Nostalgia is one of the most powerful, over-weaponized forces in the video game industry. But it also opens up avenues for cool takes on classic ideas. Hearkening back to PS2-era action platformers, Akimbot already seems like a great example of nostalgia done right. Full of homage to classics from that era like Ratchet and Clank, I had so much fun jumping, shooting, and air-dashing through an early version of Akimbot’s first level.
As it turns out, action-platformers are French indie studio Evil Raptor’s bread and butter. 2021’s Pumpkin Jack was a cult hit among platforming fans when it hit back in 2020, and if my half-hour demo with Akimbot is any indication, it seems like it’s poised to scratch the same itch with a charming world, responsive platforming controls, interesting character designs, and well-designed levels. I just wish my demo was longer.
You’ll play as Exe, a tacit, mysterious robot with some platforming and combat chops. Shipset, your considerably more talkative, floating companion, used to work as an accounting bot who grew tired of his job and broke out, seemingly throwing a grenade behind him and angering all the wrong people. Starting in a spaceship, imprisoned by intergalactic mobsters, our lead duo breaks out after their traveling prison crash-lands on a tropical beach planet.
This opening cutscene did a great job of setting up both the odd couple-like dynamic between the leads and Akimbot’s overall tone. The quippy and charming cutscenes felt like watching a favorite Saturday morning cartoon that never was. Exe and Shipset continued chatting after I set out, continuing to flesh out the characters. Thankfully, their bickering evolved quickly enough that it never got annoying.
While Akimbot nails the look and aesthetic of the PS2 era, it is undoubtedly a modern game. Gorgeous lighting and particle effects paint the beach planet with ray-traced warm, chill, inviting vibes. From what I could tell, the quality of life is all there too; I didn’t find any of the occasionally frustrating clunkiness that so often keeps platformers from that era from aging well.
Exe, meanwhile, controls like a dream. He deftly jumped from platform to platform, with movement options that felt immediately natural to me as a big fan of 3D platformers. I had so much fun just messing around with his moveset – like the double jump and air dash he’s got from the get go – as I learned how to make the most of a jump. His air dash ends with a little extra air time and height, and once I figured out how to perfectly time my second jump at the apex of that dash, I started really cooking with Exe’s moveset. Soon, I was clearing multiple platforms at a time with relative ease.
Even his melee abilities give some extra oomph to his movement. While using his slashing melee attack on the ground is satisfying enough in its own right, doing it midair lets him perform a spinning, rising attack that adds yet another means of catching some extra height. The movement was far and away my favorite and the most exciting part of Akimbot. In fact, based on what I’ve played so far, I have a feeling Evil Raptor is going to really stretch what’s possible with Exe’s moveset as the game progresses. Even in Akimbot’s first level, which is pretty easy by most standards, I found ways to have fun and push my own abilities. To me, that’s the hallmark of a good 3D platformer.
The movement was far and away my favorite and the most exciting part of Akimbot.
Don’t get me wrong, though, the shooting also feels really good. Once you get a hang of Exe’s movement, Akimbot presents you with a choice between four different guns. I went with the all-around option: a pair of semi-automatic pistols that crack with just the right amount of punch as their bullets connected with my mechanical foes. I also picked up a more traditional machine gun along the way, which also felt great as I dispatched far-off foes during an on-rails sequence. I also found options to upgrade and level up each of these special starting weapons. I didn’t get to dive too deep into that, unfortunately, but it’s nice to see that there’s going to be some tangible progression for each gun.
Akimbot’s movement and shooting both get high marks based on the demo I played. Now we just need to see what Evil Raptor manages to accomplish with the moveset it’s created. But if the first level is any indication, Akimbot’s sure to be a hit with 3D platforming fans.
WIth over 50 party games split between developer Jackbox Games’ 10 different Jackbox Party Packs, players have increasingly requested a more unified way to switch between their Jackbox games. If these games are in different packs, players often need to remember which pack a game is in, close their current pack, and launch the next one. Now, after years of player requests, Jackbox Games is finally developing a way to see all of its games in one place.
Today in a post on its website, Jackbox Games announced the Jackbox Megapicker, a game library that lets players view, sort, and launch their games from different Party Packs in one location.
“With over 50 games, more and more you are saying that it takes a lot of effort to switch between packs to find all of the different games you want to play,” the post reads. “Enter The Jackbox Megapicker: a free product exclusive to Steam, where you can view your game library, sort and filter the games you love, and quickly launch an evening of fun.”
The Jackbox Megapicker is headed to Steam as an exclusive this July.
Jackbox Games mentioned that more details will be revealed on its website and in an upcoming Reddit AMA. The team also encouraged players to request features for the Jackbox Megapicker via social media.
Years after the first Party Pack was released in 2014, Jackbox Games saw a spike in popularity after its party games became a social distancing staple in 2020. Jackbox’s next Party Pack is Jackbox: Naughty Pack, its first adult-focused Party Pack (despite most people’s use of… already naughty answers in text-based games like Quiplash) that it announced at ID@Xbox in April. While it doesn’t yet have a release date, it’s due out this year.
Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they’ve contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun, and they’re currently developing a game called Garage Sale. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.
When it’s time to unplug, shut off the TV and reduce screen time, board games always have your back when it comes to scratching that lingering escapist itch and drive to continue playing. Luckily, there exist countless board game tie-ins to some of the most popular video games around, and we’ve collected some of our favorites here. Whether you’re looking for a long-term campaign or a quick to setup party game, these board games will let you continue living in these worlds when you need a break from technology.
Fresh off the release of Amazon’s Fallout series, now is the perfect time to explore the Wasteland right at your own kitchen table. To start, you’ll choose from various scenarios which will determine the map setup. Similar to the beloved open-world RPGs by Bethesda, tabletop players will uncover the map, build upon numerous skills, fight irradiated enemies, interact with different factions, and complete quests, all while battling for influence over the Wasteland. Very immersive and detail-oriented, this game is great for long-term sessions.
Slay the Spire
Players: 1-4
Age Range: 12+
Play Time: 45 minutes
Probably the one video game on this list most deserving of a board game tie-in, Slay the Spire takes after its digital roots by having players take on the role of one of the provided heroes and go on a Roguelike deck-building climb through the Spire. Like the video game, players will choose from a number of different rooms each with their own characteristics that will affect their game; encounters, where you’ll fight regular enemies, elites, where you’ll fight even stronger ones, events, campfires, treasure, the merchant, and finally the boss. By the nature of Roguelikes, Slay the Spire is sure to give players hours of enjoyment as they try different characters, builds, and items each time.
