As March concludes, Sony has revealed the three PlayStation Plus Essential tier games for April 2024.

As usual, the PlayStation Blog has revealed which games will be available as part of the PS Plus Essential tier next month. This time around, those games are:

• Immortals of Aveum (PS5)
• Minecraft Legends (PS4, PS5)
• Skul: The Hero Slayer (PS4)

All three games will become available to download through PS Plus on Tuesday, April 2 and will remain available until Monday, May 6. Additionally, a PlayStation Plus exclusive Overwatch 2 Mega Bundle will be released, which contains the following:

• Beekeeper Sigma Legendary Skin
• Art Deco Symmetra Legendary Skin
• Runner Sojourn Epic Skin
• Punker Queen Junker Queen Epic Skin
• Construction Ramattra Epic Skin
• Matsuri Kiriko Epic Skin
• Cassia Lifeweaver Epic Skin
• Amethyst Illari Epic Skin
• Rugby Mauga Epic Skin
• 5x Battle Pass Tier Skips

Here are some details about each of April’s games:

Immortals of Aveum was first released on August 22, 2023. Developed by Ascendant Studios and published by Electronic Arts, the first-person shooter has players wielding different types of spells in magical combat in order to save the realms.

Minecraft Legends is a real-time strategy game from developers Mojang Studios and Blackbird Interactive. In it, players protect the Overworld from all manner of piglins from the fearsome Nether by building and improving upon their defenses and units.

Finally, Skul: The Hero Slayer is a roguelike action platformer that puts players in the role of the titular skeleton as he traverses procedurally generated stages and battles bosses while using a variety of different heads and abilities.

The post PS Plus Essential Games for April 2024 Revealed appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Update: As of 4:30 p.m. ET, it seems all services other than purchasing from the PlayStation Store have been restored.

The PlayStation Network is down across all platforms at the moment, with all services being affected as part of the outage.

On the official PlayStation Status page, all of the PlayStation Network services are noted to be “experiencing issues,” with the affected platforms being PS5, PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Web, and Other.

The status page lists the currently ongoing service issues as follows:

Account Management

• You might have difficulty signing in or creating an account for PlayStation Network. We’re working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

Gaming and Social

• You might have difficulty launching games, apps, or network features. We’re working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

PlayStation Video

• You might have difficulty getting PlayStation Video content. We’re working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

PlayStation Store

• You might have difficulty getting products on the PlayStation Store. We’re working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

Stay tuned for updates on the current PlayStation Network outage as they become available.

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With February coming to an end tomorrow, Sony has revealed the four PlayStation Plus Essential tier games for March 2024.

In a PlayStation Blog post, Sony gave fans a look at the diverse lineup of games that they’ll be able to download in the coming month. Those titles are:

• EA Sports F1 23 (PS4, PS5)
• Sifu (PS4, PS5)
• Hello Neighbor 2 (PS4, PS5)
• Destiny 2: The Witch Queen (PS4, PS5)

It’s worth noting that you need Destiny 2 in order to play Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, though Destiny 2 can be downloaded for free on the PlayStation Store. These titles will become available on Tuesday, March 5, and will remain available for download until Monday, April 1. PlayStation Plus members can also grab an exclusive cosmetic bundle for The Finals, which includes two epic outfits and 12 epic weapon skins.

Here are some details about each of this month’s games:

F1 23 first released last year and was developed by Codemasters. This installment features a story mode titled “Braking Point 2,” which saw the return of characters from the first Braking Point. The game received largely positive reviews from across the industry.

Released in 2022, Sifu is a third-person martial arts beat ‘em up set in contemporary China. Players take the role of the son or daughter of a murdered martial arts master and embark on a quest for revenge against the men responsible. After having their throat cut and being left for dead, a magical talisman revives them. However, it has the side effect of accelerating the protagonist’s age.

Hello Neighbor 2 is the sequel to the popular stealth horror game that first made waves in 2017. The sequel dropped in late 2022 and followed a reporter named Quentin as he stealthily explores individuals’ houses to uncover dark secrets about the town of Raven Brooks.

