Disney Said to be Considering a Surprising Replacement for Bob Iger: EA CEO Andrew Wilson

Entertainment empire Disney needs a new CEO, and a new report suggests that a familiar face from the world of games could be in the running.

Andrew Wilson, the always impeccably dressed CEO of EA, is reportedly being considered for Disney’s top job. It’s a big move in the entertainment world, with potential ramifications for fans of Pixar and Marvel as well as The Sims, Battlefield, and Dragon Age. Iger’s current contract runs until 2026, so it could be a while before anyone actually needs to get new business cards printed.

IGN has reached out to EA for a comment on the story.

The report came from The Wall Street Journal, which added that Wilson is up against at least two other external candidates for the replacement of current CEO Bob Iger. Iger previously retired in 2020, but he barely had time to take up fishing before he returning in 2022 after his successor, Bob Chapek, was pushed out of the role.

As for Wilson, he’s notched up over 24 years with EA, with 11 of those as CEO. In the latest EA earnings call, Wilson revealed Apex Legends likely wouldn’t be getting a sequel, and that in his eyes, Bioware has returned to its strengths with Dragon Age. If you want to more about him, enjoy this snippet from his corporate biography.

“A native of Australia, Andrew enjoys playing golf and is a life-long surfer, proudly serving as the Chairman of the Board for the World Surf League. He is also a passionate martial artist, holding a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”

Rachel Weber is IGN’s Managing Editor.

New Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Skins Revealed Including a Shark, a Raccoon, and a ‘Parasite Warrior’

Treyarch has pulled back the curtain on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s Season 1 battle pass and a number of Operator bundles, revealing a wardrobe of skins that includes highlights like a shark, a racoon, and one outfit that looks…unpleasant.

A full breakdown for the upcoming first season of content was revealed in a post on the Call of Duty website. It comes with everything you could ever want to know about Black Ops 6 Season 1, including an updated battle pass system that has its own weapons and skins to unlock as well as first details about what comes with a BlackCell upgrade. Operator Sev serves as the mascot for this introductory content rollout, but the real eye-catching skins won’t be found in that standard battle pass.

Today’s Black Ops 6 post hides a few cosmetics that will no doubt have heads spinning across Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone throughout Season 1. While some will surely spend their hard-earned COD Points on more tame offerings like the new Call of Duty League bundle and Cascade Failure tracer pack, others will be drawn to, for example, Carver’s Bloke Biter Ultra Skin. The outfit suits your Operator up as a great white shark, fit with gills, a dorsal fin, and a few rows of pointy teeth.

The G’Day Bait tracer pack also comes with more goodies in the form of ocean-themed builds for the XMG LMG and KSV SMG, as well as a collection of bloody cosmetics, including an emote, weapon charm, decal, spray, and calling card. The Cash Bandit bundle, meanwhile, will let Niran scavenge the battlefield as a racoon with the Debt Collector reactive weapon skin, the Vault Security GPR 91 assault rifle blueprint, and more.

These are two animal bundles that add a layer of goofiness to Black Ops 6, but Carver’s new Parasite Warrior bundle adds a hint of horror thanks to a grotesque design that sees your Operator wearing a parasite that looks like it was ripped straight out of Alien. There’s also the Kick Some Brass bundle, which includes what looks like a steampunk version of a Killzone Helghast soldier, and the Eternal Hunter bundle, which gives Rossi a vampire look.

Call of Duty usually waits for later seasons to start pulling out the more creative Operator bundles, but Black Ops 6 looks like it wants to make an impression sooner rather than later. This year’s Call of Duty entry came out swinging when it launched on October 25. Although it’s not been without its hiccups, players have largely taken to its fresh takes on classic game modes so far.

While we wait for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 1 to launch on November 14, you can check out our reviews for its Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies modes. You can also read up on what else to expect with this week’s update and some of what the team at Treyarch as addressed so far. For more, you can read about the person who managed to hit Prestige 1 without killing a single player.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Nintendo Officially Announces Black Friday Switch Deals for 2024

Nintendo has officially announced its deal lineup for the upcoming Black Friday sales, Business Wire has reported, with discounts incoming on Joy-Con controllers, Switch games, and loads more at retailers in-store and online. Here’s everything that was confirmed.

