Splash Damage’s Transformers: Reactivate has had quite a journey since its original announcement at The Game Awards 2022. The game was revealed with a cinematic trailer set to Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive,” generating excitement among fans.
It promised a 1-4 player online co-op action game featuring beloved characters like Ironhide, Hot Rod, Starscream, and Soundwave.
However, the development faced numerous challenges over the next two years. Despite initial plans for a closed beta in 2023, updates on the game’s progress were scarce. The studio’s focus shifted to other projects, including an open-world survival game called Project Astrid, developed in collaboration with streamers Shroud and Sacriel.
Today, Splash Damage announced the cancellation of Transformers: Reactivate.
The studio claims that the decision was not easy and unfortunately, will results in layoffs across the studio as some jobs will become redundant after the cancellation of the project.
Yet, The studio expressed gratitude to the team for their dedication and to Hasbro for their support. They also mentioned that they are now focusing on supporting affected employees and refocusing their efforts on other projects.
Here is the original trailer refereed at the beginning of this article:
Hi-Rez Studios has announced that SMITE 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the popular third-person MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game, will transition to a free-to-play model starting January 14, 2025. This move marks a significant milestone for the franchise, as it opens up the game to a broader audience.
The Backstory of SMITE
SMITE first launched in 2014, introducing players to a unique third-person perspective that set it apart from traditional top-down MOBAs. Players could choose from a variety of gods and goddesses from different mythologies, each with unique abilities. Over the years, Hi-Rez Studios has consistently updated the game, introducing new gods, maps, and game modes to keep the experience fresh and engaging.
The franchise has also made a name for itself in the competitive gaming scene, with the launch of the SMITE World Championship in 2015. This annual event showcases the best teams from around the world and has helped solidify SMITE’s place in the esports community.
What’s New in SMITE 2?
With the transition to a free-to-play model, SMITE 2 will introduce several new features and improvements. Players can look forward to:
45 Gods: Including new additions like Aladdin, who brings a fresh playstyle inspired by the Disney movie.
New Game Modes: Joust and Duel modes, with an alpha version of Assault mode also being tested.
Enhanced Graphics and Mechanics: Improved visuals and smoother gameplay mechanics.
Community Engagement: Hi-Rez Studios continues to seek player feedback and foster a sense of community through events and updates.
As SMITE 2 enters its open beta phase, the future looks bright for this beloved franchise. The transition to free-to-play is expected to attract both veteran players and newcomers, ensuring that the game remains a staple in the world of MOBAs.
Electronic Arts (EA) recently announced plans to sunset several games by 2025, which has sparked a debate about the challenges of video game preservation. This move is part of a broader strategy to focus on fewer, more profitable titles and franchises.
However, it raises concerns about the loss of cultural and historical artifacts within the gaming community.
The sunsetting of games like Madden NFL 23 and F1 22 from platforms like Xbox Game Pass and EA Play highlights the impact on accessibility for players. Additionally, the shutdown of several mobile games, including The Simpsons: Tapped Out and Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, further emphasizes the growing trend of game discontinuation.
Here is the complete list:
Console and PC Games:
Madden NFL 23
F1 22
Battlefield 2042
Apex Legends
Dragon Age 3
Skate
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Mobile Games:
The Simpsons: Tapped Out (January 24, 2025)
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour (January 16, 2025)
Blood & Glory: Immortals (January 29, 2025)
Contract Killer: Sniper (January 29, 2025)
Deer Hunter Classic (January 29, 2025)
Dino Hunter: Deadly Shores (January 29, 2025)
Eternity Warriors 4 (January 29, 2025)
Frontline Commando 2 (January 29, 2025)
Frontline Commando: D-Day (January 29, 2025)
This situation underscores the importance of efforts to preserve digital games, as they are an integral part of our cultural heritage. Organizations and communities dedicated to game preservation face an uphill battle in ensuring that these digital experiences remain accessible for future generations.
