Gaming News

Halo Infinite Sees the Ultimate Microsoft Crossover - Clippy

While Halo Infinite's Season 2 adds new maps, modes, a Battle Pass, and more, perhaps the least expected addition is the inclusion of Clippy, the 25-year-old Microsoft Office assistant. As spotted by PC Gamer, the return of Clippy was shared by Xbox senior product manager James Shields on Twitter (below), who posted screenshots of some new cosmetics available in the update. A legendary charm called Clippy - essentially a keyring that players can attach to their guns - can be unlocked later in the season that's, well, Clippy, looking as smug as ever despite being retired 21 years ago. As well as having the office assistant bob along the side of your gun as you take down other players in Halo Infinite's new modes, you can also...

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In the Game for Ukraine: A Livestream Fundraiser With IGN and SIDE - How to Watch and What to Expect

IGN and SIDE Global have partnered up to host In The Game for Ukraine, a livestream that aims to raise money to provide humanitarian relief for people affected by the war in Ukraine. To help us accomplish that goal, SIDE is inviting voice actors from some of the biggest games, including Uncharted 4 and The Witcher, to perform live readings of their biggest scenes. IGN is carrying the stream and, as usual, this watch guide will provide you with everything you need to know to watch the stream, including when it starts, a list of places you can watch it with us, and how you can donate. What Cause Are We Raising Funds For and How Can I Donate? In the Game for Ukraine will be raising money that will provide humanitarian relief for...

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Overwatch 2: Blizzard Discusses What It Will (and Won't) Change in the Beta

Blizzard has shared early impressions of the Overwatch 2 beta and outlined what changes are coming as a result of player feedback. The biggest change is coming to support heroes, with Blizzard accepting feedback that there's much more interesting new content for tank and damage players to explore. "We believe the most effective way to tackle this issue is to add exciting new support heroes to the game," Blizzard said in a blog post. The development team is also working on updating current support heroes though, similar to how Doomfist and Orisa received reworks, which could be added to this beta but will more likely be inclusions in later testing periods. Blizzard also confirmed that more brand new heroes will be joining Sojourn...

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16 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Evil Dead

The Evil Dead franchise is the most splattery saga in horror history, and has unleashed countless quotable quips and hundreds of gallons of bloods on fervent fans over the past 40 years. Starring Bruce Campbell as perennial punching bag Ash Williams -- a department store clerk with a habit of getting caught up in apocalyptic battles with dastardly demons -- Evil Dead began as an inventive shoestring-budget independent film and steadily ascended into to wild-ass world of sequels, reboots, TV shows, comics, and video games. With Evil Dead: The Game on its way, an over-the-top survival horror adventure, with Bruce Campbell voicing Ash, we thought we'd flip through a few flesh-bound, blood-inked pages of the Necronomicon and find some fun...

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Bungie Speaks out in Support of Roe vs. Wade as Supreme Court Seeks to Overturn It

Destiny 2 creator Bungie has publicly spoken out against the proposed overturning of Roe vs. Wade, the historic Supreme Court judgement used to secure rights to abortion across the U.S. On the Bungie blog, the developer was outspoken in its defence of the 1973 judgement. You can read the full statement below: At Bungie we believe that everyone has a right to choose their own path and that freedom is expressed across all facets of life. The leaked draft decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade represents a blow to freedom in America and is a direct attack on human rights. By creating a divide between those who posses the fundamental right to make healthcare decisions that are right for them, and those who do not...

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Deal Alert: Save $10 on Elden Ring for PS5 (Limited Time Only)

It's not the biggest discount in the world, but if you were waiting for Elden Ring to go on sale before buying it, now is your chance. Elden Ring has finally dropped in price and can now be purchased for $49.94 from Amazon, Walmart, or GameStop. That's over $10 off the original list price, and a great deal for those who haven't picked up the Game of the Year contender just yet. Unfortunately Xbox fans, this is restricted to just a PlayStation sale, but I'm sure a discount will be around for you soon enough. Elden Ring is Now $50 at Amazon (Save $10) Elden Ring continues to prove itself as somewhat of a cultural phenomenon since its launch. Modders are already adding in Star Wars mods, while others have found new ways to beat the...

