Roblox today posted its Q4 financial earnings, which are decent if not exciting. Its future guidance causes some trepidation.Read More

A new AI-powered platform is already helping NFL and other sports teams better engage with fans and optimize revenue potential.Read More

Capcom is pulling the plug on Resident Evil Re:Verse, a live-service shooter that pits various characters from the horror franchise against each other.The company will remove the title and all DLC from sale on March 3, 2025, before switching off the servers on June 29. Players will need to consume any in-game items and currency they have purchased prior to that date.Capcom confirmed the title is being pulled across all platforms. It didn't offer a concrete reason for the shutdown and suggested Re:Verse had actually exceeded expectations in some ways since launching in 2022."Resident Evil Re:Verse was developed in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Resident Evil series, and your overwhelming support for the game has far exceeded our expectations since the time of its release," wrote the publisher in an update."Now that we've reached a new turning point for the series, we feel that Resident Evil Re:Verse has served its original, celebratory purpose admirably."Despite those assertions, Resident Evil Re:Verse currently has a 'mostly negative' rating on Steam from almost 3,000 user reviews.According to SteamDB estimates, the title had essentially flatlined on the platform and could only pull in three concurrent players at one point this week.It apparently managed to deliver an all-time peak of 2,115 concurrent players over two years ago, but has failed to even come close to replicating those numbers.It's unclear how Re:Verse may have performed on other platforms.

Sega has explained the abrupt cancellation of Football Manager 25 (FM25) and delays to two new free-to-play titles means sales are now expected to fall below its previous fiscal forecast.Breaking down its Q3 performance in its latest fiscal results, Sega said its Entertainment Contents business remains "strong" after both sales and profits increased year-on-year.Looking specifically at the Consumer sub-segment (which houses Sega's video game operations within Entertainment Contents), sales increased to 164.8 billion yen ($1.1 billion) from 149.1 billion yen ($983.3 million).Operating income within the sub-division also increased to 25.1 billion yen ($165.6 million) from 11.6 billion yen ($76.5 million) over the same period.Sega noted that upswing was due to strong catalog sales of titles like Persona 5 Royal (Remaster) and Unicorn Overlord. It also heaped praise on new releases Sonic x Shadow Generations and Metaphor: ReFantazio, which have now topped 2 million and 1 million sales, respectively.Metaphor, specifically, is currently exceeding sales expectations.Sega upbeat about prospects of game business despite high-profile cancelationDespite those positives, Sega has downgraded its Consumer sales forecast following the FM25 cancellation, but noted ordinary income is now expected to surpass expectations due to solid digital and catalog sales."Due to the development cancellation, the Group recorded a loss in the third quarter by work-in-process assets write-downs," Sega added."This decision was made because, despite aiming the development for significant advancements in the standard series through the renewal and the addition of new features for the UI and graphics, it was determined that it would be difficult to ensure sufficient product quality expected by the March release."With carrying over the development assets to its sequel, the Group will continue development efforts to produce and serve higher-quality works."Sega also recorded an extraordinary loss of approximately 6.1 billion yen in the second quarter following the sale of Amplitude Studios through a management buyout.Looking ahead, the company is forecasting full-year net sales of 320 billion yen (down from 335 billon yen) and ordinary income of 44 billion yen (up from 40 billion yen) within its Entertainment Contents division.

