Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has spoken out about “malicious and personal online attacks” that have been directed at his employees and partners, citing it as one of his major concerns in the games industry at the moment.
Guillemot gave a wide-ranging interview that was posted on the Ubisoft website on Thursday, speaking about various topics including the future of Assassin’s Creed, XDefiant, and more. He was also asked what dismays him about the industry currently, and pointed specifically to online harassment in response.
“One thing I am concerned about right now is the malicious and personal online attacks that have been directed at some of our team members and partners,” Guillemot said. “I want to make it clear that we, at Ubisoft, condemn these hateful acts in the strongest possible terms, and I encourage the rest of the industry and players to denounce them, too.”
While Guillemot didn’t mention Assassin’s Creed Shadows specifically, his comments follow backlash to the game’s male protagonist, a samurai based on the historical Black samurai Yasuke. Some pulled AC Shadows into ongoing harassment campaigns targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts on social media, which the International Game Developers Association (IDGA) condemned in a statement in March.
“I want to make it clear that we, at Ubisoft, condemn these hateful acts in the strongest possible terms.
As for what excites him about the games industry, Guillemot pointed to evolving technology: “If, as game makers, we can adopt and master technological advancements like generative AI and the cloud more quickly, we will be much better positioned to create new, stand-out experiences for players,” he said.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows will launch on November 12 for those with Ubisoft+ Premium, or those who purchased the Gold or the Ultimate Edition, and will otherwise be available on November 15.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Considering the lengthy ongoing development of Beyond Good & Evil 2 and the subsequent grilling from eager fans that Ubisoft has brought upon itself over the years, it’s easy to forget just how darn good the original game is. First released on PS2, Xbox, and GameCube at the end of 2003, Beyond Good & Evil was one of the most unique adventure games of its day, showcasing a world that Nintendo itself would have been proud to call its own.
This 20th Anniversary Edition remaster updates the experience with revamped visuals, improved performance (sort of), quality-of-life upgrades, and more. But is it still as enjoyable now as it was two decades ago? Well, the answer is thankfully a resounding “yes”: Ubisoft’s re-release is easily the best way to experience Jade and Pey’j’s epic journey on Nintendo hardware, but it’s also not without a few niggling issues.
Collecting Scadutree Fragments and leveling up your Scadutree Blessing level in Shadow of the Erdtree is one of the best ways to get stronger in the Elden Ring DLC. If you’re struggling with a challenging boss, such asMessmer the Impaleror Commander Gaius, finding some Scadutree Fragments can help you survive longer by increasing your attack and damage negation stats.
You’ll find Scadutree Fragments in the following Shadow of the Erdtree locations:
Gravesite Plain (8 Fragments)
Belurat, Tower Settlement (1 Fragment)
Castle Ensis (1 Fragment)
Scadu Altus (12 Fragments)
Shadow Keep (11 Fragments)
Cerulean Coast (2 Fragments)
Charo’s Hidden Grave (1 Fragment)
Stone Coffin Fissure (1 Fragment)
Ancient Ruins of Rauh (5 Fragments)
Abyssal Woods (3 Fragments)
Jagged Peak (1 Fragment)
Enir-Ilim (4 Fragments)
Note that there are only 42 Scadutree Fragment markers on our Shadow of the Erdtree interactive map, rather than 50. This is because some Scadutree Fragments can be found together.
Our Shadow of the Erdtree interactive map also has map filters for the following:
Locations, such as Sites of Grace, Landmarks, and Stakes of Marika.
Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she’s not working, you can find her adventuring around Eorzea in Final Fantasy XIV.
Frostpunk 2 is being delayed so its developers have time to address player feedback gathered during the beta earlier this year. The survival citybuilder was originally due to begin shovelling orphans into the furnace in July, but those dear children now have a reprieve until September 20th.
This article contains minor spoilers for the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
The Elden Ring community’s greatest co-op hero “Let Me Solo Her” has officially rebranded himself “Let Me Solo Him.” After years of crushing Malenia, he’s seemingly announced the beginning of a new pasttime of brutalizing one of Shadow of the Erdtree’s toughest bosses: Messmer the Impaler.
Since then, by his own estimation, he has played for over 1,200 hours and fought Malenia thousands of times, in each instance allowing the Tarnished who summoned him at the threshold to her arena to stand by and watch as he went toe-to-toe against the rot-infested demigod until only one stood triumphant. His efforts earned him legendary status in the Elden Ring community, and even saw FromSoftware send him an actual sword in recognition of his contributions.
Now, having rebranded himself “Let Me Solo Him,” the co-op MVP has seemingly returned to hunt a new but no less imposing target in the form of late-game DLC boss Messmer the Impaler. The name change announced in an X/Twitter post earlier this week was accompanied by the simple phrase “I’m ready,” along with a link to a YouTube video, in which he systematically wore down the boss without ever allowing him to land a blow in return.
Without getting into spoilers, Messmer the Impaler is among the DLC’s toughest bosses, who attacks with a brutally swift set of powerful, fire-imbued attacks, and boasts a second stage that would leave Rykard, the Lord of Blasphemy with a case of serpent envy. Yet in the face of Messmer’s onslaught, Let Me Solo Him was able to calmly and consistently evade and counter, his signature look enhanced by the addition of a ragged cloak.
“This is actually Messmer’s boss fight against LMSH, not the other way around,” commented YouTube user Maxwellschmid588. “This man could walk through a monsoon and not get wet,” chimed in Firstlast-cg2nk. “If an asteroid were to hit Earth, he’d take no damage because he’d dodge roll at exactly the right moment.”
