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5 Biggest Changes in Fallout 4’s Next-Gen Update

The next-gen update for Fallout 4 is finally live, bringing Bethesda’s 2015 RPG up to par for modern consoles and PCs. But what exactly does next-gen update mean, especially in 2024?

We’ve broken down the biggest changes that are now available in Fallout 4 thanks to Bethesda’s update, which not only includes graphical and technical changes, but even additional content as well. Remember to check out our list of “Things to Do First” in Fallout 4 for anyone jumping into the game the first time with the next-gen patch.

Powered for Current-Gen Consoles

The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are miles more powerful than the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles on which Fallout 4 originally released. The new update will bring the nearly nine-year old game up to modern-day standards thanks to the next-gen update. Fallout 4 now supports 4K resolution on consoles, regardless of whether you choose between either the new Quality or Performance mode.

The main difference is Quality mode targets 30 FPS at 4K resolution on ultra settings without dynamic resolution scaling. Performance mode, meanwhile, targets 60 FPS at standard 4K resolution with dynamic resolution scaling. Furthermore, depending on your display, Fallout 4 on Quality mode will target 40 FPS when connected to a 120Hz display, or 1440p resolution at 60 FPS on ultra settings when connected to a 1440p display.

Remember, for console players, there’re also Console Commands and Cheats that you can enable even when playing on a PS5 or Xbox Series X.

One note of warning! It appears that the next-gen update is not available for players who own Fallout 4 through a PS Plus subscription currently. However, Bethesda has stated the next-gen update will be available for the PS Plus version and that the studio is working on a fix.

Squishing Bugs (for now).

Speaking of bugs, Bethesda has been working away on squashing game bugs even after nearly a decade since launch. The patch notes for Fallout 4’s next-gen update include a long list of bug fixes, ranging from technical issues, save data issues, locked missions, broken assets, and more.

However, it appears the introduction of the next-gen update introduced some other issues as well, which we’ll continue to monitor as more and more time is spent with the new update.

Changes For PC Owners

Thanks to mods and typically better performance, PC Fallout 4 players have been playing the game at a higher standard than console players from even before the patch. But with the next-gen update, there are still some new benefits to PC players.

With the update, there’s now official support for both wide and ultrawide screens. Furthermore, the Fallout 4 Creation Kit has received a set of fixes and updates for easier navigation and to fix bugs and crashes.

Greater Availability on More Platforms

Fallout 4 is now also officially available on the Epic Game Store, as well as getting an official “Deck Verified” badge for Steam Deck. Frankly, there weren’t too many issues running Fallout 4 on Steam Deck before, at least from my experience, but the verification should mean the process of getting Fallout 4 running on Valve’s handheld is smoother than before.

Additional Mission Content and Gear

It isn’t just a technical update that’s in Fallout 4’s next-gen patch. Bethesda’s patch notes begin with a long list of new gear and questlines available in The Commonwealth. There’s a brand new Enclave storyline called Echoes of the Past that has ties to a storyline from Fallout 3, and there are new weapons, Power Armor, and outfits for players to find along the way.

Two more new questlines, When Pigs Fly and All Hallow’s Eve, will further unlock more content from the Makeshift Weapon Pack that includes a Nail Gun and Baseball Launcher, to spooky Halloween props for your settlement.

You can find IGN’s full walkthrough and quest guide here to help you on your way with these new storylines.

These are the biggest changes in Fallout 4 thanks to the update. For both returning and new players, this is a great chance to jump back into Fallout 4, especially after the success of the Fallout TV show.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s Senior Features Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Play Together Offers Lots of Ways to Play for All Ages

The free-to-play mobile game Play Together gives players of all ages around the world the chance to play however they want, wherever they want. It’s an online social hub game where there are tons of minigames, customization options and chances to connect with other players. And with an event going on now that introduces popular Sanrio characters like Hello Kitty, now’s the time to jump in.

Play Together is all about giving you the freedom to play how you want. You get dropped off on Kaia Island, and from there it’s up to you. If you want to wind down after a long day, there are relaxing options like fishing and insect catching. If you’re looking to meet some new friends, you can invite people over for a Home Party. If you’re the competitive type, there are more than 30 minigames with rewards depending on how you finish. No matter which of these activities you choose, you’ll accomplish goals and gain rewards that you can use to upgrade your character.

