The World of Warcraft community is jubilant after brazenly tricking an AI-generated games news website into publishing an article covering a fictitious upcoming feature, known simply as ‘Glorbo’.
The spread of AI-generated news has been a subject of controversy and debate in recent years, and has seen certain websites dispatch bots to scrape information from the underbelly of the internet and use it to mould simplistic articles.
Having seen similar tactics used to extract info from the World of Warcraft community, Reddit user kaefer_kriegerin created a post entitled ‘I’m so excited they finally introduced Glorbo!!!’ in which they gave an impassioned account of a fictitious feature coming to the game.
The vigilante’s goal was to entice bots into taking notice of the post, and to subsequently trigger the creation of an article detailing the nonsense therein. To put it another way, kaefer_kriegerin’s post was something of a Trojan horse, but in lieu of Greek soldiers, the digital construct was filled with malicious tomfoolery.
Feels soooooo good to be able to talk about Glorbo finally, I remember my first day at Blizzard we were just starting to work on implementation, and that was almost 15 years ago!
“Honestly, this new feature makes me so happy! I just really want some major bot operated news websites to publish an article about this,” wrote kaefer_kriegerin, as spotted by PC Gamer. “I have to say, since they started hinting at it in Hearthstone in 1994, it was obvious that they would introduce Glorbo to World of Warcraft sooner or later. I feel like Dragonflight has been win after win so far, like when they brought back Chen Stormstout as the end boss of the new Karazhan? Absolutely amazing!”
Those words, in that order, are nonsense, and always will be. However, that didn’t stop bots in the employ of the website Zleague.com from scooping up the word salad and regurgitating it into an over formatted news blast. How do we know the article was written by a bot? Well, the author of the Zleague article had penned over 50 articles in a 24 hour period. If they aren’t digital in nature, then someone needs to ask if they’re OK.
“World of Warcraft (WoW) players have been buzzing with excitement ever since the announcement of Glorbo’s introduction,” read the Zleague post, which has since been taken down. “The highly anticipated new feature has sparked a wave of positive sentiment among players, who are eagerly awaiting its impact on the game.”
The article also picked up on the comments made by fellow Reddit users, who piled on with a mixture of joy and apprehension regarding the ‘Kliclac’ item that would be coming to WoW with the Glorbo update, and that, again, does not exist.
“One aspect of Glorbo’s introduction that has sparked differing opinions among players is the mandatory item Klikclac, explained the Zleague article. “Reddit user Mezmodian expresses excitement about the item, claiming that it will significantly increase the power of certain classes.
“However, kaefer_kriegerin disagrees, stating, ‘Making Klikclac a mandatory item is a huge punch in the gut for casual players. I don’t have the time to farm Zoop for that!’ This debate highlights the divide between players who appreciate the power boost Klikclac offers and those who feel it unfairly disadvantages casual players.”
Naturally, kaefer_kriegerin and other members of the WoW community were delighted with their victory. Activision Blizzard employees further stoked the flames, with CCO and EVP of corporate affairs LuLu Cheng Meservey simply tweeting “they found out about Glorbo”. Kyle Hartline, a senior game producer on WoW also weighed in, posting it “feels soooooo good to be able to talk about Glorbo finally, I remember my first day at Blizzard we were just starting to work on implementation, and that was almost 15 years ago!”
Feels soooooo good to be able to talk about Glorbo finally, I remember my first day at Blizzard we were just starting to work on implementation, and that was almost 15 years ago!
World of Warcraft is almost 20 years old at this point, yet its ability to create news, AI-generated and otherwise, remains as potent as ever.
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
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is printing a Bonsly card for the first time since the Diamond and Pearl base set launched 16 years ago.
As reported by ComicBook.com, the bonsai Pokémon has only ever received one English printing but will finally receive a follow-up in the upcoming Scarlet and Violet: Obsidian Flames set that launches in August.
“Bonsly finally making a new appearance”, commented one Reddit user who got an early look at the set list. “Only took them a decade to print more than one English Bonsly,” said another in the replies.
While another Pokémon recently returned after a lawsuit got it banned, Bonsly’s reason for being ignored is less dramatic. Being a baby Pokémon, it just isn’t very good.
