Gaming
Niantic releases official statement on Pokémon Go global rollout
Here’s a breakdown of what we know about Pokémon Go‘s global release so far in order of date:
- The game is out now in the Philippines and 14 other countries in Asia and Ocenia. Swing by this page for the full list.
- As of today, August 4, Pokémon Go is now available in Central and South America. The news comes just in time for the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil. The world’s best athletes training in Pokémon gyms could be a thing now. Yay!
- Nintendo announced on July 27th that Pokémon Go Plus, the watch-like companion device that alerts you of nearby monsters, will be available in September, not late-July.
- Pokémon Go debuted in France and Hong Kong on July 25. Reports said the game has seen more than 75 million downloads between the iOS and Android app stores.
- Pikachu is home. Pokémon Go was released in its native Japan on July 22, two days after servers were originally scheduled to go live.
- On July 17, the game was unleashed in Canada.
- July 16th marked Pokémon Go’s launch in 26 other countries across Europe, namely Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland.
- Pokémon Go went live in Italy, Spain, and Portugal on July 15.
As Pokémon Go finds its way to more users around the world, the question on everyone’s minds is: Where will the coveted augmented-reality game launch next?
As of this writing, the game is only officially released in 37 countries, including Australia, Canada, the U.S., and most of Europe. Yes, we’re counting!
Of course, that hasn’t stopped speculation from mounting. Some websites even went as far as saying that Pokémon Go will be made available in some parts of Southeast Asia by July.
Now, we can say with certainty that won’t be the case. Fortyseven Communications, the PR firm of Pokémon Go developer Niantic Labs, earlier released a statement on behalf of the company, saying the game developer can’t give a release date for Pokémon Go for the rest of the world.
“The team is currently heads down working on the game. We do not have any announced plans for countries beyond New Zealand, Australia, US and Germany at the moment.”
That doesn’t mean the app isn’t on its way to more regions, including Southeast Asia, where it has been reported that servers were temporarily turned on for a few hours. Regardless, it’s best to keep expectations in check until further notice.
And word may be out soon. In a recent interview with Reuters, Niantic Labs chief executive John Hanke said he wants a wider rollout for Pokémon Go, adding he expects 200 more countries and regions to join in on the fun “relatively soon.”
Pokémon Go took the world by storm recently, and has since seen more daily active users than Twitter and Tinder, and people spend more time time on it than on Facebook. It has even overtaken the mighty Candy Crush Saga.
It is estimated the game generates millions within minutes, and it isn’t even available in most parts of the world yet. Perhaps even more impressive, Nintendo has doubled in market value since the game’s release.
For our part, we’ve set up our own Pokémon Go watch, which entails round-the-clock hourly checks of the app and related content on the web. As soon as we have an update, you’ll be the first to hear it.
This story was published on July 15. It has been edited to reflect Pokemon Go’s availability to more regions and details from Retuers’ interview with Niantic head John Hanke.
[irp posts=”7858″ name=”Pokémon Sun and Moon out now”]
Source: IGN Southeast Asia
The trifecta is complete. Almost a year after announcing their new hardware, Valve has finally unveiled the price tag of the Steam Frame, complementing the Steam Machine and Steam Controller revealed a few months ago.
Whereas the Steam Machine is a console of its own, the Steam Frame is a traditional VR headset with a pair of controllers for both hands. Unfortunately, despite being in a different segment, the headset is not immune to the rising prices of technology. The Steam Frame will start at US$ 1,059 for a 256GB model and can go up to US$ 1,299 for the 1TB model. On the plus side, each box will come Half-Life: Alyx packaged along with the headset.
Here’s a more detailed rundown of what you’re getting. The Steam Frame will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM. Each eye comes with a 2160 x 2160 LCD screen, putting out images at up t0 a 144Hz experimental refresh rate. As mentioned above, the headset will start with 256GB of storage but can go up to 2TB. It will come packaged with SteamOS 3 and a rechargeable 21.6Wh battery.
This might be a hard buy for some. The industry currently has more affordable options, for one. Also, virtual reality isn’t the most thriving segment of gaming today.
If you’re still decided on buying one, however, Valve is using its lottery system. Interested customers can sign up from now until September 17. The company will then randomize the purchasing order. Those who draw the first ones in the lottery can get a purchase email as soon as September 18. Meanwhile, anyone who registers after September 17 will automatically be put at the back of the queue.
SEE ALSO: Valve announces its own console called the Steam Machine
Gaming
BlizzCon 2026 announces World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V
StarCraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and more also get news
Blizzard Entertainment kicked off BlizzCon 2026 with a packed Opening Ceremony featuring new games, major expansions, updates, and other announcements across its biggest franchises.
Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries opened the event at the Anaheim Convention Center, celebrating the community behind the company’s games and the teams that bring its worlds to life.
World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V
The biggest announcement was World of Warcraft: Forever, a new World of Warcraft experience launching November 5 AEDT, with its beta beginning September 18 AEST. The new experience will feature three zones, more than 1,000 quests, nine dungeons, two raids, and a new Skyborne race.
Blizzard also officially announced Diablo V, marking the next era of the franchise. The game is set to launch in North America in Spring 2029, with Sanctuary having fallen and Diablo having won.
StarCraft is also returning with a new story-driven, open-world shooter. The game is currently planned for a Spring 2030 release in North America.
Beyond games, Blizzard revealed that an animated series set in the Diablo universe is in development with Netflix. The company says this is only the beginning of its plans to expand its universes beyond gaming.
For Warcraft III Reforged, the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign is available today. It marks the Warcraft RTS series’ first new storyline in more than 23 years and explores the fall of Lordaeron and the origins of the Undercity. The accompanying 3.0 update also brings graphical improvements and a revamped World Editor.
Heroes of the Storm is adding Xal’atath as its newest Hero. She arrives in the Nexus on September 29 AEST, with her PTR release scheduled for September 15 AEST.
Existing games updates
Meanwhile, Diablo IV is preparing for its next major content drop. Season of Hell’s Legacy begins September 16 AEST and celebrates the franchise’s 30-year history with the return of the Prime Evils and Deckard Cain, alongside themed rewards and gear.
The legendary Amazon class will also arrive in the first half of 2027 as part of Diablo IV’s first class pack. The Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection is additionally coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on September 16 AEST with cross-platform play and cross-progression.
For World of Warcraft, Blizzard teased the next major update for Midnight. Eclipse (12.2) will see Xal’atath move closer to her goal of claiming Azeroth’s Worldsoul. Blizzard also offered another look at The Last Titan, the next expansion in the Worldsoul Saga and a major culmination of more than two decades of Warcraft storytelling. More information is coming early next year.
Overwatch is getting a major update with Season 5. The season introduces new Support Hero Doctrine, reworks for Sombra and Roadhog, and the new Watchpoint: Grimsvötn map. It will also conclude The Reign of Talon, Overwatch’s first year-long narrative arc.
LE SSERAFIM & YOASABI
BlizzCon also featured performances from YOASOBI and LE SSERAFIM. YOASOBI will perform during the first-ever esports halftime show at BlizzCon, while LE SSERAFIM will return to the Main Stage to close the weekend. A new LE SSERAFIM in-game collaboration is available now, with another Overwatch Spotlight scheduled for February 2027.
Finally, Hearthstone is getting its first new class in more than six years. The Monk arrives in 2027, while the upcoming Reign of the Black Empire expansion takes players back to the earliest age of Azeroth. It introduces the Assemble keyword, which combines two cards into a new one. Battlegrounds is also adding Aberrations as a new minion type.
BlizzCon 2026 is now underway, with Blizzard promising more announcements and details throughout the weekend.
Gaming
Xbox saves Kojima’s PHYSINT after PlayStation drops support
PlayStation says the separation was mutual, but Kojima hints otherwise.
Things aren’t going well in the PlayStation camp. After two months of frankly questionable decisions, the company adds another to the pile by dropping support for Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT.
For a while now, Kojima and PlayStation were in a very productive relationship with the Death Stranding duology, a critically acclaimed collection of titles for the platform. When things looked like they were going well, Kojima announced PHYSINT, an espionage-themed game which reminded fans way too much of Metal Gear Solid.
If you were investing in a PlayStation 5 to play Kojima’s latest thriller, you might want to move your chips elsewhere now. PlayStation has just dropped support for the espionage game, meaning PHYSINT will no longer be a first-party title for the platform.
Though PlayStation claims that the decision came after “careful consideration,” Kojima himself has said that the move was “unexpected,” going against PlayStation’s assurance of a mutual separation.
Very quickly, Xbox has announced that their platform will support PHYSINT instead. It’s a big get for the competing brand because Xbox Game Studios is already supporting OD, Kojima’s other upcoming horror project starring Sophia Lillis.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say more. As is tradition, Kojima will not explain much more about his upcoming titles. In fact, OD’s trailer barely says anything. One thing’s for sure, though: we’re all in for quite a ride.
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