There are minigames of all different types, too. Game Party pits 30 players against each other in waves of games, with players eliminated each round until there’s only one champion left standing. Zombie Virus turns some players into zombies, while the others have to hide to avoid getting infected. Tower of Infinity sends you through a gauntlet of obstacle courses and challenges you to complete them all back-to-back. And that’s just scratching the surface of all the games that are available.

That “play how you want” mantra also extends to character customization. When you first start the game, you’ll have the chance to pick your body type, hair, skin color and facial features. Once the game gets going, you’ll get tons of additional options. Clothes, shoes, hats, accessories — from butterfly wings to shirts with flaming skulls, there’s a wide variety of things available.

Every player also gets their own house right from the beginning of the game. No waiting until you hit a certain level here. As you play, you can improve your house, making it bigger and decorating it with all kinds of furniture — beds, chairs, tables and appliances of all shapes and sizes. There’s even specialized furniture for your pets.

That’s right, there’s pets too. And you get your first one as part of one of the first objectives in the game. You’ll get your hands on an egg, then need to treat the egg well, fulfilling the wishes of the cute animal within. Once you’ve done that and raised the egg to the level needed, it hatches into a companion that will accompany you as you walk around. So even when you’re playing solo, you’ll always have an adorable friend with you.

Speaking of adorable friends, the game recently added more with its collaboration with Sanrio. To celebrate Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary, one of the game’s hotels has been transformed into a home for her and her friends. Daily missions can be given by Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, Pom Pom Purin and Kuromi. They’ll give you special kitty coins, which can be traded for unique character items.

The area outside of the hotel also has a new Sanrio character photo zone, where players can take as many photos as they want. And next to the photo zone is a Sanrio calendar that provides a free gift every day. There are also new costumes and cars themed after Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll.

Play Together has a little something for everyone, no matter your age or experience. There’s all kinds of fun to be had, and you can download the app for free on iOS or Android.

The Best PS5 2TB SSD Deals (April 2024)

2023 and 2024 have shown that 2TB PS5 SSD upgrades are actually worth the price. In 2022, prices for 1TB PS5 SSDs averaged around $150, whereas 2TB SSDs hovered closer to $300. Now, we’re seeing 1TB SSDs trickle below the $70 price point and 2TB SSDs can drop to around $100 or sometimes even lower if there’s a good sale. It’s worth noting, though, that you can’t use any old SSD and expect it to perform well on the PS5 console. You’ll want to pick up a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid-state drive with at least a 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5’s internal drive.

TL;DR – The Best 2TB PS5 SSD Deals Right Now

Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD and not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we’ll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don’t, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (like this one for $9) and install it yourself. For our top recommended picks for 2024, check out our full breakdown for the Best PS5 SSDs.

Adata Legend Max 2TB PS5 SSD with Heatsink for $129.99

This is one of the faster SSDs on the market with read speeds of up to 7400MB/s and write speeds of up to 6800MB/s. Alongside 2TB of storage, it also has a very slim preinstalled heatsink that can slot perfectly into your PS5. Right now, you can score it for an excellent price of $129.99.

XPG 2TB GAMMIX S70 Blade PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD for $129.99

This is another 2TB SSD deal that’s well worth taking advantage of. This option from XPG has dropped 38% in price, from $209.99 to $129.99, but you’ll have to grab a heatsink to go with it as well (which you can do here for $9). This SSD has read and write speeds of 7400/6800MB/s as well.

Silicon Power 2TB XS70 SSD with Built-in PS5 Heatsink for $139.99

This SSD offers 2TB of storage, excellent read and write speeds (read speeds of up to 7,300MB/s and write speeds up to 6,800MB/s), and a built-in heatsink all at a fantastic price. It’s currently available for $139.99 on Amazon, 22% off its MSRP of $179.99, so well worth picking up for your PS5.

WD_BLACK PS5 4TB SSD for $316.41 at Amazon

Looking to completely maximize your PS5 storage capabilities? Then this is the deal for you. For a limited time only, this PS5 4TB SSD is available at Amazon for just $316.41 (see here). It has an MSRP of $699.99 which is rather dramatic, but in reality, this and many other 4TB SSDs have been sitting around $280-$300 recently. You’ll also have to grab a heatsink to go with it (which you can do here for $9).