We were whizzing down the slopes, screaming because it is sort of ridiculous to go flying down a snowy hill in an inflatable tube. There was a friendly family competition going on to see who could get down the hill the fastest. Other snowtubers had their phones out my spouse had planned to record everything on their Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. They got partway through a video when their fully charged smart glasses abruptly died. We never did find out who truly won.Thats been an unexpected discovery this past winter: smart glasses are incredibly susceptible to dying in cold weather. It makes sense when you think about it. Phone batteries are affected by extreme temperatures, as are smartwatches. You might not notice it as much because you keep your phone in a pocket or a bag. Your smartwatch is ostensibly shielded under a sleeve. But a pair of smart glasses? Those tend to house the batteries in the arms, which are much more exposed to the elements around you. (Unless you have one of those fuzzy hats with ear flaps. Then you might stand more of a chance.)While this wasnt a surprising revelation, it underscored something Ive been noticing in my long-term Ray-Ban testing. Aside from style, battery life will make or break whether smart glasses can become a mainstream gadget.RelatedMeta is positioning the Ray-Bans as the ultimate vehicle for AI. And if an ever-present AI companion is the goal, youre ostensibly wearing the glasses for most hours of the day. (Its why you can get these with clear or transition lenses.) If the battery dies, its no biggie if you dont actually need glasses to see. But if you do need prescription lenses in your smart glasses, the battery dying before bedtime is a pain. Youre forced to either give up the smart features you paid extra for, or the ability to actually see.Right now, the Meta Ray-Bans get an estimated four hours of moderate use. In my own testing and watching my spouse, a power user who wears them as their main pair of specs thats not enough for all-day wear. The other catch is any of the cool smart features zap the battery life youre trying to preserve. When I wrote about Metas Live AI feature, I had blind and low-vision readers reach out to tell me they were excited at the opportunities such a feature could afford their community. Live AI utilizes the Ray-Ban glasses camera so you can ask Meta AI real-time questions about the world around you. For folks with visual impairments, I was told this could help them navigate their surroundings, identify objects, and live more independently. Its an exciting prospect but my main concern is those possibilities are hampered by the fact that Live AI reduces the glasses battery to a mere 30 minutes.I regret to inform you, but the battery is not replaceable in these glasses. Photo by Becca Farsace / The VergeTheres no way to charge the Ray-Bans or many of the other smart glasses Ive tried with an external battery pack. Some glasses utilize stands or cases for charging, while others have proprietary cords that attach to both arms. However they charge, its virtually impossible to power and wear them at the same time. Furthermore, Ive yet to see a pair of smart glasses with repairable or replaceable batteries.Take the Ray-Bans. A Meta support page clearly states that its not possible to replace the battery inside your glasses or charging case. If the battery fails under warranty, you should be able to get a replacement free of charge. But once the battery starts degrading over time, as all batteries do, you have no options other than to get a new pair or a replacement case. I get why the batteries arent replaceable trying to reduce the size so the glasses are wearable means soldering components close together. Its an issue plaguing the entire wearables category, not just these glasses. But it is a problem.This is something Meta and other smart glasses makers will have to meaningfully address for this gadget category to be as ubiquitous as phones or smartwatches. Id argue that nailing all-day battery life is more important than figuring out how to incorporate AR displays. Because if theres one thing Ive learned as a wearables reviewer, its that people hate charging devices.See More:

I have a cable problem. Im the guy with a giant box (three, actually) of ancient power cables that connect to nothing, just in case a time traveler appears with my hard drive from 2006 and demands I plug it in. I have approximately a thousand Lightning cables, even though the only Lightning-charging device I have left is my AirPods. (Which I charge wirelessly anyway.) I have a bunch of fancy braided USB-C cables, which I bought just so Id know who was absconding with my chargers at family gatherings. When I travel, I have a case roughly the size of a family-sized Doritos bag just for cables and chargers.A couple of weeks and a few trips ago, though, I replaced all those cables with just two. Theyre retractable USB-C cables, made by a company called Baseus. In case youre wondering, its a China-based company founded in 2009. Apparently, the name is a shortening of the phrase base on user. Which, sure. The company has been growing in China for years, but only relatively recently started selling in the US through a warehouse and storefront in Ohio. Like Anker, Ugreen, and other China-based brands you probably discovered on Amazon, Baseus sells what appears to be a random selection of things youd find in a gadget factory: security cameras, car vacuums, headphones. Its mostly stuff you can find in infinite identical variety on AliExpress and elsewhere.But back to my USB-C cables. The listing on Amazon is named, memorably, Baseus USB C Cable, Mini 100W Retractable USB C to USB C PD 5A Fast Charging Cable, 4-Stage Length Preset USB Type C Charger Cable for iPhone 15/Pro/Plus/Pro Max, MacBook, iPad Pro, Samsung S23/S22+. On Baseus website theyre called Free2Pull cables in some places and Free2Draw in others. Theyre each a round puck, with male USB connectors sticking out of either side. It looks like a