The popular Cult of the Lamb franchise recently made the leap to comics in the graphic novel Cult of the Lab: The First Verse. Ahead of San Diego Comic-Con 2025, IGN can exclusively reveal the next chapter in the Cult of the Lamb Saga, Cult of the Lamb: Schism Special #1.
Cult of the Lamb: Schism Special #1 is a one-shot, 48-page comic that reunites the creative team from The First Verse, including writer Alex Paknadel (Red Goblin) and artist Troy Little (Rick and Morty vs. Cthulu). This new issue is again a collaboration between comic book publisher Oni Press, game publisher Devolver Digital, and development studio Massive Monster.
Here’s Oni’s official description of the book:
In the aftermath of their first and closest follower’s sacrifice, Lamb continues the bloody quest to defeat the Bishops of the Old Faith, but they lack the conviction to tend their growing flock back at the cult. More potential followers are rescued by the day, but with no one to indoctrinate them, Lamb’s power stagnates and The One Who Waits becomes weary of his earthly vessel’s resistance to the full power and responsibility of the Red Crown. When famine strikes the cult, a challenger to Lamb’s mantle emerges, and a new struggle begins…
“Let me just clear the air here: I’m not a gamer. At least, I thought I wasn’t until this extraordinary story landed in my lap,” Paknadel told IGN about The First Verse. “A perfect innocent – a sacrificial lamb – is given the means to avenge themselves against the tyrannical system that threw them under the bus for a paltry superstition. It’s a classic revenge fantasy, but it also contains the seeds of truly epic tragedy.Get ready to experience the events of the game from the Lamb’s perspective – their fall and rise and fall – and see why the tragedy of The One Who Waits’ anointed avenger only began with their death.”
IGN’s Tom Marks gave Cult of the Lamb an 8 out of 10, writing, “Cult of the Lamb is as adorable as it is unsettling, an eclectic mix of genres and themes that come together extremely well. Its combat is immensely satisfying even if its short runs and the relative lack of variety between them doesn’t give it the lasting appeal of other action roguelikes, and building my very own cult base and tending to a flock of followers was just as fun as any swing of the axe. I may not revisit it now that the credits have rolled, but Cult of the Lamb is something altogether different that I had an absolute blast playing.”
While it’s often a matter of last resort, video game cancellations are unfortunately a reality of the games industry.
There’s no single cause for why games don’t reach the finish line after months, or more often, years of development. Reasons for canceled games range from fast-shifting market dynamics and corporate restructuring to ballooning development costs and other creative challenges.
In 2025, 17 games have been confirmed or reliably reported to be canceled so far. Each of these games is listed below, ordered chronologically by the official announcement, or a report, of its cancellation.
Transformers: Reactivate
On January 8, 2025, it was announced that Transformers: Reactivate, an online action game in development at the Tencent-owned studio Splash Damage (Gears Tactics), was canceled. A statement shared on the studio’s X account did not provide a reason for the cancellation.
“This decision did not come lightly, and it is a difficult time for the studio and our people,” Splash Damage said at the time. “We want to take a moment to thank the team who worked on Transformers for their dedication and passion.”
Transformers: Reactivate was first announced in December 2022 at the Game Awards.
Two Unannounced PlayStation Live-service Games
On January 16, 2025, Bloomberg reported Sony had canceled two unannounced PlayStation games: a live-service project in development at Bend Studio (Days Gone) and a live-service God of War game in development at Bluepoint Games (Demon’s Souls remake).
Sony confirmed in a separate statement that despite the cancellations, neither Bend Studio nor Bluepoint Games would be shut down, and that Sony would work with the studios to determine their “next projects.”
On January 22, 2025, Extremely OK Games announced that it had canceled Earthblade, a 2D platformer meant to be a follow-up to its celebrated platformer, Celeste. The news of the cancellation came three years after Earthblade was first revealed at the 2022 Game Awards.
In a blog post explaining the cancellation, Extremely OK Games revealed the decision to cancel Earthblade was made in December 2024 following a disagreement between members of the studio and a former art director over the IP rights to Celeste. In the aftermath of the dispute, the team evaluated the state of Earthblade and decided it wasn’t “as far along as one would expect after such a protracted development process.”
The studio said it’s now “prototyping again and exploring at our own pace, and trying to rediscover game development in a manner closer to how we approached it at Celeste’s or TowerFall’s inception.”
Football Manager 25
Football Manager 25 was canceled on February 6, 2025. It’s the first time the annual sports sim has skipped a release in its 21-year history.
Football Manager 25 had been delayed twice prior to the official cancellation, and the decision to end development ultimately came when developer Sports Interactive concluded it “would not achieve the standard required [to release the game], even with the adjusted timeline.” The studio specifically cited issues with “the overarching player experience and interface.”
Sports Interactive is expected to resume the series with the release of Football Manager 26 later this year.
Wonder Woman
In February 2025 it was announced that the Wonder Woman game was canceled and the developers, Monolith Productions, would be shut down. Wonder Woman would have been the studio’s follow-up to its acclaimed Middle-earth seires, and was expected to utilize its patented Nemesis system.
The decision came from parent company/publisher Warner Bros. amidst a corporate restructuring. In a statement, a Warner Bros. spokesperson said, “Our hope was to give players and fans the highest quality experience possible for the iconic character, and unfortunately this is no longer possible within our strategic priorities.”
Following Wonder Woman’s cancellation, comic writer Gail Simone, who worked on the project, said the now-canceled game was “gorgeous and expansive,” adding, “[Monolith] made sure it had WW and DC lore on every aspect of the game.”
Wonder Woman was first announced at the 2021 Game Awards.
Respawn Multiplayer FPS
An unannounced, multiplayer first-person shooter from Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment was canceled in early March 2025. It was considered an incubation project, meaning it was in the very early days of its development.
IGN reported the shooter was being worked on by a group of Respawn developers that spun off from the team creating a Star Wars first-person shooter that was canceled in early 2024.
New Titanfall Game
A month later, Bloomberg reported EA had canceled an unannounced Titanfall game as part of wider cuts to the company that impacted roughly 300 workers. Of the 300 employees affected by the layoffs, 100 came from Respawn Entertainment, where this Titanfall project and the aforementioned multiplayer shooter were in development. No further details about the project were reported.
Titanfall is a fan-favorite FPS series that launched as a tentpole console exclusive for Microsoft’s Xbox One in 2014. A multiplatform sequel, released in 2016, was lauded for its addition of a single-player story, which IGN named the second-best FPS campaign of all time.
Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link
Square Enix canceled Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link on May 14, 2025. The planned mobile game was set to be an action-RPG that told a brand-new Kingdom Hearts story and would utilize Pokemon GO-like GPS mechanics.
In a statement from Square Enix, Missing-Link was canceled once it was “determined that it would be difficult to offer a service that players would find satisfactory over a long period of time.”
Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link was announced alongside Kingdom Hearts 4 in April 2022. As part of the cancellation announcement, Square assured fans development of the next mainline Kingdom Hearts is ongoing.
Battle Aces
An action-focused real-time strategy game called Battle Aces was canceled on May 23, 2025. It was in development for PC and set to be developer Uncapped Games’ debut release.
“Battle Aces represented a bold vision — our attempt to reimagine real-time strategy for a new generation,” the studio wrote on Steam. “We set out to create something fast, tactical, and approachable, while still delivering the depth that makes RTS special.”
Development was stopped due to “the returns from early testing [not being] strong enough to support continued development.”
EA’s Black Panther
The second comics-based game canceled in 2025 was EA’s Black Panther game. The cancellation, announced on May 28, 2025, came alongside the closure of Cliffhanger Games, which was developing Black Panther as its first project.
Speaking to the cancellation and accompanying layoffs, EA said the decision was made to “sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities.”
Black Panther was planned as a single-player, open-world game and was led by Kevin Stephens, former studio head of the now-shuttered Monolith Productions. Cliffhanger was also comprised of veteran game developers who previously worked on titles like Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Halo Infinite, God of War, and Call of Duty.
Black Panther was announced in July 2023 and was in development as part of EA’s multi-game deal with Marvel. EA said Black Panther’s cancellation hasn’t affected the structure of the deal and will still develop at least three Marvel games, beginning with EA Motive’s Iron Man.
Hytale
Hytale, a Minecraft-inspired sandbox game, was canceled in June 2025 alongside the closure of the developer Hypixel Studios.
In a statement, Hypixel said it “couldn’t bring Hytale to life in a way that truly delivered on its promise.” The developer said it required “a lot more time to get [Hytale] to a place where it could support the ambitious vision for the game” and compromising on that vision wasn’t an option, as “it wouldn’t have been the game we set out to make.”
Hytale began development in 2015 by a group of developers who previously worked together on a Minecraft multiplayer server called Hypixel. Riot helped fund Hytale before acquiring Hypixel Studios in 2020.
