Sony has announced PlayStation: The Concert, the world tour of a “state of the art production” with music from games such as God of War, The Last of Us, Horizon, Ghost of Tsushima, and more.
Some details are still hazy as the PlayStation Blog post detailing PlayStation: The Concert and a press release provided to IGN have conflicting and seemingly incomplete information, but the world tour will premiere in April 2025.
The first show will take place in Dublin, Ireland, seemingly on April 19, before shifting to the UK for six tour dates between April 21 and April 27. It will then head to “more than 200 cities” across Europe, the U.S., and more.
Concert locations beyond Europe will be announced “very soon,” Sony said, and so far only the Ireland and UK dates have been announced. PlayStation: The Concert will take place in Birmingham on April 21, Manchester on April 22, Leeds on April 23, Newcastle on April 24, Glasgow on April 25, and London on April 27.
It will later take place in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Paris and Amnéville, France, Brussels, Belgium, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Leipzig, Munich, and Oberhausen, Germany, Zurich, Switzerland, Bologna, Italy, Budapest, Hungary, Sofia, Bulgaria, Vienna, Austria, Bratislava, Slovakia, Prague, Czech Republic, Lodz, Poland, Copenhagen, Denmark, Gotenburg, Sweden, and Oslo, Norway.
Antwerp in Belgium and Tampere in Finland were also listed but have a strikethrough on the PlayStation Blog, seemingly suggesting these dates were removed.
Tickets will be available on the PlayStation website on October 16 at 7am Pacific / 10am Eastern / 3pm UK for those who use the early access code PLAYCONCERT24, though the site doesn’t appear to be available as of yet. The press release provided indicates an October 18 availability date for those without early access, which is essentially no one since PlayStation made the code public.
PlayStation: The Concert is promised to be a “deeply immersive live concert experience,” Sony said. “An innovative multi-screen design, combining advanced LED and projection technologies, will enhance the event and deliver the most iconic moments and imagery from these games.
“Coupled with surround sound, the show delivers breathtaking visual and audio depth, creating an immersive experience that will allow the audience to relive their gaming adventures like never before.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass Wave 2 October 2024 lineup.
The headline here is of course the October 25 release of Black Ops 6, the first Call of Duty game to launch day-one on Game Pass. It comes following a year after Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which has also seen the likes of Diablo 4 and Modern Warfare 3 arrive on Game Pass, and will, in November, see StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection hit the subscription service.
Black Ops 6’s launch straight into Game Pass is a big gamble for Microsoft. It hopes the power of Call of Duty will boost subscriber numbers and revenue (itself bolstered by a recent Game Pass price rise and restructure), but it comes with the risk of losing sales of the full-price game. While Xbox executives have insisted sales can be boosted by a game’s presence on Game Pass, some publishers remain unconvinced. Former Activision boss Bobby Kotick, for example, was always against putting Call of Duty into subscription services. Unlike Microsoft, console rival Sony does not release its new exclusives straight into its subscription service.
In an interview with IGN last year, Xbox boss Phil Spencer was asked how he’d handle his and Kotick’s different ideologies after the deal to buy Activision Blizzard closed. “Well, there’s a different person making the decisions,” Spencer laughed.
In the shorter term, tomorrow, October 16, South Park: The Fractured but Whole (Cloud, Console, and PC) hits Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard. A day later, on October 17, Donut County (Cloud, Console, and PC) returns to the Game Pass library via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard, and MechWarrior 5: Clans (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) hits Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass as a day-one release.
Then it’s the big one: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Cloud, Console, and PC) on October 25 via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass only. Also on October 25, last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Cloud) via Game Pass Ultimate, and battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone (Cloud) via Game Pass Ultimate.
Moving on from October 25 and Call of Duty, Ashen (Cloud, Console, and PC) returns to Game Pass via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard on October 29.
And finally for October, Dead Island 2 (PC) enters Game Pass for PC gamers via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on October 31 (it’s already available on Game Pass via Cloud and Console).
Microsoft also mentioned StarCraft: Remastered (PC) – November 5 (Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass) and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection (PC) – November 5 (Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass), which are set to kick off Wave 1 of November 2024’s Game Pass lineup.
Ashen (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 29 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Dead Island 2 (PC) – October 31 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
StarCraft: Remastered (PC) – November 5 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
StarCraft II: Campaign Collection (PC) – November 5 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pas
As usual, a number of games leave Game Pass as new titles arrive.
