Publishers Paradox Interactive and White Wolf, as well as developer The Chinese Room, have announced that the Lasombra and Toreador clans will be available in the base Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 experience following backlash from players.
The team behind the long-in-development sequel revealed its launch shakeup today alongside two new story packs, which will be available as part of the Premium Edition’s Expansion Pass in 2026. Additionally, Paradox, White Wolf, and Chinese Room have pulled back the curtain on a new Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 overview trailer for players to sink their teeth into while they wait for its October 21, 2025, release date.
“Thanks to our community for the frank feedback on Bloodlines 2 and the Premium Edition. That feedback made it clear: Lasombra and Toreador belong in the base game, so that is what we are doing,” White Wolf executive vice president and Bloodlines 2 executive producer Marco Behrmann said in a statement. “We’d also like to thank The Chinese Room for their quick turnaround on the concepts for the post-launch Story Packs. We’re constantly impressed by their creativity and skill in weaving enticing narrative threads that expand on the main story in Bloodlines 2.”
Developing…
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Lost Skies has left its early access release today, entering into its 1.0 version of the game. If you feel slightly surprised by that news, so do I, because it only launched into early access in April of this year, pretty much exactly five months ago. Every game will do early access differently of course, but it seems like Lost Skies could have done with a bit more time in the oven.
Still Stars Echo is a “meditative space odyssey” with minimalist puzzles that takes you on a journey across the galaxy to uncover the mystery behind a lost civilization. It’s in development for PC and due out in 2026.
There’s no combat and you can’t fail, so you can just mellow out and traverse through Still Stars Echo’s five chapters, solving puzzles along the way. But as the saying goes, it’s not always about the destination but the journey itself, and Still Stars Echo promises a myriad of massive environments and an atmospheric soundtrack that developer Semidome, Inc. recommends you experience with headphones on. Check out the reveal trailer above and the first screenshots in the gallery below.
You can wishlist Still Stars Echo on Steam if you’re interested.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
The long-awaited next-generation entry in the skateboarding series Skate is finally here, and some of the best moments we’ve seen shared by players so far don’t even include a skateboard.
A cursory glance on social media will bring up a whole host of viral clips wherein players are rolling, spread-eagling, falling, and sliding across Skate’s maps. Or, as this player puts it: “Bro what am I even playing rn why is this faster than skating.”
Apparently, anyone can move like this, too. As KontoLetzPlay explains, you just need to hold forward and then move back and forth between a roll and a spread eagle as you go.
“The roll is quick and pushing off with a jump in the roll is good,” they said. “Meanwhile; the spread eagle gives you speed in the air, as well as a slight boost once you land on the ground, since it puts you into a slide. It’s extremely simple, but it does take some slight getting used to, considering the devs definitely didn’t build the movement to be used this way. But it’s just: Roll > Push off from roll > spread eagle > automatically land in a slide > slide into a roll > push off from roll > repeat.”
Flailing around the map hijinx aside, Steam reviews suggests not everyone’s having as good a time, though, as the 6,300+ user reviews left so far have put Skate on a ‘Mixed’ aggregate score, with PC players complaining of crashing, poor voice acting, and “missing” features like Hall of Meat and Pro Skaters.
“If you’re looking for a true successor to Skate 1, 2, and 3, this isn’t it,” wrote one reviewer. “Aside from the controls, every other gameplay element from the previous titles has been stripped away. No Hall of Meat, no Game of Skate, no missions or storylines with real-life pros. In their absence, we got a soulless cash-grab with a fully functional cash shop inside a 7GB beta. I can’t believe I waited years for this.”
“Online only slop with day one server issues, same challenges over and over for ripoff chips for a spin on the lootbox casino for frankly terrible cosmetics, none of the gamemodes that made the previous games fun, No S.k.a.t.e, deathraces, own the spot career or hall of meat, the art style is not what the devs promised in earlier playtest builds, character creation and customisation is abysmal,” opined one unhappy player.
It’s not all bad news, though. “I figured people would review bomb it when it came out,” said a less critical fan. “Listen, this game is great. It’s one of the best feeling skate games that we have out right now. I understand people are upset about no story mode and missing features but it’s in early access… what don’t people understand about that?”
“I can clearly see the direction developer Full Circle is taking the series, but I can also say that Skate is shaping up to be a game worthy of being the long-awaited sequel to 2010’s Skate 3,” IGN wrote in our Skate hands-on preview earlier this year. “The gameplay seems refined and lives up to its predecessors, the world is big and fun to explore, and the overall sandbox’s ‘do what you want’ vibe is really making me look forward to diving back in.”
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.
Supermassive Games have put out a demo for Little Nightmares 3, so you can give the spooky co-op puzzler a whirl before it arrives in October. “Step into the Necropolis“, the studio say. Go on then, that sounds like it has zero potential to end badly.
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.
