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Stuck on a ghostly tether

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There is a Titanfall-shaped hole in this world that could be filled by Respawn, yet won’t be, for silly reasons like money. I hate money! It is a scourge we must do away with. Until that point, we could of course moan and lament the absence of a Titanfall 3. That sounds quite dull, so instead I will point you towards ShatterRush, a game that is oh so evidently picking up what Titanfall 2 left behind, and adding into the mix some fresh elements of its own.

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### The Development Hurdles of Assassin’s Creed Hexe

In the continually changing realm of video game creation, the Assassin’s Creed series has encountered considerable shifts as it prepares for its next installment, *Assassin’s Creed Hexe*. The initiative has experienced significant leadership transitions, beginning with the exit of its creative director, Clint Hocking, in February 2023. Shortly thereafter, game director Benoit Richer declared his departure from the project just two months later, choosing to co-found a new indie studio made up of industry veterans.

#### Leadership Transitions and Their Effects

Benoit Richer, who became a part of Ubisoft in 2017 after directing *Batman: Arkham Origins* at Warner Bros. Montreal, played an essential role in numerous Ubisoft endeavors. His contributions included managing the psychological thriller *Transference* and serving as game director for *Assassin’s Creed Valhalla* before moving on to guide *Assassin’s Creed Hexe*. Richer’s departure represents a significant setback for the project, marking him as the second prominent exit in a brief period.

Hocking, a seasoned Ubisoft veteran recognized for his work on titles such as *Splinter Cell*, *Far Cry 2*, and *Watch Dogs Legion*, also left his imprint on the franchise. Subsequently, Ubisoft appointed Jean Guesdon, director of *Assassin’s Creed Black Flag* and *Origins*, to lead creative oversight for the series. This strategic transition seeks to stabilize the project amid a backdrop of leadership changes, especially as former franchise producer Marc-Alexis Côté finds himself involved in litigation with the company regarding an alleged “forced firing.”

Ubisoft expressed appreciation toward Hocking, recognizing his vision and contributions while assuring fans that development on *Assassin’s Creed Hexe* would proceed with an experienced team.

#### What We Understand About Assassin’s Creed Hexe

While particular information regarding *Assassin’s Creed Hexe* is still limited, it is set in the context of the “final phases of the Holy Roman Empire.” The game is anticipated to delve into themes of horror and witchcraft, marking a pronounced tonal shift for the series, which has generally emphasized historical narratives instead of supernatural themes.

As Ubisoft outlines its strategic plan for the franchise, it has also affirmed that *Assassin’s Creed Hexe* might not debut until 2027. In the meantime, *Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynched* is expected to be the main title for 2026, implying that while the development team navigates leadership issues, there are still intentions for substantial releases in the interim.

#### The Prospects of Assassin’s Creed

The shake-up in leadership triggers inquiries regarding the trajectory of *Assassin’s Creed Hexe* and the larger franchise. Fans are left contemplating how these shifts will influence the game’s development and whether Ubisoft will revert to a more conventional annual release schedule filled with remakes and spin-offs, or if it will take a more cautious approach given recent challenges and leadership transitions.

As the situation evolves, *Assassin’s Creed Hexe* remains a symbol of both the franchise’s ambition and the intricacies involved in delivering a high-caliber gaming experience within an increasingly competitive landscape. With experienced talent now at the helm, the way forward may become clearer as the game progresses through its development stages.

### The Ambiguous Future of an Independent Venom Game by Insomniac Games

For years, the idea of an independent *Venom* game from Insomniac Games has captivated fans, especially considering the studio’s successful history with the *Spider-Man* series. With the launch of *Spider-Man 2*, which features a segment showcasing Venom as a playable character, speculation surrounding a distinct Venom title has grown stronger. Nonetheless, even with various hints and leaks regarding its creation, an independent Venom game has not been formally announced or launched.

#### Perspectives from Nadji Jeter

Nadji Jeter, the voice of Miles Morales, recently sparked discussions on this matter during an interview. He asserted that there were intentions for a Venom game and even a DLC featuring the character. According to Jeter, the project was under development until the demise of actor Tony Todd, who lent his voice to Venom in *Spider-Man 2*. He noted that he had viewed preliminary designs and the game’s intended direction, emphasizing the dedication to delivering a standalone Venom experience to gamers.

