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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0 Season 02 Reloaded arrives March 15

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Season 02 Reloaded launches on March 15 for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0. The midseason update continues the epic action from the start of the season with the introduction of Special Ops Raid Episode 02, the Himmelmatt Expo 6v6 Multiplayer map, new Camo Challenges, a new free functional weapon, and more across both games.

Raid Episode 02, Himmelmatt Expo, more Party modes

Test your skills in a new cooperative Raid, explore an idyllic winter retreat at Himmelmat, and let loose with new Multiplayer party modes.

Atomgrad Raid Episode 02: Team up with two other players and take on the roles of Captain Price, Farah, and Gaz as they embark on a new mission to identify and acquire a deadly warhead. The Operators must navigate through deadly traps and increasing enemy resistance as they ascend through the missile silo.

As part of the midseason update, anyone who owns Modern Warfare® II will be able to access Raids; Raid Assignments are no longer required for access. Players who successfully complete Episode 02 can take on the Veteran version of the Raid, offering additional rewards for tackling the mission against greater odds.

Himmelmatt Expo (6v6): Deploy to the Himmelmatt Expo, a new Core Multiplayer map set on a European mountainside. Battle in the main event center and skirmish through the snow-covered streets surrounding the luxurious amenities of this winter retreat. Look for Himmelmatt Expo in the Quick Play rotation and featured Playlists throughout Season 02 Reloaded.

Get your winter jacket and prepare to deploy to this idyllic company retreat nestled in the Swiss Alps. However, attendees for the upcoming Oil & Gas Summit 2023 will have to delay their arrival as combat breaks out on the site between SpecGru and KorTac forces.

Himmelmatt Expo consists of four major areas:

Event Center: The Event Center occupies nearly half of the map, a huge building housing reception services, a Conference Room, the Lounge, and a Terrace. The structure is composed of two levels: the main floor that runs from the reception desks on either side of the building and through the Terrace, and the lower floor leading to the Conference Room.

Main Roads: Roads lead to the event center’s top and bottom entrances, with parked vehicles scattered throughout.  From the southern Roundabout, one can see over the Sauna and up toward the Restaurant, while Operators in the north Street enjoy a similar view over the Sauna and against enemies emerging from the Pool. Use the various trucks and vehicles here for cover as needed and be sure to race inside if you get notified of an incoming enemy streak.

Restaurant: While tiny compared to the event center, The Restaurant nonetheless occupies an important position on the map, with several game modes positioning their objective at or near the building.

Pool & Sauna: The Sauna

The Last of Us Part I PC’s features and specs detailed

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After its successful debut on the PlayStation 5 console last year, The Last of Us Part I is making its way to PC on March 28! Marking the first time The Last of Us has been available on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, we can’t wait for new and returning players to experience Joel and Ellie’s emotional journey on a new platform.

Whether you’re coming to the launch of The Last of Us Part I on PC as a first timer – maybe you’ve been enjoying The Last of Us on HBO and want to jump into the game? – or if you’re a returning player who wants to experience this memorable adventure all over again, we hope the PC version will be an exciting way for everyone to play.

We previously confirmed Part I’s PC iteration will bring with it the same main content as its PS5 counterpart, but with the PC release drawing near, we snuck by some frightening Clickers to deliver more information about what players can expect.

The Last of Us Part I PC’s features and specs detailed

Whatever your previous experience with The Last of Us Part I, its PC release brings with it plenty of PC features to bring Joel and Ellie’s tense and unforgettable journey to life. This version of The Last of Us Part I is optimized for PC with PC-centric quality-of-life enhancements. Part I will feature AMD FSR 2.2 support, Nvidia DLSS Super Resolution support*, VSync and frame rate cap options, and a host of features designed specifically for PC, including adjustable Texture Quality, Shadows, Reflections, Ambient Occlusion, and more.

Through the experiences of Joel and Ellie, PC players can fully immerse themselves in beautiful yet haunting environments in stunning detail with true 4K resolutions**. From the harsh, oppressive streets of the Boston QZ to the overgrown and abandoned homes of Bill’s Town to so much more, embark on a beautiful journey across the United States of America with Ultra-Wide Monitor Support for both 21:9 Ultrawide and 32:9 Super Ultrawide aspect ratios.