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Halo Infinite Multiplayer Now Supports 120Hz on Series S

Halo Infinite multiplayer now supports a 120Hz refresh rate on Xbox Series S – bringing back a feature lost after the game's multiplayer beta. Players with a 120Hz monitor will be able to enjoy 120fps gameplay, even on the less powerful Xbox Series console. The feature arrived in the Halo Infinite Season 2: Lone Wolves update, bringing 120Hz back to the Series S after it featured in the multiplayer beta but didn't make it to the full release. As pointed out in the full patch notes, players can upgrade the frame rate by accessing the Video tab in the game's Settings menu. Series X users can now also lower their frame rate to 30Hz to prioritise graphics, though this probably isn't advisable for multiplayer modes. The Season 2 update...

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Hitman 3 Game Director Joins Crytek to Direct Crysis 4

Hitman 3 director Mattias Engström has left IO Interactive to direct Crysis 4 at Crytek Studios. The official Crysis Twitter account shared the news (below), saying Engström was joining the team this week to lead the new Crysis game. While he was only a game director at IO Interactive for three years, Engström spent much longer at the studio, having worked their since 2014. He previously spent almost ten years at Massive Entertainment, from 2004 to 2014, while the studio was developing games such as Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Far Cry 3. Very little is known about the new Crysis game. Crytek teased it with a brief trailer in January following a leak online, with CEO Avni Yerli saying Crysis 4 is "in the early stages of...

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Aussie Deals: Sith Hot Game Deals, Cheap Peripherals and LEGO Sets for May the 4th!

Everything Star Wars must go! Better yet, it's all going for way less than usual, so you'll have credits left over to buy some deathsticks. The obvious pick here has to be the recently released LEGO Skywalker Saga, but there's also a ton of old gold too. Though they look about as youthful as Yoda, you should still give KOTOR and Jedi Academy a look in. The former has one of the coolest twists in RPG history. The latter delivers arguably the best lightsaber combat ever coded. Notable Sales for Nintendo Switch Purchase Cheaply for PC Exciting Offers for XO/XS Product Savings for PS4/PS5 Adam’s our Aussie deals wrangler. You can watch him game on YouTube. Continue reading...

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12 Xbox Showcase Predictions – Unlocked 542

With Microsoft announcing the date for its upcoming Xbox-Bethesda Showcase, we waste no time in making our first round of predictions for the event. From Hellblade 2 to Starfield to Forza Motorsport to Gears 6 and more, we discuss what we think might happen at the biggest Xbox event of the year. Plus: we attempt to unravel the head-scratching mystery that is Embracer Group buying a few Square Enix studios and franchises, including Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Thief. Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 download of this week's episode. For more awesome content, check out our latest IGN Unfiltered interview, where Joseph Staten – one of Halo's original creators and now the head of creative...

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Square Enix's Embracer Sale Is Certainly Surprising... But It Could Be a Good Thing

These days, video game company acquisitions have become a routine part of the newscycle, and we tend to talk about them in billions. Look at a mega-deal like Xbox’s $68.7 billion Activision-Blizzard acquisition, PlayStation’s $3.6 billion acquisition, or the handful of other billions-of-dollars deals that seem to be the norm in 2022. So the latest acquisition headline is surprising, at least at first glance, because the number involved is so much lower than we’ve come to expect - Embracer Group acquiring three Square Enix studios and their major franchises like Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and more for only $300 million. For longrunning, critically acclaimed studios and their decades-long running series… that number, especially compared to...

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The Long-Delayed Prince of Persia Remake Has a New Studio

Ubisoft has announced that the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake is now being handled by Ubisoft Montreal, who created the Sands of Time trilogy. The project was originally in development over at Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai, two of the company's studios in India. "This decision is an important step and the team, building upon the work achieved by Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai, will now take the time they need to regroup on the scope of the game to deliver you the best experience for this remake of an all-time classic, when it's ready," Ubisoft says in a statement on Twitter. The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake was first announced in September 2020 with a release date of January 2021. It seemed like...

