I’ve been living with the Xbox Series X for a few weeks now, and let me bottom-line it for you before getting into details: everything about this console so far screams how serious Microsoft is about not repeating the mistakes of the Xbox One generation. It is definitively more powerful than its primary competitor on paper, it’s not force-bundled with an accessory the market is going to reject (and thus it’s priced competitively), and in practice its design is compact and quiet and it really does beat down game loading times with its SSD drive. To top it off, Microsoft isn’t hyping up any TV- or multimedia-enhancing features either. This is a games machine, full stop. My biggest complaint about it so far is that I haven’t seen anything that’s really put all 12 teraflops to the test just yet. More specifically, I've played a total of four optimized-for-Series-X games thus far, two old and two new: upgrades to Gears 5 and Gears Tactics, the latter of which is new to console players, as well as new releases Dirt 5 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. That’s in addition to the handful of backward-compatible Xbox One and Xbox 360 games I threw at the machine during my first days with it. But for context, none of these are Xbox Series-only releases; all can be played on the Xbox One. That’s a running theme with the entire Xbox Series launch lineup, but I’ll get more into that in the proper Xbox Series X review in a few weeks. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=xbox-series-s-and-series-x-comparison-photos&captions=true"] Dirt and Yakuza I covered separately, but in summary, Yakuza runs at a clean 4K, but it won’t wow your friends.

Microsoft has outlined the list of day-one launch games for the Xbox Series X and Series S, a host of new, next-gen games, as well as cross-gen releases spanning both Xbox exclusives and third-party, multiplatform offerings. The full list, as revealed by Microsoft today, also denots what games support Smart Delivery, the process by which Xbox players can play the platform-specific versions of each game, even if they play across platforms, as well as what games will be available with Xbox Game Pass.

An ex-Sega developer has criticized the publisher following the announcement of a repackaged release of a prototype he helped create "under crunch conditions." Witch Beam co-founder Tim Dawson took to Twitter to point out that Golden Axed: A Cancelled Prototype - a game launching on Steam as part of  Sega's 60th-anniversary celebrations - was initially coded by Dawson and a small team in 2012 in an attempt to revive the classic series. Dawson claims that Sega enforced very tough working conditions for the team. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=sega-60th-anniversary-streets-of-kamurocho-golden-axed-armor-of-heroes-screenshots-ign&captions=true"] Dawson and his team were asked to make "a polished gameplay prototype for an internal Golden Axe pitch in about two weeks." "This project was my personal nexus of nightmare hours, inept management, industry realisations and heroics achieved with a small team under unreasonable conditions, so it's an odd feeling to see it surface eight years later without context, credits and with a joke title sequence," Dawson explained. The prototype's development was apparently mired by problems and criticism from upper management.

woke up to the surprising news that Sega is releasing the Golden Axe prototype I coded in 2012 under crunch conditions

PlayStation 5 users will be able to record voice chats and send them to moderators, but Sony has clarified the company itself is not recording party chats. The news was revealed alongside the latest system software update for the PlayStation 4, version 8.00. PS4 users have been reporting seeing a notification in party chats where they are told that "voice chats may be recorded for moderation." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/29/ps5-the-future-of-gaming-trailer"] According to the PlayStation Blog, this is a pre-emptive measure for the upcoming feature, which will launch alongside the PS5. "Voice chat recording for moderation is a feature that will be available on PS5 when it launches, and will enable users to record their voice chats on PS5 and submit them for moderation review," explained Sid Shuman, Senior Director at SIE Content Communications. "The pop up you’re seeing on PS4 right now is to let you know that when you participate in a chat with a PS5 user (post-launch), they may submit those recordings from their PS5 console to SIE," he added. And to make things particularly clear, one of PlayStation's support Twitter accounts definitively stated "The notification advises you that other users may be recording your voice conversation. We do no record party chats." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] It's not clear just yet what the ramifications of this new system will be: will it be a means for Sony to find and ban users who break the code of conduct in voice chats, as reported by other players?

Don't miss a single gem with this guide.

On this week's episode of IGN's weekly PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Lucy O'Brien, Tom Marks, and DualShockers' Mario Rivera to discuss the biggest PS5 news. As the PS5 launch approaches, Sony is answering more and more questions, including our concerns about PS4 to PS5 save transfers, Trophy changes, and much more, including the latest Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales developments. (Sadly, we recorded before the reveal of Spider-Cat!) Plus, we bring back the Memory Card segment, talk about what we're playing, and speculate about what Sony will reveal now that this week's episode is out. (It's gotta be UI, right?) [poilib element="accentDivider"] [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-game-and-announcement-featured-in-the-playstation-5-showcase-event&captions=true"]

