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.
Xbox has just announced its latest wave of games coming to Game Pass for January 2025, and it’s an exciting mix of new titles and returning favorites. Here’s the full list of what’s coming and going:
New Additions:
Diablo (PC) – January 14
The classic action-RPG that defined the genre returns to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
EA Sports UFC 5 (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S) – January 14
Available through EA Play, this game brings the thrill of mixed martial arts to Game Pass Ultimate.
Road 96 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – January 7
A beautiful road-trip adventure where your choices shape the story.
Lightyear Frontier (Game Preview) (Xbox Series X|S) – January 8
Start your interstellar homestead in this peaceful open-world farming adventure.
My Time at Sandrock (Console) – January 8
A wholesome post-apocalyptic world where you gather resources and defend the town.
Robin Hood – Sherwood Builders (Xbox Series X|S) – January 8
Join Robin Hood and his band of outlaws in 12th-century England.
Rolling Hills (Console) – January 8
Serve sushi as a robot chef in this cozy village life sim.
Unfortunately, nothing last forever or at least if we can say a temporary “good-bye” there will be a selection of games that will leave the service while of course, there is hope of them returning later this year or a little more.
Games Leaving:
Common’hood
Escape Academy
Exoprimal
Figment: Journey in the Mind
Insurgency: Sandstorm
Those Who Remain
These changes will take effect on January 15, 2025. If you want to keep playing any of the departing titles, consider purchasing them at a discount while they’re still available on Game Pass.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate continues to offer an outstanding value proposition with over 100 game titles available for a single subscription. Whether you’re a fan of action-RPGs, fighting games, or life sims, there’s something for everyone in this latest lineup.
In more CES 2025 gaming related news, Microsoft and LG have announced that they have entered into a partnership to bring Xbox Game Pass with the Game Pass Cloud Gaming capacities to LG Smart TVs later this year. This collaboration marks a significant step in making gaming more accessible to a broader audience.
Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to play games directly from the Xbox app on supported LG Smart TVs. This means no additional hardware is required—just the TV and a compatible controller and with this, players will have access to a diverse selection of games from the Game Pass Ultimate catalog. Popular titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and upcoming releases such as Avowed will be available for streaming.
We’re focused on bringing more games to more people around the world, on the devices you choose to play with. Millions of Game Pass Ultimate members are already using Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) to play great games from the Game Pass catalog on various devices.
Today, we’re excited to announce our collaboration with LG Electronics to bring the Xbox app to their new LG Smart TVs later this year. This means Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to play their games directly from the Xbox app on supported LG Smart TVs via Xbox Cloud Gaming. This gives players even more choice in how they enjoy their favorite games.
Soon, players with LG Smart TVs will be able to explore the Gaming Portal for direct access to hundreds of games in the Game Pass Ultimate catalog, including popular titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and upcoming releases like Avowed (launching February 18, 2025).
In addition to Game Pass titles and previously announced, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members will also be able to stream select games they already own, including hits like NBA 2K25 and Hogwarts Legacy.
With this, Microsoft and Xbox will be diving in more details in the upcoming months.
As for the LG Smart TVs ready with Xbox Game Pass availability, LG said that the 2025 models will be release later this year. However, specific release dates and the exact models of LG Smart TVs that will support this feature have not yet been announced.
Shift Up, the developer behind the popular PS5 action game Stellar Blade, has gifted all of its employees a PlayStation 5 Pro and a $3,400 bonus. The studio, which has around 300 employees, held an event in Seoul to present these gifts.
This generous gesture is a way to thank and encourage their talented team, especially after the commercial success of Stellar Blade.
The studio’s representative mentioned that the bonuses were intended to motivate the existing talent at the company.
Stellar Blade has sold over 1 million units worldwide, and the studio is considering releasing a PC version of the game in 2025, along with the exploration on the possibility of developing a sequel, which of course, it doesn’t sound a bad idea if they can recreate the elements that led Stellar Blade being a success in 2024.
Shift Up is a South Korean video game developer and publisher, founded on December 2, 2013, by Kim Hyung Tae after his tenure at NCSoft was over. The company is known for creating popular games like Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Stellar Blade.
PlatinumGames has announced that they will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Bayonetta series with a year-long event starting from January 2025. The original game was released in Japan on October 29, 2009, and worldwide in January 2010.
In their announcement, PlatinumGames expressed their gratitude to fans for their support over the past 15 years. They mentioned that they have been able to bring joy to many people through the series and are excited to continue creating games that surprise and delight their fans.
It’s Bayonetta's 15th Anniversary Year!💋💄
Bayonetta released internationally in January 2010 so we’re making 2025 into a year of celebration🎉 We have a few things in store to celebrate this milestone so keep your eyes peeled👀https://t.co/MNkIPRKgxB#BAYONETTA15th
As part of the celebration, PlatinumGames has planned several surprises and will be sharing updates on their social media channels and official website. They have also released limited-edition items like a Bayonetta music box and monthly wallpapers for fans.
It’s an exciting time for Bayonetta fans, and many are speculating about possible new game announcements or ports of previous titles.
One of the early gaming related announcements of CES 2025 comes in the form of an impressive Pinball machine and it is a $7000 Dungeons & Dragons pinball machine. This pinball machine, called “Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye,” is a tribute to the tabletop RPG’s 50th anniversary.
