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After a failed bid earlier this year, a UK MP is once again bringing a bill to tackle scalping bots, which have caused issues with supplies of next-gen consoles, graphics cards, and other high-demand goods.

UK Member of Parliament Douglas Chapman has written to the government's Secretary of State for Digital, Media, Culture, and Sport in the hope to renew interest in legislation that would look to tackle automated scalping bots that have plagued consumers and inflated prices.

Chapman, who is currently the acting MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, is hoping to increase pressure on the government to act on the issue by raising a new motion on the matter after previously bringing forward a bill earlier this year.

“This time last year it was brought to my attention by constituents that scalpers were using automated bots to bulk buy goods for resale leaving consumers with either no option but to purchase these items at hugely inflated prices or go without, a sorry state of affairs at any time, never mind in the run-up to Christmas," explained Chapman in a press release.

Halo Infinite's multiplayer mode has some hidden modes on PC, which seem only to be accessible if you boot up the game in offline mode.

As spotted by Reddit user u/WickedSoldier991, Halo Infinite appears to include 14 additional multiplayer game modes as yet unavailable in the main online game, including unreleased Arena, Fiesta, Ranked and Tactical mode.

Players aren't typically able to access the hidden modes unless they launch the game in offline mode. However, as WickedSoldier991 points out that, once discovered, each of the modes can then be saved so that you can access them yourself when online at a later point.

As standard, Infinite's multiplayer mode currently has 17 different playable modes including the likes of Slayer, Oddball, and Capture the Flag. As well as bringing that total up to 31 different multiplayer picks, the secret additional modes include some brand new ways to play as well.

As per PC Gamer, one of the most interesting modes to come from the hidden list is Attrition. In the new mode, players will find that each team is given a limited number of respawns, while additional features such as revives and a Battle Royale Style closing circle are also said to be present. A full list of the hidden modes can be found below:

Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida has apologized to players regarding login problems that have featured in the game since the early access launch of Endwalker. As compensation, paying players will receive 7 days of free play time.

In a post published on the FF14 website, Yoshida delved further into the issues that have contributed to players' frustrations over the weekend.

"Currently, all Worlds across all regions have been hitting the login cap for extremely long periods of time, and the progression of login queues is being slowed dramatically," explained Yoshida in the post.

"Across the FFXIV service as a whole, the number of simultaneous logins has reached the hardware limit, and as a result, logging in has required an extremely long time, especially during 'peak hours' when we tend to see increased player activity. For this, I am truly sorry."

Issues began cropping up in the game following the early access release of Endwalker last week. A number of players attempting to access Endwalker have been thwarted by various errors codes including the infamous error 2002, as well as errors 4004, 5003, and 5006. In the post, Yoshida spoke further about the causes of these errors before explaining that the team is working hard to address the congestion situation.

Halo Infinite’s single-player campaign, like a new generation of Master Chief’s MJOLNIR armor, powers up a 20-year-old series, by both returning to its roots and blazing new trails to build off of. By shifting to an open-world map while retaining the classic gameplay both on foot and in its iconic vehicles, it offers a level of freedom in combat not seen in any prior Halo game. There’s a lot to do in this expansive playground, and completing its never-dull-or-overwhelming list of activities earns more combat options and, ultimately, more fun. It doesn’t quite recapture the environmental variety or memorable story of the original trilogy, but it’s still a thrilling return to form for one of gaming’s most beloved series, and for Master Chief himself.

It’s Got a Nice Ring to it

The change from the traditional linear series of combat arenas to letting you freely explore the Zeta Halo ring where Infinite takes place marks the first time developer 343 Industries has broken from the blueprint that Bungie drew 20 years ago. All of that space proves to be a natural fit for what’s always been a sort of sandbox-style shooter at heart, where unexpected things happen. In Infinite, that same thing is true on a grander scale.

But you aren’t dropped straight onto the ring and set loose. Instead, the first couple of the 25 hours I spent completing it on Heroic difficulty take place indoors, and that intro works well as a way to get acquainted with Halo’s literal new gameplay hook, the Grappleshot, as well as the first of many delightfully challenging bosses.

Activision Blizzard is currently facing serious ongoing allegations of harassment and mistreatment of marginalized workers. To learn more, please visit our timeline as well as our in-depth report on the subject.

Activision Blizzard has laid off "at least a dozen" quality assurance contractors from the Call of Duty studio Raven Software as part of a restructuring effort at the studio.

As reported by The Washington Post, current employees confirmed that even more contractors "will be informed over the next few days if they have been laid off too."

Raven Software worked with Infinity Ward on Call of Duty: Warzone and developed Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War alongside Treyarch. According to Raven employees, the studio will be meeting with these contractors between December 3-8 to "tell them if they are being promoted or terminated on January 28." As of this writing, "about a third" of Raven Software's QA testers have been informed they are being laid off.

