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Season five of Overwatch 2 will arrive on Tuesday, bringing with it updates such as a mythic skin for Tracer, a fantasy theme and a fresh limited-time game mode. However, it feels like a bit of a placeholder as Blizzard is already looking forward to the sixth season, which starts on August 10th.

The studio is calling this the biggest update to Overwatch 2 yet. It'll be called Overwatch 2: Invasion and it will include co-op story missions. Long-promised hero missions, which were going to feature long-term progression features for all heroes, are no longer happening.

At the outset, there will be three story missions you can tackle with your friends or other players. You'll be taking on Null Sector, which is destroying cities and abducting innocent Omnics (robots that are living alongside humans following a war). Null Sector has formidable opponents at its disposal, including "the powerful Annihilators and the deadly Stalkers." 

There will be a separate co-op mission in season six, as Blizzard will open up new parts of the Kings Row map that aren't accessible in the competitive modes. You'll "guide the TS-1 push bot on a mission to save Tracer’s friend and the Omnic Underworld from Null Sector forces," according to an Xbox blog post. This time around, the robot will have its own weapons.

Meanwhile, Blizzard has revealed some details about Flashpoint, a new core game mode for player vs. player (PvP) modes such as quick play, competitive and the arcade. At the outset, there will be two maps, which are the largest PvP ones to date. Flashpoint will feature multiple capture points. The aim is to capture three of them before the enemy team does. Once a point is secured, the next one will open up. 

On top of that, Blizzard divulged more about the previously teased Hero Mastery mode. This is a single-player affair that will challenge you to tackle training courses with certain heroes. You'll need to have a solid grasp of a character's weapons and abilities to do well here. You'll be able to see how you measure up against other players on a leaderboard. Hero Mastery courses for some characters will be available in Overwatch 2: Invasion, with more to come in future seasons. 

There will also be another way for you to sharpen your skills without switching to Aim Lab, as the practice range is getting a firing range. You'll be able to practice with any hero and customize the settings.

Last but not least, Blizzard is trying to entice Game Pass Ultimate members to check out Overwatch 2 with a fresh perk. Starting on August 10th, subscribers will be able to instantly unlock the five most recent heroes (Sojourn, Junker Queen, Kiriko, Ramattra and Lifeweaver) as well as the next addition to the lineup without having to shell out for the premium battle pass, complete in-game challenges or pay for the characters in the in-game store. You'll also get a legendary skin and other cosmetics for each of those heroes as part of the New Heroes Starter Pack.

Speaking of the next hero, who will be a support, there was a brief tease of them at the end of the trailer. They have a cape and a large weapon, but we'll need to wait a bit longer to learn more about them, their backstory and their abilities

The Overwatch 2: Invasion trailer is a fresh spark of hope for the game after the disappointing news that Blizzard downsized its player vs. environment ambitions. There'll be a bigger focus on story and lore going forward. In the meantime, as a Mei main, I'm looking forward to her becoming more of a menace in season five thanks to her being able to further slow enemies down.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

If you’re not too tuckered out from the Xbox and Starfield showcases and you’re ready for even more gaming news, you may be pleased to hear that Summer Game Fest isn’t done for the day. The PC Gaming Show is coming right up and you’ll be able to watch it here at 4PM ET.

While the stream will feature some games that will pop up on consoles and perhaps even mobile devices, this is one for the mouse clickers and keyboard devotees (unless you prefer to use another peripheral, of course). The PC Gaming Show will shine a spotlight on 55 games, including 20 brand-new ones we haven't heard about before. Baldur's Gate 3, Frostpunk 2 and Dune: Awakening will make appearances, along with a new title from Don't Starve developer Klei.

After the PC Gaming Show, there's still more to come from Summer Game Fest, as Ubisoft and Capcom are set to hold their events on Monday. Engadget is on the ground in Los Angeles to check out the various events from the de facto E3 replacement. We're bringing you news, previews and hands-on impressions of games that are being shown off at Summer Game Fest.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

Stoic Studio, makers of the tactical-RPG Banner Saga franchise, announced a new game today at the Summer Game Fest Xbox Showcase. Towerborne is an action-RPG brawler that appears to be a contrast to the studio’s previous work.

The game’s fantasy world reveals humanity hiding out in The Belfry, a massive tower overlooking a world overrun by monsters and other strange enemies. Gameplay appears to blend classic co-op brawling with strategy and RPG elements — all with a family-friendly feel. “We really wanted to make a game that we could play with our families, play at conventions — make it a sit-down-and-have-fun kind of experience,” Principal Game Designer Alex Thomas said in a blog post. “We all love and are inspired by classic beat ’em up games and wanted to make one with persistence, where we can continue to expand the features and the gameplay modes for as long as possible.”

Thomas says death for the game’s heroes (known as Aces) is a key element in Towerborne. Instead of dying and respawning as if nothing happened, your hero’s death plays into the storyline. “As an Ace, you’re a special force for good because you’re able to go out and face the most dangerous stuff, die, and then come back,” Thomas said. “We didn’t want to just gloss over it like a normal gameplay thing, but instead ask what that would be like for a group of people experiencing it. You’re not just doing it because you’re some kind of superhero, you’re doing it because you’re supporting this whole civilization during something of a cataclysm.”

