Author: Game Infliction

‘Women in Particular Were Pretty Strict When Reviewing His Design’ — Resident Evil Requiem Director Says ‘Hot Uncle’ Leon S. Kennedy Has ‘Many Fans’ at Capcom

The director of Resident Evil Requiem has said that the game’s female staff members worked hard to ensure hero Leon S. Kennedy “would make anyone’s heart throb.”

Fans have praised Leon’s appearance in Requiem, which sees the rookie cop turned grizzled agent sporting stubble, wrinkles, but still a full head of floppy hair. Online, may have dubbed Leon as an “ikeoji” character — an attractive older man that is also referred to as a “hot uncle” — and it’s this definition which has now been put to Requiem’s director by Automaton.

“We’ve spent quite a lot of time polishing Leon’s visuals,” director Koshi Nakanishi said when asked about Leon’s ikeoji status. “Leon has many fans among Capcom employees, and women in particular were pretty strict when reviewing his design.

“They would point out and comment on even the finest details like the wrinkles on his neck,” Nakanishi continued. “When I mentioned that story in the past, a female fan told me, ‘The women developers at Capcom did a really good job’ (laughs). Throughout the development process, Leon was thoroughly refined, and I think we managed to come through with a design that would make anyone’s heart throb.”

Leon was finally revealed for Resident Evil Requiem late last year, following months of teases, rumors and speculation over his appearance. The returning hero of Resident Evil 2 and 4 (and a bit of 6), Leon will feature in action-heavy gameplay that will contrast with the quieter, horror-led sequences that feature series newbie Grace Ashcroft.

How have the years treated Leon? Is he still pining for Ada? Will he be given a happy ending, after nearly three decades fighting zombies? And what is going on with that ominous-looking mark on his neck? All of these are questions that Requiem will hopefully answer, as well as just providing us all with more eye candy.

“Every staff member had their own interpretation of Leon’s 30-year-long history, so they would tell me things like, Leon would definitely not act like that in this kind of situation,” Nakanishi continued. “So, there were more opinions about what he’s like on the inside compared to his looks, and after many discussions, we were able to settle on something that clicked for us. When players see this Leon in the game, hopefully they will be able to find their own interpretation of him as well.”

Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27, and we just got a final hands-on look at Leon in action.

“Do you like tense survival horror? It’s here,” IGN wrote. “Wanna go all guns blazing with intense action and a quip-obsessed hero? You get that too. Do you prefer playing RE games in first or third person? Doesn’t matter; you can do either. All these choices, along with my fears of a jarring play experience being mostly squashed, make it easy to believe that Capcom’s bold move to have its cake and eat it is going to pay off in a big way.”

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Dwarf Legacy turns Tolkien’s sturdy miners into bullet hell mountaineers – don’t mythril the demo

Remember in The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers when Gandalf falls down the big chasm with the Balrog, smacking the sawdust out of it while plummeting towards the waters of the underworld? Well, give Gandalf a gun, play that sequence in reverse, and swap the Balrog for a flock of Space Invaders, and you are playing something like the demo for Dwarf Legacy – a “bullet-hell precision platformer” from Wulo Games about a dwarf clambering up the inside of a mountain.

Oh wait, Gandalf needs to be listening to crunchy dancefloor music to complete the analogy. Also, he needs to stop periodically to buy better guns from a blacksmith. I’m pretty sure this is still within Peter Jackson’s budget.

Read more

Still Haven’t Played Stardew Valley? It’s The Next Free Game Trial For NSO Members (Europe)

For a limited time only.

If, by some chance, you are one of the six remaining people on Earth who haven’t played Stardew Valley and you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership, then boy, do we have good news for you.

Nintendo has announced that ConcernedApe’s beloved farming sim is the next title to get the Free Game Trial treatment (in Europe, at least), offering the full game to those with an NSO subscription for a limited time.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.67 out today,  Online Qualifiers Jan 31

Two race-bred machines that breathe octane, plus a high-powered EV curveball from one of the world’s biggest phone companies—that’s how Polyphony kicks off 2026.

The ’22 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) arrives as a full-send, no-compromise, pure race car. The ’24 Hyundai Elantra N TC follows with a car built for touring-car domination, while leveraging the reliability of the road car. And then there’s the wildcard: the ’25 SU7 Ultra from Xiaomi, the tech giant’s vision of absurd-speed, 1,527 BHP EV.

Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.67 out today,  Online Qualifiers Jan 31

All three models join the ever-growing garage, alongside three new World Circuit events, a fresh Extra Menu, and California Roadsides landing as the latest Scapes curation. New year, still free, same Gran Turismo energy.