For the second time, the inhabitants of Fortnite have met their collective end with the close of Chapter 2, Season 8. In its wake comes Fortnite Chapter 3, Season 1 – an updated Battle Royale experience with new gameplay mechanics, an altered island map, and a Battle Pass featuring Spider-Man.

Fortnite Update: Chapter 3, Season 1 Map Changes

Recent events in Fortnite have ushered in sweeping changes to its island map. Fans can not only expect to see altered versions of familiar places, but there will be new locations as well, including Spider-Man/Peter Parker’s own Daily Bugle.

Marvel’s iconic newspaper facility won’t be the only new area worth exploring, as The Sanctuary, The Seven’s secret base of operations, has been revealed as well.

Fortnite: New Gameplay Mechanics

Beyond new characters and map changes, Fortnite Chapter 3 adds new traversal mechanics. These include the ability to slide about in hopes of evading enemy fire or the new swinging mechanic that allows you to mimic Spidey’s movements.

Fortnite Chapter 3, Season 1 also introduces the biggest game-changing feature since Reboot Vans in Camps. These special locations will allow you and your squadmates to store items to be used in later matches. Not only that, it’ll also allow you heal up after taking damage.

Fans can expect new items and weapons scattered all over the island. If utilized well (and with a bit luck) they’ll be able to get multiple Victory Royales and potentially earn the new Victory Crown. This digital accolade will certainly encourage competitive play.

Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 8 has come to a close with “The End”, a finale Season 8 event that rocked the island to its core. The Cube Queen’s overwhelming forces dominated the players -all hope was lost. Thankfully, the island was seemingly saved by members of The Seven and The Foundation, who was revealed to be Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Fortnite’s “The End” event started out calm enough. Players had fun bouncing around while a large timer counted down, our pending doom juxtaposed by dancing Narutos. All of that changed at the 9-minute mark as Cube Monsters started bleeding into our reality. Armed with legendary weapons and mounted turrets, we easily tore through the first wave of enemies.Then the clock struck zero and all inter-dimensional hell broke loose.

The Cube Queen, seen floating above a pyramid like structure, sent up a beam of light that tore a hole in the sky. Apparently, she had conscripted the Alien armada last seen in Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 7. Waves of flying saucers descended on us as giant monsters emerged from several cubed structures. Things weren’t going well.

From here, our focus shifted underground as a cutscene depicts Dr. Slone entering a secret IO base. She and her guards had captured Jones (Jonesy?) for some nefarious purpose; it looked like they were going to either scramble his mind or download important information locked away in his skull. Before Slone could finish though, Jones is saved by The Foundation, who removes his helmet revealing himself to be The Rock.

I love a good space shooter, but my biggest pet peeve when playing them is endlessly circling an enemy as you try to line up a shot, chasing that target indicator at the edge of the screen until someone messes up. A few smart games have solved that issue one way or another, and Chorus’ is among the most direct: push a button and you’re instantly teleported behind your target, ready to blast them to bits. Described that way it sounds like a cakewalk, but Chorus definitely isn’t; when the pressure ramps up, even that trick and a few other god mode-like abilities might not save you. But one thing’s for sure: you’ll look pretty cool pulling them off, and the story that accompanies that action is respectable even though it threatens to drown you in lore.

When you boil it down, your character Nara is basically “what if Darth Vader defected after the destruction of Aldaraan?” She’s certainly well written and acted, coming off as genuine rather than whiny as she’s dragged into the resistance, but it does become a bit tiresome to hear a repentant war criminal wallow in guilt for the entirety of her roughly 30-hour fight to take down the space-cult leader who ordered her to commit atrocities. There is a clever touch to her delivery in that we get to listen in on her inner monologue during conversations, whispered in a voice we can hear but the people she’s talking to can’t.

Activision Blizzard is currently facing serious ongoing allegations of harassment and mistreatment of marginalized workers. To learn more, please visit our timeline as well as our in-depth report on the subject.

Amidst all the allegations of discrimination and sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard, The Game Awards creator and host Geoff Keighley has confirmed that, beyond its nominations, the company behind such games as Call of Duty, Diablo, and World of Warcraft will not be part of this year's show.

Keighley shared the news on Twitter while also condemning harassment of any kind in the workplace or otherwise.

"#TheGameAwards is a time of celebration for the industry, the biggest form of entertainment in the world," Keighley wrote. "There is no place for abuse, harassment or predatory practices in any company or any community.

"I also realize we have a big platform which can accelerate and inspire change. We are committed to that, but we all need to work together to build a better and a more inclusive environment so everyone feels safe to build the world’s best games.

What do you get when you cross WarioWare with skeletons? Spookware, obviously.

But Spookware is more than just a WarioWare reskin. It’s a set of clever, film-themed micro games framed by a clever storytelling device of three skeleton bros who decide to leave their basement movie cave and go on an adventure in the world, solving problems and creating new ones as they go.

