IGN

Roughly a year after its original release, it looks like Xbox console exclusive Hi-Fi Rush is indeed headed to new platforms.

Hi-Fi Rush was released in early 2023 and received strong praise for its distinct art style and unique rhythm-based combat. We wrote in our review, "I swear Hi-Fi Rush could be a premier cartoon series. It’s got best-in-class animation, endearing heroes to cheer for, and villains you love to hate, all wrapped in good-natured humor."

Hi-Fi Rush Anniversary Update t-shirt texture (platform exclusive designs) datamine seem to suggest that PlayStation/Switch port is happening

I'm Here Baby - PlayStation
Rock Out Anywhere - Switchhttps://t.co/jwaolt1dkFhttps://t.co/lkvpkOTA7a pic.twitter.com/WjjRwIWtCw

— Wario64 (@Wario64) February 1, 2024

Hi-Fi Rush was held up as a solid example of Xbox's console exclusives strategy, but newly-datamined t-shirt textures appear to suggest it won't be a console exclusive for much longer. They include a red t-shirt that says "Rock Out! Anywhere" — an apparent reference to the Nintendo Switch — and a blue t-shirt that says "I'm here Baby," which fans have interpreted as a nod to the PlayStation.

It has been a long month of coverage for Dragon's Dogma 2. We kicked it all off with 18 Minutes of Gameplay, continued with extended looks at character creation and everything that's new with Pawns, had some insightful interviews with Game Director Hideaki Itsuno, Art Director Daigo Ikeno, and the rest of the team at Capcom Japan, and revealed brand new footage and information for both the Trickster Vocation and the mysterious Sphinx.

We've now reached the end of our IGN First coverage, and to wrap everything up, myself and Casey thought it might be best to sit down and just have an unscripted conversation about everything that we got to experience at Capcom. There will be some overlap with what we've already covered in previews and other extended looks, but this is also our opportunity to talk a bit about the story, things we liked, things we didn't like, and much more.

We hope you enjoyed this month of coverage, and thanks for sticking around.

The information surrounding developer Fntastic’s December game release, The Day Before, just got a lot worse, according to reports from German game outlets GameStar and Game Two.

The two sites published their findings from investigations today, explaining that they spoke with 16 former employees from the studio as well as one volunteer and seven employees from publisher Mytona to get to the bottom of what happened behind the scenes to result in last year’s disastrous release.

While there are plenty of two-player board games that are excellent, board games for couples to play together deserve their own special sub-category. A lot of two-player games are pretty hardcore war board games or abstracts, for example, which are difficult categories for couples to agree over. Even if you can avoid such niche picks, two-player games also have a tendency to be fiercely competitive, which might also be a bad idea unless you’re both super forgiving. So here are our picks of the best games that balance the competitive and the cooperative, and the luck with the strategy, just so you can find a sweet spot to enjoy together.

If you dig old-school turn-based fantasy games, I've got some great news for you. Hellcard is going to scratch that itch, and it adds quite a few strategic gameplay elements to the mix as well, keeping the game engaging for a long time. What could be better? Well, I'm glad you asked. Right now, we're giving away keys for the Steam version to members of IGN Plus!

IGN Plus Monthly Game: Hellcard

Hellcard is the latest game from Thing Trunk, the studio behind Book Of Demons. It's a turn-based fantasy game where you choose one of three classic fantasy classes (Fighter, Wizard, and Rogue) and start to delve beneath an old cathedral to defeat the forces of evil. Sound familiar (that's part of the point)? Along the way you'll pick up extra party members to form a team of up to three heroes to tackle skeletons, giant spiders, and monsters from beyond (you can also play with human companions via the game's multiplayer system).

Capcom has confirmed that the Gold Edition of Resident Evil 4 Remake will get a physical edition, but only in Europe.

In an email sent to IGN, a Capcom spokesperson confirmed that Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition will remain a digital-only release in the US when it releases on February 9. Capcom Europe also announced on X/Twitter that it will release a physical copy of the game, but physical media lovers in Europe must wait until March.

Capcom is the latest publisher to hop on the digital-only trend. Ninja Theory and Microsoft announced last month that the upcoming game Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 will be a digital-only release. Remedy Entertainment revealed last May that Alan Wake 2 would not see a physical release to keep the game below $70.

Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition includes the base game and the DLC expansion Separate Ways. The Gold Edition will also include digital content available in the Deluxe Edition and a separate DLC add-on, such as additional costumes for Leon and Ashley, the Sentinel Nine and Skull Shaker weapons, a soundtrack, exclusive charms, and more.

