Announced just now at the Triple-I Initiative, Ikuma – The Frozen Compass is a wintry 3D action adventure in which a tenacious young buck and his dog get stranded on an Arctic island. The key thing to know is that it’s a co-op game, a co-op splitscreen game, if you please, which means that you and your friends must decide, right now, which of you will play the dog.
This game is described as “a powerful story of love, loss, and endurance”, which doesn’t bode brilliantly for the dog, so whoever dons the collar needs to a great tragic actor. I encourage you to spend a few weeks rehearsing the business of lying bloodied in the snow next to a dead yeti, whining heroically at the back of your departing owner, who has decided he’s more of a cat person anyway. Come now, let me see your expression of puppy-eyed anguish. There’s a nice juicy biscuit in it for you if you can make me cry.
Surprise! Vampire Survivors is getting a huge free update today, and it’s moving away from Konami and joining forces with Square Enix.
Announced during today’s Triple I showcase, it’s not a Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts DLC — both of those would be amazing, of course, but we really admire the choice that poncle settled on. The new Emerald Diorama Expansion focuses on Square most unusual series, SaGa.
Duskfade – A Journey Through Nostalgia, Loss, and Moving Forward
Sarah Hoeksma, Chief Marketing Officer, Fireshine Games
Hi! I’m thrilled to welcome you to Duskfade, a fast-paced, nostalgic action-platformer from the talented indie team at Weird Beluga Studio, coming to Xbox Series X|S in 2026.
Duskfade sees players setting off on a journey to restore time to a world seized in eternal night, playing as young apprentice Zirian on an adventure across a wondrous clockpunk world. If you grew up playing action-platformers in the early 2000s (just like I did!), Duskfade is being made for you, expertly blending the best of classic design with modern mechanics to deliver an emotional story that leaves a lasting impact.
Take a look at our brand new trailer – and welcome to the world of Duskfade.
A Tribute to Classic Action-Platformers
There’s something truly special about the golden era of action-platformers – the tight controls, iconic characters, fluid movement, and the sense of joy, discovery and reward in every level. Duskfade captures that magic with fast, responsive traversal, satisfying combat, and a world that feels like a forgotten classic, reimagined for today.
At its core, Duskfade is built on the DNA of beloved titles from the past, but pushes forward with modern refinements. Whether you’re dashing between floating islands, rail-grinding through a crystal mine shaft, or fending off clockwork foes, the game is designed to feel intuitive, dynamic, and full of momentum.
Duskfade’s world is built on old watchmaking knowledge, where magic blends with gears and clocks,” says Diego Redondo González, Lead Artist on Duskfade. “Players can expect a wide range of dynamic, magical worlds full of surprises, with a colourful and imaginative art style that mixes innocent, stylized visuals with a few darker touches.”
Duskfade strikes a careful balance between accessibility and depth, offering a difficulty curve that welcomes newcomers while still challenging seasoned players. The game’s platforming encourages exploration at your own pace, letting players fully take in the beauty and mystery of each world. Combat is easy to grasp but hard to master, designed to be both challenging and fun, with mechanics that reward timing, skill, and strategy. As players progress, they’ll unlock new abilities and gadgets that not only deepen combat but also open new ways to explore, encouraging discovery in every corner of the game.
“Our movement system is built around speed, agility, and flow,” says Tomás Manzano Sobrido, Duskfade’s Lead Programmer. “We want players to feel like Zirian is gliding through the world – chaining actions effortlessly, moving with momentum, and covering large distances in a way that feels smooth and dynamic.”
Esteban Marín Illana, Game Designer on Duskfade, adds: We want Duskfade to strike a balance that makes it accessible for newcomers, but with enough depth to keep experienced players engaged. The platforming lets you explore at your own pace, while the combat is simple to learn but offers real challenge as you progress. With new abilities and gadgets unlocking over time, the experience keeps evolving and rewarding curiosity.”
A Personal Story About Loss and Letting Go
Beneath its vibrant visuals and exhilarating gameplay, Duskfade tells a deeply personal story. The game follows siblings Zirian and Allira, who find themselves trapped in a mysterious reality shaped by memory and grief.
The story is shaped by Narrative Designer Ricardo Chorques Mesa’s experience of a deeply personal loss, which became the heart of exploring the many ways that people deal with grief and loss.
“Losing someone you love, especially a guide and role model, leaves a lasting wound. That’s what I experienced with the loss of my grandfather,” Mesa tells us. “But in that grief, I found the strength and inspiration to write this story. Overcoming the absence of a loved one is not about forgetting; it’s about learning to walk accompanied by their memory.”
A Game That Hits Both Heart and Memory
Nostalgia is powerful: it isn’t just about the games we played, but about the feelings we had while playing them. Duskfade taps into that magic, not only with its gameplay, but with its story about the memories that have shaped us over the years.
For players who grew up with action-platformers, we want Duskfade to feel like home. For those experiencing the genre for the first time, it’s a fresh, modern adventure. Either way, it’s a journey that you won’t forget.
We hope this brief introduction has given you a closer look at what to expect from this wondrous new action-platformer, and we can’t wait for you to experience Duskfade for yourself when it launches on Xbox Series X|S in 2026.
Here at Naughty Dog, we have some exciting news to share with The Last of Us fans, whether you’ve been with us since its debut in 2013 or are just wanting to jump into the games now. We wanted to celebrate our studio, the series, and you, the fans, by making it easier than ever to experience this story.
We’re proud to introduce The Last of Us Complete.
Check out our announce trailer below:
Available today on the PlayStation 5 console, The Last of Us Complete allows players to experience both The Last of Us Part I and The Last of Us Part II Remastered in one package. The Last of Us Complete makes it easier than ever to experience the full story on PS5, whether you’ve played both entries, just one, or have yet to immerse yourself in the world of Joel, Ellie, Abby, and all of our characters.
The Last of Us Complete digital download is available now, but we’ve also created a special physical version. The Last of Us Complete: Collector’s Edition is also now available for pre-order exclusively at direct.playstation.com and will be available on July 10.*
The Last of Us Complete’s physical release is housed in a beautiful collector’s box featuring new artwork capturing the humanity at the heart of our story through a beautiful, intricate design. Included is a Steelbook Case with this artwork, which stores physical discs with new, minimal designs for both The Last of Us Part I and Part II Remastered.
The complete experiences of Part I and Part II Remastered are the definitive ways to play each of these games. Our team rebuilt The Last of Us Part I from the ground up specifically with PlayStation 5 in mind, offering full DualSense support, 3D audio, and more. The Last of Us Part II Remastered allows you to not only experience an enhanced edition of the sequel, but also dive behind-the-scenes with hours of commentary, and additions like Lost Levels, the roguelike No Return mode, Guitar Free Play, and more.
Additionally, we’re proud to include a set of lithographs from a host of talented artists. Our team hand-picked artists who we felt could offer beautiful takes on these characters that mean so much to both our studio and to all of you. They make for wonderful pieces to display, representing the heart, humanity, and beauty at the core of our series.
From our entire studio, thank you so much for your incredible support for The Last of Us and Naughty Dog over the years. This is such an exciting moment for both the franchise and our teams. We are so humbled by your personal stories of what the series has meant to you, have marveled at your incredible Photo Mode shots, and inspired to keep pushing ourselves forward to create more stories and worlds you’ll love.
*direct.playstation.com purchase information: Starting April 10, 2025 at 10am PT in the U.S., and 6pm local time in the U.K and Portugal., 7pm France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, players will be able to pre-order The Last of Us Complete: Collector’s Edition exclusively through direct.playstation.com in limited quantities. When ordering directly from PlayStation, enjoy free launch day delivery for eligible pre-orders – visit direct.playstation.com for more details.
**3D Audio via built-in TV speakers or analogue/USB headphones.
Nintendo fans in the U.S. may be feeling pretty hard done by now as the rest of the world fights for a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order, but some are fighting back by challenging and reporting every Nintendo Switch 2 auction listing they can find.
On eBay.com, Nintendo Switch 2 consoles are, at the time of writing, listed from anywhere between $468 to $855, with a lot listing Buy It Now prices of around $700-$750 — that’s $300 over the recommended retail price.
United in their frustrations both about the pre-order delay and the preponderance of over-priced pre-orders on eBay, however, players are working to take scalpers down together.
“If anyone wants to do their bit for society, go on eBay and report the scalpers,” said one Redditor. “I’ve had about 15 listings removed, spent literally minutes reporting them.”
“Reminder that preselling an eBay item is not allowed unless it will be shipping within 40 days of purchasing off eBay, (impossible for the Switch!), at least in the UK anyways,” said another, racking up almost 6,000 upvotes. The image attached showed a long list of confirmation emails from eBay stating that the content they had reported was removed.
Another jumped on Reddit to confirm they’d had “15 more scalpers removed from eBay,” while another player posted to say their actions saw 20 Switch pre-order listings scrubbed from the site.
So, just why are players having so much luck combating scalpers this time around? Well, that has to do with eBay’s very own terms and conditions concerning pre-sale items, which say “pre-sale listings must clearly state that they are ‘presale’ in the title and description, and guarantee shipment within 40 business days of purchase.”
“You’re not allowed to sell pre-orders on eBay because the seller doesn’t have, and it’s possible they will never actually get, the item they’re selling,” explained rmajor86 on a post that’s also been upvoted hundreds of time. “Just report the listing, and eBay will remove it.”
That said, things may change soon. As formerlyDylan pointed out, June 5 is 40 business days from today, April 10 (excluding Easter), and eBay’s terms and conditions state pre-sale items must “guarantee shipment within 40 business days of purchase.”
