This feature is part of AI Week. For more stories, including How AI Could Doom Animation and comments from experts like Tim Sweeney, check out our hub.

"You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door. There is a small mailbox here."

Will you open the mailbox, or head for the house? The choice was yours in the opening scenario of Zork, a 1977 text-based adventure game that's one of the most famous examples of the genre.

Choices are at the foundation of the text-based games. However, there are usually only a few possible paths to take based on how the creator has written the scenario. But what if your choice was truly limitless, because the story hadn't been written yet?

That's the power of AI-generated text-based RPGs, a growing fad that's become even more popular in recent months thanks to the rise of ChatGPT and GPT-4.

Disney Illusion Island is an adorable four-player 2D platformer that's set to release this year on July 28. If you simply can't wait until its release date to buy it, though, you can jump on pre-orders for it right now.

Below, you can see links to several different outlets where you can pick up the game. If you’re looking for a physical copy to pre-order, you can find ones at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and GameStop. Or, if you’d prefer to have a digital copy, we have the ol’ reliable Nintendo eShop listed below as well.

Where to Pre-order Disney Illusion Island

There are no preorder bonuses or special editions for this game, at least not that have been announced. If that changes, we'll add them here.

Disney Illusion Island Trailer

What Is Disney Illusion Island?

Disney Illusion Island was first shown off at last year's D23 in September and is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. As stated earlier, it's a cooperative 2D platformer that sees Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy off on a quest to save a mysterious new area they encounter, the titular Island, from disaster. It’s worth noting that the entire campaign is playable in four-player co-op as well!

Like an Orange County socialite, Dead Island 2’s great looks and seemingly ideal first impression belies a striking lack of imagination. On one hand, Dambuster Studios has delivered a charming and hilarious apocalyptic sequel to the 2011 original that’s littered with great one-liners and dismembered body parts in equal measure. But aside from its balls-to-the-wall silliness and considerable comedy chops, there just isn’t much to it that hasn’t been done better in a dozen other zombie-filled games since the original Dead Island came out more than a decade ago, including and especially Dying Light 1 and Dying Light 2 (which, notably, were made by Techland, the studio that created Dead Island). But even though it lacks originality, Dead Island 2 still competently executes on its over-the-top, LA-based zombie parody and injects some much-needed botox into a series that’s been languishing for far too long. Making Hollywood’s red carpets even redder by applying generous helpings of gore was laugh-out-loud funny and time generally well-spent.

This might be the absolute best Star Wars Jedi Survivor deal we see before release day on April 28, but you've only got the rest of the day to secure it (April 18). You can currently get 15% off select purchases from trusted retailers at eBay, and this includes the Star Wars Jedi Survivor listing at The Game Collection.

Down to just £53.51 after using the promo code APRIL15 at checkout, you're saving a total of £16.49 on your preorder. This is an awesome deal on one of the most anticipated games of 2023, and well worth checking out before the promo code expires today.

It's a big few weeks for games as well, as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is also out on May 12; preorders are also down to £44.99 at Currys with code ZELDA25 at checkout. We've left some handy links to the preorder deal just below, and make sure you're following @IGNUKDeals on Twitter for more updates.

TL;DR - Best UK Deals Right Now

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Collector's Edition Preorders Are Back In Stock for £109.99

Argos currently has a new allocation of The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom collector's edition preorders available. These are listed at £109.99 (as opposed to when they were previously listed for £139.99). Preorders are still available at the time of writing, and you can secure one through our handy link here, or by clicking through the shopping info left below as well.

Pokemon Go developer Niantic and Capcom have announced Monster Hunter Now, a real-world action RPG mobile game that is set to be released in September 2023 on iOS and Android devices that will allow you and your friends to take down iconic monsters like the Rathalos and Great Jagras on your next walk around the neighborhood.

IGN and other members of the press were able to attend a hands-off presentation of Monster Hunter Now and the team made it very clear that they want to keep the best parts of Monster Hunter intact during the transition to the mobile space. Additionally, Monster Hunter Now is meant to be accessible to newcomers and veterans of the franchise alike.

Some of these veterans and newcomers will be able to test that promise for themselves as Monster Hunter Now's closed beta will begin on April 25. Players can register for the beta on MonsterHunterNow.com and the team confirmed that those accepted will be able to battle monsters with the Sword and Shield, Great Sword, and Light Bowgun. Now, on to the game itself.

Much like Pokemon GO, Monster Hunter Now will have players encountering monsters as they walk around the real world. However, it differs from Pokemon GO when the battles take place as it becomes an action RPG that is reminiscent of its console counterpart, if a bit simplified. Via taps and flicks, players will be able to use their favorite weapons to take down massive monsters in a stylish and powerful way. Niantic also teased that there will be a story of sorts in Monster Hunter Now and that new and familiar faces will show up along the way.

