Gaming News

Rumors Swirl Around E3’s Future as Sega, Even More Publishers Back Out

Concern over E3 2023's future is continung to grow, prompting more publishers to drop out behind Nintendo, Xbox, Sony, and Ubisoft. IGN has learned that Sega and Tencent will be skipping E3 2023 amid rumors that the promised triumphant return of gaming’s biggest event may not happen after all. IGN reporters have spoken with numerous individuals in publishing and PR who typically have knowledge of event strategies, all of whom expressed concern about the status of this summer’s event. Many told us that they hadn’t heard of anyone else who was planning to attend for sure, and some said they felt there had been a significant lack of communication from the ESA and organizer ReedPop as to what exactly they should expect from the show...

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Mojang and Wizards of the Coast are Collaborating on Dungeons & Dragons Crossovers

On a Dungeons & Dragons livestream hosted by Wizards of the Coast, the tabletop game maker announced two new collaborations with video game developer Mojang, creator of Minecraft. The first collaboration is a DLC for Minecraft itself (the trailer can be viewed here), which will feature reskins of the Minecraft sandbox, new enemies like Mimics and Beholders to slay in custom D&D landscapes, and much more. Collaborations of this kind are far from new to the world of Minecraft, and past crossovers include Halo and Star Wars, but this trailer showed off more significant overhauls to a sandbox that's become quite familiar to Minecraft players over the past 14 years. Not only were iconic locations from The Forgotten Realms shown off in...

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Multiversus Fans Frustrated by No Refunds as Open Beta Prepares to Go Dark

Player First Games, the developers behind Multiversus, confirmed that players who spent money on the game throughout the open beta will not get a refund. The news comes from the official Multiversus website under the FAQ page. Under the question "Will refunds be available for previously purchased content?," it reads, "This announcement does not change any current refund policies or terms offered by the storefront(s) from which Founder's Packs or Gleamium bundles were purchased. For more information, please visit the customer support pages for PlayStation, Xbox, Steam and Epic Games. Additionally, refunds are not available as a result of the Open Beta closure. However, all progress and previously earned or purchased content will carry...

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Luna Abyss Is a Movement-First Bullet-Hell FPS Set in a Space Prison

The archetypical bullet hell shooter — think Ikaruga or TwinBee — are top-down, two-dimensional aerial battlefields locked on an infinite vertical scroll. One daring spaceship or fighter jet must evade a wild morass of spherical, slow-moving projectiles, while destroying an armada of puny, fragile interceptors. In that sense, Luna Abyss deviates from the established tradition in some fascinating ways. This is a first-person shooter that cribs liberally from the quarter-eating cabinets of yore; your field of view billows up with floating bullets, but unlike Halo or Call of Duty, you're not expected to duck behind cover in order to survive. Instead, in Luna Abyss, players will be squeezing through the slight crevices in between the shells...

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Diablo 4 Player (Basically) Solos World Boss Ashava

It's too dangerous to face World Bosses in Diablo 4 alone, but not for wudjio. The Twitch streamer and YouTuber managed to solo Ashava in Hardcore Mode — not once but twice. The content creator shared footage from their live stream last night, where they unintentionally encountered Ashava without any allies at their side, even though she takes up to 12 players to defeat. Their Rogue build was armed to the teeth with a crossbow that deals 457 damage per second; energy builders Heartseeker and Rapid Fire — both of which power up Critical Strike — and abilities Shadow Imbuement, Poison Imbuement, Dark Shroud, and Dash. All these elements were key to wudjio's victory against Ashava. Players are allotted 15 minutes to beat Ashava every...

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Major Company of Heroes 3 Update Will Add In-Game Cosmetics, Timed Challenges, and More

Sega and Relic Entertainment announced that Company of Heroes 3 is receiving a new update called Operation Sapphire Jackal. The game’s first major update includes daily and weekly challenges for players to compete in both multiplayer and co-modes. These challenges include tasks such as destroying 50 vehicles with anti-tank guns and gaining 50 veteran ranks with Wehrmacht infantry. Completing these challenges will earn players Merit, an in-game earnable currency that can be used to unlock cosmetics. These new in-game cosmetics can be used to customize units and armies in both single-player and multiplayer modes. They can also be unlocked via War Bonds, a purchasable in-game currency, along with the earnable Merit in-game currency. War...

