Category: IGN

Sony and Sucker Punch Productions just wrapped up their July 2025 Ghost of Yōtei State of Play, showcasing a better look at its world, combat, and new modes ahead of its release date this fall.

The 20-minute gameplay presentation, hosted by creative directors Jason Connell and Nate Fox, arrived today to help showcase how Atsu’s journey will be both familiar and new for players who enjoyed 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima. Any way you cut it, the Ghost of Yōtei State of Play is the closest look at one of the PlayStation 5’s biggest games of the year that we’ve seen yet.

For those who missed out on the State of Play, IGN took the time to gather all of the highlights for you right here. You can check out everything revealed during the presentation below while we wait for more updates ahead of Ghost of Yōtei’s October 2, 2025, release date.

The Sights and Sounds of Ezo

Ghost of Yōtei focuses on Atsu as she seeks revenge against the Yōtei Six at any cost. It’s a bloody journey that has led Atsu’s enemies to fear her, with many worried that she is a legendary Onyro spirit come to life. Ghost of Yōtei fuels its journey of vengeance in a completely new way, allowing players to flash back to its protagonist’s younger years with the simple press of a button.

Traveling throughout Ezo means encountering a land far different from the war-torn island of Tsushima. Beautiful in its own right, Ghost of Yōtei’s new map encourages players to experience Atsu’s journey how they please, with Sucker Punch going as far as to say the adventure “focuses on player freedom more than any game” it has ever made. One example of this newfound player freedom can be found in the Clue System, which can lead the player in new directions. While some information gained during an interrogation may see Atsu travel to snowy mountaintops that hide hidden attackers, another may take her to a village ravaged by fire and an army of samurai.

Sucker Punch wants players to choose to focus on combat, exploration, story, or whatever it is that satisfies their quest. However, one recommended way to see all Ezo has to offer involves simply using a spyglass and walking toward whatever catches your eye.

Exploring a 1603 Japan means finding familiar points of interest, such as new Bamboo Strike challenges and even more Hot Springs to relax in, but players can also look forward to taking out difficult fights as a bounty hunter, too. There are also Altars of Reflection, which unlock new abilities for Atsu that will no doubt aid her on her journey.

Ghost of Yōtei Combat Get an Upgrade

With a hefty price on Atsu’s head, players will need to utilize an arsenal of new tools and weapons. While it looks like fans will have plenty of opportunities for standard sword encounters, some new blades will help spice things up. Highlights include the weapons like the katana and spear as well as the more unconvential kusarigama chain blade, the lengthy odachi, and even dual swords. Each offers specific advantages in battle depending on the circumstances, with all weapons featuring upgrades to utilize, too.

Ranged combat, meanwhile, will see Atsu primarily using two tools: a bow and a gun. The Ghost of Yōtei gameplay showed off a glimpse at how the latter can be used to quickly take out a distant enemy at the cost of stealth. In other words, Atsu comes with a few more tools than Ghost of Tsushima’s Jin did, and she’s got no reservations when it comes to using them to take out the Yōtei Six.

In between combat encounters and brushes with death, players can allow Atsu to rest under the stars. Here, you can cook food, play music, and even meet up with allies while taking in all Ezo’s skies have to offer. With these changes also comes a replacement for the standard journal that is known as Atsu’s Wolf Pack. Sucker Punch calls the menu system a “more character-driven way of managing allies and vendors” met during Atsu’s journey. It’s a straightforward way to see who might have something to offer, and it’s wrapped up with art for each face you meet.

Where Ghost of Tsushima approached its connection to nature in one way, Ghost of Yōtei appears like it may depend the connection players have with the world around them. One way it will do this involves a new wolf companion who, as shown during the State of Play, can tear out an enemy’s throat during combat. Traveling through a field of flowers, meanwhile, can give your character a boost while riding on your horse. Sucker Punch also showed off a first look at what appears to be a dense customization system for Atsu’s armor as well as the ability to disarm enemies with enough well-timed attacks.

Kurosawa Mode Returns Alongside New Immersive Options

Kurosawa Mode, a black-and-white omage to legenadary director Akira Kurosawa, makes its return after fans fell in love with it in Ghost of Tsushima. It’s a sign not only that Sucker Punch is happy with the response it received the first time around but that the team remains influenced by some of the prominent artists in the genre.

This influence can also be felt in two additional modes: Miike Mode and Watanabe Mode. As some movie fans might have guessed, the former takes after 13 Assassins director Takashi Miike, moving the camera in closer with more blood and more mud. The latter, meanwhile, brings in the work of Samurai Champloo anime director Shinichirō Watanabe by featuring original lo-fi beats that back moments of exploration and combat.

Other highlights from the Ghost of Yōtei State of Play include a first look at photo mode as well as options for Standard English audio, Subtitled English audio, and Samurai Cinema, which features fully voice acted Japanese dialogue with English subtitles.

Ghost of Yōtei launches October 2, 2025, for PS5. As a last-minute surprise, Sucker Punch promised that special edition Ghost of Yōtei PS5 consoles and unique DualSense controllers will also be available at launch. For more details while we wait to see more, you can check out everything else we know about Ghost of Yōtei here.

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).

Fun fact – the term “balatro” comes from ancient Rome and refers to a professional jester or buffoon. Considering you are reading this on IGN right now, there’s a strong chance that hearing “Balatro” instead fills you with images of poker hands and Ben Starr dressed in clown make-up as Jimbo, the star of last year’s breakout title that has taken the gaming world by storm (and was nominated for IGN’s Game of the Year 2024).

Whether you have spent hours in the game or are just interested in jumping in and seeing what the hype is all about, the Nintendo Switch version of Balatro is currently $19.99 – down from $29.99 – as a part of Amazon’s Prime Day sale.

Balatro Special Edition (Switch)

More Prime Day Deals

This year’s Prime Day sale features tons of discounts on physical games. We’ve rounded up our top picks for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox. For more, you can check out our list of the overall best deals we’ve found for Prime Day so far.

You can save on a bunch of other Switch games for Prime Day as well, plus nearly every category of item at Amazon, as well as Walmart and Best Buy in their own competing sales.

Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.

It’s day three of Prime Day (Prime week?), and we’ve been collecting all the best deals for you to take advantage of. The ongoing buy 2, get 1 free sale on books and comics is one of the best we’ve seen in a while, and some complete graphic novel collections are steeply discounted aside from the bundle deal. Dozens of other mainstream superhero comics from Marvel and DC are included, as well as some indie heavy-hitters like the Walking Dead.

If physical media isn’t quite your thing, I’d highly recommend the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, which is one of the best ways to read high quality digital comics. It’s $100 off for Prime Day.

The Best Comic Deals for Prime Day Today

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin and the Complete Calvin and Hobbes collection are some of the best deals we found when it comes to comics. This new hardcover printing of The Last Ronin at this price is the best way to experience its iconic story for the first time. You can also pick up a few indie comics omnibuses and compendiums, like Hellboy, Invincible, and the Walking Dead.

The Hellboy Omnibus boxed set is included in the buy 2, get 1 free deal, and I highly recommend picking it up at this price if you’ve been curious about Mike Mignola’s iconic series. Then there’s the Cyberpunk 2077 Library Edition Volume 1, which collects three of the Cyberpunk 2077 graphic novels.

Marvel Comics Graphic Novel Deals for Prime Day

You can also pick up some of the best Marvel graphic novels on sale. Jonathan Hickman is easily one of the most prolific comics writers of our time, and his runs on Fantastic Four and the Avengers are direct inspirations for the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers: Doomsday MCU films. His stint on Ultimate Spider-Man is just as iconic, and you can enjoy a hefty 64% off during Prime Day for the first volume in trade paperback, costing you a measly $7.13.

Frank Miller’s Daredevil: The Man Without Fear is required reading. Not just for fans of Matt Murdock or comics readers; everybody should read this at least once in their lives, similar to Alan Moore’s Watchmen. And Cullen Bunn’s Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe is a fun, violent romp across the Marvel Multiverse.

