NLG - Next Level Gaming

Iron Galaxy’s Rumbleverse, its pro-wrestling-flavored battle royale, is shutting down next month, only seven months after its full launch last August.  Though Iron Galaxy doesn’t plainly state the reason for Rumbleverse’s demise, a blog post somewhat hints that a lack of substantial players may have played a role, stating in part: “When you work on a video game, you imagine the community that will show up to play it someday. For years, we dreamed about a lively city filled with people fighting to become a champion. We strived to create a vibrant place that celebrated the competitive spirit. Our goal was to bring joy back to online multiplayer gaming. The people who gave Rumbleverse a chance and took it on as a new hobby have validated every day that we put into bringing our ideas to life.” Rumbleverse’s online servers shut down on February 28 at 10 a.m. CST. Players who spent any money on or within the game will receive refunds. That includes the Rumbleverse Battle Pass or Brawlla

During the 2022 Game Awards, the team behind Dead Cells put out an animated teaser trailer announcing that the game’s next DLC expansion would be Castlevania-themed. It came as a total surprise; Castlevania hasn’t had a new release in years, and most of Dead Cells’ other collaborations never amounted to much more than referential skins and a few weapons. To take such a big leap – and to do it with the series that inspired the game in the first place – is a huge step for the indie roguelike. While Dead Cells was developed by Motion twin, the Castlevania DLC is being developed by Evil Empire, an indie studio made of ex-Motion Twin employees that have handled most of the game’s post-launch content. Game Informer got the chance to speak with Evil Empire’s co-founder Benjamin Laulan and brand manager Bérenger Dupré to talk about the DLC, what we can expect from it, and what it was like working with such a beloved franchise. Game Informer: Just as a brief overview, what can we expect from

Sony has slashed its shipment forecasts for the upcoming PlayStation VR2 headset it is launching next month, according to a new report from Bloomberg .  The publication reports that Sony has halved its forecast from 2 million units shipped this quarter to 1 million as a result of disappointing pre-order numbers ahead of the February 22 launch date.  Bloomberg  reports that Sony has told a supply partner to prepare for a reduction in display panel orders, and PlayStation is expecting to ship roughly 1.5 million units between this April and March 2024. That expectation could change if steam picks up around PSVR2, though.  As for the disappointing pre-order numbers, it's not surprising – would-be PSVR2 adopters have been vocal about the price point of the headset. The standard retail package of PSVR2 will cost players $549.99 , which is more expensive than the PlayStation 5 console required to play PSVR2. If you don't own a PS5 yet but want to jump into the PSVR2 ecosystem, you

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced in March that E3 would be returning as an in-person show in Los Angeles following the cancellation of the 2022 edition . Then, in September, the ESA revealed that E3 2023 will take place from Tuesday, June 13, through Friday, June 16 .  Now, IGN reports it has learned that PlayStation, Xbox, and Sony will be skipping E3 2023, a major blow to what was supposed to be E3's big comeback. The publication also reports that these companies won't have a presence on the Los Angeles Convention Center showfloor, either, which is where game companies typically have large (and flashy) booths where people can preview games and learn more about what's in store.  Despite this, Xbox is still set to have its own summer showcase in Los Angeles, like it has in previous years. And Xbox usually times this to coincide with games press and fans being in Los Angeles for E3. IGN reports that Xbox's overall plans for its summer gaming sh

The official Fortnite Twitter account revealed yesterday that another Dragon Ball Super collaboration was coming to the battle royale and now, it's live. It brings two new quests (with rewards) and a skin for both Piccolo and Gohan. You can purchase both in the Item Shop and each come with accessories. The Dragon Ball Super outfits and accessories from the first collaboration will arrive in the Item Shop again at a later unspecified date.  The Son Gohan outfit comes with Gohan's Cape Back Bling (can only be used with this outfit), but you can also purchase Gohan's Beast Axe Pickaxe  and the Capsule No. 576 Glider seperately. The Piccolo outfit comes with Piccolo's Cape and Turban Back Bling (can only be used with this outfit) and  Piccolo's Demon Symbol Back Bling , but you can also purchase Piccolo's Handheld House Pickaxe and the Red Ribbon Army Aircraft Glider . The Piccolo outfit features the built-in Charging Up Emote to change into the Power Awa

