Author: Game Infliction

Marathon Director Was Fired Following Misconduct Investigation at Bungie – Report

Marathon director Chris Barrett was fired after an internal misconduct investigation at Bungie, according to a new Bloomberg report citing sources within the studio, who say that at least eight women came forward saying that Barrett behaved inappropriately toward them.

The new report says that Barrett “called lower-level female employees attractive, asked them to play truth-or-dare and made references to his wealth and power within the studio, suggesting that he could help advance their careers.” Barrett also allegedly befriended women in various department and sent them a “barrage of text messages that blurred the lines between professional and personal.”

Internally, Bloomberg reports that Bungie employees weren’t told about the circumstances behind Barrett’s firing, believing that he was on sabbatical. Later, some discovered that his accounts had been disabled.

Barrett said in a statement to Bloomberg, “I feel that I have always conducted myself with integrity and been respectful and supportive of my colleagues, many of whom I consider my closest friends. I never understood my communications to be unwanted and I would have never thought they could possibly have made anyone feel uncomfortable. If anyone ever felt that way about their interaction with me, I am truly sorry.”

A Sony Interactive Entertainment spokesperson said the company takes “all complaints of misconduct very seriously. It is our policy and practice to investigate every complaint promptly and take action based on the findings of our investigation.”

IGN broke the news of Barrett being replaced as Marathon director by former Valorant director Joe Ziegler back in March. The report also detailed how Bungie was “pouring resources into getting Marathon out the door,” with the direction shifting under Ziegler from custom player characters to a selectable cast of heroes. Prior to that, IGN delved into Bungie’s struggle to address issues with crunch and workplace misconduct.

Since then, Bungie has been rocked by major layoffs impacting some 200 workers, or about 17 percent of the studio’s workforce. It’s part of an industry-wide upheaval that has impacted publishers including Xbox, Sony, EA, and more.

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.

Escape Room Madness: Which Mad Experiments Game is for You?

If you like escape rooms, puzzle games or enjoy delving into a dark and twisted story, you’re in for a treat. That’s because these Xbox games have just been released: Mad Experiments: Escape Room and Mad Experiments 2: Escape Room. However, with two of them to pick from, where do you get started? Well, let’s discuss what it is that makes each game special as well as why one may be better than the other—or perhaps we should say why you will end up playing both anyway.

Mad Experiments screenshot

Choose Your Challenge: Classic Puzzles or Story-Driven Mystery?

Both games throw players into the unsettling world created by Professor Cheshire where escaping requires smartness. Nevertheless, they offer different flavors of escape room gameplay:

  • Mad Experiments: Escape Room is for the classic puzzle enthusiasts. It’s all about the thrill of discovery—finding hidden objects, piecing together clues, and solving increasingly complex puzzles. Each of the three chapters—The Mansion Lab, Memory Loss, and Lost Childhood—presents its own set of challenges. This game is perfect if you love the satisfaction of cracking a tough puzzle and want to immerse yourself in a dark, atmospheric setting.
  • Mad Experiments 2: Escape Room, on the other hand, takes the puzzle formula you loved in the first game and layers in a more complex, story-driven experience. Here, you’re not just escaping rooms; you’re uncovering the full, twisted story of Professor Cheshire and his daughter, Hildegarde. From the eerie Library to the dangerous Greenhouse and the suspenseful Train, each room tells a piece of the story. This sequel is ideal for players who want their puzzle-solving wrapped in a rich, narrative-driven package.
Mad Experiments screenshot

Solo or Squad: Play the Way you Want

Another key difference lies in how you approach these games:

  • Solo Puzzlers: Both games can be tackled on your own, but the first game’s straightforward puzzle design might appeal more to solo players who want to solve at their own pace.
  • Team Players: Mad Experiments 2 shines in multiplayer. With its deeper story and more elaborate puzzles, having a team of up to five friends can make the experience even more engaging. You’ll need to work together, communicate, and share your findings to unravel the mysteries of the Cheshire Institute.
Mad Experiments screenshot

What Makes Each Game Special?

