Gaming News

Exclusive! Hunt: Showdown - Shadows Calling Vinyl up for Pre-Order at IGN Store

Take a stroll down the Lawson Delta Bayou with Port Sulphur Band in this incredible new vinyl release for Hunt: Showdown. This Hunt: Showdown - Shadows Calling - Original Series Soundtrack 2LP Vinyl is perfect for any fan of Crytek's popular title. The bluesy dark western soundtrack is sure to add something new to your record collection, as it is a refreshing and unique take in the world of video games. Pre-Order the Hunt: Showdown - Shadows Calling 2LP Vinyl Today at IGN Store This release is the second vinyl offering from Port Sulphur Band, with a total of 27 original songs pressed on two translucent red/black marbled LPs. There's even an only-on-vinyl, titled "Tie Me to the Mast", included with this release! The front cover...

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IGN UK Podcast 755: Miyazaki's Michelin Star

Cardy, Matt, and Emma have all been playing Elden Ring's new DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, and give an update on their (mostly spoiler-free) journeys so far, including all of the new weapons, places, and fingers they've seen so far. They've also been watching the new season of The Bear with a range of thoughts shared on the opening episodes of the restaurant drama. And finally, Emma has been getting to grips with M. Bison in the latest Street Fighter update. Plus, there's a new Spotify-based Endless Search game to play. Be sure to send us your thoughts about all the new games, films, and TV shows to ign_ukfeedback@ign.com. IGN UK Podcast 755: Miyazaki's Michelin Star IGN UK Podcast 754: The Boys, Some Dragons and an Acolyte IGN UK...

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Zenless Zone Zero: The Final Preview

At this point, Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail have firmly created the expectation that when developer HoYoverse sets out to make a new game, it's going to be both like and completely unlike what it has done before. Fans of the studio's games will know how getting new characters and eventually building them will work (different names, same structure), but the action and tone vary quite significantly. This is once again true for Zenless Zone Zero, HoYoverse's next project that swaps out its larger sandboxes for stylish streets with even more stylish characters and flashy action combat. I played Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ) for the first time briefly in its second closed beta test, and again for about four hours at a media event hosted...

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Elden Ring Dev FromSoftware Suggests Turning Off Mouse Control Apps to Improve Shadow of the Erdtree Frame-Rate

FromSoftware has warned players that performance issues experienced while playing Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC may be caused by computer mouse software running in the background. Shadow of the Erdtree released to critical acclaim on June 21 with IGN's review awarding the expansion a 10. However, many in the community have since complained about significant performance issues on both console and PC, which contributed to a review bombing that saw the DLC slip to a ‘mixed’ overall user rating on Steam. According to a recent FromSoftware tweet, these issues may partially be remedied by closing any third-party computer mouse software prior to launching the game. “In the PC version, the frame-rate may not be stable when playing...

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The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak Review

Starting a fresh chapter in a long-running video game series must be a daunting endeavor for a developer. How do you follow up 20 years of worldbuilding and deeply intertwined stories with a new setting and cast? It’s a tough question that The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak answers confidently, kicking off an exciting new arc that both newcomers and veterans can equally enjoy after 2023’s The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie brought the series’ previous saga to a satisfying conclusion. With an updated combat system that fuses turn-based battles with some new real-time elements, an engaging story, and a charming cast of characters, Trails through Daybreak shines as yet another great RPG in a year packed full of them...

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Is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Too Difficult?

FromSoftware has once again delivered a critical darling in Shadow of the Erdtree, its gargantuan DLC expansion for Elden Ring. But while it has received glowing adoration from professional critics, a not-insignificant slice of players have rallied against Shadow of the Erdtree’s difficulty. Perceiving its enemies and bosses to be so challenging that they make the game unfair, some fans have review bombed the DLC on Steam and even crafted mods for the PC version that make the experience easier. And so comes the inevitable question – is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree too difficult? Has FromSoftware finally gone too far? The answer, at least according to the various journalists and Souls content creators I’ve spoken to, is no...

