Mobile Games – Syndication Server

Lightspeed is making an officially licensed NBA mobile game

Lightspeed, the studio behind PUBG Mobile and the upcoming Sentinels game shown at The Game Awards, is making an official NBA mobile game

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMzNSI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

Lightspeed, the studio behind PUBG Mobile and the upcoming Sentinels game shown off at The Game Awards, and Level Infinite are making an officially licensed NBA mobile game, NBA Infinite. NBA Infinite is a free-to-play game that promises players, well, infinite ways to play, and while that stops short of offering a PvE mode, there’s plenty of other modes to choose from

You can dive into 3v3 matches, face off against other players in 1v1, create a lasting legacy in Dynasty mode, or go all out in 5v5 games. Not unlike NBA 2K, your goal in NBA Infinite is collecting your favorite players and leveling up their skills to build your dream team. NBA Infinite also tasks you with managing your coaches and carefully planning your offensive and defensive strategies on your way to the top.

“We’re committed to crafting an authentic NBA gaming experience that fuels fans’ love of the game,” Anthony Crouts, Level Infinite’s senior director, said in a press release. “NBA Infinite offers realistic visuals, intense real-time PvP matchups, and an ever-growing roster of fan-favorite players. We can’t wait for everyone to lace up their sneakers and hit the court.”

You can check out those realistic visuals in the trailer above.

NBA Infinite pre-registration is live now on Google Play and the Apple App Store, and Lightspeed and Level Infinite are promising several rewards for reaching pre-registration milestones. These include a chance to win autographed NBA merchandise and tickets to a regular season game in the 2024-2025 season, along with starter packs for in-game players and coaches.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Winter’s Monster Hunter Now update adds more monsters and weapons

Niantic has big plans for the next Monster Hunter Now update as the mobile game expands even further with new monsters and more weapons

Niantic has big plans for the next Monster Hunter Now update, as the mobile game expands even further with new monsters and more weapons. The Monster Hunter Now winter update “Fulminations in the Frost” launches on Dec. 7, 2023, and adds a snowy landscape where you can hunt some of the action game series’ most recognizable critters.

Barioth, Radobaan, Banbaro, and Zinogre join the fray along with two smaller monsters first introduced – appropriately – in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, Wulg and Cortos. Niantic is also adding two classic weapons that fans have asked for since the game first launched – the Lance, good for battling larger monsters thanks to its long reach, and the Dual Blades, meant to make close-range encounters a bit easier.

Zinogre first showed up in Monster Hunter Portable 3 in 2010 on the PlayStation Portable before turning up in MH3 Ultimate and every game thereafter. The same is true for Barioth, though that one skipped out on Monster Hunter 4, while Radobaan lumbered onto the scene in World and Banbaro sprang up in Iceborne.

Niantic also said Fulminations in the Frost will introduce balance updates, including how close- and long-range weapons function and an increase in the number of items you can carry. There’s a new feature as well. Niantic is keeping quiet about that until December rolls around, but it’s meant to help “bring players together during the holiday season.”

Monster Hunter Now is available as a free download on Android and iOS devices.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

New CookieRun spinoff blends comic books with reality TV

Devsisters USA debuted Last Cookie Standing, a web series CookieRun Kingdom spinoff that blends the mobile game’s characters with reality TV

Devsisters USA debuted Last Cookie Standing, a web series CookieRun Kingdom spinoff that blends the mobile game’s standout personalities with reality TV and a glittering cast of voice actors, including Genshin Impact and Like A Dragon stars. The first episode is live now, and GLHF spoke with director Vi Viet about the process of transforming CookieRun into a survival show.

While Last Cookie Standing is ostensibly a game show, it also weaves in elements of comic book style, visual novel presentation, and traditional animation. It follows 13 cookies stranded on the Tropical Soda Islands and forced into competition to see who the last one standing is. Genshin Impact‘s Amber Lee Connors stars as Rye Cookie, while Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth‘s Yong Yea brings the Madeleine Cookie to life.

“The aim was to highlight the diverse personalities of our Cookies without the restrictions of the canon story,” Viet says. “This format would provide an immersive space where fans can engage in discourse and see Cookies in environments and situations they wouldn’t expect.”

