Gaming News

Warner Bros. Games has announced a "standalone Quidditch experience" called Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, and playtest signups are now open.According to the game's FAQ page, Quidditch Champions is will allow players to partake in the Wizarding World's iconic sport and "other broomstick adventures alongside friends in a competitive, multiplayer setting." Playing the game requires constant internet connection, hence Warner Bros. Games is holding a limited playtest for people to try out the new Harry Potter title.During the playtest, you can either play the game by yourself or you can team up with friends and other people online. You'll also be able to create and customize your character to your liking.Quidditch Champions has...

Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, has promised he'll deliver new content in the Version 1.6 update.The developer announced on Twitter Monday saying he's working on the new update, and that he's pausing development on Haunted Chocolatier in order to do so. The update will mostly come with features that allow modders to mod elements of Stardew Valley more easily. The game will also receive other new content, but the package will be smaller than it was in the Version 1.5 update.One of the fans replied to ConcernedApe's tweet asking about the type of other new content that will be added with the Version 1.6 patch, specifically whether the characters will have more dialogue. He confirmed that "the new...

Wuthering Waves is a multi-platform free-to-play action RPG by Kuro Game. Wuthering Waves emphasizes freedom and exploration in its fast-paced Player-versus-Enemy (PvE) combat. If you're a fan of free-to-play games that offer deep gameplay mechanics, you should keep an eye on Wuthering Waves' upcoming closed beta.A Story of Catastrophe and Recovery (and Catastrophe)The world of Wuthering Waves was bombarded by an apocalyptic event called the "Calament" over a century ago. Strange beings arrived and sowed havoc and violence across the lands, leaving the dregs of civilization to tremble on the edge of annihilation.But peace was forged between the surviving peoples, all of whom pitched in to rebuild cities, homes, and factories...

Joseph Staten, one the original architects of Halo who came in late in Halo Infinite's development process to help land that very important plane for Microsoft, has joined Netflix as the creative director of Netflix Games. He is building a new AAA multiplatform game and original IP."In my work life, there's nothing I love more than collaborating with others to build worlds filled with iconic characters, deep mysteries, and endless adventures," Staten told IGN. "So today, I'm thrilled to announce that I've joined Netflix Games as Creative Director for a brand-new AAA multiplatform game and original IP. Let's go!"This comes after Staten first shifted back to the Xbox Publishing role he'd been at prior to joining 343 Industries as...

Since its initial launch, Cyberpunk 2077 has had quite the turnaround. So much so that it actually gave developer CD Projekt Red its second-best revenue year ever in 2022. And with the game’s brand new expansion, Phantom Liberty, on the horizon, the developer is sure to see even more success. Not only because it cost more to make than The Witcher 3's massive Blood and Wine expansion, so surely a lot of love has gone into it, but also because of the addition of exciting new faces as Idris Elba jumps into Night City's action.And with all of that love for Cyberpunk comes a desire to deck out your space with fun merch and collectibles for it, and we’ve got an excellent selection of gift ideas to choose from. No matter if you got hooked...

While it may seem like all the fuss about artificial intelligence is a recent phenomenon thanks to endless commentary shared daily on social media about ChatGPT and similar chatbots, the concept has been around for nearly 70 years. Originally coined by computer scientist John McCarthy in 1956 during his tenure at MIT, the term has since inspired researchers, scientists, writers, and creators of every kind of entertainment imaginable. The notion of machines being able to “think” goes back even further, with its first appearance in cinema being German director Fritz Lang’s 1927 depiction of a dystopian future in his movie Metropolis.Given its apparent ubiquity in current popular culture, and its longstanding ties to the ways we’ve...

Naughty Dog has finally released The Last of Us Part I onto PC. The launch did not go without a hitch, but is this really as bad of a port as the internet would lead you to believe?Crashing onto PCContext first: the game & engine were designed around the unique architecture of the PlayStation 3, a powerful yet complex piece of hardware with unique requirements. Although it was ported to the PS4, the core engine underneath was a modified version of that same PS3 design, based on mass Asynchronous work. Even Naughty Dog itself had severe issues getting the game to run at 60fps, which required maximizing the CPU and GPU with a triple buffered rendering pipeline, and suffice it to say that porting to PC is an even greater challenge than...