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Original Life Is Strange Dev Delays New Game to Avoid New Life Is Strange

Don’t Nod has delayed its upcoming game, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, from the third quarter of 2024 to early 2025 in order to avoid clashing with the new Life is Strange game. Don't Nod Entertainment is the original developer of narrative adventure Life is Strange for publisher and franchise owner Square Enix. It’s currently working on new narrative adventure Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, while Square Enix has tasked Deck Nine with developing Life Is Strange: Double Exposure for release in October. Don't Nod announced the decision to delay Lost Records: Bloom & Rage to avoid a narrative adventure showdown with Life is Strange later this year. “We've made the decision to move the release dates of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage to early...

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The Developer of Tribes 3 Has Ditched the Game After Just 3 Months

The developer of Tribes 3 has signaled plans to move on from the game after it failed to find an audience. Tribes 3 launched in March on Steam billed as the triumphant return of the fast-paced multiplayer first-person shooter series whose games were popular in the late 90s and early 2000s. But despite a ‘mostly positive’ Steam user review rating, player numbers were extremely low. According to SteamDB, Tribes 3 hit a peak of 890 concurrent players on Valve’s platform upon launch, with just 26 concurrent players at the time of this article’s publication. Developer Prophecy Games issued an update to say neither Tribes 3 or its prior game, the already shuttered Starsiege Deadzone, saw enough success to justify the team’s continued...

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Amazon’s Tomb Raider and Lord of the Rings Video Game Reveals ‘Not Too Far Away’

It’s been some time since Amazon announced its Tomb Raider and The Lord of the Rings video games, and it sounds like fans will have to wait a while longer for a reveal. Amazon announced it had signed a deal with Crystal Dynamics to develop and publish the next major Tomb Raider game back in December 2022. We’ve heard nothing in the year-and-a-half since, although Crystal Dynamics was forced to reassure fans that it was unaffected by devastating cuts at embattled parent company Embracer. Meanwhile, Amazon announced it had signed a deal with Middle-earth rights owner Embracer to develop an as-yet-untitled The Lord of the Rings MMO back in May 2023. Again, we’ve heard nothing since, but we do know this game is set in Middle-earth and...

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Indie Game Round-Up – July 2024

The best July indie games will help you escape from the Summer heat into worlds of fantasy, vampires, and big old bugs. That’s right, the year keeps rolling on accompanied by even more game releases and this time it’s the turn of July for the spotlight. As ever, the month is stacked with releases so […] Continue reading...

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Erdtree Chops, Switch Pros Go Low, Witcher 3 and Disco Elysium for Six Bucks Apiece, and More!

Thank your own personal deity—possibly Miquella the Kind—it's Friday! The biggest eyebrow raise of today is Sand Land dropping down into the $50 range on PS5, despite the Xbox version staying near a hundred. Pricing error? Too much stock on one platform? Who knows, my friend. Capitalize first; ask questions later. In retro news, I'm celebrating the 22nd birthday of Frequency, Harmonix's psychedelic, instrument-less proto-Guitar Hero. I have distinct memories of spending way too much time trying to perfect my "track shift" combos on the 25+ songs included here—in particular, No Doubt's 'Ex-Girlfriend'...for some reason. Though Frequency didn't sell a bunch, it was a serious gateway drug for Westerners whose only exposure to the genre...

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Palworld Sakurajima Island Map is Now Available

IGN's Palworld Sakurajima Island map is here! Added in a major Palworld update on June 27, 2024, the new island brings fresh content to the Palpagos Islands, which we've mapped out on our Palworld interactive map - including markers for new Lifmunk Effigies, chests, Syndicate Towers, and more. We've also included the new Rayne Syndicate Oil Rig. Note that the Sakurajima Island map is still a work in progress, though our dedicated guides team is busy ensuring it's updated as quickly as possible, so check back often! Palworld Sakurajima Island Interactive Map Click on the map filters on the left-hand side of the interactive map to sort by specific markers. You can even check markers off once you complete them to track your progress...