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There’s a bunch of new details about Spider-Man: Miles Morales courtesy of Game Informer, who has a cover story on the upcoming “expandalone” adventure. Details including unique gameplay additions, powers, suits, and boss fights. In this month’s cover story, Game Informer got an extensive preview of the opening hours for Spider-Man: Miles Morales. As it says on the title, Miles Morales, formerly of the Ultimate Spider-Man universe, is the star of Insomniac’s next Spidey adventure. Miles isn’t just a carbon copy of Peter Parker’s Spider-Man. He has unique abilities such as the Venom strike, which can be performed by holding down the L1 and the attack button. But Venom abilities require players to fill up a Venom Meter that charges similarly to Peter’s Focus Meter. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/16/spider-man-miles-morales-gameplay-trailer"] Likewise, Spider-Man: Miles Morales gives players the option to engage with encounters via stealth. But Miles has a temporary camouflage that lets him turn partially invisible. This will let players turn a standard combat encounter into a stealth encounter, even after an enemy sees them. Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be playable on the PS5 in two modes: a 4K/60 fps Performance Mode and a 4K/30 fps Fidelity Mode. Fidelity Mode offers ray tracing and other visual effects that won’t be available in the Performance Mode. Load times have also been eliminated As for bosses, so far Insomniac has shown off Miles facing off against the Rhino and the Tinkerer and Roxxon Corporation.

SEGA’s 60th anniversary celebration is underway on Steam, with discounts on their in-house franchises and Creative Assembly’s library of Total War games. Most unusually, SEGA has also announced the publication of three new games that include a Yakuza/Streets of Rage mash-up and a playable canceled Golden Axe game.

The Yakuza/Streets of Rage mash-up, appropriately titled “Streets of Kamurocho,” features Yakuza protagonists Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima in traditional 2D pixel form brawling their way through waves of street thugs and enemy Yakuza. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=sega-60th-anniversary-streets-of-kamurocho-golden-axed-armor-of-heroes-screenshots-ign&captions=true"]

The trailer shows a brief glimpse of Kiryu’s adoptive brother Akira Nishikiyama, and with the Steam description mentioning the death of the Tojo Clan’s third chairman, it seems Streets of Kamurocho will follow the events of the first game at least loosely. The Yakuza franchise is already pretty close to a traditional brawler, with its long-running focus on physical combat, so it’s got a lot of familiar brawler trappings, including using traffic cones to whack enemies with.

Streets of Kamurocho is being developed by Empty Clip Studios, which has previously made 2D “demakes” of popular franchises like Dead Island and Final Fantasy 15.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/07/yakuza-like-a-dragon-next-gen-announcement-trailer"]

Streets of Kamurocho is free on Steam starting on October 17, and will become unavailable after 10 am PST on October 19.

The next-gen version of NBA 2K21 will feature a number of graphical and animation improvements you’d expect from the generation’s first major basketball game, but one significant new change is coming straight to your controller. In a lengthy blog post, 2K detailed how NBA 2K21 uses the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback to simulate energy and fatigue levels in your team’s players.

“Something that always excites us as developers is the introduction of new hardware features that come along with new consoles,” NBA 2K gameplay director Mike Wang writes. “When we first heard about the PlayStation 5’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, we immediately began brainstorming ways to use them to enhance the gameplay experience. As soon as we got our hands on the dev kits, our lead engineer experimented with several different prototypes to figure out what made the most sense for a basketball game.”

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/06/nba-2k21-next-gen-gameplay-reveal-trailer"]

According to 2K’s post, players will begin to feel more and more resistance on the sprint trigger as the character they’re controlling begins to run out of energy.

For players who like to run a strong postgame, the DualSense adaptive triggers will also factor in. Players with stronger postgame stats will feel very little resistance on the L2 trigger when backing down weaker opponents. Players with weaker postgame stats will have to pull harder on L2 if they want to do the same.

2K utilized the DualSense’s haptic feedback to assist with the always challenging issue of making it look realistic when players collide into one another.

If you’re still trying to figure out which team to commit to in FIFA 21’s Career Mode, here are the best teams in FIFA 21 along with some useful context so that you know what you’re getting into when you start managing any of these 10 powerful squads. In this guide, we’re going to dig into the star players and the super subs behind each of the top ten teams and talk about their advantages on the pitch so you can make a decision and choose the right squad in any game mode. If you want to edit any of the teams in FIFA 21 for use in single-player mode, all you have to do is head to the Customize tab on the main menu and choose the Edit Teams option. From there you can change formations, swap players, confirm game plans, pick tactics and choose which footballers take set pieces like corners, free kicks and penalties. Also, in the customization menu, you can use the Club Transfers option to trade players between top-flight teams to create your fantasy squad.

1 - Liverpool

5 Stars / 89 ATT / 84 MID / 86 DEF Hot off the heels of their Premier League title win in the 2019-20 season, Liverpool takes the top spot in FIFA 21 thanks to the sheer amount of versatility the team offers. With two 90 rated Wingers in Salah and Mane, the English team has stopping power up front, supported by a tight-knit midfield that strikes a strong balance between defending prowess and Pace thanks to highly adaptable players like Henderson and Wijnaldum. With world-class defenders in the back four and a superb keeper in Allison, this is the team you want to reserve in a kick-off match against your mates.

Today, October 14, Sony is releasing PlayStation 4's latest update - version 8.00 - and it brings with its changes to the existing Party and Messages features, new avatars, updated parental controls, and more. Once the new PS4 system update is downloaded, Party and Messages will be more closely linked together. Both apps will now use the same 'Groups' of players for Party voice chats and message exchanges, instead of having them living in two separate apps.