Developers Adam Pype, Viktor Kraus, and Tibau Van den Broeck didn’t start out trying to recreate themselves and their film-watching habits in the form of micro games. Instead, Spookware came from Pype’s participation in Game a Month, a challenge that (true to its name) asks developers to make one game per month over a set period. Pype and Kraus had worked together previously, and Kraus contributed sound for the first rendition of Spookware, while Van den Broeck joined in a bit later.

The early version of Spookware was just a small, rapidfire micro game set. But they were quickly approached by DreadXP to participate in one of its Dread X Collections, low-cost bundles of small, clever horror titles made in relatively short periods of time. DreadXP asked the trio to flesh out Spookware, and so of course they added skeletons.

Six long years after Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Infinite is ready to pick up the mantle of Xbox’s flagship franchise. This time, the man in green gets an open-world playground of his own, Zeta Halo. And with a new playground comes new tools to even the odds against the Banished.

What isn’t new is equipment that can be carried and deployed to change the momentum of any game. Equipment was first introduced in Halo 3, and is now a vital part of Halo’s ecosystem.

Why is equipment a big deal? Equipment disrupts Halo’s golden triangle of damage dealing: melee, grenades, and guns. The golden triangle lies at the heart of every Halo game, though the term grew in popularity after being mentioned in a Halo 3 documentary. And while Halo’s approach to health and movement is unique too, the golden triangle is what’s responsible for the skill-based combat that Halo is most known for. Halo Infinite even mentions it by name across hints dropped during multiplayer matches.

Through the last 14 years, equipment meddled with Halo’s golden triangle in both good and bad ways, and nothing Halo devs have introduced since has made such a long-lasting impression. Before we take a look at how Halo Infinite implements it, let's dive into the checkered evolution of equipment through Halo’s formative years to today, where it’s become a staple of gameplay in Halo Infinite.

Following reports that beloved PlayStation RPG Chrono Cross might have a remaster in the works, another unrelated piece of official news is helping fuel the Chrono nostalgia even more. Chrono Cross is getting its first-ever crossover event by making an appearance in mobile JRPG Another Eden, beginning on December 9.

Of all the games in the world for Chrono Cross to show up in, Another Eden is probably the most appropriate choice. Officially titled Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space, the free-to-play adventure is a collaboration between Masato Kato and Yasunori Mitsuda, both of whom worked on Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. If you’ve played Another Eden at all, you’ve likely noticed a number of parallels with the Chrono games, ranging from the thematic (it’s a game about time traveling, fine) to the specific (there’s a talking frog named Cyrus, and a character that looks suspiciously like Lucca named Dr. Ashtear).

But this crossover event goes beyond cheeky references. Taking place in a parallel timeline where Another Eden hero Aldo fails to defeat his adversary, the Beast King, “Complex Dream” introduces Chrono Cross characters including Serge, Kid, and Harle into Aldo’s world. A piece of promo art shared with the announcement implies we may also see the likes of Lynx, Glenn, and Starky. Kato is penning the story, with Mitsuda overseeing new songs and remixed old favorites. And the crossover event will include multiple endings, voice actors for Serge (Ashton Frank), Kid (Sheena May), and Harle (Shazia Nicholls), and introduce new battle mechanics from Chrono Cross such as Star Levels, Elements, Combo Techs, and a New Game+ mode.

We don't know if the reported Chrono Cross Remake is real or not, but if it is, we sure hope it looks like the cinematic trailer for the Chrono Cross and Another Eden crossover event, Complex Dream.

Set to the nostalgic opening theme Time Scar, the trailer shows off Serge, Kit, Harle, and Lynx alongside various Another Eden characters in a tribute to Chrono Cross' original intro movie. It's full of references, including the iconic moment when the camera zooms in on Kid's eye (with Feinne from Another Eden standing in here) and Harle's shot against a full moon.

And dang, they all look good.

Chrono Cross' intro is the kind of video game opening that still impresses even in 2021, but these shiny, high-quality renditions of Serge and crew are an exciting portrait of what could be, especially if that Chrono Cross remaster is indeed real.

While their Another Eden in-game selves have been shrunk down to chibi form, the crossover also comes with new full character art of Serge, Kid, and Harle that's just to die for:

And finally, there's this new piece of promo art, adding a few more familiar faces like Starky, Glenn, and FATE:

If you both play action games and have seen the movie Kingsman: The Secret Service, it's a scientific fact that you’ve fantasized about playing a game where you systematically dispatch gaggles of enemies in stylish fashion. Then again, the game in your head probably didn’t look like Fights in Tight Spaces. Yet despite its deck-building and turn-based mechanics, you may have a hard time finding a better game that captures the moment-to-moment threat assessment and problem-solving aspects that make the best cinematic fight scenes so thrilling.

