Fishing for cats, a new game by the indie developer xigehong, will make its way to Steam on July 25, 2024. The game is described as "a third person casual game where players fish in the park and attract stray cats," will be a realistic fishing sim set in a park full of cats.

The title, Fishing for cats, also describes the core gameplay loop. Players will be angling for fish and feeding it to the local cats in the park, building a relationship with the many cats they will encounter. You will also be able swim in the lake, go for pleasant jogs around the park, and roast fish to entice the many felines that will be roaming about.

You can take a look at screenshots from the game below:

For those looking for other cat-centric games, Little Kitty, Big City released in 2024. One of several titles featuring cats as a key fixture, this title will have you playing as a cat, instead of trying to curry their favor with fish.

Fishing for cats will release for PC through Steam on July 25, 2024.

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VShojo announced on its official social media account that English auditions are now open for the independent Vtuber Agency. They will only be open until August 6, 2024, and people can apply at the official site.

The official VShojo Twitter account announced that candidates will who apply will be contacted one month after auditions close in August. It follows a similar announcement for auditions for new Japanese member from earlier in July 2024.

Those who audition must be over 18 years of age, provide their country of origin, and come up with a stage name. Applicants will need to provide contact information so that the company can get in touch with applicants should they make the cut. Candidates must prepare a two minute long audition video for VShojo as part of the audition process. The notice also stated that, while the company will contact and notify those candidates who make it past the initial round, passing the recruitment does not guarantee that the applicant will become a part of the company.

VShojo features Vtubers from multiple regions. Some of the most prominent members include Ironmouse and Zentreya. The Japanese branch includes Kson and Henya the Genius. Meanwhile, Kuro and Michi Mochievee also represent the Asian branch. In addition, a number of independent Vtubers are also aided by the agency at times, such as Mint Fantome.

VShojo English Vtuber auditions are now open until August 6, 2024.

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FromSoftware and Bandai Namco released the new 1.12.3 patch for Elden Ring, and with it come buffs and nerfs to some weapons and underused skills. The latest patch notes specifically reference the Swift Slash skill, Rolling Sparks skill, and Bloodfiend's Arm weapon.

Most notable of this was a large reduction in the damage and active animation of the Swift Slash weapon skill, exclusively in PVP, as well as a fix to a glitch involving the Rolling Spark Ash of War that had made the various Perfume Bottle weapons very strong contenders. In addition, the Smithscript Daggers and Smithscript Cirque weapons had their throwing attack range extended, giving them more use against players and enemies alike. Adjustments were also made to the Golden Hippopotamus and Commander Gaius boss fights to send them back to their original starting positions, if players need to try them again.

The biggest changes beyond the Swift Slash and Rolling Spark attacks were bug fixes centering on the scaling and outsize capabilities of weapons like the Fire Knight Greatsword and the Bloodfiend's Arm. The latter was noted by the community for it incredibly powerful bleed triggers and that has been subject to some of the edits made in this most recent patch.

This comes on the heels of an update that centered around buffing the earlier levels of the Shadow Realm Blessings players could acquire through the Scadutree Fragments and Ash Remnants.

Elden Ring is currently available on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X. Shadow of the Erdtree released on June 21, 2024. This new update went live on July 4, 2023 for all platforms.

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On July 2, 2024, Bandai Namco announced the dates for the latest Gundam Breaker series game Gundam Breaker 4 Open Network Test. Starting on July 18, 2024, players will be able to test out the multiplayer modes. The beta will end on July 20, 2024.

The social media post announcing the Open Network Test included a brand new trailer showcasing customization and the combat options players will have as they control their specialized personal designs.

You can see what gameplay looks like in the post below:

Players engaging in the Open Network Test will be able to customize their own Gunpla creation out of a selection of over 20 Mobile suits. There will be over 250 that will be available in the game at launch. We will be able to take their creations into three-player co-op matches with friends and other players against waves of other custom Gunpla and giant mobile suits. In addition, this installment will all us to show off custom Gundam units in the multiplayer lobby, which is a first for the series.

Bandai Namco provided the following schedule and dates for the Gundam Breaker 4 Open Network Test:

• July 17, 2024 at 9pm PT (12am ET on July 18, 2024): Pre-loading for the Open Network Test will begin for the PS4, PS5, and Switch.
• July 18, 2024 at 5pm-10pm PT (8pm-1am ET): Open Network Test available
• July 18, 2024 at 10pm PT (1am ET on July 19, 2024): Four-hour maintenance starts; Open Network Test unavailable
• July 19, 2024 at 2am – 7am PT/5am - 10am ET: Open Network Test available
• July 19, 2024 at 7pm PT – 11pm PT (10pm-2am ET): Open Network Test available

Gundam Breaker 4 will be available for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC on August 29, 2024. Pre-orders are currently available.

