Steam

A little gift to yourself for the holidays perhaps? System76 just announced their AMD Ryzen 8945HS powered Pangolin laptop upgrade. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content]-***** View the full article

Looks like we may see some improvements to the Lenovo Legion series of hardware like the Lenovo Legion Go handheld when running on Linux, thanks to a new Linux kernel patch that's been sent in. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

There's a new Jurassic World movie coming next summer, after going from 'just announced' to production to post in the span of less than a year. The trick? Original Jurassic Park scribe David Koepp had knocked out a script in secret. Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) is directing and ready to talk a bit about the process of shooting in natural environments. Read more View the full article

Fans of ****** Myth: Wukong can soon obtain an incredible sculpture of the game's protagonist, but will need to shell out an eye-watering amount for the privilege. The life-size bust of ****** Myth: Wukong protagonist The Destined One went up for pre-order on December 16, 2024. View the full article

Sony has invested 50 billion yen (approx. $318 million) in FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa, putting the brakes on a full takeover for now. With the investment, Sony becomes the majority shareholder in Kadokawa, with 10% of the company’s shares. ******** megacorp Tencent is next in-line. Kadokawa and Sony have formed what the pair described as a ‘Strategic Capital and Business Alliance,’ with the goal to boost Kadokawa’s long list of intellectual properties globally. The announcement of the deal includes vague corporate speak about how the two companies plan to work together in the future, but there is a line about adapting Kadokawa’s IP into live-action films and TV dramas globally, co-producing anime works, and further expanding the publishing of Kadokawa’s games. That line in particular has already sparked speculation that Sony may help realise a live-action Elden Ring movie or TV series of some kind, but it’s worth pointing out that much of Sony’s interest in Kadokawa has to do with its anime business, as opposed to its video game business. Sony boss Hiroki Totoki commented: "Through this capital and business alliance, we will become the largest shareholder of Kadokawa, which consistently creates a wide variety of IP, including publications and books, such as light novels and comics, as well as games and anime. “By combining Kadokawa’s extensive IP and IP creation ecosystem with the strengths of Sony, which has promoted the global expansion of a wide range of entertainment, including anime and games, we plan to work closely together to realize Kadokawa’s 'Global Media Mix' strategy, aimed at maximizing the value of its IP, and Sony's long-term vision, 'Creative Entertainment Vision.'" Last month, financial experts said the PlayStation maker might have been put off the deal due to the cost of having to acquire all of Kadokawa, rather than the parts it was actually interested in. Kadokawa was reportedly only interested in doing a deal with Sony if it bought the entire company. Sony, however, was reportedly only interested in “extracting” assets related to anime and video games, which presumably included the developer of Elden Ring. Buying all of Kadokawa would cost 640 billion yen (approx $4.3 billion), according to expert estimates. Sony’s cash for buyouts is apparently tight at the moment due to investments made elsewhere. As a point of comparison, Sony bought Destiny developer Bungie for $3.7 billion back in 2022. The studio has since suffered multiple rounds of layoffs and project cancelations. There’s also the apparent prospect of a bidding war, or scope for Sony to buy 50% of Kadokawa and turn it into a subsidiary it doesn’t wholly own. Kadokawa’s business extends into areas that fit into Sony’s broader entertainment offering, which includes anime, manga, TV, and film. Kadokawa is a prolific publisher of anime, and Sony already owns anime streamers Crunchyroll and Funimation. As well as FromSoftware, Kadokawa owns Danganronpa developer Spike Chunsoft, Octopath Traveler developer Acquire, and RPG Maker and Pixel Game Maker developer Gotcha Gotcha Games. Kadokawa is the majority owner of FromSoftware, with around 70% of the company. Sony already owns around 14% of the developer, with Tencent owning around 16%. For Sony, its gaming business has already suffered significant layoffs this year and the closure of multiple studios, including Concord developer Firewalk. In February, it announced a round of layoffs affecting 900 staff, or about 8% of its global PlayStation workforce. The layoffs impacted a number of PlayStation studios, including Insomniac, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla, and Firesprite, but PlayStation's London studio was hit hardest with a notice of closure. As for FromSoftware, it's working on multiplatform Elden Ring spin-off Elden Ring Nightreign, which is due out next year. Wesley is the *** News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at *****@*****.tld. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The team at Tango Gameworks have been through a lot these past couple of years. High on the surprise release of their highly acclaimed 2023 hit Hi-Fi Rush, {LINK REMOVED}the studio was suddenly closed down in May, causing uproar among game fans around the world. Then, in August, it was announced that South Korea’s PUBG publisher Krafton had reached an agreement to acquire Tango, along with Hi-Fi Rush, granting the studio a new lease of life. Amid such dramatic twists and turns, Tango has retained many of its staff for this new iteration. IGN spoke with studio head Colin Mack, creative director / Hi-Fi Rush director John Johanas, and development director / Hi-Fi Rush project manager Kazuaki Egashira about their plans for Tango Gameworks going forward. Despite previous reports that Hi-Fi Rush 2 is in development, Mack clarified that the team are still considering their options before they commit to a sequel. That is to say, the team had previously been working on a sequel at the time of the acquisition, and it seems pretty likely that they will continue to do so, but at this stage a sequel is not guaranteed. “We are considering a sequel positively,” Mack told IGN. “We are not yet at the stage where we can say specifically, ‘This is what we're going to do.' ” Johanas added: “Many of our staff have a lot of love for [Hi-Fi Rush], so we feel like we have options. We’re currently at the stage of considering various opportunities.” Not only the game but also the characters and the world are beloved by us, so I want to cherish this IP. From The Evil Within to Ghostwire: Tokyo and finally Hi-Fi Rush, Tango Gameworks is known for creating brand new games, and it seems that this culture still persists in the studio’s latest incarnation under Krafton. Egashira explained that creating new experiences is “in the DNA of Tango Gameworks." “Hi-Fi Rush became popular as a new IP, but if Hi-Fi Rush were to stay the same forever, it would eventually become outdated,” he said. “I think Tango Gameworks is about taking on new challenges. I hope to continue to work in a way that puts developers at the center, without losing our passion.” “Not only me, but many of the development staff have a strong attachment to Hi-Fi Rush,” said Johanas. “Not only the game but also the characters and the world are beloved by us, so I want to cherish this IP. “On the other hand, it's important to try new things. I worked on The Evil Within, directed its DLC, and then directed the sequel The Evil Within 2. I don't think I could have made yet another horror game at that point, because there’s only so much you can do with the same material. It’s risky to try something completely different, sure — but I think a sequel to a series is also a risk in itself.” Krafton’s acquisition of Tango Gameworks came about when the studio members, faced with imminent closure, began looking for a buyer. Krafton was proactive in courting the team and moved extremely quickly to propose and finalize the acquisition, allowing many of the staff to stay together. “I’m glad that we were able to continue making games together while keeping the DNA of Tango Gameworks intact, rather than starting from scratch again,” said Johanas, highlighting how the team’s chemistry was built up over years of working together, and played a big part in the success of Hi-Fi Rush. The studio currently has around 50 employees, and Mack says they will begin recruitment in late December or January 2025, with a view to growing to around 100 people. This will allow them to focus on making one game at a time while also experimenting with new projects on the side, much like how Hi-Fi Rush was initially created. Johanas also recalled advice given to him by Shinji Mikami, the legendary developer who founded Tango Gameworks in 2010 before leaving in 2023 after the release of Hi-Fi Rush. Mikami was keen to foster new talent at Tango, and Johanas essentially became one of his apprentices, influencing his views on how the studio will continue into the future. “I learned from Mr Mikami that it is important for a director to discuss ideas for a game with their team rather than giving orders, and to make the game together,” Johanas said. “He often said that if you make a game like a bonsai tree, it may take the shape the director had in mind, but each of the development staff will not feel their output is reflected. In that sense, freedom is very important. Of course, it is necessary for the director to decide the overall direction, but we have always valued an environment where the staff can create freely, rather than one where they are only allowed to as they are told. It's closer to the growth of a tree in nature than a bonsai tree. “Mikami places a high level of trust in his staff, which is why so many of us have stayed at Tango Gameworks for so long. I hope to continue this culture of freedom in the future.” For information on recruitment at Tango Gameworks, check out Krafton’s recruitment site. Esra Krabbe is an editor at IGN Japan. View the full article

