Category: Video Games

DOOM Eternal: PC Mod Preview Is Now Available to Join!

Xbox Insiders on Windows PC are invited to join the DOOM Eternal: PC Mod Preview. Joining today will give you early access to the new PC mod support feature. To participate in the DOOM Eternal: PC Mod Preview, you will need to either own DOOM Eternal (BATTLEMODE – PC) OR have access to the title via an active Game Pass subscription.

What’s New:

The preview will include mod support! Xbox Insiders will be able to easily browse and play a growing list of community mods in DOOM Eternal. We’d love to get your feedback!

About the Game:

Hell’s armies have invaded Earth. Become the Slayer in an epic single-player campaign to conquer demons across dimensions and stop the final destruction of humanity.

The only thing they fear… is you.

Experience the ultimate combination of speed and power in DOOM Eternal – the next leap in push-forward, first-person combat.

How to Participate:

  1. On Windows PC, launch the Xbox Insider Hub app (or install the Xbox Insider Hub from the Store first if necessary)
  2. Navigate to Previews > DOOM Eternal – PC Mod Preview
  3. Select Join
  4. Wait for the registration to complete and be directed to the Store and install DOOM Eternal (BATTLEMODE – PC)

NOTE: To participate in the DOOM Eternal – PC Mod Preview, you will need to either own DOOM Eternal (BATTLEMODE – PC) OR have access to the title via an active Game Pass subscription.

NOTE: This playtest is only available on Windows PC.

NOTE: If you already have DOOM Eternal (BATTLEMODE – PC) installed, please restart your PC after the registration has completed to ensure you get prompted to update to the PC Mod Preview version.

NOTE: If you wish to revert to the publicly available version of DOOM Eternal (BATTLEMODE – PC), you will need to leave the DOOM Eternal – PC Mod Preview via the Xbox Insider Hub. This will prompt an update reversion to occur.

Running into issues?

If you experience any issues while playing DOOM Eternal, please report it so Bethesda can investigate. You can report your issues by going to https://beth.games/3uc0ojW. Your feedback drives us to build the best experience for the Xbox community.

If you are having any issues downloading the Xbox Insider Hub app or joining the preview within the app, please refer to the following support links below.

For more information: follow us on X/Twitter at @XboxInsider and this blog for announcements and more. And feel free to interact with the community on the Xbox Insider SubReddit.

The post DOOM Eternal: PC Mod Preview Is Now Available to Join! appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Take-Two Boss Responds to Rumors of New 2K FIFA Game, Says Making Soccer Sim Would Be ‘Incredibly Difficult’

Ever since EA revealed that it was dropping the FIFA license, rumors have abounded that arch-rival 2K Sports is planning to pick up the mantle and make its own soccer sim. But in today’s earnings call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said that any potential competitor to EA Sports FC would face numerous complications.

“I would just note with regards to the FIFA license, it does not bring along with it rights; it doesn’t come along with players, teams, or leagues,” Zelnick said. “So it’s not as simple, for example, as negotiating with the NFL, or the NBA, or MLB, where at most you have to negotiate with a league and a player’s association. So anyone who would want to compete in the straight ahead sim environment for soccer… you wouldn’t just have to address one particular brand license, there’s a whole lot more than that.”

Unlike American leagues like the NFL, international soccer consists of a complex web of teams, leagues, tournaments, and players, many of whom must be negotiated with individually. EA has largely cornered the market in that regard, locking up the rights to the Premier League, La Liga, and other popular groups with EA Sports FC. Konami spent years trying to chip away at EA’s dominance with Pro Evolution Soccer before finally pivoting to the free-to-play eFootball, leaving EA largely uncontested in the soccer market.

EA dropped the FIFA license in 2022 amid reports that the organization, which serves as the governing body for the various national associations around the world, was asking for more than $1 billion per four-year World Cup cycle. EA rebranded the series as EA Sports FC in 2023 with relatively few changes. Since then there has been speculation that Take-Two might take on the FIFA license, but there remain numerous questions about how it would approach the licensing for various teams and leagues.

The benefits to making an EA Sports FC competitor

Zelnick did point out that there are great potential rewards for developing a successful sim. “We’re very mindful that it’s incredibly difficult to build a great sim experience for console, it takes a long time, and if you do it right your users are very loyal and very embedded.”

