Couchpotato's Random RPG News

[Redglyph]

Aspyr being in the Embracer group since February last year (formerly THQ Nordic AB), which acquired Koch Media in 2018 - Prime Matter is one of their division (Encased, Last Oricru, Kingdom Come: D II, W3, ..), and of course has THQ Nordic GmbH as subsidiary (Expeditions series, SW Jedi Knight, PoE2, ..). And it's only a little part of the list.

That's a lot under that holding company.

 

[Carnifex]

Ehhh I'd no idea Beamdog had been purchased, that alone might explain a great many recent decisions. Le sigh.

 

[JDR13]

Probably because it just happened?

 

[Couchpotato]

Here's the full Pr statement.

Aspyr Media, an Embracer Group Company, Enters into Agreement to Acquire Beamdog

Aspyr will publish Beamdog’s newly revealed original roguelite adventure, MythForce, launching into early access on April 20

AUSTIN, Texas — April 13, 2022 — Today Aspyr Media, a wholly owned subsidiary of Embracer’s Saber Interactive operative group, has entered into an agreement to acquire the video game studio Beamdog. Best known for bringing beloved Dungeons & Dragons role-playing games like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment to desktop, tablets and modern consoles, Beamdog will operate as an independent studio within Aspyr. The closing of the acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and other agreed-upon closing conditions.

Founded in 2009 by former BioWare leads Trent Oster and Cameron Tofer, Beamdog is one of Canada’s most established game studios. Its team of 80 artists, designers and developers has relationships with top licensors, including Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro, as well as an impressive catalogue of RPG titles. Through the acquisition, Aspyr will add a veteran North American development team, which will continue to be led by Oster.

The two companies will collaborate closely on Beamdog’s newly revealed MythForce, which Aspyr will publish as an early access title on the Epic Games Store on April 20, 2022. Inspired by beloved ‘80s cartoon franchises like Thundercats and He-Man, MythForce unites colorful swords and sorcery with gripping first-person combat in a roguelite adventure.

“Beamdog is a tremendously talented group that we’ve admired for a long time. Their development philosophy and studio vision are perfectly aligned with ours. We look forward to seeing them realize their ambition with MythForce while maximizing the long-term potential of an incredible archive of classic games,” said Ted Staloch, CEO of Aspyr.

“This acquisition will open up a ton of exciting opportunities for us. Beamdog can now focus our talent, efforts and imagination on building the great games we want to play while properly looking after established fan-favorite RPGs. Beamdog’s first original IP is a fun-filled start to our studio’s next chapter,” said Beamdog CEO Trent Oster.

For more information on MythForce, visit www.MythForce.com, and follow @MythForce on Twitter for the latest updates.

Advisers

Agnitio Capital acted as financial advisor and Dentons acted as legal advisor to the seller in connection with the transaction. Baker McKenzie acted as legal advisor and EY acted as financial and tax advisor to Embracer.

About Aspyr

Aspyr is a leading video game publishing and development partner focused on maximizing the potential of games across all platforms for all players. Today the company supports a growing network of partners that includes many of the industry’s leading entertainment IP holders, publishers, developers, and technology providers. Aspyr is a standalone entity under Saber Interactive, an Embracer Group company. Aspyr is based in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.aspyr.com.

About Beamdog

Established in 2009 by Trent Oster and Cameron Tofer, Beamdog is a Canadian video game studio with headquarters in Edmonton, Canada. With a diverse team of designers, artists and developers, Beamdog crafts playful fun that sparks childlike wonder and forges connections between people, stories and imagination. Beamdog is best known for bringing beloved Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying classics like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment back to life across modern platforms. MythForce is the first of many original titles Beamdog hopes to share with the world. Visit www.beamdog.com for more information.

 

[Couchpotato]

Seems the Witcher 3 Next-Gen version has been indefinitely delayed.

“We have decided to have our in-house development team conduct the remaining work on the next-gen version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. We are currently evaluating the scope of work to be done and thus have to postpone Q2 release until further notice."�

Link - https://www.gamesradar.com/the-witcher-3-ps5-and-xbox-series-x-version-delayed-indefinitely/

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Did the CP2077 next-gen update release? Was it the 1.5 patch?

