Defensive tweaks, new playbooks, more Limp Bizkit!
EA Sports has dropped a huge new update for the recently released Madden NFL 26. The September 17th patch introduces a large number of fixes, adjustments, and other bits and bobs to a game that does a very solid job of bringing the full Madden experience to handheld – so long as you can take the frame rate hit.
Focusing in on highlights here, this patch (which brings the game to version 1.7) brings defensive adjustments in the midfield that should make runners a little easier to catch, whilst a new mechanic that’s been brought over from EA’s College Football franchise allows you to make your own default pass protection system to suit your chosen coach philosophy. Audio and visual effects, some quirky animations and other bugs also see fixes.
Kaylee LeitzelXbox Game Camp Community Program Manager
Summary
Now in its third year, Xbox Game Camp Africa returns on December 4 with a 12-week virtual learning program spanning the entire continent.
From game ideation to building a prototype, participating teams will receive mentorship from members of Team Xbox.
Over 1,900 new-to-industry game creators participated in the first two Xbox Game Camps in Africa.
Xbox Game Camp is returning to Africa for its third year, continuing its mission to support and uplift game developers across the continent. In partnership with ID@Xbox’s Developer Acceleration Program (DAP), this year’s camp will offer a comprehensive, 12-week structured program designed for pre-selected professional game studios across the continent.
During the three months of camp, participants will go from game ideation, to building their own working prototype or vertical slice alongside mentors from Team Xbox, and will even have the opportunity to pitch their game to members of the ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program.
Previous Game Camps have already birthed brand new games. Kenyan studio Kunta Content have already made great progress with their debut title, Hiru. Members of the studio attended the first two Xbox Game Camps in Africa and after receiving mentorship from members of Team Xbox – including the head of Xbox Game Camp, Peter Zetterberg – Kunta Content has been able to reach new milestones at a pace and quality that matches their passion for storytelling.
They’ve just recently given the world a glimpse at their progress by sharing a new trailer that showcases the game’s diverse environments, taking players on a breathtaking journey across Africa’s diverse landscapes:
“We are beyond excited to finally share a glimpse of the world of Hiru,” said Dean Gichukie, CEO & Game Producer at Kunta Content, “and we are bringing the continent of Africa to life in a way that has never been seen before. This trailer is a testament to our team’s passion and the incredible support from Xbox, starting with Xbox Game Camp, allowing us to showcase the beauty of the Masai Mara, the mysteries of the Congo, and the starkness of the desert.”
We can’t wait to see what other new games come about in the latest edition.
The official kickoff of Xbox Game Camp Africa will arrive on December 4 in Cape Town, South Africa, in collaboration with Africa Games Week. To learn more about the program, and its history, please visit Microsoft Game Dev Blog.
Hello, everyone. Yuzo Koshiro of Ancient here. It is with immense excitement that I can finally share some truly fantastic news with you all. On September 18, after years of hard work, my development partner Makoto Wada and I will release our passion project, Earthion, on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
When we first began developing Earthion, it was born from a deep love for the 16-bit era and a desire to revisit one of my favorite consoles ever, the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. I wanted to see what could be achieved on the original hardware with today’s advanced tools and three decades of gained knowledge. The response to the initial prototype was overwhelmingly positive, and it became clear this was a project we had to see through.
We made the conscious decision to build Earthion natively for Sega’s 16-bit hardware, pushing it to the limit with stunning pixel art and a frenetic soundtrack, which I composed using its FM sound chip. We were not simply making a “retro-inspired” game; we were making a true 16-bit title for the modern age.
I’m thrilled that PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 owners will soon be able to enjoy Earthion. Although it hails from a later era of gaming, PlayStation has been home to countless classic shooters that have pushed the boundaries of what was possible across its 30-year history. PlayStation continues to embrace retro arcade experiences, allowing them to reach new audiences.
In creating Earthion, we drew on a lineage of shmup masterpieces from the 80s and 90s. We took cues from the very best the genre has to offer, creating a game that feels both familiar and fresh.
The care we took in developing for 16-bit hardware has been extended to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 releases. Working with Limited Run Games, we have gone to great lengths to ensure that the authentic experience is perfectly preserved for modern consoles. For those who want to feel like they are playing on a CRT television, we have included a suite of configurable scanline and screen filters. This allows players to replicate the nostalgic glow and visual fidelity of a classic setup, ensuring that the pixel art is displayed exactly as we intended—without a single detail lost. And of course, Earthion supports PlayStation Trophies for fans who want to put their skills to the test.
