If your time with foundational PC strategy 4X game series Sid Meier’s Civilization consists of exactly one save file that ended somewhere in the Middle Ages, don’t beat yourself up, for you have plenty of company. When they got hold of detailed audience data for Civilization 6, Firaxis creative director Ed Beach and executive producer Dennis Shirk were dismayed to discover that fewer than 40% of their players ever finish a single game. Hence, to some degree, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII‘s new Age system, which is designed to counter feelings of exhaustion by smashing the chronology up into more digestible chunks, with something of a Civ power level reset between Ages to stop you feeling like you’re either hopelessly behind or so far ahead that ultimate victory is guaranteed.
Although Wario’s core platforming series has been overshadowed for years by the surrealist microgames of WarioWare, his excellent platformers have the sort of devoted following that inspires 600-page eBooks. It’s easy to see why: Wario Land 4 takes the basic 2D platforming concepts of Mario and turns them on their head in an irreverent, boisterous adventure unafraid to take risks.
What happens to GTA Online when Grand Theft Auto 6 comes out? That’s a question a lot of GTA Online players have been asking ever since GTA 6 was announced. And now, as GTA 6’s fall 2025 release date approaches, they’re no closer to an answer.
GTA Online is Rockstar’s hugely profitable live service that continues to pull in players even now, well over a decade since launch. Its enduring appeal and ability to print money is thought to have influenced Rockstar’s decision to prioritize the live service over story DLC for Grand Theft Auto 5, much to the annoyance of some fans. But there is a more pressing concern looming over the horizon.
When GTA 6 eventually comes out, it is expected to bring with it a new and improved GTA Online. Perhaps this will be GTA Online 2. Perhaps it will be called GTA Online, as before. Either way, players of the existing GTA Online have expressed concern that all their time, effort, and money spent in the current GTA Online will be left behind for a potential clean break later this year.
So, why invest time and money into GTA Online now, in early 2025, when the new GTA Online is potentially due out in perhaps eight months or so? That’s a question IGN put to Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick during a recent interview ahead of the company’s third-quarter financial report, and his answer makes for interesting reading.
While Zenick wouldn’t be drawn specifically on any new GTA Online because it has yet to be announced, he did talk generally about Take-Two’s form when it came to NBA 2K Online, a free-to-play online-focused version of 2K Sports’ hugely successful basketball franchise aimed at the Asian market.
NBA 2K Online launched all the way back in 2012, and then 2K Sports released NBA 2K Online 2 in 2017. Both games were maintained simultaneously, so fans of the first version could continue to play and invest their time and money safe in the knowledge they wouldn’t be left behind.
“I’m going to speak theoretically only because I’m not going to talk about a particular project when an announcement hasn’t been made,” Zelnick began. “But generally speaking, we support our properties when the consumers are involved with those titles. As an example, we launched NBA 2K Online in China, I think originally in 2012 if I’m not mistaken. And then we launched NBA 2K Online 2 in China in 2017. If I’m not mistaken. We did not sunset Online 1. They both are still in the market and they serve consumers and they’re alive and we have this massive audience.
“So we’ve shown a willingness to support legacy titles when a community wants to be engaged with them.”
That last line is of particular importance. It suggests — but doesn’t confirm at this stage — that if there is a GTA Online 2, it won’t come at the cost of GTA Online falling by the wayside. If people keep playing GTA Online, Zelnick is suggesting here, then Rockstar will continue to support it.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Elden Ring Nightreign will get “additional playable characters and bosses” via DLC, according to an entry on the game’s Steam page. This isn’t massively surprising, given that Nightreign is a multiplayer-focussed spin-off featuring preset Nightfarer heroes rather than custom RPG characters, as in vanilla Elden Ring. It also supports the idea that Nightreign is the foundation for a From Software Connected Universe of sorts, with characters and antagonists from the original Elden Ring, Dark Souls trilogy, Sekiro and Bloodborne reappearing in Nightreign via the Mystic Nexus of Monetisation.
Ahead of the full patch notes, Bethesda released initial details on Update 3 in a tweet. It’s set to make a number of fixes and improvements, as well as add support for Nvidia DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation and DLSS Ray Reconstruction.
