Arzopa is offering an excellent deal on this Arzopa 15″ 1080p USB Type-C portable monitor. It’s normally listed at $109.99, but you can get it on Amazon for $64.99 shipped after a $20 clippable coupon. Alternatively, you can get it at Arzopa for $63.99 shipped after you apply $5 coupon code “AZP5263“. That’s a great price compared to other 15” USB Type-C monitors on Amazon. This is a great portable display for your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or Asus ROG Ally.
Arzopa S1 15″ 1080p USB-C Portable Monitor for $63.99
The Arzopa S1 is a 15″ 1080p monitor with both USB Type-C and mini HDMI ports to connect to a laptop, tablet, or gaming handhelf. It can work as a standalone or secondary display. If your device is equipped with a USB Type-C output with Power Delivery, then a single cable can be used for both video and power. Otherwise, you’ll need two cables: a mini HDMI or USB Type-C cable for video and a second USB Type-C cable to a wall charger for power. USB Type-C cables are provided, however you’ll have to supply your own HDMI cable and wall charger.
The monitor is designed to be portable. It weighs only 1.3 pounds and measures 0.3″ thin. It sports a sturdy frame and includes a smart cover that doubles as a stand. The 15″ display features a 1080p resolution with 60Hz refresh rate, an IPS panel with great viewing angles, and an anti-glare matte surface. It even has built in speakers. This is an excellent way to boost your productivity by adding on a secondary display with minimal hassle and at an affordable price.
Compatible with Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck
This monitor works quite well paired with a gaming handheld like the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck. You will have to use the two-cable setup (one USB cable to the handheld, one USB cable to a wall charger) for this to work properly. The S1’s 1080p 60Hz panel is a great matchup particularly for the Nintendo Switch, since the Switch only supports up to 720p @ 60Hz anyway. The Steam Deck or ROG Ally can support higher resolutions and refresh rates, but at that point you’re really taxing your system, and 1080p/60Hz is an ideal balance between visual fidelity and playability. At 1080p, a 15″ display already boasts a very high 140ppi pixel density.
Upgrade to the Arzopa Z1FC 16″ 144Hz Monitor for $102
The higher end Arzopa Z1FC is also on sale. Amazon has it for $116.99, however Arzopa has it for $101.99 after you apply promo code “AZP5263“. The Z1FC’s upgrades include a larger display (16.1″ vs 15.6”), a higher refresh rate (144Hz vs 60Hz), and better color reproduction (100% sRGB color gamut). The larger display and better color reproduction makes it a nice upgrade for Switch and Steam Deck. However, this monitor is better for gaming laptops and more powerful gaming handheld PCs like the ROG Ally X or the Legion Go, which have the horsepower to take advantage of the 144Hz refresh rate. I’ve owned and used this monitor for the past few years and recommend it.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Attack on Titan Revolution is back with Update 3, giving Roblox players an army of quality-of-life changes, balance tweaks, and bug fixes to enjoy.
The team behind the 3.0 update provided patch notes detailing a laundry list of adjustments to its break-neck action experience. This includes the new Winter Tokens event, more auras for the Armored Titan raid, and the addition of Roblox chat in the central 2D lobby. Long story short, there’s not really one major change aimed to blow you away, but there are enough smaller changes that should help things feel smoother and look better overall.
Some bug fixes, for example, tackle strange titan behavior, including enemies T-posing after they strike a building and titans not attacking players who stand directly beneath them. There are also a few skill bug fixes that affect the Charge and Founder’s Will skills. Additionally, players will find Thunderspear tweaks galore as the team looks to refine the new tool’s effectiveness.
Attack on Titan Revolution Update 3 takes aim at a sea of issues that have plagued the anime-inspired Roblox experience for months, but it’s relatively light on new content additions. While there will be more future updates to keep players entertained, this foundational patch arrives only a few weeks after the content-heavy 2.5 update. The patch included an Armored Titan Raid as well as a new weapon that should be familiar to fans of the Attack on Titan anime: Thunderspears.
