Gaming News

Helldivers 2 Dev in ‘A Bit of Crisis Mode’ Amid Matchmaking Issues and Crashes

Helldivers 2 has enjoyed an impressive start on Steam, but the launch is under threat of being overshadowed by matchmaking problems and crashes. Arrowhead Game Studios’ cooperative action game is published by Sony Interactive Entertainment across PS5 and PC via Steam. Helldivers 2 is currently the 18th most-played game on Steam with 64,183 concurrent players, a number that will no doubt grow over the course of the day, week, and into its first weekend. Helldivers 2 is also the third top-selling game by revenue on Steam, ahead of smash hits such as Palworld and Call of Duty. But the reception to Helldivers 2 on Steam is currently classed as ‘mixed’, with some users pointing out performance problems that are causing issues on PC. In...

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Subnautica 2 Is a Multiplayer Live-Service Game

Subnautica 2 is a multiplayer-focused live-service game, publisher Krafton has revealed. Writing in its latest financial report, Krafton described Subnautica 2 as a “multiplayer sequel to the original IP pursuing fandom snowballing”, which is a garbled way of describing the game. Krafton said Subnautica 2 lets players “explore an oceanic world in stunning stylized graphics powered by Unreal Engine 5”, with “single or one to four player co-op to uncover the mysteries on an entirely new alien planet”, alongside a “game-as-a-service model with enhanced replayability.” Subnautica is a hugely successful indie game that first emerged in 2018, then saw a follow-up, dubbed Below Zero, in 2021. IGN’s Subnautica review returned a 9/10. We...

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Group of Card Sellers Accuses eBay of Retaliation Over Their Support of TCGPlayer Union

A group of eBay sellers is accusing the company of union busting, saying it took action against their eBay accounts after they expressed support for the TCGPlayer union (TCGunion). The thirteen individuals and companies have published a letter they sent last week to eBay co-CEOs Robert Bigler and Jamie Iannone, accusing the company of abuse of monopoly power over sellers, abuse of monopsony power over workers, and anticompetitive conduct. The first half of the letter outlines a number of concerns about a growing monopoly the sellers believe eBay holds over the online card buying and selling industry, including multiple accusations that it has actively been trying to acquire or shut down competitors and stop sellers from using other...

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Take-Two Calls Virtual Currency ‘Fictions Created by Game Publishers’ Amid NBA 2K Microtransaction Lawsuit

Rockstar and 2K owner Take-Two has called virtual currency “fictions” as part of its bid to get a lawsuit dismissed. The class action lawsuit filed on behalf of a Californian minor and his mother claims Take-Two is guilty of stealing from NBA 2K players who buy virtual currency and then lose access to it when servers are switched off. The lawsuit calls for refunds on unspent funds if servers are closed. Game File reported a lawyer representing Take-Two has denied the claims and requested the case be dismissed. “VC [virtual currency] is not plaintiff’s property,” the lawyer stated. “Instead, in-game VC are fictions created by game publishers, subject to the publishers’ terms of service and user agreements.” VC is not plaintiff’s...

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Call of Duty Zombies Fans Fear the Worst After Treyarch Says Not to Expect New Perks or Enemy Types

Call of Duty’s latest Zombies mode is only three months old but fans now fear it’s “dead” after developer Treyarch indicated no new perks or enemy types are planned. Popular Call of Duty content creator MrDalekJD tweeted to say that during a Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Season 2 ‘Creator Call’, Treyarch confirmed “there are no plans for any new enemy types or new perks to come to Modern Warfare Zombies at any point.” The news has caused a collective wave of disappointment to crash over the Call of Duty Zombies community, which had already feared the worst following a lack of content relative to Multiplayer and Warzone in the recently released Season 2. “I feel robbed,” redditor scirvexz said in a post on the Call of Duty Zombies...

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FromSoftware Parent Company Acquires Octopath Traveler Developer

Kadokawa Corporation, the parent company of Elden Ring and Bloodborne developer FromSoftware, has acquired the studio behind Octopath Traveler. As reported by Gematsu, Kadokawa revealed during its latest earnings results it had made the studio, called Acquire, a "wholly owned subsidiary", placing it alongside the likes of fellow developers FromSoftware and Spike Chunsoft. Perhaps best known for developing Octopath Traveler and its 2023 sequel, Acquire is also responsible for No Heroes Allowed VR, Akiba's Beat, and Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed. "To strengthen the ability to create IP in games as part of our game business strategy, we have made ACQUIRE Corp. into a wholly owned subsidiary," Kadokawa said. "By acquiring the...