#### Conflicting Reports

However, this narrative has met with doubt. Jason Schreier from Bloomberg swiftly reacted to Jeter’s remarks, suggesting that the actor’s account of the cancellation was not entirely correct. Schreier’s observations created ambiguity regarding whether the independent Venom game was truly still in progress or if he was merely contesting the rationale for its potential cancellation.

#### Confidential Information

The roots of these discussions can be traced back to a cyber intrusion that took place in late December 2023, which disclosed that Insomniac had been developing a standalone Venom game for a significant time even before Todd’s passing. This leak included preliminary plans indicating a projected release window of 2025 for the game. Despite the setbacks and uncertainties surrounding its creation, the leaked information pointed to a standalone Venom title as part of a larger strategy to connect the story and gameplay between *Spider-Man 2* and the forthcoming *Spider-Man 3*.

#### Insomniac’s Upcoming Ventures

By early 2026, Insomniac Games is concentrating on upcoming projects, particularly *Marvel’s Wolverine*, scheduled for release in September. Although there seems to be no immediate information regarding a new *Spider-Man* venture or the standalone Venom game, speculation continues that Insomniac might revisit the concept in the future. The studio’s commitment to exploring a variety of other intellectual properties includes plans for *Ratchet and Clank* as well as a comprehensive *X-Men* game.

#### Summary

The destiny of an independent *Venom* game remains unclear as Insomniac Games balances multiple projects and confronts the complexities of video game development. While Nadji Jeter’s disclosures fueled speculation, the conflicting perspectives from credible industry sources imply that fans may need to exercise patience before witnessing Venom take the limelight in his own game. As Insomniac continues to innovate and broaden its narrative universes, the potential for a future Venom project cannot be completely dismissed.

I do not know if FuRyu make games that one can easily jump to calling “good” but they are regularly putting out mid-budget (I assume) games that make me go “oh, there’s certainly some sauce here.” That’s certainly how I felt about the Kingdom Heartsian Reynatis (I will defend this prime cut of jank until my dying breath). And now they are back with a game that I instantly have no idea how to pronounce: Crymelight.

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We all make mistakes sometimes, which is exactly what someone did today on the Steam page for Star Wars: Galactic Racer. Video games’ own eye in the sky Wario64 shared word of said mistake, which is that the release date for the game was accidentally shared wholesale, alongside some details of a fancier edition of the racing game.

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### The Mixed Reception of *Slay the Spire 2*: Analyzing the Review Bombing Controversy

Despite gathering around 250,000 concurrent players on a daily basis, *Slay the Spire 2* has recently faced a notable decrease in its Steam rating, which is now labeled as “Mixed.” This downturn is largely linked to a second wave of review bombing that started on April 17, aligning with the launch of its first significant update. A major point of contention among players pertains to the changes made to the Act 3 Doormaker boss battle, with many voicing their discontent over the newly added debuffs that they believe have heightened the difficulty of the encounter.

In light of the backlash, Mega Crit, the developer of the game, sought to tackle player grievances with the release of the v0.104.0 beta patch the subsequent evening. This patch features several tweaks and enhancements, such as buffs to the ancient relic Neow’s Fury, an overhauled version of Ironclad’s Drum of Battle card, and changes to the Axebot fight in Act 3. Yet, the aspect of the patch that has drawn the most focus pertains to its implications on the Doormaker boss encounter.

The patch notes reveal an interesting insight: data indicates that players are achieving a better win rate against the recently modified Doormaker than against any other Act 3 boss. The developers remarked, “We are currently monitoring the Doormaker and looking at a combination of in-game feedback, social media posts, and metrics…Currently, from looking at millions of runs, Doormaker’s overall difficulty/winrate is in a good place (slightly weaker than the other Act 3 bosses both in kill rate and damage dealt).” This observation stands in stark contrast to the barrage of negative feedback received, particularly in light of the 27,000 negative reviews recorded after the changes were made.

