Even if you've got some early financial backing, decades of industry experience at the top, and some super talented devs creating your new game, there's no guarantee in the current climate that you're going to succeed. It's tough right now. We've already seen plenty of studios that were spun up over the last four or five years close their doors or downsize after getting just a single game out the door - some aren't even able to achieve that before running out of cash. The latest studio to be impacted is Jar of Sparks, the studio formed in 2022 by former Microsoft veteran and Halo Infinite lead designer Jerry Hook, which is now "halting work" on its debut game and letting staff explore other opportunities. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: The new Halo games could totally fix the broken triple-A industry Free Halo Infinite mode blends Helldivers 2 with ODST, and it's coming soon Halo battle royale reportedly canned because 343 couldn't compete with Fortnite View the full article
After Nvidia gave its keynote at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the tech giant revealed that 75 games will support DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation, which is exclusive to the RTX 50 series of graphics cards. The upcoming Nvidia technology will be featured in games such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Cyberpunk 2077, and Marvel Rivals once the RTX 50 GPUs hit the market. View the full article
Helldivers 2 is a multiplayer PvE shooter where players take up arms to protect Super Earth. While the game had a stellar launch, multiple nerfs and controversies with the PlayStation network have caused some fans to review bomb the game—giving rise to the Chaosdivers. The Chaosdivers are a group of players who have a different approach to voicing their complaints. If you’ve heard about the infamous group of players and want to learn more, here is everything you need to know about Chaosdivers in Helldivers 2. View the full article
Will Shen, a former Bethesda developer who worked on Starfield, has shared his thoughts on modern games that are "too long," stating that players are "fatigued" because of investing so much time. Being an industry veteran, Shen's experience spans multiple AAA titles besides Starfield, such as Fallout 4 and Fallout 76. View the full article
Asus has just unveiled a new ROG mini gaming PC that contains one of the very latest Nvidia gaming GPUs, giving it a surprising amount of gaming power for its size. Inside the new Asus ROG NUC 2025 you'll not only find a new Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 gaming GPU, but also an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU. We spotted the new Asus ROG mini gaming PC at CES, where we're currently roaming the show floor. It's not tiny like some of the latest machines you see from the likes of Geekom, but it's genuinely small for the spec on offer, measuring just 282.4 mm tall and 56.55mm wide. That's a small chassis for the spec on offer, making this machine a genuine contender for the best mini gaming PC title. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Run an RTX 5090 gaming GPU on nearly any laptop or handheld thanks to Asus This new Asus ROG Strix gaming laptop has enough RGB to make your desk glow Loads of Nvidia GeForce RTX 5000 laptop gaming GPU specs just leaked in blunder View the full article
Stimulation Clicker is the latest entry at Neal.fun, and it’s a perfect blend of Gen Z screentime obsession and addictive clicker games. So, if you’ve got 40 minutes to spare, hop on and experience the madness. If you’re a completionist, we’ve got a list of all Stimulation Clicker achievements. All Achievements in Stimulation Clicker and how to get them Yes! There’s really that many things you can do! Screenshot by Dot Esports There are a total of 35 achievements in Stimulation Clicker. Here’s how to get all of them. View the full article
As you explore Act 3 of Path of Exile 2, you may struggle to use the Sacrificial Heart, one item you may pick up from enemies you encounter. This quest item is described as "a soul still clinging to fading shreds of life," offering you an eternal boon for your character. However, you can only sacrifice the heart "at the proper ritual site," which can be unclear at first. View the full article
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A recent court filing has revealed the development costs of three Call of Duty titles between 2015 and 2020. The creative lead and franchise director for Activision's FPS franchise phenomenon, Patrick Kelly, estimated that these three releases cost the company between $450-700 million each, with 2020's Call of Duty: ****** Ops Cold War having a budget of more than $700 million during its lifecycle. View the full article
Slayer’s Fang was the highlight of the seasonal weapons from Destiny 2‘s Episode Revenant—and it gets even better if you use a catalyst or four with it. Like other craftable Exotics, you can slot a few different catalysts and tailor this shotgun to your playstyle. Slayer’s Fang fires a hefty crystal that shatters into smaller crystals after hitting a target, ricocheting around enemies. It’s even better in enclosed spaces, with shrapnel bouncing off the walls and onto enemies to fill your screen with numbers, Warframe-style. View the full article