super-futuristic pinwheel, as if it might start spinning uncontrollably at any moment.I do worry about how the coiling mechanism will hold up over time. Image: BaseusMost of the USB cable is coiled up inside the puck. The smaller model $13.58 on Amazon as I type this has 3.3 feet (one meter) of cable, and is a little smaller around than a soda can. The bigger one $20.99 has 6.6 feet (two meters) of wire and is about the size of a grande Starbucks lid. Both come in black, silver, blue, and purple. Most sizes and colors are rated for 100 watts of power. (Theres also a 60-watt one, but its barely cheaper get the 100 watts.) You can get faster USB-C cables, but you probably dont need them.To access the cable, just pull on one end, and it starts spooling out in both directions. Pull until you feel a tug, let go, and it stops. Pull again, and the cable retracts. I initially worried about how the retractable cable would hold up to lots of use, and I havent used them long enough to say for sure, but so far theyre really solid.Ive used a lot of words here to describe what a retractable USB-C cable is, when its really not a terribly complicated concept. But it might be hard to understand why its so great, so let me explain. Reason number one: no more cable tangles, since they just suck right back in when youre done. Reason number two: no more coiling and uncoiling and re-coiling my cables just to try to keep them untangled. Reason number three: the pucks are heavy enough to stay put on a table, so the cables dont go sliding off of everything. Reason number four: super fun to fidget with. This is not an important reason, but its a real thing.I dont know for sure that Baseus retractable cables are any better than the near-identical listings on Amazon or AliExpress, though there are lots of other Baseus fans out there. I just know that retractable cables are the best cable investment Ive ever made. My entire charging setup now consists of two of these cables a short one in blue and a long one in black and an Anker PowerFusion wall charger / portable battery. (I also carry a USB-C to USB-A converter, because sometimes youre on a plane or in a hotel and the future hasnt reached there yet.) My bag is neater and lighter than ever.See More:

Nintendo is adding beloved Game Boy Advance title Wario Land 4 to the Nintendo Switch Online library on February 14.Revealed with a trailer, below, the game will be available at no extra cost to users who have a Nintendo Switch Online membership and have purchased the Expansion Pass."The misguided Wario is back, and this time he's in search of riches," reads the synopsis. "Ignoring all warning signs, Wario decides to enter a cursed pyramid that's rumored to house a bunch of gold and jewels. Our anti-hero quickly learns that the curse is now a joke, realizing that he'll be lucky to escape alive."There are 20 massive stages to conquer in this adventure, and you can use all of the gold and treasure you find to purchase bonus items after each stage. You can even take a breather and play any of the title's delightful mini games."The game was very well received upon its release in 2001, earning a 9/10 in IGN's review. "There's a lot of variety in the game design and it's more challenging than the usual side-scrolling fare due to its focus on making players figure out how to get to certain locations in the level," we said.Wario Land 4 is the 24th Game Boy Advance game added to the library, joining the likes of Mario Kart: Super Circuit, The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team, and more.Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

The concept of a multiverse is one that often seems to fit video games very naturally. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Bioshock Infinite both took good advantage of it to open their stories up to new possibilities, for example, but The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak 2 has hopped on the multiverse train with some mixed results. At times, its story doesnt seem to go anywhere for hours on end, but it has some of the best character development the series has ever seen in exchange for that momentum. Daybreak 2 also introduces meaningful improvements to its hybrid action/turn-based combat, making it more engaging than ever before. The outcome is an RPG with pacing struggles, but still manages to be a good sequel in an already great series.Daybreak 2 takes place shortly after the events of the previous game, following your mercenary hero Van Akride and his friend Elaine as they encounter a mysterious but familiar-looking red monster. In an entertaining twist, that first encounter actually ends with both Van and Elaine dead, with Vans assistant, Agnes, somehow rewinding time in an act of desperation to save them. Its an explosive setup that introduces the timeline-hopping mechanic in an interesting way. But rather than making the most of a multiverses potential for effective and emotional storytelling like the excellent Zero Escape series, Daybreak 2 mostly uses it as a deus ex machina to let the party opt out of sticky situations. What we said about The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak (2024)PlayThe Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is an exciting new start for the series. With a fresh cast of characters joined by a handful of familiar faces, its a welcoming point for potential new fans to jump in while also rewarding veteran players for returning. Daybreaks updated hybrid battle system still has a few kinks to work out with its real-time elements, but enhanced movement options and other impressive tweaks make the turn-based aspects better than ever. Wrap that up in an engaging story full of political drama and a compelling new setting, and Daybreak is exactly what the Trails series needed to reach new heights. - George Yang, June 28, 2024Score: 8Read the full The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak review.This causes the main story to be too drawn out over the roughly 60-hour campaign, and the mystery