The rumors are now over at Nvidia side and we are in the new generation of GeForce RTX with GeForce RTX 50 family and debuting are the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, GeForce RTX 5080, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the GeForce RTX 5070 which were presented at Nvidia’s turn at the main stage of CES 2025.
Lets start with the GeForce RTX 5090 and this of course and for yet another generation without Blackwell architecture being a difference, the flagship.
The GeForce RTX 5090 includes 32GB of GDDR7, a memory bandwidth of 1,792GB/sec, and a massive 21,760 CUDA cores and the bad news is that the GPU card will consume up to 575 watts and Nvidia recommends using PSU with 1000 watts as minimum.
That’s 125 watts more than the RTX 4090, but Nvidia justifies it as precisely, the 5090 doubles its predecessor’s performance.
The GeForce RTX 5090 will have a Founder Edition or the reference that Nvidia sells directly to customer.
Next, the GeForce RTX 5080 which will be aimed directly to consumer 4K gaming resolution, include 16GB of GDDR7 memory, a memory bandwidth of 960GB/sec, and 10,752 CUDA cores. The RTX 5080 will have a total graphics power of 360 watts and Nvidia is recommending a 850-watt power supply.
As the situation for the 5090, Nvidia claims that it doubles the performance of GeForce RTX 4080 of 2022.
In my opinion, the surprise of the keynote was the announcement of both the GeForce RTX 5070 and the RTX 5070 Ti, normally a model serving as a refresher of the base model.
Nevertheless, the RTX 5070 has 12GB of GDDR7, a memory bandwidth of 672 GB/sec, and 6,144 CUDA cores and meanwhile, the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti includes 16GB of GDDR7 memory, a memory bandwidth of 896GB/s, and 8,960 CUDA cores.
Being already a repetitive claim, Nvidia says that both RTX 5070 and the Ti will be 2x faster than their respective predecessors and yes, lest talk about power consumption with the RTX 5070 Ti will have a total graphics power of 300 watts and require a 750-watt PSU, while the RTX 5070 has a total graphics power of 250 watts and only needs a 650-watt PSU.
All mentioned GPU cards will have a Founders Edition and expect Nvidia’s partner to have their own designs.
MSRP prices for the Founder editions goes as follow:
RTX GeForce 5090 – $1999
RTX GeForce 5080 – $999
RTX GeForce 5070 Ti – $759
RTX GeForce 5070 – $549
Nvidia confirmed a January 30th release for each individual Founders Edition, meanwhile partner’s variants availability were not immediately shared.
About the novelties of Blackwell architecture
The Blackwell architecture enabled Nvidia to have the hardware foundation for the next generation of it solution for AI based graphical upscaler, the DLSS 4, improving massively on ray tracing processing and Multi Frame Generation, which generates up to three additional frames per traditional frame and can multiply frame rates.
DLSS 4 also includes a real-time application of transformers to improve image quality, reduce ghosting, and add higher detail in motion a big differential with today’s AMD announcement on FSR 4, Nvidia opted to have DLSS 4 available for 2022’s Lovelace architecture.
Also, Nvidia demoed what they call RTX Neural Shaders, RTX Neural Faces, text to animation and starting with the first one, the job of the RTX Neural Shaders is to compress textures in games, while RTX Neural Faces aim to improve face quality using generative AI.
RTX 50 for gaming Laptops
Nvidia also confirmed that the mobile version of the RTX GeForce 50 family are coming this year for gaming laptop and includes the the RTX 5090 laptop GPU debuting with 24GB of GDDR7 memory. The RTX 5080 laptop GPU will ship with 16GB of GDDR7 memory, the RTX 5070 Ti with 12GB of GDDR7 memory, and the RTX 5070 with just 8GB of GDDR7 memory.
We should be hearing announcement soon and releases as early as March 2025.
One of the main thing that gamers were expecting of the AMD turn at the stage of CES 2025 was the future of Radeon and yes, RDNA 4 is official, yes, there is a new family with two members of Radeon in the name of Radeon 9070, YES FSR 4 also official but….NO…. AMD will hold specs and details.
