Gaming News

BlizzCon 2023 to Be Held in Person for the First Time in Four Years

Blizzard's once-annual convention, BlizzCon, is returning to the Anaheim Convention Center for the first time in four years this November, the company announced today. BlizzCon will take place November 3 and 4, with ticketing information and other details to come. Hotel blocks for the convention are currently available. As in past years, BlizzCon will include at least some digital elements, with past shows incorporating livestreamed panels and in-game rewards across various Blizzard properties. BlizzCon has been in a bit of a limbo since the event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down all major in-person gaming events. It returned briefly in February in 2021 as a fully digital showcase, but again went on...

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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Became April's Best Selling Game in Only 2 Days

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was the best selling game of April 2023 despite only being available for two days before sales for the month stopped being recorded. According to the latest figures from Circana (formerly NPD), EA's long-awaited sequel to 2019's Jedi: Fallen Order overcame Dead Island 2, PGA Tour, Minecraft Legends, and all other new releases to take the top spot and instantly become the 4th best selling game of 2023 so far. Dead Island 2 came in second, followed by MLB: The Show 23, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Hogwarts Legacy, PGA Tour, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, FIFA 23, and Mario Kart 8 in tenth. On the console front, the Nintendo Switch was the best selling console in terms of...

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Call of Duty Devs Respond to Backlash Over Modern Warfare 2's Santa Sena Border Crossing Map

Modern Warfare 2’s border crossing map Santa Sena has caused a lot of frustration for fans and developer Infinity Ward has finally responded to the feedback. Speaking to Dexerto, multiplayer design director Geoff Smith explained that Infinity Ward didn't necessarily aim to create a perfectly balanced map with Santa Sena, but instead just wanted something fun. “Map-wise, we try to have a balance between experiential maps and the more competitive maps,” he said. “Not all of them are super sweaty, balanced ones. There’s ones where ‘hey, it’d be really cool to fight over a border crossing.’” The map was criticised due to its narrow layout but also because of the bumper-to-bumper traffic. All of the cars are also destructible, meaning...

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Save $100 on a PS5 Console, Up to $420 off Some EA Mega Bundles, and More Aussie Deals!

Super busy morning this moring, so let's skip the woffle and get right to the discounts worth hunting down. The ones to watch include a rare price on PS5 consoles, and some truly fantastic Steam deals on EA Games. More specifically, you can get Mega Packs for mega savings. You love to see it. Table of Contents Nintendo Switch PC Xbox PlayStation Notable Sales for Nintendo Switch Expiring recent deals Back to top Purchase Cheaply for PC Expiring recent deals Back to top Exciting Offers for XO/XS Expiring recent deals Back to top Product Savings for PS4/PS5 Expiring recent deals Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube. He tweets, too. Continue reading...

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Overwatch 2 PvE Hero Mode Canceled: 'A Difficult Choice'

Blizzard has officially scrapped Overwatch 2's long-awaited PvE Hero mode, but the game's creative leads are assuring fans that PvE is still a focus for the game moving forward. On a Twitch stream detailing Overwatch 2's content roadmap, executive producer Jared Neuss explained the decision to cut the PvE content. "Development on the PvE experience has not really hasn't made the progress that we have hoped," Neuss said. "The team has created a bunch of amazing content so there's awesome missions that are really exciting. There's brand new enemies that are super fun to fight and some truly great and ridiculous hero talents. But unfortunately, the effort required to pull all of that together into a Blizzard-quality experience that we...

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Ubisoft's Looks to Assassin's Creed for Future Salvation Amid "Challenging" Year

Following a "challenging" year of losses and few releases, Ubisoft is preparing to pump resources into the Assassin's Creed franchise to secure its future. It will include a restructure that will increase headcount on Assassin's Creed title development by 40% in the coming years, following a rash of layoffs that reduced the company's global headcount below 20,000. In its full year earnings today, Ubisoft reported that in a fiscal year in which its only major releases were Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Just Dance 2023, and Rocksmith+, its net sales were €1.81 billion ($1.97 billion) down 14.6% from last year, and it overall reported an operating loss of €500 million ($543 million). While Ubisoft has previously stated that Sparks of...

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Station to Station, a Beautiful Voxel-Art Railroad-Building Sim, Announced for PC

Station to Station, a new voxel-art railroad-building simulator, has been announced for release later this year on PC by developer Galaxy Grove and publisher Prismatika. The gorgeous visuals combine with the camera angle to give Station to Station a miniature look, like you're building everything you see with small props. Gameplay-wise, you'll place stations and connect new areas through various biomes. Check out the first trailer above and the first screenshots in the gallery below. The developers note, "For players seeking to test their management and planning skills, different levels offer optional challenges, stack bonuses, and unique mechanics tied to every biome." They also promise "optional strategic gameplay" on top of the...

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VR Skater Preview: Skate Like a Pro on PSVR2 Without the Pain of Falling

As someone who has spent over ⅔ of his life riding a skateboard, I’ll be the first to say that skating is not an easy skill. Between falling, destroying your shoes on grip tape, and spending weeks trying to land that first kickflip, it's as grueling and time-consuming as it is rewarding and fun. VR Skater is no different in that regard. While it’s obvious that a VR skateboard will never replace the real thing, I was still skeptical about how “real” it would feel coasting over digital concrete while having a bulky PSVR2 headset strapped to my face. But after landing that first kickflip over a set of tires, all my doubts were gone, and I found myself looking forward to mastering my next trick. If I had to sum up VR Skater in one word...

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The Art of System Shock Explores the Development of the Game Remake

It's safe to say Night Dive Studios' remake of System Shock is one of the most hotly anticipated releases of 2023, and that release is just around the corner. But System Shock fans have another project to look forward to in early 2024 - a hardcover art book called The Art of System Shock. A collaboration between Dark Horse Books and Night Dive, The Art of System Shock aims to peel back the curtain of development on the remake. Expect plenty of developer commentary and behind-the-scenes anecdotes, along with a wealth of concept art detailing the Citadel space station, the games' varied enemies and props and more. Here's a look at the official cover art for The Art of System Shock: The Art of System Shock is a 192-page hardcover...

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Stray Could Be Coming to Xbox Following ESRB Rating

BlueTwelve Studio’s cat-based adventure game Stray has received an ESRB rating for Xbox consoles, suggesting its time as a PlayStation console exclusive could be coming to an end. As spotted by VGC, the new listing on the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website rates Stray for the Xbox One and Xbox Series, unsurprisingly at the same E10+ rating as the PlayStation and PC versions. No official announcement has been made by publisher Annapurna Interactive or Microsoft, however, though the ESRB rating an Xbox version certainly suggests it exists. A reveal could come during the June 11 Xbox Games Showcase though, or during the wider Summer Game Fest event for which Annapurna is listed as an official partner. “This is an...

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The Witcher Spinoff Studio Hit With Layoffs Due to Game's Restructuring

After restarting development on the upcoming Witcher multiplayer spinoff game, developer The Molasses Flood has been hit with layoffs. "Because [Project Sirius] changed, so has the composition of the team that's working on it–mainly on The Molasses Flood's side," a CD Projekt Red spokesperson said in a statement provided to Kotaku. "The concrete number of employees we parted ways with is 21 team members in the US and eight in Poland (working on the project outside of the US)." Last week, CD Projekt Red announced that Project Sirius had a "new framework" after restarting development. Before that, there were concerns that CD Projekt Red had canceled the project outright after the company filed something to write off assets, but the...

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Layers of Fear Release Date Officially Revealed

Bloober Team and Anshar Studio have announced that Layers of Fear will launch on June 15 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Additionally, there is a demo on Steam that will be available until May 22. “We are thrilled to announce the release date for Layers of Fear and to bring this definitive horror experience to players on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC, on June 15,” Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno said in a press release. He continued: “With the power of Unreal Engine 5, we’ve been able to create a game that visually surpasses our previous works, delivering an unforgettable journey into the minds of tormented artists. We are excited for both new and returning players to jump in.” Layers of Fear was first teased in...

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Humanity Review

After about 20 hours of guiding hundreds of thousands of these weird little dudes through more imaginative puzzles than I can count, I’m left with childlike joy and at least a little bit more confidence in my problem-solving skills than I had when I started playing Humanity. Each of its maps is simple enough to be solved in about 10 to 20 minutes, yet they never stop toying with elements of platformers, dipping into real-time strategy, stealth-action, and even arcade shooting at times. Its puzzling possibilities are as limitless as its endless swarms of human minions, and thanks to its extensive yet effortlessly simple Stage Creator, it verges on Little Big Planet levels of open-endedness that will inevitably keep me coming back for...

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Interview: Amazon Games' CEO on How the Reborn Lord of the Rings MMO Will Learn from New World

The last four years have been a long road for Christoph Hartmann. Since becoming Amazon Games CEO in late 2018, he has been witness to cancellations, layoffs, and rumors of internal clashes. In late 2021, the publisher was forced to cancel its Lord of the Rings MMO due to rights issues with Tencent. Fast-forward to 2023, and Amazon Games mostly seems to be on the upswing. Lost Ark enjoyed a successful launch in 2022, a new Tomb Raider game is in development, and Amazon Games has struck publishing deals with numerous developers based primarily in Asia. Even Lord of the Rings is back from the dead, with Amazon announcing today that it has struck a deal with Embracer Group to fully reboot the nascent MMO in what Hartmann claims is the...

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Diablo 4: How Blizzard Created the Best and Worst Mom With Lilith

Lilith, the daughter of hatred, takes center stage in Diablo 4. As mentioned in Diablo 3 through scattered documents found around the High Heavens, she has returned to Sanctuary to establish herself as the mother of all creation. Players were given a glimpse into her overwhelming presence in Sanctuary through the Diablo 4 open beta period and stress test, with several cutscenes illustrating how her presence has affected the world at large. And how Diablo at large. Sean Copeland, Senior Manager of Lore at Blizzard, took the opportunity to sit down with us at IGN to elaborate on what makes Lilith such a compelling antagonist for Diablo 4, and what her reappearance in Sanctuary means for the world of Diablo. “Metaphorically, Lilith...

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Fear Fest Returns This September With First Ever Horror Games Awards

Fear Fest is returning this September to showcase a ton of upcoming horror games and premiere the first ever Horror Games Awards. Feardemic's two-day event will begin on September 6 and be available to watch live exclusively on IGN's YouTube and Twitch channels starting at 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern / 7pm UK. The coverage kicks off with Black Summer 2023: a spooky three-hour showcase of 2023 and 2024's most anticipated horror games with world premiere trailers, developer interviews, special guest appearances, and content creator reactions. The Horror Game Awards will take place on September 7 at the same time and will celebrate the best horror games of the last year and the developers who made them. The event will be broadcast live...

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10 Best Games with Weapon Durability

Weapon durability. It’s, somewhat ironically, a well-worn point of conversation by now. I’m not here to debate the merits of it though, but instead, to celebrate the best implementations of it. From magical worlds to ones much closer to home. From oceans full of life to lands that belong to the dead. Here are some of the best games (not ranked in any particular order) that are home to weapons with a limited lifespan and why they work so well. 10. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Encouraging Experimentation One of the great things about weapon degradation is that it requires you to evolve as you play the game. There’s no one reliable way to keep attacking so you have to stay nimble and, in the best cases, actually get you to...

