And just like that!
Every Sunday became Zoey Parker's "date battle day"!
They never said it out loud, but Zoey and Gus Harper both knew the deal.
Every Saturday, Zoey would brainstorm dinner plans first thing in the morning.
Once they locked in the menu, Gus would either grind away at work from home or hit the books to level up his skills.
Zoey, meanwhile, would team up with Chloe Quinn or Jade Sierra to hit the shops, grabbing groceries or just browsing.
Afternoon? Zoey might fire up a game, mess around with her new mini oven for some baking experiments, or binge a TV series.
Sometimes, she'd plop down in Gus's study, watching him work and tossing out game dev questions here and there.
Then!
Five o'clock sharp!
Their alarms would blare in sync!
Gus would drop everything, step out of the study, and start whipping up a killer dinner.
Zoey would jump in to help, learning the ropes.
Dinner was usually just the two of them, but sometimes Luke Bennett, Jake Rivers, Chloe, Jade, or even Jonah York and his wife would swing by.
Yup.
No point hiding it—they were living together. To them, it was just "roommates doin' their thing," nothing to sweat about.
The whole WindyPeak Games crew pretty much knew Zoey and Gus were shacking up.
After Saturday dinner, Zoey would drag Gus into planning Sunday's adventure.
Amusement parks, cozy farm getaways, hiking trails, beach vibes… or just chilling in a local park, sipping coffee and shooting the breeze.
Zoey never got bored of it.
Gus? He was living for it.
He'd even say life didn't feel real until he started sharing a place with Zoey.
Someone to ride to work with, eat with, laugh with, game with.
That cold, empty "house" finally felt like a home.
Suddenly, the world outside wasn't just noise—it was worth exploring, all because of her.
"Date battles" were in full swing!
Meanwhile, the APEX project was charging ahead!
Fueled by Titanfall's unstoppable hype!
As soon as the APEX project dropped, it was like a magnet for media attention.
Players were buzzing, hyped out of their minds.
News outlets couldn't stop talking.
"Word's out: WindyPeak Games' next project is a Titanfall spin-off, APEX Legends."
The sequel's locked in as multiplayer-only, a companion to Titanfall. Total budget's around $8 million.
"Sources say the project's over halfway done, moving steady."
"This is WindyPeak's first multiplayer game since their escort shooter masterpiece. Can't wait to see what they cook up."
"We still don't know how APEX's multiplayer will play out, but insider scoops say it's free-to-play, invite-only."
"Free games are a tough nut to crack for monetization, but WindyPeak's got a new angle."
"'Green In-App Purchase' mode! Interviews confirm APEX's monetization will prioritize player vibes and keep the game fair as hell."
APEX development was full steam ahead, but the FPS market? Kinda in a deep freeze.
Stats show FPS game projects dropped 60% year-over-year since APEX was announced.
"Is FPS dead? Nah! My take: other studios are just dodging the spotlight!"
"Insane! When the king of next-gen FPS speaks, the whole U.S. shooter scene goes quiet!"
"Rumor has it Nebula Games pushed back their new shooter due to 'unavoidable delays.'"
'Dodge, duck, dip! Two weeks till APEX drops! Ten shooters already delayed, eight rushed out early!'
'One week left! Who's got their invite? Let's talk!'
'Five days!'
'Three days!'
'Two days!'
"Trailer's coming! Just now! WindyPeak, Chief Game Director Gus Harper, IndieVibe X2, and the IndieVibe platform dropped the bomb: tonight at 8 PM, APEX Legends's first—and only—trailer hits!"
The news lit a fire!
Players lost it!
'HELL YEAH—FINALLY!'
"WindyPeak's playing it close this time! Game drops tomorrow, and the trailer's just now?"
"Typical Gus move. They don't even need a trailer to hype this!"
'Feed me…'
"Just a sneak peek to tide us over."
"Wild! Dropping a trailer this late?"
"Maybe they planned a normal rollout, but with this hype, who needs it?"
"Haha, no competition, right?"
'The FPS scene's shook! Delay or rush—nobody's messin' with APEX!'
"When I speak, who dares to buzz?"
Competitors: This is too much. I'm sittin' this one out.
"Nebula Games: 'Yo, this guy's too much! Who's gonna step up?'"
"That 'unavoidable delay' is comedy gold."
'Unavoidable delay = APEX drop.'
'Just say you can't hang (lol).'
"No trailer needed, huh?"
'Gus: "I made it already, might as well drop it."'
'I'm here for it (lmao).'
'No one's skipping this!'
'…'
Hype was through the roof!
Eight o'clock, prime time.
On Twitch, in ShuBro's streaming room—
"Here we go, fam!"
ShuBro, half-crouched on her gaming chair, checked the clock:
"Almost time. Let's refresh."
Her stream was pulling 8 million viewers!
Chat was flying, begging her to play the trailer already.
Real talk: at this point, her stream had no real content—no games, no events.
Normally, 5 or 6 million viewers would be a stretch.
But APEX's hype? It pushed ShuBro's stream to 8 mil with just "Yo, trailer time."
