Microsoft has fully revealed its plans for gamescom 2024, and they include three days of live broadcasts.
In a post on Xbox Wire, Microsoft said it will host a series of daily streams from its Xbox booth at the show, running from Wednesday August 21 to Friday August 23. These will offer a deeper dive into various games Xbox is set to release over the coming months, with first-look gameplay, developer chats, and new trailers. Microsoft-owned Bethesda will also host daily content streams from the booth.
Games set to appear during these streams include Stalker 2, Atomfall, Age of Mythology, Star Wars Outlaws, World of Warcraft expansion The War Within, Towerborne, Avowed, and Ara: History Untold.
The Xbox gamescom 2024 live broadcast schedule in full:
Wednesday August 21
Xbox @ gamescom 2024
Start: 6am PDT / 9am EDT / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST
Featuring S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Atomfall, Age of Mythology, plus others
Bethesda MainStream
Start: 5am PDT / 8am EST / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST
Thursday August 22
Xbox @ gamescom 2024
Start: 6am PDT / 9am EDT / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST
Featuring Star Wars Outlaws, World of Warcraft: The War Within,Towerborne plus others
Bethesda MainStream
Start: 5am PDT / 8am EST / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST
Friday August 23
Xbox @ gamescom 2024
Start: 6am PDT / 9am EDT / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST
Featuring Avowed, Ara: History Untold, plus others
Bethesda MainStream
Start: 5am PDT / 8am EST / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST
Microsoft is heavily rumored to be set to release an Xbox handheld, but it looks like gamescom 2024 won’t be the platform for an announcement. Instead, the focus here is on already announced games, such as Obsidian’s Avowed, Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws, and GSC Game World’s Stalker 2.
Bethesda is of course running MMOs Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls Online, and is set to release Starfield expansion Shattered Space later this year. No games from Microsoft-owned Activision were mentioned in the Xbox post, but Blizzard is attending to show off World of Warcraft and Diablo 4 expansions.
Sony and Nintendo, meanwhile, have confirmed they are skipping gamescom 2024. Sony told Eurogamer it has no plans for the show, and Nintendo confirmed the same back in April.
While Sony’s decision was expected (it hasn’t attended gamescom in years), Nintendo’s decision came as something of a surprise given it has turned up at gamescom in recent years. But with the Nintendo Switch successor console not due out until 2025, a quieter 2024 makes sense.
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.
This year marks the sixth anniversary of The Elder Scrolls 6’s teaser trailer. And with Skyrim turning 13 years old this November, it’s safe to say that Elder Scrolls fans have endured – and will continue to endure – a long wait for Bethesda’s next fantasy RPG. But while the famed single-player studio has been focusing its efforts on nuclear wastelands and outer space, the beloved world of Tamriel hasn’t been neglected. The Elder Scrolls Online, once much-maligned and suffering sinking player counts, is now celebrating its tenth anniversary and the launch of its eighth major expansion. And while it may be an MMO by genre, by design it’s much closer to the classic Elder Scrolls RPG format than you might expect. If you’ve spent a decade desperately searching for more stories from Tamriel, then you need look no further than Elder Scrolls Online’s ongoing saga.
Rich Lambert, game director at ZeniMax Online Studios, explains that the Elder Scrolls Online team made a “big design call to move into a more Skyrim-adjacent lane” several years ago. When TESO first launched, it was derided by many for feeling like a traditional MMO (level grind and all) wearing Elder Scrolls pajamas. Nowadays, the developers don’t even consider the game to fit the ‘MMORPG’ label.
“We decided that this was going to be more of an Elder Scrolls game and focus on Elder Scrolls things first, and be multiplayer second,” Lambert says. “Once we did that it started informing lots of things.”
Unsurprisingly, Lambert sees the core appeal of The Elder Scrolls Online as being one and the same as Skyrim and Oblivion: “One of our core pillars is freedom of exploration and freedom to be and live in the world,” he says. “That traditional Elder Scrolls feeling where you see something in the distance, you can just run to it and explore it.”
The game as it stands now straddles the divide between single-player and online RPG design, offering all the elements you’d expect of a mainline Elder Scrolls game (including a world that permanently changes based on your story decisions, via some smart instancing), but it took a couple of years to get there.
We decided to focus on Elder Scrolls things first, and be multiplayer second. Once we did that it started informing lots of things.
Lambert notes that 2015’s Orsinium DLC saw the game’s storytelling “shift away from traditional MMO style to a more Elder Scrolls narrative style, focused more on the character, their beliefs and how they experience the world.” Later, in early 2016, some more traditional Elder Scrolls elements were introduced, such as Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood quest-lines, which encouraged stealing from or assassinating NPCs in the shared world. But it wasn’t until late 2016 that the game truly turned itself around.
The One Tamriel update was the turning point for TESO, removing traditional level-based progression in favor of scaling player’s stats to match whatever region you’re in. Outside of dungeon matchmaking being unlocked gradually as you level up to ensure total newbies don’t frustrate more experienced players, there’s nothing stopping a new player from immediately skipping out on the main story and running straight into an ‘endgame’ dungeon. With a decent party, you might even win. Finally, you could treat the game like Skyrim, albeit with a shared world and dungeons geared for co-op.
As such, the much memed wait for a new Elder Scrolls game needn’t be as long and torturous as the seemingly endless journey towards Todd Howard’s next project. The sixth Elder Scrolls is (sort of) already here. Many fans are turning to TESO over replaying Skyrim yet again, partly because of that re-tooled gameplay, but also because of how much of the world’s previously-underexplored lore is elaborated on here. Each major expansion and piece of DLC brings a set of new environments, and the game has been around long enough to fill in many of the blanks of The Elder Scrolls’ world map.
“We’ve taken places that are only vaguely touched on [in the mainline RPG series], like the Sister’s Isles, and turned them into our High Isle release from a couple years ago,” explains Bill Slavicsek, TESO’s narrative director. “All we knew about that was a couple dots on the map and a mention in a book, and we turned that into a whole chapter and DLC. Any place on the map you can think of, we wanna go there. And if it’s not on the map, we want to make it”.
It feels like The Elder Scrolls Online is well on track to fill out the complete world map. There’s more filled-in regions than empty space now, plus an assortment of interesting new extraplanar locations to dimension-hop around in. While the Morrowind expansion helped bring in nostalgic fans wanting to explore its strange volcanic environment and insect-and-fungus based ecosystem, the Elder Scrolls lore buffs were best served by the Elsweyr expansion, finally taking a deep dive into the much-mentioned but never-seen lands of the feline Khajiit.
Not only did Elsweyr give us our first real look at its lush savannas and a wider range of Khajiit body types (thanks to lunar magic, they can be born as anything from nearly human to literal talking housecats), but it was an opportunity for ZeniMax Online Studios to carve out its own corner of the lore. Despite the accepted text being that dragons had been unseen for millennia and only returned with the launch of Skyrim, TESO had them make an appearance during the Elsweyr chapter (set a thousand years before Skyrim). Such an event did, admittedly, require some narrative sleight-of-hand to explain why nobody cares to mention it all during later in-universe eras.
Any place on the map you can think of, we wanna go there. And if it’s not on the map, we want to make it.
“We take reference from a lot of different sources, internal and external,” explains TESO’s loremaster, Michael Zenke. “A lot of the stuff we do though isn’t in the lore bible because it’s new. Every release we’re adding to the canon. We’ve got a great tradition of unreliable narrators in the Elder Scrolls franchise, so unless you or your player character saw something in-game, ‘that’s just someone’s opinion, man’. So we have a lot of freedom to do interesting stuff.”
While armed with a reliable trick to handwave events that might throw later lore into chaos, ZeniMax’s writing team has grown ever bolder over time. It has been so many years since Skyrim (and likely several more until The Elder Scrolls 6 surfaces), effectively making TESO the one and only Elder Scrolls game of this generation. That, plus Todd Howard confirming that everything in TESO is canon, has allowed the team to expand into wholly new territories, like Fargrave, introduced in the Deadlands DLC. Fargrave is a ‘princeless’ plane of Oblivion, unaffiliated with any of the Daedric gods. A neutral border-world floating in the void, and a wholly new location that let the team cut loose in terms of both writing and environment design.
If this sounds like something a new player might want to jump straight into, then there’s nothing stopping you. Each of the major ‘Chapter’ expansions are designed to function as a self-contained adventure, letting players tackle story arcs as and when they see fit. The structure is yet another element of classic Elder Scrolls design that sets the game apart from its online peers. While the game has long-since dropped its mandatory subscription, the optional ‘ESO Plus’ subscription gives players access to all the minor DLC and most of the expansions to date, making it an especially easy game to pick up play.
Another aspect that has lowered the barrier to entry and further aligned TESO with its single-player siblings is the Companions system. Six customizable NPC partners (with another two due to be released soon) can be recruited to join you on your adventures, albeit one at a time. They were introduced to the game with the Blackwood expansion in 2021, but have become a ubiquitous sight, as they allow solo players to enjoy the game’s wider content more easily. Parties can also be a mixture of players and Companions, allowing tiny groups (just two, in many cases) to tackle some of the bigger, tougher dungeons and open-world challenge bosses with relative ease. Plus, the companions’ constant combat barks and interjections on what they see around them makes the world feel a little less lonely for those wanting to treat TESO as a single-player game. If you’ve fond memories of scaling mountains with Teldryn Sero or Aela the Huntress in Skyrim, Companions echoes that experience.
Obviously these systems have their limits, though. Player housing is instanced, set apart from the overworld, and there’s no chance of breaking the game over your knee with mods or console commands, but the core Elder Scrolls experience is replicated surprisingly well, right down to many quests having multiple possible endings. Your final decisions may not have world-shakingly obvious impact, but they often result in the death or a change of state for an NPC that will remain in their quest location, a reminder of your decisions for that character. Play long enough and complete enough quest arcs and the world will start to feel like you’ve made a real impact in it, so long as you go back to revisit some old haunts.
