Gaming News

PUBG’s Original Erangel Map Is Coming Back to ‘Evoke Nostalgia for Players Who Remember the Early Access Days’

PUBG’s original Erangel map is returning with “nostalgic” graphics and old-school balancing for two weeks only, Krafton has announced. Erangel Classic launches on May 14 as part of update 29.2 for the battle royale. It recreates the initial version of Erangel, PUBG’s first ever battleground, and is “designed to evoke nostalgia for players who remember the early access days.” PUBG launched on Steam in Early Access form in March 2017 and exploded with popularity. Then known as PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, the battle royale hit Steam’s record concurrent player peak of 3,257,248 — a number no game has come close to since. Hot on the heels of PUBG’s success came a wave of incredibly popular battle royale games, such as Fortnite, Call of...

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TopSpin 2K25 Review

2024 has been a cracking year for tennis fans so far. Reebok brought back its classic Court Victory Pump sneakers, Zendaya got stuck into a saucy bit of mixed doubles on the big screen in Challengers, and now one of the greatest tennis videogame series’ has returned after a 13-year-long hiatus. TopSpin 2K25 delivers an on-court experience that’s every bit as smooth and snappy as it was two console generations ago, and it features licensed superstars and stadiums that now more closely resemble the real thing. It’s a shame, then, that some convoluted career progression systems and the inclusion of virtual currency hold TopSpin 2K25 back from being an outright winner. Developer Hangar 13 is best known for making Mafia games, but here the...

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This Jackery Explorer 31,000mAh Power Bank Is TSA Carry-on Eligible and Under $100

Amazon is offering the Jackery Explorer 100 31,000mAh Power Bank for $99.99 after you clip the $30 off coupon on the product page. This is the largest capacity power bank we've seen that's TSA carry-on eligible. It also uses superior LiFePO4 battery cells, can charge up to 3 devices simultaneously, and boasts up to 100W charging output via USB Type-C. Jackery Explorer 100 31,000mAh Power Bank for $399.99 At first glance the Jackery Explorer 100 looks like one of those large power stations you might use as a backup battery for your home. But actually, this thing is pretty small, small enough to fit on the palm of your hand. It measures only 5"x3.4"x3.4" and weighs about 2 pounds. This is a 99Whr power bank, which means it just barely...

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The Arzopa 15" 1080p USB Type-C Monitor Is $60.79 for Amazon Prime Members (Switch and Steam Deck Compatible)

Amazon is offering an excellent deal on this Arzopa 15" 1080p USB Type-C portable monitor. It's normally $129.99, but Amazon Prime members can get it right now for $60.79 shipped after a 20% off clippable coupon. That's the best price we've ever seen for this particular model, and the lowest price compared to other legit 15" USB Type-C monitors on Amazon. This is a great portable display for your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or ASUS ROG Ally gaming handheld. Note: You will need to be logged into your Amazon Prime account to see these prices. Arzopa S1 15" 1080p USB-C Portable Monitor for $60.79 Amazon Prime member exclusive This 15" 1080p monitor works as a secondary display for your laptop, tablet, phone, gaming console, or...

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Seal: What the Fun Is a Chaotic, Unpredictable, and Highly Entertaining Party Royale Game

Seal: What the Fun is a brand-new multiplayer party royale game that will let up to 20 players compete in a wide array of hilarious and entertaining mini-games to be the last one standing. There is so much fun to be had in Seal: What the Fun and we’re here to break down why this is one party you don’t want to miss. Seal: What the Fun, which is set to have a beta test on April 27 and 28 in the Americas, is chaotic, unpredictable, and highly entertaining in all the best ways. Each match will last just 10 minutes and there will be three rounds of awesome fun in every one. Seal: What the Fun supports both solo and team play modes so you have the freedom to play exactly how you want. While we’ll get to the fun of the rounds in Seal: What...

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GTA 5 Had Trevor DLC Before Rockstar Scrapped It, Voice Actor Steven Ogg Says

Grand Theft Auto V voice actor Steven Ogg has said developer Rockstar Games originally planned to make a story expansion focused on Trevor, though it was seemingly canceled as a result of GTA Online becoming so popular. As reported by The Loadout, Ogg was joined by Michael actor Ned Luke and Franklin actor Shawn Fonteno in a Questions and Answers session with Streamily. The trio shed light on what they claimed was scrapped downloadable content for GTA 5 that starred Trevor as a Federal Investigation Bureau agent. "Originally they were gonna do continuing stories of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor," Luke said, and Ogg expanded on his version. "We also had that really cool s**t of — and I forget if it was DLC, I have no idea — but...

