Stealth launching a game during an awards ceremony is cool. But you know what’s cooler? Stealth launching a union. As many in the games industry settled in for an evening of advertisements and blockbuster backslapping, one group of US workers quietly succeeded in organising something of their own. Employees at Zenimax Online Studios launched their union with 461 members, as announced on social media site Bluesky last night.
If you watched The Witcher 4’s debut trailer during The Game Awards 2024, you’ll have heard a line of dialogue that sounded very much like it was coming from previous protagonist Geralt: “Time for a new saga. See you on the path.”
While Ciri is confirmed as the main character for The Witcher 4, fans were left wondering whether Geralt would appear in the game, which is set after the events of The Witcher 3.
IGN can confirm that Geralt is indeed in The Witcher 4, and that is indeed the voice of veteran Geralt voice actor Doug Cockle. Confirmation comes from CD Projekt itself, which told IGN: “Geralt will appear in the game, but we don’t want to spoil his role precisely. You’ll have to wait to learn more for now.”
So, how can Geralt appear in The Witcher 4 after The witcher 3 left the character in semi-retirement at his vineyard in Toussaint? In an interview with IGN ahead of the reveal of The Witcher 4, CD Projekt franchise and lore designers Cian Maher and Marcin Batylda explained how the already established timeline of events makes it make sense.
“I mean Geralt will probably be around for a long time to the extent that in Season of Storms, the prequel novel that takes place actually before Geralt attends that banquet we mentioned earlier on, there is an epilogue in that book,” Maher explained.
“It takes place in a place called Magpie Forest in 1373, 101 years after The Witcher 3. And in that epilogue there is a certain white-haired witcher hunting a monster who remains unnamed, but who behaves in a certain way and obviously he has white hair. So by which I mean I think we can expect Geralt to be around for a long time. The capacity in which he does is, we’ll see, but I don’t think he’s going anywhere.”
CD Projekt is keeping its cards close to its chest here, but at least it is now confirmed that Geralt will appear in The Witcher 4. That is itself a fun follow-up to recent comments made by Doug Cockle, who said he “got slapped” by CD Projekt for saying Geralt is in The Witcher 4 but not as the main character before the developer had a chance to make its official announcements.
“I don’t actually know if that’s true now because they came back and they went, ‘We haven’t put anything out there, don’t say anything,’ ” Cockle said, before adding: “The truth is I can’t answer the question because I’ve signed an NDA. So even if I did know, I’d have to lie to you.”
Indeed!
IGN has loads of exclusive features on The Witcher 4, including Inside The Witcher 4: CD Projekt Red’s Plans For Its Next Big RPG, The Witcher 4: 12 Vital Trailer Details Revealed by CD Projekt Red, and Why CD Projekt Went With Ciri Over Continuing With Geralt as Protagonist.
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.
Will the bulletting of my beloved dinosaurs never cease? Turok: Origins will revisit the dino-hunting archery of ye olde Nintendo 64, reimagining it as a story of three native huntsfolk out to lambast large lizards. The big new angle is that it’ll be a third-person shooter and you can play in online co-op as a team of T-rex wreckers. You then slurp up their dino DNA to upgrade your character. Come and watch these crimes against nature in the trailer below.
FromSoftware surprised everyone at The Game Awards 2024 last night with the reveal of co-op spin-off Elden Ring Nightreign, but if that’s not shocking enough, it also features bosses from Dark Souls.
Fans were quick to notice the debut trailer for Elden Ring Nightreign appeared to feature one of Dark Souls’ most infamous bosses, the Nameless King from Dark Souls 3, and game director Junya Ishizaki confirmed to Famitsu, in an interview translated by Automaton that baddies from Dark Souls will in fact appear.
Their appearances will be limited, Ishizaki said, as they represent creatures that have strayed into this twisted version of Limgrave from other universes. While he only mentioned Dark Souls, this theoretically opens the door for other FromSoftware games such as Demon’s Souls, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and, dare we say it, Bloodborne to cameo.
