Earlier today on July 15, Blizzard published a brand new list of patch notes for Overwatch 2 over on the game’s official website (opens in new tab). This new patch seems to be aimed at Tank characters in particular, as Doomfist, Orisa, and Junker Queen have all seen changes to some degree.

For example, Junker Queen’s Commanding Shout ability has seen its radius reduced from 20 to 15 meters, and Orisa’s movement speed with the Javelin Spin ability has been increased from 40 to 50 percent. Elsewhere, Doomfist’s Rocket Punch ability now deals damage to all enemies knocked back by the ability, instead of only just the first target hit.

Additionally, Junker Queen’s Rampage ability has seen its radius reduced from six to five meters, and Orisa’s Fortify ability now disables critical damage. Finally, Doomfist’s Power Block ability has seen its speed penalty while blocking reduced from 50 to 35 percent, and the minimum damage mitigated to empower Rocket Punch has now been decreased from 100 to 90 damage.

Tanks might be the broad focus of this new patch for Overwatch 2’s Beta, but the patch has also hit Symmetra, Sojourn, and Zenyatta. The former has seen the Teleporter ability cooldown reduced from 16 to 12 seconds, while the latter has had his overall shield health reduced from 175 points to 150. Meanwhile, Sojourn’s Railgun fire rate has been reduced from 15 to 14 shots per second.

This is actually the second Overwatch 2 Beta patch this week, as a few days ago, Mercy’s Guardian Angel “super jump” ability was finally fixed with a new update. Elsewhere in the same patch, Moira actually got a full rework, seeing her Biotic Orb ability actually turned into separate abilities, each with different cooldown periods.

Check out our full Overwatch 2 beta impressions to see what we made so far of Blizzard’s upcoming sequel. 

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Left 4 Dinosaur 

The premise for Exoprimal is every bit as campy as I’d hoped. You’re an over-eager agent working for Aibius, a company apparently Doing Science by hurling mecha soldiers at hordes of dinosaurs which literally appear out of thin air at the command of Leviathan, a plainly villainous artificial intelligence. That “science” boils down to two teams of five players competing – and sometimes collaborating – to kill dinosaurs like velociraptors, T-Rexes, and triceratops as fast as possible.

The beta had four mech suits to choose from: two DPS Assault suits named Deadeye and Zephyr, the Tank Roadblock, and a Support healer called the Witchdoctor. You can swap suits whenever you want, but as multiplayer custom dictates, nobody ever wanted to tank or heal despite on-screen warnings about team class diversity, so I spent a fair bit of time with Roadblock and Witchdoctor. That said, when I was on an Assault suit, I preferred the range focus of Deadeye to the melee attacks of Zephyr. Given the choice, I’d rather shoot a T-Rex from a distance than get in biting range. 

I could customize my loadout with one adjustable bit of gear – the choice of a small heal, a leap ability, or a piercing laser – and deploy cover with collectible barricades, but my kit was largely set by my choice of exosuit. As we’ve established, Deadeye shoots stuff and Zephyr stabs stuff. Roadblock can draw enemy attention, put up a big shield like Overwatch’s Reinhardt, and use it to bash dino skulls in. Witchdoctor can zap allies with a ranged heal, drop a big AoE heal, and paralyze monsters with a pretty wimpy-feeling stun gun. 

Every suit has its niche, but everyone on the team is on dino-killing duty first and foremost, which leads us to the game modes. My first match was basically a series of horde encounters. Leviathan would lead us to one part of a destroyed city, spawn in a bunch of dinosaurs, and tell us to kill ’em as fast as we can. Sometimes we’d have a vehicle to escort or defend, other times we were just trying not to get eaten. The goal was to clear encounters faster than the other team, which was going through the same route in another match loosely overlaid with ours, with phantoms of enemy players popping up like time trial ghosts in racing games. No real PvP, just kill dinos faster. Competitive PvE. Left 4 Dino with a timer.

