Fixes aplenty.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound has received another update following a recent patch to improve the game’s frame rate when played on Switch 2.
This one is more focused on general bug fixes and gameplay improvements, but it’s a welcome update nonetheless. Highlights include fixes to soft-locks and freezing scenarios, collision issues, improved visual consistency, and more.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Minecraft has announced a major new game update, Mounts of Mayhem, that will be spearheaded by the addition of… the spear!
The sharp-tipped stick is the first new weapon added to Minecraft in some time, and the first new tiered item — one that is available in progressively more durable variants — added since the hoe, back in 2010.
After so long jabbing at skeletons with a sword, you might wonder why the spear is being added now. Well, thankfully it sounds like there will be some interesting new gameplay possibilities as a result of the spear’s addition, and in particular: jousting.
As in real life, you’ll be able to wield your nearest spear on foot, or on your nearest horse, which is where part of that Mounts of Mayhem title comes in. The other part? Well, that comes from the fact that it isn’t just you getting to play around with a spear… Mounted Zombies (who also now ride Zombie Horses) will get spears also.
In an update video revealing the spear’s mechanics, developer Mojang explained that the weapon can be used for slow, long-range jabs or stronger charge attacks that deal damage based on how fast a player is moving. On horseback, at a gallop, your spear is going to do significant damage to any enemy standing in your path. However, the same is presumably true of those Mounted Zombies.
Crafting or upgrading your spear using different materials will allow you to create a bog-standard wooden spear, but also fancier golden, stone, copper, iron, diamond and even Netherite alternatives. However, while the item’s durability might increase, fancier materials will be heavier — making the spear’s attacks slower. It’s an interesting trade-off.
Mojang has confirmed that your mounted combat can extend underwater, via Mounts of Mayhem’s new tamable aquatic mob, the Nautilus. You can even wield spears while soaring through the skies with Elytra wings.
Will spears be part of the next Chicken Jockey meme whenever the Minecraft Movie sequel comes around? Perhaps. Until then, players can begin testing Mounts of Mayhem features “soon,” Mojang said, ahead of a full release further in the future.
For now, Minecraft fans can busy themselves with the game’s latest update, The Copper Age, which is out today and adds those adorable friendly copper golems.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Sony has confirmed the global release times for PlayStation 5 exclusive Ghost of Yotei.
Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima sequel has an official release date of October 2, but fans in some parts of the United States can play it earlier, from October 1, Sony confirmed to IGN.
It’s worth noting Ghost of Yotei has an important day-one patch, which makes a number of significant improvements to the game. Sony revealed the patch notes to IGN, and confirmed disc owners will have to install the update. Sony also asked players to make sure they’re on Version 1.006 before playing the game.
Ghost of Yotei pre-load via the PlayStation Store went live last week, with the game itself weighing in at over 85GB.
IGN’s Ghost of Yotei review returned an 8/10. We said: “A predictable but well-executed story takes you through Ghost of Yotei’s gorgeous landscapes and satisfying, fluid action — it may not be revolutionizing open world games, but it’s a great distillation of the samurai fantasy.”
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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.
Dark Ties, the Like A Dragon spin-off game that’s set to arrive alongside Yakuza Kiwami 3 next year, was originally just going to be a video. That was, obviously, until devs RGG studio opted to let folks wander around in the shoes of Yakuza 3 antagonist Yoshitaka Mine, whose karaoke singing to a picture of a follically-challenged gangster they’ve now also explained.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 officially releases on November 14, 2025, for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. However, those hoping to try before they buy can test Treyarch’s updated formula October 5-8 via an open beta. Players willing to pre-order can get in on the action even earlier via an early access beta running October 2–5.
Don’t forget, Activision recently warned PC gamers that they will not be able to play during the beta and at launch if they do not enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Like rival shooter Battlefield 6, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are required for Black Ops 7 to run on PC as part of strict anti-cheat measures to block modified hardware and unauthorized software.
Check out all the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 multiplayer details announced so far to find out what to expect.
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The beta test ends at the same times given above on Wednesday October 8 (Thursday October 9 in Asia/Oceania).
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.
“I find myself torn about how best to adapt it on a daily basis”.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will finally make its way onto the Switch 2 early next year on 22nd January 2026.
For many, the 1997 original stands as one of the most iconic games of all time, and it’s certainly up there as one of the best entries in the long-running series. For Naoki Hamaguchi, the director of the Remake Trilogy (of which the latter two entries have also been confirmed for Switch 2), tackling such a monumental project comes with its own sense of pressure.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Activision has warned PC gamers that they will not be able to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 during the beta and at launch if they do not enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot.
Like rival shooter Battlefield 6, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are required for Black Ops 7 to run on PC as part of strict anti-cheat measures. These features block modified hardware and unauthorized software, with the goal of creating a fair, secure environment for all players even as cheaters ramp up their efforts.
Indeed, Activision has said it’s well aware Call of Duty cheaters will hammer on the Black Ops 7 beta, insisting: “that’s exactly what we want.”
