Gaming News

From the Sonic Movies to Amazon’s Like a Dragon Drama Series: How Sega Is Bringing Its Games to the Screen

Sega has found great success with its series of Sonic the Hedgehog movies – so much so that it has inspired the company to more actively pursue big- and small-screen adaptations of its treasure trove of game franchises. Next up is Like a Dragon: Yakuza, an Amazon Original series based on the first game in the beloved series, which launches on October 24 – and Sega has plans to do even more. During Gamescom Asia, IGN Japan sat down with Justin Scarpone, Global Head of Transmedia at Sega, whose resume includes 17 years working with games and entertainment at Disney and who joined Sega in April 2024. From adaptations of Shinobi and Golden Axe to early forays into the theme park space, Scarpone gave us the lowdown on Sega’s plans to reach...

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Isn’t Properly Out Yet but One Streamer Already Has a Gold Camo

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is rolling out across the world (in New Zealand first, as is Call of Duty tradition), and fans are already getting stuck into the shooter’s annual camo grind. For one Call of Duty streamer the race is on for world firsts — with one in the bag already. Call of Duty Twitch streamer Reidboyy, who IGN has reported on in the past for unlocking Modern Warfare 3’s most coveted camo after a near 76-hour grind, took just over an hour to obtain the gold camo for the XM4, and took to X/Twitter to declare the world first. Black Ops 6 has four Mastery Camos to be earned in each mode (Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone). The camo in question is the Gold Multiplayer Mastery Camo. This Tier 1 Mastery Camo is unlocked by...

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Star Wars Outlaws Title Update 1.3.0 Improves Stealth, Tunes Enemy AI, and a Lot More

Ubisoft has released Star Wars Outlaws Title Update 1.3.0, which makes a number of significant changes to the game. The patch, available across all platforms, focuses on improving Outlaws’ much-maligned stealth “to give players more flexibility in how they approach situations,” Ubisoft said. It also tunes enemy AI (another aspect of the game that came under fire) and speeder travel. The patch notes, courtesy of Ubisoft’s website, are below. Ubisoft added that it’s aware of an ongoing issue affecting PC players after the 24H2 Windows Update, and is working to fix it. Elsewhere, Ubisoft has created a dedicated Bug Reporter tool where players can report issues and track their status, in a bid to “improve transparency and communication.”...

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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Community Rallies Against ‘Gatekeepers’ Who Say Players Who Get the Lethal Difficulty Helmet Reward Now the Game Is E

With the release of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Update 4.1, the community is rallying against “gatekeepers” who have called on developer Saber Interactive to retire a reward given only to those who complete all PvE missions on the hardest difficulty. Update 4.1, out now, follows hot on the heels of last week’s controversial Update 4.0, widely criticized by Space Marine 2 fans for making the game significantly harder. The backlash to Update 4.0 even spread to Space Marine 2’s Steam page, where disgruntled players review-bombed the game. Update 4.0 added the Lethal difficulty to Space Marine 2’s PvE Operations mode, and with it exclusive rewards. One of these rewards, the Survivor’s Helm, is highly coveted by the community because...

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Indie Game Round-Up – November 2024

Want the best indie games in November? Of course, you do. With so many games released all the time, both AAA and Indie, it can be a little bit harder to know which ones you should be paying attention to. To make things harder, Indie games do occasionally appear out of nowhere and take over […] Continue reading...

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Alan Wake II: The Lake House DLC Review

Under any other circumstance, The Lake House would sound like a nice spot for a serene summer getaway. In this case, though, it’s the setting for the second and final installment of Alan Wake II DLC, so it is naturally anything but. There’s no rest and relaxation to be found here, only another double-fisted dose of flashlights and firepower in this tightly paced two-hour tour inside the cold, concrete walls of a remote Federal Bureau of Control facility. In raw gameplay terms, The Lake House is not as eccentric a departure as Night Springs was a few months’ back, but as far as closing the book on Alan Wake II’s story and providing a bridge to the upcoming Control 2 goes, it’s yet another meta-storytelling slam dunk for the team at...

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AU Deals: 172 Bucks off a 2K Horror Bundle, Crazy Cheap Switch AAA Must-Owns, and More!

