Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has now hit a hugely impressive 12 million players, with publisher Focus Entertainment celebrating its success. “A couple years ago, we had great hopes for this project. Today, it has surpassed even our wildest dreams,” Focus said. It’s worth noting this is not an announcement of 12 million sales. While Space Marine 2 has sold wonderfully well, its player count was boosted by its recent addition into video game subscription services. All told, the Saber Interactive-developed third-person action game has blown away all expectations, with Space Marine 3 in active development even as Space Marine 2 updates continue. In a recent interview with IGN, Saber development chief Tim Willits denied the suggestion that the priority is now the development of Space Marine 3, promising more content to come. “No, we actually just released a big update and it's still going strong,” Willits said, referring to the Techmarine update. “Were we at number four on the top sales? So it's still doing great for us. And we just released a big update. And like World War Z, we're still making content for that, while the team obviously works on Space Marine 3.” Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at *****@*****.tld. View the full article
We're expecting to learn what the FF14 8.0 expansion is called and some of the broad strokes of its plot direction at the upcoming NA Fan Festival in Anaheim, but game director Naoki Yoshida teases that players might be surprised by some of the reveals during his keynote. The upcoming FF14 Fanfest will give our first look at the next expansion, which we expect to arrive in late 2026 if we're lucky, or more likely early 2027. With the showcase preceding the launch of the next story patch, however, 'Yoshi-P' thinks he might catch the audience off guard. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: The FF14 patch 7.5 special site promises more of its best new double act, and a returning ally Here's everything in FF14 7.5 shown during Live Letter 91, including our first look at Beastmaster FF14 has remembered how to be an MMO again, and it doesn't have to be serious View the full article
007 First Lightlooks like a pretty new take on James Bond, but the latest reveal confirms that a long-time staple of the franchise will be carried on in fine fashion. The upcoming title, courtesy of Hitman developer IO Interactive, seems to be pulling out all stops to deliver a memorable re-debut for Bond games after a 14-year hiatus. View the full article
Trench Crusade is the grimmest, darkest, nastiest wargame currently on the market, and it stems from the mind of one man. Mike Franchina is a well-established concept artist in the videogame industry, whose baroque, grimdark designs influenced the grimier elements of games including Diablo IV and Path of Exile 2. Trench Crusade started as his own personal imaginary universe, a place for ideas too grotesque even for his work. Imagine my surprise, then, when I get a chance to interview the man at Adepticon, only to discover that he is unbelievably chill. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Trench Crusade drops surprise 2 player starter set, crashing GW's party Trench Crusade in 2026 - wargame messiah, or false prophet? Warhammer 40k minis and Trench Crusade rules in one free fan game? Sign me up! View the full article
RAM prices may have stopped soaring so quickly, but the war's not over year - not even Newegg's discounts can sugar coat current upgrade costs.View the full article
If you’re a fan of seeing iconic fighting game franchises on the big screen, then 2026 is truly your year. Not only is Warner Bros. releasing the second film in its rebooted Mortal Kombat series, we’re also getting a brand new Street Fighter movie courtesy of Paramount Pictures and Legendary Entertainment. Hollywood has tried and failed to adapt this colorful franchise in the past, but will the third time be the charm? Well, it can’t be any worse than 2009’s Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. We’ve finally gotten our first good look at Street Fighter thanks to a new trailer released during CinemaCon 2026. And if there’s any one takeaway from this footage, it’s that Street Fighter looks like a whole lot of fun. It even opens with the countdown timer sound effects from the games. Could we be looking at the best fighting game movie since 1995’s Mortal Kombat? For now, let’s break down all the characters we meet in the trailer and how they fit together in this epic tale of guys and gals beating the snot out of each other. Noah Centineo’s Ken Masters Street Fighter may feature an ensemble cast of fighters pulled from all over the globe, but the trailer makes it pretty clear