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X/Twitter owner Elon Musk lit up social media feeds today when he launched a wave of posts publicly criticizing Twitch streamer and content creator Zack Hoyt (a.k.a. Asmongold) following controversy regarding the tech billionaire’s high-level gameplay of Grinding Gear Games’ Path of Exile 2. Musk first shared his thoughts in a reply to a post from YouTuber Screamheart, who published a two-minute clip from a new video that dives into the allegations surrounding the X owner’s Path of Exile 2 gameplay. The full video totals eight minutes and includes approximately 20 seconds of footage from Asmongold's livestreams where he alleges that Musk is not totally responsible for the progress made on his level 97 Path of Exile 2 character. “There is no way he played that account. Like, I’m sorry,” Asmongold says in the clip. “I think he bought the account, or somebody played it for him. A hundred-f***ing-percent.” Asmon behaves like a maverick “independent”, but in reality has to ask his boss for permission before he can do anything. He is not his own man. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2025 Musk’s response includes a series of replies where he calls the streamer “not his own man.” The billionaire also took the opportunity to post what Asmongold is calling a picture of “leaked” direct messages shared through X where the two previously spoke about how the streamer manages his YouTube account. It was a moment that has led to a messy back-and-forth between the two social media giants, and it’s preceded by in-depth investigation into Musk’s involvement in the gaming space. Musk has long been championed as a gaming enthusiast. For years, he’s mentioned his appreciation for Blizzard Entertainment’s work on titles like Overwatch, and just yesterday, he said he still plays games “as my one recreational activity to quiet my mind.” However, Musk's self-proclaimed gaming prowess has been brought into question in recent months as players began to take a closer look at his performance and knowledge of the games he plays. One title that has seemingly taken up hundreds of hours of Musk’s time is 2023’s Diablo 4, though as he’s climbed leaderboards and chatted with developers on X, many have commented on how much time he might be dedicating to Blizzard’s dungeon-crawling experience. In November of last year, the billionaire boasted about his place as one of the top 20 Diablo 4 players in the world, and he reached the number one spot a few weeks later. While others spend hundreds if not thousands of hours merely chipping away at the never-ending faucet of content available, Musk has maintained his gaming status while juggling his responsibilities as a figurehead of companies like X, SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, and more. Leaking my DM's is one thing but this is absolutely uncalled for [Hidden Content] — Zack (@Asmongold) January 16, 2025 Discussion about Musk’s abilities as a gamer reached a new level after a recent, early January livestream that saw Musk tackling endgame tasks in Path of Exile 2 drew criticism from fans. Videos like those from content creators such as Quin69TV, penguinz0, and Asmongold have garnered millions of views as action RPG veterans analyze footage and commentary posted by the tech giant. One specific point of contention revolves around his (now deceased) level 97 Hardcore character, Percy_Verence. “Two weeks into the league, when people are playing the game, literally, they are staying up 40 to 50 hours without sleeping, only playing Path of Exile – and they are the most try-hard guys in the world – the highest-ranked player in the Hardcore trade league was level 93,” Quin69TV explains in his video 'Elon Musk is Lying About Being Good at Video Games.' “You’re thinking to yourself, ‘That’s kind of close to 97.’ Every time you level up, it becomes exponentially harder to gain experience. A lot harder. So, these players, to get to level 97, had to be playing the game every day for the majority of their day.” Musk’s stream features a number of moments that players are pointing to as signs he may not be quite as familiar with Path of Exile 2’s endgame mechanics as one might expect him to be after spending so much time in its world. Seemingly struggling to access Maps, strange tab names, illogical inventory management, leaving behind rare loot, and a disregard for notoriously powerful weapons is just some of the evidence from Musk’s stream that players are using to accuse the billionaire of not playing nearly as much as he says he is. Many are working with the theory that Musk might be paying others to boost his Path of Exile account for him, though there is no confirmation of this. The “why?” in the formula remains a mystery, too, but the idea is that maintaining his status as a gaming expert is something Musk is interested in, regardless of whether he’s actually the one playing the games. Asmongold, whose YouTube channel features numerous other videos discussing content and updates for Path of Exile 2, took the time to address the topic with his own video called 'Elon Musk is not getting away with this...' In the footage, he largely agrees with Quin69TV’s analysis of the situation, believing that Musk may not be as truthful about his experience as he’s letting on. “I thought it was really cool that Elon Musk was, like, a serious player of Diablo, and everything. I did,” Asmongold says. “I thought it was awesome, and I bet he probably did play PoE 2 on day one. I do. I bet he probably played it, and then he stopped.” I’m on hundreds of streams on YouTube/Twitch playing live with the world’s best players. No other way to say this, but, while Asmon IS good at caustic commentary and making fun of people, he is NOT good at video games — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2025 In the fallout of Musk’s posts to Asmongold, X’s own Community Notes feature has chimed in to clarify a few points. Regarding the tech billionaire’s comments suggesting that Asmongold must ask his bosses for permission, Community Notes clarifies that the employees mentioned in the leaked screenshots are the streamer’s editor, not his bosses. The user-driven feature also addressed Musk’s comment that Asmongold is “NOT good at video games” by listing his achievements in World of Warcraft. “Was he probably not happy about the PoE video? He’ll get over it,” Asmongold added in a recent livestream. “Listen – it was so obvious. You cannot get mad at me for bringing this up. Everybody was talking about this. Come on, man.” Elon has not directly addressed the widespread criticisms regarding his Path of Exile 2 gameplay at the time of this story’s publication. Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx. Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe. 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The early access release will include Lothair de Montdragon, Electrane, and Rurik Haraldson as the three playable characters. View the full article

