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Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island and Emerald Rush Review

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:23:59 -0000

Donkey Kong Bananza’s DLC is an enjoyable but inessential expansion to DK and Pauline’s grand adventure.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/fykvooc7rwic6aduluhkbvu45bkoijggweu293c26y4-1758131478860.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>I’ve put over 100 hours into Donkey Kong Bananza since July. I reached 100% completion on my first playthrough, did a zero-banana run on my second, and I’ve been using a third to practice crazy speedrun techniques and push DK’s incredible movement in more extreme ways. Two months after <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/donkey-kong-bananza-review">giving Bananza a 10 in my original review</a>, I remain in awe of how DK’s frenetic, destructive abilities work masterfully in tandem with the underground’s meticulously-designed breakable environments. Nintendo nailed the relationship between Bananza’s world and its main character, and the new DK Island and Emerald Rush DLC is a really fun excuse to keep experimenting in this playground in a remixed, more frantic way, even if a slight lack of content and a few minor issues keep it from reaching the same inspired heights as the base game.</p><p>Before we get too far into things, a quick note. Bananza’s DLC is only accessible after clearing the main story, and it acts as somewhat of an extended postgame. I’m not going to outright spoil Bananza here, but if you’re still drilling your way to the planet core and don’t want to know anything about it, you may want to come back to this review once you’ve reached the end credits. That said, you should also do so <em>before </em>you dive too far past them, because the DLC makes some helpful changes to the original endgame grind that you may want to know about. There are two intertwined halves of the DLC to discuss: DK Island is a new level to explore, while Emerald Rush is a roguelite take on Bananza that makes up the majority of the content found in this combined package.</p><aside><p><h2><u>What I said about Donkey Kong Bananza</u></h2><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="donkey-kong-bananza-video-review" data-loop=""></section><p>The leader of the bunch is finally back to kick some tail in Donkey Kong Bananza, a brilliant successor to Super Mario Odyssey and a smashing return for a classic Nintendo character. It was a bold choice to build the Switch 2’s first 3D platformer around Donkey Kong instead of Mario, but it’s proven to be the best decision Nintendo could’ve made. DK’s satisfying, expressive movement and powerful, dynamic abilities create a truly groundbreaking adventure. The ambitious, destructible layers of this underground world are densely packed with satisfying collectibles, abundant charm, and clever challenges that never seem to run out of smart ideas, even long after the credits have rolled. Bananza is a constant crescendo across its 20-hour campaign and beyond, with puzzle-platforming concepts that only grow richer as DK and Pauline dive deeper toward the Planet Core. Every element comes together in complete harmony to create Nintendo’s first Switch 2 masterpiece. - <em>Logan Plant, July 16, 2025</em></p><h2>Score: 10</h2><p>Read the full <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/donkey-kong-bananza-review">Donkey Kong Bananza review</a>.</p></p></aside><p>DK Island is a wonderful love letter to Rare’s Donkey Kong Country trilogy and <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/11/25/donkey-kong-64">Donkey Kong 64</a>. It’s a nostalgic return to where DK platformers really began, comparable to exploring <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/1996/09/26/super-mario-64">Super Mario 64</a>’s Mushroom Kingdom in <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/10/26/super-mario-odyssey-review">Super Mario Odyssey</a>’s postgame. It’s overflowing with great references, from obvious ones like DK’s treehouse and King K. Rool’s Gangplank Galleon from <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/02/20/donkey-kong-country-review">Donkey Kong Country</a>, to deeper cuts like <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/05/29/donkey-kong-country-2-review">DKC 2</a>’s goal target tucked away in the corner on the ship’s main deck. As a huge fan of <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/12/donkey-kong-jungle-beat">Donkey Kong Jungle Beat</a> – the last DK platformer Nintendo developed internally prior to Bananza – my favorite part of DK Island has to be the bongos out at sea. There are so many more references to DK history I don’t want to give away, but if you have any love for this series, you’ll probably get a kick out of discovering all its easter eggs too.</p><p>Beyond that, though, there’s actually not that much to do on DK Island. There are no Banandium Gems or fossils to hunt down and no challenge rooms to conquer. Instead, the gold bonus stages found in Bananza’s main layers are all collected here, making DK Island a convenient place to grind for cash. Bananza’s original postgame sees Grumpy Kong demanding tens of thousands of gold pieces to unlock some of the final collectibles and reach 100% completion, and those who have access to DK Island will have a much easier time grinding than I did before the DLC was out. Elsewhere, DK’s old parrot companion Squawks is here, and he will hunt down one of DK Island’s dozens of collectible statues in exchange for Banandium Chips. Shiny replicas of Bananza’s allies, enemies, and Kongs live in galleries across DK Island, adding to its value as a nostalgic DK history museum. In classic Bananza fashion, you can pick them up, turf surf on them, and use them to carve through the island’s central mountain. You’ll need to grind thousands of Banandium Chips to buy them all, but thankfully, those are the main reward of the Emerald Rush mode. </p><section data-transform="quoteBox">DK Island is a rush of nostalgia, but there's actually not that much to do.</section><p>Besides DK Island’s role as a rush of 90s nostalgia and a place to store cool trinkets, there’s not much to it, and I wouldn’t recommend buying the DLC if you’re only interested in this component. It’s a little<em> </em>odd that DK Island wasn’t included as a postgame reward in the base game since it’s so comparable to Odyssey’s Mushroom Kingdom, and gating it behind paid DLC feels kind of like a money-hungry move from Nintendo. This is the company that just charged $10 for <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-switch-2-welcome-tour-review">Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour</a>, though, so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised at this somewhat eyeroll-worthy choice.</p><p>Fortunately, Bananza’s DLC does a much better job justifying its $20 price tag in its Emerald Rush mode. Void Kong has found his way to DK Island, and he’s moved on from his obsession with Banandium Gold to set his sights on a new prize: emerald ore… which is the exact same, but green. Void hires DK and Pauline to collect as much emerald ore as possible, and this introduction includes some cute followups and resolutions for Bananza’s main story and characters.</p><p>I’ve seen some online chatter calling Emerald Rush a simple minigame that should have been free, but it’s much more than that: it’s a fully-featured side mode that turns Bananza’s destruction-based platforming into a fun, replayable roguelite. Each run takes place across a series of rounds – ranging from six to 15 depending on the difficulty level selected – where you have 100 seconds to reach a quota of emerald ore to pay Void. If you don’t reach the goal, your run comes to an end right there. If you do, you can keep working on your build for the rest of the timer to stock up for the next round, where the quota progressively multiples. </p><section data-transform="slideshow" data-slug="donkey-kong-bananza-dk-island-and-emerald-rush-dlc-screenshots" data-value="donkey-kong-bananza-dk-island-and-emerald-rush-dlc-screenshots" data-type="slug" data-caption=""></section><p>Emerald Rush feels like a combination of <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/splatoon-3-multiplayer-review">Splatoon</a>’s Salmon Run and Side Order modes. Personality-wise, it clearly takes inspiration from Salmon Run: both feature a hilariously mean boss screaming at you to meet your quota through a walkie talkie over increasingly difficult rounds. This is also Nintendo’s first take on a roguelite since last year’s excellent <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/splatoon-3-side-order-dlc-review">Side Order DLC for Splatoon 3</a> which, notably, also came bundled with a nostalgic hub to explore. It feels like Donkey Kong is following the exact same playbook, as Emerald Rush features dozens of perks that impact your score multiplier in a very similar fashion. </p><p>Each run of Emerald Rush begins by stripping DK of all his skills – including his five Bananza transformations at higher difficulties – and it’s up to you to power him back up while also gathering piles of emerald ore. This is done by frantically exploring layers, fast traveling around with a limited number of barrel cannons, collecting emerald bananas and fossils that restore DK’s skills and give you the choice of one of three perks, and completing goals Void Kong assigns you at specific locations across the map. I love starting from nothing, giving me a place to put all of DK’s high-level base techniques to use, and I found I was able to reach a lot of areas in really cool, satisfying ways – for example, using a chunk to essentially quadruple jump to a platform I traditionally would have used Ostrich Bananza to reach. Emerald Rush challenges advanced players to go for the highest score possible, and there’s always room to grow by deepening your understanding of how DK moves.</p><section data-transform="quoteBox">Emerald Rush turns Bananza’s destruction-based platforming into a frantic, replayable roguelite.</section><p>But even if you’re not interested in crazy parkour tricks, the most important part of Emerald Rush are the perks that alter how much emerald ore appears. There are generic power-ups like generating more when defeating a certain type of enemy, but the most exciting ways to score are the Groove subset of perks, which revolve around multipliers that increase the more you perform a specific action. For instance, my favorite is Turf Groove, where more emerald ore appears based on the total distance traveled by Turf Surfing. The second this perk shows up, my whole playstyle changes. Suddenly, I’m trying to get everywhere by Turf Surfing, which is a big challenge on denser layers. Emerald Rush leads to scenarios you’d never see in the base game, and with such an incredible foundation to build a roguelite on, it’s always fun seeing how you can push the mechanics.</p><p>Stacking multiple perks like this on top of each other can lead to completely busted results, and I scored well over one million points on a few runs where my target goal was less than half that. If you thought the base game had a lot happening on-screen at once, Emerald Rush achieves a new level of unregulated chaos, like one run where I got tons of bonus emerald ore for defeating enemies as Zebra Bananza, leading to 30 minutes of sprinting around nonstop, destroying everything in sight to flood the screen with an overwhelming, borderline unbelievable amount of emerald ore. </p><aside><h3>How to Unlock the Donkey Kong Bananza DLC: DK Island and Emerald Rush</h3><p>To access this new Bananza DLC content, you’ll need to both purchase the DLC and beat Donkey Kong Bananza’s final boss, then talk to one of the elders where they reside in the Layers you’ve completed – no need to play their tough post-game Encore challenges, though. From that point you can freely access the DK Island and Emerald Rush. However, you can preview the DK Island DLC early by going to the Race Layer and talking to Squawks the parrot, who will newly appear there after purchasing the DLC -- Squawks can send you to the DK Island but it will not be unlocked on your layer map/fast travel until you beat the game. Full article: <a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/donkey-kong-bananza/How_to_Unlock_DK_Island_and_Emerald_Rush_DLC">How to Unlock the DK Bananza DLC</a>. Still making your way through DK Bananza? We’ve got you covered with our full <a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/donkey-kong-bananza/Walkthrough"><u>walkthrough</u></a>, <a href="https://www.ign.com/maps/donkey-kong-bananza/lagoon"><u>interactive map</u></a>, and <a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/donkey-kong-bananza/Bananza_Elder_Locations"><u>elder locations</u></a> if you are returning to unlock this DLC. You’ll be there in no time!</p></aside><p>It’s not always a breeze, though. Like most roguelites, a lot of your success depends on what skills randomly show up, and I lost multiple runs by banking on a certain Bananza to spawn by building my perks around it, and ultimately failing when it never arrived. Speaking of Bananzas, Emerald Rush really rewards mastery over these five powered-up forms, as knowing the best way to take advantage of their unique strengths and swapping between them on the fly results in a high skill ceiling fitting of an endgame mode.</p><p>I do wish Emerald Rush went a little bit further with its abilities, though. Seeing big numbers get bigger is always enjoyable, and the way Emerald Rush overlays your multiplier onto every individual explosion is a nice touch – but with a few rare exceptions, there are no brand new abilities to find, and the perks simply make DK’s already-existing moves worth more points. It changes the scoring and the way you play, but beyond reclaiming powers I’m already very used to using in the base game, it never meaningfully expands the options available to you. The best roguelites make you feel more powerful throughout a run by giving you fresh moves as you go, and adding more exciting techniques to DK’s toolkit could have elevated this from a good roguelite mode to a great one.</p><section data-transform="user-list" data-id="164243" data-slug="logan-ranks-every-first-party-switch-2-game" data-nickname="MrHurgy"></section><p>Completing runs earns you piles of Banandium Chips and rating points that unlock cute bonus costumes, more powerful perks in the rotation, and new layers to tackle. Emerald Rush doesn’t take place in new areas besides DK Island. Instead, DK and Pauline return to familiar locations from Bananza’s campaign, and one of the coolest parts of this mode is how it rewards you for being intimately familiar with these layers. Emerald versions of Banandium Gems and fossils are found in the same locations as their counterparts in the main campaign, and knowing exactly where to find a vein of three fossils or a bunch of bananas makes Emerald Rush feel like a cool B-side to the main story. And, the Getaways you’ve built during the main story become essential fast travel points during a run, further incentivizing you to explore each layer to the fullest.</p><p>In that same vein, Void Kong’s objective will sometimes vaguely order you to do something like give Cranky Kong a high five, or take a swim in a layer that doesn’t have much water in it. Unlike the usual orders, these objectives don’t place a marker on your map, leaving it up to you to find them on your own. Thanks to my 100+ hours and multiple playthroughs, it didn’t take long for me to pinpoint Cranky hanging out on a big tree branch in the Forest Layer, or to find a quick pond to dive into in the Hilltop Layer. I initially thought reusing areas from the base game would be a weakness of Emerald Rush, but the way it leverages your knowledge of familiar locations is a really smart, novel way to effectively reuse old content.</p><section data-transform="quoteBox">I wish Emerald Rush had added a little bit extra to keep things fresh.</section><p>Still, this is another place I wish Emerald Rush had added a little bit extra to keep things fresh. There are no new enemy types, and it never introduces boss encounters that could’ve nicely broken up the pace of runs that last up to 45 minutes. I reached the end credits after about six hours, and while the DLC’s postgame opens up several more layers to play Emerald Rush in, I’m starting to feel a little burnt out on the formula. I’ll probably only stick around to reach 100% completion out of obligation to the base game I’ve so thoroughly completed. And when I do return, I’ll almost certainly throw on my own music or a podcast – the pair of main themes is undeniably catchy with flourishes from Pauline that change depending on your active transformation, but I could definitely go without hearing either for a while after 10 hours in the DLC. </p></section>

Here’s What I Thought of the Yu-Gi-Oh 2025 Mega Pack Tin, and the 10 Cards Everyone Wants Most

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:00:00 -0000

The Yu-Gi-Oh 2025 Mega Pack Tin is well worth a look for collectors and enthusiasts, and also offers a handy way to store your competitive decks, too.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/top-10-yugioh-cards-mega-tin-ign-2-1758118266887.png"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>After spending a lot of time playing <a href="https://www.ign.com/tv/yu-gi-oh"><u>Yu-Gi-Oh!</u></a> in my younger years, I must admit that I did end up swaying towards other card games in the years since. But, that's changed again recently, and I’ve appreciated that Konami is putting in the work to bring new players in (and lapsed players back like myself) to this most unique of card games. </p><p>I've been loving my reentry into the TCG, with last year seeing the arrival of a Two-Player Starter Set and some 25th Anniversary reprints, alongside the <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/yu-gi-oh-early-days-collection-best-discount-new-amazon"><u>Early Days Collection</u></a> that offers a fantastic nostalgia hit for digital players. <strong>New this year is the </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/z6DB53"><u><strong>2025 Mega Pack Tin</strong></u></a>, and Konami kindly sent it over for me to take a look. So, let's discuss my impressions and then run through what the big chase cards are from this year's Mega-Pack, even if I had no luck in pulling them!</p><section data-transform="catalog-list" data-catalogid="9457240f-bc86-40e0-a52c-498f1e32c39f" data-items="[228126,228127]"></section><h2>The 2025 Mega-Pack Tin Is Great For Collectors</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/16/img-1679-1758026168668.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/16/img-1679-1758026168668.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><p>Kicking off with the tin itself, it’s about the same size as the Legendary Collection and Two-Player Starter Set that we’ve seen in recent years.</p><p>It’s worth stressing that there are three packs inside, so the tin is far from full, but the packs included are Mega-Packs. You can buy them with the tin, <a href="https://zdcs.link/Qp4R8v"><u>or in a Tuck Box</u></a> instead.</p><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="9457240f-bc86-40e0-a52c-498f1e32c39f" data-id="228127"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="9457240f-bc86-40e0-a52c-498f1e32c39f" data-id="228127" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><p>These contain 1 Starlight Rare, 1 Prismatic Super Rare, 3 Ultra Rares and 8 Commons for building out your collection, so you’re getting 39 cards in total out of the full sets 450 cards.</p><p>It’s a drop in the ocean when you look at it that way, but there are some great reprints on offer from across the game’s long history. Many of which you should be keeping an eye out for.</p><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/16/img-1682-1758026226241.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/16/img-1682-1758026226241.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><p>I’ve always been impressed by Yu-Gi-Oh’s consistent art. Even common cards like Zoma the Earthbound look like a final boss from a video game. Still, as a big fan of dragons in any medium, my favorite has to be the hilariously-named Number 95: Galaxy-Eyes Dark Matter Dragon.</p><p>Given there are cards that run the gamut from the classic Pot of Greed to Destiny Hero - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, there’s a huge array of options you could find, whether you’re buying pack bundles or the tin.</p><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/16/img-1681-1758026136412.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/16/img-1681-1758026136412.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><p>If you do get the tin, you’ll also find a trio of card dividers that call to mind classic playing cards with their two-sided designs. There’s one for Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey, with their respective monsters on the opposite side of the card, and the designs are inverted on the other side.</p><p>It’s a nice touch, and while it’s a little redundant given how large the tin is considering the number of cards, it feels like a great way to organize your deck.</p><h2>The 10 Most In-Demand Cards From the 2025 Mega Pack Set</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/top-10-yugioh-cards-mega-tin-ign-1758117178872.png"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/top-10-yugioh-cards-mega-tin-ign-1758117178872.png" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><p>I enjoyed my time opening the 2025 Mega Tin, and while I wasn't pulling anything super rare, I can still confidently say it's a fun way to dig for chase cards without breaking the bank. It would definitely make a good stocking filler going into the holiday period as well. </p><p>That being said, what's <em>actually</em> popping off<em> </em>from the new set? For starters, <a href="https://zdcs.link/zJrwge">S:P Little Knight</a> is rearing its head… again. Turning games since its release, it’s the one of the most popular pick-ups 2025 tins right now (according to <a href="https://zdcs.link/QGro2E">data from our friends at TCGPlayer</a>), and well worth chasing... or even buying standalone if you so choose. </p><section data-transform="catalog-carousel" data-catalogid="c53f23e3-3d3e-46e9-87f7-a4cb6ebb52b7" data-items="[228140,228152,228153,228154,228155,228141,228142,228143,228144,228156]" data-show-pricing="false" data-highlighted-item="null"></section><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/911r2b">Infinite Impermanence</a> is another standout you'd rather not see played against you; it's endlessly reprinted yet never cheap, and now back to flex in shinier rarities. Alongside other trap cards Dominus Purge & Impulse, these are demanding medium to high price tags on resale right now, with market values shifting between $20-$34 at the time of publication. </p><p>And then the Mulcharmys; <a href="https://zdcs.link/9YMwWn">Fuwalos</a> already has eight rarities and can still be hard to find even on the secondary market, while Purulia keeps creeping up despite have five printings of its own. Both are in high demand, and both are worth keeping an eye out for when cracking packs.</p><p>There's plenty more to consider in the top ten most popular cards from Yu-Gi-Oh's 2025 Mega Packs, so ensure you're also looking out for the likes of Primite Lordly Lode, The Black Goat Laughs, <a href="https://zdcs.link/QqRAD3">Lacrima the Crimson Tears</a>, Fiendsmith's Tract, and more.</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p>Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.</p><p>This article contains contributions from Robert Anderson.</p></section></section>

Battlefield 6: All-Out Warfare (and One Iconic Map) Returns – and it Rocks

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:39:33 -0000

No matter which map I was on, I was consistently impressed by how good Battlefield 6 felt, whether it was the customizable character classes, more grounded gunplay, or the handful of game modes that put my combat prowess to the test.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/battlefield6-operationfirestorm-blogroll-1758129950679.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>If the Battlefield series has ever been known for one thing, it’s the massive, chaotic scale of destruction that takes place in its largest multiplayer maps, and I got a wonderfully refreshing taste of just that when I dove into Battlefield 6’s upcoming 64-player game modes earlier this week. Mirak Valley, the biggest map available at launch, is a fantastic new warzone that reminds me a bit of a much bigger version of Blood Gulch from Halo, with two bases on each side battling it out in a massive, deadly no man’s land, while a remastered version of the iconic Operation Firestorm from Battlefield 3 made an appearance to kick me right in the nostalgia. Both were a literal blast to play, each in their own way, and it just felt so good to be back in large scale war games with bombs exploding and bullets flying every which way, especially with the environments being more destructible than ever and which alter the map in creative ways. Since I skipped Battlefield 2042, it’s been a good, long while since I felt the itch to play a military shooter with this kind of crazy player count, and after a few hours with Battlefield 6 I don’t know how I’ve managed to go so long without it. It feels good to be back!</p><h3>As I Walk Through the Valley…</h3><p>The first map I played was Mirak Valley, which Battlefield Studios says will be the largest map at launch, and yeah, this thing’s pretty huge. Though it’s got small settlements and rocky terrain across long stretches of dirt road on each side, the main attraction are the two unfinished skyscrapers found in the center of the map where a lot of the action takes place. Battling in these claustrophobic concrete boxes and stairwells allows for plenty of close-quarters gunplay, but with unfinished walls all around you, it also leaves you exposed to the outside world to snipe you of launch a missile in your direction, which adds a unique challenge as you attempt to capture the all-important zones found in each of the buildings. And while the gradual destruction of these buildings can make them harder to control, they also allow for interesting opportunities to alter the geometry of the map, like how part of a destroyed building can fall down to create a ramp, which can then be used to reach the second floor of the skyscraper from the outside and make it much easier to navigate (but also harder to defend from would-be invaders).</p><section data-transform="slideshow" data-slug="battlefield-6-mirak-valley-and-operation-firestorm-screenshots" data-value="battlefield-6-mirak-valley-and-operation-firestorm-screenshots" data-type="slug" data-caption=""></section><p>Mirak Valley ended up easily being my favorite of the two maps I played, both because it’s a fantastically well-designed and ridiculously large warzone to master, but also because of these moments where the new destruction engine makes itself so clearly known. For example, in one match I spent a lot of time in a small two-story building picking off the enemy from a distance and trying to remain hidden, but over the course of the match (and many deaths) the building I was in continued to lose pieces of itself until there was almost nothing left. The window I was shooting out of at the start became half of a wall absent a room, which then fell away as I retreated to a staircase, until there was almost none of the structure left by the end of the battle and I found myself peering out behind rubble to take my shots. Moments like that are an excellent showcasing of just how much mayhem you can cause over the course of the match, all of it which organically takes place over the course of battle instead of being pre-determined events that inevitably happen every match.</p><h3>Into the Fire(storm)</h3><p>After not nearly enough time exploring (and blowing up) Mirak Valley, we moved on to more familiar terrain with the returning Battlefield 3 map of Operation Firestorm. If you’ve never played this one before, it takes place on an oil refinery with a big warehouse where you can get your fill of close-range encounters, or you can take the the labyrinth of metal stairs and walkways that is the refinery itself, complete with the unforgettable giant fuel tanks that explode in gobsmackingly beautiful fashion with a little provocation from the business end of your assault rifle. </p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="battlefield-6-4k-rtx-5090-conquest-gameplay" data-loop=""></section><p>The return of this map is sure to bring back fond memories of good times had and bitter rivals slain, but it was noticeable to me how some of the legacy map design choices didn’t exactly jive with modern day multiplayer expectations. To their credit, Battlefield Studios certainly made some adjustments to line of sight, destructible setpieces, and the available combat lanes you can use to take it to the bad guys, but they also had to keep a lot the same to make it recognizable as the map we know and love. That means there are plenty of barren areas you’ll have to run through, especially on the outskirts of the arena, where you’ll be wide open for someone to pick you off without much trouble or simply be a bit bored waiting to get to your destination with not much to do along the way.</p><p>That said, the virtues of this map are still as clear as ever, especially the long-range potential of the refinery’s elevated walkways, which are a sniper’s dream that I took full advantage of. Plus, being able to blow up key parts of the warehouse to do things like kill the prone enemies hidden on the rooftop by blasting away part of the ceiling and shooting them through it, is just *chef’s kiss*. It definitely didn’t click with me as much as the sparkly, new Mirak Valley though, especially since this Battlefield 3 throwback feels like such a tiny arena by comparison.</p><h3>On Target</h3><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="battlefield-6-feels-like-a-safe-explosive-return-to-the-shooters-past-hands-on-preview" data-loop=""></section><p>No matter which map I was on though, I was consistently impressed by how good Battlefield 6 felt, whether it was the customizable character classes, more grounded gunplay, or the handful of game modes that put my combat prowess to the test. Each of the four classes – Assault, Support, Recon, and Engineer – have their advantages that made it difficult to stick to any one, like how easy it was to get my teammates back in the fight with the support class, or how awesome it was to have sniper dummies to distract my enemies as the Recon class. One cool aspect though, is that I was able to swap out weapons I preferred with one class when I decided to change over, like how I gave my Assault character the Support character’s machine gun so I wouldn’t have to bother reloading in between kills (and because I tend to play more stationary than most and so didn’t mind the list accuracy). This felt like a nice middle ground between locking classes out of using the arsenal not natively a part of their class, since gadgets and unique abilities were still exclusive, but weapons could be freely traded, and I got a kick out of experimenting with different combinations.</p><p>I also really appreciated some of the adjustments to gunplay that made engagements a bit less goofy, like how accuracy with weapons is diminished while in motion, or especially when midair or jumping around. This meant I saw less of players bouncing up and down cartoonishly to kill me, which always feels out of place in a military shooter that’s aiming for some level of realism. Don’t get me wrong, there was still plenty of couch spamming and ducking in and out of corners to get shots off, and mastering mobility certainly plays a role in your ability to dominate the competition, but I also felt more rewarded for calming taking my shot against players scrambling around wildly to evade me.</p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="battlefield-6-gameplay-breakthrough-on-liberation-peak" data-loop=""></section><p>The game modes we played on each map were variations of area control game types we’ve seen before and one new one that added a heavy helping of chaos. Conquest served as the classic game of maintaining control of as many key parts of the map as possible while scoring kills, while Breakthrough put one team on the offense to take control of specific regions of the warzone that the other team fought to defend. Escalation, on the other hand, has an interesting concept where throughout the match the capture points in play are gradually reduced, forcing conflict onto certain parts of the terrain that directs the flow of battle and reduces stalling. This made for absolute chaos as everyone rushed to certain areas for all-out warfare that usually just involved lots of tanks blowing everything to smithereens, and was maybe not as balanced as the more vanilla game modes, but damn if it didn’t make for a hilarious time.</p></section>