behind that crimson monster takes an unfortunate backseat as Van constantly dies in different timelines and tries to find a way to avoid his fate sometimes going out in overly silly ways, like randomly stepping into a room filled with explosives. Being forced into bad endings like this just adds tedium, and hopping back in time gets particularly annoying in Chapter 3 as its sporadic use makes the storys flow feel choppy.However, even when the overarching tale falls flat, Daybreak 2 is filled to the brim with some of the best character development in the series. For example, the groups researcher and tech geek Quatre comes to terms with his upbringing and his abusive cultish parents, while Feri, a young and naive mercenary, finds her inner sense of self after being kicked out of her family in the previous game. This is essentially the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 of the Trails series: It doesn't move the larger plot forward much, but the more personal, character-driven stories it focuses on instead are excellent.Daybreak 2 manages to keep its growing roster under control.It also manages to keep its growing roster under control by elevating some minor characters into full party members. A few old ones have been brought back as well, including Swin and Nadia from Trails into Reverie, who finally feel like complete characters here as their arcs cleverly conclude. Speaking of Reverie, Daybreak 2 follows a somewhat similar story structure the first two chapters are actually split into two different routes, with Van leading one and Swin and Nadia the other. Its a smart decision, and another example of how Daybreak 2 skillfully handles its expanding cast.There is even a version of the Reverie Corridor called the Marchen Garten, which brings characters from the split routes together to fight through a rogue-lite dungeon full of randomized floors with a boss monster at the end. While this dungeon is completely optional, there are plenty of worthwhile incentives to tackle it. The main rewards are skill points, which let you permanently boost the capabilities of your partys attacks. You can also unlock cosmetic goodies like alternate costumes and in whats always a breath of fresh air, those can only be earned in-game in the Marchen Garten as there are no real-world microtransactions at all.The Trails series is known for its in-depth side quests, and Daybreak 2 is no different. They offer incredible amounts of worldbuilding, along with useful rewards such as rare items to help out Van and his friends on their journeys. One memorable side quest was about a company wondering why its migrant workers were leaving for a competitor that was offering them better pay, and it led to a deep dive into the multicultural history of Calvard, the country where Daybreaks story takes place. Van and his friends eventually stumbled upon a human trafficking scheme to take advantage of the migrants and dismantled the operation. It showed that despite Vans more morally gray methods, he has a strong code of ethics and knows when to stand up for whats right. With Vans unique approach to mercenary work and the complex situations that come with it, it makes sense that the LGC morality system returns as well, but it lacks a similar impact this time. After completing a side quest, you can sometimes decide its conclusion, which then makes progress towards Vans Law, Gray, and Chaos parameters. For example, Van could recommend that a victim in need of medical help go to the hospital, increasing his affinity for Law, or instead that they visit an underground doctor, which could increase his affinity towards Gray or Chaos. In the first game, Vans affinity impacted which allies would join him in the later chapters, but theres disappointingly no such trade-offs in Daybreak 2, which makes the LGCs inclusion puzzling as it literally doesnt affect the story.Its the little thingsTrails Through Daybreak mixed up the series traditional turn-based combat by weaving in real-time action elements, much like Falcoms sister series Ys. You approach an enemy out in the field and attack enough times to stun it, then transition to the much more fleshed out turn-based portion and if that sounds familiar, its a system the incredible Metaphor: ReFantazio took some cues from just last year. But while it was admirable to try something new, Daybreaks attempt at action felt quite barebones, so its nice that the sequel has added a few new mechanics to help make that real-time kickoff have a bigger impact. For starters, when an enemy is stunned, you can now execute a powerful dual attack called Ex-Chain between two characters, which brings a much more exciting and quick end to battles than ever before. Dodging enemy attacks at the last moment also lets you swap control of characters and unleash a powerful strike that guarantees a stun. While the bulk of the combat system and the majority of its depth still revolves around the turn-based elements, these additions to the real-time action make it feel like the perfect appetizer to a main course.This sequel doesnt mess up what makes combat fun.Like previous games, turn-based battles involve a turn order timeline for you to plan around. During battle, various bonuses will appear on the timeline, such as critical hit guarantees and zero-arts, which make it so magic spells that usually have long casting times can be fired off immediately. It provides an extra layer of strategy as you have to take into consideration which bonuses align with which characters on the timeline. For example, if a bosss next turn is going to line up with a critical hit icon, you can either use an attack with the Delay effect to try and push back its action (potentially making it line up with an ally instead), or try to inflict the Freeze status effect so that it cant act on its next turn, wasting the icon. Learning how to manipulate the timeline order makes combat much more engaging, and it is crucial to winning some of the harder late-game fights.The positioning of your party still plays an important