After waiting for news on a card trading feature since launch, Pokémon TCG Pocket has finally outlined how it will work when it comes later this month. Unfortunately, many Pokémon TCGP players are underwhelmed with the news coming from the game’s developers, with one huge reason why: “Items must be consumed in order to trade.” As with other mobile games, many are assuming this to mean a new, paid consumable. View the full article

fter a hands-on preview with Hyper Light Breaker in late 2024, we walked away liking Heart Machine's neon-splashed Drifter follow-up quite a bit. Our Ted Litchfield called it "a great action game that nails the look and feel of Hyper Light Drifter in a 3D open world," which left him hopeful for how the game might shape up in early access. Since its launch on January 14, Hyper Light Breaker's early access reviews haven't been as favorable: At time of writing, it's sitting at a Mixed rating on steam after receiving nearly 1,600 reviews... Read more.View the full article

I played Mouthwashing entirely in one sitting back in October and had to lie down for a while afterward to recover. I felt vile, unsettled at what I'd seen over the previous three hours. Mouthwashing is about as classic a "walking simulator" as you can get mechanically, and while its stabs at more intensive gameplay fell a little flat for me, its narrative, vision, and atmosphere made it one of 2024's standouts, a people's champion of indie horror for very good reason... Read more.View the full article

The Overgrowth in Hyper Light Breaker is a brand-new piece of the world originally created in Hyper Light Drifter. While it exists in the same general world, there is a lot of new lore, new stories, and a new place for players to explore. It is a changing landscape, and players will enjoy the new world and the aesthetic of it as they begin their journey. View the full article

Like many JRPG series, it feels as if the Tales Of series has made strides in popularity in recent years. Both 2016's Tales Of Berseria and 2021's Tales Of Arise had charming worlds and flashy combat, and the latter has found a home on our picks for the best of the genre. Now the series is adopting the other dominant JRPG trend of late: remakes and remasters. Tales Of Graces f Remastered, a revision of the 2009 entry in the series, is out now. Read more View the full article

A PS5 and PS4 exclusive demo for Trails Through Daybreak II arrives next week with story demo save data carrying over to the full release in February. View the full article

After a cavalcade of leaks, rumors, and confirmations, the Nintendo Switch 2 is real, finally. View the full article

Goro is the third and final Breaker that is currently playable in the early access version of Hyper Light Breaker that was released on January 14, and his SyCom stats make him an interesting Breaker to play. His base stats for both of his SyComs are skewed away from HP and towards stats like critical hit damage and Blast, meaning he's going to be best with a Rail-focused build. With this in mind, Goro's best build is one that allows for high damage alongside survivability like Lapis. View the full article

The strange drama surrounding Elon Musk's purported videogame skills has now elevated itself into a genuine online beef, as the world's richest man has leaked DMs from Asmongold that he thinks expose the streamer as a fraud, and perhaps even worse, says Asmongold "is NOT good at videogames.".. Read more.View the full article

