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Crimson Desert NPCs Are Stealing the Show, as Players Discover You Can Put Them to Work, Sit Back, and Watch Them Get the Job Done in Real-Time
I was playing Crimson Desert last night and noticed two blue dots on the map that weren’t there before. Curious, I raced to their location to see what they were. It turns out, they were NPCs I’d set to work as the boss of the Greymanes, both toiling away on a “mission” to improve some local farmland. So I sat and watched them for a minute, then a few minutes, then, for quite a while. And they were making improvements to the land in front of my eyes, or, in real-time, according to the in-game clock. Pearl Abyss’ open world action adventure initially revolves around main character Kliff’s effort to rebuild the Greymanes after a devastating event early on scatters them to the wind. You establish a base camp and, as you recruit more of...
Stellar Blade Developer Shift Up Buys Resident Evil Creator Shinji Mikami's New Studio: 'For the First Time in a While, I'll Be Fully Involved On-Site
Stellar Blade developer Shift Up has bought Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's new studio, Unbound, and will help to create and publish its next game. Mikami, the legendary Japanese designer also known for his work on Devil May Cry, Dino Crisis, and The Evil Within, founded Unbound after leaving Tango Gameworks prior to Microsoft’s closure of the studio — the Hi-Fi Rush developer has since been acquired and reopened by PUBG owner Krafton. This new enterprise was born in 2022 and has remained fully independent until now, having not released or revealed a project in that time. Speaking in an announcement video, Mikami teased that he was working on “a fairly large game,” insisting “we’re going to create a masterpiece of a game.”...
Crimson Desert Sells 4 Million Copies in 2 Weeks as Pearl Abyss' Open World Action Adventure Continues Its Hot Streak
Crimson Desert has now hit the 4 million copies sold mark, two weeks after launch. Pearl Abyss’ open world action adventure launched on March 19 and sold 2 million copies in a day. It then hit 3 million sales in five days, and now, just over a week later, it’s added another million to its sales total. “Thank you to all the Greymanes who have been a part of this journey with us and for all of your incredible love and support,” a statement published to the Crimson Desert X / Twitter account read. Player sentiment on Crimson Desert has improved significantly since launch, when it was met with a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam. Since then, a number of major patches have drastically improved the experience, adding everything from a...
The Street Fighter 6 Amiibo Are Down to Just $9.99 Each at Best Buy Right Now (Typically $39.99)
Amazon's Big Spring Sale is here, and there are many great video game deals out there. You can save on plenty of PS5 games, Switch games, and accessories. However, one of the best gaming deals available today is the Luke and Jamie Street Fighter 6 amiibo for $9.99 a piece, and it's not even an Amazon deal. (It was for a hot minute.) Instead, get this springtime deal at Best Buy today before it expires. Street Fighter 6 is still swinging almost three years later, and DLC is showing no signs of slowing down. Amiibo continue to be released as well, with Capcom especially bringing more with each new game release. It's not often we see amiibo priced at 75% off, so don't miss your chance to save big here on Luke and Jamie. Score Street...
Call of Duty Players Aren't Happy About the New Dave Chappelle Tracer Pack for Black Ops 7
Call of Duty fans are up in arms after Activision announced a first look at its upcoming Black Ops 7 Half Baked Tracer Pack featuring Dave Chappelle. Details on the latest cosmetic bundle for the newest entry in the ongoing FPS franchise were revealed in a Season 3 blog post today. Its ties to the shooter’s annual weed-inspired 4/20 content drop have done little to ward off criticisms from those unhappy with its inclusion and the timing of its announcement. Call of Duty has remained infamous for its use of out-there crossover outfits and goofy skins for years, but talk around how Operator cosmetics have been handled throughout the franchise really heated up as post-launch support for Black Ops 6 arrived throughout 2025. As a result...
Score This Mortal Kombat II Arcade1Up Cabinet for $399
If you want to recreate retro arcade gaming at home but don't have the time, expertise, or money to set up your own cabinet, Arcade1Up cabinets are your best bet. These cabinets are 3:4 scale replicas of the original product, complete with officially licensed artwork and preloaded with multiple games. Alongside Amazon's Big Spring Sale, Walmart has the Arcade1Up Mortal Kombat II Cabinet for $399. Preloaded with 14 different games, this is an excellent way to spice up your setup and add some retro flair. Pick Up This Mortal Kombat II Arcade1Up Cabinet for $399 This Arcade1Up Cabinet has spectacular art on the sides of Raiden from Mortal Kombat II, with the classic MKII logo sitting along the front. There's even a molded coin door to...