Here’s what’s leaving Xbox Game Pass on October 31:
Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Headbangers (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Inkulinati (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Lonely Mountain’s Downhill (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Mineko’s Night Market (Cloud, Console, and PC)
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.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Trophy / Achievement list is online in full and contains spoilers you might want to avoid if you’re looking to go into BioWare’s next big game fresh when it arrives October 31.
The trophies, which IGN won’t spoil here, revolve around major story beats. There are a few miscellaneous and collectible trophies thrown in too, as well as the party member-specific trophies — although, curiously, not for completing a romance storyline.
BioWare games traditionally do include achievements for romancing characters, but Dragon Age: The Veilguard appears to be taking a different, perhaps more Platinum-friendly approach.
The names of the achievements tied to those story beats suggest various plot developments, locations, and even the final boss, so it’s worth a PSA for the perhaps inevitable ramping up of Dragon Age: The Veilguard spoilers on the internet as we near the release date. If you want to check them out for yourself, they’re over at Exophase.
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.
Update 10-15-2024: Sony has now released the full line-up of PlayStation Plus Games Catalog additions for October 2024, meaning subscribers of the Extra and Premium tiers can download the likes of Dead Island 2, Two Point Campus, and more at no additional cost.
Original Story: Sony has revealed the full line-up of PlayStation Plus Games Catalog additions for October 2024, which includes Dead Island 2, Two Point Campus, and more.
Announced on the PlayStation Blog, a total of 14 games are joining the library, 10 on the PlayStation Plus Extra tier and four on the PlayStation Plus Premium Tier through the Classic Games Catalog and PSVR2 offerings. They’re available October 15.
Embracing spooky season ahead of Halloween, The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me and Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed also arrive alongside the headlining horror title Dead Island 2.
PlayStation Plus Games Catalog Additions for October 2024
Dead Island 2 is the long awaited sequel to the zombie smashing game that finally arrived in 2023. Players rampage around a post apocalyptic version of Los Angeles in a first person action role-playing game where killing zombies as creatively as possible is encouraged. “Dead Island 2 is a hilarious gore-fest and a competent zombie-slaying adventure, but lacks creativity outside of its great sense of humor,” IGN said in our 7/10 review.
Two Point Campus is a college simulation game with an attitude, where players can build their perfect campus and hire their dream team of staff to run it. “The wacky humor might be hit or miss, but as a management sim, Two Point Campus graduates with honors,” IGN said in our 8/10 review.
The Devil In Me arrived as the final game in Season 1 of The Dark Pictures Anthology from Until Dawn and The Quarry developer Supermassive Games. While the studio is seemingly forever seeking a return to form that was Until Dawn (and even its remake has gone down poorly), The Devil in Me couldn’t quite fill its shoes. It earned just a 5/10 in IGN’s review.
Gris aims to be as much an art piece as a video game, describing itself as a “serene and evocative interactive” where players “explore a meticulously designed world brought to life with delicate art, detailed animation, and an elegant original score.” In our 6/10 review, IGN said: “Gris’s beautiful exterior hides a simple, at times confusing, platformer.”
Return to Monkey Island is the highly anticipated follow-up to the beloved Monkey Island series. It earned an impressive 9/10 in IGN’s review. “Return to Monkey Island expectedly comes packed full of smartly crafted puzzles, funny dialogue, and memorable characters,” we said. “But as series creator Ron Gilbert returns to the series’ director’s chair for the first time since 1991, it unexpectedly offers a lot of heart, too. It is an adventure gamer’s delight.”
A multiplayer game with as much substance as one of its ghostly adversaries, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed arrived in 2022 as another in the four versus one formula. Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is an asymmetrical multiplayer game that’s mostly enjoyable, but badly needs more content,” IGN said in our 6/10 review.
Firefighting Simulator: The Squad lets players join a major U.S. city’s firefighting team and discover over 40 diverse deployment locations in an environment inspired by the North American west coast. “Equip yourself with authentic firefighting gear such as helmets, firefighter boots, and a breathing apparatus model by well known North American firefighting equipment manufacturers,” reads the synopsis.
Off road racing game Overpass 2 has players compete in races and try to set the best time on extreme tracks behind the wheel of powerful and officially licensed ATVs and UTVs. Overpass 2 features 37 vehicles in three different categories, five environments, 31 circuits, and multiple race modes.
