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!

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!

Indie studio Thunder Lotus announced a game today that invites you to “Face the Wrath of God.” 33 Immortals is the Spiritfarer developer’s new co-op action / roguelike that supports up to 33 players.

“Pick-up and raid, cooperate to survive hordes of monsters and rise above the Almighty,” the title’s description reads. The game’s trailer shows 33-player co-op rendered with an art style that reminds me of old Space Ghost cartoons (meant as a compliment). However, the somewhat retro appearance may have made it easier for Thunder Lotus to render 33 simultaneous co-op players along with enemies and its dungeon-crawling environment.

Thunder Lotus says 33 Immortals will be available on Game Pass (Xbox Series X / S) and the Epic Games Store in 2024. You can check out the reveal trailer below.

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

The US Department of Justice announced today that it charged two Russian nationals for crimes related to the 2011 hacking of Mt. Gox, the now-defunct crypto exchange that was one of the world’s largest at the time. Alexey Bilyuchenko and Aleksandr Verner are accused in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) of laundering about 647,000 bitcoins connected to the heist. In addition, Bilyuchenko faces separate charges in the Northern District of California (NDCA) related to running the infamous Russian crypto exchange BTC-e.

The pair are being charged in SDNY for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Meanwhile, the NDCA charges are for conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money services business. The SDNY charges carry a maximum sentencing of 20 years for each defendant, while Bilyuchenko faces a maximum of 25 years in prison in the NDCA indictment.

The DOJ says Bilyuchenko, Verner and co-conspirators gained access to the server storing Mt. Gox’s crypto wallets in or about September 2011. Once they infiltrated the servers, the pair and their partners allegedly initiated the transfer of customers’ bitcoins to accounts they controlled. In addition, they’re accused of laundering the stolen bitcoins to accounts on other crypto exchanges also controlled by the group.

The conspirators allegedly negotiated and entered into a fraudulent “advertising contract” with a New York bitcoin brokerage service, a relationship they used to request regular transfers to “various offshore bank accounts, including in the names of shell corporations, controlled by Bilyuchenko, Verner, and their co-conspirators.” The DOJ says the group transferred over $6.6 million from March 2012 to April 2013.

“This announcement marks an important milestone in two major cryptocurrency investigations,” said US Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. “As alleged in the indictments, starting in 2011, Bilyuchenko and Verner stole a massive amount of cryptocurrency from Mt. Gox, contributing to the exchange’s ultimate insolvency. Armed with the ill-gotten gains from Mt. Gox, Bilyuchenko allegedly went on to help set up the notorious BTC-e virtual currency exchange, which laundered funds for cyber criminals worldwide. These indictments highlight the department’s unwavering commitment to bring to justice bad actors in the cryptocurrency ecosystem and prevent the abuse of the financial system.”

Sony revealed the launch date for Spider-Man 2 at Summer Games Fest 2023. The PS5 exclusive arrives on October 20th, a date Insomniac’s Brian Horton says the team is “very confident” standing behind.

The sequel to the 2018 original has Peter Parker and Miles Morales teaming up with GTA V-style character-switching. A gameplay trailer at last month’s PlayStation Showcase revealed Parker’s Spider-Man wearing the black Symbiote (Venom) Suit while showing a glimpse of the requisite power and poor judgment that go with the territory.

In addition to the release date, Insomniac announced that pre-orders will open on June 16th at 10am local time. In addition, those who pre-order will receive “an early unlock Arachknight Suit for Peter with 3 additional color variants, an early unlock Shadow Spider Suit for Miles with 3 additional color variants, an early unlock Web Grabber gadget, and 3 skill points.”

“In the open world, you will be able to switch nearly instantly between [Peter and Miles} as you explore Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn,” Insomniac’s James Stevenson wrote in a blog post. “Both Spider-Men have stories and missions in the world exclusive to each of them.”

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

Sonic the Hedgehog is returning with a modern look. The Sega Genesis mascot (and friends) will star in Sonic Superstars, a new take on the 2D platform franchise that trades in his classic 16-bit graphics for a contemporary coat of paint.

The game’s trailer starts by showing the cartoon hedgehog completing the Green Hill Zone in the 1991 original, only to find himself in a split-screen view that catapults his appearance into 2023 standards. Apart from the updated graphics, the title showcases familiar gameplay, some new tricks and a well-known supporting cast — including Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose. Unsurprisingly, they’re on a mission to take down Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Robotnik). It also showcases co-cop gameplay with friends.

Sonic Superstars is scheduled to launch this fall. It will be available for PS5 / 4, Xbox Series X / S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

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

Paradox Interactive announced today that it will refund all physical pre-orders for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. The long-delayed sequel to the 2004 cult classic was last available for pre-sales in early 2021. That was when Paradox announced it was parting ways with developer Hardsuit Labs and pushing back the title’s release date indefinitely. However, there may be a glimmer of hope for holdouts as the publisher teased more news coming in September about the vampire game.