Yesterday, I had some spooky sales on games perfect for Halloween plays. Today, it seems 2K has raided its back catalog for some horrifically good discounts of their own. Not sure if I'd call the BioShock series scary. But I would call them plenty disturbing and bucket list essential. So hook them into your veins via an EVE hypo, stat! In retro news, I'm celebrating the 21st birthday of inhales deeply Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. I remember this as arguably the best version of SMB3, with a proto-QR code mechanic whose usage was as convoluted as Nintendo's naming conventions. Using a link cable, connect a second GBA with an e-Reader plugged into it. Then, using one of 40+ specially printed cards, you unlock exclusive...

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First Control 2 Teaser May Have Just Been Revealed Thanks to an Optional Scene in Alan Wake 2's New DLC

The connections within Remedy's shared universe continue to grow strong amid the release of Alan Wake 2's new DLC, titled the Lake House. Included in the DLC is what looks like a pretty substantial teaser for Control 2, the upcoming sequel to the cult favorite supernatural horror game. You can watch the full scene in the video below. Spoiler warning: This video contains spoilers for both the Lake House DLC and possibly Control 2. The optional scene near the end of The Lake House DLC features FBC Investigations Agent Kiran Estevez being transported first to the Oceanview Motel and then to Panaopticon in The Oldest House — the setting for the original Control. There she has an extended conversation with Control protagonist Jesse...

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Save 28% Off the Anker Prime Power Bank with a Massive 27,650mAh Capacity

Amazon has just dropped the price on its highest capacity power bank: The Anker Prime 27,650mAh USB Power Bank is down to $129.99 after a 28% off instant discount. In fact, right now it's the exact same price as the lesser 20,000mAh model. This is the successor to the Anker 737 that we deemed the best Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally charger. This power bank features a massive 27,650mAh and power delivery up to 250W. Very few power banks at this price can match that output; it can even charge the newest Apple MacBook Pro 16" laptop. Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank for $129.99 With 250W of USB Type-C Power Delivery The Anker Prime is a hefty power bank, measuring 6.4"x2"x2.2" and weighing in at 1.5lbs. This is something you'd put in...

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Beyond Good & Evil 2 Gets New Creative Director as Veteran Designer Fawzi Mesmar Takes the Reins of Long-Delayed Sequel

The long-delayed sequel Beyond Good & Evil 2 officially has a new creative director, with veteran designer Fawzi Mesmar announcing that he is taking the reins in the wake of the sudden death of Emile Morel in 2023. "Today I’m glad to share that I joined Beyond Good & Evil 2 as Creative Director. I have been working with those peeps for years now on this ambitious game and witnessed their talent firsthand," Mesmar wrote on Linkedin. "I am standing on the shoulders of creative giants that have supported the team before me, and I look forward to continuing to craft a game that is truly unique for players to enjoy." IGN has reached out to Ubisoft for further comment and an update on the status of the game, which has remained largely...

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Target Has a 25% Off Coupon Good for Any Board Game, Including Wingspan, Splendor, and Azul

Target is offering Target Circle members a 25% off coupon that is good for one toy or kids' book. This includes just about every one of the thousands (!) of board games that are sold from Target direct (note that marketplace vendors are excluded). The Target Circle membership is free to sign up, so everyone can partake in this deal. As long as you're signed into your account, the coupon should automatically apply during checkout. Note that free shipping is on orders over $35. You can choose in-store pickup if the option is available (many board games at Target only have a delivery option). Target Circle Card members get an additional 5% off and free 2-day shipping with no minimum on several of the board games. Circle Card is a credit...

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Ubisoft Confirms It's Exploring New Rayman Game With Creator Michel Ancel Involved

Ubisoft has confirmed that it's exploring the possibility of a new Rayman game following reports that the recently-disbanded Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown team was working on, among other things, a remake. In a statement sent to Kotaku over email, an Ubisoft representative said, “We are pleased to confirm Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft Milan have recently started an exploration phase on the Rayman brand. The project is still in its early stages, and we will share more details later.” Ubisoft's statement follows a report earlier today saying that the Lost Crown team had been shifted to work on Beyond Good and Evil 2, the next Ghost Recon, and an unannounced Rayman remake. Creator Michel Ancel was also reported to be involved...