2024 Crucial T705 2TB SSD for $279.99

This is the newest model from Crucial and it already has an excellent discount on Amazon. For a limited time, you can get 30% off this SSD, bringing it down to $279.99 from $399.99. It’s well worth the investment as well, as it offers crazy good sequential read/write speeds up to 14,500/12,700MB/s. If you feel the need for speed, this SSD will certainly get you there.

Crucial T500 2TB SSD with Heatsink for $144.99

Amazon is offering a nice deal at the moment on the Crucial T500 2TB SSD, which is discounted down to $144.99. This SSD has a heatsink all ready to go, so you can install it right away in your PS5, and even offers excellent read/write speeds of 7,400/7,000MB/s.

Samsung 980 Pro 2TB M.2 SSD for $167.70

Samsung SSDs need no introduction. They’ve made some of the most popular and reliable PS5 SSDs on the market. The 980 Pro has been out for a long time, way back in January of 2020. A testament to its reliability is the fact that Samsung didn’t feel any need to release any newer flagship model until 2022. In terms of performance, it’s no longer the fastest SSD on the market (the 990 Pro is), but it’s still a very fast drive. It certainly more than meets the minimum 5600MB/s speed requirement to be used as a PS5 storage upgrade, with speeds of up to 7,100MB/s.

Samsung 990 Pro 2TB PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD for $189.99

The Samsung 990 Pro is an excellent SSD for your PS5. From a purely performance perspective, it’s overkill; the stock SSD in your PS5 will be the limiting factor. You’ll want to pick up a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid state drive with a rated 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5’s internal drive and the 990 Pro is much faster. This one does not come with a heatsink, though, so you’ll need to invest in one.

What if the SSD Doesn’t Include a Heatsink?

Sony recommends you install an SSD that has an attached heatsink. If the SSD you purchase doesn’t include one, it’s simple enough to buy one for $9 on Amazon and add it yourself. Most of these heatsinks are just attached using an adhesive like thermal tape.

Budget to Best: PS5 SSDs

There may be other SSD deals out there, but these are the PS5 SSDs we’ve tried ourselves and highly recommend. They also double up as outstanding boot drives for your gaming PC, in case you don’t need additional storage for your PS5 console.

How To Install a New PS5 SSD

It’s extremely easy! Removing the case cover is completely toolless. In fact, the only screw you have to remove is the one that keeps the cover for the SSD bay in place. You don’t even put it back when you’re done. Sony has a quick and easy YouTube video guide.

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

Shinji Mikami Wanted to Leave Tango Gameworks Years Before He Did

Famed game developer Shinji Mikami, known for directing the original Resident Evil and The Evil Within, has revealed why he left his former studio Tango Gameworks despite founding it himself.

In an interview with Byking, translated by Automaton, Mikami said he actually wanted to leave Tango eight years before he did, meaning just five years after the Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Hi-Fi Rush developer was founded. Mikami didn’t leave until 2023 due to the responsibility he felt towards ongoing projects at Tango, he said.

His reasons for wanting to leave weren’t animus, as Mikami said he wanted to create an environment where young talent could prosper through development which included shorter project cycles, for example. Mikami also had a desire to make unique, smaller scale games himself, so wanted to connect these two ideas.

His connection to the survival horror genre, through the likes of Resident Evil and its spiritual successor The Evil Within, were another factor in his leaving, however, as Mikami said he wanted to step away from this association.

As for why he couldn’t do this at Tango, Mikami said he became closer to “a rank-and-file employee” than someone with influence after ZeniMax Media acquired Tango just seven months after it was founded.

“I had only been CEO for six months,” Mikami said. “I think a lot of people were under the impression that I was the representative, but I was very close to a rank-and-file employee. I had ‘producer’ attached to my name, but I wasn’t an executive or anything of the sort.”

Mikami started a new studio seemingly around March 2024, though has yet to reveal much about the team there or what projects they are working on.

Image Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

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

Square Enix Apologises for Foamstars Matchmaking Errors But Doesn’t Mention Fix in Incoming Patch

Foamstars developer Square Enix has apologised for the game’s ongoing matchmaking issues but didn’t mention a fix in its incoming v3.20 patch notes.

