As we rang in the new year earlier this week, thousands of people seemed to be celebrating in an admittedly unusual way: by playing Valve’s 2018 TCG Artifact.
Then, as quickly as they started, the 12,000-ish individuals all stopped playing at once on January 3, leaving the game as empty as it had been at the end of 2024.
So why, then, is SteamDB suggesting that a free-to-play card game that is, by all accounts, close to dead, seeing wild spikes in users over very specific two-day periods?
As spotted by Forbes, Artifact Classic’s (the original, now free-to-play version of Artifact) player count suddenly spiked on December 31, jumping from a measly ~200 concurrent players up to the 5,000s, before spiking to a height of over 12,000. Artifact remained at around 11,000 concurrents through the second, before its playercount absolutely tanked back down to ~150 at midnight on January 3rd. What’s strange is that something almost exactly like this happened earlier this month, too: on December 14, player counts shot up to around 14,000, hung out there for about two days, and dive bombed again into the hundreds on the 17th.
So what’s really going on here? The actual answer is that no one really knows. The most prevalent community theory seems to be that it’s bots, though why someone would train bots to play Artifact isn’t exactly clear. One person suggested someone was training an AI to play the game “for shits and giggles” which is perhaps as good an explanation as any. Another person suggested the spikes were due to scam bots increasing playtime in random games in order to make their Steam accounts look legitimate for other purposes.
Another theory pointed out by multiple members of the Artifact subreddit is that the spike in players is due to pirates. Because certain video games require Steam authentication, in order to pirate those games, pirates will use the AppID/SDK of a different, free-to-play game to fool Steam into thinking they have a real copy. In this case, it’s being suggested they’re using Artifact. That said, this theory doesn’t entirely hold up, due to the extremely sudden spikes and then drops in activity at very precise times.
So the actual answer behind Artifact’s mysterious player numbers remains a mystery for now. We did reach out to Valve for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication. What is clear at least is that despite the numbers, Artifact itself doesn’t seem to be garnering any meaningful, real-world interest eight years after launch and four years after Valve effectively called it quits, even though the game itself was pretty fun at first. At least the bots, if they are indeed bots, in Artifact don’t seem to be bothering legitimate players, unlike the on-and-off situation over in Team Fortress 2.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Conspicuous by its absence is mention of anti-cheat after a troubling period for Call of Duty that’s seen its hardcore community call on Activision to do more to prevent cheaters from impacting both Black Ops 6 and Warzone. Expect anti-cheat improvements from Season 2.
The 2.699GB patch (PS5) for the Call of Duty app, which must be downloaded whether you own Black Ops 6 or not, adds new Multiplayer and Zombies modes, the new High Roller Wildcard, and makes various balance changes to Scorestreaks. The patch notes in full are below.
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 update 1.065.000 patch notes:
GLOBAL
Movement
Increased all mantle speeds.
Doors can now be opened and closed while sprinting.
Weapons
New Cleaver Melee weapon now available via Event rewards.
Addressed an issue where the player’s view could become obstructed with specific weapons when using the Dark Practitioner Tracer Pack Bundle without an optic.
Addressed an issue where Gun Screens would not be visible on the Saug Mecha-Drake Mastercraft Blueprint.
Hawker Hybrid optic now correctly works with the Ginger Dread Blueprint.
UI
Improved AAR flow.
Added a Dismiss button to exit at any point and a timer.
Added a Summary at the end.
Improved readability when searching for a match.
Addressed an issue where Gun Screens could not be previewed.
NOTE: Some players may see their Operator selections and Operator customizations reset after this update.
MULTIPLAYER
Modes
Red Light, Green Light (NEW)
Young-hee is watching, so don’t misstep at the wrong time. Get on the pitch in the Red Card stadium and play three rounds of Red Light, Green Light, each two minutes long.
