343 has announced a big update for Halo: Master Chief Collection, due out Wednesday July 12.
The core update, the first for MCC in over six months, adds a significant amount of new content for the shooter, welcome quality-of-life tweaks as well as modding improvements.
The highlight here is Firefight, which gets a number of important improvements. First up is the addition of a seamless drop-in-drop-out Firefight experience. This means players can now join-in-progress, as well as use the match rejoin feature in Firefight matchmade games. “Firefight matches tend to last longer than multiplayer matches," 343 software engineer Dana Jerpbak said in a post on Halo Waypoint, "and now if you experience a connection hiccup during the match...
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Dave the Diver sold an impressive 1 million copies just 10 days after launch.
Mintrocket’s debut game launched on Steam on June 28 and quickly shot up the most-played games chart. Its peak concurrent player record is currently 98,000, with 66,000 concurrent viewers achieved on Twitch.
Dave the Diver is a 2.5D pixel art game in which you explore the deep sea during the day and run a sushi restaurant at night. IGN’s Dave the Diver review returned a 9/10: “Dave The Diver is an aquatic adventure RPG that’s wholesome, wonderfully complex, and delightfully hard to put down.”
“I appreciate the community so much for being active and providing crucial feedback,” said Game Director Jaeho Hwang. “We improved a lot of systems and found bugs...
The boss of Blizzard has insisted Diablo 4 will not launch on Game Pass amid rumours the action role-playing game is set to hit Microsoft’s subscription service.
Responding to a tweet that mentioned Diablo 4’s availability in Xbox Game Pass on a Brazilian payments app, Blizzard president Mike Ybarra said: “This is not happening.”
That’s a definitive-sounding statement, but it hasn’t stopped some fans from wondering whether Diablo 4 will eventually come to Game Pass if Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion buyout of Activision Blizzard goes through.
The entertainment world awaits a verdict in the FTC trial some experts say will determine the fate of the deal. An announcement could now be imminent, with all eyes on the San Francisco judge...
As Diablo 4 nears the launch of Season 1, players are working through the endgame, hitting the level cap and completing some of the game’s toughest challenges. But for some, that is not enough. For some, the ultimate challenge is hitting enemies for billions of points of damage just five weeks after launch.
Last week, Diablo 4 streamer Moxsy hit the highest damage ever in-game: 957,957,504.
But it didn’t take long for Moxsy to break through the billion barrier with an incredible 1.8 billion hit.
Since then, a Diablo 4 YouTuber called Echohack posted a screenshot showing a 2.1 billion hit.
These astronomical damage numbers are beyond what the vast majority of Diablo 4 characters are currently capable of, and make the game’s...
Spy shooter No One Lives Forever was critically-acclaimed when it released back in 2000, earning multiple awards nods and a sequel. We called it one of the best shooters of the year in our original review. If you want to play it in 2023, though, you'll have to turn to one of the handful of digital archives available on the internet, because neither No One Lives Forever nor its sequel are commercially available on Steam nor anyone else.
No One Lives Forever is one example of a market where just 13 percent of games made before 2010 are commercially available, a new study conducted by the Video Game History Foundation revealed. For every remastered update of Metroid Prime, thousands of games are difficult or even possible to obtain...
Warning: The below story contains spoilers for The Boys Season 3.
The Boys’ Black Noir has returned from the dead – kind of – to reveal the details of the previously teased collaboration between the Prime Video superhero series and Call of Duty.
Black Noir confirmed (in his trademark silent fashion) that he’ll be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 along with Starlight (Erin Moriarty) and Homelander (Anthony Starr) with a press conference video posted by Vought International, the fictional corporation that oversees the superheroes within The Seven.
Of course, those who watch The Boys know that Black Noir died at the end of Season 3, which today’s video has an answer for. It says at the beginning in a text card that “the following press...
Paul Eiding, the voice actor behind Colonel Campbell in the Metal Gear Solid series, has spoken out about the use of his voice for AI projects without his permission.
Eiding tweeted yesterday urging content creators not to use his voice of Colonel Campbell and other characters from Transformers, Fallout, and other work involving him in an illegal manner.
“If you do not have written permission to use my voice, you DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION to use my voice,
including AI use,” he wrote. “Doing so is a violation of my legal rights and a real slap in the face.”
Eiding’s anger over the AI use of his voice comes on the heels of Erica Lindbeck, who voices Futaba Sakura in Persona 5, Hrist in God of War Ragnarok, and Blaze the Cat in the Sonic...