role in combat, too, as some attacks have various additional effects when used in certain spots. For example, Aarons Falcon Talon skill does extra damage when hitting enemies from behind. However, even if he cant position himself at their backs, it also has the ability to inflict Seal, which is the Trails version of paralysis. Each skill has multiple effects like this, so even if you dont manage to take advantage of all of their effects in one turn, theyre still incredibly useful. None of that is new to Daybreak 2 necessarily, but its important that this sequel doesnt mess any of it up either. The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak 2 Gameplay ScreenshotsThe customization system remains virtually unchanged from its predecessor as well, but it still offers a great degree of flexibility when building out your party. Each character has four lines: Weapon, Shield, Drive, and Extra. By slotting elemental gems called Quartz in certain lines, your characters can learn Shard Skills, which are passive abilities. For example, slotting two water elemental Quartz in the Shield line nullifies the freeze status effect, but putting three in the Extra line provides HP regeneration every turn. Its fun to play around with the various Quartz to see which combinations you can create to unlock different abilities.To take your customization game to the next level, youll also have to take elemental values into consideration. For example, a simple Attack+1 Quartz you can purchase from the shop only has a fire elemental value of one, but a rare Burn Quartz you might find in a late game dungeon has an elemental value of five. In order to unlock one of the most powerful shard skills, called Executioner, which grants a follow-up attack on stunned enemies, youll need six fire and 12 wind elemental values in the Weapon Line. With at most four slots per line, thats impossible to achieve with those puny Attack+1 Quartz, so finding more powerful Quartz and experimenting with them adds a nice layer of progression, making your characters feel even stronger as they reach the finale.One step forward, one step backDaybreaks bonding events are back, called Connections here, and once again let Van hang out with his allies between big events in order to get to know them better. They offer a lot of character development outside of the main story, like one event where he spars with Trails into Reveries Shizuna. Afterwards, we learn about how her assistant, Kurogane, is actually an amazing cook alongside being a masked assassin. Shizuna also talks about her Black God One Blade fighting style and how it compares to others in the same school, referencing the Eight Leaves One Blade fighting style of Trails of Cold Steel protagonist, Rean Schwarzer. Small details like these really expand the Trails lore in a way that other ongoing series could only dream of.Thankfully, Daybreak 2 has also brought back minigames that its predecessor noticeably removed. Not only is the fishing minigame back, its been revamped and simplified for the better. Instead of laborious button mashing to reel in fish like how so many other RPGs approach it, you just have to time your button presses well within a certain area multiple times to catch the fish. Its a much smoother experience and less tiring on my thumbs.Best Game Order to Play the Trails SeriesThis is the best order to play the Trails games in to best understand the events taking place in the Zemuria saga.See AllSadly, the other minigames are hit and miss. Its new card game, Seven Hearts, involves stacking elemental cards to deal damage to your opponents. Its a faster-paced and welcome substitute to Blade from Trails of Cold Steel, but it isnt as fleshed out as the collectible Vantage Masters minigame from Trails of Cold Steel III. There is also a rather plain but innocuous new hacking game where you simply avoid hostile robots and reach the end of a maze, but the basketball and tailing minigames are the true offenders. The former is entirely too easy, and the latter is just as bad as it might sound. Youll occasionally be asked to tail a suspect and hide whenever they look back at you, and these sequences are always just boring, annoying time wasters that I wish werent included at all.

Its always a big deal when Captain America says, Avengers Assemble. It took four Avengers movies before Steve Rogers said it at the end of Endgame, and who knows how long it will be before his successor Sam Wilson gets to utter the famous line, given that hes just now getting his own film with this months Captain America: Brave New World. But Anthony Mackie knows exactly who he wants coming up on his left when his Captain America calls the Avengers together again.It has to be the Hulk, Mackie tells Den of Geek of his first pick for the team. You cant beat the Hulk, you can only hope to contain him. But for his next choices, Mackie goes outside the usual stock of Earths Mightiest Heroes to Marvels Merry Mutants, the X-Men.Ive always been a Nightcrawler fan since I was a kid, says Mackie, naming the fuzzy blue German teleporter, before picking another mutant, one seen more recently on screen. My favorite character in all the MCU would probably be Gambit, Mackie declares with a smile. Hes from [Mackies home state] Louisiana, and he just looks so cool with that jacket. After seeing Channing [Tatum] play Gambit, I would just want to hang out with him all day, talking like him.Without question, Mackies thinking outside of the box for his Avengers. But thats in keeping with his character. Sam Wilson isnt Steve Rogers, and hes not going to be the same Captain America as his predecessor.When we first met Sam, he was a counselor. He was a humanitarian, Mackie says, diving into the backstory that drives his character. He was a member of the 58th airborne, a squadron of parachuters. When youre stuck behind enemy lines, they jump into harms way and bring you out. Theres a certain level of humanity that comes with being someone who is willing to put themselves aside to help their fellow