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has addressed player complaints about the pricing of the recently released Killzone crossover, insisting it is the driving force behind the decision making, not Sony. Part one of the Helldivers 2 and Killzone crossover includes a Killzone-themed armor set, assault rifle, banner, cape, and player title. If you want all the Killzone items you’ll have to hand over Super Credits to the value of nearly twice the cost of a premium Warbond, and nearly half the price of Helldivers 2 itself. Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani took to the Helldivers Discord to answer questions with varying success, at points angering the studio’s community even further. "Firstly - this is our first collaboration so we'll be figuring it out as we go along,” Jorjani began. “Let us know what you'd like to see in the future. Secondly it's optional - the more of this we sell - the more Illuminate type stuff we can keep dropping for free." That comment in particular didn’t go down well, with players pointing out that Helldivers 2 is not a free game and therefore should not take a free-to-play pricing strategy. Continuing to put out fires, Jorjani said the pricing backlash was discussed during Arrowhead’s monthly townhall meeting on Wednesday, and promised the studio was looking at how well the items were selling, whether or not they were being used, and feedback to get a sense of the “gripes” from the community. "Clearly we'd love to find the sweet spot of people loving the content AND the price and buy the bajeesus out of it," Jorjani added. "This clearly didn't hit that mark." While the pricing of the Killzone items has hit the headlines, fans are also expressing concern at the FOMO associated with their limited-time *****. Part one of this Killzone crossover will only be available in Helldivers 2’s in-game store for five days before it’s rotated out. Jorjani then said that running Helldivers 2 was “hard,” and admitted the studio has never run a big live service game before. "The last release Arrowhead had was in 2015 and the studio was much smaller,” he said. “We're doing our best. Sometimes we fumble. I think we've shown that we will persevere and improve things in due course. I understand you'd like us to never fumble - but I can't promise you we'll hit our mark every time." Amid the backlash, some fans had wondered whether the Killzone pricing was forced upon Arrowhead by publisher and IP owner Sony. After all, Sony has a controversial relationship with Arrowhead and Helldivers 2 players following the company’s decision to force PC gamers to link to a PSN account to play. Even now, Helldivers 2 remains unavailable to play in the many countries in which Sony does not support PSN accounts. However, Jorjani insisted that in the case of the Killzone item pricing, Arrowhead was in charge. “It’s a partnership [with Sony],” he said, “but we are in the driving seat behind the decisions. This one is on us.” Meanwhile, players have wondered whether the Killzone crossover was intended to be sold as a premium Warbond (Helldivers 2’s take on a battle pass of sorts), given leaks prior to its announcement and release suggested as much. Taking to Twitter to respond to further complaints from fans, Arrowhead CCO Johan Pilestedt confirmed the Warbond theory, and explained why it was changed to individual item sales on the in-game store. “The reason we changed it from a Warbond was actually because there were concerns that having a higher priced Warbond would carry negative sentiment.” It turns out that negative sentiment hit the studio anyway, a point made to Pilestedt. "We just want to create great experiences that are sustainable for years to come," he countered. "As part of that, we need to figure out how to make HD2 financially sustainable in the long term." Thoughts now turn to the release of part two of the Killzone crossover next week. Will Arrowhead adjust the pricing in response to the backlash, or stick to its guns? We’ll find out on December 23. Wesley is the *** News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at *****@*****.tld. View the full article