Bloodborne
Players: 2-4
Age Range: 14+
Play Time: 60-90 minutes
The Bloodborne board game sees players take on the role of Hunter as they fight to vanquish the evil stirring within Yharnam. As a campaign board game, Bloodborne offers players endless replay value, as no two sessions should be too alike with its modular map tiles. Featuring hundreds of various cards, tokens, and game pieces, this macabre adventure will test players’ skill and decision making as they uncover the secret to the unyielding plague and fight to stop it. Immersion is at the forefront here, and the game’s highly detailed miniatures ensure that you truly feel in their shoes.
Resident Evil 2
Players: 1-4
Age Range: 12+
Play Time: 90-120 minutes
The success of the Resident Evil 2 tabletop adaptation paved the way for Steamforged Games to create similar experiences covering both the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis’ stories. However, much like the video games, Resident Evil 2 is arguably its best entry. Faithful to the source material, the game has players work cooperatively as they take control of either Leon S. Kennedy or Claire Redfield as they fight their way through hordes of zombies to make their escape in multiple available scenarios. Collect weapons, healing items, and keys as you navigate the environment, evade the undead, and solve puzzles. You can even use the iconic ink ribbons and typewriters to affect your sessions!
PAC-MAN
Players: 2-5
Age Range: 10+
Play Time: 30 minutes
From Buffalo Games, the arcade classic makes its triumphant tabletop return. Enjoyed in both cooperative or competitive modes, the player in control of Pac-Man aims to navigate the maze, chow down on pellets, and collect fruit while the players controlling the ghosts do their best to avoid or catch Pac-Man. Played on four metal tiles that make up the game board, it requires some initial assembly and setup, but repeat games are quick and easy to get started. The electronic Pac-Man figure even makes his iconic “waka waka” sound!
Tetris
Players: 2-4
Age Range: 8+
Play Time: 20-30 minutes
Also made by Buffalo Games, Tetris is a competitive head-to-head game where players maneuver, rotate, and drop their tetriminos to get the highest score. Just like the video game, the next up piece is on full display, represented by a card, so players can plan their strategy accordingly. You earn points by completing lines, matching pieces to symbols on their tower, and completing specific achievements. Quick setup and play time makes this a great pick for parties and younger players.
Dark Souls: The Board Game – Tomb of Giants
Players: 1-3
Age Range: 14+
Play Time: 90-120 minutes
Originally envisioned as content for the original Dark Souls board game Kickstarter campaign, the Tomb of Giants core set is a standalone adventure that’s great for newer players, and got its namesake from the infamous location familiar to players of the video games. Each player starts the game by choosing a class and gear, then starts navigating the catacombs, taking on skeleton archers, or resting at the bonfire. Actions are limited, so choose wisely. This game is very faithful to its source material, with its punishing combat and RPG elements that shine from the level up system. Tomb of Giants also features new playable characters and over a hundred new cards, all compatible with existing Dark Souls board game products.
Cuphead: Fast-Rolling Dice Game
Players: 1-4
Age Range: 8+
Play Time: 30-45 minutes
Much like its digital counterpart, Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game is an extremely fast-paced cooperative game where the object is to take out all the bosses using dice-heavy mechanics to deal damage. Setup is a breeze, as the structure of the boss deck never changes. The game begins with each player picking one of the four available characters: Cuphead, Mugman, Ms. Chalice, or Elder Kettle, and is then played through multiple rounds consisting of five phases, where players will set up their attacks and take on the boss. Rounds are timed, so pick your dice rolls carefully! Cuphead sports high replay value in that you can reup to beat your score and upgrade your abilities that carry over to future runs. See our Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game review for more info.
The Oregon Trail
Players: 2-6
Age Range: 12+
Play Time: 30-45 minutes
Dying of dysentery has never been so fun. In this quick to setup and play card game, players work together to make it to Oregon without perishing. Sessions are relatively quick, as you will die hard and fast from the various Calamity cards waiting to spell your doom. Oddly challenging and very luck based, you win by making it to the end of the Trail by playing fifty trail cards. One downside is that if a player dies on the first turn (which is more common than you’d think), they have to sit out that entire session until the party either wins or all die. Regardless, it’s a great recreation of the source material and is sure to steal a few laughs.
For deeper dives into specific board games, check out our Aeon’s End buying guide, as well as our surprisingly huge buing guide for Carcassonne, one of the earlier board games to bring serious gaming depth to the populace.
Discord integration on PS5 is about to improve, as Sony announced today that it is rolling out an update allowing PS5 users to join a Discord call directly on their console.
Sony and Discord announced PS5 integration for the app last year, but before today’s announcement, users who wanted to join a Discord call from their PS5 had to manually transfer the call to their console via the Discord app on a mobile device or computer. This new update now streamlines the process, requiring just your PS5 rather than two devices.
You’ll soon be able to join Discord voice chats directly from your PS5 console 🎧 The update is gradually rolling out over the coming weeks, starting in Japan/Asia: https://t.co/kcJtWAYOLBpic.twitter.com/KGOFSauZvH
A new PlayStation Blog post notes that the update will “gradually roll out over the coming weeks,” with Japan/Asia PS5 owners getting access to the features first, and Europe, Australia/New Zealand, the Middle East, and the Americas to receive the update in that order.
Beyond PS5 integration, Discord has also partnered with Microsoft to offer Discord in various ways on Xbox gaming hardware. The partnership first started in 2022. More recently, in August 2023, Microsoft announced that the partnership expanded to allow Xbox users to stream Xbox games directly to Discord.
Discord enhancing the PS5 experience comes less than a month after the company announced it wanted to pivot its focus from being the all-purpose messaging app to doubling down on its gaming-centric roots, whether it is players using it as a form of communication or developers leveraging the app as an supplemental communication tool with players.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
Helldivers 2’s highly anticipated 01.000.4000 patch is finally here, bringing with it a mass of gameplay tweaks, balance updates, and fixes to the popular co-operative shooter, along with invite-only lobby creation, and a big change to the galactic map.
Today’s update seed the introduction of a number of buffs for the game’s weaker stratagems in an attempt to increase their viability, including the Orbital Gatling Cannon, which is now capable of softening up heavily armored targets. Others were tweaked to make their performance more consistent, such as the Eagle 110mm rocket pod stratagem.
The update also makes the supply lines that connect worlds visible on the galactic map, allowing players to see where an invading faction is launching an attack from. Super Samples have also been made available during ‘extreme’ difficulty 6 missions, which will give players who are uncomfortable playing at higher difficulties the opportunity to upgrade ship modules using the resource.