Square Enix Is Once Again Taunting Us With a Nier-Related Tease, This Time on April Fool's Day
It's March 31 as I write this here in the States, and April 1 already in a number of other countries. That means here in the IGN newsroom, we're being extra careful about inadvertently falling for news tricks – fake stories, silly goofs from companies, and so forth. Most of the ones I've seen so far are all in good fun, but there's one...maybe trick? Probably?...that's getting under my skin today. I'm referring to this: This is a tease for some sort of Nier project called Nier: Cosmic Horror. And as hopeful as one might be that this finally means another Nier game, Nier fans know that the odds are not in their favor on this one. Because we've been here before. Square Enix and series director Yoko Taro are always doing this. The Nier...
Backyard Baseball Preview: It’s Back and It’s Got Something for the OG Players Who Are Now All Grown Up
I love exactly two baseball games: Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball for the SNES, and Backyard Baseball ‘97. They came to me at an important time in my youth, when I was voracious for any sports game that included arcadey, approachable action and I still thought baseball was cool. In 2026, I’m happy to report that I have a great reason to find baseball cool again, and it’s the Backyard Baseball remake. On the floor at PAX East 2026, I sat down for some brief hands-on time with its revamped Backyard Derby mode, where you have a limited amount of time to hit as many home runs as possible. Hitting dingers requires a little bit more work than the original game, though. Instead of simply swinging at the right time, you also...
New MindsEye Mission Will Reveal 'Evidence' the Game Was 'Sabotaged', Claims CEO
Build a Rocket Boy CEO Mark Gerhard says that the studio is preparing to add a new mission to its game, MindsEye, which will include "evidence" supporting his repeated claims that the game was sabotaged by bad actors. Speaking to GamesBeat, Gerhard claims that the new mission will be called Blacklist, and will feature a female playable character. “We’re also using that to share some of the evidence of the sabotage with the community." He did not provide further information as to what this would entail, however, he previously told Insider Gaming that the studio was also planning to use the names of people who had committed the alleged sabotage in the new mission. “And let’s have some fun with it,” he said at the time. “Let’s tell the...
Ed Sheeran Turned Down Fortnite Concert, Collaborated With Pokémon Instead
Shape of You singer Ed Sheeran has said he turned down the chance to appear in Fortnite, as he doesn't play the game. Speaking on the Warnes Way podcast (thanks, ShiinaBR), Sheeran recalled being asked by his management company if he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his Antisocial trackmate Travis Scott and appear in the game — to which Sheeran declined. The singer's reasoning? Sheeran has said he preferred his collaborations to feel authentic by being with things he actually used or enjoyed — and he didn't play Fortnite. He does, however, play Pokémon — and it was this brush with Fortnite that then preceded Sheeran's 2022 team-up with The Pokémon Company, which resulted in a Pokémon-infused music video for his song Celestial...
Fight, explore and survive across a world of unforgettable adventures with the Team17 Collection Bundle. This collection of eight standout games challenges you to battle through dark fantasy realms, master co-op missions, uncover strange new worlds and more. From intense strategy to creative exploration, every title offers something distinct – making this a bundle packed with variety and discovery. Even better, every purchase helps support Save the Children, contributing to the vital work they do for young people around the world. By diving into these incredible experiences, you’re also helping make a real-world difference. Eight Standout Adventures. One Great Cause. The Team17 Collection brings together a diverse lineup of...
Microsoft Is Celebrating 25 Years of Xbox by Putting Master Chief on a Fanta Pineapple Can
Ever wanted to see Master Chief longingly looking into the horizon from the confines of a carbonated can? Your dream has finally come true. As detailed in a post on Xbox Wire, Microsoft is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Xbox this year, and to mark the milestone, it's teaming up with Fanta to release a series of special edition cans and bottles. From April 6, fans will be able to start scanning QR codes located on each pack to secure in-game rewards and Xbox-related prizes, as well as taking part in interactive challenges. Not only are iconic Xbox characters taking over existing taste sensations, though, but a whole new Fanta flavour has been created to celebrate such an occasion: Fanta Crimson Sour Cherry. The full lineup can be...
