Category: IGN

Helldivers 2’s latest patch makes some significant changes to the game balance and adds more planetary hazards for players to contend with.

Patch 01.000.200, out now across PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, makes balance changes to missions, Stratagems, weapons, enemies, and the Helldivers themselves, as well as general fixes and stability improvements.

On the gameplay side, developer Arrowhead has added two new planetary hazards: blizzards and sandstorms. On the balance side, Arrowhead has tweaked the Retrieve Essential Personnel mission type, moving enemy spawn points farther away from the objective “to give players a fairer chance of defending the location”, and making it so there are fewer civilians required to complete the mission on higher difficulties. The Destroy Command Bunkers mission type now has more objective locations because “the mission was too easy before compared to other missions.”

Crucially, Arrowhead has also halved the negative effect of operation modifiers that increase Stratagem cooldowns or call in times.

Perhaps of most interest to players is the sweeping balance pass made to weapons, with the likes of the Anti-Materiel Rifle, Breaker Incendiary, and Dominator buffed. The Slugger, meanwhile, is nerfed. The recently added Heavy Machine Gun sees its highest fire rate mode reduced from 1200 rpm to a more “moderate” 950. On Stratagems, the Patriot Exosuit’s rockets will now penetrate armor only on direct hit.

As for enemies, the Charger, Bile Spewer, and Nursing Spewer are nerfed, as are the Shriekers. The Bile Titan can no longer be stunned, however. The Helldivers themselves are buffed, with heavy and medium armor offering better protection.

And finally, the patch adds various fixes for crashes and other bugs. Arrowhead has improved the system that prevents hellpod steering close to large or important objects. “This system is intended to prevent softlocks where players can drop on important interaction points, or drop into unintended places,” Arrowhead explained. “We will continue to monitor the state of the system after the update to see if additional tweaks are necessary.”

There’s a lot going on in the world of Helldivers 2. Hours after liberating Malevelon Creek, Helldivers 2 players reported seeing enormous cloaked ships over Automaton worlds. Amid the push and pull of planets, new Stratagems were recently made available to players, with the promise of more to come. If you’re looking for more on Helldivers 2, check out IGN’s feature on the Let Me Solo Her of Helldivers 2, a player who has answered over 100 SOS Beacons as part of a mission to help others.

Helldivers 2 has become one of the surprise hits of 2024 since launching in February, topping the charts on Steam and reportedly selling around three million copies. According to at least one analyst, it’s still growing. Check out IGN’s Helldivers 2 review to find out why it’s going down so well.

Helldivers 2 update 01.000.200 patch notes:

Gameplay

Planetary Hazard additions

• Blizzards
• Sandstorms

Balancing

Missions

Retrieve Essential Personnel

• Moved the enemy spawn points further away from the objective to give players a fairer chance of defending the location.
• There are fewer civilians required to complete the mission on higher difficulties.

Destroy Command Bunkers

• Now has more objective locations, the mission was too easy before compared to other missions.
• It can now appear in operations from difficulty 5.
• Halved the negative effect of operation modifiers that increase stratagem cooldowns or call in times.

Primary, Secondary, & Support Weapons

• Arc Thrower: fixed charging inconsistencies; it will now always take 1s to charge a shot.
• Arc Thrower: reduced distance from 50m to 35m.
• Arc Thrower: increased stagger force.
• Guard Dog: now restores full ammo from supply boxes.
• Anti-Materiel Rifle: damage increased by 30%.
• Breaker Incendiary: damage per bullet increased from 15 per bullet to 20 per bullet.
• Fire damage per tick increased by 50% (from all sources).
• Liberator Penetrator: now has a full auto mode.
• Dominator: increased damage from 200 to 300.
• Dominator: increased stagger.
• Diligence Counter Sniper: increased armor penetration from light to medium.
• Slugger: reduced stagger.
• Slugger: reduced damage from 280 to 250.
• Slugger: reduced demolition force.
• Slugger: fixed armor penetration tag in the menu.
• Slugger, Liberator Concussive, Senator: fixed incorrect armor penetration tags in the menu.
• Recoilless Rifle: increased the number of rockets you restore from supply boxes from 2 to 3.
• Spear: increased the number of missiles you restore from supply boxes from 1 to 2.
• Heavy Machine Gun: the highest fire rate mode reduced from 1200 rpm to a more moderate 950.

