percent discount. The new PlayStation Store deal is only live for a limited though. More specifically, PS5 and PS5 Pro users interested in taking advantage of the PSN deal will need to do so before January 18 because after this the AAA game will revert back to its normal price point.

The PlayStation Store game in question hails from 2016, a year that saw it nominated for Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Multiplayer, and Best Action Game at The Game Awards 2016. Meanwhile, it won Critics’ Choice at the Golden Joystick Awards and Best Online Multiplayer at the Game Critics Awards.

Sale figures for the game have never been released by developer Respawn Entertainment nor publisher EA, suggesting sales were soft for the game, or at least softer than expected. However, it is estimated it did manage to sell at least several million copies.

For those that have not connected the dots yet, the mystery $2 game is Titanfall 2, a game that boasts an 89 on Metacritic. In 2025, it may be difficult to find multiplayer lobbies for the game, but that won’t stop anyone from experiencing its single-player campaign, which is lauded as one of the best first-person shooter campaigns of all time.

At $1.99, this is the lowest price Titanfall 2 has ever been on the PlayStation Store. It is regularly on sale on the PlayStation Store, but never usually quite this cheap.

“In single player, an aspiring Pilot and a veteran Titan combine forces to save their own lives and combat a powerful enemy against all odds,” reads an official description of the game on the PlayStation Store for those unfamiliar with it. “Multiplayer offers brand new Titans, expanded Pilot abilities, and deeper customization to elevate the fast-paced and exciting gameplay fans expect from the series.”

RELATED: PS5’s DualSense Edge Controller Now Permanently Cheaper, but Not for Everyone

Those that decide to fork over $1.99 to PlayStation and EA and take advantage of this Titanfall 2 offer should expect a campaign that is about six to eight hours long, on average. Meanwhile, there is of course no cap on multiplayer, which can be run endlessly as long as player count and servers allow for it.

As for the future of the series, it currently doesn’t look like there is one, unless Apex Legends is considered as it is technically in the same universe. Those after Titanfall 3 though are unlikely to get it as not only has EA expressed minimal interest in continuing the series, but Respawn Entertainment has moved on to bigger things and become a very key studio for EA. To this end, if Titanfall was ever tapped into again we wouldn’t be surprised if it was from a different studio.

For more PlayStation 5 coverage — including all of the latest PS5 news, all of the latest PS5 rumors and leaks, and all of the latest PS5 deals — click here.

The post PS5 Users Can Get Popular AAA Game For Just $1.99 After Massive Discount appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For Disney fans, getting to hang out with their favorite characters is one of the primary draws of Disney Dreamlight Valley. Since launch, Gameloft has added a ton of fan-favorite characters to the game, building on original classics like Mickey, Donald and Goofy to bring in characters from newer properties like Frozen and Encanto. As we enter a new year, we’ve got a few hints about new characters in 2025, but plenty of room for more announcements. Despite a long list of villagers to recruit and befriend, there are many Disney characters we still want to see make their way to Disney Dreamlight Valley.

Kronk

Is Kronk officially the main character of The Emperor’s New Groove? No. But does he totally steal the show with his spinach puffs? Yes. Side characters getting added before the main heroes of a franchise is fairly common in Disney Dreamlight Valley, so it’s not ridiculous to hope that Ymza’s hilarious sidekick will make an appearance in the Valley even if Kuzco doesn’t. Plus, with his ability to communicate with squirrels and love of cooking, he’ll fit right in with several potential quests that basically write themselves.

Aladdin

Jafar was the star of the Rift in Time Expansion Pass, yet Aladdin still hasn’t made his Disney Dreamlight Valley debut. Getting villains from a franchise first is fine and all, but we’d love to see this street rat and his adorable monkey companion, Abu, in the Valley. With a teaser featuring Aladdin’s hat and Jasmine’s crown in the content roadmap for sometime in 2025, it’s basically confirmed that Disney fans will get this wish in the coming year.

Megara

Hades made his Disney Dreamlight Valley debut last year as part of the Storybook Vale expansion. Now, fans are even more eager to meet the rest of the iconic characters from Hercules. Sure, the titular character is fine I guess, but really what we need is a damsel in distress who can handle it. Megara needs to make her way to the game as soon as possible, if for no other reason than to help us keep Hades in check.

Cinderella

Frankly, it’s a little bit wild that Cinderella isn’t in Disney Dreamlight Valley yet. Though we can meet her Fairy Godmother, this early Disney princess still hasn’t made her way to the Valley. As much fun as it is to see newer characters in the game, we can’t forget to add in the classics for that extra dash of Disney nostalgia.

Alice

Another character that might actually happen in 2025 is Alice from Alice in Wonderland. The 2025 content roadmap teases the Chesire Cat, so it’s likely we’ll see him in the game – but might he come with Alice in tow? With her curious nature, Alice could get up to some interesting antics in the Valley, making her a refreshing addition to the game. And just think of the tea parties!

Lady & The Tramp

Dog lovers agree that Lady and the Tramp need to arrive in Disney Dreamlight Valley as soon as possible. This adorable duo could hang out at Remy’s, sharing spaghetti to recreate that iconic moment. There are quite a few non-human Disney favorites in the Valley already, and this two would be a worthwhile addition.

Snow White

The very first animated Disney princess still has yet to make her Disney Dreamlight Valley debut, and that is frankly shocking. In fact, we don’t have any characters from Snow White, so adding this princess feels like an obvious choice for rounding out the slate of classic Disney favorites. Plus, it would be interesting to get more of a sense of her personality, since she’s a bit flat in the original movie.

Tarzan

You know who needs to swing into the Valley? Tarzan. That movie is a Disney classic, and the spinoff video games were frankly fantastic. We’d love to see Tarzan up to his old antics again, bringing a little loveable chaos – and vine swinging – to Disney Dreamlight Valley.

The Incredibles

Does Gameloft usually add entire families to Disney Dreamlight Valley at once? No. But with this superhero family, we would love to see them make an exception… or at least bring someone from these amazing superhero movies to the Valley. Heck, why not let us help Frozone track down his supersuit?

Winnie the Pooh

For many, Winnie the Pooh is a beloved comfort character from childhood. He’s also made appearances in previous Disney-inspired videogames, with a notable role in Kingdom Hearts. So, he and the rest of the Hundred Acre Wood crew have basically already auditioned for a home in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

The post Disney Dreamlight Valley Still Has 10 Disney Characters We Can’t Wait to Meet appeared first on ComicBook.com.

PlayStation recently announced a live-action Horizon Zero Dawn movie as it develops its multi-media strategy and tries to position the Horizon IP as a multi-game, multi-media powerhouse. Whether this strategy will come off or pay off, remains to be seen, but it’s clear PlayStation is investing big in the Guerrilla Games IP, and this new live-action movie is just the latest, but unlikely, final example.

Details on the movie are non-existent at the moment. There’s no teaser trailer, no word of whether it will be a very literal adaptation of the game it is based on, or any information about who is involved with the making of it from directors and producers to actors. This has left lots of room for PlayStation fans to speculate and put forth what they want from the movie, including who will play Aloy, the protagonist of the series.

To this end, the most popular shout — at least on the series’ Reddit page — is Sophia Lillis, a 22-year-old Brooklyn-born actress known for her roles in horror films Beverly Marsh and It: Chapter Two, as well as other roles in HBO’s Sharp Object and the movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. She is far from a household name, which may prevent PlayStation from registering interest, but it’s a name being put forth by many fans.

Other names being thrown around include Hannah Hoekstra, a Dutch actress who is the model for Aloy in the video games. Her experience in productions and roles of this size is limited though. She is also 37-years-old, which is likely beyond the age range PlayStation will be looking for.

Some fans are also interested in 22-year-old Texas-born Sadie Sink portraying the live-action version of the character. She is best known as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things, as well as her role in The Whale, which she picked up a Critics’ Choice Movie Award nomination for.

Lastly, some Horizon fans have put forth Erin Kellyman. The 26-year-old British actress has starred in the likes of Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Green Knight, Raised by Wolves, Les Miserables, Willow, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

It will be quite some time before we find out the casting for the movie, assuming it doesn’t get scrapped like many movies in early development do. That said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think. Who would like to see star as Aloy in the upcoming Horizon Zero Dawn movie?

The post Horizon Zero Dawn Fans Divided Over Aloy Movie Casting appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Democracy is hitting the big screen. This week, PlayStation Productions announced a film adaptation of Helldivers in collaboration with Arrowhead Studios. With how quickly the property became popular with 2024’s Helldivers 2, the film may only bring it more into the spotlight and be huge. For that reason, we could see some A-list actors/actresses flock to the adaptation. 

As the Helldivers series doesn’t really have a set narrative or characters outside of generals and world lore, it could very much be an ensemble cast just like 2024’s Borderlands. Considering the over-the-top tone and gory combat, it does read off like The Suicide Squad, with soldiers dying left and right as a ragtag team of survivors manage to make sense of it all. With that, you do want a bevy of actors/actresses that can work well with each other, even if they’ll be in suits (and or only voice) for most of the time. Even still, these are the ones we’d like to see don the Helldivers armor and kill those nasty bugs.

Chris Evans

Captain America saving the world? Been there, done that. Chris Evans is a legend for wearing the Stars and Stripes for the MCU and has been in some of the action genres’ best. However, he is also a rather talented comedian, if Knives Out and Scott Pilgrim vs The World are anything to go by. Plus, as we’ve seen in Deadpool & Wolverine, he is as Boston as it comes, so making a smug yet caring soldier would sound quite right. Of course, if attached, he’d likely take on a more Captain America-type personality of confidence and rationalism, though they could go a Peacemaker approach and make it toxic, which would be rather funny to see play out.

Craig Lee Thomas

You can’t have Helldivers without the literal face of Democracy. Featured in-game and in many of the commercials, Craig Lee Thomas has fully committed to being the spokesperson for Helldivers both in and out of the game. He’s shown up in full armor to many events, including at The Game Awards. If his dedication isn’t deserving of a place in the ensemble, then his resume is. He’s a rising figure in the VA industry, with titles such as Dynasty Warriors: Origins, Octopath Traveler II, SMITE, and, most notably, Luoche in Honkai: Star Rail. In terms of on-screen acting, outside of Helldivers, he has appearances in shows like Jane the Virgin, Dollface, and Nobody Wants This. The film will mark the perfect opportunity for him to break onto the scene and be a part of something he helped make special.

David Harbour

Need muscle and a natural born leader? Harbour is the way to go. Like Chris Evans, David Harbour is known a lot for his Emmy-nominated role as Officer Jim Hopper in Netflix’s Stranger Things, and rightly so. However, his ever-growing career with Marvel as Red Guardian, Frankenstein in DC’s Creature Commandos and his stint as Hellboy in 2019 do make him a rather appealing choice to save democracy. His roaring voice and tough guy attitude are key traits when choosing who may lead, or think they lead, the team of Helldivers. Plus, with Stranger Things ending this year, his schedule is a bit clearer, even with the MCU and DCEU going on. He’s faced Demigorgons, I’m sure a couple of bugs and Illuminate won’t be too much of a hassle.

RELATED: David Harbour on His BoxLunch Ambassadorship, Stranger Things Final Season, and More (Exclusive)

Lil Rel Howery

Despite being a rather new face in the industry, comedian Lil Rel Howery is a great choice to play a Helldiver. His skills in the genre have been seen a lot in films such as Get Out, Free Guy, and Vacation Friends. Many of his roles do have him screaming bloody murder, so it’s not too outside of his range. With a relatable personality, he could be the anchor for audiences to latch onto discovering the alien-filled worlds and the overt gory nature of ‘saving democracy’. It does help that he can do both comedy and drama, which could lend itself to serious moments and balancing the two sides to craft a rather complex soldier that people will enjoy.

Michelle Rodriguez

When it comes to grizzled, nothing beats Michelle Rodriguez. The Fast and Furious actress’ iconic voice does have a tinge of gruff to it, making it instantly recognizable. Still, Michelle has done quite a few projects that fit that area like Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Avatar, and the alien-focused Battle: Los Angeles. To add to that, she is a huge video game fan, citing franchises like Halo (which she did end up in for Halo 2) and Assassin’s Creed as favorites of hers. In the film, she could be a battle-obsessed soldier, like that of her Honor Among Thieves character, but a general would work as well. Her fervent love of the media has helped her gain roles in adaptations like Resident Evil, so chances are Helldivers may be up her alley. 

Natasha Rothwell

While she hasn’t done much action, Natasha Rothwell is one of Hollywood’s rising stars in the comedy and drama landscape. Her biggest claim to fame is her role as hotel spa worker Belinda in season one of HBO’s dramedy The White Lotus, which she will reprise in season three this year, as well as her acclaimed comedies Insecure and How to Die Alone. She also stars as Maddy’s Sonic-hating sister Rachel in the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog films, so gaming is something she isn’t new to. Still, her stern yet lovable personality and presence on-screen would be most fitting for a captain-type character or a rookie with high ambitions. It would also make for a great transition into a new type of role, one that Natasha would likely nail quite well.

