Gaming News

Major Helldivers 2 Patch Adds a Tank, Boosts Melee Strength, and Prepares Players to Liberate Cyberstan

Helldivers 2's latest patch, Into the Unjust: 6.0.1., is rolling out now, adding a playable tank and interchangeable victory poses and emotes as part of a push towards the liberation of the Cyborg homeworld, Cyberstan. "We have confirmed, with concrete proof and beyond any doubt, that the Automaton Collective stole our schematics for the Star of Peace. We cannot let them turn this defensive tool of peace into a destructive weapon of war," developer Arrowhead teased. "It's now up to you, our most elite and powerful force, to bring them to justice on their own turf. "We have approved the deployment of new equipment for squads to aid in the swift elimination of the Automaton threat. Push toward Cyberstan and end this insult to Managed...

View full article »

The Division: Definitive Edition Quietly Launches — But It's Not the Remaster Some Had Hoped For

Ubisoft is yet to formally announce its Tom Clancy's The Division: Definitive Edition, but you can now purchase it via the Xbox store. Unfortunately, however, its release has confirmed exactly what this new version of the game entails — and it's not the remake or remaster that some fans had expected. On Xbox at least, you can now pay $49.99 to own Ubisoft's 2016 extraction shooter and all of its add-on content, including the game's three expansions, season pass, and various DLC outfits. There does not appear to be any new content here — or any new versions of existing content, either. This has come as something of a surprise to fans who had spotted advertising for the game's Definitive Edition pop up last month alongside new...

View full article »

Haunted Chocolatier Is 'Coming Along' Says Creator ConcernedApe, But 'Isn't as Fast as I Would Like'

This month, we're celebrating Stardew Valley ahead of its 10th anniversary, and have a ton of Stardew-related pieces as a part of that. But when we spoke to creator Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) ahead of that celebration, we couldn't help but also ask about his other game that's still in-development and mysterious: Haunted Chocolatier. Barone has been candid in the past that he's had trouble balancing work on both Stardew Valley's ongoing updates (with Patch 1.7 currently in progress) and Haunted Chocolatier. We started by asking him if that balance has changed recently and if he's had more Chocolatier-time in his schedule. The answer from Barone is, yes, sort of. "Well, part of the reason why I've expanded my team a little bit is so...

View full article »

Stardew Valley Still Has 1 Secret Players Have Never Found, Creator ConcernedApe Confirms

It's almost Stardew Valley's 10th birthday, which emans that for a decade players have combed over every inch of Pelican Town and the surrounding area, unearthing secrets, deciphering Dwarvish manuscripts, and putting Strange Buns in hidden boxes. But the game's creator, Eric Barone (ConcernedApe), says there's still one secret that fans have never found, though he hopes one day they do. We spoke to ConcernedApe for a big interview in honor of the game's 10th anniversary, and among the many topics we discussed was the question of in-game secrets. ConcernedApe has said in the past that there was still an outstanding secret, so we wanted to check in and see if that was still true. And, yup, it is, though maybe his cheeky teasing will...

View full article »

Stardew Valley's 1.7 Update Will Add 2 New Marriage Candidates

Stardew Valley's upcoming 1.7 update will include, among other things, two brand new marriage candidates, IGN can exclusively reveal. This comes from our interview with the game's creator, Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) in celebration of Stardew Valley's 10th anniversary. When we asked him for updates on 1.7, Barone said the following: This is, quite frankly, huge! Players have been asking for more romanceable characters for years now, and the only new additions since the game's launch were Shane and Emily, added way, way back in 1.1. We don't yet know who these two mystery partners will be, though. It's possible that ConcernedApe is adding two brand new characters to the game, but it's also possible that existing characters that...

View full article »

Stardew Valley Creator Uses Harry Potter to Explain Why There Isn't a Stardew Valley TV Show

Stardew Valley is 10 years old this month: happy 10th birthday, Stardew! The beloved farming sim is still as popular as ever, with nearly 50 million copies sold and tens of thousands of players every single day. So why hasn't it ever had a TV or film adaptation? It's a fair question, right? Video game TV and film adaptations have become wildly popular in recent years, and are finally seeing widespread success with shows like The Last of Us and Fallout and films like Sonic the Hedgehog (and sequels), Detective Pikachu, A Minecraft Movie, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Stardew is widely loved and seems like it'd be easy enough to adapt, especially into some kind of series about Pelican Town and its inhabitants. So where is it...