The last time Assassin’s Creed broke from its yearly release schedule, we got Assassin’s Creed Origins, a game that fundamentally changed the direction of the series from an open-world, stealth-action adventure to a full-blown open-world RPG that rivals the scope of games like The Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, and so on.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla represents only the third time Ubisoft has taken a year off in the 13 year history of the series, and while it doesn’t upend the series the way Origins did, my main takeaway from spending six hands-on hours with it is that Valhalla is significantly more ambitious and daringly different from its predecessors than one might initially think.

Good Bye, Side Quests

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s biggest departure from previous Assassin’s Creed games is that traditional side quests are no more. You won’t travel to a new area, talk to everyone with a marker over their head, and then just be loaded up with 20 different mini storylines to keep track of at any given time. But this doesn’t mean that Valhalla’s scope or scale is diminished. There are still a ton of side activities, just not in the way that you might expect. Instead, when you synchronize a new part of the map, you’ll discover a bunch of dots colored yellow, blue, or white that pinpoint those activities.

The yellow dots correspond to a side activity that will reward you with some sort of tangible item: some gold, a new piece of gear, or a book of knowledge that either teaches or upgrades a skill. The larger the dot on the map, the more substantial the challenge and greater the reward. A large yellow dot, for instance, might correspond to a heavily guarded fortress with multiple large chests, while a smaller yellow dot might represent a single chest hidden behind a minor locked door puzzle.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories on the Nintendo Game Boy Advance is one of my favorite entries in the series. I don’t know if that’s a divisive choice, but in the early days of the franchise, mashing up the known with the unknown was how it made a name for itself. So to see the series that brought Disney and Square Enix together with a new cast of characters upend its combat by throwing in a deck-based battle system feels in line with the spirit of the franchise. Now that the initial surprise of Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory’s announcement as the next game in the series following Kingdom Hearts 3 has worn off, I’ve grown more and more fond of the idea of Kingdom Hearts trying its hand at rhythm games. And, given my time with the demo build, it certainly seems the developers have married the world, combat, and wonderful soundtracks of the series with familiar yet fun rhythm gameplay that features enough Kingdom Hearts touches to keep me trying for a high score run.

Simple and Clean

It’s worth pointing out that my Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory demo featured almost nothing in the way of story details. While the trailers for the upcoming game indicate it will address some of where Kingdom Hearts 3 left the series’ universe, this demo specifically focused on the rhythm gameplay, and, thus, so will this preview. Developed in part by the team behind Square Enix’s Theatrhythm rhythm game franchise, the core of Melody of Memory should be familiar to anyone who’s tried their beat-keeping in those games, or even a Guitar Hero or Rock Band.

The default character setting for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has you play as both male and female versions of Eivor, with the gender changing at different points of the story. In a series of promotional videos called “Unleash Your Inner Viking” published here on IGN, it was revealed in Chapter 2 that there are actually three choices for Eivor when starting the game: Female, Male, or ‘Let the Animus decide’. The Animus, of course, is the machine that allows a person to experience the past through the use of genetic memory. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/13/assassins-creed-valhalla-unleash-your-inner-viking-chapter-2-open-world-customization"] Let the Animus decide is the default selection. “The Animus will represent the stronger female or male memory-stream, depending on its current strength,” says the tool tip. Clarifying the system on Twitter, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Narrative Director, Darby McDevitt, said: “It means "Let the Animus decide" is canon. And both characters will appear at various points when you choose this option. So both are canon.”

It means "Let the Animus decide" is canon. And both characters will appear at various points when you choose this option. So both are canon.

There are moments in some games that instantly bring a smile to my face, transporting me back to my childhood while the rest of the world melts into the background. That’s what taking control of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit’s augmented reality RC kart for the first time felt like. The joy of driving around my living space from a worm’s-eye view while familiar Mario characters zoom by and Koopa Shells fly across the screen is refreshingly different – at least when everything is running smoothly. All too often, frustrating technical limitations can throw a banana peel into the works.

Mario Kart Live is a wild hybrid mix of a traditional Mario Kart video game and a physical, remote-controlled toy. You use your Switch to control an actual RC car around tracks you set up in your own home, viewing the action through the car’s camera. Each course is made by placing the four included cardboard gates (no more, no less) which the camera on the car reads as you go through each one in order, but any additional loops and turns you take along the way are entirely up to you. An augmented version of that camera feed is displayed on the Switch itself, overlaying 3D item boxes, opposing AI racers, and all the other things you might expect from a regular Mario Kart game. It’s incredibly novel, though not always as smooth as that sounds.

