IGN Video Games

IGN Video Games

DICE's Head of Design Fawzi Mesmar Leaves Company Following Battlefield 2042 Launch

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 08:40 PM PST

Fawzi Mesmar, DICE's head of design that worked on the Battlefield and Star Wars: Battlefront franchises, has decided to leave the company following the launch of Battlefield 2042.

As reported by VGC, his departure was announced via an e-mail sent to DICE's staff, and it "revealed he'd been planning to leave for some time once the studio's latest shooter has been shipped." Mesmar had served as DICE's head of design since 2019, a job he took after being Candy Crush developer King's studio director, production & game design.

"It was an absolute pleasure to serve on the best design teams in the galaxy," Mesmar wrote in his email to staff. "The incredible design work that you do continues to inspire me every day. Thank you for putting some faith in me, I hope I didn't disappoint.

"I have been made an offer I couldn't refuse at another company that has been kind enough to wait for me until we have shipped [Battlefield 2042]. It was super important to me to be here with the team as we achieve this historical milestone.

"While Oskar [Gabrielson, studio GM] and myself have been discussing my succession plans for some time – and it will be announced in due course – we opted to delay this communication till after launch to keep the focus – rightfully so – on the game we've been putting a monumental amount of effort on."

Mesmar's official final day will be November 26 and his currently unknown next position will also be based in Stockholm, Sweden.

Battlefield 2042 was released on November 19, 2021, and its launch was a bit rocky. Despite that, DICE has committed to releasing patches to address the various technical issues and gameplay balancing problems many players are running into.

In our Battlefield 2042 review, we said that its "highpoint is its powerful Portal mode, which lets you relive the series' past glories and tweak them to your liking. Its current batch of modes is overstuffed with players and utter chaos, though Hazard Zone scales things down in an interesting, high-stakes way."

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.

Roblox Sues YouTuber For Posting 'False And Misleading Terrorist Threats'

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 08:24 PM PST

The Roblox Corporation has filed a lawsuit against Roblox content creator Benjamin Robert Simon a.k.a. Ruben Sim for leading a "cybermob" that, among other things, posts "false and misleading terrorist threats."

As reported by Polygon, this lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, November 23 and alleges that Simon "commits and encourages unlawful acts designed to injure Roblox and its users." The Roblox Company is looking to collect $1.6 million in damages and is suing Simon for fraud, breach of contract and four other counts.

Despite Simon being banned for years from Roblox, he has found a way in by "hacking" and using accounts created by other users. He was originally banned for "harassing users and using racist and homophobic slurs, as well as for sexual harassment and uploading photos of Adolf Hitler, Roblox's lawyers said."

Recently, Simon posted "terrorist threats" that "temporarily shut down the Roblox Developers Conference in San Francisco in October." The lawsuit alleges that Simon and his "cybermob" discussed the YouTube headquarters shooting from April 2018 and reportedly said, "wait until [someone] does it to Roblox."

He continued to reportedly post messages suggesting that San Francisco police were "searching for notorious Islamic Extremist" at RDC 2021 and wrote messages like "don't come to RDC tomorrow." As a result of these threats, RDC was "forced into a temporary lockdown while local police and private security conducted a search to secure the facility." Roblox said it cost $50,000 to "investigate and secure RDC after the incident."

This is hardly the first issue Roblox - a company that is now worth more than Ubisoft and Take-Two combined - has had to deal with, as it recently had to stop a number of users who were recreating New Zealand's Christchurch mass shooting from 2019.

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.

Call of Duty: Vanguard Disables Secrets of the Pacific After 'Widespread Crashes'

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 08:03 PM PST

Sledgehammer Games has disabled the Secrets of the Pacific event in Call of Duty: Vanguard - which gives players details on Warzone Pacific's new map Caldera - due to "widespread crashing issues."

Secrets of the Pacific is a crossover event between Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone, and it features challenges that reveal more about Caldera and its points of interest when completed. While Warzone doesn't seem to be impacted, Vanguard players have been reporting that it is causing widespread crashing.

Sledgehammer announced that the Secrets of Pacific Event would be disabled while it works to "squash this bug." Despite giving no timetable for its return, it did promise that any progress already earned in the event will not be lost and players will be able to continue where they left off as soon as the problem is resolved.

This event, and many more, are all leading to the launch of Season 1 of Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone Pacific's Caldera map on December 8, 2021. Those who own Vanguard will get to try the new map 24 hours early before it is available to all Warzone players on December 9.

Even though Verdansk '84 is going away, Caldera looks to bring a breath of fresh air to Warzone with picturesque beaches and mountains that will give players some new scenery to enjoy while working to be the last one standing.

Alongside Season 1 of Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone Pacific's Caldera map, Activision is also gearing up to release Ricochet, its own Anti-Cheat initiative developed specifically for Call of Duty. This new "multi-faceted approach" is designed to combat cheating using kernel-level monitors and will be required to play Call of Duty: Warzone on PC.

For more, check out our review of Call of Duty: Vanguard's campaign, multiplayer, and zombies modes.

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.

Kirby Got a Grammy Nomination Too

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 03:02 PM PST

Much like how he sucks up enemies, you could argue Kirby also sucks at singing. Kirby's singing is usually so bad that all of the on-screen enemies are destroyed when he belts out a piercingly high note with the Mike ability. But now, the Pink Puffball has a shot at winning a Grammy Award, even if the nomination is only indirectly related to Kirby himself.

Under the category for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella on the full list of Grammy nominees, Meta Knight's Revenge (From "Kirby Superstar") is one of the nominated tunes. This Grammy-nominated arrangement was written by Charlie Rosen and Jake Silverman, and was performed by The 8-Bit Big Band Featuring Button Masher. It's a phat and funky version of the tune that originally appears in 1996's Kirby Super Star for the Super Nintendo. You can check out the full recording of the arrangement on YouTube.

Video game nominations are a rare occurrence at the Grammys. Back in 2012, Austin Wintory's soundtrack for Journey became the first video game soundtrack to receive a Grammy nomination in the Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media category. The award ended up going to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

As for Kirby, you can check out the source material, Kirby Super Star, on the SNES Nintendo Switch Online service. It's still worth your time, as it ranked #47 on IGN's list of the top 100 SNES games. And his next adventure, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, is coming to Switch early next year. The game is a 3D adventure that takes place in some sort of post-apocalyptic setting, and it looks like a big departure from the series' recent entries.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Halo Infinite Multiplayer Review

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 01:51 PM PST

First impressions are key, and since six years have passed since Halo 5: Guardians, for a lot of people (like myself) Halo Infinite will be the first Halo multiplayer experience they've played at launch – especially since Infinite's multiplayer is free to play and accessible to everyone with an Xbox or PC. And what a launch it's been! With its tight 4v4 matches and more chaotic 12v12 Big Team Battle on expertly designed maps, Infinite revives and reinvigorates the glorious sci-fi action that once made Halo king among multiplayer FPS games. Riding high on that thrill, Halo Infinite's multiplayer has dash-slid into the first-person shooter scene and meleed the competition off the map.

Halo Infinite looks absolutely gorgeous. The environments within each map are so detailed and pretty that I'm now looking forward to the campaign even more. The lighting, settings, and overall look of Infinite bring the futuristic world of Halo to modern-day glory. On PC, it can run at 144Hz easily (and there's a 120Hz mode on Xbox Series X), and the most severe technical issue I've seen has been some server desync and stutters every so often. It wasn't enough to really mess things up but it was noticeable and made some fights slightly harder than they should have been. I've only experienced one crash in my 20 hours of playtime, so my experience has been pretty steady.

