Category: IGN

The creator of an eye-catching Grand Theft Auto 5 mod that promised a living, AI-powered story mode has admitted defeat after Take-Two hauled the mod offline.

Only this week IGN reported on the Sentient Streets mod, which lets players interact with over 30 AI-powered NPCs, each with a unique voice from AI text-to-speech and voice cloning website ElevenLabs. The mod is designed for players to have open-ended, voiced conversations with cult members, police officers, and civilians.

But its creator, Bloc, announced Take-Two had issued a copyright claim on their YouTube video showing off the mod and had the mod removed from NexusMods. Even Bloc’s account on Netlify, which was used to host the installation guide for the mod, was suspended. Bloc manually removed the mod from GTA5-Mods.com to avoid legal issues.

In a statement, a clearly exacerbated Bloc said they have neither the resources or wherewithal to fight back against Take-Two.

“I can, of course, raise an objection through YouTube’s objection system, but this escalates things to legal authorities,” Bloc said. “I am a single modder who does this in my free time for fun, so I don’t have the resources to legally defend myself in this situation. Frankly, I also don’t want to spend time on this.”

Bloc accused Take-Two of removing the video from YouTube without prior communication or explanation. Before the takedown, it had over 100,000 views. Before the mod itself was pulled from NexusMods, it had thousands of downloads, Bloc said.

“I must say, as a person who grew up with the Grand Theft Auto series and enjoyed all the games throughout the years, this hostile attitude towards me and the mod is very disheartening,” Bloc added. “If the real reason of this takedown is really me using GTA 5 in the video, then one might ask, if using GTA 5 in the video is a copyright strike reason, how is it possible that there are millions of YouTube videos on here at this very moment that showcases or simply does let’s play videos for over a decade without any problems?

“Unfortunately, this seems to look like an excuse to attack and take a stance against the mod. Which is somewhat puzzling to me, considering that the mod itself is both FREE and open-source.

“The mod does not utilize any voices from Grand Theft Auto nor does it distribute anything it shouldn’t. I haven’t even included my Patreon link in any of the mod descriptions or videos to avoid any potential controversy. I am not a lawyer, but as far as I am aware, mod is not violating any Grand Theft Auto or YouTube policy.”

Bloc’s project had raised a number of ethical issues around the use of AI for mods. Bloc used the standard voice library available on ElevenLabs, which was recently used to generate controversial AI voices used in NSFW Skyrim Mods. The recent rise of AI has been a concern for both writers and actors, causing one voice actor to tell IGN AI is the “invisible enemy we’re fighting right now”.

“Whether you like it or not, or dislike the idea of having AI in video games, is one thing,” Bloc said in their statement. “However, while the mod itself does not appear to be violating anything, removing the video and issuing a copyright strike without any communication is another matter.”

Rockstar recently announced it is now officially working with the modding team behind the wildly popular Grand Theft Auto 5 roleplay servers FiveM and RedM. But the developer and parent company Take-Two have had an antagonistic relationship with the modding community over the years. In 2015, Rockstar banned the team behind the FiveM mod, calling the project “an unauthorised alternate multiplayer service that contains code designed to facilitate piracy”. The founder of the mod later alleged Rockstar parent company Take-Two sent private investigators to their home to intimidate them into shutting down the project.

The takedown of this AI-powered GTA 5 mod comes ahead of the unveiling of Grand Theft Auto 6, which may come out as early as 2024.

In a follow-up statement, Bloc said they’d spoken with YouTube support about the takedown: “if you have a channel that contains any footage from GTA, RDR2, Manhunt etc, you are in the hands of Take-Two IP sharks, and they can basically take down anything they want even the entire channel, regardless of how fun or how ‘unique’ your videos are,” Bloc claimed. “Basically, Take-Two decides which video is ‘Ok’ and which video isn’t, YouTube doesn’t care.”

IGN has asked Rockstar for comment. For now, it seems, Bloc’s Sentient Streets mod is dead in the water.

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.