that this story will revolve heavily around Noah Centineo’s Ken Masters and Andrew Koji’s Ryu. We’re not surprised, as this Dynamic Duo tends to be the focus in most incarnations of the Street Fighter franchise. Ken and Ryu have been there from the beginning. They were the only playable characters in the original Street Fighter game from 1987, and they’ve been series mainstays ever since. In the games, Ken and Ryu are lifelong friends who both trained under the same master, Gouken. That’s why they wear different colored variations of the same martial arts uniform. But whereas Ryu is totally dedicated to perfecting his fighting craft, Ken is a bit more freewheeling and sociable. We’ll focus more on Ryu in a bit, but for now, let’s dig in with Ken. The trailer reveals that the game is set in 1993, which seems to be an intentional nod to the original era of Street Fighter mania in the early ‘90s. We can see from this footage that Ken has become a bit of a celebrity, even hosting his own show on MTV. But that fame seems to have come at a heavy price. Ken is clearly a washed-up has-been who’d rather get drunk and belt out karaoke than hone his skills as one of the world’s best fighters. If anything, we notice a lot of similarities between Centineo’s Ken and Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage from Mortal Kombat II. Both are world-class fighters-turned-celebrities who are arguably past their prime, and both will have to prove they’ve still got it when they enter the fighting ring. Ken features in a couple of cool Street Fighter Easter eggs in the trailer. We see him performing several iconic fighting moves from the games, including an obligatory Shoryuken punch, a rolling back throw, a Jinrai Kick from 2023’s Street Fighter 6, and axe-kicking a character we assume is El Fuerte. In another shot, we see him kicking and punching a car, a nod to those infamous bonus levels where players try to destroy a car with their expert fighting moves. Andrew Koji’s Ryu Now let’s turn our attention to Ken’s BFF Ryu. The two characters are clearly having a bit of a relationship crisis in the movie. Even as Ken has molded himself into a drunken cable TV star, Ryu has seemingly retreated from the world and become a modern-day martial arts hermit. Ryu seems happy enough to be reunited with his old buddy, but not Ken. His first instinct when he sees Ryu is to bust out a flying kick. Ryu is the closest thing the Street Fighter franchise has to a main character. Again, he’s a top-tier fighter obsessed with perfecting his craft. But though he’s a good-natured warrior who’s always eager to meet new opponents and test his skills, Ryu also harbors a secret dark side. That may explain why he’s in hiding as the movie opens. Ryu may be afraid of unleashing the true power within. We get a taste of that power at the end of the trailer when we see Ryu summon one of his iconic fireballs and shout the word “Hadouken!!!” Street Fighter may be built around hand-to-hand combat, but many of the fighters have superhuman abilities they can bring to the battlefield. Callina Liang’s Chun-Li What would a Street Fighter movie be without the mighty Chun-Li joining Ryu and Ken? This time around, this deadly ******** fighter is played by Callina Liang. Chun-Li was introduced in 1991’s Street Fighter II and has appeared in most of the games since then. She’s portrayed as a skilled warrior and Interpol agent who seeks revenge against M. Bison for the ******* of her father. But, as we know from Raul Julia’s infamous rant in the original Street Fighter movie, he’s killed a great many fathers over the years. Here, Chun-Li appears to be the catalyst that brings Ryu, Ken, and other fighters together to partake in a high-stakes martial arts tournament. Why she’s seeking out these elite world warriors isn’t entirely clear, but it may all be part of a plot to bring down M. Bison. What we do know is that she seems rather unimpressed with both Ryu and Ken. One is hiding from the world, the other is “a sideshow,” and neither is living up to his true potential. Chun-Li aims to fix that. The trailer drops another amusing nod to the games when Chun-Li meets Mel Jarnson’s Cammy and the latter makes a comment about Chun-Li’s thighs. One of the hallmarks of Chun-Li’s character design from the games is her extremely muscular legs, and the movie is clearly having some fun with the fact that her reputation precedes her. We also see her put those legs to good use when she busts out a Hundred Lightning Legs move. David Dastmalchian’s M. Bison David Dastmalchian is playing M. Bison, the character we’re assuming is the main villain of the film. Bison is definitely one of the most important villains in the franchise, dating back to his role as the final boss of Street Fighter II. Bison is a tyrant with aims of world domination. He runs a criminal organization known as Shadaloo, one that manipulates world governments. He’s also the architect of the World Warrior tournament (hence why it’s a bit odd that his nemesis Chun-Li seems to be recruiting for said tournament). If the movie is anything like the games, we expect to see Bison try to recruit Ryu and possibly Ken to his cause. He sees the dark power residing within these warriors, a power that can rival his own “Psycho Power.” Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i’s Akuma Bison is probably the main villain of the new movie, but don’t count out Roman Reigns’ character, Akuma. Akuma is another major antagonist from the games with a deep connection to both Ryu and Ken. Akuma is the subject of much fascination for Street Fighter fans, in part because he was introduced as a secret playable character in 1994’s Super Street Fighter II Turbo. Akuma’s name literally means “******” or “******” in Japanese, and he lives up to that name. He’s the younger brother of Ryu and Ken’s master Gouken, and he seeks to harness a dark power known as Satsui no Hado. Lille Bison, he senses great and terrible potential in Ryu. We only briefly see Reigns’ character in the trailer, but he’s shown battling Ryu and tapping into his own dark energy to charge up his Empyrean's End super move. We expect that face-off to be one of the major set pieces of the film. But will Akuma be a major player in this conflict, or is this more a taste of things to come in a possible sequel? Cody Rhodes’ Guile Street Fighter features another familiar WWE face in the form of Cody Rhodes, who plays the overconfident military man Guile. Guile was the central character in the first Street Fighter movie, but based on the trailer it looks like he serves more of a supporting role this time around. Expect a lot of comic relief from this dude, and not just because of his ridiculous haircut. Guile is another series mainstay introduced in 1991’s Street Fighter II, and like Chun-Li, he has a major grudge against M. Bison for the death of his partner, Charlie. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson’s Balrog One of the more intriguing casting choices in this movie is 50 Cent, who’s been tapped to play elite boxer Balrog. If the costume and makeup don’t make it obvious, Balrog is heavily modeled after real-world boxer Mike Tyson. In the games, Balrog is a disgraced fighter who joins Bison’s Shadaloo organization. We see him battling Ken in the trailer, where it looks like he’ll be one of the first real challenges this washed-up martial artist faces on the road to victory. Jason Momoa’s Blanka Street Fighter gained some real star power with the casting of Jason Momoa as Blanka. Another iconic character introduced in 1991’s Street Fighter II, Blanka is also one of the most colorful and unusual characters in the games. As the story goes, he was once a guy named Jimmy who mutated after a plane ****** and became an oversized, green-skinned monster with the power to generate electricity. Eric André’s Don Sauvage Any global martial arts tournament worth its salt needs a good announcer, and that’s the role being filled by Eric André’s Don Sauvage. Sauvage is a flamboyant announcer and promoter inspired by pro wrestling personality Jimmy Hart. It appears he’ll be providing play-by-play commentary for at least some of the matches in the film. Orville *****’s Vega It seems only fitting that the Street Fighter character known for always wearing a mask would be played by an actor infamous for rarely showing his face in public. Orville ***** is playing Vega, a graceful but very deadly fighter who wields Wolverine-like claws. Vega is known as the “Spanish ninja,” as his fighting style combines elements of ninjitsu and bullfighting. Olivier Richters’ Zangief Street Fighter characters don’t get much ******* or more imposing than Zangief, who’s played here by Olivier Richters. In the games, Zangief is a professional wrestler from Russia who’s determined to prove his country’s superiority by piledriving all challengers into submission. We see several larger-than-life feats of strength from Richters’ character in the trailer, including an Ultimate Atomic Crusher Ultra Technique from 2008’s Street Fighter IV, which makes it plain that the movie is opting for a more cartoonish style of violence. Hirooki Goto’s E. Honda We don’t see much of him in the trailer, but Hirooki Goto has been cast as master sumo wrestler E. Honda. Honda is another long-running Street Fighter character who dates back to 1991’s Street Fighter II. Vidyut Jammwal’s Dhalsim Rounding out the cast of Street Fighter II legends is Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim. This