Gregg Mayles, the veteran Rare designer and director, will reportedly depart the studio following yesterday's sweeping cuts of Xbox staff and projects that included the long-in-development Everwild.
Mayles' departure, as reported by VGC, ends an influential career at Rare stretching back more than 35 years, to the studio's origins developing games like Battletoads for NES and through its N64 heyday, during which Mayles helped design characters such as Diddy Kong.
Perhaps best known as the director of N64 classic Banjo-Kazooie, Mayles more recently served as creative director on hit pirate game Sea of Thieves. Over the last four years, however, Mayles has been overseeing Everwild, Rare's long-gestating fantasy follow-up that will now...
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If you're a fellow games and tech connoisseur who loves low prices, Amazon Prime Day 2025 is our Christmas in July. The sale officially takes place between July 8-14 (the longest PD we've seen Down Under). However, eagle-eyed deal hunters like me can already spot a flurry of early markdowns across gaming, tech, and more.
Welcome to my own personal living list of standout offers that’ll be updated daily as fresh bangers roll in. Whether you're padding your pile of shame or just looking to finally grab that wishlist item on the cheap, check back often because the best stuff moves quick!
This Day in Gaming 🎂
In retro news, I'm celebrating the 33rd birthday of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Truth be told, I was a Mega Drive...
Matt Firor, boss of The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios, has stepped down amid the cancellation of the studio’s unannounced MMO.
Sources close to the project told IGN that this MMO was a brand new IP unrelated to both Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, and that it had a sizeable team behind it. This team is now cut as part of the layoffs hitting Microsoft today.
In a memo to staff verified by IGN, Jill Braff, head of studio for Bethesda and ZeniMax, named Joseph Burba as Firor’s replacement as the new studio director for ZOS.
The reference to Matt’s note here is the prior memo Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, sent to Microsoft gaming staff today confirming the cancelation of Rare's Everwild and the...
Naughty Dog head Neil Druckmann has announced he will not be creatively involved in the upcoming Season 3 of HBO's The Last of Us, opting instead to focus entirely on game development of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
In a statement posted to Naughty Dog social channels, Druckmann said the following:
"I've made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO. With work completed on Season 2 and before any meaningful work starts on Season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects, including writing and directing our exciting next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of...
The troubled Perfect Dark reboot is canceled and Xbox studio The Initiative has shut down amid devastating layoffs sweeping across Microsoft today, sources have told IGN.
Perfect Dark's demise comes as part of what is fast becoming a bloodbath at Microsoft, with reports suggesting over 9,000 staff at the company are set to lose their jobs. Sources have told IGN that Rare’s Everwild is canceled as layoffs hit the legendary UK studio. Candy Crush maker King is also hit hard, as is Bethesda’s London office.
In a memo sent to all Microsoft gaming staff and viewed by IGN, Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, confirmed Everwild and Perfect Dark's cancelation and said the company was winding down several unnanounced projects.
Perfect...
I’ve rounded up some killer deals today, stuff I’d actually grab myself. We’re talking fan-favorite book sets, a vinyl gem for Pokémon collectors, and a fresh wave of PC games from Humble Choice. There’s even a white noise machine and a bladeless neck fan in the mix, both priced low and ready to save your summer sanity.
TL;DR: Deals For Today
From cozy farm sims and cat pirates to the grimdark chaos of Warhammer and Westeros, this list covers all kinds of tastes. If you’re looking to cool down, gear up, or zone out, there’s something here worth checking out before prices shift or stock vanishes.
Coke Zero Sugar 12 Pack
Even if you change your mind and don't want to subscribe and save, you can still get this great deal on Coke Zero...
Microsoft has reportedly canceled long in development Rare game, Everwild, as layoffs confirmed today sweep across Xbox.
IGN reported on the cuts, revealed a memo sent to staff by Xbox boss Phil Spencer and reviewed by IGN. Reports indicate over 9,000 staff across Microsoft may be hit, with Candy Crush developer King and Bethesda both hit hard.
VGC was first to report the Everwild news, which IGN sources have corroborated. IGN has asked Microsoft for comment.
In the memo, Spencer failed to confirm specifics, telling staff “any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days.”
The following message from Phil Spencer was shared to all gaming staff today:
In February, Spencer issued an update on...
Microsoft has today made significant layoffs to its gaming division, per a memo sent to staff by Xbox boss Phil Spencer and reviewed by IGN.
A source told IGN that Candy Crush developer King was hit hard, but the layoffs affect other parts of the gaming business. IGN understands parts of Microsoft-owned Bethesda, including its London office, were also affected by the cuts. Rare's long-in-development Xbox game Everwild was canceled as part of the round of layoffs.