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Fortnite Ranked Play Is Finally Coming to Battle Royale and Zero Build in Upcoming V24.40 Patch

Fortnite Ranked Play is finally arriving in Battle Royale and Zero Build modes in the upcoming V24.30 patch, which looks to be set to arrive on May 16, 2023. The Fortnite Team shared the details of Fortnite Ranked in a blog, confirming that players will be competing against others across the globe to reach Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Elite, Champion, and Unreal ranks. Bronze through Diamond will have three ranks, and Elite, Champion, and Unreal will only have one. Fortnite Ranked's first season will be Ranked Season Zero, and it will last until the end of Battle Royale Chapter 4 Season 3. When Ranked Season Zero begins, players will be ranked "based on your past match performance, as well as your performance in your...

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70% Booted off FIFA 23, a 69 Buck Diablo IV, Gotham Knights Under $40, and More Aussie Deals!

Welcome back from what has doubtless been an extended vacation in Hyrule. Sadly, it's nothing but work and/or school time for you now. At best, you're downgraded to playing it on a bus, possibly as you smile out the window at weather changes. If you can tear your self away from that Kingdom for a second, I have some mad bargains for you. Some of them are Switch-centric peripherals that will improve your experience, too. This Day in Gaming - Wario Land II (GBC) launch, 1998. - Shinobi (PS2) launch, 2002. - MGS: Portable Ops (PSP) launch, 2007. - Terraria (PS3) launch, 2013. Table of Contents Nintendo Switch PC Xbox PlayStation Notable Sales for Nintendo Switch Expiring recent deals Back to top Purchase Cheaply for PC...

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The Most Popular iPhone Games to Play Right Now (May 2023)

When you have the latest and greatest iPhone, then that means you can play just about any mobile game with ease—thanks to the smartphone’s sheer power and buttery smoothness. In fact, even if your iPhone is a few years old, you’ll still get a great experience gaming on-the-go. And while there are millions of them on the Apple App Store and Apple Arcade, there’s a very useful list of the most popular games—divided by the most popular free games and paid games available for the iPhone in May 2023 (most of these titles are available as iPad games as well). Jump to: Most Popular Free iPhone Games Most Popular Paid iPhone Games From simple match-three games to powerful MMORPGs, we rounded up the top 10 from the top free and top paid...

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The 14 Best Free-to-Play Games on Nintendo Switch Right Now

Playing video games is an expensive hobby. Whether you’re purchasing a brand-new console or buying the latest releases, keeping your digital library padded with the latest games can be costly. Luckily, that’s beginning to change. More and more publishers have started embracing the free-to-play model in recent years, allowing players to leap into some good Nintendo Switch games without paying a cent. We’ve dug through some of the best free-to-play titles available on Nintendo Switch and compiled a list so you can enjoy some great games without putting too much stress on your wallet. From battle royales and fighting games to management sims and platformers, let’s run through fourteen of the best free-to-play titles available on the...

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From Tears of the Kingdom to Grand Theft Auto: How Open Worlds Set Us Free

Since their inception, video games have acted as portals to other worlds. Unlike books and films, they allow us to not just be immersed in another land but to truly explore one. It’s that core fantasy that has seen the concept of the open world flourish; what better way is there to create a sense of discovering a new world than to build one with as much depth and as few borders as possible? That goal has seen the open world advance from a form of environment design to a whole diverse genre in its own right. Where linear game design delivers slices of another reality, the open world aims to simulate on a grander level. It combines geography, architecture, populations, and events to create a living city, region, or kingdom. The thing...

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Open Roads Team Splits From Fullbright After 'Toxic' Workplace Allegations

The Open Roads Team is no longer a part of Fullbright after splitting with the company. According to Fullbright co-founder Steve Gaynor , the team — now known as The Open Roads Team — will continue to work with Annapurna Interactive, but is no longer connected to its former studio. “After a great deal of consideration, it's just no longer Fullbright's place to represent Open Roads publicly going forward,” he confirmed. “It will be credited to The Open Roads Team at launch." It’s been almost two years since Gaynor stepped down as creative lead on Open Roads following accusations of creating a “toxic work culture”. “I stepped away from the project,” he reflected. “Not much was shared about what we were working on. I did my best to...

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Square Enix Considering Creating New Studios and Acquiring Existing Ones

Between the releases of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, Forspoken, and Octopath Traveler II, it's been another busy year for Square Enix. Still, though, the company hopes to expand, and this might include forming or acquiring new studios. Today, Square Enix revealed that it is thinking about creating new studios and acquiring existing studios as part of its plan to grow its in-house development resources. According to slides from the company's full earnings report released today, Square Enix plans to "consider M&A, creating new studios, and taking minority stakes" to bring in more external development resources." In addition, it plans to hire more engineers and developers "to develop not only HD and smart device games but...

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Google's Open Source AI Tool Is a Major Step Forward for Accessibility in Gaming

Google has released a new AI tool that allows users to control mouse input using only their face and head movements. Project Gameface is an open-source hands-free gaming mouse. The tool can mimic cursor movements by using a webcam and machine learning to move the cursor based on the user's facial and head movements. Google brought the tech to power the tool to life using MediaPipe to develop a tool that can detect 468 points on the user's face. And the tool's UI allows players to assign different actions and shortcuts for each facial expression. For example, you could assign the mouse to right-click when you open your mouth. The release of Project Gameface is a significant step forward toward accessibility in gaming. While...

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Hogwarts Legacy's Nintendo Switch Release Delayed

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy has achieved good results on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but fans will have to wait a little longer to see if the Switch version can offer the same results. Originally set to release in July, Avalanche Software announced on Twitter today that Hogwarts Legacy is being delayed until November for further optimizmation. "We know fans are looking forward to playing on Switch, therefore creating the best possible experience is our top priority. Thank you for your patience," the team wrote on Hogwarts Legacy's feed. Avalanche has a big job ahead of them. While Hogwarts Legacy has managed to achieve stability on older consoles, the Switch is less powerful than even the base PlayStation 4. Marvel's Midnight...

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Destiny 2: Where Is Xur Today? Location and Exotic Items for May 12-16

Space Davy Jones, 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 Located Today? Xûr's location can be found at...

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Amnesia: The Bunker Delayed Two Weeks

Frictional Games announced that it has delayed Amnesia: The Bunker to June 6. The decision to postpone the game was to fix issues regarding rare crashes that were difficult to identify and replicate. In a two-minute video from creative lead Fredrik Olsson, he explained that the game is currently undergoing a certification process and there needed to be more time to fix the crashes before releasing. “The alternative, of course, I guess would have been to ask the team to work weekends or nights but that’s simply not something we do here at Frictional,” Olsson said. He assured audiences that the game is coming along nicely in terms of the gameplay, art, animation, and atmosphere and that the development team is ready to ship the game...

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Witcher Spin-Off Project Sirius Has a 'New Framework' Following Development Restart

CD Projekt Red's Witcher spin-off game Project Sirius now has a "new framework" after development was reset earlier this year. As reported by Eurogamer, CD Projekt Red revealed in an announcement to investors that the development of Sirius is seemingly back on track after the studio decided to restart its development. CD Projekt Red "hereby announces the conclusion of work on defining a new framework for Project Sirius," it said. Being developed by CD Projekt Red-owned studio The Molasses Flood, Sirius is promised to be a multiplayer Witcher game built to appeal to audiences outside of just RPG fans. Concerns were raised when CD Projekt Red filed an impairment charge in March, something filed by a company to write off assets that...

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IGN UK Podcast 696: Let's Make a Zelda Game

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is here, but Cardy, Matt, and Emma haven't had a chance to play it yet so you'll have to wait until next week to hear all about it. In the meantime, the opportunity is taken to design our own (weird) dream Zeldas made up of bits and bobs from other games. Before that, get on board for some quick Honkai: Star Rail thoughts. Has a game ever gotten better after you've finished its main story? Give us your co-op game suggestions and drop us an email: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com. IGN UK Podcast 696: Let's Make a Zelda Game IGN UK Podcast 695: Redfall From Grace IGN UK Podcast 694: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is Everything We Wanted Fallen Order to Be IGN UK Podcast 693: Ranking the Best Orlando Theme...

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