IGN

Assassin's Creed Mirage, the 13th major installment in Ubisoft's franchise, is nearly upon us.

Mirage will debut on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC on Oct. 5, a full week earlier than originally planned. But these days, it can be tough to figure out what that means exactly in terms of when you'll be able to start playing. Luckily, Ubisoft has detailed the global release times for both PC and console, which vary by an hour or so in most regions.

For the most part, you'll be able to start playing in the wee hours of Thursday, Oct. 5, with a few regions getting a jumpstart on PC late on Wednesday. Mirage is already available for pre-loading.

You can see the various release times in their graphic, and we've also broken it down below.

Discover the official release timing of Mirage on XBOX, PlayStation and PC in your region 🕐#AssassinsCreed pic.twitter.com/hbG9jqtXts

— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) October 3, 2023

Los Angeles:

• PC: Oct. 4, 10 p.m. PDT
• Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. PDT

Montreal:

• PC: Oct. 5, 1 a.m. EDT
• Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. EDT

London:

Boomerang X developer Dang! has announced that the studio is closing its doors due to being unable to secure funding for its next game.

“Dang is closing up shop. Unfortunately, we were not able to find funding for our next game and we are out of money,” the studio said in a statement written on the desktop Notepad app. “We’re not writing off the possibility of working on some small stuff together in the future but for now we’re all going our separate ways. Thanks to all the love you’ve shown to us over the years and thanks for playing Boomerang X.”

pic.twitter.com/prdQgFRTzV

— DANG! (@dangmakesgames) October 2, 2023

While the studio joked that it was rather unserious about its closure announcement by not making a professional-looking one with a logo, it assured that the news wasn’t a joke. The studio also mentioned that it considered crowdfunding, but said that the approach didn’t make sense for the situation. Furthermore, Boomerang X will not be taken off any storefronts and will still be available for sale.

Many studios have shut down this year, such as Saints Row developer Volition, due to restructuring. However, Dang’s situation wasn’t the result of mass layoffs. Studios like Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew developer Mimimi Games have voluntarily closed due to a variety of factors, like wanting to prioritize developer well-being.

When I first pulled into Station to Station’s voxel-powered railways, I was expecting more of a straight-forward train sim, something akin to the A-Train franchise with a bit of city building. The reality, however, is much different – Station to Station is more like a puzzle game built around some of the tropes of simulation-style games, with stuff like resource and money management unlocking the next possibility in the gameplay loop. It's disarmingly simple to explain: some of the buildings on your map are industries that produce resources. Connect those to the other buildings that need those resources. Connect them all to the cities. Profit.

When everything is connected according to its needs and its ability to produce, you win. That's the game at its most basic. In other words, figure out how to connect everything that needs to be connected and you win. While it may not chug quite so deep into the nitty gritty of rail management, I found myself in love with its clever levels and gorgeous style nonetheless. If anything, the fact it's not what I expected added a layer of unexpected delight to my playthrough. That being said, even if I knew going into Station to Station exactly what is was about, it's just so charming and interesting I would still really enjoy it. The graphics, the pace, the atmosphere, the challenge, it just really appeals to me at the deepest levels of my gamer-being.

Station to Station bills itself as a "relaxing and minimalist game about building railway connections," and I couldn't have said it better myself. There are six different "worlds," for lack of a better term, each split into five or six different levels.

Square Enix has officially revealed how to correctly pronounce the name of a Final Fantasy VII character. After years of debate on the internet, we finally have confirmation of how to say Cait Sith.

Cait Sith is, of course, a feline character that rides a large stuffed toy in Final Fantasy VII. Square Enix confirmed in a post on X/Twitter today that, at least in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Cait Sith is pronounced like “Kate Sihth.” Basically, the name is pronounced how it’s read on paper. Square Enix said, “We saw many of you were asking so we hope this helps!”

The debate on how to correctly pronounce Cait Sith’s name has been going on for a while now - if you want to be exact, basically dating back to 1997 when Final Fantasy VII was first released.

We saw many of you were asking so we hope this helps! #FF7R pic.twitter.com/ZC4WAu9IpE

— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) October 3, 2023

Back in 2008, a few users on GameFaqs noted that the name comes from the Gaelic language, theorizing the name would be pronounced closer to its Celtic origins, something like “Ket Shee.” However, it seems like Square Enix has taken a different approach to the name and is pronouncing it closer to how it’s actually spelled in the English language.

Microsoft has revealed a sexy Gold Shadow special edition Xbox Wireless Controller, reminiscent of the Shadow range released for the Xbox One.

Revealed on the Xbox Store, the controller features a base gold colour that gradually fades into metallic black and is available October 17 for $69.99 / £64.99.

This is the first Shadow controller released since 2017 and the first under the new Xbox Series design, which has the improved directional pad, dedicated share button, and more.

The popular line for Xbox One began with Copper Shadow before Microsoft also released Dusk Shadow (blue), Dawn Shadow (pink), Ocean Shadow (inverted blue), and Volcano Shadow (red). This is therefore the first Gold Shadow controller period.