More precisely, what it is included and the improvements that the RDNA 4 architecture is bringing for both Radeon 9790 and Radeon 9070 XT which probably are targeting 1440P resolution, will not be disclosed at this time, despite the GPUs are slated for a Q1 2025 release.
A reminder: AMD said that it was no longer interested in high-end GPU part of the market which means that proer 4K solutions aren’t on schedule this time.
So consider yourself a honorary gamer if you happens to be at Las Vegas this week, as AMD will have some PC with prototypes.
It was only confirmed that Asus, Acer, Sapphire, XFX, AsRock, Gigabyte, PowerColor and two Asian brands will have their respective GPU on sale soon and pretty much giving the tip that AMD will probably forego a Foundation or Reference GPU for public.
What it was said about RDNA 4 is that improves ray-tracing engine and performance, an upgraded media encoding quality.
Physically, all Radeon 9070/9070 XT GPU cards will be manufactured with 4nm process, which tells you the good balance of processing and energy consumption and the hardware will include its second-generation AI accelerators, third-generation ray-tracing accelerators, and second-generation radiance display engine.
Before you ask, no it is not for “bad luck or anything that you might have heard before, but AMD said that jumping from 7000 straight to 9000 for Radeon series labeling was needed because future mobile Radeon announcements will have the 8000 labelling, including RDNA 3.5.
Here comes a new challenger for AI-based upscaling -FidelityFX Super Resolution 4
AMD confirmed the new geneeration of FidelityFX Super Resolution at its fourth version or simply FSR 4, which a machine learning-powered update to AMD’s upscaling and frame-generation technology that’s been developed specifically for RDNA 4 and its dedicated AI accelerator hardware.
Of course, this could be a proper consideration for new PC builds or if you are in plans of upgrading as FSR 4 will be available only with a Radeon RX 9070 family GPU graphics as most of its functionality, depends on components on the hardware side.
Microsoft confirmed that a future update of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 will have direct support to FSR 4 and also, Matt Booty of Xbox, shared that Microsoft remains committed on being a partner with AMD for their needs for Xbox (I will take it as a hint for the future of Xbox hardware).
Finally, AMD announced improvements to its Adrenalin, the Radeon software administrator and these improvements includes include the ability to generate images with AI models, summarize local documents, and ask an AMD chatbot questions about graphics settings and more.
In a significant legal decision, the Sixth Circuit Court has struck down the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) net neutrality rules. This ruling, influenced by the recent end of Chevron deference, means that broadband providers are no longer required to treat all internet traffic equally.
While this decision has broad implications, it’s particularly impactful for the gaming community.
The Impact on Online Gaming
Net neutrality was designed to ensure that internet service providers (ISPs) couldn’t prioritize certain types of traffic over others. Without these protections, ISPs could potentially throttle or block gaming traffic, leading to slower load times and laggy gameplay. This could be especially detrimental for online multiplayer games, where a stable and fast connection is crucial.
Without net neutrality, ISPs might also introduce tiered pricing models, where gamers would have to pay extra for a “gaming package” that ensures better performance. This could increase the overall cost of gaming, making it less accessible to some players.
The gaming community has been a strong advocate for net neutrality, recognizing its importance in maintaining a fair and open internet. Organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Internet Association have been vocal in their support for net neutrality, emphasizing its role in fostering innovation and competition in the gaming industry.
While the recent ruling is a setback, the fight for net neutrality is far from over. Advocates are calling on Congress to pass legislation that enshrines net neutrality principles into law, ensuring that the internet remains a level playing field for all users, including gamers.
The new year 2025 will be big for the future of once Xbox Game Studios and now, a Krafton (PUBG current developer) as Tango Gameworks, the creative minds behind the acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush, is officially back and seems to aim to be better than ever!
After a rollercoaster of events in 2024, the studio has been revived under new ownership by Krafton and is now known as Tango Gameworks Inc.