Black Friday Switch Game Deals – Starting Nov. 24

Beginning November 24, several Nintendo Switch games will be available at lower prices at major retailers like Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart. This includes $20 off games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and other games down to at least $29.99. We predicted we’d see very similar deals in our “What to Expect” for Nintendo Black Friday column.

It’s also worth mentioning that the deals over Black Friday will likely extend beyond what Nintendo has discussed, so stay tuned for even more updates. Moreover, on Nintendo’s digital storefronts, including the eShop and My Nintendo Store, holiday sales on select games will be a few days ahead of the other deals on November 19. But retailers could start to price match on this day instead.

Switch games on sale for Black Friday:

  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – $49.99 ($20 off)
  • Super Mario Maker 2, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Pikmin 4, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and the physical version of Nintendo Switch Sports – $39.99 each
  • Super Mario Odyssey and Pikmin 1 + 2 – $29.99 each

Accessories will also see price drops:

  • Neon Red/Blue Joy-Con controllers and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller – $20 off
  • Tears of the Kingdom-themed Nintendo Switch Carrying Case & Screen Protector – $10 off

Black Friday Holiday Console Bundles

The Black Friday Holiday Switch bundles are something we already knew about and are already available, but it has now been triple confirmed by Nintendo. You can now purchase a Nintendo Switch: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle for $299.99 (see it at Best Buy), or a version with the Switch OLED for $349.99 (see it at Best Buy). For those keeping track, the OLED bundle is new for Black Friday 2024. Let’s look at the details.

Buy either of the bundles, and you’ll get a Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch OLED console. You’ll also get a digital download code for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which, despite its age (the original version came out on the Wii U in 2014), remains one of the best racing games ever made in my opinion.

Finally, you get a one-year membership to Nintendo Switch Online (that’s better than last year’s bundle, which only had a three-month subscription). That gives you access to a library of classic digital NES, SNES, and Game Boy games, lets you play Switch games online, and gives you other bonuses, like cloud saves.

Nintendo Switch: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle

  • $299.99 ($79.98 in savings based on included extras)
  • Includes a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership

Nintendo Switch – OLED Model: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle

  • $349.99 (also a savings of $79.98)
  • Comes with the same game and membership as the standard model

For those interested in a more compact console:

Nintendo Switch Lite: Hyrule Edition

  • $209.99 (a savings of $39.99)
  • Features a gold design with the Hylian Crest and includes a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Membership. This version adds access to DLC for select games, plus a collection of classic titles from the Nintendo 64, SEGA Genesis, and Game Boy Advance.

Free In-Store Events

Nintendo is also organizing in-person demo events at Target, Best Buy, and GameStop, giving players a chance to try upcoming games and participate in giveaways.

  • Nov. 16–17: Target locations will feature live demos of Super Mario Party Jamboree.
  • Dec. 7: Best Buy Family Fun Day will offer hands-on demos for games like Mario & Luigi: Brothership, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Just Dance 2025.
  • Dec. 14: GameStop will host demos for the same lineup.

What About Amazon?

Amazon is susipciously absent from the press release seen at Business Wire. We recently reported on how there’s been something of a Nintendo-Amazon freeze out over much of 2024. This was recently broken with the listing of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom sold and shipped by Amazon, but there’s currently no indication as to whether the freeze out will still continue despite that anomoly. While Amazon will certainly have its own Black Friday sales, you might be better off finding Switch deals at Best Buy, Target, or Walmart.

When Is Black Friday 2024?

The actual date of Black Friday in 2024 falls on November 29 this year, but the deals season will begin a lot sooner than that. Leading up to the big event, retailers will begin to open deals online. This usually starts in the last week of October, just before Halloween. Each week 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.

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

Marvel Rivals Designer Dishes on Environmental Destruction and Hero Synergy – IGN First

[Editor’s note: Thank you to the team at IGN China for conducting this interview. It has been translated into English.]

When it comes to reflecting the characteristics of “Marvel Heroes” in-game and making Marvel Rivals stand out among other hero-based PvP games on the market, recreating their signature appearances and actions are of course important, but so is coming up with recognizable features in terms of both gameplay and character characteristics, as this is what will leave a deep impression on players.