The writer of the infamous Sonic Adventure 2 song "Live and Learn" is suing *****, claiming he owns the rights to the song in part, and alleging the company has been using the song without his permission and making money off it over the last 20 years. In a lawsuit first spotted by Polygon and also viewed by IGN, John Gioeli, the writer and performer for Live and Learn, asserts that he has maintained his songwriting registration for the song for over 20 years since he first wrote and recorded it for Sonic Adventure 2. However, he says ***** has been improperly claiming it is the actual owner of the song and behaving as such, including licensing the song to "at least 25 video games, television shows, live performances/events, and films." Specifically, Gioeli's suit claims that ***** is basing its ownership of Live and Learn off "a 2001 lyric agreement where Gioeli was paid $3000 to write lyrics for a as-yet-untitled song that would be included in Sonic Adventure 2." He did so at his home studio, using his own equipment and own vocals, allegedly without *****'s direct involvement. He did work with ***** composer Jun Senoue over the phone, with Senoue initially sending him a music demo that Gioeli was supposed to write lyrics for. But the suit claims that the scope of Gioeli's work expanded over the course of his work on Live and Learn without amendment to the initial agreement, which was only for the lyrics. Allegedly, Gioeli revised the song significantly, communicating changes over the phone to Senoue. As a result, Gioeli says ***** claims it owns both the recording and musical composition, but argues this is not actually the case and that there is no agreement stating such. And Gioeli also claims that ***** has acknowledged in the past that the composition is "likely jointly owned", with one ***** lawyer allegedly telling Gioeli at one point that he is entitled to 50% of profits from its use. Gioeli allegedly was somehow unaware that ***** has been using Live and Learn with regularity in a number of other formats over the last 20 years. This is despite Gioeli working closely with the company on a number of songs throughout this time, all of which had far more specific agreements signed about who owned what. Per the suit, he only found out about its myriad uses through a fan telling him, and has since identified 25 video games it exists in. These include multiple Yakuza and Sonic games, Super Smash Bros, Phantasy Star Online, the maimai series, and Monster Hunter Rise). Notably, Gioeli was involved in the song's inclusion in the recent movie Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (which we've just reviewed), and even signed the deal with Paramount for song placement. Gioeli is seeking a court decision as to the ownership of Live and Learn, as well as a restitution for any money he is owed and damages for breach of the 2001 Lyric Agreement. Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected]. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Is Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 coming to Game Pass? The various misadventures of Henry of Skalitz are returning to our screens very soon, and there are high hopes that Warhorse Studios will allow Game Pass subs to enjoy them without having to delve further into their coffers. Ahead of the Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 release date, we've put together all the latest we know about the upcoming PC game's Game Pass future. A sprawling open-world RPG like Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 would certainly bring in a few more subscribers, but would it move the needle enough to warrant Microsoft shelling out the big bucks to warrant a KCD 2 Game Pass appearance? Read on to find out. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 release date, trailers, news, and story Here's how to grab Kingdom Come 2 and MH Wilds cheaper, and get eight free games Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 system requirements offer hope for older gaming PCs View the full article

"Los Ratones will beat T1," I emphatically tell my partner. We're eating 'Christmas Disco Brunch' in a West End cinema turned student hangout in Glasgow, sounding like two esports-obsessed zoomers, while simultaneously realizing we're probably two of the oldest people in the room. He frowns and goes back to his chicken and waffles: "You're huffing some serious hopium, Lauren," he retorts. "T1 are the reigning League of Legends World Champions; they're hardly going to be beaten by Los Ratones." He still asks me to pick him up a LR Red Bull t-shirt, though. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: LoL tier list patch 14.24 - best League of Legends champions Which League of Legends skins are currently on *****? League of Legends Mythic shop December - what's on ***** now? View the full article

Helldivers 2 received a very special delivery of supplies featuring Killzone 2. As a part of the collaboration, you can find new armor, player card, title, and even a new weapon—the StA-52 Assault Rifle. The way you get this rifle is a bit different from regular unlocks in Helldivers 2, so here’s everything you need to know about it and whether you should get it in the first place. View the full article

As we wait for today's hugely anticipated Superman trailer from James Gunn and DC Studios, the timing is just perfect to reminisce about the past incarnations of Supes and Lex Luthor. In fact, Jesse Eisenberg, who played the iconic villain in 2016's ill-fated but financially successful Batman v Superman (and very briefly in Justice League), recently talked about the aftermath of that failure. Read more View the full article

With the release of Version 1.4 of Zenless Zone Zero, a huge selection of major additions and minor tweaks and fixes were rolled out to a community of thirsty players. However, it's this thirst that's caused a bit of a backlash over the past few days, as the update brought with it a semi-block to certain camera angles that allowed players to get 'up-close shots' of their player avatar. Read more View the full article

It's been rumoured for a while that Sony are about to buy Kadokawa Corporation, a monolithic Japanese media conglomerate that means nothing to the bulk of you unless I append the magic words "parent company of Dark Souls developers FromSoftware" and possibly also, "parent company of Spike Chunsoft". Sony and Kadokawa were reported to be in talks last month, fomenting all sorts of speculation about, say, the PC version of Bloodborne being ritually sacrificed to consecrate the PS6-exclusivity of Dark Souls 4. Now, the pair have emerged from the Cave of Haggling and announced... "a strategic capital and business alliance agreement". What does this mean? Is it safe to scream yet? Read more View the full article

