Hello, PlayStation Faithful! My name is Brandon Ulm, Lead Designer at Pipeworks Studio — and I’m proud to announce on behalf of 505 Games and Pipeworks that our underground poker game Prominence Poker has finished development and hits PS4 on August 23! The game is a free-to-play, multiplayer Poker RPG where players experience the thrills of high stakes poker by participating in a variety of seedy, backroom games.

Prominence Poker is set in the city of Prominence, a gambling utopia founded by crooked goons. As players begin their journey for fame and fortune — armed with only their poker faces — they will encounter four cunning factions, starting with the Hearts and Club affiliations at launch. To grow as poker players and to overcome each faction, they must successfully read their opponents in order to take the faction leader down. After building their reputation and bankroll, worthy players will be challenged to an epic showdown with “The Mayor” — Prominence’s mysterious founder.

Before players set foot in Prominence they need to create their own custom character. That’s right, Prominence Poker features an extensive 3D character creation system so that players can create their poker alter-ego with infinite combinations of facial features, hairstyles, and clothing options! With an increased bankroll, players can also purchase other accessories and customization options.

Prominence Poker also delivers authentic poker gameplay that is easy to pick up and difficult to master. While Pipeworks has a pedigree of creating poker games, with the help of four-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet holder Max Pescatori, Prominence Poker further delivers the most authentic poker experience to its players.

Max helped us refine the game by providing guidance on the AI to better represent the play styles and patterns for various types of poker players. Additionally, he helped improve the game’s pacing by changing it from being a nine-seated Texas Hold ’em poker to six so players don’t have to wait as long to play their turn. One other huge feature we developed from the ground up is the Bluff and Tell system that savvy players can use to read their opponents to determine their hand strength and plan their next move… very sneaky!

We’re huge fans of movies that include Casino, Rounders, and the Ocean’s (Eleven and beyond) series, so you’ll notice some of the edginess and richness in the various locations drawn from these films. We’re also fanatical about Snatch, which you’ll see reflected in the design of our bosses. One other interesting tidbit is the look and feel of the Renegade Biker Bar, for which we pulled inspiration from a couple of the local watering holes in Eugene, Oregon.

We continue to be inspired by our personal experiences and what’s around us that would make for cool additions to the game. Stay tuned for new content with future updates.

Prominence Poker will be available for download as a free-to-play game on PS4 August 23. We look forward to seeing everyone in the city of Prominence with their custom poker faces!