That's how wild APEX's pull was, no rival in sight.
'Hurry up, let's go!'
"Gimme that gameplay reveal!"
'I'm dyin' here!'
"Woo, let's go! Just binged Titanfall yesterday, trailer today, APEX tomorrow—seamless!"
'Snagged an IndieVibe X2 recently.'
"X2's legit. That somatosensory tech is fire, and more studios are licensing it."
"Word is, it's outselling Nebula's gear."
"Big comeback!"
"IndieVibe was stuck in Nebula's shadow for years with the last-gen cabins."
"Thanks to Titanfall, IndieVibe's gotta call WindyPeak 'daddy' now."
'Bet. Those numbers are wild.'
"One game flipped the cabin market. Insane."
"Yo, it's here! IndieVibe's treating WindyPeak like the boss—"
Chat was roasting hard.
On IndieVibe's official site, a slick page popped up—
[Official Titanfall Spin-Off Sequel]
[New Shooter Vibes, Fast-Paced Chaos]
[APEX Legends]
[Drops Tomorrow]
[Peep the Trailer—]
"Damn, this is so extra!" ShuBro laughed.
"Straight-up IndieVibe vibes!"
Real talk: most game companies' trailer pages have this flashy-but-cheesy look.
No big deal.
But WindyPeak? They're the supernova trendsetters, always pushing the edge.
Seeing their work wrapped in IndieVibe's over-the-top design was kinda hilarious.
After clowning on IndieVibe's style, ShuBro clicked the trailer.
"Alright, squad, let's dive in!"
Full-screen mode, takeaway in hand, ShuBro hit play, chowing down as the chat watched, hyped.
…
Smooth blues music kicked in.
The screen lit up with a bold WG logo.
[WindyPeak Games]
IndieVibe's platform logo flashed next.
[IndieVibe X2] [IndieVibe Platform]
Then, a solo title for the mastermind—
Director: Gus Harper
Chat took a collective deep breath.
The dark screen faded in.
Neon lights and smoky haze filled a bustling bar.
Patrons laughed, clinked glasses, stumbled drunk.
All kinds—tall, short, big, small—milled around.
At the bar, a robot bartender poured a frothy beer for a customer on a stool.
Gray-haired, rugged but ripped, the guy wore a red tank top, a tight vest, and a leather belt.
From behind, he looked familiar, but his face stayed hidden.
Clink.
A glass hit the bar, and a newspaper with the APEX logo slid into view.
Headlines crowded the page like a newsstand tabloid.
Center stage: a photo of three figures—"New Defenders Rise."
SHINK!
The old man downed his beer, yanked a dagger from his belt, and stabbed it into the paper!
WHOOSH!
The camera dove underwater, following a fish, then burst into a vast canyon!
A gritty, steady voice narrated:
I've roamed half my life. Seen rebirth in chaos, ruin in collapse.
[But time can't kill the hunger for cash or the itch for truth.]
[This ancient, brutal bloodsport…]
[It's still got juice.]
Chat lost it!
"Holy—!"
"I know that silhouette!"
'Gus is playin' us again.'
"My scalp's tingling, y'all."
"Is that—?"
Chat cut off!
BANG!
The music turned sharp, pulsing!
A cabin door got kicked in, and three legends stormed in, weapons hot!
Leading the pack: a girl in a sleek combat suit, pretty but with eerie white eyes.
Left flank: a modded Marvin robot, looking like a straight-up war machine.
Right flank: a curly-haired dude with goggles and a tactical fit.
He was hamming it up, dropping dramatic lines:
"Some fight for cash, others for truth."
"But we all rise from the ashes in this epic arena—!!!"
"Zip it, Mirage," the white-eyed girl snapped.
"You're messin' with my focus."
She glanced at the robot, now aiming a sniper rifle out the window.
"Pathfinder, we clear?"
A warrior in a crow-like plague doctor mask popped into the robot's crosshairs.
BANG!
Blood sprayed from the mask.
Pathfinder gave a thumbs-up: "Clear now!"
HISS!
A capsule in the room's center popped open, golden light spilling out, lighting up the curly-haired guy—Mirage.
"Jackpot, team! I'm callin' dibs!"
He reached for the loot.
BAM!
The girl swatted his hand. "You're rude as hell. Be that rude when you're gassin' someone up…"
Flashback—ten minutes ago.
"Death's comin', it's callin'…"
Toxic smoke choked the air as Mirage hit the dirt.
A hulking figure in a gas mask, toting a canister, closed in.
BANG! BANG!
The white-eyed girl flashed from behind a tree, popping two shots at the gas-masked brute.
He flinched, grabbing his flamethrower and firing back.
RAT-A-TAT!
Bullets flew, but the girl didn't sweat, dodging and clenching her fist!
ZOOM!
She vanished, reappearing behind the brute like a ghost!
SHINK!
Her kunai sank into his neck!
A blue void portal opened behind her.
"Say hi to Death for me…"
She grabbed his collar and yanked.
WHOOSH!
With a scream, the gas-masked goon got yeeted into the void, gone for good!
Chat exploded—!!!