A big band remix of Super Mario themes just won a Grammy Award, beating Wicked star Cynthia Erivo to win in the Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella category.
Featuring tunes from throughout the Mario franchise, from its earliest days through Super Mario Galaxy and beyond, you can listen to the Grammy Award-winning composition below:
Jazz Orchestra ‘8-Bit Big Band’ won a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental, or A Cappella for ‘Super Mario Praise Break’
Once again, this is an entirely unofficial cover, meaning that Nintendo shares none of the glory (other than having created the original tunes in the first place). The tune beat three other tracks to the award, most notably including Cynthia Erivo, who was nominated for her arrangement of original song Be Okay.
“WE JUST WON OUR 2nd GRAMMY 🤯🤯🤯,” The 8-Bit Big Band wrote on social media. “Thank you to everyone who listened and supported to all of our new releases and huge congrats to my co-arrangers on the now Grammy winning Super Mario Praise Break.”
Video game nominations remain a rare occurrence at the Grammys. Back in 2011, Civilization 4 theme song Baba Yetu scooped the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals. A year later, Austin Wintory’s soundtrack for Journey became the first video game soundtrack to receive a Grammy nomination in the Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media category, though that award was ultimately won by The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Since 2023, the Grammy Awards have featured a dedicated video game soundtrack category, at least. This year’s award was another gong for Austin Wintory, who won for his work on Sword of the Sea. Losing out this year were Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora — Secrets of the Spires, Helldivers 2, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & A Pirate’s Fortune.
Despite cover versions from two of its franchises now being Grammy winners, Nintendo has never officially been nominated itself, despite decades of soundtracks and tunes.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
As part of a “month of anniversary surprises,” Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has formally introduced us to the “face of Freedom, the voice of Victory, the light of Liberty… John Helldiver.”
In a fascinating deep dive into the writing and casting of the iconic character, actor Craig Lee Thomas and lead writer Russ Nickel discussed developing the face and voice of the game that the fandom has dubbed, quite rightly, John Helldiver.
“Casting was crazy,” said Russ Nickel, Helldivers 2’s lead writer between 2020 and 2022. “I did all the writing, and then the script went off sort of into the abyss, and I didn’t hear anything for a while. Then I found out that it was going to shoot in a week.
“They actually hadn’t really done any casting. They were just going to use this actor who’s based in Sweden, who was perfectly good, but I was like, ‘This is going to be John Helldiver!’ (I didn’t know that would be his name at the time). We can’t just get someone who’s good! Like, we need to get the funniest person we can possibly find!”
“From the initial audition, you read for what you can as an actor, and you get excited about so many things,” added Thomas, admitting: “But this in particular, as soon as I read it, I was like, ahh, I really, really, really want to do this.” So, with very little notice, he recorded a quick audition tape and sent it off. The video includes Thomas’ audition and even though his portrayal is a little less amusing than we’ve come to expect, there’s no doubting that it’s our John Helldiver.
“Within a couple days, I had gotten self tapes from Craig Lee Thomas, who plays John Helldiver,” Nickel explained. “He’s perfect. I love that man. He’s so good!”
For more, check out the 15-minute featurette on YouTube, complete with insights into the recording and mocap process, and some thoughts from the director of the opening cinematic.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Nioh 3 is slated to release on Friday, February 6, on PC via Steam and PS5, but the game’s latest trailer has revealed that Xbox and maybe even Nintendo Switch 2 owners may not have too long a wait for a version of their own.
According to the small print in the trailer, the PS5’s console exclusivity period looks set to run for just six months. This means Nioh 3 could debut on other consoles, such as Nintendo Switch 2 or Xbox Series X and S, as early as August 6, 2026, potentially marking the first time a Nioh title will be available on any console other than Sony’s PlayStation.
Though none of this is confirmed, of course — and publisher Koei Tecmo may hold off on porting to other consoles for technical and other reasons — it should be good news nonetheless for Team Ninja fans with an Xbox Series X and S looking to give it a go.
Nioh 3 was unveiled at Sony’s State of Play show in June 2025. Here’s the official blurb, as shared in the PlayStation Blog: “In Nioh 3, the protagonist is a young warrior poised to become the next Shogun. Why is he dedicated to battling against yokai? We’ll save those details for another day, but what we can tell you today is as the battles unfold, players will now be able to fight using two distinct combat styles: Samurai and Ninja.
“The Samurai style provides a gameplay experience similar to previous Nioh titles,” it adds. “New actions such as Arts Proficiency, which enhances the power of martial arts, and Deflect, which allows players to block enemy attacks at the last moment have been added, helping create a series of intense and deadly face-to-face confrontations.”
A demo is out now, progress for which carries over into the full game, plus players who complete the demo will receive the Twin-Snake helmet reward when Nioh 3 officially releases. IGN gave the original Nioh a 9.6/10, calling it “an epic, unforgettable adventure carried by a fierce combat system that cleverly balances style and strategy,” and we similarly praised Nioh 2 with a 9/10, too.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Two actors from Silent Hill f revealed today that they have been appointed ambassadors of the real life location in Japan that inspired the survival horror game’s eerie setting.
Takeshi Masago, who plays Kanta Shimizu, the father of main character Hinako, and Tamami Hiraoka, who plays her mother, posted a YouTube short cryptically entitled ‘Important Announcement’ on February 2, 2026. The video begins like a solemn apology or serious announcement, with the two actors suddenly jumping for joy at the end of the video, while holding their tourism ambassador certificates.
The actors have both been made tourism ambassadors for Gero City in Japan’s Gifu Prefecture. Gero City, specifically the Kanayama-cho area with its quiet, narrow alleyways and old houses, served as inspiration for Silent Hill f’s fictional Ebisugaoka, a rural Japanese village in the 1960s.
Although Hinako’s father in the game is abusive, the actors who play her parents started uploading wholesome videos on YouTube last month of themselves going on “husband and wife dates.” The actors are not married in real life, but these videos have got some fans wishing they were. The solemn tone of the ‘important announcement’ video caught many viewers off guard, as did the ‘jump scare’ with the certificates. “I thought you were going to say ‘we’re getting married for real’ lol,” said one commenter about the tourism ambassador announcement video, with others echoing the same sentiment: “When they revealed the documents, I seriously thought for a moment that they were marriage certificates.”
