Gaming News

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Has the Yakuza Series' Best Steam Launch

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has logged the Yakuza series' biggest ever launch on Steam, with more than four times the player count of previous mainline entry Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Infinite Wealth, which arrived January 26 as the eight mainline Yakuza game, achieved a peak concurrent player count of 46,161 during its launch weekend, compared to the seventh mainline entry's peak of 9,535 concurrent players, according to SteamDB. The previous record was held by spin-off Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, which launched in November 2023, but even this was at just 13,737 peak concurrents and therefore blown out of the water by Infinite Wealth. These are the only comparable numbers for the Yakuza series, however, as...

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Suicide Squad Is Already Down to Just £44 Before Release Day in the UK

There's definitely still a benefit to buying physical games, especially when there are deals like this to be found only days before release on new AAA titles like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (or other new titles like Tekken 8). Suicide Squad is down to just £43.96 from trusted seller The Game Collection via eBay right now, which is over £26 off the RRP. This is a tremendous discount, especially since the game isn't out until February 2. All you need to do is use code JANPAY20 to secure the deal, and we'll leave some handy links just below so you can find the game on your correct console nice and quickly. The Deluxe Edition is also available for those interested, it costs £65.86 with code JANPAY20, down from its £99.99...

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Gameplay of Canceled Call of Duty Codenamed NX1 Leaks Online

Gameplay of a canceled Call of Duty codenamed NX1 has leaked online, revealing an effort to release a futuristic game in the franchise from former Guitar Hero developer Neversoft. Over the weekend, a Twitter / X account called @mangafigurines published two minutes of previously unreleased gameplay for what was reportedly called Call of Duty: Future Warfare, showcasing an explosive moon mission in low gravity conditions. The tweet, which has over 5.5 million views, saw a reply from Brian Bright, who was multiplayer lead on the game at Neversoft. Bright confirmed the footage is from NX1, and explained its origin. It turns out that after the acrimonious exit of Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella and their formation...

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Mad Savings on Multi-Game Bundles, Hidden Gem Titles Seriously Reduced, and More!

Today is the day, bargain hunters. It's time to pounce on some "whole shebang" collections that have all entries included. Alternatively, I've also found a bunch of isolated single-shot games that can be ruthlessly picked off for next to nothing. Get amongst it. Show those deals no mercy. In retro news, today is a doubly auspicious day for vampire-infested video games where one must make like Devo (i.e., problem comes along, you whip it). I would also like to highlight the 14th birthday of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, an absolute rare gem of a fighter that must be resurrected from the Wii's back catalogue and remastered far and wide. This Day in Gaming Aussie birthdays for notable games. - Super Castlevania IV (SNES) 1993. Get - Harvest...

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The Best Bluetooth Adapters for PC

Bluetooth is an essential technology found almost everywhere in 2024. From your headphones to the latest gaming peripherals, you need Bluetooth functionality to properly use them. If your laptop or gaming PC doesn't have Bluetooth support, you have to purchase an adapter to use any Bluetooth device with your PC. With so many different options, you need to pick the adapter that fits your situation best. You need to consider the range needed, the price, and even the sound quality you're looking for. TL;DR - These are the Best Bluetooth Adapters for PC FiiO BTA30PRO (Best Overall) ASUS USB-BT500 (Best Budget Option) Techkey 100M Class 1 Long Range Bluetooth Adapter (Best Range) Creative BT-W5 (Best for Gaming) Sennheiser BTD 600 (Best...

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Daily Deals: LG 32" QHD Monitor, Armored Core 6, HORI Split Pad Compact

The weekend is finally here, and plenty of deals have arrived alongside it. From video games to new computer peripherals, there is no shortage of deals you don't want to miss out on. The best deals for Sunday, January 28, include an LG 32" gaming monitor, Meta Quest 2, Arcade1Up Cabinets, Splatoon 3, HORI Split Pad Compact, Armored Core 6, and more. LG 32" Ultra-Gear QHD 165Hz Gaming Monitor for $187 This LG Monitor has a steep discount you won't want to miss out on. Originally priced at $349.99, you can pick this QHD 165Hz monitor up for just $187 from Walmart right now. At 32", this is a big screen with all kinds of features to ensure you get the best playing experience possible. This monitor has SRGB 95% color gamut with HDR10...