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Eternal Strands: Shadow of the Colossus Meets Tears of the Kingdom in this Promising Action-Adventure – IGN First

Even in its early alpha state, my extensive hands-on time with Eternal Strands gave me a lot to be excited about. Whether it’s the Monster Hunter-esque boss fights against giant creatures, the interesting and flexible physics-manipulating magical powers, or the obvious dedication to telling a wholesome story filled with lovable characters, this upcoming indie repeatedly surprised me by being very different from its action-adventure peers. By combining a hodgepodge of some of my favorite elements from different genres into one action-packed package, developer Yellow Brick Games hopes to pull off something wholly unique with its inaugural title. After numerous hours climbing atop fiery dragons and freezing pesky knights in a block of ice...

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Metaphor: ReFantazio - Here's What Comes in Each Edition

Metaphor: ReFantazio is set to release October 11 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. An RPG from the makers of the Persona series, Metaphor: ReFantazio is set in a magical kingdom in the aftermath of the assassination of the king. You and your team battle enemies using a mix of turn-based combat and real-time action as you fight for the future of the kingdom. The game is available to preorder now in both a standard edition and a collector's edition (see it at GameStop). Read on to see what comes in each, how much they cost, and more. Metaphor: ReFantazio Collector's Edition PS5 Get it at GameStop - $149.99 See it at Amazon - (Not yet available) Xbox Series X|S Get it at GameStop - $149.99 See it at Amazon - (Not yet...

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants Review

Sometimes, a video game surprises you by doing something you don’t expect: A plot twist, a novel game mechanic, or an idea you don’t really see anywhere else. And sometimes, a game is precisely what it says it is on the tin: What you see is what you get, for better and for worse. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants is the latter. An enhanced port of the 2017 arcade game from developer Raw Thrills, Wrath of the Mutants is a very good beat ‘em up that is beaten down by a lack of content and features. It’s a tasty slice of New York pizza if you like beat ‘em ups, but only a single piece; you’ll probably be hungry again an hour later. Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Wrath of the Mutants’ visual style...

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Fortnite Festival Finally Adds Support for Rock Band 4 and PDP Riffmaster Guitar Controllers

Over four months after Fortnite Festival was released, Harmonix and Epic Games announced that the rhythm game now supports Rock Band 4 plastic guitar controllers. In a blog post, Epic Games revealed that, as part of the new changes introduced in season 3, players can now use Rock Band 4 guitar controllers for Fortnite Festival's new song parts: Pro Lead and Pro Bass. The new song parts are available on the Main Stage, which is considered the Fortnite Festival's main gameplay mode. Players can play solo or with three friends and choose a song while trying to button-mash and get as high a score as possible before the tune concludes. This guitar controller support includes the PDP Riffmaster, a new third-party wireless guitar...

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Fortnite Now Lets Players Block ‘Overly Confrontational’ Emotes, Sparking Vociferous Debate

Epic Games has updated Fortnite to let players block certain emotes it said were used in “confrontational ways.” The new 'Confrontational Emotes' setting, live as part of April 23’s v29.30 update, lets players toggle visibility on four emotes, including Fortnite’s famous ‘Take the L’ emote. Players who choose not to see certain emotes that are “sometimes used in confrontational ways” will instead see a player using the emote standing still, with no emote sound, Epic said. “We want emotes to be a source of good vibes, but a few (cough Take the L cough) can sometimes feel a bit overly confrontational,” Epic explained in a tweet. The 'See Confrontational Emotes' setting applies to four emotes: Laugh It Up Take the L Whipcrack Make...

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No Rest for the Wicked Early Access Hotfix 3 Improves Performance, Balance, Loot and More

No Rest for the Wicked developer Moon Studios has released the biggest update yet for its action role-playing game as it battles to improve its ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam. No Rest for the Wicked launched on Steam in Early Access form on April 18 to impressive concurrent player numbers, but players complained about a number of issues, including performance problems, localisation issues, and absent quality of life features. Check out IGN's No Rest for the Wicked Early Access review for more. Moon Studios, famous for the Ori franchise, said Hotfix 3 improves performance, balance, loot, harvesting, and graphics, and fixes progression blockers while adding new options in the Settings screen. A good few dozen other bugs across the...