If you’re on the fence, here’s a quick rundown of what each game brings to the table:

  • Mad Experiments: Escape Room:
    • Classic Escape Room Vibes: Perfect for players who want a pure escape room experience with tight puzzles and a dark atmosphere.
    • Three Unique Chapters: Each with its own set of challenges and a glimpse into the sinister mind of Professor Cheshire.
    • Replayability: Whether you’re speedrunning or taking your time, the game offers a different experience every time you play.
  • Mad Experiments 2: Escape Room:
    • Narrative Depth: Unravel the full story behind Professor Cheshire’s madness and his desperate attempts to save his daughter.
    • Four Intricate Rooms: From the knowledge-packed Library to the life-or-death stakes of the Greenhouse, each room is a puzzle and a story in itself.
    • Enhanced Multiplayer: Team up with friends to solve the puzzles faster—or struggle together as you get deeper into the mystery.
Mad Experiments screenshot

Ready to Dive In?

Whether you’re in it for the puzzles or the story, the Mad Experiments series has something to offer every escape room fan. If you crave the challenge of tight, intricate puzzles, start with Mad Experiments: Escape Room. But if you want a richer, more narrative-driven experience, Mad Experiments 2: Escape Room will be your go-to.

Why choose? Go ahead and play both of them – therefore getting a taste of all stages that constitute Professor Cheshire’s universe of madness. Each game offers different kind of thrill and they altogether form one entity— a complete journey into dark puzzling universe.

So, which one will you dive into first?


Mad Experiments: Escape Room
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Mad Experiments: Escape Room

Nejcraft

☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★

$14.99
Get it now

Award-nominated cross-platform escape game. Alone or with up to 5 players, explore 3 unique rooms, solve mind-bending puzzles, and unravel the dark secrets of the Professor Cheshire and his experiments.

ESCAPE WITH FRIENDS
Play alone or in a team of up to 6 players. In first-person view, explore and gather clues that will help you to solve the puzzles of the room. As you solve puzzles, you unravel story bits and gets closer from the exit. Challenge yourself with time limit, or take your time and play in Relax mode with unlimited time!

FIND CLUES AND UNRAVEL A DARK STORY
Interact and examine with dozens of objects to uncover the secrets of the rooms and understand why the Professor does all this.

Chapter 1: The Mansion Lab
You have been “invited” by Professor Cheshire and his assistant Hildegarde to try their new experiments. They are obsessed with people’s minds and want to see how you react to their tests.

Chapter 2: Memory Loss
Cheshire’s experimentations damaged your brain and you are now in a coma. Hildegarde wants to help you to wake up by recovering your memory…

Chapter 3: Lost Childhood
You will keep diving into the past of Hildegarde. In her child room, you will witness what her daily life looked like when she got into Cheshire’s lab.

The post Escape Room Madness: Which Mad Experiments Game is for You? appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Call of Duty Warzone’s Next Map Is Area 99, the ‘Birthplace’ of Nuketown

Activision has revealed fresh details on the next map coming to battle royale Warzone, and it’ll be familiar to fans of Call of Duty multiplayer.

Wazone is getting a new Resurgence map in Season 1 called Area 99, which is described as the “birthplace” of Nuketown. Check it out in the trailer below.

Set in a U.S. fake town used for nuclear tests, Nuketown is one of the most famous and popular recurring maps in the Call of Duty series. It’s tiny, which makes for fast and often chaotic gameplay, perfect for players who are on the Call of Duty grind and want to level up weapons, unlock attachments, or complete challenges.

Area 99, developed by Black Ops 6 studio Treyarch with support from Warzone custodian Raven Software (union staff from which recently filed a ‘bad faith bargaining’ complaint against Activision and parent company Microsoft), includes 10 unique POIs (points of interest), each fleshing out the Nuketown we know from Black Ops.

