Today is release day for The Game Kitchen’s The Stone Of Madness, an isometric tactical stealth game set in an 18th century monastery – “isometric tactical stealth game” being a pretty clinical way to describe the plight of sundry lost souls exploring a maze of hellish Catholic art populated by guards and ghouls.
The post Lore of Eora – Aedyran Empire | A Pillars of Eternity and Avowed Visual Guide appeared first on Xbox Wire.
In 2025, MLB The Show is celebrating its monumental 20th anniversary, a milestone that honors two decades of baseball history, innovation, and unforgettable memories for baseball fans around the world. To mark this special occasion for San Diego Studio and PlayStation Studios, MLB The Show 25 proudly features not one, nor two, but three cover athletes for the first time ever — Paul Skenes, Elly De La Cruz, and Gunnar Henderson. These rising stars join a rich history of legendary cover athletes, symbolizing the future of baseball as we celebrate 20 incredible years of the franchise.
Paul Skenes’ journey began in high school and continued through college, where he cemented his status as one of the most talented young pitchers in baseball by winning a national championship before being selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft. The following season, Skenes made his MLB debut and became the first player in MLB history to start the All-Star Game just one year after being drafted. He capped off an incredible 2024 season by earning National League Rookie of the Year honors and being named to the All-MLB First Team. His story and skillset align perfectly with Road to the Show, where you can chart your own path to greatness.
Elly De La Cruz’s meteoric rise from the minors to the majors perfectly captures the excitement of working up to a big league debut and becoming a star. Since making his Major League debut in 2023 with the Cincinnati Reds, Elly has consistently proven to be one of the most electrifying players on the field. He became one of the youngest players in MLB history to hit for the cycle and is renowned for his blazing speed on the bases and his cannon-like arm, further cementing his status as one of the league’s most promising talents. The 2024 All-Star showcases an impressive five-tool skillset and a dynamic switch-hitting approach — exactly what MLB The Show fans dream of when developing or acquiring their starting shortstop in Franchise mode.
Rounding out this triple play of talent is the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year, Gunnar Henderson. Selected 42nd overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, Gunnar quickly ascended through the Orioles’ farm system, making his MLB debut late in the 2022 season. Heading into 2023, he was named the #1 prospect on MLB’s Top 100 list. In his first full season in the majors, Gunnar became a cornerstone of the Orioles’ young core, helping lead the team to its first postseason appearance in seven years. His outstanding performance earned him AL Rookie of the Year honors and a Silver Slugger Award. Gunnar’s star continued to rise in 2024, as he was selected to start in the MLB All-Star Game and compete in the Home Run Derby. His MLB journey resonates deeply with MLB The Show fans who strive to dominate head-to-head competition in their pursuit of greatness on the diamond.
For all the fans, make sure to sign up for the MLB The Show Scouting Report to stay updated on all the latest features, updates, and legends coming to MLB The Show 25, while unlocking amazing rewards along the way. Starting in April 2025, subscribers will receive a unique pack every month through December 2025*, packed with incredible in-game rewards. Plus, the Golden Ticket Sweepstakes will return in 2025, with winners selected every month for amazing prizes like Packs, Stubs, clothing, autographed items from Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson, and Paul Skenes, along with even more surprises we can’t wait to reveal. Don’t miss out—sign up today on theshow.com!
While you’re there, don’t forget to also set up your MLB The Show account and prepare for Opening Day. MLB The Show 25 allows you to easily move from platform to platform and keep access to your entire inventory of cards**. Head over to https://account.theshow.com/ and create your MLB The Show Account. After creating your MLB The Show account, log in with your platform account and link it to your MLB The Show account. You are all set.
We are also thrilled to announce that MLB The Show 25 will launch on March 18, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. The game will not be on platform subscription services in 2025. Early Access begins on March 14, for anyone who purchases the Digital Deluxe Edition.
Mark your calendars for a first look at our first Gameplay Trailer, which will be revealed on February 4 at 9:00 AM PST on San Diego Studio and MLB The Show social channels.