If that sounds a lot like Survival, you’re not wrong. Viet tells me Survivor was a significant influence on the project, and the writing team cast a broad net, looking to Total Drama Island, anime, and pretty much anything for inspiration, no matter how unorthodox it seemed.

“Some of the most memorable times in the writer’s room were when someone would throw out a silly reference that would snowball into a final idea,” Viet says.

Making the series a game show was a natural fit for that aim. The team wanted a concept that was as inclusive as possible, as CookieRun fans tend to see themselves in the series’ characters, Viet says. Game shows are “low stakes, high drama” with plenty of opportunity for every character to play an important role and give viewers someone to cheer for.

Not that giving every character a starring role came easily. Viet says one of the biggest obstacles came from creating 13 dynamic personalities strong enough to carry a show. Viet said the finished product was worth the challenge, though.

“As the executive producer and director, I have had to be hands-on in all aspects of production. Orchestrating this has been both challenging and extremely rewarding. It has been an awesome journey with the team.”

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Pokemon GO Welcome Party research tasks and rewards

The Pokemon GO Welcome Party research tasks are here, a chance to earn plenty of bonus XP and rewards to celebrate the mobile game’s update

The Pokemon GO Welcome Party research tasks are here, a chance to earn plenty of bonus XP and other rewards to celebrate the mobile game‘s new Party Play update. You can only complete Welcome Party research tasks in a party, so make sure to brush up on how to form a party in Pokemon GO if you haven’t already.

Welcome Party special research tasks are live as of Oct. 17, 2023, and they have no time limit. You’re free to complete all four steps at your pace, so there’s no rush to throw a party together right away if you need more time.

As is usually the case with special research, the Welcome Party tasks are split into four steps with two tasks each and a bonus task that just rewards you for completing the other two.

Cozy mobile game Brixity is getting a CookieRun Kingdom crossover

Brixity, the cozy mobile game that’s part Animal Crossing and part Minecraft, is out now, with a Cookie Run Kingdom collaboration

Brixity, the mobile game that’s part Animal Crossing and part Minecraft, is out now, and Devsisters launched a CookieRun Kingdom collaboration to celebrate.

“We are thrilled to share our new game, Brixity,” directors Jeein Kim and Jung-soo Park said in a statement. “Our team has poured their hearts into creating a game that builds a world where desolation can turn into hope through the power of imagination. The game represents an escape into a place of positivity and adventure where players can create the world they want to see.”

In Brixity, your goal is rebuilding the world one brick at a time, whether your vision is recreating the world around you or bringing to life your wildest dreams, and making the Pipos – Brixity-speak for humans – who live there happy.

It’s a cozy setup where your imagination is the only limit, and if you get stuck for ideas, you can travel to other players’ cities and even pick up blueprints for buildings and decorations that you might not have had back home.

Speaking of new decorations, the CookieRun collaboration that’s live at launch unlocks new themed decorations and blueprints in both games. Completing tasks such as linking your accounts or reaching new milestones in your global restoration project, you’ll earn Brixity-themed decorations and skins in CookieRun Kingdom and CookieRun blueprints and building brix in Brixity.

Brixity is free-to-play, and you can download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

[mm-video type=video id=01fke3hq3e3kydnqayhg playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fke3hq3e3kydnqayhg/01fke3hq3e3kydnqayhg-61d27d98908ee7d0d1606dd91bab0a6b.jpg]

Brixity mobile game devs on making a story-driven city builder

The new mobile game Brixity aims to shake up the city builder genre with a heavier emphasis on self-expression and storytelling

When you think “city builder,” you probably think of something like Cities: Skylines or even Sim City, detailed simulators with light, if any, story elements. Devsisters wants to change that with their new mobile game Brixity, set for launch on Android and iOS devices on Aug. 27, 2023.

“Brixity started as a small-scale, casual game where you build nice buildings during the early stages of development,” co-directors Jeein Kim and Jung-soo Park said in a new dev diary. “But there were concerns and attempts to provide a sense of accomplishment beyond that, and as a result, the direction of the development was expanded to a form that allows the players to design their own, up to a large unit like the city.”

