COD Mobile Big Milestone
Call of Duty: Mobile has reached 1 billion downloads, celebrating its 5th anniversary. Launched in October 2019, the game has maintained its popularity ever since. Last year, it also surpassed $3 billion in revenue.
PS5 Pro is not Launching in India
Sony has announced that the PS5 Pro will not be available in India. The PS5 Pro features Wi-Fi 7, which utilizes 6GHz Wi-Fi technology, but this technology has not yet been approved in India. This official statement has been shared with all media outlets by Sony.
However, it’s worth noting that the iPhone 16, which also supports Wi-Fi 7, is available in India. Given this, it seems that the Wi-Fi 7 issue may just be an excuse, and the PS5 Pro could be launched in India at a later date.
This announcement has created uncertainty, leading retailers who import consoles from abroad to price the PS5 Pro much higher—around ₹85,000, ₹90,000, or even ₹95,000. As a result, those hoping to purchase the console on Day 1 in November will face significantly higher costs.
It is expected that the PS5 Pro will officially launch in India by February. For those in regions where the PS5 Pro is available, or for those who manage to get their hands on it early, over 50 games have been announced that are optimized to run with improved graphics and frame rates on the Pro version.
Rust Mobile In Development
I previously mentioned the codename Outpost, which was speculated to be Rush Mobile. Phase Punch Studios has now confirmed this. Limited testing for the game is set to begin in early 2025.
This month, a closed beta test will be launched in China. Phase Punch has stated that development is progressing smoothly, and the game aims to bring the classic Rush survival gameplay to mobile devices.
Rainbow Six Mobile RoadMap
Everyone is eagerly awaiting Rainbow Six Mobile, and the developers have shared their roadmap for the global launch.
The roadmap is divided into three phases: Technical Test, Engagement Test, and Transition to Global Launch.
In the Technical Test phase, new features will be tested, and performance issues will be addressed. This phase will also mark the official restart of the soft launch.
The Engagement Test phase will focus on improving the player experience. Efforts during this phase will be directed at enhancing matchmaking quality and reducing the use of bots.
Finally, in the Transition to Global Launch phase, the game will be prepared for its global release, following final balance adjustments and bug fixes.
Super Realistic Game inZOI Early Access Date
The Early Access date for Inzoi, one of the most realistic life-simulation games, has been announced. The game’s director and producer shared on Discord that Early Access will launch on March 28, 2025.
Although the game was initially slated for a late 2024 release, it has now been delayed. Kim, the director, explained that the delay is necessary to ensure the game provides the best possible experience. His goal is to create an experience that fans can enjoy for years to come.
FAUG New PlayTest
Another playtest of 4G Domination will be held at the IGDC in Hyderabad, taking place from November 13th to 15th.
Attendees will have the opportunity to try the game at the Nazara booth, which will feature new updates. These updates include the addition of 1v1 and Kiss of Death game modes, as well as voice chat, a death cam, new skins, weapon balance changes, and improved visuals.
Players will also receive limited-edition fan kits during the event.
Elon Musk Is Top Player
Elon Musk has claimed that he is one of the top 20 Diablo 4 players in the world. He made this statement on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Musk is currently ranked 19th on the leaderboard, which can be found on Helltides.com. This leaderboard tracks the completion times for a specific endgame dungeon, The Pit, and ranks players accordingly.
Musk also mentioned that he finds it somewhat embarrassing that he spends so much time playing games.
COD: Warzone New Requirement
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile has updated its minimum system requirements.
Starting November 14, 2024, the game will require iOS 17 and Android 13 as the minimum operating systems. Players who want to access the latest updates will need to meet these requirements.
For those who don’t meet the new requirements, the developers have provided a 6-month transition period. During this time, players will be able to access a limited-time version of the game.
India`s Biggest Gaming Event
The IGDC 2024 is set to take place from November 13th to 15th in Hyderabad.
This is the largest event in the Indian gaming scene, attracting 5,000 attendees, 2,500 speakers, over 150 sessions, and much more.
The event will feature numerous indie game booths, offering attendees a chance to discover the latest games being developed in India. In addition, there will be after-parties, awards shows, and a host of other exciting activities.
Mumbai Gullies On IGDC?
With IGDC 2024 just around the corner, many were hoping to see Mumbai Gullies showcased again, as it had been featured at the last two or three IGDCs, giving attendees a chance to play and try it out. However, Nikhil Malankar recently clarified in a video that while he will be attending the event, Mumbai Gullies will not be showcased this year.
