Launch News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Last Epoch, developed by Eleventh Hour Games, is set to launch its much-anticipated version 1.0 on February 21st, 2024. This announcement comes after a remarkable journey that began with a dream of uniting ARPG enthusiasts through a lengthy stint in Early Access on Steam. Eleventh Hour games successfully funded their Kickstarter campaign in May of 2018 with an initial target date of April of 2020. The game was delayed and has come a long way since then.

Once again, Helldivers 2 has raised its concurrent player cap, this time to 800,000 players.

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has apologised for ongoing server «capacity issues» and says it is working to «increase server capacity to accommodate all».

Helldivers 2 is awarding all players a 50 per cent XP and requisition bonus to compensate players for «a problem» that's preventing players from receiving the correct rewards at the end of missions.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League developer Rocksteady has confirmed that addressing its login and server issues remain the team's «top priority», but warned that it may «not be able to fix all those issues right away».

Throne and Liberty (TL) producer Jong-ok Ahn released part 5 of his producer’s letter this week, following his presentation at G-Star. With the game's launch fast approaching, the development team is busy with final preparations, as they aim for a smooth Korean launch.

Throne and Liberty is set to launch in Korea in December, but ahead of that launch the developers at NCSoft put together a Launching Showcase showing off whats to come. The showcase was meant to outline the multitude of improvements the team has made after receiving feedback overthe past several beta tests. Here's a breakdown of everything that the team mentioned during the stream. 

Apex Legends: Ignite, the 19th season of the ever-popular battle royale, will explode onto our screens with the brand new Legend Conduit next Tuesday, 31st October. The massive in-game storm at Storm Point has now cleared the map and things look a little different to how we remember it, meaning there's plenty of new areas to explore as you fight to survive.

Former Skyrim lead designer Bruce Nesmith left Bethesda, and his updated role as senior systems designer, partway through Starfield's development, so he was as surprised as the rest of us when the massive space RPG was released in remarkably good condition. 

Activision has announced a new collaboration with electronic music duo Chase & Status to celebrate the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 next month. 

Electronic music artists Chase & Status will headline a “secret” London gig to celebrate the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 next month.

Gemdrops’ Star Ocean: The Second Story R launches next week, and as a remake of the 1999 PlayStation One classic, it looks very good. A launch trailer is available, showcasing stunning visuals, high-quality character portraits and more. Check it out below.

Payday 3 is in a rocky state. Its launch was dreadful, its fans are angry, and its promised patch keeps getting punted further and further into the future (though for what sounds like a good reason). There's only one thing to do if you're a developer in this dicey situation: launch a Fortnite Island. It's the oldest trick in the book.

Developer Starbreeze has apologised to Payday 3 players for recently being «quiet», and admitted it was «not easy to communicate when we have not been able to offer any updates» on the game's delayed patches.

The hotly anticipated Ark: Survival Ascended released on PC overnight and quickly shot to the top of Steam's best-selling games list, but players are running into performance issues that have marred the launch.

Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake 2 is out on October 27th, and based on the launch trailer, it’s looking like a scary good time. However, there’s more to come after the survival horror title’s launch, including New Game Plus. In a new tweet, the developer confirmed that all unlocked weapons and upgrades would carry over.

After months of silence, fans finally get a first look at the new open-world survival RPG Ark: Survival Ascended remake in its launch trailer. 

Microsoft has snapped up eye-catching PC city-builder Manor Lords as a day-one Game Pass launch title.

The Redmi K70 series has been in talks for a long time now and the company has finally given some hints on its launch. The smartphone will first launch in China with three new expected models in the series: Redmi K70, Redmi K70 Pro, and Redmi K70E. Now, a report reveals that the smartphone is set for an early launch which has pushed the excitement bar high as the series is launching in Redmi's flagship segment. Know what is the anticipated date for the launch and what the series has in store for is users who are eagerly waiting to get their hands on the smartphone.

Here's what Starbreeze has been working on since Payday 3's launch.

Publisher Square Enix and developer Gemdrops have released the launch trailer for action RPG remake Star Ocean: The Second Story R, as well as details on the rest of the game’s party, the Ten Wise Men, Assault Actions, and New Game+.

has been a big success for Bethesda and Microsoft. Not only was it thebest-selling game in the US for September, but it’s also been a significant boon for Game Pass. According to Microsoft, the day of Starfield’s launch set a record for the highest number of new Game Pass subscribers.

Manor Lords is a strategy city builder so highly anticipated that it appeared on more Steam wishlists than even the daddy of all city builders, Cities: Skylines 2. And for as long as I can remember, Manor Lords' release date on Steam has been listed as «2023,» a year that is rapidly approaching its end.