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A Sony engineer has revealed that the size of the PS5's cooling fan is responsible for the console's large stature. The explanation comes via an article from Japan's Nikkei Xtech, which features an interview with PS5 Mechanical and Thermal Design Engineer, Yasuhiro Ootori. PlayStation fans will know Ootori from the recent PS5 disassembly video. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/07/ps5-teardown-official-hardware-deep-dive"] The article notes that the size of this cooling fan determined the size - especially the thickness - of the PS5. The 45mm fan ensures air is sucked in from both sides of the console to cool both mainboard, known as the "A side" and "B side". According to Ootori, even though the "B side" does not have the main System on a Chip installed on it, it will still generate heat similar to that generated by the PS4's System on a Chip, and so needs airflow to stay cool. The PS5 is equipped with a 120mm diameter, 45mm thick double-sided intake fan, which makes the console thicker than the both PS4 and PS4 Pro. The article also notes that Ootori considered using two separate, smaller cooling fans to make the PS5 smaller, with one fan for each side of the mainboard.  Ultimately though, Sony found that it was more costly and that controlling two cooling fans is more difficult than focusing on one. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-teardown&captions=true"] When Sony first published its PS5 teardown video, it was clear that Sony is focusing on keeping the PS5 cool and quiet.

Microsoft’s secretive AAA studio, The Initiative, has added more former Sony first-party studio employees to its ranks. This time the new employees are an ex-Naughty Dog animator who worked on the Uncharted series and both The Last of Us games, plus one of Naughty Dog’s former technical directors. Lee Davis, formerly Naughty Dog’s Head of Melee Animation, has been appointed as The Initiative’s Lead Gameplay Animator. Lauren Garcia, who was previously Naughty Dog’s Character Shading Technical Director, is now Senior Shading Technologies at Microsoft’s self-described “AAAA” developer. Garcia announced his new position on Twitter, while Davis’ appointment was spotted on LinkedIn by Twitter user Klobrille. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/25/xbox-series-x-official-optimized-for-xbox-series-x-trailer"] Both Davis and Garcia worked on The Last of Us: Part 2, which was critically acclaimed for both its animation and the visual fidelity of its characters. Davis also worked on Uncharted 2, Uncharted 4, and the original The Last of Us. Davis and Garcia are the latest additions to The Initiative, and not the first from a major Sony studio; back in 2018 the developer hired former God of War producer Brian Westergaard. Alongside these ex-Sony developers are staff who previously worked at Crystal Dynamics and Bungie.

Rock Band 4 developer Harmonix has confirmed that Rock Band 4, all DLC, and a vast array of Rock Band peripherals will work from day one on Sony and Microsoft’s next-generation consoles launching next month. While Sony has previously clarified the PS5 is compatible with “99 percent” of the “thousands” of PS4 games it has tested – and Microsoft has similarly explained almost all Xbox One games will run on Xbox Series S and X beyond a few “one-off exceptions here or there” – Rock Band 4 is in a fairly unique position. Not only does it require a pile of bespoke peripherals to play (some of which date back to the PS3 and Xbox 360) – it also supports thousands of individual pieces of DLC from a catalogue of songs stretching back to 2007. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/10/19/rock-band-4-rivals-official-launch-trailer] “Our team has been diligently testing a bunch of old gear on the new systems to make sure everything works exactly as it does today,” explained Harmonix in a new post on the studio’s official site. “When you break open those crisp new consoles, you should be able to connect your existing, compatible peripherals and play Rock Band 4 right out of the box.” “All DLC currently available for download will also work on new consoles. No messy generation transition this time, it’s the same DLC!” The team also discovered a “pretty sizable performance increase” on both new consoles, especially when it came to load times.

We finally got to play a couple of proper Xbox Series X games. We give our impressions of those titles on the Series X, plus discuss The Medium's release date, Microsoft's new plan to get xCloud game streaming onto iOS devices, and more! Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, or grab an MP3 download of this week's episode. For more awesome content, check out the latest episode of IGN Unfiltered, featuring an interview with Geoff Keighley, the creator and host of The Game Awards: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/25/geoff-keighley-talks-game-awards-hideo-kojima-xbox-vs-ps5-and-more-ign-unfiltered-53"] It's already been an incredibly fun year of Xbox coverage, and the best is yet to come. Join us! Oh, and feel free to leave us a video Loot Box question below using Yappa and you might be featured on an upcoming episode! [poilib element="accentDivider"] Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

Treyarch wrapped up the first weekend of the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta on PS4 and the developer has already made changes heading into the next beta weekend. The Black Ops Cold War beta is available on PlayStation 4 ahead of its November 13 release date.

Let's get this out of the way: Genshin Impact and its beautiful, expansive anime world of Teyvat clearly draw inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and I mean a whole heck of a lot. From the art style to the stamina-based "climb anything" mechanic to the gliding, it’s impossible not to be reminded of Link’s open-world adventures in Hyrule while exploring. But this isn't just some copycat, as Genshin Impact's fantastical world, wide array of diverse playable characters, and deep RPG systems are all unique and awesome enough to let it stand on its own two feet – and every one of the more than 120 hours I've spent in Teyvat has been an absolute blast.

Genshin Impact is a free-to-play action-adventure RPG where you play a vague and mysterious “traveler” from another world who arrives in the land of Teyvat before being attacked by a sorceress or God or...something, and your twin is captured. After waking up on a beach at level one and with zero loot, you set off on a quest to find your lost sibling that involves a whole lot of picking fruit, crafting items, and fighting deities, but surprisingly little in the way of actually searching for your twin. Because, just like during Link's rush to save Zelda, completing these quests where you *checks notes* feed ducks is way more important.

