Latest news with #WhiteWolf
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Elden Ring: Nightreign,' ‘Oblivion Remastered' and ‘Mario Kart World' Top List of Most-Streamed New Games of Q2 (Gaming News Roundup)
'Elden Ring: Nightreign,' 'The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered' and 'Mario Kart World' topped Stream Charts newly released list of the most-streamed new games between April 1-June 30. While certainly not an exact science, the rankings, which are based on Stream Charts' collected data on hours viewed of live-streamers playing the games in their first week of release, indicate the new titles with the strongest impact on the industry during the past few months. More from Variety Xbox's 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' Coming to PlayStation; Wizards of the Coast's Jess Lanzillo Joins White Wolf (Gaming News Roundup) Netflix's 'Squid Game' Mobile Game Adds Season 3 Competitions, Including Hide and Seek and Sky Squid Game (Gaming News Roundup) Xbox's Next-Gen Console to Be Powered by AMD (Gaming News Roundup) See the Top 10 chart based on hours watched during first week of release, provided by Stream Charts, below. 'Q2 2025 proved to be a dynamic quarter for game releases, showcasing a clear dichotomy in livestreaming success,' Stream Charts product manager Nazar Babenko said. 'While established franchise titans like Elden Ring: Nightreign and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered leveraged their brand power and strategic updates (such as roguelike elements and Unreal Engine 5 remasters) to dominate viewership, the quarter also highlighted the significant impact of innovative newcomers. Blue Prince and Rematch carved out substantial niches, demonstrating that unique gameplay, critical acclaim, and targeted streamer engagement can drive considerable initial interest, even against industry giants. Babenko continued: 'Beyond the top contenders, we can notice the growing importance of localized appeal and strategic viewer incentives. The strong regional performance of Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond in Japan and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in France underscores how cultural resonance and 'homegrown' support can significantly boost initial stats. Furthermore, the effective use of Twitch Drops by games like Dune: Awakening and DOOM: The Dark Ages illustrates a sophisticated understanding of audience engagement, transforming passive viewers into active participants and solidifying Q2 2025 as a period defined by both blockbuster appeal and nuanced, community-driven success.' See more gaming news from this week in the roundup below. NEW RELEASES Nintendo's highly anticipated new Switch 2 title, 'Donkey Kong Bananza' launched Thursday. The 3D platforming action-adventure game follows Donkey Kong and a talented young singer named Pauline, 'featuring (literal) ground-breaking gameplay, a host of powerful transformations, and plenty of ways to cut loose and unleash your inner Kong.' Per Nintendo, 'Join the pair as they delve deep underground – and discover that this subterranean world is a lot more than it seems on the surface. Uncover environments such as arid canyons, lush forests and frigid tundra as you peel back the world's Layers on your way to the Planet Core.' VENTURES GamesBeat launched new B2B media product GB MAX. According to the newly independent gaming news outlet, 'GB MAX platform and subscription will provide a robust B2B network that will open the door for today's business leaders to discuss, collaborate, and drive the future of gaming. This is a critical resource for leaders in any sector, from Hollywood and finance to AI and enterprise technology, to better understand and collaborate with the games industry's technology innovation, digital media, and consumer reach.' * Twitch co-founder Justin Kan's DTC gaming revenue platform Stash set a a strategic partnership with finance tech platform Adyen to launch a new 'payment stack designed for the scale, performance, and reliability that mobile game developers require.' Per the companies, 'the launch comes as a growing number of studios and publishers double down on direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategies, building direct relationships with their players.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Xbox's ‘S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' Coming to PlayStation; Wizards of the Coast's Jess Lanzillo Heads to White Wolf (Gaming News Roundup)
