Category: Video Games

Don’t Nod Announces Layoffs That Could Impact Up to 69 Workers

Don’t Nod’s ongoing struggles continue, with the company announcing it’s preparing to implement a reorganization that could result in layoffs of up to 69 employees.

The announcement comes with the company’s financial results for the first half of the year today, which showed an 11% year-over-year decline in operating revenue. Per the company, the decline is the result of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden and Jusant not performing as well as expected.

“Our half-year results for 2024 reflect the economic underperformance of our latest release, despite solid ratings on Metacritic, as well as the accounting impact of the decisions we had to take,” said CEO Oskar Guilbert in a statement. “The initial performance support measures announced last spring no longer seem sufficient to maintain the company’s competitiveness. As a result, today we presented a reorganization project to the employee representative bodies, which could set Don’t Nod on a new development trajectory. I am fully conscious of the impact this project may have on all our employees. Securing our company’s resources and restoring its ability to perform more in an increasingly competitive and selective industry is extremely necessary.”

Our half-year results for 2024 reflect the economic underperformance of our latest release, despite solid ratings on Metacritic

The company has already taken some restructuring measures to reduce costs, including “pressing pause” on two unannounced projects. However, this seems to not be enough, as Don’t Nod is also expecting to lay off a number of individuals in the coming months. The exact number is still in flux, as Don’t Nod management must negotiate with employee union representatives and may implement other measures such as a voluntary redundancy plan. Notably, earlier this year, the representative French union Le Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV) accused the company of mismanagement, claiming employees were facing burnout due to the ongoing reorganization and that communication, understaffing, and shifting deadlines were endangering the workforce.

According to a games industry layoff tracker, over 13,000 game developers have been laid off just this year (including 32 just yesterday at Riot Games). Over 10,000 developers were laid off in 2023 and over 8,000 in 2022. We’ve previously reported on how the ongoing industry mass layoffs have impacted those affected by them.

Don’t Nod has said that Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is still on track for its February 18, 2025 release, and that two other projects in development are expected to release before the end of 2027.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

The Best TV for PlayStation 5 Pro Is on Sale Today

One of the best high-end TV deals is discounted early for Black Friday. Amazon is offering the 65″ LG Evo C3 4K OLED Smart TV for only $1,296.99. This is a 2023 model that has been superseded by the 2024 C4 model, however both TVs have nearly identical picture quality and the C4 is $300 more expensive right now.

LG’s C-series OLED TVs have won top spots in several of our buying guides, including best 4K TV, best TV for gaming, and best TV for the PlayStation 5. It’s a great match for the new and more powerful PlayStation 5 Pro that’s currently up for preorder.

65″ LG Evo C3 4K OLED Smart TV: The Best PS5 TV

The C3 is the previous generation 2023 model among LG’s highly vaunted C-series OLED TV lineup. Compared to a traditional LED LCD TV, an OLED TV offers superior image quality, near-infinite blacks, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times. The C3 uses LG’s Evo panel, which offers higher brightness levels than traditional OLED TVs. Because of these advantages, the OLED TV excels at displaying 4K HDR content in all of its intended glory. Compared to other OLED TVs, LG has the most generations of updates and improvements.

The C3 also has all the features you’d want in a gaming TV. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports all capable of up to 120Hz refresh rate at 4K resolution. That’s great news for PS5 (and now PS5 Pro), Xbox Series X, and PC gamers, since several games can be played at frame rates of 120fps. The C3 also supports variable refresh rate (VRR) including Nvidia G-Sync and auto low latency mode (ALLM). When connected to a PC, it supports chroma 4:4:4 for better text legibility.

A particularly nice feature that isn’t advertised often is the surprisingly light weight of the C3. The 65″ TV weighs in at only 36.6 pounds without the stand. That’s because the rear cabinet housing is made of a composite fiber that’s lighter than the plastics most TVs use. It might not matter much in the long term, but this is a welcome advantage when you are first setting up your TV, especially if you plan on wall mounting.

What’s the difference between the 2023 C3 and the 2024 C4?

The LG Evo C3 is a 2023 model, just one year behind the 2024 LG Evo C4. So what are the differences? Aside from the $300 price difference, not much. The most important trait – picture quality – is more or less identical. Where the C4 improves on the C3 are an upgraded processor, newer WebOS smart interface, and a higher 144Hz refresh rate, all of which are updates that you may very well never notice.

Should You Buy Now or Wait for Black Friday?

Although this is an extremely good discount for one of our favorite gaming TVs, you may be wondering if you should wait until Black Friday to make a purchase. Black Friday 2024 will definitely have more options available, however if this particular model drops in price even more, it certainly won’t be by too much. Whatever you decide, this discount makes this easily one of the best TV deals right now.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

New trailer for Mass Effect wannabe Exodus features space-capable flesh cathedral whisperingly described by Matthew McConaughey

Archetype Entertainment and Blur Studio’s space RPG Exodus was announced back in December, and was broadly notable for a couple of things: 1) Matthew McConaughey plays a character, and 2) the game’s story is woven around time dilation during faster than light travel, with star-hopping adventurers prosecuting a fight against evil Celestials over hundreds, perhaps thousands of years.

