The Triple I Showcase, Games Preservation and (unfortunately) More Awful Workplaces

This Week in Gaming News

League of Legends is getting a new PVE mode:

In a recent developer update, Riot Games announced that a brand-new PVE game mode will be released later this year. They’ve pitched it as a bullet-heaven, where you can mow down hordes of enemies with friends, or solo. We didn’t get many more details, but the mode is set to release during the League of Legends summer event (that’ll be our winter), so expect more details as we get closer.

Triple I Initiative:

In the early hours of April 11th, at 3AM AEST, we saw the first Triple I Initiative showcase stream live on Youtube, Twitch, bilibili, IGN and Steam. The Triple I initiative was spearheaded by Evil Empire, the studio behind Dead Cells, but was a collaborative effort from a huge number of indie studios. We were given over thirty announcements and here are some of the highlights:

• The showcase kicked off with the announcement of a sequel for the deckbuilding roguelike Slay the Spire. The short teaser didn’t show off much, but did say the game will be released in early access next year.
• Never Alone 2, was announced back in 2022 and we’ve heard very little about it since then, but this morning we saw the first official trailer.
• They showed a teaser trailer for Dinolords, a real-time strategy game with a medieval setting where you get to ride around on Dinosaurs. It’s coming to steam in early access, but we don’t know when.
• And there was the announcement of RKGK, an anime-esque graffiti platformer from Wabisabi Games and Gearbox. The trailer showed off bright, bold graphics, and a release for mid-2024.

You can watch the livestream here, or read a complete rundown here.

Xbox sets up Game Preservation Team:

In emails obtained by Windows Central, Microsoft discussed its plans to deliver “the biggest technical leap in a generation ever” with the next Xbox hardware. They aren’t just looking to the future though. The emails also revealed that Sarah Bond, the current president of Xbox, has formed a team to focus on game preservation and backwards compatibility. “We are building on our strong history of delivering backwards compatibility to our players, and we remain committed to bringing forward the amazing library of Xbox games for future generations of players to enjoy.” Sarah wrote in the email.

Life is Strange Developer Accused of Fostering a Toxic Culture:

Deck Nine, the studio behind Life is Strange: True Colors, and the remastering of the first two games, has been called out for creating a toxic workplace. The accusations, which were made to IGN by more than a dozen employees, claim that sexual harassment, discrimination, and hate speech are commonplace and that management wouldn’t address these issues for months, if at all. Employees found multiple racist memes and hate symbols that had been spread throughout the game. At first, things were subtle enough that staff assumed they were simple mistakes,
however as weeks went by, they found more and more. This issue was also met with a snailpace response from management.

Another shocking part of the report was a claim that publisher Square Enix suppressed discussion of the game’s diverse themes. The protagonist of Life is Strange: True Colors is bisexual, but this wasn’t mentioned in any press before release because Square Enix didn’t want it “to be known as the gay game.” I would have thought anyone who’s played any of the Life is Strange games, or just vaguely heard about them, could tell you they are gay games. But what do I know?

Upcoming Game Releases:

On the 15th of March, Retrowave World is releasing on the PC.
On the 16th of March Europa is releasing to PC and Harold Halibut is coming to PS4, PS5,
Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Also, on the 16th Grounded is coming to Switch.
On the 18th of March, Pine Harbor is releasing on the PC and No Rest for the Wicked is releasing
in early access