IGN

Two independent game developers have announced Don't Scream, their new Unreal Engine 5-powered, found-camcorder-footage horror game set in the early '90s that leans into an incredibly unique hook: you have to literally stay quiet while playing it. So yes, a microphone will be required to play. Check out the gameplay reveal trailer above and the first screenshots in the gallery below.

Time will only progress when you move in the Pinewood Forest, and the events are all dynamic, meaning you don't know what might make you scream next. How long, you might ask? The scene lasts for 18 minutes. The developers call it "the perfect game to scare the pants off your friends and family."

The developers also laid out these three microphone-related tips:

"1. Calibrate Your Microphone:

Set it up in-game. It's not just tech setup; it defines your challenge. A mere squeak or quiet gasp could be flagged as a scream, pushing you to restart.

2. Mind Your Voice:

You can talk during gameplay, but keep it low – slightly softer than normal. Too loud and it’s game over.

3. Play Fair:

You could bypass calibration to shout through scares, but it'd spoil the thrill. For a genuine horror experience play as designed."

Wishlist Don't Scream on Steam if you're interested in learning more and tracking its progress.

Following confirmation of Microsoft’s buyout of Activision Blizzard, controversial CEO Bobby Kotick has confirmed he will remain boss of the Call of Duty maker only until the end of 2023.

In an email to all Activision Blizzard employees, Kotick said Xbox boss Phil Spencer had asked him to stick around as CEO to the end of this year, suggesting an exit in 2024.

“I have long said that I am fully committed to helping with the transition,” Kotick said. “Phil has asked me to stay on as CEO of ABK, reporting to him, and we have agreed that I will do that through the end of 2023. We both look forward to working together on a smooth integration for our teams and players.”

Kotick stands to make hundreds of millions of dollars from Microsoft's eye-watering $69 billion buyout of Activision Blizzard. Last year, Reuters reported the CEO was set to receive a windfall of at least $390 million, the majority of which is based on stock purchased and awarded through incentive based compensation.

After one year, eight months, and 26 days, Xbox has finally completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, meaning it now owns premium video game franchises including Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Diablo.

Microsoft announced its intention to buy Activision Blizzard on January 18, 2022 but unlike its relatively smooth acquisitions of studios like Starfield and Fallout maker Bethesda, the historic $68.7 billion deal was almost brought to a halt several times.

The deal seemed doomed at times, with the United States' Federal Trade Commission (FTC), European Union, and UK's Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) all bearing down on Xbox and Activision Blizzard. The pair emerged successful, however, as the deal was finally closed on October 13, 2023.

IGN has outlined every challenge faced by Microsoft and Activision Blizzard below, providing a complete history of the deal and how they finally managed to push it through.

First Concerns Raised by U.S. Senators

The first in a long line of concerns surrounding the Activision Blizzard acquisition arrived on April 1, 2022 as four U.S. senators including Bernie Sanders wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) challenging consolidation in the tech industry.

Most Sonic games put the pedal to the metal, having you travel at blindingly fast speeds while avoiding hazards on your way to the goal. Unlike its predecessors, however, Sonic Superstars trades that traditional breakneck pace for new abilities, more exploration, multiple mini-games, and slightly more challenging bosses. Most of that stylistic shift works well for the majority of Superstars’ roughly 15-hour multi-campaign story – the new Chaos Emerald powers are an excellent addition to the formula, helping you make the most of stages that focus a little less on sprinting blindly to the end the first time through and more on hunting down secrets as you do. But while this slightly different flavor of Sonic can be fun, I couldn’t help but feel like Superstars was missing the main thing I love about the series: Speed.

Sonic Superstars has three main game modes – a campaign with three individual stories that unlock subsequently after finishing the previous one, an eight-player battle mode, and a time attack mode. The story mode has you traveling across 11 Zones all over the new Northstar Islands, showcasing flashy levels that occasionally draw inspiration from other well-known stages in Sonic’s history. For example, the Speed Jungle Zone brings back the use of vines from the original Sonic the Hedgehog’s Jungle Zone, Pinball Carnival puts both a fun and spooky twist on Sonic 3’s Carnival Night Zone, and the Press Factory is a more industrial version of the Press Garden Zone from Sonic Mania. They are all incredibly charming, and while the backdrops sometimes make it difficult to differentiate what's in front of you, they nail the classic aesthetic Sonic fans like myself have come to love.

