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Experience the Honda Prologue Electric Dash, Created in Fortnite!

Welcome to the Hondaverse! Honda has spent the past year and a half creating a branded virtual universe for Fortnite players utilizing Fortnite’s Creative Mode. The Hondaverse originally launched in June 2022 with the Honda HR-V Parkour Map. Now, it features multiple maps inspired by Honda products that offer unique worlds for everyone to explore – from rookies to Battle Bus veterans.

In addition to the HR-V Parkour Map, the Hondaverse features the Honda Hub – the centerpiece to the Hondaverse; the Pilot TrailSport: Treehouse Tycoon – where you’ll focus on upgrading your canopy crashpad; the rugged and tricky CR-V Labyrinth – where you’ll race through 5 unique biomes; and the all-new Prologue Electric Dash – where players compete in a race by rail-sliding, flying, and platforming their way through a SolarPunk world.

Each map introduces custom gameplay opportunities and a litany of new experiences for Fortnite players. Epic Games did not develop the Hondaverse themselves; rather, it was independently developed using Fortnite’s creative tools, showcasing the possibilities of the Creative Mode sandbox.

A Team Effort

Honda collaborated with Twitch and expert map architects Beyond Creative to bring the Hondaverse to life. Popular streamers like SypherPK, iitzTimmy, Sommerset, and NickEh30 have explored, competed, and creatively contributed to the various Hondaverse maps. For the first livestream of each map, the streamers hosted Beyond Creative and took suggestions from the Twitch community to add custom elements to the maps in real time. Their combined expertise ensures that each Hondaverse map is worth a visit for even the most seasoned Victory Royale champions.

Additionally, in the summer of 2023, the Honda Adventure Invitational was organized. Streamers SypherPK, Alixxa, Maddynf, and SanchoWest competed in all four Hondaverse maps alongside their fans.

A Dash to the Finish Line

Our IGN team spent time exploring NickEh30’s Prologue Electric Dash map and encourage you to experience it for yourself or with your squad by using the Fortnite map code 1468-3259-1933.

Here’s an overview of the Prologue Electric Dash map:

The map opens with an elaborate cutscene that introduces us to the brand-new Honda Prologue, and allows us to customize the car’s color before jumping onto a rail-grinding racing course.

Once the race started, the first thing we noticed was the futuristic, electrified world that integrates modern aesthetics with a variety of natural elements. Along the way, we encountered some hazards that forced us to jump to a neighboring rail (there are three total paths), hop over various obstacles, and use wind tunnels to glide across gaps in the rails. We also encountered paths that led in the wrong direction, respawning us back to an earlier checkpoint.

During the course, several pit stops presented challenges in the form of sustainable energy mini-games that upgraded and charged our Honda Prologue. A “Current Time” counter on the bottom left of the HUD helped us keep track of every missed jump and how much time we were racking up. To bring that counter down, we were always on the lookout for the time-saving shortcuts that are hidden throughout the map. Once we crossed the finish line, we were shown to a light-up drone show to celebrate our well-earned victory.

The race against the clock left us itching to start over and beat our previous record.

The Hondaverse is a unique and exciting addition to Fortnite’s world. The collaboration between Twitch, map architects Beyond Creative, and veteran streamers means it’s been battle-tested and is worth checking out for anyone who enjoys Fortnite.

Explore even more Hondaverse maps by searching for “Honda” on the Fortnite Discover Page.

Spec Ops: The Line Unexpectedly Delisted from Steam

Spec Ops: The Line is one of the most important games of the seventh console generation, but playing it on PC just got a little harder. The acclaimed military shooter was delisted from Steam without warning today, though it is still available on other PC storefronts and Xbox, where it is backwards compatible.

The removal was first spotted by Wario64, who drew attention to the delisting on X/Twitter. If you navigate to The Line’s Steam page, you’ll be unable to purchase the game and see a notice saying, “Spec Ops: The Line is no longer available on the Steam store.”