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Longtime Fortnite Developer Reveals Why Nintendo Wouldn't Let Samus Join the Party

Former Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard has explained why Fortnite was never able to add a Nintendo representative like Samus Aran as a playable character. Fortnite has raged on as one of the biggest crossover titles in pop culture for nearly seven years, and that’s thanks to the long list of characters from across movies, TV, and games that it features. With PlayStation and Xbox mascots like Kratos and Master Chief already available as playable characters, many fans expected to one day see a Nintendo character join the fray. When documents revealed that Epic had once considered the possibility of including someone like Samus, excitement grew even more. However, Mustard said the chances the sci-fi bounty hunter...

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No Rest for the Wicked Early Access Review

In its early access state, No Rest of the Wicked is already full of surprises. Mostly those are great, like how one moment I found myself marveling at its slow and precise combat (all but unprecedented in the action RPG genre) and the next I found myself decorating my home like I was in an M-rated Animal Crossing. On the other side, although it’s certainly to be expected from a game that’s clearly labeled as unfinished, there were also some not-so-fun surprises, like various technical issues, a loot and inventory management system that needs some serious tweaking, and some levels that can be a headache to navigate from an isometric perspective. There’s nothing there that feels unsolvable, though, and all of those problems are eclipsed...

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Metaphor: ReFantazio, New RPG From Persona Team, Gets October Release Date

Metaphor: ReFantazio, the new RPG by the team behind Persona 5 among other RPGs, officially has a release date. In a special showcase streamed Monday, Atlus revealed that Metaphor will be out October 11, putting it squarely in the holidays. The release date was revealed amid a 25-minute showcase hosted by director Katsura Hashino, which showed off the gameplay, music, and other elements. It offered a glimpse of what Persona fans can expect from Hashino's latest project, which bears some resemblance to Persona 5 but is in other respects very different. Unlike Persona, which seeks to capture the feeling of being in a Japanese high school, Metaphor is a much more high-concept fantasy adventure. It retains several of the elements of the...

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Zenless Zone Zero Release Date May Have Been Leaked by Mistake on App Store

The release date for Genshin Impact maker HoYoverse’s upcoming urban role-playing game, Zenless Zone Zero, might have leaked before its official announcement. The action RPG’s soft “coming soon in 2024” placeholder text may actually mean this summer. According to Zenless Zone Zero’s Apple App Store page, the anime-inspired third-person action RPG is expected to release on July 3. As of the time of writing, developer HoYoverse has yet to announce an official release date on its official social media accounts. So far, only Zenless Zone Zero’s Apple store page has a listed release date, though the storefront does couch the expected date with supplemental text, saying, “This content may change without notice, and the final product may be...

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Payday 3 Update Fixes One of Its Biggest Launch Issues After Seven Months

Developer Starbreeze Entertainment is finally adding an important feature to Payday 3: Quickplay. The studio announced the much-needed multiplayer component in a post on its website. The feature, along with Player Merging, will arrive as part of the next update. It says Quickplay is simple for now, allowing players to, well, select a difficulty mode and quickly join a Payday 3 multiplayer match. An updated version of the option is in the works, but players can rest easy knowing it'll be a little easier to actually start playing. “We know we want to create an updated Quickplay, a v2, by building on the groundwork that we have for this update," Starbreeze explains. "What that will look like is still being discussed, and we’re open to...

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Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update Left Fallout London Dev Feeling 'Blindsided'

Team Folon’s Dean Carter, project lead on the highly anticipated mod Fallout London, has opened up about how Bethesda’s upcoming Fallout 4 update impacted the studio, saying the team felt “blindsided” by the move. Carter delved into how the Fallout developer’s next-gen update, which is set to release on April 25, has affected Folon’s development timeline during an interview with the BBC. He says his team had no communication from Bethesda when it came to the update’s release plans, resulting in the unforeseen delay of Fallout London. While the team pivots to account for a relatively substantial new update for Fallout 4, Folon is left wishing it had a heads-up. “So that has, for lack of a better term, sort of screwed us over...