Extreme weather events have also been adjusted on some planets, making fog less dense, and the paths of fire tornados more random, which will hopefully prevent them from transforming extraction points into a burning hellscape. Artificial lighting surrounding human outposts has also been adjusted to make it less distracting to the player, who also now has the option of hiding in large patches of vegetation to make themselves less visible to enemy patrols. On that note, patrol spawning has been rolled back to how it worked prior to patch 01.000.300 following feedback from the community.
Invite only lobbies have also been introduced, alongside a slew of fixes that address UI issues, crashes, and gameplay bugs, including one that allowed players to throw an infinite number of grenades by pressing the quick grenade button after closing the stratagem select menu. The devs have also remedied a bug that allowed the shuttle to take damage during extraction at the end of a game.
Arrowhead’s mysterious game master – known only as Joel – recently handed down a new major order to Helldivers 2 players on the behalf of Super Earth that came with a serious moral dilemma. Players have been given the choice of saving the world of Marfark, which would unlock the MD-17 Anti-Tank stratagem, or of protecting the planet Vernen Wells, which would net them zero stratagems but would ensure the safety of the digital civilian survivors that are trapped inside a childrens hospital. With two days left to go, it would seem that the overwhelming majority of players have opted to save the children, with Vernen Wells currently sitting on a 41 percent liberation rating, relative to Marfark’s 0.14 percent.
This week has also seen the release of the new jungle-themed Viper Commandos premium warbond, which adds new armor and weapons to Helldivers 2, while also introducing the first cosmetic skins that can be used to customise hellpods, exosuits, and extraction shuttles. Arrowhead recently announced that it had chosen to “focus on quality over quantity” when it comes to upcoming warbonds, opting to slow its release cadence in order to ensure more time to polish designs prior to release.
Check out the patch notes below for a full list of all the changes introduced in the new update.
Helldivers 2 update 01.000.400 patch notes in full:
Overview
For this patch, some of the major areas of interest are
Visible Supply Lines & Attack Origins in the Galactic War.
Stratagem, weapon, planet, and enemy balancing updates.
Various crash fixes, stability improvements, and other updates.
Invite-only lobby creation. The right most option in the Lobby settings. Currently only localized in English. Additional languages coming in the next patch
Balancing
Goal with stratagem balance changes this patch:
With these balance changes we wanted to buff up some of the weaker stratagems to make them more viable and add more possibility for variety in the loadouts. We also changed a few to make them more consistent, but the goal was to keep a similar or higher power level.
We are looking into the stratagems more to see if there are any other stratagems that might need some buffs or changes to make them more viable. We also want to be better at explaining what our goals are with the changes, please see the linked blog post for more information.
A/MLS-4X Rocket Sentry
Decreased spread
Prioritize larger targets
Increased target distance from 75 to 100m
Decreased Rockets per salvo 2 to 1 (to get a better ammo economy)
Increased explosion radius from 1m to 4m
Decreased explosion armor penetration (Explosion can no longer damage heavy armored enemies. The projectile still has enough AP to damage heavily armored targets.)
Increased total damage from 420 to 570 damage per shot
R-63 Diligence
Increased projectile damage against durable* body parts from 10% to 25%
* Some enemies have durable body parts that receive only a portion of base damage from projectiles
Other
Updated Recoil stance modifiers: We made changes to the recoil stance modifiers to make them more consistent and also reward being prone more. Almost all of them will improve the recoil and only a two have been made worse (and only by 10%).
See the blogpost for a more detailed description.
Gameplay
General
Removed operation modifier AA-Defenses: Reducing the stratagem slots by 1
We want to look over the operation modifiers in the future. Right now there are too few of them which become repetitive and the ones we have do not create variety or promote different playstyles. For now, we removed this one because it only encourages the players to bring the best stratagems and does not promote variety
Disabled the Retrieve Essential Personnel defend event mission for the time being
This is to give the mission the proper attention and care that it deserves as it is now deemed not fun enough or performing as we want it to.
Super Samples
Super samples now spawn on difficulty 6. The reason for this change is that we feel that their existence only on difficulty 7+ forced some players to play the game on a harder difficulty than they wanted to comfortably play on. We do however still want a gating of them but a less punishing one.
The SEAF Artillery stratagem is no longer blocked by stratagem jammers or Ion Storms, and is available after the mission timer ends and the destroyer leaves close orbit.
Enemies in melee range of the gates in the Evacuate High-Value Assets mission will now attack it more consistently.
Added the ability to chat from in-game menus and mission loading screen.
Updated some first person crosshairs to improve readability.
The spike plant that appears on certain planets has been reworked.
No longer causes bleed or stamina drain if hit by the plant explosion or spikes.
Now “pops” three times sending spikes everywhere, dealing increased damage.
Fire Tornados
Fire tornados have had their behavior changed, they should no longer feel like they actively respond to player movement, and should move more randomly.
While a fire tornado storm takes place, enemy vision is reduced. Player vision is unaffected.
*Fire tornados being more random should result in more variance in situations players find themselves in. Tornados are significantly less likely to pile up and overlap on extraction points or objectives, and will generally be a bit easier to deal with.
Tremors
Tremors have had their spawning tweaked to be slightly more random.
Tremors have had their epicenter size and effect range increased.
*These changes should result in more situations where enemies away from the player get stunned, as well as reducing how consistently the player has a tremor occur next to them.
Ion Storms
Added additional VFX for Ion Storms.
Visibility
A lot of planets have had their fog amounts tweaked to be a bit less harsh and dense, to provide less fatigue from constantly fighting on planets with bad visibility. We still intend there to be foggy planets with worse visibility, but the balance was a bit off.
Desert planets such as Erata Prime, Chort Bay, Hellmire, and similar.
Highlands planets such as Varylia 5, Matar Bay, Oshaune, and similar.
Artificial light sources have had their intensity rebalanced and reduced across the board to fix situations of lights completely blinding the player.
Unexploded Hellbomb
The unexploded malfunctioning hellbombs that can sometimes be found on planets will now explode immediately if hit with strong explosions or heavy weaponry. They will still have the same delay if hit by small arms fire or weaker attacks.
Vegetation
Vegetation that’s large enough to slow the player now has an extra function. When inside the vegetation helldivers will be harder to detect, reducing their detection range by enemies. This effect stacks with other detection reducing effects such as nighttime, being crouched or prone, or things such as the scout armor passive.
Enemies
Acid Effect
The acid effect applied by hunters, bug mines, etc. now allows you to sprint while under the effect and slows you by 30% instead of 50%. Duration has been increased from 3 to 4 seconds. These changes are intended to make it less punishing for players to be slowed while fighting the Terminids, This allows us to use it in more places without making the experience very punishing, for example the Bile Spewers.