As Agent 11, top dirt-doer for a high stakes espionage firm, you're tasked with infiltrating and eliminating international gangs by any means necessary. You’ll do this by moving from one end of a big map themed like one of six criminal organizations to the other, stopping at points along the way that represent different kinds of encounters. That could be things like an underwhelming narrative scenario that ends in making banal decisions with a slight chance of reward, a scarce but always welcome medical pit stop, or (most frequently) a small diorama of a room where the beatings happen.

Aiko's Choice is a punchy, compact standalone expansion for 2016's exceptional tactical stealth adventure Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, and that's all I really needed it to be. Across three beefy, brilliant new levels and three smaller interludes, this side story returns us to Japan's Edo period to sneak, slash, and stalk our way through expertly crafted outposts and fortresses. And these missions pick up where the already difficult original game left off in ramping up the challenge, so expect a good fight.

All five of Blades of the Shogun's memorable party members are back, using their unique ability sets in tandem to chip away at devilishly clever clusters of diverse enemies. The basic routine hasn't really changed from the original game, which I loved, and if you’re new to it you should check out my review from 2016 to see exactly why it works so well. But Aiko's Choice also feels more precise and less frustrating, thanks in part to a timer that reminds you if you've gone too long without saving. I also didn't run into any of those impenetrable, confounding situations like in the original campaign where it felt like I had to do something really cheesy or fiddly to progress. These scenarios are tough, but the solutions are never ridiculous.

343 Industries is planning to release more playlists and PvP modes for Halo Infinite by the end of this year. These modes include Fiesta, Tactical Slayer (SWAT), and Free-For-All. However, they won't arrive in time for Halo Infinite's official campaign launch date of December 8.

343 community director John Junyszek announced the developer's plans on Twitter. He also mentions that a Social Slayer playlist with multiple variations of the mode is being worked on as it was the most requested game type.

"Our goal for Events is to try new modes prior to adding to playlists," explains Junyszek. "We'll monitor playlist health after the 3 additions above and adjust our offering if needed, but we're excited to make these updates before the holidays."

So far, Halo Infinite's multiplayer has received mostly positive attention, while there were early criticisms over its Battle Pass and progression system. Players have called the Battle Pass progression far too slow and additionally, XP progression is gated via completing challenges, with no extra incentives to do particularly well in a match.

However, 343 has introduced some changes since the multiplayer launched, such as providing players with more XP for their first 6 matches of the day.

Apex Legends director Chad Grenier is departing Respawn, the studio he helped form in 2010. He will be replaced by Steve Ferreira, who joined the Apex Legends team as a lead in 2019.

"It's an emotional day for me. After years of making great games with some of the best in the biz, I'm saying goodbye to a studio that I love and helped form 11 years ago," Grenier wrote.

I'm also saying goodbye to coworkers who some of which I've worked with for half my life, and others I never got to meet in person.

I wish everyone at Respawn the best. There is unbelievable talent at the studio so I know they'll continue making great games I'll love playing. pic.twitter.com/5H8PcLuBJP

— Chad Grenier (@ChadGrenier) December 3, 2021

In Grenier's note, he thanked Respawn founder Vince Zampella and the rest of the team, saying that he feels like a "kid leaving the nest."

Grenier has been Apex Legends' director since mid-2019, and was among the developers who departed Infinity Ward alongside Zampella when he and Jason West were fired in 2010. Grenier did not reveal his intentions for the future.

Grenier's departure comes amid shakeups elsewhere in EA. Yesterday, EA announced DICE general manager Oskar Gabrielson's planned departure, with Zampella adding DICE to his portfolio as Group GM.

Welcome back to IGN Game Scoop!, the ONLY video game podcast! This week your Omega Cops -- Daemon Hatfield, Tina Amini, Sam Claiborn, and Justin Davis -- are discussing backlog management, Christmas gaming memories, flipping through the December 2003 issue of Nintendo Power, and more. And, of course, they play Video Game 20 Questions.

Watch the video above or hit the link below to your favorite podcast service.

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Find previous episodes here!

Catch the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang World Championship starting December 6th!

As esports continue to grow the stakes, crowds, and enthusiasm expand with it. Starting December 6th and running through December 19th, fans can stream the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) World Championship, where there’s nearly $1 million of prize money in play.

Esports and gaming fans can watch the tournament on MLBB social media platforms and win rewards by participating through M3 in-game campaigns.

North America Joins the Fray

In this third iteration of the tournament, dubbed M3, 16 teams will face off for the loot, with legends and newcomers alike competing for a chance to take first place and thousands of dollars in prize money. North America is one of the newest additions to M3, with BTK repping the region. BTK’s roster consists of Victor, FwydChickn, SHARK, MobaZane, and ZIA. They qualified for M3 after emerging victorious in the Mobile Legends: World Championship North American Qualifier.

