Genshin Impact Update 5.1 Lacks English Voice-Over as Video Game Voice Acting Strike Continues

Genshin Impact’s version 5.1 update lacks English voice acting in some areas due to “recording arrangements,” developer HoYoverse has said.

Though the patch notes detailing the missing content don’t give a more explicit reason, the lack of English voice over is like due to the ongoing American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) video game voice actor strike.

“Due to recording arrangements, some content in version 5.1 does not have English voice overs,” HoYoverse said. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused.”

The strike began on July 26, 2024 with aims to improve the working conditions of voice actors and highlight their concerns regarding AI. It sings a similar tune to the actor and writer strikes of 2023 which essentially brought Hollywood to a standstill, and the impact on video games is seemingly now being seen too.

Myriad voice actors have commented on the threat of AI, including Metal Gear Solid and Mass Effect actress Jennifer Hale. “The truth is, AI is just a tool like a hammer,” she said. “If I take my hammer, I could build you a house. I can also take that same hammer and I can smash your skin and destroy who you are.”

Hale revealed in October 2023 she was paid just $1,200 for her role as Naomi Hunter in the original Metal Gear Solid, a game which eventually grossed $176 million for publisher Konami (and is still making the company money through myriad re-releases).

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt lead Doug Cockle similarly expressed caution and frustration at the growing presence of AI within the video game industry, calling it “inevitable” but “dangerous.”

Cissy Jones, a voice actor known for her roles in Disney’s Owl House, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Shin Megami Tensei 5, and more, has started a company called Morpheme.ai to let voice actors embrace AI and gain control of their own voices going forward.

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

Amazon Slashes up to 37% Off Logitech’s Most Affordable Racing Wheels for Prime Day

For October Prime Day, Amazon has dropped the prices on all three of its mainstream Logitech racing wheels: the Logitech G29 for PlayStation 5 and PC and the Logitech 920 for Xbox Series X and PC includes the racing wheel and pedals. The newer Logitech G923, which is compatible with both Xbox and PS5, also includes a shifter.

37% Off Logitech G29 and G920 Driving Force Racing Wheels

The Logitech G29 and Logitech G920 were already some of the best racing wheels under $300. If you’re a big fan of racing games like Gran Turismo 7 or Forza Horizon 5 and you’ve been using your standard PS5 or Xbox controller this entire time, then this sale might be the excuse you experience greater immersion in racing games for the first time.

Standout features include a gorgeous hand-stitched leather racing wheel with 900 degrees of rotation, sturdy metal base, durable steel ball bearings in the shaft, gear-driven dual-force motor feedback, stainless shifter and pressure sensitive pedals. The force feedback does an excellent job of simulating providing force and resistance and certain adds to the immersion; if you want something better than this, you’d have to shell out a lot more money for a direct-drive or belt-driven wheel, like Logitech’s own $1,000 G Pro direct-drive racing wheel we reviewed.

The G29 is a bit nicer than the Xbox’s G920 variant. The G29 has LED shift lights located on the top of the wheel’s spokes. These LEDs light up progressively as the car’s RPMs rise in-game. The G29 also has a rotary knob on the wheel that can be customized to different functions, like traction control, brake bias, or split differential.

20% Off Logitech G923 TRUEFORCE Racing Wheel

The Logitech G923 (one of the best accessible racing wheels for both the Xbox and PS5) is a newer model released in 2020 that is based off the G29 wheel. The biggest upgrade of the G923 over its predecessors is its TRUEFORCE technology. New vibrational motors built into the wheel adds haptic feedback on top of the DRIVING FORCE force feedback. Since immersion is the name of the game (and a big reason why many higher-end wheels cost hundreds more), this is a more significant change than it sounds on paper. In his Logitech G923 review, Luke Reilly writes “The Logitech G923 is a great option for new racing game players who want a wheel that’s a step up over the budget option… For a budget-friendly price, this wheel with a full metal pedal set lets you feel the intricacies of the road thanks to geared force feedback and Trueforce technology.”

If you’re looking for deals on other PS5 accessories, check out the best Prime Day PS5 deals going on right now (we update it often). If you don’t yet own a PS5 console, you’re in luck. The PS5 Slim is currently on sale for Prime Day, and Sony recently announced a more powerful PS5 Pro that is currently up for preorder and ships out next month.