Update 1.67 for Gran Turismo 7 is available beginning today, January 28 at 10:00pm PT / January 29 at 6:00am GMT / 3:00pm JST.*

Additionally, the Gran Turismo World Series Online Qualifiers are underway. Drivers are competing in the final rounds of the Manufacturers Cup for a chance to qualify for the live Events.

New Cars**

Hyundai Elantra N TC ’24

Can be purchased from Brand Central

Engineered for victory, the Elantra N represents Hyundai’s high‑performance N brand, with the Elantra N TC developed specifically for motorsport. The road car’s 2.0‑liter turbocharged engine delivers 276 BHP and 40.0 kgfm, achieving 0–62 mph in 5.3 seconds, forming a strong foundation for racing evolution. Modified to meet international touring car regulations, the TC gains a wide‑body aerodynamic package, carbon‑fiber splitter, and large rear wing for increased downforce. A six‑speed sequential gearbox, adjustable racing suspension, and endurance‑spec brakes ensure adaptability and durability. Weight reduction, added rigidity, and a regulation roll cage complete a focused race car that retains the agility and reliability of the production model.

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) ’22

Can be purchased from Brand Central

The Porsche 911 has defined sports‑car performance since 1963, earning legendary status on road and track. That heritage continued with the 992‑generation 911, launched in 2018, featuring evolved styling, a 3.0‑liter turbo flat‑six, and an eight‑speed PDK transmission. From this platform emerged the 911 GT3 R, introduced in 2022 as a pure race machine.Powered by a 4.2‑liter flat‑six producing up to 557 BHP, it features carbon‑fiber and aramid construction, RSR‑derived suspension, and a longer wheelbase for improved stability. AP Racing brakes and a modernized cockpit complete a car built to dominate GT racing.

Xiaomi SU7 Ultra ’25

Can be purchased from Brand Central

Xiaomi’s leap from smart devices to electric mobility culminates in the SU7 Ultra, a BEV designed to redefine performance expectations. Using a three‑motor all‑wheel‑drive system, it delivers up to 1,527 BHP, with rear motors spinning to 27,200 rpm. Performance is staggering: 0–62 mph in 1.98 seconds and a 217.5 mph top speed. Advanced construction includes carbon‑fiber body panels, cell‑to‑body architecture, and gigacasting for exceptional rigidity and low weight. A carbon‑fiber aero kit generates 285 kg of downforce, while high‑performance brakes stop from 62 mph in 30.8 meters. With luxury, active suspension, and advanced ADAS, the SU7 Ultra marks a turning point for high‑performance EVs.

Café / Extra Menus

The following Menu will be added to the Extra Menus section:

  • Extra Menu No. 52: ‘Hyundai N‘ (Collector Level 58 and above)

World Circuits

The following new events have been added to ‘World Circuits’:

  • World Touring Car 600 – Nürburgring Nordschleife
  • World Touring Car 700 – Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
  • World Touring Car 800 – Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit

Scapes

‘California Roadsides’ has been added as a featured Curation in Scapes.

Gran Turismo World Series Online Qualifiers

The road to the Gran Turismo World Series is officially underway, and the Online Qualifiers are delivering intense competition. Drivers have already gone head‑to‑head across four thrilling rounds of the Manufacturers Cup, proving both their speed and sportsmanship as they chase a coveted place on the world stage. With a spot in the live main events on the line, every race counts. Round 5 is happening right now, and the final round takes place on Saturday, January 31. The spotlight then turns to the Nations Cup Online Qualifiers, also taking place over six rounds from Wednesday, February 11 to Saturday, February 28. For more details visit the Gran Turismo website.

Whether you’re chasing the dream of becoming one of the world’s best or simply looking for high‑level competition and unforgettable racing, everyone is welcome. Strap in, hit the track, and be part of the action.

*Internet connection required for update.
**Credits (paid or via game progression) required to purchase vehicles.

Arc Raiders and The Finals hit by ‘Extensive, Coordinated’ DDoS Attacks, Dev Says

Embark Studios’ Arc Raiders and The Finals are suffering from what the studio has described as “extensive, coordinated” Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.

The attacks were said to be “ongoing” today while the studio battles to mitigate their impact on each game.

Arc Raiders players have been complaining of server issues all morning, with some unable to reconnect or abandon matches. Some affected players are hoping they will see lost loot return once the issues are fixed. “Was just rubber banding and died because it was of course in front of a shredder, and now stuck on the loading screen while trying to join a new lobby,” said one affected player.

