Gaming News

Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 5 Makes a Very Niche Community Character Canon

Warning: Spoilers for the Baldur's Gate 3 epilogue, as added in Nov. 30's Patch 5, as well as the voice cast Dungeons & Dragons session below. From thousands of lines of dialogue to a much better inventory system a whole get-together post-game, Larian Studios introduced a slew of exciting updates in its absolutely massive Patch 5 on Thursday. But the most niche? Bing Bong. Bing Bong is canon. For those who don't know (which will probably be plenty of fans), Bing Bong is an imp NPC who was introduced when the voice cast of Baldur's Gate 3 played and live-streamed a session of Dungeons & Dragons in-character back in September. If you've ever played D&D, you know how quickly a seemingly random NPC can become the star of the party, and...

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Here's Geralt of Rivia Voice Actor Doug Cockle's Best Theories on What The Witcher 4 Is About

Spoiler Warning: This article features spoilers for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and minor spoilers for the Witcher book series by Andrzej Sapkowski. No one beyond CD Projekt Red knows what the next Witcher game, codenamed Polaris, is going to be about. That includes Geralt of Rivia himself, but his voice actor Doug Cockle certainly has some theories. Speaking to IGN, Cockle made clear he doesn't have any insider information on the next instalment — which has so far only been teased through a single image showing a Witcher medallion in snow — but shared what he thinks, and hopes, will feature in Polaris. "Their focus for the game is not going to be Geralt. They've said that, so I'm really excited to see what their focus is. I have ideas...

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Homeworld 3 Finally Takes Off With March 2024 Release Date

Gearbox Publishing and developer Blackbird Interactive have announced a Homeworld 3 release date of March 8, 2024, for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. The launch date for the long-awaited third entry in the Homeworld series was announced as part of today’s PC Gaming Show. It’s a bit later than the project’s previously promised February window, but it’s still a date that players can look forward to after waiting for more than two decades since Homeworld 2. Preorders for the sci-fi story RTS are available now, giving players the option to choose from four versions: Standard, Deluxe, Fleet Command, and Collector’s Edition. Those who purchase the Fleet Command or Collector’s Edition will be granted early access starting on March...

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Five Dollar Sports Games, Knife Slashed Resi 4 Remake, Downshifted GT 7 Prices, and More!

Thank your own personal deity—possibly the All-Mother—it's Friday! For the record, that was a topical choice of goddess back there because Horizon Zero Dawn on PC is going for its lowest price ever today. I'm also seeing quite the clean-out of older sports titles on Amazon. They're brilliant Christmas presents if you have sharpie skills and can morph a "22" into looking like a "24." If not, perfectly acceptable stocking fillers. This Day in Gaming Aussie birthdays for notable games and hardware - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (MD) 1992. Remaster - Zelda: Link's Awakening (GB) 1993. Remake - Gauntlet Legends (N64) 1999. - Shenmue (DC) 2001. Remaster - Dead Nation (PS3) 2010. - Rainbow Six Siege (PC,PS4,XO) 2015. Get Table of Contents...

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Path of Exile 2's New Mercenary Class Turns It Into a Straight-Up Shooter

In a livestream today developer Grinding Gear Games made a slew of announcements, including a first look at a new playable class in its upcoming ARPG Path of Exile 2: the mercenary. The long-awaited sequel, which announced way back in 2019, is still a ways away from its closed beta kicking off in June of next year, but in the meantime a steady stream of reasons to get excited have come our way, including IGN's hands-on time with the druid class a few months ago. The class revealed today though, dubbed the mercenary, is in a league all its own. Armed with a slew of crossbows, including those capable of sniping from across the map, peppering enemies with elemental effects at close-range, or even blasting away hoardes with...

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GTA Online Update Is Finally Adding Animals From Story Mode

A proper Grand Theft Auto 6 reveal is on the horizon, but that isn’t stopping Rockstar Games from adding a groundbreaking feature to Grand Theft Auto Online: animals. The GTA and Red Dead Redemption maker announced its plans to bring furry creatures to its long-running open-world multiplayer experience in a post on its website. There is, however, a caveat, as animals are only coming to players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S – not PC. Players have long questioned the absence of animals in GTA Online, especially considering the base GTA 5 experience featured animals upon its release in 2013. Even if PC players are excluded, it’s a major change that some players are trying to wrap their heads around. GTA 5 has been out for a...

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Call of Duty Devs Finally Comment on Skill-Based Matchmaking Issues

Skill-Based Matchmaking in Call of Duty has long been the subject of scrutiny and debate within the community, only fueled by the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III on Nov. 10. Now, though, the Call of Duty team has finally acknowledged it. The news comes from ModernWarzone on X/Twitter, which notes (as we at IGN believe) that this is “possibly the first time they’ve spoken publicly about it." When reached by IGN, a spokesperson for Activision says it "stems from a live conversation from Call of Duty reps at an event, and accurately describes what was said. We will not be issuing anything further at the time." See the lengthy statement below: This statement is quite a reversal from a little more than a week ago, when Modern...

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Much-Maligned Gaia Operator Skin Is Now Temporarily Disabled

Well, it’s finally happened. After announcing that they would disable Call of Duty’s infamously hard-to-see Gaia and Gaia BlackCell Operator Skins for the Nova Operator in a Reddit AMA, Sledgehammer Games has gone and pulled the figurative (literal?) trigger. Players will no longer be able to equip the problematic skins until they are “re-enabled in a future update,” according to the official Call of Duty Updates account on X/Twitter. Sledgehammer did not comment on when said future update might be released. The move has been a long time coming. The Gaia and Gaia BlackCell Operator Skins have been giving the Call of Duty community fits since it was first introduced in Modern Warfare 2 during Season 6, which debuted in late September...

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Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition is Up For Preorder

For those looking to own Cyberpunk 2077 with its shiny 2.0 update bundled into one package with its excellent Phantom Liberty expansion, you don't have long to wait. The Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition is officially up for preorder for $59.99. Its release date is not far off either, as it comes out on December 5. Check it out at the links below to grab your copy today. Preorder Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition - Releases December 5 Also at Amazon (not live yet): PS5 Also at Best Buy: PS5/Xbox Series X - $59.99 Also at GameStop: PS5/Xbox Series X - $59.99 Also at Target: PS5/Xbox Series X - $59.99 Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Official Launch Trailer What is the Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition? Per CD Projekt, this edition of...

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Supernormal, a 'Spiritual Successor' to the PT-Inspired Allison Road, Announced

A single developer has dedicated himself to creating what he describes as a "spiritual successor" to the PT-like horror game Allison Road, for the last two years. It's called Supernormal, it's powered by Unreal Engine 5, and it has received support from the original creator of Allison Road, Chris Kesler. Supernormal is due to be released on Steam on January 8, 2024. Its developer describes Supernormal as "a psychological horror game set in a seemingly ordinary apartment harbouring dark secrets. Play as Detective Wyatt, tasked with unravelling the unsettling disappearance of Masato Sakamoto's daughter. Search for clues and unravel the sinister truth." For the gameplay release date trailer, watch it above. Check out the first half-dozen...

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Disney+ Now Offers a Ton of Perks For Subscribers for the Holiday Season

Disney+ has added a ton of perks for subscribers for the holiday season, including a chance to sail on the maiden voyage of the Disney Treasure, discounts on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Wish, early access to items on ShopDisney like Kanan Jarrus' lightsaber hilt, and much more. Disney shared the news today, on November 30, the same day the perks went live. They are available to all Disney+ subscribers with an active subscription and will last through January 31, 2024. This bonus, according to Disney, is a "'thank you' for being the best part of our story this holiday season." As for everything it includes, we thought it'd be easiest to list them all below so you can see exactly what you unlock with a Disney+ subscription...

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Resident Evil 4 Coming to PlayStation VR2 Next Week

Resident Evil 4 is coming to PlayStation VR2 on December 8 as a free update to the base game, Sony has announced. Revealed on the PlayStation Blog, a demo for the survival horror game will be available the same day, giving brave virtual adventurers a chance to try it before committing to the full purchase. "Stepping into the shoes of United States agent Leon S. Kennedy in VR as he races to rescue the President’s daughter, you’ll experience an entirely new level of survival horror immersion," the post reads. "The same development team who brought you the incredible full-length VR experiences of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil: Village have worked to make a truly immersive VR Mode using the latest technology." The...

