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Transformers Is Getting a Racing Adventure Game With Rogue-Lite Elements

Transformers is getting a racing adventure rogue-lite called Transformers: Galactic Trials, due out in October on PC and consoles. It’s the first ever console Transformers racing game.

Transformers: Galactic Trials is published by Outright Games, which specializes in video games for kids, and developed by 3DClouds. Outright said that in this new unique hybrid gameplay experience you can play as iconic Autobot and Decepticon characters across a single-player mode, with two-player co-op in local multiplayer for the Arcade mode.

Here’s the official blurb:

After the evil NEMESIS PRIME steals the Prime Relics, the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS must set out on a rip-roaring adventure to recover these artifacts and control the incredible powers they bestow. Fans can play as iconic AUTOBOTS or DECEPTICONS, including Bumblebee, Megatron, Elita-1 and Optimus Prime and race across battle-race circuits to collect relics and beat opponents. The gameplay incorporates both traditional arcade racing in vehicle form and dynamic combat in bot-form, as players must defeat enemies and make it to the finish line.

As players progress and collect new relics, they level up their skills and unlock new playable characters and skins. The single-player mode, called Galactic Trials, lets you progress through levels and collect relics. The two-player Arcade mode lets you enter a quick race, creating a custom racing experience with your track, character and weapons, or enter location-based specialized tournaments.

Transformers: Galactic Trials launches on October 11, 2024, on PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S.

It’s a busy time for Transformers, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. CG-animated film Transformers One comes out in September, and there’s a live-action Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover movie in the works.

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.

Microsoft Confirms Xbox Game Pass July 2024 Wave 1 Lineup

Microsoft has confirmed the Xbox Game Pass July 2024 Wave 1 lineup, revealing what subscribers can expect for the first half of this month.

Kicking things off on July 3 is Typhoon Studios’ 2020 action adventure Journey to the Savage Planet (Cloud, Console, and PC), which makes a return to the Game Pass library. IGN’s Journey to the Savage Planet review returned a 6/10. We said: “This comedy exploration experience blasts off with a lot of fresh ideas, but doesn’t quite stick the landing.”

Also on July 3, Fair Play Labs’ Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) hits Game Pass. This Nickelodeon-based platform fighter got a 9/10 from IGN’s review. We said: “Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 knocks nearly every single one of the first game’s problems into the blast zone while also introducing the exciting new Slime mechanic, a more interesting roster, and better visuals throughout.”

Then, on July 9, Big Ant Studios’ Cricket 24 (Cloud, Console, and PC) bowls onto Game Pass. This one got a 5/10 from IGN’s review. We said: “Cricket 24 is a disappointingly modest and often slipshod update that seemingly lacks the confidence or creativity to advance further down the wicket.”

Also on July 9 is Color Gray Games’ 2022 point-and-click detective adventure game The Case of the Golden Idol (Cloud, Console, and PC). Moving on, Angel Matrix’s first-person action game Neon White (Cloud, Console, and PC) hits Game Pass on July 11. IGN’s Neon White review returned an 8/10. We said: “Part visual novel, part lightning-fast FPS platformer, Neon White’s angst-ridden assassins are unbearable but its airtight level design and fantastic sense of momentum ensure its gameplay is something to celebrate.”

Also on July 11, Awaceb’s action adventure game Tchia (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) launches on Game Pass. The Xbox version includes the physics-driven sandbox’s latest update, which includes eight new soul melodies, new outfits, and additional perks for wearing matching cosmetic items.

Magical Delicacy (Cloud, Console, and PC) launches as a day-one Game Pass title on July 16. This wholesome pixel art platformer lets players cook magical delicacies from a vast collection of ingredients in your own shop.

Rounding out July 2024 Wave 1 is the day-one Game Pass launch of Flock (Cloud, Console, and PC) on July 16. Flock is a multiplayer co-op game about the joy of flight and collecting adorable flying creatures with your friends.

Xbox Game Pass July 2024 Wave 1 lineup:

All the games leaving Game Pass on July 15:

As usual, subscribers can save up to 20% off their purchase to keep the games leaving Game Pass in their library.