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Adds Clans to Base Game After Fan Outcry Over Launch DLC

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:24:20 -0000

Paradox Interactive has announced that the Lasombra and Toreador clans will be available in the base Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 experience following backlash from players.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-key-art-1-1758130636087.png"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>Publishers Paradox Interactive and White Wolf, as well as developer The Chinese Room, have announced that the Lasombra and Toreador clans will be available in the base <a href="https://www.ign.com/games/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2"><u>Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2</u></a> experience following backlash from players.</p><p>The team behind the long-in-development sequel revealed its launch shakeup today alongside two new story packs – Loose Cannon and The Flower & the Flame – which will be available as part of the Expansion Pass in 2026. Additionally, Paradox, White Wolf, and The Chinese Room have pulled back the curtain on a new Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV8gmuZFaM4"><u>overview trailer</u></a> for players to sink their teeth into while they wait for its October 2025 release date.</p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-official-overview-trailer" data-loop=""></section><p>Fans expressed disappointment in the handling of the Lasombra and Toreador clans when they learned they would be accessible at launch as $21.99 DLC or via the $89.99 Premium Edition. This original plan would have seen players locked out of finished content if they chose to stick with the four clans included in the $59.99 standard edition of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.</p><p>It didn't take long for players to bring their criticisms to the developers' attention, and <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-has-two-clans-locked-behind-dlc-because-of-business">Paradox's explanation to IGN only seemed to increase the tension</a>. The uproar led the publisher to <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/we-want-to-do-this-right-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-issues-playstation-store-pre-order-refunds-as-publisher-works-to-make-big-changes-before-launch"><u>offer refunds to those who pre-ordered through the PlayStation Store</u></a>, while promising to announce "big changes" September 17. Now, the day is finally here, and as many expected, Lasombra and Toreador are no longer locked behind DLC.</p><section data-transform="quoteBox">That feedback made it clear: Lasombra and Toreador belong in the base game, so that is what we are doing.</section><p>“Thanks to our community for the frank feedback on Bloodlines 2 and the Premium Edition. That feedback made it clear: Lasombra and Toreador belong in the base game, so that is what we are doing,” White Wolf executive vice president and Bloodlines 2 executive producer Marco Behrmann said in a statement. “We’d also like to thank The Chinese Room for their quick turnaround on the concepts for the post-launch Story Packs. We’re constantly impressed by their creativity and skill in weaving enticing narrative threads that expand on the main story in Bloodlines 2.”</p><p>Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will now have more content when it launches October 21, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S, but its Loose Cannon and The Flower & the Flame story packs will offer even more to chew on next year. The former is said to "allow players to explore Seattle" as Camarilla Sheriff, while the latter focuses on Primogen Ysabella Moore.</p><p>Paradox says the Loose Cannon and The Flower & the Flame packs will be available via the Expansion Pass, which can be purchased individually for $34.99 or as part of the Premium Edition. Loose Cannon will arrive first in Q2 2026, with The Flower & the Flame set to follow in Q3 2026.</p><section data-transform="image-with-caption" data-image-url="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-launch-plans-1758129210238.jpg" data-image-title="undefined" data-image-class="article-image-full-size" data-image-link="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-launch-plans-1758129210238.jpg" data-caption="Vampire%3A%20The%20Masquerade%20-%20Bloodlines%202%20launch%20options.%20Image%20courtesy%20of%20Paradox%20Interactive." /></section><p>"The story continues with the Story Packs, each centering on a key Camarilla character from Phyre’s journey: Sheriff Benny and Primogen Ysabella," an official description says. "These packs deepen Phyre’s story and reveal Seattle’s World of Darkness through their eyes, offering fresh insights into their motivations and new angles on the city’s hidden power struggles."</p><p>Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is out in one month, but the road to its launch has been notoriously long. Paradox <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/22/bloodlines-2-announced">announced</a> it all the way back in 2019 with then-developer Hardsuit Labs leading the charge with a Q1 2020 release window. That, of course, never happened, as Paradox would go on to <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-developer-removed-game-delayed-out-of-2021">announce an indefinite delay</a>, alongside Hardsuit departure from the project, in early 2021.</p><p>The Chinese Room was then <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-is-back-with-a-new-developer-and-release-window">announced as its new developer</a> in 2023. Although <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-delayed-again-this-time-to-the-first-half-of-2025">additional</a> <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-suffers-yet-another-delay-this-time-to-october-2025">delays</a> would roll out throughout the following years, we are now closer to a Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 release date than ever.</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).</em></p></section>

Yakuza Kiwami 3 Seemingly on the Way After Fans Spot Alleged RGG Website Leak

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:57:20 -0000

Sega and developer RGG Studio have seemingly leaked Yakuza Kiwami 3, suggesting an official reveal could be just around the corner.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/yakuza-kiwami-3-1758123872764.png"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>Sega and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku (RGG) Studio have seemingly leaked Yakuza Kiwami 3, suggesting an official reveal could be just around the corner.</p><p>Users across <a href="https://x.com/Z64Gaming/status/1968275359000142163">X/Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/comments/1njba80/rgg_website_accidentally_leaked_kiwami_3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button">Reddit</a> began drumming up hype after some noticed traces of Yakuza Kiwami 3 on the series developer’s official website. The original listing, which simply mentioned a third entry in the series of Yakuza remakes, has since been removed, though fans were able to capture screenshots of the supposed leak before it was taken down.</p><div class="reddit-embed-wrapper"><blockquote class="reddit-embed-bq" style="height:500px" data-embed-height="740"><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/comments/1njba80/rgg_website_accidentally_leaked_kiwami_3/">rgg website accidentally leaked kiwami 3</a><br> by<a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/blubiboy98/">u/blubiboy98</a> in<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/">yakuzagames</a></blockquote></div><style>.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }</style><p>The Kiwami series is RGG’s line of remakes of the original Yakuza games. <a href="https://www.ign.com/games/yakuza-kiwami">Yakuza Kiwami 1</a>, for example, is a 2016 reimagining of the original Yakuza, with Yakuza Kiwami 2 tackling <a href="https://www.ign.com/games/yakuza-kiwami-2">Yakuza 2</a>. Yakuza Kiwami 3 hasn’t been formally announced, but if RGG does announce it as soon as fans expect, we can safely assume it will be a remake of the 2009 PlayStation 3 title, Yakuza 3.</p><p>If the Yakuza developer does have something to share about Yakuza Kiwami 3, it won’t be much of a surprise. The studio will host its yearly <a href="https://ryu-ga-gotoku.com/asia_en/info/detail/003537.html"><u>RGG Summit</u></a> September 24, with an RGG Direct set to follow immediately after. Many were already expecting major updates for the Like a Dragon franchise, with the alleged website leak arriving just one week before the festivities kick off.</p><p>Like a Dragon series director Masayoshi Yokoyama also <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/the-next-like-a-dragon-will-not-be-yakuza-kiwami-3-casting-auditions-to-begin-soon"><u>commented on Yakuza Kiwami 3</u></a> in April 2024. While he cautioned fans from getting too excited for a third game while it worked on other projects, he did tease that it was definitely not off the table.</p><p>“I'll just say that I think I'll do Kiwami 3 at some point,” Yokoyama said at the time. “I'm sure I'll do it someday.”</p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="yakuza-kiwami-1-kiwami-2-official-nintendo-switch-2-trailer-nintendo-direct-partner-showcase" data-loop=""></section><p>Now, more than one year later, fans believe RGG may finally be ready to talk more about Yakuza Kiwami 3. In the meantime, you can check out our <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/08/21/yakuza-kiwami-review">7.9/10 review</a> of Yakuza Kiwami and our <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/08/23/yakuza-kiwami-2-review">8/10 review</a> of Yakuza Kiwami 2. You can also read up on other new RGG Studio projects, including <a href="https://www.ign.com/games/like-a-dragon-pirate-yakuza-in-hawaii">Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii</a>, which launched in February, and <a href="https://www.ign.com/games/stranger-than-heaven">Stranger Than Heaven</a>, which was <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/new-ryu-ga-gotoku-game-project-century-rerevealed-as-stranger-than-heaven">announced</a> earlier this year.</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).</em></p></section>

New Mario Amiibo Are Already Selling Out – and They’re Not Even Available Yet

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:50:35 -0000

If you want to preorder the new Nintendo amiibo based on Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2, you might want to hurry, because they're already selling out.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/untitled-design-1758124178100.png"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>We recently got a closer look at the upcoming Switch releases, thanks to the <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-direct-september-2025-live-updates-everything-announced">September Nintendo Direct</a>. One of the surprise announcements, in addition to a <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-confirms-the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-coming-april-2026-with-first-teaser-trailer">Mario Movie sequel</a>, was that a new collection of Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 is coming to Switch. And as we all know, one certainty in life is that when a new Switch game comes out, amiibo figures are sure to follow. </p><h2 data-toc-title="Featured in this article">Featured in this article</h2><section data-transform="catalog-carousel" data-catalogid="a6f603f1-53ae-418f-aced-1de573a6361c" data-items="[228169,228170,228168,227967]" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted-item="null"></section><p>To that end, Nintendo is releasing two new Super Mario Galaxy amiibo. One is Mario and Luma. The other is Rosalina and Lumas. And despite that the game they accompany is out October 2, these figures aren’t out until April 2, 2026 – a day before the movie hits theaters. They available for preorder for $39.99 each, but they’ve already sold out at Amazon and Walmart. (They may come back into stock, but then again, they may not). Here’s where you can still get them.</p><h2 data-toc-title="Mario and Luma amiibo">Mario and Luma amiibo</h2><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="a6f603f1-53ae-418f-aced-1de573a6361c" data-id="228169"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="a6f603f1-53ae-418f-aced-1de573a6361c" data-id="228169" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><ul><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/aDryNw">Get it at Best Buy</a> - $39.99</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/QmOeJK">Get it at GameStop</a> - $39.99</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/911rlb">Get it at Amazon</a> - SOLD OUT</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/9yGKYP">Get it at Walmart</a> - SOLD OUT</li></ul><p>The Mario and Luma amiibo is kind of perfect? Mario’s flying pose calls back to the cover of the Super Mario Galaxy. But it also includes a round patch of grassy earth as a base, just like the little planetoids you run around on in the game. And there’s a Luma character and a Launch Star. In that one amiibo figure, you get the gist of what the whole game is about. Pretty cool if you ask me.</p></section><h2 data-toc-title="Rosalina and Lumas amiibo">Rosalina and Lumas amiibo</h2><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="a6f603f1-53ae-418f-aced-1de573a6361c" data-id="228170"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="a6f603f1-53ae-418f-aced-1de573a6361c" data-id="228170" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><ul><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/9gj1Ye">Get it at Best Buy</a> - $39.99</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/aN87qY">Get it at GameStop</a> - $39.99</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/aXV78W">Get it at Amazon</a> - SOLD OUT</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/QbMlXJ">Get it at Walmart</a> - SOLD OUT</li></ul><p>The Rosalina and Lumas amiibo depicts the princess in her traditional blue dress, sitting in a chair with two Lumas gathered round, reading her storybook.</p></section><h2 data-toc-title="Rosalina's Storybook (Hardcover)">Rosalina's Storybook (Hardcover)</h2><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="a6f603f1-53ae-418f-aced-1de573a6361c" data-id="228168"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="a6f603f1-53ae-418f-aced-1de573a6361c" data-id="228168" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><ul><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/z6DB0l">Get it at Walmart</a> - $24.99</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/QrAKy1">Get it at Barnes & Noble</a> - $24.99</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/zj7wNM">Get it at Books-A-Million</a> - $24.99</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/9ZMEbK">Get it at Amazon</a> - SOLD OUT</li></ul><p>Speaking of, you can preorder a real-life hardcover version of Rosalina’s Storybook . It was also available at Amazon, but – you guessed it – it’s already sold out.</p></section><h2 data-toc-title="Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Gal">Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2</h2><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="a6f603f1-53ae-418f-aced-1de573a6361c" data-id="227967"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="a6f603f1-53ae-418f-aced-1de573a6361c" data-id="227967" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><p>While we’re at it, you might as well <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/super-mario-galaxy-super-mario-galaxy-2-for-nintendo-switch-where-to-buy">preorder Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2</a> if you haven’t already. It’s a collection of two absolute bangers from the Wii era. These were generally considered the best 3D Mario games until Odyssey came along, and they still absolutely hold up. The game is out soon, too, on October 2.</p><aside><h3>How to Follow IGN Deals Recommendations</h3><p>The IGN Deals team has over 30 years of combined experience finding the best discounts and preorders available online. If you want the latest updates from our trusted team, here’s how to follow our coverage:</p><ul><li>Sign up for <a href="https://secure.campaigner.com/CSB/Public/Form.aspx?fid=1905567&ac=g71x"><u>our IGN Deals Newsletter</u></a></li><li>Set IGN as a <a href="https://zdcs.link/aoGB0A"><u>preferred source in Google</u></a></li><li>Follow us on social media<ul><li><a href="https://x.com/IGNDeals"><u>IGN Deals on X</u></a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/igndeals/?hl=en"><u>IGN Deals on Instagram</u></a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/IGNDeals/"><u>IGN Deals on Facebook</u></a></li><li><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ign_deals"><u>IGN Deals on Tiktok</u></a></li></ul></li></ul></aside><p></p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on </em><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chrislreed.com"><em>Bluesky</em></a><em>.</em></p></section></section>

Still Stars Echo, a 'Meditative Space Odyssey,' Revealed for PC

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:00:00 -0000

Still Stars Echo is a "meditative space odyssey" with minimalist puzzles that takes you on a journey across the galaxy to uncover the mystery behind a lost civilization.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/16/stillstarsecho-blogroll-1758049620951.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>Still Stars Echo is a "meditative space odyssey" with minimalist puzzles that takes you on a journey across the galaxy to uncover the mystery behind a lost civilization. It's in development for PC and due out in 2026.</p><p>There's no combat and you can't fail, so you can just mellow out and traverse through Still Stars Echo's five chapters, solving puzzles along the way. But as the saying goes, it's not always about the destination but the journey itself, and Still Stars Echo promises a myriad of massive environments and an atmospheric soundtrack that developer Semidome, Inc. recommends you experience with headphones on. Check out the reveal trailer above and the first screenshots in the gallery below.</p><section data-transform="slideshow" data-slug="still-stars-echo-first-screenshots" data-value="still-stars-echo-first-screenshots" data-type="slug" data-caption=""></section><p>You can <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/3871940/Still_Stars_Echo/">wishlist</a> Still Stars Echo on Steam if you're interested.</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, </em><a href="https://www.ign.com/watch/unlocked">Podcast Unlocked</a><em>, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, </em><a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/02/04/ign-unfiltered-every-episode-ever">IGN Unfiltered</a><em>. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at </em><a href="https://twitter.com/DMC_Ryan"><em>@DMC_Ryan</em></a><em>.</em></p></section>

Skate Goes Viral As Players Find Unusual Ways of Traveling, But It Isn't Enough To Counter a 'Mixed' Steam Review Score

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:39:53 -0000

The long-awaited next-generation entry in the skateboarding series Skate is finally here, and some of the best moments we've seen shared by players so far don't even include a skateboard.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/04/14/tonyhawkproskater3and4rayssalealbts-ign-blogroll-1744653424528.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>The long-awaited next-generation entry in the skateboarding series <a href="https://www.ign.com/games/skate"><u>Skate</u></a> is finally here, and some of the best moments we've seen shared by players so far don't even include a skateboard.</p><p>A cursory glance on social media will bring up a whole host of viral clips wherein players are rolling, spread-eagling, falling, and sliding across Skate's maps. Or, as this player <a href="https://x.com/hadmyback/status/1968024439985246464"><u>puts</u></a> it: "Bro what am I even playing rn why is this faster than skating."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Man you don't even know <a href="https://t.co/4XIlCEdKx4">pic.twitter.com/4XIlCEdKx4</a></p>— Konto (@KontoLetzPlay) <a href="https://twitter.com/KontoLetzPlay/status/1968069240961069319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <p>Apparently, anyone can move like this, too. As KontoLetzPlay <a href="https://x.com/KontoLetzPlay/status/1968194804426084509">explains</a>, you just need to hold forward and then move back and forth between a roll and a spread eagle as you go. </p><p>"The roll is quick and pushing off with a jump in the roll is good," they said. "Meanwhile; the spread eagle gives you speed in the air, as well as a slight boost once you land on the ground, since it puts you into a slide. It's extremely simple, but it does take some slight getting used to, considering the devs definitely didn't build the movement to be used this way. But it's just: Roll > Push off from roll > spread eagle > automatically land in a slide > slide into a roll > push off from roll > repeat."</p><p>Flailing around the map hijinx aside, Steam reviews suggests not everyone's having as good a time, though, as the 6,300+ user reviews left so far have put Skate on a 'Mixed' aggregate score, with PC players complaining of <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/id/nikolaneutiens/recommended/3354750/">crashing</a>, <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/id/17101710/recommended/3354750/">poor voice acting</a>, and <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/id/AnakinSkywalker/recommended/3354750/">"missing" features</a> like Hall of Meat and Pro Skaters.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">not sure what the big deal is, skating is clearly way faster and more realistic 🙄 <a href="https://t.co/CQ51RlgETy">https://t.co/CQ51RlgETy</a> <a href="https://t.co/LQ12uVXz3j">pic.twitter.com/LQ12uVXz3j</a></p>— berd (@berdyaboi) <a href="https://twitter.com/berdyaboi/status/1968163385943744962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <p>"If you're looking for a true successor to Skate 1, 2, and 3, this isn’t it," <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/id/cidomar/recommended/3354750/"><u>wrote</u></a> one reviewer. "Aside from the controls, every other gameplay element from the previous titles has been stripped away. No Hall of Meat, no Game of Skate, no missions or storylines with real-life pros. In their absence, we got a soulless cash-grab with a fully functional cash shop inside a 7GB beta. I can’t believe I waited years for this."</p><p>"Online only slop with day one server issues, same challenges over and over for ripoff chips for a spin on the lootbox casino for frankly terrible cosmetics, none of the gamemodes that made the previous games fun, No S.k.a.t.e, deathraces, own the spot career or hall of meat, the art style is not what the devs promised in earlier playtest builds, character creation and customisation is abysmal," <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/id/playlist/recommended/3354750/"><u>opined</u></a> one unhappy player.</p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="skate-official-drop-in-live-action-early-access-launch-trailer" data-loop=""></section><p>It's not all bad news, though. "I figured people would review bomb it when it came out," <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198430953542/recommended/3354750/"><u>said</u></a> a less critical fan. "Listen, this game is great. It's one of the best feeling skate games that we have out right now. I understand people are upset about no story mode and missing features but it's in early access... what don't people understand about that?"</p><p>Skate was originally announced by publisher EA <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/ea-announces-a-new-skate"><u>way back in 2020,</u></a> and development has continued slowly but surely ever since. The game has previously been playable by fans within <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/skate-4-is-officially-called-skate-and-it-will-be-free-to-play-and-have-cross-play-and-cross-progression"><u>closed community playtests</u></a> that have even seen the <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/eas-skate-gets-microtransactions-before-its-release-date"><u>introduction of microtransactions for cosmetic items</u></a>, if you were wondering how EA plans to monetise the game.</p><p>"I can clearly see the direction developer Full Circle is taking the series, but I can also say that Skate is shaping up to be a game worthy of being the long-awaited sequel to 2010’s Skate 3," IGN wrote in our <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/can-skate-revive-the-old-school-magic"><u>Skate hands-on preview</u></a> earlier this year. "The gameplay seems refined and lives up to its predecessors, the world is big and fun to explore, and the overall sandbox’s 'do what you want' vibe is really making me look forward to diving back in."</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at </em><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/vixx.bsky.social"><em>BlueSky</em></a><em>.</em></p></section>

Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era Board Game Review

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:30:00 -0000

Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era provides players a sandbox to play around in, with one of the most re-playable campaign-style board games out there.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-thumb-1756082076540.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>When I hear the name “Elder Scrolls,” thoughts of exploration, grand quests, and a character that’s a blank slate come to mind. A toy box of potential and possibilities that I can just have fun in, whether I want to become the most powerful mage in the realm or the master thief with a tendency to steal all of the wheels of cheese in the world. Somehow, the madlads at Chip Theory Games, known for their staggering component quality and games like <a href="https://zdcs.link/av3LpP">Too Many Bones</a>, have managed to condense that sense of exploration, discovery, and player choice into a game that I find to be both one of the most approachable and daunting <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/best-campaign-board-games">campaign board games</a> I have ever played.</p><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="24373606-beb2-4a86-a439-c1c94c0fdd2f" data-id="227820"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="24373606-beb2-4a86-a439-c1c94c0fdd2f" data-id="227820" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><aside><ul><li><strong>Players</strong>: 1-4</li><li><strong>Ages</strong>: 14+</li><li><strong>Play Time</strong>: 2 hours + 30 mins/player</li></ul></aside><p>Predating the video games (all of the <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-games-in-order">currently existing games</a> take place during the Third Era with exception of Skyrim, which is during the Fourth), Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era allows one to <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/best-board-games-for-4-players">four players</a> to take in the sights and uncover nefarious plots throughout three-act campaigns of the various realms of Tamriel. Whereas some games – let’s use Gloomhaven as an example – feature a single campaign that can take dozens, if not hundreds, of hours to complete, Chip Theory has designed Elder Scrolls to be a treasure chest that can provide dozens of smaller campaigns to explore. </p><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-9-1756081304552.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-9-1756081304552.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><p>In the base box, you have access to five different regional books – Skyrim, Blackmarsh, High Rock, Morrowind, and Cyrodil – referred to as Gazzetteers. These spiral-ringed notebooks contain all the cities and essential information you need to complete the main quests for that region. </p><p>When it comes to the different regions you can explore, while Chip Theory could have simply left them as just unique map layouts or quests to pick from, they have gone the extra mile and made each feel like its own unique character. Each one not only features its maps of unique locations and overland spots to explore, but it also comes with special mechanics that impact other elements of gameplay, including adding abilities to enemies you may encounter. </p><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-3-1756081304551.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-3-1756081304551.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><p>Blackmarsh, for example, features a shifting weather system that will hinder your movement. High Rock has civil unrest that may restrict what actions you can take in towns. These elements further add to the personality and immersion of this adaptation, which makes me appreciate the whole experience that much more.</p><p>A campaign is composed of three “sessions”, with the party following leads or helping out on a quest given to you by one of the game's eight possible guilds, which, with the end of each session, further provides choices as to how you want it to continue next. Regardless of the quest you choose to tackle during a session, they will never last more than 12 (in-game) days, with each day providing a new activity to partake in, be it stopping by and resting at the nearby town to restock on items and learn new skills, delving into dungeons, or helping a passerby. And if you're like me, who easily gets sidetracked in the video games with the occasional side quest, then you will be pleased to know that there is a large deck of side quests to take part in here too, including some hilarious and more outlandish ones like getting someone some home-cooked meatloaf. No, I’m not kidding. </p><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-5-1756081304552.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-5-1756081304552.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><p>A single campaign session usually took around 3-4 hours for my friends and me to get through, but this was cut down to around the 3-hour mark once we really had a grip on how Elder Scrolls and our characters worked. This means that it is entirely doable to comfortably complete a whole campaign over a weekend, or even just one day. This fact alone has made Elder Scrolls far more alluring to play, even if it isn’t exactly a small or quick game to set up. Granted, this time can, and will, fluctuate depending on what side quests you decide to tackle, how you plan out your days, and what enemies you face off against.</p><section data-transform="quoteBox">It is entirely doable to comfortably complete a whole campaign over a weekend, or even just a day.</section><p>My favorite part of the Elder Scrolls video games is the seemingly bottomless rabbit hole that is the character creation system. I’m happy to report this has been carried over into the board game. All of the series’ races, presented on large cards you keep next to your player board, are here, with each option having a different allocation of base stats and a special ability.</p><p>This is only the start. You also pick from different classes and weapon styles to further customize your avatar, all of which add different dice and actions you can take during the game. And for folks who prefer a more support role, there are options for you too, like being a Pilgrim that specializes in letting your party take free actions while in town, or swapping out treasures, or taking the Speech talent that can help you talk your way out of fights, removing enemies from the board. I’m not going to math it out, but between all of the available options to pick from, there are A LOT of permutations of characters you can play as. </p><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-13-1756081304553.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-13-1756081304553.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><p>The various stats and skills you decide on are all slotted into your player board into four lines, with two slots open on opposite sides from one another, with six spaces between. You only have access to these six spaces to improve either of the skills that are across from one another, meaning that to improve one, you do so at the possible expense of the other. I love how this makes even leveling up or picking your initial skills so much more of a strategic exercise with consequence, but it also provides even more outlets to mess around in subsequent campaign play-throughs. </p><p>In fact, making characters feels a bit like a game in itself, and I will admit to busting open my game box with the sole focus of making a character. And all of this is just the start, as you also collect equipment and other items during your adventure that add additional bonuses to your character, all of which result in Elder Scrolls being a package that will delight fans who enjoy min-maxing their characters in RPGs.</p><section data-transform="quoteBox">In fact, making characters feels a bit like a game in itself.</section><p>But, what good would a super cool character be if there was nothing cool to wack with them? For fans of Chip Theory’s Too Many Bones, the combat will feel similar in Elder Scrolls. Each attack you use has specific dice associated with it, and its relevant stat – stamina for physical attacks or magicka for spells – and your level in that ability dictates how many dice you can roll. Once a die is rolled, it moves to your cooldown area, making it unavailable to use again until it has returned to your active player board. Some skills even provide bonuses while in your cooldown row, but this row can also be gunked up with fatigue, which makes it take longer for dice to return and be usable again. </p><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-6-1756081304552.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-6-1756081304552.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><p>Combat takes place on maps made up from neoprene hexagonal tiles that, depending on the encounter type, are either static or expanded and revealed as you fight, with both enemies and players being represented by Chip Theory’s signature poker chips. Your typical enemies are typically picked by plucking blindly from a bag composed of monster chips, each with an associated level and potentially unique traits, from a general pool and regional-specific ones. This sort of “luck of the draw” approach, along with the inherent randomness of rolling dice for attacks, makes it so encounters can swing wildly in terms of challenge or how long they take to complete, but even the most challenging skirmishes felt more like exciting puzzles to work out than chores to suffer through.</p><p>If you are thinking this all sounds overwhelming, then you aren’t alone. With its nearly 100-page rule book, a standalone tutorial rulebook, multiple sheets devoted to keywords defining monster traits, and more, it can be a lot to take in and process. Just talking about it is making my head spin a bit, and there are more mechanics and other minutiae that I haven’t even touched on. </p><p>Thankfully, Chip Theory Games recognizes the game's considerable demands and offers a helpful hand-holding tutorial (a jailbreak in typical Elder Scrolls fashion). I also highly recommend checking out the free digital tutorial on <a href="https://app.dized.com/game/b80d4850-09ab-44ec-a1a2-48731c606f4e"><u>Dized</u></a>. It does a solid job guiding you step-by-step – its how I learned the game. Thankfully, the moment-to-moment gameplay is pretty straightforward; it is just getting to that point that is the biggest hurdle.</p><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-7-1756081304552.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/08/25/es-2ndera-review-7-1756081304552.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><p>All of that content results in a massive box weighing in around the 20-pound mark (about 10kg for the rest of the world). A significant factor in this game’s weight, which is on par with a small dog (my Shiba Inu is 20 pounds), is thanks to the component type and materials that Chip Theory is known for – plastic, neoprene, and more plastic. Everything crammed into a box could be dumped into a bathtub with little repercussion (please don’t try this), with the exception of the rulebooks, which I am pretty sure are just plastic-coated paper and may not be waterproof. The quality is spectacular, but the pain in my back from hefting the monster onto my gameshelf is less so.</p><section data-transform="quoteBox">All of that content results in a massive box weighing in around the 20-pound mark.</section><p>For all that Elder Scrolls has going for it, this is a game for people who know they like board games and have a good deal of experience under their belts playing them, especially complex ones. While the smaller campaign and smart session break-up make this an approachable campaign game from a time-investment standpoint, *waves hands* EVERYTHING else makes this far from a great “<a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/best-beginner-board-games">players first campaign game</a>” option. Folks who love video games should not immediately jump into Betrayal of the Second Era unless they are prepared and willing to tackle the beast of a learning curve this game has. However, as long as you know what you are getting into and are willing to stick through it, Betrayal of the Second Era is worth it and then some. </p><p>Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era is a heavy game (both mechanically and physically) with an equally hefty $225 price tag. But in return, you get one of the richest <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/best-board-games-based-on-video-games">tabletop video game adaptations</a> as well as one of the most replayable campaign games on the market. The fact that I can enjoy a full story over the course of a weekend, or even a day, shoots this high on my list for game days with friends who I know are into more complex games. </p><p>Chip Theory looks to further expand on the system they have built too, with one expansion, <a href="https://zdcs.link/z6DBYZ">Valenwood</a>, already available and an upcoming crowdfunding campaign, “<a href="https://gamefound.com/en/projects/chip-theory-games/the-elder-scrolls-heroes-of-tamriel?ref=explore#/section/project-story"><u>The Heroes of Tamriel</u></a>”, promising five new expansions “and more surprises” that launches in October. Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era has quickly become one of my favorite campaign games in my collection, and I can’t wait to see what else Chip Theory Games has in store for this mysterious era of Tamriel’s history.</p></section></section>

Borderlands 4 Performance Gets Worse the Longer You Play on Console, Randy Pitchford Suggests Quitting the Game and Restarting as a Workaround

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:26:41 -0000

Borderlands 4 performance gets worse the longer you play on console. Gearbox chief Randy Pitchford has suggested quitting the game and restarting as a workaround.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/ss-a97dd819c8778ba0bf306dc794067325fe930f8d-1920x1080-1758111837814.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>Are you playing <a href="https://www.ign.com/games/borderlands-4">Borderlands 4</a> on console and have noticed odd performance problems the longer you play? You’re not alone.</p><p>Players have reported their frames per second count fluctuating and gameplay stuttering on console, even on PS5 Pro. In fact, oddly, <em>particularly</em> on the more powerful PS5 Pro.</p><p>Some players think this might be the result of <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Borderlands/comments/1nfgav8/comment/ndwak9f/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button">Borderlands 4 suffering from a memory leak</a>, although that remains unconfirmed for now. It seems restarting the game does help (<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Borderlands/comments/1nfgav8/comment/ndw7v5h/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button">some players are recommending restarting every few hours</a>, which isn't ideal), but it’s hard to say exactly why because reloading can trigger changes that would perhaps improve performance anyway, such as time of day lighting.</p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="borderlands-4-vault-boss-gameplay-on-rtx-5090-4k-max-settings" data-loop=""></section><p>What we <em>do</em> know is that Gearbox is looking into the issue. In a <a href="https://x.com/DuvalMagic/status/1967992279030960468">tweet</a>, Gearbox development chief Randy Pitchford told one disgruntled PS5 Pro user that quitting the game and restarting is a workaround until the developer sorts the problem out properly.</p><p>“Known issue of perf dropping on PS5 pro after several hours of continuous play,” he said. “Workaround until we patch: Quit game and restart. Sorry for the friction!”</p><p>All eyes are on Gearbox right now amid an internet backlash to the performance of Borderlands 4 — which has come despite huge player numbers on Steam. The studio released an update for the game on PC — <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/borderlands-4-update-to-help-improve-stability-for-a-wide-range-of-pcs-released-but-there-are-no-patch-notes">without patch notes</a> — that hasn’t seemed to fix much of anything.</p><p>Pitchford himself has set his sights on winning angry Borderlands 4 players over on social media. Since Borderlands 4’s huge Steam launch last week, Pitchford has issued <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/randy-pitchford-addresses-borderlands-4-console-fov-slider-complaints-theres-some-dreams-i-have-where-an-fov-setting-might-affect-fairness"><u>confusing comments on why the console version of Borderlands 4 lacks a field of view (FOV) slider</u></a>, promised <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/i-am-that-confident-randy-pitchford-says-its-impossible-for-borderlands-4-players-to-break-the-games-servers-this-weekend-challenges-them-to-try"><u>that it would have been impossible to break the Borderlands 4 servers through sheer weight of player numbers alone</u></a>, told people to <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/code-your-own-engine-and-show-us-how-its-done-randy-pitchford-goes-on-the-offensive-as-borderlands-4-pc-performance-row-intensifies"><u>“code your own engine and show us how it’s done, please,”</u></a> and declared Borderlands 4 “a premium game made for premium gamers.” <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/my-advice-to-users-is-to-accept-reality-and-tune-or-to-not-play-randy-pitchford-is-at-the-get-a-refund-from-steam-stage-of-the-borderlands-4-pc-performance-backlash">He's even started telling Borderlands 4 players to refund the game on Steam if they're that upset</a>.</p><section data-transform="tier-list" data-id="0698cfd0-e183-4f96-b4ae-70df071252f4"></section><p>So, what’s the truth of the matter? Borderlands 4 is currently on a mixed Steam review rating, with most of the negative comments revolving around performance. The tech experts at <a href="https://www.patreon.com/digitalfoundry"><u>Digital Foundry</u></a> have said <a href="https://youtu.be/2v1ST5qMoaY?feature=shared"><u>their initial analysis of Borderlands 4 on PC</u></a> shows significant stutter problems, and have advised against running the game on its ‘Badass’ graphics setting, <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/tech-experts-say-borderlands-4-on-pc-runs-worse-than-usual-for-an-unreal-engine-5-game-advise-against-badass-setting"><u>which suggests there are indeed problems with the Unreal Engine 5 title</u></a>.</p><p>Gearbox has posted a Borderlands 4 Nvidia Optimization guide on <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1285190/view/679602429802577921"><u>Steam</u></a>, advising players how to optimize their graphics settings for “better performance and framerates” on PC with the Nvidia app, although users report mixed results.</p><p>Gearbox has also issued a piece of advice to PC gamers that <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/borderlands-4-dev-gearbox-asks-pc-gamers-to-keep-playing-for-at-least-15-minutes-after-they-tweak-settings-to-see-how-performance-has-changed-as-negative-steam-reviews-pile-up"><u>to me reads like an effort to prevent players from making knee-jerk reactions to the game's performance as soon as they’ve changed their settings</u></a>: “Please note that any time you change any of your graphics settings, your shaders will need to recompile. Please keep playing for at least 15 minutes to see how your PC's performance has changed.”</p><p>If you are delving into Borderlands 4, don't go without updated hourly <a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/borderlands-4/Borderlands_4_SHiFT_Codes"><u>SHiFT codes list</u></a>. We've also got a <a href="https://www.ign.com/maps/borderlands-4/kairos"><u>huge interactive map ready to go</u></a> and a badass <a href="https://maxroll.gg/borderlands-4/planner"><u>Borderlands 4 planner tool</u></a> courtesy of our buds at Maxroll. Plus check out our expert players' choices for <a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/borderlands-4/Which_Character_Should_You_Choose_in_Borderlands_4"><u>which character to choose</u></a> (no one agreed).</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.</em></p></section>

Assassin's Creed Shadows Has Immortalized a Fan's Beloved Cat, Olive

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:11:42 -0000

Olive, the beloved pet cat of an Assassin's Creed fan, can now be found and unlocked as a digital companion in Ubisoft's feudal Japan-set Shadows.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/ubisoft-added-my-cat-to-ac-shadows-seriously-00-01-37-1758110721440.png"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>Olive, the beloved pet cat of an Assassin's Creed fan, can now be found and unlocked as a digital companion in Ubisoft's feudal Japan-set Shadows.</p><p>Yesterday's big <a href="https://www.ign.com/games/assassins-creed-shadows">Assassin's Creed Shadows</a> update predominantly added support for the game's first expansion, Claws of Awaji. But for one fan, something even more important was added too.</p><p>Olive is the pet cat of Ropotopolous, an Assassin's Creed YouTuber whose channel icon shows his faithful feline dressed in Renaissance Assassin robes. Now, Olive can be found within Shadows itself, dressed in a similar costume — and good grief, it's one of the best things I've ever seen.</p><section data-transform="image-with-caption" data-image-url="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/ubisoft-added-my-cat-to-ac-shadows-seriously-00-01-37-1758110808610.png" data-image-title="undefined" data-image-class="article-image-full-size" data-image-link="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/ubisoft-added-my-cat-to-ac-shadows-seriously-00-01-37-1758110808610.png" data-caption="Olive%20as%20seen%20in-game%20within%20Assassin%26%2339%3Bs%20Creed%20Shadows%2C%20and%20in%20Ropotopolous%26%2339%3B%20YouTube%20channel%20icon." /></section><p>In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8QwCZ963Is">video</a> announcing Olive's inclusion, Ropotopolous said that Ubisoft developers had worked with him to hide Olive (and her uncostumed brother Benjamin, a tabby) in a specific place with Shadows' world. There's even a riddle to follow in order to find them. </p><p>"Where nature's brushstrokes twist and rise / In form, it mirrors native guise / Neither shrine, nor gate, nor scroll, but guided faith from distant soul. / Above, her golden arms meet sky, beneath, the peaceful shadow lies. / Where westward teachings softly crept, inside, a Quiet Queen is kept."</p><p>Once located, petting Olive will add her to your hideout as a digital companion, ensuring her place in Assassin's Creed canon forever more.</p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="assassins-creed-shadows-official-claws-of-awaji-dlc-launch-trailer" data-loop=""></section><p>"I think this is the single coolest achievement of my little YouTube career so far, immortalising my cat inside my favorite video game series forever," Ropotopolous said. "For now Olive is still young and healthy but it always breaks my heart to think about what a short time with our pets. </p><p>"When Olive's time finally comes it will be special for me to visit her likeness in my favorite video game series, and I'm honored for her digital spirit to be spread across the world in this secret scavenger hunt."</p><p>Currently, Olive is only visible to owners of the new Claws of Awaji expansion, though Ubisoft is working to add her for all players in an upcoming patch. A "generic" version of Olive, with white fur, is also available as part of the game's latest free Animus rewards — though this will take a bit of grinding to obtain.</p><p>This isn't the first tie Ubisoft has added a fan's pet into an Assassin's Creed game. A <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/assassins-creed-mirage-features-a-cat-with-an-assassins-creed-branded-nose">cat with fur markings that looked similar to the Assassin's Creed logo</a> was added to Assassin's Creed Mirage as a tribute to a sadly-missed real-life moggie.</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky </em><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/tomphillipseg.bsky.social">@tomphillipseg.bsky.social</a></p></section>

This Lorcana Set Isn't Legal Now, But Amazon Has Just Dropped a Huge Deal For Collectors

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Save on a classic Disney Lorcana booster box, and pick up some preconstructed decks to play with friends with huge discounts at Amazon.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/16/booster-box-header-1758023494016.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p><a href="https://www.ign.com/games/disney-lorcana"><u>Disney Lorcana’s</u></a> latest set, <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/disney-lorcana-fabled-where-to-buy"><u>Fabled</u></a>, is here, and <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/disney-lorcana-fabled-most-expensive-cards"><u>while some cards are already reaching high prices</u></a>, there has been a bit of a price drop on prior sets - specifically, Ursula’s Return. </p><p>The set, which is over a year old now, was the fourth released, and contains 204 cards. Why am I mentioning this in 2025? Because <a href="https://zdcs.link/ao6LVl"><u>Amazon has reduced a booster box considerably</u></a>, netting you 24 packs for just $78.99 right now.</p><section data-transform="catalog-list" data-catalogid="e3ab97a7-2280-477e-9598-3a34af5fdf22" data-items="[228123,228124,228125]"></section><h2>Save Big On This Lorcana Booster Box</h2><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="e3ab97a7-2280-477e-9598-3a34af5fdf22" data-id="228123"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="e3ab97a7-2280-477e-9598-3a34af5fdf22" data-id="228123" data-show-pricing="false" data-highlighted="false"></section><p>For context, the box would usually set you back $143.99, meaning each pack would be worth around $6.</p><p>With this 45% discount, however, that’s $3.29 per pack, a significant saving. And, while the set is no longer legal for tournament play (all Year 1 sets have rotated out now), it’s still a great purchase for collectors or anyone with little Disney fans who want to crack open packs.</p><p>The set includes awesome cards like Jasmine, Desert Warrior from Aladdin, the Super Goof version of Goofy, and some deep cuts like Diablo, Devoted Herald - yes, that’s Maleficent’s raven.</p><p>Ariel, Sonic Warrior, Cinderella, Melody Weaver and Anna, True Hearted offer a nice trifecta of Princesses to find, too, and with each pack including 12 cards you’re getting 288 in total here.</p></section><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="e3ab97a7-2280-477e-9598-3a34af5fdf22" data-id="228124"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="e3ab97a7-2280-477e-9598-3a34af5fdf22" data-id="228124" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><p>If you’re looking for more from the set, the starter decks are also discounted. The first, an <a href="https://zdcs.link/Qdp5ex"><u>Encanto-themed one helmed</u></a> by Mirabel and Bruno Madrigal, is just $11.98 and includes 60 cards and a bonus booster pack.</p></section><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="e3ab97a7-2280-477e-9598-3a34af5fdf22" data-id="228125"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="e3ab97a7-2280-477e-9598-3a34af5fdf22" data-id="228125" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><p>Alternatively, there’s <a href="https://zdcs.link/aBDmMV"><u>the same 29% discount on this option</u></a>, which includes Anna and Hercules as its included foil cards as well as another 58 others and that extra booster pack.</p><p>As a reminder, the set isn’t legal for competitive play anymore, but for collecting and learning to play, it’s a great deal.</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p>Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.</p></section></section>

'I Don't Think It's Much of a Stretch for the Game to Go 30 Years' — The Elder Scrolls Online Developers Promise Big Changes Following Internal Shakeup

