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NFT Gaming

Avalanche Game ‘Forgotten Playland’ Implements NFTs in Biggest Update Yet

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In brief

  • Forgotten Playland implemented blockchain and NFTs in its social party game.
  • The game is built on the Beam Network, an L1 network powered by Avalanche.
  • The game’s implementation comes with new content, a play-to-airdrop campaign, and more.

Social party game Forgotten Playland is further entrenching itself in Web3, formally integrating with Beam Network, an Avalanche L1 chain, while unveiling new content and a battle pass. 

With the update and blockchain integration, most in-game assets within Forgotten Playland become freely tradeable, allowing players to exercise one of the promises of decentralized gaming and entitling them to own a piece of the game economy.

Players will be able to own two different types of NFTs on the platform, cosmetic and toybox. Cosmetics—like skins, traits and emotes—can be earned by playing the game, but also can be packaged within the battle pass or toybox features. Toyboxes act as limited-edition bundles that will only be rolled out periodically.

“These NFTs enhance the game by offering personalization, social signaling, marketplace trading, and access to exclusive content,” Zico Bakker, co-founder of Duckland Games told Decrypt. 

The NFTs and the game’s Forgotten Playland token (FP) “empower a vibrant economy,” according to Bakker, who added that the blockchain and NFT implementation gives the Forgotten Playland “the freedom to work on a play-to-airdrop campaign,” which it is undertaking right now with a FLUFFY points campaign. 

In the campaign, users earn points based on the amount of cosmetics they own, their activity in the game, and the quests they complete. 

“As NFTs and FP tokens gain utility, players no longer experience purely cosmetic progression; there’s financial and social motivation to engage deeper,” said Bakker.



Players will be able to engage with new content in this update and in the near future as well. 

“We have a lot of new content planned for Forgotten Playland,” said Bakker. “With this update, we introduced the battle pass feature and Toybox feature, so expect more of that. In two weeks, we will add two new party games to the mix for even more fun. After that we will focus on the Plushkyn Battle feature, which we will share more information [on] at a later date.”

In addition to new content, the latest update also adds new seasonal challenges, rewards, and full German language support.

Forgotten Playland, which spotlights abandoned plush toys in a dusty attic, joins a growing ecosystem of games on the Avalanche-powered Beam Network. It is developed by Vermillion, a collaboration between Duckland Games and the Beam Foundation. 

“Beam has believed in the project from day one and helped us raise the necessary funds to get us where we are,” Bakker said. “We share a lot of values regarding game development and pushing the crypto gaming space to the next level. And we both want to create a fun game that can be enjoyed by many players in which gas fees are low, processing is fast, and technology is progressing.”

The free-to-play Windows PC game is available for download from the Epic Games Store.

Edited by Andrew Hayward

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I played the challenging new online football game coming to Xbox Game Pass that's been likened to Rocket League and was immediately transported back to my school's playground
Game Reviews

I played the challenging new online football game coming to Xbox Game Pass that’s been likened to Rocket League and was immediately transported back to my school’s playground

by admin


If I had to name the one thing I miss most about my school days (and to be honest, I’m going back a fairly long way here) I’d say it’s the ability to play football every day. I’m sure I could do that now if I really wanted to, but never again will I be in a position to run out onto the playground or field every breaktime and always have enough people for at least some five-a-side. It was glorious. Tennis ball, sopping wet sponge ball, tatty old mini leather ball… we’d have kicked around a bunch of rolled up paper if we had to. Having played Sloclap’s (Sifu, Absolver) Rematch for a few hours it’s already provided the closest I’ve experienced to those classic days of scuffed shoes and grass-stained trousers.

Rematch

  • Publisher: Sloclap, Kepler Interactive
  • Developer: Sloclap
  • Platform: Played on PS5 Pro
  • Availability: Out 19th June on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X.

This kind of five-a-side-style game of football isn’t new to video games, of course. It’s most memorable for me in FIFA 97 (the one with legend David Ginola on the European cover art), although unlike in Rematch the gameplay on the 32-Bit systems of the time is viewed from the side of the pitch, with you essentially possessing whichever player has the ball. In Rematch you control one player who is part of a three-to-five-player team. If you’ve played Be a Pro/Player Career in modern FIFA/EA FC, with the camera hovering behind your player, you’ll know what to expect. The difference here in Rematch is the level of control you have over what you do with the ball and the more arcade feel to the matches.

It’s easy to see why onlookers have somewhat hilariously labeled Rematch as football Rocket League. The visuals (futuristic and neon), the arenas, the slightly closed-off feeling as you can’t easily see what’s around you, it all has that Rocket League sauce. But ball control, as you might expect from an actual football game, is very different. Passing is angled to where you point with the left stick (when playing with a controller), shooting is precision-targeted to where the camera is pointed as if you are playing a third-person shooter, strength and loft can be decided, and you have some finer close-control that simply isn’t possible when hitting an oversize ball with a car. This is the closest a game has come to mimicking the feel of playing football, and I’m loving it.

