Gaming News

Work to Improve the Disastrous MindsEye Continues, With Build a Rocket Boy Releasing Hefty Update 4

MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy has released Update 4 across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, insisting it remains “committed to refining” the game following its disastrous launch. In July, IGN reported that Edinburgh-based BARB had issued at-risk of redundancy emails to its around 300-strong UK workforce after MindsEye flopped at release. Soon after MindsEye came out, BARB said it was “heartbroken” over the issues players had faced with the game, and promised to release a series of patches to fix the significant performance problems, glitches, and AI behavior bugs. All the while, MindsEye’s troubled launch saw the developer cancel sponsored streams, with reports of players securing refunds even from the normally...

View full article »

'I Guess Silksong Is Just That Respected': After Hollow Knight: Silksong Was Cracked at Launch, Pirates Are Urging Each Other to Buy Instead — and Som

The splash damage caused by Hollow Knight: Silksong’s massive launch impact has spread beyond huge Steam concurrents and struggling storefronts to the parts of the internet where video game pirates hang out — and there something interesting is happening: the pirates are urging each other to buy the game instead of downloading the cracked version. Team Cherry’s hotly anticipated Hollow Knight sequel finally came out on September 4, 2025 priced $20, six years after it was announced, and instantly crashed storefronts including Steam. As the storefronts recovered, player numbers swelled to the point where Silksong hit an incredible launch day peak of 535,213 concurrent players on Steam, enough to make it the 18th most-played game ever on...

View full article »

The Making of Kaiju No. 8: The Game

Most of the time, a game based on a successful manga is made after the anime adaptation has been airing for some time, but that wasn’t the case with Kaiju No. 8 The Game. (You can read our hands-on impressions here, by the way.) It tells its own story within creator Naoya Matsumoto’s world, as well as referencing pivotal events from the mainline narrative, and is one of the rare instances in which the game and anime were being developed in parallel. “When this game began its development, the manga was only getting started,” says Kaiju No. 8 The Game’s Producer Shinya Fujita. “So there was still a lot of information that we didn’t know yet. And also at the same time, the manga was to be adapted into an anime as well. So this made it...

View full article »

AU Deals: Banger Bargains on Mario Kart World, Steam Deck Perma Installs, and PlayStation Showstoppers

There comes a moment when the digital cart hits triple digits and my self-control uninstalls itself. Today's specials made that moment arrive early. Across Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, there's more temptation than sense. In case I don't see you, stay safe, save often, and see you Monday. Contents Retro Nintendo Xbox PlayStation PC LEGO This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I'm using the explosion of a Venezuelan fuel depot to light a 17-candle cake for Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. Back in 2008, nothing felt quite as gleefully lawless as dropping into this war-torn sandbox with an arsenal of over-the-top firepower and the ability to blow up practically anything that stood in your way. The tagline practically wrote itself...

View full article »

Hollow Knight: Silksong Review in Progress

Happy Hollow Knight: Silksong launch day to all who celebrate! I’ve only played three hours so far and I’m already overwhelmed in the best possible way. It took no time at all for me to get completely lost in the world of this hotly anticipated sequel, one that shortens the intimidating lead-in area its predecessor had in order to more quickly give you branching paths to pick from and the tools to explore them more confidently. It’s too early to get a real sense of where things will go, how all the changes it makes to stuff like upgrades and abilities will play out, or how big this beautiful new land truly is, but my impression so far is that Silksong is already managing to meet the sky-high expectations that have been set for it. One...

View full article »

Stardew Valley Creator ConcernedApe has a Cameo Role in Hollow Knight: Silksong

Stardew Valley creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has a cameo role in Team Cherry’s new mega hit indie game, Hollow Knight: Silksong. The sequel to Team Cherry’s original bleak and beloved metroidvania game finally launched across PC and consoles earlier today, bringing an end to more than six painful years of anticipation. As what is sure to be millions of fans swarm to see if the wait was worth it, The Verge has pointed out that the Hollow Knight: Silksong credits tease a special cameo from one of the most notable indie developers of the last decade. Those who navigate to the Hollow Knight sequel’s credits – which can be found in the “extras” option on the main menu – will notice that Barone is featured among the shortlist of names...