Competitive Roblox dodgeball experience Blade Ball continues its holiday plans with its Santa vs. Elves V6.7 update. The latest in developer Wiggity’s line of Christmas event updates comes with a handful of goodies to unwrap as December rolls on. It’s not all reindeer games, though, as Blade Ball fans can now enjoy other non-holiday additions, including 24 swords, 14 explosions, and 12 emotes. There’s also a Blade League event for those looking forward to its release this weekend. Of course, Blade Ball update V6.7’s real focus is the features that will help get everyone into the holiday spirit. Santa vs. Elves is a limited-time mode that asks players to pick between two teams: you guessed it, Santa and the Elves. Patch notes describe the mode, saying that players must pick a team, with the goal being to “get the most wins.” The victors unlock rewards, though it’s unclear what all of the prizes include. There’s also a new Reindeer Gacha to take advantage of. Getting eliminations rewards players with free spins, and there’s also a new reindeer mount and ****, too. In addition to the aforementioned swords, explosions, and emotes, there’s also a new cinematic emote camera for those who prefer their Blade Ball experience to be flashy. You’ll have to check into update V6.7 for yourself to see every new Christmas mode and feature, but you can at least take a peak at the reindeer bonuses below. [/url] Wiigity has packed Blade Ball with a feast of features all month, with another recent update adding in a new battle pass, mode, rewards, and more. Another early December update came with a Gingerbread Spin, Holiday-themed crate, and tweaks to some existing abilities. If you’re looking for a bit of extra incentive to hop into the action, you can see our list of all active Blade Ball codes here. In the meantime, you can check out the full update V6.7 update patch notes below. Blade Ball Update V6.7 Patch NotesSanta vs Elves! - Santa vs Elves LTM - Pick a team, and get the most wins in order to unlock rewards! - Who will you choose? Santa or Elves? - Reindeer Gacha - Unlock the new Reindeer **** in the new Reindeer Gacha! - Get eliminations for FREE spins. - NEW Reindeer Mount - Blade League - Tune into the Blade League event to get notified when it's released! - Cinematic Emote Camera - 24 Swords - 14 Explosions - 12 Emotes 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. View the full article