Outside of wild special and incredibly limited edition controllers, like fluffy Sonic the Hedgehog ones or one made from actual Jade, Microsoft has mostly stuck to more traditional solid colour gamepads in the Xbox Series era.

With Halloween just around the corner, now is the perfect time for a spooky murder mystery. Bad Blood is a new project that aims to put an interactive spin on the murder mystery format. It's a card game that's accompanied by both an illustrated journal and a comic book that flesh out the game's plot and characters.

With the crowdfunding campaign for Bad Blood now live on Kickstarter, we've got a closer look at the game and its companion books. Check out the slideshow gallery below to see the gorgeous artwork fueling this tale of murder and intrigue in a 1920's speakeasy:

Bad Blood tells the story of Joseph Field, a journalist drawn into a glamorous speakeasy called The Broken Promise and who investigates the murder of a woman named Dee Dumas. The game is created by Kelly McMahon (the mind behind 2021's Imperium), who also provides the art deco-style illustrations for the cards and the companion journal. While the cards can be used as a traditional playing card deck, they also feature subtle clues pointing to the culprit in this murder mystery.

The journal features prose by writer Mat Groom (Inferno Girl Red). The story is also chronicled in an 8-page ashcan comic written by Groom, drawn by Nicoletta Baldari (Glow) and edited by Kyle Higgins (Radiant Black). These companion books are available in higher pledge tiers. Other tiers include additional extras like an enamel pin and art prints.

Activision has released a first proper look at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer, leaning heavily on nostalgia for classic maps and mechanics.

Veteran fans of the series will immediately note Activision’s use of Eminem’s Till I Collapse for the trailer, below. Till I Collapse was used for the Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 launch trailer 14 years ago.

2023’s Modern Warfare 3 includes all 16 launch maps from the original Modern Warfare 2 and will see 12 new 6v6 maps come out post-launch. The video showcases a number of these classic maps, such as the eternally popular Rust. Check out multiplayer screenshots in the slideshow below:

We also get a look at slide cancelling, which makes a return for this game. Slide cancelling is a long-running movement option in the Call of Duty series that high-skilled players use to avoid enemy fire. It involves cancelling the slide animation, thus resetting your tactical sprint and maintaining momentum even as you slide about.

Square Enix has finally made it possible to play all of Final Fantasy 14 completely solo despite it being a massively multiplayer online game.

As reported by VG247, Final Fantasy 14's patch 6.5 has brought the game's Duty Support system — which lets players bring NPCs into dungeons instead of other players — up to date to include every part of the game.

Stormblood dungeons The Drowned City of Skalla, The Burn, and The Ghimlyt Dark were the last to be made available with Duty Support, but the brand new dungeon Lunar Subterrane also works with the system immediately.

Players can therefore now play the entirety of Final Fantasy 14's main story missions, including the base game and all expansions, without having to team up with other players, allowing for a slightly more traditional Final Fantasy experience.

There are still some slight caveats, of course, as being an MMO Final Fantasy 14 must always have an online connection. Players also require a monthly subscription to play, and Square Enix has no plans to change that anytime soon.

Final Fantasy 14's next major expansion, Dawntrail, is due out in summer 2024 and Square Enix has promised an update to the Duty Support system alongside it, certainly suggesting the ability to play solo will continue with the new content.

Activision has told fans of Call of Duty’s DMZ that it intends to continue supporting the extraction mode despite it skipping the upcoming COD Next reveal event.

COD Next, set for this Thursday, October 5, will fully reveal Modern Warfare 3 and what’s next for Warzone 2.0, including its new map. But DMZ mode is not part of the show.

“Although DMZ won’t be showcased at COD Next this week, we’re excited to share that we will continue to support the DMZ Beta,” Activision said in an announcement shared this week. “Players will have continuing infiltration opportunities for Al Mazrah, Ashika Island, Vondel — as well as Building 21 and Koschei Complex.

“Thank you for your continued support and dedication to the Beta! We will share further updates closer to Season 01.”

DMZ launched last year as part of Warzone 2.0, and went down well with fans and critics. Its sandbox extraction gameplay riffed on the likes of Escape from Tarkov, and offered something a little different for Call of Duty. "It’s a really fun and refreshing change of pace between rounds of battle royale," we said in IGN's Warzone 2.0 review.

To ensure player safety in its popular battle royale game, Epic Games announced it is rolling out age ratings for all Fortnite experiences, starting November 14.

Epic Games notes the new system includes "all first and third-party playable content" in Fortnite. Specifically, these age ratings will be used to examine and issue a rating to all content built in Fortnite's Creative mode. The new system is part of a new partnership Epic Games formed with the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), an initiative that works with rating boards, including the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).

Epic Games said that when a creator is ready to publish their island into Fortnite, they have to fill out an IARC content rating questionnaire. The creator must then submit their island to Epic moderators, who will review and publish the content.

Once the questionnaire is finished, an age-based rating is automatically issued to the creator's island. Epic Games noted that the rating is region-specific, with the participating rating boards having the authority to alter one or more of the ratings assigned based on their review after the island has been published.