 

[Couchpotato]

Did the CP2077 next-gen update release? Was it the 1.5 patch?

Yes it was the 1.5 patch here was the patch information.

Link - https://www.cyberpunk.net/en/news/41435/patch-1-5-next-generation-update-list-of-changes

 

[Couchpotato]

Solasta Crown of the Magister - Lost Valley DLC Overview Impressions

In this Solasta Lost Valley DLC Overview Impressions, we're going to do a deep dive into the new systems that the expansion has to offer together with the free updates. Solasta: Crown of the Magister is a tactical, turn-based RPG, which is largely inspired by Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. So far, developer and publisher Tactical Adventures has released two sizable DLCs and multiple updates since the full launch last May 2021.

Queen's Wish 2: The Tormentor Trailer

The official trailer for Queen's Wish 2: The Tormentor, the second chapter in Spiderweb Software's innovative, indie, role-playing, Empire-building trilogy!

Arcis Ultima potions Releaseing on Steam

Arcis Ultima is an Indie, 3D RPG Open World game focuses the survival of last human settlements. You will find yourself in the war between human race and the invading creatures. You must train yourself, craft the very best equipment, recall your past and help human efforts. Otherwise; as the time passes, you may find yourself in a hopeless situation.

 

[Couchpotato]

Action RPG Stray Blade gets a new Combat Trailer

Developed by Point Blank Games and published by 505 Games, Stray Blade is an action RPG with adventurous exploration coming to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, EPIC Games, and Steam!

BioWare Community Update - BioWare

We've talked recently about how we want to further pull back the curtain for a more transparent look into the process of making the games you love. So, as part of that mission, we'd like to welcome you to the new BioWare Community Update! This is a place for you, the BioWare community, to learn about the work we're doing behind the scenes, to learn about the people doing that work, and even where you can learn about other members of the community.

You're going to find a few new types of posts in this space, including a series called Developer Stories, where you'll learn all about the people who make our games and the different roles they play. We'll also provide dispatches in the form of Community Updates, where we'll highlight contributions from the community, answer your questions, and keep you up to speed on what's going on with our games. (You may notice that you're reading one of those right now. Hello!) Stay tuned for more!

So let's get things started by meeting two of our colleagues who are heading up two different areas of development for the next Dragon Age.

Elden Ring Dream Mist Cut Content - PC Gamer

FromSoftware has a long history of leaving scraps of cut content in its games, and lore fanatics likewise have a long history of digging those secrets out of each game's code to study them. That process is just beginning with Elden Ring, but YouTuber Lance McDonald has already put together a video on a fascinating feature cut during Elden Ring's development.

Scarlet Nexus sales pass 1 million, while Game Pass helps it to 2 million players

Publisher Bandai Namco revealed the news today via the official Japanese Scarlet Nexus twitter account, thanking the 2 million players of Scarlet Nexus for playing. A new artwork of the game's cast was also released as part of the celebratory tweet.

 

[Couchpotato]

Matt Chat 484: Knights of the Chalice 2 with Pierre Begue

Pierre is the creator of the Knights of the Chalice series, one of my favorite indie RPG series. We talk about all manner of topics related to his games, the genre, the business, and so much more.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak - Garangolm Gameplay

Stand back and watch closely as we preview a hunt against the hulking fanged beast Garangolm in #Sunbreak!

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak - A Tour of the Citadel

Join us for a tour of the Citadel, a key new locale in #Sunbreak, featuring diverse biomes and an air of mystery.

 

[Couchpotato]

Knights of the Chalice 2 Review - Gamebanshee

The original Knights of the Chalice had a simplistic story, neat old-school visuals, barebones character development, and great combat design. Now Knights of the Chalice 2, and in particular its Augury of Chaos module, trades in the first game's pleasant aesthetics for a greatly expanded list of character-building options.

The end result is an engaging fantasy adventure that feels like both a faithful adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons and a fresh system at the same time. If you like CRPGs and can get over the visuals, there's no reason for you not to pick this up.

Lord British is now Lord Blockchain - PCGamer

Garriott and industry veteran Todd Porter (a designer on Ultima 6) are now working on a new game that's about to break cover, with the working title Effigy. Brace yourself: it uses the blockchain. Though as Lord British explained in our interview, it's not the same pitch we've seen with most blockchain-based games so far.