POIs include Reactor, which powers the covert base that surrounds it, Manufacturing, which is home to Nuketown houses in varying states of construction, Mannequin Assembly, which does exactly what you’d imagine, and Pods, where abandoned Echo Ridge Weapons Station employee housing is stacked vertically.

Elsewhere, for the first time, Classic Prestige, a dedicated Mastery Camo track, and Dark Ops Challenges will be coming to Warzone in Season 1. Players can also return to the classic in-game inventory system with easily accessible, dedicated slots for items and equipment.

There is no word, however, on the return of Verdansk to Warzone. Verdansk, the map that kicked off Warzone back in 2020, is reportedly set to hit Warzone once again at some point in 2025.

Warzone Season 1, meanwhile, launches following the release of Black Ops 6 on October 25, 2024. We’ve already seen the world first Black Ops 6 nuke achieved, before the beta even launches.

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.

World First Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Nuke Achieved Before the Beta Even Launches

We’re still a couple days away from the release of the Black Ops 6 beta release date, but one streamer has already managed to pull the notable feat of dropping the game’s first nuke.

Streamer JustHazzardous, who claims to have pulled off a similar achievement in Modern Warfare 3, posted a clip of what looks like Black Ops 6’s very first nuke, which he recorded live from Activision’s Call of Duty NEXT event. While it’s unconfirmed how many kills it takes to reach a nuke in Black Ops 6, nukes can typically be achieved after gaining 25 kills without dying.

The imagery of the nuke is as intense as you’d expect, with even the player character catching fire and burning up, Terminator 2-style, in a brand new animation ahead of a massive fireball. You can watch the video of Black Ops 6’s first nuke in the video embedded above.

Treyard Studios acknowledge the achievement on its own social media account, congratulating JustHazzardous on getting Black Ops 6’s first nuke.

It’s all part of Call of Duty NEXT, which has seen Activision fully take the wraps off Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s multiplayer mode ahead of the beta. You can find out more info about Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s beta right here.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the latest entry in Treyarch’s long-running subseries, shifting the timeline to around the original Gulf War in the early 1990s. It is set to release on October 25 on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation, and will have the distinction of being the first Call of Duty available Day 1 on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Stay tuned for all the rest of IGN’s coverage of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 event, and make sure to 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.

The Witcher 4 Entering Full Production ‘Very Soon’

The next mainline Witcher game, currently in development at CD Projekt under the codename Polaris, is entering full production “very soon.”

Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski said during CD Projekt’s latest earnings call that, while the Polaris team has only grown from 407 members as of April 30, 2024 to 410 members as of July 31, 2024, its presence as the majority of overall staff members (410 of 639) means it’s in a good place to begin proper work on the new Witcher game.

“The Polaris team is maintaining the right scale to enter the production stage very soon,” Nowakowski said.

The Polaris team is maintaining the right scale to enter the production stage very soon.

When Polaris was announced in October 2022, CD Projekt said it wouldn’t be released until 2025 at the earliest. As time goes on, however, and next year grows closer and closer, it seems increasingly unlikely Polaris will be released in 2025.

Details are therefore still slim on the new game, but Geralt of Rivia voice actor Doug Cockle has revealed the White Wolf will star in Polaris, but not as the main character.

Developer CD Projekt has long made clear that Geralt’s saga has come to an end, meaning a new protagonist was fully expected for Polaris, but this was the first confirmation he’ll be in the next game at all — and fuels some rampant fan theories.

Only a single teaser image has otherwise been revealed for Polaris, but it was enough to fuel fan theories, which suggest Ciri will be the next mainline Witcher game’s protagonist. What’s considered the “true” ending of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, thanks to its story being continued in comics considered canon to CD Projekt’s universe, sees her become a witcher herself.

The teaser image also showed a medallion of a lynx, and while this is a brand new witcher school not mentioned previously in the books, games, comics, or wherever else, Ciri wore a School of the Cat medallion in the books and its philosophy matches her nimble fighting style.

CD Projekt is plenty busy even outside of Polaris, of course, as it’s currently setting up a new studio in the U.S. to develop a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel codenamed Orion. Even in The Witcher universe, one of its subsidiary studios is developing a multiplayer game and partner studio Fool’s Theory is working on a remake of the original game.