Baldur’s Gate 3 modders continue to do good work, this time with the addition of WASD controls and camera tweaks.

On PC using a mouse and keyboard, Baldur’s Gate 3 provides a high perspective of the action from which you click on the part of the world you want your character to move to. Playing with a controller on PC, or on Steam Deck, changes the UI, controls, and shifts the camera perspective into action RPG territory, but mouse and keyboard players do not have this option.

As spotted by PC Gamer, modder Ch4nKyy added WASD movement to Baldur’s Gate 3. This, in combination with Ershin’s Native Camera Tweaks mod, makes Baldur’s Gate 3 look and feel like playing a PC MMO. A video from YouTube channel dimetequiero shows how well it works. You can switch pretty seamlessly between this close-up third-person perspective and the original perspective, all while using WASD controls on your keyboard for movement and your mouse for actions.

Will developer Larian ever officially support such a control scheme / perspective switch? It remains to be seen. But with the modding community doing such good work, perhaps there’s no need.

It’s all kicking off in the virtual world of Baldur’s Gate 3, from a community debate about save scumming to players who are convinced they can “fix” Shadowheart. We recently reported on an ‘Owlbear From the Top Rope’ tactic that deals enough damage to take down pretty much anything.

Find out what we think of the game in IGN’s recently updated Baldur’s Gate 3 review in-progress. Oh, and be careful when you Long Rest in Baldur’s Gate 3.

For more info, check out how our guide to building a character in Baldur’s Gate 3 as well as our guide to Baldur’s Gate 3’s races and subraces.

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.

Hyenas is a “challenging” title, Sega has admitted. In a just-released transcript of a financial briefing held on August 1, Sega responded to a question asking for an update on Hyenas, the hero-based multiplayer shooter from Creative Assembly’s Alien Isolation team.

“We are unable to talk about this title because the details have not yet been announced at this time,” Sega said. “As this is a challenging title, we are striving to improve its quality towards the release on the front line of development. We are also making final adjustments to its business model in parallel.”

Hyenas, announced last summer, resurfaced on August 16 with a new gameplay trailer, below, showing chaotic, zero-G heist action. Hyenas is described as a hero-based multiplayer extraction shooter that pits five teams of three against each other and NPC security teams known as MURFS. The idea is to steal pop culture memorabilia from Plunderships.

While Creative Assembly had previously indicated Hyenas is not free-to-play, Sega’s mention of “final adjustments” to the business model suggests this may have changed. IGN has asked Sega for clarification.

A closed beta for PC players is set for August 31 to September 11.

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.

Embracer Group has said the Lord of the Rings intellectual property (IP) is performing “well ahead” of the business plan it set out when it bought the franchise in 2022.

Money generated by Middle-earth Enterprises grew significantly after “strong” licensing revenue for The Lord of the Rings, Embracer said in its financial report for the three months ending June 30.

In June, Embracer stressed the importance of “exploiting Lord of the Rings in a very significant fashion” by turning it into “one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world”.

The comments came amid a costly restructure of the gargantuan game business, which announced plans to cancel in-development projects, shut studios, and lay off an unspecified number of staff.

In an open letter to the company’s 17,000 staff, CEO Lars Wingefors said Embracer would decrease spending across the board, reduce third-party publishing, and “put greater focus on internal IP and increase external funding of large-budget games”.

Two months later, it seems Lord of the Rings is paying off for the company. “The performance of Middle-earth Enterprises is well ahead of the business plan developed at the time of acquisition a year ago,” Embracer boss Lars Wingefors said.

Wizards of the Coast recently released Magic the Gathering trading card game The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth (the one with the $2 million card). Free Range Games’ PC and console survival crafting game The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is set for release later this year. Embracer said “many other exciting new products that will grow the IP further” are in the works.

However, all is not well in the world of Lord of the Rings-related video games. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum suffered a disastrous release in May, one that led to Daedelic shutting down its internal development arm and laying off 25 people.