yogi and mystic is one of the more unusual fighters in the games, as he can stretch his limbs in impossible ways. He’s also a hardcore pacifist who only participates in the tournament to raise money for his impoverished village. We see Dhalism at several points in the trailer, both fighting in the ring and being recruited by Chun-Li. Mel Jarnson’s Cammy Cammy is arguably the most popular Street Fighter character to debut after that initial batch of World Warriors, so we’re not at all surprised to see her in the movie. Cammy has proven very important to the mythology of the series, as she’s been revealed to be one of M. Bison’s former assassins who loses her memory and becomes an MI:6 agent. We don’t know how much the movie will get into that backstory, though, as we mainly see Cammy acting as a foil to Chun-Li. Andrew Schulz’s Dan Hibiki Finally, how could we forget about Dan Hibiki, probably the most divisive character in the Street Fighter franchise? Dan is played by Andrew Schulz in the movie. He, too, is a former student of Gouken, though unlike Ryu and Ken, he’s pretty much all bluster and no substance. Don’t expect him to make it very far in this tournament. Actually, it appears he may be Ken’s manager rather than an active fighter himself. Those are the fighters you need to know before watching Street Fighter. What do you think of this upcoming video game movie? Does the trailer have you ready to bash cars with your bare fists, or is this another disaster in the making? Let us know what you think in the comments. For more, check out every video game movie and series in development. Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky. View the full article
Multiplayer game Write Warzis leaving free-to-play soon, and Steam users only have a short time to get it for free. Developed by Boltz Entertainment, Write Warz is a party title where players work together to create and vote on hilarious stories, while also utilizing unique character abilities. It has been in early access and free-to-play since launching on Steam over a year ago. View the full article
Data miners recently unearthed Steam code suggesting the storefront could soon compare each game's current price with prices from the previous 30 days, likely to warn users if developers recently raised prices ahead of a *****. Steam and other stores have offered similar warnings in Europe since 2023, but the... Read Entire Article View the full article
Virtual fashion is coming to the Amazon marketplace. Today, April 16, avatar fashion company DressX announced a partnership with Amazon intended to bridge the gap between online commerce and gameplay inside Fashion Rivals, DressX’s Meta Horizon experience. Users will be able to purchase DressX virtual garments on Amazon’s online store, then unlock and wear them directly inside the Meta Horizon experience. .memberful-global-teaser-content p:last-child{ -webkit-mask-image: linear-gradient(180deg, #000 0%, transparent); mask-image: linear-gradient(180deg, #000 0%, transparent); } This article is free — just create an account Join GamesBeat to read this story and almost everything else on the site. No credit card, no catch.Start Reading FreeAlready a member? Sign in The post DressX and Amazon announce virtual fashion partnership | exclusive appeared first on GamesBeat. View the full article
******* maps, naval warfare, and persistent servers are just a few of the additions coming to Battlefield 6, as its developers have promised to finally, directly address community feedback with a series of major updates throughout 2026. After months of outcry for more content and reports of declining interest from players, the four-studio group that makes up Battlefield Studios is going to great lengths to win back fans. IGN was invited for a Q&A session with the team to learn more about what is coming in Season 3, 4, and even 5, and while it’s unclear if it will be enough to reach the heights of launch, one thing is certain: they are listening. Season 3 EA and BF Studios are, at last, implementing their plans to finally let Battlefield 6 soar, and Season 3 is the runway – but what took so long? “We want to make sure we are making and moving as quickly as we possibly can to really address the concerns that players are having but also making sure they are having the experiences that they want to have,” Ripple Effect executive producer Ryan McArthur said. “That being said, the most important thing for the team is to make sure we get it right. Things like maps and game modes, and things that really take some time and some balancing, we want to make sure we’ve got the time to put the effort in to make sure the experience the players want is the experience we get.” Getting it right