Wizards of the Coast Is Stepping in After Magic’s Most Popular Format Is Rocked by Controversial Card Bans

It’s been a wild few days for Magic: The Gathering fans. Last week, the Commander Rules Committee announced that it was banning several major cards, throwing Magic’s most popular format into disarray. Now Wizards of the Coast is stepping in.

Acknowledging in an official statement that it’s been a “tumultuous” week for Commander fans, Wizards of the Coast said it plans to run the format in-house going forward after previously leaving it in the care of part-time volunteers. It’s a huge shakeup — one that figures to have far-reaching implications for the future of the game.

“This week has also demonstrated the truly monumental task that faced the Commander Rules Committee. The Commander RC is made up of five talented, caring individuals, all with other jobs and lives which they must balance with managing the most popular format in Magic,” Wizards of the Coast said. “It results in incredible amounts of work, time spent deliberating, and exposure to the public. Nobody deserves to feel unsafe for supporting the game they love. Unfortunately, the task of managing Commander has far outgrown the scope and safety of being attached to any five people.”

The decision was read in some corners as a rebuke of the rules committee in the wake of the ban decision, which has had a very mixed reception since it was first announced. But a statement by committee member Jim Lapage suggests that the committee instigated the change.

Unfortunately, the task of managing Commander has far outgrown the scope and safety of being attached to any five people

“What’s become clear to me is that fulfilling my commitment requires a level of global connectedness, proactive and reactive communication, research, and skill beyond what I am capable of providing. I don’t think it’s possible for a group of part-time volunteers to rise to this task,” Lapage wrote on X/Twitter.

Lapage said that he reached out to Wizards of the Coast last week and that the committee will be transitioning all management responsibilities, including its roadmap, contacts, and documentation.

“It’s extremely important to me that the format’s new leadership remains faithful to [format godfather Sheldon Menery’s] vision of a vibrant global community with a strong focus on the people who play it,” Lapage says.

Wizards of the Coast, for its part, says that the rules committee will “continue to be involved” and that there have been preliminary conversations about the path forward. They include a “more objective approach to deck power level” as well as “additional guidance and shared language for players to find games that match the type of game they’re trying to play.”

Wizards of the Coast went on to outline a potential vision for what this might look like, suggesting that there may be power brackets going forward to help better define play within the format.

One way or another, the changes are a major milestone in Commander history, which originally began as a community-driven format and has grown into arguably the biggest and most influential way to play Wizards of the Coast’s card game. It distinguishes itself from typical formats by letting players choose a creature as their “Commander,” with decks comprised of 100 unique cards. Instead of one-on-one, Commander is a free-for-all usually played with four players.

As Commander has grown, Wizards of the Coast has embraced the format, even introducing cards specifically tailored to its rules. However, until now, it has remained governed by the community. Last week, the rules committee banned four popular cards — Dockside Extortionist, Jeweled Lotus, Mana Crypt, and Nadu, Winged Wisdom. The ban, the first in three years, sparked massive backlash among fans. Now it appears they have changed the course of Commander — and Magic: The Gathering — history.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Monster Hunter Wilds: Here’s What Comes in Each Edition

The next mainline installment in the Monster Hunter series is coming soon. Monster Hunter Wilds is set to release for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on February 28. It brings a gorgeous open-world setting like Monster Hunter World and introduces some of the fast traversal of Monster Hunter Rise to create what should be the best of both worlds. Monster Hunter Wilds is now available to preorder in a variety of editions (see it at Amazon). Below, we break down what comes in each one, how much they cost, and more. Let’s dive in.

Monster Hunter Wilds (Steelbook Edition)

PS5

Xbox Series X|S

Those seeking a physical copy of Monster Hunter Wilds have two options: with a steelbook case or without. The steelbook case looks pretty rad, and it only costs $5 more than the non-steelbook edition. It’s your call.

Monster Hunter Wilds (Standard Edition)

PS5

Xbox Series X|S

PC

Anyone who just wants the game by itself, either in digital or physical format, can preorder it at their retailer of choice using the links above.

Monster Hunter Wilds Digital-Only Editions

Two editions of Monster Hunter Wilds are only avaialble in digital format across platforms. There’s the $89.99 deluxe edition, and the $109.99 premium deluxe edition. Read on for links and to see what each one comes with.