View full article »

Stardew Valley Turns 10: The Big ConcernedApe Interview

Stardew Valley is 10 years old this month. The popular life/farming simulator made waves when it first dropped on February 26, 2016 on PC, quickly becoming beloved for its loving recreation of some of the best aspects of the old Harvest Moon games, while also determinedly following its own path with elements such as the mines, a much wider variety of crops and animals, and queer relationships. Over the last 10 years, a series of updates have kept the energy alive, adding even more farming activities, more people to marry and befriend, more dungeoning adventures, more seasonal events, and just... more. Of everything. It remains wildly popular as a result, having sold nearly 50 million copies since its initial launch and still drawing...

View full article »

'Eric Gave Me That Letter From Grandpa' — Stardew Valley Community and Creators on the Game's 10th Anniversary

For Stardew Valley's 10th anniversary, we didn't just speak to creator Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) about the game's present and future. We also went out into the community to find out how Stardew Valley has changed the lives of its players, from everyday fans to popular content creators. Here, we've shared three stories – from a music farm creator, a speedrunner, and a mod maker – on how Stardew Valley impacted them. And we've interspersed those with testimonials from fans whose experiences with Stardew Valley have helped them overcome personal challenges, work through grief, and connect with loved ones. Responses have been very lightly edited for length and clarity. "Over the past 10 years [my wife and I] have played [Stardew Valley]...

View full article »

Steam Quietly Withdraws Under Fire MMO Ashes of Creation From Sale As Fans Wonder Who's Left to Maintain the Servers

Steam has quietly withdrawn under fire MMO Ashes of Creation from sale after its director and leadership team quit just weeks after launch. Ashes of Creation was funded by a hugely successful $3.2 million Kickstarter campaign back in 2017. It finally released in December as a $50 Early Access game on Steam, but by the end of January, the game's director, Steven Sharif, and "much of" the senior dev team quit "in protest," claiming that its management board had asked him to do things he "could not ethically support." According to Sharif, the Board then issued WARN Act notices — layoff warnings, in other words — to the remaining staff. It's unclear how many employees remain employed or who sits on this mysterious board. Although Sharif...

View full article »

Fans Think Fortnite Might Be About to Turn Into the Pink Pony Club With a Chappell Roan Crossover

Fortnite fans are on the edge of their seats as rumors and leaks seem to suggest a potential Chappell Roan crossover coming to Fortnite in February. The Femininomenon of the pop music world has been the talk of the Fortnite community since cosmetics related to some of her most iconic songs supposedly leaked late last month. Developer Epic Games hasn’t confirmed whether Chappell Roan or her famous pink pony mascot will actually show up in-game, but fans are still expecting an announcement as soon as this week. X/Twitter user @itsmeleaky seems to have been the first to kick off rumors that the Midwest Princess was next to join Epic’s roster of Festival stars, sharing images of some very Chappell Roan-looking music cosmetics and what...

View full article »

Resident Evil Requiem Live-Action Trailer Provides a Fresh Look at Ruined Raccoon City

Capcom has published a live-action Resident Evil Requiem trailer that showcases our best look yet at the ruins of Raccoon City, a few weeks before players get to explore it for themselves. The live-action short features Longlegs actress Maika Monroe, who plays a mother living in Raccoon City shortly before its infamous zombie outbreak. Things sadly do not end well for her (or her daughter) in this three-minute short film that is meant to set the scene ahead of Requiem's arrival. Fans can now find the short film by scanning QR codes found on viral marketing appearing in New York's Time Square and around Hollywood. Alternatively, its YouTube link is now live and fans are sharing it around social media: The trailer features cops, dogs...

View full article »

Dead by Daylight: The Hillbilly #1 Spotlights an Iconic Killer

The Hillbilly is easily one of the most memorable Killers in Dead by Daylight. That makes him a perfect choice to get the spotlight in Titan Comics' latest Dead by Daylight tie-in comic. Last month, IGN debuted the trailer for Dead by Daylight: The Hillbilly #1. Now we can reveal a new preview of this issue. Check it out in the slideshow gallery below: Dead by Daylight: The Hillbilly is written by Derek Fridolfs (Stranger Things) and drawn by Dean Kotz (James Bond), with colors by Allison Hu. The first issue features cover art by Kotz, Alex Horley, Francesca Ciregia, Ilan Sheady, and Niclas Mortensen. Each issue of the series also comes with a code for exclusive DLC for the game. Here's Titan's official description of this issue...