Only time will tell if Let Me Solo Him is back to his old boss-busting ways, but given the short video description of “it’s time,” it certainly seems as if a new co-op campaign is about to begin. Be sure to check out IGN’s comprehensive guide if you’re looking to face down Messmer yourself, or simply need help traversing the perilous environments of the Land of Shadow.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
You can tell when a major Steam sale goes live, because the Steam store stop loading. If you can make it past the “something went wrong” message you’ll find that the Steam summer sale is now underway.
EA Sports revealed the top 25 best defensive teams available in its long-awaited return to the college football video game franchise. Like the top-ranking offensive teams, EA Sports factored in several parameters when compiling this list, such as vetting thousands of players, “years worth of game film,” and viewing a slew of statistics when compiling this list.
The top-ranking defensive team in College Football 25 is The Ohio State University, with an overall rank of 96. Led by head coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, Ohio State has been consistently a good team overall, with recent years showing its dominance as a defensive powerhouse. Last season, the Buckeyes went 11-2 record, losing the last two games in its season. The first loss was to longtime rival and the eventual 2023 national champions, the Michigan Wolverines, and the second was in the Cotton Bowl to the Missouri Tigers.
Georgia, Oregon, Alabama, and Clemson are some other top-ranking defenses in College Football 25. The full list of the top 25 defensive teams, as well as each team’s overall offensive ranking in College Football 25 will be available below
I’m getting into the bad habit of posting just after the end of work. In this case, I’m doing it because the whole affair might be over and done with when I return to my desk. New York-based Nolen Royalty, creator of impish experimental games about bouncing DVD logos and staring contests, has made another one that consists of a website with one million checkboxes. It’s the best thing I’ve played all year, possibly.
Publisher and developer Chibig has announced a release date for its adorable delivery sim, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain, via IGN. The game will be launching on Switch (and Steam) on 21st August 2024, with other consoles to follow at a later date.
In the game, you play as Mika, a budding young witch who delivers packages to the townsfolk on a small island. Mika will grow as a witch and a person, eventually climbing the top of a huge mountain.
Collect and play as over 600 characters, many in never-before-seen outfits.
Enjoy a story mode that lets you relive the adventures of Ichigo.
Play alone or with up to 5 friends to defeat formidable foes.
Hello, Bleach fans! We’re thrilled to announce that as of today, our 3D action game Bleach: Brave Souls is available on Xbox consoles.
As Bleach fans ourselves, we dreamed of what it would be like for so many of its characters to be playable in a single game. To that end, every character in Bleach: Brave Souls is voiced and has a Special Move showcasing their prowess in battle. You can take control of Ichigo and use his Getsugatensho to get through the battlefield, choose Uryu to shoot enemies down from afar with a Quincy bow, or pick from many, many more.
How Does Bleach: Brave Souls Work?
In Bleach: Brave Souls, you’ll face off against enemies in a variety of single player and co-op quests using normal attacks, strong attacks, and a special move that can often deal devastating damage! However, button mashing isn’t always the answer – you’ll need to evade attacks by using your character’s Flash Step and manage the cooldown times of your character’s strong attacks.
To come out on top you’ll need to prepare. All playable characters and enemies have Attributes and Affiliations with strengths and weaknesses. For example, an enemy may have the “Power” Attribute and belong to the “Hollow” Affiliation. In this situation, it’s good to bring a character with a Speed Attribute, as they are strong against Power, and a “Hollow killer”, as this increases the damage dealt to Hollow Affiliation enemies.
It may seem simple at first, but to defeat more powerful enemies you’ll need to think about power-ups such as Link Slots, which let characters Inherit skills and boost their stats, as well as Transcendence, Ascension, and other mechanics that can be adjusted to bring out the best of your characters.
Play as All Your Favorite Characters
Bleach: Brave Souls‘ story mode starts from the first arc of the Bleach anime, “The Substitute Soul Reaper” arc, and goes all the way through to the events depicted in the newly released “Bleach TV Animation Series: Thousand-Year Blood War”. Along the way, you can enjoy 3D action where you take control of your favorite characters to fight enemies in scenarios based on the anime, as well as 2D cutscenes containing stills from the anime, through which you can relive your favorite moments from the Bleach story.
Ever Wondered What Your Favorite Character Would Look Like in a Different Outfit?
While we’ve taken care to faithfully reproduce the characters’ looks from different points in the story, Bleach: Brave Souls also features a great number of characters in never-before-seen outfits. You can play as a parasol-toting version of Rukia, a cyberpunk-themed version of Ulquiorra, and many more exciting recreations! With over 600 characters in the game, you’ll be able to see a whole new side to your favorite characters.
Learn More About the World of Bleach
The “Spirits Are Forever With You” and “Can’t Fear Your Own World” novels, which also take place in the Bleach universe, may not have not had their stories told in the anime, but their characters are playable in Bleach: Brave Souls.
You can play as the “Spirits Are Forever With You” version of Toshiro, who has unlocked a power greater than Bankai, or the “Can’t Fear Your Own World” version of Shinji, whose Bankai became the talk of fans around the globe!
Play with Friends as your Favorite Characters
Bleach: Brave Souls has a lot of solo content, but we wanted to make sure that Bleach fans could play and enjoy the game together.
One of the game’s co-op modes is called Epic Raids, where you are tasked with defeating a powerful boss with a team of up to 6 players for great rewards.
Whether you and your friends launch into action as Ichigo and his companions, or as a more unlikely band of allies, the options are almost endless thanks to the roster of characters that have been carefully designed to fit into the world of Bleach.
Release Date and a Special Gift for Xbox Players
Bleach: Brave Souls is out now, and free-to-play on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
And we’ve got an extra gift for you: if you download the game on Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One you will get a free in-game pack that contains items which are ideal for new players, such as a 5-star Summons Ticket and an accessory that increases your character’s exp. points. Jump into Bleach: Brave Souls now to experience the world of Bleach.