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 11:31:49 -0000

IGN interviews the developers of The Elder Scrolls Online about the past, present, and future of the long-running MMO.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/eso-1758105934368.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p><a href="https://www.ign.com/games/the-elder-scrolls-online">The Elder Scrolls Online</a> has been going for 11 years now, which is a huge achievement for any video game. But the developers at ZeniMax Online Studios have an ambition for it to last for at least another 20 years, and are openly talking about ESO being a 30+ year game. Can they manage it? After a recent shakeup at the Microsoft owned studio — <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-makes-significant-layoffs-across-gaming-division-xbox-boss-phil-spencer-confirms-in-memo-to-staff">and big layoffs that hit Bethesda hard</a> — players are wondering what the future holds for their beloved game.</p><p>It was with all this in mind that I sat down to chat with Nick Giacomini, who has taken over the ESO game director role from Rich Lambert, and Lambert himself, who is now studio-wide director, to discuss the past, present, and future of The Elder Scrolls Online. Rich is a true Elder Scrolls veteran, having joined Bethesda Game Studios in 2004 to work on Oblivion. He’s been working on ESO for an eye-watering 18 years, when you factor in the start of development. In fact, he was the second employee brought on the team after Matt Firor, the prior boss of ZeniMax Online Studios <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/unannounced-mmo-from-the-elder-scrolls-online-dev-canceled-veteran-studio-head-steps-down-amid-microsoft-layoffs">who stepped down amid the cancellation of the studio's unannounced MMO</a>.</p><p>Now Nick is leading ESO, and there are big plans for change. At gamescom 2025, Nick and Rich told me they have a significant overhaul in mind, one that would not only modernize the visuals but its mechanics. Read on for all the details.</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><strong>IGN: It'd be great to get both your takes on where ESO is at as we see it today, more than 10 years later. What is the health of the game? I'm sure you have a number of metrics to decide what that actually means.</strong></p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> I think we're in a really good spot overall in terms of health and players. But one of the bits of feedback that we've gotten over the years — and we've felt this internally as well — is we're a little formulaic, a little too predictable. Kind of with the chapter model that we're doing, it's one big thing every June and then there's smaller updates over time. And that has been very successful for us, very, very successful for us. But we needed to change. We needed to do something a little different. And that's what the whole idea of this seasonal model, this content pass model is, is to give the team a little bit more time to do different things, to react to player feedback more.</p><p>When we were doing the chapter model, it took 18 months to build a chapter. We were locked into that cycle and maybe we could get some things in. And now under this new model that Nick and team are working on, it gives the team a little bit more flexibility to do more of the smaller things, more of the quality of life things. And they're looking at things like, what does a zone even mean now? What does PVP look like now? Really going back in excruciating detail, looking over all of the things. What does progression look like? What does rewards look like? It's all to make sure that we are setting ourselves up for the future and continuing to build on the game.</p><p>Jo Burba, who's the new studio head, he sat the team down and was like, ‘this is a 30 year MMO.’ And we were like, ‘Okay.’ We get this, right? And that is a huge commitment, but it is something that's important to us because it's also important to the community.</p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="the-elder-scrolls-online-official-new-feast-of-shadows-dungeons-trailer" data-loop=""></section><p><strong>Nick Giacomini:</strong> The game is 11-years-old now, which is just crazy. And the gaming industry, it's hard right now. It's always hard, but now more than ever. Competition is significant where the number of great games out there is so high. We are in a great place because we have an extremely passionate community and group of players, and that hasn't changed. But, player expectations have changed as new games have come out. We're looking to honor that legacy, honor the roots, because there is a lot that makes ESO so great that has resulted in the success that we've had for the last 11 years. So we want to stay true to that, but we're a little too formulaic and we're looking to evolve and change over the course of the next decade.</p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> And change is also scary. Just in general, change is scary, but I think we've proven over the years we're not afraid to make big changes, big leaps, right? That's what ESO is over the years. The PC launch wasn't awesome. We worked on things. We released One Tamriel, which changed how everything worked and a lot of games started mimicking what we were doing. I think we've shown we can do that and we want to do that and it's time to do that again.</p><p><strong>IGN: I'm a lapsed ESO player, which I imagine is part of your thinking about the future. Maybe ESO is starting to look a little bit dated from a visual point of view. Your game is 11 years old — are you having conversations about a potential graphical overhaul or mechanics overhaul to address how the game plays mechanically so it feels more modern?</strong></p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> Yes! All of the above! That's what I mean by painstakingly going through. And you've seen some of that in, what was it… 45, 46, we did the starter island revamp where we went through and we swapped out a bunch of assets in those older zones for newer ones that we had built over time. We changed the water. Our water has gone through a bunch of different iterations over time as we got better with the tools and technology. The renderer has been updated a few times.</p><p>But yeah, we're looking at all of those things. Look and feel of combat, that's been a big thing since launch, like combat feels floaty, it doesn't feel impactful. All of those things are going into what the team is looking at right now. And you'll start to see some of the fruits of that come out more and more over the next three or four updates, hopefully. Spoilers, sorry!</p><p><strong>IGN: Are you looking to improve how you talk to your community, making sure they understand what's happening?</strong></p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> We've always done that, but there's room to improve and that's one of the things that Nick is really interested in doing. It's really hard. It's funny, we were actually just talking about this as we were walking over this morning. Because Nick is new to this and being in the public, and he was like, ‘How do you handle the haters? I've already got the haters. How do you handle that?’ I'm like, ‘It's really hard.’ There's all kinds of memes on the internet where a dev opens the box to interact with the community and the community shuts them down and they go back in the box and say 'never again'. So it takes a really thick skin to do that, but it is really important, and that's something that Nick is really interested in doing.</p><p><strong>Nick Giacomini:</strong> This is as much the players’ game as it's ours, and we do care deeply about what players say, what they think, how they interact. Without the players ESO is nothing. It's always been an important part of the development process and we want to make it even more so going forward. And we do want to communicate and let the players know that we are listening. We do care, because it's true. They're so important to us and they play an incredible part in this. And that is, again, one of the reasons that we are trying to shift to this new model, is to allow more of that, more opportunities to communicate, more opportunities to iterate and try things, get feedback and try to provide the game experience that players love and want and need from us.</p><p>This has never been about one person. I mean, while I'm here talking with you, happy to continue doing this of course, this isn’t my game. We have an incredibly talented team, an incredibly passionate team. And part of what's hopefully going to be changing over the course of the next year is our community is going to get to know certainly me, but more of the developers just generally and their areas of expertise, how they're thinking about things, and have that back and forth that's so important to creating a good game. So yeah, I expect there's going to be a lot of changes to come.</p><p><strong>IGN: Do you have any idea when the community might get a roadmap? I know that they're clamoring for that, or is it too early to say at this point?</strong></p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> It’s probably a little bit too early. We do have a roadmap that we release at least once a quarter that's like, here's what is up now, here's the next two or three that are coming. And the two or three that are coming are a little bit less detailed. But that's one of the things that we're looking at. How do we make that a little bit better? I think a lot of that starts to get much easier in the new model because it's shorter development cycles, so you're a lot more sure of when something's going to hit. Whereas when it was the 18 month cycle, it's like, well, we're on track right now, but it's game development and something could happen.</p><p>The philosophy in the older days was we try not to share things with players until we are confident when they're going to land, because we don't want to promise something and people get excited and then by the way, that's delayed because ‘unforeseen circumstances.’ So it's that tightrope to walk. But we do want to try to improve that.</p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="how-oblivion-inspired-a-generation-of-the-elder-scrolls-online-players" data-loop=""></section><p><strong>IGN: I love Elder Scrolls generally, and for me ESO would scratch that Elder Scrolls itch between mainline releases. Am I in isolation there?</strong></p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> I don’t think you are. We hear that a lot. It's really interesting over the years going to the various shows and community events, you hear that a lot, right? I can't tell you how many times I've answered the, ‘When's TES 6 coming?’ ‘What’s TES 6?’ ‘Tell me!’ And it’s like… That’s a different studio, right? But yes, people are super passionate about Elder Scrolls. For a lot of people, this has been their home because they love Elder Scrolls and they just want to play more of it, and we're able to provide that.</p><p>And actually, a lot of players play ESO like a single-player game. In the early days, at launch, we tried to walk this kind of tightrope where it was MMO and Elder Scrolls, and we didn't really hit either one particularly well. And when we decided we were going to make it Elder Scrolls first and then MMO second, that helped solve a lot of the problems. And we started to see the players coming in and saying, ‘Oh, you mean I can solo all of this stuff? Oh, I don't have to play with other players. They just happen to be there.’ And then you have these organic things that happen.</p><p>But there's a lot of people that play the game that way. And then there's a lot of people that just do housing or just PVP or just play the card game. We built on more systems to that over time, but at its core, a lot of players do play it like a single-player game.</p><p><strong>IGN: I suppose you're benefiting from the absurd wait for The Elder Scrolls 6, aren't you?</strong></p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> And the Oblivion Remaster was another big thing. That came out and we were like, ‘Okay, that's going to hit our numbers for a while.’ And there was a small blip and then the numbers went up. Kind of like the Fallout show. We were like, ‘Wow, this is cool. Right?’ So yeah, it's interesting.</p><p><strong>IGN: What do you put that down to? People getting back into Elder Scrolls with Oblivion Remastered and then…</strong></p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> … and then going, ‘Oh yeah, Elder Scrolls Online. Yeah! Let's go continue the Elder Scrolls thing. That was a great game, let’s go do this.’ I think! I don’t know for sure.</p><p><strong>Nick Giacomini:</strong> We don’t know for sure, but we saw a lot of new and lapsed players come back very quickly after, and it continued actually for quite some time. It was pretty exciting.</p><section data-transform="slideshow" data-slug="every-ign-elder-scrolls-review" data-value="every-ign-elder-scrolls-review" data-type="slug" data-caption=""></section><p><strong>IGN: How do you approach building on the Elder Scrolls canon in the context of the time period in which ESO is set, but also having to be mindful of other studios who are also building on the canon? In my mind it’s like that meme with the guy with all the string on the board.</strong></p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> You’re not far off! Seriously.</p><p><strong>IGN: ESO is canon, which is part of the appeal. Internally is it a nightmare, or a lot of fun? Or a bit of both?</strong></p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> It's a bit of both. It's controlled chaos. Trying to dig through all of the different games and all of the lore and just all of the lore books, right? There are so, so many. It's fun. We actually have a person, a lore master. Their sole job is to do a lot of that stuff and try to make sure we're all on the same page.</p><p>But we also work really closely with Todd's BGS [Todd Howard, Bethesda Game Studios]. So whenever we're pitching new lore things, new story things, I sit down with them and I talk them through it. There's a negotiation that goes on. Perfect example, when we were doing Dark Brotherhood DLC, I worked on Oblivion with them in the way back days. And so I thought that I totally understood the Dark Brotherhood and all its ins and outs, and so we were really confident.</p><p>I went down to BGS, sat with Emil [Pagliarulo, Studio Design Director at Bethesda Game Studios] for a bit. I had a three page pitch, a story doc, like here's the things. And he was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, this is kind of cool. Let me think on this. There's a lot to digest.’ So the next day he gave me 10 pages of feedback on like, here's what you got, right, here's what you got wrong, here's how things could be improved. And so that's how it works.</p><p>When we were doing Elsweyr with dragons, there were no dragons in the Second Age. I was like, ‘Well, what if we did it like this?’ And they're like, ‘Okay, I can see that.’ And so it's just kind of that talking back and forth. They're really good about, ‘This can work in your game. You can do whatever you want mechanically and whatnot because your game is your game, but the lore, we need to kind of work through it and talk through it.’ And they've been really good about it over the years, and now they super trust us, which is great.</p><p><strong>Nick Giacomini:</strong> The cool thing about the time period ESO is in is that it's not very well established in the lore, and so there are stories for us to flesh out. There's a lot that we get to create and explore. You asked if it was stressful or fun. It's fun to talk these things through and try to figure out what stories we want to tell and show our players. So it's a lot of fun.</p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> We get that in ESO all the time. Like, ‘The map should be this way or the map should be that way, this game said the map was like this.’ And the beauty of Elder Scrolls and just the lore in general is it's told from multiple perspectives, right? There's no one major DM or omnipotent being that says this is the single source of truth. So there's lots of fudge factor in there, and lots of ways to play, and it's a really fun IP to dig into and play with.</p><section data-transform="poll" data-id="1afb3510-ed24-426e-b69f-15da96a7199f"></section><p><strong>IGN: You’ve talked about the idea of ESO being a 30+ year game, which would be incredible. What can you do to make that happen? How do you even begin to try and plan in a tangible way to set ESO up for that sort of longevity given how things change so quickly and so dramatically almost every month?</strong></p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> I think part of it is you just have to be willing to change and evolve, adapt. And that's Nick's mantra: iterate, go fast, don't be afraid to change, listen to players. But time goes really fast. When I think about it, 18 years has gone by in a blink. I would totally be lying to you today if I said I knew I would still be working on this game 18 years from when I started. That's kind of a hope. You're like, I want to work on this thing. I want to do this thing. I want it to be successful. But you don't ever go 18 years, 20 years successful.</p><p>And so I don't think it's much of a stretch for the game to go 30 years. If the fan base is passionate and if the developers are humble enough, I guess is the word I'm looking for, but want to support the community and want to interact with the community and deal with the community and understand that community is first, I think there's nothing stopping us from doing any of that stuff. I don't think it's a ridiculous statement personally.</p><p><strong>Nick Giacomini:</strong> 11 years is already pretty incredible, that the game has achieved the level of success that it has for this amount of time. And to go another 20, that would be exactly like you said. It's a very short list of games that ever stayed relevant so long. So it's something that is mind boggling. You asked about tangible, it's hard because as you said, 11 years, the game is what used to be cutting edge in 2014. Player expectations have changed and a lot of great games have come out. And we have limited resources ourselves, so it's difficult.</p><p>We recently redid the tutorial zones to try to make onboarding better for players. To your point about lapsed players, we recently did the Hero's Return to ensure that lapsed players have a better onboarding experience because it can be overwhelming. We are updating things — we can’t get into super detail about that — but we're updating visuals that are going to make the game feel more modern. And we have to balance that against creating new and exciting things and trying to ensure that we're changing things. And we're doing all of that right now. We're taking a hard look at zones. Traditionally, the zones looked more similar this last few years. And that's a point of feedback we hear often.</p><p>So what can we change? What can we do that's more exciting? Let's stay true to our roots, because we have a core group of players that love this game. But what can we do that they will love too? And that is going to be exciting and new. PVP Vengeance is a good example of that. We're looking at that really across the board.</p><p>It comes back to the players and ensuring that we continue to do the best that we can listen to the players. And a lot of it ultimately comes down to trust. When there's so many different games, so many different things that players can invest their precious free time, that's the most valuable thing that anyone can get. And there's so many different ways. It comes down to trust. And a lot of that comes down to can we do right by the players? Are we listening to them? Are we providing them what we need? And since we have such a diverse group of players, how do we hit all these different layer types to ensure that ESO continues to be a home for them and a place they want to return to.</p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> All that and make sure the technology's up to date. We made a lot of decisions in 2007 when we started building the game that, looking back on, maybe we shouldn't have done that. Hindsight's always… and I wouldn't change any of that. We wouldn't be where we are today if we didn't have all those stumbles and learnings. But technology has to change as well. We're updating the game, modernizing it, but there's also all of the technologies on the backend that have to be updated and changed as well. So yeah, it's a huge, huge undertaking.</p><p><strong>IGN: Well, you’re nearly halfway to 30!</strong></p><p><strong>Rich Lambert:</strong> I know, right? It's crazy!</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.</em></p></section>

The Elder Scrolls Online Devs Know Their MMO Is Scratching That Elder Scrolls Itch While Fans Wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 to Come Out

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 11:31:35 -0000

As the long, long wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 goes on, the developers of MMO The Elder Scrolls Online have seen players take to their game to scratch their Elder Scrolls itch. In fact, they even saw a player bump following the release of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets1.ignimgs.com/2019/06/17/5-es6-1560804827894.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>As the long, long wait for <a href="https://www.ign.com/games/the-elder-scrolls-vi">The Elder Scrolls 6</a> goes on, the developers of MMO <a href="https://www.ign.com/games/the-elder-scrolls-online">The Elder Scrolls Online</a> have seen players take to their game to scratch their Elder Scrolls itch. In fact, they even saw a player bump following the release of <a href="https://www.ign.com/games/the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-remastered">The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered</a>.</p><p>Remarkably, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim came out nearly 14 years ago, in November 2011. Its sequel, Skyrim, was officially announced with a teaser trailer at E3 2018 an eye-watering eight years ago. Yes, Skyrim has released on multiple platforms in the years in-between (so many in fact that it’s become a Bethesda meme), but there’s a tangible clamouring for a fresh Elder Scrolls experience.</p><p>Enter, The Elder Scrolls Online.</p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="the-elder-scrolls-6-teaser-e3-2018" data-loop=""></section><p>ESO launched in 2014 and struggled at first, but 11 years later it’s still here and continues to receive updates. The development team at ZeniMax Online Studios have survived multiple rounds of Microsoft layoffs, game shutdowns and studio closures, and recently reshuffled the game’s leadership team to help it survive another 20 years. A significant overhaul is planned.</p><p><a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/i-dont-think-its-much-of-a-stretch-for-the-game-to-go-30-years-the-elder-scrolls-online-developers-promise-big-changes-following-internal-shakeup">In an interview with IGN at gamescom 2025</a>, ESO game director Nick Giacomini and studio-wide director Rich Lambert said they’ve seen plenty of anecdotal evidence that suggests Elder Scrolls fans are playing ESO as a single-player game to help fill the void while they wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 to come out.</p><p>“We hear that a lot,” Lambert said. “It's really interesting over the years going to the various shows and community events, you hear that a lot, right? I can't tell you how many times I've answered the, ‘When's TES 6 coming?’ ‘What’s TES 6?’ ‘Tell me!’ And it’s like… That’s a different studio, right? But yes, people are super passionate about Elder Scrolls. For a lot of people, this has been their home because they love Elder Scrolls and they just want to play more of it, and we're able to provide that.”</p><p>According to Lambert, a lot of ESO players play the MMO like a single-player game, which it is well suited to after the developer tweaked how the game worked following its troubled launch.</p><p>“In the early days, at launch, we tried to walk this kind of tightrope where it was MMO and Elder Scrolls, and we didn't really hit either one particularly well,” Lambert explained.</p><p>“And when we decided we were going to make it Elder Scrolls first and then MMO second, that helped solve a lot of the problems. And we started to see the players coming in and saying, ‘Oh, you mean I can solo all of this stuff? Oh, I don't have to play with other players. They just happen to be there.’ And then you have these organic things that happen.</p><p>"There's a lot of people that play the game that way. And then there's a lot of people that just do housing or just PVP or just play the card game. We built on more systems to that over time, but at its core, a lot of players do play it like a single-player game.”</p><section data-transform="slideshow" data-slug="every-ign-elder-scrolls-review" data-value="every-ign-elder-scrolls-review" data-type="slug" data-caption=""></section><p>Bethesda released Oblivion Remastered earlier this year and it proved to be hugely popular. You’d think, then, that its release would have negatively impacted ESO’s player numbers. It did, for a while, Lambert revealed, but then player numbers were boosted after those who finished Oblivion Remastered were left hungry for more Elder Scrolls.</p><p>“The Oblivion Remaster was another big thing,” Lambert said. “That came out and we were like, ‘Okay, that's going to hit our numbers for a while.’ And there was a small blip and then the numbers went up. Kind of like the Fallout show. We were like, ‘Wow, this is cool. Right?’ So yeah, it's interesting."</p><p>Nick Giacomini added: “we saw a lot of new and lapsed players come back very quickly after [Oblivion Remastered], and it continued actually for quite some time. It was pretty exciting.”</p><p>So, ESO continues to benefit from the wait for The Elder Scrolls 6, but what’s the latest on the hugely anticipated game? The studio confirmed <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-6-officially-in-early-development-but-dont-expect-to-hear-about-it-soon"><u>The Elder Scrolls 6 had entered "early development" in August 2023</u></a>, and "early builds" were available in March 2024. The six year anniversary of the announcement arrived in June last year and even <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-6-teaser-is-now-6-years-old-and-even-todd-howard-paused-to-say-oh-wow-that-has-been-a-while"><u>Bethesda development chief Todd Howard paused to say, "oh wow, that has been a while."</u></a></p><p>In January this year, The Elder Scrolls 6’s June 10, 2018 announcement <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-6-announcement-is-now-as-old-as-skyrim-was-when-the-elder-scrolls-6-was-announced"><u>became as old as predecessor Skyrim was when The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced</u></a>. </p><p>The Elder Scrolls 6 was thought to be set for 2028 at the earliest, presumably on the next-generation of consoles as well as PC. If it does launch then, it’ll do so an incredible 17 years after Skyrim.</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.</em></p></section>

Amid Legal Drama Over $250 Million Bonus, New Developer Vlog Shows Work on Subnautica 2 Continues

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 10:01:46 -0000

Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds has dropped a new vlog showing work on the game continues amid the legal drama around a $250 million bonus.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/screenshot-2025-09-17-at-10-50-08-1758102619503.png"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p><a href="https://www.ign.com/games/subnautica-2"><u>Subnautica 2</u></a> developer Unknown Worlds has dropped a new vlog.</p><p>Offering a behind-the-scenes look at the all-new deep-sea predator, and "how the team has used Unreal Engine 5 AI for lifelike behavior, real-time reactions and tense encounters for players," the 10-minute <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1M4b6PneFk"><u>vlog</u></a> is one of the first development updates we've had since <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/subnautica-2-developers-entire-leadership-team-replaced-in-shock-move-krafton-said-will-bring-renewed-energy-and-momentum"><u>the studio's entire leadership was fired</u></a> amid a messy public falling out over a $250 million bonus from parent company, Krafton.</p><p>The update claims new giant squid-like predator Collector Leviathan represents "the next step in the franchise’s evolution with a creature that is both visually striking and powered by advanced AI to create tense, dynamic encounters." The video shows off the "aggressive" first encounter players will endure when they meet the enemy in Subnautica 2.</p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="subnautica-2-official-creating-the-collector-leviathan-developer-overview-video" data-loop=""></section><p>Here's the official blurb on the Collector Leviathan from Unknown Worlds:</p><blockquote>The latest developer vlog provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Collector Leviathan, from early concept art by Visual Development Lead Cory Strader to insights from the Unknown Worlds development team. This creature was designed to push boundaries of immersion and threat in Subnautica 2.</blockquote><ul><li><strong>Aggressive First Encounter: </strong>The Collector Leviathan is the first hostile leviathan players will meet in Subnautica 2.</li><li><strong>Responsive AI: </strong>Powered by Unreal Engine 5 behavior trees and stimulus systems, it reacts to light, sound, and player actions in real time.</li><li><strong>Lifelike Movement: </strong>Fully simulated tentacle animation creates more natural and unpredictable interactions.</li><li><strong>Immersive Combat Design: </strong>A terrifying roar and powerful shockwave attacks amplify the sense of danger.</li></ul><p>Antonio Muñoz Gallego, AI designer for the creature, said: “The Collector Leviathan is not just a monster that blindly attacks players. It is an intelligent and highly threatening deep-sea lifeform that actively reacts to player behavior and pursues them.” He added: “Our main goal with our creatures was to make them feel reactive, so the Leviathan is constantly re-evaluating the situation in real time. To achieve that, we use Unreal Engine 5 behavior trees and our AI stimulus system.”</p><p>The vlog will be a welcome update for Subnautica fans. For months now, most coverage about the game has concerned the painful breakdown between Unknown Worlds' founders and Krafton, which<a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/pubg-parent-company-buys-subnautica-studio"><u> acquired Unknown Worlds in October 2021</u></a>. Over the summer, reports came to light that Subnautica 2's early access release was delayed to 2026 just months before Krafton was due to pay <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/more-drama-in-the-murky-world-of-subnautica-2-as-official-delay-confirmation-comes-hot-on-the-heels-of-damaging-report-into-now-unlikely-250m-bonus"><u>a $250 million bonus to the development team</u></a> "against the wishes of the studio’s former leadership."</p><p>Most recently, <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/krafton-responds-to-ex-subnautica-2-leads-lawsuit-saying-they-resorted-to-litigation-to-demand-a-payday-they-havent-earned"><u>Krafton issued a response to the lawsuit filed by former leads of Subnautica 2</u></a>, Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, offering rebuttals to the developers' claims and alleging they "resorted to litigation to demand a multimillion-dollar payout they haven't earned."</p><p>Then, last month, Unknown Worlds itself sued Cleveland, former CEO Ted Gill, and studio co-founder Max McGuire for allegedly stealing game design files shortly before they were fired.</p><p>It's worth noting that now Hollow Knight: Silksong has come out, Subnautica 2 is the most wishlisted game on Steam, which suggests that despite all the legal drama surrounding the game, there's huge interest in it. That's perhaps little surprise given how big a hit Subnautica was, but it will be interesting to see how fan reception evolves as the sequel gets closer to launch.</p><p>Subnautica 2’s Early Access release was recently delayed to 2026.</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at </em><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/vixx.bsky.social"><em>BlueSky</em></a><em>.</em></p></section>

Escape From Tarkov Players Will Have To Buy The Game Again If They Want to Play It On Steam

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:27:36 -0000

Escape from Tarkov fans have criticized Battlestate Games after the developer confirmed players will be required to repurchase the full game if they want to play it on Steam.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/17/eft-1758101130934.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p><a href="https://www.ign.com/games/escape-from-tarkov"><u>Escape from Tarkov</u></a> fans have criticized Battlestate Games after the developer confirmed players will be required to repurchase the full game if they want to play it on Steam.</p><p>The tactical extraction shooter released in early access back in 2017 and recently confirmed it's finally moving to version 1.0 on <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/extraction-shooter-escape-from-tarkov-finally-has-a-10-release-date-8-years-after-initial-launch"><u>November 15, 2025</u></a>. Alongside side the 1.0 launch, Escape from Tarkov is finally coming to Steam. </p><p>However, a quick study of Escape from Tarkov's <a href="https://www.escapefromtarkov.com/support/knowledge/542"><u>FAQs</u></a> reveals that even those who've been playing the shooter through its bespoke launcher for years "must purchase" the game again if they'd like to add it to their Steam libraries.</p><p>"To play Escape from Tarkov through Steam, you must purchase any edition of the game on Steam," the FAQ explains. "You can then link your existing Battlestate Games account with an active copy of the game to your Steam profile. If the editions differ, it will automatically use the higher edition of the two when launching the game through Steam."</p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="escape-from-tarkov-official-version-10-release-date-trailer" data-loop=""></section><p>While players will continue to be able to play via Battlestate's own launcher, some fans have slammed the developer for not providing free Steam keys, particularly as both Steam and launcher players will share the same servers, and all players, regardless of platform, require a Battlestate account. </p><p>"There are no excuses for buying an extra Steam copy just to play from an existing account," <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/EscapefromTarkov/comments/1nikisx/there_are_no_excuses_for_buying_an_extra_steam/"><u>said</u></a> one player. "The developer has the tools to hand out Steam keys to players who already own the game outside Steam as the developers of Path of Exile 2 did etc."</p><p>"This is pretty scummy," one player <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/EscapefromTarkov/comments/1nikisx/comment/nejix7k/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button"><u>wrote</u></a>, while another <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/EscapefromTarkov/comments/1nikisx/comment/nenr062/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button"><u>said</u></a>: "Holy s**t. BSG has absolutely zero respect for their fans."</p><p>One <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/EscapefromTarkov/comments/1nikisx/comment/nejjh2c/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button"><u>comment</u></a> that has had hundreds of upvotes said: "it might be reasonable if there WASN'T account linking that took place, [or] if you bought on Steam, you had to register as a brand new account with whatever version you purchased. The fact that you can link an existing account and it automatically upgrades to the higher version is what doesn't sit right with me. You drop $30 for the Standard Edition just to link and upgrade to your $120 [Edge of Darkness edition]? You're just buying in to play your account on Steam at that point."</p><p>"There's droves of people who have been waiting for years to have a place to put their grievances where it might actually matter to do so," <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/EscapefromTarkov/comments/1nikisx/comment/nemz7j0/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button"><u>suggested</u></a> one player. "No doubt, the moment that players have the opportunity to leave a Steam review, they're going to. However, you can't leave a Steam review on a game you don't own. Therefore, any of the many long-time players that have been repeatedly burned by [the developer] are not likely to spend any more money on his dogs**t. Therefore, the only reviews will be from new players that get the full 1.0 experience, without all the years of disappointment behind it."</p><p>"I don't get why people act surprised all of a sudden," <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/EscapefromTarkov/comments/1nikisx/comment/nejo8v5/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button"><u>said</u></a> someone else. "And knowing how toxic and hateful this community has become over the years, if they handed free keys to everyone, the reviews would instantly get thrown into a s**tstorm of hate even from people who haven't played in a few years."</p><p>Others are reminding those upset players that anyone can <a href="https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/4B8B-9697-2338-40EC"><u>add non-Steam games to their Steam library</u></a>, although, obviously, this is just a shortcut and doesn't unlock any Steam features like achievements. The developer has yet to respond publicly to the backlash.</p><p><a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/latest-escape-from-tarkov-wipe-stirs-up-emotive-responses-from-fans-and-devs-alike">Players were similarly unhappy when July's Hardcore Wipe introduced big changes to the game</a>, buffing the challenge and removing quests and maps. This wipe was particularly brutal as Tarkov also now boasts slower progression and tougher difficulty, making it harder for players to recover their pre-wipe status and inventory.</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at </em><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/vixx.bsky.social"><em>BlueSky</em></a><em>.</em></p></section>

'Stop Removing the Modern Day!' Assassin's Creed Fans React as Black Flag Remake Reportedly Cuts Everything Outside the Animus

