Gaming News for Week 2 of May 2024. This week there was big news about future DLC for Elden Ring, a restructuring in Square Enix, and rumors of a God of War Ragnarok PC port. Find out all the latest Gaming News for Week 2 of May 2024 in our article!
Gaming News for Week 2 of March 2024
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Release Date Within 2024 or by Next March
The Dragon Age Dreadwolf release date is set for launch early 2025 or even within 2024, as hinted by industry insider Jeff Grub and financial reports from Electronic Arts. BioWare, the development company behind the Mass Effect saga, has been working for several years on the latest installment of the Dragon Age saga, which will feature Solas, a character we already know from Dragon Age: Inquisition, as one of its protagonists.
In a recently published video, Jeff Grub noted that DA: Dreadwolf should be in the lineup for Summers Games Fest or within some sort of showcase ran by EA themselves, and we should be seeing the game before the end of the year. He also relayed that “developers at Bioware” are happy with how the game is shaping up.
Financial reports analyzing the fiscal year of video game companies, in addition to revenue reports, comparisons, and sales percentages, are also sources of information about new releases and surprises to come. This seems to be the case with Electronic Arts’ document, which mentions two titles for the fiscal year 2025, one of which may possibly be the anticipated Dragon Age: Dreadwolf
Based on the studio’s previous statements and the comments in the fiscal report, it is suggested that Electronic Arts plans to release Dragon Age: Dreadwolf before the end of the fiscal year 2024, that is, before March 2025.
Neowiz Confirms The Release Window For Lies of P DLC
The release window for the Lies of P DLC has been confirmed as part of Neowiz’s financial report. The South Korean industry has been seeking a place in the market to establish itself as a AAA development powerhouse for years. While Stellar Blade is currently at the forefront of everyone’s minds due to its recent launch, Lies of P made it clear in 2023 that there is a market for Korean developments and eager teams ready to create.
Neowiz has presented its financial report with very favorable results, which in turn has confirmed the release window for Lies of P’s first DLC.
According to the financial report of the South Korean distributor, the Round8 Studio team is working on this content expansion with the aim of releasing it in the second half of 2024.
The first glimpse of the game came during Gamescom 2022 as part of the Xbox conference. This leaves us with two possibilities: either this will repeat in this summer’s event, or it is very likely that Xbox will rally around one of its big “Day One” launches on Game Pass and present it next June. Either way, all we can do is wait.
Electronic Arts Is Considering Including Ads In Its AAA Games
EA and ads on their games have a highly criticized history, but their current CEO doesn’t rule out adding them to consoles and computers. Andrew Wilson seems to be considering and weighing ways to add advertising to their AAA games like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor or Tales of Kenzera: ZAU.
This is what has been seen in their latest fiscal report where the CEO of EA was asked about plans “to add ads in a more dynamic way to more traditional AAA titles.” Wilson’s response goes against everything said before: “We have internal teams in the company studying how to make very thoughtful additions to our gaming experiences.”
The potential inclusion of advertising in AAA games raises several questions, both in terms of its practical execution and its impact on the digital entertainment industry. There is alot of concern that advertising would negatively affect immersion and user experience, breaking narrative cohesion and distracting players’ attention. Additionally, there are fears about how the introduction of ads could affect the fairness and integrity of the game, prioritizing profitability over the player experience.
Some advocate that the manner in which ads are implemented could offer a more realistic and contextually relevant experience. For me personally, the only way I could see this possibly working are ads in games where its already a big theme, like in Cyberpunk 2077 or The Finals.
“As we think about the many, many billions of hours spent playing, creating, watching, and connecting, and where much of that engagement is at the boundaries of a traditional gaming experience, our expectation is that advertising has the opportunity to grow,” stated the company’s CEO.
Square Enix Is Planning To Adopt A Multiplatform Strategy
Square Enix will make numerous changes to the company that affect everything from the types and quantity of games they produce to the platforms they are released on, as well as their marketing strategy, internal structure of development and publishing teams, the possibility of acquiring other companies, a focus on transmedia content, and the intention for their titles to be sold over longer periods.
The company behind Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts has announced an operational business plan until the fiscal year ending on August 19, 2025, which they have named “The Reset and Awakening of Square Enix: 3 Years of Foundation for Long-Term Growth”.
The plan is divided into four pillars. The first one focuses on game development. Square Enix aims to achieve a stable release schedule, shifting from quantity to quality, by considering both developer concerns and customer feedback and data. To achieve this goal, they will reorganize how the development part of the company functions: instead of being organized into units, it will be structured around projects, and developers will move between them.
The second pillar is the transition to a multi-platform strategy. While Square Enix has relied on temporary exclusivity deals in recent years, especially with PlayStation and Nintendo, they will now aggressively pursue publishing their AAA games on PC, Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox to create an environment where more customers can enjoy their titles.
The third pillar is structural reforms, which have already begun in Europe and North America; Western offices will be more integrated with the Japanese company. Additionally, they aim to reform their hiring and promotion system, offer educational programs to their employees, and create a hybrid work structure that combines remote work with office work.
Lastly, They plan to invest $641 million USD over the next three years, making strategic investments including non-organic investments, i.e., acquisitions of other companies to expand their business and create better stability.
God of War: Ragnarok Would Be The Next Sony Game To Arrive On PC
It is expected that during May, Sony will host the PlayStation Showcase event, showcasing short-term novelties and upcoming productions, such as Silent Hill 2 Remake. Among these announcements, it is highly likely that the launch of Ragnarok on PC will be included, as per rumors from Dealabs.
