Square Enix has dropped an update for Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, improving boat travel speed, critical hit rates and abilities, and introducing a new shortcut button that lets you map spells and abilities to specific buttons.

As detailed on Steam, update Ver. 1.2.0.0 specifically addresses issues with three key areas: traversal, vocations, and battle. For the former, Square Enix said it had increased the movement speed when travelling by boat or using Ramia, as well as ensured that if you open the menu while travelling, you won’t see your travel speed continually reset every time.

You’ll also find that critical hit rates for the Hero and Martial Artist have been increased, and The Hero’s Falcon Slash and Gigaslash abilities, as well as The Warrior’s Cutting Edge ability, have been buffed to be “more powerful,” too.

Perhaps most notably, battles have been refreshed as well, and a limit placed on the number of times some monsters can keep spamming the same attacks in the same “turn.” Defence has been lowered for all monsters bar metal ones, although adjustments have also been made to make it a little trickier for both enemies and your squad to be “successively afflicted” with the same status ailments.

Here’s the full list of changes and improvements:

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake update Ver. 1.2.0.0

Traversal

• The movement speed when travelling by boat or using Ramia has been increased.
• Adjustments have been made to avoid boat travel speed being reset by opening the menu or getting into a battle while travelling by boat.
• A feature has been added whereby pressing the menu button while flying with Ramia allows the player to switch between automatic and manual flight modes.

Vocations

• Critical hit rates for the Hero and Martial Artist have been increased.
• The Hero’s Falcon Slash and Gigaslash abilities have been made more powerful.
• The Warrior’s Cutting Edge ability has been made more powerful.
• The Priest can now equip the Duplic Hat.
• The Monster Wrangler’s Monster Pile-On ability has been changed to have reduced power until all friendly monsters have been found, and to carry out a random number of attacks between 3 and 5.
• The amount of MP used by the Monster Wrangler ability Wild Side has been changed to 30.

Battle

• A limit has been placed on the number of times that some monsters can perform certain actions within one turn.
• Some monsters have been adjusted so that they no longer use Defending Champion in the next turn after they become the last remaining monster.
• The status-ailment resistance of boss monsters has been increased for Draconian Quest difficulty.
• Adjustments have been made to make it more difficult for both enemies and party members to be successively afflicted with the same status ailments.
• Some monsters (Metal Chimaera and Hardy Hand) now yield more experience points when defeated.
• Defence has been lowered for all monsters except for metal monsters.
• Minor adjustments have been made to the way that damage is dealt.

Miscellaneous

• Once the Mini Medal Manor has been visited, it will be added to the list of Zoom destinations.
• A new “short-cut button” feature has been added that allows spells and abilities to be assigned to specific buttons. For more information, please refer to Traveller’s Tips in-game.
• In the Temple of Trials, the number of Elfin Elixirs required to be handed over to the guard has been changed to 10.
• A treasure chest has been added to the Temple of Trials, allowing players to acquire one more Gringham Whip.
• Fixed a bug whereby levelling up after using the Seed of Life or Seed of Magic items would cause the status increase value to be calculated twice.
• Adjustments have been made so that if trophies and achievements have not been acquired correctly, selecting Misc. > Info in the menu allows some of them to be reacquired.
• Miscellaneous fixes for minor bugs.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake lets you experience the chronological beginning of the Erdrick Trilogy storyline in this remake of the original RPG classic. We enjoyed our time with Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, awarding it an impressive 9/10 in our review, writing: “Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is a shining example of how to remake a classic RPG and a brilliant reminder of why the original is an essential work.”

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Just days after losing its two-year-old objection to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the U.S.’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has officially dropped its case.

The FTC’s appeal to block Microsoft’s $69 billion deal to acquire the company behind Call of Duty was denied by San Francisco’s 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on May 7, further cementing the purchase that was originally announced in late 2022. It was a move decided by a three-judge panel that brought an end to the FTC’s questioning of the July 2023 decision to allow Microsoft to finalize its purchase.

As we summarized at the time, Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard has faced scrutiny from across the board for more than three years, both in the U.S. and worldwide, with some parties concerned that an acquisition would see popular franchises like Call of Duty become Xbox exclusives. Microsoft confirmed it had no interest in barring certain franchises behind lengthy exclusivity periods, and sold Activision-Blizzard’s cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft to satisfy the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) objections.

While challenges continued to arise throughout 2023, Microsoft was finally able to complete its purchase of Activision Blizzard in October of that same year.