WWE 2K26 Makes Ringside Pass U-Turn Following Widespread Criticism, New Patch Out Now
2K has revealed that it will be fundamentally changing how its Ringside Pass works in WWE 2K26 following widespread criticism from the community. Ever since the new battle pass system was revealed for this year’s 2K wrestling release, players had expressed concerns over how it would replace the traditional six DLC packs that they’d come to expect — the crux of the issue being that it would now take dozens of hours of play to unlock members of the roster by completing all 40 tiers of the pass, rather than the instant unlocks that DLC packs used to grant. This meant that even when paying for the premium tiers of the Ringside Pass, fans would have to sink more hours into their busy schedules than anticipated, just to receive the...
The Well Is Not Empty, a New Retro-3D Horror Game, Announced for PC
The Well Is Not Empty, a stylized first-person psychological horror game developed by tweakEra. Players will explore a dark, abandoned underground structure beneath a village that's been deprived of water. Investigate the occurrence, find hidden secrets, and survive at all costs. It's in development for PC. As you can see in the trailer above and in the screenshot gallery below, The Well Is Not Empty is purposely styled to look like a PS1-era retro-3D game. It's set at the bottom of a well where you'll bear witness to a ritual that was never meant to be seen. “I want players to feel like they're having an awesome adventure but still carrying a constant sense of dread and despair throughout the journey," developer tweakEra said. "It’s...
Early Never-Seen-Before GTA 4 Build Leaks Online After Gamer Discovers Abandoned Xbox 360 Dev Kit
A trip to a Scottish second-hand flea market has resulted in a stunning discovery: a 360 dev kit previously owned by Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games complete with an early beta build of GTA 4. At first, Jan, the person who found it, wasn't entirely sure what he'd found, only recognizing it as a "Phat Xbox 360." When he looked a little closer, though, he saw the Rockstar Games sticker, and then the 'Sidecar,' the expansion device attached to the side. “I go to car boot sales quite often, partly to get stuff to resell and partly to get stuff for my personal collection,” Jan told Kotaku. "When doing my rounds, I saw what I immediately recognised as a Phat Xbox 360, with what I first thought looked like a ‘tumor’ sticking out of...
Disney Reportedly Keen on Buying Fortnite Developer Epic Games, But Waiting for Right Moment
Disney executives are reportedly keen on fully buying Fortnite developer Epic Games at some point. The claim comes from veteran tech reporter Alex Heath, via The Town podcast, who said that senior executives were waiting for the right moment to make a bid for the metaverse game, following Disney's prior $1.5 billion investment in developer Epic Games. Fortnite is the jewel in the crown of Epic's portfolio — alongside its pervasive development toolkit Unreal Engine — and a significant money spinner. But the past year has been rocky for the game — something that led to Epic Games shedding 1,000 staff members last week, due in part to a downturn in engagement through 2025. Disney, meanwhile, is already heavily invested in Fortnite...
Indie Video Games Round-Up – April 2026
April might be the month of fools, but it’s also bringing a fresh wave of indie game releases worth keeping an eye on. From quirky puzzle adventures to stylish action games and cosy cooking experiences, there’s a lot to look forward to this month. If you’re searching for the best indie games releasing in April 2026, we’ve rounded up some of the most exciting titles to add to your Wishlist. Whether you’re after something relaxing, challenging, or just a little bit different from the usual AAA line-up, there’s something here for you. Darwin’s Paradox – 2nd April Being an octopus sounds pretty good, right? Darwin’s Paradox leans fully into that idea, putting you in control of a clever cephalopod trying to escape a strange industrial...
VR Social Game Rec Room Is Shutting Down on its 10th Anniversary: 'Our Costs Always Ended Up Overwhelming the Revenue We Brought In'
Rec Room — the virtual reality social club where you play games, hang out in the locker room, customize your appearance, and party with friends — is shutting down on its 10th anniversary. Despite reaching over 150 million players and offering VR games like Paintball, Dodgeball, 3D Charades, and Disc Golf — a cumulative 68,000 years have been spent in-game — developer Against Gravity admitted "we never quite figured out how to make Rec Room a sustainably profitable business." "Our costs always ended up overwhelming the revenue we brought in," the team said in a statement. "We spent a long time trying to find a way to make the numbers work. But with the recent shift in the VR market, along with broader headwinds in gaming, the path to...
