Last year, the most significant leak came from Nvidia themselves, when GeForce Now’s database leaked a list of games that were on their servers. Over the last few months, almost twenty of those games have been confirmed to be real projects. That obviously doesn’t mean everything will actually come to fruition, but one of those games was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Remastered. Now, this would make sense considering we have already seen the first two games in that trilogy release.
To heal the pain due to my lack of timezone knowledge…
There's technically a 4th Call of Duty title releasing by the end of 2023.
Modern Warfare II Warzone II COD 2023 and something else.
Today, we got even more evidence that it could be real. Infamous Call of Duty leaker, Tom Henderson, went to Twitter to say the following: “To heal the pain due to my lack of timezone knowledge… There’s technically a 4th Call of Duty title releasing by the end of 2023. Modern Warfare II Warzone II COD 2023 and something else.” Tom followed up with a tweet confirming that he was referring to Warzone Mobile, but there is still reason to believe that it could be the 5th Call of Duty title released by the end of 2023. If I was a betting man, I would say that we will see Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Remastered by the start of 2023’s summer season. There is no reason to hold on to it if it has already been made.
The 4th Call of Duty title I'm referring to is Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile.
Not much is known, but it's expected to release this year.
Some companies announce their new games at big shows such as The Game Awards, E3 or PAX. Some companies announce their new games at online only events such as a Nintendo Direct or a State of Play. Other companies just tweet it out of the blue on twitter. That is exactly what Riot Games did.
Riot Games VP Greg Street took to twitter saying the following, “I have news! My recent job at Riot has been to help develop the League universe, which we’re going to need! Because it is time. My new job is to kick off a big (some might say massive) game that many of you, and many Rioters, have been asking us to create. PS We’re hiring!”
I have news!
My recent job at Riot has been to help develop the League universe, which we’re going to need!
Because it is time. My new job is to kick off a big (some might say massive) game that many of you, and many Rioters, have been asking us to create.
That is all of the details we have. I would expect it to take heavy inspiration from World of Warcraft, considering the fact that Greg was one of its lead designers. As far as when I would expect it to release? Well, lets just say that I am not expecting it to come out before I graduate college (which is over three years away).
About two months ago, the Xbox Game Pass social media team tweeted out a teaser that Doom Eternal would be coming to their platform soon. We posted about that rumor, and it ended up being true as you can see here. Once again, they have taken to social media to tease another game and we believe that it is Control.
Honestly we have no idea what gif or sinister red light Melissa is referring to pic.twitter.com/QaOK7jZNkM
In the tweet above, they mention a sinister red light which is something that we see often throughout Control. I may be wrong, but I can not think of one other game that had a sinister red light in it. The other thing feeding this rumor is the fact that Phil Spencer accidentally said that Control would be coming to Game Pass when he was on a podcast a few months ago.
Credit: TweakTown
We would expect it to be the original version of Control considering the fact that 505 Games were so cheap that they wouldn’t even give Control Ultimate Edition out to fans who bought the base game and the season pass prior to the next generation version’s release.
Time for another conspiracy theory. Now we all expect Bethesda’s library of games to make its way to Game Pass eventually. What we don’t know is when the games will start to be available. That was until today. We now know that Doom Eternal will be arriving to Game Pass soon due to a teaser by the Game Pass twitter account.
Melissa said not to drop hints so we're not dropping hints. there are absolutely no hints in this screenshot. don't bother looking for them. there are none pic.twitter.com/0PQ41B260S
If you look at the photo you can tell they are hinting at something but it isn’t obvious until you dive a little deeper. If you look at every capital letter, it spells out “LOOK BELOW.” If you look below you don’t see anything crazy. Until you really look and see that “THE SLAYER IS COMING.” It is in super faded text so it is hard to see.
Thankfully, a user on twitter used a filter to make it easier to read.
It’s Doom! Here’s the nice hidden text below – it’s nearly the same color as the background, but you can draw it out by adjusting the photo’s contrast etc. (try it yourself if you don’t believe it) pic.twitter.com/0axOhYzm69
This is perfect timing since the new story expansion will be arriving on October 20th. Game Pass users receive 10 percent off the DLC. I would expect the rest of Bethesda games to continue joining Game Pass in the following months.