Ahead of the beta "test flights" in September, one of my biggest concerns was how Halo Infinite would be able to court new players in addition to pleasing Halo veterans who have a lot of set-in-stone ideas of how Halo should play. But to my surprise, Infinite does a stand-up job of bringing novices up to speed with its Academy mode, in which you can try out different weapon drills or jump into a Training session against bots with customizable match settings. Training mode allows you to try out different power items (such as active camouflage and the grappling hook) that you may not have been able to get hold of much in PvP matches, and it also helps you learn the maps as you explore at your own pace. You can also join matches against bots if you want to test your skills before facing other players – and these are some of the most human-like bots I've ever seen.

While the modes aren't revolutionary, they are undoubtedly fun and infinitely replayable.

When I did go up against real opponents, the intimate 4v4 Arena playlist's fast-paced matches gripped me immediately and had me queuing again and again, for hours on end. The only complaint I have about the playlists is not being able to choose which mode you want to play – you can't just check a box to pick Slayer or Strongholds, you have to queue for all five game modes: One Flag Capture The Flag, Capture The Flag, Strongholds, Oddball, and Slayer. While they aren't revolutionary, they are undoubtedly fun and infinitely replayable, and have formed the basis of some of the most enjoyable multiplayer arena shooters of all time. As they say: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Slayer is the traditional team deathmatch, Strongholds has teams fighting to control three capture points on the map, and in Oddball you're battling over control of a skull. But among the 4v4 modes, my favorite remains plain-old Capture the Flag, which stays fun and competitive no matter how many times I've played it. Coordinating with my team and making mad dashes for the enemy's flag while also chasing down the jerk who stole ours fuels my spirit, and scoring a capture is incredibly rewarding. Playing either defensively around my flag or offensively in trying to steal the enemy's feels good, and due to the small team sizes no one is unimportant in a match.

The only unconventional mode in that list, One Flag CTF, sounded a little odd to me at first because each round has one team defending a flag and the other team has to capture that flag. But it's actually a lot of fun – there's only one map for it, Launch Site, but it has vehicle spawns and easily makes for chaotic and fun gameplay with vehicular Spartan-slaughter as one team attempts to raid the other's base. All of these game modes are excellent – and much more so when you're communicating with your teammates.

Making mad dashes for the enemy's flag while also chasing down the jerk who stole ours fuels my spirit.

I do have a few gripes, of course. For one, barely being able to hear a seven-foot-tall, heavily armored Spartan run up behind you for a one-hit melee kill is incredibly frustrating. It's an odd misstep (see what I did there?) given that the weapons and effects all sound great. I don't want heavy footstep sounds like in CS:GO, where you can tell where people are from pretty much all the way across the map, but the number of times I've been run up on – not even crouch stealthed – and killed is kind of ridiculous. Also, cloaked enemies being silent makes sense since the Active Camo powerup requires you to walk or crouch to stay invisible.

A big part of the reason Infinite's matches work so well is that each of the seven maps for arena matches are incredibly well designed to allow for you and your team to fluidly rotate through them, grabbing key weapons and items as they spawn and sweeping out enemies. My favorite map from that playlist has to be Streets, thanks to its flashy neon signs, dynamic lighting, and freshly rained-upon pavement. It's a perfect example of readability being key when it comes to map design, favoring bold, angular architecture instead of over-detailed environments that come at the cost of instantly spotting enemies and objective markers.

It's Strongholds mode that really shows off Infinite's superior map designs, however, since in this capture-point mode you really need to be able to rotate from point to point with a specific flow to keep an eye on the locations you already control. While the maps in Infinite are smaller than those in most FPS games, the distance between points is just enough that you can easily get from one spot to another. At the same time, you can also get caught out by yourself and eliminated, which encourages you to move as a team. This is where the flow of maps really comes into play.

It's Strongholds mode that really shows off Infinite's superior map designs.

In general, you can run from one side of a map to the other quickly enough that they don't feel all that large for 4v4 matches, but they're big enough that you don't get there too fast or feel like they're too cramped of a space, either. There are lots of platforms and objects stacked on top of each other that you can use to perfect your rotations, so you aren't restricted to going down one hallway just to get to a specific area – we actually have a lot of options in these spaces thanks to the ability to vault up to ledges and the absence of fall damage. I'm impressed with how the map designs take all of this into consideration, especially on this smaller scale.

Even with Big Team Battle, the three maps are evenly balanced for 12v12 matches. BTB showcases expansive arenas with enough space for close-range mayhem, long-range sniper plays, rumbling Scorpion tanks, and flying Banshee fighters. I like how, unlike Call of Duty's breakneck-paced 12v12 matches, BTB allows for you to catch a few moments of breathing time before you engage in a heated fight. The weapon spawns are spaced out enough to give everyone a chance to run for them and the vehicle spawns are mirrored on each team's side, making for awesome vehicle runs. Power weapons and items are always a risk to play for since they're placed in the middle of maps, and that makes balancing feel just right.

Big Team Battle has space for close-range mayhem, long-range sniper plays, rumbling Scorpion tanks, and flying Banshee fighters.

All three BTB maps feature multiple terrain types that give their layouts variety in height and sightlines. In Behemoth, there are a lot of platforms that let you get higher positioning at the risk of getting sniped from across the way, since the higher levels are more exposed. However, if you're lower on the ground you may not spot the enemies above your head. The flow in BTB maps feels great – it never takes too long to get into a fight but there's also enough space that I've had no trouble with spawn camping at all. After yet another year of Call of Duty's notoriously bad spawn system, that's been a breath of fresh air.

You can play all of that casually, but Infinite also includes a Ranked playlist, available off the drop, which is a great competitive mode for those who want to surround themselves with equally skilled players. You knock out 10 placement matches before you're given your initial rank, then you can grind out some matches in that Ranked playlist to move up. The tiers are reasonable (going from Bronze to Onyx with six levels within each tier) but the one thing I'd want more clarification on is how you're graded on performance to move up or down tiers. Right now that's a bit mysterious.

In terms of gunplay, the weapons feel decently balanced, with some distinctive quirks to them. The Time to Kill (TTK) is certainly longer than in most other games and took me a bit of time to adjust to, maybe a few matches at most, before I was no longer surprised that a target was still standing after I'd unloaded most of an assault rifle's magazine into them. It probably takes a couple of shots more than I'd like to down an enemy, and that does make it a little harder to win 1v2s here than in faster games like Apex Legends or Call of Duty. But Halo is very much a game about team play, so if you're smart you won't be trying to take on multiple adversaries too often since that usually means you're overextending by yourself.

I have to say, it's very weird that the MK50 Sidekick pistol is stronger than the MA40 Assault Rifle. While I understand that Halo games have had this balance as the meta going all the way back to the original and the AR is the strongest it's been in any game in the series, it just seems weird to have a pistol outgun a big, chunky AR. Meanwhile, a few of the weapons you pick up out of dispensers on the walls feel a bit weak in their damage per second (DPS), especially with guns like the VK Commando which sounds and looks like a beefy gun that should knock a target flat but actually takes quite a few extra shots to kill an enemy, even with headshots.

It's a little harder to win 1v2s here than in faster games like Apex Legends or CoD.

That said, the weapon variety is pretty generous, allowing you to pick your choice of pistols, burst rifles, and shotguns. The Mangler, a precision-based revolver, is one of my favorite pistols to use since it rewards you for careful shots and can be used at close or long range (once you learn to compensate for the projectile drop). The CQS48 Bulldog is my favorite shotgun (much better than the fancier-sounding Heatwave) because of its tight spread that can take down a target quickly with accurate body shots. Also, the fan-favorite Needler feels especially rewarding when you're able to stick a full stack of heat-seeking needles into an enemy and watch them explode after a short delay. Overall, the weapons feel satisfying to use and nothing is wildly overpowered – not including Power Weapons, of course. However, there are a few weapons that I find myself avoiding, like the Plasma Pistol and the Pulse Carbine – I just don't like the rate of fire of either of them and they don't output the amount of DPS needed in a close-range fight.