As part of efforts to promote what Gero City has to offer, Masago recently visited the 300-year-old Okuhida Shuzo rice wine brewery in the area, as posted on X. Last month, the brewery released Silent Hill f themed sake and chocolates, the first batch of which quickly sold out.
先日、SILENT HILL fで雛子のお父さん役”深水寛太”を演じられた真砂豪さんが奥飛騨酒造に遊びにいらしてくださいました✨
Since Silent Hill f was released, many of the Japanese actors involved in the production have livestreamed all or parts of the game, while sharing behind-the-scenes stories about what filming was like. This kicked off when Hinako’s actress Konatsu Kato began livestreaming her playthrough of Silent Hill f back in October 2025, amassing over 5 million views. Shortly after, Yuuka Iijima (who plays Rinko Nishida) and Natsuki Osaki (who plays Shu Iwai) also set up YouTube Channels and did their own livestreams of the game.
Although Takeshi Masago and Tamami Hiraoka are the first game-related tourism ambassadors for Gero City, this is not the first time that video games have been used to attract visitors to lesser-known parts of Japan. Back in 2020, the Tsushima Tourist Board partnered with Sucker Punch’s hit PlayStation game Ghost of Tsushima to promote the real life Japanese island. Not long after, fans banded together to raise funds to repair one of the island’s shrine gates, which was destroyed by a typhoon. The following year, Ghost of Tsushima lead developers Nate Fox and Jason Connell were made permanent tourism ambassadors to the island, for spreading its history to the world in “such a wonderful way,” according to Tsushima mayor Hiroki Hitakatsu.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
Disney Lorcana kicks off the new year with its upcoming release of Winterspell, the latest expansion set for the popular card game. The eleventh set will have an early release on February 13 at your local game stores, followed by the wide release on February 20. The exciting bit for every card game and their new sets or expansions is the change in gameplay and what that means for the meta. There’s also, of course, the beautiful new cards for those collectors out there. In Winterspell, the game finally brings in characters like Pocahontas, Tod from The Fox and the Hound, and even Darkwing Duck. In addition, different versions of characters already here make an appearance, like Lilo and Stitch, alongside new friends who are prominently featured in this new set. With all these new cards and the expected power creep, players will have a good excuse to tweak some competitive decks or make new ones entirely.
Speaking of the newly introduced characters to Lorcana, Pocahontas and friends have a slew of cards to play around with. Namely, the legendary Pocahontas Peacekeeper card, which has a fun shift-related ability. When you play her onto the field using shift (which is upgrading an already played version of Pocahontas in play), you can freeze out your opponent’s characters from challenging until the start of your next turn as long as none of your characters challenged the turn it’s played. This means your characters can quest freely without having to worry about your opponent defeating them through challenges or battles on their turn. It’s quite a strong ability that also lines up with Pocahontas’ character in avoiding battles and creating peace. Some of the other cards from Pocahontas also focus on questing versus challenging, like Wisdom of the Willow or Mother’s Necklace. In a game where questing for lore ultimately wins you the match, I can see Pocahontas decks potentially lore rushing, since there are so many positives to questing with these cards than trying to control your opponent’s characters individually.
Another legendary card showcasing a new character to Lorcana is Darkwing Duck Cool Under Pressure. This character also has the ability to shift, but his power comes from his passive synergy with item cards. During the player’s turn, they may pay 1 ink or mana to deal 2 damage to a chosen character whenever an item is banished or discarded. Being the Batman-like character that he is, this is a pretty cool way to emphasize Darkwing Duck’s use of gadgets. He also has a secondary ability that allows him to challenge or battle ready characters if they have the classification of Villain on their card. Normally, you can only challenge rested or tapped characters, so unlike Pocahontas, Darkwing Dark is all about fighting. Other Darkwing Duck-related cards fall into the Steel and Sapphire type categories, which lines up with that color combo’s style of play. Between the toughness of Steel cards, and the numerous items and control cards in Sapphire, this legendary Darkwing Duck can wreak havoc with the right build.
In addition to these strong character cards, there are some location-based ones that could make games a bit more interesting. For example, the Game Preserve Protected Land location can gain Evasive itself if there’s a character with Evasive on that location. The Tod Playful Kit card, for example, has the ability to give a character evasive each time he quests, so the Game Preserve location will ideally have evasive every turn as long as Tod is on it, giving himself evasive. Another The Fox and the Hound card, Education or Elimination, is a song card with a similar ability of giving evasive. There are other location-based characters, like the new legendary Elsa Ice Artisan, which allows the owner to exert or rest a character with 3 or less strength when that Elsa or a location is played. While she’s at a location, she also gains an additional 3 lore when questing, so you want her on locations at all times. These are just some examples of the fun stuff you can do with various aspects of the gameplay getting further support.
Now that rotating sets have affected Disney Lorcana as well, that leaves players with a smaller pool of cards to optimize their decks. With that said, some older cards do get reprints, but it’s all for the sake of balancing the game. In a recent big competitive event, the top cut saw a lot of control decks with 5 of the top 8 running Sapphire. Amethyst was also popular with 5 of the top 8 players representing the color as well. Ultimately, a Sapphire/Emerald deck took the top spot in a mirror match that focused on filtering the deck with card draw alongside some removal and hand manipulation. Unfortunately, some of the new rare Sapphire and Emerald Winterspell cards don’t really work on this champion deck like Darkwing Duck, since there are no items in that deck. Still, cards like the new Moana Curious Explorer could be a worthy addition to keep your hand size while building up ink or mana through a different source like the discard pile.
Another deck in the top cut is an Amethyst/Steel deck that revolves around playing many characters, and being able to draw more because of low hand sizes and a legendary Dumbo. A new Winterspell card that could fit very well in this competitive deck is Angel Experiment 624, who can gain resist +2 if the player has no cards in hand. A fairly easy feat for a deck that likes to have fewer than 3 cards in hand. Angel also has another ability to discard a card to deal 2 damage to a chosen character. Yet another option to keep that hand size low. The deck is already proven, and this Angel card just optimizes it a bit more.