The DDoS attacks come hot on the heels of Arc Raiders’ Headwinds update, which added a solo vs. squads matchmaking option, a Bird City map condition, and much more.

Meanwhile, Embark said it’s working on a hotfix that will “solve some of the issues and unintended changes” made by the update. That should be out later today.

Arc Raiders is one of the biggest games in the world, having sold an incredible 12.4 million copies in just 10 weeks. The enormously popular extraction shooter has seen impressive staying power, too, setting a new concurrent player peak of 960,000 in January 2026. To put Arc Raiders’ success into context, the similarly priced Helldivers 2 set a record for the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game of all time by selling 12 million in 12 weeks. Arc Raiders, which launched on Xbox as well as PC and PlayStation, hit the 12 million sales mark even faster. It’s done so well so quickly, that it crossed over into the world of South Park with a surprise appearance that was put together in just a few days.

Headwinds is the first of a four-phase roadmap that has content scheduled out through April 2026. Next on the docket is the Shrouded Sky update, which adds a new map condition, Arc threat, player project, map update, Raider Deck, and more sometime in February. Flashpoint will then arrive in March with another map condition and Scrappy update, with Riven Tides rounding things out with a new map and a new large Arc in April.

If this has tempted you into giving Arc Raiders a try, check out our guide to the best settings, find out what skills we recommend unlocking first, and see how to earn loot by delivering field depot crates… or you can just wait for the inevitable TV show or movie adaptation, although Embark says it hasn’t been swayed just yet.

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.

Earth Must Die publishers say an “alien orgy depicted as a gyrating lump on the floor” left the game’s Steam launch “unclear”

What Steam operators Valve are and aren’t prepared to allow onto their storefront has been a major talking point for the past year or so, especially when it comes to mature or sexually-themed content. Our Edwin’s done some fine reporting on the topic and how it relates to payment processors, as well as delving into individual cases like Santa Ragione’s Horses.

Now, the developers of point-and-click comedy Earth Must Die say things looked “unclear” for a bit in terms of whether they’d be able to launch on Steam, with the platform then offering a thumbs up after reviewing footage of an “alien orgy”.

Read more

Helldivers 2’s New Warbond, Siege Breakers, Adds a Great Big Breaching Hammer

Helldivers 2‘s next Warbond ‘Siege Breakers’ will release on February 3.

As detailed in a recent PlayStation Blog post by Arrowhead’s social media and community manager, this Warbond is for players needing “something to smash through […] towering foe with impenetrable fortifications.”

Helldivers 2 Siege Breakers warbond contents:

  • Primary weapon: (Redesigned) LAS-16 Trident
  • Strategem: CQC-20 Breaching Hammer
  • Strategem: GL-28 Belt-Fed Grenade Launcher
  • Strategem: EAT-411 Leveller
  • Throwable: G/SH-39 Shield
  • Armor set: SA-8 Ram armor
  • Armor set: SA-7 Headfirst armor
  • Banner: Rags of the Fashionable banner and cape
  • Banner: Wedgeful Tricorn banner and cape
  • Emote: Display of Brawn
  • Player title: Bunker Buster
  • Patterns: Churned Earth skins — Frv, Shuttle, Exo Suit, and Hellpod

The Warbond includes the “new and improved version” of the “beloved” LAS-16 Trident, which now fires six beams instead of the original three, plus the CQC-20 Breaching Hammer, which “can do straight smashing, or it can have an explosive charge attached to its head to drive the point home.” There’s also the GL-28 Belt-Fed Grenade Launcher that lets you “continuously fire grenades in a non-stop explosive barrage,” as well as skins, armor sets, capes, banners, and a throwable shield, too.

Helldivers 2’s latest patch, Into the Unjust: 5.0.2., dropped last week and introduced a new mission type: Commando, the Redacted Regiment Warbond, and “important updates” to suppressed weapons. “Democracy doesn’t always need to shout,” Arrowhead said on Steam. “This patch is deploying some important updates to suppressed weapons, allowing Helldivers to eliminate threats with reduced detection and tighter tactical control. Expect quieter kills, cleaner engagements, and new opportunities for coordinated strikes before the enemy knows you’re there. Remember: stealth is a tool, not a substitute for overwhelming firepower. Use it wisely, Helldivers!”

In December, Helldivers 2 received its big 5.0.0 patch as well as its jungle-themed Python Commandos Warbond, which added a number of fan-requested weapons, including a minigun. In September, the studio’s CEO confirmed Helldivers 3 is not in any plan developer Arrowhead has right now, saying that instead it wants Helldivers 2 to keep going for years and years, like veteran MMO RuneScape. And then there’s the Helldivers 2 movie, which is picking up steam.

