EA and developer Full Circle have reportedly implemented microtransactions into the closed alpha for Skate. That means any purchases made will most likely be refunded back into the game's digital currency as progress will be reset before the early access launch.

According to Insider Gaming, microtransactions became available with the latest update for Skate. They're called San Van Bucks and are utilized for cosmetic items in the sports game. EA and Full Circle are testing out the shop for Skate before it launches in early access this year.

The following message apparently greets testers for Skate: "To ensure we achieve these goals at early access we have enabled the option to purchase and use virtual currency (San Van Bucks) in our ongoing closed alpha playtest. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated in providing a great experience at early access launch."

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Fresh off of his hosting stint at this year's Oscars, Conan O'Brien came to South by Southwest this week to co-host a panel with Blizzard Entertainment president Johanna Faries. O'Brien--whose previous gaming experience includes co-hosting the Clueless Gamer segments on his TBS talk show Conan and a cameo appearance in Death Stranding--jokingly suggested that he agreed to the SXSW panel for one reason only: to be in a Diablo game.

"The reason I flew from Los Angeles to be here was I want to be in the next Diablo," said O'Brien. "I would like to be a demon. Or maybe a necromancer... My wife, when she met me, thought I was a necromancer."

O'Brien went on to talk about recording his appearance for Death Stranding in Tokyo, which gave him a greater appreciation for how games are made. He also credited his son for showing him that there was more to gaming than he originally realized.

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There's an old myth in the theater world that Shakespeare's Macbeth is cursed, and any theatre company who tries to put it on will endure some sort of misfortune during the production. One area that hasn't been tested yet, though, is video games--until now, as upstart Specto Studio, led by a former theater director, has announced Hail Macbeth for consoles and PC.

Hail Macbeth is a third-person narrative adventure and an adaptation of the classic Shakespearean play, where players will assume the role of an "unseen force" guiding Macbeth through the story. They will work against what the official announcement calls "the witches," which are "embedded into the game’s UI, subtly revealing or obscuring information, shifting perspective, and distorting reality in ways that make players question the limits of their control."

Hail MacBeth concept artGallery

Unlike the original work, this version of Macbeth will be set in an alternate version of the 1990s, with castles, corporate high-rises, and “industrial ruins." The game's script, however, will retain the exact wording from Shakespeare's original work, and the studio has scanned real-world costumes and props into the game in order to "achieve a sense of lived-in reality."

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Diablo Immortal will receive another new class and crossover event this year according to Blizzard's newly revealed 2025 content plans for the free-to-play mobile ARPG.

The new class and event will all be part of a year-long series of updates and storyline Blizzard is calling the Epoch of Madness. Blizzard made a big deal about Diablo's return last year, but will now explore the aftermath of his defeat and the power vacuum left in his wake. Much of that will be setting up the rise of the Shardborne Albrecht, Diablo's former human host who has since been resurrected into a monstrosity all his own thanks to the power of the Worldstone.

Blizzard did not reveal what the game's new class will be, but it will arrive sometime this summer between July and September. When the new class does arrive, it will be the third class added post-launch to Diablo Immortal, joining the vampiric Blood Knight and the water-bending Tempest.

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Netflix's gaming VP Mike Verdu has left after being hired in 2021 to launch the platform's gaming initiatives. This is the latest shakeup for the streaming giant the streaming giant, which has undergone mass layoffs to its gaming division recently.

According to Game File, a Netflix representative confirmed that Verdu did leave the company. He was brought on to release new and ported mobile games to the Netflix platform for paying subscribers, and also lead internal game development.

Verdu went through several title changes during his time at Netflix. He started as the VP of game development, helping build the foundation of Netflix Games, including studios and publishing arms. He then got promoted to the VP of games, and rolled out cloud streaming tests to TVs and PCs in several countries.

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The Fool's Apprentice is an upcoming wizard academy management sim from developer The Planar Danse, and the studio has just announced the game's April 14 release date via a new trailer.

