Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has many memorable characters, but few might inspire as much joy as Esquie, the game’s lovable giant pal who might as well be a mascot character. The studio is warning against issues with fake merch sales around him, but also teasing an official plush Esquie that’s in the works.
In a post on X/Twitter from the official Expedition 33 account, Sandfall Interactive said it has seen a number of “suspicious” websites pop up selling Esquie plushies.
“To be clear: any third-party websites selling Esquie plushies are NOT officially licensed,” the studio said. “Many of them are using AI-generated artwork to advertise, and we strongly recommend against purchasing from these sources. They could be scams.”
To balance out the wheee with the whooo though, as Esquie might say, Sandfall confirms it is looking into making official Esquie plushies, and wants to get them out as soon as it can. “In the meantime, please be patient — and don’t get scammed!” the studio said.
Those who have played the game probably get why an Esquie plushie might be in high demand. If you haven’t gone on Expedition 33 yet, Esquie is a giant helper you meet in Act 1 of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 who becomes both a traveling companion and overworld travel method. He’s got the same vibe as Big Hero 6’s Baymax.
With that in mind, it’s easy to see how an Esquie plush might garner some interest, so it’s good to know Sandfall is working on an official solution. A cursory search on Google pulled up both an unofficial site, and a few threads asking about Esquie plush peddlers. If you want the real thing from Sandfall and Kepler, you’ll have to wait a bit. No news on whether the real-life plushie will also be filled with wine, though.
Last week, Sandfall Interactive released patch 1.2.3 for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, addressing some balance tweaks around Maelle’s Stendhal ability. French President Emmanuel Macron also recently praised the game, calling its developers a “shining example of French audacity and creativity.”
Surreal first-person medical sim Pathologic 3 will be different from its plague-ridden predecessor in a lot of ways. In Pathologic 2 you played a roaming surgeon rooting around in bins for sustenance, and this time you play as the Bachelor, a well-fed doctor who diagnoses patients by inspecting their bodies and investigating their homes for signs of disease. But one of the biggest changes regards the open world. You won’t freely explore the remote steppe town this time, but instead dander through isolated pockets, with lots of loading screens, map plotting, and fast travel. That’s made a few fans grumpy, but developers Ice-Pick Lodge are sticking to their plans, as they’ve stated in a development update.
GameChat has a “significant impact on system resources”.
We all know the Nintendo Switch 2 is going to be significantly more powerful than its predecessor, but just what kind of internals is the new console boasting? Well, thanks to a new breakdown by Digital Foundry, we can now finally dive into the specifics.
First, let’s take a look at the custom Nvidia SoC (system on a chip). When compared to the equivalent for the original Switch – which was effectively a vanilla Tegra X1 – the new Nvidia T239 for the Switch 2 is absolutely custom build specifically for Nintendo.
As we suffered an untimely demise at the business end of approximately two billion sticky notes, me and my two FBC: Firebreak squad members felt more than a little humbled. In our hubris, we’d decided to begin our time in a recent preview event on the hardest possible difficulty – a very fun, but very ridiculous choice. Fortunately for us, FBC: Firebreak’s blend of approachable combat, fast-paced rounds, and slapstick mechanics makes for a fantastic time, no matter how long (or little) you want to spend in its bizarre, fascinating world. We will have our revenge, sticky notes.
FBC: Firebreak is Remedy’s upcoming entry into the first-person shooter genre – an approachable multiplayer experience delivered with all the style and deadpan humour we’ve come to appreciate from the Remedyverse. Serving as a spin-off to the events of Control,FBC: Firebreak sees players tasked with the clean-up of bizarre, supernatural events taking place inside the game’s ever-shifting setting, The Oldest House, which you’ll also recognise from Control.
During the hands-on event, we were given access to three different Jobs available in the game, all with varying levels of difficulty on offer. In ‘Hot Fix’, our ragtag team of Firebreak volunteers took on repairing fans in a sweltering setting, before dealing with a paranatural furnace. In ‘Ground Control’ our crew set out to collect leech pearls from the remains of horrendous, human sized leeches. My personal favourite, ‘Paper Chase’ saw the group disposing of a massive number of sticky notes, alongside violent, sentient sticky note enemies, before taking on ‘Sticky Ricky’, a colossal, tanked-up boss made up of literally millions of sticky notes that requires a true team effort to take down effectively.
