Key Note Gaming

Helldivers 2 creative director Johan Pilestedt has announced he has gone on sabbatical leave and, when he returns, will start work on developer Arrowhead’s next game. In a tweet , Pilestedt said he’s spent 11 years working “around the clock” on the Helldivers intellectual property, starting with the first Helldivers game in 2013 and Helldivers 2 since early 2016. “Eleven years of working around the clock on the same IP has made me set aside family, friends, and my lovely wife... and myself,” Pilestedt said. “I am going to take some time now to redeem what was lost from all of those that supported me for over a decade. “I am sure my friends at Arrowhead will do their utmost in the meantime to deliver amazing stuff to Helldivers 2. When I'm back I will start working on the next Arrowhead game.” Pilestedt was thrust into the headlines following Helldivers 2’s explosive launch in February 2024. Despite a raft of issues the cooperative shooter became PlayStation Studios’ fastest-...

After a strong Xbox Developer Direct to kick 2025 off, things are looking good for Microsoft and its strong stable of first-party studios. But, which Xbox game series get you most excited? Which gave you more enjoyment than any other in the glory days of the 360? Or if you’ve never owned an Xbox console, which are you most looking forward to coming to other platforms like PlayStation, as Microsoft seemingly continues its plans to share its library with the world . There are many legendary game series to choose from (especially since Microsoft’s acquisitions of both Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. That means this tier list can include any series associated with Xbox, Bethesda, and Activision Blizzard, as long as there has been more than one entry into it so far – sorry to MachineGames and Indiana Jones! Give us a sequel, please, and then you can make the cut. Just a reminder that this isn’t an all Xbox Game Series list, so we haven’t involved every single Xbox game series here, bu...

Poland-based game studio People Can Fly has been announced as the co-developer of the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day alongside The Coalition. In a press release People Can Fly says it is "honored to return to the world of Gears of War[.]" The studio previously served as the lead developer of Gears of War: Judgment after co-developing Gears of War 1-3. "Returning to collaborate on the next chapter of this ligendary saga is both a privilege and an exciting opportunity to build upon the intense, visceral action and rich storytelling that fans have come to love." Gears of War: E-Day was announced at last year's Xbox Showcase and is set to be a prequel to the original trilogy starring younger versions of characters like Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago. And yes, the original actors will be returning to reprise their roles . The game will cover the origins of the Locust invasion on Emergence Day. In a sit down with IGN, Brand Director Nicole Fawcette and Creative D...

PlayStation 5 exclusive Rise of the Ronin is heading to Steam with a number of PC-specific features. Rise of the Ronin is a combat focused open-world action RPG game in which you play as a Ronin during the Bakumatsu period in 1863 Japan. The Team Ninja-developed, Sony-published game launched first on PS5 in March 2024. It comes out on PC via Steam a year later, on March 10, courtesy of publisher Koei Tecmo and priced $49.99. PC version features include 8K resolution support, DirectX 12, Ultra/Super Ultra-Wide support, 120FPS, ray tracing, 3D Audio, and AMD Fidelity FX Super Resolution / Nvidia DLSS / Intel XeSS support. Rise of the Ronin PC-exclusive features: 8K resolution support DirectX 12 Ultimate support Ultra-wide and super ultra-wide monitor compatibility 120FPS support Ray tracing support 3D audio support Customizable keyboard and mouse controls AMD Fidelity FX Super Resolution support NVIDIA DLSS and Reflex support UI menu with mouse clickability Intel XeSS ...

Amid Microsoft’s multiplatform video game push, all sorts of Xbox games are rumored to be set for the PlayStation 5 and the recently announced Nintendo Switch 2. But could Bethesda’s Starfield be among them? In an interview with IGN’s former Director of Video Content Strategy, Destin Legarie, for his new Patreon-funded show Save State Plus , Microsoft’s gaming boss Phil Spencer was asked directly whether he could confirm that Starfield was staying Xbox exclusive for the time being. Phil Spencer on Starfield exclusivity Destin: "Can you solidify that Starfield is staying put for the time being?" Spencer: "No." Source: https://t.co/ccNXLG6GU5 pic.twitter.com/r6sfx9e193 — Destin (@DestinLegarie) January 25, 2025 "No,” was Spencer’s response. “There’s no specific game… this kind of goes back to my red line answer. There’s no reason for me to put a ring fence around any game and say this game will not go to a place where it would find players, where ...

It occurs to me that the Orcs Must Die! series – and the tower-defense genre as a whole – are something like a cousin to factory games like Satisfactory and Factorio . Those games focus on feeding raw resources like iron and coal into complex machines to efficiently produce spaceship parts, while Orcs Must Die! is about feeding hordes of cartoon monsters into machines that produce… mulched cartoon monsters. Maybe one day we'll learn to build spaceships out of that goop, but for now just creating it is plenty of fun on its own. Deathtrap, the fifth OMD game (if you count the now-defunct Unchained), shifts its reliable action-tower defense gameplay into a new structure: rather than a linear series of levels to figure out one at a time, we're put through a roguelite-style gauntlet of randomly selected stages, each with a mix of modifiers that can make both you and the orcs more powerful in sometimes interesting ways, capped off by a boss fight. Burning through those can be a b...

The weekend is officially here, and we've rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Sunday, January 26, below: Metroid Prime Remastered for $30 Metroid Prime Remastered is one of the best adventure games available on Nintendo Switch, and you can pick up the physical copy from Walmart this weekend for only $30. Starring Samus Aran, you'll take control of the feared bounty hunter and explore the planet Tallon IV. If you have yet to experience the Metroid Prime series, this is the perfect starting point, especially with Metroid Prime 4 on the way later this year. Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection for $44.99 The first six Final Fantasy titles paved the way for the series as we see it today. Many fans still regard both Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI as some of the best that Final Fantasy has to offer, with gripping narratives and engaging gameplay. This package includes all six Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters , which feature updated gr...