The FTC’s appeal could have presented a late roadblock to continuing. However, as reported by The Verge, the Commission has now dismissed its complaint entirely, stating in a brief filing issued on May 22: “The Commission has determined that the public interest is best served by dismissing the administrative litigation in this case.”

“On May 7, 2025, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the decision of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, FTC v. Microsoft Corp. […] denying the Commission’s application for a preliminary injunction to block the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Inc. by Microsoft Corp.

“Accordingly, it is hereby ordered that the Complaint in this matter be, and it hereby is, Dismissed.”

For a timeline of all of Microsoft’s struggles with finalizing its Activision Blizzard acquisition, you can click here.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Starfield has a new patch and a new achievement-friendly Creation that’s helping to fill the official DLC void, but fans are still waiting for Bethesda to announce its next expansion and a PS5 release date.

Watchtower is the latest Starfield Creation from professional RPG modding studio Kinggath Creations, who published Fallout 4’s acclaimed mod series Sim Settlements. It adds a new, fully voiced story, a new faction, and new quests to the sci-fi RPG, and Bethesda is even promoting it on its official channels. There’s even a trailer:

Watchtower, a brand new achievement-friendly Creation by our friends at @KinggathCreates, is available now in #Starfield‘s Creations menu. https://t.co/EuHtjq85X4 pic.twitter.com/3NemADzLOY

— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) May 22, 2025

The patch, meanwhile, adds additional support for Creations so Creations up to 2GB can be uploaded, as well as numerous fixes for quests, vehicles, UI, and the Shattered Space DLC. There’s Very Low display settings to improve performance on some devices, too. Patch notes, per Bethesda’s website, are below.

But the wait goes on for more meaningful news on Starfield, with fans hoping for an expansion announcement and a potential PS5 release date this June during Microsoft’s Xbox showcase.

Starfield launched in September 2023 as Bethesda’s first brand new IP in 25 years. But it was not as well received as the studio’s previous games in the Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises, and the Shattered Space expansion, released a year later in September 2024, has a ‘mostly negative’ user review rating on Steam.

Starfield went on to reach 15 million players, but some had wondered whether Bethesda might walk away from the game to focus on its other franchises. In June 2024, Bethesda insisted it remained committed to supporting Starfield, and confirmed at least one other story expansion would release following Shattered Space. In an interview with YouTube channel MrMattyPlays, Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard said the developer was aiming to release an annual story expansion for “hopefully a very long time.”

In March, speculation that Starfield would soon be confirmed for release on PS5 ramped up after fans spotted a PlayStation logo on Bethesda’s official Creations website. The logo was attached to a work-in-progress ship decals Creation for Starfield, and although the Creation was removed, fans were left wondering whether Bethesda’s so-far PC and Xbox-only sci-fi game would soon make the jump to Sony’s console, as so many other Microsoft games have.

Bethesda itself has said it has “exciting things” planned for Starfield this year, amid growing discontent from players about a lack of communication and updates.

While it’s easy to forget about Starfield given all the attention on Oblivion Remastered, its players are hoping that Microsoft and Bethesda go big on Starfield at its Xbox Games Showcase broadcast on June 8. Could it announce the PS5 version and a new expansion at the same time?

Starfield update May 22, 2025 patch notes:

FEATURES

• Added Very Low display settings to improve performance on some devices.
• Creation Kit: Added the ability for Creators to add new icons to the game.
• Creations Store now supports bundling Creations.
• Creation Kit: Creations up to 2GB in size can now be uploaded.

BUG FIXES

GENERAL

• Creations: Resolved a possible error when restoring load order if a large number of mods were installed and then deleted.
• Creation Kit: Resolved a possible crash when loading a plugin with an ingredient form.
• Addressed a possible control lock that could occur when changing views at the same time as sitting in a pilot seat while landed.
• Addressed a rare movement lock that was possible during forced dialogue scenes.
• Addressed a control lock that could occur if a vehicle Creation was disabled while a loaded save depended on it.
• Addressed a rare control lock that could occur when immediately opening a menu after loading a save during take-off.
• Fixed an issue that could prevent exiting a vanity camera (PC).
• Fixed a possible crash related to moving or removing buildings at the Main Outpost in Andraphon.
• Resolved a rare crash that could occur when entering the Unity.
• Addressed an issue where rapidly pressing quicksave could result in some quicksaves being removed.
• General crash and stability fixes.
• Creations UI fixes and improvements.

