Category: IGN

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Star Wars Outlaws Has Dropped to Just $50 for Black Friday

If you chose patience with Star Wars Outlaws, then here is your reward. The new Star Wars game has been discounted in the Black Friday sales, now down to $49.99 on PS5 and Xbox. That’s $20 off the original list price and potentially a much better offering for anyone unsure of the game when it launched back in late August.

The deal also features Amazon’s exclusive limited edition content pack, which includes Rogue Infiltrator cosmetics for Kay and Nix. It’s likely the best deal we’re getting on the game before Christmas, so snap it up if you’ve been waiting for a sale, or want to gift it to someone over the holidays.

This could be a good time to jump on the game since it’s not been long since Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment deployed a massive update bringing a host of performance and gameplay enhancements, a range of visual improvements, and bug fixes to the open-world sci-fi game on console and PC.

The publisher laid out everything new in the patch notes on its website, with Ubisoft emphasizing that these updates were shaped by player feedback, reaffirming its commitment to closely listening as post-launch support for Star Wars Outlaws continues.

What We Said In Our Review

IGN reviewer Tristan Ogilvie said is his review: “It’s ironic that Kay’s ship is called the Trailblazer, since there’s actually not a whole lot of ideas in Star Wars Outlaws that haven’t been done before in other action and open-world adventures. Instead, it’s quite like the Millenium Falcon: a bucket of bolts held together with repurposed parts and prone to breaking down, but at its best it’s more than capable of jolting your pleasure centres into Star Wars fan hyperspace.

“A clever syndicate system brings real weight to almost every task you choose to undertake, some of which have creative quest designs that can often conjure up some genuinely stunning blindsides. Having a pal like Nix at your side the entire time not only adds an extra dimension to Kay’s fairly generic smuggler character, but also gives her an enhanced set of useful abilities. But even he can’t quite make its stealth and combat feel any less rigid and repetitive, and the odds of avoiding the many glaring technical issues present at launch are 3,720 to one. But you probably didn’t want me to tell you the odds.”

When Is Black Friday 2024?

The actual date of Black Friday in 2024 falls on November 29 this year, but the deals have already kicked off. Leading up to the big event, retailers have begun to open deals online. Each day leading up to the event will slowly roll out more deals, which ultimately leads to massive discounts on 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, such as this new discount on Star Wars Outlaws.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

FromSoftware Parent Kadokawa Confirms Sony’s Buyout Intent, but Insists ‘No Decision Has Been Made at This Time’

Kadokawa Corporation has confirmed it has received a buyout offer from Sony, but insists it has yet to make a decision on whether to sell up.

Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Sony was in talks to buy Kadokawa, whose subsidiary FromSoftware is behind smash hit Elden Ring, the Dark Souls and Armored Core games, and PlayStation exclusive Bloodborne.

Kadokawa has now confirmed the report, with a note from CEO Takeshi Natsuno issued after shares in the company skyrocketed on the news.

“There are some articles on the acquisition of Kadokawa Corporation (hereinafter ‘the Company’) by Sony Group Inc,” Natsuno said. “However, this information is not announced by the Company. The Company has received an initial letter of intent to acquire the Company’s shares, but no decision has been made at this time. If there are any facts that should be announced in the future, we will make an announcement in a timely and appropriate manner.”

Sony has so far declined to comment.

Kadokawa’s business extends into areas that fit into Sony’s broader entertainment offering, which includes anime, manga, TV, and film. Kadokawa is a prolific publisher of anime, and Sony already owns anime streamers Crunchyroll and Funimation. As well as FromSoftware, Kadokawa owns Danganronpa developer Spike Chunsoft, Octopath Traveler developer Acquire, and RPG Maker and Pixel Game Maker developer Gotcha Gotcha Games.

Kadokawa is the majority owner of FromSoftware, with around 70% of the company. Sony already owns around 14% of the developer, with Tencent owning around 16%.

Piers Harding-Rolls, Research Director at Ampere Analysis, told IGN that news of a potential deal isn’t that surprising. “Sony’s interest in Kadokawa’s games publisher FromSoftware was made more concrete in 2022 when it acquired a roughly 14% share of the company following up on its long-time collaboration with the company,” Harding-Rolls said.

“At the time, Sony mentioned a broader interest in cross-media development of anime and games IP to support its other media businesses. So, in that sense any deal for the parent company Kadokawa, which also operates extensively in manga and anime, is a natural extension of this earlier deal. These other areas align nicely with Sony’s anime businesses.

“The market conditions for acquisitions have changed dramatically over the last two years but Sony will always be looking for opportunities that can fuel its growth and that bolster its IP portfolio, and that represent value. There may also be a defensive element to this move. FromSoftware is an important partner for Sony’s games business, and it will not want a competitor taking control of Kadokawa and potentially disrupting that relationship. It helps that Kadokawa is also active in areas which are a strong fit with Sony’s wider business.”

For Sony, its gaming business has already suffered significant layoffs this year and the closure of multiple studios, including Concord developer Firewalk. In February, it announced a round of layoffs affecting 900 staff, or about 8% of its global PlayStation workforce. The layoffs impacted a number of PlayStation studios, including Insomniac, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla, and Firesprite, but PlayStation’s London studio was hit hardest with a notice of closure. Since then, Sony-owned Bungie has also suffered devastating cuts as Destiny 2 struggles to find commercial success.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Starfield Hits 15 Million Players as Patch Adds Achievement-Friendly Creations, New Land Vehicle and Quest, and More

Bethesda’s Starfield has seen 15 million players since launching in September 2023.

Starfield hit six million players on its day of release to become the biggest launch in Bethesda Game Studios history, surpassing the likes of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Fallout 4. Those player numbers were boosted, of course, by Starfield’s day one launch into Game Pass.

“We’re thrilled that so many of you have embarked on this journey with us, and we appreciate your feedback,” Bethesda said in a post on its website. “We are always looking for ways to improve your experience playing the game.”

To that end, Bethesda has released a new update that makes a number of important changes and additions. Creations by Verified Creators now have the option to be achievement friendly, there are two new free creations (a vehicle and a quest), and there are new quality-of-life improvements, such as an uncapped framerate option for Xbox Series X. However, Achievements will not retroactively unlock on previous game saves with Creations, even if those Creations are now achievement friendly.

Update 1.14.74 adds the newest land vehicle, the Deimog, as a “special gift” to all players for hitting the 15 million landmark, Bethesda said. Here’s the official blurb:

Built for speed and endurance, the Deimog features a fully enclosed cabin to keep you protected as you race through rugged landscapes. Its exceptional handling allows you to navigate even the trickiest terrain with ease, while a powerful rocket launcher ensures you’re prepared for any threats — be it hostile wildlife or clusters of enemies.

And the new quest is called The Perfect Recipe, made available to players for free “in the spirit of Thanksgiving.”

The Perfect Recipe invites you on a heartwarming journey through Akila City, where the past and present collide in the hands of an unlikely dreamer. This character-driven questline introduces you to Harbhajan, a gifted mechanic with a hidden passion for the culinary arts. When you stumble upon a dusty recipe book during your travels, you learn it belongs to Harbhajan — a once-hopeful chef whose ambitions were set aside for a more practical life. Returning the recipes ignites a spark, rekindling old dreams of becoming a galaxy-renowned chef. But could it be too late for a second chance?

Bethesda released the first Starfield expansion, Shattered Space, at the end of September. It was billed as a return to form for the studio, but Shattered Space is currently on a ‘mostly negative’ user review rating in Steam. According to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, Bethesda development chief Todd Howard wondered whether Starfield should have delayed buggies for Shattered Space so it had a bigger impact.

Starfield Update 1.14.74 patch notes:

General

  • General performance and stability improvements.
  • The uncapped frame rate option is available again for Xbox Series X users.
  • The Message of the Day now displays more consistently on the Xbox.
  • Addressed an issue where some console commands did not disable certain achievements.
  • Shattered Space will now show ownership correctly for Steam users.

Features

  • Creation Kit: Lipsync animation data generation is now available.

Gameplay

  • The Annihilator Particle Beam damage-over-time effect no longer triggers companion reactions.
  • Resolved a Leadership skill issue that could cause companions to not speak up.
  • Improved function of the stealth bar while around crowd NPCs.
  • Addressed an issue where destroyed ships could load in without collision.
  • Addressed an issue where loading a save the relied on missing content could place the player in an undesirable location.
  • Trackers Alliance – Roach will now accurately track the number of completed bounties.
  • Trackers Alliance – Bounty targets will now appear in Akila, Gagarin, and Cydonia.
  • Trackers Alliance – Fixed an issue where the player could receive additional credits by extorting the target and then killing them.
  • Trackers Alliance – Bounty targets should now have a larger variety of appearances.
  • Trackers Alliance – Bounty targets will now be removed after being dealt with and leaving the area.
  • Trackers Alliance – Extorting or bribing a bounty target is no longer a guaranteed success.