Alien has a long history with shooters, but not so much with RPGs. Obsidian tried to change that in the 2000s with Aliens: Crucible, an early Onyx engine game published by Sega described as "Mass Effect but more terrifying." It was ultimately shelved with little explanation and subsequently forgotten until this past weekend, when Pentiment director Josh Sawyer talked about some of what he described as the "dysfunction" around the project.

"I got to work on an Aliens RPG for SEGA from 2006-2009. Obsidian didn't have directors at that time, just leads who were all considered peers. It resulted in a lot of dysfunction when the leads didn't agree on how to do something," he explained.

There were a lot of cool ideas in the works, but you don't ship ideas! The biggest lesson I learned from the experience is that if you don't have playable levels, you don't have much of a game (there are some exceptions, of course).

— Josh Sawyer (@jesawyer) April 16, 2023

In the thread that followed, Sawyer said that progress on Crucible was "slow," and that Obsidian had "a lot of cool ideas in the works, but you don't ship ideas." One of those purported ideas, which has been described elsewhere, is that squadmates could get impregnated, whereupon you would have to decide whether to mercy kill them, put them in a sleep chamber and use them sparingly, or simply let them pop.

Frank O'Connor is the latest longtime Halo developer to depart the series, with Xbox confirming to Axios in a statement that the longtime franchise director has departed after two decades with the series.

"We thank Frank for his numerous contributions to the Halo franchise and wish him well going forward," Microsoft said in a statement.

Rumors of O'Connor's departure began when fans noted a Linkedin update showing that he was no longer with the company. He began as a content manager for Bungie in late 2003, where he wrote the Bungie Weekly Update. He joined Microsoft Studios in 2008, which allowed him to stay with the franchise even after Bungie split.

Microsoft confirms the departure of longtime Halo franchise director Frank O'Connor, who worked on Master Chief's games for two decades: "We thank Frank for his numerous contributions to the Halo franchise and wish him well going forward."

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) April 17, 2023

He was a familiar figure among Halo fans, appearing in Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn as Beamish the Janitor and co-authoring Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe. He subsequently rose to the role of development director on Halo 5 and Halo Infinite, frequently serving as a spokeperson for the franchise.

"I feel like it's been long enough now to come out and say Star Wars Battlefront III was gonnae [sic] be legit incredible and the fact it got cancelled 2 yards from the finish line is an absolute crime," former Star Wars Battlefront 3 developer Michael Barclay tweeted over the weekend.

Barclay was referring to Free Radical's Star Wars Battlefront 3, which was in development until it was canceled in 2008. His statement came in response to a simple question posed at developers: "Alright #gamedev folks, what's your 'one that got away?' It can be an IP you wanted to work on, a studio you wanted to work for, anything of the sort."

Barclay, who now works as a lead designer at Naughty Dog, shared his own story and added, "Gamers don't know what they were robbed of."

I feel like it’s been long enough now to come out and say Star Wars Battlefront III was gonnae be legit incredible and the fact it got cancelled 2 yards from the finish line is an absolute crime. Gamers don’t know what they were robbed of. https://t.co/zZUu8JR3iV

— Michael Barclay (@MotleyGrue) April 16, 2023

Battlefront III's complicated history.

Barclay's claim isn't a new one. Way back in 2012, Free Radical cofounder Steve Ellis also claimed that Star Wars Battlefront 3 was "99 percent done." This prompted a former LucasArts employee to lash out at the studio, which has since undergone multiple iterations before reopening under Deep Silver in 2021.

Diablo 4 has gone gold, but there are currently no plans for a quality-of-life feature that's been a series staple. On Twitter, the official Diablo account confirmed that the game has gone gold ahead of its June 6 release date.

#DiabloIV has Gone Gold. Can you feel her presence now?

See you in Sanctuary. 6.6.23 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OGX8oACUCr

— Diablo (@Diablo) April 17, 2023

However, it seems the launch of Diablo 4 won't include a fan-favorite feature that makes exploring more convenient: An overlay map. When asked on Twitter if a TAB overlay map will eventually get added to Diablo 4, Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson simply replied, "No plans at the moment."

Overlay maps allow players to look at the map while still maintaining control of their character. They're perfect for a top-down multiplayer game like Diablo where you'll likely want to examine your surroundings without pausing the game entirely.

No plans at the moment.

Most of us know playing board games with friends and family can be a great way to spend your free time. But what about turning to board games when you find yourself alone and looking for something to pass the time? It's not as strange as it may sound, because many board games these days are designed to be played solo, or at least have a fun solitaire mode. From strategy games to roll-and-write board games and everything in between, there are many options available for solo play. Below, we'll take a look at some of the best board games that can be played alone, giving you a chance to relax and unwind while still engaging your mind.