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Yostar announced that the two physical volumes of the Arknights Rhodes Kitchen - Tidbits manga based on the tower-defense mobile game will be released worldwide, including comics gradually released online. At the moment the volumes cost $20 in a bundle together, before shipping, and are expected to release in August 2024.

The official social media account for the Yostar Official Store showcased the two volumes and their cover art. Each one features sketches of various Arknights characters, with Amiya in the center. It also included a link to the Yostar official store where you can buy them.

As for the manga volumes themselves, not only do they include a series of short comics featuring Arknights characters like Amiya, Matterhorn, Blaze, and Kroos, but they will come with recipes for readers to try out for themselves. Each recipe made in each chapter will be presented with every ingredient used and the process used to create them, similar to how Delicious in Dungeon displays its dishes, fictional ingredients and all.

The comics were available to read on the official Arknights website, on chapter by chapter basis, and they was released in physical manga volumes in Japan in March 2023. In other news related to the game, Yostar will be partnering with Sanrio for an in-game collaboration that includes Hello Kitty.

Arknights is currently available on mobile devices.

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Capcom announced that it released a limited-time free trial for Dragon's Dogma 2. Players interested in the new action-RPG from Hideaki Itsuno and crew will be able to experience up to two hours of the game for free.

On Capcom's official Twitter account, the company announced both that the free trial was live for those who would like to give Dragon's Dogma 2 a taste and that the game would be going on sale. It is 20% off on Steam, bringing the price down to $55.99.

The trial itself is also only available for a limited time. It will end on July 17, 2024 for PS5 users. Xbox Series X and PC players can take part until July 18, 2024.

Capcom also recommended that, for players to get the most out of their time, the company suggested getting the Dragon's Dogma 2 Character Creator & Storage app beforehand. This keeps the demo's playtime from being devoted to creating an Arisen and Pawn.

Capcom revealed that Dragon's Dogma 2 sold 2.5 million copies after launch earlier in 2024, bringing the series' lifetime sales to over 10 million copies. The success of it caused Capcom to favorably revise their earnings forecast.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is available on the PS5, Xbox and PC. The Free Trial lasts from until July 17, 2024 for the PS5 and until July 18, 2024 for the Xbox Series X and PC.

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For the newest expansion to FFXIV: Dawntrail, Square Enix has set up a new ad campaign, Tour Tural. A website, decorated like the official tourism sites of many countries around the world, showcases the new continent of Tural players will be visiting.

In addition to a video featuring Rhys Darby of Our Flag Means Death and Flight of the Conchords fame as the "Interim Deputy Director of Turalism", the Tour Tural campaign has gone on to create in-universe comedy advertising about the upcoming adventure to Tural FFXIV players will be able to enjoy when Dawntrail releases.

You can view the FFXIV: Dawntrail Tour Tural promotional video here:

The site features everything from recipes for Tural inspired tacos and drinks, advertising for the scenic locals and various activities present in the new expansion and in-universe advertising for everything from alpaca-petting to novelty postcards.

The site features everything from recipes for Tural inspired tacos and drinks, advertising for the scenic locals and various activities present in the new expansion and in-universe advertising for everything from alpaca-petting to novelty postcards. It even contains links to a Tural chatbot, and selected merch coming soon, including a "Keep Tural Weird" bag.

This is only the latest swing in the Dawntrail pre-release marketing. Earlier this year, Square Enix announced a collaboration with the Gong cha bubble tea chain. In addition a new Final Fantasy Uniqlo collaboration was announced, bringing new t-shirt designs to the international clothing store. The "Board of Turalism" campaign is the next step in Square Enix's attempts to spread the word and get people even more excited for the new expansion.

Final Fantasy XIV is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox, and PC. The newest expansion, Dawntrail, begins early access on June 28, 2024 and the full release will be on July 5, 2024.

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On August 1, 2024, Mandalorian Bounty Hunter Jango Fett will return in a full remaster of the 2002 PS2 and GameCube game starring him. The release date was confirmed for this updated version of Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, which will include textural overhauls and be playable on the PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

A trailer showcasing gameplay and the updated texture work debuted to show everyone what to expect. The game features mission-based gameplay, where you use all of Jango Fett's bounty hunting tools to accomplish jobs. Players will jetpack through areas, use Jango's twin blasters to fight off foes, and travel across famous Star Wars locales in pursuit of bounties. The game, focusing on the history of the famous Bounty Hunter and source of the Clone Troopers, shows the adventures he went on before becoming selected to be the Clone Trooper template.

