PlayStation Plus Games for March 2023 Headlined by Battlefield 2042

The PlayStation Plus games for March 2023 have been officially confirmed to be Battlefield 2042, Minecraft Dungeons, and Code Vein, and they’ll be available to all subscribers from March 7 through April 3.

PlayStation shared the news during its latest State of Play, where it also shared that Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, Tchia, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Immortals Fenyx Rising, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction will all be joining the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, which is available to Extra and Premium members.

Battlefield 2042 is the latest entry in the long-running first-person shooter franchise and, while it doesn’t feature a single-player campaign, it does introduce the Portal mode. For those unfamiliar, this new mode lets you mix and match maps, weapons, classes, and equipment from Battlefield 1942, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Battlefield 3, and Battlefield 2042 to make the experience you’ve always wanted to play.

In our Battlefield 2042 review, we said its “highpoint is its powerful Portal mode, which lets you relive the series’ past glories and tweak them to your liking. Its current batch of modes is overstuffed with players and utter chaos, though Hazard Zone scales things down in an interesting, high-stakes way.”

Minecraft Dungeons is a twist on Mojang’s game and looks to combine the best parts of dungeon crawlers like Diablo with all the charm and aesthetic of Minecraft. It was first released in 2020 and we enjoyed our time with it, even it is isn’t revolutionary.

In our Minecraft Dungeons review, we said it “is a beautiful and fun dungeon crawler with a simple but tried-and-true set of systems in place. It plays it extremely safe, though, without bringing anything mining or crafting spins to the genre to accompany Minecraft’s signature look and feel. Still, it’s just so damn charming, and so fun, it’s hard to fault it for going the safe route.”

Lastly, Code Vein is an “anime Soulslike” that aimed to give players a new way to experience the brutal yet rewarding challenge of games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and more. It also sets itself apart from being a simple clone by including a unique post-apocalyptic setting, a flexible class system, and an AI partner.

In our Code Vein review, we said it “takes some interesting chances with Soulslike mechanics and finds mixed results, but there’s something worth sinking your teeth into here”

As for the Game Catalog games, there are some heavy hitters in there, but Tchia is the sole new release. This gorgeous tropical open-world adventure game is heavily inspired by New Caledonia, and it also lets you soul jump into animals and most objects you find. Tchia will be released on March 21.

While you wait for these games to arrive, be sure to check out our full recap of the latest State of Play and don’t forget to download February’s PlayStation Plus games – OlliOlli World, Mafia: Definitive Edition, Evil Dead: The Game, and Destiny 2: Beyond Light.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Mortal Kombat 12 Confirmed, Scheduled For 2023 Release

Ed Boon: “So who has heard the news”.

We’ve heard ongoing rumours about the next Mortal Kombat game and it seems to have finally been confirmed.

During a Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call earlier on, the executive vice president of global investor strategy, Andrew Slabin, seemingly confirmed Mortal Kombat 12 and its 2023 release date. Here’s exactly what he said, according to an audio clip doing the rounds on social media:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy Sells 12 Million Units in First Two Weeks

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy has sold more than 12 million units since its debut earlier this month, making it the biggest global launch ever for Warner Bros. Games.

Hogwarts Legacy’s sales numbers were revealed alongside Warner Bros. Discovery’s earnings, which saw the company lose some $2.1 billion. That makes Hogwarts Legacy, which has been controversial itself, a rare bright spot for the company’s financials.

On top of the large sales figure, Warner Bros. Games touted $850 million in sales globally and 1.28 million peak concurrent viewers on Twitch — a new record for a single-player game.

Developed by Avalanche Software under the Portkey Games label, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy earned notice by allowing players to roam a fully-realized version of Hogwarts Castle on next-gen platforms.

“Its open-world adventure captures all the excitement and wonder of the Wizarding World with its memorable new characters, challenging and nuanced combat, and a wonderfully executed Hogwarts student fantasy that kept me glued to my controller for dozens of hours,” we wrote in our review. “It’s certainly weighed down by technical issues, a lackluster main story, and some poor enemy variety, but even those couldn’t come close to breaking its enchanting spell over me.”

