Helldivers 2: Festival of Reckoning launches Dec 18 https://ift.tt/jQLdOmG
It’s once again time to come a’Reckonin’ o’er the hill and vale, Helldivers–the Festival of Reckoning’s upon us*! This is a time to reinvigorate our hearts with a commitment to spreading peace and Managed Democracy throughout the galaxy, and we’ve got a special celebration lined up to help.
The Festival of Reckoning is a celebration of love, family, peace and the pursuit of peace using any means necessary. The Reckoning Fund, which finances the yearly event, is bursting with credits, and so this year’s festival is even longer and more joyously explosive: The 2025 Festival of Reckoning begins in Helldivers 2 on December 18 2am PT / 10am GMT / 11am CET / 7pm JST and runs until December 31 14.59pm PT / 10.59pm GMT / 11.59pm CET / 7.59am PT (Jan 1)
We’re getting you into the spirit with holiday Major Orders that grant you limited-time access to a host of stratagems to celebrate the event in grand fashion. No stratagem is off-limits, either–meaning we will even be letting you try out some stratagems from our Premium Warbonds.
During the festival, you will see in-game dispatches will go out to let you know which celebratory Major Order is active, and which mandatory celebration stratagems are available for temporary festive use.
Let’s light up the skies with the fires of our peaceful and democratic seasonal happiness, Helldivers!
*Gameplay requires internet access and paid for PlayStation Plus membership (sold separately) on PS5. PlayStation Plus membership subject to recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Age Restrictions apply. Full terms: play.st/psplus-usageterms.
World War Z x The Walking Dead lurches onto PS5 & PS4 In January https://ift.tt/FwEDWNp
Fast versus slow. This varying approach to depicting zombies in film, television, and video games has been going on for decades. The Zekes in World War Z are known for their speed and relentless aggression, stacking on top of each other in a frenzied bloodlust to seek out their next meal. But as we pondered this concept, we found ourselves asking, “Why not both?” The idea of transforming gameplay with Walkers became the crux of our partnership with AMC to bring a crossover episode of The Walking Dead into World War Z.
Maps will still be similarly-sized as to what you’ve experienced in World War Z so far, but we’ve made the routes that you traverse more narrow and claustrophobic. You’ll be forced to take down tougher and deadlier herds as they slowly shuffle towards you, with a constant threat of being overwhelmed. Our special Zekes (Bulls, Bombers, etc.) will remain a part of the mixture of enemies, but we’ve also added in a new special – the Spiked Walker. He’s got an armored head and can cause players to bleed if they get too close to him. As you may have guessed, melee is a bad idea — at least initially. You should take down the Spiked Walker from range, forcing it to go prone, then finish it off with a coup de grace for the most efficient kill. If you don’t kill it while it’s down, it will get right back up and keep coming for you.
But the Walkers are not the only content in this crossover DLC…
This new campaign episode brings to life three separate but thrilling chapters starring legendary characters from AMC’s The Walking Dead – Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Negan, and Michonne. Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan have reprised their roles, providing the voiceover to bring these fan-favorite characters to life.
The Walking Dead’s heroes won’t be coming empty-handed, either. Rick brings along a new weapon skin for his trusty Revolver, while Daryl sports a new skin for his lethal Crossbow. Michonne and Negan will each wield completely new melee weapons – Michonne with her iconic Katana and Negan with his one and only Baseball Bat, “Lucille”.
As for the stories themselves, Chapter 1 begins at The Prison, where Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and Negan battle their way through the correctional facility that the band of survivors previously used as a base, then abandoned when it was overrun. What begins as a rescue mission quickly becomes a life and death struggle to survive against an army of the dead.
In Chapter 2, the four return home to Alexandria, only to discover that the town is on fire and overrun with Walkers. A series of problems make it more and more difficult to ensure the safety of the survivors within. It may take some ingenuity to salvage that which remains…
Finally, in Chapter 3, the crew travels to Grady Memorial Hospital to retrieve life-saving medication for their community. Atlanta, however, is more walker-infested than the last time they were there, so they have to be extremely cautious as they make their way through the hospital. If they succeed, it could mean saving many lives.