Here’s a trailer for Rematch.Watch on YouTube

I’ve mostly played 3v3 matches so far, although you can also choose 4v4 and 5v5. Despite a tutorial that runs you through the basics, nothing prepares you for the intensity of an actual match where you’ll likely fumble under the pressure that simply isn’t felt during the training. 3v3, if anything, at least means I am letting fewer people down, so I’m sticking to this mode for the time being. There’s a fairly steep learning curve to battle through in Rematch, and the added stress of having more people wanting the ball or trying to dispossess you of the ball isn’t conducive to learning.

You’re always playing with and against other humans online in Rematch, whether it’s a bunch of friends who you regularly party up with or a group of randoms, and thus the school playground feeling is thrust front and centre. There are none of the deeper rules in Rematch (so no offside, no fouls, no handball), just a requirement to score more goals than the opposing team. There’s also no set goalkeeper (oh, hello core school memory that has just come rushing back), so you can be diving to save a shot one second and charging up the pitch the next as you attempt to score yourself.

Rematch. | Image credit: Sloclap/Kepler Interactive

This free, casual feel in a fiercely fought online game inevitably, at least in these early days, leads to chaos. The positionally-decided goalie is reminiscent of “rush keepers” from school, wherein anyone could be in goal, but it could only be one person at a time. If there’s a defining characteristic of school kids or people who play competitive games online, though, it’s an eagerness to show off. That goalie who ended up on the half-way line (honestly, there were some right liabilities for this at my school) is often dispossessed while trying to flick the ball over their head, leaving an open goal for all but the most spherically incompetent.

Let’s not pretend I’m innocent in all of this, either. Everyone, I assume, sees the spotlight focus on them at crucial moments, thinking for that split-second that you are in fact Romario and not actually a slightly chubby 11-year-old. Or, in Rematch’s case today, Harry Kane and not actually 42 – the chubbiness remains. Over time I’m sure this ball-hogging and headline grabbing will make way for more finessed play, and the signs are promising. I’ve already mildly thrown a fist or two into the air after a peak-Barcelona move ended in a goal to win a game in the dying moments. With two teams battling hard, not making mistakes, these sequences of play will be even more jubilant.

Rematch. | Image credit: Sloclap/Kepler Interactive

Concerns at this stage are mostly to do with goalkeeping. Not so much the way players leave the goals exposed, which is part of the game, but the act of saving itself. I’ve got to grips with the fundamentals of passing and shooting so that I’m not a complete embarrassment, but I still find myself diving in comical fashion as my hands flail nowhere near the ball, with replays confirming I was beaten by shots even the previously lambasted school children could have saved. I’m going to hit the training modes some more to see if I can become more competent.

There’s also the longevity to consider. Sloclap has promised new content in each season, but this is impossible to judge at this point, as is the general hook of leveling up your rank. An online-centric game like this also needs a healthy player base, which is far from a given. Rocket League, if you remember, launched into PlayStation Plus back when it was a premium paid-for offering. This helped establish a community. Rematch is part of Game Pass, but the early going will need to be smooth for those initially interested players to stick around.

I’ve tried at various points to get into Rocket League. I understand its popularity, but I never quite gelled with it. Rematch is an easier sell. I understand it and can intuitively play it, while there still being a clear path to improvement. Whether or not I’ll still be playing in a month or six months, who knows, but for now I’ve got my evening gaming sessions sorted. It feels good to be back, knocking a ball about – and this time not having to worry about smashing Class 3B’s window.

A copy of Rematch on PS5 was provided by the publisher.



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Esports

2025 NBA Finals: Everything to watch for in colossal Game 6

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Jun 18, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

After a back-and-forth battle between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, the 2025 NBA Finals are one step closer to crowning a new champion.

Tied 2-2 in the series entering Game 5 on Monday, the Thunder dominated at home behind the dynamic performances of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31 points) and Jalen Williams (40). Now leading 3-2, only one more victory stands between the Thunder and the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

The Pacers’ biggest question revolves around the status of star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has a strained right calf and will undergo an MRI, as reported Tuesday by ESPN’s Shams Charania. In Game 5, Haliburton scored only four points — the lowest total of his playoff career — to go with six assists and seven rebounds.

Our NBA insiders answer some of the biggest questions entering a potential Finals-clinching Game 6 in Indianapolis on Thursday, including how the Pacers can force a Game 7 and the biggest X factors to watch for.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how concerned should the Pacers be about Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 5 performance and his status?

Tim MacMahon: 10. It’s hard to see the Pacers generating a lot of points against the league’s best defense without a healthy Haliburton. It’s not all about scoring for him, but the Pacers are a different team when Haliburton is in attack mode. Indiana is 12-3 when Haliburton scores at least 20 points in these playoffs and 8-11 when he doesn’t. T.J. McConnell brings energy off the bench and can go on scoring flurries, like he did in the third quarter of Game 5; but he is the NBA equivalent of a third-down running back who isn’t equipped to get 25 carries.

Jamal Collier: 10. Scoring doesn’t tell the whole story with Haliburton, but he’s the engine that makes this team go. He was limited on Monday, unable to drive by any defenders, and he spent most of the time standing in the corners while others initiated the offense. If he can’t be significantly more effective than he was in Game 5, the Pacers’ path to victory becomes extremely difficult.