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter gets a new spellcasting system showcase trailer ahead of its release later this month for PC and consoles. View the full article
World of Warcraft is seemingly adding Lord Ibelin Redmoore, the player character of The Remarkable Life of Ibelin subject Mats Steen, as an NPC in Patch 11.1. Though the details are currently unclear, fans will likely be able to find this heartfelt tribute to the moving documentary in the next World of Warcraft update. View the full article
Jar of Sparks, the studio founded in 2022 by Xbox veteran Jerry Hook in partnership with publisher NetEase, says it is halting development on its debut game in the hope of securing new funding. The Seattle-based company was working on “a new generation of narrative-driven action games,” according to its original announcement. However, an update posted on LinkedIn this week it said it’s now allowing staff to find new work as it seeks a new publishing partner. “Earlier today, we notified our team that Jar of Sparks will be halting work on our current title as we search for a new publishing partner who can help bring our creative vision to life,” the update reads. Read More... View the full article
Recent Zenless Zone Zero leaks hint at a new Bangboo dress-up event that may become a permanent game mode starting with Version 1.5. While Zenless Zone Zero's next update is scheduled for release on January 22, several rumors about its content have already surfaced within the community. View the full article
Virtuos is working on an unannounced remake built with Unreal Engine 5 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. That’s according to the LinkedIn profile of Oleksii Moskovchenko, a technical art director at Virtuos in Shanghai, China. While the identity of the project remains a mystery, it’s reignited speculation that a remake of 2006’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion could be in development at Virtuos. Read More... View the full article
It’s been a long time coming, but the SMITE 2 open beta has been officially announced by the Hi-Rez development team. Now, all players who want to try out the game before it officially releases can have a chance to see every new change from the first SMITE. SMITE 2 has been out in a closed alpha since May, and open closed alpha since Aug. 27, giving players who purchased to play the game in its unfinished state several months to get used to everything. There have been multiple changes to how items work, gods and goddesses, physicals, and gameplay mechanics, alongside monthly updates to reapply player feedback. It’s been a long road, but now everyone has the chance to give it a try for free. Here’s what you need to know about when the open beta for SMITE 2 begins, and how you can join. View the full article
Marvel Rivals‘ first season has arrived and with it, the first two heroes from the Fantastic Four have joined the roster. One of them is Susan Storm, also known as Invisible Woman, a Strategist who can obviously become invisible, but also heal, deal damage, and use a force bust to push enemies. As a Strategist, she plays the support role, meaning her primary objective is to heal and protect her allies but she can use her abilities to get out of dangerous situations such as being cornered or chased. Her character’s powers in the comics are all based on invisibility and creating force fields and in Marvel Rivals it isn’t much different. View the full article
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As a lifelong fan of Final Fantasy, I give every game in the franchise a chance if I can get my hands on it. That included games that didn't receive as much praise as others and even ended up being criticized for the style or gameplay direction it took. However, I think it's time to give Final Fantasy 13 another chance and see that it's an underrated gem that didn't deserve the criticism it received. View the full article
Gaze at the mountain of multiplayer shooters and tremble. I've long maintained that we're in a multiplayer golden age—there have never been more and better shooters to choose from than we have right now, and most of them can be enjoyed entirely for free. If only anyone had the time... Read more.View the full article
The 2025 Call of Duty League skins are live now in ****** Ops 6 and Warzone, teasing what’s to come over the next few months of competition when it comes to in-game swag. All 12 teams have their own bundles in the store, priced at $11.99, featuring multiple customization items like emblems and camos that can be used in BO6 or Warzone. But the main draw for many will be the operator skins, soon to be flooding your lobbies and slide-canceling all over your corpse, that are the same skins that CDL pros will use in matches this year. View the full article