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Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 5 Adds New Playable Epilogue With 3,589 Lines of Extra Dialogue, Much More

Larian has released Baldur’s Gate 3’s hotly anticipated Patch 5, which adds loads of new content to the sprawling Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Patch 5 fixes slowdown issues caused by Patch 4, adds a brand-new epilogue providing closure to each player’s journey, and even new game modes. The new playable epilogue gameplay, accessible to all players loading the game prior to the final fight, takes place before the credits. Players find themselves in camp, six months after the events of Baldur’s Gate 3’s story, where they “meet new friends and old, taking all the time they need to say their final goodbyes to the party.” Larian called this epilogue a “final goodbye”. “For the writers of Larian, this ‘final goodbye’ has been some...

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Brace Yourself: Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 5 Weighs in at 30GB and Needs 130GB of Free Space to Install

Larian has issued a warning to Baldur’s Gate 3 players ahead of today’s release of Patch 5: you’re going to need to clear a fair bit of space. Patch 5, due out soon, weighs in at 30GB, but needs 130GB of free space to install, Larian said in a tweet. That’s a lot of disc space to clear out to fit in a 30GB patch. Larian had a word of advice for those without the space to install the update: uninstall Baldur’s Gate 3 and then re-downloading the patched version. It’s not an ideal situation, but Larian has promised big things for Patch 5, including an epilogue starring fan-favourite Withers. Also due with Patch 5 is a fix for pesky Act 3 slowdown issues. “Patch 5 is really good,” Larian’s Director of Publishing Michael Douse said in...

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Xbox Game Pass December 2023 Lineup Announced

Microsoft has announced the games coming to Xbox Game Pass in December 2023, as well as the first new additions coming to the Game Pass Core library. It sounds like these games are the full lineup for December. “This month, we’re going for a ‘let’s announce everything coming in Game Pass for December’ sort of vibe,” Microsoft said in a post on Xbox Wire. “We’ll be back in early January after the holidays for more games coming soon to Game Pass. So, grab your controllers, charge those mice, and let’s get to the games!” Remnant: From the Ashes (Cloud, Console, and PC) and Remnant 2 (Cloud, PC, Xbox Series X|S) surprise-dropped on Game Pass overnight. IGN’s Remnant 2 review returned a 9/10. We said: “Where Remnant: From The Ashes was a...

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Xbox Game Pass December Lineup Leaks Online

UPDATE: Microsoft has announced the first wave of games coming to Game Pass in December, verifying the leak detailed below. ORIGINAL STORY: Reliable PlayStation Plus leaker billbil-kun has this time revealed the next batch of games coming to Xbox Game Pass, as well as two new games coming to the Game Pass Core library. Game Pass saw the surprise additions of Remnant: From The Ashes and Remnant 2 overnight. Following those releases, 10 more games are due during the first half of December, starting with SteamWorld Build on December 1, according to billbil-kun's report on Dealabs. Here’s the lineup: Remnant 2 (Cloud, Console and PC): Already available Remnant: From The Ashes (Cloud, Console and PC): Already available SteamWorld...

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Game of Thrones Cookbook Gets First Official Look From George R.R. Martin

A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin has shared a first look at the incoming official Game of Thrones cookbook, including a recipe for Highgarden Dumplings. Revealed on his blog, Martin deemed the holiday period a "fitting time" to give Game of Thrones and food fans an early glimpse at the incoming cookbook. "The cookbook is presented as the in-world manuscript of Maester Alton, a curious, food-obsessed Citadel master who loves the fare of the highborn and small folk alike," Martin said. "His recipes evoke the world’s regions, history, and stories in a charming and knowledgeable voice. Each section is introduced with stunning woodcut illustrations like this one featured in the opening pages of the book." Though it...

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Remnant, Remnant 2 Now Available on Game Pass

Gunfire Games’ Remnant: From the Ashes and Remnant II have been made available today on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. Uncharacteristically, the games have arrived with no announcement. Remnant II launched in July this year to significant praise from players and critics alike, and sold more than one million copies in its first week across Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. It went on to take down Diablo 4 as July's best-selling game in the US. IGN’s 9/10 review called Remnant II “a triumphant sequel that doesn’t just reimagine the soulslike genre as a co-op looter-shooter, but absolutely nails that concept in nearly every way.” The arrival of the Remnant II standard edition on Game Pass comes following the November 14...