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

Review: Crypt Custodian (Switch) – A Charismatic Kitty Cleans Up In This Metroidvania

Not one to throw out.

Metroidvanias are a dime a dozen in 2024. In a genre so flooded with games, several releases each week, charm and a unique setting are what can help your game stand out. Thankfully, Crypt Custodian isn’t going to end up swept away by the competition, as it has just that.

You play as Pluto, a cat beloved by their family. However, you have just died. After a terrible meeting with the Afterlife Guardian, Kendra, in the Afterlife Palace, you are banished from a divine death and sentenced to sweep and tidy up the underworld forever.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Starbound Demo is now available to Xbox Insiders!

Chucklefish would like to invite Xbox Insiders to join the Starbound Demo, starting today Wednesday 28th August – Wednesday 4th September! The playtest will be available to both Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S players in all regions, but space is limited so users will be accepted on a first come, first served basis!

What is Starbound?

Starbound, a sci-fi sandbox adventure, available for the first time on console!

You’ve fled your home, only to find yourself lost in space with a damaged ship. Your only option is to beam down to the planet below and gather the resources you need to repair your ship and set off to explore the vast, infinite universe…

In Starbound, you create your own story – there’s no wrong way to play! You may decide to save the universe from the forces that destroyed your home, uncovering greater galactic mysteries in the process, or you may wish to forego a heroic journey entirely in favor of colonizing uncharted planets. The choice is yours!
To find out more about Starbound, check out the official website.

Playtest Times:

Start: Wednesday 28th August, 15:00 PM BST (07:00 AM PDT)

End:  Wednesday 4th September, 15:00 PM BST (07:00 AM PDT)

How to Participate:

  • Sign-in on your Xbox console and launch the Xbox Insider Hub app (or install the Xbox Insider Hub from the Store first if necessary)
  • Naviagte to Previews and select the Starbound Demo from the list
  • Select Join
  • Wait for the registration to complete and you will be directed the the Store to install the Starbound Demo
  • Note: This is a limited size playtest, offered on a first-come first-serve basis.
  • Note: This playtest is available to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S users.

How to Provide Feedback:

If you experience any issues while playing the Starbound Closed Beta, don’t forget to use “Report a problem” so we can investigate:

  • Hold down the home button on your Xbox controller.
  • Select Report a problem.
  • Select the Games category and Starbound Demo subcategory.
  • Fill out the form with the appropriate details to help our investigation.

Other Resources:

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 Starbound Demo is now available to Xbox Insiders! appeared first on Xbox Wire.

PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for September: Quidditch Champions, MLB The Show 24, Little Nightmares II

Take flight into the wizarding world when Quidditch Champions launches September 3, making its debut as part of September’s PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup. That same day*, all PlayStation Plus members** can also enjoy the thrills of making themselves a sporting legend on the diamond with MLB The Show 24, or attempt to survive a horror-themed adventure with Little Nightmares II. 

Let’s take a closer look at each. 

Quidditch Champions* | PS4, PS5

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Quidditch by playing solo or sharing the magic with friends and family.

Live your Quidditch fantasy: take to the sky as one of the classic positions – Chaser, Seeker, Keeper or Beater – each with their own unique play style. Soar into legendary Quidditch arenas and new maps that showcase never-before-seen areas of the wizarding world. Take on Career Mode to progress from backyard battles in the Weasley Burrow to high-stakes showdowns at the Quidditch World Cup. Rise to become a champion either solo or in online co-op with teams of up to three friends, and launch into exhibition matches where you’ll set your teams, map and difficulty and play alone or on teams of up to three in online co-op. Or select player vs player to test your skills in competitive online matches against other Quidditch teams.

MLB The Show 24 | PS4, PS5

Swing for the fences, experience game-deciding moments, become a legend and live out your baseball dreams. Set out on the road to baseball greatness – whatever it is you want to achieve, MLB The Show 24 has got you covered.