Former Xbox exclusive 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl' is heading to PlayStation consoles later this year. Following its November 2024 global launch on PC and Xbox Series X and S, the GSC Game World-developed title will be released on Sony's PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro in late 2025. More from Variety Netflix's 'Squid Game' Mobile Game Adds Season 3 Competitions, Including Hide and Seek and Sky Squid Game (Gaming News Roundup) Xbox's Next-Gen Console to Be Powered by AMD (Gaming News Roundup) Remastered 'Backyard Baseball '97' Heads to Switch, PS5 (Gaming News Roundup) This news comes on the heels of last week's announcement that 'Helldivers 2,' a PS5 video game, will soon be available to play on Xbox Series X and S. These moves mark the latest shifts across devices as the gaming industry takes notice of consumers' habits and desires to be more title focused and less beholden to what's available on one pricey hardware platform. Per the description for 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2,' which was completed by Ukrainian game developer GSC Game World over the past few years during Russia's ongoing invasion in the country, the game 'is set in a fictional, reimagined Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.' 'The nuclear disaster at the Chornobyl Power Plant in 1986 was not the only incident, as a second explosion struck the reactor in 2006, giving rise to the Zone,' according to the synopsis. 'This dangerous region is inhabited by mutated creatures, hostile anomalies, deadly radiation, and an enigmatic, anomalous energy. Bounty hunters venture deep into the Zone, drawn in by the temptation of its treasures and mysteries. Some are fleeing their past, others are driven by greed, and a few are determined to uncover the truth behind the Zone's darkest secrets.' Watch the trailer announcing 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' making its way to PlayStation in the video below. See more gaming news from this week in Variety's roundup. 'World of Darkness' IP ('Vampire: The Masquerade, 'Werewolf: The Apocalypse' and 'Hunter: The Reckoning') holder White Wolf has tapped Wizards of the Coast vet Jess Lanzillo as its new creative director. Before joining White Wolf, Lanzillo served as vice president of franchise and product for Wizards' Dungeons & Dragons brand, following years of franchise creative direction for Magic: The Gathering. As White Wolf's new creative director, she will lead the vision and IP development for World of Darkness story worlds across its transmedia catalog, encompassing TTRPG sourcebooks, video games, and other media. 'World of Darkness has been my creative north star since the '90s, and I've seen firsthand how these games create communities and inspire storytellers,' Lanzillo said. 'My focus is on supporting and amplifying what makes these worlds special—the rich lore, the player agency, the mature themes—while ensuring they reach everyone who would love them. World of Darkness is so much more than just games; it's a cultural touchstone with a passionate community and incredible untapped potential.' 'Bringing Jess on board to shape the creative future of World of Darkness is a big win for White Wolf,' White Wolf executive vice president Marco Behrmann added. 'She's a world-class Creative Director with deep roots in developing transmedia properties and a sharp instinct for audience-first storytelling. Jess's experience makes her the perfect fit to lead White Wolf in bold, ambitious ways. Jess is a key pillar of our expanding studio, helping drive a strong and clear creative vision from the heart of our team. Her arrival underscores Paradox's long-term commitment to White Wolf and our goal to make World of Darkness the number one horror entertainment brand in the world.' Krafton's forthcoming game 'Subnautica 2' has announced a delay in release following the July 2 exit of the game's co-creators, Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, from studio Unknown Worlds. The trio, who were also the co-founders of the game studio, were replaced by Striking Distance Studios vet Steve Papoutsis, who was appointed CEO upon their departure. According to tghe South Korea-based Krafton, the game's delay to 2026, which was revealed Wednesday, 'had already been under discussion prior to recent leadership changes' at Unknown Worlds. 'During playtests for 'Subnautica 2,' we received valuable feedback from our community that reinforced our confidence in the game's direction,' Krafton said in a statement to Variety. 'At the same time, the feedback highlighted a few areas that could benefit from further refinement before release. As community voices play a central role in how we shape our games, we've made the decision to give the development team more time to implement that feedback and deliver a more complete experience. As a result, 'Subnautica 2's Early Access launch has been rescheduled for 2026. This decision was based solely on our commitment to quality and to delivering the best possible experience for players. It was not influenced by any contractual or financial considerations.' On Tuesday, new studio Opus Major announced its debut project, 'MAJJAM.' Described as a 'multiplayer adventure game where music shapes the gameplay, from movement and combat to exploration and interaction,' the title is being developed as 'a vibrant co-op adventure inspired by the communal creativity of a live jam session, where players can build their own expressive arsenal of melodies, rhythms, and harmonies to explore and rescue a vibrant and ever-evolving world.' Watch the trailer for 'MAJJAM' below. On Thursday, Samsung revealed a new product for gaming advertisers, Mobile Conversion, which aims to help 'mobile gaming brands turn TV viewers into mobile gamers.' Per Samsung ads, 'Designed specifically for mobile-first and gaming brands, Mobile Conversion is a performance-driven solution that empowers game publishers to find CTV viewers with a high propensity to convert or download gaming apps using advanced machine learning and AI.' According to Samsung's beta testing, Samsung Ads exceeded client ROAS goals by up to 150% on Day 7, 'demonstrating CTV's effectiveness in driving mobile game installs.' Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Ukraine's Defence Ministry codifies Volyniaka bomber drone
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has codified and approved the use of a domestically-produced Volyniaka unmanned aerial system by the armed forces. Source: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, as reported by Mezha Media, a technology and IT news platform within Ukrainska Pravda's holding company Details: The ministry stated that Volyniaka is a bomb-dropping hexacopter designed to destroy various enemy targets. The first modifications of this drone have been deployed at the front since the early months of the full-scale war. Quote: "They have destroyed hundreds of pieces of enemy military equipment, dugouts and concentrations of enemy personnel. They can carry out combat missions in any weather, at dusk and in strong winds. The latest versions have significantly improved specifications." Details: The ministry noted that the unmanned system consists of a control panel, pilot goggles, a signal repeater and a reusable hexacopter equipped with six powerful brushless motors. The UAV is specially designed to transport cargo under challenging combat conditions. Quote: "It can drop munitions on enemy targets with enough destructive power to destroy heavily armoured targets. In addition, the Volyniaka can perform logistical tasks by delivering essential equipment to frontline positions." Background: In April, the ministry codified the domestically produced B-1 unmanned aerial system – an ultralight strike drone for attacking enemy personnel, vehicles, armoured targets and military facilities both at the line of contact and in the rear. In May, the ministry approved the use of the strike drone system White Wolf by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which includes a UAV with a digital combined camera, a control and monitoring station, a set of power batteries, and more. At the beginning of June, the ministry codified the Chief-1 unmanned aerial system. This drone is designed to strike enemy aircraft or personnel using a module that fires shotgun shells. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
An Interview With Jason Carl About The Rebirth Of White Wolf
In 1991, White Wolf Game Studio released Vampire: The Masquerade which took the tabletop gaming world by storm. This game, about vampires hidden in a dark reflection of our modern world, eventually grew to be part of the World of Darkness. Now, World of Darkness has announced a return home by rebranding itself White Wolf once again. This interview has been edited for clarity and combines quotes from multiple interview sessions. "Around eight months ago, I think,' said Jason Carl, Brand Marketing Manager at White Wolf, 'when Marco [Behrmann] World of Darkness is a setting much like our own, except supernatural monsters are real. Vampires engage in bloody political battles in the shadows of the cities while werewolves stalk the countryside fighting a losing battle against the end of world. What launched the game into the imaginations of millions was the chance to play those creatures as they fight to control their monstrous side with their human feelings. 'You are the monster,' said Carl. 'That has been at the core of the World of Darkness ever since its inception. It remains a core today. You are playing in a game of very personal struggle and you're the monster. You're not necessarily the antagonist or the bad guy but you are the monster. That was a revolutionary idea when it came out and it stood the role playing games hobby on its ear. Now, it's not as revolutionary of an idea but the way the World of Darkness presents it and the way in which it invites you to engage with that idea is still unique.' As a mirror to the real world, fans want to know what's going on in their neck of the woods and how to experience it. The original games had a sprawling interconnected metaplot that the current edition moved back into shadow not unlike what happened with IP like Star Wars or Marvel. Moving forward, they want to rebuild World of Darkness in a similar manner by taking stuff from the past that works while also not being afraid to explore new ideas that resonate more with modern day players. 