All three of these jobs also feature Control’s enemy faction, The Hiss as a consistent, looming threat – a horde of them can appear at any moment and they’ll need dealing with as you progress with the primary objectives. Dealing with The Hiss is usually a straightforward affair – your weapon will make short work of most enemy types. Every so often, a named miniboss may appear; some require more finesse to defeat – and the best option for taking them down will come from a carefully curated loadout.
The hands-on showed us three unique Crisis Kits that every volunteer can take out on a mission. Equipped alongside your more conventional guns, these are all clumsily lashed together to fit the scrappy vibe of FBC: Firebreak’s setting – you aren’t playing as seasoned soldiers, just a volunteers placed into these absurd, dangerous situations. With three people in the party, each of us naturally gravitated to one loadout each. I carried a shotgun for big, close-range damage, and the Splash Kit, effectively a giant water gun which came in clutch for hosing down the sticky monsters, and my overheated colleagues. All of the kits available can be upgraded in multiple ways too, to really customize your build for those more punishing difficulty levels.
But customization extends beyond your loadout. Each mission asks you to pick a Clearance Level, which dictates how many zones you need to clear in order to win. This means that some runs can take five or ten minutes, and they’re a breezy affair that require minimal team coordination. Others can take upwards of 45 minutes, dramatically more vicious affairs where every piece of gear you take is of paramount importance. FBC: Firebreak gives all the tools to tailor your experience here – it’s not trying to make you grind unnecessarily – you can go as hard or as casual as you want at any given time.
But it was the in-mission mechanics that really made FBC: Firebreak feel like something unique. Elemental effects can make or ruin your day if you don’t have the right tools at hand. If a room is too hot, you’ll need to find a swift way to cool down. If it’s unnaturally cold, you’ll move slower until you regain some heat. Your chosen Crisis Kit may be a shortcut here, but there are other ways to deal with these issues located in the levels themselves.
Fortunately, this applies to The Hiss too – if an enemy is slowed by an icy debuff, they’ll comically ‘sprint’ towards you in slow motion, giving you plenty of time to react. At lower tiers, these effects are a mild hindrance – nothing fatal if you just want to jump into a quick game without navigating the complexities of how everything works. In those higher difficulty runs, it is hellish – perfect for those that to dig deep into the game’s systems and take on its most brutal challenges.
All of this fun is wrapped up in a blanket of narrative excellence; Remedy’s signature brand of bizarre, occult nightmares with lashings of hilarity as your characters banter and bicker amongst themselves. Fans of the studio’s previous entries will find lots of recognisable names and locations, but that feels more like an enhancement for those already involved – you don’t need to know what’s going on in the wider story, but it certainly adds to the experience if you do.
There’s lots to discover and plenty of guidance for those that are less versed in Remedy’s universe. That, paired with the ability to really finetune how you want to play, means FBC: Firebreak is an unexpectedlywelcoming introduction into The Oldest House, and we can’t wait to extend our stay (and, you know, burn a lot of sticky notes).
FBC: Firebreak launches June 17, 2025 – play on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and via Game Pass.
FBC: Firebreak is a cooperative first-person shooter set within a mysterious federal agency under assault by otherworldly forces. As a years-long siege on the agency’s headquarters reaches its boiling point, only Firebreak—the Bureau’s most versatile unit—has the gear and the guts to plunge into the building’s strangest crises, restore order, and blast their way back from the brink.
Ready for more racing? This month’s free update from the Polyphony team comes with four new cars to rip around on your favorite GT7 circuits: the ’17 Ferrari 812 Superfast, ’01 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, ’12 Suzuki Carry KC, and ’21 Honda CR-V e:HEV EX Black Edition. In addition, three new events are coming to World Circuits and Sophy, the AI racing agent, has been expanded to support the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix Layout.
Update 1.59* for Gran Turismo 7 is available as of today Wednesday, May 14 at 11:00pm PDT / May 25 at 3:00pm JST / 8:00am CEST.
New cars
’01 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C5)
(Can be purchased from Brand Central / Used Cars)
The peak of the 5th gen Corvette line-up revives the classic Z06 moniker.
In 1999, a hardtop model was added to the Chevrolet Corvette C5 lineup. Though it removed the detachable roof and rear hatch from the coupé, this model utilises the increased rigidity from the new design to improve driving performance. Its dedication to performance is further evident from the fact that selecting the hardtop model included an automatic upgrade to the Z51 handling package and manual transmission.
What’s more is that even with all these features, it was still cheaper than the standard coupé model. It’s no wonder that enthusiast drivers flocked to it despite its somewhat niche appeal.
