EA answered years’ worth of prayers when it announced the return of the Skate franchise last July. The reveal offered no trailer, gameplay, concept art, or much of anything because the game was very early in development. How early? Well, as of today, EA has announced the formation of a new studio that will helm development of the next Skate game.

Meet Full Circle, a Vancouver based team led by Daniel McCulloch, formerly Head of Xbox Live at Microsoft. Fans will be pleased to know that Deran Chung and Cuz Parry, who helped create the Skate franchise and worked on all three mainline games, make up the creative leadership on the new title. “We’re so stoked to be back working on Skate,” says Chung and Parry in a press release. 

McCulloch offered his own statement as well: 

“The fans wished Skate back into existence and we want them to feel involved in the process from development to game launch and beyond. We want them to feel like they are a part of Full Circle. We’re all about having fun and making great games that people want to play with their friends. And, we’re looking for more developers to help us build compelling worlds for players to explore.”

Full Circle is still staffing up with positions open for designers, artists, and engineers among other jobs, so if you are skilled in such things, go apply and help make Skate happen faster, darn it! Still, Full Circle seems like it’s off to a solid start. Unfortunately, this also signifies that the new Skate is further away than fans may have realized. But, after spending over a decade waiting with little more than hope and a prayer, at least fans have something tangible to look forward to now. While you're waiting you can satisfy your Skate cravings with our Replay episodes of Skate 2 and Skate 3. 

What do you think of the new team and what are you looking for in a new Skate game? Sound off in the comments!

Set six months after the conclusion of Persona 5, Persona 5 Strikers reunites the Phantom Thieves of Hearts for an all-new adventure. Rather than focusing on Tokyo, Persona 5 Strikers expands the adventure to include a road trip to various regions across Japan. Not only is the scope of the journey expanded, but the combat is completely different from the turn-based fare of Persona 5. 

This time around, the Phantom Thieves traverse dungeons and encounter Shadows, triggering action-packed, hack-and-slash battles. However, the turn-based inspiration carries through to Persona 5 Strikers, as Joker, Ann, Ryuji, and company can still summon their Personas for pause-and-plan sequences that stop the action while you navigate the menus. Just as each character has their own Personas with unique abilities, each member of the Phantom Thieves has their own special abilities and affinities.

Today, Atlus released a new trailer highlighting some of the combat abilities of the Phantom Thieves. Whether you're talking Ann's ability to use fire attacks or Makoto's nuclear affinity, so much of Persona 5 Strikers' combat relies on exploiting enemy weaknesses to trigger Follow-Up opportunities and All-Out Attack sequences. You can see the team reunited and battling it out with Shadows in the new trailer below.

Persona 5 Strikers hits PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC on February 23. However, you can access the game starting on February 19  if you purchase the Digital Deluxe edition. This bundle comes with a digital art book, a digital soundtrack, a behind-the-scenes video showcasing the making of the music, and special background music from past Persona games. 

For more on Persona 5 Strikers, check out my early impressions of my time with the game here. If you've missed the boat on Persona 5 to this point and want to start at the beginning, the enhanced re-release Persona 5 Royal is the way to go (even if Strikers serves as a follow up to the vanilla version). To learn about that game, you can read my review, or check out associate editor Jason Guisao's opinion piece on why it's a game worth playing – even if you already experienced the original.

A new Monster Hunter Rise Nintendo Switch console and Pro controller have been revealed, getting RPG fans even more excited for the latest entry in the beloved beastie-hunting franchise. 

The latest celebratory system comes with a bold Magnamalo emblazoned in gold on a black backdrop with similarly themed designs on the rear of the console. The Joy Cons as well have similar designs, though in black with gold accents on the thumbsticks alongside the Pro Controller that also has that golden touch. 

Nintendo revealed a few new images showing off the Monster Hunter tribute, scroll through the gallery below to see the designs for yourself: 

Click image thumbnails to view larger version

The Monster Hunter Rise bundle includes a download code for the new game plus the Deluxe Kit DLC and other non-specific bonus content. The system and Pro Controller itself will be launching on March 26, the same date as the game, making the launch of the latest Monster Hunter title even better. 

As for the game itself, Monster Hunter Rise is an all-new hunting experience specifically designed for the Nintendo Switch. The upcoming adventure provides an all-new take on the monster-tracking experience with the introduction new mechanics such as the Wirebug, a wire-based grappling action that allows players to traverse dangerous or rocky terrain at high speeds, in addition to the new hunting partners called Palamutes.

The Monster Hunter Rise Nintendo Switch console, Pro Controller, and the game itself make their grand debut on March 26. What do you think about the latest rendition of the Switch? A must-have, or are you going to pass? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

A new Skyblivion video is here showing off even more progress on the impressive fan mod project that we've been raving about. The latest look at the status of this passion project gives fans a chance to see some working quests in action while showing off quite a few beautiful landscapes we'll be able to enjoy. 

For those that may be new to what Skyblivion is, it has been in the works for years and has had a steadily growing team passionately working to make it a reality. A project in the works with the blessings of Bethesda, this is one of the most ambitious fan mods out there for the Elder Scrolls franchise, and one that has earned the admiration of many PC players.

What Skyblivion does is modernize The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion using Skyrim assets, essentially recreating the older Elder Scrolls entry within a newer setting as seen below: 

The video above runs for approximately 20 minutes, and shows off some of the most recent work done while working on Skyblivion. The video also shows off some of the more creative work done on this project, including a crafty new cavern design and a shiny new interface for players to enjoy. 

As for the quests, the new video shows off some of the functioning storylines that are playable now, including one called Revenge Served Cold from the original Oblivion experience. While the quest itself isn't the most intricate, the video's purpose is to show that it's functional and that it looks a heck of a lot prettier with this overhaul. 

The progress made so far on Skyblivion is breathtaking and makes us even more excited for the full launch of the mod that has yet to receive a set in stone release date. To learn more about the project and how hard these volunteers are working, you can check out their official site here.