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Star Wars Returns to Fortnite: Lightsabers and More Available for 2 Weeks

Fortnite is returning to the galaxy far, far away for its now-yearly Star Wars event. Kicking off the May the 4th Star Wars Day celebrations, Fortnite will be adding usable lightsabers into the game, with previously available Star Wars items unvaulted from May 3 until May 17, 2022. Additionally, you can buy any non-Battle Pass Star Wars outfit as they return to the shop. Also returning to the island is the iconic E-11 blaster used by Stormtroopers throughout the original Star Wars trilogy. To get your hands on the blaster, look out for Stormtroopers who have set up checkpoints across the island in search of Obi-Wan. They’re also appearing randomly in chests, too. There’s also some new Stormtrooper training in the form of some new...

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Elden Ring Modders are Already Adding Star Wars, One Piece, Hollow Knight and More

Elden Ring modders are currently adding a ton of pop culture franchises into the game, including clever (and bizarre) mods to add elements from Star Wars, One Piece, Hollow Knight, and even Life Is Strange. The mods range from adding simple costumes – Zelda's Dark Link for example – that let players cosplay their favourite characters, to weapons that allow you wield spells using Harry Potter's Elder Wand. The Nexus Mods community has been hard at work bringing just about every franchise imaginable to Elden Ring, and as it was released only two months ago, there are sure to be plenty more on the way. Here are some of our favorites so far: Star Wars Elden Ring Mods Arriving from a galaxy far, far away, this Star Wars mod adds Darth...

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Best 17-inch Laptop 2022

Laptops are great until you start trying to multitask on their tiny screens. Ultrabooks offer plenty of portability, but they are regularly driving screen sizes down into 14-inch and 13-inch territory. Fortunately, there are still more than a handful of 17-inch laptops on the scene that deliver plenty of performance and a much bigger screen to let you more easily see everything you're doing. Some of the best 17-inch laptops even manage a decent level of portability thanks to compact bezels and ultra-thin chassis, making for a laptop that's comparable in size and weight to older 15-inch laptops. We've rounded up a handful of 17-inch models that deliver on portability, performance, and even gaming. So, whether you want a...

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Xbox Game Pass in May 2022: Trek to Yomi, Sniper Elite 5, Loot River, and More

Xbox has revealed a new set of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in May. This includes Day One launch games on the service such as Trek to Yomi, Sniper Elite 5, and Hardspace: Shipbreaker. Other games hitting the service this month include Loot River, NHL 22, Danganronpa 2, Floppy Knights, Pacman Museum+, and more. But, this is just the first wave of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in May, with another selection expected to be revealed around halfway through the month. For now, here's everything so far coming to Game Pass this month. Trek to Yomi is Available on Game Pass from May 5 Trek to Yomi is a cinematic action-adventure game that takes inspiration from legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. It's releasing on May 5, and will...

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Thymesia: The Final Preview

It’s been a tough time to make a Souls-like action RPG these days. The market is stuffed to the brim with them, and standing out from the pack gets tougher and tougher every year. After six hours with Thymesia, the dark fantasy hack-and-slasher by OverBorder Studio, I’m not quite sure it will be the one to make waves. There are a handful of differences, both aesthetically and mechanically, that make it more than just a carbon copy of genre staples like Bloodborne, but they require patience and a lot of trial and error to truly discover in earnest. As an agent codenamed “Corvus” you slice, claw, and stab your way through your own scattered memories of a kingdom that has fallen to calamity due to an alchemical plague. The location I...

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Aussie Deals: Secure Something Precious in a LOTR Sale, Plus Reduced PS5 Must-owns!

