Category: Video Games

Best Xbox Game Pass Deals and Bundles Right Now (August 2024)

With a price hike for existing Xbox Game Pass users coming on September 12, there’s no better time than now to stock up on cheap codes to save some cash. If you’re wondering where to find deals like this, don’t worry, we’re here to help you track down the best offers available on Game Pass right now, like this deal on 3 months of Game Pass Ultimate at Woot that’s still holding strong at just $33.49 (with code VIDEOGAMES). You can learn more about that deal and other discounts available on Game Pass below.

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Best Xbox Game Pass Deals

At the moment, our favorite deal on Game Pass is over at Woot (an Amazon company). They still have an incredible offer available where you can score 3 months of Game Pass Ultimate for just $36.49. This is a great deal on its own, but then you can get an additional $3 knocked off that price by using the code ‘VIDEOGAMES’ at checkout, bringing it down to $33.49! This price definitely won’t stick around for long, so act fast to secure these codes before they’re gone for good.

Considering the new price of Game Pass Ultimate is $19.99/month, you’re saving $26.48 with this 3-month deal. This is the best way to avoid the upcoming Xbox Game Pass price hike in September. By stacking these codes, you can set yourself up to play all of the upcoming Game Pass releases at a lower price. You can prepay for up to 36 months for Game Pass Ultimate, so there’s no better time to stock up.

What’s Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass?

Game Pass has a nice rotation of new titles to play every month. If you’re curious about what’s in store for the latter half of August and start of September, we’ve got you covered there as well. The Xbox Game Pass August wave 2 lineup is:

Another massive piece of Game Pass news is that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is officially available to play on Game Pass right now for console, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Ultimate users. This features the full package for CoD fans: the campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies. Subscribers can also expect to see Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 day-one on Game Pass when it releases on October 25. However, for those subscribing to the new Standard tier (available for $14.99/month), this does not give Game Pass users access to day one releases, meaning Black Ops 6 will likely not be available to those on that tier.

What Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass?

Unfortunately, with new games joining the catalog, it means a few must take their leave. Below, we’ve listed the games that’ll be leaving Xbox Game Pass on August 31.

Biggest Games Releasing on Xbox Game Pass

Xbox’s Summer Showcase back in June was a massive success, showcasing an incredible amount of new titles coming to the platform. Alongside the aforementioned Black Ops 6, their showcase also included Doom: The Dark Ages, Perfect Dark, Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and so many more. But which of these titles will appear as day-one releases on Game Pass? Thankfully, quite a few! Including all of the previously mentioned titles.

While most of the games listed above have release dates in 2025, or no release dates at all at the moment, the one to keep an eye on for now alongside Black Ops 6 is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Gamescom’s Opening Night Live revealed that Indy’s latest adventure will be available to play on December 9 for Xbox users, so there’s truly no better time to hop on the Game Pass bandwagon to add this one to your library in the future.

If you’re looking for even more savings on all things Xbox, have a look at our roundup of the best Xbox deals. There, we’ve highlighted all of the latest and greatest discounts on the platform, from incredible game deals to fantastic offers on high-quality headphones. Or, if you’d rather see what’s going on with other platforms, check out our roundups of the best PlayStation deals, the best Nintendo Switch deals, and our overall roundup of the best video game deals.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

Microsoft Announces October Release Date for All-Digital Xbox Series X

Microsoft has announced two new Xbox Series X consoles and one new Xbox Series S console will be released on October 15, 2024, including a digital-only Xbox Series X.

The consoles, which are now available to preorder, were outlined on Xbox Wire, where Microsoft confirmed the impending simultaneous release for the All-Digital Xbox Series X, the Special Edition 2TB Xbox Series X, and the 1TB Xbox Series S in Robot White (previously only available in Carbon Black).

The All-Digital Xbox Series X is only available in Robot White and comes with a 1TB SSD hard drive for $449.99, down $50 from the launch Xbox Series X which has a disc drive installed. The Robot White 1TB Xbox Series S, meanwhile, costs $349.99, the same as the Carbon Black version already available.

The Special Editon Xbox Series X is available in black but speckled with green and white, and its 2TB hard drive and inclusion of a disc drive ramps the price up to $599.99. The controller has a black front and green back, though the speckled design seeps into the directional pad too.

These console variants don’t come with any extra power or features but are simply alternatives to Microsoft’s current offerings, likely targeted at brand new buyers. Increased hard drive space is becoming increasingly more relevant, however, as the size of video games continues to rise.

The release of these three new Xbox consoles comes amid plummeting sales of the Xbox Series X and S, which lag behind competitor PlayStation 5 as both sets of consoles near their fourth birthday, and tough questions over Microsoft’s committment to the console business from its hardcore fans.