Monster Hunter Wilds Deluxe Edition (Digital)

The digital-only deluxe edition comes with the game itself, plus the following in-game bonuses:

Deluxe Pack

  • Hunter Layered Armor Set: Feudal Soldier
  • Hunter Layered Armor: Fencer’s Eyepatch, Oni Horns Wig
  • Seikret Decoration: Soldier’s Caparison, General’s Caparison
  • Felyne Layered Armor Set: Felyne Ashigaru
  • Pendant: Avian Wind Chime
  • Gesture: Battle Cry, Uchiko
  • Hairstyle: Hero’s Topknot, Refined Warrior
  • Makeup/Face Paint: Hunter’s Kumadori, Special Bloom
  • Sticker Set: Avis Unit, Monsters of the Windward Plains
  • Nameplate: Extra Frame — Russet Dawn

Monster Hunter Wilds Premium Deluxe Edition (Digital)

The digital-only premium deluxe edition comes with the game itself, all the items in the deluxe edition, plus a premium bonus and two planned DLC cosmetic packs. Here’s everything all laid out:

Deluxe Pack

  • Hunter Layered Armor Set: Feudal Soldier
  • Hunter Layered Armor: Fencer’s Eyepatch, Oni Horns Wig
  • Seikret Decoration: Soldier’s Caparison, General’s Caparison
  • Felyne Layered Armor Set: Felyne Ashigaru
  • Pendant: Avian Wind Chime
  • Gesture: Battle Cry, Uchiko
  • Hairstyle: Hero’s Topknot, Refined Warrior
  • Makeup/Face Paint: Hunter’s Kumadori, Special Bloom
  • Sticker Set: Avis Unit, Monsters of the Windward Plains
  • Nameplate: Extra Frame — Russet Dawn

Monster Hunter Wilds Cosmetic DLC Pack 1 (Planned for release in Spring 2025)

  • Hunter layered armor: 1 series (5 pieces), and 1 piece
  • Seikret decorations: 2
  • Pendants: 6 (Color variation)
  • Pose Sets: 1
  • Makeup/Facepaint: 1
  • Sticker set: 1
  • BGM Set: 1
  • Pop-up camp customization contents: 2

Monster Hunter Wilds Cosmetic DLC Pack 2 (Planned for release in Summer 2025)

  • Hunter layered armor: 1 series (5 pieces)
  • Pendants: 6 (Color variation)
  • Gesture sets: 2
  • Hairstyles: 2
  • Makeup/Facepaint: 2
  • Sticker set: 1

Premium Bonus (Planned for release when the main game releases)

  • Hunter Layered Armor: Wyverian Ears
  • Premium Bonus Hunter Profile Set
  • BGM: Proof of a Hero (2025 Recording)

Monster Hunter Wilds Preorder Bonus

Preorder any edition of Monster Hunter Wilds, and you’ll receive the Gilded Knight set of layered armor, shown above. How about that.

What Is Monster Hunter Wilds?

Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest installment in the long-running series. Based on its graphically intensive nature, it’s more a follow-up to Monster Hunter Worlds than Rise. And as such, it won’t be available on Nintendo systems.

Once again, you play as a Hunter in a world filled with dangerous beasts. Your job is to pick a weapon type/play style and use it to hunt sizable monsters roaming the land. Then you use their various parts to create better gear that lets you go out and hunt bigger and more dangerous monsters. This time around, you have the mobility of Monster Hunter Rise, with the gorgeous beasts and environments of World, creating what just might be the best of both worlds.

PC gamers can check out the recommended specs for playing the game. Those looking for a deep dive into what’s new and what’s returning can check out our lengthy Monster Hunter Wilds hands-on preview.

Other Preorder Guides

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 Threads.

Yoshi-P Thinks a Final Fantasy 9 Remake Would Take More Than One Game

Rumors of a Final Fantasy IX remake have been echoing around RPG circles for at least year now, with series fans hopeful that they may soon get to revisit one of the most beloved entries in the series. But if a Final Fantasy IX remake does materialize, it may face some big challenges.

Speaking with the website Video Games, Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida talked a bit about what a remake might look like. He warns that it may not all fit in one game.