The team behind Grand Theft Auto 5 role-play server FiveM has warned users to ditch any content that may infringe third-party intellectual property.

The warning comes just two months after GTA owner Rockstar acquired Cfx.re, the team behind the biggest Rockstar game roleplay and creator communities FiveM and RedM.

The warning begins with a focus on in-game cars. Some FiveM servers let players drive around in cars based on real-world models. Indeed, these freeroam servers are among the most popular available, and some even charge for access.

“You must fully remove all real-world vehicles from your server,” Cfx.re declared. “We cannot allow custom assets or mods that infringe third-party intellectual property (IP). Real-world brands, unique vehicle designs, and 3D software models are generally protectable under trademark or copyright. If you use a real-world car model pulled from another game without permission, that could result in claims against your server by both the car company (brand, logo, car design) or the game developer (3D model).

“What can you use instead? We encourage the community to get creative – design your own unique vehicles and brands!”

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt used AI to replace a deceased voice actor after gaining permission from the family.

Miłogost Reczek was a Polish voice actor best known as the Polish dub for Homer Simpson in The Simpsons Movie, as well as Vesemir and Thaler in The Witcher games and doctor Viktor Vektor in Cyberpunk 2077. He died in December 2021 aged 60.

Bloomberg reported Reczek’s family gave CD Projekt permission to recreate his voice using AI for the recently released expansion, Phantom Liberty. CD Projekt localization director Mikołaj Szwed is quoted as saying the developer didn’t want to find a replacement for the late actor and re-record his lines. “We didn’t like this approach,” Szwed explained, as Reczek “was one of the best Polish voice talents” and his performance “was stellar”.

CD Projekt instead hired a different voice actor who performed new lines for Vik, then used voice-cloning software Respeecher to change the dialogue so it sounded like Reczek. Szwed said: “This way we could keep his performance in the game and pay tribute to his wonderful performance as Viktor Vektor,” Szwed said.

UPDATE: Microsoft has announced its $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, bringing Call of Duty and more into the Xbox fold.

In a post on Xbox Wire, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said work has now begun bringing Activision Blizzard games to Game Pass, although he stopped short of namechecking any titles. "Today we start the work to bring beloved Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms. We’ll share more about when you can expect to play in the coming months. We know you’re excited – and we are too."

Spencer also delivered a message to existing players of Activision Blizzard games, suggesting multiplatform support will continue. "For the millions of fans who love Activision, Blizzard, and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play," he said. "You are the heart and soul of these franchises, and we are honored to have you as part of our community. Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here – and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favorite franchise. Because when everyone plays, we all win. We believe our news today will unlock a world of possibilities for more ways to play. Thank you for the ongoing support. We have so much more to come in the months ahead – I’m excited for the future and cannot wait to share it with you."

Microsoft published a trailer, below, announcing the deal.

ORIGINAL STORY: Microsoft’s long-running pursuit of Activision Blizzard looks set to end today after the UK finally cleared the deal and stock in the Call of Duty maker was halted.

CI Games has announced that it is currently working on a patch to bring the Xbox version of Lords of the Fallen up to par with the PC and PlayStation versions.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the content creators who have worked with us to enable the rapid deployment of patches, updates, and performance improvements ahead of tomorrow’s exciting launch of Lords of the Fallen,” the developer said in a statement.

pic.twitter.com/peDZRdoAIM

— LORDS OF THE FALLEN (@lotfgame) October 12, 2023

“As such, PC and PlayStation 5 players will be able to enjoy the game as intended. The Xbox version is currently being updated, bringing it to parity with the other platforms, and the patch will release over the coming days.”

Some players have said that the game suffers from technical issues on Xbox Series X, such as harsh frame rate drops and textures not loading in. It doesn’t seem like other platforms are experiencing these problems as often as Xbox is.

Who is Mario, really? It's a question the internet has been asking since the retirement of long-time Mario voice actor Charles Martinet, as they pondered who might be replacing him as the voice of the iconic Nintendo plumber. And it's a question I had been obsessed with for the last 24 hours or so. Yesterday, both the internet and I thought we had finally found the answer in an actor named Mick Wingert. But Wingert's denial of his own potential Mario-ness threw me into total bafflement.

Now we have an official answer: Nintendo has confirmed that Mario's voice in Super Mario Wonder is not Mick Wingert, but Kevin Afghani, who is taking on the role of the iconic plumber as well as his brother, Luigi.

Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom!

— Kevin Afghani (@KevinAfghani) October 13, 2023

"Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder," Afghani wrote on Twitter. "Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom!"