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:14:56 -0000

Assassin's Creed fans are reacting with disappointment after a new report on Ubisoft's long-expected Black Flag remake has stated that the game will no longer contain any modern day gameplay.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets2.ignimgs.com/2013/12/10/ac4mpdlc13jpg-e970bb.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>Assassin's Creed fans are reacting with disappointment after a new report on Ubisoft's long-expected Black Flag remake has stated that the game will no longer contain any modern day gameplay.</p><p>The report, published by French outlet <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qngrBQnukFc">Jeuxvideo</a>, states that all of Black Flag's modern day sections have been removed from the upcoming piratical remake, which is currently set to launch in 2026. </p><p>In the original <a href="https://www.ign.com/games/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag">Assassin's Creed: Black Flag</a>, players occasionally pop out of the Animus to explore the offices of Abstergo Entertainment, unlocking clues to how the story of pirate Edward Kenway is tied to the series' overarching modern day narrative.</p><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="assassins-creed-4-black-flag-xbox-one-review-commentary" data-loop=""></section><p>Ubisoft is reportedly adding extra content from Kenway's pirate era to make up the lost gameplay hours (including additional story for his fellow pirate Mary Read that never made into the base game, which would indeed be welcome).</p><p>Other changes for the remake include overhauled combat and gear systems that act closer to other more modern Assassin's Creed games. </p><p>Overall, though, the excision of Black Flag's modern day portions looks to be the most noteworthy change — and one that is not going down well with some fans, especially after the threadbare modern day storyline in Assassin's Creed Shadows.</p><p>"I hope it's not true that they removed the modern day sections," wrote havewelost6388, in a long <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/1nin65z/new_details_on_the_assassins_creed_black_flag/">reddit</a> thread discussing the report. "Without the modern day storyline and ancient aliens sci-fi stuff, modern AC games are just Witcher 3 clones with stealth mechanics."</p><p>"They need to stop removing modern day content," added ZeroZelath. "It's honestly one of my favorite parts and that stems from the earlier games. I was actually looking forward to it in Shadows after how Valhalla ended but then... Shadows had literally nothing. It was such a big disappointment on that front. Like genuinely, the modern day stuff is part of how the franchise works so it should always be present in some form and be telling an overarching story."</p><p>"Omg, Ubisoft! STOP REMOVING THE MODERN DAY SEGMENTS!!!" added kamuigui. "The best of the series is the fact that was very clear that we were in a simulation!"</p><section data-transform="slideshow" data-slug="the-art-of-assassins-creed-4-black-flag" data-value="the-art-of-assassins-creed-4-black-flag" data-type="slug" data-caption=""></section><p>As well as adding to Assassin's Creed's overarching story, the modern day sections in Black Flag tie closely into the narrative of Kenway's historical quest — leading some fans to question how Ubisoft will handle the lack of wider context.</p><p>"Wouldn’t removing the modern day scenes remove a pretty big part of the story regarding the sage?" questioned Ari441. </p><p>"I don’t see how you can do the story without the modern day stuff tying it all together," Pizzaplanet420 added. "The ending of the game [in the modern day] is literally the bookend to the entire story..."</p><p>Of course, delving back into the series' previous modern day storyline featuring long-term antagonist Juno would require a bit of re-explaining at this point — but considering how that storyline ended up being dropped and concluded in a spin-off comic, this could have been a good opportunity to do more there.</p><p>Ubisoft is yet to formally announce its highly-anticipated Black Flag remake, though its existence is an open secret after <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/ubisoft-ceo-confirms-multiple-assassins-creed-remakes-are-on-the-way">years of leaks</a> — including <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/assassins-creed-edward-kenway-actor-alleges-ubisoft-threatened-to-sue-him-for-hinting-at-black-flag-remake">from the voice actor behind Edward Kenway himself</a>, as well as a <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/assassins-creed-black-flag-remake-rumors-swirl-as-collectible-maker-admits-there-is-something-going-on">company making collectible figurines for the game</a>. IGN has contacted Ubisoft for more.</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky </em><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/tomphillipseg.bsky.social">@tomphillipseg.bsky.social</a></p></section>

Mario Tennis Fever Is Up for Preorder, Out February 12

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 23:30:28 -0000

Everything you need to know to preorder Mario Tennis Fever, set to release exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 in early 2026.

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/16/untitled-design-1758033433629.png"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>Mario Tennis Fever is set to release exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on February 12, 2026. Announced during the Mario 40th anniversary portion of the <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-direct-september-2025-live-updates-everything-announced">September Nintendo Direct</a>, the game features a new Fever Shot mechanic, 30 Fever Rackets, and 38 playable characters – the most of any game in the series to date. It’s now available to preorder for $69.99 at all the usual retailers (<a href="https://zdcs.link/Qxxq2Y">see it at Amazon</a>). Read on to see what this game is, where you can buy it, and more.</p><h2 data-toc-title="Preorder the game">Preorder Mario Tennis Fever</h2><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="75255c66-69af-4a58-89e1-af596336df95" data-id="228129"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="75255c66-69af-4a58-89e1-af596336df95" data-id="228129" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><p></p><ul><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/Qxxq2Y">Get it at Amazon</a> - $69.99</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/zj7MDv">Get it at Best Buy</a> - $69.99</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/z31kLK">Get it at GameStop</a> - $69.99</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/QKqln8">Get it at Target</a> - $69.99</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/zn58gx">Get it at Walmart</a> - $69.00</li><li><a href="https://zdcs.link/9ZMDrP">Get it at eShop (digital)</a> - $69.99</li></ul><p>There aren’t any special editions for this one, so the standard edition is all you get. Note that, as with all first-party Nintendo Switch 2 games released so far, the full game is included on the cartridge.</p></section><h3 data-toc-title="Is there a preorder bonus?">Mario Tennis Fever Preorder Bonus?</h3><p>So far, no preorder bonuses have been announced for Mario Tennis Fever. If that changes, I’ll update this section.</p><h2 data-toc-title="What is this game?">What Is Mario Tennis Fever?</h2><section data-transform="ignvideo" data-slug="mario-tennis-fever-official-trailer-nintendo-direct" data-loop=""></section><p><a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/mario-tennis-fever-announced-for-switch-2-at-nintendo-direct">Mario Tennis Fever</a> is the latest in a series of Mario-themed tennis games dating back to the Game Boy era, and the first since Mario Tennis Aces arrived on the original Switch in 2018. Fever brings back familiar shots like topspins, slices, and lobs, but introduces some new defensive maneuvers like slides and dives to help you whack the ball back across the court.</p><p>Keeping rallies going builds up your Fever Gauge. Once full, you can unleash a powerful Fever Shot with an augmented effect based on the Fever Racket you have equipped. You can create an icy spot under your opponent with an Ice Racket, shrink your opponent with the Mini Mushroom Racket, and create a shadow self to play beside with the Shadow Racket. </p><p>The game has numerous modes to play, including a competitive Tournament mode and a Trial Towers mode that has you complete various objectives during matches. Then there’s Mix-It-Up mode, which introduces new rules as you play. That mode also includes Wonder Flowers you can touch to get some trippy additions to the court. There’s also an elaborate-looking Adventure mode that involves the baby versions of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Wario, and Waluigi re-learning how to play the game. It looks pretty silly, in a fun way.</p><p>Online, you can play casual matches against opponents in the Online Room, or you can choose to play in Ranked Matches. And if you’re feeling nostalgic for the Wii era, you can also swing your Joy-Con 2 to hit the ball.</p><h3 data-toc-title="More preorder guides">Other Preorder Guides</h3><p>Looking for what games are now available to buy? Check out our guide to all of the <a href="https://ign.com/articles/every-new-switch-2-game-preorder-from-the-september-2025-nintendo-direct">Switch 2 game preorders now live</a> after the September Nintendo Direct.</p><p><section data-transform="commerce-deal" data-slug="other-preorder-guides" data-type="list"></section></p><aside><h3>How to Follow IGN Deals Recommendations</h3><p>The IGN Deals team has over 30 years of combined experience finding the best discounts and preorders available online. If you want the latest updates from our trusted team, here’s how to follow our coverage:</p><ul><li>Sign up for <a href="https://secure.campaigner.com/CSB/Public/Form.aspx?fid=1905567&ac=g71x"><u>our IGN Deals Newsletter</u></a></li><li>Set IGN as a <a href="https://zdcs.link/aoGB0A"><u>preferred source in Google</u></a></li><li>Follow us on social media<ul><li><a href="https://x.com/IGNDeals"><u>IGN Deals on X</u></a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/igndeals/?hl=en"><u>IGN Deals on Instagram</u></a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/IGNDeals/"><u>IGN Deals on Facebook</u></a></li><li><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ign_deals"><u>IGN Deals on Tiktok</u></a></li></ul></li></ul></aside><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on </em><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chrislreed.com"><em>Bluesky</em></a><em>.</em></p></section>

The Best Deals Today: Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, Charlie Brown Vinyl, and More

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 19:55:00 -0000

As of September 16, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is up for preorder on Switch, PS5, and Xbox. Amazon also has deals on Lisen USB-C cables ($5.30), INIU’s 20,000mAh portable charger ($35.98), the Charlie Brown Christmas Zoetrope vinyl ($32.99), and the Lexar 512GB Play PRO microSD Express card ($119.99).

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/16/feature-image-26-1758023182889.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>Looking to stretch your gaming and entertainment budget, today’s lineup of deals and preorders has something for just about everyone. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is officially up for preorder on <a href="https://zdcs.link/QKqbyD">Switch</a>, <a href="https://zdcs.link/z31XJR">Switch 2</a>, <a href="https://zdcs.link/Qp4Rbg">PS5</a>, and<a href="https://zdcs.link/zj7wJp"> Xbox Series X|S</a>, giving longtime fans a fresh way to experience the classic RPG ahead of its February 2026 release. Meanwhile, Amazon is offering steep savings on everyday essentials like the <a href="https://zdcs.link/QxxpZx">Lisen 240W USB-C cable two-pack for just $5.30</a> and the <a href="https://zdcs.link/QGroq8">INIU 20,000mAh 65W portable charger for $35.98</a>—two picks that make charging your gear easier at home or on the go.</p><h2 data-toc-title="TL;DR: Deals For Today">TL;DR: Deals For Today</h2><section data-transform="catalog-carousel" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-items="[228115,228116,228117,228118,228119,228120,228121,228122,227999,228000,228001,228002,228003,228004,228005,228006,228007,228008,228009,228010,228020,228021,228022,228023,228024,228025,228026,228027,228028,228029,228030,228031,228032,228033,228034,228035,228036,228037,228038,228039,228040,228041,228042,228043,228044,228045,228046,228047,228048,228049,228050,228051,228052,228053]" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted-item="null"></section><p>On the collectible side, the<a href="https://zdcs.link/z7MYwG"> 60th Anniversary edition of A Charlie Brown Christmas</a> is available for preorder in a limited Zoetrope vinyl release, complete with spinning Peanuts animations that bring the music to life. And for handheld gamers looking to boost storage and speed, the<a href="https://zdcs.link/9wjZPb"> Lexar 512GB Play PRO microSD Express card</a> is back in stock at $119.99, with blazing-fast read and write speeds that make it a strong match for the Nintendo Switch 2. From gaming classics to holiday nostalgia, today’s mix of deals and preorders is stacked with solid finds.</p><h2>Anycubic Kobra 3 3D Printer with Multi-filament Printing for $232</h2><p><em><strong>Eligible for </strong></em><a href="https://www.retailmenot.com/landing/aliexpress.us?featured_offer=VJMUXNLPIRDBNOBKUEQHWCRVPY"><em><strong>Retailmenot's 30% cashback sitewide</strong></em></a><em><strong> offer</strong></em></p><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="36a3b9f5-2ced-42c2-8fd0-f4fa3b4e7cdd" data-id="227350"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="36a3b9f5-2ced-42c2-8fd0-f4fa3b4e7cdd" data-id="227350" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><p>Here's a great opportunity to pick up a fully featured 3D printer for a supremely low price. AliExpress via Anycubic's official store is currently offering the <a href="https://zdcs.link/91jxBw">Anycubic Kobra 3 3D Printer Combo</a> – which also includes the Anycubic Ace Pro Multi-Color Printer Module – for just $232.08 after you apply coupon code: "<strong>USDEAL56</strong>". A similar model (the V2 version) sells for <a href="https://zdcs.link/QLMVgm">$400 on Amazon</a>. This is a phenomenal deal for a 3D printer, let alone one that also includes the multi-printing module that normally sells for $200+ by itself. The affordable price makes this a great first choice for newcomers to the world of 3D printing, but there are enough features here to satisfy the seasoned professonal.</p></section><h2 data-toc-title="DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined">DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined Preorders</h2><section data-transform="catalog-carousel" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-items="[228120,228121,228119,228122]" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted-item="null"></section><p>Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is now up for preorder on Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, ahead of its February 5, 2026 release. This reimagined classic brings Akira Toriyama’s character designs into a vivid diorama-style world, blending familiar charm with fresh visuals. Players will travel through time by piecing together ancient stone fragments, restoring lost islands, and uncovering mysteries that shape the present. With streamlined storytelling, revamped turn-based combat, and the new Moonlighting mechanic that lets you level two vocations at once, it’s designed to feel both nostalgic and modern. Preordering also nets early buyers a special Hero costume and bonus items to start the adventure.</p><h2 data-toc-title="LISEN for iPhone 17 Charger Cord">LISEN for iPhone 17 Charger Cord</h2><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-id="228115"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-id="228115" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><p>Amazon has a solid back-to-school deal on the Lisen 6.6ft 240W USB-C cable two-pack, now just $5.30 with code YK4MDIC5. That works out to about $2.80 per cable—far less than the $10 or more you’d typically pay in stores. Each cable supports up to 240W of power delivery, making them strong enough to charge laptops as well as phones, tablets, and even the Nintendo Switch 2. At 6.6 feet, they’re a handy length for everyday use, and the braided nylon design adds durability. With over 3,800 reviews averaging 4.6 stars, this is an easy way to stock up on reliable USB-C chargers without spending much.</p></section><h2 data-toc-title="INIU Portable Charger">INIU Portable Charger</h2><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-id="228116"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-id="228116" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><p>INIU 20,000mAh 65W portable charger is down to $35.98 (20% off) at Amazon, making it a smart pickup if you need reliable power on the go. With enough juice to fully charge a MacBook Pro 14" at top speed, it’s also great for phones, tablets, and handhelds like the Steam Deck. Three output ports let you charge multiple devices at once, and the compact design even includes a built-in phone stand for streaming while you recharge. Backed by a 3-year warranty and holding a 4.5-star average from over 3,300 reviews, this power bank balances speed, capacity, and durability at a solid price.</p></section><h2 data-toc-title="A Charlie Brown Christmas (60th Anni">A Charlie Brown Christmas (60th Anniversary) [Zoetrope LP]</h2><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-id="228117"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-id="228117" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><p>The 60th Anniversary edition of A Charlie Brown Christmas is now available in a limited-edition Zoetrope picture disc vinyl for $32.99 at Amazon. This collectible release celebrates both the 75th anniversary of Peanuts and the 60th anniversary of the holiday special, featuring iconic Vince Guaraldi Trio tracks like Linus and Lucy, Skating, and Christmas Time Is Here. The two-sided Zoetrope vinyl showcases animated holiday scenes that come to life as it spins, making it as much a display piece as it is a listening experience</p></section><h2 data-toc-title="Lexar 512GB Play PRO microSD Express">Lexar 512GB Play PRO microSD Express Card</h2><section data-transform="catalog-item-wrapper" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-id="228118"><section data-transform="catalog-item" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-id="228118" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted="false"></section><p>Lexar 512GB Play PRO microSD Express card is built for serious handheld gaming, with read speeds up to 900MB/s and write speeds up to 600MB/s. That’s about four times faster than a standard UHS-I microSD, meaning quicker load times and faster downloads for your Nintendo Switch 2, Steam Deck, or ASUS ROG Ally. With 512GB of storage, there’s plenty of space for a large game library, and it’s backwards compatible with UHS-I and UHS-II devices for flexibility. At $119.99, it’s a future-proof pick for anyone who wants top performance and room to grow, backed by a limited lifetime warranty.</p></section><h2 data-toc-title="Featured in this article">Pokémon TCG Price Watch</h2><section data-transform="catalog-carousel" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-items="[228034,228035,228036,228037,228038,228039,228040,228041,228042,228043,228044,228045,228046,228047,228048,228049,228050,228051,228052,228053]" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted-item="null"></section><p>If you’re looking to stock up on sealed Pokémon TCG product, TCGPlayer remains the most reliable place for market-low pricing across the board. The vast majority of booster packs, tins, and trainer boxes are sitting cheaper there than on Amazon, often by $5-$15. </p><p>Bundles like the<a href="https://zdcs.link/av3rj0"> White Flare Binder Collection</a> and the S<a href="https://zdcs.link/ao6WqY">hining Fates Collection Pikachu V Box</a> are up to $40 off, deals that everyone should be snapping up right now. It’s worth keeping an eye on these dips, since Amazon tends to fluctuate prices more often than dedicated TCG retailers.</p><h2 data-toc-title="Featured in this article">Pokémon TCG Below Market Value</h2><section data-transform="catalog-carousel" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-items="[228042,228043,228045,228050,228051,228052]" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted-item="null"></section><p>While TCGPlayer is often the go-to marketplace for low Pokémon TCG prices, a handful of sealed products are currently cheaper on Amazon, making them below market value and worth grabbing. Right now, the <a href="https://zdcs.link/QPVYkD">Black Bolt Booster Bundle is available for $50.01 on Amazon</a>, while the <a href="https://zdcs.link/aeKMY5">White Flare Booster Bundle has dipped under $46</a>. </p><p>Collectors looking for nostalgic sets can also snag the <a href="https://zdcs.link/QbMmOe">Team Rocket Tin at $41.24,</a> or the <a href="https://zdcs.link/QxxqjY">Paradox Pokémon Stacking Tin at $26.32</a>. Even seasonal products like the <a href="https://zdcs.link/9wjq3N">Trick or Trade BOOster Bundle (2024)</a> are under market at $21.22, and the <a href="https://zdcs.link/QOgXrE">Unova Mini Tin</a> rounds out the list at just $19.99. </p><h2 data-toc-title="Featured in this article">Invest In Silver Tempest Now</h2><section data-transform="catalog-carousel" data-catalogid="0718c0e2-3a8d-4f92-b85d-3b7cc233a6b0" data-items="[227899,227900,227901,227902,227903,227904,227905,227906,227907,227908,227909,227910,227911,227912,227913,227914,227915,227916,227917]" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted-item="null"></section><p>Silver Tempest has proven to be one of the most collector-driven sets of the Sword and Shield era, with prices pulled between nostalgia, competitive play, and limited supply. The clear winner is Lugia V (Alternate Full Art) 186/195, which has surged 68% since July to $427, cementing itself as the set’s chase card. </p><p>Trainer Gallery standouts like Rayquaza VMAX TG20/TG30 and Blaziken VMAX TG15/TG30 have also doubled or tripled in value thanks to strong artwork and nostalgia, while even Lugia VSTAR continues climbing on competitive strength. At the same time, cards like Regidrago V (Alternate Art) and Alolan Vulpix VSTAR have cooled as the meta shifted away from them, with values slipping back toward the $12–$14 range. </p><h2 data-toc-title="Snag Classic Mega Evolution Cards">Snag Classic Mega Evolution Cards Before Market Rise</h2><section data-transform="catalog-carousel" data-catalogid="f8278802-1d02-4310-805c-411a5ea42ea0" data-items="[227674,227675,227676,227677,227678,227679,227680,227681,227682,227683]" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted-item="null"></section><p>The market for XY-era Mega Evolution Pokémon cards is heating up fast ahead of Pokémon Legends: Z-A and the upcoming Mega Evolution TCG set. Collectors aren’t waiting for modern reprints, they’re chasing the originals, and prices are showing it. Some cards have exploded in value, while others have steadied after sharp climbs, creating both momentum plays and entry points for buyers. Leading the surge is M Rayquaza EX (Shiny Full Art - Ancient Origins), which has skyrocketed over 426% this year, from $275 in January to $1,450 today. </p><p>M Gengar EX (Secret Rare - Phantom Forces) isn’t far behind, up nearly fivefold to $415, cementing its place as one of the most sought-after Megas. Other heavy-hitters include M Rayquaza EX (Full Art - Roaring Skies), now at $656, M Charizard EX (X - Flashfire) climbing past $349, and Primal Groudon EX (Shiny Full Art), which has more than doubled to $349. These climbers show how nostalgia, unique mechanics, and iconic artwork are driving a collector frenzy.</p><p>But not every Mega Evolution is running away in price. Some cards have plateaued after strong early-year gains, leaving a rare buying window before the next spike. M Mewtwo EX (Full Art - BREAKthrough) climbed from $37 to $145 but has leveled off in recent weeks, while M Alakazam EX (Full Art - Fates Collide) sits steady just under $100 after jumping from $28 earlier this year. </p><p>Even Charizard is showing signs of cooling, M Charizard EX (Generations) and M Charizard EX (Full Art - Evolutions) have tripled since January but are holding in the $190-$200 range for now. These pauses don’t signal weakness; rather, they reflect consolidation before the broader Mega Evolution wave hits with new set releases. For collectors and investors, the message is clear: the grails are climbing fast, but the plateaued cards may be the smarter pickups before Mega hype takes over the market again.</p><h2 data-toc-title="Featured in this article">Crown Zenith Prices Are Rising</h2><section data-transform="catalog-carousel" data-catalogid="20bf2e16-bbd4-425e-8247-f75f06ae8321" data-items="[227398,227399,227400,227401,227402,227403,227404,227405,227406,227407]" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted-item="null"></section><p>The Crown Zenith market has been showing two very different stories this month. On one hand, several Galarian Gallery Ultra Rares are slipping as hype fades, with fan-favorites like Leafeon VSTAR and Suicune V dropping more than 20% from their peaks. </p><p>On the other hand, the gold Secret Rares are climbing steadily, led by Giratina VSTAR and Arceus VSTAR, as collectors chase the scarce, high-end pieces of the set. This split reflects a maturing market: casual collectors are less interested in mid-tier Eeveelutions and V cards, while serious players and investors are doubling down on the big four golds.</p><p>Among the crashers, Leafeon VSTAR has fallen from nearly $50 to the $43 range, and Glaceon VSTAR is down 26% since February, hovering in the mid-$30s. Deoxys VMAX has slipped under $37, while Suicune V and Raikou V both lost more than a quarter of their value since spring. These are still striking artworks, but set fatigue and limited competitive relevance are pushing prices down. </p><p>Meanwhile, the climbers are commanding all the attention. Giratina VSTAR (Secret) has surged nearly 20% since July to $180, making it the definitive chase of Crown Zenith. Mewtwo VSTAR is also up more than 30% this summer, with its Charizard battle artwork driving collector demand. Rounding out the gains, Arceus VSTAR, Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR, and Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR are all trending higher as well, thanks to their powerful abilities and limited supply. Taken together, the set still holds broad collector appeal, but it’s clear the market is consolidating around the golden Secret Rares as the safest long-term holds.</p><h2 data-toc-title="First Party Switch 2 Preorders">First Party Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders</h2><section data-transform="catalog-carousel" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-items="[227999,228000,228001,228002,228003,228004,228005,228006,228007,228008,228009]" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted-item="null"></section><p>Nintendo’s 2025 first-party lineup is shaping up to be one of its strongest in years. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is set to arrive in October, followed closely by Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 bundled together for Switch 2. </p><p>Then in December, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond lands with its own set of new amiibo figures, alongside Kirby’s big return in Kirby Air Riders. Between new entries in cornerstone franchises and fresh collectible amiibo launches, fans will have plenty to keep their Switch 2 libraries stocked through the holidays.</p><h2 data-toc-title="Third Party Switch 2 Preorders">Third Party Switch 2 Preorders</h2><section data-transform="catalog-carousel" data-catalogid="66aa2722-9b60-46d8-8eb9-26f80cc45c7f" data-items="[228010,228020,228021,228022,228023,228025,228024,228026,228027,228028,228029,228030,228031,228032,228033]" data-show-pricing="true" data-highlighted-item="null"></section><p>The third-party slate for Switch 2 is just as impressive, with several big franchises making the jump to the new hardware. Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection launches in December with a full set of classic fighters, while Borderlands 4 and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake hit this fall. </p><p>Beyond that, titles like Hades II, Octopath Traveler 0, and Cronos round out the lineup for RPG fans. Whether you’re into fighters, shooters, or sprawling JRPGs, the Switch 2’s preorder catalog already feels packed, and today’s deals cover every one of them.</p><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.</em></p></section>

Hollow Knight: Silksong Walkthrough and Progression Guide (Updated!)

