Gaming News

Capcom Cancels Lecture On Monster Hunter Wilds' Optimization, Amid Harassment Concerns

Capcom has canceled a lecture on the optimization of Monster Hunter Wilds at the upcoming CEDEC 2025 conference in Japan, amid concerns over harassment and threats its staff has been facing over Monster Hunter Wilds. Per Automaton, Capcom was set to host a talk at Japan's Computer Entertainment Developers Conference, which would have covered performance optimization through the lens of Monster Hunter Wilds. The developers would have explored the angles of CPU and GPU load, as well as memory usage. No reason was given for the cancellation, but speculation has swirled around whether this is related to harassment the developers have faced over Monster Hunter Wilds. The PC version of Wilds, specifically, has garnered criticism since...

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Mafia: The Old Country – 9 Minutes of Exclusive Gameplay | IGN First

Despite its rapidly approaching August 8 release date for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, not much has been seen from Mafia: The Old Country, the upcoming prequel – and fourth mainline entry – in the popular mafioso action-adventure series. That changes today. Mafia: The Old Country is our IGN First "cover story" for the month of July, meaning we'll have exclusive content all month long – specifically on Mafia Mondays! We kick things off today with nine minutes of exclusive gameplay from the Villa section in Chapter 5 of the story. Note that this footage has been edited for length and to avoid some story/character spoilers. Next Monday we'll have our exclusive hands-on preview after playing three hours of the campaign. In the meantime...

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Call of Duty: WWII Xbox PC Version Hauled Offline Amid Security Concerns

Activision has pulled Call of Duty: WWII on Xbox PC offline just days after it was added to Game Pass, amid reports of hacking via Remote Code Execution (RCE). This isn't about PC players cheating in-game via wall hacks and aim bots. Rather this is about unsuspecting Game Pass players losing control of their PCs through a security exploit. According to Cloudflare, a remote code execution (RCE) attack is where an attacker runs malicious code on an organization’s computers or network: "The ability to execute attacker-controlled code can be used for various purposes, including deploying additional malware or stealing sensitive data." Activision failed to provide any further details in its brief statement, below, instead simply...

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Square Enix Celebrates Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary With A New Video And a Fan Art Project — But All Everyone Wants Is A Remake Tease

Ready to feel old? Today marks the 25th(!) anniversary of Final Fantasy 9, and Square Enix is going all out by… uh, launching a fan art project. If that falls a little short of your remake-shaped expectations, you're not alone. There was a lot of excitement about the much-discussed Final Fantasy 9 remake after Square Enix launched an official Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary website earlier this year, and while the publisher has at least acknowledged Final Fantasy 9's special day with an "anniversary special movie" and a request to collect special memories from fans, that's pretty much it. "Celebrating 25 years of Final Fantasy 9 today," said a tweet posted to the game's official X/Twitter account yesterday, July 6. "When a theatre...

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In the Wake of Xbox Layoffs, Founder of Dishonored and Prey Dev Arkane Slams Game Pass: 'Why Is No-One Talking About the Elephant in the Room?'

Hot on the heels of the layoffs that have swept through Xbox, the founder of Microsoft-owned Arkane Studios has hit out at Game Pass, whose subscription model he called “unsustainable.” Raphael Colantonio, who founded the Dishonored and Prey developer and served as its president before leaving in 2017 to start Weird West maker WolfEye Studios, took to social media to ask: “Why is no-one talking about the elephant in the room? Cough cough (Gamepass).” When asked to expand on his thoughts on Game Pass, which Weird West launched straight into as a day one title in March 2022, Colantonio said: “I think Gamepass is an unsustainable model that has been increasingly damaging the industry for a decade, subsidized by MS’s ‘infinite money,’ but...

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The Best Deals Today: Samsung Gaming Monitors, Crucial 2TB SSD for PS5, and More

We've rounded up the best deals for Saturday, July 5, below, so don't miss out on these limited-time offers. Save Big on Samsung Gaming Monitors Woot has two excellent Samsung gaming monitors on sale this weekend, and you can save up to $900! The first monitor we recommend is the 32" Samsung Odyssey G8, which is fitted with a QD-OLED panel and supports a refresh rate of 240Hz. This monitor is best for the richest visuals, as the OLED technology allows for true blacks. On the other hand, the Samsung G9 49" Curved OLED Gaming Monitor is a beast that will instantly transform any setup. While this monitor is normally $1899.99, you can score it for just $999.99 this weekend. Crucial T500 2TB Gen4 SSD for $124.99 Everyone always needs...