Earthion is more than just a game to us; it’s a love letter to the golden age of shmups and the hardware that made them possible. We poured our hearts and souls into every pixel and every sound. We hope that when you get your hands on it on September 18, you feel the passion we have for this genre. Thank you for your support, and we can’t wait for you to experience this intergalactic adventure for yourselves.
Yaaarrr. There be a fresh report about the long-rumoured Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remake Ubisoft have still yet to publicly acknowledge. It claims the publisher are currently looking to release the retooled piracy game in early 2026, as well as providing more alleged details as to how the remake’ll differ from the original.
Are you playing Borderlands 4 on console and have noticed odd performance problems the longer you play? You’re not alone.
Players have reported their frames per second count fluctuating and gameplay stuttering on console, even on PS5 Pro. In fact, oddly, particularly on the more powerful PS5 Pro.
Some players think this might be the result of Borderlands 4 suffering from a memory leak, although that remains unconfirmed for now. It seems restarting the game does help (some players are recommending restarting every few hours, which isn’t ideal), but it’s hard to say exactly why because reloading can trigger changes that would perhaps improve performance anyway, such as time of day lighting.
What we do know is that Gearbox is looking into the issue. In a tweet, Gearbox development chief Randy Pitchford told one disgruntled PS5 Pro user that quitting the game and restarting is a workaround until the developer sorts the problem out properly.
“Known issue of perf dropping on PS5 pro after several hours of continuous play,” he said. “Workaround until we patch: Quit game and restart. Sorry for the friction!”
All eyes are on Gearbox right now amid an internet backlash to the performance of Borderlands 4 — which has come despite huge player numbers on Steam. The studio released an update for the game on PC — without patch notes — that hasn’t seemed to fix much of anything.
Gearbox has posted a Borderlands 4 Nvidia Optimization guide on Steam, advising players how to optimize their graphics settings for “better performance and framerates” on PC with the Nvidia app, although users report mixed results.
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.
What with all the lawsuits and countersuits between publishers Krafton and certain former Unknown Worlds executives, you could be forgiven for thinking that “Subnautica 2” is some kind of arcane courtroom term – a compact way of saying “vicious haggling over withheld bonuses”, perhaps. Here’s a new developer diary video to remind us that Subnautica 2 is actually an underwater sci-fi survival game. It doesn’t have any lawyers in it, but it does have a massive peckish tentacle monster. Set that one up for you, comments thread comedians!
Despite some initial umming and ahhing about how a comedy co-op FPS would translate into a single-player autoshooter – if I press the Rock and Stone button and nobody hears, did I say Rock and Stone? – DRG: Survivor quickly won me over, thanks in particular to the tension and horde-dodging trickery afforded by its adaptation of the original game’s pickaxe mining. I’ve also had a little go on the 1.0 build ahead of release, and it does indeed feel like the most complete, well-tuned version yet.
Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds has dropped a new vlog.
Offering a behind-the-scenes look at the all-new deep-sea predator, and “how the team has used Unreal Engine 5 AI for lifelike behavior, real-time reactions and tense encounters for players,” the 10-minute vlog is one of the first development updates we’ve had since the studio’s entire leadership was fired amid a messy public falling out over a $250 million bonus from parent company, Krafton.
The update claims new giant squid-like predator Collector Leviathan represents “the next step in the franchise’s evolution with a creature that is both visually striking and powered by advanced AI to create tense, dynamic encounters.” The video shows off the “aggressive” first encounter players will endure when they meet the enemy in Subnautica 2.
Here’s the official blurb on the Collector Leviathan from Unknown Worlds:
The latest developer vlog provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Collector Leviathan, from early concept art by Visual Development Lead Cory Strader to insights from the Unknown Worlds development team. This creature was designed to push boundaries of immersion and threat in Subnautica 2.
Aggressive First Encounter: The Collector Leviathan is the first hostile leviathan players will meet in Subnautica 2.
Responsive AI: Powered by Unreal Engine 5 behavior trees and stimulus systems, it reacts to light, sound, and player actions in real time.
Lifelike Movement: Fully simulated tentacle animation creates more natural and unpredictable interactions.
Immersive Combat Design: A terrifying roar and powerful shockwave attacks amplify the sense of danger.