In Round 1, no one gets a weapon. In Rounds 2 and 3, you can pick up weapons on the ground and eliminate other competitors with melee attacks and Finishing Moves. There’s just one simple rule: When Young-hee says “Green Light,” the fight is on. Move a muscle after she says “Red Light” and you’re toast.
Pentathlon (NEW)
Prove that you have what it takes in the long run by competing in a series of Multiplayer modes to find out who reigns supreme! Play Domination, Kill Confirmed, and Hardpoint along with two new mode variants: Piggy Bank Team Deathmatch and Roulette.
In Piggy Bank TDM, every elimination adds score to the Mega Piggy Bank; fight for possession of the huge payout when it drops part way through the match.
In Roulette, one-shot eliminations via the Roulette Handgun award double the points, though with each fired shot there’s a chance it’ll blow up in your hands!
Squid Game Moshpit (NEW)
Fire up the Squid Game Moshpit including Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Hardpoint with a twist as players gain access to three important Squid Game-themed features:
Red Light, Green Light Scorestreak: Is the fight getting too hectic for you? Stop the enemy in their tracks with this Scorestreak that calls “Red Light,” commanding all enemy players to stop moving or risk elimination.
Piggy Bank: Eliminated players have a chance of dropping a Piggy Bank that awards a small score boost when picked up. For a bigger payday, watch for the Mega Piggy Bank. Every elimination adds additional score to the Mega Piggy Bank, so once it drops, fight for it to acquire all the deposited score within.
Roulette Handgun: The epitome of high risk, high reward. The Roulette Handgun spawns in the center of the map; grab it to activate a permanent UAV effect while wielding it and land one-shot eliminations against enemies, earning more than double the normal score to help you obtain Scorestreaks more quickly. The catch? Your location will be marked for everyone to see, and every shot has a chance to blow up the weapon, taking you down with it.
Prop Hunt
Improved spatial audio on Prop whistles.
Addressed an issue where Prop UI could remain present when switching rounds to the Hunter team.
Addressed an issue where Props could block doors from opening when locked in place.
Wildcards
High Roller (NEW)
Allows players to equip up to four Scorestreaks.
Scorestreaks
RC-XD
Slightly reduced the RC-XD’s max damage.
Archangel Launcher
Addressed a rare issue where the next bullet fired from a weapon after using the Archangel Launcher could be an Archangel rocket.
Care Package
Care Packages will now contain the Scout Pulse Scorestreak less frequently.
LDBR
Decreased the damage the LDBR does to its owner.
Reduced score requirement from 950 to 800.
Sentry Turret
Increased Sentry Turret fire rate.
Increased Sentry Turret HP.
Reduced score requirement from 1000 to 950.
Hellstorm
Reduced score requirement from 1050 to 1000.
Watchdog Helo
Slightly increased the Watchdog Helo’s damage.
Increased Watchdog Helo accuracy when it acquires a new target.
Reduced score requirement from 1100 to 1050.
Strategic Bomber
Reduced score requirement from 1300 to 1100.
A.G.R. MK 1
Top speed increased.
Acceleration increased.
Addressed an issue where the A.G.R. MK 1 was deploying with less HP than intended.
Dreadnought
Slightly increased Dreadnought HP.
Reduced score requirement from 1800 to 1700.
UI
Addressed an issue where the wrong Finisher would sometimes be previewed.
Addressed various issues with overlapping text.
Correct Calling Cards now display during the Winner’s Circle in Free-For-All.
Audio
Reduced the range of Emote sound effects.
ZOMBIES
Maps
Citadelle des Morts
Elemental Sword Wonder Weapons
General
All swords can now hit up to two enemies per swing. The additional hit will do damage based on distance.
Additional hit damage is 100% at close-to-medium distance and 50% beyond that.
Players can now parry Amalgam grabs with Elemental Swords.
Addressed an issue where sword damage could be decreased when using the Void Sheath Augment for Aether Shroud.
Balmung
Ability procs more frequently while charged.
Reduced the required kills to charge from 40 to 25.
Decreased cooldown from 20 to 10 seconds.