Will Arnett

With the masks likely staying on the Helldivers (no Halo TV show here!), you do need some recognizable voices to go along with them for differentiation reasons. Fortunately, one actor fits that well and works as a soldier-type character: Will Arnett. Seen in shows like Arrested Development and Bojack Horseman, his deep gravelly tone works well for a chiseled war veteran or cocky leader. His comedic timing would do wonders to make scenes even funnier, which would prove beneficial for one that’ll likely depend on such. Will has done gaming projects before, with Dragon Lord in Tiny Tina’s Wonderland and Sweet Tooth in Peacock’s Twisted Metal being highlights. There’s no doubt he’d be a great addition, but it’s up to the studio to make that call.

The post 7 Actors We Think Would Be Perfect for the Helldivers Film appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The first season of Marvel Rivals is around the corner, launching on January 10, 2025. Fans are excited for the addition of the Fantastic Four, notably Mr. Fantastic and The Invisible Woman who will be joining the roster at the start of the season. A new map and game mode have also been revealed, but while players are excited about the new content, one of the most anticipated things was balancing. Thankfully, NetEase has released the upcoming balance changes for Marvel Rivals season 1 ahead of launch.

Thankfully, there were a lot of buffs for characters that desperately needed it. Likewise, heroes like Hawkeye and Hela were nerfed accordingly. Here is the full list of balance changes for Marvel Rivals season 1.

Duelist

Black Panther

• Reduce the additional health provided to self after refreshing Vibranium Marks with Spirit Rend from 40 to 30, and the upper limit of additional health provided from 120 to 75.

Black Widow

• Increase the range of the first effect of Edge Dancer from a 3-meter radius to a 5-meter radius.
• Reduce the time required for Fleet Foot to recover from 0 stamina to full from 12s to 4s.
• Reduce the time required for Electro-Plasma Explosion (ultimate ability) to reach maximum power from 1s to 0.6s.

Hawkeye

•  Slightly reduce the spread angle between every two Blast Arrows.
• Reduce the triggering distance of passive ability Archer’s Focus from 60 meters to 40 meters. Reduce the maximum additional damage of the passive from 80 to 70.

Hela

• Reduce base health from 275 to 250.

Magik

• Increase Umbral Incursion damage in Darkchild form from 115 to 135.

Moon Knight

• Increase the number of talons generated by Hand of Khonshu (ultimate ability) from 10 to 14.
• Increase the explosion radius of each talon from 4 meters to 5 meters.

Namor

• Adjust the throwing feel of Monstro Spawn and Frozen Spawn. Now, Namor can more accurately throw them to the desired location.

Psylock

• Now Dance of the Butterfly (ultimate ability) will check for barriers (including Magneto’s Metal Bulwark, Hulk’s Indestructible Guard, etc.).

The Punisher

• Slightly reduce the spread of Deliverance and Adjudication.

Scarlet Witch

• Increase Chaos Control’s fixed damage from 50/s to 60/s. 
• Reduce the percentage damage per second from 5% to 3%.
• Increase Chthonian Burst’s projectile damage from 30 to 35.

Storm

• Increase Wind Blade projectile speed from 100m/s to 150m/s and left-click damage from 50 to 55.
• Increase Bolt Rush damage from 70 to 80.
• After releasing Omega Hurricane (ultimate ability), the bonus health provided for herself will be increased from 350 to 450. Moreover, following its conclusion, the extra health will no longer vanish instantly but will instead diminish at a rate of 100 per second.

Squirrel Girl

• Addition of a new effect to the Unbeatable Squirrel Tsunami (ultimate ability): the squirrels will rush towards the nearest enemy after bouncing instead of bouncing randomly.
• Reduce the squirrel tsunami health from 600 to 300.

Winter Soldier

• Increase the bonus health provided by Bionic Hook and Tainted Voltage from 30 to 40.
• Increase Roterstern’s projectile damage from 70 to 75.
• Reduce the area damage from 70 to 65 and reduce damage decay from 65% at 40 meters to 60%.
• Increase base health from 250 to 275.

Wolverine

• Increase base health from 300 to 350.
• Reduce the damage reduction ratio provided by Undying Animal from 50% to 40%.

RELATED: Marvel Rivals: The Epic Story Explained

Vanguard

Captain America

• Reduce the delay time for shield restoration after releasing Living Legend from 3s to 2s.
• Reduce Liberty Rush cooldown from 12s to 10s.
• Increase base health from 650 to 675.
• Reduce the energy cost for releasing Freedom Charge (ultimate ability) from 3400 to 3100
• Reduce the additional health provided per second to self after releasing it from 110 to 100.

Doctor Strange

• Add damage falloff to Maelstrom of Madness and Gamma Maelstrom. Starting at 5 meters and reducing to 70% at 8 meters.
• Slightly decrease the shield value recovery rate after releasing Shield of the Seraphim from 80/s to 70/s.

Thor

• Increase base health from 500 to 525.
• Added immunity to control effects during God of Thunder (ultimate ability).

Hulk

•  Reduce the Indestructible Guard gamma shield value for Hero Hulk from 250 to 200.

Venom

• Increase the Symbiotic Resilience bonus health ratio gained per lost health point from 1 to 1.2.
• Increase the base damage of Feast of the Abyss (ultimate ability) from 40 to 50.

Strategist

Cloak & Dagger

• Reduce Dagger Storm cooldown from 15s to 12s.
• Increase the number of dashes in Eternal Bond (ultimate ability) from 3 to 4.

Jeff the Land Shark

• Adjust It’s Jeff! (ultimate ability) range from a 10m sphere to a 10m radius, 5m high cylindrical spell field.
• Increase the healing of Joyful Splash from 140/s to 150/s.

Luna Snow

• Increase the interval for switching between healing and damage in Fate of Both Worlds from 0.1s to 0.5s.

Mantis

• Reduce Nature’s Favor (passive) movement boost from 2.5m/s to 1.5m/s.

Rocket Raccoon

• Increase the healing of Repair Mode from 60 per/s to 70 per/s.  

RELATED: Marvel Rivals: Who Is Galacta?

Team-Up Abilities

Hawkeye – Black Widow

• Reduce Hawkeye’s season bonus from 20% to 15%.

Hela – Thor – Loki 

• Reduce Hela’s season bonus from 20% to 15%.

Luna Snow- Namor

• Increase Frozen Spawn damage from 25 to 27.
• Increase Frozen Spawn slowing effect applied to hit enemies from 25% to 30%.
• Increase berserk state Frozen Spawn damage from 16 to 18.

Rocket Raccoon – The Punisher – Winter Soldier

• Reduce the cooldown of Ammo Invention from 45s to 40s.

Scarlet Witch – Magneto

•  Increase Metallic Fusion projectile damage from 55 to 60.
• Increase Metallic Fusion spell field damage from 30 to 35.

Thor – Storm – Captain America

• Reduce the cooldown of Charged Gale from 20s to 15s.
• Increase the damage of Charged Gale from 50 to 55.

The post Marvel Rivals Season 1 Balance Patch Notes Revealed appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It appears that a new mode will be coming to Marvel Rivals with the launch of Season 1. While developer NetEase has yet to make any kind of announcement, multiple streamers have gotten a chance to test out some of the new additions that will be arriving in the game. In a new video shared by the @RivalsLeaks account on X/Twitter, Felix “xQc” Lengyel can be seen on Twitch playing what appears to be an unannounced free for all mode. For fans that have wanted to tackle Marvel Rivals solo, this new mode could be an exciting addition!

The new season of Marvel Rivals will see the arrival of several new playable characters, including Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, the Thing, and Dracula. In the video, xQc can be seen using the Invisible Woman in her new Malice alternate skin, which was officially announced by NetEase yesterday. The clip shows xQc battling other players, including one using Mr. Fantastic. Video can be found in the post embedded below.

The map played in the mode is the Sanctum Sanctorum, which will arrive with the start of Season 1. The home of Doctor Strange will include several references to the comics and films, and will have portals that transport players to different areas around the map. In the Marvel Rivals narrative, the Sanctum Sanctorum will offer a refuge for the heroes as they attempt to regroup from the assault of Dracula and his vampire forces. The Sanctum played a pretty sizable role in the recent Blood Hunt comic crossover, which seems to be the basis for this new season.

Now that the mode has been unofficially revealed, it will be interesting to see if NetEase decides to make an announcement. The official Marvel Rivals social media accounts tend to update frequently, and it’s possible we could get some details about free for all ahead of the new season’s release. Some clarity on the new mode would be nice, and give us a better indication of whether this is going to be a permanent addition to the game, or simply a limited time mode for players to check out.

RELATED: Marvel Rivals Devs Shut Down Requests for Role Queue

Even if we don’t see an official announcement from NetEase in the next day or two, we won’t have to wait much longer. The new season of Marvel Rivals will begin on Friday, January 10th. It will be interesting to see how fans react to the new season once it goes live, and if it will be able to maintain the game’s current momentum. NetEase and Marvel Games have clearly found something that has appealed to a lot of players, but maintaining the game’s popularity could prove challenging. Thankfully, the developers have no shortage of characters and storylines to pull from!

Are you excited about this new mode for Marvel Rivals? Do you plan on checking out the new season when it releases later this week? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Marvel Rivals Leak Reveals First Look at New Game Mode appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A good controller can make or break the gaming experience when it comes to quick reactions and the overall feel of the game. While any console worth its salt comes with at least one controller by default, many gamers choose to upgrade to a version that suits their preferences. While there are plenty of third party options out there, many brands release deluxe editions of their console controllers for players to enjoy – for a price. One such upgrade option is PlayStation’s DualSense Edge controller for the PS5.

The DualSense Edge controller was originally released in 2023, with the promise of being Playstation’s “first ever high-performance ultra-customizable” controller. It offers a variety of customization options to let players personalize their experience, with adjustable triggers and options to tweak stick sensitivity, vibration intensity, and more.

The controller also allows for greater control mapping, with additional mappable back buttons. For those sharing controllers, the DualSense Edge also allows players to create profiles that save their settings, so it’s easy to swap back and forth without re-mapping everything.

Where a standard wireless DualSense controller replacement will run gamers around $75-80 depending on the color, the DualSense Edge has a pricetag to match those big marketing promises. In the US, the DualSense edge retails for around $200 USD, with a European pricetag of £209.99 / €239.99. That’s a little over double the price, for just one controller. It’s a premium product with a premium price tag, but that cost is about to go down – for some players.

DualSense Edge Controller Now Cheaper for Gamers in the UK and Europe

The cost of the DualSense Edge has gone down by about £10 / €20 in Europe, making it available for about £199.99 / €219.99. This appears to be a permanent change, with the retail price updated on Sony’s website. Unfortunately for players in the US, the price tag here doesn’t seem to have moved an inch, leaving the controller at its original price, at least for now.

Sony hasn’t given a reason for the price adjustment, but it may have something to do with the pending introduction of a new line of PS5 accessories. The gaming company recently posted a reveal trailer for a Midnight Black Collection of accessories, set to release in February 2025.

RELATED: PlayStation Reveals New Midnight Black PS5 DualSense, PS Portal, and Additional Accessories

The items include a new version of the DualSense Edge controller, as well as a Playstation Portal remote player, PULSE Explore Wireless Earbuds, and a PULSE Elite Wireless headset. As the collection’s name suggests, they’re all jet black and will match the already released Midnight Black DualSense wireless controller. Interestingly, the new Midnight Black DualSense Edge will follow the new reduced pricing even though it’s a brand new release. For interested PS5 fans, the collection will be available for preorder starting on January 16 at 10am local time, via the PlayStation website.

That said, the new pricing for all other colors of the DualSense Edge controller is already live. Unless gamers really need that Midnight Black version, there’s no reason to wait if that small difference in the UK and Europe makes it feel more within reach. As for the US, well, the price is just the same as it’s always been.

The post PS5’s DualSense Edge Controller Now Permanently Cheaper, but Not for Everyone appeared first on ComicBook.com.

We’re only seven days into 2025, and as a result, haven’t had any major video games release just yet. While it’s been pretty slow so far, 2025 is going to be far from a quiet year for gaming. By the end of December, games like Monster Hunter Wilds, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Ghost of Yotei, and Grand Theft Auto VI are all supposed to have been released. And while many of these biggest titles won’t arrive for a few more weeks or months, one of the more notable releases in this first part of the year will happen in mere days and will see a popular PlayStation Vita game from the past coming back.

Set to launch on Friday, January 10th, the cult-classic Vita game Freedom Wars will be remastered and come to modern platforms. Originally released in 2014, Freedom Wars was one of the more popular action titles to ever launch on Vita. Despite being a hit amongst fans, though, Freedom Wars has since been stranded on the PS Vita and has never come to any new platforms. Luckily, that will finally be changing.

Related: One of the PS5’s Most Expensive Games Is Getting Re-Released Soon

The unique thing about Freedom Wars Remastered is that it’s not going to be exclusive to PlayStation platforms. Despite being published by Sony in its original iteration on PS Vita, publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment has since acquired the rights to Freedom Wars. As a result, this remaster will be launching on Nintendo Switch and PC in addition to PS5 and PS4.

To see learn more about what Freedom Wars Remastered will have in store, you can get a look at the game’s latest trailer and official synopsis below.

Freedom Wars Remastered

About: “Born into a one-million-year prison sentence, you must survive deadly missions to earn any hope of freedom. Die in prison or live on the battlefield. The choice is yours.