Mystery solved. But it took a while for us to get here.

You don't have to wait any longer: the most essential mod to any Bethesda RPG is here and, as per usual, it will fill your game with Thomas the Tank Engine.

The mod, which is now available for any PC player to download, converts all starships into Thomas the Tank Engine, complete with those lidless, dead eyes we know and love.

If you're wondering why it took so long for such a critical mod to be brought to life, it's because the modding community only recently completed most of the work necessary to make modding Starfield much easier, including making it function with the popular Nifskope editor. Meanwhile Bethesda's own Creation Kit, which the company plans to provide itself next year to make modding easier, is still under development.

Of all the games that players create mods for, none are more popular than Bethesda's, whose past releases hold all of the top five positions for most mods downloaded for a single game. Even without the Creation Kit, Starfield already enjoys a passionate modding community with over one million mods downloaded for the game so far.

Longtime Bethesda fans will remember the iconic mode from The Elders Scrolls V: Skyrim, which replaced all the scary dragons with far more terrifying trains, but if you haven't seen it, it's never too late to download it here. In fact, this meme might be more than a little bit to blame for the recent indie game Choo-Choo Charles.

Elden Ring is a massive hit, and while some of that is certainly down to the brilliant world-building, combat, exploration, and the wide variety of approaches and tools for every situation, a huge part of the charm are the characters.

Right now, at the IGN Store, you can preorder mini figures and Nendoroids (respectively) of Melania (the Blade of Miquella, WE KNOW!), Blaidd the Half-Wolf, and Iron Fist Alexander, pick up adorable mini figures of Vargram the Raging Wolf and Melina (your companion who turns your runes into power), and grab a very detailed Festering Fingerprint Vyke from S.H. Figuarts. You won't want to miss out on these Elden Ring collectibles.

IGN Store: Elden Ring Figures

Insomniac Games took its Spider-Man 2 research so seriously even Norman Osborn would be impressed, having actually studied real lizards before creating the baddie for the upcoming sequel.

Revealed in a PlayStation Blog post, Insomniac senior art director Jacinda Chew revealed the team wanted to make every detail of Lizard accurate to his real-life counterparts. Ironically, however, Insomniac found an exact replication (reptile-ication) wouldn't quite work. Why? Not enough slime.

"We looked at a lot of lizard skin for research," Chew said. "The thing about lizards in real life, their skin’s actually really dry. Most people who looked at our Lizard kept initially saying: ‘He’s not slimy enough.’ But I think it’s a nod to what people expect a lizard to look like. He’s got that lizard skin, but it’s actually much shinier than what you’d see on a real lizard.

It might not have created the genre, but fighting games wouldn’t be as important and popular as they are today without Street Fighter. This is a series that introduced the idea of combos, a six-button layout, and motion inputs for special moves. It also helped build a competitive scene for fighting games, it made the arcade scene rise in the 90s, and it revitalized the genre in the era of online play.

With each main entry, Street Fighter tried to create something new or focus in a new direction that would make other iconic fighting game franchises, such as Mortal Kombat or The King of Fighters, pay attention. However, the series surpassed its walls and became a cultural phenomenon, with its well-known roster appearing in different types of media and even games outside of the fights, like Fortnite.

In this article, you’ll find a chronology of the series if you’re interested in playing each entry from the start and following its intricate story.

Jump to:

• How to play chronologically
• How to play by release date

If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on a new Xbox console, you can save on two bundle deals right now for both the Series X and S. The Diablo IV Series X bundle - which includes the game and bonus content alongside the console - is marked down at Amazon from $559.99 to $489.99, and the Gilded Hunter Series S bundle - which includes nine in-game cosmetics and virtual currency for Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys along with the console - is down to $269.00 from $299.00 at Walmart.

Check out both console bundle deals at the links below.

Save on Select Xbox Series S and X Bundles at Amazon and Walmart

If you’d like to see some more Xbox deals going on at the moment, make sure to check out our roundup of the best Xbox deals. There, alongside console bundle deals or individual console deals, you can also find discounts on a wide variety of games, controllers, expansion cards, and so much more. With Black Friday coming up soon in November as well, you can expect to see even more Xbox-related deals appear around that time. Especially if you're looking to holiday shop for the Xbox fan in your life, that's a great time to look.

Microsoft has announced a Starter Bundle for the Xbox Series S, due out October 31 priced $299.99. It's available to preorder now at the Microsoft Store.

