Gaming News

Remedy Admits 'Not Everything Has Gone Well' for FBC: Firebreak, Pledges to Improve Multiplayer Shooter as It Launches to 'Mixed' Steam Rating

Remedy has posted a candid statement acknowledging "not everything has gone well" at the launch of its multiplayer Control spin-off FBC: Firebreak, and outlined how it hopes to improve the game in the coming weeks. FBC: Firebreak launched on June 17, but already sits on a "mixed" user score on Steam. Calling the launch an "exciting and nerve-wracking time," developer Remedy told players it had heard feedback "loudly and clearly," and admitted "it's clear there are features that need to improve, and they will improve." "We are improving some features starting now. While we can improve some features today and in the near term, some others will take longer and require more thinking from us. We will keep you informed every step of the...

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Elden Ring Nightreign's Official Strategy Guide Is Up For Preorder at Amazon

Elden Ring Nightreign is getting an official strategy guide, and preorders are now live on Amazon. It's being published by Future Press, the team behind the acclaimed guides for Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree, and the Bloodborne Anniversary Edition. The Elden Ring: Nightreign Official Strategy Guide launches on September 30, 2025, in the US for $44.99, while UK buyers will get it a month earlier on August 28 for £34.99. This premium hardcover companion covers everything from detailed Nightfarer class breakdowns and full system explainers to expedition maps, a complete bestiary, and deep item and build-crafting analysis. It also features high-quality artwork, lore entries, and collectible art prints, making it as much a collector's...

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Every Hideo Kojima Game Ranked

With the release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, director Hideo Kojima enters his fourth decade in game development as a director. While the celebrated “auteur” has spent the majority of his career so far working on the Metal Gear series, Death Stranding 2 sees him expanding upon his newest universe, where he both introduces new concepts and revisits some of his most enduring ideas. With a truly staggering list of credits in his impressive resume, there’s no better time to revisit every genre-defying adventure Kojima has taken us on. Here is every Kojima game that he directed or designed, ranked from worst to best. 12. Policenauts Before the Metal Gear Solid series took over his life, Kojima dabbled in the graphic adventure...

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Ratatan Is a Rhythm-Strategy Roguelite That Should Make Patapon Fans Proud

The Patapon series on the original PSP helped define the quirky and easygoing nature of the much-loved handheld. As one of the first of what you can call a Rhythm-Strategy game, Patapon was all about guiding a plucky following of worshipers against a mounting series of battles – all to the beat of their leader's song. The franchise has been dormant for some time, but that hasn't stopped the original developers from creating their successor, which adds a clever roguelite twist. During Summer Game Fest 2025, I had the special opportunity to see the latest build of Ratatan, which cast me as a new leader guiding my determined flock through some challenging skirmishes. It took me a few runs to find my groove in the face of ruthless...

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Fortnite Has a Hit New Mode — and for Once, the Game's Main Battle Royale Option Is No Longer the Most Popular

Log into Fortnite right now and you'll find that the game's most-played mode is, very unusually, not its main Battle Royale option. Instead the new Blitz Royale is currently ruling the roost — but what is it? And why is this fresh offering from Epic Games so popular? Blitz Royale launched this week in Fortnite's latest update, alongside Expeditions, a new story-infused PVE Lego experience, and a Bruno Mars-starring new season of Guitar Hero-like Fortnite Festival. But, as has continually been the case, it is the mode closest to Fortnite's classic Battle Royale that has broken out — and, for now, Blitz Royale feels like it has found a fresh niche for players keen to try something faster-paced and more quickfire. As its name suggests...

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Publisher Tells Nintendo to Pull Its Own Game From Switch 2 eShop While It Waits for Backwards Compatibility Patch to Go Live

Limited Run Games has asked Nintendo to remove Gex Trilogy from sale via the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop, until there's "clarity" on when a patch will be deployed to address a problem with the game's backwards compatibility. In a statement posted to social media, Limited Run said it did not expect the patch to arrive this week due to delays with its approval, something it linked to yesterday's US public holiday. So, in the meantime, the publisher said it had instructed Nintendo to pull the game instead. Limited Run said it had faced Switch 2 backwards compatibility issues with a number of its games originally released for Switch 1, and while a recent Switch 2 firmware update had improved this situation for the "majority" of its titles...