Warner Bros. Games has announced a "standalone Quidditch experience" called Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, and playtest signups are now open.

According to the game's FAQ page, Quidditch Champions is will allow players to partake in the Wizarding World's iconic sport and "other broomstick adventures alongside friends in a competitive, multiplayer setting." Playing the game requires constant internet connection, hence Warner Bros. Games is holding a limited playtest for people to try out the new Harry Potter title.

Calling all Beaters, Chasers, Keepers, and Seekers! Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions limited playtest signups are live now! Sign up at https://t.co/E9cQekLOzV. #QuidditchChampions pic.twitter.com/AQhKfg4NKD

— Warner Bros. Games (@wbgames) April 17, 2023

During the playtest, you can either play the game by yourself or you can team up with friends and other people online. You'll also be able to create and customize your character to your liking.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be out very soon. It's slated to release for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on April 28. A sequel to the acclaimed 2019 game subtitled Fallen Order, Survivor catches up with fiery hero Cal Kestis when he’s a full-blown Jedi Knight. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be available in a number of editions and comes with a nice little preorder bonus (see it at Amazon). We have full details about the release below.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

PS5

• Get it at Amazon - $69.99
• Get it at Best Buy - $69.99 (free $10 gift card)
• Get it at GameStop - $69.99
• Get it at Walmart - $69.99
• Get it at PS Store (digital) - $69.99

Xbox Series X|S

• Get it at Amazon - $69.99
• Get it at Best Buy - $69.99 (free $10 gift card)
• Get it at GameStop - $69.99
• Get it at Walmart - $69.99
• Get it at Xbox Store (digital) - $69.99

PC

• Get it at Best Buy - $69.99 (free $10 gift card)
• Get it at Steam - $69.99

The standard edition comes with the game itself, plus the preorder bonus, about which more below.

Spending time with the family can be a lot of fun, even if you don't want a screen involved. Board games have been a popular pastime for families for generations. Not only do they provide entertainment and quality time, but they can also improve cognitive skills and promote teamwork and communication. With so many options available, choosing the best board games for your family can be overwhelming. That's why we've compiled a list of the best family board games that are sure to please everyone, from young children to grandparents.

One important consideration for family game night is theme. Board games for adults can be fun, but it would be inappropriate for younger players, for instance, to blast through hordes of the undead in Zombicide. And some of the best board games for kids might try the patience of older children. The games below are appropriate for all ages, and they offer a mix of strategy, luck, and fun, making them perfect for family game night or any gathering.

Today both Amazon and Walmart are offering the official Xbox Series X|S Core wireless controller in Electric Volt for only $39.99 with free shipping. That's almost 40% off the original $65 MSRP. Only the Electric Volt color has been discounted down to this price, the rest of the colors are more expensive. Aside from the difference in color scheme, this is the same controller as the one that's included with your Xbox Series X or S console.

Xbox Core Controller in Electric Volt for $39.99

This controller is based on the Xbox Series X|S controller design, but it will also work on Xbox One. It features textured triggers, bumpers, and back case, making it easier to hold. It also features the disc-like D-pad for more precise input in all eight directions, and the Share button to send your screenshots and video out into the world.

Electric Volt is one of the brightest colors available, and probably the best one to get if you misplace your controllers often. This one features a high-vis yellow top case and analog sticks, with a black hybrid D-pad and face buttons. The bumpers and triggers are also black, but the back case is white.

For more deals, take a look at our daily deals for today.

Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, has promised he'll deliver new content in the Version 1.6 update.

The developer announced on Twitter Monday saying he's working on the new update, and that he's pausing development on Haunted Chocolatier in order to do so. The update will mostly come with features that allow modders to mod elements of Stardew Valley more easily. The game will also receive other new content, but the package will be smaller than it was in the Version 1.5 update.

There is going to be a Stardew 1.6 update. It's mostly changes for modders (which will make it easier & more powerful to mod). But there is also new game content, albeit much less than 1.5. I'm taking a break from Haunted Chocolatier to work on this at the moment. Then back to HC

— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) April 16, 2023

One of the fans replied to ConcernedApe's tweet asking about the type of other new content that will be added with the Version 1.6 patch, specifically whether the characters will have more dialogue. He confirmed that "the new update will have some more dialogues," and that it is currently being added into the game.

Wuthering Waves is a multi-platform free-to-play action RPG by Kuro Game. Wuthering Waves emphasizes freedom and exploration in its fast-paced Player-versus-Enemy (PvE) combat. If you're a fan of free-to-play games that offer deep gameplay mechanics, you should keep an eye on Wuthering Waves' upcoming closed beta.