Haliburton had six drives in Game 5, his fewest in a game this postseason and tied for the 2nd-fewest in a playoff game in his career per GeniusIQ. Adam Pantozzi/Getty Images

Chris Herring: A solid 8, and maybe even that is too low. But it isn’t the performance in Game 5 that concerns me; it’s how injured he must be to have played that poorly in a moment like that. Yes, Haliburton is prone to put up occasional bad games, so it might have been just that. But the Pacers were largely awful Monday — with bad outings from Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard, ample Tony Bradley minutes and turnovers galore — yet still had a chance to win in the closing minutes. So, if Haliburton’s mobility is lessened in Game 6 as a result of his injured calf, it’s enormously concerning. Even if McConnell has more clutch performances up his sleeve, it’s hard to see Indiana squeezing out two more victories without Haliburton being right physically.

Tim Bontemps: 10. This one is pretty simple: Indiana’s season ends with one more loss, and the Pacers’ engine seems like he’ll be a good deal less than 100 percent. It doesn’t get more concerning than that.

Zach Kram: 10. This wasn’t a bad Game 5 merely because of a shooting slump or Luguentz Dort’s lockdown defense, which would be manageable concerns. This was a bad game because of a calf injury, which doesn’t typically go away quickly and which sapped Haliburton’s movement throughout Monday’s contest.

The Pacers will extend the series if _____.

Herring: If Haliburton isn’t himself, it becomes fair to wonder whether Rick Carlisle would be better off riding McConnell as the team’s lead guard for an extended time — certainly more than the 22 minutes he played Monday — and run the offense through Pascal Siakam more often. Leaving Haliburton in because he feels he can contribute — he said if he can walk, he wants to play, given that this is the NBA Finals — gets blurry if he is struggling similarly to how he did in Game 5. Even if Haliburton isn’t 100 percent, the Pacers give themselves a much better chance by simply taking better care of the ball. Oklahoma City took what had been an eight-point edge midway through the fourth and built it into a 16-point lead in no time because Indiana had four consecutive turnovers during one key stretch.

Bontemps: They control a combination of the following stats: bench scoring, points off turnovers and 3-point shooting. And in many ways, all three are related. If Indiana takes care of the ball, hits 3s and outpaces Oklahoma City’s bench scoring (the first time a team got more bench scoring and lost in this series was Game 5), that’ll mean Indiana is dictating how the game is playing out. The Thunder thrive on creating turnovers, getting in the open floor and making open layups and 3s. Limiting those things will go a long way toward helping Indiana win.

• Finals takeaways: Breaking down every game
• Kram: Seven plays defining series
• Youngmisuk: Fashion of the NBA Finals
• Shelburne: Clark/Haliburton friendship
• Collier & MacMahon: Carlisle’s evolution
• Paine: Five biggest Finals outliers

Collier: They control the tempo in Game 6. Limiting turnovers and better health from Haliburton are a given to even have a chance, but the Pacers also are going to need the game to be played at their tempo. That means a much faster pace, running out in transition after made baskets, limiting the Thunder’s free throws and forcing them back into a half-court setting, which can turn OKC’s offense back into the iso-heavy attack it devolved into in Games 3 and 4. Putting all of those factors together is a tall task.

Kram: They score at least 110 points. Indiana is 14-0 in the postseason when it reaches that number versus 0-7 when it doesn’t. Sure, it’s simplistic, but Indiana has relied on its electric offense to power victories all season, so it’s not exactly a surprise that the Pacers win when they can score and lose when they can’t.

MacMahon: They probably need a monster performance from the proven champion on the roster. Siakam carried Indiana to what seemed like an improbable win in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals by putting up 39 points against the New York Knicks. Can he come up with that sort of an outing with the Pacers’ season on the line? Siakam has been very good in this series, averaging 20.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He needs to crank it up another notch or two for the Pacers to force a Game 7.

The Thunder win the Finals if ____.

Bontemps: They hit 3-pointers. That OKC has been winning in these playoffs while shooting as poorly as it has been at times really is something. But if the Thunder can have a hot shooting game on the road in Game 6, it’s hard to see them having to play a Game 7 given the other advantages they’ll have in their favor as well as Haliburton’s uncertain status.

Collier: They have truly solved something with Indiana’s defense. Their two stars get all the headlines, but the Thunder were overall in a much better flow on offense in Game 5. Given that defense for Oklahoma City has been a constant, if this offensive flow is sustainable, the Thunder are well-positioned to go on the road and come away with a victory.

MacMahon: They impose their will. As Chet Holmgren put it, “Luck always tends to favor the aggressors.” The Pacers play fast, but they are not a finesse team; Indiana has put the Thunder on their heels at times with its toughness. Oklahoma City flipped that in the fourth quarter of Game 4, keying the Thunder’s comeback, and amped it up in Game 5, forcing 23 turnovers that were converted into 32 points. OKC has an opportunity to put the finishing touches on one of the best defensive seasons in recent memory.

play

2:10

Stephen A.: ‘Jalen Williams is special’

Stephen A. Smith praises Thunder small forward Jalen Williams after his 40-point game vs. the Pacers.