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 19:00:00 -0000

We are documenting the maze-like Pharloom in great detail. Join us!

<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/16/silksong-walkthrough-promo-1758049425918.jpg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>Our expert Hollow Knight players are hard at work adventuring through the depths of Pharloom to unearth everything Silksong has to offer, updating <a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Walkthrough"><strong>IGN's Hollow Knight: Silksong Walkthrough</strong></a> as they go. While it's still in Act 1, we still have you covered with our latest findings, along with the recommended Silksong progression route to get the most out of the game.</p><p>Here's every Silksong main quest and Wish (side quests) that we recommend doing, <strong>in the order we recommend</strong>, so far. The newest ones are at the bottom. </p><aside><p><strong>Don't forget to use</strong> <a href="https://www.ign.com/maps/hollow-knight-silksong/pharloom"><strong>our Silksong interactive map</strong></a>! It's an essential tool, helping you track exact locations for quests, items, bosses, and more. You can use the filters to help find exactly what you're looking for and the checklists to track your progress.</p><section data-transform="image-with-caption" data-image-url="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/09/16/hollow-knight-silksong-interactive-map-1758043416859.jpg" data-image-title="A screenshot of IGN's Silksong interactive map." data-image-class="article-image-full-size" data-image-link="https://www.ign.com/maps/hollow-knight-silksong/pharloom" data-caption="Click%20on%20the%20image%20above%20to%20go%20to%20IGN%26%2339%3Bs%20Silksong%20interactive%20map!" /></section></aside><h2>Silksong Act 1 Progression Guide and Boss Fights</h2><p>The latest walkthrough updates start you off on your adventure across Pharloom as it helps you through the beginning of Act 1, passing through The Marrow, Deep Docks, and Far Fields. We'll update this list with more Walkthrough updates as soon as possible. </p><ul><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Moss_Grotto_(Tutorial)_Walkthrough">Moss Grotto (Tutorial) Walkthrough</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Moss_Mother_Boss_Guide">Moss Mother Boss Guide</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/The_Marrow_Walkthrough">The Marrow Walkthrough</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Moorwing_Boss_Guide">Moorwing Boss Guide</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Silkspear">Silkspear</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Bell_Beast_Boss_Guide">Bell Beast Boss Guide</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Deep_Docks_Walkthrough">Deep Docks Walkthrough</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Lace_Boss_Guide">Lace Boss Guide</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Far_Fields_Walkthrough">Far Fields Walkthrough</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Flexile_Spines">Flexile Spines Wish</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Fourth_Chorus_Boss_Guide">Fourth Chorus Boss Guide</a></li></ul><p></p><p><strong>During Act 1, there are a handful of Wishes and items you can hunt down for rewards, and despite being mostly optional, some of them are very important! We recommend the following:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Lost_Flea_Locations">The Lost Fleas</a> - Collecting the first set of these allows you to skip a pretty tough boss fight.</li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Flexile_Spines">Flexile Spines</a> - Unlocks an essential upgrade you need to progress.</li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Volatile_Flintbeetles">Volatile Flintbeetles</a> - Gives you an item needed to unlock more Crest slots.</li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Mask_Shard_(Health_Upgrade)_Locations">Mask Shard (Health Upgrade) Locations</a> - Survive longer by collecting these!</li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/How_to_Get_the_Wanderer_Crest">How to Get the Wanderer Crest</a> - Essential if you're struggling with pogo-ing/bouncing on seed pods, flower buds, etc.</li></ul><p></p><p><strong>If you're just starting out in Silksong, we have guides to help, whether it's tracking down a specific item or Ability, or simply wanting to learn about core mechanics. We recommend the following guides for beginners:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Essential_Tips_and_Tricks">Essential Tips and Tricks</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/How_to_Unlock_the_Map">How to Unlock the Map</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/How_to_Get_Rosary_Beads">How to Get Rosary Beads</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/How_to_Defeat_the_Skull_Ant_Miniboss_Early">How to Defeat the Skull Ant Miniboss Early</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Simple_Keys">Simple Keys</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ign.com/wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/List_of_Tools">List of Tools</a></li></ul><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she's not working, you can find her playing an RPG or cuddling her corgi.</em></p></section>

New Elder Scrolls Online co-lead says studio 'really doesn't use' generative AI

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:51:25 -0000

Amidst reports of differing approaches to adopting generative AI at Compulsion Games and King, another Xbox-owned studio shares its stance regarding the Microsoft AI mandate.

Sony fires Ghost of Yotei artist after posts joking about Charlie Kirk killing

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 16:30:32 -0000

Senior artist Drew Harrison 'is no longer an employee' of Sony Interactive Entertainment subsidiary Sucker Punch Productions after they joked about the murder of Charlie Kirk.

Devs are more worried than ever that generative AI will lower the quality of games

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:40:40 -0000

Developers who were on the fence about the impact of generative AI on game quality are growing pessimistic.

Godot 4.5 ushers in accessibility features, including screen reader support

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 13:55:26 -0000

Godot has integrated AccessKit to provide new accessibility tools for UI toolkits.

Asset marketplace Fab is now accessible in the Epic Games Launcher

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 11:08:05 -0000

Epic said the move will help simplify workflows.

Valve just made it easier for Steam devs to assess the impact of discounts

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 10:16:58 -0000

Discount history pages have been updated to integrate revenue and unit data for individual price cuts.

'It's done when it's done:' Balatro developer Localthunk says crunch is never the answer

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 13:18:37 -0000

Who'd have thunk it?

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is Nintendo's next big transmedia swing

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:39:54 -0000

The kinda-sorta-sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie finally has a name.

Ubisoft continues layoffs after billion-dollar investment, is Saudi Arabia financing an Assassin's Creed expansion, and how do you solve a problem like Silksong? - Patch Notes #22

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 10:34:43 -0000

Plus: Former Meta workers claim its VR products have exposed children to abuse.

Testronic makes 4.8 percent of its total workforce redundant, closes Madrid and Belgrade studios

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 15:12:08 -0000

Testronic has confirmed the redundancies alongside the announcement of a 'significant new investment' in the company meant to 'accelerate growth.'

PlayStation debuts family app for parental control and content filters

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 14:42:10 -0000

Parents can monitor playtime limits, social features, and set monthly spending limits for the PlayStation Store.

Square Enix heads to Latin America to help launch browser-native demo platform Spawnd

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 13:10:02 -0000

The Japanese company's first investment in the region will purportedly 'transform game discovery.'

Aspyr Media accused of using AI to replicate Lara Croft performance in Tomb Raider remasters

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:00:53 -0000

A French actress has taken legal action against the Embracer-owned publisher.

What happens when a colossus like Silksong scuppers your launch plans?

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 09:34:38 -0000

Publishers explain how they lock down a release date and then pivot on a dime.

Former Meta employees allege company squashed research into VR child abuse

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 18:11:06 -0000

Meta denies it directed employees to avoid acknowledging that minors are present in online games like Horizon Worlds.

Former Kepler Interactive VP is leading new indie publisher Gambit Digital

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:21:04 -0000

Zac Antonaci was the VP of publishing and marketing at Kepler for over three years.

Nintendo patents character summoning and battling mechanic in the United States

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:45:02 -0000

The news comes with Nintendo and The Pokemon Company suing Palworld maker Pockerpair over alleged patent infringement.

What's the real reason games are taking longer to make?

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:10:18 -0000

Can AI really speed up game development?

Ubisoft is cutting jobs within its publishing team

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:58:31 -0000

Nine people have been made redundant 'primarily' within the company's publishing division.

Roblox wants to 'empower' creators with AI-based tools

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 16:32:07 -0000

The tools include generative AI to create '4D objects' and real-time voice chat translation, among others.

Nintendo spells out why player communication should only happen in-game

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 14:39:17 -0000

The company recently spoke about its design ethos and how to pave the way for player discovery.

Blizzard asks Overwatch general manager to steer mobile and live service efforts

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:56:39 -0000

Walter Kong has been named SVP and head of development for live games and mobile at the Microsoft-owned studio.

Tencent breaks down its approach to IP development with Sony lawsuit looming overhead

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 09:46:05 -0000

In a rather timely interview, Chinese conglomerate Tencent explains how it's working to cultivate 'evergreen' franchises.

Former Bethesda exec Pete Hines claims subscription services are undercutting developers

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 10:09:33 -0000

Hines believes 'short sighted' decision making in service of subscriptions has left developers out in the cold.

Digging into the combat design of Cronos: The New Dawn - Game Developer Podcast Ep. 54

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 16:03:10 -0000

This week on the Game Developer Podcast, Bloober Team lead combat designer Shamil Yanbukhtin and senior game AI programmer Dennis Pauly share insights from making a new kind of survival horror combat system for Cronos: The New Dawn.

Grounded 2 exists because players really wanted to ride bugs

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 11:20:18 -0000

Grounded 2 leads Chris Parker and Justin Vazquez distill the trials and tribulations of early access and explain how insect mounts are the key to everything.

Silksong channels Kim Kardashian, developers unite for Palestine, and former Polygon staffers become Rogue - Patch Notes #21

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 08:55:16 -0000

Plus: Call of Duty is about to make even more money and has MindsEye left IOI's publishing dreams in tatters?

2K confirms layoffs at Civilization developer Firaxis

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 15:23:26 -0000

Dozens of workers have reportedly been impacted, according to sources close to the situation.

How 'playful paper prototyping' paved the way for Shadow Complex - Unlocking the Vault #1

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:13:33 -0000

Take a dive into the Vault and find modern applications for classic dev advice. In this first edition, EiC Danielle Riendeau shares a fresh look at timeless lessons from the 2010 GDC Talk 'Designing Shadow Complex'.

Dragon Front Adventures shows 'support studios' can win big with original projects

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:07:30 -0000

High Voltage Softwware CEO Anthony Glueck says external studios like Keywords can train devs up by making original games.

Frost Giant boss Tim Morten claims generative AI can help devs realize their 'grand vision'

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 10:18:00 -0000

The studio's debut project Stormgate includes character portraits that were animated using external AI tools.

Wildgate and Sunderfolk developer-publisher Dreamhaven is making layoffs

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 08:58:31 -0000

The company, established by former Blizzard president Mike Morehaime, said the cuts will largely impact its publishing division.

Jagex CEO defends Runescape in-game Pride event cancelations as 'apolitical' decision

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 17:52:06 -0000

After scaling back RuneScape's Pride Month events, Jagex CEO says Pride content might 'compromise escapism.'

Aonic acquires research tech firm Prime Insights for $250M

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 15:14:30 -0000

The parent company of nDreams wants to become a 'dominant global player.'

Former Polygon staffers establish independent video game website Rogue

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 13:53:43 -0000

The new publication will leverage a subscription model to avoid the "ethical concerns" that come with sponsorship and advertising.

Report: Crystal Dynamics layoffs came after developers scrambled to save Perfect Dark

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:56:40 -0000

Microsoft's cancellation of Perfect Dark reportedly caused a ripple effect that left developers at Crystal Dynamics fighting for their livelihoods.

Game developers want to raise $200,000 for Palestine through new charity bundle

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 09:59:22 -0000

The Play for Peace—Games for Palestine 2025 Charity Bundle contains 382 titles from almost 250 creators.

Activision and Paramount announce live action Call of Duty film

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:56:23 -0000

Paramount CEO David Ellison wants to honor the legacy of 'this one-in-a-million brand.'

Ex-Brass Lion lead Osama Dorias co-founds new indie studio

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:51:59 -0000

Ex-Brass Lion and Artifact 5 devs have formed HeartLoop Games.

Microsoft appoints Rare veteran as Xbox Game Studios chief of staff

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 10:37:46 -0000

Louise O'Connor spent 25 years at Rare in a variety of leadership roles but will now attempt to foster 'connection, collaboration, and momentum' within Xbox Game Studios.

'We need to pick our battles:' The Chinese Room boss says cost-conscious development is the future

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:11:28 -0000

Studio director Ed Daly explains how the newly-independent studio will chart a sustainable path forward after splitting from Sumo Group and making layoffs.

Curveball Games is a new full-service publisher hoping to 'surface the next wave of standout talent'

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 15:54:28 -0000

The Welsh outfit is keen to work with independent and double-A developers.

Nintendo unveils new-look division dedicated to supporting its movie business

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 09:24:03 -0000

Nintendo Stars, formerly known as Warpstar, will work to maximise the success of Nintendo's growing movie portfolio.

You now need a credit card to access mature content on Steam in the UK

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 08:10:51 -0000

Valve has rolled out a new age assurance policy to comply with the UK Online Safety Act.

NetEase shuts down Rich Vogel-led T-Minus Zero Entertainment

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 14:12:54 -0000

NetEase' overseas investments continue to shrink.

Nintendo's stinginess on Switch 2 dev kits, layoffs at Crystal Dynamics, and Diablo developers unionize - Patch Notes #20

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 13:56:20 -0000

Also in the news: lessons from the 'Friendslop' genre, Atari buys Ubisoft properties, and more.

What developers can learn from the indie social co-op games topping the Steam charts

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:23:12 -0000

Building games that support the power of friendship

450 Diablo developers vote to unionize under CWA

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:12:02 -0000

Developers, artists, designers, engineers, and support staff on the Diablo franchise have assembled 'one of the largest wall-to-wall unions' at Blizzard Entertainment.

Eight games have pushed publishing dates in response to Silksong

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:11:52 -0000

Multiple developers have mentioned Team Cherry's upcoming September release as the reason to delay their own projects.

Embracer studio Crystal Dynamics is laying off more staff

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:40:54 -0000

This is the third round of layoffs at the Embracer-owned studio since 2023.

Modder injects AI dialogue into 2002’s Animal Crossing using memory hack

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 21:36:48 -0000

Unofficial mod lets classic Nintendo GameCube title use AI chatbots with amusing results.

<p>When software engineer Joshua Fonseca recently <a href="https://joshfonseca.com/blogs/animal-crossing-llm">connected</a> the GameCube simulation classic <em>Animal Crossing</em> to a modern AI language model like the kind that powers ChatGPT, he decided to shake things up. By programming the AI to roleplay as villagers growing aware of their debt situation, and giving them a shared memory to track conversations, Fonseca orchestrated a scenario where the residents began to organize against their raccoon landlord.</p> <p>In <em>Animal Crossing</em>, Tom Nook runs the town shop and provides home loans (paid out in bells, the in-game currency) that keep players perpetually in debt, which is a core mechanic of the game.</p> <p>"Predictably, it escalated into an anti-Tom Nook movement," Fonseca <a href="https://joshfonseca.com/blogs/animal-crossing-llm">wrote</a> in a detailed post documenting his hack that bridges a 2002 game to cloud-based AI without modifying any game code. While Fonseca frames the uprising as a type of emergent phenomenon in his post and a YouTube video, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/2025/Sep/10/animal-crossing-llm/">examination of the source code</a> by AI researcher Simon Willison shows that Fonseca specifically instructed the villagers to behave this way and even <a href="https://github.com/vuciv/animal-crossing-llm-mod/blob/cc9b6b571da1be062d979d50aa86e2ac1dce7a44/dialogue_prompt.py#L165-L184">escalate</a> the unrest over time.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/animal-crossing-mod-uses-ai-to-orchestrate-anti-tom-nook-villager-revolt/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/animal-crossing-mod-uses-ai-to-orchestrate-anti-tom-nook-villager-revolt/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Over three decades later, Nintendo remembers the Virtual Boy exists

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:46:39 -0000

A $100 replica Switch dock or $25 cardboard sleeve is needed to play the 3D re-releases.

<p>Even as Nintendo has <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tag/virtual-console/">endlessly mined</a> its <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/11/hands-on-nes-classic-edition-puts-old-games-in-a-very-small-package/">classic consoles</a> for <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-super-nes-classic-edition/">nostalgic re-releases</a> in <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/03/the-year-of-mario-a-ton-of-classic-3d-games-reportedly-coming-to-switch-in-2020/">recent decades</a>, the company has seemed to completely ignore the existence of the Virtual Boy—its <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/05/virtual-boy-the-bizarre-rise-and-quick-fall-of-nintendos-enigmatic-red-console/">abortive 1990s dip into the world of early virtual reality</a>. That's finally set to change next February with Nintendo's first-ever official re-release of Virtual Boy games—at least for players who <a href="https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/virtual-boy-for-nintendo-switch-2-120829/">invest $100 in a required Virtual Boy-shaped Switch dock</a> (or a cheaper cardboard holder) to make them work.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics will be available for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NintendoSwitch?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NintendoSwitch</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NintendoSwitch2?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NintendoSwitch2</a> starting Feb 17, 2026! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NintendoDirect?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NintendoDirect</a> <a href="https://t.co/VnCO0DiX3S">pic.twitter.com/VnCO0DiX3S</a></p> <p>— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) <a href="https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1966497340874801246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p>Subscribers to Nintendo Switch Online in the US and Canada will soon be able to <a href="https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/virtual-boy-for-nintendo-switch-2-120829/">purchase that $100 dock</a>, which Nintendo says "recreates the form of the original Virtual Boy hardware," or <a href="https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/virtual-boy-cardboard-model-for-nintendo-switch-2-120828/">a slender $25 cardboard alternative</a>. Then, starting on February 17, those players will be able to play downloaded Virtual Boy games (included with an Expansion Pack subscription) by inserting a Switch or Switch 2 into one of those retro replicas. The system will presumably display those games in a split-screen mode that can be viewed through special lenses to replicate the Virtual Boy's original 384×224 resolution, four-shades-of-red stereoscopic display.</p> <p>Nintendo's announcement says you'll "need this dedicated accessory" to play Virtual Boy titles through a Switch, suggesting that flat-screen play on a console without one of the custom docks won't be possible. And while "purchase limits apply" to the plastic Virtual Boy replica (which seems likely to be a collectible available only in limited supplies), the cheaper cardboard model seems designed for wider availability.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/over-three-decades-later-nintendo-remembers-the-virtual-boy-exists/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/over-three-decades-later-nintendo-remembers-the-virtual-boy-exists/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Is Hollow Knight: Silksong too hard? Well, it depends on what you mean by “hard.”

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:45:40 -0000

The Ars Difficulty Matrix™ helps us analyze the many dimensions of Silksong's challenges.

<p>For seven years, the discussion around <em>Hollow Knight: Silksong</em> focused on <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/explaining-the-internets-obsession-with-silksong-which-finally-comes-out-sept-4/">the cult-like levels of devotion among fans patiently waiting for the sequel</a>. Now that <em>Silksong</em> has been available for about a week, though, that discussion has turned decisively toward <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/criticism-isnt-hate-hollow-knight-silksong-sparks-debate-about-difficulty-runbacks-and-the-dreaded-git-gud-comments">seemingly endless takes</a> on <a href="https://www.thegamer.com/hollow-knight-silksong-more-difficult-player-complaints/">the game's</a> relative <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/features/talking-point-is-hollow-knight-silksong-too-difficult">difficulty</a> (or lack thereof). The discussion has gotten so loud that the developers at Team Cherry have vowed to implement a "slight difficulty reduction in early game bosses Moorwing and Sister Splinter" <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/app/1030300/discussions/0/595159519774039622/">in a coming patch</a>.</p> <p>So is <em>Silksong</em> too difficult for its own good? Or do players just have to "get good" and stop whining?</p> <p>To help answer those questions, we felt it was a good time to bust out the Ars Difficulty Matrix (ADM<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;">), which we <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/03/is-elden-ring-really-that-hard-well-it-depends-what-you-mean-by-hard/">first used to analyze <em>Elden Ring</em>'s difficulty in 2022</a>. By breaking down the various ways a game can be "difficult," the ADM<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;"> can more precisely critique the ways <em>Silksong</em> is and is not designed to challenge players, both for good and for ill.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/is-hollow-knight-silksong-too-hard-well-it-depends-on-what-you-mean-by-hard/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/is-hollow-knight-silksong-too-hard-well-it-depends-on-what-you-mean-by-hard/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Accessory maker will pay Nintendo after showing illicit Switch 2 mockups at CES

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 15:45:29 -0000

Genki says it "didn't obtain any unreleased Nintendo property" before launch.

<p>Nintendo-watchers may remember when little-known accessory-maker Genki <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/01/our-best-look-yet-at-the-switch-2s-expanded-size-and-snap-on-joy-cons/">showed the world an extremely accurate 3D-printed mockup of the Switch 2</a> in January, about a week before <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/01/its-official-take-a-first-look-at-the-switch-2/">Nintendo's own "first look" teaser video</a> and months before <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/04/nintendo-offers-new-details-on-switch-2-hardware-software/">the system's wider unveiling</a>. Now, in <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.969015/gov.uscourts.cacd.969015.30.1.pdf">a newly filed settlement agreement,</a> Genki has agreed to pay Nintendo unspecified damages for "trademark infringement, unfair competition, and false advertising" in connection with that promotional stunt.</p> <p>The controversy started at the Consumer Electronics Show, where Genki showed off <a href="https://www.netzwelt.de/news/237827-nintendo-switch-2dummy-ces-angefasst-bestaetigt-geruechte.html">to press and attendees </a>a 3D mockup of the then-unseen Switch 2 sporting the company's accessories. Genki also <a href="https://www.genkithings.com/pages/ns2_accessories">posted a video</a> showing a detailed mockup of the system from various angles. By April, Genki was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/genkithings/photos/tune-in-on-tuesday-april-2nd-at-9-am-pt-12-pm-et-for-a-livestreamed-genki-direct/1172249991578512/">promoting a "Genki Direct" livestream</a> focused on "upcoming accessories for Genki Glitch 2" (no, that isn't a typo).</p> <p>Nintendo's lawyers <a href="https://thegamepost.com/nintendo-lawyers-genki-switch-2-mockup-ces-2025/">reportedly visited Genki's CES booth</a> once reports of the Switch 2 mockup started going viral. But a Genki representative <a href="https://x.com/Genki_JPN/status/1878127444483584198">asserted at the time</a> that the company did not sign an NDA with Nintendo and therefore "has nothing to worry about."</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/accessory-maker-will-pay-nintendo-after-showing-illicit-switch-2-mockups-at-ces/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/accessory-maker-will-pay-nintendo-after-showing-illicit-switch-2-mockups-at-ces/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Switch modder owes Nintendo $2 million after representing himself in court

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 14:29:04 -0000

Daly's defense asserted, in part, that Nintendo's "alleged copyrights are invalid."

<p>It has often been said that <a href="https://quoteinvestigator.com/2019/07/30/lawyer/">the lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client</a>. That truism apparently extends to Switch modders as well, at least in the case of Ryan Daly. The operator of the now-defunct moddedhardware.com (<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240504061109/https://www.moddedhardware.com/">archived</a>) now owes Nintendo $2 million after <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wawd.336725/gov.uscourts.wawd.336725.30.0.pdf">a recent settlement</a> filed in a Washington state District Court.</p> <p>The final judgement, which was jointly agreed to by both parties, asserts that Daly knowingly sold devices such as <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/06/playing-personal-game-backups-could-get-your-switch-2-banned-by-nintendo/">the MIG Switch</a> and MIG Dumper that "are primarily designed for the purpose of circumventing the [technological protection measures, and] have limited commercially significant purpose or use other than to circumvent the TPMs." Daly also sold and installed mod chips to get around Switch DRM and "copied and distributed certain copyrighted Nintendo games to his customers," according to the judgment.</p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/10/accused-switch-modder-represents-himself-as-nintendo-lawsuit-moves-forward/">Nintendo's lawsuit</a> alleged that the company initially approached Daly about the sale of these devices in March 2024, and that Daly agreed at the time "both verbally and in signed writing" to refrain from further sales. After Daly continued to sell the devices, though, Nintendo took the further step of bringing this lawsuit last June.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/switch-modder-who-acted-as-his-own-lawyer-now-owes-nintendo-2-million/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/switch-modder-who-acted-as-his-own-lawyer-now-owes-nintendo-2-million/#comments">Comments</a></p>

All 54 lost clickwheel iPod games have now been preserved for posterity

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:24:59 -0000

Finding working copies of the last few titles was an "especially cursed" journey.