Steelrising looks like the first true Bloodborne-like for PC - PGamesN

In a new gameplay video, developer Spiders showcases Steelrising's revolutionary Paris, as well as its heroine, Aegis. She's a mechanical warrior with an array of built-in gimmicks that would make Inspector Gadget jealous, and in combat, she's reminiscent of the hunters from Bloodborne.

The Elder Scrolls Battlespire and Redguard Retrospective - PCGamesN

Talking to Christopher Weaver and Battlespire (as well as Arena and Daggerfall) creator Julian Le Fay, it seems that not even those who were there have the best memory of making these tangential titles.

The perfect DnD RPG exists thanks to Solasta: Lost Valley - PCGamesN

If there's one feature the Solasta community has been clamouring for since the Dungeon Creator DLC dropped last year, it;s multiplayer. The ability to take this DnD RPG on with a group of friends to get as close to the tabletop experience as a game has ever gotten is finally here, thanks to the Lost Valley DLC. After several hours with the multiplayer, as well as the new campaign, I can confidently say that this is Solasta at its best.

 

[Couchpotato]

Don't ignore the Witcher 4's Warning Signs - TechRadar

If you'd asked me if I wanted The Witcher 4 back at the launch of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the answer would have been an emphatic yes. Naturally, there'd be caveats: the story would have to be right, there'd have to be a good reason to return to that world, but the opportunity to return to that rich, monster-filled kingdom would be too tempting to ignore. That was back in 2015, though.

Stoic Studio May Be Working on an Xbox Series X Exclusive - Comicbook

One of the best RPG studios seems to be working on an Xbox Series X console exclusive, but oddly enough, not on an RPG. Between Bethesda Game Studios, inXile Entertainment, and Obisidian Entertainment, Xbox now has a few top-tier RPG studios under its roof, and yet it looks like it's also working with Stoic Studio, a studio founded by former BioWare developers and that released the Banner Saga Trilogy last generation.

How Many Years Separate Avowed From Pillars of Eternity? - Gamerant

Fans and media alike expected more information on Avowed to come out during this year's E3, but got some unfortunate news after the massive video game conference wound up being canceled. Since the announcement that E3 2022 is no longer happening, Obsidian Entertainment may instead provide more information and a deeper look at the game during Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest. Only time will tell.Fans and media alike expected more information on Avowed to come out during this year's E3, but got some unfortunate news after the massive video game conference wound up being canceled. Since the announcement that E3 2022 is no longer happening, Obsidian Entertainment may instead provide more information and a deeper look at the game during Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest. Only time will tell.

Will Starfield deliver a more authentic persuasion system? - Gamesradar

It's still early days and we don't know all that much about the systems of Bethesda's new RPG, but the mention of a persuasion-style feature just adds to my excitement. If I truly can make any character I want, I'm already envisioning a space-faring adventurer who uses their words to their advantage. Who knows how or if it will work, but I can't wait to discover it for myself.

The existential horror of playing Mount & Blade 2 on easy mode - PCGamer

In the 400-something hours I've clocked in the Mount and Blade games, I've rarely bumped the difficulty above easy. It only provides a handful of bonuses: reduced damage, decreased troop upkeep, a speed boost on the overworld map. But as those bonuses interact with all of Mount and Blade's systems, they cascade until your character has a gravity that pulls the game off its axis and into chaos. It's a rare image of protagonism, with you playing the monster.

The Trails Ripoff That Mysteriously Released on Steam -Noisypixel

Let''s face it. The more popular a game series gets, the higher the chance it will spawn knockoff titles trying to leech off the popularity. In case you're not aware, a new title recently dropped on PC via Steam, called Trails of Illusion, that is available for free. At first glance, it seems like your typical JRPG, but it doesn't take any longer for you to realize that this is a complete rip-off, down to the assets, of the Trails series by Nihon Falcom.

 

[Couchpotato]

Top RPG News OF THE Week

Happy weekend from Fextralife! If you've been too busy to keep up on the latest in the games we cover or are looking for a refresher we've got you covered! Here's a bite-sized version of the Top RPG news of the week. Taste all the latest news across the Fextralife Wiki Network.