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How to Play Every Dark Souls Game and Expansion in Order

Back in 2011, FromSoftware released a spiritual successor to its 2009 cult classic, Demon’s Souls. This new game, titled Dark Souls, was a tough sell: a punishing, hardcore RPG where players attempt to survive a haunting fantasy hellscape teeming with gruesome monsters that could eviscerate them in seconds. At the time, it was hard to imagine the team’s crushing new creation would become one of gaming's most revered modern franchises. However, Dark Souls’ ruthlessly satisfying combat, brutal yet compelling boss encounters, and story-rich world transformed it into a global phenomenon, inspiring an entire genre of challenging RPGs that’s still thriving over a decade later. With FromSoftware’s work on the Dark Souls franchise now wrapped...

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Where's Our Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Review?

Suicide Squad’s “early access” period will start to go live around the world late Monday night on consoles (and 10am PT Tuesday on Steam), which means that’s when it’s officially out, practically speaking. Unfortunately, we won’t have a review of Rocksteady’s new game-as-a-service looter shooter for you right away, as codes have not been sent ahead of time – in fact, Warner Bros. Games informed IGN that it has declined to send us codes at all. That’s disappointing because we always strive to have a full opinion on a major game available for you at launch, but it’s well within WB’s rights, as sending out review codes is neither an obligation nor something we take for granted. We will purchase our own copies and start our review in...

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5 Tips for Your First Palworld Base

Setting up a base is one of the very first things you’ll do when you’re getting started in Palworld. You’ll be building up your base throughout the game, so getting your location and layout right will save you plenty of headaches in the long run - here’s what we wish we knew starting out! Choose A Flat, Unobstructed Area After placing your Palbox down, you’ll see a large blue circle surrounding it - this is the buildable area for your base. You want this area to be as free as possible of any hills, cliffs, water, or other obstructions. You’ll need a lot of space for the structures and buildings you’ll eventually want to construct, some of which can be pretty large. As Pals wander around your base diligently working, they have an...

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Steam Deck (512GB) Drops to Just £375 in Remarkable New Deal for the UK

Man, we thought that the last eBay discount code was wild, now there is a new one in town! If you missed out on copping a new game, console, or any other item from an eligible seller in the last offer, now is your chance to make ammends! You can once again go and get your hands on a new Steam Deck. If you head over to eBay and use the promo code JANPAY20, you can bag yourself a 512GB Steam Deck for £375 from verified seller The Game Collection Outlet (we've recommended them many times!). If you want something smaller, then you might have to monitor this deal untill it ends on Wednesday 31st, because you could get the 64GB model for £288 and the 256GB model for £315, but both of those are currently sold out unfortunately. All round...

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Dungeonborne Mixes Strategic, Extraction and Battle Royale Gameplay, and You Can Try It Out at Steam Next Fest

Dungeonborne is an upcoming first person PvPvE dungeon crawler developed in Unreal Engine 5 that thrusts players into a dark fantasy world, where you get to feel every sword swing as you slay monsters with might and magics. Dungeonborne combines dungeon crawling with the realms of extraction and battle royale gameplay to spice things up and create a unique spin on the genre. Starting February 2nd, you can try Dungeonborne during the game’s open alpha as part of the upcoming Steam Next Fest! Here are four main reasons why you won’t want to miss it if you’re looking for a fresh dungeon crawler experience. Dungeonborne is More Than a Mindless Dungeon Crawler - You’ll Need to Think Fast on Your Feet While Dungeonborne may seem like a...

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How to Get Mounts and Fly in Palworld

There’s plenty to see and do across the Palapagos Islands, and traveling on foot just isn’t going to cut it - no matter how fast you sprint, you’ll get there much quicker on riding the back of a Pal. How to Ride Pals Certain Pals have Partner Skills that allow you to mount them and ride them around. In order to do so, you’ll need to craft a saddle for the specific Pal you want to ride. Saddle recipes for rideable Pals are unlocked at different levels on the technology tree, so you’ll need to level up before you can ride stronger Pals. Once you’ve unlocked the recipe, you can craft Pal saddles at a Pal Gear Workbench. The earliest saddle you can craft is the Rushoar saddle at level 6, followed by the Melpaca saddle at level 7...