The gaming layoffs come as part of an eye-watering round of cuts across Microsoft that amount to 4%, or roughly 9,100 of employees, losing their jobs. Microsoft has over 228,000 employees worldwide.
In the memo, Spencer failed to confirm specifics, telling staff “any...
Former Striking Distance CEO, Steve Papoutsis, is joining Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds as CEO amid the shock announcement that the previous leadership team — Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire — have been replaced "effective immediately."
Unknown Worlds owner Krafton, which is behind PUBG, failed to expand on why the leadership team had been gutted, but said while it "sought to keep the Unknown Worlds' co-founders and original creators of the Subnautica series involved in the game's development," it "wishes them well on their next endeavors."
Krafton insisted Papoutsis will "prioritize development momentum and delivering best possible fan experience" and "will bring renewed energy and momentum." It is unclear what...
Age verification will be coming into force for European and British modders using Nexus Mods.
Last month, Nexus Mods founder Robin "Dark0ne" Scott said that for both "my and the community's best interest," the "time has come to step back from the day-to-day running of the site."
However, these changes do not come at the behest of the new owners, but are part of the company's legal obligation to comply with the UK government's new Online Safety Act and the EU's Digital Services Act.
"Due to the Online Safety Act and Digital Services Act, we are required as a UK-based company to ensure we continue to remove illegal content and add additional restrictions to children’s access to certain adult content," the company explained.
"As a...
On May 15, 2025, fans got the surprise they’d been waiting for: Blue Protocol: Star Resonance, the long-anticipated anime MMORPG from Shanghai Bokura Network Technology, is officially coming to the West via publisher A Plus in 2025. The news followed hot on the heels of the game’s Chinese beta, and the hype hasn’t stopped building since.
To keep the momentum going — and true to its community-driven development ethos — Bokura extended a rare opportunity to the game’s largest English-speaking fan hub, Star Resonance Database. Through a series of curated questions sourced from the Discord server, players got the chance to directly engage with the team behind the game.
Roy, Bokura’s founder and seasoned game producer — who’s been a...
One of the projects recently canceled by developer People Can Fly was Outriders 2, according to fresh reports.
The Polish studio best known for Outriders and Gears of War Judgment confirmed even more jobs were at risk at the beginning of June when it canceled two projects: Project Gemini and Project Bifrost.
While the statement issued by CEO Sebastian Wojciechowski at the time did not specify which publishers were involved with the canceled projects, PCF's own website confirmed Gemini was partnered with Square Enix, and Bifrost was a self-published project.
The cancelations led to the restructuring of internal teams and followed the April cancellation of Project Dagger, an action-adventure game originally set to co-developed and...
Ready or Not, the tactical first-person shooter from VOID Interactive, is being review-bombed on Steam due to changes made to the game to secure its release on consoles.
In a statement posted to Steam, 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.
"Throughout this console port process, we've done our utmost to only make changes when they are flagged as absolutely required by our first-party partners, and any changes aim to remain faithful to the original tonality of...
FromSoftware has released a new patch for Elden Ring Nightreign, although it focuses on bug fixes and not new features or balance changes.
Highlights for update 1.01.4 — available now for Elden Ring Nightreign across all platforms — include the weapon type now being displayed in each Armament Information menu, a bug fix for matchmaking failing after two players joined and left your team at the same time, and achievement-related problems.
There's also a fix for an exploit that let playable characters revive from a near-death state without being defeated during the battle with the third-day boss after leaving a session and returning from the title screen. Patch notes are below.
The patch does not add the much-wanted duos mode, which...
A new Horus Heresy book has left Warhammer 40,000 lore fans debating the true nature of the carrion Emperor and the Golden Throne — and the possibility that two classic pieces of early art work may well offer a canon look into the setting.
Era of Ruin (the special edition of which forced Warhammer.com offline when preorders went online) is an anthology of short stories designed to bookend the Horus Heresy, the galaxy-spanning civil war between loyalist and traitor Space Marines that occurred 10,000 years before the current Warhammer 40,000 setting. The Horus Heresy saw the Emperor finally defeat his Chaos-fueled primarch son, Horus Lupercal, and save the Imperium of Man from destruction, but at a terrible cost: the near-death Master of...
Mecha Break speaks to a very specific kind of sicko: the kind of person who plays multiplayer games looking for perfection. Not overall – there’s no such thing as a “perfect” piece of art. But perfect moments? The perfect shot, the clutch dodge, confirming the last kill that wins you the match? They’re out there, in that things come together just the way you need them to. I’ve only gotten to play a couple hours of Mecha Break ahead of launch (which, if you’re reading this, has just happened) so I have a lot more to see, do, and unlock in this robot-themed hero shooter, but I can already say it’s a game that lets you build your own stories.
Over the course of a two-hour preview event (playing on PC) I got to play five matches and try...
Feeling the pinch but still itching for the best in pixels and/or polygons? My daily haul of discounted gaming delights has something for every playstyle, whether you're a trophy fiend, a couch co-op junkie, or just overdue for a solo narrative binge. The price drops are deep, the genres are varied, and the digital shelves are practically begging for your thumb.
This Day in Gaming 🎂
In retro news, I've made a big cake with a 26 on it for Ape Escape, the first game to explicitly require a DualShock controller. In these modern times where the dpad is a vestigial limb, it's difficult to explain just how exciting it was to transition from that clunky cross to twin analog sticks. Cameras could be controlled like we were Spielberg...
Postapocalyptic open-world survival game Once Human is launching its Annual Version 2.0: Dreamveil, and developer Starry Studio is hosting a special program to mark the occasion. There will be a celebration of all the game has achieved so far, as well as news and updates about what’s coming in the future. IGN will carry a livestream of the full program, so here’s all the details for how you can watch and what to expect as part of the show.
Once Human Special Program Date, Time, and How to Watch
If you’re in the United States, the program will be streaming at night. It’ll begin on Wednesday, July 2 at 9 p.m. Pacific, which means it’ll be at midnight that night in the Eastern time zone. You can watch it live on any of these IGN...
Some deals just hit right, and today’s picks are genuinely worth a look. Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is down to $49.99 in its Limited Edition, M3GAN 2.0’s steelbook bundle is up for pre-order, and the WOWBOX drawer organizers are just $15.99 for a 32-piece set. Add in a reliable Coke Zero 12-pack deal and a surprisingly good rechargeable neck fan for $13.49, and it’s shaping up to be a smart day to grab a few things you’ll actually use.
TL;DR: Deals For Today
There’s more, too. The Silmarillion deluxe illustrated edition is back in stock for under $83, and some early Prime Day offers are already rolling out. Audible Premium Plus is just $0.99 for three months, Kindle Unlimited is free if you’ve got Prime, and young adults can still...
NetEase Games has finally pulled back the curtain on Marvel Rivals Season 3: The Abyss Awakens with a trailer, below, that features major comic book characters like the symbiote king, Knull, as well as Blade and Jean Grey.
The minute-and-a-half-long cinematic trailer was published today, revealing a first look at the upcoming season’s theme, its new playable characters, and even a few symbiote-themed skins. The Season 3 release date is set for July 11, though it remains unclear how some of the content shown in today’s video will roll out.
Where Season 2: Hellfire Gala introduced new Heroes, Ultron and Emma Frost, Season 3: The Abyss Awakens looks like it will finally allow players to control Blade and Jean Grey/The Phoenix. The...
Red Dead Online is showing signs of life after Rockstar added new missions to the game, and as you’d expect fans are once again speculating that a next-gen update for Red Dead Redemption 2 is in the works.
Most fans had come to terms with the idea that Rockstar had moved on from Read Dead Online back in 2022, but the developer has unexpectedly released the new Strange Tales of the West update, which includes four new missions and a tease of more to come.
The new trailer, below, is the first Rockstar has released for Red Dead Online since 2021.
Here's the official blurb:
The four new missions are Strange Tales of The Plague, Strange Tales of Modern Science, Strange Tales of The Bayou, and Strange Tales of The Wilderness. As...
Microsoft has announced Wave 1 of the Xbox Game Pass July 2025 lineup, which includes Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, the return of High On Life, and more.
As revealed in a post on Xbox Wire, out today, July 1, is Little Nightmares 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) across Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard, and the return of Rise of the Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC), also across Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard.
Tomorrow, July 2, Legend of Mana (Console) and Trials of Mana (Console) enter Game Pass Standard. On July 3, Ultimate Chicken Horse (Cloud, Console, and PC) hits Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard.
Cool cyberpunk action RPG The Ascent (Cloud, Console, and PC)...
Steam has released a new in-game monitor to help players understand the causes of bad PC game performance.
In a blog post, developer Valve explained that the new performance overlay will show you framerate values, similar to the old FPS counter, "but it can also break out generated frames from DLSS or FSR vs actual game framerate." That's great timing given the new Steam Summer Sale is live.
"It can show you min/max single frame values and a graph of framerate over time," Valve continued. "Additionally, it will show you CPU performance information, GPU performance information, and system memory usage information. These pieces of data can be useful to understand the causes of bad game performance whether that be a slow CPU, GPU, or...