He explained that he is currently focused on completing the game and is incorporating feedback from previous showcases. As a result, the game will not be featured at this IGDC. However, he also confirmed that Mumbai Gullies will be available to the public before the next IGDC in November 2025. While it’s uncertain whether the full game will be launched by then, an initial version is expected to be released.
In response to the upcoming release of GTA 6, Nikhil made it clear that Mumbai Gullies shouldn’t be directly compared to it. He pointed out that GTA 6 will be released for consoles, while Mumbai Gullies will be a PC game. He emphasized that Mumbai Gullies is an indie title with the goal of growing into a AAA game in the future, much like Yakuza.
The first version of Mumbai Gullies will be free-to-play, with no in-game monetization—just pure gameplay. It will be interesting to see how the game develops when it finally arrives.
GTA 6 Questions Answered By Stauss Zenlick
During Take-Two’s recent earnings call, CEO Strauss Zelnick shared some updates regarding GTA 6.
First, he confirmed that there is no delay in development, and the game is still on track for its planned release in fall 2025. When asked whether a lower-spec console like the Xbox Series S would be able to run the game, Zelnick responded affirmatively, but in a diplomatic manner. He assured that the game would be optimized for all platforms on which it will be available, adding that PC is also an important platform for the game.
While there are still a significant number of players on older consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One, GTA 6 will not be released for those platforms, which we already knew. In my opinion, this response seems diplomatic, as it’s clear that if the game is coming to the Xbox Series X, it will also need to be available on the Series S, or Microsoft may not be happy.
Something that has me slightly worried is the recent news that Donald Trump has won the election and will become president again next year. Without delving into politics, back in 2018, Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games, expressed relief that GTA 6 wouldn’t be released during Trump’s presidency, as Rockstar’s games are known for being edgy and often poking fun at real-life figures. Given that Trump will be president when GTA 6 is released, it could make the game’s launch even more interesting, though this doesn’t necessarily mean the game will be delayed or toned down.
Additionally, it has been reported that Borderlands 4 and Mafia: A New City could release sometime during fiscal year 2026, which runs from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026. However, Strauss has made it clear that Borderlands 4 is a major title and will not be released close to GTA 6. Many are now expecting Borderlands 4 to launch in the summer of 2025.
GTA5 & RDR2 Game Sales
Take-Two has announced that GTA 5 has sold 205 million copies to date, reaching a new sales milestone.
Looking at the GTA franchise as a whole, it has sold 435 million copies across all games. Recently, it was reported that the Call of Duty franchise has surpassed 500 million sales. Given this, I believe that when GTA 6 is released, the GTA franchise will likely cross 500 million sales as well, and may even surpass Call of Duty.
Additionally, another Rockstar game has reached a significant milestone: the Red Dead Redemption series, which has sold a total of 92 million units. Of that, RDR 2 alone has sold over 67 million copies.
With RDR 1 now available on PC, its sales are expected to rise as well. It will be interesting to see the results in the next quarter. Despite this, RDR 2 remains the second-best-selling title of the last six years.
Hogwarts Legacy Sequel Confirmed
Warner Bros. Games has confirmed that a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy is in development, and it may even be connected to the upcoming Harry Potter series.
During their earnings call, the company stated that, moving forward, they will focus exclusively on their core franchises, including Batman, Mortal Kombat, Hogwarts Legacy, and Game of Thrones. This shift in strategy comes after the underperformance of titles like Multiversus and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which resulted in a combined loss of $300 million.
CEO David Zaslav mentioned that, rather than launching 10-20 games, the company will concentrate its efforts on these successful franchises in the future.
Steam New Feature
A new game recording feature has been introduced on Steam.
With this feature, you can now record and share your gameplay directly from Steam. It includes several new options, such as Background Recording, On-Demand Recording, Replay Clip, and Share.
- Background Recording allows you to continuously record your gameplay in the background.
- On-Demand Recording lets you start and stop recording manually whenever you choose.
- The Replay feature enables you to watch previous moments from your gameplay.
- The Clips feature lets you select specific gameplay footage to share.
These features are available on the Steam Deck, allowing you to record your gameplay on the go.
Ubisoft`s Last Chance
In an interview with Eurogamer, Mark Alexis Cote, the head of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, discussed the game’s delay and shared his thoughts on Ubisoft’s recent struggles with game quality.