On yer bike. Tour de France 2023 is the video game version of, well, the Tour de France 2023. Players can pedal alongside the best cyclists, test their endurance, and show their panache to triumph on the Champs-Elysées.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands is the open world action game that Ubisoft released in 2017. It has been in the PlayStation Plus Games Catalog before too. “Ghost Recon: Wildlands has issues with repetition, but its co-op antics make it an entertaining military shooter,” IGN said in our 7/10 review.
Virtual reality charmer The Last Clockwinder is a whimsical puzzle game about automation, where players must repair the Clocktower: An ancient haven for the galaxy’s plants and seeds built into the trunk of a colossal tree. Special Clockwinder gloves let players turn every simple task into a looping clockwork automaton.
The headlining game in the PlayStation Plus Classic Games Catalog is beloved 1999 title Dino Crisis. With a modern attempt apparently shut down because of Monster Hunter, the original is players’ best bet for a shot in 2024. “Dino Crisis brings back the stylistic still camera angles, the multi-level labyrinthine structures, and the gallons of blood and gore with all of the shock and suspense that Resident Evil 2 delivered,” IGN said in our 9/10 review from 1999.
In the same month Silent Hill 2 remake was released, players can dip into more classic Japanese horror thanks to Siren also launching into the PlayStation Plus Classic Games Catalog. “A siren calls and a sea of red water mysteriously surrounds the mountain village Hanuda,” reads the synopsis. Originally released on PlayStation 2, Siren is now enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.
Finally, R-Type Dimensions EX is the collection of coin-op classics that has players fight through all 14 Bydo-infested stages in retro 2D graphics or shiny 3D graphics – and swap back and forth with the touch of a button on the fly.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Microsoft announced on Monday that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available on Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) for Game Pass Ultimate members at launch, along with two other Call of Duty titles later this month.
Per Microsoft’s blog post, Black Ops 6 will begin rolling out on Xbox Cloud Gaming at 10am PT on October 25, the same day that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone will get cloud support for Game Pass Ultimate members. Microsoft points out in the blog post that it’s “a first for the Call of Duty franchise,” marking the first time a Call of Duty title has been available on Xbox Cloud Gaming at launch following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Interestingly, Microsoft sold cloud gaming rights for Activision games to Ubisoft as a key measure to get the acquisition through the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Therefore, it wasn’t a guarantee that Black Ops 6 would be available on Xbox Cloud Gaming. Other big Activision Blizzard King titles, including Diablo 4, still aren’t on Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Those looking to play the three Call of Duty games via the cloud will need to a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, and they’ll be available on consoles, PCs, mobile devices, select Samsung TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Meta Quest devices. “This opens up even more ways to play Black Ops 6 starting on day one at launch,” Ashley McKissick, Corporate Vice President, Gaming Experiences & Platforms at Microsoft, writes in the blog post.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S when it releases on October 25, and will be the first mainline Call of Duty game to hit Game Pass on Day One. In the meantime, check out our breakdown of all the big changes coming to multiplayer based on feedback to the beta.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Microsoft has announced its latest Xbox Partner Preview – what the company calls its “no-fluff, all-games broadcast” – for this coming Thursday, October 17.
Per Microsoft’s blog post on Monday, the broadcast will show off games from Remedy Entertainment, Sega, 505 Games, and more. It’ll include a mix of new and upcoming games, featuring more than a dozen fresh trailers and clocking in at around 25 minutes.
Delving into more specifics, the broadcast will also feature a look at Alan Wake II’s next expansion, The Lake House, aheads of its release sometime this month. Other highlights include “an action-packed new trailer for Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, a peek at multiple bosses in dark-fantasy action game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, multiple world premieres, and other great titles coming to Xbox consoles, Windows PC, and Game Pass.”
The stream will kick off at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK and, per usual, will be available to watch on Xbox’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
Microsoft has been holding Partner Previews here and there, with the last one taking place back in March. That broadcast spent roughly 30 minutes showing off games like Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Creatures of Ava, Frontpunk 2, and more, along with a number of announcements. Microsoft also featured plenty of third-party games during its big Xbox Showcase in June.
In other Xbox-related news, it was announced on Monday that Rare boss Craig Duncan will be the new head of Xbox Games Studios, replacing Alan Hartman after he retires in November.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
The long-rumored Destiny mobile game is finally a reality, with an announcement that brings a debut trailer and word of a closed-alpha test on November 1.
