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Ubisoft Apologizes to Japanese Historical Re-Enactment Group for Using Its Flag in Assassin’s Creed Shadows Art Without Permission

Ubisoft has apologized after using a Japanese historical re-enactment group’s flag in concept art for Assassin’s Creed Shadows without permission.

As reported by Siliconera, Ubisoft Japan issued an apology on X/Twitter and admitted it used the flag in two pieces of art without permission. It also claimed to have apologized to the flag’s owner Sekigahara Teppo-tai, a historical re-enactment group made up of volunteers who perform to the public at festivals and other events.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed the identical recreation of the flag, which can be seen below, in a piece of concept art for the Japan-set Assassin’s Creed released alongside its full reveal. It was raised to a leading member of the Sekigahara Teppo-tai, X/Twitter user @matchlock_kage, who posted a photo of the real flag taken on October 27, 2019, and expressed concern at it being used by Ubisoft without permission.

Ubisoft has now apologized for using the flag, however, and said it will no longer use the associated artwork with one exception: the presumably already printed physical art book featured in the Collector’s Edition of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Ubisoft has said it strived to make the world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows as “authentic as possible.”

Assassin’s Creed Shadows was fully revealed in May 2024 as a Japan-set entry where players take control of two protagonists: the stealthy shinobi Naoe and the action-orientated Yasuke, who’s a real figure from Japanese history.

IGN had a wealth of exclusive content on the reveal, and you can read about all the gameplay changes, story beats, and open-world assassinating coming with Shadows in our extensive interview with the development team.

If that’s not enough, check our analysis and explanation of where and when Shadows is set and 40 key details we’ve learned about the game. You can also watch our full breakdown of the cinematic trailer to discover all its hidden details, Easter eggs, and more.

Shadows launches November 12, 2024 for those buying the Gold, Ultimate, or Deluxe Editions, while the Standard Edition is available on November 15, 2024.

Image Credit: @matchlock_kage on X/Twitter

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

The Best PS5 2TB SSD Deals (July 2024)

2023 and 2024 have shown that 2TB PS5 SSD upgrades are actually worth the price. In 2022, prices for 1TB PS5 SSDs averaged around $150, whereas 2TB SSDs hovered closer to $300. Now, we’re seeing 1TB SSDs trickle below the $70 price point and 2TB SSDs can drop to around $100 or sometimes even lower if there’s a good sale. It’s worth noting, though, that you can’t use any old SSD and expect it to perform well on the PS5 console. You’ll want to pick up a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid-state drive with at least a 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5’s internal drive.

TL;DR – The Best 2TB PS5 SSD Deals Right Now

Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD and not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we’ll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don’t, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (like this one for $9) and install it yourself. For our top recommended picks for 2024, check out our full breakdown for the Best PS5 SSDs.

TEAMGROUP MP44Q 2TB SSD for $110

As part of its early Prime Day deals, Amazon is offering the TEAMGROUP MP44Q 2TB SSD for just $109.99. It, unfortunately, does not have a heatsink so you’ll have to invest in one, but you can easily do that here for under $10. It also offers transfer speeds of up to 7,400MB/s read and 6,500MB/s write.

acer Predator GM7000 2TB M.2 SSD for $139.99

With sequential read/write speeds up to 7400 MB/s and 6700 MB/s, this is an excellent SSD for your PS5. It currently has a nice little discount at Amazon, down to $139.99 from its MSRP of $169.99, but it does not come with a heatsink so you’ll have to invest in one.

WD_Black 2TB SN850X SSD for $149.99

Right now, Amazon has the WD_Black 2TB SN850X SSD available for just $149.99. Normally priced at $189.99, this 2TB SSD features speeds up to 7,300MB/s to ensure your games load as fast as possible. This model will work with PS5, but you will need to purchase a heatsink to go with it (which you can do here for just $9).

XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade 2TB Internal SSD with Heatsink for $149.99

This is another 2TB SSD deal that’s well worth taking advantage of. This option from XPG has dropped 17% in price, from $179.99 to $149.99, and even features a built-in heatsink. It also has a read speed of 7400MB/s and a write speed of 6800MB/s.

Silicon Power 2TB XS70 SSD with Built-in PS5 Heatsink for $159.99

This SSD offers 2TB of storage, excellent read and write speeds (read speeds of up to 7,300MB/s and write speeds up to 6,800MB/s), and a built-in heatsink all at a fantastic price. It’s currently available for $159.99 on Amazon, 11% off its MSRP of $179.99, so well worth picking up for your PS5.

WD_BLACK PS5 4TB SSD for $309.99 at Amazon

This is a great deal for those looking to maximize their PS5’s storage. For a limited time only, this PS5 4TB SSD is available at Amazon for just $309.99 (see here). Normally, it has an MSRP of $699.99, but nowadays, this and many other 4TB SSDs have been sitting around $280-$300 recently. You’ll also have to grab a heatsink to go with it (which you can do here for $9).

2024 Crucial T705 2TB SSD for $294.99

This is the newest model from Crucial and it already has an excellent discount on Amazon. For a limited time, you can get 26% off this SSD, bringing it down to $294.99 from $399.99. It’s well worth the investment as well, as it offers crazy good sequential read/write speeds up to 14,500/12,700MB/s. If you feel the need for speed, this SSD will certainly get you there.

Crucial T500 2TB SSD with Heatsink for $169.99

Amazon is offering a nice deal at the moment on the Crucial T500 2TB SSD, which is discounted down to $169.99. This SSD has a heatsink all ready to go, so you can install it right away in your PS5, and even offers excellent read/write speeds of 7,400/7,000MB/s.

Samsung 990 Pro 2TB PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD for $179.99

The Samsung 990 Pro is an excellent SSD for your PS5. From a purely performance perspective, it’s overkill; the stock SSD in your PS5 will be the limiting factor. You’ll want to pick up a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid state drive with a rated 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5’s internal drive and the 990 Pro is much faster. This one does not come with a heatsink, though, so you’ll need to invest in one.

What if the SSD Doesn’t Include a Heatsink?

Sony recommends you install an SSD that has an attached heatsink. If the SSD you purchase doesn’t include one, it’s simple enough to buy one for $9 on Amazon and add it yourself. Most of these heatsinks are just attached using an adhesive like thermal tape.

Budget to Best: PS5 SSDs

There may be other SSD deals out there, but these are the PS5 SSDs we’ve tried ourselves and highly recommend. They also double up as outstanding boot drives for your gaming PC, in case you don’t need additional storage for your PS5 console.

How To Install a New PS5 SSD

It’s extremely easy! Removing the case cover is completely toolless. In fact, the only screw you have to remove is the one that keeps the cover for the SSD bay in place. You don’t even put it back when you’re done. Sony has a quick and easy YouTube video guide.

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

Unicorn Overlord Discounted for PS5 in Early Prime Day Sales

Unicorn Overlord is now available for just $34.99 on PS5 in the early Prime Day sales. This discount is currently exclusive to the PlayStation version, but further discounts from other retailers across all platforms should follow soon. This is one of the top video game deals currently available during the summer sales at retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and Target. It’s also the lowest price we’ve seen for the PS5 version since its release.

IGN awarded Unicorn Overlord an “Amazing” 9/10. You can read our review to understand why it’s considered one of the best console strategy games in recent history. Here’s reviewer Eric Zalewski’s final verdict:

“Reflecting on the incredibly diverse and remarkably creative world I explored across my 45-hour journey, any issues I had with Unicorn Overlord ended up feeling like nothing more than nitpicks. The tactical combat system is unique and complex while also being easy to understand, expertly blending mechanics from many of its peers with smart new additions of its own.”

