Microsoft recently posted its earnings call report for Q2 2023, where it shared how the overall business is doing, including the gaming division. As revealed by the firm, the company’s overall gaming revenue has taken a hit but its gaming subscription, Xbox Game Pass, has shown impressive growth. Most of the products in the tech giant’s gaming portfolio suffered a setback during this period. Interestingly though, Xbox Game Pass raked in a significant profit and also set a host of new records in key areas.
Game Pass got the loudest cheer in an otherwise quiet year for Xbox After a rather underwhelming 2022, where Xbox suffered from the sheer lack of exclusives, parent firm Microsoft has revealed some interesting numbers. As per the tech giant, its gaming revenue dropped up to 13% as compared to the same time the previous year. The firm attributed this drop to “lower price and volume of consoles sold.” Despite the overall dip, game subscription service Game Pass has shown a strong run of form, breaking records in user enrolment as well as user activity. Microsoft shared that Game Pass had set a new record in three areas: number of subscribers, monthly active users, and game streaming hours.
Xbox revenue stalled, so did the quantity of Xbox exclusives While subscription-based gaming paid good dividends for the company, other major avenues didn’t replicate that success. Microsoft’s Xbox business faced setbacks in earnings from Xbox hardware which went down by 13%. Moreover, its content and services generated revenue that fell short by 12% compared to the same time a year prior. Apart from the aforementioned revenue drops, Microsoft also noted that the number of exclusives or first-party games had decreased. In addition to that, the firm pointed out that monetisation in third-party games wasn’t as high as required. Also watch
Jiogames cloud beta launched in India, how to sign up and play games
Niantic, in partnership with National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), has released a free-to-play mobile game called ‘NBA All-World.’ Similar to Niantic’s megahit Pokemon GO, this basketball title is yet another Augmented Reality (AR) game. This official NBA game involves users encountering and competing against the current crop of real-life NBA players. Users can also recruit NBA stars to their teams. The AR game is available on both Android and iOS via Play Store and App Store, respectively.
NBA All-World features: 1v1 tournaments, squad customisation, and more The new NBA game “brings the world of the NBA to neighbourhoods around the world.” Users can physically move and explore their surroundings to come across NBA players in this AR game. Going up against these athletes provides the players with ‘Cred,’ an in-game currency. Once recruited, these players can be upgraded to enhance their abilities using Offense, Defense, and Fitness Boosts. A well-upgraded squad helps users when they partake in 1v1 tournaments that are worth certain exclusive in-game items. Besides competing in these matches, users can also chat with other players.
In addition to that, NBA All-Word will also introduce users to the real-world locations of the current NBA roster. Users can play on over 100,000 real-world basketball courts and get their name on the leaderboard in ‘Rule the Court’ mode. Users can customize the players on their squad with gear, including sneakers and other accessories. Special rare gear, from popular brands, can be obtained from ‘Drop Zones.’ Speaking about the game, Niantic CEO John Hanke said, “Our version of an NBA basketball game starts with exciting one-on-one gameplay and expands from there to include the major elements of basketball culture, including music, fashion, sneakers and more, all of which are integrated into real-world locations.” NBA All-World rolls out with an accompanying documentary featuring NBA stars Alongside the game’s launch, a documentary series titled ‘Where I’m From’ has also been released. This series includes a star-studded cast of NBA athletes, such as Jalen Green, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and more.
Wordle is a web-based puzzle game owned by The New York Times. It was created in 2021 by Josh Wardle and featured a daily puzzle where users have six attempts to guess the “word of the day.” The colour of the tiles changes to help users figure out the correct word, with grey indicating the letter is not part of the word, yellow indicating the letter is part of the word but in the wrong location, and green showing the letter is in the correct location and part of the “Word of the day.” Wordle 586 is the puzzle for January 26; this article provides hints, clues, and answers to the puzzle. Wordle is an online puzzle game popular among people who want to use their time productively. If you are having trouble with the Wordle 586 puzzle for January 26, 2023, the following hints and clues may help you solve it: Wordle hints and clues for today, January 26, 2023, are stated here for our readers:
Wordle 586 hints and clues, January 26, 2023, are:
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter ‘B’
The wordle ends with the letter ‘Y’
Today’s Wordle contains two vowels and one duplicate letter
Still, stuck? If you could not find the answers, fret not, we have got it all figured out for you: BEEFY is the solution to Wordle 586 for January 26, 2023. If you keep winning for two or more days, you will be awarded a winning streak. This will continue till the time you fail to guess the correct word. If you lose, the streak will be broken.