The Fool's Apprentice sees players step into the magical shoes of the aforementioned fool, training students in the magical arts--or just using them as test subjects.

The Planar Danse describes The Fool's Apprentice as "a wizard academy management sim where you--an obviously benevolent professor--must manage and cast spells on your many apprentices so that they might study the right spells… and perhaps even survive the researching process."

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Saudi Arabian-owned mobile developer Scopely has announced that it'll be acquiring Niantic's video game division, paying $3.5 billion for the developer behind Pokemon Go. Also included in the proposed deal--which was revealed several weeks back--are several other Niantic titles, like Monster Hunter Now and Pikmin Bloom. This is the No. 8 biggest gaming buyout in history.

"With Scopely’s full commitment, experience, and resources, we're going to make Pokemon Go the very best it can be--with incredible battles for thousands of Trainers at a time at our live events and new ways to connect to your friends and community, all while remaining focused on the excitement and experience of discovering Pokemon in the real world," Niantic studio leader Ed Wu said in a blog post. "We have invested to empower thousands of community leaders and ambassadors who lead millions of Trainers to play together in the real world, and Scopely is in full agreement that this highly-admired program will be a priority to invest in together."

According to Wu, the entire Pokemon Go team will be retained through this new partnership, and Scopely offered the studio a development environment that it found "extremely appealing". The acquisition will still need to pass regulatory approval conditions, and Pokemon Go social companion apps Campfire and Wayfarer will also be included in the deal. A Scopely spokesperson told GameSpot that the "Saudi Arabian government is not involved in Scopely's operations." However, it does own Scopely through the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

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2016's Warcraft movie is one of the highest-grossing video game movies ever. That money was largely attributable to China, and reviews of the film were not all that great. Despite that, Blizzard hasn't ruled out trying again to adapt its franchises to film or TV. In an interview, Blizzard president Johanna Faries said the short answer is that the company is "looking at everything" with regards to expanding its franchises.

"I can't share anything specific today... but we have a strong collective belief that we are Blizzard Entertainment, and not simply Blizzard Games or Blizzard Gaming," she told Windows Central.

"Our universes, our iconic IP can vector off into many interesting dynamic directions. We have to be thoughtful, responsible stewards of those franchises, right?" she added. "Not everything will fit, and execution absolutely matters. We do think about what we can do to show up for the entertainment industry, as broadly as we can describe, so Blizzard can continue to be a beacon of that sort of ... magic making, fostering joy."

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A young girl named Suria wakes up in a laboratory and finds out that she has been put in cryosleep for 1000 years without her knowledge. In order to search for the rest of humanity, she builds Labor with her trusty Buds, and sends them off to investigate... In this roguelike action-adventure, control humanoid "Labor" and giant "Arms" to uncover the mysteries of the world. Create fully-customizable robots, strengthen them, and take down hordes of enemies!

In a world parallel to our own resides the city of Kamitsubaki. One day, the player, an "Observer," is summoned to this ill-fated world. There, they meet a girl named Kafu, and set out on a quest with her to save the world from its impending doom. "KAMITSUBAKI CITY REGENERATE" is a dark-fantasy science fiction visual novel taking place in "Kamitsubaki City." The city is brought to life with stunning illustrations and fully-voiced characters, each with their own unique sprites. The game possesses the most extensive story in the series that cuts straight to the heart of Kamitsubaki City, featuring numerous popular songs from Kamitsubaki's vocal artists that link to the plot and expand the scale of the world's lore. The player's choices in Kamitsubaki City weave the story in vastly different directions. Observe the tale unfold as you harmonize with the characters and music and bear witness to the city's ultimate fate.

Reawaken the critically acclaimed FATE games like never before! Play (or replay) through all 4 FATE games in their reawakened greatness. FATE, FATE: Undiscovered Realms, FATE: The Traitor Soul, and FATE: The Cursed King are all included in this bundled release. No matter which game is your favorite, you’ll be able to dive back into all the dungeons and determine your FATE!