Hideo Kojima has announced he is returning to the world of spycraft.

During the latest PlayStation State of Play, Kojima joined PlayStation Studios boss Herman Hulst to announce Physint, a new “Action Espionage” game from the creator of Metal Gear. Kojima alluded that it will also be a movie, but clarified on X that the “look, story, theme, cast, acting, fashion, sound, etc… are all at the next level of ‘Digital Entertainment’ that could be called a ‘movie.’”

“PHYSINT (working title)” will be the third, new original IP since the establishment of KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS. It is a completely new “Action Espionage” for the next-generation. It will be created using cutting-edge technology and the best talents from around the world, both from… pic.twitter.com/0vnMXJbGNz

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) January 31, 2024

A bit redundant, I’d say, since Kojima’s already leveraging movie-calibur production on his current project, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. But nevertheless, Kojima’s return to the genre he revolutionized and popularized nearly four decades ago is worth celebrating.

IGN Fan Fest returns this February with a lineup filled with the biggest names in games and entertainment.

Everything kicks off on Feb. 19 and continues throughout the week with exclusive interviews, trailers, gameplay, sneak peeks, and more. The event continues with two days of Fan Fest livestreams on Feb. 23 and 24, featuring even more reveals and surprises.

Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire are just some of the big movies coming to this year’s show that also includes the hotly-anticipated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, Tracker, and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. Plus, we dig deep into new seasons of fan-favorites such as Abbott Elementary, Invincible, and others.

Fan Fest 2024 also features new and exciting looks at WWE 2K24, Street Fighter 6, G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Brawlhalla, and more of your favorite (and soon to be favorite) games.

New for Fan Fest this year is a huge celebration of popular anime, including Gear Five From One Piece, Oshi no Ko, and Solo Leveling. From the world of comics, fans can expect exclusive reveals from Marvel Comics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II - Re-Evolution, and Spawn: Rat City.

Capcom has announced a Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition will launch February 9 as a package including the base game and all of its downloadable content.

Announced with a trailer (below), the Gold Edition therefore includes the Separate Ways expansion plus bonus items previously only available in Resident Evil 4's Deluxe Edition.

These include various costumes for Leon and Ashley (such as Casual and Romantic), the Sentinel Nine and Skull Shaker weapons, a soundtrack, exclusive charms, and more.

No price for the Gold Edition was shared by Capcom but will likely emerge in the coming days as it becomes available to preorder.

Resident Evil 4 launched in March 2023 as a remake of the beloved 2005 game. It proved a smash hit for Capcom, selling more than three million units in just two days, and topping six million in the months since.

In our 10/10 review, IGN said: "The Resident Evil 4 remake is the series' most relentlessly exciting adventure rebuilt, refined, and realised to the full extent of its enormous potential."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

We got our first proper look at the Silent Hill 2 Remake during yesterday's State of Play and, as someone who adored the original game, I immediately noticed a handful of familiar scenes. From James' first steps into the Woodside apartments to his encounter with Pyramid Head, it's possible to see that while many things have remained faithful in the Remake, others things have changed.

Take a look at the video or slideshow above to see the similarities and differences we spotted in the first trailer for Silent Hill 2 Remake. And if you haven't already, check out the trailer itself below.

NFL star Jason Kelce is on a mission to find out who owns the rights to the Backyard Sports franchise, as the Philadelphia Eagles center is interested in reviving Backyard Baseball and Backyard Football games.

In the latest episode of podcast New Heights, which Jason co-hosts with his younger brother Travis, the two briefly reminisce about playing Backyard Football on the computer before Jason reveals that he has been "secretly" trying to figure out who owns the rights because he wants to bring back Backyard Baseball and Backyard Football for modern platforms.

"I don't even know if I want to mention this cause I have secretly been looking into seeing if anybody holds the rights to Backyard Football and Backyard Baseball, cause I wanna buy it and get this thing going again," Jason said. "It's the best game ever. It was so electric. Can you imagine playing Backyard Football right now on your phone? Cause you can do that whole thing on your phone, it wasn't that complicated."

The official New Heights X/Twitter also posted a call to action, with a snippet of the clip along with a caption asking who currently holds the rights to the Backyard Sports series to get in touch with the Kelce brothers.