The Xbox Series S – Starter Bundle includes an Xbox Series S 512GB console, three-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, and a wireless controller.

The Xbox Series S on its own normally costs $299.99. Microsoft said three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate represents a $50 value, based on its regular monthly price. The subscription continues automatically at the then-current regular monthly price unless canceled.

I am absolutely loving Forza Motorsport. I have been working my way toward getting all the achievements and testing it out to see how different it is from Gran Turismo 7, which I played a decent amount last year and in the run-up to Forza Motorsport’s launch. I’ll say it right now – I freaking love Forza. But I am just a novice in the sim racing community. I’m proud of my one-minute 39-second lap on Maple Valley, even though it’s nowhere close to what the pros are clocking, but I have the sim racing bug and I cannot stop playing.

However, one thing I’ve noticed is that the community is divided on its opinion of the game. One glance at Twitter (sorry, X) and you’ll either find videos and posts from fans talking about how Forza Motorsport is either a terrible game, or the best thing since sliced bread. More than one Reddit user asked if they were playing a different game from everyone else.

One criticism that frequently appears in the sim racing community is about the default controls, which I agree are frankly bizarre.There’s simply not enough nuance – which is crucial for a game like Forza – and almost every creator I’ve watched agrees that the default option is severely lacking.

Star Trek and the 4X genre seem like a match so perfect it’s a fantasy you’d just have to create on a Holodeck. A grand universe to explore, tons of interesting species and factions to meet, and some very cool spaceships; what’s not to like? With so much promise, Star Trek: Infinite could have been – should have been – a slam dunk. But while I really wanted to like Star Trek: Infinite, it didn’t seem to like me back. It has some neat and unique ideas, but after dealing with more than a few off design choices and seeing several playthroughs blown up dozens of hours in by bugs that prevented me from performing major actions, I’m happy to explore strange new worlds elsewhere.

It’s quicker to list the few things Infinite does right than wrong, so let’s start there. This space-based grand strategy game is clearly heavily inspired by the excellent Stellaris, but developer Nimble Giant Entertainment has done a good job of making things just different enough to distinguish itself. You’ll start by picking one of four factions: the Federation, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Empire, or the Cardassian Union. This choice isn’t just for flavor, either, as each faction plays dramatically differently, with unique units, mechanics, and different ways to expand its empire.

CI Games has confirmed the global release times for Lords of the Fallen across PC and console.

Hexworks’ hotly anticipated soulslike launches October 13 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. IGN’s Lords of the Fallen review returned an 8/10. We said: “Lords of the Fallen is an awesome soulslike with a fantastic dual-realities premise, even when performance shortcomings and wimpy bosses crash the party.”

Lords of the Fallen launches on console at midnight local time across the world, but PC release times vary.

Here’s the list of Lords of the Fallen release times worldwide on October 13 (all release times are in local time):

Mortal Kombat and DC fans have for years hoped for a Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe crossover movie or show, but it seems unlikely after Warner Bros. reportedly rejected a pitch.

Jeremy Adams, who wrote Mortal Kombat animated projects Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge, Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind, and Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms, said rights holder Warner Bros. rejected a pitch for a Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe crossover.

“I would lower your expectations,” Adams replied when asked about the possibility by ComicBook.com. “I don't know if they have any plans to do more. I do know that we pitched that a while ago, but it was kind of rebuffed.”

But why? Adams sounded nonplussed when asked: “Well, I think at the end of the day, I don't know if they're ever going to do any more. I hope they do, and I hope they call me to be involved. That would be great because I really love it. But I don't know. I don't know. I think it would be really cool though. Trust me, I would love to see a DC Mortal Kombat. That would be super, super cool.”

Nintendo has updated the Princess Peach: Showtime box art to look a bit more like The Super Mario Bros. Movie's version of the character.

As spotted by No Context Super Mario on Twitter (below), the upcoming Nintendo Switch game's key art has been updated to make Peach look just a little less gleeful.

They apparently updated the Princess Peach Showtime key art lol pic.twitter.com/6lbRRt8l4f

— No Context Super Mario 🎃 (@SuperMarioOOC85) October 12, 2023

The bizarre change is barely noticeable unless fans are actually looking for it, but does affect both the traditional-looking Peach in the art alongside Kung Fu Peach, who also gets a more determined, perhaps angrier update.

