Blizzard's Cross-Play Update Has Arrived In Overwatch

Blizzard has announced that the cross-play update is now available on Overwatch for all platforms.

To play with other platforms, you’ll need to link your console to your Battle.net account. Crossplay is sadly not available in the Competitive mode. it is however in Quick Play, Arcade, and Custom. All players that log in during 2021 will be gifted with a Golden Loot Box, which as you would guess gave me a skin I already own. Thanks for the currency I can't use until the next event.

Lastly, the update came with a new limited-time Ashe’s Deadlock Challenge event but they've made unlocking the skin take longer with it now being 27 played matches with a win counting as 2. Players can earn rewards such as player icons, sprays, and a Legendary Deadlock Ashe skin before the event ends on July 5.

The cross-play update is for Overwatch on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Cyberpunk 2077 returns to the PlayStation Store

CD Projekt Red has announced that Cyberpunk 2077 has finally returned to the PlayStation Store after a newly launched patch.

In the announcement tweet, the studio confirmed that the game is playable on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 and that a free next-gen upgrade is still coming towards the second half of 2021. However, they also warned players that they “may continue to experience some performance issues with the PS4 edition while we continue to improve stability across all platforms.”

Both the Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter page and PlayStation's Twitter account have encouraged players to play on either a PlayStation 4 Pro or PlayStation 5 console to get the best possible experience.

I personally played the game at launch on the Xbox Series X and I did have an okay time with the game but I also ran into a ton of bugs throughout. I can comment on the state of the game today but some of the standout issues I had with the game was missing out on important story points due to a cut scene bug. Overall I still went to get the full 100% of the achievements but I can't see myself returning until a substantial DLC is launched.

Lost Judgment Announced By SEGA

Ryu Ga Gotaku Studio has announced a sequel to Yakuza spin-off Judgment in the form of Lost Judgment coming in September.

The game will follow the main character from the first game detective Takayuki Yagami as he is thrown into a new murder investigation that begins on the streets of Kamarocho but will eventually take him to the Ijincho distrct of Yokohama. (the location of Yakuza Like Dragon)

Players will have to search for clues, chase down criminals and deliver the delicious dish of justice in the form of Tak's Fist.

Investigations return with the usual tailing, chasing and cross-examining suspects, however, Tak gets some additional tricks that include new stealth moves, wiretapping, and acrobatic skills.

On the punching side of things, Tak has gained a brand new fighting style in the form of the Snake, where it's described as using the foes moves against them. Crane and Tiger style also both return but let's be real, we're all gonna use the new fighting style.

In regards to the story, players will go undercover at a local high school, and it looks to be where you'll get to experience the side missions which have formerly been renamed in Lost Judgment to School Stories. They will apparently be just as wacky as prior games with mini-games that range from dancing to controlling battle robots.

Lost Judgment will be launching globally on September 24, 2021, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4

PlayStation files trademark for Sunset Overdrive

Sony has seemingly filed a trademark for Xbox exclusive Insomniac Games Sunset Overdrive. The trademark was filed at the US Patent and Trademark on April 26 but sad,y there were no details regarding a possible sequel or remake.

Interestingly enough, this was shortly followed by a leak that suggests that a remake of Sunset Overdrive is on the way in the form of Sunset Overdrive Refreshed Edtion coming in the fall to PS4 and PS5. That’s not all the leak contained though, it also had listed a new project called Sunset Apocalyse coming to PS5 in the future. Recently the game director of the first game rejoined the studio after working at Microsoft, that could also be a sign of more fuel added to the rumor fire.

I personally hope the series gets to live on in some capacity even if that means a PlayStation exclusive, fingers crossed it isn’t platform exclusive and Sony does right by the players of that first game.

Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout's Xbox And Switch Versions Delayed

Mediatonic has announced that the upcoming release for Xbox and Nintendo Switch versions of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout will no longer launch in the Summer.

the announcement came from the game's official website, where the studio discussed its recent purchase by Epic Games by saying it offered "so many new opportunities" but also they said, "We've realized that our previously announced Summer 2021 Switch and Xbox release schedule is unfortunately just too soon for us to include all of the tasty new features we're working on."

on a positive note, the team confirmed that the delay will give them the chance to add additional features, which they promised would include crossplay so that Xbox and Nintendo Switch players can play with those on PlayStation 4 and PC.

PlayStation Plus Games For May 2021 Announced

Sony has revealed the upcoming free games for PlayStation Plus in May 2021.

The aforementioned upcoming games go as followed:

Wreckfest (PS5)

Battlefield V (PS4)

Stranded Deep (PS4)

All three of the games will be available to download on the 4th of May, after the past few months of amazing games coming to the service. It seems PlayStation is taking their foot off the gas a little but hopefully, they'll field some deep picks for June 2o21. (I'm not sorry for all the bad puns)

Knockout City coming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate And EA Play

EA has confirmed that the upcoming dodgeball game Knockout City will be available via EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at launch in May.

in a post where EA celebrates the beta hitting one million downloads for the recent open beta weekend. They confirmed the game will be coming to EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier subscription, this also means it'll be available for players on PlayStation and PC via a standard EA Play membership as well.

I played the recent demo and I came away from it lukewarm, I enjoyed aspects of the game but I also found the matchmaking overly frustrating. Every match I played over the course of the beta weekend had one team with fewer players than the other which made it extremely one-sided.