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Ubisoft Pulls Out of E3 2023 After Previously Committing to the Show

Ubisoft will not be a part of E3 2023 after all, the company has revealed. In a statement to VGC, the Assassin's Creed publisher said it will hold its own, separate event in Los Angeles the same week as E3. “E3 has fostered unforgettable moments across the industry throughout the years,” Ubisoft's statement reads. “While we initially intended to have an official E3 presence, we’ve made the subsequent decision to move in a different direction, and will be holding a Ubisoft Forward Live event on 12th June in Los Angeles. We look forward to sharing more details with our players very soon.” In February, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said the company would have "a lot of things to show" at E3 2023, becoming the first major publisher to...

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MultiVersus Early Access Closing in June, Full Release Window Confirmed

Warner Bros. Games and Player First Games have announced that early access for MultiVersus will be closed on June 25, and will aim to launch the full game in early 2024. The announcement was shared in a blog post on Monday, thanking players for participating in the open beta for MultiVersus and calling it a "stepping stone" for the next phase of MultiVersus.. "Throughout our open beta, we’ve been working hard to build the best gameplay experience, and we appreciate all of the inspiration you’ve given us," Tony Huynh, co-founder and game director at Player First Games, said. "Our Open Beta has been an important learning opportunity for us and a stepping stone to the next phase of MultiVersus." To that end, Huynh discussed what's ahead...

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Why It's OK for Adaptations to Break From the Source Material

With The Last of Us Season 1 in our rearview mirrors and viewership numbers now on record, let’s have a discussion about adaptations that take it upon themselves to veer from the canon continuity of their respective source material — what we’ll call “faithless adaptations.” HBO’s series based on Naughty Dog’s video game property kept setting new watch records until the finale, when 8.2 million people tuned in to end on the show’s highest ratings to date. The Last of Us rolled with momentum until the very last chance, which is a testament to its attention-grabbing quality. It’s a successful show, which means it’s a successful adaptation — even though the storytelling forges a unique made-for-TV path that’s not beholden to the game’s...

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Resident Evil 4 Dataminer Finds Reference to Ada Wong 'Separate Ways' Bonus Content

Resident Evil 4 remake could introduce a mode from the original game through DLC, according to a recent datamine. Posted to Twitter by Resident Evil Central, dataminer Gosetsu discovered a folder labeled "_anotherorder", which was the name of the original Resident Evil 4's extra mode in Japan. In the west, the bonus content was titled Separate Ways. The original Separate Ways starred Ada Wong as players worked through the events of Resident Evil 4 from her perspective. The side game is significantly shorter than the main game, taking place over five chapters split across the village, castle, and island. Ada also controls slightly differently than Leon, with faster movement speed and a hookshot. Fans are already looking forward to...

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Remnant 2 - The First Hands-On Preview | IGN First

In nearly every way, Remnant 2 feels like it’s shaping up to be a proper sequel to Gunfire Games’ underrated soulslike from 2019. Lovingly referred to as “Dark Souls with guns” by its community, Remnant: From The Ashes punched above its weight in many ways with just a handful of scrappy indie developers working on the project at the outset. Four years later, that team has the support of its new titanic parent company Embracer Group and has ballooned to over 60 people and counting, and in my time playing Remnant 2, the results of that doubling down were clear: this sequel seems like it’s going to absolutely rule. The gunplay is heads and tails above its predecessor, the buildcrafting is an RPG nerd’s dream, the enemies and bosses are...

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10 Years Later, BioShock Infinite Remains One of the Boldest AAA Shooters Ever Made

A decade ago director Ken Levine and his studio, Irrational Games, introduced us to the rotting society of Columbia with a choice: would you like to throw a baseball at an interracial couple, or instead hurl it at the bigoted announcer goading you on? Will you commit a hate crime, or stand against oppression? Regardless of the option you pick, the scenario plays out identically, with the ball left aside as protagonist Booker DeWitt uses a power tool to obliterate the face of a police officer. The sequence is both a bold introduction to BioShock Infinite’s exploration of America’s sordid relationship with race and an indication that such an exploration is going to be deeply flawed. The mishandling of this moment telegraphs all of...