View full article »

Firaxis Lays Off Employees, Despite Publisher Claiming Civilization 7 Sales Are 'Consistent With Expectations'

Civilization VII developer Firaxis has laid off an unknown number of individuals today, despite the insistance of Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick that the game's sales are consistent with expectations. Today, a number of Firaxis employees announced across social media that they had been let go, including members of production, narrative, and art. Civilization VII publisher 2K confirmed the layoffs to Game Developer, saying the studio was restructuring and optimizing its development process for "adaptability, collaboration, and creativity." The company did not confirm the number of individuals impacted. Firaxis released Civilization VII earlier this year, and the game has since received a mixed reception on Steam amid player complaints...

View full article »

Hollow Knight: Silksong Shoots Up Steam's Most-Played Games Chart Hours After Launch, With Huge Concurrent Player Numbers as Storefront Issues Ease

Hollow Knight: Silksong is already a huge hit on Steam despite causing Valve’s storefront to crash, posting massive concurrent player numbers. At the time of this article’s publication, and as those storefront problems ease, Silksong was on a huge 453,993 concurrent players on Steam, making it the third most-played game on Valve’s platform behind only Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2. This number looks set to rise, too, as more people download the game ahead of its first weekend on sale. The question now is, just how big will it be? It’s already the 29th most-played game on Steam of all-time, with the likes of Helldivers 2 in its sights. Silksong is one of the most anticipated games of 2025. Over six years after its initial announcement...

View full article »

Hell is Us Review

The old cliche is that war never changes, but what happens when the hellish actions of war manifest as monsters that trap people in time loops of their worst deeds? Well, even then it turns out the cruelty of mankind itself are still worse than any supernatural destruction, and Hell is Us uses its fantastical near-future setting to take a dark, authentic look at the horrors of war. While the actual act of fighting your way through the monsters of this devastated nation isn’t doing much that’s new to the action-adventure genre, Hell is Us kept me entertained throughout my 38-hour adventure nonetheless. Its combat is simple but satisfying and its world is full of puzzles that push you to really pay attention, which makes for a campaign...

View full article »

WWE 2K25 and Destiny 2: Legacy Collection Lead September’s Humble Choice Lineup

For those looking to add some games to their PC library as the chilly fall weather starts to roll in, September's Humble Choice lineup has officially been announced. This includes a wide variety of games, including WWE 2K25, Destiny 2: Legacy Collection, The Plucky Squire, and five others you can stock up on for just $14.99 if you sign up for a Humble Choice membership. On top of those games, this month also comes with one month of IGN Plus for free, which allows you to turn off ads across the site, get free games, and more. Humble Choice – September 2025 WWE 2K25 Destiny 2: Legacy Collection The Plucky Squire SpellForce: Conquest of Eo Return to Monkey Island Eastern Exorcist Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks Grapple Dog One Month of...

View full article »

Hollow Knight: Silksong Is Out Now — but It's So Popular It's Crashing Storefronts Including Steam

Hollow Knight: Silksong is out now, but the huge rush to buy and download the game has caused some storefronts to crash. Steam, for example, is struggling to cope with the influx of customers, with Silksong’s store page currently resulting in an error page. All this, remember, for a $20 indie game. IGN staff report trouble trying to buy Silksong from the Nintendo eShop, the PlayStation Store, and Xbox. Silksong is a day-one Game Pass title, and it is so far unavailable on the subscription service. Silksong is one of the most anticipated games of 2025. It finally launches today, September 4, over six years after its initial announcement and as the most wishlisted game on Steam. While you wait for storefronts to recover, be sure to...

View full article »

The Best Deals Today: 007 First Light Preorders, LEGO WALL-E & EVE, and More

If you’ve been waiting for your next James Bond adventure, 007 First Light is officially up for preorder ahead of its March 27, 2026 release on PS5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Alongside the standard edition, there’s also a Legacy Edition that comes with a collectible Golden Gun replica and other extras for longtime fans. Just after the base game or fancy the full collector’s package? It’s worth locking in your copy early. TL;DR: Todays Best Deals Today’s other deals span across home, tech, and nerdy building goodness. You can grab the LEGO Disney & Pixar WALL-E & EVE set for under $70, a great display piece for Pixar fans; the EUKI Compressed Air Duster at $39.99, a rechargeable alternative to canned air that’s handy for...