Now months into the game’s year-long anniversary celebrations, the future’s looking bright for The Elder Scrolls Online. The team seems confident that if TESO keeps it up for another decade, it might well encompass the entire Elder Scrolls world (and yet more locations beyond) by the time the 20th anniversary begins. In the meantime, Lambert mentions that there are plans to improve the experience for new or returning players. “As a new player, or someone coming back after a year, it can be overwhelming,” he admits. “So we’re working on some systems to make that kind of experience better. Not necessarily hand-holdy, but more informational”. Beyond that, some big changes (details of which he refuses to divulge) are coming to player housing, and further refinements to the game’s balance to keep the meta in check.
I once wrote off The Elder Scrolls Online as a half-hearted cash-in. Now, it’s a game I’ve been playing on and off for around five years now, dipping back into and thoroughly enjoying when that Elder Scrolls itch needs scratching. While the incredible community keeps Skyrim alive through mods, that’s a very different experience to exploring brand new, official stories and regions of Tamriel. TESO may not be The Elder Scrolls 6, but it’s a continuing Elder Scrolls game that’s successfully shifted and changed to reflect the wants of a fanbase that grew up on acclaimed single-player RPGs. And that’s a fine place to be for a ten-year-old online game.
The product of a wasted youth, wasted prime and getting into wasted middle age, Dominic Tarason is a freelance writer, occasional indie PR guy and professional techno-hermit seen in many strange corners of the internet and seldom in reality. If you’re looking for something new and potentially very weird to play, feel free to poke him on Twitter.
Lazlow Jones, the host of the Chatterbox FM radio station in 2001’s seminal Grand Theft Auto 3, has many stories to tell about his 19-year stretch at Rockstar. But this one is right up there with the very best.
Speaking to IGN as part of an interview discussing new development studio Absurd Ventures, which he co-founded with fellow Rockstar legend Dan Houser in 2020, Jones recalled the “weird moment” when one GTA fan took the blockbuster video game a little too seriously.
GTA fans will know the Epsilon Program well. It’s a religious cult whose followers are known as Epsilonists. In trademark Rockstar fashion, Houser and Jones designed the Epsilon Program to satirize the likes of Scientology, complete with a modern day messiah fronting a behind-the-scenes pyramid scheme.
Rockstar created a fake Epsilon Program website to market San Andreas back in 2004, and it was in that game that the virtual religion made its debut as a cult founded by a con-man called Cris Formage. Lazlow Jones even interviews him on his in-game radio show.
Rockstar went on to add more and more to the Epsilon Program over the years, fleshing it out with the release of each GTA game. The Epsilon Program always was an on the nose satire, and, for most people, a clear parody. But not for everyone.
We’re dying to know more.
During the development of GTA 5, Jones received a disturbing phone call from a ‘fan.’ They had left a message on his work phone. Taking the call, Jones heard a woman introduce herself as representing the followers of the Epsilon Program. These were GTA players who had gone through all the games in the series looking for morsels of new information on the religion, and had formed a real-life group.
“We’re dying to know more,” she said.
Was this person just an over-enthusiastic fan who wanted to know more about the Epsilon Program as part of a cool community Easter egg hunt? Apparently not.
“She was essentially saying that they were worshipers of this fake religion that we had come up with,” Lazlow Jones told IGN.
Jones headed straight into Dan Houser’s office in Rockstar’s New York headquarters to tell him about “this crazy voicemail I got.”
“My second thought was, we should actually just come up with a fake religion and get really, really rich on the backs of people searching for meaning in life!” he joked.
Jones and Houser weren’t put off by the mystery caller, though. They doubled down on the Epsilon Program for GTA 5, creating various missions and cutscenes that revolved around the fake religion. They even wrote a bible called the Epsilon Tract and split it up into pieces that were scattered across the game world for players to find.
It’s hard to believe that GTA’s Epsilon Program actually fooled someone in real-life into thinking it was a real religion. Perhaps Jones got the wrong end of the stick from the phone call? Not so, he insisted.
It excited me and scared me to death simultaneously.
“She genuinely sounded like she was a follower of the Epsilon Program,” he said. “It’s crazy when you make a satire of something… because we were very straightforward about it. We created a website for the Epsilon Program back in 2004, and all the copy on that, it’s in my mind very clear that it’s a money-grab, modern day fictional religion. But they sounded like proper followers of it. It excited me and scared me to death simultaneously.”
In disbelief at what Lazlow Jones had told me, I had a hunt around online to see if this was an isolated incident, or whether there was evidence that others believed GTA’s fake religion to be real. There are a few joke posts here and there from people pretending to be an Epsilonist, but there is little to suggest a widespread movement, at least in 2024.
Still, according to Lazlow Jones, real-life believers did once exist, and somehow managed to find his work phone number.
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.
Following an excellent summer showcase, Xbox has plenty more for fans to enjoy over these next few sunny months, especially when it comes to deals. At the moment, one of our favorite deals is on the 3 month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, which is discounted at Amazon to $45. With a price hike now in the works for Game Pass users, there’s no better time to stack these codes so you can play all of their newly-announced games the day they’re available. It ultimately saves you $15 versus the new price for Game Pass Ultimate monthly, which is well worth taking advantage of.
That’s not all, as there are also offers on games, the Xbox Series X mini fridge, and even storage. Check out all of those excellent deals at the links below.
Preorder the Sky Cipher Special Edition Xbox Controller
If you’re interested in preordering the brand new transparent special edition Xbox controller, Sky Cipher, we’ve got you covered there as well. This incredibly cool controller is set to release on August 13 and will set you back $69.99. What better way to relive the original Xbox days?
Best Xbox Game Pass Deals
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has been discounted at Amazon, providing another opportunity for users to stack their membership at a discounted rate. Amazon has three-month memberships discounted to $45, which is well worth taking advantage of.
Summertime is a great time to find games at a discount. At the moment, you can score some incredible deals on a wide variety of physical games, including 57% off Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, 50% off Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and 40% off Dead Space. Check out even more excellent game deals at the links below.
More Xbox Video Game Deals:
What’s Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass
Xbox’s summer showcase was a home run, with one of the best presentations of upcoming games on the Xbox ecosystem in quite some time. This included titles like Black Ops 6, Doom: The Dark Ages, Perfect Dark, Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, and plenty more that will be coming to Game Pass in the future. As for the start of August, here’s what’s coming soon to Game Pass:
There are quite a few discounts on Xbox controllers right now at Amazon. While not as low as they were during the two-day Prime Day sale event, they’re still worth picking up at these prices. The Robot White, Carbon Black, Shock Blue, and Velocity Green controllers have all dropped down to $44, but you can see even more controller deals below.
It looks like a fridge, and it kinda is a fridge (mini), and it’s also down to $39.94 at Walmart. Not only is it a fun addition to have in your home, but this is a discount you definitely don’t want to miss out on, either! What better time to pick it up?
Get 44% Off the HyperX CloudX Stinger Headset & More Deals
Does your family complain when you stay up playing loud shooters late into the night? They’ll stop complaining if you pick up anXbox headset that lets no one but you hear the delightful explosions you cause on the screen. Right now, you can get 15% off the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Gaming Headset and 44% off the HyperX CloudX Stinger headset at Amazon. To see even more gaming headsets on sale, visit our roundup of the best gaming headset deals.
Best Xbox Expansion Card SSD Deals
The WD_Black 1TB C50 Storage Expansion Card is currently marked down to $141.42, 12% off its MSRP. The WD Black C50 is a 1TB NVMe SSD encased in a custom Xbox-compatible shell, making installation remarkably straightforward compared to the more intricate process for PS5 SSD upgrades. Simply insert the Seagate expansion card into the dedicated port on the back of your Xbox and you’re good to go.
What is Xbox’s Recent Controversy?
The recent discomfored surrounding Xbox can be isolated to a recent round of brutal layoffs. Microsoft is closing a number of Bethesda studios, including Redfall maker Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks, and more in devastating cuts at Bethesda. Alpha Dog Games, maker of mobile game Mighty Doom, will also close. Roundhouse Studios will be absorbed by The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios. Microsoft, currently valued at over $3 trillion, did not say how many staff will lose their jobs, but significant layoffs are inevitable.
Is Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Coming to Xbox Game Pass?
Microsoft has confirmed the arrival of Call of Duty Black Ops 6 day-one on Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft made the announcement alongside the release of a live-action reveal trailer called ‘The Truth Lies’. In it we see world leaders including Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, George H. W. Bush, Colin Powell, and Saddam Hussein, delivering cryptic speeches. Black Ops 6 will be set during the events of the Gulf War during the early ’90s.
Is Call of Duty Black Ops 6 300GB?
Activision has also clarified that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 won’t actually require a 300 GB download despite previous messaging. Players began to panic about the size of this year’s Call of Duty after noticing its Xbox store page.
At the time, the page listed that the game would require a 309.85 GB download for those hoping to hop into the post-Cold War first-person shooter when it launches this fall. That’ll put a pretty big dent in the hard drive of most PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S consoles, so players were, understandably, very concerned.
When Should I Buy an Xbox?
In general, it is advisable to keep an eye out for sales and restocks throughout the year, as availability has improved since the initial launch of the console. Unlike the Nintendo Switch, there is no specific recommendation to wait for a sale regardless of the time of year. Instead, it’s a good idea to monitor various retailers and online platforms for restock announcements and promotional offers.
However, certain events like Black Friday or other holiday seasons may bring about unique bundles, discounts, or promotional deals specifically for the Xbox Series X. These bundles may include additional games, accessories, or exclusive limited editions. While quantities for such promotions might be limited, they can provide an opportunity to get more value for your purchase. See our guide to Xbox Series X prices for more info.
Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S?
Choosing between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S ultimately depends on your gaming preferences, budget, and specific requirements. Let’s compare the two consoles to help you make an informed decision:
1. Performance: The Xbox Series X is the more powerful option, offering native 4K gaming, higher graphical fidelity, and faster loading times. It has more advanced hardware, including a larger storage capacity. On the other hand, the Xbox Series S targets a lower price point and offers a less powerful performance, targeting 1440p resolution gaming and upscaling to 4K.
2. Price: The Xbox Series S is more affordable compared to the Xbox Series X. If budget is a significant factor for you, the Xbox Series S provides a cost-effective option while still delivering a next-generation gaming experience. For example, the Series S can play Starfield at 1440p 30fps (vs 4K 30fps on Series X).
3. Storage: The Xbox Series X comes with a larger internal storage capacity, allowing you to store more games directly on the console. The Xbox Series S, however, has a smaller storage capacity, which means you may need to manage your game library more actively or rely on external storage solutions.
4. Disc Drive: The Xbox Series X includes a disc drive, enabling you to play physical game discs and enjoy a wider range of media options, including Blu-ray and DVD playback. The Xbox Series S, in contrast, is a digital-only console, meaning you can only play games downloaded from the digital store.
5. Graphics and Performance: While both consoles support ray tracing, the Xbox Series X provides a more immersive and visually impressive experience due to its superior hardware capabilities. If you prioritize cutting-edge graphics and want the best performance available, the Xbox Series X is the preferable choice.
Consider your gaming preferences, budget, and whether you prioritize top-of-the-line performance or cost-effectiveness. If you have a 4K TV, want the most powerful console, and are willing to invest more, the Xbox Series X is the recommended option. If you have a lower budget, a 1080p or 1440p TV, and don’t mind sacrificing some performance, the Xbox Series S offers excellent value for money.
With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, 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.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard developer BioWare has confirmed plans to announce the game’s release date, unveil a new roadmap, as well as offer further looks at the single-player RPG this month (August).
In a blog post, the developer teased its plans as publisher EA narrowed Dragon Age: The Veilguard release window down to the third quarter of its 2025 financial year. That runs from October 1 to December 2024. BioWare had announced a fall 2024 release window for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Now we know that the game will not be released in September.
Last month, BioWare said Dragon Age: The Veilguard is “Steam native,” which means the EA App is not required to play the game on Valve’s platform. Most EA-published video games do require the EA App, which replaced Origin in 2022, to play on Steam, much to the annoyance of many PC gamers. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is also verified on Steam Deck, BioWare added.
While we wait for the release date announcement, check out some of the Dragon Age: The Veilguard details we’ve learned so far about its difficulty options, combat, and character creator, as well as our first preview.
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.
I know what you’re thinking. We’re already surviving a global pandemic, so why would anyone consider playing a game with that name literally in the title? Because, my friends, the co-op board game version of fighting this big thing is all about coming together for the sake of the greater good. I mean, who doesn’t love a superhero tale, right?
While the game and its many iterations do not involve superheroes with capes, they involve superheroes of different kinds: scientists. Each player has their own special skills that help with the greater objective.
Pandemic is a popular board game, one often chosen on regular game nights – even during our modern time. The necessary teamwork involved helps strengthen friendships and see where communication and coordination might be improved. You see, it’s an all-or-nothing game. You either save the world and win, or you don’t, and everyone loses. I guess you’d better buck up on those soft communication skills or else, eh?
The Base Game
Pandemic
MSRP: $44.99 USD
2-4 Players
45 minutes
Ages 8+
There are several versions of the base game available to play. The original is a great place to get versed in the game mechanics and learn how each role works together. While you can play it with two players, I’ve found that this game is best experienced with more players than that (it supports up to four players), as you’ll have more options to get you through the waves of the pandemic. Playing it as a two-player board game, however, might make for one revealing date night adventure!
Pandemic Board Game Expansions
There are a few different expansions for Pandemic, but even more options exist beyond the expansions themselves. Some of the expansions below only require the base game, while others require additional expansions.
Pandemic: On the Brink Expansion
MSRP: $44.99 USD
2-5 Players
45 minutes
Ages 8+
Contents: 7 new roles, 8 new event cards, 3 new challenges, Bio-Terrorist element & corresponding location pad
The On the Brink expansion adds a space for another player to join the fun as well as other interesting twists. There are new roles to play that come with alternative ways to approach the now even stronger version of the virus.
Another added element when playing with a fifth player is that the fifth player will play as a Bio-terrorist. This is a secret role that adds chaos and helps spread the virus, so other players will have to beat the virus and the bio-terrorist to win.
Pandemic: In the Lab Expansion
MSRP: $44.99 USD
1-6 Players
45 minutes
Ages 8+
Contents: Lab board, 4 new role cards, 3 new event cards, lab abilities, CDC card
Note: To play the In the Lab expansion, you must have both the base game and the expansion On the Brink.
This expansion adds to both the base game and the previous expansions. It allows folks to play Pandemic in teams or as a solo board game.
The lab portion of the game extends to the capacity to study the virus outside of the field. You’ll have to sequence and categorize the disease to effectively create a cure.
In a solo game (available with this expansion), you’ll have the help of the CDC. In a multiplayer game, you can either team up or split into rival teams competing to see who can find the cure and move fast enough to resolve it before the virus does its worst.
Pandemic: State of Emergency Expansion
MSRP: $43.95 USD
2-4 Players
45 minutes
Ages 8+
Contents: Five new roles, 2 new game boards, 4 new locations, 2 new challenges, one untreatable virus
Note: You need the base game to play State of the Emergency.
In the State of Emergency expansion (playable with the base game), you face even more obstacles to battle viruses… and not all of them can be cured. Two different campaign challenges are in this expansion: Hinterlands and Superbug.
You’ll race worldwide on two boards to move the emergencies out of orbit. Be careful, however – the virus in this version not only affects humans but also goes after animals, which can pass the virus on to humans. You’ll have to invoke quarantine and other methods to counter the state of emergency. (Note: If this description gives you deja vu vibes, it’s purely coincidental. Believe it or not, this expansion came out in 2015!)
Alternative Universes & Timeline Stand-Alone Counterparts
Some board games have spin-offs in universes that are different from the original base game. Other times, board game iterations remain relatively the same but with different characters pursuing similar objectives. The following titles are standalone board games with varying takes on the Pandemic universe game mechanics.
Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu Board Game
MSRP: $49.99 USD
2-4 Players
45 minutes
Ages 14+
Contents: Game board, investigator meeples, Shoggoth meeples, cultist meeples, sanity die, and associated cards
Fans of the mythos of Cthulhu will likely love this game edition. It’s my brother’s and my favorite version of the series. My only complaint is that I wish it were digital so we could play it together across the country.
This version of the Pandemic board game brings gothiness and unspeakable horrors to four cities in the mythos. Instead of a virus, you’re fighting against cultists and supernatural powers called Shoggoths to avoid awakening the ancient ones. The art is fantastic. The meeple characters are shaped like monsters, investigators, and cultists. It’s a great stand-alone game that gives you a bit of the enjoyment of Pandemic but without the doctor part… unless you want to play as the doctor character, because it wouldn’t be Pandemic if that weren’t still an option, right?
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Board Game
MSRP: $59.99 USD
1-5 Players
60 minutes
Ages 14+
Contents: Intergalactic game board, Star Wars character meeples, connected game cards
This is a stand-alone board game with Pandemic-style mechanics, and its version of intergalactic dramas to defeat and reign victoriously cooperatively. In it, you and your partners choose Jedi with your own special powers to go up against the Separatists. The game features several of the franchise’s beloved (and hated) characters from the film, including Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, and Count Dooku. Star Wars: The Clone Wars is so good that it landed on our lists for the best Star Wars board games, as well as the best board games for teens.
World of Warcraft: Wrath of The Lich King Board Game
MSRP: $59.99 USD
1-5 Players
45-60 minutes
Ages 14+
Contents: World of Warcraft game board, hero meeples, Lich King meeple, abomination meeples, ghoul meeples, Icecrown Citadel, associated cards
Fans of the MMORPG World of Warcraft may be interested in this stand-alone version of the game. Like the Star Wars and Cthuhulu games, this one takes place in its own separate universe, utilizing Pandemic-style playing elements but with a different universe presentation.
In this version, you’ll be battling across the continent of Northrend on the ultimate quest of defeating the Lich King. Of course, you’ll need to complete an ever-piling amount of quests fighting creatures before reaching the Icecrown Citadel, where you’ll face the Lich King himself… if you survive long enough. Will you complete your quest successfully or will you run away with a ghoulish abomination in a disappointing loss that time forgot? Check out our World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King board game review for more info on this game.
More Pandemic Spin-Offs
There are also some period-based game versions to consider (some of which seem to be going out of print in recent years). Iberia, Rising Tide, and Fall of Rome are all stand-alone Pandemic-style games that incorporate similar mechanics to achieve their desired cooperative objectives. Check them out if you’re a fan of a specific historical era.
Shorter Versions of Pandemic
Pandemic: Hot Zone Europe
Looking for a quick-playing version of Pandemic? Two different editions take half the time in the Hot Zone series. Hot Zone North America brings the battle against the virus stateside in half the time that it takes to complete its original counterpart. Want to journey away from North America? Hot Zone Europe will give you that shorter tour in and beyond the Schengen.
Pandemic: Contagion Board Game
One other take on Pandemic that stands on its own is Contagion, which reverses the original board game’s roles. Contagion, while also a shorter-to-play game, is completely different from any of the others out there. You see, in this version, players play as the disease. Yep, you read that right. You and other players are working as the virus to wipe out the human race.
Pandemic Legacy Games
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
On the opposite side of the time-to-play spectrum, if you are seeking a very repeatable, lengthy, and committed gaming experience, consider one of the legacy versions of the game. Legacy games feature campaigns done across multiple play sessions. They require a lot of time commitment and are something to jump into with mindfulness. Legacy games pack in a lot more content than standard games, and are generally more expensive.
Pandemic has multiple legacy versions available to play. The legacy titles are Season 1, Season 2, and Season 0. Legacy games take place over the course of one year. Your actions each month of the campaigns will continue to affect you throughout the course of the very lengthy gameplay. If your gaming crowd holds grudges, well, this one will be a rough year to maneuver!
How to Play the Pandemic Board Game Online
Board Game Arena
A number of iterations of Pandemic are available in digital form. The site Board Game Arena is a browser-based platform where folks can play the game. It’s how several of my friends in my digital board game group and I have enjoyed this version.
To play the base game over there (available for 1-4 players who can play in real-time or turn-based games where players can take turns over several days), someone in your board game group will have to have a premium subscription. A premium subscription to Board Game Arena costs $3 a month, billed at $36.00 once a year. Playing multiple games, even outside of Pandemic, can be well worth the investment. My board game community currently has several ongoing turn-based premium version games going on with regularity.
Tabletopia
Another place you can play Pandemic digitally is via the website Tabletopia. Tabletopia offers three digital versions of the game: Pandemic Hot Zone North America, Pandemic Hot Zone Europe, and Pandemic Legacy Season 0. All of the versions on Tabletopia are available to play free online. The gameplay is a bit different than on Board Game Arena, as their version is a physics-simulated version that is essentially one step in between playing the game physically and playing it on BGA.
Video Game Iterations
Steam used to have a PC version of Pandemic on its store but removed it in January 2022. Other versions of the game on Xbox and the Nintendo Switch were removed at the end of July 2022. It was reported that the development team (Asmodee Digital) might work on a newer game version at some point, they haven’t announced any solid plans yet. Asmodee did not respond to my request for an updated comment.
Bottom Line
I know that in our post-pandemic era, it probably sounds strange to play a game about fighting a pandemic – or, goodness, even being a virus on the opposite end – but my experiences with the Pandemic board game have all been enjoyable. It’s a fun game that shows where your tabletop group’s communication skills work together… and where they could improve. My personal crew has both won and lost plenty of battles playing the game, but our sessions have always been full of laughs, regardless of the outcome. In any case, rally your gaming group and pick the Pandemic base game, spinoff, and/or expansion, and have fun.
Jennifer Stavros is a contributing freelancer for IGN, covering everything from comics, games, technology, and nerd culture. Follow her on Twitter or watch her on Twitch under the handle @scandalous.
Today, Amazon is offering the Stonemaier Expeditions board game for only $63.50, a 25% discount from its original $85 MSRP and the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this 2023 release. This is a limited “Lightning Deal” that will expire when a certain number have been sold.
Stonemaier Expeditions Board Game for $63.50
Stonemaier is no stranger to the board gaming world. They’ve produced some excellent games like Wingspan (and its spinoff Wyrmspan), Scythe, and Viticulture. Expeditions was released in 2023 and it is the sequel to Stonemaier’s popular Scythe game. It takes place in the same mecha-industrial setting as Scythe, but with complete different game mechanics and goals. This time around, there’s more of an emphasis on exploration over warfare with a more horror feel. Scythe is a very complex board with many moving pieces, and Expeditions is no different. Check out our Expeditions review for more details.
Now, in the wake of these layoffs, quite a few employees who were laid off (along with other members of the games industry) have taken to social media to share their concerns and criticisms about Bungie’s management, with many even demanding that Parsons step down.
While fears of layoffs were reportedly prevalent within the studio, many employees expressed that their own layoffs were unexpected due to recent actions taken by leaders at Bungie. One music designer shared that they were reassured that they were needed, only to be laid off today. “There’s nothing I could’ve done to not be laid off,” they wrote.
looks like i got hit. i work A LOT and im obsessed with work, everyone knows this. there’s nothing i could’ve done to not be laid off. in fact i was literally working so much that so many people told me “you’ll be ok, we need you to train/manage the outsourcers” https://t.co/lLZ4piq9bB
Another employee shared that she was laid off just a month after being promoted.
I didn’t even tweet that I got promoted last month, but now I get to tweet that I got laid off, so there’s that. gonna miss my team. https://t.co/4OE6R3dclt
Meanwhile, employees at Bungie who were unaffected by the layoffs have also made posts in support of their now former coworkers. Bungie’s global community lead, known as dmg04 online, called the layoffs “inexcusable.” “Accountability falling upon the workers who have pushed the needle to deliver for our community time and time again,” he wrote.
Inexcusable. Industry leading talent being lost, yet again. Accountability falling upon the workers who have pushed the needle to deliver for our community time and time again.
Please maintain focus on those who’ve lost their position & income. Offer help where you can. https://t.co/SSDveUd5uW
A few people also noted that Bungie’s player support team was heavily impacted. One employee noted that her “whole team is gone,” while a former community manager (whose position was eliminated during Bungie’s last round of layoffs) noted that player support employees dealt with harsh conditions and “worked harder than anyone else, through weekends – holidays – and the pay was atrocious, only to [get] tossed out so LY could get their personal buyouts.”
The player support team was also gutted, as well as some of the folks behind the most beloved narrative moments and sounds. The player support team worked harder than anyone else, through weekends – holidays – and the pay was atrocious… only to the tossed out so LY could get… https://t.co/z2XveKAjay
— ☾ Alexandra, alexthegr8r on bsky (@_AlexTheGr8r_) July 31, 2024
Throughout the games industry, others have criticized Bungie’s management, with many in the Destiny 2 community attributing the layoffs to poor decisions made by leadership. Destiny 2 lore YouTuber My name is Byf said Bungie has been “reckless with the studio, its employees, and its franchises. The problem is clear. Bad leadership. It needs to change.”
Leadership needs to be changed.
Their decisions have consistently led to disaster for everyone who has actually been making the games we play.
They’ve been reckless with the studio, its employees, and its franchises.
Calls for Parsons to step down were only amplified by a few fans’ discoveries of what appears to be his account on a car bidding site called Bring A Trailer. One player compiled a spreadsheet showing his car purchases, showing that he has apparently spent about $500,000 on vintage cars since Bungie’s last round of layoffs in October.
Bungie lays off 17% of it’s workforce… unrelated here is a list of cars the CEO has purchased on BAT
The announcement of layoffs, along with calls for Parsons to resign, come just under two months after Bungie released Destiny 2: The Final Shape, which brings the game’s story to a close and was well-received by players despite facing several launch issues. Shortly after the release of The Final Shape, Bungie also announced Codename Frontiers, a mysterious new update slated for release in 2025. Bungie also has a revival of Marathon in the works, which will be the series’ first installment since 1996.
Following the replacement of Marathon’s director, one source with knowledge of Bungie’s budgeting told IGN that “something will need to happen to curb costs unless The Final Shape does so well to cover the gap and people can move to Marathon,” referring to fears of another round of layoffs following The Final Shape’s release — the layoffs that happened today.
Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they’ve contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun, and they recently released a game called Garage Sale. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.
No More Heroes developer Soichi Suda a.k.a. Suda51 and Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami are interested in returning to the Killer7 series.
The two renowned game makers discussed their potential futures during an installment in one of Grasshopper Manufacture’s Grasshopper Direct presentations. Toward the end of the 40-minute video, which primarily offers a behind-the-scenes look at Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, Mikami and Suda were asked to comment on what they’re working on next. It was the Resident Evil veteran who brought up his desire to see more from Killer7.
“I’ve realized that I want to stay as hands-on as possible when it comes to game creation, and I’d love to see Suda make a sequel to Killer7,” Mikami said.
Suda, surprised, replies, “Seriously?!”
Killer7 launched in 2005 and follows Harman Smith and his seven killer personalities. Fans have grown to appreciate the game in the last 19 years, with many falling in love with its unique gameplay, visuals, and style. We gave it an 8.1/10 in our original review, and at the time, we said, “Players who can look beyond the control mechanics will find a truly bold and intriguing adventure game lurking within Killer7’s beautiful cel-shaded visuals.” Suda directed Killer7 with oversight from Mikami and isn’t opposed to revisiting its world.
“I’d rather make a complete edition first.
“Someday we just may see a Killer7 sequel or a ‘complete edition,’ ” Suda adds. However, it sounds like he’d prefer to start with the latter.
“I’d rather make a complete edition first. First a complete edition and then Killer11,” he says with a smile. Suda continues: “I don’t know – ‘Killer7-something,’ probably. Maybe ‘Killer7: Beyond.’”
Mikami feels a Killer7 complete edition might be “doable,” but Grasshopper would need to first decide whether to pursue it or some sort of sequel first. For now, no sequel has been announced. For more, you can learn about the Killer7 PC port that arrived in 2018.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus games for August 2024: LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (PS4 and PS5); Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach (PS4 and PS5); and Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights (PS4).
In a new PlayStation Blog post, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Director of Content Acquisition & Operations Adam Michel revealed that all three games will be available to active PlayStation Plus subscribers starting Tuesday, August 6, and have until Monday, September 2, to redeem these digital copies. PS Plus subscribers who have yet to claim the free games for July 2024 (Borderlands 3, NHL 24, and Among Us) have until August 6 to redeem those games as part of their PS Plus subscription.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a compilation of video games representing all nine installments in the Skywalker Saga sub-trilogies, starting with A New Hope and concluding with The Rise of Skywalker. It also includes additional characters and DLC characters based on other Star Wars shows and projects, including The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.
In our review of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, which we awarded an 8 out of 10, my colleague Tristan Ogilvie wrote: “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga provides some rollicking reimaginings of Star Wars’ most iconic moments and seats them inside a series of interplanetary playgrounds that are dense with discovery and entertaining diversions.”
Five Nights at Freddy’s Security Breach is a horror game released in 2021 and is the eleventh installment in the widely popular Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise.
Security Breach is set in a mall. Players control a boy named Gregory, who finds himself trapped in Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex. He must survive the night by evading hostile animatronic mascots and other enemies.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is an indie ARPG. It was originally released in January 2021 as a Steam Early Access title before a full release in June. Players control Lily, a young priestess who is looking to unravel the mystery regarding a destroyed kingdom of Land’s End.
Its release became quite a hit for Indie games, with Gematsu reporting in March 2022 that the game had sold over 600,000 digital copies across the globe. In February 2024, during a Nintendo Direct showcase, a sequel, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, was announced and released on March 24, 2024, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