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The Witcher: The Ballad of Two Wolves - Exclusive Preview of the Epic Finale

Dark Horse Comics continues to expand on the Witcher saga with new spinoff comics, and the latest series is about to reach its epic conclusion in April 2023. IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of The Witcher: The Ballad of Two Wolves #4, which is written by Bartosz Sztybor and illustrated by Miki Montlló. Check it out in the slideshow gallery below: The Ballad of Two Wolves is the seventh volume in Dark Horse's ongoing line of The Witcher tie-ins. This particular series puts a Witcher spin on iconic fables like Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs. When Geralt of Rivia arrives in the town of Grimmwald, he finds himself confronting rumors of werewolves and the emergence of the three Piglet sisters. All the while...

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Former Playground Games Studio Head Gavin Raeburn Forms New Studio

Forza Horizon developer Playground Games’ co-founder and former studio head Gavin Raeburn has revealed his new AAA studio Lighthouse Games. Raeburn and “a team of world class developers” are currently working on an unannounced new IP, but shared no details as to what this will be or if it’s even in the racing genre. As the former executive producer on several Dirt and GRID games, however, and the studio head of Playground as it produced five Forza Horizon games, it’s perhaps likely that Lighthouse is working on a new racing game. Raeburn is joined by 30 former colleagues including “key founding members” of Playground Games and other industry-leading talent, again alluding to the creation of something new in the racing game genre...

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Aussie Deals: The Hottest Big Smile Sale Gaming Bargains for 2023!

Let's start your week with a smile and some savings! Amazon AU has opened wide with its Big Smile Sale promotion and I've done a full dentist inspection to find all the gold fillings. Grab a game, some peripherals or just a big ol' console purchase to make your forthcoming Easter holidays awesome! This Day in Gaming - TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (PS2) launch, 2005. Get - Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (PSP) launch, 2007. Sequel - Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3) launch, 2008. Sequel - God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP) launch, 2008. Sequels - MGSV: Ground Zeroes (PS4, XO) launch, 2014. Sequel Table of Contents Nintendo Switch PC Xbox PlayStation LEGO Smart Home TV Audio Monitor HDD, SD, Micro SD Random Best Big Smile Switch...

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Dark and Darker Removed From Steam Following DMCA Takedown

The dungeon-crawling PvPvE game Dark and Darker has been delisted from Steam after developer Ironmace was served with a cease and desist order and subsequent DMCA takedown. As reported by Eurogamer, it appears Dark and Darker's developer, Ironmace, may be in hot water as players recently noticed some of the game's features abruptly stopped working, such as PvP and online co-op, followed by portions of its Steam page being scrubbed overnight including all trailers, screenshots, and store description. An official statement was posted on the Dark and Darker Discord (by way of Reddit) stating, "To all our fans, we have recently been served a cease and desist letter and DMCA takedown by Nexon regarding Dark and Darker based on distorted...

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Stop Blowing on Your NES Carts!

In the 1980s, everyone who owned a Nintendo Entertainment System knew the only way to fix a faulty game was to eject it, hold it to your lips, and blow on it. If it didn't work after that, you simply repeated the process, with more force, until it finally worked. This was not only wrong but it was super gross, because you basically just sprayed spit particles all over your copy of Super Mario Bros. 3. On top of being unhygienic, your kid-spit also probably contributed to corrosion on your cart's contacts, and if your mouth was particularly juicy, a glob of nasty saliva could actually short some of the contacts, and that's bad. But what's the real solution to this very real problem? Well, there are two that immediately spring to...

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Lance Reddick Has 'Performances Yet to Come' in Destiny 2

The Destiny 2 community has been mourning the passing of Lance Reddick, remembering him through tributes like flocking en masse to The Tower. And, according to Bungie, Reddick will continue to live on in more voicework for the game. Reddick, who's also known for his work in The Wire, Fringe, and the John Wick series (including this weekend's John Wick: Chapter 4), voiced Commander Zavala in Destiny 2. Bungie followed up on its initial statement about Reddick's passing in a blog post yesterday. "The tributes that have poured in for Lance have been overwhelming; from endless heartfelt messages on social media to impromptu gatherings of respect in Zavala’s corner of the Tower, overlooking the Last City," the blog read, in part. "As an...