Here’s an evaluation that’ll blow your mind: killing a zillion dinosaurs with an assault rifle is good, video game fun. Velociraptors are the grunt units of Exoprimal, and they pour out of the map like scarabs out of sand mounds in The Mummy. They’re fun to chew through and fall like tissue paper, but the horde is threatening enough that using abilities efficiently is important when you’re trying to clear a path to more dangerous targets like explosive or acid-spitting neosaurs. Dodging a charging triceratops or T-Rex while wading through a veritable pool of raptors sounds exciting on paper and it works pretty well here. Abilities and guns are punchy, the movement’s pretty smooth – though the jump is oddly short – and the game ran great on my PC. 

Get me out  

The problems started in match two, which began with more horde mode stuff and a T-Rex fight, but ended with the most ill-advised PvP mode I’ve encountered in some time. The goal of this mode is to collect 100 energy cartridges before the other team, except the enemy team is very much a part of the match here. You can kill enemy players to steal their cartridges and slow down their progress, so PvP quickly becomes essential – and just as quickly becomes a slog. 

This mode is so flawed and deeply unfun that I don’t know where to begin. First of all, these exosuits don’t feel built or balanced for head-on PvP. The abilities and roles that bring Exoprimal’s PvE to life just don’t work well in this environment; everything is either hilariously overpowered or completely useless. Secondly, the core objective of the mode boils down to picking up trash at designated trash zones. Zones pop in with a certain amount of cartridges around, and once you pick them up or enough time passes, it will fade out and a new zone will appear somewhere else. As an objective this is a pretty good one for community service, but it’s dramatically less good for an action multiplayer game. 

The biggest problem of all is that none of this has anything to do with killing a zillion dinosaurs. That’s what I signed up for, Exoprimal! It’s what you promised me. But now the dinosaurs are just a distraction; background noise to be ignored so that terrible PvP can take the stage. Hell, you’re encouraged not to kill a zillion dinosaurs in this mode. That’s time that could be spent picking up trash, you fool. You absolute buffoon. Stop having fun and get those cartridges. 

How do you build a dino shooter and then tell players not to shoot dinos? That’s cruel and unusual. That’s like cooking a delicious meal right in front of someone and then telling them to eat the plate. I don’t want to eat the plate, Exoprimal, and I don’t want to pick up trash either. I had infinitely more fun in the normal horde modes, not to mention the 10-man mode where our teams combined forces to kill a giga T-Rex before we ran out of time or revives. 

The mere possibility of playing that PvP mode again – and it came up twice within my first four, randomly matched games – completely kills my desire to ever revisit this game as-is. Nothing about Exoprimal struck me as gotta-play-more electrifying, but the PvE was pretty solid for such an early and limited beta. It was fun. Shooting dinosaurs is fun, and now you can do it with four friends in mech suits. Terrific. More of that, please. And racing against another team is fine, but let me opt out of the direct PvP, dramatically overhaul it, or don’t even bother. 

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GamesRadar+ also sat down with the studio to discuss the changes coming to the vampire-themed battle royale. Bloodhunt is “saying bye-bye to seasons” after discovering that the “cookie-cutter approach” didn’t fit well for the young studio, product director David Sirland says during our interview. Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodhunt launched in April of this year with a 100-tier, 12-week-long battle pass that costs about $10. The pass is cosmetics only, something Sharkmob promised would be the case back when we interviewed them last summer for the 2021 Future Games Show. The new battle pass will cost $5.99 or 600 tokens and won’t be tied to a specific season.

The upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodhunt update will also bring a brand new mode: 8v8 Team Deathmatch. The mode will take place on five different maps comprised of areas of the large battle royale map, with the first team to 50 kills getting the win. Timed universal ammo and loot spawns will help level the playing field. According to Sirland, the team wants the mode to offer new players a “place to practice the mechanics and get into all the nitty-gritty of using abilities and running on rooftops and shooting people,” and veteran players a great “warmup mode.” 

After a few months of gameplay and feedback, Sharkmob also realized it wants to separate gameplay updates from content. “If something fails, everything gets delayed as well. And we realized the turnaround time if we missed the season, and the seasonal update with an important fix was 12 plus weeks, essentially, that doesn’t really cut it,” Sirland explains. 