View full article »

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Review

I’m a sucker for nostalgia, so I have yet to tire of the enhanced ports, remasters, and remakes that are all the rage these days. I love revisiting games from simpler times, sporting fresh graphics and handy new features, but I also enjoy completely new takes on them I would never have expected. Dragon Quest VII already got the latter treatment on 3DS a decade ago, and now Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is ringing in the 40th anniversary of the series with a fine third iteration, though it’s not one without sacrifices. This time around, there is a clear focus on improving the pacing of one of Dragon Quest’s most notorious entries, and Square Enix has succeeded in that regard – but some of the other adjustments Reimagined makes in an effort...

View full article »

Select JRPGs Are up to 67% Off Right Now at Amazon

Amazon is offering some excellent discounts at the moment on a select few JRPGs, which is great news for those looking to fill up their game library with something new. After clipping a coupon on its store page, Metaphor: ReFantazio for PS5 is down to $23 at the retailer, while the Xbox Series X version is down to $32. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is another on sale, with its Xbox Series X version down to $20.59 with a coupon and its PS5 and Switch copies down to $34.99. Then there's Octopath Traveler 0, which is down to $31.99 for Xbox Series X with a coupon and $39.99 on all other platforms. Finally, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake has dropped to $49.99. Select JRPGs on Sale at Amazon What's nice is that each of these games has...

View full article »

Helldivers 2 Set to Celebrate Second Anniversary With Some 'Surprises,' Including This Fantastic BTS Look at How John Helldiver Was Born

As part of a "month of anniversary surprises," Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has formally introduced us to the "face of Freedom, the voice of Victory, the light of Liberty… John Helldiver." In a fascinating deep dive into the writing and casting of the iconic character, actor Craig Lee Thomas and lead writer Russ Nickel discussed developing the face and voice of the game that the fandom has dubbed, quite rightly, John Helldiver. "Casting was crazy," said Russ Nickel, Helldivers 2's lead writer between 2020 and 2022. "I did all the writing, and then the script went off sort of into the abyss, and I didn't hear anything for a while. Then I found out that it was going to shoot in a week. "They actually hadn't really done any...

View full article »

Nioh 3 Could be Coming to More Consoles Than Just PS5 Sooner Than You Think

Nioh 3 is slated to release on Friday, February 6, on PC via Steam and PS5, but the game's latest trailer has revealed that Xbox and maybe even Nintendo Switch 2 owners may not have too long a wait for a version of their own. According to the small print in the trailer, the PS5's console exclusivity period looks set to run for just six months. This means Nioh 3 could debut on other consoles, such as Nintendo Switch 2 or Xbox Series X and S, as early as August 6, 2026, potentially marking the first time a Nioh title will be available on any console other than Sony's PlayStation. Though none of this is confirmed, of course — and publisher Koei Tecmo may hold off on porting to other consoles for technical and other reasons — it should be...

View full article »

Silent Hill f Actors Appointed Tourism Ambassadors for Japanese City That Inspired the Game

Two actors from Silent Hill f revealed today that they have been appointed ambassadors of the real life location in Japan that inspired the survival horror game’s eerie setting. Takeshi Masago, who plays Kanta Shimizu, the father of main character Hinako, and Tamami Hiraoka, who plays her mother, posted a YouTube short cryptically entitled ‘Important Announcement’ on February 2, 2026. The video begins like a solemn apology or serious announcement, with the two actors suddenly jumping for joy at the end of the video, while holding their tourism ambassador certificates. The actors have both been made tourism ambassadors for Gero City in Japan's Gifu Prefecture. Gero City, specifically the Kanayama-cho area with its quiet, narrow...

View full article »

'People Have a Right to Be Pissed' — Dispatch Developer Apologizes to Fans Over Nintendo Switch Censorship, Says Disclaimer Wasn't Visible Enough

The developer of a game censored due to Nintendo's content guidelines has apologized to fans and said it that its own disclaimer on the changes should have been more visible. Last week, fans were shocked to discover that hit superhero game Dispatch had been censored on Nintendo Switch — where enormous black boxes cover nudity and even a character raising their middle finger. While an option to hide these already existed on other platforms, on Switch it is enforced by default, and cannot be toggled off. Now, after a backlash largely aimed at Nintendo, and questions around why the game has been censored when others (such as The Witcher 3) have not, Dispatch maker AdHoc Studio has released a lengthy statement addressing the situation...