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Dragon’s Dogma 2: The Final Preview - IGN First

I thought it’d just be a simple sidequest. The owner of an apothecary enlisted my help to find his lost grandson, who had been taken by wolves. As I followed the trail, I heard a screeching noise from up above. All of a sudden I’m in a battle for my life against a Griffin. It’s a monster that’s far too strong for my party to handle, but we fight and claw and hold our ground until we finally get it to retreat. I breathe a sigh of relief, then set up at the nearby camp and sleep till nightfall. That sleep is interrupted by the same Griffin, back for revenge. That fight somehow boils over into another battle with a Wight, who proceeds to beat me within an inch of my life before I finally take him out, just as the sun rises, after an epic...

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Palworld vs. Pokémon Comparison: Just How Similar Are the Designs?

As a lifelong fan of Pokémon, I’m used to seeing other games in the “monster tamer” genre that are clearly inspired by it, from Temtem to Ni no Kuni, but nothing made me do a double take quite like Palworld, aka Pokémon With Guns. The first trailer of what looked like a heavily armed Pokemon Trainer using a terrified little pocket monster as a bullet shield was like a meme come to life. While the ridiculous concept is good for a laugh, what’s not so much of a laughing matter is how developer Pocketpair has seemingly copied elements of more than a few Pokémon designs when making its own creatures for Palworld, called Pals. Well I’ve got a bone to pick with you, pal, because making a game with creatures inspired by Pokémon is one thing...

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Krafton, Striking Distance Sued by Former Employee for Sexual Harassment, Wrongful Termination

Content Warning: This piece contains some descriptions of sexual assault. PUBG and Callisto Protocol studio owner Krafton is currently being sued in the state of California by a former Krafton employee, who alleges she was sexually assaulted at an industry event by Krafton head of business and strategy Kevin Kimball, and then fired from the company two months later after Krafton failed to investigate the event. This comes from a complaint filed in Los Angeles county in December, first noticed by Polygon, in which the plaintiff alleges she was working in Krafton's publishing division and attended a Striking Distance (a subsidiary of Krafton, developer of Callisto Protocol) party following The Game Awards on December 8, 2022. At the...

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Hogwarts Legacy Will Soon Give All Players Access to PlayStation-Exclusive Content

Hogwarts Legacy players on non-PlayStation platforms will soon gain access to Sony-exclusive content, Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche Software have announced. News about the Harry Potter video game’s future was revealed in a post on X (formerly Twitter), promising to give fans more magic to toy with as it prepares to celebrate its one-year launch anniversary. It’s unclear exactly when the content will become available on platforms like PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S, but it sounds like it will land sometime this summer. Current PlayStation-exclusive content includes the Haunted Hogsmeade quest, which, upon completion, grants access to the Hogsmeade Shop as well as the Shopkeeper cosmetic set. While it is...

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Ubisoft’s Skull and Bones Gets Open Beta Ahead of Release Date

Skull and Bones will have an open beta, Ubisoft has announced. It kicks off across all platforms (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Windows PC via the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store) on February 8 and runs until February 11. In the open beta, players can reach the Infamy Cap of Tier 6 and earn up to five exclusive rewards including unique ship cosmetics, an emote, a weapon, and a Pandal Lemur pet. Progression carries over from the beta to the full game, which comes out February 16. Ubisoft+ subscribers get the game three days early on February 13. Announcing a year’s worth of post-launch content, Ubisoft said its open-world seafaring game will benefit from the addition of pirate lords and new world events. Check out...

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Flooded-Earth Adventure Game 'Highwater' Announced

Meet Highwater, a new adventure game featuring a turn-based puzzle combat system set in a flooded region outside of the dry land of Alphaville where the wealthy have literally walled themselves in. You'll make friends, laugh a little, and ultimately try to escape to Mars as life on Earth becomes increasingly unsustainable. Highwater is in development at Demagog Studio and publisher Rogue Games for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Demagog says, "Amid the Great Climate Catastrophe, the flooded region of Hightower has become a kind of safe zone between the two dry regions: the nearly global ravaged land of the War Zone, and the fortified city of Alphaville, where the ultra-rich live behind giant walls." Check out the...