Rather than leaving it at just letting players build cities in their own image, the team wanted to bring Brixity to life with Pipos. These potential citizens and residents bring their own worldviews, goals, and preferences to the world.

It’s up to you whether you make friends and attract dozens of Pipos to your soon-to-be-bustling city or find happiness in a cozy hamlet with just a few Pipo friends. Narrative director Yeon-joo Kim said that level of freedom to build your own story is central to the team’s vision for Brixity, but they have another goal for the Pipos as well.

“We wanted to convey that everyone has their individuality and uniqueness,” Kim said.

If that sounds like your kind of city builder, Brixity is available for pre-registration now, ahead of its launch later in August.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

[mm-video type=video id=01fgydhj73861szsfq94 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fgydhj73861szsfq94/01fgydhj73861szsfq94-1d6cffef7a1bea7f50ca972089109e7f.jpg]

New mobile game Brixity is Animal Crossing meets sandbox builder

Brixity, a new mobile game from the makers of Cookie Run, looks a lot like what happens if you cross a sandbox game with Animal Crossing

Brixity, a new mobile game from the makers of Cookie Run, looks a lot like what happens if you cross a sandbox game with Animal Crossing, and if you’re keen to see it for yourself, pre-registration is open now. Earth lies in ruins, and your task is rebuilding it – and people’s connections with each other – one brick at a time.

Brixity lets you shape the planet however you see fit, whether you want to build a city of skyscrapers or a sprawling, cozy village. Want a giant crocodile fountain as your city’s centerpiece? Go for it. Think the world needs more theme parks? Make it happen. Devsisters promises nearly unlimited imaginative freedom in how you build your city.

Building a strong community is as essential in Brixity as rebuilding the planet. You’ll enlist other Pipos to help out, put them to work in shops and other installations around the city, and get to know them and their personality quirks. Pipos aren’t just willing workers, though. You’ll need to earn their friendship and help them out with tasks to build those relationships.

If you want to show off your creations or see what others are up to, you can head out and visit other cities or invite friends to check out your own. You can even get blueprints to rebuild a creation you like from someone else’s town and give out blueprints of your own as well.

Pre-registration for Brixity is open now on iOS and Android, with an early access event on Android devices that runs from Aug. 10, 2023, through Aug. 21, 2023, and data from the early access period will carry over to the full launch.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

[mm-video type=video id=01g18wsbwmy02tztdq2a playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g18wsbwmy02tztdq2a/01g18wsbwmy02tztdq2a-b916189bdc13501fd79ca0bfecbf83d1.jpg]

Niantic adds Zygarde in Pokemon GO routes update

A new Pokemon GO update is adding Zygarde to the mobile game, but piecing this legendary Pokemon together takes a bit of effort

A new Pokemon GO update is adding Zygarde to the mobile game, but piecing this legendary Pokemon together takes a bit of effort. You need to collect Zygarde Cells to put Zygarde back together again like in previous Pokemon games, but the only way to find those cells is by traveling Pokemon GO’s new routes.

You’ll also encounter Zygarde in a new round of special research, A to Zygarde.

The route system lets players create paths for other players to follow, ideally to show off their favorite sights around town or highlight places of interest that might not be designated with a PokeStop or other in-game marker. All you need to do is start from a Gym or PokeStop, hit “record” to map your route, and set off.

Send the route for consideration once you’re done, and after it’s approved, anyone can follow it. Traveling routes is the only way to get Zygarde Cells at the moment, but they offer a range of other bonuses as well. These include extra Buddy Candy, bonus XP, and Buddy Hearts when you complete a route with your designated Buddy Pokemon, and incense works more effectively when you use it on a route that you’re traveling for the first time.

To follow a route, open the “Nearby” menu to get a look at any close routes, find one you want to travel, and set off.