man at all costs. And thats Sam Wilson.Yet, as heroic as Sam is, Mackie doesnt see him as a superhero like Steve Rogers, who gained his strength and endurance via the experimental super-soldier serum in World War II. A serums not his superpower. His superpower is his humanity, and the beauty of the fact that him being the best version of all of us.That humane aspect allows Mackie and director Julius Onahworking off a story by Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, and Dalan Mussonto create a grounded, classical adventure for Brave New World.Captain America movies are always steeped in tradition and reality, Mackie observes. They always had more of an espionage feel, which made them more realistic. And this is a true Captain America movie because has the same vocabulary those movies established.We can see that classic Captain America vocabulary in the plot of Brave New World, which finds Cap teaming with the new Falcon Joaqun Torres (Danny Ramirez) and former Black Widow Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas) to protect President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford, stepping in for the late William Hurt) against a secret plot by the Serpent Societys Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) and The Incredible Hulk villain Samuel Sterns aka the Leader (Tim Blake Nelson).Well also see it in the way that Sam performs the most famous Captain America action: throwing his mighty shield. Yet, even that aspect Mackie approaches from a character-first perspective.There were certain things that I wanted to keep in line with Chris Evans. I would watch old videos of him throwing the shield, because I feel at some point, Sam would have to learn to throw the shield, so he would learn from Captain America. It just didnt make sense for me to come out and start throwing the shield some crazy way when we knew how the shield had been working for the entire course of all these movies. So there were certain little tidbits that I took to make sure that Captain America stayed Captain America.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!As these descriptions suggest, Sams devoted to carrying on the tradition of Captain America by staying true to himself. The same is true of Mackie as the lead of a blockbuster movie, something made a bit easier by an interaction between him and his co-star Harrison Ford.First day on set, Harrison comes up to me, he shakes my hand, and he goes, Congratulations, kid. Harrison and I did [Hollywood Homicide] 21 years ago, and from there to now has been a huge growth for me in this business, role-wise and human-wise. I know now, after the amount of work that Ive done, I know that Im ready to stand on stage and be the lead of a movie opposite Harrison Ford. And Harrison Ford recognized that and told me that when he congratulated me, and it really meant a lot.Between throwing the shield and Harrison Fords approval, its clear that Mackie is a blockbuster star and that Sam Wilson has truly become Captain America. Now, we just need for him to assemble his kooky quartet for some all-new and all-different Avengers action.Captain America: Brave New World premieres in theaters worldwide on Feb. 14.

SummaryThe Living Lands in Avowed is an entirely new region to explore within the Pillars of Eternity universe of Eora.The environmental designs feed into the ethos of player choice, with a tangible purpose for your adventure beyond expanded lore and being stunning to look at.Avowed is launching February 18, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox app for Windows PC, Battle.net, Steam, cloud, and will be available on day one with Game Pass.The more I learn about the Living Lands of Avowed, an island ripe with riches, mystery, and magic, the more it feels like its the Wild West of Eora. A frontier full of adventurers, mercenaries, and thieves, all looking to stake a claim as a player, thats exactly where I want to be. It projects this unique, early-modern period look and feel where its not quite medieval, but sophisticated enough that society is utilizing things like gunpowder and blast furnaces, with cultures developing their own distinct means of survival much like moments in the history of our world.In talking with the team at Obsidian, I learned that all of this is intentional in its design, giving us a look at what a new frontier would look like if it were a first-person fantasy role-playing game. Borrowing elements from our world also helps to inform the rules Obsidian follows for crafting a player experience within the Living Lands, turning the dials just enough to give us something wholly unique, where souls are real and gods exist but not necessarily in a way that we think of them. When youre informed by those two basic facts, it guides a lot about both the kind of content you develop and the tone and flavor you give it, explains Game Director Carrie Patel. The flow of souls, the presence and existence of that energy, is key and core to life continuing in Eora in a way that will resonate with players who have been through Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. We have a traditional pantheon in the world of Pillars, and you will get glimpses of some of these gods in Avowed. Part of what made the Living Lands an appealing setting is the promise of having distinct environments and biomes, making you feel like youre traversing a big, wild land.Game Director Carrie PatelThis all feeds into the various cultures you will encounter along the way whats important to them (like their gods) is what gives life to the game. The Aedyrans, for example, are a nation that heavily values the ideas of rightful rule, leadership, and order and now theyre plopped into the greatest frontier of Eora. What would it look like as they start to try and blend in with the locals? It may be a small change in their outfit or adapting to how they choose to live. This Wild West attracts all sorts, and rigidity may not blend very well with whats required to survive the Living Lands.Someone who primarily