Six years. Much has been said in the last six years about Team Cherry’s near radio silence on Hollow Knight: Silksong. Promises from Microsoft about the game coming out “in the next 12 months” in 2022. No playable demo since E3 2019. No Kickstarter updates. And a furore of hungry fans whipping themselves into a frenzy and building an entire community on memes and anguish.
Then, on 19th August, we found out that was about to change: “The countdown is on! Join us in 48 hours for a special announcement about Hollow Knight: Silksong!” Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier revealed he’d spoken to the devs last month and promised to share “the story behind why Silksong took seven years to make…”. Even Geoff Keighley got in on the action and, during Gamescom 2025 Opening Night Live, shared a brief snippet of (blurry) gameplay. The hype was reaching fever pitch.
With High on Life 2 waiting in the wings, Squanch Games’ Mikey Spano and Matty Studivan told IGN in an interview at gamescom 2025 that they are going to give Danny DeVito another go when they eventually get to making what feels like the inevitable third game in the comedy first-person shooter series.
“I really want Danny DeVito,” chief creative officer Spano said. “We tried to get Danny DeVito for the first game, and at that time we didn’t really have the cachet to sway him. But I’m hoping after this game we can try again and get him in there.
“I have the perfect design for a Danny DeVito gun in my head that I want to see so bad!”
So, why didn’t DeVito work out for High on Life? According to executive producer Matty Studivan, it was felt that DeVito would have been so unlikely to say yes, that it wasn’t even worth the ask.
Studivan said: “I believe the response we got was, ‘We would take this to him but his agent doesn’t even know if he’ll understand what it is, and he’ll probably just say no.’ We’re gonna try really hard on the next one.”
Spano then issued the call: “Danny DeVito, reach out! We’re ready for ya!”
Whether Danny DeVito appears in High on Life 3 or not, Squanch Games has a more pressing matter: High on Life 2. As announced at gamescom, the sequel launches February 13, 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S and Game Pass day-one.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Galactus actor Ralph Ineson plays Sheath, a new character and boss, and is joined on the cast by Betsy Sodaro, J.B. Smoove, and Richard Kind.
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.
The last time I tried shepherding an unruly beast, I wasn’t exactly a fan. It was midnight, I was exhausted, and my dog simply refused to come back inside. Typical. Thankfully, Herdling offers a much cosier alternative, replacing a stubborn pup with fantastical beasties that actually listen to me.
Developed by Okomotive, the studio behind the wonderful FAR series, Herdling carries the same blend of quiet melancholy and atmosphere as the studio’s other games. Though fleeting in length, Herdling is a breath of fresh air – a journey sure to stick with you, even if its core gameplay feels a tad clunky.
Silent Hill f takes us to 1960s Japan, where we follow Hinako Shimizu, a teenager struggling under the pressure of expectations from her friends, family, and society. As IGN reported in our Silent Hill f hands-on preview, its combat has a similar feel to Silent Hill 2 Remake’s close-range combat. You can dodge enemy attacks with the DualSense’s circle button and activate a light and heavy attack with R1 and R2, respectively. Your limited reach and lengthy attack motions give a realistic, weighty feel to combat. Heavy attacks, especially, feel slow and need to be timed well, “contributing to the feeling that Hinako is just a teenager with limited strength.”
On top of that, Silent Hill f’s combat also features timed dodges and counterattacks, with the latter particularly important in combat sequences. Enemies briefly show a sign when a counterattack can be utilized, but we suggested that “unless you have trained your reflex skills by playing games like of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, you will likely have a hard time reacting.” That’s where the Focus mode comes in, which can be triggered by holding L2. It allows counterattacks to last longer, while also charging up a power attack that staggers an enemy.
But in an interview with IGN at gamescom 2025, Silent Hill producer Motoi Okamoto set the record straight. He insisted Silent Hill f is not a soulslike, despite the mechanics at play in its combat, and even said applying that label to the game is “disingenuous.”
“This is one of the things that we see — the term soulslike — being thrown around on the internet quite a bit,” he began. “And I think it’s a label that’s a little bit disingenuous. Modern players will see like, oh there’s a stamina meter, there’s a dodge, and they’re like, ‘Okay, it’s a soulslike.’
“But to be very honest, a lot of these things we actually pulled from classic Silent Hill titles. Look at Silent Hill 4 — there’s a charge meter for your attacks, kind of like our Focus meter. And even for Silent Hill 3 there’s a stamina meter. You see it later on.”