Sharkmob is targeting monthly updates for Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodhunt starting July 14, with a small hotfix patch following this summer update and a larger, gameplay-focused patch following that. The team is focusing on fixing a few major bugs they call “hydras” because they keep growing heads, like a frustrating reload bug and a problem with the red gas that closes in during every match syncing up with the game’s server, which resulted in players being harmed when seemingly not in the gas or not taking damage when standing in it. 

If you’ve just started out the new game from Sharkmob, you can read up on our best Bloodhunt archetypes and classes guide for a helping hand.

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The best Star Wars games are…

10. Star Wars Battlefront 2

If you’re looking to feel like you’re actually amidst a battle in a galaxy far, far away there are few better places to turn than Star Wars Battlefront 2. (opens in new tab)While the story campaign is short and somewhat underwhelming, and there’s no longer dev support for it (RIP), what you’re really here for is glorious multiplayer that’s as polished as Darth Vader’s helmet. The star of the show this time around is the Starfighter Assault mode that sees you taking the ‘attack and defend’ mantra from the original Star Wars Battlefront (opens in new tab)‘s Walker Assault and firing it into space. Hurtling through space above Endor is thrilling business, dodging the debris of the ruined Deathstar, and makes for constantly cinematic, if chaotic entertainment. Galactic Assault too stuns with its enormous 32 player battles. After a rockier launch than the cliffs of Ahch-To, Battlefront 2 has evolved since it’s launch to become of one of the most accessible shooters for Star Wars fans. 

9. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

After 17 years perfecting its formula, developer Traveller’s Tales has returned to the game that started it all and decided to redo LEGO Star Wars. But ‘redo’ doesn’t do justice to the ambition here. This is a completely new game, recreating not only the original trilogy of films in LEGO form, but all nine films from the yellow text of A New Hope, through the “I am the senate” posturing of the prequel trilogy to the final shot from The Rise of Skywalker (complete with a brilliantly cutting sight gag). It’s all here. Not just the action sequences you know and love, but the towns, forests, and swamps around them, all bustling with LEGO-ised life and absolutely packed with Star Wars lore, puzzles, and challenges. When a game goes all-in like this, Yoda was right. It’s do, or do not; there is no try. And Traveller’s Tales really, really did it.

8. Star Wars: Squadrons

If you thought you couldn’t get a great starfighter game after Star Wars: TIE Fighter (and the excellent X-Wing series), you were wrong. Star Wars: Squadrons is a wildly fun space combat game from EA that is even better in VR. You’ll be able to get into the cockpit of a complex starfighter, turning knobs and pressing buttons like a real pilot as you take part in space battles across the galaxy. Multiplayer matches are a ton of fun, and a fairly engaging story lets you choose sides in the war for the galaxy’s soul: do you go for the New Republic or side with the Empire? Whatever you choose, Star Wars: Squadrons is a spectacle you’ll never forget.

7. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

This action-adventure puzzler may be targeted at a younger audience, but there’s no shortage of references and gags that appeal to grown-ups, too. Swinging our lightsaber haphazardly and breaking things is a blast, especially with the movie-authentic sound effects and music contrasting with the brilliant slapstick action. Inadvertently smacking our co-op partner and watching them explode into Lego bits is always pretty damn entertaining too. Don’t want to play as Luke Skywalker? Fine, swap over to one of the other 50-odd characters and mess around with their own unique abilities. Lego Star Wars 2 satisfies our eternal hunger for flashy lightsaber battles, and our equally eternal need to build Lego contraptions, all in one go. The Complete Saga takes you through the events of all six movies, allowing you to relive everything from the dramatic dual of the fates, to the destruction of the second Death Star. It doesn’t get much better than that.

6. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

If there’s a moment that sums up the simple appeal of this excellent Star Wars adventure, it’s when you first discover you can force pull enemies onto the hot end of Cal’s lightsaber. Few Star Wars games have really embodied the raw power of being a Jedi, but Fallen Order manages it. Add on intricate level design that makes exploring the game’s collection of planets a joy, and this is EA’s best Star Wars game since they started making them. We can’t wait for the sequel.