Features

• Convicted From Birth For the Crime of Living: In a distant future where all resources on earth have been depleted, being alive is a sin by itself. As a sinner sentenced to one million-years in prison, you must volunteer in dangerous operations to reduce your prison sentence and fight your way to freedom.
• Three-Dimensional High Speed Combat: Use your most trusted weapon, your Thorn, to dominate the battlefield. Stand alongside your allies and your warden cyborg Accessory to face off against powerful enemies.
• Enhanced Graphics: Re-rendered graphics vividly portray desolate worlds, colossal prison cities, powerful enemies, and fierce battles.”

The post 2025’s First Big Release Is a Returning PS Vita Game appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the most expensive PS5 games is getting a new release that should greatly bring down its resale value. For the most part, the PS5 catalog doesn’t have too many games that are all that pricey. Outside of various Collector’s Editions and other limited releases, most PS5 games that have been released at retail stores in the past tend to sell for, at most, around the same price that they originally retailed for. In the case of one PS5 game from Square Enix, though, scarcity led to its price skyrocketing over the past few years, which has now resulted in the publisher coming out with a second run of the title.

As of this month, Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade is coming back to retailers and can be pre-ordered right now. Previously released in 2021 on PS5, Intergrade was the upgraded version of Final Fantasy VII Remake that came bundled with its Intermission DLC. When it originally launched, though, Square Enix didn’t release many copies of the game physically on PS5 as it had also offered free upgrades to PlayStation’s next-gen console for those who already owned a physical copy on PS4. This combined with the relative newness of the PS5 meant that Intergrade didn’t get a widespread release in the same way that FFVII Remake on PS4 had the year prior.

With so few copies of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade in circulation, this led to the game’s price spiking hard over the past few years. Based on data from Price Charting, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade reached average resale values of $150 in 2024, which is over double what it sold for at retail. This resale value has since fallen a bit and now sits around $100. With it getting re-released at retailers this month, that price should only plummet further.

Related: PlayStation Reveals New Midnight Black PS5 DualSense, PS Portal, and Additional Accessories

It was always a bit strange that Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade sold for so much in the first place. Then again, Final Fantasy has one of the most hardcore fanbases in all of gaming, which likely led to many wanting to own a physical edition of Intergrade for their collection. As such, it’s good to see that Square Enix has seen the requests to bring back Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and will now be meeting those wishes soon.

The post One of the PS5’s Most Expensive Games Is Getting Re-Released Soon appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Titan Forge Games has announced that Smite 2 will be going free-to-play later this month. The wait is nearly at an end, as the free-to-play launch will take place on Tuesday, January 14th. On that day, Season 0 will officially begin, following a week-long preseason that begins today. On the day before the free-to-play launch, Smite 2 will be adding a new playable character. The latest god to join the roster is Aladdin. From everything revealed thus far, Aladdin will have an acrobatic play style, and he’ll use the powers of his magic lamp to send out a genie to attack foes.

Smite 2‘s alpha was announced last January and launched in August on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The only way to access the alpha was to pay $29.99, or to have grabbed it one of the times that access was offered for free. However, soon the game will be opened up to all interested players. It was always the plan that the game would be free-to-play, similar to the original Smite. There has been a significant amount of negativity towards the alpha, with the game currently holding a “mixed” rating on Steam, and a two-star rating on Xbox. Basically, the consensus seems to be that Smite 2 wasn’t worth paying for, and it will be interesting to see if opinions improve once the game is free.

It’s clear that a lot of people have been waiting for Smite 2‘s open beta to begin, and we could see a large influx of players next Tuesday. Whether that will be enough to counter the cynicism surrounding the game remains to be seen, but there are some fans that believe the game is already dead on arrival. That seems a bit hyperbolic given the popularity of the original Smite, but we’ve seen a lot of live service games die over the last few years. Once the free-to-play period begins, we’ll have a much better idea of the level of interest, and we can probably expect a lot more players will give the game a chance.

RELATED: One of 2024’s Biggest Reveals Is Skipping the Nintendo Switch Due to Power Concerns

While the free-to-play launch should help give Smite 2 a boost over the current alpha’s numbers, it remains to be seen how things will play out. The reality is, there is a lot of competition when it comes to free-to-play games. One area where fans have been frustrated with Smite 2 is the lack of marketing that has surrounded the game. It’s possible we could see a much bigger push now that the free-to-play launch has been officially announced, and that will be key to building awareness. Hopefully the free-to-play launch will prove successful, and give Smite fans reason to feel optimistic about the future.

Have you been waiting for the Smite 2 open beta to begin? Do you think it will improve perception around the game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Smite 2 Announces Free-to-Play Release Date appeared first on ComicBook.com.

PlayStation has revealed that it’s gearing up to release a new array of PS5 accessories decked out in a “Midnight Black” color scheme. To close 2024, PlayStation made waves with the release of its 30th Anniversary PS5 consoles, controllers, and additional items that were all meant to resemble the original PS1. Now, to begin 2025, PlayStation is set to soon let loose an array of PS5 accessories that are more akin to what fans associate with the PS2.

Detailed on the PlayStation Blog, Sony revealed its new Midnight Black lineup of PS5 gear. Specifically, Sony will be releasing new versions of the DualSense Edge wireless controller, PlayStation Portal, Pulse Elite headset, and Pulse Explore earbuds that are decked out entirely in black. These new PS5 items are meant to match the Midnight Black DualSense and PS5 console covers that have been out for quite some time now. All of these new Midnight Black products will be released next month on February 20th, with pre-orders for each beginning on January 16th.

You can get a look at all of these new Midnight Black PS5 accessories in the trailer here:

“Each Midnight Black accessory features a unique, rich shade of black, with sleek detailing on various buttons and accents such as the PlayStation logo,” says Sony’s description of the gear. “The Midnight Black design extends to the included charging case for Pulse Explore earbuds, charging hanger for Pulse Elite headset, and carrying case for DualSense Edge controller. The Pulse Elite wireless headset and Pulse Explore wireless earbuds will also include a felt grey carrying case.”

Related: New PS2 Remaster Already on Sale One Month After Release

As mentioned, perhaps the biggest allure of this Midnight Black lineup of PS5 gear is that it’s quite similar in nature to the original PS2 and its color scheme. For Sony to have released various PS5 accessories in successive nature that callback to the PS1 and PS2 shows that it’s really trying to tap into the longevity and nostalgia tied to the PlayStation brand. Whether or not this leaning into nostalgia is something that PlayStation fans can expect more of in the months ahead isn’t yet known, but it will be interesting to keep an eye on.

The post PlayStation Reveals New Midnight Black PS5 DualSense, PS Portal, and Additional Accessories appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Until Dawn movie won’t be adapting the game directly, but that doesn’t mean it has zero connections to the acclaimed video game. Until Dawn was a defining PS4 title, having come a long way through its development. Initially, Until Dawn started development in 2008 as a PlayStation 3 game. It was designed as a first-person, cooperative game that would be played with the PlayStation Move controller, a competitor to the Wii and Xbox’s Kinect. The game would take on a bunch of different forms before settling on a more cinematic, choose your own adventure-style game with a star-studded cast that would launch on PS4 in 2015.

It was an immediate hit with critics and gamers alike, garnering praise and plenty of sales. Until Dawn also managed to capture a strong audience in the Let’s Play scene as gamers watched people play through the story on YouTube, almost like a proper horror movie with input from the person they were watching. Developer Supermassive Games has gone on to make a bunch of very similar games, such as The Quarry. A PS5 remake of Until Dawn also teased a sequel, but nothing has been concretely confirmed. However, perhaps it’s not a sequel that the Until Dawn remake was teasing and maybe it’s actually more to do with the upcoming film.

An Until Dawn movie was shot last year and has been quietly approaching an April 2025 release date for some time now. There’s no trailer yet and very little news, but Sony teased new information on the movie at CES 2025. During the trade show, it was confirmed that the Until Dawn movie will feature a new cast of characters facing new threats (some of which can be seen in some teaser images shown on stage), meaning it won’t be a direct adaptation of the game. However, it will be in the “Until Dawn universe” and features actor Peter Stormare, who plays Dr. Hill in the video game. This is one of the pieces of connective tissue between Until Dawn‘s film and video game.

This suggests that the Until Dawn movie is sort of a successor or follow-up to the game, although maybe not a sequel. It’s unclear exactly how that might work or what that will look like, but it sounds interesting. Maybe there’s a chance the likes of Rami Malek and Hayden Panettiere will show up in the Until Dawn movie, especially since the remake added a new ending that sees both of their characters surviving the game with the latter shooting new content. However, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Shazam director David F. Sandberg is directing Until Dawn and is one of the best modern horror directors out there. He is also apparently a big fan of the PS4 game, so hopefully, he will do the movie justice. With the movie slated for an April release date, it seems likely that a trailer can’t be too far off. Perhaps Sony is going to pull out all the stops and do a marketing push during the Super Bowl next month. Maybe there’s an upcoming PlayStation event for them to show more of Until Dawn, but it remains to be seen.

The post Until Dawn Movie Confirms It’s Not Adapting the Game (But Fans Should Be Excited) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A Helldivers movie is in the works, according to Sony. Over the last year, a little known franchise called Helldivers went from a small, niche co-op game absolutely exploded with the release of its sequel, Helldivers 2. The game was a surprise hit after appearing at several PlayStation events, but rarely ever coming away as one of the best looking games. There was interest, but no one could’ve predicted just how big it would be. It was immediately one of the biggest games of 2024 upon its release in February and blew up on Steam and PS5.

Helldivers 2 has continued to succeed thanks to free updates that add tons of new content to the game such as vehicles, enemy types, and more that radically change the experience. Many were blown away by the game thanks to its fun, chaotic gameplay that left players laughing even in defeat as they tried to fight insect-like aliens and robots with giant bombs and LMGs. What made things even more interesting is that Helldivers studio Arrowhead Studios is not owned by PlayStation, but PlayStation did publish the game. However, it seems that hasn’t stopped Sony from making bigger moves with the franchise.

At CES 2025, Sony outlined some plans for future films and shows for its video games. Of course, that meant a sneak peek at The Last of Us season 2 and the announcement of a Horizon Zero Dawn movie. While the former was expected and the latter is sort of an evolution of a previously announced Horizon adaptation, no one expected a Helldivers movie.

Sony confirmed that it is working on a Helldivers film during the trade show, but neglected to give any other details. As of right now, there is no release date, director, writer, or stars announced for the film. However, given the immense popularity for Helldivers 2, it seems like this is probably a priority for Sony and PlayStation Productions.

Helldivers as a series isn’t a narrative-driven game, but it does have a lot of lore and commentary on things like military propaganda. It’s likely the film will be pretty tongue-in-cheek and take some cues from Starship Troopers, a film that clearly heavily inspired the Helldivers games. Whether or not it can capture exactly what fans enjoy about the game remains to be seen, but PlayStation Productions has done a pretty solid job at creating compelling video game adaptations so far.

The post Helldivers Movie Announced appeared first on ComicBook.com.

PlayStation Plus subscribers have roughly 24 hours to nab one of the best PS5 games for free. The free download is available for all PS Plus subscribers, including PS Plus Essential subscribers, PS Plus Extra subscribers, and PS Plus Premium subscribers. Further, once redeemed, the free PS5 game can be kept and played in an unlimited capacity as long as an active subscription to PlayStation Plus is maintained. If an active subscription is not maintained, access to the free PS5 game will be blocked until the subscription is renewed.

As for the free PlayStation Plus PS5 game — which is also available to PS Plus subscribers on PS4 as well — it came out back in 2021. In fact, it won Game of the Year at The Game Awards that year, beating out the likes Resident Evil Village, Deathloop, Metroid Dread, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Psychonauts 2, all of which were also nominated for GOTY.

The game, for those that have not already connected the dots, is It Takes Two from developer Hazelight Studios — helmed by renowned director Josef Fares — and publisher EA. It was the Swedish studio’s sophomore release following 2018’s A Way Out. The game, which has sold over a massive 20 million units to date, garnered an 89 on Metacritic upon release, making it one of 2021’s highest-rated games.

The award-winning game is free on PlayStation Plus until January 7 alongside Alien: Dark Descent and Temtem. This trio of free PlayStation Plus games is set to be replaced by the first free games lineup of 2025, which many subscribers have slammed as a major downgrade.

“Embark on the craziest journey of your life in It Takes Two, a genre-bending platform adventure created purely for co-op,” reads an official description of the game for those unfamiliar with it. “Invite a friend to join for free with Friend’s Pass and work together across a huge variety of gleefully disruptive gameplay challenges. Play as the clashing couple Cody and May, two humans turned into dolls by a magic spell. Together, trapped in a fantastical world where the unpredictable hides around every corner, they are reluctantly challenged with saving their fractured relationship.”

Those on PS4 and PS5 that decide to check out It Takes Two for free via PlayStation Plus should expect to beat the game in about 10 to 15 hours, however, it can be completed a bit quicker than this if cutscenes are skipped.

Normally, to play It Takes Two on either PS4 or PS5, PlayStation users need to fork over $39.99 for the game on the PlayStation Store, so this free PS Plus offer represents a meaty bit of savings.

This free PlayStation Plus offer comes at a great time for those on PS4 and PS5 interested in the game because Hazelight Studios is set to release another co-op game, its first release since It Takes Two, on March 6. The game is called Split Fiction, and it looks similar to It Takes Two.