Destiny: Rising is a free-to-play mobile sci-fi RPG shooter set within the Destiny universe Bungie has spent the last decade building. But this new mobile Destiny game isn’t developed or even published by Bungie itself. It’s developed and published by NetEase Games, the Chinese megacorp behind the likes of Diablo Immortal, Once Human, and the upcoming Marvel Rivals, under an official license granted by Bungie.
In 2018, NetEase invested over $100 million into Bungie to build a new game. The investment gave NetEase a minority stake in Bungie and a seat on its board of directors, but all that changed when Sony bought Bungie for $3.7 billion back in 2022.
Now, two years after the Sony buyout and six years after NetEase’s investment, Destiny: Rising is a reality. And while NetEase is the developer and publisher of Destiny: Rising, Bungie is “providing oversight and approvals of the game’s development.”
In terms of gameplay, Destiny: Rising has both first-person and third-person options, with the player able to switch between them at will. Destiny: Rising supports touchscreen controls and supports PlayStation and Xbox controllers, as well as mobile-specific controllers.
While Destiny: Rising is set within the Destiny universe, its events take place in an alternate Destiny timeline. It explores a story in the post-Dark Age era (the era that took place after the Collapse of Destiny’s Golden Age). Here’s the official blurb:
As a genesis of new possibilities in the Destiny Universe, Destiny: Rising delves into an unseen era where burgeoning hope blooms once again after a terrifying collapse of civilization and the dangers of the resulting Dark Age. With the help of legendary Iron Lords, humanity has broken free the shackles of tyranny and began to rally together against the alien forces intent on its extinction. Amidst the chaos of this early age for The City, a new generation of Lightbearers, resurrected by mysterious entities known as Ghosts, set out to restore humanity’s prominence and secure its future.
There’s single-player, co-op, and competitive multiplayer gameplay, NetEase Games said, including “beloved” game modes familiar to Destiny players, and all-new modes. There are campaign missions and six-player co-op strikes that are “iconic” to the Destiny franchise. Perhaps we’ll get something along the lines of the Cerberus Vae III strike from Destiny 1, whether we wanted it or not.
As for characters, expect “familiar” faces from Destiny as well as brand new characters. There is clan support, “fun and casual” party modes, and customizable shared spaces.
Environments include the sanctuary of Haven (a refuge for the Lightbearers and survivors), the icy, ancient metro of Jiangshi, and the arid expanse of the Red Sea Rift. As you’d expect, Destiny: Rising as exotic weapons, the franchises’ signature guns.
“For over a decade, we have built this universe to contain many unique and wonderful stories, and we are excited to see mobile gamers be able to experience this new take on the Destiny universe from the creative team at NetEase,” commented Terry Redfield, creative lead at Bungie.
The announcement of Destiny: Rising comes at a troubling time for Bungie and the Destiny franchise after mass layoffs hit the legendary studio earlier this year. In September, Bungie unveiled what it called “major changes” to Destiny 2 designed to win back players. Bungie has reportedly struggled to meet key financial targets, with Destiny 2 significantly underperforming last year. The Final Shape expansion, released in June, reportedly sold less at launch than 2023’s critically panned Lightfall.’
We are excited to see mobile gamers be able to experience this new take on the Destiny universe.
In a LinkedIn post, Don McGowan, the former general counsel at Bungie, reacted to the Destiny 2 changes to say he was pleased with parent company Sony’s apparent influence in the decision making, which, he said, meant the studio was finally “running the game like a business.”
Bungie reportedly has no plans for Destiny 3 and has canceled a Destiny spinoff project known as Payback. Development on its Marathon revival is said to still be ongoing.
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.
The Witcher is getting a wholesome, family friendly comic book adaptation called The Little Witcher, CD Projekt Red has announced.
In collaboration with Dey Rey Books and Penguin Random House, the hardback book arrives May 13, 2025 and is available to preorder now for $16 at Amazon, and via the myriad outlets listed on the Penguin website. It tells stories of a young Ciri as she trains to be a witcher under Geralt of Rivia, and also stars the likes of Yennefer of Vengerberg and Vesemir.
“Young Ciri’s extensive training at Kaer Morhen, the witchers’ stronghold, includes everything she needs to learn to survive the many threats in her world, as well as all the antics and fun of a little girl bonding with her adoptive dad and family,” the synopsis reads.
