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The Last of Us Part 1 Remake has been out for a while now. While there are noticeable improvements to the graphics, animations, and accessibility, many of the other elements aren't as apparent. The accessibility alone is enough for the remake to exist as it extends the game's availability to entirely new audiences. However, all the new additions and improvements to the animations, enemy AI, and more make this the definitive version for hardcore fans and those finally playing it for the first time.

Although this is the game's definitive version, I don't know if it's something I could recommend to someone who isn't the most hardcore of fans or a newcomer to the series. It still holds up pretty well, and it's relatively easy for anyone to play the PS4 remastered version, unlike Demon Souls, which was in dire need of a remake before it got the Bluepoint remake treatment. My question to everyone is -- now that you've played it, do you consider it essential?

How do you feel about the Last of Us Part 1 Remake? Who do you feel this remake is best suited for? Do you think it's too soon to see it get the Remake treatment? What do you think is the proper amount of time before a game should be eligible for the Remake treatment? Is that timeframe any different for a game getting the remaster treatment? Let us know in the comments.

Movies and TV shows get remade all the time, but there’s something extra special about a video game remake. Being able to revisit a beloved video game of yesteryear with modern revamped graphics and mechanics is always exciting, especially because it often introduces classic series to brand new audiences.

To that end, here are our picks for the top 10 remakes of all time.

10. Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus was a landmark achievement when it hit the PS2 in 2005. Team ICO built a lonely, desolate, deeply affecting world on some incredibly limited hardware, and while the core game stands the test of time, its technical performance and visual clarity were clearly held back.

Fast-forward 13 years and Bluepoint Games, which previously remastered both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, got its hands on the remake and completely modernized it. With a much steadier framerate, gorgeous graphics, and a commitment to keeping the soul of the original intact, Bluepoint hit it out of the park enough to get the chance to remake Demon’s Souls, and eventually be acquired by PlayStation.

Read our review of Shadow of the Colossus.

Ashfall is an upcoming adventure shooter MMORPG from Legendary Star Studio that is set in a stylized post-apocalypse wasteland that tasks player to leave their Vault in the aftermath of a nuclear war to search out the Core of Creation, which may be the only hope of ensuring the survival of the human race.

Ashfall is set to be released on PC, iOS, and Android in 2023, and IGN is partnering with Legendary Star Studio to present an Ashfall showcase that will reveal much more about the game and give players their first look at gameplay. Furthermore, IGN will have an exclusive interview with Academy Award-winner Hans Zimmer, Steve Mazzaro, and Inon Zur, who are all co-producing Ashfall’s soundtrack.

IGN is carrying the stream and, as usual, this watch guide will provide you with everything you need to know to watch the show, including when it starts, a list of places you can watch it with us, and what you can expect to see from Ashfall’s reveal.

Ashfall Showcase Start Time

The upcoming Ashfall Showcase takes place on Friday, September 16, and will start at 10am PT/1pm ET/6pm BST. If you’re turning in from Australia, that translates to 3am AEST.

Where to Watch the Ashfall Showcase

If you’re interested in watching the upcoming Ashfall Showcase, we’ll be hosting the stream here and across our many channels on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Here’s the full list of places you can watch the show.

In a room high above downtown Tokyo, Bandai Namco Entertainment general manager Katsuhiro Harada is getting ready to show off Tekken 8. He’s exchanged his customary sunglasses for a face mask as the game’s debut trailer plays on a television next to him.

Describing the trailer as it plays on loop, Harada explains how the scene – which depicts series mainstays Kazuya and Jin battling amid rain, lightning, and crashing waves – sets the mood for another climactic moment in the long-running series.

“Tekken 7 kind of showcased a showdown of the two Mishimas, but it was Heihachi Mishima and his son Kazuya. Now we've kind of progressed down the timeline so that you're seeing the face-off again between father and son, but different characters: Jin Kazama against his father, Kazuya Mishima,” Harada says.

Announced earlier this week, Tekken 8 picks up one of gaming’s longest running soap operas for a new generation of consoles. Fans are speculating on the nature of the imagery peppered throughout the trailer, and Harada is happy to provide some answers while withholding others.

Bandai Namco announced Tekken 8 earlier this week, and we recently got a chance to sit down with lead producer Katsuhiro Harada to talk about the anticipated sequel in a wide-ranging interview. Here's five things we learned while talking to Harada.

Yes, Tekken 8 Will Use Unreal Engine 5

After some questions from fans, Harada confirmed that Tekken 8 is indeed be developed in Unreal Engine 5. The shift brings with it a host of benefits, such as the ability to have sweat and rain actually roll down a character's face during a fight. Indeed, it's being rebuilt from the ground up to take advantage of the new technology.

"We've been working closely with Epic to figure out how to optimize some of those processes for input. So we're just starting and it's going to continue from now on," Harada says.