Embracer bought the rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit for nearly $400 million in August 2022 and announced plans to explore opportunities to create new games, movies, and more based on the famous intellectual property.

In May, Embracer announced it had signed a deal with Amazon Games for the developer of New World to create a new MMO based on The Lord of the Rings.

The massively multiplayer online game, which is completely separate from 2007’s The Lord of the Rings Online and from Amazon’s previously cancelled Lord of the Rings MMO, is currently in the early stages of development and as of yet has no official title.

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.

Big-time Xbox exclusive FPS STALKER 2 has a rumored release date that’s coming up soon…but do we believe it? We discuss the rumor. Plus: we engage in a lengthy discussion about Xbox’s new eight-strike behavior-enforcement system for Xbox Live, go over the great Xbox Game Pass lineup leading up to Starfield’s release, and more!

Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 of this week’s episode. For more awesome content, check out my recent interview with Todd Howard, who discussed the realization of his vision for Starfield after eight years, how Red Dead Redemption 2 was something of an inspiration, what his future holds, and more!

For more next-gen coverage, make sure to check out our Xbox Series X review, our Xbox Series S review, and our PS5 review.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Larian Studios has revealed the preload times and release schedule for the PS5 version of Baldur’s Gate 3, ahead of its full PlayStation release on Sept. 6 early next month.

Per a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) from Larian Studios, players who have payed for the $79.99 Digital Deluxe Edition of Baldur’s Gate 3 will be able to begin preloading the game on Aug. 31 starting at 16:00 UTC, and will be able to jump into the game at the same time on Sept. 2 courtesy of early access.

Meanwhile, those who have pre-ordered the $69.99 Standard Edition of Baldur’s Gate 3 will be able to begin preloading starting at 16:00 UTC on Sept. 4, in preparation of the RPG’s full PS5 release on Sept. 6, once again at 16:00 UTC.

PS5 players, prepare for adventure.

Pre-loads for @baldursgate3 begin August 31st for Digital Deluxe Edition owners.

Not Pre-Ordered? There’s still time: https://t.co/XPEHAxzByn pic.twitter.com/AjP4ccotFN

— Larian Studios (@larianstudios) August 16, 2023

Back in July, Larian revealed that players would not be able to preload any of the 122 GB PC version of Baldur’s Gate 3 – a decision which upset some players with less than stellar internet, and saw Steam struggle to cope with the download demand for the game.

Thankfully, Larian has been able to enable preloading for the PS5 version of the game, so PlayStation gamers should have a smoother ride of it. The PC version of Baldur’s Gate 3 has been out in the wild for a couple of weeks now, and in that time it has delighted hardcore and casual RPG fans alike, while securing its place in history as one of the horniest titles ever to grace gamers’ collective screens.

As a matter of fact, Baldur’s Gate 3 players managed to get up to so much so fast that Larian was forced to push out an emergency hotfix for the game to expand player’s personal story database to an “infinite” size in order to allow them to continue perpetrating shenanigans. Since then, some members of the Baldur’s Gate 3 community have gone even further in their attempts to explore the game, with some even now competing for numerous speed run records.

Be sure to check out IGN’s list of 16 crucial tips and tricks, and to make use of our interactive map to track quests, find chests, and generally get the most out of your journey through Baldur’s Gate 3.

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

As the release date for Starfield draws near, Bethesda Game Studios recently held a Q&A on its Discord server where Starfield’s Lead Quest Designer Will Shen and Lead Designer Emil Pagliarulo answered 16 questions fans had about the upcoming sci-fi action RPG.

If you missed the Q&A session, IGN attended and found ten new things we learned during the Starfield developer Q&A, which you can check out below.

There Are Over 20 Companions in Starfield

Similar to previous Bethesda RPGs, Starfield will have companions you can recruit, but little is known about them so far. Fortunately, the developer Q&A confirmed that “over 20 named characters” can join you in your adventures.

While the names were not revealed, we did learn from the Q&A that four of the companions are members of The Constellation, though all companions have “their own backgrounds” and can follow you around and carry any items you acquire on your travels.

