We’ve got some good and bad news fighting game fans. If you were looking forward to the arrival of Hunter X Hunter: Nen x Impact (based on the anime and manga series), Arc System Works has now announced it’s delayed the launch until 2025.
According to a translation by the Arc System Works social account, this delay is to allow the team to implement rollback netcode. The release date will now be shared at a “later time”, so when we get an update, we’ll let you know. Here’s the full message:
“I really wonder, who’s even complaining about this?
Ahead of the release of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake this November, series’ creator Yuji Horii has addressed the changes to the female characters in the game, who are now showing less skin than the original version of the game.
Speaking during an interview at the Tokyo Game Show (and translated by Valuate News), Horii admits he’s just as confused by the changes to the late Akira Toriyama’s artwork, but goes on to explain how if there’s “too much exposure, the age rating goes up” and it means the game can’t be sold to “all-ages”.
It’s been a wild few days for Magic: The Gathering fans. Last week, the Commander Rules Committee announced that it was banning several major cards, throwing Magic’s most popular format into disarray. Now Wizards of the Coast is stepping in.
Acknowledging in an official statement that it’s been a “tumultuous” week for Commander fans, Wizards of the Coast said it plans to run the format in-house going forward after previously leaving it in the care of part-time volunteers. It’s a huge shakeup — one that figures to have far-reaching implications for the future of the game.
“This week has also demonstrated the truly monumental task that faced the Commander Rules Committee. The Commander RC is made up of five talented, caring individuals, all with other jobs and lives which they must balance with managing the most popular format in Magic,” Wizards of the Coast said. “It results in incredible amounts of work, time spent deliberating, and exposure to the public. Nobody deserves to feel unsafe for supporting the game they love. Unfortunately, the task of managing Commander has far outgrown the scope and safety of being attached to any five people.”
The decision was read in some corners as a rebuke of the rules committee in the wake of the ban decision, which has had a very mixed reception since it was first announced. But a statement by committee member Jim Lapage suggests that the committee instigated the change.
Unfortunately, the task of managing Commander has far outgrown the scope and safety of being attached to any five people
“What’s become clear to me is that fulfilling my commitment requires a level of global connectedness, proactive and reactive communication, research, and skill beyond what I am capable of providing. I don’t think it’s possible for a group of part-time volunteers to rise to this task,” Lapage wrote on X/Twitter.
Lapage said that he reached out to Wizards of the Coast last week and that the committee will be transitioning all management responsibilities, including its roadmap, contacts, and documentation.
“It’s extremely important to me that the format’s new leadership remains faithful to [format godfather Sheldon Menery’s] vision of a vibrant global community with a strong focus on the people who play it,” Lapage says.
Wizards of the Coast, for its part, says that the rules committee will “continue to be involved” and that there have been preliminary conversations about the path forward. They include a “more objective approach to deck power level” as well as “additional guidance and shared language for players to find games that match the type of game they’re trying to play.”
Wizards of the Coast went on to outline a potential vision for what this might look like, suggesting that there may be power brackets going forward to help better define play within the format.
One way or another, the changes are a major milestone in Commander history, which originally began as a community-driven format and has grown into arguably the biggest and most influential way to play Wizards of the Coast’s card game. It distinguishes itself from typical formats by letting players choose a creature as their “Commander,” with decks comprised of 100 unique cards. Instead of one-on-one, Commander is a free-for-all usually played with four players.
As Commander has grown, Wizards of the Coast has embraced the format, even introducing cards specifically tailored to its rules. However, until now, it has remained governed by the community. Last week, the rules committee banned four popular cards — Dockside Extortionist, Jeweled Lotus, Mana Crypt, and Nadu, Winged Wisdom. The ban, the first in three years, sparked massive backlash among fans. Now it appears they have changed the course of Commander — and Magic: The Gathering — history.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
In case you missed it — like us (darn Zelda) — following ratings in Taiwan earlier this summer, the 2D combat-focused Metroidvania Nine Sols has been confirmed for Switch.