A Story of Catastrophe and Recovery (and Catastrophe)

The world of Wuthering Waves was bombarded by an apocalyptic event called the "Calament" over a century ago. Strange beings arrived and sowed havoc and violence across the lands, leaving the dregs of civilization to tremble on the edge of annihilation.

Paramount has enlisted a star-studded cast to appear alongside Idris Elba's echidna in the Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off series Knuckles.

In addition to Elba reprising his role from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Adam Pally will return to our screens as Wade Whipple alongside Tika Sumpter, who will continue in her role as Maddie Wachowski from the Sonic movies, with Game of Thrones alum Rory McCann also guest starring.

The show will also star Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, and Ellie Taylor in recurring roles, though details of those roles are currently unknown. Additional cast members will also be announced in due course, as production on the series kicked off earlier this month.

The upcoming series takes place between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which is due to hit theaters on December 20, 2024. The show will set Knuckles on an action-packed path of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade as his protégé.

All of the key creative team from the previous movies are returning for the new series, including director Jeff Fowler, who is helming the pilot episode from a script written by head writer John Whittington. The other series writers include Brian Schacter and James Madejski.

Additional directors for the Knuckles series include Ged Wright, Brandon Trost, Jorma Taccone, and Carol Banker. Elba will serve as an executive producer alongside Whittington, Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara — who were all featured on the films' creative team.

Joseph Staten, one the original architects of Halo who came in late in Halo Infinite's development process to help land that very important plane for Microsoft, has joined Netflix as the creative director of Netflix Games. He is building a new AAA multiplatform game and original IP.

"In my work life, there's nothing I love more than collaborating with others to build worlds filled with iconic characters, deep mysteries, and endless adventures," Staten told IGN. "So today, I'm thrilled to announce that I've joined Netflix Games as Creative Director for a brand-new AAA multiplatform game and original IP. Let's go!"

This comes after Staten first shifted back to the Xbox Publishing role he'd been at prior to joining 343 Industries as Halo Infinite's creative director following the recent shakeup at the Halo development studio, and then recently left Microsoft altogether. We now know that it was to join Netflix, who has quietly been building up its game development arm, acquiring talented developers like Oxenfree developer Night School Studio.

While it may seem like all the fuss about artificial intelligence is a recent phenomenon thanks to endless commentary shared daily on social media about ChatGPT and similar chatbots, the concept has been around for nearly 70 years. Originally coined by computer scientist John McCarthy in 1956 during his tenure at MIT, the term has since inspired researchers, scientists, writers, and creators of every kind of entertainment imaginable. The notion of machines being able to “think” goes back even further, with its first appearance in cinema being German director Fritz Lang’s 1927 depiction of a dystopian future in his movie Metropolis.

Given its apparent ubiquity in current popular culture, and its longstanding ties to the ways we’ve collectively described characters’ behavior in video games, there’s a lot to talk about right now. AI is unquestionably the buzzword topic of the moment, easily overshadowing recent tech bro hypegasms like NFTs, blockchain, and the Metaverse, but it's also influencing change in every facet of what IGN covers each day, from games to movies and television.

This feature is part of AI Week. For more stories, including How AI Could Doom Animation and comments from experts like Tim Sweeney, check out our hub.

All anyone wants to talk about in the games industry is AI. The technology — once a twinkle in the eye of sci-fi writers and futurists — has shot off like a bottle rocket. Every day we're greeted with fascinating and perturbing new advances in machine learning. Right now, you can converse with your computer on ChatGPT, sock-puppet a celebrity's voice with ElevenLabs, and generate a slate of concept art with MidJourney.

It is perhaps only a matter of time before AI starts making significant headway in the business of game development, so to kick off AI week at IGN, we talked to a range of experts in the field about their hopes and fears for this brave new world, and some are more skeptical than you'd expect.

This feature is part of AI Week. For more stories, including How AI Could Doom Animation and comments from experts like Tim Sweeney, check out our hub.

Accessibility is continuously evolving. Despite games consistently including options like customizable controls, subtitles, and colorblind settings, the tools that disabled players require are still changing to not only meet the needs of users, but games themselves. With the progression of technology, developers can fine-tune existing options or even create new features like Audio Descriptive Cutscenes. But what role does AI play in game accessibility?

AI is everywhere – on your phones, smart assistant devices like Alexa, and even in your games. It’s already a core aspect of daily life, one that helps and entertains. Yet, the true potential of AI still feels like it’s in its infancy, especially for disabled players.

While I am not a developer, I understand what I need and what disabled players look for, but as for making everything run smoothly, I leave that to studios. Some of these suggestions may already be in development, and others may be so far-fetched that they exist only in my imagination. So, for this month’s Access Designed, let’s theorize some ways that AI could positively and negatively impact accessibility in the future.