After prematurely going live a few hours earlier, Remedy Entertainment finally debuted the launch trailer for Alan Wake 2 at the Xbox Partner Preview. It sees newcomer and FBI profiler Saga Anderson realizing she’s caught in something bigger than an investigation into ritualistic killings. Check it out below.

With Remedy's long-awaited sequel now just two days away from release, the launch trailer for Alan Wake 2 has been published. You can check it out below (or will you be stronger and avoid any spoilers?).

Update, Oct. 25: Lead designer Craig Brown teased on X/Twitter on Wednesday that Ark: Survival Ascended will hit Steam today.

Alan Wake 2 is almost here. It hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC this Friday, on October 27, after developer Remedy Entertainment delayed it 10 days earlier this summer. With just two days until launch, Remedy released the Alan Wake 2 launch trailer during today's Xbox Partner Preview, which is where we also saw our first gameplay from Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Ikaro: Will Not Die, the new game from the makers of Powerwash Simulator. 

Epic Games Publishing and developer Remedy Entertainment have released the launch trailer for Alan Wake II ahead of its release across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Epic Games Store on October 27.

Starfield contributed to the single most successful day in Xbox Game Pass's history. 

After confirming Cities Skylines 2 has performance issues, developer Colossal Order clarified what problems and fixes players can expect. The studio recently held a Reddit AMA, answering questions and going into specific details regarding the performance issues.

It's been over a month since Unity introduced its controversial Runtime Fee policy. Though it was eventually changed after intense backlash from developers across the game industry, a new report from MobileGamer seemingly shows the engine maker's true intentions with the policy. 

Nightdive Studios have made a name for themselves by remastering numerous '90s classics, mostly first-person shooters. Next in line is their Star Wars: Dark Forces remaster, which was announced in August. Now it has a release date: February 28th, 2024.

In a recent interview with YouTube channel MinnMax, Bethesda veteran Bruce Nesmith touched on Fallout 76's disastrous launch, stating that the team's «hubris caught up» with them. He goes on to say that the studio was starting to talk itself into thinking it was «infallible,» thanks to all the critical acclaim.

Gfk’s top ten best-selling physical charts for the week ending October 21st are now available. As reported recently, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 debuted on top, and even with sales down significantly from the first game, it’s the fourth biggest physical launch in the UK this year.

Bethesda's former design director has said the developer thought it was infallible ahead of Fallout 76's disastrous launch.

The next major update for Windows 11, dubbed 23H2 update, may roll out soon, as per a report. This is likely to be the final major update before Microsoft begins working on a timeline to introduce Windows 12. The reports come from various sources who have spotted the ISO files of Windows 11 23H2 update on the Microsoft servers. For the unaware, ISO files are an exact copy of an entire optical disk such as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray archived into a single file. If these reports are to be believed, then users should prepare themselves for new features and an enhanced version of Windows 11 soon.

CrazyGames has launched its CrazyGames Originals platform for browser-based gaming.

In one of the funniest Apex trailers to date, players are introduced to new legend Conduit's talents--both on and off the battlefield.

After some anticipation, a report has claimed that new Mac devices will be launched before the end of the year. The information comes from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who has revealed that Apple will likely host its Mac event between October 30 and October 31, bringing upgraded MacBook Pro models and a new iMac for consumers. The launch may witness several configurations of 24-inch iMac, alongside new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. The event will be held just a week away but the fact that it is yet to be announced officially might make it one of the shortest announcement-to-launch event cycles for the tech giant.

NVIDIA & AMD are planning to launch CPUs based on the Arm architecture and will be targeting the client (consumer) PC market by 2025.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection is out on Tuesday, finally bringing the best Metal Gear game—MGS3—to PC for the first time. As I wrote in my preview back in August, I'm still disappointed by how barebones the ports of these great games are. While Konami's going above and beyond with its included bonus materials and different regional versions of the games, their work on the underlying emulation—like running the games at higher resolutions and framerates—leaves a lot to be desired. Speaking to IGN, Konami has also now confirmed several issues that haven't been fixed in time for the launch.

Starfield designer Emil Pagliarulo is reflecting on his time as a veteran Bethesda developer and sharing what he thinks makes the studio's games endure the test of time.

Good news, Black Clover fans. The upcoming mobile gacha game that takes place in the same universe as the anime series will still launch across the globe in 2023, publisher Garena has confirmed.

With only hours separating us from the debut of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria on PC (the PlayStation 5 version has suffered a last-minute delay to December 5th, while the Xbox Series S|X version won't land until early next year), we've got an exclusive interview with Game Director Jon-Paul Dumont to keep you busy until then.

Konami has announced that Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 will have a number of issues on launch. The company has stated that these issues will be fixed with post launch updates.