For Xbox accessories, check out the best Prime Day Xbox deals. There aren’t any great Xbox console deals going on right now, however there is a pretty amazing deal on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which itself is a great value since you won’t have to pay for every new release game in order to enjoy them on launch day. For all other deals, head over to our Prime Day megapost to see our cherry-picked list of the best deals we’ve found.

More Prime Day Deals on Gaming Hardware

More Prime Day Deals on Video Games

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

Destiny 2’s Red War Campaign Accused of Lifting Plot Elements From Online Story in Louisiana Lawsuit

Former Halo developer Bungie is facing a new lawsuit after a Louisiana man claimed the studio stole plot elements from his story and used them for content in Destiny 2.

As first reported by The Game Post, the suit (available to see in full via Scribd) accuses the game company of copyright infringement related to Destiny 2’s 2017 storyline, The Red War. Plaintiff Kelsey Martineau, who in 2013 and 2014 created work under the pen name Caspar Cole, alleges that Bungie lifted elements from a story he published on WordPress.com.

“Defendants have deliberately and intentionally copied the characters, storyline, and other protectable expression from Martineau’s works in the Infringing Game,” claims the suit filed on October 2, 2024. “Martineau has never authorized or given consent for Defendants to use their copyrighted works in the manner complained of herein.”

Martineau’s suit is aiming to halt the distribution of all content related to the storylines in question. The plaintiff is demanding a jury trial.

The claim includes a laundry list of examples from both Martineau’s work and Destiny 2 that the plaintiff claims is proof of Bungie’s wrongdoing. Included in each story are mentions of groups known as the Red Legion, with the suit pointing to character similarities between Destiny’s Dominus Ghaul and Martineau’s Overlord Yinnerah. The document goes as far as to say that both Red Legion factions “mimic one another” and that their “goals directly overlap.” It also touches on broader narrative connections, suggesting that both works “detail the rise of a young and ambitious alien with the intent of dividing and conquering Earth in order to gain strategic asset(s).”

“The creators of Destiny 2 did not independently create their version of the Red Legion but instead of have wrongfully copied Martineau’s original creation,” the suit alleges.

Bungie has yet to comment on Martineau’s copyright infringement lawsuit. Meanwhile, the game developer continues to be surrounded by a tumultuous year of business that has seen it shed hundreds of staff in layoffs and come under fire from fans. Still, the team says it remains committed to Destiny and has a “multi-year” plan to keep its sci-fi journey chugging. In September, a former Bungie lawyer said Sony is “forcing them to get their heads out of their asses.”

The Red Legion stems back to the early days of Destiny 2, which launched in 2017. In our original 8.5/10 review of Bungie’s sequel, we said, “Destiny 2’s excellent co-op and competitive shooting, rewarding loot, and strong social elements will keep us playing.”

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.

PlayStation Plus Game Catalog Additions for October 2024 Revealed by Sony

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.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Doesn’t Have an Arachnophobia Mode Because It’s the First Game in the Series Without Spiders

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the first game in the fantasy action role-playing game series not to feature spiders, developer BioWare has confirmed.

Fans had wondered about the lack of an arachnophobia mode after BioWare revealed The Veilguard’s accessibility options without one, but it turns out it’s not needed because there are no spiders in the game.

“No arachnophobia mode because there’s no spiders!” posted associate community manager blackhairvioleteyes in the Dragon Age subreddit.

Reaction is mixed. Dragon Age is known for its creepy spiders, which are common throughout all the games. There are even mods that turn the spiders into other animals to help those with arachnophobia. But while some players have said they’re surprised by the omission, others have welcomed it.

And as some have pointed out, this suggests that the creepy spider with human hands creature shown off as part of a behind-the-scenes trailer released in 2020 may not have made the cut. You can see this nightmarish monstrosity in the video below (skip to 3:17 if you dare).

IGN has plenty more on Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including a deep-dive into its development, which is well worth a read if you want to know more about how BioWare realized the game. We’ve also got a lore deep-dive and everything you need to know about relationships and its steamiest romance.

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.

Best Buy’s Prime Day Counter-Sale Features an Excellent Xbox Series X Deal

October’s Prime Day has given us a wide variety of discounts to check out at Amazon, but a couple of other retailers are jumping in on the action with their own rival sales. Best Buy is one such place giving Amazon some competition. They currently have a great Xbox Series X deal running for a limited time.