Perfect Dark
On July 2, 2025, Microsoft announced over 9000 layoffs, including roles at Xbox. As part of the cuts, Xbox canceled its Perfect Dark reboot and shuttered its developer, The Initiative. Perfect Dark was also being co-developed by Tomb Raider studio Crystal Dynamics.
Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty confirmed the cancellation in an internal email obtained by IGN. “We have made the decision to stop development of Perfect Dark and Everwild as well as wind down several unannounced projects across our portfolio,” it read. “As part of this, we are closing one of our studios, The Initiative. These decisions, along with other changes across our teams, reflect a broader effort to adjust priorities and focus resources to set up our teams for greater success within a changing industry landscape.”
The Initiative was built from the ground-up by Xbox to be a first-party studio that set out to make “AAAA” games for Microsoft. The reboot of the classic 2000 FPS developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64 was the studio’s first and only project.
Xbox confirmed the cancellation to employees in the aforementioned internal email from Xbox’s Matt Booty, which cited “a broader effort to adjust priorities and focus resources to set up our teams for greater success within a changing industry landscape.”
Everwild was set to be the first new game from storied developer Rare since its 2018 live-service pirate game Sea of Thieves. Rare announced Everwild in November 2019, and the game was reportedly a third-person adventure set in “a natural and magical world,” though official details were never revealed.
Following the cancellation, VGC reported 35-year Rare veteran Gergg Mayles would be leaving the studio. Among his many accomplishments, Mayles directed the N64 classic Banjo-Kazooie and served as creative director on Sea of Thieves. He was overseeing the development of Everwild prior to its cancellation.
Codenamed Blackbird, the game was said to be a new, sci-fi IP without ties to The Elder Scrolls or Fallout. It had been in development since 2018, sources told IGN, and was approaching full production.
The Blackbird development team was laid off in conjunction with the cancellation. ZeniMax Online Studios director Matt Firor, who held that position since the studio’s founding in 2007, also announced he’d be stepping down. He’ll be succeeded by studio general manager Joseph Burba.
Two Games from Dying Light Developer Techland
On July 4, 2025, Polish Media outlet Pulz Biznesu reported Dying Light studio Techland had canceled two in-development games.
Techland acknowledged the report to Eurogamer, and said in a statement, “Game development is never a straight line, and sometimes fresh approaches are necessary to make great games.” Techland also confirmed no jobs were cut due to “the reported changes.”
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
The founders of Subnautica 2 studio Unknown Worlds, Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, along with former CEO Ted Gill, are filing a lawsuit against parent company Krafton amid an increasingly bitter row over a $250 million bonus.
In a new statement, Cleveland called recent events “an explosive and surreal time,” and told fans anxiously waiting to play Saubnautica 2 that they “all deserve the full story.” It’s just the latest twist in a long, convoluted dispute between Unknown Worlds’ original management and Krafton, the Korean mega publisher of battle royale behemoth PUBG.
Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds in October 2021 and at the time, said the Sabnautica studio would continue to operate as an independent outfit. Last week, however, former Striking Distance CEO, Steve Papoutsis, joined Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds as CEO. The shock announcement confirmed that the previous leadership team — Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire — were replaced “effective immediately.” In a subsequent statement, co-founder Cleveland responded to what he called the “shock” decision to replace the leadership team, saying that “after all these years, to find that I’m no longer able to work at the company I started stings.” The statement also intimated that while the former leadership team considered the game ready for early access release, Krafton did not.
Then, earlier this week, reports came to light that Subnautica 2 was delayed to 2026 just months before Krafton was due to pay a $250 million bonus to the development team. Bloomberg said the delay was “against the wishes of the studio’s former leadership,” and that the $250 million bonus would have kicked in if Unknown Worlds hit certain revenue targets by the end of 2025. Without Subnautica 2 coming out this year, hitting those revenue targets is unlikely, and the bonus won’t be paid out.
In a statement to IGN, Krafton insisted the decision had nothing to do with “any contractual or financial considerations.” Instead, Krafton claimed, the delay was about responding to feedback from playtests, and delay talks were already under discussion before Cleveland, McGuire, and Gill were outed.
Then, in a new statement that made a series of allegations against the previous leadership team, Krafton claimed it made “multiple requests” to Cleveland and McGuire to resume their responsibilities as game director and technical director, respectively, but allegedly both declined.
“In particular, following the failure of Moonbreaker, Krafton asked Charlie to devote himself to the development of Subnautica 2. However, instead of participating in the game development, he chose to focus on a personal film project,” the statement said. “Krafton believes that the absence of core leadership has resulted in repeated confusion in direction and significant delays in the overall project schedule.”
Krafton then said it allocated 90% of the up to $250 million earn-out compensation to Cleveland, McGuire, and Gill, leaving the remaining 10% for the rest of the development team.
“Specifically, in addition to the initial $500 million purchase price, we allocated approximately 90% of the up to $250 million earn-out compensation to the three former executives, with the expectation that they would demonstrate leadership and active involvement in the development of Subnautica 2,” Krafton alleged.
Now, Cleveland has confirmed that the former leadership is taking legal action against Krafton, and disputed the allegation that they wanted to “keep [the earnout] all for ourselves,” calling the claim “totally untrue.” He did not, however, expand on what grounds, exactly, the former management team is suing under.
“It continues to be an explosive and surreal time for the Subnautica team and community. None of this is what we wanted. But we truly appreciate the amazing support we’ve gotten from everyone. It means a lot to us, especially now,” Cleveland stated.
“As I wrote last week, we know in our souls that the game is ready for Early Access — that’s just how we roll. And we’d like nothing more than for you to play it (game devs live for this). But it’s not currently under our control.
“We’ve now filed a lawsuit against Krafton: the details should eventually become (at least mostly) public — you all deserve the full story,” he added. “Suing a multi-billion dollar company in a painful, public and possibly protracted way was certainly not on my bucket list. But this needs to be made right. Subnautica has been my life’s work and I would never willingly abandon it or the amazing team that has poured their hearts into it.
“As for the earnout, the idea that Max, Ted and I wanted to keep it all for ourselves is totally untrue. I’m in this industry because I love it, not for riches. Historically we’ve always shared our profits with the team and did the same when we sold the studio. You can be damned sure we’ll continue with the earnout/bonus as well. They deserve it for all their incredible work trying to get this great game into your hands. Stay tuned.”
Fans are now calling for a boycott, imploring others not to buy Subnautica 2 and accusing Krafton of “shady business practices.”
“I don’t know who’s in the right or wrong here, but honestly, what a bizarre business decision to promise that amount of money on that premise,” commented one fan. “Maybe Charlie didn’t do anything wrong, but no person is going to resist trying to push out a subpar product that isn’t ready when they’re staring 250 million dollars in the face. If Subnautica 2 wasn’t ready, it was going to be pushed out regardless just to get the money.
“Nobody wins in that situation. Well. Except for the person with lots of money, I guess.”
“We are rapidly approaching a ZA/UM level sh*tshow at this point,” added another, comparing the fallout to that of Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM when the studio’s leadership similarly fell out, resulting in three different studios now claiming to be developing a “spiritual successor.”
“I’m honestly not sure who is in the right here. Both sides have provided pretty damning arguments and I don’t think we’ll really know until this lawsuit plays out (and possibly not even then),” suggested this player. “That being said, I would love to see if it’s just those three asking for money (and screwing over the rest of the team) or if they’re including the team in their lawsuit in some respect.”
“Krafton is a massive company with an assuredly sizable legal team. I simply refuse to believe that there is anything that could remotely be construed as libel in their statement considering how explicitly clear their statement is,” reminded another fan.
“I’m sure the truth is somewhere in the middle but I can’t help but notice that nobody has denied Krafton’s allegations so far. They’re also a large enough company that these guys know they will very much agree to settle for a fraction of the 250 million to make this whole problem go away.”
Krafton has yet to comment publicly on Cleveland’s latest statement. IGN has asked for comment.
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.
Resident Evil Survival Unit, the upcoming strategy game spin-off for smartphones, has been given a proper reveal — and now we know it’s set in a parallel universe where you form a squad of characters from the series’ biggest stars (and also Barry Burton) to take on zombies and monsters.
Described by developer Aniplex as “the world’s first full Resident Evil for mobile” during a new showcase video, Resident Evil Survival launches later this year for iPhone and Android devices.
Gameplay sees you building up a familiar-looking mansion as your base, where your characters will live and interact. You’ll then head out onto survival missions against familiar Resident Evil foes, with Aniplex promising a “global multiplayer experience.”
You can watch the full showcase video just below.
For now, it looks like the game’s real-time defense battles will be single-player, but Aniplex says you’ll also be able to “connect and compete in real time across the globe” with other fans.
Survival Unit’s story begins with your player character shaking off the effects of being an Umbrella Corporation test subject, then recruiting a team of Resident Evil stars to fight back. Over time, you’ll upgrade these characters by purchasing items from the Resident Evil Merchant, to take on progressively tougher threats.
Recurring Resident Evil characters such as Leon S Kennedy, Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, and fan-favourite Resi 1 character Barry Burton are all included, alongside some deeper cuts.
With her daughter set for a starring role in Resident Evil Requiem, it’s interesting to see the return here of Resident Evil Outbreak’s Alyssa Ashcroft. Becca Woolett makes a return from Resident Evil: Resistance, while Resident Evil 2’s fallen hero cop Marvin Branagh is also included.
Just don’t expect any of the new story here to be reflected in Requiem when it arrives next year. For all Survival Unit leans on the main Resident Evil franchise, this announcement makes clear that it will be a non-canon entry to the series — meaning there’s no clues as to Leon’s mysterious current status.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Need some more rerolls in Fire Force: Reignition? We’ve got you covered. Below, we’ve compiled all of the free redeemable codes currently active in the Roblox action RPG, so you can get your hands on free rerolls and other goodies instantly.
Active Fire Force: Reignition Codes (July 2025)
Below are all the active Fire Force: Reignition Codes as of July 2025:
Below are all the expired Fire Force: Reignition Codes as of July 2025:
MOMMY
FOOL
How to Redeem Codes in Fire Force: Reignition
After loading into the game, look at the hud in the centre of the screen. Above the health bar, you’ll see four buttons. Click the menu button. It’s circled in the left-hand side of the image above.
This will bring you to a menu overlay with six circular icons. Look for the settings icon on the far left. It’s circled in the right-hand side of the image above. Click it.
It’ll bring you to the settings tab. At the bottom of this tab, you’ll see a codes bar.
Type your code in and hit “Go” to redeem the code. If it was successful, a notification with your rewards will appear in the centre of the screen.
Why Isn’t My Fire Force: Reignition Code Working?
If your Fire Force: Reignition code isn’t working, it’s likely due to one of two scenarios. The first is that the code was inputted incorrectly. Check the spelling and that the case is correct, then redeem again. You can even copy and paste the codes directly from this article over to Roblox if you want to make sure you’re inputting them correctly.
The other possibility is the code has expired or you’ve already used it. In this scenario, you should see an error message pop up inside the code bar informing you that the code has already been redeemed or is invalid.
How to Get More Fire Force: Reignition Codes
If you’re on the hunt for additional Fire Force Reignition codes, your best bet is to head over to the game’s official Discord server. Once you’re a member, you’ll be able to find any new codes as they drop in the Announcements and Updates channels.
What is Fire Force: Reignition in Roblox?
Fire Force: Reignition is a multiplayer open-world RPG that takes heavy influence from the popular manga and anime series, Fire Force. Players are dropped into an open-world city and must fight their way up to becoming a pyrokinetic legend, taking on missions, battling other players and levelling up their abilities so they can unleash more powerful fiery attacks.
Callum Williams is an IGN freelancer covering features and guides. When he’s away from his desk, you can usually find him obsessing over the lore of the latest obscure indie horror game or bashing his head against a boss in the newest soulslike. You can catch him over on Twitter at @CaIIumWilliams.
The four-day marathon of Amazon Prime Day is about to end tonight at 11:59 pm PT! There’s hardly any product category that’s not on sale at Amazon at the moment. But each year, Prime Day is one of the best times to stock up on board games, and this year is no different.
It seems like most board games are still on sale right now for Prime Day 2025, and the prices are still great overall. Amazon has changed some products’ pricing day-to-day (like Ticket to Ride and 7 Wonders, which are sadly not on sale for Prime Day #4). So if you see a deal you like, you may want to jump on it unless you’re willing to wait until Black Friday. Below, we’ve highlighted our picks for the best board game deals available now, but you’ll need a Prime membership to get most of them. You can sign up here and save on these last-chance deals.
Save Up to 50% Off Board Games for Prime Day
As an added bonus, a bunch of the games are part of another sale that’s also going on right now that saves you $10 when you spend $40 on select items. So if your game(s) are eligible and you spend more than $40, you’ll get an additional $10 off. As a deal-focused commerce editor, I love it when you can stack a deal on top of a deal. It feels like you’re working the system.
Azul
Included in Amazon’s “Save $10 when you buy $40 of select items”
So what worthy board games are on sale right now? A whole lot of them. Azul is always one of our top sellers when it goes on sale, and it’s currently on sale for $23.99, which is decent considering it usually hovers around the $33 range. The price was slightly lower yesterday though (~$19), which goes to show we shouldn’t wait too long to snag a good deal in case Amazon changes the pricing throughout a sales event! Check out our Azul board game review for details.
Catan
Our board game expert Matt Thrower said “Catan possibly kicked off the entire modern board game movement, thanks to its breakthrough popularity.”
Mysterium
I had to highlight Mysterium here since it dropped in price yet again on Amazon since yesterday, and is the lowest price we’ve seen so far during Prime Day. This is one of our top picks for exciting murder mystery games and can be played with up to 7 people.
Codenames
Codenames is one of the best picks for groups of 2-8 players, and made the cut in our overall best party board games list. If you’re looking for a good board game to break out at your next gathering, this may be the one.
These 1000-piece puzzles are basically ready-to-hang posters by the time you’re done. If you enjoy fandom-inspired art that actually looks good on a wall, this sale is worth a look.
Right now, only four designs are included, each tied to a popular franchise. The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter options are easily my favorites—they have a bookish, collector’s feel that works way better than most licensed puzzle art.
Is Prime Day a Good Time to Buy Board Games?
Short answer: yes. If you’re looking to pick up a few new board games or card games, Prime Day is one of the best times of the year to do it, matched only by Black Friday in terms of overall discounts and variety.
Some of the deals available during Prime Day 2025 represent the lowest prices ever tracked on popular games, including modern classics, family favourites, and party staples. It’s unlikely they’ll drop any further later in the year, and by the time Black Friday rolls around, you’ll have missed a solid few months of potential game nights.
If you’re unsure whether a deal is truly worth it, use a site like CamelCamelCamel to check Amazon’s price history. It’s a quick way to confirm whether a discount is as impressive as it looks.
In a world filled with screens, board games offer a refreshingly analog way to spend time with friends and family, or just take a break solo. Whether you’re looking for something light and fast or deep and strategic, there’s something in this year’s sale worth grabbing. Just don’t wait too long, stock will disappear fast, and the best offers rarely hang around past the main Prime Day event.
Also See: Top 10 LEGO Deals Today
More Prime Day deals still live now
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 Bluesky.
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)
In Balatro, you earn points by playing various Poker hands in an effort to score high enough to complete a string of levels. The better you do, the more money you have to spend on upgrades. These upgrades can improve the bonuses you get from different kinds of hands, like two-of-a-kind or straights, augmenting your playing cards with special properties.
The game’s most notorious feature is special Joker cards that impart unique multipliers depending on what cards you play. It sounds more complicated than it is, and by the time you complete a run or two, you will get why this game is so popular.
Made by a single developer, LocalThunk, Balatro has taken home numerous awards since it first released on Steam in February of last year, and one of the biggest indie game hits in recent memory. In our review, Simon Cardy said, “Remarkably approachable with complex systems waiting for those willing to lose themselves to it, Balatro successfully assembles the infinitely fun gameplay loop that every great roguelike sets out to create.”
Whether you’re a Balatro pro looking for a new platform to play the game on or just looking for a new game on your Switch, I can’t recommend this deal enough!
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.
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)
Assassin’s Creed Shadows features dual protagonists, the shinobi Assassin Naoe and the historical samurai, Yasuke, which the player can swap between. Both have their own unique styles of gameplay, so you can tackle many of the game’s challenges as you see fit.
This Amazon-exclusive limited edition comes with the Sekiryu Character pack, which gifts you Naoe’s and Yasuke’s Sekiryu Gear Sets, Naoe’s Eye of the Dragon Katana, Yasuke’s Claw of the Dragon Long Katana, the Dragon Tooth Trinket, and Sekiryu Beast mount.
Even with all these bonuses, this is the lowest price the console edition of Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been since its release, which is also a lower price than the game has hit on Steam.
When we reviewed Assassin’s Creed Shadows, we had a really great time with it. Our reviewer Jarrett Green says “Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes a flashing blade to the series’ established norms, trimming them to a more precise form in lieu of chopping them down outright…for those of us with lots of hours logged in the Animus, the sum of Shadows’ parts provide a refreshing realignment of the series that you should not skip.”
With this kind of discount, there’s no better time to jump back into the Animus and see what the Brotherhood is getting up to in feudal Japan.