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Modders Use Leaked Source Code to Get GTA 5 Running on Switch

A year after Grand Theft Auto V's source code was leaked to the public, a group of modders has released footage of the seminal open-world game running on the Nintendo Switch. Modding team Superstar South posted a two-minute clip on the official X/Twitter account (spotted by GamesRadar) showing GTA V on the Switch. Superstar South announced in March that it was trying to create an unofficial port of GTA 5 for the Nintendo Switch, Linux, and Android. The project is based on source code that has been circulating publicly for at least year. Rockstar has been the victim of several major hacks, one of which resulted in a host of materials from GTA VI. The Switch's technical specs being what they are, the performance leaves a lot to be...

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Popular Indie Game El Paso, Elsewhere Getting Movie Adaptation Starring LaKeith Stanfield

Developer Strange Scaffold’s third-person neo-noir shooter, El Paso, Elsewhere, is heading to the big screen, per Deadline. LaKeith Stanfield (Judas and the Black Messiah, Sorry to Bother You) is currently in talks to star and produce the project alongside Lorenzo di Bonaventura’s Di Bonaventura Pictures and Colin Stark. The adaptation is said to follow protagonist James Savage as he navigates a monster-filled world in order to bring an end to his vicious ex-girlfriend and his own inner turmoil. The indie hit from studio head and narrative director Xalavier Nelson Jr., who also voices its main character, released last year and tells the story of a vampire hunter who sets out to destroy his ex-girlfriend before she destroys the...

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Skyrim Speedrunner Reaches Level 80 and Kills Ebony Warrior in Less Than 12 Minutes

An Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim speedrunner has reached level 80 and killed the infamous Ebony Warrior in under 12 minutes, setting a new world record in the process. As reported by GamesRadar, YouTuber nucular uploaded a video of the complex but efficient speedrun and their defeat of the legendary Ebony Warrior, an enemy which only appears at Level 80. Reaching this high a level would usually take several hundred hours of normal gameplay, or several dozen of dedicated grinding, but nucular's method takes advantage of a few exploits to reach it in once thought impossible speeds. Their final time of 11 minutes and 47 seconds comes in a few minutes faster than the previous world record, which was set at 14 minutes and 27 seconds in 2021 by...

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Tales of the Shire: A the Lord of the Rings Game Looks Like a Cosy Time With Hobbits

We finally have the first full trailer for Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game, an upcoming single-player life simulation set in the Middle-earth universe inspired by the books of J.R.R. Tolkien. Tales of the Shire, published by Take-Two-owned Private Division and developed by Wētā Workshop Game Studio, lets you live life as a Hobbit in the idyllic town of Bywater, which is not yet established as an official village in Hobbiton. The idea of the game is to help bring the community together and achieve official village status by throwing the greatest Bywater Festival the Shire has ever seen. Expect plenty of wholesome, Hobbit-centric gameplay, including creating and personalizing a Hobbit with an array of customisations...

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Want to Kiss the Crones of Crookbag Bog? 'Make it Yourself' Says Dev as Witcher 3 Mod Support Arrives

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's official mod support is now available in early access and alongside its arrival came a subtle challenge to kiss the Crones of Crookback Bog from one CD Projekt Red developer. As reported by GamesRadar, The Witcher 3 REDkit arrived on Steam on April 16 as the first official mod editor for the nine year-old game, letting players create custom content with CD Projekt Red's official tools. The Witcher 3 quest designer (now Cyberpunk 2077 sequel's associate game director) Paweł Sasko posted on X/Twitter to celebrate, telling fans they can no longer complain about not having certain options in the beloved role-playing game because they can now make it all themselves. One specific feature mentioned by Sasko, which...

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ID@Xbox Showcase Announced for April 2024, Exclusively Presented by IGN

IGN is proud to once again partner with ID@Xbox to exclusively present the next ID@Xbox Showcase, which promises to feature some of the most exciting upcoming indie games from around the world, including Vampire Survivors, Dungeons of Hinterberg, 33 Immortals, Lost Records Bloom & Rage, and more. This next ID@Xbox Showcase will premiere on Monday, April 29, 2024, at 10am PT/1pm ET/6pm BST. In addition to being packed full of trailers, gameplay, reveals, and much more, the crew of IGN’s Podcast Unlocked will be breaking down all the biggest moments revealed in the post-show, immediately following the main show. If you’d like to tune into the ID@Xbox Showcase, IGN will be hosting the livestream on IGN.com as well as across our...