Armored enemy balance
We have toned down the amount of heavily armored enemies like Bile Titans, Chargers on higher difficulties and instead spawn more hordes of smaller enemies, the difference should be quite noticeable and the amount should be at least 30% less than before during bug breaches. We have also toned down slightly how many Hulks that spawn for the Automatons. Our intent is to ease up on the demand of anti-tank weapons and by having more of the other enemies give a better incentive for the group to bring stratagems and weapons that take care of hordes.
Patrols
Patrol spawning is now back to how it worked before patch 01.000.300 with some slight tweaks so that the levels are less empty if you are far away from important locations with enemy presence.
Stunning
Medium and large sized enemies now don’t get stunned as easily. This will not affect the stratagems that stun, and will mostly just affect how easily the Pummeler can stun larger enemies
Terminids
Bile Spewer and Nursing Spewer
Spewers will now get slowed if they lose their legs.
Spewer puke now applies the acid effect.
Spewer puke now can only damage helldivers up to 4 times per second and the helldiver cannot take damage multiple times from the same projectile. This should reduce instances where you are instantly killed by it.
Bile Titan
The Bile Titan’s head is slightly less durable against weaker anti-tank weapons. It’s not a large change, and will mostly matter for weapons like the railgun.
The Bile Titan’s puke can now only damage the helldiver 4 times per second and the helldiver cannot take damage multiple times from the same projectile. The damage is still very deadly so running through their puke is not recommended. Their puke now also has a bigger spread.
Charger Behemoth
The Charger Behemoth is now joining the battle on higher difficulties, it can now also take more damage than before. This enables us to spawn fewer chargers but still retain the difficulty.
Chargers
Will now only show bleedout effects from the body if the bleedout state has started. It can still show bleedout effects from the mouth without having started the bleedout state.
Automatons
Hulk Scorcher
The Hulk’s flamethrower now does less damage and cannot damage helldivers more than 4 times per second. In addition, the helldiver cannot be damaged multiple times by the same flame projectile. This should reduce instances where you are instantly killed by it.
Automaton Tanks
The Tank armor value on the front has been lowered to be the same as the non-vent sections on the rear of the tank. The intent was initially that it was supposed to be more armored in the front, but the visual language did not show that.
The vents on the back of the Tanks turret still has the same armor value as before, but will check for explosion directions correctly now.
The damage of exploding automaton jump packs has been decreased by 50%, it will still set you on fire though.
Galactic War
Introducing Supply Lines & Origin of Attacks
Supply lines were previously not shown on the Galactic War map to reduce clutter and improve readability. However based on the feedback from our community we have made an implementation showing them on the map. This solution tries to maintain the general readability while still exposing the system to players in game.
You will now also be able to see which planet an attack is originating from, potentially allowing for the community to stop the attack at its source. We have also updated visuals in the sector and planet info pop-ups.
Fixes
The FAF-14 Spear targeting has been reworked and should now function much better. However it has lost the ability to target Automaton Spawners, this is not intended and will be fixed in the future.
Intense Heat and Extreme Cold environmental modifiers will now affect the Quasar Cannon’s reload speed and will show correctly in the HUD.
Reload speed on Cold planets -2.5 sec
Reload speed on Hot planets +2.5 sec
The radar pulse that detects enemies on the mini-map is now visible.
Most of Automatons weapons have now gotten tighter limits to how much the projectile they shoot can deviate from its weapons muzzle angle. What this means is that situations where devastators shoot sideways and similar should be fixed.
The weapons of the Exosuits are now allowed small adjustments in the angle they fire their projectiles versus their muzzle angle. This should make their weapons more accurate.
Ballistic shield now collides with grenades.
The unblock button should no longer disappear from the social menu.
Blocked players can no longer join the blockers lobby through recent players.
Fixed a bug where enemies killed, missions played, and missions completed stats would not be properly displayed in armory.
Fixed issue where the player can throw an unlimited amount of grenades by pressing the “Quick grenade” button right after closing the Stratagem menu.
Helldiver now also switches to the last active weapon when out of grenades, fixing the issue where they would be holding a stratagem ball without the stratagem menu being open.
Fixed some text overlap in various locations.
The burning effect applied to the player when a combat walker dies is now a normal burn. The intent is that you should be able to escape it alive. But you will be on fire so hit the ground!
The extraction shuttle can no longer take damage preventing extraction. New high grade materials directly from Super Earth R&D have been utilized.
On PC you can now navigate the super credits menu with “WASD” keys
Fixed an issue where sample count in missions were incorrectly displayed
Levels no longer generate with blocked areas preventing player progression.
Your Ships bridge is no longer cast in perpetual shadow.
Reduced situations where blue stratagems would bounce when placed next to the detector tower.
The warbond menu now displays correct emote & victory poses in the thumbnail.
War Medals cap is now displayed in the UI.
Fixed a bug where the Helldivers armor could appear invisible for other players.
Refined player reporting UI.
Fixed issue where Helldivers could be launched into the air if close to a Bile Titan or Factory Strider corpse.
Fix for Factory Strider sometimes spawned an extra model after being destroyed.
Reduced situations where helldivers could spontaneously die while walking into seemingly walkable valleys on some planets.
Fixed rare issue on arctic planets where players could spontaneously die close to large bodies of water.
Fixed Pelican-1 sometimes leaving immediately after any player gets onboard.
Fixed bug where helldiver could get stuck in grenade idle state after throwing grenades
Fix Superior Packing Methodology not working for other peers.
Recent Players list will now include hot-joining players.
Relaxed disconnection policy for PC users.
Fixed an issue where previous sessions’ player names might not be saved correctly when restarting.
Defend event attack origin now visualized when hovering the planet with the defend event or the attack origin planet.
Implemented outlines for previously poorly readable texts.
Crash Fixes
General crash fixes.
Fix for a crash that could occur when applying wounds to multiple enemies.
PlayStation Only: Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause a crash when switching between Quality and Performance mode.
Fix for a crash when a player leaves after all their railguns have exploded.
Fix for crash that could occur when rejoining a previous session
Fix for crash that occurred when trying to throw a snowball in ADS mode
Fix for potential crash when loadout is aborted during hotjoin.
Fix for rare crash linked to leaving a session while aiming a weapon.
Known Issues
These are issues that were either introduced by this patch and are being worked on, or are from a previous version and have not yet been fixed.
Sending friend requests via friend code in game currently does not work.
Players may be unable to be joined or invited to the game.
Players added to the ‘Recent Players’ list will appear in the middle of the list.
Players may experience delays in Medals and Super Credits payouts.
Spear targeting is unable to target Automaton Spawners.
Enemies that bleed out do not progress Personal Orders and Eradicate missions.
Arc weapons sometimes behave inconsistently and sometimes misfire.
Most weapons shoot below the crosshair when aiming down the sights.
