IGN

A few New World players unhappy with the MMO's endgame issued a challenge to the developers at Amazon Game Studios to stream themselves doing a Myrkgard chest and portal run to show they actually play the game - and they accepted.

As reported by GameSpot, New World players started this petition after recent changes made high-level elite zones a lot more difficult than they were before. They wanted Amazon Games Studios to do this run to show a viable way to complete this tough endeavor.

To the community's surprise, Amazon accepted their challenge and posted a 55-minute "New World - Myrkgard Dev Run" that sees 10 developers - including game director Scot Lane - working their way through the requested run.

At the start, the devs admitted they weren't as powerful as some of New World's most dedicated players, but they were ready to take on the dangers nonetheless. A bit of hilarious chaos ensued as these devs attempted to make it through, and they even shared some tips along the way like "keep your tank up or bad things happen" and "sometimes surrender is the best option."

And surrender they did. After a respectable fight and some playful jabs at some of the teammates who drew too many enemies, they called it quits.

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

Diablo Immortal's ongoing closed beta has seen the debut one of the community's most highly requested features - controller support. It's just an initial implementation at this stage, designed to give those with beta access a taste of how it will feel. This means that while all in-game combat and basic interactions with NPCs can be handled with a controller, when you wind up in a menu or inventory, you're reverting back to touch.

You've heard the concept of the "rat race," but how about a literal rat, racing through the hallways of Doom? One researcher named Viktor Toth ran an experiment over nearly six months, seeing if he could train a rat to run down a straight hallway in Doom by using a VR rig he built himself.

As Toth explained on Mindsoft, It took him about four months to build the VR rig for the rats, using a 3D printer, an iron, a drilling machine, and a set of screwdrivers. The main part of the rig is a large, round ball sitting on a base that allows the ball to rotate in place. There are also motion sensors taken from computer mouses that track the movement of the ball. The rat is then strapped into a harness on top of the ball, facing a large, curved PC monitor displaying the game. When the rat moves the ball in a specific direction, the game responds by moving the player in that same direction.

It's like a large hamster ball you put your pet in to let them run around the room, only in this case, the animal rests on top of the ball instead of inside, and the movement is tied into a video game. Toth also set up a sugary water release system for positive reinforcement to help train the rat to move on the ball through the hall.

The hallway itself was a straight hallway taken from the opening map of Doom 2. When the rat reached the end of the hallway, it was programmed to warp back to the start so the rat could keep going.

Microsoft has announced that the Xbox Games with Gold for January 2022 are NeuroVoider, Aground, Radiant Silvergun, and Space Invaders Infinity Gene.

As detailed by Xbox Wire, these games will be available to all Xbox Live Gold members and those who are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. NueroVoider and Radiant Silvergun will kick off the month on January 1, with Radiant Silvergun staying on the service until January 15 and NeuroVoider staying on until January 31.

On January 16, Aground and Space Invaders Infinity Gene will join Xbox Games with Gold, with Space Invaders Infinity Gene sticking around until January 31 and Aground staying on until February 15.

Originally released in 1998 in arcades and on SEGA Saturn, Radiant Silvergun was restored by Treasure and brought to Xbox 360 in 2011. Now, those with access to Xbox Games with Gold will be able to try the beloved vertical-shooter for themselves.

In our review, we said, "Radiant Silvergun has a lot to offer: you can play it like a manic shooter and enjoy the weapons and skillful dodging, or you can make it more cerebral and go for the ridiculous color combos. Either way, you're getting one of the very best 2D shooters ever made."

What were people watching on Twitch in 2021? Certainly not a whole lot of brand new games, apparently. In fact, the most popular game on Twitch this year by hours watched was Grand Theft Auto V.

GTA V had a total of 2.1 billion hours watched in 2021 according to Rainmaker.gg and StreamElements' State of the Stream 2021 year in review report. That's 1.3 billion more hours than last year, when it only reached 764 million hours watched.

Overall, GTA V was the second most-watched category on Twitch, following top category "Just Chatting," which broadly features streamers talking to their audiences without playing games.

In second place this year was last year's No. 1 gaming category, League of Legends, with 1.8 billion hours watched up from last year's 1.4 billion. These were followed by, in order: Fortnite, Valorant, Minecraft, Call of Duty: Warzone, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Apex Legends, and Dota 2.

The most popular brand new game in 2021 on Twitch was New World, but it only had 259 million hours watched and was the 18th most-watched Twitch game.

In total, Twitch also boosted its overall hours watched this year from last year, rising 45% from 17 billion hours last year to over 24 billion hours watched in 2021. Facebook Gaming saw similar growth, rising 47% from 3.6 billion hours watched last year to 5.3 billion this year.