reveres [the goddess] Woedica, values her emphasis on law, order, justice, and rightful rulership above other things. If you venerate Abydon, who is the Smith, its not that you dont believe in the other gods, but you value that sense of industry, hard work, and dedication above other things. This allows us to imbue those factions and groups with certain ideals that are recognizable and help us clearly inform the player about what theyre about, adds Patel.I see this in the architecture and outfit design as well, and how the two feel intricately woven together. This world has been an actual, living, breathing thing. Its represented in the game, but it feels like its been like that in the development, explains Lead Environment Artist Dennis Presnell. Its such an iterative process that as we go, and as our team members come up with new assets or clever ideas or storytelling, we all build upon that and stand on each others shoulders. All of it coalesces into something that has so much variety; a big, cohesive, authentic world. With all our games, and certainly with the lore of Pillars, we want to make everything intentional, explains Patel. Dwarves dont need to have Scottish accents just because they do in other fantasy settings, and elves dont need to all speak with Received Pronunciation. Its about stripping back those tropes. One example was the idea of mountain dwarves tending to be more itinerant. Traditional dwarven societies build impressive places but then scatter and move on due to resources, personal disagreements, or political rifts. This created an interesting opportunity for us in Avowed to explore: What it would be like if one of these settlements stuck around. What would that culture be like? Why would those characters have made that decision, and what would that mean for the story? Theres so much to explore; theres no way youre going to see everything available in the first playthrough.Game Director Carrie PatelMuch like real-life isolated island locations, such as New Zealand, Australia, or Madagascar, these places can feel alien because theyve evolved on their own timeline, without interference from the rest of the world and its ecosystem. Thats true for the Living Lands as well. Youll see this manifest in dramatic environments, with metaphysical and spiritual reasons to account for these differences, with hints of evidence of past civilizations that remains a mystery, and thats a fascinating aspect of Avoweds environments the haunting mystery of the civilizations that came before.Part of what made the Living Lands an appealing setting is the promise of having distinct environments and biomes, making you feel like youre traversing a big, wild land, explains Patel. In the lore of Pillars, the Living Lands is described as a strange island where you see things you dont see anywhere else. Its carved up by mountains and valleys, allowing for distinct biomes and climate zones to exist in proximity to one another. All the regions that players will explore in Avowed are entirely new and very different aesthetically. Weve never been to the Living Lands before in any prior Pillars of Eternity game or DLC, so it has been ripe for creation and creativity from the game design team. Theres this excitement that comes with that, this sense of a living world that you are a part of rather than a world built just for you, with player choice feeding into how you choose to explore this unique world, full of nooks and crannies of hidden adventures for players to find, it all makes the world feel so much more alive. We always want to give the player a few different ways to solve some of the problems ahead of them.Game Director Carrie PatelWe really wanted to build an authentic-feeling world, explains Presnell. Even if its not populated with NPCs or player characters, theres a history there, and youve seen evidence of activity that makes it feel authentic. Theres so much to explore; theres no way youre going to see everything available in the first playthrough.So far, weve seen big chunks of Dawnshore from our hands-on experience, as well as elements of the Emerald Stair region on the Xbox Podcast last June, which is a very lush, but slightly gloomy region. And weve seen glimpses of Shatterscarp in other gameplay footage, which is a high desert region. This is to illustrate that the Living Lands are going to be a wild, big place of both promise and danger, and its something that civilization is just starting to move into. That brings both good and bad its a space of conflict and transition that will be very interesting to play in and feels like a natural evolution of what Obsidian has been doing from game to game in Pillars.We know that whether someone is returning from having played Pillars of Eternity, or they are entirely new to the IP, the setting of the Living Lands and the story of Avowed will be new, Patel explains. As with any larger IP, you have this sense of connectedness with the larger world and timeline through current events and characters with experiences and perspectives. But you want to be careful that the bulk of your content is focused on the present story in this time and place. Thats where you draw the line between references and the core content that players are concerned with. Helping to get new players up to speed will be the in-game glossary tooltip system that lets you look up lore terms and the names of gods to help onboard you to these concepts without derailing the experience with too many explanations. As Patel notes to me, theres been a lot of iteration and playtesting to hit that sweet spot. Weve done several hours of playtests through Microsofts user research department, focusing on clarity in mechanics, story, and player direction in the first few hours. From the prologue level, which you played, to the early Dawnshore experience, weve made adjustments based on feedback and played through it again. Weve probably spent more time adjusting and tweaking the prologue than anything else. We really reward the player for exploring the world as much as