<p>Last year, we reported on <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/11/ipod-fans-evade-apples-drm-to-preserve-54-lost-clickwheel-era-games/">the efforts of classic iPod fans to preserve playable copies of the downloadable clickwheel games</a> that Apple sold for a brief period in the late '00s. The community was working to get around <a href="http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/Home/728B5C4B-0A35-40BE-A2E7-E5464C68B80A.html">Apple's onerous FairPlay DRM</a> by having people who still owned original copies of those (now unavailable) games sync their accounts to a single iTunes installation <a href="https://github.com/Olsro/ipodclickwheelgamespreservationproject/tree/main">via a coordinated Virtual Machine</a>. That "master library" would then be able to provide playable copies of those games to any number of iPods in perpetuity.</p> <p>At the time, the community was still searching for iPod owners with syncable copies of the last few titles needed for their library. With <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ipod/comments/1nb9kvx/comment/nd2dozi/">today's addition of <em>Real Soccer 2009</em></a> to the project, though, all 54 official iPod clickwheel games are now available together in an easily accessible format for what is likely the first time.</p> <h2>All at once, then slowly</h2> <p>GitHub user Olsro, the originator of <a href="https://github.com/Olsro/ipodclickwheelgamespreservationproject/tree/main">the iPod Clickwheel Games Preservation Project</a>, tells Ars that he lucked into contact with three people who had large iPod game libraries in the first month or so after the project's launch last October. That includes <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thatnostalgicnerd">one YouTuber</a> who had purchased and maintained copies of 39 distinct games, even repurchasing some of the upgraded versions Apple sold separately for later iPod models.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/all-54-lost-clickwheel-ipod-games-have-now-been-preserved-for-posterity/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/all-54-lost-clickwheel-ipod-games-have-now-been-preserved-for-posterity/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Civilization VII team at Firaxis Games faces layoffs

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 19:35:35 -0000

CEO says the game is projected to meet expectations, but there are cuts anyway.

<p>Firaxis Games, the studio that developed <em>Civilization VII</em>, is undergoing layoffs. The news went public when a former employee took to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7369382797020463105/">LinkedIn</a> to announce her unemployment; Game Developer <a href="https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/2k-confirms-layoffs-at-civilization-developer-firaxis">picked the story up</a>, and publisher 2K Games soon confirmed it.</p> <p>"We can confirm there was a staff reduction today at Firaxis Games, as the studio restructures and optimizes its development process for adaptability, collaboration, and creativity," a spokesperson wrote to multiple news outlets. The company did not confirm the number of people laid off.</p> <p>The two most recent Firaxis games, 2022's <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/06/marvels-midnight-suns-is-more-than-worth-the-hassle-of-being-free-on-epic-games/"><em>Marvel's Midnight Suns</em></a> and 2025's <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/02/civilization-vii-review-a-major-overhaul-solves-civs-oldest-problems/"><em>Civilization VII</em></a>, both appeared to launch to lukewarm initial sales and player numbers.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/civilization-vii-team-at-firaxis-games-faces-layoffs/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/civilization-vii-team-at-firaxis-games-faces-layoffs/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Dev says Switch 2’s physical Game Cards were too slow for Star Wars Outlaws port

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 15:56:08 -0000

Data transfer speeds are much lower for Switch 2 Game Cards than for downloaded games.

<p>Nintendo's data-free, download-unlocking Game Key Cards <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/04/nintendo-switch-2s-gameless-game-key-cards-are-going-to-be-very-common/">have proven popular with game publishers</a>, even as they've <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/04/a-begrudging-defense-of-nintendos-game-key-cards-for-the-switch-2/">drawn ire</a> from <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/05/when-will-switch-2s-data-free-game-key-cards-become-useless-e-waste/">many fans</a> of games stored on physical media. Now, though, a developer on <em>Star Wars Outlaws</em> is saying that a technical limitation of the Switch 2's Game Card interface may be driving some publishers away from fully physical game releases on the Switch 2.</p> <p>Writing in a Bluesky thread discussing the performance of the <em>Outlaws'</em> Switch 2 port [which is only available as a download or Game Key Card], Snowdrop Audio Architect Rob Bantin <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:l45oa4c3p2ndptazexy33q3z/post/3lxzsvi6s7c2e">chimed in</a> to discuss why a full physical release wasn't in the cards for the Switch 2.</p> <p>"Snowdrop relies heavily on disk streaming for its open world environments, and we found the Switch 2 cards simply didn’t give the performance we needed at the quality target we were going for," Bantin wrote. "I think if we’d designed a game for Switch 2 from the ground up it might have been different. As it was, we’d build a game around the SSDs of the initial target platforms, and then the Switch 2 came along a while later. In this case, I think our leadership made the right call."</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/dev-says-switch-2s-physical-game-cards-were-too-slow-for-star-wars-outlaws-port/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/dev-says-switch-2s-physical-game-cards-were-too-slow-for-star-wars-outlaws-port/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Hollow Knight: Silksong is breaking Steam, Nintendo’s eShop

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 15:02:14 -0000

Valve's usually stable platform struggles thanks in part to lack of pre-loading options.

<p>An influx of players <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/explaining-the-internets-obsession-with-silksong-which-finally-comes-out-sept-4/">excited for this morning's launch of <em>Hollow Knight: Silksong</em></a> are encountering widespread errors purchasing and downloading the game from Steam this morning. Ars Technica writers have encountered errors getting store pages to load, adding the game to an online shopping cart, and checking out once the game is part of the cart.</p> <p>That aligns with <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/madelynrogers.bsky.social/post/3lxzdj7sbxk2x">widespread</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/jesseferguson.bsky.social/post/3lxzdja5s4s2g">social media</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/lunallian.bsky.social/post/3lxzdjh7fu22i">complaints</a> and <a href="https://downdetector.com/status/steam/">data from DownDetector</a>, which saw a sudden spike of over 11,000 reports of problems with Steam in the minutes following <em>Silksong</em>'s 10 am Eastern time release on Steam. The server problems don't seem to be completely stopping everyone, though, as SteamDB <a href="https://steamdb.info/app/1030300/charts/">currently reports over 100,000 concurrent players</a> for <em>Silksong</em> as of this writing.</p> <p>Ars also encountered some significant delays and/or outright errors when downloading other games and updates and syncing cloud saves on Steam during this morning's server problems. <a href="https://www.humblebundle.com/store/hollow-knight-silksong">The Humble Store page for <em>Silksong</em></a> currently warns North American purchasers that "We have run out of Steam keys for <em>Hollow Knight: Silksong</em> in your region, but more are on their way! As soon as we receive more Steam keys, we will add them to your download page. Sorry about the delay!"</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/hollow-knight-silksong-is-breaking-steam/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/hollow-knight-silksong-is-breaking-steam/#comments">Comments</a></p>

This ultra-rare ’90s LaserDisc game console can finally be emulated on a PC

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:57:19 -0000

You don't have to track down pricey retro hardware to play the Pioneer LaserActive anymore.

<p>Here in the year 2025, it's not every day that a classic gaming console from the 20th century becomes playable via emulation for the first time. But that's just what happened last week with <a href="https://ares-emu.net/news/ares-v146-released?ref=readonlymemo.com">the release of Ares v146</a> and its first-of-its-kind <a href="https://techdocs.exodusemulator.com/Console/PioneerLaserActive/Software.html#emulation">support for Mega LD titles designed for the Pioneer LaserActive</a>.</p> <p>Even retro console superfans would be forgiven for not knowing about the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaserActive">LaserActive</a>, a pricey LaserDisc player released in 1994 alongside swappable hardware modules that could add support for Sega Genesis and NEC TurboGrafx-16 games and controllers. Using those add-ons, you could also play <a href="https://segaretro.org/List_of_LaserActive_games">a handful of games specifically designed for the LaserActive format</a>, which combined game data and graphics with up to 60 minutes of full-screen, standard-definition analog video per side.</p> <p>Mega-LD games (as the Genesis-compatible LaserActive titles were called) were, for the most part, super-sized versions of the types of games you'd find on early CD-ROM console of the era. That means a lot of edutainment titles, branching dungeon crawlers, <em>Dragon's Lair</em>-style animated quick-time event challenges, and rail shooters that overlayed standard Genesis or TG-16 graphics on top of elaborate animated video backgrounds (sometimes complete with filmed actors).</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/over-30-years-later-a-rare-laserdisc-game-console-gets-its-first-pc-emulator/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/09/over-30-years-later-a-rare-laserdisc-game-console-gets-its-first-pc-emulator/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Battlefield 6 dev apologizes for requiring Secure Boot to power anti-cheat tools

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 18:42:13 -0000

Amid player complaints, EA says 330,000 cheaters were stopped in beta's first two days.

<p>Earlier this month, EA <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/app/2807960/discussions/0/600785827026563959/">announced</a> that players in its <em>Battlefield 6</em> open beta on PC would <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/app/2807960/discussions/0/600785827026563959/">have to enable Secure Boot</a> in their Windows OS and BIOS settings. That decision proved controversial among players who weren't able to get the finicky low-level security setting working on their machines and others who were unwilling to allow EA's anti-cheat tools to <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/09/eas-new-anti-cheat-tools-dip-into-the-dreaded-kernel-mode/">once again</a> have <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/04/ring-0-of-fire-does-riot-games-new-anti-cheat-measure-go-too-far/">kernel-level access</a> to their systems.</p> <p>Now, <em>Battlefield 6</em> technical director Christian Buhl is defending that requirement as something of a necessary evil to combat cheaters, even as he apologizes to any potential players that it has kept away.</p> <p>"The fact is I wish we didn't have to do things like Secure Boot," Buhl <a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/it-really-sucks-battlefield-6-technical-director-bummed-out-about-those-unable-to-play-due-to-secure-boot-requirement-believes-anti-cheat-cat-and-mouse-game-will-never-end">said in an interview with Eurogamer</a>. "It does prevent some players from playing the game. Some people's PCs can't handle it and they can't play: that really sucks. I wish everyone could play the game with low friction and not have to do these sorts of things."</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/battlefield-6-dev-apologizes-for-requiring-secure-boot-to-power-anti-cheat-tools/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/battlefield-6-dev-apologizes-for-requiring-secure-boot-to-power-anti-cheat-tools/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Today’s game consoles are historically overpriced

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:10:47 -0000

Ars analysis shows missing price cuts are costing console consumers hundreds of dollars.

<p>Today's video game consoles are hundreds of dollars more expensive than you'd expect based on historic pricing trends. That's according to an Ars Technica analysis of decades of pricing data and price-cut timing across dozens of major US console releases.</p> <p>The overall direction of this trend has been apparent to industry watchers for a while now. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have failed to cut their console prices in recent years and have instead been <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/04/nintendo-raises-planned-switch-2-accessory-prices-amid-tariff-uncertainty/">increasing</a> the <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/05/microsoft-raises-prices-on-xbox-hardware-says-some-holiday-games-will-be-80/">nominal MSRP</a> for <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/sony-joins-xbox-and-nintendo-in-hiking-playstation-5-prices-in-the-us/">many current consoles</a> in the past six months.</p> <figure> <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.001.png" class="ars-gallery-image" alt="" loading="lazy" aria-labelledby="caption-2114322" srcset="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.001.png 1024w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.001-640x480.png 640w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.001-768x576.png 768w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.001-980x735.png 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"> <figcaption> <div class="caption font-impact dusk:text-gray-300 mb-4 mt-2 inline-flex flex-row items-stretch gap-1 text-base leading-tight text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-300"> <div class="caption-icon bg-[left_top_5px] w-[10px] shrink-0"></div> <div class="caption-content"> If the original Switch followed historic pricing trends, it could be selling for a bargain basement $100 to $150 right now. <span class="caption-credit mt-2 text-xs"> Credit: Kyle Orland </span> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> <figure> <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.002.png" class="ars-gallery-image" alt="" loading="lazy" aria-labelledby="caption-2114323" srcset="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.002.png 1024w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.002-640x480.png 640w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.002-768x576.png 768w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.002-980x735.png 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"> <figcaption> <div class="caption font-impact dusk:text-gray-300 mb-4 mt-2 inline-flex flex-row items-stretch gap-1 text-base leading-tight text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-300"> <div class="caption-icon bg-[left_top_5px] w-[10px] shrink-0"></div> <div class="caption-content"> Even accounting for inflation, some PS5 consoles are more expensive today than they were at launch. <span class="caption-credit mt-2 text-xs"> Credit: Kyle Orland </span> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> <figure> <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.003.png" class="ars-gallery-image" alt="" loading="lazy" aria-labelledby="caption-2114324" srcset="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.003.png 1024w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.003-640x480.png 640w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.003-768x576.png 768w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/vanish-price-drop.003-980x735.png 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"> <figcaption> <div class="caption font-impact dusk:text-gray-300 mb-4 mt-2 inline-flex flex-row items-stretch gap-1 text-base leading-tight text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-300"> <div class="caption-icon bg-[left_top_5px] w-[10px] shrink-0"></div> <div class="caption-content"> Despite cratering Xbox hardware sales, Microsoft has been unwilling to cut prices on Xbox consoles. <span class="caption-credit mt-2 text-xs"> Credit: Kyle Orland </span> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> <p>But when you crunch the numbers, it's pretty incredible just how much today's console prices defy historic expectations, even when you account for higher-than-normal inflation in recent years. If today's consoles were seeing anything like what used to be standard price cuts over time, we could be paying around $200 today for pricey systems like the Switch OLED, PS5 Digital Edition, and Xbox Series S.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/todays-game-consoles-are-historically-overpriced/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/todays-game-consoles-are-historically-overpriced/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Chris Roberts hopes Squadron 42 will be “almost as big” as GTA VI next year

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 16:05:00 -0000

French report also suggests Star Citizen might hit 1.0 release in "2027 or 2028."

<p>The single-player <em>Star Citizen</em> spin-off <em>Squadron 42</em> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/10/originally-planned-for-2015-squadron-42s-latest-delay-pushes-it-to-2026/">is slated to finally be in players' hands in 2026</a>, 11 full years after <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/11/star-citizen-production-schedule-release/">its initial 2015 release target</a>. And after all that time, Cloud Imperium Games CEO Chris Roberts says he's hopeful that the title will be received similarly to another 2026 release that happens to be possibly the most anticipated video game of all time: <em>Grand Theft Auto VI</em>.</p> <p>A recent report from French Canadian outlet La Presse (<a href="https://www-lapresse-ca.translate.goog/affaires/entreprises/2025-08-22/jeu-video/le-studio-web-turbulent-devient-cloud-imperium-games-montreal.php?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp">translated</a>) suggests that <em>Squadron 42</em>'s launch is being timed so that it "won't be overshadowed" by <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/05/gta-vi-will-miss-2025-after-all-new-target-is-may-26-2026/">the planned May launch of <em>Grand Theft Auto VI</em></a>. "We're hoping it'll be almost as big an event," Roberts said in comparing the two upcoming releases in an interview with the French paper. "Other than <em>GTA VI</em>, it's probably the biggest-budget AAA game [of the year]."</p> <p>That's a pretty bold claim, considering <em>Squadron 42</em>'s <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/05/clash-of-the-space-titans-star-citizen-delayed-elite-dangerous-on-track/">very</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/07/star-citizen-creator-calls-bullshit-on-feature-creep-and-over-ambition/">public</a> and <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/07/court-denies-star-citizen-backers-4500-refund-lawsuit/">tumultuous</a> path to <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/10/star-citizens-squadron-42-campaign-is-feature-complete-after-11-years/">a purported "feature complete" status</a> in 2023. But it seems at least somewhat reasonable when you consider that <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/rockstar/comments/1kpbv9y/taketwo_rockstars_parent_company_had_their/"><em>GTA VI</em>'s development budget of nearly $1 billion</a> lines up closely with $859 million in crowdfunding <a href="https://robertsspaceindustries.com/en/funding-goals">currently being reported</a> for <em>Star Citizen</em> as a whole.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/chris-roberts-hopes-squadron-42-will-be-almost-as-big-as-gta-vi-next-year/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/chris-roberts-hopes-squadron-42-will-be-almost-as-big-as-gta-vi-next-year/#comments">Comments</a></p>

The Outer Worlds 2 wants you to join the space police

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:00:09 -0000

Preview: The sequel's prologue stresses meaningful choices, wry humor

<p>It has been <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/10/the-outer-worlds-review-fall-deeply-into-the-best-fallout-like-game-in-years/">nearly six years now</a> since <em>The Outer Worlds</em> threw players into the deep end, forcing them to acclimate to the game's far-future, ultra-corporate intergalactic dystopia amid lots of <em>Fallout</em>-style shooting and questing. The prologue for <em>The Outer Worlds 2</em>—which I got to play as part of a preview build ahead of the game's planned October 29 launch—throws players into a different kind of deep end, asking them to fill the shoes of an agent in the storied semi-militarized police force of the Earth Directorate.</p> <p>The over-the-top propaganda that leads the game off suggests the Earth Directorate is here to protect colonists from out-of-control corporations and tyrannical governments. But your first mission goes in a different direction, sending you on a secret mission to the "out of jurisdiction" Arcadian system, a secretive dictatorship where all the skip drives that power interstellar travel are supposedly manufactured. You've been asked to help expropriate a rare, "unsealed" skip drive core, which can then be opened up, studied, and maybe even copied without the risk of catastrophic explosion (the "right to repair" folks in the audience might be nodding their heads sagely at this point).</p> <h2>Choose your choice</h2> <p>I won't spoil things by discussing just how the mission goes off the rails or talking about the somewhat vague twist that closes out the playable prologue. But I will gush a bit about how the first game's mix of retro-futuristic set-dressing and sardonic, cynical writing style immediately shine through, even with the change in perspective. A mix of strong voice acting and motion capture immediately drew me back into the <em>Outer Worlds</em> universe, even when the characters were delivering ridiculous lines like "You’re not just a cog in the machine. You’re THE cog!"</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/the-outer-worlds-2-wants-you-to-join-the-space-police/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/the-outer-worlds-2-wants-you-to-join-the-space-police/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Framework Laptop 16 update brings Nvidia GeForce to the modular gaming laptop

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 15:05:51 -0000

Older Ryzen 7040-based model will stick around at $1,299 as a lower-end option.

<p>It's been a busy year for Framework, the company behind the now well-established series of repairable, upgradeable, modular laptops (and one paradoxically less-upgradeable desktop). The company has launched a version of the Framework Laptop 13 with Ryzen AI processors, the new Framework Laptop 12, and the aforementioned desktop in the last six months, and last week, Framework <a href="https://frame.work/blog/we-have-something-big-coming">teased</a> that it still had "something big coming."</p> <p>That "something big" turns out to be the first-ever update to the Framework Laptop 16, Framework's more powerful gaming-laptop-slash-mobile-workstation. Framework is updating the laptop with Ryzen AI processors and new integrated Radeon GPUs and is introducing a new graphics module with the mobile version of Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5070—one that's also fully compatible with the original Laptop 16, for upgraders.</p> <p>Preorders for the new laptop open today, and pricing starts at $1,499 for a DIY Edition without RAM, storage, an OS, or Expansion Cards, a $100 increase from the price of the first Framework Laptop 16. The first units will begin shipping in November.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/framework-laptop-16-update-brings-nvidia-geforce-to-the-modular-gaming-laptop/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/framework-laptop-16-update-brings-nvidia-geforce-to-the-modular-gaming-laptop/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Explaining the Internet’s obsession with Silksong, which (finally) comes out Sept. 4

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 17:51:50 -0000

Hollow Knight fans found strange ways to cope with impatience and anticipation.

<p><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1030300/Hollow_Knight_Silksong/"><em>Hollow Knight: Silksong</em></a> will be <a href="https://www.teamcherry.com.au/blog/11xf7azcuebhybgossfhdc0mphiqbs-en88t-53h3w">released on September 4</a>. It will come out simultaneously on Windows, macOS, Linux, Xbox, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, the Nintendo Switch, and the Nintendo Switch 2.</p> <p>On paper, "game gets release date" isn't particularly groundbreaking news, and the six-year wait between the game's announcement and release is long but nowhere near record-breaking. People have waited longer for <em>Metroid Prime 4</em> (announced 2017, releasing this fall), <em>Duke Nukem Forever</em> (announced 1997, released 2011), the fourth <em>BioShock </em>game (in development for a decade at a studio that <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-20/take-two-guts-bioshock-studio-after-a-decade-of-development">just got ravaged by layoffs</a>), and <em>Half-Life 3 </em>(never actually announced, but <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/02/fresh-leaks-suggest-half-life-3-development-may-be-nearing-completion/">hope springs eternal</a>), just to name a few.</p> <p>But fans of 2017's <em>Hollow Knight</em> managed to make the wait for <em>Silksong</em> into a meme. It's hard to explain <em>why</em> if you haven't already been following along, but it's probably got something to do with the expected scale of the game, the original <em>Hollow Knight</em>'s popularity, and the almost total silence of the small staff at Team Cherry, the game's developer.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/explaining-the-internets-obsession-with-silksong-which-finally-comes-out-sept-4/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/explaining-the-internets-obsession-with-silksong-which-finally-comes-out-sept-4/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Sony makes the “difficult decision” to raise PlayStation 5 prices in the US

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 16:16:06 -0000

Price hikes go into effect August 21; standard PS5 will now start at $550.

<p>Sony will join Microsoft and Nintendo in <a href="https://blog.playstation.com/2025/08/20/playstation-5-price-changes-in-the-u-s/">raising US prices across its entire game console lineup</a>, the company announced today. Pricing for all current versions of the PlayStation 5 console will increase by $50 starting tomorrow.</p> <p>The price of the PS5 Digital Edition will increase from $450 to $500; the standard PS5 will increase from $500 to $550; and the PS5 Pro will increase from $700 to $750. If you've been on the fence about buying any of these, retailers like Target and Best Buy are still using the old prices as of this writing—for other console price hikes, retailers have sometimes bumped the prices up before the date announced by the manufacturer.</p> <p>"Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment," wrote Sony Global Marketing VP Isabelle Tomatis. "As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S. starting on August 21."</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/sony-joins-xbox-and-nintendo-in-hiking-playstation-5-prices-in-the-us/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/sony-joins-xbox-and-nintendo-in-hiking-playstation-5-prices-in-the-us/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Microsoft and Asus’ answers to SteamOS and the Steam Deck launch on October 16

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:40:27 -0000

ROG Xbox Ally runs a stripped-down Windows that isn't publicly available (yet).

<p>Asus and Microsoft will be launching their <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/06/microsoft-dives-into-the-handheld-gaming-pc-wars-with-the-asus-rog-xbox-ally/">ROG Xbox Ally series of handheld gaming PCs</a> starting October 16, according to an Asus announcement that went out today.</p> <p>An Xbox-branded extension of Asus' existing ROG Ally handheld line, the basic ROG Xbox Ally and more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X, both run a version of Windows 11 Home that's been redesigned with a controller-first Xbox-style user interface. The idea is to preserve the wide game compatibility of Windows—and the wide compatibility with multiple storefronts, including Microsoft's own, Valve's Steam, the Epic Games Store, and more—while turning off all of the extra Windows desktop stuff and saving system resources. (This also means that, despite the Xbox branding, these handhelds play Windows PC games and not the Xbox versions.)</p> <p>Microsoft and Asus initially announced the handhelds in June. Microsoft still isn't sharing pricing information for either console, so it's hard to say how their specs and features will stack up against the Steam Deck (starting at $399 for the LCD version, $549 for OLED), Nintendo's Switch 2 ($450), or past Asus handhelds like the ROG Ally X ($800).</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/asus-and-microsofts-xbox-handhelds-arrive-october-16-but-pricing-remains-a-mystery/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/asus-and-microsofts-xbox-handhelds-arrive-october-16-but-pricing-remains-a-mystery/#comments">Comments</a></p>

A question for the ages: Is The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall a good game?

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 13:25:35 -0000

Revisiting the 1996 RPG exposes both genius and madness.

<p>Ostensibly, C:\ArsGames is to some extent about actually driving a few game purchases, but in reality it's mostly an excuse for me and my colleagues to wax nostalgic about the games that were formative for us. Case in point: This entry in our ongoing series with GOG is about a game that's completely free. I think Ars can withstand this tiny revenue shortfall for the sake of peak nostalgia!</p> <p>There are a couple of reasons I chose <a href="https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-8984087-15232592?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gog.com%2Fen%2Fgame%2Fthe_elder_scrolls_chapter_ii_daggerfall"><em>The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall</em></a> this time around: its co-creator, <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/07/julian-lefay-the-father-of-the-elder-scrolls-has-passed-away-at-59/">Julian LeFay, recently passed away</a>, so it seemed timely. Also, it was one of the defining games of my youth—one I have continued to revisit now and then.</p> <p>But it's also interesting because of where its developer, Bethesda—a studio people both love and hate—is at today. Going back to <em>Daggerfall</em>, we find a game that shows off so much of what we've lost from the bygone era of '90s PC gaming, but also one that makes it abundantly clear why the industry left those sensibilities behind.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/a-question-for-the-ages-is-the-elder-scrolls-ii-daggerfall-a-good-game/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/08/a-question-for-the-ages-is-the-elder-scrolls-ii-daggerfall-a-good-game/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Ars Technica System Guide: Five sample PC builds, from $500 to $5,000

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:00:25 -0000

Despite everything, it's still possible to build decent PCs for decent prices.

