Today, Maxis dropped a ton of The Sims-related information spanning the games, the upcoming film, content creators, and more. While some fans may have been scouring the updates for news on next-gen Sims release Project Rene, there wasn’t much to go on…except that there will be another invite-only playtest of the game coming this fall.
Per Maxis, Project Rene will hold a “small, invite-only playtest” in the fall, “giving an early look at a multiplayer experience that explores joining friends and other players at a shared location.” Interested individuals can sign up to participate in the playtest here.
This is the second publicized public playtest Project Rene has held since its announcement, having previously had a similar small, closed playtest focused on furniture customization way back in 2022.
Project Rene was first announced in October of 2022 as the “next generation” of The Sims. Maxis has held off on referring to it as The Sims 5, and has said it expects the game to continue co-existing alongside The Sims 4 rather than replacing it. We’ve seen very, very little of the game since, though we know it allows for furniture customization on a level of detail previously impossible in the franchise, and that it will support cooperative multiplayer.
In the same update, Maxis announced a number of other The Sims-related news bits. These included confirmation of a previously-reported The Sims film directed by Kate Herron, and the introduction of The Sims 4 Creator Kits allowing content creators to craft and publish in-game assets in partnership with the studio.
We recently updated our review of The Sims 4 to reflect the state of the game in 2024, and gave the now free-to-play game an 8/10 thanks to its strong community and frequent updates.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
You can’t travel back to the 1980s. But what if I told you it was possible to gently warp your memories of that time? UFO 50 is a kart of 50 games that once existed for an old computer system, all lovingly restored by a gang of coders. The old console, of course, is a fiction. The LX-I never existed. But it’s a fun pseudo-history against which to create a grab bag of small games (some throwaway, others mighty) all designed with a distinct 80s look. It’s an exercise in adhering to an aesthetic. Like an oil painter working with a limited range of colours, the developers of this bundle have stuck to a 32-bit equivalent of the Zorn palette. Yet play a little of each game, and you start to sense the smirk of chronos. These games aren’t stuck in the past, but they are enjoying a holiday there.
Strange Scaffold’s newly released FPSI Am Your Beast is very fun for quite a few reasons, but chief among them is a deep appreciation for the poetry of good videogame violence. I’m not using the big P word just to throw out an overly worthy comparison to something we might associate with craft or beauty, but as a nod toward the game’s playful application of what I previously called ‘a euphoric splurge of murderous game verbiage’ one morning where I had clearly eaten my wordy Weetabix. The way its hurled knives and curb stomps and inexplicable decapitations flow together have an assonant, almost Suessian quality to them.
But it’s also, well, just a bit like Mad Libs. You play as Harding, a man who’s mythical lethality is established very early on. The showing is there in the moment to moment, but the telling is conveyed through cute tricks like how everyone you meet is so deeply afraid of Harding that they loudly keep track of exactly what weapon he’s holding at all times. The Mad Libs comes in through the fact that you can draw Harding a route between A and B, and it’s a given that multiple heads are going to come unstuck from necks along the way. You’re sort of just casually filling in the verbs that seem the most fun to you in the moment. One of the verbs is ‘hornet’. Hornet is a verb now.
Masahiro Sakurai is back with another video, and in this week’s ‘Grab Bag’ episode, the legendary game creator delves into the world of CRT displays.
Now, if you’ve been around long enough to actually own and play games on a CRT (which, yes, you can still do now if you happen to find one out in the wild), then Sakurai’s video will no doubt make you feel incredibly old. It certainly had that effect on us, at least. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting look into the technology that shines a light on why many retro games prefer it over more modern LCD displays.
Coming Soon to Game Pass: Ara: History Untold, Frostpunk 2, and Wargroove 2
Megan Spurr, Senior Community Lead, Xbox Game Pass
We have games for all kinds of people, and in this batch, we especially have games for people who are ready to build their own city or civilization (and maybe watch it burn, who knows?). We also have games, Perks, and updates for adventure, sports, and more. Let’s jump in!
Coming Soon
Wargroove 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – September 19 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Embark on an all-new adventure filled with unlikely friendships, unknown adversaries, and ugly revenge plots. Wage war against your foes with a cast of new Commanders. Design and share maps, cut-scenes, and campaigns with easy-to-use editors and in-depth customization tools.
Frostpunk 2 (PC) – September 20 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Coming day one to PC Game Pass: Take the role of a Steward and lead your city through a cascade of calamities taking place in a postapocalyptic, snowy setting. Develop, expand, and advance your city in a society survival game set 30 years after an apocalyptic blizzard ravaged Earth. In Frostpunk 2, you face not only the perils of never-ending winter, but also the powerful factions that watch your every step inside the Council Hall.
Ara: History Untold (PC) – September 24 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Coming day one to PC Game Pass: From Oxide Games and Xbox Game Studios, Ara: History Untold is an evolution in historical grand strategy, featuring beloved classic PC strategy mechanics alongside innovative gameplay. Build a nation and lead your people throughout history as you explore new lands, develop arts and culture, conduct diplomacy, and go head-to-head with your rivals to prove you are the greatest ruler ever known. It’s your world now. Pre-install today to get ready to play on day one.
Unlock In-Game Loot In Overwatch 2 with Game Pass
Starting today, Game Pass members will receive six awesome hero skins and an instant one-time grant of 30 Mythic prisms to spend on Mythic unlocks. These items will be yours to keep, but you’ll need to login and ensure that your accounts are linked by October 21 to claim them. Members will also earn ongoing rewards, including a stackable XP boost and access to Overwatch 2 Shop cosmetics from prior seasons. Overwatch 2 benefits are available to Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass for Console members.
DLC / Game Updates
Fallout 76: Milepost Zero – Available now Escort caravans across the Shenandoah and recruit a diverse crew of merchants to build your caravan empire. Customize your dream arsenal with the revamped Legendary Crafting system. Submit and upvote player C.A.M.P.s on the paper map with Best Builds.
EA Sports FC 25 Early Access Trial – September 20 Starting September 20, PC Game Pass and Ultimate members can try EA Sports FC 25 for up to 10 hours via EA Play and win for the club. Members unlock a Welcome Pack available until Oct 31, Football Ultimate Team Draft Tokens, and seasonal Clubs Rewards. Plus, save 10% on pre-orders, FC Points, and more.
Starfield: Shattered Space – September 30
Game Pass members save 10%! Shattered Space is a new story expansion for Starfield, Bethesda Game Studios’ epic role-playing game and first new universe in more than twenty-five years. A mysterious power stirs in the city of Dazra on House Va’Ruun’s hidden homeworld. Investigate a frightening cosmic threat, explore a new planet, and find unique weapons, spacesuits, and gear in this all-new adventure.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass – Available now The final story chapter just launched! Dive deeper into the world of Persona 3 Reload with this Expansion Pass featuring an extra story DLC “Episode Aigis -The Answer-”, offering over 30 hours of additional gameplay, new costumes, and BGM. All 3 waves are available now – dive into Episode Aigis today! This Perk content requires Persona 3 Reload to use.
The First Descendant: Season 1 Invasion Bundle – Available now Enhance your gameplay in this co-op action RPG looter shooter with the Season 1: Invasion Bundle! Featuring a stylish pink back accessory, unique weapon skins, vibrant sprays, custom makeups, and bold paints.This bundle lets you stand out in every battle!
Apex Legends: Bright Idea Weapon Charm – Available now Add some flair to your arsenal with the Apex Legends Bright Idea Weapon Charm, available with your EA Play Membership!
Hawked: Plunder Pack 2 – Available now Daring adventures await in Issue #2: Dark Arrival, so load up on new loot for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to use in this free-to-play online extraction shooter. Claim the intrepid Evergreen Outfit, blaze by on the Halcyon Green Hoverboard, and make your mark with the Slash Weapon Pattern!
Leaving September 30
The following games are leaving the library soon, so be sure to jump back in before they go. Remember you can save up to 20% off your purchase to keep them in your library.
Gotham Knights (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Let’s Build a Zoo (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Loop Hero (Cloud, Console, and PC)
My Time At Portia (Cloud, Console, and PC)
PAW Patrol Grand Prix (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Pheonix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (PC)
The Walking Dead: Season Two (PC)
Valheim (Cloud, Console, and PC)
It was great seeing everyone jump into the Beta last weekend for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6! Now we just need to (im)patiently wait for October launch. In the meantime, we’ll be here with more games to play, or you can tune into @Xbox, @XboxGamePass, and @XboxGamePassPC on social for what else is coming to your download queue next. Cheers!
Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass September 2024 Wave 2 lineup, taking subscribers up to the end of this month.
Just three games are listed as coming during September’s second wave in Microsoft’s Xbox Wire post, two of which are PC-only strategy games that launch day one on Game Pass, the other a turn-based strategy game released last year.
Wargroove 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) hits Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on September 19; PC strategy game Frostpunk 2 releases as a day one title straight into Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on September 20; and Ara: History Untold on PC launches straight into Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on September 24.