College Football 25, which finally released to big player counts last month, spent close to four years in development as EA painstakingly negotiated with schools and players. Take-Two would face a similar challenge with a potential FIFA game, but without the added benefit of an established technological baseline unless its heavily repurposed tech from NBA 2K. Asked what its success might mean for Take-Two, Zelnick said that the company had taken notice of the revival’s success but that it had nothing to announce regarding a potential return to college basketball, whether in NBA 2K or elsewhere.

In the meantime, Zelnick was quick to remind listeners that Take-Two is already in the soccer business thanks to Top Eleven, which he called the “number one mobile soccer manager title.” He also shouted out NBA 2K, WWE 2K, and the rest of the publisher’s sports games, calling the various leagues “great partners.”

“From our point of view, we have a great sports portfolio… I’m sure we will make more announcements in due course,” Zelnick said.

He also commented on the Borderlands movie’s terrible reviews in comments exclusive to IGN, asking fans to “give it a chance,” and talked about the potential impact of the video game voice actor strike. For more, check out all the rest of the biggest games releasing in 2024.

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.

Take-Two CEO Says a Long-Term Video Game Actor Strike ‘Wouldn’t Be Good for Anyone’

Video game voice actors continue to strike in an effort to push gaming companies toward a deal on AI protections for all actors. But while CEOs at major publishers like EA and Take-Two don’t think the strike will have a short-term business impact, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledges that a “long-term strike wouldn’t be good for anyone.”

Speaking to IGN today ahead of the company’s Q1 earnings, Zelnick responded to a question about whether or not the strike would impact the company’s business broadly. Like EA CEO Andrew Wilson, he doesn’t expect an immediate impact to the business. That’s to be expected, given that technically games in production before August 25, 2023 are not officially struck work. While actors can still opt to express solidarity by refusing to work on them, it seems likely that most of Take-Two’s upcoming slate of games already has most of its acting work complete anyway. GTA VI, for instance, isn’t expected to be impacted.

But should the strike wear on for longer, potentially impacting projects signed since last year or which don’t have acting work captured yet, Zelnick admits it wouldn’t be a good thing.

“We deeply value our talent relationships. Historically, we’ve worked really successfully with all the guilds, including SAG-AFTRA. We’re going to continue to work hard to come to a resolution. We’ve already reached common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, so I’m confident we can find a way to get to a deal and we certainly hope that we will. That said, we do not expect the strike to have an impact on our business in the near-term. Obviously, a long-term strike wouldn’t be good for anyone.”

As Zelnick notes, SAG-AFTRA and game companies have come to an agreement on 24 out of 25 proposals, with the remaining proposal concerning use of artificial intelligence to create digital replicas of actors for use in games. Union members are demanding that companies disclose use of generative AI to create such models to actors and receive consent before doing so, as well as compensation for that use.

SAG-AFTRA claims that among other disagreements, companies are attempting to exclude certain types of actors from these agreements, while the union wants these agreements to cover everyone: face, motion, and voice actors. We’ve written elsewhere about what this strike and its impacts might mean for gamers.

Take-Two reported total net bookings of $1.22 billion for the quarter, within its guidance, and projects net bookings between $1.4 billion and $1.47 billion for Q2. Its full year guidance remains unchanged, expecting between $5.55 billion and $5.65 billion in net bookings. The company also reported that GTA V sales have exceeded 200 million, and Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold over 65 million units today. Its expectations for GTA 6’s release in Fall of 2025 remain unchanged.

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

Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition Is Up for Preorder

It took a while, but you can finally preorder the Final Fantasy Pixel Remastered games physical form. Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition is set to release October 8 for Switch and PS4 (don’t worry, you can play the PS4 version on PS5 just fine). It costs a hefty $74.99, but it does collect souped-up versions of the first six mainline Final Fantasy games. It also comes with a sticker sheet, so that’s something.

Preorder Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition

Switch

PS4

There are no other editions (besides the digital versions), so this is the one to get.

Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition Bonus

As a pack-in bonus for everyone who picks up this collection, you’ll get a sticker sheet. It includes 12 circular stickers featuring delightful sprite art of characters from the games. There’s a black mage, a moogle, Terra, Kane, and even one of Kefka on his back laughing his unforgettable laugh.

