Stardew Valley creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone finally brought update 1.6 to console and mobile devices today, but there’s one small issue – everyone’s chickens are going missing.
The developer warned players about the poultry disappearances in a post on X/Twitter. He says that those who start a new meadowlands farm and open their animal door on day one will find that their chickens are vanishing. It’s a public service announcement that let’s players know that there’s a small issue with update 1.6, and a fix is on the way. Until a follow-up patch arrives, ConcernedApe says players can blame their missing chickens on a sneaky coyote that only appears on day one.
PSA: there is currently an issue, if you start a new farm on the meadowlands farm and open the animal door on the coop day 1, your chickens will disappear. If you leave the door closed for one day, it should save them. We will fix this. Lore: There is a wild coyote on the farm…
It’s unclear when Stardew Valley will fix its missing chicken problem. In the meantime, update 1.6 brings a field of other changes and additions for those still digging into the massively popular, cozy farming sim. Following its arrival on PC this past March, the update dropped Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One today (you can see the full patch notes here), adding the ability to find lost items, use cheat commands on certain platforms, and more. ConcernedApe recommends players start a new farm to see everything update 1.6 has to offer, which is why it’s so important to make sure the word about that pesky coyote gets out there.
We gave Stardew Valley a 10/10 in our updated 2024 review, calling it a “modern classic with an endless list of enticing activities to complete and a deeply satisfying time management challenge to take on.” For more on ConcernedApe’s farming masterpiece, you can read about how the creator only just managed to nab the game’s hardest achievement last week.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
Our IGN First “cover story” game for November is Marvel Rivals, the upcoming 6v6 hero shooter featuring many of Marvel’s biggest superheroes. We kick off our exclusive coverage with five exclusive minutes of gameplay showing Psylocke, the most recently confirmed hero added to Rivals’s sizable roster.
Take a look at the exclusive gameplay above, and if you missed it, you can check out the Psylocke reveal trailer in the video below.
If you missed our hands-on preview impressions from the closed beta from over the summer, you can read that after you finish the Psylocke video. And stay tuned all November long for more exclusive Marvel Rivals coverage on IGN!
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
First landing on PC back in March, this has been the longest fans have had to wait for a big update to make the jump from PCs to consoles. But it sounds like the wait has been worth it.
Support Virtual Agent is an AI-powered feature built to help Xbox players more efficiently solve their support-related gaming issues, and it is rolling out to select Xbox Insiders on support.xbox.com today. Support Virtual Agent can quickly access information from support.xbox.com to answer questions relevant to Xbox console and game support issues. Xbox Insiders located in the United States and with English selected as their preferred language can begin previewing the Support Virtual Agent today by visiting support.xbox.com while signed into an account that is registered with the Xbox Insider Program.
We value the feedback from Xbox Insiders for this preview experience and any feedback received will be used to improve the Support Virtual Agent. As you interact with the Support Virtual Agent, you can provide feedback via the “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” button on each of the responses or provide feedback directly via the “Give feedback” button at the bottom of the page.
How to Use Support Virtual Agent
Starting today, Xbox Insiders will see the Support Virtual Agent on the “Contact us” page on support.xbox.com. Sign in with the same account you registered with the Xbox Insider Program, then you’ll see a new option to ask our new Support Virtual Agent a question.
Once you click on “Ask a question,” you will see the Support Virtual Agent launch in a new browser window. You can ask the agent questions via text or voice, and it will answer with relevant information from support.xbox.com. If the Support Virtual Agent cannot solve the issue, you can request to speak with a live support agent as long as it is within Xbox Support’s normal hours of operation.
During this preview, you can also customize your support experience by clicking on the ellipsis menu icon and choosing between two different Support Virtual Agents.
How to Get Xbox Insider Support and Share Your Feedback
If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please join our community on the Xbox Insider subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help. We recommend adding to threads with the same topic before posting a brand new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Also, you can provide direct feedback to Team Xbox by following the steps here under the “Report a problem online” section.