For more PlayStation Plus coverage — including all of the latest PS Plus news, all of the latest PS Plus rumors and leaks, and all of the latest PS Plus deals — click here.

The post PlayStation Plus Subscribers Have 24 Hours to Get One of the Best PS5 Games for Free appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A new PS5 game, a console exclusive for the Sony console with good user reviews on the PlayStation Store, is 100% free to download and keep. The free PS5 game is the first noteworthy release of 2025. The first month of the new year is set to be pretty quiet, at least as far as PS5 is concerned. In fact there is next to nothing apart from a few, smaller remasters such as Freedom Wars Remastered, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana, and Tales of Graces f Remastered. Beyond this there are releases such as Eternal Strands, Tails of Iron II: Whiskers of Winter, and Dynasty Warriors: Origins, but these are hardly major releases. The biggest PS5 release of January 2025 is indeed already out and it’s Wuthering Waves.

Released on PS5 this week by Chinese developer Kuro Games, the name may sound familiar because the free open-world action RPG actually debuted back in May of 2024, but only on PC and mobile devices. Now it has come to consoles for the first time, and is, at least for the moment, a PS5 console exclusive.

According to PlayStation Store user reviews, the free-to-play PS5 game is worth checking out. Right now, there are over 5,700 user reviews for the free PS5 game on the PlayStation Store, with a 4.43 rating out of 5. On a 100-point scale this is about an 84 out of 100.

“Wuthering Waves is a story-rich open-world action RPG with a high degree of freedom,” reads an official description of the game on the PlayStation Store for those unfamiliar with the title. “You wake from your slumber as Rover, joined by a vibrant cast of Resonators on a journey to reclaim your lost memories and change the world.

The PS5 game’s official pitch continues: “You step into a new nation — Rinascita, and one of its states — Ragunna, renowned for its refined art appreciation and extravagant masquerade carnivals. Here, power and fortune lie in the hands of influential families, where art, inspiration, and wealth blend. Yet, the Sentinel of Rinascita seems to be waiting… for another carnival.”

RELATED: Critically Acclaimed PS5 Games Just $5 on the PlayStation Store Right Now

Those on PS5 that decide to check out Wuthering Waves should be prepared to sink at least 15 to 20 hours into the game just to mainline it. Those who want to experience the side content in addition to the main story will need closer to 40 to 50 hours. Meanwhile, completionists will need substantially more time with the free PS5 game, with completionist playthroughs, on average, taking around 115 hours.

For more PlayStation 5 coverage — including all of the latest PS5 news, all of the latest PS5 rumors and leaks, and all of the latest PS5 deals — click here.

The post PS5 Exclusive With Good Reviews Is 100% Free to Download appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A new rumor from Andy Robinson suggests Sony could be revisiting old IPs, particularly ones fans may not remember. Sony’s Astrobot was a love letter to the various franchises of the developer and may have been a sign fans can expect to see a returning series. Sony has so many different studios and IPs under its belt that this could be literally anything. Only time will tell what will come of this rumor, but those curious can watch The Video Game Podcast and see what Robinson is talking about for themselves.

Andy Robinson stated, “Without being an insider d-ck, I know of at least a couple that they’re working on. Like the deep-cut, old IP stuff.”

Unfortunately, Robinson did not dive into what IPs Sony may be working on, only saying it was smaller games. This has led to fans theory-crafting and debating on what old IPs could be revived.

[RELATED: Gravity Rush Movie Reveals First Look at New Footage]

One of the first suggestions was Sly Cooper, especially after the original titles were recently added to the PS Store. The first Sly Cooper was originally released back in 2002, so this may not make the “deep-cut” list that Robinson said. Sly Cooper is still a household name, especially with the rereleases. With multiple sequels and the rerelease, Sly Cooper probably doesn’t qualify as a smaller game.

Others have called for the Jak and Daxter series or even Ape Escape. Ape Escape received its own level and multiple bots in Astrobot, so this is a possibility. The Jak and Daxter series has been available on the PlayStation store for some time, but this doesn’t necessarily disqualify it.

Still, others called for Gravity Rush, bringing up the potential Gravity Rush movie that is in production. Sony made a point to reiterate the upcoming Gravity Rush film was still being worked on, and provided a brief look in early 2024. Combining a cinematic release with a new video game would be an excellent way to get Gravity Rush back on gamers’ radars.

Another title being thrown around is Twisted Metal, citing the TV show and the cancelled live-service entry in the series. With one cancelled title already out there, it’s hard to believe anything will come for the series, but it isn’t impossible. According to rumors, the decision was made based on layoffs and not necessarily the game itself.

While it can be fun to try to guess what IP could be brought back, there is no way to know for sure until Sony confirms anything. Theorizing what IPs will be selected may lead to some discussion, even bringing older games back into players’ minds, but ultimately just leads to getting players’ hopes up.

Still, the success of Astrobot and the attention it showed to many smaller series gives lots of potential for what Sony could choose. Figuring out which ones will get this treatment could be impossible, but dedicated fans are likely out there creating a theory board to deduce exactly which games Sony will pick.

The post PlayStation Is Reportedly Working on Bringing Back Old IPs appeared first on ComicBook.com.

We know a few things about the future of Lies of P and what sort of content we can expect to see from one of the best Soulslike games that have come out in recent years. Lies of P takes the classic story of Pinocchio and puts a dark twist on it. Well, darker than the Disney version of the story, at least. You play as Pinocchio, of course, who is simply referred to as “P,” and you wake up to be used as a tool to fight against the hostile puppets and citizens of Krat. In the world of Krat, you’re the only puppet with the ability to tell a lie.

Among recent Soulslike games, Lies of P has been more successful than most, which is great when the game ends with an extra scene at the end that features another familiar character from a different story. While we know that Lies of P is getting a DLC and a sequel, the DLC shouldn’t be the piece of content that follows up on the end of the game teaser. That honor needs to go to the confirmed Lies of P sequel, otherwise the content won’t have enough time to do justice to its concept.

The Lies of P Sequel Needs to Tell Dorothy’s Story Instead of the DLC

The clip at the end of Lies of P features the unmistakable ruby slippers of Dorothy, and we see her click her heels together three times. It’s a short clip that ends with that, but it seems that there’s a group trying to recover Dorothy for an unknown reason, calling her a key, and it’s clear that this takes place in the same world as Krat, as it’s shown in the background while Dorothy walks on a building’s rooftop. It seems that Krat was an experiment, in which case, it looks like Dorothy is part of a different experiment, but perhaps one with similar goals.

Whether it’s another experiment or not, Dorothy’s story needs to be in the sequel, not the DLC, in order to be allowed enough time to reach its potential. The storytelling style for Soulslike games places heavy reliance on environmental storytelling, and Lies of P is no exception. As a result, the story tends to be told at a slower pace, and you have to look at details like item descriptions and pieces of dialogue with more scrutiny compared to other game styles. Because of this, a DLC would be enough to continue P’s story, especially if the ending where Sophia is holding him in her new puppet body is made canon, but not start and complete a new story.

RELATED: Lies of P 2 May Feature Better Multiplayer Than Elden Ring

The story isn’t the only element that would benefit from Dorothy having a sequel to herself. As a new character, she would likely have new ways to engage in combat, and perhaps even have the help of a beast named Toto. She would also be able to visit other locations and have new enemies and allies. With an entirely new tale to explore, it would be detrimental to limit Dorothy to a DLC.

The post Lies of P’s DLC Shouldn’t Follow Up on the End-of-Game Teaser appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Sony has revealed its first lineup of free games on PlayStation Plus for the month of January 2025. Generally speaking, PS Plus ended 2024 on a pretty strong note as games like It Takes Two, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Dead Space, WWE 2K24, and Aliens: Dark Descent all came to the service in the final months of the year. Now, with 2025 finally underway, we know which games will be joining PS Plus in January, and it might end up being a disappointing slate to many subscribers.

Going live next week on January 7th and lasting until February 3rd, PlayStation Plus members at all tiers will be able to download Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered, and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe for free. Suicide Squad is clearly the biggest game of the bunch in this lineup as it only launched a little under a year ago. That being said, Suicide Squad hasn’t been well-received whatsoever, which makes its implementation here in PS Plus somewhat of a hail mary in order to attract new players.

Related: PlayStation Plus Insider Reveals Games Leaving in Early 2025

As for Need for Speed and The Stanley Parable, both of these PlayStation Plus games are more popular with players. Hot Pursuit Remastered is a revamp of one of the more beloved entries in the Need for Speed series, while The Stanley Parable has been praised for its writing and endless level of replayability. So while Suicide Squad might end up being a game that some PS Plus members aren’t happy to get, it’s hard to be disappointed with the other two selections.

You can learn more about all of these upcoming additions to PS Plus for January 2025 by checking out official descriptions and trailers for each below.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

“From Rocksteady Studios, the creators of the Batman: Arkham series, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a genre-defying third-person action shooter where the ultimate band of misfits must do the impossible to save the world: Kill the Justice League.

Join the newly ‘recruited’ members of Amanda Waller’s infamous Task Force X (aka the Suicide Squad), Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and King Shark, as they set out on an impossible mission to Kill the Justice League. Drop into an expansive and dynamic open-world Metropolis ravaged by Brainiac’s invasion and terrorized by the heroes who once protected it.”

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered

“Feel the thrill of the chase and the rush of escape in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered. Unleash a savage sense of speed both as an outlaw and a cop in the world’s hottest high-performance cars. Outsmart the heat or take down lawbreakers with the tactical weaponry at your disposal in a heart-pumping, socially competitive racing experience. Updated with enhanced visuals, cross-platform multiplayer – including the asynchronous competition powered by Autolog – plus all additional main DLC, this is the ultimate edition of Criterion Games’ critically acclaimed Need for Speed debut. It’s time to reignite the pursuit.”

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe

“The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is an expanded re-imagining of the critically acclaimed, award winning indie game The Stanley Parable from 2013.

Everything that was in the original Stanley Parable is here, preserved just like it was back in 2013. But The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe also dramatically expands the world of the original game with new content, new choices, and new secrets to uncover. The labyrinth has just gotten bigger.

In addition, the game has been visually upgraded to reflect modern technology while faithfully preserving the tone of the original game. Accessibility features have also been added to the game, including localization of in-world text, colorblind options, and content warnings.”

The post PlayStation Plus Free Games for January 2025 Announced appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It used to be that video games lasted pretty much forever. If you purchased a game, you could play it as many times as you wanted, and you could even come back to it decades later. Unfortunately, live service games have greatly changed the rules when it comes to what games we get to revisit, and which ones end up lost to time. The latest example is Friday the 13th: The Game. Gun Interactive’s take on the horror movie franchise was released back in 2017, and has suffered a long, and disappointing death. The game’s servers are officially going offline today, much to the disappointment of fans.

Friday the 13th: The Game was an ambitious take on the slasher franchise. An asymmetrical horror game, players could either control Jason Vorhees himself, or one of his would-be victims. The goal was to either kill all the counselors, or survive Jason’s wrath as long as possible. As in the movies themselves, Jason was a near-unkillable engine of destruction. The developers even let the villain warp around the map, which makes sense, given the fact that slasher movie villains tend to be much faster than a real-life person. Different counselors had their own strengths and weaknesses, and there was actually a way to bring Jason down, if players could pull it off.

It was a simple concept, and one that we’ve seen in similar horror games. However, it was the level of fan service that set Friday the 13th apart from other games in the genre. Unlike Gun Interactive’s own The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the company had the rights to all of the movies in the Friday the 13th franchise. As a result, the game featured unlockable skins of various takes on Jason, including the burlap mask from Friday the 13th Part II. The game even featured the likenesses and voices of camp counselors from past movies. Last but certainly not least was the virtual cabin feature, which was a place where players could chill between matches and read up on the lore of the series.

In all of these ways, Friday the 13th: The Game channeled the spirit of the movies. Like the source material, the game could be incredibly cheesy, but that added to the charm. Sure, it could be frustrating when Jason caught up to you, but it was hard not to laugh when Jason tossed your character into a fireplace and held you there with his boot. Getting chased through the woods by Jason while hearing music from Harry Manfredini? For many fans of the films, Friday the 13th: The Game was a dream.

Unfortunately, things were too good to last. Not long after the release of Friday the 13th: The Game, development on new content was forced to cease as a result of legal disputes over the overall franchise rights. The game was eventually delisted last year, though it remained playable through December 31st, 2024. Fans have tried to keep the game going, and there were even attempts to create some promising mods. Unfortunately, the game still ended up in the same place.

The disposable nature of video games has become a source of frustration for a lot of players over the last few years. Friday the 13th: The Game is just the latest example, and it comes in a year where Concord was available for less than a month before the plug was pulled. It often seems like there’s little incentive to get invested in live service games, knowing the fate they will nearly all, eventually, suffer. While this is typically a problem with live service games, they are far from the only casualties; Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle was also delisted last year as a result of the legal battles surrounding the franchise. Both of these games were far superior to the NES Friday the 13th from the ’80s, but at least fans can still track down a physical copy of that game and play it on the old hardware.

