We had a sublime time with Castlevania Dominus Collection when it shadow-dropped onto Switch back in August and now Konami has released a new patch to make things that bit better.
The latest update is a small one, we’ll admit, but there are some nice tweaks here all the same. The most notable addition this time around is a new helping of Order of Ecclesia artwork in the Gallery Mode, though the ver. 1.0.1 patch also reproduces some of Portrait of Ruin‘s minor glitches (for some OG exploits) and fixes a bug in Dawn of Sorrow.
Coming to Game Pass: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, StarCraft & StarCraft II, and More
Megan Spurr, Senior Community Lead, Xbox Game Pass
Happy spooky season to those who celebrate! We have a collection of scary games for you to enjoy with Game Pass, while hiding under the blankets (or maybe that’s just how I play). And if you want to do something slightly less scary, we have a whole list of games for you to start pre-installing including more day one additions like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and more! Let’s get to the games.
Coming Soon
South Park: The Fractured but Whole (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 16 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
From the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, comes South Park: The Fractured but Whole, a sequel to 2014’s award-winning South Park: The Stick of Truth. Players will assume the role of the New Kid and join South Park favorites Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman in this hilarious and outrageous RPG adventure.
Donut County (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 17 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Making a return to the Game Pass library! Donut County is a story-based, physics puzzle game where you play as an ever-growing hole in the ground. Meet cute characters, steal their trash, and throw them in a hole.
MechWarrior 5: Clans (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – October 17 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one! In MechWarrior 5: Clans, players become new Smoke Jaguar pilots in the Clan Invasion of the Inner Sphere. Lead a five-mech “Star” squad across diverse planets, engaging in an expansive campaign with immersive gameplay and intricate combat. Armed with customizable BattleMechs featuring cutting-edge technologies, players explore a wealth of tactical options and strategic possibilities.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 25 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one! Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Developed by the award-winning teams at Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is an action thriller with a mind-bending narrative and unbound by the rules of engagement. This is signature Black Ops across a cinematic single-player Campaign, a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, and the epic return of Round-Based Zombies.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (Cloud) – October 25 Game Pass Ultimate
Coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) with Game Pass Ultimate! In the direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against the ultimate threat. The ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov is extending his grasp across the world causing Task Force 141 to fight like never before.
Call of Duty: Warzone (Cloud) – October 25 Game Pass Ultimate
Coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) with Game Pass Ultimate! Welcome to Call of Duty: Warzone, the massively popular free-to-play battle royale experience, which now features Urzikstan, Rebirth Island, and Fortune’s Keep.
Ashen (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 29 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Returning to the Game Pass library, Ashen is an open world co-op action RPG about a wanderer in search of a place to call home. As you adventure through the realm of Ashen, you’ll occasionally encounter other players in a passive, co-operative multiplayer open world. It’s up to you to decide how to deal with them – fight together against evil, invite them into your party, or simply ignore them.
Dead Island 2 (PC) – October 31 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on Cloud and Console and now coming to PC Game Pass! A deadly virus is spreading across Los Angeles, turning its inhabitants into zombies. Bitten, infected, but more than just immune, uncover the truth behind the outbreak and discover who – or what – you are. Survive, evolve and save the world!
StarCraft: Remastered (PC) – November 5 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Prepare to rediscover a classic. StarCraft: Remastered upgrades Blizzard Entertainment’s original sci-fi real-time strategy game and its acclaimed expansion, StarCraft: Brood War, from beginning to end. Experience the intergalactic battle between the terran, protoss, and zerg with improved graphics and audio, and the same classic gameplay that made StarCraft a global phenomenon.
StarCraft II: Campaign Collection (PC) – November 5 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
With millions of players already in the fight, StarCraft II has made gaming history. Now it’s your turn to take command and lead vast armies of terran, protoss and zerg to victory amongst the stars. Prepare for interstellar war, commander. You’re needed at the front. The StarCraft II: Campaign Collection includes Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, Legacy of the Void, and Nova Covert Ops.
DLC / Game Updates
Core Keeper Coming to Xbox One – October 17 Game Pass members on Xbox One will be able to dive into Core Keeper on October 17! Craft, build, and explore in a dynamic world. Develop your character, uncover ancient secrets, and engage in thrilling co-op or competitive play. Embrace the challenge and unearth the mysteries that await!
Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Monster Hunter Now: MHN Bundle – Available Now Claim one Ultra Hunting Ticket, 2 Paintballs, 2 Potions, a Magnamalo, and Rajang crafting materials for weapons and armor. This Perk content requires Monster Hunter Now (mobile) to use.