The new Star Wars: Bounty Hunter release date trailer can be viewed here:

The rerelease is developed by Aspyr. Aspyr had a hand in Star Wars rereleases for a while now, porting the classic Star Wars: Battlefront games to modern consoles alongside the remasters of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. This game was also released exclusively for the PS4 in 2019, via a physical edition through Limited Run Games. It joins the new Star Wars: Hunters hero-shooter.

The Star Wars: Bounty Hunter rerelease release date is August 1, 2024. It will be available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.

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For the 20th Anniversary of the Monster Hunter Series, Capcom took fan votes on their favorite theme music from the series. A recent video showcased the top ten, and the Valstrax Monster Hunter song "Silver-Winged Scarlet Star" took first place.

"Silver-Winged Scarlet Star" is the theme song for Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate flagship monster Valstrax. Capcom released an entirely new arrangement of the track in honor of it taking first. The rocket-powered hawk-dragon also received a variant in Monster Hunter Rise. That is The Crimson Glow Valstrax.

The YouTube video of this new EDM version of the track can be listened to below:

The other big winners of the fan poll were a collection of classics from across various generations. A number of them happened to be updated renditions re-vamped for Monster Hunter World. Among the selected tracks were the Fatalis theme "The Legend Descends - World Version," and the Raging Brachydios song "Brutish Indigo Rages." Other appearances were "Moonquake," the music for Ceadeus from Monster Hunter Tri and 3 Ultimate, alongside "Spark of Blue," the theme of fan-favorite monster Zinogre. Another was "Splendiferous Silver Sovereign," the theme of the Velkhana from Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Not to be left out, the theme of the Lagiacrus called "Tremors on Land and Sea," secured a spot.

The full "Hunter's Choice: Top 10 Monster Themes" video from Capcom can be viewed here:

This is the most recent announcement tied to the 20th Anniversary of Monster Hunter. A website celebrating the series' history was set up in addition to the polls for this and other fan favorite topics. Earlier in 2024, Capcom held a similar poll determining what the fans' favorite Monster was. The winner of this poll was Zinogre.

Monster Hunter World and its expansion, Iceborne, are available on the PS4, PS5, PC and Xbox. Monster Hunter Rise, the newest entry, and its expansion Sunbreak, are available on the PS4, PS5, PC and Xbox. Monster Hunter Wilds will be arriving on the PS5, Xbox One X, and PC in 2025.

The post Valstrax Soars to Top in Monster Hunter Theme Song Poll appeared first on Siliconera.

In the latest 1.12.22 Elden Ring patch, a major shift to Shadow Realm Blessings in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC occurred. The Scadutree and Ash Remnant Blessings conferred by the key items dotted across the new areas tilted in favor of the earliest few levels.

Bandai Namco and FromSoftware released the Elden Ring patch on June 26, 2024. There are no major adjustments to weapons or stat balancing, but the big change is in how the Shadow Realm Blessings affect your character. Previously, they were much more gradual, incentivizing players to try and hunt down many of the Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ash pieces as possible to survive the damage of the new zones. Bosses and many stronger enemies could kill you in one or two hits without sufficient Blessings.

Now, with these changes, the Shadow Realm Blessings are weighted far heavier in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree to help players in the earlier levels. The first half of the 20 levels of the Shadow Realm Blessing now confer much more damage and damage negation, while the back half retain their more gradual increase. The idea is that these changes will make the game more accessible to people burned by the different leveling and scaling, as well as make repeat ventures through the Shadow Realm less taxing.

Here are the full patch notes for Elden Ring 1.12.22:

Calibration Update 1.12.2 change list

Attack and damage negation curve scaling of the Shadow Realm Blessings has been revised.

+ The attack and damage negation has been increased for the first half of the maximum amount of Blessing enhancements, and the second half will now be more gradual.

+The attack and damage negation granted by the final level of Blessing enhancements has been slightly increased.

The calibration update can be applied by logging into the multiplayer server.

If the Calibration Ver. listed at the bottom right of the title menu is not "1.12.2", then select LOGIN and apply the latest regulations before enjoying the game.

About graphics settings (PC version only)

We have confirmed a bug where the raytracing settings are automatically enabled if you have previously loaded saved data from previous game versions.

If your framerate is unstable, please check in the 'SYSTEM' > 'Graphics Settings' > 'Raytracing Quality' settings from the title menu or in-game menu to check if it has been unintentionally set to 'ON'. Once set to 'OFF', Ray Tracing will no longer be automatically enabled.

