IGN Video Games

IGN Video Games

New World of Warcraft Expansion Will Be Revealed Next Month

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 04:56 PM PST

Blizzard is gearing up for a series of new Warcraft reveals in the coming months, including a new expansion for World of Warcraft and a Warcraft mobile game announcement.

On March 15, details for the new Hearthstone expansion will be revealed. About a month later on April 19, details for the new WoW expansion will be revealed. The last World of Warcraft expansion, Shadowlands, was released in 2020, meaning it's about time for a new adventure in WoW.

The potentially biggest surprise comes in May when the long-rumored Warcraft mobile game is set to be revealed.

Blizzard has long been rumored to be working on a mobile game related to Warcraft. Blizzard confirmed that the mobile game would be released in 2022 back in February after finally confirming it was in "advanced development" on a Warcraft mobile experience in 2021.

Previous rumors stated Blizzard was developing a Pokemon Go-style AR game set in the Warcraft universe. But since the release of Pokemon Go in 2016, there have been many new genres that have become popular in the mobile space including battle royales, auto-battlers, and even open-world games like Genshin Impact.

Warcraft as a series has been impacted by several outside factors since the launch of Shadowlands in 2020. Reception to the latest expansion wasn't as positive as it could have been and developers have been working to clean up World of Warcraft of old references following the lawsuit by the State of California over Blizzard's workplace gender discrimination.

Blizzard will also be absorbed into Xbox as part of the Activision Blizzard acquisition, which will no doubt have some impact on the biggest MMORPG in the world.

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

Halo Infinite Players Worry About the Future After Campaign Co-op Delay

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 03:44 PM PST

Season 2 of Halo Infinite's multiplayer is arriving this May, but two beloved Halo modes could still be a ways off. Halo developer 343 Industries previously said campaign co-op and the Forge mode wouldn't arrive until May 2022 at the earliest, but now the Halo community is dealing with the confirmation that campaign co-op and Forge won't be there when Season 2 drops.

Titled Lone Wolves, Season 2 is bringing two new maps, new modes, the return of King of the Hill, and more cosmetics to Halo Infinite. After 343's recent announcement that campaign co-op wouldn't be arriving with the launch of Season 2, Halo Infinite players took to social media to share their opinions on the news.

The reactions are largely negative, with many fans saying they've lost hope for Halo Infinite's future due to the lack of traditional Halo features, the lengthy season duration, and the numerous battle pass issues.

Even players who enjoy Halo Infinite's gameplay are struggling to ignore the game's problems, with some saying the lack of campaign co-op leaves a "bad taste in my mouth." Over on the Halo subreddit, fans were very frustrated with the Season 2 news, after what's already been a fairly rocky Season 1.

Halo Infinite dealt with a lengthy delay, from late 2020 to December 2021. Last year, Halo Infinite's Joseph Staten said he was "so proud of the studio and Xbox" for delaying the game. Seeing some of the content droughts the game is dealing with now, some Halo fans can't help but wonder what state the game was in when Microsoft decided to delay the game.

Underneath the frustration of its single-player limitations, the Halo Infinite campaign is amazing. However, it seems many people are still waiting to experience the campaign with friends, with Twitter user Lurz Perwoll saying, "I wanted to play Coop [sic] with my homies day one, not day 400."

Many players are sharing the same story, saying co-op is essential for the Halo experience.

Other fans come out in support of Priority Zero

It wasn't all negativity, though, as some fans shared their support for 343 Industries. Some commented on 343's "Priority Zero" initiative, where the studio outlined its focus on work-life balance for its employees. Others were happy to see 343 finally share an update of any kind, after a long wait for Season 2 and new content.

And, as with any big news story, there were plenty of jokes floating around. IGN user seebs poked fun at the name choice for Season 2, saying, "It's called "lone wolves" because there's still no co-op." Meanwhile, many folks on Twitter compared Halo Infinite's Steam numbers to The Master Chief Collection's player count, which launched over seven years ago.

If you're still waiting to dive into Halo's campaign until co-op releases, check out the best games to play on Xbox Series X|S while you wait. Or, watch the developers react to a 30-minute speedrun of Infinite's campaign.

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

Painfully Difficult: From Software's 30+ Year Journey From PS1 to Elden Ring

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 02:43 PM PST

Today From Software is best known for birthing and leading the charge of the Soulsborne genre, a portmanteau named after its Bloodborne and Dark Souls series. But the longer history of the company reveals a more chequered past, a timeline populated by minor hits at best, alongside curious novelties, intriguing failures, and more than a few outright duds.

In some ways, From Software emerged out of nowhere in 2011 with the release of the original Dark Souls, the studio's first genuine smash hit. Suddenly, almost overnight, millions of PS3 and Xbox 360 owners around the world were playing a From Software game, likely for the very first time.

But to a more dedicated observer, the 'overnight' success of Dark Souls - a streak that continues to this day with the magnificent Elden Ring - was an arduous journey 25 years in the making. Was the success of Dark Souls the culmination of two and a half decades of honing their craft? Or was it a mere fluke… a case of the stars aligning and From Software accidentally being in the right place at the right time?

Join us as we rekindle the past… sit down to rest at the present… and summon the future of From Software…

Humble Beginnings

1986 was an auspicious year for video games, particularly in Japan. It saw the release of The Legend of Zelda, the original Metroid, and the first Castlevania, all for the Famicom or NES. All three games can lay claim to being huge influences on the Souls series.

1986 was also the year in which From Software was founded, on November 1, in Tokyo, Japan. Although we don't know the exact meaning behind the From Software name, it's possible that it was chosen to represent the company's original focus… productivity software. To be honest, it's hard to think of a name that better captures the bland, business-like and--dare we say?--soulless experience of accounting software and spreadsheets.

By the time the company had smartly transitioned into making games for the Sony PlayStation some eight years later, the name From Software had stuck.

The first game from From Software was King's Field, released within two weeks of the launch of the PlayStation 1 in Japan in December 1994. King's Field saw From Software embrace the PlayStation's strength as an early pioneer of 3D graphics, rendering its environments in real-time with a first-person perspective. Although primitive compared to the 3D engines powering PC games of the era, such as Doom and System Shock, King's Field's technology was unusual for a console game.

King's Field also stood out from the crowd of racing games, fighting games, and arcade ports that defined much of the PS1 launch lineup by borrowing gameplay ideas from Western role-playing games. In the 1980s, PC RPGs developed in America, like Ultima and Wizardry, had gained something of a cult status in Japan. And it was these games, rather than the more popular JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, that From Software looked towards when designing King's Field.

Combat was simplistic and awkward. Players could equip various melee weapons and launch ranged magic, both from a first-person perspective. Such actions exhausted a stamina meter in an effort to constrain players, forcing them to adopt a more considered, thoughtful approach--a foreign concept amid the more brute force-focused action games of the time, but an idea very familiar to players of the Souls series and From Software's other more recent output. Even then, with its very first game, From Software's esoteric design sensibilities were in evidence.

The world of King's Field was depicted in muted colors and told a tale of an ancient kingdom fallen to ruin, dragon gods, and a cycle of royal succession, motifs that now reoccur throughout From Software's games.

The world of King's Field was depicted in muted colors and told a tale of an ancient kingdom fallen to ruin, dragon gods, and a cycle of royal succession, motifs that now reoccur throughout From Software's games. 

From Soft likes to have fun with these connections between its games. Throughout the King's Field series, which saw two full sequels on PS1 before King's Field 4 was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2001, the Moonlight Sword serves as the player's primary aid to triumphing over evil. Acquiring the sword is the quest; equipping it delivers a metaphorical light that lifts the darkness, as well as a very useful high damage output for the end-game fight itself.

The Moonlight Sword, also known as the Moonlight Greatsword, has subsequently appeared in every Souls game as a tribute to King's Field. "This sword, one of the rare dragon weapons, came from the tail of Seath the Scaleless, the pale white dragon who betrayed his own." reads the item description for the Moonlight Greatsword in Dark Souls. The sword is only acquired by cutting the tail of Seath during the boss fight in the Crystal Cave. Seath the Scaleless himself is also a tribute to King's Field, specifically a powerful white dragon who shares the name Seath.

However, rather than either of these examples providing irrefutable proof of some sort of consistent From Software Cinematic Universe, they are merely cheeky references between games. A little wink and nod to their fans.

While King's Field and its sequels got From Software off to a sound, if unspectacular, start… the studio would find greater success with its fourth game, and the first of what would become its most popular series until the arrival of Dark Souls.

In 1997, From Software released Armored Core for the PS1. An action game where you pilot a mech, drawing on designs from notable anime artists, Armored Core would be called a third-person shooter today.

It spawned two sequels on the original PlayStation before making the move to a new console generation with Armored Core 2 on the PS2. All told, From Software put out an incredible SEVEN Armored Core games and spin-offs on the PS2. In terms of quality, it was very much a case of diminishing returns, but at the same time, the Armored Core series demonstrated From Software's capacity to serve a hungry, if niche, audience and cemented its reputation as a developer who worked outside the mainstream, seemingly immune to prevailing industry trends.

While the consistent sales of Armored Core sustained the studio through the 2000s, it wasn't for want of trying to branch out. From Software threw a lot at the wall during the PS2 era--even making a few tentative forays into the Xbox and Gamecube market--but few of them proved commercially successful.

Early PS2 action-RPGs such as Evergrace and Eternal Ring were clunky and poorly received. Lost Kingdoms and its sequel was another middling action-RPG. A notable aspect of Lost Kingdoms, at least in retrospect, is the plot device of a deadly fog that has shrouded the land. Seven years later, Demon's Souls would begin in a similar fashion, its kingdom of Boletaria consumed by a deep fog.

On the Xbox, From's games took on a more action-heavy slant with the excellent Otogi: Myth of Demons, and its sequel, Immortal Warriors, both of which were stylish and exciting third-person action games. Murakamo: Renegade Mech Pursuit was a simplistic, anime-inspired mech shooter that had none of the grit or attention to detail of Armored Core. And Metal Wolf Chaos was a silly satire of American militarism in the guise of an endearing--but not very good--third-person mech shooter.

But by the end of the decade, From Software was in trouble. Attempts to attract a new audience on the Xbox 360 floundered as fantasy RPG Enchanted Arms and slow-paced mech sim Chromehounds failed to set the world alight. While Ninja Blade tried in vain to revive the over-the-top action of Otogi with the unwelcome addition of lengthy cut-scenes full of quick-time events. On the PlayStation 3, Armored Core 4 had at least modernized that series with slicker controls and online play, but it was still preaching to the choir.

However, in February 2009, From Software released Demon's Souls, and…look, for a while, nothing changed.

The Game That Changed Everything

Demon's Souls had been through development hell. Originally envisioned as a spiritual successor to King's Field, the ill-fated project was eventually helmed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, previously a designer on several Armored Core games and the director of Armored Core 4. Miyazaki has said that he knew the game had been internally branded as a failure- primarily citing an uncompelling prototype and that's why he wanted to work on it. "I figured if I could find a way to take control of the game, I could turn it into anything I wanted," he told The Guardian newspaper in 2015. "Best of all, if my ideas failed, nobody would care – it was already a failure."

Demon's Souls emerged from this deep fog, a dark fantasy action-RPG with a design philosophy that ran contrary to its popular contemporaries. This was at the height of the Wii phenomenon and the industry at large was pursuing every non-gaming grandmother who could waggle a Wii remote as if it were a bowling ball. Even on the PS3 and 360 front, big new releases could often feel heavy-handed in their tutorialisation. For seasoned players, recoiling at too many games beating them over the head with what to do next, found perverse refuge in Demon's Souls and its indifferent and inscrutable world.

Demon's Souls emerged from this deep fog, a dark fantasy action-RPG with a design philosophy that ran contrary to its popular contemporaries.

In the months that followed the initial Japan-only release, the reputation of Demon's Souls grew by word of mouth. When it eventually was localized for North America, it proved a surprise hit, finding an eager--yet still modest--audience appreciative of a game that rewarded players for paying attention to everything. The poignant environmental storytelling of its ruined world; the precise timing of enemy attack animations; the scant but evocative lore gleaned from item descriptions. By harking back to an earlier and more demanding era of games, Demon's Souls was a startling and revitalizing shock to the system for those who had become bored of modern convenience.

The next two-and-a-half years following Demon's Souls proved a relatively lean period in which From Software developed only a few minor games, none of which received a release outside of Japan. Then, in September 2011, From Software and Bandai Namco launched Dark Souls.

If Demon's Souls was the template, then Dark Souls was the finely-honed work of a master craftsman.

If Demon's Souls was the template, then Dark Souls was the finely-honed work of a master craftsman.

With the transition from Demon's to Dark Souls, From Soft followed a clear path of progression, extending the game's scope and ambition to attract a larger audience without sacrificing the core tenets that underpinned the original success. The most daring change in Dark Souls would also prove its greatest achievement. Instead of the discrete worlds and signposted levels of Demon's Souls, the land of Lordran in Dark Souls was a truly seamless, interconnected space you could–with one or two exceptions–travel the length and breadth of without hitting a loading screen. It wasn't an open-world exactly, but it demonstrated how From Soft and Miyazaki's vision for meticulously staged combat challenges could thrive when given extra space to flourish.

Neither direct sequel opted to overhaul Dark Souls to the same degree. Dark Souls 2 pushed harder into RPG territory with a dazzling array of build options for your character, and a firmer grasp of integrating competitive and co-operative online play, while Dark Souls 3 adopted a more action-oriented stance, taking cues from the two other Souls-adjacent games From Soft was working on simultaneously. While nowhere near as revolutionary as the original, Dark Souls 2 and 3 still managed to avoid the studio's trend towards diminishing returns that afflicted earlier games like King's Field and Armored Core.

But if the Souls series had begun to feel safe by its third iteration, From Soft was busy experimenting with the Souls formula elsewhere.