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Ubisoft CEO Condemns ‘Hateful Acts’ Against Developers Following AC Shadows Backlash

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has spoken out about "malicious and personal online attacks" that have been directed at his employees and partners, citing it as one of his major concerns in the games industry at the moment. Guillemot gave a wide-ranging interview that was posted on the Ubisoft website on Thursday, speaking about various topics including the future of Assassin's Creed, XDefiant, and more. He was also asked what dismays him about the industry currently, and pointed specifically to online harassment in response. "One thing I am concerned about right now is the malicious and personal online attacks that have been directed at some of our team members and partners," Guillemot said. "I want to make it clear that we, at Ubisoft...

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Ubisoft CEO Confirms Multiple Assassin's Creed Remakes Are on the Way

Ubisoft is working on multiple Assassin’s Creed remakes, according to CEO Yves Guillemot. The publisher’s head spoke about its flagship series’ future in an interview published on the Ubisoft website. When asked if the company will continue to offer a variety of experiences from the franchise, Guillemot told players to get excited for “some remakes.” It’s not clear just how many remakes there will be or which Assassin’s Creed stories they will cover. “Firstly, players can be excited about some remakes,” Guillemot said, “which will allow us to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them; there are worlds in some of our older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich.” He continued: “Secondly, to...

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Elden Ring’s Let Me Solo Her Is Now Let Me Solo Him, With Dire Consequences for Messmer the Impaler

This article contains minor spoilers for the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. The Elden Ring community’s greatest co-op hero "Let Me Solo Her" has officially rebranded himself "Let Me Solo Him." After years of crushing Malenia, he's seemingly announced the beginning of a new pasttime of brutalizing one of Shadow of the Erdtree’s toughest bosses: Messmer the Impaler. Let Me Solo Her first rose to prominence in the Elden Ring community in April 2022, when he took on the role of a loincloth-clad jar-headed messiah, bringing much-needed aid to the countless players grappling with the hit RPG’s most infamous optional boss Malenia, Blade of Miquella. Since then, by his own estimation, he has played for over 1,200 hours and fought...

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Shadow of the Erdtree: Scadutree Fragment Locations in Elden Ring DLC

Collecting Scadutree Fragments and leveling up your Scadutree Blessing level in Shadow of the Erdtree is one of the best ways to get stronger in the Elden Ring DLC. If you're struggling with a challenging boss, such as Messmer the Impaler or Commander Gaius, finding some Scadutree Fragments can help you survive longer by increasing your attack and damage negation stats. There are 50 Scadutree Fragments to find across the Land of Shadow in the Elden Ring DLC, and we've tracked the location of 42 of them on our Shadow of the Erdtree interactive map. Our guides team is working hard to mark all 50 as soon as possible, so check back. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Scadutree Fragment Locations Map Click "Scadutree Fragment" in the...

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FromSoftware Parent Company Hacked by Ransomware Gang Threatening to Release Internal Data

Kadokawa Group, a multinational media conglomerate whose holdings include Elden Ring developer FromSoftware and Anime News Network, acknowledged a "significant cyberattack" on Thursday and said it's currently working on "solutions and workarounds" for its systems. In a lengthy update, Kadokawa Group said that popular Japanese video sharing site Niconico was among the hardest hit by the cyberattack, with all services suspended since June 8. It did not acknowledge FromSoftware, and it's unclear what impact the hack had on the Elden Ring developer, if any. IGN has reached out to FromSoftware for comment or clarification. The ransomware group that perpetrated the hack posted a message saying that it had managed to download confidential...

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Concord First Hands-On: Plenty of Balancing Left to Go, and Not Much Time

Concord was originally teased last year with a simple video that showcased a ship cruising through space. I think a hamburger was involved. Anyway, after seeing that short teaser, I honestly expected to see a story-driven FPS – this is a first-party Sony game, after all – but maybe it’d be something like an MMO, a la Destiny. I was on board for a new experience regardless, but then I was somewhat surprised to learn that Concord is, in fact, a 5v5 shooter. And now that I’ve played it, I’m very glad that Concord does plan on keeping up with its world lore and ongoing storyline, since some of my favorite FPS games like Overwatch and Apex Legends do this seasonally as well . Additionally, each season that releases will be free to all...