A blog post from Foamstars producer Kosuke Okatani outlined the incoming patch but began with an apology to fans for matchmaking issues which have persisted since its launch on February 6, 2024.

First, let me thank you for playing the game,” Okatani began. “On behalf of the Foamstars team, I’d like to apologize for the matchmaking errors many of you may have experienced during your gameplay. We are working to address this and other high priority issues.”

Okatani didn’t say what the other high priority issues are, nor did he say when Square Enix would address them or the matchmaking problems.

In the meantime, v3.20 will be available May 2 and is headlined by the addition of a penalty system for those who intentionally disconnect during a battle or via the Character Select screen, or for being idle for a long time. Players who are penalised for doing the mentioned actions will be unable to join a match for a set amount of time, judged on a case by case basis.

Square Enix will also introduce a fix for spawn camping on Radiant Rhythms Gardens, issues around Chloe Noir, and a PlayStation 4 crash issue.

In our 6/10 review, IGN said: “Foamstars’ combat mechanics are unexpectedly engaging, but confounding time-gated modes and aggressive monetization make them harder to enjoy.”

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

Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update Riddled With Issues

Bethesda’s highly anticipated next gen update for Fallout 4 is riddled with issues across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.

The next gen version was finally released on April 25, 2024 (around 18 months after it was announced) but the several gigabyte update hasn’t been met with much fanfare.

The Steam version of Fallout 4 appears most wrought with technical issues, though PlayStation 5 players have struggled to obtain the update at all due to an availability error and confusing messaging from Bethesda. Xbox players, on the other hand, don’t have access to the game’s Quality Mode, meaning they can’t experience one of the main appeals of the next gen update: 4K resolution on ultra settings.

This specific issue was confirmed on X/Twitter by tech expert Digital Foundry’s Thomas Morgan. “I can confirm that only the 60 frames per second Performance Mode works right now. The update has a bug.”

PC players, meanwhile, have taken to Steam to flag myriad issues with the update. “Many of the bugs that existed and were promised to be fixed are actually still in the game after the patch,” said Piglet in one review. “Finally updated the game and didn’t fix a single issue,” wrote birthdayjesus. “But now the mods I used to fix it don’t work.“

The initial reaction to the patch notes wasn’t positive either. “Damn, the bugfix list is short,” wrote DreamweaverWR on Reddit, a comment which has 921 upvotes. “I had very low expectations but this is much less than I expected. They didn’t fix almost any of the bugs that annoyed me the most (VATS crash and perception bug in Survival, for example).”

FluffyBunBunKittens chimed in too. “It is kind of amazing,” they said. “Now I’m just waiting with interest what new bugs we get with this update.”

One of these new bugs seemingly makes the game unplayable for some on Steam Deck. A Reddit post from prunebackwards said Fallout 4 can no longer be launched on the handheld PC, a sentiment corroborated by many in the comments and elsewhere. Some players who can launch the game are finding myriad issues upon doing so too, like having no graphics settings, no launcher, defaulting to low settings, having a poor frame rate, and more.

PlayStation users haven’t been free from the issues either, though perhaps the biggest came in even trying to access the game. Fallout 4 was available for free through PlayStation Plus to all PS5 owners from November 2020 to May 2023, but this version of the game, nor the PlayStation Plus Essentials Catalogue version, wouldn’t allow players to upgrade to the next gen update for free.

A full $19.99 purchase was required instead, though Bethesda soon confirmed this was an unintentional bug. “We’ve seen some confusion regarding the free Fallout 4 next gen update for PlayStation Plus Extra members,” wrote a Bethesda community manager on the company’s official Discord, who clarified it should be free as expected.

Bethesda wasn’t able to offer any clarification regarding the free PS5 version nor the PS Plus Essentials version, however, saying on X/Twitter that “we do not have any information” regarding either. PS5 users were naturally left frustrated with the initial bug and unclear communication.

Those who have been able to get into the game haven’t had the best experience either, and have taken to social media to share their impressions. “The Fallout 4 PS5 upgrade looks amazing,” wrote CSSJAZZ on Reddit, sarcastically, as they posted the comment alongside a video of one area with missing textures.