While Mega Crit recognized the importance of balancing the Doormaker’s mechanics to reduce friction with certain playstyles, the disparity between player experience and the data presented has ignited intense discussion. The situation continues to be intricate as players contend with frustration over what they view as unwarranted difficulty, juxtaposed with statistical evidence implying that the boss fight is, in reality, manageable.

The contrast between the community’s backlash and Mega Crit’s objective evaluation has left numerous gamers perplexed. Recent reviews echo this feeling, as many players express skepticism that a supposedly easier boss could result in widespread discontent, leading to forecasts that the game’s rating might further drop from Mixed to Negative soon.

Moving ahead, it seems that Mega Crit will have to navigate this challenging terrain judiciously, balancing the subjective player experiences with quantitative data, while addressing the issues highlighted by the community to regain player trust in *Slay the Spire 2*.

Welp, the game Assassin’s Creed Hexe may have been a few months ago probably won’t be the game it will be. Back in February, the still quite mysterious Hexe lost its creative director, Clint Hocking. Now it appears that the game has also lost its game director, Benoit Richer.

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**Sony’s Contentious New DRM Claims Generate Alarm Among PlayStation Users**

Recently, reports have surfaced indicating that Sony has introduced a new type of Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology impacting PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. This alleged DRM, thought to have been rolled out with the latest firmware updates, supposedly enforces a 30-day internet validation period for any new digital acquisitions on these systems. Following this timeframe, users must connect their consoles to the internet for Sony to authenticate their purchases, prompting apprehensions among gamers regarding access and ownership rights.

The main origin of this concerning news is a video by Modded Hardware, a creator of homebrew and console modding content, which was uploaded on April 24. The video asserts that digital games purchased from March 2023 onward now have an expiry date akin to a PlayStation Plus subscription, but only if users are utilizing firmware version 13.50.

Interest in the story heightened after a post by Lance McDonald on a social media platform, where he remarked, “Hugely terrible DRM has now been rolled out to all PS4 and PS5 digital games.” McDonald asserted that neglecting to connect the console to the internet within 30 days would lead to the forfeiture of the license for any digital game acquired.

Despite the compelling evidence provided by Modded Hardware, skeptics question the accuracy of these assertions. Notably, McDonald’s post references a screenshot from Modded Hardware’s video as proof. However, the community group DoesItPlay, dedicated to game preservation, has also reported successfully replicating the issue, lending credibility to the claims made by modders and users alike.

On social media, DoesItPlay voiced concerns about a potential significant DRM issue, declaring, “All new PSN purchases now have a 30-day validation countdown.” They are currently probing the issue and seeking clarification from Sony.

Discussions are ongoing regarding the motives behind this DRM implementation. DoesItPlay later revealed that they received information from an anonymous insider suggesting that the DRM concern might be an accidental bug stemming from Sony’s efforts to rectify an exploit. This insider remarked that Sony has been aware of a perplexing user interface for some time but had not found it pressing to resolve.

While the evidence of expiry dates on PS4 games purchased since March is unsettling, uncertainty persists over whether these games will become unplayable once the time limit lapses. Thus far, there has been no concrete proof that games will fail to launch after the 30-day period. Moreover, although many reports indicate that PS5 consoles are also affected, definitive evidence confirming this has yet to surface.

The developing situation has understandably troubled fans. Players are growing increasingly cautious about the shift towards a completely digital and constantly online gaming environment, which presents potential hurdles to traditional gaming ownership. Even if this particular DRM episode turns out to be simply a glitch, it raises legitimate concerns about future limitations that might be imposed on gamers by console manufacturers.

As of now, Sony has not yet issued an official statement regarding the situation, leaving many in the gaming community unsettled about their rights and the future of digital ownership.

It is happening again. By that I mean Final Fantasy 14 is getting a new expansion, once again ensuring my timeline will be flooded with thousands of screenshots of tall bunny women and regular sized cat boys. It’s called Evercold this time around, seemingly bringing about a cold snap to Eorzea, if the lengthy teaser trailer is anything to go by. The new overarching storyline started with the previous expansion, Dawntrail, has a name now too: the Godless Realms Saga. Sounds cosy!

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