Plasma Punisher is unable to shoot out of the shield generators.
Stratagem beam might attach itself to an enemy but it will deploy to its original location.
Helldiver may be unable to stand up from crouching when surrounded by enemies.
“Hand Carts” ship module does not reduce Shield Generator Pack’s cooldown.
Bile Titan sometimes does not take damage to the head.
Charger’s butt does not take damage from explosions.
Players may become stuck in the Loadout when joining a game in progress.
Reinforcement may not be available for players who join a game in progress.
Planet liberation reaches 100% at the end of every Defend mission.
“Raise Flag of Super Earth” objective does not show a progress bar.
Mission count in the Career tab is being reset to zero after every game restart.
Some weapons’ descriptions are out-of-date and don’t reflect their current design.
BR-14 Adjudicator has incorrect recoil values
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
Elden Ring has sold 25 million units ahead of its expansion Shadow of the Erdtree launching on June 21, 2024, developer FromSoftware has announced.
In a post on X/Twitter, the colossal 25 million units sold milestone was revealed alongside a thank you to fans who have purchased the game. Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco announced the game crossed 23 million units sold in March 2024, meaning it’s grown another two million in less than three months.
This all comes ahead of what will likely be another sales boost for the game too when its only expansion Shadow of the Erdtree launches.
The downloadable content is set to add a wealth of new content to the beloved role-playing game. Just like previous FromSoftware games Dark Souls and Bloodborne, however, accessing the DLC isn’t as simple as selecting it on a menu, as players must tick off a handful of obscure feats beforehand, including beating an optional boss.
In our 10/10 review, IGN said: “Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Buying new video games, hardware, and accessories for your preferred console doesn’t need to make a massive dent in your wallet. Deals happen all the time for items like these, so you can save money while investing in your favorite hobby. One of our favorite deals at the moment is this excellent Game Pass deal at Woot, but there are plenty more to check out. Whether you play on PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or PC, you’ll find the very best deals listed below. And if you’ve taken advantage of lots of these deals, see our roundup on game storage ideas.
TL;DR – Our Favorite Video Game Deals
Best Xbox Game Pass Deal
Xbox Game Pass has been discounted once again, providing another opportunity for users to stack their membership at a discounted rate. Woot (an Amazon company) currently has 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate codes down to $11.79, and 3-month codes for $34.49. These are significant discounts, and monumentally cheaper than compared to paying the default $17.99/month.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (Physical Edition) Preorder
While waiting for Nintendo’s Switch successor, you can enjoy some absolute classics with the Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. This is a collection of over 150 challenges from 13 different NES games that’s coming exclusively to Switch on July 18, and you can preorder it today. We’ve included links to the physical edition’s preorder below, but if you’re looking for even more information on digital editions, check out our Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition preorder guide.
Best Physical Game Deals: Prince of Persia is Down to $30
If you’re looking to pick up some physical games for your preferred platform, there are quite a few deals to check out at the moment. One of our favorites is on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for PS5, which is down 40% to just $29.98 right now at Amazon. You can see even more of our favorite game deals below.
Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4080 SUPER Gaming PC for $2,299.99 + 34″ QD OLED Gaming Monitor for $499
Do you prefer to play on a dedicated tower? Navigating the options online can be quite the ordeal. Desk space, portability, and price point are often factors in the decision. However, there are some great PC deals that pop up every now and again that are worth jumping on. One of our favorite deals at the moment is on this Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4080 SUPER Gaming PC, which is available for $2,299.99, but you can also add on a discounted Alienware AW3423DWF 34″ QD OLED gaming monitor for an extra $499, bringing it up to $2798.99 total. To see even more PC deals, check out our roundup of the best gaming PC deals.
Our Favorite Micro SD Cards for Switch and Steam Deck Are On Sale
The best Switch or Steam Deck SD card should be fast, reliable, and as future-proof as possible. That last one is important, as it was recently revealed a Switch successor will be announced within the fiscal year. Therefore, you’re going to want to opt for the latest in SD card tech, which is a micro SDXC UHS-I U3 A2 V30 memory card. That’s a lot of random letters, so to save you a bit of time we’ve left our top suggestions and deals just below for your convenience. To see even more SD card deals, make sure to check out our roundup of the best SD card deals.
More SD Card Deals
Our Favorite Power Bank for Steam Deck is Discounted Right Now
Some excellent power banks are discounted at the moment that are perfectly portable and packing plenty of power to keep you going. In particular, the fantastic Anker Prime Power Bank is down to $88.95. This is a great discount on a reliable power bank that likely won’t last long, so grab it at this price while you can!
Meta Quest 2 (128GB) is Down to $199
Amazon is offering a very nice discount at the moment on the 128GB Meta Quest 2. This is one of the best Meta Quest deals available right now, and well worth considering for anyone interested in VR. Normally, this VR headset retails for $249.99, but you can grab it for $199 right now, which is a great price for such a high-quality headset. We gave it a 9/10 in ourreview back when it was released, stating that it “improves an already amazing VR headset with better resolution, refresh rate, and a lower price tag.”
Perfect PS5 2TB SSD for $149.99 at Amazon
Right now, Amazon has the WD_Black 2TB SN850X SSD available for just $149.99. Normally priced at $189.99, this 2TB SSD features speeds up to 7,300MB/s to ensure your games load as fast as possible. This model will work with PS5, but you will need to purchase a heatsink to go with it (which you can do here for just $9). To see even more of the best SSD deals, check out our roundup of the best PS5 2TB SSD deals. Otherwise, you can see some more of our favorite picks below.
Steam Deck Internal SSD: Big Discount on the WD_BLACK SSD
If a micro SD card deal isn’t floating your boat for Steam Deck, how about a new internal SSD instead? The WD_BLACK 1TB SN770M M.2 2230 NVMe SSD is currently down to $99.99, which is a nice 23% discount from its $129.99 MSRP.
Score 2 Free Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (New Members Only)
Walmart is now offering two months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for free for any current or new Walmart+ members. If you’re not currently a member of Walmart+, the retailer offers a 30-day free trial (which will make you eligible for the Game Pass offer), alongside plans for $12.95 paid monthly, or $98 paid annually.