Now, it is notable for three things, the third thing being a cosmic blubber-spire of gurning faces who want to eat your ship and soul. Say hello to the Mara Yama, the ickiest Celestial faction so far. Here’s a trailer, in which McConaughey does that thing where he lingers on the sibilants and makes you want to lean in and vigorously mess up his hair.

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Experience True Hockey Intelligence in EA Sports NHL 25 With EA Play

Experience True Hockey Intelligence in EA Sports NHL 25 With EA Play

  • Charlie FortescueDirector, Global Corporate Communications, EA

EA Play October Hero

The latest evolution of the iconic hockey game series, EA Sports NHL 25, is out now! EA Play members can skate onto the rink now with a 10-hour trial of the game (conditions, limitations and exclusions apply – see here for details) and experience unstoppable one-timers and heart-pumping breakways

NHL 25 is powered by Ice-Q, a new gameplay intelligence system that lets you control every inch of the ice. Experience true hockey intelligence with the modernized skating of Next-Gen Vision Control, an overhaul of Chel’s AI player movement, authentic Reactive Action animations and more.

EA Play members can also fly down the ice in style with in-game rewards including World of Chel Coins and Battle Pass XP Modifiers. Plus, those who decide to buy after their trial will have their progress carry over to the full game and they’ll get 10% off, thanks to EA Play’s member discount.

In addition to a NHL 25 trial, EA Play offers a variety of content to members each month. This month’s offerings can be found below:

EA Play October Rewards
  • Apex Legends Golden Generator Weapon Charm – Now to November 4
  • Battlefield 2042 Veridian Flux – Now to October 29
  • EA Sports F1 24 5000 XP Boost – Now to October 31
  • EA Sports College Football 25 Loyalist Ultimate Team Pack – Now to October 31
  • Madden NFL 25 MUT October Pack – Now to October 31
  • EA Sports FC 25 Clubs Teamwork Protective Glasses – Now to October 31
  • EA Sports FC 25 EA Play Welcome Pack– Now to October 31
  • EA Sports FC 25 Ultimate Team Draft Token – Now to November 14
  • EA Sports NHL 25 3000 CHEL Coins – Now to December 5
  • EA Sports NHL 25 WOC Battle Pass XP Modifier Tokens – Now to December 5

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members receive EA Play with their Game Pass subscription. Members can experience the world of EA with unlimited access to a collection of top titles, trials of select new games, in-game member rewards and more. Members can unlock the thrill of their next favorite game with up to 10-hour trials of EA’s latest titles such as EA Sports FC 25, EA Sports NHL 25, EA Sports Madden NFL 25, EA Sports College Football 25, F1 24 and EA Sports WRC, in addition to access to an unrivaled collection of EA’s best-loved series and top titles, including Madden NFL 24, EA Sports FC 24 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Visit the EA Play page for more details, and to stay up to date on the latest from EA Play, follow EA Play on, Instagram, or X. Please see EA.com/EA-Play/Terms for terms and conditions.

The post Experience True Hockey Intelligence in EA Sports NHL 25 With EA Play appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Baldur’s Gate III Gets the Funko Pop! Treatment

It seems like there’s hardly a franchise that isn’t included as part of the massive Funko Pop! lineup. Now Funko is adding one of the biggest and best games of 2023 to its roster, as the company reveals a new line of Baldur’s Gate III-themed Funko Pop! toys.

Head to the slideshow gallery below to see all four figures included in this Pop! Games: Baldur’s Gate wave:

The Baldur’s Gate wave features three characters from the game and four figures in total. There are two versions of the High Elf Rogue Astarion, a standard version holding a dagger and a chase variant holding the Necromancy of Thay. Collectors have a 1-in-6 chance of receiving the chase version when they order Astarion.

Also featured in this wave are the Zariel Tiefling Barbarian Karlach holding her teddy Clive and the High Half-Elf Cleric Shadowheart.

These Baldur’s gate Funko Pop! figures are priced at $12 each and will be released in stores soon. You can find preorder links from Amazon below:

In other Baldur’s Gate III news, the massive Patch 7 is now available on PC, consoles, and Mac, bringing with it the very useful Mod Manager. Meanwhile, Larian Studios head Swen Vincke revealed it’ll be at least 2028 or 2029 before fans get to play the developer’s next game.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Knights In Tight Spaces kicks the Tight Fight formula in the direction of fantasy role-playing

The existence of Knights In Tight Spaces, sequel to Fights In Tight Spaces, implies the existence of an unknown quantity or perhaps, an infinity of follow-up games that rhyme with both of those. Frights In Tight Spaces is the obvious horror spin-off. Sleights In Tight Spaces would be an urban pick-pocketing sim. Fights In Trite Spaces is about arguing with people on social media. Ah, you could spend a whole article, indeed, a series of articles, just fleshing out the iterations. Fortunately, Knights In Tight Spaces has a new demo to distract me.