Throne and Liberty: Clay and Mischievous Bundle – Available Now Express yourself with this Clay Outfit in Xbox colorways and a Mischievous Youngster Amitoi to tag along on your adventures. Base game Throne and Liberty included with this Perk.
Free Digital Comic GONE #1 by Jock from DSTLRY– Available now On a distant, impoverished planet where resources are scarce, the best place to be is gone. Follow Abi’s epic sci-fi journey as she is swept light years into the cosmos. Written and drawn by Jock, from DSTLRY.
Leaving October 31
The following games will be leaving the Game Pass library soon, so be sure to jump back in and wrap up where you left off. Remember you can save up to 20% off your purchase with your membership discount to keep the good times going!
Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Headbangers (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Inkulinati (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Lonely Mountain’s Downhill (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Mineko’s Night Market (Cloud, Console, and PC)
We are super excited to see you jump into these games (including those checking out Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 with cloud gaming in case you missed that announcement yesterday!). We’ll be back in November with more games, and until then keep in touch with us across Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox. Talk soon!
Whether you realize it or not, music is connected to some of our strongest gaming memories. Whether it’s the rousing choir of the God of War games or the delicate flutes of Ghost of Tsushima, the PlayStation soundscape has created some of the most emotional moments I’ve experienced in entertainment.
I suspect I’m not alone in this. And so for the many live music lovers in our community, I’m pleased to share that the teams here at PlayStation have been working together with RoadCo Entertainment, and GEA Live to develop a groundbreaking live music event that brings our most iconic gaming soundtracks to life under the PlayStation banner for the first time. With a state-of-the-art production, this show will merge thrilling music, cutting-edge visuals, and legendary video game titles into an unforgettable experience.
PlayStation The Concert transports fans into the epic worlds of God of War, The Last of Us, Ghost of Tsushima, and Horizon franchises amongst many others that reflect our 30 years of making games that have not only captivated players but are celebrated for their breathtaking and immersive soundtracks too.
With innovative technology and world-class production, fans will experience a stunning fusion of multi-layered visuals, immersive surround sound, and an all-star ensemble blending classical and modern instruments. The legendary scores from composers like Gustavo Santaolalla (The Last of Us), Joris De Man (Horizon), Ilan Eshkeri (Ghost of Tsushima), and Bear McCreary (God of War) will reach new heights, offering fans a unique, deeply immersive live concert experience.
With video game music stepping into the global spotlight,PlayStation: The Concert is poised to redefine what a music experience can be. This is more than just a show; it’s the ultimate video game concert experience, embodying PlayStation’s innovative spirit and pushing the limits of what’s possible; from your console to stages around the world.
The global tour launches with a world premiere on April 15, 2025, in Dublin, Ireland, before heading to more than 200 cities across Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, and beyond. Whilst we are only announcing European dates at this time, be assured we’ll be announcing other world locations very soon.
The 2025 tour schedule so far includes: Dublin, Ireland – Glasgow, Scotland, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, UK – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paris, Amnéville, France – Antwerp, Belgium – Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Leipzig, Munich, Oberhausen, Germany – Zurich, Switzerland – Bologna, Italy – Budapest, Hungary – Sofia, Bulgaria – Vienna, Austria – Bratislava, Slovakia – Prague, Czech Republic – Lodz, Poland – Copenhagen, Denmark – Gotenburg, Sweden – Oslo, Norway – Tampere, Finland.
We don’t want you to miss out on this extraordinary event so our partners are giving the PlayStation community first opportunity to score tickets through the early access code PLAYCONCERT24 which will be usable from 7am PT tomorrow Wednesday, October 16 2024. Tickets are expected to go fast!
For more information on tickets, show and future tour dates please visit www.playstation.com/theconcert. Join the conversation with #PlayStationTheConcert.
Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass Wave 2 October 2024 lineup.
The headline here is of course the October 25 release of Black Ops 6, the first Call of Duty game to launch day-one on Game Pass. It comes following a year after Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which has also seen the likes of Diablo 4 and Modern Warfare 3 arrive on Game Pass, and will, in November, see StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection hit the subscription service.
Black Ops 6’s launch straight into Game Pass is a big gamble for Microsoft. It hopes the power of Call of Duty will boost subscriber numbers and revenue (itself bolstered by a recent Game Pass price rise and restructure), but it comes with the risk of losing sales of the full-price game. While Xbox executives have insisted sales can be boosted by a game’s presence on Game Pass, some publishers remain unconvinced. Former Activision boss Bobby Kotick, for example, was always against putting Call of Duty into subscription services. Unlike Microsoft, console rival Sony does not release its new exclusives straight into its subscription service.