The Power Weapons, such as the M41 SPNKR rocket launcher and the Gravity Hammer, are limited to a few shots to keep things from getting out of control when you snag one. However, the Energy Sword definitely seems to have three to four charges too many – that could be toned down a bit, since right now the only thing keeping it in check is the fact that you have to close in to melee range to score a kill with it.

While the weapons feel as great and handle as we've come to expect from Halo, one thing that feels disappointingly inconsistent is the melee. Standard Spartan melees are a two-hit kill, which feels fine, but the range and damage rarely seems to work the way I expect. It doesn't help that Infinite uses soft collision, meaning you can pass through another player, instead of hard collision, where you bounce off of each other. While soft collision keeps people from griefing each other by blocking doorways, a side effect is that the way people can phase through each other means melee strikes don't feel right. Sometimes you're able to get a "backsmack" instant kill while facing your opponent and other times you completely miss by phasing through their body and they get the opportunity to kill you. Also, I've seen what appear to be direct melee hits to the face do no damage, even when the enemy is a sneeze's worth of health away from dying.

In Halo, grenades are an art form.

Something you can always count on, though, is the classic Halo grenade plays. Calculating the timing on a grenade throw and counting the bounces before it goes off and kills an enemy is one of the most rewarding experiences in Infinite's multiplayer. Being able to throw a 'nade behind enemy cover and then push them backwards into the explosion is so satisfying, and sticking someone with a plasma grenade is always a hilarious way to earn a kill. In this game, grenades are an art form.

Infinite also makes smart use of its gadgetry. The Grappleshot is my favorite, and I use it to reposition myself around enemies in active fights. It's also great for a quick disengage from close-range fights to heal up before grappling back in to finish the fight. I also really enjoy the fact that you can grapple enemies and catch them off guard, and even throw in an elbow punch to the back of their heads when you get right up to them. I've even come to love the Thruster – it took a while to grow on me, but now I've found ways to get creative and dash past enemies, then turn and backslap them during heated fights where they were trying to keep their distance.

Microsoft couldn't have chosen a better moment for Master Chief's comeback.

The Drop Wall still isn't my favorite equipment item, but that's purely based off of my aggressive playstyle – hunkering down behind a deployable shield just makes me feel like grenade bait. Active Camo is much more my style, since its invisibility allows me to get multiple stealth kills in a row literally before they know what hit them. I also love the Repulsor, which reflects projectiles back at enemies while also pushing them back from you. Using it to throw enemies off the map was probably not what it was intended for, but it's a ton of fun to mess around with equipment and weapon combos like that. Having that creative freedom is important, and Infinite does a great job of allowing you to have fun while slaying.

And all of that comes at just the right time. In fact, Microsoft couldn't have chosen a better moment for Master Chief's comeback, with Call of Duty: Vanguard's multiplayer feeling like more of the same and Battlefield 2042's main modes leaving much to be desired. Infinite's long-absent style of team-based multiplayer is the shot in the arm the shooter community needed right now.

NEO: The World Ends With You Fails To Meet Sales Expectations

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 01:30 PM PST

NEO: The World Ends With You failed to meet sales expectations, according to Square Enix's latest financial briefing, The sequel to the breakout 2007 Nintendo DS game, The World Ends with You, it contributed to Square Enix's overall lower game sales this year than in the same period last year.

"While NEO: The World Ends With You was well received by users, it has underperformed our initial expectations," Square Enix President Yosuke Matsuda said.

Despite releasing multiple new titles this year, including Outriders, Nier Replicant ver. 1.22474487139, NEO: The World Ends with You, and Life is Strange: True Colors, Square Enix Chief Accounting Officer Atsushi Matsuda said the overall net sales of Square Enix's HD games subsegment were weaker year-over-year. Last year, Square Enix launched major games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Marvel's Avengers.

On the bright side, recurring subscription revenue from Final Fantasy XIV remains strong as its player base grows. Its latest expansion, Endwalker, launches on December 7. Meanwhile, Square Enix plans to release Life is Strange: True Colors for Nintendo Switch digitally on December 7 and physically on February 22, 2022, as well as the Life is Strange Remastered Collection in February.

In IGN's NEO: The World Ends with You review, Rebekah Valentine wrote, "NEO: The World Ends With You is a sequel that leans heavily on recapturing what made the original so special... Its story satisfies me as someone who had been waiting 14 years for answers to The World Ends With You's most tantalizing plot threads, but it pays for that resolution by sidelining its new central cast and forgoing a hard-hitting, emotional story of its own."

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey

D&D: Get an Early Look Inside the Strixhaven (MTG) Crossover

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 12:22 PM PST

The upcoming Dungeons & Dragons / Magic: The Gathering crossover book Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos covers a lot of ground when it comes to designing an adventure around a mage school. However, after a recent look at some preview pages and a Q&A with its designers, it's clear that what happens between classes (and away from the table) is just as important to each player's story and skillset.

You can check out the excerpts for yourself below, as well as our interview with project leads and Senior D&D Designers Amanda Hamon and James Wyatt about what players and DMs can expect when joining a club or tackling the wizarding equivalent of the semi-annual horror show that is standardized testing. They also expand on what sorts of classes, clubs, tests, and extracurriculars are covered in the text.

IGN: What do exams look like in 'Strixhaven'? We assume wizards-in-training don't just sit at a desk filling out bubbles on fax paper.

Amanda Hamon: The Exam encounters that take place during the Strixhaven book's adventures are pretty varied, but in general, all of the Exams that happen "on camera" [editor's note: this refers to scenes played out at the D&D table rather than being glossed over as exposition by the Dungeon Master] during each adventure are tied to a single class that plugs into other parts of the adventure in some way. For example, in the freshman-year adventure, the students take Magical Physiologies, and three separate times they are tested on the habits, abilities, and behavior of a special magical creature. Characters can study and recall this knowledge in ways that are described in the book, but once the Exams are resolved, (spoilers!) there's a good chance that students who did well on the Exam will have an edge when they actually fight one or more of those creatures later on in the book.

IGN: Can you elaborate a bit on how the Studying/Testing phases work mechanically?

AH: Exams consist of a Studying phase and a Testing phase. During the Studying phase, students come up with techniques to help them recall the Exam's subject details, perform well on the Exam, or whatever else is appropriate. This phase might grant a reroll to the ability checks in the Testing phase. The Testing phase consists of two ability checks related to the subject matter at hand. There's a lot of roleplaying that can be involved, and the book provides lots of flavor to that extent, but that's the core mechanic.

IGN: The excerpt refers to "notable and even shocking events" that happen; can you provide any insight on what DMs/players can expect in terms of story? Or is it more about providing DMs/players with new options for their original adventures?

James Wyatt: This book is a notable departure from our past Magic–D&D crossover books (Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica and Mythic Odysseys of Theros) in that this is primarily an adventure book rather than a setting book. So yes, the book includes an adventure that will take characters from lowly 1st-level first-years up as high as 10th level by the time they finish four years of study…and lots of excitement and adventure along the way! Of course, there's plenty of information in the book that DMs can use to craft their own adventures at Strixhaven, but the goal was to provide an adventure set at this magical university which you can drop into any campaign setting.

IGN: Considering the new and expanded mechanics for activities like exams/studying/extracurricular bonuses/etc, does it ever feel like the concept of incorporating a world like this is pushing against the boundaries of what D&D5e offers as a game system?

JW: On the contrary, I think a book like this is an excellent way to demonstrate the breadth of what the D&D system is capable of handling. The game has come a long way from its roots in wargaming, and D&D fans enjoy a tremendous variety of experiences.

IGN: Can you provide any examples of the "minor rules benefits" that come with joining an extracurricular activity? Are they bonuses to the skills associated with each club, or something else?