World of Warcraft Patch 11.1 is adding the Gallagio Loyalty Rewards Club, a new Renown faction associated with the Liberation of Undermine raid. Simply by beating raid bosses on any difficulty, World of Warcraft players can unlock convenience, cosmetics, and even buffs that work in the Liberation of Undermine. View the full article

Dynasty Warriors Origins gives you the experience of 1v1,000 combat as you battle armies and defeat enemy officers. However, you can also command your own specialized platoon of soldiers to execute Tactics and get the upper hand. Here’s everything you need to know about Tactics. Table of contentsAll Tactics in Dynasty Warriors OriginsHow to unlock and use Tactics in Dynasty Warriors Origins All Tactics in Dynasty Warriors Origins Here are the Tactics available to you during a battle in Dynasty Warriors Origins. View the full article

One of the main reasons why The Sims 4 is one of the most popular cozy games on the market is that the game allows players to truly relax. For many Simmers, having their Sims participate in relaxing hobbies and activities is the ultimate feel-good gaming experience, and given The Sims 4's expansive world and continuous content add-ons, there is no shortage of self-care actions available in the game. No matter what time of day it is in real life, a player can simply log on to The Sims 4 and feel totally immersed in the game, making it the perfect escape from everyday stresses. View the full article

If you’re a fan of the Arc subclass in Destiny 2, you may have a reason for thunderous applause. The lightning-based subclass is getting huge tweaks—including a new mechanic and Aspects—in Episode Heresy, which starts on Feb. 4. The new keyword, Bolt Charge, is the big-ticket addition in the upcoming balancing pass. It springs from Arc’s relative lack of buffs, Bungie said in a blog post today. “Charge” is an appropriate name: You gradually build up stacks of this buff by playing. Using your ability when your gauge is fully charged unleashes a powerful lightning strike. Gaining a stack grants you some melee energy, and you can build up to 10 charges at maximum. View the full article

Assassin's Creed Shadows has revealed several new characters that Yasuke and Naoe will be meeting along their journey through feudal Japan. While most of the attention surrounding Assassin's Creed Shadows has been focused on its two main characters in the lead-up to the game's release, a new piece of artwork shows several others, only a few of whom have had their identities confirmed so far. View the full article