Naughty Dog has finally released The Last of Us Part I onto PC. The launch did not go without a hitch, but is this really as bad of a port as the internet would lead you to believe?

Crashing onto PC

Context first: the game & engine were designed around the unique architecture of the PlayStation 3, a powerful yet complex piece of hardware with unique requirements. Although it was ported to the PS4, the core engine underneath was a modified version of that same PS3 design, based on mass Asynchronous work. Even Naughty Dog itself had severe issues getting the game to run at 60fps, which required maximizing the CPU and GPU with a triple buffered rendering pipeline, and suffice it to say that porting to PC is an even greater challenge than that PS4 port.

Many of the problems at launch would cause crashes – often. I counted 12 separate crashes from starting the game until meeting Ellie, and this was on an AMD GPU which, unsurprisingly, this game favors. Nvidia players had it worse, or at least based on my testing with an RTX 2070. The main cause stems from memory limitations as you exceed the VRAM requirements, which then bleeds out into the shared graphics memory within your system RAM, causing hard page faults, reduced performance, and increased CPU demands alongside other memory related issues. This effectively leads to the modern day equivalent of the BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death), killing the executable mid execution.

Media Molecule co-founder and creative director Mark Healey has announced that he is leaving the studio after 17 years.

Healey shared the news on Twitter in a thread reflecting on his time at the studio while also hinting about his future. He explained that he is "proud to have played his part" in the company but is ready to "chart a new course" within the games industry.

"After seventeen incredible years of co-birthing and building Media Molecule - I have decided it is time for me to fly the nest - set sail and chart a new course - today is my last day at MM," he shared.

"From LittleBigPlanet to Dreams and beyond - proud to have played my part and lucky to have jammed with some truly brilliant people - and such a wonderfully talented Community, which I will continue to be a fan of, but a strong cosmic breeze is pulling me and my pirate heart is awakened, I'm not getting any younger so am going to indulge myself in the winds of my various curiosities for a while and see where they take me.

"So here's to new beginnings, following one's heart and exploring the unknown," he added in conclusion. "I'm off on a Pirate adventure! (One that involves making games that is)."

Healey co-founded Media Molecule in 2006 alongside Alex Evans, David Smith, and Kareem Ettouney. During his tenure, Healey served as a creative director on both LittleBigPlanet and LittleBigPlanet 2, as well as 2020's playful sandbox game Dreams.

Just last week, Media Molecule announced that it will be ending live support for Dreams this September, meaning that no more updates will be provided for the game and many community events will come to a close, as the studio shifts its focus to "an exciting new project."

I can’t think of a worse environment for Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle to exist in than firmly in the long shadow cast by its inspiration, the Resident Evil series. Everything about the demo I played, from its bland corridor crawling exploration to its trivial run and gun action, feels like a cheap imitation of some of the greatest survival horror games of all time, maybe even more so these days in a post-Resident Evil 4 Remake world. What's worse, there's almost nothing differentiating it from Capcom’s zombie-horror masterpieces save for the setting, which is understandably undercooked as my 20-minute demo was not nearly enough time to build a world or establish likable characters. Nothing about my time with this slice left me with much motivation to see more.

Which is wild because when IGN had a first-look preview of this game a year ago, it still seemed like a Resident Evil clone in a F.E.A.R. costume, doing all of the item inspection, puzzle solving and creep shooting you’d expect. Except it was dressed up with more sci-fi inspired government paramilitary fare, complete with unique secret tech like a freeze gauntlet. In this build, I got none of that. Instead, I solved rudimentary door puzzles, rooted around for a forgettable lore item, and used bog-standard third-person shooter weapons to take down foes. The demo does not put Daymare’s best foot forward.

Dark and Darker developer Irongate is being been sued by Nexon for copyright infringement following a DMCA takedown in March.

As reported by Eurogamer, Nexon's lawsuit highlighted similarities between its own P3 and Dark and Darker, and also claimed some of Irongate's employees, who previously worked for Nexon, had signed a one-year-non-compete clause that stopped them from taking "Nexon's trade secrets" straight to a new developer.

The lawsuit added that "condoning the defendants' conduct would threaten Nexon, the video game industry, and all of the consumers who enjoy playing sophisticated video games. Video game developers would not be able to invest years' worth of person-hours in developing video games if their employees could simply transfer their employer's project files to their own personal servers and start a new company."

Nearly half of Irongate employees are made up of former Nexon staff, though the lawsuit only names two (Ju-Hyun Choi and Terence Seungha Park) as former staff who signed the one-year-non-competitive clause in their contracts.

In terms of similarities raised, Nexon highlights that both games feature chests opened by the player character moving their hand in a circular motion and that both games feature glowing potions worn on belts around the player character's waist.

