Written by Mary Joaquin
Welcome to the Weekly Round-Up!
Every week, we cover the latest in the gaming world. There’s more to look forward to as the year crawls to a close with Cyberpunk 2077’s canon-Keanu and Moving Out’s future content.
Though TimeSplitters 2 isn’t quite happening, indie studios save the week with Call of the Sea, Nebuchadnezzar, and GTA Online: Cayo Perico Heist’s release dates confirmed and Among Us’s new map.
Let’s get right into it!
On Saturday, Nov 14, Run the Jewel’s “No Save Point” confirmed Keanu Reeves the actor to be canon in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe.
The reference surfaced in the lyrics “Keanu Reeves, cyber arm under my sleeve”, prompting senior quest designer for the game, Patrick K. Mills, to confirm the information in a quote retweet on Twitter.
“It's an [in-universe] cultural reference to [Keanu Reeves], a little known Collapse-era actor who bore [an] uncanny resemblance to Johnny Silverhand, and in the years following Johnny 's disappearance, was frequently mistaken for JS.”
On Sunday, Nov 15, Moving Out announced new content information will be coming early 2021.
Developed by SMG Studio and Devm Games, Moving Out is a moving simulator where players, with co-op of up to four, use physics to move items around Packmore in record times.
“The results of [our team’s continued development for new content] are coming together nicely but we’re not ready to share yet,” reads its announcement tweet.
“All will be revealed in early 2021. We’ll post as much as we can without spoiling the surprise.”
The 2020 Australian Game Developer Awards Game of the Year winner is playable on Xbox One, Switch, PS4, and PC via Steam.
On Monday, Nov 16, A TimeSplitters 2 Remake Easter egg in SpellForce 3: Fallen God got debunked as a joke, not an actual project in development.
THQ Nordic, which had acquired the TimeSplitters franchise in 2018, and publisher of the newly released SpellForce 3, had an item in the game, TimeSplitters 2 Remake”.
Its French description translates to: “It’s finally coming! The iconic shooter, which has stood the test of time to join the era of modern games.”
According to VideoGamesChronicle, a spokesperson for THQ Nordic has stated that its inclusion was an intentional joke.
“When [the developers] are ready to talk about TimeSplitters, they will make sure to get heard,” they added.
On Tuesday, Nov 17, Madrid-based studio Out of the Blue announced the Dec 8 2020 release of Call of the Sea.
Inspired by Lovecraft, the game takes place in the 1930s where Norah goes on a quest to find her missing husband, Harry, in the South Pacific.
The player solves puzzles and explores the island to find out more about Harry’s disappearance and Norah’s true character.
Call of the Sea, previously revealed in Microsoft’s Xbox Series X stream, will be playable on Xbox One and X, S, and available on PC via Steam, GoG and Humble Bundle.
On Wednesday, Nov 18, Among Us teased a new map for future in-game content.
Developer Innersloth unveiled the map in a new dedicated Twitter account, also hyping up its future announcement on this year’s Game Awards.
In its first day alone, the verified account garnered 150K followers, according to Social Blade, a social media statistic measurement site.
According to Polygon, the teaser shows a vent for impostors, a wifi box for downloads, and a wiring box and seems to be an homage to Innersloth’s The Henry Stickmin Collection.
“Hungry for more? Keep an eye out for @thegameawards on Dec 10,” reads its reply tweet to the map. “It’s getting reaaaaal suspicious over there.”
On Thursday, Nov 19, Nepos Games revealed the Feb 17 2021 release date for its city builder game Nebuchadnezzar.
Catered to both strategy-game veterans and newbies, the game takes players to a campaign of 16 missions spanning the history of Ancient Mesopotamia in the 6th Century. Mods can also freely customize the game’s assets with support for localization.
The reveal trailer showcased how the city building looks in the game along with updated gameplay and design.
Nebuchadnezzar will be available on PC via Steam and GoG.
On Friday, Nov 20, GTA Online announced details about its Cayo Perico Heist, including Dec 15 release date and option to solo the heist.
The heist takes place in Cayo Perico, what Rockstar North calls “one of the most secure private islands in the entire world”, where players can team up with three others or do it solo—an option well received by the YouTube comment section.
“You can acquire new vehicles and tactical weapons, experience new social spaces to dance and party with friends, and new world-class DJs,” added the announcement post.
The update will also bring an additional 100 songs to the game radio and a submarine HQ.
EGD’s Weekly Round-Up gives a quick look into the newest in the games industry. From triple-A games and indie titles to events and gamer tech, the Weekly Round-Up covers all and more every week. Join the EGD Community Server to discuss the latest news!