In an interview with IGN last year, Xbox boss Phil Spencer was asked how he’d handle his and Kotick’s different ideologies after the deal to buy Activision Blizzard closed. “Well, there’s a different person making the decisions,” Spencer laughed.
In the shorter term, tomorrow, October 16, South Park: The Fractured but Whole (Cloud, Console, and PC) hits Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard. A day later, on October 17, Donut County (Cloud, Console, and PC) returns to the Game Pass library via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard, and MechWarrior 5: Clans (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) hits Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass as a day-one release.
Then it’s the big one: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Cloud, Console, and PC) on October 25 via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass only. Also on October 25, last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Cloud) via Game Pass Ultimate, and battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone (Cloud) via Game Pass Ultimate.
Moving on from October 25 and Call of Duty, Ashen (Cloud, Console, and PC) returns to Game Pass via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard on October 29.
And finally for October, Dead Island 2 (PC) enters Game Pass for PC gamers via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on October 31 (it’s already available on Game Pass via Cloud and Console).
Microsoft also mentioned StarCraft: Remastered (PC) – November 5 (Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass) and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection (PC) – November 5 (Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass), which are set to kick off Wave 1 of November 2024’s Game Pass lineup.
Ashen (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 29 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Dead Island 2 (PC) – October 31 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
StarCraft: Remastered (PC) – November 5 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
StarCraft II: Campaign Collection (PC) – November 5 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pas
As usual, a number of games leave Game Pass as new titles arrive.
Here’s what’s leaving Xbox Game Pass on October 31:
Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Headbangers (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Inkulinati (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Lonely Mountain’s Downhill (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Mineko’s Night Market (Cloud, Console, and PC)
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.
Last October, Paradox Interactive announced that they and development studio Harebrained Schemes were breaking up, following underwhelming sales of Harebrained’s 1930s-set XCOMlike, The Lamplighters League. The publishers had already made layoffs at Harebrained in the run-up to release, implying that preorder numbers were low; ultimately, Paradox wrote it off as a $22 million flop. At the time of the “parting of ways”, Paradox chief operational officer Charlotta Nilsson washed her hands of XCOMlikes entirely, commenting that “a new project or sequel in the same genre was not in line with our portfolio plans”.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Trophy / Achievement list is online in full and contains spoilers you might want to avoid if you’re looking to go into BioWare’s next big game fresh when it arrives October 31.
The trophies, which IGN won’t spoil here, revolve around major story beats. There are a few miscellaneous and collectible trophies thrown in too, as well as the party member-specific trophies — although, curiously, not for completing a romance storyline.
BioWare games traditionally do include achievements for romancing characters, but Dragon Age: The Veilguard appears to be taking a different, perhaps more Platinum-friendly approach.
The names of the achievements tied to those story beats suggest various plot developments, locations, and even the final boss, so it’s worth a PSA for the perhaps inevitable ramping up of Dragon Age: The Veilguard spoilers on the internet as we near the release date. If you want to check them out for yourself, they’re over at Exophase.
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 developer of Full Fathom describes it as a “thalassophobia sim”. You are the lone engineer on a rustbucket submarine exploring the dangerous waters of a submerged country in an alternate reality 1990s. The warning lights on the control panel are flashing, a buzzer is spluttering like a dying bluebottle, and your robotic assistant is about as useful as an umbrella in the Mariana Trench. Things could not get any worse. And then you see it. Something in the green haze outside. Something with a tail.
How do official Bethesda bug compilation videos coinciding with a game’s launch sound? Or at least, a proper list of known bugs on day one, to preempt any compilations created by vengeful players? Skyrim Lead Designer and Starfield Systems Designer Bruce Nesmith has spoken a little about the “interesting problem” of how open developers should be about technical issues on day one, given the expectation some players have that every game should be “flawless”.
When asked by Videogamer if lists of known bugs (Nesmith throws out ‘700’ as an example for Skyrim) should be shared with fans on launch “to temper expectations,” he responded:
Update 10-15-2024: Sony has now released the full line-up of PlayStation Plus Games Catalog additions for October 2024, meaning subscribers of the Extra and Premium tiers can download the likes of Dead Island 2, Two Point Campus, and more at no additional cost.
Original Story: Sony has revealed the full line-up of PlayStation Plus Games Catalog additions for October 2024, which includes Dead Island 2, Two Point Campus, and more.