DC Comics Graphic Novel Deals for Prime Day

Now this is what I’m talking about. DC is more my bread and butter than Marvel, Batman specifically, and there are so many great picks included in the buy 2, get 1 free promotion. Of course you have Mark Waid’s Kingdom Come with timeless art by Alex Ross, and Marv Wolfman’s legendary event Crisis on Infinite Earths is a great way to experience all your favorite DC heroes and villains. Anything Tom King touches turns to gold, and his run on Wonder Woman is one of the best since Gail Simone’s time with the character.

The amount of Batman graphic novels included in the buy 2, get 1 sale is staggering, but I’ll sing the praises of Batman: Hush and the Long Halloween until I’m physically incapable of typing anymore. Do yourself a favor and pick these up.

Finally, I’d highly recommend picking up Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman, especially with James Gunn’s DCU-kickoff film Superman opening in theaters tomorrow.

Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.

Set in 1579, during the Azuchi-Momoyama period of Japan, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been a long time coming. Less than six months after its release, Ubisoft’s latest addition to the long-standing stealth series has snuck its way into Amazon’s Prime Day deals.

The Limited Editions of both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions of Assassin’s Creed Shadows are currently going for $47.49, over 30% off the list price of $69.99 and the lowest price we’ve seen so far.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows – Limited Edition (PS5)

Konami may be known for Castlevania and Metal Gear, but the studio’s beloved RPG series Suikoden is starting to make a comeback. The release of Suikoden I & II HD Remastered earlier this year brought the first two games to a whole new generation of players. Amazon has now given the collection a solid 40% discount as part of this year’s Prime Day sales, bringing the price down to $30.

Suikoden I & II HD Remastered Drops to $30

More Prime Day Deals

This year’s Prime Day sale features tons of discounts on physical games. We’ve rounded up our top picks for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox. For more, you can check out our list of the overall best deals we’ve found for Prime Day so far.

Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.

Astro Bot just got a brand new update, adding five new challenge levels complete with their own new special bots to unlock. And two of the new bots are from a series that had previously gone unrepresented in the game, despite being beloved by PlayStation fans.

If you don’t want it spoiled, we’ll just say that you can unlock one of these bots by rescuing it from the challenge level High Inflation, while the second bot comes only after you beat all five brand new challenge levels in the Vicious Void Galaxy and rescue the other bots inside.

Warning! We’re going to spoil exactly who all the bots in the DLC are below the video, so if you don’t want to know, get outta here!

The two bots in question are Cloud and Sephiroth, both from Final Fantasy 7. Cloud is the reward from High Inflation, and Sephiroth shows up if you beat all five new challenge levels.

Final Fantasy representation, and specifically from 7, has been long-requested by Astro Bot fans. The game launched with a whopping 173 bot cameos from PlayStation history, so the lack of Final Fantasy 7 — a game traditionally associated with PlayStation both in its original and remake forms — was surprising. When asked at the time, Astro Bot developers attributed this to the choice of publisher partners, meaning it sounds like Square Enix wasn’t previously willing to play ball. But it seems the company has changed its tune more recently.

Cloud and Sephiroth aren’t the only bots you’ll find in the new DLC, and not even the only Square Enix representation. In fact, it sounds like Square was happy to hand over several cameos, with 2B from Nier: Automata and Serge from Chrono Cross also showing up to be rescued. Atsu from Ghost of Yōtei also shows up, though we already knew she’d be in this update.

Astro Bot has received a number of special challenge stage updates since launch, and it’s no surprise Team Asobi was able to give it that extra love given how well-received the game has been. It sold 1.5 million units in just its first two months, and earned a 9/10 from us. “A fantastically inventive platformer in its own right, Astro Bot is particularly special for anyone with a place in their heart for PlayStation,” our reviewer wrote.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is almost here! The legendary franchise returns on July 11 (or 10, depending upon where you are in the world and what platform you’re playing) with everything you loved, only this time expect more skaters, new parks, gnarlier tricks, eardrum shattering music, plus a whole lot more.

While most people will be able to play from midnight local time this coming Friday, July 11, those who bought the digital deluxe edition are able to jump in early from midnight their time on Tuesday, July 8 (although Steam and Battle.net users get a head start on their head start and can play from 9pm on July 7).