The lawsuit, which was filed on April 14, followed a cease and desist letter and DMCA takedown from Nexon that resulted in Dark and Darker being removed from Steam. "We are currently working with our legal team to remedy this issue in the best manner possible," Irongate said at the time, saying the takedown was "based on distorted claims".

Update 04/17/2023: Sega has confirmed it is set to purchase Angry Birds developer Rovio for $775 million following reports of a potential deal earlier in April.

As reported by Polygon, the Sonic the Hedgehog publisher confirmed the deal on April 17, and Rovio's board and shareholders have already approved it too.

The acquisition is expected to go through by the end of September, with Rovio's mobile game expertise intended to help boost Sega's own position in that market.

Original Story 04/14/2023: Sega is reportedly close to acquiring Angry Birds developer Rovio Entertainment for about $1 billion.

According to Wall Street Journal, the deal between Sega and Rovio Entertainment is expected to finish early next week, provided that discussions between the two companies don’t fall apart or prolong.

Neither Sega nor Rovio has made an official announcement yet. Rovio was previously in talks to be acquired by Israeli mobile company Playtika for $800 million, but those negotiations ended last month. Sega has acquired a few companies over the past few years, including Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment, Two Point Campus developer Two Point Studios, and most notably Persona developer Atlus.

We're now only a few weeks away from release, and if you haven't yet secured your Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom preorder, then you're in luck. All preorders for the highly anticipated Switch exclusive are currently down to £44.99 at Currys, just use code ZELDA25 at checkout. This is the absolute best deal on Tears of the Kingdom preorders in the UK.

This is a £15 saving compared to the Amazon listing, and £5 better than the previous best deal ShopTo. This is well worth considering if you don't have any leftover extra credit at Amazon, or you won't be trying for the Tears of the Kingdom Collector's Edition (that's out of stock right now as well). We've left some handy links to the preorder deal just below, and make sure you're following @IGNUKDeals on Twitter for more updates.

TL;DR - Best UK Deals Right Now

Best Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Preorder Deal (Use Code ZELDA25)

Bonus: Where to Preorder Tears of the Kingdom - Switch OLED Model

If you're looking to add the special Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch OLED model to your collection, then look no further. Preorders for this special edition console are still available and will launch on April 28, just a few weeks before the new game.

Following complaints by the community of it being too cluttered, Microsoft has said it is going to change course on the planned changes to the Xbox Home dashboard.

In September 2022, Microsoft announced that Xbox Insiders were to be invited to "help shape the new Xbox Home experience." This test was a "multi-month series of experiments to learn how to create a more personalized home screen experience and address some of the top trends and fan requests."

Unfortunately, the changes haven't been as well received as Microsoft had hoped and the company, in a blog post, said it is pausing those experiments and will work to "balance the experience, accessibility, function, and the needs of our community and bring you a great and refreshed Home experience."

One of the biggest issues the community had was with how crowded everything felt and how the new UI blocked the backgrounds that users could choose. As you can see in the image below from Microsoft, the Halo image is mostly blocked by all the tiles, and the community would like to see a bit more balance between items to interact with and the backgrounds that make their home theirs.

As Microsoft works to address the complaints, Alpha and Alpha-Skip Xbox Insiders will be reverted back to the original Xbox Home experience they were using and their previous settings and backgrounds from before the test will be activiated. The "new Home" settings will be saved for the future.

Minecraft is a game that has been taking the world by storm for well over a decade now, yet it feels as though it has been a part of our lives and our gaming histories for as long as we can remember. With the new release of Minecraft Legends, the latest action strategy spinoff from Mojang, it’s worth taking a trip down memory lane to take a look at exactly where this industry-changing saga began. How did this sandbox game become one of the best-selling games of all time?

Who Created Minecraft?

Minecraft was initially created by Markus “Notch” Persson, a Swedish game programmer. Markus Persson had worked for King for over four years until 2009, when he began full-time development on Minecraft. His idea brewed from a game he was developing titled “RubyDung”, an isometric base-building game, and from Markus seeing Infiniminer, a block-based mining game. With the first-person perspective, blocky visuals, and building elements from Infiniminer, and the RPG elements/base building from RubyDung, Minecraft was born.

Markus stayed with the growing team at Mojang (of which he was the founding member) until September 2014, when Microsoft announced a $2.5 billion acquisition deal to purchase the company. From there, he decided to step away from game development.

The lead designer of Minecraft since 2011 has been Jens “Jeb” Bergensten, who had been co-developing Minecraft with Persson since 2010, took the lead designer role in 2011, and assumed full creative control in 2014 upon Persson’s departure.

