Which sounds like the more intense experience to you, dear reader – “Butterfly’s Guidance” or “Awakened Puppet”? No, this isn’t me workshopping titles for my latest range of exotic fragrances. I’m referring to the new easier difficulty modes Neowiz will add to Pinnochio-powered soulslikeLies Of P alongside the game’s Overture DLC this summer.
The difficulty modes will arrive in a free Lies Of P update. The standard difficulty will be “Legendary Stalker”, which honestly I think is a bit of a letdown, after “Butterfly’s Guidance” and “Awakened Puppet”. It barely sounds like an exotic fragrance at all. Possibly you could peddle it as some kind of feline musk.
Google has launched an advanced AI video generation tool capable of creating Fortnite gameplay clips that look almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
Veo 3 launched this week and has already raised eyebrows for its dystopian ability to create life-like video clips from simple text-based prompts and include realistic-sounding audio.
Other generative AI programs, such as OpenAI’s Sora, have been doing similar for some time — but the ability for Veo 3 to include lifelike audio really is a remarkable, if chilling, step forward.
Veo 3 users are still testing out what the tool is capable of, but within two days have begun producing Fortnite gameplay with a fake streamer commenting over the top. The quality is good enough that, while scrolling on social media, you’d think it was a legimate clip from YouTube or Twitch.
Technically, Veo 3 should not be infringing on anyone’s copyrighted material — and it’s safe to assume Fortnite developer Epic Games did not sign this one off. But clearly the AI tool has had access to the millions of hours of Fortnite gameplay posted online, and is now able to reproduce a convincing representation on command.
One clip, showing a streamer celebrating as they win a match using only their pickaxe, was apparently created within Veo 3 using a text-based prompt of nine words: “Streamer getting a victory royale with just his pickaxe”.
In writing this prompt, Veo 3 has not been told specifically to create Fortnite gameplay. Still, it understands from the context what game the user is referring to.
Veo 3’s abilities throw up all sorts of questions, and far more pressing ones than simple copyright concerns. The ability to create footage like this undoubtedly aids users looking to fool others with disinformation, and in so doing undermine trust in legitimate footage.
“I can not tell if this is real or not,” reads one reply. “We’re cooked,” reads another.
“The only way this is possible is if Veo 3 was trained on an enormous amount of Fortnite content,” a third reply reads. “Wouldn’t be surprised if everything that gets uploaded to YouTube is now being trained on despite copyright laws.”
IGN has asked Epic for comment.
For a better look at what Veo 3 is capable of outside of video games, here’s a clip of the algorithm creating a fake news report on an automobile trade show that doesn’t exist, with fake interviewees answering fake questions.
Before you ask: yes, everything is AI here. The video and sound both coming from a single text prompt using #Veo3 by @GoogleDeepMind .Whoever is cooking the model, let him cook! Congrats @Totemko and the team for the Google I/O live stream and the new Veo site! pic.twitter.com/sxZuvFU49s
Microsoft has been interested in creating its own AI-generated footage of video games, and recently unveiled the early results of its Muse program, which it said it had trained on countless hours of Xbox shooter Bleeding Edge. Xbox boss Phil Spencer suggested Muse could be used to help ideate game concepts in the future, and even somehow aid in game preservation.
This went down about as well as you’d expect, prompting Pitchford to yesterday follow-up with a clip of him on a panel talking about a potential price increase in, wait for it, much more sober and considered terms. So, in the interest of not only reporting on Pitchford when he says something incredibly stupid (although, lets be real, only because it’s related, I’m still muckraking here) here’s the clip.
The Steam trailer for open world RPG Dreamspring contains: shooting spiders with a revolver. Hanging out near a green ocean. Fighting green skeletons. Most curiously, it features an armoured knight convulsing on a bed as if being shocked, from the inside, by some sort of magical electricity disease. Did this knight eat an entire pack of bad batteries? Do batteries even exist in this world, described as “a realm in ruins…beneath a twilight sky”. It’s a damn hell ass bum mystery, and mystery is exactly what I want from a game that lists both Morrowind and King’s Field as influences.
Nintendo released its very own alarm clock last year and it’s been getting regular updates ever since. If you’ve been wanting a new look, or at least a different theme, today’s update might be of interest.
We’re getting closer to the Switch 2 and Nintendo has now revealed its plans for the launch events at its stores in the US.
