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Microsoft Set to Buy Activision Blizzard

Microsoft is in the process of buying the video game publishing giant Activision Blizzard. The deal is set to finalize in 2023, with a reported price of almost 70 billion dollars. In contrast, Bethesda’s parent company Zenimax was acquired for 7.5 billion dollars by Microsoft in March of 2021.

Although Bethesda is home to many famous video game franchises, Activision Blizzard is undoubtedly a much bigger catch for Microsoft. Once the deal is finalized, Xbox will be home to iconic games such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro and even Candy Crush. Microsoft has stated that "Activision Blizzard games are enjoyed on a variety of platforms, and we plan to continue to support those communities moving forward." to allay fears of console exclusivity for their flagship games, although that might change in the years ahead.

Splinter Cell Getting a Remake

Ubisoft has recently announced that they’re remaking Splinter Cell. The original game came out two decades ago on the PS2, and helped to further evolve the stealth genre that was pioneered by Metal Gear Solid. It’s been nine years since the last Splinter Cell game released, and with the new generation of consoles out, right now is probably the best time for a more realistic take on the franchise. Ubisoft has stated that they are planning on the remake being faithful to the original game’s tight, linear design and feel. 

Ubisoft did not reveal much else, but it’s likely that they will be targeting a release time frame to be around the same time as the Netflix Splinter Cell show.

RDNA Graphics on Mobile Now

Samsung just unveiled their new mobile System on Chip - the Exynos 2200 that comes with a beefy CPU and also showcases AMD’s RDNA2 graphics technology for the mobile GPU portion. This is the same GPU architecture found in the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and the latest AMD desktop graphics cards. 

Samsung has yet to reveal actual benchmarks for the chip’s performance, but we know that they are planning on using this chip for this year’s Galaxy S22 phones. AMD’s GPU tech will help to bring new features such as raytracing and variable rate shading to the mobile gaming space.

Player Unknown's Battlegrounds: Battlegrounds Announced

PUBG: Battlegrounds has been announced as a F2P battle royale for all modern gaming platforms. For PlayStation players, PS Plus will not be required to play the game and will also have cross platform play. Players who paid for the game previously will receive various bonuses such as a BATTLEGROUNDS Plus upgrade and other in-game rewards. 

PUBG may have been the first popular battle royale title, but other games in the genre have overtaken it in popularity in recent years. It will take a while to see if the move to a free to play model will help PUBG get back to the top.

Tomb Raider Animated Series on Netflix

Netflix announced and started work on a Tomb Raider animated series early in 2021. This series will continue the story of Lara Croft from the recent Tomb Raider video games, and features a talented group of VAs including MCU alumn Hayley Atwell starring as Lara Croft.

Netflix hasn’t made any statements about the series in recent months, but we do know that they started work on it about a year ago. Considering the usual production time of 18-24 months for projects like this we expect to hear more about the series soon along with a possible release date for late 2022 or early 2023.

About the author: Maldivian Gaming League is a team of e-sports organizers and competition promoters based in the Maldives. For more information, check them out on Facebook or Instagram.