“Of course, I do know there are requests for Final Fantasy IX to be made, but when you think about Final Fantasy IX, it’s a game with huge volume,” Yoshida says. “When you think about all of that volume, I wonder if it’s possible to remake that as a single title. It’s a difficult one. It is a tough question.”

Yoshida seems to be suggesting that a potential remake could go the direction of Final Fantasy VII Remake, which is in the middle of a planned trilogy. Fans have long had mixed feelings about splitting it into multiple parts, which offers the opportunity to add plenty of new elements, but also slows the pacing. As it stands, the third part of the trilogy doesn’t figure to be out until 2026 at the earliest.

Yoshida is right about Final Fantasy IX being a big game. It’s absolutely loaded with sidequests, minigames, and other content, and it’s set in a very large world. Reproducing all of that material won’t be easy for any development team that takes on a remake.

As for Yoshida himself, he’s interested in remaking a different game in the series. “The one that I would like to make myself would be Final Fantasy III, I think.”

For longtime fans of the series, Yoshida is referring to the version released on the Famicom, not the Americanized Final Fantasy VI. It’s a deep cut as Final Fantasy releases go, but very much in keeping with Yoshida’s attitude as Final Fantasy XIV’s producer.

Yoshida touches on a handful of other details in the interview, including his favorite Final Fantasy VII minigame (snowboarding), an Xbox release of Final Fantasy XVI (“we do want to release it on Xbox”), and more. In the meantime, the wait for a Final Fantasy IX remake continues.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Astro Bot Dev Says ‘We Really Respect the Choice of Each Publisher,’ Amid Final Fantasy Cameo Absence

PS5-exclusive 3D platformer Astro Bot features 173 bot cameos from PlayStation games past and present (check out IGN’s feature, Astro Bot: Every PlayStation Character – Easter Eggs, for more). Iconic Final Fantasy characters are conspicuous by their absence, however — an omission fans were quick to pick up on in the context of Final Fantasy’s long-standing association with PlayStation. That means no Cloud from Final Fantasy 7, or any other character from the famous role-playing franchise.

So why did Final Fantasy characters fail to make it into Astro Bot? Neither Sony nor Square Enix has properly commented yet, and in a new interview, the chief developer of the game itself danced around the question.

Game File asked Nicolas Doucet, the head of the game’s Tokyo-based studio, Team Asobi, about Cloud’s absence from Astro Bot. According to Doucet, Team Asobi had hoped to get Cloud in the game, but didn’t manage to for some reason.

“It’s difficult to comment on that,” Doucet said, before adding: “We really respect the choice of each publisher.”

That comment suggests it was Square Enix’s call to keep Cloud from Astro Bot (IGN has asked Square Enix for comment), which fans are already calling an odd call, especially when you consider the PlayStation exclusivity Final Fantasy has signed on for in recent years. Final Fantasy 7 Remake launched as a PlayStation 4 exclusive in 2020 before hitting PS5 in 2021, then PC later that year. It has yet to launch on Xbox.

Similarly, Final Fantasy 16 launched as a PS5 exclusive in June 2023, with its PC version launching only this month. It has yet to launch on Xbox. And finally, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launched in February this year as a PS5 exclusive. It has yet to be announced for other platforms.

Despite all this, no Final Fantasy for Astro Bot. Last month, Final Fantasy 16 producer and 14 director Naoki Yoshida said Square Enix is looking to double down on Xbox releases, after its focus on PlayStation exclusivity led to a financial dip.

Yoshida told Eurogamer that Final Fantasy 14’s recent release on Xbox was met with a “really strong response” and is just the “starting point” for more Square Enix games to launch on the platform.

“With Final Fantasy 14’s release on Xbox, [Microsoft Gaming CEO] Phil Spencer spent a lot of his time and a lot of effort and put in a lot of hard work into making it a reality,” Yoshida said. “So we would like to make the best of that and further deepen the relationship with Xbox gamers moving forward.”

This shift began after a huge fall in profits was revealed in May 2024, when Square Enix declared it would “shift to a multiplatform strategy” through a three-year plan to reboot the company.

As for Astro Bot, its DLC features five new online speedrunning levels and 10 new bots to rescue, including Stellar Blade’s Eve and a Helldivers 2 Helldiver.

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.