The news comes at a difficult time for Epic Games after the company announced less than a week ago that it was laying off 830 employees, or about 16 percent of its workforce. Epic is also spinning off most of SuperAwesome, a tech company it acquired in 2020 that focuses on making internet safety tools and tech for children.

Adidas has teamed up with Sony and Insomniac to release a unique set of Spider-Man 2 sneakers and more. The sportswear giant is set to launch the Peter Parker Advanced Suit and Venom-inspired shoe collection just in time for the release of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on PS5.

The new Spidey collection intends to capture "the moment Peter Parker’s Advanced Suit is overtaken by the Venom symbiote." The collection is set to include Ultraboost J and Ultra 4D sneakers, the Adizero 12.0 football cleat, sweatshirts, and compression tights.

Insomniac Games has shared a full CGI "Be Greater Together" trailer of Spider-Man 2 ahead of its launch on October 20.

The trailer, which can be viewed below, sees both Peter Parker and Miles Morales confront the hardships in their past alongside the hardships of their present, the latter taking the form of giant alien goo monster Venom.

"The city's being torn apart. I don't know if I'm strong enough to save it," says Parker in the trailer's opening. "Do I have what it takes to protect the people I love?" asks Morales.

We get to see the different powers players will have access to in Spider-Man 2 as well, including Morales' ability to turn invisible and emit electricity and Parker's Iron-Spider legs.

Just as this trailer showcases the two fighting Venom, another Spider-Man 2 trailer released in July gave fans an in depth look at the big and finally settled a hot debate over his true identity. While some were torn over Harry Osborn, Kraven the Hunter, or Eddie Brock, Insomniac all but confirmed who's really behind the mask (or goo).

Despite his intensity in these trailers, the baddie has also been the subject of a laugh among internet users after PlayStation offered Spider-Man fans "19 inches of Venom".

You’re reading the seventh chapter of my eight-day travelog recounting my unbelievable trip to Japan to cover the 2023 Pokémon World Championships.

If you already haven't, be sure to check out the other chapters:

• Day 1: The Birthplace of Pokémon
• Day 2: Pokémon Sweets and Unbearable Heat
• Day 3: Creature Feature
• Day 4: Psyduck Fan, Unleashed
• Day 5: Starting Worlds Off With a Bang
• Day 6: The Competition (and the Weather) Heats Up

Day 7 - All Aboard the S.S. Anne

8:30 am - I wake up and eat the Pancake and Cheese Whipped Cream pastry leftover from last night's 7/11 run. It’s mildly sweet and has a pleasantly mushy mouth-feel. I think I’d like it more if the pancakes had some color. They’re pure white so it makes me feel like I’m eating styrofoam.

9:00 am - Today is the big finals day of the Pokémon World Championships, but before going to watch the finals, we’re taken over to a seaside dock and given a ticket to board a large cruise ship designed to look like the S.S. Anne.

Microsoft has announced the first wave of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in October 2023.

As already announced, co-op focused adventure Gotham Knights is available in Game Pass today, October 3, for Xbox Series X and S, PC, and the cloud. IGN’s Gotham Knights review returned a 5/10. “Gotham Knights is a co-op-centric caped adventure that made my interest Wayne thanks to poor combat, a transparently predictable mystery, and grueling progression,” we said.

Also available today is The Lamplighters League on Xbox Series X and S, PC, and the cloud. This is a day-one Game Pass release from Shadowrun developer Harebrained Schemes and published by Paradox Interactive. IGN gave it 7/10: “The Lamplighters League starts slow, but its mix of squad tactics, stealth, and pulp adventure soon builds momentum thanks to excellent design of both heroes and enemies.”

Here’s what’s coming next to Game Pass:

Developer StickyLock has announced its new free-to-play multiplayer first-person shooter, Histera. Its unique hook is that its maps will change unpredictably mid-match, forcing players who want to succeed to stay light on their toes. It's due out on PC (via Steam) in 2024, but a free playable demo will be available on Steam as part of Steam Next Fest, from October 9-16.

The name of the unpredictable space-time oddity causing these map changes to Histera's sci-fi world is called the Glitch, and "before they know it, players will be rushing through humid prehistoric jungles, jumping over modern ruins in a war-torn city or hiding in the shadows of futuristic skyscrapers," StickyLock told IGN. "The dynamics of the match can change at any given moment, though with an arsenal of weapons from different eras at their disposal, players have enough opportunity to prepare themselves for anything on the ever-changing battlefield!"

StickyLock describes Histera as a fast-paced FPS, and its maps will span the past, present, and future – with weapons to match from each era, like the prehistoric hunting bow and the futuristic Matchstick, described as a sci-fi shotgun that fires incindiary shells.

For more information or to track Histera's development progress, wishlist it on Steam.

Saddle up, Red Dead Redemption fans: while the digital version of Red Dead Redemption is already live on Switch and PS4, physical copies of Rockstar's iconic game are set to release October 13. You can preorder a physical copy now for Nintendo Switch and PS4. (And if you have a PS5, you can play the PS4 version no problem, as it's backwards compatible).