Herring: They get another 30-plus-point performance from Williams. They’ll also need another charged-up showing from Cason Wallace, who responded extremely well with 11 points and four steals in just 17 minutes after a pretty brutal Game 4 (and after being moved to the bench following Game 3). And the Thunder must win the turnover battle by double digits again, like they did during Game 4 in outscoring Indiana by a whopping 32-9 margin in points off turnovers.

Kram: At least one bench player steps up on the road. Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander were both incredible in the past two victories, but the Thunder also benefited from crucial contributions from Alex Caruso, who scored 20 points in Game 4, and Wallace and Aaron Wiggins, who combined for 25 points and seven 3s in Game 5.

An X factor in Game 6 will be ____.

Kram: Nembhard’s offense. The dogged defender has quietly regressed on offense as the playoffs have progressed. Through Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, he was averaging 14.4 points and 5.5 assists per game while making 53% of his 3-pointers. Since then, he has fallen to 9.1 points, 3.4 assists and 31% 3-point shooting; and in Game 5 of these Finals, Nembhard committed several critical turnovers that ruined Indiana’s chance at a comeback. Especially with Haliburton’s health in doubt, the Pacers’ other starting guard will need to turn in a big performance, on both ends.

Breaking News from Shams Charania

Download the ESPN app and enable Shams Charania’s news alerts to receive push notifications for the latest updates first. Opt in by tapping the alerts bell in the top right corner. For more information, click here.

Collier: Indiana’s role players have looked more comfortable at home throughout the series, and they will be important in Game 6. But simply put, if Haliburton can’t be close to his usual self driving the offense, I’m not sure there’s an X factor that can make up the difference for Indiana.

Herring: The amount of time Indiana takes to get into its offense. The Thunder’s defense was stifling in the paint during Game 5, and between Haliburton not moving well and McConnell not being much of a floor spacer — even with McConnell having an epic third period from the floor — Indiana looked stuck in the mud for long stretches, which is the opposite of how the club’s offense operates. Being at home should help, but if the Pacers can’t generate transition looks to take some pressure off of Haliburton, the night figures to end with OKC holding hardware.

MacMahon: Will Oklahoma City get production off the pine? The Thunder’s deep bench has been a major factor in each of Oklahoma City’s wins in this series. Caruso has a couple of 20-point performances after not having any during the regular season. Wiggins had 18 points in Game 2 and 14 in Game 5, hitting a combined nine 3s in those two outings (and none in the other three Finals contests). Wallace was 3-of-4 from 3-point range in Game 5 after going 0-of-8 in his first four Finals games. If Oklahoma City gets some scoring punch off the bench, plan the parade in Bricktown.

Bontemps: Can Myles Turner get going? After some incredible performances earlier in these playoffs, his numbers have fallen off in this series, including going 5-for-22 from 3. Especially with Haliburton’s role in question, Indiana could desperately use Turner going for 20-plus points and being the threat from beyond the arc he was previously in the postseason.

True or false: This series will go to Game 7

Herring: False. I’d love for it to, and the series has been largely fantastic, so there’s plenty of reason to think it will. But I believe there are simply too many questions about whether Haliburton will be himself physically to predict that the Pacers will beat the Thunder’s dominant defense again in Game 6. I hope I’m wrong so we can have a winner-take-all matchup for the title, though. Nothing would be more fun than that.

Bontemps: False. Between Haliburton’s injury and Oklahoma City continuing to show its strengths in this series — which has been wildly entertaining — I think we’ll see the Thunder win their first championship Thursday night. I guess I just haven’t learned after the way the Pacers have performed throughout these playoffs, but this feels too big of a combination of factors for them to overcome.

Collier: False. With Haliburton’s health in question and the Thunder rolling, it doesn’t feel that way. But it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if Indiana has one more magic trick to pull when it’s been counted out.

MacMahon: Per my personal policy, I don’t make predictions on series that I cover. However, I do have a flight booked to go home Friday morning.

Kram: True, if Haliburton is reasonably healthy following two off days; false, if he is as limited as he appeared in Game 5. That equivocal answer is probably cheating, but it’s impossible to properly predict the Pacers this postseason.



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Worst-Reviewed Game Of 2025 Gets An Update To Address Some Of Its Issues
Game Updates

Worst-Reviewed Game Of 2025 Gets An Update To Address Some Of Its Issues

by admin



MindsEye just received its second hotfix update, as developer Build a Rocket Boy slowly chips away at fixing the issues with what is currently the worst-reviewed game of the year.

When it launched on June 10, it quickly became clear that MindsEye had a myriad of issues. In addition to its dated game design, MindsEye struggles to maintain a stable frame rate and is plagued by many gameplay and visual glitches. This hubbub around this caused Sony to allow refunds of the game on PS5 and developer Build a Rocket Boy to promise it was working on fixes for the game.

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Now Playing: EVERYWHERE – MindsEye Teaser | 2023

So far, this has come in the form of hotfix updates. Hotfix #2 came out today, June 18, focusing on improving performance, resolving issues with NPC and enemy AI, and fixing several bugs. You can see the full list of patch notes for Hotfix #2 below.