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Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s Layoff Storyline Feels ‘Too Soon’

Gaming has had its fair share of moments when a new title would ostensibly be released at just the right time. The most recent example is Animal Crossing: New Horizons dropping in 2020 when the world needed a means to safely connect during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. And in 2024, for me — and maybe a lot of gamers out there — another of these games could be Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. When I first booted up the newest Yakuza game from Ryu Ga Gotoko, I planned on experiencing a new adventure starring plucky protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, dramatically imagining his foes as larger-than-life RPG archetypes while its stalwart hero, Kazuma Kiryu, serenades his companions with hours of karaoke, all while I inevitably ignore...

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Ultrawings 2 Gets a Surprise Release on PlayStation VR2

In an unexpected twist, Bit Planet Games announced that its action simulation game Ultrawings 2 is now available on the PlayStation VR2 headset. In a post on X/Twitter, the Bit Planet Games account casually announced it had shadow-dropped Ultrawings 2 on Sony's second-generation VR headset. Bit Planet Games originally intended to release Ultrawings 2 on the headset last year, but had to push back its release date to a 2024 release window. Ultrawings 2 was initially announced in 2021 and released in 2022 on Meta Quest and PC VR headsets. It's an aerial simulation game where players earn money by completing various aerial missions. The money players earn can be used to purchase things, including new aircraft, as you venture across an...

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IGN UK Podcast 733: Slurping Pal Fluid

みなさん、こんにちは! Mat, Jen and Jesse are confused about exactly what Pal Fluid is in this week's episode, along with a brief but detailed chat on the possibilities of RTX Remix. Got a favourite minigame? Get in touch at ign_ukfeedback@ign.com. IGN UK Podcast 733: Slurping Pal Fluid IGN UK Podcast 732: Indiana Jones and the Fantastic Triangle IGN UK Podcast 731: The Big 2024 Preview IGN UK Podcast 730: Flo Rida's Christmas Catch-Up IGN UK Podcast 729: The 2023 Alternative TV Awards IGN UK Podcast 728: The 2023 Alternative Game Awards Continue reading...

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Baldur’s Gate 3 Has Its First Sub-20 Minute All Acts Speedrun — Thanks to a Massive Invisible Bear

The wonderful world of Baldur’s Gate 3 speedrunning leveled up once again this week with a new fastest time for an all acts completion of the game — and it was made possible thanks to a massive invisible bear. Baldur’s Gate 3 speedrunner Mae, who IGN has reported on multiple times for various world records in Larian’s sprawling Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, has done it again, setting the first sub-20 minute completion of all three acts. Setting a verified, load removed time of 19m 20s, Mae employed many of the tactics that have fuelled Baldur’s Gate 3 speedruns over the last few months, such as leaping like a frog through much of the game, and stuffing poor Shadowheart’s corpse in a box to trigger skips forward. But there’s a...

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Everything We Know About Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Nine years after Batman: Arkham Knight, Rocksteady’s jumping back into the DC universe with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The same universe, but totally different gameplay; Suicide Squad is an open-world co-op looter-shooter. For those on the fence about Rocksteady’s latest, or for those who want to absorb every bit of information about the world, characters, and how it all works, here’s everything we know about Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. What's the Story? Set five years after the events of Arkham Knight, Kill the Justice League has us leave Gotham City for the first time,instead taking us to Superman’s stomping ground of Metropolis. If you’re remotely familiar with the Suicide Squad concept, you know the basic...

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People Want Tifa in Tekken 8 So Much the Boss of Tekken Had to Address It

Tekken 8 is out now and already the requests for guest characters are piling up online. But one character appears to be top of the wishlist: Tifa from Final Fantasy 7. A cursory glance at social media shows plenty of requests for Bandai Namco to add Tifa into Tekken 8. That’s not surprising — Tekken fans have long-called for Tifa to be added to Tekken games over the years. Tekken is (mostly) and punch and kick fighting game franchise, and Tifa is all about punching and kicking. She’d be a great fit as a guest character, and everyone knows it. Here’s a snippet: This time, though, Katsuhiro Harada, boss of all things Tekken, has addressed the requests with a tweet that on the one hand gets to the crux of the matter, and on the...