Experience all these locations, stealthily sneaking through abandoned homes and cities (and picking their drawers and cabinets clean looking for supplies) or engage in tense, captivating action with 3D audio support to better hear the rustle of leaves, the crack of glass, or the footfalls of enemies trying to ambush you***.

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Inside the development of the latest PS5 system software update

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The PS5 console’s latest system software update rolled out globally yesterday to all PS5 players, and many of you have already checked out new features like Discord voice chat and 1440p VRR support.

For a peek behind the curtain, we sat down with Hiromi Wakai, VP of Product Management based out of Tokyo, to discuss how the new features came together and what’s next beyond this latest update.

Sid Shuman: Good to speak with you again, Hiromi! Can you tell us about your role at PlayStation?

Hiromi Wakai: My team covers the product management role for the hardware products, system software updates, and network services for PlayStation, working closely with teams in the U.S. and Europe. I’m fortunate to help guide our product strategy on a global basis.

I joined Sony Group in 2001 and came to SIE in 2005, so I’ve been working on PlayStation products for almost 18 years. It’s been a wonderful journey of listening to our fans and game development partners as we work to deliver new features and products that unlock the possibilities of play.

Sid: Discord voice chat is a big addition.

Hiromi: Discord voice chat has been one of the biggest requests from our community and we’ve worked hard with the Discord team to deliver an experience that we hope our players will enjoy. I use Discord when I’m playing a Final Fantasy XIV raid with my friends who are gaming on PC, so Discord voice chat is a feature that’s important to me and one we’re very happy to bring to our community. Together with Discord, we want to make it easier for people to connect with each other, wherever they enjoy gaming.

Sid: What are some of your favorite features in this new update?

Hiromi: I’m very happy that we are delivering Variable Refresh Rate support for 1440p because it’s been a highly requested feature from players who enjoy gaming on 1440p-supported monitors. VRR is a great way to enhance the visual performance of PS5 games so it’s exciting that more of our gamers will be able to enjoy this feature.

The ability to update your DualSense controller wirelessly is another feature that I feel adds convenience for players and makes the experience of updating your controller’s device software that much easier.

Sid: How do you determine which features make it into a system update?

Hiromi: Our inspiration comes from our players so we are constantly listening to their feedback. We are always thinking about the features that our fans might want to see and ways to make their gaming experiences on PS5 more fun, social, and connected. It’s also important for us to minimize friction in players’ ability to easily jump into the experiences they want to enjoy on PS5. We keep a very long list of features and think carefully about how we prioritize our time and resources to deliver the ones that will make the most meaningful impact on our players’ experience.

Our focus is not just enhancing the core PS5 experience but also delivering great integrated platform experiences for new products, like the deep control customization options for the DualSense Edge wireless controller and PlayStation VR2. We are excited to introduce even more new features to players in the future!

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Rep your nation in MLB The Show 23 with World Baseball Classic star players

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For the first time in franchise history, MLB The Show 23 roster will feature international baseball players competing in the World Baseball Classic. 

Suit up in your nation’s colors with official 2023 World Baseball Classic uniforms in MLB The Show 23, and then build a dream team mixing and matching 100+ players hailing from 20 countries, including Major League Baseball superstars.

Rep your nation in MLB The Show 23 with World Baseball Classic star players

Diamond Dynasty mode* is your destination for all World Baseball Classic content in MLB The Show 23 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles. Beginning with Early Access on March 24, fans can play through the World Baseball Classic Program! Relive the best moments, dominate a themed Conquest map, win Event games, earn bat skins, and unlock Flashback player items from the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Combine these new Flashbacks on your dream team with current MLB All-Stars and Legends from the last 100 years of baseball history, such as Babe Ruth and Ken Griffey Jr.

If this sounds exciting, take a look at the Digital Deluxe Edition of MLB The Show 23**. Each purchase includes one choice pack with World Baseball Classic Diamond player items and a choice pack with World Baseball Classic country uniform items. “Around the World” packs with more 2023 World Baseball Classic player items will be available at launch.

International talent

Look for all-new animations in MLB The Show 23 with the addition of global standouts, including a dynamic duo from Team Japan. Power-hitter Munetaka Murakami will display his signature batting stance and home run celebration, while Roki Sasaki has a custom pitching windup to deliver a blazing 100 mph fastball.

The World Baseball Classic sets up surreal matchups of current MLB teammates and also unites countrymen. In Diamond Dynasty mode, you control the lineup card as you acquire new Flashbacks.

Add MVP outfielders from different international leagues with Mookie Betts (Team USA) and Jung-hoo Lee (Team Korea), and pitch with journeyman Marek Minarik, who helped Team Czech Republic qualify for the first time in the World Baseball Classic. Other new Flashbacks include Team Chinese Taipei star players Chieh-Hsien Chen, Li Lin, and Kungkuan Giljegiljaw.

You will face tough decisions at every position as you build your Diamond Dynasty squad, especially with these World Baseball Classic Flashback player items coming to MLB The Show 23:

First Bas

NWSL and UWCL join FIFA 23 on March 15

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Two new women’s competitions are ready to kick-off in FIFA 23 just as their real world counterparts are heating up. The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) joins the Barclays Women’s Super League and Division 1 Arkema as the third women’s football league on the eve of the 2023 season, and the UEFA Women’s Champions League brings European nights and four new clubs to the The World’s Game in anticipation for this year’s knockout stages.

Both competitions will be powered by the same dedicated Hypermotion2 driving the Barclays Women’s Super League and Division 1 Arkema in FIFA 23, with authentic match capture and machine learning technology creating authentic animation informed by the movement of real-life women’s players.

The NWSL and UWCL will be available and free for those with FIFA 23 starting on March 15, 2023.

NWSL

The NWSL goes live in FIFA 23 just in time for the start of the new season out on the pitch. New headscans for select players across the competition bring the faces of NWSL to The World’s Game and new celebrations that bring the energy of the league to every goal. Take the pitch at four authentic stadiums with all 12 NWSL teams in a variety of game modes including Classic Kickoff and Co-op Seasons. You can also vie for the title in Tournament Mode with a full home and away season that culminates in an authentic shield and trophy presentation, or go online to challenge others to Friendlies with your favorite club.

UWCL

The world’s most prestigious women’s club competition joins The World’s Game on March 15th—the UEFA Women’s Champions League—just as the real-world knockout stages get underway. Welcome four new iconic clubs joining Chelsea Women, Manchester City Women, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, and Paris Saint-Germain Féminine in FIFA 23, along with new faces from across these top European teams. Embrace the energy of European nights in a variety of game modes, ranging from Kick-off with each of the eight UWCL clubs and Co-op seasons with friends to Tournament modes that let you lead your team to glory. And experience it all in authentic UWCL environments complete with the anthem as you walk out, branded UWCL broadcast overlays as you play, and the iconic trophy as you crown your club champions of Europe.

Overwatch 2 x One-Punch Man Genos-Genji skin revealed

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Overwatch 2 is teaming up with the world-renowned One-Punch Man anime to bring a set of collectible cosmetics to the game, available for a limited-time from March 7 – April 6! Overwatch 2 Associate Director Aimee Dennet and Art Director Dion Rogers share their thoughts ahead of the ground-breaking collaboration, which marks a first for Overwatch 2 and paves the way for other exciting potential IP crossovers for the game in the future. The team is excited to reveal the Genos – Genji skin from the collaboration here, for the first time, today on PlayStation Blog.

What led to the idea of specifically bringing One-Punch Man into the world of Overwatch?

[Aimee Dennett, Associate Director, Overwatch 2] We’re obsessed with anime on the Overwatch team! Much like our player base, we have fun thinking about crossovers and similarities shared between characters from our favorite shows. Doomfist and Saitama were a very natural fit in our minds, given their abilities. They’re also both bald. It doesn’t hurt that our game director Aaron Keller is also a big One-Punch Man fan.

Both Genos and Genji have tragic backstories in common, can you discuss whether these shared experiences made for a perfect crossover, as well as any other inspiration that led to the Genos-Genji character?