Quests

  • The Starjacker – The correct quest objective will display when the player boards the Junker Watchdog.
  • Legacy of the Fang – Addressed an issue that could cause the key to no longer open the door if the player had left the area.
  • The Duel – If the player attacks Danika and gets arrested, they are now able to speak to her afterwards to complete the quest.
  • The Scaled Citadel – Anasko’s ID Key is now flagged as a quest item.
  • What Remains – Addressed an issue where having certain creations installed could make the hatch on The Oracle non-interactable.
  • What Remains – The Engineering Bay Access Card is now flagged as a quest item.
  • A House Divided – The doors in the Radiology center will stay unlocked during this quest if the player exits the area and returns.
  • A House Divided – The player can now obtain the keycard from Madri after the quest is completed.
  • Zealous Overreach – Fixed an issue that could occur if the Va’ruun Zealots at the exterior of Shadow Station Epsilon were killed before receiving the quest.
  • Zealous Overreach – Addressed an issue that could prevent the player from speaking to Razma or Viktor if the quest “Conflict in Conviction” is started at the same time.
  • Zealous Overreach – Vortex Phantoms will no longer spawn close enough to interrupt the negotiation scene.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Now Ghostface Is Out for Mortal Kombat 1, Players Can See the Actual Face Under the Mask

Ghostface is out now in Mortal Kombat 1, and players can finally see exactly who is under that most famous of horror masks.

Warning! Spoilers for Ghostface’s true identity in Mortal Kombat 1 are below.

Developer NetherRealm had confirmed Mortal Kombat 1’s Ghostface is none other than Billy Loomis, the main antagonist of the 1996 Scream film and the original Ghostface killer played by Skeet Ulrich. But now Ghostface is out Mortal Kombat 1 players can see the actual face behind the mask when they perform a Fatality or Fatal Blow against him.

Here’s how Billy looks in Mortal Kombat 1:

Better look at Ghostface actual identity
byu/Brandon26262 inMortalKombat

While this clears things up on one Ghostface, what about the others? If you pick a Ghostface mirror match, dialogue between the two reveals one is Billy and the other is his friend Stu Macher, who in the original Scream films helps during the killing spree in Woodsboro. But the person behind the mask is always Billy (currently there’s no Stu model to be found.)

There’s even more going on with this Ghostface. As IGN had reported ahead of the DLC character’s launch, NetherRealm has used Ghostface to secretly bring back two characters from a 20-year-old Mortal Kombat game. Ghostface is actually three characters in one, as you can switch to temporarily playing as The Enforcer or The Assassin by holding a button during certain moves. The lore justification here is Ghostface has been transported to Lui Kang’s timeline without his partners from the movies, so recruits two members of the Black Dragon clan to help him out.

Mortal Kombat fans had identified moves that are directly related to Kobra (Enforcer) and Kira (Assassin), two human Black Dragon members who each made their debut in 2004’s Mortal Kombat: Deception. With Ghostface’s release, Mortal Kombat modder @thethiny confirmed Kobra and Kira are indeed the two other Ghostface killers who help Billy out.

So far, players have yet to uncover faces under the masks for Kobra or Kira, as it’s always Billy no matter which version of Ghostface is in play when the Fatality or Killing Blow is performed.

Ghostface in Mortal Kombat 1 is voiced by Roger L. Jackson, who has voiced the character throughout the Scream franchise. Up next is Conan the Barbarian and T-1000 Terminator.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Global Release Times Confirmed

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl developer GSC Game World has confirmed the global release times for its hotly anticipated post-apocalyptic shooter.

In a tweet, GSC said the November 20 release date for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl kicks off at 8am PT / 11am ET, and is consistent across both PC and Xbox Series X and S. It also launches straight into Xbox Game Pass as part of Wave 2 of November 2024’s lineup.

