Ubisoft will launch its final Assassin's Creed Shadows update of the year this week, ahead of the game's arrival on Nintendo Switch 2.
Included in Title Update 1.1.7 are a set of brutal-looking new finishers to spice up Naoe and Yasuke's combat (there's some brutal-looking new moves in there).
For fans following Shadows' typically-bizarre Animus content, this week brings a new Rift to explore as the mysterious Guide seeks players' help once again. And there's another new battle pass-like Project to work through, unlocking a fresh bo staff, as well as an outfit for Naoe (sadly, no more cats or Ezio costumes this time).
One useful tweak is the ability to access your Vault content — those text logs with modern day story — without fully...
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Just weeks after making its PlayStation 5 debut, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is getting a big free content update adding new quests, characters and a fresh hub, as well as an additional weapon.
In a post on the PlayStation blog, Stalker 2's Ukranian developer GSC Game World announced the new update and noted that it would be "completely free to all owners of the game" — so anyone who may have played previously on PC and Xbox Series X/S should expect to receive the additional content also.
Xbox owners who played the shooter via Xbox Game Pass when it originally launched in November 2024 may need to check if they still have access, however, as Stalker 2 departed from the subscription's catalog last month, causing something of a stir...
It's tough to really wrap your head around 2025 for Xbox. There were some real hits from Xbox Game Studios, fantastic day-one, third-party launches on Game Pass… and then a whole lot of baffling moves from Xbox as a platform, with multiple rounds of price increases, project cancellations, and layoffs. It was a year that constantly had our collective heads spinning. But hey, if you've been subscribed to Game Pass and playing on your Xbox Series X/S (or PC, or anything deemed an Xbox) this year, there was no shortage of great games to celebrate.
Here at IGN, we’ve voted across several categories for our end of the year awards, including our shortlist of the five best games that landed on Xbox in 2025. Those votes have determined the one...
2025 was a banner year for action games. From a surprise breakout Soulslike with one of the hardest-hitting and most brutal combat systems the genre has ever seen, to the hotly anticipated follow-up of one of the most influential roguelites of all time, to the latest in a certain legendary monster hunting series. And let us not forget that this was absolutely the year of the ninja as well, which brought us not one, but two brand new Ninja Gaiden games (plus a long-awaited remaster of Ninja Gaiden 2), letting action fans Izuna Drop foes in both two and three dimensions.
But only one of these fierce games can claim the honor of being the strongest of the year. Here are our picks - and our chosen winner - for the Best Action Game of 2025...
Did you see that Divinity reveal at The Game Awards and think, hey, I really should get around to playing Divinity: Original Sin 2? Great news, Larian just made it a much nicer experience on modern consoles with a free upgrade for PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch 2.
This was announced in a new trailer, which highlights the differences in the new versions. It's nothing too crazy - just better resolution and framerate. But it's free if you own the game already on any of the previous platforms (PS4, Nintendo Switch, or Xbox One) and it will hopefully bring the eight-year-old game up to par with current technology on consoles.
If you don't own the game already anywhere, now's probably a good time to grab it. At the time of this...
Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios has fully detailed the game’s Cold Snap update and its new cold-weather survival mechanics.
The update, out December 16, adds the new Cold Snap map condition, which is a winter variant across Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and The Blue Gate maps. Cold Snap adds cold-weather survival mechanics fueled by snowstorms across Speranza. Snowfall reduces visibility, lakes freeze over, and the open surface becomes even more dangerous. Exposure to extreme cold causes frostbite, thus encouraging new strategies around healing items, loadouts, and indoor shelter.
Arc Raiders Cold Snap gameplay changes, from Embark Studios:
Environmental Hazard: Cold, harsh weather introduces new risks for raiders...
Last week at The Game Awards, we learned that the next-gen Tomb Raider that developer Crystal Dynamics announced three years ago is titled Tomb Raider: Catalyst. Published by Amazon Game Studios, it's set to release in 2027 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S.
Meanwhile, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is a reimagining of the original Tomb Raider game, built with Unreal Engine 5 and due out next year. Both games will feature a new actor as Lara Croft: Alix Wilton Regan.
While the news was a surprise for some, actor Camilla Luddington — who portrayed Lara Croft in the 2013-2018 reboot trilogy — shared a bittersweet Instagram post about her time as the lead, saying she loved the fans and Croft will "forever be a part of [her]."
"I...
The CEO of Stellar Blade studio Shift Up has received the Presidential Commendation at this year's Korean Content Awards for his work in the games industry.