Looks Like Scorpion From Mortal Kombat Is Coming to MultiVersus

A developer on MultiVersus has hinted that Scorpion from Mortal Kombat is set to hit the brawler.

Player First Games community manager Ajax replied to a Scorpion MultiVersus concept posted to X/Twitter in a way that confirmed nothing but teased everything.

MultiVersus is a Warner Bros. take on Nintendo’s Smash Bros. series, and includes a number of characters owned by the company, such as DC superhero Batman and The Matrix villain, Agent Smith.

Warner Bros. also owns Mortal Kombat and its developer NetherRealm, so it would make sense to see the series’ famous ninja turn up in MultiVersus at some point.

MultiVersus re-released across PC, PlayStation and Xbox in May after a beta ran from July 2022 to June 2023. On Steam, the May relaunch saw MultiVersus’ concurrent player count shoot up to 114,515, but that figure has fallen dramatically since, with 6,030 peak concurrents in the last 24 hours. Sony and Microsoft do not make player numbers on PlayStation and Xbox publicly available.

Player First Games is in the process of rolling out MultiVersus’ mid-season update patch 1.05, readying the game for Agent Smith’s arrival from July 8. As for Mortal Kombat, fans are awaiting an announcement from NetherRealm on the inevitable Kombat Pack 2 for Mortal Kombat 1, as well as a promised story expansion. Dataminers have unearthed what looks like the next six DLC characters for Mortal Kombat 1 already.

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

Call of Duty’s New ‘Extra Crispy’ Gun Lets You Cook, Eat, and Turn Your Enemies Into Fried Chicken and People Are Blaming It All on Fortnite Once Again

The impact of all-conquering metaverse battle royale Fortnite on Call of Duty — indeed the competitive multiplayer video game landscape — is a topic of long-running debate. In truth, Activision left Call of Duty’s military sim tone behind long ago, resulting in what players have now: a no-holds barred fusion of pop culture and modern warfare.

But Call of Duty’s latest gun has thrust that debate back into forums and social media once again, and that’s because it’s perhaps the silliest weapon ever seen in the first-person shooter franchise.

Dataminers unearthed the trailer for the “Extra Crispy” gun, which lets users cook, eat, and turn their enemies into fried chicken. Call of Duty dataminer @realityuk_ was first to bring it to fans’ attention.

This weapon, currently exclusive to Call of Duty Warzone Mobile, has an elaborate weapon inspect animation that sees the player stick a raw chicken on the end of barrel of the gun, cook it, and eat it.

Shooting enemies with the gun, meanwhile, turns them into pieces of fried chicken.

It’s fair to say some of Call of Duty’s more hardcore fans, perhaps those who played the series before battle royale Warzone became the focus from 2020, are in a flap over this new fried chicken gun. Activision, however, might argue the chicken gun is getting a raw deal. “When will they stop adding nonsense to the game?” asked @Junxrrcarter.

Others, meanwhile, don’t see the problem with this sort of thing as an optional cosmetic in Call of Duty, while pointing out that the Zombies mode is about as unrealistic as you can get in a shooter. Indeed many are having a joke about it all.

It seems Activision is happy to go a step further for Call of Duty mobile weapon skins than it is for the main game on console and PC. Perhaps that has something to do with mobile players being less inclined to take issue with this sort of thing because they haven’t had that history with the series before Call of Duty Mobile came out. Either way, the official X/Twitter account for Call of Duty Warzone Mobile has leaned into the negative reaction, perhaps wisely so.

Call of Duty makes Activision, and now parent company Microsoft, billions of dollars in microtransactions, and much of this comes from outlandish bundles sold post-launch. High-profile crossovers have seen everything from Warhammer 40,000 characters to Gundam mechs running around Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone in recent months. There’s even evidence of an upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine crossover. Truly, in the world of Call of Duty, anything goes, and Activision won’t stop here.

But it’s worth pointing out that with the release of Black Ops 6 later this year, Call of Duty cosmetics will see something of a fresh start. That’s because all those bundles you’ve bought for Modern Warfare 2 and 3 won’t carry over to Black Ops 6, which means for launch, at least, we’re back to some semblance of realism.

Enjoy it while it lasts!