We hope that this crossover of post-apocalyptic universes proves once and for all that both slow and fast zombies can indeed coexist, albeit delightfully un-peacefully. World War Z x The Walking Dead DLC launches on PS5 and PS4 in January 2026.
The Relic: First Guardian, a new dark action-RPG, comes to PS5 on May 26 https://ift.tt/HiBMorP
Inhyuk Park here from Project Cloud Games and it gives me great pleasure to share more details on our team’s unique approach to The Relic: First Guardian.
But first of all, I have some very exciting news. Alongside publisher Perp Games, we are excited to announce that The Relic First Guardian will launch on the PS5 on May 26, 2026.
The Relic: First Guardian is a journey that follows forgotten voices in a mysterious world. Every trace you encounter is the final record of someone who once lived here. In this world, you are not a legendary hero; you are the one who restores memory and a keeper of stories.
A world that flows like a folktale
From the beginning, we wanted this game to feel like an old folktale told by a grandfather to a child; gentle, lingering, and quietly profound.
Stories that settle deep inside you. Tiny objects that hold enormous tragedies. Even outside of combat, you will see the gouges left on a broken wall, a half-burned letter on the floor, a small pinwheel turning quietly atop a hill and imagine the lives that once existed here.
At the heart of this world lie the stories of those who vanished.
Combat – freedom in attack, intensity in survival
We redefined our combat system to match this emotional direction.
Stamina is never consumed when attacking.
In The Relic, attack is freedom. To preserve the player’s creativity, rhythm, and style, stamina has been removed from all offensive actions.
Stamina exists only for survival.
Defense, dodging, and the brief moments where life and death split apart are the only times stamina decreases.
Skills consume no resources and operate entirely on cooldowns.
This ensures a seamless combat flow where players can freely express the style they want.
Five weapon styles – battles shaped by emotion
At the start of the game, players choose from five distinct weapon types. Each weapon is designed around a different emotional theme and creates a completely unique combat rhythm.
Beyond that, each weapon style includes twelve exclusive skill trees, allowing players to mix and match abilities to form a class that exists nowhere else but within their own playstyle.
Equipment that exists only once in this world
The Relic departs from the traditional RPG loot structure. Here, there are no “similar swords” or “slightly better armor variations.”
Every weapon and piece of armor in this world exists only once.
A sword may be the final blade of a knight who defended hundreds.
A shield may be the vow a family protected for generations.
A greatsword may carry the last hope of someone who never returned home.
You do not simply acquire equipment, you inherit the story it has lived through.
Grow without levels and become stronger through memory
There are no character levels in this world. Instead, players grow through memory.
At the center of this system are Relics (Runes) fragments imbued with the emotions and wishes of those who lived before.
Each Relic carries over 70 unique passive effects. They reshape skill behavior, alter combat tempo and dramatically enhance specific weapon styles.
By equipping these Relics, players build the kind of Guardian they wish to become. Growth is not measured by numbers, but by the accumulation of the experiences you gain in this world.
Bosses – The final echoes of lost voices
More than 70 bosses appear in The Relic.
They are not simple obstacles; each is a standalone folktale.
A father who became a monster after starving.
A cursed rage left behind by a broken promise.
A soul consumed by the Void, having forgotten even its own name.
Their stories reach completion only when players confront them.
The First Guardian – An ancient promise carried by the wind
In The Relic, the player is not a hero remembered for great deeds, but someone who gently restores fading memories to life.
A child turning a pinwheel while waiting for a father who never returned, a brief letter left for someone who could no longer read it, and countless footsteps lost to the scars of war. All of these stories quietly reappear as the player moves through the world.
And the one who gathers these fragments of memory, weaving them back together, is the First Guardian.