Call of Duty: Vanguard studio Treyarch has issued a statement saying that its culture has "no room" for sexist, racist, and bullying behaviors following months of reports about a toxic culture spanning the entirety of Activision-Blizzard. The full statement follows below:

Our goal as a studio is to make awesome games for the world to enjoy. Having the privilege to pursue the endeavor is made possible because of Treyarch's people: we are a studio comprised of smart, talented, world-class creative professionals who seek to perform at our best. Our culture has no room for sexism, harassment, racism, bigotry, discrimination, or bullying. As we move forward, providing a safe, diverse, inclusive working environment so that all may thrive will be our highest priority. Everyone at Treyarch is drawn to game development because we possess a deep love for the artistry of video games and the magic that can create moments that matter. This is a moment that matters and it starts by being better.

As we look ahead to 2022, we felt that it was important to share a few thoughts... pic.twitter.com/lWdEaZVN4w

Whether you prefer your Marvel stories in comic book form or on the big screen, 2022 has a lot to offer superhero fanatics. The new year will bring with it several MCU sequels, a new wave of Disney+ shows and a big anniversary for everyone’s favorite wallcrawler.

Let’s take a look ahead at 2022 and break down all the big movies, shows and comics we’re likely to see over the next 12 months.

Spider-Man’s Big Anniversary

2022 marks a pretty major milestone for Marvel Comics. It’s now been 60 years since Spider-Man first debuted in the pages of Amazing Fantasy #15, and he’s barely aged a day. You can expect Marvel to go all-out to celebrate Spidey’s birthday in 2022.

On the comics side, Marvel’s first order of business is wrapping up the Spider-Man Beyond storyline in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man. Beyond has seen Peter Parker’s clone Ben Reilly take over the mantle again, and it’ll culminate with the debut of a brand new villain called the Goblin Queen.

It’s probably safe to assume Peter will be back in action by the time Beyond ends, just in time for Marvel to really shine a spotlight on the 60th anniversary. That may involve relaunching Amazing Spider-Man with a new #1 issue. But at the very least, expect a new creative team and a fresh, accessible status quo for old Webhead.

Let’s also not forget about Spider-Man 2099, who’s celebrating his 30th anniversary and playing a big role in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Part One. We have no doubt Marvel will be capitalizing on that milestone, too.

Mark Subotnick, who was a producer at Sega of America during the Dreamcast era, claims that producer Yuji Naka was responsible for the cancellation of one of the console's exclusives, Geist Force. On The Retro Hour Podcast, Subotnick shared his version of what really happened behind the scenes regarding the Star Fox-style game.

First reported by Nintendo Life, Geist Force was intended to be a launch title for the Dreamcast in North America but was canceled due to Sega's reported lack of confidence in the title, as well as missed deadlines and internal disagreements. Subotnick says that even though the game was a Star Fox clone, he thought that Geist Force had a cool narrative and a diverse cast. He stated, "Looking back, we were actually ahead of our time."

On one particular day, Subotnick says Naka came to visit and tour the studio. Naka and his team reportedly took a look at all of the studio's engines and tools, including proprietary technology. "I would say still to this day, [we had] some stuff that I haven't seen replicated quite at the level we had," Subotnick explains.

It was a busy year for video game news here at IGN. In addition to the regular release date announcements and new game reveals, 2021 featured an unprecedented amount of game delays and extended coverage of PS5 and Xbox Series X|S throughout the consoles’ first full year on the market.

As we move into 2022, we’re looking back on the biggest news stories of the past year, as determined by IGN page views. Click through the gallery below or continue scrolling for our full list of the 20 most-read gaming news stories of 2021.

Data based on IGN page views as of December 10.

20. Microsoft Not Changing Xbox Live Gold Pricing, Free-to-Play Games Unlocked

On January 22, in the midst of the ongoing pandemic, Microsoft announced it was increasing the price of Xbox Live Gold. Within the new pricing structure, a one-year subscription would cost $120 USD, compared to its current price of $60. A day later, following community backlash, Microsoft reversed that decision. In addition to keeping subscriptions at their existing prices, the company announced it was removing the Gold requirement for free-to-play games.

Welcome back to IGN Game Scoop! (and Unlocked and Beyond and NVC), IGN's podcast series! This week Daemon Hatfield is joined by Ryan McCaffrey, Jonathon Dornbush, and Seth Macy to discuss Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, and everything that went down in 2021. Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, Deathloop, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal, Metroid Dread -- all will be discussed!

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

Listen on:

Apple Podcasts

YouTube

Spotify

Stitcher

Find previous episodes here!

PUBG: Battlegrounds, the game that kicked off the rise of the battle royale genre, is officially going free-to-play on January 12, 2022. This means that anyone who has ever wanted to shout out, “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner,” can now do so without so much as pulling out their wallet. This is obviously a big change for PUBG, and we’re here to break down what exactly this means for new and existing players.

From pre-registration rewards to what exactly the BATTLEGROUNDS Plus account offers players, here are six things you need to know about PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Free-to-Play.

The BATTLEGROUNDS Plus Account Unlocks XP Boosts, Ranked Mode, and More

Everyone who starts playing PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Free-to-Play will have a Basic account, which will give access to most of the game’s features. However, those who wish to upgrade for a one-time $12.99 fee will unlock even more, including Survival Mastery XP + 100% Boost, Career - Medal Tab, Ranked Mode, and the ability to create and play in a Custom Match. Additionally, players will be given Captain’s Camo Hat, Captain’s Camo Mask, Captain’s Camo Gloves, and Bonus 1300 G-COIN.

Existing PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Player Will Be Rewarded With a BATTLEGROUNDS Plus Account and Other Gifts

Those existing PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS players worried about this transition to free-to-play will be happy to know they will be rewarded with a bounty of gifts in the PUBG - SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE PACK that include a free BATTLEGROUNDS Plus account upgrade. Additionally, all players will automatically unlock the Costume Skin Set (Battle-hardened Legacy Corset, Jacket, Gloves, Pants, and Boots), the Shackle and Shanks Legacy - Pan, and the Nameplate - Battle-hardened Legacy.

Rebekah Saltsman loves making games. Enough so that even though she and her husband Adam have a successful indie publishing business in Finji, they still want to make time and space for their own projects where they can. Even in spite of an industry that’s growing increasingly complex, busy, and wildly, wildly expensive.

For instance, in 2019 they released post-apocalyptic strategy game Overland across mobile, PC, and console, all while juggling the publishing of Wilmot’s Warehouse, various platform releases of Night in the Woods, and presumably hashing out the terms that would see them publishing Chicory: A Colorful Tale — announced early the following year. And now, in 2021, with Chicory out the door, Tunic on its way in March, and I Was a Teenage Exocolonist and a project from The Glory Society in the works, Finji is quietly staffing up and getting to work on another internal project that we’ll see…eventually.

Balancing the two sides of its business can be challenging, Saltsman tells IGN. Especially because even though they love publishing, all the time they spend doing publishing with Finji is time not spent working on their own games. And it’s a lot of time, too, because of how hands-on Finji is with design mentorship and support to its studio partners during development. So Finji is choosy about its projects, she says.

But still, it’s those publishing projects that help Finji remain relevant and sustainable – meaning no crunch and a good work-life balance for its team – between the games it makes itself.

2021 was a little bit… different. Wait, is that what I mean, “different?” Largely horrible. Actually, come to think of it, so was 2020. Wait a minute, what if this isn’t different, and this is just how years are now?! Speaking of disturbing patterns, maybe that desire for escape from our own bleak reality into one familiar yet different enough is one of the factors that fueled the abundance of Multiverse stories in 2021.

Did you notice that? The Multiverse as a concept was huge this past year, not just within the MCU, which is getting even more Multiverse-y next year, but in everything from gaming to Star Trek to DC to goddamn Phineas and f***ing Ferb. Okay, that actually happened in 2011, and I probably shouldn’t swear so much about a Disney show, but, s**t, you get my point. Let’s dig into the whats and wherefores a little and hopefully find out why 2021 was The Year of the Multiverse, and why it’s a trend that won’t let up any time soon.

Halo Infinite's Winter Contingency event has officially launched and it features holiday-themed rewards for players to unwrap each day.

The "in-game Halo advent calendar" is rolling out at just the right moment, as the days are quite literally numbered on everyone's traditional Christmas calendars. Halo's virtual alternative will offer an exciting boost to those final days, with daily rewards up for grabs from December 21 through to December 30, per Halo Waypoint.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla may have released in 2020, but the original game continues to inspire a wealth new content. And not just video game expansions. IGN can exclusively reveal Assassin's Creed Valla: Forgotten Myths, Dark Horse's latest comic book spinoff.

Forgotten Myths is a follow-up of sorts to Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Song of Glory, a book which acted as a direct prequel to the main game. This story, however, is specifically a prequel to the upcoming DLC expansion Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok, which thrusts main protagonist Eivor into the mythological realm of Svartalfheim to live out the exploits of the Norse gods. In short, this isn't your typical Assassin's Creed adventure.

One of the best sales from the weekend is still going on now. You can pick up a copy of Deathloop on PlayStation 5 right now for just $22.99. If you missed out on one of the highest-rated games of the year, it's not too late to snag a copy for yourself at an absolutely excellent price.

Unfortunately, your copy won't arrive until after Christmas, but you should absolutely still pick one up now that it's going for its lowest price yet. That's $37 off $59.99, and even cheaper than Deathloop's previous Black Friday price. Now's the time to go ahead and get your copy.

Deathloop

Deathloop is more than just a shooter. It's rife with interesting twists interspersed with an exciting narrative. You take control of assassin Colt, who (you may have already surmised) is caught in a time loop. You've got to eliminate eight targets known as the Visionaries, who think they've got the secret of immortality figured out.