For those interested in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offer, it is worth qualifying that this code will only apply to those who currently don’t have an active Game Pass Ultimate membership, and Walmart stresses that this is for new members only. If you’re on Game Pass Core, it should be fine to apply to your account. Otherwise, if you’re a current Game Pass Ultimate member, the code won’t be applicable. If you do qualify, it’s a pretty simple process if you’re looking to bag the two-month free trial, here’s how:
Steps:
Visit the Walmart+ Offer Page and select ‘Get Offer’ next to the 2 free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate listing
On the ‘Offer Page’ you will see a unique promo code, copy this code and keep a record of it
Hit the ‘Redeem Offer’ button on the page to go to the Xbox Site
Sign in to Your Account
Your promo code will autofill — if it does not then paste/type
Redeem your offer and receive your 2 Free Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Disable auto-renewal afterward to avoid being charged at the end of the trial — this can be located in ‘Services & Subscriptions’ in your Microsoft account. You should also do this for Walmart+ if you used a free trial to access the Game Pass offer
Xbox’s summer showcase was a home run, with one of the best presentations of upcoming games on the Xbox ecosystem in quite some time. This included titles like Black Ops 6, Doom: The Dark Ages, Perfect Dark, Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, and plenty more. If these sneak peeks have excited you for the future of Xbox, then we’ve got even more good news to share.
Xbox Game Pass is back on sale for a limited time, with huge discounts on stackable 3-month and 1-month codes for Game Pass Ultimate. That’s not all, as there are also offers on controllers, alongside big price drops on refurbished consoles up for grabs as well. Here are all the best Xbox deals right now.
Xbox Game Pass has been discounted once again, providing another opportunity for users to stack their membership at a discounted rate. Woot (an Amazon company) currently has 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate codes down to $11.79, and 3-month codes for $34.49. These are significant discounts, and monumentally cheaper than compared to paying the default $17.99/month.
Xbox Series X Refurbished for $319.99
If you’re looking for a top deal on an Xbox Series X during the major summer showcase, then this is the best deal you can currently find. Woot is selling a refurbished (Grade A) Xbox Series X for just $319.99. That’s over $120 off the list price for the console, and welll worth considering as an afforable avenue into the Xbox ecosystem. More Xbox deals are expected in the coming weeks during Prime Day, and console sales are becoming more common so keep an eye on @IGNDeals on X (Twitter) for more updates.
Score 2 Free Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (New Members Only)
For those interested in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offer, it is worth qualifying that this code will only apply to those who currently don’t have an active Game Pass Ultimate membership, and Walmart stresses that this is for new members only. If you’re on Game Pass Core, it should be fine to apply to your account. Otherwise, if you’re a current Game Pass Ultimate member, the code won’t be applicable. If you do qualify, it’s a pretty simple process if you’re looking to bag the two-month free trial, here’s how:
Steps:
Visit the Walmart+ Offer Page and select ‘Get Offer’ next to the 2 free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate listing
On the ‘Offer Page’ you will see a unique promo code, copy this code and keep a record of it
Hit the ‘Redeem Offer’ button on the page to go to the Xbox Site
Sign in to Your Account
Your promo code will autofill — if it does not then paste/type
Redeem your offer and receive your 2 Free Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Disable auto-renewal afterward to avoid being charged at the end of the trial — this can be located in ‘Services & Subscriptions’ in your Microsoft account. You should also do this for Walmart+ if you used a free trial to access the Game Pass offer
Select Xbox Controllers For $47.49 (Last Chance)
Looking to pick up an Xbox controller or add some new ones to your gaming setup? Both Target and Amazon have top discounts on Xbox gamepads right now, with the Robot White varient down to $49.99, and the Electric Volt controller down to $47.49 at Target. It’s the last chance you can secure this discount, so secure ASAP to avoid disapointment.
50% Off the Xbox Series S Toaster & Xbox Series X Mini Fridge
It looks like a fridge, and it kinda is a fridge (mini), and it’s also down to $39.94 at Walmart. Plus, c’mon, who doesn’t want the Xbox Series S toaster for their kitchen as well? Not only is it a fun addition to have in your home, but this is a discount you definitely don’t want to miss out on, either! It’s currently marked down over 50% at Walmart to just $42, which is an excellent deal. What better time to pick it up?
Best Xbox Expansion Card SSD Deals
Amazon is offering the officially licensed Seagate 1TB Expansion Card for Xbox Series consoles with a nice little discount. Right now it’s $149.99, a minor price drop from its original $160 MSRP. This is one of the best SSDs for the Xbox, which isn’t surprising since your options are pretty limited. There’s also the 2TB version for $249.99 and the 8TB Seagate Starfield Special Edition Game Drive for $189.90.
Get 10% Off the Official Xbox Wireless Headset & More Headset Deals
Does your family complain when you stay up playing loud shooters late into the night? They’ll stop complaining if you pick up anXbox headset that lets no one but you hear the delightful explosions you cause on the screen. Right now, you can get 10% off the Official Xbox Wireless Headset and you can also save 20% on the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Gaming Headset at Amazon. To see even more gaming headsets on sale, visit our roundup of the best gaming headset deals.
What is Xbox’s Recent Controversy?
The recent discomfored surrounding Xbox can be isolated to a recent round of brutal layoffs. Microsoft is closing a number of Bethesda studios, including Redfall maker Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks, and more in devastating cuts at Bethesda. Alpha Dog Games, maker of mobile game Mighty Doom, will also close. Roundhouse Studios will be absorbed by The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios. Microsoft, currently valued at over $3 trillion, did not say how many staff will lose their jobs, but significant layoffs are inevitable.
Is Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Coming to Xbox Game Pass?
Microsoft has confirmed the arrival of Call of Duty Black Ops 6 day-one on Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft made the announcement alongside the release of a live-action reveal trailer called ‘The Truth Lies’. In it we see world leaders including Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, George H. W. Bush, Colin Powell, and Saddam Hussein, delivering cryptic speeches. Black Ops 6 will be set during the events of the Gulf War during the early ’90s.
Is Call of Duty Black Ops 6 300GB?
Activision has also clarified that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 won’t actually require a 300 GB download despite previous messaging. Players began to panic about the size of this year’s Call of Duty after noticing its Xbox store page yesterday.
At the time, the page listed that the game would require a 309.85 GB download for those hoping to hop into the post-Cold War first-person shooter when it launches this fall. That’ll put a pretty big dent in the hard drive of most PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S consoles, so players were, understandably, very concerned.
When Should I Buy an Xbox?
In general, it is advisable to keep an eye out for sales and restocks throughout the year, as availability has improved since the initial launch of the console. Unlike the Nintendo Switch, there is no specific recommendation to wait for a sale regardless of the time of year. Instead, it’s a good idea to monitor various retailers and online platforms for restock announcements and promotional offers.
However, certain events like Black Friday or other holiday seasons may bring about unique bundles, discounts, or promotional deals specifically for the Xbox Series X. These bundles may include additional games, accessories, or exclusive limited editions. While quantities for such promotions might be limited, they can provide an opportunity to get more value for your purchase. See our guide to Xbox Series X prices for more info.
Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S?