Cote expressed that AC Shadows represents Ubisoft’s last chance to revive the Assassin’s Creed franchise and restore it as a fan favorite. He believes the game can also help improve the company’s image with the public.
He also spoke about the story of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, emphasizing that the game will focus on bringing history back to the center of the narrative. According to Cote, previous games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage featured fewer modern-day elements, and since the death of Desmond, the modern-day storyline in the series has suffered.
The goal for Shadows is to reintroduce those modern-day elements and revive the storyline, giving the game a more balanced narrative.
While it’s hard to have high expectations just yet, it will be interesting to see how the game unfolds. Let’s wait and see what happens.
Black Ops 6 First Season Release Date
Black Ops 6 Season 1 will be released on November 14th, bringing with it six new multiplayer maps, including Hideout, Heirloom, Extraction, High Cinder, Racket, and a festive-themed variant of Nuketown.
In addition to the new maps, three new game modes will be introduced: Ransack, Prop Hunt, and Multiplayer Ranked Play.
The update will also add seven new weapons, such as the Krixi AR, SOG SMG, and Sirin 9mm. Along with the Battle Pass, players can expect new weapon blueprints, charms, emblems, and skins.
Prop Hunt, first introduced in Black Ops Cold War and beloved by fans, will also make its return on November 14th. This casual mode involves one team becoming props, like barrels, crates, and lamps, while the other team must find and eliminate them.
Death Stranding Director`s Cut IPO Owned By Hideo Kojima
Death Stranding Director’s Cut has officially launched for Xbox. Along with this announcement, Hideo Kojima revealed that he owns the Death Stranding intellectual property (IP).
Kojima also confirmed that Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is set to release for PS5 in 2025. However, the game may also be available for Xbox and PC on day one, provided there is no exclusivity deal in place with PlayStation. If no such deal exists, the game could potentially be announced at The Game Awards.
Additionally, Kojima shared that, with the release of the Director’s Cut, Death Stranding has now been played by 19 million players.
MPL Company`s New Gaming Platform
MPL’s parent company, M League, has launched a new platform called Blast Plus, which aims to bring global games to India.
Through this platform, M League plans to introduce both global and indie studio games to Indian players, with all upcoming titles being free-to-play. The company believes there is a significant opportunity for free-to-play games in India.
With Blast Plus, MPL intends to strengthen its presence in the international gaming market.
Interestingly, this move reflects a growing trend, as many RMG (real-money gaming) companies are gradually transitioning into the world of traditional video games.
Mass Effect TV Series In Works
Amazon has officially announced that a Mass Effect TV series is in development. The series will be based on the popular sci-fi video game franchise Mass Effect.
Daniel Casey, the writer of Fast & Furious 9, will write and executive produce the project. While plot details are being kept under wraps, this news is sure to excite Mass Effect fans.
Arkane Most Expensive Animated Series
You must be familiar with Arcane, the animated series based on League of Legends. The first act of season 2 has been released, consisting of 3 episodes.
It has also been reported that Arcane has become the most expensive animated series to date, with a total budget of $250 million for both seasons. This makes it the largest budget ever allocated for an animated series.
Originally, the show was planned to run for 5 seasons, but it will now conclude after 2 seasons.
Indian Game Detective Dotson Movie
An Indian game is also set to be showcased as a movie. I’m talking about Detective Dodson, developed by Masala Games.
The game follows the life of Detective Dodson as he solves various cases. The developers have created an animated movie based on the game, which will premiere at the Comic Con event in Hyderabad on November 15th.
A 20-minute preview of the movie will be shown at Comic Con, so if you’re attending the event, you’ll have the chance to watch it.
PS5 Worldwide Sales
Sony has announced that they have sold 65 million PS5 units worldwide.
Warhammmer 40,000: Darktide 3 Release For PS5
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide will be released on PS5 on December 3rd. Previously, the game was only available on PC and Xbox Series X.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl
The development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl has officially been completed, and the game is now ready for release. It is set to launch on November 20th.
The game was also showcased at Gamescom, where it received positive reviews. Additionally, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one.
OG Fortnite Is Back
Insiders have claimed that Fortnite OG will be making a permanent return in December. All seasons from Chapter 1, from Season 1 to 10, will be brought back, with each season running for one month.
Only OG loot will be available, and both Map Build and Zero Build modes will be included. This announcement is expected to be made at The Game Awards.
Moba Legends: 5v5 iOS Release Date
Mobile Legends 5v5, the Indian version of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, has been launched on the iOS App Store. You can securely log in to your MLBB account in this version.