AH: When a character participates in an Extracurricular activity, there's a lot happening off-screen—if they're a member of the Strixhaven Iron-Lifters Society, for example, they're practicing their weightlifting techniques, learning how to build a strong body, and bonding with fellow lifting enthusiasts, all potentially away from the main action happening at the table. When a character participates in an Extracurricular, they get a Student Die every long rest that gives them a bump to one of two ability checks listed along with their chosen Extracurricular. Additionally, they gain a positive or negative Relationship point with one of their peers who's also a member of the group to represent the bonding that takes place during these extracurriculars.

IGN: There's a LARP guild, which is an interesting choice given the fairly High Fantasy setting. Are these role-play groups (or maybe an in-world tabletop game) focused on fantasy games as we know them, or perhaps ones that are more mundane, like Houses & Humans or Offices & Bosses?

JW: I love this question, because it reminds me of the cartoon in the first edition Dungeon Master's Guide that imagined D&D characters playing a "fantasy" RPG called Papers & Paychecks. The thing is, I think people in any world, no matter how magical, would play games revolving around adventure and wonder. In fact, there is an encounter in the adventure where members of the Live-Action Roleplaying Guild are preparing for a game they call "Beholders versus Behirs."

IGN: The section also mentions "Job Rules." What sort of after-school jobs do mages get? It's sort of hard to picture a "Boy-Who-Lived" type flipping burgers or pumping gas…

AH: The jobs offered on campus are as diverse as Strixhaven itself, and the book provides a list that's certainly not exhaustive, but does give lots of options. They include working at the Biblioplex, Bow's End Tavern, or the Firejolt Cafe, plus general places like on the campus grounds or in the campus magical labs. Actual duties are wide and varied at each location. For example, if you work in the magic labs, you might be a specimen preparer, a cleanup crew member, or a volunteer lab partner.

Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos will release on December 7, 2021 and is available for pre-order on Amazon or at your friendly neighborhood games store. For more D&D geekery, check out what we thought of the latest sourcebook, Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, or our thoughts on the 2021 lineup of WizKids' prepainted D&D minis.

JR is a Senior Producer at IGN, you can follow him on Twitter for more video games and tabletop RPG shenanigans.

Exclusive Look at Combat and Progression in Myth of Empires

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 10:00 AM PST

Myth of Empires, the new large-scale multiplayer sandbox game that allows players to command armies and participate in ancient era warfare, has officially entered Early Access and is offering players a chance to try out the game as development is finished. In celebration of that milestone, we sat down with Angela Game's Leon Meng and Lionel Li to discuss what makes this game so special.

Meng is a producer on Myth of Empires and Li is the lead game designer and they both walked us through everything the game has to offer, where the initial idea came from, how it differs from other sandbox games, and much more.

As with most things, Myth of Empires started off as an idea. Originally, the team set out to make a game that "reflected warfare in Ancient China." However, they also wanted to create something that stood tall against the competition.

"When we first discussed the project, the original idea was to make a game that reflected warfare in Ancient China," Meng said. "However, we didn't want to do the same thing that other projects with similar themes were doing. We wanted to do it with a different type of gameplay and bring players a more immersive experience with a higher degree of freedom.

"I'm personally a fan of ancient war games, and I play a lot of games with this kind of theme. Some of the games currently on the market are purely competitive games with an emphasis on combat; some are strategy games that emphasize strategy and tactics.

"Our idea is to make a game that allows players to participate in the entire ancient warfare process, from gathering materials and building camps to fighting on the battlefield."

From that idea, Myth of Empires was born - a survival sandbox game that features a 64 square kilometer map with a variety of different environments, animals, and six major human NPC factions that both can "compete and interact with players."

"The game gives players the opportunity to participate in every part of the warfare process, from collecting resources, to transportation, to crafting war materials, to building fortresses that can help them protect these materials," Meng said. "In the later stages of the game, players will be able to implement and enact strategic and political policies, as well."

Angela Game wanted Myth of Empires to be as accurate to its real-life inspiration as possible, so the team heavily researched a ton of historical documents from the era that will make it an authentic and rewarding experience for fans familiar with Ancient China or not.

It also features a PVE and PVP cross-server mechanic that looks to "reduce the frustration of traditional sandbox games, allowing players with different tastes to choose how they want to play the game." A guild system will also be in play alongside "a world map with strategic elements, which establishes some long-term sandbox gameplay."

In Myth of Empire, players will have to fight for survival by withstanding attacks by animals and bandits, all while gathering enough resources to start building their base and empire. You can also recruit or capture NPCs to have them help you in that mission alongside taming, raising, and breeding horses; farming livestock and crops; and more.

Speaking of NPCs, all belong to their own factions. If you attack certain factions repeatedly, they will end up being much more hostile towards you and may even retaliate. If you don't feel like being a blood-thirsty warlord, you can also cooperate with the other factions and profit by transporting goods between them.

There is a lot to do in Myth of Empires, and Li shared some tips for players looking to get started in its world.

"My suggestion is that novice players gradually familiarize themselves with the game mechanics on the PVE servers and not immediately jump into PVP," Li explained. "Novices can also complete quests to learn about the game mechanics. If you run into stuff that you don't understand, you can refer to our wiki, which is in progress.

"Finally, we recommend that players find a few friends to play with, which will make the game easier and more fun. Of course, if you want to play by yourself casually, you can get your own private server and adjust game parameters and permissions to reduce the difficulty of the game and strike a balance that suits you personally."

Once players become familiar with Myth of Empires, they can begin experimenting with the 25 different skill trees and over 100 perks. This will let you specialize your playstyle and expand your gameplay options. Your skills can also be improved by actions in game. For example, if you get attacked, your HP and armor skills will improve. If you fire arrows, your bow skill will improve. Myth of Empires looks to reward players for what they wish to do, and that facet is seen constantly throughout the game.

While upgrading your armies, you will also be exploring the massive world in Myth of Empires. The game world is composed of a ton of counties that each have 16 cities in them. Even though everything is connected, all players will start on the PVE server. Once players reach a certain level, they can transfer to PVP servers, which "offer higher collection efficiency and greater probability of obtaining rare resources." Players can also switch back and forth between servers if they want a different play style.

To expand your empire, you will need to engage in large-scale warfare. There are many options when it comes to combat, but Meng has a few tips to get you started.

"Battles are similar to what they were like in ancient times," Meng said. "Before two sides clash, catapults and ballistas play a major role at long distances. In the open plains, cavalry are powerful, but on complex terrain and within city walls, infantry and archers play the largest role. To win a battle, there must be a clear division of responsibilities and a unified and effective guild command."

Warfare is much more than simply winning through combat on the battlefield, as alliances are just important to gaining power. This is no different in Myth of Empires, and alliances and guilds play a big role in determining the difference between victory and defeat. They also shed a bit of light on the game's backstory, which Meng explains below.

"The game takes place in a special historical period," Meng said. "The emperor has lost his authority, and he's largely a figurehead. The people under his command operate largely on their own, but still need his authorization for major actions. In order to restore the political background of the time, there is a more feudal relationship between different alliances.

"A guild can only form an alliance with another guild through subordination. In this respect, it's similar to a medieval European system. The duke joins the kingdom and the kingdom joins the empire, but this kind of alliance is fragile."

Alliances are so important as "the county head of each server controls tax revenue within the server." Additionally, the 16 county heads will also need to determine the leader of the prefecture, who "will determine who will protect passes to maintain control of the entire region."

This makes alliances all the more valuable, as the more friends you have, the better your chances for victory are. However, not everyone can be trusted.

"More allies means that you can fight more wars at the same time and you can control a larger territory, but if these allies defect, then the empire falls apart. It takes a lot to manage an entire empire, and there is a lot of diplomacy involved," Meng said.

Myth of Empires' Early Access period contains roughly 70% of what will be contained in the full game. As the Early Access period continues, Angela Game will add such new features as "tree-based structures, NPC appearance customization, modding tools, new ways to use animals on the battlefield, musical instruments, new architecture and furniture, new armors and weapon skins, and more."