Slightly lowered the chance to activate the passive effects to account for the decreased cooldown between activations.
Durandel
Increased special attack damage.
Increased Electric Beam special attack damage per tick from 40% to 65% of base zombie health.
Ability now procs more frequently while charged.
Decreased cooldown from 25 to 3 seconds.
Slightly lowered the chance to activate the passive effects to account for the decreased cooldown between activations.
Addressed an issue where Durandel’s charged attack would not be visible to other players.
Caliburn
Adjusted to activate Napalm Burst Augments when the sword procs, similar to Balmung and Durandal.
Solais
Slightly reduced effectiveness of Armor regeneration ability.
Slightly increased swing interrupt time for sword swing.
Lowered Armor regeneration percentage from 5% to 4% per swing.
Main Quest
Addressed an issue where players could sometimes be unable to pick up the Lightning Rod depending on where it dropped.
The Lightning Rod zombie will now return to the Dungeon if there are no players nearby.
Addressed an issue where activating the Time Out GobbleGum to progress a round during the Main Quest boss fight would respawn eliminated players in the starting area and down them.
Players will now respawn in the boss fight arena.
Addressed an issue where Special Round effects would not disable when entering the Main Quest boss fight.
Adjusted Deadshot ADS placement to be more accurate against the Main Quest boss.
Addressed an issue where Krafft could speak to the player before interacting with him in the Dungeon.
Addressed an issue where saving and quitting in a Solo match before speaking to Krafft would prevent Main Quest progression after loading the save.
Addressed an issue where the Light Ritual mirrors could not be interacted with after a player joins in progress.
Addressed an issue where wisps in the Light Challenge for the Mystic Orb would freeze visually but still count toward completion.
Addressed an issue where the Mystic Orb would not be visible to players joining in progress after the Knight’s Ceremony.
Addressed an issue where Main Quest progress was not saved when picking up the Mystic Orb after the Knight’s Ceremony and saving and quitting in a Solo match.Addressed an issue where the Durendal sword could be floating upon loading into a saved Solo match.
Addressed an issue where melee weapons would not be able to open one of the locks on the Pack-a-Punch container.
Closed an exploit where players would take no damage and be unable to move when failing the Sanctuary timed challenge.
Addressed some instances where a specific set of interactions could lead to blank objective text.
Addressed an issue where the Blood Aetherium Crystal could get stuck in a non-playable area.
Addressed some issues with visual effects spawning in non-intended locations.
Updated the model for the Mystic Orb.
Terminus
Addressed an issue where players respawned by progressing a round during the Main Quest boss fight with the Time Out GobbleGum would be unable to see the boss’s health bar.
Addressed an issue where the Workshop Lockdown Main Quest step would end early by placing a Shock Charge after starting.
Speed Boost option now properly functions during the Boat Race Side Quest.
Modes
Dead Light, Green Light (NEW)
Compete in an undead version of the stop-and-go game in Dead Light, Green Light. In the “Green Light” phase, players gain a bonus to earned Essence, so rack up the zombie eliminations. Once “Red Light” is called, Essence is drained from any player who moves, so spend big before this phase or hang tight to avoid throwing away your hard-earned currency. And it doesn’t end there. When the dreaded “Dead Light” phase begins, prepare for a tough fight as a meaner wave of enemies approach.
Available first in Citadelle des Morts, with Liberty Falls added after Week 1.
Directed Mode
Directed Mode now available for Citadelle des Morts with unique rewards.
NOTE: The deadline to earn the Main Quest early completion rewards for Citadelle des Morts via Standard Mode has been extended until the end of Season 01 to allow players additional time to complete the Main Quest.
Extended time between rounds and the delay between spawning zombies after five looped rounds at the round cap in Directed Mode.
Training Course
Addressed an issue that would prevent the “Getting New Weapons” station from progressing.
Weapons
Addressed an issue where players would lose the ability to equip a second weapon if the “Weapon Cycle” setting was enabled.