Walmart Drops $930 Off the 55″ LG C4 OLED: The Best TV for Your PlayStation 5 Console

Ahead of the holiday season, Walmart has dropped the price of the 2024 55″ LG Evo C4 4K OLED TV by nearly 50% off (if you go by LG’s retail price of $1999.99). Right now you can get it for $1069.00, which is easily the lowest price we’ve seen thus far for this particular size and model. The LG Evo C4 is an outstanding TV that has won top spots in several of our buying guides, including best 4K TV, best TV for gaming, and best TV for the PlayStation 5. This is an especially good buy if you picked up the new PS5 Pro, since the updated hardware will be able to run more games at a consistent 4K @ 120fps.

55″ LG Evo C4 4K OLED Smart TV: The Best PS5 TV

The C4 is the current generation 2024 model among LG’s highly vaunted C-series OLED TV lineup. It’s an incremental upgrade over the 2023 C3, with the most noticeable improvements being an upgraded processor, newer WebOS smart interface, support for DTS audio, and a higher 144Hz refresh rate. This is a true OLED TV, which is the best type of TV you can get right now. Compared to a traditional LED LCD TV, an OLED TV offers superior image quality, near-infinite blacks, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times. The C4 uses LG’s Evo panel, which offers higher brightness levels than traditional OLED TVs. Because of these advantages, the OLED TV excels at displaying 4K HDR content in all of its intended glory. Compared to other OLED TVs, LG has the most generations of updates and improvements so we’re keen to choose this brand over others.

The C4 also has all the features you’d want in a gaming TV. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports all capable of up to 144Hz refresh rate at 4K resolution. That’s great news for PS5 (and now PS5 Pro), Xbox Series X, and PC gamers, since several games can be played at frame rates of 120fps and beyond. The C4 also supports variable refresh rate (VRR) including NVIDIA G-SYNC and auto low latency mode (ALLM). When connected to a PC, it supports chroma 4:4:4 for better text legibility.

A particularly nice feature that isn’t advertised often is the surprisingly light weight of the C4. The 55″ TV weighs in at only 31.1 pounds without the stand. That’s because the rear cabinet housing is made of a composite fiber that’s lighter than the plastics most TVs use. It might not matter much in the long term, but this is a welcome advantage when you are first setting up your TV, especially if you plan on wall mounting.

Should You Buy Now or Wait for Black Friday?

Although this is an extremely good discount for one of our favorite gaming TVs, you may be wondering if you should wait until Black Friday to make a purchase. We can honestly say that it’s very possible Black Friday 2024 will have lower prices on the LG C4 TV in general, however we almost never see a 55″ LG OLED TV sell for under $1,000, even on older models. If you are looking for another size, waiting for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals is probably the right call. But this discount makes this easily one of the best TV deals happening right now.

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.

Hell is Us: The First Preview

Let’s get this one out of the way: Hell is Us isn’t a soulslike. Nor is it an open-world game. Instead, it aims to separate itself from other action adventures by emphasising investigation and discovery, ushering you to get lost in its weirdness. That’s exactly what happened to me during my two-hour hands-on with developer Rogue Factor’s latest, an arresting mixture of medieval and sci-fi aesthetics set against a 90s European civil war backdrop. I enjoyed its approach to tense melee combat encounters and information-gathering puzzles, but what excites me the most is what I don’t know – where its intriguing story will lead me next.

Hell is Us is one of the bleaker games I’ve played in a while. Upon entering a village surrounded by muddy marshland, I’m greeted by a mass grave, bodies hanging from a tree, and the yearnful strings of a local’s violins. You’ll become used to such scenes during the early hours of venturing through the fictional European nation of Hadea, circa an alternate 1990s. It’s a country ravaged by civil war that has cut itself off from the rest of the world, and the place that main character Rémi fled as a child. Fast forward years later and he’s back in his homeland having smuggled himself over the border in search of the parents who sent him off for a better life.

The first step of the mystery brings me to a lonely farmhouse, the basement of which the owner now calls home. Through conversation about my father and the larger conflict at play, I’m able to pull on a thread that eventually reveals the village of Jova as his last known location. Hell is Us wants you to take your time talking to people and investigating every avenue of conversation. Indeed, being a wandering detective appears to be as much a part of its gameplay as its punishing combat (more on that in a bit). It forces you to observe its world and the people trapped in it. You are deprived of map markers, waypoints, and – thanks to that 90s setting – a mobile phone. Instead of those tools, you are reliant on directions and clues given by mouth or read on scattered notes.