The Perfect PS5 4K TV on Sale for Black Friday in the UK

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 09:17 AM PST

If you've been on the hunt for a new 4K TV then Black Friday has come at the right time for you. There are some incredible deals going on your next gaming TV but few models rival the LG OLED 4K Smart TV for sale over on Amazon at the minute (see here).

These TVs are absolutely perfect for next-gen gaming and you'll struggle to find a better picture or refresh rate anywhere else. You don't want to miss this deal.

Top Deal: LG 4K UHD Smart OLED TV

Our top pick for 4K TVs this Black Friday is this incredible OLED TV from LG. The 4K self-lit OLED screen allows for infinite contrast and the best colour fidelity you're likely to find anywhere this Black Friday.

This TV is ideal for PS5 or Xbox Series X gamers with its a9 Gen4 4K processor providing the crispest quality and most vibrant colours. LG also haven't scrimped on the sound capabilities of this model. It comes with Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos to give you the most powerful audio experience.

This LG TV also comes with HDMI 2.1 and a 120 Hz refresh rate so you can get the most out of your Series X games like Call of Duty: Vanguard, Halo Infinite, and Battlefield 2042.

More PS5 and PlayStation Black Friday Deals

Great PS5 SSD Black Friday Deals

Savings on Heatsinks

You'll need to grab yourself a heatsink if your PS5 SSD doesn't come with one built-in. We've rounded up some of the best deals you can find on these too.

Guardians of the Galaxy is Down to £34.99 (Save £25)

Even More Black Friday Deals

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Life is Strange: True Colors for Nintendo Switch Gets December Release Date

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 09:13 AM PST

We already knew that Square Enix was planning to release Life is Strange: True Colors on Nintendo Switch. Today, we finally know that the Switch version will be released on December 7.

As noted in a new tweet, the Switch port will arrive digitally via the Nintendo eShop on December 7. Those looking to pick up a physical cartridge will have to wait until February 25, 2022.

Life is Strange: True Colors was originally released on September 10 on all major platforms, but ahead of its release, developer Deck Nine games confirmed that the Switch version would not release alongside the other versions.

We reviewed Life is Strange: True Colors last September on IGN, which we gave a 9, noting that the latest entry was also the best in the series. The game also recieved a prequel DLC set one year before the events of the base game called Wavelengths, which released on September 30.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

The Wii's Biggest, Weirdest Legacy Is Its Music

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 09:00 AM PST

I'm going to ask you to do something you've probably not been asked to do before. Close your eyes and think of the Nintendo Wii. What's the first thing you remember? I'm guessing lots of you are picturing motion controllers — Nintendo's flailing first attempt to drag sticks full of gyroscopes, accelerometers, and wriststraps we really should have been wearing into the mainstream. Maybe it's the face of a Mii, those hauntingly cheery digital facsimiles that filled practically every game worth caring about on the console. For others, it'll just be Wii Sports, and probably the moment you finally got your old nan to try gaming for the first time, before she accidentally put a Wiimote through your TV (again, wear those wriststraps, kids). Other groups might be thinking of possible best-game-ever Super Mario Galaxy, or balance boards, or when Virtual Console was actually good.

But I bet for a great many of you, it'll be something completely non-visual. Perhaps it's the Mii Channel music. Or the Wii Shop jingle. Maybe it's the Wii Sports theme song.

There's just something about music written for the Wii, isn't there? It sounds… wrong. Not written badly, but just like it doesn't belong on a regular old games console. PlayStation's always opted for a detached, ambient cool — waves of strings and THX synth blares. Microsoft has broadly avoided music altogether, swapping the original Xbox's bizarre industrial soundscapes for near-total silence in its later consoles. Nintendo, to my lasting displeasure, has copied the Xbox approach for its most recent machines.

But Wii had the temerity to feel somehow… approachable? And that music meant your console wasn't some cold bit of hardware; it was a little portal to somewhere warmer, friendlier, and way more interested in jazz than you'd go in expecting. It's a design choice that I'd argue doesn't just stick in the memory — at this point, I'd say the Wii's music is the console's longest-lasting legacy.

Motion controls, Miis, and balance boards have all been removed or diminished as Nintendo moved on, but take a quick look across YouTube, TikTok, or Twitter, and I guarantee it won't take all that long to hear a Wii track. Covers and memes featuring music from the Wii are everywhere. Music written for the Wii has taken on a new life as a cultural touchstone, and inspired people far beyond the confines of the little white wedge it was composed for.

Which leads us to a fundamental question: "why?" What is it about this collection of bizarrely optimistic tracks that's helped them live so far beyond the Wii itself? To help answer that question, I spoke to musicians and comedians that have been unexpectedly inspired by music written for the Wii, and even gone on to make their own iconic work out of it.

Chapter 1: Kazumi Totaka

Music written for the Wii has a singular quality. Tracks might differ in style and instrumentation, but there's a general feeling about it that makes it all feel whole. From the console's individual menu channels, to the many, many songs written for pack-in game Wii Sports, you get that odd sense that you could identify a Wii track if you heard it. That's probably largely down to the fact that one man is responsible for almost all of it.

Even if you'd somehow avoided all of the music written for Wii, you've likely heard the work of Kazumi Totaka. Link's Awakening, Luigi's Mansion, and the entire Animal Crossing series were all soundtracked by this single composer. (Also, weirdly, he's the voice of Yoshi.)

After coming up under the tutelage of Koji "I composed the Super Mario Bros. theme tune" Kondo, Totaka established himself as one of Nintendo's leading in-house composers, someone who can be trusted to add that little bit of unexpected magic to everything he touches. (Plus a bit of expected magic in the form of Totaka's song, a 19-note melody he hides inside every game he's involved with). It's not a huge surprise, then, that it was Totaka who was tasked with giving the Wii its musical identity.

Totaka doesn't give an awful lot of interviews, so there's not really a record of how he felt about being asked to compose for a console, rather than a game, but it must have been an odd experience. Where soundtracking games is more a case of accentuating or illustrating an existing vibe, Totaka's work on the Wii was a little different — suddenly, he was creating music out of nothing to build avatars to, to shop with, or just to look at the weather. But rather than feeling anonymous or diffuse, the musical identity Totaka stamped onto the console was so distinct that it leaked into its games.

Wii Sports is the most obvious example — a game that feels completely part of the Wii package, and lives up to that idea in how its soundtrack sits alongside the console's menu music in our collective memory. It's an identity that would eventually lead Totaka to be given the position of game director on Wii Music.

Totaka's work in making all of these tracks feel so indelible went further than cementing an identity — much of what he wrote has lived far, far longer than the actual Wii channels and games ever did.

Chapter 2: Charles Cornell

YouTuber, jazz pianist, and well-bearded pop musicologist Charles Cornell has previously explained the excellence of the Wii's many musical themes — and seemed the perfect person to talk about why these tracks seem to endure so much. Chiefly, it seems, it's all about repetition.

"I think that musically, one of the indications that the job was done so well, is that you almost didn't even notice the music, at least at first," Cornell told IGN. "It was one of those things where it just became familiar via playing the game. Just by nature of participating and constantly doing it over and over and over again, you realize, 'Oh, I'm singing along every time I open this menu.'"

It's no surprise, then, that some of the top results on YouTube for the Mii Channel theme are 10 hour loops, some with over 10 million views. Key to the Mii Channel, the Wii Shop tune, and other Wii big hitters are that they somehow never wear out their welcome. For Cornell, Totaka's trick seems to be making something that can always sound the same, but feels like it was made differently to what you'd normally hear:

"I don't expect to see music written in the way that I encounter it in the jazz world regularly," said Cornell. "I think that's one of the biggest things that stuck out to me, compositionally, was just seeing like, 'Oh, this guy's writing this stuff how we approach a lot of tunes — either tunes that are already written that we play or writing your own tunes with a jazz style — it just has that vocabulary in the writing and the composition.'

