Live Service
Ongoing coverage on Live Service.
Latest coverage
Palia’s Beauty and the ‘Beach’ update offers so much more than this provincial life
Palia's latest update, 'Beauty and the Beach,' introduces new cosmetic items, a two-person dance emote, and a 'Petite Province' landscape inspired by fairy tales. The update also includes a limited-time shimmerfly migration questline, the Path of the Briar lunar path, a community bug-catching event, and the flutterfox ranching critter.
Mistfall Hunter looks like legally distinct Elden Ring but with a faster paced, extraction spin
Mistfall Hunter, developed by Bellring Games, shares a visual resemblance to Elden Ring but incorporates a faster-paced extraction gameplay loop. Players hunt for items in a PvPvE environment, with options for solo or trio play and seasonal content updates. The game is slated for release on July 30th and is available to wishlist on Steam.
Monster Hunter Wilds' latest patch makes online-only missions playable offline, alongside some other useful updates
Capcom's upcoming patch 1.042 for Monster Hunter Wilds will allow players to access Event Quests and Challenge Quests offline, addressing a key criticism of the game's live service elements. The update, launching August 4th, also introduces save data transfer support from the upcoming Prologue Demo, available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
MMO Week in Review: FFXIV in Berlin, Black Desert in SoCal, and Jimothy saturation
This week's MMO news covers Final Fantasy XIV's Fan Festival in Berlin, Black Desert's Heidel Ball, and the early access launch of SEED. Updates were also provided for Dungeons & Dragons Online, Aion 2, and The Guild reunion movie. Several games saw controversy including World of Warcraft staff cheating, Elder Scrolls Online capacity issues, and Microsoft layoffs.
Helldivers 2 is giving players a free car in October, except for those who already earned it in June
Helldivers 2 is making the M-103 Supply FRV vehicle available to all players in October, a reward previously earned by participants of the June 'Census Thunder' campaign. This vehicle, equipped with a turret and supply rack, is the first stratagem reward from Arrowhead's new galactic campaign system, which aims to improve player engagement with the live-service shooter.
The new Warhammer Blood Bowl published by Slitherine will be out in fall, and I'm looking forward to it because I…
Slitherine will release Warhammer Blood Bowl in fall, an update to Blood Bowl 3 that brings it in line with the tabletop game's third season edition. The update will include two new teams, Tomb Kings and Bretonnians, and a new "Rumble Mode." Players who own Blood Bowl 3 will receive Warhammer Blood Bowl for free, with existing teams and cosmetics carrying over.
Palworld lead promises "you will always be able to play" Pocketpair's survival game: "Why would you…
Pocketpair's John Buckley has assured players that Palworld will remain playable indefinitely, emphasizing that it is not a live service game. Despite its significant multiplayer component, the game can be played entirely offline, meaning server shutdowns will not end its accessibility. This clarification comes as the game sees a resurgence in popularity after leaving early access.
EVE Online plans to scale back force projection to allow smaller groups a chance to be competitive
CCP Games is planning to scale back force projection in EVE Online to allow smaller groups to be more competitive against established mega-corps. These changes, aimed at addressing the current imbalance in the live service game, are expected to be implemented in the September update. EVE Frontier also received several updates including new weapons and gameplay features.
"The market is becoming much more diverse" – Will the proliferation of football video games last?
The football video game market is experiencing increased diversity following the split between FIFA and Electronic Arts, with new titles like UFL and Netflix's FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition emerging. While established players like EA Sports FC and eFootball remain dominant, industry figures believe the market can support a range of experiences catering to different player preferences, from full simulations to mobile and social games. Challenges include high development costs, complex licensing, and meeting player expectations for authenticity and continuous updates in a competitive landscape.
Blizzard finally caved on Diablo 4's disastrous new season with a patch that reverts almost everything players hated: 'Not every idea lands exactly as intended'
Blizzard Entertainment has released an emergency patch for Diablo 4's Season of Death Awakening, reverting controversial changes to Mythic Uniques that players widely criticized. The patch significantly increased Mythic drop rates and removed the limit on equipping crafted Mythic Uniques, addressing player frustrations with the season's design.