Amazon's October Prime Day sale may officially be over, but lots of the deals on board games are still very much live. You do still need to be a Prime member to take advantage of most of these deals. So if your board game collection could use some freshening up, you still have time to save a boat-load of cash. But you should probably hurry, because there's no telling when Uncle Amazon will turn off the deal faucet and the prices will return to normal.

Resident Evil 3: The Board Game for $38.99

Just like in the video game, you're stuck in Raccoon City during the zombie apocalypse. You and up to three friends can play as Jill, Carlos, Mikhail, or Nikolai, working together through memorable locations from the game, to escape the city with your life.

Star Wars Rebellion for $69.99

Star Wars Rebellion is a massive strategy board game that pits the power of the Galactic Empire against the upstart Rebel Alliance. To depict the scale of the war, it comes with over 150 miniatures and two boards that let you battle it out all over the empire. Meanwhile, you can send individual characters like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader on special missions to turn the tide of the battle in your favor.

Fallout: The Board Game for $44.99

Famed video game developer and former PlatinumGames' executive vice president Hideki Kamiya has started a YouTube channel after leaving the company in September.

Kamiya so far only has one video available on Hideki Kamiya Channel that seemingly shows him leaving the PlatinumGames office before talking about future plans, why he left the studio he co-founded, and what he's been doing in the meantime (making curry and watching TV).

Kamiya also revealed he can't work in the video game industry for a year, likely due to a non-compete agreement that essentially allows PlatinumGames to be the sole beneficiary of his ideas, but Kamiya only said this is "due to reasons".

The developer — who directed Resident Evil 2 and was chief creator of Devil May Cry while working at Capcom, before leading the likes of Bayonetta and The Wonderful 101 at PlatinumGames — was vague about his decision to leave in September, saying only it came based on his own beliefs.

Though he still doesn't give an explicit reason in the video, Kamiya did share more insight. "I left the company because I wanted to follow my beliefs as a game creator," he said. "And to choose the path I think is right and move on."

Microsoft is reportedly set to avoid a fresh investigation from the EU into its $69 billion buyout of Activision Blizzard.

The European Commission said it was “closely following the developments in the UK and assessing their potential impact” after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provisionally approved the tweaked deal that involved divesting Microsoft’s cloud gaming business to Assassin’s Creed maker Ubisoft.

But according to Bloomberg, the European Union has decided the changes to the deal do not need to go through the approvals process again. Neither the Commission or Microsoft have commented on the report.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. While the original Lords of the Fallen from 2014 was one of the earliest to bravely take a stab at recreating FromSoftware’s lightning in a bottle, it didn’t quite hit that high mark. Nearly a decade and about a million soulslike copycats later, there’s perhaps no better time for its follow-up to take a second swipe – and thankfully, this new, confusingly identically named Lords of the Fallen confidently lands its strike. Its world, divided into dual realities, is absolutely awesome to explore, buildcrafting is diverse and complex, and combat is so smooth and satisfying that I’m willing to forgive all the ways it cribs from its contemporaries. Some pretty severe performance issues and bugs as well as disappointingly easy boss fights mean this latest thrust isn’t quite a fatal blow, but even so, I expect to spend many more hours impaling enemies and exploring every nook and cranny of its cleverly split world for secrets.

Lords of the Fallen is yet another entry in the action-RPG soulslike craze, complete with an unsettling fantasy setting, other players invading your game for some co-op or PvP goodness, and, of course, lots of dying. It makes use of the same sort of deadly third-person combat system full of dodge rolling, posture meters, and emoting over fallen enemies as a sign of utmost disrespect. A lot is borrowed from FromSoft classics (in this case, Dark Souls specifically), but there’s also quite a bit of unique stuff to get excited about, too. That includes things like some super cool dual-reality shenanigans, or a nifty magical lamp that lets you flay the souls right out of your enemies.

Competitive shooter players have for years peeked around corners to try to get a jump on their opponents. But one method players are currently using in Valve’s Counter-Strike 2 is just criminal.

The Counter-Strike 2 community has dubbed this one the ‘Michael Jackson peek’, and it’s easy to see why. It triggers a bizarre animation glitch that makes the player avatar look like it’s doing the gravity-defying lean Michael Jackson made famous in the music video for Smooth Criminal.

Michael Jackson peek lmfao #CS2

via u/thekappa27 pic.twitter.com/RRYGq4BXJl

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) October 10, 2023

What’s going on here, and how is the ‘Michael Jackson peek’ done? It involves setting up keybinds so when you press your directional keys, you're activating movement in that direction and also simultaneously activating the controller binds to move in the opposite direction, triggering an animation bug of some kind.