While this means scalpers may soon be able to legitimately list their pre-orders for sale across parts of the world where the console will release on June 5, fans may be able to continue to fight scalpers across the U.S. and Canada right up until those countries have a shipping date.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
The legend goes that in the 12th century, King Canute plonked his throne down on the seashore and commanded the tide to go out, thereby empirically demonstrating to all the toadies at court that he was not, in fact, God Almighty. You don’t need to order the ocean to piss off in Endless Legend 2: it’s already in headlong retreat. But not from you.
IGN’s Schedule 1 map is here! Our interactive map tracks essential locations across Hyland Point, including Customers and Dealers for players wanting to maximize their business empire. It also includes markers for ATMs, Cash for Trash machines, and more, so you know where to go when you need to make a transaction in Schedule I.
Schedule I Interactive Map
The available map filters for our Schedule 1 interactive map include:
Locations, such as ATMs, Dead Drops, Cash for Trash Machines, and Payphones.
Businesses, including Taco Ticklers, the Car Wash, and the Post Office.
Properties, including the Motel, Bungaloo, and Docks Warehouse.
Shops, such as Dan’s Hardware and Gas Mart, so you always know where to go to purchase essential items for Mixing.
NPCs, including Customers and Dealers.
Schedule 1 Guides
There’s a lot to do in Schedule I, whether that’s mixing up a new strain or saving up to move into a new property. IGN’s Game Help is here to assist with informative guides to help you keep on track. Our coverage includes:
Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she’s not working, you can find her playing an RPG or coloring to unwind.
In the boss fights of South Of Midnight, you’ve got to find a pulsing wound on the body of the monster and strike it to cleanse the giant beast of its “stigma”. In truth, these creatures are analogues for human characters, sometimes people who have literally transformed into beasts, afflicted by a thorny curse that drives them into frightening states of rage or panic. This is a game about festering trauma – history as a painful wound you’ve got to poke in order to eventually heal. Strip back the scales and feathers of folk allegory and these are human tales of shame, hunger, neglect, and abuse, some more effective than others. It’s a gorgeous game with a killer approach to music, if sometimes hobbled by the ropey trappings of its action adventure genre.
Nintendo announced Splatoon 3‘s returning SpringFest a few weeks back, but the explosion of Switch 2 news means that the starting date has crept up on us.
As a new piece of SpringFest art from @NintendoUK so rightfully reminded us, the latest Splatfest is almost here, with the three-team competition kicking off on 12th April at 1am BST / 11th April 6pm PT (we’ve specified all the regional times below).
Ubisoft has insisted that buying a game doesn’t give players “unfettered ownership rights” to it, only a “limited license to access the game.”
The megacorp’s comments come as it sought to dismiss a case brought by two unhappy The Crew players who took the company to court for shutting down its original racing game last year.
At the end of last year, two gamers took Ubisoft to court, stating they had been “under the impression” they were “paying to own and possess the video game The Crew instead of paying for a limited license to use The Crew.”
“Imagine you buy a pinball machine, and years later, you enter your den to go play it, only to discover that the all the paddles are missing, the pinball and bumpers are gone, and the monitor that proudly displayed your unassailable high score is removed,” the initial lawsuit read.
As spotted by Polygon, the claimants accused Ubisoft of violating California’s False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, and Consumer Legal Remedies Act, as well as “common law fraud and breach of warranty claims.” They also suggest Ubisoft broke California’s state law around gift cards, which are not allowed to expire.
The gamers also provided images that depict the activation code for the racer clearly shows that it does not expire until 2099, which they believe implies “that [The Crew] would remain playable during this time and long thereafter.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ubisoft does not agree.
“Plaintiffs allege that they purchased physical copies of The Crew under the belief that they were obtaining unfettered access to the game in perpetuity. Plaintiffs also take issue with the fact that Ubisoft did not offer to create an ‘offline, single-player option of the Game, otherwise known as a ‘patch’ when it shut down The Crew’s servers in March 2024,” Ubisoft’s lawyers wrote.
“The [essence] of the plaintiffs’ complaint is that Ubisoft allegedly misled purchasers of its video game The Crew into believing they were purchasing unfettered ownership rights in the game, rather than a limited license to access the game. But the reality is that consumers received the benefit of their bargain and were explicitly notified, at the time of purchase, that they were purchasing a license.”
The response further adds that the Xbox and PlayStation packaging contain a “clear and conspicuous notice — in all capital letters — that Ubisoft may cancel access to one or more specific online features upon a 30-day prior notice.”
Ubisoft has now filed a motion to dismiss the case. If that fails and the lawsuit does proceed, the two plaintiffs have demanded a jury trial.
It’s worth noting that the new law still doesn’t prevent companies from yanking your content away from you, but at least they’ll have to warn you about the true nature of your purchase before you click that buy button.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