Announced on the PlayStation Blog, a total of 14 games are joining the library, 10 on the PlayStation Plus Extra tier and four on the PlayStation Plus Premium Tier through the Classic Games Catalog and PSVR2 offerings. They’re available October 15.
Embracing spooky season ahead of Halloween, The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me and Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed also arrive alongside the headlining horror title Dead Island 2.
PlayStation Plus Games Catalog Additions for October 2024
Dead Island 2 is the long awaited sequel to the zombie smashing game that finally arrived in 2023. Players rampage around a post apocalyptic version of Los Angeles in a first person action role-playing game where killing zombies as creatively as possible is encouraged. “Dead Island 2 is a hilarious gore-fest and a competent zombie-slaying adventure, but lacks creativity outside of its great sense of humor,” IGN said in our 7/10 review.
Two Point Campus is a college simulation game with an attitude, where players can build their perfect campus and hire their dream team of staff to run it. “The wacky humor might be hit or miss, but as a management sim, Two Point Campus graduates with honors,” IGN said in our 8/10 review.
The Devil In Me arrived as the final game in Season 1 of The Dark Pictures Anthology from Until Dawn and The Quarry developer Supermassive Games. While the studio is seemingly forever seeking a return to form that was Until Dawn (and even its remake has gone down poorly), The Devil in Me couldn’t quite fill its shoes. It earned just a 5/10 in IGN’s review.
Gris aims to be as much an art piece as a video game, describing itself as a “serene and evocative interactive” where players “explore a meticulously designed world brought to life with delicate art, detailed animation, and an elegant original score.” In our 6/10 review, IGN said: “Gris’s beautiful exterior hides a simple, at times confusing, platformer.”
Return to Monkey Island is the highly anticipated follow-up to the beloved Monkey Island series. It earned an impressive 9/10 in IGN’s review. “Return to Monkey Island expectedly comes packed full of smartly crafted puzzles, funny dialogue, and memorable characters,” we said. “But as series creator Ron Gilbert returns to the series’ director’s chair for the first time since 1991, it unexpectedly offers a lot of heart, too. It is an adventure gamer’s delight.”
A multiplayer game with as much substance as one of its ghostly adversaries, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed arrived in 2022 as another in the four versus one formula. Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is an asymmetrical multiplayer game that’s mostly enjoyable, but badly needs more content,” IGN said in our 6/10 review.
Firefighting Simulator: The Squad lets players join a major U.S. city’s firefighting team and discover over 40 diverse deployment locations in an environment inspired by the North American west coast. “Equip yourself with authentic firefighting gear such as helmets, firefighter boots, and a breathing apparatus model by well known North American firefighting equipment manufacturers,” reads the synopsis.
Off road racing game Overpass 2 has players compete in races and try to set the best time on extreme tracks behind the wheel of powerful and officially licensed ATVs and UTVs. Overpass 2 features 37 vehicles in three different categories, five environments, 31 circuits, and multiple race modes.
On yer bike. Tour de France 2023 is the video game version of, well, the Tour de France 2023. Players can pedal alongside the best cyclists, test their endurance, and show their panache to triumph on the Champs-Elysées.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands is the open world action game that Ubisoft released in 2017. It has been in the PlayStation Plus Games Catalog before too. “Ghost Recon: Wildlands has issues with repetition, but its co-op antics make it an entertaining military shooter,” IGN said in our 7/10 review.
Virtual reality charmer The Last Clockwinder is a whimsical puzzle game about automation, where players must repair the Clocktower: An ancient haven for the galaxy’s plants and seeds built into the trunk of a colossal tree. Special Clockwinder gloves let players turn every simple task into a looping clockwork automaton.
The headlining game in the PlayStation Plus Classic Games Catalog is beloved 1999 title Dino Crisis. With a modern attempt apparently shut down because of Monster Hunter, the original is players’ best bet for a shot in 2024. “Dino Crisis brings back the stylistic still camera angles, the multi-level labyrinthine structures, and the gallons of blood and gore with all of the shock and suspense that Resident Evil 2 delivered,” IGN said in our 9/10 review from 1999.
In the same month Silent Hill 2 remake was released, players can dip into more classic Japanese horror thanks to Siren also launching into the PlayStation Plus Classic Games Catalog. “A siren calls and a sea of red water mysteriously surrounds the mountain village Hanuda,” reads the synopsis. Originally released on PlayStation 2, Siren is now enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.
Finally, R-Type Dimensions EX is the collection of coin-op classics that has players fight through all 14 Bydo-infested stages in retro 2D graphics or shiny 3D graphics – and swap back and forth with the touch of a button on the fly.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