"[The Wii music] is just a tune," he added, likening it to "a chart that somebody might bring to a session and just be like, 'Oh man, I've been working on this tune, you guys want to play it?' But when you have a working knowledge, an ear training and an ability to hear musical form and understand where music is going harmonically, and you hear some of the stuff that's going on in the soundtrack... I was like, 'Whoa, that's cool.'"

But the secret sophistication behind the Wii's tracks doesn't just make them good; it makes them, well, funny. And this might be the key to their enduring success – put some Wii music on top of something else, and it get funnier. It's basically internet science at this point, and a legacy of sketches, video memes, and remixes has followed to prove that hypothesis. But what turns well-written jazz composition into the equivalent of comedy flavouring?

I think that the goofiness of something that's not real really comes across, and that's one of the things that makes it feel funny.

Cornell theorizes the comedy comes from three things: "Number one, it's nostalgia, because a lot of us who are now looking at the memes of this stuff played it when we were younger, right? Number two: the ridiculousness of the Mii Characters — when you create your character and how people have done so much, just stupid, crazy things.

"Then also, I don't think it's as much the composition as it is the instrumentation. So, the usage of specific synthesizers, the usage of these goofier sounds. They weren't trying to create something that sounded real, and I think that the goofiness of something that's not real really comes across, and that's one of the things that makes it feel funny."

That potent combo of nostalgia and possibly purposeful strangeness has led to innumerable comedy creations featuring Wii music — to the point where I'm sure there are kids who could hum the Wii Shop music, but have never seen the original shop itself. That trend had to start somewhere, and I'm pretty sure I know where.

Chapter 3: Update Day

There's no simple way of identifying who used the Wii's music as a comedy tool first, but I think I know who succeeded with it first. Most Wii music memes and covers you'll know came after the Wii was already in the rearview mirror for gaming as a whole, and many more arrived after it stopped production altogether. But 'Update Day' arrived in 2008, amid a tidal wave of Wii fever.

Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol had started a web series, Nirvana the Band the Show, in 2006 and, inspired by the likes of Mega64, blended pop culture, lo-fi sketches, and deep-cut gaming knowledge to make for low-key, surreal, cut-up comedy. They were also extremely into the Wii, and it led directly to the sketch in which Jay surprises (then infuriates) Matt by improvising an entire song set to the Wii Shopping Channel music. Amazingly, it was almost as organic behind the scenes as the sketch makes it look.

"It was hard to do because we were writing it as we went and the whole lyrics were a real spur of the moment sort of thing that was happening so quickly," McCarrol told IGN. "We were scribbling them down on a paper and Matt was holding them up for me off-screen and he was trying to read them and sing them through — I was barely able to get them out because I was singing it seconds after we wrote it."

Johnson added: "You were also so drunk, which I know you don't mind being reminded about." McCarrol, incidentally, vehemently denies the accusation.

It's no surprise that they honed in on the song's weird appeal so early. The pair loved video game music, building it into their show from the very beginning, and something about this particular song worked for them immediately.

"It's one of those pieces of music where you don't even get to be exposed to that level of jazzy, complicated chords moving around," said McCarrol. "It's the same way that the only way people experience classical music now is mostly through movies, and so it's nice that video games still have one foot in the door to just give your ears a taste of something really complex."

Johnson added that using the music as a premise for comedy "is just easy because it's like this music is meant to signify nothing, this music has meant to just be the thing you listened to when you get onto an elevator or when you're in a shopping mall, and so people have tried to ironically spin it into being like, 'Oh, it could be really funny if I put this music against anything.' That may also be what's going on."

It's nice that video games still have one foot in the door to just give your ears a taste of something really complex.

The thing is, Update Day was never meant to stand out so much from the rest of the series. McCarrol and Johnson had always intended for it to feel like a complete show, and it surprised them most of all when that single sketch, and the song it was built around, became an internet phenomenon of its own.

To this day, almost 15 years later, a Twitter account called Wii Shop Wednesday still reposts the sketch on a weekly basis, to almost 40,000 followers. Even after Nirvana The Band The Show became a fully fledged TV series, this potentially obscure section of McCarrol and Johnson's past is still probably their best-known work.

Update Day didn't necessarily create the future of how the Wii's music would be used by the internet, but it definitely predicted it — an early marker of how these strange, quietly brilliant compositions would be copied, warped, and re-used for years to come by an audience that finds them deeply funny, and even touchingly nostalgic. The number of ways they've been utilised since then is staggering, but it seems to have taken a step beyond even that in the last few years.

Chapter 4: Gundacker

After more than a decade of comedy created using music written for the Wii, it's no surprise that, at some point, the trend would eat itself. Comedian Gabriel Gundacker didn't just use old Wii music — he wrote an entire album of his own new compositions, designed to sound like originals. The only thing is, he never actually meant to.

"I had written a song that I really loved," Gundacker told IGN. "And then the next day I went back and listened to it and I was like, 'Okay, this sounds like a Wii song. This sounds like a Wii Sports song.' And so I just changed a few things about it and I decided to make it into a bit, and then it wasn't until after that one, that I was like, 'Okay, this is kind of fun. Maybe I should try and make Wii songs.'"

You remember how I spoke about that odd feeling that you'd probably know a song written for the Wii if you heard it? Gundacker — an accomplished musician himself — realised that he could play off of that idea, and began to build an entire series of unofficial Wii Sports tracks, each one providing the soundtrack to a Wii Sport that never existed: snorkeling, curling, or chess in the park. He just needed to learn how Totaka did that in the first place:

"There are definitely rules," said Gundacker. "There are absolutely rules, or there are sounds that you have to use. You have to use accordion, you have to use this beautiful, fake, digital acoustic guitar. Basically what I did is I went and listened to each track. They're very consistent themselves — the sounds they use in Animal Crossing and in Nintendogs and Wii Sports, and then just some of the Wii music in general all come from the same sort of sound bank or whatever that they've decided are feel-good. This isn't Zelda, you're not wielding a sword, we're just having fun. So it's just using those sounds, and the accordion is the main one."

There are absolutely rules, or there are sounds that you have to use. You have to use accordion, you have to use this beautiful, fake, digital acoustic guitar.

Just like the real thing, Gundacker's songs ripple with an odd combination of goofiness and gentle loveliness. But, just as Charles Cornell told us earlier, he's also aiming for some of Kazumi Totaka's secret sophistication, too:

"Well, I wonder how he approaches that music, because it usually starts and ends with a pretty distinct melody," Gundacker said. "The beginning, everybody can hum it. And then the last thing, you can hum it. And then in the middle, it goes all over the place. I feel like he writes that melody first and then he just starts trying to find the chords that follow it."

The response to Gundacker's songs prove that he hit on the right feeling. With each successive new release he was getting the same kinds of responses — people loving the accuracy as much as the silliness of the project. Once he'd written eight tracks, they were released as a full album, which kind of feels like the ultimate end point for the Wii soundtrack's legacy. It's now so much its own idea, separate from the console itself, that it's spawning its own creations. Gundacker sees that happening elsewhere too, with the Hotline Bling-Wii Shop Channel mashup and within the Ariana Grande album Sweetener, for example. "There's a few tracks on that album that Pharrell, whether or not he knows it, he's absolutely pulling from Wii sounds," he said.

If we're seeing Totaka's songwriting now influencing not just self-referential internet culture, but wider musical creativity, this is proof of its legacy, right? Where the Wii's other biggest innovations feel forgotten or improved upon by others, its music is, somehow, stronger and more meaningful than ever.

The Lasting Legacy of Wii's Music

It might seem absurd to spend this long thinking about music written for the Wii — probably because it is absurd — but just like the music itself, there's a hidden depth here. The fact that Totaka's music stands so alone in the industry, especially this long after it was created, speaks not just to the Wii, but to Nintendo itself.