If you ask people who the main characters are in Monster Hunter, they might say “the hunters” – but others will tell you: “It’s all about the monsters.” So many striking creatures have appeared over the course of Monster Hunter’s 20-plus-year history. With each new hunter and each new hunt, we form new memories around these monsters. That's why players have pored over information about the new monsters appearing in the latest title, Monster Hunter Wilds, and why they let out shouts of joy when they heard that certain monsters would be making a long-awaited return. In this interview with Kaname Fujioka, who was the director of the first Monster Hunter and now Executive Director and Art Director for Wilds, and Yuya Tokuda, director of both Monster Hunter: World and Wilds, we get to hear in detail about the process that new and returning monsters went through before appearing in Wilds, with a special focus on the processes of creation and selection. Throughout the interview, I felt the deep love that these developers have for their monsters, as well as the ceaseless work they've put into giving those monsters the greatest stage possible. Tokuda first explains the process that goes into the creation of a Monster Hunter monster. "We first consider what we want players to experience when facing major monsters like Arkveld, as well as the setting, ecosystem and so on of the world, unique to each title,” he tells IGN. “We then think about the kind of monsters needed to do that. In a way, we start by putting puzzle pieces together, like, ‘If this monster exists in this place, how does the ecological pyramid work here?’” It's easy to simply think that players will be happy so long as popular monsters make a reappearance, but the development team actually focuses most on the player's experience. "We don't focus too much on the proportion or number of new versus old monsters,” continues Tokuda. “What's important at the end of the day is the overall level design and order of monsters across the entire game, as well as the balance of ecological pyramids in each area. We take this multifaceted approach to decide which monsters to include." How will players play the game, and when will they encounter each monster? What will we see monsters doing in this latest title enabled by new technology? Fujioka says that this approach is extremely important, even when choosing to have older monsters make a reappearance. "So even when we're selecting old monsters to put in the game, part of that involves making sure to stay true to that monster's concept while thinking about how much room each monster has to grow when they're reborn using current-day technology and game design," he says. Setting the stage Among the monsters that live in the Forbidden Lands (or as the developers call it, "The East") like Doshaguma, which embodies the game's herd system, there are some monsters that quickly present new ways of hunting spread across the world of Wilds. During the open beta test in November, many players encountered Chatacabra, or Rey Dau, the apex monster of the Windward Plains. As the game's entryway into its world, the Windward Plains contains monsters whose designs were carefully made to match the overall game experience. "Herds are one of the major concepts in Wilds, and so we created Doshaguma as a monster that lets players experience this element of the game,” says Tokuda. “We were designing Doshaguma from a pretty early stage, in part to help verify the way that packs move." In fact, Fujioka says, the design of Rey Dau, the boss of the Windward Plains, was finished before that of Arkveld, the marquee monster in Wilds. "I think part of a monster's character can be an appearance that simply makes you think that it looks cool, even among all the other unique monsters,” he says. “We call these our ‘handsome monsters’. We believe that if we're able to have one of these cool monsters appear at just the right time, they'll stand out that much more as a unique character. We thought that Rey Dau was in a good position for that even during the design stage, and so we wanted it to be a cool monster. As Rey Dau's design was finalized before Arkveld's, even some of our own staff thought that it was the game's main monster until partway through development. That's just how handsome it is." However, once Arkveld’s design was finalized the whole team was satisfied they had found their flagship monster. Rey Dau is a monster that uses lightning, and it reigns over the Windward Plains as its apex monster. Tokuda explains that this background was used as a base for its attack patterns and movements. "Rey Dau's biggest attack is one where it stores lightning in its body and slides its face along the ground to unleash all of it at once,” he says. “As it grinds its wings into the sand, the lightning combines with it to create Fulgurite Ore. The amount of electricity it stores rises higher and higher when it wears these crystals, and it can store electricity faster as well. Thinking about this process is what caused it to become a monster notable for its wing-based physical attacks." Fujioka says that monster attacks are even a part of the game's stage design. "When we were designing this stage, we talked about incorporating the process of lightning generating Fulgurite Ore,” he says. “The terrain is formed by Fulgurite Ore created when lightning strikes the ground, and villagers use the ore to ward off monsters. We hope that players pay attention to how monster biology and attack methods are connected to how the game's humans live." While it may sound simple for ore to be generated when lightning shot from a monster hits the sand, a number of technical hurdles awaited the team before they could make this a reality. Conditions like the timing of the