It's New Year's Eve Eve at TheGamer office, and if I'm being completely honest, things are pretty quiet around here. Luckily, If you're looking for the top news stories of the day, we've got some great ones. Christmas isn't over yet thanks to a bundle of free Tomb Raider games on the Epic Game Store, and Nintendo reveals the most popular indie games of the year. We've also got an update on Quantic Dream's Star Wars game, Eclipse, and a new teaser for Minecraft's Caves & Cliffs update. Finally, we've learned that Valorant's director has left the game to start a new project. Here are all the biggest gaming news stories from Thursday, December 30, 2021.
Tomb Raider Reboot, Rise, And Shadow Are Free On Epic Games Store
Epic has been giving away some fantastic games over the holidays, including Loop Hero, Control, and Salt and Sanctuary. Today, anyone with an EGS account can grab Tomb Raider: Game of the Year Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider for free. The giveaway only runs until January 6 at 11 AM PT, so make sure you grab these games as soon as you can.
Nintendo Reveals 2021's Top 10 Best-Selling Indie Games On Switch
Nintendo shared a video on its official YouTube page that reveals the ten best-selling indie games on the Switch in 2021. Among them is the side-scrolling action game Cyber Shadow, cleaning simulator Unpacking, roguelike Spelunky 2, and horror visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! The video shows a short montage of all the games, so if you're looking for something new to play over the holiday break, definitely check out the list.
Star Wars Eclipse Might Not Launch Until 2027 According To Insider
Industry insider Tom Henderson believes that Quantic Dream's recently announced game Star Wars Eclipse may not arrive until 2027. According to Henderson, the studio known for its toxic culture and inflammatory CEO may be having trouble recruiting developers for the upcoming game. The trailer, which premiered during The Game Awards 2021, was visually stunning but bereft of any actual gameplay. If Henderson is right, we'll have to wait a long time before we learn more about Star Wars Eclipse.
Learn All About Biospeleology And Lush Caves In This Minecraft Teaser
Biospeleology is the study of cave ecology, and with Minecraft's new Caves & Cliffs update teaser, you can more about the flora and fauna of Lush and Drip Rock Caves. The blogpost on Mojang's official site shows off some of the new things you can find in the update and offers some education on life as a troglodyte, aka a cave dweller.
Valorant Game Director Joe Ziegler Leaves For New Project
Finally, we've just learned that Valorant game director Joe Ziegler has moved to a new, unannounced project at Riot Games. In a statement posted to Valorant's website, Ziegler said, "After 8 years of working on VALORANT, building it from the ground up with a team of dedicated and passionate developers who’ve worked tirelessly to serve you all with the respect and admiration that you deserve, I am giving up the mantle of game director of the Valorant tac-shooter to my good friend, Andy Ho." There's no information yet about what project Ziegler is moving to, though we know of at least three Riot games that have already been announced, including a fighting game, an MMO, and an action RPG.
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