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.

Best PS5 and PlayStation Deals Right Now (July 2024)

The Summer of Gaming events may be over and done with, but there’s still plenty to enjoy over these next few sunny months. In particular, with Prime Day on the horizon on July 16-17, there’s likely to be even more deals for PlayStation fans to enjoy. While we wait for that next big sale event, though, we’ve got you covered with some excellent discounts available right now. The surprise hit PlayStation Portal is even back in stock at Best Buy for $199.99. It’s sold out at a few other spots — so if you want one, you’d better grab it quick. Below, you can also find other deals on everything from consoles to SSDs and even information on where to buy a PS5 now.

TL;DR – Best PS5 Deals Right Now

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Best PS5 Video Game Deals

Even though PlayStation’s Days of Play sale is over, there are still quite a few discounts to enjoy on some incredibly popular games. At the moment, some of our favorite physical game deals are on Persona 3 Reload and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, but there are plenty more to check out at the links below.

More PS5 Video Game Deals (Physical):

PlayStation Portal Back In Stock (Limited Time)

Perfect PS5 2TB SSD for $139.99 at Amazon

Right now, Amazon has the acer Predator GM7000 2TB M.2 SSD available for just $139.99. Normally priced at $169.99, the acer Predator GM7000 features speeds up to 7,400MB/s to ensure your games load as fast as possible. It does not have a heatsink, though, so you’ll have to invest in one. To see even more of the best SSD deals, check out our roundup of the best PS5 2TB SSD deals. Otherwise, you can see some more of our favorite picks below.

More PS5 SSD Deals:

Best PS5 Headset Deals: 50% Off the HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset & More Headset Deals

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 the best gaming headsets.

More PS5 Gaming Headset Deals:

PlayStation Deals: Budget to Best

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. From the latest DualSense controllers to the very best PS5 SSDs on the market, we’ve got it all right here.

More PS5 Budget to Best Picks

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Best Time to Buy a PS5

Generally, the best time to buy a PS5 console is during major yearly shopping events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the various Amazon Prime Day sales. Although PlayStation consoles rarely go on sale, you can often scoop up limited-time bundles that include additional an additional game or two, and more.

How to Trade in Your Old PlayStation Consoles

If you’re looking to trade in your old PlayStation consoles, you can do so at select retailers in-store and online. Often, the most widely available retailers are GameStop and Best Buy. However, you can also trade your used devices online at retailers such as Amazon and Microsoft.

Some retailers will offer you cash for your used goods, while others may provide you with a gift card that can be used in-store and online. This is a great way to offload your old gaming gear and get some money that you can put towards a newer console and games.

While trading devices in at retailers will often net you the lowest amount for your used consoles, there are also online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and OfferUp that may fetch higher prices, but you’ll often be responsible for packing and shipping costs, or be required to meet someone in person for the transaction, the latter of which poses its own risks.

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 we 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.

Tech Experts Reveal Why Some Games Run Better on PS5 Despite Xbox Series X Being More Powerful

It is widely accepted that Microsoft’s Xbox Series X console is the most powerful ever made, so why do some games run better on Sony’s PlayStation 5? That’s a question finally answered by the tech experts at Digital Foundry.

Both Microsoft and Sony launched the next-generation of consoles at the same time, November 2020, and while the less powerful Xbox Series S obviously struggles on the performance front, the Xbox Series X is a tech monster; it’s capable of 12 teraflops of GPU performance, whereas the PS5 is capable of 10.28 teraflops.

Xbox executives have said they wanted to avoid repeating the narrative established in the last generation, where the Xbox One was significantly underpowered compared to the PlayStation 4 resulting in a mismatch when it came to multiplatform game performance. And so, Microsoft went hard with the Xbox Series X, ensuring it could safely call it he “world’s most powerful console” in marketing.

But now, as we approach each console’s fourth birthday, has that power difference born fruit in the video games we play? It turns out that some games run better on PS5 than Xbox Series X. But how can that be?

According to Digital Foundry’s conversations with developers, “the combination of a more efficient GPU compiler, lower-level APIs, and higher clock speeds allows PS5 to match or even exceed the outputs of Xbox Series X in some scenarios.”