Between Microsoft continuing its fight to get its Activision Blizzard through and dropping out of E3 2023 along with other gaming entities (effectively canceling the convention altogether) the Xbox Series X/S is feeling pretty green this spring. As part of its effort to become carbon negative by 2030, the company released the Xbox Wireless Controller - Remix Special Edition, which is partly made out of recycled parts, including CDs, water jugs, and other Xbox controller parts — and comes with a rechargeable battery pack! You can help save the planet and grab the controller to play one of 15 of the best Xbox Series X/S games handpicked by us.

This list only includes games with dedicated Xbox Series X|S enhancements — Xbox One backward-compatible games are no longer eligible.

Whether you're diving into an all-new adventure, getting the most out of your gaming TV with 4K 120Hz gameplay, or revisiting an old favorite through backwards compatibility on Xbox, these are the IGN staff's picks for the 15 best Xbox Series X|S games.

Most recent game updates were made on May 12, 2022.

More on the best of Xbox:

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's latest Tera Raid has trainers around the world very excited as it is the first time Typhlosion - the third evolution of Pokemon Gold and Silver's Cyndaquil - is able to be caught in the games. However, the chance to add Typhlosion to your party won't last long.

The Pokemon Company announced that Typhlosion with the Mightiest Mark will appear in black crystal Tera Raid Battles from Thursday, April 14 at 5pm PT/8pm ET to Sunday, April 16 at 4:59pm PT/7:59pm ET.

Typhlosion with the Mightiest Mark will be appearing in black crystal Tera Raids throughout #PokemonScarletViolet later this week! Work together with friends to topple this powerful Tera Pokémon!

Find out more here ➡️ https://t.co/lpLdtRHWyK pic.twitter.com/vgcDFf5nuF

— Play Pokémon (@playpokemon) April 10, 2023

If you don't have time to catch Typhlosion, there will be another chance from Thursday, April 21 at 5pm PT/8pm ET to Sunday, April 23 at 4:59pm PT/7:59pm ET.

Some gaming gems get forgotten over time, some never get the chance to be discovered in the first place. Out of all of the games that instantly impressed me when I first played them and frustratingly faded into obscurity, Split/Second surely takes the pole position. Welcome to the third installment of my ongoing column, Forgotten Gems!

Black Rock Rocked

If you’ve never played Split/Second and you’re into arcade racers, know that it’s not too late. Largely forgotten -- or rather, unknown -- it may be, but it’s still easy to find and play (see bottom of this article). Split/Second was the brainchild of Black Rock Studio, a company formerly known as Pixel Planet, then Black Rock Studio, then Climax Brighton, then Climax Racing, then… Black Rock Studio again.

And as you may have guessed, the studio’s story doesn’t have a happy ending. Acquired by Disney in 2006, Black Rock had established itself as a racing game specialist with the MotoGP and ATV Offroad Fury series for THQ and Sony, respectively. Added to Disney Interactive’s growing portfolio of developers, Black Rock was going to be a cornerstone of a new Disney gaming initiative that went beyond kids and family entertainment. Disney’s ambitious plans also included bringing Avalanche Studios, Wideload, Propaganda Games, and Warren Spector’s Junction Point Studios into the fold – with Black Rock doing what it’s done best and laser-focused on developing great racing games.

“Greatness from Small Beginnings.” Engraved in Latin on the ring that hangs around the neck of series protagonist Nathan Drake, these four words have come to define Naughty Dog’s immensely popular Uncharted series. It’s a rather fitting catchphrase considering the franchise itself has grown significantly since its debut in 2008.

Whether it’s battling pirates in the depths of the Amazon Jungle or exploring hidden cities in the center of the Rub’ al Khali desert, Nathan Drake has had no shortage of daring adventures in the years following his PlayStation 3 debut. With so many entries in its universe, it’s easy to get lost deciphering Uncharted’s lengthy timeline. To help make sense of it, here’s a chronology of the full Uncharted game series, showing you the sequential order to play the games in.

Jump to:

• How to play in chronological order
• How to play by release order

How Many Uncharted Games Are There?

There are 8 Uncharted Games: Five on home console, two on PlayStation Vita and one on mobile. We won’t include two of these games as they don’t tell original stories and thus don’t affect the canon of the Uncharted universe. The entries not included are the PlayStation Vita spin-off card game, Uncharted: Fight for Fortune, and the mobile puzzle tie-in, Uncharted: Fortune Hunter.

With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom officially less than a month away, now is the perfect time to finally finish playing Breath of the Wild. While you can certainly move on to the sequel without finishing the first title, wouldn't it feel good to reach the conclusion of the very best Legend of Zelda game before you do?

Completing this massive game is easier said than done, however. The average playthrough of just the main story can take about 50 hours, and that doesn't even include all of the extra bits. Whether you're coming back to an old save or starting the game anew, you're likely going to need some help to finish the story in time for the upcoming Tears of the Kingdom release.