December is a big month for me. It’s a time to celebrate the holidays with friends and family, surprise loved ones with unique gifts, and attempt to reconnect with the ever-growing monstrosity that is my backlog. December is also a time for me to reflect on games that launched throughout the year – especially those that continued to demonstrate the rise in accessibility acceptance, as well as push the innovative boundary for future titles. 2024 was rife with accessible games, spanning across numerous genres and developed by various sized studios. As the industry’s understanding and implementation of features and designs continues to evolve, games are far more accessible than before. And with this year-end issue of Access Designed, IGN would like to recognize several games for their accessibility excellence. Runner-up: Dragon Age: The Veilguard Bioware’s latest installment in its fantasy RPG series, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, is the purest definition of normalizing and standardizing accessibility. Not only does it demonstrate the studio’s increased commitment to disabled players since Dragon Age: Inquisition’s release in 2014, but Veilguard’s accessibility offerings also impressively cater toward an array of disabilities. Visual features like subtitle adjustments, colorblind filters, and both melee and ranged threat indicators allow deaf and hard of hearing users to process gameplay information without audio. For blind and low vision players, Veilguard’s options offer audio indicators for incoming attacks, dialogue options, and interactive objects – all of which are crucial for combat, storytelling, and overworld traversal. Physically disabled players can remap controls, toggle options for mechanics like blocking, aiming, and holding inputs, and even remove QTEs and combos with rapid button presses. Veilguard’s greatest accessibility achievement, though, comes in the form of dynamic difficulty. Difficulty is not unanimous. Not only do the rules, methods and understanding of challenge vary between studios, individual games, and player experiences - the majority of difficulty settings only tackle enemy aggression, player damage output, and player health. But in Veilguard, disabled players can alter settings like enemy resistances, enemy vulnerability, timing windows for dodging and parrying, enemy health and aggression. You can even toggle player death, allowing you to remain alive no matter how much damage you take. Combine that with settings that allow players to continuously access previously learned information, have consistent waypoints for objectives and overworld items, and the capability to pause whenever you like, and disabled players are given the chance they need to process each encounter or recover stamina. Veilguard isn’t perfect. Some features like single stick movement and robust guidance systems are missing. Yet it still acts as the quintessential modern accessible experience. The industry continues to rightfully praise games like The Last of Us Part 2, but Veilguard demonstrates it’s time to move beyond the notion that a single game deserves all the accessibility praise. Instead, accessibility is evolving across the industry, and Veilguard is one of this year’s prime examples. Runner-up: Botany Manor It’s a common misconception that accessibility can only be achieved by companies owned by wealthy megacorporations like Microsoft or Sony. This belief that accessibility requires dozens of developers and untold amounts of money continues to plague innovation. But Botany Manor, a low-budget puzzle game, is proof that such a belief is a fallacy. Developed by Balloon Studios and published by Whitethorn Games, Botany Manor is a soothing puzzle solving game set in a stately home in 19th century England. This genre is, admittedly, not my favorite – I prefer action and turn-based RPGs. But the accessibility features and design of Botany Manor made this game an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. For starters, it offers full support for mouse and keyboard or controller, depending on your preferred setup. It also offers single stick gameplay, with an option to toggle the capability to look around. Finally, a toggle to sprint is also offered. That’s an admittedly small selection of options, but they’re augmented by Botany Manor’s impressive use of inclusive design. There are no time limits for solving puzzles; instead players are allowed to take as much time as needed to figure out ways to grow specific plants. Furthermore, puzzles are relegated to a select number of rooms per chapter. Rather than opening the entirety of the manor to players, which could feel overwhelming, those with physical and cognitive disabilities can preserve energy knowing puzzles are within sections. Botany Manor is by no means perfect, as blind and low vision players will undoubtedly struggle without specific audio-based options. But an indie studio that creates a game with such accessibility-focused attention to inclusive design should be rewarded for its efforts. Botany Manor is proof you don’t need an extensive budget nor dozens of options to make puzzle games accessible. Winner: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown The winner of this year’s accessibility award is bittersweet. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown proved truly innovative for the Metroidvania genre. However, publisher Ubisoft recently disbanded the Montpellier-based development team and assigned them across several new projects, meaning that a sequel or future innovations from the studio has very little chance of happening. But I’m not awarding developers because of pity. Rather, I’m awarding the team because they created the most innovatively accessible experience of 2024. The Lost Crown offers customizable controls, subtitles, audio indicators for varying attacks, and a toggle that automatically unfreezes your character when frozen by a frost status effect. But these options ultimately pale in comparison to the innovative Memory Shards and Guided Mode features. The Metroidvania genre relies on extensive memorization and backtracking. Areas are meant to be explored numerous times throughout a playthrough, with each segment opening new layers on repeat visits as players acquire new tools or powers. Memory Shards allow players to place a screenshot of a location on the overworld map, reminding them of hidden items or barriers to new routes that can only be accessed with yet-to-be-acquired skills or equipment. Spotted a power up at the beginning of a zone that’s inaccessible? Just place a Memory Shard on the map to remind you to return when you’ve progressed. This feature has been praised as a gameplay tool in general, but it is an incredibly helpful tool for players of all cognitive abilities. To coincide with Memory Shards, Guided Mode shows players precisely where their next objective is, as well as highlights any upcoming barriers along the path. Combined, these two features dramatically reduce the chance of cognitive overload while still respecting the core feature of a Metroidvania – exploration. While guides and placeable hints are not new to gaming, Metroidvania games have always been dense and obscure and, as a result, cognitively inaccessible. That is until the release of The Lost Crown. This year’s Prince of Persia really is a game (and genre) changer. 2024 continued the trend of improving accessible experiences for disabled players. No longer are we expected to follow specific studios for accessible games. From AAA to indie, disabled players are no longer confined to specific genres because of accessibility offerings. And while barriers still exist, 2024 is indicative of increasing support from studios that continuously adopt the best accessibility practices. Some shortcomings aside, 2024 was as accessible as ever, and another fantastic year for disabled players. Grant Stoner is a disabled journalist covering accessibility and the disabled perspective in video games. When not writing, he is usually screaming about Pokémon or his cat, Goomba on Twitter. View the full article

After a good few weeks of 'will they, won't they' chatter surrounding Elden Ring and Bloodborne developer FromSoftware's parent company Kadokawa Corporation and a potential acquisition by Sony, the pair have announced a thing. It's a "strategic capital and business alliance" that's aimed at boosting collaborative ties, with Sony becoming the largest shareholder in Kadokawa. Read more View the full article