Earlier this morning, Microsoft announced that Bethesda Games Studios would be joining the Xbox family. According to them, the deal cost $7.5 billion to make and should close sometime in the latter half of next year. A press release was also written up by Phil Spencer himself, where he said
“Today is a special day, as we welcome some of the most accomplished studios in the games industry to Xbox. We are thrilled to announce Microsoft has entered into an agreement to acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks. As one of the largest, most critically acclaimed, privately held game developers and publishers in the world, Bethesda is an incredibly talented group of 2,300 people worldwide who make up some of the most accomplished creative studios in our industry…”.
All of Bethesda’s owned studios will now be developing first-party IP’s for Microsoft, including “…Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios.” according to the same press statement.
This means that series such as The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, DOOM, Quake, ESO, Dishonored, Prey, Wolfenstein, The Evil Within, Starfield, and many more will become exclusive to the gradually growing gaming giant’s platforms/services. In addition, all previous Bethesda titles will be made available on Xbox Game Pass as a bonus.
This is a massive win for Microsoft and Xbox exclusive titles, and they were in desperate need of one. Earlier this year, it was heavily rumored that Microsoft would be acquiring WB Games as their flagship studio, but that fell apart when WB decided to keep their gaming division after deeming it too valuable. Besides having Halo, Forza, Gears, and Obsidian, Microsoft didn’t have much to offer compared to Sony’s first party-titles, that is until now. For more updates on the surprise acquisition and all things Xbox, stick around at The Game Preview.
Update 2: We have published what we want and don’t want to see in Cold War. Click HERE to give it a read and to share your own opinions.
Update: In case you missed it, click HERE to see game play of Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War that leaked about a month ago.
Yesterday, we finally got the reveal trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War which will be a direct sequel to Call of Duty: Black Ops. At the end of the trailer, it was revealed that the game would be releasing on November 13th for the current generation systems and at a later date for the next generation consoles. On top of that, the beta was announced as a timed exclusive to PlayStation (something we are familiar with). The only detail that was missing was when the beta would be happening.
During previous years, the beta would take place during August/September but we knew things were going to be different this year considering how long Activision took to announce the game. Fortunately for us, it appears Activision has slipped up and leaked the date early.
Thanks to CODTracker, we now know that the beta will be coming to PlayStation users on October 8th. Activision messed up by having this text show up on the Arabic version of the Modern Warfare store.
Earlier in the week, insider Jeff Grubb started teasing that there would be another big reason to get game pass coming soon. I, of course, had to respond to him asking if Cyberpunk 2077 was coming to game pass (I know CD Projekt Red said it wasn’t like two months ago) and he responded saying it wouldn’t be a game.
Now he tweeted the following:
here's everything you need to know: i'm ready to play
Normally, I would say this is a major reach but Jeff Grubb and Timdog (the person who started the thread saying news is coming soon) both liked the tweet. On top of this, Jeff was a guest on the podcast SpawnWave and confirmed that these were his expectations.
We know Xbox and EA have always had a pretty solid relationship. Xbox and EA gave a free month of EA Access (Now EA Play) to all Game Pass Ultimate users back in November. Considering the fact that EA Play is only $30 for a year so I feel like it could be fit into Game Pass Ultimate. EA would benefit from this by getting financial compensation from Microsoft as well as gaining additional subscribers for EA Play Pro which is the higher tier version that gives access to their AAA games on launch day.
For the last few years, Microsoft has been focused on growing Xbox Game Studios. Since 2018, they have acquired Ninja Theory, Playground Games, Undead Labs, Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Obsidian Entertainment and inXile Entertainment. On top of that, they have founded The Initiative and World’s Edge. We know that Microsoft is looking to grow Xbox Game Studios to get rid of the narrative that “Xbox has no games.” Considering the fact that Xbox just delayed their biggest launch title, announcing some new studios at their Xbox Series X price reveal would be a good way to convince new players that exclusive games are on the way. Lets look into some of the rumored studio acquisitions that Microsoft has been linked to.
At the end of 2019, rumors started to fly that Microsoft was trying to acquire a studio from Poland. Lets knock the obvious one out first: CD Projekt Red. Unfortunately for Microsoft, there is no way that it is for sale at this time.
Bloober Team is a definite possibility. They previously worked on Blair Witch which was on Game Pass day one. Their current game The Medium, is coming to Xbox and PC exclusively this fall. About a month ago, Bloober Team announced that they picked a short list of advisers for a merger/acquisition. There were three companies from the United States in on that bidding war, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft was one of them.
Credit: Xbox
Another option would be People Can Fly. Microsoft worked closely with them on Gears of War: Judgement and they have been working hard on Outriders since their split from Epic Games. They also have a AAA action adventure game that just started development recently. They have around 200 employees spread out between four studios.