Stratagems

• Patriot Exosuit: rockets will now penetrate armor only on direct hit.

Enemies

Balancing adjustments have been made to:

• Chargers normal melee attack now does less damage against Exosuits.
• Bile Spewer and Nursing Spewer do less damage with their puke.
• The Bile Titan can no longer be stunned.
• Shriekers no longer create bug breaches.
• Shriekers hitting you while they are dead now does significantly less damage.

Helldiver
Balancing adjustments have been made to:

• Heavy and medium armor protects better and you now take about 10% less damage than before while wearing heavy and about 5% less when wearing medium armor. Fortified commando and light armor is unchanged.

Fixes

• Fixed issue where save settings for PS5 would be reset when the game is rebooted, causing things such as loadout and hint settings to reset.
• Enemies now properly target Exosuits. Previously, many enemies effectively ignored Exosuits if a helldiver on foot was available for them to target.
• Fixed Exosuits being able to fire their weapons while opening the minimap.
• The Helldiver and the Exosuit both had a bug that made them sometimes take explosion damage multiple times making things like automaton rockets be too deadly, this is now fixed.
• Automaton enemy constellations that preferred to spawn more of certain Devastators types did not work and are now functioning as they should. This means that sometimes when playing against the Automatons you will face more Devastators instead of other enemy types.

We have improved the system that prevents hellpod steering close to large or important objects.

• We have solved issues where the effective area around objects was a lot larger than intended.
• We have reduced the number of objects that prevent hellpod steering.
• Note: This system is intended to prevent softlocks where players can drop on important interaction points, or drop into unintended places. We will continue to monitor the state of the system after the update to see if additional tweaks are necessary.
• Fixed cases where the ground under some assets could be bombed causing them to float.

Ballistic Shield changes

• Collision mesh has been slightly increased in size for more forgiveness
• Changed shield poses so that less of the helldiver is exposed
• Addressed bug where parts of the helldiver would become vulnerable while using the shield in first person

Known Issues

These are issues that were either introduced by this patch and are being worked on, or are from a previous version and have not yet been fixed.

• Game might crash when picking up a snowball or throwing back a grenade

Various issues involving friend invites and cross-play

• Cross-platform friend invites might not show up in the Friend Requests tab.
• Players cannot unfriend other players befriended via friend code.
• Players cannot unblock players that were not in their Friends list beforehand.
• Players cannot befriend players with Steam names shorter than 3 characters
• Explosive weapon stats include only direct hit damage but not explosive damage.
• Explosions do not break your limbs (except for when you fly into a rock).
• Planet liberation reaches 100% at the end of every Defend mission.
• Drowning in deep water with a Vitality Booster equipped puts Helldiver in a broken state.
• Stratagem beam might attach itself to an enemy but it will deploy to its original location.
• Some player customizations (like title or body type) may reset after restarting the game.

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.

Mere hours after liberating Malevelon Creek, Helldivers 2 players have a new threat to contend with: mysterious cloaked ships.

Players took to social media and forums to post screenshots showing what appear to be enormous ships in orbit around Automaton planets. Redditor infinity__cube appears to be the first Helldiver to have reported a sighting, but more images have emerged since. The evidence is irrefutable: the cloaked ships are there, but they appear to be lying in wait.

Yesterday, April 1, developer Arrowhead delivered a new Major Order to Helldivers 2 players, giving them a 24-hour window to finally take back Malevelon Creek, the Automaton map dubbed ‘Space Vietnam’ by fans. The planet was liberated in only about five hours.

Now, with a new Major Order in place to fend off the Automaton counterattack, the mysterious ships have popped up in the sky across Automaton planets.

Cloaked massive ships over Automaton worlds ?!! pic.twitter.com/k3yNlqfGRT

— Helldivers 2 Media (@Helldiversmedia) April 1, 2024

But what could they be? There are a number of theories, including a rather boring explanation that they are a visual bug associated with the existing Super-Destroyer ships. More exciting is the suggestion they are Illuminate ships. The Illuminate are a third alien faction most Helldivers 2 players believe are on their way to the game.