It features an all-star voice cast, including Michael Dorn from Star Trek: TNG, and takes players on an adventure through the Forgotten Realms.
Players take on the role of members of the Dragonshield Guild, aiming to defeat the dragon queen Tiamat, who is plotting to rise again and trigger the War of Dragons. The game features various iconic enemies such as Rath the Relentless (a red dragon), Xanathar the Beholder, Sammaster the Lich, and more.
Voice Cast
The game features a star-studded voice cast including Michael Dorn, Kevin Smith, Luke Gygax, Chris Prynoski, Brendon Small, Gerard Way, Matthew Mercer, Laura Bailey, Marisha Ray, Anthony Carboni, and Mica Burton.
Now the tech side of this Pinball machine include four important aspects starting with Rath the Relentless: An advanced animatronic mech that reacts to player actions and intelligently will follow your Pinball to avoid being hit using advanced sensors with multi-axis motion and features omnidirectional impact sensing technology.
Another aspect and related to Rath, is the Omnidirectional Impact Sensing and this technology allows the animatronic dragon to intelligently respond to impacts from any direction, adding a new level of realism and interactivity to the game.
Then we got a Interactive Playfield, which includes Hidden Passageways that players can navigate, adding an element of exploration to the game, Electromagnet-powered Gelatinous Cube and this feature freezes the pinball, creating a unique challenge for players and Dynamic Dungeon Levels, which are sccessed through a disappearing playfield trap door, these levels change the gameplay environment and add variety to the experience.
And finally, digital integrations with the Insider Connected Platform and this platform enables ongoing code updates and interaction with a global network of players. Players can share their progress, unlock new features, and stay connected with the pinball community, High-Resolution LCD Screens and LED Lighting.
Of course, this elements combine traditional pinball components with video game-style interactive screens, enhancing the visual experience.
Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye pinball machine is set to be released in late 2025. It’s being produced by Stern Pinball Inc. under an official license from Wizards of the Coast1.
The game is available in three editions, each with different features and pricing:
Pro Edition: Priced at $6,999 USD
Premium Edition: Priced at $9,699 USD
Limited Edition (LE): Priced at $12,999 USD. This edition is limited to just 740 models in honor of D&D’s original release in 1974.
Each edition offers unique artwork, audio, and additional features, with the Limited Edition including upgraded audio and anti-reflection glass.
If I can name an early gaming surprise from 2025, I would say Markus “Notch” Persson, the original creator of Minecraft, because has recently announced his plans to develop a spiritual successor to the beloved game, which he’s dubbed “Minecraft 2.”
This announcement comes after a poll on social media where fans overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new Minecraft-style game over his other project, a traditional roguelike dungeon crawler.
Honest and legitimate request for feedback for once:
The new game I'm passionately working on is currently set to be a traditional roguelike (i.e. ADOM, nethack, etc) mixed with a tile based first person dungeon crawler (ie Legend of Grimrock (esp 2), Eye of the Beholder)
Notch shared his thoughts on social media, explaining that he’s considering creating a new game similar to Minecraft but under a different name to avoid legal issues.
He emphasized that he wants to avoid infringing on Mojang’s work and Microsoft’s success with Minecraft. The new game will be a spiritual successor, meaning it will capture the essence and gameplay style of Minecraft without directly using the same name or assets.
Notch sold his studio, Mojang, to Microsoft in 2014 for $2.5 billion, which made him a billionaire. Since then, he hasn’t been directly involved in Minecraft’s development. Over the past decade, he has raised eyebrows with several public comments on social media that were seen as homophobic, racist, and in some instances, supportive of conspiracies.
These events led to him becoming distanced from the gaming community and not being invited by either Microsoft or Mojang to the 10th-anniversary celebrations of Minecraft. However, his recent return to game development has sparked excitement among fans who consider the past controversies just that—a thing of the past.
In a recent post on X, Johan Pilestedt, the creative director of Helldivers 2, revealed that he’s already planning Arrowhead Game Studios’ next game. With just minutes to go before 2025, Pilestedt shared his excitement and curiosity about what fans would like to see in the studio’s next project.
With 10 minutes to 2025. What are your expectations and desires for what the next Arrowhead game will be?
I am working on the high concept, but I would love to hear your speculation. 🥳
Since its release in February 2024, Helldivers 2 has been a massive hit, becoming PlayStation’s fastest-selling game launch ever.
The game sold over 12 million copies across PC and PS5 in its first 12 weeks, surpassing even God of War Ragnarök. The success of Helldivers 2 has allowed Arrowhead to continue updating the game and even hinting at a potential “Helldivers 3” in the future.
Fan Input
Pilestedt is actively seeking fan feedback and speculation on what the next Arrowhead game should be. He mentioned that he is working on the high concept for the new game but is eager to hear what fans envision. Some fans have suggested ideas like a remake of Smash TV or an on-rails aircraft game similar to Star Fox.
While Helldivers 2 continues to receive updates and new content, Arrowhead is already looking ahead to their next big project. Pilestedt has shared that the studio has conceptualized several ideas, including some that never made it to the final stages. This openness about the studio’s creative process has excited fans and given them a glimpse into the potential future of Arrowhead’s games.
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.