Choosing between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S ultimately depends on your gaming preferences, budget, and specific requirements. Let’s compare the two consoles to help you make an informed decision:
1. Performance: The Xbox Series X is the more powerful option, offering native 4K gaming, higher graphical fidelity, and faster loading times. It has more advanced hardware, including a larger storage capacity. On the other hand, the Xbox Series S targets a lower price point and offers a less powerful performance, targeting 1440p resolution gaming and upscaling to 4K.
2. Price: The Xbox Series S is more affordable compared to the Xbox Series X. If budget is a significant factor for you, the Xbox Series S provides a cost-effective option while still delivering a next-generation gaming experience. For example, the Series S can play Starfield at 1440p 30fps (vs 4K 30fps on Series X).
3. Storage: The Xbox Series X comes with a larger internal storage capacity, allowing you to store more games directly on the console. The Xbox Series S, however, has a smaller storage capacity, which means you may need to manage your game library more actively or rely on external storage solutions.
4. Disc Drive: The Xbox Series X includes a disc drive, enabling you to play physical game discs and enjoy a wider range of media options, including Blu-ray and DVD playback. The Xbox Series S, in contrast, is a digital-only console, meaning you can only play games downloaded from the digital store.
5. Graphics and Performance: While both consoles support ray tracing, the Xbox Series X provides a more immersive and visually impressive experience due to its superior hardware capabilities. If you prioritize cutting-edge graphics and want the best performance available, the Xbox Series X is the preferable choice.
Consider your gaming preferences, budget, and whether you prioritize top-of-the-line performance or cost-effectiveness. If you have a 4K TV, want the most powerful console, and are willing to invest more, the Xbox Series X is the recommended option. If you have a lower budget, a 1080p or 1440p TV, and don’t mind sacrificing some performance, the Xbox Series S offers excellent value for money.
With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as Switch and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
What matters most to any given shooter can vary wildly. Sometimes it’s the hardcore tactical play of games like Hell Let Loose, or the careful competitive balance in options like Counter-Strike. Other times it’s the rich world and lovable characters that help Overwatch shine. For Star Wars: Hunters, the main focus seems to be on having some quick, lighthearted fun in the Star Wars universe. This free-to-play hero shooter from developer Zynga is an enjoyable way to pass the time with friends, but a subpar competitive scene and uninspired progression rewards leave it too shallow to hold my interest for the long haul.
Star Wars: Hunters doesn’t have the over-the-top destructibility of The Finals, nor the high speed parkour of Apex Legends – it’s a much more conventional hero shooter in the vein of Team Fortress 2, where two teams of bespoke characters (in this case called Hunters) participate in pure player-versus-player shootouts. The most notable way it sets itself apart from other shooters is its Star Wars coat of paint, which it puts to good use. Classic Star Wars music is equal parts nostalgic and exciting, while familiar locations like an Ewok Village or Imperial Starship do a great job of placing the action a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, especially when the blaster bolts start flying and the Wookies start howling.
It feels like the philosophy behind the character designs and writing was “just have fun with it.” For example, one of my favorite heroes is Utooni, who is literally just two Jawa’s in a trenchcoat. Another is J-3DI, a droid simulating the combat style of a Jedi by wielding a lightsaber and using a grappling hook to faux force pull enemies closer. Even the play-by-play announcers contribute to that lighthearted Star Wars vibe – one hilarious bit of commentary talks about the action being sponsored by a new TV series on remembering Alderaan, but makes sure to remind any comedians watching at home that it is always too soon for Alderean jokes.
There are 13 playable characters at launch, with a good mix of unique personalities and abilities across them. Imara Vex, for instance, is a classic Star Wars bounty hunter with skills that focus on mobility and firepower, while Grozz is a massive club-wielding Wookie that lacks range but has an enormous amount of health. That variety of weapons and powers is effective at making each character unique in how they play, which also makes it exciting to swap between them and learn their differences.
Hunters manages to be fun by still having nuance where it counts.
Matches, on the other hand, are pretty simple and straightforward, though still enjoyable overall. There are four game types, including a simple team deathmatch option called Squad Battle and a basic point-capture mode called Power Control, and they will all be very familiar to anyone who has played a PvP shooter before. Matches are short, roughly five minutes each, which makes sense since Hunters is only currently available on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices – but that also means they rarely have room for a lot of back and forth swings or come from behind drama. You can still be strategic and do things like hide healers behind tankier units, but there simply isn’t a lot of time for counter-strategies to play out. This is speed checkers, not chess.
That may sound overly simplistic, but Hunters manages to be a lot of fun by still having nuance where it counts. Each character generally falls into a Tank, Damage, or Support archetype – they are more effective when used in their assigned roles, but anyone can start blasting (or smashing) and knock out some opponents. That strikes a great middle ground of being balanced enough that skilled play will win most fights, but loose enough with abilities and supers that anyone can rack up kills in quick bursts of chaos.
Playing enough casual matches will eventually unlock a Ranked playlist. This features all the same maps and game modes, but with a sweatier emphasis on winning, as the results now determine whether you move up or down the rankings from Bronzium to Kyber tiers). Unfortunately, this tends to funnel competitive teams toward some specific team compositions, as tightly grouped, tank-heavy squads currently dominate the battlefield. Sentinel in particular, with his shield, heavy repeater, and ability to knock enemies off of their feet, is almost mandatory, for example. Having to choose between the joy of wielding a lightsaber and having a realistic shot at beating a good team is a shame.
At least either option is more fun with a full squad of buddies – I just wish the Social menu, where you find friends and create teams, wasn’t locked until you’ve completed three tutorial matches and eight real games after that. “Sorry this is proving to be a pain” is an unfortunate thing to have to say when you are trying to play some quick rounds with a friend who is just starting out. It’s an unfortunate barrier, because once you can play with friends, it is a joy to do so. I appreciate how simple it is to form squads (you know, once it lets you at all), and it’s a hilarious good time to shout at your tank friend to stand still so you can shoot him full of health-restoring needles during a chaotic battle.
Once you unlock half the roster, getting the rest slows to a painful crawl.
Because Hunters is free-to-play, as is often the case, it has a mix of free and premium currencies that dictate a lot of the progress you’ll make towards unlockables and vanity items. New characters are unlocked using Crystals, which are earned in small amounts after each match, but you can (of course) expedite the process by buying them outright for real money. In the early going, new Hunters become available at a reasonable clip, but it does slow down with each one you purchase. By the time you unlock half the roster, it slows to a painful crawl. I understand the value of giving players something to strive toward, but at a certain point it starts to feel more coercive than aspirational, which is a problem.