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Genshin Impact’s story is one of its weaker points, using just about every anime character trope and story cliche in the book. Characters will re-explain the same magical jargon like they’re getting paid by the word, and the story meanders from one amusing misadventure to another with little cohesion. That poor pacing certainly isn’t helped by the XP-gating that happens between each act, where you’ll need to hit an increasingly more difficult to reach Adventurer Rank to advance to the next quest.

The Doom franchise is no stranger to being installed on unexpected devices, but this might be its most delicious yet.

Instagram user Richard Mallard has managed to run Doom Eternal on his Samsung fridge thanks to xCloud.

Spotted by the Verge, Mallard shared a video of his results to his personal profile on Monday, showing an early level of Doom Eternal running and responding to his Xbox controller inputs on the Samsung fridge’s screen. Mallard achieved this by sideloading the Android version of the Xbox Game Pass app onto his not-so-mobile device.

The app actually manages to portray the correct aspect ratio on the Samsung fridge’s screen, although the screen is formatted in portrait mode, so there’s several inches of unused space. Nevertheless, the game appears to run about as smooth as you could hope for on a cloud streaming service.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/05/xcloud-might-be-xboxs-secret-weapon-unlocked-455"]

Mallard also managed to play Gears 5 multiplayer on his Samsung fridge in a subsequent video.

If you’re looking to put together an unstoppable Ultimate Team, you’re likely on the lookout for the best players in FIFA 21. Figuring out which footballers have the top in-game statistics can help you plan out your transfer market trades and create optimistic concept squads for the future of your virtual club. It also means you can pin down the players you need in the transfer window when you kick off your Career Mode.

We’re going to run through the statistics behind the top 100 players in the game, with context added for the top 10 footballers. Follow along with our handy guide to figure out how your favourite player stacks up against the competition.

Axiom Verge 2 has been delayed, according to developer Tom Happ. And while there’s no new release date, Hopp hopes to deliver his Metroidvania sequel in the first half of 2021. In a new blog post, Happ apologized for the delay writing, “About this time last year, I released the first (and still to date only) trailer for Axiom Verge 2, which ended boldly with the words ‘COMING FALL 2020’ in all caps. Alas, despite doing everything I could to make good on my prediction, it will not come to pass,” Happ writes. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/10/axiom-verge-2-announcement-trailer"] Happ says some unforeseen development factors have led to the delay. For one, enemies are more sophisticated in Axiom Verge 2, as well as improvements to the Address Disruptor tool have contributed to the longer development time. Of course, there’s the COVID-19 pandemic, which Happ says has affected his development time as it has many other developers. Still, Axiom Verge 2 is on the way so in the meantime check out IGN’s review of Axiom Verge. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Ex-rapper Logic is the proud owner of a first-edition holographic Charizard Pokemon card which he purchased for a staggering price of $220,574. This is the highest known sale of this specific Pokemon card to-date. As reported by CNET by way of a Twitter post, the Charizard card is rated PSA 10 — the highest rating offered for collectible trading cards. This means the card is in perfect mint condition. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=charizard-and-more-from-darkness-ablaze-ign-exclusive&captions=true"] The auction was handled by Iconic Auctions on October 9, 2020. The final bid came in at $183,812.00 before the 20% buyer's premium was added in, bringing it to the record-setting price of $220,574. Logic is no stranger to Pokemon cards, In fact, he recently purchased a $23,000 base set box in which he proceeded to pull (yep, you guessed it) a holographic Charizard card, although this one was not the ultra-rare first-edition type.

Just opened a $23k Pokémon base set box! Only a few packs in but Look what I pulled!! YOLO pic.twitter.com/hr2ETLADft

Assemble your team of Super-Heroes as the all-new Marvel Knockout Super Series has arrived. The tournament series is set to celebrate four different Marvel superheroes, with the first Cup featuring the Man Without Fear, Daredevil. Those that participate will have the chance to earn the Daredevil Outfit and Nexus War Gilder for free. For more information on unlocking the Daredevil Outfit and Nexus War Glider, we have you covered in our detailed Daredevil Cup guide below.

What is the Daredevil Cup in Fortnite?

The Daredevil Cup is a trios competition that takes place in the Marvel Knockout Limited-Time Mode on October 14. Those that place within the required rankings for their region will unlock the Daredevil Skin for free. While the winners may have early access to the skin, don't fret as the outfit will eventually make its way to the Item Shop on October 17. Dubbed the Marvel Knockout Super Series, the Daredevil Cup is just the first of four competitive cups that are set to all take place in the Marvel Knockout LTM. The super series competition will be rounded out with a massive $1,000,000 tournament on November 21. While there are currently no dates set for the remaining three cups, they are scheduled to take place sometime in November. Epic Games has stated that you can expect more information regarding the competitions at the beginning of November.

When is the Daredevil Cup and What Time Does it Start?

If you would like to participate, the Daredevil Cup takes place Wednesday, October 14, and starts at 2 pm PST/5 pm ET. You can also confirm your region's official start time by checking the in-game tournament calendar.