5. Star Wars: Republic Commando

This Xbox exclusive is one of the gems in the Star Wars games library. It’s a great shooter, which is a solid foundation, but LucasArts injects some much-needed variety into the action by allowing all four members of the squad their own individual voices and personalities. All have their particular quirks, skill sets, and preferred positions. In brief, these boys (and their often excellent AI) know exactly how to get the job done. Add in a number of clever design decisions and quality visual flourishes (that windshield cleaner) and you have one of the few Star Wars titles to truly excel in its own right.

4. Star Wars: The Old Republic

Thousands of years before the Emperor and Darth Vader ruled the galaxy with an iron fist, the Old Republic stood for over a thousand generations. That rich, rarely used history serves as the perfect setting for an ever-expanding MMO. BioWare jumped headfirst into this intriguing timeline with Star Wars: The Old Republic, giving players a vast, ancient galaxy to explore, unhindered by Star Wars movie canon. In SWTOR, you choose what type of hero or villain you want to be. You can take roles like a Jedi Knight struggling to maintain peace and justice, a shady Bounty Hunter looking to cash in on their next big contract, or a dedicated Imperial agent. Between the intricate storytelling of the main story (which is entirely unique to each class), abundant side-quests, and getting to know your ever-growing crew, The Old Republic lets you build your own space adventure one encounter at a time. It’s free-to-play if you’re feeling frugal, but subscribing lets you stick solely to main story quests, effectively offering eight epic BioWare stories in one place.

And there’s a whole new host of fun to be had with the Legacy of the Sith expansion that just dropped. We talked to BioWare about it ahead of its launch, and it only got us more excited to jump back into SWTOR. 

3. Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast

This is the ultimate Jedi fantasy. The game that lets you run around the galaxy fighting the Empire, cutting off stormtroopers’ limbs with a lightsaber, and using all of the Force powers seen in the movies. Jedi Outcast makes you feel like a powerful Jedi Knight – something that plenty of games have tried to do but just didn’t get quite right. Everything here is spot on, from the lightsaber clashes with your red-bladed, Reborn enemies, to the memorable encounters with powerful enemies and famous allies like Luke and Lando. Multiplayer is a treat, too. Players can still be found online engaging in the usual swath of online multiplayer modes. But you can also find more dedicated groups of players taking part in movie-like, one-on-one lightsaber duels as spectators calmly look on. Yeah, that really happens. People get serious when it comes to lightsaber duels.

2. Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron 2

A Star Wars game was the Gamecube’s best launch title. Seriously. Rogue Leader is that good. Dropping players into the cockpits of a number of different ships from the Star Wars universe, amid some of the most memorable parts of the films (and some other battles, too), its as complete a Star Wars air-combat experience as you could want. Death Star trench run? Its in there. The Its a trap! battle above Endor? It has it. Hoth? Not only is it in the game, but its done better than any other Hoth level in any other game before. Even today, the game looks beautiful, taking you to new and classic locations that range from the Cloud City of Bespin to hidden Imperial bases. Rogue Leader is a blast to play giving you a chance to take on the Empire as you engage in dangerous frontal attacks on massive Star Destroyers and blast your way through innumerable enemy TIEs. This is the ultimate star fighter pilot experience.

1. Knights of the Old Republic

BioWare delivers one of the most compelling Star Wars narratives ever with its RPG, Knights of the Old Republic. The universe – which is set during a completely different time period, thousands of years before the events of the movies – fleshes out the Universe in ways you’d never expect. You get to explore the galaxy when the Jedi Knights numbered in the thousands, discover the secrets of the ancient Sith, and even discover things like why Sandpeople hate outsiders so much. As you progress through the story, you’ll meet some fascinating and unforgettable characters, and in typical BioWare fashion, discover their deep backstories. The Assassin Droid HK-47 holds a special place in our hearts for his degrading and threatening comments towards organic meatbags, but steadfast loyalty to his master. The malleability of the story makes playing through the game multiple times vital to the full experience, and you’ll always be happy to oblige. Knights of the Old Republic is the definitive game for Star Wars fanatics. It has everything: witty characters, good versus evil, bucket-of-bolts starships and a plot twist that will blow your reverse power flux coupling.