View full article »

After 1,693 Days of Videos, the Superfan Behind YouTube Channel Daily Silksong News Can Finally Rest

Hollow Knight: Silksong is out today, over six years after its initial announcement. Fans who have been waiting that entire time for the game finally have their hands on it in what is sure to mark an exciting new era for a community that’s driven itself to often-surprising lengths of hype and anticipation. But for one fan in particular, today is not just a beginning, it’s an ending, an ending of a nearly five-year project that’s become a staple part of the Silksong community during the long wait for Team Cherry’s game. Today, September 4, 2025, marks the final video for the YouTube channel Daily Silksong News. Daily Silksong News is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a YouTube channel run by Silksong community member Araraura, where he...

View full article »

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Patch 10 Goes Live — and This Is the Big One, With Playable Helbrute, Power Axe Weapon, Chaos Spawn Enemy, and a Lot

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has its long-awaited Patch 10 across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. This is the big anniversary update that makes a number of significant changes and additions to Saber Interactive’s explosive third-person action game. It’s worth noting that while Patch 10 is live now, Season Pass 2 and the Black Templars and Imperial Fists cosmetics do not go live until later today, September 4. Patch 10.0 adds new game modes and maps, along with the Chaos Armour Pack, Champion Customisation, new weapons, and more. The Chaos Armour Pack is available for free. You can finally change the armour set of your Heretic Astartes in PvP, but you have to unlock the set first. Each class requires you to score a...

View full article »

How Borderlands 4 Levels Up The Looter Shooter Like Never Before

Long before Bungie’s Destiny suited up and took players on a looter shooter odyssey across the universe, there was Borderlands from Gearbox Software. A delirious exercise in abundance with more quips, comical eye-winks, enemies, missions and weapons than you could shake a hairy stick at, Gearbox Software’s raucous looter shooter set a new standard for the genre when it debuted all the way back in 2009, and it’s one that the series has been iterating on ever since. Now in the year of our lord 2025, Gearbox Software is back at it again with Borderlands 4, the latest entry in its looter shooter series that aims to level up the genre like never before. Here’s how Borderlands 4 does just that. Gun And Loot Customisation, Which Reaches New...

View full article »

AU Deals: Rare Wins on Nintendo Exclusives and a Month Dedicated to Discounted Logitech Essentials

I always tell myself I'll stop stockpiling games, but these sales keep proving me a liar. When the discounts are this sharp, it feels less like spending and more like investing in future fun. From family favourites to violent epics, today's spread has plenty worth pulling the trigger on. Contents Retro PC Nintendo Xbox PlayStation LEGO This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I'm using a flaming grenade to light a 12-candle cake baked for Killzone: Mercenary, the 2013 FPS that brought the Helghast war to PS Vita. This was no half-hearted spin-off either. At the time, it felt like a full console-grade shooter shrunk down to fit in my hands, complete with weighty weapons, sharp visuals, and a clever mercenary angle (letting you earn cash...

View full article »

007 First Light: Here’s What Comes in Each Edition

007 First Light is set to release for PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on March 27, 2026. It’s a new origin story for James Bond, so it stars a young version of the MI6 agent, before he becomes the slick professional who’s been a cinema mainstay for decades now. The game is developed by IO Interactive, the same team that made the Hitman: World of Assassination games. It’s available for preorder now in several editions. Read on to see what comes in each one. 007 First Light - Collector’s Edition PS5 Get it at Amazon - $299.99 Get it at Best Buy - $299.99 Xbox Get it at Amazon - $299.99 Get it at Best Buy - $299.99 PC Get it at Amazon - $299.99 Get it at Best Buy - $299.99 The Legacy Edition comes with the...

View full article »

007 First Light Release Date Confirmed During Sony State of Play

007 First Light has set a release date of March 27, 2026, as part of an extensive look at gameplay during a Sony State of Play deep dive. IOI’s James Bond adventure launches then across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Pre-orders get an upgrade to the Deluxe Edition for free. This includes 24 hours early access, four exclusive outfits (Day of the Dead, Desert Explorer, Silent Anchor, and Gentleman Operator), a new weapon skin, and the Gleaming Pack (the Gleaming Lighter, the Gleaming Earphones, the Gleaming Phone, and the Gleaming Pen). During the State of Play, Patrick Gibson (Dexter: Original Sin, The OA) announced the ensemble cast of voice and motion capture actors for 007 First Light, confirming...