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First Ever Fallout Day Broadcast Reveals Fallout 76 Ghoul Gameplay, Camp Pets, and Teases Fishing

Bethesda has held its first ever Fallout Day broadcast, using it to reveal more of what’s coming to Fallout 76. Fallout Day is today, October 23, because in Fallout lore the Great War started and ended on October 23, 2077 when nuclear weapons devastated the world. But there were no explosive announcements around new Fallout games or megaton reveals for Fallout 5, which Bethesda has said is in the works, potentially after The Elder Scrolls 6. Instead, Bethesda developers talked about new features for MMO Fallout 76. Bethesda began its broadcast by saying it’s seen more players in Fallout this year than ever before, setting record numbers across almost every title in the franchise. Fallout 76, now approaching its sixth anniversary, has...

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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Players Praise the Emperor as Dev Rolls Back Controversial Balance Changes

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 developer Saber Interactive has announced Update 4.1, set to hit the game on October 24, and detailed its patch notes. Update 4.1 follows hot on the heels of last week’s controversial Update 4.0, widely criticized by Space Marine 2’s community for making the game significantly harder, even on easier difficulties. The backlash to Update 4.0 spread to Space Marine 2’s Steam page, where disgruntled players review-bombed the game. The Update 4.1 patch notes were published alongside a message to fans from game director Dmitriy Grigorenko, who, having digested the criticism of the last week, admitted: “The key takeaway for me, personally, is that I forgot that once the game comes out, it's no longer a dev's...

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Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct Stream Will Celebrate Blizzard's Franchise While Teasing the Future

Warcraft turns 30 this year, and Blizzard is celebrating its greatest franchise with a special Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct stream that will celebrate its past while sharing some of what's on the horizon. Blizzard's stream is set for November 13 at 10am PT / 1pm ET and will include "something for everyone," from old-school fans of the real-time strategy games to World of Warcraft players. Warcraft Rumble and Hearthstone will also feature in the stream. It comes in lieu of BlizzCon 2024, which was canceled earlier this year. If you think that means that Blizzard is going to suddenly announce Warcraft IV, you probably shouldn't get your hopes up. As detailed in the recently-released Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of...

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Bloober Team Made Cronos: The New Dawn Sci-Fi to Not Step on the Toes of Silent Hill 2 Remake

Bloober Team created its incoming Cronos: The New Dawn as a sci-fi survival horror to avoid stepping on the toes of its recently released Silent Hill 2 remake. Cronos: The New Dawn director and designer Wojciech Piejko told IGN that, after releasing The Medium and beginning work on the project which eventually became Cronos, the team at Bloober chose to veer away from a more grounded setting in order to differentiate the game from Silent Hill 2. "We of course knew that we were doing the Silent Hill game, so we didn't want to overlap with, let's say a more grounded story," Piejko said. "We said, 'okay, we will be doing this, so we need to go somewhere else to have a different world, to not repeat ourselves.' So yeah, that's how we...

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The 25 Best Horror Games Ever Made

Horror means different things to different people. Some people hate clowns. Some are troubled by the unknown of a dark space under the bed. And some (my old flatmate) will run away if a wooden spoon gets too close to brushing against their skin. The same broad range of fears can be found in video games as well. Sure, there are jumpy moments in The Last of Us Part 2, and Bloodborne’s Yharnam is dressed to the nines in gothic horror, but here we’re looking at those entirely scary experiences – those games that chill us to the core and are purely horrific, yet brilliant. With an emphasis placed on what we find the scariest, here are the 25 best horror games of all time. 25. Stay Out of the House In recent years, many have attempted to...

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Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase Reveals Trailer and Open Beta Coming to PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC Next Week

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC players can access an open beta for Monster Hunter Wilds next week, Capcom announced at the Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase. A trailer for the game, below, revealed the open beta. PlayStation 5 players get the first shot through an exclusive two day early access period starting October 28 at 8pm Pacific / 11pm Eastern or October 29 at 3am UK. This is only available to PlayStation Plus members, however. The beta opens up proper on all platforms, including PC via Steam and even to those without PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass, on October 31 at the same time. It runs until November 3 at 7pm Pacific / 10pm Eastern or November 4 at 2am UK. The open beta includes the full character creator and...