On October 31, Starship Troopers: Continuum will be released on PS VR2. This multiplayer co-op shooting game is the first to recreate Starship Troopers in virtual reality. This blog will explain what the game’s name actually means. But first, please welcome a very special guest! The face of FedNet, hero of Klendathu, General Johnny Rico!
A word from Casper Van Dien
“I guess I’m the closest thing Starship Troopers has for a hero. My character, Johnny Rico, has been with me for nearly 30 years. He spends most of the first movie surrounded by death. He’s responsible for a death in training. He’s mistakenly K.I.A on Klendathu. He’s promoted when Troopers die around him, falling upwards through the ranks.
‘A citizen accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic, defending it with his life; a civilian does not.’
In the end, Rico’s changed. He takes that quote to heart and becomes willing – even keen – to die for the cause. He becomes harder, stronger, more pragmatic… but at what cost?
In Starship Troopers: Continuum, Rico’s a figurehead for FedNet’s ‘Klendathu 25’ celebration. I’m helping recruit new meat for the grinder, and you’re the meat. You play Mobile Infantry Troopers as they battle the opposing Arachnid force. Thousands will die on both sides. You’re disposable. Mobile Infantry does the dying, and that’s what this game is all about.
VR puts you right there, on the battlefield with your squad, facing big, fast, mean and lethal bugs. Like Rico, you’re surrounded by death. So eyes front, Trooper! It’s your duty to take responsibility and defend the Federation with your life! Or do you wanna live forever?”
Authenticity evolved
In developing Starship Troopers: Continuum, we at XR Games wanted to capture the essence of Starship Troopers. As Casper says, that’s the meat grinder. This war is dangerous, and the bugs are lethal. You will die.
Then accept your rewards, choose a new Trooper, and start again. Kill bugs, earn money, gain EXP. Survive long enough and you can retire your Trooper into citizenship, with the extra bonus that brings. Or don’t, and die, and try again. This is the meat grinder.
Of course, you bank your progress. You earn new perks and guns to arm your next Trooper with. You get to make a stronger build. The mechanism by which you do this is called the Continuum.
Enter the Continuum
Remember Cyrano the ferret?
Starship Troopers: Continuum takes place 25 years after Klendathu, and there’s been a breakthrough in psychic research – the Continuum. This technology creates a psychic interface through which soldiers called PsyCommanders can control other human beings, like Cyrano in the movie.
In Starship Troopers: Continuum, the moment you don your VR headset, you’re connected to the Continuum in the role of a PsyCommander. You control one Trooper at a time. Die, and you can immediately take a new Trooper. Your goal is to keep them alive… but accidents happen!
As a PsyCommander, you have access to perks via the Continuum. As you level up, you gain access to more perks and super-perks, which can be injected into your Trooper to improve their performance. As your Trooper ranks up, they can take on more perks simultaneously, allowing for build combinations to tune your play. For instance, equip Psychosis Blast to add damage to your dash ability, then complement it with Adrenaline to reduce your dash cooldown time. Throw in Tactical Relocation – move faster as you kill more – and you have a speed build!
Plus, the more you use your perks, the stronger they get. Even if your Trooper dies, a future Trooper can take on that perk at its advanced level. This is the meaning of the Continuum. Even as Troopers die, the Continuum becomes stronger, justifying every Trooper sacrificed on the battlefield, redeeming every drop of blood that’s shed!
Build your Trooper, form your squad
Starship Troopers: Continuum is an online multiplayer game, great with 1 to 3 players. So build complementary Troopers for battlefield dominance! 20+ weapons and 40+ perks allow you to create a different Trooper every time. Keep them alive, hit the criteria for citizenship, and gain big bonuses that’ll make you even more powerful. But don’t underestimate the bug! They’re fast and lethal, with some tricks you’ve not seen yet!
I’m doing my part! How will you do yours?
Starship Troopers: Continuum for PS VR2 is released on October 31..
There are many other ways to kill bugs this October! Starship Troopers: Extermination, the 16-player co-op FPS developed by Offworld Industries and published by Knights Peak, will arrive on PlayStation 5 on October 11.