View full article »

Newly-Released MMO Ashes of Creation Left in Tatters as Senior Team Quits and Management Issues Layoff Warning — and Now Steam Is Reportedly Investiga

The future of the newly released Ashes of Creation is in doubt after its leadership team quit following a dispute with the management board — and now Steam is reportedly investigating. Ashes of Creation — funded by a hugely successful $3.2 million Kickstarter campaign back in 2017 — is described as "an old-school take on the modern MMORPG set in a living, reactive world where your choices shape civilization." After significant interest and excitement from MMO fans, Ashes of Creation finally released in December, albeit as a $50 Early Access game on Steam. By the end of January, however, the game's director Steven Sharif had quit "in protest," reportedly along with most of the game's senior development team at Intrepid Studios, after...

View full article »

AU Deals: Today's Cheapest Games, Curated For Bargain Hunters With High Standards

Today's list is me filtering everything down to the games that actually earn your time once the credit card damage is done. Not hypothetically good. Not historically important. Just good to play, right now, at these prices. What I scope for is simple. Does the game still have texture once the novelty wears off? Does it respect my time? And crucially, does the discount change the conversation around its flaws? Some games become forgivable. Others become irresistible. Contents Retro Nintendo Xbox PlayStation PC LEGO This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, it's been 28 years since Bungie tried its hand at real-time strategy with Myth: The Fallen Lords. Sadly, it's a series that hasn't persisted, but what has endured are our fond memories...

View full article »

The Best Deals Today: Sailor Moon Manga Box Set, Octopath Traveler 0, Star Wars Outlaws, and More

We've rounded up the best deals for Sunday, February 1, below. Don't miss your chance to save on these deals! Save 41% Off This Sailor Moon Manga Box Set Sailor Moon is an incredibly popular series, and if you're a fan, this box set could be an excellent addition to your manga shelf. This set contains volumes 1-6, plus 16 exclusive art cards and a holographic box. It's worth noting that there is a second box set, containing volumes 7-10, so you can grab both if you want to complete your collection. Octopath Traveler 0 for $39.99 Octopath Traveler 0 was easily one of the most overlooked RPGs of 2025. This massive game packs in a huge amount of content, with over 100 hours required to 100% the game. In our 9/10 review, we wrote...

View full article »

The Resident Evil Timeline Explained – From the Spencer Mansion to Requiem’s Return to the RPD

The ninth entry in the mainline Resident Evil series is fast approaching, but if you’re thinking that it could be the ideal point to jump in for the first time, you’ll almost certainly be left wondering what the hell is going on as you play through its opening hours. Resident Evil Requiem builds atop a three-decade legacy of survival horror, so you’re going to have to do some homework before you get started. To help you out, we’ve put together a (very condensed) synopsis of the main Resident Evil story and everything you need to know leading into Resident Evil Requiem, presented in chronological order. As I’m sure you’ve already worked out, the following contains spoilers – lots and lots of spoilers – for the entire Resident Evil...

View full article »

The Best Deals Today: Final Fantasy Tactics, ROG Xbox Ally, LEGO Icons, and More

We've rounded up the best deals for Saturday, January 31, below. Don't miss your chance to save on these deals! Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles for $27.99 Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles is just $27.99 at Woot today, marking the lowest we've seen this game yet. As one of the best Final Fantasy games ever, this remaster is the perfect way to experience the beloved classic with enhanced modern features like fast-forward, autosave, and more. ASUS ROG Xbox Ally for $489.99 Amazon has the Asus ROG Xbox Ally on sale for $489.99, which matches the all-time low price we've seen before. You can save $110 on this portable PC equipped with everything you need to play or stream your Xbox games. Pre-Order Tomodachi...

View full article »

'What the Duck Is This?' — Arc Raiders Duplication Glitch has Players Running Into Hoarders With Hundreds of Squeaky Bath Toys

A new Arc Raiders duplication glitch has fans worried about exploits, but others just want to know why it’s being used to spawn mountains of rubber duck trinkets. The Headwinds update brought new content, alongside fresh gameplay tweaks, when it launched for Arc Raiders players across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S earlier this week. While the 40+ level matchmaking option, Solo vs. Squads, was positioned by developer Embark Studios to be its big selling point, some players are more concerned with the return of an item duplication exploit and how it has affected the in-game (duck) economy. Although players are no doubt using the dupe glitch to amass piles of rare items like blueprints, it seems a few fans are manipulating...