We thought the long-anticipated remake was great, slapping it with a 8 and writing in the IGN’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 review: “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 proves yet again the series’ over-the-top skateboarding formula is totally timeless, even if some of the changes to THPS4 miss the mark and the soundtrack has been fumbled.”

Activision is also running a Grind to 100 competition that rewards the fastest player to secure all in-game achievements with a set of real-life bespoke 24-carat gold skateboard trucks worth £100,000.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 global release times — early access for Deluxe Edition:

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

AEST (Sydney):

• 12.01am

BRT (São Paulo):

• 12.01am

BST (London):

• 12.01am

CEST (Berlin):

• 12.01am

EDT (New York):

• 12.01am

GST (Dubai):

• 12.01am

JST (Tokyo):

• 12.01am

PDT (Los Angeles):

• 12.01am

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 global release times — standard access, including Xbox Game Pass:

Friday, July 11, 2025

AEST (Sydney):

• 12.01am

BRT (São Paulo):

• 12.01am

BST (London):

• 12.01am

CEST (Berlin):

• 12.01am

EDT (New York):

• 12.01am

GST (Dubai):

• 12.01am

JST (Tokyo):

• 12.01am

PDT (Los Angeles):

• 12.01am

Please note: The UBI Connect release date is TBD at this time.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

With anticipation for Fallout Season 2, fans are wondering if Bethesda will capitalize on the smash hit Amazon show in a more significant way this time around.

Fallout Season 1 hit Prime Video in April 2024 and was an instant breakout hit. While the show’s popularity sparked a flood of new players across all Fallout games, Bethesda — and by extension parent company Microsoft — failed to make the most of it with, for example, the release of a new Fallout game.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer ended up insisting that everyone involved benefited from the show’s success, and that not having a new game lined up for the launch “gave us some creative liberty that [we] wouldn’t have had if we tried to coordinate production of two very different creative processes to land at the same time.”

That mention of “creative liberty” is a reference to the Fallout TV show’s canon status within the Fallout timeline, and the fact it takes place after all the existing Fallout games. While this has meant Fallout lore fans have analyzed the TV show to within an inch of its life, its creators were able to move on from what’s gone before and tell a brand new story. If a new post-Fallout 4 video game had come out at the same time, Bethesda and the TV showrunners would have faced a tricky job ensuring all their Fallout timeline ducks were in a row.

But will Microsoft and Bethesda fail to capitalize on Season 2 of the Fallout show? When it comes to Fallout 76, at least, it sounds like tie-in content is indeed planned.

Speaking to Variety, Bethesda Game Studios’ Fallout 76 creative director Jon Rush said the development team is “always focused on the game,” but confirmed the two teams (TV show and video games) do talk to each other about “lining things up with the seasonal releases of the show.”

“I think a distinct trait of the Fallout 76 game is that we’re the furthest back in time,” he said. “And it’s kind of funny, because the show’s the furthest into the future. So there’s a lot of room where we don’t necessarily need to overlap. There are some things that we could overlap the stories, that could exist, but we largely try to keep those pretty simple.

“So the show is very effective storytelling, great storytelling, very Fallout, being made by folks that are big fans of the game and the series, and so are we. The two go together really well. So folks see the show and want more of that same kind of story, and they’re going to come into 76, they’re going to come into Fallout 4, or come into Fallout 3.

“Lining things up with the seasonal releases of the show, it’s stuff that we talk about all the time, and we do have plans for things here and there. I’m not going to go into detail on any of those now, but the two teams do talk to one another.”

So, we don’t know what exactly Bethesda is planning for the launch of Fallout Season 2, but we do know something is in the works for Fallout 76. There are still a lot of unanswered questions. For one, we don’t have a Fallout Season 2 release date yet. Could Bethesda have a new Fallout video game in the works to go alongside the show? There is about as much anticipation for a new Fallout game as there is for Fallout Season 2 — and the speculation to go along with it as remaster and remake rumors swirl.

But perhaps we shouldn’t hold our breath. In June last year, Bethesda development chief Todd Howard said he wasn’t interested in rushing the next Fallout game out the door.

“For other Fallout games in the future, you know, obviously I can’t talk about those right now, but I would say, sort of rushing through them, or we kind of need to get stuff out that is different than the work we’re doing in 76… we don’t feel like we need to rush any of that,” he said. “The Fallout TV show fills a certain niche in terms of the franchise and storytelling.”

Of course, a brand new Fallout game is coming down the pipe, with Howard confirming Fallout 5 is in the long-term plan, potentially after The Elder Scrolls 6 comes out. As for Fallout Season 2, it’s off to New Vegas, the setting of Obsidian’s much-loved Fallout: New Vegas.

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.

ARK: Aquatica — the new expansion for ARK: Survival Evolved — finally has a release date, and it’s soon: July 15, to be precise.

Snail Games announced its “in-house developed new expansion map, Ark: Aquatica” at GDC in March. The studio described the expansion as a non-canonical side story to Ark in “an ambitious underwater setting featuring 95% of gameplay taking place beneath the surface.” However, the Ark: Survival Evolved expansion trailer released alongside the announcement was resoundingly condemned after fans discovered evidence of generative AI imagery.

OG developer Studio Wildcard immediately distanced itself from the discussion, clarifying on social media that Ark: Aquatica was not being developed by its team. It also revealed Ark: Lost Colony, a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended that will lead into the sequel, although since missing its previously planned late 2024 release window, the future of Ark 2 remains unclear.

ARK: Aquatica introduces the first submerged ARK with above-water islands, “challenging players with new survival mechanics, extreme environmental hazards, a huge explorable map area, and unique gameplay elements”.

The underwater biome adds 21 new tameable creatures, 74 new Engrams — including seven tek Engrams — and underwater survival thanks to features like air pockets and propulsion vehicles.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the latest teaser has been under intense fan scrunity, with some going as far as to implore others to report it to Steam if they suspect anything is generated by AI. Some are also questioning the purpose of the trailer posted to Snail Games’ YouTube, with one asking of the 11-second teaser: “Okay, so what the f**k does this tell me about the expansion?”

“I am 200% sure that this update was created to kill all existing mods and plugins,” added another YouTube commenter.

ARK: Aquatic is in development by Studio Sirens to “commemorate the 10-year anniversary of ARK: Survival Evolved” and will be available exclusively on PC. A price has yet to be confirmed.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Nintendo will discontinue its Switch Game Vouchers scheme, which currently allows Nintendo Switch Online subscribers to buy Switch 1 games at a discount.

Detailing its plans in a lengthy FAQ page published today, the company said Switch Game Vouchers would be ditched as of January 30, 2026 — meaning fans still have six months should they still wish to buy more.

No reason has been given for the scheme’s ending, though it follows Nintendo’s decision not to allow vouchers to be redeemed for Switch 2 software, and after the launch of Nintendo’s first-ever $80 game, Mario Kart World.

Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers were first introduced in 2019, and offer a flat purchase price for two Nintendo Switch games bought within a 12-month period. In the UK, this price is set at £84, meaning you pay an average of £42 for a game.

This typically represents an £8 saving per game from the standard £50 Switch game RRP — and an even greater saving on the select games that Nintendo prices at £60: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

And while Nintendo has not extended the scheme to Switch 2 games, fans have realised they can still use vouchers to buy the original, Switch 1 versions of games with paid Switch 2 upgrades, such as Zelda: Breath of the Wild, offering a cheaper method of obtaining those too.

For example, Switch 2 owners can currently buy a pair of Switch Game Vouchers and redeem them to play cross-generational games such as Metroid Prime: Beyond, or the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which is due for launch in October. Z-A is priced at the usual £50 for Switch 1, or £60 for its Switch 2 Edition. Buy it using a Game Voucher, and you can still get the £8 saving for Z-A’s Switch 1 edition, before simply paying the £10 upgrade fee to access the Switch 2 Edition.

As ever, Switch Game Vouchers must be redeemed within 12 months after purchase, though Nintendo has said that additional Switch titles will continue to be added to the Game Voucher catalogue throughout 2026.

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently suggested that the company was now exploring shorter game development cycles for some projects to help keep its costs down, and avoid pricing games too highly.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social