From 2001, the hardtop Corvette was equipped with a 384.6 BHP LS6 engine, an improved version of the LS1, and was renamed the Z06. The Z06 name was taken from a race package option code that had existed for the C2 Corvette. It featured a full titanium exhaust which is very unusual for a production car, along with reinforced suspension components with a specially tuned wheel alignment, and was only available with a manual transmission.
However, in exchange for this wealth of equipment, there was a significant increase in the price. This made it the most expensive model yet, exceeding even the price of the convertible, which made it less obtainable to the users who had previously been attracted by its sturdy hardtop body and spartan equipment.
Even so, further improvements were made to the Z06, with the maximum output increased to 405.3 BHP in 2002. Achieving over 394.5 BHP in a small block engine was an unprecedented feat, making it one of the fastest mass-production cars in the world.
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’17 Ferrari 812 Superfast
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)
Adopting the classic V12 FR layout, this Ferrari achieves blinding speed while retaining usability.
The 812 Superfast was released in 2017 as a successor to Ferrari’s historic tradition of front-engined 12-cylinder models. The 812 name itself refers to the engine’s power and layout, being ‘800 PS, 12 cylinders,’ while the Superfast moniker was carried over from the legendary ‘500 Superfast’ itself produced in 1964.
The body styling was conceived by Ferrari’s own Styling Centre. With a long nose and short deck, the body proportions are typical of a 12-cylinder front-midship layout, however the refined aerodynamics and details give it the elegant aura of modern Ferrari design.
The 788 BHP and 718 Nm (73.3 kgfm) produced by the naturally aspirated 6.5L V12 unit are routed to the rear tyres through a 7-speed DCT transaxle. The car is also notable for being the first Ferrari model to incorporate an electric power steering unit.
Additionally, the running gear features an evolved version of the 4-wheel steering setup found on the previous F12berlinetta model, dubbed the ‘Virtual Short Wheelbase 2.0’ system. The prime benefit of this system is it allows the nose to turn in sharply on even the tightest corners, despite the relatively long 2,720 mm wheelbase.
With trunk space behind the seats and a spacious cargo area in the rear end, the 812 Superfast may be the perfect supercar for grand touring.
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’21 Honda CR-V e:HEV EX・Black Edition
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)
The 5th generation model of this popular SUV is the first to feature a hybrid system.
In the 1990s, Honda set their sights on creating cars for leisure activities, dubbing the category ‘Creative Movers’. The first such model was Odyssey which released to widespread commercial success in 1994, and was followed in ’95 by a high ground clearance SUV model. This was the first generation CR-V.
From then, the CR-V became a long-selling hit, especially in the North American market. Eventually reaching the model introduced here, the 2021 model which is based on the 5th generation CR-V originally introduced in 2016.
The model notable feature of the 5th generation is the introduction of a hybrid powerplant, the first ever in the series. This system combines a 2L Atkinson cycle engine with 2 electric motors, able to operate in both series or parallel. This highly efficient system also allows the petrol engine to provide power when cruising at high speeds. The availability of a 4-wheel drive option with this hybrid system further contributed to the CR-V’s popularity.
Aesthetically, many characteristics have been carried over from the previous generation model, but the body has been slightly enlarged to increase leg room for rear passengers, improving their comfort. Additionally, the car is also able to carry a large amount of luggage with over 1,100L of cargo space available just by folding down the back seats. The petrol model also featured a 3-row 7-seater layout.
The fifth generation CR-V is not only a refined SUV, it also features numerous driver assist systems like collision avoidance braking and adaptive cruise control. This makes it a perfect choice not only for leisure but for everyday driving as well.
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’12 Suzuki Carry KC
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)
A quintessential example of the ‘micro-truck’ trend that’s sweeping the globe.
Japan’s micro-car segment, known natively as ‘kei’ cars, has grown into an indispensable tool for everyday life. The kei segment of course features many passenger models, along with SUVs and sports cars too, but there are also a large number of commercial vans and trucks which support infrastructure. The Suzuki Carry is one such microtruck that reflects commercial kei cars as a whole.
The Carry has a long history behind it, which stretches back to its birth in 1961. The 10th generation model was introduced as a full model change in 1999 in order to meet changes to the kei car certification standard introduced in 1998. The model introduced here is the 2012 model, the final model of the 10th generation following several other facelift models.
The body has been enlarged over the previous generation, now measuring 3,395 mm long and 1,475 mm wide. The engine is located under the feet of the occupants in a semi-cabover configuration, and has a displacement of only 658 cc though the initial line-up did also feature turbocharged models.