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.

Some Fallout Fans Think Season 2 Just Confirmed a New Vegas Ending Is Canon After All, but Others Believe the Showrunners Were True to Their Word

Some Fallout fans believe the latest episode of Season 2 of the Amazon show confirms a New Vegas ending is canon, while others believe the showrunners have kept their word and avoided picking an ending.

Warning! Spoilers for Fallout Season 2 follow:

Last month, the creators of the Fallout TV show told IGN that Season 2 avoids making any New Vegas ending canon by taking what they call “the fog of war approach.”

Fans of the Fallout video games had wondered how Season 2 might reflect the endings of Obsidian’s much-loved Fallout New Vegas, given the show is canon and is set 15 years after the game.

A quick reminder of where we’re at in the Fallout timeline: the Fallout TV show is set in 2296, nine years after the events of Fallout 4 and 15 years after the events of Fallout: New Vegas. We’ve already seen a debate about which Fallout 4 ending should be considered canon, if any. But what about New Vegas?

Depending on the choices the player, aka The Courier, makes throughout the course of the game, New Vegas can end with victory for the player during the Battle of Hoover Dam, which drives out all factions including Mr. House himself, a victory for Mr. House in which he remains in control of New Vegas and takes over Hoover Dam, a victory for Caesar’s Legion, or a victory for the New California Republic.

Fallout fans think ‘The House Always Wins’ ending is now canon after the events of the show. The Ghoul meets Maximus, and he uses the Cold Fusion diode that Maximus stole from the Brotherhood to power up the machine we saw back when Cooper met House in a flashback on the top floor of Lucky 38. The big terminal boots up, House appears on screen and says: “Well hello, old chum.”

A lot of people think that confirms “The House Always Wins” ending, which saw House survive. But there are some important points to consider. Until the show actually shows House’s body, there’s still potential for all sorts of explanations. Either this meeting between the Ghoul and House, plus whatever happens in the Season 2 finale, pulls the big trick of finally canonising an ending despite the showrunners saying they weren’t going to, or this is, for example, an AI version of House, rather than the weird husk from the New Vegas video game, which would leave us technically still left in the dark about what actually happened.

Fans are already debating the point, with some going so far as to already accepting The House Always Wins ending as canon. Some are even wondering what the point of New Vegas itself was, given the suggestion of a canon ending.

“What was the meaning of the game Fallout NV supposed to be and what was it trying to accomplish if none of the possible actions of The Courier had any lasting impact?” asked one fan. “With the newest episode of the Fallout Tv show, we find out House is alive. So what was the point of playing the game if none of the decisions would have mattered anyway? In the game the biggest consequences are, we get rid of House, give the power of hoover damm [sic] to the NCR, the Legion, or back to the Strip.

“But in the show the NCR is gone, the Legion is disconnected and in-fighting, the BoS is in the middle of a civil war with the East Coast, The strip became overrun with deathclaws. So what’s the point?”

Countering this, some fans have pointed to other explanations for what we see in the show, as mentioned above, but others have insisted that whatever happens on the show, it shouldn’t devalue your enjoyment of the games and how they work.

“The House we see at the end of episode 7 is a digital copy,” another fan added. “It doesn’t matter what happened to the real House’s body, this copy is separate from that. I don’t think there’s anything in the show that contradicts any of the four endings.”

“Seeing the House AI really doesn’t change anything,” said another fan. “The state of the Lucky 38, including a Securitron lying exactly where Yes Man does when you upload him, points strongly towards House’s death as a human at some point.” “I mean House is dead. He just uploaded himself to the Cloud,” joked another.

All eyes are now on the final episode of Fallout Season 2, which, given Season 3 is already confirmed, will no doubt pose just as many questions as it answers. While you wait, be sure to check out IGN’s Fallout Season 2, Episode 7 review.

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.

Arc Raiders update rips out one of the game’s most maddening puzzles

Arc Raiders has a new Headwinds game update that, amongst many other things, removes an extravagantly drawn-out puzzle from the game’s Buried City map. Introduced in December, the puzzle in question saw people tracking down and pushing 15 buttons in a certain order to unlock a secret chamber containing an actual, strummable guitar. As of this updating, you’ll now be able to buy that guitar at Shani’s, like a millionaire tourist paying to be flown to the top of Mount Everest.

I regard this as a dilution of the game, on paper, but I am not one of the players who’ve driven themselves crackers trying to get hold of the instrument (or paying real money for the battle pass to unlock it). Arc Raiders is a multiplayer game, of course, so even if you survive being shot at while stampeding between buttons, it’s possible another, distant player might innocently press one and reset your progress.