Players are hoping Update 3 fixes the various game-breaking bugs Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has suffered from since its launch in early December. Last month, Bethesda said the February update would add new graphical features and options, and the bug fixes would target issues that have prevented some players from 100%-ing the game and from climbing vines or squeezing through walls in Sukhothai. It’s unclear at this stage if any or all those changes have made it into next week’s patch.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launched on PC and Xbox Series X and S and, as a Microsoft-owned game, day-one on Game Pass, and has reached 4 million players so far. MachineGames’ latest release garnered critical acclaim and multiple awards, including three at the D.I.C.E. Awards. A PlayStation 5 release is set for this spring.
Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford has said Troy Baker playing the beloved character in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is proof “you don’t need artificial intelligence to steal my soul.”
Ford discussed alleviating control of Indy with The Wall Street Journal, saying he was very happy with the performance of The Last of Us actor Baker.
“You don’t need artificial intelligence to steal my soul,” Ford said. “You can already do it for nickels and dimes with good ideas and talent. He did a brilliant job, and it didn’t take AI to do it.”
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The 28th D.I.C.E. Awards have arrived and have celebrated the best of the best in the world of video games from 2024. While there were a lot of winners across 23 categories, Astro Bot won the night by taking home Game of the Year alongside Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Technical Achievement, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Game Design.
There were a few other games that won multiple categories, and Helldivers 2 came in second with four wins for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition, Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design, Action Game of the Year, and Online Game of the Year. Balatro and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle also both brought home three wins.
In addition to honoring the best games of 2024, this year’s D.I.C.E. Awards also celebrated two individuals who both made a great impact on the video game industry. First up, former Executive Vice President of Operations for Nintendo of America was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his time with the company and his support for the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
Next, Insomniac Games founder and president Ted Price, who recently announced his retirement from the studio, was given the Hall of Fame Award for all he has done for game development and “leading Insomniac Games for three decades and advocating for video game creators’ First Amendment rights.”
You can check out the full list of winners from the 28th D.I.C.E. Awards below.
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
Astro Bot – WINNER
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
Neva
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
Black Myth: Wukong – WINNER
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
LEGO Horizon Adventures
The Plucky Squire
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Outstanding Achievement in Character
1000xRESIST – Watcher
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH – Yuffie Kisaragi
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones – WINNER
INDIKA – Indika
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Senua
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
Astro Bot
Helldivers 2 – WINNER
Monument Valley 3
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Star Wars Outlaws
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
Frostpunk 2
Helldivers 2 – WINNER
Monument Valley 3
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Still Wakes the Deep
Outstanding Achievement in Story
1000xRESIST
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – WINNER
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Still Wakes the Deep
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Outstanding Technical Achievement
Astro Bot – WINNER
Batman: Arkham Shadow
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Action Game of the Year
Batman: Arkham Shadow
Black Myth: Wukong
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Helldivers 2 – WINNER
Stellar Blade
Adventure Game of the Year
1000xRESIST
ANIMAL WELL
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – WINNER
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Family Game of the Year
Astro Bot – WINNER
Cat Quest III
Little Kitty, Big City
The Plucky Squire
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Fighting Game of the Year
Blazing Strike
DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO
Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns
TEKKEN 8 – WINNER
UNDERDOGS
Racing Game of the Year
F1® 24 – WINNER
MotoGP™24
NIGHT-RUNNERS™ PROLOGUE
Role-Playing Game of the Year
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
ELDEN RING: Shadow of the Erdtree
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Metaphor: ReFantazio – WINNER
Sports Game of the Year
EA SPORTS College Football 25
EA SPORTS FC 25
MLB The Show 24 – WINNER
NBA 2K25
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
Balatro – WINNER
Caves of Qud
Frostpunk 2
Tactical Breach Wizards
Satisfactory
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
Alien: Rogue Incursion
Batman: Arkham Shadow
Skydance’s BEHEMOTH
Starship Home – WINNER
UNDERDOGS
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
Alien: Rogue Incursion
Batman: Arkham Shadow – WINNER
Escaping Wonderland
Skydance’s BEHEMOTH
UNDERDOGS
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
ANIMAL WELL
Balatro – WINNER
Grunn
INDIKA
Mouthwashing
Mobile Game of the Year
Balatro – WINNER
Halls of Torment
Monument Valley 3
Paper Trail
Wuthering Waves
Online Game of the Year
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred
Helldivers 2 – WINNER
Marvel Rivals
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
ANIMAL WELL
Astro Bot – WINNER
Balatro
Helldivers 2
UFO 50
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
1000xRESIST
ANIMAL WELL – WINNER
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
Riven
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Game of the Year
Astro Bot – WINNER
Balatro
Black Myth: Wukong
Helldivers 2
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.