In order to reach Jova I’ll need a vehicle, and it just so happens that a military APC is parked nearby. Retrieving its engine’s lost key appears a simple fetch quest at first, but Hell is Us’ emphasis on investigation means this task quickly reveals itself to be a much more complex problem. I talk to a wounded soldier who gives me rough directions through a forest, which in turn leads me to a puzzle where I need to match symbols on a door using a contraption. The gateway unlocked, I then delve deep into the tomb inside. This is where things get weird.

Foes take the form of milky white humanoids that move slowly yet menacingly, echoing images from the finale of Annihilation.

During a conversation at gamescom 2024, creative director Jonathan Jacques-Belletête revealed to me the influence that Annihilation plays on Hell is Us. The team has been inspired not just by the visuals of Alex Garland’s striking 2018 film, but also the overall off-kilter tone of Jeff VanderMeer’s trilogy of novels it’s based on. It can be heard in the unsettling score that soundtracks Hadea, filled with droning, stuttering electronics and twinkling otherworldliness, but becomes much more evident when you’re face-to-face with enemies.

The basic foes take the form of milky white humanoids that move slowly yet menacingly, echoing images from the finale of Garland’s movie. Others are more developed quadrupeds that possess blades for limbs that slice at you if you get too close – I couldn’t help but think of the necromorphs that haunt Dead Space’s corridors when faced with them. But the horrors don’t end there. In fact, they’re hidden around every tight corner and in every open field. This is best exemplified near the end of my demo as I venture far too near a giant shimmering blob of spiking goo and wavy ribbing. It’s a hard thing to try and describe in words, and in turn quite unlike anything else I’ve ever seen.

So far it all sounds very sci-fi horror, but that’s just one side of Hell is Us’ coin, because the way you deal with these threats is thoroughly medieval fantasy. I quickly discover that standard weapons have no effect on them, but thankfully soon receive a glowing white sword that’s much more effective. Alongside a standard mix of dodging and blocking, you can slice at enemies with both standard and charged heavy attacks. At its core it’s a relatively basic melee combat system that I found fairly unforgiving at times (though never unfair,) but more wrinkles do reveal themselves over time. Recovery items are scarce, so you’ll largely be relying on the smart “healing pulse” system, which is triggered by hitting the right bumper button when a burst of particles emerges from an enemy after hitting them. It encourages aggression when playing, and kept me on the front foot when searching for a health top-up, just as some of my favourite action-heavy games like Control and Doom Eternal do.

This doesn’t mean you can go in all blades blazing, however, as the length of your stamina bar is directly linked to the amount of health you have left. This means you can only get a hit or two in when near death before needing to hang back and rest a moment. Should you find yourself in need of a helping hand, you can call upon your drone companion who, among other abilities, can distract enemies while you sneak up on them for a critical hit. This isn’t necessarily a stealth game, but it’s nice to know the option is there.

Alongside special attacks, these systems all combine to create a tense dance in each combat encounter that’s a consistent thrill to navigate through, especially when faced with more complex threats. A prime example of such foes are those connected to glowing, pulsating entities that are colour-coded depending on the type of attack they use. For example, the red ones plow into you, whereas the yellow ones attack from range. Deal enough damage to them and they’ll retreat into their fleshier counterparts and make them vulnerable.

During my playtime, I also got my hands on several other weapons, too, such as a very cool pair of twin axes that unleashed flurries of charged attacks, and a hulking polearm that delivered slow but heavy hits. The latter seemed an entirely optional find, too, unlocked by collecting a series of ancient medallions and slotting them into a side door hidden in the catacombs. It’s nice to see the investigation side of the game leading to new treasures and cleverly integrated into these open zone areas, rather than just being there to reveal story information.