Generation two of the Pokémon video games saw the introduction of this archtype that gave predecessors to the likes of Pikachu (in Pichu) and Jynx (in Smoochum), and The Pokémon Company released another batch of these in generation four.
This included Bonsly as a predecessor to Sudowoodo, but this baby Pokémon, just like the others, presented a challenge to the card game designers that has never really been overcome.
The Pokémon TCG, just like the games, has players start with Basic Pokémon and evolve them into Stage 1 and Stage 2. But with the likes of Pikachu being a Basic Pokémon already, meaning one you can play unconditionally, starting with the baby predecessor is essentially starting a step behind.
Bonsly and its fellow generation four baby Pokémon Mantyke have therefore both been neglected in the TCG because players simply don’t want to use them. Neither Pokémon has seen a single new version released in English, though Mantyke is still being neglected despite Bonsly getting a new version in Obsidian Flames.
Kadabra similarly saw a return to the TCG after a long time away, as mentioned, caused by a two decade ban. The Pokémon Company stopped printing Kadabra cards (and removed it from the anime) after magician Uri Geller sued the company for using his likeness, though he retracted his complaint in 2020.
Pokémon cards have only grown in popularity during these pocket monsters’ absence though, evidenced, among other things, by the number of people trying to steal them.
Now that PS5 consoles are regularly available to buy, it’s an excellent time to start picking up games, accessories, and hardware for it. What’s even better is when you can find all of those things at a discounted price, especially during PlayStation’s new Summer Sale providing up to 75% off plenty of awesome games. We’ve given the sale a good rundown and found our favorite deals going, but be sure to check out everything on sale right now, as there is a lot to consider.
TL;DR – Best PS5 Deals Right Now
Plus, below, you can also find a variety of different sales on everything from games to SSDs and even information on where to buy a PS5 now. And, though not a sale but still exciting to keep on your radar, if you’re looking to preorder Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for PS5, we’ve even included links to those preorders so you won’t miss out on the web-slinging action.
PlayStation Summer Sale: Save on Elden Ring, Dead Island 2 & More
PlayStation’s Summer Sale features some great games that are definitely worth adding to your collection, especially at a discounted price. The sale includes 30% off Elden Ring, 25% off Dead Island 2, 50% off Cyberpunk 2077 and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and so much more. To see the full list of available games, click here.
PS5 God of War Ragnarok Bundle with Extra Camouflage DualSense Controller for $549.99 at Walmart
Walmart (through Antonline) has the PS5 God of War Ragnarok bundle available with a bonus camouflage DualSense controller for $549.99. Usually, this runs for $699.99, so jump on this deal quickly before it goes back up!
Silicon Power 1TB XS70 PS5 SSD for Just $53.97
Could your PS5 use more storage? Prices have been plummeting since Sony started letting people upgrade their SSDs. Right now you can get a Silicon Power 1TB XS70 for $53.97 or the 2TB for $89.07. It’s hard to beat the recent Prime Day we had, and we won’t like this doesn’t match the best 1TB deal at $50 during that sale, but it’s pretty close at about $4 more. Now’s a great time, in general, to pick up a PS5-compatible SSD.
Get $5 off Diablo IV for PS5 – Its First Price Drop
If you wish to join the hunt to defeat Lilith and save Sanctuary, why not do it at a discounted price? This is the first time we’ve seen a price drop on Blizzard’s latest, and even though it’s a small drop, it’s still worth picking up. We gave it a 9 in our review, calling it “a stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design,” and as someone who’s also spent plenty of time in Sanctuary, I can also confirm it’s worth getting for your PlayStation collection.
It doesn’t need to have a massive discount to be a good deal, so we thought it would be a great idea to pick out our absolute favorite PS5 and PlayStation offerings that would be relevant to buy no matter the time of year, or the sales going on. From the latest DualSense controllers, to the very best PS5 SSDs on the market, we’ve got it all right here.
For those who can’t wait until October 20 to get their hands on this highly-anticipated sequel, have no fear, you can preorder the game right now at a variety of different retailers. It also comes with some fun preorder bonuses when you do, which you can learn more about in our Spider-Man 2 preorder guide.
Anyone who preorders Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, regardless of version, will get the following in-game extras as well: Arachknight Suit for Peter Parker “with 3 additional color variants”, Shadow Spider Suit for Miles Morales “with 3 additional color variants”, Web Grabber gadget and 3 skill points.