What’s Included in Final Fantasy I-VI Collection?

The collection contains the pixel remasters of the first six Final Fantasy games. Rather than doing a major artistic revamp like Square Enix has done for some of these games in the past, the art in these editions is tastefully updated to look good on modern displays. It retains the pixelated look, but it’s visually cleaner, and it looks great whether you’re playing on a giant TV or in handheld mode.

The soundtracks have gotten orchestral upgrades, with the new versions overseen by the original composer Nobuo Uematsu. They’ve also ironed out some of the quirks of the originals and rebalanced the difficulty and added quality-of-life options to turn off random encounters and bump up experience and gil earned. Overall, there’s not a lot to complain about.

For more, check out all the biggest upcoming video game release dates.

Other Preorder Guides

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Threads.

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Physical Edition Getting Wide Retail Release

Not just a fantasy.

Square Enix is releasing a second run of physical copies for the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series, and it’ll be available on both the Square Enix store and in select retailers from 8th October 2024.

Called the FINAL FANTASY Pixel Remaster Anniversary Edition, this new retail version comes with a sticker sheet and is available to pre-order at the Square Enix store in both North America and Europe.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Shapez 2’s Early Access should run smoothly with factories 12x bigger than the first game

Shapez 2 will launch in Early Access on August 15th, bringing the relaxing, shape-cutting factory builder into 3D.

In a new post, its lead developer has laid out what to expect from Early Access. In the main: a polished, 40 hours-or-so experience with no known major issues, and a post-release roadmap waiting to be defined by player feedback.

Read more

Cat Quest 3’s pun-soaked animal pirate action-RPG is out on Steam now

Did The Gentlebros come up with the pun “Pi-Rats” and then work backwards from there in deciding that Cat Quest 3 should be pirate themed? Or was “Purr-ibean” the initiating pun? I feel that the action-RPG sequel had to begin with one of wordplay or another, given that its Steam page boasts that it also has “furr-ocious spells” and “gla-meow-rous costumes”.

It’s also claws-out now on Steam, which has me feline fine.

Read more

The Best DC Board Games for Fans of the Comics

With James Gunn’s soft reboot of the DC Extended Universe looming, there has never been a better time to brush up on your DC Comics lore. And while reading comics is great, it’s also a lot of fun to play board games. Board games can do a lot, including expose you to delightful comic lore. The below list of the best DC Comics board games will help you explore and learn more about these characters, while immersing you and your friends in exciting gameplay for players of all ages and levels of experience.

TL;DR DC Comics Board Games

DC Deck-Building Game

  • Players: 2-5 players
  • Age Range: 15+
  • Play Time: 30-45 minutes

Easily the most popular game on this list, the DC Deck Building Game has been going strong since 2012, with countless expansions covering the vast DC Multiverse and giving the spotlight to its enormous cast of the most popular and lesser known superheroes and villains. It’s a deck-building game, of course. In it, players battle it out to see who can triumph over the others with the most Victory Points – whoever does, wins. You do this by first choosing one hero to play as, then build your deck turn by turn as you power up, use unique abilities, and do battle with iconic villains. Numerous card combos help spice up your strategy each time you play.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – The Game

  • Players: 1-2
  • Age Range: 14+
  • Play Time: 90 minutes

A huge game that can be enjoyed as a solo board game, Frank Miller’s legendary story is adapted into a tabletop experience spanning four Books, each with unique mechanics, characters, and rules, and each subsequent Book’s outcomes are affected by the previous. Each Book’s campaign lasts around 90 minutes, so planning the best strategy with your cards and items to come out on top is key. This game is light on story, and prior knowledge of the source graphic novel is highly recommended.

Funkoverse: DC Comics Board Game

  • Players: 2-4
  • Age Range: 10+
  • Play Time: 20-60 minutes

Quick and easy to set up and friendly to all ages, the Funkoverse DC Comics is a perfect board game for kids, useful for introducing younger gamers and future comics fans to the DC Universe. The game begins by each player agreeing on one of many scenarios, then going through the steps of each round: Choose a character, take two actions, then exhaust (players can only choose non-exhausted characters at the start of their turn). Actions allow characters to move, assist others, use items, and interact with the environment. Funkoverse has a number of different expandalones stretching across different IPs that are all compatible with each other, so you can play the ultimate mash-up game.