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Has Built-in Support for Better Audio Tech That Costs $20 for 5 Years

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has built-in support for a third-party audio tool that charges $20 for improved sound. In a blog post, Activision said Black Ops 6 launches with an Enhanced Headphone Mode that makes use of Embody's Immerse Spatial Audio technology “to increase the directional accuracy of sounds played in the world.” Embody is a personalized audio company that’s already worked with the likes of Final Fantasy 14 and Cyberpunk 2077 to integrate its technology into video games. Immerse Spatial Audio works with any headphone or earbud model and is said to “greatly improves the player’s spatial audio experience.” Included as part of Black Ops 6’s Enhanced Headphone Mode is a Universal Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF)...

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Fallout: London Cements Its Place as One of the Most Popular Mods of All Time With 1 Million Players Milestone

Fallout: London has passed the major milestone of one million players, cementing its place as one of the most successful video game mods of all time. Fallout: London is a total conversion mod developed by Team FOLON for Bethesda’s Fallout 4. It ditches Fallout’s traditional United States setting for a post-apocalyptic London packed with famous British landmarks and references. It even secured the likes of Baldur's Gate 3's Neil Newbon for its voice cast, with former UK Speaker of the House John Bercow in the game, too. IGN’s Fallout: London review returned a 7/10. We said: “Fallout London is a massive mod that makes good use of its untapped setting, with an impressive scope and some great stories – you'll just have to be prepared for...

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No Man's Sky: The Cursed Adds the Game’s First Flying Saucer, ‘A Gorgeous Giger-Esque Coil of Tubes, Pipeworks and Engines’

No Man’s Sky has launched its 16th expedition, The Cursed — an “unexpectedly creepy update” that hits the eternally popular space game just in time for Halloween. Developer Hello Games said The Cursed is a “weird and unsettling” gameplay event in which players “fight to keep a grip on reality” while haunted by visions and voices from another dimension. It takes place in what’s described as a “sort of twilight universe” in which time can shift unexpectedly, day turning to night “at a vertigo inducing rate.” The Cursed introduces the new Boundary Starship, No Man’s Sky’s first flying saucer. “It's a gorgeous Giger-esque coil of tubes, pipeworks and engines,” Hello Games said. Here’s the official blurb: As you’d expect, The Cursed...

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Ubisoft Reportedly Moves Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Devs to Beyond Good and Evil 2, the Next Ghost Recon, and a Rayman Remake

Ubisoft has reportedly moved the developers of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown onto new projects, including Beyond Good and Evil 2, the next Ghost Recon, and an unannounced Rayman remake. This week it emerged that Ubisoft has disbanded the team behind Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown after the Metroidvania reportedly failed to meet sales expectations. The core game development team, based at Ubisoft Montpellier, allegedly pushed for a sequel or at least more expansions beyond the single Mask of Darkness expansion, but Ubisoft needed help on other projects that had better sales potential. According to Insider Gaming, most of the people behind the one million-selling Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown have moved on to the eternally...

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Krafton Says The Sims Competitor Inzoi Still Launching in Early Access This Year

Life simulation fans will be pleased to hear that Inzoi, The Sims competitor from PUBG company Krafton, is still set to launch in Early Access in 2024 despite the year winding down. Game director Hyungjun Kim told PC Gamer that Inzoi is still on track for an Early Access release on PC this year despite no official announcement coming from Krafton. Inzoi is "a life simulation game where players become gods within the game, allowing them to change everything as they wish and experience endless new stories in various forms of life." This was enough to capture the attention of disgruntled The Sims fans, with many claiming they'll switch to Inzoi for good once it's fully released. Krafton has plans to support Inzoi for the next 20 years...

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Crimson Desert Dev Responds to Reports It Turned Down Sony PS5 Exclusivity Deal That Would Have Blocked Xbox Release for a Year

The developer of upcoming open-world action fantasy game Crimson Desert has responded to reports indicating it had turned down an offer of PlayStation 5 exclusivity from Sony. Alleged details coming out of South Korean developer Pearl Abyss’ investor relations session dated September 26, reported on by a South Korean financial blogger who subsequently translated their article into English, deleted that translation, then published a retraction, included discussions with Sony about the potential for an exclusive publishing partnership, similar to that seen with Shift Up’s Stellar Blade. Pearl Abyss reportedly said that if it had accepted Sony’s offer, which allegedly included Sony's “marketing power and various unique incentives,”...