Get 30% Off the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless Gaming Headset
There’s no shortage of PS5-compatible headsets. If you’re constantly having to turn down the volume when you play, you might want to pick up one of these, then you can listen to your games as loud as you darn well please. And if you’d like to see even more options that are worth buying, check out our collection of thebest gaming headsets.
Pick Up the Thrustmaster T248P Racing Wheel and Magnetic Pedals for $296.34
There’s a terrific deal going on for the Thrustmaster T248P racing wheel and magnetic pedals, bringing the price down 26% from $399.99 to $296.34. This wheel is also included in our collection of the best racing wheels, which makes picking it up even more worth it right now.
Availability has significantly improved for PS5 consoles this year. This means you no longer need to wait for specific sale events like Black Friday to make your purchase, as retailers such as Amazon are likely to offer the same console bundles during various sales throughout the year. Therefore, if you are in need of a PS5, there’s no real reason to delay your purchase and you can take advantage of any available sale.
If you’re desperate to pick up a console before the likes of Spider-Man 2, go ahead and buy one as they’re now regularly available. However, it’s worth noting that during sales Black Friday, there may be new unique bundles and promotions for the PS5 that are not offered at any other time of the year, such as the God of War Ragnarok bundle for $499 that is now out of stock and not available at the time of writing.
With how expensive gaming is getting in 2023, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as Switch and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.
Squanch Games’ High on Life seemingly won’t be an Xbox console exclusive much longer as the game has been found in the PlayStation 4 backend.
As reported by VGC, Twitter user Knoebel spotted that a PS4 version of the game was listed on Orbis Patches, a website that tracks PS4 game updates. This suggests a version of the game exists on Sony platforms despite no official announcements as of yet.
It quickly proved popular, immediately breaking three Xbox Game Pass records for the biggest launch of 2022, the biggest third-party game launch ever, and the biggest single-player launch of all time.
This article features spoilers for Marvel’s Spider-Man and speculation for Spider-Man 2 based on information revealed in the Comic-Con 2023 trailer.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will introduce Venom to Insomniac Games’ world and fans have, until now, been locked in hot debate over the villain’s true identity.
Thanks to a new trailer released during Comic-Con 2023, the man behind the mask (or goo) is all but confirmed to be Harry Osborn, which is who Insomniac set up as Venom at the end of the first game by literally showing the symbiote attach itself to him.
Some fans didn’t love that theory though so tricked themselves into thinking it was a red herring. “Harry is too easy of a choice so I’m hoping it’s a misdirect,” said one Reddit user earlier this year. “If Harry dies as Venom then Goblin will just have revenge as his motive, which is kinda lame and generic.”
Unless the trailer is a second red herring, however, it’s fairly obvious Harry is in fact Venom. The trailer opens with Spidey’s bestie promising, “I’m gonna heal the world,” and closes with the gruff voice of Venom saying: “We’re gonna heal the world.”
HearTheEkko on Reddit was relieved the matter is now settled. “This should finally clear the confusion whenever Harry is Venom or not,” they said. “As if it wasn’t clear enough already.”
Another post, headlined by “Harry is Venom confirmed”, saw similar comments. “This was all but confirmed for the past two games, yet people on this sub wanted to die on the ‘it’s not Harry’ hill,” said Shujinky.
“I honestly don’t get how people thought it was a mystery,” added ItsYaBoy-Moe. “We saw him in the tank with black goo around him twice.”
This week’s controversial Diablo 4 patch has sparked a new wave of review-bombing from disgruntled players but the launch of Season 1 still caused long queue times.
Diablo 4’s long-awaited pre-Season 1 patch, 1.1.0, led to vociferous complaints from the game’s community, who accused Blizzard of turning the action role-playing game into a “slog” with a slew of heavy-handed nerfs to all classes, experience point gain, endgame progression, and more.
Blizzard said it will address the furore in a livestream on July 21 but that didn’t stop angry fans hitting out at the changes across social media, the game’s forums, subreddits and, crucially, its Metacritic page.
Diablo 4’s user score plummeted to 2.4, with the vast majority of recent reviews complaining about changes made to the game with the patch.
Despite the dissatisfaction expressed online and claims from some players that they’d stop playing entirely, July 20’s launch of Season 1 seemingly still brought in plenty of players as indicated by long queue times, with a launcher message displaying a warning to those logging in.
We’re seeing some unusually long queue times for #DiabloIV. We are working on this, and we appreciate your patience as we work to get everyone into Sanctuary.
— Tylko DELEGALIZACJA PiS!=skuteczne rozliczenie (@Darek_Michniak) July 20, 2023
Many Diablo 4 players now hope Blizzard rolls back the changes in response to the backlash. Game director Joe Shely, associate game director Joseph Piepiora, and associate director of community Adam Fletcher host the Campfire Chat livestream on July 21 at 11am Pacific.
Meanwhile, Blizzard moved quickly to revert one unannounced Diablo 4 patch change ahead of the launch of Season 1. The undocumented tweak added level requirements for World Tier 3 and 4. Post-patch, players discovered they needed to be level 40 to unlock World Tier 3, and level 60 to unlock World Tier 4.
This change increased the difficulty of progressing through Diablo 4’s various difficulty tiers, and further fuelled the furore around the patch’s heavy-handed nerfs that some said turned the game into a “slog”.
In response, a new patch, which brings Diablo 4 up to version 1.1.0b, was released yesterday that removes this requirement entirely.
Despite various issues, Diablo 4 enjoyed an enormous launch that saw over 10 million people play in June. Diablo 4 is Blizzard’s fastest-selling game of all time, and has fuelled record revenue and profits for the company. If you’re still playing, check out our interactive Diablo 4 map to start tracking your progress as you play.
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.
EA Sports has pulled the curtain back on FC 24, its first post-FIFA football video game. You can check out IGN’s FC 24 hands-on preview to get an idea of how it feels to play, but there’s plenty more to discuss, including a raft of smaller changes and additions that combine to make a positive impression. Read on for 13 cool new details we noticed after our extended time with the game.
There’s a first-person ref perspective
This is an odd one! Sometimes, during an in-match cutscene that involves the referee, the camera will switch to showing a first-person perspective from inside the ref’s head. It’s a little jarring at first, and it looks a little like football Skyrim, but it’s a nice new visual touch. And it’s quite funny to see the ref’s outstretched arm give a bemused player a card for some horrendous tackle. Be warned, though! During our hands-on we saw the inside of the ref’s teeth at one point, with the camera doing that video game clipping thing.
You can do Erling Haaland karate kick goal
As you’d expect of a new FIFA game, FC 24 includes loads of new animations to help keep things feeling fresh. The headline, though, is the addition of Erling Haaland’s stunning karate kick goal for Man City against previous club Borussia Dortmund in last season’s Champions League. There are new unique running animations, too, so you should be able to tell the famous players a mile off. As you’d expect, Haaland has his unique running style in the game, his long arms waving about behind his arched back.
PlayStyles give players a power boost – and they’re “optimised” by Opta
FC 24 has a long list of PlayStyles that give specific stats a massive boost. EA Sports is using real-world player data from Opta to inform these PlayStyles, so you they should make sense relative to the performance of real-world footballers. For example, Haaland, who is known for his powerful shots, has the Power Shot PlayStyle. FC 24 has 34 PlayStyles, with a more powerful PlayStyle+ available for each, making for 68 in total. Expect PlayStyles in Ultimate Team, too. Team of the Week Haaland, for example, may include the Power Header PlayStyle if he scores a bullet header in real-life (let’s be honest, this is going to happen!). In-game, these PlayStyles pop up as a diamond symbol above a player’s head, so you’ll always know what power-up you’re playing with.
New Precision Passing unlocks Kevin De Bruyne-style through balls
FC 24 has three Precision Pass styles (we’re using PlayStation controls here): the Precision Pass (R1 + Through ball); the Precision Lob (R1 + Lob); and the Swerved Precision Pass (L2 + R1 + Through ball). Each type paints a line on the pitch that shows the direction of the pass you’re about to attempt. Expect the most skilled players to master these passes for unexpected through balls.