Deus Ex Dev Eidos-Montréal Announces Mass Layoffs Alongside Departure of Head of Stuido David Anfossi
Deus Ex and Tomb Raider developer Eidos-Montréal has announced a wave of layoffs alongside the departure of head of studio David Anfossi. The Embracer Group developer confirmed the significant reduction to its workforce with a social media post today. Its message comes with confirmation that 124 employees across its production and support teams and is “a result of changing project needs.” “Today is a difficult day for our studio and reflects the need to adapt and concentrate efforts where Eidos-Montréal can be most effective,” Eidos-Montréal’s post says. “We are deeply grateful to the team members impacted; this decision is not a reflection of their talent, dedication, or performance. Supporting those impacted with care and respect...
'I Don't Want to Say They Started Panicking…' — Actor Behind Crimson Desert's Kliff Reveals 'Bridge Point' Where Pearl Abyss Realized the Story and Ch
Alec Newman, the actor who plays Crimson Desert protagonist Kliff, has discussed his work on the game, and revealed how the story and characters changed significantly during development. In an interview with Skill Up's Friends Per Second Podcast, (via twiv) Newman, who is no stranger to video game roles having played Cameron "Caz" McLeary in Still Wakes the Deep and Adam Smasher in Cyberpunk 2077, said he worked on Crimson Desert for five years, “recording various iterations of this character at various stages of development for ages.” For the first year-and-a-half of development, Crimson Desert was just a demo, as far as he knew. It wasn’t until nearly two years into recording that he was told that the work would begin in earnest. “I...
Nightholme, a New 3-Player Horror Game, Shows Off 9 Minutes of Narrated Gameplay
Join Nightholme creator Alex Amancio (previously the creative director on Assassin's Creed Unity and Assassin's Creed Revelations) as he walks you through his new multiplayer horror game, Nightholme. In it, up to three players join a "multiplayer horror hunt experience that offers dual stealth and action gameplay" and "navigate a corrupted open world, racing to summon and slay the Gloomfiend, while deciding whether to avoid other hunters, or become their fear." Playing as a Grimrunner, you'll begin (either solo or in a team of up to three players) in a Brineheart camp on the edge of town called Last Ground. Up to 12 total players can be in each session. At Last Ground, you will drink your Nocturn, which will determine what you...
Arc Raiders Flashpoint Update Breakdown Includes First Look at New Enemy and Map Condition
Embark Studios has offered a breakdown of the Vaporizer Arc unit, the Close Scrutiny map condition, and everything else coming to Arc Raiders with the Flashpoint update. Information on the new update arrived via blog post on the studio’s official website today. It’s a detailed sneak peek at all of the content coming topside ahead of its launch tomorrow, March 31, for players across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Where the February Shrouded Sky drop brought the flying menace known as the Firefly and the explosive rolling threat known as the Comet, Flashpoint adds just one new Arc. The Vaporizer is yet another drone-like enemy, but instead of spewing fire, this being can be seen using a laser, and, unfortunately for Raiders...
Crimson Desert Patches Are Delighting Fans, but Some Say They're Making the Game Too Easy and Now Want a Hard Difficulty Mode
There can be no doubt that the flurry of patches released in the wake of Crimson Desert’s release have improved the experience. From tweaks to the controls to the addition of a storage box, more fast travel points to more summonable mounts, Crimson Desert updates are genuinely game-changing — and user sentiment has become more positive as a result. However, amid the delight that comes with each new quality-of-life change, there is a small subset of players who believe Crimson Desert is getting too easy. The patches — while welcome — are starting to ease some of the challenge Crimson Desert presented at launch, whether that be through balance changes or sweeping changes to its fundamentals. These critics point to nerfs to bosses (some...
Xbox Games Showcase Announced for June, Gears of War: E-Day This Year's Headline Title Getting Dedicated Direct
Microsoft will hold its major annual Xbox Games Showcase on June 7, with Gears of War: E-Day getting this year's dedicated post-show Direct. "Sunday, June 7 is locked in," Microsoft's new gaming boss Asha Sharma announced today on social media, alongside an image confirming that the action will kick off at 6pm UK / 1pm Eastern / 10am Pacific. "Xbox Games Showcase 2026 is almost here with a deep dive into Gears of War: E-Day Direct. "In my first month, I heard clearly that our community values Xbox FanFest. As part of the return of Xbox, we made the decision to bring it back to LA to recognize the players who’ve been with us over the years. Looking forward to celebrating together!" Microsoft still holds its traditional June showcase...