Elder Scrolls Online High Isle: Hands-On Preview & Impressions

The Elder Scrolls Online is heading to High Isle in the latest chapter releasing this June. We got our hands on an early preview of the expansion which focuses on the theme of the Legacy of the Bretons this year. High Isle will follow the quest to end the Three Banner war, but of course, there is going to be adventuring and it's going to be eventful.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Coiled Captors Launch Trailer

Embark on an epic adventure full of whimsy, wonder, and high-powered weaponry! Bullets, magic, and broadswords collide across this chaotic fantasy world brought to life by the unpredictable Tiny Tina. Roll your own multiclass hero and loot, shoot, slash, and cast your way through outlandish monsters and loot-filled dungeons on a quest to stop the tyrannical Dragon Lord. Everyone's welcome, so join the party, throw on your adventuring boots, and be Chaotic Great!

 

[Couchpotato]

New Witcher game is skipping PlayStation and Xbox - Thesixthaxis

This may not be so heart-breaking, depending on how you spent your many hours playing The Witcher 3. Project Golden Nekker is yet another Gwent spin-off.

Creator of Lynx School hopes CD Projekt comes up with something better - VB

"I was initially worried that some people might mistake our fanfic for canon when they'd look for info about the new School, but fortunately many long-time Witcher fans were able to notice that the info was published on a fanon wiki, not the official one," says SMiki55. "A couple days after the announcement I edited the authors' template so that the banner visible in every article marks that the text is non-canon."

Lucasfilm and Skydance Media Announce New Star Wars Game - Gematsu

"I've often described how seeing Star Wars in 1977 essentially rewired my 12-year-old brain, shaping my creative life and future indelibly", said Skydance New Media president Amy Hennig in a press release. "I'm elated to be working with Lucasfilm Games again to tell interactive stories in this galaxy that I love."

Developer Story: Maciej Kurowski - BioWare

Welcome to another edition of BioWare Developer Stories, where we learn what drives the people who make our games, how they got here, what they do here, what they think about being here, what they do when they're not here and—well, you get the idea. Let's move on.

Today we're talking with Maciej Kurowski, the technical director for the Dragon Age franchise. Maciej will have been with BioWare for six years this May and has been in the games industry as a whole for over 13 years.

 

[Couchpotato]

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Inevitable Excess DLC Soundtrack

PAX East 2022 - Eiyuden Chronicle Rising First Look

Nolar got the opportunity to interview MrGameTheory about the upcoming game from 505 Games titled Elyuden Chronicle Rising! Get some insight from one of the project leads about how this game continues and epic saga that 505 is building and see some footage of the new game!

Gearbox PAX East 2022 Panel Livestream

Tune in for Gearbox Entertainment's PAX East 2022 Show, featuring a celebration of Borderlands and other exciting announcements from Gearbox Publishing.

Baldur's Gate 3: The Journey So Far - Official Behind the Scenes Clip

With seven major updates under it's belt, the team at Larian Studios take a look at what they've built and where they're taking the next installment of the Baldur's Gate franchise.

 

[Couchpotato]

Vampire: The Masquerade Heartless Lullaby Prologue Released on Steam

Experience Vampire: The Masquerade in a new way through this isometric cRPG. Change perspectives as you travel through the Heartless Club as a Human and a Vampire. Roll the dice, take your choices, and embrace the night in this narrative prologue.

Shane Plays RPG Designer Bruce Nesmith

RPG designer Bruce Nesmith discusses his career as a TSR veteran (Ravenloft 2E, Gamma World 4E, Dragonlance), Elder Scrolls Skyrim lead designer, and now novelist.

Outriders Worldslayer Reveal Full Presentation

The “Worldslayer Reveal" Broadcast is dedicated to unveiling Outriders Worldslayer and spotlighting the new content and systems being introduced. Get a glimpse of the new systems, locations, mechanics and more!

Dungeons & Dragons Gold Box Classics Steam Edition Impressions - PC Gamer

So what made them classics, and why would anyone want to play them today?

 

[Couchpotato]

Steampunk western CRPG Age of Grit launches for PC on May 3 - Steam

Adventure across a Wild West world in a rickety, steampunk airship! Inspired by the likes of Firefly and the classic CRPGs of old. A unique setting filled with rich lore, deep stories, and adventure! Contend with outlaws, gunslingers, and bounty hunters in an epic quest for redemption and revenge!