We’re happy to announce THE LITTLE WITCHER, a heartwarming comic collection from @DelReyBooks & @penguinrandom that is perfect for parents and all Witcher lovers. Follow Geralt of Rivia as he tackles life as a monster-slaying dad raising young Ciri. 🐺✨
“With help from Geralt and Ciri’s closest companions — including the motherly magic of Yennefer of Vengerberg and the wisdom of uncle Vesemir — these adorable tales of a non-traditional family will make you laugh, make you sigh, and make you realize that raising a little witcher is not that different from raising any other kid.
“Sure, bedtime stories might include warnings of monsters who fart when surprised, and Geralt might invoke the Witcher Code to get Ciri to brush her teeth or clean her room, but even the formidable White Wolf knows to surrender when it comes to bedtime battles or afternoon tea with the toys.”
The book is described as being perfect for Witcher fans raising their own children, readers who believe in the power of chosen families, families who like cute, magical comics, The Witcher fans who want to spend more time at Kaer Morhen, and players looking for a light hearted twist on their favorite game.
UK retailer Argos has started canceling preorders for the PS5 Slim Digital 30th Anniversary Edition, citing an inability to fulfill the orders. Customers affected by the unexpected cancellations are being automatically refunded to their original payment methods.
Preorders for the highly sought-after PS1-themed console went live on the Argos website in the early hours of October 10, priced at £429.99. The limited edition console sold out shortly after it became available.
Less than a week later, customers have begun receiving email or text notifications that their orders were canceled. The news has led to confusion, with some buyers seeking clarification from Argos’ customer support.
Reports from those who reached out to Argos have been mixed. While some customer service representatives have indicated the cancellation emails were sent in error, others have confirmed that the cancellations are legitimate, leaving buyers uncertain about the status of their orders.
This isn’t the first bit of trouble the PS5 30th Anniversary that customers have run into. Only a few weeks back, shoppers were quick to report ‘sold out’ messages for the PlayStation 5 – 30th Anniversary Limited Edition bundles just minutes after preorders went live on PlayStation Direct in the UK, causing frustration for many who had visited the site and sat in the queue beforehand.
Following this multiple listings for the PS5 Pro Console 30th bundle went up on eBay, where scalpers were asking for up to £10,000.
While Argos’ cancellations do not involve the PS5 Pro bundle, but rather the PS5 Slim (Digital Edition), the demand for this console has been equally high. A second wave of preorders was made available through major retailers like Amazon, Argos, and Very on October 10, but these sold out just as quickly. Now, Argos seems to be reversing some of those orders.
Those who made preorders are unsurprisingly frustrated by the situation. @Natty301288 on Twitter/X stating: “@ArgosHelpers is this a joke preorder made last Thursday confirmation received now can’t get this elsewhere”
The sentiment was shared by user @Malik_Zain7, exclaiming: “@Argos_Online this some kind of joke??? After taking payment for a limited edition console and also sending me a confirmation email, you’re now saying it’s cancelled?”
For further updates on the situation, follow our deals team at @IGNUKDeals on Twitter/X, who are closely monitoring the cancellations and other preorder developments.
The reason behind the cancellations remains unclear, though overselling of stock is a likely explanation. IGN has reached out to Argos/Sainsbury’s for clarification and comment.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Tron: Catalyst has been announced as a sequel to Tron: Identity coming in 2025 to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Devolver Digital subsidiary Big Fan Games announced Tron: Catalyst alongside Disney Games and developer Bithell Games. It’s described as “a thrilling, story-driven isometric action game” set in the world of Tron.
“With this newfound power, Exo takes on the overlords of a crumbling Grid all while evading Conn, a malevolent agent of CORE,” the synopsis reads. “Exo must gain control over her mysterious abilities and uncover the unexplained ‘Glitch’ that threatens the Grid.
“As Exo, players will battle on-foot and on Light Cycle to complete missions and gain crucial insights that will help them on their quest. While learning from her mistakes, Exo will also need to navigate warring factions to unlock new paths and uncover the secrets of the Arq Grid.”
In our 7/10 review of the last game, IGN said: “Despite its short length, Tron: Identity’s visual novel/detective story is well worth playing — and replaying — to unravel the latest mystery of life on the Grid.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
