Gaming News Wrap [22 Jan 2016]

Wash away you work week wariness with the Friday edition of the Gaming News Wrap.

Games

• You get to pre-load The Division beta 48 hours before launch
• Select Dying Light community maps to be made available on consoles
• Uncharted 4 release date, launch details and special editions – everything you need to know
• Overwatch closed beta delayed until February
• [Destiny] Bungie Weekly Update – 01/21/2016
• Upcoming Star Wars Battlefront free DLC includes new map, outfits, private matches, more
• Star Wars Battlefront 3 footage emerges from apparent leak
• Street Fighter 5 beta update reveals multiple alternate costumes
• Rock Band 4 patch delayed
• The entirety of GTA 5 map is being remade in Minecraft
• Blizzard reveals new Wizard and Necromancer characters for Heroes of the Storm
• Long War team are making mods for XCOM 2
• Splatoon‘s final new map rolls out tomorrow

Sales & Discounts

• The Witcher 2 is currently free for Xbox owners

Consoles & Hardware

• Xbox One backward compatibility: every major game tested
• The Witcher 2 headlines Xbox One January back-compatibility games [Along with Counter-Strike: GO, Skullgirls and Soulcalibur]

Industry

• Black Ops 3, Minecraft and Destiny ruled the PlayStation Store in 2015
• Warner accused of abandoning Mortal Kombat X PC players
• 505 Games switches focus to developing its own IP
• Unravel trademark application refused by United States Patent Office

eSports

• Esports viewership is up 100% in the U.S. over the past two years

Videos

• You’ll finally be able to join the Thieves Guild in The Elder Scrolls Online

• [Star Citizen] Squadron 42: Behind the Scenes – Gillian Anderson

• Republique arrives on PS4 this March in North America, Europe this spring

• [eSports WRC] – Tournament Presentation

• The Escapists The Walking Dead breaks out on PS4 next month