Elden Ring Nightreign drops up to three players into a condensed version of Limgrave from the main Elden Ring and tasks them with surviving. Enemies and structures are procedurally generated to allow for a varied experience, with players encouraged to battle to grow stronger and survive the night, when a boss appears.
Surviving three days and nights spawns a major boss for players to take down, and the game has eight in total for players to conquer. IGN has already played the game and you can read our impressions here. And be sure to read our big interview with Elden Ring Nightreign’s game director to get even more info on how it all works.
Elden Ring Nightreign was announced during an incredibly busy The Game Awards which also included the announcements of The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog’s next game among many others. Read about every single announcement right here.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Surf and turf.
Dave The Diver has quickly become one of the most bankable titles for an appearance at each and every game showcase since it arrived on PC and console last year, and The Game Awards was no exception.
Developer MINTROCKET popped up at this year’s Geoff-fest to reveal the upcoming ‘In the Jungle‘ DLC, an expansion that will see Dave and co. leave the Blue Hole and set out into greener pastures (literally) to search for their next catch.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Citizens of Super Earth! Do not fear the resurgence of Illuminate scum – the Helldivers will be ready to fight them in the streets, at your doorsteps, and on the city borders and boundaries! The Ministry of Defense is authorizing the sale and distribution of the Urban Legends Premium Warbond* to all Helldivers, available starting now!
You’ve been fighting in swamps, deserts, and frozen wastelands with our finest weapons. But what kind of kit do you need to make a dent in the invading forces when it comes to your own streets?
Fighting in colonies means narrow streets and close encounters, so we’re introducing our first melee secondary weapon with the SQC-19 Stun Lance. This extra-large poker will give you good range and pairs perfectly with the SH-51 Directional Shield stratagem.
We think you’re going to appreciate some stationary firepower–something you can call down into a city center to put a dent in those Illuminate Harvesters. The E/AT-12 Anti-Tank Emplacement will allow you to liberate even the most heavily armored of enemies using the most democratic of firepower.
But what if you’re facing down a horde of Voteless and the Anti-Tank just won’t take out enough of them at once? I know what I’m going to call down: the A/FLAM-40 Flame Sentry. A stationary, high-powered flamethrower turret. Be careful with this one, though, Helldiver–if the red ammo canister takes too much fire, the whole sentry will go up in flames, taking anyone nearby with it.
While you’re busy holding off the onslaught with the shield and lance, you can get some additional help from the new Armed Resupply Pods booster, which upgrades your resupply pods with a tiny top-mounted turret to fend off stragglers while you make your way to the ammo drop. Just remember to keep your head down on approach!
Turn yourself into an immovable object for the enemy with the SR-18 Roadblock heavy armor. With a crested, Spartan-style helmet and imposing pauldrons to bulk up your shoulders, you’re sure to look the part.
But if you’re feeling like you need an agile light armor to move fast in the streets, there’s also the SR-24 Street Scout that’s giving some S.E.A.F trooper vibes. Both of these armors feature the Siege Ready passive, which increases your primary weapon reload speed by a whopping 30% and your primary ammo capacity by 20%!
Urban Legends has two capes with a gray and yellow color scheme that looks great with either armor set: the Greatcloak of Rebar Resolve with an extra large skull design, and the sleek, asymmetrical Holder of the Yellow Line cape.
The Illuminate threaten our colonies with slavery and death. We have chosen our words carefully–perhaps they should have done the same. The “This is Democracy” emote will show those squids that Super Earth will not be conquered.
There are also coordinating player cards for Rebar Resolve and Holder of the Yellow Line, as well a new set of urban camouflage patterns, Concrete Jungle, for your hellpods, shuttle, exosuit, and the brand new FRV which will be available soon! And like our previous Warbonds, we’re including plenty of Super Credits to unlock.
The citizens of Super Earth’s colonies will rest a little easier knowing you’re armed with the latest from the Ministry of Defense. Gear up, Helldivers, and make the streets safe again with Urban Legends–available today!
*Requires base game, paid purchase of Super Credits, and game progression to unlock.
The Switch might be winding down, but more games are on the way.
Nintendo may not have really been present at this year’s Game Awards, but there was one brief Switch trailer featured during the event.
While the company is in the process of signing off from the current Switch generation, this trailer was still busy hyping up the many third-party releases coming to the hybrid platform in 2025. This includes games like Civilization VII, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Sunderfolk, and Tales of the Shire.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Cardy and Matt had the pleasure of visiting CD Projekt Red ahead of The Witcher 4’s reveal at The Game Awards 2024. On this special bonus episode, they speak about what they learned from talking to the studio, and what might be in store for Ciri. The IGN UK Podcast will return for an extra episode on Monday where we’ll discuss all of the other reveals from Geoff’s Big Night.
Remember to send us your thoughts about all the new games, TV shows, and films you’re enjoying or looking forward to: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.
IGN UK Podcast Special Episode: We Visited CD Projekt Red to Talk About The Witcher 4
This year has been phenomenal for Xbox players. We’ve witnessed the launch of exciting new games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, and Metaphor: ReFantazio, along with remarkable innovations like Xbox Cloud Gaming that are set to shape its future. We’re thrilled that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 won for Best Performance (Melina Juergens) and Best Audio Design, and “Fallout” taking home Best Adaptation.
Hosted by Geoff Keighley, The Game Awards capped off the year with a dazzling celebration full of awards, reveals, and special guests like Harrison Ford, Snoop Dogg, and Ella Purnell as the event honored the recent achievements in gaming and highlighted the fascinating prospects ahead — we also brought a first look to the show.
Obsidian Entertainment revealed the first gameplay trailer for The Outer Worlds 2, promising a fresh adventure in a brand-new colony. Become friendly with new factions, crush them completely under your very sleek boots, or ignore them completely because you got lost in side quests. This story is yours to shape, from creating a truly customized main character (including not just their strengths, but their flaws), to how you approach the game’s many quests and factions. As always, it’s your worlds, your way.
The Outer Worlds 2 will be released in 2025 on Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox app on Windows PC, Steam, and PlayStation 5. It will also be available on day one with Game Pass. You can learn more about the game here on Xbox Wire. And be sure to check out Prime Video’s “Secret Level” anthology series on December 17, 2024, for a short story that takes place between The Outer Worlds and The Outer Worlds 2.
The Game Awards always delivers a ton of new and exciting reveals, many of which are from our amazing third-party publishing partners. Here on Xbox Wire, we have some exciting previews to share from The Game Awards as well, like a detailed interview with the developer behind Mafia: The Old Country and info on Warframe 1999’s surprise release announcement.
Xbox Game Studios received multiple nominations for several titles, including Age of Mythology: Retold, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. And many of our third-party partners garnered multiple nominations and wins, including Balatro and Metaphor: ReFantazio.
On behalf of the creative teams at Xbox, Bethesda Softworks, Activision, and Blizzard, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to this year’s winners and nominees!
Xbox Game Studios
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Bigmode
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Playstack Ltd
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Larian Studios
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Activision Publishing Inc.
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Skybound Games
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Bungie
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– Standard EditionBlizzard Entertainment
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: The VeilguardElectronic Arts
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Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.
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CAPCOM CO., LTD.
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25 Standard Edition Xbox One & Xbox Series X|SElectronic Arts
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Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.
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Electronic Arts
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SQUARE ENIX
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11 bit studios
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Epic Games Inc.
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11 bit studios
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CAPCOM CO., LTD.
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Riot Games
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Square Enix
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SEGA
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Hooded Horse
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SEGA
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Warner Bros. Games
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2K
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Devolver Digital
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Hello Games
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Devolver Digital
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Ubisoft
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Xbox Games Studios
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UBISOFT
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: ZAUElectronic Arts
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Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.
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2K
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SEGA
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Riot Games
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Focus Entertainment
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2K
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The post The Game Awards 2024: Celebrating a Year of Gaming Excellence and its Exciting Future appeared first on Xbox Wire.