At the moment, you can save $50 on an Xbox Series X console there, dropping its price to $449.99, but that’s not all. Best Buy’s also throwing in a free $25 gift card with your purchase. That’s a nice little bonus on top of the discount, and one you can use towards a game for your new console, if you wish. This deal is only running today, so you’ll have to act fast to pick it up!

Best Buy’s Offering an Xbox Series X Deal in Prime Day Counter-Sale

Best Buy isn’t the only retailer offering up some unforgettable deals right now. Target has a wide variety of LEGO sets discounted at the moment and Walmart currently has one of our favorite gaming monitor deals for Prime Day. And if you’d like to see the rest of what Amazon has in stock for today, have a look at our massive October Prime Day roundup to see the best deals across tech, film, games, and so much more.

Should You Buy Now or Wait for Black Friday?

While this October sale event ends after today, there’s still plenty more to look forward to as we near the holiday season. Mainly, Black Friday is on the horizon, which is when these retailers will really ramp up their sales. The biggest difference between Prime Day and Black Friday is that more retailers get involved, so there’s plenty more to look through. If you miss a deal during this sale event, it’s likely to pop up again later on. To learn more about these sale events and which is the best one to watch out for, have a look at our breakdown of Black Friday vs. October Prime Day.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead Has Microphone Noise Detection That Lets the Monsters Hear You in Real Life

The developers of A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead have revealed its microphone noise detection, an optional feature that lets the game’s monsters hear sounds players make in real life.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a single-player horror video game based on Paramount Pictures’ popular post-apocalyptic franchise, which revolves around blind extraterrestrial creatures with an acute sense of hearing. The first movie, starring Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, met with criticial and commercial acclaim back in 2018.

Here’s how the noise detection works: by activating your microphone, this optional feature lets the game’s deadly creatures detect every sound you make in real life, bringing the horror “right into your room.”

Here’s the official blurb:

Capturing the frantic terror, unnerving atmosphere and gripping human drama that made the franchise famous, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is designed for fans of the films, horror games, and story-driven adventures alike. With nothing more than your wits and the simple tools you can scavenge, you’ll have to overcome the many treacherous challenges and obstacles that lie ahead, all while trying to survive the ever-present dangers that lurk all around you.

Experience the harrowing journey of Alex, a young college student suffering from asthma and struggling to survive the end of the world alongside her boyfriend, Martin. But the nightmarish creatures stalking the land aren’t the only threat she’ll have to contend with as she travels through the ruins of civilization in search of a safe haven for herself and her family.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is developed by Stormind Games, the Italian studio that created survival horror franchise Remothered and action RPG Batora: Lost Haven, and published by Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 maker Saber Interactive. It launches on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S on October 17.

It’s a busy time for the A Quiet Place franchise. Following the breakout first movie in 2018 and its 2020 sequel, prequel A Quiet Place: Day One came out in June, with a third mainline movie expected in 2025.

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.

Forget Switch 2 — Nintendo Just Released a $100 Interactive Alarm Clock Called Alarmo

With the gaming world waiting with baited breath for Nintendo to announce Switch 2, the company behind Mario has once again surprised its fans with the announcement of a completely unexpected piece of hardware: an interactive alarm clock.

“Ever wish that you could wake up in one of the playful worlds from Nintendo?” the company asked in a note to press. “Well, it’s time to stop dreaming!”

The Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo is an interactive alarm clock designed to add “some Nintendo charm to your home and your daily routine.” Alarmo is due out early 2025 priced $99.99, with Nintendo Switch Online members in the U.S. and Canada able to buy it right now via the My Nintendo Store.

Alarmo features motion sensor technology that responds to your movements, letting you snooze your alarm with motion alone and stop it by getting out of bed. You can pick from 35 scenes inspired by five Nintendo titles – Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 3, Pikmin 4, and Ring Fit Adventure – then set a time and let Alarmo do its work.

Here’s the official blurb from Nintendo:

In the morning you’ll experience immersive sounds and music from the scene you picked. Rise to sounds of the Mushroom Kingdom with Mario and friends, begin your day’s adventure with Link and Princess Zelda, or start fresh with the Inklings from Splatoon 3. And those are just some of the experiences you can wake up to!