Colorful action RPG Arto announced for PC - Steam

Arto is an action role-playing experience that paints a new path. Featuring action-packed combat, an arsenal of weapons to unlock and upgrade, and epic bosses to defeat, Arto invites you to explore strange biomes with their own unique visual styles, to piece together the mysteries of a broken world.

Path of Exile: Sentinel Expansion Revealed

Path of Exile Livestream Announcement

Tune in at 1PM on May 5th (PDT) to find out all about our next expansion!

In the livestream, you'll learn all about the new challenge league and other content of the expansion. It's followed by a live Q&A between ZiggyD and Chris Wilson.

You can catch everything you need to know at twitch.tv/pathofexile. Twitch Drops will be enabled for the livestream so make sure to encourage your favourite streamers to watch along with us! We'll announce the Twitch Drops reward next week.

Path of Exile's Expansion Launch Date

You'll be able to play the new Path of Exile: Sentinel expansion for free on May 13th (PDT) on PC and on May 18th (PDT) on console.

We can't wait to reveal what we've been working on!

Dying Light 2 sales top five million in one month, Dying Light 20 million - Gematsu

“The success of the Dying Light franchise is a great example of the unforgettable experiences we create for our players,” said Techland CEO Pawel Marchewka in a press release.

New content for Dying Light 2: Stay Human, including “some highly requested features” will be announced next week.

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Lucasfilm and Skydance Media Announce New Star Wars Game

Super Prize question . will it be cancelled ? Yes or no ?

After having read about it in a Star wars fan page, i get the feeling, though, as if Lucasfilm Games wants to take over with that from what EA had cancelled …



… And now for something entirely different … : I just noticed a game on GOG which I haven't seen before : https://www.gog.com/en/game/galaxy_of_pen_and_paper
Does anyone know it ?

 

[Couchpotato]

World of Warcraft Expansion Reveal Livestream

Check out the World of Warcraft Expansion Reveal live stream and see what the future holds for the game!

Stellaris: Overlord Expansion | Release Date Announcement Trailer

Overlord, a new full expansion for Stellaris, grants access to new features designed to unlock the next level of your empire. Guide a galaxy full of potential subjects to glory - or subjugation. New mechanics provide many ways to specialize your vassals roles within your empire, bring new planets and subjects under your reign, and new magnificent megastructures to project your power further, faster.

 

[Couchpotato]

Cyberpunk 2077 Expansion: CDProjekt Clears Up Team Size - IGN

CD Projekt Red has clarified that half of its studio is working on the first Cyberpunk 2077 expansion, after sparking some confusion about the number of developers involved last week. In a chart from its latest financial report (now updated), the developer originally stated the largest portion of its team was working on "other projects including the new game in The Witcher IP" but has since made clear that this is not the case. CD Projekt Red's investor relations Twitter account raised the mistake and confirmed that "the biggest part of our team is currently working on the Cyberpunk 2077 expansion."

Lost Eidolons CB2 for Backers - Kickstarter

It’s finally here—dates are confirmed for Lost Eidolons’ second closed beta!This beta will take place on PC (Steam) and Xbox. The official start date for the beta is 4/28 but as our valuable Kickstarter backer, you get to access the beta 2 days earlier on PC, starting on 4/26/2022.

20 years ago, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind changed everything - Polygon

Morrowind was hardly my first video game, but it was my first true love. When I was desperate for meaning, and life was at its most unsalted saltine, this was a Flavor Blasted Goldfish. I played games before, but this was more like an alternative to reality. It was open beyond comprehension long before the ubiquity of open worlds. My small, mundane existence was supplanted by possibility, mystery, and horror in equal measure. This game fundamentally altered the standard by which subsequent open-world RPGs would be judged. It changed everything.

Why Elder Scrolls Online Is (and Isn’t) Worth Starting in 2022 - DenofGeek

Between The Elder Scrolls Online‘s recent free trial on Steam, its tantalizing place in the Game Pass library, and the fact that The Elder Scrolls 6‘s release date isn’t nearly as close as we’d like it to be, more and more people are suddenly wondering if now is the time to finally start playing The Elder Scrolls Online.