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So whether you’re finding more battle royale games, crafting games, shooters or more, we’ve listed some of the best games like Fortnite below.  We’ve made sure to include a lot of variety, so it’s not only battle royale experiences (though there’s obviously a few of those), but games that can fill similar roles as a social hub, or provide similar gameplay thrills. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find something to enjoy in our selection of the 10 best games like Fortnite below!

Apex Legends

Price: Free
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

This new addition comes from the developers of Titanfall 2 (opens in new tab), Respawn. But don’t expect to be piloting giant mechs or doing any wall-running in Apex Legends, as you play as one of ten Legends, each with their own special ability. Think Overwatch (opens in new tab) meets battle royale: these characters are as distinct as they get, with one that can call in an artillery strike and another that can send out a drone to heal allies. You play in groups of three, so there’s always someone to watch your back – but you don’t have to stick together if you don’t want to. The good news is if it’s just you and the people from your team left standing, you all win – no grizzly betrayal/fight to the death necessary.

Call of Duty: Warzone

Price: Free
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

Even if you don’t own Call of Duty Modern Warfare, you can jump into Warzone; this 150-player battle royale is based on Modern Warfare’s multiplayer but with some added quirks. Killstreaks can be bought, you can 1v1 players in a small cage match to respawn, and you can even get your multiplayer loadout via an airdrop. What’s even better is that Warzone has full crossplay, so you can play with your pals no matter what platform they’re on.

PUBG: Battlegrounds

Price: Free
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

Before Fortnite came along, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds aka PUBG, was the king of the Battle Royale genre. It has the same 99 v 1 gameplay, but it’s much more serious, realistic, and intense than Fortnite. PUBG is now free-to-play too, allowing players from all-platforms to come together and fight it out for survival across five maps. PUBG is for the crowd who like a touch of realism in their battle royale games, and don’t want enemies to build a fort whenever they’re shot at.

Halo Infinite

Price: Free
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

The long wait was largely worth it – despite some understandable quibbles about the progression system that are already being rectified, Halo Infinite has proven itself a solid spiritual successor to classics like Halo 3 and Reach. Though so far the Battle Royale mode hasn’t materialised, the multiplayer itself includes huge arenas for dozens of players, colourful weapons, and a robust multiplayer experience that’s easy to pick up after just a couple of matches. Oh and better yet, Halo Infinite’s multiplayer is free-to-play and supports cross-play.

Ring of Elysium

Price: Free
Platform(s): PC

What’s great about Ring of Elysium is that it has the seriousness and FPS quality that you’re going to find in PUBG, but with a touch of the silliness of Fortnite. Real cat in a bubble-windowed carry backpack anyone? Yes, all of us. Not only does it have a seriously amazing character creation engine (seriously, I could tweak those dials all day), but it’s also an incredibly solid battle royale game, that’ll have you running from the ash storm on your BMX across Europa or aboard a skimobile on Dione. We’re obsessed, and so should you be. 

Minecraft

Price: $19.99
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch

Minecraft has been doing Hunger Games/Battle Royale/Last Man Standing deathmatches for years, and there are still dozens of servers dedicated to such a mode on PC. Communities like Mineplex are the best for offering balanced and competitive rounds set in the wonderfully blocky Minecraft world. Seeing as destructibility and building are key selling points of Minecraft in general, it was only a matter of time until Battle Royale snuck in. Of course, the combat is never going to compare to the fluidity of Fortnite, but when it’s as adorable as Minecraft it’s always going to be great fun. And, it’s kid-friendly!

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Price: $19.99
Platform(s) PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Wobble all you like, just don’t fall down! Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is a Total Wipeout/Takeshi’s Castle-inspired Battle Royale platformer in which dozens of players precariously totter their way to victory. A brightly-coloured obstacle course means that while you don’t always directly fight, you are in competition, either racing to the finish, trying to outlast other players, or playing sporty minigames against each other.

Worms Rumble

Price: $10.99
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch

Worms isn’t turn-based anymore, it’s a full-on third person multiplayer shooter. Thirty-two players, a big arena, and all the classic artillery and weapons from the original Worms games, now with the fuses burning away in real time in Worms Rumble. For those who found themselves enjoying the cartoony art style and chaotic combat of Fortnite, this feels like a natural relation. Just don’t pet the sheep!