All anyone wants to talk about in the games industry is AI. The technology — once a twinkle in the eye of sci-fi writers and futurists — has shot off like a bottle rocket. Every day we're greeted with fascinating and perturbing new advances in machine learning. Right now, you can converse with your computer on ChatGPT, sock-puppet a celebrity's voice with ElevenLabs, and generate a slate of concept art with MidJourney.It is perhaps only a matter of time before AI starts making significant headway in the business of game development, so to kick off AI week at IGN, we talked to a range of experts in the field about their hopes and fears for this brave new world, and some are more skeptical than you'd expect.What do you think the...

I can’t think of a worse environment for Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle to exist in than firmly in the long shadow cast by its inspiration, the Resident Evil series. Everything about the demo I played, from its bland corridor crawling exploration to its trivial run and gun action, feels like a cheap imitation of some of the greatest survival horror games of all time, maybe even more so these days in a post-Resident Evil 4 Remake world. What's worse, there's almost nothing differentiating it from Capcom’s zombie-horror masterpieces save for the setting, which is understandably undercooked as my 20-minute demo was not nearly enough time to build a world or establish likable characters. Nothing about my time with this slice left me with much...

Dark and Darker developer Irongate is being been sued by Nexon for copyright infringement following a DMCA takedown in March.As reported by Eurogamer, Nexon's lawsuit highlighted similarities between its own P3 and Dark and Darker, and also claimed some of Irongate's employees, who previously worked for Nexon, had signed a one-year-non-compete clause that stopped them from taking "Nexon's trade secrets" straight to a new developer.The lawsuit added that "condoning the defendants' conduct would threaten Nexon, the video game industry, and all of the consumers who enjoy playing sophisticated video games. Video game developers would not be able to invest years' worth of person-hours in developing video games if their employees could...

Let's kick off another week of savings by paying 65% less for FIFA 23. Not into sportsballin'? Other AAA pursuits have dropped as well. Stuff like Call of Duty MW2 being at a historical low, not to mention GTA V and RDR 2 slipping into the $20 range. They're all great companions to have if you want to burn through some school holiday hours. Or to come home and unwind with after yet another shift at the salt mines.This Day in Gaming- Wild Arms 5 (PS2) launch, 2008.- Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (PC) launch, 2008.- Injustice: Gods Among Us (PS3, WiiU, X360) launch, 2013.Table of ContentsNintendo Switch PC Xbox PlayStation LEGONotable Sales for Nintendo SwitchBack to topPurchase Cheaply for PCBack to topExciting Offers for...

Minecraft is a game that has been taking the world by storm for well over a decade now, yet it feels as though it has been a part of our lives and our gaming histories for as long as we can remember. With the new release of Minecraft Legends, the latest action strategy spinoff from Mojang, it’s worth taking a trip down memory lane to take a look at exactly where this industry-changing saga began. How did this sandbox game become one of the best-selling games of all time?Who Created Minecraft?Minecraft was initially created by Markus “Notch” Persson, a Swedish game programmer. Markus Persson had worked for King for over four years until 2009, when he began full-time development on Minecraft. His idea brewed from a game he was...

Some gaming gems get forgotten over time, some never get the chance to be discovered in the first place. Out of all of the games that instantly impressed me when I first played them and frustratingly faded into obscurity, Split/Second surely takes the pole position. Welcome to the third installment of my ongoing column, Forgotten Gems!Black Rock RockedIf you’ve never played Split/Second and you’re into arcade racers, know that it’s not too late. Largely forgotten -- or rather, unknown -- it may be, but it’s still easy to find and play (see bottom of this article). Split/Second was the brainchild of Black Rock Studio, a company formerly known as Pixel Planet, then Black Rock Studio, then Climax Brighton, then Climax Racing, then…...

“Greatness from Small Beginnings.” Engraved in Latin on the ring that hangs around the neck of series protagonist Nathan Drake, these four words have come to define Naughty Dog’s immensely popular Uncharted series. It’s a rather fitting catchphrase considering the franchise itself has grown significantly since its debut in 2008.Whether it’s battling pirates in the depths of the Amazon Jungle or exploring hidden cities in the center of the Rub’ al Khali desert, Nathan Drake has had no shortage of daring adventures in the years following his PlayStation 3 debut. With so many entries in its universe, it’s easy to get lost deciphering Uncharted’s lengthy timeline. To help make sense of it, here’s a chronology of the full Uncharted game...

Sega is reportedly close to acquiring Angry Birds developer Rovio Entertainment for about $1 billion.According to Wall Street Journal, the deal between Sega and Rovio Entertainment is expected to finish early next week, provided that discussions between the two companies don’t fall apart or prolong.Neither Sega nor Rovio has made an official announcement yet. Rovio was previously in talks to be acquired by Israeli mobile company Playtika for $800 million, but those negotiations ended last month. Sega has acquired a few companies over the past few years, including Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment, Two Point Campus developer Two Point Studios, and most notably Persona developer Atlus.There have been many...

