Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books Gets a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
- GDC Awards: All the Winners from 1996 to Today
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins “Game of the Year” at 2025-2026 GDC Awards
- Silent Hill, Dragon Quest, Skyrim, and More Announced as Finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- We Pitched a Museum a 1993 Game Hint Line (And They Actually Said Yes) – Yarn Spinner (2026)
- The History Of The Word “Metroidvania” And How It Spread – A Critical Hit (2025)
- Creator of Hit Game Shovel Knight Is at a ‘Make or Break’ Moment – Bloomberg (2025)
- Shadow of the Colossus: An oral history – Design Room (2025)
- In 2005, games started rewiring our brains – The AV Club (2025)
Author: John Scalzo
Slightly Mad Studios will begin work on an adaptation of a “Blockbuster Hollywood Franchise” after Project CARS 2
Since its inception, Slightly Mad Studios has put all of their efforts into the racing genre, releasing titles such as Need For Speed: Shift and Shift 2, as well as independently developing Project CARS and its upcoming sequel. But it looks like their next project will go in a slightly different direction.
Speaking to GTPlanet, Slightly Mad CEO Ian Bell revealed the developer is working on a game adaptation of “a blockbuster Hollywood franchise.” That’s all the executive was able to divulge at this time, but a full reveal is expected to happen in a few months.
Licensed games aren’t as popular as they used to be, so we’re fairly in the dark about what the developer could be working on. But, you know, it’s been a while since somebody put out a new Fast and the Furious game. Perhaps that’s what Slightly Mad is up to…
Posted in News
New Agents of Mayhem trailer introduces the showboating “Franchise Force”
Volition wants to bring back the sugary goodness of Saturday Morning Cartoons this Summer with Agents of Mayhem. That mentality is definitely on display in this new trailer for the game, which introduces viewers to the “Franchise Force,” a trio of agents with big guns and bigger personalities:
As the “Face of MAYHEM,” Hollywood thinks of the agency as a franchise which needs to be marketed. With Fortune and Hardtack making up some of the first recruited agents, it only seemed natural the three of them should be the driving “force” behind that “franchise.” Thus Franchise Force was born! Of course, it also helps their combat capabilities complement each other well since Fortune is swift and damaging, Hardtack is tough and deadly at close range, and Hollywood combines both of the previous two traits with precision skill.
Volition wants to give players plenty of options for superheroics in Agents of Mayhem, and that includes the ability to create three-member Squads with instantaneous swapping, “allowing the best agent for a particular fight or task in your squad of three to replace the currently active one.” Sounds very similar to another “Saturday Morning” game from the NES era… 1989’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Agents of Mayhem will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on August 15.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Agents of Mayhem
Forza Horizon 3: Hot Wheels expansion is now available
If you’re a Hot Wheels fan, you’re likely very familiar with the massive orange tracks and loop-the-loops that have become the brand’s signature accessory over the years. Starting today, you can transport that same style of racing into Forza Horizon 3 with the brand new Hot Wheels expansion.
Available as part of Forza Horizon 3’s Season Pass (or as a standalone download for $19.99), the Hot Wheels expansion includes a very unique new locale to explore:
The Horizon Festival and Hot Wheels have teamed up to create the ultimate playground for cars! Located off the coast of Australia, this chain of islands is here to make your Hot Wheels fantasies come to life with loops, corkscrews, boost pads, high bank turns, half-pipes, insane jumps – and even mechanical dinosaurs! Use the new Stunt Swap feature to modify stunt track sections and dare your friends to try them. Race ten new cars including Hot Wheels icons like the Twin Mill and Boneshaker. Discover a new hidden barn find car, earn new Xbox Live achievements, and more.
To celebrate its launch, developers from Playground Games will showcase Forza Horizon 3’s Hot Wheels expansion during a special livestream scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time) today. Tune in to watch it on Beam or Twitch.
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Forza Horizon 3
Learn “Everything You Need to Know” about Injustice 2 in this trailer
NetherRealm Studios has been bombarding the Internet with a near-constant barrage of Injustice 2 trailers over the last few months. In that time, the developer has uploaded more than a dozen new trailers focusing on the game’s story, characters, and unique Gear System. But even if you’ve watched every second of video so far, you should still press Play on the new “Everything You Need to Know” trailer.
Once you do, you’ll become privy to more than five minutes of new gameplay footage, which also includes a first look at Injustice 2’s ladder-style Multiverse, team-based Guilds, and the mobile version. As Batman would say, are you prepared?
Injustice 2 will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on May 16, and the mobile version will be available for Android and iOS devices sometime this month.
Posted in Mobile, News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Injustice 2
Open Beta for Quake Champions begins on May 12
Bethesda Softworks and id Software have announced that everyone will get the chance to try out a pre-release version of Quake Champions beginning this Friday, May 12. Officially known as the “Large Scale Technical Test” (a fancy-smancy term for an Open Beta), you can sign up to receive your key at Quake.com now.
The Large Scale Tech Test will remain open continuously until Sunday, May 21, so PC players will get ten full days in the Arena. They’ll also have access to a brand new game type, Sacrifice Mode. Unlike a typical Free-For-All match, Sacrifice Mode is a 4v4, team-based competitive mode.