The Wii's music is pulling in two directions — it might be used for very different reasons by its fans, but it's absolutely representative of Nintendo's own stubbornness in standing out from the crowd. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto has famously repeatedly said he's not really influenced by other people's games, because it would affect his own creations. It feels like the same philosophy applied by Totaka, and it makes for a soundtrack that could only sound like it came from a Nintendo console.

Even if you've never actually played the thing, even if you've only seen it used on videos of children falling over, or covers played almost entirely on bottles, or turned into that last bit from the Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg song, you kind of know who's behind it.

In a way, it's not really that the music has outlived the Wii — it's that this extraordinarily weird, nostalgic music is keeping the memory of this extraordinarily weird, nostalgic little console alive. And that's a legacy.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

Nintendo Switch Black Friday Deals: Save on Switch Consoles, Ring Fit and Tons More

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 08:02 AM PST

The Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals are here and this is a great time to load up on Nintendo Switch games. These Black Friday Nintendo deals are also great for gifts this holiday, because everyone's a winner: you save money on Switch games, and someone gets the game they want. Win-win!

Best Black Friday Nintendo Switch Game Deals

Black Friday has already seen some incredible, dare I say historic?, deals on Nintendo games. Anyone who follows Nintendo's first-party offerings knows deals on games are "OK" at best. However, yesterday we saw Amazon and GameStop offering Nintendo Switch game deals for a mere $27. This fever-dream of a sale was not long for this world, and the deals have settled down to their Black Friday advertised levels. It was great while it lasted, but there's still plenty of ways to save on Nintendo Switch for Black Friday.

Best Black Friday Nintendo Deals at Amazon

Bravely Default II, one of the most charming Nintendo Switch games of 2021, is down to its lowest price, ever, at Amazon.

Black Friday Nintendo Deals at Walmart

Black Friday Nintendo Deals at GameStop

Black Friday eShop Deals

Black Friday Ring Fit Adventure Deal

This remains one of the best Nintendo Switch deals of Black Friday. I can't think of a time when Ring Fit has ever been discounted. For a while there, you couldn't even find it. But right now, Ring Fit is marked down to $54.99.

Black Friday Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Deal

This is one of the coolest toys Nintendo has every built, you can save 40% off Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit's MSRP. You can also now play two-player split-screen, so you don't need two switches to race against your family and friends.

Black Friday Nintendo Switch Mario Kart Bundle (SOLD OUT)

The Black Friday Nintendo Switch bundle includes the Switch V2 console, a code for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a code for 3-months of Nintendo Switch Online, all for $299. Maybe unsurprisingly, this deal is pretty popular and retailers keep going in and out of stock, but you can grab it right now at Amazon if you're quick enough.

Will Nintendo Switch OLED be Available on Black Friday?

If you're looking for where to buy Nintendo Switch OLED for Black Friday... I wish you nothing but the best of luck. While we saw a restock of PS5 and Xbox for Black Friday at Walmart, and a surprise Black Friday PS5 drop at Amazon, we haven't seen a single retailer offering the Switch OLED yet.

When Do Nintendo Black Friday Deals Begin?

Nintendo's Black Friday sales officially kicked off on Sunday, November 21, with Walmart Nintendo Black Friday deals starting on November 22 with early access for Walmart+ members.

Will the $27 Nintendo Switch Deals Come Back?

GameStop, and then Amazon, were selling some of the best Nintendo Switch games of all time for just $26.99, and the prices lasted for quite a while. I wouldn't be surprised to see the return of the best Nintendo Switch Black Friday deal once we actually hit Black Friday, but for now, the games are listed at their regular sale prices.

All the Best Black Friday Deals and Sales

Seth Macy is Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and just wants to be your friend. You can find him hosting the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast.

Xbox Virtual Museum Features Letter From When Microsoft Tried To Buy Nintendo

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 07:56 AM PST

The Xbox Virtual Museum features a letter from over twenty years ago detailing the time that Microsoft tried to buy Nintendo.

The letter can be found as part of Microsoft's Xbox Virtual Museum, which the company has launched as part of its 20th-anniversary celebrations for Xbox.

While much of the document is unfortunately covered by a large green text overlay, the letter does give a brief insight into the communication between Xbox's head of hardware at the time Rick Thompson and Nintendo of America's then-executive VP of business affairs, Jacqualee Story.

"Dear Jacqualee, I appreciate you taking the time to try to arraign a meeting with Mr. Takeda and Mr. Yamauchi to discuss a possible strategic partnership between Nintendo and Microsoft on future video game platforms," states Thompson in the letter. "I understand Mr. Takeda's concerns about the possible partnership and will try to [obscured text] the guidelines that he has requested."

While large parts of the rest of the letter are unfortunately missing, it's safe to say that very little materialized from the discussions held between the two companies. Earlier this year, Kevin Bachus, former director of third-party relations at Microsoft delved further into the company's attempts to acquire Nintendo at the time as part of an oral history given on the creation of the original Xbox.

"Steve made us go meet with Nintendo to see if they would consider being acquired," explained Bachus. "They just laughed their asses off. Like, imagine an hour of somebody just laughing at you. That was kind of how that meeting went."

Despite what sounds like a rather humiliating initial meeting, it appears as though the two companies met on at least one other occasion. "We actually had Nintendo in our building in January 2000 to work through the details of a joint venture where we gave them all the technical specs of the Xbox," explains former head of business development Bob McBreen as part of the same oral history interview.

"The pitch was their hardware stunk, and compared to Sony PlayStation, it did. So the idea was, 'Listen, you're much better at the game portions of it with Mario and all that stuff. Why don't you let us take care of the hardware?' But it didn't work out."

While Microsoft and Nintendo didn't quite end up in partnership with one another, its safe to say that both companies are doing pretty well for themselves nowadays. For more on Xbox's 20th anniversary celebrations, make sure to check out this article detailing how the Virtual Museum actually contains an exhibit dedicated to you.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Dragon Ball: The Breakers Closed Beta Test Dates Announced

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 07:30 AM PST

Bandai Namco and Dimps have announced that a closed beta for Dragon Ball: The Breakers will run on PC next month. Registration for the event, which will run from December 3 to December 4, is now open in North America, Europe, and Japan.

Across the two days, Bandai Namco will run four different closed beta sessions, the majority of which will take place on December 4. A full list of timings for these sessions is outlined below:

  • December 3 from 6:00 pm PT / 9:00 pm ET to 10:00 pm PT / 1:00 am ET
  • December 4 from 4:00 am PT / 7:00 am ET to 8:00 am PT / 11:00 am ET
  • December 4 from 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET to 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET
  • December 4 from 6:00 pm PT / 9:00 pm ET to 10:00 pm PT / 1:00 am ET

Bandai Namco initially revealed its announcement trailer for Dragon Ball: The Breakers last week. Unlike previous Dragon Ball games that pitch different Super Saiyan beings against one another in grueling hand-to-hand combat, the latest game from the publisher is taking a rather different approach to gameplay.

The Breakers is an asymmetrical online multiplayer game where players are either assigned as a Raider (Cell, Buu, or Frieza) or one of seven completely ordinary beings trying to run, hide, and outmaneuver their Raider opponent. As well as possessing the ability to run and flee like headless chickens, the seven survivors in the game will be able to work on customizable skill trees, weapons, and more in order to co-operatively escape from the Raider's grasp before they're blown to smithereens.

As well as announcing the dates for the closed beta, Bandai Namco has also released an eleven-minute video for the game (as seen below) which delves further into the premise of the game and what players can expect upon release. Dragon Ball: The Breakers is currently planned for release on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC in 2022. The game will also be available to play via Backwards Compatibility on Xbox Series X|S and PS5.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Fortnite Chapter 2 Is Coming to an "End" in December

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 07:00 AM PST

Fortnite Chapter 2 is coming to an end as players prepare for one final faceoff against The Cube Queen. Once again, Fortnite is prepping a one-time-only in-game event called "The End" which will bring the current chapter to a close.

Epic Games has announced "The End" a finale event for Fortnite Chapter 2 set to begin on December 4 at 1 pm PT/4 pm ET. Players will ready up together to fight The Cube Queen in the last stand.

The End will support up to 16 player parties so you can squad up with even more friends. The End playlist will be available in Fortnite 30 minutes before the start of the event.

Just like the finale for Fortnite Chapter 1, "The End" is a one-time-only event. Epic recommends players and content creators to record the event themselves if they're hoping to relive the experience as replays will not be available afterward.

Players who queue up for "The End" will receive a special Loading Screen and Wrap, as well as 225,000 XP as Fortnite will end the current Season a day early.

Fortnite Chapter 2 crisscrossed across the multiverse and brought characters from Marvel, DC, Naruto, and so much more across multiple seasonal events. And while Fortnite hasn't been announced yet, you can expect Fortnite Chapter 3 on the horizon.

Fortnite recommends players finish the Cube Queen's Page 1 & 2 Quests, collect Color Bottles and Rainbow Ink for the Toona Fish Styles, and trade any remaining Battle Stars before jumping into "The End."

Check out The End on December 4 and read up on IGN's Fortnite Chapter 2 guide for help before the finale.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Oculus Quest 2 Black Friday Deals: Free $50 Gift Cards With Purchase

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 07:00 AM PST

One of the biggest deals of the Black Friday shopping event is finally here. We've all been wondering about Oculus Quest Black Friday deals, and now purchases of an Oculus Quest 2 from Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Target, now come with a free $50 gift card alongside–truly a supreme combo (see here).

That means you can purchase the 128GB VR headset for $299, and get a $50 gift card to go towards all your other Black Friday and holiday gift shopping, so go nuts with it.

Get a Free $50 Gift Card with Oculus Quest 2 Purchases

Free $50 gift cards are available with both the 128GB ($299) and 258GB ($399) models of the Oculus Quest 2 (see here), just use code OCULUS50 at checkout. This is definitely one of the best deals of the year, and well worth your consideration, especially if you're planning to do any other Black Friday shopping at the likes of Amazon or Best Buy for example.

VR is coming back into gaming in a big way, and we're expecting the support of VR games to continue to grow year on year. This is the perfect opportunity to jump into the VR scene, so don't miss out.

Editor's Note: Oculus Quest 2 is also on sale in the Black Friday deals in the UK.

More Black Friday Deals to Check Out

All the Best Black Friday Deals and Sales

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

See Chorus’ Stylish Space Combat in Our Exclusive Gameplay Video

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 06:13 AM PST

IGN is pleased to exclusively reveal brand new gameplay from Chorus, the space combat game from Fishlabs. This eight-minute segment of the game show's off Chorus's fast-paced battles and smooth flying, as well as a little ship customisation.

This segment sees protagonist Nara and her sentient spaceship, Forsaken, arrive at the space station of Maka Haven, where it is under assault from cultists. The station and its docked ships must be freed from the siege by destroying three psychic totems. This task provides a showcase for Chorus' combat, which constantly bombards the screen with pretty particle effects and slick ship manoeuvres. Maka Haven also demonstrates some interesting level design, as flying within the station makes for a more tricky and close quarters environment compared to the infinite openness of space.

With Maka Haven freed, we also get to see a little of Chorus' ship customisation, as Forsaken docks and is taken down to the station's hangar. In the menus we can see that Forsaken's structure, weapons, power, and more can be switched out and re-arranged, with new items purchased from the hangar.

It's not a story-focussed gameplay video, but towards the end Forsaken mentions travelling to a wormhole to the past, where it was constructed.

For more from Chorus, check out trailers introducing Nara and The Circle, the galaxy-spanning cult that must be opposed. Chorus will release this December for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Best Black Friday Deals UK 2021: All of Today's Top Offers

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 06:04 AM PST

Black Friday sales are officially here in the UK, right now, and there are so many incredible deals right now. So far our favourites include 40% off the perfect PS5 SSDs (including a heatsink), with the 1TB down to £105.75, and the 2TB down to £204.16. There's also 12-Months of PS Plus for £32.99, and PS5 and Xbox games like Far Cry 6 for just £39.99, and Guardians of the Galaxy for £34.99.

Black Friday is the biggest it's ever been in the UK, so keep this page bookmarked for Black Friday, the weekend, and Cyber Monday, we've got you covered. Or, for more deals head on over to @IGNUKDeals on Twitter. Here are the most popular Black Friday deals so far.

Hot Black Friday Deals (Our Favourites)

Black Friday: Best PS5 SSD Deals

PS5 Heatsinks

AD: £10 Off Norton 360 Deluxe

Hot Deal: Guardians of the Galaxy is Down to £34.99 (Save £25)

Hot Deal: Get 12 Months of PS Plus for £32.99

AD: 72% Off NordVPN 2-Year Plans + 3-Months FREE

PS5 4K TV Deals: £600 Off LG OLED 65-Inch 4K TV

AD: Up to £90 Off Facebook Portal Devices

Oculus Quest 2 + Free £50 Amazon Gift Card

Black Friday: Amazon Fire TV Stick Deals

Black Friday: Best Amazon Subscription Deals

Best Apple Deals: New Apple AirPods for £189 (Save £50)

Black Friday: Best Deals on PS5 Games

Black Friday: Best Deals on Xbox Games

Black Friday: Best Deals on PS5 and Xbox Headphones

Best Black Friday VPN Deals

More Black Friday Deals

Out of Stock: Perfect PS5 SSDs with Heatsink are On Sale (1TB or 2TB)

We love this PS5 SSD deal, and it's available for Black Friday now. Both the 1TB and 2TB SSD expansions have dropped 40% in the sale, an incredible discount. This is now the most affordable PS5 SSD expansion option available.

PS5 and Xbox Series X Black Friday 2021 Stock in the UK

Even a year later, PS5 and Xbox Series X stock is still hard to find. We're still providing constant stock updates @IGNUKDeals, but with the ongoing supply shortage globally, the hunt for next-gen systems continues.

We actually saw some console stock in and around Black Friday last year, so fingers crossed, this might happen again at the likes of Amazon, GAME, Currys, Argos, and more during Black Friday week.

PS5 Stock for Black Friday 2021

Xbox Series X Stock for Black Friday 2021

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Even Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City's Director Is Having a Hard Time Finding a PS5

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 06:00 AM PST

By far, one of the most desirable gadgets right now to buy is the PlayStation 5, but if you have been keeping up to date on the news, you'll know that Sony's new console is in high demand and in short supply. So many people have been looking (and struggling) to find a PS5 that even a figure as prominent as Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City director Johannes Roberts is having a hard time buying one.

The topic was brought up during an interview with IGN, where we asked Roberts what his favorite Resident Evil game is, which he said was Resident Evil 2 remake. Roberts also mentioned other Resident Evil games such as Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, but admits that he has yet to play Resident Evil Village, which was released this year.

Why? Because Roberts wants to experience the game on a PS5, and not his PS4.

"I haven't, and if you have any power in this world, you will make this happen for me. I have not played [Resident Evil] Village because I cannot. and you would have thought, director of Resident Evil, I cannot get a PlayStation 5 anywhere," Roberts told IGN. "And I am not playing it on my [PlayStation] 4; I want to play it on the [PlayStation] 5."

Roberts, like many others that have yet to obtain a PS5, are not the only ones struggling to buy one. Even Jason Kelley, the actor who played protagonist Colt Vahn in Deathloop, was having a hard time finding the console so he could play the game he acted in (Bethesda eventually helped him secure a PS5 shortly after the game's release).

Of course, Roberts' struggle of trying to buy a PS5 was not the only thing we discussed. In our interview with the director, we also had a spoiler discussion about Welcome to Raccoon City's ending along with some scenes that did not make it into the film, including a scene where Chris Redfield's actor would have punched a boulder.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster
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