Category: IGN

Star Wars Outlaws is billed as the franchise’s first-ever open-world game. From the makers of The Division and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Outlaws tells a scoundrel story that explores the depths of Star Wars’ underworld between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

In anticipation of Ubisoft’s big Star Wars game, we’ve put together this breakdown of everything you need to know about Star Wars Outlaws.

Jump to:

• Release Window
• Story Details
• Gameplay
• Development

Star Wars Outlaws Trailer

Ubisoft has released two official trailers for Star Wars Outlaws. The most substantial of which is a 10-minute gameplay trailer revealed last June. Check it out below:

Star Wars Outlaws Release Window

Star Wars Outlaws has an official release window of 2024. It will be released sometime between April and December 2024, according to Ubisoft’s most recent earnings report.

Star Wars Outlaws Platforms and Price

Star Wars Outlaws will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Ubisoft Connect). Ubisoft has not announced a price for Outlaws, though $70 is a safe assumption considering its scope and Ubisoft’s pricing for recent AAA games like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Star Wars Outlaws Story

Plot and Characters

Star Wars Outlaws tells the story of Kay Vess and her axolotl-like companion Nix attempting “one of the greatest heists the Outer Rim has ever seen.” It’s a scoundrel story that aims to emulate the adventures of Han Solo or Jack Sparrow while being “a little bit more relatable,” according to creative director Julian Gerighty. “More of a rookie, a petty thief, who ends up in a situation that’s much bigger than they ever expected,” he said.

Here’s the official synopsis from Disney and Ubisoft:

“Experience the first-ever open-world Star Wars game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Explore distinct planets across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as Kay Vess, an emerging scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life, along with her companion Nix. Fight, steal, and outwit your way through the galaxy’s crime syndicates as you join the galaxy’s most wanted.

“If you’re willing to take the risk, the galaxy is full of opportunity.”

The decision was made to set Outlaws between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (the second and third films in the original trilogy) because it’s a time when “the underworld is thriving.” Gerighty explained: “When we were starting off the discussions with Lucasfilm, it was very clear that the one-year period between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, that’s where the Rebels aren’t part of the picture. The Empire’s taking more and more control, but the syndicates, they’re taking more power, they’re exploiting all of these weaknesses. So it really is a moment where the underworld is thriving and there’s no better situation for an established or a rookie scoundrel to cut their teeth than this particular moment.”

Kay Vess is voiced by Humberly González (Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Ginny & Georgia). Her alien companion Nix is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker (Star Wars: The Bad Batch, American Dad). The full cast has not been revealed, though we know Outlaws will include characters both new and old. Among the old is Jabba the Hutt, who Massive confirmed will assign Kay missions from his palace on Tatooine. Among the new is the battle droid ND-5 (voiced by Jay Rincon), who fought in the Clone Wars before taking up a life in the underworld.

Locations and Map Size

Star Wars Outlaws’ open world is spread across multiple “handcrafted” planets of “manageable” sizes. The planets (final number TBA) “could be [equivalent to] two to three zones” in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, according to Gerighty. As the director noted, this is a “crude analogy” as the regions of Odyssey’s Greece range in size, though it should be taken to mean the planets will not be near-endless areas filled with procedurally generated content.

The planets in Outlaws will adhere to Lucasfilm’s “80/20” rule of location design: 80% familiar, 20% alien or fantastical. Gerighty explained how Massive designed its version of Tatooine around this philosophy: “We start off with a biome, in this case, southeast African biomes as an inspiration, and then you put a twist on it to make it feel a little bit alien. If you think of the first shots, maybe not the first shots, but the first the shots of Tatooine. Beautiful, recognizable architecture, but two suns. For us, it’s having this huge mountain, and carved into it into the amberine of the mountain, the crystalline substance is a city, and these outcroppings of orange, very reflective material. That’s what brings the really alien nature to it. Familiar but fresh.”

Despite Massive’s dose of originality, Tatooine in Outlaws will be informed by the rich history of Star Wars films. “If you close your eyes and give people a choice to go anywhere in Tatooine?” Gerighty said. “Mos Eisley. And specifically one watering hole in Mos Eisley. The opportunity is that you can see all the nooks and crannies. This concept of virtual tourism is important to us. If you’ve ever wondered the distances from the moisture farms to the cantina? We have an experience for you.”

