Every two years since 2013’s A Realm Reborn, Final Fantasy XIV has received a new expansion. Each of these huge updates introduced a wealth of new content for Square Enix’s MMORPG, with each release comparable to a full standalone JRPG. All packed in enthralling stories, new regions, missions and impressive boss fights, continually building out the game’s fantastical setting Eorzea.  

Last week, Square Enix debuted the fourth expansion. Like its predecessors, Endwalker promises new jobs, new areas to explore (we’re going to the moon!) and much, much more. 

And as with 2013’s reimagining and subsequent expansions, Endwalker’s development is headed by Naoki Yoshida. The director and producer has spent the last eight years reshaping Final Fantasy XIV into a critically-acclaimed MMO behemoth. This latest release marks the end of a decade-long storyline, one that stretches all the way back to the game’s original version, which launched in 2010. 

Yoshida-san is a busy man. Not only is he overseeing yet another feature-packed expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, he was recently announced as the producer for the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI. Yet between juggling two Leviathan-sized projects, he found the time to answer our most burning questions around that astounding Endwalker reveal. 

Endwalker will bring Final Fantasy XIV’s 10-year long story arc to its conclusion. How does it feel to finally close this long a chapter? When did you first envision how this chapter of FFXIV was to end and how much has the final version changed from that initial premise?

Since the time of A Realm Reborn, the idea of the “Hydaelyn and Zodiark saga” already existed and was what we were working off of when creating the story. Being able to tell this story to its conclusion required Final Fantasy XIV to succeed as an MMORPG, and we were far from being able to declare the ongoing story as the Hydaelyn and Zodiark saga even at the time of Heavensward’s release. Following the release of Stormblood and having seen the growing community and success of the game, I thought it was time to more fully flesh out the concepts of the story and think as to how and where this conclusion might take place. 

Back then, I felt 6.0 or 7.0 would be a good time to wrap things up, but with the excitement we saw with Shadowbringers being even higher than our expectations, I decided we shouldn’t draw the story out awkwardly, and continue the wave of excitement by concluding the st

Season Two of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone live on February 25 on PlayStation, and with it comes a whole lot of new content. Let’s take a look:

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Outbreak: A new Zombies experience

Interconnected with the Dark Aether storyline, Outbreak tasks players with objective based play across the largest Multiplayer maps in Black Ops Cold War.

Hunt down elite enemies using a satellite tracker, escort a Rover that detects dimensional portals, or hold out against the zombies in confined Dark Aether regions — complete your objectives and get to Exfil. Will you escape via the chopper or take your chances in the Dark Aether portal for extra rewards?

There are new abilities and upgrades as well. Activate the new Frenzied Guard Field Upgrade to force all undead creatures to attack the user for 10 seconds, during which time only Armor will take damage. Turn Heavy Zombies into mincemeat using the explosive Shatter Blast Ammo Mod, and earn the new Refined and Flawless Aetherium Crystals to upgrade your Skills to Tier IV and V.

Earn six free new weapons

Season Two brings some serious firepower with the addition of six new weapons:

• FARA 83 (free at Tier 15) – This rapid-fire assault rifle is devastating in the hands of capable Operators who can control its reliable accuracy and slower handling.
• LC10 (free at Tier 31) – A well-rounded fully-auto SMG that competes into the mid-range due to its solid accuracy and extended effective damage range.

Unlock four more weapons — the R1 Shadowhunter, Machete, bolt-action ZRG 20mm sniper rifle, and the military tri-fold shovel E-Tool — by completing in-game challenges to earn the free base weapon or by purchasing a bundle with the Blueprint from that family when it appears in the Store.

New multiplayer maps and game modes

Apocalypse (6v6, Launch Week)

Descend into a Lao jungle cartel base in the heart of the Golden Triangle in Apocalypse, a small-to-medium sized map built for aggressive fighting in and around the temple fortres

We are pleased to announce that, following the PlayStation Gear Store’s North America launch in 2019, we are expanding to several countries in Europe, offering a fantastic range of items for PlayStation fans to choose from. And just in time for this expansion, Guerrilla’s very own merchandise brand, Horizon Raw Materials, is releasing a line-up of brand-new items available online in all regions where the PlayStation Gear Store ships to.

PlayStation Gear Store expands to additional territories

Now available in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the UK, PlayStation Gear Store provides a one-stop shop for fans to choose from a wide range of PlayStation-inspired gear. In addition to PlayStation-branded items, we’ve worked closely with our studios to incorporate some of our popular games into your everyday lifestyle. Below, you’ll find a sample selection of the fantastic offerings available through PlayStation Gear Store in the newly launched countries- including apparel, drinkware, home decor, and more.

