Category: IGN

Valve has released a major patch for its invite only hero shooter Deadlock which adds wall jumping and much more.

Though it only comes in at 683MB, the patch includes a long list of changes large and small. Wall jumping is perhaps the most notable and exciting additions, and players can do so without consuming stamina by pushing their input direction away from the wall.

In addition, four teleporters have changed locations and will now remain closed for the first 10 minutes, two bounce pads have been added next to sideland walkers at the cultural center and courthouse, and several buildings have changed size to make their rooftops out of bounds. The full patch notes are available below.

Deadlock is a six versus six, third person hero shooter with a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) twist, taking inspiration from genre classics such as Leage of Legends, Dota 2, and Heroes of the Storm.

Valve seemingly looked to keep it a secret for weeks despite data showing that thousands of players were already online, but has now acknowledged its existence proper with an official Steam page. It’s still invite only, however, with players only able to join if invited directly by Valve or referred by someone already playing.

It’s a certified hit despite this, having already crossed 100,000 concurrent players. Data from player tracking website SteamDB shows Deadlock crossed the 100,000 milestone on August 29, 2024, with exactly 106,447 players online at the same time

Deadlock 8-29-24 Update Patch Notes

[ General Changes ]

• Added a new Profile page that displays a breakdown of recent matches and all-time player and hero statistics (Note: the newly added stats ‘Souls Collected’ and ‘Healing’ are starting at 0 for all players)
• Added Report button to ESC menu player list to allow reporting of teammates in-game
• Improved visibility of report button on post-game screen
• You can now drag-and-drop items between categories in Builds
• Added search to the Public Builds list, you can search by keyword within build names
• Newly published hero builds now store the language of the build
• Added ‘Show All Languages’ checkbox in Public Builds list, can be unchecked to only see builds in your language
• Fixed issue with builds list not updating when changing between heroes in sandbox
• Added localization support for German, Polish, and Korean.
• Matchmaking window is now open 1 hour earlier on weekdays and weekends
• Players can only pause once per game
• A team can only pause at most 3 times in total amongst all the players
• The game application now flashes when the game is unpaused
• Various client and server performance improvements
• Added streamer setting to the options panel. Causes player names in the game UI panels to be hidden.
• Added a Melee Trainer bot in the ‘gym’ area of hero sandbox
• Added new “Game out of Date” status message at the top of the hud, so you can quickly know when there is an update rather than finding out at queue time
• Added a checkbox on the post game survey to make it not show again in the future
• Items now show their spirit power impact when using alt
• Fixed profile match history not remembering the history page you were on
• Added Heal Amp and Debuff Resist to the Vitality stats in the shop
• Hero details on the dashboard now show spirit information with alt, rather than requiring you to be in-game (this was added in a hotfix patch recently)
• The game will now prevent any quick ability upgrades for 2 seconds after death, to help prevent against accidental upgrades
• Can now reliably spectate a friend’s game via the Friendlist
• Miscellaneous fixes to friends and party menus
• Added unavailable state to Zipline UI when zipline is on damage cooldown
• Spectating controls now use Left/Right mouse buttons to switch between players on a team and space to switch teams. This now works with free cursor mode, and you can still click on portraits/minimap to spectate individual heroes.
• Added new respawn countdown music 5 seconds before respawn
• Added alternate shop music which plays in the neutral shop
• Spectator count is now shown in-game
• Player names are now shown to spectators
• Added object motion blur
• Optimized performance of distance field ambient occlusion
• Fixed selling an item not removing charges correctly. Now you can’t buy Extra Charge and immediately sell it and keep that readied charge.
• Fixed some tooltips not showing golden statue bonuses if it wasn’t the direct stat (i.e. you got fire rate but bullets per second didn’t show the golden statue)
• Fixed Sharpshooter showing up in stats for bullet velocity even though it doesn’t increase your bullet velocity
• Fixed a bug that caused items in the build page to not be dimmed when the shop was out of range
• Fixed bug with Lash not hearing his own Ground Strike impact explosion sound
• Added new effects for Withering Whip
• Updated Ethereal Shift effects
• Fixed the disarmed spinner not showing up on your crosshair when you get disarmed
• Fixed parts of Shiv’s coat being considered a headshot
• Build list will now refresh if you change heroes in the sandbox
• Fixed Zipline speed from Base Guardian killing and Zip booster ability not stacking properly
• Fixed Base Guardian boost not properly doing its ramp up and instead instantly being fast
• Added custom effects for Abram’s Seismic Impact T3 buff
• Fixed a bug where someone could be holding down M1 and still be attacking when the magic carpet arrives
• Updated Lash Grapple cast sound
• Added Decay impact sound
• Removed wind and city ambient looping sounds
• Volume and playback tweaks to one shot ambient sounds
• Removed vent sounds in places where vents had been removed
• Fixed some spectator music bugs
• Updated negative feedback sound for clarity
• Added hit confirm audio functionality to Warden’s Alchemical Flask
• Updated Majestic Leap sound
• Updated bounce pad sound
• Improved some Binding Word effects to be less noisy
• Increased charged melee volume and falloff for victims
• Reduced likelihood of irrelevant announcer and hero dialog lines playing during combat exchanges
• Improved clarity of Dynamo Singularity sound for team and opponents
• Updated Viscous primary fire sound
• Soul jar return effect tinted red like minimap to make it more clear it’s the return location
• Player’s low health screen effect more visible for longer if you’re below 20% of your max HP
• Teleporter model and effect updated
• Updated Alchemical Flask projectile effect
• Fixed Bebop being able to sprint while his gun is spun up
• Added new voice content for Seven and Lash
• Added Shadow Weave cast and ambush sounds
• Fixed bullets hitting the world immediately when looking sharply upward
• Fixed Sinner’s Sacrifice not always correctly animating
• Fixed an issue where some kill lines that were only intended for the killer were playing for the victim as well (killstreak taunts still play for everyone)
• Some heroes can now comment on being alone in enemy territory, losing sight of an injured enemy, or leaving their teammates alone in a lane
• Fixed a bunch of minor typos / grammar errors in various texts
• Added ‘Express’ state to zipline indicators when speed had increased from defeating Enemy Base Guardians