Perhaps they are evidence that the Automatons’ true might is looming over the horizon, ready to pounce now that the terrifying alien robots have been sufficiently angered. If that’s the case, perhaps these ships mark the arrival of new Automaton aerial gunships, which were signaled in flavor text from a recently completed Major Order. Players are already speculating that these aerial gunships, if genuine, will cause Helldivers even more problems by intermittently firing at the battlefield. That won’t be annoying at all.

pic.twitter.com/WopTFTQEdI

— Tukenfarben (@tukenfarben) April 2, 2024

This is all part of Helldivers 2’s fascinating Galactic War, a meta narrative steered by Game Master Joel. Amid the push and pull of planets, new Stratagems are made available to players, with the promise of more to come. If you’re looking for more on Helldivers 2, check out IGN’s feature on the Let Me Solo Her of Helldivers 2, a player who has answered over 100 SOS Beacons as part of a mission to help others.

Helldivers 2 has become one of the surprise hits of 2024 since launching in February, topping the charts on Steam and reportedly selling around three million copies. According to at least one analyst, it’s still growing. Check out IGN’s Helldivers 2 review to find out why it’s going down so well.

Image credit: Firestorm_361 / reddit

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.

Time is one of the great enemies of board games. It’s often hard enough to get a group of people together in the same space for a gaming session, doubly so if you need to find several hours to play the latest heavy, epic title. So there’s an instant market for faster-playing games. They’re also great for family play or for casually breaking out for a quick game before you head out for the evening. But as you’ll soon find out from our list of suggestions, small and fast doesn’t mean light or boring: from timer-based games to hilarious dexterity games, you’ll soon discover that fast often equals fun.

Scout

Ignore the pointless circus theme, this is a fantastic little set collection card game with a devious twist: you can’t change the order of cards in your hand. Nevertheless, you have to work with what you’ve been dealt to try and beat whatever’s in the middle of the table, with higher value cards beating lower value, and longer runs and sets beating shorter ones.

If you can’t – as is often the case – the person who played those cards gets a point, and you have to pick a card up, making it easier for the next player and allowing you to slot it into your hand where you like, creating new combos for future plays. It’s fast, furious and surprisingly hard to master, with timing your best plays properly critical for success. No wonder it was a nominee for the prestigious Spiel des Jahres award the year it was released.

5 Minute Dungeon

One way to ensure a game is quick playing is to run it to an absolutely punishing timer, which is how 5 Minute Dungeon manages to do exactly what it says on the box. Build a deck of dungeon challenges, pick a character, start the timer, and then it’s down to the adventuring party, working together, to defeat the dungeon in real-time.

Each trap or monster needs a particular set of symbols to banish, but you don’t have time to coordinate your plays properly, leading to a desperate slapping down of wasted cards, cries of woe, and forgetting of special character abilities in the heat of the moment. You’ll need to try and slow down just enough to chart a path through the chaos while still keeping up with the clock, and finding a moment to delight in the hilarious artwork and fantasy meme riffs.

Fuse

Another timed game, this one sets the clock at 10 minutes, which your group must use to try and defuse as many bombs as possible from a deck of bomb cards. On your turn you’ll draw and roll as many dice, which come in different colors, as there are players, then discuss and divide them up while the timer ticks down. Each bomb card comes with a dizzying array of color and number requirements for dice to defuse it, from simple addition or equality to actually making stacks of dice in particular combinations.

The uncertainty of drawing and rolling never fails to give this game a thrilling edge, while probability ensures there’s some good strategy to doling out the dice. If you want to up the ante, there are some super-hard bombs to shuffle in for extra challenge.

Kites

A whole different take on the cooperative real-time mechanism, Kites comes with several sand timers of different lengths and colors, which represent different kites that you’ve got to keep in the air. On your turn, you play a card and flip any timers that match its colored icons. Your goal, as a group, is simply to stop any one of the timers from running out.

This is much easier said than done, and the game has an extraordinary spinning plates feeling as you desperately speed round the table, trying to flip timers trickling out their very last grains. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can add more colors and special challenge cards to keep your game in the air for longer, just like the titular kites.

Klask

Possibly the shortest game on the entire list, with almost no setup time and games that can be over in seconds. But that’s no problem when it’s so addictive you’ll want to go again right away! Klask is a simple dexterity game where you use a magnet to steer a paddle that knocks a little plastic ball around the playing area, aiming to get it into your opponent’s goal while defending your own.