lightning hitting the sand or the desert and its sloping hills had to be calculated in real-time to generate this ore, and creating that system was no simple task. That said, Monster Hunter is a real-time, synchronous multiplayer game. "The feeling of playing together and being able to communicate on the same wavelength with shared information is extremely important to us. Our top priority during development is how we express the experience of people playing in the same space," says Fujioka. I'm overwhelmed for a moment when I hear this. Yes, this may of course be what multiplayer game development theory states, but the hurdles presented to this team by what they're attempting to depict are far greater than players imagine. That said, compromise was not an option when it came to depicting Rey Dau's actions when considering the earlier discussion about a world where monster ecology is directly tied to the lives of human characters. "Monster Hunter does depict a fantasy world, but we want players to feel a kind of reality from each individual thing they see in-game,” says Tokuda. “Graphics become higher-definition as hardware advances, and so we want the world's setting to be as authentic as possible, because this kind of reality is connected to the game's immersion." These words make me feel how important the detailed creation of monsters is to Mr. Tokuda. The games depict their world through their monsters, and depict their monsters through their world. As this reciprocal relationship digs deeper and takes form, it completes the Monster Hunter experience. Returning monsters The Forbidden Lands act as this game's stage, so as a place unknown to hunters, the developers say that they included a higher proportion of new monsters at the start. Among all of its monsters, the first familiar one that hunters encounter in the Forbidden Lands is Congalala. Its reappearance was a moment that shocked and delighted players. I had a chance to play the Scarlet Forest where it appears, and along with the story that involves the adorable Wudwuds who live in the Forest, it all made for a humorous sequence. Though a hunt is understood to be a serious task for players who've faced the harsh environments of the Forbidden Lands in the Windward Plains, this is still a moment on the lighthearted side. Congalala was selected after an overall evaluation of the Scarlet Forest's ecosystem, comical twists and more. Still, Tokuda says that the dev team found ways in which it's a surprisingly good match even after their decision. "Congalala is a monster with straightforward action compared to the unique monsters of the Scarlet Forest that hunters will have faced so far, like Lala Barina,” he says. “It's easy to hit, and I think it ended up being perfectly placed for players to enjoy hunting as they make full use of what they've learned and the weapons they've created so far." "When we have monsters appear, we're always conscious of not just trying to make them easy to understand for players new to Monster Hunter, but to also shock and delight fans of the series," Fujioka says, recalling the reaction fans had when they announced Congalala's return. "I think tossing Congalala out right there was just right for it. We announced it at Tokyo Game Show because we thought fans who know about Congalala would enjoy that. Once we did, the reaction ended up being even ******* than we imagined. We talked later about how that must have been the greatest moment of Congalala's life." Seeing these two as they say this makes me think that in a way, the Monster Hunter development team is also like a talent agency trying to sell its stars. Monster Hunter's monsters must feel as attractive and real as they do because of these creators who care about their monsters more than anything, searching for the place where they'll shine the brightest. The sensei returns For longtime fans, the reappearance of Yian Kut-Ku was likely even more of a shock than Congalala's. As a sort of rite of passage that teaches players the movements and methods they need while being a bit strict at times and kind at others, Yian Kut-Ku is known to series fans as Sensei, or “teacher.” Despite being a beloved monster, though, it didn't reappear in the series for the longest time. "Yian Kut-Ku is a monster that many Monster Hunter lovers know, and we're aware that they call it Sensei, says Fujioka, clarifying the monster's positioning. “We designed it as a monster that teaches you the basics when facing large monsters." It's difficult to have Yian Kut-Ku act as a teacher, as that role is played in each game by different monsters that are suited for the environment of its new stages. The way that the fans love Yian Kut-Ku is important to these developers as well. While Yian Kut-Ku's name would always come up whenever discussing which monsters would appear in each game, it was difficult for it to make an appearance without something new that still felt right for it. Tokuda says that the herds in Wilds are part of what helped to support Sensei's reappearance. That's because Yian Kut-Ku was always related to packs of monsters, even if they couldn't be depicted in the game. "Yian Kut-Ku herds did exist in the game's setting, but we never had a chance to make that a part of the actual gameplay until now,” he says. “It seemed like a good fit for the systems of Wilds that let us include packs of monsters, and we were able to find a moment for it to appear in the perfect way during the game's progression." What could he mean by "a perfect way"? I try asking more about Yian Kut-Ku's position in Wilds. "While Yian Kut-Ku is loved by many players right now, I think it was incredibly strong when it first appeared,” Tokuda elaborates. “It's placed at the moment in the game where the difficulty