Square Enix confirmed in the wake of Gamescom that Final Fantasy 15 would be releasing “before 2017”, which essentially meant a release in 2016. More information was provided at this weekend’s PAX Prime and not only will the game be out in 2016 but Square Enix will announce a definitive release date in March next year.

As reported by IGN, the news was unveiled during a PAX Prime panel with the development team. A special event will take place in the spring which will contain the game’s launch date. Fans can also look forward to more information on characters like Regis and Luna at Tokyo Game Show 2015.

Considering that Final Fantasy 15 has been in development since 2006 when it was still known as Final Fantasy Versus 13, this is good news indeed. It will be worth waiting to see further improvements in the game, especially after Episode Duscae’s release earlier this year.

Final Fantasy 15 will release on Xbox One and PS4. What are your thoughts on the game receiving a definitive release date next year? Let us know in the comments below.

At PAX Prime, Square Enix will be holding a new panel dedicated to their upcoming Hitman game. The panel will feature IO Interactive’s art director Jonathan Rowe and lead writer Michael Vogt, who will discuss the design process behind the universe along with visual and narrative facets of the assassination title. And at the very end of the panel? They will debut gameplay footage from the Showstopper mission in the game.

Even if you can’t make it to PAX Prime (and I am going to hazard a guess here and say that most of you reading this cannot make it there), you can still catch all the updates and action. The session will be streamed live on the Hitman YouTube Channel and Twitch. The demo will be made available for viewing separately after the panel ends as well.

Hitman will be releasing for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on December 8. Stay tuned to GamingBolt.

PAX Prime is almost here, and to celebrate the expo, Microsoft is giving away special Xbox One controllers to its fans. During this week, Microsoft will be running a special contest, where fans attending PAX Prime 2015 can win one of seven special limited edition controllers modeled after some of the biggest upcoming games for the Xbox One, such as Halo 5: Guardians and Fallout 4.

To win one of these controllers, you need to be attending PAX Prime. All you have to do is follow the Xbox account on either Instagram or Twitter, and then post pictures of one of these controllers with the hashtag #xbox and #xboxsweepstakes. Retweeting pictures will also qualify you for entry.

It’s a bit contrived, but hey, look at those controllers- they look cool enough that I’d be willing to do it, if I were going to PAX Prime this year. Seriously, they look pretty awesome to me.

Capcom producer Yoshinori Ono is teasing some big news for Street Fighter 5 this coming weekend at PAX Prime and while Ono won’t be present in person, he does promise that the news will make people happy.

Posting on Twitter, Ono said that, “Unfortunately, I’ll be not able to visit to PAX prime in this weekend. However we’re making preparation new something announcement for SFV! I’m excited about it announcement!!”

He further added that, “At last I’ve got my wish!! I’m sure that it will make you happy.” Not much other information – including what time and which day the news would be coming but given the popularity of PAX Prime, it isn’t likely to be buried either.

PAX Prime takes place on August 28th to 31st and will also be host to, among other things, news from Square Enix regarding Final Fantasy 15. Stay tuned for more information on the event as the weekend approaches.

Following its presentation at Gamescom 2015, Square Enix said it would talk more about Final Fantasy 15 at PAX Prime. It’s now announced that the next Active Time Report will be held on August 29th, 4.30 PM PST at PAX Prime in the Grand Hyatt Seattle Hotel. Director Hajime Tabata will be present and this will mark his first North American ATB presentation.

Tabata already revealed shortly after Gamescom that Final Fantasy 15 would be releasing before 2017, which we pretty much took to mean a confirmed 2016 release date. At PAX Prime, Tabata will speak more about the Dawn trailer and provide a “few personal stories” about the game’s development. Will that include the game’s torturous trip through development limbo? One can only hope.

You can watch the ATB presentation through Twitch when it eventually airs. In the meantime, stay tuned for more details and information on Final Fantasy 15 in the coming weeks. Let us know in the comments what you’d like to hear most from Square Enix at PAX Prime.