Regardless of how you purchase it, not only do you get the full game, but it also comes bundled with the Undead Nightmare DLC for you to enjoy. Read on to see where it's available in both physical and digital versions.

Preorder Red Dead Redemption

Nintendo Switch

• Get it at Amazon - $49.99
• Get it at Best Buy - $49.99
• Get it at GameStop - $49.99
• Get it at Walmart - $49.99
• Get it at Nintendo eShop (digital) - $49.99 (Available Now)

PS4

Naughty Dog has reportedly suffered a round of layoffs, with the troubled The Last of Us multiplayer spin-off said to be “on ice”.

The Sony-owned studio, which is home to some 400 staff, is laying off at least 25 developers, Kotaku said. Most of the people affected are quality assurance (QA) contractors who are seeing their contracts cut short. According to Kotaku, full-time staff are not affected.

Naughty Dog will reportedly not offer severance to laid off staff, who Kotaku said are expected to work until the end of October. According to the site, Naughty Dog staff “are being pressured to keep the news quiet”. IGN has asked Sony for comment.

The Last of Us multiplayer spin-off is, according to Kotaku, “basically on ice”, although is not “completely cancelled”. This tallies with a May report from Bloomberg, which said the "quality and long-term viability" of the much-anticipated The Last of Us multiplayer game had come into question, and as a result a "small group remains on the project while the company reevaluates the direction”.

Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0 might have made a lot of improvements to Cyberpunk 2077 but one new bug has introduced a haunted police car to Night City.

Several players have shared screenshots and gameplay of the car on Reddit, with Crowzer commenting (below) that it's no wonder Night City is so full of crimes if this is what the police come equipped with.

The vehicle is a standard issue Night City Police Department car but, even though it still drives around as normal with two police officers inside, it's completely wrecked. It looks like a car that's been blown up already, completely burnt out with no wheels, windows, or doors. Who need 'em?

"I've seen that quite a couple of times since I started a new 2.0 game," said TwiceDead_. "It would probably be better if they fixed bugs like this, but it would make me legitimately sad as I find them all hilarious."

"Night City budget cuts are bad this year", added Deathbringerrr, who posted gameplay of the car driving around as if nothing was wrong.

Cypeq also posted a screenshot of a civilian car in the same state, though this one came with another car on top. "Cyberpunk still doing Cyberpunk things," they said.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage releases for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on October 5 -- a full week earlier than previous planned. Style-wise, the game is a throwback to the earlier Assassin’s Creed titles, before they went all 100-plus-hour action-RPG with Origins. Mirage features a smaller urban map and focuses on stealth kills and parkour traversal. As such, it's significantly shorter than recent releases like Valhalla and Odyssey, and is priced accordingly: $49.99 for the standard edition.

AC: Mirage will be available in a couple of other editions, with a preorder bonus to boot. Read on for all the preorder info you need to know.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage (Standard Edition)

PS5

• Get it at Amazon - $49.99 (3 free lithographs and Baghdad map)
• Get it at Best Buy - $49.99 (free art print)
• Get it at GameStop - $49.99
• Get it at Walmart - $49.99

PS4 (includes free PS5 upgrade)

• Get it at Amazon - $49.99 (3 free lithographs and Baghdad map)
• Get it at Best Buy - $49.99 (free art print)
• Get it at GameStop - $49.99
• Get it at Walmart - $49.99

Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One

Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has shaved His Majesty after fans of the cat complained about a recent change that added fur.

His Majesty is a cat found in the Last Light Inn that looked like a hairless Sphynx. However, this appearance was a bug that gave His Majesty the same model as Steelclaw, a different cat meant to be a Sphynx.

And so, Larian fixed the bug with Baldur’s Gate 3’s recently released Patch 3. “Updated the visuals of His Majesty, who previously looked like Steelclaw,” the patch notes read. “His Majesty’s appearance now befits his name and nature.”

That, you would have thought, would be that, but it turned out His Majesty had fans who bemoaned this new look, and called on Larian to revert the fix.

talking about glow-downs 😭 pic.twitter.com/t7fG03BjL5

— renni 🗡️ (@stinkofavernus) September 23, 2023

Now, with the release of Hotifix 8, that’s exactly what the developer has done. “Shaved His Majesty, who is once again a Sphynx. Steelclaw's eye colour has been adjusted so they are no longer identical twins,” the notes read.

Nintendo is expected to launch its next generation console at some point in 2024, but that doesn’t mean it will stop releasing games for the six-and-a-half years old Switch any time soon.

Speaking to Japanese publication Nikkei, translated by VGC, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa pledged support for the ageing Switch with games through to the end of the 2025 financial year. That means Switch owners can expect new Nintendo games until at least the end of March 2025.

“We are still working on software for the Switch for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025,” Furukawa said.

In the shorter term, Nintendo will focus on maintaining the momentum of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and the Super Mario Bros. Movie, Furukawa said, and ensures the Switch meets holiday demand from first-time buyers as well as those looking for a second console or a replacement.