curve suddenly spikes upward, and we weren't sure that it'd be right to have it appear like that again to play the role of a teacher. That's why we thought we needed to do a deeper analysis of its strengths and what makes it feel strong. We looked at recent player trends and thought about the position they'd want Yian Kut-Ku to occupy instead of simply being a teacher, which is why we've prepared a different kind of position for it." There's also a bit of a behind-the-scenes story about Yian Kut-Ku. Tokuda is a lover of large reptiles, and his **** lizard that's over a meter long has a major relationship to Yian Kut-Ku's design this time around. "I made a garden that's like a miniature Ancient Forest for my lizards and even breed them there,” he says. “It's like there's vegetation inside of my home. I've made an ecosystem there, complete with water, light and wind. An artist who knew that I raise lizards told me to bring my largest lizard's shed skin, which we then scanned and processed in order to make it a part of Yian Kut-Ku's scales in the game." Monsters growing alongside fans Yian Kut-Ku was able to make a comeback thanks to the passion players had for their Sensei and the herds system implemented in Wilds. So then, which monster's comeback is most awaited out of those that haven't made an appearance (yet) in Wilds? "That would have to be Lagiacrus," Tokuda instantly responds. "Ever since World, people ask us to bring Lagiacrus back no matter where in the world we go. It feels like we've been constantly asked since then." Fujioka nods vigorously as he sits beside Tokuda. "There really are a lot of fans both inside and outside of Japan who love Monster Hunter Tri,” he says. “It's a very memorable title for me as well. Listening to the fans, I get the sense that monsters like Lagiacrus and Brachydios enjoy a particularly deep-rooted popularity. Gore Magala as well, as it seems like many people have a lasting love of monsters that are featured on the cover art of a title." As Tokuda says, Lagiacrus is a very memorable monster for both developers. The two were involved in its creation, with Fujioka as director during the development of Monster Hunter Tri and Tokuda as its lead planner of the monsters. "I'm one of the creators of Lagiacrus myself, so I naturally have a deep attachment to it,” says Tokuda. “I might even say that I want to put it in the game more than anyone. There are a lot of difficulties, such as the fact that we haven't had aquatic battles or action ever since Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, of course… But we've heard everyone's voices loud and clear, and I want fans to know that I want it to make an appearance just as much as anyone." Hearing Tokuda talk, I get a sense of the deep affection and attachment to specific monsters that goes beyond the categories of developer or player, held instead by people who love Monster Hunter. The monsters lovingly created by the developers are loved by players, with those feelings then reaching the developers. Perhaps this is how monsters in Monster Hunter change and grow. "When looking at Monster Hunter as a series, I've always felt a kind of strong passion that's created through communication,” says Fujioka. “The biggest characters that appear in Monster Hunter are its monsters, at the end of the day. It's about how fans see those monsters, and that understanding is what creates the next step for Monster Hunter. That's why I think that carefully fostering the feeling of monsters as characters is key to Monster Hunter." I ask about one more thing that's been on my mind: Rathalos, a monster that could be called a series mainstay. Rathalos' appearance in Wilds has already been revealed in a trailer, but how will it appear to us this time around? I ask, but Fujioka steadfastly keeps everything from the way it makes an appearance to its environment a secret. But what he does give me is a small glimpse at his feelings towards it. "Rath is the poster monster for the series, so we're still keeping that a secret for now,” he says. “I feel like Rath is the kind of monster that makes both the creators and the players think, 'Yep, this is Monster Hunter' when it appears. That's why we always give a lot of thought about how it'll show up impactfully whenever we develop a new title.” "During World, there were a lot of people around the globe who still didn't know about Monster Hunter, and so we depicted Rath as the apex monster of the Ancient Forest's ecosphere, the game's first stage. But now that there are so many people who know about it through World, we've thought about how to place it in a position that they'd find interesting." Depicting monsters means depicting the world of Monster Hunter. Contemplating the role of a monster means creating the experience hunters will have. Monsters are present at every point of the gameplay loop, and their creators truly care about them. It won't be long until we get to meet new ones and be reunited with old favorites in Wilds. Speaking of old favorites, Gravios has been revealed as a returning monster in Monster Hunter Wilds. Check out our exclusive Gravios reveal, which includes details straight from the devs and brand-new gameplay. Monster Hunter Wilds comes to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on February 28. For more on Monster Hunter Wilds, check out our exclusive 4K gameplay videos battling Ajarakan and Rompopolo in the new Oilwell Basin area, our interview with the development team on how Monster Hunter has evolved over the years, and details on the game’s delicious food system. And keep an eye out for more exclusives throughout January as part of IGN First! Shuka Yamada is a freelance writer for IGN Japan. This article was translated by Ko Ransom. View the full article