Platform: PlayStation 4, Switch Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Square Enix Release: February 16, 2023 Rating: Teen Theatrhythm Final Fantasy quickly became one of my favorite Nintendo 3DS games when it hit the system in 2012, as did the Curtain Call sequel two years later. These weren’t perfect rhythm games, but they were unique and utilized one of the best compilations of video game scores in music history. The Final Fantasy series is special to me for many reasons, and perhaps chief among those is its music. That I ended up adoring the Theatrhythm series on 3DS was no surprise. I was surprised, though, to see publisher Square Enix and developer indieszero announce Theatrhythm Final Bar Line last September , with a release date just a few months later, no less.  I didn’t expect this series to make a return, but I had always hoped it would, given its predecessor only covered the franchise through 2014. There are hundreds of new, beloved tracks in the series between Final

In today's New Gameplay Today, your hosts Wesley LeBlanc and Alex Van Aken discuss SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, the upcoming spiritual successor to SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom, out tomorrow. The two discuss Wesley's thoughts on the game ( you can read his full review here ), what they like about it, what they don't, and how it's different from SpongeBob's past adventures.  You can listen to the two discuss all that and more in the SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake New Gameplay Today below:  For more previews and discussions of some of the biggest games of 2023 and beyond, be sure to head over to our  YouTube page  for NGTs about Tchia ,  Persona 3 Portable ,  Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider ,  Fire Emblem Engage ,  Clive 'N' Wrench ,  Inkulinati ,  Outer Terror , and more.

Netflix's live action One Piece series will set sail this year.  The subscription streaming service revealed this news today with a new image and a poster for the upcoming pirate series based on the long-running (and extremely popular) manga and anime series, One Piece. The release year image features Monkey D. Luffy, played by Iñaki Godoy, raising his fist up in the air. You can see Netflix's One Piece logo in the image below as well:  Adventure is on the horizon! One Piece sets sail in 2023 https://t.co/5YhPXFt8GS pic.twitter.com/GQH2MSAvCF — Netflix (@netflix) January 30, 2023 Alongside the image above, Netflix has also released a new poster for the series, which features, from left to right, Taz Skylar's Sanji, Emily Rudd's Nami, Godoy's Luffy, Jacob Gibson's Usopp, and Mackenyu's Roronoa Zoro, standing on a beach in front of the crew's ship, the Going Merry. Check it out below:  While these two images (and the casting) look great, we still

Sony has released a new PlayStation add called "Live From PS5" that showcases a few of the console's biggest titles, both past and upcoming, in a fictional news segment, and among the clips are two shots that we don't recognize. And they remind us a lot of Uncharted.  This fictional news segment highlights the efforts of Spider-Man , Kratos , Ratchet and Clank , the Eikons of the upcoming game,  Final Fantasy XVI , and more from other games like Gran Turismo 7 and Returnal . However, amidst the clips, there are two shots that show what appears to be a young woman in a mysterious cave holding a torch as she approaches an ancient relic, as first reported by Video Games Chronicle .  See if you can spot the clips yourself in the Live From PS5 ad below:  Did you catch them? In the first clip, this unknown character approaches an ancient relic sitting on a pedestal while holding a torch. She's carrying a large backpack with a rope dangling down from it. We see th

