Who’s that I hear coming down my chimney? Why, it’s… Megabonk’s “Spooky” update? No, that doesn’t sound quite right to me either, and yet it is in fact the truth of this world. As you’ve probably already gathered by the name of the update, this is one that was meant to be out for Halloween, but developer Vedinad needed a touch more time for it.
Following a brand new trailer at The Game Awards, Housemarque’s upcoming release Saros is now available for PS5 fans to preorder. Its physical copy is currently listed for $69.99 at various retailers (see here at Amazon) and, as its new trailer also revealed, it’s set to be released next year on April 30.
Below, we’ve broken down where you can preorder Saros right now, alongside information on its digital deluxe edition and what preorder bonus you’ll get to enjoy by grabbing a copy early.
For those who preorder Saros, you’ll get the Hands of Shore Armor as a preorder bonus, which can be seen above.
There’s also a Digital Deluxe Edition of Saros, which is listed for $79.99. This comes with a few extras alongside the Hands of Shore Armor preorder bonus and full game, including the Astra Armor, Onryo Armor, and Midgard Armor. Players who purchase this version will also get 48 hour early access.
Saros is the latest game from Housemarque, and is the studio’s follow-up to Returnal. According to a post on the PlayStation Blog from Gregory Louden, Creative Director at Housemarque, Saros is “the haunting story of a lost off-world colony on Carcosa under an ominous eclipse. You play as Arjun Devraj [played by Rahul Kohli], a powerful Soltari Enforcer who will stop at nothing to find who he is looking for.”
Louden also notes the return of “bullet ballet” style shooting, alongside “a new ability, Parry, where with perfect timing of R1 you can reflect certain projectiles back at enemies, destroying or staggering them.”
Back when it was first announced, Louden detailed in another PlayStation Blog post that, “A key gameplay distinction between Saros and Returnal is permanent resources and progression making every death valuable.” Because of this, you’ll be able to come back stronger with each run to overcome obstacles you face.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.
Stalker 2‘s getting a bunch of new quests just in time for the holidays, with an update dubbed Stories Untold sending you off to investigate a mysterious headache-inducing radio signal when it arrives tomorrow, December 16th. There’ll also be a new hub area in the Burnt Forest and a new suppressed rifle for you to fiddle with as you chill by the campfire.
Embark have released the Arc Raiders Cold Snap update, which douses the popular extraction shooter in glittering snowfall. Ah, how gorgeous the flakes twinkling above the Spaceport gantries. How beautiful the frozen lakes of Dam Battlegrounds. It’s definitely a mite nippy all of a sudden, though, isn’t it? Best take shelter in that bunker before your fingers and toes turn Uncommon green and Rare blue.
Oh dear, there’s another player inside that bunker and she won’t let you in. Still, perhaps if you start shouting the patch notes through the door she’ll relent out of curiosity? Very good, let’s begin.
Pray to Eywa.
Ubisoft’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has garnered some pretty positive reception since its release in 2023, with numerous updates providing more content and quality-of-life improvements, and graphics that stand as some of the best in the business.
If you were perhaps hoping to see Avatar on the Switch 2, however, then you might want to just temper your expectations somewhat. According to a brief interview at FRVR, Ubisoft currently has no plans to bring the game to Nintendo’s new console.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
The post Elder Scrolls Online: Celebrate the New Life Festival with Brand-New Quests and Rewards appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios has fully detailed the game’s Cold Snap update and its new cold-weather survival mechanics.
The update, out December 16, adds the new Cold Snap map condition, which is a winter variant across Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and The Blue Gate maps. Cold Snap adds cold-weather survival mechanics fueled by snowstorms across Speranza. Snowfall reduces visibility, lakes freeze over, and the open surface becomes even more dangerous. Exposure to extreme cold causes frostbite, thus encouraging new strategies around healing items, loadouts, and indoor shelter.
Elsewhere, unique loot and rewards are available through the Flickering Flames event and Candleberry Banquet project.
Flickering Flames Event: An act of endurance and patience that tests Raiders’ survival skills during the Cold Snap. Raiders can unlock rewards across 25 levels, including new gear, customizations elements and Raider Tokens by earning Merits, which are automatically gained from XP in rounds. To activate the event, Raiders must have played five rounds of the game.
Candleberry Banquet Project: A new project that brings Raiders together to feel the fragile warmth that shines through the frigid cold. Raiders can earn rewards by scavenging unique items topside and collecting Candleberries. It features five stages, each revealing a new scene on the banquet table. Completing stages grants rewards such as cosmetic items, Raider Tokens and Merits, with Merits contributing progress in the Flickering Flames event.
Starting December 26, the Goalie Raider deck will be included in the base game. The new deck includes new items and feats for players to complete, offering rewards such as Raider tokens, cosmetic items and more. These include a hockey-inspired Raider outfit in several color variants, along with a hockey stick Raider tool.
And finally, the Expedition Project Raider Reset lets players restart their journey with certain buffs, advantages, and rewards. The Expedition Project will provide Raiders with an opportunity to undergo a reset, bringing a new raider and a new story for the player. This optional reset is unlocked by collecting key materials to build a Caravan for the existing Raider then signing up for the departure during the Expedition window. By departing, players will reset their character progress for a new Arc Raiders journey with exclusive buffs, advantages and rewards that carry over.
In a blog post, Embark explained why it’s doing the seasonal reset. “Progression wipes are a notoriously difficult thing to balance in online multiplayer games — we get that,” the developer said. “Mandatory global wipes have some obvious benefits: heavily invested players get to re-experience the initial grind once again and, for a time, the playing field is levelled. The optional Expedition Project is our solution to some of the problems that inevitably arise with mandatory wipes — specifically, by respecting your time investment in the game. We want to offer you the choice:
“Not completed as much as you’d like? Keep on raiding, building, and growing. Ready for a new challenge and to grind once again? Depart on the Expedition, and receive buffs, rewards, and bragging rights.”
Embark Studios launches Cold Snap on Tuesday, December 16, at 10.30am CET / 9.30am UK time / 1.30am PT / 4.30am ET.
Cold Snap includes limited-time events and elements running from Tuesday, December 16 until Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 10.30am CET / 9.30am UK time / 1.30am PT / 4.30am ET.
Cold Snap is the last update listed as part of Arc Raiders’ 2025 content roadmap, and Embark has yet to outline what’s coming in 2026. Arc Raiders sold over 4 million copies worldwide within two weeks of launch, cementing its commercial success. Nexon also revealed that the extraction shooter had reached a huge concurrent count of 700,000 players across all platforms. It’s done so well it crossed over into the world of South Park with a surprise appearance that was put together in just a few days. Cementing its success, Arc Raiders won Best Multiplayer at last week’s The Game Awards.
IGN’s Arc Raiders review, returned a 9/10. We said: “With polished gunplay and an irresistible grind, Arc Raiders sets a new standard for extraction shooters.”
If this has tempted you into jumping into Arc Raiders, check out our guide to the best settings, find out what skills we recommend unlocking first, and see how to earn loot by delivering field depot crates.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
If you’re in the mood for more TWar following the recent reveals of Total War: Warhammer 40,000 and Total War: Medieval 3, one of Total War: Attila’s most ambitious mods has finally made it to 1.0 release. It’s taken a decade for Lord of the Rings conversion The Dawnless Days to deliver its full ring-warring campaign, but that day’s arrived at long last.
Last week at The Game Awards, we learned that the next-gen Tomb Raider that developer Crystal Dynamics announced three years ago is titled Tomb Raider: Catalyst. Published by Amazon Game Studios, it’s set to release in 2027 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S.
Meanwhile, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is a reimagining of the original Tomb Raider game, built with Unreal Engine 5 and due out next year. Both games will feature a new actor as Lara Croft: Alix Wilton Regan.
While the news was a surprise for some, actor Camilla Luddington — who portrayed Lara Croft in the 2013-2018 reboot trilogy — shared a bittersweet Instagram post about her time as the lead, saying she loved the fans and Croft will “forever be a part of [her].”
“I thought I’d make a post since I’ve been hearing from so many of you,” she wrote. “I want to let you know that I have loved this fandom. To join the list of Lara Crofts before me was an incredible honor and she will forever be a part of me. The Survivor Trilogy was a decade of adventure I will never ever forget. I could not be prouder of what we created.
“And as always, a new actress receives this incredible gift to step into the boots. So with that said — [new Croft actor Alix Wilton Regan] if you’re ever in need of a [bow and arrow], I know the exact spot to look for one at Croft Manor.”
Alix Wilton Regan has played a number of big video game characters over the years, including the Female Inquisitor in both Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Samantha Traynor in Mass Effect 3, Alt Cunningham in Cyberpunk 2077, and Aya in Assassin’s Creed Origins. Regan was set to play Joanna Dark in Microsoft’s Perfect Dark reboot, but it was canceled as part of a major round of layoffs.
As spotted by Eurogamer, Regan also shared a post following The Game Awards announcement, claiming it was the “absolute highlight” of her career to date to have been cast, “surpass[ing] even my wildest dreams, quite frankly.”
“We’re. Just. Getting. Started,” she wrote.
Here’s the official blurb on Tomb Raider: Catalyst:
Tomb Raider: Catalyst, which has been in development by Crystal Dynamics since the partnership with Amazon Game Studios was announced in 2022, marks a bold direction for the series as Lara Croft embarks on a new adventure across Northern India. Tomb Raider: Catalyst is set in the wake of a mythical cataclysm that has unleashed ancient secrets and awakened the mysterious forces that guard them. When the most notorious treasure hunters from around the world descend on the region, Lara races to uncover the truth buried beneath the fractured landscape and stop those who would use its power for their own gain. As the ancient world collides with the present, Lara must decide who to trust among rivals and allies to prevent a catastrophe and protect a secret that could reshape the future.
Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Tomb Raider: Catalyst delivers the largest Tomb Raider world yet where Lara will traverse a landscape full of secrets, delve into lost tombs packed with intricate puzzles, and solve ancient mysteries using her unmatched brilliance and richly customized adventure tech. Perfect for longtime fans and newcomers alike, players will experience an exhilarating story of trust and betrayal that tests Lara Croft in new ways. Tomb Raider: Catalyst is set to launch in 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam.
Catalyst wasn’t the only Tomb Raider-related announcement at this year’s Game Awards. Catalyst’s first trailer was immediately followed by a surprise announcement of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a “reimagining” of the original 1996 classic. It is due out for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S sometime in 2026, as that’s when the franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Here’s the official blurb on Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis:
In a surprise announcement, Amazon Game Studios, Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog unveiled Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a modern reimagining of Lara Croft’s genre-defining 1996 debut. Developed in partnership between Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog, the game features stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5, modern game design, and new surprises that honor the spirit and atmosphere of the original game. As Lara Croft, players will harness their wits and athleticism to explore exotic locations lost to time, traverse treacherous landscapes, solve deadly contraptions, and face lethal predators in their quest for the scattered pieces of the Scion — an artifact of immeasurable power.
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis sets a new standard for re-envisioning a classic by masterfully balancing innovation with gaming heritage, capturing the wonder and excitement that defined a genre while igniting a new sense of discovery through expanded storytelling. The game arrives in 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam.
Be sure to check out everything announced at The Game Awards 2025 for more, as well as the winners list in full.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
As a kid playing RPGs in the 90s, I’d roam backdrops spamming the pick-up button in hopes of secret treasure. I’d do this especially in PS1 Final Fantasies, with their deceptively inert hand-drawn environments, and their greasy invisible walls. You’d smoosh Squall Leonhart’s galloping form up against the level border as though bashing a skirting board with a hoover nozzle, and every now and then, you’d be rewarded with the hitch of a searching animation.