Collaborating with Smash Bros. Creator Masahiro Sakurai "was quite a shock"

Last year, Tekken's Kazuya Mishima made his way to Super Smash Bros. courtesy of Sakurai and Harada. The experience was "quite a shock," Harada says.

"He had already had his own thoughts about what makes 'Tekken Tekken.' So it was surprising but also refreshing to see that he came in and didn't ask questions, but said, 'I've played a lot of Tekken and studied it, and this is what I feel is important for the game,' right off the bat," Harada says.

It left him feeling that Sakurai might be the only who can "properly make" a game like Super Smash Bros.

Tekken's Katsuhiro Harada is no stranger to Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai. After all, Sakurai was a regular sight at Bandai Namco, which played a large role in developing Super Smash Bros.

Towards the end of Smash Bros' development, Harada and Sakurai worked together on adding Kazuya Mishima as a Smash Bros. DLC character. Asked whether he gained any insight from the experience for Tekken 8, Harada used the opportunity to praise Sakurai, calling it "quite a shock."

"We knew quite well what to expect and his personality," Harada told IGN in the first exclusive interview for Tekken 8. "And even that said, we were also surprised when it came time to make Kazuya for Smash Brothers, because we thought since we're the experts at Tekken, maybe he was going to ask about the points he needed to definitely get right to make it feel like Tekken, but actually that wasn't the case. He already had his own thoughts about what makes 'Tekken Tekken.'

So it was surprising but also refreshing to see that he came in and didn't ask questions, but said, 'I've played a lot of Tekken and studied it, and this is what I feel is important for the game,' right off the bat. So that was quite a shock, I mean in a positive way."

From Goku to Spider-Man, guest characters have become a mainstay in modern online games. Nevertheless, the addition of characters such as The Walking Dead's Negan raised more than a few eyebrows among fans, not the least because it relies so heavily on its rich storyline for its appeal.

But looking back on the move during an exclusive first interview with IGN following the reveal of Tekken 8, chief producer Katsuhiro Harada says that he's glad he brought Noctis, Akuma, and company into the series.

"We were quite happy with the results," Harada says. "When we first announced guest characters, the fans were just so shocked, both good and bad. But just that reaction that they got from first seeing it was really satisfying. It was ultimately a win for us because they did quite well. It was a win for the fans because they got something brand new and different for the series, and it was a win for the IP owners because they saw what we made and they saw the reactions from the fans and they were really happy about the results of it. So I think everyone in general, all around, was quite happy with the guest characters and how they turned out for Tekken 7."

Unfortunately for Harada, the decision to add guest characters led to him being temporarily supplanted by his counterpart at SNK, Yasuyuki Oda.

Activision and Infinity Ward have announced the first details for Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, the successor to the incredibly popular battle royale. Among the major changes are a new AI faction that will be present during matches and a new approach to the genre’s staple circle mechanic.

Warzone 2.0 will be a “fully revamped experience” built from the ground up, specifically for new-generation systems, in the new Modern Warfare 2 engine. It will launch on November 16, a couple of weeks after Modern Warfare 2’s release, and will remain a free-to-play game.

Rather than a return to Verdansk or Caldera, Warzone 2.0’s map is set in the desert of Al Mazrah, a fictional region of Western Asia. The map will be made up of a number of locations, which for the first time will be populated by an AI faction. Infinity Ward hopes that adding some PvE to Warzone will “bring the world of Al Mazarah to life” and add “higher stakes and more realistic combat scenarios”.

Further changes come through the shrinking circle mechanic, which has now been changed to use multiple circles. No details were given on how this works, but multiple circles are said to “change end-game scenarios”, suggesting that there may be multiple ways that the circle behaves.

Warzone’s key differentiating feature, the respawn mechanic that is the Gulag, will also return in a new form. Gulag 2.0 ups the battles from 1v1 to 2v2, and will require players to loot for weapons and contend with a character called “The Jailer”. Again, no more details were provided, but it sounds like this core mechanic will be at least a little different than we’re used to.

Activision and Infinity Ward have revealed a number of new features coming to multiplayer in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, including a third-person playlist and a 3v3 Raid mode.

While Modern Warfare 2 will primarily be a first-person shooter, there will be “third person playlists” designed to offer “a new tactical way to play multiplayer”. Third person perspective offers a much larger field of view and thus better vision of your surroundings, something that could be a big change for COD’s classic multiplayer.

Another new mode is Raid, a 3v3 mode with a focus on team communication and coordination. This mode will not be available at launch, but is coming before the end of 2022.

Special Ops, the two-player co-op mode, is being revamped with “large-scale hot zones”. Infinity Ward has yet to elaborate on any other changes being made, but hopefully it expands the mode beyond what was delivered in 2019’s Modern Warfare (as it was arguably the weakest part of the package).

Gunsmith, the weapon customisation system, has been improved to allow “unprecedented opportunities for customization”. The interface will also allow smoother swaps between weapons, so hopefully that means we won’t be cycling through five different menus just to apply a silencer.