One example of this at play is FromSoftware’s Elden Ring, which runs faster on PS5 than on Xbox Series X. Digital Foundry’s analysis of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC shows a surprising frame-rate difference in favor of PS5, which is apparently the less capable machine.

But, as Digital Foundry notes, there remains value in the approach Microsoft took for Xbox Series X, which has a commonality with PC development that helps game makers. “Additionally, there are situations where the Xbox ecosystem and feature set yields dividends,” Digital Foundry explains. “For example, while Elden Ring may run faster on PS5, Sony’s limited implementation of variable refresh rate support means that we’d much rather play the game on Xbox Series X — it’s just a smoother and more consistent experience.”

So, what happens next? Sony is heavily rumored to be ready to release a PS5 Pro later this year, with Microsoft heavily rumored to be ready to release an Xbox handheld. Digital Foundry expects the PS5 Pro to “lean into the same strengths that made PS5 competitive and go beyond — PSSR machine learning-based upscaling should act as an effective ‘multiplier’ of sorts on its increased GPU performance.”

And then? No doubt we’ll have to do this all over again when Microsoft releases its next-gen Xbox and Sony releases the inevitable PS6.

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.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Reveals Demo Release, Available Today, and Okami Collaboration

Capcom announced a Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess demo during its Next livestream, along with a surprise: it’ll be available today.

The demo, Capcom said, will allow you to play part of the main story, and there’s no limit on playtime or the number of times you can play. It’ll be available on all the platforms Kunitsu-Gami is releasing on: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, PS5, PS4, and Steam.

And that’s not all: Capcom also unveiled a collaboration with its beloved 2006 hit Okami. The collab will include Okami-themed costumes for Kunitsu-Gami’s main character, Soh, and the Maiden Yoshiro, as well as special weapons and music.

Capcom added that if enough people work together and complete the bonus unlock compaign between between today and 7:59 p.m. PDT on July 17, 2024, the Okami collab items will be available as part of a free update for everyone who buys a copy of Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess when it releases on July 19. You can see the details of the bonus unlock campaign below.

We first learned about Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess just about a year ago at the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase, and got a good look at gameplay in March at the Xbox Partner Preview. Interestingly, as we noted at the time, it seems to be a real-time strategy game, blending third-person action with tower defense-style tactics mechanics.

According to Capcom, “The game takes place on a mountain covered by defilement. During the day, purify the villages and prepare yourself for sundown. During the night, protect the Maiden against the hordes of the Seethe. Repeat the day and night cycle until you cleanse the mountain of defilement and return peace to the land.”

For more, check out our roundup of the biggest game releases of July, including Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Release Date Revealed, Will Run in 4K and 60fps in RE Engine

After unexpectedly teasing the game last week, Capcom has shared new details on Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, confirming among other things that it will release on September 18, 2024.

Saying “it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this game a remake,” developer Rysosuke Murai said the new release will run in 4K 60fps on the RE Engine, and will include quality-of-life improvements like the ability to move while aiming, as well as improvements to NPC behavior.

Capcom has also “fine-tuned the interface” and added autosave functionality, and the story will be fully-voiced in nine languages.

In addition to the standard edition, Capcom is planning to release a digital deluxe edition that will include additional costumes and mall background music. A physical release is set for November 2024.

Dead Rising returns

Though it has been years since a new Dead Rising game was developed, the franchise’s return seemed possible. In early February, Capcom posted a “Super Elections” survey on its website, asking players if they would like a sequel or spin-off to its dormant franchises, such as Dead Rising, Okami, and Dino Crisis.

Dead Rising was originally released in 2006 and quickly became among the more desirable games available exclusively on the Xbox 360. The franchise ushered in a new franchise for Capcom during the late 2000s and 2010s, including three sequels.

The most recent entry in the franchise before the announcement of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster was Dead Rising 4, released in 2016 for Xbox One and PC before a PS4 port titled Frank’s Big Package was released a year later. Dead Rising 4 was met with mixed reception and was reported to have underperformed sales-wise.