starts with the previously announced plan to launch a remake of Golmud Railway with Season 3 this May. This version of a classic Battlefield 4 map, now called Railway to Golmud, is set in Tajikistan and comes with updated visuals, reworked play areas, and updated audio design. It also happens to be approximately four times the size of the already quite large Mirak Valley, giving players a taste of how BF Studios will address long-standing calls for larger multiplayer maps. The second map of the season is another returning location: Grand Bazaar. Now called Cairo Bazaar, this smaller Battlefield 3 map has been reworked to somehow feature even more intense encounters. Motive executive producer Philippe Ducharme added that players will have access to vehicles in the smaller version of the map, explaining only that it’s “not the full roster” like what will be seen in Railway to Golmud. Ranked play is also coming to Battlefield REDSEC in Season 3, with BF Studios promising battle royale quads fans that they’ll be able to earn exclusive rewards, with more competitive-leaning content planned to arrive in Battlefield 6 at a later date. A solo battle royale matchmaking option is also set to launch this season. Season 4 Season 4 looks like it could be a make-or-break moment for Battlefield 6 when it launches in July, but players should be happy to hear that the developers are looking to make a splash with the resurfacing of naval warfare. Aircraft carriers, a dynamic wave system that affects player aim, naval-based vehicles, and even naval challenges and rewards are just the tip of the iceberg, with the first water-based Battlefield 6 map set to be yet another reimagining of Wake Island. “For me, what is really interesting and good of Battlefield is the years and years of history with what I think are, personally, the best maps in FPS ever.” Motive senior creative director Roman Campos-Oriola said when asked how Battlefield 6 will balance the release of new and remade maps. “There are a lot of those in Battlefield. There’s definitely a willingness from the team to revisit some of that experience, but we also want to add and bring new maps, new layouts, new unique level design experience for Battlefield 6.” BF Studios is more than just dipping its toes back into naval combat with Season 4, as the second map of the season will introduce more water warfare with Tsuru Reef. It’s said to have more room to fight than even Railway to Golmud and will stand as the largest map in Battlefield 6 upon its debut. So, yes, just as fans have hoped, ******* maps are coming to Battlefield 6 for at least the next two seasons. Those who love “meat grinder” maps like Season 2’s Hagental Base won’t be completely left behind, though, as the team says it’s hoping to strike a nice balance after finally delivering targeted feedback. “Earlier in BF6, in the first seasons, we were slightly over-indexing in the smaller or medium-scale type of map,” Campos-Oriola said. “Now, for Season 3, Season 4, we want to deliver more broader, ******* experiences to have that all-out warfare and more larger-scale vehicle combat. In the future, for Season 5 and onward, we’ll continue to look at that balanced approach. We will continue to release smaller or medium-sized maps – and also much larger maps.” Season 5 Where BF Studios has previously waited until the days leading up to a major update to pull back the curtain, it took today’s grand reveal as an opportunity to be a bit more forthcoming with fans about what is coming to Battlefield 6 in 2026. That said, the team isn’t quite ready to totally spill the beans on Season 5 yet, though when it launches this fall, it will come with another highly requested (but temporary) change: three new maps in one season. There’s no confirmation on what these maps will be, with BF Studios only sharing a teaser image featuring some oily water. The team also notes that it’s viewing Season 5, it’s final season of the year, as a "holiday treat," so don’t expect to see three maps per season often or even again at all. "We still plan to stay with the current strategy we have, which is adapting our season and our seasonal structure to meet the experiences that we want our players to play," McArthur clarified. More Features Throughout 2026 Each seasonal update for 2026 comes with highlights players have begged to see since Battlefield 6 launched for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S in October 2025, but BF Studios is still working to deliver comparatively smaller adjustments, too. While that, of course, means balance tweaks are planned to roll out through the year, players can also expect to see major features, such as a proper server browser with persistent servers, launch before 2026 