AcceleRATE 2.0 adds four new acceleration archetypes
FIFA 23 players will be familiar with the infamous “lengthy” acceleration archetype some felt was overpowered. EA Sports is doubling down on this feature, adding four new archetypes for a total of seven. There are now three lengthy acceleration types alone: Controlled Lengthy; Mostly Lengthy; and Lengthy (Pure). EA Sports hopes the addition of new acceleration archetypes will make for more variety in the meta.
FC 24 has “GPU cloth”
All this really means is FC 24 has better-looking clothes that move more realistically as players move. You’ll notice this more in cutscenes, alongside the new “AI Hands”, which hopefully means FC 24’s fingers will be present and correct.
The menus have been overhauled and now include live video
FIFA fans will immediately notice FC 24’s menus are completely different. EA Sports has gone for a new vertical orientation style that should mean you get to what you want quicker. You’ll also see live video in the menus. So, if you pause the game, you might see a replay of a goal you just scored to the right of the menu options. It’s a neat new feature.
Stats pop up on the pitch all the time
FC 24 goes big on “insight overlays”, which display various stats on the pitch as you play in an augmented reality fashion. For example, while you wait for a goal kick the game may show the spots where the last five shots were taken from. You might also get a win probability display on the pitch, or an indication of shots on target. Perhaps most usefully, you might see your five most-fatigued players highlighted as you wait to take a throw-in. This should mean you’ll need to spend less time fussing about in menus and more time playing an actual match.
There’s a secondary commentary team
FC 24 has a secondary commentary team of Guy Mowbray, who you’ve probably heard on BBC and BT Sport, and former England international Sue Smith. Smith is the first female co-commentator ever in an EA Sports football game. Ex-England international Alex Scott also returns pitch-side.
Ultimate Team has a new Evolutions card mechanic
FC 24’s Ultimate Team adds a new way to upgrade cards. The Evolutions feature lets you increase the stats of a player who fits into a certain objective. You’ll then need to complete in-game challenges with this player to evolve them. These time-limited challenges are designed to help a card remain relevant throughout the season, although not all cards will apply. Expect promos such as Team of the Week to also play a part in Evolutions challenges.
Ultimate Team has new, better chemistry options
With the addition of women into Ultimate Team, you’re now able to draw chemistry if you have a male and female player from the same club in your team. Chelsea’s Lauren and Reece James seem like a fun option. Meanwhile, Icons now give chemistry to every league, which makes them more useful. Sticking with helpful quality of life changes for Ultimate Team, you can now freely move a player to their secondary position without the need for a consumable. Finally!
Player career now has a Ballon d’Or cutscene
EA Sports made a big deal of the new cutscene that plays out if you win the Ballon d’Or in player career mode. It looks like a suitably glitzy affair, although it will be funny to see unlikely players pick up the gong, watched by proud managers who would never get a look-in in real life. Career mode also has a new cutscene for a victory parade. In it, players and the manager dance energetically to generic celebration dance music, while fans on the street take pictures with their phones. It’s quite odd!
And finally… Pro Clubs is now Clubs, and it’s got crossplay
Pro Clubs fans have long-called for crossplay to boost the playerbase of the mode, and with FC 24 it’s finally here. As with crossplay across the game, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC players are all in the same crossplay pool, leaving PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players to match together. This addition to Pro Clubs, now simply called Clubs, means you can finally play with a friend who’s on another platform.
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.
Today at San Diego Comic Con, we got a look at a brand new trailer for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 that focused on our first in-depth look at Venom, as well as showed Harry Osborn, Mister Negative, and more.
The trailer opens on a conversation between Peter Parker and Harry Osborn, the latter of whom talks about being given a second chance and how Peter will “heal the world.” Peter then introduced Harry to some friends, including Mary Jane and Miles Morales, who questions whether or not Peter will have time for “tutoring” (you know, being Spider-Man) now that he has a new job as a teacher.
From there, we get looks at Kraven the Hunter as he chases the Spider-Men around New York, and Miles confronting Mister Negative, who we know from the previous games killed his father. And then, there’s a lot of Venom, the symbiote, and its growing negative impacts on Peter Parker and his relationships with his friends and family (which we also heard about during today’s panel). We then hear Venom’s voice: “We’re going to heal the world,” echoing Harry’s words from the start of the trailer. Could Harry Osborn be Venom’s host in this story?
A PlayStation blog post elaborates a bit more on some of this, talking about how Miles is trying to apply for colleges but is too focused on being Spider-Man to get it done, and Peter is short on cash to make payments on Aunt May’s house. And as we heard at the panel, J. Jonah Jameson is back at the Daily Bugle and bossing around MJ.
In the lead up to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 this October, a panel at San Diego Comic-Con today gave an in-depth look at new details about the game, including an exclusive (thus far) trailer that focused on Venom and the news that one J. Jonah Jameson is back at the Daily Bugle where he belongs.
The panel itself included a number of development team members from Insomniac as well as several key voice actors. Following the trailer, kicking off the panel was Peter Parker actor Yuri Lowenthal, who opened by stating the group stands “in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the strike.”
“The WGA and SAG, we’re able to be here because we’re under contract for games… but that might not last forever.”
Then, the group got into details Spider-Man 2, starting with what all the heroes of the first game are up to when the game opens. It takes place roughly 9-10 months after the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, with Miles applying for college, eventually confronting Mister Negative, the villain who killed his father.
And yes, J. Jonah Jameson is back at the Daily Bugle. Previously, Jameson was a radio host of a show called “Just the Facts” where he talked crap on both Parker and Morales as Spider-Man. Now, it looks like he’s been restored to glory (or something) and is Mary Jane’s boss.
The panel then moved on to discussing some of the new landmarks and gameplay features. Previously, we’d been told that new areas such as Queens and Brooklyn will be included in Spider-Man 2. Today, we learned that will include Aunt May’s house along with other known Marvel landmarks. And around the city, new features are added such as Web Wings, which can help either Spider-Man gain speed and height as they weave their way around the city.
Then, the group got into discussion of characters, starting with the symbiote. Lowenthal quips that the symbiote impacts Peter Parker by letting him “say anything I want and blame it on the symbiote,” but then adds with a laugh that it makes him a better Spider-Man. It’s power, but with little responsibility, indicating that things will get complicated with Peter and his interpersonal relationships as a result.
Meanwhile, Miles Morales is coming into his own according to voice actor Nadij Jeter. “Miles would not be anywhere without Pete,” he says, noting that Miles still looks up to him even after time has passed.
Finally, we hear from Laura Bailey about Mary Jane, who’s a reporter for the Daily Bugle under Jameson. Her relationship with Peter is more comfortable by the start of the game, and she’s more comfortable with Miles as well and present in their work.
And then there’s Venom, played by Tony Todd. Todd reiterates that much of the story of Venom, as a symbiote, is about the darkness inside of all of us, and the ways that darkness impacts relationships when allowed to fester or thrive. Insomniac senior art director Jacinda Chew talks about Venom’s design and its visual contrasts to Spider-Man’s design, and the team’s goal to make him “look semi-liquid.” He’s buff, but also nimble, sometimes huge and sometimes skinny.
“Our Venom was inspired by the comics, but there have been so many interpretations that it was fun to pick and choose what fits the game,” said Chew in a PlayStation blog post about the panel. “He has a unique take on the white spider icon and has the anatomy of a human. He also has powerful tendril attacks that can take many forms. It was challenging to find the right balance between liquid and solid in Venom’s materials as going too watery makes him look weak and going too solid can quickly turn him into a tentacle monster. Venom must look both powerful and semi liquid at the same time.”
Venom’s influence was only highlighted further as the panel revealed a brand new Spider-Man 2 PS5 and DualSense controller that shows the symbiote’s power threatening to overtake Spider-Man’s. We have more details on both items right here, and they’ll be up for pre-order next week.
You can also read more about the new trailers shown at the panel, and everything else coming out of ComicCon in our roundup of everything announced.
When you have the latest and best iPhone, then that means you can play just about any mobile game with ease—thanks to the smartphone’s sheer power and buttery smoothness. In fact, even if your iPhone is a few years old, you’ll still get a great experience gaming on the go.
And while there are millions of them on the Apple App Store and Apple Arcade, there’s a very useful list of the most popular mobile games—divided by the most popular free games and paid games available for the iPhone in July 2023 (most of these titles are available as iPad games as well).
From simple match-three games to powerful MMORPGs, we rounded up the top 10 from the top free and top paid games (20 games in total) to help you navigate the App Store easily. There are a lot of winners, below:
TL;DR – These are the Most Popular Apple iPhone games
Everyone’s favorite board game Monopoly is available to play on the Apple iPhone withMonopoly Go!. It features the same gameplay as the original, but faster, wilder, and more ruthless. Play with your friends and family from around the world, while the object of the game is to buy property, build houses and hotels, collect Monopoly Money, bankrupt everyone, and destroy their properties.
2. Pokemon Sleep
A sleep tracker mixed with Pokemon Go? Sign us up. By setting Pokemon Sleep up before you go to bed, and letting it track your sleep, you’ll bring in Pokemon overnight with similar sleeping patterns to yours. And in the morning, you can add those Pokemon to the Sleep Style Dex. Snorlax is your main companion in the app as well, which makes it even better.
3. Royal Match
Royal Match is a match-three puzzle game where you help King Robert restore his kingdom back to glory. The more you match, the more levels you complete, and the more you restore the kingdom. Meanwhile, you can unlock bonus levels and rooms to collect coins to stay alive.
4. Happy Hospital: ASMR Doctor
Happy Hospital: ASMR Doctor has you working in and/or managing a hospital. In it, you can play as a doctor, nurse, or even take on the role of a hospital administrator if you want to build, maintain, and manage your own hospital.
5. Roblox
Immerse yourself in an entirely virtual experience inRoblox, a cross platform game that’s available on Apple iOS, Android, Windows, and Xbox. The app is part-gaming and part-social media where you can play games, create your own game, or just chat with friends from all around the world with thousands of experiences—think of it as Club Penguin, but for Gen Z.
6. Subway Surfers
Set in Windy Chicago,Subway Surfer is an endless running game where you play as Jake, a graffiti artist, as he runs through subways and train yards to escape the inspector and his dog. You must dodge moving subways, poles, tunnel walls, barriers, and more to gain items and power-ups to increase your speed and upgrade your special abilities.
7. Fishdom
In Fishdom, you can build and decorate your own aquarium, interact with your fish inside of it and take care of them, and even play a variety of minigames. According to the game’s App Store description page, there are “hundreds of challenging and fun match-3 levels,” to keep you busy.
8. Call of Duty: Mobile
A few years ago, Activision created a mobile version of their hit video game calledCall of Duty: Mobile. This is the fourth season of the first-person shooter with various multiplayer modes, including Team Deathmatch, Domination, Battle Royale, and more. This is a cross-platform game for iOS and Android devices.
9. Wordscapes
Puzzle games are always great to have on your phone, and word-based puzzle games are even better. In Wordscapes, you need to connect letters from the center circle to find as many hidden words as you can to fill out the crossword puzzle above it.
10. Among Us
Who’s the Imposter? In this mobile version of Among Us, you can team up with some crewmates to track down who the killer is among you! You can play online with up to 15 people as you journey into space. It even supports cross-play, so you can play with friends on PC and console, too.
Most Popular Paid iPhone Games
1. Minecraft ($7)
Minecraft is one of the most popular games in the world and it’s available to play on Apple iPhone for just $7. It’s a sandbox game where players are free to create and explore the world to climb mountains, unearth caves, and mine precious ore to build homes, weapons, villages, and more.
It’s the game “Who Am I?,” but for the digital age. Created by Ellen DeGeneres, Head Up! is charades with a twist. You place your iPhone (screen out) on your forehead, then a name or title appears on the display, your friends or family have to act out the clues, and then you have to guess the name of the character, movie title, animal, superhero, and more within 60 seconds. You can even play via Apple Facetime or Zoom. Not bad for just $2.
3. Monopoly – Classic Board Game ($5)
Now play Monopoly with your Apple mobile device. This is the classic version of the board game with new graphics and fun animations in a fully immersive mobile experience. Roll the dice and travel around the board to buy up properties, build houses and hotels, collect Monopoly Money, and bankrupt friends and family.
You can even play as classic game pieces, including the scottie, cat, T-Rex, rubber duck, and others. And since this is the paid version at only $5, it’s ad-free with no interruptions or distracting pop-ups.
4. Geometry Dash ($2)
Geometry Dash is a rhythm-based platformer where players control shapes to jump from point-A to point-B with unique soundtracks for each level. The game even features a level editor where you can create and share your own levels. The app is just $2 and doesn’t include any in-app purchases, so unlocking new icons and characters is completely based on your skills throughout the game.
5. Bloons TD 6 ($7)
At $7, Bloons TD 6 is a top-down tower defense where players create defenses made up of hero monkeys, structures, towers, bridges, and traps to stop “Bloons,” balloon-like objects, from exiting each map. Players collect coins to upgrade their defenses.
6. Plague Inc. ($1)
Why live through a pandemic in reality when you can play with one on your iPhone? At $1, Plague Inc. is a strategy game where you must end humanity with a deadly pathogen during a global plague. However, the people around the world are more adaptive than you think, so you have to create and evolve more and more deadly viruses to wipe away all of the people on Earth.
7. Papa’s Freezeria To Go! ($1)
Make the ultimate ice cream sundae with Papa’s Freezeria To Go!. At just $1, play as a worker at a beachfront ice cream shop, as more and more customers come in for a sweet treat during the hectic and hot summer season. Take ice cream orders and build and serve treats, while you earn points and tips for upgrades around the shop.
8. Five Nights at Freddy’s ($3)
With the new film from Blumhouse releasing this October, there’s no better time than now to play Five Nights at Freddy’s. For just $3, you’ll step into the shoes of a security guard working the night shift at a place called Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. However, the animatronics here have been getting up to trouble at night, so you’ll have to keep a close eye on them through the monitors in your office… and try to survive five nights. See our guide to the FNAF games in order to see the full series.
9. Stardew Valley ($5)
Stardew Valley sets your character up in Pelican Town, which is located in Stardew Valley, where you inherit a small house and plot of land from your grandfather. From there, you need to clear the land and build up your own farm, with plenty of livestock and crops. It offers over 50+ hours of gameplay, too, so it’ll keep you busy.
10. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ($7)
For $7, you can play Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on your iOS device. This version offers remastered graphics “including lighting enhancements, an enriched color palette and improved character models,” according to its App Store description page, dual analog stick controls, and more. Explore the open world of San Andreas and its three major cities — Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas — as you unfold the main character, CJ’s, story. See our guide to the GTA games in order to see the full series.
How to Choose Which iPhone Games to Play
There are millions upon millions of apps and games on the Apple App Store, so it might be intimidating to start with just one to play. While the most popular game lists—either free or paid—are a good place to start, there are some other factors you should consider before you tap download. Here’s what to look for in Apple iPhone games.
First of all, if you have a very old iPhone, you should check if it’s compatible with the mobile game. Most games require your iPhone to run, at least, iOS 8 or higher—which is compatible with the Apple iPhone 4S or higher. This iPhone model was released in October 2011, so any iPhone release beforehand will not be compatible with these games.
You should also be aware of how much space you have on your iPhone. The file size for mobile games can go from a few hundred megabytes all the way up to about 20GB, so if you don’t have enough space on your smartphone, then it won’t be able to download completely on your hardware. If that’s the case, you should consider deleting a few apps to free up some space, get a new iPhone with a larger storage capacity, or think about downloading a new game altogether.
Then, you should consider the price. While there are a lot of free games available, free doesn’t necessarily mean completely free. A lot of these free games offer in-app purchases for upgrades. For example, in the game Royal Match, you have a limited number of lives to play, once you lose a life, you have to wait 30 minutes to regain it. However, if you pay, you can unlock the app to get more lives.
Unfortunately, the same thing can be said for a paid game too. Just because you have to pay for an app at first, it doesn’t mean there aren’t additional in-app purchases available. But, if a mobile game is on the pricey side, then it’s likely that the unlocked version will download to your iPhone.
Additionally, you can also get a subscription to Apple Arcade for $5/mo. to unlock all of the iOS games available with no in-app purchases to play on iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Apple TV. If you’re an avid mobile gamer, then this is the way to go.
The final thing you should look out for in an Apple iPhone game is if it looks fun to play. If a game looks like a lot of fun or a challenge, then tap download and immerse yourself in a whole new universe and experience.
Upcoming iPhone Games
Wondering what new iPhone games are coming down the pipeline? Take a look at our guide to all of the biggest upcoming iPhone games to see what’s coming in 2023 and beyond.
Rudie Obias is a contributing freelance Tech writer and editor for IGN with a speciality in all things Apple products.