Stoic Studio / Xbox

Towerborne is a seasonal game, and the developers plan to add new content over time — while continuing to unfold the overarching narrative. “The premise that we’ve created revolves around how you can do a seasonal game that doesn’t feel artificial,” Thomas says. “How can you make a story where the content updates and the changes that happen to the gameplay feel like they’re intertwined with the world?”

Towerborne is an Xbox-published title that will arrive in 2024 on Xbox Series X / S, Xbox Game Pass and PC via Steam.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

The Chinese Room — the studio behind Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Dear Esther and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture — is back with a new horror experience, Still Wakes the Deep. It's a narrative horror game, taking the studio back to its roots, and it's set on an oil rig in 1975. It's a first-person game and its announcement trailer captures a series of tense, lethal-looking moments on the rig.

Here's how The Chinese Room describes the game: "Disaster strikes the Beira D oil rig off the coast of Scotland. Navigate the collapsing rig to save your crew from an otherworldly horror on the edge of all logic and reality."

Still Wakes the Deep is due to hit Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC and Game Pass in early 2024.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

Who doesn't love a good Victorian era-adjacent dystopia? If you're a fan of the Dishonored or Bioshock universes, Clockwork Revolution from inXile entertainment could be right up your cobblestone alley. 

Set in the steampunk metropolis of Avalon, Clockwork Revolution pits players against the powers that be — and the secrets they're trying to conceal. Turns out the town's leader, Lady Ironwood, has been fiddling with the weft of fate, using a time-traveling device to jump back through history to selectively change events and shower both wealth and power upon herself. It'll be up to you to use her own Chronometer against her, undoing the temporal damage she has wrought. But beware, your own past actions will have very real consequences when you return to the present. 

The game is still in early development and the action we saw during the Xbox event was all from pre-alpha builds. InXile has not shared an expected release date but has promised to provide future updates, "... in due time."

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

In 2016, Japanese publisher Atlus formed Studio Zero, a development team made up of many of the people who have steered the Persona series since its breakout release in 2006. Now, nearly eight years after that announcement, the company has shared a first look at Metaphor: ReFantazio, the studio's first project. 

Many of the leading creatives who worked on Persona 5, including game director Katsura Hashino and composer Shoji Meguro, were involved in the creation of the game. Structurally, Metaphor: ReFantazio looks like it borrows more than a few elements from the Persona series. There's an overworld for players to explore, and the turn-based combat looks reminiscent of systems employed in past Shin Megami Tensei games, though everything takes place in a fantasy setting instead of a modern-day school. Persona fans will have to wait until next year to see what Hashino and company have been working on all these years. Metaphor: ReFantazio will be available on Xbox Series X/S and PC. 

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

City planners and traffic mathematicians, rejoice: Cities Skylines II is due to come out on October 24th, 2023. It's heading to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. A new trailer shows off the updated visuals and mechanics of the sequel.

Developer Colossal Order shipped the original Cities Skylines 8 years ago, and it's since sold more than 12 million copies. There's a strong Twitch and YouTube community for the game, and some of the biggest personalities have been playing the sequel in beta and providing feedback to developers.

Pre-orders for Cities Skylines II are open today. Colossal Order revealed the new game in March, and it plans to showcase each of its features in detail, one per week, throughout the coming months.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

Major Hollywood stars are coming out to play during Summer Game Fest. After Nicolas Cage showed up at the opening keynote to discuss his role in Dead by Daylight, Keanu Reeves appeared at the Xbox Games Showcase to present the trailer for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.

Reeves reprises his role as Johnny Silverhand in the expansion, which includes another big name in the form of Idris Elba. Phantom Liberty sees Johnny and V undertaking "a dangerous spy mission," Reeves said, with Elba playing a secret agent. The expansion will take you to Dogtown, a new area of Night City, where you'll be tasked with rescuing the president of the New United States of America. "Expect a massive expansion. Twists, secrets and plenty of stuff to do," Reeves added.

The trailer features the voice of a new character who says they are aware of the ticking timebomb in V's head (no spoilers for those who haven't played the main game) and that they can save the protagonist's life. It seems that the price of salvation is extracting the commander in chief. 

Phantom Liberty is shaping up to be an intriguing continuation of Cyberpunk 2077's story. Let's hope the debut of the expansion goes much more smoothly than the debut of the original game. We'll find out when Phantom Liberty drops on September 26th. 

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

Xbox Game Studios' Phil Spencer announced a new Xbox today at Summer Game Fest. The new console variant will provide 1TB of storage (double the previous amount) in a sleek “carbon black” colorway. As the company notes, its September 1st launch means it’s “just in time for Starfield,” the highly anticipated game that arrives on September 6th.

“Whether you’re looking to upgrade from your current console or are new to Xbox, the Xbox Series S – 1TB offers you another option within the Xbox family of devices,” Xbox said in a blog post. In addition, it says its carbon black color is “the same sleek, modern matte finish” as the Xbox Series X and Xbox Wireless Controller.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

Microsoft announced at Summer Game Fest today that the long-delayed Forza Motorsport will finally launch on October 10th. The eighth mainline entry in Turn 10 Studios’ series was initially penciled in for a spring release but was delayed this January until later in 2023.

The developer says Forza Motorsport will make the most of the latest Xbox and PC hardware, delivering the franchise’s most immersive experience to date. It will introduce 100 new vehicles among the more than 500 cars in the game’s lineup.

The racing title will launch on Xbox Series X / S, Xbox Game Pass and PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam. You can watch the full trailer below.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!