Look forward to even more weekly feature reveals, including Feature Trailer Deep Dives featuring MLB Network host Robert Flores, and the return of Feature Premieres from the development team at San Diego Studio.
Pre-orders for all editions (Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition) will open on February 4 at 6:00 AM PST on theshow.com, platform stores, and participating retailers.
For all the latest information on MLB The Show, head over to TheShow.com, sign up for The Scouting Report, and follow our X, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.
*Internet connection required.
** Cross-platform progression requires an internet connection, and for each platform, you play on: 1) a copy of the MLB The Show 25 game compatible with your console (other platform versions sold separately); and 2) a platform network account linked to your platform network account linked to your MLB The Show account.
Grand Theft Auto 5 actor Steven Ogg wants co-protagonist Trevor to be killed off in the opening of GTA 6 in a full circle moment for the character.
Ogg told ScreenRant he wanted a moment similar to Trevor’s own murdering of GTA 4: The Lost and the Damned protagonist Johnny Klebitz, who appeared not long after Trevor’s own introduction in GTA 5 only to be killed off by him.
“It would be fun if Trevor appeared in it just to be killed at the beginning,” Ogg said. “I think that would be cool, because it also acknowledges the fans of like, ‘Hey, thank you.’ Pass the torch, stomp Trevor’s head in, and sort of put an end to that and allow a new generation to take over.”
This act would have to be carried out by one of GTA 6’s dual protagonists, Lucia or Jason, though neither has been portrayed to be as wild as Trevor was in GTA 5. Only a single trailer for GTA 6 has been released, however, and Grand Theft Auto has few limits when it comes to violence.
The debut footage — which reintroduced fans to Rockstar’s take on Miami, Vice City — featured a ton of intricate details (like 99 things IGN spotted) and plenty of references to wild and wacky real life events too.
Fans have since been theorising when another trailer might drop but, more than a year later, developer Rockstar hasn’t said a word. They’ve also turned to recreating the game themselves, like one fan who’s building the GTA 6 map in GTA 5.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Did you have a tamagotchi as a kid? I did, and yes, I too let it die. I am thankful that the handheld LCD graphics of the era did not allow me to witness my companion blob’s amiable decline into shit-caked starvation. I am also thankful that my tamagotchi did not itself have a tamagotchi, because the only life principle I ever taught my tamagotchi was neglect. This is also the reason I may never play the reportedly pretty decent virtual pet game Yoke Heroes: A Long Tamago, whose developers 14 Hours Productions are defying God and Man by developing another virtual pet sim inside it.
A Grand Theft Auto superfan is recreating the GTA 6 map in GTA 5 based on the snippets of information released by Rockstar so far.
YouTuber Dark Space is chronicling the work on their channel and on X/Twitter, showing how Vice Beach and the Venetian Islands are inside GTA 5 as fully detailed maps.
Despite the fact Rockstar has so far only released one trailer for GTA 6, fans have mapped out the playable area they expect to see in the game, which is due out fall 2025 on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S.
For my next video, I’ve been working hard at making the GTA 6 community map real. Here’s a look at my progress so far: pic.twitter.com/ejPu3EWKqa
— Dark Space (@Dark_SpaceYT) January 25, 2025
Speaking to IGN, Dark Space expects to release the GTA 5 modification in the next two weeks.
Rockstar owner Take-Two has a history of taking down fan projects, most recently the YouTube channel belonging to the makers of the ‘GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition,’ which ports the world, cutscenes, and missions from 2002’s Vice City into 2008’s GTA 4.
Take-Two may take an even dimmer view of Dark Space’s work, given it attempts to recreate the map from the upcoming GTA 6. Dark Space admitted to IGN that he was “always worried” about a reprisal from Take-Two, but pointed out some key differences between his work and others that have suffered setbacks, such as the GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition project.
“This is a bit different from what I’ve been told by people who also make content like this for FiveM servers,” Dark Space said.
“Vice City mod is a whole game remade in GTA 4. Not good for Rockstar. Also makes them look bad. Liberty City Preservation project ripped a whole game map from 4 to 5 eliminating the need for Rockstar to ever do that.
“This is just me making my own fan-made map myself. All within GTA 5 itself. Any assets are from GTA 5 itself. A typical practice.”
— Dark Space (@Dark_SpaceYT) January 27, 2025
Dark Space said the lack of GTA 6 news from Rockstar is fueling fan interest in projects such as his. Depending on how things go, he may expand the map to completion.
One former Rockstar developer has defended the company’s actions here, saying both Take-Two and Rockstar are protecting their business interests.
“Take2/R* are a commercial company,” former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij tweeted. “They will take down mods that interfere with their business interests.
“The VC NextGen Edition mod for GTA4 directly competes with the Definitive Edition. The Liberty City preservation project (GTA4 in GTA5 engine) would interfere with a possible GTA4 remaster. (No idea whether they’re working on that. I think they should.)
“There’s no point getting angry about it. This is what companies are supposed to do. The best we can hope for is that they allow mods that don’t interfere with their business. Such as DCA3 (GTA3 for Dreamcast). Afaik they have recently been decent about letting these projects continue.”
As for GTA 6 itself, the latest fan theory suggests an imminent announcement of a new trailer, the game’s release date, and potentially more. While you wait to find out, IGN has much more on GTA 6 to check out, including an ex-Rockstar dev who says the studio probably won’t be able to decide whether GTA 6 is delayed until May 2025, the boss of Take-Two’s coy response on whether GTA 6 is coming to PC, and the expert opinion on whether the PS5 Pro will run GTA 6 at 60 frames per second.
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.
Nintendo is going all in on the Donkey Kong redesign spotted by fans in the Mario Kart 9 gameplay debuted during the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event.
Donkey Kong has had the same design for years now, even decades, and has appeared as such in the likes of Mario Kart 8, Mario Tennis, Donkey Kong Country Returns, and more, but Nintendo is now pivoting to a look many think is similar to the incredibly successful The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
While Donkey Kong’s video game revamp had only been seen in Mario Kart 9 so far, Nintendo has now revealed a range of Donkey Kong merchandise that also includes the redesign. As spotted by Nintendo Life, cookiemaster221 shared the products on Reddit. “History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes,” they said.
The handful of products show Donkey Kong with perhaps a friendlier look headlined by his once furrowed brow being rounded out. “They’re giving him the Kirby treatment, but backwards,” SmallBlueSlime said in the comments. “Instead of making him angry, they’re making him chill.”
“They really are dead set on redesigning DK,” said another user. “I’m gonna miss that eyebrow looking down. Always made DK seem both kind and strong,” added someone else. “It’s alright in my opinion,” added a fan in favor of the new look. “They probably did it to make him look more goofy and less angry.”
This is the best look fans have had at the redesign since the glimpse at Mario Kart 9, where Donkey Kong only appeared in a few scenes himself and not particularly clearly. An extended look at Donkey Kong in action will likely come in April when Nintendo hosts a Switch 2 focused Nintendo Direct.
In anticipation of this event, the console reveal trailer included just a few hints of the Switch 2, focusing mostly on how it looks. It did confirm the hardware is mostly backwards compatible, the Joy-Cons feature a mysterious new button, and that a theory about using the controller as a mouse appears spot on.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Every game we scored 9/10 or higher.
Nintendo of America is back with its first big eShop sale of 2025, bringing some sweet discounts to thousands of games across the storefront until 9th February at 11:59pm PT.
So beefy is this ‘Supercharge Sale‘ that we’ve decided to make it a little easier to see the cream of the crop at a glance (and a good few scrolls). Below, we have assembled every game in the eShop sale that we awarded 9/10 or higher, listed in alphabetical order and accompanied by their discounted price — hey, you’re welcome.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Hello gang!
We heard you like Baldur’s Gate 3 and breaking things.
Well, we have good news for you: The Patch 8 Stress Test is now live and available to all Xbox Insiders who own the game!
Not into breaking things but still want to know what this is all about? Read to the end to find out what’s coming in Patch 8.
The final major patch for Baldur’s Gate 3 is right around the corner, but with an update so packed full of bug fixes, new features, and additions, we’re enlisting your help to go beyond our internal testing and help us catch things before release.