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NTE Containment Test Begins, Showcases Updates and Improvements

Free-to-play open-world RPG NTE recently launched its Containment Test, a closed beta that showcases the upgrades developer Hotta Studio has made since the game’s last technical test. There are improvements across the board, including better visuals, new mechanics, racing content, reworked combat, and more. NTE takes place in Hethereau, a sprawling metropolis that’s really more like two cities in one. On the surface, it’s a pristine urban center filled with people going about their daily lives. But the underworld is constantly warped by reality-defying anomalies, and you’re an unlicensed Anomaly Hunter tasked with investigating these strange occurrences and putting a stop to them. Hethereau itself has always been one of the game’s...

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Forza Motorsport 'Team Is No More,' Former Developer Claims, With Remaining Turn 10 Staff Left 'To Support the Horizon Side'

Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios has been heavily impacted by this week's brutal Microsoft layoffs, former employees have claimed, reportedly resulting in Xbox's sim racing series being wound down. Former Forza Motorsport content coordinator Fred Russell has stated that the franchise's team is "no more," with remaining Turn 10 Studios employees left at the Washington-based company now focused on supporting the Forza Horizon series instead, which is primarily developed at British outfit Playground Games. "Turn 10 Studios has shuttered the Forza Motorsport space and the team is no more," Russell wrote in a...

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Perfect Dark Developer Says Eye-Catching 2024 Gameplay Demo 'Had Some Fakery but Quite a Lot of It Was Legit'

A developer who worked on Microsoft's now-cancelled Perfect Dark reboot has addressed the claim that last year's gameplay demo was "fake," and said the glimpse was a vertical slice of the project running "in-engine." Perfect Dark was one of several projects canned by Microsoft this week as part of the company's latest devastating cuts to Xbox staff and games. Developed by The Initiative, a studio Microsoft is now shutting down, alongside Tomb Raider studio Crystal Dynamics, Perfect Dark had rarely been glimpsed since its initial announcement back in 2020. That all changed last year when a "gameplay reveal" video aired as part of the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024. And it's this video that has since sparked questions over how much of...

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Stop Killing Games Reaches 1 Million Signatures as Players Continue Fight for Game Preservation

The Stop Killing Games initiative has reached the crucial 1 million signatures milestone in its quest to preserve video games for decades to come, but its fight isn’t over yet. The self-described consumer movement soared past the goal yesterday, July 3, cementing its status as an impressive petition in gaming history and a movement that has plenty of gas left in the tank. It’s all in the name of protecting the video games players love – and even the ones they don’t – as the industry steadily marches toward a digital future. Social media feeds have since filled with reactions from supporters praising an operation that could help save multiplayer and single-player games for future generations. While gamers take to the internet to...

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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2's Siege Mode Is a Reminder Fighting Against Chaos Just Isn't as Fun as Mowing Down the Tyranids

With Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’s Siege Mode in full swing, players are soldiering through waves of Thousand Sons and Tyranid forces as they bid to reach the highest level possible. But apart from frustrating connection issues and bugs that prevent progress, some players have a bigger problem: Chaos. Siege Mode forces players to fight against waves of enemies from Space Marine 2’s two enemy factions: the Thousand Sons traitor legion, and the terrifying bug-like alien menace that is the Tyranids. There is no way to play against one faction only. Tyranid and Chaos waves will come separately. That’s a problem for some Space Marine 2 players who feel like fighting the Tyranids is a lot more fun than playing against Chaos. A lot of...

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Microsoft Insists Every Game Shown at Its Xbox Showcase in June Is Safe — but What Were the No-Shows?

Amid the video game cancelations and studio closures that have come as a result of Microsoft’s devastating round of layoffs this week is concern about the fate of pretty much every Xbox game without a firm release date. Microsoft games canceled as part of the cuts include Rare’s Everwild, an unannounced MMO from ZeniMax Online Studios, the developer of The Elder Scrolls Online, and the Perfect Dark Reboot. The latter's developer, The Initiative, was shut down. The team working on Blizzard’s mobile game Warcraft Rumble was laid off as new content ceased. Meanwhile, external developers who were funded by Microsoft were also hit. Romero Games, the studio founded by Doom co-creator John Romero and Brenda Romero, has suffered significant...