ALL PLATFORMS:

  • Continued performance improvements related to CPU, GPU, and memory use.
  • Fixed an issue with AI vehicle collisions.
  • Fixes to some issues that caused the game to crash.
  • Resolved the situation where players could get a mission fail during the cinematic in the “Doxxed” mission.
  • The Red Sky Car can no longer be destroyed during a cinematic.
  • The Buggy springs contract correctly, and the tires spin during driving with Motion Blur off.
  • Removed an invisible collider that blocked progress in the “A New Companion” mission.
  • Fixed an issue with vehicle de-spawning at the objective in “A New Companion” mission.
  • Fixed an issue where DPR and Delta.45 weapons were becoming attached to each other.
  • Addressed VFX sparks appearing too bright on damaged drones.
  • Rectified AI characters holding weapons at a 90-degree angle.
  • Corrected visuals of some male character models’ deformations when hit by vehicles.

PC:

  • Build.MindsEye: Editor camera can now clip through the map and static props.
  • Added an alert for AMD CPU users who have not updated to a version of Windows with branch prediction performance improvements.

Currently, MindsEye has an aggregate score of 36 on GameSpot’s sister site Metacritic, making it the lowest-rated game of 2025. GameSpot’s own MindsEye review is particularly scathing, explaining that “Impressive visuals can’t compensate for a lack of substance, whether that comes from its pointless world, tedious combat, or any number of other egregious shortcomings.”

MindsEye is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.



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A Roblox game about growing vegetables is seemingly now bigger than Fortnite
Game Reviews

A Roblox game about growing vegetables is seemingly now bigger than Fortnite

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Everybody loves palpating their turnips; just look at the success of Stardew Valley and its ilk for proof of that. But it turns out people really love some vegetable action, if the staggering success of Roblox game Grow a Garden is any indication, given it’s seemingly smashed through Fortnite’s previous gargantuan record for most players at the same time.


Let’s break out some numbers. According to third-party monitoring tools, Grow a Garden – the specifics of which we’ll get to shortly – soared past 16m concurrent players this weekend on Roblox (16,411,769 to be exact). By way of comparison, Fortnite announced record-breaking concurrents of 15.3m players during its Marvel season finale event back in Covid-era 2020.


So what, you may be wondering, has garnered all this attention? Grow a Garden is, according to its official description from developer The Garden Game, very much what it sounds like. It’s a game of buying seeds, shoving them in the ground, then waiting for your blueberries, coconuts, daffodils etc. to grow – which they’ll happily do whether you’re in-game or offline.


After that, you can sell your massive produce for profit, purchasing more seeds or temporary boosts you’ll need to slowly craft in real-time, then start the whole cycle over again. Frankly, absolutely nothing about it sounds like the sort of thing that might capture the imagination of 16m players all at once, but then I’m not a 13-year-old looking to do something mindless online with my friends after school. Also, there’re Grow a Garden pets, so maybe that’s the appeal.


As to how Grow a Garden’s impressive 16m concurrent users stacks up with other games, PUBG currently holds the Steam record for most concurrent players, coming in at a comparatively paltry 3.3m, while it’s nearest rival, Black Myth: Wukong, barely squeaks over the 2.4m player threshold. In fact, Steam itself recently saw a concurrent high of 40m players, so Grow a Garden’s 16m looks positively gargantuan given we’re talking about a single game.


Whether all those players should be playing Roblox is another matter entirely, of course, given the game continues to be embroiled in controversy amid ongoing accusations of child safety failures. Developer Roblox Corporation last year announced a sweep of policy changes – including updated parental controls and the banning of social hangouts for children under 13 – in a belated effort to improve things. Currently, Roblox Corporation is being investigated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, possibly due to reports it previously misled investors by inflating player numbers, although the reason hasn’t been made public.



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BAFTA-winning actor Jane Perry on the evolution of game performances and the threat of AI to voice actors
Esports

BAFTA-winning actor Jane Perry on the evolution of game performances and the threat of AI to voice actors

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As a BAFTA winner for her role as Selene in Returnal, and the actor behind more than 80 other video game characters, Jane Perry is the perfect candidate to kick off Develop:Brighton 2025’s first ever Performance track.

Ahead of her keynote on Wednesday, July 9, ‘From Data to Drama’, GamesIndustry.biz talks to Perry about some of the subjects in her talk: how the art of performance has changed over the course of her career, how collaboration with game developers has deepened, and the inevitable question about generative AI that no one sensible enjoys asking, and no one sensible enjoys answering.

As a reminder, for those thinking of attending: GamesIndustry.biz readers can get an additional 10% off all passes at Develop by using the code EMFQZT. You can book your tickets here.

Can you tell us about your talk at Develop:Brighton?

As it’s the inaugural Performance Track for Develop: Brighton, a portion of my talk will be about why, after two decades of Develop: Brighton, we felt it was time to assign some time in the schedule to the art of acting in games.

I’ll also talk about the history of acting in games and why it has become an important part of game development. We’ll be looking into the past, as well as into the future, as we speculate on how new technologies might shape the role that actors have in the gaming landscape.

How has the process of embodying a character evolved over the course of your decade-plus in games?

For me, the embodiment of character rests more with the skills and craft associated with my approaches to acting, as opposed to the medium in which I am working. For example, if I had to play Selene from Returnal on stage, or in a film, I would find myself undergoing the same process of discovery for that character: what is important to her, what are her fears, what’s at stake.