Finally, the Ricochet anti-cheat system that protects Call of Duty has been built on a new unified security platform, which Activision says will allow the team to update the system more frequently.

Yakuza Ishin was first released in 2014, but it isn't until 2023 that western audiences will finally get to play the Yakuza spinoff. That's because the positive reception surrounding Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima gave Ryu Ga Gotoku the confidence to finally release Like a Dragon: Ishin to international audiences.

In an interview with Fanbyte, executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama said, “We saw how well Ghost of Tsushima did, and how it was about this very Japanese setting made by Americans, so that gave us confidence Ishin could do well in America too.”

Yokoyama also noted that the success of Yakuza: Like a Dragon introduced the franchise to a new audience. The timing was just right as well. Many players never got to play the original version of Ishin back in 2014 when it was released on PlayStation 3 and 4 as it didn’t get localized outside of Japan.

The developers thought that the game’s traditional Japanese setting in the 1860s would’ve felt alien to international audiences, so they focused on localizing Yakuza 5 and Yakuza 0 instead. Ishin follows Sakamoto Ryoma, who is portrayed by series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu.

However, the Yakuza series, now going by the original Japanese title, Like a Dragon, has exploded in popularity, breathing new life into it. Due to Ghost of Tsushima’s success, Ryu Ga Gotoku decided to bring the Like a Dragon: Ishin remake to the west.

There are historical first-person shooters that attempt to capture the precise texture of their era — the limits of the technology, the archaic military traditions, the hierarchy of command. Then there’s Isonzo, a World War One shooter where you can drink from a canteen to briefly erase your stamina threshold, which allows you to sprint around the rugged warzones of Italy with reckless abandon. A comrade on your flank might bolster those efforts by blowing a whistle to inspire his compatriots, making them resilient to the hail of gunfire pouring out of the regiments encamped across the valley. This playful approach to the Great War is soaked with twitchy trigger-pulls, game-altering bombing runs, and goofy, video game-y perks, makes Isonzo approachable to even the most casual participants. It's a philosophy that fills it with moments of bright, airy fun, even if some of its turn-of-the-century flourishes feel like window dressing for what is, at its core, a fairly standard FPS.

Isonzo is the third World War One game developed by Dutch studio Blackmill Games. The previous two, Verdun and Tannenberg, document the action on the Western and Eastern fronts, respectively. Isonzo shifts the action to the warmer climates of southern Europe — the Adriatic highlands, specifically — which was the site of several clashes between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has recommended beginning a second-phase investigation into Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, as it believes it could stifle competition in the video game industry in the region. Sony has responded that it welcomes the announcement of further investigation.

"By giving Microsoft control of Activision games like Call of Duty, this deal would have major negative implications for gamers and the future of the gaming industry," Sony said in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz. "We want to guarantee PlayStation gamers continue to have the highest quality gaming experience, and we appreciate the CMA’s focus on protecting gamers."

This comes after PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan called Xbox’s offer to extend Call of Duty’s availability on PlayStation platforms “inadequate” last week. Ryan says that the extension only would have lasted for three additional years after existing agreements expired. There is reportedly three Call of Duty games left to release on PlayStation under current contracts, which include this year’s Modern Warfare 2.

Star Wars Eclipse will “keep the fundamentals” of Quantic Dream games, despite being an action-adventure at heart.

During an interview with IGN Japan, Quantic Dream CEO Guillaume de Fondaumiere confirmed that the studio’s upcoming Star Wars game woill retain what we've come to expect from the studio.

“I think with each new title we try to innovate, we try to explore new ground,” he explained. “With Star Wars Eclipse we're certainly going to keep the fundamental elements of a Quantic Dream game; very strong story, very strong characters, multiple playable characters, and of course, giving the players the possibility to change, through their actions and decisions, how the story unfolds.”

Star Wars: Eclipse was officially announced at The Game Awards 2021, with the game promising “action-adventure, multiple-character branching narrative game set in the High Republic era of the iconic Star Wars galaxy.”

However, Quantum Dream is better known for its story-driven fare, including Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human. A first look at Star Wars: Eclipse featured lightsaber combat and some iconic Star Wars locations. However, it won’t just be a Star Wars twist on Quantic Dream’s formula.

“Where the formula is changing, we said very clearly we are doing an action-adventure, so the action elements are also going to be very important,” said de Fondaumiere. “This is something we'll be able to speak about in the future, but keep in mind, it's an action-adventure.”

Our month of exclusive IGN First coverage on Relic Entertainment's upcoming WWII strategy sequel Company of Heroes 3 appropriately rolls on today with a spotlight look at seven of the game's deadliest units.

Click through the gallery below to see a screenshot and an animated .gif from seven of the most intimidating vehicle units in the game, from the fabled Panzer III to the glorious American Halftrack.