If anyone knows who has the rights to the backyard sports franchise please hit us up 👀pic.twitter.com/hwZ3WxNt74

Devolver Digital are auteurs of style. It's a reputation the publisher has cultivated over the course of 15 years—from the gloriously bloodsoaked Hotline Miami to the ridiculously macabre Carrion—and if you, too, feel like life is better with a rhapsodically gory indie project on hand, then you'll be pleased to know that Children of the Sun is the ideal harbinger of Devolver's legacy. Limbs will fly, brain matter will splatter, the squeamish will be appalled, but like so many of the company's hits, a rock-solid design foundation ties everything together.

Consider Children of the Sun to be something like Rebellion’s Sniper Elite. You take control of a woman who has escaped the clutches of a sinister cult. To get her revenge, she has brandished a long-range rifle, with the intention of murdering the principal members of the order, one by one. Each level begins with you positioning our protagonist at the preferred vantage to prey upon a mingling sect of goons. Pull the trigger, and the camera jumps to the crown of the bullet zooming through the environment, until it meets its fleshy destination.

But here's the catch. Children of the Sun gives you exactly one bullet to fire. After discharging it, you'll then take control of the same shell, which must be redirected into the other targets. The bullet pinballs around a cult encampment, powered by fate or telekinesis. In practice, that makes Children of the Sun much more of a puzzle game than a shooter. To succeed, you must map out the geometry to ensure that everyone you want dead is in clear line of sight.

February is typically a slow month in the video game release cycle, but that's not the case for February 2024. A number of high-profile remakes and remasters are out this month, including Persona 3 Reload, a Tomb Raider 1-3 collection, and a souped-up Star Wars: Dark Forces. Also out this month are heavy hitters like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Skull and Bones, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Below, you'll find release dates for all the biggest games that have been announced so far. Whether you have a PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and/or PC, you can find something worth playing in February 2024.

The following list is divided by platform; you can jump to any one using the shortcuts below. And if you're someone who likes to preorder, you can click the buy link to make sure it arrives on launch day.

Shortcuts

Like many video games, ones from Nintendo don't come cheap. This was especially true when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was revealed to be $69.99 on release, a whole $10 more expensive than other Switch titles. However, this doesn't mean there aren't deals to be had for Nintendo fans. In fact, there are plenty of sales on games, Switch consoles, and various accessories that are worth checking out throughout the year, and we've made sure to gather the very best going on at the moment below.

TL;DR - Best Switch Deals

You can also follow @IGNDeals on Twitter or Threads for even more updates on the latest discounts, or check out all our handpicked Switch deals just below.

The Best Nintendo Switch Deals - Navigate to:

• Switch SD Card Deals
• Switch Video Game Deals
• Controllers and Cases at Amazon
• Zelda Official Guides
• When Should You Buy a Nintendo Switch?

Perfect Switch SD Card for $25.99 (and More Deals)

Annual sports games always face the same issue: What do you add to an already refined (and successful) formula for an individual effort to stand out from the pack? Countless series’ have had to tackle this problem, such as NBA 2K, EA Sports FC and now, following its recent revival, WWE 2K. Last year’s hugely popular WWE 2K23 is without question still an extremely good wrestling game package, so cynical players may just conclude that this year’s upcoming entry, WWE 2K24, isn’t an essential upgrade. But from what I’ve played so far, WWE 2K24 has added enough exciting gameplay-focused innovations that it's definitely worth your attention. Let me talk to ya…

Although the next game in this long line of releases will naturally update and modernise the roster and cosmetics of WWE, 2K24 still requires headline additions to hang its hat on. This year they come in the form of four brand new match types: Special Guest Referee, Casket Match, Gauntlet Match, and an Ambulance Match. Only the latter was available for me to sample during a hands-on demo, but if its quality standard is anything to go by then I’m very excited to play the others.

2023 and 2024 have shown that 2TB PS5 SSD upgrades are actually worth the price. In 2022, prices for 1TB PS5 SSDs averaged around $150, whereas 2TB SSDs hovered closer to $300. Now, we're seeing 1TB SSDs trickle below the $70 price point and 2TB SSDs can drop to around $100 or sometimes even lower if there's a good sale. It's worth noting, though, that you can't use any old SSD and expect it to perform well on the PS5 console. You'll want to pick up a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid-state drive with at least a 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5's internal drive.

TL;DR - The Best PS5 SSD Deals Right Now

Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD and not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we'll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don't, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (like this one for $9) and install it yourself. For our top recommended picks for 2024, check out our full breakdown for the Best PS5 SSDs.

