Sony is spending its morning providing updates and reveals to seven indie games coming to PS4, PS5 and/or PSVR.

On the PS Blog, Head of PlayStation Indies Shuhei Yoshida introduced the mini-event. This is a developing article, and we'll be adding new details throughout the next few hours, so make sure to check back frequently.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

Tribute Games has announced that Master Splinter will be a playable character in its retro beat 'em up. Describing the character as a 'must have' for the game, Tribute's Eric Lafontaine explains that that Splinter is "calm and collected in his movements – but not slow," designed to reflect his passive nature in the TMNT cartoon, but allowing him to take part in the action.

Splinter has a cane that opens up bouncing combos, can bite, and has a ranged flying special attack. He also has a special move based on the opening credits of the 1987 animated series, "in which for a few frames we see Splinter shattering a bunch of wooden boxes with all fours."

The game will arrive on PS4 later this year.

Moss: Book 2

The sequel to the beloved PSVR action puzzler had already been announced, but developer Polyarc announced new details.

Moss: Book 2 will look to build on the sense of outsized scale that the first game brought, putting you in larger areas and including "expansive multi-dimensional puzzles and platforming challenges." That will be facilitated by adding seamless cuts with no load time, meaning you can get around large spaces without motion discomfort.

Areas will also be available to revisit, allowing you to rinse each one for collectibles and secrets at your own pace. Rooms may also change as the game goes on, offering new perspectives that can allow you solve otherwise hidden puzzles.

Animal Well

A pixel-art 2D game with "the sensibilities of a survival horror", Animal Well is a new PS5 game from solo developer Billy Basso. Basso is deliberately vague about the game's contents, but points to have puzzling, platforming, and horror elements, without being any of those game genres in and of itself.

The game appears to revolve around a map that can be travelled across and relearned as you discover new abilities or items. "You explore a surreal interconnected labyrinth that is absolutely loaded with secrets," writes Basso. "It has a map that is not nearly as big as some games, but it aims to be much denser."

Basso estimates the game will take 15-20 hours to complete, but many more to complete 100% – and hints at a third layer of "far more obscure puzzles, whose existence will be unknown to most."

The game doesn't yet have a release date, but should be released by the end of 2022, or early 2023.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Microsoft wants Call of Duty and other Activision Blizzard titles to make their way to Nintendo consoles like the Switch.

Putting current Activision Blizzard games on as many systems as possible is a goal Microsoft wants to achieve after its monumental takeover goes through, company president Brad Smith told CNBC.

He said: "One of the things we’re being very clear about as we move forward with the regulatory review of this acquisition is that great titles like Call of Duty from Activision Blizzard today will continue to be available on the Sony PlayStation.

"We'd like to bring it to Nintendo devices. We'd like to bring the other popular titles that Activision Blizzard has and ensure that they continue to be available on PlayStation [and] that they become available on Nintendo."

Call of Duty games have appeared on Nintendo consoles before, but not with huge regularity – the last CoD game to appear on a Nintendo platform was Call of Duty: Ghosts in 2013.

Many have pointed to the company's takeover of Bethesda, and the announcement that one of its most-anticipated games would be Xbox-exclusive, as proof of Microsoft's intent for Activision games. However, Smith cited a different example, saying that after the company bought Mojang in 2014, Minecraft actually extended its reach and became available in even more places.

"What we've done with that acquisition," Smith explained," I think, is a clear indicator of what we hope to do if we acquire Activision Blizzard. Namely, invest even more in innovation, bring it to more people, bring it to more platforms, make it even more useful, and hopefully delightful for the people who use it."

Microsoft's acquisition of Blizzard will reportedly be reviewed by the US Federal Trade Commission as it considers taking a more aggressive stance on Big Tech mergers, but CEO Satya Nadella doesn't seem to believe the review will find issues.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently tweeted that he intends to honour all existing agreements between Activision and Sony. Yesterday, Microsoft went further, saying it had made a commitment that Activision Blizzard games would continue to head to PlayStation "beyond existing agreements".

Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard - the company behind Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and more - shook the gaming industry. PlayStation followed shortly afterwards by purchasing Destiny developer Bungie. Nintendo will walk its own path, as always, recently commenting that it isn't interested in acquiring other companies.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Showtime boss Gary Levine has referred to the live-action Halo series as an "outlier" for their network, affirming that the show is a much better fit for Paramount Plus.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Levine addressed a decision that was made last year to move the Halo TV series from Showtime to Paramount+ as he shed new light on the reason behind the change of direction. He indicated that Halo was a deviation from Showtime's programming roster but suited the "blockbuster mentality" of Paramount Plus.

"Halo was always a little bit of an outlier for us, in all honesty," Levine admitted, suggesting that it didn't impact the network's larger plans. "We've been working on it for a number of years. There were times where we said, 'How do we make a first-person shooter video game into a Showtime series?' We worked hard to make it a real, character-based and interesting drama. It is filled with action, and I understand how it was an outlier for Showtime, and I understand why it's in the sweet spot for Paramount+.

"Conversely, The Man Who Fell to Earth [which moved from Paramount+ to Showtime] is a creatively ambitious adaptation of the iconic film," he added. "There wasn't any big change in our programming strategy. Halo was a bit of an aberration and will do great business for Paramount+ and we're producing it. I love the show and hope it'll be a huge hit. As Halo emerged, it felt like Paramount+ could promote it bigger and better, and it seems to be more in their blockbuster mentality than us."

Halo has been in development for film and television one way or another for many years now, with District 9 director Neill Blomkamp among those involved in trying to get it off the ground. It was finally announced in 2018, and fans were given a glimpse of the TV adaptation at last year's Game Awards, where we saw Pablo Schreiber's Master Chief in action for the first time.

The long-awaited Halo TV series will premiere on Paramount+ on March 24, with Pablo Schreiber starring as Master Chief alongside Danny Sapani and Olive Gray who will play Jacob and Miranda Keyes, respectively. Jen Taylor, the voice of Cortana in the Halo games, is reprising her role as the AI on the show. You can check out the full cast list here.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

EA and Sims developer Maxis have announced that they will not be releasing the upcoming The Sims 4 expansion pack, My Wedding Stories, in Russia.

In a blog post today from The Sims Team, Maxis said that releasing the pack in Russia would have meant "compromising the values we live by," saying that federal laws would have forced them to make changes to the pack's development and marketing.

My Wedding Stories is a wedding-focused pack that allows players to plan and hold elaborate weddings in a new location, Tartosa. It expands on existing wedding features including proposals and the ceremony itself, adding detailed planning, decor, outfits, cakes, events, and much more.

Though any adult Sims can marry one another currently in The Sims 4 and will be able to do so in My Wedding Stories, the pack's marketing and storytelling explicitly feature two women: Dominique and Camille, as they plan their wedding.

Russian federal law introduced in 2013 prohibits content marketed toward children (anyone under the age of 18) that presents homosexuality as a societal norm, labeling it as "propaganda." The introduction of the law has coincided with an uptick in violence against LGBTQ individuals in Russia and has been condemned by numerous human rights groups including Human Rights Watch and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The Sims 4 received a mature (18+) rating in Russia at its 2014 launch explicitly due to its inclusion of same-sex relationships. At the time, EA said it had no interest in altering the game's content to get the rating adjusted — a view the publisher appears to be sticking to with My Wedding Stories.

"Imagining the stories our players will tell with our packs is at the heart of everything we create. For 'My Wedding Stories,' we were excited to introduce you to Dom and Cam," The Sims Team wrote. "Their love story reflects the lived experiences of so many members of our community and team.

"As we moved through our development and brand storytelling process, we became aware that the way we wanted to tell Cam and Dom’s story would not be something we could freely share around the world.

"The ability to tell stories - any story - is at the core of what we do at The Sims. Holding back Cam and Dom’s story meant compromising the values we live by. We are committed to the freedom to be who you are, to love who you love and tell the stories you want to tell."

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

The most anticipated of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster releases will finally be releasing later this month after previously being pushed into 2022.

To celebrate, Square Enix released the news alongside a remastered arrangement of Terra's Theme, still regarded as one of the most beautiful tracks in gaming history.

This isn't just another wild goose chase, it's time to move out.

The Final Fantasy VI pixel remaster launches on Steam and Mobile on February 23rd PST/GMT. In the meantime, enjoy the rearrangement of Terra's Theme in all its majesty.

Pre-order: https://t.co/MOlhSpxdED pic.twitter.com/Z4N9TD0bNE

— FINAL FANTASY (@FinalFantasy) February 9, 2022

First announced in 2021, Final Fantasy 6 Pixel Remaster was subsequently pushed out of 2021 in order to apply additional polish. The first five games in the series are already available.

The delay appears to be drawing lessons from the previous Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, which were generally well-received but nevertheless required several patches to deal with various bugs. This is on top of ongoing complications from the COVID-19 pandemic.

To make up for the delay, Square Enix is adding additional items for those who pre-purchase Final Fantasy 6. They include the following (bolded tracks are new):

Special Soundtracks

・Locke's Theme (Timelapse Remix)

・The Decisive Battle (Timelapse Remix)

・Terra's Theme (Timelapse Remix)

・Searching for Friends (Timelapse Remix)

・Aria di Mezzo Carattere (Instrumental)

Special Wallpapers

・FF6: 2 types of wallpapers

・FF1-6: 2 types of Pixel Remaster series wallpapers

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series is a special collection of HD remasters featuring updated art, music, and quality-of-life improvements. The first five entries are currently available on PC, iOS, and Android. Final Fantasy 6 will launch in February 23.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was already a huge Mario Kart game, featuring new and retro courses for a total of 48 tracks. But now, Nintendo is doubling that number with today's announcement that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is getting 48 additional retro courses as paid DLC.

With a total of 96 courses, this iteration of Nintendo's kart racer will have over half of every Mario Kart track in history when it's all said and done.

If you take a look at the eight main console Mario Kart games and the mobile Mario Kart Tour, there are 170 original tracks across the entire franchise. This is not counting the Mario Kart Arcade series of games, or retro courses that have reappeared multiple times throughout the series.

Here's the breakdown of original courses featured in each Mario Kart game:

• Super Mario Kart: 20
• Mario Kart 64: 16
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit: 20
• Mario Kart: Double Dash: 16
• Mario Kart DS: 16
• Mario Kart Wii: 16
• Mario Kart 7: 16
• Mario Kart 8 (With DLC): 25
• Mario Kart Tour: 25
• Total: 170

Now, with its original and retro tracks combined, Mario Kart 8 will carry 96 total tracks, making up just over 56% of the franchise's total. This is by far the most courses we've ever seen in a Mario Kart game. The next closest is Mario Kart Tour, which featured 72 total tracks. On console, Mario Kart: Super Circuit on GBA had 40 total courses, with 20 original tracks and 20 returning courses from the original Mario Kart on SNES.

Of course, it will take some time before Mario Kart 8 Deluxe hits this mark, as the Booster Course DLC is set to release in six waves over the course of 2022 and 2023. Right now, we know the first wave is coming on March 18, bringing eight courses along with it. The Golden Dash Cup and Lucky Cat Cup will feature three tracks from Tour, and one track each from the N64, GBA, DS, 3DS, and Wii Mario Kart games.

For more, check out everything announced during today's Nintendo Direct.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Eight new courses are releasing in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe today, part of the paid DLC called the Booster Course Pass that was announced during last month's Nintendo Direct.

The Booster Course Pass costs $24.99 as a standalone purchase, but Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers will get it as part of their premium membership. The 48 courses aren't all coming out at once, though. Instead, Nintendo is dropping them in six waves.

The first eight courses comprising Wave 1 have been revealed on Nintendo's official website. They include the following

• Paris Promenade (Mario Kart Tour)
• Toad Circuit (Mario Kart 3DS)
• Choco Mountain (Mario Kart 64)
• Coconut Mall (Mario Kart Wii)
• Tokyo Blur (Mario Kart Tour)
• Shroom Ridge (Mario Kart DS)
• Sky Garden (Mario Kart Advance)
• Ninja Hideaway (Mario Kart Tour)

Eight courses are planned to be released in each wave, all of which will be delivered to Booster Course Pass owners by the end of 2023. The first wave, available today at around 7pm ET in North America, includes courses like Wii's Coconut Mall, N64's Choco Mountain, and Tour's Tokyo Blur.

Mario Kart 8 was named the best-selling racing game in US history in April 2021. The combined sales of the original Wii U Mario Kart 8 and Nintendo Switch's Mario Kart 8 Deluxe pushed the game past the previous record holder, Mario Kart Wii. Recent reports suggest Mario Kart 9 is in "active development," though for now it seems Nintendo is still focused on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Miranda Sanchez is the executive editor of guides at IGN and a member of Podcast Unlocked. She's a big fan of stationery and fountain pens. You can sometimes find her on Twitter.

In the wake of a successful remaster of the original game, developer MonolithSoft is once again venturing into the world of Xenoblade Chronicles this September.

During today's Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced Xenoblade Chronicles 3, saying it will be set in a new world with connections to both the first and second game. Its reveal trailer showed off new characters and locales, teasing lots of story threads without sharing too many exact details on its plot or mechanics.

A press release after the Direct had a little more info, saying "Players will step into the roles of protagonists Noah and Mio amid turmoil between the hostile nations of Keves and Agnus. Six characters hailing from those nations will take part in a grand tale with 'life' as its central theme."

Xenoblade Chronicles was first released in 2010 on Nintendo Wii, where it gained prominence as part of a fan campaign to get it localized in North America. Following a spinoff on the Wii U and a sequel on the Switch, Xenoblade Chronicles was remastered in HD in 2020, with its protagonist, Shulk, also appearing in Super Smash Bros.

Xenoblade Chronicles can trace its roots back to Xenogears, a trippy PlayStation RPG that won acclaim for its mindbending story and fantastic soundtrack. Xenogears was directed by Tetsuya Takahashi, who served as the scenario writer on both Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and 2.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is set to release in September 2022.

A sequel to Wii Sports was announced during today's Nintendo Direct in a surprising twist.

Nintendo Switch Sports will arrive on the Switch on April 29. The company confirmed that the following modes will be available: Tennis, Bowling, Chambara, Soccer, Badminton, and Volleyball. Nintendo also confirmed that it will add Golf into the game via a free update this fall.

Unlike previous installments in the series, including the HD remake, Wii Sports Club, the upcoming title will not include Miis in the game.

Ahead of the game's late April release, Nintendo announced that it will be hosting an online playtest for Nintendo Switch Sports beginning February 18 and will conclude on February 20. However, only players with an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription will access the playtest.

The announcement of Nintendo Switch Sports has been long-awaited for fans of Wii Sports, which was released as a launch title for the console back in 2006.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Live A Live is headed to North America for the first version. Not only that, it will be available in the HD-2D format made famous by Octopath Traveler.

First released on Super Nintendo back in 1994, Live a Live was an import-only RPG that garnered a passionate fanbase due to its unique gameplay and narrative mechanics. It was released during Square's heyday alongside classics like Final Fantasy 6 and Chrono Trigger.

In addition to a new translation, Live A Live is getting a big graphical upgrade in line with Octopath Traveler, which was praised for its unique visual style.

Live A Live is out on Nintendo Switch on July 22.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN