Category: Video Games

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Patch 5 Adds Dark Angels Chapter Pack, New Operation, and New Chaos Enemy

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 publisher Focus Entertainment has detailed the upcoming 5.0 update, and confirmed the game has sold five million copies.

Patch 5.0, due out during the first half of December, makes the previously released Neo-Volkite Pistol (the one players were using to recreate Ghostbusters) available in PvP. It also contains the hotly anticipated Dark Angels Chapter Pack, alongside another new Operation, called Obelisk. The Dark Angels Chapter Pack features the Dark Angels Champion, which is a unique armour set and banner for the Bulwark Class.

As confirmed in a forum post, three weapons also receive exclusive visuals based on the Dark Angels Chapter: the Auto Bolt Rifle, the Plasma Pistol, and the Power Sword. The Bulwark class also gets a unique Dark Angels Storm Shield.

The Dark Angels Chapter Pack includes the heraldry items of the Second Foundings and Successor Chapters of the Dark Angels: the Angels of Absolution, the Angels of Redemption, the Angels of Vengeance, the Unnamed, the Blades of Vengeance, the Cowled Wardens, the Bringers of Judgement and the Angels of Defiance.

And new armor pieces will also be added, including the Mark VIII Ravenwing helmet. All these items will be available to unlock as part of a heraldry cosmetic.

Patch 5.0 also adds color lenses to the customization menu, which fans have called for ever since Space Marine 2’s explosive launch in September. You’ll be able to choose from 15 different colors.

The new Operation, Obelisk, sends players to Demerium. You need to rotate a replica of the obelisk to disrupt the flow of energy protecting the Aurora device. To reach the console control of the obelisk, you’ll have to make it through a tomb plunged into darkness. This operation takes place in parallel to the final events of the campaign, Focus said.

As fans had spotted via a previously released trailer, this new Operation adds the Tzaangor Enlightened, a new Majoris enemy. In fact, the Tzaangor Enlightened will appear in every PvE Operation with Chaos.

And finally, Patch 5.0 adds Frame Generation DLSS and FSR 3 support. It’s worth noting that Patch 5.0 will bring the announced mods block to public PvE sessions. Mods will remain available to use in private PvE sessions, however.

Meanwhile, Saber has finally confirmed Space Marine 2’s PS5 Pro specs, although it will come as some disappointment to see that the game does not run at 60 frames per second in Quality Mode even on Sony’s $700 mid-gen console refresh.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 PS5 Pro specs:

Quality mode

Standard PS5

  • Resolution: 1080p – 1440p with upscale FSR to 4K
  • Framerate: 30fps

PS5 Pro

  • Resolution: 1080p – 2160p with upscale PSSR to 4K
  • Framerate: 30fps

Performance Mode

Standard PS5

  • Resolution: 720p – 1080p with upscale FSR to 4K
  • Framerate: 60fps

PS5 Pro

  • Resolution: 1080p – 1440p with upscale PSSR to 4K
  • Framerate: 60fps

It’s a busy time for Space Marine 2, with its story set to continue in Amazon’s Secret Level anthology series, set to hit Prime Video on December 10. To coincide with the Space Marine 2 animation’s release, exclusive rewards will be available from December 10 to December 31 through Twitch drops.

In September, Saber Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits told IGN how the breakout success of Space Marine 2 had “changed everything” for the company. Eagle-eyed fans have spotted the Space Marine chapter now all-but confirmed to get a cosmetic pack after the Dark Angels, too.

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 creators of pandemic sim Plague Inc are back with 4X city builder After Inc: Revival

In Ndemic Creations’ mobile strategy sim Plague Inc, you nurture a disease and attempt to spread it across the world. Originally launched in 2012, the game saw a morbid upsurge in popularity during the early years of Covid, as millions of people sought to model the pandemic’s advance or just play out their anxieties. Perhaps seeking to wash away any lingering bad karma, Ndemic have now unveiled After Inc: Revival, a blend of city builder and miniature 4X set in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. In Plague Inc, you brought the world to an end; now, you must grow it anew from the wreckage.

Read more

Nintendo Aims Red Shell at 200,000-Member SwitchPirates Subreddit

Nintendo has the 200,000-member SwitchPirates subreddit within its crosshairs after telling a federal court it wants to subpoena the platform to identify members who worked with an alleged Switch pirate.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Nintendo tracked down an alleged Switch pirate using a combination of Reddit posts and repair orders. As reported by Game File, Nintendo sued James “Archbox” Williams, from Surprise, Arizona, for allegedly violating its digital copyrights by selling pirated copies of Switch games. The pirate shops Archbox was allegedly involved with include Jack-in-the-Shop, Turtle in the Shop, and NekoDrive, which all shut down following a cease-and-desist Nintendo sent in March.

Now, as Game File reports, Nintendo has told a federal court in Washington State that it believes other members of the SwitchPirates subreddit had a role to play in the pirate shops. Nintendo wants permission to subpoena business records from a number of platforms, including Reddit, Discord, and Google to help identify Williams’ alleged associates. The upshot of all this is to pursue infringement claims, Nintendo stressed.

“Nintendo has reason to believe that other accounts active in the SwitchPirates community may also have been controlled by Defendant, or else reflect other individuals who have worked alongside Defendant,” lawyers representing Nintendo said in its note to the court.

Nintendo ended up with a default judgment in its favor after Williams failed to plead his case to the court in time, but it’s clear the company behind Mario will continue its war on pirates. As for users of the SwitchPirates subreddit, many remain defiant, but some fear for its future.

“It was a good run soldiers, goodbye,” posted darkkef. “Time to put all those hours of watching LegalEagle in action lol.”

All new posts on r/SwitchPirates now require moderator approval before becoming visible on the subreddit. Examples of disallowed questions include ‘how do I hack my Switch?,’ ‘Which tinfoil shops work?’ and ‘Will I get banned if…?’

Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for ReedPop.

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.

Feature: 9 Things Nintendo Could Add To Switch 2 So It’s Not ‘Just Another Switch’

The same but different.

So here we all are, waiting. For all the rumours — all the supposed prototype casings and talk of electromagnets and back buttons — the only things we can say for certain about ‘Switch 2’ are that it’ll be revealed sometime in the next 123 days (before the end of the fiscal year on 31st March 2025) and that it’s backwards compatible with current Switch software.

Not a whole lot to go on, but that backwards compatibility nugget essentially confirms that the new console’s form factor has to be a touchscreen tablet with detachable controllers. No doughnut screens, no pyramids that project holograms – as expected, Nintendo is sensibly sticking with what works and plans to deliver ‘another’ Switch.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Dead by Daylight’s Doomed Course Steers Two Tortured Souls into The Fog

Dead by Daylight’s Doomed Course Steers Two Tortured Souls into The Fog

  • Mitch Findlay, Senior Copywriter, Dead By Daylight

Embark on Dead by Daylight‘s new Chapter Doomed Course, which introduces a new Killer – The Houndmaster, and a new Survivor – Taurie Cain. Beyond the arrival of these characters, Doomed Course delves deeper into the dark and mysterious lore of Dead by Daylight, expanding on the connection between our world and The Entity’s Realms.

We’ve got you covered with a deep dive into each character’s backstory, detailing how one of the most brutal and merciless Killers and one of the morally darkest Survivors ultimately wound up in The Fog.

Merciless As The Sea

Before she became The Houndmaster, Portia Maye had a chance at an ordinary life. Warmed by her father’s love and fueled by the promise of adventure, her early years were largely spent at sea. Unfortunately, the course of her life was forever altered when the depraved pirate Mad Molak set upon her father’s vessel Nightsdream and slaughtered nearly all aboard.

Kept alive as a celestial navigator, Portia descended into darkness, allured by the siren’s song of cold revenge. It was there she altered the course of her life, steering her father’s ship into the dreaded Dragon’s Tooth and plunging her tormentors into the depths. By some stroke of fortune – or perhaps the opposite – she emerged as the lone survivor. That is, until she came across her loyal puppy Snug.

It’s interesting to consider that Portia, at one point in time, represented the quintessential survivor. Not only did she survive the harrowing slaughter of the Nightsdream massacre, but she also survived years marooned on the Dragon’s Tooth. Alas, every waking thought revolved around revenge, and her bloodlust burned hotter with each passing year.

It didn’t help that the Dragon’s Tooth, unbeknownst to Portia, was a Bleed – an otherworldly intersection between Realms. Think of Bleeds like melding colors on a palette, as elements from two dimensions converge into one.

“That’s the one thing about entering a Bleed,” explains Lead Narrative Director Jessi Thind. “If it doesn’t kill you, it drives you mad.”

Her descent into madness ran concurrent to her mastery of violence, culminating in a Killer whose merciless nature surpassed Molak himself. By the time she tracked him down and enacted her vengeance, her role in The Entity’s realm was long cemented.

Before long, the only remaining vestige of her humanity was tethered to Snug, her lone companion and relentless protector; their bond is expressed in The Houndmaster’s Power, which utilizes Snug’s ability to track and grab hold of Survivors.

For The Black Talon

Raised as a member of the Black Talon organization – a subsect of the nefarious Black Vale, Taurie Cain spent her life seeking to uncover The Entity’s secrets. Upon discovering a Bleed, Taurie’s parents ventured within to further their research. Unfortunately, tragedy struck, the worst of which was averted after Taurie entered the Bleed after them.

From that moment on, Taurie pledged her devotion to the malevolent cause, quickly rising through the Black Talon’s ranks. While some Survivors like Haddie Kaur and Elodie Rakoto have crossed paths with the Black Vale’s disciples, Taurie seemed to seek out the darkness, believing The Entity to be the key to transcending mortal existence.

“Having grown up as a member of the Black Talon, Taurie genuinely believes her actions to be for the betterment of humanity,” explains Thind. “However, as she rose through the ranks, things got darker and darker. Eventually, Taurie reached a point of no return and had to make a life-altering decision.”

Her journey led her to a pivotal moment. Tasked with the ritualistic killing of a man named Jordan Rois – stepbrother of Survivor Haddie Kaur and constant thorn in the Talon’s side – Taurie raised her knife for the plunging strike. And yet, she faltered. A crucial decision, and one of the last ones made before her arrival to The Fog.

It was there she would discover that everything she believed was true. Her jubilation quickly turned to horror when she realized that all her years of devotion had led to a perpetual cycle of pain and suffering. Though such a revelation might shatter a lesser will, Taurie remained steadfast in her belief that her true purpose has yet to be defined.

“Her devotion to the Vale may actually prove beneficial in The Fog, as she maintains belief everything is part of the plan,” continues Thind. “Taurie is determined to continue along the path until The Entity finally recognizes her as a disciple – a Killer.”

It raises an interesting question – why did The Entity bring Taurie into its Realm as a Survivor in the first place?

“For reasons yet to be understood, The Entity feeds on emotions,” explains Thind. “We can interpret that The Entity took Taurie for a reason, and perhaps it sensed a benefit to having one person who simply won’t get along with many of her fellow Survivors. Taurie doesn’t understand why she’s trapped with people who never believed in the first place, and that naturally builds resentment. There’s conflict there – anger, confusion, and mistrust – and that’s something The Entity would feed off.”

Despite whatever conflict may arise, Taurie will do what she must to thrive in her new environment. Her Perks emphasize quickly breaking away from teammates and drawing the Killer’s attention, gritting her teeth through pain and using it to her advantage.

It’s curious that Portia and Taurie both spent time in the Bleeds, with the latter proving largely unaffected. Perhaps under different circumstances, their roles within The Entity’s Realm might have been reversed. However, once a course is set, deviation is not an option – especially when the destination is shrouded in Fog…

Embark on Dead by Daylight’s Doomed Course, featuring The Houndmaster and Taurie Cain, available today in the Xbox Store.


Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight

Behaviour Interactive Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
2921
★★★★★


$29.99

$11.99
Get it now
Xbox Game Pass

Ever wished to play as one of the characters from your favorite horror movies? Dead by Daylight is a 1v4 multiplayer game that draws from all corners of the horror world from a powerful slasher to a terrifying paranormal entity.

Choose between playing an unstoppable Killer and one of 4 Survivors trying to evade a gruesome death. Each character has their own deep progression system and plenty of unlockables that can be customized to fit your personal strategy. Work together to escape, or stalk and sacrifice every Survivor.

This Edition of Dead by Daylight gives you access to a roster of 7 Killers (The Trapper, The Hillbilly, The Wraith, The Nurse, The Hag, The Huntress and The Doctor) and 9 Survivors (Meg Thomas, Claudette Morel, Jake Park, Dwight Fairfield, Ace Visconti, Nea Karlsson, Bill Overbeck, Feng Min and David King). It also includes two cosmetic add-ons packed with outfits for various characters.

The post Dead by Daylight’s Doomed Course Steers Two Tortured Souls into The Fog appeared first on Xbox Wire.

71 Black Friday Deals Worth Shopping for on Thanksgiving: Save on Air Fryers, AirPods, and More

I arrived here quite by accident—one moment I was in the year 1619, the next, standing amidst a cacophony of lights, an endless sea of goods, and this strange entity called IGN dot com. At first, I feared I had been ensnared by sorcery, but now I have access to something far more wondrous: Black Friday shopping.

What is this curious holiday where people queue in droves to trade their coin for treasures I could scarcely dream of? As I learned of these deals and contraptions, I vowed to document my findings. For if you, too, were a time traveler, these are the marvels you’d surely wish to bring home—these marvels (the best Black Friday deals to shop on Thanksgiving, by the way) would astonish any soul, no matter the century.

Gaming Deals

I would keep up the whole 17th century pilgrim theme but I’m short on time and lacking in creativity after writing about Black Friday deals for a month! Anyway, here are the absolute doorbusting deals you should come to expect from a Black Friday sale, including some major discounts on top games like Star Wars Outlaws, Sonic X Shadow Generations, Persona 3 Reload, and more.

Not satisfied? Fine, have a look through the best console deals for Thanksgiving as well. With discounts on PS5 console bundles (now down to just $375 for the digital edition), along some of the best ever discounts we’ve seen for the Nintendo Switch. These bargains won’t last forever, and some are even going out of stock as I write this (blast!).

Home and Hearth Deals

Have you ever considered the modern miracle that is the Air Fryer? It’s a wonder of science and feels very much like magic in a small to medium container. It can cook sausages, chicken, falafel, and pretty much anything you can think of. Expect oatmeal, don’t try making oatmeal in your air fryer.

Apple Deals

Whatever contraption you’re eyeing, Black Friday Apple deals are a good place to start. AirPod Pro (2nd Gen with USB-C) are on sale at Amazon for $153.99 right now. I’d say it’s safe to grab them if you’re in the market, as that’s the best price we’ve ever seen.

As for standard AirPods, both Amazon and Target are offering a $10 off the new 4th gen AirPods with active noise cancellation and the model without. I personally prefer the Pro model because the silicon ear tips work well for me, but some people don’t like them.

Amazon has just dropped prices across the board on various Apple iPad models for Black Friday, including the the 10th gen Apple iPad, which is now down to $249.99 after you clip a $29.01 off coupon on the product page. This is the best price we’ve seen ever since it was launched back in 2022, and I am pretty certain it won’t drop again for Black Friday.

Tech Deals

Okay there’s a few more excellent gaming deals rolled into one here, but you can’t deny how excellent some of these offers are? Steam Deck on sale, Meta Quest 3S with probably the best deal we’ve ever had on the VR headset. I mean $75 free Amazon credit sounds a little too good to be true, but it’s not! The deal is real and well worth picking up ASAP. Still hungry? Well go have some more turkey. I kid, or do I?

I don’t. Check out even more great tech offers on Amazon devices, perfect for improving your smart home experience in the short and long term. My favorite offer here? It’s the Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $33, a new low of the streaming stick, which is also now Xbox Game Pass enabled. Get rolling, as these deals really are the cream of the crop this Thanksgiving.

Streaming Black Friday Deals

Hulu stands out as one of the top streaming platforms today, yet it’s often underrated. With critically acclaimed movies like Anatomy of a Fall and Talk to Me, and standout, Emmy-winning TV series such as Shogun, Abbott Elementary, The Bear, and Only Murders in the Building, there’s always something exceptional to watch.

This Black Friday, Hulu is dirt cheap and available for just $0.99/month for an entire year – down from $9.99/month, and at 90% off that’s hard to beat. Similarly, the Disney+ bundle is offered at $2.99/month for a year, down from $10.99/month, making these some of the best Black Friday streaming deals available.

4K UHD Deals

Amazon is cutting prices on tons of Blu-rays and 4K UHD discs. Luckily, the quality of the movies in Amazon’s online equivalent of a bargain bin is quite good.

We’ve found a bunch of great movies for ultra-cheap, including The Batman, The Thing at its lowest price since last year, Across the Spider-Verse, Gladiator, Blade Runner: Final Cut, and loads more.

Audiobook Deals

From now until December 31, non-current Audible subscribers are eligible for three months of Audible Premium Plus for $0.99 per month and a bonus one-time $20 Audible credit. Premium Plus is Audible’s best plan and three months would normally cost you about $44.95.

You also get a free audiobook of your choice each month that you get to keep indefinitely. This is one of our favorite deals of the whole Black Friday sale, and well worth picking up.

Black Friday: Why Can You Trust IGN?

Why trust IGN for your shopping advice? Our team of seasoned writers, passionate about gaming, tech, and homeware, has been covering deals and Black Friday events for an average of five years or more. With a year-round focus on bargains, we can spot genuine discounts and steer clear of misleading offers. Every deal featured in this article is carefully handpicked by knowledgeable experts who genuinely aim to help you save money.

Black Friday falls on November 29! All month long, retailers have been rolling out sales, ramping up to massive discounts on Black Friday and through the weekend into Cyber Monday. There are already some fantastic deals available on PS5 consoles and controllers, video games for all platforms, LEGO sets, AirPods Pro, and tons more.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

The Beastmaster of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, part one: How to make friends and eviscerate people

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl challenges you to survive the Zone, a land where the rules of nature are more like half-hearted suggestions and death may come from a mutant’s fang as quickly as a bandit’s bullet. But what if you could not only survive it, but tame it?

I am Bohdan Beastmaster, aspiring wrangler of all the radiation-twisted insults to God that occupy the Zone. One of its rogue Artifacts exploded my flat, and rather than find a place on SpareRoom, I’ve gone for the easier and safer option of venturing into the wilds of Chornobyl – armed not with rusty AKs or scavenged grenades but the teeth and claws of my mutant soon-to-be companions. The absence of any actual fauna-influencing tools or techniques only makes my plan even simpler: find beasts, aggro beasts onto human enemies, win.

Read more

I play Foxhole as a pacifist medic who refuses to carry a gun but the enemy doesn’t seem impressed

Another explosion sends the bodies flying. “Has anyone been here long enough to tell me what the hell is going on!?” the sergeant yells. He sounds annoyed. The field hospital is gone, probably blown to pieces. Troops keep wandering north and disappearing from view, only to come flying back as airborne cadavers moments later. The number of corpses and spilled backpacks on the road imply that someone in battalion headquarters (if such a place even exists) has made a terrible decision. If the Colonial forces want to win the persistent online war of Foxhole, suggests the sergeant with his many irritated noises, then someone needs to piece these dying fools together. As the only medic in a 500 metre radius, that means me.

Read more

Palworld X Terraria Coming in 2025, December Update Set to Add Huge New Island

Palworld developer Pocketpair has teased a major update for the game coming in December as well as a crossover with Terraria.

Taking to the Palworld Discord, Pocketpair said the December update adds the “largest, harshest, and most mysterious” island yet to Palworld. This new island is about six times bigger than Sakurajima, which hit Palworld in June.

“Don’t miss it!” Pocketpair teased alongisde the screenshots, below.

Meanwhile, Pocketpair teased a surprise crossover with indie smash hit Terraria. There are no details yet, but artwork, below, shows characters from both games clasping hands. Expect whatever this is to arrive in 2025.

All this comes, of course, as Pocketpair works to defend itself in a high-profile patent lawsuit filed by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. After Palworld’s huge launch earlier this year on PC and Xbox, comparisons were made between Palworld’s Pals and Pokémon, with some accusing Pocketpair of “ripping off” Pokémon designs. But rather than file a copyright infringement lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have gone down the patent route. They want 5 million yen (approx $32,846) each plus late payment damages, as well as an injunction against Palworld that would block its release.

Earlier this month, Pocketpair confirmed the three Japan-based patents, which revolve around catching Pokémon in a virtual field, that it’s being sued over. Palworld does include a mechanic that involves throwing a ball-like object (called a Pal Sphere) at monsters out in a field to capture them, similar to the mechanic seen in the 2022 Nintendo Switch exclusive Pokémon Legends: Arceus. One of the three patents in question is about riding on top of Pokémon (Palworld also lets players ride Pals).

One patent expert has suggested a GTA 5 mod dating back to 2016 may be recognized as a precedent by the court because it included the catching Pokémon mechanic long before Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If that happens, it could work in Palworld’s favor.

Palworld launched on Steam priced $30 and straight into Game Pass on Xbox and PC earlier this year, breaking sales and concurrent player number records in the process. Pocketpair boss Takuro Mizobe has said Palworld’s launch was so big that the developer couldn’t handle the massive profits the game generated. Still, Pocketpair acted swiftly to capitalize on Palworld’s breakout success, signing a deal with Sony to form a new business called Palworld Entertainment that’s tasked with expanding the IP.

Patent experts have said Nintendo and The Pokémon Company’s lawsuit against Pocketpair is evidence of the threat posed by Palworld, which has since gone on to launch on PS5. Pocketpair has vowed to take on Nintendo and The Pokémon Company in court, saying: “We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.”

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.

Japanese Charts: There’s No Stopping Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake

Another big one for Square’s latest.

Famitsu is back with our latest look at the physical software sales chart for Japan, and it’s another week in the top spot for Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake.

Square Enix’s latest pulled in an additional 91,362 copies between Switch and PS5 this week, which is far from its debut’s 821,770 total, but it’s still enough to keep the Nintendo version in pole position. Meanwhile, the PS5 edition slips to third after another strong week from Super Mario Party Jamboree.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com