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Hitman's Latest Target Is MMA Star Conor McGregor

The latest elusive target in Hitman: World of Assassination is MMA star Conor McGregor. Developer IO Interactive has revealed McGregor will play a mysterious multi-millionaire MMA fighter known only as The Disruptor, who players must hunt down and kill as Agent 47. The character is practically identical to McGregor, tattoos and all. "Conor McGregor features in Hitman: World of Assassination as The Disruptor, a multi-millionaire MMA Fighter with worldwide fame who started a feud with the CEO of a prominent tech company, putting a target on his back in the process," the official synopsis reads. Players can access the mission from today, June 27 to July 29, on all platforms Hitman: World of Assassination, previously Hitman 3, is...

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Rockstar Games Co-Founder Says Grand Theft Auto Movie 'Never Made Sense'

Rockstar Games co-founder and former head writer Dan Houser has said a Grand Theft Auto movie "never made sense." As reported by GI.biz, Houser told The Ankler that making the film — which has faded in and out of obscurity over the years — was a "huge risk" considering the reputation of the GTA brand. "Why would we do this?," Houser and the other Rockstar leads asked the film executives. "What you've described is you making a movie and us having no control and taking a huge risk, that we’re going to end up paying for with something that belongs to us." "They thought we’d be blinded by the lights and that just wasn't the case. We had what we considered to be multi billion dollar IP, and the economics never made sense. The risk never...

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Hidetaka Miyazaki Open to Elden Ring Movie if a "Very Strong Partner" Were to Step In

FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki has revealed that he would be open to an adaptation of the studio’s hit 2022 RPG Elden Ring, but only if a “very strong partner” were to come into play. “I don’t see any reason to deny another interpretation or adaptation of Elden Ring, a movie for example,” explained Miyazaki in an interview with The Guardian. “But I don’t think myself, or FromSoftware, have the knowledge or ability to produce something in a different medium.” Elden Ring was designed by FromSoftware to be a profoundly challenging experience, and it is likely that any attempt to translate the mystery-laden fantasy world into another format altogether would prove to be equally difficult to execute. After all, Elden Ring’s...

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Those Tough Elden Ring DLC Requirements Didn’t Stop Shadow of the Erdtree Sales — It Sold an Incredible 5 Million in Just 3 Days

Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree is off to a flying start, selling five million copies in just three days. “This milestone is the result of the tremendous support from fans all over the world, to whom we express our heartfelt gratitude,” publisher Bandai Namco said in a note to press. Shadow of the Erdtree launched across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S on Friday June 20. Bandai Namco had expressed confidence in Shadow of the Erdtree’s sales ahead of launch despite the fact two bosses, including a tough optional boss many players might have missed, must be defeated before the expansion can be accessed. Steam achievement data showed nearly two thirds of Elden Ring PC players had yet to defeat this boss going into the...

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Star Wars: Bounty Hunter Returns, and This Time the Boba Fett Easter Egg Is Real

2002 GameCube and PlayStation 2 action adventure Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is being revived and re-released on PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch on August 1 priced $19.99. The LucasArts-developed game, now 22 years old, is a prequel to Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and lets you play as Jango Fett, who is hired to capture a Dark Jedi. As you’d expect, Jango has dual blasters, a flamethrower, toxic darts, and jetpack missiles. This is yet another Star Wars revival from Aspyr, which is still working to fix this year’s disastrous launch of Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection. Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is said to have visual improvements, improved environmental...

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There's No Shame in Playing Elden Ring in Co-Op

If you’re finding yourself struggling against one of Shadow of the Erdtree’s many difficult bosses, you shouldn’t be afraid to call for a little back-up. Since the launch of Shadow of the Erdtree, there has been a lot of talk about how difficult the DLC is proving with director Hidetaka Miyazaki even admitting that the developers were trying to push players past their limits with this new DLC. Having beaten the DLC during the review window, I absolutely agree that FromSoftware is trying to do different things with Shadow of the Erdtree, making players think differently when it comes to challenging bosses. I changed my build and I re-spec’d my character multiple times during my playthrough, and in the back of my mind I kept thinking...

