Author: Game Infliction

After a surprise announcement earlier this year, Valve surprised players once again by suddenly releasing Counter-Strike 2 as an update to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on Wednesday after a long beta period. Along with several new gameplay aspects, Counter-Strike 2 brings a few major changes, like weapon refunds and overhauled graphics, to the model that helped its predecessor become one of the most-played Steam games of all time.

Unfortunately for quite a few players, though, the original Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was completely replaced by Counter-Strike 2 (aside from being playable as an offline “demo”), which seems to be missing quite a few beloved features from the original game. Now, players caught off guard are taking to Reddit and X/Twitter to share their concerns about the game’s current state.

Just hours after CS2’s release, players began taking note of missing features. Reddit user u/cosmictrigger01 compiled a list of larger aspects of CS:GO that have mysteriously disappeared from CS2, which includes several competitive and Wingman maps, workshop maps, and entire game modes like Arms Race, Flying Scoutsman, and Danger Zone. In the replies, and across Twitter and Reddit, other players have now joined in on wondering where these modes went and if they’ll return.

“I played Arms Race so much, usually with the same group of guys who just happened to be on at the same time as me,” Reddit user u/theicarusambition commented. “So many strangers turned friends, and so many good times. It’d be a real shame if CS2 nixes it.”

As GamesRadar pointed out, some Arms Race maps were leaked, hinting at the potential return of the mode in the near future. Still, these players felt concerned that Valve took away these modes without warning.

Aside from removed features, a small chunk of CS2’s playerbase can’t even access the game at all anymore — Valve also removed support for players on Mac, with no word on if it’ll be re-added or not.

Players have also raised issues about other technical features, including commands like the bob animation-changing “cl_bob,” the absence of which sparked outcry during CS2’s beta.

Other players have complained about CS:2’s servers. While Valve upped CS2’s tick rate with a new system, some international players have noted that the game’s servers have led to an “almost unplayable” game in comparison to CS:GO.

“My agent and enemy agent lag very hard, can’t switch weapons sometimes…, can’t jump sometimes when I try to throw a grenade and there a lot of lags like these,” Reddit user u/ykoonab (who mentioned that they’re playing from Central Asia) posted.

For its part, Valve has acknowledged the server issues, having “hit server capacity in different regions.” They said they’re adding more server capacity “as fast as possible.”

Turns out a lot of you want to play Counter-Strike 2!

If you’re having trouble finding a match it’s because we’ve hit server capacity in different regions.

We’re adding more server capacity as fast as possible. Thanks for your patience while this is being addressed.

— CS2 (@CounterStrike) September 28, 2023

As with other Counter-Strike games, quite a few players also have felt like Counter-Strike 2 just hasn’t added enough new features since its beta version (or since the original CS:GO entirely).

They basically released no NEW content with the launch.

And I guess to not divide the audience they completely removed CS:GO, so the only game we’re left with is the seemingly rushed CS2.

Very weird how all of the hype for the last few weeks lead up to… basically nothing.

— Anomaly (@anomalyxd) September 28, 2023

“Very weird how all of the hype for the last few weeks lead up to… basically nothing,” streamer Anomaly said on Twitter.

Of course, the reaction to CS2’s surprise launch hasn’t been all negative. Twitter and Reddit are also filled with players praising the game’s overhauled graphics, discussing new features like responsive smoke grenades, and (of course) sharing some impressive clips.

Still, though, the players that are disappointed have been pretty vocal, and Valve hasn’t yet responded to concerns about the game (other than threatening to ban cheaters and their friends). Now, it’s just a matter of waiting to see if Valve brings these missing features back, or if this is just what Counter-Strike will look like going forward. Valve has not yet responded to IGN’s request for comment.

IGN has reached out to Valve for comment.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they’ve contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.

Almost seven years after the release of Skyrim, Elder Scrolls fans were treated to a glimpse of the future back at E3 2018, with Bethesda Game Studios confirming it was officially working on The Elder Scrolls 6. The newest entry in the iconic RPG series was unveiled with a cryptic teaser following the official announcement of Starfield, but since then, we’ve not seen any additional trailers or footage.

However, Bethesda hasn’t been entirely silent on it. Whether it’s discussing the game’s current stage of development or the potential platforms it’ll release on, the studio has offered several updates on The Elder Scrolls 6. Below, we’ve compiled all the information we currently have about the upcoming sequel, so grab yourself a sweet roll and get ready to recap everything we currently know about Bethesda’s next adventure through the vast realms of Tamriel.

Jump to:

• Potential Release Date
• Latest Trailer
• Potential Setting
• Gameplay Rumors

Potential Elder Scrolls 6 Release Year

The biggest question surrounding The Elder Scrolls 6 is when exactly we can expect to play it. Although there’s very little information about a potential release date, the one thing we do know is that it won’t be anytime soon. Bethesda Game Studios has been very vocal about the fact that Starfield is currently its main priority, and considering the sci-fi RPG only hit shelves last September, it’s safe to assume the team has a lot of loose ends to tie up before they can turn their full attention to Skyrim’s successor.

In an interview with Vandal that was later transcribed by ResetEra user Shoot back in August, Bethesda Head of Publishing Pete Hines revealed that The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently “in early development”, confirming that: “Starfield is our focus for now, and it’s going to remain our priority for a while before we talk about anything else.”

As for exactly when we can expect the conversation to shift to the next Elder Scrolls entry, Xbox Head Phil Spencer noted during Microsoft’s FTC trial back in June that the game was still “five plus years away.” In short, it’s going to be a while before we learn more about The Elder Scrolls 6, and even longer before we get to play the game for ourselves, with a tentative potential release year of 2028 at the earliest.

What Platforms Will The Elder Scrolls 6 Release On?

Although The Elder Scrolls 6 is still a ways off, one thing we do know is that it’ll very likely be an Xbox and PC exclusive. With Microsoft acquiring Bethesda and its parent company Zenimax back in 2020, the publisher’s extensive range of franchises now falls under the Xbox banner. As we saw with Starfield’s Xbox console exclusivity earlier this year, it seems pretty likely that The Elder Scrolls 6 will become a flagship exclusive for Microsoft, releasing on PC and Xbox consoles but skipping PlayStation.

That’s not the only evidence suggesting The Elder Scrolls 6 may be forgoing PlayStation consoles either. A recently leaked document from the Microsoft vs. FTC court case, spotted and shared by Axios reporter Stephen Totilo over on Twitter, revealed that the game is internally planned to launch on Xbox and PC. Microsoft has yet to officially confirm or deny the details leaked in the document, but early signs point to the sequel eyeing up an exclusive release on Xbox consoles.

That being said, which Xbox consoles it’ll launch on is still a mystery. While the Xbox Series X and S are currently Microsoft’s core platforms, the aforementioned leaked Microsoft vs. FTC court documents reveal that plans are already underway for the next generation of Xbox hardware. According to the leak, this mysterious next generation of Xbox is tentatively planned to hit shelves in 2028. With The Elder Scrolls 6 said to be at least five years away, there’s a good chance Bethesda will launch the sequel on this new Xbox platform.

Will Fallout 5 and Indiana Jones Affect The Elder Scrolls 6’s Release?

Outside of the major questions, what else do we know about Elder Scrolls 6? Well, for one, it’s confirmed that it’ll be coming before Bethesda’s next project, Fallout 5. Speaking with IGN back in 2022, Todd Howard confirmed that Fallout 5 is the next project in the pipeline after Elder Scrolls 6, although he noted that it’s still many years away.

According to the developer, there’s a “one-pager on Fallout 5” with a rough outline of what the team wants to accomplish, however, it won’t be the studio’s focus until after Elder Scrolls 6 hits shelves.

Todd Howard is also involved in another major project, with The Elder Scrolls director acting as a producer for Machine Games’ upcoming Indiana Jones title. Speaking on whether the role would affect The Elder Scrolls 6’s release, Bethesda’s Head of Marketing, Pete Hines, confirmed via Twitter that Howard’s work on Indiana Jones won’t delay Bethesda Game Studios’ projects. “Todd is currently EP on many BGS and other projects,” Hines told fans. “His main focus remains Directing the upcoming Starfield and TES6 games.”

The Elder Scrolls 6 Teaser Trailer

Back when The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced at E3 2018, it came with a 36-second teaser trailer. The footage doesn’t offer viewers much information about the sequel, but might hint towards the setting, showing a brief look at a sprawling landscape.

Elder Scrolls 6 Potential Setting

Speaking of the setting, Bethesda has remained tight-lipped on where the latest Elder Scrolls will take place. In terms of confirmed information, all we have to go on is the game’s 36-second announcement teaser, which presents a towering stretch of mountains and a picturesque coastline overlooking a vast ocean. But that hasn’t stopped eager Elder Scrolls buffs from trying to work out where exactly the next game’s adventure will lead us.

The prevailing theory is that the sequel will let players loose in Hammerfell – the central setting of The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall and The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard, as well as a visitable location in The Elder Scrolls Online. With tropical forests, harsh mountains and scenic coastal cities, Hammerfell’s depictions in previous Elder Scrolls games seem to align pretty perfectly with the teaser, hinting that we may be set to explore the Redguards’ homeland once again.

Considering the lore established in previous entries, there’d be more than enough in store to warrant a visit to Hammerfell. Whether venturing through the harsh Alik’r Desert, climbing to the mountainous orcish capital of Orsinium or returning to the Iliac Bay years after Daggerfall, a modern take on Hammerfell could easily be the franchise’s most varied and diverse setting yet.

But there are plenty of other locations The Elder Scrolls 6 could take us to instead. Speculation has pointed to High Rock potentially being the central setting of Elder Scrolls 6, with the locale’s environments and terrain quite accurately mirroring Hammerfell as they’re neighboring regions. With the power of a potential next-generation platform on Bethesda’s side, we could even be set to explore multiple regions. Until we get more official information, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Elder Scrolls 6 Gameplay Rumors

Much like the sequel’s setting, we currently know very little about how The Elder Scrolls 6 will play. However, early comments from Bethesda appear to hint it’ll follow in Starfield’s footsteps of being a project that Bethesda hopes players will enjoy for years to come.

During our IGN Unfiltered interview with Todd Howard back in 2020, the Bethesda Game Studios director revealed that “this is a game we need to design for people to play for a decade at least.” It seems the idea is to create a project that’s constantly evolving and infinitely replayable, keeping players invested in the years between major Elder Scrolls releases.

When we caught up with Howard during a later episode of IGN Unfiltered, he also hinted that interactivity is a big focus going forward. Speaking on what he felt could be improved about The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Howard notes that “there are a number of parts of it where we don’t go deep enough. Where it’s a veneer in terms of its interactivity.” Elaborating on this point, he claims that the team’s new approach is to look at each of the game’s systems and think “whatever that system is, how deep can we make it.”

That approach is pretty evident in the team’s latest RPG, Starfield, which gives players the options to engineer ships, modify weapons and create large outposts on planets. It appears this same desire to create a deeper level of interactivity will be present in The Elder Scrolls 6.

Will The Elder Scrolls 6 Be Todd Howard’s Final Elder Scrolls Game?

As for other info we know about the sequel, this could potentially be legendary Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard’s last Elder Scrolls game. Speaking to us about the lengthy process of developing modern games back in June, Howard claimed: “as we look to an Elder Scrolls 6, that is one where… I probably shouldn’t say this. But if I do the math, I’m not getting any younger. How long do people play Elder Scrolls for? That may be the last one I do. I don’t know.”

With Todd Howard being a fixture of the series for decades now, his departure would be the end of an era for The Elder Scrolls franchise.

What Engine Will The Elder Scrolls 6 Be Made On?

We also know that the game will benefit from an upgraded version of Bethesda’s Creation engine. The engine used to develop The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, the Creation engine has long been controversial among fans, many of whom believe it’s outdated.

Over the last few years, Bethesda has been working on a vastly updated version of the Creation engine, which was implemented in Starfield and will be used to develop The Elder Scrolls 6. Speaking in a Develop: Brighton keynote session, Todd Howard called the upgrade “the largest [overhaul] we’ve probably ever had, maybe larger than Morrowind to Oblivion,” praising its rendering, pathing, procedural generation and animation.

With Starfield showing us our first full glimpse at the Creation engine upgrade in action, it stands to reason that the tech behind Elder Scrolls 6 will share a lot in common with Bethesda’s sprawling open-world space RPG.

Callum Williams is a freelance media writer with years of experience as a game critic, news reporter, guides writer and features writer.

Spoiler Warning: The following article features minor spoilers for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty’s fourth main mission: Lucretia My Reflection.

Cyberpunk 2077 players have found a super sneaky reference to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt hidden by CD Projekt inside the Phantom Liberty expansion.

As recorded in IGN’s Cyberpunk 2077 Easter Eggs and References Guide, players will encounter a wall-mounted phone in Phantom Liberty’s Lucretia My Reflection mission. While this is a one-off encounter where players contact Idris Elba’s Solomon Reed for the first time, going back to it and dialling a bunch of different phone numbers will net some interesting results.

Thanks to Cyberpunk 2077 being open-world, players can simply head back to the phone inside Capitan Caliente whenever they like to encounter the Witcher reference. By dialling one of the numbers scribbled on a post-it note nearby, 5745552377, the player will be treated to The Witcher 3’s main theme.

Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Silverhand smiles and gives a thumbs up at the successful hit, as a crackly version of the song The Trail plays over the phone. You can check out some other fun references found with Capitan Caliente’s phone in the video above.

Phantom Liberty arrived September 26, with Update 2.0 laying its foundation a few days earlier. It completely revamped Cyberpunk 2077 with features such as a new perk system and improved AI and also brought closure to an Elon Musk fan theory, a reference to the late racing legend Ken Block, and bizarre additions to the game’s biggest mystery.

All this caused a spike in Cyberpunk 2077’s popularity on Steam, a number that only grew as players got their hands on Phantom Liberty, and players are discovering all sorts of neat Easter eggs and references in the new content. Idris Elba’s Solomon Reed can be found deep undercover even before the events of Phantom Liberty, for example, and Dogtown has a harsh response to players driving police vehicles.

Bizarrely, CD Projekt even included a way for players to turn down the events of the paid expansion altogether, with certain dialogue options locking the missions away for good.

In our 9/10 review, IGN said: “Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty completes an immense turnaround for CD Projekt Red’s future RPG kickstarted with the anime spin-off, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and its latest 2.0 Update.”

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

The talking stack of pancakes, Xur, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week’s reset. If you’re looking to get you some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.

Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he’s got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.

We’ve rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.

Where Is Xûr Located Today?

Xûr’s location can be found at Winding Cove in the EDZ on September 29 through October 2. To reach him, travel to the landing point at Winding Cove. When you arrive, make for the rock cliffs at the far end of the cove and look for a cave winding up to a platform next to some Fallen. There you’ll find the retail monster who inspires us all.