View full article »

007 First Light Officially Casts Its James Bond, and It's Exactly Who You Thought It Was

When it comes to casting, arguably no role in the world garners more attention than that of James Bond. Connery, Brosnan, Craig, each of us has our favourite version of the iconic British spy. Now, following a period of (now confirmed to be successful) internet sleuth work, we have a new face to add to the canon: Patrick Gibson. 007 First Light is the new Bond adventure from Hitman developer IO Interactive, and features a brand-new origin story for the MI6 agent. 30-year-old Gibson will portray the youngest on-screen 007 to date, who is only 26 at the beginning of this story. The Irish actor is by no means a complete unknown, having appeared in TV shows Dexter: Original Sin, Shadow and Bone, and The OA, but is not the superstar casting...

View full article »

'It Was Fairly Small, It Did Feel Significant' — How the Death of the Queen Forced IO to Tweak 007 First Light

A short time into developing 007 First Light, something happened that meant parts of James Bond’s next adventure needed to be rewritten. No, it wasn’t anything going down internally at the studio that led to such a change, but something entirely more global: the death of Queen Elizabeth II of England. The news was huge, but the impact on the script, not so much. It mainly revolved around instances of characters having to refer to protecting both King and country rather than Queen, and Bond being on His Majesty’s Secret Service rather than her. “It was fairly small, it did feel significant,” revealed Martin Emborg, First Light’s narrative director. "It wasn't like going in and going like, delete, delete, delete. It did feel, and we...

View full article »

'That Was Definitely Tough, Right?' — CEO of MindsEye Publisher IOI Responds to Disastrous Launch

To say MindsEye suffered from a rocky launch would be a bit of an understatement. A release plagued by a poor critical reception, refunds to players who purchased it, and subsequent layoffs, developer Build a Rocket Boy’s debut game garnered its fair share of negative headlines. But there was once a time when there was something to be excited about when it came to MindsEye, so much so that IOI Partners — the publishing arm of Hitman and 007 First Light studio IO Interactive — saw enough promise in it to distribute the game. “The initial talks we had with those guys were to support them”, Hakan Abrak, CEO of IOI, told IGN. “We thought they had some great ideas and a great world in the background that they were building, and hopefully...

View full article »

Hitman Dev IO Interactive Put Daniel Craig's Head on Agent 47 When Pitching for James Bond Game 007 First Light

007 First Light is the upcoming action-adventure from Danish developer IO Interactive, the studio behind the famed stealth series Hitman. But just how were the James Bond video game rights secured? Well, it turns out with a little help from a certain Hitman’s body and a very famous face. IOI CEO and First Light game director, Hakan Abrak, revealed to me at a recent studio visit that the head of the most recent screen Bond, Daniel Craig, was sculpted onto the torso of Agent 47 and dropped into the World of Assassination. “We actually did put Daniel Craig in there”, Abrak revealed. “We just modeled his head and put it in instead of Agent 47, just for demo purposes, giving an impression of what these living, breathing spaces mean in an...

View full article »

007 First Light is the Hitman and Uncharted Hybrid I Wanted it to Be

James Bond. Indiana Jones. Lara Croft. Nathan Drake. Each of these iconic globetrotters was inspired by the one created before them. Now that pattern comes full circle, with IO Interactive's 007 First Light channeling the action movie spirit of Naughty Dog's Uncharted series. But that circle forms a coin, much like the one IOI's other iconic leading man keeps in his pocket, with two distinct sides. Agent 47's DNA runs deep in the developers' new James Bond origin story, to the point that if the charismatic British spy himself sported a barcode on the back of his head, you'd likely scan it and find out he'd been engineered on the same production line. From what I've seen of 007 First Light so far, and from talking to the team at IOI...

View full article »

007 First Light State of Play September 2025: Everything Announced

Sony and developer IO Interactive just brought the 007 First Light State of Play to a close after showing off more than 30 minutes of gameplay for its new James Bond video game. It was a presentation that mostly went as expected, as IO used the September 2025 State of Play as an opportunity to highlight the early days of James Bond’s time with MI6. Fast-paced car chases, explosive shootouts, and creative gadgets landed among the highlights from the presentation, but it was IO's promise of a March 27, 2026, release date for 007 First Light that truly stole the show. Plus, we finally received confirmation that Dexter: Original Sin star Patrick Gibson is, in fact, the actor chosen to play James Bond in the new video game. IO originally...