From the roughly 20 hours of adventuring in Baldur’s Gate 3 at its Early Access launch, I can already tell you that this is probably the closest a story-focused RPG of this kind has come to emulating the experience of tabletop Dungeons & Dragons. The systems here allow me to do exactly the kind of clever but ridiculous things I would ask a human Dungeon Master if I can do. Rather than the simple “no” you would get from most RPGs when you ask if you can skip an entire quest by climbing around the backside of a mountain and sneaking into the bad guy’s lair, Baldur’s Gate 3 will tell you to roll for it. It’s an impressive start, but it’s definitely a very early early access game. There are just enough frustrating bugs and exposed areas of missing polish that a lot of people are going to be better off waiting until it’s finished before jumping in.

The flexible interactions between character abilities and the world allow each class the chance to shine in ways they normally wouldn’t. My elven wizard always had a spell prepared that triples a target’s jump distance. While this would be a very situational ability in most games, not really worth spending a spell slot on, in BG3 it can allow you to reach hidden treasure, gain a vantage point to rain down destruction with advantage, or even bypass obstacles entirely by taking to the rooftops. I ended up having to remind myself to take a few combat spells because I was so excited about all the interesting ways I could use the utility ones in combination. I like to play my wizards as sort of mystical Swiss army knives on the tabletop, not the glass artillery pieces they are in most digital RPGs, and I’m so thrilled to be able to do that here. Larian treats level design and environmental interaction as part of how you win battles and solve puzzles, and it works brilliantly in their envisioning of Faerûn.

This week in RDO, take on a brand new Ruddy Moose sighting mission, score 50% additional payouts on bear pelts, and more.

Hey, listen! We love hearing your feedback on Nintendo Voice Chat, and now you once again have the chance to make your voice heard on NVC. At the bottom of this article, you will find an option that lets you share a brief video with us and the IGN community, powered by audio and video commenting tool, Yappa. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit launches this Friday, bringing Mario Kart into your living room. However, it's definitely not a traditional Mario Kart experience. In fact, the last original, mainline Mario Kart game we got was Mario Kart 8, which released on Wii U in 2014. Since then, we've seen Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Kart Tour, and now, Mario Kart Live. So, we want as many NVC fans as we can get to answer this question for next week's episode: Is it time for a new, traditional Mario Kart game?  Bonus: Do you want to see a new Mario Kart game on Switch, or can you wait until whatever hardware Nintendo comes out with next?

Here's how you can participate:

• Create a Yappa account or sign in with a Facebook, Google, Disqus, or LinkedIn account.
• Look for the video commenting box at the bottom of our articles on both desktop and mobile web. Note that the feature is currently not available on our mobile apps.
• Hit the green bar with the speech bubble icon, allow access to your mic and camera if your permission settings require that step.
• You can choose between audio and video recording. We’d prefer video to see your face (and only your face, please -- although Samus and Master Chief helmets or God of War face paint, etc. are cool with us), but you can use the audio-only option if you’re having a bad hair day.
• When you can see your face, hit record to start recording your video. Hit stop when you’re done.

During it's iPhone 12 event today, Apple announced that League of Legends: Wild Rift, the upcoming mobile version of League of Legends, would be coming to iOS. Wild Rift, which was first announced a year ago, features a twin-stick movement system alongside other changes from the PC version of League. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=apple-hi-speed-event&captions=true"] While an official date has not been announced yet, Apple said that Wild Rift would be coming to iPhone devices later this year. The game is also slated for Android devices and consoles. Those interested can register for the closed beta. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Apple has announced its next-generation iPhones: the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. This year's new model brings quite a number of changes with bigger screen sizes, a new squared off design that is reminiscent of the iPhone 4, and full 5G connectivity. The iPhone 12 Pro will start at $999 and the iPhone 12 Pro Max will start at $1,099. Pre-orders will go live for the iPhone 12 Pro on October 16, with a release date of October 23. The iPhone Pro Max will be available for pre-order on November 6, and it will be released a week later on November 13. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=apple-hi-speed-event&captions=true"] The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will come in four finishes - Silver, Graphite, Gold, and Pacific Blue. They also feature Apple's Super Retina XDR OLED display, the new A14 Bionic chip, HDR Video Recording, and the Ceramic Shield technology that ensures the device's glass is tougher than ever before. Both devices will offer capacities of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB and feature Apple's MagSafe technology to allow for quicker wireless charging and accessories, like a wallet, that can attach to the back of an iPhone 12 via a magnet. The iPhone 12 Pro series is getting Apple's first optical zoom lenses and you'll be able to zoom up to 4x optically on the iPhone 12 Pro. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is getting a few extra camera features over its smaller brother with a 65mm equivalent focal length telephoto lens for up to 5x optical zoom, plus the wide-angle camera features a 47% larger sensor with Optical Image Stabilization.