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Magic, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh Seller TCGplayer Faces Several Union Busting Complaints

Fans of Magic: The Gathering, the Pokémon TCG, Yu-Gi-Oh, Flesh and Blood, and other trading card games are likely familiar with eBay-owned TCGplayer, one of the largest card buying and selling platforms in the U.S. What they may be less familiar with are the recent unionization efforts of employees at its Syracuse authentication center, and the several complaints the union has raised accusing TCGplayer of increasing surveillance of organizing workers, holding anti-union meetings, and more. TCGunion officially voted to unionize on March 10, but after an employee involved in the union organizing was fired just a few days later, further concerns were raised. "We do not believe that the termination of an organizer this close to our...

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The Most Important Resident Evil 4 Remake Tip: Get the New Bolt Thrower

Resident Evil 4 Remake may have new boss fights, reworked maps, and a shiny new look, but one thing that remains the same as all previous versions is the terrifyingly scarce ammo. There are many ways to save ammo in RE4 remake, we document those right here, but for new players and returning veterans alike there’s a new method of ammo conservation you need to know about: The Bolt Thrower. This entirely new weapon is available from the merchant in Chapter 2 (and on sale at said merchant in Chapter 3, which you should take advantage of if you are short on money – as well as ammo). There’s a video about how the Bolt Thrower works and exactly where to get it at the top of the page, so check that out. The Bolt Thrower has “infinite” ammo...

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Destiny 2: Where Is Xur Today? Location and Exotic Items for March 24-28

The swag bag, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further. Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians. We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP. Where Is Xûr Today? Xûr's location today can be found at...

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Want to Win $2,000 in Prizes? Join IGN's Ultimate Sports Gaming Showdown Contest, Pick the Winners and Take Home Prizes

When it comes to debating the Greatest of All Time, no one’s more spirited than sports fans. And when it comes to naming the G.O.A.T. of sports video games you won’t find a more passionate, opinionated audience than sports gamers. That’s why IGN partnered with the U.S. Army for the Best Sports Video Games Showdown that kicks off with an epic bracket featuring 32 sports video games divided into four ultra-competitive brackets. Between March 24th and March 28th, we’ll invite IGN fans to select their guesses for each phase of the bracket with the hopes of correctly selecting the greatest sports video game. The best part? You can walk away the grand prize winner if you manage to correctly predict how the fan-voted bracket unfolds. Be...

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Genshin Impact Devs' Honkai: Star Rail Officially Launches Next Month

Genshin Impact developer MiHoYo has announced that Honkai: Star Rail will launch on April 26 for PC, iOS, and Android. PlayStation 4 and 5 versions are also currently in development. The game takes place after the events of Honkai Impact 3rd on a space train called the Astral Express. The protagonist is planted with something called Stellaron, which is defined as a destructive seed that will eventually bring disaster. Somewhat similar to Genshin Impact, players will unlock new characters to join their party as they progress through the story. Honkai: Star Rail features a vast universe filled with a variety of different cultures and environments, such as the ice-covered Jarilo-VI and the eastern fantasy-inspired flagship Xianzhou...

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8 Biggest Changes in Diablo 4

Diablo 4 is the next entry in Blizzard’s iconic and highly influential RPG series. While each Diablo game has had its own impact on the industry at large — with Diablo 2 popularizing the genre abroad, and Diablo 3’s real money marketplace not forgotten — Diablo 4 moves towards modernization. Adopting mechanics found in MMORPGs, the world of Sanctuary has changed in some surprising ways. While Blizzard has shown off World Event Quests and World Bosses that feel oddly similar to Smilegate’s Lost Ark, the developer has gone a step further to change how some pivotal systems in the series work. And some of these quality-of-life improvements have perhaps made the biggest splash in how players can approach their endgame builds. Here are...