For those of you looking to get the most out of this Roblox action project, you can see our full list of all active codes here. You can also see the full patch notes from the new update below.
Attack on Titan Revolution Update 3 Patch Notes
2x Winter Tokens Event
QoL:
Roblox chat is now visible in the town central 2D lobby
Added impact frames and SFX to Skill “Founder’s Vengeance”
Added 2 new auras to the “Armored Titan” raid (“Abyssion” – Epic / “Digital Fracture” – Legendary)
New refill icon
Changed some of the streaming properties on workspace which should be more performant on lower end devices
Changed map lighting from “Future” > “ShadowMap” which should be more performant on lower end devices
Disabled the “Gameplay Paused” notification
Can now sell “Armored Titan Raid” cosmetic drops for gems (Marleyan Patch, Young Reiner’s Attire)
Fixed grammar of the streak message
Revamped cutscene handler
Should generally be fixed and all starting cutscenes are synced
Cutscenes are always skipped if you load them AFTER another player has already loaded them
Skip button
Thunderspear Questline Framework Changes:
Fixed boxes not being removed from your player after shifting/ejecting
Fixed supply objective continuously happening after you have already finished it
Retrieving a box only gives +1 of the quest to you instead of everyone in the mission with you
Boxes in the supply mission now spawn in random positions
Questline no longer starts in missions if you are not prestige 1+
Fixed cart not appearing on the convoy horse for the outskirts spears quest
Balances:
Buffed boss titan damage in raids by 5.0% per difficulty
Modifier “Oddball” now increases objective damage
Titan variation ‘Duckers’ can now only spawn in Hard+ difficulty
Titan variation ‘Ragers’ can now only spawn in Severe+ difficulty
Titan variation ‘Leaders’ can now only spawn in Aberrant difficulty
Fixed titans sometimes breaking and just T-Posing when hitting a building
Fixed shifting damage not properly converting when you have spears equipped
Fixed thunder spears getting stuck on invisible hitboxes
Fixed thunder spears not killing a titan if you end up dying from it
Fixed thunder spears sometimes not hitting colossal titans
Fixed being able to complete achievements “Warbringer” / “Supremacy” with other modifiers than the mentioned ones
Dying to your own thunder spear whilst grabbed will now make the titan let go of you
Fixed skill “Founder’s Will” breaking your hooks/gas if a player uses it before you properly load in
Fixed perk “Flame Rhapsody” not properly applying the maximum crit chance
Fixed chest/reward screen not being interactable after shifting/ejecting(?)
Fixed Female Titan’s roar effect being visible 24/7 when shifting/ejecting on the Guard mission
Fixed being able to fling Escort mission objective by standing in front of the horse(s)
Fixed blades/spears buttons not appearing properly in equipment screen on mobile devices
Fixed titans not attacking you if you’re stood directly under them
Fixed hook assist sometimes breaking and not letting you attach to objects anymore(?)
Fixed being able to double boost on mobile whilst refilling
Fixed shifter skills not hitting titan napes properly
Fixed getting flung when picking up a titan(?)
Fixed follow rewards sometimes breaking UI
Fixed gems not properly stacking with memory “Gem Fiend” and family “Fritz”
Fixed getting stuck in the air after using thunder spear cutscene skills / skill “Chaos”
Fixed visual representation of perk “Black Flash” from raid chests displaying as the aura cosmetic
Fixed not being able to use thunder spear skills if you fire a spear just before a cutscene starts
Fixed more hit inconsistencies with ODM/Shifter M1s depending on your hit speed
Fixed skill “Charge” flinging the “Armored Titan” raid boss(?)
Fixed skill “Charge” getting stuck on random objects(?)
Fixed not being able to kill ice burst titans with the skill “Toss”
Fixed some clothing that collides with avatars
Fixed perk “Peerless Commander”
Fixed being able to lose your streak if you had the warning on your screen, shifted and then disconnected/left the game afterwards
Armored Raid Revamp:
Boss punches/skills can now deal damage to objectives
Phase 1:
Defend 1 (Hard) / 2 (Severe) / 3 (Aberrant) boats over a period of time so they can successfully escape
Raid automatically fails if 1 (Hard) / 2 (Severe/Aberrant) boats end up dying before they reach the finish line
Armored Titan boss has “Armor” which can be penetrated during this phase in order to deal real damage to him before Phase 2 starts
“Armor” has 20.0% base DMG RESISTANCE which goes up to 50.0% depending on how little armor is left
Soft cap which prevents the “Armored Titan” from going below 75.0% HEALTH during this phase
Phase 2:
“Armored Titan” enters the shift state, which gives him increased speed, increased damage and any remaining shield is lost
Any damage dealt to the shield from Phase 1 converts into a higher damage multiplier for the “Armored Titan” in Phase 2, at a ratio of +1.0% damage per 2.0% shield gone
Defeat him whilst fighting against waves of titans
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP.
Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Hello, Xbox gamers! Get ready to tear up the court in the most intense hoverboard basketball experience out there. Metaball is free to download and play, and we’re starting the year off right with a huge update that will take the game to new heights – from competitive Ranked matches to a challenging Story Mode, there’s something for everyone. Let’s dive into some of the highlights of this action-packed update, live today!
Master Your Skills with the Enhanced Academy
Whether you’re new to Metaball or a seasoned pro, the Metaball Academy has been redesigned to help you up your game. Introducing an improved lesson system now with step-by-step tutorials aimed at making players better. Perfect advanced dribbling techniques, perfect your aim, and perfect the swing mechanics only found in Metaball. With guided training paths, the Academy will have you dominating the court in no time.
Dominate the Court in Story Mode
Metaball players can now experience a challenging Story Mode, ideal for solo players. Become the rising star eager to prove one’s skills in the hoverboard basketball scene; go against rival teams, complete special missions, and conquer every challenge. The Story Mode is your chance to show you’re the best in town while enjoying a deeper connection to the world of Metaball.
Rise Through the Ranks in Ranked Mode
Competitive players, rejoice! Ranked Mode brings in a ladder system that will let you rank through divisions, gain seasonal rewards, and access to a special shop, and show your skills to the world. This Ranked Mode is nothing like casual mode; it requires careful strategy and precise timing. To prepare for it:
– Warm Up in Casual Matches: Use Quick Match games to fine-tune your techniques and adapt to different playstyles.
– Study the Maps: Utilize all new courts, including new 1v1 and 2v2 arenas to strategize and plan out your moves.
– Use the Academy Training: Perfect deep mechanics in the Academy to give yourself a really high level of skill and a competitive edge.
Put it all together in Ranked Mode – the ultimate test!
Exciting New Maps
Get ready for the most intense competition on the stunning courts in our New Year Update, from high stakes 1v1 battles to strategic 2v2 showdowns. These arenas offer fresh and dynamic gameplay on each and every map.
Unlock Exclusive Rewards with the New Metapass
The new season’s pass is here, and with it, a whole slew of exclusive items and cosmetics to make your Metaball experience even better. From sick hoverboards to legendary outfits, the Metapass has got something for every kind of player. Complete challenges to level up, and show off your rewards on the court. The grind has never felt this good!
Don’t Miss Out on a Free Limited-Time Legendary Outfit
Show off your style with our free limited-time Legendary Outfit! Collect exclusive parts through daily missions from January 24th, 2025 – February 28, 2025. Whether you’re in Ranked Mode or Quick matches, show off in this very special reward before it’s gone forever.
Join the Action Today
Download Metaball for free from the Microsoft Store and get started. Whether you’re gunning for glory in Ranked Mode, diving deep into Story Mode, or just showing off your style, there’s never been a better time to play.
Follow Metaball on X, YouTube, TikTok and Discord for the latest news, updates, and community events. Catch you on the court!
Metaball is a free-to-play, crossplay-enabled multiplayer sports game with fast-paced action.
Play as a Rider, aiming for fame and wealth by winning Metaball League games with your teammates.
Hop on your hoverboard, use the chain to swing the ball, and perform various moves—dunk, shoot, block, and steal. Boost your speed and perform double or triple jumps using nitro.
Customize your playstyle with Perk Points in different Perk Trees for an edge in matches.
Compete in 2v2 and 3v3 Quick and Ranked Matches, or practice your skills in Academy, Champion Road, Free Play, and Custom Match modes.
Earn MVP points after each match to unlock rewards, level up your Metapass, and collect your favorite items!
A few years ago, most big AAA games cost $60. Then came the price hikes, with game after game launching at $70. Now this week, we’re hearing increasing discussion of 2025’s most anticipated game, Grand Theft Auto 6, potentially costing not $70, not $80, or even $90…but $100.
Could it really?
The suggestion of a $100 GTA 6 technically comes from Epyllion CEO and analyst Matthew Ball in a lengthy presentation on the state of gaming in 2025 published last week. Near the end of the presentation, Ball says that “some gamemakers hope GTA 6 will be priced at $80 to $100, breaking the $70 barrier and helping $50 titles to move up to $60, $60 to do $70, $70 to $80 etc.”
“Packaged game prices have never been lower in real terms than they are today — even though budgets are at all-time highs and player growth is stalled,” Ball writes. “GTA 6 could re-establish packed video game prices after decades of deflation despite rampant cost growth.”
Ball’s report doesn’t make the direct claim that GTA 6 will cost $100, only that some game makers are hoping it will cost somewhere around that much. However, the mere suggestion sparked significant discussion on social media as to whether or not it was possible or advisable for GTA 6 to cost that much, and whether doing so would really help the industry…or GTA for that matter. So I reached out to some other analysts for their takes on the notion. And they had…thoughts.
Could GTA 6 Actually Cost $100?
Sure, it could, says Mat Piscatella, analyst at Circana. Anything’s possible, especially for a game as anticipated as GTA 6. But is it a likely, or reasonable outcome? “Probably not.”
“There’s just no need,” he wrote in a post on Bluesky. “You want to make the funnel as wide as possible, while also optimizing launch $. You don’t do this [by] making the base price of a game so high that the funnel narrows. It just makes no sense. At all.”
Joost van Dreunen, NYU Stern professor and author of the SuperJoost newsletter, agreed that a price increase would be a “mistake” for Take-Two and Rockstar, noting that it was unlikely to deviate from what made GTA 5 work out so well for them:
“Their success with GTA 5 came partly from their pricing strategy — launching at a standard price point late in the console cycle, then selling another copy to those same players when they upgraded to new consoles,” he said. “They’ll likely stick to this proven approach, though they’ll definitely offer premium editions with extras at higher price points.”
I spoke to five different analysts, all of whom largely agreed that GTA 6 wasn’t going to be priced higher than the usual $70…for the base game, at least. Because both Piscatella and MIDiA’s Rhys Elliott pointed out a critical loophole here: Publishers already are charging $100 for games.
“Most huge AAA games already charge $100 (sometimes more) in the first 3-7 days before launch, but they call it ‘early access’ and slap ‘collector’s edition’ in the name,” he said. “Publishers have hijacked collector’s editions as a way to charge more for ‘early access’ – AKA delayed access for those consumers unwilling to pay the markup.”
Elliott named a number of publishers using this strategy already, such as WB Games (Hogwarts Legacy), Xbox (Starfield), EA (EA Sports FC 25), and Ubisoft (Star Wars: Outlaws).
But he added that the idea of charging $100 for the “base game” without these extra perks would be “a bridge too far,” even in the case of GTA.
They’d find success either way.
“They’d find success either way,” he said. “GTA 6 is going to be a cultural phenomenon and could bear a $100 price point, but player backlash would be significant, and that would be a short-term gain at a long-term cost. Maximizing day-one premium revenues and giving mass consumers sticker shock is not the play here, especially in today’s economy. And while many gamers will play through GTA 6’s single-player, online is where the engagement – and recurring revenue spend – happens. It’s where the real revenue comes in. Rockstar would not want to limit its total addressable market there.
“One of the major challenges for GTA 6 is convincing players to jump ship from GTA 5’s online component, so creating a needlessly higher switching cost would not be wise here.”