Of course, this combat is what stands between Rémi and him being reunited with his father. That connection will remain lost for the time being, however, as upon arriving in Jova it is revealed that he left town with the global peacekeeping forces. The journey continues and the next stage of the investigation is underway as I wander around speaking to weary, sometimes dismissive, villagers. There’s obviously some deeper mystery at play too, as alien languages and arresting sci-fi gothic architecture lurk underground, waiting to emerge and reveal their secrets. It’s worth noting that Hell is Us is striking throughout, no coincidence when you consider Jacques-Belletête was an art director of both Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Mankind Divided – two games that have stood the test of time incredibly well from a stylistic perspective.

It’s this willingness to just get a bit weird that makes me so encouraged by what I’ve played of Hell is Us. Its 90s setting and appropriate lack of modern technology is not only a vehicle to encourage genuine exploration, but also feels like a throwback to a decade where games held your hand a little more loosely. I, for one, welcome it, and look forward to seeing where Hell is Us leads me to next.

Simon Cardy is also up for wallowing in bleakness. Follow him on Twitter at @CardySimon.

Tekken Boss Katsuhiro Harada Actually Tried to Get Colonel Sanders as a Guest Character — But KFC Turned Him Down

Tekken development chief Katsuhiro Harada revealed he tried and failed to have Colonel Sanders added to the fighting game as a guest character.

“A long time ago, I wanted to have Colonel Sanders from Kentucky Fried Chicken fight,” Harada told The Gamer. “So, I asked to use Colonel Sanders and go to the head office in Japan.”

Unfortunately, Harada’s pitch was turned down with a “bad look.” Since then, Colonel Sanders actually did appear in a video game: I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator, a dating sim commissioned by KFC and released for free on Steam on September 24, 2019 as a bizarre promo for the fast food chain.

“[Harada] went to Kentucky Fried Chicken and tried to get Colonel Sanders,” game designer Michael Murray added. “They weren’t very open to the idea.

“[Colonel Sanders] appeared in games after that. So maybe it was just him fighting against someone [that] was posing a problem for them. But it just goes to show how difficult these types of discussions are.”

So, no Colonel Sanders. But what about that Waffle House stage Tekken fans are desperate for? “It’s not something that we can accomplish on our own,” Harada said, pointing to the need for Waffle House’s unlikely approval for such a DLC.

Still, Tekken 8 fans do have the game’s third DLC character, Heihachi Mishima, to look forward to. The once-dead fighting veteran joins the roster as part of the upcoming free story expansion for Tekken 8, titled Unforgotten Echoes.

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.

PS5 Homescreen Now Replaces Unique Video Game Art With Annoying Ads You Can’t Turn Off

The PlayStation 5 now has an advert system built into the dashboard user interface you can’t disable without disconnecting from the internet.

Users noticed how hovering over a video game icon on the homepage now forces an advert to replace the unique art — as close to a theme as the PS5 gets.

What appears to be happening is the PS5 is pulling in the latest news for each game, whether it be a YouTube video, patch notes, or even the announcement of a different game entirely.

However, some users have critisized the move for replacing main video game images on the homepage with what are in some cases outdated adverts.

IGN’s testing shows the latest promotional Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 video released by publisher Focus Entertainment has replaced the art of protagonist Titus in the background of the homescreen.

Black Myth: Wukong, meanwhile, now forces an image signaling the latest patch notes.

And Call of Duty promotes The Haunting update for Season 6.

Other users have reported particularly confusing ads. MP1st showed how an ad for the upcoming Lego Horizon Adventures takes up the background when selecting Horizon Zero Dawn, making it look like you’re about to play a game that’s not out yet.

Perhaps most annoying of all, some of the latest news the PS5 is pulling from is significantly out of date, which will perhaps confuse some less clued up users. For example, Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales brite-forces an advertisement for the movie theatre release of Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse, which came out in June 2023.

Bizarrely, some games do not use the new advert system (perhaps there’s no latest news to pull from). The recently released Astro Bot, for example, is spared for now, as is Yakuza Kiwami 2.

The PlayStation dashboard has featured ads for years now, but mostly those were relegated to the PlayStation Store itself. This new homescreen feature is new, though. Similarly, Microsoft’s Xbox dashboard is littered with ads, but at least its console supports themes that take priority on the homescreen background.

There is some speculation that Sony added this feature as part of the PS5’s recent Welcome Hub firmware update, but there was no mention of it in the patch notes. Either way, it’s fair to say core PS5 users aren’t massive fans of the intrusion.

“There definitely should be a way to disable this,” redditor mikelman999 said. “I get its usefulness in modern games that are still getting updated but since it just displays the newest “news” item it’s a lot more problematic with older titles. It just ends up covering your screen with irrelevant information that’s potentially a decade out of date.”

“Terrible decision and I hope this gets changed or a way to opt out quickly,” said ConcreteSnake. “At least with the explore tab I could ignore it and not have it infect every game I ‘own’.”

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.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Datamine Reveals Unannounced Armor Pieces — Including the Beaky Helmet

Following the release of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’s game-changing patch 3.0 last week, dataminers have dug into the files and unearthed what looks like upcoming armor customization pieces — including one fans had hoped would be added to the game.

Images of the Mark 6 Corvus and Mark 7 Aquila Astartes helmets were posted to reddit, showing that developer Saber Interactive likely plans to expand the game’s Space Marine customization beyond variations of the latest Mark 10 Tacticus power armor.

Space Marine 2, which is set in Warhammer 40,000’s current and ongoing Indomitus Era, features Primaris (bigger, stronger, better) marines and thus focuses on the latest armor sets in the tabletop. However, this datamine suggests old favorites are potentially on the way, and it’s the “beaky” helmet popularized by the Raven Guard chapter of Space Marines that’s got Warhammer 40,000 fans most excited.

There’s more. Redditor agentduckman12 found a number of images in the game files that reveal what looks like the new customization pieces coming to Space Marine 2 as part of its big October patch and the launch of Season 2 of the game.

We see images of a number of weapons skins, that beaky helmet again, and winged Dark Angels helmets alongside the chapter’s new armor set. There’s also an image of a Salamanders Sniper Rifle skin, supposedly part of a Salamanders Champion Pack coming at some point for the Sniper class.

This tallies with what Saber has announced is coming to Space Marine 2 in Season 2 (a Dark Angels Champion Pack, Cosmetic Pack, and Weapon Skin pack).

Saber has yet to show off upcoming customization pieces, so for now this all remains firmly in datamined territory, but with October around the corner, it won’t be long before the developer reveals what’s to come.

Speaking of patch 3.0, IGN has reported on a seemingly innocuous change it made to Space Marine 2’s ending that got Warhammer 40,000 fans excited. IGN also recently interviewed Saber chief creative officer Tim Willits about the boost he expects the PS5 Pro will give the game, and how the breakout success of Space Marine 2 has “changed everything” for the studio.

Meanwhile, Warhammer 40,000 superfan Henry Cavill has been playing Space Marine 2 and delivered his verdict, and we also have details on what fans can expect from Space Marine 2’s seasonal post-launch content model. Season 2 runs from October until the end of 2024, and includes a new Operations map, a new enemy, a harder difficulty level, a new weapon, and various other improvements.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Preorders Get a Massive Discount Just a Month Before Release in the UK

Thinking about grabbing the new Call of Duty this year? We’ve got the best deal in the UK right here. You don’t need to pay the full £70 for the highly anticipated return to the Black Ops series. Right now, you can secure Black Ops 6 for just £53.99 with the code GHOST10 at Currys, available on PS5, PS4, and Xbox.

The new installment brings the sub-series up to the early 1990s, with in-game representations of world leaders like George H. W. Bush, Saddam Husseine, and Margaret Thatcher. As usual, it will include a single-player campaign, multiplayer, and zombies.

Activision also recently announced all the changes coming to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Multiplayer based on feedback to the recent beta. Black Ops 6, due out October 25, has Multiplayer developed by Treyarch, with the Campaign developed by Warzone developer Raven.

Treyarch also weighed in on the ongoing community debate regarding the map sizes, following the beta’s focus on smaller, more chaotic close-quarters maps. Treyarch emphasized that most of the 12 core 6v6 maps available at launch will be medium-sized, explaining that the eight maps featured in the beta “trended smaller” and included some Strike maps, which support 2v2 to 6v6 gameplay.

Other top deals in the UK right now include Meta Quest 3 headsets getting a significant discount at Amazon. You can pick up a 512GB VR headset with Batman Arkham Shadow included for free at just £469, over £150 off the RRP. Amazon has also dropped the price of an Xbox Controller down to just £39.99 right before October Prime Day.

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