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Hidetaka Miyazaki on Elden Ring Difficulty: 'I Absolutely Suck at Video Games'

FromSoftware president and Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki has revealed that he rarely plays his own games after they have released, and that when he does, he uses everything that a game puts at his disposal to offset his own perceived lack of skill. “Leading up to the release of any game, I’ll be very hands-on playing it and getting as much time on it as much as possible,” said Miyazaki in an interview with The Guardian prior to the June 21 release of Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. “But after the release, I tend to not want to touch it, because I know I’m going to either find things that I left on the table or issues that will bug me”. Miyazaki went on to explain that playing through a FromSoftware title post launch...

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Frostpunk 2 Beta Feedback Sparks 2 Month Release Date Delay

11 Bit Studios has delayed Frostpunk 2 from July 25, 2024 to September 20, 2024. Frostpunk 2 is a promising city-survival sequel set 30 years after an apocalyptic blizzard ravaged Earth, transforming our world into a harsh, icy wasteland. IGN recently played the first three hours of Frostpunk 2's story mode and found it to be “brutal, cruel, and very fun.” The developer said feedback from the recent beta as well as prioritizing certain features it’s already working on sparked the decision. “We know that this is not the news you wanted to hear,” 11 Bit Studios said. “However, we believe that these additional features are something you deserve to see in-game from day one, not in a patch added after the release.” In an additional...

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Capcom Announces Showcase to Detail Dead Rising Remaster and More

Capcom will pull back the curtain on its just-announced Dead Rising remaster at a showcase event set for next week. Capcom Next is a 25 minute event featuring three games: Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, and Resident Evil 7 for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The action kicks off 3pm Pacific / 6pm Eastern / 11pm UK on July 1, 2024. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a remaster of the original Xbox 360 game for modern platforms. There’s no release date yet beyond a 2024 window or confirmation of those platforms, but we do have the trailer, below, which shows zombie-slaying photojournalist Frank West on the helicopter to Willamette Mall. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, meanwhile, is a brand-new intellectual...

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Someone Is Already Beating Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Bosses at Level 1

Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree has been out for less than a week, and we already have absolute sickos beating the new content's bosses at level 1. Just because they can! A content creator known as LastDarkHope has been quietly plugging away on their YouTube channel for the last few months, defeating Elden Ring boss after Elden Ring boss with absolutely no rune levels gained, and no equipment leveled up. That's impressive enough on its own, but when the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC dropped last week, this incredible player simply started beating those bosses too. Again, this is without using runes to level up at all, and without using any smithing stones to upgrade equipment. Critically, LastDarkHope does seem to be using...

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Dragon’s Dogma 2 on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S Finally Gets High/low Graphics Settings

Dragon’s Dogma 2 developer Capcom has released a new title update for the game, adding a long-awaited graphics option that should help with frame-rate problems. The fantasy role-playing sequel, released earlier this year across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, suffers from frame-rate problems especially in areas with lots of NPCs, such as town centers. This problem has dogged Dragon’s Dogma 2 since launch, despite various updates released since. With the release of this new update (check out the patch notes below) comes a fix for issues around CPU overload in certain situations (this was blamed for Dragon's Dogma 2's frame-rate problems). Capcom said this should improve frame-rates in areas with lots of NPCs. Meanwhile...

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Palworld’s First Major Update, Sakurajima, Out Now — Here’s What It Does

‘Pokémon with guns’ crafting and survival game Palworld has its first major update since its record-breaking launch in January, adding a new island, new Pals, and much more. Steam version 0.3.1 and Xbox version 0.3.1 are both out now. The patch brings with it the Sakurajima update; Sakurajima is the new island where players can take control of a tower protected by a new faction called The Moonflowers. The island is home to many new Pals. There’s multiplayer-exclusive content, too, in the form of an area in the Desiccated Desert. An oil rig controlled by the Rayne Syndicate is now in the ocean (here you work together with friends to defeat powerful enemies and claim resources such as crude oil). You can extract crude oil by unlocking...

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