Another location Massive has detailed is the previously unexplored moon Toshara. Inspired by East African savannas, Toshara is home to “lots of wide, open plains” — a perfect playground for Kay’s speeder. It’s described as a “hive of scum and villainy” where players can explore the scoundrel lifestyle.

Other locations glimpsed in trailers include Kijimi, home to a hive-mind syndicate based on the Medlitto species called the Ashiga Clan; the humid jungle planet of Akiva; and Cantonica, home to the infamous casino city Canto Bight.

Game Length

While Ubisoft has not revealed how long it’ll take to complete Star Wars Outlaws, two key developers have commented on their desire to avoid making it “too big” — a common criticism for recent Ubisoft open-world games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. “Too big,” according to Gerighty and narrative director Navid Khavari, “is a game that people don’t manage to play, enjoy, and finish.”

Gerighty added: “Our objective is to really get people into a very dense, rich adventure, open world adventure that they can explore at their own rhythm. So it is absolutely not a 200- or 300-hour epic unfinishable RPG. This is a very focused action-adventure RPG that will take people on a ride and is very manageable.”

Star Wars Outlaws Gameplay

Combat

Star Wars Outlaws is played from a third-person perspective. On the ground, players can expect hand-to-hand combat, gunplay, and stealth sequences. While aboard your ship, The Trailblazer, Outlaws provides opportunities for intimate dogfights with TIE fighters and larger-scale battles against massive vessels. More on space combat below.

As for your companion, Nix appears able to distract enemies, retrieve weapons, press buttons/pull switches, and attack guards by pressing RB/R1 and highlighting the desired action.

Exploration and Traversal

The open world of Star Wars Outlaws will be traversed on foot, atop your speeder, and aboard your ship. One of the most impressive things we’ve seen from Outlaws is the seamless nature in which you’ll be able to move across these three modes of traversal; Kay can go from foot to speeder to space without any cuts to black or obvious loading screens.

The planets of Outlaws can be navigated most efficiently using Kay’s speeder, which the dev team describes as “motocross in the sense of making the travel really fun, thrilling, full of tricks, speed chases, that type of thing.” As evidenced in the gameplay trailer, you’ll be able to shoot while riding using a slow-motion targeting system reminiscent of Red Dead’s Dead Eye.

There also appears to be some on-foot platforming, as we’ve seen Kay climb atop boxes and rappel down ropes using her grappling hook.

As for how Ubisoft has designed the open world to be explored, Khavari said the goal is to “make sure that the player organizes their experience according to their desires.” The team wants to avoid the Ubisoft open-world critique of maps crowded with icons that lead to repetitive activities. The goal here is to create worlds “so dense and so rich with different distractions that we won’t have to rely on so many UI indications for them,” he said.

Spaceship Combat

While aboard the Trailblazer, Kay will get into dogfights with hostile spacecraft. Dogfighting is made “as accessible as possible because movement in a whole full-on 360-degree environment is quite challenging,” said Gerighty. Massive hopes to accomplish this by slowing down the pace of dogfights and providing players with a chase cam control that allows enemy ships to be chased automatically so you can focus solely on aiming your shots.

In addition to being a vessel for space exploration and deep-space combat, the Trailblazer serves as a sort of home base for Kay. While roaming the ship on foot, you’ll be able to speak with other characters and explore the mysteries of the ship’s history.

Reputation Systems

There are two important systems around player behavior in Star Wars Outlaws: Reputation and Wanted. Massive says these two systems will be at play within every location, as they designed each with consideration for the presence of the Empire and the various crime Syndicates.

The Reputation system applies to Kay’s relationships with Syndicates. If Kay fosters trust with Syndicates, she can expect better contracts, cheaper store prices, and access to new territories. Should she fall out of favor with one, she can expect to be hunted. “It’s all about playing the Syndicates off one another, making choices, dilemmas in terms of how you hand in a quest, that type of thing,” said Gerighty.

The Wanted system, meanwhile, pertains to Kay’s relationship with the Empire. The Empire will put the Wanted tag on Kay when she acts against their wishes. In one example, we see Kay refuse to pay a bribe to an Imperial officer, resulting in a high-speed chase that follows the fugitive from land to space.