If you aren’t part of the Xbox Insider Program yet and want to help create the future of Xbox and get early access to new features, join the Program today by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub for Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One or Windows PC.
For more information on the Xbox Insider Program, follow us on Twitter at @XboxInsider.
October had many spooky and epic adventures. What did you enjoy most about last month’s title lineup?
How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. After the polls close we will tally your votes, and announce the winner on our social channels and PlayStation.Blog.
What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? Note: re-released games don’t qualify, but remakes do. We define remakes as ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds such as Resident Evil 4 (2023) and Final Fantasy VII Remake. How are nominees decided? The PlayStation Blog editorial team will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll.
Treyarch and Raven Software have published yet another Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 update, this time targeting a few of the game’s more annoying elements, such as the flashbang screen effect, the Recon Combat Specialty, and the spawn system.
The November 4 update is only the developer’s latest patch seeking to iron out the experience. Although players quickly took to this year’s Call of Duty when its release date arrived a few weeks back, many have made it clear that there are more than a few kinks left to deal with. Today’s update is one of the beefiest yet, as it tackles common issues and more while promising to provide even more specific fixes in the future.
One tool that players of every skill level can’t seem to stand is the flashbang, which has been called out for the lengthy affect it has on players’ screens. On smaller maps like Nuketown, of which there are a few of in Black Ops 6, the flashbang leaves Operators unable to see their screen for long portions of each match. Post update, players will notice that the duration of the effect has been reduced by 20%. Whether it calms complaints remains to be seen, but it’s clear Treyarch is at least listening.
Other common talking points the team sought to address with today’s patch include the spawn system and Recon Combat Specialty. The former is often a point of contention in any Call of Duty entry, so it should be nice to hear that spawn logic has been tuned across “several” Multiplayer maps in Black Ops 6.
Our number one goal is to always provide the safest spawn that we can across all maps and game modes.
“Spawn tuning will be an ongoing process of taking in data, reviewing gameplay and making measured adjustments in the live environment,” a developer note says. “Our number one goal is to always provide the safest spawn that we can across all maps and game modes.”
Recon, meanwhile, has left many concerned thanks to its ability to allow players to see through walls for a short time after respawning. The Perk combination bonus has now had its duration reduced from 2 seconds to 1.5, with Treyarch promising to reduce it even further ahead of Season 1.
These are the highlights for those looking for a less frustrating Multiplayer experience, but a number of weapon balance adjustments found their way into the November 4 Black Ops 6 update, too. Assault rifles like the XM4 and Model L received nerfs to their long-range damage, while more than a few SMGs had their range buffed. Most of the new Black Ops 6 patch focuses on tweaking Multiplayer, but Zombies players will notice that GobbleGum names should now properly update when players switch between tier tabs.
Today’s update follows a November 1 patch that squashed a number of bugs and exploits across the Multiplayer and Zombies modes. Although today’s fix fleshes out the experience even more, the team will surely polish the FPS further in the coming days and weeks.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launched October 25 and will begin its first season of content on November 14. For more on, you can read our reviews for the Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies modes. We gave Multiplayer an 8/10, saying, “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 plays it safe but is otherwise exactly what Call of Duty multiplayer should be: fast, fun, and a little on the ridiculous side.”
For everything else revealed in today’s patch, you can see the list of all the changes below. Specific weapon adjustments can be found on the patch notes page here, and make sure to check out ranking of the best guns as well would Black Ops 6 Zombies Guide.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 November 4, 2024 Patch Notes
GLOBAL
Stability
Improved stability when interacting with the Message of the Day.
Improved stability when sending voice communications.
Progression
Completion display will now properly appear when completing Prestige Challenges in both Multiplayer and Zombies.
Operators
Addressed an issue where Bailey wasn’t holding an intended Pistol in the Operator selection menu.
MULTIPLAYER
Maps
Nuketown
Nuketown is now available in Private Matches.
Modes
Addressed an issue where players were spawned in when joining a session in progress instead of spectating before selecting a Loadout. Yes, we saw ourselves in a Killcam before selecting a Loadout too.
Improved stability in Infected game mode.
Spawns
General spawn logic tuning across several maps for improved spawning.
Spawn tuning will be an ongoing process of taking in data, reviewing gameplay and making measured adjustments in the live environment. Our number one goal is to always provide the safest spawn that we can across all maps and game modes.
Loadouts
Addressed an issue where players would automatically equip their previously used Loadout when joining matches already in progress.
Addressed an issue where Players would die at initial spawn when selecting their Loadout.
Weapons
It’s been awesome seeing players discover and share their favorite weapon builds during the first week of launch. Every day we monitor both player feedback and game data to keep tabs on how the weapon meta is evolving and prepare for a comprehensive tuning pass in Season 01.
We have seen the discussions about the relative balance of Assault Rifles and Submachine Guns, and we are making some early, general changes to adjust their effective ranges. For ARs, we are pulling in minimum damage ranges and lessening the impact of headshots at close range. SMGs are receiving damage range increases to improve their mid-range effectiveness.
Shotguns
Last week, we fixed an issue with shotgun Slugs, but we are still working on an additional issue causing this attachment to perform better in hip fire than intended. Slugs are meant to offer an alternate playstyle for shotguns that trades close quarters effectiveness for improved range and precision. We are removing the ability for Slugs to one-hit kill to the body for now and will be revisiting the overall tuning of this attachment in an upcoming update.
Marine SP
Slug attachment Max Damage reduced from 106 to 92.
ASG-89
Slug attachment Max Damage reduced from 106 to 92.
Perks
Recon Combat Specialty
Reduced duration that enemies are highlighted after respawning to 1.5 seconds from 2 seconds. An additional reduction will be coming before Season 01.
Resolved an issue that allowed players to activate Recon Combat Specialty by changing Loadouts.
Dispatcher
Increased Dispatcher Perk score cost for UAV from 500 to 550.
Increased Dispatcher Perk score cost for Counter UAV from 550 to 600.
As we head into Season 1, we are continuing to observe data and feedback for Perks and Combat Specialties in Multiplayer. Currently, Enforcer is the most popular Combat Specialty with Recon in second place. It’s not just about the data though, as your feedback is a critical part of how we approach tuning of the live game. With that said, we are making some spot adjustments today as we as we continue to take a holistic look at our Perks and Combat Specialties moving forward.
Equipment
Flashbang
Reduced Flashbang Tactical screen effect duration by 20%.
Scorestreaks
Increased health of UAV and Counter UAV (rockets to destroy remain unchanged).
Increased initial explosion radius of Napalm Strike.
Reduced the initial entry delay of the LDBR.
Increased the fly-in speed of the Strategic Bomber.
Reduced score cost for Interceptors from 1250 to 1150.
Movement Updates
Adjusted stance change cooldowns to reduce effectiveness of repeated prone to stand movement (enough snaking).
XP Earn Rates
Adjusted Player XP and Weapon XP earn rates for most modes to ensure that players are being rewarded for their match performance as expected wherever they play. These changes include:
Increased Weapon XP earn rates for most modes
Increased Player XP earn rates for the following modes:
Team Deathmatch
Control
Search & Destroy
Gunfight
Slight decrease to Player XP and Weapon XP earned in Face Off modes
Challenges
Addressed an issue where players were able to complete the Nuke Challenge while dying.
UI
Appropriate Perks will now display when viewing the featured player during Best Play.
Known Issues
Gunsmith
We are investigating an issue where any equipped Optic attachment is removed when when entering the Gunsmith in Main Menus.
Players will not notice this issue if entering Gunsmith during a match.
Players can equip Optic attachments, but will need to re-equip them anytime they enter Gunsmith in a Main Menu to adjust attachments or customizations.
In cases where an Optic is locked and equipped via a Blueprint, players will need to reapply the Blueprint to obtain the Optic.
ZOMBIES
UI
GobbleGum names will now properly update when switching between tier tabs.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
Stardew Valley 1.6 is finally out on console and mobile devices following the PC release back in March with the Stardew Valley 1.6.9 update. This adds all previous 1.6 content to PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, alongside some new stuff.
If you’ve been holding out for the 1.6 release on console and mobile, we’ve got plenty of Stardew Valley 1.6 guides to help you through the new content, such as an explainer on the new Mastery Points system and new crops like Carrots and Broccoli.
Essential Stardew Valley 1.6 Guides
Below, you’ll find IGN guides that we recommend checking out to aid you in your farming adventure.
Mastery Points
The Mastery Points system is a new feature that rewards those who have leveled all five Stardew Valley skills (Fishing, Farming, Combat, Foraging, and Mining) to level 10. Now, when you use a maxed-out skill, you’ll gain EXP in the new Mastery Gauge. Once the Mastery Gauge is full, you’ll get a Mastery Point that can be spent at Mastery Cave in Cindersap Forest.
For more information on Mastery Points and the rewards you can spend them on, head to our Mastery Points guide.
Raccoon Family Quests
In Stardew Valley 1.6, you’ll receive an announcement randomly telling you that a strong windstorm occurred overnight and if you head to Cindersap Forest, you’ll find that there’s now a giant treestump where a tree was. Once you repair the stump, a raccoon will be standing by it the next day, and he’ll have a quest for you. This is actually a chain of quests known as the Raccoon Family Quests.
As you complete the quests, the raccoon’s family will grow. You can accept a new quest from him every seven in-game days, and you’ll get rewards for doing so, as well as new Shop.
Check out our Raccoon Family Quests guide for walkthroughs on all the quests, as well as checkmarks to track your exact progress!
Golden Joja Parrot
Struggling to track down all 130 Golden Walnuts on Ginger Island? The Golden Joja Parrot is here to help—for a price. In the Stardew Valley 1.6 update, you can now pay the Golden Joja Parrot 10,000g to tell you the location of a Golden Walnut. It’s a pricy service, but if you can afford it, it’s very useful.
Of course, we would recommend NOT spending 10,000g (sorry, birdy!) and instead using our All Golden Walnuts guide to track down the 130 Golden Walnuts scattered around Ginger Island. We’ve also got checkmarks so you can check off the ones you’ve found.
New Fish and Resources
A fish, the Goby, has been added in Stardew Valley 1.6, which you can learn more about, including location, season, and selling price, in our Fish guide. Additionally, there are new fishable resources to find, which can be used to craft the Fish Smoker, which is also new. You’ll need the Fish Smoker for a Raccoon Family Quest!
Head to the following guides to learn more about obtaining the new fishable resources:
Alongside a fish, there are also four additional crops for you to grow. You can find out more about how to find the seeds for the new crops and how to grow them in the following guides:
Click on a link above to visit the guides page for that festival. You’ll find out information such as when each festival takes place, attractions, and what you can buy.
Starting a New Game?
If you’re starting a new game for the Stardew Valley 1.6 update on console and mobile, you may need a refresher on the basics, especially if it’s been a long time since you’ve played early-game content or you’re new to Stardew Valley. We recommend the following guides for new playthroughs:
Beginner’s Guide and Tips – Begin here if you’re starting a new playthrough. Our Beginner’s Guide and Tips page lists key things to know, including the best type of farm to choose, what to do in your first week to set yourself up for success, information on the Community Center, and more!
Skills – There are five skills to learn, each with 10 levels to unlock. As you level a skill up, you’ll unlock new rewards, such as crafting recipes and proficiency, and you can even choose between professions. Our Skills page teaches you everything you need to know.
How to Fish– Fishing is one of the five skills in Stardew Valley. Our How to Fish page teaches you how to unlock fishing, how to fish (including mini-game tips), and how to use Bait.
Cooking Recipes – Once you’ve upgraded your house, you unlock a kitchen with a stove and a fridge, which in turn, unlocks cooking. Our Cooking Recipes page lists every recipe in Stardew Valley and how to get them, plus required ingredients, stats, and sell price.
Crafting Recipes – There are a plethora of crafting recipes that you can use to make items to help you out with farming, decorating, combat, and more. Our Crafting Recipes page lists every crafting recipe in Stardew Valley, how to unlock them, and the materials you’ll need.
How to Make Money – Money is an incredibly valuable resource in Stardew Valley. In fact, you can’t do much without it! Our How to Make Money guide lists essential tips for making cash so you can fill up your coinpurse in no time.
Marriage Guide– Every farmer needs a partner, and our Marriage Guide teaches you everything you need to know about marriage in the game, including all 12 eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, how to actually get married, and how to have a baby. If you fall out of love with your partner, we even tell you how to get divorced. You’ll need to increase your villager hearts to get married, which we also have an explainer for.
Video game preservation still has a long way to go, but it’s difficult to imagine a re-release of Human Entertainment’s Clock Tower ten, or even five years ago. Yet thanks to rapidly growing interest in retro gaming and the resulting explosion of compilations and re-releases over the last few years, this curious SNES survival horror is now available worldwide in all its glory.
Originally exclusive to Japan, Clock Tower: Rewind presents the original 1995 game along with an enhanced version of the 1997 ‘First Fear’ PS1 port, adding in new scenarios and minor improvements such as the ability to run upstairs (both versions also include a rewind feature). On top of that, you’ve got a bunch of extras to peruse, including interviews with creator Hifumi Kono, motion comics, scans of the Japanese manual and strategy guide, and more. It’s a generous package that goes a long way to compensating for the game’s relatively short two-to-three-hour runtime (multiple endings included).
Halo 2 celebrates its 20th anniversary this November, and Halo Studios is paying homage to its legacy.
Revisit faithful recreations of iconic Halo 2 multiplayer maps and gameplay in Halo Infinite’s Delta Arena Playlist.
Play the lost E3 2003 Halo 2 demo, featuring content that never made it into the final release of the game in Halo: The Master Chief Collection
It’s almost been 20 years since the release of Halo 2, the legendary sequel that put us behind the eyes of both the Master Chief and the Arbiter for the first time, and propelled online console shooters to brand new heights. Two decades later, the Halo series is still going strong, and we absolutely couldn’t let the milestone pass by without a celebration of such a game-changing title. Grab your Mountain Dew and lock in for the ultimate Halo 2 birthday bash.
To mark the occasion, Halo Infinite sees the release of the Delta Arena, a playlist featuring recreations of some iconic Halo 2 multiplayer maps, complete with the same authentic gameplay inspired by that era. Outside of that, a fully playable version of the iconic Halo 2 demo shown at E3 2003, featuring gameplay that didn’t make it into the final version of the game, will be added to the Steam Workshop as a mod for the Halo: The Master Chief Collection for fans to play for the first time ever.
We also had the opportunity to chat with some core Halo Studios members about the celebrations, share some nostalgic memories, and revisit the importance of this groundbreaking title and the legacy it shoulders like a Brute Gravity Hammer.
“Halo 2 is a major pillar for the franchise that catapulted the series and community to new heights,” says Brian Jarrard, Community Director on Halo. “It was also a master class in games marketing at the time – creating a true worldwide pop culture phenomenon spanning celebrity appearances to musical crossovers and product partnerships to ARGs and cinematics and stories that rivalled Hollywood.
“The gameplay innovations, esports competitions, storytelling, online connectivity, and the overall cultural permeation fostered a new level of global fandom and community that elevated Halo beyond ‘just a game.’ As we look back on twenty years(!) it’s still remarkable how impactful Halo 2 was and how wide sweeping its impacts are even today.”
On Old Turf
Delta Arena launches into Halo Infinite on November 5 and features several modern recreations of classic multiplayer maps from Halo 2, lovingly and faithfully rebuilt in Forge with the help of key Halo community members known as Forgers. You’ll once again be able to hop around the hazy sniping spots of Ascension, duel with Energy Swords along the neon hallways of Midship, or get stuck in close quarters chaos within the structures of Lockout.
“The process began by looking at what had been recreated by the community and seeing what could work in tandem with the modes we were developing internally,” explains Evan Colson, Designer on Halo Infinite. “We ultimately strived to find fan favorites that were faithful to their original designs and that could play well within the Infinite environment. Each of these recreations have been given new life by the extraordinary Forgers behind them.”
Take a peek at some of the new maps below.
Ascension, same name, new look.
Canopy is a leafy new take on Halo 2’s Lockout.
Beaver Canyon is a remake of Beaver Creek, exactly as you remember it.
Serenity, a remake of Halo 2’s Sanctuary.
Boulevard, originally Turf in Halo 2.
Nick Treitman, Producer on Halo Infinite, considers the selection a “healthy mix of maps,” with some adhering effortlessly to their original Halo 2 setting, and others opting for an artistic spin that works to enhance the map’s design, without sacrificing its legacy.
“Beaver Canyon feels exactly how you remember it and Conjurer takes the magical/wizard theme and cranks it to 11,” Treitman adds. “Midship has been one of our most requested maps and after finally getting the Covenant forge objects in game, it was a matter of time before a true-to-H2 version came together.”
Here’s the full list of maps with their original names, plus the updated names they’ll have in the Halo Infinite Delta Playlist:
Here’s the original Halo 2 Midship map, next to the brand new Inquisitor map coming to Halo Infinite.
Of course, it’s not classic Halo without the gameplay, and as such, settings in the Delta Arena Playlist have been adjusted to recreate the feel of Halo 2. With sprint and clamber disabled, a 120% jump height and friendly player collision enabled, you’ll be transported right back to those early online days of play.
“While utilizing custom game settings to recreate Halo 2’s movement is relatively easy, capturing that classic ‘feel’ was a bit harder to nail down,” says Colson. “Considering all the subtle difference between Halo Infinite and Halo 2, a 1:1 recreation was never quite in the cards, but what we did come to was that of an amalgamation between the two, with settings that move like legacy Halo, but plays with elements of the modern sandbox.”
These maps will of course be paired with iconic game modes – Spartans can jump into into rounds of Slayer, Oddball, Capture the Flag and King of the Hill inside the Delta Arena Playlist.
And an extra treat: The starting weapon in the Delta Arena playlist is the MA5K Avenger, a new addition to the Halo Infinite sandbox. Inspired by the Halo 2 SMG of the past and originally displayed 18 years ago on the cover of the novel, Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, the MA5K makes its debut as a playable weapon.
The E3 Demo
Many of us remember that iconic Halo 2 Demo shown at E3 way back in 2003. Not only was it an iconic moment for the gaming industry at the time, it also showcased what was possible not only in the Halo universe, but for the future of Xbox entirely. The demo was groundbreaking, and is fondly remembered by Halo fans today, but the effort to restore it has become a great journey in itself.
“The buzz and hype going into that event was off the charts and the stakes were higher than ever,” says Brian Jarrard, Community Director on Halo. “I have fond memories of so much playtesting and practicing, internal challenges to see who could take out every single enemy in a flawless playthrough.”
Now, for the first time ever, fans will be able step back to 2003 inside a recreation of the demo, playable inside the Halo: The Master Chief Collection via Steam.
“The response to the demo at E3 was electric, and nearly every Halo fan remembers that demo and where they were when they were first blinded by its majesty,” Jarrard adds. “Best of all, none of us ever would have expected that 20+ years later, a group of passionate community modders would bring this demo to life as a full-fledged mission.”
Betcha can’t stick it.
Several snags with technology have kept this demo locked away for many years, however, thanks to the work of the Digsite data archaeology archive and valiant efforts from the wider Halo community, the original assets and files were able to be recovered. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing from there either – the demo was built in a version of the Halo engine that no longer exists, and the assets were not compatible with any other existing versions of Halo 2.
“This put us in a bit of a quandary,” Halo Senior Franchise writer Kenneth Peters tells us. “Even the original executable is difficult to work with, as you need an Xbox developer kit to get it to boot, which is in increasingly short supply even within the studio. But now, in 2024, we have the Digsite-developed tools to analyze and automate up-porting old assets, and the unearthed knowledge to know why Bungie built things the way they did in the demo.”
“Steven Garcia (known to the community as General_101) was vital in getting this scenario stood up and even improved over the original. He was a one-man army and did a significant chunk of the work in developing tools, updating scripts, and even arting the levels. Digsite team members Ludus, Neo Te Aika, Sean T, xScruffyDaSasquatchx, and Killzone then provided finishing touches to replicate the original demo experience and test for bugs. Without them, we would probably have only had a rather unceremonious drop of raw assets and that was it.”
As part of the Digsite partnership between the studio and the modding community, players will be able to go hands-on with the remastered Halo 2 E3 Demo when this free mod releases on Steam Workshop on November 9.
Halo x Forza Celebrations
The celebrations are carrying over to other long-running Xbox franchises too. Halo and Forza have a strong history of partnership – the iconic Warthog vehicle made an appearance in Forza Motorsport 4 back in 2011, made its drivable debut in Forza Horizon 3, and in Forza Horizon 4, players were able to race it around a mission inspired by the environments of the Halo rings.
“The incredible potential of the EventLab tool in Forza Horizon 5 gives us an awesome opportunity to expand on this idea and allow payers to build their own Halo-themed tracks,” explains Corrinne Robinson, Franchise Development Director on Halo. “Our players have spent years creating amazing and inventive things in Forge within Halo and we can’t wait to see what the racing community does with the new toy box of Halo items at their disposal.”
The Halo 2 celebrations kick off on November 5 with the release of the Delta Arena Playlist as part of Halo Infinite – Operation: Great Journey.
Be sure to check out the Halo-themed Eventlab additions when they arrive in Forza Horizon 5 on November 7, and of course, the classic E3 Demo in Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Steam via the Steam Workshop mod when it launches on November 9. Get a good hold on that Covenant bomb Spartan, we’re diving in.
Black Friday is the ultimate season for Xbox deals, whether you’re after classic or newly released games, or upgrades to your setup. This year, major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are all expected to offer unbeatable prices on everything from controllers to must-play games, and the deals will only ramp up as we get closer to Black Friday itself. So, what can you expect on the Xbox front this year? Here’s our preview of what to keep an eye out for, and stay tuned, as this season’s deals could be worth the wait.
Xbox Series X|S: Black Friday Console Deals
Last year, Xbox Series console bundles dominated the holiday sales, especially at Walmart. While Microsoft initially offered $50 off select Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, many retailers took things further, rolling out even bigger discounts and bundles – like the Diablo 4 Xbox Series X bundle, which dropped to $439 and made a major splash in the sale season.
In recent years, some of the best Xbox Black Friday deals have started surfacing around mid-November, with the biggest discounts dropping in the final days leading up to Black Friday. For fans of digital downloads, the Xbox Store typically joins the fray, offering deep discounts on popular franchises and exclusive digital content.
In 2023, Xbox’s Black Friday sales were announced on November 15, kicking off on November 17. While this year’s offers haven’t been confirmed yet, we expect a similar timeline and range of discounts. For context, here’s a snapshot of last year’s highlights:
Up to 50% off digital games
Up to 65% off select Xbox Game Studios titles
Up to 67% off select PC digital games
$50 off select Xbox Series X and Series S consoles
Up to $25 off select Xbox Wireless Controllers
Free engraving on Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 via Xbox Design Lab
Every Xbox Game I’d Like to See On Sale for Black Friday
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
With its intense third-person combat and rich Warhammer lore, Space Marine 2 has become a must-play for fans of the genre. A Black Friday deal would make it a fantastic gift option for Warhammer enthusiasts, making it a holiday highlight for any fan of brutal action and immersive storytelling.
Resident Evil 4
The remake of Resident Evil 4 is still going strong with an impressive $19.99 price reduction this week. Given its acclaim as one of the best remakes in recent years, an extension or further reduction during Black Friday would be a win for players who haven’t picked it up yet.
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Just released, Sonic X Shadow Generations could also see early Black Friday discounts. Sega has a history of marking down recent titles, as seen with Sonic Frontiers last year. Currently priced at $39.99 on Woot, we might see an additional price cut soon. Leaker billbil_kun has hinted it could reach around €26.99 in Europe, which could translate to a similar discount in the US.
Elden Ring
A standout in gaming, Elden Ring has gained even more depth with the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. This popular game has held its value, but Black Friday could be the perfect chance for a deal on the main game or its complete edition. Any discount would make this one of the season’s most tempting offers.
Star Wars Outlaws
Star Wars Outlaws has received a steady stream of updates since launch, improving performance and gameplay. A Black Friday discount would be a great opportunity for newcomers to explore Ubisoft’s expansive Star Wars universe. With updates driven by community feedback, Outlaws is shaping up to be a thrilling experience for fans of open-world sci-fi games, and a sale could make it even more accessible.
Xbox Game Pass Black Friday Deals
It’s a hot question: Will we see any discounts on Xbox Game Pass during the Black Friday sales? It’s a tough one, as we’ve already seen plenty of unreal discounts on Game Pass in recent months, especially at Woot. But, Black Friday offers Microsoft a unique opportunity to ride the Black Ops 6 wave and launch Game Pass subscriber numbers into the stratosphere. Although it’s not for certain, I do anticipate Game Pass getting a discount for Black Friday, and I’m hoping it’ll be something like three months of Ultimate for $30, for example. We’ll just have to wait and see!
Xbox Controllers: $39 or Less for Black Friday?
Xbox Wireless Controllers were a hot item last Black Friday, available at a discounted price of $39, up to $25 off the regular cost. We’ve seen a similar deal recently crop up at Lenovo, but it often quickly sells out and is limited in what colors are available. If this returns for Black Friday, and consistently stays in stock for all color variants, then this will be the best time to buy.
Xbox Expandable Storage SSDs Deals
Xbox SSD expansion cards are consistently one of the most popular deals console gamers are looking for over big sale events. They’re expensive, so everyone who wants one is trying to find it at a reduced price. Looking at recent deals on Xbox-compatible SSDs, we expect to see 1TB cards drop to around $100-125, similar to the recent October Prime Day event.
Plan Your Spending: Set a budget and stick to it. Only buy games or accessories you genuinely intend to use.
Create a Wishlist: Make a list of the items you want to buy and stick to it to avoid impulsive purchases.
Compare Prices: Double-check deals at different retailers to ensure you’re getting the best price.
Act Swiftly: Exceptional deals may sell out quickly, so don’t hesitate to grab them.
Don’t Worry If You Miss Out: If you miss a deal, it might come back on Cyber Monday or during the next Prime Day.
Looking for deals right now? Have a look at our roundup of the best PlayStation deals to see the biggest discounts available today. Or, if you’d like to see what’s caught our eye on other platforms, have a look at our individual roundups of the best Nintendo Switch deals and the best Xbox deals or our overall look at the best video game deals.
When Is Black Friday 2024?
The actual date of Black Friday in 2024 falls on November 29 this year, but the deals season will begin a lot sooner than that. Leading up to the big event, retailers will begin to open deals online. This usually starts in the last week of October, just before Halloween. Each week leading up to the event will slowly roll out more deals, which ultimately leads to Black Friday. Retailers will not reveal their biggest Black Friday deals until the big day, but most general deals will be available well in advance. Walmart, for example, has announced its official sale for November 11 this year.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