Fortnite: Save the World

Price: $39.99
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch

Instead of getting a game like Fortnite, why not just get more Fortnite? Save the World is premium release that predates the battle royale side to the game. It’s a co-op tower defense, letting you and your buddies build up fortifications before flooding the zone with enemies to take down together. It’s a lot of fun, and is deserving of your time if you want to take on different adventures with Fortnite’s core art style and its shooting/building mechanics. 

Among Us

Price: Varies by Platform
Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, IOS, Android

Among Us isn’t a Battle Royale shooter – there’s definitely no guns beyond the occasional little animations that appear when you trigger kills, and crafting doesn’t come up either. Still, it’s a perfect substitute for the social element of Fortnite, a form of online coffee shop or soccer field to meet with friends and just have fun. Among Us is famously a game about sneaking, suspect gameplay, where a team of little astronauts are all running around to get their shuttle shipshape… but at least one of you is a secret killer, trying to murder the rest and avoid accusation by pinning the blame on others. It’s great fun, and while the price varies from console to console, it’s always pretty cheap and is even free on certain platforms.

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With so many Star Wars games teased and announced, it’ll be exciting to see if any of them make another appearance during E3 2022. While we know that EA Play won’t be happening this year as part of the E3 2022 schedule, there are plenty of showcases taking place that may show us more of some of the new Star Wars games from other studios and developers. So, if you’re more than ready to pull out your lightsaber and dive into a new adventure, read on below to find all of the upcoming Star Wars games announced so far, along with their expected launch windows and platforms. 

Star Wars: Hunters

Release date: 2022
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS 

Star Wars: Hunters is a new team-based multiplayer game coming to mobile and Switch sometime in 2022. Made by developer Zynga and Lucasfilm Games, Star Wars: Hunters takes place after the fall of the Galactic Empire, with a cast of new characters you’ll be able to choose from as you join squads and take on multiplayer battles in various settings inspired by “iconic” Star Wars locations. Some of the characters you can choose to fight as in the upcoming arena-combat game include the likes of Rebels, Stormtroopers, and bounty hunters. A recent panel (opens in new tab) during the recent Star Wars Celebration event also revealed that every character will have backstories and set dynamics with other characters.  

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor 

Release date: TBC 2023
Platform(s): PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

First announced during Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is officially on the way from developer Respawn. Jedi: Survivor is a follow-up to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, set to take place five years after the events of protagonist Cal Kestis’ original adventure. As one of the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy, Cal is said to continue to feel the weight of his position as he tries to stay ahead of the Empire’s pursuit. While we don’t know much about the story just yet, we do know that Survivor will expand upon stories and characters in the Star Wars universe and looks set to also build on the combat of Fallen Order. What is perhaps most exciting of all is the fact that this upcoming sequel will find a home on current-gen consoles, meaning Cal’s next journey will be taking advantage of the latest hardware capabilities on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. 

Respawn’s Star Wars FPS

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): TBC 

As well as continuing on the Star Wars Jedi series with Survivor, Respawn is also currently working on as yet untitled Star Wars first-person shooter. Respawn game director Peter Hirschmann is leading the development of the project, which was first revealed in January 2022. Hirschmann is no stranger to the Star Wars franchise in the gaming space, having previously experience working on the original Star Wars Battlefront games, as well as Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. At the time of the announcement, work had only “just begun” on the title, so it’ll likely be some time before we get a solid release date or learn more details about the game. Still, given that Jedi: Survivor is current-gen, it does seem like a safe bet to assume we’ll see this new experience land on the latest consoles. 

Respawn’s Star Wars strategy game 

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): TBC 

If an FPS and another step in the Star Wars Jedi series wasn’t enough, Respawn kept the surprises coming with the announcement of a Star Wars strategy game. Revealed alongside the first-person shooter, the untitled Star Wars strategy game is currently being developed through a “production collaboration” with freshly established studio Bit Reactor. Respawn will be producing the project, while Bit Reactor leads its development. The new studio is being led by veteran developer Greg Foertsch, who previously worked at Firaxis on Sid Meisner’s Civilization series – among others. Very little has been revealed about the project so far, so the release date is still likely to be a ways off. 