The First Descendant readies new events, modules, and ‘extreme’ battle content July 15
The First Descendant is launching a new 'Void Intercept Battle: Extreme' instance on July 15th, which condenses existing difficulties and unlocks new challenge levels for exclusive currency. The update also includes character and weapon balancing, quality-of-life improvements, and several co-op and login events.
Ubisoft promises new Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Ghost Recon games are coming, but says this year will be…
Ubisoft's financial report indicates a lighter release slate for the current fiscal year, with new premium titles and "other targeted premium games" to be announced later. However, the company anticipates a significantly larger content pipeline in fiscal years 2027-28 and 2028-29, featuring new installments in the Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Ghost Recon franchises, alongside an acceleration of its live services.
Warframe: Tau Gameplay Reveal Headlines Record-Breaking TennoCon 2026 | Invision Game Community
Digital Extremes showcased the future of Warframe at TennoCon 2026, including the first gameplay reveal for the upcoming expansion Warframe: Tau, which will introduce a new Star Chart and narrative chapter. The event also featured new gameplay demos for Soulframe, a new Warframe named Brysko, and the announcement of a Warframe x Fortnite collaboration. Warframe: Tau is set to launch later this year across all platforms.
CFB 27 Ditches Controversial Microtransactions After Massive Blowback
EA Sports has removed controversial microtransactions from its EA Sports CFB 27 game following significant player backlash and a trending social media boycott. The paid progression options in Road to Glory and Online Dynasty modes have been eliminated, though unspent in-game currency can still be used in Ultimate Team. EA has pledged greater transparency for future live-service plans.
EA removes microtransactions from EA Sports College Football 27 following backlash
Electronic Arts has removed microtransactions from EA Sports College Football 27 following player backlash. The developer acknowledged that paid progression options, ranging from $9.99 to $149.99, were a mistake and did not add the intended value. EA plans to focus on delivering valuable features with greater transparency in future titles like College Football 28.
College Football 27 to remove microtransactions after player backlash, though EA maintains they were only added to…
Electronic Arts has announced the removal of all paid progression options from the Road to Glory and Online Dynasty modes in EA Sports College Football following significant player backlash. The company acknowledged that the introduction of these microtransactions missed the mark and did not provide the intended value. EA also stated that future live service plans for College Football 28 and beyond will focus on greater transparency and communication.
As Criterion rebrands on its 30th anniversary, are its beloved racing franchises like Burnout falling away in the rearview mirror?
Criterion is rebranding on its 30th anniversary, emphasizing its current role as a "Battlefield Studio" within Electronic Arts. While the studio's legacy includes beloved racing titles like Burnout Paradise, its primary focus is now on supporting the Battlefield franchise, including recent work on Battlefield 6. Despite industry challenges and past layoffs, Criterion aims to maintain its core values of "Dare, Deliver, and Delight," with discussions ongoing about the potential for future racing game development.
EA College Football 27 to lose microtransactions in Road to Glory and Online Dynasty
EA Sports will remove paid progression options from the Road to Glory and Online Dynasty modes in EA Sports College Football 27 following player backlash. The studio announced that all microtransaction-based upgrades for player and coach progression will be removed on July 11, 2026. EA Sports also stated that future live service plans for the series will focus on greater transparency and communication.
Xbox After The Layoffs: Studios Left And What They’re Making
Xbox has undergone significant restructuring, including layoffs and the divestment of five studios, as it aims to increase profitability and focus on major intellectual properties. This shake-up impacts numerous development teams and projects across Xbox Game Studios, Activision, Blizzard, and Bethesda, with a renewed focus on core franchises and a shift in business strategies like the exclusion of Call of Duty from Xbox Game Pass day-one launches.
Ubisoft has added a cash shop and weekly challenges to its 'faithful' remake of the 13-year-old Black Flag,…
Ubisoft's remake of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, titled Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, has been criticized for the addition of a microtransaction store, weekly challenges, and battle pass-like reward tracks. The author argues these elements detract from the experience of a full-priced, single-player remake and are reminiscent of the monetization seen in live-service games.