The Batman Who Laughs Rising

  • Players: 1-4
  • Age Range: 15+
  • Play Time: 60-90 minutes

The Op Games’ next iteration in their long-running Rising series, The Batman Who Laughs Rising shines the spotlight on one of the DC Universe’s most unique and evil villains out there: The Batman Who Laughs, a hybrid of Batman and the Joker from a different universe. Gameplay is heavily dice-based, as players will roll numerous dice in order to recruit allies, take out baddies, and use unique abilities, all culminating in a showdown with the titular antagonist at the end of your session, included with the game as an impressive oversized miniature statue.

DC Comics Dice Masters: Justice Campaign Box

  • Players: 2
  • Age Range: 14+
  • Play Time: 30 minutes

This iteration of the DC Comics Dice Masters game is based on the Justice limited series by legendary comics writer and artist Alex Ross. This campaign box is an oversized starter set for experienced and newer players alike, including 15 playable characters, their dice, the rulebook, dice bags, over 70 cards, and more. Players begin by choosing their character cards and their corresponding dice. As the name implies, this is a dice-rolling board game. Each player rolls their dice to power up their heroes and use abilities. As an odd oversight, certain character cards have dice limits that are higher than the included character dice they can use.

The Joker: A Diabolical Party Game

  • Players: 3-6
  • Age Range: 12+
  • Play Time: 45-60 minutes

Duke it out as some of Gotham City’s most heinous villains in this social deduction party game that has you battle for territory control, send other villains to the dreaded Arkham Asylum, hoard stacks of cash, and re-strategize as the Joker changes the board and certain aspects of the game and unleashes chaos. Your anarchal assault on the city may change drastically, so make sure you have plenty of cash to make it out. Each session offers different outcomes and scenarios from the Joker cards, and the random secret identity mechanics will keep you coming back for more. Great as a party board game, or of families and younger players!

Marvel vs. DC Board Games

Those are our picks for the best DC board games. But what is the Marvel fan to do? We have you covered; check out the best Marvel board games to see the top games featuring Spider-Man, X-Men, and the like. In fact, there are a good number of noteworthy Marvel board games, so you’ll definitely want to check them out.

Myles Obenza is a freelance commerce writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @Myles Obenza.

DOOM and DOOM 2 Getting New Enhanced Versions With a Brand-New Episode and More

QuakeCon 2024 officially starts today, and ahead of the convention, which typically features major news and announcements from various ZeniMax Media IPs, a new listing reveals that among the announcements incoming will be enhanced remasters of the first two Doom games.

In a new Steam listing (spotted by X/Twitter user @Wario64), DOOM + DOOM 2 is a new compilation that will provide definitive, newly enhanced versions of the first two DOOM games. This includes both games running on the KEX Engine, a proprietary game engine that was also used in several re-releases of other classic shooters, including DOOM 64 (2020), Quake (2021), and Quake 2 (2023).

You can see the official trailer below.

Some new enhancements coming to DOOM + DOOM 2 include online, cross-platform deathmatch, and co-op support for up to 16 players. Additionally, the re-release will include upgraded visuals, support for modern controllers, and a weapon carousel, allowing for faster weapon switching. A new Deathmatch map pack, consisting of 25 new maps, will also be included.

The listing notes that those who purchase the compilation will not only receive both games but also additional content. Most notably, Legacy of Rust, a brand-new episode for DOOM 2, was co-developed by id Software, Nightdive Studios, and MachineGames.

When it’s released, DOOM + DOOM 2 will be perhaps the most comprehensive version of the venerable shooters to date. The series has received multiple reissues and updates over the years and retains a dedicated fanbase to this day. A documentary and drama series about John Romero, one of DOOM’s original designers, is among the projects currently in the works.

DOOM + DOOM 2 has no release date, but it will likely shadow-drop during QuakeCon. Yet, this compilation is just one of the new projects coming for the long-running first-person shooter. In June, id Software announced DOOM: The Dark Ages, a prequel to the 2016 game Doom that is slated to be released sometime next year for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.