“When we first began Starfield pre-production, we looked back at our previous games and realized how popular and effective the companions were,” Pagliarulo explained. “So they were a big priority for us, and we really wanted to tie them directly to the main quest.”

The Jail System Takes More from Skyrim Than Fallout 4

In the Elder Scrolls series, most notably Skyrim, there is a jail system where you can be imprisoned for crimes you commit. Starfield is no different, though you will have a few options if you are caught committing a crime: you can either go to jail, pay the fine when you are apprehended, or if you’re really bold, you can resist arrest and evade the law.

A Fully Pacifist Playthrough Isn’t ‘Totally Feasible’ in Starfield

If you prefer to play games where you can complete an entire playthrough without harming a single NPC, sadly you won’t be able to do so in Starfield (although we’re sure that won’t stop some from trying).

Shen and Pagliarulo noted that there’s no guarantee a player can complete every mission in Starfield without harming someone. But they did mention that “a couple of systems” are available to help those who want to avoid minimal physical confrontations.

One of those systems are Speech Challenges, where you can use the art of persuasion to avoid someone fighting you.

“The Settled Systems is mostly civilized, but it can be a dangerous place if you’re going off the beaten path,” said Pagliarulo. “And you’re absolutely going off the beaten path!”

Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Interstellar, and More Inspired Starfield’s Quests

When asked if any sci-fi media had influenced some of the quests in Starfield, Shen and Pagliarulo explained some of their influences, many of which are thoroughly unsurprisingly.

Shen, for example, explained how he is a history nerd and listens to a lot of history-centric podcasts, such as Hardcore History. Pagliarulo, a child of the late ’70s and early ’80s, explained how he has “very fond memories” of sci-fi during that time, citing Star Wars, the original Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, and even Event Horizon. He talked about what he called “headier” sci-fi, including Contact, Interstellar, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the writings of Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein.

“In all of those examples, you realize that outer space is two things: 1.) A source of mystery and wonder, sometimes terror, AND 2.) A giant blank page on which you can write any story” said Pagliarulo. “And we have written a lot of VERY different stories in Starfield.”

There Are Mechs, but You Can’t Use Them

In one of the animated shorts Bethesda released last month, we saw a brief glimpse of mechs. Pagliarulo revealed more history on the role of mechs in the Starfield universe, noting that they are around, but you cannot use them.

Pagliarulo explained that the mechs are “leftovers” from the Colony War. Both the United Colonies and Freestar Collective had mechs, but to varying degrees, and they were outlawed when the war ended.

While the mechs are not useable, Pagliarulo teased that there’s an old mech battleground in the game.

Your Parents Will Look Like You with the Kid Stuff Trait

One of the traits available in Starfield is called Kid Stuff and if your character has the trait, the duo confirmed that your parents will look like you. While not further elaborated, the feature is similar to that in Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, where the father and son’s looks are based on your playable character.

Starfield’s Environmental Storytelling Adds to the Immersion

When asked what are some of their favorite small details in Starfield that help add to the immersion, Pagliarulo talked about how the environmental storytelling, from the books lying around to the notes on the bulletin boards, offers a ton of immersion.

Pagliarulo also explained how Starfield is a “NASApunk” game: that although humans live in space, the aesthetic is still “a very lived-in universe.”

You Can Buy Property in the Main Cities

Shen and Pagliarulo confirmed that you can purchase property in all the major cities in Starfield. Some you can purchase with the money you earn and some are rewards for completing specific

More Info on the Religions and Denominations in Starfield

Shen and Pagliarulo went into detail about the religions in Starfield. We previously learned that the three in the game are the Sanctum Universum, Enlightened, and Great Serpent.

“Existing, IRL religions are part of the Starfield universe, (with folks of all religions and denominations out there) but we don’t really focus on them,” Pagliarulo said. “Instead, we highlight three new ones specific to the game.”