'We've reached a point now where the demand for the IP is so strong and so high and where our players, our fans, our partners are expecting consolidation and centralization of that IP development,' said Carl. 'They want to go to one place to learn who is the Prince of Milan tonight, right? What really happened in Minneapolis/St. Paul when that stuff went down in the Winter's Teeth comic book series? Are the events of Night Road canon? Are those characters available to us to put in a video game? How should we stat them for our tabletop games? All that is perfectly valid. I think our fans and partners should expect that from us. But the best way for us to do it, at least with the maximum efficiency, is to bring it all inhouse and have that IP development run centrally.' The tabletop roleplaying games side of the World of Darkness has been handled recently by Renegade Game Studios. They took over publication of Vampire The Masquerade while also bringing two other classic game lines to life: Hunter: The Reckoning and Werewolf: The Apocalypse. For the time being, the company will still be producing those games with White Wolf as a partner. 'No immediate change,' said Carl. 'There's no reflection on Renegade at all. They've been a fantastic partner with World of Darkness. As a publishing business we need to work more directly with developing tabletop RPGs. The demand for the IP is growing. It's really significant already and it's only growing. We need to do more with it. That means we've got to bring more people on board. We've got to build out our creative team. We have to build out our publishing. We have to build out our distribution. We need to be able to manage that business centrally now top to bottom. What is it the British say? Soup to nuts.' Vampire: The Masquerade: Fifth Edition was released in 2018. Seven years into a gameline is often when publishers consider an undated corebook if not an entirely new edition. As White Wolf settles into its new role as steward of the World of Darkness, there are lots of ways the company could go. 'We're going to bring on more people into the core team inside the White Wolf organization,' said Carl. 'we're going to take a really thorough look at the environment. We're going to pay a lot of attention to what our TTRPG players and storytellers are telling us that they want. I do see the interest in a combined set of V5 or condensed set of V5 books that combine all the recent changes, all the updates that are in the Players Guide, all the new information across a number of source books. It makes sense that we should at least look at consolidating some of that material in a different format. Maybe they're different. Maybe they're prestige versions. Maybe they're softcover versions. Maybe they're PDF and soft cover together with a hardcover omnibus that follows later. I don't think that we've made any decision about that yet. We owe it to our players and our storytellers to listen to what they're telling us about that. And if it's possible and it makes sense for the business, that's exactly what we should give them.' The first game published under the revived banner of White Wolf will be the long awaited Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 video game currently slated for an October 2025 release.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Ukraine's Defence Ministry puts White Wolf strike drone into service
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has officially codified and authorised the use of the White Wolf strike UAV by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Source: Main Directorate for Support of the Life Cycle of Weapons and Military Equipment Details: "This drone is capable of delivering a significant payload to its target, powerful enough to destroy heavy enemy equipment, fortified positions, and other protected targets," the ministry noted in its statement. The UAV system can be deployed within minutes and includes a drone equipped with a digital combined camera, a control and command station, a set of power batteries and other components. Background: Meanwhile, Ukraine's 110th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade recently demonstrated the combat performance of the domestically produced heavy bomber drone Perun. The UAV can carry up to 16 kg of payload and has a one-way flight range of up to 20 kilometers. The UAV features an automatic targeting system and can complete missions even when communication is lost. According to the brigade, Perun is effectively used to destroy enemy bunkers, personnel, and equipment. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