The Darkwing Duck cards make him the hero he was made to be.
One color lacking in the competitive scene lately is Ruby, with no representation in the top 32 of that recent major event from late last year. It seems to be due to the card set rotations banning certain staple cards in the currently constructed meta, so hopefully the new Ruby cards can give the color a fighting chance. For instance, this new legendary Wreck-It Ralph Raging Wrecker card is a triple threat with his ability to get stronger, quest for 3 lore, and a potential board clear if given the support. It’s a bit expensive, but it’s nothing Sapphire can’t achieve with its ramping capabilities. With this and the location support Elsa Ice Artisan, there could be some meaningful Ruby decks in this upcoming meta.
Of course, this is all speculation, but that’s the fun part about getting into new cards and brewing new decks. Do you follow the meta and tweak decks to their optimized state, or do you build a spicy meta breaker to keep your friends and opponents on their toes? The Pocahontas cards seem to favor questing and the protection of that strategy. The Darkwing Duck cards make him the hero he was made to be while making opposing characters villains with negative effects. Plus, familiar characters like Moana get a new spin for an everchanging competitive scene. Players will have a fun go with these new Winterspell cards, and it’ll be interesting to see what people gravitate towards as the season progresses. For more on Disney Lorcana, check out our interview with the game designers about the Winterspell cards we exclusively revealed.
We’ve rounded up the best deals for Sunday, February 1, below. Don’t miss your chance to save on these deals!
Save 41% Off This Sailor Moon Manga Box Set
Sailor Moon is an incredibly popular series, and if you’re a fan, this box set could be an excellent addition to your manga shelf. This set contains volumes 1-6, plus 16 exclusive art cards and a holographic box. It’s worth noting that there is a second box set, containing volumes 7-10, so you can grab both if you want to complete your collection.
Octopath Traveler 0 for $39.99
Octopath Traveler 0 was easily one of the most overlooked RPGs of 2025. This massive game packs in a huge amount of content, with over 100 hours required to 100% the game. In our 9/10 review, we wrote, “Octopath Traveler 0 asks you to stick with a 100-hour journey, and it rewards you with the kinds of moments only lengthy RPGs can pull off with its overarching story, an intricate turn-based combat system, and a soundtrack that’ll leave you absolutely floored.”
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake for $42.56
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is an overhaul of the first two Dragon Quest games, recreating them in the gorgeous HD-2D art style while adding modern features and still remaining true to the originals. Today, you can score this game for $42.56 on PS5 at Amazon. If you’re someone just jumping into Dragon Quest for the first time or a long-time fan, this is the ultimate way to experience two games that greatly inspired the whole genre.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles for $34.99
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles is just $34.99 at Woot today. As one of the best Final Fantasy games ever, this remaster is the perfect way to experience the beloved classic with enhanced modern features like fast-forward, autosave, and more.
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally for $489.99
Amazon has the Asus ROG Xbox Ally on sale for $489.99, which matches the all-time low price we’ve seen before. You can save $110 on this portable PC equipped with everything you need to play or stream your Xbox games.
Pre-Order Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Today
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is up for pre-order, with a release date of April 16 revealed earlier this week. This highly anticipated game is playable on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, so you can play this copy on either console without issue. It’s time to make your own island and build a paradise for your Miis!
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition for $64.99
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was only released in December, and today, you can save $5 off a physical copy of the Switch 2 Edition at Amazon. The latest adventure of Samus Aran takes place on the planet Viewros, and you’re given new psychic abilities to utilize in navigating the secrets of the planet. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an excellent, if relatively uneven, revival that reaches heights worthy of the Metroid name in its best moments.”
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Out This Week
This week, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is finally set to release. This remake aims to streamline the experience of the original game, while offering a brand-new art style and modern gameplay features for players. If you’ve recently cleared through the HD-2D Erdrick Trilogy, this is a logical next game to jump to.
A Handheld History for $26.68
If you’re looking for a game-themed coffee table book, A Handheld History is a wonderful option. This 272-page book contains a deep dive into portable gaming, with handhelds like the Game Boy, PlayStation Portable, and more included.
Star Wars Outlaws for $29.99
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Star Wars Outlaws is on sale this weekend for $29.99, which is a steal for one of the hybrid system’s best third-party games. This version of Star Wars Outlaws is the Gold Edition, packing in all the DLC and updates that released.
Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut for $29.99
The Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Yakuza 0 is available on sale for $29.99 this weekend. The Director’s Cut version adds new cutscenes among other features, and it supports 4K resolution at 60FPS. While you can start with most Yakuza games, this is arguably the best entry point.
LEGO Icons Poinsettia Building Set
This LEGO Icons set is perfect for any room in your home, recreating Poinsettia flowers. Normally priced at $49.99, you can save $10 off this set for a limited time at Amazon. At 608 pieces and 8 inches tall, this is a great choice for a gift or for an addition to your own collection.
The ninth entry in the mainline Resident Evil series is fast approaching, but if you’re thinking that it could be the ideal point to jump in for the first time, you’ll almost certainly be left wondering what the hell is going on as you play through its opening hours. Resident Evil Requiem builds atop a three-decade legacy of survival horror, so you’re going to have to do some homework before you get started.
To help you out, we’ve put together a (very condensed) synopsis of the main Resident Evil story and everything you need to know leading into Resident Evil Requiem, presented in chronological order. As I’m sure you’ve already worked out, the following contains spoilers – lots and lots of spoilers – for the entire Resident Evil series prior to Requiem.
Resident Evil Zero July 23, 1998
It’s July 23, 1998. The Bravo Team of Raccoon City Police’s elite S.T.A.R.S division is dispatched to investigate a number of murders in the Arklay region. The team believe evidence can be found in the area’s mountains, but their helicopter crashes before they can reach their landing zone. Survivor Rebecca Chambers makes her way towards a nearby spooky-looking mansion in an attempt to find the rest of Bravo Team.
Before she makes it to the house, Rebecca, along with her newly acquired convict companion Billy Coen, come across an abandoned training facility where they discover that its former director, Dr James Marcus, along with former partner, Oswell E. Spencer, were responsible for a new biological weapon dubbed the T-Virus: a deadly infection that turns humans into zombies and other monstrosities.
Resident Evil July 24, 1998
The S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team is dispatched to find out what happened to the missing Bravo team. Their search leads Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Barry Burton, and team leader Albert Wesker to the aforementioned grand estate, the Spencer Mansion.
The gang splits up and discovers the horrible fates of the missing S.T.A.R.S. members, who have been decimated by the monstrous results of the T-virus. As he explores the mansion’s many rooms and hidden chambers, Chris finds Bravo team member Rebecca Chambers still alive.
Jill and Chris eventually discover that the Umbrella Corporation, a pharmaceutical company with shady business practices, is behind the illegal experiments that led to undead horrors (and the odd oversized animal) roaming the mansion’s halls.
Eventually, once they reach a sinister laboratory hidden beneath the house, the duo discover that Wesker is not actually a loyal S.T.A.R.S. operative, but a traitor who works for Umbrella. Wesker infects himself with a strain of the T-virus as part of an elaborate plan that also involves releasing a new biological super weapon, the “Tyrant”, from containment. Unfortunately for him, the creature swiftly kills him. After managing to defeat the Tyrant, the remaining S.T.A.R.S. team members escape the lab (relatively) unscathed.
Our heroic survivors return to Raccoon City, only to learn that the corruption runs deep. They decide to go rogue, leaving the RPD to investigate the grand corporate conspiracy. Chris heads off to Europe solo, while Jill stays in the city to learn more about Umbrella.
Resident Evil 3 September 28, 1998
It’s September 1998, just a few months after the Spencer Mansion incident, and Raccoon City is overrun with zombies. Umbrella sees the outbreak as an opportunity to test its latest bioweapon, the experimental Nemesis; a hulking beast armed with a rocket launcher, tasked only with the destruction of all remaining S.T.A.R.S. members.
While Jill desperately tries to escape the outbreak with the relentless Nemesis hot on her heels, rookie R.P.D. officer Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield’s younger sister, Claire, both arrive in Raccoon City at the worst possible time.
Resident Evil 2 September 29, 1998
After being separated following a car accident, Leon and Claire agree to meet up at the nearby police station. Unfortunately for both of them, the building is already infested by the undead.
As she navigates the station’s dangerous hallways in search of information about her brother’s whereabouts, Claire runs into Sherry Birkin, a young girl pursued by a monstrous weirdo who not only turns out to be her Dad, but also Umbrella’s leading scientist, William Birkin.
Turns out Billy B had planned to betray his corporate masters and sell his newly developed G-virus, but he was gunned down by Umbrella before he had the chance. As he bled out, William managed to infect himself with the G-Virus. His monstrous form massacred Umbrella’s troops and proceeded to dump both the G- and T-virus formulas into Raccoon City’s water supply, creating the enormous mess all our characters now have to deal with. Nice one, Willy.
Meanwhile, Leon runs into Ada Wong, an FBI agent seeking the G-Virus for her own investigation into Umbrella’s corruption. The two decide to form an alliance, for now…
Leon and Ada run into Birkin’s wife, Annette, who is not a big fan of the pair. They follow Annette deep underground to a secret Umbrella facility called NEST in hope of securing the G-virus sample.
Pretty much simultaneously, Claire also arrives at NEST, in search of a vaccine for the now-infected Sherry. Leon manages to obtain the G-Virus sample but runs into the hideously deformed William, who mortally wounds his wife. As she struggles to hold on, Annette reveals to Leon that Ada is not what she seems: she’s actually a mercenary looking to sell the G-Virus to the highest bidder. Ada arrives on the scene and demands the G-Virus, but before Leon can hand it over, Annette manages to shoot her, sending both Ada and the virus sample falling into the lab’s seemingly bottomless chasm.
Meanwhile, Claire finds a vaccine for Sherry. As Annette administers it to her daughter, Claire tangles with an out-of-control William. Sherry is cured, but Annette eventually dies of her injuries. The facility is set to self-destruct, and Claire, Sherry, and Leon board a train to escape.
With NEST destroyed, the crew finally manage to escape the nightmare and, on the outskirts of Racoon City, vow to continue their fight against Umbrella.
Resident Evil Outbreak September 23 – October 1, 1998
While Jill, Leon, and Claire are dealing with their own issues amidst a zombie outbreak, eight other Raccoon City residents are also in a desperate fight for survival. Among them is a local journalist, Alyssa Ashcroft, who is trying to shine a spotlight on Umbrella’s evil ways. Remember her name, as it’ll come in handy when you start playing Resident Evil Requiem.
Alyssa manages to escape Raccoon City before the government annihilates the entire area with an evidence-destroying thermobaric missile strike, carrying information that could expose Umbrella once and for all.
Resident Evil 3 (continued) October 1, 1998
Elsewhere in Racoon City, in the hours before the missile strike, Jill Valentine is infected with the T-Virus. Fortunately for her, Carlos Oliveria – an uncharacteristically friendly Umbrella mercenary – arrives on the scene to not only cure Jill, but also help her find the important vaccine that could save the city. Unfortunately, the government has a different “cure”; our heroes discover the plans to wipe out Raccoon City, which is publicly explained away as the only sure method to eradicate the zombie outbreak.
Carlos and Jill head to another underground lab, this time creatively called “NEST 2”. Unfortunately, the Nemesis is still alive and very much still in pursuit. Jill and Carlos manage to take out the abomination once and for all, and with the vaccine sample in hand, manage to escape the city before the missile hits. Unfortunately, Nicholai, Carlos’s former colleague/secret operative, is waiting for them and manages to destroy the vaccine vial. Jill and Carlos take down Nicholai, leaving him for dead, and escape just before government-approved thermobaric hellfire arrives to completely demolish Raccoon City for good.