I think what changes are the various ways in which an actor meets the technological demands of whatever medium they happen to be working in.

In games, this means finding ways to bring a character off the page when it’s just you in the voice studio, as well as finding how to work effectively in the performance capture volume, so the head mounted camera, the mocap suit and the scanty bit of scaffolding that’s actually meant to represent the bridge of a massive spaceship don’t distract from one’s ability to dive into the character and play the given circumstances of the scene.

What effect do you think motion capture has had on the process of telling stories in games? Do you think it’s increased the standards of the material more generally?

I think motion capture/performance capture has added massively to the telling of stories in games. When you consider that 55% of communication is transmitted via body language, then it can only add to the player’s experience as they observe the characters they come across in a game.

The ways in which we move our bodies, from a large gesture right down to a subtle squint of the eye tells a world of story and is often sub-conscious. Motion capture gives us access to those gestures and impulses and therefore insight into what might be occurring for the character on multiple levels.

For example, an actor might be emphatic in what they are saying, but the body might display doubt. This is intriguing for the player, and it has the capacity to draw them further into the story to discover the truth of the characters feelings, and how that plays into the arc of the story.

I just watched the announcement trailer for IO Interactive’s 007 First Light, and was really struck by the incredible skill base of the actors, which we are fully able to appreciate because of the excellent work of the technicians and artists who take that data and turn it into game development magic. It’s hugely impressive to me.

“I choose to have faith that we will find our way through this massive, unprecedented paradigm shift”

Jane Perry on AI

Can you talk about how you collaborate with game developers, and how you’re able to leave a mark on a particular character?

When you have the pleasure of playing a larger role in the game, one of the luxuries that comes along with that is the opportunity to really get to know a character well. You can start to take ownership as you integrate the role into your own domain, and a quality of creativity and knowing comes to the fore.

What is also gratifying is the shorthand that comes from working with people you are familiar with and trust. I really lean on my performance directors to let me know if what I’m offering is too much, or if perhaps I could be braver in my interpretations. The same goes for the game dev team. When they are part of the recording sessions, we can riff, try things and see what they think. Extraordinary moments come from that creative spark that collaboration engenders.

I always encourage actors to test the temperature on collaboration and offering ideas. If it seems there is a receptivity to that, then go for it. Your interpretation might be so special and unique; it could be that singular thing that brings that character off the page in a significant and memorable way.

To Hitman players, Perry is unforgettable as Diana Burnwood

What have you learned from other actors while working in games? And do you feel you’ve been able to pass on learnings to cast members you’ve worked with?

One of the things that pretty much every actor in games I’ve come across will say is that the 99% of the community of artists involved are super excellent people: generous, humble and passionate.

I think to some degree this is because many of us, especially my generation of actors who work in games, had to put considerable thought into how to apply our skill base to support the demands of this new medium. There was no training available for how to act in games, so making sense of this new frontier was a very bonding experience for those of us who’ve been at it for 15-20 years.

And of course, everything we’ve all learned – what we’ve found to be effective and what might get in the way – is something that many of us are happy to pass on to the present generation of actors working in games, as well as the developers who make those games. Acting in games is a very sought after job these days, and the competition has become a lot more pronounced than it ever used to be.

I will always want to instill and encourage a willingness to be flexible and available to the demands of the tech itself, the performance director and the needs of the narrative aspect of the game. There are many more moving parts in a game, as opposed to film and TV, and not all of them are performance friendly – so it’s always about facilitating great storytelling which is in service of superb gameplay.

Do you think the recent industry downturn in big projects has had negative implications for actors, too?

For sure it has an impact. The news is so crushing when you hear of a studio going down, for example the recent news about EA Games closing Cliffhanger Studios and along with it, the much anticipated Black Panther game. That’s a lot of jobs down the tubes for the people who worked at Cliffhanger and of course a whole cast of actors, performance directors and the crew members and sound engineers supporting their work in the volume and the studio.

The pipeline of building games is complicated, and the financial model is so front-end loaded. The promise of what a game could be is alluring and exciting but the path to getting there can sometimes be precarious for all involved.

Has being synonymous with roles like Selene in Returnal and Diana Burnwood in Hitman opened doors for you? Does being so familiar to players for a certain role ever create issues in the casting process?

I think playing an iconic role like Diana Burnwood has definitely opened doors for me. I have been approached a few times to work on a game, because the developers are fans of the Hitman franchise or admired what Housemarque accomplished with Returnal.

And yes, I do wonder about the impact of being associated with a particular role. I don’t feel there is evidence to support the idea it’s been damaging to my career opportunities. But then again, that’s intel I might not be party to.

I suppose the flip side is that fans might be interested to hear one of their favorite actors have a go at something different. Also, I think if you are a good actor, with a good attitude and work ethic, then no matter how iconic the roles are that you’ve play, developers are going to want to work with you.

Being synonymous with characters like Selene has opened doors for Perry

Where do you believe the future of performance in games is going?

I was just having a look at the Optimus robot having a little dance (this is Elon Musk’s Tesla bot) and it sent a little chill down my spine. Actors, like pretty much everyone these days, have AI constantly nipping at our heels. I don’t feel the tech is there yet, not in the sense that an AI-generated voice and/or the physicality of a bot in any way matches the specificity of the human.