Reddit user pasta_classic posted an image of the character creator screen, where the default man was missing a face completely. “Loving the update,” wrote SnoopyTheDog_, who posted a video of their character locked in place while being killed by roaches.

“Gotta love that Bethesda polish,” said UnwillingArsonist, whose post showed that makeshift weapons in the update are also missing textures, appearing as floating red exclamation marks in the world.

The issues come as somewhat of a sour note in what’s otherwise been a Fallout resurgence, spurred on by the critically acclaimed Amazon TV series. A huge upswing in the popularity of Fallout 4, multiplayer entry Fallout 76, and other games in the franchise even caused popular modding website NexusMods to struggle, and Fallout 76, once universally panned, saw one million players log in a single day following the show’s release.

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

Stellar Blade Gets a Huge Discount on Launch Day in the UK

Stellar Blade is now available on PS5, and there’s a limited time left for you to secure what will likely be the best discount we see during its launch window. The PS5 exclusive is currently discounted using code PAYAY20 (see here), with over £14 off the RRP bringing the game down to just £55.96 for a limited time only. We’ll leave a handy link to the Stellar Blade preorder discount just below, but as we mentioned, this deal will expire soon at 11:59 PM on April 30 — so don’t hang around on this one.

This is part of a new payday sale at eBay using code PAYAY20, which includes some pretty impressive discounts, and 20% off some of the best games going right now — including Stellar Blade which will likely be on a lot of PlayStation gamers radar for the end of this month.

Plus, there are also games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on PS5 is down to just £47.16, alongside Steam Deck 512GB for £374.95. These payday discounts are well worth taking advantage of if you’re making any purchases in the spring sales and beyond, so keep them in mind. For more amazing UK discounts, ensure you’re following @IGNUKDeals on Twitter/X.

In our review of the Stellar Blade, we said: “Stellar Blade stands out as a gorgeous and well-crafted action game with very impressive strengths and very clear weaknesses. Both its story and characters lack substance, and some of its RPG elements are poorly implemented, like dull sidequests that very often require you to retrace your steps through previous levels with very little done to make the return trip feel unique or rewarding.

“But its action picks up most of that slack thanks to the rock-solid fundamentals of its Sekiro-inspired combat system, a deep well of hideous monstrosities to sharpen your sword against, and plenty of hidden goodies that do a great job of incentivizing exploration throughout.”

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

The Best Sonic The Hedgehog Toys for Kids and Adults

Sonic the Hedgehog is having a great year with plenty to look forward to. The third Sonic movie is coming out in December, Knuckles is getting his own show on Paramount+, and Sonic is sharing the spotlight with Shadow in Sonic x Shadow Generations. In the last few years, the Blue Blur has become such a popular video game character in the multimedia landscape that Sega has produced toys to introduce the next generation of fans to the franchise. Older fans can add those toys and plushies to their collection for the sake of nostalgia or for sharing their love of Sonic with their children.

Either way, we prepared a list of the best Sonic toys to help prepare fans for the upcoming Sonic games and movies — not to mention introduce your kids to the franchise’s lore. Here are the best Sonic toys you can buy right now.

Sonic LEGO Sets

LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic’s Speed Sphere Challenge

Sonic’s Speed Sphere Challenge LEGO set is a fun set for Sonic fans of all ages, especially for kids. It allows them to use their imagination and act out Sonic’s adventures in Green Hill, whether they’ve played the games or watched the movies and TV shows, provided that the parents reading this guide introduced them to Sonic Prime or Sonic X on Netflix.

This set comes with the speed sphere and launcher to send Sonic spinning and knocking every obstacle, plus the Motobug, and save the Flicky. It also has some accessories for roleplay, such as the DJ set so that kids can imagine Sonic is spinning records at Coachella, and a beach umbrella and chair set to allow Sonic to kick back and enjoy his chili dog and Chaos Cola. This set came in a Sonic Superstars VIP kit for content creators, but you can get it for just $35.

More Sonic LEGO Sets

Sonic Plushies

Shadow the Hedgehog 12-inch Great Eastern Entertainment Plush

The Shadow the Hedgehog plushie from Great Eastern Entertainment would make a perfect addition to any Sonic fan’s plushie collection. Since Shadow is going to be in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, you can actually take him to the movie with you no matter how old you are, societal judgment be damned. Just ask the girl who took the same Shadow plush to prom.