For more of September's IGN First coverage on Company of Heroes 3, don't miss our look at the unique uphill Potenza mission, our narrative deep-dive on the two very distinct playable campaigns, and a peek at the various special missions. And stay tuned, because we've got more Company of Heroes 3 coverage on the way for the rest of the month!

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.

That Return to Monkey Island is happening at all is a game industry modern miracle unto itself. In the three decades since Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman last made a Monkey Island game together, the point-and-click adventure game genre has soared, been left for dead, and eventually been resurrected. When Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge was busy stumping players with “monkey wrench” puzzles, hint lines were still an actual thing, because online wikis, walkthroughs, and hint guides were still in their infancy, along with the Internet itself. I spoke with Gilbert and Grossman ahead of Return to Monkey Island’s release next week to discuss how puzzle making has – and hasn’t – changed since the duo last left wannabe pirate Guybrush Threepwood.

“There was a different sensibility for puzzles back then,” Gilbert said. “We were new and puzzles were new and adventure games were new. I don’t think the rules had really been established. [And] the audience was quite different back then.” And so, when designing 2022’s Return to Monkey Island, the two designers’ approach has evolved right along with the audience they’re creating the game for. “You still want to have fun, challenging, rewarding puzzles, but I think people have no tolerance for frustration anymore,” Gilbert began. “I think people have so much pulling on them, media-wise, from television shows to movies to games. When the original Monkey Island came out, there were probably ten games or five games that were released at the same time. Now there are 500. They want to play, [but] they don’t want any frustration.”

Players eager to get their hands on Street Fighter 6 may not have to wait too long as Capcom has announced the game is getting a closed beta in October.

Revealed during the publisher’s Tokyo Game Show presentation, players on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam can join the closed beta taking place from October 7 to 10.

Only a limited number of players can sign up and, while Capcom didn't share details on how many or how to do so, it did say that details would soon follow on Street Fighter 6's official website.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2's Beta kicks off this weekend, and you can get early access to it if you preorder the game right now. PlayStation users can preorder and get their preorder code right away, and can also download the beta onto their PS5 or PS4 right now - ready for the beta to start at 6PM BST on Friday, September 16.

Furthermore, Modern Warfare 2 preorders have also been discounted by £10 at Amazon at the moment, which means you can get the game for just £59.95 rather than the new RRP of £69.99. This is a great preorder deal, and well worth considering if you want to play the beta this weekend or next. Don't forget, Amazon won't charge your card for the preorder until the game ships, so you can also very easily preorder, and then just cancel it if you don't click with the game.

Preorder Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Get Early Access to the Open Beta This Weekend

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Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima is playing mind games once more, this time seeming to tease actress Elle Fanning's appearance in... something.

The tease is incredibly vague, however. The Kojima Productions website now has a page that hosts a single image of a shadowy figure, with the question "Who Am I?" posted on top.

The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley tweeted the mysterious image, and Twitter user José Mellinas (below) appears to have deduced that the person behind it is Maleficent: Mistress of Evil actress Elle Fanning.

pic.twitter.com/R6I36pr96b

— José Mellinas ❗ (@JoseMellinas_) September 15, 2022

That covers the who, but the where, what, when, and why are still anyone's guess. Kojima isn't shy when it comes to sharing bizarre and obscure teasers for his games, so we'll just have to wait and see what this one is in relation to.

Capcom has unveiled a ton of new details about Street Fighter 6 including character customisation and the return of Ken, Blanka, Dhalsim, and E. Honda.

Revealed during the publisher’s Tokyo Game Show presentation, Capcom didn't waste time in flashing through a quick gameplay reel of all four of the new (returning) fighters.

Character customisation was also shown off, with a ton of different options available to players to change their appearance - from cheek bulge to jaw length to eyelash colour and lots more - plus update their outfit by visiting clothing stories in-game.

This customisable avatar will be the player's main character who travels the world battling fighting masters to become stronger and stronger. There even appears to be some player choice here, as you can seemingly choose which fighters you learn from, whether it be Blanka or Ryu or whoever else, and gain skills specific to them.

A handful of modes were confirmed for Street Fighter 6 too, including a brand new one called Extreme Battle. It appears to add even more customisation as players can choose any rules, gimmicks, and battle requirements they like to create a unique fighting experience tailored to them.

The Battle Hub is another new addition. Walking around in what appears to be a connected online space akin to The Tower in Destiny, players can sit down and play a game of Street Fighter within Street Fighter. Also a new addition to Street Fighter 6, Scrap Heap mode lets players beat up an old truck - and that appears to be it.

The upcoming remake of Resident Evil 4 is unexpectedly headed to PS4 as well as new-gen consoles.

Announced during a Capcom showcase at Tokyo Game Show, producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi explained that the game was now in development for the last-gen PlayStation, but did not mention any Xbox One or Switch version.

Hirabayashi added that more details about the game would arrive in next month's Resident Evil Showcase.

Resident Evil 4 Remake was initially announced for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC ahead of a release next year. The game will seemingly make some fundamental changes to the original's gameplay, and appears to connect to Resident Evil Village.