While Friday the 13th: The Game is officially dead, things might be turning around for the troubled franchise. The legal dispute that killed Friday the 13th was officially resolved in May 2024, and Horror, Inc. has announced plans for the a ton of new projects starring Jason. New games featuring the character have yet to be officially announced, but rumors suggest two new ones are in the works. If those rumors are to be believed, one of the games will be a new multiplayer title. Does that mean we could see something similar to Friday the 13th: The Game? Time will tell, but there will be huge expectations for whatever comes next.

RELATED: Friday the 13th: Here’s Why People Are Afraid of the Superstitious Day

Are you disappointed by the death of Friday the 13th: The Game? Are you hesitant to embrace live service games because of all the delistings? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post I’m Going to Miss This Horror Game Because Now It’s Gone Forever appeared first on ComicBook.com.

2025 hasn’t begun just yet but we already have a good idea of which PlayStation Plus games will be leaving the service in the coming year. To this point, Sony has already confirmed that 11 PS Plus games will be departing the Game Catalog in January. This group includes games like Resident Evil 2, Just Cause 4, Life Is Strange, and Dragon Ball FighterZ. And while we don’t yet know what will be departing the following month in February, one PS Plus insider has given subscribers an idea of what to expect.

Coming by way of Reddit user u/kayrakaanonline, it has been speculated which games will be exiting PlayStation Plus in the month of February 2025. Historically, kayrakaanonline has been able to estimate which titles will leave PS Plus at certain times based on historical agreements between various third-party publishers and PlayStation. Assuming that history holds true once again in February, it would lead to quite a few high-profile PS5 and PS4 games being removed from the Game Catalog at once.

Related: PlayStation Plus Users “Shocked” How Good Free Game Is

In a new post on Reddit, kayrakaanonline said that they expect The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition, Wild Hearts, and Outriders to all depart PS Plus in a little under two months. The reason for this belief is that EA tends to only sign six-month agreements for its games on PS Plus, which would result in Wild Hearts going away. The Outer Worlds is then going to reach the end of a 12-month stay on PS Plus, while Outriders will hit 24 months. Again, based on how Microsoft and Square Enix have operated in the past, it would suggest that both of these contractual stays on PS Plus will end in February.

Per usual, take this lineup with a grain of salt as Sony has yet to announce what will be leaving the PS Plus Game Catalog in February just yet. In fact, at the time of this writing, we don’t even know what the free monthly games for all tiers of PS Plus will be for January 2025. In all likelihood, though, this news should be dropping pretty soon so be sure to stay tuned to our coverage here on ComicBook to learn more.

[Thanks, PlayStation Lifestyle]

The post PlayStation Plus Insider Reveals Games Leaving in Early 2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Spider-Man has one of the best rogues galleries in all of comics. They say that a hero is only as good as his villains, and the wall-crawler is basically unmatched in that department. Some of the best have already appeared in the PlayStation games developed by Insomniac, including familiar faces like Doctor Octopus, Kraven the Hunter, and Venom. While casual fans might worry that Insomniac has used up all the best villains already, there are still plenty of great options that the studio could pull from. We’re probably a long way away from the next Marvel’s Spider-Man, but we’ve compiled a list of three villains that would make a strong fit in a future game.

Hallows’ Eve– Janine Godbe debuted as a supporting character in the Spider-Man comics back in the ’90s, where she started out as the love interest of Ben Reilly. The character disappeared for decades outside of the occasional appearance in Spider-Girl, but her profile was greatly elevated two years ago in the Dark Web crossover. In that story, Janine was given powers by Sy’m and Madeline Pryor, allowing her to use masks that allow her to transform. Hallows’ Eve has gotten a big push from Marvel since then, with the character appearing not only in the Amazing Spider-Man ongoing, but in her own eponymous limited series, as well as the recent Blood Hunters. She’s even received her own Marvel Legends figure!

While her popularity makes a solid case for Hallows’ Eve appearing in the next Marvel’s Spider-Man, it’s her transformation masks that would make her a great fit for a video game. Since each mask grants Janine different superhuman abilities, she could appear in multiple boss fights, with each one highlighting a different mask and power. In the short time since Hallows’ Eve made her debut, we’ve seen her use multiple mask types, from ones based on heroes like Captain America and Hulk, to monsters like vampires and werewolves. We’ve even seen her turn other people into werewolves as well (which might be a way to bring in the Man-Wolf). There’s no limit to what the developers could do with the character, and that would make her a compelling addition to the Insomniac universe.

Swarm– If there’s one thing that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle proved, it’s that gamers love to beat up Nazis. Spider-Man might not have been around in the ’30s and ’40s, but he does have a recurring Nazi enemy of his own, and it’s one that hasn’t often appeared in the world of video games: Swarm. The scientist Fritz von Meyer has a body mostly composed of bees, with a skeleton underneath them all. Swarm first debuted in an issue of The Champions, but has been mostly associated with Spider-Man over the years.

Since Swarm made his debut in the ’70s, the bee-covered bad guy has made for a great visual under the right artist. That visual would look great in a video game, and the PS5 DualSense controller’s Haptic Feedback could make players feel each bee’s “stings.” In the comics, Swarm has often been something of a punchline, but he could be a pretty great enemy in a video game.

Morlun– Out of all the villains Spider-Man has fought over the years, Morlun has proven to be one of his most intimidating. Debuting at the start of J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr.’s run on Amazing Spider-Man, the villain very nearly killed Peter. It took all of Spidey’s strength and cunning to stop Morlun during their first encounter, and the villain has been a consistent thorn in Peter’s side ever since. Most notably, Morlun has had a big role to play in the Spider-Verse stories in the comics.

It’s unlikely that Insomniac will start doing multiverse stories in the games, but Morlun would still make a lot of sense from a narrative perspective. The ending of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 set up an appearance by Cindy Moon in the next game, better known as the hero named Silk. Silk’s origin is closely tied to Morlun’s story, so it’s possible we could see the two characters appear in the same game. Morlun’s physical strength would also make him an intimidating enemy, and a heck of a final boss.

RELATED: Spider-Man Actor Yuri Lowenthal Reveals His Favorite Version of the Marvel Hero

Spider-Man has appeared in a lot of video games over the years, but few have been as well-received as the ones developed by Insomniac. After multiple critically and commercially successful games, it will be interesting to see where things go from here. There are a lot of compelling villains Insomniac could use, and our suggestions are just some of the many that are left unused. Hopefully the studio will pick some interesting choices as they continue to build up this version of the Spider-Man universe.

Would you like to see any of these Spider-Man villains in the next PlayStation game? Which characters would you choose to appear? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post 3 Spider-Man Villains That Should Appear in the Next PlayStation Game appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Sony seems to have fixed a rather major issue with the PS5 that has been plaguing the console since its launch in 2020. By all accounts, the PS5 has been nothing but a success for Sony so far, especially in terms of units sold. Still, some PlayStation users have come across some problems with the PS5 over the years, one of which was related to the liquid metal in the console that could spill if the hardware was set up vertically. Now, with the PS5 Pro, it looks as though Sony has taken the opportunity to address this design flaw with the platform.

In a new video from How Fix It on YouTube, the PS5 Pro was dissected in great detail. This teardown directly compared the internals of the PS5 Pro to that of the standard model of the PS5, which in this case is the PS5 Slim. In doing so, it was found that Sony has revised the hint sink seen on the PS5 Pro so that it now contains more ridge-like surroundings. This slight tweak ensures that the liquid metal of the heat sink will stay on the APU chip that it’s meant to cool.

Related: PlayStation Boss Wants to Bring Back Dormant Franchises

To stress why this is an important alteration, some PS5 owners have previously reported that the liquid metal would spill out to other parts of the console if it was set up vertically. In turn, this spilling of the liquid metal could potentially damage other parts of the PS5 and would lead to the console overheating.

All in all, this previous problem with liquid metal spilling out wasn’t a vast one. The issue only seemed to impact a very small number of PS5 owners who chose to display their consoles in a vertical capacity. Still, when it came to designing the PS5 Pro, Sony clearly opted to implement this slight design change to the hardware to ensure that it wouldn’t ever spill. Whether or not this will truly solve the root issue forever is hard to know with the PS5 Pro still being so new, but it’s good to see that those who do opt to fork over $700 to purchase the high-end hardware likely shouldn’t be met with any malfunctions in this way.

[Thanks, PlayStation Lifestyle]

The post PS5 Pro Seemingly Fixes a Big Problem With the Original PS5 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the most frustrating things about gaming is that a lot of companies own beloved properties that end up going long unused. Companies like Capcom and Sega have both been pretty bad in this regard, but PlayStation might be one of the worst offenders. The company owns lots of underutilized franchises, and fans have been begging to see them make a comeback. Thankfully, PlayStation co-CEO Herman Hulst has hinted that the company could be looking to dust off some franchises. Speaking to Famitsu (translated by Video Games Chronicle), Hulst talked about the importance of both older IP, and newer franchises.

“The various IPs that we own are an important asset to PlayStation, and as part of our efforts to strengthen our portfolio, we are continually looking at opportunities to leverage past IP, as well as develop new franchises,” Hulst told Famitsu.

There’s no shortage of IPs that PlayStation could bring back. Fans have spent years clamoring for a new Jak and Daxter, Infamous, or Sly Cooper. There are also first-party franchises that date back to the original PlayStation, from RPGs like Legend of Legaia and Legend of Dragoon, to platformers like Ape Escape. While some of these franchises simply faded due to neglect, PlayStation has let some franchises lapse even as they became popular in other media. It’s frankly bizarre that Twisted Metal has become a successful show on Peacock, yet there hasn’t been a new game in the series in nearly 13 years.

PlayStation’s neglect of its IP has been a topic of discussion for several years now, but it received a new focus following the release of Astro Bot earlier this year. The PS5 game features callbacks to a number of franchises that have appeared on PlayStation systems, from major ones like Marvel’s Spider-Man, to neglected ones like LocoRoco. While these references received a lot of praise from players, it also served as a reminder of how long fans have been waiting for new games. It’s great that PlayStation hasn’t forgotten its roots, or the games that helped the company find success, but fans would like something a little more substantial, as opposed to the occasional reference.

RELATED: Silent Hill: Townfall Gets New Update from Konami

Trying to strike the right balance between new franchises and existing ones can be a challenge for gaming companies. There’s the expectation of serving the existing audience, while also offering new fans the chance to experience something from the ground floor. PlayStation is clearly trying to find the right balance, and it will be interesting to see if anything comes of Hulst’s comments. One of the unfortunate things about gaming is that development takes a very long time, so it can be a while before these types of comments pay off. Hopefully PlayStation sees the demand for some of its dormant franchises and gives them another chance to shine.

Are there any dormant PlayStation franchises you’d like to see return? Do you think PlayStation needs to do a better job using its older IPs? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post PlayStation Boss Wants to Bring Back Dormant Franchises appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Some critically acclaimed PS5 games are dirt cheap right now on the PlayStation Store in various end-of-the-year deals from Sony. The PS5 is about to head into its fifth year. And as the PlayStation console gets older, there are more and more notable deals. Those that can hold out until the end of the generation will be rewarded with the best PS5 deals, but there are still steals to be had in the meanwhile.

In this instance, critically-acclaimed refers to games with Metacritic scores of 90 or above. Meanwhile, only native PS5 games are included. Critically acclaimed PS4 games that are playable on PS5 via backward compatibility have not been included. There’s one exception though and that is Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, which never got a PS5 release but released after the console came out. Beyond this, some classics from yesteryear that have PS5 ports have also been included if they meet the critically acclaimed threshold.

What Remains of Edith Finch

Developed by Giant Sparrow and published by Annapurna Interactive, What Remains of Edith Finch released back in 2017, but got a native PS5 version in 2022. It notably won Best Narrative at The Game Awards the year of its original release.

Metacritic Score – 92

Price – $4.99

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Developed by BioWare and published by EA, Mass Effect Legendary Edition features Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3, and every bit of DLC for all three games, which are widely considered some of the best games of all time. The compilation was released back in 2021.

Metacritic Score – 90

Price – $4.79

Norco

Developed by Geography of Robots and published by Raw Fury, Norco released back in 2022. While it didn’t win anything at The Game Awards that year, it was nominated for Best Debut Indie Game.

Metacritic Score – 89

Price – $5.79

Critically Acclaimed Classics Re-Released on PS5

• Hotline Miami – $1.99
• TimeSplitters 2 – $2.49
• Quake – $3.99
• Quake 2 – $3.99

RELATED: PlayStation Plus Users Can Now Play One of 2024’s Best PS5 Games for Free

For more PlayStation 5 coverage — including all of the latest PS5 news, all of the latest PS5 rumors and leaks, and all of the latest PS5 deals like these ones — click here.

The post Critically Acclaimed PS5 Games Just $5 on the PlayStation Store Right Now appeared first on ComicBook.com.

PlayStation Plus users can now check out a 2024-released 92-rated PS5 and PS4 game for free. The offer is limited to PS Plus Premium though. Those subscribed to the standard tier, PS Plus Essential, or the middle tier, PS Plus Extra, will need to upgrade if they want to take advantage of the offer. More than this, the offer is not for the full game, but a 10-hour trial of said PS5/PS4 game.