GSC has also confirmed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s final PC system requirements. The game provides four graphics presets: low; medium; high; and epic, as well as a target resolution and FPS for each. The high graphics preset is what GSC calls ‘recommended,’ and provides 60fps gameplay at 1440p. For that high graphics preset you’ll need a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti / RTX 4070 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT GPU and 32GB of RAM. Low and medium require 16GB of RAM and less powerful GPUs. All graphics presets, however, require 160GB of SSD storage, which is a significant footprint worth bearing in mind if you’re planning on playing.

Meanwhile, GSC confirmed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 features upscaling options for DLSS and FSR. Specifically, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 launches with DLSS 3 and Reflex, which means GeForce RTX 40 Series gamers can activate DLSS 3 with Frame Generation and Super Resolution from day-one, accelerating performance.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl global release times:

November 20, 2024

  • Seattle: 8am PST
  • New York: 11am EST
  • São Paulo: 1pm BRT
  • London: 4pm GMT
  • Prague: 5pm CET
  • Kyiv: 6pm EET

November 21, 2024

  • Beijing: 12am CST
  • Tokyo: 1am JST
  • Sydney: 3am AEDT
  • Auckland: 5am NZDT

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has suffered a number of understandable delays, most recently in July when the game was due out in September. Ukrainian studio GSC said at the time that the extra two months would give the developers the chance to fix “unexpected anomalies,” aka bugs.

GSC has also been vocal about the challenges the studio has faced getting S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 up to scratch after a mixed reaction to its debut public showing last year. At gamescom 2023, GSC addressed what some had called a “downgrade” sparked by S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s then latest gameplay trailer. At the time, GSC told IGN it was still targeting a visual quality and level of polish suggested by S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s eye-catching 2021 trailer despite the horrendous conditions suffered by the staff amid the war with Russia.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Final Fantasy 14 Announced for Mobile With Tencent Studio Spearheading Development

Final Fantasy XIV is the latest online multiplayer game to head to mobile, joining Diablo and Monster Hunter among others. It is being developed by Tencent subsidiary LightSpeed Studios, which is responsible for PUBG Mobile and recently added Dragon’s Dogma director Hideaki Itsuno to its ranks as part of its newly-established Japan Studio.

The official release calls it an “exciting extension of the beloved franchise” and says it will capture the “immersive experience of the original title in a fresh, mobile-friendly format.” It’s unconfirmed whether the new mobile title will include cross-progression or any of the expansions, but LightSpeed Studios does plan to retain lifestyle content including fishing, Triple Triad, and chocobo racing.

In a statement as part of the release, Final Fantasy XIV Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida called the new release a “sister to Final Fantasy XIV.”

“It has been 11 years since FFXIV 2.0: A Realm Reborn launched, and this new mobile game will be a sister to FFXIV, aiming to recreate the grandeur of the original’s story and combat mechanics on mobile devices,” Yoshida said. “Non-combat features, such as Disciples of the Land and Hand, will also be faithfully implemented and we look forward to growing alongside the passionate FFXIV community.”

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn was first released in 2013 and has experienced huge success since, releasing multiple acclaimed expansions, including Dawntrail earlier this year. It has been lauded for its respectful handling of Final Fantasy history, its storytelling, and its numerous features.

The release claims that the mobile version will allow players to “immerse themselves in the meticulously crafted visual experience that defines Eorzea on mobile.” It will include “intricate weather and time-of-day systems” and “over 600 weather patterns across various landscapes.” The development teams have sought to optimize player character and equipment designs for the original game. IGN has asked for clarification on whether it will only feature the original A Realm Reborn content to start.

Final Fantasy XIV Mobile does not yet have a release date, but a demo will be available for play tests in China, with a global launch following soon after.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

The WD Black SN850X 2TB PS5 SSD on Sale for Black Friday: One of the Fastest SSDs on the Market

Ahead of Black Friday, Best Buy and Amazon are offering the 2TB WD Black SN850X PCIe Gen4 M.2 NVMe solid state drive (SSD) for the best price we’ve seen all year long. Right now you can get it without heatsink for $129.99 or with heatsink (at Walmart) for $134.99. The WD Black SN850X is one of the best performing PCIe 4.0 SSDs on the market; this is the best SSD for your PlayStation 5 console, but it can also be a blazing fast boot drive for your gaming rig.