GAMEPLAY

• Skills: The Cargo Link and Robots build limits from the Outpost Management skills should now persist after going through the Unity.
• Weapons: The Space-Adept legendary effect no longer has a negative modifier for terrestrial damage.
• Gameplay Options: Addressed an issue with some interiors that prevented cargo access.
• Gameplay Options: Clarified the status effects text for Malnourished and Hydrated.
• Fixed a Grav jumping issue that could occur after being hailed in Freestar or UC space.
• Fixed a rare issue that could impact items displayed in the Razorleaf.
• Resolved an issue with missiles that could prevent XP awards.
• Fixed a player placement issue that could occur if a new creation was installed and a save was loaded into the UC Vigilance.
• Resolved an issue where creatures could get moved to water if they ever became stuck.
• Addressed an issue where dropped items could lose there stolen status.
• At Hell’s Gate: The Crucible Blade no longer damages ships in orbit when used inside a ship.
• At Hell’s Gate: The Crucible Blade audio will now play correctly after loading a save or fast travelling.
• The Bounty Board in the Tracker’s Alliance HQ now has the correct audio interactions.

GRAPHICS

• Updated resolutions to include 32:9 and 32:10 resolutions as well as more 16:9, 16:10, and 21:9 resolutions.
• Performance: Resolved an issue that could cause frame rate to drop when opening the scanner on long play sessions.
• Celestial bodies should now remain visible in the sky after entering and exiting an interior.

QUESTS

• All That Money Can Buy: Fixed a rare issue that caused the Trade Tower elevator to be inoperable.
• In Memoriam: Addressed an issue where completing “At Hell’s Gate” with Sarah as the companion could prevent completion of the quest.
• Perfect Recipe: Shonda will now recover if she was downed while collecting Ashta meat.
• The Starjacker: Adjusted dialogue options that appear for characters playing after entering the Unity.
• Top of the L.I.S.T. – Resolved a control lock that could occur after selling survey data to Phil Hill.
• Trackers Alliance: Resolved an issue where bounty scanner quests could time out.
• Trackers Alliance: Fixed a rare issue where either killing or stunning the target would not complete the bounty missions.
• Worlds Apart: Fixed an issue that allowed the player to leave the planet too quickly after exiting the temple.

LOCATIONS

• Mannequins will now persist as intended in the New Atlantis Penthouse.
• Player should now be able to modify the shelves and cabinets in the Core Manor in Akila City.
• Resolved an issue that could prevent scanning some flora.
• At Hell’s Gate: The Plasma Research Facility now shows up on the surface map.
• Fixed a visible opening in the Deserted Biotics Lab.
• Vent Hazards are now displaying correctly on Jemison.

UI

• Ship Builder: Resolved an issue with the ship upgrade menu when only one module is available for upgrade.
• Ship Builder: Addressed a selection issue when using large fonts.
• Ship Decoration: Updated the names of Empty ship modules.
• All buttons should now work in the Vehicle Builder menu with large fonts enabled.
• Localization: Text for the Dehydrated debuff is no longer cutoff in Spanish and Polish when large fonts is enabled.
• Localization: The bounty boards in the Tracker’s Alliance HQ are now localized consistently.
• Localization: Strings for both Hydrated and Dehydrated status effects regarding sneak attacks are fully localized.

VEHICLE

• A keyboard binding is now available for the boost button. (PC)
• A marker for the vehicle will now show up on the player’s compass.
• Resolved a camera issue that could occur for players with maxed out Surveying skill.
• Improved logic for exiting the vehicle when partially obstructed.
• The vehicle will now deploy when landing at locations other than spaceports or landing pads.
• Addressed a visible artifact with the Rev-8 when boosting in foggy conditions.

Shattered Space

• Va’ruun outpost modules are now available to players after entering the Unity.
• Skills: Killing enemies inside gravity bubbles on Dazra will now count towards the Gymnastics skill.
• Addressed an issue with the buttons on the lift on the Mourning level in Dazra.
• Weapons: The Penumbra now deals bonus headshot damage.
• Performance: Addressed an issue that could cause slight stutters in the Well and outside Dazra.
• The Va’Ruun Schimaz’s blade is no longer pixelated on the Data Menu.
• Fixed a lens flare flicker with the Citadel on Dazra.
• Zealous Overreach: Adjusted Mirek’s dialogue options to account for characters that have been through the Unity.
• Zealous Overreach: Resolved issue that could occur if the player cleared Shadow Station Epsilon prior to speaking to Ekris.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.