Lords of the Fallen is set to release for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 13. A spiritual successor to the 2014 game of the same name, this new installment promises a lot more of the Soulslike action-RPG gameplay that the first one offered. The game will be released in a handful of editions, with a collection of in-game bonus items for those who preorder. Below, we have full details about what comes in each edition, along with pricing and availability. Let's dive in.

Preorder Lords of the Fallen (Standard Edition)

PS5

• Get it at Amazon - $69.99
• Get it at Best Buy - $69.99 (free steelbook)
• Get it at GameStop - $69.99 (free pendant)
• Get it at Walmart - $69.99
• Get it at PlayStation Store - $69.99

Xbox Series X|S

• Get it at Amazon - $69.99
• Get it at Best Buy - $69.99 (free steelbook)
• Get it at GameStop - $69.99 (free pendant)
• Get it at Walmart - $69.99
• Get it at Xbox Store (digital) - $69.99

PC

• Get it on Steam - $59.99

The standard edition just comes with the game itself, plus the preorder bonus. Best Buy and GameStop are giving out exclusive preorder items as well (see below for details).

Batman Arkham Trilogy for Nintendo Switch is delayed, publisher Warner Bros. Games has announced. It was due out October 13, but will now launch December 1, 2023.

In a statement published on Twitter, Warner Bros. Games apologised to fans, explaining it needs more time to get the collection up to scratch.

“More time is needed to bring players the best possible experience on Nintendo Switch,” Warner Bros. Game said. “We apologise to fans who are excited to play this version of the trilogy. Thank you for your patience.”

Rocksteady's Batman trilogy was announced for Switch during June’s Nintendo Direct. The trilogy includes Batman: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Arkham Knight, and all DLC for the three games.

This marks the first time Rocksteady's Arkham games are appearing on Nintendo Switch, but not the first time on Nintendo platforms, as Arkham City had a special release on Wii U. If you're unfamiliar with these three games, Arkham Asylum is the smallest-scale game, taking place entirely in the titular asylum. Arkham City expands events to cover Gotham City, while Arkham Knight introduces the Batmobile as a central gameplay mechanic.

All three games were received very well, with Arkham Asylum setting a new precedent for superhero games. "Batman: Arkham Asylum is the greatest comic book videogame of all time," IGN said in our 9/10 review.

Now that spooky season has officially started, we're beginning to see a lot of Halloween-themed events in games. To that end, Overwatch 2 has just announced that its Season 7: Rise of Darkness will start on Oct. 10, and it features, among other things, a badass Lilith skin.

The announcement came from X/Twitter, where the official Overwatch account posted a video showing off the Blizzard World map, updated to fit its annual Halloween PvE event, Junkenstein's Revenge. Right before the trailer ends, we're given a glimpse of a new Moira skin that's themed around Diablo IV's main antagonist, Lilith.

Might want to keep the lights on for this one 🧟‍♂️#Overwatch2 Season 7: Rise of Darkness launches Oct 10 💀 pic.twitter.com/T6P6EqTisL

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) October 2, 2023

The brief trailer doesn't reveal too much else, but leaks on Reddit have already seemingly revealed Halloween appropriate skins for Widowmaker and Echo, as well as a new Mythic skin for Hanzo. See the Moira/Lilith skin below.

The Sony DualSense controller for PlayStation 5 is a versatile controller that’s surprisingly compatible with many devices. If you already have a DualSense controller, you can follow a simple process to unlock a wide range of features on pretty much any device, including the best gaming PCs.

While it shines best when used with the PS5, the PS5 controller also works great on PC, Mac, and even mobile Android and iOS devices, allowing for the smooth gameplay you expect from any premium controller.

How to connect a DualSense controller to your PS5

Your PS5 controller will connect seamlessly with your PS5 using the USB-C cable that came with your console.

1. Turn on your PS5

The first step is making sure your PS5 is turned on. You can do this using the power button at the top of your console (found on the far left if your device is positioned horizontally). Once your console is powered on, you can continue to the next step.

2. Plug your controller into your console

You will need a USB C cable to connect your controller to the console. We suggest using the cable that comes included with the PS5 console. Plug your cable into the port at the top of your controller and the USB port at the front of your console.

3. Press the PS button on your controller to turn it on

In 1997, when Ultima Online first released, Tess (known online as “TessPhyreForge”) didn’t own a computer. She didn’t know anything about computers. But she was dating a guy at the time who was really, really into Ultima Online. “He made me a character and sat me down and said, ‘This is what you do.’ Then after two hours I was hooked, and I've been playing ever since.”

After her then-boyfriend got her hooked on Ultima Online, Tess eventually purchased her own computer. And then another computer so her son could play with her.

“When he turned 14, the area we lived at, we had a couple pool halls and stuff like that where the kids would go hang out,” Tess says. “But it was so bad an atmosphere for teenagers and drugs and stuff that I told him I would rather buy the $10 a month subscription to play the game if he kept his grades up, and went to school, and didn't give me a hard time…So we actually ended up playing as a family.”