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Persona5: The Phantom X Review in Progress

I’ve always been skeptical of Persona spin-offs. How can you twist such rich games into new shapes while maintaining the intricate details that make the series so beloved? Well, when it comes to the most recent addition to the family, Persona5: The Phantom X, the team at Perfect World appear to have done just that – or, at least, that’s how it seems on the surface. With beautifully animated cutscenes and a goosebump-inducing soundtrack, The Phantom X makes it clear early on that it isn’t keen to shake up the Persona formula. What it does do, however, is infuse that already excellent base with the all too familiar premium currencies of a mobile-focused gacha game. I have a more to play before my final review, but no matter how close it...

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Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill Star Michael Madsen Dies Aged 67 From Cardiac Arrest

Michael Madsen, who starred in Quentin Tarantino movies Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, has died aged 67 from cardiac arrest. NBC reported that Madsen was found dead at his Malibu home on Thursday morning, according to his manager Ron Smith. "In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film including upcoming feature films Resurrection Road, Concessions and Cookbook for Southern Housewives, and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life," managers Susan Ferris and Ron Smith, and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement. "Michael was also preparing to release a new book called Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems, currently being edited. Michael Madsen was one...

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EA Will Shut Down Anthem in January

EA has announced it will shut down BioWare's Anthem on January 12, 2026. Because Anthem's only content is online, this means the game will be unplayable after that date. Premium in-game currency will stop being sold today, though existing balances will still be able to be used until the game shuts down. The game will be removed from EA's storefront on August 15, 2025, but will still be available for download if it's already in your library until it officially shuts down. Anthem launched in February of 2019 to lukewarm reviews, including our own 6.5/10 which criticized the grindiness, lack of polish and variety, and a mismatched story. The game had sold 5 million copies as of December of 2023, which fell short of EA's target of 6...

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Hades 2's Unseen Update Patch 10 Will 'Likely' Be Its Last Before v1.0 Launch, 'Whenever That Will Be'

Hades 2's next patch could be its last before the game emerges from its early access cocoon. As spotted by RPS, the roguelike action RPG's latest patch — the Unseen Update — introduces a "number of adjustments to some of the latest additions," but developer Supergiant did tease that this will "likely be [its] final patch before the v1.0 launch"... "whenever that will be." The team said it will continue to monitor your feedback in the meantime. The full patch notes are included below, although please note we've removed any notes including spoiler tags, so you'll have to head on over to Steam to read those. Anything in bold has been inspired directly "by community feedback." Hades 2 Unseen Update Patch 10 patch notes: General...

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Roblox #BoycottTheHatch Controversy Explained

Roblox brought in 1,000 developers to participate in The Hatch, an event the Lego-like game platform says will go down as its biggest Easter Egg hunt ever. While the official experience is propped up as an important moment, thousands of players have already voiced their support for a boycott by using the #BoycottTheHatch across social media. The Hatch went live earlier today, cracking open its doors for players across the platform to enjoy the work put in by an army of Roblox developers. It’s entirely free-to-play and will no doubt attract millions of players who have been looking forward to the company’s latest Easter Egg hunt experience for the last month. What should be an exciting moment for the community has turned into a...

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Movie and Video Game Legend Keith David Shares Heartwarming Reaction To Learning He Will Get a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

The iconic Keith David — who is known for his expansive career that includes beloved live-action and voice acting roles alike — was surprised by a very touching honor recently: his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The actor took to his social media accounts to share a truly touching video of himself watching the broadcast where this year’s honorees were announced, where you can see him giving a very shocked reaction when he heard his name as part of the list. His wife, Dionne Lea Williams, also comes into the frame to congratulate him excitedly during the video, crying and hugging David in response to the news. “What a surprise! Being blessed to get to do this for a living is enough for me; to be recognized for my...

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Borderlands 4: Your Questions Answered

Following our recent five-hour hands-on preview of Borderlands 4 (and subsequent Vault and boss fight gameplay commentary), we have gone through and collected all of your questions, all of your best questions from the various comments sections on different platforms and we're going to run through and answer the best of those, the best we can. These are answered by frequent IGN contributor Travis Northup, who wrote our Borderlands 4 preview and whose gameplay and voice is in that Vault and boss fight commentary linked above. cirescythe asks: Is it a return to form for gearbox...? Travis Northup: That is obviously the question everyone wants to know the answer to. With this one I think the answer is it remains to be seen, but signs are...