The poor sales performance of Dead Rising 4 led to the cancellation of a new Dead Rising game, in addition to the closing of Capcom Vancouver (formerly Blue Castle Games), which developed Dead Rising games, starting in 2010 with the Dead Rising 2 prequel Case Zero.

In our review of Dead Rising, IGN wrote: “Though Dead Rising may seem like a simple, mindless game when you first pick it up, it eventually reveals itself as a deeper experience. Tons of extras are packed into Willamette’s shops, there are magazine power-ups and special drink mixes to be brewed, lots of clothing combinations, countless pictures to be taken and plenty of NPCs to be saved.”

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

Let Me Solo Her Finally Defeats Erdtree’s Final Boss After Three Hour Marathon That Left Them ‘Shaking’

The Elden Ring community’s favorite folk hero, Let Me Solo Her, has finally completed the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, after a streaming marathon spanning multiple days during which he struggled repeatedly against the DLC’s final boss.

Warning: Spoilers for the ending of Shadow of the Erdtree follow below!

Tsuboi Klein, also known as Let Me Solo Her, has been steadily working his way through the new Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree with the rest of us. Just yesterday, he finally crossed the finish line, defeating Promised Consort Radahn live on stream after something in the vicinity of 74 attempts. Despite being thought of as something of an Elden Ring expert, Let Me Solo Her really struggled with the second coming of Radahn, only defeating him after several hours of attempts spaced out over two days.

“Holy crap, my fingers are actually trembling right now,” he said upon victory. “I’m shaking.”

Let Me Solo Her rose to notoriety by offering his summon sign to players struggling to beat the most difficult boss in the base game, Malenia. Wearing nothing more than a pot on his head, Let Me Solo Her has defeated Malenia hundreds of times now on behalf of others. While it might be natural to expect him to breeze through the DLC with skills like that, it’s worth noting that Let Me Solo Her got so good at Malenia by practicing her fight a lot. It took him over 200 attempts just to beat her the first time. So it’s only natural he’d get good at Radahn with practice, too.

So is Let Me Solo Her going to master Radahn and help others defeat him now? Probably not just yet. Let Me Solo Her acknowledged at the end of his stream that he had somewhat beelined his way to Radahn and hadn’t finished a lot of the other DLC boss fights, so he wants to go back and wrap things up first. He also wants to enjoy the DLC a bit off-stream, too, just for himself. Additionally, he’s already been spending his time helping others beat Messmer, another story-required boss fight that many are struggling with. He’s even technically rebranded as “Let Me Solo Him” just for that fight. Let Me Solo Her will continue to assist other players with Messmer for a bit longer, he says, before moving on to helping people with Radahn.

We interviewed Let Me Solo Her two years ago during the height of his fame, and can confirm that he’s delightful not just in battle against Malenia and Radahn, but also to speak with. And we caught up with him again ahead of the release of Shadow of the Erdtree to hear his plans for exploring the Land of Shadow. Sounds like that’s going great for him.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Scientists Name Newly Discovered Eyeless Spider After Blind Flying Wyvern From Monster Hunter

Scientists, the original nerd, occasionally like to remind us of that fact by influencing the real world with a geeky reference, this time with a spider named after a flying beastie from Monster Hunter.

As reported by VG247, a newly discovered spider from China has been named the Otacilia Khezu after Khezu, the flying wyvern from Monster Hunter. What do spiders and flying wyverns have in common? Nothing, really, but this spider has no eyes, just like its namesake.

Khezu, which look like fairly normal wyverns from the shoulders down but quickly break that tradition with incredibly long necks, a giant fanged mouth, and retracted eyes due to spending most of their time in darkness, were introduced way back in the original Monster Hunter from 2004.

Pointed out by @SilencedVouivre on X/Twitter, the same scientist who named the Otacilia Khezu has also named myriad other real world animals with nerdy references. These include Funny Valentine and Gryo Zeppeli from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and even another Monster Hunter reference with the Rathalos genus.

There are plenty of other scientists doing the same too, however. The Saurona butterfly was named after the Lord of the Rings’ villain, the Venomius Tomhardyi was somewhat bizarrely named after Tom Hardy’s Venom films, and the Tachymenoides Harrisonfordi snake was named after the Indiana Jones actor.

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