To add even more skill and amusement value to an already breakneck experience, there are also magnetic obstacles to avoid, lest they stick to your paddle and make your shots even more unpredictable. It’s such a fast, fun, fickle game that you’ll be using that short play time to host mini-tournaments.

Strike

Strike is a fast-paced push-your-luck game that gets even faster the more players choose to tempt fate. Everyone starts with a fistful of dice and, on your turn, you throw one into the “arena”, an oval box insert, possibly aiming to knock existing dice there around. What you’re looking for are matching numbers, which you can add to your dice collection, ending your turn.

If you don’t get any matches, you can pass or continue throwing, which ups your chance of matching but also risks leaving more options for others if you don’t. Each dice has an X instead of a 1, meaning it’s removed from the game instantly, and the last player left with dice wins. It’s an addictive combination of luck, dexterity and playing the odds and once it’s reeled you in there are tournament rules for extended play.

Sail!

Most folk are familiar with the common playing card mechanic of trick-taking, which really helps this two-player cooperative game run faster. You’re working together to steer a pirate ship through dangerous seas, pursued by a hungry kraken. The symbols you pair on your trick might inch your craft forward, injure the sea monster, cause it to attack you, or do nothing at all.

But you’re not allowed to tell your shipmate what’s in your hand, only pass one card to them at the start of each turn, which has to try and speak volumes as to your plans. This makes every single play a mini-drama of tension and release in an overall arc of terror as you try to balance tricks won, movement and keeping the beast at bay. With six scenarios of punishing difficulty, this is a lot of game in a small box.

Coup

Bluffing on hidden roles is a great way to fit a lot of game into a small package, and Coup give you the biggest bluffing bang in the smallest box. Each player gets two role cards which give special powers like taking extra coins or cheap assassinations. The aim is to knock out your opponent’s roles, putting them out of the game.

The genius twist is that, whatever roles you’re dealt, you can execute any power in the game, providing no-one catches you at it. Most roles have the chance to block one another, which is fine until it becomes clear that someone is claiming one they don’t have. Then all hell breaks loose as the accusations start flying and no-one wants to be first to make the actual challenge. Because if you’re wrong, it’s you that looses out and not the target.

Love Letter

Another bluffing game but with much more dynamic roles, Love Letter sees the players competing to get the titular epistle to the princess, who is also the highest-valued card. You start with a card and, on your turn, draw another and choose which to play. Each card has a number and a special effect, two of which knock other players out of the round based on whether you can either guess what card they’re holding or beat the value of that card against yours.

Other cards protect you, let you swap cards with another player or peek at their held card. The last two players left compare card values, and the highest wins. It’s a devious little game of social engineering, just like real courtly courtship, and while the rules suggest you play the superfast rounds multiple times to determine an overall winner, it’s also easily fun enough to play a single quick-fire hand.

Draftosaurus

Games of Draftosaurs begin with players grabbing a handful of dino-meeples – which are cute enough to justify owning this game on their own – at random from a bag. Then, you take it turns to roll the dice and place a dinosaur on your dino-zoo playmat. The dice-roller can place where they want, but all other players have to obey the rule on the dice face. There are a number of different enclosures, each with their own simple placement rules and scoring opportunities. Then, everyone passes the remaining dinosaurs to your left and repeat until all the pieces have been placed, and the scores tallied to find a winner.

The combination of random roll and passing on gives the game some interesting teeth as you ponder whether to risk pieces in higher-scoring options or keep back something your neighbor is collecting. Easy to learn and fast to play, it’s a quick filler that can easily end up being popular enough to play all evening.

Ticket to Ride: London / New York

The enormously successful Ticket to Ride franchise is based on players collecting sets of colored cards and playing them to claim routes on a map. Most of your points come from tickets that you score if you connect their printed destinations, but fail to complete the route, and you’ll lose those points instead.

It’s a brilliant recipe that forces you to balance the desire to collect against the risk of other players slapping down the cards before you. These two variants keep that addictive core gameplay loop, but make it quick by giving you only a tiny, cramped board to play on, leaving you feeling like you’re scuffling in a phone booth. Each has its own unique twist to the recipe, with London offering bonus points for completing districts and New York for linking up tourist hotspots.