The Indian Government has announced the list of Padma Award winners for the year 2023. The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day. The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service). The award seeks to recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved. Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, are announced every year on the occasion of Republic Day except for brief interruption(s) during the years 1978 and 1979 and 1993 to 1997. The list this year consists of 10 names from the field of science and engineering. Shir Srinivas Varadhan is awarded with the highest civilian honour Padma Vibhushan. Shri Deepak Dhar received Padma Bhushan, while eight people received Padma Shri in the field of science and engineering. Padma Vibhushan Shri Srinivas Varadhan – Science & Engineering- United States of America Padma Bhushan Shri Deepak Dhar – Science & Engineering – Maharashtra Padma Shri Shri Khadar Valli Dudekula – Science & Engineering – Karnataka Shri Modadugu Vijay Gupta – Science & Engineering – Telangana Shri Ganesh Nagappa Krishnarajanagara – Science & Engineering – Andhra Pradesh Shri Arvind Kumar – Science & Engineering – Uttar Pradesh Prof. (Dr.) Mahendra Pal – Science & Engineering – Gujarat Shri Bakshi Ram – Science & Engineering – Haryana Ms. Sujatha Ramdorai – Science & Engineering – Canada Shri Abbareddy Nageswara Rao -Science & Engineering – Andhra Pradesh
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) students will organize a Space Tech Summit as part of the annual technical festival Shaastra to promote innovation and collaboration in the sector. After a gap of two years, Shaastra 2023 which is among the largest student-run technical festivals in the country, will be conducted in physical mode this year from January 26 to 29 2023. Besides Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), IIT Madras students are partnering with the top space-tech entities in India, such as GalaxEye Space, and AgniKul Cosmos, for the Space Tech Summit. It will also bring together top minds in space industry and provide a platform to network through a series of professional workshops, interactive lectures, panel discussions, and VC pitching sessions, among others. Workshops will also be held on technologies such as machine learning, robotics, astronomy and Web 3.0 besides management and finance, among others. ‘Symbiosis 2023,’ a mini-fest under Shaastra 2023, brings together experts and enthusiasts from AI, ML, and DS to explore the theme of the new era. Addressing a Press Conference on the campus today (25th Jan 2023), Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “There will be several open-house workshops on the top technologies that IIT Madras has invented which include 5G and Hyperloop.” Shaastra 2023 highlights Speaking further on outcomes expected through Shaastra 2023, Professor V Kamakoti said, “With regard to space technology, IIT Madras looks forward to motivating people on both rocket and satellite development. One of the outcomes expected is on the understanding of what the applications of commercial space are. This can be a seed for startups to help decide what kind of satellites need to be built in the future.” Shaastra will also host school students as part of the Institute Open House, providing an opportunity to explore IIT Madras campus and its world-class facilities. They will interact with researchers who will present their work. The fest will also witness the final round of the ‘Junior Make-a-Thon,’ where school students will exhibit the prototypes they built through the mentorship process, aimed at solving real-world problems. Highlighting the learnings to students from organizing such events, Prof. Nilesh J Vasa, Dean (Students), IIT Madras, said, “The transition from a completely online mode to an on-ground mode is not an easy task, and the team has been working very diligently. We look forward to extending a warm welcome to all the participants, speakers, judges and other stakeholders and host them on our campus as part of Shaastra. Boeing’s Aeromodelling contest and the finals of Flipkart GRiD 4.0 Robotics Challenge are some exciting events to look out for!” Lauding the student’s efforts towards organizing this massive event, Prof. Ratna Kumar Annabattula, Co-Curricular Advisor, IIT Madras, said, “Shaastra 2023 will feature keynote lectures by industry professionals from Google, Siemens and Subex, among others, as well as workshops and events that allow participants to demonstrate their talents. The event will also host programming hackathons supported by brands such as M2P, Wells Fargo, L&T and Schlumberger, among others, to challenge students’ programming prowess as they compete against the brightest minds of the country to tackle practical, real-life problems with original and innovative solutions. The Shaastra team has been relentlessly working on making the whole event a success, and we look forward to seeing their efforts reap fruit. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors for their support.”