During its release week for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 in November 2022, God Of War Ragnarok sold more than 5 million copies, reaching 11 million in its first quarter. Thanks to these numbers, Sony confirmed it as the best-selling first-party game of the company up to that point. Kratos’ latest adventure surpassed 15 million units sold in November 2023, demonstrating why it is one of the most sought-after and influential titles in gaming in recent years. Additionally, a month later, it received its free expansion, God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla.
There is also speculation that PlayStation will reveal the PlayStation 5 Pro, the new version of its latest console that may possibly be available by the end of this year. Over the next few days, attention will need to be paid to Sony’s social media channels, as the announcement of PlayStation Showcase 2024 seems imminent.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Introduces New Enemies
In just over a month, Elden Ring will receive Shadow of the Erdtree, which is not only expected to be its major and anticipated expansion but has also been confirmed to be the only one it will receive, hinting that From Software may already be considering its next big project. However, before that comes to light, we have to expect the best from Shadow of the Erdtree, a DLC that is currently in full promotion.
While silence has been one of From Software’s main characteristics throughout this time, it must be said that since its revelation, little by little, we are learning more about Shadow of the Erdtree and everything this Elden Ring expansion has to offer, including, the confirmation that it will not have as many endings as Elden Ring. Beyond this, we have recently been introduced to an enemy that bears a striking resemblance to one from Bloodborne.
Veteran PS4 players will remember that in Bloodborne, there was an enemy called the Brain of Mensis, with a massive brain covered in eyes that were terrifying to encounter. Although there is no confirmation as such of the inspiration for this new creature, the official Elden Ring account has introduced a new enemy that strongly resembles the one seen in Bloodborne.
We also saw another tweet showcasing an enemy with a broken mask, white hair, grotesque body shape, and hidden empty expression… this potential boss is quite unsettling.
“Terrifying enemies of unfathomable power await you in the Shadow Realm,” states the official description introducing this new “creature.” Its large size and those blades are sure to cause quite a few deaths among fans.
As part of the pre-releasee hype campaign, FromSoftware is drip-feeding content and has unveiled this unnamed enemy, whose design has pleasantly surprised fans.
It’s quite likely that with a month ahead of its release, there may still be more enemies and material from Shadow of the Erdtree to be revealed, but until then, remember that this expansion will be released on July 27, 2025, available on all versions of Elden Ring on the market, namely PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC.
Monster Hunter Saga Reaches Milestone of 100 Million Copies Sold
Monster Hunter Rise, the latest title in the franchise before the arrival of Monster Hunter Wilds in 2025, surpassed 15 million sales worldwide, pushing the franchise to its absolute peak.
The series is at one of its best moments, and Capcom doesn’t hesitate to express it, as they communicated that the franchise has surpassed 100 million units sold worldwide.
It was a steady and balanced rise thanks to the release of great titles in recent years, such as Monster Hunter World in 2018 and Monster Hunter Rise in 2021. It is a clear example of a franchise that transcended generations to go beyond the niche in which they originated.
This moment marks a crucial milestone for the company, as subsequent games, like Monster Hunter Rise and its expansions, had an even more significant endorsement upon release. Through updates, bug fixes, and additional content like Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, the company kept its community captive and interested while preparing them for the arrival of the next title in the saga: Monster Hunter Wilds.
This new installment was announced at The Game Awards 2023, with its release anticipated for 2025, although without a specified exact date.
Greedfall 2: The Dying World Unveils New Trailer And Roadmap
Greedfall 2 gets a new trailer and roadmap via Nacon and developer Spiders Studios. The “Doneigada” trailer of its new Greedfall game was released alongside with a new image and the early access roadmap. GreedFall II: The Dying World is an RPG that focuses on story and player choice but also improves on its predecessor by adding new gameplay mechanics and more tactical combat.
Greedfall 2 is a sequel and, given the 2 million player success of the first game, it is poised to be one of Nacon’s major releases in the coming months/years. Unlike its predecessor, this sequel puts us in the shoes of a native who lives near the island of Teer Fradee. We are enslaved and taken to the location of the original game, from our remote native village. The game will launch this summer in early access, but only for PC via Steam.
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions will arrive sometime in 2025, once the early access version on Steam is sufficiently polished.
The game features a much more refined combat system than its predecessor, but also other RPG mechanics. We will have various talents, such as stealth, survival, or diplomacy, and we can develop them as we wish.
Its PC version (in early access) will launch this summer on Steam, while the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions will debut in 2025.
Enotria: The Last Song Has A Release Date & One Of The Biggest Demos
Enotria: The Last Song has officially delayed its release Date. Jyamma Games, the Italian studio behind the Souls-like/RPG Enotria: The Last Song, has made several announcements related to the title. Firstly, a new delay in the release date: it’s moved from August 21st to September 19th. Secondly, that extra time allows them to bring back the version for Xbox Series X/S, which had been halted: it will also be released on PC and PlayStation 5.
In addition to the release date change, players can engage with a substantial demo to check out the game ahead of time. The demo available on May 22nd for PC (Steam and Epic Games Store) and PS5 will last approximately eight hours, but it won’t be available for download on Microsoft’s latest generation consoles, which Souls-like fans can expect by the end of the summer. The developers define it as an RPG and a summer-soul.
The title is aiming to stand out from other games in the genre through its setting and gameplay possibilities. Instead of the darkness and decay of the worlds where these types of adventures take place, it opts for a summery Italy with vibrant colors, aiming to bring the culture and rich history of the Mediterranean country to new audiences.
Ardore, the protagonist, will be able to influence the behavior of enemies, dynamically alter the scenario, solve puzzles, and control the elements that bring the world of Enotria to life.