A quick recap on the three religions in Starfield is that Sanctum Universum (aka Universals) believes God exists in the in-game universe. The Enlightened “are essentially organized atheists” that focus on humanitarian efforts. And The Great Serpent, which the faction House of Va’ruun worships, is filled with mystery with Pagliarulo explaining that “in the game, you’re not really sure what the complete truth is.”

Crew Members Can Be Assigned to Work at Outposts

Outposts in Starfield can be used in different ways: you can either build a domicile or make an outpost designed to manufacture things or mine for resources. And during the dev Q&A, we learned that you can assign crew members to work in the outposts. You only have to pay them once when assigning them to the outposts and you can even use the Speech Challenge game to negotiate the price.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

A Calhoun County, Alabama corrections officer got arrested and fired for allegedly stealing Pokémon cards from Walmart while still in uniform.

As reported by Alabama’s online news outlet Advance Local, the theft occurred at a Walmart in Oxford last Saturday night. Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade said the store’s loss prevention employees saw Officer Josh Hardy open multiple packs of Pokémon cards, stuff them in his pockets, and attempt to walk out of the store without paying for them. When the employees confronted Hardy, he fled the scene on foot.

The staff reported the incident to Oxford Police, and the officers searched for Hardy until they found him at a local restaurant. They charged him with theft and placed him in Oxford County Jail.

“It is with great embarrassment that we have to report this incident, and Hardy has been terminated from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office,” Wade said to the public. “He has tarnished our agency and the image of all law enforcement. As sheriff, I promised to be transparent and hold my staff accountable to standard higher than average citizens.”

As embarrassing as it, this incident speaks to the risks people have taken to get their hands on the high-demand trading cards, as well as trading cards from other franchises, in the last two years. In March 2021, a 28-year-old man got arrested for using a rope to descend from a six-story building to steal nearly $10,000 worth of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards along with some cash from a store in Tokyo’s Higashi-Ikebukuro district. A few weeks earlier, a man in Georgia misused his COVID-19 relief money to buy a rare, shiny Charizard card and got sent to prison for it. In February 2022, a thief broke through the walls of an independent gaming store in Minnesota to steal $250,000 worth of Pokémon merchandise, including sealed booster boxes of cards worth up to $100 each. And last week, a couple of thieves stole $300,000 worth of Magic: The Gathering trading cards from Gen Con.

Meanwhile, rapper Post Malone bought Magic: The Gathering’s “The One Ring” card for $2 million earlier this month. The special edition Lord of the Rings card was worth that much because it was printed in Elvish.

Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.

Star Wars’ animation department is unaffected by the closing of Luacsfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) facility in Singapore where more than 300 people work.

Lucasfilm’s director of cinematography lightning and VFX Joel Aron confirmed on Twitter (below) that the studio currently working on The Bad Batch Season 3 and Tales of the Jedi Season 2 is unaffected by the closure.

As reported by Variety, the Singapore studio will close its doors “due to economic factors affecting the industry” after nearly 20 years in operation. Founded in 2004, Lucasfilm Animation Singapore’s first work was on the original Star Wars cartoon The Clone Wars.

Just to be clear, we’re not effected by this closure. LAL is not in Singapore 🙂 we’ve always been at either the ranch or where we are now in SF (or working from home!). We are still ferociously busy working with Cgcg to bring you all s3 of #thebadbatch and #talesofthejedi.

— joelaron (@joelaron) August 16, 2023

“Just to be clear, we’re not effected by this closure,” Aron said. “[Lucasfilm Animation Limited] is not in Singapore. We’ve always been at either The Ranch or where we are now in San Francisco (or working from home!). We are still ferociously busy working with CGCG to bring you all Season 3 of The Bad Batch and Tales of the Jedi.”

Both shows had new seasons announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, with The Bad Batch’s third outing confirmed to be its last. Less is known about Tales of the Jedi’s second season and whether or not it will continue the backstories of Ahsoka and Count Dooku, as creator Dave Filoni said he just wanted to make more because it was so fun the first time.

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