In August 2024, Krafton acquired Tango Gameworks following its closure by Microsoft in May. This acquisition has breathed new life into the studio, giving them a fresh start and a renewed sense of purpose. The rebranding to Tango Gameworks Inc. marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
John Johanas, the creative director, couldn’t contain his excitement about the studio’s rebirth. He called this moment “truly a new start” and emphasized the team’s dedication to creating games that bring joy and excitement to players worldwide.
Looking Ahead
Krafton is committed to maintaining the legacy of Tango Gameworks and has big plans for the future. They have expressed a strong interest in continuing development on the Hi-Fi Rush IP, with a sequel already in the works. This commitment to preserving and expanding the studio’s creative vision is a promising sign for fans.
One of the most heartwarming aspects of this revival is the rehiring of many staff members who were laid off by Microsoft. Tango Gameworks Inc. is not only rebuilding its team but also looking to expand, bringing in fresh talent to contribute to their future projects.
I guess that timing is something to be decided internally despite the convenience of it and final Game Science, the developer behind the popular action RPG Black Myth: Wukong, has recently clarified the reasons behind the game’s delayed release on Xbox platforms.
The game, which has been a massive success on PC and PlayStation 5, has not yet launched on Xbox and it was finally confirmed by its developer that is due to technical challenges with the Xbox Series S, which in retrospective is not a good narrative for Microsoft and its quest of Xbox Series S to be taken as important as Series X.
The main issue stems from the Xbox Series S’s limited memory. The console has 10GB of shared memory, which is lower than the Xbox Series X’s 16GB. This has caused significant optimization challenges for Game Science, leading to memory leaks and performance issues
Initially and at the same situation when Baldur Gate 3’s Xbox version, Microsoft suggested that the delay was due to internal quality concerns and denied any inherent limitations of the Xbox platform.
However, Game Science’s director, Feng Ji, recently contradicted this by explicitly blaming the Series S’s memory limitations
Despite the delays, Game Science is committed to ensuring that the game meets their quality standards before releasing it on Xbox. They are working on optimizing the game to provide a smooth and enjoyable experience on all Xbox models.
There was speculation that the delay might be due to an exclusivity deal with PlayStation, but Feng Ji’s recent statement has put those rumors to rest. The primary issue remains the technical limitations of the Series S.
Indeed, Xbox fans have expressed disappointment over the delay, as they have been eagerly awaiting the game’s release on their platform. The situation highlights the ongoing challenges developers face when creating graphically intensive games for different console hardware.
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After an 18-year hiatus, Capcom’s beloved samurai series, Onimusha, is making a grand comeback with Onimusha: Way of the Sword. This thrilling announcement was made during The Game Awards 2024, sending waves of excitement through the gaming community.
The reveal of Onimusha: Way of the Sword at The Game Awards 2024 marks the franchise’s first new game since 2006. The teaser trailer showcased a lone samurai wielding the iconic Oni Gauntlet, engaging in intense sword fights with supernatural creatures.
The trailer hinted at a dark and twisted rendition of Edo-era Kyoto, shrouded in malevolent clouds of Malice.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword features full 3D combat, drawing inspiration from modern action games while retaining the series’ signature elements. Players can expect to absorb souls from defeated enemies, face off against challenging bosses, and experience fluid and dynamic combat.
The visuals have received a dramatic upgrade, bringing the game into the modern gaming era.
The new Onimusha game is being developed by Capcom, with a talented team dedicated to bringing the series back to life. The game is set to release in 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
This collaboration promises to deliver a game that honors the legacy of the original Onimusha games while introducing new elements to captivate both old and new players.
A Legacy of Art and Adventure
Originally released in 2001, Onimusha: Warlords captivated players with its blend of action, adventure, and Japanese folklore. The game’s innovative gameplay and stunning visuals earned it critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase. Now, with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Capcom aims to build upon this legacy, offering a fresh yet familiar experience for fans of the series.
While specific details about Onimusha: Way of the Sword are still under wraps, fans can look forward to more information being revealed in.