It's official: Sega of America has unionized. More than 200 workers working out of the company's offices in Irvine and Burbank voted today to unionize under the Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega banner, which is represented by the Communications Workers of America.
The election took place on July 10, with 91 voting "yes" and 26 voting "no." There were also 19 challenged ballots and three void ballots. It encompassed workers in departments including Brand Marketing, Games as a Service, Localization, Marketing, Product Development Ops, Sales, Quality Assurance, and others.
Sega of America workers announced the union back in April, with demands including higher base pay, improved benefits, and clear opportunities for career...
100 Thieves announced their new Fortnite game mode called “Bank Heist” coming to the community creator list July 11th at 11 AM PDT. Bank Heist will be available by searching the community pages or by using their island code that goes public tomorrow. I got a half hour of game time in so here’s what to expect going into Bank Heist.
Bank Heist is a 3v3 team-based game. You can queue in with a group of 6 if you want to face off against your friends and your teammates will be randomized when you enter the game mode. One team of three are the Defenders, and the other team are the Attackers.
There are four set classes you can pick: Muscle, Tank, Grenadier, and Sniper. Each has specific guns tied to their classes with the Tank having a...
There’s a beautiful scene in the second half of Venba where Venba, a mother with an adult son, spends all day joyfully cooking a veritable feast of different foods. The scene is wonderfully executed in so many ways - the context, the timing of the cooking and the music, and the way Venba’s confidence in the kitchen comes across through gameplay. But what had me in tears well before the actual emotional turning point of the scene was how clearly the developers managed to convey food as an expression of relentless love.
When I went to meet my fiance’s family in Georgia for the first time in 2021, I too was loved in this way. I didn’t grow up in a household where cooking happened with any regularity, so it wasn’t until meeting Amma and...
Amazon Prime Day 2023 is go! Welcome to our living list of ridiculously decent discounts, and be sure to bookmark and (freely) sign up for Amazon Prime to ensure you can secure deals quickly. The festivities kicked off at midnight and will now run until end of day Wednesday, July 12th. Let's get you sorted with the best picks on Amazon devices, games, controllers, monitors, wireless headphones, SSDs, and much, much more.
Also, be sure to take advantage of a bunch of free games being offered on Prime Gaming. At the time of writing, that includes: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Prey (2017), Baldur's Gate II Remastered, Shovel Knight: Showdown, and more!
Table of Contents
Consoles and PCs
Switch
PlayStation
Xbox
PC
Headsets
LEGO
Smart...
Recently-announced Xbox game Clockwork Revolution is the “love child” of Arcanum and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines.
That’s according to Clockwork Revolution game director Chad Moore, who worked on both cult-classic role-playing games before joining Microsoft-owned studio inXile Entertainment.
Arcanum is a much-loved 2001 steampunk RPG developed by the defunct Troika Games. Both Moore and Clockwork Revolution principal designer Jason Anderson worked on Arcanum before moving on to Troika’s cult-classic 2004 RPG Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. Now, over 20 years later, the pair are back together making Clockwork Revolution.
“With deep world building, compelling narrative, crunchy RPG systems, engaging gameplay, and massive...
The actor who plays Adam Jensen from Deus Ex has said he has yet to be asked to reprise his role.
Elias Toufexis, who played protagonist Jensen in Eidos Montreal’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, took to Twitter to reply to a question asking if he was working on a new game in the series.
“Yeah, as happy as I am to be busy, I wish I was even more busy on a new Deus Ex. I am not under any NDA for Deus Ex because no one has called me about it. Truly.”
Toufexis’ tweet has saddened fans of the series, which was left unfinished after 2016’s Mankind Divided ended on a cliffhanger.
In November, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier tweeted to say a new Deus Ex was in the works at Eidos Montreal, although still in the "very...
Blizzard has told Diablo 4 players who have reached all their goals that it's fine to take a break from the game ahead of the launch of Season 1, dubbed Season of the Malignant, on July 20.
Diablo 4 launched big early June, becoming Blizzard’s fastest-selling game ever. It has only been out five weeks, but some players have already hit the level 100 with a permadeath Hardcore character, and are now repeatedly target-farming in a bid to obtain loot that increases their power in ever-shrinking increments. There are even reports of players completing Tier 100 Nightmare Dungeons in Hardcore mode, considered one of the hardest challenges currently in-game. As a result, some players have said they are either getting bored with the Diablo 4...
The Xbox team just had an amazing Xbox Showcase that is bringing a lot of brand-new games to the table. We got a look at Clockwork Revolution, South of Midnight, and of course Starfield, but in addition to the brand new IP that will be hitting console and PC sooner rather than later, we’d love for Xbox to go back to the treasure trove and revive some of these classics. Here are a few of the games we’d love to see make a return.