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Possessor(s) Gives You Demon-Magic Legs and Plenty of Fast Action to Enjoy

Ever since developer Heart Machine burst onto the scene with its hyper-stylized 2D action game Hyper Light Drifter, every effort from the studio comes with the promise of visual splendor and tight gameplay, and Possessor(s) is no different. If Hyper Light Drifter is Zelda-like, then Possessor(s) is the team’s take on the Metroidvania. Although their dev team will probably get mad at me for calling it that, as they prefer the original genre term of “search-action.” Regardless of which label you prefer, you’ll find the genre’s familiar hallmarks here. Possessor(s) drops you in a big open map full of powerful demon enemies and branching paths that aren’t all open to you just yet. Unlike Heart Machine’s past games with stylized, but...

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NetEase's Surprise Reveal Of New AAA Wuxia Game Blood Message Has Fans Comparing It To Uncharted And Tomb Raider

Surprise! NetEase Thunder Fire has just revealed Blood Message, an all-new action-adventure game that looks like a wuxia Uncharted. Described as a "story-driven, single-player, action-adventure set in Ancient China," Blood Message will feature "cutting-edge technology [to] heighten immersion in [an] epic blockbuster experience." Players can expect a deeply emotional journey with gameplay "anchored in cinematic storytelling," and visceral, realistic combat that blends stealth and survival mechanics. You'll visit diverse landscapes right across eastern and central Asia. Blood Message is an upcoming third-person linear action-adventure game developed by 24 Entertainment Studio and NetEase Thunder Fire. It introduces a forgotten odyssey...

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Lies of P's Overture DLC Patched to Rebalance and Reduce Monster Difficulty, After Complaints It Was Too Hard

Lies of P's DLC has been patched to reduce monster difficulty in repeat playthroughs and "adjusted stats" for some of the field monsters you encounter in your first playthrough of Overture. Director Jiwon Choi previously said the team didn't think Soulslike games like Lies of P should have difficulty options, and it shipped without any, but has since had a change of heart, saying: “We wanted to make sure a wider audience of players could play the game." Similarly, players have complained about the DLC's "intended" difficulty, Legendary Stalker. There have been so many comments — both for and against the DLC's difficulty spike — that the Lies of P subreddit has had to merge them all into a "megathread" to stop the community from being...

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Assassin's Creed Shadows Adds New Ally Character — and if You Watch Critical Role, They May Sound Familiar

Critical Role's Robbie Daymond will join the cast of Assassin's Creed Shadows next week, as a new character you can recruit as an ally for Yasuke and Naoe. Daymond will play Rufino, a character he originally created for an Assassin's Creed Shadows promotional one-shot. A quick glimpse at the character shows Rufino wearing a Portuguese-style doublet and sporting a lavish moustache. Rufino will arrive as a recruitable ally in Shadows' next game update, due next Wednesday, June 25. This will be the latest free drop of additional story content made available post-launch, following an earlier mission that served as a crossover with Dead by Daylight. So far, Shadows' extra story add-ons have been brief, with little more than 20 minutes...

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Dune: Awakening Developer Is 'Formulating A Plan' To Improve PvP and Toxic Deep Desert Experiences

In its first Q&A since Dune: Awakening launched on June 10, developer Funcom responded to questions on what's next for its survival MMO, and in particular changes due to come to its endgame. Funcom said it's "currently formulating a plan" to improve PvP in the Deep Desert, which players have previously branded as "toxic" due to griefing. Funcom has already patched out the ability for players to squish other people with their Ornithopter, but senior game director Viljar Sommerbakk also revealed the team was considering tweaking Ornis further, such as equipping them with rockets that "reduces overall maneuverability and max speed". The team is also considering making Scout Orni rockets cost slightly more heat to fire, something...

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AU Deals: Stock Up For a Full Weekend of Play With the Hottest Gaming Deals Today!

Thank your own personal deity—possibly the Seneschal—it's Friday. Need an excuse to add to the backlog? Today's digital discounts span epic space operas, cult oddities, and co-op masterpieces, with some titles hitting historically low prices. From Switch swordplay to PC wizardry, there’s something for every controller type or keyboard warrior. This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I’m lighting 22 candles for Sonic Adventure DX, the high-speed 3D platformer that burst onto the GameCube in 2003. Back then, the excitement was real. This wasn’t just a basic port of the Dreamcast hit. It came with a stack of extra missions, a playable Metal Sonic skin (!!!), and a gallery of visual upgrades that brought a glossier look to familiar levels...

