Tetris Effect: Connected Launching on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and Windows 10 (PC) at Series X Launch, Cross-Play With All-New Online Multiplayer Expansion

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – July 23, 2020 – Enhance and The Tetris Company, Inc. announced today that Tetris^® Effect: Connected, the ultimate incarnation of the award-winning puzzle game Tetris^® Effect, will be available exclusively for the Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and Windows 10 PC (Microsoft Store), as well as the Xbox Game Pass and Smart Delivery programs, when it launches alongside Xbox Series X this holiday.

Tetris Effect: Connected adds an all-new robust multiplayer expansion to the huge variety of addictive and innovative single-player modes that Tetris Effect is known for, and is optimized native 4K / 60 fps visuals (Xbox Series X and PC versions).

Later in Summer 2021, the multiplayer expansion will be made available as a free update to all other existing versions of Tetris Effect (PS4, Epic Games Store, Oculus Quest).

Wherever they choose to play—on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, or Windows 10 PC—Xbox gamers can connect and play with or against each other in all-new modes like “Zone Battle,” which shakes up traditional 1-on-1 Tetris gameplay via the time-stopping Zone mechanic made famous in Tetris Effect, or the innovative co-op of “Connected” mode, where up to three players can literally connect their Tetris playfields together and play as one, as they work together to take down a series of increasingly-challenging CPU-controlled bosses.

“We were blown away by the reaction to the original Tetris Effect,” says Producer and Enhance Founder Tetsuya Mizuguchi. “People just ‘got it’ on every level—as a game, of course, but also as this positive, emotional, life-affirming experience. Some people were shocked they could be so moved, even to tears, by a ‘puzzle game,’ which we took as the ultimate compliment.”

“But we also kept hearing that players wanted to share that experience with others. We want that, too—and especially as the world continues to adapt to unprecedented forms of isolation, it felt like a worthy challenge. Tetris Effect: Connected is our attempt to do just that: connect all different types of people, in cooperation or competition, via our universal love of Tetris.”

The new multiplayer expansion joins the 10-plus single-player modes already included in the original Tetris Effect. This is Tetris like you’ve never seen it, or heard it, or felt it before—an incredibly addictive, unique, and breathtakingly gorgeous reinvention of one of the most popular puzzle games of all time, from the people who brought you the award-winning Rez Infinite and legendary puzzle game Lumines. Music, backgrounds, sounds, special effects—everything, down to the Tetriminos themselves, pulse, dance, shimmer, and explode in perfect sync with how you’re playing, making all of the game’s 30+ stages something you’ll want to experience over and over again.

Development is being handled by the same team of Monstars Inc. and Resonair as the original Tetris Effect, with additional coding and networking help from Tokyo-based Stage Games.

KEY FEATURES:

• Online or Local co-op and competitive play for 1-3 players (1-2 competitive, 1-3 co-op, with CPU players available)
• Ranked and unranked play, matchmaking, and player progression for unlockable avatars
• Cross-play between all Xbox Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows 10 (PC)
• The entire Tetris^® Effect single-player game also included
• Smart Delivery means Xbox One owners can upgrade to Xbox Series X any time for free
• Available for sale or via Xbox Game Pass at launch

ABOUT TETRIS^® EFFECT
Previously released on PlayStation®4, PC (Epic Games Store) and Oculus Quest, the original Tetris^® Effect was hailed as a breakthrough title by fans and critics alike, earning an 89 Metacritic score and 60+ awards and nominations from major outlets, including overall “2018 Game of the Year” honors from Giant Bomb and Eurogamer, and various “Best of 2018” awards from The New Yorker, Polygon, The Washington Post, IGN, GameSpot, The Verge, PlayStation Blog, and many more.

A challenge for the mind and a feast for all the senses, Tetris Effect is the perfect excuse to play Tetris again… and again…and again, and again, and again and again and again and again and again and again and…

About Enhance
Established in 2014, Enhance Experience Inc. is a boutique studio and publisher led by game creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi, whose game credits include Sega Rally Championship, Space Channel 5, Rez, Lumines and Child of Eden amongst others, all critically acclaimed titles that brought highly unique play experiences. The team is dedicated to creating emotional and synesthetic entertainment experiences through the power of games, VR, AR, MR and mobile technology.

About Monstars Inc.
Yokohama-based game developer Monstars was co-founded by Osamu Kodera and Sawako Yamamoto in 2011 and is comprised of a talent pool of highly creative and experienced designers, programmers, artists, musicians and producers. Collectively, the team has worked with nearly every game hardware released in the last two decades, with credits including Rez, Lumines, Every Extend Extra and Child of Eden as well as mobile titles released domestically in Japan.

About Stage Games Inc.
Stage Games Inc. is a cross-cultural, independent game developer based in Tokyo, Japan. The studio was formed in 2018 by industry veterans from around the world with a shared passion for creating games. The multi-lingual team works with major publishers and developers in Japan and internationally for development across all major platforms.

About the Tetris^® Brand
The Tetris^® brand is one of the leading and most distinctive video game brands and franchises in the world. Now after more than 35 years, the brand continues to be loved globally by people of all ages and all cultures. Billions of Tetris games are played online every year, and over 500 million Tetris mobile games have been downloaded to date. The Tetris brand’s global licensee network includes major video game publishers, including Ubisoft and Sega, as well as many partners in electronics, toys, apparel, lifestyle goods, entertainment and more. Tetris Holding, LLC, is the owner of Tetris rights worldwide, and The Tetris Company, Inc. is its exclusive licensee. For the latest information about the Tetris brand and Tetris products, please visit www.tetris.com.

Become a fan of Tetris on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Tetris) and follow Tetris on Twitter (@Tetris_Official) and Instagram (@Tetris_Official).

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