[Aimee] The similarities between Genos’s and Genji’s backstories were certainly an inspiration. They are both humans who were pushed to the brink of death, only to be rescued and transformed into cyborgs by doctors from their respective universes. We also liked the fact that both Genji and Genos have a strong relationship with their mentors. In fact, there was an idea that Zenyatta would make for an excellent Saitama given this relationship (he’s also bald!) but Doomfist was always the clear choice for us.

Which aspects of Genos’s aesthetic and ability were most important to capture in the world of Overwatch?

[Dion Rogers, Art Director, Overwatch 2] Genos was a perfect fit for Genji. The two characters are essentially cyborgs, and both have very serious and intense attitudes. We wanted to make sure players recognized that our characters are essentially cosplaying the OPM heroes. Genos’s spiky blonde hair was an interesting challenge, the closer we matched the style the more we lost Genji in the process. Our concept artists were careful to combine the two heroes’ main aesthetics without losing either character in the process. 

What was the thought behind creating a hybridized Genos-Genji crossover skin, rather than trying to create a fully 1-to-1 Genos skin?

[Aimee] Blizzard games have very detailed lore and universes, and Overwatch is no exception. From a canon perspective, Overwatch takes place on Earth. One-Punch Man is an anime that exists on Earth, so it’s not immersion breaking if you see the existence of One-Punch Man in the game. For our firs

Share of the Week: The Last of Us Part I – Left Behind

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Last week, we asked you to return to the mall and share moments from Ellie and Riley’s adventure in The Last of Us Part I’s Left Behind chapter. Here are this week’s highlights:

LukeKasinger shares Ellie smiling while riding on the carousel

call_me_xavii shares Riley and Ellie dancing on a store counter

ForgottenJasmin shares a portrait of Riley facing Ellie

justinphotomode shares Ellie holding her joke book

Paquiteau shares Ellie standing in the entrance of Raja’s Arcade

spm_vp shares a portrait of Riley deep in thought.

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? 

THEME: Heroines
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on March 8, 2023

Next week, we’re turning the spotlight on heroic women from our favorite games. Share your favorite gaming heroine using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Welcome to the Jüngle – The Last Worker and PS VR2

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Hello folks, I’m Ryan Bousfield, founder and director of Wolf & Wood Interactive, and I’m here today to announce that our upcoming game, The Last Worker will be launching on PlayStation 5 and on PS VR2 on March 30!

For people who may not be familiar with the game, let me give you a quick run-down. The Last Worker is a first-person narrative adventure we are creating with Jörg Tittel (writer, director) and Wired Productions (publisher) that balances light work simulation tasks with stealth gameplay and a deliciously dark and satirical story, performed by a star-studded cast (featuring the likes of Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Jason Isaacs, Clare-Hope Ashitey, David Hewlet, Zelda Williams, and Tommie Earl Jenkins).

You are Kurt, the very last human worker for Jüngle – the most profitable company in the world. Kurt is responsible for “delivering dreams” along with his co-bot assistant SKEW,  navigating a huge distribution centre (larger than the sunken island of Manhattan) on a gravity defying pod, and then using your “Jünglegun” to retrieve, analyse and then tag products appropriately before dispatching or destroying them.  Kurt is pretty happy with his lot, all things considered – that is until a contact from a shadowy organisation disrupts his day to day work and offers him the chance to peek below the surface of Jüngle and the dark secrets that built an empire…

The Last Worker will be playable in both traditional “flat mode” and PS VR2 compatible, with both versions of the game built independently to make the most of the strengths of each version of the game, and of course make the most of the unique features that PlayStation 5 and PS VR2 hardware brings to the table.

Hybrid game and Saves

The Last Worker will be available as a PS5 and PSVR2 title, but you won’t need to pay for an upgrade, when you buy the game you receive both versions – and the save files and progress carry over between them. This means if you spend the morning fully immersed in the PS VR2 world of JFC-1, but want to quickly get a shift in later without putting on your headset, you can simply play on your TV.

4K HDR PS VR2 visuals

The Last Worker features a gorgeous stylised world, that blends custom shading and art from concepts drawn by comic artist legend Mick Mcmahon (known for his work on 2000 AD characters such as Judge Dredd and Sláine) that have been lovingly adapted by our team hand drawing each and every pen stroke in 3D! This has led to a vibrant, colourful world that is brought to life in spectacular fashion with the PS VR2’s two 2000×2040 OLED screens.