You walk a journey that exists only once in this world. You gather memories, piece stories back together, and return forgotten voices into the wind.
And someday, someone may retell your story like a folktale whispered beneath the night sky. See you May 26.
The secrets behind Ghost of Yōtei’s The Spider Lily General myth https://ift.tt/jHSG9lr
“I wouldn’t go in there,” warns traveling storyteller Ugetsu, as Atsu approaches two large and looming wooden doors. “Because you may not return.”
It’s a caution many Ghost of Yōtei players loved to ignore. As the trigger point for revered side-quest The Spider Lily General, that ominous gate is the start of a haunting mythological adventure that lingers long in memory after its completion. Only fitting for a game that launched so close to Halloween.
I spoke to Creative Directors, Nate Fox and Jason Connell, to find out the inspiration and secrets behind The Spider Lily General, and how they felt about the optional quest’s popularity. But, similar to Ugetsu, I must warn you – there are spoilers ahead. You might want to play this mission before venturing any further…
The quest’s origins
“The Spider Lily General was actually one of the earliest missions in the game and one of the first Mythic Tales we created,” reveals Jason. “It came from one of our designers and writers, and we dissected what makes a great Mythic mission, how they’d look and feel.”
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While these particular side-quests can be inspired by historical figures, The Spider Lily General was crafted as an original tale to represent the trauma of war. The titular warrior’s battle prowess and armour turned him into a legend, but after retiring, the General accidently injures his daughter during a sparring session. Seeing his child die from a wound he inflicted poisons the General with unrelenting grief, leading to him haunting the forest. And now looters hunt for his armour, often dying by the ghost’s sword.
“We knew we wanted the story to maybe have some tragedy associated with it,” says Jason. “And at some point the writer suggested it could be a point of reflection for Atsu, who helps him heal. She’s fighting him, but understands his trauma.”
But why spider lilies? Was there some specific symbolism in their use, given the myth says they sprouted wherever the General spilled his victims’ blood?
“They’re actually toxic, and in real life they’re planted in graveyards to keep away animals,” explains Nate. “So they represent death, as well as connecting to emotional relationships. They also had a functional in-game purpose – early playable feedback suggested it was a bit hard to understand where to go and what to do in the mission because the area is so large. So the lilies made it clearer how to move through the mist.”
Developing horror
The practical use of the lilies were just one of many mechanical aspects Sucker Punch had to consider for a quest which took on such an eerie feel in contrast to much of the main game.
“We don’t have a lot of experience with that sort of horror tone,” says Nate. “So there were specific ways to make it feel like the world is not as you know it. The little maze, a music stinger, and hearing people wailing in the distance. Or reaching a bunch of enemies before a mist rolls in and you then find them all slaughtered.
“There’s also the use of negative space, like when you start the quest and go up a staircase with the mist coming down and the spider lilies going up, with old corpses present… but nothing is attacking you. That long walk is simply there to immerse you in the tone.”
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Early development concepts of the Spider Lily mission by Sucker Punch.
“We were inspired by elements from past survival horror games,” explains Jason. “The prototypes explored weird camera angles. It was really challenging, but even if we didn’t use them it set the vibe for what we were trying to achieve.
The atmosphere is one of the biggest tools we have. You paint the whole scene with mood. We made the spooky moon a little bigger and changed the lighting and colour grading to get the right black level. Sound design is a big thing, too, as well as the music, like the special track during the duel.”
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Its influence on the wider game
Similar to the impact The Spider Lily General had on players, its early inclusion to Ghost of Yōtei’s development helped set a high bar not just for the other Mythic quests, but also for the entire adventure.
“The mission paved the way to ensure that the rest of the game had that level of quality and majesty,” says Jason. “A lot of the core parts of what makes the atmosphere and visual style of a Ghost game distinct got re-pioneered in that moment – and it reminded us of how important it is to use really great visual attractions to draw the player in.”