[ Misc Gameplay ]

• Added wall jumping (does not consume stamina, requires input direction away from the wall, can be done once)
• Moved a flex slot from “Set of enemy Base Guardians” to “All Enemy Lane Guardians”
• Added ropes to some buildings to let you climb up (hold jump button to latch onto them). Can shoot while hanging on them.
• A pair of teleporters has been added to the outer lanes at the midpoint (near the three red neutral creeps)
• Four teleporters have changed locations
• The upper floor teleporters have moved to the street level
• The interior teleporters have moved to the Bodega building and the Theater
• Teleporters are closed for the first 10 minutes (they look visually closed)
• Guardians no longer give 1 AP
• AP is now added to the following Soul levels: 3500, 5200, 8000, 9700
• Parry cooldown reduced from 6s to 5s
• Urn delivery sprint bonus increased from +2 to +3
• Walker min range to attack increased from 30m to 32m
• Golden Statues drop rate increased by 6%
• Replaced some bounce pads with ropes if the purpose was to go straight up
• Added two bounce pads next to sidelane walkers at cultural center and courthouse
• Added bounce pad from the Amber Orange/Sapphire Blue Walker walkway to the low roofs toward the Walker.
• Removed some rooftop zap volumes that damage players
• Several buildings have been made taller to make their rooftops out of bounds
• Several buildings have been made shorter to make them more accessible
• A few of the buildings have new passageways at higher floors that are along the way to the rooftop
• Breakable containers have been added to the new playable rooftops
• Juke closets have replaced the previous location of the upper floor teleporters
• The half of the underground tunnel towards the outer lanes has been made wider
• Tunnel walls now have the color of the lane that the exit is closest to
• Removed the archway leading to the underground shop
• Placed temporary signage for interior buildings and storefronts for future reference
• Two upper floor juke spots have been converted to passages through buildings
• Added a new upper floor juke spot to each side
• Stairwell from Amber Orange/Sapphire Blue Walker catwalk to the courtyard now less cramped
• Lowered the statue pedestals in the inner lanes outside of Mid

[ Weapon Items ]