Bloodborne, released in 2015, in-between Dark Souls 2 and 3, saw From Soft step out from behind the safety of its shield and go wildly on the offensive. By all-but-removing the player's ability to block attacks, Bloodborne doubled down on a specific mode of playing a Souls game: rapidly dodging the enemy's attacks and furiously countering with your own.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, released in 2019, three years after Dark Souls 3, streamlined yet more of the RPG stats that buttress a Souls game and focused its combat design on a relentless and rewarding parry system.

Yet despite the step away from RPG towards action exhibited by both games, they still carry that methodical From Soft DNA. Bloodborne and Sekiro, just like Dark Souls, Demon's Souls, Armored Core, and King's Field before them, emphasize a degree of deliberation in their design. Whether it's monitoring your stamina consumption mid-combo or switching weapons to a more advantageous damage type, everything possesses a granularity that adds the kind of friction to the action that Souls players crave. Those little extra steps players must take care to prepare for if they're planning to overcome the next obstacle.

It's what From Soft does best, and what so few other studios consider, and it's what we have been finding in Elden Ring.

We knew Elden Ring would offer an expansive land to explore more in line with the scale and freedom of its open-world contemporaries. Anyone worried about how the traditional Souls encounter design might be undermined or diluted by an open world should take comfort in how From Soft so skilfully managed the shift to an interconnected world a decade ago. The seamless world of the original Dark Souls demonstrated From Soft always possessed a keen sense of what was essential to preserve, and how it could benefit.

Elden Ring's open world is a seismic shift for the Souls style of game. Unlike the narrow, mostly one-way combat gauntlets of From Soft's previous games, here a sprawling network of plains, valleys and cliffs is dotted with encounters you're able to approach from multiple directions. Or even bypass and return to later.

Elden Ring's open world is a seismic shift for the Souls style of game.

Souls games always offered a degree of choice over how you progressed, but for the most part, it boiled down to which of the couple of bosses you have unlocked do you want to fight next. The problem with that is in a challenging game, if you get stuck on a particular boss fight then you often don't have anywhere else to go. Elden Ring feels like an attempt to solve that problem in a very From Soft way.

Elden Ring's expansive open-world invites you to advance as far as you can in almost any direction. And when you find yourself worn down by an impossibly stubborn boss, you can simply walk away and explore elsewhere. Discover some useful gear that might give you the edge. Track down some stones that let you upgrade your weapon. Find a boss you CAN beat. Or go hunting for the materials from which you can craft the tools you want to use for the job. And all the while you're leveling up, gradually improving your character and, more importantly, honing your own skills. Elden Ring's open-world lets players move forward at their own pace in a way other From Soft games haven't perhaps accounted for.

For nearly three decades now, From Software has forged its own path. In many ways it feels like they have been content to do their own thing, making the kinds of games they want to make without seemingly much consideration for wider industry trends. Only now, the wider industry is following them.

Now that Elden Ring is finally here, the eyes of the whole video game world will be looking at From Software. What they see will be surprising, delightful, and uniquely From Software.

David Wildgoose is a freelance writer for IGN.

Best PS5 Headset 2022

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 02:35 PM PST

If you're lucky enough to have snagged a PlayStation 5, you're not only going to want a great gaming TV to take advantage of the gorgeous graphics, but also a gaming headset to be fully immersed in the console's impressive audio. A high-quality headset greatly improves your experience by eliminating noisy distractions while also helping you hear the minute in-game sound cues of your competition can't.

There are loads of gaming headsets compatible with the PS5, so we've helped you narrow down your search. Some of our picks were designed with Sony's spatial Tempest 3D Audio in mind. But, all of our options offer up excellent sound quality, a clear mic, great features, and a comfy fit to make your gaming experience all the better. We've even included a few options that can easily double as your everyday headphones. Take a look and see which headset suits you best.

TL;DR – These are our picks for the Best PS5 Headsets:

1. Sony Pulse 3D

Best PS5 Headset

You've finally gotten your hands on a PS5, and now you're going to want a great headset to pair with it. The Sony Pulse 3D takes advantage of the console's next-gen positional audio. Your games will sound not only crisp and clear, but you'll also be able to tell where sounds are coming from, making it easier for you to place where your enemies are in a game and take 'em out. Even without the Tempest 3D Audio, these cans still sound great.

There's a lot more we love about the Sony Pulse 3D including its lightweight and comfortable design. You'll be happy wearing this headset for hours. Plus, the round, heavily padded earcups house 40mm neodymium drivers, several controls, and dual noise-canceling mics–all of which work decently well for such a low-cost headset. There is limited battery life, and Bluetooth support would've been a nice add-on. But even with these faults, the Pulse 3D and PS5 are a match made in sonic heaven.

2. Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2

Best PS5 Headset for Multiplayer

If you're not necessarily devoted to the Tempest 3D Audio of the PS5 and are instead interested in a headset that's loaded up with features, look no further than the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2. This headset comes toting Turtle Beach's SuperHuman Hearing tech to enhance critical sound cues in games, giving you a leg-up on the competition. There's also a convenient flip-to-mute mic that fold up almost completely flush with the frame and it makes you sound great for easy communication with your teammates. Plus, the 15-hour battery life beats out the Sony Pulse 3D.

There is a bit of awkwardness that comes with the design of Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2. At first, it may feel as if you have the headset on backwards, and there's a bit more clamping force than other PS5 headsets. Once you've adjusted, it's a pretty comfortable pair of cans, though it can get a bit hot. And, with the ProSpecs feature, the headset is great for those who wear glasses. Unfortunately, it doesn't have tons of connectivity options, but its low cost and solid performance make it a great choice to use with your latest console.

3. Arctis Prime

Best Wired PS5 Headset

A more budget-friendly option offered by SteelSeries is the Arctis Prime. Though it might lack all the bells and whistles, you get a great-sounding set of cans that even audiophiles can appreciate. It's a solidly-constructed, lightweight headset that sits comfortably on your head for hours. And, you don't have to worry about the battery life, as it connects via a 3.5mm jac that you can easily plug into your gamepad or virtually any device.

This back to basics headset offers incredible sound thanks to its high-resolution drivers. You'll find that these drivers offer a bigger yet more precise sound. When you're gaming with friends, there is a retractable ClearCast mic that sounds good and does a decent job at filtering ambient noise to make sure you're a part of the winning team. What this simple headset may lack in features is more than made up for in its performance and price.

4. SteelSeries Arctis 7P+

Best Wireless PS5 Headset

Sometimes you want a more versatile pair of cans that sound great and can be used with just about device. The SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ is exactly that. It works with several gaming consoles, as it's packed full of wireless connectivity with both USB and USB-C wireless transmitters for lossless 2.4 GHz audio. And, if you're looking for a wired connection, a 3.5mm jack is also included. Needless to say, being an Arctis headset and all means that you're in for a solid build, impressive-sounding, comfortable for hours pair of cans–and with a 30-hour battery life–these can last through even your longest gaming sessions.

The SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ comes packing full Tempest 3D Audio compatibility. So, when using it with your PS5, you're in for some deep audio immersion that'll transport you into your games. There's also a bidirectional, retractable noise-canceling mic to keep communication lines clear between you and your teammates. This is one of the best headsets to use in conjunction with your PS5, though it does come with a steeper price tag than some of our other picks.

5. Razer Barracuda X

Best PS5 Headset With Tempest 3D Audio

The PS5 comes toting Tempest 3D Audio, and there are very few headsets that are full adopters of this immersive sound, but one is the Razer Barracuda X. With this headset, you're not only getting support for Sony's new audio but also THX Spatial Audio for a 7.1 surround sound experience. There is a paid app to activate the THX Spatial Audio feature, but it's a one-time fee for a lifetime of impressive audio. Once you get listening on your PS5 or PC, you'll be able to detect enemies coming from different directions, giving you a big advantage over your opponents.

The design of the Razer Barracuda X is very toned down and minimalistic, especially by Razer standards. It doesn't scream "gamer" when you rock them, so you'll be able to get away with using these as an everyday pair of headphones after you remove the detachable microphone. And, it connects simply via a USB-C dongle, making it the perfect headset to wear with your PS5, but it'll work great with a Nintendo Switch or Android phone as well.

6. Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2

Most Versatile PS5 Headset

If you want a headset that truly has it all in one compact package, look no further than the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2. Now, this headset comes packing both a USB wireless transmitter and Bluetooth, it can connect just about any device for easy listening. And, this pair of cans performs great, boasting 20-hours of battery life. Turtle Beach's Superhuman Hearing helps you pick up on subtle sound cues essential to keeping you afloat in the game.

Though this headset appears to be a bit bulky, the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 is surprisingly comfortable. Its ProSpecs feature makes it easy for glasses wearers to enjoy this headset without the usual headache others can cause. Plus, the earcups seemingly conform to your ears with cooling gel-infused memory foam earpads, so you'll be able to wear these for a long while before your ears start to get hot. And, those earcups also house tons of controls like volume for game/chat mix, a customizable "mode" button, power, and a pairing button.

7. Audeze Penrose

Best Audiophile PS5 Headset

Do you find yourself to be a bit of a sound snob, and your average headset just isn't going to cut it? Enter the Audeze Penrose. The sound on this headset is made for audiophiles, but anyone can appreciate it. It features a massive pair of 100mm planar magnetic drivers that help you hear everything from footsteps to gunfire and helicopters all perfectly clear. And, this headset supports any spatial audio system, as long as it doesn't require any manual processing, so you can just plug in play. This sound doesn't come cheap, however, so be prepared to shell out around $300 for this pair of cans.

Aside from the killer sound quality of the Audeze Penrose, you're also getting a headset packed with features. There is multi-platform connectivity, so you can use it with your PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and phone. Plus, with multiple connectivity options, it's easy to switch between the devices. Add in the great-sounding mic, and you're ready to get gaming. It's important to note that the initial fit of this headset may not be very comfortable, but once you break them in, you'll be in for audiophile-level sound you don't often find in gaming headsets.

8. Astro A50

Best High-End PS5 Headset

The Astro A50 may be a bit pricey and complicated to set up, but it's worth the initial headache for the great sound and features this headset comes packing. With the Astro A50, you're getting improved drivers that make the sound come through crisp and clear, whether you're gaming or streaming your favorite album. And, the support of Dolby Atmos means a more immersive playing experience. Plus, with Game: Voice Balance, you'll be able to control how you sound to your teammates or over discord easily as you play.

If you're in search of a pair of cans that you can wear all day, the Astro A50 has you covered where comfort is concerned, too. There's even a 15+ hour battery life to boot. And, this versatile headset will work not only with the PS5 but also the latest Xbox, after you purchase an additional charging base designed to use in conjunction with the system.

9. Master & Dynamic MG20

Best Premium PS5 Gaming Headset

If you're on the search for a gaming headset that's the epitome of quality and functionality, Master & Dynamic's latest MG20 is a premium pair of cans that may just end up being your next splurge. This headset comes packing an impressive sound stage thanks to the 50mm drivers that will instantly immerse you in your favorite games with their rich, deep audio quality. It even comes loaded with 7.1 surround sound support. Unfortunately, it does not come packing ANC though.

To get listening on the Master & Dynamic MG20 is fairly easy, there is a low latency dongle that plugs directly into the PS5, allowing you to use the headset wirelessly. A wired connection is also an option. Plus, with Bluetooth connectivity that supports aptX codec, you can connect to PCs or do some gaming on the go. On top of that, there's the simple, classic design with an onboard microphone and a detachable boom mic, so you can get away with using these as your everyday headphones. And, it'll last all day since it boasts a 22-hour battery life.

Michelle Rae Uy is a freelance tech and travel writer, part-time production editor, and a full-time traveler from Los Angeles, California. She currently splits her time between Los Angeles, London and the rest of the world. Follow her on Instagram @straywithRae.

Battlefield 2042's Newest Update Finally Adds a Scoreboard

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 01:42 PM PST

After months of waiting, Battlefield 2042 players finally have a scoreboard to help keep track of kills, assists, deaths, and more in-game stats. Starting tomorrow, Battlefield 2042's update 3.3 adds a new scoreboard, bug fixes, control and keybinding changes, and the release of the Steadfast Exclusive Legendary bundle for owners of the Gold Edition, Ultimate Edition, Year 1 Pass, and Ultimate Pack upgrade owners.

The scoreboard includes a match overview, which shows objective progression and ticket counters, plus kills, assists, and deaths. Check out the image below for a look.

New scoreboard features include a team vs. team split for modes like Conquest, Breakthrough, Rush, and TDM, plus inclusion of death stats.

"While these changes were two of your most-requested missing pieces, this is the first version of the Scoreboard, and further improvements will be made to this in subsequent updates, based upon your continued feedback such as the Scoreboard being available during the End of Round screens," DICE said in a blog post.

Meanwhile, the Steadfast bundle comes with a new character skin, new weapon skins, plus a new player card background and card icon.

Other fixes include:

General

  • Fixed a game crash that could occur on Origin or Xbox One when signing in/out while using an Xbox One controller
  • Setting "Chat" Key Bindings no longer requires a game restart to take effect
  • Adjusted Aim Assist on console to ensure that the system is in effect when analogue sticks are at 100% of their range. Previously it was only active at ranges below 100%
  • Fixed a bug where takedowns would not result in a kill on Xbox One and PlayStation®4
  • Established new location for our EU Data Centre as Frankfurt

Modes

  • Conquest & Breakthrough - fixed a bug where the Securing Objective XP-event was triggered even after a Capture Point was already fully captured
  • Hazard Zone - fixed a visual bug displaying squad mates during the match found sequence
  • Hazard Zone - fixed a bug where the End of Round XP gains sometimes didn't trigger

Developer DICE has its work cut out for it on Battlefield 2042, with more than 60,000 players petitioning for refunds amid widespread criticism of the game. Earlier this month, the studio said that future Battlefield 2042 maps will be smaller after players criticized the game for being a "walking simulator." EA appears to lay the blame at the feet of the COVID pandemic and Halo Infinite.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

A God of War TV Series Is In the Works at Amazon Prime Video

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 01:07 PM PST

Amazon Prime Video will potentially expand their video game TV series lineup with none other than a God of War live-action series.

According to Deadline, Prime Video is in talks with PlayStation to adapt God of War as a live-action TV series. The Expanse creators and executive producers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby as well as The Wheel of Time producer Rafe Judkins are all looking to join the adaptation.

If finalized, God of War will join The Last of Us and Twisted Metal as the latest PlayStation exclusives to make the jump to live-action TV. Not counting some of the other flagship games adapted for the big screen like Uncharted and the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima movie.

However, The Last of Us is headed to HBO while Twisted Metal is set for Peacock.

But God of War won't be Amazon's only video game adaptation. Amazon Studios is currently developing a Fallout TV series from the creators of Westworld starring Walton Goggins, and a Mass Effect TV series is also set for Prime Video.

God of War is a long-running PlayStation exclusive, but the series will likely try and capitalize on the popularity of the most recent incarnation of the series from Sony Santa Monica Studios. The series stars Kratos an ex-Spartan who wages war against the Greek gods. Following the conclusion of the original trilogy, Kratos started a new life in Scandanavia where he encounters a new set of Norse gods and the troubles that come with them.

God of War was critically-acclaimed at launch and one of the most successful reboots of a franchise in recent memory. A sequel God of War: Ragnarok will be released later this year for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 . The sequel will both continue the Norse Saga, and seemingly conclude the tale of Kratos and his son Atreus.

Amazon meanwhile is all-in on big genre adaptations and currently prepping one of the biggest ever, a new series based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkein titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

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

Tyrants of the Underdark Review

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 12:35 PM PST

Starting with 2010's Castle Ravenloft, Wizards of the Coast have been putting out a steady stream of high-quality board games in the Dungeons & Dragons franchise. Most have been exactly the kind of fun adventure or conquest titles you'd associate with the license. But the range also includes a couple of deeper strategy titles, including 2016's Tyrants of the Underdark (see it on Amazon).

Players represent noble houses of dark elves, spreading their malicious influence through the dark underworld caverns. To do this they build up their own deck of cards by buying new ones from a face-up selection, a mechanic known as deck-building. Now the game is back in a spanking new edition that includes the Aberrations & Undead expansion, giving you even more cards to play with.

What's In The Box

The original edition came with miniature plastic shields to represent your forces on the board. These have been replaced here by cardboard discs. It's a minor loss which leaves the game a little less visually spectacular but a lot more compact and affordable.

The board the tokens go on is plain but functional, showing a series of interconnected areas via the medium of lines and circles. Everything is purple, black, and white, which is thematic but can make things hard to distinguish. There are also four player boards and a market board to hold stacks of cards.

Beneath the board are lots of cards, also with purple backs and unnecessarily emblazoned with the word "Minion." However, the game excels with the card fronts on which all the information is laid out clearly around some classic Dungeons & Dragons art. With the game's long history there's plenty of fantastic art for all the people and monsters depicted in the game, and full use is made of the back catalogue to bring proceedings to life.

Rules And How To Play

On your turn, you draw and play five cards from your deck. The majority provide either influence, which you can use to buy more cards to add to your deck, or power, an abstraction of military prowess. One power can be spent to deploy a token to an area adjacent to an existing token. Three will let you destroy an adjacent enemy token, either from an opposing player or one of the white "neutral" tokens that litter the board in the beginning. It's a compact, accessible framework.

Your goal in doing so is to have a majority of troops in key locations that will score you points at the end of the game. Some of these represent major cities which will net you bonus influence or even points as soon as you take control. Needless to say, these are hard to gain purchase in, and hotly contested. You'll stretch your soldiers out from a start point, balancing controlling locations with speed of spread, racing your opponents to choke points. There's real tension in waiting to see how the map will change before your turn comes round.

The secret to Tyrants of the Underdark's success is that location points are only one possible source of points. You can also score by knocking out enemy tokens and by the action of some cards. Indeed, the cards themselves are also worth points when the game ends. Instead of destroying cards from your deck, like most deck builders, here you "promote" them which gets them out of your deck and set to one side, making them worth additional points in the final tally.

Together, these straightforward concepts provide a dizzying array of methods to approach the game. At one extreme you could go all-out conquest, stuffing your deck with military cards and hoping to overwhelm your rivals before their strategies can get going. Running out of tokens ends the game, making this a viable tactic. On the other, you might ramp up your influence to gain more and more powerful cards, levering promotions and points to compensate for a weak map presence.

There's real tension in waiting to see how the map will change before your turn comes round.

In practice, your choices are steered by the random selection cards available to buy on your turn, forcing you to dabble in the game's various machinations. It's a potent recipe, making you think on your feet, upping the ante as each new card becomes available, while still allowing you to decide how to shape your strategy. No two games are going to play out the same and your potential route to victory will be different each time. At the same time, the random deal can sometimes leave you short of workable choices or deliver a killer combo to an opponent.

Many cards extend the basic formula of influence and power. And a good job too, as the back and forth of kicking off an enemy unit, then adding one of your own, only to see an opponent repeat the moves, can get a little wearing. Most common are those that bring spies into the mix, units that can be placed anywhere on the board, then sacrificed later for a powerful bonus.

But this is a Dungeons & Dragons game, and the cards represent the breadth of that famous game's world-building. Each game has two half-decks to source cards for the players to buy: the rules suggest you start with Dark Elves and Dragons. They chime in with the game's core mechanics: the former tend toward providing influence and opportunities to promote your cards, whereas the latter deal more in raw power. They run the gamut from feeble underlings to mighty Drow Matriarchs and Ancient Wyrms, hugely satisfying to add to your deck and play.

These are only two of the possible ways to build the market. Other half decks include Demons, which you can buff by sacrificing your own cards, and Elementals whose Focus keyword lets you stack related cards for big bonuses. The two half-decks from the Aberrations & Undead expansion included here are less well-differentiated but still lots of fun to play with. And each is packed with iconic monsters from the role-playing game's bestiary to recruit and serve your cause.

No two games are going to play out the same.

Where To Buy

Tyrants of the Underdark has an MSRP of $74.99 and is available at a handful of retailers.

GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE Devs Talk About the Game's Artstyle, Combat, and Inspiration Ahead of Its Global Release in 2022

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 12:25 PM PST

GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE is an upcoming mobile third-person shooter RPG that focuses on visuals, a one-handed control scheme, and futuristic story that follows humanity after it was forced underground by invaders. The only thing standing between the annihilation of all humankind and a new beginning is you and your actions in this new adventure that mixes shooter-style gameplay and card collecting in a world that is just waiting to be explored.

Set in a world following the Rapture invasion that set the planet ablaze, threatening the life of every human; GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE follows humanity and the humanoid girls named Nikke that were built to defeat this threat made by Rapture and reclaim the planet. A group of these Nikke wake up in the Ark - mankind's new home - providing a new hope for the human race that has long since been extinguished.

To learn more about GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE (hereinafter called 'NIKKE'), which is set for a global release later in 2022, we sat down with NIKKE illustrator and game producer Kim Hyung-tae - who previously worked on Project Eve - and he walked us through everything you need to know about the upcoming game.

Hyung-tae began by discussing NIKKE's visuals. While many 2D games have impressive visuals and character models, a lot of the hard work can be gone in an instant and isn't presented in the best way. For NIKKE, Hyung-tae wanted to bring the characters and art front-and-center with advanced animation and animated illustration that makes characters and battle animations more lively.

"I've played my fair share of 2D games, but most of them only contain misshaped and compressed SD characters. Any exquisite illustrations you do see are gone in a flash, and what you're often provided with are in-game visuals with decreased quality. We, therefore, decided to make a 2D game where the aesthetics of characters would be completely demonstrated. This definitely needed a huge investment of time and money, but the entire team has been devoting their heart and soul to every character creation and design."

For the characters and bosses in particular, Hyung-tae and the team wanted their animations and movement to draw players into the world and give them a visual feast alongside great gameplay.

"Whenever they are taking cover, shooting, or reloading, the characters' unique charm and characteristics could be shown by elaborate and detailed illustrations and animations," Hyung-tae said. "We hope that you could pay more attention to bosses and monsters. The in-game illustrations could almost demonstrate the full 3D character movements and various shapes transforming in different phases. Additionally, battle backgrounds and maps are attractive as they could provide the players with the feeling of 3D space and brush stroke."

As for the inspiration behind the visuals and story, post-apocalyptic stories and military-themed subculture games played a huge role in creating NIKKE. Hyung-tae also shared that, despite him previously working on Project Eve and them being developed around the same time, each game will very much stand on its own.

"I grew up surrounded by post-apocalyptic sci-fi works (Battle Angel, Ghost in the Shell, Blade Runner, etc.), and they have a great influence on me," Hyung-tae elaborated. "However, the game's overall visual version has been influenced by military-themed subculture games (also known as anime games). I think the mobile gaming industry in Asia has come a long way."

Hyung-tae continued to talk about how the entire art team helped create the characters and diverse cast of playable and non-playable heroes. Furthermore, Hyung-tae also shared how the team went about creating the design of the enemies.

"To ensure the flow of the story, we think it is necessary to start from zero to redesign," Hyung-tae said. "Therefore, we start from the very original and initial design. For instance, enemies on the ground are motivated by arthropods, and enemies in the air are motivated by marine organisms. Please check out the game to uncover the secret why these Raptures are in these shapes."

While artwork is one of the most integral parts of NIKKE, gameplay is also just as important. The Nikke themselves come with their own unique weapon and ability, adding to gameplay variety and giving you different options in how you want to tackle missions. This flexibility is key to saving the world from Rapture your way.

"Each Nikke has their own unique weapon and ability," Hyung-tae said. "Different characters have special shooting skills or special abilities in burst skills and passive skills. The appropriate combination of these abilities could assist players to maximize the synergy, which does great help to complete the mission. Moreover, since enemies in Nikke, known as Rapture, also have skills, hence various combinations need to be taken into players' consideration to unlock the stages."

Players will be doing a lot of shooting in NIKKE, but card collection is another key component of the whole package. Hyung-tae believes this will prevent the game from becoming just like any other shooter or card battling game, and instead will give players something to look forward to in battle and outside of it.

"First and foremost, the combination of card collecting and casual shooting could provide new interest for players," Hyung-tae said. "Although imitating the interest of other games can be an effective and simple way, SHIFT UP's motto is to make players experience the difference from other games, so we give it a new shot.

"Additionally, a great number of card collecting games have put the interest of "strategy decision" before entering the battle, but we think the combination of this genre (card collecting and casual shooting) will provide enjoyment both inside and outside the battle."

This battle and operating system is what Hyung-tae is most excited about, as he believes this will not only make for a unique gaming experience, but the one-finger operation will allow gamers of all skill levels to find something to enjoy. He's also really excited for people to learn more about the world and characters in the game's outpost base and beyond.

"All in all, what I am really into is the most unique part of Nikke — the battle and operating system," Hyung-tae said. "To fit the vertical-visual gaming environment, inviting more players to enjoy the game, we are building the one-hand operation which is different from other shooting games. So, players who usually think shooting battles are difficult could also easily adapt to the game.

"Besides the battle, I prefer the puzzles in 'Lost Sector'. There are puzzles you can challenge and target - this is not a simple game. We developed various levels to be enjoyed with a variety of gimmicks and will prepare events using this."

In conclusion, Hyung-tae shared his excitement in being able to bring this game to a global audience. The team really tried to make it enjoyable for all regions and hopes that everyone will find something to love in NIKKE.

"Honestly speaking, the setting of the game may have some barriers for players to understand, but despite those ambiguous information and terms or semiotic expressions, the game has been created with a great story line," Hyung-tae said. "This means general players could also embrace the game. Especially since the game is of high quality, players could enter the game without lengthy instruction. Hope everyone enjoys playing!"

NIKKE will be available on iOS and Android devices globally later in 2022. For those who wish for a chance to try out NIKKE earlier, head on over to nikke-en.com/cbt for a chance to join the closed beta test that began recruitment on March 6, 2022.

Dead Space Developer Stream Will Reveal More Info Later This Week

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 12:04 PM PST

It won't be long until horror game fans get their next glimpse of EA's Dead Space Remake, as the company has announced a new developer livestream coming later this week.

The YouTube livestream is set for 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. E.T. / 6 p.m. GMT this Friday, March 11. EA says this video is the "latest in their series of early looks at the development and what goes into the remake of a game."

Last August, EA showed off the first look at Dead Space remake's graphics and gameplay in the first developer showcase. Here, we learned about the combat's new "peeling" system, which lets players shoot the flesh off of enemies to expose bones and guts.

We also learned Gunner Wright will return to voice Isaac, and that there will be fine-tuning to the story to better connect the original Dead Space to its sequels. We don't have an official release date for the game yet, but reports say Dead Space could be aiming for release this fall.

Dead Space is a 2008 action-horror game originally developed by Visceral Games. With the studio now shuttered, EA Motive is handling development on the remake. The Dead Space remake was officially announced last summer for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. We know the developers are rebuilding the original Dead Space from the ground up in the Frostbite engine. The next-gen-exclusive release has the developers looking to make use of advanced SSDs, 3D audio, and more.

For more, check out our interview with EA Motive about the implementation of next-gen features.. Or, read up on the Dead Space remake's stance on microtransactions.