Bandai Namco and FromSoftware

Elden Ring is available on the PS4, PS5, PC, and Xbox. Shadow of the Erdtree is also available now,

The post Elden Ring Patch Takes Edge Off Enemies by Buffing Blessings appeared first on Siliconera.

Anycolor canceled the first-ever live Nijisanji concert in North America. Anime Expo 2024, originally going to hold the NIJISANJI EN SUMMER JAM on July 6, 2024 and a live concert, "Welcome to Wonder Wander World," on July 7, 2024, has announced that both of these live events will no longer be happening.

The press release, coming from the official Anime Expo site, did not clarify exactly why the Nijisanji live concert was canceled. This is also not the first time Nijisanji recently pulled out of a convention event. Nijisanji previously canceled an event at OffKai Expo in May 2024. Vtubers Millie Parfait, Enna Aloutte, and Reimu Endou were supposed to attend. The abruptness of this cancellation seems to be the main sticking point, with many people taking their laments to social media.

Nijisanji announcing that this first-ever live concert has been cancelded comes on the heels of a number of issues around Nijisanji's English Branch's decline and after the sudden departure of one of their talents, Selen Tatsuki.

While the Live concerts will no longer be happening, the NIJISANJI EN SUMMER JAM will be live streamed for free on the official Nijisanji Youtube Channel and according to Anime Expo, full refunds for the tickets will be offered and processed. In addition, Nijisanji has stated that they are working on special perks and offerings for individuals who purchased the tickets as an apology.

Anime Expo will be held from July 4-7, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

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On June 21, 2024, The Good Smile Company showcased brand new and upcoming Nendoroid figure announcements for Smile Fest 2024. Among the prototypes and announcements, Seto Kaiba, richest card game mogul of all time and Yugi Mutou's fated rich boy rival, had his Yu-Gi-Oh Nendoroid painted prototype appear.

The Nendoroid, which was showcased on the Good Smile Company social media account, showed off Kaiba in his most recognizable look. He wears his white, studded coat from the Battle City arc of the Yu-Gi-Oh manga and anime. While we do not know yet what accessories and extra parts this Nendoroid will come with, the first photo shows he comes equipped with the Battle City Duel Disk.

You can see the official Smile Fest 2024 reveal here:

In addition to the Seto Kaiba Nendoroid, the Nendoroid Funs event also showed off Nendoroids of Deedlit from Record of Lodoss War and new Plugsuit variations of Rei Ayanami and Asuka Shikinami Langley from Neon Genesis Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance.

There is currently no official release date for the Seto Kaiba Yu-Gi-Oh Nendoroid. All five Seasons of the anime are available on Hulu. The manga, by Kazuki Takahashi, is published by Viz Media outside Japan. The full gallery from the Good Smile Company's Smile Fest event will go live on June 22, 2024.

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SuperGroupies, a Japanese Fashion Brand famous for collaborations with media properties the world over, revealed a new lineup. Inspired by The Lord of the Rings, this new run features rings, watches, backpacks and wallets styled after Aragon, Legolas, and the eye of the Dark Lord Sauron himself.

The Sauron items, which are the most advertised items of the new SuperGroupies Lord of the Rings collection, feature a watch emblazoned with the script of the One Ring and the Eye of Sauron for ¥30,800 (~$195), a backpack in black with metal studs and a map of Middle Earth Inside for ¥22,000 (~$139), a black wallet with a replica of the One Ring around the strap selling for ¥16,500 (~$105), and a ring, styled after the entire finger of Sauron cut off after his first defeat, selling for ¥14,300 (~$90).

The Aragorn themed selection contains a black, synthetic leather tote bag with the map of Middle Earth on the inside for ¥22,000 (~$139), a watch with the Aragorn's Evenstar pendant from the films engraved on it for ¥27,500 (~$174), for and a wallet featuring a tree of Gondor design and a small Evenstar on the strap for ¥16,500 (~$105).

The Legolas styled items go for a much more earthen and green leather style, featuring a cross-body bag for ¥18,700 (~$118), a wallet also going for ¥16,500 (~$105), and a watch with a green center and designs of the Leaves of Lorien which will cost ¥27,500 (~$174).

These are not the first surprising collaborations SuperGroupies has done. Just recently they have launched merchandise and clothing lines styled after HoloLive EN Vtuber, Mori Calliope and Supergiant Games' Hades.

The Lord of the Rings collaboration items are available for pre-order from now until July 8, 2024 and will ship out sometime in December 2024. You can look at the available offerings on the SuperGroupies site

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The new Genshin Impact banner and rerun banner have been officially revealed, and they mark the debut of Sigewinne, Melusine nurse, and the triumphant return of Furina the Hydro Archon. The banners will go live on June 25, 2024, and the official social media account showcased every four-star character coming along with them.