Dead By Daylight continues to be the number one destination if you want some multiplayer horror game scares. It's also got some of the best crossovers in gaming, if you ask me - always either tonally on point or pleasantly surprising. DBD's latest collaboration is a skin line inspired by the works of horror manga legend Junji Ito, and they're some of the most disturbing the game has seen yet. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: DBD codes January 2025 27 of the best horror games to play right now DBD Mobile is shutting down soon, so players get free rewards in the full game View the full article
Fortnite Festival appears to have confirmed a collaboration with Crypton Future Media to bring Hatsune Miku to the game. Although the Fortnite social media accounts are known for being somewhat chatty with internet users, when it comes to confirming what content is making it into the game, they're usually quiet until something is certain. This is why it's exciting to see apparent confirmation that there's a collaboration with Miku. View the full article
World of Warcraft is going to automatically convert any excess Bronze Celebration Tokens players still have from the 20th anniversary event into Timewarped Badges in Patch 11.1. Once the update goes live, fans who forgot to spend all of their currency before the event ended will receive 20 Timewarped Badges for each Bronze Celebration Token in their World of Warcraft characters’ inventories. View the full article
Royal High is starting the new year with a new Everfriend 2025 event, allowing players to wish in the Dream Fountain to get the elusive Harmonic Hearts Halo. To get to the Dream Fountain in Roblox’s Royal High, you simply need to log into the game, and you should spawn near the Fountain automatically. After that, you can wish every two hours for free, which will randomly start a story written by different writers. If you’re looking to find the options that give you the chance to obtain a Halo or other rewards, we’ve got you covered. View the full article
This year’s first IGN First “cover story” belongs to Monster Hunter Wilds, and we’re kicking off our exclusive coverage with two brand new videos featuring gameplay of Ajarakan and Rompopolo on the Oilwell Basin map. We visited Capcom’s offices in Japan, where we played the first five hours or so of Monster Hunter Wilds, and exclusively faced a few Oilwell Basin local monsters. Look out for more gameplay throughout January, along with in-depth interviews, fun details, and a final preview for Monster Hunter Wilds. Check out the videos featuring the fierce Fanged Wyvern, Ajarakan, the abhorrent Brute Wyvern, Rompopolo, and a variety of weapons in the Rompopolo video at the top of this page and in the Ajarakan video below. This is also our first good, extended look of the Oilwell Basin locale, where “oil wells up from the ground and accumulates in deep pools of oilsilt,” as the name implies. In the new gameplay, you can see the Oilwell Basin transition between its three “weather” cycles: the barren Fallow, the burning inclemency, the Firespring; and the peaceful Plenty. Can you tell which is which? During our visit, the Monster Hunter developers revealed that some of the Oilwell Basin was inspired by the deep sea, which you can see more apparently in the exclusive new image of one of the caves in the depths of the Oilwell Basin below. We also learned the mucky Oilsilt isn’t all bad news for us hunters–you can ignite Oilsilt Spouts with Torch Pods to cause explosions. Keep an eye out for Chillmantle Bugs, too, to offset the effects of the scorching heat during the Firespring, and to counter some monsters that are just too hot to handle, too. Monster Hunter Wilds is set to be released on February 28, 2025 globally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and will feature cross-platform multiplayer at launch. Don’t miss our first hands-on preview, and keep it locked here for the month of January for even more Monster Hunter Wilds! Casey DeFreitas is deputy guides editor at IGN and has been hunting monsters since the PS2 era. Catch her on X @ShinyCaseyD. View the full article
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Even if you've got some early financial backing, decades of industry experience at the top, and some super talented devs creating your new game, there's no guarantee in the current climate that you're going to succeed. It's tough right now. We've already seen plenty of studios that were spun up over the last four or five years close their doors or downsize after getting just a single game out the door - some aren't even able to achieve that before running out of cash. The latest studio to be impacted is Jar of Sparks, the studio formed in 2022 by former Microsoft veteran and Halo Infinite lead designer Jerry Hook, which is now "halting work" on its debut game and letting staff explore other opportunities. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: The new Halo games could totally fix the broken triple-A industry Free Halo Infinite mode blends Helldivers 2 with ODST, and it's coming soon Halo battle royale reportedly canned because 343 couldn't compete with Fortnite View the full article