Just before the upcoming dungeon crawler Dark and Darker was slated to launch a playtest, its team was served a cease and desist letter and a DMCA takedown in March. Now, development team Ironmace is going ahead with another playtest as originally scheduled, albeit via an interesting method.Today, Ironmace began encouraging people to participate in Dark and Darker's playtest through torrents made available in a message in the game's Discord server. The playtest will be available until April 19."Rest assured that we are working around the clock to safeguard the continuance of Dark and Darker," the team's Discord message, which was reposted on Reddit, reads. "Unfortunately, due to the complexities of our situation, especially across...

While smartphones are getting better every day with computational photography and crazy telephoto lenses, dedicated cameras still produce images you just can get on your mobile device. Cameras give you so much more flexibility with your changing your focal length, bokeh, and tweak your exposure. Not to mention dedicated cameras are far more capable for shooting sports, landscapes, video, and almost anything you throw their way.TL;DR - These are the Best Cameras:Fujifilm X-T5 Sony A7 IV Panasonic Lumix S5 II GoPro Hero 11 DJI Mini 3 ProFujifilm X-T5 Best CameraSee it on Best BuySensor Size: APS-C) CMOS | Resolution: 40.2MP | Viewfinder: 3,690K Dot | Screen: 3” 1,084K Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD | Autofocus: 425-point...

Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Modern Warfare 2 Season 3 is now out, and it introduces quite a few cosmetics and a new battle pass. However, a few of the update's paid cosmetics grant players advantages in Warzone's DMZ mode, and some fans aren't happy.On April 12, Activision introduced a new cosmetic bundle to Warzone 2.0. In what Activision referred to as a "DMZ boost," the game's new $12 Bomb Squad bundle gives players a skin for Fender, a SAKIN MG38 LMG blueprint, an active duty slot, a sticker, and an emblem.But, as PC Gamer pointed out, the boosts that this bundle provides in DMZ, the game's extraction mode, are quite valuable. Players who equip Fender's skin are given a medium backpack, and the LMG has a cooldown that's much...

The iconic personification of a bowl of soup, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.Where Is Xûr Today?Xûr's...

Blizzard is making a ton of changes to Diablo 4 based on feedback provided by players who participated in its two betas.Combining this feedback with actual gameplay data allowed Blizzard to review and make changes to Diablo 4 in time for its official launch on June 6.Minimizing backtrackingThe first thing changing is dungeon layouts, with Blizzard saying one of the most common pieces of feedback it received was around backtracking within certain dungeons. Multiple dungeons have since been optimized to reduce this, including Caldera Gate, Defilied Catacombs, Derelict Lodge, Forbidden City, Hoarfrost Demise, Immortal Emanation, Kor Dragan Battacks, Maulwood, and Rimescar Caverns."Our primary goal with the layout changes was to...

Destiny 2 developer Bungie has revealed a hardened policy designed to deal with cheaters who use third party peripherals that “manipulate the game” to provide an unfair player versus player advantage.“Our community has grown increasingly frustrated by a form of cheating that uses third-party peripherals with the intent to manipulate the game client,” read a post on the Bungie website spotted by GI.biz “These devices are plugged into a computer or console, where they can, for example, execute simple scripts or trick the game into giving you extra aim assist.”Bungie made a point of not naming the creators of the offending hardware, but stressed that it would hand out restrictions, warnings, and bans to individuals who use “external...

Like its predecessor, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a game packed full of massive, striking environments and memorable creatures. It seems only fitting that the game receives an art book that delves deeper into the design and evolution of such an ambitious Star Wars project.IGN can exclusively reveal The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the latest in Dark Horse's ever-growing lineup of video game-themed art books. Check out the cover art below:The Art of Star Wars: Jedi Survivor is a 192-page hardcover book featuring a mixture of concept art and developer commentary on the game. The art featured within ranges from early concept designs to final renders of the games environments, characters, weapons and ships.In addition, Dark...