View full article »

Marvel Rivals Season 4 Trailer Reveals PS4 Release Date as NetEase Teases New Heroes Daredevil and Angela

NetEase Games has released the first trailer for Marvel Rivals Season 4: Heart of the Dragon, revealing a first official look at two new heroes, Daredevil and Angela, as well as a release date for the new PlayStation 4 (PS4) port. The minute-and-a-half cinematic video sees Matt Murdock go head-to-head against the winged Asgardian while confirming rumors that the popular comic book hero shooter would soon come to PS4. It also comes with a release date of September 12, 2025, meaning at least some of the new content featured in today’s trailer is only a little more than a week from its official launch. “The Timestream Entanglement has drawn the Seven Capitals together, forming the Heart of Heaven,” an official description from NetEase...

View full article »

Cronos: The New Dawn Review

Fresh from serving up a smalltown, psychological scare-a-thon in the form of 2024’s superb Silent Hill 2 remake, developer Bloober Team has since focussed its energy on birthing a snarling, spiritual successor to the Dead Space series in the form of Cronos: The New Dawn. Silent Hill 2 is a tough act to follow, though, so even though Cronos is a respectable creep show it’s hard not to be a little disappointed it didn’t knock my socks off in the same way. This survival-horror shooter takes place amidst the ruined, futuristic hellscape of a plague-riddled Polish city, a fascinating and foreboding expanse to set its slaughter in, but its fairly uninspired combat doesn’t do enough to distinguish itself from the necromorph-dismembering series...

View full article »

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone's Season 05 Reloaded Update Is Light on Goofy Cosmetics, Heavy on Nuketown Mannequin Skins

Call of Duty players have noticed something a little different with the Warzone and Black Ops 6 mid-season Season 05 Reloaded update: a lack of goofy cosmetics. A sign of things to come, perhaps? Amid pressure from the more grounded Battlefield 6, Activision recently confirmed a U-turn on Call of Duty’s out of place skins for the upcoming Black Ops 7 by canceling plans to let players carry forward items from Black Ops 6. Call of Duty’s foray into goofy skins territory is not a new phenomena, although recent releases have certainly amped up the conversation around them. With the likes of Beavis and Butt-Head and American Dad hitting the game this year shortly after weed-obsessed bundles starring Seth Rogen, some fans have said they’ve...

View full article »

Forsaken 64 is the Surprise Next N64 Game Coming to Nintendo Switch Online via the Mature App

Forsaken 64 is the surprise next N64 game coming to the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics: Mature app for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members. Some N64 games on Switch and Switch 2 via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription are only available via the separate Mature app. The list includes Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Shadow Man and Perfect Dark. Now, add Forsaken 64, which launches September 4, to the list. Forsaken 64 launched in 1998 courtesy of developer Iguana UK, which handled the port, and publisher Acclaim. It’s a 3D first-person shooter similar to 1995’s influential Descent, with a whiff of Quake. You navigate through a series of tunnels while blasting enemies in a sci-fi setting...

View full article »

Why Hollow Knight: Silksong Is This Year's GTA 6, and Whether a Juggernaut Stomping on Your Release Date Really Matters

The announcement of Hollow Knight: Silksong’s release date of September 4, 2025, delivered in a brief trailer two weeks ago, was amazing, celebratory news for Silksong fans who had been waiting for such news for over six years. But it was a far less celebratory day for the developers of around 10 other video games with existing marketing plans to launch right around that same time. In the ensuing weeks, the list of games that have moved their release dates for Silksong has only grown longer as developers reconfigure marketing plans and find new dates that work. As of this piece’s publication, that list includes Demonschool, Aeterna Lucis, Little Witch in the Woods, CloverPit, Megabonk, Baby Steps, Faeland, Starbirds, and Moros...

View full article »

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Is Coming to Blu-Ray, and You Can Preorder Right Now

Cyberpunk Edgerunners is getting a second season, but if you missed the first season, it’s not too late to catch up on the Netflix-bound anime. If you did enjoy it already, there’s good news: It’s coming to Blu-Ray via Crunchyroll, and you can preorder it right now. Preorder Edgerunners On Blu-Ray Now The first season is available to preorder via Crunchyroll’s own storefront so far, and is only available in the US at the time of writing. It’ll set you back $123.98 (that’s a lot of Eddies), and it’s a pretty packed set. The 10 episodes are split across a trio of discs, there’s a storyboard booklet from director Hiroyuki Imaishi, another booklet, and three animation cel sheets alongside a poster. Preorders are open now, with shipping...

View full article »