Normally, 10 hours is enough to see a majority of many gamers, if not the entirety of a good number of PlayStation games. However, this PS5 and PS4 game is 55-85 hours long, with variance coming down to playstyle and how much side content is engaged with. Still, a 10-hour free trial is plenty of time to peep a game and determine if you want to purchase it out right. In this case, before splashing $34.99 for the PS5 and PS4 game, which is normally $69.99, but on sale on the PlayStation Store until January 7.

The PlayStation game in question is Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the ninth mainline installment in the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series. It is, more specifically, a direct sequel to 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon and a spin-off of 2023 game, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.

It released back in January of this year to Metacritic scores ranging from 89 to 92, with said scores varying platform to platform. It was notably nominated for Best Narrative and Best Role-Playing Game at The Game Awards this month, though it did not win either category. With its Metacritic scores though it is among the highest-rated games of 2024 and has sold over million units since launch.

“Two larger-than-life heroes, Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu are brought together by the hand of fate, or perhaps something more sinister,” reads an official elevator pitch of the game for those unfamiliar with it. “Live it up in Japan and explore all that Hawaii has to offer in an RPG adventure so big it spans the Pacific.”

RELATED: PlayStation Plus Users “Shocked” How Good Free Game Is

It is unclear how long this Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth free PlayStation Plus Premium trial will last. The lack of information may suggests it is a permanent offer with a PS Plus subscription.

For more PlayStation Plus coverage — including all of the latest PlayStation Plus news, all of the latest PlayStation Plus rumors and leaks, and all of the latest PlayStation Plus deals — click here.

The post PlayStation Plus Users Can Now Play One of 2024’s Best PS5 Games for Free appeared first on ComicBook.com.

PlayStation fans could be poised to get some big news tied to the brand in early 2025. For the most part, PlayStation and other various video game companies haven’t been making any major announcements over the past few weeks. This is typically expected at this time every year as most developers and publishers tend to take breaks in proximity to the holidays. For those who are eager for new information tied to PlayStation and its various endeavors, though, it sounds as though some sizable reveals could be happening in the first days of January.

Recently, Sony confirmed that it will be holding its annual presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on Monday, January 6, 2025. This event is one that Sony attends every year, and in doing so, it always holds a presentation that the public can watch online. This year, the showcase is set to happen on January 6th and will begin streaming at 8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT.

Currently, Sony hasn’t outlined anything that it will be talking about during its CES press conference, so it’s hard to know what to anticipate. When it comes to the gaming section of Sony’s business, though, there’s a virtual guarantee that something will be said about PlayStation.

That being said, it’s worth keeping your expectations in check to some degree here. While Sony tends to touch on PlayStation each year at CES, its announcements often don’t have anything to do with specific games or hardware. In fact, in recent years, Sony has focused more heavily on its various TV and film adaptations of different PlayStation franchises that are in the works rather than honing in on certain games. If this stays true in 2025, it means that new reveals for The Last of Us Season 2, the Until Dawn movie, or the second season of Twisted Metal might end up debuting here.

Even if CES 2025 proves to be a dud when it comes to PlayStation-related announcements, it’s likely that we won’t have to wait much longer to hear about what’s next for the gaming giant. On an annual basis, PlayStation tends to hold a State of Play presentation in February. Assuming that this is again the plan for 2025, we should have a better idea of PlayStation’s roadmap for the coming year quite soon.

[Thanks, @WilliamRAguilar]

The post PlayStation Fans Could Get Big News on January 6th appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A new stratagem has been given to all Helldivers 2 players completely for free. The stratagem in question is the StA-X3 W.A.S.P. LAUNCHER, which all players can now find in their armory. The new stratagem should make for an interesting addition to the game, as it’s capable of launching seven homing missiles at once. It will be interesting to see how players feel about the weapon once they’ve gotten to spend a little more time with it, but it looks like a lot of fun to use, and it’s hard to complain about getting a stratagem unlocked without some kind of cost attached.

“A versatile missile launcher loaded with seven lock-on homing missiles. These can either be fired from the launcher directly or as an airburst. Includes support backpack required for reloading. Produced by Stal Arms,” the armory description reads (via Helldivers Wiki).

So far, reception to the free stratagem seems largely positive. Players are still figuring out the various ways the StA-X3 W.A.S.P. LAUNCHER differs from the Spear, but it seems this Stratagem has some interesting applications. At the very least, it looks awesome in combat, and it deals out a hefty amount of damage. It would be impossible to make all fans happy, and some players have had gripes about the overall performance of the stratagem, but those complaints seem few and far between. Instead, it seems most players are just happy about getting something new to use for free. A lot of players have thanked Arrowhead for the freebie, while wishing the development team happy holidays.

Following the announcement about the free stratagem on X/Twitter, many fans took the opportunity to share their requests from the Helldivers 2 team. Some fans were hoping for some Santa-themed cosmetics, and others repeated requests for PS5 Pro support. While many games have gotten a significant performance upgrade with the newest version of the PS5 console, Helldivers 2 hasn’t just yet. It remains to be seen whether the game will get a boost in the graphics department, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it was a priority, given the game’s popularity. For now though, nothing has been announced by either PlayStation or Arrowhead Game Studios.

RELATED: New PlayStation Portal Rumored to Release Soon

Helldivers 2 has been one of PlayStation’s biggest success stories of 2024. Released back in February, the game quickly found a passionate audience on PS5 and PC. For those that have yet to purchase the game, now might actually be the perfect time. PlayStation is currently holding a massive holiday sale, in which many first-party and third-party games have been discounted. Helldivers 2 is just $31.99 during the sale, down from its usual $39.99. That 20% discount is available now through January 7th at 2:59 a.m. ET, and it applies to both the PS5 and Steam versions.

Have you gotten a chance to check out the new stratagem yet? What do you think of this new addition to Helldivers 2? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Helldivers 2 Gives Players Brand New Stratagem for Free appeared first on ComicBook.com.

2024 has arguably been the strangest year one of the strangest years so far in this current console generation. Platform holders like PlayStation and Xbox haven’t released many of their own original games this year, while Nintendo has largely been in a holding pattern prior to the presumed release of the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025. This has resulted in more remakes and remasters coming about this year as many publishers try to bridge the gap to their larger games in the future.

Still, even in what is considered a down year for video games across the board, there are a number of releases that ended up reaching new heights for the medium. This is especially true in the indie space, which has seen phenomenal titles like Balatro, Animal Well, and UFO 50 come about and grab the interest of millions. And on the AAA front, there have also been more than enough tentpole games that have warranted the time and money of players around the globe. As always, though, one game has been a larger achievement than the rest in 2024 and has earned our biggest annual gaming award at ComicBook.

To that end, the winner of the 2024 ComicBook Golden Issue Award for Game of the Year is…

Astro Bot!

While it might not be the largest game or the one that tells the most compelling story, Astro Bot is without question the best gaming experience of 2024. With tight controls, colorful levels, and a jamming soundtrack, it’s impossible to play Astro Bot without having a smile plastered across your face at all times. It’s a title that goes back to the roots of the gaming medium but modernizes them with new features and upgrades that could only be seen on the PS5.

The experience that Astro Bot provides is only further enhanced by those who have been entrenched in the PlayStation ecosystem for decades. With hundreds of callbacks and Easter eggs to various PlayStation franchises and hardware that have come about since the 1990s, Astro Bot pays homage to what has come before while still charting a new path of its own. It’s a bit trite to say at this point, but Astro Bot really is a love letter to the 30-year history of the PlayStation brand.

In a time when every video game publisher seems to be looking for the next big live-service game like Fortnite, Astro Bot shows that creative, gameplay-first experiences that are for all ages can still be incredibly successful. Hopefully, its resounding acclaim will serve as an example to other gaming companies that smaller games that are of a very high-quality are still just as important as those that end up raking in the most money.

Congrats to PlayStation and developer Team Asobi for the win for Game of the Year!

The nominees for the 2024 ComicBook Golden Issue Award for Game of the Year are:

• Astro Bot  – WINNER
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Helldivers 2
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Silent Hill 2

The post Astro Bot Wins ComicBook’s Game of the Year (Golden Issue Awards) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

2024 has been a bit hit-and-miss when it comes to video games. While there have been some truly fantastic releases like Astro Bot, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth that have floored players, there have also been a number of duds like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Skull and Bones, and Concord that have left fans equal parts confused and disappointed.

Despite being so tumultuous, 2024 has largely been a bright spot when it comes to multiplayer games. Whether it be Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and its return to form for the long-running shooter series, Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero bringing back DBZ of the past, or Super Mario Party Jamboree giving players a reason to play multiplayer games on their couch with friends, this year has had a ton of fantastic and diverse titles that can be played with others. That said, one multiplayer game has found a way to rise above the rest and stands out as the best experience of them all.

And the winner for the 2024 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Multiplayer Game is…

Helldivers 2!

Upon its release near the start of 2024, Helldivers 2 quickly became a phenomenon. While the game largely wasn’t on the radar for many coming into this year, its slick gameplay and community-driven systems led to it going viral. This positive word of mouth soon after led to the Helldivers 2 community growing in the tens of millions and has resulted in it being one of the year’s top-selling games.

In the months since, developer Arrowhead Studios has only further improved Helldivers 2 thanks to continued updates and new content drops. While some of these patches haven’t been well-received by Helldivers 2 players for one reason or another, Arrowhead has been quick to listen to its community and has taken feedback into account every step of the way. This was most recently seen this past week when Arrowhead acknowledged that it had missed the mark with some of its new Helldivers 2 cosmetics, but promised to learn from the situation with future add-on content.

What’s truly impressive about Helldivers 2 is that moving into 2025, the game shows no signs of really slowing down. While player counts for Helldivers 2 have naturally diminished a bit over the course of this year, Arrowhead has grown the game greatly over the past month by adding a third faction, dubbed the Illuminate, that players can take on. If major, free content drops like this continue to come about in the months ahead, then Helldivers 2 could have just as big of a 2025 as it has in 2024.

Congrats to PlayStation and Arrowhead Studios for winning Best Multiplayer Game with Helldivers 2!

The nominees for Best Multiplayer Game are: 

• Super Mario Party Jamboree
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Helldivers 2 – WINNER
• Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
• The Finals

The post Helldivers 2 Wins Best Multiplayer Game of 2024  (Golden Issue Awards) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Before it even released, the Marvel Rivals battle pass structure had already won players over thanks to the fact that items from the passes could be earned even after a season ended and the game moved onto the next battle pass. That part’s not changing, so Marvel Rivals players won’t have to worry about missing out on the contents of a battle pass if they want to play something else for awhile, but as expected, there are some caveats to how Marvel Rivals battle passes work which, in the words of the developers themselves, make things “a bit complicated.”

Marvel Rivals developer NetEase penned a post this week talking about the battle pass setup and how it’ll work from one season to the next. The complicated part mostly deals with Chrono Tokens, the currency used to purchase items from the battle pass. Chrono Tokens can be earned one of two ways: by purchasing them with the game’s premium currency, Lattice, or by earning them through natural progression such as missions and achievements.

If you’re earning them through just playing the game, those Chrono Tokens will expire at the end of each season, so don’t expect to carry earned Chrono Tokens over to the next battle pass. For ones you acquire via Lattice, however, there’s a rule in place that’ll allow you to keep “a portion” of them in the next season.

“The specific amount retained will be the lesser of the remaining Chrono Tokens and the total Chrono Tokens you bought with Lattice in the current season,” the post explained.

NetEase further elaborated by providing an example. If you were to spend 1,000 Lattice to get 1,000 Chrono Tokens, but you end up with 1,500 Chrono Tokens by the end of the season, the 1,000 you purchased will be what carries over to the next season. If you don’t use those Chrono Tokens then, they’ll carry over to the next season and so on until you do use them.

“We hope this clears things up a bit,” NetEase said in conclusion. “It’s a bit complicated, but we wanted to give you all as much info as possible to address your concerns.”

The good news is that for the Chrono Tokens you earned via normal progression that’ll expire at the end of a season, you don’t have to worry about missing out on those entirely if the end date for a season slips your mind. For Chrono Tokens that would expire at a season’s end, those will be auto-redeemed for items in the current battle pass. You of course won’t have a say in what you get at that point, so it’s better to spend them yourself before the end of the season, but it’s at least a safeguard in place to make sure you’re not totally wasting them.

View on X

Other games like Helldivers 2 and Fortnite use stars, tokens, and other currencies similar to Chrono Tokens to unlock battle pass items, and those are hardly ever carried over from one pass to the next, so it’s not surprising that Chrono Tokens will work this way even if the carryover math does make things a bit more complicated. The first “season” in Marvel Rivals was always supposed to be a shorter one, however, with the first real season starting in January, so we’ll see next month how players feel about the battle pass progression once we get a better look at a complete season.

The post Marvel Rivals Battle Passes Just Got “A Bit Complicated” appeared first on ComicBook.com.

PlayStation Plus subscribers are set to lose 11 notable games across PS5 and PS4 to begin the new year. While Sony always adds new games to its PS Plus Game Catalog on a monthly cadence for Extra and Premium subscribers, these additions are always met with a few losses as well. Now, with January 2025 right around the corner, we know which PS Plus games are set to expire and will soon be taken off of the subscription platform.

As of this week, Sony has added 11 PS Plus games to the “Last Chance to Play” section of the service. These departures are likely headlined by Capcom’s remake of Resident Evil 2, which is widely considered to be one of the best survival-horror games of the past decade. In addition, Capcom is also removing one of its throwback Street Fighter collections, while a handful of games from publisher Square Enix are also on their way out.