And as is tradition, our hero vows to take down Umbrella before the credits roll…
Resident Evil: Code Veronica December 27-28, 1998
Three months after escaping from Racoon City, Claire Redfield, still in search of her brother, attempts to raid a European Umbrella facility. Things go south and she’s captured, taken to an island prison ruled over by Alfred Ashford, the governor of Rockfort Island.
As is mandatory for a Resident Evil game, an outbreak occurs, and amidst the chaos Claire is freed, allowing her to get to work looking for Chris and escaping the island. Unfortunately, Mr. Redfield is nowhere to be found, so after much trouble, Claire tries to escape in a plane. Ashford, who is revealed to have a split personality disorder and often believes himself to be his twin sister, Alexia, remotely takes control of the plane and crashes it into another Umbrella facility, this time in Antarctica. Knocked unconscious, Claire has a dream that turns out to be the plot of Resident Evil Survivor 2. Weird.
Ashford, believing Claire to be a spy, pursues her in a quest for revenge. But after he’s fatally wounded, he frees the real version of his sister, Alexia, who has been cryogenically frozen this entire time, her body riddled with a new virus called T-Veronica.
Meanwhile, back on Rockford Island, none other than Chris Redfield shows up, looking for Claire. But rather than finding his sister, he runs into his old pal/mortal enemy, Albert Wesker, who’s alive, super strong, and on a mission to find the T-Veronica sample. Turns out he had actually planned to be killed by the Tyrant back in the Spencer Mansion, as that would ensure he could reach the full potential of some experimental virus he was infected with… or something.
The pair make their way to Antarctica, where Chris hopes to be finally reunited with Claire, and Wesker hopes to secure the T-Veronica sample. A restored, very powerful Alexia becomes the final boss of Chris’ latest adventure, and everyone escapes the facility before – you guessed it – it self-destructs.
Wesker claims a virus-infected corpse to experiment on. Chris and Claire vow to take down Umbrella… are you seeing a pattern here?
Resident Evil 4 Autumn, 2004
Six years have passed, and the Umbrella Corporation is now long gone due to a government suspension and stock value crash. Is this the lamest way possible for a big bad to go out? It’s certainly up there.
Leon S. Kennedy, former rookie RPD officer, is now a government agent with full permission to roundhouse kick anyone who stands in his way. He’s sent on a mission to rural Spain, where the president’s daughter, Ashley, is being held by kidnappers. As he explores the area, he discovers that not only are the kidnappers part of a cult called Los Illuminados, but they’re also all infected by a brand new mind-controlling parasite: Las Plagas.
As Leon hunts for Ashley, he unexpectedly bumps into someone he thought long dead, Ada Wong, who is very much alive and is once again on the hunt for virus samples.
After rescuing Ashley, Leon confronts the cult’s leader, Saddler, and, with the help of Ada, defeats him, bringing down the parasite and all the hordes it infected. Once again showing her true colours, Ada takes a sample of Las Plagas and escapes by helicopter, but not before – you guessed it – setting the base to self-destruct.
Leon and Ashley manage to dramatically escape on a jet ski, which they appear to ride all the way from Spain back to the US. I mean, they probably just went back to the mainland and took more traditional routes, but imagining they jet-ski’d across the Atlantic is funnier, so let’s just say they did that.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2005
Shortly after the events of Resident Evil 4, our original protagonists, Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, become involved in a new investigation into biological organic weapons. They discover a new strain of the T-Virus called T-Abyss, developed by evil organisation Il Veltro, which plans to use its new weapon to infect a fifth of the world’s oceans.
A lot of evil plots and betrayals unfold, involving names and organisations that mostly don’t feature in the wider series except for one: the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance, or BSAA. Chris and Jill are founding members, and this new organisation’s motives become the driving force for these characters going forward.
Naturally, Chris and Jill survive the events of Revelations, taking us directly into the next chapter of Resident Evil.
Resident Evil 5 – Lost in Nightmares DLC August, 2006
Two years after Resident Evil 4, our original big bad, Wesker, is still on the loose. Chris and Jill, now operating under the banner of the BSAA, follow a thread that should lead them to Umbrella’s founder, Oswald E. Spencer. Instead, they run into Albert Wesker, who has killed Spencer.
Wesker, seemingly even more powerful than before and now dodging bullets for fun, is more than a match for Chris and Jill. To save a wounded Chris, Jill sacrifices herself, sending both her and Wesker to their deaths. Chris, understandably, is a bit sad.
Resident Evil 5 March 4-6, 2009
Almost three years after Jill’s death, Chris is tasked with apprehending terrorist Ricardo Irving, who is selling bio-organic weapons in Africa. Along with his new partner, Sheva, Chris discovers that the locals are infected by a modified Las Plagas parasite. The duo set out to solve the crisis, but Chris has another thing on his mind: the BSAA believes Jill could still be alive.
After defeating a mutated Irving, Chris and Sheva learn that Tricell, the company that funds the BSAA, has taken over Umbrella’s seedy work in conjunction with – shock, horror – Albert Wesker, who is very much still alive and has been conducting human experiments. Unfortunately, one of his victims is Jill, who is also still alive and now under Wesker’s control.
Chris and Sheva manage to subdue Jill and remove Wesker’s mind-control device before it’s too late. Wesker tries to flee on a plane, which crash-lands in a volcano. After some boulder punching, Chris and Sheva finally kill Wesker once and for all, and all is well in the world… for now.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 January, 2011
Claire Redfield is now a member of TerraSave, an anti-bioterrorism taskforce, and once again finds herself trapped in an island prison, this time with her new partner, Moria Burton, daughter of Barry Burton. Remember him from the Spencer Mansion incident? He’s the “Jill Sandwich” guy…
Jill and Moira are directed around the prison’s labyrinth-like halls by someone known only as the Overseer, all while being stalked by mysterious monsters. After the entire playbook of typical Resident Evil hijinks involving other survivors, shady corporations, and betrayal unfold, it’s revealed that the Overseer is a woman named Alex Wesker. Although she shares the surname, she’s not actually a relative of the series’ infamous villain, but rather a child who was kidnapped for her “talents” and inducted into “The Wesker Project”, a sinister plot developed by Umbrella founder Oswell E. Spencer to try and develop a race of superior beings. Alex has been doing her own experiments on the prison island, creating a fresh batch of monstrosities.
Eventually, Claire and Moria corner Alex, and with nowhere left to run, Alex commits suicide. But not before, of course, setting the base to self-destruct. Claire manages to escape, but unfortunately, Moira is trapped under the rubble. Enter big daddy Barry.
Six months pass before Barry reaches the island, who has been desperately chasing Moria’s SOS signal. But before finding his daughter, he comes face-to-face with Alex, who’s now heavily mutated into her disgusting final form, complete with orange glowing weak points. Fortunately, both a still-alive Moria and a returning Claire armed with a rocket launcher arrive to swing the odds in Barry’s favour.
In the epilogue, Claire receives a message about Chris and his jaunt to China, where he’s off to handle another bioterror threat…
Resident Evil 6 December 2012 – June 2013
Next up is Resident Evil 6, which features three interwoven campaigns, and it all gets really, really messy. So strap yourself in….
In 2012, a new virus is developed by a company dubbed Neo-Umbrella, led by someone who appears to be Ada Wong. Mercenary Jake Muller is immune to the virus, on account of being the child of Albert Wesker (who has… let’s say “unique” DNA after all those experiments), and so is believed to be the key to creating a vaccine.
In 2013, the American president decides enough is enough with all these bioterrorism incidents, and that it’s time to reveal what really happened in Raccoon City. However, before he can spill the beans, there’s another viral attack. The president, now a zombie, must be taken down by his loyal agent, Leon Kennedy.
Ada Wong arrives on the scene to tell Leon that National Security Advisor Derek Simmons is affiliated with Neo-Umbrella, and is behind the terror attack that zombified the president. Leon heads to China in pursuit of Simmons. Chris Redfield, now wracked by post-traumatic stress and a thirst for revenge after his team was slaughtered by Ada, also heads to China. As does Jake, because, you know, plot.
It’s no secret that Resident Evil 6 is the most convoluted game in the series, so let’s just get through this quickly:
Chris finds out Jake’s true identity, and despite an awkward moment where Chris tells Jake he killed his dad, they mostly work it out.
Simmons dies.
Chris’s buddy, Piers, is wounded, then grows a new arm thanks to the C-Virus, and saves Chris.
Jake kills his boss, who’s not worth talking about.
We discover that there are two Adas, with one being an imposter called Carla.
Finally, all the good guys win and go their separate ways.
Basically, a lot is going on, and it’s not very good. Maybe just ignore this bit – I highly doubt anything that happens here will have any implications for the future of Resident Evil.
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard July 19-20, 2017
In 2017, Ethan Winters is looking for his missing wife, Mia. His search eventually leads him deep into Louisiana, where he finds her imprisoned by the Bakers, a very odd and very disgusting family.
Ethan is captured by the family’s patriarch, Jack Baker, and forced to join a vomit-inducing dinner with Jack’s wife, Marguerite, son Lucas, and a mysterious elderly woman. It turns out the entire family is infected by something called “mold”, a sort of parasitic, fungal virus that has the added benefit of increasing your resilience, but the downside of making you just a bit gross.
Side note: you can find a newspaper clipping written by Alyssa Ashcroft in the Baker’s house. Remember her from Resident Evil Outbreak? Turns out she’s still a journalist, now investigating the disappearances in Louisiana.
After escaping and managing to kill hideous forms of both Jack and Marguerite, Ethan reunites with his wife and develops a serum to help shake off her apparent mold infection. The couple attempt to flee on a boat, but the vessel is capsized by a mysterious creature that turns out to be a “girl” named Eveline. This child is actually a bio-weapon that Mia, who’s actually a secret agent, was tasked with escorting. Eveline is responsible for the Baker family’s mind-altering infection because she was desperate to create her own family. You know, like all bioweapons are. Classic stuff.
Ethan injects Eveline with a toxin, which causes her to revert to her true form: the mysterious old woman from the Baker’s disgusting dinner. It turns out she’s been rapidly aging. Of course, a senior is hardly an ideal final boss, so Eveline mutates into a giant blob like all classic Resident Evil big bads do, and after a climatic confrontation with Ethan (who gets a little help from a recently arrived military squad), she’s finally destroyed.
In a final twist, the leader of the military squad is revealed to be none other than Chris Redfield, who emerges from a helicopter branded with the Umbrella logo. Man, things have really changed around here.
Resident Evil 7 – Not a Hero DLC July 20, 2017
Chris and his team pursue Lucas Baker, who had avoided Eveline’s mind control thanks to a serum provided to him by a new shadowy organisation called The Connections.
They were the ones behind Eveline’s creation, and Lucas had been gathering data on her for them. Naturally, he planned to betray his masters, because Lucas is a Resident Evil villain, and that’s apparently part of the contract.
After working his way through a series of traps, Chris manages to kill a mutated Lucas. He then returns to base to take an urgent phone call…
Resident Evil Village February 8-10, 2021
Over three years later, Ethan and Mia have settled in Eastern Europe, but their new-found family bliss is violently interrupted by Chris Redfield, who shockingly and mercilessly guns down Mia and kidnaps Ethan and his child, Rose.
Ethan wakes to find himself in a rural village that has been besieged by a horde of marauding lycans. On a desperate quest to find Rose, Ethan works his way through the abandoned village and into a nearby castle inhabited by vampires, most notably an enormous goth mommy called Lady Dimiterscu.
Lady D, along with a wider group of oddities including a fish man and a cowboy Magneto, all belong to cult that worships Mother Miranda; a god-like, mold-infected matriarch who, in a quest to resurrect her dead daughter, Eva, became consumed by the infection and spread it to her four elevated lords and houses. Ethan discovers a crest for these four lords that looks eerily similar to Umbrella’s logo.