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Reaper Actual, a Large-Scale Persistent Online Military FPS, Announced for PC

Distinct Possibility Studio, a new development team comprised of industry veterans including longtime Sony Online Entertainment boss John Smedley, has announced its first project: a large-scale persistent online open-world first-person shooter called Reaper Actual. It's in development for PC. It's a PvPvEvE game – sort of akin to an MMOFPS – set on the fictional island of Marova, which Smedley tells IGN is four times the size of Call of Duty Warzone's biggest map. You play a Reaper – effectively, a mercenary – and work for different factions. Up to 200 players can be on one server, and you'll be able to join Outfits (read: clans), use vehicles, and own bases – and of course raid them. Meanwhile, the AI is also playing against each...

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MindsEye Dev's UK Workforce of Around 300 Receive At-Risk Emails as Former GTA Lead Leslie Benzies Finally Addresses Staff

Build A Rocket Boy, the Edinburgh, Scotland-based developer of MindsEye, has issued at-risk of redundancy emails to its around 300-strong UK workforce following the disastrous launch of the game. Sources familiar with the goings on inside the embattled studio told IGN at-risk emails were also sent to staff at PlayFusion, which BARB acquired late 2024. PlayFusion, whose CEO Mark Gerhard became co-CEO of BARB as part of the buyout, is working on a different game — a fast-paced FPS called Ascendant which was meant to come out this year. Last month, IGN reported that BARB had begun a redundancy process following the release of MindsEye. The standard 45-day consultation process kicked off on June 23, which according to UK law is triggered...

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The Elder Scrolls Online Dev's Unannounced MMO Was Doing Well and Even Scaling Up as Xbox Cancelation Blindsided Staff, Sources Say

Yesterday, amid the layoffs of around 9,100 staff at Microsoft including thousands from its Xbox Gaming Divisions, we learned that one of the impacted projects was an unannounced MMO from ZeniMax Online Studios. Now, IGN has learned that the entire team for the MMO, codenamed "Blackbird," has been cut, amid layoffs that impacted several hundred individuals across the Cockeysville, MD-based ZeniMax Online Studios. Speaking to multiple sources familiar with the project, IGN has learned that Blackbird was to be a new, sci-fi IP. Though it had been in development since 2018, the length of time it was taking to make the game was expected, as ZeniMax was building an entirely new game engine for it. In the last year, sources tell IGN that...

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Sony-Published Helldivers 2 Gets Shock Release Date on Xbox Series X and S

Helldivers 2 is coming to Xbox Series X and S next month in a shock announcement that sees Sony publish a game on PlayStation's rival consoles. Arrowhead’s explosive co-op third-person shooter launches on Xbox on August 26, 2025, a livestream confirmed. Remarkably, that's the same day Microsoft releases Gears of War: Reloaded on PlayStation 5. In a post on Xbox Wire, Helldivers 2 Game Director Mikael Eriksson commented on what this launch means to the studio. “We know gamers have been asking for this for some time and we are so excited to bring more Helldivers into our game," he said. "We have so much more in store for the future months and years – and the more players we have the more stories we can tell! The fight for Super Earth...

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Steal a Capybara Codes (July 2025)

Last updated July 01, 2025 - Added new Steal a Capybara codes! Looking for active Steal a Capybara codes? Check out our list for all the working codes in this Roblox experience, so you don't have to search for them. Redeem each code to get rewards like money for buying capybaras or keeping your base locked longer. The last thing you want is for someone to steal from your base! Working Steal a Capybara Codes (July 2025) Here are all the current active codes you can redeem in Steal a Capybara as well as the rewards you'll get from them: 100kMembers - 100 Seconds Base Lock (NEW) 10MVisits - 10,000 Cash (NEW) 30kLikes - 30 Seconds Base Lock (NEW) LABUBU - 5,000 Cash (NEW) All the codes above have been tested as working at the time...