Hogwarts Legacy is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is a floaty looter shooter with a cosmetics-only battle pass

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League got a lengthy demonstration at tonight’s PlayStation State Of Play event, which clarified several things about what kind of game Rocksteady’s long-awaited return to the DC Universe really is. It turns out it’s a game with lots of floaty air combat, lots of noise, lots of loot and gear scores and weapon classes, and with a battle pass (but for cosmetics only). Plus there will be DLC to add new characters post-launch.

Read more

Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections Announced For Switch

Launching this year.

During PlayStation’s ‘State of Play’ event today, Bandai Namco announced Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections.

It’ll be arriving across all platforms including the Nintendo Switch at some point in 2023 and celebrates the 20th anniversary since Naruto’s anime debut. Here’s the social media announcement:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Microsoft Flight Simulator Adds New Plane To Local Legend Series

Microsoft Flight Simulator has released another aircraft as part of its Local Legends Series, in conjunction with World Update XII: New Zealand, the DHC-4 Caribou.

From aerospace manufacturer de Havilland Canada, the DHC-4 Caribou is the eighth addition to the Series, a twin-engine, short takeoff and landing (STOL) cargo aircraft originally developed as a military cargo and troop carrier. The Caribou was conceptually based on the STOL performance of the smaller de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver and DHC-3 Otter, but with greater cargo capacity. 

The Caribou first flew on July 30, 1958, and was introduced into mainline service in 1961. De Havilland built a total of 307 Caribou planes, with the majority going into military service, and the rest serving civil missions. 32 countries’ militaries flew the Caribou, including that of the United States. Designated first as the CV-2 and then as the C-7, the United States Army and the United States Air Force operated a total of 159 of the planes. Spain, Kenya, India, and Australia also used the airframe until 2009.

The DHC-4, crewed by two pilots, can carry up to 32 troops and their gear along with 8,000 pounds of cargo or some combination thereof. The Caribou has a distinct, utilitarian look, featuring a long, narrow fuselage with a rear cargo ramp and elevated tail section, allowing for easy and efficient loading and offloading of equipment and personnel.

It can also execute in-flight drops of equipment and/or paratroops on demand. The empennage is a cruciform design, with a large vertical stabilizer and rudder for low-speed yaw authority and it has a retractable tricycle undercarriage with long landing gear legs for use in remote, rustic airfields. The high aspect ratio design of the main wing is mounted on the forward of the fuselage and has full-span, double-slotted flaps.

The wing has a polyhedral, inverted gull form and supports its two radial engines in nacelles that also serve as mounts for the main landing gear. Finally, the aircraft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2000 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder radial piston engines that each deliver 1,450 horsepower and turn a 3-blade Hamilton Standard constant-speed, reversible-pitch propeller.

The Caribou served in several combat zones and has been used for a variety of humanitarian assistance missions through the years, most notably in Vietnam, Vanuatu, and on the Line of Control along the India-Pakistan border region. In these harsh operating arenas, the Caribou earned its legendary status, as it took off from and landed on short, rugged runways in as little as 1,000 feet of ground roll.

The DHC-4 features a range of 1,300 miles, climbs at 1,355 feet per minute, and has a service ceiling of 24,800 feet above sea level. It cruises at 182 miles per hour, stalls at 68 mph, and has a top speed of 215 mph.

The DHC-4 Caribou by de Havilland Canada is a beast of an aircraft that is a true aviator’s machine. It can fly into and out of almost any airstrip and responds confidently to every pilot input. 

Available today in the Microsoft Flight Simulator Marketplace for $14.99, the DHC-4 Caribou comes with seven liveries:

  • Default
  • Blue with Red Stripe
  • Blue with White and Red Accents
  • Blue with Yellow Stripe
  • Camouflage 1
  • Camouflage 2
  • White

Join the more than 10 million pilots in Microsoft Flight Simulator today! The sky is calling!Microsoft Flight Simulator is available for Xbox Series X|S and PC with Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Windows, and Steam, and on Xbox One and supported mobile phones, tablets, and lower-spec PCs via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

For the latest information on Microsoft Flight Simulator, stay tuned to @MSFSOfficial on Twitter.

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Microsoft Flight Simulator is the next generation of one of the most beloved simulation franchises. From light planes to wide-body jets, fly highly detailed and stunning aircraft in an incredibly realistic world. Create your flight plan and fly anywhere on the planet. Enjoy flying day or night and face realistic, challenging weather conditions.

Related:
Microsoft Flight Simulator: World Update XII Takes Us To New Zealand with Captivating Fidelity
Rust Console Edition Gets a Major Update – Power Surge!
No Man’s Sky: Fractal Update Is Available Today

State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

If you missed the live broadcast of the latest State of Play, you can find the full show, all the individual trailers and the announcements collected below. 


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

State of Play: All the trailers 

Destiny 2: Lightfall


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Tchia


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Humanity


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Resident Evil 4


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Street Fighter 6


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Baldur’s Gate 3


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Wayfinder


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Goodbye Volcano High


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

The Foglands


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Green Hell VR


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Synapse


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Journey to Foundation


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Before Your Eyes


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap

Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connnections


State of Play February 2023: All trailers and complete recap


State of Play: All Announcements


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Call of Duty 2023 Will Continue Modern Warfare 2 Story, Will be Led by Sledgehammer Games

Changes are coming to the Call of Duty franchise’s upcoming release in 2023, and players will remain settled in the modern era.

In a new report from Bloomberg, Activision has modified its annual Call of Duty release schedule plans. Shifting away from a planned expansion for Modern Warfare, reports now state that it will move towards another full game set in the Modern era, to be developed by Sledgehammer Games. Previous reports last year stated that plans for Call of Duty in 2023 would be an experimental phase for the franchise, focusing on a high-end expansion for last year’s Modern Warfare 2, which is apparently scaled up for a full release.

Though no official details are out as of this time, the Bloomberg report stated that the game would focus on a continuation of Modern Warfare 2 and its systems, but it will not be Modern Warfare 3. Sledgehammer Games, the developers behind Call of Duty: Vanguard, will be heading up the game’s development, with support coming from other Activision studios, including Infinity Ward and Treyarch.

According to previous reports, the original plan for COD 2023 was to maintain growth and support for Modern Warfare 2, which is now the fastest-selling game to hit $1 billion in franchise history. In the Bloomberg report, this shift has caused concerns among the development team at Sledgehammer Games. However, anonymous staff has stated that Activision is putting significant resources toward the new game to ensure its release in 2023.

A change of direction for Call of Duty

Traditionally, Call of Duty games would switch off between different installments made by alternating teams; the Modern Warfare series from Infinity Ward, the Black Ops series from Treyarch, and different variations and experimental games from Sledgehammer Games. However, recent years have seen the franchise go through some growing pains, with some developers having to ship games sooner than expected or having more time than expected.

With the growing reports about the development of the COD 2023, and the looming Activision/Microsoft merger still in litigation, this year will likely see the franchise in its most unusual spot. Still, the franchise will continue on as planned.

Furthermore, Activision has also pledged to release future COD games on the Nintendo Switch and Nvidia’s games streaming service.

Alessandro Fillari is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @afillari.

Destiny 2 Lightfall Launch Trailer Debuts During Sony’s State of Play

We got our first early at the events of Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion during Sony’s February State of Play showcase. Launching next week on February 28, Lightfall sees the Guardians embrace the Strand darkness power to even the odds against The Witness and their army.

In the cinematic trailer showing the next major phase of Destiny 2, we see the Guardians prepare for their fight against The Witness and Callus’ Shadow Legion of Cabal. The trailer highlighted the immense scale of the battle, which brings many different factions from the Destiny universe to face off against the growing forces of Darkness. We also looked at the new Cloud Strider faction in the city of Neomuna, located on Neptune.

We also got new footage of Destiny 2’s upcoming Stand subclass along with the new story beats. This new class will allow Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters to manipulate energy to bind enemies, use a grappling hook across levels, and even command smaller energy beings to attack foes.

Destiny 2 is in its final week of Witch Queen seasonal events before the launch of the Lightfall expansion, and the community is wrapping up missions and unlocks before the big reset for Lightfall. Today, Bungie also announced that Witch Queen and its exotic weapons will be free for all players for this weekend until February 26. The Monday before Lightfall drops will see a day-long update ahead of the expansion, with the game opening back up on launch day.

For more on the game revealed during the State of Play livestream, go check out IGN’s full breakdown of the event.