Hello and welcome to a new issue of Emmen Weekly, where we bring you news and updates from around the games industry that caught our eye last week.  

In this issue, we will be taking a look at some international and local news. Some new content is coming for existing titles and the Microsoft Activision Blizzard deal heats up again.

With no further ado, let’s dive right in.

Cult of the Lamb Gets Massive Free Update

Developer Massive Monster’s fun and quirky indie game, Cult of the Lamb got a massive free update recently.

The update was rolled out on April 24 and added a post-game storyline, deeper combat, new options for building, and more.

The update, which is called Relics of the Old Faith, adds relics and heavy attacks to the game’s combat. With this change, the existing dungeons, enemies, and bosses have also received a rework.

On the management side of things, the game now has new followers, new structure such as a kitchen with a chef and a non-collapsible residence for three followers, a crypt to keep the graveyard size in check, and farm plot signs for organizing plots of farmland.

In addition to that, Massive Monster is also promising a photo mode, new quests, progression systems, secrets, new accessibility options, and a lot of new post game content.

There is also a Gauntlet and a Boss Rush mode available after completing the game.

All of these updates are now free for Cult of the Lamb on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC.

New V Rising Expansion Comes Out This Month

A new expansion for the vampire survival game V Rising, named Secrets of Gloomrot will be released next month.

The update will be available for free to all players who purchased the game since it came out on Early Access.

Developers Stunlock Studios says that the new update will let players experience Gloomrot, a new biome with two unique areas twisted in the pursuit of science.

The developers also promised that the castle building will be drastically improved with features like multiple floor constructions, claiming castle territories, and adding more ways to customize your domain.

Combat is also getting a boost with a larger selection of weapon types, a new spell school, and the ability for players to modify their spells with the jewel system.

On top of that, the game will be adding 13 additional bosses to hunt down.

So all in all, a very substantial update, all for the low, low price of free.

The update goes live on May 17.

Competition and Markets Authority Blocks Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Deal

This was a story we reported on last week, so here is a more detailed account.

Microsoft’s ongoing attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard has made its way back into the news yet again as the UK government’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) moves to block the deal.

According to the government body’s official website, “the deal would alter the future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market, leading to reduced innovation and less choice for UK gamers over the years to come.”

Of course, Microsoft did not like the decision and has stated that it was “disappointed” by the ruling, adding that this is probably the result of a poor understanding of the market. It also intends to appeal this decision.

On the CMA’s side, it stated that Microsoft failed to provide adequate solutions to the concerns raised about the deal’s impact on cloud gaming.

It is quoted to having said: “Microsoft has a strong position in cloud gaming services and the evidence available to the CMA showed that Microsoft would find it commercially beneficial to make Activision’s games exclusive to its own cloud gaming service.”

Adding that: “The deal would reinforce Microsoft’s advantage in the market by giving it control over important gaming content such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft. The evidence available to the CMA indicates that, absent the merger, Activision would start providing games via cloud platforms in the foreseeable future.”

It argues that Microsoft already has a head start on cloud gaming with Xbox Cloud Gaming, so allowing the Activision Blizzard merger to go through would give it a far higher competitive edge than the rest of the parties in the field.

“Cloud gaming needs a free, competitive market to drive innovation and choice. That is best achieved by allowing the current competitive dynamics in cloud gaming to continue to do their job.” Says the CMA.

What Microsoft will do in response, time will tell. But this twisting tale is probably nowhere close to its end.

OGMv Organizes Valorant Tournament for Locals

The discord server OGMv has announced a Valorant tournament this month for locals.

The tournament is set to start on May 5 and all matches will be played online.

As for structure, if the total sign ups are 8 total teams and below, we will see a group stage, semi final, third place, and final matches.

If there are 9 or more teams that sign up, we will see a group stage, upper bracket, semi final, third place, and final matches. 

The map pool for the tournament will include:

• Ascent
• Fracture
• Haven
• Bind
• Lotus
• Pearl
• Split

The organizers also included the following notices:

• All chat is not allowed from the start of the match until the end.
• Default server to be played on is “Mumbai” but can be changed to “Singapore” if both teams’ captains agree.
• Both captains must enter the designated voice chats 15 minutes before the set game time and games can only be delayed 5 minutes after the designated match time.
• Match timings will not be changed unless the organizers are informed 12 hours before the first match of the day.

As for team registration, a maximum of seven players per team is allowed. There is also a registration fee of MVR 150.

The deadline for registrations is May 4.