The Accessibility Update for Neva has just dropped, bringing many quality-of-life improvements, bug fixes, and various other changes to the award-winning indie title. Developer Nomada Studio has released several small patches for Neva since it came out. View the full article

Shiny Rayquaza is taking over Pokémon Scarlet and Violet with an epic five-star Tera Raid event. As a Legendary Pokémon and a rare Shiny, this ****** dragon makes a fine addition to your collection. Here’s everything you need to know about the Shiny Rayquaza Tera Raid event in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. View the full article

The 2XKO team is off on holiday, but they've left a nice little roadmap of sorts for those keen to learn more about the game before they departed for office for sweet treats and boozy nights out. In short, there'll be an update on what's to come in February, and a chance for players to see this for themselves in March. Read more View the full article

Of all the new additions to Warframe in the 1999 update, understanding the romance feature and how it works is crucial. Warframe has been a long-running game, and though it started slowly, it has grown over the last decade to be one of the most popular MMOs. Many of these changes, along with all the promises of 1999, have made 2024 a great time to get back into Warframe. View the full article

To solve the "Serpent's Chest" Mystery in Indiana Jones & The Great Circle, you need to get a special item called the Rebreather. This tool allows Indiana to breathe underwater, but it is extremely expensive compared to other items you can buy. Because of its price, you have to find a way to collect enough money to purchase the Rebreather before you're able to use it. View the full article

Fortnite is suing an unnamed competitive player for cheating in its tournaments. However, as per the court filings found by the community, it seems like the alleged player is Sebastian Araujo, who has had quite a bit of success in Fortnite tournaments lately. View the full article

Image: Playstack The creator of the poker roguelike Balatro, who goes by the alias LocalThunk, has been sharing some frustrations over the game’s 18-plus rating in Europe. “Since PEGI gave us an 18-plus rating for having evil playing cards maybe I should add microtransactions / loot boxes / real gambling to lower that rating to 3-plus like EA Sports FC,” LocalThunk posted on X over the weekend. Balatro’s 18-plus rating isn’t new. The game was originally rated 3-plus, but shortly after its February launch, PEGI bumped it up to 18-plus, as spelled out at the time by Playstack, Balatro’s publisher. The game was briefly delisted from “a number of digital stores in some countries” as a result. According to =&descriptor[]=&publisher=&platform[]=&release_year[]=&page=1&form_build_id=form-UHS_qJPR8y3wmOQu29CLnMnZt4aDd3pN6XBAA02hku8&form_id=pegi_search_form]PEGI’s page for Balatro, the rating was given because the game “features prominent gambling imagery.” PEGI also spells out the following “content specific issues”: This game teaches — by way of images, information and gameplay — skills and knowledge that are used in poker. During gameplay, the player is rewarded with ‘chips’ for playing certain hands. The player is able to access a list of poker hand names. As the player hovers over these poker hands, the game explains what types of cards the player would need in order to play certain hands. As the game goes on, the player becomes increasingly familiar with which hands would earn more points. Because these are hands that exist in the real world, this knowledge and skill could be transferred to a real-life game of poker. While it’s true that the game does feature poker imagery and poker hands that a player could translate into an actual game of poker, it’s worth noting that Balatro doesn’t actually have any gambling as part of playing the game. (LocalThunk has even stipulated in their will that Balatro can’t be sold or licensed to a gambling company.) [/url] Games like EA Sports FC include in-game purchases with randomized content, which is what LocalThunk takes issue with. “I’m way more irked at the 3-plus for these games with actual gambling mechanics for children than I am about Balatro having an 18-plus rating,” he said on Sunday. LocalThunk said Wednesday that they attempted to discuss Balatro’s rating with PEGI, but “they do not see anything wrong Balatro being rated 18-plus, nor with EA Sports FC (and similar games) having a 3-plus rating.” PEGI was “blaming EU laws, blaming storefronts, waiting for the future,” LocalThunk said. PEGI didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. View the full article

Infinity Nikki's enormous open-world offers endless exploration opportunities, with countless materials and items to collect across the fairy-tale world of Miraland. The game's main story and gameplay primarily revolves around obtaining, crafting, and styling outfits, ultimately making Infinity Nikki a dress-up open-world experience. In order for you to craft outfits in Infinity Nikki, you will need to gather specific materials from across Miraland that are required for each outfit's crafting recipe, including Bedrock Crystals. View the full article