Tess is 59, and for her and other older adults like her in the online community Old Timers Guild (OTG), gaming has become a lifelong hobby that’s connected them not just with family and romantic partners, but with friends all over the world. Tess joined OTG in 2007 with the release of Lord of the Rings Online, and has been with them ever since. She’s played World of Warcraft, Star Wars: Galaxies, Dark Age of Camelot, Atlas, and more Ultima. She’s made friends with people from Canada, the UK, and Japan. She’s currently a chapter leader for OTG’s Elder Scrolls: Online group, where she plays alongside hundreds of other OTG members several days a week. And many of them, she says, are fellow retirees.

Microsoft has revealed six additional games leaving Xbox and PC Game Pass in October 2023 including fan favourite Trek to Yomi.

Revealed on the Xbox Store, Trek to Yomi's removal will be joined by The Legend of Tianding, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, and Eville on Xbox Game Pass, in addition to Shenzhen I/O and Overwhelm on PC Game Pass.

Microsoft didn't share an exact date for the games' removal but did say it would be "in the next two weeks", with Game Pass departures usually taking place mid-month. It's worth noting that, for those looking to play these games after their removal, they'll be available to purchase outright for 20% off while still available as part of Game Pass.

Trek to Yomi is reminiscent of classic samurai films with its striking black and white visuals and cinematic feel. Developer Flying Wild Hog looked to invoke this atmosphere further through a balance of intense action and sombre moments too.

In our 7/10 review, IGN said: "Trek to Yomi absolutely nails the samurai aesthetic in a satisfying but modest adventure."

Plenty of games will be joining Game Pass in October too, of course, though Microsoft has only revealed a couple so far. These include Gotham Knights (which IGN said had "poor combat, a transparently predictable mystery, and gruelling progression in our 5/10 review) and The Lamplighters League, which earned a 7/10 from IGN.

Sony's PlayStation 2 has long reigned as the best-selling video game console of all time. PS4, despite its massive sales success, ended its run roughly 40 million units behind its older sibling. And while it, too, is still a long way from the top, Switch's extraordinary sales performance has earned it a spot on the podium of best-selling consoles.

With Switch and PS4 having secured their spots among the all-time best-selling consoles, we set out to discover how the rest of Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft's hardware stack up. Scroll down or click through the gallery below for our list of the 28 best-selling video game consoles of all time, with additional information on release dates, highest-rated games, and more.

(Some sales figures come straight from the hardware manufacturers, while others are estimated based on the most recently reported numbers and market analysis. Unofficial sales totals are marked with an asterisk (*). The highest-rated games, meanwhile, come from Metacritic.)

If you only care about the biggest sellers, here's the TL;DR Top 5 Best-Selling Consoles list, in order. Scroll down for more details and breakdowns:

After nine months filled with dark and serious stories in games ranging from Diablo IV to Lies of P, I was more than a little eager to dive back into the stark contrast of stupidity and smut that is High on Life with the release of its first DLC: High on Knife. But while it certainly delivers the usual silly gags, amusingly gross and annoying characters, and some good laughs, that ride comes to an abrupt stop after only two hours, ending before I’d even fully settled back into a goofy world I’d desperately like to spend some more time in. Beyond that, the focus on Knifey, one of the more one-dimensional friends in your arsenal, doesn’t make for a particularly good story (even if he’s usually a reliable source of chuckles), and a lack of improvements to gunplay or performance are disappointing as well. I’m really glad that developer Squanch Games is making more High on Life adventures, but this brief second course doesn’t have nearly enough meat on the bones to justify dusting off my copy and reinstalling.

As you might expect, High on Knife focuses on the one-dimensional character Knifey: the homicidal, foul-mouthed Australian stabbing implement. He unexpectedly receives contact from the knife homeworld and forces you on a low-stakes quest to reunite him with his people. That brief odyssey takes you to Peroxis – a salt-covered desert planet that’s home to a species of extremely annoying and perpetually ill slugs who can’t seem to figure out what’s causing their health woes.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is just a few days away from launch on October 5 so developer Ubisoft has asked fans to please not spoil it for others.

In a post on Twitter (below), Ubisoft made clear it still wanted people talking about the game, of course, but said players shouldn't share spoiler-filled comments or posts online without marking them as such first.

"No spoilers," Ubisoft said in the post. "With the launch of Assassin's Creed Mirage upon us, we would kindly ask you to consider your fellow Assassins and refrain from posting or sharing unmarked spoilers that would impact their experience. Thank you. The wait it almost over."

❌ NO SPOILERS! ❌

With the launch of #AssassinsCreed Mirage upon us, we would kindly ask you to consider your fellow Assassins and refrain from posting or sharing unmarked spoilers that would impact their experience. Thank you!

The wait it almost over. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/IvNSVqAb8i

Is there a more anticipated video game than Grand Theft Auto 6? Fans are so desperate for a reveal from developer Rockstar that they’re seeing clues in the moon.

GTA is no stranger to wild fan theories, but this one is pretty much the most out there yet. It revolves around an image of the moon seen in a promotional image for the GTA Online Moon Festival event. This image, below, includes two characters standing in front of GTA Online’s famous Vinewood sign, obscured in such a way as to leave only the letter V and I visible. VI is six in Roman numerals. This is about the only part of this fan theory that makes any reasonable sense.