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

Best Board Games for Adults

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 11:00 AM PST

When you hear "board games" it's undeniable that a lot of people will presume children are involved somehow. And why not? They make fantastic family pastimes that bring kids and adults together for some quality time in our digitized and atomized age. But to pigeonhole them like that ignores the fact that the majority of board games are deep, demanding, and definitely designed for grown-ups. So whether you're into 2-player board games, party games, or even solo games, here are our picks for the best titles to stretch your grey matter and provoke some interesting discussions.

Wingspan

There's no better place to start this list than with one of the most popular and engaging games of the last few years. Wingspan is often sold as a family game but in truth, it's a little too complex and challenging for kids. It is pitch-perfect for adults, though, with a perfect weave of tactics and strategy together with a winning theme as you try to attract birds to a nature reserve. Different birds need different foods and habitats but will contribute to your growing ecosystem which becomes a kind of engine, generating resources to allow you to play bigger and more beautiful birds.

Spirit Island

A lot of cooperative board games are very family-friendly, but Spirit Island is different. It's deep and demanding, for one thing, with a commensurate sense of strategic satisfaction when your group pulls off a victory. For another, it boasts a thought-provoking theme of anti-colonialism, with players taking the roles of elemental gods working together to repel a colonizing invader. Winning means using a combination of your native worshippers and your special elemental powers to plan a way of predicting the path of invasion and throwing them back into the sea.

Brian Boru

The titular Brian was a famous king of medieval Ireland, whose campaign of military, social and economic might to unify the island is replicated in this fascinating trick-tacking game. After drafting their cards, players compete in tricks to win control of towns on a map of Ireland, but losing cards net critical resources to use in marriage, supporting the church or seeing off Viking invaders. Failing to balance all these elements can cost you the game, while other players will be competing to steal your tricks away or usurp you on one of the game's supporting tracks. Check out our Brian Boru review for more details about it.

Dune: Imperium

Dune was one of the movie events of 2021 and it just so happens it's very well supported with board game spinoffs. Among them is Dune: Imperium, where players are the nobles of the Dune universe, each building their own deck of cards representing their resources, influence and personnel. These can then be played to board spaces to intrigue with other factions or do battle on the planet's surface, or held for an extra effect on a "reveal" turn. It's a potent, spicy mixture, forcing players to keep tweaking their deck builds and strategies as the drama unfolds. See our Dune: Imperium review for more.

Gloomhaven

Topping the "best of lists" of many gamers and critics, Gloomhaven is an extraordinary cooperative marriage of story and strategy. You'll run an ever-changing party of characters through a huge narrative campaign, equipping and upskilling them as they experience events and encounters. Exploration and combat unfold via challenging, tight tactical engine driven by multi-use cards where failure and death are constant threats for the unwary. If the length and price of the original put you off, you can still get most of the pleasure from the cut-down prequel Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion.

Terraforming Mars

If none of the other games on this list tickles your fancy, then Terraforming Mars' cross-genre blending might be what you need. In your quest to civilize Mars before your competitors you'll need to juggle hand management, resource gathering and positional play on the planet's surface, all these factors tying together into one neat package. Best of all, for a game of this style, they also help conjure a real sense of humanity coloniing the red planet, inch by dusty inch. The different corporation powers and card deals make each game feel new and stop there from being a guaranteed path to victory.

Root

From the box art, you might assume this is a kids' game about cute woodland animals. In fact, it's a fascinating and multi-layered exploration of the meaning of power for different groups in society. There are four factions in the game: the traditionalist birds, the industrialized cats, the oppressed woodland folk and the lone Vagabond. Each has its own set of rules and goals to bring to this highly asymmetrical game where you'll marshal troops and cards to build up your resources, fight and advance your goals. And if the layered strategic puzzle isn't thoughtful enough, you can discuss the political and philosophical ramifications of the game's model afterwards.

Mind MGMT

You might never have heard of the psychic espionage comic series on which this is based, but that won't keep you from enjoying its sublime blend of strategy and surrealism. One player, the recruiter, moves in secret on a hidden map, trying to visit enough recruiting locations to win. The other players work as a team, using a limited pool of actions to try and gain clues to the recruiter's movements and objectives so they can corner and capture them. A fun new puzzle of bluff and deduction on every play, Mind MGMT is brilliantly enlivened by a series of closed boxes containing extra game elements you can open and add at your leisure. See our complete Mind MGMT review for more info.

Anachrony

Worker placement, where you have a limited pool of pieces to assign to actions on the board, is a common mechanic in mid- and heavy-weight games. Anachrony takes it to the next level by allowing you to "borrow" workers and resources from your future turns as part of its time-traveling theme. Failure to pay back your loans when that turn rolls around has predictably dire consequences. Atop the usual business of juggling the resources you need to climb one of the game's paths this makes it feel fresh, complex and challenging while also evoking a classic science fiction theme.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Is Getting Mandalorian and Rogue One DLC

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 10:28 AM PST

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is getting extended universe DLC including content from The Mandalorian and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Nintendo Everything reports that the game is getting seven DLC packs in total based on films and series outside of the main saga, available for purchase individually or collectively in the Character Collection season pass.

Two packs will be available to everyone when The Skywalker Saga launches on April 5, including characters from the first season of The Mandalorian and Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The former includes five characters including the Mandalorian himself who comes with a non-playable Grogu, plus Greef Karga, Cara Dune, IG-11, and Kuiil. The Solo pack includes young Han Solo, young Chewbacca, young Lando Calrissian, Qi'ra, Tobias Beckett, and Enfys Nest.

Two further DLCs, the Classic Characters and Trooper packs, will be available on day one as well but only by preordering the game through participating retailers, though publisher TT Games didn't announce where. They'll be made available to everyone (through the season pass or individual purchase) on April 19 and May 4 respectively.

The Classic Characters pack includes Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Darth Vader, and Lando Calrissian, and The Trooper Pack includes a Death Trooper, Incinerator Trooper, Range Trooper, Imperial Shore Trooper, and Mimban Stormtrooper.

Also available on April 19 is the Rogue One pack that comes with Jyn Erso, Bodhi Rook, Cassian Andor, K-2SO, Chirrut Îmwe, Baze Malbus, and Director Krennic.

The last two packs will also be available on May 4, featuring characters from the second season of The Mandalorian (Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, Bo Katan, Fennec Shand, and Moff Gideon) and The Bad Batch (Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair, and Echo).

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Forspoken Delayed by Almost 5 Months

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 08:09 AM PST

Developer Luminous Productions has delayed open world action-RPG Forspoken from May 25 to October 11.

In a statement on Twitter, the dev team said the delay would let them "focus all of our efforts on polishing the game." The game had only received its original release date in December of last year.

The PS5 and PC game was announced in 2020, and has been relatively quiet ever since. In a hands-off preview last year, we said that the game – which is being created primarily by Final Fantasy 15 developers – has an "off-kilter take on the JRPG formula," and "looks more like an open-world RPG in the vein of Assassin's Creed and The Witcher than anything I've previously seen from Square Enix."

The team has high hopes for its unexpected project, too, from aiming for the "highest quality visuals ever" in an open world game, to bringing in Rogue One writer Gary Whitta and Uncharted creator Amy Hennig at different points of the development process.