BTK is known for their aggressive tactics and deft handling of the MLBB hero pool. But to make it through the tournament they'll need to take down formidable Southeast Asian heavyweights such as ONIC Esports, RRQ Hoshi, and Blacklist International to continue their winning ways.

Assigned to a stacked Group C, team BTK is slated to square-off with two-time MPL SG champ EVOS SG, esports juggernaut Natus Vincere, and MPL Cambodia Season One champs, See You Soon.

Sony is working on a competing Xbox Game Pass service for PlayStation according to a new report.

Bloomberg says sources familiar with Sony’s plans shared details of a new service code named “Spartacus” where PlayStation owners can pay a monthly fee for access to a library of modern and classic games. This is the same model used for Xbox’s popular Game Pass service.

Documents on the project revealed three tiers for the upcoming service. The first includes the same benefits as PlayStation Plus, which is required for online gaming and comes with some free games each month. A higher tier offers access to the gaming catalog like Game Pass, and a third tier will include extended demos, game streaming, and access to a larger library that includes PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP games.

Given that backward compatibility has been a popular request from PlayStation owners, using a new service to introduce older games to the library could be an enticing move.

The new service is expected to launch in spring 2022 and will merge Sony’s two existing subscription services PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now — a cloud service that lets users stream games directly to their consoles. According to Bloomberg, the PlayStation Plus name will remain, but PlayStation Now will be phased out as a brand.

Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two Interactive has hit Hazelight Studio's game, It Takes Two, with a trademark claim. Records indicate that Hazelight has seemingly been forced to abandon ownership of the game's name.

In a statement to Eurogamer, a Hazelight spokesperson told the outlet that the studio cannot comment on ongoing disputes, but hopes that the situation will be resolved. Take-Two has also been filing trademark claims for names that include words like "rockstar," "social club," "mafia," and "civilization." These words all have connections to products or services that Take-Two owns, such as Rockstar Games, Rockstar Social Club, and the Mafia franchise.

Not only is Hazelight affected, but other businesses unrelated to the games industry are as well. A clothing brand "Max Fayne" has been included in Take-Two's trademark claims, presumably due to its closeness to the studio's Max Payne franchise. An axe-throwing company in Florida called "Rockstar Axe Throwing" is trying to oppose Take-Two's trademark claim too, while a music book brand called "Think Like a Rockstar" has abandoned its trademark following Take-Two's claim.

Players heading into Final Fantasy 14's recently launched Endwalker expansion are reporting a number of problems with the game, including long queue times, and even error codes sending them back to the end of the line.

As is quite often the case when it comes to content launched for MMOs, FF14's Endwalker expansion is seeing some teething issues when it comes to server wait times. As reported by VG247, the server queue times for the game seem to be causing additional frustration for players due to the fact that they're being mixed in with a number of error codes that seemingly keep pushing players back to the end of the queue.

FFXIV Players' most feared number as of right now: 2002#FF14 #ffxiv #endwalker pic.twitter.com/En3UVPky2I

— G'raha Tia (@graha_tia) December 3, 2021

As per reports from fans, error 2002 appears to be the main code that players are encountering when sitting in server queues. "Error 2002" tends to occur when selecting a character in the selection menu. The code has been known to infuriate fans during periods of high traffic or when a login queue exceeds 17,000 players.

In a piece of rare and exciting news, Kyoto-based developer Q-Games recently announced that it had acquired the rights to its 2016 PlayStation 4 exclusive The Tomorrow Children, which was originally published by Sony Interactive Entertainment as a free-to-play online game, only to be shut down after just over a year. The deal will allow Q-Games to make the game available again for the first time since November 2017.

Now, Q-Games CEO Dylan Cuthbert has opened up about the process of getting his game back from Sony, the details of this unusual new deal, and some of the changes he plans to make ahead of the game’s second launch in 2022.

In a new interview, Cuthbert told IGN Japan that he had enquired about the possibility of acquiring the rights multiple times over the years, beginning back when Allan Becker was still head of Sony Japan Studio. Initially, he said, the response was that Q-Games would likely have to repay the entire development cost of the original game. While this was not a realistic option for Q-Games, the ongoing support from Tomorrow Children fans convinced Cuthbert to persevere.

There were two key changes that led to the successful deal, both of which came down in part to veteran developer Cuthbert’s decades of networking. First of all, in 2019, Double Fine veteran Greg Rice – an old friend of Cuthbert’s – joined SIE as Head of PlayStation Creators, becoming the company’s liaison for independent developers.

A glitch in Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Happy Home Paradise DLC leads to the game's villagers going about their daily business without any clothes on - and nobody knows quite why.

As spotted by Polygon, the glitch appears to take place in the Happy Home Paradise DLC's cafe area. While the DLC comes with a number of different facilities to unlock, this one area appears to be affected, but it's not clear what the trigger is for the issue.