GobbleGums
Addressed an issue that left the player vulnerable briefly while teleporting from “Anywhere But Here!” or “Nowhere But There” GobbleGums.
Ammo Mods
Shadow Rift
Big Game
Big Game will no longer deal lethal damage to Elite enemies.
Field Upgrades
Aether Shroud
Void Sheath Augment
Addressed an issue where melee weapon damage would not be increased.
Scorestreaks
Mutant Injection
Addressed an issue where Mangler Cannon effects could be stuck on the screen after the Scorestreak has ended.
Chopper Gunner
Addressed an issue where the gun from the Chopper Gunner could be used after the Scorestreak has ended.
Sentry Turret
Addressed an issue that prevented a Sentry Turret from being placed after using the Balmung charged ability.
Power-Ups
Fire Sale
Addressed an issue where rarely Fire Sale would leave an extra Mystery Box on the map.
Enemies
Doppelghast
Addressed an issue where the needle blast from a Doppelghast affected by Brain Rot could harm the player.
Vermin
Addressed an issue where Vermin could sometimes hit twice with one attack.
Activities
Splitscreen
Addressed an issue where zombies would sometimes ignore the host player.
Challenges
Camo Challenges
Addressed an issue where Pack-a-Punched GS45s would not progress the Siamese Camo after Military Camo progression was complete.
Daily Challenges
Addressed an issue where the “Drink 3 Perk-a-Colas” Daily Challenge would not progress.
Calling Card Challenges
Prestige 3: Explosive Surprise
Addressed an issue where the Explosive Surprise Prestige 3 Calling Chard Challenge was not tracking properly.
Prestige 8: Close Call
Updated this Challenge to count kills from teleporting with the “Anywhere But Here!” GobbleGum.
Updated this Challenge to also include “Nowhere But There!” GobbleGums.
Addressed issues that prevented the following challenges from tracking properly:
Trophy Hunter: “Madness”
Prestige 6: “Gullible”
Prestige 7: “Old Faithful”
Prestige 10: “Stupify”
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.
Just a reminder that Nintendo of America’s holiday eShop discounts finish this Sunday night, so if you were waiting for payday to come around before diving back into this monstrous sale, the clock’s a-ticking.
Well, until the next time 3,000+ games are discounted. Carry on!
Steam Deck, Mac, and other Linux-based enjoyers of superhero shooter hit Marvel Rivals can once again play without fear of being pulped under an unlawfully swung banhammer. Developers NetEase had recently doled out bans of up to 100 years to players they suspected of cheating, but in their eagerness, failed to distinguish between legitimate compatibility layers – the software that non-Windows operating systems, like the Steam Deck’s SteamOS, use to run native Windows games – and actual hacks. Per IGN, NetEase have now apologised to the affected players, and lifted the bans.
From Gunn’s hotly anticipated Superman movie to the return of shows like Peacemaker and The Sandman to the expansion of DC’s Absolute Universe, let’s break down the biggest and most important DC projects arriving in 2025.
Superman Kicks Off the Live-Action DCU
Compared to 2023, which saw the release of no fewer than four films set in the now-defunct DC Extended Universe, 2025 is definitely smaller in scope. Just like with 2024’s Joker: Folie à Deux, there’s only one new live-action DC movie hitting theaters this year. That said, it’s easily the most important movie DC has released in years.
That movie is, of course, James Gunn’s Superman. Where Gunn’s Creature Commandos animated series gave us our first taste of the new DCU cinematic universe, Superman is our first live-action foray into this world. Based on Creature Commandos’ quality, not to mention Gunn’s work on the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, we have high hopes.
Superman casts David Corenswet as the Man of Steel. Rather than exploring Kal-El’s origin story for the umpteenth time, the movie takes place after Superman has been on the job for a few years. He’s trying his best to use his powers to guide and protect mankind and prove that there’s room for decency and kindness in our cynical modern world. In other words, exactly the sort of superhero film we could all use right about now.