3D audio

Wolf & Wood have previously released PS VR titles, and understand the importance of audio in crafting a believable immersive world, this is no different for The Last Worker, with crisp 3D audio implementation allowing every explosion, piece of dialogue from the cast or track from the OST (Which was created by Olver Kraus, known for his collaborations with Adele, Sia, Florence and the Machine, and others) to come through crystal clear regardless of your position.

Adaptive triggers and haptic feedback

As Kurt’s story progresses, so does the selection of tools available to him, from using the Jünglegun as a makeshift hacking tool to a powerful EMP gun – each tool you’ll use to complete your day job (or perform espionage) includes unique feedback through use of the adaptive triggers and powerful haptic feedback – whether you’re labeling a package or flinging rats into the face of a pursuing security bot.

PS VR2

New Dead Island 2 skill cards revealed, out April 21

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HELL-A can be dangerous since the zompocalypse happened and the locals got so bitey. Luckily, Slayers in Dead Island 2 have their own customizable skill decks to help level the playing field against the undead Angelinos trying to feast on them.

But, “what exactly is a skill deck, and how is it going to help me maximize my zombie slaying potential?” you ask. Well, first, we need to talk skill cards.

Skill cards

Gained from leveling up, found hidden around the city of LA and scavenged from slain zombie foes, skill cards are collectible items that, once equipped, grant Slayers special powers, abilities, and boons to aid them in combat situations.

Some of them make you faster, more agile, or stronger; some reward you with buffs each time you pull off that perfect decapitation, and some will set fire to zombies you drop kick, turning them into flying, flaming sacks of rotten flesh. No, we aren’t kidding; there is a card that does that.

Whether you’re out to pump up your stats to become the ultimate slaying machine or want access to an arsenal of acrobatic attack move so you can slaughter zombies with maximum style points, there’s a skill card to suit your needs.

We want you to have total freedom in how you play, regardless of which of the six Slayers you choose to battle through HELL-A. That’s why we’ve made the vast majority of skill cards applicable to everyone.

New Dead Island 2 skill cards revealed, out April 21

The right deck for the job

The skill deck is where you can browse your collection of skill cards and choose which ones you want to equip.

Say you’ve come across a zombie posing a bit more of a challenge than the typical shambling husk – maybe they look like they’ve been hitting the gym and eating their greens. Or they have blades coming out of their arms, yikes.

It’s time to make sure you’re working with the right skills to get the job done, which is why we made the skill deck in Dead Island 2 fully remappable, at any point.

If you wish to tweak a single card or completely change your playstyle – say from a tanky brawler to an agile assassin — you can do so at any given moment with total ease.

Part of the magic of building your skill deck is experimenting with all the different perks and abilities skill cards grant you to find wickedly fun and effective synergies that suit your playstyle.

But, to help get you started, here are a couple of the Team at Dambuster’s favorite combinations.

Coming in hot

Combine the Dash Strike ability with the Slayer skill Hammer Fist to unleash a s

PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for March: Battlefield 2042, Minecraft Dungeons, Code Vein 

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Today we’re happy to reveal the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for March. As announced at last week’s State of Play, the Monthly Games lineup of Battlefield 2042, Minecraft Dungeons and Code Vein will be available to PlayStation Plus members on Tuesday, March 7 until Monday April 3. 

Let’s take a closer look at each of the games in turn. 

Battlefield 2042 | PS4, PS5 

Battlefield 2042 is an exhilarating first-person shooter that marks the return of the iconic all-out warfare the franchise is well known for. Set in a near-future world transformed by disorder, you’ll have to adapt and overcome dynamic battlegrounds with the help of your squad and an arsenal of cutting-edge weapons and vehicles. With support for 128 players on PlayStation 5*, Battlefield 2042 brings unprecedented scale on vast battlegrounds across the globe. Participate in massive experiences, from updated multiplayer modes like Conquest and Breakthrough to the all-new Hazard Zone.

*Up to 64 players supported on PlayStation 4.

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