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

One Piece Odyssey will be released in the west on January 13, 2023 - slightly later than its planned 2022 release.

Announced during a Tokyo Game Show showcase, the game will arrive on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on January 13. Originally, the game was scheduled to arrive this year. Producer Katsuaki Tsuzuki (through translator), explained:

"Before, we were planning to launch this by the end of 2022. However, in order to create an adventure where users can 'touch the world of One Piece,' we decided to have more time to make further development."

The showcase showed off a chunk of the JRPG in action, shoing off its mixture of 3D environments and semi-cel shaded characters, combat, quests, and more. DLC was also introduced, including alternate costumes for major characters.

One Piece Odyssey features an original story from Eiichiro Oda, author of the One Piece manga, and will see the Straw Hats transported to a mysterious island. we've called the JRPG genre a perfect fit for One Piece after going hands-on with the game.

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

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered has finally arrived on Xbox and Game Pass today, following years of the beloved JRPG being available on PlayStation, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Announcing during Tokyo Game Show, Ni No Kuni's surprise release on Xbox will be followed next year by its sequel, Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom.

The former PlayStation exclusive has gradually made its way to PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, but has been made even more widely available thanks to the Xbox version, and it's free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

First released in 2011, Ni No Kuni gained immediate attention for its art style that looked to have been straight out of a Studio Ghibli film. That was for good reason, of course, as the My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away animation studio produced each of the game's animated sequences.

In our original 9/10 review, IGN said: "With Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Level-5 has delivered something special: a JRPG that feels like the games of yore, looks like the games of tomorrow, and draws heavy inspiration from the classics old-school JRPGs fans adore."

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

Blizzard is changing its philosophy behind hero designs with Overwatch 2, and it will change the way new characters are released in the game.

As revealed in a new blog post this morning, Blizzard announced that it is doing away with hard counters for heroes. This means there will be less emphasis on heroes who are able to defeat specific characters, and forcing players to swap heroes.

The example Blizzard uses is Tracer, who is hard countered by Cassidy. In Overwatch, a skilled Cassidy player can effectively shut down Tracer and force the player to swap to a different character.

“While Overwatch 2 heroes will each have their own clear strengths and weakness, and some heroes will be more effective against others, we believe our game plays better and is more fun with fewer hard counters and a broader range of effective hero picks,” Blizzard writes.

This balance change is also a reason why new heroes are going to be released in the battle pass.

In Overwatch 2, new heroes will not be introduced into Competitive modes immediately. This allows the developers to tune the balance and give players time to experiment with the new heroes before they join Competitive play a few weeks after launch.

Blizzard says new heroes will be released every alternate season, except for Season One and Two. Meaning the next heroes will be released in Season Four and Season Six.

Overwatch has announced its newest hero, Kiriko, a healing ninja who joins the roster as its latest Support character.

Kiriko is a ninja healer who grew up alongside the Shimada brothers, Hanzo and Genji, who view her like a niece. Kiriko is aided by her Kitsune spirit and can throw protection Suzu to her allies or kunai against her enemies.

Kiriko’s protection Suzu makes allies briefly invulnerable when hit, and cleanses them of most negative effects. Her healing Ofuda channels a burst of healing talismans that seek targeted allies.

Kiriko can also Swift Step and teleport directly to an ally, even through walls. Or even just wall climb like Hanzo and Genji.

Kiriko’s Ultimate is Kitsune Rush, where she can summon a fox spirit that accelerates the movement, attack speed, and cooldowns of allies in its path.

Blizzard will release Kiriko as part of the Season One battle pass for Overwatch 2. She will be available immediately for anyone who purchases the Premium Battle Pass or the Founders Pack, given to every player who already owns the original Overwatch. Kiriko will also be unlocked at Tier 55 on the free track battle pass.

For more about Overwatch 2’s battle pass plans, check out our full explainer here, and be sure to read IGN’s Overwatch 2 preview for more on Blizzard’s upcoming sequel.

While Overwatch 2’s battle pass plans leaked early, Blizzard has now detailed how its new seasonal structure and battle pass will work as Overwatch makes the transition to a free-to-play title.

Earlier this week, fans learned that Overwatch 2 intends to put new heroes behind a previously announced battle pass. This is true, but Blizzard has clarified its plans in a new blog post. Like similar battle passes, Overwatch 2 will have both a free and premium pass, and new heroes will be available in both the free and premium paths.

While players who own the premium pass will get instant access to new heroes, players on the free track can level up their battle pass and earn new heroes. These heroes will unlock for everyone at Tier 55 if you’re on the free track.

At launch, two new heroes - Soujorn and Junker Queen - will be available instantly to everyone. Players who own the original game will also unlock the new hero Kiriko through the Founder’s Pack.

“Moving to free-to-play for Overwatch 2, together with enabling cross-platform with cross-progression, means anyone can access the game and join their friends, for free, which we are incredibly excited about,” Blizzard writes in the new blog post.

Blizzard says that the battle pass will have 80 or more unlockable tiers for cosmetics, and the developers have created more cosmetic types for Overwatch including name cards, charms, and souvenirs. These too will be unlockable through the free track.

Microsoft has announced that Deathloop, last year's PlayStation 5 console exclusive, is finally coming to Xbox Series X and S. Furthermore, it will come with a collection of upgrades that include a newly extended ending.

Announced as part of the Xbox Tokyo Games Show stream, Deathloop will be available on Xbox Series X/S and via Game Pass on September 20, with pre-loading available now. While it is the same game released on PlayStation 5 last year, it comes complete with all the improvements made since it launched, including a photo mode and a suite of accessibility options.

The big news, though, is that a free 'Golden Loop update' has been added, which includes a new weapon, new enemy types, new upgrades, cross-platform matchmaking for PvP, and a newly extended ending. These are all cool additions, but it's that ending that will be of interest to many: the abrupt conclusion to the story was one of the minor criticisms in our otherwise glowing review.

If you've yet to play Deathloop but are a PlayStation user, then you may be pleased to know Deathloop is coming to PS Plus this month, too. Bethesda has confirmed that the PS5 and PC versions of Deathloop will also recieve the Golden Loop updates.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.

Microsoft has announced that BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle and Guilty Gear Strive are both coming to Xbox next year.

As part of Xbox's Tokyo Games Show stream, trailers for BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle and Guilty Gear Strive were shown, with both being dated for an Xbox release in Spring 2023.

Guilty Gear Strive was released earlier this year on PlayStation and PC, while BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle was first released back in 2018. Both coming to Xbox in 2023 marks two significant Japanese fighters making it to Microsoft's console.

We rated BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle a great 8.3 in our review, while our Guilty Gear Strive review recieved an even more impressive 9.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.

The sequel to Breath of the Wild is inching ever closer and thanks to the newest trailer we now know a whole lot more. We know it’s officially called The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, we know it’s coming out on May 12, 2023, and we’ve been given some intriguing hints about the game’s story, world and mechanics. Here are 18 things we think are worth calling out in the new trailer.

1) Link Has Glowing Vials in Place of the Sheikah Slate

As Link runs towards the ledge of a floating island, you can see his right arm has already been altered like in previous trailers. But what’s new is that he’s carrying something on his belt in place of the Sheikah Slate: a small set of vials, half of which are filled with a green glowing light. This object is extremely reminiscent of the Vessel of Light that Link and Midna used to collect Tears of Light in Twilight Princess, which would fit the new title nicely, though you do also collect tears in Skyward Sword. It could also just be a new type of resource that’s consumed to use powers.

Like a Dragon 8 will be a turn-based RPG, what about the future? In a new roundtable interview that included IGN, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio [RGG Studio] and series executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama seemed to leave the door open for a return to the franchise’s action-based roots.... if it fits the story.

Speaking before the formal announcement of Like a Dragon 8, Yokoyama was cagey about its status despite series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi and producer Kazuki Hosokawa previously saying that Like a Dragon would remain a turn-based RPG going forward. It was later confirmed that Like a Dragon would indeed be an RPG.

As for the series overall, Yokoyama says that Like a Dragon will utilize whatever gameplay mechanics enhance the story – even if that means turning the series into a “party game.”

“For us, when we make a game, the kind of system itself, we don't feel restricted by it. We basically design our games, we use the system that best highlights the story that we want to tell,” Yokoyama explained. “In Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, our goal is to make a game with an interesting story, so whatever system best highlights that is the system we'll choose…If we think a party game will make this story sound the best, we will make a party game. And one of the really fun parts about making a game itself is that there are no rules…when you're making a game, you make the rules. So in that case, we like to stay flexible.”

Since its introduction in 2016, the Dragon Engine has been crucial to defining the look and feel of the series. However, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio [RGG Studio] and series executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama acknowledges that it’s time for a “major update.”

“The Dragon Engine at this point is kind of a bit of an old engine. We have made a lot of minor updates over the years for it, or we've made a lot of minor updates over it, but we haven't made any major updates. So probably next what's coming for would be a major update if we had to do anything,” Yokoyama says.

First introduced with Yakuza 6, the Dragon Engine has since driven Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and the Judgment series. Like a Dragon: Ishin is notable in that it is being built on Unreal Engine 4. Does that mean a full shift to Unreal Engine 5 is in the cards?

“So, regarding [Unreal Engine 5], yes, we are researching it,” Yokoyama said in response to a question asked by IGN during a roundtable interview. “We are kind of looking at it and saying, what are the merits of each? What's the merit of the Dragon Engine? What's the merit of the Unreal Engine? And when it comes down to it, the Dragon Engine…it's really perfectly designed to represent a city at night. The nighttime city. Whereas Unreal, it's better at showing nature and daytime and that sort of feel.”