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Deus Ex Actor Elias Toufexis Says Goodbye to Adam Jensen Following Game Cancellation

It’s sad times for Deus Ex fans following the cancellation of a new game in the series and layoffs at its developer, Eidos Montreal. And it’s a sad time for Elias Toufexis, who famously played Deus Ex protagonist Adam Jensen in the most recent games in the series. In a heartfelt post on Reddit, Toufexis said goodbye to Adam Jensen, saying: “alas, his story seems done.” While Toufexis confirmed he had not worked on this cancelled Deus Ex game, and expressed hope that another company might pick up the Deus Ex licence, it seems that for now, Adam Jensen is done for. Here’s Toufexis’ statement in full: Last month, embattled parent company Embracer Group reportedly canceled this new Deus Ex game after two years of development...

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Brand New Elden Ring Action Figures Are Now Up for Preorder, Including Ranni The Witch

In case you didn't know, Tamashii Nations has been making some rather excellent mini-action figures for Elden Ring characters, including a Raging Wolf figure, Melina, and a new Malenia Blade of Miquella that's set to release soon. They all cost $30 and look wonderful. We'll also be getting a Ranni The Witch figure -- big news for those who chose the 'Age of Stars' ending. The brand new mini action figure will be released on October 30, 2024, and will cost $30 just like the other figures already available. You can currently preorder from Amazon, Entertainment Earth, or even through the IGN Store as well. We'll leave the links you need just below. Malenia Blade of Miquella previously mentioned is out this year on May 15, so you've...

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Sony’s Helldivers 2 Gets Off to a Strong Start on Steam

Helldivers 2 is off to a strong start on Steam after the PC version launched alongside the PlayStation 5 game. Arrowhead Game Studios’ cooperative action game is published by Sony Interactive Entertainment across PS5 and PC via Steam (on Steam the publisher is down as PlayStation PC LLC). Helldivers 2 is currently the 15th most-played game on Steam with 53,189 concurrent players, a number that will no doubt grow over the course of the day, week, and into its first weekend. Helldivers 2 is also the second top-selling game by revenue on Steam, ahead of smash hits such as Palworld and Call of Duty. It’s worth noting Helldivers 2 is not a full-price game but cheaper at $39.99. It’s much harder to get an idea of its popularity on PS5...

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Persona 3 Reload Becomes Fastest-Selling Game in Atlus History With 1 Million Sales

Persona 3 Reload has become the fastest-selling game in Atlus history with more than one million copies sold in its first week. This puts the remake of the beloved PlayStation 2 game above the likes of Persona 5 Royal (which IGN deemed a masterpiece) and its spin-offs, plus the Shin Megami Tensei series and more. Persona 3 Reload also passed one million copies sold despite it being an Xbox Game Pass title, meaning subscribers didn't need to buy it at all. Atlus's parent company Sega has had a strong start to 2024, with Persona 3 Reload's one million sales joined by Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which achieved the same number after a week and became the fastest-selling game in franchise history. Persona 3 Reload recreates the...

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Toys for Bob Future Unclear Amid Studio Closure and Layoffs

The future of Toys for Bob is uncertain after the closure of its studio in Novato, California, part of the fallout from Xbox's recent Activision Blizzard acquisition that has resulted in roughly 1900 layoffs. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that 86 workers have been laid off from the studio best-known for Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Skylanders. Call of Duty developer Sledgehammer Games was similarly impacted, laying off some 76 employees. The closures were discovered via official state filings. The Activision Blizzard layoffs were announced at the end of January as Xbox has sought to restructure the company following its $69 billion acquisition. The cuts included the departure of former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra as well as...

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Save 846 Bucks on a Borderlands Mega Bundle, Pay the Least Gil for FFVII Rebirth, and More!

By now, you're probably hours deep into the recently dropped Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo. If it's quite the appetiser and you want to up your order to the full meal, I can direct you to the cheapest option available. Beyond that, there's my usual eclectic mix of must-owns and a butt[stallion] load of Borderlands bundles at bargain prices. In retro news, it's been 22 years since we turned and burned in Ace Combat: Distant Thunder, the phenomenal fourth entry in the series that remained the highest-selling entry until Ace Combat 7 (2021) finally dethroned it. It's also been 24 years since some of us imported a game whose name drew many a chortle—Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring. Come for the name and inclusion of FFVII characters; stay...

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Homeworld 3 Delayed One More Time Before Release

Homeworld 3 is being delayed to May in order to make the "final tweaks" to the overall experience, Gearbox and Blackbird Interactive announced in a joint statement today. It will be pushed from its original March release date to May 13, with early access set to begin on May 10. The full statement posted to X/Twitter can be found below. Homeworld 3 is the long-awaited sequel to the beloved real-time strategy game first released in 1999. It will retain the fleet-based combat of the original while adding new features like a roguelite-style co-op mode. It is being developed by Blackbird Interactive, which like other studios across the industry recently experienced layoffs and project cancellations, and has been repeatedly delayed...

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Disney Buys $1.5 Billion Stake in Epic Games to Create 'Expansive' Universe Within Fortnite

Disney has purchased a $1.5 billion stake in Epic Games and teamed up with the company to develop a new expansive, open, persistent, and social universe that will "interoperate" with Fortnite and let fans "play, watch, shop, and engage" with their favorite characters and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, and more. The news was revealed during Disney's Q1 FY24 Earnings Call and it was announced that this new experience built in Unreal Engine will let players "create their own stories and experiences, express their fandom in a distinctly Disney way, and share content with each other in ways that they love." “Our exciting new relationship with Epic Games will bring together Disney’s beloved brands and franchises...

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Killer Instinct Will Finally Run a Ranked Crossplay Test This Weekend

Microsoft announced that it will run a ranked crossplay test for Killer Instinct on PC and Xbox later this week. This is one of the many new features that comes with the Killer Instinct: Anniversary Edition. The crossplay test will start on February 9 at noon PST and end on February 12 at 8AM PST. However, there are a few aspects to consider. Ranked leaderboards between Xbox and Windows on PC versions will be separate from the Steam ones. The developer said that it is a necessary compromise to allow ranked crossplay between those platforms. During the playtest period, the option to block cross-network play will be bypassed only in Ranked Crossplay. PC players on both Windows and Steam also require players to pass a performance test...

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The Best Games From Steam Next Fest 2024

For years, Steam Next Fest has been kind of like E3 for PC games... only it's virtual, so you don't get a migraine from all the noise and your lunch doesn't have to be the overpriced and underheated pizza from the cafeteria. And instead of waiting in lines all day and getting to play maybe a half dozen games, anybody is welcome to download as many free demos and sample everything to their hearts' content. We've played a smorgasbord of this Next Fest's offerings and with literally hundreds of demos available, we wish this article was big enough to give props to everything we loved. But here are five games that you need to keep your eyes on in 2024. PACIFIC DRIVE In the 1940s Pacific Northwest, the United States government...

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One of the Best Power Banks for Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally Is on Sale Today

Today, Amazon is offering the powerful and high capacity Anker Prime 20,000mAh USB Power Bank for only $89.98, a hefty 31% price drop from its original $130 MSRP. This is the successor to the Anker 737 that we deemed our favorite Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally charger. It boasts an absolutely massive 200W of USB power delivery to charge all of your mobile devices simultaneously. Anker Prime 20,000mAh Power Bank for $90 with 200W of USB Type-C Power Delivery The Anker Prime can be used like any other power bank; it does a fine job of charging any of your standard mobile electronics. However, its main purpose is to charge more power hungry devices like laptops, portable gaming systems, and high end phones. It has two USB Type-C ports...

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Final Fantasy Veterans Announce New JRPG, Lost Hellden

A group of JRPG veterans at Artisan Studios, with contributions from Takeshi Oga (Gravity Rush, FFXIV, Siren), who will handle illustrations, and Hitoshi Sakimoto (FFXII, Valkyria Chronicles, Tactics Ogre), who will manage music and audio direction, have announced Lost Hellden, a new JRPG for PC and consoles that's due out in 2025. The developers describe the world of Lost Hellden as such: "Welcome to Era. Where every life comes with a price. Every Eran is bound to one of the Seven Sins before their first birthday. All their lives, people fight against their urges. A place in the Sacred Land of Hellden is promised to their immortal souls if they succeed. But if they fail and succumb to their sin. A fate worse than death awaits...

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Microsoft Picks Up Hauntii for Xbox Game Pass

Microsoft has picked up spooky indie adventure game Hauntii as a day-one Xbox Game Pass title. Publisher Firestoke and developer Moonloop Games announced Hauntii is coming to Game Pass though didn't offer any details as to when that might happen, as the game only has a second quarter of 2024 release window on Steam and its marketing otherwise lists a vague 2024. "Hauntii is a beguiling adventure built around a creative haunting mechanic that lets you possess the environment and the creatures that inhabit it," its official synopsis reads. "Once you’ve taken control, you can take on enemies using the special abilities of Hauntii’s denizens and come up with ingenious solutions to overcome the many challenges littered across the game’s...

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Here's How to Get Persona 3: Reload for Just £43 in the UK

Persona 3: Reload is now available, and if you're looking to get the game ASAP, this is the best deal available right now in the UK. Last month we had the JANPAY15 and JANPAY20 sales, which gave us some unbelievable savings, and now we've been given a brand new code that comes with another stellar selection of discounts. As ever, The Game Collection is a seller that's included in this deal, and you can save on a number of the games on their store. One of our top picks for this LOVE10 sale is Persona 3 Reload for just £43.15, down from £59.99. You can grab this deal on either PlayStation or Xbox, so nobody has to miss out. It's also on Xbox Game Pass if you already subscribe! It's the PS4 copy in the current best deal, but it's also...

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The Sims-like Life Simulator Paralives Gets a 2025 Release Window

Paralives, the indie life simulator that's taking plenty of cues from The Sims franchise, just got a development update video revealing that the game is planned for an early access release in 2025 on PC and Mac. The video highlights a number of newly-announced features, showing off jobs and careers, relationships, the game's personality system, and how needs and wants impact playable characters, called Parafolks. We also learned that Paralives will have free expansions, but will not have paid DLC - something that has been an ongoing criticism of The Sims franchise. We first got wind of Paralives way, way back at E3 2021, where it was one of the stand-out indies of the show for us. The gameplay will look familiar to fans of other doll...

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EA Sports' Madden NFL 24 Officially Predicts Super Bowl 58 Winner

EA Sports has made its annual Super Bowl prediction after simulating the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers game in Madden NFL 24. The simulation predicted an incredibly close game but put the Chiefs on top in a 30 to 28 victory. This would make the Chiefs the eighth team in history to win back-to-back Super Bowls, and only the ninth instance of it in NFL history. EA Sports also predicted Chiefs quarterback Partrick Mahomes will become the third player in history to win back-to-back Super Bowl Most Valuable Player awards. 49ers fans perhaps shouldn't worry too much about the prediction, however, as Madden NFL hasn't always been accurate in its simulations. The last 10 years have seen it proved wrong 70% of the time, though...

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Season 2 Patch Notes Out Now

Activision has released patch notes for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Season 2, which goes live today, February 7 at 9am Pacific / 12noon Eastern / 5pm UK. Multiplayer has a number of new additions, including maps, modes, weapons, and aftermarket parts. There’s a new perk (Ninja Vest), operators, and events. Check IGN's report on everything coming to Modern Warfare 3 with Season 2 for more. But fans will be particularly interested in the sweeping balance changes Season 2 brings with it. In a blog post, Activision highlighted changes to ADS (aim down sights) idle sway and hipfire crosshair sway, which it said were prompted by player feedback and internal review, and are designed to improve the precision and responsiveness of aiming...

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Palworld Players Are Using a ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Strat to Effortlessly Kill Bosses

Palworld players have come up with an ingenious way of defeating the game’s toughest bosses, and it involves building an actual in-game ‘stairway to heaven’. As reported by GamesRadar, the video posted to Twitter / X shows how one player created a huge stairway and led a level 50 Jetragon to the top. From there, it’s a simple case of jumping off, gliding to the bottom, and destroying the lower portion of the stairway. Without this foundation, the structure comes crashing down with the Jetragon, presumably so bemused it forgot it can fly, falling to its death. The power of gravity! This strat is so simple you imagine it’s not long for this world. Palworld developer Pocketpair has yet to indicate its readiness to take action, but we...

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Ex-Call of Duty Dev Reveals How Activision Tried to Convince Infinity Ward Staff to Stick Around After Firing the Studio's Founders

It has gone down as one of the most tumultuous days in video game development history, but even now, nearly 14 years later, we’re still getting insight into the day Activision fired the founders of Infinity Ward. In March 2010, Infinity Ward co-founders Vince Zampella and Jason West were escorted out of the studio by security after being fired for breach of contract and insubordination. The shocking news came just a handful of months after Activision had released blockbuster hit first-person shooter Modern Warfare 2, developed by Infinity Ward and launched to $1 billion in sales. What happened next is well-documented: West and Zampella sued the Bobby Kotick-led publisher Activision for $36 million. Activision counter-sued, accusing...

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Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Villain Seemingly Leaks Upcoming Playable Character

Spoiler Warning: The following article features the identity of Suicide Squad's main villain. A villain in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has seemingly leaked one of the upcoming playable characters coming from developer Rocksteady Games. As reported by PC Gamer, main antagonist Brainiac appears to have spoiled one of the four upcoming playable characters releasing throughout Suicide Squad's first year. And we don't mean the voice actor behind Brainiac, but Braniac himself, in the actual game. Reddit user ZeronintyPlays posted a gameplay clip showing their Harley Quinn taking down an enemy, only to be called the wrong name by Brainiac. "I didn't expect you to be the weak link in this chain, Freeze," the baddie said. This...

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Tekken 8 Boss Addresses Online Cheating, First Balance Patch Released

Tekken 8 boss Katsuhiro Harada has addressed cheating in ranked play that players believe is affecting online leaderboards. In a tweet, Harada said Bandai Namco had launched an investigation into the match data of the top ranked players on the leaderboard who have been reported for cheating in online matches, including in ranked. Harada added that anyone found to have cheated their way to the top of the leaderboard will be issued with an in-game warning, and during upcoming maintenance their data will be reset and their account suspended. “We will update you on the status of this matter as soon as we have more information,” Harada said. Cheating has become an early days concern for legitimate players of Tekken 8, which launched on...

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Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Free Trial to Launch Alongside Season 2

Activision has announced a Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 free trial that launches a day after Season 2. Season 2, which kicks off later today, February 7, is the first big update of 2024 to the first person shooter, and adds a number of new maps, a new battle pass, and of course new cosmetics. The free trial runs from February 8 to 12 and grants access to the new Season 2 map Stash House as well as eight other multiplayer maps across Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, Domination, and Team Gun Game. It also grants full access to Modern Warfare Zombies. Season 2 itself adds a good deal to Modern Warfare 3 Multiplayer. Four new core 6v6 maps arrive across Season 2, including three brand new 6v6 maps and a remaster of Das...

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Soulslikes Crossover in Lies of P’s Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty DLC

Lies of P publisher Neowiz has announced DLC based on Team Ninja’s fellow action role-playing game Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. In a crossover of recent popular Soulslikes, Lies of P's free Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty DLC adds new weapons and armour for all players on February 14. The weapon is the Azure Dragon Crescent Glaive and the armour is the Armor of the Honorable and Bandana of the Honorable costume. The Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Complete Edition, out now, features a collection of collaboration DLC, including two featured weapons from Lies of P that were introduced in September 2023. Last year, Neowiz teased Lies of P’s first DLC and confirmed plans to release a sequel. Lies of P sold one million copies in less than a month after...

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Palworld Steam Patch v0.1.4.1 Makes Even More Welcome Fixes

Palworld developer Pocketpair has released another patch for the all-conquering ‘Pokémon with guns’ survival game, this time bringing the Steam version up to v0.1.4.1. The patch for the Steam version of the game, out now, makes a number of major fixes, improves some base-related issues, and further tackles cheating and exploits. Of note, the patch fixes an issue from the previous update that affected save data, which remained in a broken state. Now, save data should load properly. Elsewhere, there’s a fix for an issue that caused some weapons equipped by other players to disappear when a player used a grenade in multiplayer, and there’s a fix for an issue that caused capture probability to not increase despite the game suggesting it...

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