Here’s the full list of games set leave PlayStation Plus next month:

• Dragon Ball FighterZ
• Just Cause 3
• Just Cause 4
• Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection
• Life Is Strange
• Life Is Strange: Before the Storm
• Secret of Mana
• Legend of Mana
• Resident Evil 2
• Pure Hold ‘Em
• Hardspace: Shipbreaker

Along with all of these removals from the PS Plus Game Catalog, Sony is set to also take away the free games for December 2024 at the start of January as well. Currently, all PS Plus members at any tier are able to grab It Takes Two, Aliens: Dark Descent, and Temtem as part of their subscription. These games will vanish from PS Plus on January 6th, while the Game Catalog removals will come a bit later on January 14th.

Related: PS Plus Users Can Get Paid $500 to Play PS3, PS2, PS1, and PSP Games

At the time of this writing, Sony has yet to announce what the first lineup of free games on PlayStation Plus for January 2025 will be. News on this front likely won’t come about this week, either, and will instead emerge midway through next week. To that end, whenever we hear what will be coming to PS Plus to begin the new year, we’ll fill you in here on ComicBook.

[H/T Push Square]

The post PlayStation Plus to Lose 11 Games at the Beginning of 2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

At The Game Awards earlier this month, fans got their first chance to see The Witcher 4, which made its debut with a stunning new trailer. The announcement was one of the night’s biggest, and it might have convinced some fans to check out the previous game to see what they missed. If you haven’t played The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, there’s never been a better time to do so, as the complete edition of the game has been marked down to just $9.99 on the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and the Epic Games Store for a limited time.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition normally costs $49.99, so the current deal is 80% off the standard price. The discount ends on different days depending on the platform, but the earliest the sale should be ending is on January 3rd on the Microsoft Store. It should be noted that this deal applies to the complete edition, which includes both the base game and all of its DLC. That’s the best deal overall, as players are getting both the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions. Those two expansions significantly boost the amount of content available, giving players access to a new region to explore, new contracts to complete, and more.

Those that want to try The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for a little bit cheaper can do so on certain platforms; both Steam and the Microsoft Store offer the base game for purchase on its own, which is currently on sale for $7.99. Readers should be advised that the lower price point does come with some trade-off, and that’s the fact that you don’t get any of the DLC. Obviously, that’s a worse deal, as CD Projekt Red estimates that players get an extra 50 hours of gameplay through those expansions. You might as well spend the extra $2, but if you’re strictly hoping to try the base game and want to save even more money, that option is available.

RELATED: The Witcher Finally Reveals Geralt’s Age

Unfortunately, there is one platform that got left out of this deal, and that’s Nintendo Switch. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Complete Edition has been discounted on the platform, but the price point is significantly higher than every other platform. As of this writing, the game is priced at $20.99, down from its usual $59.99. That’s still a lot cheaper than normal, and you’re getting what’s often considered one of the greatest video games of all-time. However, in addition to costing more money, the Switch discount is live for a shorter amount of time; the discount will come to an end on December 27th at 2:59 a.m. ET. If you get an eShop card for the holidays, it might be worth using!

Do you plan on taking advantage of this discount on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt? Have you ever played the game before? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and All DLC Less Than $10 Following Witcher 4 Announcement appeared first on ComicBook.com.

PS5 and PS5 Pro owners have been warned not get banned by PlayStation from PSN over a new issue. Both PlayStation and Xbox have really cracked down on moderation during the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S console generation. To this end, more and more PlayStation and Xbox fans are getting banned from PSN and Xbox Live, respectively. And many of these suspensions or bans are for things that were previously either not an issue or not enforced by moderation. With an increase in AI/automated moderation though this is changing.

The top post on the PS5 Reddit page right now is a post warning that PlayStation is now cracking down on link sharing. This includes sending Google URLs. This has technically been against the Code of Conduct since the release of the PS5, but it appears it is being more heavily enforced now.

The post reveals they received three emails from PlayStation that code had been breached for sending different Google.com URLs in PSN message. The warning specifically read as follows: “Sharing malicious URLs, including those that may harm another player.”

As the PS5 points out, normal URLs have never been enforced before, or at least that has been their experience, and the experience of the PS5 users in the comments of the post.

“This is completely automated and happens the instant you send the message. It’s also not the first time in the PS5 cycle that this has happened. They’ve automated the deletion of google/youtube links before, but it never lasted longer than a week, notably they’ve never sent a breach of conduct email for normal URLs before either. They’ve either messed up the automation or they’re going full scorched-earth on URLs.”

RELATED: 95-Rated PS5 Game Only $3.99 After Massive 90% Discount

“Same thing happened to me. I think the emails are stupid,” reads one of the comments. “I sent the Google link to my alt account and the URL was automatically removed for safety upon being sent. Yet they added an automated system to put warnings on your account for a URL that was immediately filtered out. Not only that but I sent it to my ALT account so it automatically sent a report because obviously I didn’t report myself.”

As alluded to, Xbox does the same exact thing with Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles. There are a few reasons this is a concern for PlayStation and Xbox, including jailbreaking and user safety. Nonetheless, those on PS5 who have never had issues sharing links on PS5 before may find the situation different now.

At the moment of publishing, there has been no official word from PlayStation on the matter, and thus no official word that anything has changed. PS5 users have noticed a change though.

For more PlayStation 5 coverage — including all of the latest PS5 and PS5 Pro news, all of the latest PS5 and PS5 Pro rumors and leaks, and all of the latest PS5 and PS5 Pro deals — click here.

The post PS5 Owners Warned Not to Get Banned From PSN Over New Issue appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A trilogy of hugely popular PS2 games is on a steep discount for PS5 and PS4 on the PlayStation Store for a limited time. Earlier this year, Deep Silver re-released its three TimeSplitters games on modern PlayStation platforms. For the first time in roughly 20 years, this brought all three of the classic shooters to new hardware and in the process made TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2, and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect easier to access than ever. Now, for those who have been interested in picking up these PS5 and PS4 ports, a new deal on each game is now far too good to pass up.

At the time of this writing, all three TimeSplitters games are 75% off on the PlayStation Store. Typically, these throwback PS2 shooters tend to retail for $9.99 on PS5 and PS4, but they can now be picked up for only $2.49 each. This represents the lowest amount that any of the three ports have been sold for to this point, and is quite a staggering price cut given that these PS2 re-releases only just launched a few months back. The deal is part of the PS Store’s ongoing Holiday Sale, which means that it will last until next month on January 7th.

Related: 95-Rated PS5 Game Only $3.99 After Massive 90% Discount

It’s worth noting that if you’re subscribed to PlayStation Plus Premium, you can already get these TimeSplitters games for “free”. All three titles are part of the “Classics” selection of titles on the Game Catalog that are made up of various PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP games. Still, buying these TimeSplitters titles outright will ensure that they stay in your digital library permanently, which will give you continued access to each in the years to come.

TimeSplitters

“TimeSplitters is a renowned first-person shooter series that plunges players into an epic battle against the malevolent TimeSplitters, a race dwelling outside of time and space. Awakened from an ancient sleep, these entities tear through time’s fabric to erase humanity from history. Players must unite against this common enemy or face a grim future under their shadow.

TimeSplitters infuses humor and personality into its gameplay. Its characters are well-defined and often quirky, adding a light-hearted element to the intense action. This blend of humor and high-stakes battle sets the game apart from other shooters.”

TimeSplitters 2

“TimeSplitters 2 returns, surpassing its predecessor with a larger-than-life experience. This sequel expands on every front, offering faster-paced action, richer storytelling, and diverse graphical styles across nine thrilling time-traveling adventures. From the lawless Wild West to the neon-lit streets of Neo Tokyo, each era boasts its own atmosphere and challenges.

TimeSplitters 2 blends engaging gameplay, rich narrative, and multiplayer excitement into a definitive gaming experience. Whether you’re a shooter fan or seeking compelling storytelling, this title promises unforgettable adventures through time and space.”

TimeSplitters: Future Perfect

“TimeSplitters: Future Perfect is the pinnacle of the acclaimed series, blending action, humor, and intricate storytelling. Play as Sergeant Cortez, embarking on a time-bending journey across past, present, and future to thwart the sinister TimeSplitters. Explore diverse environments from ancient temples to futuristic cities, each with unique challenges and visual splendor.

TimeSplitters: Future Perfect honors the series’ legacy while innovating with modern gameplay elements, appealing to both longtime fans and new players. Whether for its compelling story, engaging multiplayer, or sheer entertainment value, it promises an unforgettable journey through time and space, making it a timeless addition to any gamer’s collection.”

The post PS2 Shooter Trilogy Gets Big Sale on PS Store Soon After Release appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Slitterhead has been out for more than a month, but those that haven’t given the game a chance now have an opportunity to do so for free. The game’s developers have released a Slitterhead demo, which should be available on all of its current platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. The timing actually couldn’t be better, as it happens to coincide with a 30% discount that’s also live, as of this writing. That knocks the price down to $34.99, from its usual $49.99.

Reception to Slitterhead has been pretty much all over the board since the game’s release. As of this writing, the game holds a Meta Score of 62, placing it firmly in the “mixed or average” category. However, users in general seem a lot more fond of Slitterhead than most reviewers were. On Steam, the game currently holds a “very positive” rating, with recent reviews being “mostly positive.” Slitterhead‘s fans have positively compared it to games released on past PlayStation platforms. One of the more frequent complaints about the game is that many players don’t feel like the price is justified; given the current discount, Slitterhead might be an easier sell!

The demo for Slitterhead gives players access to the first chapter and tutorial. One of the lone drawbacks about demos is that players tend to hate having to revisit areas that they’ve already played and finished. Thankfully, all progress from the Slitterhead demo can be carried over to the full version. Since there’s no cross-progression between versions, players will probably want to download the demo on the platform they’re considering buying the game on.

Given the wide range of opinions that have surrounded Slitterhead, the new demo seems like a perfect opportunity for players to see if the game will appeal to them. The reality is, there are a lot of great games out there, and it’s pretty much impossible to try everything. Demos make things a little easier for players, and it could help to grow Slitterhead‘s fan base.

RELATED: PlayStation Store Announces Massive Holiday Sale

Slitterhead is the latest game from director Keiichiro Toyama. Toyama has spent three decades in the video game industry, and has been responsible for multiple beloved franchises. Toyama is credited as the creator of the Silent Hill franchise, as well as Gravity Rush and Siren. Fans hoping for something like Silent Hill should not expect to find just that. While Slitterhead does feature a number of horror elements, it’s more of an action game. That might be the reason some players have been disappointed by the game, but the demo should help in that regard, as it will quickly clear up any potential misconceptions.

Do you plan on giving Slitterhead a chance now that there’s a demo available? Has a demo ever helped you decide to buy a game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Free Slitterhead Demo Released appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The PlayStation Store currently has a fan-favorite PS5 game for just $3.99. This same PS5 game normally costs $39.99 on the PlayStation Store, so this represents a massive discount of 90%. The PS5 game in question is also available on PS4, so the same offer is also available to PS4 users. That said, the PlayStation Store PS5 deal itself is only available until January 18. And the PS5 game is unlikely to be cheaper than this, at least anytime soon. This discount specifically is the biggest the PS5 game has received to date.

The $3.99 PS5 game hails from 2021, a notably unremarkable year from a video game release perspective. And this is because it was the year after a console launch, which are always on slower on the software side. Even in a year like 2021 though, there were still some notable releases, such as Game of the Year winner It Takes Two, Resident Evil Village, Forza Horizon 5, Deathloop, Metroid Dread, Valheim, Returnal, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Halo Infinite, Psychonauts 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Hitman 3, and The Forgotten City.

This is, of course, not an exhaustive list of notable releases in 2021. It is close to an exhaustive list of noteworthy horror games though. Resident Evil Village was arguably the only big horror game of 2021. There were some smaller releases though, such as Little Nightmares 2, Mundaun, and Tormented Souls. There was also The Medium and The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes, but both of these underwhelmed. Meanwhile, there was also one other great horror game, in particular, that flew under the radar of many: In Sound Mind.

RELATED: One of the Best PS4 Games Is Free With PS Plus (But Not For Long)

Developed by We Create Stuff and published by Maximum Entertainment, In Sound Mind is a first-person psychological horror game that really resonated with horror fans back in 2021. This is evident by its “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam, the highest rating a game can earn on Steam. And this was achieved because 95 percent of 4,130 user reviews rate the game positively.

“This small studio puts the billion dollar game industry to shame,” reads one of these user reviews. An amazing vision, passion, creativity, blood, sweat and tears were poured into this work of game art. The storytelling in this game is the diamond shining through on an already lustrous piece. The characters you help save have real world problems that encompasses such a wide range of real world traumas its hard not to relate and empathize with them, even as they actively lash out at you, thrashing for whatever their crazed minds can cling to. This is a must play game for anyone passionate about the industry. I have bought it three times for friends already and think everyone should experience this scaring masterpiece.”

The game boasts similar ratings on the PlayStation Store, with it boasting 4.53 stars out of 5. That said, it appears consumers and critics don’t quite agree on the title as its critical scores are noticeably a bit lower. Whatever the case, PS5 users don’t have much to lose when it — or more specifically, the Deluxe Edition of the PS5 game — is only $3.99.