Wargroove 2 is Chucklefish’s Advance Wars-style strategy sequel released in 2023. IGN’s Wargroove 2 review returned an 8/10. We said: “Wargroove 2 is still one of the best tributes to Advance Wars out there, and bigger than its predecessor in every way, even though otherwise not much has changed.”
Frostpunk 2 is the hotly anticipated city-building survival sequel from 11 But Studios. Check out IGN’s Frostpunk 2 hands-on preview to find out more about what to expect. And Ara: History Untold is Oxide Games’ new turn-based grand strategy Civ-like, published by Xbox Game Studios.
September 2024 Wave 2 is the first Game Pass update from Microsoft’s since its controversial introduction of its new Standard Tier, which does not include a number of first-party games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Starfield, and Diablo 4.
Microsoft announced the revised Game Pass tiers in July and as of September 12 the changes went into effect. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has risen from $16.99 to $19.99 a month and still includes all the typical benefits, but the Xbox Game Pass Standard tier is quite different from its predecessor.
It replaces Game Pass for Console (though those already subscribed don’t have to upgrade) and includes significantly fewer benefits. Subscribers no longer gain access to day one titles or access to EA Play, Xbox Cloud Gaming, perks, Quests, and discounts on games in the Game Pass library. Microsoft said players would also be denied access to “specific entries to the Game Pass Ultimate library,” and that list has now been revealed to be fairly extensive.
Xbox Game Pass September 2024 Wave 2 Lineup
Wargroove 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – September 19 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Frostpunk 2 (PC) – September 20 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
None of the three September 2024 Wave 2 games are included in Xbox Game Pass Standard / Game Pass for Console. Game Pass subscribers don’t get the upcoming Starfield expansion, Shattered Space, either upon its September 30 release date. Instead they can save 10%.
Game Pass members do, however, get six hero skins and an instant one-time grant of 30 Mythic prisms to spend on Mythic unlocks in Blizzard’s free-to-play hero shooter Overwatch 2.
Microsoft is heavily rumored to be set to reveal a number of Final Fantasy games coming to Xbox consoles and Game Pass during its Tokyo Game Show 2024 broadcast, which is set for Thursday, September 26 at 7pm JST / 3am Pacific / 6am Eastern / 11am UK. Perhaps September will be fleshed out somewhat following the conclusion of the show.
Microsoft also confirmed the games leaving Game Pass later this month.
Leaving Game Pass September 30:
Gotham Knights (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Let’s Build a Zoo (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Loop Hero (Cloud, Console, and PC)
My Time At Portia (Cloud, Console, and PC)
PAW Patrol Grand Prix (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Pheonix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (PC)
The Walking Dead: Season Two (PC)
Valheim (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
I started playing and enjoying battle royale wizarding sim Spellbreak just in time for Spellbreak to get shut down. Developers Proletariat, Inc announced plans to yank the servers back in August 2022 in the course of being acquired by Activision Blizzard, bringing an end to many happy hours spent skating on conjured ice ramps and hurling boulders around like bunny rabbits. Yes, I am the kind of wizard who hurls a bunny rabbit, if there are no boulders to spare.
Happily, it transpires that Proletariat have resurrected their creation and handed it over to posterity in the shape of a free standalone Community Version, available on Itch.io. You’ll need to host your own server or join another group if you want to play multiplayer, but all the same, this is a lovely gift and one I’m delighted to transmit unto you, the active and efficient Magenauts of Rockus Paperus Shottegonne.
EA Sports has confirmed the launch timing for FC 25 across its early access and global release dates on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
FC 25’s popular Companion & Web App launches on September 19, letting fans start their Ultimate Team club on the web, and a refreshed Companion App then launches on September 20. Ultimate Team 24 players get “a little something extra,” EA Sports teased.
If you pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition of FC 25 then you’ll get the early access launch. This kicks off midnight local time on September 20 on console, and from 5am UK time on September 20 on PC. As is standard for EA Sports’ FC series and the FIFA games before it, EA Play members get up to 10 hours of FC 25 via the trial from the early access launch. EA Play Pro (PC only) members, however, get unlimited access.
EA Sports said the early access period includes Team of the Week 1, Rush Objectives, Player of the Month SBCs, Special Evolutions, World Tour, and Squad Foundations releases. You’ll also have the opportunity to earn Season Points in the new FC Season.
The worldwide launch then follows from midnight local time on September 27 on console, and from 5am UK time on September 27 on PC. Check below for all the details.