The Farm 51 is a smaller studio who have worked closely with People Can Fly in the past. Most recently they worked on World War 3 and Chernobylite. They have shown that they can make good first person shooters with a limited budget so if they are giving an open checkbook, Microsoft could have a gem here.
My personal favorite would be Techland. After creating Dying Light and Dying Light: The Following, they have been hard at work on Dying Light 2 which looks like it will be a massive step up from the previous entry (which was already a great game). They are putting more of an emphasis on choice and consequence in an already interesting universe. It is crazy to think about how we know more about the second Dying Light game then Dead Island 2 which has been in development before the creation of the original Dying Light.
Credit: Dying Light 2
Poland isn’t the only country with talent developers that we think Microsoft could be trying to buy. Here are a few other options:
Asobo Studio is a company that Microsoft has worked with many times in the past. They were the main developers on Zoo Tycoon and Disneyland Adventures which were both Microsoft titles. On top of that they assisted on the development of ReCore. In 2019, they released A Plague Tale: Innocence which was a breakout game for them. It sold over one million copies and was also played by many through EA Access and Game Pass. Currently they are working on Microsoft Flight Simulator which will be coming out exclusively on Xbox and PC. Microsoft loves acquiring AA studios that have showed promise and giving them the funding to make AAA projects.
Dontnod Entertainment is an AA studio that worked on the Life is Strange series and Vampyr. Dontnod gave players two main games, one prequel, and a free spin off episode in the Life is Strange universe. They took what Telltale started and improved it in almost every area. Vampyr was a very underrated RPG that had one of the best conversation systems I have seen in a while. Most recently, they are working on Tell Me Why which is a game similar to the Life is Strange games that is being published by Xbox Game Studios for Xbox and PC. They are also working on a similar game called Twin Mirror which will be a multi-platform game.
Credit: Tell Me Why
Relic Entertainment is a studio that focuses on real-time strategy games. They most recently released Company of Heroes 2 and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III. They are currently working on Age of Empires IV which will be published by Xbox Game Studios on Xbox and PC. It is possible that Microsoft could acquire them and convert them into an AAA studio like they are currently doing with inXile Entertainment who also used to work on isometric titles.
Turtle Rock Studios who used to be known as Valve South, is the developer team that worked on some of the older Counter Strike games and the Left 4 Dead series. They are currently working on a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead called Back 4 Blood which is being published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. (This will lead us into our next topic).
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has been a headline for a few months now. There were rumors confirmed by many insiders that AT&T were looking to raise funds by selling off some of its divisions including its gaming line. Microsoft were one of the few companies interested along with Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Take Two Interactive, and Tencent. The rumored acquisition price was around $4 billion and no one is sure if that would even include temporary licensing to some of the products that they have agreements for (D.C, Harry Potter, etc). However, talk died down when Warner Media stated that Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment “remains part of the Studios and Networks group.” Although multiple reputable insiders believe that it is still for sale, it seems that it won’t be the fire sale that people originally expected. If Microsoft was able to acquire them, they would gain the following:
Avalanche Software which has worked on Disney titles before being acquired in 2017. It is rumored that they are working on a Harry Potter RPG which should be getting revealed sometime before 2020 is finished.
Monolith Productions which has worked on F.E.A.R and the Middle-earth games.
NetherRealm Studios which has worked on the Injustice and Mortal Kombat series.
Rocksteady Studios which has worked on the Batman: Arkham series and is currently developing Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League which will be shown off at the DC FanDome event.
TT Games which has six subsidiaries. They are best known for their work on Lego games.
WB Games Boston which has most recently worked on mobile games for Batman and Game of Thrones.
WB Games Montréal which developed Batman: Arkham Origins, and assisted on Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Knight’s DLC. They are currently working on the next Batman game which will be revealed at the DC FanDome event.
WB Games New York which has been a support studio to help on bigger projects around the company.
WB Games San Diego which opened in 2019 has been working on a free to play mobile game.
WB Games San Francisco which most recently worked on an AR mobile game called Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
As you can tell, that is a lot of studios and hundreds of employees. It would be a very costly acquisition but it could easily pay off especially if they could get the licensing to the games they are currently working on.
Credit: Warner Bros
Finally, we know Microsoft has been trying to make Xbox become a more prominent figure in Asia. Sony and Nintendo have dominated the market share and Microsoft wants to take a piece of that cake. But to do that, they will need to give fans of Sony and Nintendo a good reason to make the switch (pun) over to Xbox. They started this by making Yakuza: Like A Dragon a next generation exclusive. However, it will still be releasing on the PS4 at launch, so I am unsure at how much weight this deal will really hold.
