Spider-Man 2 on PC was shaping up to be surprisingly performant once its system requirements were revealed. However, the Nixxes-developed port has debuted to a ‘mixed’ Steam user review rating, with many players complaining about technical issues.
Currently, 55% of Spider-Man 2’s Steam reviews are positive. “Despite having a high-end GPU and running the latest Nvidia drivers (5.66.36), the game frequently crashes,” said one RTX 4090 user. Another read: “The game is completely unplayable on PC. The game crashes to desktop every five minutes. I have already requested a refund.”
“Hold off on buying until they get a couple of stabilization patches out because holy hell,” one reviewer added. “To say this is ‘rough’ is an understatement. Lighting doesn’t load in some cutscenes, those same scenes run at seconds-per-frame, audio desync issues up the wazoo, freezing, stuttering, and just about every other performance issue I can think of.
“I’m gonna get a refund for now because frankly, there’s other stuff I could use $70 for right now.”
The main issue appears to be that the game’s graphics controller crashes frequently, even with users on higher-end PCs. According to one reviewer, the error reads: “A problem has occurred with your display driver. This can be caused by out of date drivers, using game settings higher than your GPU can handle, an overheating GPU, or an error with the game. Please try updating your graphics drivers, or lowering your in-game settings.”
Other users have complained that features like DLSS and ray tracing are not working properly, while others have mentioned long loading times, missing textures, and audio issues.
Several players alleged that performance can also stutter after several hours of gameplay, before leading to a hard crash. Some believe a memory leak could cause the problems.
Nixxes has responded to the reported crashes on the Steam forums, stating to one user: “Sorry to hear you are experiencing issues.
“Please refer to the troubleshooting guides on the Nixxes Support website and contact us if the problem persists. Make sure to include your logs and crash dumps as outlined on the support website, so we can troubleshoot as quickly as possible.”
Additionally, Nixxes was made aware of other bugs that can occur during the photo-op missions in Spider-Man 2. “We are aware of a bug that can occur if your framerate is very low during this scene (below 20 FPS). As a workaround, try lowering your graphics settings and or resolution to pass this point.”
Sayem is a freelancer based in the UK, covering tech & hardware. You can get in touch with him at @sayem.zone on Bluesky.
Developer Bombservice and publisher PLAYISM have announced that Momodora: Moonlit Farewell will be launching on the Nintendo Switch eShop on 6th February 2025.
Serving as a sequel to the excellent Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (which we awarded a coveted score of 9/10), Moonlit Farewell carries over the same stunning pixel-art visuals and fast-paced metroidvania action teeming with awesome boss fights.
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket received its Space Time Smackdown expansion yesterday, January 30, and players have expressed shock and heartbreak at one specific card’s artwork that depicts a particularly brutal scene for Pokémon.
The card in question is Weavile ex, and while this comes in three separate forms, it’s the 2 Star full art card that has fans in an uproar. In the artwork, below, a group of Weavile are hiding in the treetops with claws at the ready, preparing to prey on an innocent Swinub.
“No Swinub,” look up! Look up!” reads a Reddit post featuring the artwork with nearly 10,000 upvotes. “Always got to be one card per set that shows Pokémon in the process of straight up killing each other,” one user replied. “Leave the lil guy alone,” said another.
“The ecology of Pokémon is always so crazy to imagine,” another fan added. “Like these are still animals, some smarter than others. Just they have the ability to fire laser beams.”
Some are choosing to believe the full art card for Mamoswine, the final evolution of Swinub, depicts a happy ending though, as it shows the mammoth pocket monster looking up while protecting a handful of Swinub.
“Hey, Mamoswine protected his baby. Don’t worry. He most definitely saw those Weaviles,” said one desperate fan. “The Mamoswine alt card already looks above. He saw them. He saw…” said another.
Space Time Smackdown arrived as a Pokémon Diamond and Pearl themed set bringing the likes of Weavile and Mamoswine alongside Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and more. It includes a total of 207 cards and is therefore significantly smaller than Genetic Apex’s 286. That being said, 52 of these are the alternate art, Star and Crown rarity cards, and as Genetic Apex had 60 of these, there is a higher percentage of rare pieces to collect.
Creatures Inc. still hasn’t commented on the controversial trading update which arrived the day before, with its social media accounts and the game itself only really focusing on Space Time Smackdown. It also failed to respond to IGN’s request for comment.
A “Trade Feature Celebration Gift” did arrive with 500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses (the former of which is enough to trade a single ex Pokémon), but the developer has otherwise remained quiet on fan complaints.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
The creator of frying pan simulator Arctic Eggs is working on a fishing game that I am certain will replicate the act of angling in an entirely ordinary and accurate fashion. Its approach to hooks, lines, and sinkers will combine the fishing from Animal Crossing, Sega Bass Fishing, and Webfishing, says developer The Water Museum in a post on Bluesky. It may have a splash of Dredge when it comes to inventory management too. Oh, also, a strange man might imply you are “disappointing someone”. Nothing to worry about. And the ocean may or may not turn completely red. These decisions have not been finalised. Everything is okay. It is possible the fish are safe to eat.
Cardy, Jesse, and Wes are here to go through some of Xbox’s most famous franchises, and rank each of them in tier lists based on which they enjoy the most. Is Halo still S-tier? Can Playground’s Fable return the series back to its Lionhead heights? Does anyone want a new Fuzion Frenzy? Some of these questions will be answered.
Remember to send us your thoughts about all the new games, TV shows, and films you’re enjoying or looking forward to: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.
Heya PlayStation fans. It’s time to grab your Glider and hop off the Battle Bus as Fortnite OG Chapter 1 Season 2 is now here. This Season brings back some of your favorite OG POIs like Shifty Shafts, Junk Junction, and of course, Tilted Towers.
Unleash your inner Fort Knight as Fortnite’s new OG Season will bring back OG loot like the Boogie Bomb, Minigun, and more. Fortnite OG Chapter 1 Season 2 starts today and wraps up March 25, 2025. Let’s dive in a little more on what to expect from this blast from the past:
Revisit your old haunting grounds at these Chapter 1 Season 2 POIs:
Go Full Tilt at Tilted Towers
Ah, Tilted Towers, the concrete jungle…, it’s a beautiful sight with its towering high-rises. This fan-favorite POI is home to Chests, high vantage points, and danger. Not to mention, it’s loot-a-palooza with the slew of apartment complexes and offices. Let’s be honest, we all know you’re gonna drop here first.. And potentially 99 of your opponents.
Find your function at the Junk Junction
A plethora of loot awaits you in this scrapyard paradise, but stay alert— at Junk Junction, every car stack and rubbish pile could be obscuring a sneaky opponent. Be sure to stop by (or harvest) the iconic Metal Llama on your way out.
Hide or shriek at the Haunted Hills
The dilapidated Haunted Hills lurk just below Junk Junction on the Island. It is full of abandoned tombs, crumbling architecture, and probably creeping opponents, too.
Cause chaos at Snobby Shores
Snobby Shores is the perfect place to be as unneighborly as possible.. Rumor has it there’s an underground bunker hiding in this upscale community… Will you be the first to find it?
Hit paydirt at the Shifty Shafts
Shift to the past, shift into Shifty Shafts. This POI has a labyrinth of tunnels waiting to be explored. Navigating the tunnels may lead to some close-quarters combat, but considering the amount of loot down here, it’s high risk, high reward.
Swimmin’ in a reminiscin’ loot pool
Throughout OG Chapter 1 Season 2, the loot pool will expand with gear from the classic Chapter 1 Season 2:
Small Shield Potion (live now.)– Want to quickly pump up your Shield? This is your go-to drink, offering 25 Shield each ‘til you’re at 50.
Multi-Surface Damage Trap (live now.)– Get to the point. Place this upgraded Damage Trap on a floor, ceiling, or wall to ambush unsuspecting enemies.
Boogie Bomb – Let the rhythm take over and turn the tide of battle in style. This funky orb unleashes a momentary, disco-fueled dance party on your foes. (And yourself if you’re not careful.)
Suppressed Pistol – Get the drop on your opponents, stealthy style.. Be quick on the draw and even quicker on the reload to make the most of this sneaky sidearm.
Cozy Campfire – Nothing’s better than sitting ‘round the campfire with your squad. Huddle around this benign Trapand restore your HP for up to 25 seconds at 2 HP per second.
Chug Jug – It’s comforting to have this beverage in your back pocket (even though it’s probably really heavy).Yes, it takes quite a bit to consume, but it grants full Health and full Shield.
Minigun – Mow down the scenery with the Minigun. . Don’t get carried away though — firing for too long will make you vulnerable due to the Minigun’s prolonged cooldown period.
Crossbow – Let arrows fly with the Crossbow. Fun fact: The Crossbow was first introduced as Cupid’s Crossbowbefore becoming the Crossbow in Season 3.
Impulse Grenade – How you use this item will likely depend on your inner impulse. Will you be defensive and launch yourself away from incoming attacks, or be offensive and send enemies off high places towards elimination?
Unlock costalgia-infused rewards in the Chapter 1 Season 2 OG Pass
An all-new OG Pass is here with 45 tiers of rewards based on the classic Chapter 1 Season 2. Specifically, unlock items inspired by Sparkle Specialist and Black Knight, which were Outfits in the Chapter 1 Season 2 Battle Pass, and Cuddle Team Leader — an Outfit that made its Shop debut in Chapter 1 Season 2.
Like with the other Passes in Fortnite, unlock and claim rewards in the OG Pass by earning XP in any Fortnite experience. The OG Pass is a single track of both free and premium rewards. To claim the premium rewards as you earn XP, purchase the OG Pass for only 1,000 V-Bucks or get it through Fortnite Crew. Included as premium rewards, there are three Outfits in the OG Pass:
Sparkle Diva: Shine in style. (Sparkle Diva is claimable right away upon purchasing the OG Pass)
Cuddle Team Specialist: Strategy. Stealth. Snuggles.
Knight Conqueror: The snarling scourge of Fatal Fields.
There’s plenty more to unlock in the Pass as well. The Chapter 1 Season 2 OG Pass is full of accessories like Back Blings, Gliders, and Pickaxes. For example, be prepared to shine wherever you go with the Sparkle Satchel Back Bling, fly in on bearcraft with the Cuddle Team Sierra Glider, and don’t axe twice with the Conqueror’s Axe Pickaxe.
This Season’s OG Pass also has an unlockable alt Style for each Outfit, and for many of the accessories. The Pass will be available to progress in until the Season ends March 25, 2025.
Whether you’ve been playing Fortnite long enough to remember the classic Chapter 1 Season 2 — or will be experiencing Chapter 1 Season 2 for the very first time — we look forward to seeing you in OG!
Here’s how they could compare to the current Switch cases.
We don’t have a release date for the Switch 2 and we also don’t know what its game cartridges will look like just yet, but it seems we might already have “leaked proportions” of the new system’s physical game cases.
French retailer ‘Fnac’ has reportedly shared the dimensions of the Switch 2’s plastic game packaging, with the new case design said to be 13cm wide and around 19.5cm in length (via ‘Necro’ Felipe Lima of Universo Nintendo):
Midnight Society, the game studio co-founded by stream Guy ‘Dr. Disrespect’ Beahm, has announced that it will be closing its doors and canceling its FPS game, Deadrop.
The studio announced its closure on a post on X writing, “Today we are announcing Midnight Society will be closing its doors after three incredible years, with an amazing team of over 55 developers[.]” The studio added a call asking if any studio is hiring and could offere employment opportunities to its team members.
Midnight Society was founded by Beahm, as well as veterans of games like Call of Duty and Halo Robert Bowling and Quinn Delhyo. The studio’s first game, Deadrop was meant to be a free-to-play FPS that would build on the team’s expertise. Deadrop was targeting a 2024 release, but missed their target.
Midnight Society parted ways with Beahm in 2024 after the streamer announced exchanging messages with a minor through Twitch’s Whispers feature that “sometimes leaned too much in the direction of being inappropriate.” Despite the split, Midnight Society continued development on Deadrop until this year when it shut down.
The game was set in a fictional universe where “the 80s never ended,” according to the studio. Images shared by Midnight Soceity shows characters wearing Daft Punk-like helments and wielding guns and swords. The gameplay was set to be a PvPvE style extraction shooter.
Midnight Society joins the list of studios that have experienced closure or layoffs in this difficult time for the games industry that has impacted companies like Ubisoft, BioWare, Phoenix Labs, and many many more.
Xbox’s popular racing game Forza Horizon 5 is heading to PlayStation.
In a surprise announcement, Playground Games announced that the most recent Forza Horizon game is coming to PS5 this spring. It will be the latest Xbox exclusive heading to the PlayStation console following Bethesda games like Starfield, Sea of Thieves, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
The PS5 version was developed by Panic Button in partnership with Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games and will feature the same content as the Xbox and PC version. Furthermore, Car Packs, and the Hot Wheels and Rally Adventure expansions will also be included.
The move comes amid growing interest from Xbox in releasing its games on non-Xbox platforms including PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, with Xbox boss Phil Spencer confirming its intention to support the Switch 2.
In the most recent investor call, Microsoft revealed that while Indiana Jones and the Great Circle reached 4 million players, and Game Pass on PC grew 30% to increase services revenue by 2%, overall gaming revenue fell with console sales dropping nearly 30%. This may incentivize Xbox to prioritize Game Pass and push for more games on other hardware.
Forza Horizon 5 is the continuation of the open world racing series. A little more arcade than its racing sim sibling, Forza Mortorsport, Forza Horizon 5 allows drivers to race and explore beautiful Mexico. You can read our full review here.