Finally, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen is a major expansion to Bungie’s first-person shooter game. Released in February 2022, The Witch Queen introduces players to the fearsome Savathûn and features new missions, maps, gear, and more.

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Developer Far From Home has released a new Forever Skies trailer, revealing that the game will be PS5 exclusive.

The first-person sci-fi survival game will have its exclusive console release on the PlayStation 5 on the same day that the full version of the game launches on Steam. The final version of the game, which currently has a release date window of 2024, will have single-player and support up to four-player co-op.

“Far From Home has teamed up with PlayStation to focus on making Forever Skies the best it can be for its console debut,” Andrzej Blumenfeld, Forever Skies Gameplay Lead stated. “So, at the end of PC Early Access when we’re ready to release the full game, we’ll be launching it on PlayStation 5 for consoles. Worry not though, this will not affect the ongoing development or release of the Steam version which will come out at the same time.”

You can view the new Forever Skies trailer on YouTube below:

What is Forever Skies about?

“In Forever Skies you are a scientist returning to Earth destroyed by a global ecological disaster,” the game’s description reads. “You will fly a high-tech airship, expand, rebuild and repair it. Look for and scavenge resources to survive, and face the dangers of the surface. Search for viral pathogens to cure a mysterious illness.”

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It sounds as though one of the most famous Xbox exclusive franchises could be coming to PlayStation, as a new report suggests that Gears of War might be on the way.

Insider Jeff Grubb has reported that the iconic Xbox franchise Gears of War could be coming to PlayStation consoles in the future, though there are no sure plans of it occurring at this time. This lines up with earlier reports of games like Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle potentially making the leap to PlayStation as well, though those two are considerably more recent than Gears of War.

“The other one that I’ve heard that’s definitely under consideration — it doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen, but it’s in talks — is Gears of War,” Grubb stated (via VGC). “Gears of War is being considered for this.”

He also noted that more information on Xbox’s plans will apparently be revealed towards the end of February.

“The other thing I can corroborate is a rumor that there will be something at the end of February when they’re going to explain this change — that is something that they definitely were talking about,” Grubb explained.

When did the first Gears of War come out?

The first Gears of War game, which was developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It would be followed up by Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3, Gears of War: Judgment, Gears of War 4, Gears 5, and a few different spin-offs.

Gears of War would go on to become one of the Xbox’s most recognizable series, alongside similarly beloved franchises like Halo and Forza.

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Towards the end of today’s State of Play, it was revealed that Hideo Kojima and Sony will be working together on a new action espionage game.

The announcement video features both Kojima and Head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst discussing the upcoming video game. Titled Physint, Kojima revealed that the game will try to “transcend the barriers between film and video games” and will be made by “talent from around the world” using “cutting-edge technology.”

Little else about Physint beyond the title was revealed, though the video ends with the camera zooming out of a Columbia Pictures lot, suggesting the motion picture production and distribution company will be involved.

You can see the related section of the State of Play on YouTube below:

What other Kojima Productions games are coming out?

A new trailer for the upcoming sequel Death Stranding 2 was also shown today, which gave the highly anticipated second Death Stranding game a new title. It’s set to release at some point in 2025, with the latest State of Play trailer showing off several returning characters — such as Norman Reedus’ Sam Porter Bridges and Léa Seydoux’s Fragile — and some bizarre new ones, including a peculiar miniature puppet.

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Today’s State of Play presentation went in-depth on Team Ninja‘s upcoming game, Rise of the Rōnin, showing off more of the PS5-exclusive. The game is set to release on Friday, March 22, 2024, and is currently available to preorder.

In the video, Team Ninja Game Director Fumihiko Yasuda delves into the gameplay of the intense action game. The setting, Yokohama, is explored, previewing the unique area that features both Japanese culture and Western influence. Rise of the Rōnin’s bloody combat is showcased, as the main character uses different weapons to slash, stab, and parry enemies of all different types. The video ends with several cutscenes being shown, teasing the title’s story.