Zygarde is only available in the A to Zygarde research task, though if other legendary Pokemon are anything to go by, including X and Y’s signature legendaries, you’ll likely be able to find Zygarde in special raids later down the road.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

[mm-video type=video id=01g1g4chtep124yyzna1 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g1g4chtep124yyzna1/01g1g4chtep124yyzna1-5ec02f6553470ef1666ae98f2c631251.jpg]

Square Enix announces Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis beta dates

The Final Fantasy Ever Crisis beta is finally coming up soon, Square Enix announced in a new trailer for the mobile game

The Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis beta is finally coming up soon, Square Enix announced in a new trailer for the mobile game. The Ever Crisis beta will run from June 8, 2023, through June 28, 2023, though since it’s a closed beta test, it’s not something you can just sign up for and take part in.

Pre-registration for Ever Crisis is live now on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store via the game’s official website.

Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis retells “the most memorable moments” from the Final Fantasy 7 saga, though Square Enix hasn’t actually indicated which moments or from what games. The saga includes Final Fantasy 7 itself, along with Crisis Core, the third-person shooter Dirge of Cerberus, the Advent Children movie, and a few mobile spinoffs that never made it outside Japan.

What’s actually in store is anyone’s guess, though Ever Crisis will split the story into mission chapters you can select, with an overview of the stage’s enemies and challenges, a la Crisis Core.

Square Enix previously said Ever Crisis will include microtransactions for character equipment, though we haven’t heard anything else about that since the game was first revealed.

There’s still no release date, though with Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 coming up at the start of 2024, we imagine Ever Crisis won’t be too far behind.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

[mm-video type=video id=01h11sp48v8622d8ygxq playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01h11sp48v8622d8ygxq/01h11sp48v8622d8ygxq-41c948109f74c71ae16f2238de860804.jpg]

Overbeast is a Pokemon GO-alike with an eco-conscious heart

Liquid City wants to leave their mark on AR mobile games with their debut title Overbeast, a Pokemon GO-like with nature at its core

Pokemon GO is probably the first thing that comes to mind when most people hear “AR mobile game,” but new studio Liquid City is hoping to change that with their debut title Overbeast. Overbeast admittedly looks a lot like Pokemon GO or even Peridots on the surface. It uses an AR overlay to show you fantastic creatures (the Overbeasts) in your area,and your goal is training them and eventually battling other Overbeasts that other players have trained.

How you raise them is where Overbeast aims to set itself apart, and GLHF spoke with Keiichi Matsuda, Liquid City’s director, about those aims and what his goals are for the mobile game.

You won’t find Overbeasts around every corner or wandering around your neighbor’s yard. They’re far fewer in number compared to Pokemon and are tied to regions and locations. They also live in the sky, so you can see them from, presumably, anywhere – without having to cross busy streets or trespass on private property.

Overbeasts only flourish in a healthy environment, and if you want to make them happy, you have to create and tend a little virtual nature haven wherever you are. The mobile game lays a grid across the world with nodes where you and others can grow trees and other plants to revitalize the virtual world. Your newly-created gardens and forests need daily care, and Matsuda’s hope is that people will team up and tend these habitats together.

However, he also recognizes that Overbeast’s goals might be a bit too ambitious at the moment, since the game requires strong 5G connections and pricey hardware. You probably won’t see your local Overbeast reach its full potential if you live outside a major city, but Matsuda says Liquid City is working on new features so more people can actually play the game, though he didn’t mention when these plans might come to fruition.

While the point of all your nature tending is, ostensibly, powering up your local Overbeast and eventually duking it out with critters from other states and regions, Matsuda hopes players will enjoy the quiet moments as well.

“The battles are exciting, but there is another side to Overbeast,” Matsuda says. “I like to put in headphones and spend time collecting pollen in my AR forest, while listening to the beautiful music and forest sounds by our composers Skillbard. It’s relaxing and meditative, and if you are lucky, your local Overbeast might pay you a visit too.”

Other players can see and tend the trees you plant, and you can see theirs. When you plant a tree or take care of a little garden patch somewhere, you’re giving someone else a small patch of virtual sanctuary as well.

Enjoyable as Matsuda says the large-scale Overbeast battles are, that sense of togetherness is what he really hopes people take away from playing the game.

“I hope people take pride in the forests they grow with their neighbors and feel a connection to each other,” Matsuda says. “We are all individuals, but also part of nature. If we can understand that, then I hope it can influence the way we treat our real environment too.”

Overbeast is available now as a free-to-play game on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF