Honor of Kings reveals SEA Championship plans for December
Honor of Kings has announced a Southeast Asia Championship for December, which will help expand the sport from grassroots to the professional level. The SEA Championship will feature top regional teams and will conclude with an Invitational Championship in October following 14 Open Series Split 2 qualifiers across various regions from July to September. The investment is part of Honor of Kings’ $15 million strategy to strengthen its global presence, building on its international launch on June 20 after previously being exclusive to China.
Sony Music, Aniplex, and PocketPlayer joined forces to form Palworld Entertainment to promote the game
Sony Music Entertainment, Aniplex and Palworld developer PocketPlayer, Palworld Entertainment have struck a deal to expand the game’s global reach. Announced on social media, the collaboration aims to amplify the IP through licensing and merchandise on Aniplex’s stores, according to Siliconera. Released earlier this year, Palworld sold six million copies in four days and became the biggest third-party Xbox Game Pass launch, reaching 25 million players by February.
Lakshya Digital celebrates 20th anniversary with major gaming achievements
Indian game art and animation studio Lakshya Digital is celebrating its 20th anniversary with several notable achievements. In recent months, the company has collaborated with industry giants such as Square Enix, Pocket Pairs, FromSoftware and Cygames. According to a release, Lakshya contributed to highly acclaimed titles including Granblue Fantasy: Relink, Palworld, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Elden Ring: Shadows of the Aardtree. The studio’s work on these projects included 3D assets, character designs and environmental elements, significantly enriching the immersive worlds of the games.
Apex Legends faces criticism over new battle pass scheme
Respawn Entertainment’s recent changes to Apex Legends’ Battle Pass system have drawn a lot of criticism, leading to a flood of negative reviews on Steam. The developer announced a change from one long Battle Pass to two shorter 60-tier passes per season, promising the same number of Legendary skins but with less filler. However, the removal of the ability to save earned Apex Coins for a future premium tier, which now requires a direct payment of $9.99 USD, has angered players. The change has led to over 1,300 negative reviews, leaving the game’s recent review score at “mixed.” Players have also expressed ongoing frustration with cheaters, bugs, and server issues. Despite the uproar, Apex Legends remains one of Steam’s most popular games, with over 230,000 concurrent players today.