Meanwhile, Credits are used on cosmetic items and are exclusively free, earned by playing matches and completing additional challenges. I appreciate the way your list of challenges is constantly being pecked away at in the background, giving me some added incentive to mix up who I played as since many of them focus on dealing damage with specific characters. But it’s too bad there are so few things you can actually buy with Credits. It’s normal to see dozens of items for sale on the front page of the shop, with only a few that can be purchased with Credits as opposed to Crystals, which makes them a bit pointless in practice.
In terms of XP, it comes in two forms. First, there’s Fame, which applies to specific Hunters. Like Credits, playing matches and checking off challenges adds Fame to a specific character, and every level up brings with it a reward. Some are purely cosmetic, like weapon skins and stickers. Others upgrade skills in small but meaningful ways: When Diago the Sharpshooter hits Fame level 2, for example, the damage to his proximity mines increases. The amount is small enough to not make higher level characters outright overpowered, but still substantial enough that leveling up feels exciting. It’s a good mix, and having a path for each Hunter to climb feels like a solid overall goal to work on for the short term, but the unremarkable weapons skins and stickers aren’t nearly as interesting.
Lastly, there’s the Arena Pass, a straightforward battle pass that rewards Credits, Crystals, and cosmetic items. Unfortunately, the rewards just aren’t very appealing. Turning my gun a different color isn’t exciting, and the amount of Crystals you get are too little to make a dent in the costs to expedite unlocking new characters. Annoyingly, most levels won’t even get you anything unless you pay around $10 USD for the All-Access pass. This is also how you unlock Aran Tal, a damage focused Mandalorian Hunter that is exclusive to All-Access pass holders. It’s another area where Star Wars: Hunters straddles the line between persuasive and problematic monetization.
At least it’s not a terribly complicated progression economy, but it can sometimes feel like it thanks to a really rough interface between matches. The home screen is jarringly overloaded, with far too many windows, tabs, and submenus. Claiming rewards for progress can happen in several different places, often in menus within menus within menus. It’s especially tough because the UI only subtly highlights whatever you have selected, which can make it hard to see what you’re actually about to click.
Sony has announced the new PlayStation Plus additions for June 2024, revealing the list of new games for Extra and Premium subscribers to enjoy starting next week.
As promised in a PlayStation.Blog post, the titles, which include highlights like Monster Hunter Rise, Crusader Kings 3, and a selection of Lego games, will be available on June 18. It’s a group of offerings that range from new releases to older PlayStation classics, totaling in 14 new games for the PlayStation Plus catalog.
Options for subscribers also include sports titles like Football Manager 2024 as well as PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of 2006’s PSP spinoff, Daxter. You can see the full list of titles below:
PlayStation Plus Games Catalog Additions for June 2024
Monster Hunter Rise | PS4, PS5
Football Manager 2024 | PS5
Crusader Kings 3 | PS5
Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 6 | PS4, PS5
After Us | PS5
Anno 1800 | PS5
Police Simulator: Patrol Officers | PS4, PS5
Far Cry 4 | PS4
LEGO The Hobbit | PS4
LEGO The Incredibles | PS4
PlayStation Plus PS VR2 Games Catalog Additions for June 2024
Kayak VR: Mirage | PS VR 2
PlayStation Plus Classic Games Catalog Additions for June 2024
LEGO Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy | PS4, PS5
Ghosthunter | PS4, PS5
Daxter | PS4, PS5
Monster Hunter Rise is Capcom’s most recent entry in its massively popular action RPG franchise. It originally launched for Nintendo Switch in 2021 but eventually came to PlayStation and Xbox consoles in 2023. We gave it an 8/10 in our review, and with Monster Hunter Wilds on the horizon, now is the perfect time to jump into the series.
Football Manager 2024 is Sega’s 2023 installment in its sports management series. For more, you can watch its announcement trailer here.
In our 10/10 review of Crusader Kings 3, we said, “Crusader King 3 takes the throne as the new king of historical strategy by expanding on and deepening the best parts of what made its predecessor memorable and unique.”
We called After Us “mediocre,” giving it a 5/10 in our review. At the time, we said, “After Us has a wordless story that doesn’t effectively communicate its environmentalist themes and platforming that frustrates with unreliable controls, but it does look fantastic.”
Anno 1800 is Ubisoft’s 2019 city-building strategy sim set during the Industrial Revolution. We gave it an 8.1/10 in our review, saying, “Anno 1800 returns to the roots of the real-time colony-builder series and delivers intimidatingly complex gameplay that’s as marvelous as it is beautiful.”
Police Simulator: Patrol Officers launched in 2022 and comes from developer Aesir Interactive and publisher Astragon Entertainment. For more you can watch its reveal trailer here.
Far Cry 4 followed up Ubisoft’s trend-setting Far Cry 3 with an action-adventure story set in the snowy open world of Kyrat. It had a lot to live up to, but we still managed to give it an 8.5/10 in our review back in 2014. At the time, we said, “Far Cry 4 has weak characters, but its campaign, co-op, and competitive multiplayer feature incredibly fun freedom.”
LEGO The Hobbit is TT Games’ 2014 fantasy brick-building spinoff and takes players into a more family friendly version of Bilbo Baggins’ journey through Middle-earth. We called it a “fun and charming extension” of The Hobbit films in our 7.4/10 review.
Like its Hobbit-centered counterpart, LEGO The Incredibles follows Disney and Pixar’s family-focused superhero film. The TT Games release launched in 2018, and you can learn more about how it brought the film into the world of LEGO video games by watching its launch trailer here.
Kayak VR: Mirage gives PS VR 2 owners unique outdoor environments to race and explore through. Its free roam mode also gives players the option to soak in all of the locations it has to offer at their own pace.
LEGO Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy follows up TT Games’ original LEGO Star Wars game with stories set during LucasFilm’s original sci-fi trilogy. It’s even more of the tongue-in-cheek LEGO comedy the series is known for, which is why we gave it a 7.8/10 in our review. Its addition to the catalog brings up-rendering, a rewind feature, quick saves, and custom video filter support.
Ghosthunter originally released for the PlayStation 2 and follows the Detroit Police Department’s Officer Lazarus Jones after he’s called to investigate an abandoned school. This supernatural third-person shooter adventure now comes with up-rendering, rewind, quick-saves, and custom video filters.
Daxter stars the same ottsel fans know and love from the Jak and Daxter series. We gave it a 9/10 in our original review, but you can revisit the PSP classic with new enhancements like up-rendering, rewind, quick saves, and custom video filters.
Late last month, Sony unveiled its list of PlayStation Plus Essential titles for June 2024. Those games – SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, AEW Fight Forever, and Streets of Rage 4 – are available until the end of the month.
For more information on some of the other titles available on PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium, you can check out the games added in May here, and the games added in April here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