Gravios is a hard-shelled monster that’s been deflecting our attacks since the original Monster Hunter, and it’s back in Monster Hunter Wilds’ Oilwell Basin. A few things about this foreboding, unexpected Flying Wyvern have changed, which you can see for yourself in the exclusive Gravios gameplay videos in this article. Gravios is the sixth returning monster revealed for Monster Hunter Wilds, after Congalala, Yian Kut-Ku, Gypceros, and the quintessential Rathalos and Rathian. You can read all about how the Monster Hunter developers select monsters for each game in our in-depth interview. As for Gravios, Monster Hunter Wilds director Yuya Tokuda said: “When we were thinking about a monster that would fit the Oilwell Basin environment and would not overlap in gameplay terms when looking at the overall ecosystem hierarchy, we realized we could reintroduce Gravios in a way that felt fresh to play, so we decided to bring it back this time.” Historically, Gravios appears in volcanic areas in the Monster Hunter series. The Oilwell Basin fits that trope, especially during the Firespring inclemency, where burning lava can be seen in much of the area. The heat sure doesn’t bother this durable monster. We last saw Gravios in Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, which you can see in action in the comparison video above. It’s definitely changed a bit, both visually and mechanically. The monster now feels like it is actually there in that terrain. “Of course, the details, textures, and other aspects of Gravios’ design have been greatly improved compared with previous titles,” explained Kaname Fujioka, executive director and art director for Monster Hunter Wilds. “While we maintained the hardness of its outer shell, we also had the team work hard on things like the depiction of the impact of Gravios’ laser-like attack when it hits the ground, which has been difficult to do up until now. The monster now feels like it is actually there in that terrain. We were able to express how the actions of the monster have a reaction on the terrain, and we worked very carefully on those elements.” One of Gravios’ new attacks, where it shoots a laser directly down into the ground, creating an area of burning terrain, perfectly demonstrates the upgrade Fujioka refers to. Gravios has also adapted another “new” move: a poison gas attack, previously exclusive to its juvenile form, Basarios. The Monster Hunter developers did confirm that Basarios will not be joining Gravios in Wilds. Gravios has other tricks up its sleeve, but we’ll let you discover those on your own. We did experience a potential softer side to Gravios – meaning, it was slightly easier to get through its tough hide, and we deflected less often than in previous versions. Tokuda explains the technical reasons why this may have felt different to us: “In the past, we could only assign rough data to specify the consistency of the monster’s flesh, so if you didn’t hit the soft spots with weapons such as the Lance, you wouldn’t be able to deal damage. With the Great Sword, the hit detection is also large, so you could hit the hard parts of the flesh and end up bouncing right off. With Gravios in Wilds, attacks against its hard shell will still bounce off, but if you position yourself properly and aim for its backside you can more effectively deal damage. Weapons and monster flesh can now be gradated in a more granular way than in previous games, while Focus Mode makes it easier to aim, so advances in technology have helped us to refine many aspects of the gameplay experience while fighting Gravios.” He continued: “In the past, there were technical issues that prevented us from assigning different skin hardness or toughness values to many different parts of a monster’s body. Because hit detection models were made using shapes like spheres and cylinders, the shape of the hit box did not always match the actual design of the monster’s body. But modern technology has allowed us to add hit detection in a way that matches the monster’s body. Including the Focus Mode, we felt that we finally had the technology to create a game where you could carefully watch a monster’s movements, find its weak points and then aim for them, so we took on the challenge this time.” Do you welcome or shun the return of Gravios? Personally, I don’t know if I’ll ever recover from the trauma it inflicted while I tried to deliver Powderstones in the original Monster Hunter, but fighting it in Monster Hunter Wilds sure felt great. This Gravios reveal is part of this month’s IGN First for Monster Hunter Wilds! Don’t miss our other new, in-depth interview on monster selection and our other exclusive gameplay and interviews: Monster Hunter Wilds: Capcom Explains How Cooking Works in the Seamless WorldExclusive Ajarakan and Rompopolo Gameplay in 4KEvolving Monster Hunter: How Capcom’s Belief in the Series Made it a Worldwide Hit – IGN First Casey DeFreitas is deputy guides editor at IGN and has been hunting monsters since the PS2 era. Catch her on X / Bluesky @ShinyCaseyD. Shuka Yamada is a freelance writer for IGN Japan. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Normally, when a sequel is announced that’s a wild departure from the original, I welcome it with open arms – look no further than my inexplicable but everlasting love of Banjo-Kazooie Nuts N Bolts as evidence. But after just a day with Hyper Light Breaker – a follow-up (though not a proper sequel) to one of my all-time favorite indie games, Hyper Light Drifter – I feel like Vito Corleone telling y’all to look at how they massacred my boy. I’ve only sunk six hours into this incredibly challenging co-op roguelike so far, and although there’s clearly the skeleton of a good action-RPG in here somewhere, it’s currently buried deeper than the sun can see under sloppy combat mechanics, shallow and frustrating exploration, and scant content that began to feel repetitive only two hours in. Of course, this is its early access launch, so there’s always hope an initially rough package will transform into something much better with enough time – but in terms of what’s here right now, my disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. The goal of a run is to hunt around a randomized map for better gear and key items before taking on three highly deadly and supremely irritating bosses hiding out on each map, then extract yourself back to base to regroup, buy some upgrades, and do it again. I’ve already bested a couple bosses, which summon minions endlessly and flop around erratically to do massive damage, but have yet to complete a map in its entirety, which I’m assuming won’t happen until I near the end of what’s currently available in early access. Combat makes an absolutely terrible first impresion. Maybe the combat will grow on me once I get deeper in, but it makes an absolutely terrible first impression. There isn’t anything interesting about the melee hack-and-slash attacks you are given, the alternative third-person shooting option has very limited ammo, moving and dodging feel unresponsive and inconsistent, and the lock-on system constantly toggles itself off unexpectedly and gets me killed. All of these things are especially frustrating when Hyper Light Breaker is immediately difficult – and I mean extremely difficult, and that’s coming from someone with all the achievements in Sekiro – but doesn’t bother to explain its rules and often punishes you with an onslaught of enemy attacks that feel cheap. It’s also extremely funny that you start with no healing items (and are only given them at great expense and extremely sparingly) when you’d think you would need them most at the beginning when you’re learning. Instead, you basically have to throw yourself at impossible odds until you can unlock the bare minimum you need to survive. So I’ve spent most of my time running around procedurally generated worlds that at least look quite pretty, using a unique art style that channels Hyper Light Drifter in 3D quite well. But these repetitive areas are extremely irritating to navigate, filled with awkward cliffs and crooked landscapes that feel like I’m not actually supposed to be climbing them but offer me no other choice. On the bright side, they at least give you a neat hoverboard to ride around on and do tricks, and although the controls are as sloppy as everything else, hoverboards are indeed still dope as hell and there are definitely some good times to be had there. I’ve got a whole lot left to do and see before I’m ready to finalize my review sometime next week, and it's a little encouraging that combat is becoming a bit more bearable as I start to understand its unpolished ways and gain more than zero healing items. But so far I’m not having a good time, and that’s not what I was expecting from this long-awaited follow-up, even taking into account this is its early access launch. View the full article