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Elden Ring Nightreign Latest Patch Shadowdropped Its First Enhanced Boss

Yesterday, the new patch 1.01.3 went live for Elden Ring Nightreign. It was a seemingly small patch, centered on bugs and quality-of-life tune-ups. It seemed like most players saw it and went about their day. But then, gradually, some started to notice a new option in their Expeditions menu. A new Gaping Jaw undertaking, dubbed the "Everdark Sovereign," was appearing on the Expeditions menu. Soon it became clear that FromSoftware had delivered on its promise to add enhanced bosses to Elden Ring Nightreign this month, and it did so without warning, letting players potentially stumble into the new venture. Watching the community piece this together, in the late hours of the night, was truly fantastic. As confirmed this morning on...

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Beat Saber Ends Support on PS4 and PS5 in Yet Another Blow for PSVR2

Fan-favorite rhythm game Beat Saber is ending support for PlayStation consoles. From here on in, you shouldn't expect any further updates or music packs if you play on PS4 or PS5, and from January 21, 2026, multiplayer support will also be withdrawn. "As we look to the future and plan the next big leap for Beat Saber, we have made the decision to no longer release updates for PS4 and PS5 starting in June 2025," the developer explained in a new FAQ entitled "End of Support for PS4/PS5" (thanks, Eurogamer). "Our passion for VR remains unwavering. We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and what we can bring to Beat Saber fans who have been on this journey with us over the past [seven] years." The update stressed that...

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Gears of War: Reloaded Responds to Beta Complaints With More Maps and Modes For This Weekend's Test

Gears of War: Reloaded's upcoming beta weekend will now last a little longer and include more content as developer The Coalition responds to feedback from players. "We heard you," the team said on social media. "More maps. More modes. More time." As a result, this weekend's upcoming multiplayer beta has been extended — so the beta now runs from Friday June 20 at 12pm PDT to Sunday June 22 at 9pm PDT — and Execution has now joined the mode pool alongside King of the Hill on Gridlock, Raven Down (Courtyard and War Machine), and Canals. You'll also be able to play Team Deathmatch on the same maps via social matchmaking, with Gold Rush also in the pool. That won't quite quell the issues some players had about server stability but to be...

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Rematch Dev Explains What Went Wrong With Crossplay, Apologizes for Failing to Tell Players as Soon as It Knew It Wouldn’t Make Launch

Rematch developer SloClap has issued an update on the lack of crossplay in the game, apologizing to fans and admitting it should have let players know it wouldn’t make launch earlier. Rematch, from the studio behind Sifu and Absolver, is a 5v5 online multiplayer arcade soccer game played from a third-person perspective. Its recent beta was hugely popular, with 1.9 million taking part across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. But fans complained when SloClap confirmed Rematch wouldn’t have crossplay at launch, just hours before early access began. Now, in a blog post shared with the press to coincide with Rematch’s full launch today, June 19, SloClap explained what went wrong. “We understand many of you were looking forward to playing...

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Capcom to Reveal More Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata in Showcase Next Week

Capcom has announced a Spotlight digital event set for next week, when it will show more of Resident Evil Requiem, Pragmata, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Street Fighter 6. The Capcom Spotlight livestream is set for 3pm PT / 11pm UK time on Thursday, June 26, and will last 40 minutes. Capcom said to expect the “latest news” on the company’s upcoming games, as well as interviews with the developers. Specifically, Monster Hunter Wilds fans will get details on Title Update 2, which is set to release at the end of the month. Capcom announced Resident Evil Requiem during Summer Game Fest earlier this month with an eye-catching trailer. IGN went hands-on with Resident Evil Requiem, which lets you play in either first- or third-person. There’s...

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Dune: Awakening Patches Out Orni Squishing in PvP By Completely Removing The Ability to Damage Players and NPCs With Vehicles — And Not All Fans Are H

Remember when Funcom promised a fix was coming for players sick of getting squished by helicopters in PvP? Well, fix it the developer did. Kinda. Rather than mess with the Ornithopters themselves, the developer simply deployed a patch so "players no longer receive damage when hit by vehicles." As PC Gamer points out, this is fine in theory, as it means you're not only protected by griefers determined to squish you like a bug in PvP, but it also protects you from wiping out on your sandbike, especially if you accidentally send yourself rocketing off the side of a cliff, for instance. And though hundreds of players have upvoted a post on the subreddit that confirms the change, some point out that griefers have simply changed tactics...