Sigewinne, the newest addition, is a five-star Hydro element character. A nurse working in the Fortress of Meropide, she serves to try and keep the resident's health up and cook nutritious meals. She utilizes a bow and her kit is focused primarily on healing and support. She is also an Ousia character.

Furina, a fan-favorite character from the Fontaine story, also returns in Genshin Impact. As the Hydro Archon, she has a major role in the Fontaine chapters and events within. She is also a Hydro element five-star character. She uses swords, offers damage and healing support, and can also use both Ousia and Pneuma Arkhe reactions in combat.

Both the Genshin Impact new Sigewinne banner and Furina rerun one will also feature Rosaria, Noelle, and Gaming as the featured four-star characters. Rosaria is a Cryo character who wields a polearm. Noelle is a Geo character bearing a claymore. Gaming is a Pyro character who, like Noelle, uses a claymore.

In addition, the weapon's banner will bring both Sigewinne and Furina's signature five-star equipment. These are the bow Silvershower Heartstrings and the sword Splendor of Tranquil Waters. It also features a slate of four-star weapons including the Lithic Blade greatsword and Favonius Codex catalyst.

Genshin Impact is currently available on Windows PC, PS4, PS5, and mobile devices. Sigewinne and Furina, along with their weapons, will arrive on June 25, 2024.

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On June 8, 2024, the Destiny 2’s Salvation’s Edge raid, the newest end-game challenge, was completed for the first time after over 19 hours. The team that crossed the finish line first wasn't one of the front runners or career raiders. Instead, it was Clan Parabellum, a group of six players who had been trying to reach World’s First and only ever came close during the past two and a half years of Destiny.

The frontrunners, streaming their attempts live on Twitch, wound up taking precautions to prevent others from taking their methods to heart. They blacked out their screen, muted all their audio, and. blurred their text-chats and buff indicators. They did anything to keep their lead. It didn’t matter. In the end, Clan Parabellum, a group who wasn’t even featured on the official raid race stream, was the one who took the first clear. They hadn't even been streaming on Twitch at all.

This victory feels intensely in line with the entire themes of The Final Shape, Destiny 2’s latest expansion and the culmination of the ten-year-long saga. In triumphing through frustration, exhaustion, and the dangers that The Witness, the antagonist of the entire saga, threw at them, Parabellum’s six-man crew showcased the things that make Destiny 2 unlike many other multiplayer looter-shooter RPGs. The new raid featured intense mechanical complexity, for one. The fourth stage of the raid, Verity, kept many teams stuck for almost eight hours, and others far beyond the World’s First clear. It focused on symbol memorization, positional precision, and clear communication between team members. All this happened while fending off hordes of dangerously strong flying bats with guns. 

Contest-mode Destiny raids are always fraught with doom. Stress is high, enemies are hurting you way harder than they normally would outside of the highest difficulty challenges, and the limited team revives in this engagement make the smallest mistake costly. This one, the longest raid race in Destiny history at 19 hours, was nothing short of grueling.

Destiny is full of outsized heroes. The Awoken Queen, Mara Sov, Savathûn the Hive God of Lies, and Cayde-6 the Gone-but-not-forgotten Gunslinger, all factor into major world-changing events in the game’s narrative. Similarly, certain figures in Destiny’s real world community have made their names by doing challenging activities.

Datto, one of the frontrunners of the race, makes in depth guides for raids like Salvation’s Edge. Esoterickk, another contender, is famous for his solo completions of endgame activities and helping people figure out how to follow in his footsteps. Saltagreppo, the person who’s team was in the lead for the majority of the event, is a three-time World’s First Raid champion, belts from the dev team proudly displayed in the room he streams in. 

But Destiny 2, its world, and its gameplay, are about something smaller. It's about groups of friends coming together and, through teamwork, coordination, and focus even when things are getting tough, defying the odds and coming out the other end. The lore is peppered with this and the game is designed around it. 

In the interview segment in the most recent This Week at Bungie entry, folks from Parabellum talked about their favorite parts. They talked about coining the mechanic “Anime Eyes” the moment the Verity encounter made sense to them, and the good feeling and outpouring of support and excitement from the Destiny community. For it to happen in this raid, the completion of which unlocked a new 12-player mission to close out this saga of Destiny history, seems like a triumph out of a fable. Against the odds and racing against time, six teammates and their friends cracked a puzzle that stumped the very best. They flung themselves forward and seized their opportunity and now are immortalized parts of Destiny legend. 

No one could have seen it coming, but that’s the beauty of it. After all, Guardians make their own fate.

Destiny 2 is available on the Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC

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