Matt Thrower is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in tabletop games. He’s also been published in The Guardian, Dicebreaker and Senet Magazine as well as being the author and co-author of several books on board games. You can reach him on BlueSky at @mattthr.bsky.social.

Developer Arrowhead Studios delivered a new Major Order to Helldivers 2 players, giving them a 24-hour window to finally take back Malevelon Creek. The planet was liberated in only about five hours.

The game-wide mission was sent across the galaxy today, and it didn’t take fans long to suit up and drop in. It’s an order that presented an opportunity to turn the tide of war against one of Super Earth’s greatest enemies, but it also gave fans a chance to reclaim their pride.

“Several weeks ago, our citizens watched in horror as Malevelon Creek fell to the Automatons,” the Major Order commanded. “Millions of valiant heroes perished attempting to defend it. For too long, the bots have maintained their illegal occupation, desecrating the memory of the fallen by rapidly depleting the planet’s exceptionally rich rhodium deposits. The travesty will be allowed to continue no longer.”

It continues: “Take vengeance for the fallen. Honor our heroes. End the theft of valuable minerals. Liberate Malevelon.”

For those who have yet to Helldive onto Malevelon Creek’s misty terrain, you should know that it’s covered with cold Automaton warriors that are armed to the teeth. With robot soldier camps polluting nearly every hill and plant life littered across the battlefield, the location provides players with a significant challenge – especially on higher difficulties.

It’s this same low-visibility environment that dealt Helldivers 2 fans their most significant failed Major Order to date. The previous mission arrived several weeks ago and asked soldiers to take the location and leave no prisoners. They were unsuccessful, though, with Helldivers unable to liberate Malevelon Creek within the time limit. The mission was such a disappointing endeavor that fans still post “remember Malevelon Creek” memes, as if they suffered a lost battle in the real world. When Arrowhead offered a chance at redemption, they made every second count.

“At long last, Malevelon Creek is free,” a celebratory in-game message says. “The heroes who died in its defense can finally rest in peace, knowing justice has been served, and the planet’s rhodium deposits will be mined by the citizens who rightfully own them. Colonists are returning to the ruins of their settlements, pickaxes in hand, hopeful for a prosperous future. For at last, dawn breaks upon a free Creek.”

Despite victory over Malevelon Creek, Helldivers were not rewarded the 35 Medals they were initially promised as a reward. Instead, the Major Order has been updated, asking players to now shift their focus to Ubanea for a reward of 40 Medals. They’ll need to then hold their ground until the order ends in two and a half days to finally claim what could be a significant win over the Automatons.

As Helldivers 2 players pivot to maintain control over the Severin Sector, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt is looking to take a new approach to the galactic war that could give fans a more rewarding experience. One thing players have wanted more clarity on is how Supply Lines work in-game. Many players may not even be aware that they are a feature that essentially allows Helldivers to strategize and keep enemy reinforcements from crashing a party.

The problem is that many feel Supply Lines aren’t clearly communicated in Helldivers 2. The @HelldiversAlert X/Twitter account spotted a fan-made solution from Reddit user TheKrzysiek that shows how the feature could be updated.

A Simple concept of what supply lines could look like in game

📹Thekrzysiek pic.twitter.com/Jfr1JW7Eh0

— Helldivers Alerts (@HelldiversAlert) March 31, 2024

It was well received amongst followers on social media, including Pilestedt himself. The creative director even went as far as to say that TheKrzysiek’s demo isn’t far off from a previous Arrowhead idea.

“It is surprisingly close to what we had in the game before,” he said in a post. “But we wanted to visualize all of the supply lines and it got way too cluttered. We are talking about making this more clear internally at the studio.”

It’s unclear how Major Orders will unfold in the future, but it’s clear Arrowhead is working around the clock to keep players on their toes. As the latest Major Order rolls on, be sure to read up on on our review, where we gave the game a 9/10. At the time, we said, “Helldivers 2’s combat feels fantastic, its missions stay fresh and interesting, and its smart progression system doesn’t nickel and dime you.”

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.

CD Projekt Red, the studio behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, apparently has no intentions of implementing microtransactions in its single-player games.

In an interview with Stockwatch.pl (spotted by PCGamer), CD Projekt Red Chief Financial Officer Piotr Nielubowicz responded to a question about whether the studio would implement microtransactions in future projects.