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Is a Decent Bit Longer Than Previous Spin-Off Like a Dragon Gaiden

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a decent bit longer than previous Yakuza spin-off Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has said. In an interview with Famitsu translated by Game Rant, series producer and RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama said the incoming pirate adventure's story is roughly 1.3 times to 1.5 times longer than Like a Dragon Gaiden. This last game, which arrived just a few weeks ahead of the colossal mainline entry Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, could be completed in around 12 hours if players ploughed through the main story, though completing everything took upwards of 32 hours, according to How Long to Beat. Based on this, Masayoshi estimates the story of...

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The Day Before Dev Cancels Failing Kickstarter and Announces Another Game in the Same Breath

The Day Before developer Fntastic has cancelled its failing Kickstarter for one game and announced another in the same breath. Fntastic, who released the utterly disastrous The Day Before in December 2023 before pretending to shut down, resurfaced in September asking for money for a new game: the physics based multiplayer game Escape Factory. It has now cancelled this project, however, after it reached just 15.73% of its Kickstarter goal with $3,146 raised of a $20,000 goal. "Our campaign on Kickstarter is unlikely to reach our goal," Fntastic said in a statement published to X/Twitter announcing another game. "After careful analysis and discussion with the team, we have decided that our Escape Factory project has not generated...

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How the Logitech G RS Range Can Bolt in Triple-Compatible Bliss, Best Prices, and More!

Back in 2023, I discovered the irresistible gaming combo equivalent of chicken 'n' chips with a Coke—the Logitech G Pro Steering Wheel, a PS VR2 headset, and GT7. The TL;DR takeaway of my findings: it's a delicious union of expert peripheral craftsmanship, white knuckle force feedback, and heightened sense of there-ness I've been happily consuming on a daily basis. (Mostly because I'm addicted to Polyphony Digital's circadian mileage bonuses.) After much waiting for Logitech to pull its finger out, we now have a new range of swappable wheels that have renewed my love for the G Pro ecosystem. Dubbed the RS Range, these premium clip-on / clip -off steering solutions provide a range of expected benefits—greater comfort, extra RGB flair...

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AU Deals: Save Insane Bottlecaps on Fallouts, Plus the Best Prices for Metaphor, Silent Hill 2, and More!

Thanks to international Fallout Day, now's the time to V.A.T.S. target some serious savings of up to 75%. Failing that, I have an update on my Batman: Arkham Shadow situation from yesterday—got it, clocked it, and loved it. I probably wouldn't buy a Meta Quest 3 specifically for it, though it'd totally be in my first three game purchases. More pricings, and my full list is here. In retro news, I'm getting my Charizard to light a 26-candle birthday cake for Pokémon Red and Blue. These came out right when I started a job in gaming retail. Vividly, I recall picking up a loose cartridge and uttering the fateful words, "Oh, this is that game all of Japan seems to be hooked on...but why?" The next week is an 8-bit blur of me almost getting...

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Team Disbanded After Critically Lauded Platformer Fails to Meet Expectations - Report

The team behind Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has been disbanded, according to a report from French media outlet Origami. In a video posted today in French (for which IGN has independently verified a translation posted on ResetEra), Origami reports that the team behind The Lost Crown was disbanded despite seemingly positive reports from developers on their experiences working on the game. Per a tweet by Gauthier Andres: "I've heard and read 'It was the best game production in my entire life' three or four times in a single weekend while getting information on the game's development. One after the other I was told it was seen as a beacon of hope to create a safe space for people that were burnt out by Beyond Good & Evil 2. The team...

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Black Myth: Wukong’s Physical PS5 Edition Is Up for Preorder

Here’s some good news for collectors of physical games. Black Myth: Wukong is getting a disc version for PS5. Previously a digital-only game, Wukong’s physical edition doesn’t have a set release date, but it’s available to preorder now for $64.99 from most of the usual retailers (see it at Amazon) And for those who like physical editions to future-proof your ability to play games, the publisher has confirmed that the entire game is on the disc, with no download required. Preorder Black Myth: Wukong (Physical Edition) Get it at Amazon - $64.99 Get it at Best Buy - $64.99 Get it at GameStop - $64.99 The physical PS5 edition of Black Myth: Wukong only comes in one edition, but it includes a code for the extra items included in the...

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