1. Banjo-Kazooie
The wacky bear with a bird in his backpack made waves when the duo last appeared in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. But recently the headlines have been about how former developers like Grant Kirkhope don’t think the Banjo audience would be there if it tried to make a comeback in 2023 or beyond...
Few companies have been able to sustain franchises through gaming's unpredictable market shifts over the last five decades. As the medium moved from arcades to living rooms and tastes transitioned with technologies, only a fraction of a percentage of franchises from gaming’s nascent days has survived.
Below we’ve compiled the franchises that have stood the test of time longer than any others. These are the 11 longest-running* video game franchises of all time.
*To be considered for this list, a franchise must have content currently in development or content released within the last five years. This list captures only franchises that originated as games; long-running licensed franchises such as Spider-Man, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars...
Since Capcom announced Exoprimal in 2022, players have looked forward to the dinosaur action game's focus on online multiplayer, which was later announced to support crossplay. However, Exoprimal only supports cross-platform matchmaking and not cross-platform party creation, meaning players won't be able to invite their friends to parties if they're playing on different platforms.
Today, Capcom clarified the restrictions around crossplay that will come with the game at launch in a Twitter thread.
According to the team's thread, crossplay for party creation will be limited within three platform ecosystems, which the tweet lists as:
Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Steam
Exoprimal's beta had the same...
After five years away from the role, Tom Cruise is back as special agent Ethan Hunt for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. As Paramount gears up to release this seventh movie in its beloved spy-action series, now is the perfect time to watch or rewatch the saga so far.
Scroll down for our quick guide on how you can watch all of the previous Mission Impossible movies online right now in 2023.
Where to Watch the Mission Impossible Movies Online
All six Mission Impossible movies are available on Paramount+. If you don't have that subscription service, each movie can be rented or purchased through Prime Video or YouTube.
Here's our full breakdown of how to watch Mission Impossible online in 2023 with links to where you can...
Kolo Jones is eagerly awaiting the release of Starfield, Bethesda’s newest open world title. As a fan of the sci-fi genre, Jones wants to explore as many planets as possible, engage in ship combat, and unravel the mysteries between each faction. But currently, her anticipation is met with equal feelings of trepidation. For Jones and other disabled players, Starfield’s lack of accessibility information is causing concerns.
Last year, Bethesda unveiled an official gameplay look at Starfield, and during this year’s Summer Game Fest, Xbox hosted an hour-long Starfield Direct with new footage and developer commentary. While we learned about mechanics like combat, space traversal, and even sandwich storage, noticeably missing from each...
Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian has teased some… unusual romance options in the upcoming fantasy role-playing game.
Spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3 ahead.
One character Baldur’s Gate 3 fans have had their eye on throughout the game’s early access period is the Druid Halsin. Halsin is an NPC and potential companion who can be rescued from a prison. But play your cards right, and Halsin can be so much more.
Literally. As a Druid, Halsin can temporarily 'wildshape' into a bear, and he does this during a romance cutscene. Larian showed off the furry encounter during a Panel From Hell livestream. It proved too saucy for TikTok, which pulled the livestream offline an hour before it ended. "TikTok canceled our stream because it was too...
The potpourri creature, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get you 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 The...
2K has unveiled NBA 2K24, due out September 8 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch and PC.
In a first for the series, NBA 2K24 has crossplay across all modes for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is the NBA 2K24 cover star, and appears on the front of the NBA 2K24 Kobe Bryant Edition and Black Mamba Edition boxes. There’s also a 25th Anniversary Edition, which includes a 12-month subscription to NBA League Pass.
NBA 2K24, developed by Visual Concepts, includes the new Mamba Moments mode. This lets you recreate some of Bryant’s most memorable performances while progressing through his career. Meanwhile, ProPLAY is described as a new tech that...
The late basketball legend Kobe Bryant will be the cover star of NBA 2K24's special editions.
Revealed in a tweet from NBA 2K (below), the Kobe Bryant Edition and Black Mamba Edition will be the two more expensive versions of this year's game but their exact contents have not yet been revealed.
2K has also yet to reveal the standard edition cover star but, as per tradition, this will most likely be a current NBA player.
Bryant's appearance on the cover of NBA 2K24 most likely came as a result of his number 24 jersey, which he wore for most of his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. NBA 2K pulled a similar move last year, putting Michael Jordan on the cover of 2K23 in accordance with his number 23 jersey.
