Ubisoft have announced that For Honor’s second season, Shadow and Might, will launch 16 May on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

You can see some images of the two maps, Forge and Temple Garden, below. Season Two also introduces a new level of gear rarity known as Epic Gear, which increases the maximum level of gear score.

The conclusion of Season One recently saw the PC version of For Honor receive Update 1.06, which Ubisoft says will improve network stability and hero balancing. Ubisoft plan to release the update on consoles “very shortly”, while the developer/publisher also intends to continually support all three platforms with additional content and gameplay balancing updates.
 
Here’s a little more detail on the new heroes:
 

• Shinobi (Samurai Assassin) – The Shinobi are silent warriors able to move with a dancer’s grace and kill with precision thanks to a lifetime of disciplined training. They wield the traditional Japanese Kusarigama.
• Centurion (Knight Hybrid) – The Centurion sees the battlefield like a chessboard. Equipped with the reliable standard issue gladius, Centurions can bypass enemy defenses through strategic close-quarters combat.

 
Are you looking forward to Season Two in For Honor? Let us know below or in the forums.

Ronimo’s side-scrolling MOBA, Awesomenauts, is set to go free-to-play next month, the developer has announced, with Steam users able to pick up the game at no cost from 24 May.

Also, anyone who purchased the Starstorm and Overdrive expansions would be gifted the Awesomenauts All Nauts Pack, which will grant access to all future added heroes, at no extra charge.
 
News of the game going free-to-play arrives alongside the latest update, dubbed Awesomenauts 4.0, which introduces a number of changes in anticipation of Awesomenauts’ change in business model.
 
Key changes included in the update are:
 
●       A completely overhauled tutorial and beginner experience to help make the game more accessible. Though the game has always been fairly easy to pick up and play, the MOBA genre is inherently challenging to get into because of the highly competitive matches.
●       A new progression system allows players to level up both their profile as well as each of their characters. Both will unlock their own unique rewards such as currency bonuses, character items, and portraits. This way you're never far removed from the next reward.
●       A new currency called Awesomepoints, which can be earned by playing matchmade games. These games can be either against other players or through the new 'co-op vs bots' mode. Awesomepoints can be used to unlock playable characters, profile portraits, and the new drop pods.
●       This update also introduces medals to the game. These are unlocked by reaching various milestones in the game and can be used to show off the achievements a player is most proud of. All of the new customization options can be unlocked either by completing milestones in-game, or purchasing them with in-game currency.
●       Real money will still be the only way to buy character skins, but can now also be used to buy individual playable characters and drop pods. Players will also be able to buy all current and future characters through the ‘Awesomenauts All Nauts Pack’. On top of all the characters, owners of the Pack will be granted the 'Collector' status, giving them an exclusive medal and skin.
 
Ronimo will be running a free-to-play version of the game in a closed beta from now until it’s changeover goes live next month. If you would like to get an early look at the game’s new model ahead of everyone else, then you can sign up for the beta here. You’ll also be granted a unique medal for your troubles, along with Vanguard status.
 
There’s no information on whether Ronimo plan to bring the same changes to the console versions of Awesomenauts at this time.
 
What do you think of the news that Awesomenauts is going free-to-play on Steam? Let us know below or in the forums.

Last night’s Call of Duty: WWII reveal event saw Activision and Sledgehammer Games share more about their Second World War-set shooter.

The game’s opening mission does indeed see players taking part in the D-Day beach landings, with subsequent missions following the Big Red One’s battles across occupied Europe, including many iconic moments in the war, such as the Battle of the Bulge.
 
Although the main focus is on the player character, Ronald “Red” Daniels, and his U.S. squad mates, there will be times when you get to play as soldiers from other nations. British forces are said to make an appearance at some point, while there’s also a mission where you step into the role of a female French resistance fighter during the liberation of Paris.
 
Speaking to Polygon, Sledgehammer’s Glen Schofield seemed to confirm that this year’s CoD title will do away with the regenerating health ability synonymous with today’s FPS games: “You have to worry about every bullet. You’re not the superhero. You can’t just stand there taking seven bullets, ducking, shooting again,” he said.
 
“It’s refreshing for us to deal with recruits who aren’t Tier One warriors, to show that vulnerability. They’re naïve. It’s been a really cool challenge creating this different kind of gameplay.”

In a separate interview with GamesRadar+, Sledgehammer’s Michael Condry also confirmed players will need to rely on their AI squad mates’ abilities for things like replenishing ammunition.

“Certain members of your squad have certain attributes that can help you, and if you are in proximity to one of your squad members, and you need their help you can... it’s an active ability,” Condry said. “You can be separated from guys with key abilities that would change how you play – if you’re not with the ammo guy then you have less ability to replenish your ammo.”

Although the reveal focussed on the game’s single player element, Sledgehammer did provide some details about CoD: WWII’s multiplayer aspects, a mode that’s said to return to the “iconic boots on the ground gameplay” earlier Call of Duty titles were known for.

Multiplayer in CoD: WWII introduces a couple of new features, which give players new ways to engage in their multiplayer career.

Divisions immerse players in the “heroic journey of enlisting in the world’s most historic war,” with players able to pick from a variety of Divisions, including Infantry and Armoured ones, while Headquarters provides a social hub space where we’ll be able to interact with other players, pick up rewards and show off our characters.