There were rumors earlier this year that Microsoft was attempting to acquire Platinum Games but their game director shut down those rumors. Obviously things could change and money talks but I would say things are unlikely especially after how Scalebound got canceled after they worked together a few years ago.
Capcom, FromSoftware, Sega, and Square Enix are four other companies that have huge footprints in Asia but all three are probably to big to acquire. However, I would not be surprised to see more Sega and Square Enix products making their way to Xbox as it seems like a relationship between those companies have grown.
One possibility would be Mistwalker Studios. They are best known for their work on Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and The Last Story. Microsoft’s backing could help them get back to where they were during their glory years. However, it may just be better for Microsoft to create their own studios in Japan. Mistwalker Studios have struggled recently and buying a studio based on the reputation of one guy could lead to a ReCore/Keiji Inafune situation.
Credit: Mistwalker Studios and Silicon Studios
Whether Microsoft acquires a studio or creates their own, we can expect Microsoft to expand their footprint in Japan for the launch of the next generation of Xbox.
Years ago, gamers saw the biggest wave of leaks through Walmart Canada. It now seems like there is a new champion in town. The Microsoft Store has already leaked screenshots, trailers, and release dates for multiple new games including Crysis Remake, Mafia Remake Trilogy, Star Wars Squadrons and more. Just an hour ago, Microsoft made another leak come true.
We now know that Yakuza Like A Dragon will be releasing on November 12/13th, depending on your region. Multiple users on twitter pointed out that Microsoft accidentally put up a store page for Yakuza Like A Dragon which included the unannounced release date. You can press HERE to directly go to the page.
Source: Microsoft
Yakuza Like A Dragon did put out a trailer earlier in the day. (This one was on purpose, not accidental).
This next part is speculation of course, but is it crazy to believe that the Xbox Series X will be releasing at sometime between November 11th-19th? Xbox has the marketing rights to Assassins Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, and Yakuza Like A Dragon which all come out during that time frame. Throw in Halo Infinite and another smaller exclusive and you have a pretty solid group of games to play at launch.
Update 7/1/20: Crytek has confirmed that a Nintendo Switch version will be coming. On top of that, they are delaying the official reveal and release date. Here is the statement they released.
A few months ago, everyone was excited to find out that a Crysis Remastered was in development. Crysis has always been a series that has pushed the boundaries of video game graphics. Knowing that a fan-favorite series would return in the form of a remaster was great news because if it sells well, that means that Crysis 4 would have to come. Unfortunately, after some leaks, it does not seem like Crysis Remastered will be pushing any boundaries with it graphics. However, let us dive right into these leaks.
Credit: Microsoft Store
Thanks to Microsoft, we now have access to Crysis Remastered’s trailer, screenshots, and of course its release date. You could argue that it’s just a place holder, but the last two times that Microsoft leaked games, they were accurate (Mafia: Trilogy and Star Wars Squadrons).
Credit: Microsoft Store
Crysis Remastered will be releasing on July 23rd of 2020. We also know that it will have a 7.01 GB download size. The description says the following:
“The classic first person shooter from Crytek is back with the action-packed gameplay, sandbox world, and thrilling epic battles you loved the first time around – now with remastered graphics optimized for a new generation of hardware.
Suit up: Your Nanosuit’s speed, strength, armor, and cloaking allow creative solutions for every kind of fight. Adapt: In an ever-changing environment, adapt your tactics to dominate on battlefields ranging from frozen jungle to alien environments.
Customize: A huge arsenal of modular weaponry provides unprecedented control over play style, with options ranging from the experimental to the alien.
Conquer: Life-like enemy AI require a strategic and flexible playstyle, as new challenges – including a zero-g battlefield– require players to take the offensive and be proactive.
Explore: Choose your own path through the open world of Crysis, destroying obstacles, driving vehicles, and using the environment itself against your enemies.”
Credit: Microsoft Store
As you can see by the screenshots, the graphics aren’t anything to write home about. However, what about some game-play? Well here is Crysis Remastered in real-time during its trailer which was recorded off of a PC meaning the graphics may be a step down if your planning to play this on consoles.
Due to DMCA takedown attempts, we can’t display the video directly on our website. Click here to be redirected to watch it. When it inevitably gets taken down, we will try to update the link.
The Game Preview 