RELATED: Huge 2025 Game Confirmed as PS5 Pro Enhanced

“As you awake in the corridors of an inexplicable building, you find the environment takes on a life of its own and leads you to discover a series of victims, all exposed to the same experimental chemical,” reads an official description of the game for those unfamiliar with it. “In your search for answers, bizarre visions emerge and introduce a host of imposing horrors…and a cat named Tonia.”

Those that decide to check out In Sound Mind on PS5, or PS4, via this PlayStation Store deal should expect a game that is about 10 to 15 hours long. The bottom of this estimate represents a mainline playthrough while the top end of the estimate is closer to a completionist run.

As for PS5 Pro support, there is none. The game is playable on the PS5 Pro, but it does not have any special enhancements that leverage the extra power of the premium PlayStation machine.

For more PlayStation 5 coverage — including all of the latest PS5 news, all of the latest PS5 rumors and leaks, and all of the latest PS5 deals like this one — click here.

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Some classic PS1 games are currently as cheap as $2.49 on the PlayStation Store right now. Of course, these games are available and playable on both PS4 and PS5 via PS1 emulation. That said, they normally cost more. Right now though they are on sale, but in the case of some, this sale is ending very soon.

One of these PS1 games is Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee, which released back in 1997 as a PS1 exclusive. It is notably the first Oddworld game in the series of the same name, spawning many follow-ups that were essential to the early days of PlayStation. And the series continues to this day, with a new release in 2021. That said, it has lost much of its relevancy. At release, the PS1 game garnered an 85 on Metacritic.

The second PS1 game dirt cheap right now on the PlayStation Store is Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus, a direct sequel that followed in 1998 and that was also a PS1 exclusive. At release, it garnered an even better score on Metacritic, an 88, which put it amongst the best PS1 games of its year.

The third and final PS1 game currently only $2.49 is Worms World Party, a 2001 release that actually came out on PC first, then SEGA Dreamcast, and then PS1. A sequel to 1999’s Worms Armageddon, it released to a 79 on Metacritic. Despite releasing on PC and SEGA Dreamcast first, the game is often associated with the PS1 where it was most popular.

RELATED: New PS5 Exclusive Stealth Released (And It’s Already 40% Off)

There are no catches to these deals. The Worms World Party is available all the way until January 18. However, the two deals for the two Oddworld games are only available until December 21 at 02:59 AM EST. In other words, only available for less than 24 hours.

These prices are available courtesy of deals that range from 50% off to 75% off, and they match previous lows for these games on the PlayStation Store, which are unlikely to ever get any cheaper, at least anytime soon.

For more PlayStation coverage — including all of the latest PS1 news, all of the latest PS1 rumors and leaks, and all of the latest PS1 deals — click here.

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One of the best PS4 games, which is also available on PS5, is currently 100% free with some PS Plus subscriptions, however, time to capitalize on the opportunity is running out for PlayStation fans. The offer is specifically available with a PS Plus Extra or a PS Plus Premium subscription. It is not available with a PS Plus Essential subscription, which is the standard and cheapest tier of the Sony subscription service.

As for the game, it hails from 2019. In 2019, the likes of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Death Stranding, Apex Legends, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Control, The Outer Worlds, Call of Duty: Mobile, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Beat Saber, Disco Elysium, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Borderlands 3, Kingdom Hearts 3, Metro Exodus, Days Gone, Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Pokemon Sword and Shield, Gears 5, The Division 2, Luigi’s Mansion 3, and Untitled Goose Game all released and defined the year. And one of these games is free with PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium, but only until January.

More specifically, time is running out for PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium users to play Resident Evil 2 Remake. Thankfully, the game is now very long so this isn’t a huge deal. To this end, it is about 10 to 15 hours long, though completionists will need closer to 40 hours with the survival-horror game. Whatever the case, there is plenty of time to play and even complete the game before it departs PlayStation Plus.

The 2019 Capcom release, for those that don’t know, is a remake of 1998’s Resident Evil 2, a game widely considered one of the best games ever release. Likewise, Resident Evil 2 Remake was a standout release in the PS4 generation, as evident by its 91 on Metacritic.

“In Resident Evil 2, the classic action, tense exploration, and puzzle solving gameplay that defined the Resident Evil series returns,” reads an official description of the game. for those who know nothing about it. “Players join rookie police officer Leon Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield, who are thrust together by a disastrous outbreak in Raccoon City that transformed its population into deadly zombies. Both Leon and Claire have their own separate playable campaigns, allowing players to see the story from both characters’ perspectives. The fate of these two fan favorite characters is in players hands as they work together to survive and get to the bottom of what is behind the terrifying attack on the city. Will they make it out alive?”

For more PlayStation Plus coverage — including all of the latest PlayStation Plus news, all of the latest PlayStation Plus rumors and leaks, and all of the latest PlayStation Plus deals — click here.

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Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Studios has opted to give away a new array of cosmetics tied to the PlayStation franchise Killzone following backlash from players. In the past day, Arrowhead announced its first “premium” collab for Helldivers 2 that centered around new items related to Killzone. While players were initially excited to see Killzone represented in Helldivers 2, this excitement faded quickly once many realized how steep the cost was. Now, in response to this blowback, Arrowhead has chosen to make the next round of Killzone gear entirely free.

In an extensive new post from Arrowhead, the studio acknowledged that it may have missed the mark with the price of its first premium content in Helldivers 2. While the cost of this initial Killzone pack won’t be changing, Arrowhead said that the second pack, which includes five different items, is going to be handed out for free. Originally, this second wave of Killzone gear was set to launch on December 23rd, but Arrowhead has instead now chosen to release it today.

“As this was our first crossover offering, we’ve been listening to the response, and the feedback we’ve received from our community surveys is that crossover content is really high up on your wishlists,” Arrowhead wrote. “At the same time, some of you are not happy with the prices of the items and we will revisit this. […] Because of all this, in partnership with our friends at Guerrilla (and as we’re in the season of holiday cheer), we’ve decided to offer a gift to all players.”

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“Firstly, we are gifting to everyone the planned second wave of the Helldivers x Killzone collaboration items today, free of charge,” the statement continued. “The distribution of those items will begin shortly, in two waves. As such we’re also going to extend the duration of the items currently in the Superstore from 5 days to 10 days so that you have a chance to get hold of it and reduce the risk of missing out. We’re also investigating solutions for how we can bring these items back permanently in the future. […] We hope you have a great holiday period, and continue to enjoy spreading managed democracy in Omens of Tyranny!”

Moving forward, it’s clear that Arrowhead intends to release more premium items in Helldivers 2. What those cosmetics will look like or what franchises they might be tied to isn’t currently known, but it’s pretty apparent that Arrowhead is going to rethink how that content is released. Whenever another launch like this happens, presumably in 2025, it will be interesting to see how this Killzone collab changes Arrowhead’s future strategies.

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The holiday season is a time when a lot of people get new video game systems. Whether you’re hoping to find a PS5 under the tree this year, or if you’ve had the console since launch day, PlayStation Store’s Holiday Sale should have plenty to get excited about. The sale is set to begin on December 20th, with some discounts lasting through January 6th, and others extending through the 17th. During that time, a plethora of games will be discounted on both PS4 and PS5, from first-party favorites like God of War Ragnarok and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, to Capcom classics like Resident Evil Village and Street Fighter 6.

While many of the games that are getting discounted have been around for a few years at this point, there are also a lot of 2024 releases on this list, some of which have only been out for a few months. Games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Sonic x Shadow Generations, Funko Fusion, and NHL 25 are all very recent, and all are getting discounts. Some of PlayStation’s biggest exclusives of 2024 are also getting featured in this sale; both Helldivers 2 and Silent Hill 2 are listed on PlayStation’s website for the sale. Notably, so is Astro Bot, the overall Game of the Year winner at The Game Awards earlier this month. For those interested in giving the game a chance after all of the praise it’s received, this could be the perfect opportunity to do so at a cheaper price.

In addition to single games, the Holiday Sale also includes multi-game bundles, which should help players extend their overall savings. There’s a bundle that includes Hogwarts Legacy and Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions that’s getting a price drop. There’s also one that has Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for anyone that missed the first two entries in the remake trilogy. Football fans might also want to look into the EA Sports MVP Bundle, which comes with the deluxe editions of Madden NFL 25 and College Football 25.

RELATED: Yakuza/Like a Dragon Developer Lays Out 20th Anniversary Plans

Given the sheer number of games included in this sale, it’s a safe bet that most PlayStation users won’t have any difficulty finding something that appeals to their specific interests. Unfortunately, PlayStation has not revealed the actual prices of these games just yet, so we’ll have to wait and see how significant the drops end up being. Odds are, some deals are going to be a lot better than others, but that’s par for the course for these types of sales; it’s possible some of these deals won’t be as good as we’ve seen at retailers, or during past PlayStation Store sales. Hopefully Sony has been saving the best deals for the end of 2024!

What did you think of this PlayStation Store Holiday Sale? Are you planning to buy any new games over the next few weeks? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

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A new PS5 and PS4 console exclusive has just been stealth released and it’s already available for 40% for PlayStation fans interested in checking out the new December release. This launch discount is available between now and January 2, however, it is limited to PlayStation Plus. Any tier of the subscription service — PS Plus Essential, PS Plus Extra, and PS Plus Premium is sufficient — however, a subscription is required to pay $14 rather than the game’s normal asking price of $23.

As for the game, it debuted back in May of this year, but only on Steam. And on Steam, it has a “Mostly Positive” rating with Steam users, thanks to 72 percent of 116 user reviews rating the game positively. Meanwhile, the game does not have any Metacritic data available as a release that has flown under the radar on Steam. Now that it is available on PS4 and PS5 though it may be getting more attention soon.

The game, for those that have not connected the dots, is Metroidvania Venture to the Vile from developer Cut to Bits and publisher Aniplex. More can be read about it below, courtesy of an official game description.

“The Vile is taking over, transforming people, elements and everything it touches into something ghastly and unrecognizable,” reads an official pitch of the new PSN release. “Immerse yourself in narrative quests while meeting a peculiar and memorable cast of characters while you search for your missing best friend, Ella. Delve into a playfully-sinister world riddled with mystery that unexpectedly evolves based on time of day or weather condition. Gain new abilities to battle vicious enemies. Transform more and more into the monster you’re fighting against as the Vile becomes all consuming. As you uncover the truth about the Vile and the future becomes uncertain, you’ll have to make a difficult decision– should you embrace the next step in evolution or eradicate it?”

RELATED: New Free PS5 Game Comes “Highly Recommend” From PS Plus Users

This is not the only console exclusive for PlayStation to release this month. Infinity Nikki also released earlier this month, and while it is available on PC and mobile devices, the only console it is currently available on is PS5. And this has proven to be a huge get for the console, as it is proving quite popular, as evident by its over 10 million players. Venture to the vile is unlikely to be anywhere near this popular, but it is something new for PlayStation fans that can’t be played on Xbox consoles or the Nintendo Switch, at least not yet.

For more PlayStation 5 coverage — including all of the latest PS5 news, all of the latest PS5 rumors and leaks, and all of the latest PS5 deals — click here.

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PlayStation has more or less revealed some of the first official information on the tech that will eventually be seen in the PlayStation 6. This past month, Sony let loose the PS5 Pro, which is a slightly upgraded version of the base PS5 console. Compared to the standard version of the platform, the PS5 Pro has some additional features that Sony plans to continue building upon for its next console. And while the PS6 hasn’t been formally announced just yet, Sony’s Mark Cerny has now given fans an early glimpse of what the console could look to do.

In an extensive video release by PlayStation today, Cerny broke down the technology at the core of the PS5 Pro in more detail than ever before. Much of this presentation centered around the manner in which tech has gotten better since the PS5 launched in 2020 and how Sony tried to incorporate some of these improvements with the PS5 Pro. In short, this

While the majority of this video only touched on the PS5 Pro, Cerny did take the opportunity near the end of the address to talk about the future. To that end, he said that Sony is working directly with tech corporation AMD on a new project dubbed “Amethyst”. This project will center around two primary goals and will see Sony and AMD trying to expand upon what machine learning is capable of while also trying to expand further on the “richness of game graphics”. This latter point will involve a jump in ray tracing technology, which Cerny said he believes will happen multiple times over the next decade.

In all likelihood, the progress that is made with this Amethyst project could end up becoming the backbone of the PS6. Previous reports have suggested that Sony struck a deal with AMD earlier in 2024 to use AMD hardware in its future consoles. Cerny’s news of collaborating with AMD essentially confirms those reports and means that the PS6 will likely be the next major piece of hardware that Cerny and those at Sony will begin working on.

Related: Nintendo Switch Passes Lifetime PS2 Sales in America

Even if the PS6 is now in its early stages of creation, though, there’s a good chance that the console won’t see the light of day for a few more years. Going off of previous console life cycles, the PS4 lasted for a period of seven years before the PS5 was released in 2020. Assuming that a similar trajectory was to play out this time around, it suggests that the PS6 could be targeting a release in 2027. As a result, don’t expect Sony to formally reveal the PS6 any time soon, even if it is clearly working on the platform now.

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