RPG Elements

Outlaws features some light RPG elements, such as an upgrade system that allows you to bolster Kay’s gear, from improvements to her speeder bike to new modules for her blaster. There will also be customization options for Kay’s speeder and spaceship.

There will be dialogue choices to make as Kay. This system was implemented to enhance the experience of role-playing as a scoundrel in the world of Star Wars, Gerighty told IGN.

Star Wars Outlaws Development

Development of Star Wars Outlaws is led by Massive Entertainment, the Ubisoft-owned studio responsible for The Division and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Massive is supported by Ubisoft Annecy, Bucharest, Chengdu, Milan, Montpellier, Paris, Shanghai, Toronto, Redlynx, and Stockholm. It’s being developed using Massive’s in-house Snowdrop game engine.

Outlaws was announced in early 2021, signaling the end of EA’s exclusive hold on the Star Wars video game license, before being properly revealed at the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase. According to Disney’s Sean Shoptaw, the inception of Massive’s Star Wars game came during a meeting between the two companies to discuss Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Key developers include game director Mathias Karlson (The Division 2), creative director Julian Gerighty (The Division 2), narrative director Navid Khavari (Far Cry 6), art and world director Benedikt Podlesniggand (The Division 2), and lead writer Nikki Foy (Far Cry 6).

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

The Xbox Series X is now one of the best-selling video game consoles of all time, even if there were rumors Microsoft was going to stop making consoles – which is thankfully false. If you want to enhance your gameplay even further, then it’s worth considering some of the best Xbox Series X accessories to pair with your Xbox Series X console.

TL;DR – These are the Best Xbox Series X Accessories:

• Xbox Elite Controller Series 2
• Seagate Xbox Storage Expansion Card
• Microsoft Xbox Wireless Headset
• WD C50 Expansion Card
• Logitech G923 Racing Wheel and Pedals
• PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S
• KontrolFreek FPS Freek Inferno Performance Kit

From high-end Xbox Series X controllers with additional buttons and paddles to make gaming easier, to immersive Xbox Series X headsets that allow you to hear every movement in-game, there are some seriously cool Xbox Series X accessories to consider.

The good news is, that you don’t need to stretch your budget too far if you want to invest in some new peripherals. But if you want to splurge, the option is there.

The Best Xbox Series X Accessories

1. Xbox Elite Controller Series 2

Best Controller for Xbox Series X

Pros:

• Customizable controls
• Up to 3 custom profiles

Cons:

• Expensive

If you enjoy pro gaming or you want to up your performance in-game, the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 is designed for competitive gamers. It features adjustable-tension thumbsticks, short hair trigger locks, a wrap-around rubberized grip, exclusive button mapping options, and interchangeable components.

Depending on the game you’re playing, you can save up to 3 custom profiles on the controller and switch between them instantly using the profile button on the controller. Admittedly, there’s a hefty price to pay here, but the beauty of this Xbox controller is that it can pair to Xbox Series X|S consoles, Windows PCs, and mobile devices, too, making it great value for money in the long run.

Equipped with a rechargeable battery, you can easily pair the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 with a rechargeable battery kit or something like the PowerA Dual Charging Station for Xbox X|S, so you’re never without charge.

2. Seagate Xbox Storage Expansion Card

Best Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X

Pros:

• Officially licensed
• Up to 2TB of storage

Cons:

• Expensive

The Xbox Series X comes with a standard 1TB of storage. Some of that is instantly eaten away by the operating system, leaving you with just 802GB of usable space. When you consider some Xbox Series X games are over 100GB once installed, you’ll soon realize there’s not much space left on your Xbox to play the games you want.

The officially licensed Seagate Xbox Storage Expansion Card comes in 1TB and 2TB sizes, allowing you to install more of the games you love without any hassle. It’s easy to increase the capacity of your Xbox Series X, though it does come at a price. However, this is really the only sacrifice you’re making since the expansion card runs just a touch slower than the Xbox’s internal SSD.