The plushie is designed with great accuracy to Shadow’s character model, from the detailed rocket holes in the soles of his air shoes to curves of this spiky hair. It comes with a yellow string that makes it look like a carnival game prize, but you can cut it off if you so choose. Either way, it’s worth the money — $27, to be exact. Fair warning: Some people who bought the GE Shadow plushie from Amazon reported that they received the bootleg version in their reviews, so please be careful.

More Sonic Plushies

Sonic Action Figures

Sonic The Hedgehog 4″ Articulated Action Figure from Jakks Pacific

Jakks Pacific has been releasing a great deal of high-quality Sonic action figures in the last few years, and this Sonic articulated action figure is no exception. This one come with the Invincibility item box that you can place anywhere on your play set as you build out the world of Sonic according to your vision or that of your child’s.

There are other Sonic figures from Jakks Pacific that come with their own accessories, like Amy Rose, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, and even Big the Cat. But you can add this to your Sonic figure collection for only $19, giving your wallet a break from the other expensive figures.

More Sonic Action Figures

Sonic R/C Cars

Team Sonic Racing 2.4GHz Radio Control Toy Car with Turbo Boost

Wanna see Team Sonic Racing play out in real life? You and your kids can do just that with the Team Sonic Racing R/C car by NKOK. The R/C is faithfully designed after Sonic’s race car in the game Team Sonic Racing, and has a beautifully detailed Sonic seated behind the wheel. It’s equipped with a 2.4 GHz control frequency that allows you to drive it at a wide enough distance, the ability to race up to 16 other RCs at once, and Turbo Boost to give an extra boost of speed.

The most charming part of the R/C is that it has working headlights, allowing you to drive it in dim-light areas (as long as you don’t drive it in total darkness). That’s everything you need to ensure you have a good race for just $27.

More Sonic R/C Cars

Knuckles Toy

Knuckles the Echidna Cable Guy Device Holder from Exquisite Gaming

In honor of the Knuckles show streaming on Paramount+, we’re presenting you the Knuckles the Echidna Cable Guy Device Holder, courtesy of Exquisite Gaming. You can set him on your desk and let him hold your phone while you’re working so he can bear the load of the constant text, email, and social media notifications that come your way.

Knuckles can also hold your gaming controller, TV remote, and even your Nintendo Switch — yes, even the OLED model — without falling over the side thanks to its sturdy base. You can take the load off your desk and TV stand and give it all to Knuckles for just $25.

Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. She has contributed her work to various publications, including Digital Trends, TheGamer, Twinfinite, Mega Visions, and The Escapist. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.

Escape From Tarkov Fans Furious Over New $250 Edition With Exclusive PvE Mode: ‘This Cannot Be Tolerated’

Escape from Tarkov players are in an uproar over a new $250 upgrade called The Unheard Edition, with many deeming the pack “pay-to-win” and “selfish.”

The Unheard Edition of BattleState Games’ popular extraction shooter includes exclusive access to a laundry list of content, including an exclusive PvE co-op mode where progress doesn’t reset. Although the price tag without tax is steep as is, what many find offensive are the extra bonuses that the pack includes. Some notable features include expanded PMC pockets and increased Fence standing, which give buyers an edge by, for example, making NPCs less aggressive depending on player distance.

“This isn’t just perks like ‘increased stash space’ or ‘larger secure pouch,’” one Reddit user said. “This is blatant ‘you get a giant head start in front of everyone else.’

“Any other good extraction shooters out there?” they add.

Pay-to-win is a term most multiplayer fans hope they never hear when their favorite game is being described. It suggests that Escape From Tarkov rewards players for simply spending money while punishing those who don’t, but The Unheard Edition is causing a stir for more reasons than one.

Perhaps the most controversial action might be that many players were previously led to believe they would receive all future Escape From Tarkov content for free. The now-unlisted Edge of Darkness Edition, which provided a list of other goodies for $140, previously promised that buyers would receive “free access to all subsequent DLCs.”

It’s because of this that players were livid to find that The Unheard Edition is asking for hundreds of dollars to enjoy that new PvE co-op mode. It is worth noting that some are reporting that they are only being asked to pay an additional $100 for the new pack if they already own Edge of Darkness.