The Carry is available in a number of different model grades to fit purpose and price, but the KC is the most luxurious, featuring power steering and air conditioning as standard equipment. Along with a rear-wheel drive layout, it was also available with four-wheel drive allowing it to perform to its fullest even in the snow or on uneven mountain roads.
The kei truck’s adorable aesthetics and excellent usability have also earned it attention from overseas. Preowned Carrys have found themselves to be popular for agriculture and farming in the U.S. where right-hand drive models are automatically qualified road-worthy 25 years after their initial release. A small body housing enormous potential, the Carry is yet another example of a uniquely Japanese car finding worldwide appeal.
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World Circuits (New Events)
The following new events have been added to ‘World Circuits’:
Lightweight K-Cup: Eiger Nordwand
American Clubman Cup 700: Autódromo de Interlagos
Ferrari Circuit Challenge: Deep Forest Raceway
Gran Turismo Sophy
The next-generation racing AI agent, ‘Gran Turismo Sophy’ is now available on the following courses. Look for the Sophy icon in ‘Quick Race’ and ‘Custom Race’ on each track to test your skills against Sophy Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix Layout.
Scapes
‘Shooting the perfect square’ has been added as a featured Curation in Scapes, enabling square-photos with geometric backgrounds for social media.
*Internet connection and Gran Turismo 7 game required for update.
GSC Game World has announced S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Edition, a next-gen upgrade version of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy of games due out across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S on May 20.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Edition includes upgraded versions of Shadow of Chornobyl (2007), Clear Sky (2008), and Call of Prypiat (2009). Expect an overhaul for each game with upgraded visuals, next-gen console optimizations, and expanded mod support.
GSC Game World said players who own the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy on Xbox Series X and S or PS5 already get the Enhanced Edition of the corresponding games for free.
As for PC, “to thank our loyal fans,” GSC Game World said owners of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games get the Enhanced Editions free, and buyers of the Enhanced Editions receive the original versions included. The trilogy is available as a bundle for $39.99 or individually at $19.99 per title.
Cross-platform saves between PC and consoles are not supported. Your saved data will be specific to the platform you are playing on.
On PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, players will have multiple frame-rate options available for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy Enhanced Edition. These options include standard modes at 30 FPS and 60 FPS. In addition, there will be specific modes targeting 40 FPS and up to 120 FPS. However, these 40 FPS and 120 FPS options are exclusively available for displays that support VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) technology.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Enhanced Edition on consoles features different graphical and performance modes, including a Quality Balanced mode, a Performance mode, and an Ultra Performance mode.
Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro: Quality (native 4K/30 FPS), Balanced (upscaled 4K/40 FPS), Performance (upscaled 4K/60 FPS), Ultra Performance (upscaled 2K/120 FPS).
Xbox Series S: Quality (native 2K/30 FPS), Balanced (upscaled 2K/40 FPS), Performance (1080p/60 FPS).
(Both the Quality Balanced mode and the Ultra Performance mode are exclusively available when using a display that supports VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) technology.)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Edition visual upgrades (all platforms):
Enhanced lighting with godrays, screen space reflections, and global illumination for a more immersive atmosphere.
Upscaled textures and detailed 3D models for NPCs, weapons, and environments.
Advanced shaders for water and wetness effects, paired with upgraded skyboxes for a more dynamic world.
4K pre-rendered cinematics for dramatic storytelling and improved weapon FOV for better combat visibility.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Edition console enhancements and new graphic mods (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S):
Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro: Quality (native 4K/30 FPS), Balanced (upscaled 4K/40 FPS), Performance (upscaled 4K/60 FPS), Ultra Performance (upscaled 2K/120 FPS).
Xbox Series S: Quality (native 2K/30 FPS), Balanced (upscaled 2K/40 FPS), Performance (1080p/60 FPS).
Keyboard & Mouse Support: Available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S for a tailored experience.
Mod.io Integration: Create and share mods across PC and consoles via mod.io (https://mod.io/).
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Edition PC features:
Steam Deck Optimized: Play the trilogy on the go with full Steam Deck compatibility.
Steam Workshop Integration: Access a vast library of user-generated mods.
Cloud Saves: Seamless progress backup across devices.