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AU Deals: First Class Flying With the Moza AY210 Force Feedback Yoke Bundle, Best Prices, and More!

Have you ever tried to land a 747 in a crosswind using a plastic yoke that feels like it came from a cereal box? I have. And let me tell you, it's about as unpalatable as the food I imagine my AI flight attendants are serving to the NPCs spawned behind me in virtual Economy Class. As a seasoned Microsoft Flight Sim flyboy, from MS-DOS to MS 2024, I've weathered many storms (both virtual and real) armed with peripherals that ranged from "modern but meh" to "how come I'm still using this 1997-era Sidewinder?" Today, I’m finally excited about something new: the Moza AY210 Yoke Base and MFY Handle, a force feedback enabled experience that I've waited far too many years to feel again (thanks to patent hoarding). The TL;DR headline on this...

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AU Deals: Deep Chainsaw Cuts on Doom Dark Ages, Metaphor and Space Marine 2 Halved, and More!

You never know what’ll surface during a midweek rummage through the online shelves. One minute you’re idly scrolling, the next you’re staring down an 80 percent discount on a cult classic or a controller colour you didn’t know you needed. This week’s haul spans all platforms and price points, so let's get scrolling and saving. This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I'm celebrating the 24th birthday of NBA Street, the progenitor of a small b-ball empire that launch PS2 owners like myself dug a little bit more than we ought to (because bugger all games to buy). While it was no NBA Jam TE, we sure did love doing triple-hook-up alley-oops, and dunking the ring into utter disrepair by match end. Also, unlike the aforementioned arcade darling...

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Wuchang Fallen Feathers Is a Soulslike with a Unique Look and a Neat Hook

I’m not going to lie to you, folks. When I hear the word “soulslike,” my eyes start to glaze over, and I imagine the sweet release of death. It’s the same way I feel when someone says “metroidvania,” or “roguelike.” There’s nothing inherently wrong with soulslikes, metroidvanias, or roguelikes, for the record. There’s just an awful lot of them. I love a good steak, but you can’t eat fillet mignon every day. Sometimes you need some sushi, a taco plate, hell, even just a burger. A little variety goes a long way. So when I got asked whether I wanted a one or two-hour appointment with Wuchang, I only signed up for an hour. But I was allowed to play for two, and I’m really, really glad I did. Wuchang may be a soulslike, but it’s got unique...

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Turns Out Elden Ring Nightreign's Revive Bars Have Some Hidden Mechanics That Make Them Increasingly More Difficult To Whittle Down

Elden Ring Nightreign's status as a co-op PvE excursion introduced a fresh mechanic for previously solo players in revives. Those who fall in battle hit the ground and can get picked back up, if their teammates wail on them hard enough to knock out the purple bars of their circular dial. I'm probably not alone in feeling like, sometimes, this mechanic seems to get more arduous as players fall more often. If you fall once, it's only one pip on the bar; but by third death, you've got the whole radius covered in purple, and it can feel quite difficult to chip that much purple bar down while a Nightlord is attacking you. As it turns out, there are some hidden mechanics that may be helping or hindering your efforts to pick your teammates...

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'A Bummer We Weren't Invited,' Says Alien Ant Farm After Being Cut From Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 Soundtrack — 'I Feel Like Our Song Was Really Good'

American rock band Alien Ant Farm have said it was a "bummer" not to be included in the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 soundtrack, after their track Wish originally featured in the series' fourth game. A selection of songs from the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and Pro Skater 4 have been brought back for the remake's music playlist, such as Motörhead's Ace of Spades, but many others have not returned, and instead been replaced by new additions. Now, Alien Ant Farm has been asked by BBC News (thanks, VGC) about a sad face emoji the band's social media account posted in response to the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 soundtrack reveal, after it was confirmed the band would not be returning. "Is it a bummer that we weren't invited, or that...

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Elden Ring Nightreign Patch 1.01.3 Adds a Little Bit of Madness, But Players Are Really Happy About One Bug Fix

Elden Ring Nightreign Patch 1.01.3 is live now on all platforms, and while it just hits a few distinct bullet points for tuning and bug fixing, players seem appreciative of the changes that have been made. The patch only makes one balance adjustment: "Increased the chance of obtaining weapons with the madness status ailment." Madness is a status effect that can be built up and inflicted on enemies, and can be particularly effective in some cases, as a full affliction causes enemies to take significant damage and literally make flames spill out of their eyes. Notably, one of the pursuable Nightlords, Libra, is weak to Madness. But while this seems like a helpful upgrade for those trying to take the goat demon down, players on the...