We've got a bit of a deals mishmash for you today. There's no clear theme, just a whole bunch of cheap games you really ought to own. Case in points: the Shadow of Mordor/War series on PC and nerve-fraying experiences like Sekiro and Nioh. If you're into first-party console exclusives, definitely throw cash at Forza Horizon 5, Metroid Dread or Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart. Every one a safe bet and the secret envy of the other systems. Notable Sales for Nintendo Switch Purchase Cheaply for PC Exciting Offers for XO/XS Product Savings for PS4/PS5 Adam’s our Aussie deals wrangler. You can watch him game on YouTube. Continue reading...

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Tomb Raider's Lifetime Sales Revealed After Embracer Group Sale

Square Enix's decision to sell a trove of franchises and studios to Embracer Group has yielded some interesting info, including the lifetime sales of the Tomb Raider franchise. Following Embracer Group's agreement to purchase Eidos Montreal, Square Enix Montreal, and Crystal Dynamics, from Square Enix, the company shared a timeline of the Tomb Raider franchise. According to the timeline, Tomb Raider has sold 88 million units since its inception in 1996, with 38 million of the lifetime sales coming from the Reboot Trilogy alone, which includes Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Additionally, the franchise saw more than 53 million paid mobile downloads from entries such as Lara Croft: Relic Run...

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Intel CEO Now Expects the Chip Shortage To Last Until 2024

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is anticipating that the chip shortage, which has been negatively impacting many industries including the games industry, will remain an issue well into 2024. In a recent interview with CNBC, Gelsinger told the outlet that the chip shortage might drag on for two years due to the strain on key manufacturing tools. "[W]e believe the overall semiconductor shortage will now drift into 2024," Gelsinger told CNBC. Gelsinger previously predicted several times that he expected the chip shortage to drag into 2023, with the first mention of it coming last July during the company's Q2 earnings call. In October 2021, he reiterated that the supply chain issues could extend into 2023. Despite the chip shortage remaining an...

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Crystal Dynamics Will Continue to Co-Develop Perfect Dark With The Initiative Following Embracer Deal

Following the Square Enix and Embracer deal, Crystal Dynamics will continue to co-develop Microsoft's Perfect Dark reboot with The Initiative. The Initiative took to Twitter to confirm the continued partnership alongside sharing the team has made "great progress" building the next-gen take on Perfect Dark. "We’re excited to see Crystal Dynamics take these next steps with their studio," The Initiative wrote. "Our teams have made great progress in building Perfect Dark together as co-development partners, and we will be continuing this work with them in their next chapter." The Perfect Dark reboot was first announced at The Game Awards 2020 as a first-person shooter with an "eco sci-fi" theme. The game, which would be the first new...

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Signalis: The First Preview

When I first laid eyes on Signalis, I was immediately fascinated by its futuristic sci-fi setting and the enigmatic aura that was brought alongside it. I knew very little about it going into my demo, but after my 30-minute playtime with the opening segment, I walked away with more questions about what lies throughout this mysterious adventure. Signalis put me in the shoes of a Replika named Elster who wakes up from cryo sleep on a desolated spaceship. As I explored, I quickly found myself encountering foreign lifeforms who have infiltrated the ship, but lacked any apparent intelligence aside from their only known goal – that being killing you. I also learned that the ship’s goal was to find planets that were habitable to eventually...

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Square Enix Says Embracer Acquisitions Allow It to Invest More in the Blockchain, AI, and the Cloud

Square Enix has shared some of its reasoning behind the decision to sell Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal, and Square Enix Montréal to Embracer Group, saying the transaction will allow the company to invest more in the blockchain, AI, and the cloud. Square Enix revealed the purpose of the transaction in its execution of share transfer agreement with change to subsidiaries document, saying it will assist the company in "adapting to the changes underway in the global business environment by establishing a more efficient allocation of resources, which will enhance corporate value by accelerating growth in the Company’s core businesses in the digital entertainment domain." "In addition, the Transaction enables the launch of new...