To help you on your quest through The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, we recommend utilizing our expansive BotW Wiki Guide. Below are some key resources within our guide that can help speed up your playthrough.

Just before the upcoming dungeon crawler Dark and Darker was slated to launch a playtest, its team was served a cease and desist letter and a DMCA takedown in March. Now, development team Ironmace is going ahead with another playtest as originally scheduled, albeit via an interesting method.

Today, Ironmace began encouraging people to participate in Dark and Darker's playtest through torrents made available in a message in the game's Discord server. The playtest will be available until April 19.

"Rest assured that we are working around the clock to safeguard the continuance of Dark and Darker," the team's Discord message, which was reposted on Reddit, reads. "Unfortunately, due to the complexities of our situation, especially across international lines, it is taking time to resolve the Steam situation. In order for us to keep our promise to our fans we’ve had to go old school this time."

Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Modern Warfare 2 Season 3 is now out, and it introduces quite a few cosmetics and a new battle pass. However, a few of the update's paid cosmetics grant players advantages in Warzone's DMZ mode, and some fans aren't happy.

On April 12, Activision introduced a new cosmetic bundle to Warzone 2.0. In what Activision referred to as a "DMZ boost," the game's new $12 Bomb Squad bundle gives players a skin for Fender, a SAKIN MG38 LMG blueprint, an active duty slot, a sticker, and an emblem.

But, as PC Gamer pointed out, the boosts that this bundle provides in DMZ, the game's extraction mode, are quite valuable. Players who equip Fender's skin are given a medium backpack, and the LMG has a cooldown that's much shorter in comparison to free guns.

Because of the advantage that this paid bundle provides, fans are taking to Twitter to express their disappointment with the game becoming "pay-to-win."

They added a Pay To Win bundle to DMZ which gives you access to a 4th Operator slot, a PERMANENT Medium Bag when you use the Operator skin in the bundle and a blueprint that has a separate, shorter 15min cooldown.

This is wrong & completely tone deaf.pic.twitter.com/vCgO3aovh4

Spotify is shutting down Heardle, its musical version of Wordle less than a year after acquiring it.

The music streaming service bought Heardle for an undisclosed amount in July 2022 shortly after it was born out of the Wordle craze. Today, players were shocked to find the following announcement that popped up when logging into the game Friday morning: "Heardle is going away on May 5th."

The rest of the announcement read, "Thanks for playing Heardle, but unfortunately we have to say goodbye. From May 5th, Heardle will no longer be available. If you have stats that you would like to save, make sure you go to your stats and take a screenshot by May 4th. It won’t be possible to access them after May 4th."

A Spotify spokesperson confirmed the company is sunsetting the music guessing game in a statement: "After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Heardle as we focus our efforts on other features for music discovery."

Some fans had some snarky responses to Heardle's demise, with more than a few feeling that the service had gone downhill since being acquired by Spotify.

Did #Heardle run out of Imagine Dragons songs? pic.twitter.com/XrfXuWkAFA

Yesterday, Nintendo premiered the third trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which hints at the game's major plot points and shows off quite a few returning characters. Of course, fans were quick to discuss the return of Ganondorf, and now, the iconic character's recognizable voice actor has confirmed his involvement with the game.

After months of fan speculation that began with a trailer in February, Matthew Mercer confirmed that he's voicing Ganon in Tears of the Kingdom in a Tweet last night. "An immense honor that I have thrown myself into doing justice," Mercer said.

I just got the go-ahead from Nintendo, so I can FINALLY announce my absolute pleasure to be voicing Ganondorf in the Legend of #Zelda : #TearsoftheKingdom.

An immense honor that I have thrown myself into doing justice. pic.twitter.com/GDtoWRUHDx

Editor's Note: The war in Ukraine is an ongoing, painful and emotive topic. IGN urges community members to be respectful when engaging in conversation around this subject and does not endorse harassment of any kind.

With its operations in Russia wound down to the bare minimum, Nintendo still has some obligations to customers in the country who bought Nintendo products before the company left. But according to a recent official statement, Nintendo seems to be looking at a fairly controversial figure to form that partnership.

Questions about Nintendo's Russian operations began thanks to a report by Russian outlet Kommersant (via Eurogamer), which pointed out the sale of Metroid Prime Remastered in Russia thanks to a company called Achivka. Its appearance on the market was surprising, given that Nintendo wound down operations in the country over a year ago following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including the shutdown of the Russian eshop.

The iconic personification of a bowl of soup, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.

Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.

We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.

Where Is Xûr Today?

Xûr's location can be found at The Tower on April 14 through April 18. To reach him, travel to the landing point at The Courtyard and make your way to the Hangar. Hang a left when entering the hangar and you'll come face-to-face with space Amazon.com.