Seagate Game Drive 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe 1.4 SSD with Heatsink for PS5 for $104

This is an excellent deal for getting 1TB of storage, saving you $20 off its MSRP of $124.99. This Seagate SSD is officially licensed and built with the PS5 in mind. It even has a built-in heatsink so you don't need to worry about spending extra cash on one. On top of all that, it features 7300MB/s read speeds and 6000MB/s write speeds.

Are you searching for a new console? We’re here to help. Whether you're looking to play great single-player story-driven games on the PS5 or want some family-friendly action that the Nintendo Switch delivers, there's truly something available for everyone. Check out our full breakdown of the most popular video game consoles available now, and skip to the end to see if you should consider PC gaming at home or on the go instead.

For more information about prices, games, and accessories for each console, use the links below to jump to each section:

Jump to:

Upcoming Obsidian RPG Avowed takes place in Eora, which in the fictional universe of Pillars of Eternity, is pretty diverse. But after Pillars let players choose from a number of different character races, fans have been wondering for some time now why Avowed is only letting them pick human or elf when customizing a player character.

We've learned that Avowed player character creation is limited to making either a human or an elf in previous game reveals - no dwarves, no aumauas, and definitely no godlikes. While this has been a disappointment to some fans, Avowed game director Carrie Patel has made it clear that the reasons for this limitation are twofold: it's both a story choice and a development decision.

On the story side, Patel explains in an interview with IGN, it's because the player in Avowed is a representative from the Aedyr Empire, which is predominantly made up of humans and elves. Those familiar with Pillars of Eternity lore will recognize that this is indeed established canon, and has shaped a lot of the region's particular culture.

Still, that might be cold comfort to those hoping to recreate their aumaua OC from Pillars in Avowed. For those folks, Patel offers some additional context that helps things make a bit more sense from the development side:

If there was a game of January 2024’s PlayStation State of Play it was Death Stranding 2.

Not only did we get confirmation of its full title (yep, it’s really called Death Stranding 2: On the Beach), and a first look at characters played by Mad Max director George Miller and Elle Fanning, but we got an extended trailer that showed Hideo Kojima at his brilliant, bizarre best. There’s a glam rock Joker, creepy little hands, and the star of the show: a stop motion puppet that looks like Alan Wake.

As a reminder, here’s the trailer:

As Kojima surely knew it would, the internet is having its fun analysing the Death Stranding 2 trailer for hidden details. Here Kojima delivered. As one Twitter / X user pointed out, there are BTs in the smoke during the scene in which Fragile enjoys a cigarette.

There are BTs in the Smoke pic.twitter.com/XTwYGxg5uF

— Nightingale (@ZeitzZwei) January 31, 2024

Twitter user @killian_C_u noticed the riff Higgs plays on the guitar is the BBS theme (Kojima reposted this tweet, so we know it’s on the money).

OHMYGOD THE SONG HIGGS IS PLAYING ON THE GUITAR IS BBS THEME 👶👶🐋🐋🌈🌈🤔🤔😭😭😭😭😭 DEATH STRANDING 2 I NEED YOU pic.twitter.com/lV34EOwFI5

Developer 4A Games has made clear Metro Awakening, the PSVR2 game announced during the January 2024 PlayStation State of Play, is not the next mainline Metro game but instead a spin-off.

Following its announcement at the State of Play, Metro fans without Sony's $550 / £530 PlayStation 5 accessory grew a little concerned they'd waited five years for another game only to see it announced for a platform they didn't own or want.

4A Games took to X/Twitter to alleviate these concerns, however, reassuring fans it's still working on the next multiplatform mainline Metro game, while Awakening is developed by Vertigo Games.

"This is not the next mainline Metro game by 4A Games," the developer said. "That is still in development and, as we have stated previously, will come to generation nine consoles and PC. This is a different project developed by Vertigo Games."

Generation nine refers to the current generation of consoles, meaning the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S. Nintendo continues to allude typical console cycles, though its imminent Switch successor could also be a possibility for whatever this next mainline Metro game is.

During the PlayStation State of Play January 2024 showcase, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima did what he does best and surprised the gaming world, this time with the announcement he’s returning to the “action espionage” genre with a video game and movie hybrid that’ll have "near life-like graphics”.

Of course, the initial reaction revolved around the shock revelation that Kojima is making what sounds like a Metal Gear spiritual successor having left Konami years ago. But since then, fans have turned to another tantalising prospect: that project Physint, as it’s codenamed, could be one of the first PlayStation 6 games.

We don’t know much about Physint, but what we do know suggests a PS6 launch is a distinct possibility. During the State of Play, Kojima said production is expected to begin "in earnest" at Kojima Productions after Death Stranding 2 and in partnership with Sony. So, we know Physint is coming to PlayStation consoles. That’s a given. But when could it come out?

There’s no release window for Physint, understandably at this stage. But we now know Death Stranding 2 has a 2025 release window. We don’t know when in 2025 it will come out. It may end up delayed somewhat. But let’s say, at the earliest, it comes out during the first quarter of 2025. Then, if what Kojima said during the State of Play holds true, development on Physint will begin “in earnest”.

Sony is giving PlayStation Plus Premium members on PS5 a free trial of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 from Insomniac Games.

Revealed on the PlayStation Blog, those subscribed to the $159.99 / £119.99 a year PlayStation Plus tier can download Spider-Man 2 at no additional cost on February 6 and play two hours before making the decision to purchase it fully or not.

As is the case for all PlayStation Plus Premium game trials — which also include heavy hitters Baldur's Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and more — all saved data and trophies will carry over if players do decide to purchase the game later.

Spider-Man 2 continues the story of Peter Parker and Miles Morales as they take on a rogues' gallery of Marvel villains headlined by the big bad Venom. It earned an 8/10 in IGN's review, as we said: "Marvel's Spider-Man 2 delivers Insomniac's best tale yet, and despite its open world falling short, is a reliably fun superhero power trip."

Palworld developer Pocketpair has released a significant new patch for the Steam version of the game that makes a number of fixes.

Steam patch v0.1.4.0 fixes crash issues, gameplay issues, and glitches, among other things. Elsewhere, there are fixes for base issues, including one that means Pals who are manually assigned to a breeding farm will not become hungry and their manual assignments will not be removed.

Some of the bugs fixed by this patch are worth highlighting because they’re quite funny. For example, there’s a fix for an issue where Pals at the base would continue to cut down trees that were already cut (talk about a thankless task), and a fix for an issue where Pals at the base were on the verge of death due to unexplained falling damage (we've all been there). Here’s another one: a fix for an issue where Pals at the base would float under some conditions. What are those Pals smoking?

On a more serious note, the patch makes an initial fix for an issue where the game would always crash and save data would be corrupted when the guild's total number of Pals captured reached around 7000. However, save data that has already been in this state (in the case of a server, the server's world data) prior to this update will still be unable to load, Pocketpair said.

[Editor's Note: This article contains references to themes such as teenage suicide, self-harm and bullying. Reader discretion is advised.]

Silent Hill: The Short Message is a brand new game in the storied psychological horror series Silent Hill, announced and released today as a free download for PlayStation 5. I (Daniel) played the full game from start to finish ahead of its surprise release, along with my IGN Japan colleague Koji Fukuyama, and both of us found a lot to enjoy – and even more to ponder. This article is a mix of both of our impressions.

This compact two-hour first-person game centres on teenage protagonist Anita as she searches for her missing friend Maya in a spooky abandoned building. The game makes effective use of its themes of suicide, self-harm, bullying and isolation to create a feeling of genuine dread, bringing the central themes of early games in the series entries into a modern perspective, while offering a sensitive portrayal of its subject matter that never feels exploitative or crude.

That said, the game does include some fairly graphic scenes that may be too much for those who are sensitive to such themes, so I would advise caution. The game is rated 15 and up, and I’d say it’s a hard 15, and definitely not suitable for younger players.

PlayStation has listed the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake, officially Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater (the Δ is pronounced delta), as a 2024 game.

A trailer advertising various PlayStation 5 games coming in 2024 (below) includes lots of entries with established release dates (like The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth), but also quietly listed the release window for the highly anticipated remake.

Publisher Konami is yet to confirm any sort of release date or window itself, though given it was announced by PlayStation in 2023 and is coming to the PS5, it likely knows it's stuff. IGN has reached out to Konami for comment.

Not stopping there, the PlayStation trailer also listed the Silent Hill 2 Remake as a 2024 release, seemingly dropping two major release windows in the space of two minutes.

Will Ospreay donned entrance gear inspired by Jacob Frye from Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Syndicate video game when he strutted into Japan's Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom 18.

Ospreay took inspiration from the wardrobe of master assassin Jacob Frye for his recent Wrestle Kingdom entrance, wearing a stylish top hat, a long hooded leather coat, and a gauntlet glove with a blade protruding from it. The British star thanked Ubisoft and Assassin's Creed on Twitter/X for allowing him to live "a lifelong dream."

Thank you to @Ubisoft and @assassinscreed for allowing me to live a lifelong dream at Wrestle Kingdom! I hope you all enjoyed it! pic.twitter.com/Sgwfi2IF2C

— Will Ospreay • ウィル・オスプレイ (@WillOspreay) January 4, 2024

🔥WRESTLE KINGDOM 18 in 東京ドーム🔥

第8試合IWGP GLOBALヘビー級選手権 初代王者決定3WAYマッチ‼️
"The Assassin"東京ドームに降臨‼️#njpwworld で配信中📡

視聴＆登録⏩https://t.co/CeQLGjTmZ5#njwk18 #NJPW pic.twitter.com/FUyhBKl46H

The highly anticipated Silent Hill 2 Remake may have just received a release window as PlayStation quietly listed the game as a 2024 title.

A reel advertising various PlayStation 5 games coming in 2024 (below) includes lots of entries with established release dates (like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Rise of the Ronin) but also Silent Hill 2 Remake, which hasn't had any release window until now.

The advertisement didn't offer any more details, as Silent Hill 2 Remake was simply listed amongst the other titles with some previously seen footage. IGN has reached out to developer Bloober Team for comment.

Silent Hill 2 Remake is set to be a full recreation of the survival horror classic, though Bloober Team has been adamant about not making story changes.

"We are focusing on bringing the distinct, visceral atmosphere back in the modernized Silent Hill 2," chief marketing officer Anna Jasińska said in January 2023. "Longtime fans shouldn’t worry about us missing the point while we’re livening up the title.

"We faithfully stick to the traditional story canon while remaking the gameplay and updating the graphics from the ground up. These are the reasons why Konami entrusted us with the remake in the first place."

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has revealed the game's Phantom Liberty expansion has sold more than five million copies.

Revealed in a post on X/Twitter (below), the developer confirmed the sales milestone and thanked players for their support. "Over five million agents have infiltrated Dogtown," it said. "Thank you for all your support, and good luck on your mission."

Though no exact timeframe was released, CD Projekt Red said the five million copies were sold in 2023, and as Phantom Liberty launched on September 26, it reached the milestone in just over three months.

Over 5 million agents have infiltrated Dogtown! 😱

Thank you for all your support — and good luck on your mission. ❤ pic.twitter.com/zXT3SZlvwL

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) January 4, 2024

The expansion surpassed three million units within its first week, with the strong reception, holiday period, and Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition seemingly contributing towards its further success.

Kiryu Kazuma and Kasuga Ichiban are two sides of the same Like a Dragon coin. Their personalities could not be more different — Kiryu, a world-weary lone wolf, and Kasuga, a Dragon Quest-loving golden retriever — but they live by a similar code of ethics and share a similar past, both locked up for crimes they didn't commit to help out their yakuza families. It was a bummer that Kiryu didn't stick around longer when he came around in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The two men would sure as hell have a lot to talk about.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth finally brings the two mainline protagonists together for an ultra-compelling and sprawling game that lives up to its subtitle. The three-and-a-half-ish hours I spent roaming Honolulu and Yokohama, sprucing up the trashed Dondoko Island, and battling a Megalodon-sized shark felt like a drop in the Pacific Ocean in terms of the game's scope. And that's just speaking to the gameplay. Having both Kasuga and Kiryu as playable protagonists place the story on a broad emotional spectrum that plays to the strengths of each character's worldview: Kasuga and his ridiculousness, Kiryu and his legacy of struggle. It's a great balance between the past and future of the Like a Dragon franchise.

First, we had the Xbox Series X Mini Fridge, and now we're veering into other kitchen appliances. The Xbox Series S toaster is real, it costs $39.99, and is currently available to buy directly from Walmart. Now we've seen everything.

The new two-slice toaster also features a bagel function, digital countdown timer, and six different shade settings. Moreover, it will also expertly toast the Xbox logo onto your toast -- what a marvel of engineering.

We have also left a handy link just below if you're interested in checking out the live Xbox Series S Toaster listing at Walmart (or even want to consider buying it).

Due to some unconventional design choices, both the Xbox Series X and Series S have already been the subject of various memes since launch.

As mentioned, the Xbox has already leaned into this discussion with the release of the Xbox Series X Mini Fridge and now seems to be testing the waters with more Xbox-themed applicances.

The Xbox Series S Toaster was first speculated about back in March 2023 when France-based outlet Xbox Squad first tweeted about their discovery.

Xbox Squad's source has also claimed that even more products like the Series S toaster could be on the way, including dinner sets, pens, and more.

Bryan Ansell, one of the chief architects of the Warhammer franchise alongside Richard Halliwell and Rick Priestley, has died. He was 68.

Ansell's death was announced on Instagram on December 30 with the message, "With great sadness, we announce that Bryan passed away peacefully at home this morning surrounded by his family, 30th December 2023."

It included a classic photo of Ansell sitting in front of a Warhammer army with the description, "Mighty, Dark-Winged, Avenging Lord of Chaos, Bryan Ansell, and his Mighty Avenging Chaos Army."

Warhammer founded Cidatel Miniatures in partnership with Steven Jackson's Games Workshop in 1978. His initially sold 25mm historical and fantasy miniatures and games, but it was 1983's Warhammer Fantasy Battle that would become the company's breakout hit. Ansell bought out Games Workshop alongside Tom Kirby, and the company was eventually refocused around Warhammer and Warhammer 40K. Ansell ultimately left Games Workshop to focus on Wargames Foundry.

Warhammer, of course, remains immensely popular to this day, as evidenced by the huge range of licensed video games and other media that have come out of the property. The tabletop game likewise remains very popular, fostering a passionate community dedicated to painting miniatures among other activities.

We're kicking off 2024 with a whole month long of coverage for the hotly anticipated Dragon's Dogma 2 from Capcom. All throughout January, we'll have interviews, reveals, deep dives, and much more covering our experiences and impressions after getting play about 10 hours of the game at Capcom's offices in Japan.

For now, have a look above at 18 minutes of gameplay covering both basic Fighter and Thief vocations, along with some never before seen looks at the Warrior and Sorcerer vocations as well.

Keep an eye out right here on IGN for more Dragon's Dogma 2 all throughout the month of January as IGN First rolls on.

Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer at IGN. You can find him on twitter @JurassicRabbit

Super Smash Bros. and Kirby director Masahiro Sakurai revealed he's still making games while juggling his recent shift into becoming a video game YouTuber.

In the latest episode of Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games, aptly titled "Creators Change, Too," Sakurai reflected on what it was like entering the video game industry at a young age and experiencing his predecessors slowly phase out of public consciousness. As if reading the room via the internet, Sakurai addressed whether the subject matter of his video pertained to himself saying he's still actively working in the industry.

"As for me, I'm still creating games for the time being," Sakurai said. "But I'm also making this YouTube channel. I'd never done anything like this before starting out, so in a way, you could say I haven't exactly stayed put either."

Although Sakurai coupled his announcement with an old Smash Bros. gameplay video, he didn't disclose whether or not he was working on a new entry in the eclectic video games Oscars-esque fighting game series. However, in a previous YouTube video, Sakurai has gone on record saying "I can't imagine a Smash Bros. title without me," and that he'd still like to "keep working with Nintendo." Regardless, we'll have to keep our fingers crossed for whatever Sakurai has been cooking at a later date.

Microsoft has announced the games coming to Xbox Game Pass in January 2024, with Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Resident Evil 2 headlining this month's offerings.

Revealed on Xbox Wire, the mysterious adventure game Close to the Sun is available today, January 3. Set in the 1890s, players must board a mysterious ship complex created by Nikola Tesla in an alternative version of history. In our 7/10 review, IGN said: "Close to the Sun is a harrowing and thoughtfully designed first-person exploration adventure that shows a twisted world in which Nikola Tesla’s ideas came to life."

Mecha BREAK, at first glance, has all the flash of a mecha anime brought to life. I’m talking massive, colorful robot suits, each with their own movesets, roles, and specialties strafing across arena shooter-style maps in bouts of neon-lit glory. What you might not have been able to glean from its energetic reveal trailer at The Game Awards, though, is that it’s actually a multiplayer-only experience. And with Titanfall on ice and Armored Core 6 burying its PvP behind a few chapters of its campaign, it’s cool to see a mech game on this scale fully commit to multiplayer.

Despite their hulking size, mechs in Mecha BREAK don’t feel like lumbering bots of mass destruction. Instead, they move with speed and grace. Strafing to dodge enemy fire just to get in close to hit them with a few melee attacks before parrying their counterattack with your shield and then finishing the job, feels much tighter than you’d expect. Hits land with the appropriate oomph, and each attack lights up the screen with bright colors. It’s clear Mecha BREAK understands that mechs are inherently cool and that a good mech game needs to transmit that coolness through the controller.

Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red is not interested in being acquired despite the likes of Xbox and PlayStation actively seeking out studios to purchase.

Adam Kiciński, chief strategy officer of parent company CD Projekt S.A., told Polish outlet Parkiet that the company is happy and healthy as an independent being.

"We are not interested in integrating ourselves into any larger entity," Kiciński said. "Throughout our entire lives we have worked towards the position we currently hold. We believe that in a few years, we will be even bigger and stronger."

CD Projekt Red is certainly getting bigger as an expansion into North America is currently underway. The aptly titled CD Projekt Red North America will include teams at an already established Vancouver studio plus a new Boston-based studio currently being built. These teams will work adjacent to the CD Projekt Red developers in Poland but will focus on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, codenamed Orion, instead of the next mainline Witcher game, codenamed Polaris.

The NES version of Tetris, believed to be impossible to complete by even the most dedicated fans, has finally been beaten. Thirteen-year-old phenom Willis "Blue Scuti" Gibson was the first to pull off the improbable feat, which saw him reach level 157 before hitting what is being called the "final killscreen" by fans."

A new video charts the community's progress to beating the famously challenging version of the game, which lacks later features like the ability to store pieces. Even experts were only able to make it to around level 38 before it became impossible to keep up. However, a technique introduced in 2021 called "rolling," which was achieved by utilizing the bottom of the controller, revolutionized the Tetris community and led to a host of new world records.

Just six months after its much-hyped return to Xbox Game Pass, Grand Theft Auto V is set to once again drive off into the sunset.

As spotted on Twitter and elsewhere, GTA 5 is among the games that will be leaving the subscription service soon. Other notable departures include Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable. Here's the full list of impending removals on console.

Leaving #XboxGamePass on Jan 15th

- Grand Theft Auto 5 🎮
- Persona 3 Portable 🎮🖥️
- Persona 4 Golden 🎮🖥️
- Garden Story 🎮🖥️
- MotoGP 22 🎮🖥️

Console PC pic.twitter.com/PEwvkA7fWE

— Idle Sloth💙💛 (@IdleSloth84_) January 2, 2024

• Grand Theft Auto V [Xbox Series X|S]
• Grand Theft Auto V [Xbox One]
• Persona 3 Portable
• Persona 4 Golden
• Garden Story
• MotoGP 22

The games listed will be available until January 15, after which they'll be available for up to 20 percent off. Xbox will also be rotating in a new selection of games for subscribers.

GTA V has been in and out of Xbox Game Pass since its initial debut back in 2020. Its most recent stint came in July 2023, shortly before the service's price hike. Now a decade old, GTA V remains quite popular, with numerous content updates continuing to be released on all platforms.

Update: Infestation '88 has been officially renamed Infestation: Origins following blowblack over its references to Neo-Nazi ideology. In a statement to IGN, Nightmare Forge Games reiterated that the original name was meant to reflect the year "1988," adding, "Unfortunately, at the time of its announcement, we were unaware of any additional meanings the number '88' has. Through feedback from the community, we learned it did, and therefore made this name change ASAP."

We want to apologize for our ignorance on this topic and appreciate that it was brought to our attention so we could address it. There is no intentional use of Nazi symbolism in our game nor studio, and we'll continue to address any concerns as they arise. We strongly stand against Nazism and hate in any form."

The original story continues below.

The developers behind the game announced as Infestation 88, a new Mickey Mouse horror game announced shortly after the character entered the public domain, are responding to claims that it contains Neo-Nazi references and other problematic content.

In separate interviews with Motherboard and Kotaku, the developers at Nightmare Forge Games, who declined to reveal their identities "for the sake of maintaining privacy," claimed that the references to "88" — a common Neo-Nazi dogwhistle — were unintentional. The developers also responded to claims of asset flipping and AI-generated voices, which have been in the news recently amid controversies like The Day Before.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto revealed he's not quite ready to call it a career at Nintendo just yet.

"More so than retiring, I’m thinking about the day I fall over,” Miyamoto told The Guardian. "In this day and age you have to think about things in a five-year timespan, so I do think about who I can pass things on to, in case something does happen."

"I’m really thankful that there is so much energy around things that I have worked on,'" he continued. "These are things that have already gone out into the world … they’ve been cultivated by others, other people have been raising them, helping them grow, so in that sense I don’t feel too much ownership over them any more.”

This has been a common refrain from Miyamoto, who previously said he wasn't ready to retire when we interviewed him on the occasion of Super Nintendo World opening in the U.S.