Hello, dear readers! Welcome to another edition of Emmen Weekly. Let’s take a look at the latest gaming news from around the world.
This week, we have a lot of interesting updates. Some of which include the unfortunate state of Redfall on PC and Console and Fortnite Star Wars collaboration events. On a more positive note, Nintendo Switch users can now start preloading Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Valorant Team Forfeits Match as Player is Too Busy Playing Honkai Star Rail
It has been reported that during the Valorant Challengers week, one of the players from Ghost Commandos (GCS) was too preoccupied with Honkai Star Rail and forgot to install the VCT client required for the tournament.
Honkai Star Rail launched on April 26, 2023 for mobile and PC platforms, since then the game has already amassed millions of downloads with over $28,811,140 in revenue generated with in one of the game’s character banners as of May 6, 2023.
Sony Studio PixelOpus Is Shutting Down
PixelOpus, best known for Concrete Genie is shutting down on June 2, 2023. In a tweet posted today, PixelOpus said that the studio’s adventure “has come to an end” while thanking its fans.
According to IGN, there is no formal response from Sony with regards to why the studio is shutting down. However, they have released a statement that follows:
“PlayStation Studios regularly evaluates its portfolio and the status of studio projects to ensure they meet the organization’s short and long-term strategic objectives. As part of a recent review process, it has been decided that PixelOpus will close on June 2.”
It is unclear if the studio has been laid off but several employees from PixelOpus confirm the news that the studio will be halting operations on June 2, 2023.
Phil Spencer Takes Responsibility for Redfall’s Poor Release
Redfall, developed by Arkane Austin was launched on May 2, 2023 turned out to be another disappointment for PC gamers this year.
According to Steam reviews, Redfall is one of the lowest rated games of all time. The current Metacritic score for the game is at 59 with the PC user score at 1.8. Players found the open world aspect of the game to be mostly dull and empty and the PC users also struggled with multiple performance issues with the game including weird AI movements and FPS drops.
Microsoft’s Phil Spenser acknowledged that he is ‘disappointed’ with Redfall and went on to say that they are “gonna take full responsibility for launching a game that needs to be great.” While he acknowledged the disappointment that comes from a $70 game arriving in the condition Redfall has, he also offered support for the game’s developers, Arkane Austin, noting that he will not “push against the creative aspirations of our teams.”
Redfall is currently out on Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Microsoft Windows.
Fortnite celebrates Star Wars Day with in-game events!
To celebrate Star Wars day, Fortnite has introduced popular characters from the Star Wars franchise such as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul to the Battle Royale game mode. Along with these new characters, new in-game quests have been released that allow players to unlock force abilities and cosmetic items. These cosmetic items include outfits of Clone Troopers, Darth Maul, Anakin Skywalker, and Padme’, among others.
In addition to the characters and cosmetic items, players can complete in-game quests like the Follow the Force quest to unlock more cosmetic items such as the Sith Infiltrator Glider and Star Wars-themed skins for their guns. Furthermore, players can unlock force abilities like Force Push, Force Pull, and Force Throw by participating in the training sessions offered by Obi-wan, Anakin, and Darth Maul.
Preloading Begins for Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Players who have pre-ordered Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on their Nintendo Switch console can now install the game ahead of its official release. The game’s download size is 16.3GB, and digital pre-orders can be placed through the official Nintendo eShop website.
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom follows the story of Link, Zelda, and a revived Ganon, who is out to destroy Hyrule once again. The story picks up right after the events of Breath of the Wild. Players now have more flexibility to play around with the game’s physics and take on enemies and challenges with Link’s new Ultrahand abilities.
For players looking to upgrade their console in time to play the game, there’s also a Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom themed Nintendo Switch OLED model. The OLED model includes a built-in wired LAN port, 64GB of internal storage, and a 7-inch OLED screen.
We will be streaming Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on release this Friday! Be sure to tune into our Emmen Plays stream to experience the game as we play along!
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