Star Wars: Eclipse

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): TBC

First announced during the Game Awards 2021, Star Wars Eclipse is a new action-adventure from Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human developer Quantic Dream and Lucasfilm Games. Described as a branching narrative game, Eclipse takes place in the High Republic Era in an “uncharted region of the Outer Rim”. With new faces and environments, you’ll be experiencing its story through the eyes of an ensemble cast of playable characters who are all said to have their own personalities and motivations, and will each make their own impact on each other and the adventure overall. When it was first announced, it was said to be in the early stages of development, so it may be some time before Eclipse arrives. And while it has not yet been confirmed, it seems likely that it will land on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S when it does. 

Knights of the Old Republic remake 

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PS5, PC

The Knights of the Old Republic remake is set to deliver a new version of the much-loved RPG from 2003 to PS5 and PC. First revealed during the PlayStation 2021 Showcase, we got our very first look at a revamped Darth Raven who was a customizable protagonist in the original game. The remake is coming from Aspyr and Lucasfilm Games, the former of which has previously worked on several remasters of previous Star Wars games, including Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast. With only a brief teaser revealed so far, we don’t yet have a release date, but the prospect of a remake is undeniably exciting. The original game from BioWare allowed you to shape your own journey in the galaxy as one of nine different customizable characters, with plenty of choice and freedom. It’ll be interesting to see how this new version shapes up and how the Knights of the Old Republic remake will make use of the power of modern-day hardware. 

Ubisoft Open World Star Wars game 

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): TBC

Ubisoft is currently working on a new open world Star Wars game in collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm Games. With development led by The Divison studio Massive Entertainment, the upcoming Ubisoft Star Wars game is set to be a story-driven adventure. Creative director Julian Gerighty said in a post from Ubisoft (opens in new tab) that “we want to make it a unique game in the saga with a captivating story and set of characters that players can relate to and connect with.” We also know it’s being created on the Snowdrop engine using “cutting-edge technologies”. Given the emphasis on the tech, we’ll likely see it land on the latest platforms and take advantage of the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. 

Amy Hennig’s Star Wars game

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): TBC

As yet untitled Star Wars games is also currently in the works from Skydance New Media. In collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, veteran writer and director Amy Hennig will be at the helm of the studio, who’s well known for previously working on big hits such as Uncharted and Jak and Daxter. The new Star Wars game is described as narrative-driven action-adventure, and while not much else has been revealed about the project, a report suggests it could well be a revival of a prior Star Wars project that was ultimately shuttered. While still unconfirmed, a leak pointed towards it bringing back Project Ratag, a game set during the Rebel Alliance era that was once in development at EA studio Visceral. The project is still likely quite a ways off, but we certainly can’t wait to learn more. 

See what else is on the horizon with our roundup of upcoming PS5 games and upcoming Xbox Series X games. 

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Yu Suzuki recently revealed that there are currently no “concrete plans” for Shenmue 4, and what the Shenmue developer is working on next couldn’t be much further from the epic story-driven series. Suzuki’s next game takes inspiration from his earlier work, the arcade rail shooter Space Harrier, and throws in some swans for good measure. 

Air Twister sees you play as Princess Arch as she battles against alien invaders to save the planet. As the trailer shows, this is achieved by soaring through the sky, firing homing missiles at all manner of bizarre creatures, at times, while riding on the back of a giant swan. Well, we can’t say that it isn’t original. 

In a briefing attended by GameSpot (opens in new tab), Suzuki revealed that he had the idea for this style of game back in the 80s, but due to the technical limitations of the time, Space Harrier was born instead. “This is my ideal fantasy shooting game. I think when you play it, you will see it has a much different feel,” Suzuki said. The soundtrack is also something of a surprise, with 19 original tracks courtesy of Dutch composer Valensia.

This colourful adventure is coming Apple’s subscription service Apple Arcade on June 24. According to its AppStore page (opens in new tab), Air Twister will feature 20 different enemy types across 12 stages and 10 unique boss battles. It promises “simple touch controls” but can also be played with a controller for an “arcade-like experience” if that’s more your style.

