You might be currently wondering where the latest Helldivers 2 patch is, seeing as it hasn’t turned up yet, and to explain its absence developer Arrowhead have taken to the game’s Witter account with a post going into some details about it. Apparently it was originally planned for Tuesday, i.e. yesterday, October 21st, but a “last-minute certification issue caused a delay.”
Borderlands 4 looks like a big hit in the U.S. at least, where it has outperformed Borderlands 3 in terms of money made.
U.S. video game data company Circana said Gearbox’s looter shooter was the best-selling premium video game of September, debuting as the third best-selling game of 2025 so far. It was September’s best-seller on both the Xbox and aggregated PC storefront charts.
Most importantly for publisher 2K Games, Borderlands 4 generated the highest launch month dollar sales of any title in the franchise’s history, nearly 30% higher than the previous best, Borderlands 3.
It’s worth noting this stat isn’t about unit sales, rather revenue generated. Borderlands 4 launched at $69.99 (eventually, after a weird kerfuffle online about whether it would jump to $80), with the Deluxe Edition priced $99.99 and the Super Deluxe Edition at $129.99. At its launch in September 2019, Borderlands 3 cost $59.99 for the standard edition, $79.99 for the Deluxe Edition, and $99.99 for the Super Deluxe Edition. It’s also worth noting that Borderlands 3 was a PC exclusive to the Epic Games Store for six months after its release, whereas Borderlands 4 launched across PC via Steam as well as consoles.
So, we don’t have hard sales figures yet (2K Games has made no announcement so far). But according to Circana, Borderlands 4 was the first Borderlands title to launch as the best-selling game of its release month, so there’s that.
There were encouraging signs for Borderlands 4 when it came out last month. It set a peak concurrent player number record for the franchise on Steam (neither Sony nor Microsoft make player numbers public). But it has suffered from performance issues that have contributed to its ‘mixed’ Steam review rating on Valve’s platform. Gearbox has issued a series of patches since launch, but fans are waiting for the Borderlands 4 ‘Day 30 Update,’ which is due out later this week.
NBA 2K26, by the way, is 2025’s best-selling game year-to-date, ahead of Capcom’s Monster Hunter: Wilds. Helldivers 2 was the fourth best-selling game of September on Xbox platforms, after debuting third during its August launch month. Helldivers 2 ranked as the sixth best-selling game overall in September and was 19th for the 2025 year-to-date period.
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.
Earlier this year, Palworld developer Pocketpair used its newfound success to start a publishing arm. This, I think, is generally a net good, even if I have some feelings about the studio as a whole, which we’ll dig into shortly. Nobody has money in this industry except for the few who do, so when a few of the few who do decide to put some of that money into much smaller games, that is somewhat of a win. But heed this warning from Pocketpair’s communications director and publishing manager John Buckley: they won’t publish your game if you use generative AI.
But producer Kensuke Tanabe decided against it.
Nintendo is shortly launched Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective, a new art book looking at concept art for the original trilogy on GameCube and Wii (with a small section dedicated to Metroid Prime Remastered).
Speaking of the more recent Switch remaster, the book reveals that Retro Studios had originally proposed completely new cutscenes for the game. However, in a producer’s note, Kensuke Tanabe confirmed that he opted against this approach.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Before we even found the name and final concept for Ember Knights, we had already built a strong core combat loop centered around fast-paced hack-and-slash gameplay with tight controls. We then expanded on that foundation by introducing co-op, which ultimately gave rise to Ember Knights, available today for the first time with crossplay on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC.
With the first closed beta and demo back in late 2020, we saw the appeal of the co-op element firsthand as friends, partners and community members played together. That’s when a core vision for our game took shape: a fast-paced, action-packed hack-and-slash roguelite that would feel just as rewarding solo as it would in co-op.
Based on feedback from the demo, we rethought our approach to run layouts – shifting from a free-roaming dungeon structure to a room-by-room design. We also redesigned the rooms so that, in most cases, all four players would remain visible on screen at the same time.
In addition to these structural changes, we re-evaluated the synergies between weapons, skills and relics to offer more meaningful collaboration. Each weapon plays a distinct role on the battlefield – from crowd control to short/long-range DPS to skill-based combos – and the same applies to skills. The goal was to create constant interactions and synergy between players.
For example, one player might equip the Rift Hammer, focusing on stunning enemies with powerful strikes and AOE skills like Rupture or Cyclone. Meanwhile, a teammate could wield the Guardian Bow, leveraging relics that deal bonus damage to stunned enemies.
This interplay only deepens as you experiment. Skills and relics interact in unexpected ways, encouraging teams to adapt their builds to complement each other’s strengths. Want to build a team of explosive pyromancers? That’s totally viable with skills like Molten Boulder or Ember Fire, and relics like Combustion Stone – which deals bonus damage when setting enemies on fire – or Fury Charm – which increases damage against burning enemies.
This design philosophy has guided us throughout Early Access, the 1.0 launch and beyond.
Community feedback post-1.0 has also played a crucial role in shaping the co-op experience. One common request was for an easier mode to help introduce the game to players new to the genre. Whether it was a hardcore roguelite veteran wanting to play co-op with newcomers, or a parent introducing their kids to the genre, Easy Mode was created to welcome more players into the experience.
Our ultimate goal has always been to make the game as accessible and fun to play together as possible. That’s why Ember Knights: Heroes of the Nexus Edition, released on October 16, includes full local co-op, online multiplayer and online crossplay between PC and Xbox Series X|S. Whether you’re sitting on the couch or syncing up with friends across the country, you can now jump into the Nexus and face the forces of Praxis – together.
Twin Sails Interactive
In solo or co-op (up to 4 players), use powerful weapons and skills to hack and slash deadly hordes, defeat epic bosses, free the decaying Prime Worlds and restore energy to the Ember Tree!
A BLAZING ACTION ROGUE-LITE
Legendary warriors, the Ember Knights, are skilled in the wielding of the universe’s most powerful weapons, each with their own modification system! However, the sword doesn’t make the knight… Through action-packed combat rooms, you’ll need to chain your attacks and perfectly time your swings to unleash fiery attacks.
Agile and fearless, use your pace and dodge to outsmart, counter, and stun your enemies!
IGNITE DEADLY COMBOS
With 7 distinct weapons, 9 modifications per weapon, 20 skills, and well over 100 relics, there are hundreds of deadly builds to create.
From a fire spreading scythe wielder to a relentless damage resistant spellcaster to a poison spreading archer with summons, forge your own build during your runs.
In co-op, coordinate with your friends to set up combos and synergies between your playstyles.
FACE PRAXIS’ HORDES
Beasts, specters, sorcerers, mechanized amphibians, and creatures of all sorts… Fight over 60 unique monsters and variations each with their own unique attacks and behaviors.
In addition, be prepared to face challenging Elites and Champions; the most resistant and deadliest versions of Praxis’ devoted minions. You will have to adapt your playstyle to each encounter and learn from your mistakes if you wish to succeed.
INCUR THE WRATH OF THE BOSSES
The real challenge for the legendary Knights will lie in the epic bosses and their corrupted variations. From the Royal Phalanx to the Plague Bringer, Praxis will summon anything in his power to stop you.
Try different builds, upgrade your Ember Tree, and don’t fear death. Persistence will be your key to victory!
WRATH OF THE ARCHITECT DLC – INCLUDED
Included in the Ember Knights: Heroes of the Nexus Edition, the Wrath of the Architect DLC is changing the entire game: with a new final boss – The Architect, 4 new bosses and 4 new mini-bosses in altered versions of the Prime worlds filled with altered hordes of enemies with new attacks and patterns.
To help the knights, 2 powerful new weapons (Hyper Gloves & Ember Buster) and 9 devastating new skills are added to their arsenal.
The post How Ember Knights was Built from the Ground Up for Co-op appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Battlefield 6 has blasted onto the FPS scene, revitalizing Electronic Arts’ franchise with a return to classic elements and a hefty dose of widespread destruction. But its October 10 release was just the beginning. Developer Battlefield Studios has more free content coming for the game, starting with its first season, which kicks off on October 28 and runs to November 11.
Seasons for Battlefield 6 are broken into three timed, themed updates. The first in Season 1 is Rogue Ops, bringing a new map, mode, and weapons for players to try. I hit the dirt with Rogue Ops’ new content, going hands-on with its new map, Blackwell Fields, and its gameplay mode, Strikepoint. I also got to try the map and mode coming with the second update, California Resistance, on November 18.
Here are all the hands-on details for what’s coming in Rogue Ops, as well as a few looks ahead to California Resistance.
Blackwell Fields — Coming in Rogue Ops, Blackwell Fields is a massive oil field in the California chaparral. The All-Out Warfare map is set in a desert landscape that catches fire easily as helicopters, planes, and tanks fight over the vast area. Blackwell Fields provides a lot of open space, with rolling hills and low brush that are great for snipers to set up camp. Vehicles also have plenty of room to maneuver on their way to different objectives. But with oil wells, construction equipment, and shipping containers dotting the landscape, there are plenty of places for infantry to dig in and get into some intense fights.
Eastwood — With Pax Armata attacking new targets, NATO soldiers find themselves fighting cells in the suburbs of Los Angeles in the California Resistance update. Eastwood is one such Southern California town, where the fighting takes place in the streets and through the houses. Eastwood’s suburban landscape offers a lot of locations for intense skirmishes, with battles fought in and out of living rooms and through drained pools and back yards as tanks shred high-end homes. A wide-open golf course means you’ll need to take care not to get sighted by enemy troops as you move, but there’s still a whole lot of variety in this map.
Get to the … golf cart! — One very cool aspect of Eastwood is that it’s littered with driveable golf carts that are great for an impromptu escape or trip to a new objective. You might also try ramming them into enemy vehicles, provided you remember to jump out in time.
Strikepoint — Rogue Ops also gets a new 4-on-4 multiplayer mode, which pits two squads against each other in close-quarters combat as they battle over a single objective. Players only get one life per round in Strikepoint, so it’s essential to play carefully, stick with teammates, and watch for ambushes. Victory in a round is attained when a team either captures the objective or eliminates the other squad, and the first team to win six rounds takes the match. Strikepoint is a tough mode that hardcore players are sure to love, where tactical awareness, good strategies, and clear communication are all essential to taking down a win.
Sabotage — An 8v8 mode coming with California Resistance, Sabotage gives you one of two objectives: destroy boxes of equipment scattered across a small, close-quarters map, or prevent the opposing team from doing so. Teams switch between offense and defense, with the team that destroys the most equipment winning the match. The trick to the mode is to destroy the caches as quickly and efficiently as you can, using everything in your arsenal to get the job done — while still defending yourself against enemy fighters. Explosives are at a premium, for attackers, while defenders need to use smart positioning to box out the opposing players as they continually stream into the battle zone. Sabotage is a chaotic, action-packed mode that might be a bit more welcoming to casual players who want to continually rush into the action with little downtime. It’s full of players constantly fighting and quickly respawning.
In addition to new modes and maps, the three updates in Season 1 bring new weapons to the fight. I tried each of the three guns that will be available with Rogue Ops, as well as its new vehicle. You can earn all of them through the free tiers of Battlefield 6’s battle pass, and with four different paths through that pass, you’ll be able to choose which rewards you want to prioritize. Complete all four paths and you’ll unlock a fifth free path to work through.
You can also purchase Battlefield Pro, which nets you additional battle pass rewards and cosmetics.
SOR-300C – Carbine — This carbine is built for close-range engagements and is highly lethal when you’re near to an enemy. It has a lower fire rate than other carbines, but deals higher damage, making it great for tighter confines and smaller maps. At shorter ranges, it can be effective both hip-firing and aiming down sights, and it’s pretty solid at midrange if you fire in bursts to manage the recoil.
Mini Fix – Sniper Rifle — Good news for Recon players: Rogue Ops drops a new, faster sniper rifle option. The other snipers currently in the game force you to lower the rifle to cycle a new round every time you shoot, unless you equip an attachment, making them pretty slow. But Mini Fix can shoot through its entire 10-round magazine much more quickly than its counterparts, without interrupting your aim. It doesn’t hit quite as hard as some other rifles as a result, but the ability to keep firing on a target might make up for it.
GGH-22 – Sidearm — The new Glock 22 sidearm is a solid middle-of-the-road choice that feels pretty lethal at short range, even firing from the hip. It serves a balanced position among the other sidearms, with a few more shots and a little more damage than some, but a slower firing rate than others. It might not replace the sidearm you’re already comfortable with, but it’s a solid option in an emergency.
Traverser Mk. 2 – APC vehicle — A new armored personnel carrier hits the field in Rogue Ops, and it’s great for capturing objectives. The APC is a support vehicle for infantry fighters. It can carry soldiers across maps and is outfitted with mounted weapons, while also offering attachments like an integrated med bay to heal players, and an emergency repair station to keep the APC in the fight.
New attachments — Rogue Ops also introduces a few new modifications you can add to your guns. Rail Covers for some rifles and light machine guns increase the gun’s draw speed, while Low Powered Variable Optics scopes give you a few new options for the magnification on LMGs and rifles.
There’s a whole lot of new stuff coming to Battlefield 6 in Season 1, and the themed drops of Rogue Ops and California Resistance are poised to keep the game fresh for squads throughout the end of the year. You can check out everything that Rogue Ops has to offer when Battlefield 6’s first season drops on October 28.
Only the first two episodes of Dispatch’s eventual eight have been released so far, but it’s safe to say I’m already quite invested in this unique narrative adventure, which feels like a spiritual successor to the Telltale Games of the 2010s. Half TV show, half puzzle game, this superpowered workplace comedy quickly captured my attention with its cavalcade of oddball characters, engaging minigames, and giggle-inducing dialogue. It’s too early to say where the story will lead across the next three weeks of its episodic release schedule (and we’ll have a final, scored review at the end), but the threads AdHoc Studio are pulling on are immediately compelling, and I’m cautiously optimistic.
Dispatch takes place in an alternative take on modern Los Angeles where superpowered beings, aliens, demons, and all manner of hyperpowered humanoids live amongst the regular folk. Naturally, some of these gifted beings use their powers for good, while others opt for a distinctly villainous approach. With so many supers roaming the streets, an organisation called the SDC has stepped in, launching an insurance-type racket that allows citizens to pay for the privilege of a powerful watchdog. One of the aforementioned good guys is the series’ protagonist, Robert Robertson — otherwise known as Mecha Man — whose heroic aspirations are quickly thwarted when a rogue explosive takes his suit out of commission and plops him into the role of a call centre worker at a small branch of the SDC. So far we’ve only experienced his first day on the job, but I’m already compelled by his predicament and curious to see how this desk job will impact his halcyon dreams of helping people.
Dispatch is split into two distinct parts: most of the time you’ll be chatting through beautifully animated scenes, picking amusing dialogue options, and doing quick-time events like those seen in The Wolf Among Us or the Life is Strange series. Certain decisions trigger a heart-pounding ‘X Person remembered that’ notification at the top of the screen, which feels like a refreshing jolt of nostalgia in 2025. Crucially, though, I often couldn’t feel the weight of my decisions until I had already committed to them. So far, my choices haven’t seemed false or meaningless — I was frequently surprised by how even the most nonchalant comment could impact the tale, and only time will tell how considerable these ripple effects may become.
The rest of your time in Dispatch is spent at work in the role of a titular Dispatcher, assigning superheroes to a variety of jobs. Unlike the animated sequences, these sections take place on a computer screen and resemble a point-and-click puzzle. Using your mouse and wits, you’ll monitor a city map where orange exclamation points periodically pop up with a timer, alerting you to various jobs SDC needs to handle efficiently. Each hero under your command has a stat matrix, similar to that seen in Pokémon, and as a job appears, you’ll receive a verbal description of the issue with aligned icons denoting the stats needed to successfully resolve it.
From here, your job is to match your best hero, or in some cases heroes, by their stats and personalities and then send them on their way. You’ll be told right away whether you’ve passed or failed, with success earning you a stat boost you can apply to your hero for future shifts. It’s a moreish feedback loop that works well with the tonal complexity of the context surrounding it. Dispatch carefully balances your team’s tongue-in-cheek banter with the stressful necessity of saving citizens on time, which is a blast.
That’s not all, though, as there’s a secondary hacking minigame folded into your workday. Here, you’ll roll a 3D object through a cybernetic maze as the clock ticks down, using arrow key inputs to forge a path towards the end goal. Given that these scenarios are often blended with an intense event happening across town, the stakes feel high, and it was easy to get absorbed in the fantasy. Dispatch’s ‘augmented episode’ approach is compelling so far — it helps that the script is so witty and satirically acerbic, and delivered well by its ensemble cast.
As well as the puzzles in play, your team is another complication to your success. Robert Robertson is new to the job, so naturally, he’s not exactly running a gold star operation. The group you’re trying to control is entirely comprised of former villains who, after a life of crime, are trying to reintegrate into society. As you can likely imagine, it’s not going well. The concept of ethically murky superhumans has been explored across film and TV before, but Dispatch often diverts expectations through a steady mix of dirty jokes and sincere interactions that keep you on your toes.
For example, in a meeting after my first shift, my boss, Blonde Blazer, asked why I had a bloody nose. Moments earlier, due to some potentially ill-advised decisions during a conversation, one of my ‘heroes’ promptly smacked me in the face. I had a choice here: I could snitch on her, or pretend everything was fine. Hoping not to get hit again, I chose not to fess up, which led to a warm interaction between myself and another member of the SDC. Dispatch could have chucked in another joke here for a cheap laugh, but it didn’t. This measured restraint imbues the world with a sense of realism that’s easy to get emotionally invested in.
It helps that the pool of characters I’ve met so far have wormed their way into my heart, even when their attitudes stink. No one is one-dimensional, and while it’s unclear what’s hiding in their layers, it already feels like there is a lot to unpack. There’s Invisigal – formerly Invisibitch – a bratty, quippy menace escaping a dubious past voiced by Laura Bailey; the SDC leader Blonde Blazer played by Erin Yvette, whose noble front hides a world of insecurity; and Jeffrey Wright’s Chase, a retired hero and potty-mouthed veteran of the game, just to name a few standouts. I would be remiss not to mention Robert here, too, who, thanks to Aaron Paul’s emotive and nuanced performance, feels deeply flawed but lovably human.
Just a quarter of the way through this story, it’s still too early to say where Dispatch might end up. It’s clear there’s lots still to come, from levelling up my heroes in the Dispatch minigame to living out Robert’s saviour fantasy after his accident. I’ll be back with a scored review shortly after the release of the final episodes on November 12 – but, as of right now, I’m totally enthralled in this world, and I’m keen to get tangled up in Robert’s fractured personal life.
It’s been more than a year since The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria first launched, and now it seems like the survival crafting game’s first proper expansion is right around the corner. Developer Free Range Games shared a new trailer yesterday, which was roughly Durin’s Day, a rare Dwarven event in the world of Middle-earth, appropriately revealing the release date for said expansion, Durin’s Folk.
The first Battlefield 6 Season 1 trailer is here, revealing a first look at the new Blackwell Fields and Eastwood maps, new weapons, and more.
EA and Battlefield Studios published the debut trailer for the Season 1 update ahead of its launch next week, October 28. The two-minute video shows off glimpse of the team’s plans to keep Battlefield 6 content flowing following its strong October 10 launch for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S.
“Blackwell Fields spans besieged facilities and homesteads under a burning horizon, supporting all combat sizes with land and air,” an official description for the new Battlefield 6 Season 1 maps says. “Eastwood turns a quiet villa and golf retreat into a frontline, with land vehicles and helicopters in play.”
Today’s Battlefield 6 Season 1 trailer shows off first gameplay on the Blackwell Fields map and Eastwood map, but it also serves as an update for content fans have already been told to expect. BF Studios previously shared a roadmap for its first seasonal content run earlier this month, revealing three waves of updates that are set to roll out from next week through December 9.
Things kick off with the Rogue Ops update next week, starting with highlights like Blackwell Fields, the Strikepoint mode, Traverser Mark 2 vehicle, GGH-22 pistol, SOR-300SC carbine, Mini Scout sniper rifle, rail cover & LPVO attachments, and more. California Resistance content then follows November 18, bringing the Eastwood map and Sabotage limited-time mode, as well as a trio of new weapons. Finally, Empire State gets the Ice Lock makeover with the Winter Offensive update December 9. We know it includes at least one new tool in the form of the Ice Climbing Axe melee weapon.
Today’s Battlefield 6 Season 1 trailer homes in on the content dropping throughout the next month. While we wait to see more, you can read about how EA and BF Studios are keeping tabs on the war between “zoomers” and “battledads.” You can also catch up on the recent decision to reduce Conquest ticket sizes, which was quickly reverted following fan outcry.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer 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).
The first level of PowerWash Simulator 2 is cleaning the moving van that just brought you to your fancy new office. ‘We’re not in Kansas anymore,’ say developers FuturLab, as you take in the map wall where you can select levels in an expanded PowerWash world, the open warehouse space where you can place items of furniture you buy and clean. The second level is cleaning a state-of-the-art public toilet.
This is very funny. FuturLab are aware that they can’t really move you that far; in terms of the metaphor we’re probably in Colorado. That’s okay. It and the game both have nice scenery. And despite me being glib, there are a host of small changes that add up to noticeable improvements. They’re just probably only noticeable if you were already Washmaxxed and had over a hundred hours in the first game.