Read more

‘When Did It Become Trendy to Hate on a New Game?’ — as Highguard Struggles to Win Over the Internet, Video Game Developers Come to Its Defense

A number of high-profile video game developers have defended Highguard amid an online backlash during the game’s launch.

The free-to-play “PvP raid shooter” was the big new game reveal at the end of last month’s The Game Awards, but developer Wildlight then went dark until the January 26 release date in a bid to channel the successful shadowdrop of Apex Legends back in 2019.

At launch, Highguard hit a peak of 97,249 concurrent users on Steam — a significant number for any new game launch on Valve’s platform — but at the same time Wildlight has had to contend with a “mostly negative” user review rating. Meanwhile, Steam concurrents have fallen, and Highguard has slipped out of the top 100 most-played games list on Valve’s platform.

Chief among the criticisms from players is that the size of the map feels too big and empty for a 3v3 competitive shooter. You’re able to summon a mount to get about faster (the mounts are one aspect of Highguard that players seem to universally like), but some believe a 4v4, 5v5, or even 3v3v3 mode would have been a better fit.

There are also complaints about the resource-gathering phase of each map, which involves what some are calling boring mining and loot farming. The gist here is there is too much downtime and a lack of excitement, although players seem to be enjoying the raid phase of each match, where combat is concentrated. There is also criticism of the design of the playable characters, Highguard’s art direction, and a lack of content — as well as performance problems particularly on PC.

Through it all is a feeling that Highguard perhaps suffered from being the “one more thing” reveal at The Game Awards, where it might have better managed expectations in a slot earlier in the show. Wildlight staff have indicated they originally planned a true Apex Legends-style shadowdrop for Highguard, but The Game Awards chief Geoff Keighley asked the team about featuring it at the end of the show. Keighley has subsequently suffered a backlash of his own, with some feeling Highguard’ position in The Game Awards’ running order overly hyped the game.

Now, developers from the likes of Baldur’s Gate 3 studio Larian as well as Fortnite maker Epic have hit out at the discourse surrounding Highguard, and the internet’s capacity to “hate” on video games at launch. Developers like Cliff Bleszinski of Gears of War fame, Epic executive Mark Rein, and Larian boss Swen Vincke spoke up against, in particular, negativity from critics.

“I don’t like people s****ing on things others have created,” Vincke tweeted. “Putting something out into the world makes you vulnerable, and that alone deserves respect, even if you dislike the creation. It’s easy to destroy things, it’s a lot harder to build them. The best critics understand this. Even when they’re being critical, they do their best not to be hurtful.”

Vincke went on to suggest a Metacritic-style scoring system for reviewers, based on how others evaluate their criticism. “I like to imagine it would encourage a bit more restraint,” he said. “The harsh words do real damage. You shouldn’t have to grow callus on your soul just because you want to publish something.”

He continued: “And yes — I get that if people are charging money, you want to know if it’s good or not. But reviewers can just say — I didn’t enjoy it or I don’t think it’s well made or I don’t think it’s worth the money they are charging. That’s enough. No need to get personal for the sake of some likes.“

And in a follow-up post, Vincke added: “What I’m trying to say is that most creative souls are sensitive souls and those sensitive souls are the ones that care the most. When they check out because they can’t handle the vitriol, we all lose because what’s left are those that don’t care. The effect the words have on those sensitive souls may not be underestimated. You don’t want them to lose their idealism and love of players.

“There’s other ways of dealing with player exploitation. Not playing the games is probably the best one. You don’t have to verbally hurt the people behind the game to express your disdain. If enough people stop playing the games that don’t respect players, those in charge will get the message and change course soon. There’s enough other games there.”

Cliff Bleszinski, whose own live service shooter LawBreakers was a commercial failure, leading to the closure of his studio, asked: “When did it become trendy to hate on a new game? Been seeing it more and more in recent years. It’s exhausting.”

“It’s downright horrible,” Mark Rein, vice president and co-founder of Epic Games, commented. “Especially a FREE game from a new studio. Just so sad. This is a hobby for people, they should approach with joy not hatred.”

The reality is that Wildlight faces an uphill challenge turning online sentiment about its live service shooter around, and the studio will be particularly concerned by Highguard’s Steam user review rating, which remains ‘mostly negative.’ Currently, 37% of the 19,439 user reviews are positive; Wildlight plans to continue to update Highguard with various patches, and has announced its 2026 roadmap of content.

Meanwhile, Keighley responded to one person on social media who asked if he had a financial stake in Highguard’s success. “lol absolutely not,” he said.

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.