Superman also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White. And because this film is our introduction to the DCU in live-action, fans can expect a lot of other DC heroes to drop by. That lineup includes Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho. Also helping tie together the growing DCU will be Frank Grillo, who reprises the role of Rick Flag, Sr. from Creature Commandos.
Needless to say, there’s a lot riding on Superman’s brawny shoulders right now. This film marks the full debut of a brand-new cinematic universe, and it paves the way for a number of big-budget DC projects in the years ahead, from movies like Supergirl and The Authority to shows like Lanterns and Paradise Lost. It’s a piece in a much larger puzzle Gunn is calling “Gods and Monsters.”
The question is whether Superman can succeed where so many DC movies have crashed and burned in recent years. Given the way films like The Flash and Shazam! Fury of the Gods bombed at the box office in 2023, it’s clear fans had written off the old DCEU before it even finished. And Joker: Folie à Deux proved to be a complete misfire for DC in 2024. Is the DC brand irrevocably tarnished in Hollywood, or can Superman start the road to recovery?
Whatever happens, we’re eagerly looking forward to the release of Superman, which hits theaters on July 11, 2025.
Batman: Knightfall Gets Animated
Superman may be the only live-action theatrical release DC is putting out in 2025, but it won’t be the only new DC movie. DC’s line of direct-to-DVD animated films will continue in the new year, with details starting to leak about their ambitious next project.
Following the release of the critically acclaimed two-part Watchmen adaptation, DC is turning to another classic graphic novel for its next adaptation, Batman: Knightfall. In fact, Knightfall is reportedly getting a full trilogy of adaptations, matching the scope of the recent Crisis on Infinite Earths movie trilogy. The trilogy hasn’t been officially announced yet, but as pointed out by The Direct, a listing for the first movie has appeared on the EIDR database.
Batman: Knightfall is the famous 1993 crossover where Batman first encountered the ruthless Bane. Over the course of the story, Bane wears down the Dark Knight physically and psychologically and breaks his back. Left paralyzed, Bruce has no option but to turn the Batman mantle over to another like-minded vigilante named Jean-Paul Valley.
Given that Batman: Knightfall is a trilogy of movies, we assume the first film will adapt Knightfall itself, while the second will cover the follow-up crossover Knightquest and the third will cap off the story by adapting Knightsend. In Knightquest, Jean-Paul establishes himself as a more ruthless and deranged alternative to Bruce, while in Knightsend a recovered Bruce has to reclaim the Batman mantle and save Gotham City from this sadistic new Dark Knight.
Again, DC has yet to formally announce the Batman: Knightfall movies, so at this stage we don’t know the voice cast or potential release dates. It’s possible that Knightfall is a continuation of the Tomorrowverse, meaning that Batman: The Long Halloween star Jensen Ackles would reprise the Batman role again. But it’s also possible that DC has closed the door on that animated universe following the Crisis trilogy, meaning we may see a new actor cast as Batman. Either way, expect Batman: Knightfall to be one of the darkest and most violent Batman movies since DC’s adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns.
DC TV in 2024
There may be only one new DC movie hitting theaters in 2025, but DC definitely has a more stacked TV and streaming lineup planned this year. That includes another addition to the new but rapidly growing DCU, as Gunn’s Peacemaker returns for Season 2.
Peacemaker: Season 2 will be the next DCU project to hit after Superman. How does that work when the first season was a spinoff of Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, which was part of the DCEU? Don’t think too hard about it. Just know that Season 2 continues the misadventures of John Cena’s peace-loving anti-hero Christopher Smith. Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, and Robert Patrick are all also returning for Season 2, and Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. continues to serve as the glue tying the DCU together.
Peacemaker Season 2 will debut on Max in August 2025, so fans don’t have to wait long after Superman’s release to get more of this growing superhero universe.