Starring Frey, a young woman pulled from modern New York into a fantastical realm called Athia, the game will feature a focus on magic, parkour and high-speed action. Despite the delay, the game still has a number of editions to preorder.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Microsoft Says Mouse and Keyboard Support for xCloud is Coming

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 07:30 AM PST

Mouse and keyboard support is finally coming to xCloud, according to the head of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

In a developer Q&A spotted by Windows Central, Jorg Neumann confirmed the feature was coming to Microsoft's cloud streaming platform likely within the next few months.

Mouse and keyboard support has been a long-requested feature of xCloud, which currently only natively supports playing with a gamepad, or with touch controls on mobile.

When asked if the new control options were coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator following its release on xCloud last week, Neumann said it was up to Xbox itself to implement the support and wasn't something they could do as an individual developer. Thankfully, it seems to be on the way.

He said: "The next step for us is mouse [and] keyboard. This is platform level support so it has nothing to do with us. The platform team is working on this, and no I can't give a date because it's the platform team.

"I don't know their date, but it's coming. I would say it's in the next months. It's not weeks. I'm hoping it will be done by June or so but I can't ever tell. Everybody wants it. I want it. It's coming."

Microsoft Flight Simulator was previously only playable on Xbox Series and high-end PCs, but its release on xCloud meant the game finally became playable on Xbox One, mobile, and less powerful PCs.

In our 10/10 review, IGN said "unparalleled realism and an entire planet to explore makes Microsoft Flight Simulator a simulation like no other."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Nintendo Unable to Process eShop Payments in Russia Due to Third Party Issues

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 04:49 AM PST

Editor's Note: The war in Ukraine is an ongoing, painful and emotive topic. IGN urges community members to be respectful when engaging in conversation around this subject and does not endorse harassment of any kind.

Nintendo has put the Russian eShop into 'maintenance mode', meaning no purchases of new content can be made in the country.

As noted on the Nintendo Russia site, the payment service Nintendo uses for the eShop is no longer processing Russian rubles, meaning Nintendo cannot take payments. The statement ends, "We apologize for any inconvenience caused. We will share updates as the situation develops."

While many major gaming companies, including Xbox, have deliberately suspended sales in Russia, Nintendo's wording in the statement implies that this is an unintentional byproduct of another company's decisions, rather than its own move designed to join the chorus of games industry support for Ukraine. We've contacted Nintendo for comment on that point.

A number of humanitarian aid organizations are currently accepting donations and support for their efforts to help Ukrainians impacted by the war. They include:

  • Save the Children: On the ground right now providing humanitarian aid to children.
  • UNICEF: Providing emergency supplies and safe water to communities, as well as care for children on the ground and who have been separated from families.
  • Project HOPE: Sending medical supplies and providing health care for refugees.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Elden Ring Overtakes New World to Become Steam's Sixth Biggest Game By Concurrents

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 04:19 AM PST

Elden Ring's popularity has continued to grow in its second week on the market, having now overtaken New World to become Steam's sixth biggest game of all time by concurrent players.

Per SteamDB data, Elden Ring's peak concurrent users currently stand at 953,426, with a weekend surge pushing it past New World's 913,634.

This places the game behind only Cyberpunk 2077 in fifth, followed by Dota 2, CS: GO, Lost Ark, and finally PUBG: Battlegrounds in first place as Steam's most popular games of all time by concurrent users.

Elden Ring's stats are impressive for other reasons too – it's not dropped below half a million concurrent users on Steam since it launched on February 25. Today, March 7, has seen Elden Ring's lowest concurrent count yet, at a still-enormous 526,455 players at one time.

The game's popularity on PC was first noted last weekend when Elden Ring's playerbase reached higher and higher numbers each day after release, though it's not been without issues on Steam as players have lost save data and experienced performance problems.

Reception has been largely positive overall, however, prompting Elden Ring to become the UK's biggest non-FIFA or Call of Duty release in since 2018.

It's produced plenty of bizarre stories too, with players selling in-game items on eBay, a streamer letting his chat play while he slept, someone beating a boss using the Nintendo Switch's Ring Fit controller, and it's even got an official candy.

In our 10/10 review, IGN said: "Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path."

To make those choices with the best available information, check out our guide that features everything you could ever hope to know about Elden Ring, including collectible locations, boss strategies, and more.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Elden Ring Fans Think DLC Could Include a PvP Mode

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 04:15 AM PST

Elden Ring fans are debating the meaning of a few curiously locked parts of The Lands Between, with many concluding that they'll be used for PvP or Boss Rush DLC additions (although the latter seems much less likely).

Warning: This article contains small spoilers for Elden Ring locations.

It's very possible that you'll have stumbled across one or more of the Colosseums in The Lands Between, and subsequently been a bit confused about why you can't get inside.

The game's opening area, Limgrave, includes a Colosseum, guarded by an NPC invader you have to defeat in order to claim two of the game's multiplayer items. However, the Colosseum itself remains closed, with a ghostly figure sat outside wondering why they can't get in.

FromSoft dataminer Lance McDonald has now released a video showing what's inside that Colosseum, which is a fully realised area, complete with an arena, stands for spectators, and elevators. There are Colosseums found in multiple parts of the map, too.

While some see this as simple cut content, many (including McDonald) have speculated that the areas will be used for future DLC. Many see this as a natural way of adding a full PvP mode to the game. While PvP invasions are a working part of the game, there's currently no dedicated area for players to test their mettle against one another, as in other Souls games.

Others have speculated that the areas could be used for a Boss Rush mode, allowing you to replay fights against Elden Ring's many, many bosses. However, this seems far less likely, given that producer Yasuhiro Kitao previously told GamerBraves that the team isn't currently planning to add such a feature.

You can expect any possible expansion DLC to be months away at least, but given how huge Elden Ring is, you'll probably have enough to keep you occupied for some time.

We've got tons of How-To guides for the game on our Elden Ring Wiki. If you need convincing to pick it up, check out our full 10/10 review.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Nintendo Switch Online’s Mobile App Finally Lets You See Which Friends Are Online

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 03:24 AM PST

The Nintendo Switch Online mobile app has finally been updated to include some fairly basic features.

In the new 2.0.0 update, the app can now be used to see which friends are online, change your online status, and view your own friend code. Previously, these features were only available on the Switch itself.

The new update will also refresh the app's overall design and implement a variety of other minor changes, according to its official Apple App Store page.

The app launched in 2017 as the only method to chat online with friends on Switch, but was relatively bare-bones compared to Nintendo's competitors' services such as Xbox Live or PlayStation Plus.

Nintendo is likely hoping the new update will improve perception of the app, which currently sits at just a 2.9 out of five stars on the App Store and 3.7 out of five stars on the Google Play Store.

The Switch's online page was also recently updated to include new "missions and rewards" that allow users to earn points for using the console and spend them on digital and physical rewards.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was also recently released through the Expansion Pack service - the $30 Switch Online add-on that grants access to extra games and DLC.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.
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