EA FC 25 early unlock release times for PS5, Xbox Series X and S, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch:
Los Angeles: 12am, September 20
Austin: 12am, September 20
Bogota: 12am, September 20
New York: 12am, September 20
Brasilia: 12am, September 20
London: 12am, September 20
Paris: 12am, September 20
Cape Town: 12am, September 20
Cairo: 12am, September 20
Moscow: 12am, September 20
Riyadh: 12am, September 20
Muscat: 12am, September 20
Beijing: 12am, September 20
Singapore: 12am, September 20
Seoul: 12am, September 20
Tokyo: 12am, September 20
Sydney: 12am, September 20
Auckland: 12am, September 20
EA FC 25 early unlock release times for PC:
Los Angeles: 9pm, September 19
Austin: 11pm, September 19
Bogota: 11pm, September 19
New York: 12am, September 20
Brasilia: 1am, September 20
London: 5am, September 20
Paris: 6am, September 20
Cape Town: 6am, September 20
Cairo: 7am, September 20
Moscow: 7am, September 20
Riyadh: 7am, September 20
Muscat: 8am, September 20
Beijing: 12pm, September 20
Singapore: 12pm, September 20
Seoul: 1pm, September 20
Tokyo: 1pm, September 20
Sydney: 2pm, September 20
Auckland: 4pm, September 20
EA FC 25 global release times for PS5, Xbox Series X and S, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch:
Los Angeles: 12am, September 27
Austin: 12am, September 27
Bogota: 12am, September 27
New York: 12am, September 27
Brasilia: 12am, September 27
London: 12am, September 27
Paris: 12am, September 27
Cape Town: 12am, September 27
Cairo: 12am, September 27
Moscow: 12am, September 27
Riyadh: 12am, September 27
Muscat: 12am, September 27
Beijing: 12am, September 27
Singapore: 12am, September 27
Seoul: 12am, September 27
Tokyo: 12am, September 27
Sydney: 12am, September 27
Auckland: 12am, September 27
EA FC 25 global release times for PC:
Los Angeles: 9pm, September 26
Austin: 11pm, September 26
Bogota: 11pm, September 26
New York: 12am, September 27
Brasilia: 1am, September 27
London: 5am, September 27
Paris: 6am, September 27
Cape Town: 6am, September 27
Cairo: 7am, September 27
Moscow: 7am, September 27
Riyadh: 7am, September 27
Muscat: 8am, September 27
Beijing: 12pm, September 27
Singapore: 12pm, September 27
Seoul: 1pm, September 27
Tokyo: 1pm, September 27
Sydney: 2pm, September 27
Auckland: 4pm, September 27
EA FC 25 has a number of graphics options never before seen in the series, or its predecessor FIFA. The headline is the addition of ray tracing for the first time in either FC or FIFA, the latter of which was EA Sports’ football video game series before the company’s high-profile split from the world football governing body in 2022.
Alongside ray tracing comes a new graphics mode for FC 25, which gives players the choice between Enhanced Visuals or Favour Resolution. Enhanced Visuals features augmented lighting and graphic details in upscaled 4K resolution, whereas Favour Resolution features standard lighting in native 4K. It’s worth noting both graphical options offer 60 frames per second during gameplay to retain responsiveness.
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.
Sony is investigating PlayStation 5 technical issues in Final Fantasy 16 and more caused by the latest firmware update 24.06-10.00.00.
Myriad users reported issues including entire portions of the screen being overcome with black squares, crashing when loading a save file or fast travelling, and more. Similar bugs are appearing in Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws, Hello Games’ No Man’s Sky, Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding, and more according to users on Reddit.
Sony appears aware of the issues, however, and is actively seeking a solution to at least those found in Final Fantasy 16. Square Enix confirmed it was working with the PlayStation maker to address the issues introduced through the firmware update in an X/Twitter post.
“Following the recent release of the PlayStation 5 system update, there have been reports of the game crashing and graphical issues,” Square Enix said. “We are currently working with Sony Interactive Entertainment to investigate, and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. Please await our further updates.”
Sony has yet to make a statement itself regarding the issues and just how widespread they are, but IGN has reached out for comment. The firmware did bring a handful of intended changes, including a Welcome Hub, Party Share, and more.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Having shot up the near-future in Battlefield 2042, DICE and EA are using a modern-day setting with the next instalment of their military FPS series. According to EA studios group general manager and Respawn chief Vince Zampella, the new, currently untitled shooter will be one of those “back to basics” sequels that tries to rebottle the lightning of Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 – these being the “peak” Battlefield games, in Zampella’s view.
Draft Tokens, and seasonal Clubs Rewards. Plus, save 10% on pre-orders, FC Points, and more.