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Halo Infinite Battle Royale Was Real and ‘Could Have Been a Game Changer,’ Dev Says

The Halo Infinite battle royale mode which Microsoft reportedly scrapped was in fact real, with one developer saying it “could have been a game changer” for the beloved Xbox franchise.

GameSpot spotted mention of the Halo Infinite battle royale in the LinkedIn page of Mike Clopper, the former game director at Halo support studio Certain Affinity. Clopper now works for Raven Software.

“I led a large team of designers working on a canceled Battle Royale mode for Halo.” Clopper said. “I believe this product could have been a game changer for the franchise. We loved playing it and working on it was a fantastic experience in spite of its cancelation.”

I believe this product could have been a game changer for the franchise.

Though a Halo battle royale has been rumored for years following the success of the likes of PUBG and Fortnite, a report in January revealed it had been in development but is now shelved at Microsoft. Clopper is the first developer to comment on it publicly, however, with everyone else at Certain Affinity, Halo Studios, and Xbox all staying quiet.

Certain Affinity president and COO Paul Sams did tease a large project in September 2022 though, and Certain Affinity itself posted on X/Twitter in April 2022 to say it was “further evolving Halo Infinite in some new and exciting ways.”

Halo has otherwise undergone some dramatic changes over the last few years, most recently with developer 343 Industries being rebranded as Halo Studios. This came after player numbers for Halo Infinite dropped off dramatically after launch as fans expressed frustration over a lack of content, poor progression systems, monetization, and more.

Microsoft is seemingly trying to restore some excitement to the flagship Xbox franchise with the rebrand, however. It also announced a shift to Unreal Engine 5 and said “multiple projects” are in development.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

No More Room In Hell 2 nails the terror of being isolated in a zombie outbreak, although you can just hide on a table if you want

Ah, what a pickle I’ve gotten myself into. I need to climb down from this table if I’m ever going to meet up with my teammates and finish the game, but the stupid zombies cannot get me if I stay up here. It’s an absolute gherkin, I tell you. A real cornichonundrum.

The steel pipe in my right hand is doing a decent job of whittling them down, and the torch in my left lets me see the expressions of impotent rage on their flaky faces. Still, the pipe won’t last forever – this is videogame steel, the crumbliest steel there is. Thank god No More Room In Hell 2 doesn’t bother with the hunger or rest parts of the survival equation. I can, in theory, stay on this table forever.

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BioWare Confirms Dragon Age: The Veilguard PS5 Pro Enhancements

Dragon Age: The Veilguard developer BioWare has revealed exactly how its upcoming fantasy role-playing sequel will benefit from PS5 Pro.

BioWare said in a blog post that Dragon Age: The Veilguard includes fidelity and performance modes targeting 30 frames per second and 60 frames per second respectively on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, but it is also “specifically enhanced” for the $700 PS5 Pro.

PS5 Pro has an AI-powered upscaling feature called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) that can automatically improve the image clarity of games, but PS5 Pro Enhanced games take particular advantage of the beefier mid-gen upgrade’s features.

According to BioWare technical director Maciej Kurowski, Dragon Age: The Veilguard “will lean into the power that PS5 Pro unlocks”, and that players “will immediately notice the improved experience with PS5 Pro.”

What this amounts to in-game is an improvement to both the aforementioned fidelity and performance modes on PS5 Pro, including improved resolution in 30fps fidelity and 60fps performance modes. Meanwhile, Kurowski said there will be “various improved visual settings” across 30fps fidelity and 60fps performance mode on PS5 Pro.

“The team at BioWare is proud of how immersed players will be when they enter the beautiful world of Thedas, with upgraded image quality thanks to Sony’s new AI-based upscaler, PSSR,” Kurowski continued. To that end, BioWare has enabled Raytraced Ambient Occlusion (RTAO) in the 60fps performance mode, which previously was only available on the base PS5 with 30fps fidelity mode.

This realizes Sony’s expectation that PS5 Pro will let players enjoy all the visual bells and whistles normally reserved for fidelity or quality modes in higher frame-rate performance modes.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard joins the likes of God of War Ragnarok and Diablo 4 in a list of over 60 games with confirmed PS5 Pro Enhanced updates, according to eagle-eyed fans who’ve been keeping an eye on the PlayStation Store (IGN has a list of all the PS5 Pro Enhanced games so far).

At a recent PS5 Pro preview event, we spoke with the technical leads of some of PlayStation’s biggest games, including Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and The Last of Us Part 2, to discuss the improvements fans can expect to see now there’s a more powerful PS5 on the market.

In another interview with IGN, Saber Interactive chief creative officer Tim Willits said he’s hopeful the PS5 Pro will improve Space Marine 2 by default via PSSR, but did not confirm a PS5 Pro Enhanced patch.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard launches on October 31, with PS5 Pro following on November 7.

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.