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Diablo 4 Beta Players Should Expect 'Unprecedented' Queue Times This Weekend

Players hoping to join the Diablo 4 open beta this weekend must prepare themselves for “unprecedented" queue times as the developers test online infrastructure. The official Diablo Twitter account reiterated Blizzard's comments last week that a beta is about testing functionality instead of just letting people play early. "As we prepare to open the gates to Sanctuary, we'd like to remind our players that the Diablo 4 open beta is a test to ensure a smooth launch," it said (below). "We expect unprecedented traffic and queue times as a result. We appreciate your patience and understanding." Other Blizzard employees also took to the internet to warn players of the lengthy times. "Best to set some expectations early but any issues this...

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LEGO 2K Drive Is an Open World AAA Racing Game Coming This May

2K and the LEGO Group have announced LEGO 2K Drive, a “AAA driving adventure game” that launches on May 19, 2023. Coming to PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, LEGO 2K Drive is an open world game with single and multiplayer that lets players build any vehicle they like, whether it be street racers, off-roaders, or boats. WWE 2K and NBA 2K developer Visual Concepts is creating the game, which promises to deliver a wide open world with different biomes, races, minigames, challenges, collectibles, things to destroy, and a story to tie it all together. Staying on brand for LEGO, 2K Drive also includes a diverse customisation system that allows players to build a vehicle...

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LEGO 2K Drive Preview: Embracing the Spirit of Imagination

I admit that when I first sat down to play LEGO 2K Drive, I was skeptical. After all, Forza Horizon, which long ago mastered open-world arcade-y driving, already did the whole LEGO thing with Forza Horizon 4's stellar LEGO Speed Champions expansion from 2019. But LEGO 2K Drive won me over fairly quickly thanks to its fuller embrace of the LEGO universe. What do I mean by that? For starters, it leans harder into the power of imagination that defined my meatspace LEGO experience as a kid and probably yours too. When you leave the pavement in 2K Drive, your LEGO car automatically transforms into an off-road ATV, just like you’d imagine it when you were a kid. And if you go in the water, you don't "drown" and get respawned along the...

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IGN UK Podcast 689: The Big Resident Evil 4 Chat

Dale and Jesse have played a ton of Resident Evil 4 and they're here to tell you all about it and how it compares to the original. Matt P also joins the pod to share his thoughts on Redfall and the bizarre game creator/social space, Everywhere. We also have an extra long feedback section this week due to all your awesome submissions. Got a game for us to play, or just want to tell us the weirdest thing you've eaten for breakfast? Drop us an email: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com. IGN UK Podcast 689: The Big Resident Evil 4 Chat IGN UK Podcast 688: What is the Best Shape of Doughnut? IGN UK Podcast 687: The Build-a-Horror Movie-Workshop IGN UK Podcast 686: Sons of the Final Fantasy IGN UK Podcast 685: You Kang Make Me Whole Again IGN UK...

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Resident Evil 4 Remake Mercenaries Mode Arrives Early Next Month

Resident Evil 4 Remake’s horde-style mode The Mercenaries will arrive on April 7, meaning folks will only have to tolerate a short, two-week wait for the fan favourite mode to arrive in-game. Capcom revealed the date at the conclusion of the fresh Resident Evil 4 Remake launch trailer it published today, which you can watch below. At Sony’s first 2023 State of Play last month, Capcom confirmed that The Mercenaries would be coming as a free, post-release update – though April 7 may be pleasantly closer than some were expecting. Resident Evil 4 Remake is available today and earned a 10 out of 10 in IGN’s review as “the series’ most relentlessly exciting adventure rebuilt, refined, and realised to the full extent of its enormous...

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Lawsuit Over Fatal Call of Duty Swatting Incident Settled for $5 Million

The Wichita City Council in Kansas has reached a $5 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by the family of Andrew Finch, who was killed by police in the first fatal swatting incident in the U.S. over an online Call of Duty match. According to The Wichita Eagle, city officials approved the settlement on Tuesday in a five-year lawsuit against Wichita police detective Justin Rapp, who killed 28-year-old Finch despite him being unarmed. The city voted 6-1 in favor of the lawsuit. The swatting incident stemmed from an argument between Casey Viner and Shane Gaskill during an online match in Call of Duty: WWII in December 2017. Viner made a hoax call to the police, and Gaskill gave a false address to Tyler Barriss, a serial swatter who...

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