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Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 2 Takes Aim at Performance Woes, But Opinions Vary on Whether It Worked

The latest major Monster Hunter Wilds update, Title Update 2, is out and brought a lot of exciting content to the Forbidden Lands. Alongside the new hunts, Capcom took aim at some of the performance issues that have been plaguing the PC version, specifically, though opinions seem mixed on whether it succeeded. Despite Monster Hunter Wilds' impressive sales numbers, especially on PC, the Steam reviews have painted a different picture. Wilds garnered a "Mixed" review rating around launch. In response, director Yuya Tokuda committed to stability and improvements as updates started rolling out. In Patch Ver. 1.02.00.00 for the Steam version of Monster Hunter Wilds, among all the new monsters and quests, Capcom takes aim at several factors...

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Wuxia Open-World Action-Adventure Where Winds Meet a PlayStation Console Exclusive for at Least 6 Months

Where Winds Meet, the upcoming open-world action Wuxia action adventure from Everstone Studios, is a PlayStation 5 console exclusive for at least six months. Confirmation comes via a new video published to the PlayStation YouTube channel (the multiplatform version of this trailer is below). As well as offering a peek into the game's story, the end of the teaser revealed that Where Winds Meet is a PS5 console exclusive for "at least six months." It's also coming to mobile and PC. As for a release date? I'm afraid we're given no more than a vague "coming 2025" for now, but publisher NetEase has confirmed its final test is set to launch on July 25 on PC and PS5, which includes a brand-new urban region, Kaifeng, which hasn't previously...

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Blizzard Says Warcraft Rumble Won't Get Any New Content as Microsoft Layoffs Hit Development Team

As the full effect of Microsoft’s devastating round of layoffs becomes clearer, Blizzard has announced that mobile game Warcraft Rumble won’t get any new content, with its developers reporting they have been laid off. Warcraft Rumble was a high-profile attempt by Blizzard to bring the Warcraft universe into the lucrative mobile space. Development began in 2016, with the game itself releasing in 2023 as a free-to-play tower defense RTS inspired by the likes of Clash of Clans. The PC version launched late last year. In a blog post, Blizzard admitted Warcraft Rumble “struggled to find its footing relative to our ambition for its long-term success,” and that recent attempts to improve the popularity of the game weren’t enough to sustain...

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Ready or Not Dev Releases Before-and-After Screenshots as It Battles Against ‘Censorship’ Backlash and Steam Review-Bomb Campaign

VOID Interactive has responded to player backlash after it made changes to the PC version of its controversial shooter Ready or Not in order to secure a console release, citing "misconceptions and misinformation" about the amendments. Yesterday, July 2, we reported that VOID said it had to adjust levels of gore, nudity, violence, and the "mistreatment of children" ahead of the July 15 console release, and rather than "maintaining multiple versions with different assets and mechanics" that would "increase the likelihood of bugs," some aspects of the PC version have also been revised. At the time, VOID insisted the changes were "small enough that most people here wouldn't notice if we didn't say anything," but it "wanted to be...

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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Hotfix 8.1 Addresses Crashes, Disconnects, and Rewards Problems in Response to Siege Mode Complaints

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 got its hotly anticipated Siege Mode update last week, and while fans are enjoying it, crashes and disconnects have marred the experience. Siege Mode is Space Marine 2’s take on the classic video game Horde mode. It sees teams of three players fight against increasingly difficult waves of Tyranid and Chaos enemies for exclusive rewards. Players have responded to Siege Mode and its accompanying Patch 8 well, and Space Marine 2 has seen a surge of players on Steam at least, where player data is public. But connection problems are on occasion ruining the experience, especially when they arrive deep into the waves. Just yesterday, July 2, the complaints were continuing. “I feel incredibly f***ed,” said...

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Dune: Awakening's Huge 1.1.10.00 Update Has a Long List of Patch Notes

Dune: Awakening developer Funcom has deployed a raft of changes to prove it's responding nimbly to player feedback. Previously, Funcom launched Dune: Awakening's Public Test Client and then extended the PvE zone of the Deep Desert from about 10% of the map to 50%. It followed an AMA in which the studio told players frustrated by the endgame experience that it was "formulating a plan" to improve PvP in the Deep Desert. Some had branded the endgame "toxic" due to griefing even after the ability for players to squish each other with their Ornithopter was supposedly patched out. Later, griefers intentionally landing their Ornis on other players' own thopters to prevent them from farming. This latest patch doesn't specifically deal with...

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