There have been a lot of fears that From Software would try to dumb down the formula in Bloodborne, its upcoming title that continues in the tradition of the Souls games, to try and appeal to a larger audience (especially since now the game is an exclusive to the PlayStation 4); well, if these stats about the demo are any indication, then I think we can all safely put that fear to rest, as it appears this game will still be balls tough.

According to DualShockers, BloodBorne’s demo presented people with a very unique challenge- only 20 out of 3,500 people who tried it at PAX Prime could clear it, while only 40 people out of 1,250 who tried it at TGS could clear it.

That’s… well, that shows us two things. a) Any fears about this game being dumbed down are unfounded, and b) seriously, it looks like the Japanese, who have often been accused of going soft and casual in recent years, can still kick our asses when it comes down to it.

Saints Row developer Volition will be at PAX Prime today where it will be holding a panel. More importantly, it will be showing off its new project. While we assumed it would be the next Saints Row, there was no real confirmation till now.

Deep Silver recently posted an image on Twitter with an Ouija board with the Third Street Saints symbol and the numbers “666” inscribed on it. The tweet reads, “Something wicked this way comes…”

What could it possibly be? The Saints have thus far fought through various gangs, high-tech armies, zombies, aliens and virtual realities, ultimately teaming up with the likes of Burt Reynolds, Roddy Piper, Keith David and so many more. Could ghosts and possession be the next route? It would certainly solve the problem of how much more bizarre the series can become.

Stay tuned for more information on the next Saints Row if/when it’s revealed at PAX Prime.

It was believed that a follow-up to the Saints Row series would be announced at E3 2014 but once Volition’s absence from Deep Silver’s portfolio was confirmed, we abandoned all hope. However, Volition has been busy and will reportedly be showing off its next game on August 29th during its “Quiz Show Hour with Volition – Project Reveal & Prizes” presentation. The panel will be helmed by Deep Silver brand director Aubrey Norris, Volition creative director Steve Jaros and producer Jim Boone.

The official description on the official PAX Prime site states that, “At the end of the panel, we’ll show you exclusive gameplay, art, and details for an upcoming project from Volition.”

Volition’s last big game was Saints Row IV, which released in 2013 for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. It was an amazing open world romp that simply went balls to the wall with its action and story, arguably becoming one of the top tier picks of last year. Will Saints Row V be revealed this Friday? One can certainly hope so stay tuned for more information.

The next convention where we get to see and play upcoming games in action will be PAX Prime (short for the Penny Arcade Expo Prime, which will be hosted in Seattle this weekend. Microsoft has announced the full lineup of games that it will be bringing with it to Seattle, and it includes a whole lot of unreleased games that players can play.

The full lineup includes Forza Horizon 2, Sunset Overdrive, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Ori and the Blind Forest, Project Spark, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Killer Instinct, in addition to a whole host of ID@Xbox games. Microsoft will also be bringing the (very disappointing) Age of Empires: Castle Siege with it to the convention.

In addition, Microsoft will also be having two panels at PAX- “Halo and the Journey of Master Chief,” which will be held Saturday, August 30, at 11 AM PDT in the Main Theatre, and “Major Nelson Radio at PAX Prime.” The first of these will be broadcast live on Twitch, but you can always just tune in to GamingBolt for all the latest coverage anyway.

As if Microsoft offering unreleased Xbox One games on the showfloor at PAX Prime wasn’t reason enough, they are also offering another compelling reason to engage with them at the upcoming convention- they will be offering, you see, custom Xbox One consoles themed for The Evil Within, the upcoming survival game from Shinji Mikami and Bethesda, to a ‘lucky few’ at the convention. Or well, Bethesda will be, in any case.

Attendees who attend Bethesda’s event at PAX Prime will be entered to win one of these three custom, rather sexy looking, Xbox One consoles (pictured above). If you want to win this, then, you have to attend the event, which in itself is going to be open only on a first come, first serve basis, and only to those who are eighteen years of age, or older.

The Evil Within launches later this year on Xbox 360, Xox One, PS3, PS4, and PC. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage and information, as well as all the latest and greatest from PAX.