We’re expecting one other live-action DC series to arrive in 2025, as Netflix finally continues the saga of The Sandman. Tom Sturridge is back as Morpheus, as the Lord of Dreams deals with new challenges to his realm. One of those challenges comes from Gwendoline Christie’s Lucifer, who is out for revenge after being outwitted by Morpheus in Season 1. It’s expected that Season 2 will adapt the comic storyline The Season of Mists, a tale that pushes the Morpheus/Lucifer rivalry in a very unexpected direction.
We can also expect to meet the rest of Morpheus’ siblings in Season 2, including Adrian Lester’s Destiny, Esmé Creed-Miles’ Delirium, and Barry Sloane’s Destruction. Why did Morpheus’ little brother Destruction abdicate his responsibilities? That’s another mystery the series looks poised to explore in Season 2.
On the animated side of things, we’re hoping to see new seasons of Batman: Caped Crusader, My Adventures With Superman, and Harley Quinn in 2025.
Caped Crusader debuted on Prime Video in 2024, at which point Amazon had already greenlit the series for a second season. Hamish Linklater will return as the voice of Bruce Wayne and Batman. Based on the ending to Season 1, it seems safe to assume that Season 2 will deal with the emergence of Batman’s greatest foe, the Joker, though we don’t yet know who will voice the Clown Prince of Crime.
As for My Adventures With Superman, this lighthearted, shonen anime-inspired series has been greenlit for Season 3. With Season 1 debuting in 2023 and Season 2 following in 2024, we’re hopeful that the third season can continue that annual release schedule, especially with the new movie also dropping this year. With Season 2 introducing Supergirl and pitting Superman against Amanda Waller and ARGUS, it’s anyone’s guess what parts of the Superman mythos Season 3 will mine.
Finally, Harley Quinn is confirmed to return in January 2025. This decidedly adults-only animated series took a year off in 2024 to make room for the Kite-Man spinoff, but it’s time to put the spotlight back on Kaley Cuoco’s Harley and Lake Bell’s Poison Ivy.
DC Games: Will We See a New Arkham Game?
2025 is looking to be pretty quiet on the gaming front for DC. Rocksteady will be adding Deathstroke as the newest and last playable character to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. After a rough launch in 2024, that live-service game looks to be headed into maintenance mode in 2025.
We could see new DC characters added to the free-to-play fighting game MultiVersus, which already includes mainstays Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Joker, and Harley Quinn. And it’s also possible the Meta Quest-exclusive Batman: Arkham Shadow will be ported to other VR systems in 2025.
But beyond that, there’s not much for DC fans to look forward to in 2025. At best, we hope to see some concrete announcements about what’s coming in terms of DC’s video game roadmap.
Could Rocksteady be working on the next entry in the Arkham franchise? Or will another studio take charge of putting players in Batman’s boots? Either way, we’re hoping to catch a glimpse of this mysterious game at some point in 2025. And while we’re at it, it would be nice to see a little more of Monolith’s Wonder Woman game, which was announced at the 2021 Game Awards but has basically dropped off the map since.
DC Comics Goes All In
DC may have had a rough year on the big screen in 2024, but DC Comics is coming off a very successful year and looking to continue that momentum into 2025.
DC’s main focus right now is on the DC All In initiative, which aims to give readers fresh, easy jumping-on points for all of DC’s ongoing titles. That includes major books like Tom King and Daniel Sampere’s Wonder Woman, Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora’s Superman, Tom Taylor and Mikel Janin’s Detective Comics, and Mark Waid and Dan Mora’s Justice League Unlimited. We’re also eagerly looking forward to digging into Ram V and Evan Cagle’s New Gods, a series that just kicked off in December 2024 and will be as important as any other when it comes to charting the Darkseid-focused future of the DC line.