Nintendo and Illumination have released a new teaser that reveals Mario's famous cat suit as well as more of Seth Rogen's Donkey Kong.  Released during one of yesterday's big NFL games, this teaser is short and sweet, but it features 10 or so seconds of new footage from The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which hits theaters on April 7. In it, we see Donkey Kong begin to pummel Mario, which is a clip we've seen before, before Mario hits a yellow "?" block. This gives him the cat suit powerup and while it's useful in the game, that doesn't appear to be the case here as Rogen's Donkey Kong begins to make fun of the suit and Mario's reliance on it.  Check it out for yourself in The Super Mario Bros. Movie clip below :  As you can see, this is the most Donkey Kong dialogue we have heard in a teaser for The Super Mario Bros. Movie yet, and it reveals that Rogen's character is basically just him, complete with his signature laugh, too. This clip is

Last fall, it was announced that the 1997 classic N64 first-person shooter, GoldenEye 007, would arrive on both Xbox and Switch in 2023 . Today is that long-awaited day, as one of the most beloved and influential games from its era is available now on both platforms . While these versions are both largely faithful recreations of the seminal console FPS, key differences exist in ways that don't immediately surface one as the clearly superior version. I played a decent chunk of both versions to see which one I prefer to play in 2023. When GoldenEye 007 launched in the late 1990s, I played it obsessively both solo and with friends for months upon months. During that time, I accomplished all the missions on 00 Agent difficulty, unlocked all the cheats, and played through hundreds (if not thousands) of multiplayer matches with friends. As with all my favorite games, I eventually fell off and moved on to newer releases, but my fondness and nostalgia for GoldenEye 007 have always remain

HBO's The Last of Us is getting a second season. Nearly three weeks after the premiere of the first episode, HBO has revealed that The Last of Us will return for a Season 2. Season 1, so far, has been largely viewed as a success by critics and viewers alike. News of a second season isn't surprising because The Last of Us' premiere was the second largest debut for an HBO original series since 2010 , and its second episode had the largest audience increase from a first episode to a second episode for an HBO Original drama series in the history of the network.  Check out the Season 2 announcement for HBO's The Last of Us below:  The journey continues. #TheLastOfUs will return for another season on @HBOMax . pic.twitter.com/FQNG6vhk1d — The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) January 27, 2023 Episode 3 of HBO's The Last of Us airs this Sunday and is set to feature Bill, played by Nick Offerman.  While waiting for this week's episode, read our interview with

Like a Dragon: Ishin , the upcoming remake of the 2014 Yakuza spin-off set in 1860s Japan, is getting a dose of the Elite thanks to the inclusion of All Elite Wrestling’s Kenny Omega. Sega has announced that “The Cleaner” will assist players as one of the game’s many Trooper cards. The centerpiece mechanic of Ishin, these cards grant special attacks and bonuses thanks to the help of several fan-favorite characters, including the likes of Ichiban Kasuga. Omega’s card, aptly named Essence of the One-Winged Angel after his Final Fantasy-inspired finishing move, can slice foes with a powerful, wide-reaching attack using his angel wing.  To learn more about the announcement, I sat down with Omega to chat about his Trooper card’s origins, his long-standing love of the series formerly known as Yakuza, and whether or not he knows how to wield a katana. GI: I know you're a big Like A Dragon fan, and I also know you spent a ton of time wrestling in Japan. Did you ever play the original v

Last summer, Turn 10 Studios and Xbox announced a new entry in the esteemed Forza Motorsport series, built from the ground up for Xbox Series X/S. The studio made lofty promises regarding the kind of experience it would be able to deliver with the new hardware, and during today's Xbox Developer Direct, we received more information on the next entry of the sim-racing franchise, simply called Forza Motorsport. Turn 10 Studios calls this entry "a generational leap ahead for the Forza Motorsport series." For the first time in series history, Forza Motorsport has fully dynamic time of day and weather, which impact how cars handle; track temperatures and surface conditions combine with the texture of the driving surface to ensure that each lap is distinct.  These races take place over 20 environments with multiple track layouts available at launch. Fans can expect their favorites from past Forza Motorsport titles, as well as five all-new locations. One of those locations i