Apple has announced the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 Mini, its first 5G-enabled smartphones. They will be available for starting prices of $699 and $799, respectively, and both will offer capacities of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. The iPhone 12 will be available for pre-order on October 16, and will be released on October 23. The iPhone Mini's pre-orders will go live on November 6, and will release a week later on November 13. It's also important to note that the iPhone 12 Mini will feature everything included in the iPhone 12, just in a smaller form-factor. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=apple-hi-speed-event&captions=true"] The iPhone 12 models feature a Super Retina XDR OLED display that has 2x the pixels of the iPhone 11. The iPhone 12 has a 2532-by-1170-pixel resolution at 460 ppi and the iPhone 12 Mini has a 2340-by-1080-pixel resolution at 476 ppi. The 5G network also supports speeds of up to 4Gbps download in ideal conditions, and up to 200mbps upload. Both devices also boast an HDR display, True Tone, Wide color (P3), Haptic Touch, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 625 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits max brightness (HDR), and fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. The new iPhone will come in five colors - black, white, green, red, and blue, and is 11% thinner, 15% smaller, and 16% lighter than the iPhone 11.

All Xbox 360 users will be able to bring their save data with them to the Xbox Series X and S. In a blog post detailing save data, performance, and more, Microsoft announced cloud saves will soon be free to all Xbox 360 users, allowing players to bring their old 360 saves with them to the next generation at no additional cost. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=xbox-series-s-and-series-x-comparison-photos&captions=true"] Previously, cloud saves on the 360 were locked behind an active Xbox Live subscription, but this new feature will allow all 360 owners to preserve their save data in the cloud. Microsoft reiterated that your digital library of Xbox games will appear upon signing into the Xbox Series X or S, and compatible discs from the Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox will work on the Xbox Series X. Additionally, if you have games installed on an external drive, you can plug it into your new Xbox to access those titles. Xbox once again said games will play best on the next-gen consoles, confirming that backward compatible games run with the full power of the CPU, GPU, and SSD of the Series X/S. Microsoft is also promising methods to double the framerate and provide 1440p resolution on select backwards compatible titles. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/12/dirt-5-xbox-series-x-hands-on-preview"] We've gone hands-on with the Xbox Series X, and you can read our impressions of quick resume, backwards compatibility, and load times on Xbox Series X.

Apple's iPhone event might be a month later than usual this year, but it was a big spectacle worth waiting for. It was a big show for Apple with four new iPhones ranging in sizes from 5.4-inches to 6.7-inches. Apple also introduced a smaller HomePod mini speaker, and at $99 we can easily see homes filling up with more than one of these. In case you missed it, here are all the announcements Apple made today in one neat and tidy place.

Apple HomePod mini

Apple’s original HomePod speaker is a beefy unit that goes for a hearty $299 price, that might just be too chunky for everyone. That’s exactly why Apple announced the smaller Apple HomePod mini, a far smaller speaker. Inside the HomePod mini, you’ll find one driver, two passive radiators, and an "acoustic waveguide" on the bottom. Powering the whole thing is Apple’s S5 processor, which is the same chip that powers the recently announced Apple Watch SE. The HomePod mini uses this processor to dynamically tune itself using "computational audio." Using this feature the HomePod mini will adjust how loud it is, its dynamic range, and more by measuring how it sounds in your room 180 times a second. With its new spherical shape, this Bluetooth speaker might have been more aptly named the HomeSphere, but it definitely seems to be a direct competitor to the new Echo Dot that Amazon recently unveiled.

Nintendo has taken legal action against a TikTok user with 1.9 million followers, forcing them to change their name and pay back all money earned through use of the Pokemon brand. TikTok influencer Digitalprincxss - formerly known as Pokeprincxss - was contacted by Nintendo after attempting to trademark her Pokemon-inspired username. The company issued a cease-and-desist order, informing Pokeprincxss that her username and merchandise - which features Pokemon imagery - infringed Nintendo’s copyright. She has since been forced to change her username and pay back all money earned via sales of the Pokemon-featuring merch to Nintendo. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/05/10-best-legendary-pokemon"] Digitalprincxss also runs a successful OnlyFans account, which she believes contributes to Nintendo’s action against her. “Nintendo doesn’t want people to think that I’m in any way, shape or form affiliated with them, or that I have a partnership with them, and it all comes back to me being an adult entertainer,” she said in a video explaining her name change. Talking to Kotaku, Digitalprincxss said: “I want to make it clear that I’m not trying to play the victim in the situation, and only hope to be somebody people can learn from and not make the same mistakes I did.” “It’s kind of a cool thing to say, that...the ones who made my childhood so cool, they finally noticed me! All it took was for me to infringe on everything about them,” she added, which seems to show that she’s taking the situation in good spirits. For Nintendo merch that doesn't infringe copyright, why not check out the IGN store?