Then there’s the Absolute Universe, the other side of the DC All In coin. The Absolute line is similar to Marvel’s Ultimate Universe in that it focuses on updating and streamlining DC’s iconic heroes without the burden of decades of existing continuity. Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta’s Absolute Batman, Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman’s Absolute Wonder Woman, and Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval’s Absolute Superman have all proven to be big hits for DC, and they’ll continue to expand the line heading into 2025. Look for new additions like Al Ewing and Jahnoy Lindsay’s Absolute Green Lantern, Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles’ Absolute Flash and Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez’s Absolute Martian Manhunter, all debuting in March.
DC’s biggest story of the year, however, may well be Batman: Hush 2. This sequel brings back writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee for a brand-new mystery centered around the titular villain. Hush 2 kicks off in the pages of Batman #158, also releasing in March.
Finally, DC is bringing back the beloved Vertigo imprint in 2025. Once the home of critically acclaimed mature readers comics like The Sandman, Preacher, and Y: The Last Man, Vertigo was previously shuttered back in 2019. But now it’s returning as a home for creator-owned comics. James Tynion and Álvaro Martínez Bueno’s The Nice House by the Sea is the first book to carry the Vertigo banner, but we’re expecting a lot more announcements in the months to come.
And that’s what you can expect from DC in 2025. Are you excited for Gunn’s Superman? What about the return of Peacemaker and The Sandman? Cast your vote in our poll and let us know in the comments which new DC project you’re most looking forward to this year.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket byfollowing @jschedeen on BlueSky.
Ever since the reveal of the apparent ‘Switch 2’ motherboard online, fans have been going wild with speculation as to what kind of tech the upcoming new Nintendo console will boast.
In fact, we’d say a lot of them could easily become Professor Layton’s new protégé, if they wish. The level of analysis with this stuff is frankly off the charts, and considering just how close we are to the potential reveal of this thing, we’re beginning to wonder whether it’s all worth the effort.
Marvel Rivals developer NetEase has issued an apology to disgruntled players who it unfairly banned for cheating.
In a post on Discord, NetEase admitted it had mistakenly flagged as cheaters some who were playing in compatibility layer programs, even though they were not using cheating software. This, unfortunately, resulted in false bans, although NetEase failed to say how many.
“We sincerely apologize for this situation and want to assure you that we do not and will not ban players who are playing fairly and without cheating,” NetEase said.
The developer said it had made a list of affected players and lifted their bans. “We have identified the specific reasons behind these false bans and have compiled a list of affected players,” it said. “We have lifted these bans and want to express our heartfelt apologies for the inconvenience this has caused.”
NetEase went on to insist it is investing in improving its anti-cheat, and called on players to report cheaters if they encounter them. Here’s the rest of the statement in full:
Our mission is to provide all players with a fair, just, and enjoyable gaming environment. Therefore, preventing and identifying cheaters is one of our top priorities. We have invested significant manpower and resources to improve the speed and accuracy of our detection systems. With any ongoing detection system, there is always room for improvement. We appreciate your assistance in helping us tackle this challenge. If you encounter any cheating behavior, please report it immediately; our reporting system will respond promptly. If you believe you have been wrongly banned, you can appeal to our customer support team, and we will review your case and respond in a timely manner. You can reach the support team via either in-game or in Discord!
Marvel Rivals is a smash hit for NetEase, securing 10 million players in just three days and 20 million in two weeks. The free-to-play superhero team-based PvP shooter launched on December 6 across PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, and while Sony and Microsoft do not make player numbers public, Steam makes Valve stats available.
On Steam, Marvel Rivals peaked over its launch weekend with 480,990 concurrent players, which was enough to put it in the top five most-played games on Valve’s platform. It’s the 20th highest concurrent player number ever seen on Steam, ahead of the likes of Helldivers 2, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Destiny 2.
Marvel Rivals launched with Season 0, with Season 1 set for January 9 according to the in-game battle pass countdown timer. Check out IGN’s Marvel Rivals Review to find out what we think. And keep an eye on the latest Marvel Rivals codes for free skins, and vote on the strongest Marvel Rivals characters in our community tier list.