“We do not see a place for microtransactions in the case of single-player games,” Nielubowicz explained (via Google Translate). “[B]ut we do not rule out that we will use this solution in the future in the case of multiplayer projects.”

While CD Projekt Red is known for its single-player games, the studio is planning to, at the very least, incorporate some multiplayer aspects in some of its future projects. Most notably, the studio is developing a new game set in The Witcher universe, codenamed Sirius. Although project details are slim, CD Projekt Red previously said that it will have both single and multiplayer gameplay.

Nielubowicz’s comments come amid continued fan pushback against paywalls and in-game purchases, a conversation that’s currently focused on Capcom’s most recent single-player game, Dragon’s Dogma 2. Despite its impressive sales performance on Steam, many players have criticized the presence of microtransactions in Dragon’s Dogma 2, specifically because the ones offered make some sections designed to challenge players easier to pass by, and help with things like fast-travel.

Some players, however, have defended Dragon’s Dogma 2’s microtransactions, given that the items you can pay for are also attainable through gameplay. Still, microtransactions in games remain a controversial topic, especially the idea of implementing them in $70 single-player games.

In other CD Projekt Red news, the studio recently revealed that it’s putting the bulk of its resources on the next mainline Witcher game, codenamed Polaris.

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

In response to a wave of fans lobbying for a Waffle House-themed stage in Tekken 8, the game’s director Katsuhiro Harada finally broke the silence and addressed the high demand for this unique stage.

Over the weekend, Harada responded to a request one fan made in his replies about adding a stage based on Waffle House to the latest installment in Bandai Namco’s fighting game series. In a rare instance, Harada responded and asked why so many people keep asking him to add this seemingly unrelated breakfast restaurant to the game.

Ok, I will only ask once about this request.
Why do some communities send me requests for “Waffle House”?

Please be sure to explain the basis for the request, including the original story, history and background.

I look forward to an explanation from someone who knows more. https://t.co/w8ozUnJ1mY

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) March 30, 2024

Many fans flocked to the replies to explain why they would love to see a Waffle House stage in Tekken 8. For those unfamiliar with Waffle House, it’s a chain of Southern diners with nearly 2,000 locations in over 20 states, most of which are located in the South and Midwest.

In its nearly 70 years of operation, Waffle House has become a cultural icon for a few reasons, two most notable ones being it is an open-all-night eating spot (even during emergencies) and because it has become the centerpiece of a lot of memes, most of them surrounding the fact that people have posted photos and videos of fights breaking out at various locations. Even SNL made a skit based on the meme.

hell naw if the waffle house employee Perfect Parries your projectile pack it up lmfao pic.twitter.com/1m7Y30DiJ1

— Kevothy (@KevChelios) December 28, 2022

Two Men fighting a waffle house employee for not making them the tiktok viral waffle sandwich.#fights #memes #crazy #crazyfight #funny pic.twitter.com/Z15BxxoUnU

— Mophlak (@mophlak1_1) July 14, 2023

So this is where I’ll find some worthy opponents.. pic.twitter.com/BJQlYxgk3J

— Vegeta (@Vegetaprnce) September 10, 2023

After the large volume of responses he received explaining the memes, Harada followed up on his question by thanking fans for explaining “why” they wanted it so much. But as you might have expected, he said that making the stage would not be easy because Waffle House is a registered trademark and he would need permission from the owner of the rights to Waffle House to make the stage.

Thanks for the explanation guys.
And I understand that many people are requesting it.
However, I think you are missing one important point.
The restaurant has both the trademark and the rights to the restaurant, so if the restaurant chain’s headquarters refuses to accept my… https://t.co/tnvss5w09j

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) March 30, 2024

Nevertheless, fans of Waffle House and/or the Waffle House memes have some hope that, just maybe, they will get a Tekken 8 stage based on the eatery.

For more on what’s actually in Tekken 8 right now, check out our Tekken 8 review and all the details on Eddy Gordo, its first DLC fighter that’s arriving today, April 1, for Year 1 Pass holders.

Image Credit: Christian Petersen / Getty Images

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

April Fools’ Day has arrived once more and has brought with it some hilarious video game jokes and pranks, some of which we wish actually came true!

