Konami has officially announced a sequel to Super Bomberman R for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC via Steam. In addition to classic action-maze modes, Super Bomberman R 2 will feature a new Castle Mode, according to its publisher. Castle Mode is a 16-player mode where up to 15 players try to blast their way to treasure chests while a single player tries to stop them....

The PS5 version of Marvel’s Avengers greatly reduces the PS4 version’s long loading times to just a few seconds. That’s according to a tech analysis fromDigital Foundry, which shows a campaign chapter loading from the main menu in both thePS4andPS5versions of the game and compares their load times. The PS4 version takes around 62 seconds, whereas the PS5 version loads the same chapter in about 4 seconds. The same analysis also shows that when playing the PS5 game in Highest Quality mode it creates more destruction effects, most notably when playing as the Hulk....

Microsoft has detailed the next wave of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass for console, PC and Android. Dragon Quest Builders 2,FIFA 21, Outlast 2 and Steep will join the service on consoles andPCthis week, followed on May 13 by Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, Just Cause 4: Reloaded, Psychonauts, Red Dead Online and Remnant: From the Ashes (PC only). Leaving the service on May 15 is Alan Wake, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, Dungeon of the Endless, Final Fantasy IX, Hotline Miami and Plebby Quest: The Crusades....

Meta could be considering launching a subscription service for Quest games and apps. Twitter user @ShinyQuagsireclaimedthis week to have uncovered references to a ‘Quest Pass’ subscription service via the Meta Quest app onAndroid. While VGC hasn’t been able to access it, another userclaimedthe hidden page was also available via theiOSapp. If legitimate, Quest Pass could work similarly toMicrosoft’sXboxLive Games with Gold andSony’sPlayStationPlus subscription offerings. “Get up to two new apps or games every month with [Project Apollo],” a description of the service reportedly reads....

Microsoft and Activision have responded to the US Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) legal attempt to block the companies’ planned merger. Earlier this month the FTC announced plans to file a lawsuit ina bid to stop Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision, which it argues would enable the company to “suppress competitors” to itsXboxconsoles and its subscription content and cloud gaming business. Among other concerns, regulators scrutinising the deal have expressed worries that the dealcould significantly reduce PlayStation’s ability to compete, given that it would seeMicrosoftgain ownership of the Call of Duty series....

MindsEye boss Leslie Benzies has allegedly claimed that the troubles facing Build a Rocket Boy are the result of “internal and external saboteurs,” according to a new report. Benzies, who is best known for his time as the president ofRockstar North, has reportedly broken his silence to staff after the difficult launch of MindsEye, the debut game from his studio, Build a Rocket Boy. According to a report fromIGN, Benzies addressed staff this week, where it’s claimed the studio boss blamed “internal and external saboteurs” on the issues facing both Mindseye and Build A Rocket Boy....

Activision has detailed a range of content coming to Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 Season 1. Headlining the upcoming season of content are the latest iteration of its free-to-play battle royale experience, includingWarzone’s new extraction-based DMZ mode, reimagined multiplayer maps, a new Special Ops mission, the first three-player Raid, and a football-themed event. Modern Warfare2’s first season of live content will launch alongsideWarzone 2on November 16 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT....

Modern Warfare 3 servers are down as of midday PT on Thursday, leaving many Call of Duty players unable to play campaign early access. Activisionissued a statement on Thursday, claiming it was looking into the server outage, which has also left many players unable to check accounts or progression. “We are investigating a service outage impacting multiple titles,” itsaid. “During this time, Campaign Early Access, account ownership checks, and progression systems may be temporarily unavailable....

More details have reportedly emerged on Payback, Bungie’s now-cancelled project. According to a newBloombergreport by Jason Schreier, Payback was an “incubation project” that would be set in theDestinyuniverse. Rather than a full-blown Destiny 3, Payback was to be a spin-off that would be played with a third-person perspective rather than Destiny’s typical first-person view. According to Schreier’s report, the game would “allow players to use the franchise’s characters to explore a large world while cooperating to battle monsters and solve puzzles”, and would take inspiration fromGenshin ImpactandWarframe....

Bandai Namco has released a new Elden Ring patch which fixes several bugs. Update 1.04.1, which is now available forPS4,PS5,Xbox One,Xbox Series X/SandPC, fixes an HP bug with Malenia and an issue that caused some bosses to die at unintended times, including Elden Beast. Theupdate(see full patch notes below) also targets a bug that affected the duration of the Cerulean Hidden Tear. Elden Ring patch 1.04 was released last week, bringing with it improved game performance and new events in certain NPC questlines....

An upcoming game from Hellblade studio Ninja Theory appears to have been leaked, ahead of a potential reveal at E3. A minute-long off-screenvideo posted onlineshows a fast-paced “combat action” game featuring 4v4 online melee gameplay and a colourful cast of characters. The video, which is watermarked “confidential,” suggests a technical alpha for the title will commence on June 27. It also implies DmC: Devil May Cry combat director Rahni Tucker has a prominent role in the project’s development....

Nintendo and HAL Labs’ 2016 3DS platformer Kirby: Planet Robobot is reportedly set to release for Nintendo Switch next year. That’s according to industry insiderNate the Hate, who has a track record of breaking stories prior to their official announcement. “A game that’s one of my personal favorites will be coming to theNintendo Switchin 2025,” they claimed. “That title is Kirby: Planet Robobot. It’s one of the best 3DS games to ever release, and it’s that type of title that I thinkNintendocan continue to use as filler for Switch in 2025....

Nintendo has confirmed that it will not attend Gamescom this year. In a statement toGames Wirtschaft, aNintendoof Europe spokesperson explained that the company would not have a presence at the Cologne show. “Gamescomis a key event in Nintendo’s calendar of events,” the statement reads. “This year, however, after careful consideration, we have decided against participating in Cologne. “Instead, players will be able to try out the games forNintendo Switchat numerous events throughout Germany....