• Monster Rounds: Bullet Resist vs NPC increased from 30% to 35%
• Hollow Point Rounds: Spirit Shield increased from +80 to +85
• Restorative Shot: Heal from heroes increased from 30 to 35
• High-Velocity Mag: Bullet Velocity reduced from +35% to +30% (now has an upgrade)
• Active Reload: Lifesteal reduced from 30% to 22%
• Active Reload: Buff duration reduced from 8s to 7s
• Kinetic Dash: Active Fire Rate reduced from 30% to 25%
• Long Range: Now grants +90 Bullet Shield
• Melee Charge: Now grants +1 HP regen
• Swift Striker: Now grants +10% Ammo
• Titanic Magazine: Bullet Armor increased from 10% to 15%
• Toxic Bullets: Heal Reduction increased from -55% to -65%
• Toxic Bullets: Bleed damage reduced from 6% to 5%
• Toxic Bullets: Now grants +100 Health
• Intensifying Magazine: Now steadily ramps back down to 0% when you stop shooting rather than instantly emptying
• Warp Stone: Active Bullet Resistance reduced from 40% to 30%
• Sharpshooter: Now grants +175 Bullet Shield
• Sharpshooter: No longer provides bonus headshot damage
• Sharpshooter: Weapon damage increased from 60% to 70%
• Burst Fire: Active duration increased from 3s to 4s
• Escalating Resilience: Max Bullet Resist increased from 36% to 40%
• Alchemical Fire: Cooldown reduced from 28s to 26s
• Heroic Aura: Active duration increased from 5s to 6s
• Added new T3 Weapon Item, Headhunter: Requires High-Velocity Mag. Grants +50% Bullet Velocity, +15% Weapon Damage and +150 Bullet Shield. Passive cooldown: Landing a headshot on heroes deals bonus +140 Damage, heals you for +8% Max HP and grants +2 m/s for 3 seconds. Cooldown: 6 seconds.
• Siphon Bullets: Weapon Damage reduced from 40% to 28%
• Frenzy: Ammo increased from +9 to +12
• Lucky Shot: Proc chance increased from 30% to 35%
• Ricochet: Bounce damage increased from 50% to 60%
• Ricochet: Fixed not applying spirit bonus damage from Vindicta and Wraith abilities

[ Vitality Items ]

• Melee Lifesteal: Effectiveness vs non-heroes increased from 35% to 40%
• Healing Rite: Cooldown reduced from 65s to 60s
• Divine Barrier: No longer grants +7% Bullet Resist
• Divine Barrier: No longer grants +1.5 Health Regen
• Divine Barrier: Now grants +1 Sprint
• Divine Barrier: Now grants +75 Health
• Divine Barrier: Now grants +8% Ability Range
• Combat Barrier: Now also grants +8% Fire Rate while active
• Enchanter’s Barrer: Now also grants +8% Cooldown Reduction while active
• Reactive Barrier: Duration reduced from 13s to 9s
• Healing Booster: Now has also 15% Heal Reduction Resist (Leech no longer has it)
• Healing Booster: No longer has +6% Bullet Resist
• Superior Stamina: Air Jump/Dash Distance reduced from +40% to +30%
• Metal Skin: Cooldown reduced from 25s to 22s
• Rescue Beam: Channel duration reduced from 3s to 2.5s
• Lifestrike: Effectiveness vs non-heroes increased from 35% to 40%
• Fortitude: Damage taken duration threshold reduced from 12s to 11s
• Veil Walker: Cooldown reduced from 18s to 17s
• Majestic Leap: Cooldown reduced from 26s to 24s
• Leech: No longer has 30% Heal Reduction Resist
• Unstoppable: Can now be cast while channeling
• Unstoppable: Cooldown reduced from 65s to 60s
• Soul Rebirth: Cooldown reduction increased from +15% to +18%
• Soul Rebirth: Now grants +12 Spirit
• Soul Rebirth: Fixed being able to purchase globally during its brief respawn period
• Soul Rebirth: Fixed the camera moving away from the player if you will respawn, rather than following the ragdoll
• Colossus: Slow increased from 25% to 35%
• Shadow Weave: Spirit Shield health increased from +200 to +300
• Shadow Weave: Spot radius reduced from 20m to 18m
• Phantom Strike: Cast range reduced from 30m to 25m

[ Spirit Items ]

• Ammo Scavenger: Health increased from +50 to +60
• Extra Charge: Cooldown reduction increased from +8% to +10%
• Spirit Strike: Debuff duration increased from 8s to 13s
• Spirit Strike: Spirit Shield increased from +85 to +100
• Extra Spirit: Health increased from +25 to +35
• Withering Whip: No longer grants +20% Ammo
• Withering Whip: Now grants +8% Fire Rate
• Withering Whip: Fire Rate slow reduced from -40% to -30%
• Withering Whip: Cooldown reduced from 40s to 25s
• Quicksilver: No longer has +10% Reload Time
• Suppressor: Health regen reduced from 3 to 2.5
• Suppressor: Fire Rate reduction reduced from -30% to -25%
• Improved Cooldown: Cooldown Reduction increased from 15% to 16%
• Duration Extender: Health regen increased from 1.5 to 1.75
• Slowing Hex: Projectile speed increased by 30%
• Slowing Hex: Cooldown reduced from 27s to 25s
• Rapid Recharge: Charge count reduced from +3 to +2
• Rapid Recharge: Faster Time Between Charges increased from +40% to +55%
• Rapid Recharge: Cooldown for charged abilities increased from +20% to +25%
• Knockdown: Delay reduced from 3s to 2s
• Knockdown: Stun reduced from 1.25s to 0.9s
• Knockdown: Cast range increased from 35m to 45m
• Silence Glyph: Duration reduced from 3.5s to 3s
• Torment Pulse: Spirit damage scaling increased from 0.2 to 0.24
• Surge of Power: Imbued Ability Spirit Power increased from +28 to +34
• Superior Duration: Non-Imbued duration increased from +24% to +26%
• Improved Spirit: Health Regen increased from 2 to 3
• Improved Spirit: Health increased from +75 to +100
• Improved Reach: Spirit Resist increased from +10% to +12%
• Curse: Duration reduced from 3.5 to 3.25
• Magic Carpet: You are now unslowable while on the Magic Carpet
• Magic Carpet: Cooldown reduced from 40s to 30s
• Magic Carpet: Barriers now last for 16s
• Echo Shard: Now grants +8 Spirit Power
• Escalating Exposure: Base Spirit Resist reduction increased from -12% to -15%
• Refresher: Now grants +8% Bullet Resist
• Boundless Spirit: Sprint reduced from +4 to +3
• Boundless Spirit: Now grants +25% Weapon Damage

[ Heroes ]