“The interesting terrain across the continent of Fevrith makes every fight feel unique, with some of the best map gimmicks I’ve seen in any strategy RPG. Because the campaign is told through the eyes of a diverse and creative cast, its trope-filled fantasy story is elevated in a way that a more traditional storytelling style wouldn’t manage. The shorter, more personal stories work wonderfully to support a loop of exploration and liberation that had me begging to see one more tale told, one more town rebuilt, and one more battle fought.”

These aren’t the only deals Amazon’s got going on at the moment. With Prime Day on the horizon (July 16 and 17, to be exact), there are quite a few discounts to check out. Some of our favorite early Prime Day deals include this excellent offer on Audible Premium Plus, where you can get 3 months of the service for free, and Kindle Unlimited is also offering 3 months of its service for free.

To learn more about what you can expect from the massive savings event this year, head to our Amazon Prime Day roundup for additional information on when the sales begin, what we expect to see, and what competing events will be going on around the same time.

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

The First Descendant Hit With Destiny Icon Plagiarism Accusations — but There’s Seemingly More to the Story

The First Descendant, a free-to-play co-op focused looter shooter from Korean games company Nexon, is blowing up across PC and console with big player numbers on Steam specifically. But as players debate the rights and wrongs of its ultra aggressive monetization, another controversy has hit the game.

Forbes reported that The First Descendant “is using barely-changed” Destiny 2 icons, and pointed to the remarkable similarities between icons used by developer Bungie for its veteran looter shooter and those used by Nexon for its new looter shooter challenger.

Certainly, the similarities are hard to ignore. One Bungie icon artist tweeted to say it “feels like a great day to mention that Bungie icon artists are a super-crew of talented folks with original ideas and sharp instincts.” But what’s actually happened here?

While Nexon is under pressure to explain itself (IGN has asked for comment but has yet to hear a response), fans have unearthed evidence to suggest the root of the problem can be found in an icon database that seems to misunderstand the concepts of personal and commercial use of assets.

Iconduck bills itself as a “free and open-source” database of hundreds of thousands of icons, illustrations, emojis, logos, and flags, and includes a number of Destiny icons Nexon may have lifted for use in The First Descendant.

As spotted by PC Gamer, Iconduck has a Destiny Icons set that includes 204 icons, all open sourced with a Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal license. “All icons can be used for personal and commercial purposes,” Iconduck claims.

This icon set was designed by Tom Chapman, who made the Bray.tech websites among others for Destiny 2. In a tweet, Chapman said most of the icons in the set were “ripped from the font files created by Bungie and its designers.”

“Most of the remainder are designed by Bungie and recreated by me or whoever contributed them to that repo,” Chapman added, before casting doubt on Iconduck itself: “I’ve come to hate open source… I don’t want @iamiconduck to use my work like this.”

It’s worth pointing out that Iconduck also makes available icons from the Pokémon franchise, including Pikachu and Poké Balls, Marvel Avengers icons, famous Batman icons, and plenty more images you’d imagine Iconduck wouldn’t have the rights to make available for people to use for commercial purposes.

There are many other icon databases that include similar sets and make similar claims of their use. Nexon may well have used icons from one of these websites, such as Iconduck, and tweaked them slightly for The First Descendant, but the company has yet to explain its process. If it did, Nexon would then face pressure to explain why it did. Again, IGN has asked for comment.

The First Descendant rekindles memories of Palworld, Pocketpair’s controversial ‘Pokémon with guns’ survival and crafting game that has been accused of “ripping off” ‘Pokémon, but has also been compared gameplay wise to all sorts of titles in the survival and crafting genre.

Generally speaking, The First Descendant is a mash-up of mechanics from various looter shooters already in the market. There’s more than a whiff of Destiny about The First Descendant’s design, systems, and mechanics, but then there’s also a lot of Warframe about it, too. Check out IGN’s The First Descendant review in progress to find out what we think of the game so far.

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.

Score a 2TB PS5 SSD for Only $104.99 Ahead of Amazon Prime Day

SSD prices are trending upwards for 2024, but there are still some excellent deals to be found if you’re vigilant. Ahead of Prime Day, Amazon is current offering the PS5 compatible TEAMGROUP 2TB PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 Solid State Drive (SSD) for only $104.99. You’ll need to supply your own heatsink, but you can easily get a PS5 heatsink for under $10. All of the other best PS5 SSDs cost $140 or more.

TEAMGROUP 2TB SSD (PS5-Compatible) for $104.99

The PS5 is an outstanding gaming console, but the 1TB SSD is a real bottleneck. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, for example, can exceed 200GB alone. NBA 2K23 weighs in at 150GB and even older games like God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West require 90GB of space. Future games like Grand Theft Auto VI will undoubtedly demand even more space. The advantage of a PS5 console over the Xbox Series X is that the SSD slot is not proprietary; you can install most third party PCIe Gen4 x4 SSDs as long as they are fast enough. Slower drives WILL work, but they may bottleneck the original SSD.

Although TEAMGROUP isn’t as well known of a brand as SanDisk or Samsung, this brand has been around for a while and is a legitimate manufacturer of flash-based storage. This particular model has plenty of good reviews on Amazon. This particular SSD meets all the requirements for your PS5 upgrade. This is a PCIe Gen4 x4 SSD with an M.2 2280 form factor and transfer speeds of up to 7,400MB/s read and 6,500MB/s write which is well above the 5,500MB/s minimum threshold. It also makes an excellent boot drive for your gaming PC, especially with its 2TB storage capacity.

Willing to pay more for another brand? Check out all of the best PS5 SSD deals today.

Pick Up a 512GB Nintendo Switch Memory Card for Only $24.99 Ahead of Prime Day

Looking to upgrade the storage capacity of your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or ASUS ROG Ally? Well right now Walmart is offering a SanDisk Ultra 512GB Micro SDXC Card for only $24.99. Walmart+ members get free shipping, otherwise you need to get your order total to $35. Currently this is the least expensive 512GB Micro SDXC card we’ve seen from a legit brand. It’s part of Walmart’s larger sale that competes with Amazon Prime Day. SanDisk is owned by Western Digital and is the most popular memory card brand for the Nintendo Switch console.

Don’t have a Walmart+ membership? It’s currently 50% off.

512GB SanDisk Ultra Micro SDXC Card for $24.99

If you’ve started compiling a collection of digital games, you probably already know just how limited the Switch’s base storage capacity is. The Switch and Switch OLED have 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, respectively, some of it reserved for the OS. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom uses up 16GB and Breath of the Wild about 13.5GB. If bought digitally, those two games alone would take up all of your internal storage on the OG Switch console. There’s only one expansion slot in the Switch console so you want to make sure you get the biggest card you can afford.

The SanDIsk Ultra Micro SDXC card is compatible with virtually any device that accepts the Micro SDXC card standard. That includes the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and the ASUS ROG Ally. It has a U1 A1 speed rating with up to 120MBps read speeds. There are faster cards out there, but the Nintendo Switch can’t take advantage of such speeds. An SD card adapter is also included in the packaging.

Check out all of the best Nintendo Switch deals for sales on other games and accessories.

This Nintendo Switch Lite Console Includes Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Only $159

Ahead of Prime Day, Walmart is offering the Nintendo Switch Lite (Timmy’s and Tommy’s Aloha Edition) console for only $159. It normally retails for $199, which was already a great deal because it included the full Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. It’s part of Walmart’s larger sale that competes with Amazon Prime Day. We are pretty certain that Amazon will not match or beat this deal on Prime Day proper.

Nintendo Switch Lite with Animal Crossing for $159

The Switch Lite retails for $100 less than the original Switch and $150 less than the Switch OLED. It is compatible with most Nintendo Switch games and it runs off the same hardware, so performance is identical. The three main tradeoffs of the Switch Lite is that (1) the controllers are not detachable, (2) the console can’t be docked and played on a TV and (3) the display is smaller (5.5″ vs 6.2″ on Switch and 7″ on Switch OLED). If you were intending to use the Switch solely as a handheld console, you might be better off just getting the Switch Lite. Even though the controls aren’t detachable, the Switch Lite does support wireless Bluetooth, so you can always purchase another pair of Joy-Cons, a Switch Pro controller, or a compatible third party wireless Switch controller, and you can still play untethered.

If you enjoy life sim type games like Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, or Minecraft, you’ll probably love Animal Crossing. It’s obvious that Nintendo put in a lot of love into this first party title and it’s certainly one of the best – and most relaxing – games for the Nintendo Switch. This is an excellent pick for gamers of all ages, even children. Check out our glowing IGN review for more details.

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Apex Legends Season 22 Introduces Significant Battle Pass Changes, and Fans Aren’t Happy

EA and Respawn Entertainment are introducing a new Apex Legends battle pass structure, but players aren’t happy with the changes promised so far.

This new take on progression in the Titanfall spinoff was announced with an update post on the game’s website. The post outlines a litany of fundamental changes to how rewards are earned, with the team saying that its goal is to “improve your experience and progression goals.”

Where players will find the biggest changes are the length of the Battle Pass and how future passes will be purchased. Up to this point, Battle Passes have required players to complete 110 levels to acquire all rewards, including one Reactive Weapon and a Reactive Weapon Variant. But Season 22 will deliver two passes – one for the first half and one for the second – with 60 levels to complete each. Both halves include one Reactive Weapon each.

“The impact of this change is twofold,” the post says. “It allows us to align seasonal progression more closely with Ranked while also increasing the value for your time.”

EA and Respawn claim that the new structure will result in twice the seasonal rewards for Apex Legends players who use the free version of the battle pass. However, each half-season Premium pass will now cost $10, and the option to purchase passes with Apex Coins is being removed. Players have previously been able to earn 200 coins with the free version of the pass and 1300 coins through the Premium version of the pass, which costs 950 coins.

Each pass will offer the same number of coins for free and Premium players, which means double the amount of earnable Apex Coins per season, but those who have been saving up their coins will no longer be able to use them for future passes.

Other tweaks to the Premium Apex Legends formula increase the number of Apex and Legend-Themed packs while doubling the amount of crafting materials in the Premium pass. The Premium Bundle, which was previously purchasable for 2800 Apex Coins, is now called Premium+ and costs $19.99. It includes only 10 level skips while offering more Exotic Shards, two Premium+ Legendary Character Skin Variants and the ability to play all Legends for the duration of the battle pass.

All of the changes will go into effect with Season 22, which is expected to launch next month.

“The decision to move from AC to real world currency is not one that we made lightly, but it does allow us to decrease the price of Premium+ for our community,” Respawn’s post says. “The new Premium+ Battle Pass comes in at $19.99 USD* and offers additional value; a cost difference of ~29% when compared to the discontinued Premium Battle Pass Bundle at 2800 AC.”

Apex Legends fans react to the new Battle Pass

So far, Apex Legends players aren’t too happy with the changes.

“So basically pay 10 dollars twice a season instead of being able to continue buying battle passes every season with a one time purchase,” one Reddit user said. “In what world is this better for players?”

“The advantage of gathering enough coins to buy the next BP via gameplay was that I was basically stuck with playing your product for dozens of hours on end, so engagement was high,” another user added. “If you’re gonna make me pay every time and THEN grind my ass off then that’s it brother.”

Apex Legends was released in 2019 and has continued to evolve in the half-decade since its launch with more playable Legends, weapons, abilities, maps, and game modes. Though the ability to purchase battle passes with coins is on the way out, players can still use them on Legends, Apex Packs, and more in the in-game store.

EA adds that players will be able to unlock the first half of Season 22’s premium battle pass offerings by completing “a set of challenges” within the first two weeks of launch. It’s currently unclear what these challenges entail or if this method will be available in future seasons. For more, you can read our list of the 15 best free games to play on PlayStation 5.

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.

Nintendo Switch Drops the Hardest as All Consoles Decline by Double-Digits Compared to 2023

As rumors of a Switch successor and mid-generation hardware refreshes for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S continue, spending for all three consoles have dropped by double-digits compared to 2023.

In Circana’s May 2024 U.S. video game market highlights, the analytics company reported that video game hardware spending is down 40% compared to 2023. Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony have all shown “double-digit percentage declines,” with the Nintendo Switch seeing the “most significant drop.”

In a post on X/Twitter, Circana’s Executive Director & Video Game Industry Advisor Mat Piscatella wrote that the hardware spending decline between 2023 and 2024 can “partially” be attributed to the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which was released exclusively on Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023.

Circana’s report comes amid rumors that all three home console makers are gearing up to release new hardware, with Microsoft already annnouncing updated versions of the Xbox Series X and S. Numerous leaks have also suggested that Sony is planning to release a Pro variant of the PS5 at some point later this year. Nintendo, for its part, is expected to release a next-generation successor to the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2025.

Ghost of Tsushima tops the charts

As for the games themselves, Circana reports that the best-selling games in terms of dollar sales for May 2024 were Ghost of Tsushima, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Remake, and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (2023 version), the last of which topped the charts for both PS5 and Xbox.

In the case of Ghost of Tsushima, its sales performance jumped to first place from its previous placement of 71 due to a PC port being released on May 16.

All three console holders are in the process of revealing their big exclusives for the holiday season, with Xbox boasting Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and the PS5 being headlined by Astro Bot. The Switch is also setting up for a strong finish to 2024 with releases like The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisom.

For more, check out all of the biggest game releases of 2024 as well as the best games so far.

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

Save $30 Off This Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons and Super Mario Party Bundle Ahead of Prime Day

Official Nintendo Switch Joy Cons aren’t discounted very often, but Walmart is bucking that trend. Ahead of Prime Day, Walmart is offering the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons Bundled with Super Mario Party for only $69. This bundle usually retails for $99, and the cost goes up even more if you were to purchase each item separately. Walmart+ members have early access to this deal until 5pm EST. However, everyone else will be able to purchase it at this price afterwards.

Don’t have a Walmart+ membership? It’s currently 50% off.

Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons + Super Mario Party for $69

Exclusive to Walmart+ members until 5pm ET, open to everyone after

This bundle includes a pair of Nintendo Joy-Con controllers and the Super Mario Party game. The Nintendo Joy-Con controllers are functionally identical to the ones that came with your Switch console. A nice bonus is that the Joy-Cons are decked out in a colorway that’s exclusive to this bundle; there isn’t any other easy way to secure a pair of Mario Red and Mario Blue controllers.

Anyone who owns a Nintendo Switch console should be familiar with the Joy-Con controllers. The Joy-Cons are unlike any other controller on the market. There are three ways to use them; connected to the Switch console, separated with each Joy-Con as its own controller, and combined into a gamepad with the Joy-Con grip that came with your console. They have a lot of fun features like a built-in accelerometer, gyro sensor, independent motion controls,. HD rumble, and NFC touchpoint for amiibo compatibility. Most 3rd party controllers don’t support amiibos at all.

The included Super Mario Party game is the definitive party choice for the Nintendo Switch, with up to 80 mini games that take full advantage of the quirky tech of the Switch controllers to keep things feeling fresh. The game supports up to four players, and in most cases a single Joy-Con controller is needed for each player. That means, alongside your original Joy-Con controllers, this bundle is all you need to max out the player count in Super Mario Party.

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