“That’s one of my favourite things about the mission,” agrees Nate. “When you’re riding your horse in this expansive field, the player has the choice of where they want to go. But when you look at the forest, it’s got a little bit of mist on it and you see this beautiful pagoda popping up out of the top, and it really excites your curiosity. The player discovers the story under their own power. It’s a powerful experience.”
The impact of myth on players… and the studio
The work and thought gone into The Spider Lily General is reflective of the entire game, but the team is happy with how players have responded to this particular mission, especially given how invested the studio was in creating the Mythics.
“Nate and I were pretty excited about the way they came out in Ghost of Tsushima,” says Jason. “So we knew that we wanted to build them again in their own new way for Ghost of Yōtei. And it’s cool to see people really enjoy The Spider Lily General. It’s got a lot of the hallmarks of a Ghost game in its roots. So as creators it’s really joyful to see people take photos and talk about why they like that mission.”
“We set out to make a game that is an anthology of stories where the player is invited to really wander, and follow their curiosity,” says Nate. “And The Spider Lily General is a great example of the kinds of things you can discover by going out there and exploring, in its own self-contained short story.
“It has a really strong beginning, middle, and end, with characters you get to know. Everyone in the team is very proud of how it came together.”
Saros: How Housemarque devs are bringing the sci-fi characters to life https://ift.tt/jQLdOmG
As we continue sharing more from the world of Saros, today we’re stepping behind the scenes to highlight one of the pillars of this new universe: its characters. This latest trailer marks the first time we’ve shown a deeper look at our ensemble cast: the faces, voices, and performances anchoring the story of Saros.
What you’ll see in the trailer is more than motion capture and dialogue. It’s months of collaboration, interpretation, and trust between our directors, our actors, and the entire studio. Below, our team shares what it meant to bring these characters from script to screen.
Crafting an ensemble with heart and tension
For Game Director Gregory Louden, this trailer was an opportunity to reveal more than action:
“We wanted to explore a lot more of our storytelling and show off our ensemble cast of NPCs. We have a phenomenal cast. They’ve brought such authenticity and reality to the characters.”
That authenticity becomes the emotional thread of Saros. Each character brings their own mix of hope, dread, and resilience. Narrative Designer William Shaughnessy explains:
“The more the characters learn, the more the sense of dread grows. The friction within the crew increases, and each handles that in different ways.”
This tension, human vulnerability set against an alien world is at the heart of the story.
Performance, trust, and bringing characters to life
Art Director Simone Silvestri shared his admiration for the performances that shaped the cast. Speaking about the actor behind Arjun, he says:
“Oh man, he’s cool. The way he’s acting for Arjun is just fantastic.”
Arjun is one of the characters who undergoes the most significant transformation over the course of the story.
Greg adds:
“He goes on quite an arc in the game. It’s exciting seeing him dedicate himself and really lose himself in the role to make sure players get the best story, and the best character to examine.”
The cast’s deep dedication allowed us to push the emotional resonance of Saros further than ever before.
The return of Jane Perry
Fans of our previous work will immediately recognize a familiar presence. Greg shares the surprise:
“I’m really excited for everyone to see that Jane Perry is back. She plays Sheridan Bouchard, commander of Echelon Four, and as you can see, she does not muck around.”
Jane has become part of the Housemarque family, and Simone emphasizes the importance of that ongoing relationship:
“It’s very important to build trust with actors who can bring performance to the screen. They give their own spin to the characters we make. Having Jane back is awesome.”
For many on the team, seeing Jane across from Rahul Kohli in key scenes was a career highlight.
A new era of cinematics at Housemarque
Cinematic Artist Khalil Osaimi reflects on one of the first scenes the team shot:
“Seeing Greg and Brandon working with them on set was a revelation moment for me: what we can achieve nowadays in storytelling.”
He explains the delicate balance between cinematic storytelling and gameplay flow:
“There’s a fine line we have to walk. But with the talent we have here and the capabilities… we’re going to the next level now.”