<p>Sometimes I go longer than I intend without writing an updated version of <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/09/ars-technica-system-guide-falling-prices-are-more-exciting-than-new-parts/">our PC building guide</a>. And while I could just claim to be too busy to spend hours on Newegg or Amazon or other sites digging through dozens of near-identical parts, the lack of updates <em>usually </em>correlates with "times when building a desktop PC is actually a pain in the ass."</p> <p>Through most of 2025, fluctuating and inflated graphics card pricing and limited availability have once again conspired to make a normally fun hobby an annoying slog—and honestly kind of a bad way to spend your money, relative to just buying a Steam Deck or something and ignoring your desktop for a while.</p> <p>But three things have brought me back for another round. First, GPU pricing and availability have improved a <em>little</em> since early 2025. Second, as unreasonable as pricing is for PC parts, pre-built PCs with worse specs and other design compromises are unreasonably priced, too, and people should have some sense of what their options are. And third, I just have the <em>itch</em>—it's been a while since I built (or helped someone else build) a PC, and I need to get it out of my system.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/ars-technica-system-guide-back-to-pc-building-for-back-to-school/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/ars-technica-system-guide-back-to-pc-building-for-back-to-school/#comments">Comments</a></p>

Silent Hill f Receives Series’ Highest Famitsu Score, Playtime is “Around 12-13 Hours”

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:13:16 -0000

Konami's newest mainline title in the series was praised by the publication for its satisfying combat, visuals, and narrative mystery.

<p>The first official review for Konami’s <em>Silent Hill f</em> (not including <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/silent-hill-f-review-reportedly-leaks-awards-it-9-5-10">the one that allegedly broke embarg</a>o) is now available courtesy of <a href="https://ryokutya2089.com/archives/90857" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Famitsu</a>. It received a 36 out of 40, which means nines across the board, making this the highest-rated title in the series for the publication. Last year’s <em>Silent Hill 2</em> remake received a 35 out of 40.</p> <p>Extensive praise was given to the atmosphere, visuals, and sound, with the overall narrative mystery making it “hard to stop playing.” Combat was also described as “surprisingly satisfying,” especially when executing counterattacks, but those who “struggle with action” may find it challenging to enjoy even when lowering the difficulty.</p> <p>Konami <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/silent-hill-f-features-multiple-endings-new-game-with-different-bosses-and-new-cinematics">already confirmed multiple endings</a> for the title, including the return of the UFO ending, with New Game Plus unlocking new content (including cinematics). As such, average playtime per playthrough is noted to be around 12 to 13 hours, with one reviewer stating that they “felt completely broken at times.”</p> <p><em>Silent Hill f</em> launches on September 25th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, but Digital Deluxe Edition owners can start playing on September 23rd. Head <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/silent-hill-f-is-37-gb-on-ps5-deluxe-edition-pre-loads-start-on-september-21st-rumor">here</a> for more details on alleged pre-load dates and stay tuned for updates.</p>

Lost Soul Aside Patch Adjusts Poleblade Damage, “Optimizes” Arena’s Dialogue Frequency

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:24:06 -0000

Ultizero Games continues to update its action RPG following the mixed reception to its long-awaited launch on PS5 and PC.

<p>After a development cycle that stretched more than a decade, Ultizero Games’<em> Lost Soul Aside</em> launched late last month to <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/lost-soul-aside-launches-to-mixed-steam-reviews-prologue-stuttering-addressed">relatively mixed impressions</a> from fans and <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/lost-soul-aside-review-round-up-polish-and-story-issues-hamper-solid-combat">critics</a> (check out our review <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/lost-soul-aside-review-ambition-beyond-means">here</a>). In response, the developer has released <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/lost-soul-aside-gets-new-update-with-gameplay-optimisations-performance-improvements">several updates</a> to address various bugs, performance issues, and more.</p> <p>Patch 1.008 is the latest, bringing even more fixes, including in Chapter 1’s Chronocore Dimension, where players could fall through the environment. The Poleblade has seen its damage values “adjusted”, and Arena’s dialogue trigger frequency has been “optimized,” which could mean less yapping than necessary. Chapter 2 main boss Drogo’s damage is also adjusted, and the Greatsword’s Burst Pursuit should feel better to use.</p> <p>Check out the full patch notes below for more details. <em>Lost Soul Aside</em> is available for PS5 and PC with <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/lost-soul-aside-is-out-now" data-type="post" data-id="626937">a free demo</a> containing two boss fights to try out. To learn more about its myriad of issues, check out <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/how-lost-soul-aside-lost-its-way">our feature</a> and stay tuned for further updates.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="embed-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dear souls,<br>Patch 1.008 is live for PC & PlayStation 5 players.<br>We’ve been listening 👂 <br>This update includes bug fixes across multiple chapters, gameplay balance tweaks, dialogue improvements, and PC performance fixes. <a href="https://t.co/tqETAgw69F">pic.twitter.com/tqETAgw69F</a></p>— Lost Soul Aside (@Lost_Soul_Aside) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lost_Soul_Aside/status/1967932347715817545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> </div></figure>

Borderlands 4 Reportedly Sold 2 Million Copies in its Launch Week

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:12:04 -0000

Over one million sales were on Steam, and total revenue for Gearbox's looter shooter has apparently reached $150 million.

<p>Gearbox Entertainment’s <em>Borderlands 4</em> marked the <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/borderlands-4-is-the-series-biggest-launch-on-steam">biggest launch for the series on Steam last week</a>, peaking at 304,398 concurrent players last Sunday. While official sales numbers have yet to be announced, Alinea Analytics’ Rhys Elliott <a href="https://alineaanalytics.substack.com/p/borderlands-4-was-steams-best-selling" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a> over two million sales.</p> <p>Steam allegedly contributed over a million to that total, with total revenue falling around $150 million. It seemingly edged out <em>Hollow Knight: Silksong</em> as the top-selling release on the platform between September 8th and 14th, but the latter reportedly sold more than 500,000 copies and crossed six million players (up from the <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/hollow-knight-silksong-reportedly-crossed-5-million-players-in-3-days">previously reported six million</a>).</p> <p>The boost provided to <em>Hollow Knight</em> also looks to continue with 200,000 copies of the 2017 Metroidvania sold in the same period. Elliott reports that this is the third week that it accrued those sales figures, which means it could very well reach 16 million sales in due time.</p> <p>As for <em>Borderlands 4</em>, Gearbox has released updates to improve performance and stability on PC, but its overall rating remains “Mixed.” Check out <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/borderlands-4-review-break-on-through-to-the-other-side">our thoughts on the overall experience</a>, from its story and loot to the end-game.</p>

The Wolf Among Us 2 Studio Doesn’t Know What’s Going on With it

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:11:32 -0000

After Telltale Games revealed that it needed more time, AdHoc Studio moved on to Dispatch, which premieres on October 22nd.

<p>While Telltale Games had spoken about its sequel to narrative adventure game <em>The Wolf Among Us</em> was still under development and hadn’t been cancelled, at this point, one of the studios working on the game for Telltale, AdHoc Studio, doesn’t quite know what the project’s current status is. In an interview with <a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/even-the-studio-that-wrote-the-wolf-among-us-2-doesnt-know-whats-going-on-with-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eurogamer</a>, AdHoc Studio co-founder Nick Herman spoke about how the studio worked on <em>The Wolf Among Us 2</em> for a couple of years.</p> <p>Herman said that the studio had worked on the script for the sequel, claiming it would be better than the original. However, issues started popping up when working on the game’s cinematics and animations, with progress on the project stalling out because Telltale needing more time. This led the studio to start working on other projects, including Dispatch.</p> <p>“We wrote a season, Season Two,” explained Herman. “We think it’s better than Season One – and we were on Season One. And yeah, we’re really proud of it. We were doing tests. We were in cinematics and animation and stuff. And then basically they needed more time. “They weren’t… We weren’t running the project. It was Telltale we were doing it in partnership with. And we couldn’t wait around and do nothing, so we had to move on to Dispatch to keep the studio moving, and they needed to go their own way.”</p> <p>“We’re looking forward to seeing what they do with it,” he continued. “I don’t know how much of our version of the script is going to make it into what they end up making. But if one day we were able to make the thing that we wrote and were in the middle of directing, we think people would love it. So, you know, good luck.”</p> <p><em>The Wolf Among Us 2</em> has reportedly been under development for quite some time now, first under AdHoc Studio working alongside Telltale before being brought in directly at the publisher for in-house development. However, the company is yet to reveal any more information about the title since its confirmation from October 2024 that <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/the-wolf-among-us-2-is-not-cancelled-says-telltale">it hadn’t been cancelled</a>.</p> <p>“As a rule, we don’t comment on rumours and unsubstantiated Reddit threads,” said Telltale’s PR in a statement. “But development on <em>The Wolf Among Us 2</em> continues, and we’re excited to share more about the game with Telltale fans and our community when the time is right.”</p> <p>Earlier last year, Telltale Games had given us a look at <em>The Wolf Among Us 2</em> with <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/the-wolf-among-us-2-receives-new-screenshots">the release of a few screenshots</a>. While the screenshots don’t really reveal much, they did confirm that Bigby Wolf will still be returning as the protagonist of the game, and that he will get to visit at least two distinct locations judging by the background art of the screenshots.</p> <p>Development on the title had likely hit a major snag back in 2023 when a <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/most-of-the-wolf-among-us-2s-dev-team-was-reportedly-let-go-amidst-telltale-layoffs">major part of the team working on it was laid off</a> “due to current market conditions”. Among those that had to leave the company at the time included cinematic director Jonah Huang, who had noted that many of them had been laid off in September 2023.</p>

Yakuza Kiwami 3 Appears on Official Website Ahead of Next Week’s RGG Summit

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:05:29 -0000

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is seemingly planning to announce a remake of the series' third entry, which initially launched in 2009.

<p>Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio will host its annual <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/rgg-summit-announced-for-september-24th">RGG Summit on September 24th</a>, but one of its announcements has seemingly leaked ahead of time. Fans <a href="https://x.com/Renka_schedule/status/1968302714133311738" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spotted</a> <em>Yakuza Kiwami 3</em> on the <a href="https://ryu-ga-gotoku.com/info/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">official website</a>, and while it’s since been removed, you can still see it in <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=%22%E9%BE%8D%E3%81%8C%E5%A6%82%E3%81%8F%E6%A5%B53%22+site%3Aryu-ga-gotoku.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google searches</a>.</p> <p>Further details are unknown, but a remake of the 2009 entry in the long-running action-adventure series isn’t too surprising. While going above and beyond the previous two entries, its English localization isn’t the best, and a significant amount of side content is missing. Whether <em>Yakuza Kiwami 3</em> will address all this and other complaints remains to be seen, but an announcement next week suggests a release date in the near future.</p> <p>Other titles that RGG Studio is working on include the <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/next-virtua-fighter-project-gets-new-trailer-showcasing-combat-training-stage">next <em>Virtua Fighter</em></a><em> </em>and <em><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/stranger-than-heaven-is-the-official-title-for-rgg-studios-project-century-new-trailer-out-now">Stranger Than Heaven</a></em>, a new IP that looks to evolve on<em> Yakuza’s</em> formula. The latter is <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/stranger-than-heaven-and-persona-4-revival-launching-in-or-after-fiscal-year-2027">targeting a release sometime in fiscal year 2027</a>, but the developer may still provide an update. Stay tuned next week for more details.</p>

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Remake Will Have New Content, No Modern-Day Sections – Rumour

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:52:56 -0000

While the map of Black Flag itself isn't expected to get bigger, there will apparently be more quests, including some cut content.

<p>A new rumour surrounding Ubisoft’s remake of <em>Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag</em> has become almost a monthly occurrence at this point, and this time around, there’s a new report that indicates that the remake involves quite a few changes being made to the original. According to a video by Jeux Vidéo Magazine (via <a href="https://wccftech.com/ubisoft-assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-remake-major-changes-rumor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WCCFTech</a>), the remake of <em>Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag</em> will apparently entirely remove the modern-day parts of its story. Rather, the entirety of the remake’s runtime will revolve around protagonist Edward Kenway and the pirate setting.</p> <p>Along with this, the remake will also reportedly feature more content in the form of new quests and other activities. There will also be a few modernisation touches being made to the title, including the removal of loading screens when moving from your ship to land, as well as the addition of content that was originally removed from the game back when it first came out in 2013. The report also indicates that the remake is slated for release in the first half of 2026, with March being a prominent candidate.</p> <p>As has often been the case with reports and rumours like this, it is worth taking them with a grain of salt, since Ubisoft is yet to even officially acknowledge that it is working on a remake of <em>Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag</em>. However, reports of a remake being in development have been flying around for quite some time now, <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-remake-reportedly-in-the-works">going as far back as 2023</a>. According to those reports, the remake is expected to be a ground-up remake being developed using a current version of Ubisoft’s in-house Anvil engine, rather than simply being a remaster.</p> <p>More recent reports of the rumoured remake started coming around thanks to artists from officially-licensed merchandise maker Play Arts off-handedly mentioning that <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-remake-something-is-going-on-with-edward-say-play-arts-artists">“something is going on with Edward”</a> during a livestream.</p> <p>“<em>Assassin’s Creed</em> fans out there, you should be aware that there is something going on with Edward [Keyway]”, said one host when asked about why they weren’t showcasing a figure based on <em>Black Flag</em> protagonist Edward Kenway. The artist was interrupted by another one saying “wait has that been announced?”</p> <p>“I think so, I’m pretty sure I saw rumors about it. No, I definitely saw at article about it”, responded the first artist. Later on, the first artist also said, “So there’s going to be something going on with Edward, and our PVC 1/8th scale statue will reflect that accordingly.”</p> <p>These rumours were further <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-remake-announcement-hinted-at-by-voice-actor">strengthened by a comment by Edward Kenway’s voice actor</a>, Matt Ryan, who was caught on video mentioning to a fan that they might get the chance to re-experience <em>Black Flag</em> soon. While signing an autograph, Ryan had asked the fan if they had beaten <em>Black Flag</em>, to which the fan replied by saying “yeah, a while ago.” This prompted Ryan to respond by saying that they “may have to beat it again.”</p> <p>Back in July, some <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-steam-listing-gets-updated-with-new-features">changes to the <em>Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag</em> database entry on Steam were caught</a>, courtesy of SteamDB, with new features seemingly added to the title.</p> <p><iframe title="EXCLUSIF Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag Remake : Nos 1ères INFORMATIONS INÉDITES sur le jeu 🔥" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qngrBQnukFc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>

Ghost of Yōtei Showcases Dual Blade Combat and the Wolf in New Trailer

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:47:01 -0000

Atsu continues to showcase her combat prowess with various weapons leading up to the sequel's launch on October 2nd.

<p>After yesterday’s <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/ghost-of-yotei-trailer-hypes-atsus-journey-of-vengeance">action-packed trailer for<em> Ghost of Yōtei</em></a>, Sucker Punch is back to highlighting the open-world title’s various weapons. Today, it’s the Dual Blades, which Atsu unleashes on an unwilling pack of enemies in a camp. Check it out below.</p> <p>The other notable aspect is the wolf, which distracts enemies and renders them vulnerable to her attacks. Smoke bombs return, allowing the player to catch targets off balance, but tossing objects in their face works just as well. At one point, <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/ghost-of-yotei-highlights-bloody-yari-gameplay-in-new-trailer">the yari</a> comes out for a sick jump attack, and you can even spot <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/ghost-of-yotei-trailer-showcases-firearms-dual-blade-skills-and-throwing-katanas">a one-handed firearm shot</a> in the middle of its combo.</p> <p>Overall, the trailer once again highlights how much the different weapons add to <em>Ghost of Yōtei’s</em> combat. What role the wolf plays in the story remains to be seen, but its assistance is far more deliberate here.</p> <p><em>Ghost of Yōtei</em> launches on October 2nd for PS5. Check out <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/ghost-of-yotei-vs-ghost-of-tsushima-whats-new">our feature</a> on everything new compared to <em>Ghost of Tsushima</em>.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe title="Ghost of Yōtei - Dual Katana Gameplay | PS5 Games" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1OvLr_i2N7Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure>

Skate Launches in Early Access to “Mixed” User Reviews on Steam

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:28:34 -0000

The free-to-play title's complaints range from lackluster communication features to problems with the replay editor and repetitive missions.

<p>Between all the other releases this week, it’s pretty easy to forget that <em>Skate</em>, a free-to-play multiplayer version of the beloved skating series, is <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/skate-enters-early-access-on-september-16th">available now</a> in early access. It’s playable on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PS4, PC, and Xbox One. Check out the live-action release trailer below.</p> <p>Despite peaking at <a href="https://steamdb.info/app/3354750/charts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">81,340 concurrent players on Steam</a>, <em>Skate</em> has gotten off to a rough start with server queues occurring at launch. It holds <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/3354750/skate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a “Mixed” rating</a> with only 47 percent of the currently 6,734 user reviews giving it the thumbs-up. Complaints range from the replay editor not functioning and repetitive mission design to poor communication options and the lack of classic features such as death races and S.KA.T.E.</p> <p>Launch is only the start, though, with developer Full Circle Studios outlining <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/skate-season-1-starts-october-25th-early-access-roadmap-revealed">an extensive roadmap</a> for new features and events. Season 1 begins on October 25th and adds new seasonal events, challenges, areas, and the Skate Pass. Other upcoming content includes improvements to the replay editor, player-created parks, new game modes, party voice chat, and more.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe title="skate. | Live Action Trailer - “Drop In”" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DeGXanmlJ_0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure>

Battlefield 6’s Battle Royale Mode Will Have the Same Destruction as the Core Game

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:38:32 -0000

Much like the regular multiplayer modes, the battle royale mode will have its destruction based on the materials of the buildings.

<p>While not too many details about the battle royale mode in <em>Battlefield 6</em> have been revealed even as the mode has <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/battlefield-6-is-starting-playtests-for-battle-royale-mode-through-battlefield-labs">begun playtests through <em>Battlefield</em> Labs</a>, lead producer David Sirland has confirmed on social media platform X that it will feature the same systems of environmental destruction as the core multiplayer modes.</p> <p>Responding to a post asking whether the battle royale mode will allow players to completely destroy buildings, Sirland said that there will still be rubble left in the aftermath. He also noted that the amount of rubble will depend on the kind of building that was destroyed, and what materials it was made of. Rather, the game’s focus will be on remaining readable while still being fun to play.</p> <p>“Same systems, still leave designed aftermath rubble,” wrote Sirland on X. “Heavily depends on the type of house and materials. Just destroying everything isn’t a good idea – we know this. It’s not hard to do that either, in fact what we are doing is much harder to get readable, and playing great”</p> <p>Sirland has also confirmed that Battlefield Studios has tuned the level of destruction in the game from its open betas last month to better match the type of destruction to the material of the building. Responding to a question about a single C4 or rocket doing enough damage to take down entire buildings, he said that it all came down to building material.</p> <p>“Balance is set per material and type of damage, explosions differ from kinetic etc,” he explained. “We have tuned things since open beta across many things in this regard. The goal is to make it consistent and for it to occur in regular play. Making each game unique, not all destroyed”</p> <p>The playtest for the battle royale mode was announced earlier this month, with Battlefield Studios confirming that the core gameplay of the franchise will be retained in the game mode. Along with environmental destruction, this also means that battle royale players can expect things like squads, gadgets, and vehicles as well.</p> <p>“This is <em>Battlefield</em>’s twist on the classic formula, so you can expect to find all of the core principles of <em>Battlefield</em> taking place within this mode; gadgets, explosives, destructible environments, and vehicles can all be used to secure the win,” wrote the company when it announced the battle royale playtests.</p> <p>The game mode is slated to have its own bespoke map built from the ground up for battle royale gameplay. This means that, among other things, there will be plenty of Points of Interest that can be explored, as well as various zones with their own distinct themes and layouts. Common transport vehicles will also be quite common. More powerful vehicles, like armored transport vehicles, however, will need to be unlocked over the course of a match. <em>Battlefield 6</em>’s battle royale mode will have 100-player matches, with the player base being split into 25 4-player squads.</p> <p><em>Battlefield 6</em> is <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/battlefield-6-open-betas-had-a-meaningful-percentage-of-players-on-minimum-spec-pcs">coming to PC</a>, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 10. For more details, check out how it was optimised for all platforms <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/battlefield-6-got-memory-optimisations-because-of-difficulties-in-running-it-on-xbox-series-s">thanks to development on the less powerful Xbox Series S</a>.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="embed-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Same systems, still leave designed aftermath rubble. Heavily depends on the type of house and materials. Just destroying everything isn't a good idea – we know this. It's not hard to do that either, in fact what we are doing is much harder to get readable, and playing great</p>— David Sirland (@tiggr_) <a href="https://twitter.com/tiggr_/status/1966819576731123909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> </div></figure> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="embed-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Balance is set per material and type of damage, explosions differ from kinetic etc. We have tuned things since open beta across many things in this regard. The goal is to make it consistent and for it to occur in regular play. Making each game unique, not all destroyed</p>— David Sirland (@tiggr_) <a href="https://twitter.com/tiggr_/status/1966967222754308351?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> </div></figure>

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade Will Need Almost 90 GB Free Space on Nintendo Switch 2

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:06:45 -0000

This makes Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade the largest game on the Nintendo Switch 2, overtaking WWE 2K25 which took up 73.2 GB.

<p><em>Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade</em> finally making its way to a Nintendo platform—the Switch 2 on January 22, 2026—has raised some questions about how Square Enix will handle its physical release. The company has since confirmed that, along with being available digitally through the <a href="https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/final-fantasy-vii-remake-intergrade-switch-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eShop</a>, <em>Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade</em> will also be hitting store shelves as a Game-Key Card. This means that buyers of the physical game card will still need to download the entirety of the game.</p> <p>Interestingly, <em>Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade</em> is also poised to be the biggest game on the Switch 2 when it comes to storage space requirements. The Game-Key Card will need players to download around 87.9 GB of data (via <a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/final-fantasy-7-remake-on-switch-2-is-a-game-key-card-thatll-fill-a-third-of-your-consoles-storage-space" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eurogamer</a>), which will eat into a major chunk of the console’s 256 GB internal storage. For context, even the other versions of <em>Final Fantasy 7 Remake</em> are quite large, with the PC version requiring 94.24 GB at the time of publishing.</p> <p>On release, <em>Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergarde</em> will overtake <em>WWE 2K25</em> as the largest title on the Nintendo Switch 2. The latter was formerly the largest, coming in at 73.2 GB.</p> <p>The large size of <em>Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade</em> was likely the core reason behind giving it a physical release through Game-Key Cards. Nintendo’s proprietary game format has an upper storage limit of around 64 GB, and also tend to be quite expensive for developers and publishers. Another reason might also have to do with the fact that running games off a Switch 2 cartridge might not be as performant as running them off the internal storage, since the cartridge has a generally slower transfer rate.</p> <p><em>Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade</em>’s Nintendo Switch 2 release was <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/final-fantasy-7-remake-intergrade-launches-on-january-22nd-2026-for-xbox-series-x-s-and-switch-2">announced earlier this month</a>. The release will essentially be the “complete” version of the first game in the <em>Remake</em> trilogy, including the base game as well as its <em>INTERmission</em> DLC, which will have players take on the role of Yuffie Kisaragi as she experiences the events of <em>Remake</em> from a different perspective.</p> <p>Recently, Square Enix also confirmed that all games in the <em>Remake</em> trilogy <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/final-fantasy-7-remake-trilogy-will-come-to-all-platforms-square-enix">will be released on all platforms</a>. This means that we will also get to see <em>Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth</em> make its way to Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S. The company’s wording also indicated that the third party of the trilogy—currently unnamed—will also come to PC, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 simultaneously with the PS5 release.</p> <p><em>Final Fantasy 7 Remake</em> was originally released on PS4 all the way back in 2020. Since then, the title has made its way on to other platforms. It was joined by a sequel—<em>Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth</em>—back in February 2024, which was then released on PC almost a full year after its original PS5-only release.</p> <p>Since then, Square Enix has made it a point to <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/square-enix-says-it-will-shift-to-a-multiplatform-strategy">move its game release strategy to be multiplatform</a> rather than relying on exclusivity deals with a single platform owner. Along with new games, the company also plans to release more of its back catalog on different platforms.</p>

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