But it’s something we are having to reckon with in a very serious manner, because it is coming.

If our worst fears come true, what can actors pivot towards when our work options are diluted? Will we become the technicians that bring the AI generated performance to life? Will a bot scuttle up to the stage at the Games Awards or the BAFTAs to accept an award for best performance?

I think most audiences prefer a real human performance; however, the creative drive of the tech elite is incredibly strong, especially when the name of the game is to replace humans with machines.

It must be amazing, fun, and totally gratifying to make a robot dance so well or an artificially generated voice sound almost human. But I fear the pleasure of crafting such extraordinary things makes those engaged in the process blind to the consequences. Generally, I champion creativity in all its forms. But this particular expression of creativity leaves me cold and also curious as to where we are all going to end up.

I don’t much like jumping on the doom bandwagon and I trust the future will reveal opportunities for people to find wholesome productivity. I think we all instinctively understand what’s at stake here: if we lose our sense of purpose, our drive, focus and spirit go offline.

I take comfort in the fact that most actors and creatives have risked a lot to become storytellers and the drive to adapt and innovate is powerful enough to overcome many obstacles throughout history. I choose to have faith that we will find our way through this massive, unprecedented paradigm shift.

How seriously do you think game developers and publishers are taking AI with respect to actors?

In light of what I said above, I hope they are taking it very seriously! Not just for actors, but for coders, composters, artists, writers, etc. Most of the developers I know and have worked with place a very strong value in keeping the humans in work.

This debate around AI is going to be with us for the foreseeable future – that’s one thing I am certain of.



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Warner Bros. Games restructures leadership team following new focus on Game of Thrones, DC, Harry Potter, and Mortal Kombat
Game Updates

Warner Bros. Games restructures leadership team following new focus on Game of Thrones, DC, Harry Potter, and Mortal Kombat

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Warner Bros. Games has undergone a drastic shift among its leadership, as part of the company’s refocus on major IPs like Mortal Kombat, Harry Potter, DC, and Game of Thrones.

According to Variety, three studio heads were promoted to senior vice president positions. These include NetherRealm’s Shaun Himmerick, Warner Bros. Games New York’s Steven Flenory, and Warner Bros. Games Montreal’s Yves Lachance.

Himmerick is now in charge of both Mortal Kombat and DC games, Lachance is handling Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, while Flenory is left with game and publishing technology, customer service, quality assurance and user research.

Recently a trailer for Game of Thrones: War for Westeros was revealed at Summer Game Fest. Check it out here!Watch on YouTube

The trio will now report to Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO of games and global streaming, while all teams under the Warner Bros. umbrella will now be reporting directly to these new vice presidents.

Variety confirmed no layoffs are attached with this shift. This is in stark contrast to Rocksteady, developer of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and part of the Warner Bros. Discovery collection of studios, which suffered significant layoffs in January 2025.

Warner also recently closed Monolith, Player First Games, and Warner Bros. Games San Diego as part of what the company called a “strategic change in direction”. Back in March it was reported by Bloomberg a major expansion to Hogwarts Legacy was cancelled, and MultiVersus officially got its final update earlier this year. Even Mortal Kombat wasn’t sheltered from this hardship, suddenly announcing an end to major updates in May despite prior statements from Ed Boon that the game would have a longer life ahead of it.

So what does this mean for future games from Warner Bros. Games? Well we know a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy is coming, a game that proved exceptionally popular for Warner Bros. and a jewel in its crown ever since.

We also saw Game of Thrones: War for Westeros announced at Summer Game Fest, an RTS set to launch next year. These will prove to be the first examples of games created under the umbrella of Warner Bros. Games’ new direction, and a tone setter for what’s to come. DC Boss James Gunn stated in February he was discussing the development of games using the IP with Rocksteady and NetherRealm. Injustice 3, anyone?

It’s clear Warner Bros. Games is in a bad state. Its lack of game releases resulted in a 48 percent drop in game revenue last quarter, and it has unceremoniously kicked hundreds of developers out the door. The company is in desperate need of a win. Whether or not this shift can lead to an end to what has been a hellish decade for the media giant’s gaming aspirations remains to be seen.



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Here's our next batch of Xbox Game Pass titles for June
Game Reviews

Here’s our next batch of Xbox Game Pass titles for June

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Microsoft has revealed the next batch of games being added to Xbox Game Pass this June.

This follows the previous batch revealed at the start of the month, which included day one release The Alters.

This second batch includes two other day one releases: the previously announced FBC: Firebreak, out today, as well as football action game Rematch.

