IGN Video Games

IGN Video Games


Crash Bandicoot 4: How to Transfer Your Save Data to Next-Gen Consoles

Posted: 14 Mar 2021 08:30 AM PDT

Crusader Kings 3's First Paid DLC Is the Viking-Themed Northern Lords

Posted: 13 Mar 2021 09:35 PM PST

Crusader Kings 3: Northern Lords is a Norse-themed flavor pack that is set to be released on March 16, 2021 as the game's first paid DLC. While this isn't a full-blown expansion to Crusader Kings 3, Northern Lords will still give players "dozens of new stories" and chances to "raid foreign shores, brave harsh winters, or establish a new Viking realm." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=crusader-kings-3-northern-lords-screenshots&captions=true"] Players will have a chance to found a new realm and establish power in foreign lands. Furthermore, Holy Norse warriors, shield-maidens, and poets will be available as new character roles. Since the Norse culture is the focus of this flavor pack, it will allow players to immerse themselves in that world by doing everything from erecting runestones to honor your ancestors to sacrificing prisoners in a sacred blot ritual. There will also be new Dynastic legacies, cultural innovations, and other events that will add depth to these new experiences. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/31/crusader-kings-3-review"] Crusader Kings 3: Northern Lords can be purchased for $6.99 USD or as part of the game's expansion pass that includes a new expansion and another new flavor pack. In our 10/10 review of Crusader Kings 3, we said that it "takes the throne as the new king of historical strategy by expanding on and deepening the best parts of what made its predecessor memorable and unique." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

EA Disables FIFA Discretionary Content Granting Indefinitely Amidst 'EA Gate' Scandal

Posted: 13 Mar 2021 08:41 PM PST

EA has halted all FIFA discretionary content granting for an indefinite period of time as it investigates allegations that an employee, or at least someone involved with EA FIFA, has been selling rare FIFA 21 Ultimate Team items on a makeshift black market for real money. EA gave an update on this scandal, which the community has dubbed "EA Gate," and explained how it has launched a "rigorous investigation" on how this could have happened and how it is narrowing down which accounts received content through this "illicit method." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/06/fifa-21-review"] The company has also made clear that any accounts that have received items that were "transferred nefariously" will be permanently banned. These items, which are meant to be earned through gameplay or other engagement (i.e. a Twitch broadcast), were granted to other accounts by one or more EA accounts, which were "either compromised or being used inappropriately by someone within EA." Content granting or purchasing player items in exchange for money is in no way condoned by EA, as it "runs counter to the game's competitive integrity, is a violation of EA's User Agreement, and is not something we tolerate." While EA's initial investigation uncovered that this questionable activity only involved a small number of accounts and items, it is still unacceptable to the team. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-fifa-game-review-ever&captions=true"] Following the investigation, EA will take action against any employee found guilty and any items that have been granted through this manner will be removed from the FUT ecosystem and the accounts that had these items will be permanently banned. "Regardless of these actions, we appreciate how concerning this is to all of our players, and we apologize for the impact of these improper grants within the community," EA wrote. "We also appreciate how extremely annoying and frustrating it is that this practice might have come from within EA.  We're angry too.  We know that the trust of our communities is hard-earned, and is based on principles of Fair Play.  This illicit activity shakes that trust.  We've also been clear since the creation of Ultimate Team that items cannot be exchanged outside our game, and that's key to how we keep our game safe from manipulation and bad actors.  This is a breach of that principle, as well -- and we won't let it stand." For those who are unfamiliar with content granting, it is a process in which certain in-game items are directly distributed to a specific account. In FIFA, these items can be a player, a kit, or a consumable. The three most prevalent ways content granting occurs is through Worldwide Customer Experience, Testing & QV, and Discretionary Content Granting (Athletes, Partners, & Employees). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/09/fifa-21-legacy-edition-switch-review"] A Worldwide Customer Experience granting is for when a player accidentally deletes content, content goes missing due to a technical glitch, or a mistake was made by EA and a player is given to them as a make-good. Testing & QV is for when content is granted for testing and quality verification. This usually occurs on dedicated test servers and isn't seen by the global player base, but sometimes these tests must occur in the live environment to ensure all is working as it should. Discretionary Content Granting is for when EA wants to "recognize contributions that have been made by certain Pro Footballers, celebrity partners, or even our [EA's] own employees." These items are always non-tradeable and can only be used by the account to which it was given. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/20/fifa-21-beckham-is-back-trailer"] These items only account for 0.0006% of the total player items in the FIFA 21 ecosystem and have no impact on the odds of any account receiving a specific player or item through normal means. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Dishonored: Take Out Every Target in Style With Our Guide

Posted: 13 Mar 2021 07:53 PM PST

Animal Crossing: Have You Collected All of K.K. Slider's Songs?

Posted: 13 Mar 2021 05:35 PM PST

How to Find, Mine, and Smelt Every Ore in Valheim

Posted: 13 Mar 2021 12:25 PM PST

No comments: