Author: Game Infliction

Gearbox Software has published a statement regarding the controversy surrounding changes to parent company Take-Two’s Terms of Service and fears that many Borderlands games now contain “spyware.”

Published directly on Steam, where outcry has materialized in the form of review-bombing campaigns for all major Borderlands titles, the statement’s aim is to address concerns while “maintaining transparency and confidence with the community.” That means tackling two key talking points that have taken over the Borderlands fanbase for months, including fears of spyware and modding crackdowns.

Gearbox makes its stance clear from the get-go: “Take-Two does not use spyware in its games.” While there are instances data will be collected, Gearbox doesn’t want players to fear that their private information is always up for grabs.

“Take-Two identifies these practices in its Privacy Policy to provide transparency to players and comply with its legal obligations,” Gearbox’s Steam statement says. “Take-Two collects this information to deliver its services to players, including to protect the game environment and player experience. You can read more about this in the Privacy Policy.”

The statement continues: “For example, player and device identifiers are collected in part to ensure the game is compatible with each player’s media, platform or website browser type. It allows us to better understand how players play games, and to personalize the user experience (like having usernames show up!). Account credentials are collected from users who choose to create accounts with Take-Two and its labels.”

It’s unclear if Gearbox’s explanation of Take-Two’s Terms of Service will be enough to calm those who took up arms after the agreement was altered back in February. Meanwhile, the studio’s explanation for its stance on the modding scene is fairly straightforward.

“Take-Two’s Terms of Service prohibit mods that allow users to gain an unfair advantage, negatively impact the ability of other users to enjoy the game as intended, or allow users to gain access to content that the user is not entitled to,” the statement clarifies. “We do this to protect the integrity of the game experience for all users.”

This is a direct response to fears that the modding community could face repercussions for any kind of modding activity, as Gearbox says Take-Two’s primary concern lies with cheaters who could dampen the experience for other players. The statement goes as far as to say Gearbox’s parent company “generally does not seek to take action against mods that are single-player only, non-commercial, and respect the intellectual property (IP) rights of its labels and third parties.”

Uproar began around May of this year when fans caught wind that Take-Two had updated its terms of service, affecting many of its existing titles. Rumor that the company was preying on user data quickly caught fire, resulting in a movement that saw the Recent Reviews sections for Borderlands 1, Borderlands 2, and Borderlands 3 tank into the “Mostly Negative” and “Overwhelmingly Negative” zones. While concerns subsided for the back half of May, fears kicked up once again when Borderlands 2 was made free to keep (for a limited time) on June 5.

For now, the Borderlands series’ Recent Reviews on Steam remain firmly in the red. Meanwhile, Gearbox is working to deliver Borderlands 4 this September. You can check out the latest news as well as a bit of gameplay by reading up on everything announced at its April 2025 State of Play presentation.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

You might have seen an RPG with a swashbuckling theme before, but guaranteed you haven’t seen one that looks like Joker Studio’s Sea of Remnants. Think of a haunted toy box belonging to a deranged puppeteer, and then add a bit of glam rock for good measure. It’s the perfect vibe for the story of a sailor with no memories setting out to find a cursed location, and the adventure will arrive on PC and mobile in 2026.

“Our creative journey began with a spark of pure feeling—an emotional image that guided everything: ‘If a puppet’s mind is soaked in water, memories slip away into the ocean, yet they still choose to return and sail again.’ This early inspiration was both a playful nod to the Chinese saying “ 脑子进水” (‘brain soaked with water’) and a philosophical reflection seen in some of our favorite films,” Joker Studios told us.

“When it came time to build the actual framework, we drew on a wide range of influences—from JRPGs and CRPGs to open-world titles and even niche indie games that share a spirit of boundless exploration. At every step, we focused on how to let players experience these feelings themselves, not just watch them.”

When you dive into Sea of Remnants you’ll be focused on exploring the pirate city Orbtopia, talking to the rich cast of NPCs and – you’re a sailor after all – taking to the briny waves to find islands, treasures, and hidden ruins. You can raid the ships you meet on the sea or take on huge monsters, all while a dynamic weather system rages overhead. When you’re not doing that you’ll be focused on upgrading your vessel, learning new skills, or even kicking back with some fishing, cooking, and mahjong.

“You’ll challenge sea monsters, explore local cultures, and sense the deeper mystery of how memory and forgetting begin to intertwine between the ocean and Orbtopia, the pirate haven. Alongside your companions, you’ll begin a journey that’s equal parts unrestrained and romantic, charting a course as unique as each sailor who steps aboard,” says Joker Studio.

Joker Studio previously released Identity V, a survival horror game created in partnership with Dead by Daylight’s Behavior Interactive. Since its release in 2018, Identity V has collaborated with Edward Scissorhands, Sherlock Holmes, Personae and Deathnote. Just like Sea of Remnants it has a distinctive visual style – think Coraline but creepier. The game made a bigger impact in Asia than the US, but it still has a dedicated fandom.

“At their core, the two games exist in entirely separate worlds and storylines. That said, as a nod to fans and our shared studio DNA, you might find a few subtle Easter eggs or world-building hints here and there. But rest assured, any connections are handled with great care and won’t overshadow the unique stories of each game.”

IGN Live 2025 is packed with exclusive reveals, thousands of giveaways, 170 gaming stations, and tons of fun, the event is shaping up to be a huge celebration of everything fans of games, TV, movies, comics, and collectibles love, and here’s how to watch the event.

Rachel Weber is the Senior Editorial Director of Games at IGN and an elder millennial. She’s been a professional nerd since 2006 when she got her start on Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, horror movies, horror games, and French Bulldogs. Those extra wrinkles on her face are thanks to going time blind and staying up too late finishing every sidequest in RPGs like Fallout and Witcher 3.

Fortnite has just wrapped up its latest explosive live event, detonating the Death Star looming over the Island and welcoming DC Comics hero Superman in the process.

Tonight’s event, Death Star Sabotage, saw players infiltrate the Empire’s fully operational battle station that has hovered menacingly over the Fortnite battle royale Island throughout its Star Wars mini-season. Happily, and perhaps unsurprisingly, players were able to stop the station’s deadly space laser from obliterating the game’s map — although not without causing a bit of damage in the process.

As destruction rained down, the event’s closing moments saw Superman arrive — presumably to try and help with clean up duties during the game’s incoming superhero-themed season, which begins in just a few hours’ time.

Fortnite’s big Star Wars event began in orbit around the game’s battle royale Island, giving players a rare glimpse at the game’s setting from outside its usual boundaries. Fortnite’s setting exists as a bubble of reality floating through the multiverse (which handily allows any character from any franchise to turn up at any time!) and here, players were able to pilot X-Wings and TIE-Fighters to blow up orbiting Star Destroyers and engage in fun dogfights. In the continued absence of a Star Wars: Battlefront 3, this was a fun riff on its space battles to get things started.

The action then swiftly moved to within the Death Star itself, as Fortnite heroes Jonesy (Troy Baker) and Hope (Suzie Yeung) led players through the bowels of the station, initially disguised as Stormtroopers and their captives. Ultimately, players found themselves in an encounter with Star Wars’ Emperor (was that the voice of Sheev Palpatine himself, Ian McDiarmid?), and able to escape the Death Star as it exploded.

You’ve got your MTG Final Fantasy cards, they’re all sleeved up, and you’ve even got yourself some fancy new dice and counters for the occasion, but something is missing.

That’s right, you need one of Ultra Pro’s latest Final Fantasy playmats. Ultra Pro, perhaps best known for its sleeves, tends to release a series of playmats for Magic: The Gathering sets, and they rarely disappoint. This time around, though, you can get a great new place to play while protecting your cards for just $26.99.

As is often the case, Ultra Pro has a series of playmats inspired by the Commander decks for the set. There’s Final Fantasy 14’s Y’shtola, Night’s Blessed, Final Fantasy 7’s Cloud Strife, Tidus from Final Fantasy X, and Terra, Herald of Hope from Final Fantasy 6.

These mats will set you back $26.99, and I’m definitely tempted to snag the Cloud one as a big Final Fantasy 7 fan. If you want to spend a little more, you can also get one of three two-sided playmats, which is a nice touch as there are a fair number of double-sided cards in the Final Fantasy set.

You can take your pick of Emet Selch/Hades, Sorcerer of Eld, Clive, Ifrit’s Dominant/Ifit, Warden of Inferno, or Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier/Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel. While we expect the latter will be popular, I’m more drawn to Final Fantasy 16’s Clive Rosfield, with a striking color scheme on a white background. The two-sided mats will cost you $39.99. Which one will you go for? Let us know in the comments.