3. Microsoft Xbox Wireless Headset

Best Headset for Xbox Series X

Pros:

• Customizable audio
• No cables or dongles required

Cons:

• There are better headsets but they are more expensive

More affordable than some Xbox Series X headsets, the Microsoft Xbox Wireless Headset is the perfect pairing for this console and is noise-canceling too. The adjustable headband means it’s comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and can be shared between your household. And, since it’s wireless, you won’t be tied down to your Xbox if you want to grab a snack in between matches.

The controls are easy to access; you can adjust the volume on the fly and alter the game/chat balance depending on what you’re focusing on. Keeping with its intuitive and lightweight theme, the Microsoft Xbox Wireless Headset doesn’t require any dongles, cables, or extras to connect wirelessly to your Xbox. It can even double up as a headset for your phone too as it features Bluetooth connectivity.

Use the Xbox Accessories app to create a customized audio experience just for you, and switch between a range of sound modes including Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos, and DTS Headphone:X.

4. WD C50 Expansion Card

Best Alternative Expansion Card for Xbox Series X

Pros:

• More affordable than other options
• 512GB and 1TB sizes

Cons:

• A little slower than the internal SSD

We wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to splash all your hard-earned cash on Seagate’s Xbox expansion card. If this is the case, you might want to turn your head to the WD C50 Expansion Card, which is a more affordable alternative. It also comes in 512GB and 1TB storage sizes, if you don’t want to go all out and upgrade to 2TB.

This expansion card is officially licensed by Microsoft, too, so you can simply plug and play without any hassle of installing additional storage and taking your Xbox apart. Install all of the games you want, and thanks to its portable size, you can even take this expansion card with you to your friend’s house if you want to play games that they haven’t installed.

5. Logitech G923 Racing Wheel and Pedals

Best Racing Wheel for Xbox Series X

Pros:

• Feels like you’re really driving
• Extremely customizable

Cons:

• One of the most expensive Xbox Series X accessories

Racing fans will love the Logitech G923 Racing Wheel and Pedals, though you might gulp at the price. Featuring Trueforce technology, this racing wheel makes it really feel like you’re in the driver’s seat. The finer details like the hand-stitched black leather wheel cover and polished metal pedals only add to the experience (and cost).

What makes the Logitech G923 Racing Wheel and Pedals stand out is its lifelike replication of driving a car. The programmable dual clutch simulates real race car launch directly from your controller, alongside the ability to fine-tune your speed with the built-in LED RPM indicator.

Adjustable wheel sensitivity, force feedback, and button customizable add to the racing wheel’s appeal, offering the full racing sim experience at home.

6. PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S

Best Affordable Controller for Xbox Series X

Pros:

• Not expensive
• So many designs to choose from

Cons:

• Wired

If you’re not fussed about using a wireless controller on your Xbox Series X, and perhaps don’t want to spend too much on additional controllers for when your friends come over to play, then the PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller is a great alternative. This budget-friendly controller comes in a range of styles to suit every gamer. You could spend hours looking through the vast designs on offer.

Despite its cheaper cost, this controller comes with two mappable advanced gaming buttons, dual rumble motors, and the usual Share button so you can capture screenshots and clips in-game. There’s a volume dial too and a one-touch mic mute which is perfect if you chat with your friends while gaming. The generous 10ft cable shouldn’t get in the way, and it’s easy to plug into your Windows PC or Xbox One, too.

7. KontrolFreek FPS Freek Inferno Performance Kit

Best Thumbsticks for Xbox Series X

Pros:

• Great for competitive gaming
• Enhances gameplay

Cons:

• Could break after prolonged use

Competitive gamers will appreciate the upgraded precision that the KontrolFreek FPS Freek Inferno Performance Kit offers. This cheap and cheerful Xbox Series X accessory comes with a mid-rise and high-rise thumbstick to customize your gameplay.

Best of all, there’s no DIY needed here. Just place the thumbsticks on top of the existing Xbox Series X thumbsticks to completely change up your gaming experience. The rubber material provides additional grip and comfort, giving you the upper hand when you need it.

Xbox Accessories FAQ

What Xbox Accessories are Essential for Gaming?

There are a lot of different accessories you can buy for the Xbox Series X, but the only actually essential accessory is an Xbox controller. You will also likely need multiple controllers if you plan on playing multiplayer games locally on your Xbox. And although not essential for gameplay, a decent gaming headset or gaming earbuds are great if you want to play quietly.