Antonio Muñoz Gallego, AI designer for the creature, said: “The Collector Leviathan is not just a monster that blindly attacks players. It is an intelligent and highly threatening deep-sea lifeform that actively reacts to player behavior and pursues them.” He added: “Our main goal with our creatures was to make them feel reactive, so the Leviathan is constantly re-evaluating the situation in real time. To achieve that, we use Unreal Engine 5 behavior trees and our AI stimulus system.”
The vlog will be a welcome update for Subnautica fans. For months now, most coverage about the game has concerned the painful breakdown between Unknown Worlds’ founders and Krafton, which acquired Unknown Worlds in October 2021. Over the summer, reports came to light that Subnautica 2’s early access release was delayed to 2026 just months before Krafton was due to pay a $250 million bonus to the development team “against the wishes of the studio’s former leadership.”
Then, last month, Unknown Worlds itself sued Cleveland, former CEO Ted Gill, and studio co-founder Max McGuire for allegedly stealing game design files shortly before they were fired.
It’s worth noting that now Hollow Knight: Silksong has come out, Subnautica 2 is the most wishlisted game on Steam, which suggests that despite all the legal drama surrounding the game, there’s huge interest in it. That’s perhaps little surprise given how big a hit Subnautica was, but it will be interesting to see how fan reception evolves as the sequel gets closer to launch.
Subnautica 2’s Early Access release was recently delayed to 2026.
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.
A new Hollow Knight: Silksong mod lets folks load directly into any of the metroidvania‘s boss fights from a dedicated menu, essentially turning the game into a choose your own bottom kicking adventure.
After all, who doesn’t crave the ability to deliberately battle the one boss they’re actually good at beating over and over again, ego juice coursing through their veins, a roar of sheer powerful ecstacy reverberating around their quarters? Or, you know, you might just fancy some practice ahead of your next full run through the game.
Assassin’s Creed fans are reacting with disappointment after a new report on Ubisoft’s long-expected Black Flag remake has stated that the game will no longer contain any modern day gameplay.
The report, published by French outlet Jeuxvideo, states that all of Black Flag’s modern day sections have been removed from the upcoming piratical remake.
In the original Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, players occasionally pop out of the Animus to explore the offices of Abstergo Entertainment, unlocking clues to how the story of pirate Edward Kenway is tied to the series’ overarching modern day narrative.
Ubisoft is reportedly adding extra content from Kenway’s pirate era to make up the lost gameplay hours (including additional story for his fellow pirate Mary Read that never made into the base game, which would indeed be welcome).
Other changes for the remake include overhauled combat and gear systems that act closer to other more modern Assassin’s Creed games.
Overall, though, the excision of Black Flag’s modern day portions looks to be the most noteworthy change — and one that is not going down well with some fans, especially after the threadbare modern day storyline in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
“I hope it’s not true that they removed the modern day sections,” wrote havewelost6388, in a long reddit thread discussing the report. “Without the modern day storyline and ancient aliens sci-fi stuff, modern AC games are just Witcher 3 clones with stealth mechanics.”
“They need to stop removing modern day content,” added ZeroZelath. “It’s honestly one of my favorite parts and that stems from the earlier games. I was actually looking forward to it in Shadows after how Valhalla ended but then… Shadows had literally nothing. It was such a big disappointment on that front. Like genuinely, the modern day stuff is part of how the franchise works so it should always be present in some form and be telling an overarching story.”
“Omg, Ubisoft! STOP REMOVING THE MODERN DAY SEGMENTS!!!” added kamuigui. “The best of the series is the fact that was very clear that we were in a simulation!”
As well as adding to Assassin’s Creed’s overarching story, the modern day sections in Black Flag tie closely into the narrative of Kenway’s historical quest — leading some fans to question how Ubisoft will handle the lack of wider context.
“Wouldn’t removing the modern day scenes remove a pretty big part of the story regarding the sage?” questioned Ari441.
“I don’t see how you can do the story without the modern day stuff tying it all together,” Pizzaplanet420 added. “The ending of the game [in the modern day] is literally the bookend to the entire story…”
Of course, delving back into the series’ previous modern day storyline featuring long-term antagonist Juno would require a bit of re-explaining at this point — but considering how that storyline ended up being dropped and concluded in a spin-off comic, this could have been a good opportunity to do more there.