Ethan’s journey to rescue Rose and take down Miranda’s lords eventually leads him back to Chris Redfield, who explains that the Mia he gunned down wasn’t actually Mia at all, but rather a shape-shifting Mother Miranda. Miranda believes Ethan and Mia’s daughter, Rose, is the successor of bioweapon, Eveline, based on the fact that both her parents were infected by the mold. After Miranda finally confronts Ethan in her true form, she explains that the mold will help rebirth Rose as her own daughter. Without hesitation, Miranda rips out Ethan’s heart.
Chris and his squad launch a full assault against Mother Miranda, battling through her waves of monsters and destroying a large mold barrier that protects her. Once inside, Chris and the team discover a large mold root called the Megamycete; the source of the mold that plagued both the village and the Baker family. Turns out the Megamycete not only infects its victims, but it also absorbs their DNA and memories.
Chris plants a bomb, but before destroying the mold once and for all, he passes through Miranda’s lab for one last lore dump. He discovers the entirety of her plan to find a suitable vessel for her daughter’s consciousness to be reborn into. Miranda was also responsible for the creation of Eveline, working with The Connections.
That’s not the most shocking revelation, though: Chris discovers that Oswell E. Spencer, founder of Umbrella, was actually a student of Miranda’s and began his work on the progenitor virus based on her teachings. To honour this, he designed Umbrella’s logo after Miranda’s four lords’ symbol. So not only is Miranda responsible for everything in Resident Evil 7 and Village, but she’s the inspiration that started this entire 30-year, virus-riddled affair!
After Chris exits the exposition-packed hallway, he encounters the true version of Mia, who’s very much alive and reveals that Ethan isn’t quite dead, either. It turns out that Miranda didn’t kill Ethan after all – Jack Baker did, way back at the start of Resident Evil 7. Ethan was infected by the Mold, which had kept him moving and “alive” this entire time, and explained how he could regularly reattach body parts with just a bit of healing juice.
Despite his mold infection, Ethan is falling apart, only able to muster just enough energy for one last stand against Mother Miranda. Upon defeating the big bad once and for all, he hands his daughter over to Chris and agrees to stay behind with the detonation device that will activate the bomb planted on the Megamycete, destroying the village, the mold, and himself once and for all. Ethan triggers the explosion as Chris, Mia, and Rose escape.
Resident Evil Requiem October 2026
The upcomming adventures of Leon Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft take place in 2026. If the trailers are to be believed, the story will take us to the bombed out remains of Raccoon City, as well as the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, which we explored in our hands-on preview. But until we play the full game, we don’t know what this chapter will mean for the Resident Evil timeline.
Resident Evil Village – Shadows of Rose DLC 2037
In 2037, a teenage Rose learns about her abilities, one of which is the power to connect with a surviving piece of the mold root recovered from the incident 16 years prior. After jacking in, Rose enters a new realm filled with the memories of the Megamycete’s victims. She takes a jaunt through a version of the village her father was once trapped in, guided by the spirit “Michael”, who is actually Ethan’s remaining consciousness. As she explores, Rose is taunted by the trapped consciousness of Mother Miranda, who is desperate to escape this realm of memories. With the help of Ethan and her newfound abilities, Rose manages to defeat Mother Miranda and share one last moment with her father before she returns to the real world. In the aftermath, she visits Ethan’s grave while shadowed by a mysterious agent who calls her Eveline. After threatening him, Rose reveals she has abilities that even Chris doesn’t know about.
And there we go. That’s the entire plot of Resident Evil – well, all the stuff that actually matters. Yes, we skipped over some bits here or there, but there’s a lot to cover in the wacky world of Resident Evil, and that should be everything you need to know before diving into Resident Evil Requiem. Now, excuse me while I set my base to self-destruct and vow to get my revenge.
Dale Driver is an Associate Director of Video Programming at IGN. Be thoroughly bored by following him on Bluesky at @daledriver.bsky.social
We’ve rounded up the best deals for Saturday, January 31, below. Don’t miss your chance to save on these deals!
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles for $27.99
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles is just $27.99 at Woot today, marking the lowest we’ve seen this game yet. As one of the best Final Fantasy games ever, this remaster is the perfect way to experience the beloved classic with enhanced modern features like fast-forward, autosave, and more.
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally for $489.99
Amazon has the Asus ROG Xbox Ally on sale for $489.99, which matches the all-time low price we’ve seen before. You can save $110 on this portable PC equipped with everything you need to play or stream your Xbox games.
Pre-Order Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Today
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is up for pre-order, with a release date of April 16 revealed earlier this week. This highly anticipated game is playable on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, so you can play this copy on either console without issue. It’s time to make your own island and build a paradise for your Miis!
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition for $64.99
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was only released in December, and today, you can save $5 off a physical copy of the Switch 2 Edition at Amazon. The latest adventure of Samus Aran takes place on the planet Viewros, and you’re given new psychic abilities to utilize in navigating the secrets of the planet. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an excellent, if relatively uneven, revival that reaches heights worthy of the Metroid name in its best moments.”
A Handheld History for $26.68
If you’re looking for a game-themed coffee table book, A Handheld History is a wonderful option. This 272-page book contains a deep dive into portable gaming, with handhelds like the Game Boy, PlayStation Portable, and more included.
Star Wars Outlaws for $29.99
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Star Wars Outlaws is on sale this weekend for $29.99, which is a steal for one of the hybrid system’s best third-party games. This version of Star Wars Outlaws is the Gold Edition, packing in all the DLC and updates that released.
LEGO Icons Poinsettia Building Set
This LEGO Icons set is perfect for any room in your home, recreating Poinsettia flowers. Normally priced at $49.99, you can save $10 off this set for a limited time at Amazon. At 608 pieces and 8 inches tall, this is a great choice for a gift or for an addition to your own collection.
A new Arc Raiders duplication glitch has fans worried about exploits, but others just want to know why it’s being used to spawn mountains of rubber duck trinkets.
The Headwinds update brought new content, alongside fresh gameplay tweaks, when it launched for Arc Raiders players across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S earlier this week. While the 40+ level matchmaking option, Solo vs. Squads, was positioned by developer Embark Studios to be its big selling point, some players are more concerned with the return of an item duplication exploit and how it has affected the in-game (duck) economy.