Since first spotted, a number of fans coming across the glitch have taken to social media to share their favourite nudes - though thankfully, it's far more harmless than it sounds. So far, sightings of a number of characters have been shared including those of local Octopus Marina, Molly the duck and more, with some fans even tagging the content as NSFW.

After Battlefield 2042's latest update accidentally revealed a 'Father Winter' skin – which wasn't received well by some fans – DICE has said that Holiday-themed cosmetics could be for 'single-time use' and that some may not appear in the game this year at all.

A Twitter thread (below) shared by the Battlefield developer looked to address fans' concerns surrounding the leaked skin. "Today some of you accidentally got a glimpse of some Holiday themed cosmetics and we wanted to help clarify their intended usage," reads a statement.

"Development for Live Service requires us to work months in advance, and enables us to have options when we reach key moments in our first year. Today, we have other priorities, and so whilst we have the skins, we presently have no plans to utilize all of them this Holiday."

Today some of you accidentally got a glimpse of some Holiday themed cosmetics and we wanted to help clarify their intended usage #Battlefield

Here's a thread where we can help to share some insight 🧵👀 pic.twitter.com/ssiXVhlLkl

Nintendo is set to add N64's Paper Mario to its Switch Online Expansion Pack service next week.

As shared on Twitter by Nintendo, the N64 classic will become the latest game that Switch Online subscribers holding a premium membership will be able to get their hands on. Available from December 10, Paper Mario is set to join a number of other games available to fans through the service including Super Mario 64, Star Fox 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and more.

Paper Mario was originally released for the N64 in 2000, becoming the first in a series of Paper Mario spin-off titles to launch. Offering a different perspective to the Mario franchise through its paper-thin characters, RPG-style gameplay, and turn-based combat, the new look quickly became popular with critics and fans alike. Nintendo's latest entry into the series, Paper Mario: The Origami King, was launched for Nintendo Switch last year.

Earlier this month Nintendo said that it would continue to improve and expand on its Switch online service. The pledge came shortly after the company launched its premium Expansion Pack membership, which experienced a turbulent start to life after receiving backlash from fans.

We're just a week away from The Game Awards, and some Super Ninfriendos are hopeful we might get a glimpse of Breath of the Wild 2 at the big show. Join Seth Macy, Peer Schneider, and Kat Bailey this week on NVC, as the panel shares what they want to see from Nintendo at The Game Awards. Plus, discussions on the most underrated Switch games of 2021, which dormant Nintendo series should be revived next in the wake of Metroid Dread, and a whole lot more.

Timecodes:

• 00:00:05 - The Game Awards Wish List
• 00:16:14 - Most Underrated Games of 2021
• 00:29:04 - Kat Takes
• 00:38:28 - Top 100 Games: Super Metroid
• 00:48:29 - What Nintendo Series Should Get its “Dread”
• 01:01:29 - December Games
• 01:02:40 - What We’ve Been Playing
• 01:16:45 - Question Block & Outro

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You can listen to NVC on your preferred platform every Thursday at 3pm PT/6pm ET. Have a question for Question Block? Write to us at nvc@ign.com and we may pick your question! Also, make sure to join the Nintendo Voice Chat Podcast Forums on Facebook. We're all pretty active there and often pull Question Block questions and comments straight from the community.

Logan Plant is the Production Assistant for NVC. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

A playable Matrix “experience” is apparently coming soon according to a new leak. The artwork was discovered on the PSN backend and says it will be created in Unreal Engine 5.

The GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit posted what looks to be a poster or digital thumbnail for The Matrix Awakens “An Unreal Engine 5 Experience.” The original post says it was found on the PSN store and that this experience is bound for the PlayStation 5.

Magic: The Gathering developer Wizards of the Coast has announced a new play format coming exclusively to MTG Arena on December 9. Called Alchemy, this new mode will regularly rebalance cards instead of outright banning them, as well as introduce brand new digital-only cards.

While Alchemy will use the same sets and rotation schedule as Standard, Wizards of the Coast is explicit about the fact that this is not intended to replace what it’s now calling “Printed” formats. Instead, it’s using Alchemy to create something new that is free to more fully embrace the digital nature of Arena in a way other digital card games like Hearthstone already do.

That means certain printed cards will have versions with rebalanced text or abilities only seen in Alchemy. For example, notably strong cards like Alrund’s Epiphany and Goldspan Dragon will receive nerfs, while potentially underplayed cards like Phylath, World Sculptor will be buffed (the new versions of all three can be seen in the gallery above). Wizards of the Coast says it plans to keep a close eye on Alchemy’s meta and make further adjustments roughly once a month in order to shake things up.