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Nexon's Medieval Fantasy Brawler Warhaven Shutting Down 6 Months After Launching in Early Access

Nexon's medieval fantasy brawler Warhaven is shutting down on April 5, 2024, just six months after it launched on Steam in Early Access. An update on Warhaven's Steam page announced the closure, though Nexon didn't explicitly say why it was happening. Described as a "visceral, brutal medieval fantasy combat experience" where teams of 16 players would take each other on with swords, arrows, and magic, Warhaven struggled to make a mark with middling reviews and a low player count. "From the first alpha test in 2021 to the global Early Access in 2023, Warhaven has come this far thanks to everyone's love and support," Nexon said. "We want to express our gratitude for the love and care you have shown for Warhaven. "To create a game that...

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Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Has an Entire Pokémon Game Inside It

Spoiler Warning: The following article contains spoilers surrounding a type of side quest which becomes available in Chapter 4 of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but doesn't feature any major story spoilers. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth may be a turn-based RPG already, but the latest Yakuza also has an entirely separate turn based RPG minigame inside it that mimics (and parodies) a Pokémon game. Infinite Wealth doubles down on the Pokémon references of its predecessor, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, expanding that game's Sujimon concept from a fun collection mechanic to a full-on game of its own. Though players will add Sujimon, which are just the game's regular enemies, to their Sujidex as before, an entirely new side quest parodies both...

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Pick Up a 1TB Nintendo Switch Memory Card for Only $53.99 on Amazon

Amazon currently has a TEAMGROUP GO 1TB Micro SDXC card for only $53.99. This is currently least expensive 1TB Micro SDXC card available from a well-known retailer, and it's fully compatible with the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and ASUS ROG Ally portable handhelds. 1TB Micro SDXC Card (Switch Compatible) for $53.99 If you've started compiling a collection of digital games, you probably already know just how limited the Switch's base storage capacity. The Switch and Switch OLED consoles have 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, respectively, with some of it reserved for the OS. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom uses up 16GB and Breath of the Wild about 13.5GB. If bought digitally, those two games alone would take up all of your...

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Palworld Early Access Review - Xbox/PC Game Pass Version

Note: This review is specifically for the version of Palworld available on Xbox and through the Microsoft Store on PC. If you haven’t seen our review of the Steam version, go check that out first! Nearly everything we said there still applies to this review, which will instead focus specifically on what’s different with this version. Palworld has taken the world by storm! And with good reason: shooting cartoon animals with assault weapons then forcing them to mine ore for you all day is alarmingly fun. But those playing on the Xbox and Microsoft Store versions that are widely accessible through Game Pass have been treated to a noticeably different experience – one I’ve seen firsthand after playing over 50 hours on Xbox since wrapping...

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Fortnite Will Return to iOS, But Only in Europe

Almost four years after being removed from the App Store, Epic Games has announced it is bringing back the iOS version of Fortnite, but this will only be available for countries in the European Union (EU). A new post on the official Fortnite X/Twitter account reveals that the popular free-to-play battle royale will be released on iOS via the Epic Games Store. This will be made possible for two reasons: Apple announced today that it has updated its App Store policies to appease EU regulators. Most notably, iPhone users in that region can download apps from third-party app stores under the revised EU app store policy. Apple partly revised these app store policies thanks to the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney...

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The Team Working on Blizzard's Now-Canceled Survival Was Seemingly Gutted Amid Xbox Mass Layoffs

The development team behind Blizzard's now-cancelled survival game, reportedly called Odyssey, is seemingly among the teams dramatically impacted by the layoffs at Microsoft today. According to multiple former team members posting on Twitter, the team is among the 1,900 employees impacted by the mass layoffs at Microsoft's gaming division, which comes after the company's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard and the departure of CEO Bobby Kotick last year. Mike Ybarra, who announced his decision to leave his position as President of Blizzard Entertainment, previously said that Odyssey's development team doubled in 2022, with plans to grow further. Now, the game is not only cancelled, but seemingly a significant portion of the...

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