There are SO many that get revealed by companies around the world and it can be hard to keep track of them, so you can check out all the best ones below to ensure you don’t miss a thing! We’ll also be updating this article throughout the day as more are found, so be sure to keep checking back!

Let us know which prank is your favorite below!

Exclusive: Virtual Boy Pro Revealed! All the Details on Nintendo’s Wildest System Yet

To kick off the April Fools’ Day festivities, IGN was proud to exclusively reveal the Virtual Boy Pro! In what may be Nintendo’s wildest system yet, the Virtual Boy Pro is a VR-headset style device that docks into the Nintendo Switch System.

Much like the Apple Vision Pro, it looks to be focused mostly on augmented reality experiences with a Nintendo twist. In the trailer you can see above, you can catch a glimpse of gameplay from Link’s Korok Catcher, Super Mario Home Run, Animal Crossing: Moving Day, Luigi’s Mansion 4, and Mario Kart: Open Road.

Pokemon Is Holding an Epic Pokemon Sleep Tournament to End all Tournaments

『Pokémon Sleep』、初の世界大会を開催！
熱戦のようすはこちら！https://t.co/Is7jVunrRa #ポケモンスリープ世界大会 pic.twitter.com/HQMGWUEhC7

— ポケモン公式 (@Pokemon_cojp) March 31, 2024

Pokemon tournaments can be some of the most epic in all the world, but you’ve never seen anything like the Pokemon Sleep Champion Tournament 2024. Players from around the globe will compete in an eight hour and 30 minute tournament to prove they can sleep better than anyone else.

The Razer Cthulhu Is a Gaming Chair with 8 A.I. Arms Ready to Do Your Bidding

Introducing the Razer Cthulhu—the ultimate gaming chair. Never have to leave your chair again as eight independent robotic arms cater to your every need. Learn more: https://t.co/1xKJJMAccs pic.twitter.com/bPigz6Hhqx

— R Λ Z Ξ R (@Razer) March 31, 2024

If you ever wished you were Doc Ock, Razer has the next best thing with its new gaming chair called the Razer Cthulhu. This chair features 8 A.I. arms that “cater to your every need,” including feeding you, brushing your teeth, shaving, and much more to ensure your can put all your focus into gaming.

In fact, the announce trailer takes a bit of a dark turn as the chair may never let you leave your gaming session, which may be ok for some people?

The best part? The A.I. arms are ” outfitted with a Razer Skynapse Chip and trained with over 1,337 TB. We can assure a 96.9%* chance of the tentacles always listening to you!” That sounds nothing like Skynet, no not at all!

Palworld’s More Than Just Pals Is the Dating Sim You’ve Been Waiting For

#Palworld Dating Sim💕
“Pal♡world! ~More Than Just Pals~”

Will you remain friends or fall in love?
Or dismantle and eat them…🍴

Pals take off their clothes⁉️ An adult version will also be released🔞#AprilFoolsDay
*Update for Palworld is coming soon! pic.twitter.com/SHZF5QatLw

— Palworld (@Palworld_EN) March 31, 2024

Palworld’s big new update will be a dating sim where you’ll be able to fall in love with some adorable Pals, a student named Zoe, and even the black marketeer! And no, this isn’t creepy at all!

“Will you remain friends or fall in love? Or dismantle and eat them… Pals take off their clothes?! An adult version will also be released!”

Like we said, not creepy at all!

Capcom Is Getting Into the Helicopter Business After All Their Successes in the Resident Evil Series

🚨重大発表🚨

この度、CAPCOMは新たに航空事業へ参入することを決定いたしました。これまでのノウハウを活かした「CAPCOM製ヘリコプター」で、快適な空の移動をみなさんにお届けいたします。#エイプリフール #REBHFun pic.twitter.com/aSxpc2K1G7

— 【公式】バイオハザード / RESIDENT EVIL PORTAL Official (@REBHPortal) March 31, 2024

Capcom has revealed it is taking a bold step forward into the helicopter business. Which, you know, makes a lot of sense after all the… um… successes it has had with helicopters in the Resident Evil series! There’s no chance any of these will go down in a spectacular, explosive fashion!