Nothing else has...
Blizzard has revealed the Blood Knight, Diablo’s first new class in nearly a decade.
But it’s not coming to the recently-released Diablo 4 - not yet anyway. Blizzard announced the Blood Knight launches in free-to-download mobile game Diablo Immortal on July 13.
The Blood Knight is described as a mid-range class with hybrid attack options that are either melee or ranged depending on your proximity to the target. It’s a “vanquisher of vampires”, feeding on the life of its enemies, entrapping them in shadows, and specializing in the polearm weapon type.
The Blood Knight is the first new Diablo class since the release of the Crusader for Diablo 3 in 2014. Of course, Diablo 4 players are already wondering which new class their game will...
Like the deranged children’s programming provided by the Five Nights at Freddy’s and Chucky series before it, My Friendly Neighborhood takes everyone’s favorite childhood memories and converts them into a gruesome scenario where you’re fighting for your life. The result, at least based on my journey so far, is a highly entertaining pseudo-horror game filled with face-slapping goofball murderers and highly disturbing musical numbers. While it certainly leans much more heavily into silliness than it does horror, I’m quite enjoying the abundantly disturbing adventure so far.
My Friendly Neighborhood answers the hilarious and completely unnecessary question: “What if Resident Evil took place on Sesame Street?”, and that Raccoon City...
Street Fighter 6 sales have increased to two million units in just over a month, Capcom has announced.
Street Fighter 6 got off to a strong start with one million sold over launch weekend. Total sales for the Street Fighter franchise now top 50 million.
Capcom said single-player features such as the World Tour story mode and the new Modern Control type were designed to appeal to a broad range of players, and have contributed to Street Fighter 6’s sales success.
IGN’s Street Fighter 6 review returned a 9/10. We said: “Street Fighter 6 is the most feature-rich a Street Fighter has ever been at launch, but even beyond that, its roster of 18 characters is excellent, the new mechanics revitalize the one-on-one fighting formula, and it...
Cardy, Mat, and Dale have been playing and watching all sorts of bits and bobs this week so thought they'd share what they've been enjoying. Why not listen? You might discover something you've never heard of before. I don't know. I'm running out of ways to talk about the nonsense that gets talked about on this podcast every week.
Want to let us know which games you’re most excited for later this year, or just want to tell us the weirdest thing you've had as a pizza topping? Drop us an email: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.
IGN UK Podcast 704: Wolf Power
IGN UK Podcast 703: The Best of 2023 So Far
IGN UK Podcast 702: The Good and Bad of Final Fantasy 16
IGN UK Podcast 701: Starfield, RoboCop & Friar Tuck
IGN UK Podcast 700: Geoff's Big...
Blizzard has temporarily disabled Diablo 4’s six super rare unique items from the game to address a new issue with Helltide Chest drops.
The July 6 release of update 1.0.4 added unique items to the Helltide Chest loot pool. Helltide Mystery Chests are special chests available from taking part in Helltide events. (For a more detailed look at the Mystery Chest locations check out our Interactive Map. You can filter Mystery Chest Locations at the bottom to clear some of the clutter.)
The change was welcomed by players on the hunt for Diablo 4’s rarest items, such as the six super rare uniques currently in the game. Fans had complained about the miniscule chance to obtain them, with some comparing the drop rate to winning the lottery or...
Yuji Naka, co-creator of the Sonic the Hedgehog series and former boss of Sonic Team at Sega, was given a suspended prison sentence for insider trading following a trial in Japan.
According to IGN Japan, 57-year-old Naka was found guilty of violating Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act for insider trading in connection with the development of a game for publisher Square Enix.
Following a trial held at the Tokyo District Court on July 7, 2023, Judge Madoka Hiruta issued a two-and-a-half year prison sentence, suspended for four years, as well as two fines of ¥2 million ($14,000 approx) and ¥170 million ($1.1 million approx).
Naka was arrested in November for suspected insider trading relating to an investment made while...
If you’re looking to obtain a new gaming PC on Amazon Prime Day this year, then you have two different options available. You can either purchase the components, including a GPU, to make your own gaming PC or you can go prebuilt. Many of the best prebuilt gaming PCs come packing plenty of power to play even the most intensive PC games, but there are also quite a few budget gaming PCs that can still run popular new titles.
Although Prime Day doesn’t always feature the best gaming PC deals of all time, it’s still a great time to find discounts on popular brands like Alienware, Acer, HP, Cyberpower, and Corsair if you know what you’re looking for. Prime Day gaming PC deals will begin on July 11 and run through July 12 with the rest of...