Knockout City will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on May 21.

Additionally, the game will have access to cross-play across all platforms.

Apex Legends Season 9 Legend Is Called Valkyrie

Apex Legends is mere weeks away from dropping season 9 to the game and Respawn entertainment is ramping to the release with the announcement of their next legend.

in a newly released episode of 'Stories from the Outlands' short, the developer introduced its next character Valkyrie, who has a strong connection to Titanfall.

Valkyrie is the daughter of Titanfall 2 character Viper, who's the pilot behind the NorthStar Titan. (Boss fight in Titanfall 2) In the short, titled 'Northstar' Valkyrie is out to take revenge against her father boss, and leader of the Apex Legends in the form of Kuban Blisk.

The short provides a great introduction to Valkyrie for players and adds some interesting lore and backstory to both Titanfall and Apex Legends. interestingly enough, the new season isn't numbered but instead is just called Legacy.

In regards to Valk abilities, it looks like she'll have some form of flight with the short showcasing Rampart taking apart NorthStar with a shadow engulfing Valkrie with the Jetpack wings of the titan.

Apex Legends Legacy (Season 9) will begin on May 4 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Additionally more details and announcements for the upcoming season will be available in the coming weeks.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 Remaster is Coming To Nintendo Switch And Xbox Series X And PS5

Activision has finally announced that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 will be released on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch this year.

The next-generation versions will arrive on March 26, with the Switch edition currently not having a specific release date but is confirmed for 2021.

Activision has promised a "variety of upgrades," which includes 120FPS/1080p and 60FPS/4K visuals, spatial audio, and other enhancements coming for the next-gen versions. Sadly the Nintendo Switch edition won't have the same frame rates and graphics upgrades.

Players who already own a digital copy of the game for PS4 or Xbox One or the disc version on PS4 will be able to upgrade to the same console family with all of your progress at no cost, except for residents of Japan where this will cost 100 Yen. This apparently only applies to the deluxe edition of the game and the disc version on Xbox One is seemingly left out too.

Activision will also be selling a "Cross-Gen Deluxe Bundle" that costs $10 more. This will come with a new skater called Ripper, along with retro gear for the Create-A-Skater mode, along with retro skins for Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, and Rudney Mullen.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition New Release Date is May 14

EA has announced that Mass Effect Legendary Edition will be launch on May 14 in a newly released trailer showing off some of the upgrades.

The collection will include all three games from the original trilogy, alongside 40 pieces of DLC content including weapons, armors, and packs which have all been remastered and "optimised" for 4K. The game will feature improved visual effects such as enhanced models, shaders, FX, lighting, and depth of field. There'll also be "targeted enhancements" for the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 that include full HDR across the trilogy and options for "Favor Quality" and "Favour Framerate" modes to boost resolution or FPS.

They also have added New customization options for your Shepard that include improved hair, makeup, eye colour, and skin tones. the character creator is confirmed to also allow all options across all three games in the trilogy. Lastly, there are also plans to make some gameplay enhancements specifically for the first game which is said to include "improved aiming and weapons balance, SFX, input/controls, squad behaviour, cover behaviour, and gameplay cameras."

Mass Effect Legendary Edition will be available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC from May 14, 2021.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Getting a mid-season update

Treyarch has announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will be getting a mid-season update coming next week.

the team revealed the update will include new content for Multiplayer and Zombies modes including a new Fireteam map called Sanatorium, new 6v6 MP mode Dropkick and a new Cranked mode in Zombies that will task players with a ticking timer that countdowns to their timely demise, they can add time to the clock by making kills.

Additionally, PlayStation exclusive mode Zombie Onslaught will also be getting a new map known as Raid as well as new Dark Aether intel, and more Season One content is promised over the next few weeks.

This week's patch will include the Raid & Crossroads Strike 24/7 playlists, new Gunfight Blueprints, and Dirty Bomb Duos MP modes as well as additional weapon tweaks which were promised at the beginning of this week.

January 2021 Video Game Releases

January 2021 is looking to be a fantastic start for players of all kinds. This month will see the release of some of my favorite video game franchises such as Hitman and Yakuza. I'm really looking forward to those two in particular, especially since i'm currently playing through Yakuza Like A Dragon and loving it.

Below is a list of all the upcoming games releasing in January 2021:

8th January

Iris Fall (PS4, Xbox One, Switch)

12th January

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Core Collection (PS4, Xbox One, Switch)

14th January

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – Complete Edition (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia)

MXGP 2020 (PS5)

20th January

Hitman 3 (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS5, PS4, Switch)

21st January

Ride 4 (PS5, Xbox Series X)

22nd January

Bladed Fury (PS4, Xbox One, Switch)

26th January

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch)

Stronghold: Warlords (PC)

Cyber Shadow (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch)

28th January

Ar Nosurge DX (PC, Switch, PS4)

Ciel Nosurge DX (PC, Switch, PS4)

Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny (PS4, Switch)

Märchen Forest: Mylne and the Forest Gift (PC, PS4, Switch)

The Medium (PC, Xbox)

Sword of the Necromancer (PS4, Xbox One, Switch)

The Yakuza Remastered Collection (PC, Xbox)