That’s not all – you can also check Records to see how much you move around in your sleep, set an hourly chime themed to your chosen title, and change between Steady or Gentle Modes for your morning alarm. In Steady Mode, the alarm will gradually get more intense the longer you stay in bed, whereas Gentle Mode offers a more consistent intensity level. There’s also Button Mode for a more traditional, tactile “hit the snooze button” alarm clock experience. You can even use sleepy sounds to wind down with soothing music and sounds at your set bedtime.

Here’s how it works. Before the alarm, a character from the title you selected waits patiently on screen. When the alarm begins, gentle sounds unique to the scene you’ve chosen begin to play. Then, a visitor arrives. After a few seconds, someone (or some thing!) from the scene you picked will appear. You can then wave your hand or move your body to make the clock quieter. Depending on the title you’ve choosen, you might also hear coins or other familiar game sounds when you interact with Alarmo.

Eventually, your visit will end and gentle sounds will play again until your visitor returns. (This will repeat a number of times if you stay in bed.) If you stay in bed too long, your alarm will get more intense and you’ll get a visit from someone “more persuasive,” Nintendo warned. (Yes, it’s Bowser.) When you get all the way out of bed, the alarm will stop and you’ll be treated to a brief victory fanfare.

Like releasing patches for its video games, Nintendo will update Alarmo with scenes from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing: New Horizons for free when they become available.

It’s worth noting that Alarmo is only compatible with Twin to King-sized beds, so it won’t work with a single. It should be placed facing the center of the bed, within arm’s reach, and no higher than eight inches above the sleeper, Nintendo said. If there is more than one sleeper in the bed, Nintendo recommends using Button Mode for “the best experience.”

It’s not the expected Switch 2 announce, but Alarmo is new hardware from Nintendo, which is always worth getting out of bed for.

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.

Bethesda Design Director Addresses Fan Concern as Starfield DLC Shattered Space Plunges to ‘Mostly Negative’ Steam Review Rating

Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC was meant to usher in a new era for Bethesda’s divisive space game Starfield, rekindling memories of the studio’s great DLCs of the past such as Fallout 4’s Far Harbor. But following its launch last month, things haven’t gone to plan.

Sci-fi RPG Starfield launched in September 2023 as Bethesda’s first brand new intellectual property in years and its first mainline single-player game since Microsoft bought parent company ZeniMax Media in March 2021. IGN’s Starfield review returned a 7/10. We said: “Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist.”

A year later, Shattered Space has a ‘mostly negative’ user review rating on Steam, as Starfield players complain about everything from a lack of value to boring quest design.

Now, Emil Pagliarulo, studio design director at Bethesda Game Studios, has responded to one fan’s concern about not just Starfield and Shattered Space, but the direction Bethesda is headed. This concern was prompted by a GamesRadar interview with Pagliarulo who enthusiastically bigged up the expansion. This, the fan said, suggested Bethesda was dismissive of community concern around Starfield.

In a series of tweets, Pagliarulo responded directly to this suggestion and more generally to the ongoing discourse around Starfield and Bethesda. “My optimism is in no way meant to be mud in the eye of any dissatisfied fan,” Pagliarulo insisted. “That’s not how it works.”

Pagliarulo went on to say “I’m also very proud of Shattered Space. We all are,” and confirmed that most of the quests and levels in the expansion were developed by designers who worked on previous Bethesda games and DLC, going all the way back to 2002 masterpiece Morrowind. “They’re good at what they do, and it shows,” he added.

If folks have played Shattered Space and still don’t like it, that makes me sad, honestly.

“If folks haven’t played Shattered Space, and they like Starfield, I think they’re missing out,” Pagliarulo continued. “If folks have played Shattered Space and still don’t like it, that makes me sad, honestly. Just know that we’ve also been hearing from plenty of people who love it.”

Pagliarulo offered an explanation of sorts for this apparent disconnect between the way he views Shattered Space and how fans have reacted to it. “Maybe it’s a game of expectations,” he suggested. “Fans want a lot, and we do all we can to accommodate them. Here’s what I can tell you – nobody, and I mean nobody, at Bethesda is patting themselves on the back while ignoring our players.”