They simply live the same, day-long party over and over. Take them all out, however, and the loop will end. It may sound like an easy enough task, but the mysterious Julianna Blake isn't going to let Colt off just like that. She'll be waiting around every corner, when you least expect it, to keep Colt from fulfilling his mission. But why? Who is she? And why does she want to stop Colt?

2021 has spotlighted harassment on Twitch, particularly for women. Now a new clip from streamer Grenade Queen is drawing industry attention, with Xbox co-creator Seamus Blackley saying the harassment it depicts "wasn't the future for [Xbox Live] we envisioned."

The video shows Grenade Queen being harassed as she is playing Halo Infinite, on which she comments, "No woman should have to deal with this if they're having 1 rough game against decent people... this was only part of it."

Her comments drew numerous responses women who say they've suffered the same behavior. "My Xbox name is my irl name," one user wrote. "They see it and they immediately attack me. Just bc I'm a girl. I can never enjoy pvp. Even bot matches. My team mates would kill me, run me over, punch me. Like what the hell??? It's so bad that I am willing to pay money to change my name on Xbox."

This wasn’t the future for @xbox live we envisioned. As a community and with the help of @Microsoft this needs to be highlighted and stopped. It will take teamwork between players, devs, and console manufacturers to change this and it’s time. It’s past time. https://t.co/hVPHDvESVP

— Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) December 20, 2021

Square Enix has launched Patch 6.01 for Final Fantasy 14 Endwalker. The update contains content like new items and a new raid series, Pandemonium. But one aspect that the game's community has been mulling over is that the polygons of some of its grapes have been upgraded.

Yes, you heard that right. In the Endwalker expansion, the grapes in the Labyrinthos area were graphically low-polygon. According to Square Enix's patch notes, the company referred to the grapes as "an issue" where the polygon count of grapes in Labyrinthos was reduced in excess to "alleviate system memory usage in the area." As such, the grapes have been adjusted to be comparable to those found at the Crystarium.

This particular aspect has become a meme within the community and the internet. The grapes, when bunched together, formed a crystal-like shape with hard corners. However, the new update has smoothed those corners out. Now the community is mourning over the fact their favorite meme-able fruit is gone. Even the official Final Fantasy 14 Twitter account has acknowledged the grapes.

we will miss you, grapes 🍇 you were truly remarkable

— FINAL FANTASY XIV (@FF_XIV_EN) December 21, 2021

"Has your journey been good?" a key character asks me, in reference to all my years of adventuring. We’re a few hours into Final Fantasy XIV's latest expansion, Endwalker. "Has it been worthwhile?"

My character never really gets to answer, and many hours later, I think that's because Square Enix also directs the question to us as players: Have the last eight years of FFXIV and all those hundreds of cutscenes been worth the time? I wish I had had the chance to say so, because after Endwalker, my answer is an unequivocal “yes.” Parts of this roughly 50-hour story move a little slower than I'd have liked, but when so many games, TV shows, and movie series seem incapable of delivering a satisfactory ending, it's refreshing to see one that mostly manages to stick the landing to an arc that’s gone on for so long. For that matter, Endwalker is good enough that it removes any doubt that this reborn MMORPG deserves inclusion in any discussion of the best Final Fantasy stories ever written.

That's partly because FFXIV is now a complete tale, with this expansion marking its end to what its 2013 reboot began. Endwalker wraps up virtually every major plotline introduced within that time frame, ranging from the long struggle between the semi-deities Hydaelyn and Zodiark and the ambitions of the Ascians to the fate of the Garlean Empire. Even the new zones suggest a desire to be done with whatever came before; in Endwalker, some of the spots I visited included the South Asia-inspired island nation of Thavnair, the scholarly city-state of Sharlayan, and Garlemald itself – as though Square Enix were trying to scratch off all the places that have long been mentioned but never visited.

2021's puzzle games brought not only the mind-benders, but they also featured some of the most striking art and design out of games of all genres. From the painterly world of Chicory to the black-and-white art style of TOEM to the visual storytelling of Unpacking, puzzle fans were treated to some great experiences this year.

IGN's winner for best puzzle game of 2021 is...

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Imagine a top-down adventure Zelda-like, but the entire game is a giant canvas where paint is used for both puzzle-solving and plot. That’s the genius of Chicory, where your artist output can grow sprouts into tall plant platforms, light up mushroom-filled caves, burn away obstacles, and guide paint-hungry worms, all while making the world of Picnic steadily more and more colorful. Its clever puzzles are never frustrating, and better yet are frequently thematically tied to Chicory’s emotional story about imposter syndrome, mental health struggles, and what it means to be a creator. Backed by the beautiful music of Lena Raine, full of cute characters and hidden secrets, and at all times mindful, grounded, and empathic, Chicory’s interactive coloring book of a world is a joy to explore. - Rebekah Valentine

For more, check out IGN's Chicory: A Colorful Tale review.