How much for GTA Online?
Elliott brings up a critical point here: GTA 5 was a massively successful game, but the thing that really gave it staying power to sell five million copies a quarter for a decade was its online multiplayer playground, GTA Online. Which begs the question: even if GTA 6 is priced at $70, what will its version of GTA Online cost? Will Rockstar and Take-Two really keep it available at no additional cost, as before?
James McWhirter, senior games analyst at Omdia, thinks so.
“GTA Online was key to GTA 5’s ongoing success, driving premium sales and subscription service licensing; a precedent Take-Two is unlikely to disrupt with GTA 6’s launch,” he said. “Alternative pricing schemes will likely emerge only after establishing a strong player base for the next-gen GTA Online, which will anchor long-term engagement. The real challenge lies in managing continuity between two live-service GTA Online games. Depending on how Take-Two handles this transition, alternative business models could emerge sooner or later.”
Elliott largely agrees that the same model as before is most likely, pointing out that both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 didn’t see the launch of their online modes until shortly after the release of the main game. But he also sees the potential for other possibilities:
“While I think we will see something similar for GTA 6 and its online component, I can also see a world where Rockstar launches them completely separately,” he said. “If they did this, they would probably add some online perks into the ‘single-player version’ to nudge players to play online, too. Another possibility is having the core story play out in GTA 6, then adding subsequent story content into the online mode – best of both worlds, perhaps.
“As for subscriptions, Rockstar will likely continue what it set out with GTA+, perhaps adding a battle pass to complement as well.”
Five Million a Quarter
I’ve covered Take-Two’s earnings calls for several years running now, and inevitably every single quarter in my memory, they’ve managed to sell five million more copies of GTA 5 while making piles of money off GTA Online as well despite the game being over a decade old now. It’s difficult to imagine any other game ever matching or exceeding that level of success.
But if any game can, it’s GTA 6, seemingly without the need to upset its players by hiking up base game prices. Assuming GTA 6’s launch cost and plan are roughly the same as GTA 5’s, van Dreunen concluded his response to me with a prediction. It’s one he’s made before back in December of 2023, but which he stands by now as well: GTA 6 can and will match or exceed the success of GTA 5.
“When GTA 5 launched in 2013, about 29% of console gamers (35 million) purchased a copy,” he said. “Assuming a similar adoption rate among an anticipated 130 million console install base in 2025, GTA 6 could sell around 38 million copies in its first twelve months. At an average selling price of $70, this would generate approximately $2.7 billion through both digital and physical channels, aligning with Take-Two’s projected earnings increase for 2025.”
If gamemakers are hoping and praying for a $100 GTA or even an $80 one, it sounds like they may have to keep dreaming after all.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
First-person shooter PvP Roblox experience Rivals has unleashed Update 9, adding the creative Gunblade weapon and Bridge map to its pool of content.
Developer Nosniy Games detailed each addition in patch notes for today’s update, revealing a handful of tweaks to pass the time as the team looks to the horizon. It’s a shorter list that positions the new update as one of the smaller in recent memory, but that doesn’t mean it won’t keep players locked in for the time being.
Rivals fans often show up for the FPS gameplay and stick around for the guns, so the Gunblade already feels right at home. This two-in-one rifle doubles as both a ranged weapon and a giant blade. Using both to catch your opponents off guard may prove useful in the heat of battle, especially on the new Rivals Bridge map. This suspended, concrete location leaves no room for small talk by putting players into close-quarters combat from the jump with only a few concrete walls and a bus standing in between them. Nosniy says the arena is located in Seoul and comes from creator @GreatGuyBoom.
Meanwhile, fans will notice that the Rivals Update 9 patch notes don’t mention any specific bug fixes, balance changes, or quality-of-life additions. The developers acknowledge their decision to ditch any other tweaks in favor of adding the Bridge map and Gunblade. Although there was room to “slightly” modify the skins for the Demon Shorty and Demon Uzi while renaming a few other weapons, Nosniy does promise more to come with the next major content update. Among the new additions will be one long-awaited feature: Ranked.