For Housemarque, Saros represents a leap not just in action gameplay, but in narrative ambition.
Close-up characters, real subtlety
Technical Director Martin Contel speaks candidly about the challenges of bringing human emotion into a world known for high-intensity combat:
“We’re doing, for the first time, cinematics with characters in your face. We’re not afraid to bring the camera close. But animating a human face is incredibly difficult: one wrong muscle and a happy expression can become a smirk or something unintended.”
Achieving the nuance these characters demand has pushed our animation, performance capture, and rendering systems further than ever.
From paper to performance
William concludes with a reflection on seeing the scenes come to life:
“There are three phases to the game; in your mind, on paper, and in software. These scenes were once just words on a page, a hope that they’d look great. And they look amazing.”
For him, and for the entire team, seeing the cast’s interpretation and the studio’s execution has been deeply rewarding.
What comes next
The latest trailer revealed at The Game Awards marks just one step in unveiling the story of Saros. As we continue development, we’re excited to share more about the characters, the world they inhabit, and the mysteries that bind them.
Thank you for following us on this journey. More is coming soon, and we can’t wait to show you what’s next.
Aaero2: Black Razor Edition – how PSP and Guitar Hero led to this rhythm-action game https://ift.tt/9GUngom
Let me tell you how a PlayStation in a Welsh recording studio sparked a three-decade journey into the rhythm-action genre. This is the birth of our upcoming game, Aaero2: Black Razor Edition, which is available now on PS5..
As the 90s came to an end, my band had just signed our first record deal and we were living at a recording studio in Wales, recording our first EP. One evening, with my guitar parts, the bass and drums already in the bag, the drummer and I noticed a PlayStation under the TV in the lounge. There were two games; Colin McRae Rally and PaRappa the Rapper. We played a lot of Colin McRae before deciding to give the other odd-looking game a go. That’s where it all started for me and rhythm games. I’ve been obsessed with video games since I was little. The revelation that playing music and playing video games had a crossover point was huge.
Entering the games industry
After relentless hustling and following the least orthodox route imaginable (Musician > Engraver > Tattoo Artist > Architectural 3D Artist > Video Game Artist) I landed my first game job as an environment artist at Codemasters. It was at Codemasters – the home of Colin McRae Rally – that I first worked with Dan. A brilliant programmer and I’m struggling to find the right words. Let’s go with ‘enigmatic eccentric’. The PlayStation 2 was brand new and the bleeding edge of gaming. It was such an exciting time to be making games.
B-Boy, PSP, and the music/game connection
In 2002, a group of six guys broke away from Codemasters and Rare to form a new studio called FreeStyleGames. They were working on an exclusive game for PlayStation 2 and PSP called B-Boy. The connection of music and gaming was irresistible. Dan and I migrated over. In addition to art, the B-Boy project and smaller team structure allowed me to get involved in the music/audio side of things as well as game design.
Guitar Hero and the golden age of rhythm gaming
Keeping with the Hip Hop vibe, we went on to make a DJ game which caught the attention of Activision and became DJ Hero. They asked if we could help make content for Guitar Hero. Yes. Yes I can! I hired a team of absolutely incredible musicians and designers. Some musicians at the time scoffed at Guitar Hero and suggested people should play a real guitar instead of wasting time on games, but we disagreed. It was introducing people to music they otherwise may not hear and letting them appreciate it on a whole new level.
The birth of Mad Fellows and Aaero
Dan and I left FreeStyleGames in 2013 to form Mad Fellows. While people often mention Rez when describing Aaero, and it was indeed one of my favourite games, it wasn’t the biggest influence. It was actually most inspired by Gitaroo Man. The use of analog sticks to trace the music comes from my love for iNIS’ timeless classic. I still keep my PSP to hand so I can have a blast through the songs every now and then.