Dead Island 2's first story expansion, called Haus, will let player explore a billionaire's secret techno death cult when it launches November 2.

The expansion adds a wealth of story content to Dead Island 2 alongside a new location, at least three weapons, and eight skill cards. Haus will be available on all consoles Dead Island 2 launched on, including PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X and S, and PC via the Epic Games Store.

"Haus gives players an entirely new storyline to smash zombies through," the official synopsis reads. "Amidst the Zompocalypse, a billionaire’s secret techno-death cult fights for survival in Haus, where humanity is unleashed from its moral restraints. The group’s leader, Konstantin, prophesizes that this is the 'paragon of a new future'. It’s up to players to prove them wrong."

Players will visit a mysterious and stylish villa in Malibu, California "where the boundaries of morality are pushed". The new location is equal parts sanctuary and "machine to strip away flesh and harvest the soul", and fans can get a first look at Haus in the screenshots above.

The weapons added in the expansion include:

Update: As we predicted, this deal did not last long and is now listed at $47 instead of $27. Keep an eye on @IGNDeals on Twitter for further updates. You can read the original story below.

Horizon Forbidden West has dropped to just $27 at Amazon after the October Prime Day sales. That means you don't need an Amazon Prime membership to access the deal, and you can go ahead and purchase the game right away if you want to. This is a $43 discount compared to the MSRP, making this one of the best deals we've ever seen on the 2022 Game of the Year contender.

But, it's worth noting that because this is such a good deal, we could see the game sell out incredibly quickly. So, to avoid disappointment, make your purchase ASAP. Plus, it's also worth considering that Horizon Forbidden West is also available to play at no extra cost for PS Plus Extra subscribers.

More PS5 Video Game Deals Still Live

This will be your last chance to secure any of these deals now that Prime Day has ended, with only a few left hanging on after the sale finished (until they inevitably reappear during the Black Friday sales). Amazon is still delivering remarkable discounts, marking some of the best we've encountered on first-party PS5 games. Here's a roundup of the absolute best Prime Day offers still available for PS4 and PS5 games.

EA Sports has released the first big post-launch patch for FC 24 and it makes some significant changes to gameplay.

The long list of patch notes is below, but it’s worth picking out a few highlights. The Pinged Pass and Pinged Pass+ PlayStyles are nerfed slightly, as is jockey turning speed when moving at slower speeds.

There are big changes to the referee logic, which players have criticised. And here’s a fun one: “In some cases, goalkeepers did not celebrate passionately in some scenes after making a significant save.” Come on keepers, let everyone know how much it all means to you!

Here are the EA Sports FC 24 Title Update 3 patch notes in full:

Ultimate Team

Addressed the following issues:

The heavily criticised Nintendo Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1 has its first post-launch patch, which claims to address a number of issues with the game.

The Nintendo Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1 became the butt of many internet jokes for its low-quality visuals, prompting NetherRealm development chief Ed Boon to promise to improve the quality of the game.

IGN’s review of the current-gen version of Mortal Kombat 1 returned an 8/10, but IGN’s review of the Switch version, ported by Shiver Entertainment and Saber Interactive, came back with a 3/10. “Mortal Kombat 1 proves to be too much for the Switch's dated hardware,” we said. “The load times are egregious, and there are numerous bugs plaguing both graphics and gameplay, making for a poor quality port of a great game that's all around aggravating to play.”

The patch for Mortal Kombat 1 on Nintendo Switch addresses some of these high-profile issues, while adding the MIA Season 1 of Invasions mode to the game. The Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1 launched with only the tutorial stage of the Invasions mode, prompting complaints from customers.

Here are the patch notes for Mortal Kombat 1 on Nintendo Switch:

Prime Day 2 ends today, which means this is your last opportunity to secure this refurbished Xbox Series X gaming console for just $399.99. Amazon appears to have introduced this specific SKU for Prime Day, as there are little to no user reviews associated with it. The product is both shipped and sold by Amazon, and one of the product images displays official recertified Xbox packaging.

This is a Microsoft Certified Refurbished console, which would entail a 90-day Xbox warranty. This means you can expect it to look and function nearly like new. In case the product doesn't meet your expectations, it's reassuring to know that Amazon provides a 30-day return policy.