The RPG genre can be a vast one, but there are always a few things at the heart of it: the constant growth and progression of your character or party driven by a focus on story – be that a story that is down to earth or entirely fantastical.

2021 was packed full of epic RPGs, some set in warped versions of our own world and others in entirely new fantasy locations. Despite there being exciting options across western RPGs, JRPGs, and beyond, a few have risen above the undoubtedly impressive pack. IGN's winner for best RPG of 2021 is...

Tales of Arise

The Tales of series has been comfort food JRPG goodness for years, and Arise keeps that warm familiarity while making a number of overdue changes to the Tales of formula. It amps up the formerly linear motion battle system to almost full-blown character action RPG intensity, all while retaining the jubilant anime franticness of everyone yelling attack names at once. Its story tackles hefty topics like the horrors of war, slavery, colonization, and the challenges of rebuilding after all that, and mostly manages to handle the difficult intricacies with care. But it also is still a Tales story, peppered with humor and light-hearted interactions between its complex and fascinating cast of heroes. With them at the helm of an adventure across a beautiful, intriguing new world, Arise comes together to give the Tales of series a much-needed reinvigoration while still feeling, thankfully, like a Tales game. - Rebekah Valentine

For more, check out IGN's Tales of Arise review.

Despite the ton of new games that debuted this year, there were plenty of already existing ones that just got better and better in 2021.

IGN's winner for best ongoing game of 2021 is...

Final Fantasy XIV

Following its miraculous rise from the ashes nearly a decade ago, Final Fantasy XIV has proven time and time again that it delivers the best of what both JRPGs and MMOs have to offer. Director/Producer Naoki Yoshida and team have successfully crafted a fantasy world filled to the brim with wonder, with stories to find and tell around every corner. Whether it’s in the epic main storyline, the incredibly welcoming community, or the fiercely active endgame scene, it is exceptionally difficult for one to not be able to find something of worth in the living, breathing world of Eorzea. The game is constantly updating and expanding, with each successive version significantly better than the one before, and we doubt that the upcoming Endwalker expansion will be any different. And with an unlimited free trial that extends all the way to level 60 with access to the critically-acclaimed expansion Heavensward, getting into this wonderful game has never been easier. - Jay Park

For more, check out IGN's Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers review.

Fancy a drive through beautiful Mexico? Or how about a haunted European adventure? A pair of familiar heroes make their long-awaited return, and a couple of perfectly-planned assassinations were just some of the best games in 2021.

Every year we look back and pick our favorite games of the year. In 2021, we got the highly-anticipated sequels to beloved, as well as bold, imaginative new games that make us fall in love with games all over again. IGN's winner for Game of the Year 2021 is...

Forza Horizon 5

Some people play Forza Horizon 5 for its gorgeous scenery or accurate vehicles. Some play it for its online community and competitive races. Others are into making detailed custom designs or completing challenges. Still, others like to drive cars off cliffs. The brilliance of Forza Horizon 5 is the way in which it welcomes and embraces every one of these types of people by presenting enough roadway for them to drive on for miles. Its adoring rendition of Mexico is beautiful from coast to jungle, from city to desert, peppered with ever-changing weather and real-world details that make driving through it all — which is a lot! — a joy.

As the games industry becomes increasingly aware of and concerned with ensuring games are accessible to as many people as possible, we've seen a number of exciting new advancements as to what exactly that looks like. This year was no exception. We assembled a group of accessibility experts to weigh in on what 2021 games deserve to be celebrated in particular for the attention and care they devoted to all kinds of accessibility.

From controller remapping to visual options, from games that let you skip certain kinds of content to games with inputs simple enough to be played with one hand, there were several great games we nominated this year, but our winner for noteworthy advancement in accessibility for 2021 is...

Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5 presented players with a seldom seen level of customization with options and presets allowing players abled and disabled alike to craft an experience exactly suited to their needs. Playground Games went all in with its avatar creation, allowing players to choose prosthetic limbs and their choice of pronouns. For some disabled players, Forza Horizon 5 is the first time they experienced the joy of getting behind the wheel of a super car and racing with their friends. Forza Horizon 5 is the embodiment of Microsoft’s belief in “Gaming for Everyone.”

Now that Halo Infinite's campaign has been out for a little while, it's time to go into full spoiler mode and discuss our thoughts on the story! Find out what we thought of the (Legendary) ending, Cortana, Master Chief, The Pilot, The Banished, and more! WARNING: Do NOT listen to or watch this episode if you haven't finished the Halo Infinite campaign yet/don't want to be spoiled. Or just skip ahead to the 1:14:30 mark to avoid Halo Infinite spoilers and go right to our recap of Xbox-centric announcements from The Game Awards.

Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our new YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 download of this week's episode. For more awesome content, check out our latest IGN Unfiltered interview, where Joseph Staten – one of Halo's original creators and now the head of creative on Halo Infinite – discusses his fascinating career:

Oh, and you can be featured on Unlocked by tweeting us a video Loot Box question! Tweet your question and tag Ryan at @DMC_Ryan!

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

Sadako Yamamura, better-known as that very creepy girl from Ringu, could soon be invading Dead by Deadlight as part of the franchise's later horror collaboration.

Announced earlier today, the new collaboration will be based on Koji Suzuki's novel and the original film adaptation. It will "merge the eerie and melancholic world of Ringu, with the twisted fantasy of Dead by Daylight."

Ringu joins a lengthy run of collaborations that includes Halloween, Left 4 Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Resident Evil, and Hellraiser. They feature both heroes and villains from their respective franchises, each with their own unique powers.

Ringu was originally a novel released in 1991, with the film adaptation appearing in Japanese theaters in 1998. It became an instant classic, and was later imported for American audiences as The Ring.

Today, Sadako is a classic horror character on the level of Leatherface or Michael Myers (both of whom have also been in Dead by Daylight). While Behaviour Interactive hasn't confirmed one way or another whether Sadako will be the killer, she seems a likely candidate.

If she were to join the cast, it would be far from Sadako's first promotional collaboration, at various points throwing the first pitch at a Japanese baseball game and serving up fast food.

Inscryption just got a surprise free "mini-expansion" available now in beta. Entitled Kaycee's Mod, it's effectively an endless version of the roguelike deckbuilder that's at the heart of Inscryption's first act.

Kaycee's Mod effectively turns the cabin Inscryption takes place in into an endless, increasingly challenging roguelike, effectively extending "Part 1" of Inscryption infinitely. Players can work their way through Challenge Levels, unlocking new cards and challenges as they go, as well as "dev logs" from Inscryption character Kaycee Hobbes that shed more light on Inscryption's story.

The expansion is currently in beta and freely available to anyone who opts in via Steam, with instructions on how to do so in the announcement blog post. Players are warned to keep a back-up of their save files just in case, and the beta is expected to undergo some changes over time. Specifically, developer Daniel Mullins shared plans to add two more rare cards, two new items, a final encounter for players who clear Challenge Level 12, and more dev logs.

An itch I didn’t know needed scratching was a dogfighting flight game where instead of controlling some boring starfighter or airplane, I get to ride a fire-breathing dragon into battle. Century: Age of Ashes flies in to deliver some magnificent scaly reptiles torching each other with fire vomit, which always made me laugh hysterically until someone did the same to me. That part was less funny but still looked cool. It’s a bit short-lived due to the tiny number of maps and a glaring balance problem for its main mode, but this free-to-play, dragon-centric dogfighter largely succeeds in fulfilling the fantasy of riding atop the most legendary of flying beasts.

Age of Ashes is a team-based competitive multiplayer game where you take on enemies on dragonback, which is up there with the greatest game premises of all time, so we’re off to an excellent start. Flying around and breathing fire on your rivals is almost never not fun, due in no small part to the excellent flying mechanics and clever level design that has you ducking around castles, flying through tunnel shortcuts, and turning on a dime to give your pursuers the slip like no airplane ever could.

Burning enemies to a crisp is made all the more enjoyable by the fact that Age of Ashes is just absolutely beautiful to look at. Dragons are colorful and detailed, and navigating them through each of the four elaborate fantasy arenas is stunning.

Remedy Games director Sam Lake has confirmed that the original actors from the first Alan Wake game will be returning in Alan Wake 2. Ilkka Villi and Matthew Poretta will reprise their roles as the eponymous protagonist, with the former portraying the character's model and the latter portraying his voice.

It's interesting to note that Villi also played Doctor Casper Darling in Remedy's other game, Control. Additionally, Lake has confirmed that Alan Wake 2 will be in a third-person perspective, similar to both of Remedy's previous two games, Control and Quantum Break. The game is using the same in-house engine as Control, the Northlight game engine, as well.

Thank you for being as excited about Alan Wake 2 as we are ❤️🔥🔦. A couple of easy clarifications before we go dark to continue the work. Yes, this is a 3rd person game. Yes, both Ilkka Villi and Matthew Porretta return in the role of Alan Wake. #AlanWake @alanwake @remedygames pic.twitter.com/8UvzXGgKdE

During its Home of Wargamers live event today, RTS publisher Slitherine announced that it's working on a new game in the Terminator universe, entitled Terminator Dark Fate: Defiance.