Final Fantasy 7's big bad Sephiroth just got a big chunk of new backstory thanks to mobile game spin-off Ever Crisis.

As reported by Eurogamer, the story of young Sephiroth is at the centre of Ever Crisis's latest update and players are now wondering if or how this lore dump will connect to the highly anticipated Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, the sequel to 2020's Remake.

The crux of the story, which is as dramatic and bizarre and tragic as much of Final Fantasy, revolves around Sephiroth's heritage. The villain's parents are Shinra scientists (part of the evil mega-corporation ruling Final Fantasy 7's world of Gaia) called Hojo and Lucrecia. Fans of the game will also be familiar with Jenova, a big evil alien whose cells were injected into Lucrecia (Sephiroth's mum) while she was pregnant, which led to Sephiroth being super powerful.

Some people have pointed this out, but the #FF7EC trailer has a line Rosen asks Sephiroth:

"Who exactly is the life you are trying to save?" that almost looks like it connects to Rebirth's trailer line:

"Will you exist in the world I'm trying to save?"

Very interesting...🧐 pic.twitter.com/zf0A4ImfiF

After making four wildly popular Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks last year, Magic: The Gathering is giving the same love to Doctor Who. Today we’re excited to reveal 14 cards from those decks, including multiple from the iconic Weeping Angel-fueled episode Blink, alongside a chat with Principal Game Designer Gavin Verhey about the cards themselves and how this crossover is a “dream project” for him.

Click through the gallery below to see 10 brand new Doctor Who cards and 4 Planeshift cards from the upcoming decks, and read on to see our full interview with Verhey. Wizards of the Coast will also be hosting a Doctor Who debut livestream on the MTG Twitch and YouTube channels on Tuesday, Oct 3 at 10am PT with even more reveals. And if you're interested, you can now preorder these Doctor Who cards at Amazon.

IGN: Okay, to start, from one big Doctor Who nerd to another, how excited are you to finally be able to show off these cards?

Gavin Verhey, Principal Game Designer: SO EXCITED!!

For those who don’t know me, my name is Gavin Verhey and I’m a Principal Game Designer on Magic. I’m also a GIGANTIC Doctor Who fan. I have visited Doctor Who conventions, cosplayed as the Doctor, slept on the sidewalk to get into the San Diego ComicCon panel, and even used to have a full-scale TARDIS in my home. So to say this was a dream project is… Putting it lightly!

A Final Fantasy 14 player has become the first to unlock all 2,751 Achievements, more than a decade after the game launched.

As reported by Games Radar, a Reddit post from PrismaticParrot revealed a Japanese user in the Garuda server is now the one and only Final Fantasy 14 player to have every single Achievement unlocked. The post showed data obtained through Achievement tracking website Lalachievements, which confirmed the feat.

The massively multiplayer online role-playing game has a notorious Achievement list, and not just because it's over a decade old with humungous expansions released regularly, but because some individual Achievements require hundreds of hours of gameplay.

To unlock them all requires players not just complete the ever-growing story, finish all side quests, and obtain all collectibles like most games, but players must also undergo the laborious tasks of five ultimate raids, thousands of dungeons and hunts, engage in PvP with several different classes, and more.

The committed player won't be able to rest for long, however, as Final Fantasy 14 is due to receive the Dawntrail expansion in summer 2024. The update will bring a major graphical overhaul alongside a wealth of new story content.

If you’re a history and government nerd like me, you’d probably be hard pressed to find a franchise that better appeals to your love of society building and tough moral quandaries than Frostpunk. Thankfully, developer 11 Bit Studios is cooking up another depressing city management simulator with Frostpunk 2, and from the 30-minute demo I saw, they appear to be doubling down on gut-wrenching decisions and brutal difficulty, and it’s got me positively giddy to get my hands on it. The demo I saw was focused solely on the freeplay mode called “Utopia Builder,” so any details of the dedicated story mode remain a mystery, but after seeing the fascinating new direction they’re taking that focuses on politics, faction management, and greatly expanded building, I’m already extremely excited to don my winter jacket and dive back into a fresh new layer of apocalyptic snow.

While the excellent original game focused on surviving a second ice age for mankind that threatened us with extinction, that age has passed with its sequel, which takes place thirty years later. Instead of surviving the apocalypse, Frostpunk 2 focuses on rebuilding society after effectively besting the worst the frozen apocalypse had to offer, with new, more devious threats emerging from within the surviving population. The biggest change that jumped out at me immediately is that we’re no longer confined to a small mass of buildings huddled around an engine for warmth – we’ve now begun to expand outwards and grow the last city on Earth into a proper urban sprawl. Appropriately, time is now measured in months and years as humanity’s numbers are bolstered and new problems emerge, as opposed to the precious few days of time that passed in the first game.

You’re reading the sixth chapter of my eight-day travelog recounting my unbelievable trip to Japan to cover the 2023 Pokémon World Championships.