“We hear all of your feedback and want to reassure you all that every necessary & additional changes/improvements will be made in time for Ranked,” the team said in a statement.
Rivals fans have enjoyed regular updates since launch arrived last May. Update 7, for example, brought along the introduction of the Energy Rifle, Energy Pistols, Crossbow, and more. For more on the FPS Roblox experience, you can click here to see our list of all active Rivals codes. You can also see all Update 9 patch notes below.
Rivals Update 9 Patch Notes
NEW MAP
The brand-new Bridge map is herel
Enter this arena-style duel zone located in Seoul, Korea!
Made by @GreatGuyBoom!
NEW SPECIAL CHALLENGES!
The Winter Spotlight has been removed and replaced with a brand new set of challenges!
Complete a series of tasks on the new Bridge map to earn keys & the limited time Bungeoppang charm!
OTHER
The Demon Shorty & Demon Uzi skins have been slightly modified
The Hexxed Flare Gun skin, Hexxed Candle skin, and Hexxed wrap have been renamed to Vexed Flare Gun, Vexed Candle, & Vexed respectively
A NOTE FROM THE DEVELOPERS
“Hey everyone! We hope you enjoy this brand new map as we celebrate our Korean community!
Now that the holiday season is over, our next major content update will be the long-awaited Ranked update!
We also want to quickly mention that we purposely chose not to include any bug fixes, balance changes, & other quality of life additions this update. We hear all of your feedback and want to reassure you all that every necessary & additional changes/improvements will be made in time for Ranked!”
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP.
Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
I suspect many of my fellow parents can relate to this, but when you have your first child, a whole bevvy of problems that never existed before are suddenly thrust upon you.
Introducing the Xbox Excellence Awards, Honoring the Studios Behind the Games You Loved Most in 2024
Daniel LingenGame Dev Advocacy, Xbox
Amazing games are at the heart of our mission to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. Now, more screens than ever can be an Xbox, and those screens are lit up by the incredible portfolio of games brought to life by talented developers around the world. These teams create unforgettable gaming experiences that engage and inspire players of all ages. As a thank you to the creators of those games, and to shine a light on the games that players loved in 2024, today we’re announcing the recipients of the 2024 Xbox Excellence Awards.
With over a thousand games launching annually on Xbox consoles, PC and cloud, this could be a case of simply picking a panel to decide – but the Excellence Awards are all about how you engaged with Xbox over the last year. To assemble the list, we selected four key categories which are indicators of players’ passion, engagement, and love for these games. Those four categories are:
Store Rating: Highest-rated content across our stores released in 2024, with a minimum of 500 ratings.
Player Engagement: Games with the highest average hours per player within the first six weeks of release.
Daily Active Users: Games, expansions, or major updates with the highest single-day active users in 2024. You may notice games that weren’t released in 2024 in this list – that’s because they got a significant update last year.
Units Sold: Top-selling content across Xbox and Microsoft stores.
The final list represents a diverse collection of titles produced by studios comprised of anywhere from tens to thousands of developers, located in 15 different countries worldwide. You can find the titles for each category – listed alphabetically – below.
Store Rating
Player Engagement
Daily Active Users
Units Sold
Balatro
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Apex Legends
7 Days to Die
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Botany Manor
EA Sports College Football 25
Dead Island 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
EA Sports FC 25
Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Little Kitty, Big City
F1 Manager 2024
EA Sports College Football 25
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
Lollipop Chainsaw RePop
Farming Simulator 25
EA Sports FC 25
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
EA Sports College Football 25
Nobody Wants to Die
House Flipper 2
Fallout 4
EA Sports FC 25
Persona 3 Reload
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Fortnite
EA Sports Madden NFL 25
Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1, 2, 3
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Forza Horizon 5
Farming Simulator 25
Return to Grace
MLB The Show 24
Grand Theft Auto Online
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
Rounds
NBA 2K25
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
MLB The Show 24
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
New World: Aeternum
Marvel Rivals
NBA 2K25
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
NHL 25
Minecraft
NHL 25
Sonic x Shadow Generations
Path of Exile 2
MLB The Show 24
Palworld
Still Wakes the Deep
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
Palworld
Phasmophobia
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
Skull and Bones
Roblox
Star Wars Outlaws
The Outlast Trials
Star Wars Outlaws
Rocket League
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
Unicorn Overlord
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Heart of Chornobyl
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
WWE 2K24
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
WWE 2K24
Developers and publishers will receive their trophies shortly, so be on the lookout to see how they celebrate!
Thinking of joining the many players that helped these games become award winners? Take a look at our collection of games that have received an Xbox Excellence Award for 2024 on the Xbox Store.
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Waterfall SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on January 29, 2025
Next week, we’re chasing waterfalls. Share moments splashing around or landscape views of in-game waterfalls using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
The recently released Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is set for a physical release on PlayStation 5 only.
Playasia said it has partnered with publisher Koei Tecmo to exclusively release a PS5 physical version of the remaster on March 27.
There is no mention of a physical Xbox version, which is perhaps unsurprising given Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is available now on Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription service.
Here’s the official blurb on Ninja Gaiden 2 Black:
In Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, players assume the role of Ryu Hayabusa, a deadly ninja who wields the legendary Dragon Sword while embarking on a global battle against a series of formidable foes. The beautiful and bloody remaster utilizes Unreal Engine 5 to significantly enhance the graphic expression, elevating everything from character visuals to environmental backgrounds. In fact, the stages, characters, effects, and lighting have all been completely redesigned and remastered to fully immerse gamers into the story’s dark ninja world.
Gore elements such as dismemberment and blood have also been remastered to enhance the action experience. The high-speed, violent fights play out in brilliant brutality, utilizing a variety of weapons and techniques including Japanese swords, shurikens, Kusari-gamas, and tonfas. Meanwhile, those looking for a more toned-down experience can simply toggle the dismemberment feature on and off in the Options menu.
In addition, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black includes extra elements from the spin-off titles released after the original game’s debut, including the ability to control three additional characters: Momiji, Ayane, and Rachel. The remaster also includes “HERO PLAY STYLE”, a mode for beginners that provides automatic support in the most difficult situations, making the notoriously challenging title more accessible for those who may not be so confident in their action skills.
In a post on Xbox Wire, Team Ninja boss Fumihiko Yasuda explained the decision to remaster Ninja Gaiden 2.
“This simultaneous announcement and same-day release alongside Ninja Gaiden 4 might have caught some people by surprise,” he said. “The biggest reason for developing Ninja Gaiden 2 Black was to address the concerns of core fans who might be wondering, ‘What’s going to happen to Ryu Hayabusa?’ We also wanted to give players something to enjoy as they wait for the release of Ninja Gaiden 4. We chose Ninja Gaiden 2 because it stands as one of the most solid action games in the series. We added ‘Black’ to the title to signal to fans that this is the definitive version, much like Ninja Gaiden Black was for the first game.”
Yasuda continued: “This version is crafted to satisfy both those who played the original and newcomers discovering it as a current-generation action game. We’ve meticulously incorporated some of the additions of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 while staying true to the challenge and feel of the original 360 version, including its signature gore and violence. We’ve also adjusted the weapon upgrade system to more align with the original release.”
Team Ninja’s infamously challenging Ninja Gaiden series has a long association with Xbox. The developer’s reboot of the action series launched first on Xbox in 2004, propelling master ninja Ryu Hayabusa into the mainstream. Ninja Gaiden Black, considered one of the greatest action games of all time, launched the following year.
Ninja Gaiden 2 came out in 2008 published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. Ninja Gaiden 3 followed in 2012 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Since then, fans have had the critically panned spin-off Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, and, more recently, Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection, a compilation of Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge.
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.
Doom is back, and this time it’s bringing its signature blend of demon-slaying chaos and heavy-metal energy to medieval times. Doom: The Dark Ages launches on May 15 for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5—unless you’re eyeing one of the pricier editions, which grant early access starting May 13. Naturally, our attention is on the PC edition and, of course, where to get it for the best price.