You can see the Rise of the Rōnin portion of the State of Play on YouTube below:

“Embark on an epic journey across war-torn 19th-century Japan in this combat-focused open-world action RPG from Team Ninja, the veteran studio behind Nioh and Ninja Gaiden,” reads the game’s official description.

When does Rise of the Rōnin take place?

“Japan, 1863. After three centuries of the Tokugawa Shogunate’s oppressive rule, the Black Ships of the West descend upon the nation’s borders and the country falls into a state of turmoil,” reads the story’s synopsis. “Amidst the chaos of war, disease and political unrest, a nameless warrior forges their own path, holding the very fate of Japan in their hands.”

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A new Fortnite x Metal Gear Solid trailer has been released online, teasing the addition of Raiden to the incredibly popular battle royale game.

The trailer features Solid Snake — who is part of the current Battle Pass — in both his Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4 outfits. The video then shows Raiden, the protagonist of Metal Gear Solid 2, both with and without the scuba mask he wears at the beginning of Sons of Liberty.

Several other references to the Metal Gear Solid franchise — including cardboard boxes, Metal Gear Mk. II back bling, and stealth camo — also make appearances, showing off just how much Fortnite is currently celebrating the iconic series.

You can view the new Fortnite Metal Gear Solid trailer on YouTube below:

What other crossovers has Fortnite recently done?

These wouldn’t be the first major characters to come to Fortnite in the last year or so, as it’s has been filled with big crossovers. Members of Futurama’s Planet Express crew, main characters from the popular manga and anime series Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan, heroes and villains from the Star Wars prequels, Disney and horror icons alike, and more have all been added to Epic Games‘ massive multiplayer shooter.

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Sony has revealed the PS Plus Extra and Premium January 2024 games on the PlayStation Blog. The latest lineup features a little bit of everything, from the survival horror of Resident Evil 2 to the wacky all-ages hijinks of Lego City Undercover. The games will become available to subscribers on Tuesday, January 16.

PS Plus Extra January 2024 games

January’s PlayStation Plus Extra titles have something for everyone, such as the explosive and chaotic action-adventure game Just Cause 3 and the space simulation title Hardspace: Shipbreaker. Just under of the titles have specific versions for each console, while the rest only include a PS4 or PS5 version.

• Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands – Next-Level Edition (PS4, PS5)
• Resident Evil 2 (PS4, PS5)
• Hardspace: Shipbreaker (PS5)
• LEGO City Undercover (PS4)
• Just Cause 3 (PS4)
• Session: Skate Sim (PS4, PS5)
• Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (PS4)
• Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong (PS4, PS5)
• Surviving the Aftermath (PS4)

PS Plus Premium January 2024 games

As for Premium games, RPG remakes, a fighting game collection, and a PS1 Star Wars game are all highlights of this month’s varied selection.

• Rally Cross (PS4, PS5)
• Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace (PS4, PS5)
• Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection (PS4)
• Legend of Mana (PS4)
• Secret of Mana (PS4)

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After plenty of speculation, the actress who will be playing Abby Anderson in The Last of Us Season 2 has been revealed.

On Twitter, Max revealed that Kaitlyn Dever will be playing the role of Abby in The Last of Us Season 2. Dever has previously starred in films like Booksmart, Dear Evan Hansen, and No One Will Save You.

“Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material,” showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann stated. “Nothing matters more than talent, and we’re thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro, Bella, and the rest of our family.”

You can see the announcement tweet below:

The Last of Us currently stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy Miller, and Rutina Wesley as Maria. Season 2 is expected to be based on Naughty Dog’s acclaimed video game sequel The Last of Us Part II, which will feature a significant time jump introducing a now grown-up Ellie.

What other The Last of Us content is coming out?

The Last of Us Part II Remastered launches on January 19 for the PlayStation 5. Pre-orders begin December 5. Season 2 of the series does not yet have a release date, though HBO currently projects it to premiere in 2025.

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