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Bungie Pulls Destiny 2's Controversial $15 Starter Pack Over Massive Backlash Over 'Pay-to-Win' Item

Just one day after the launch of Season of the Wish, Bungie has removed a $15 "starter pack" microtransaction for Destiny 2 that quickly became the subject of criticism and backlash over pay-to-win concerns. Over the years, Bungie's monetization model for their long-running live-service shooter has increasingly relied on DLC and numerous microtransaction channels to support its game, but when players noticed a new "starter pack" added to the store yesterday, many voiced concern that the company had gone too far. How is this microtransaction different from the numerous paid offerings of years past? Well, importantly, it contains powerful guns and in-game materials that can take hours of playtime to earn normally, and while Destiny...

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Lethal Company Early Access Review

It’s a heck of a time, running through an abandoned bunker in the dark with nothing but a hazmat suit on your back and three of your closest buds at your side. Oh wait, that’s not your closest bud at all – it’s a grotesque, white-eyed monster eating their corpse and using their body like a puppet. Welcome to Lethal Company, a co-op survival horror game that’s all about digging deep into the (procedurally-generated and largely haunted) crevasses of exoplanetary human history for loot, which your party of up to four companions will need to figure out how to safely transport back to your ship and eventually sell to your eldritch bosses at the end of each round. This is a simple but highly enjoyable premise, and thankfully, there’s enough...

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Tribes 3: Rivals Fully Revealed, Screenshots and Gameplay Shown

Tribes 3: Rivals is a new game in the competitive first-person shooter series that developer Prophecy Games has now fully revealed. Rivals is a team-based shooter that includes jetpacks, skiing, and class-based warfare. You fight to capture the enemy team’s flag while defending your own, with a number of classes (light, medium, and heavy) available to choose from, each with abilities, perks, and weapon loadouts. The high-speed movement revolves around the use of jetpack flight and ‘skiing’, which lets you get about the huge maps quickly. Prophecy Games said Tribes 3 is currently a 5v5 game, but it is considering other game mode sizes depending on feedback. There are also plans to support other game modes, such as time trials...

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Sons of the Forest to Leave Early Access and Launch v1.0 in February 2024

Sons of the Forest will officially leave Early Access and launch its v1.0 on February 22, 2024. Furthermore, X-Men and Quantum Break's Shawn Ashmore will be joining the cast to voice Timmy as the team works to "expand his role in the game and story." Sons of the Forest developer Endnight Games shared the news on X/Twitter alongside thanking everyone who played the game in Early Access. "Hey Everyone, Sons Of The Forest v1.0 will release Feb 22, 2024 with Shawn Ashmore voicing Timmy as we expand his role in the game and story," Endnight Games wrote. "We thank everyone who has joined us in Early Access and are super excited for what we have in store for v1.0 and beyond." For those unfamiliar, Timmy LeBlanc is the son of Eric LeBlanc...

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Dragon's Dogma 2 Will Be Capcom's First $70 Game

During Capcom's special Dragon's Dogma 2 showcase yesterday, we not only learned the release date for the hotly anticipated sequel action role-playing game, but we also learned it will be the company's first $70 game. The PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam standard editions of the game are all listed at $70 USD, with the deluxe edition being priced at $80. Over the last three years, video game publishers and companies have slowly been adapting the "Triple A" video price bump from $60 to $70. Up until now, Capcom has abstained from selling games with this new price point with the release of titles like Street Fighter 6. Now, it's looking like the company will finally test the waters with the release of Dragon's Dogma 2 on March 26, 2024...

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Three Grand Theft Auto Games Will Be Available on Netflix Next Month

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition will officially become available to Netflix members for no extra cost on Apple's App Store, the Google Play store, and in the Netflix mobile app on December 14, 2023. Those who can't wait to jump into Grand Theft Auto III - The Definitive Edition, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - The Definitive Edition, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Definitive Edition can pre-register today to get ready for December 14 and play as soon as they are available. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition had a bit of a bumpy launch, but it has since been patched to fix bugs, textures, and much more. In our Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition review, we said...