Okamoto went on to say Silent Hill f’s combat mechanics aren’t exclusive to the soulslike genre, expressing a degree of frustration with the online dialogue surrounding the game.
“These things aren’t new and exclusive to soulslike games,” he said. “They’ve been a part of action horror games for a very, very long time. If you have these things you’re labeled a soulslike. And we’d like to reiterate we are an action horror game, but we are not a soulslike.”
Silent Hill f comes out on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S on September 25.
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.
Surprise! Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the slimmer, Baghdad-set adventure launched in 2023, is getting fresh content set in AlUla, an ancient oasis city now found in Saudi Arabia.
A new story chapter with additional missions, plus general gameplay improvements for the whole game, will launch for free later this year.
Ubisoft made the announcement this morning via social media, in a post that’s come rather out of the blue on a Saturday at the end of this year’s busy Gamescom week.
That said, the arrival of more Assassin’s Creed Mirage content has been expected. Earlier this year, Ubisoft declined to comment on a report in French financial newspaper Les Echoes that detailed a deal between Ubisoft and Saudi Arabia’s controversial Public Investment Fund for additional Mirage content.
Today’s confirmation that Mirage will soon get content set in 9th century Saudi Arabia therefore makes sense.
As for the location itself, AlUla seems a natural fit for an Assassin’s Creed game, as an UNESCO World Heritage site with more than 7,000 years of history and towering rock formations that look perfect for a spot of Assassin’s Creed parkour.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage players, we have a surprise coming your way later this year!
📖 New story chapter & missions set in 9th century AlUla 🎮 Gameplay improvements for the base game and the new location 🎁 All for free
Launched in 2023, Assassin’s Creed Mirage arrived as something of a palate cleanser between the epic Viking-set Valhalla and this year’s similarly enormous Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Mirage returned to the Assassin’s Creed franchise’s smaller, stealthier city-set roots for an adventure that felt inspired by the series’ initial game.
Developed by Ubisoft Bordeaux, the game originally began life as an expansion for Valhalla focused on its mysterious Assassin character Basim, someone who ends up playing a pivotal role in the events of that game’s finale. Fans had subsequently hoped to see more from the character, though it’s unclear if this add-on will include any new answers to his ultimate fate.
After Mirage was released, players found an odd post-credits scene hidden in the game’s files that Ubisoft has since acknowledged, though never fully explained. Perhaps this too will finally be addressed in Mirage’s upcoming new content, more details of which will follow in the weeks to come.
Over the past year, we’ve had the privilege of connecting with talented game developers from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through the PlayStation MENA Hero Project. This initiative was launched with a simple goal: to identify and support original voices and empower creators from emerging regions to tell their stories through games.
Today, we’re thrilled to announce the first cohort of titles supported under the MENA Hero Project, each one a unique reflection of the creativity, and spirit of developers in the region.
The First Cohort of MENA Hero Project Games
Red Bandits | Developer: Team Agenda | Country: Saudi Arabia
Red Bandits is a fast-paced robbery action game set in a hyper-capitalist age where one company rules the world through complete monopoly. In this world, a newly formed thieves organization known as the Red Bandits, emerges to challenge the system and spark a rebellion. You play as Stutt, a seasoned old thief with a stuttering condition and a mysterious past he can’t fully remember.
Break into the company’s fortified floors, take down the powerful board of directors, and bring back a de-monopolized world order. With a dynamic cover system, evolving heists, and a vibrant comrades’ hideout, Red Bandits blends fast, stylish action with a deeply personal story of rebellion.
Robbing its way to PS5 and PC.
Enci’s Solution | Developer: Dark Emerald | Country: United Arab Emirates
Exiled by humans centuries ago, the Aeons are confined to the desolate underground. Their village is safe, but beyond the gates, danger lurks at every corner, and not everyone can be trusted. No one has left the village before, except for Ji’we.
Inspired by techno-dystopian aesthetics, Enci’s Solution is a hand-painted, 2.5D narrative platformer following the story of Ji’we, a young Aeon venturing out into the unknown in an attempt to save his dearest friend. Stumbling upon Enci, a lost encyclopedic robot who finds himself far from home, the two form an unusual bond and set out together to the surface of planet Regalia.
Play through 40+ levels with increasing difficulty and explore uncharted territories. Find collectibles and uncover the secrets they carry about the world and its odd inhabitants. Keep an eye out for hidden levels and challenge yourself to think outside the box.
Will you find your solution on PS5 and PC?