Do Any Bluetooth Headphones Work With Xbox Series X?

Unfortunately, Xbox consoles do not currently support Bluetooth audio. That being said, there is a workaround that will allow you to connect Bluetooth headphones to the console. See our guide on how to connect AirPods to Xbox for more info.

Kegan is an avid gamer who has been playing games since his Atari days. From a young age Kegan was tinkering with PCs and now has a passion for building custom gaming computers.

Balatro publisher Playstack Games has taken to social media to defend its poker roguelike after fans noticed it had been removed from certain stores.

Players started to point out Balatro’s disappearance over the last few days, with some taking to social media to express their concerns. Reddit user JustASmith27, for example, was unable to find the Nintendo Switch eShop store page in the U.K. Players from other countries, such as Australia, have reported that they are running into the same roadblock as well.

Mainly, the problem seems isolated to Nintendo Switch stores outside of the U.S. Playstack shared an explanation behind Balatro’s disappearance on X/Twitter, saying that the team is working “as hard as we can to get the game back on sale as soon as possible.” With some territories still able to purchase Balatro without issue, the publisher confirms its removal is tied to a sudden change in its age rating.

“This is not an issue with the stores themselves, however a reaction to an overnight change to Balatro’s age rating from 3+ to 18+ by a ratings board without any advance warning,” Playstack said, “due to a mistaken belief that the game ‘contains prominent gambling imagery and material that instructs about gambling.’”

Playstack adds that it addressed gambling concerns with the ratings board in October. At the time, Balatro was labeled 3+ after receiving an initial rating of 18+.

“During that specific appeal, the ratings board assured us ‘we have reviewed your product and determined that the disclosure of gambling themes was unwarranted,’” Playstack added. “The game content has not changed since the age rating was amended to a 3+.”

pic.twitter.com/MroeavYY9U

— Playstack (@PlaystackGames) March 1, 2024

The Playstack team says they “fundamentally believe the ratings decision is unfounded,” mentioning that LocalThunk, Balatro’s sole developer, is “staunchly anti-gambling.” LocalThunk took to X/Twitter to share their own thoughts on the matter, doubling down on their stance against the accusation that Balatro contains any form of gambling.

“I do not condone gambling (staking something personally valuable on an uncertain event) nor do I believe that Balatro contains gambling,” the post says. “I did add risk/reward mechanics and RNG to Balatro, but these are core mechanics to the genre at large.”

Re: the Balatro news today

I do not condone gambling (staking something personally valuable on an uncertain event) nor do I believe that Balatro contains gambling

I did add risk/reward mechanics and RNG to Balatro, but these are core mechanics to the genre at large

— localthunk (@LocalThunk) March 1, 2024

While Playstack is confident Balatro will remain on PC storefronts like Steam, it’s not sure how other platforms will be impacted. It adds, “Please rest assured the game will be back up on sale, possibly with a temporary 18+ rating while we resolve the issue.”

Balatro launched for PC, Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S on February 20, 2024. Although its Steam page boasts that it is “the definitive poker roguelike experience,” it also features a variety of gameplay twists, such as cards with unique abilities, a campaign, difficulty modes, and more.

“Combine valid poker hands with unique Joker cards in order to create varied synergies and builds,” its description says. “Earn enough chips to beat devious blinds, all while uncovering hidden bonus hands and decks as you progress. You’re going to need every edge you can get in order to reach the boss blind, beat the final ante and secure victory.”

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.

Bethesda Game Studios has teased what players can expect in Starfield’s next update, with the upcoming patch emphasizing quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes.

In a thread on X/Twitter, Bethesda Game Studios made a thread highlighting some of the changes coming to Starfield. The update will be available on March 6 via the Steam Beta before a full release at a later date.

The most notable fix will address a bug in the “Sabotage” quest for the Ryujin Industries. The bug in question caused an NPC required to complete the quest to not spawn in the location. Bethesda previously tried to address this bug in update 1.8.86, released last November, but some quickly pointed out that the NPC failed to spawn after installing the patch.

We also tracked down the elusive David Barron, who had mysteriously been unavailable at the SSNN for many players in “Sabotage.”

Other fixes include an issue causing the player’s head to turn left while sprinting and some issues preventing Starborn Temples from appearing… pic.twitter.com/3vBsL3RCAv

— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) March 1, 2024

Other patch highlights include:

• Adding facial expressions in photo mode;
• Improvements to the scanner that will allow you to use it to monitor the in-game world when harvesting resources; and
• A quality-of-life improvement that makes missions active when you set course on an inactive mission.

The latest update comes over a week after the February patch was released, where it introduced a number of changes to Bethesda’s sci-fi action RPG, most notably AMD’s FSR 3 and Intel’s XeSS supersampling tech support.

The support for Starfield is part of Bethesda’s plan to have “a steady stream of updates about every six weeks” to address various issues in Starfield. Bethesda previously teased additional fixes and improvements, including adding city maps and “new ways” of traversing.

In our review of Starfield, which we awarded a 7 out of 10, we said: “Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually, the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist.”

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

SSD prices are trending upwards for 2024, which makes this deal even more amazing. Right now Amazon (or more specifically, Amazon Japan) is offering this Verbatim 2TB PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid state drive (SSD) for only $90.20. It also comes pre-installed with aslim PS5-compatible heatsink. Note that the product title specifically mentions a 2 year limited warranty. However since this item is shipped overseas, there is no guarantee on that. You do, however, have a guaranteed 30-day return policy from Amazon. Frankly, I think it’s still worth it given the low price point and the fact that it has pretty solid reviews, especially when used as a PS5 SSD. All of the other recommended PS5 SSDs cost $50 or more.

Verbatim 2TB SSD (PS5-Compatible) with Heatsink $90.20

The Verbatim Vi7000 meets all the requirements for your PS5 SSD upgrade. It supports 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 includes a robust looking aluminum heatsink that fits right into the slim PS5 drive bay.

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.

Looking for another brand? Check out all of the best PS5 SSD deals today.

Earlier this week, 900 individuals were laid off from Sony PlayStation. The affected studios included well-known developers Insomniac Games, Naughty Dog, and Guerrilla Games, with PlayStation London shutting down entirely.

These layoffs come just weeks after the DICE Awards, which saw Insomniac and Guerrilla both win prestigious awards for their work on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Horizon: Call of the Mountain. And they come just days after a gathering at PlayStation London that served as a farewell for outgoing PlayStation head Jim Ryan. As news of the layoffs hit, a photo circulated on social media showing a group of smiling employees clustered around Ryan:

Farewell Jim Ryan 👋 🫡 pic.twitter.com/En2wEKjUwV

— Izzy ❤️‍🔥 (@izzyfoley94) February 22, 2024

This week the layoffs were at Sony (and Die Gute Fabrik, and Supermassive, and EA literally as I was submitting the final draft of this piece), but it seems that every week in 2024 so far it’s been the same story, different developer. Thousands of games industry employees have lost their jobs in this year alone.

In an effort to get to grips with these events, I reached out to impacted developers to try and answer the heavy, complex question of why this was happening in the first place. Over 40 game developers from studios of all sizes gave me answers. But that isn’t all they gave me. Many of those who reached out also took the opportunity to share their stories of how the layoffs had impacted them, personally.

They told me stories of how it had impacted their physical and mental health and how the loss of income, insurance, and security was hurting their families and their plans for the future. Some had moved across the country or even across the world for their jobs. A few reported being laid off simultaneously with a partner who was also in the industry. Some told me they had been laid off twice in one year.

“Both times I felt incredibly gutted,” one person said. “The first time, it felt like a reality of capitalism that I was expecting, but the second being so close to the first, it was like, ‘We really are just cogs in the machine.'”

Layoffs happen for all kinds of reasons, be it because of a bad financial bet, a failed game, a deal fallen through, poor planning, or any number of other things. But when they do, it is human beings whose lives are upended in response.

No Money, More Problems

“I lost my job and my health insurance,” said one former employee of Drifter Entertainment I spoke to. “We got one month of severance, but I’ve been collecting unemployment and doing some consulting work to help supplement. It’s been really stressful and my wife has had to get a job to support us while I’m looking for work. I am terrified that I will not have something lined up by the time my unemployment runs out, and have considered leaving the industry altogether. We’ve had to aggressively cut costs, live paycheck to paycheck, and I am choosing to forego some of my medications because they’re too expensive to refill. It sucks.”

Many former developers find themselves in similar circumstances after being laid off. Unemployment benefits can be difficult to obtain, and some workers find themselves far from home after uprooting their lives to take a job that no longer exists.

This article contains spoilers for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Specifically, it details the events from several dates Cloud can have at the Gold Saucer. If you’re yet to experience one of these scenes, we suggest returning to the article once you have. Alternatively, if you’d like to see every Gold Saucer date in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, you can watch every variation in this video:

Fans of the original Final Fantasy 7 will fondly remember the Gold Saucer gondola date. This romantic liaison paired you up with Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, or even Barret, depending on your dialogue choices throughout the game.

The intimate moment makes its expected return in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but unlike the original – and perhaps indicative of the entire remake’s philosophy – this time each date has a renewed focus. Every variation has a strong and defined angle, tying into the grander narrative while also fleshing out relationships with the hindsight of nearly 30 years of character evolution. Each one packs an emotional punch, helping Cloud and his partner of choice grow. This stronger emphasis on storytelling replaces what was previously surface-level romance and amusing, but ultimately cheap laughs. I’m looking at you, the ‘Barret unloads his minigun at the fireworks’ moment from the original.

That’s not to say there’s not laughs to be had, with some funny moments riffing on the source material. Build your relationship to a strong enough level with Yuffie and you’ll unlock her extended “intimate” date which leans heavily on jokes from the original. Yuffie demanding that Cloud “say something!” only to get a deadpan response of “… something” is a particular highlight. But Yuffie’s date is also a perfect illustration of how Rebirth has expertly matured the original conversations, with Yuffie now talking this moment to share a personal story about her misguided love for another SOLDIER, who, upon letting her down gently, led Yuffie down a focused training path to prove herself a warrior – a path not too dissimilar to Cloud’s.

It’s this moment of vulnerability that helps not only Cloud, but also us as players to scratch beneath the surface of Yuffie’s seemingly one-dimensional characterisation (that being her relentless quest for materia) and demonstrate her deep insecurities. It’s a scene that allows her to open up, revealing that she shares Cloud’s inability to discuss her innermost feelings. In this moment, I felt a connection to Yuffie I’d never had in the almost 30 years of her existence, and it’s a testament to the care and attention Rebirth’s character writing has received. It’s clear that Cloud also feels this connection, and it helps strengthen their bond. It now feels significantly more understandable why they’d fight for each other. And so it’s a shame that a majority of players will likely miss this moment in their playthrough, because this date is just one of many, and something that requires significant investment in Yuffie to unlock.

That’s the less likely result for most players, I would imagine, since Aerith and Tifa form the original love triangle and are the characters that garner the most attention. That’s not to say that their Gold Saucer date experiences are not equally worthwhile, but they are the more expected character moments. As a result, it’s the left field choices like Yuffie that result in unexpected bonds that really resonated with me, and what happens during Barret’s date is another prime example.

In the 1997 original, there was no doubting that the Barret choice was the joke option. He and Cloud spend the entire date in a comical huff, Barret accuses Cloud of having a crush on his four year old daughter (seriously…) and then, as mentioned before, he ends the date by unloading his gun arm on the fireworks because they’re irritating him. It’s wacky.

But in Rebirth, what was once a silly sequence now is an opportunity for character development. This time around, Barret is evolved into a mentor-like figure for Cloud. He tells a sentimental story about when he first met his partner, Myrna, which serves as a jumping off point to teach Cloud a valuable life lesson that can only come from someone with significantly more life experience.

“Once you find your soulmate, you never let ‘em go.” shares Barret, explaining that he was also once a selfish young man who had some growing up to do. He goes on to tell Cloud that he’s “overthinking it. You just gotta go for it sometimes.” Cloud rightly points out that Barret “always goes for it”, which leads to the pair coming to the conclusion that they balance each other out.

Unlike the original date, not only does Barret now offer advice, but his bond with Cloud is strengthened. It’s a reminder that – despite all their differences – in the language of love they actually share a lot in common. Couple this with the interesting story of how a young, brash Barret met the love of his life and what’s cemented is a scene of valuable relationship growth. Again, it’s a real shame that you could easily miss this. In fact, it almost feels essential to Cloud and Barret’s friendship.

It’s not just character development you’ll likely miss at the Gold Saucer, either. An unlikely Red XIII date – one you might automatically assume would be the “joke” option – offers not only the strengthening of a bond, but some vital clarity of the events of the previous game, Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

“It might sound crazy, but back in Midgar Aerith and I could both see the future,” reveals Red XIII, confirming a popular theory about the messy concluding events of the first game. “That would explain a lot,” Cloud replies, demonstrating his understanding of the events and also acting as a proxy for the audience. Red XII goes on to theorise that “the Whispers took it from us when we left,” helping explain the clean slate the character’s appear to have in Rebirth. He does still have a faint, outstanding memory, though; that Cloud has to keep Aerith safe. It’s ominous foreshadowing of the original game’s tragedy, and a hint that things could be different this time around.

In this moment Cloud and Red XIII build a bond of trust. They learn to talk honestly with each other and the value their togetherness has, concluding with the pair shaking hand/paw on their agreement to protect Aerith. It’s not only a scene that matters in regards to relationship growth, but one that confirms vital story information that at best we could only previously infer.

Importantly, none of these dates feel like the ‘canon’ choice. Or rather; all of the dates feel like the canon choice, with story beats that live concurrently. Each one progresses Cloud’s relationship with his friends and/or romantic interests, and unlike the original none of them feel like they don’t belong (with the exception of a new, awkward hang out with Cait Sith, Cid and Vincent – a joke date and consolation prize for stalling your other relationships). Each date in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth matters, it’s just a shame that the majority of players will never experience each and every one of these important pieces of storytelling.

Dale Driver is IGN’s Executive Producer of Video Programming and he ended up going on a date with the three boys on his first playthough, even though he tried his hardest to get Red XIII.

Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered developer Aspyr has confirmed it accidentally released two different versions of the game across Steam and the Epic Games Store, and changed what some deemed the better version back to the regular.

As reported by Eurogamer, players of the remastered trilogy noticed differences between versions and X/Twitter user @small_medpack posted a list of them online. The Epic Games Store version of the game included more poses in photo mode, higher quality textures and animations on the Nevada level, more realistic snowflakes, and more, though also had some broken achievements.

Surprising fans, Aspyr deemed this version the unfinished one and has updated it to match the intended version that was released on Steam. The enhancements mentioned above are therefore no longer available in the Epic Games Store version of the game.

“A development build with incomplete assets has been available for download on the Epic Games Store,” Aspyr said in a post on Steam. “Content in that Epic Games Store build contained some work-in-progress materials that do not represent our final quality expectations. We have corrected the build to match the live Steam version.”

Some fans are understandably confused by the mishap, and had expected the Steam version would receive the additional features rather than the Epic Games Store version losing them, but it also seemingly included other issues and incomplete assets beyond the broken achievements

“A development build that is superior to what we’ve got on Steam, not sure what to make of this mess,” said KeeperAdahn on Reddit. “They make it sound as if the Epic Games Store version is worse than the version we got? But from what I have seen on YouTube it looked much better,” added BenSlashes.

A bigger update is also coming though, presumably set to improve Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered across the board. “We currently are working on the first update, which we anticipate will launch in the next few weeks,” Aspyr said in the same post. “We appreciate your patience as we want to ensure that the quality is meeting the needs and expectations of our community.”

Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered arrived February 13 as an upgraded version of the original trilogy: Tomb Raider and The Unfinished Business expansion, Tomb Rader 2 and The Gold Mask expansion, and Tomb Raider 3 and The Lost Artifact Expansion.

Tomb Raider custodian Crystal Dynamics included a sensitivity warning in the collection for what it called “deeply harmful” racial and ethnic prejudices included, but said it didn’t remove them “in the hopes that we may acknowledge its harmful impact and learn from it”.

Its release was followed by the official reveal of protagonist Lara Croft’s redesign, which will presumably debut officially in Tomb Raider Next. The next mainline game in the franchise is currently being developed in Unreal Engine 5, with Amazon Games supporting Crystal Dynamics.

It will be the first new entry since 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which wrapped up a trilogy of games during the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One generation. That series reset Lara Croft’s origins in a grittier setting, but it’s unclear how Tomb Raider Next will fit into the equation.

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