During today's Xbox Developer Direct , we learned a ton of new information about Minecraft Legends, Mojang's latest Minecraft spin-off. In addition to new details on PvP, we learned the game is coming to Xbox and PC on April 18, just a few months from now. Like most first-party Xbox titles, it will be available on Game Pass day one. We also got a new gameplay trailer, which you can watch below. If you're unfamiliar, Minecraft Legends is an action strategy game where players explore a procedurally generated world to find resources, build bases, and save the overworld. In the campaign, which can be played solo or co-op, players work together to stop Piglins from invading their world from the Nether. While traditional Minecraft gameplay has the player placing each individual block, this game allows you to build on a larger scale, placing walls, traps, and turrets.  In the PvP mode, two teams of up to four players will face off in a battle to destroy the other team's ba

Nintendo revealed back in September that the classic N64 game, GoldenEye 007, was coming to Switch, complete with online play. Microsoft announced that same day that GoldenEye 007 was coming to Xbox as well , although this version of the famed game would not feature online multiplayer like its Switch counterpart.  Neither announcement included a release date, but today, developer Rare revealed that GoldenEye 007 launches this week , on Friday, January 27. The Switch version will be available as part of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack memberships, but you can purchase GoldenEye 007 individually on Xbox and it will be available on Xbox Game Pass as well. Interestingly, the Xbox version, despite not featuring online functionality, will include improved control options (like dual analog stick support), native 16:9 resolution up to 4K Ultra HD, a consistent refresh rate, and full achievement support.  If you own Rare Replay on Xbox, you will gain access to GoldenEye 007 for fr

Xbox gaming revenue is mostly down across all fronts, but its Game Pass subscriber base still saw growth.  Microsoft released its second quarter financial results for the 2023 fiscal year yesterday and it revealed that Xbox gaming revenue declined 13% overall. Xbox content and services, such as first-party software and monetization in third-party games, declined 12%, but Microsoft notes that this decline is up against a "strong prior year comparable." Given that Xbox's 2022 was lackluster compared to the prior year, this isn't surprising. However, the financial results state that this 12% decline is "partially offset by growth in Xbox Game Pass subscriptions." Xbox hardware revenue has also declined 13%. During an earnings call, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that Xbox's monthly active users surpassed 120 million during this quarter in question, as reported by  IGN . Nadella added that Microsoft is expecting another year-over-year decline next

Justin Roiland has resigned from Squanch Games following domestic abuse charges.  The High On Life Twitter account released a statement yesterday, revealing that the studio received Roiland's resignation on January 16. Squanch says it will "keep developing games we know our fans will love while continuing to support and improve High On Life." pic.twitter.com/xj1QgPskas — High On Life (@highonlifegame) January 25, 2023 This statement came just a couple of hours after the official  Rick and Morty  Twitter account posted a statement revealing that Adult Swim has ended its association with Roiland. However,  Rick and Morty  will continue and the current talent and crew is currently working on Season 7.  The titular charcters of the show will be recast as Roiland provided the voice for both of them.  pic.twitter.com/npS7WpywtD — Rick and Morty (@RickandMorty) January 24, 2023 All of this comes after news broke on January 12 that Roiland had been charged with domesti

Last week, The Last of Us' premiere scored HBO's second largest debut for an original series since 2010. And now, Episode 2 of The Last of Us , "Infected," has broken another HBO record. "Infected" brought in 5.7 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max streams, marking a 22% increase over last week's 4.7-million premiere. That increase is the largest audience increase from a first episode to a second episode for an original drama series on HBO in the network's history, as first reported by Variety . HBO calls it the "largest week 2 audience growth for an HBO Original drama series in the history of the network," which speaks further to the wide success of  The Last of Us.  Weirdly enough, even though HBO is usually quick to capitalize on series success with an announcement of a second or sequel season, it has not yet done that for The Last of Us , although every sign points to a greenlight for a Season 2.  Episode 1 of  The Last of Us