• Abrams: Infernal Resilience Regeneration Time increased from 16s to 18s (this is a nerf)
• Abrams: Now does pull ups on the zipline once again (this is a buff)
• Abrams: Fixed Shoulder Charge sometimes stunning enemies on stairs
• Abrams: Fixed Seismic Impact sometimes not going to the area selected
• Bebop: Gun range increased from 30m to 32m
• Bebop: Hook now only targets enemies when used by default. If you use with alt cast (middle mouse) it will be ally only mode.
• Bebop: Hyper Beam can now be canceled by using Parry
• Dynamo: Rejuvenating Aurora can now be canceled by using Parry
• Dynamo: Fixed Kinetic Pulse not traveling properly when cast near corners
• Dynamo: Gun damage reduced from 15 to 13
• Dynamo: Singularity cast time increased from 0.1 to 0.2
• Dynamo: Singularity range reduced from 9m to 8m
• Grey Talon: Charged Shot collision size reduced by 8%
• Grey Talon: Charged Shot base damage reduced from 105 to 100
• Grey Talon: Charged Shot T2 reduced from +70 to +65
• Grey Talon: Fire Rate now scales with Spirit (0.25)
• Grey Talon: Can now use multiple air dashes while using Rain of Fire
• Grey Talon: Immobilizing Trap root duration reduced from 2s to 1.25s
• Grey Talon: Immobilizing Trap now applies a 50% movement slow for 1 seconds after the root
• Grey Talon: Immobilizing Trap T2 changed from +1s Root to +2s Slow
• Haze: Base bullet damage increased from 5.3 to 5.6
• Haze: Sleep Dagger impact damage happens immediately, rather than after the brief drowsy period
• Haze: Sleep Dagger drowsy period before sleep kicks in increased from 0.25 to 0.35
• Haze: Sleep Dagger cooldown reduced from 27s to 25s
• Haze: Smoke Bomb radius reduced from 20m to 18m
• Haze: Fixation T2 max stacks increased from +30 to +40
• Haze: Bullet Dance now provides +2 Weapon Damage in the base ability (similar to the T1)
• Infernus: Reduced vertical reach on Flame Dash dps
• Infernus: Flame Dash speed is now affected by slows
• Infernus: Flame Dash trail now gets wider with Ability Range bonus
• Infernus: Flame Dash T1 duration reduced from 7s to 6s
• Infernus: Catalyst Damage Amplification reduced from 30% to 25%
• Infernus: Catalyst T3 Damage Amplification increased from +10% to +15%
• Infernus: Catalyst T2 reduced from +20% Lifesteal to +15%
• Ivy: Bullet damage growth per boon reduced from 0.55 to 0.5
• Ivy: Health growth per boon reduced from +41 to +35
• Ivy: Watcher’s Covenant T2 reduced from +3 m/s to +2
• Ivy: Air Drop no longer silences allies
• Ivy: Air Drop now causes allies to deal 50% less damage while being carried
• Ivy: Air Drop movement adjusted to be a little less frantic
• Ivy: Fixed Air Drop bomb disappearing if you cancel your ultimate after dropping it but before it lands
• Ivy: Air Drop self cast cast time increased from 1s to 2s
• Ivy: Air Drop max move speed reduced from 20 to 18
• Ivy: During Air Drop flight you can pitch up and down with Dash/Crouch buttons
• Ivy: Fixed getting stuck under bridges and in buildings while Air Drop flying
• Kelvin: Bullet radius increased from 5 to 6
• Kelvin: Base health growth per boon increased from +45 to +50
• Kelvin: Arctic Beam max slow increased from 60% to 80%
• Kelvin: Arctic Beam now affects soul orbs (secures/denies them)
• Kelvin: Arctic Beam T3 range reduced from 15m to 13m
• Kelvin: Fixed Ice Path jitter
• Kelvin: Frost Grenade T2 Heal increased from 135 to 145
• Lash: Improved firing arm position to be a little bit more out of the way from the reticle
• Lash: Grapple no longer gives a stamina charge on use
• Paradox: Fixed Paradoxical Swap still going through even if Paradox dies during it
• Pocket: Barrage amp reduced from 8% to 7% per stack
• Pocket: Fixed Barrage amp visual not showing properly
• Seven: Static Charge radius increased from 5m to 6m
• Seven: Static Charge T2 radius increased from +7m to +8m
• Seven: Storm Cloud spirit power scaling reduced from 1.1 to 0.8
• Seven: Storm Cloud time to reach maximum radius reduced from 6s to 3s
• Seven: Storm Cloud Now provides +20% Bullet Resistance in the base ability
• Shiv: Bullet damage growth per boon reduced from 0.5 to 0.4
• Shiv: Gun falloff range reduced by 10%
• Shiv: Health growth per boon reduced from +41 to +35
• Shiv: Slice and Dice T2 reduced from +100 to +85
• Shiv: Slice and Dice T3 now considers creeps for only half value
• Shiv: Bloodletting deferred damage reduced from 35% to 30%
• Shiv: The targeting UI for Shiv’s Killing Blow is now more clear about when the target will be killed
• Vindicta: Stake duration reduced from 2.25s to 2s
• Vindicta: Crow Familiar Spirit Power duration scaling reduced from 0.05 to 0.04
• Vindicta: Fixed left clicks sometimes deselecting the ability when charges aren’t ready
• Viscous: Primary Fire redesigned to make it more usable and have improved damage and scaling
• Viscous: Now has an Alt Fire that has limited range, but deals AOE damage that cannot headshot
• Viscous: Splatter Spirit Scaling increased from 1.4 to 1.5
• Viscous: Splatter Damage on 2nd and 3rd hit increased from 66% and 33% to 70% and 50%
• Viscous: Puddle Punch damage increased from 100% to 110% of Light Melee
• Viscous: Puddle Punch T2 is now +50 damage and +20% movement slow (was -10s cooldown)
• Viscous: Puddle Punch T3 is now -12s cooldown (was +80 damage and +20% movement slow)
• Viscous: Puddle Punch: delay before punch increased from 0.25s to 0.35s
• Viscous: Goo Ball Spirit Scaling increased from 1.05 to 1.3
• Viscous: Goo Ball acceleration increased
• Viscous: Goo Ball base turn radius and turn radius after bouncing has been increased
• Viscous: Fixed a bug where Goo Ball would have the direction and trail particle stuck on
• Warden: Base movement speed reduced from 6.5 to 6
• Warden: Fire Rate scaling with spirit reduced from 0.375 Fire Rate per Spirit to 0.3
• Yamato: Power Slash max damage time requirement reduced from 1.5s to 1.4s
• Yamato: Power Slash collision radius reduced by 8%
• Yamato: Crimson Slash radius increased from 12m to 13m
• Yamato: Fixed being able to die during Shadow Transformation if hit by Grey Talon’s Owl
• Yamato: Fixed some cases where Flying Strike could get into a stuck state
• Yamato: Fixed some cases where Crimson Slash would appear to be cast when it wasn’t

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

Valve hero shooter Deadlock is a certified hit on Steam, somehow crossing 100,000 concurrent players while still being invite only.

Data from player tracking website SteamDB shows Deadlock crossed the 100,000 milestone on August 29, 2024, with exactly 106,447 players online at the same time. Its popularity has been steadily increasing throughout August and will surely continue to do so, especially as the weekend approaches.

But what makes Deadlock’s success particularly interesting and definitely strange is that it’s not officially out yet. Valve seemingly looked to keep the game a secret for weeks despite, again, SteamDB showing that thousands of players were already online.

It was released in this beta or playtesting equivalent state and still remains that way, with players only able to join if invited directly by Valve or referred by someone already playing. Those who did get in were asked to “not share anything about the game with anyone.”

Valve has actually acknowledged Deadlock’s existence now, however, by taking down that request and unveiling its official Steam page. “Deadlock is a multiplayer game in early development,” it says, still vaguely.

Deadlock is actually a six versus six, third person hero shooter with a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) twist, taking inspiration from genre classics such as Leage of Legends, Dota 2, and Heroes of the Storm.

Valve hasn’t shared when players can join freely or when a full release may come, but as its numbers grow, the “invite only” status becomes less and less meaningful.

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

Chinese video game company NetEase has reportedly laid off most staff at Visions of Mana developer Ouka Studios with plans to shut it down altogether.

Anonymous sources familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that the studio, which only opened in 2020, will be kept afloat by the few remaining members until its final games have been released. Visions of Mana only launched yesterday, August 29, 2024, and earned high critical praise. (IGN’s Visions of Mana review returned an 8/10.)

The closure of Ouka Studios is reportedly due to major Chinese companies like NetEase and its rival Tencent shifting away from a Japan-centric approach.

Bloomberg reported that Tencent is also reconsidering how much it invests in Japanese video game developers and has already backed out of several funding commitments. It had secured the rights to develop and publish the mobile version of anime-inspired game Blue Protocol, for example, but on August 28 Bandai Namco announced Blue Protocol would be shut down altogether and its worldwide release, set to be handled by Amazon Games, was cancelled.

One source said the success of Black Myth Wukong, which sold a staggering 10 million copies in three days and comes from a relatively small Chinese developer, has also inspired NetEase and Tencent to look for investments domestically. These Chinese companies have otherwise found their visions misaligned with the Japanese developers they looked to invest in, according to the report.

NetEase told Bloomberg it had “nothing to announce” regarding the closure of Ouka Studios. Tencent said it is “always making necessary adjustments to reflect market conditions.”

The past two years have seen countless video game industry layoffs as big companies including Microsoft, Sony, and the embattled Embracer Group have not just cut jobs but shut down entire studios.

Microsoft shut down Redfall developer Arkane Austin alongside Hi-Fi Rush and Ghostwire Tokyo developer Tango Gameworks in May 2024 in a move met with shock and anger by industry peers and fans.

Embracer Group shut down Saints Row developer Volition in 2023, while Sony shut down its London Studio in March 2024 amid layoffs affecting 900 staff across the PlayStation business.

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

During their livestream today, Blizzard announced a rather unexpected feature will be returning to Diablo 4 with Vessel of Hatred: Runewords.

Found exclusively in Diablo 2 up until this point, Runewords are an upgrade system that lets you imprint your equipment with special properties by combining specific runes to form words with potent effects. Though Diablo 4’s take on this mechanic has been overhauled, the fundamentals remain the same, and will offer an entirely new way for players to power up their heroes of Sanctuary.

In an interview with IGN, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred game director Brent Gibson explained, “The biggest change is that the requirement is sockets. The D2 system is great, but it’s also not super approachable for the larger audience. We wanted to have a really great system that made it easy for you to socket, basically an ‘IF’ statement, then a ‘THEN’ result. So as long as you have two sockets in your gear, you can place two different types of stones. You have the ritual stone, which is the condition, like ‘on potion,’ and then you have the invocation stone which is the power that’s cast, like ‘earthquake.’ So every time I use a potion, cast earthquake.”

Owing to Diablo 4’s socket limitations, Runewords will rely exclusively on this IF/THEN system and will do away with the much more complicated version found in Diablo 2 where Runewords could involve up to six runes on a single piece of equipment. However, the flipside is that there will be fewer limitations on what kinds of gear can have Runewords imprinted on them and there will now be different rarities of runes to chase, including legendary runes that will have a major impact on gameplay. One example of this is a invocation rune that can add the sorcerer’s teleport ability to any character whenever it’s triggered.

“Teleport, for example: Here we have the Spiritborn. You spec Jaguar and Eagle — you’re already all over the place, plus you add teleport on top of basics? Like, holy s**t! Untouchable!” said Gibson with a smile. “The game has got a new level of crazy that I’m super excited about.”

But powerful runes won’t come flowing automatically, and Blizzard made clear that players will need to farm certain activities, including the upcoming Kurast Undercity in Vessel of Hatred, if they want to make the most of Runewords. Once obtained, the runes a player has already acquired will be found in other activities thereafter.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred will be available in a little over a month, on October 8th. IGN has already taken the new Spiritborn class for a spin and were pretty impressed by the new character.

The extraction first-person shooter Hunt: Showdown has been going strong for five years and has gotten dozens of patches and updates, but none as big as the one that launched recently. It’s such a significant upgrade that the game itself got a new name — Hunt: Showdown 1896.

If you’re not familiar with Hunt: Showdown, it’s a multiplayer shooter on PC and console that mixes the supernatural with dark realism. It’s a PvPvE extraction shooter that puts you in the shoes of a bounty hunter. In order to claim your bounties, you need to venture across large maps, kill supernatural creatures, and fend off your fellow hunters to survive long enough to reach the extraction point.

The game’s recent update might have changed the name, but it’s not a sequel or standalone expansion. So if you purchased the original game, you already have access to Hunt: Showdown 1896 for no additional cost. All you have to do is download the update, and you’ll get upgrades to virtually every part of the gameplay experience. Let’s get into specifically what those improvements are.

A New Engine

It all starts with the game’s move to CryEngine 5.11. That makes all the rest of the upgrades possible, raising the level of what the dev team at Crytek can accomplish across the board. In addition to improving things like performance and visual fidelity, the new engine will also allow Crytek to make future updates and react to community feedback faster. The central gameplay loop won’t significantly change, but the upgrades will give players on all platforms a more immersive experience.

Improved Console Performance

Speaking of platforms, the update moves Hunt: Showdown 1896 into the current generation of consoles. It now runs natively on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and while that means it’s no longer playable on PS4 or Xbox One, it also isn’t held back by the technological limitations of those consoles. It now runs at 60 fps and in HDR on all consoles, with faster loading times and more responsive input, providing smoother gameplay.

Better Lighting and Visuals

On all platforms, the upgraded engine has allowed devs to improve visual fidelity, including textures, lighting, and animations. With richer blacks and higher quality lighting, interior locations look more realistic and added visibility means more details to spot. Character models have also been improved, while flowing water looks more crisp and realistic. These details may seem small on their own, but they add up to create a more immersive experience.

Audio Upgrade

The game’s audio mix in general has been fine tuned to provide more clarity and sound definition. The update also adds support for new spatial audio options, such as Dolby Atmos. If you like to play with headphones, you’ll also have access to 3D audio. PC and Xbox players will benefit from Microsoft Sonic for headphones, while PS5 players will get Tempest 3D audio compatibility.

New Content

While the previous improvements refined what was already there, a new era wouldn’t be complete without brand-new content that really mixes things up. Hunt: Showdown 1896 has that in spades. Up until now, the game has exclusively taken place in the swamps of Louisiana. But the new update features a one-year time skip and a shift in setting to the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

The new map, Mammon’s Gulch, focuses on verticality, with mountains stretching aboveground and mines burrowing below. It provides unique sight lines and attack angles, adding another strategic layer to gameplay. And if you’re a longtime player and fan of older maps, don’t worry, they’ll be returning in the coming months after getting revamps of their own.

Mammon Gulch isn’t the only addition. There’s also a new wild target called the Hellborn, as well as an event called Scorched Earth that sees new terrors spill out of fiery oil wells and underground mines.

The latest update is full of improvements and new content, but it’s just the start of a new era. Crytek will continue to update and fine tune the experience, as they have been for the past five years. Whether you’re a veteran or a newcomer, there’s never been a better time to dive in. Hunt: Showdown 1896 is available for download now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Happy hunting!

It’s a good day for fans of the Alan Wake and Control universes. Remedy Entertainment announced today it’s partnering with Annapurna Interactive to work on film, TV, and “other audiovisual formats” based on these franchises…as well as help fund the upcoming Control 2.