Many others seem to share the same sentiment, as official Escape from Tarkov social media channels are now plagued with memes and complaints from users upset with The Unheard Edition. Its Discord is in especially bad shape. While BattleState’s moderation team quickly moved to temporarily shut down most channels, the few that remain are filled with thousands of copy-and-pasted messages from players calling BattleState’s actions “selfish,” “unacceptable,” and “disrespectful.”

“This cannot be tolerated,” part of the repeated post says.

BattleState isn’t taking the backlash too well either. The developer’s responses began simply enough, with Lead Community Manager appl3z0r sharing an explanation for disgruntled players on Discord (via Forbes).

“It ain’t DLC, its unique feature of the new edition added,” they said when describing the PvE mode.

They continued in a separate message: “DLC means additional downloadable content. PvE is a feature and a gamemode. Just because you all want it to become a DLC it wouldn’t mean it is one. It’s featured game mode for the new edition of the game.”

BattleState extended this explanation on X/Twitter, telling fans that it will keep them “updated on new features exclusive for EOD owners.” Things got more complicated when the official X/Twitter account for Arena Breakout: Infinite got involved. Many have compared the Tencent-made game to Escape From Tarkov, and BattleState didn’t appreciate it when the account began to take shots after the backlash began.

With the Discord shut down and BattleState firing back at other publishers on X/Twitter, many have flocked to Reddit to air their frustrations. A pinned post on the subreddit proclaims that “the gates are open,” giving users free reign to post and complain about The Unheard Edition as they please.

“Let’s start this off right – we (the mod team) are just as livid about this situation as you are,” the post says.

The Reddit page contains hundreds of popular posts from today, including accusations that The Unheard Edition’s free unique weapon isn’t so unique. Another post details an initiative that seeks to proceed with a lawsuit against BattleState.

The Escape From Tarkov woes stem from an update that BattleState published today. In addition to pulling back the curtain on The Unheard Edition, it revealed a number of changes and improvements for the experience.

IGN has reached out to BattleState for comment.

For more on Escape from Tarkov, be sure to check out why we called the shooter “brutal” in 2018.

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.

Xbox Gaming Segment Gets Another Boost Thanks to Activision Blizzard

Microsoft’s gaming revenue climbed significantly year over year, according to its Q3 earnings report. But the massive jump in takings is deceptive — most of it is just reflective of the addition of Activision Blizzard (and King!).

For the third quarter of fiscal 2024, Microsoft reported gaming revenue up 51% year-over-year, or $1.8 billion, to a total of $5.45 billion. It’s a record Q3 for the segment, but it comes with a caveat. 55 points of that net impact were from the Activision Blizzard acquisition, meaning that Xbox content and services revenue not related to Activision Blizzard was actually down 4% year-over-year. We saw a similar situation last quarter, too, and will almost certainly see it again in the next two.

Xbox content and services revenue is in a similar boat. It’s up 62% year-over-year, but with 61 points of net impact from Activision Blizzard, meaning it’s only up 1%. And hardware revenue, which wasn’t touched by the acquisition, is down 31% due to fewer consoles sold.

There are a number of other nuggets in Microsoft’s 10-Q that highlight how Activision Blizzard is impacting the gaming division and the company as a whole. Operating expenses, for instance, were up $1.3 billion or 41% year-over-year for the More Personal Computing division (of which Gaming is a part) last quarter, 43 points of which came from the acquisition. And research and development expenses in particular are up – $669 million, to be precise. That’s up 10% year-over-year for the More Personal Computing last quarter, 9 points of which were from Activision Blizzard. Sales and marketing expenses, too, were up meaningfully from the acquisition, as were general and administrative expenses.

It’s expensive to buy another big company, even beyond the $69 billion Microsoft paid for it in the first place. The real value of Activision Blizzard to Microsoft will ultimately remain to be seen in the coming years, when we can look at gaming revenue in future quarters compared to this one, and see if Xbox was able to capitalize on its expensive purchase.

We’ll update this article with any interesting learnings from today’s earnings call. Meanwhile, earlier today, Blizzard announced it would not be holding BlizzCon in 2024, a decision that comes not long after a series of Xbox-wide cost-cutting measures that led to the layoffs of 1,900 people.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.