Finally, Bethesda confirmed that they’re dropping the non-disclosure agreement that beta participants had to agree to on May 12. So you’ll soon get to hear what everyone thinks of Quake Champions so far.
A full release for Quake Champions is still planned for later this year.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Quake Champions
Capcom unveils a trailer for Ed, Street Fighter V’s next downloadable fighter
Street Fighter V‘s 2017 Season Pass continues to roll on with the reveal of Ed, the young commander of Bison’s Shadaloo forces. Raised by Balrog, Ed’s boxing prowess is augmented by Bison’s Psycho Power, which you can see in his embedded debut trailer.
Introduced to the franchise in Street Fighter IV, Ed is a rather unique character in that his special moves are performed with “simultaneous button presses, repeatedly pressing a button, or holding down a button.” A lengthy rundown of Ed’s fighting style was posted on the Capcom-Unity blog this morning:
Character Overview
At a young age, Ed was kidnapped and experimented on by S.I.N., a division of Shadaloo, in order to become a replacement body for M. Bison. Many of you might remember a young Ed appearing in Rose’s Street Fighter IV story and Balrog’s story in Super Street Fighter IV. Due to the experiments, Ed’s body ages faster than normal humans until they are old enough to be suited for battle. Since Balrog raised Ed, his fighting is centered on boxing but since he carries M. Bison’s genes, his fighting style is enhanced by Psycho Power.Night after night he is troubled by Bison’s ghost, and struggles desperately to prevent M. Bison from possessing his body.
V-Skill: Psycho Snatcher
Ed releases Psycho Power from his palm, pulling himself or opponents depending on how long he charges it up.V-Trigger: Psycho Cannon
With a full V-meter, Ed releases an enormous amount of Psycho Power. He can follow alongside it, allowing him to pepper in shots when it connects with the opponent.Critical Art: Psycho Barrage
Ed lunges forward with a series of punches. If at any point he connects, he’ll continue weaving around the opponent, slipping in quick combinations of Psycho-punches ending with a powerful uppercut.
Street Fighter V fans will get their first chance to go toe-to-toe with Ed this weekend during the next Capcom Fighters Network beta test. The test includes access to all previously-released characters, and it’ll run from Thursday, May 11, through Sunday, May 14, on the PC and PS4.
A final release date for Ed will be announced “in the coming weeks.”
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged Street Fighter V
Zombies Chronicles DLC will bring classic Zombies maps to CoD: Black Ops III on May 16
Activision and Treyarch have announced plans to bring even more Zombies action to Call of Duty: Black Ops III later this month. The Zombies Chronicles expansion will include eight classic Zombies maps, all of which have been “completely remastered from the ground-up” by Treyarch with “vibrant current-generation visuals, enhanced lighting, revamped character models and environments, and updated AI and audio systems”:
Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: World at War
“Nacht der Untoten” (Abandoned Bunker), “Verruckt” (Wittenau Sanitorium), and “Shi No Numa” (Jungle Swamp)Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: Black Ops
“Kino Der Toten” (Theater of the Dead), “Ascension” (Soviet Cosmodrome), “Shangri-La” (Exotic Jungle Shrine), and “Moon” (Lunar Base)Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: Black Ops II
“Origins” (WWI France)Zombies Chronicles Bonus Content
- 20 Vials of Liquid Divinium
- 2 All-New Whimsical GobbleGums
- Exclusive Zombies Pack-A-Punch Weapon Camo
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombies Chronicles Dynamic System Theme (PS4 Only)
“Zombies Chronicles is really about the community that made Zombies what it has become today,” said Jason Blundell, the Co-Studio Head at Treyarch. “Together, we’ve been slaying the undead for nearly ten years, across different game consoles, and Zombies Chronicles is really about bringing all of those fans together. If you played these maps before on previous consoles, you’re getting a new, stunning and challenging experience – if it’s your first time, this is eight definitive experiences of our Zombies storyline, all in one place.”
As usual, PS4 players will get first crack at Zombies Chronicles, and it’ll be available to purchase through the PlayStation Store on May 16 for $29.99. PC and Xbox One owners will likely have to wait at least a month for their chance to download Zombies Chronicles.
Finally, Activision and Treyarch will celebrate the launch of the Zombies Chronicles expansion with “8 Days of the Undead,” an in-game event that offers players the chance to earn double XP rewards and engage in community challenges.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Dead Island 2 is still in development at Deep Silver and Sumo Digital
It’s been more than a year since Deep Silver provided an update on Dead Island 2, and Eurogamer was worried the game had shambled off this mortal coil. But according to a new statement from the publisher, it looks like the zombie sequel is still very much alive:
“Dead Island 2 is in development at Sumo Digital, and we are excited by the progress the team are making with Deep Silver’s most successful IP. When we are ready to share more information, we will.”
Dead Island 2 made its public debut at E3 2014, and was expected to launch in Spring 2015. Things seemed to be going fine, but after its release was delayed several times, Deep Silver took Dead Island 2 away from Yager and handed it over to Sumo Digital.
But that’s about all we know. As of now, we still have no idea when Dead Island 2 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Dead Island 2