What's the wettest ever film? Cardy, Jen, and Mat are here to answer this and other pressing questions this week. Tears of the Kingdom looks good, doesn't it? Let's talk about that. So does Final Fantasy 16. Let's talk about that, too. Immortals of Aveum could be good. Evil Dead Rise has lots of blood in it. Beef (the meat) also has blood in it, but we're talking about the Netflix show which is very good and also has a little blood.Got a game for us to play, or ever traded in a bunch of bananas for a game? Drop us an email: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.IGN UK Podcast 692: Zelda and Final Fantasy Look Good InnitIGN UK Podcast 691: The Mario Movie vs Tetris: Which is Better? IGN UK Podcast 690: Dunjackets & Dadragons IGN UK Podcast 689...

A good strategy game is ultimately one about choice. Which units to create, where to allocate resources, which strategies to implement. The right decisions lead to victory, while the wrong ones force you to adapt and adjust or else suffer bitter defeat. I found myself at the crossroads of these decisions time and again as I played Minecraft Legends, Mojang and Blackbird Interactive's simplified take on an action-RTS. It doesn’t always do a perfect job opening the door of this often intimidating genre to a wider audience, but the way it largely manages to streamline things without losing most of those important tactical moments is what makes Minecraft Legends work.Simplicity is one of Minecraft Legends greatest strengths. Evil Piglins...

If you self identify as a petrolhead, today’s a day of interesting opportunities. For starters, the Assetto Corsa series is seeing whopping discounts of up to 90% off (which you can zip to here). For seconds, Ferrari has announced the return of the Ferrari Esports Series and, for the first time, Australian and New Zealand racers can roll up to the grid. Whoever prevails in these Asia Pacific heats will then go door handle to door handle against the winning racers from Europe and North America.What’s a Ferrari Esports Series? It’s a six-month racing tournament that allows international sim racers to unite, fight, and find out who is number one in a grand final race on October 12, 2023. The sims in question are Assetto Corsa and...

Rocksteady has officially delayed Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League to February 2, 2024, quite a few months from its previous May 26, 2023 date.The developer announced the news on Twitter today, writing in a statement, "We have made the tough but necessary decision to take the time needed to work on getting the game to be the best quality experience for players.""Thank you to our amazing community for the continued support, patience, and understanding," the statement goes on. "There is much more to share in the months ahead and we look forward to seeing you in Metropolis next year."It's only the most recent delay for Kill the Justice League, which was previously set for a 2022 release before being moved to Spring 2023...

Microsoft is experimenting with adding a Windows handheld mode for Steam Deck, according to a leaked video from a September 2022 hackathon within Microsoft shows several optimized UI elements for a prototype handheld mode. In these hackathons, employees can present ideas to Microsoft executives and they could end up supporting and shipping them.First spotted by The Verge, the video first describes some of the problems that Steam Deck has, such as a lack of controller support outside of the Steam app and games. The touch keyboard isn’t optimized for handhelds with displays around 7 inches, and also there isn’t support for controller navigation of the keyboard. Additionally, some Windows games won’t open or run properly because they...

Joseph Staten just left Microsoft. Technically it didn’t really change anything when talking about the future of Halo compared to when he left Halo developer 343 Industries to return to his previous role at Xbox Publishing back in January. That came amidst the layoff-fueled shakeup at the studio that saw many senior leads leave either at that time or in the past year since Halo Infinite first shipped. And yet somehow, his complete severance from Microsoft feels a bit more somber for this longtime Halo fan, because it means that he’s unlikely to have much, if any, influence on the future of the franchise – which he still could’ve from his Xbox Publishing perch.And so while it’s fair to wonder where Halo is heading from here – I’ll get...

Ubisoft’s XDefiant is an upcoming free-to-play first person arena shooter that, if I’m being honest, I didn’t originally feel interested in at all. I had no real connection to any of the factions from different Ubisoft games showcased in XDefiant, and the gameplay didn’t capture my interest. However, I got to play for about an hour in a closed preview event and I was surprised to find that I was wanting to get more playtime in after the servers closed down.An hour isn’t really a lot of time to give a full preview in any game, so this is just a first impressions piece I wanted to share with you all. I had actually played XDefiant in 2021 with one of Ubisoft’s extremely NDA-ed closed tests, and this was a huge change up from that...

Company of Heroes 3 is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on May 30. It's the first console release in the RTS series' 17-year history.The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of Company of Heroes 3 will include a custom interface specifically designed for consoles and a tactical pause feature that freezes the action so players can explore the battlefield and queue up actions "without the pressure of doing it all in real-time," according to developer Relic Entertainment. The feature is also found in the previously released PC version.Company of Heroes 3 comprises two single-player campaigns, one set in North Africa and another in Italy, as well as the series' staple multiplayer mode. We reviewed the two components separately...