Debating what to download next? Take a look at our pick of the 25 best Apple Arcade games to make the most of your subscription. 

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Next Saturday on June 4, Collision will be debuting in Fortnite. The live event will begin at precisely 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST, and a special Collision playlist will be going live approximately 30 minutes before the event times listed, meaning you can experience the event without worrying about having to find a match in time.

To mark the event, anyone who logs in on June 4 after 5 a.m. PT/8 a.m. ET/1 p.m. BST will receive a special loading screen and lobby track. Unlike other live events, there won’t be any replays of Collision, so you’re going to want to be there or risk missing out on the action for good.

As ever, the special live event will mark the end of the current season in Fortnite Battle Royale, which happens to be Season 2 in Chapter 3. As such, you’ll want to make sure you’ve spent all your Battle Pass Stars by then, because they’ll vanish immediately after the new season launches.

Elsewhere, you’ll want to make sure you’ve completed Season 2-specific quests. This includes the missions associated with Prowler, for example, so you’ve only got until next Saturday to earn every item associated with the Marvel villain. Check out our full Fortnite live event guide for everything else you need to know about preparing for the big day.

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Apex Legend developer, Respawn Entertainment, announced in an official tweet from @PlayApex that the launch date is just around the corner. To be exact it’s May 17 and the game will be rated T for Teen.

Respawn Entertainment has confirmed that the mobile version comes with exclusive maps, battle passes and a new character. According to industry leaker Tom Henderson, the game will launch with a roster of 10 characters including a new one: Gibraltar, Caustic, Lifeline, Bangalore, Mirage, Pathfinder, Octane, Wraith, Bloodhound and Fade.

Fade, also called the Phasing Punisher, will be the first mobile-exclusive character. His kit gives him speed boost and the ability to flashback to a previous location and his ultimate is called Phase Chamber, which sends all legends into the void. He sounds like an epic addition to a team.

The conversion from console to mobile will not allow for cross-play between platforms, as Apex Legends Mobile has been built as a separate title. The game remains free-to-play just like the PC and console versions, and it will include the same options for cosmetic microtransactions.

Apex Legends Mobile was originally discussed back in 2019, with a launch date sometime after spring 2021. However, the game was then quietly pushed into 2022, with the conflict between Ukraine and Russia pushing the launch date back further again. Apex Legends Mobile has been in beta since March 7 this year in 10 different countries: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Colombia. The full launch next week will finally bring Apex Legends Mobile to a global audience.  

You might need some Apex Legends guides to help you get started when it does arrive:

Apex Legends tips | Apex Legends best weapons | Apex Legends best characters | Apex Legends crafting metal | Apex Legends heirlooms | Apex Legends crossplay | Apex Legends skydive emotes 

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The Horizon Forbidden West 1.13 patch notes (opens in new tab) were published to the Horizon subreddit earlier today, and like usual, contained a long list of fixed player-reported issues in the game. Along with all the fixes, Guerrilla also likes to let fans know about the issues it is aware of but hasn’t quite managed to fix yet, and this time, it contains the shimmering issue so many players have been experiencing since launch. 

Found in the ‘known issues’ section of the patch notes, Guerrilla has said: “Please note that these issues are not yet fixed in this patch, but our teams are aware of them and they’re being investigated.” Right below this, the first note for this section reads: “The team continues to make tweaks to the game’s content with the goal to reduce visual shimmering.” 

If you weren’t aware, players first started reporting issues with shimmering in the game almost immediately after its release. At the time, Guerrilla suggested a quick fix that had players literally just turning the game off and on again, which for some did seem to fix the problem. Just over a month later though, Guerrilla shared another post to Reddit that recommended for players to change their TV settings as several issues are dependent on the make/brand of TV.

Clearly, the shimmering (as well as other visual issues) aren’t as easy to resolve as the developer originally thought. Still, it’s nice to know that the team at Guerrilla is working hard to fix the issues despite the game launching almost three months ago. You can read a full list of fixes in Horizon Forbidden West from the main quest, side quests, machines, and more via the link above. 

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