According to Daum, and reported by Automaton, Hyung-tae Kim accepted the award, which is reportedly "the most prestigious content awards ceremony in Korea" and hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. Kim was recognized for his contribution to the Korean games industry with the games Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Stellar Blade.
"This Presidential Citation is thanks to the developers and fans who believed in and supported Shift Up," Kim said. "We will continue to do our best to further promote the competitiveness of Korean games on the global stage."
Stellar Blade...
Phantom Blade Zero is a PlayStation 5 console exclusive for 12 months.
S-GAME Studio's Wuxia action RPG launches on September 9, 2026 across PS5 and PC. Much like other initially PS5 console-exclusive games, such as Silent Hill 2 Remake, Phantom Blade Zero won't be available on "other consoles until at least 12 months after release date." This means Xbox Series X and S or Nintendo Switch 2 versions will have to wait until at least September 2027, if they are in indeed in S-GAME Studio's plans.
PS5 console exclusivity comes from the teaser video added to the official PlayStation YouTube channel, which has a familiar blue notice at the end (thanks, MP1st).
Phantom Blade Zero follows Soul, an assassin framed for a murder trying to...
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's record-breaking performance at last week's The Game Awards has caught the eye of French president Emmanuel Macron, who celebrated the news of its Game of the Year award on Instagram over the weekend.
Sandfall Interactive's role-playing game swept The Game Awards 2025 with nine wins, the most any video game has won in a single The Game Awards show. As well as Game of the Year, Clair Obscur won best narrative, best music, and best performance, fending off competition from Death Stranding 2, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades 2, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 to claim the top prize. Be sure to check out everything announced at The Game Awards 2025 for more, as well as the winners list in...
Indie hit ghostbusting game Phasmophobia is coming to Nintendo Switch 2.
Developer Kinetic Games used The Game Awards to announce a 2026 release window for Phasmophobia on Switch 2 without offering a firm release date.
On Switch 2, up to four players can team up to conduct paranormal investigations across 14 terrifying maps and yes, Switch 2 players will be able to join pals on other platforms thanks to crossplay. The five-year-old game is also due to finally exit early access next year, too.
"We’re over the moon to reveal that Phasmophobia is coming to Nintendo Switch 2. It’s something both our community and all of us at Kinetic Games have wanted for a long time, so we’re really happy this long-kept secret is finally out there,"...
I have a dangerous habit of replaying favourites instead of starting something new, so a deals list like this is usually what finally pushes me over the line. I have played the overwhelming majority of these, argued about the rest, and regretted paying full price for at least two of them in the past.
Contents
Retro
Nintendo
Xbox
PlayStation
PC
PC Gear
LEGO
This Day in Gaming 🎂
In retro news, I am lighting a 38-candle cake for Punch-Out!!, an absolute knockout of a NES classic. I was there in 1987, controller clenched, staring up at those towering sprites through Little Mac's gloves, trying to read tells and rhythms like it was a real fight tape. Punch-Out did not feel like a sports sim at all. It was a puzzlefest that happened to...
We've rounded up the best deals for Sunday, December 14, below, so don't miss out on these limited-time offers.
Save $20 Off Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
One of the most anticipated RPGs of 2025, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, is down to $39.99 this weekend. This remake transforms the original two Dragon Quest games into gorgeous experiences with numerous updates and tweaks to modernize the experience. The Nintendo Switch physical copy contains the game on the cartridge, so Switch 2 owners can rest assured about any Key-Card concerns.
PS5 Pro for $648.99
PS5 Pro is on sale this weekend for $648.99, saving you just over $100 off Sony's most powerful console. Even if you already own a PS5, the PS5 Pro can still be a solid...
In the wake of Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic’s big announcement at The Game Awards, you might have seen social media posts saying the game won't be out until 2030. Director Casey Hudson has now stepped in to address those posts, insisting the game will be out before then.
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is in development at Edmonton, Alberta-based developer Arcanaut Studios, which Hudson and his partners only founded in July. It stole the show at The Game Awards with a flashy, tantalising CG trailer that contained no gameplay. But fans are particularly excited because Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is billed as the spiritual successor to the much-loved Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which Hudson directed while...
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has officially been named Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025, alongside multiple other wins. If that winning sweep has you jumping in for the first time (or returning for another playthrough), IGN has you covered with guides, explainers, and wikis to help you get started for your journey across The Continent.
What Is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Should You Play It?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG (it's kind of like Final Fantasy VII... kind of) set in the world of The Continent. It follows a group called Expedition 33 on a mission to destroy The Paintress, a mysterious figure who wipes out anyone over a certain age in a yearly ceremony called the "Gommage."