Earn your call up from the minors to the big leagues and prove you’ve got what it takes at the top. Learn about known and unsung legends of the sport and take inspiration from their heroics. Hold your nerve when it matters and earn the right to be called World Series champions. Chalk up the wins, pick yourself up after the losses. Whatever happens, know you left nothing in the dugout. Everyone has a moment to own. Everyone has a story to tell. Unlock your moment. Own The Show. 

Little Nightmares II | PS4, PS5

Discover the sinister secrets of The Signal Tower in this horror-themed platform adventure where you control Mono, a young boy trapped in a distorted and broken world. Joined by Six, the raincoat wearing hero from the original Little Nightmares, only you can help her from fading away into nothingness. As the relationship between Mono and Six grows, the duo must work together using a combination of stealth and an array of items to overcome tricky puzzles and horrifying enemies. Muster your courage and begin your journey in the face of terrible threats in a mission to stop the source of evil that’s spreading throughout the land.

Last chance to download August’s games

PlayStation Plus members have until September 2 to add LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga, FNAF Security Breach and Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights to their game libraries.

*All three games will be available to PlayStation Plus members on September 3 until September 30.

**PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup may differ in certain regions. Please check the PlayStation Store on launch day for your region’s lineup.

Sony Announces PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for September 2024

Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus monthly games for September 2024, all playable for subscribers from September 3.

As revealed in a post on PlayStation Blog, the headline addition is Harry Potter game Quidditch Champions (PS4, PS5), which makes its debut as part of September’s PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup.

Live your Quidditch fantasy: take to the sky as one of the classic positions – Chaser, Seeker, Keeper or Beater – each with their own unique play style. Soar into legendary Quidditch arenas and new maps that showcase never-before-seen areas of the wizarding world. Take on Career Mode to progress from backyard battles in the Weasley Burrow to high-stakes showdowns at the Quidditch World Cup. Rise to become a champion either solo or in online co-op with teams of up to three friends, and launch into exhibition matches where you’ll set your teams, map and difficulty and play alone or on teams of up to three in online co-op. Or select player vs player to test your skills in competitive online matches against other Quidditch teams.

MLB The Show 24 (PS4, PS5), meanwhile, also joins September’s PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup. IGN’s MLB The Show 24 review returned an 8/10. We said: “MLB The Show 24 continues to push the genre forward – not every choice is a homerun, but it has enough hits for another all-star appearance.”

Swing for the fences, experience game-deciding moments, become a legend and live out your baseball dreams. Set out on the road to baseball greatness – whatever it is you want to achieve, MLB The Show 24 has got you covered.

Earn your call up from the minors to the big leagues and prove you’ve got what it takes at the top. Learn about known and unsung legends of the sport and take inspiration from their heroics. Hold your nerve when it matters and earn the right to be called World Series champions. Chalk up the wins, pick yourself up after the losses. Whatever happens, know you left nothing in the dugout. Everyone has a moment to own. Everyone has a story to tell. Unlock your moment. Own The Show.

And rounding out the month is Tarsier Studios’ horror adventure Little Nightmares 2 (PS4, PS5). IGN’s Little Nightmares 2 review returned a 7/10. We said: “Little Nightmares 2 delivers similar stealth and scares to the original, but leaves less of a lasting impact.”

Discover the sinister secrets of The Signal Tower in this horror-themed platform adventure where you control Mono, a young boy trapped in a distorted and broken world. Joined by Six, the raincoat wearing hero from the original Little Nightmares, only you can help her from fading away into nothingness. As the relationship between Mono and Six grows, the duo must work together using a combination of stealth and an array of items to overcome tricky puzzles and horrifying enemies. Muster your courage and begin your journey in the face of terrible threats in a mission to stop the source of evil that’s spreading throughout the land.

With news of September’s games comes warning of the last chance to download August’s games. PlayStation Plus members have until September 2 to add LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga, FNAF Security Breach and Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights to their game libraries.

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.