Developing…

Happy weekend, everyone! Sunday is here, which means the weekend is set to come to a close once more. But before it does, it’s time for you to kick back and check out the best deals available this weekend. Whether you’re searching for new games, technology, or accessories, we’ve got you covered. The best deals for Sunday, March 31, include Persona 3 Reload, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Resident Evil 4, Super Mario RPG, NHL 24, Horizon Forbidden West, and more.

Resident Evil 4 for $29.99

2023’s Resident Evil 4 is one of the best titles Capcom has ever released. With its revamped action and gorgeous environments, each minute of Resident Evil 4 (2023) is captivating like never before. For $29.99, this is a must-play title if you’re a fan of action, survival, or horror titles. Additionally, it’s perfectly acceptable to start with Resident Evil 4, even if you’ve never played a Resident Evil title before.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro

Amazon has the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro discounted by 20% to $280.99. While this is still expensive, this is one of the best gaming headsets on the market and normally starts at $349.99. The Nova Pro features Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) through four microphones placed around the headset. Additionally, you can customize your audio with the Sonar Software and Base Station.

Persona 3 Reload for $39.99

Persona 3 Reload is already one of the biggest 2024 releases so far. The remake brings in new gameplay features, new voice actors, and an impressive slew of technology, including ray tracing. It’s on sale right now at Amazon for $39.99, which marks a new all time low for the title. If you’ve never experienced the story of Persona 3, this is the definitive way to do so.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for $39.99

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the latest title in the long-running RPG series. Kiryu Kazama returns following the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, uniting with Ichiban Kasuga in a wild adventure you won’t forget anytime soon. This $30 discount just a few months after launch is a great deal you shouldn’t pass up on, though newcomers should aim to play the previous titles in the series before jumping in.

Super Mario RPG for $49.39

The remake of Super Mario RPG is $10 off at Walmart right now, which is a great price for this classic title. If you’ve yet to either play the original or check out the remake, this is the perfect time to do so. Composer Yoko Shimimura returned to compose the remake’s original soundtrack, and each boss and environment has been expertly recrafted for the Nintendo Switch. It’s the perfect Mario title to check out if you’ve already beaten Super Mario Bros. Wonder!

G502 X Lightspeed Mouse for $99.99

This G502 X Lightspeed Wireless Mouse is perfect for any gamer’s setup. With up to 25,600 DPI, precision is your friend. This mouse offers 68% faster response time with new technology, so you’ll always be on top of your game in any scenario. Sitting at just 102 grams, the G502 X Lightspeed Mouse is an excellent choice, especially with this discount.

Save on LEGO Minecraft The First Adventure Set

This LEGO Minecraft set makes an excellent addition to any collection. The set itself is staged across three stories, with a grasslands, minecart, and cave all present in this set. You will get both Steve and Alex, so you can adventure together across any LEGO creations you make. Additionally, a moobloom, horned sheep, dyed cat, and two skeletons are included in this set.

Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2 for $19.99

Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2 took to the scene last year, offering a massive upgrade from its predocessor. We gave the game a 9/10 in our review stating, “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.”

Horizon Forbidden West for $23.99

Horizon Forbidden West is one of the best showcase titles on PlayStation 5. Guerrilla Games crafted one of the most impressive titles that still holds up years later, with impressive visuals, physics, and immersion. The story picks up right after Horizon Zero Dawn, so it is recommended that you play that title first.

Save 22% Off The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Original Soundtrack

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild features a beautiful, atmospheric soundtrack that reigns as one of the best in the series for numerous reasons. Now, you can take home the five disc soundtrack and save 22% while you’re at it! Be sure to head over to Amazon before this deal is gone.

Save 20% Off Dragon Ball Z Original Soundtrack Vinyl Pre-Order

The Dragon Ball Z Original Soundtrack is one of the most memorable soundtracks found in any anime. From the epic tracks during fights to the subtle music throughout the world, the soundtrack by Chiho Kiyooka, Takeshi Ike, and Keiju Ishikawa is one to remember. With a 20% discount, you can snag a sweet discount on this 2LP set, which comes in a classy orange finish.

NHL24 for $24.99

NHL 24 brought all-new gameplay and dozens of new features to the hit EA Sports series. This is the lowest price we’ve seen NHL 24 at so far, so if you’ve been on the fence, be sure to pick up the game while this sale is live. There are a total of over 75 new goal celebrations in NHL 24, which elevates the presentation and immersion to new heights.