Although players are no doubt using the dupe glitch to amass piles of rare items like blueprints, it seems a few fans are manipulating the system to make some serious coin – and maybe even a quick joke. The duck has slowly become a bit of a running gag for fans on its own, as the squeaky bath toy is one of a few lightweight trinkets that can be found topside and then sold in Speranza for a decent chunk of Raider Coins. It also happens to be the sillier items in Arc Raiders, so when a recently patched dupe glitched returned in a new form, those looking to exploit the system knew just what to do.
Those who are discovering topside players with hundreds of ducks, however, are just confused.
Did we come across the duck Santa Clause or something?
“Did we come across the duck Santa Clause or something?” one Reddit user said a few days before the launch of Headwinds. “Dupe hacking gone wild? At first we thought it was some joke because the stash was just full of ducks but then we realized they were stacks of 15 ducks each.”
“Okay so I actually came across a guy in blue gate in a random house just spamming ducks on the ground,” another replied. “I assumed he was duping. The floor was littered with them, probably like 100 of them. He wouldn’t respond and kinda just stared at me til I walked away.”
Arc Raiders’ mallard problem has only gotten bigger in the aftermath of Headwinds, as the January content update also introduced a handful of more valuable (and more vibrant) ducks to collect as part of the new Bird City map condition. It’s resulted in an abundance of ducks across Buried City…and some very awkward moments.
“A raider caught on fire in Buried City Metro, went down without saying a word, and left behind a mountain of Familiar Ducks,” another user shared. “I extracted with $2.8M. Still confused.”
“Was doing the pharmacist quest for Lance, heard the tell tale duck noise…came upon this silent raider,” one person said, sharing a picture of a solo Raider standing alone in a dark attic.
Referencing a recent cyber-attack against Embark and Arc Raiders, someone replied, “This must be what brought down the servers. DDOS (Duck Duplication on Server).”
In a game that constantly sees players backstabbing each other for a small chance to net worthwhile resources, it’s hard to deny the comedy in PvP players only finding stacks upon stacks of little rubber duckies. Still, it’s definitely the kind of thing Embark promised to clean up earlier this month. Players have complained of cheaters and exploiters in Arc Raiders for weeks, so as goofy as these issues are, they are still causing some players to worry that others have an unfair advantage.
It’s especially concerning for those who have kept up with Arc Raiders updates since launch. Embark issued update 1.12.0 January 20 and fixed a handful of exploits, including an item duplication glitch. It took less than a week for players to begin reporting what appears to be a new version of the exploit, and it’s unclear how long it will take for the developers to publish a new patch or how many other glitches will be discovered in the meantime.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Just one day after the announcement of Genie, Google’s generative AI-powered virtual world creator, a number of major video game companies are seeing their stock prices tumble, seemingly because some investors think you can just generate an entire video game with AI now.
Of course, that’s not what Genie is. Genie essentially lets you create a virtual “world” by offering prompts to describe the environment, a main character, and first or third-person view. Once it’s created, you can control the described character and wander around the world you’ve made.
And that’s…kind of it? While you can walk around these virtual spaces with your keyboard, critically, there’s nothing else you can really do. There are no game mechanics, there’s no one to talk to, no goals, no scores or meaningful interactions. Additionally, each generation is limited to just 60 seconds. And while you could maybe argue that this is just the first step on a road to eventually getting AI to generate playable 3D video games, there’s no real evidence yet that such a thing is possible, or that the games would be good or even coherent. The Verge, for instance, tried to basically copy Breath of the Wild using Genie, and while they got something that essentially looks identical, that’s just it. It’s not playable, the “Link” looks kind of frightening actually, and Genie had to copy something that already existed to make this. It didn’t come up with this on its own.
But that hasn’t really stopped a lot of investors from suddenly jumping off the video game train, a conclusion first posed by Investing.com and shared by others, including Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier. Perhaps the most notable decline is Take-Two Interactive, which reached a six-month low this morning and, while it rallied somewhat by the closing bell, still ended down 8%. Engine maker Unity is in a similar spot, dropping 24% today also to a six-month low. Roblox stock also cratered today by 13% by close today, though notably Roblox has been on a downward trend since November. Still, it’s a six-month low for Roblox, too.
Not every gaming company is seeing a massive nosedive. Ubisoft is technically down 7% today, but with its stock down to just $1/share, any small movement in either direction will seem significant. The company has been in pretty dire straits for months, even years now, and its announcement of more layoffs, closures, and cancelations earlier this month already had stock even further in a downward spiral. EA stock hasn’t changed much today at all, but that’s understandable, given EA announced last fall that it was preparing to sell to an investor group headed up by the Saudi Arabian government and will soon exit the public trading market. Meanwhile, Nintendo stock, down just under 5% today at the time this piece was written, has been all over the place all month, following a steady downward trend since November.
The pattern I’m seeing here between Take-Two, Roblox, and Unity is a sudden distrust not in games as an idea, but rather concerns about “platforms”. Unity is a game engine. People use it to make games. If Genie can also make games, who needs Unity? In Roblox’s case, Roblox is a pure user-generated content (UGC) factory – something that would likely become obsolete quickly if Genie took over. And for Take-Two, the publisher is about to release Grand Theft Auto VI later this year (we hope), which would very likely be accompanied at launch or not long after with some new version of GTA Online. While the current GTA Online doesn’t rely on UGC, there have been recent suspicions this new version might. Again, the thinking here is seemingly that if people can just make their own little games in Genie, why would they bother doing it in Roblox or GTA or Minecraft or Fortnite or Unreal or anywhere else (Microsoft, for its part is too big to see any stock impact from Genie today and Epic Games is not publicly traded).
Is selling shares of major game publishers going to pay off for these investors? I’m not a stock expert, but if nothing else, it doesn’t seem to be like a good idea to bet against GTA 6 right now (though Take-Two’s earnings are next week, so we’ll see I guess). And while Genie doesn’t seem up to the task of making a whole video game out of nothing, plenty of other studios are coming out on one side of the fence or the other on using generative AI of any kind in their work. It seems that one way or another, the folks betting big money on generative AI will reap whatever harvest of that investment there is sooner rather than later.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