Path of Exile 2 is kicking off 2025 with its first major patch—and it's a doozy. As promised in the patch preview released last weekend, Grinding Gear Games has returned from its holiday break to tackle some of the most pressing issues and smooth out some of the friction players have faced in the weeks since PoE 2's early access launch. Patch 0.1.1 delivers a long list of additions and changes, ranging from retuned endgame maps to rebalanced uniques to general quality of life tweaks... Read more.View the full article

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth gets Steam Deck Verified a week prior to launching for PC. View the full article

There are several achievements you can unlock as you play through Balatro, but getting them all can be challenging. The descriptions for how you unlock these achievements are vague, and we can lay out the exact information you need to know to get them all. There are 31 achievements you can unlock in the game. Many have to do with playing the game, but you may also need to focus on a particular aspect, such as adding cards to your deck, removing them, or beating challenges that become available as you unlock decks. Here’s the full breakdown of all Balatro achievements and how you get them. View the full article

The Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been revealed, and despite details being relatively sparse outside of an in-depth look at ... Read more View the full article

This Halloween season in Destiny 2, Guardians may end up never looking better. Or spookier, at least. The results are in for this year’s armor vote for players to suit up for the season. The Titan class had the closest vote in this year’s Festival of the Lost vote in Destiny 2, with 53 percent voting for the winner, the Jason Voorhees-like Slasher skin that features a hockey mask, chains, and armor meant to look like the Friday the 13th character’s normal wardrobe of brown pants and a blue coat. View the full article

For anyone wanting realistic racing, the Assetto Corsa series has long been one of the most reliable places to go. Whether you're strapping yourself into a $10,000 sim rig or just want to challenge your mates on some exquisitely recreated tracks, it's stood alongside the likes of iRacing as one of the top dogs. While both the original Assetto Corsa and its 2019 sequel, Competizione, still enjoy thousands of daily players, the third entry has been a long time coming. Well, the wait is finally over, because Assetto Corsa Evo has just launched in Steam Early Access - and despite suffering from some initial technical gremlins, it's just set a new Steam record for the series. Read the rest of the story... View the full article