Apple is expected to launch new iPad Pro models with an OLED display next year, potentially after Spring. The devices were originally rumored to launch this year with M3 chips, but recent reports suggest that Apple has pushed the launch of the chip to next year. One of the major additions coming with the forthcoming iPad Pro models is the new OLED display on both display sizes of the tablet. A new report claims that Apple will launch the OLED iPad Pro next year and then trickle the display technology down to the iPad Air and iPad mini lineup.

The Apple Vision Pro launch is said to happen in early 2024, but it will not be easy for customers to acquire one as the device is said to be available through an appointment system only. Also, the company has been extremely mum on the product, which only means that the average person does not know what they will be getting for their hard-earned $3,499, and that may be why Apple has selected a few retail employees to undergo a secret training event prior to the release of the AR headset.

Stand by, Fallout fans — there's only a few months left for you to stay in your bunkers before the Amazon Prime Fallout TV series debuts in April next year.

Almost everyone agreed that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 would be one of the biggest launches in 2023. After all, Insomniac Games was a crew that could be trusted with various things, including adapting the Marvel property, creating a fun and robust game world to explore, and having meaningful gameplay to participate in. It also helped that they had already made two games featuring two different Spider-Men and thus proved they could handle this particular superhero setting. The question was whether they could capture the magic of the first game and build upon it for the second one. The sales results clearly indicate that they could do that and then some.

The Soulslike game Lords of the Fallen sold over one million units in its first ten days on the market. Publisher CI Games just shared the news via press release.

As one of the most anticipated games of the year, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is expected to perform well in sales. According to Christopher Dring of Games Industry, it debuted “comfortably” at the top on this week’s UK physical charts and is the fourth biggest boxed launch in the region this year.

While Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 topped the UK physical charts for the week, Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder still performed well. It debuted second in the region and is already the fifth biggest physical launch of the year, right behind the superhero title, per Chris Dring of Games Industry on Twitter.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 launches this week with a number of issues, Konami has said. Post-launch updates are planned to address them.

It was initially reported that Apple plans to launch new iPad and MacBook models later this year. Later on, rumors coined that the forthcoming M3 chips have been delayed until next year. Various reports highlighted that the company would not release the M3-powered iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models this year. However, the iPad mini 7, iPad Air, and iPad 11 were reported to launch this year with upgraded internals. It is now anticipated that Apple does not have plans to release any iPad this year as the launch has been pushed to Spring of 2024.

For months, it was rumoured that Apple was planning to refresh its iPad lineup in late 2023. However, it isn't likely to be the case anymore. We've already seen several new Apple products this year, ranging from the iPhone 15, and Apple Watches to the 15-inch MacBook Air. The Cupertino-based tech giant even debuted the Vision Pro, its first-ever spatial computer, at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023 on June 5. However, one product has not been refreshed - the iPad.

The Apple Silicon transition is not yet completed, as the iMac Pro featuring the company’s M-series SoCs is yet to launch. Whenever it arrives, new information states that it was always slated to be unveiled shortly, but Apple’s cost concerns pushed its launch into limbo.

If you're looking for a spooky experience but would prefer to avoid the usual mascot horror tropes this Halloween, then you're in for a treat: World of Horror is now finally out of early access.

A new iMac may arrive as early as this month.

is on the way, and many are wondering if it will be on Steam. The game is due to launch on October 24, 2023 on Windows and PlayStation 5, with an Xbox Series X/S release expected at some point in the first half of 2024. The crafting-survival title can be played both in single-player or with a party of up to eight players and will focus on the dwarves of Middle-earth during the Fourth Age, with the movies' John Rhys-Davies returning as Gimli.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its Gaganyaan mission TV-D1 test flight on Saturday after an initial anomaly halted the launch. The Test Vehicle carrying payloads related to the Gaganyaan human space flight programme fired again at 10 am on Saturday after ISRO engineers were able to fix the glitch.

Remedy Entertainment has been working hard to get a sequel out for Alan Wake. It took years before it finally came to fruition, and now, for fans, we’re a week out. It might be hard for some to imagine we’re just a week away from Alan Wake 2 since we’ve waited years for a new installment. But soon, we’ll be venturing back to Bright Falls and attempting to free Alan from the Dark Place. That said, you might be keen on knowing when you’ll be able to play the game. Fortunately, the official confirmation times have been unveiled.

ISRO is about to script history and everyone wants to know the answer to this question: Where is the Gaganyaan mission going? Well, the Gaganyaan mission is all about going to space and taking 3 astronauts along in a spacecraft. During the test, the rocket will ascend to an altitude of nearly 17 kilometers before triggering an abort signal. Before the Gaganyaan mission does that, ISRO is testing its crafts and systems deployed so that if something goes wrong, the Indian astronauts can be saved. And that is what the Gaganyaan mission test flight launch is all about.