The Perfect Run | Developer: Lanterns Studios | Country: Tunisia
Save the world or blow it up yourself, one loop at a time! The Perfect Run is an action-adventure RPG game where the player controls Quicksave, a time-traveling hero caught in an epic struggle between supervillain gangs, marketed superheroes, and a powerful mega corporation for the control of the city of New Rome.
With three days to decide the city’s fate, the player can go back in time to decide their perfect ending… if they have the skill to do so! Interact with NPCs and unlock new dialogue options thanks to information collected in earlier loops, join a faction in one route and fight them the next, bend time itself in epic battle against superpowered bosses, collect the best upgrades before the reset, and unlock the city’s secrets in this memorable superhero adventure.
Find the perfect run on PS5 and PC.
A Cat’s Manor | Developer: Happiest Dark Corner | Country: Bahrain
You awaken trapped in a house infested with spiders and inhabited by an eccentric family. At the end of your tail, you discover a crudely stitched hand. With no memory of who you are or how you got here, you let curiosity guide you forward.
A Cat’s Manor is an atmospheric adventure that blends puzzles, combat, crafting, and rhythm-based music challenges. Use your wits to escape the manor. Investigate your surroundings, solve puzzles, fight your way through deadly encounters, or outsmart your foes and avoid trouble.
Inspect, observe, listen, and feel your surroundings for clues and cues, immersing yourself with 3D audio and PS5 DualSense controller features. Uncover the secrets of the manor and unravel what the family is hiding.
Creeping its way to PS5 and PC near you.
About the MENA Hero Project
The MENA Hero Project is the newest chapter in SIE’s global Hero Project family, joining India and China in our mission to discover and nurture the next generation of original game creators. We believe that great games can come from anywhere. Through the MENA Hero Project, we’re committed to unlocking the region’s creative potential, supporting locally inspired experiences with the power to captivate players around the world.
If you haven’t got around to playing the second game Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin just yet, now is the chance if you happen to be based in Europe and have an active Switch Online subscription. This same trial is also live in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
After a long wait and even some delays, we’re now just weeks out from the release of Hollow Knight: Silksong.
The ‘hands on’ previews have been rolling in from Gamescom this week, so we’re rounding up a handful here including our own. This is the final demo before the game goes on sale to the public on 4th September 2025.
There are so many different ways to experience The Witcher these days. My own entry point into this world was playing through the first Witcher game back when it first came out in 2007. But it wasn’t until The Witcher 3 that I really felt the depth of the story. I loved exploring the world, playing Gwent, and getting an up close and personal look at Geralt’s complicated love life.
I got a similar feeling with the first couple of seasons of The Witcher series on Netflix, but now that Henry Cavill has left the show I find myself mostly just looking forward to the next Witcher game in the franchise. Since that game is still years away, however, I’ve been recently looking into The Witcher TTRPG as a potential new way to experience that world. It’s currently only $15 for a six-book bundle at Humble Bundle and it certainly looks intriguing at that price.
What comes with this bundle
This Witcher TTRPG bundle includes a total of six books. You can get the full bundle by spending $15 or you can choose to pay more and support charity. According to the website, this bundle supports Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Here’s all of the digital books included with your purchase:
The Witcher TTRPG Core Rulebook
The Witcher: A Book of Tales
The Witcher: Tome of Chaos
The Witcher: A Witcher’s Journal
The Witcher: Lords & Lands
The Witcher TTRPG – Easy Mode
Is The Witcher TTRPG worth playing?
The Witcher Tabletop RPG was created by R. Talsorian Games in collaboration with CD Projekt Red. The core game is set somewhere between The Witcher 2 and The Witcher 3 on the video game timeline. Since I haven’t had the chance to play the game myself, I did a bit of digging into reviews and Reddit threads to see if it’s worth playing. The most comprehensive review I could find comes from a site called Sprites and Dice. The author goes into a lot of detail about the core rule book and subsequent books available while looking at it through the lens of an experienced D&D player. I recommend checking that out if you need a deeper look at what you’ll get with this bundle.
There’s also a pretty helpful Reddit thread I found where multiple people have given their thoughts about this TTRPG. A common theme throughout that is that those who actually played it enjoyed it overall. One user complimented the character creation involved while pointing out the imbalances in some of the classes. Basically, if you don’t decide to be a Witcher or a Mage you won’t get the chance to engage with the full rulebook.
Disclosure: Humble Bundle is part of IGN Entertainment, the division of Ziff Davis that includes GamesIndustry.biz, IGN, and MapGenie.