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.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 marked the return of Jim Carrey after the actor previously claimed that he would likely be retiring from the industry. He didn’t just return to play Ivo Robotnik, however, but also took on another role in the form of Gerald Robotnik, Ivo’s grandfather and creator of Shadow the Hedgehog.
In a previous interview with Variety, Carrey stated that his retirement announcement was “hyperbole”, and that he decided to return to play Robotnik because “I bought a lot of stuff and I need the money, frankly”. Now, in a fresh interview with Cinema Today, he expressed an openness to returning again for future Sonic movies, provided he thinks the potential new ideas sound “fun”.
Call of Duty players are flooding to Activision’s privacy support page after a YouTuber showcased a method of finding out their hidden skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) rating.
For years, SBMM has been the hottest of topics within the Call of Duty community, with some proclaiming it ruins the experience, others saying it helps level the competitive multiplayer playing field. High-skilled Call of Duty players often bemoan SBMM for chucking them into what they call “sweaty” lobbies full of similarly high-skilled players. All the while, Activision has kept players’ skill rating hidden from them, forcing them to speculate about where they might sit compared to others and how it fluctuates from game to game.
However, popular Call of Duty YouTuber TheXclusiveAce exposed a method that will let players know their skill rating for every single Multiplayer game they’ve played going all the way back to 2021’s Vanguard. However, it involves jumping through a few hoops and you’ll have to wait a little while before you get the data.
The method involves heading over to Activision’s privacy page and submitting a new personal information access request. You’ll need to log into your Activision account to automatically include the various Call of Duty games, but once done, you can submit a request. IGN has gone through this process and can verify its legitimacy, although you’ll have to wait a day or two for the data to arrive via email.
TheXclusiveAce received his data and, in his video on the subject, showed off just how extensive it is. It shows every single Multiplayer match in detail, down to the mode played, the map played, the operator and skin you used, and even the execution you had equipped. You can see the number of hits you landed in the match, your longest streak, damage done and taken, and, if you’re interested, the percentage of time moving. Many more data points are included, but it’s the skill stat that’s of most interest here.
With his data, TheXclusiveAce was able to chart his Black Ops 6 skill rating, showing how it changed over time. TheXclusiveAce, who will be one of the better Multiplayer Call of Duty players around relative to the overall player base, has a skill rating of around 400 through the course of his time with Black Ops 6, although there are occasional sharp drops and rises.
Unfortunately, this data in isolation doesn’t help players understand how their skill rating compares to others’. It also doesn’t reveal the skill rating of the lobby or why a player’s skill rating changed from game to game.
However, TheXclusiveAce compared his K/D ratio to his skill rating to try to draw conclusions on Black Ops 6’s SBMM. From what he can tell, poor play relative to previous performance does reduce skill rating, and improved play relative to previous performance increases skill rating, although it can take some time to kick in either way. TheXclusiveAce suspects lobby skill rating impacts changes in individual skill rating; if the SBMM expects you to perform at a certain level relative to the lobby skill rating and you fail to meet that expectation, your skill rating might drop even if you had a good game.
Last year, Activision explained how Call of Duty’s SBMM works in somewhat vague terms. Skill is determined based on a player’s “overall performance,” Activision said. This includes kills, deaths, wins, losses, as well as mode selection, and recent matches as an overall metric across all Multiplayer experiences. “This is a fluid measurement that’s consistently updating and reacting to your gameplay,” Activision explained. “Skill is not only a factor in matchmaking players against appropriate enemies, but also when finding teammates.”
Activision went on to say skill in matchmaking means all players (regardless of skill level) are more likely to experience wins and losses more proportionately. “We use player performance to ensure that the disparity between the most skilled player in the lobby and the least skilled player in the lobby isn’t so vast that players feel their match is a waste of time,” Activision said.
The question now is whether the Call of Duty community will work together to track skill ratings at scale. If it does, not only will players finally get a sense of their skill rating relative to the wider community, but they will start to learn exactly what influences skill rating changes over time.
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.
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