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi have analysed the different factors that affect herding in adoption of wearable technologies for personal healthcare. They have used mathematical models to analyse data collected from surveys to provide insights into the marketing effectiveness of online reviews. The findings of the research have been published in the Journal of Marketing Communications. The research has been led by Dr Saumya Dixit, Assistant Professor, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Mandi, and co-authored by her PhD student Ms Anjali Pathania from IIT Mandi and Dr Gowhar Rasool, School of Business Studies, Central University of Jammu, Jammu. The team’s recent study is aimed at understanding the drivers of herding in adoption of wearable technologies for personal healthcare. There has been an increase in the use of such devices since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some examples of such devices include fitness trackers, smartwatches, wearable sensors, and wearable medical devices, including the oximeter that was extensively used during the pandemic to monitor blood oxygen levels. Wearable devices can be connected to a smartphone or other sources to display health-related data and may offer features such as alerts, reminders, and personalized recommendations. Traditionally, recommendations and reviews by other users have been the main drivers of the adoption of any product, including wearable devices. While in the past these reviews were word-of-mouth, with the advances of Web 2.0 technologies, consumers can easily and freely share their experiences with services and products on a large scale and in real-time through various means such as social media and online review websites. In modern times, online reviews are the electronic version of Word-of-Mouth, or eWOM, that can influence the “herding” or group behaviour of individuals in the adoption of wearable technology for personal healthcare. IIT Mandi researchers aimed to understand the role of online reviews in inducing other people to buy and use wearable technology for personal healthcare. They surveyed 434 wearable technology users and analysed the data using the method of Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with Smart PLS. Explaining the technicalities of the research, Dr Saumya Dixit, IIT Mandi, said, “We have proposed an integrated model based on herd behaviour, theory of homophily (peer influence) and tenets of uncertainties drawn from initial trust theory to understand the effects of online reviews on the adoption of wearable technology in healthcare.” The analysis showed that reading the reviews written by users with similar backgrounds and needs, combined with usage information related to ease of use, usefulness of wearable technology for personal healthcare and the company’s reputation can affect whether or not the potential users decide to herd in adoption of the wearable healthcare device. While speaking about the other recommendations based on the results of their analysis, Ms Anjali Pathania, Ph.D. scholar, IIT Mandi, said, “Online review community managers should encourage consumers to provide homophilous details while writing reviews along with semi-guided information related to wearable technology’s ease of use, usefulness and company reputation. Further, filters based on homophilous information along with review management system/algorithms should be provided on online platforms to reduce information overload and improve herding in adoption of wearable devices for personal healthcare by potential users.”
National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), a non-for-profit (Section 8) company, under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, government of India has a special Republic Day offer for those looking to buy .IN/.Bharat domain. NIXI has announced availability of the popular .IN/.Bharat domain free of cost for three months for all those who purchase the domain between January 26 to January 29, 2023. Users can also opt to get personalised and secure free e-mail ID with 10GB storage space free. At present more than 3 million people across the globe are connected with .IN/.Bharat. .IN domain has been declared as the seventh most-preferred domain globally. Users are advised to visit NIXI website www.nixi.in and select their nearest registrar and get selected domain and customised e-mail. Anil Kumar Jain, CEO, NIXI said, “India is marching towards digitization as per vision of our beloved leader Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji. To make countrymen to adopt Digital India initiative specially when India has taken over Presidency of G-20, NIXI took an initiative to build-up Internet Infrastructure in India by empowering citizens with power of domain along with secured and personalised e-mail.”
BioShock 4 is officially in the works, having been announced back in 2019. Unfortunately, there’s been very little revealed about the upcoming FPS since then. In fact, we still don’t even have an official title, or any idea as to when it’s coming out.
What we do know is that the game has been in active development for a while now, and will be then next mainline entry into the BioShock franchise. Without much official info to go on, there’s been a handful of rumors that could point to a setting for the game.
While we wait for 2K to pull back the curtain on BioShock 4 (or whatever it’s called when it’s revealed properly), here’s everything we know about the game so far. This includes all of the latest news and rumors. As more details emerge, you’ll find this page updated. Hopefully we hear something sooner rather than later.
BioShock 4: cut to the chase
What is it? The fourth entry in 2K Games’ retrofuturistic game series
When can I play it? TBC
What can I play it on? TBC (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC are likely)
BioShock 4 release date and platforms
(Image credit: 2K)
While we’re certainly excited for the next BioShock game, we don’t actually know when we’ll get our hands on it.
In a tweet (opens in new tab) officially announcing a new BioShock game back in 2019, publisher 2K Games stated that work had begun on the next iteration of the BioShock franchise. Here, it confirmed that the game would be in development “for the next several years”.
That may not have been the most welcome news, but it did give us an idea about what platforms BioShock 4 would eventually release on. With the PS5 and Xbox Series X now available, we’ll almost certainly be seeing a new BioShock releasing on these platforms (and probably on PC too). Whether the title arrives on last-generation consoles like Xbox One and PS4 is less certain; it depends on when the sequel releases.