In a new blog post, Activision suggested PC gamers enable both TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot now to be ready on day one, with the Black Ops 7 beta set to kick off on October 2 for those with early access, then October 5 in open beta form.
However, some Battlefield 6 players ran into issues enabling TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, preventing them from playing on PC. Speaking to Eurogamer, Battlefield 6 technical director Christian Buhl lamented the situation. “The fact is I wish we didn’t have to do things like Secure Boot,” Buhl said.
“It does prevent some players from playing the game. Some people’s PCs can’t handle it and they can’t play; that really sucks. I wish everyone could play the game with low friction and not have to do these sorts of things.”
Enabling Secure Boot involves tinkering with a part of a computer not all PC gamers will be instantly familiar with: the BIOS. You need to make sure your Windows disk is GPT and not MBR (not everyone will know what these are), too. All this before you can even enable Secure Boot — and then you may not be able to enable it anyway, which then means you need to refer to your manufacturer for guidance. While this won’t be a problem for more experienced PC gamers, it will be an intimidating process for some.
Perhaps with this in mind, Activision has released guides to help Call of Duty players enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, including BIOS updates for the top 10 motherboard makers used by Call of Duty players.
“When Black Ops 7 launches on November 14, these requirements will combine with our newest RICOCHET Anti-Cheat upgrades,” Activision said. “At that point, we will introduce a remote verification system (known as Remote Attestation) to provide the strongest safeguard possible. This type of attestation is the most secure method of validation, more stringent than the client or local attestation methods found in other games, allowing us to validate TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot settings with Microsoft Azure servers in the cloud.
“This creates a tougher environment for cheats to operate in and ensures that the protections these features detect cannot be bypassed or spoofed, which would be possible if we used local verification on a player’s PC.
“Our layered defense that combines TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and RICOCHET Anti-Cheat’s upgraded detection systems delivers our most advanced anti-cheat protection yet, safeguarding fair play across Call of Duty.”
Activision continued: “We’re setting a new standard for gaming security. TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are not optional; they are the foundation of our multifaceted defense system, and with your help, they ensure a fair and secure experience for everyone.”
Call of Duty has a reputation for cheating, especially with the free-to-download battle royale Warzone. Activision has spent a significant amount of time, money, and energy in response, even taking on cheat makers in court, although it, like all video game developers, faces an uphill battle in the war on cheaters.
And Activision knows cheaters will descend upon the Black Ops 7 beta (despite it being a beta, it happens with Call of Duty every year, and indeed the Battlefield 6 beta suffered the same fate). In the blog post, Activision welcomed the onslaught that is to come.
“Cheaters will try to test the limits during the Beta. That’s exactly what we want because #TeamRICOCHET is here, watching, learning, and removing them as they appear,” Activision said. “Any account permanently banned for cheating during the Beta will be banned across all Call of Duty titles, from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to future releases.”
It’s worth noting that Activision has highlighted its new aimbot detection, which it said is “one of the strongest detection systems we have ever built,” and its new wall hacking detections, “making it harder for cheaters who manipulate the game to see enemies through surfaces harder to escape detection.”
Check out all the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 multiplayer details announced so far to find out what to expect.
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.
Civ 7 beefy update 1.2.5 arrives today, September 30th. Developers Firaxis have laid out its major tweaks and additions, which include new map types and city states, plus a revamp of the construction interface and a hefty helping of balancing.
The polarising 4X strategy nation-builder has gotten the likes of auto-explore and world wonder reworks in its last couple of monthly updates, with Firaxis having settled in for the long haul after an initial flurry of post-release tweaking. 1.2.5 is the first update the game’s gotten since an undisclosed number of workers – “dozens of people”, according to Game Developer sources – were laid off at Firaxis earlier this month, in what publishers 2K told RPS was a “staff reduction” as the studio “restructures and optimizes its development process for adaptability, collaboration, and creativity”.
Terminator 2D: No Fate — the new retro game that blends scenes from Terminator 2: Judgment Day with original scenarios and multiple endings — has once again been delayed, this time to November 26, 2025.
It would appear that not even Skynet is immune from tariffs; publisher Reef Entertainment confirmed the delay in a brief blog post, claiming the release date had been pushed back from the original October 31 date due to “ongoing global trade and tariff changes that delayed shipment of the components for our Day One and Collector’s Editions.”
“Because we are committed to launching all editions together, this new date applies to both physical and digital releases worldwide,” Reef added. “We truly appreciate your patience and understanding, and we’re sorry for this further delay. The team is working hard to make sure your wait is worth it, and we can’t wait to share Terminator 2D: No Fate with you all this November.”
Terminator 2D sees you play as Sarah Connor and the T-800 as you try to put a stop to Skynet’s plans before the human race is annihilated. It’s coming to PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and last-gen console systems. It was initially slated to release on September 5 before being delayed to the end of October.
In June, IGN reported on how developer developers at Bitmap Bureau tracked down the actor who played future war John Connor back in 1991 to include his likeness, and found out why Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t in the game.
(Terminator 2D: No Fate includes gameplay that sees the player control future war John Connor in a fight against the machines, fleshing out that brief opening scene in the movie into an entire section of the video game.)
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.