Xbox Series X (Refurb) for Just $399.99

The Xbox Series X is a current generation system able to drive 4K games at up to a glorious 120fps. It is technically a more powerful system than the PS5 and games that are compatible with both consoles usually perform better on the Xbox console. Compared to the $300 Xbox Series S, the X features more powerful hardware to enable it to run games in 4K (the Xbox Series S runs games at 1440p).

The Xbox Series X also has a disc drive that can play 4K Blu-ray movies and physical game media. It is also equipped with a 1TB SSD. The capacity can be increased with either the Seagate or WD expansion cards, which happen to be on sale for $124.99 and $129.99 respectively for the 1TB sizes for Prime Day.

Some Forza Motorsport vs. Gran Turismo 7 talk kicks off the show before we talk about Halo Infinite's new Season 5 content, discuss how Xbox Game Pass looks set to level up in 2024 with the addition of Activision-Blizzard games, lament the recent layoffs at Telltale, and more.

Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 of this week's episode. For more awesome content, check out my recent Alan Wake 2 preview!

For more next-gen coverage, make sure to check out our Xbox Series X review, our Xbox Series S review, and our PS5 review.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

If I had to describe the NHL series between NHL 20 and NHL 23 in one word, it would be “stale.” Freshening up a formula between annual releases is definitely something every sports franchise has to struggle with, but EA’s hockey series in particular has been in a real slump. NHL 24, thankfully, is not that: it breaks the cycle and reinvigorates the on-ice action with some meaningful new ideas and significantly harder-hitting body checks. Unfortunately, while the gameplay feels updated, not much is done with it – the collection of modes available feels as standard as ever.

What finally brings the thrills back to hockey this year is the new Sustained Pressure system. When the offensive team stays in the attacking zone, they’ll slowly build up a pressure gauge. Once the gauge is full, they’ll gain a boost to passing accuracy and speed while the defense has to deal with faster stamina depletion. This adds a layer of excitement the series has been needing for a long time.

Smartly playing into this cycle of exhaustion and using it to your advantage can lead to a true sense of urgency in crucial make-or-break moments. There’s no denying that the new Exhaust Engine heavily favors the offensive team, but it’s not necessarily as overpowered as it sounds because it does take time for the pressure gauge to fill, giving the defense time to head it off, and the effect is temporary. There’s just nothing that seems to balance out the debuffs that the defense has to contend with.

I have some good news and some bad news. Good news: Amazon’s October Prime Day sale event is still going, which means you can score some great deals. Bad news: it ends at midnight Pacific time, so you’re running out of time to pick up whatever you have your eye on. If you’re interested in deals that won’t cost an arm and a leg, we have you covered below, with the most popular deals under $30. Let’s dive in.

Ghost of Tsushima for $29.99

If you missed out on this one at launch, now is the perfect time to pick it up. This is an open-world Samurai game that has you wandering through truly breathtaking environments and engaging in exciting sword fights against invading forces. This director's cut comes with the full game, the Iki Island expansion, and the online co-op mode.

Azul Board Game for $19.19

Some board games are about conquering the entire world. Others are about building tile mosaics. Azul is the latter, a game about creating surprisingly beautiful designs, in a semi-competitive way. It's also easy enough for kids 8 and up to play, so you can play with the whole family. Check out our Azul board game review for more info.

Heads up, PlayStation gamers: Amazon’s Big Deal Days (aka October Prime Day 2023) is ending soon. The discounts only last until 12 AM PDT. Discounts abound on the online retailer, including dropped prices on PS5 games. Below, we’ve highlighted the cream-of-the-crop PlayStation 5 game deals.

Just a reminder: to unlock the deals, a valid Prime membership is required. If you're not already a member, you can sign up for a one-week membership for $1.99 to gain instant access to these exclusive offers.

The Best PS5 Game Deals

Below are the best PS5 games currently on sale for Amazon's October Prime Day.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on (long inhale) Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and the social network formerly known as Twitter.

Ubisoft has revealed some details about the debut of Assassin's Creed Mirage, saying its player count is "in line" with the previous launches like Assassin's Creed Origins and Odyssey.

In a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Ubisoft released a statement thanking players for their support for the new release and that the developer's "back to the roots experience" has paid off.

Thank you all for joining us on Basim's journey in 9th Century Baghdad!

We are thrilled by the response from the community and for embracing our homage to the roots of the AC franchise. #AssassinsCreed pic.twitter.com/KnL2YxGION

— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) October 11, 2023

"With the number of players being in line with past successful launches such as Assassin's Creed Origins and Assassin's Creed Odyssey, we are humbled by the positive reception," Ubisoft wrote. The company also says Mirage is the biggest new-generation launch game in terms of unit sales in Ubisoft's history.