The next mainline installment in the Monster Hunter series is coming soon. Monster Hunter Wilds is set to release for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on February 28. It brings a gorgeous open-world setting like Monster Hunter World and introduces some of the fast traversal of Monster Hunter Rise to create what should be the best of both worlds. Monster Hunter Wilds is now available to preorder in a variety of editions (see it at Amazon). Below, we break down what comes in each one, how much they cost, and more. Let’s dive in.
Those seeking a physical copy of Monster Hunter Wilds have two options: with a steelbook case or without. The steelbook case looks pretty rad, and it only costs $5 more than the non-steelbook edition. It’s your call.
Anyone who just wants the game by itself, either in digital or physical format, can preorder it at their retailer of choice using the links above.
Monster Hunter Wilds Digital-Only Editions
Two editions of Monster Hunter Wilds are only avaialble in digital format across platforms. There’s the $89.99 deluxe edition, and the $109.99 premium deluxe edition. Read on for links and to see what each one comes with.
The digital-only premium deluxe edition comes with the game itself, all the items in the deluxe edition, plus a premium bonus and two planned DLC cosmetic packs. Here’s everything all laid out:
Deluxe Pack
Hunter Layered Armor Set: Feudal Soldier
Hunter Layered Armor: Fencer’s Eyepatch, Oni Horns Wig
Makeup/Face Paint: Hunter’s Kumadori, Special Bloom
Sticker Set: Avis Unit, Monsters of the Windward Plains
Nameplate: Extra Frame — Russet Dawn
Monster Hunter Wilds Cosmetic DLC Pack 1 (Planned for release in Spring 2025)
Hunter layered armor: 1 series (5 pieces), and 1 piece
Seikret decorations: 2
Pendants: 6 (Color variation)
Pose Sets: 1
Makeup/Facepaint: 1
Sticker set: 1
BGM Set: 1
Pop-up camp customization contents: 2
Monster Hunter Wilds Cosmetic DLC Pack 2 (Planned for release in Summer 2025)
Hunter layered armor: 1 series (5 pieces)
Pendants: 6 (Color variation)
Gesture sets: 2
Hairstyles: 2
Makeup/Facepaint: 2
Sticker set: 1
Premium Bonus (Planned for release when the main game releases)
Hunter Layered Armor: Wyverian Ears
Premium Bonus Hunter Profile Set
BGM: Proof of a Hero (2025 Recording)
Monster Hunter Wilds Preorder Bonus
Preorder any edition of Monster Hunter Wilds, and you’ll receive the Gilded Knight set of layered armor, shown above. How about that.
What Is Monster Hunter Wilds?
Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest installment in the long-running series. Based on its graphically intensive nature, it’s more a follow-up to Monster Hunter Worlds than Rise. And as such, it won’t be available on Nintendo systems.
Once again, you play as a Hunter in a world filled with dangerous beasts. Your job is to pick a weapon type/play style and use it to hunt sizable monsters roaming the land. Then you use their various parts to create better gear that lets you go out and hunt bigger and more dangerous monsters. This time around, you have the mobility of Monster Hunter Rise, with the gorgeous beasts and environments of World, creating what just might be the best of both worlds.
Rumors of a Final Fantasy IX remake have been echoing around RPG circles for at least year now, with series fans hopeful that they may soon get to revisit one of the most beloved entries in the series. But if a Final Fantasy IX remake does materialize, it may face some big challenges.
Speaking with the website Video Games, Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida talked a bit about what a remake might look like. He warns that it may not all fit in one game.
“Of course, I do know there are requests for Final Fantasy IX to be made, but when you think about Final Fantasy IX, it’s a game with huge volume,” Yoshida says. “When you think about all of that volume, I wonder if it’s possible to remake that as a single title. It’s a difficult one. It is a tough question.”
Yoshida seems to be suggesting that a potential remake could go the direction of Final Fantasy VII Remake, which is in the middle of a planned trilogy. Fans have long had mixed feelings about splitting it into multiple parts, which offers the opportunity to add plenty of new elements, but also slows the pacing. As it stands, the third part of the trilogy doesn’t figure to be out until 2026 at the earliest.
Yoshida is right about Final Fantasy IX being a big game. It’s absolutely loaded with sidequests, minigames, and other content, and it’s set in a very large world. Reproducing all of that material won’t be easy for any development team that takes on a remake.
As for Yoshida himself, he’s interested in remaking a different game in the series. “The one that I would like to make myself would be Final Fantasy III, I think.”
For longtime fans of the series, Yoshida is referring to the version released on the Famicom, not the Americanized Final Fantasy VI. It’s a deep cut as Final Fantasy releases go, but very much in keeping with Yoshida’s attitude as Final Fantasy XIV’s producer.
Yoshida touches on a handful of other details in the interview, including his favorite Final Fantasy VII minigame (snowboarding), an Xbox release of Final Fantasy XVI (“we do want to release it on Xbox”), and more. In the meantime, the wait for a Final Fantasy IX remake continues.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
PS5-exclusive 3D platformer Astro Bot 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.
So why did Final Fantasy characters fail to make it into Astro Bot? Neither Sony nor Square Enix has properly commented yet, and in a new interview, the chief developer of the game itself danced around the question.
Game File asked Nicolas Doucet, the head of the game’s Tokyo-based studio, Team Asobi, about Cloud’s absence from Astro Bot. According to Doucet, Team Asobi had hoped to get Cloud in the game, but didn’t manage to for some reason.
“It’s difficult to comment on that,” Doucet said, before adding: “We really respect the choice of each publisher.”
That comment suggests it was Square Enix’s call to keep Cloud from Astro Bot (IGN has asked Square Enix for comment), which fans are already calling an odd call, especially when you consider the PlayStation exclusivity Final Fantasy has signed on for in recent years. Final Fantasy 7 Remake launched as a PlayStation 4 exclusive in 2020 before hitting PS5 in 2021, then PC later that year. It has yet to launch on Xbox.
Similarly, Final Fantasy 16 launched as a PS5 exclusive in June 2023, with its PC version launching only this month. It has yet to launch on Xbox. And finally, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launched in February this year as a PS5 exclusive. It has yet to be announced for other platforms.
Despite all this, no Final Fantasy for Astro Bot. Last month, Final Fantasy 16 producer and 14 director Naoki Yoshida said Square Enix is looking to double down on Xbox releases, after its focus on PlayStation exclusivity led to a financial dip.
“With Final Fantasy 14’s release on Xbox, [Microsoft Gaming CEO] Phil Spencer spent a lot of his time and a lot of effort and put in a lot of hard work into making it a reality,” Yoshida said. “So we would like to make the best of that and further deepen the relationship with Xbox gamers moving forward.”
As for Astro Bot, its DLC features five new online speedrunning levels and 10 new bots to rescue, including Stellar Blade’s Eve and a Helldivers 2 Helldiver.
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.
Wild-eyed stickman brawler Judero appears to have kicked off a small wave of pagan-themed games – or rather, it has recalibrated my brain to be more aware of pagan-themed games. The latest to catch my fancy is party-based RPG Banquet For Fools, out in Early Access today with a demo. Created by two-person Hannah and Joseph Games, it casts you as one of the Vollings – a race of gaunt elven humanoids, hailing from the same school of manky action-figure as Judero, who have been shunned by their gods and have accordingly turned to paganism.
Specifically, you’re a lord who has set up a spice farm on a “cursed” island, the former home of a long-dead civilization. This certainly sounds like a foolish thing to do, and it’s no huge surprise that everybody on your farm has gone missing. So off you trot with a team of four custom-generated companions to solve the mystery, and also make up gnarly spells by daubing your blood on trees.
The latest UK charts data is here and, to our genuine surprise, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom sadly didn’t nab the top spot this week. Instead, the newly released EA Sports FC 25 has managed to beat the competition to claim the prize.
It’s an unfortunate outcome, though hardly a disastrous one. After all, these are just the boxed charts we’re talking about here; chances are Nintendo managed to flog a load of copies of Echoes of Wisdom via the Switch eShop. We suspect it will also retain popularity for a good few weeks yet, especially in the run up to Christmas. In a nutshell though, this is more indicative of the insane popularity of football games in the UK than it is of Zelda’s commercial performance.