Meeting Wired Productions
While showing an early version of Aaero in 2015 at EGX in London, we first met the guys from Wired Productions. As a massive fan of Arcade Paradise, I had been talking to Leo (Managing Director of Wired Productions and co-founder of Black Razor Records) about how much I loved the soundtrack. The authentic 90s tracks really captured the vibe of the era, and the opportunity to bring this music into Aaero2 as the Arcade Paradise Music Pack was a dream come true. The Lania Kea Music Pack just naturally flowed on from that, and at that point we realised Aaero2 had evolved into something new.
Full circle
Aaero2: Black Razor Edition represents the culmination of many years of experience in music games from both Mad Fellows and Wired Productions. Its release on PlayStation feels like a huge milestone in a three-decade-long personal journey as a gamer and game developer.
Marathon ViDoc highlights the extraction shooters’ dark world and survival challenge https://ift.tt/9GUngom
Behind the scenes the team here at Bungie has been incredibly hard at work on Marathon, our brand-new PvPvE extraction shooter* – where the dark sci-fi world of Tau Ceti collides with tense survival FPS gameplay.
In Marathon, players scavenge the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV as a bio-cybernetic Runner while surviving against hostile UESC security forces, rival Runners, and unpredictable environments to seek their fortune.
Today’s ViDoc shares a new look at Marathon’s gameplay and immersive sci-fi setting. The team also explores updates since Alpha, like improved visual fidelity, proximity chat, solo play, and a new Runner shell: Rook.
Captured on PC
On Tau Ceti, death is the first step.
Your journey begins in the proving grounds of Perimeter, where you’ll get your cybernetic legs under you and learn the basics of how to extract alive. Then, the anomaly-scarred Dire Marsh ups the ante and takes you to the remains of the human colony that’s filled with more danger and bigger rewards. As you grow your vault and survival skills, you’ll make your way to Outpost, the UESC’s forward base of operations with patrols, locked rooms, and loot that will have you tempting fate at each turn.
But, all of that leads up to the endgame. Hanging high above Tau Ceti is the looming UESC Marathon, which houses the Cryo Archive – the first deck you’ll be able to explore aboard the derelict colony ship. Solve raid-like security measures to unseal frozen vaults and pillage the artifacts within. Every cramped corridor forces you into conflict with fully-geared enemy crews racing for the same prize. Breach the seventh vault to challenge an entity that even the UESC fears.
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Captured on PC
Unsteady truces, unforgiving worlds, and unforgettable experiences await you on Tau Ceti IV. With huge thanks to our incredible community, we’ve been able to playtest and gather feedback to ensure that we’re building Marathon with our players in mind. We’ve made several improvements, including:
Proximity chat, to make on-the-fly alliances – or break them – in the field
Rook, our solo scavenger experience
Solo Runner queue, so you can test yourself against Tau Ceti’s most challenging odds
Updates to visual fidelity across the board, to further immerse you in the world
Whether you were with us back in April for our first Alpha or you’re just joining us now, there’s a rich world full of lore and loot for you to discover when your cybernetic biosynthetic shell takes its first steps into our new world.
Captured on PC
We’ve built Marathon to shine on PlayStation 5, with the goal of delivering smooth, intense combat – whether you’re playing with your crew for a night full of runs, going it solo, or filling into teams of up to three. The PS5’s hardware is perfectly suited for us to bring this dark and gritty world to life, and we can’t wait for you to get your hands on it.
Marathon releases in March 2026 at the target price of $39.99/€39.99/£34.99, with additional regional pricing to be announced.
Keep up with the latest news from our team at Bungie by wishlisting Marathon for PlayStation right here.
If you want to join in on the discussion and chat with the dev team, make sure to head over to the Marathon Official Discord! We’d love to hear your stories, get your feedback, and share what’s coming next as we chart the path forward.
We can’t wait for you to join us on Tau Ceti soon.
*Bungie.net account and internet connection required. Paid for PlayStation Plus membership (sold separately) required on PS5.
PlayStation Plus membership subject to recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Age restrictions apply. Full terms: play.st/psplus-usageterms.