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Atari’s Classic Adventure Is Back as Adventure of Samsara, and It’s a Metroidvania

I really admire the retro throwbacks Atari is doing these days, whether it’s something like Wayforward’s utterly gorgeous and charming Yars Rising or the underrated Lunar Lander Beyond. These games imagine the world around the Atari originals that inspired them, using them to build a base for a new game while celebrating what came before. It’s a neat idea, and something I wish other publishers would learn from. Needless to say, when I got an invite to sit down with their latest retro revival, I took it, even if I didn’t know what it was. What I got was Adventure of Samsara, a new take on the Atari classic Adventure on the Atari 2600. Adventure was before my time, but it’s remarkable to go back to because of how simple it is. That...

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Relooted Is an Historical Heist with Cultural Weight Behind It

Indiana Jones once famously declared that objects of public importance and history belong in a museum, but what do you do when they don’t? In the case of Relooted, you can put Indy’s mentality to the test by reclaiming relics of sub-Saharan Africa back for their homelands in this sleek and fascinating 2D heist title. Relooted puts the player in control of a team of Robin Hood-like thieves that have dedicated their talents to the cause of reuniting items of cultural significance with their home countries. The group gets together upon discovering that a museum is hiding their ownership of multiple antiques in a vault, not even providing a reasoning of public education, but opening them up to having nowhere to report a theft...

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Borderlands 4 Sets Its Sights on Reclaiming the Looter Shooter Throne

With action-packed gunplay, an innumerable quantity of badass guns to loot, and some of the most crass humor in gaming, the Borderlands games have held a special place in my heart since way back in 2009. But it’s also a series that practically invented the looter shooter genre, then saw itself fall behind the curve as a renaissance of RPG-infused multiplayer shooters dominated the space. With Borderlands 4, the team at Gearbox seems eager to take some big swings in hopes of reclaiming the throne of firearms and shell casings they themselves built, and whether it’s the greatly improved shooting mechanics, an interesting revamp to RPG mechanics, an entirely fresh setting, a slew of new characters, or a more grounded tone in its story, the...

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Help Us Rank the Biggest Games From Summer of Gaming

All the big summer presentations are now complete, which means we now have a pretty clear picture as to what games we’ll be playing over the next year or so. Across IGN’s Summer of Gaming we’ve seen plenty of exciting reveals, from the debut of Resident Evil Requiem as part of Summer Game Fest (arriving next February!) to the big Clockwork Revolution trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase (which launches… when it launches.) With more than a dozen presentations held over the last few weeks, there has been at least a little something for everyone. Cozy gamers found games to love among the trailers featured in Wholesome Direct, fans of the grimdark future got excited about Warhammer Skulls, and first-party devotees feasted on...

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Elden Ring Movie Director Alex Garland Is on His 7th Playthrough of the Game, Reveals His Toughest Boss

Director of the upcoming Elden Ring Movie, Alex Garland, is on his seventh playthrough of FromSoftware's epic fantasy RPG, and has revealed the boss he found the toughest to take down. Speaking to IGN ahead of the release 28 Years Later — the zombie apocalypse film he has written 23 years on from penning the first movie in the franchise — the Ex Machina and Civil War director revealed which of all of the famed foes in Elden Ring that he has settled on being the most difficult: Malenia, Blade of Miquella. “It's Malenia who's the tough one”, Garland explained. “I'm now on my seventh playthrough of that game. I've leveled up, I've got lots of juice, and a cool sword, and stuff like that, and I just throw myself at them again, and again...

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Elden Ring Nightreign Player Discovers There's a Maximum Number of Relics You Can Store

Relics are the potent items that can give your Nightfarer an extra boost on every run of Elden Ring Nightreign. There is also, as it turns out, a limit on just how many you can have stored up in your hideaway. One user on the r/Nightreign subreddit posted an image from their Elden Ring Nightreign game today, with a special message appearing over their attempts to start an expedition. "Cannot launch expedition: Too many relics in possession," read the message. "Please use the relic rite menu to sell off spares." The user u/Scufozzover1 didn't specify exactly how many they had, only ball-parking an estimate of "upwards of 1000 maybe." It's easy to theorize this might be related to a general 999 item limit, but unless you'd like to...

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