In a press release, Remedy and Annapurna revealed that Annapurna would serve as a co-production and co-financing partner on Control 2. Remedy will remain focused on developing that and other games, while Annapurna takes the lead on multimedia adaptations.

Baldur’s Gate 3 currently holds the world record for the video game with the longest script, but Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 will seemingly take that award for itself when it launches in 2025.

Dan Vávra, co founder and creative director at Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 developer Warhorse Studios, said on X/Twitter that the game script currently totals 2.2 million words. Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios said on Steam its game totalled “roughly 2,000,000 words” at launch, meaning Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 could be the new champ.

“Yesterday, we were counting with our lead designer Prokop Jirsa how much we actually wrote for KCD2,” Vávra said. “So guess how big the script is? 2,200,000 words! Or 11,000 typical screenwriting pages. That’s a 100 scripts for a typical two-hour movie, or about 25 average novels.”

Some further context sees Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 come in at almost four times the length of famously long novel War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, which sits at 587,287 words long, and all the A Song of Ice and Fire books combined, which total 1,736,054 words from A Game of Thrones to A Dance With Dragons.

All those words seemingly come at a cost, however, as Warhorse recently announced Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has been delayed from 2024 to February 11, 2025.

In IGN’s 8/10 review of the original, we said: “Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an RPG that does the medieval era right with a refreshingly small-scale story and strong realistic combat.”

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

Amid the cacophony caused by Call of Duty Next, one new Black Ops 6 feature flew under the radar — but it could end up as the most impactful of all.

Black Ops 6, out October 25, 2024, has a new Body Shield feature in multiplayer that lets you grab an enemy and hold them in front of you to soak up bullets, while firing off a few rounds of your own.

We’ve seen a body shield feature in plenty of shooters over the years, but what developer Treyarch has done here is enabled voice chat between the attacker and the victim.

We heard you and can confirm that the Body Shield feature in Multiplayer will enable voice chat between the attacker and victim.

Be nice… pic.twitter.com/KxyaDo7bAc

— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) August 28, 2024

“Be nice…” the studio tweeted, perhaps in hope more than expectation.

As you’d expect from the notoriously toxic Call of Duty community, reaction is a mix of disbelief and excitement. Disbelief in that some can’t believe Treyarch actually added voice chat to the feature knowing full well the toxicity it will probably enable, excitement in that some are delighted Treyarch actually added voice chat to the feature knowing full well the toxicity it will probably enable.

You will be able to use Proximity Chat against players you turn into a human shield in #BlackOps6

Imagine getting turned to a human shield and they start whispering in your ear. pic.twitter.com/p4LjGHWNEf

— Tridzo (@Tridzo) August 28, 2024

And already there are fears that what’s said during Body Shield might end up getting you banned, if Activision’s AI-powered voice chat moderation picks up something it deems in breach of its rules. “What could go wrong?” wondered redditor Evisra over on the Black Ops 6 subreddit. A lot, most fans seem to predict.

Call of Duty sort of has this feature already in Warzone. In that game, The battle royale spin-off enables voice chat for deaths, so players can hear their opponent scream into the mic when they’re killed. This Body Shield feature for Black Ops 6, however, feels altogether more intimate.

Have you been hoping to add The Legend of Zelda animated TV show to your physical media collection? If so, we have good news! You can now preorder the complete The Legend of Zelda TV series, with all 13 episodes, on DVD at Amazon, Target, and Walmart for $13.59. This series is set to release on October 22, so you won’t have to wait too long to add it to your library, either. Head to the link below to secure your copy.

The Legend of Zelda – The Complete Series on DVD Is Up for Preorder

At a time when streaming services are raising their prices, it’s well worth it to invest in physical media. If you’re looking for even more shows or films to add to your collection alongside The Legend of Zelda, we’re here to help. In our roundup of upcoming 4K UHD and Blu-ray release dates, you can see a wide range of upcoming physical releases, from classic films and shows to newer theatrical hits. This includes some excellent 4K steelbooks that are coming out soon as well, like A Nightmare On Elm Street’s 4K steelbook and a Gladiator 4K steelbook.

If you’ve been hoping to invest in a new TV to watch these shows and films on, there are plenty of TV deals to check out as Labor Day sales kick off, too. At the moment, Amazon’s Labor Day sale is live with a few Fire TVs marked down that are worth checking out. You can also have a look at our roundup of the best TV deals right now to see what else stands out. Sonos and Bose’s Labor Day sales are also live right now with some excellent sound bar deals, if you want to enhance the sound system with your new TV.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.