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Embracer Group Enters Agreement to Acquire Eidos, Crystal Dynamics, Square Enix Montreal, and More

Embracer Group has entered into an agreement to acquire Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal, Square Enix Montréal, and a "catalogue of IPs including Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, Legacy of Kain and more than 50 back-catalogue games from Square Enix Holdings" for $300 million. Embracer shared the news in a press release, saying this acquisition includes roughly 1,100 employees across three studios and eight global locations. The deal, if it goes through, is expected to close during Q2 of Embracer's financial year 2022/2023. ”We are thrilled to welcome these studios into the Embracer Group. We recognize the fantastic IP, world class creative talent, and track record of excellence that have been demonstrated time and again over the past...

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Someone Modded the Fisher-Price Game Controller to Work on PC and Played Elden Ring With It

Rudeism on Twitter has modded the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Game & Learn Controller to actually work on PC, and they even played Elden Ring with it. Rudeism shared footage of Elden Ring being played with the Fisher-Price toy, which he effectively turned into an Xbox controller. He also explained a bit about how he modded the controller while leaving many of the toy's original sounds intact. One of the biggest challenges was the fact that the controller has no right analog stick. To get around this, Rudeism utilized the mode switch on the controller that changes the mode from music to numbers. When you switch the mode over, it turns the left joystick into a right joystick. It also changes some of the face buttons to do different...

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Aussie Deals: $49 Metroid Dread, $78 Elden Ring, Plus Cheap Niers and Personas!

Let's begin with a quick reminder that's mostly meant for me and my kind, The Ones Who Usually Forget. Mother's Day is but six days distant. Use the below discounts to load up on what us Simpsons fans call A Bowling Ball Present. (Basic Homer logic: purchase your loved one something you fully intend to enjoy yourself.) For more tips on how to infuriate your significant other or the one who brought you into this world, keep it locked to IGN AU Daily Deals. Notable Sales for Nintendo Switch Purchase Cheaply for PC Exciting Offers for XO/XS Product Savings for PS4/PS5 Adam’s our Aussie deals wrangler. You can watch him game on YouTube. Continue reading...

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Chinatown Detective Agency Is the Carmen Sandiego Reimagining I Always Wanted

Disclosure: Humble Bundle, the publisher of Chinatown Detective Agency, is owned by Ziff Davis, the parent company of IGN. Humble Bundle and IGN operate completely independently, and no special consideration is given to Humble Bundle announcements or promotions for coverage. Before I ever owned a game console or settled into the identity of being a gamer, I was still playing games. Specifically, educational games on a clunky Packard Bell like Reader Rabbit, Cluefinders, and one of my favorites, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? This was before our household had internet, or even before internet game guides were a thing. So when an in-game witness told me, a nine-year-old child, “He asked if I wanted to come along, because he had...

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Game Scoop! 673: The Richest & Poorest Video Game Characters

Welcome back to IGN Game Scoop!, the ONLY video game podcast! This week your Omega Cops -- Daemon Hatfield, Sam Claiborn, Justin Davis, and Nicholas Limon -- are discussing the richest and poorest video game characters, Elden Ring, Rogue Legacy 2, Spiritfarer, and more. And, of course, they play Video Game 20 Questions. Watch the video above or hit the link below to your favorite podcast service. Listen on: Apple Podcasts YouTube Spotify Stitcher Find previous episodes here! Continue reading...

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Destiny 2: Where Is Xur Today? Location and Exotic Items for April 29

Our boi, 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 location can be found at Watcher's Grave...

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Marvel's Heroes Are Being Dragged Into Fortnite's Greatest Battle Yet

A big part of the appeal of Fortnite is that it gives life to all our childhood fantasies about heroes from different universes teaming up to battle evil. The game now includes skins based on Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Tron, Naruto, Street Fighter and countless other iconic franchises. But sometimes those crossovers are more than merely superficial, and that's where Fortnite x Marvel: Zero War comes in. A followup of sorts to 2021's Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point, Zero War explores a major escalation in the endless conflict raging on Fortnite's Island. In this story, a fragment of the Zero Point lands in the Marvel Universe, forcing the heroes of Fortnite to join forces with the Avengers to prevent a disaster that could affect all worlds...

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