If you’re planning on heading to either the Nintendo New York store or the newly-opened San Francisco store, you’re going to want to show up on June 4th. Entry to both events is “first come, first served”.
PlayStation®5 exclusive “DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH” is set to launch on 26 June and we are excited to announce that DEATH STRANDING fans in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines will have the special opportunity to meet Hideo Kojima (GAME CREATOR) and Yoji Shinkawa (ART DIRECTOR) at DEATH STRANDING WORLD STRAND TOUR 2 TAIPEI on 6 July 2025.
Meet the legends behind the new DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH in Taipei as they share their passion and thoughts on their latest PS5 blockbuster.
How to Join:
1. Pre-order physical version of DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH (Standard Edition or Collector’s Edition)
2. Click the registration link here (in English/in Thai) and upload your proof of purchase.
3. In the same form, answer a couple of questions and submit your contact details.
Registration period begins on May 22, 2025 at 00:00:00 (Singapore time) and ends on June 20, 2025, 21:59:59 (Singapore time)
Prize:
A round-trip flight ticket to Taipei, 2-nights hotel stay, and entry to the DEATH STRANDING WORLD STRAND TOUR 2 TAIPEI *
* DEATH STRANDING WORLD STRAND TOUR 2 TAIPEI event will be conducted in Mandarin.
Please see more details of DEATH STRANDING WORLD STRAND TOUR 2 TAIPEI’s Terms and Conditions here: English/Thai.
A handful of staff at UK-based studio Playtonic, best known for creating Yooka-Laylee and for forming the indie publishing label Playtonic Friends, are sharing messages on social media as they have been made “redundant” at the developer.
We were first alerted to the news by a Bluesky post from former community manager Steve James, who left the company just two weeks ago (on his own terms).
Russell Adler didn’t eliminate Vikhor “Stitch” Kuzmin after all, instead confining the villain to an Icelandic black site prison as insurance for a rainy day. That day has come as Adler and crew free their former foe, their only chance to finally crack the Pantheon codenames.
Witness the return of Stitch in the massive Season 04 update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone, bringing new maps, modes, weapons, and more. Season 04 launches May 29 on PS5 and PS4.
Multiplayer overview
New Core 6v6 Maps
Shutdown (Launch): Shut off the power to the prison with an attack on a hydroelectric dam in Iceland. Fight over the rugged terrain, dive into the lake, and battle around the damaged turbine.
Fugitive (Launch): With the power cut, it’s time to break Stitch out of the black site prison. Infiltrate the frozen compound, climbing, ziplining, and battling over the grounds and in the cell block where alarms warn of the jailbreak.
New 2v2/6v6 Strike Maps
Blitz (Launch): Traffic comes to a halt as Pantheon agents race towards the prison but get ambushed by the Rogue team. Duck under the bridge for quick cover or trek the cliffside seeking enemy targets.
Eclipse (Mid-Season): Stitch arrives in Avalon, slipping into an underground nightclub to discuss business. Battle in the neon lights down the halls and over the dance stage.
Remaster, Core 6v6 Map
Fringe (Mid-Season): Revisit Fringe, originally featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 and coming to Black Ops 6 reimagined as the grand opening of the Rolling Hills distillery.
New Multiplayer Modes
Team Elimination (Launch): This twist on Kill Confirmed gives both teams a limited number of lives each round. Eliminated players drop a dog tag on death that can be picked up by the enemy to confirm the kill and drain the opposing team’s remaining lives, or by a teammate to prevent the action.
One in the Chamber (Launch Window): One pistol, one bullet, a knife, and three lives. Eliminate enemies to earn more bullets in this Black Ops classic.
Party Ops (In-Season): Get the party started in a new Limited-Time Mode arriving later in the season dropping players into a randomized set of themed minigames.
Now launching: The Grim Reaper
Scorestreak: Grim Reaper (Event Reward): The quad-tube loaded Launcher returns from the original Black Ops, inflicting heavy explosive damage on enemy Operators and Scorestreaks alike.
Zombies overview
Returning Mode: Grief (Launch)
The fan-favorite competitive Zombies mode returns! This 4v4 indirect PvP mode pits S.A.M. against Director Richtofen as teams pledge their support for one or the other, receiving handler comms guiding them throughout the match. Secure Capture Zones to thwart the enemy with modifiers including reduced damage, drained ammo, slowed movements, and more. Put your Zombies talents to the test in this mode while competing against real players attempting to survive longer than you and your squad.