Defiance is the result of a collaboration with Skydance, which began when Slitherine approached them prior to the announcement of the film Terminator Dark Fate. As Slitherine marketing director Marco A. Minoli explains, the publisher had noticed its core strategy gaming audience was a lot of folks in their 30s who had grown up with sci-fi classics, making the territory fertile ground for licensing deals. They already had deals in place for a Battlestar Galactica game and Starship Troopers, so Terminator felt like a logical step.

Of course, Skydance was preparing to announce Dark Fate, which made the collaboration make perfect sense. So Slitherine partnered with Skydance and Russian developers Cats Who Play to start work on Defiance, which Minotti says is "simply the biggest thing we've ever done."

Final Fantasy's spin-off kart racing game, Chocobo GP, has received a release date as well as confirmation that the game will offer a free-to-play version.

As shared by Nintendo of America on Twitter, Chocobo GP will launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch on March 10, 2022. In addition to the announcement, Square Enix has also released a new trailer for the game, which can be seen in the tweet below.

Start your engines and get ready for Chocobo's newest racing adventure, full of magic and mayhem, when #ChocoboGP launches for #NintendoSwitch on March 10, 2022!

Wishlist today: https://t.co/qpWzldU0Wy pic.twitter.com/5uNyjd2W4e

Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama has said that he thinks remaking his horror classic would be more difficult than remaking a Resident Evil game.

During an interview with VGC, Toyama was asked whether the idea of Konami remaking a Silent Hill game would interest him - given that Capcom has seen great success out of its Resident Evil (known as Biohazard in Japan) remakes.

“I think it would be harder to remake than Biohazard gameplay as a concept is a little older,” Toyama said. “It’s not an action game where you can just refine the action as in Biohazard. To bring Silent Hill up to current standards or to polish up the graphics, the fans wouldn’t be satisfied."

“That’s not what it was about – how beautiful it was. I think you’d have to rethink the concept to make it interesting to fans," he added.

Elsewhere in the interview, Toyama was asked what his opinions on remakes are in general. “Unlike movies, games are difficult to enjoy as in the original state,” he said. “Obviously because of the platform, but as time goes by game mechanics, especially in usability, lack rationality, and sophistication. Visually speaking it’s clearly not made for modern equipment, so I absolutely don’t have any objection to modifying an original essence to fit the modern era which we live in today.”

Back in July, a number of indie publishers publicly called out Sony for its apparent ongoing dismissal of the immense challenges facing small developers trying to publish games on PlayStation. While publicly Sony offered no official comment on these complaints at the time, it appears that the company was quietly listening after all -- and has recently begun to take some action.

Looking back at our conversations with these publishers at the time, a number of key issues were brought to light. Sony, indie publishers and developers said, had overly complex tools and forms, unclear processes, and poor communication with its indie partners when it came to getting answers, guidance, or issues resolved. They also expressed that while discoverability was an industry-wide issue, Sony was at best indifferent or at worst actively adversarial to these struggles, making PlayStation a very challenging platform for indie game sales.

What’s more, it sounds like the vocal indies who spoke up in July were not alone in feeling this way. IGN has obtained a copy of a document entitled “2021 Global Partner Survey Results,” which was sent out to a number of Sony’s partner publishers and developers as a follow-up to a survey that was conducted sometime prior. The findings document is short -- only three pages long -- and does not specifically mention the public complaints from this past summer. But it does identify three target areas for “continued improvement” based on the results of the survey, all of which directly correspond to issues the indie publishers brought up on social media and in articles.

A number of Halo Infinite players have reported coming across a save-wiping glitch in the game, affecting both single-player and multiplayer gameplay.

As reported by players on resetEra and Halo Waypoint (and spotted by VG247), Halo Infinite appears to contain a bug that is causing players to load into the game from a third-person perspective before breaking their save files completely.

The issue itself is reportedly affecting both Xbox and PC payers and seems to be caused by a login-related bug. resetEra user 99humanity reports that after launching the game they would load into the campaign in third-person mode with Master Chief clipping through the floor. When attempting to head back to the menu and relaunch their progress, the user notes that their save file would fail to load and display as if they'd completed 0% of the campaign.

The DualSense might be the absolute coolest thing about the Sony PlayStation 5, a console already considered a hot commodity this year. The DualSense, with its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, is arguably one of the biggest generational leaps we've seen in a long time. Sony revealed three new DualSense colors: Nova Pink, Starlight Blue, and Galactic Purple, as well as PS5 faceplates also coming in the future.

New Sony DualSense Colors

At the moment, only two of the three newly announced DualSense colors are now available at Amazon and Best Buy: Nova Pink and Starlight Blue. They join the existing Midnight Black and Cosmic Red, as well as the stock white controller that's the PS5 default.

Amazon was first with listings for the new PS5 controller colors, which is kind of unusual. In most cases, Best Buy beats everyone to the punch and Amazon sometimes ends up being the last online retailer to list new hardware or software. Given the fact most people seem to prefer ordering from Amazon anyway, this is a good thing. Expect to see the Galactic Purple appearing soon at Amazon, and all the new PS5 controller colors will no doubt begin showing up at other retailers, too.