Sega has officially released its ‘announce’ trailer for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds – revealing all sorts of exciting details about the newest entry in the long-running Sonic Racing series.
It’s a great pleasure to see you with our first post of 2025. From all of us at Team Asobi, we wish you a wonderful year ahead.
Last year saw the release of Astro Bot, our biggest game to date. As well as picking several game awards, we have been blessed with countless comments and lovely words from you, the players.
This has made the hard work of everyone at Team Asobi even more worth it. So from the bottom of our lil’ robotic hearts, hearts, a huge thank you to you all.
And now, into the main news! To start the year on a good note, we are delighted to announce new Astro Bot content is coming starting today. You might have noticed that a, yet unreleased, level of Astro Bot was featured at the PlayStation XP Tournament Final in London, England on January 18. That very level, along with 4 additional ones will be coming your way inside the brand-new Vicious Void Galaxy, starting today.
As before, this new update is completely free of charge and a gift from us to you, the Astro Bot community.
These five levels will appear on a weekly basis as follows:
Feb 13:Tick-Tock Shock
Feb 20: Thrust or Bust
Feb 27: Cock-A-Doodle-Doom
Mar 6: Hard to Bear
Mar 13: Armored Hardcore
Note: All Astro Bot updates from February 13 to March 13 will be available every Thursday at 6:00am PT, 2:00pm GMT, and 10:00pm JST.
Unlike our last update Winter Wonder, which was a walk through the Xmas park, this new update features harder levels to test your jumping skills. Each level comes with a brand-new Special Bot to rescue and, once that’s done, can be replayed in Time Attack mode with online rankings. To access these, you will need to have completed the main game. So sharpen those skills again and let’s get rescuing.
“Tick Tock Shock”, the first of 5 new levels will release on February 13
But hold on, we still have more news. Alongside these five new levels, we are pleased to say that owners of the PS5 Pro will be able to enjoy an improved version of Astro Bot featuring a constant best resolution while still running at 60 frames per second.
That’s about all for this update. We hope you enjoy it. We want to take this chance to thank you, sincerely, for the ongoing support. We could not be happier with the way Astro was welcomed into so many new homes. Your comments, positivity and kind words have carried us through the months and continue to warm our little robotic hearts. Thank you for your loyalty and we shall see you around.
Update: Here’s a teaser of the light-up collector’s edition.
First 4 Figures has kicked off the new year with a “first look” at its new Metroid Prime ‘Samus Phazon Suit’ PVC statue, which is apparently “coming soon”.
Pre-orders will open in 10 days on 20th February 2025, with pricing to be revealed on the same day. If you sign up to the website, you’ll also get $10.00 off the statue when pre-orders go live.
We just got our first PlayStation State of Play for 2025 with several big announcements from Metal Gear Solid Delta to a new game from developer Housemarque. While the best part of any new showcase is new game announcements, release dates, and trailers, we know some announcements are bigger than others.
That’s why we’re giving you a chance to rank your favorite announcements from the recent PlayStation State of Play. Was it the first look at Saros? Or the new game from the lead designer of Grand Theft Auto? With over 20 announcements from yesterday’s showcase, look back at our Everything Announced post and decide which big reveal made the most impact on you.
As for me, the Metal Gear Solid Delta release date was probably my most anticipated announcement, but it was also really cool to finally get a look at the main character of Capcom’s upcoming Onimusha: Way of the Sword. And what’s more, it’s incredible that he’ll be modeled after one of my favorite actors, Toshiro Mifune.
So let us know how the State of Play news items ranked for you below.