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PlayStation Plus Games for December 2023 Announced

Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus games for December 2023 are LEGO 2K Drive (PS4 and PS5), Powerwash Simulator (PS4 and PS5), and Sable (PS5). As revealed on the PlayStation Blog, all three games will be made available at no extra cost to PlayStation Plus subscribers on December 5. LEGO 2K Drive combines open world racing with extensive customisation as players can build their perfect car piece by piece. Driving around the world of Bricklandia, racers must complete with rivals and overcome the competition to win the coveted Sky Trophy. In our 8/10 review, IGN said: "LEGO 2K Drive is a wild and whimsical all-ages kart racer with an incredible custom vehicle creation tool that’s just about worth the price of admission alone."...

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Partake In Puzzling Multiversal Travel in The Muller-Powell Principle

“You awake and find yourself in a parallel dimension. The year is 2032. All you can remember is that you’ve been participating in some kind of experiment that went horribly wrong.” Well, that and the words, “The Muller-Powell Principle.” That’s right, in this new sci-fi puzzle thriller from Three Dots Games, you must find a way back home and figure out the only thing you can remember, The Muller-Powell Principle. For those of you excited to experience the game’s puzzling multiversal glory, it’s just released today, November 29th 2023, on Steam! In The Muller-Powell Principle, you play as Harry Herman, a scientist working for a company called Delta Laboratories. At Delta, Harry studies the possibilities of interdimensional travel and...

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Starfield Player Completes New Game Plus an Incredible 33 Times, Makes Cool Discovery

Starfield is a game designed to be replayed via its New Game Plus system, but 33 times seems a bit excessive. Not for one player, who in the process of replaying Bethesda’s sci-fi space game over and over again has encountered a surprisingly cool interaction they hadn’t seen before. Starfield spoilers ahead! First, some background. As IGN’s guide to Starfield’s New Game Plus explains, the game lets you loop over and over again via multiverse shenanigans. Once you beat the main story, you can start a new game that puts you back near the start of Starfield with new story permutations, new dialogue options, and even at least one new main mission to complete. As IGN’s Simon Cardy wrote around Starfield’s September launch, New Game Plus...

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Stormgate Is a Very StarCraft-y RTS Made By Ex-StarCraft Developers

Is that brimstone I smell? It seems like the forces of the underworld are a bit upset we didn't get any StarCraft news at BlizzCon this year. But Frost Giant, where many veterans of Blizzard's now-defunct RTS team have banded together, is giving us the closest thing we'll probably ever get to a StarCraft 3 with Stormgate. And over the last few months, I've gotten up-close and personal with its second major faction: The Infernal Host. These are the bad boys of the upcoming RTS, and if you were a Zerg main in StarCraft, I think they'll make you feel right at home. That home might be covered in spikes and actively on fire, but I'm not here to judge. Much like StarCraft's Zerg or Warcraft 3's Undead, the Infernal Host is Stormgate's...

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Yes, Going Up Against Super Mario Bros. Wonder Probably Wasn’t a Good Idea for Sonic Superstars

Sonic Superstars launched on October 17. Super Mario Bros. Wonder launched three days later, on October 20. Both 2D platformers went up against each other in an old-school video game rumble that rekindled memories of the Sega versus Nintendo playground battles of the 90s. Well, it seems this time around, there was a clear winner. While Super Mario Bros. Wonder broke sales records, becoming the fastest-selling Mario game of all time with 4.3 million copies sold in just two weeks, Sonic Superstars sales failed to meet Sega's expectations. Or, as Sega boss Haruki Satomi put it in a recent financial report, Sonic Superstars had a “slightly weaker start than we had anticipated”. Why? In an investor-focused Q&A, Satomi admitted other games...

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The Witcher 3 and Destiny 2 Crossover Includes Geralt Bathtub Meme

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt crossover in Destiny 2 is now available and includes a ton of references to the beloved fantasy role-playing game including Geralt of Rivia's infamous bathtub scene. The Barrel Bath emote is currently available as a Silver only item, meaning it must be purchased using real money. It recreates the opening scene of The Witcher 3 in which Geralt lies in a bubbling bathtub, legs akimbo, in what's become a video game meme referenced in the Netflix show and even official merchandise. "Soggy armour is a small price to pay for true relaxation," reads the Barrel Bath description. It will cost a hefty 1,200 Silver, which comes in at just above the $9.99 for 1,100 bundle, which means players will therefore need to buy...

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