The Patch 8 stress test is a separate application from the main game and can be accessed via the Xbox Insider Hub. If you’re planning on joining us, you’ll need to already own Baldur’s Gate 3 and make sure your Xbox has enough storage available to download the game!
Follow these steps to download the Patch 8 stress test app:
To return to the Patch 7 version of Baldur’s Gate 3, you will need to exit the Stress Test version via the Xbox Insider Hub. This will prompt an update and will revert your game to the previous version. Please bear in mind that any saves made within the stress test will not be compatible with the Patch 7 version once you revert back.
Share your experience with us by reaching out to our support team to report any bugs, and be sure to state “Patch 8” in the Game Version field!
Patch 8 is bringing cross-play to Baldur’s Gate 3, allowing players on all platforms to join each other in multiplayer sessions! So grab your friends on other platforms and get ready to fight… over who will romance each companion.
To set up your own cross-play session, head to the multiplayer menu:
Join a cross-play multiplayer session by following these steps:
Want to get your friends on other platforms involved in testing cross-play? Share the link below!
You can also join the Larian Studios Discord Server to find other players in our Patch 8 Looking For Group channel!
Alongside many fixes and improvements, Patch 8 also includes two other big additions: photo mode and 12 new subclasses!
Whether you plan on lining up the perfect action shots or filling a whole folder with 50GB worth of photos of Lae’zel’s sweet smile, photo mode is here to make all of that a reality.
Adjust the camera angles, zoom in, select from a large list of facial expressions and poses, and add the finishing touches with filters, frames and stickers!
Want to see what the Baldur’s Gate 3 Photo Mode can do? Check out our recreations of memorable community moments.
Patch 8 also brings 12 new subclasses – one per each existing class! Explode nearby corpses with a Death Domain Cleric, discover new ways to keep (or break) your new Oath of the Crown as a Paladin, or send a legion of bees towards your enemies as a Swarmkeeper Ranger.
You can learn more about each new subclass and photo mode in Community Update #30, so definitely give it a read.
Continue your adventure in the Patch 8 stress test, now live!
The post Try Out The Latest Baldur’s Gate 3 Update With The Patch 8 Stress Test appeared first on Xbox Wire.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 update is available to download ahead of today’s launch, with patch notes live now.
The 1.068.000 update, which weighs in at 19.907 GB on PlayStation 5, can be downloaded now ahead of the launch of Season 2 later today, January 28.
Season 2 brings weapon tuning, spawn logic improvements, a bullet penetration update, much-needed challenge tracker details, improvements to camo challenges, equipment, perk, field upgrade, and wildcard updates, new ranked cross-play options on consoles, ranked play SR gain/loss adjustments, HUD preset updates, and Zombies bug fixes and improvements.
There’s also the promise of improved anti-cheat amid growing frustration and cheating across Black Ops 6 and Warzone, particularly in ranked. Updates include enhanced detection models for behaviors like aim botting, stricter account trust and hardware identification to target repeat offenders, and new tools to combat dishonest behavior such as playing with cheaters or attempting to spam report innocent players.
“We are also focusing on more precise tools, including major upgrades to the kernel-level anti-cheat driver and server-side systems starting this season and continuing into Season 03,” Activision said in a blog post. “These measures, combined with ongoing improvements and legal actions against cheat sellers, aim to deliver a more secure and enjoyable experience for everyone.”
Meanwhile, with Season 2 comes a new battle pass packed with new weapons and cosmetics. There are over 110 pieces of unlockable content excluding the more expensive BlackCell, including three new base weapons, an underbarrel crossbow attachment, and new operator skins and weapon blueprints, and a whole lot more.
There are three new Multiplayer maps: Bounty (6v6), Dealership (6v6), and Lifeline (6v6, 2v2). New Multiplayer modes at the launch of Season 2 include Overdrive and, in week two, the fan-favorite Gun Game.
Expect four new weapons during Season 2: PPSh-41 – SMG (Battle Pass); Cypher 091 – Assault Rifle (Battle Pass); Feng 82 – LMG (Battle Pass); and the TR2 – Marksman Rifle (Event Reward).
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.