It’s not unsual for games to delisted from Steam, but it does stand out given Spec Ops: The Line’s critical acclaim and historical significance. The Line’s infamous white phosphorus scene still frequently comes in conversations surrounding memorable (if horrific) moments in games and player choice, and The Line helped to usher in a new, more critical era of video games based on modern conflict.

In our review, we wrote that “Spec Ops is a daring experiment worth celebrating. For the first time, a
game with guns doesn’t want you to be the hero – it wants you to feel terrible about trying to be one,” and it’s still very much a game worth playing today.

It’s a shame that, at least for now, players can’t purchase it on one of the biggest storefronts in the world, though thankfully it can still be experienced on other platforms.

IGN has reached out to 2K about the delisting. We will update this story if we hear back.

Will Borger is an IGN freelancer. You can find him on Twitter @bywillborger

7 Details You May Have Missed In the Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO Trailer

At only two minutes in length, the latest trailer for Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is packed with all the Goku vs. Vegeta goodness you could expect from Dragon Ball. While at first glance the trailer is full of some of the Saiyan rivals greatest hits, there’s still quite a few small details that may have instant-transmissioned on the screen, but that’s ok because we’re here to help you spot everything. These are 7 details you may have missed in the latest Dragon Ball: Sparking ZERO trailer.

Familiar Faces

We see a ton of characters flash on screen in the first few seconds of the trailer. While most of them are the usual mainstays of the series such as Goku and Vegeta. We briefly see cameos from the Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super-era such as Android 17, Tien, and Yamcha. Given the absolute size of the roster in Dragon Ball: Sparkling! Zero (more on this later) suggests that we may be getting characters from Z and Super. Sorry GT fans.

A Long Rivalry

Goku and Vegeta have been rivals ever since the prince of all Saiyan’s first appearance in the original manga back in 1989. That rivalry has grown and certainly changed in the past 35 years — where they go from facing off in world-ending clashes to more or less becoming sparring partners near the end of Dragon Ball Super. But it looks like you’ll be able to revisit all of those big moments throughout both Z and Super, as well as mix things up a bit like we see at the one-minute mark where a recently first-time transformed Super Sayian Goku battles a super Saiyan Vegeta on the planet Namek. While fans of the series will know that Vegeta didn’t transform for a few years until the Android Saga, it’s a fun easter-egg to see both Saiyans battle it out on Piccolo’s dying home planet. That kick at the 1:04-minute looks super painful for obvious reasons.

This Isn’t Even My Final Form

At the 1:06-minute mark we start to see even more transformations from Goku and Vegeta. The montage starts off with a Super Sayian 2 Goku and Vegeta facing off — complete with Vegeta’s post-Majin transformation outfit. They’re both fighting in a location that’s similar to where the two Saiyans battled at the start of the Buu saga, and after Goku transforms into Super Saiyan 3, we see Vegeta respond by taking on his signature Majin-Vegeta look. It doesn’t stop there as later on in the trailer we see Goku and Vegeta take on their Godly Forms from Dragonball Super, complete with Goku’s Super Sayian God Super Sayian Kaio-ken…or Super Saiyan Blue with red accents.

Cinematic Transformations

At around 1:31 we see Vegeta transform in a similar fashion like how he did in the 2018 film, Dragon Ball Super: Broly,when he first faced off with the legendary Saiyan, similar to Goku later on in the trailer. This may be a small easter egg for hardcore fans, but the presentation and camera work suggests that we may see more interesting character transformations that callback to moments in the anime and movies throughout the game rather than a quick flash between various Super Saiyan levels as in past Budokai Tenkaichi games.

Familiar Locations

Throughout the trailer we see Goku and Vegeta fighting in some very familiar locations. While most of them may look like nondescript deserts and plains to newcomers, fans of the series will notice a few notable locations such as the original area Goku and Vegeta first fought each other, along with a pre-destroyed Namek, and even the islands where Dragon Ball Super-era Android 17 became a park ranger. Hopefully we see more locations such as the Room of Space and Time and Kame house.