Paradox says it’s refunding the pre-orders because the previous physical edition included bonus-content items “no longer representative of the game.” Physical variants include the Collector’s Edition created and sold by DPA Merchandising GmbH and boxed versions of the First Blood, Unsanctioned and Blood Moon editions. Additionally, Paradox will grant digital pre-order refunds for anyone who requests one. Refund instructions vary depending on where you ordered it, but you can check Paradox’s FAQ for storefront-specific guidance.

Paradox Interactive

“As development continues, we will be updating the game’s editions and bonus content, and we want to provide the best value to those of you who supported us via digital pre-order after all this time,” Paradox wrote today. “We’re excited to show you more and hope to have all of you with us in September when we reveal more.”

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 was initially slated for 2020 before being pushed back to 2021 and then shelved indefinitely after Paradox fired the game’s creative director and lead writer. The publisher hasn’t yet announced the title’s new developer, although it says it will tell us that in September as well. As for an updated release date, Paradox stops short of explicitly promising one in its September announcements, but it assures gamers it will “share more information about the launch” at that time.

Researchers have developed a promising synthetic heart valve that may eventually be used for growing children. Harvard’s Wass Institute and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) created what they call FibraValve. This implant can be manufactured in minutes using a spun-fiber method that lets them shape the valve’s delicate flaps on a microscopic level — ready to be colonized by the patient’s living cells, developing with them as they mature.

FibraValve is a follow-up to JetValve, the team’s 2017 artificial heart valve that employed many of the same principles. The updated version uses “focused rotary jet spinning,” which adds streams of focused air to more quickly and accurately collect synthetic fibers on a spinning mandrel — making it easier to fine-tune the valve’s shape. As a result, the polymer’s micro- and nano-fibers can more precisely replicate the tissue structure of an organic heart valve. The manufacturing process takes less than 10 minutes; alternative methods can require hours.

Wyss Institute at Harvard University

The technique also uses “a new, custom polymer material” called PLCL (a combination of polycaprolactone and polylactic acid) that can last inside a patient’s body for about six months — enough time (in theory) for the patient’s cells to infiltrate the structure and take over. Although it’s only been successfully tested in sheep so far, the long-term vision is for the resulting organic tissue to develop with human children as they mature, potentially voiding the need for risky replacement surgeries as their bodies grow. “Our goal is for the patient’s native cells to use the device as a blueprint to regenerate their own living valve tissue,” said corresponding author Kevin “Kit” Parker.

In the researchers’ test on a living sheep, the FibraValve “started to function immediately, its leaflets opening and closing to let blood flow through with every heartbeat.” Additionally, they observed red and white blood cells and fibrin protein collecting on the valve’s scaffolding within the first hour. The scientists say the synthetic valve showed no signs of damage or other problems. “This approach to heart valve replacement might open the door towards customized medical implants that regenerate and grow with the patient, making children’s lives better,” said co-author Michael Peters.

The research is still preliminary, and the team plans to conduct longer-term animal testing over weeks and months for further evaluation. However, they believe their breakthrough could eventually find other uses, including creating different valves, cardiac patches and blood vessels. You can read the entire paper on Matter.

Apple has reportedly bought AR startup Mira. The Los Angeles-based company makes the AR headsets for Super Nintendo World’s Mario Kart ride and has contracts with the US Air Force and Navy. You may also remember the Mira Prism, the company’s smartphone-based AR headset that Engadget tried in 2017. Of course, Apple finally revealed its long-rumored AR headset, the Vision Pro, at its WWDC 2023 keynote on Monday.

The Vergereports that the acquisition was verified through posts on the private Instagram account of Mira CEO Ben Taft and that Apple also confirmed it. It isn’t yet clear what Apple paid for the startup — or what its plans are with the company. (Talent and patents are logical candidates following the Vision Pro announcement.) The Verge also reports that Apple has brought at least 11 of Mira’s employees into the fold and that former design chief Jony Ive once advised the startup.

Mira

Mira’s Air Force contract reportedly involves supplying the company’s Prism Pro headset for pilots at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California, allowing them to display augmented equipment instructions. Meanwhile, the AR device built for Nintendo World portrays virtual characters and animations from the game to make the ride feel like you’re inside the classic racing title.

In his 2017 hands-on with the Mira Prism, Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar found the phone-based device to be surprisingly immersive for its price (relative to that era). “Even though I only had a few minutes with the Prism, I was impressed with what I saw,” he said. “I’m used to trying on headsets that are too expensive for most people to buy, so it was a bit of a shock that it worked at all.” Fast-forwarding to this week, Hardawar describes the Apple Vision Pro as “the best mixed reality (VR/AR) experience I’ve had yet, delivering an unparalleled sense of immersion” while holding out reservations. “And yet, it’s still just a VR headset, with many of the issues endemic to the entire category.”