At gamescom 2024, Xbox boss Phil Spencer explained Microsoft’s decision to release upcoming first-party game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5, and indicated more Xbox games will make the multiplatform jump.

In our 8/10 launch review of the Xbox Series X, IGN called it “a quiet, compact, laser-targeted games machine that should make 4K/60fps gaming the wonderful new norm” that “still lacks as many must-play games as the competition.”

The Xbox Series S received a 7/10 in our review, though its base storage of 512GB was raised as an issue even then. “The Xbox Series S has its place and could shine as a second console, but it’s hard to recommend as your primary gaming platform due to its 1440p resolution and claustrophobic storage capacity,” we said.

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

Nintendo Museum Tickets Will Feature Your Mii

One for Mii, please.

When the Nintendo Museum opens up on 2nd October 2024, we’re sure a bunch of fans will be piling through the doors, eager to get a look at all of the beautiful exhibits and play with the interactive stations. But, if you’re one of the lucky ones who manages to snag a ticket, there will be a delightful little surprise even before you enter the museum.

Spotted by Nintendo Wire, your unique entry ticket — if you get one, that is! — will show your Mii on the front. That’s a superb little touch, especially given that you need a Nintendo account to grab tickets to the museum.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Capcom Reveals Who’s Voicing Frank West in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster

Dead Rising fans rejoiced a few months back when Capcom announced that it was remastering the first game in the series. But many were surprised that Capcom had recast the voice of beloved protagonist Frank West. After weeks of speculation, Capcom has finally announced the new West: Jas Patrick.

Speaking to IGN in a recent interview, the development team behind Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster confirmed that Patrick would voice Frank West. Patrick is best known for his work on Octopath Traveler 2, where he voiced Partitio. Additionally, Patrick has lent his voice to other projects, such as Genshin Impact, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and the 2023 version of the Rurouni Kenshin anime, to name a few, as shown on his YouTube account and listed on his IMDb page.

“Jas Patrick is the new voice of Frank West for Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. We’re very pleased with the work he’s done for this project,” the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Development Team confirmed to IGN in the interview.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster was announced in late June. The first teaser trailer revealed that T.J. Rotolo, the original voice actor for Frank West, was not voicing the character. Following the trailer’s release, Rotolo revealed to a fan on Instagram that he was not reprising his role in Deluxe Remaster because Capcom did not contact him, and “the reasons are the producers’ own.”

When we asked them about this, the development team said they regret that “[they] were unable to have TJ Rotolo reprise his role in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster.” However, Capcom added that the studio “sincerely” appreciates all of the work Rotolo did for the Dead Rising series.

Frank West is just one of many characters who received a new voice actor in Deluxe Remaster. Nevertheless, as I mentioned briefly in an episode of Unlocked, Frank West’s new voice grew on me.

Dead Rising Dexlue Remaster is the second remastering of the 2006 original. Powered by the RE Engine, Deluxe Remaster improves the lighting, in-game backgrounds, and environments. More importantly, a ton of quality-of-life changes have been introduced, such as the ability to move while aiming and improved survivor AI. Some things have also been removed, such as the “Erotica’ genre in the photography mini-game.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster will be released on September 19 for digital storefronts, while the physical version will be released on November 8. For more, check out our hands-on preview and a video comparing Dead Rising (2006) to Deluxe Remaster.

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

Splitgate 2 remains a portal-hopping FPS delight, but it really needs to lighten up

Now, I never played quite as much as our Brendy did of the original Splitgate. But I had a fun time with its mixture of Halo-esque trigger pulling and portalling around! So I was intrigued to give the alpha version of Splitgate 2 a go and see if it had a little more substance to it than its initial reveal, which gave off a, “it’s Splitgate but with more money” feel.

Well, I think it’s… a bit serious? It certainly has more polish and some extra additions, yet I didn’t come away from it thrilled by its more competitive, class-based FPS leanings. I think it just needs a bit more time, perhaps, for a portal to open and some silly rocket launchers and baseball bats and zombies to come tumbling out of it.

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It Looks Like Keanu Reeves Is in Amazon’s Armored Core Animation

Announced during Opening Night Live, Amazon’s Secret Level adult animation anthology series from the people behind Netflix’s Love Death + Robots stole the show with its eye-catching trailer packed with video game adaptations. But one short flew under the radar — and it looks like it stars one of the most popular actors on earth.

The glimpse and you’ll miss it look at the Armored Core animation that’s a part of the Secret Level anthology series includes a snapshot of a character that looks a lot like The Matrix and John Wick star Keanu Reeves. Check it out:

If that’s not Keanu Reeves, then I expect his agent will be on the phone to Amazon first thing in the morning demanding a royalty payment. Surely this is in fact Keanu Reeves — the face is instantly recognisable.