ends. Leaderboards, spectator mode, platoons, and proximity chat are also in development. Meanwhile, two existing maps players have deemed especially problematic – New Sobek City and Blackwell Fields – are getting reworks. BF Studios isn’t yet ready to commit to a release date for these aforementioned, smaller changes. "Battlefield 6 is the most engaging Battlefield, I think, we’ve ever created," McArthur said when asked if the team is concerned about reports of player numbers dropping. "I think we’re really happy with the game we’ve got, but the most important thing for the team day over day is to constantly make the game better, too. As Roman and Phil have said repeatedly, it’s working with Battlefield Labs, constantly pushing the game for more, constantly giving the players what they need, addressing their feedback." Following a strong start last fall, Battlefield 6 faced a rough start to the year. Season 1 ended with a whimper in the eyes of many when BF Studios announced it would be extending its content run while delaying Season 2 to mid-February. EA then hit the team with layoffs in March. Although the Contaminated and Hagental Base maps certainly had their fair share of fans, the Battlefield community has wondered if future seasons can repair the damage. For more, you can read what studio design director Justin Wiebe had to say about the team’s approach to fan feedback. Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe). View the full article
James Bond video game 007: First Light will feature a main title theme sung by Lana Del Rey, publisher IO Interactive has announced. Bond fans have long suspected Del Rey is behind 007: First Light's title track — ever since she registered a fresh song titled "First Light" to the ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) database late last year. Del Rey had used her real name, Elizabeth Grant, for the registration — but internet sleuths quickly connected the dots. Now, the track is live on Del Rey's YouTube channel — and it sounds a fitting Bond song, while also playfully referencing the fact First Light is a video game (and perhaps also Del Rey's own iconic tune, Video Games). Veteran Bond composer David Arnold (who scored five Bond films, from Tomorrow Never Dies to Quantum of Solace) is behind its score. "Can't say I'm surprised to see you running toward the sun," Del Rey sings. "It's the first light of day... Ah, you're ready? All the fates just watch you, dying just to know whether you'll play your life like a game." The track is a fitting addition to the franchise for Del Rey — who previously recorded her 2005 track "24" to feature in Daniel Craig movie Spectre, the franchise's 24th film, only for Sam Smith's "Writing's On the Wall" to ultimately be chosen in its place instead. 007: First Light has suffered a string of leaks over the past few months, and perhaps most notably this week, when the game's ending was accidentally made available publicly due to a major slip-up by the Indonesian ratings board. With just six weeks still to go until the game's launch, IO has been keen to keep much about the game under wraps to avoid spoiling narrative surprises. The long-awaited next game from the developer of Hitman, 007: First Light features a starry cast and big ambitions to kickstart a fresh James Bond game trilogy. While its story remains largely secret, we know it'll feature a fresh-faced incarnation of Bond played by Dexter: Original Sin star Patrick Gibson, in a new origin story that features The Eternals' Gemma Chan, The Walking Dead's Lennie James, and The Hunger Games' Lenny Kravitz. Following an earlier delay, 007: First Light is now set to launch on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on May 27. A Switch 2 version is also set to follow — though not until "later this summer." Of course, Del Rey isn't the only music mogul involved with the project. Singer and actor Lenny Kravitz will star in the game as Bawma, a villain who at one point hangs poor Bond upside down and threatens to feed him to a pair of waiting crocodiles. Image credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social View the full article
The Epic Games Store has revealed the free game coming on April 23, while also releasing the current free game for the April 16-April 23 *******: The Stone of Madness. This real-time tactical stealth game typically sells for $30, so while some may be initially disappointed to only see one free game this week, it's a stronger title than what the Epic Games Store line-up sometimes has on offer. View the full article
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Series author Dmitry Lukovsky said the new Metro game "will be darker than anything you’ve seen before". Here's why.View the full article