Environmental destruction and hero team-ups are two very prominent features of Marvel Rivals at the system level. Although their focus is different, at their core, they are both meant to represent the unique presence and abilities of “Marvel Heroes.” If heroes canonically capable of destroying entire worlds can’t even break a wall in-game, or if “ride or die” partners like Rocket Raccoon and Groot have no interactions with each other, it would create a sense of disharmony within the game and leave players with the impression that the creators do not understand Marvel heroes, let alone the Marvel universe.

IGN China was recently invited to interview Zhiyong, the lead combat designer of the Marvel Rivals team, and we asked him to introduce a lot of settings and information related to environmental destruction and hero team-ups, which he believes will help players better understand and become immersed in the game’s content and atmosphere.

IGN: How different would the game be with and without destructible environments?

Zhiyong: The difference is very significant. As a game built around superhero battles, our goal in adding destruction effects is to showcase just how powerful they are beyond the conventional sound effects, special effects, and actions. This is the most basic design expectation for this feature.

But beyond that, we hope to use it to introduce dynamic changes within maps, such as knocking down a high platform to hinder enemy snipers, or creating a whole new path for a sneak attack. These effects all have the potential to turn the tide in battle. This helps ensure no two battles are alike even on the same map, which is the second level of consideration.

Finally, we will also integrate themed environmental destruction into different maps. For example, in Yggsgard, some broken things can be restored, and the transition between destruction and restoration will bring new variables to players’ strategies. Another example is the Tokyo 2099 map, where even if players destroy walls and pillars, part of the roof will still be suspended by spider webs. This kind of aerial cover can also lead to changes in tactics and operations. These are our basic expectations regarding the design of destructible environments. Their presence is sure to make a large difference in gameplay.

IGN: During our hands-on experience, we noticed that the total area of the destructible environment and the locations of objects that can be destroyed, such as platforms and potential passages, are often fixed. Do you anticipate players seeing the destruction effects as fixed parts of the map after playing several rounds, and thus not feeling there is anything special about them?

Zhiyong: Indeed, we did not make the scene completely destructible. This is because certain static features, such as obstacles, key firing line-blocking structures, and crucial points of cover, are the glue that holds the map together. If these are completely removed, the map’s design will lose its meaning. All the destruction effects are designed on this basis. But despite this, we’ve still managed to include a high proportion of destructible elements in each map.

During battle, players can quickly see which areas can and can’t be destroyed by pressing B. This is introduced through and integrated into the setting through “Chrono Vision,” making it more than a feature simply added out of thin air.

While ensuring there are enough destructible parts of the environment to feel satisfying, we’ve still ensured that it’s sufficiently difficult to completely tear down the map. For example, a single round on a Domination map may only take about four minutes, but if it’s a Convoy or Convergence map, a single non-Competitive round may take eight to ten minutes. Players need to fight and carry forward at the same time. If you don’t deliberately tear down a building, it’s really difficult to take into account all the destruction points. In this way, there will be a more obvious difference between each round.

IGN: Do all the abilities of all heroes have the ability to destroy the environment, or do only some of the abilities of some heroes have this ability?

Zhiyong: All the abilities of all heroes have the ability to destroy scenes. In fact, each ability in the game has two types of damage: damage to characters (the more conventional type of damage), and damage to destructible buildings and objects. Each character’s abilities have both attributes, with only a few exceptions, such as some control abilities that specifically target heroes and may have no effect on buildings. Most abilities do have a destructive effect, though. For example, Hulk’s fists can break walls, as can Rocket Raccoon’s machine gun when he shoots specific locations.

IGN: Over the past two days, I’ve experienced three new heroes, such as Moon Knight with his darts. These darts may look too small to do any real damage, yet they too are capable of breaking down buildings. What is the standard for configuring destructive power?

Zhiyong: To a certain extent, a building is treated like a “character” with a certain HP value, such as 500 HP or 1,000 HP. When a hero uses their abilities on it, part of the building’s HP will be deducted, and once its HP is depleted, the building will be destroyed. We do indeed adapt the destructiveness of different abilities according to their power.

But the most important thing for us is certain buildings collapsing after the battle reaches a certain stage or has progressed for a certain length of time, as it plays into a match’s flow. In order to control this rhythm, we will reverse the calculation based on damage data.

For example, we expect that at a certain location and under normal circumstances, two players who have engaged in one to two waves of combat will switch between offense and defense. Either a certain foothold will be shot down, or a car will be occupied, etc. Then, the fight will progress to the next location. Based on such a rhythm expectation, we will reverse the calculation of the approximate amount of damage that can be caused. With this sort of basic scale, we can infer how much destructive power each hero’s abilities should have, and there is a complete set of formulas and logic behind it.

IGN: For example, characters like Spider-Man and Venom rely heavily on pulling themselves up to high places for maneuvering or attacking, so they may struggle once a high-rise building is destroyed.

Zhiyong: Exactly. This is, to a certain extent, the concrete manifestation of the changes we hope scene destruction will bring to the battle. Including buildings, platforms, cover, and other elements will affect players’ strategies and how they choose to advance through the map.

IGN: Here are some questions about hero team-up abilities: First of all, I’d like to ask whether this feature will be designed and developed based around existing teams of heroes in the original comics, or whether there will be some original team-ups?

Zhiyong: We actually have both kinds. For example, the combination of Groot and Rocket Raccoon is directly lifted from classic scenes in the MCU and comics, while Hulk enhancing Iron Man and Doctor Strange with his Gamma Boost is more of along the lines of our exploration of the possibility of interactions between heroes and their abilities. In addition, Venom’s enhancement effect on Peni Parker and Spider-Man is also our original creation to a certain extent. In the game, Venom can separate part of the symbiote from his body and give it to his teammates, thereby enhancing the abilities of Peni Parker and Spider-Man.

IGN: In addition to enhancing an ability’s power or expanding its range, are there some special or unique team-up abilities?

Zhiyong: There are many types of team-up abilities. For example, the group of Hulk, Iron Man, and Doctor Strange mentioned earlier provides an enhancement to the heroes’ existing abilities, without changing their form. But the team-up of Magneto and Scarlet Witch essentially grants Magneto a new long-ranged ability.

The team-up group of Venom, Peni Parker, and Spider-Man I mentioned earlier is also one that adds new abilities. There are also some special team-up abilities in our game, such as Hela, Loki, and Thor. Hela is the queen of Hel, and based on that concept and thorough exploration, she was designed with the ability to revive Loki and Thor, which is completely out of the scope of numerical enhancement or expansion of the three characters’ original abilities.

IGN: After several rounds of large-scale close testing, have you made any new discoveries when it comes to balancing these team-up abilities? For example, were there any team-up effects that you originally thought to be unpopular but turned out to be used by many players?

Zhiyong: Overall, it is generally within our expectations, but the strength of some combinations may be slightly over-tuned. For example, the team-up combination of Magneto and Scarlet Witch is indeed quite direct, and many players can use it easily. It has a high floor as well, making it relatively powerful in both ranked and competitive situations.

There are also “Easter egg”-type combinations like Rocket Raccoon and Groot. It’s not particularly powerful, but players actually like it very much. Maybe it’s because this combination and being able to fight while riding Groot is just fun in and of itself.

The preferences and tendencies of players are generally within our expectations, but some team-up effects that fall under personal preferences have become popular, which is indeed slightly beyond our expectations.

IGN: You’re likely continuing to observe the effects and usage frequency of these team-up abilities to make balance adjustments, right?

Zhiyong: Absolutely. This continues to be a focus of ours. In addition, we will continue to introduce new characters, and with new characters comes new team-up abilities. At the same time, we have previously announced that there will be a concept of dynamic team-up in the game. Simply put, this “dynamic team-up” will make introduce adjustments to some team-up combinations on a seasonal basis. Of course, the ultimate goal is to introduce more variety to the team-up combinations and keep things fresh, as team-ups are a crucial part of our lineup diversity. Thus, we put it in a larger dimension for overall consideration.

IGN: If a player encounters a team without any hero team-up abilities when queuing up solo, will there be a big gap in overall strength compared to teams with team-up abilities?

Zhiyong: We have actually considered this issue very carefully and have plans to avoid such situations. First of all, the existing team-up framework generally includes a combination of two to three heroes, but we do not require that all three heroes must be present to activate the enhancement effect. For example, if a team includes only Hela and Thor, those two players can still activate the resurrection ability. Smaller unit design is obviously conducive to the triggering of team-up effects.

In addition, there is a concept called “team-up core” in the game. Some characters, which account for about one-third of the roster, can enjoy some special effect enhancements throughout the season. Even if the hero team-up is not activated—for example, if I choose Hela but no one in the team chooses Thor or Loki, Hela will still enjoy the season gain effect as a “team-up core” character, which guarantees the strength of the character to a certain extent.

Under this premise, only in extreme and rare cases in which players deliberately choose to do so would a team of six players wants to choose a combination that ha s neither the buffed “team-up core” nor any team-up combinations. Based on the aforementioned design, generally speaking, teams with team-up effects are competing against each other. In addition, looking at our data from many rounds of testing, there were almost no teams that lacked any sort of team-up effect.

On the other hand, from the experience of our developers—because we almost always play ranked—through our own observations in the ranking environment, players are gradually getting used to the team-up system. When I choose Scarlet Witch, my teammates will naturally choose Magneto to cooperate with me. When I choose Iron Man, there is a high probability that my teammates will choose Hulk, or when they see me choose Hulk, my teammates will select Doctor Strange, etc. This situation is becoming more and more common.

After all, most players will not limit themselves to just one hero. Rather, they will be good at at least three or four characters in different roles. As long as they reach this level, they will certainly have the know-how needed to cooperate with teammates to activate team-up effects, even when matching with strangers.

IGN: Are there more active effects or passive effects in hero team-up skills?

Zhiyong: Generally speaking, there are more active abilities. If a character’s inherent abilities are more complex, however, we may tend to use passive methods to trigger the team-up effect.

IGN: If it’s an active ability though, you may need to tell the player how to use it and what effects it has.

Zhiyong: Indeed. Our current tutorial is not quite complete, but we are already working on a new tutorial program. In it, we will select some heroes and explain how to trigger and use team-up effects through the hero’s introduction. Of course, we also hope to continue making additions to our beginner tutorial.

From the perspective of regular battles in the game, after an active team-up ability is activated, an animation will play. Generally speaking, it will be bound to a certain key/button, prompting the player to actively use it. There is no key/button prompt for passive types, such as Hela and Thor, which directly prompt resurrection.

IGN: Is the ultimate development goal of the hero team-up system to allow any hero to have a team-up effect with any other character?

Zhiyong: Frankly speaking, we don’t want just any hero, or any two heroes, to be able to activate team-up abilities, as this would make the game overly complicated. After all, this is not a card game—players do not have an overview of the entire match available at all times.

Our players are more like six individuals joining forces to defeat their six opponents. They need to communicate and cooperate with each other. Therefore, we should not make the hero team-up design too complex. In principle, we should try to keep it to the current two to three heroes in a group, with a dozen or so team-ups available.

With the continuous addition of new characters, we will also introduce new team-up abilities, and the old team-ups will also be changed and adjusted to adapt to the new meta. But in general, we still want to continue exploring in this direction. In doing so, we can better help players to learn and master various character combinations, and the overall context will appear clearer.

Best Nintendo Switch Deals Today (November 2024)

As we approach the end of the year, and with Black Friday sales right around the corner, there’s never been a better time to find top Switch discounts. We’ve gathered the best Switch deals currently available, including a great discount on Mario & Luigi: Brothership, and the Switch Black Friday bundles are already up and available at Best Buy. Check out our favorite deals at the moment below, and for more updates on the latest discounts, follow @IGNDeals on Twitter/X.

Best Nintendo Switch Game Deals

There are plenty of great Switch deals right now, but one of our favorites is on Mario & Luigi: Brothership. The new release has gotten its first discount at Woot, dropping its price by $10 to $49.99. Alongside that, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door drops to $42.99 at Walmart as part of its early Black Friday deals and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is down to $44.99 at Woot.

More Switch Video Game Deals

Best Switch Micro SD Card Deals

The best Switch SD card should be fast, reliable, and as future-proof as possible. That last one is important, especially with the Switch successor on the horizon. Therefore, you’re going to want to opt for the latest in SD card tech, which is a micro SDXC UHS-I U3 A2 V30 memory card. That’s a lot of random letters, so to save you a bit of time we’ve left our top suggestions and deals below for your convenience.

More Switch SD Card Deals

Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Holiday Bundles Are Live

Black Friday has arrived a little early for Nintendo fans. For the past few years, Switch holiday bundles with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have dropped during the holiday sale event. If you’ve been itching to pick up one of these bundles, you thankfully don’t need to wait until Black Friday as the Standard and new OLED bundle are already live at Best Buy. With these bundles, you’re essentially getting the game for free, which is totally worth it.

Best Switch Power Bank Deals

Looking for a new power bank? This incredible deal on the Anker PowerCore 737 is absolutely worth checking out. Featuring a spacious 24,000mAh capacity and a hefty 140W charging output, it’s a fantastic pick for your Nintendo Switch. We also featured it in our list of the best power banks for 2024, so it’s well worth investing in.

Best Nintendo Switch Accessory Deals

Whether you’re looking for a new controller or a new deck for your Switch, there are quite a few different accessory deals that are worth checking out. Here, we’ve listed just a few of our favorite discounts at the moment, including a deal on the CRKD Nitro Deck and a nice little deal on Neon Purple/ Neon Orange Joy-Con.

More Accessory Deals:

When Should You Buy a Nintendo Switch?

The short answer is that you should buy a Nintendo Switch whenever there’s any kind of sale, regardless of the time of year. Amazon will likely offer the same console bundles on any other sale as it will on Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, so there’s no real reason to wait if you’re in need of a Nintendo Switch.

That being said, there are sometimes some unique bundles and promotions during Black Friday that you won’t find any other time of the year. They usually includes additional games (like the infamous Mario Kart 8 bundle) or Switch accessories for free, but quantities tend to be limited. As always, do your research into the seller before you make a purchase and keep in mind that the Nintendo Switch 2 is coming out next year.

Where to Buy a Nintendo Switch in 2024

With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as PlayStation and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand-new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.

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

Fortnite Confirms OG Experience Returns in December, but This Time It’s ‘Here to Stay’

Veteran fans of all-encompassing battle royale Fortnite have a treat in store: the original “OG” version of the game re-launches next month.

In a tweet, developer Epic Games announced the OG Fortnite experience returns on December 6, but this time is “here to stay.”

That means players can relive Fortnite battle royale from the start when it launched in September 2017 and explore the OG map, collect OG loot, and relive OG seasons.

Epic had said that Fortnite OG and the original map would return at some point this year after relaunched in limited-time form back in November 2023. Enthusiasm for Fortnite OG was overwhelming and saw Fortnite enjoy its “biggest day” ever with over 44.7 million players jumping in to take a trip down memory lane.

Last month, Epic boss Tim Sweeney insisted the company was “financially sound” after a tumultuous period in which 830 staff were laid off. In September 2023, the North Carolina studio behind Fortnite and Unreal Engine suffered a significant round of layoffs that saw 830 employees, about 16% of its workforce, lose their jobs.

Separately, Epic divested music service platform Bandcamp and spun off most of SuperAwesome, a kid-safe technology company. These were acquired by Epic Games in 2022 and 2020, respectively. Around 250 people left Epic through the divestitures.

At the time, Sweeney said the company had been spending “way more money than we earn, investing in the next evolution of Epic and growing Fortnite as a metaverse-inspired ecosystem for creators.”

He also pointed to a “major structural change to our economics” after Fortnite growth transitioned from the explosively popular and highly profitable battle royale that funded its initial expansion, to the lower margin business that came from creator content with significant revenue sharing.

Speaking during a presentation at Unreal Fest 2024, Sweeney said that Epic “spent the last year rebuilding and really executing solidly on all fronts.” He added: “I’m happy to tell you now that the company is financially sound, and that Fortnite and the Epic Games Store have hit new records in concurrency and success.”

On that front, Fortnite hit 110 million monthly active users over the 2023 holiday season, an impressive milestone for a game now seven years old. To put that into context, in August 2018 Fortnite hit 78.3 million MAUs.

Epic rarely makes Fortnite player numbers public, and when it does so it uses various metrics that make direct comparisons difficult. Last year’s Season OG, which brought back the Chapter 1 Season 5 map and with it classic areas like Tilted Towers, Pleasant Park, and Risky Reels, saw Fortnite hit a new peak of 44.7 million players in just one day. Epic previously said Fortnite saw a concurrent player record of 15.3 million players for the December 2020 end-of-season live event, which saw players teaming up with Iron Man, Wolverine, and other Marvel heroes to defeat Galactus.

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.

GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition Gets Surprise Update on Console and PC, Adds Visual Features That Were Exclusive to Mobile Versions

Rockstar issued a surprise update for GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition today, November 12 — nearly two years since the last one.

GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition, a 2021 compilation of 2001’s Grand Theft Auto 3, 2002’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and 2004’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, was heavily criticized upon launch on PC and console. IGN’s GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition review returned a 5/10. We said: “GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition is defective, disappointing, and surprisingly disrespectful to three classic games and their many legions of fans.”

In contrast, the mobile versions of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, released in December last year, met with critical acclaim. Players praised the ports for fixing several issues found on the console and PC versions, including lighting, shadows, reflections, and draw distance. A Rockstar Games blog post published at the time mentioned that these ports include a new classic lighting mode “that restores the look and feel of the sky in the original games.”

Now, finally, this classic lighting option is in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition on PC and console. Early reports indicate sweeping visual improvements across the board that are already going down well with fans.

Reports also indicate Grove Street Games, original developer of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, is no longer mentioned in-game. The mobile versions were developed by Video Games Deluxe, the Australian studio behind L.A. Noire VR Case Files.

If you are diving in to GTA 3, GTA Vice City, or GTA San Andreas in the GTA Trilogy, here’s a cheat code refresher for each: GTA San Andreas Cheats, GTA Vice CIty Cheats, and GTA3 Cheats — and how to enter cheats on every platform, including mobile.

It’s a busy time in the world of GTA, with Rockstar continuing work on GTA 6. Parent company Take-Two recently doubled down on GTA 6’s promised fall 2025 release window for what will no doubt be the biggest video game launch of all time.

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.

Masahiro Sakurai Helps Zelda Cosplayer Struggling to Unsheathe Link’s Sword By Explaining How It Works in Smash Bros.

One Legend of Zelda cosplayer struggling to unsheathe Link’s sword has received advice from an unlikely source: Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai.

Cosplayer Sakigake posted some sleek images of their Breath of the Wild Link outfit on X/Twitter before showing the impracticalities of pulling a sword from a scabbard on one’s back. “It was impossible,” they said. “I will practice.” As spotted by Automaton, however, Sakurai appeared to save the day, revealing how he and his team at Nintendo fixed this issue in the Super Smash Bros. games.

“In Smash Bros. Ultimate, Link pulls the scabbard down when sheathing his sword,” Sakurai said. “That alone didn’t quite reach the mark, but I think that’s as far as we could go with our ingenuity and still replicate the action and equipment from the original.”

Sakigake and Sakurai continued their wholesome interaction, with the cosplayer saying they’d use Super Smash Bros. as a reference going forward. Sakurai responded again too, complimenting Sakigake’s Link cosplay. Check out how Breath of the Wild Link gets on in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in the video below.

Sakurai seems to be enjoying his time outside of video game development, having also run a YouTube channel talking about his work until very recently. This wrapped in October, with the famed developer leaving YouTube while teasing a mystery new game.

Whether or not it’s a Smash Bros. entry remains to be seen though, as Sakurai has previously said he doesn’t know how to make a game bigger and better than the one on Nintendo Switch.

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

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Patch 4.5 Adds New Neo-Volkite Pistol, Buffs Various Weapons, and Squashes Bugs

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has a new update (patch 4.5) out now across all platforms, adding the hotly anticipated Neo-Volkite pistol to the game.

Saber Interactive’s explosive third-person melee / shooter set in Games Workshop’s grimdark sci-fi universe set records for a Warhammer video game upon its release in September, and has sold an impressive 4.5 million copies so far. Saber has continued to update it since, with today’s patch notes revealing yet more balance changes ahead of a larger update set to add Dark Angels cosmetics.

Let’s start with the Neo-Volkite pistol, which is a powerful thermal ray weapon that shoots lethal beams that burns enemies to ash. It’s available now for the Assault, Vanguard, and Bulwark classes, but is limited to Operations mode only. Operations is the three-player co-op focused PvE mode designed to be played long-term after the campaign is completed.

Unlike other weapons, the Neo-Volkite pistol blasts a heat ray onto your enemies, dealing accumulative thermal damage. Focusing on one enemy ramps up the damage until it generates a localized explosion for huge damage to your target and all nearby enemies.

Publisher Focus Entertainment said it’s limiting the Neo-Volkite pistol to Operations mode for now “as we continue to experiment with balancing in PvP.” It will be added to Eternal War mode in Space Marine 2’s next major update alongside a new Operations map, a new enemy, and the Dark Angels cosmetics. Until then though, you’ll be able to try it out against your friends in the Battle Barge’s Sparring Arena.

Moving on, there are a number of balance changes for Operations mode only, including buffs to the Plasma Incinerator, Bolt Sniper Rifle, Occulus Bolt Carbine, Bolt Carbine SMG, and the Auto Bolt Rifle. There are general fixes and tech improvements, too.

In September, Saber Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits told IGN how the breakout success of Space Marine 2 had “changed everything” for the company. Eagle-eyed fans have spotted the Space Marine chapter now all-but confirmed to get a cosmetic pack after the Dark Angels, too.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Update 4.5 patch notes:

BALANCING TWEAKS

Weapons (Operations mode only)

PLASMA INCINERATOR

👉 Slightly reduced amount of heat generated by normal and charged shots for versions:

– Master-Crafted – Alpha

– Salvation of Bakka – Alpha

– Gathalamor Crusade – Alpha

👉 Fixed a bug that would cause several versions not producing heat at all.

BOLT SNIPER RIFLE

👉 Fire rate increased from 50 to 60 rounds per minute.

👉 Headshot bonus increased from x2 to x2.5.

OCCULUS BOLT CARABINE

👉 Scope added

👉 Headshot bonus increased from x1 to x1.33

BOLT CARABINE (SMG)

👉 Adjusted damage falloff curve: Base damage increased by 50% for the first 10 meters, after that, the damage drops to the original pre-patch value.

AUTO BOLT RIFLE

👉 Max ammo increased by 1 magazine for each version.

GENERAL FIXES

– Fixed a bug causing unlocked DLC cosmetic items to get locked again after a restart.

– Fixed a bug causing the Sniper perk “Targeted Shot” to not work after swapping weapons.

– Fixed a bug causing the Sniper invisibility not getting removed after a shot in rare cases.

– Fixed a bug preventing players from muting the others in PvP.

– Fixed several perks not triggering correctly from enemy kills.

– Fixed a bug that prevented certain weapon perks from triggering correctly when reaching a specific HP threshold.

TECH IMPROVEMENTS

– Crash fixes and general stability improvements.

– Fixed server disconnects with unstable user connection.

– General connectivity 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.

Well, at Least We Know In The Valley of Gods Would Have Had Amazing Water

In The Valley of Gods, the hotly anticipated follow-up to Firewatch from developer Campo Santo, was put on hold after Valve acquired the company back in 2018. Now, years later, it remains on hold, but one Valve developer has given fans a glimpse at what might have been.

Announced during the 2017 Game Awards, In The Valley of Gods is set in Egypt during the late 1920s. It stars Rashida and Zora, a pair of documentary filmmakers who accidentally made it big with a hit movie but have since seen their careers go off a cliff. They reunite years later after receiving information about the lost Tomb of Nefertiti, with a goal of reigniting their careers by documenting their trip to Egypt.

Valve visual effects developer Matt Wilde took to Bluesky to publish a six second water test created by Camp Santo before the studio’s move to Valve. It shows the player character bobbing in impressively realistic water while looking out from inside a cave at the other protagonist from a first-person perspective. “I do often tend to work on liquidy things,” Wilde said.

That’s a reference to Wilde’s work on Valve’s 2020 virtual reality exclusive Half-Life: Alyx, which caught attention for ultra realistic liquid in glass bottles. More recently, Wilde worked on Counter-Strike 2’s water and effects.

Wilde’s In The Valley of Gods clip obviously sparks questions about whether Camp Santo / Valve will one day return to the game. “To fans looking forward to In The Valley of Gods, it’s probably clear that the optimistic ‘2019’ at the end of the announcement trailer isn’t going to be accurate,” Campo Santo co-founder Jake Rodkin said when it was announced that In The Valley of Gods had been put on hold.

“In the end, Valve Time makes fools of us all. But yes, developers from the former Campo Santo team have joined other projects at Valve, including Half-Life: Alyx.

“So to answer your question as of today, In The Valley of Gods development is on hold — but it certainly feels like a project people can and may return to. And when that happens, we’ll find an exciting way to let fans know.”

It’s worth noting that In The Valley of Gods’ Steam page is still live — with a December 2029 release window. Perhaps that will end up being true.

Image credit: Matthew Wilde / Bluesky.

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.