View full article »

Google's Project Genie Seemingly Causes Some Investors to Lose Faith in Roblox, Unity and...GTA 6

Just one day after the announcement of Genie, Google's generative AI-powered virtual world creator, a number of major video game companies are seeing their stock prices tumble, seemingly because some investors think you can just generate an entire video game with AI now. Of course, that's not what Genie is. Genie essentially lets you create a virtual "world" by offering prompts to describe the environment, a main character, and first or third-person view. Once it's created, you can control the described character and wander around the world you've made. And that's...kind of it? While you can walk around these virtual spaces with your keyboard, critically, there's nothing else you can really do. There are no game mechanics, there's no...

View full article »

Just 4 Days After Launch, Highguard Gets 5v5 Limited Time Game Mode to Counter Those 3v3 Complaints

Highguard developer Wildlight has announced a 5v5 limited time game mode available to all players starting today. It will run through the weekend. The free-to-play PvP raid shooter launched this week and immediately met with a “mostly negative” user review rating on Steam, although that has improved in recent days to ‘mixed.’ Meanwhile, Steam concurrents have fallen after a peak of nearly 100,000, sparking questions about Highguard’s future. Chief among the criticisms from players is that the size of the map feels too big and empty for a 3v3 competitive shooter. You’re able to summon a mount to get about faster (the mounts are one aspect of Highguard that players seem to universally like), but some thought a 4v4, 5v5, or even 3v3v3...

View full article »

Some Magic: the Gathering Players Attending Lorwyn Eclipsed Pre-release Events Got an Unwanted Surprise: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Two weeks ago, I happily attended my first-ever pre-release event for a new Magic: the Gathering set. This was for Lorwyn Eclipsed, which veteran players inform me is a long-awaited return to the fantasy stylings of Magic's Lorwyn plane after nearly 20 years. As you can imagine, there were a lot of long-time Magic fans who were very excited about this release, but in the minutes before my pre-release event began, I kept overhearing a tone of anxiety in the conversations around me. The cause of the anxiety? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If you've never been to a pre-release event, what happens is this: you're given a nice little box that contains several booster packs, which you will use to build a deck for the event and play some...

View full article »

Battlefield 6 Update to Alter 2 Controversial Cosmetics After Fans Accuse EA of AI-Generated Content and Call of Duty: Ghosts Inspiration

Battlefield Studios and EA have published Battlefield 6 version 1.1.3.6 patch notes, revealing the next update will alter the controversial “Call of Duty: Ghosts” skin and a seemingly AI-generated sticker. Details on the incoming patch, which launches across PC and consoles February 3, were published via the official Battlefield website today. It’s a relatively insubstantial update that targets quality-of-life issues across the experience, but one bullet point tucked under the “Player” changes section makes it clear the developers are still listening to fans as they move toward the delayed launch of Season 2. The one-sentence change says the Objective Ace and Winter Warning cosmetics will be altered to “better align with Battlefield’s...

View full article »

Aniimo Preview: All the Fun of Creature-Catching With All the Transactions of Gacha

When you say the words “creature collector,” you already have my attention. I’ve been both curious and wary in equal measures since Aniimo was first announced. I’m far from the only person hungering for a worthy competitor in the creature-collection, monster-taming space, and I’ve dabbled in quite a few. Aniimo looks particularly vibrant, vast, and cutesy to boot. It’s the addition of gacha elements that has had me a little on the fence. If you’ve ever sunk hours into a gacha, you understand the trepidation. Will this be the sort of gacha experience that has me gleefully forking over my credit card info, or resenting every microtransaction? After about four hours with Aniimo, I’d say I’m still cautiously optimistic. It has all the...

View full article »

'Go Back and Play Morrowind and Tell Me That's the Game You Want to Play Again' — Former Bethesda Veteran Delivers His Verdict on Potential The Elder

A former veteran Bethesda developer has cast doubt on the possibility of a Morrowind remaster in the same vein as the recently released Oblivion remaster, saying going back to play The Elder Scrolls 3 now, over 20 years after it came out, would make fans “cringe.” Bethesda is heavily rumored to be preparing Fallout remasters, with Fallout 3 and New Vegas suggested as in the works. But Morrowind — considered by many to be the greatest The Elder Scrolls game ever released — does not seem to be part of the remaster conversation. Why? In an interview with Press Box PR, Bruce Nesmith, who left Bethesda in 2021 midway through the development of Starfield having worked at the company for over 17 years, highlighted a number of reasons why...

View full article »