2TB WD Black SN850X PS5 SSD (Without Heatsink)

2TB WD Black SN850X PS5 SSD (With Heatsink)

The SN850X is the latest generation of WD’s flagship Black series M.2 SSDs. In terms of performance, it’s considered a top-tier SSD with sustained read speeds of up to 7,300MBps, write speeds of 6,600MBps, random read speeds of up to 1,200K IOPS, and write speeds of 1,100IOPS. It’s faster than the previous generation SN850 thanks to newer flash chips (BiCS5 vs BiCS4) and an updated firmware.

If you plan to install this in your gaming PC, WD includes Game Mode 2.0 utility software that’s designed to tune the SSD for better performance during gaming sessions. Unless you have an unlimited budget, 2TB is the size I would recommend for a boot solid state drive; for most people, this is plenty of space for your OS and apps, and the price is still reasonable.

The SN850X also makes for an excellent SSD for your PlayStation 5 console. It’s identical to Sony’s officially licensed WD SN850P SSD. It more than fulfills all of Sony’s PS5 recommendations, including a M.2 2280 form factor, minimum 5,500MB/s speed, and PCI-E Gen4x4 interface. You can get the version with the pre-installed heatsink for $10 more, or you can just pick out a cheaper heatsink (it’s very easy to install). The SSD comes with a five-year warranty.

If you don’t yet own a PlayStation console, fret not because there are some fantastic PS5 deals coming for Black Friday. Sony recently unveiled a “Play Has No Limits | PS5” ad promoting a special holiday price for the PlayStation 5 Slim (Digital) at $379.99. The deal is set to run through Black Friday and expire after December 24.

Should You Wait for Black Friday?

That is a great question. We will unquestionably see more SSD deals on November 29. The WD SN850X, however, is one of the fastest SSDs on the market and if you’re looking for the best of the best, we think there’s a slim (although not zero) chance that you’ll find a better deal. However, if you’re more flexible and willing to buy an SSD that isn’t quite the best, but still fast enough to fulfill all of Sony’s recommended PS5 specs, then you should wait and find a deal that’s closer to $100.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Flight Simulator 2024 Players Getting Stuck in Hours-Long Loading Screens, Xbox Says It’s Working on the Issue

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is officially out today, and fans are eagerly hopping into their virtual cockpits to take to the skies once again. Or at least, they’re trying.

Players are taking to social media to report initial loading screens that are lasting for two hours or more. Its propensity for hanging at around 97 percent has led to memes about “Microsoft Flight Simulator 97” and other jokes. Some fans aren’t even that lucky, getting stuck at around six percent.

This should be the new logo
byu/epaga inflightsim

In a post on X/Twitter, Microsoft said that it’s aware of the problems and working on a solution. “We are aware of user reports of long initial loading times into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. With so many users initializing the sim concurrently, we have a large number of server requests. We are working to help resolve the issues as soon as possible. For users whose initial load is past 90% and no longer progressing, we recommend a reboot. Otherwise we advise waiting to allow the loading to proceed as normal.”

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the follow-up to 2020’s Microsoft Flight Simulator. Among its additions are a brand-new career mode and new aircraft types such as gliders and hot air balloons. We wrote in our preview, “I am suitably impressed with what I saw, and I didn’t think they’d be able to improve on MSFS 2020 much more than an iterative update, but this is a reimagining of the entire franchise. Everything good… is better now, and everything new looks awesome and fun.”

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available now on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: Here’s What Comes in Each Edition

Get your joystick ready, because Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 releases today for Xbox Series X|S and PC. The biggest new addition in this installment is a Career Mode, which lets you create a character and start working from any airport in the world. You can complete certifications for Medevac, Remote Cargo Ops, Aerial Firefighting, Search & Rescue, and more. All told, Flight Sim 2024 comes in two physical editions and four digital editions this time around (see it at Amazon now). Read on for full details about what comes in each edition of MSFS 2024, as well as pricing.

One quick note before we dive in: Below, you’ll find the number of aircraft and airports that are included in each edition. To see specifically which aircrafts are included, you can check out this image from the official website.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 – Premium Deluxe Edition

The Premium Deluxe Edition is by far the most widely available physical edition of the game. It includes the following:

  • 95 aircraft
  • 160 airports
  • Jumbo steelbook case
  • Custom pilot’s lanyard with digital game code
  • Message from the developer

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 – Limited Collector’s Edition

If you want the most exclusive (and priciest) edition, the limited collector’s edition is the one for you. Exclusive to the Aerosoft Store, it comes with everything included in the premium deluxe edition, plus some extras. Here’s what you get, per the listing:

  • 95 aircraft
  • 160 airports
  • Aviator Edition metal box (steelbook) with digital MSFS2024 game code (Premium Deluxe) incl. 30 additional aircraft
  • Limited and numbered Herpa metal model airplane of the Antonov An-225 in 1/400 scale with elegant stand
  • De Havilland Canada CL-415 as DLC for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) (Xbox Gamertag must be entered during the order process in order to receive the airplane afterwards)
  • Exclusive flight bag incl. 6 logos to attach
  • Exclusive FS 2024 logo pin and key ring
  • High-quality lithograph
  • Personal letter to the fans from Jorg Neumann

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Is on Game Pass Day One

If you just want to play the game without spending a lot of money, Game Pass may be your best bet. The standard edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is already available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members and PC Game Pass members.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 – Digital Editions

Otherwise, if you’d like to purchase a digital edition, you can do so on Steam or at the links below.

Standard Edition – (70 Aircraft, 150 Airports)

Deluxe Edition – (80 Aircraft, 155 Airports)

Premium Deluxe Edition – (95 Aircraft, 160 Airports)

Aviator Edition – (125 Aircraft, 160 Airports)

What Is Flight Simulator 2024?

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the latest installment of an extremely long-running series (it dates back to 1982, if you can believe it). This installment is based on the Asobo Studio engine, which Microsoft says uses cloud computing and machine learning to create the most accurate re-creation of the world yet in the series.

As mentioned above, the new career mode lets you take on all sorts of aeronautical jobs, like aerial firefighting and Medevac, and even Airline Passenger Transport. You can also check into the new Challenge League, where you can participate in competitions like rally races and precision landings and low-altitude challenges.

There’s also a World Photographer mode, in which you travel the globe to take photos of natural wonders and famous landmarks. You can land anywhere in the game and exit the aircraft to explore various biomes filled with real-life flora and fauna.

Check out our in-depth Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 preview for more information.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Threads.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 1 Update Returns XP Tokens to Players After Backlash

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has a new update that returns XP tokens to players after a backlash sparked by their removal following the launch of Season 1.

Patch notes published today, November 19, confirm “legacy” XP tokens (aka XP tokens you’ve been hoarding since Modern Warfare 2) are now back in players’ hands. Their surprise availability with the launch of Season 1 was welcomed by players deep into the Call of Duty grind, but their equally surprising removal caused an outcry.

At the time, developer Treyarch said it patched the legacy XP tokens out of Black Ops 6 because their accidental introduction, which it blamed on a UI bug, “introduced some potential risk to game stability.”

Elsewhere, today’s update improves the hitmarker user interface to help identify shots more easily, and fixes a number of bugs across Multiplayer and Zombies.

Taking on Zombies mode? We’ve got Essential Zombies Tips and Tricks to help you get started, plus a guide on How to Exfil. Both Zombies maps are full of easter eggs and secrets; here’s everything we’ve found in both Terminus and Liberty Falls, including How to Pack-a-Punch in Liberty Falls and How to Get the Meteor Easter Egg in Terminus.

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Season 1 November 19, 2024 patch notes:

GLOBAL

Legacy XP Tokens

  • Updated Black Ops 6 to support legacy XP token functionality

Gameplay

  • Improved hitmarker UI to help identify individual shots more easily.

Cosmetics

  • Addressed an issue where weapon sights would be misaligned with the Weaver Repairman Operator Skin equipped.

Store

  • Improved the loading of Tracer and Inspect preview videos for weapons.

MULTIPLAYER

Gunsmith

  • Added several missing langauge translations when swapping attachments.

Scorestreaks

  • Improved steering in reverse with View-Based vehicle controls.

UI

  • Addressed an unintentional bug where MWII and MWIII camos could be applied to Black Ops 6 weapons. Camos from previous titles were not designed for Black Ops 6 weapons and attachments and are not supported due to visual inconsistencies.
  • Addressed an issue where some Perk bags were not displaying when creating loadouts.

Stability

  • Various stability fixes.

ZOMBIES

GobbleGums

  • Addressed an issue that allowed GobbleGums to persist indefinitely.

UI

  • Added additional information for the current saved game in the map selection menu.

Stability

  • Various stability improvements.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.