The new War mode introduces more linear multiplayer matches in CoD for the first time, similar to Battlefield 1’s Operations. Featuring asymmetrical maps set to the backdrop of iconic World War 2 battles, Axis and Allied soldiers will fight it out over strategic objectives in team-driven gameplay.

There was also confirmation of the now obligatory Zombies mode, but Sledgehammer only shared the above image along with a promise that CoD: WWII’s cooperative mode would feature an original story in which the Nazis have made one last desperate attempt to win the war, and it will be full of “unexpected, adrenaline-pumping moments.”
 
Lastly, it was confirmed a beta is set to take place ahead of the game’s release, with those who pre-order either the Base, Pro, or Digital Deluxe Editions of CoD: WWII at participating retailers being granted access, the latter two of which also include the game’s season pass.
 
Call of Duty: WWII is out 3 November on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. What did you think of the reveal? Let us know below or over in the forums.

Rockstar’s latest adversary mode sees players battling it out in races inspired by “the spirit of classic GTA titles”.

In celebration of the event going live, Rockstar are offering double RP points and GTA$ all this week.
 
As an added bonus, Rockstar are also going to gift every GTA Online player who logs in between now and 30 April with a ‘tax-refund’ of $450,000 in-game cash, which should turn up into players’ Maze Bank accounts sometime in May.
 
Let us know your thoughts on GTA Online’s latest adversary mode below or over in the forums.

Some images of Sledgehammer’s Second World War set Call of Duty title have cropped up on the internet ahead of Activision’s planned reveal for the game later this week.

As well as these images, some details on the game’s campaign were also leaked. If the information is accurate, the CoD: WW2 campaign will see players taking part in the D-Day invasion and further battles across occupied Europe, featuring “the story of an unbreakable brotherhood of common men fighting to preserve freedom in a world on the brink of tyranny”.

There’s also said to be a dedicated co-op mode with its own original story, while the game’s multiplayer will engage players in “grounded, fast-paced combat across many of World War II’s most iconic locations.”

A further leak today has confirmed that CoD: WW2 will have a season pass, which will come bundled in the Pro Edition of the game, and PS4 users will have first access to the upcoming beta.

Interestingly, despite the leaked box art description hinting at a campaign set during the latter stages of the war, the model of the Thompson shown in the first set of images, with drum magazine and vertical foregrip, was one that was mostly used during the early years. So we might see different parts of the game taking place in different eras.

With nothing officially confirmed by Activision, it’s too early to tell for sure, so we’ll just have to wait patiently until the publisher shows more of the game at Wednesday’s reveal event.

Let us know your thoughts on the leaked images below or over in the forums.

Congratulations to Benjamin Willbery (@BBIAJ), who was randomly drawn as the winner!

The third season of Telltale Games’ Walking Dead series continues next week with the arrival of the fourth, and penultimate, episode; Thicker than Water.

Thicker than Water is out 25 April on Xbox One, PS4, PC and various iOS and Android mobile devices.
 
You can check out Sam’s thoughts on the season’s opening two episodes here, plus keep your eyes peeled for a verdict on the third very soon. That’ll bring everyone up to date before we tackle the remaining episodes as and when they release.
 
Why not let us know what you think of the series so far in the comments below or over in the forums.

Arkane Studios and Bethesda have released a new video that delves deeper into the world players will be exploring in Prey when it releases next month.

Once the space station has been opened up, players will be able to explore Talos I in “almost any manner” they like, from deep inside the industrial inner workings to flying around the exterior of the station in zero gravity to find new secrets and areas.
 
Players can even have an impact on the layout of Talos I, with some previously explored sections of the station featuring “big changes” depending on the actions they take during the campaign.
 
Prey is out 5 May on Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Console players can try the game ahead of its release thanks to a free demo that’s available later this month.
 
Share your thoughts on Prey’s Talos I space station with us below or over in the forums.

Codemasters and Koch Media have released the first gameplay trailer for their upcoming miniature racer, Micro Machines World Series. And yes, that is the real Brian Blessed providing narration.

These modes are played across fifteen interactive arenas, including a Hungry Hungry Hippos themed map, where participants run the risk of being eaten, and players utilise weapons such as the Dynamite Launcher, Tidal Wave, Cobra Turret and NERF Blasters, to obliterate their opponents.
 
“Micro Machines World Series is a fresh new take on the franchise that is great fun for previous players and those new to Micro Machines,” said Executive Producer, Chris Gray.
 
“In addition to the return of the classic Race and Elimination modes, we are extremely excited by the new Battle Arenas. Having 12 players in the same match, all fighting it out with a variety of vehicles and crazy weapons is great fun. Gamers are going to love it.”
 
Micro Machines World Series is out 23 June on Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Looking forward to the return of the classic racing series? Let us know below or in the forums.

Eurogamer’s network of sources have struck again, this time with reports that Nintendo are working on reviving another one of its classic consoles in mini form.

If Nintendo are indeed working on a revamped SNES, then it’s probably safe to assume it will follow the same design model of the NES mini; in that it will be plug-and-play compatible with today’s TV’s and come bundled with a number of classic games from the console’s library.
 
Due to its low price tag and general novelty value, the NES mini proved to be an unexpected hit for Nintendo when it released last year, with stock selling out in most places it was available, leaving many of those who were desperate to get their hands on one at the mercy of eBay dealers.
 
Would you like to see Nintendo release a SNES mini this year, and if so, what games would you like to see included? Let us know below.