Update: In a DM to IGN, modder Lance McDonald clarified his plans for the Bloodborne 60 fps mod. Instead of issuing anything resembling an ultimatum to Sony, McDonald said that the plan was always to wait until Sony makes clear what its plans are for Bloodborne in the future. "I said I was going to wait for Sony to clarify their plans with Bloodborne before releasing my patch," McDonald tells IGN. "[I]t was misunderstood somehow to mean I was going to wait for Sony to refuse to patch the game before I'd release mine." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Original Story: A prolific console game modder has managed to get Bloodborne running at 60 frames-per-second, but has decided to hold back on making the mod public and will wait to see if Sony upgrades the game for PS5 first. Lance McDonald - perhaps best known for his work with PT - recently shared a video showing Bloodborne running at 60fps. In the comments of the video, he stated his intention to release the mod to the public: “I’ll be releasing this patch publicly once the PlayStation 5 has released and Sony have made it clear whether or not Bloodborne will be enhanced on that system in any way,” he said. “Out of respect for PlayStation, I want them to have the first chance to put 60 fps Bloodborne into the hands of players.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/03/27/bloodborne-review"] Should Sony’s Boost Mode for PS5 not bring Bloodborne up to 60 fps, then McDonald will release the mod for players to use. It should be noted, though, that PS4’s are not simple to apply mods to like PCs are, so it will require some technical know-how to use. The standard debug menu for Bloodborne can double the framerate, but this also doubles the gameplay speed.

Ubisoft's next massive, open-world Assassin's Creed is just over the horizon, finally delivering on the long-requested Viking experience with Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Ahead of Assassin's Creed Valhalla's November 10 launch on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, and Stadia, Ubisoft has created a series that takes a look at folks tired of the mundane trappings of the real world and looking to unleash their inner Vikings. You can watch each video in the three-part series below, starring some familiar faces of comedy and one particularly hairy, slightly crazy Norseman. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/13/assassins-creed-valhalla-unleash-your-inner-viking-chapter-1-dual-wielding-raiding"] Unleash Your Inner Viking – Chapter 1: Ubisoft invites you to join a group of aspiring Vikings on a journey of self-discovery as they learn the ways of Eivor, including dual-wielding and raiding, in the first chapter of Unleash Your Inner Viking presented by Assassin's Creed Valhalla. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/13/assassins-creed-valhalla-unleash-your-inner-viking-chapter-2-open-world-customization"] Unleash Your Inner Viking – Chapter 2: The gang continues their quest to unlock their Viking potential, including exploring a Dark Age open-world and customizing Eivor, in the second chapter of Unleash Your Inner Viking presented by Assassin's Creed Valhalla. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/13/assassins-creed-valhalla-unleash-your-inner-viking-chapter-3-mythology-more"] Unleash Your Inner Viking – Chapter 3: The group of would-be Vikings concludes their self-help journey, including traveling to legendary realms of Norse mythology, building up a Viking settlement, and creating a Jomsviking - a customizable raider that can be shared online, in the third and final chapter of Unleash Your Inner Viking presented by Assassin's Creed Valhalla. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Brandin Tyrrel is a Senior Editor at IGN.

Infinity Ward’s latest patch for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has finally provided options for PC players to uninstall specific game modes. A tweet from Infinity Ward’s Production Director, Paul Haile, revealed that the update would include the much-requested feature.

tomorrows update will have mode specific uninstall options for PC MW owners.

A talented park editor has recreated Super Mario Sunshine's Delfino Plaza in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2. Reddit user Gunderstank16 has gone to great lengths to envision the paint-soaked, waterlogged hub of Super Mario Sunshine in the most recent remake of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, which features a fleshed-out set of map creation tools as part of the Create a Park system. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/13/tony-hawks-pro-skater-12-create-a-park-delfino-plaza-gameplay"] You can check out a video of the map in action above, where the map's creator skates it dressed as Mario, complete with complimentary red grip tape on his skateboard. The map has all of the famous architecture from the Gamecube Mario game, including the gigantic Shine plinth that frames the plaza and the many palm trees by the water's edge. In absence of the FLUDD, there are many rails placed to ensure that your chosen skater can get around and preserve their lines. "Been playing a lot of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 and Super Mario 3D All Stars back to back," said Gunderstank16 in the description of his video on YouTube. "Figured I'd mess around in the editor for awhile and see if I could actually remake Delfino Plaza from Super Mario Sunshine." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/29/tony-hawks-pro-skater-1-2-accolades-trailer"] Gunderstank16 is also responsible for a killer rendition of Bob-Omb Battlefield from Super Mario 64, which is similarly detailed and skate-ready.

Rockstar Games appears to have purchased Crackdown 2 developer Ruffian Games, taking the studio under its wing and rebranding it as Rockstar Dundee. The news arrives thanks to a report from The Gamer, which noted a series of Companies House listings confirming the acquisition and name change. The page for Rockstar Dundee lists 10 major filings all on October 6, 2020, which include the name change, a change of registered address, Take-Two Interactive Software assuming significant control of the company, and a series of new employees being confirmed as directors of the studio. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/07/02/crackdown-2-x360-video-review"] Studio head Gary Liddon and Creative Director Billy Thomson co-founded Ruffian Games in 2008, but both appear to have left the company in the wake of the acquisition, with filings pointing to the cessation of their position as directors at the studio and loss of significant control. A tweet from the official Ruffian Games account posted back in October 2019 noted that they were working on "unspecified titles for @RockstarGames". That points to Ruffian Games having been working with Rockstar for at least a year before being officially absorbed into the publisher. Whatever this transformation into Rockstar Dundee means is anyone's guess, but they join a cavalcade of studios working on future games for Rockstar. As well as Crackdown 2, Ruffian had previously worked on Kinect Star Wars, Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Crackdown 3.