A Nvidia GeForce Now leak from September 2021 suggested that we could see the game launch in 2022. While we’ve seen many games on this particular leaked list get confirmed since, we’re now into 2023 with no sign of a new BioShock. Since an official announcement has yet to come, it could’ve potentially been delayed internally, but that’s entirely speculative.
Back in February 2022, a report from the Twitter account OopsLeaks suggested that the game could be experiencing some problems in its development.
Reportedly, the game has seen “development issues” and the “company lost about 40 employees, including leads.” OopsLeaks then states that 2K is not satisfied with the project’s results and pace. However, judging by T2’s recent financial report, the game is still planned to be released by the end of 2024.” 2K and Cloud Chamber Games didn’t comment on this, so it should be taken with a large pinch of salt.
BioShock 4 news and rumors
(Image credit: 2K)
Below, we’ve rounded up all the biggest rumors and news surrounding BioShock 4.
Ghost of Tsushima narrative lead joins BioShock 4 Far Cry 4 and Ghost of Tsushima narrative lead Liz Albl announced on Twitter (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) that she would be making the jump to 2K Games’ Cloud Chamber studio as part of the BioShock 4 story crew. This is the latest we’ve heard in terms of the game’s development process.
BioShock 4 could be called BioShock Isolation Twitter user @Oopsleaks (opens in new tab) has suggested that BioShock 4 could actually be named BioShock Isolation. Reporting the news back in November 2021, the known leaker suggests this’ll be set in an “isolated dystopian city,” using Unreal Engine 5. Reportedly, an announcement was planned for Q1 2022 but for whatever reason, that’s since been delayed.
#Bioshock Isolation (title may change) logo variant- Set in a new-to-franchise isolated dystopian city- Unreal Engine 5- Developed by Irrational Games veterans and people who worked on Watch Dogs: Legion, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Mafia 3, Deus Ex: MD- Announcement Q1 2022 pic.twitter.com/BwyXKp1LKKNovember 17, 2021
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Setting leak? A leak might have just revealed the planned setting for BioShock 4, courtesy of Colin Moriarty in a Sacred Symbols (opens in new tab) video (via VGC (opens in new tab)). According to this, BioShock 4 takes players to a fictional city in the Antarctic in the 1960s. This is a setting that both VGC and Eurogamer (opens in new tab) have corroborated, citing anonymous sources.
Setting the game in the 1960s would bring it in line with the timeline of BioShock 1 and 2, which take place in the underwater city of Rapture. Moriarty went on to say that the new city setting could be called Borealis and that the game will narratively connect to previous entries in the series.
“It takes place in a 1960s Antarctic city called Borealis,” Moriarty said. “[The game is] codenamed ‘Parkside’… I’ve been told that the development team has incredible latitude to get it right. That seems and sounds right to me.” Moriarty went on to say, “Internally, the game is very secret and apparently totally locked up. Apparently the inclination there is that they understand full well that this game will be compared to what [original BioShock creator] Ken Levine does. And by the way, [Take-Two] is also publishing Levine’s next game.”
Moriarty said that the game is apparently targeting a 2022 release but, of course, this report remains a rumor until anything is confirmed by the game’s publisher or developer. If the game really is targeting a 2022 release, however, there isn’t really much time left for an announcement and release cycle.
Nvidia GeForce Now leak There was a major leak from the Nvidia GeForce Now (game streaming service) database in September 2021 and it included a listing for “BioShock 2022”, which could be related to the BioShock game announced in 2019, known for now as BioShock 4.
Since the leak took place, 343 Industries has stepped forward to say that a listing for Halo 5 on PC was incorrect and that the game will not come to the platform. Which is as good a sign as any that many of the games that appeared on the list (or any release dates tied to them) aren’t actually correct.
Unreal Engine 5 A job listing at Cloud Chamber games, developers of BioShock 4, suggests the team could be developing the game using Epic’s Unreal Engine 5. In the ad for a Senior Gameplay Programmer (opens in new tab) it states that the candidate will “work within Unreal Engine 5 adapting existing systems and building new technology in order to fulfil the project’s technical needs and creative goals.”
If BioShock 4 is being developed using Epic’s latest, next-gen engine it bodes well for how the game will look as Epic’s recent demo footage of the engine in use on PS5 and Xbox Series X was very impressive.
A possible PS5 exclusive? A rumour (via ComicBook (opens in new tab)) that Sony could be pursuing BioShock 4 as a PS5 exclusive in some capacity has been posted.
On an episode of the Xbox Era podcast (opens in new tab), host Nick “Shpeshal_Ed” Baker said that he has heard from unnamed sources that Sony is going after BioShock 4 as a PlayStation exclusive. According to Baker, he wasn’t given many details about the current situation and couldn’t say for certain whether any deal being made would make the game an outright exclusive or a timed exclusive, though he did say he would assume the latter.
Of course, this remains nothing more than a rumor at the moment and, even if Sony is in talks for exclusivity, there’s no certainty that any deal would be made.
(Image credit: 2K Games)
More job listings suggest the next BioShock will be open-world In yet another piece of juicy gossip supplied by a new round of job listings (opens in new tab), it appears that Cloud Chamber will be taking BioShock in a different direction this time out, with the developer actively searching for someone “who can weave impactful, character-driven stories in an open world setting.”
Another job listing also points to the upcoming BioShock implementing an “urban crowd system” with a “systemic tribal ecology” backed by a “sometimes hostile AI”. It’s said the person who ultimately gets the job will need to “push the envelope of what is possible with interactive crowd systems”.
Clues given by more job listings point to a new setting When you’re short of formal announcements about a game, sometimes there are things to be gleaned from its job listings. That’s proven to be the case with BioShock 4, as some Cloud Chamber Games job listings spotted by Twitter user MauroNL (opens in new tab) (via IGN (opens in new tab)) suggest that the game won’t be set in Rapture or Columbia, the settings for previous games in the series.
As pointed out by MauroNL “Several job listings ask: ‘we want you to help us breathe life into a new and fantastical world.’, which suggests the game having a new setting and not a return to Rapture or Columbia. ‘Together, we will set the stage for a stunning narrative and systems-driven experience’.”
While this clearly isn’t a confirmation on where the game is – or isn’t – set, it certainly does suggest that BioShock 4 will take us somewhere new, which wouldn’t be an unwelcome change and would allow Cloud Chamber Games to really make its mark on the BioShock universe.
(Image credit: 2K Games)
Job listings Cloud Chamber Studios is working on the next BioShock title and some job listings (via GamesRadar (opens in new tab)) the studio has posted can give us small insights into BioShock 4, or at least what the development team is working to bring to the game.
One listing for a Senior AI Engineer (opens in new tab) mentions “high ambitions” for tying AI and storytelling together in this “strongly narrative and systemic game”. The game will have “several AI systems” for this person to work on including an “urban crowd system and the systemic tribal ecology of a sometimes hostile AI”.
Another listing for a Lead Combat/AI Designer (opens in new tab) tells prospective applicants they’ll be working on developing “an FPS combat paradigm that is accessible, satisfying, and allows for a high degree of player expression and experimentation within a highly reactive world” and that they will have to think “beyond direct conflict, accommodate various play-styles and design encounters that can be resolved through player ingenuity.”
It’s not a huge amount to go on but it does suggest an ambitious approach is being taken with BioShock 4 and that the game will continue, and potentially even enhance, the flexible approach taken by previous installments.
In the works for years According to a report by Kotaku (opens in new tab), a new BioShock has quietly been in the works for years.
“What 2K didn’t say is that this project has already been in the works since at least 2015, although it’s been rebooted since then,” writes Kotaku’s Jason Schreier.
BioShock 4: what we want to see
(Image credit: 2K Games)
Return to Rapture While it was nice to venture out of the underwater city of Rapture in BioShock: Infinite, it didn’t quite feel the same. Sure there were some nostalgic scenes and the Burial at Sea DLC let us pop in once again, but we want to return properly this time.
Perhaps BioShock 4 could see us returning to a new Rapture, one that society has tried to reclaim and spruce up following the events of the previous games. If not, then we would love another wonderfully atmospheric city in a similar vein.
Big Daddies and Little Sisters Sure, they’re a bit creepy but we love them. More importantly, they’re a big part of why many of us love BioShock but weren’t really big players in BioShock: Infinite. We hope to see them return in the next one.
Explore the lore more While it can sometimes be confusing, BioShock’s lore and narrative is intriguing and we love the webs that have been weaved across the previous games. We’re hoping 2K strive to build more on it, perhaps throwing in some more twists.
New Vigors A big part of what makes BioShock so much fun are the Vigors you can play around with. While it would be great to see the return of our favorites, we want some new Vigors to try out and combine.
February 14 is less than a month away, which means it’s time to start thinking about placing an order for Valentine’s Day flowers for that special someone. To help you find today’s top offers, we’ve rounded up the best Valentine’s Day flower delivery services in the US and the UK.
Placing an online order for Valentine’s Day flowers is always an easy and romantic option. Beautiful floral arrangements are available to order in minutes from a wide range of online retailers that are sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face.
Our guide has rounded up the best online flower delivery services, as well as the current promotions from each florist, and included important information such as delivery charges. Make sure to bookmark this page, as we’ll be updating it with all the latest Valentine’s Day flower offers from the top online delivery services, including last-minute delivery fees.
Hogwarts Legacy is shaping up to be the Harry Potter game that fans have been clamoring for. For years, fans have been crying out for a full-fledged RPG set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and now that we’re into 2023, they don’t have long to wait.
Recently, we had the chance to go hands-on with Hogwarts Legacy, you can read more in our Hogwarts Legacy preview. From what we played, the magic dueling is challenging, but offers plenty of depth for players to experiment.
Even though we are in the final stretch before Hogwarts Legacy releases, there’s still plenty of questions left unanswered. It’s likely that WB Games will offer up even more info as we get closer to launch, in which case this page will be updated. For now, here’s all of the latest news and rumors.
Hogwarts Legacy: cut to the chase
What is it? A Harry Potter RPG set in the 1800s
When can I play it? February 10, 2023 (separate release dates for older consoles)
What can I play it on? PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch
Unfortunately, the Xbox One and PS4 versions of the game were recently delayed. These versions will now launch on April 4, 2023.
While a Nintendo Switch version is coming too, you’ll have to wait until July 25, 2023.
When Hogwarts Legacy first leaked, Bloomberg reported that it would come to next-gen consoles in 2021. However, the start of 2021 saw an official delay to 2022, as publisher Portkey Games confirmed more time was needed to get the game in tip-top shape. In August 2022 this was pushed a little further forward to the current release date with the developer stating on Twitter (opens in new tab) that it needs “a little more time to deliver the best possible game experience.”
Hogwarts Legacy trailers
Voice actors announced! On January 11, 2023, the Hogwarts Legacy Twitter account revealed some of the faces behind prominent characters in the game. Perhaps most noticeable is Simon Pegg, who will play the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Join Simon Pegg as he dives deeper into the world of Hogwarts Legacy and shares what it was like portraying Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black. #HogwartsLegacy pic.twitter.com/FDXV6jg8f6January 11, 2023
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Gameplay showcase 2 On December 13, 2022, Avalanche showed off a second gameplay showcase for Hogwarts Legacy. In it, players were given a first look at unforgivable curses including Avada Kedavra. The Dark Arts Battle Arena looks to be locked to the Deluxe Edition of the game, and allows players to test out spells early. Check out the showcase below for a look at broomstick flying and Hippogriff exploration.
Making the music Towards the end of 2022, Hogwarts Legacy released a ‘Making the Music’ trailer. This shows how the music was created for the game. The team chats about striking a balance between new themes that evoke nostalgia for Potter fans, and how it incorporated it for the gameplay loop present in the game.
Gameplay Showcase trailer The official Hogwarts Legacy Twitter account announced a gameplay showcase for the game earlier this year. It took place on Friday, November 11, 2022.
The Haunted Hogsmeade Shop During Sony’s September 2022 State of Play conference, we got our first look at the PlayStation exclusive quest, The Haunted Hogsmeade Shop.
“Madam Mason has a Hogsmeade shop to sell – but there’s a catch. Uncover what lies beneath this haunted shop during a PlayStation exclusive quest. Watch your step – not everyone who enters is able to escape the darkness,” the blurb states:
You can get a sneak peak of this below:
Dark Arts A fresh trailer dropped during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022, giving us a look at the game’s darker side. Don’t expect to be spared any difficult choices as you encounter Dark Magic in Hogwarts Legacy.
ASMR magic Ahead of Hogwarts Legacy’s appearance at Gamescom 2022, Avalanche Software released an ASMR video which features 4K footage of “a hot summer day” at various locations around the game world.
Next-Gen Immersion trailer A new trailer from PlayStation is giving us some glimpses of Hogwarts Legacy in action while detailing all of the ways the game will take advantage of the PS5 hardware to increase player immersion. We’re talking DualSense support, 3D audio and 4K visuals.
State of Play gameplay In March 2022, a PlayStation State of Play dedicated to Hogwarts Legacy showed eager fans 14 minutes of gameplay on the PS5. Covering everything from character creation and combat, to classes and exploration, the gameplay is the best look at Hogwarts Legacy we’ve had so far.
Reveal trailer The first Hogwarts Legacy trailer was shown off at Sony’s September 2020 PS5 price and release date reveal. It gave us a peek at the game’s environments, with fantastical creatures, plenty of wand-action, and hints at a mysterious power that your character holds…
Hogwarts Legacy story and setting
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
Hogwarts Legacy is an RPG set in an immersive, open-world. Taking you to the wizarding world of the 1800s, Hogwarts Legacy is creating some distance between itself and the familiarity of the books and films but fans of the Harry Potter series have been assured that the game will be “firmly rooted in the Harry Potter universe”. The developer says it’s aiming to “chart new territory by creating fresh ways for fans to immerse themselves in the wizarding world”.
There’s an original main story that runs through Hogwarts Legacy, just in case you were worried that the game would let you loose in the school with absolutely no adventure whatsoever.
According to a post on the PlayStation Blog (opens in new tab), you will start at Hogwarts in your fifth year, coming to the school after surviving some kind of mysterious incident. Your character apparently has “ties to an ancient magic” which will “put you on a collision course with a goblin rebellion led by Ranrok, aided by his alliance with the Dark wizard Victor Rookwood, who both present formidable threats to the entire wizarding world.”
According to the post, Ranrok “has seen a glimmer of a magic that wizardkind tried to hide – even from themselves – and he wants that power in particular. His worldview is skewed by his hatred of wizards, which makes his alliance with Victor Rookwood particularly tenuous. Once Ranrok gets what he wants, no one will be able to stop him and the wizarding world will be doomed.
Hogwarts Legacy gameplay
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
As confirmed in an official FAQ (opens in new tab) for Hogwarts Legacy is an entirely single-player experience with no online or co-op modes.
With that focus on the single-player experience, the game appears to be all about crafting your own personal adventure in the wizarding world. It’s no surprise, then, that you’ll create your own character in a character creator that seems to allow for a fair bit of customization, based what we were shown in the Hogwarts Legacy gameplay reveal.
According to a report from Bloomberg (opens in new tab), the character creator for the game will be trans-inclusive, with the report stating that sources “familiar with the game’s development” have revealed that the game will allow players to customize their character’s body type, voice and gender placement for school dormitories.
Once you’ve created your character and selected your house, there’ll be classes to catch up on and new friends to make. To add an extra layer to the social aspect of the story, you’ll nurture those connections, with your magical new pals able to teach you abilities and act as companions on quests and adventures.
During school hours, you’ll be learning and casting spells and charms, brewing potions, and attending a host of classes so you can graduate alongside your classmates.
The new spells and abilities that you learn from your professors and fellow students will be useable in combat and in puzzles through the wider game world. The range of spells that you learn will allow for choice when it comes to combat styles. Players can, for example, go in “all wands-blazing” or cast a Disillusionment charm for a more stealthy approach. “Different techniques will be required to counter enemy strengths and weaknesses that should make every encounter feel engaging.”
The spells you learn won’t necessarily just be the nice kind, either. Like any talented Hogwarts student, you’ll face the temptation of powerful dark magic and unforgivable curses, with a trailer shown during Gamescom 2022 giving a taste of the difficult choices you’ll have to make.
In your down-time, you can explore the school, from iconic locations you’ve seen in the films to secret passageways that contain puzzles for you to solve. There’s even a few locations we’ve not seen in the movies, like the Hufflepuff common room.
On that note, if you’re worried about which House you’ll be sorted into, don’t be. You’ll be able to choose for yourself. The Hogwarts Legacy official website reveals that players can choose their House at the start of the game. Although we don’t know how the choice will be made, or whether houses will be able to be changed later on down the line.
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
Another feature that ties into your late start at Hogwarts is the Room of Requirement. Here you can grow plants for ingredients, brew potions, upgrade gear and more. You even have your own House Elf to do your bidding. To top that all off, you’ll have a menagerie where you can keep the various magical creatures you’ll run into throughout the course of the game.
See, you’re not just limited to Hogwarts in your travels; you’ll be able to visit the neighboring village of Hogsmeade, as well as a smattering of other hamlets speckled throughout the countryside. These locations are populated with NPCs and side quests you can dig into at your leisure, with dynamic seasons and climates to really bring them to life.
As far as visuals are concerned, on PS5 the game will run at 4K and you’ll be able to choose between Performance and Fidelity modes, with the former prioritizing frame rate while the latter leans into visual fidelity.
For audio, the game takes advantage of the console’s 3D audio capabilities, with the promise of “additional immersive sounds through the DualSense controller speaker, like the soft flap of a Hippogriff’s wings and effects of each spell you cast” for those not using headphones.
Finally, the PS5’s SSD should mean “quick loading times no matter how you choose to move from place to place, whether you take the scenic route on a broom or fast travel via the Floo Network.”
Hogwarts Legacy editions and pre-order bonuses
Hogwarts Legacy is now available for pre-order and you have three editions to choose from: Standard, Deluxe and Collector.
Pre-order bonus Before we dig into what each edition offers, it’s worth noting that all pre-orders come with an Onyx Hippogriff Mount, while those who pre-order on PlayStation will also get a Felix Felicis potion recipe.
Standard Edition The Standard Edition is, well, pretty standard – you’ll get the base game and that’s it. Well, unless you’re buying the Standard Edition for a PlayStation console, in which case the developer has confirmed on Twitter (opens in new tab) that you’ll also get an exclusive quest.
Deluxe Edition The Deluxe Edition offers a little more than the Standard Edition, as you’d expect given it’s more expensive. In the Deluxe Edition you’ll get:
72 hours early access
The Dark Arts pack, which includes the Thestral Mount, the Dark Arts Battle Arena, the Dark Arts Cosmetic Set and the Dark Arts Garrison Hat
For those buying on PlayStation and Xbox, this version will include both the last and current-gen digital versions of the game. PlayStation players will get that additional exclusive quest, too.
If you pick up the Standard Edition but decide you’d quite like that Dark Arts pack, the developer confirmed on Twitter (opens in new tab) that you’ll be given the chance to purchase it separately in-game, with this being the only item for purchase in-game.
Collector’s Edition The Collector’s Edition is the most expensive option and in addition to coming with everything in both the Standard and Deluxe editions, it has:
A life-size figurine of a floating magic wand with a book base
A steel case
Kelpie Robe (cosmetic DLC)
Hogwarts Legacy news and rumors
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
Cross-save will not be included In the run-up to the release of Hogwarts Legacy, many of the developers working on the game have been revealing further aspects of how it’ll work at launch. Unfortunately, a reply from WB Games Support on Twitter confirms that Hogwarts Legacy will not support cross-save. Your rewards will carry over between platforms, likely this means cosmetic items and sign-in bonuses, but your save data will stay on the platform you are playing on.
Hi, thanks for contacting us about Hogwarts Legacy! You will be able to link both platforms for rewards in each version of the game, but save data will stay on the platform it was created on. We hope this helps!January 13, 2023
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PlayStation exclusive content Those who pick up the PlayStation version of Hogwarts Legacy will be getting some exclusive content, Avalanche Software has revealed.
In a Twitter thread, the official Hogwarts Legacy account revealed that “All PlayStation editions will come with the Exclusive Quest”, with no need to pre-order to get it. Those who do pre-order on PlayStation, though, will also get the “Felix Felicis Potion Recipe”. Hogwarts Legacy community manager, Chandler Wood, also used Twitter (opens in new tab) to clarify “PlayStation players get an exclusive quest, and PlayStation pre-orders get the Felix Felicis potion recipe”, adding there’ll be “more information on these soon.”
A peek at the UI? Hogwarts Legacy fans have been looking closely at the gameplay revealed during the March Sony event and they might have caught a glimpse of the game’s UI in a brief few frames.
As posted to the HarryPotterGame subreddit (opens in new tab), menu elements with what appear to be four equipped spells and potentially a mini map appear for only a few seconds. It’s highly likely that what’s shown is placeholder UI given the game is still in development.
However, we can maybe glean some of the spells that you’ll be able to use in the game from what’s shown. Based on the images in the UI, the spells equipped by the players appear to be Wingardium Leviosa, the levitation spell; Accio, the object retrieval spell; and Lumos, the light spell.
No microstransactions It’s been confirmed by Avalanche Software that Hogwarts Legacy will not contain any microtransactions. This is stated explicitly in an FAQ (opens in new tab) for the game, which says “Hogwarts Legacy does not have in-game purchases or micro-transactions” but it has been re-iterated by Avalanche Software’s community manager, Chandler Wood, on Twitter.
“We’ve seen this question coming up and want to set the record straight,” Wood said. “There are no microtransactions in Hogwarts Legacy.”
We’ve seen this question coming up and want to set the record straight.There are no microtransactions in Hogwarts Legacy.March 17, 2022
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JK Rowling doesn’t have much involvement, apparently According to the Bloomberg report, Rowling doesn’t have much involvement in the game’s creation and the game’s official FAQ (opens in new tab) states while the game “is inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World”, the author “is not directly involved in the creation of the game.”