'Let Them Cook' — Astarion Actor Neil Newbon Hopes Baldur's Gate 3 Fans Give HBO TV Show a Chance
It’s fair to say that not all Baldur’s Gate 3 fans were thrilled by last month’s news that not only is a HBO Baldur’s Gate 3 show in the works, but that it will continue the story on from the video game itself. The adaptation will reportedly take place after the events of Larian's much-loved RPG and feature characters from the game. Craig Mazin, who created HBO shows Chernobyl and The Last of Us, is in place as showrunner, with Chris Perkins, the former longtime Head of Story at Hasbro subsidiary Wizards of the Coast, which owns the Dungeons & Dragons universe in which Baldur’s Gate 3 is set, serving as consultant. Many fans still can’t fathom why anyone would want to continue on from the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, given its many...
InZOI Boss Reflects on Year 1: 'The Sims Has Been the Biggest for 3 Decades, and I Think I Have Figured Out Why'
InZOI, PUBG maker Krafton's competitor to The Sims, launched a year ago in early access form, and at a recent Q&A session at the studio’s Seoul office, IGN learned all about the struggles and successes of its first 12 months. It’s fair to say it's been an eye-opening experience for the developer, especially Head of inZOI Studio Hyungjun "Kjun" Kim. “Life sim games are difficult to master,” Kim said. “If you asked me if I would turn back time and make it again, I think I would hesitate.” InZoi launched big on Steam with an all-time peak concurrent player count of 87,377. Krafton then announced inZOI had sold an impressive 1 million copies in a week, making it the fastest selling game published by the South Korean megacorp. It rose to...
PlayStation Plus Games for April Leak Again, With Another Title Now Seemingly Confirmed
Last week's leak of the main PlayStation Plus Game Catalog addition for April 2026 has today been followed up by the reveal of a second game. As ever, the forthcoming month's additions have been posted ahead of time by reliable leaker billbil-kun from Dealabs — who last week stated that 2023 Souls-like action RPG Lords of the Fallen would headline the forthcoming month's PS Plus catalog additions. Now, the same source has stated that Lords of the Fallen will be joined by Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream, the 2024 video game installment with MMORPG elements that ties into the franchise's popular anime series. The game features 21 characters from various arcs of the anime, with players organized into one of battle parties eac...
Call of Duty Director Shuts Down 'Skill-Based Damage' Claims as Sony Patents System for Maintaining 'Even Playing Field Between Cross-Platform Players
The design director of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has refuted claims of "skill-based damage" after a new Sony patent suggested plans to dynamically adjust player skills — both up and down — for "an even playing field" during cross-platform play. The patent, published in 2025, describes a system that monitors two players in a single session. "A first valuation of a performance metric measuring gaming effectiveness is determined for the game play by the first player, a second valuation of the performance metric is determined for the game play by the second player," and if the "difference between the first valuation and the second valuation does not satisfy a threshold band of operation that is based on global skill levels of the first and...
Solasta II: How the Sequel Improves on Crown of the Magister
In a post–Baldur’s Gate 3 landscape, it’s fair to say that expectations for the CRPG genre have been firmly elevated. Developer Tactical Adventures is clearly aware of this shift. The studio, best known for the well-received (if somewhat underappreciated) Solasta: Crown of the Magister, has returned with a sequel that builds confidently on its foundations. With Solasta II, the Paris-based team delivers a follow-up that improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way that matters. Oh Hello, Unreal Engine 5 While Solasta: Crown of the Magister pushed Unity impressively far, achieving a true leap in visual fidelity required a more significant technological shift. Enter Unreal Engine 5. Like many modern titles, Solasta II embraces...
Resident Evil Requiem Fans Use Photo Mode to Examine Another Possible Code Veronica Easter Egg
Resident Evil fans think they've found yet another hint at a Code Veronica remake, hidden within the recently-launched Requiem. Using the newly-added photo mode in Resident Evil Requiem, players have examined the Wrenwood Hotel's guest register, which can be glimpsed in the game's early stages on a reception desk. Looking down the list of names, Alyssa Ashcroft can of course be seen — as the hotel's final resident — but check back further and there's mention of a Veronica Galibardi. Fans have taken this to be a further hint by Resident Evil developer Capcom at the franchise's widely-expected next release: a full remake of Resident Evil: Code Veronica, which previous reports have suggested will be unveiled later this year and launched...
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