Friday morning, I woke up feeling productive. I went to work, decided to build my favorite resident a vacation home, and they asked me for a specific aesthetic and some furniture they would love in their house. It took me a few hours, but the finished design combined with their smile made it all worth it. It was rewarding and relaxing – probably because I was not actually designing someone’s vacation home in real life, but Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Happy Home Paradise DLC allowed me to live out a life where I spent my time on a tropical paradise helping people build the vacation homes of their dreams.

New Horizon’s first (and final) paid DLC lets you visit a resort archipelago to work at Paradise Planning, a company where you help villagers buy their very own vacation homes. It’s a concept that will be very familiar to anyone who has played Happy Home Designer, an Animal Crossing spin-off released on the 3DS in 2015. You’re tasked with recruiting vacationers that are interested in purchasing a vacation home, picking out a plot of land, and then building a house based on specific themes and items the villager wants it to contain.

Despite rumors that circulated social media earlier this week, EA is still planning to release two more updates for Madden 22's franchise mode, reiterating what it says is its support for Madden as a live service game.

In a new statement, EA Sports told IGN:

We do not like to comment on rumors or speculation; however, we are committed to continuing to improve Franchise as a part of our ongoing Madden NFL 22 live service and beyond. This includes two upcoming Franchise updates that we'll deliver in Madden NFL 22. We will have more details on the updates in the new year.

The statement follows a report from Sports Gamers Online that EA had opted to cancel additional franchise mode updates for Madden 22. It partly cited IGN's own interview with Madden 22 executive producer Seann Graddy, who said that this year's content roadmap is "slightly less ambitious than years past" because the team is focusing on a few key areas rather than attempting to roll out content on the scale of Superstar KO, a well-received arcade mode introduced in Madden 20.

EA is restructuring as it shifts focus to building out the Battlefield franchise. Following a troubled launch for Battlefield 2042. DICE general manager Oskar Gabrielson is leaving the company at the end of the year to pursue another role outside of EA. In response, Zampella will be adding DICE to his portfolio of EA studios as Group GM, which already includes Ripple and Respawn, GameSpot reports.

Zampella had already been working more closely with DICE since early 2020, when it was announced he'd be the new head of DICE LA with plans to launch an original game. Zampella's duties at Respawn will reportedly continue as normal, focusing on managing Apex Legends and Respawn's unannounced projects, which potentially includes the rumored Jedi: Fallen Order sequel.

Rebecka Coutaz, former managing director of Ubisoft Annecy (developers of STEEP and support for Assassin's Creed and Ghost Recon), will take over as GM of DICE. Battlefield GM Byron Beede will continue to report to Zampella.

Zampella said that EA plans for the number of employees working on the Battlefield franchise to "grow significantly." Meanwhile, Halo designer Marcus Lehto (who joined EA as a game director in October 2021) is working on building a new Seattle-based studio focused on story content for the Battlefield franchise.

Polyarc has announced that Moss: Book 2 will launch in spring 2022.

While a release date has yet to be set, the launch window means we can expect to see Moss: Book 2 arrive on PlayStation sometime in the first half of next year.

The sequel will build on the story explored in the first Moss, with mouse protagonist Quill dealing with a winged tyrant that is hunting her within the hexed castle. New allies, old friends, and the castle itself will provide aid for Quill and players as they combat enemies twisted in fire and steel, and overcome puzzles.

Moss: Book 2 was first revealed at PlayStation's July State of Play, and is the sequel to what is commonly considered one of the best VR games ever made.

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

Update 12/2 1:03 pm PT: EA game director and former Halo creative art director Marcus Lehto has confirmed that he will be working on a Battlefield related project for the Battlefield universe.

In a Tweet, Lehto explains, "A few weeks ago I mentioned that I joined EA, and now it's awesome to finally talk about what I'm doing at EA." He continues, "Battlefield has long been one of my favorite franchises and I'm super excited to be part of a large and growing team of talented developers and studios!"

Lehto's new studio in the Seattle area is looking for new talent with 5-10 years of experience in development with FPS titles as the studio is being built from scratch.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I joined @EA , and now it's awesome to finally talk about what I'm doing at EA.@Battlefield has long been one of my favorite franchises and I'm super excited to be part of a large and growing team of talented developers and studios! https://t.co/oUu4Ob7NaO

Fourteen-year Bethesda veteran Nate Purkeypile, who worked on Skyrim, Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and was the lead artist on Fallout 76, has announced his own new game called The Axis Unseen. It is a first-person dark-fantasy open-world hunting game, which is probably not a series of words that has ever been strung together to describe any game.

But The Axis Unseen is no joke. As you can see in the reveal trailer above as well as the screenshots below, it's gorgeous. Purkeypile is using Unreal Engine 5 to power The Axis Unseen, and the results are already impressive, visually speaking, even at this early stage of development.

"The Axis Unseen is a heavy metal open-world horror hunting game," Purkeypile told IGN. "Hunt and track monsters in a world trapped outside of time. Upgrade your bow and your senses. Reach shelter before nightfall. [And] don't forget that you are being hunted as well."

The music, Purkeypile told us, is by Clifford Meyer, a veteran of legendary post-metal bands ISIS and Red Sparowes.

Stay tuned for more on Just Purkey Games's The Axis Unseen in the coming year. In the meantime, you can wishlist it on Steam or check it out on the Epic Games Store.

The IGN Store is offering up preorders for the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Tomodachi Dolls volume 3 set, but you only have one more day to claim your preorder.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Tomodachi Dolls Preorder

The set includes Blathers, Celeste, Aurora, Goldie, Beau, Apollo, and Judy, and each character is just a hair over 2-inches tall. They set has an estimated release date of July 2022, and preorders close Friday, December 3, so you don't have much time if you want to secure your set.

The Animal Crossing set is $55.99 and includes all 7 characters. It's a pretty adorable deal, based on one of the most adorable and fun games of the last 5 years.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate just received its last ever combat balance update, which sees a number of changes for a range of characters in the game – and marks the final major changes to the Switch blockbuster.

As reported by VGC, update 13.0.1 for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be the last to offer balance updates and tweaks for the game. News of the update was confirmed by the Japanese Twitter account for Ultimate. “This is the last update related to the balance adjustment of the game, except for dealing with problems,” reads a translated statement from the team.

Essentially, after over three years, you can consider Smash Bros. Ultimate totally complete.

【お知らせ】
更新データ（Ver. 13.0.1）を配信しました。修正や調整が入ったファイターなどはこちらをご覧ください。
不具合への対応などを除き、ゲームのバランス調整にかかわる更新は今回が最後となります。#スマブラSP

Halo Infinite players are learning how to put aside their differences and communicate in one of the world's most sacred languages - teabag dancing.

In a clip posted by Reddit user Local_Floridian (as spotted on Twitter by Washington Post games reporter Gene Park), the player can be seen trading weapons with an enemy player during a match. While normally we would advise a more cautious approach when fraternizing with the enemy, it seems that this foolhardy soldier was able to communicate through the power of teabag dancing in order to successfully facilitate a weapons trade-off with an opposing Spartan.

After a tense period of repetitive crouching, which somewhat resembled an animal mating ritual you might find in a nature documentary, both players were happy to lay down and exchange their weapons in a short ceasefire period. Though Local_Floridian parted ways with a trusty Battle Rifle, they walked away with a gravity hammer and all parties seemed satisfied.

While non-verbal communication with enemy players in the form of teabag dancing will more often than not cause quite a stir (I'll show myself out), we applaud anyone with the guts to enter into negotiations.

A huge leak for Fortnite Chapter 2's ending appears to have surfaced online, coming via a TikTok advert that has been making the rounds on social media.

The end is nigh for Fortnite's current storyline and second chapter. Chapter 2 is set to draw to a close this Saturday (December 4) during an in-game live event called 'The End', which should set up the Battle Royale for its next big adventure. However, footage detailed in an advert on TikTok has seemingly shown off a pretty key element of the finale.

We won't be linking to the footage here but, suffice it to say, if you're waiting to find out what happens, tread carefully on social media.

For those looking to jump into the Chapter 2 finale, the event will begin on December 4 at 1pm Pacific / 4pm Eastern / 9pm UK (that's 8am AEDT on December 5). It will be a one-time-only event so make sure you're in the game at that time to experience The End for yourself.

As announced by Epic, 'The End' will support up to 16 player parties, so you'll be able to jump into the action with a number of friends and its playlist will be available in Fortnite 30 minutes before the start of the event.

Fortnite's second chapter began with its own major in-game event, when the original map was sucked into a black hole in late 2019. This was then replaced by a new map with new terrain and locations at the time.

Battlefield 2042's latest update has, possibly inadvertently, revealed some upcoming skins for the game – and many players don't seem pleased that 'Father Winter' is coming to town.

Battlefield 2042's Update #3 adds weekly missions, improvements to menu UI, and over 150 gameplay fixes – but it also seems to include a range of new cosmetics. As shown in the tweet below, some of the Specialist skins included are a little outside of Battlefield's more serious norm, including a Father Winter skin for Boris that sees him sporting a Santa-like cloak and a white beard.

Preview of the upcoming weekly mission rewards! 👀

The #Battlefield2042 pre-season will last at least 8 weeks. pic.twitter.com/jRptlTrcD1

— Battlefield Bulletin (@BFBulletin) December 2, 2021

At time of writing the skins have been removed from public view having seemingly been revealed too early, but the response to the Father Winter skin in particular has already been vociferous from many players, who see it as a step too far outside of Battlefield's style.

On Reddit, TheHuscarl wrote, "I have never seen such a strange juxtaposition in tone built into a game. It's really very odd, I would love to have seen the design discussions that went into this."