The FIFA franchise may have only just been rebranded as EA Sports FC 24 but it's already expanding with a turn-based strategy game coming to mobile called EA Sports FC Tactical.

Arriving in early 2024, Tactical will feature "interactive simulation" and give players access to more than 5,000 authentic football stars from more than ten leagues such as the Premier League, LALIGA EA SPORTS, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and Serie A. This isn't to be confused with EA Sports FC Mobile, however, which was a free update to FIFA Mobile.

"EA Sports FC Tactical embraces strategic gameplay to create an all-new football experience that immerses players in the world’s game like never before,” said EA Sports FC senior vice president and general manager Nick Wlodyka.

"We’re excited to welcome fans of turn-based strategy games to join the club as part of the EA Sports FC player community, and look forward to sharing more on EA SPORTS FC Tactical soon."

Tactical will emphasise in-game strategies such as stamina and power-play management. Matches across several modes will play out with turn-based gameplay, letting players attack, defend, perform skill moves, and more. EA promises "authentic football action like never before".

Modes will include online friendly matches to online competitions, including Rank matches, Leagues, and Guilds. Players can train their stars to master high-skill moves, unlock perfect traits for deeper progression, and customise their team with various items like stadium designs, kits, and balls.

For over 20 years, the Total War franchise has been a leader in the world of turn-based strategy, real-time tactics, and resource management video games. Total War has taken fans around the world and throughout time with games like Shogun: Total War, Rome: Total War, and A Total War SAGA: TROY, and to other universes in games like Total War: WARHAMMER and its two sequels. Now, Creative Assembly Sofia is taking fans to ancient Egypt with Total War:PHARAOH and we’re here to break down the biggest reasons why it’s a trip RTS fans won’t want to miss.

Total War: PHARAOH releases on October 11, 2023, on PC, and the game takes place during the 12th century BC as Egypt and other great civilisations face the looming threat of the Bronze Age Collapse. The reign of Pharaoh Merneptah is near its end, and the people of Egypt are crying out for a new leader that will guide them to prosperity. That is where you come in, you’ll need to step up and become Egypt’s last great Pharaoh.

Listen up, Switch owners. We're currently in the second and final day of Amazon’s Big Deal Days, which is live until 9 PM PDT. As with all Prime Day-style sale events, it’s exclusively for Prime members. But if you’ve got a subscription, you can get some excellent discounts on Nintendo Switch games. If not, you can sign up here to get a one-week membership for just $1.99 to access to these exclusive offers.

The Best Nintendo Switch Game Deals

Below are some of the best Nintendo Switch deals available for Amazon's October Prime Day. You can take a look at our guide to Nintendo Switch games for more options.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on (long inhale) Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and the social network formerly known as Twitter.

Sony has revealed the full line-up of PlayStation Plus Games Catalog additions for October 2023 and it's a full-on spookapalooza.

Announced on the PlayStation Blog, a total of 15 games are joining the library: 11 in the Games Catalogue available to Extra and Premium members and four in the Classic Games Catalogue only available to Premium members.

Though many of the titles bring scares to the service just in time for halloween on October 17, perhaps the biggest game this month is Batman-based co-op action game Gotham Knights. Smash hit Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is also on offer though, bringing what IGN called a "masterpiece" to Extra and Premium members.

PlayStation Plus Games Catalog Additions for October 2023

Sony is leveling up its perks for PlayStation Plus Premium members as it launches cloud streaming for the PS5 this month.

In a new post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony Interactive Entertainment's SVP of Platform Experience Hideaki Nishino reveals that it is launching cloud streaming on its ninth-generation home gaming console throughout October. Premium tier members will be able to stream some of the most popular PS5 games available in the PlayStation Plus catalog, including Horizon Forbidden West, Ghost of Tsushima, and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, to name a few.

The service will also allow Premium subscribers to stream games available in the Game Trials catalog and stream digital PS5 titles Premium members own in their game library, such as Resident Evil 4 and Dead Island 2.

The blog post notes that players will have four resolution options to choose from: 720p, 1080pm 1440p, and 4K resolution with 60 frames per second and SDR or HDR output. However, it also reveals that you need a minimum internet speed of 38mbps or more if you want to stream these games at the highest resolution.