Reeves, of course, is no stranger to the world of video games. Most recently he starred in CD Projekt’s 2020 action RPG Cyberpunk 2077 as Johnny Silverhand. Now, in a surprise move, he’s turned his attention to FromSoftware’s Armored Core, which, while a popular series, is not considered one of the bigger video game franchises around. But then, there are other surprising entries on the Secret Level anthology list. No-one was expecting an animation for Unreal Tournament, for example, or Spelunky, but here we are.

Secret Level will have 15 episodes based on various video games. Here’s the list:

  • PlayStation Studios
  • Sifu
  • Warhammer 40,000
  • Unreal Tournament
  • New World: Aeternum
  • Dungeons & Dragons
  • The Outer Worlds 2
  • Pac-Man
  • Honor of Kings
  • Armored Core
  • Mega Man
  • Exodus
  • Spelunky
  • Crossfire
  • Concord

A word on the Warhammer 40,000 animation: Games Workshop has confirmed it’s “inspired” by the upcoming video game Space Marine 2, which is due out in September. It stars “Titus and the boys” in animated action, which is certainly something for Warhammer 40,000 fans to get excited about.

The 15-episode Secret Level series premieres December 10. For more, check out everything announced at Opening Night Live.

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.

One Very Early Black Myth Wukong Boss Is Absolutely Destroying Players

With Black Myth Wukong now out in the wild and breaking records left and right on Steam, players are finally getting to grips with its sort of soulslike gameplay, and running up against its spectacular and often tough boss fights.

While Black Myth Wukong is more easy-going than FromSoftware’s games, for example, with no meaningful punishment upon death, there’s one mini-boss encountered very early in the game that’s ripping unsuspecting players to shreds.

Warning! Black Myth Wukong spoilers follow:

In the Outside the Forest area of the Forest of the Wolves, which you’ll get to about half an hour or so into the game, you’ll hear an odd noise coming from across the way. It’s an extremely tough and, we must stress very optional, mini-boss with a giant head.

This is the Wandering Wight, which Black Myth Wukong players are already singling out as one of the toughest mini-bosses in Chapter One. Some fans have already given it various nicknames (‘Blue Bobblehead Thanos’ made me laugh).

Across Discords, subreddits, and social media, Black Myth Wukong players are reporting that they have spent or are still spending hours dying to the Wandering Wight before they either emerged victorious or moved on. And here’s something I can relate to: some are saying they’re too stubborn to move on until they’ve defeated the Wandering Wight, even though it’s entirely optional, encountered very early in the game, and would be a much easier fight later on once you’ve improved your character’s abilities and stats a bit.

The Wandering Wight is causing so much trouble because its fast, hard to avoid attacks do a huge amount of damage to early game players who are yet to increase their health pool. Similarly, it has loads of health itself, making it a bruising fight to take on.

If you’re currently banging your head against the Wandering Wight, be sure to check out IGN’s Wandering Wight Boss Fight and Guide. While you’re here, IGN has plenty more Black Myth Wukong guides to help you out, including Essential Tips and Tricks, Things Black Myth Wukong Doesn’t Tell You, and our Boss List and Guides.

Meanwhile, developer Game Science has apologized for any tech or performance issues players have encountered since the game went on sale earlier this week. Game Science took to Black Myth: Wukong’s Steam page to issue a statement promising patches aimed at these performance issues.

IGN’s Black Myth: Wukong review returned an 8/10. We said: “Despite some frustrating technical issues, Black Myth: Wukong is a great action game with fantastic combat, exciting bosses, tantalizing secrets, and a beautiful world.”

This week, IGN verified an email sent from the Black Myth: Wukong marketing team that told content creators who were granted a Steam key that they must not include “feminist propaganda” or use what are called “trigger words” such as COVID-19 in their coverage.

Chinese studio Game Science has yet to respond to IGN’s previous report compiling numerous sexist comments made by the studio’s founders and other developers spanning the last decade.

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.

Game Of Thrones Star Confirmed As In-Game Narrator For Civilization VII

Latest entry launches February 2025.

The upcoming Switch title Sid Meier’s Civilization VII was confirmed to launch for Switch on February 11th 2025 during Gamescom’s Opening Night Live showcase. It’s also been revealed that the in-game narrator will be none other than English actor Gwendoline Christie.

Christie has become pretty well-known in recent years thanks in large part to her exceptional role as Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones. She also played the underutilised Captain Phasma in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, and more recently appeared in TV shows such as Wednesday and The Sandman.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com