The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular consoles in the world, and it’s especially dominant in Japan — home of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Yakuza series. But don’t expect to see the series on Nintendo’s platform any time soon.

Speaking with IGN as part of a roundtable interview, RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama was blunt in his assessment of the franchise’s prospects on the Switch.

“First of all, whether our games will run on the Switch is probably the first question. The second is, when people are doing things that they don't want to do, and you lose the morale and urge to do it,” Yokoyama said in response to a question from GameSpot, which first reported the story.

“And when it comes to the Switch, it’s kind of a system for a younger audience…it's how we picture it in Japan anyway, for kids. So do we want to put a title, where we're going and picking a fight with the world, and doing all this Yakuza stuff, on a Switch? Will people be happy if we do that? And we're not confident that they will. So that's why we're probably not aiming for it.”

When a reporter pointed out that mature games such as 2016’s Doom are on the platform as well, Yokoyama acknowledged that the Switch is “changing.”

Sony dropped a new trailer for God of War: Ragnarök at their State of Play on Tuesday (coincidentally also known as Tyr’s day), and with it came a lot of new imagery and details about how the story of the sequel will depict the Norse version of the end of the universe. Things go down in a very specific way in Norse Mythology, and it seems Sony Santa Monica will be sticking somewhat closely to the source material, as we see multiple shots in the trailer of gods, monsters, and events that tie directly to Ragnarök. There are a ton of little mythological Easter eggs in the trailer, and we’ve gone through and made note of a few specific details that you might have missed. (We’ve also added a little context along the way!)

Tyr

It's safe to say 2022 has been a solid year for gamers when it comes to exciting events and conventions, from Gamescom to Summer Game Fest and everything in-between from Summer of Gaming. If you haven't heard yet, event "season" is still not over— Tokyo Game Show is back, baby!

As part of this major gaming event, Xbox will be carrying its own livestream. Although we've seen so much already from Microsoft this year, including the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase (and Extended Showcase) back in June, with a breakdown of Starfall, a long look at Forza Motorsport, and extended Redfall gameplay; we can't wait to see what's coming next.

When is the Xbox TGS Stream?

The Xbox Stream at Tokyo Game Show takes place Thursday, September 15th, at 2:00am PDT. If you're in the US and can't tune in that early, (we get it!) you can catch an archived version of the stream(s) right here on ign.com and on IGN's YouTube.

But, if you'd like to tune in, Xbox kicks off a big day of gaming announcements tomorrow followed by Capcom, which are both streamed right here on IGN. After Xbox and Capcom, there will be more streams to watch on TGS official platforms. See below for the list of all events on this day, including Xbox.

Microsoft's ID@Xbox Fall Showcase has now concluded, following appearances from a ton of Xbox games including Valheim, Moonscars, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, and more.

IGN has you covered right here with everything shown during the event, which included trailers, new Game Pass additions, and interviews with developers.

Eville Arrives on Xbox and PC This October

Social deduction game Eville is officially coming to Xbox Series X/S and One, and developer VestGames has also announced an October 11 release date for both the console and PC versions of the game. It's also coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one, making it easier for friends to get together and play this murder mystery multiplayer title when it's released.

WildArts Studio Gives Deep Dive Into Born of Bread

Developers from Born of Bread took to the stage to give a deep dive into their upcoming turn-based exploration game Born of Bread. The game is coming to Xbox when it's released but a launch date, or even a launch window, has yet to be announced.

2022 marks the 35th anniversary of the FINAL FANTASY franchise. Since the original launched in 1987, FINAL FANTASY has captured the hearts and minds of millions worldwide, with its music playing a massive part in its appeal. To honor this milestone, a brand new FINAL FANTASY piano concert, produced by Square Enix, called CRYSTALLINE RESONANCE is headed to more than 45 cities around the world in celebration of the music of this critically-acclaimed series.

CRYSTALLINE RESONANCE : FINAL FANTASY Piano Concert will be an all-new program that will feature live performances of such tracks as “Heavensward” from FINAL FANTASY XIV, “Somnus” from FINAL FANTASY XV, and “Zanarkand” from FINAL FANTASY X.

There will also be other classics from FINAL FANTASY I-IX, including “One-Winged Angel” from FINAL FANTASY VII and “Liberi Fatali” from FINAL FANTASY VIII. If live versions of these unforgettable tracks weren’t enough, they will be accompanied by HD video projections that are timed with the music.

Tickets are already on-sale and the tour will begin on November 17 at the Boom Chicago Theater in Amsterdam, tour the US and Canada in March 2023, and travel to over 45 venues until its last show on March 31 at the Teatro Bradesco in São Paulo.

We're back with another exclusive Magic: The Gathering reveal, this time a card from one of the upcoming Warhammer 40,000 Commander precons: Aspiring Champion.