Here’s the list of Xbox Game Pass additions for the remainder of June:

  • FBC: Firebreak (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – available today via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
  • Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (Console and PC) – available today via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
  • Lost in Random: The Eternal Die (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – available today via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
  • Star Trucker (Xbox Series X|S) – available 18th June via Game Pass Standard
  • Wildfrost (Console) – available 18th June via Game Pass Standard
  • Rematch (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – available 19th June (day one) via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
  • Volcano Princess (Cloud, Console, and PC) – available 24th June via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
  • Against the Storm (Cloud and Console) – available 26th June via Game Pass Ultimate
  • Warcraft 1: Remastered (PC) – available 26th June via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
  • Warcraft 2: Remastered (PC) – available 26th June via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
  • Warcraft 3: Reforged (PC) – available 26th June via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
  • Call of Duty: WW2 (Console and PC) – available 30th June via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
  • Little Nightmares 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – available 1st July via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC) – available 1st July via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard

FBC: Firebreak Preview – How Does It Play And Is It Good?Watch on YouTube

Eurogamer’s Chris Tapsell went hands-on with FBC: Firebreak earlier in the year and called it a “frantic, electrifying run-based shooter, with difficulties feeling like gambles”.

Rematch, meanwhile, comes from Sifu developer Sloclap and gives a fresh perspective on the beautiful game.

The following games will all be leaving Game Pass on 30th June:

  • Arcade Paradise (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Journey to the Savage Planet (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • My Friend Peppa Pig (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Robin Hood: Sherwood Builders (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • SteamWorld Dig (Cloud and Console)
  • SteamWorld Dig 2 (Console and PC)

To keep playing these games after they leave Game Pass, you’ll need to purchase them – luckily Game Pass subscribers get a 20 percent discount.

For everything else in Microsoft’s subscription service, check out our handy Xbox Game Pass guide detailing all games available.



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Game Pass Getting 3 Warcrafts, A Call Of Duty, And More In June
Game Reviews

Game Pass Getting 3 Warcrafts, A Call Of Duty, And More In June

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Image: Activision / Xbox / Kotaku

On June 17, Xbox announced the next wave of games coming to Game Pass in June and July, including two new (and very different) video games that are available right now on Xbox and PC.

This Stylish Noir-Punk Side-Scroller Is Like Celeste With Guns

The big release today is FBC: Firebreak, a new PvE co-op shooter from Remedy set in the universe of Control. Think Left 4 Dead but with weirder enemies, more objectives, and a lot of office chairs. FBC is available today on Xbox and PC via Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass PC.

Folks, I don’t know about you, but there are so many games I want to play right now. And yet, more new ones keep launching. Trying to keep up with them is proving impossible. And looking over Xbox’s list of new stuff coming to Game Pass, I realized that the cool-looking Lost in Random spin-off, The Eternal Die, is out now on consoles and PC. I don’t know when I’ll get to play it, but I certainly want to!

Anyway, here’s the full list of what’s coming and when:

Coming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC

  • FBC: Firebreak – Out now
  • Lost in Random: The Eternal Die – Out now
  • Rematch – June 19
  • Volcano Princess – June 24
  • Against the Storm – June 26
  • Warcraft 1 & 2 Remastered – June 26
  • Warcraft 3: Reforged – June 26

Coming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Standard, and PC

  • Crash Bandicoot 4 – Out now
  • Star Trucker – June 18
  • Wildfrost – June 18
  • Call of Duty: WWII – June 30
  • Little Nightmares II – July 1
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider – July 1

While a bunch of new games are coming to Xbox Game Pass this month, six games are leaving the service on June 30. Here’s the full list:

  • Arcade Paradise
  • Journey to the Savage Planet
  • My Friend Peppa Pig
  • Robin Hood: Sherwood Builders
  • SteamWorld Dig 

.



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Game Pass And PS Plus New Release FBC: Firebreak Has A Major Matchmaking Issue On Launch Day
Game Updates

Game Pass And PS Plus New Release FBC: Firebreak Has A Major Matchmaking Issue On Launch Day

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Alan Wake developer Remedy’s new multiplayer shooter, FBC: Firebreak, launched today across console and PC. The release didn’t go exactly to plan, however, as Remedy has identified what sounds like a pretty significant matchmaking issue causing headaches for some players.

In a social media post, Remedy said it’s aware of an issue causing “most players” to fail to match together, with the result being people getting into matches alone. Firebreak is meant to be played with other people.

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Now Playing: FBC: Firebreak – Gameplay Trailer

“We are working on a hotfix for this issue, which we expect to hit Steam later today [June 17], with other platforms following as soon as possible,” Remedy said. It’s important to note that this hotfix will already significantly help cross-platform matchmaking across the entire player base.”

For the time being, Remedy said it advised players to use the Quick Play option to try to join matches. The developer said this should ensure players find matches populated with other users. Alternatively, Remedy said people can group up with two other people using the Party Code system and launch as a team.

“Thank you for your understanding,” the developer said.

In other news, FBC’s game director Mike Kayatta shared a heartfelt message celebrating the game’s launch. “For years, our small team has been hard at work building a game that we, ourselves, would play with our friends. And what’s come from that effort is something made from passion and grit that we couldn’t be more excited to share with the world,” he said.

Kyatta went on to say that Remedy is not celebrating because it’s done with FBC, but instead because “we’re finally starting.”

“By putting Firebreak in your hands, we’re officially opening our doors to you and to every other player who wants to join us in being part of its future. Working together, we can and will continue to grow this game into the best version of itself that it can be,” Kyatta said.

FBC is available through Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, or it can be purchased outright for $40. It’s a co-op first-person shooter that takes place “within a mysterious federal agency under assault by otherworldly forces.”



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