Deeper Cuts

What’s a Dragon Ball game without a ton of action? The trailer for Sparking! Zero doesn’t shy away from the high speed action packed gameplay that made the original Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series so beloved in the first place thanks to its fun and deep 3D gameplay and faithful recreations of some of Dragon Ball’s greatest hits, including iconic fights and arcs. And thanks to the game’s use of Unreal Engine 5 the games overall look is getting pretty close to the visuals from the anime, similar to what Arc System Works did in their 2D fighter Dragon Ball FighterZ.

A Robust Roster

Like all Dragon Ball games it’s easy to assume we’ll see our fair share of Gokus and Vegetas on the roster. But for those of you with a keen eye, you may have noticed the absurd number of character slots on that final grid at the very end of the trailer. We counted 164 tiles, and while everyone’s favorite Saiyan rivals are going to take up a good chunk of those tiles, we also spotted a few other characters on there such as Mr. Satan, Bergamo, both Dragon Ball Super and DBZ Future Trunks, Tien, Yamcha, Krillen, DB Super Android 17, Dragon Ball Z Android 16, Dragon Ball Super Broly (in both his normal and legendary Super Saiyan forms, Perfect Cell, Final Form Frieza, Majin Buu, and even Great Ape Vegeta. And there’s the possibility for a ton more characters such as Android 18, Bardock, Beast Gohan, and many, many more. The inclusion of Bergamo is definitely a first for the series and a possible sign that we may see the roster fill out with some lesser known characters across Dragon Ball Z and Super. Here’s to hoping Farmer with a shotgun makes his triumphant video game debut.

Did you spot anything we missed in the trailer? Let us know in the comments below.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Goes Super Saiyan-Heavy With Reveal of First 24 Characters

Bandai Namco has revealed the first 24 characters that will be playable in the upcoming fighting game Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, and we really hope you like Super Saiyans.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is the first title in the long running Budokai Tenkaichi series to be released in well over a decade. According to developer Spike Chunsoft, it’ll feature reactive environments and a large roster of playable characters sporting their own “iconic” transformations, abilities, and techniques.

And, earlier on Monday, Bandai Namco confirmed the identities of the first 24 playable fighters that will take center stage in the upcoming action battle game – each and every one of which is a variant of longtime series rivals Goku and Vegeta. Fans couldn’t be happier.

The newly unveiled character variants include offerings of Goku and Vegeta transformations ranging from Super Saiyan 1 to Super Saiyan God, and even the giant form of Great Ape Vegeta, much to the excitement of some fans.

Needless to say, the 24 variants showcased today likely represent a mere tease of what Spike Chunsoft has promised will be “an incredible number of player characters” yet to be revealed. A roster screen featured at the end of the newly released trailer suggests that there could be over 150 fighters and fighter variants in the final lineup, including Android 18, Mr. Satan, Cell, Piccolo, Krillin, and a range of other fan favorites.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is set to be released on PC, PS5, and the Xbox Series X|S consoles, but has yet to be given a release window. While you wait, check out our list of the 10 best Dragon Ball Z characters ever to emerge from the popular anime series, or our coverage of the dizzying array of DBZ video game adaptations released to date.

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

Embracer Group Reportedly Cancels Deus Ex Video Game as Layoffs Hit Eidos Montreal

Embracer Group has reportedly canceled a new Deus Ex game that was two years in development and laid off some staff at Eidos Montreal.

According to Bloomberg, the unannounced third mainline entry in the Deus Ex series was supposed to enter production later this year. However, developer Eidos Montreal will reportedly focus on an original franchise instead.

Eidos Montreal released a statement on Twitter, addressing layoffs but not the reported Deus Ex game cancellation. “The global economic context, the challenges of our industry, and the comprehensive restucturing annonced by Embracer have finally impacted our studio,” said the studio. “The difficult decision has been made to let go 97 people from development teams, administration, and support services.”

When reached by IGN, an Embracer spokesperson told us, “Embracer announced a comprehensive restructuring program for FY 23/24, running until end of March 2024. This process will be managed locally on operative group level with focus on informing affected employees first, and on group level we will not comment on specific studios.”

Embracer Group has been aggressively shutting down its studios ever since its rumored 2 billion dollar deal with the Saudi-backed Savvy Games Group reportedly fell apart.

Some studios that Embracer Group has shut down so far are Saints Row developer Volition and Timesplitters developer Free Radical Design. Elex developer Piranha Bytes is also currently going through a difficult time with rumors circulating about a potential closure and having trouble finding a partner for its next project.

Embracer Group acquired Eidos Montreal from Square Enix back in 2022, along with the rights to franchises like Tomb Raider and Deus Ex. The company also said that it envisioned “great potential” for the new IP, including remakes, sequels, and remasters. There have been rumors regarding a new Deus Ex game for a while now, but voice actor Elias Toufexis said that he hasn’t been contacted yet about reprising his role as protagonist Adam Jensen.

The most recent entry in the Deus Ex franchise was 2016’s Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. In IGN’s Deus Ex: Mankind Divided review, we said, “Layered, intelligent, and impeccably designed, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’s gameplay rewards curiosity and creativity.”

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey

Cliff Bleszinski Says Microsoft and Gears of War Dev Would Ask for His Help ‘If They Were Smart’

Gears of War co-creator Cliff Bleszinski is confident Microsoft and developer The Coalition would benefit from his ideas, saying they would bring him in to consult on the next entry “if they were smart”.

Bleszinski posted a statement on X/Twitter to suggest Microsoft isn’t interested in collaborating with him on more Gears of War games despite his assertion “it would be gold”.

“I’ve down to consult, give my two cents. Crickets,” Bleszinski said. “I understand that Gears will always be an enormous part of my legacy. I appreciate and respect that. That said, Microsoft or The Coalition haven’t hit me up. Okay. It is what it is.

If they were smart they’d enlist me for my input.

“If they were smart, they’d enlist me for my input because, just from a PR standpoint alone it would be gold. But nothing. Ah well. It is what it is. So be it. Last few years I’ve moved on. Boss Key didn’t work out. Fine. S**t happens.”

Boss Key Productions was the studio Bleszinski founded after leaving Epic Games (which owned Gears of War initially) in 2012. It only lasted from 2014 to 2018, however, with neither of its games able to gain much traction.

Commenting on the success of Palworld, commonly dubbed Pokémon with guns, Bleszinski also insisted he’d had a similar idea years ago. “Palworld’s success kinda validates my pitch that was turned down at Epic many years ago: medieval Pokémon with baby dragons instead,” he said in another post.

Gears of War’s latest mainline release was 2019’s Gears 5, although turn-based tactics spin-off Gears Tactics launched a year later in 2020. Work on another game is almost certainly underway, though Microsoft is yet to say anything official.

Bleszinski said in October 2023 he believes the franchise needs a God of War style reboot to make the next entry more appealing to gamers, and again made clear he was happy to consult on what that would be.

In our 9/10 review of the last mainline game, IGN said: “No matter which mode you approach it from, Gears 5 is an incredibly fun and polished game.”

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

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Pulled One Hour After Deluxe Edition Launch Due to Bug

Rocksteady Studios has been forced to pull Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League offline just one hour into its Deluxe Edition’s early access launch due to a bug that automatically completed players’ games.

Though the Batman Arkham universe live service game doesn’t launch proper until February 2, those who paid an extra $30 for the Deluxe Edition were granted three days of early access. This means it now should be available in New Zealand, but as reported by VGC, the game is currently offline and will be for “several hours”.

Rocksteady issued a statement on X/Twitter addressing the issue, though didn’t indicate if the game would still be offline as of its launch in the U.S. or other regions. The developer didn’t say if it would issue refunds for customers who paid the extra $30 either.

“We’re aware that a number of players are currently experiencing an issue whereby upon logging into the game for the first time, they have full story completion,” the statement said. “To resolve this issue, we will be performing maintenance on the game servers.

“During this time the game will be unavailable. We expect this to take several hours and will update once we have more information. We apologise for the inconvenience.”

Those looking forward to Suicide Squad have responded with frustration to the game being taken offline, adding more fuel to the fire of what’s already been a rocky reception. “That’s pretty poor that they did not catch this in quality assurance. Sucks for the people that paid extra to play it early,” ethan_mac said on Reddit. “Absolutely does not help with the image that the game has,” added Mr_Rafi.

The issue also brought upon more calls for the importance of an offline mode, which Suicide Squad doesn’t have despite Rocksteady’s refusal to call it a live service game. An offline mode will be added after launch, but the developer only gave a vague 2024 release window.

Rocksteady has faced an uphill challenge bringing its fans on-side following the announcement of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and the revelations about its live service elements, with many hoping for a return to the developer’s roots with a Batman Arkham-style game in the future.

The PC community will also likely grow frustrated at the quiet addition of digital rights management (DRM), which has long been a controversial subject as players claim it negatively impacts performance. As reported by PC Gamer, Rocksteady added Denuvo to Suicide Squad’s Steam page just a week ahead of launch.

Official previews for Suicide Squad were also largely critical, with IGN’s own saying: “Once the fun story bits end, you’re left with a much less inspired combat system, and an open world that’s filled with tedious tasks.”

Rocksteady lifted the non-disclosure agreement for its closed alpha in response, letting fans who were granted early access share their opinions too.

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

Stardew Valley’s 1.6 Update May Hit PC Ahead of Console and Mobile

Stardew Valley creator Eric ‘Concerned Ape’ Barone has confirmed that the long-awaited 1.6 update will launch in 2024, and that it will likely be coming to PC ahead of console and mobile versions of the game.

“1.6 ended up being a little larger in scope than originally planned,” said Barone in a post on Twitter / X. “I’m done adding major new content to it now, though, and it’s in a bug-fixing and polishing phase until it’s ready for release. Thx for your patience. It’ll be fun to see everyone play it!”

In a subsequent post, the developer told one curious fan that they would be able to experience most of the new 1.6 content without having to start a fresh game, but also advised that a new file would allow fans to see everything in its proper context. “It’ll be fine to play on an old save, but I’d probably recommend a new save just to experience everything in context, otherwise you’ll unlock a bunch of stuff right away when you load up your old save,” posted the developer.

Barone also revealed that the update will likely land on PC first, before making its way to console and mobile platforms at a later date. In the same post, the developer emphasised that he was striving to avoid a big delay between platform releases, which had proved to be “a nightmare in the past”.

The substantial 1.6 update is set to bring a smorgasbord of new content to the farming RPG, ranging from hundreds of lines of new dialogue to fresh items, enhanced modding support, and late game content. Barone has also begun development on his next title, the Haunted Chocolatier, which is set to place a greater emphasis on combat while sharing many design features and aesthetic elements of Stardew Valley.

Barone shared a number of screenshots from The Haunted Chocolatier last year, which revealed in-game locations and characters, including the town square, a spooky library, and a familiar-looking Grandpa-esque character. The developer has also hinted that he would be open to adapting Stardew Valley into a Studio-Ghibli-esque movie, should the right partners come along.

Image credit: Eric Barone / Twitter

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

Tekken 8 Has Dropped to Just £48 in the UK, £22 Off Its RRP Only Days After Release

Tekken 8 is already down to just £47.16 in the UK (see here), over £22 off its RRP of £69.99 and a tremendous saving for what is a spectacular new entry for fighting series. Similar to the Suicide Squad deal we’ve discussed, all you need to do is use code PAYDAY20 to save on the game.

This deal can be found at trusted UK retailer The Game Collection via their eBay storefront. We’ll leave some handy links to the deal just below as well so you can easily find your chosen platform for the deal. But, just as a reminder, this promo code will expire after January 31 — so you’ve not got long left to take advantage of it.

We gave Tekken 8 a mighty 9/10 in our review, stating: “Tekken 8 is an incredible evolution for the series, with tons of single player content, an excellent suite of training tools, a great online experience, and exciting new mechanics that make Tekken more dynamic than ever.”

There’s definitely still a benefit to buying physical games, especially when there are deals like this to be found only days before release on new AAA titles. As we’ve mentioned Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is also down to just £43.96 right now as well with JANJOY20, which is over £26 off the RRP.

JANPAY20 is one of the best promo codes we’ve had at eBay since the Black Friday sales, so it’s well worth taking advantage of while you can. Other deals available right now include Tekken 8 for £47.16 on PS5 and Xbox, alongside the Steam Deck 512GB for just £374.95.

For instant updates on the latest and greatest gaming, tech, and everyday item deals, make sure to follow @IGNUKDeals on Twitter/X. Additionally, we’re on the lookout for more PlayStation Portal stock in case you missed out last year.

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

Suicide Squad Is Already Down to Just £44 Before Release Day in the UK

There’s definitely still a benefit to buying physical games, especially when there are deals like this to be found only days before release on new AAA titles like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (or other new titles like Tekken 8). Suicide Squad is down to just £43.96 from trusted seller The Game Collection via eBay right now, which is over £26 off the RRP.

This is a tremendous discount, especially since the game isn’t out until February 2. All you need to do is use code JANPAY20 to secure the deal, and we’ll leave some handy links just below so you can find the game on your correct console nice and quickly.

The Deluxe Edition is also available for those interested, it costs £65.86 with code JANPAY20, down from its £99.99 RRP. Note, you’ll need to be logged into your eBay account in order to utilize the promo code, so make sure to do that before trying to make any purchases.

Moreover, this promo code will expire on Janurary 31, so you don’t have long to secure this incredible offer on Suicide Squad, or any other amazing games that are on sale via The Game Collection (just remember to use code JANPAY20)!

We see amazing deals like this all the time from handy eBay codes, so consider following @IGNUKDeals on Twitter/X for immediate updates on the next best deals in gaming, tech, and everyday items. We’re also keeping an eye out for more PlayStation Portal stock if you weren’t able to secure one last year.

JANPAY20 is one of the best promo codes we’ve had at eBay since the Black Friday sales, so it’s well worth taking advantage of while you can. Other deals available right now include Tekken 8 for £47.16 on PS5 and Xbox, alongside the Steam Deck 512GB for just £374.95.

There’s also plenty of other amazing offers in the UK right now, including a discount on the Dark Souls Trilogy Compendium reprint, Xbox Series S Toasters, and PlayStation Gift Cards.

Is Early Access Available for Suicide Squad?

Players opting for the Deluxe Edition can enjoy early access to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, starting from January 30 at midnight in their local time, providing a 3-day head start before the official release. As we’ve mentioned, the deluxe version of the game (physical copy) can be preordered for £65.86 using code JANPAY20, down from it’s £99.99 RRP and saving you over £34 in total.

Suicide Squad Release Date?

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is set to launch worldwide on February 2 at midnight across all regions. Players with the Standard Edition can access the game if their timezone is set to midnight on February 2.

Can I Pre-Load Suicide Squad?

Gamers have the option to pre-load Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League starting January 28 at midnight for Deluxe Edition owners and January 31 at midnight for Standard Edition owners.

Which Gaming Platforms Support Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League?

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will be accessible on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

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