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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Twitch have temporarily banned an account run by streamer Asmongold, otherwise known as Zack Hoyt, after he expressed genocidal sentiments about Israel’s killing of Palestinian people in Gaza. According to the eSports journalist Rod Breslau, he’s been sent to the naughty step for a grand total of two weeks, which I’m sure will be a huge inconvenience and will really teach him the error of his ways. Assuming Breslau’s sources are accurate, it’s a great demonstration of Twitch’s tolerance for streamers with big audiences, the kind of slap on the wrist you’d expect from a platform that recently reinstated Donald Trump’s account after banning him in 2021 for the charge of inciting an insurrection.
After axing 530 jobs across the company this January, League of Legends developer Riot Games has announced that a second wave of layoffs has put a further 32 members of staff out of work.
In a statement released to Eurogamer, a Riot Games spokesperson confirmed that the majority of those affected come from the League of Legends team, with 27 roles being cut. A further five roles have been cut from the publishing department.
Uncover the Truth – The Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection is Here
Mekias Bekalu, Product Marketing Manager, Xbox Accessories
As Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 approaches, we’re excited to introduce the Black Ops 6 Collection—a range of thoughtfully designed accessories that bring the covert operations of the Black Ops series to life. The collection includes the Xbox Wireless Controller, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, and the Xbox Series X Wrap. Each piece is crafted to capture the tension and intrigue of the ’90s spy thriller theme, with visual elements that immerse players deeper into the game’s world.
The Black Ops 6 controllers are available to customize and purchase now, exclusively through Xbox Design Lab. Players can also get their hands on the Xbox Series X Wrap – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 available for pre-order exclusively from the Microsoft Store. For a limited time, when you pre-order the Xbox Series X Wrap – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 from the Microsoft Store, players will receive a one-hour 2XP token for use in Black Ops 6.
Inspired by the covert, clandestine forces and spy action thriller nature of the new game, the Xbox Wireless Controller – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 captures the intrigue of Black Ops 6 with striking visual elements. The top case and side caps feature a layered pattern of redacted documents, hidden coordinates, and concealed Black Ops symbols, representing a campaign shrouded in secrecy. Choose from a range of Call of Duty-inspired color options for buttons, triggers, and grips, and complete the look with metallic upgrades for added tactical appeal.
Personalize your setup further by selecting rubberized side and back grips for extra control or adding a custom engraved message over the classified intel, making your controller a true piece of spy craft. Whether you switch between stealth operations in the Campaign, high-octane Multiplayer showdowns, or thrilling Zombies action, the Xbox Wireless Controller is ready to keep up — featuring Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth technology for seamless connectivity to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android, and select Samsung and Amazon Fire TV devices (see xbox.com/controller-compatibility for more details).
For those seeking the next-level edge in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 delivers pro-level performance wrapped in a design inspired by the game’s gritty ’90s spy thriller aesthetic. The controller features the same sleek Black Ops 6 top case with redacted text, tactical schematics, and hidden insignia—a homage to covert operations. The specialized neural-textured front grips that the Elite Series 2 not only enhances control, but also incorporates the controller artwork on top of the grips.
Customize your Elite controller further by selecting from metal D-pads and metallic triggers and utilize the four interchangeable back paddles to map critical moves to how you choose to play. The adjustable-tension thumbsticks are perfect for mastering Black Ops 6’s new Omnimovement mechanics, and shorter hair trigger locks help tailor your controller to match your playstyle.
Choose from your favorite set of Call of Duty-inspired button designs and finishes and add a custom top case engraving to complete the look—transforming the Elite Series 2 into a one-of-a-kind controller that balances both style and performance for the ultimate Black Ops experience. Create your perfect Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 controller combination with Xbox Design Lab and play like a pro on Xbox console, PC, and cloud. Visit Xbox Design Lab for additional information.
Complete your Call of Duty setup with the Xbox Series X Wrap – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, designed to give your console a striking new look that embodies the covert intrigue of the Black Ops series. Featuring a layered design inspired by ’90s spy thriller themes, the wrap’s exterior showcases a mind-bending array of redacted documents, classified files, and Black Ops 6 Campaign references. Beneath the intricate surface pattern reveals even more hidden details, nodding to the game’s complex narrative and iconic Zombies mode.
The precision-fit wrap is built with solid panels and a high-quality fabric finish, making it a perfect match for your Xbox Series X. It’s fastened with Velcro enclosures, making installation and removal quick and tool-free—no adhesives or complex setups required. The inside sleeve features a clean, dotted gray pattern marked with the Call of Duty logo in white, and each wrap includes a removable cover for the disc drive to ensure compatibility across all Xbox Series X consoles. The Xbox Series X Wrap – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a must-have for fans looking to transform their console into a true piece of Black Ops memorabilia. Preorder exclusively from the Microsoft Store now through October 22, 2024 and, for a limited time, receive a one-hour 2XP token for use in Black Ops 6.
Now’s the time to gear up for the newest high-octane entry in the popular Black Ops series with this complete accessory collection. The new Xbox Wireless Controller – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available now starting at $84.98 USD ERP and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available now, starting $164.98 USD ERP, exclusively through Xbox Design Lab, where you can customize each controller to make it your own. The Xbox Series X Wrap – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available for pre-order exclusively from the Microsoft Store for 54.99 USD ERP. The console wrap will be released on October 23 for purchase through Microsoft Store as well as Xbox Design Lab in all Xbox Design Lab markets where Microsoft Store is present.
We’re also excited to introduce the latest additions to the Xbox Icon Collection. Inspired by the same striking visual elements featured on the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 controllers, the new hoodie and new joggers are now available exclusively at the Xbox Gear Shop.
Hi everyone, I’m Jenn, Lead Writer and Voice Producer on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Since revealing the game in June, we’ve been blown away by its reception (and impressed by the eagle-eared listeners who identified the voices in the trailers). It brings us great pleasure to finally reveal our English voice cast and share some more information about our characters and their world.
We’ve lived and breathed these characters for the past few years, so it was surreal and an honor to witness our incredible voice cast bring them to life.
The actors were phenomenal to work with (and just all-around great people). We had a lot of fun during the recording sessions. The cast beautifully conveyed the complexity of the characters, who have each been shaped by the harshness of their world. Every character has been affected by deep and constant loss and has dealt with this in their own way.
Previously, we introduced four of the characters.
Charlie Cox (Daredevil) is the voice of Gustave, the lead engineer of Expedition 33. Gustave grew up in Lumière under the Paintress’ shadow and has devoted his life to safeguarding the city. With his final year ticking away, Gustave is hell-bent on defeating the Paintress and reclaiming a future for Lumière’s children.
Jennifer English (Baldur’s Gate 3) plays Maelle, a shy loner eager to escape the constraints of Lumière. Orphaned as a child, Maelle has always felt like an outsider. Her only connection is with Gustave, her foster brother. She is the youngest member of the Expedition, at 16, and sees this as her chance to finally explore the world beyond.
Kirsty Rider (Sandman) voices Lune, the chief researcher of the Expedition. Lune is intensely driven in her quest to defeat the Paintress and complete the work of her parents. She feels keenly the weight of responsibility and the gravity of the stakes involved.
Shala Nyx (The Old Guard) voices Sciel, a calm and cheerful warrior unfazed by the obstacles ahead. Overcoming her past has allowed her to accept the odds against them. They will do all in their power, and it will either be enough or it won’t.
In our latest trailer, we introduce two new characters.
Many of you astutely identified the voice of our beloved Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI), who plays Verso, a dangerous stranger tracking the Expedition’s every move.
We asked Ben how he’d describe Verso, and he said, “lost, lonely, and dangerous,” and that he expects players to feel “every emotion imaginable” as they get to know his character.
Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings, Black Panther) plays the role of Renoir, a man relentlessly driven to save his family. He knows that victory demands sacrifice, and he’s ready to pay the price.
We also have the wonderful Rich Keeble and Maxence Cazorla playing two of our favorite characters. We’ll share more about them soon.
Developing the characters was a multi-part process, which included charting a detailed history of Lumière and each character’s family history and thinking through how prior generations responded to the Paintress. These factors all played a role in who each character is and what they are trying to overcome.
In many ways, the process of writing is the ultimate RPG. It’s an extended thought experiment where we place our characters, with their backstories, in these particular situations, and step into their shoes. What do they do? How do they feel? How have their past experiences shaped them, and how does that influence their choices today?
Cast and characters aren’t the only new elements in this trailer. Attentive fans may have recognized new locations, alongside new enemies. Golgra and The Tisseur are two fearsome adversaries who will test your reflexes in our reactive turn-based combat.
We’ve also highlighted more traversal elements within the game. The pictos-powered grapple allows members of the Expedition to summit heights and clear gaps, increasing the speed at which you can explore the world.
Developing the world, the story, and the characters has been deeply satisfying (and fun and engrossing and maddening). We are proud and excited to share the game with everyone when it releases in Spring 2025.
We hope you enjoyed today’s reveals! Stay tuned for more information about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. We have a great deal more to show you, including elements about the world, the gameplay, other characters, and sneak peek Behind the Scenes.
Eagle-eyed fans have also spotted a number of pieces of DLC neither Focus nor developer Saber Interactive have announced, although some of it has been strongly hinted at via datamining. First up, we see what looks like confirmation that the Ravenwing chapter of Space Marines is set to get a cosmetic pack after the Dark Angels get theirs.
In the video, we see the menu screen for the Dark Angles cosmetics, and at the top of the screen we can see the Raven Guard symbol next in-line.
Space Marine 2, which is set in Warhammer 40,000’s current and ongoing Indomitus Era, features Primaris (bigger, stronger, better) marines and thus focuses on the latest armor sets in the tabletop. However, this datamine suggests old favorites are potentially on the way, and it’s the “beaky” helmet popularized by the Raven Guard chapter of Space Marines that’s got Warhammer 40,000 fans most excited.
What we don’t know at this point is which Space Marine 2 class is set to receive the Raven Guard skin. The Heavy already has one, and, soon enough, the Bulwark will have its Dark Angels skin. That leaves the Assault, Sniper, Tactical, and Vanguard up for grabs.
The expectation is the Raven Guard skin won’t be released before 2025, with Season 2 set to kick off very soon and run until the end of the year. Season 3 sounds like a decent bet.
Meanwhile, fans have spotted additional Space Marine 2 successor chapters in the trailer. Redditor R97R compiled a helpful list, below:
Angels of Absolution
Angels of Redemption
Angels of Vengeance
The Unnamed
Blades of Vengeance
Cowled Wardens
Bringers of Judgement
Angels of Defiance (potentially)
Now here’s where things get really interesting, and credit to Warhammer 40,000 YouTuber Chapter Master Valrak for spotting this. At one point in the trailer, where we see a Space Marine battling a Thousand Sons Chaos Marine, we see what very much looks like a Tzaangor Shaman (the demon mounted atop a flying Disc of Tzeentch).
Check the out of focus Tzaangor Shaman in the top left of the screenshot below:
The addition of new enemies is on the Space Marine 2 roadmap, and indeed Focus has said Seasons 3 and 4 will add new Tyranid and Thousand Sons enemies. A Tzaangor Shaman would fit the bill, perhaps throwing magic bolts around in a new PvE Operations map.
Here’s an image of the Tzaangor Shaman model from Games Workshop itself:
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.
Astro Bot’s free post-launch speedrun levels kick off tomorrow, October 17, with a new one released every week.
Five new levels each with two new Special Bots to rescue begin rolling out from tomorrow with the release of the Building Speed level, Team Asobi studio director Nicolas Doucet said in a post on the PlayStation Blog.
“These levels will test your platforming skills and alongside an online leaderboard, will give you the chance to compete against all your PlayStation friends,” Doucet said.
“In Building Speed, with the help of Barkster, the bulldog booster, you will blast your way through a sky-high city,” Doucet continued. “Dodge cranes, smash through crates, and even speed through a flying car wash on the way to rescue your stranded crew.
“Following on from this we will release a brand new speedrun level each week, so by the time you have perfected every jump, hover and spin in one level, a new challenge will await you.”
All Astro Bot updates from October 17 to November 14 will be available every Thursday at 6am PT / 2pm BST / 10pm JST. This free DLC will end up adding 10 new Special Bots to the game. Sony has already revealed Eve from Stellar Blade and the Helldivers. “However, as for who is next, well that’s for you to find out,” teased Doucet. “So, get busy rescuing.”
Doucet then teased more post-launch support for Astro Bot, saying: “That’s all we have for today, however watch this space as there may be even more surprises coming soon.”
Sony’s critically acclaimed PS5-exclusive 3D platformer features 173 bot cameos from PlayStation games past and present (check out IGN’s feature, Astro Bot: Every PlayStation Character – Easter Eggs, for more). Iconic Final Fantasy characters are conspicuous by their absence, however — an omission fans were quick to pick up on in the context of Final Fantasy’s long-standing association with PlayStation. That means no Cloud from Final Fantasy 7, or any other character from the famous role-playing franchise.
Last month, Game File asked Doucet about Cloud’s absence from Astro Bot. According to Doucet, Team Asobi had hoped to get Cloud in the game but failed for some reason. “It’s difficult to comment on that,” Doucet said, before adding: “We really respect the choice of each publisher.”
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.
EA has pulled Plants vs. Zombies 3 offline for what it called a “major overhaul” as it works to once again improve the game before a worldwide launch.
In a blog post, EA said in-app purchases are no longer available and the game is no longer available to download. November 15, 2024 is the final day to play. After that, the servers go offline and Plants vs. Zombies 3 will be inaccessible in all territories.
Any earned or purchased coin balances as of November 15, 2024 will be saved as long as you’ve connected your account through Google Play, Apple ID, or your EA Account. Boosts, game progress (including levels and unlocked units), and narrative will all be reset.
Plants vs. Zombies 3: Welcome to Zomburbia is a 2024 free-to-play tower defense mobile game developed by EA-owned PopCap Games and published by EA on iPhone and Android in January this year. That followed a soft launch in select regions in 2020, a re-work and subsequent re-launch in April 2022, then another soft-launch in October 2022. A worldwide launch was then planned for later in 2024, but clearly PopCap is still working to get to the root of the game’s issues.
EA said it’s now “excited to re-tool” the game and “bring you an even better PvZ3 experience soon.”
“We’ve been grateful for your enthusiasm and feedback during our soft launch,” EA said. “We’ve always had love for our plants, and yes, even our zombies, and it has been a joy bringing life to Dave, his niece, Patrice, Nate, and many more in PvZ3. It’s clear that we’re onto something great and following the recent releases of Choose Your Seeds and the manual activation of Grapes of Wrath, we want to go even further to make the game truly special.
“That’s why we’re taking the game offline for a major overhaul, and we can’t wait to share what’s taking root!”
The Plants vs. Zombies franchise has suffered a difficult time in recent years, with various spin-offs failing to replicate the phenomenal popularity of the first two games. Fans often call on EA to release a third game in the third-person shooter spin-off series Garden Warfare, which has been dormant since the release of Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville in 2019.
A canceled single-player Plants vs. Zombies game had been in the works within EA from about 2015 to 2017. Read all about what happened to that in a special IGN investigation.
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.