Gamepad Support: Full controller compatibility for a console-like experience on PC.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Objects of power play a crucial role in the fiction of Control, the setting for three-player co-op shooter FBC: Firebreak. In the lore, they’re archetypal artefacts that have gained strange powers. In Firebreak itself, they represent random events that can suddenly make the game’s enemies, the Hiss, more powerful for short bursts – and there’s usually enough of them that a short burst is all they need for things to get frantic quickly.
You might even say power is a major theme of this setting. Power over the control of information. The institutional power of the Federal Bureau Of Control itself, in whose brutalist, labyrinthe HQ the game is set. The power of the archetypal ideas that give the altered objects their strength. One thing you won’t be thinking about power in relation to, however, is the guns. They are, in a word or two, wilting shitlillies.
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Hogwarts Legacy will include sharper visuals, faster loading times, and make use of those all-new mouse controls, too.
As demonstrated in an all-new comparisons teaser trailer, while players of the original game had to sit through loading screens when players moved in or out of Hogsmeade, the Switch 2 version enables players to transition seamlessly from area to area.
That’s not all, either. Playing on the Nintendo Switch 2 also boosts frame rate, textures, shadows, and even the color saturation of Hogwarts and its surroundings — you can see it for yourself in the trailer below:
As for mouse controls? We’re intrigued, too. For now, though, developer Warner Bros. isn’t ready to expand on that, but we wonder if the new mouse functionality could be used while spell-casting perhaps.
Much like other Switch 1 games, players with Hogwarts Legacy on the OG system will be able to upgrade to the new, improved version for $10.
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, action, open-world role-playing-game set in the 1800s wizarding world. Beginning as a fifth year, players embark on a journey through new and familiar locations, explore and discover magical beasts, craft potions, master spell casting, upgrade talents, and customize their character to become the witch or wizard they’ve always wanted to be. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch 2 the same day the console releases, June 5.
We had an amazing time with Hogwarts Legacy, awarding it 9/10 in the IGN Hogwart’s Legacy review, writing: “in almost every way, Hogwarts Legacy is the Harry Potter RPG [we’ve] always wanted to play.”
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Details from 89 million Steam accounts have reportedly gone up for sale on the dark web. Since RPS’s dedicated tech team have just informed me that the dark web is not the thing you get when you click ‘incognito tab’ and is actually potentially much scarier than that, you might want to consider changing your password. Or maybe not. As I say, it’s all alleged at this point.
Eagle-eyed Helldivers 2 fans have spotted what looks like a leak from PlayStation that suggests players will end up fighting back against the Illuminate on the streets of Super Earth.
This week, developer Arrowhead launched the full Illuminate invasion, adding new enemy types in the process. The in-universe wording of the invasion suggested the Illuminate were heading straight for Super Earth, and now a leak coming out of the official Czech Republic Threads account suggests that the Illuminate will not only make it to our home planet, but we’ll have to fight them off there.
Redditor xTekshi spotted the now-deleted post, which spoke of a “Heart of Democracy” update coming on May 20. While Heart of Democracy is referenced in the official working around this week’s update, neither Sony nor Arrowhead have confirmed it in relation to a May 20 release.
Adding further fuel to the fire is the fact a May 20 release would fit with the timing of the end of the current Major Order.
Official Playstation account for the Czech Republic dropped info on the next title update. “Heart of Democracy” – May 20th#Helldivers2pic.twitter.com/gelJbnYMqR
This all feels pretty much inevitable, and that’s the wording Sony and Arrowhead have used for this update (“High Command believes this Fleet’s ultimate objective to be the invasion of Super Earth itself” and “Battle on Super Earth is inevitable”).
So, fans think the Czech account accidentally leaked Helldivers 2’s next major update, and with it plans to fight on Super Earth itself. If true, this would be a significant upgrade for the explosive third-person action game, which currently includes alien planet maps only. Playing on Super Earth would certainly offer something different.
Warning! Spoilers for Helldivers 2 follow:
Now, in a recent development, gameplay of Super Earth Mega Cities has leaked online, via social media account IronS1ghts and their YouTube channel. The gameplay shows Super Earth as a destination in Helldivers 2. You’re able to choose from a variety of city missions, as you can on other planets (“York Supreme” is a city in North America).
On the surface we see future Earth urban areas, with the Illuminate invasion ongoing. SEAF (the equivalent of the national guard or militia) soldiers are fighting alongside the Helldivers. For me, this reminds me a lot of Halo 3: ODST, with the Covenant invading Earth.
How is this gameplay possible? Apparently the Super Earth content is in the Helldivers 2 game files already, waiting to launch.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