Now Shattered Space is out, fans have wondered what’s next for Starfield. In June, Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard said the company was committed to supporting Starfield, which has seen 14 million players across PC and Xbox Series X and S, and confirmed at least one other story expansion would release following Shattered Space. Howard said Bethesda is aiming to release an annual story expansion for “hopefully a very long time.”

Pagliarulo reiterated this commitment of support, saying Bethesda will continue to address community concerns and make fixes while “listening to our fans every step of the way.”

“Starfield is a massive game, and it takes time for us to address things,” he explained. “We move as fast as we can, as safely as we can. Game development is always tricky, but with a game as big as Starfield, every fix could potentially break something else.

“To close, let me just say… I love games. I love Bethesda’s games. I’ve been playing them since the Terminator days. All I or anyone here wants to do is make those games and then make them better. No ego. No arrogance. Just a lot of hard work, and appreciation of our fans.”

It’s a busy time for the 450-person Bethesda Game Studios, which currently operates five teams: Starfield; Elder Scrolls 6; Fallout 76; mobile; and external development partnerships. It’s working on the aforementioned Elder Scrolls 6, ongoing content for Fallout 76, various mobile games, updates for older games, and, eventually, the next Fallout.

But will Starfield see a sequel? If it does materialize it may be some time before we see anything of it, with Elder Scrolls 6 expected no earlier than 2028 and another Fallout game set to follow.

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.

Shroud-Fronted Spectre Divide Isn’t Dead, CEO Insists

The CEO of the developer behind Spectre Divide, a new free-to-play competitive multiplayer shooter fronted by streamer Shroud, has insisted the game isn’t dead despite low player concurrent numbers.

Spectre Divide launched early September on PC via Steam, where it saw an encouraging 30,971 peak concurrent players. But that concurrent figure has fallen steadily since on Valve’s platform where it has a ‘mixed’ user review rating. Yesterday, October 8, Spectre Divide had a peak of 2,769 concurrent players.

Now, a month on from launch, Mountaintop Studios CEO, Nate Mitchell acknowledged the discourse around Spectre Divide low player numbers, but vowed to stick with the game.

It’s true that Spectre’s concurrent player count is lower than we’d all like.

“Some folks out there have declared Spectre ‘dead,’ mostly as a result of low concurrency,” Mitchell said. “It’s true that Spectre’s concurrent player count is lower than we’d all like.”

Mitchell admitted that a PvP game like Spectre Divide needs lots of players for healthy matchmaking, and that without them, players will experience longer queues and less fair matches.

“With that said, I can assure you that Spectre isn’t going anywhere,” he added. “The servers aren’t shutting down, and the updates aren’t going to stop.

“If player count drops from here, we have strategies for bringing players together, like combining the matchmaking queues. And we’ll continue working toward bringing new players in. We love this game – we’ve poured our heart and soul into it these past four years – and we’re just getting started.”

Mitchell explained that Mountaintop is an independent studio with a small team, but “we have the funds to support Spectre for a long time. And I promise: We’re going to make Spectre awesome together.”

As for the future, Mitchell said the developers need some time “to go heads-down, improve the game, and tackle some of your bigger asks,” with Season 1 set to kick off in December or January. Priorities include client performance, ping and server regions, anti-cheat, and game stability.

Last month, shortly after Spectre Divide launched, Mountaintop cut 13 staff, with Mitchell saying at the time that the layoffs “make sure we’re set up to support Spectre and its community for the long term.”

Expanding on the reasoning now, Mitchell said: “We made the difficult decision to reduce our monthly spend to make sure we were set up to support Spectre for the long term. In the run up to launch, the studio grew from more than 85 devs to support a bigger live service roadmap. We’re now back to around 75 full-time devs, but we have plenty of firepower to bring our plans to life.”

As for Shroud’s ongoing involvement, Mitchell said Mountaintop is still working with the streamer on future design iterations, “and he’s been helping us think through ways to make Spectre as compelling as possible for both community members and streamers.”

But, Mitchell stressed, Spectre Divide does not belong to Shroud, as some had assumed. “The reality is that Mountaintop has been bringing Spectre to life since 2020, and the game belongs to Mountaintop,” he said.

Spectre Divide launched amid a tumultuous time for the video game market and in particular live service games. 2024 has seen a number of high-profile live service missteps, including the failure of Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Sony’s Concord.

Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images.

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.