Aspiring Champion is a 4-mana 3/3 Astartes Warrior with Menace, which isn't the most impressive creature in the world, but its ability (flavorfully titled "Ruinous Ascension") helps you find one that is. When it hits an opponent, you sacrifice Aspiring Champion and flip cards from the top of your deck until you find another creature, then you put that creature directly onto the battlefield in its place.

What's more, if that creature is a demon, it deals damage equal to its power to all of your opponents. Aspiring Champion is part of The Ruinous Powers precon, a blue-black-red deck that Wizards of the Coast tells me is built around the concept of chaos. It's also full of Space Marines and has plenty of beefy demons to make full use of Aspiring Champion's ability.

Company of Heroes 3 has set out to bring us some of the untold stories of World War II, with its focus on the Mediterranean theater and involvement of partisan forces. So while we won't be storming the beaches on D-Day or taking on waves of tanks at Kursk, we do get to see some battles that haven't been portrayed a thousand times in games and film already. And one of the most exciting flashpoints I got to check out was an epic assault on the Italian town of Potenza.

This wasn't a battle I'd even heard of before getting placed into the commander's chair. It doesn't even have its own wikipedia page. But let me set the scene for you: It's September 20, 1943. The Allied invasion of Italy is already well underway, but the Axis forces have dug in to many defensible hilltop villages across the Apennine mountains that run down the center of the peninsula. One of these, Potenza, is a natural stepping stone from the Allied landing site at Salerno for establishing a commanding strategic hold over Southern Italy.

Unlike the other assault missions I played, Potenza feels almost like a classic castle siege. The imposing, vertical sweep of it is visible from the moment you load in, and there's no easy way to sneak in. You just have to fight your way up. And the Wehrmacht has left traps and ambushes every step of the way. It's a serious challenge, and one where I never quite knew what to expect at the next choke point.

The Sims 4's base game will soon be free to download and play for everyone.

EA and Maxis have announced that The Sims 4 will be free to download for all new players from October 18, 2022. Better yet, that’s across all platforms, including PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

“EA and Maxis have welcomed millions of The Sims players over the years,” said an official announcement. “With The Sims 4 base game going free, the team is more dedicated than ever to developing new and meaningful experiences for players, and will continue to develop and release packs, Kits and Sims Delivery Express drops into the foreseeable future.”

It sounds as though EA and Maxis have plenty of content lined up for The Sims 4, and that begins with a special-edition stream, Behind The Sims Summit on October 18.

There’s nothing quite like the rush of ripping and tearing your way through swarms of grotesque enemies at a speed that would likely earn you a traffic violation in real life. The high-speed first-person shooter genre was majorly popular in the 1990s, once dominated by games like DOOM, Quake, Wolfenstein, and Duke Nukem 3D to name only a few. But as PC hardware and monitors have steadily grown more advanced and, by extension, capable of handling much higher frame rates, this specific flavor of shooter, known today as the “boomer shooter,” has steadily made its return with tributes like Dusk and Post Void. And now, the heavily cyberpunk-inspired Turbo Overkill seems like the next big leap in boomer shooter madness, taking its cues from the aforementioned classics and combining it all with some of the newer sensibilities introduced in games like DOOM Eternal and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus. But thanks to its delightfully low-res graphic style that allows it to run at some incredibly high frame rates – Turbo Overkill can spit out frame rates of 500fps or above, if you have the hardware to support it. I got to try it for myself at PAX.

The premise of Turbo Overkill is pretty basic, but entirely serviceable for a retro-inspired shooter. You’re a cyborg agent named Johnny Turbo, a mercenary sent to the neon-tinged city of Paradise to kill a whole bunch of other cyborgs, and that’s all you really need to know. Johnny is presented in a pretty irreverent light, and by that I mean the only story cinematics that exist in Turbo Overkill encompass a few short first-person cutscenes of you enacting stylized carnage, not unlike the Doom Slayer. In its favor, that’s all Turbo Overkill needs to communicate, since this shooter is all about its unfiltered action; giblets, guts, and all.

GoldenEye is finally coming back to consoles. But that good news has been quickly overshadowed thanks to its upcoming launch being anything other than simple. There are two versions of the re-release, with different versions for Nintendo Switch and Xbox, and neither of them are the much-anticipated remaster that leaked last year. It’s a weirdly convoluted situation.

As part of the recent Nintendo Direct, N64 classic shooter GoldenEye was announced for Nintendo Switch Online. As with other games in the Online collection, this is an emulated version of the N64 original, not a remake or remaster. It does, however, have one new feature: online multiplayer.

At pretty much the same time, Rare - the Microsoft-owned studio who created the original version of GoldenEye - announced on Twitter that a GoldenEye re-release will also be coming to Xbox via Game Pass, and made available free to owners of the Rare Replay collection. However, the studio’s description of the game made it instantly clear that the Switch and Xbox versions are not the same. The Xbox version “includes achievements, 4K resolution and a smoother framerate – even in split-screen local multiplayer.” No mention at all was made of online multiplayer.