Launching on January 12, 2022, Monster Hunter Rise on PC has – at the time of writing – seen a peak concurrent player count of 134,262 (per stats recorded on SteamDB). Those numbers immidiately shunt the game into second place as Capcom’s PC launches go, usurping Resident Evil Village’s peak of 106,631 concurrent players when it launched in May 2021. It’s interesting to see a series like Monster Hunter, which is likley splitting between two branches with World and Rise in the future, attracting more players than the likes of a more mainstream-facing series like Resi....

“An azure-colored Fanged Wyvern with an organ that chills the air it inhales, which then circulates throughout its body in a unique form of thermoregulation,” reads the official description of the monster. “It can travel long distances and endure significant environmental changes, allowing them to occupy a wide range of habitats.” This Fanged Wyvern-type monster is a rapid, dangerous adversary that can switch up its attacks depending on its stance....

The video for Monster Hunter Rise showcases two new monsters, several returning monsters, and a new area for players to explore. It also reveals an early look at the Rampage events that threaten Kamura Village, the game’s primary location. Here’s more on what you are seeing in the trailer. Two entirely new monsters will be making their Monster Hunter debuts in Monster Hunter Rise. The trickster Bishaten arrives as a unique new threat with its distinctive tail and fondness for persimmons, which it stores in his stomach and hurls at its prey....

Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a story-driven RPG set in the world of Monster Hunter. The game is the follow-up to Monster Hunter Stories which was released for 3DS. Currently in development, it puts you in the role of a Monster Rider who befriends iconic monsters from the Monster Hunter series. You will even go on adventures together. More information on the game is promised at a later date.

The Battlefield 6 leaks continue with more images from the game cropping up overnight. It seems the images have come from influencers who are playing a pre-alpha build of the game (thanks, resetera). When the legitimacy of the images was called into question due to being visually subpar, Battlefield leaker Tom Henderson confirmed they were indeed real images (thanks, Blue). This is just the latest in a series of leaks....

The new patch – which comes along to buff or nerf 15 of the characters in the game – also introduces some changes to how progression works in the title. Per the patch notes themselves, developer Player First Games notes: “The XP required to go from level 3 – 15 on the character mastery track has been doubled.” That may seem extreme, but apparently it’s because the developer was seeing people master their characters too quickly....

On Lental’s various islands you’ll find temperate meadows, rainforest jungles, tropical beaches, active volcanoes, frozen tundra, and more! However, New Pokemon Snap isn’t designed to be progressed through linearly. Travel between the islands of Lental is instantaneous, which is convenient, because you’re going to be going back and forth constantly as you gain access to new areas, stages, and research levels. How to unlock all locations in New Pokemon Snap Because of the game’s piecemeal exploration, it can be tricky to gauge just when and how you can expect to unlock new stages....

The new social features, some of which are based on a separate Niantic app, have been “tested over time” and will be available in Pokemon Go sometime in the next few months. Niantic said the hope is that the new features will make it easier for Trainers to communicate with each other, discover new communities, and enjoy local raid battles. The company said it is “excited to get back to playing together in person,” and to support players who have difficulty reaching Gyms, it will continue to work on solutions such as tools for community leaders to organize local events and faster approval for new Gyms....

The last trailer for the movie started with a fist-fight between no other than Mario himself and Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong, who is played by Seth Rogan, didn’t speak during this trailer, though, and was instead laser-focused on beating our favourite plumber to a pulp. In the latest teaser from Illumination, we get a more detailed look into this fight. The thirty-second clip shows Mario punching a box, to be given the Cat ability....

For those not already on board, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate runs you $14.99 / £10.99 a month and supplies access to a collection of titles that rotate in and out of the Game Pass lineup. Available right now on Xbox Game Pass for all platforms are Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 - all excellent JRPGs that put you in the shoes of Japanese Yakuza in an action packed adventure across the criminal underworld....

In the wider Yoko Taro-verse, multiple endings have a storied history in the Drakengard series - which precedes Nier but is actually set in the same universe. Following on from Drakengard, the original versions of Nier Gestalt and Nier Replicant in 2010 featured four different endings - and now the newly remastered version of the game, NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… features those four, plus one additional, all-new, exceptionally well-hidden ending. So here’s how to get all five....

Earlier this month, Nintendo did report that Switch sales had fallen by 23% due to the semiconductor components shortage, but company president Shuntaro Furukawa has confirmed to Nikkei that the company wants to “avoid pricing people out,” (thanks NME). “We’re not considering [a price increase] at this point, for two reasons,” said Furukawa. “Nintendo has sold more than 100 million Switch units so far, and it’s important to maintain the momentum of our overall business....

The new controller carries the model identification number HAC-043, indicating that it’s a Switch peripheral. Nintendo’s most recent Switch controller is the HAC-042, the wireless SNES controller for Switch . HAC-043 is also wireless. Unlike that controller, however, Nintendo did not share any diagrams with the filing - at least not those available publically. Nintendo asked for 180 days (from September 16) before any of its submitted design images, manuals etc....

Despite eventually helping you in your adventure, the Kamaitachi is still a Yokai, and as such calls upon an arsenal of deadly attacks to ruin your day. Like the Yatsu-no-Kami, this is another fight where stamina regeneration presents a very real problem, because its easy to exhaust yourself dodging and blocking with no way to Ki Pulse it better. Either visit the Hot Spring near the starting Shrine to boost your regen, or pop a Sacred Water....

Nioh 2 Complete Edition, which includes the base game that launched on PS4 in 2020 plus three expansion packs, is due to arrive on PC on February 5, and it sounds like it’ll give PC players some fancy upgrades that PlayStation users missed out on. Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja promise 4K resolution, ultra-widescreen support, HDR, 144hz (with the option to choose locked 60fps or 120fps), customizable key bindings, and controller support, too....

An open world survival game coming to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, the game has yet to be given a release window. However, you can wishlist the game now on Steam and sign up to an open beta right now on the official website. According to the official press release, the game will take inspiration from both the classic novels authored by Frank Herbet, as well as the recent (and brilliant) film from Denis Villeneuve....

The news comes from Persona Central, who spotted an interesting listing in Koei Tecmo’s financial reports for the first quarter of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021. According to Persona Central, said reports mention that Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers is officially lined up for a release in “The West” at some point in this fiscal year, meaning that it will be launching in North America and Europe....

The games are UFC 4, Planet Coaster: Console Edition, and Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-shot Adventure. In UFC 4, you will develop and customize your character through a progression system across all modes. Starting out as an amateur you will work your way up to UFC superstar in Career Mode, or challenge the world in Blitz Battles or Online World Championships. The game also features overhauled takedown and ground mechanics to deliver more control in those phases of the fight....

The Lush Jungle event kicks off on Tuesday, March 22 at 10am local time and concludes the following Tuesday, March 29 at 8pm local time. On Saturday, March 26 at 10am local time, you can join your fellow Trainers for a Lush Jungle park spotlight featuring Cottonee. The dual-type Grass/Fairy Pokemon will be appearing more frequently in parks during this time, and you may even encounter a shiny one. The spotlight event ends on Sunday, March 27 at 8pm local time....

Training the very best Pokemon still takes plenty of grind – or grit, if you will – but the result is a Pokemon tailored to its strengths and your play style. How have Pokemon Legends EV values changed? Effort values (EVs) relate to how strong a Pokemon’s stats are and can be leveled up independently of other stats through battling or vitamins. Individual values (IVs) govern a Pokemon’s starting stats and can vary wildly, which is why you’ll catch one Pikachu with strong special attack and another with higher attack values....