Apple released its latest iOS 17 update to the public last month with a boatload of forward-facing additions and changes. Now, the company has already started working on its forthcoming iOS 18 update for next year. It appears that the company has decided to incorporate generative AI features into the platform which will be available on iOS 18 later in 2024. As for the features, the source speculates that generative AI can be offered with Siri and other features throughout the operating system.

From Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 to Forza Motorsport and many others, October has been packed full of major new releases- and there’s still more to look forward to, especially in the shape of Alan Wake 2, one of the most highly anticipated upcoming games, which is out in a week’s time.

It’s time to Web-Swing. With Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 out now worldwide, you may already have taken your first tour of Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens by web or Web Wings. Put Peter and Miles’s masked aerobatics to good use to quell crime and tackle new emerging threats, browsed the new suits and styles with relish, tinkered with a range of accessibility options. 

Gaganyaan mission first test flight tomorrow: ISRO is on a non-stop space mission spree, surpassing significant milestones one by one. After Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its latest project into space. This is the ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission. In an announcement, ISRO has revealed its plans to conduct unmanned flight tests as a crucial step toward achieving its goal of sending a crew of three into a 400-kilometer orbit for a three-day mission, ensuring their safe return by landing in the Indian Ocean. However, tomorrow is the Gaganyaan mission first test flight launch.

The release date for the slimmer and lighter mid-gen refresh of the PS5 has seemingly leaked online, alongside details about its first bundle. As per reliable tipster Billbil-kun — notorious for accurately leaking monthly PS Plus games ahead of time — the new PlayStation consoles with smaller form factor will go on sale November 10 in the US before spreading out to other regions; both disc and digital versions. A bit before that, on November 8, Sony would be bundling it with the newly launched Marvel's Spider-Man 2 at $559.99, which is the same amount as the existing standard edition bundle. While not explicitly mentioned, the content should be the same, with a digital voucher for the game, alongside a themed controller.

The upcoming survival gameLord of the Rings: Return to Moria has gone gold, meaning it’s very close to the end of its production cycle and almost ready for release. But, to coincide with the setting of the game, the development team Free Range Games has referred to this process as going “mithril.”

Sony has detailed Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s launch day update, and released a new trailer recapping the story so far, which is viewable below.

Apple is expected to announce the new iPad Pro models with upgraded internals and a brand-new design next year. The company is planning to release two models of the iPad Pro with different screen sizes. One of the major upgrades coming with the new models is an OLED display which will be a worthy addition. With notable upgrades coming with the OLED iPad Pro, it is also expected that the device will be priced significantly higher than the current models.

The PS5 exclusive will also receive mission replay functionality in a future patch.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 mightn't be out yet, but if your excitement is so vast you're already pondering a second play-through, you'll be pleased to know the game will — like its predecessor — be getting a New Game Plus mode, but it'll be arriving sometime after launch.

When it comes to classic cartoons, few eras get better than the 90s. That might sound strange, given some of the all-time classics that have been going on in the last decade, and that doesn’t even include anime, as that’s an entirely different beast. But the 90s were a period of great fun and experimentation, where people took risks to make incredible shows and didn’t hesitate to make them dramatic and fun. That’s why so many of those tales got video game adaptations. Fast forward to now, and one of those adaptations has been reborn. We speak of Gargoyles Remastered!

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is almost here, and it sounds like fans will have a very full-featured adventure to jump into, although there will be a few minor things missing at launch. According to Insomniac community director James Stevenson, Spider-Man 2 won’t have a New Game+ mode or the ability to replay missions at launch. Thankfully, you shouldn’t have to wait too long for those features, as Stevenson says they should arrive via an update “before end of year.”

Big-name video games released in September have sold less at launch than their predecessors across Europe, according to fresh data.

Apple enthusiasts eagerly awaiting the AirTag 2 will need to be patient for a much longer period as an analyst has revealed that the launch has been postponed till 2025. This was revealed by noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Initially slated for a late 2024 or early 2025 launch, the production timeline for this popular accessory has faced delays. It looks to have fallen victim to more important Apple products, which too are reportedly facing delays.

Insomniac Games has said Spider-Man 2 will get a New Game Plus mode after its release.

Yesterday, Circana (formerly NPD) shared September sales data showing that Starfield was a massive success in the United States. The game topped last month's best-selling chart, becoming the first Bethesda Game Studios title to do so (both The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4 debuted in second place) despite its availability on the Game Pass subscription service.

Halo Infinite is enjoying a modest resurgence following the release of Season 5: Reckoning.

The Google for India 2023 event has just concluded. The big annual event took place in New Delhi's Pragati Maidan. A roundtable conference was also organized where senior executives of Google talked about various initiatives and programs in front of select people from the media. One of the major highlights was the announcement of the launch of Digi Kavach, a new program designed to keep users safe online and to protect them from scams. The project is being launched in India as a pilot project, and later the model will also be implemented in other countries.