Alongside extremely unique...
The Game Awards gave us a new trailer for The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin with a look at exploration and co-op gameplay, as well as a possible hint at the return of a fan-favorite character.
For those who aren’t already aware, The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin is an open-world action RPG that takes place in Britannia from the world of The Seven Deadly Sins manga and anime. It stars Tristan, prince of Liones, in a multiverse narrative that tells its own original story. Tristan finds a pendant called the Book of Stars that has the power to connect timelines but also awakens a new darkness that must be defeated.
It being a new story involving alternate timelines means it can feature just about any character or enemy from the manga and anime...
165 workers at id Software, the studio behind the Doom and Quake franchises, have elected to unionize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in yet another wall-to-wall developer union within Microsoft.
The new union encompasses developers, artists, programmers, and other disciplines, and has been formally recognized by Microsoft in accordance with its pledge to remain "neutral" with regard to unions within its ranks and voluntarily recognize any that emerge. Union members suggest issues of concern for the group include the instability of the games industry writ large, as well as the necessity of remote work.
“I’m very proud to be a part of this effort to organize our studio, to have a voice in decisions that directly...
The Wizard World of Harry Potter is headed to Fortnite, as Epic Games offers Hogwarts Legacy for free via its PC Store.
As announced last night at The Game Awards 2025, Hogwarts Legacy is now free to claim from the Epic Games Store until December 18, at 11am ET. Shortly following the announcement, users reported that the store was struggling to load — with many linking the troubles to a flood of wizard wannabes rushing to claim their copy.
Anyone with more than two hours of Hogwarts Legacy gameplay time on their account by December 18 will be granted a Chocolate Frog Back Bling in Fortnite, Epic Games has said. And that's not the only Harry Potter content coming to its battle royale game.
While Harry Potter himself appears to be...
Clearly, all is not well in the world of Call of Duty. Black Ops 7 appears to have struggled for players and sales relatively speaking amid tough competition from the likes of EA’s Battlefield 6 and Embark Studios’ Arc Raiders, and coming out just a year after Black Ops 6. Microsoft is yet to announce a player count or a sales figure for Black Ops 7, nor has it detailed any boost to Game Pass subscriber numbers as a result of its launch. Clearly, it hasn’t met its expectations.
Last month, sales data suggested Black Ops 7 was struggling not just against rival shooter Battlefield 6, but also last year’s Black Ops 6. The Game Business reported that Black Ops 7’s European launch saw opening week sales down 63% versus Battlefield 6 during...
Following official confirmation that Leon S. Kennedy will co-star in Resident Evil: Requiem, the game's developers have confirmed how much we'll be playing as the floppy-hair favorite — and it's good news for his fans.
Speaking to Automaton, director Akifumi Nakanishi revealed that Requiem features nearly equal screentime between Leon and the previously-revealed Grace Ashcroft.
"In terms of gameplay, Grace and Leon's playable sections are almost equally split," Nakanishi said, likening the game's structure as similar to Resident Evil: Revelations, which featured both Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine.
"It's almost like having two games with completely different types of tension mixed together," Nakanishi continued. "Early on, we...
Microsoft has confirmed plans for a significant Xbox Developer Direct showcase in January 2026 after a relatively quiet The Game Awards.
While Microsoft-owned Blizzard announced the next Diablo 4 expansion, and we got news that South of Midnight is coming to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, fans saw nothing of the new Fable, Forza, Gears of War, or Halo games confirmed to be coming out in 2026.
But in an interview with Variety, Microsoft president of game content and studios Matt Booty promised big things are coming next month.
“I can’t share exactly what’s there, but we’ve got a lot of stuff that we’re shipping next year. In fact, usually Dev Direct is about highlighting what’s coming up for the year ahead. This year, we’ve got...
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 stormed The Game Awards 2025, winning all but two categories it was nominated in, including the main prize: Game of the Year.
Sandfall Interactive's much-loved RPG won Game of the Year ahead of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
Accepting the Game of the Year award to rapturous applause, director Guillaume Broche thanked the "incredible team" at Sandfall Interactive, most of whom were in attendance and in costume. Broche extended his thanks to the "unsung heroes" of the video game industry, "the people who make tutorials on YouTube on how to make a game, because we had no idea how to make a game before."
Broche went on...
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 just swept The Game Awards, winning a whopping 9 out of 11 of its nominations, including Game of the Year. In celebration, Sandfall Interactive took the stage to announce that its previously-announced DLC for the game is out...now. Right now!
We learned back in October that this update - which is free, by the way - was happening, we just didn't know when. At the time, Sandfall said it would include a new dungeon, enemies, bosses, and more, new language localizations, new costumes, and "even more surprises."
It also shared the following image at the time, which seems to hint at what story the DLC might cover...and we've got a few guesses from staring daggers at it, but we'll let you speculate yourselves...
As revealed at The Game Awards 2025, Capcom is bringing the Blue Bomber back with a new video game called Mega Man: Dual Override.
The first trailer for what will be the first new Mega Man game since 2018’s Mega Man 11 reveals a return to that classic 2D style that made the iconic hero famous. It’s unclear what other elements will return for Mega Man: Dual Override, with the footage mostly promising vibrant visuals and a promise to warp onto PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox consoles in 2027.
Little else is known about Mega Man Dual Override at the moment. While we wait for update, be sure to check out everything announced at The Game Awards 2025. You can also read the full list of all of the...
Two and a half years after its reveal at a PlayStation showcase, Phantom Blade Zero now has a release date. It's September 9, 2026.
This news came alongside a brand new trailer for the game, which showed off more of the game's story and combat. We get a look at Phantom Blade's mysterious metal masked antagonist stealing a baby and doing some real flashy sword moves, followed by plenty of shots of the protagonist, seemingly a wanted man. He's got some pretty swanky moves himself, highlighting further how cool Phantom Blade's combat promises to be. There's also a young woman who gives the hero a good luck charm, then turns into a weird hollow monster or something. Lots going on here.
We've seen Phantom Blade a number of times since its...
Bandai Namco and Project Aces sped into The Game Awards 2025 to finally reveal Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve as the next entry in the long-running flight simulator series.
A trailer for the new high-octane installment arrives six years after the launch of Ace Combat 7, revealing a boatload of footage with near-photorealistic visuals as combat is once again taken to the skies. Project Aces refrained from announcing a release date but confirmed Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is currently planned to launch for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S in 2026.
The Game Awards 2025 has been filled with announcements for some of the biggest names in video games. You can check up on everything announced while we wait for more...
Creative Assembly has finally confirmed one of the worst-kept secrets in video games: Total War: Warhammer 40,000.
Confirmation comes from The Game Awards 2025, where Stranger Things star and self-confessed Warhammer fan David Harbour said said he was set to star in the strategy game.
The trailer includes a flashy cinematic showing Space Marine poster boys the Ultramarines killing orks - lots of orks. We then get a brief look at gameplay, showing the sheer scale of the action. It looks like we'll be able to campaign across multiple planets, shifting from war-torn battlefields to the galactic war. Based on the trailer, Total War: Warhammer 40,000 is set for release across PC and consoles.
Here's all the official information we have...
The developer of well-received top-down action game The Ascent has revealed its next game and a shift in perspective to first-person.
Neon Giant announced No Law at The Game Awards 2025 with a trailer that showed the move to first-person and a distinct Cyberpunk style. Indeed, at first glance, No Law looks a bit like CD Projekt’s own Cyberpunk 2077, although there are key differences.
No Law is an open world first-person shooter role-playing game with immersive sim elements, due out on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S published by PUBG company Krafton. A release window has yet to be announced.
It’s set in a cyber-noire called Port Desire, and sees the player assume the role of Grey Harker, an ex-military veteran who left...
Fresh from its reveal at The Game Awards 2025, first-person open world shooter RPG No Law is already raising eyebrows for looking a fair bit like CD Projekt’s Cyberpunk 2077. It turns out developer Neon Giant expected those comparisons, but are keen to point out important differences.
No Law is the next game from the developer of The Ascent, the well-received cyberpunk-themed twin-stick shooter that launched in 2021. No Law sees Neon Giant shift perspective not just in terms of the camera but tone, to a more grounded cyberpunk aesthetic that revolves around a single city. And based on the debut trailer, No Law is giving off big Cyberpunk 2077 vibes.
In an interview with IGN ahead of the announcement, co-founders and co-creative...
Marvel Rivals is halfway through Season 5, but that isn’t stopping NetEase Games from revealing Deadpool as the first playable hero for Season 6 at The Game Awards 2025.
The Marvel Rivals Deadpool reveal trailer doesn’t come with any gameplay, but it did come with the promise that the Merc with a Mouth will launch for the popular hero shooter alongside Season 6: Night at the Museum January 16, 2026. It’s the earliest NetEase has been ready to show off one of its new heroes, with its trailer highlighting Deadpool’s new voice and design, as well as some of the other elements players can expect next month.
"After Gambit's attempt to steal a prized artifact from the Collector's Museum, he and Rogue return to the scene of the crime in an...