New Ammo Mod, GobbleGums, Grim Reaper
Ammo Mod: Shatter Blast: Modify your ammo to explode on contact, dealing armor-piercing damage in a blast radius. Research Major and Minor Augments to specialize Shatter Blast’s abilities in all-new ways.
Three New GobbleGums: Chew on Explosive Flourish to trigger an area-of-effect explosion around your Operator when reloading. Pop Flavor Hex to activate a random Ultra GobbleGum, and force eliminated zombies to belch sparkly rainbow bubbles via Rainburps.
Grim Reaper: Build the new Support weapon at the Crafting Table and blast those zombies to bits!
New Challenges and LTMs
Expect an influx of Dark Ops Challenges awarding Calling Cards and bounteous amounts of XP for those able to complete the secret challenges. Play new Limited-Time Modes, including the Starting Room LTM and Abomination Challenge LTM later in the season.
Call of Duty: Warzone Overview
New Point of Interest: The Overlook
Battle up and down The Overlook, a new skyscraper under construction in Downtown. Burger Town and the SKN Comm tower have been demolished to make way for the building. Two cranes flank the dominant POI and checkpoints line the entrances. Work your way from ground level including the relocated Burger Town up to the Penthouse and Roof, or latch onto an ascender and get some serious height.
New Limited-Time Modes
Clash (Launch): Two teams of 52 drop into a specific POI within Verdansk. With no Circle Collapse and instant access to your Loadouts, be the first team to earn 500 points by eliminating enemies, completing contracts, and participating in Public Events. Earn upgrades like the new Door Barricade Field Upgrade and the Hand Cannon, spend cash to activate SAM Turrets, and earn powerups that alter the course of the match.
Havoc Royale (Mid-Season): Compete in a Resurgence mode where modifiers bend the rules in game-changing ways. Survive the havoc, be the last team standing, and claim victory!
Resurgence Casual (Mid-Season): Drop into a Resurgence match mixing human players and bots. A great mode for warming up, teaching new players about the game, or just chilling out.
Mid-Season Loadout Items
Care Package: Deploy this rare throwable to summon an aerial drop with the chance to obtain rare equipment, the Specialist Perk, and more.
Perk: Loot Master: Available only in Resurgence and Plunder, gear up faster by increasing the amount of loot you find while opening caches, including an increased drop rate for equipped weapon ammo, Tacticals and Lethals, cash, Field Upgrades, Killstreaks, and other high-tier gear.
General Overview
New Weapons: In the Battle Pass, unlock two rapid fire weapons in the LC10 SMG and the FFAR 1 Assault Rifle. Earn more across multiple seasonal events including the lever-action Essex Model 07 Marksman Rifle, Olympia Special weapon, and the Pickaxe Melee weapon.
New Attachments: Lock in with the G-Grip Tactical Foregrip available on most SMGs and Assault Rifles. Get three weapon conversions, including a burst conversion for the Stryder. 22 Pistol and full-auto conversions for the SVD Sniper Rifle and TR2 Marksman Rifle.
Events & Ranked Play
Earn additional rewards across several in-season events, including coveted items like the Essex Model 07 Marksman Rifle, Stryder .22 3-Round Burst Mod, and the Grim Reaper Scorestreak.
Plus, compete in a new season of Ranked Play for Multiplayer and Call of Duty: Warzone, including Ranked Play: Battle Royale and, in Mid-Season, Ranked Play: Resurgence. Play using a competitive ruleset and earn new seasonal rewards based on the highest Rank obtained in the season.
Season 04 Battle Pass & Store Content
Purchase the Battle Pass to immediately unlock rewards including a seasonal 10% Battle Pass XP Boost, the new “Supermax” Stitch Operator Skin, and more, providing access to over 110 pieces of unlockable content. Plus, earn up to 1,100 COD Points as you progress through the Battle Pass Pages. Get even more with BlackCell.
Look for exciting new Store Bundles including the cel-shaded Tracer Pack: Ink and Smoke plus the Tracer Pack: System Breach, Tracer Pack: Olympus Bolt, and much more.
Season 04 launches May 29
Black Ops 6 is available now on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. Experience the spy action thriller Campaign, the in-depth tactical chaos of Multiplayer, and soak in the gory glory of round-based Zombies.