Borderlands 4 includes a slider that lets you decrease the volume of — or mute entirely — your beloved (or love-to-hate) companion, Claptrap.
The robot companion has been in the Borderlands franchise since it began way back in 2009, and you can even play as him in 2014's Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. He essentially acts as your guide and mascot, and can make you laugh/cringe in equal measure. For some, however, he can be annoying, which is likely why the developers at Gearbox have introduced a setting to let you lower the volume of his voice or simply mute him completely.
"I wrote some lines just for this feature and it includes maybe the dumbest most niche reference to a certain terrible accent in a certain classic immersive sim,"...
Cryptic teases from Minecraft's official social media accounts have hinted at something big coming soon to do with copper.
A post on the Minecraft X/Twitter account features a teasing message stating "C U in the mines!" while on Instagram, the inside of a cave with blocks spelling out "CU 29" can be seen alongside the message: "Teleported Steve to 29, 11, 63.54."
What does all this mean? Well, Cu is copper's chemical symbol, 29 is its number in the periodic table, 11 is its group in the period table, while 63.54 is its atomic mass. So it's definitely something to do with copper. But beyond that? Well, fans do have one big idea.
Copper has existed in Minecraft for some time, as one of the game's many ores you can harvest and smelt...
The next mainline Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon game is moving into internal alpha testing in the coming months.
That's according to Insider Gaming, which claimed the shooter, codenamed 'Over' internally, will commence alpha testing in the Fall (Q3). With testing thought to take around 12 months, IG estimated Ghost Recon may release Fall 2026.
News of a new Ghost Recon broke around the time the developer/publisher confirmed it was ceasing all new development on 2019's Ghost Recon Breakpoint. It has reportedly been in development at Ubisoft since then, although at the time, it was clear the series was undergoing a full reset, which would necessitate a lengthy development cycle.
In a statement to IGN, an Ubisoft representative said: "We do...
What’s next for Halo? It looks like fans will get a further tease this October at the Halo World Championship 2025.
In a blog post, Tahir “Tashi” Hasandjekic, Esports Lead for the Halo franchise, suggested fans attend the event October 24-26 in Seattle to find out what Halo Studios has been working on.
During the same event last October, Halo developer 343 Industries announced it had changed its name to Halo Studios and confirmed multiple projects were in the works. In the same breath, Halo Studios said all its future games would be developed on Unreal Engine, leaving behind the Slipspace Engine utilized by Halo Infinite.
The announcements were unveiled in a seven-minute video shown ahead of the Halo World Championship's grand...
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is set for a second year of DLC, and we have the first details on its huge 10.0 update.
Breakout hit Space Marine 2 has sold 7 million copies, so it’s no surprise to see Year 2 support confirmed by publisher Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive. In a community update, the companies said Year 2 will bring new PvE missions, enemies, weapons, and more unannounced content.
Space Marine 2 came out in September 2024, and as part of its first anniversary, a “large-scale” update is planned to release in September. Patch 10.0 sounds like a big one for Space Marine 2, but it’s worth noting that Patch 9.0 is due out beforehand. 9.0 was meant to add a new PvP mode, but that’s now delayed to 10.0...
Time to warm up your wishlist, because this week’s gaming deals bring serious heat across every platform. Whether you're chasing cosy comfort, bold experimentation or big-ticket RPGs at slashed prices, there’s gold to be found here. From reimagined classics to cult favourites and bombastic new entries, it’s a great chance to fill those library gaps.
This Day in Gaming 🎂
In retro news, I'm celebrating the 38th birthday of a true great, Super Mario Bros., on the Nintendo Entertainment System. My first life-for-life playthrough at a friend's place blew me away. Every stage we conquered in the "back 4" worlds of this save-less odyssey felt like a murder gauntlet survived. Every secret pipe or warp room we found—unaided by the non-existent...
PUBG: Blindspot is a cheeky little PUBG: Battlegrounds spin off that's currently in development, and was playable on the show floor at IGN Live. It's a 5v5 top-down tactical shooter that has a classic team deathmatch mode - one we got hooked on even in the chaos of the gaming show floor - and a Demolition mode, that will see teams using traps and obstacles to outwit the enemy. It's been compared to a top-down Rainbow Six Siege and with good reason: to rack up the kills you're going to need to use your brain as well as your trigger finger.
1. Think 'Peekaboo with bullets'
Forget all your FPS muscle memory, this is a top-down strategic PvP game where your cunning is as important as your reaction times. You're dropped into a map full of...