New screenshots and details from Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin have revealed some of the game's modern-day reimagining of classic characters and locations from the first Final Fantasy game.

As revealed on the Square Enix blog, Stranger of Paradise will see you travel to the Western Keep, Crystal Mirage, and The Flying Fortress. These are all locations from the very first Final Fantasy game (although back then the Crystal Mirage was known as the Mirage Tower).

On this journey, you'll also come across Astos, the king of the dark elves, who lives in the Western Keep. That's exactly where he was fought as a boss in the original Final Fantasy. Also joining the returning cast is Tiamat, a multi-headed dragon who was fought at the top of the Flying Fortress in the original game. The Stranger of Paradise blog doesn't mention if Tiamat will be in the same place for Final Fantasy Origin, but notes that the Fiend of Wind uses wind-element attacks like Whirlwind and Tempest. It can also use Macro Burst, an breath attack from all of its six mouths.

Also revealed is Sophia, a character who will join protagonist Jack in the quest to defeat Chaos. Like Jack, she also possesses a black crystal. Square Enix is currently being coy as to the significance of those black crystals, but they are presumably linked to the crystal in the Chaos Shrine found in the original game.

Nintendo has announced that there will be an Indie World Showcase stream on December 15.

No major details have been announced, but the showcase will run for "roughly 20 minutes", starting at 9am PT (12pm ET, 5pm UK, 6pm EU, 3am AU).

Get ready for a new @IndieWorldNA Showcase arriving Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 9:00 a.m. PT!

Tune in for a livestream featuring roughly 20 minutes of information on upcoming indie games headed to #NintendoSwitch.

Watch it live here: https://t.co/hDrAmAABvI pic.twitter.com/JV0Y3fiKGE

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 14, 2021

Nintendo's most recent Indie World presentation was in August, and saw announcements for Loop Hero, Tetris Effect: Connected, Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon, Eastward, and more.

Retro sci-fi co-op shooter, The Anacrusis, will be released in early access and on Xbox Game Pass this January.

As announced on Twitter, The Anacrusis will begin life in early access on January 13. As well as arriving on the likes of Steam and the Epic Games Store, the futuristic shooter will also be available to players subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, meaning that if you've signed up to the service you'll be able to play the game at no additional cost.

The Anacrusis is also coming to @XboxGamePass and @XboxGamePassPC on January 13! Whether you’re on the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or Microsoft Windows, you’ll be able to play The Anacrusis with your friends thanks to full cross-play support! https://t.co/nMez0ppbki

We're getting and closer to Christmas, so we're slowly approaching the cut off date for last-minute deals online. Thankfully, we've still got some time, and these discounts are worth it. This includes 12-months of PS Plus for £24.99 (new users only), Deathloop dropping to £28 for PS5, and Metroid Dread now just £35 at Amazon, saving you £15. You can also pick up the new 2021 Apple AirPods for just £141.99, down from the £169 list price.

Spider-Man Miles Morales has also dropped to just £20 on PS5, and I must say this is one of the deals of the year. Usually about £50-60, you're getting an incredible experience on your PS5 at an incredibly low price. (Editor's Note, Miles Morales will arrive after Christmas.)

TL;DR - Our Favourite Deals Right Now

Marvel's Spider-Man Miles Morales for £20 on PS5 (Save £40)

PS5 Stock at Amazon Before Christmas

We're expecting Amazon to have PS5 stock before Christmas. Follow @IGNUKDeals for live updates.

PS5 at Currys (£649 Bundles)

New Apple AirPods (2021) for £142 (was £169)

Tesla cars just got a little bit faster, as the electric car company has a new partnership with Sega to bring the Blue Blur himself to its line of vehicles. Sega and Tesla announced that 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog is coming to Tesla's in-car gaming system.

To play games on the Tesla in-car screen, owners just need to plug in a USB controller. Just don't try to play while you're driving. Sonic the Hedgehog joins Tesla's growing lineup of games, which includes Cuphead, and The Witcher 3 on the new Tesla Model X and Model S cars.

Sonic the Hedgehog was originally released for the Sega Genesis in June 1991. Sonic was designed as a competitor for Nintendo's Super Mario Bros., and the game was known for high-speed gameplay and Sonic's too-cool-for-school attitude.

The original game has been released on most platforms under the sun, from modern gaming consoles, to iPod Nano, to iOS and Android, and now, Tesla cars.

Last week was a big one for Sonic. At The Game Awards, we got our first look at the Sonic the Hedgehog movie sequel, including a glimpse at Idris Elba's Knuckles. And, Sega also showed off an early look at Sonic Frontiers, which is evolving the series' gameplay into an "open-zone" adventure.