Injustice 2 and NASCAR Heat 5 on Xbox Free Play Days

Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass Ultimate members are getting Injustice 2 and NASCAR Heat 5 on Free Play Days this weekend.

Returning with a new lineup, Xbox Free Play Days weekly event invites Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to have a blast playing exciting games for free throughout a full weekend on their Xbox One consoles.

Starting from August 13, 12:01 AM PDT/3:01 AM EDT, log into your account before heading over to Microsoft Store to download and play Injustice 2 and NASCAR Heat 5 for free until August 16, 11:59 PM PDT/2:59 AM EDT.

Injustice 2 and NASCAR Heat 5 on Xbox Free Play Days

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As a follow-up sequel to Injustice: Gods Among Us, developer NetherRealm Studios managed to reassemble heroes and villains of DC Universe lead by Batman to prevail the threat of Brainiac, who wants to add Earth to his collection.

Drive through latest tracks of newly released racing game simulator NASCAR Heat 5 to take on challenges of becoming 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion as you try to leave your mark on quick races, test sessions and Xtreme Dirt Tour.

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On a side note, Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited is currently inviting everyone to a free trial weekend that lasts until August 16, 7 AM PDT and is available to purchase at 50% less than its regular retail price for a very limited time.

When your weekend of Xbox Free Play Days finally comes to an end, you can continue playing by purchasing these titles to carry over all of your achievements, gamescores and progress while enjoying an exclusive member discount.

Remnant: From the Ashes and The Alto Collection Free on Epic Games Store Now

Epic Games Store is giving away free copy of Remnant: From the Ashes and The Alto Collection for PC platform this week.

In a series of rotation, Epic Games has been rolling out freebie titles on PC platform to invite players to their digital distribution outlet Epic Games Store since launch as a promotional offer and intends to continue throughout 2020.

Epic Store is giving away Remnant: From the Ashes from Gunfire Games and The Alto Collection by Team Alto this week for anyone to claim with a free account to add to their online library before August 20, 8:00 AM PT/10:00 AM EDT.

Remnant: From the Ashes and The Alto Collection Free on Epic Games Store Now

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Remnant takes inspiration from Soulslike genre of games and mixed with third-person gunplay in a post-apocalyptic setting. Due to randomizing nature of its bosses and levels, players are encouraged to go for more than one playthrough.

Play as a snowboarding llama farmer named Alto, who is a relentless protagonist that boards over mountain ranges, snowy fields and various terrains by hopping or leaping in a bundle of two games; Alto's Adventure and Alto's Odyssey.

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Aside from Remnant and The Alto Collection, also joining on Epic Store is turn-based strategy game Total War Saga: Troy for a limited time of 24 hours at launch, which was promised by Sega during its official reveal back in June 2020.

Epic Games Store has already announced to giveaway bullet hell dungeon crawler title Enter The Gungeon from Devolver Digital and over-the-top indie action game God's Trigger by One More Level for next week on August 20, 2020.

The Last of Us Part 2 Grounded Update Release Date

Naughty Dog is adding Grounded difficulty, Permadeath mode and more in upcoming The Last of Us Part II update.

A day after showing up on PlayStation trophies section, Grounded mode has been announced for PlayStation 4-exclusive action-adventure game The Last of Us Part II by developer Naughty Dog and publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment.

In an attempt to continue legacy of original Grounded difficulty mode from The Last of Us, new features, gameplay modes, Trophies and more will be included in upcoming much-anticipated update, set to arrive for TLoU2 on August 13, 2020.

The Last of Us Part 2 Grounded Update Release Date

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Shortly after a leak, Naughty Dog announces to release free Grounded update for The Last of Us Part II.

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As first major post-launch content update, Grounded will introduce a challenging difficulty setting and introduce permadeath mode. Players who believe that Survivor mode is not much of a brutal experience will appreciate Grounded.

If you choose to play smartly, The Last of Us 2 is not extremely tough and Grounded update will crank everything up to eleven. Crafting items will become scarce, enemies will be deadlier, HUD is removed and Listen Mode gets fully disabled.

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After patching TLoU2 to version 1.05, players will get Grounded difficulty mode unlocked at start. The Last of Us never had a permadeath mode and now Naughty Dog challenges you to complete the entire run without dying even once.

Since there are no second chances, players can enable checkpoints within Permadeath mode on per-act basis or per-chapter basis. You can get a Platinum Trophy for The Last of Us 2 even if you fail to earn Trophies for Grounded and Permadeath.

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Naughty Dog is also adding a bunch of unlockable gameplay modifiers to add various twists in your playthrough. For example, enabling one-hit kills makes a really intense experience while Infinite Listen Mode Range can spice things up.

A number of noteworthy modifiers are 4-bit Audio, 8-bit Audio, Bullet Speed mode, Helium Audio, Infinite Ammo, Infinite Crafting, Infinite Melee Durability, Mirror on Death, Mirror World, One Shot, Slow Motion and Xenon Audio.

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Naughty Dog also adds several audio and visual modifiers as well to let you tweak with various graphics rendering modes. Your game can either look like a retro 8-bit era adventure or can become a cel-shaded version of The Last of Us 2.

Grounded update includes some minor features and options like aiming acceleration scale, accessibility improvements, collectible tracking, display playtime up to the second for speed-runners and much more for The Last of Us Part II.

Halo Infinite Delayed to 2021

343 Industries and Microsoft have officially moved Halo Infinite holiday 2020 release window to 2021.

In mid-July, developer 343 Industries and SkyBox Labs, in association with publisher Xbox Game Studios has unveiled a much-anticipated gameplay for upcoming first-person shooter title Halo Infinite at Xbox Games Showcase digital event.

Response from player community was largely negative and as a follow-up to fan-backlash, 343 Industries studio head Chris Lee recently came out announcing an inevitable delay of release until 2021 on social media citing multiple factors.

Halo Infinite Delayed to 2021

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Reaction from fans to first gameplay demo received a lot of criticisms online for its graphics that doesn't seem very "next-gen". Many even pointed out that its graphics looked outdated, much more in line with Halo: Combat Evolved.

Xbox games marketing manager Aaron Greenberg came to defend their work saying Halo Infinite is still a "work-in-progress" and claimed that there was enough time for dev team to do some polishing before holiday 2020 launch date.

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Recent official statement from Chris Lee on Twitter reveals current development update of Halo Infinite.

Halo Infinite Development Update pic.twitter.com/TFZvXhRN9f

— Halo (@Halo) August 11, 2020

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343 had to come to a hard decision to move release window for one of the biggest launch titles for Xbox Series X to 2021. Chris Lee pointed out development challenges during ongoing COVID-19 pandemic among many contributing factors.

Latest statement from 343 studio boss Chris Lee has only confirmed what many were already suspecting for a while. Although a very difficult decision, Microsoft had to ensure that they can deliver a definitive Halo game experience for all.

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Despite Lee making no direct reference to immense player backlash received from Xbox Games Showcase last month, it's safe to assume that they were forced to postpone Xbox Series X launch title upon failing to live up to fan-expectations.

Halo Infinite was originally planned to release in holiday 2020 with next-gen console launch but is now pushed back unfortunately. Series X will make its debut on November and Microsoft has yet to announce a new release date for Infinite.

The Last of Us 2 Getting Grounded Difficulty and Permadeath

Trophy screen for The Last of Us Part II reveals Naughty Dog to add Grounded difficulty and Permadeath feature.

Despite creating a number of controversies, PlayStation 4-exclusive action-adventure game The Last of Us Part II from developer Naughty Dog and publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment has made a record-breaking sale upon launch.

Following a recent update PlayStation trophies section for The Last of Us 2, new Grounded difficulty mode and permadeath options are revealed to be added to Naughty Dog's post-apocalyptic survival horror experience soon.

The Last of Us 2 Getting Grounded Difficulty and Permadeath

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The Last of Us 2 improves upon its brutal, stealth-based combat system from 2013 predecessor title. Naughty Dog added an increasing difficulty mode Grounded as post-launch content for original The Last of Us to offer extra challenge.

Grounded mode will increase enemy damage multiple times, disables Listen Mode, removes player HUD and makes supplies scarce. There will be fewer checkpoints and turning off Listen Mode makes it harder to track nearby enemies.

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Grounded mode will seemingly be added as a DLC for TLoU sequel, according to new trophies list. Players would most likely to require completing The Last of Us Part 2 on extreme difficulty or doing so with permadeath setting enabled.

Naughty Dog has yet to reveal how these updates will be implemented for The Last of Us Part II and when they will arrive. Currently, Grounded is only available as a trophy and how it will work in-game will hopefully be announced sooner.

Crash Bandicoot 4 for Nintendo Switch Leaked

Script code for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time official website may have leaked its Nintendo Switch release.

Revealed at Summer Game Fest, upcoming platform game Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time from developer Toys for Bob and publisher Activision is scheduled to launch on October 2, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.

Already announced to release on major current-gen platforms like PS4 and Xbox One, a recent leak on official website suggests that Crash 4 is possibly coming to Nintendo Switch consoles as well and is yet to be confirmed by Activision.

Crash Bandicoot 4 for Nintendo Switch Leaked

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If latest leaks on Switch version of Crash Bandicoot 4 turn out to be true after all, it won't be much of a surprise given recent success of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Team Racing Remastered on Nintendo handheld system.

A screenshot on Twitter shows website script for Crash 4 has mention of Nintendo Switch within its listing of consoles. This is a significant hint of Activision to add an option on official site to order Crash Bandicoot 4 for Switch in future.

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Twitter user @SunwerPrower posted an image of site script containing data on Switch version of Crash 4.

Dentro de la página de Crash Bandicoot 4, se encuentra un pequeño vestigio de Switch. Más en concreto se trata de un script que incluye el elemento "Nintendo Switch". Éste componente es quien nutre el menú de opciones de plataformas. Pueden comprobarlo ustedes mismos. pic.twitter.com/oTMtBno1ZV

— Sunwer 🦊 La Guarida del Zorro 🏳️🌈 (@SunwerPrower) August 7, 2020

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Previously, both Crash Team Racing and N. Sane Trilogy made their debut on Switch a year after releasing on PS4 and Xbox One. In past, Activision has stated interest of making ports for other platforms including PC, further fueling the rumor.

Despite some concerns over possible inclusion of micro-transactions, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time has seriously hyped up series fans with its all-new levels and playable characters like Coco Bandicoot, Doctor Neo Cortex and Dingodile.

Quake and Quake 2 Free on Bethesda.net During QuakeCon Event

Bethesda is offering PC version of Quake and Quake 2 for free on Bethesda.net during QuakeCon at Home stream.

In wake of worldwide Coronavirus outbreak earlier this year, developer/publisher Bethesda Softworks pledged $1 million in relief efforts back in April and they raised the stakes a little higher with ongoing QuakeCon 2020 event.

Bethesda already made original Quake free on their PC gaming app to draw fans to QuakeCon. To celebrate raising over $10,000 for charity by attendees, Bethesda announced to offer free copies of Quake II via Bethesda.net launcher.

Quake and Quake II Free on Bethesda.net During QuakeCon Event

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Bethesda acquired publishing rights for Quake franchise back in 2010 and is annually arranging QuakeCon as a means to raise money. Players can donate to Direct Relief, UNICEF, NAACP and more via official QuakeCon at Home stream.

After entire world starts suffering from a global pandemic of COVID-19, many companies within video game industry attempts to increase their donation amounts to organizations that are working hard to help out those who are affected.

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Businesses often contribute to charities as a regular public relations practice but in times of need, they amplify these efforts. Whether or not there are any motivating incentives, gamers usually try to take part in these good causes.

Although both Quake and Quake 2 are decade old series entries that don't add much value other than being two old classics, they did end up generating $10k though a video game stream during QuakeCon 2020 for a charitable cause.

Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods, Part One Teased

Bethesda teases Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods, Part One, first episodic story DLC at QuakeCon 2020.

Only months after a successful release on Google Stadia, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, developer id Software and publisher Bethesda Softworks teased upcoming first campaign DLC for first-person shooter game Doom Eternal.

This week at QuakeCon 2020 event, Bethesda has teased first single-player expansion for Doom Eternal, The Ancient Gods, Part One with a new trailer and will do a full reveal during Opening Night Live of Gamescom 2020 on August 2020.

Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods, Part One Teased

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QuakeCon 2020 event debuts a brand-new teaser trailer for Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods, Part One.

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Saving humanity from a demonic invasion has set things in order and has upset an established order within three realms. These conflicts have dragged Doomguy into unforeseen realms of known universe for another grand face-off.

Ancient Gods story expansion will be picking up from where Icon of Sin was defeated in a final boss fight. Players can unlock a special QuakeCon themed skin and other cosmetics items by simply logging into your Doom Eternal account.

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Doom Eternal serves as a follow-up sequel to 2016 series reboot of Doom by Bethesda, focusing on early adventures of Doom Slayer. Slaughtering demons for ages, he even ended up colliding with angelic beings for the very first time.

Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods, Part One will arrive later this year as part of a multi-chapter adventure and available for individual purchase. Owners of Doom Eternal Deluxe Edition and Year 1 Pass can also get access on launch-day.

New Suicide Squad Game Teased

Rocksteady Studios teases upcoming Suicide Squad game ahead of DC Fandom event on August 22, 2020.

Back in June, there has been a rumor of Rocksteady Studios was reportedly working on a brand-new Suicide Squad game from a series of leaked domain names and believed to be revealed at upcoming DC Fandom event in August 2020.

Just today, Rocksteady released a new teaser image of Superman and logo for their newest Suicide Squad game on Twitter, with a brief tagline to reveal more information about the ongoing project at DC Fandom on August 22, 2020.

New Suicide Squad Game Teased

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A silhouette of Superman and a Suicide Squad logo on his head as a target actually nods back to a previously leaked domain "SuicideSquadKillTheJusticeLeague.com", hinting at a possible clash between DC's anti-hero squad and Justice League.

According to early rumors, Suicide Squad will hunt down Man of Steel and fellow members of Justice League as part of their mission. In recent years, DC Comics has explored similar ideas in "Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad" story in 2017.

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Rocksteady posted an image of Superman in a latest Tweet, announcing new Suicide Squad game.

Target locked - #DCFanDome - August 22. #suicidesquadgame pic.twitter.com/HrXZNKwo0f

— Rocksteady Studios (@RocksteadyGames) August 7, 2020

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Suicide Squad is a top-secret government black-ops unit that originally formed as "Task Force X" by Amanda Waller. She would recruit lesser known super-villains for highly dangerous military operations to offer amnesty for their past crimes.

In past, Rocksteady has worked on Batman: Arkham series, which received critical-acclaim and concluded with Batman: Arkham Knight in 2015. Now they are making a return with another DC Comics property that became popular recently.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Hits 5 Million Sales

Square Enix reveals to have sold over 5 million copies of Final Fantasy VII Remake since its launch.

Despite having being released amidst a worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, action role-playing game Final Fantasy VII Remake from developer/publisher Square Enix became became fastest-selling PlayStation 4-exclusive ever at launch.

In a recent announcement, Square Enix officially revealed to have shipped and digitally sold over 5 million copies of Final Fantasy Remake so far, which makes the game their highest-selling digital release on PlayStation platform ever.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Hits 5 Million Sales

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As a modern-day remake of original PlayStation title, FFVIIR is completely built from ground-up for PS4 consoles. Square Enix has reimagined fan-favorite protagonist Cloud Strife from 1997 classic title for a new generation of audience.

FFVII Remake is having a huge sale and is currently available to purchase digitally at 34% off on PlayStation Store, for $39.59 only. Much of its DLC add-ons and PS4 dynamic themes are also made free for players until August 19, 2020.

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FFVII Remake remains a timed exclusive on Sony console until April 10, 2021 and may debut on other platforms at some point. FF7R debuting on other platforms will only increase its overall lifetime sales and set some new milestones.

At this point, fans are eagerly waiting for a sequel and Square Enix has confirmed working on developing part two of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Like its predecessor, FFVII Remake sequel is most likely to be a title exclusive to PlayStation.

3 out of 10 and Wilmot's Warehouse Free on Epic Games Store Now

Epic Games is giving away PC version of 3 out of 10 and Wilmot's Warehouse for this week on Epic Games Store.

After a lackluster week of free games earlier, Epic Games put a slightly better effort in putting up an improved selection for their weekly promotional offering on Epic Games Store, revealing latest array of titles added most recently.

Epic Store is giving away 3 out of 10, EP 1: "Welcome To Shovelworks" and Wilmot's Warehouse for this week. Anyone with a free account can claim these titles to add to their online collection before August 13, 8:00 AM PT/10:00 AM EDT.

3 out of 10 and Wilmot's Warehouse Free on Epic Games Store Now

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If you ever wondered what really goes down in world's worst video game studio, then you are welcome to Shovelworks Studios. Part of your experience is of an animated show and part of the rest is negatively driven playable sitcom.

Wilmot's Warehouse is a 2019 puzzle game by developer Hollow Ponds that lets you step into the shoes of a logistics worker. You will be taking care of a storehouse by stacking loads of products in order that makes sense to you.

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Epic Store originally made announcement for Wilmot's Warehouse only and 3 out of 10 was a last-minute addition. Both of these games currently have their ratings pending but presumably they are suitable for everyone in general.

Upcoming giveaway on Epic Games Store seems quite promising than ongoing EGS lineup as they are going to offer PC version of Remnant: From the Ashes and The Alto Collection next week as freebies, starting from August 13, 2020.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne to Bring Back Old Seasonal Events

Capcom announces to celebrate first anniversary of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne with returning seasonal events.

Although a long-running series from developer/publisher Capcom, action-role-playing game franchise Monster Hunter became increasingly popular to Western audience following release of Monster Hunter: World back in 2018.

MH: World received a follow-up expansion Iceborne, a year after its release and to celebrate its first anniversary, Capcom is allowing everyone to observe previous limited time seasonal events from August through September 2020.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne to Bring Back Old Seasonal Events

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MHW players frequently take part in limited time events including crossovers, offering exclusive quests and rewards. Capcom is bringing back previous seasonal events from first year of MHW: Iceborne to New World starting in August.

On August 20, Winter Star Fest and Holiday Joy Fest will kick in to run until September 3, 2020. Appreciation Fest and Grand Appreciation Fest will start from there for Spring Blossom Fest and Full Bloom Fest to pick up on September 17.

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Capcom announces to bring back popular limited time events for MHW: Iceborne in a recent Tweet.

Let's celebrate 1 year of #Iceborne with a reprise of some of our Seasonal Events!

🏮 Aug 21 ~ Sep 3 Holiday Joy Fest 🏮
💫 Sep 4 ~ 17 Grand Appreciation 💫
🌹 Sep 18 ~ 30 Full Bloom Fest 🌹 pic.twitter.com/9E9e9GcCla

— Monster Hunter (@monsterhunter) August 6, 2020

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There will be two variants of each of these in-game festivals; one for MHW hub and another is set for Iceborne. Capcom has promised to make almost all previous quests available to players whether they purchased MHW: Iceborne or not.

Whether you are a seasoned Hunter or a casual, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne got you covered with tons of quests and rewards. They may be a lot for newcomers to take in, veterans will enjoy anniversary holiday of a lifetime.