A selection of PlayStation Gear Store items

Available in newly launched territories

PS5-inspired Quilted Bomber Jacket 

A jacket perfect for PS5 and DualSense wireless controller fans and gamers alike. Custom designed with DualSense wireless controller interior lining. This durable, diamond quilted jacket comes equipped with metal zippers, slash pockets and ribbed cuffs. Comes in both men’s and women’s sizing.

Available for pre-order

Debossed DualSense Wireless Controller Beanie 

Cozy accessory with a “leather” flair. Acrylic knitted beanie with custom designed debossed DualSense wireless controller patch on one side and embroidered PS5 logo on the other.

Women’s Iridescent Semi-Crop Shirt

Your new favorite long sleeve crop with a shimmer of PlayStation. Pre-shrunk sizing makes this an everlasting accessory, perfect for layering.

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When NieR Replicant launched in 2010, one of the most memorable facets of the PS3 action RPG was its soundtrack, masterfully created by Keiichi Okabe. Since then, the 51 year old Japanese composer has revisited that haunting sci-fi world on multiple occasions. Outside working on arrangement albums and live concerts, he returned for acclaimed series’ sequel NieR:Automata in 2017. And in a few short months we’ll hear modern-day reimaginings of those classic tracks, created especially for an updated version of the original entitled NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… 

In anticipation of that game’s release on April 23, we had the chance to ask Okabe-san about revisiting that seminal work over a decade on and find out how the game’s ethereal soundtrack is being reinterpreted for this new version. Alongside discussing those rerecording sessions, the composer also gives insight into his creative process behind select game tracks, both original and new.  

You have created music for a vast number of games before composing for NieR, one of the works you are most known for. In what ways was composing for this game a unique challenge at the time?

Previously, I was involved more with arcade games, rather than console games. So, often I would be asked to create flashy music with a momentum to excite you for battle. However, with NieR, I placed heavier emphasis on the music fulfilling its role of expressing the unique world or conveying the emotions of a particular character and the feelings trapped in their heart.

The music did not clearly envision happiness, anger, sadness or levity, but instead, was created to give the listener a sense of all the emotions swirling around in the nooks and crannies of their heart—like the faint glimmer of hope amidst the sorrow, or sadness mixed with bitterness.

“We recorded a youth choir for this song, and I remember it was quite a difficult endeavour compared to recording an adult choir.”

Empathy is perhaps the most important theme of NieR. How do you translate this feeling into music?

I, myself, love music that evokes a lot of emotion. So, it wasn’t too big of a struggle to express that in my work. However, incorporating that flavor into most of the songs, and still giving it some variety, plus having to create the large number of songs, was what I struggled with.

Rather than the backing track, I try to inject emotion into the melody, and I feel that might be inspired from old movie scores.

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The year was 2005. The game was Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse. The console? Not the PlayStation 2… whoops. 15 years later, Aspyr would like to make things right the best way we know how: reanimating that classic on PlayStation 4 and 5. Better late than never, right?

For the authentic 2005 Stubbs experience, we’ve brought the game back exactly the same as it was back then. Same gameplay, same graphics, same UI. Okay, we also added modern resolution support, improved controls and key bindings on modern controllers, and nifty new Trophies. But other than that, it’s the same!

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Since Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse is new to PlayStation, we figured we’d give you a look into what the game is all about.

Retro-meets-future

It’s 1959 and the city of Punchbowl, PA, is a beacon of progress and ideal living. The perfect combination of classic 50’s style and futuristic technology. Kind of like what we’re doing here with an old school game on cutting edge consoles. 

As Stubbs, you’ll wreak havoc on the idyllic and retro-futuristic city of Punchbowl.

Brains, brawn, and good looks

The trick to a hostile takeover of a town like Punchbowl? Take your enemies out for a bite and add them to your zombie horde. The more the scarier, after all!

In your quest to reunite with the love of your life, you’ll explore several of Punchbowl’s most impressive locales. Each self-contained location features new mechanics, challenges, and (of course) new Punchbowl citizens to gnaw on. Ever wondered if a crazed farmhand’s brains taste different from a ray gun-wielding, jetpack joyriding barbershop quartet member’s? Now’s your chance to find out!

Eat brains and add unwitting Punchbowl citizens to your loyal horde.

In Stubbs the Zombie, there’s more to being a zombie than just eating brains, building a horde, and terrorizing a city. It’s all that plus unholy flatulence, gut grenades, and sputum heads. Here’s the lowdown on all of Stubbs’ special abilities:

• Unholy Flatulence: The foes you hit with unholy flatulence might not agree, but I think it’s a gas. You’ll come up smelli