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Tales of Kenzera: Zau Review

In an ocean of new action-platformers, it’d be easy to overlook Tales of Kenzera: Zau, but casting it away without a second thought would be a mistake. This is a short, sweet side-scrolling action game inspired by the many, many children of Metroid and Castlevania. It’s full of crunchy combat and springy platforming, all of which is fun if not groundbreaking in a genre where others seem to raise the bar on a regular basis. But most importantly, its the touching love letter from a grieving son to their deceased father, told in clever and moving allegories about sending restless spirits to the afterlife, that helps it stand out in the pack. The biggest first impression Tales of Kenzera makes is how great it looks. With a bold color...

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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Part of EA Play in Some PlayStation Regions

EA has made Star Wars Jedi: Survivor part of the EA Play subscription in some PlayStation regions. IGN has confirmed Respawn’s action adventure is now part of EA Play on PlayStation in the UK. EA has yet to made an announcement, but the move comes ahead of an expected price hike for the subscription service. Earlier in April it emerged that EA Play would get a price increase starting May 10. EA plans to increase the standard tier for EA Play from $4.99 to $5.99 per month, or for those that prefer to pay for a year in advance, the price will increase from $29.99 to $39.99. In contrast, the Pro tier of EA Play will increase from a monthly fee of $14.99 to $16.99 or $119.99 annually (a $20 increase). The inclusion of Star Wars Jedi...

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Mortal Kombat 1 Stealth-Dropped a Secret Brutality for All Characters

Mortal Kombat 1 players have discovered a secret Brutality for all characters that developer NetherRealm appears to have stealth-dropped into the game. All Mortal Kombat 1 characters have Brutalities — unique moves that end a match in a particularly brutal fashion. They’re triggered by doing an extra input command on top of a specific combo ender or move that wins the final round. Most of the characters in the game have six brutalities, but ever since Mortal Kombat 1 launched in September last year, players have discovered secret Brutalities, too. As reported by EventHubs, Mortal Kombat 1 players are only now discovering a secret Brutality that works for every character in the game. It involves depleting your opponent’s health bar...

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Fallout TV Show Sparks Debate Over Who Dropped the Bombs First — Here Are the Fan Theories

Warning: spoilers for the Fallout TV show follow. If you watched the Fallout TV show as a fan of the video games upon which it’s based, one revelation in particular will have caught your eye: who dropped the bombs first on that fateful day in 2077. Fallout’s nuclear apocalypse was thought to have been triggered by China going first. Tim Cain, co-creator of Fallout, said in an interview last year that it was indeed China who dropped the first nuke. "The reason we got nuked is: bio-weapons were illegal and somehow China found out we were doing FEV [Forced Evolutionary Virus]," Cain explained in an interview with Fallout lore expert TKs-Mantis. "And they were like, 'you have to stop it.' And we went, 'OK.' And all we did is move it. All...

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EA Japan Exec Criticises Japanese Ratings Board For Allowing Stellar Blade Uncensored But Banning Dead Space

An executive of Electronic Arts Japan has criticised the Japanese video game ratings board for allowing upcoming action game Stellar Blade to be released uncensored while EA's own Dead Space was banned in the country. In posts on X/Twitter, EA Japan general manager Shaun Noguchi questioned the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) for allegedly banning horror game Dead Space over features he claimed also appear in Stellar Blade. "What’s going on CERO?," Noguchi asked in the post, translated by Automaton. "The Stellar Blade demo was really fun and absolutely action packed. However, CERO, you denied our Dead Space a rating because it included cross-sections of severed body parts and internal organs, but here we have both...

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Delisting The Crew Makes Sense, Preventing It From Ever Being Played Again Does Not

2014’s The Crew was the first project for developer Ivory Tower, which was founded in Lyon, France, in 2007 and later acquired by Ubisoft in late 2015. While it may have been the debut game for the studio, a number of Ivory Tower’s staff formerly hailed from Lyon’s Eden Games (including Ivory Tower’s three founders) and had previous experience on the first three instalments of the V-Rally series, the PlayStation version of Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed, and the trendsetting Test Drive Unlimited. As such, there was a good deal of optimism around The Crew. While The Crew was a racing game of impressively preposterous proportions – with a map that spanned a condensed version of the entire continental USA – it was admittedly shy of...

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