possible. Our team is so good at telling amazing little stories for those detail-oriented enough to look for them and put the pieces together.Lead Environment Artist Dennis PresnellThese environmental designs also have a purpose for your adventure beyond expanded lore and being stunning to look at. Early on, you are shown the various ways you can approach a situation while circumventing the environment by tapping into the power of a grimoire, setting fire to a blocked passageway. How you choose to interact with this games world will build upon the incredible immersion factor as you move through the Living Lands.We always want to give the player a few different ways to solve some of the problems ahead of them, explains Patel. For example, there are certain obstacles that might require fire to burn through. In combat, fire also does great damage over time. You can use it to ignite things like explosive barrels to do more damage. You could have a spell or an enchanted weapon that does fire damage. You may have Magrans Fury, which are essentially little fire grenades you can find in the world that will do the same thing. You can also have (your companion) Kai use one of his special abilities outside of combat to burn through obstacles that require fire to continue traversing.And its not just how magic allows you to interact with this world in tangible ways. Its also how you choose to explore the world of Eora. As Presnell shares with me, lots of attention has been given to rewarding players who choose to veer outside of the main quests or the quick path.Its something I personally love in games when developers take the time to populate and world-build off the beaten path, explains Presnell. Ive always checked around corners and looked over and under things, and I was overjoyed when I saw the time and care put into detailing those parts. We do so much of that in this game. We really reward the player for exploring the world as much as possible. Our team is so good at telling amazing little stories for those detail-oriented enough to look for them and put the pieces together. Obsidians work has always stood out to me as being some of the most immersive experiences in gaming. In the last few years, weve seen them invest in their craft like never before and build out these wholly original universes, like with Pillars of Eternity, Pentiment, Grounded, and The Outer Worlds. Theyre cooking right now like theyve never cooked before and were feasting on this bounty of gaming.It feels like this is now coalescing around Avowed, while Obsidian pushes themselves creatively to give us a new perspective to one of their most engaging and lore-rich worlds. Even though were on the cusp of being able to dive further into this new frontier of Eora, it still feels like theyre just getting started on telling even grander and more immersive stories than ever before. Avowed is the next great chapter for Obsidians rich history, their next great frontier, and Im all aboard. Giddy up! Avowed is launching February 18, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox app for Windows PC, Battle.net, Steam, cloud, and will be available on day one with Game Pass. Players who purchase the game for either Xbox or Battle.net or have a Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass membership can play on both Xbox and Battle.net by linking their Xbox and Battle.net accounts.Avowed is currently available for pre-order on the Xbox Store, Battle.net, and Steam. The Premium Edition offers up to five days early access, two premium skin packs, and access to the Avowed Digital Artbook & Soundtrack.Avowed Premium EditionXbox Game Studios$89.99Pre-orderPremium Edition includes: Avowed base game Up to 5 days early access Two Premium Skin Packs Access to Avowed Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger.Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment. You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?The Weird and Wonderful Living LandsThe Living Lands is a place that feels foreign yet somewhat intrinsic to you as it feels the island itself is calling out to you for help. Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem. Visceral Combat to Play Your WayMix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way. Dig into your grimoire for spells to trap, freeze or burn enemies, bash them with your shield, or use range bows to attack from a distance. Companions as part of your journeyCompanions from a spread of species will fight alongside you, with their own unique set of abilities. From a former mercenary to an eccentric wizard, they will be part of your journey with your choices shaping them as you help them with their quests.Avowed Standard EditionXbox Game Studios$69.99Pre-orderWelcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger.Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment. You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?The Weird and Wonderful Living LandsThe Living Lands is a place that feels foreign yet somewhat intrinsic to you as it feels the island itself is calling out to you for help. Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem. Visceral Combat to Play Your WayMix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way. Dig into your grimoire for spells to trap, freeze or burn enemies, bash them with your shield, or use range bows to attack from a distance. Companions as part of your journeyCompanions from a spread of species will fight alongside you, with their own unique set of abilities. From a former mercenary to an eccentric wizard, they will be part of your journey with your choices shaping them as you help them with their quests.Avowed Premium Upgrade AddonXbox Game Studios$24.99$22.49Pre-orderUpgrade* from Standard Edition and receive the following content: Up to 5 days early access Premium Skin Packs: 2 sets of bonus skins for your companions Access to Avowed Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack *Requires base game or Xbox Game Pass membership (PC or Ultimate only), all sold separately.