Day 6 - The Competition (and the Weather) Heats Up

7:00 am - I have some hot tea with honey with my breakfast lasagna. My voice seems to be holding up alright.

7:20 am - I meet up with the media group and get ready to take a tour of the main stage.

7:30 am - We’re taken up on the Worlds main stage, pose for a group picture, and are told we have 30 minutes to explore. And boy is there a lot to see! The Worlds stages traditionally feature iconic elements of the hosting city and have grown in elaborateness over the years. I remember being blown away seeing the Washington, D.C. Worlds stage that had the giant skeletons of Fossil Pokémon.

The Yokohama stage is massive and features the main presentation area and four distinct zones to spotlight each game, each one styled after a different season. Signature Yokohama landmarks such as the Cosmo Clock 21 ferris wheel and the Yokohama Landmark Tower. The stage looks spectacular from the crowd but getting to see the craftsmanship up close makes me appreciate little details, like how different colored seasonal leaves from each of the four sections come together in the center where the presenter stands. Walking the stage from end to end feels like going to a Pokémon theme park, with standees of different Pokémon like Mew and Squirtle scattered about, and much like Disney World and Universal Studios, I feel a pang of sadness when we’re told we have to leave.

Worms maker Team17 is set for significant layoffs as well as the exit of its CEO.

Eurogamer reported Team17’s quality assurance (QA) department will bear the brunt of the layoffs, with around 50 roles at risk. A consultation process is set to end in November. Meanwhile, CEO Michael Pattison is expected to leave.

Team17 confirmed the layoffs in a statement to IGN, although it insisted its Astragon and Storytoys businesses are unaffected.

“In response to the reports concerning the departure of Michael Pattison from Team17, we can confirm we have amicably parted ways with Michael. We can also confirm that we have sadly entered into a period of consultation today within Team17 Digital, with Astragon and Storytoys remaining unaffected by the restructuring plans.”

A 2022 Eurogamer report into Team17 revealed concern among staff about pay, working conditions, and management failures. Changes were promised as a result.

Team17 Group PLC shares have fallen steadily throughout 2023, with the company losing almost half its value since January. Last month, Team17 reported “strong” revenue growth for the first half of its financial year ending June 30, and insisted it expects full year results in line with expectations.

Revenue increased 31% to just under £70 million, with gross profit up 18% to £30.2 million. The company was sitting on net cash of £45.2 million, with a group headcount of 438, up from 392 for the 2022 financial year. Team17 games launched this year include Dredge, Trepang2, and Killer Frequency.

Elden Ring is one of the most visually stunning games in the history of the medium. If you've found yourself daydreaming about the Lands Between, you might want to check this out: volume 1 and volume 2 of the Elden Ring official Art Books are on sale at Amazon for $43.19 each. All you have to do is clip the coupon on each page. That's .

Elden Ring Official Art Book Deal

Both volumes are oversized hardcover editions that measure 8.25" x 11.75". They're full-color volumes that feature key art, concept work, and development designs for all parts of the open-world action RPG.

The first volume weighs in at 432 pages and contains art from Elden Ring’s opening movie, plus scenes from the open world of the Lands Between, including the dungeons. You’ll also get to see images and artwork of many of the game’s characters and armor designs.

Volume two is 384 pages long and focuses more on the enemies, of which there are many great and small in the game. You’ll also find art and lists of the weapons and items found in the game in this volume.

If you’re interested in more Elden Ring hardbacks, take a look at where you can find both volumes of the Elden Ring Official Strategy Guide. One volume is available now, and the other is expected to release in the first quarter of 2023.

After a disastrous launch that saw Payday 3 unplayable for many, developer Starbreeze has declared the matchmaking issues over, opening the door to a big update for October.

Starbreeze said the scheduled maintenance carried out last week fixed the matchmaking issues that occurred during Payday 3’s first week after launch. Matchmaking is now stable, Starbreeze said, and has had “good performance”.

The developer bigged up the popularity of Payday 3 since it came out, saying over the past five days it had a peak concurrent players (CCU) of 124,254, and during September saw 3,167,938 unique players (MAU).

Starbreeze said it will now “intensify” commercial activities around Payday 3 after an initial pause. This starts early October with the game’s first update, which will focus on improving the game experience. Further updates will target quality of life improvements, bug fixes, and new functionality.

Here’s the roadmap for the rest of 2023:

Ultimate Team is EA’s controversial cash cow that brings in hundreds of millions of dollars to the publisher’s coffers every year. While FIFA players are well used to EA Sports adding expensive and powerful card packs later in the year-long life of the annualised football game, with the launch of FC 24, the community has reacted in shock to a $30 pack available to buy before the game even properly launched.

The Elite Season Opener Pack, currently available in the store, cost 285,000 Ultimate Team coins (the in-game currency), or 3,000 FC Points (the premium currency). 3,000 FC Points costs around $30. In true video game monetisation fashion, FC 24 does not let you buy 3,000 FC Points exactly in one bundle.

This Elite Season Opener Pack is so powerful it's causing some players to call FC 24 pay-to-win right out of the gate. It contains: