Category: IGN

Newly-released sandbox adventure game Hytale originated as a Minecraft mod, Hypixel, only to eventually be spun off and transformed into the early access, standalone game we now know. But even so, I don’t think anyone had “Minecraft x Hytale crossplay” on their Bingo card.

Bedrock / Pocket <-> @Hytale <-> Java pic.twitter.com/RCBsbRtjd3

— iamcxv7 (@iamcxv711) January 19, 2026

This wizardry comes from modder u/ssquadteam, also known as iamcxv7, a 15-year-old modder who has also managed to get things like Windows 95 running in Hytale and, separate from the guy who did it pre-launch, Doom. iamcxv7 has managed to figure out how to get Hytale and Minecraft to talk to one another so that players in one can play alongside players in the other, seeing one another’s characters rendered in their own game’s style, interact, build, chat, and even fight one another.

What. On. Earth. How? I’m not savvy enough to parse the technicalities behind this, but here’s iamcxv7’s explanation for it: “It’s all just Packet Trickery. You could say I am running a Minecraft Server in the Hytale JVM which uses the Coordinate System of the Hytale World (As its the same) As well as takes a Snapshot of the Hytale World and reconstructs it and then send it to to the Client via Packets”

But a bit more simply, what’s cool here is that Hytale and Minecraft are so similar in how their worlds are constructed and what kinds of things they invite players to do that gameplay in one can easily map to the other. There’s still some work to do: the mod isn’t public yet, as iamcxv7 says it’s still “really unstable” and there are some features, such as world generation and how to render certain blocks that exist in Hytale but not Minecraft, still missing. Given that Hytale is only a week old, this feels extremely reasonable! The fact that this is going to be possible at all is brain-breaking enough.

Hypixel Studios co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme shared an update today, saying that saving the game after it was dropped by Riot Games last year was “the most challenging but rewarding experience of my life.” Previously, Collins-LaFlamme had called the game’s salvaging a “damn miracle” after years of development, scope increase, and delays. Prior to the launch, Collins-Laflamme said that Hytale had already made enough money to cover the next two years of development. And those next two years stand to be busy ones, with Hypixel already working on Update 2 for the game later this week.

If you’re heading into Hytale, check out IGN’s comprehensive Hytale Progression Guide for a step-by-step walkthrough on how to get copper, thorium, adamantite, and more. To get around Hytale’s Zones and Biomes fast, you’ll need to know how to set up and use teleporters – and if you’d like to experiment with what the sandbox game can do, use Hytale commands to bend reality to your will, or install Hytale mods to add new creations to your game.

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

If 2025 felt busy, 2026 is already shaping up to be a big year for the Pokémon TCG with the expansions it’s got coming up.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is charging into its 30th anniversary year with the rest of the Pocket Monsters franchise, with a renewed focus on Mega Evolution, anniversary celebrations, and tightly curated sets designed to keep both collectors and competitive players fully locked in.

While the full year’s roadmap hasn’t been revealed yet, three major products are already confirmed, and they give us a very clear idea of what kind of year we’re in for.

Here’s everything we know so far about the confirmed Pokémon TCG releases for 2026, including when they launch, what makes them special, and where you can actually buy them right now.

Mega Evolution: Ascended Heroes – Releasing Jan. 30, 2026

Hitman developer IO Interactive has announced that cross-platform progression is finally coming to World of Assassination, allowing you to pick up your stealthy murders wherever you last left off.

Released exactly five years ago today, Hitman 3 initially launched for PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. In the years since, IO’s assassination masterpiece has since also launched for Switch 2, iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Next month, on February 3, a fresh update will unlock Hitman: World of Assassination cross-progression across mobile, consoles and PC — though the ability to carry over progress from Hitman 2 will cease as a result.

Cross-Progression will allow you to assign a specific platform as your Primary Account, with your progress there saved to IO Interactive’s servers and accessed wherever you log in with your IOI Account. This progression includes:

It’s worth noting, however, that Cross-Progression does not mean Cross-Purchase. So, just because you might own the game on PC, don’t expect to suddenly be able to fire it on PlayStation. The same goes for its DLC packs, which similarly must be bought for any platform you wish to play their content on.

Older saves not tied to your Primary Account won’t be deleted, though you will need to toggle off Cross-Progression to regain access to them. Doing so will let you pick up your older save specific to that platform.

One wrinkle to all this is the end of IO Interactive’s ability to carry over progression from Hitman 2 to Hitman 3. The ability to do this will end on February 3, alongside the addition of Cross-Progression.

“This guarantees data integrity and prevents conflicts between legacy progression systems and the new unified WOA progression,” IO Interactive wrote in a blog post on the changes. “Past February 3rd 9:00 UTC players won’t be able to proceed to the Hitman 2 to Hitman 3 carryover, giving you two weeks to proceed to the carryover if you are yet to do so.”

IO Interactive has three main productions right now: ongoing work on Hitman: World of Assassination, including work on a co-op mode, James Bond blockbuster 007 First Light, and a new fantasy IP appropriately codenamed Project Fantasy. Beyond all that, there are also plans to release Hitman 4 — eventually.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

What is an Xbox? Microsoft has spent 25 years trying to answer the question, but for fans, the answer is easy: “Xbox” evokes one-eared headsets wired into the memory card slots of massive controllers with breakaway cords. A dashboard with gleaming skeuomorphic blades and avatars adorned in earned accessories. That sound that plays when a hard-earned Achievement finally pops. “Xbox” means heavy-duty hardware. Tactile sensations. Friends connecting for the first time. And that’s before we even get to the games.

It may be that the very idea of an Xbox game is coming to an end. Microsoft has undeniably shifted its tactics, with a new focus on multi-platform releases, handheld Xboxes that are actually miniature Windows computers, and the potential that future Xbox consoles may simply be gaming PCs. So now seems as good a time as any to look back at the entire history of Microsoft’s console journey and rank the best Xbox games, with help from our friends at Outside Xbox, the multimillion-subscriber channel that serves up weekly videos about video games and video game-adjacent things

When we say “the best Xbox games,” we mean the ones that most evoke that weighty sense of “Xboxness.” Some are first-party, most are exclusives, and all of them are indelibly tied to the legacy of and fondness for a platform that’s left a massive mark on gaming. These are the 100 Best Xbox Games of All Time. We’ll be updating this list daily with 25 games at 7am PST/10am ET/3pm GMT from Tuesday, 20th January to Friday, 23rd January, until number one is revealed.

100. 1 vs. 100

A large-scale, online multiplayer game show, played in real-time by actual players who could win actual prizes? It was a bold idea, and Microsoft’s 1 vs. 100 actually did it. Adapted from the TV show of the same name, players were randomly dropped into one of three pools whenever the show went live: the Crowd, the Mob, and the One, with the One competing against the Mob in trivia rounds where reaction times were just as important an ingredient to victory as the correct answer to the question being asked. Prizes ranged from 80 Microsoft Points ($1) to a free Xbox Live Arcade game, to 10,000 Microsoft Points ($125). 1 vs. 100 was a true social and technical experiment in the world of gaming, and here’s the thing: it worked! Sadly, it was canceled after two “seasons” and can’t be played now, but it lives on in the memory as one of the best and most innovative Xbox games ever made.

99. Conker: Live and Reloaded

When Microsoft acquired Nintendo’s second-party darling Rare for $375 million, the possibilities were endless. One of the first games Xbox got from the British studio was Conker: Live and Reloaded, a remake of N64’s Conker’s Bad Fur Day that added online multiplayer. And while that competitive play was quite fun, thanks in part to the juxtaposition of over-the-top violence and adorable characters on screen, it was the technological level-up from the N64 original that was truly stunning. The action-platformer was now “fur-shaded,” giving the manes of Conker and his buddies a unique “next-gen” new look. Ironically, Live and Reloaded was actually more heavily censored than Bad Fur Day, but both campaign and multiplayer were nevertheless a great way to introduce Rare to its new Xbox player base.

98. Top Spin

Believe it or not, there was a time when EA didn’t support Xbox Live. And so Microsoft started building its own sports games that would take advantage of its online service, and of those titles, Top Spin was by far the best. It was a tennis sim featuring a career mode full of real-life pros, but what made Top Spin memorable – in addition to its core gameplay being so pitch-perfect, of course – was its online play. You’d create your character, build them up, and take them online, pitting yourself against other players in ranked matches that, if you won, would move you further up the global rankings. It all worked perfectly (and even tied in XSN, if you remember that little experiment), and made Top Spin the best tennis game the Xbox has ever been served up.

97. Binary Domain

The Xbox 360 was a treasure chest full of those “7 out of 10s” that you just couldn’t put down; those rough-around-the-edges cult classics that kept us more than entertained for a weekend before we moved on to the next. Binary Domain is a perfect example – a third-person shooter from Yakuza developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, this sci-fi story didn’t play too differently from established cover shooters such as Gears of War, but came with its own unique quirks. Direct control of your squadmates was chief among these, with the ability to command them in six different languages via a headset or the Kinect sensor, a fun little gimmick that took advantage of the Xbox’s ultimately doomed experiment with its camera peripheral. Binary Domain may have never fully reached the heights of its lofty ambitions, but it still finds a place in our hearts.

96. Steel Battalion

The original Xbox was a maximalist, brutalist brick of post-Y2K design and Steel Battalion is the purest expression of its commitment to inconvenience. The Capcom-developed mech game is arguably nothing special by itself, but the humongous HOTAS horror with which it came bundled has earned it Xbox immortality. Weighing in at a whopping 17 pounds, boasting three panels, three foot pedals, and industrial-grade divorced dad energy, Steel Battalion is the video game equivalent of “rolling coal:” an excessive, magnificent, indulgent peripheral that cost $200 in 2002 money. Xbox is a burly, hefty console that demands a burly, hefty experience, and Steel Battalion more than fits the bill.

95. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath

Xbox was a console designed to change the game, and so it made sense that the Oddworld series shifted direction when it arrived on the platform. Munch’s Oddysee saw the sidescrolling platformer leap into the third dimension, but it was 2005’s Stranger’s Wrath that really reinvented the series, delivering a bizarre gunslinging action-adventure in which you played a bounty hunter, bringing in targets dead or alive, rather than saving legions of Mudokons. As Stranger, you’re armed with a crossbow and a bandolier of “Live Ammunition”, as in, ammo that’s literally alive. Your chatterbox bullets, each an insect or tiny mammal with unique abilities, turn each hunt into a tactical showdown with more than a fistful of good laughs.

94. Fuzion Frenzy

It’s gritty. It’s neon. It’s Fuzion Frenzy, an undeniable classic for the original Xbox that’s still fun today (if you don’t stay too long in the Waterfront minigames, that is). This party game gem was one of the few local multiplayer games that just about anyone could play, regardless of their experience with gaming. Simple yet helpful options like practicing a minigame before the real event, bots to fill open spots with varying levels of difficulty, and custom lengths for tournaments made welcoming others to the party even easier. Its wide span of minigames acted as a great introduction to all kinds of genres, too; from racing to rhythm, to strategy, to defense, Fuzion Frenzy has it all – and a sick visual aesthetic to boot.

93. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is a perfect relic from a time when it seemed like almost every third-party game that delivered a visual showcase on the Xbox 360 struggled to run properly on the PS3. Capcom’s mech-suit shooter played host to some memorable creature design that evoked some of sci-fi fiction’s greatest threats, and delivered spectacle that, at the time, was compared to games as well as thought of as Shadow of the Colossus. While its story may have left quite a bit to be desired, its action was well-received, as it took cues from Capcom classics such as Mega Man and Bionic Commando and modernised them to great effect. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is by no means a classic in its own right, but is a great example of a time when, if you had the choice to play a multiplatform game on any console, it would always be the 360.

92. Banjo-Kazooie Nuts N Bolts

Nuts & Bolts began life as a remake of the original Nintendo 64 Banjo-Kazooie game, before developer Rare made the decision to create a completely new entry in the series for the Xbox 360. An ambitious project that stretched itself far beyond its 3D platforming roots, this 2008 sequel placed an emphasis on building vehicles in a flexible world that could be navigated in many different ways. 15 years before Nintendo experimented with similar ideas in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Rare was arguably ahead of the curve when it came to player freedom in wide open spaces, even if the final product never delivered the sort of game of the year-winning quality that Link’s adventures have. There’s no denying that Nuts & Bolts was divisive at launch, but its legacy only grows stronger over time, and it remains the most recent entry into the Banjo-Kazooie series.

91. Condemned: Criminal Origins

We’d argue that Condemned: Criminal Origins was the most underrated of the Xbox 360’s day-one launch games. A first-person horror game with melee combat from the decorated developers at Monolith Productions, it got scarier and scarier the deeper you pushed into its campaign – and yes, we mean it got even more terrifying after the memorable department store mannequin sequence. As an FBI agent you had a toolbox of forensic tools to work with, but it was more what you had to work against that made this experience special – namely, an impeccably bleak atmosphere that heightened the fear that enveloped you as you played. It remains unique amongst horror games even today.

90. Castle Crashers

Indie games have grown so ubiquitous that the word itself has become a battleground, but 18 years ago, “indie” largely meant games on Xbox Live Arcade. XBLA was to indie games as Toonami was to anime: an influential pipeline that reshaped distribution and expanded our ideas of what games could be and who was allowed to make them. Headlining the inaugural “Summer of Arcade” in 2008, Castle Crashers was a colorful, chaotic belt-scroller with stylish hand-drawn art straight from Newgrounds, the anarchic animation scene that would later spawn the likes of Smiling Friends. It set a new standard for four-player co-op and helped spark a modern beat ‘em up revival alongside fellow XBLA stalwart Scott Pilgrim: The Game.

89. MechAssault

MechWarrior had long been a sci-fi giant-robot simulation staple on PC. In MechAssault, the BattleTech universe came to console as a faster-paced, gamepad-friendly version of everyone’s favorite 31st-century-set franchise, and it translated beautifully. You still got to pilot all of the coolest mechs from the PC series, and you could still target specific areas of your enemies in order to disable them or, in the case of a leg takeout, cause them to fall over and explode. But MechAssault boiled it down to purely the action, taking a lot of the between-mission simulation gameplay out of the equation. The revised formula worked, both in the single-player campaign and in the Xbox Live online multiplayer, where MechAssault quickly established itself as one of the most popular games on Microsoft’s then brand-new, broadband-only online gaming service.

88. Peter Jackson’s King Kong

A launch game for the Xbox 360, Peter Jackson’s King Kong comes from a time when a huge graphical leap could be noticed from just one glance at a screen. The lush jungle of Skull Island set the stage for a licensed game that stood tall in an era when many fell flat, thanks to its relatively open approach to level design, immersive first-person perspective devoid of cluttered UI, and overall cinematic presentation that reflected the ambitions of The Lord of the Rings’ director’s remake. Sure, it’s not quite as revolutionary to play now, but it is representative of a moment in time when, much like its lead character, Xbox was about to become top of the food chain.

87. Full Spectrum Warrior

Full Spectrum Warrior famously started out not as a for-public-consumption video game, but as a training tool built for the US Army. It’s a real-time tactics game, but unlike just about anything that came before or since. Its entire premise revolves around the proper positioning of your squad of soldiers; it’s up to you to literally put your men and women in position to not just succeed, but also survive, as one wrong move will see just a few bullets quickly wipe out your squad. Tension is the primary emotion you’ll feel throughout Full Spectrum Warrior’s campaign, but in the very best and most enjoyable of ways.

86. Dead or Alive 3

At the time of the original Xbox’s arrival in November 2001, it was seen as a necessity for a console to launch with a strong fighting game offering, one of the most popular genres at the turn of the century. In preparation for that, Microsoft moved to obtain exclusivity on Team Ninja’s Dead or Alive series, which had previously appeared on both Sony’s PlayStation and Sega’s Dreamcast. The gamble paid off: Dead or Alive 3 instantly became a huge hit thanks to its lush visuals and slick combat, selling over 1 million copies in its first five months alone. It would go on to become one of the 10 best-selling games on the original Xbox console and help establish the platform’s solid foundations around the world.

85. Perfect Dark Zero

A sequel to Rare’s hit N64 shooter, Perfect Dark Zero began life on the Gamecube before it was ordained as a flagship first-party launch title for Xbox 360 following Microsoft’s acquisition of the studio in 2002. While its development was a frantic sprint to meet the console’s release, the final product is a technical stunner of a stylish spy thriller that dazzled early adopters with glossy visuals and a sprawling multiplayer suite that supported a then-whopping 32 players– the perfect proving ground for a new generation of Xbox Live. Microsoft was clearly strapping the rocket to Joanna Dark as a triple-A franchise candidate, but her series struggled to find a lane among the Master Chiefs and Call of Dutys that dominated the platform. Even so, Perfect Dark Zero endures as an ambitious, feature-rich launch showcase, and after decades of false starts and development hell, it remains the last, best word on an Xbox almost-icon.

84. Panzer Dragoon Orta

Panzer Dragon Orta showed that, even following the very public disaster of the Dreamcast, Sega was a company still willing to take risks and experiment. In this case, it meant rewinding time and returning Panzer Dragoon to its rail shooter roots, following a brief venture into the RPG space with 1998’s Panzer Dragoon Saga. The result was Panzer Dragoon Orta, an Xbox exclusive interpretation of the dragon-riding series that felt both comfortingly old-school and daringly modern. A beautiful, deceivingly complex slice of action, Orta took full advantage of the power of the Xbox to create one of the best examples of the on-rails shooter to date.

83. Rayman Legends

Is 2013’s Rayman Legends the greatest platformers that Nintendo never made? A personality-packed cartoon world, impeccable control system, sublime level design, and an ever-evolving set of mechanics would argue yes, it’s certainly in the running, and that’s even before we’ve gotten to the brilliantly bonkers rhythm-based challenge level set to a Mariachi band cover of ‘Eye of the Tiger’. Fun solo but absolutely joyous with three friends in tow, Rayman Legends is couch co-op perfection. Its 120 levels are full of surprises and crafted at such a consistently high standard that no sooner do you think you’ve found your favourite stage than another one has come along to dethrone it. There’s so much giddy gameplay stuffed into Rayman Legends that it even spills over into its loading screens, themselves mad scrambles for a bonus heart during the handful of seconds before each level begins. Beautiful, bountiful, and bouncing with energy, Rayman Legends is as good as 2D platforming gets, and proved a real treat in the dying days of Xbox’s golden 360 era.

82. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas

Rainbow Six: Vegas isn’t just memorable for being a massive jump for the Tom Clancy series into the next-gen on the Xbox 360, but for its perspective shift: as you took cover from gunfire behind one-armed bandits and beside doorways, the camera pulled back from Rainbow Six’s typical first-person perspective and brought it into third-person, settling over each Operator’s shoulder – a trick that would be later copied by Brothers in Arms and Deus Ex. Meanwhile, Las Vegas proved to be a gorgeous and memorable setting for this bold new entry in the series, giving us glitzy shootouts on casino floors. And multiplayer, already a huge hit on Xbox Live with Rainbow Six 3, blew up again with Vegas, offering an unparalleled tactical, team-based competitive experience online. At the time of release, we called it “the best first-person shooter on the Xbox 360”, and while it may not have held onto that crown later in the console’s lifespan, it still remains a high point for the genre.

81. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

A game with perhaps the single saddest press of a button in all of games, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons set the template for what director Josef Fares would go on to achieve. A story-first puzzle game in which the game’s two playable brothers are controlled by an analog stick each, its smart approach to how you use an Xbox controller made it an instant under-the-radar hit when it landed with timed exclusivity on the 360. Fares would leave developer Starbreeze Studios after Brothers’ release to set up Hazelight and craft some of the best co-op games ever released, and while the likes of It Takes Two and Split Fiction push the bounds of creativity when it comes to gameplay, nothing since has quite packed the narrative punch that this journey of two boys trying to save their dying father does.

80. Titanfall

After a litigious split from Activision, the co-creators of Call of Duty jumped ship to EA and formed Respawn, determined to reinvent the online FPS for Xbox and beat their old game at its own game. 2014’s Titanfall dropped as the disappointing Ghosts left Call of Duty vulnerable, with acrobatic movement and wall-running gunfights that made “boots on the ground” shooters feel instantly archaic. While the MOBA-influenced multiplayer featured farming minions and screen-shaking ultimate mechs summoned from the sky, the lack of a campaign limited Titanfall’s impact, and by the time its multiplatform sequel more than rectified that mistake, it was far too late to conquer CoD.

79. The Outer Worlds 2

Obsidian Entertainment has quietly become one of Microsoft’s most important studios, thanks to its consistently strong output ever since its 2018 acquisition. Following recent forays into oversized undergrowth in Grounded and Pentiment’s 17th-century Germany, the Pillars of Eternity developer returned to their roots in 2025 with not one, but two action RPGs. Avowed was great, but it was The Outer Worlds 2 that led the pack and sprinkled some of that Fallout: New Vegas magic onto the foundations of its solid, but not entirely successful predecessor, producing a significantly improved sequel. With trademark humour powering a sci-fi satire full of memorable moments, warring factions, and malleable skills and combat systems, The Outer Worlds 2 is one of Obsidian’s best RPGs to date, and as a result, one of Xbox’s.

78. Keeper

Considering Microsoft’s recent history when it comes to the mishandling of its studios, it feels like somewhat of a miracle that we’re lucky enough to get brilliant little games like Keeper from Double Fine. A short and colourful trip, it takes a humble walking lighthouse and its bird companion on a journey full of puzzles that surprises with each turn and tumble its story and characters take. What starts out seeming so simple steadily reveals its secrets and joys in a hidden gem that feels like the exact sort of experience Game Pass was created for.

77. Jade Empire

BioWare’s oft-forgotten 2005 RPG is the evolutionary link between Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect. The Chinese mythology-inspired Jade Empire builds upon the moral choices of KOTOR, but leaves behind its cumbersome D&D-rooted combat in favour of real-time battles that better convey the fluidity of martial arts. With its wonderful companions, engaging romances, and richly detailed original worldbuilding, Jade Empire is very clearly the starting point for BioWare’s glittering 360 era, even if its achievements were quickly eclipsed by Mass Effect and Dragon Age.

76. Gears 5

Where Gears of War 4 reflected many of the themes of its predecessors, Gears 5 shattered the mirror to take the COGs into something bigger. Kait Diaz, JD Fenix, and Del Walker are joined by Marcus Fenix and other familiar faces in a story that expands the Gears of War lore in an exciting way as they are pitted against the Swarm’s escalated aggression. New combat additions like Jack’s abilities make for great campaign gameplay updates without straying too far from the focus on excellent cover-shooting, and its larger sandbox environments keep things fresh with optional exploration and, of course, more combat challenges. The iconic, gory mess of gunplay is also fantastic in the variety of multiplayer modes and Horde. Developer The Coalition put the cherry on top of this fantastic third-person shooter with the Hivebusters DLC, which features entirely new characters and a story that complements the main campaign. This complete package is easily on the Xbox One’s finest games.

Come back tomorrow (Wednesday 21st) for picks 75-51!

Former World of Warcraft producer Raymond Bartos has joined Riot Games, giving fans renewed hope that the League of Legends MMO might actually come out.

We found out Riot Games’ highly anticipated MMO project — announced half a decade ago now — would be “reset” back in 2024, after Riot co-founder Marc Merrill let players know that the team had decided to go back to the drawing board “some time ago.” Now, however, Bartos has confirmed his move to Riot, following in the footsteps of fellow Blizzard colleague, Orlando Salvatore.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining Riot on the MMO team!!!” Bartos wrote on LinkedIn (first reported by MassivelyOP). “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to join such an inspiring group of people, and I can’t wait to get started — showing up every day to provide value for Riot gamers and help deliver an MMO experience players truly enjoy.

“And as a fun bonus I’ve been barely able to contain: I’ll be re-queuing with my longtime duo partner, Orlando Salvatore,” Bartos added. “Given our track record on World of Warcraft, I have a feeling we’ll be moving fast on day one.”

And best of all, Bartos’ LinkedIn profile gives us a clear insight into what he’s working courtesy of his role descriptor: “senior game producer on the MMO [at] Riot Games.”

Concern grew in 2022, when then-executive producer Greg Street warned fans that there is “no guarantee this game will ship.” The lead then went on to announce his departure from Riot in early 2023. Two years ago, when he announced the development reset, Merrill said he understood fans’ frustration at the lack of progress on the MMO, but insisted the time spent in the dark would “help provide space for the team to focus on the incredible amount of work ahead of them.”

“Remember, ‘no news is good news,’ as it means we’re hard at work, pouring our hearts and souls into making something that we hope you’ll love,” he continued.

League of Legends was first released in 2009 and remains one of the world’s biggest, most-played games. A multiplayer online battle arena (or MOBA), it was originally inspired by Warcraft 3 custom map Defense of the Ancients, and played a massive role in pioneering and popularizing the MOBA genre. It has gone on to inspire a number of spin-offs, including digital card game Legends of Runeterra, a mobile version of the game called Wild Rift, and a popular TV series: Arcane.

Last month, we reported that Riot was working on a total makeover of League of Legends. Called “League Next,” the upcoming overhaul will be an update to the existing League of Legends rather than a standalone game. It’s thought the update will fully revamp the game’s visual aesthetic, including characters, UI, and arenas and make some adjustments behind the scenes to help make future updates smoother, although it’s currently unclear if the changes will impact game mechanics.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

One of the original designers of Tomb Raider‘s iconic Lara Croft has revealed that Core Design’s then-Japanese publisher had asked for the character to be given a “Manga” redesign to “appeal” to Japanese players.

Responding to one fan who had unearthed a comment from him a few years ago, Tomb Raider co-creator and programmer Paul Douglas confirmed there had been a little pressure “quite late in Tomb Raider’s development” when publisher Victor Interactive Software “faxed over some of their own designs” over fears the western character design wouldn’t “go down well” in Japan.

“Victor wanted us to change in-game Lara to appeal more to a Japanese audience,” Douglas revealed on BlueSky. “Huge eyes/head etc. They faxed through examples really late in dev. [Co-creator and designer] Toby Gard really didn’t want to alter Lara. As a compromise, all that was changed was the manuals [and] guide. Not sure who did that render or illustrations.”

The mysterious rendering Douglas is referring to can be seen in the first image appended to this BlueSky post, republished below:

Destiny developer Bungie has finally confirmed the previously leaked launch date for Marathon, which is indeed March 5, 2026, and followed up the news with a rundown of who we can expect to hear in the English voice cast.

The bumper cast includes many, many familiar voices, such as Jennifer English (who won Best Performance at 2025’s The Game Awards for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and has had notable roles in Elden Ring and Baldur’s Gate 3, in which she plays Shadowheart), Ben Starr (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hades II, Final Fantasy 14), Roger Clark (Red Dead Redemption 2), and Neil Newbon (Baldur’s Gate 3’s Astarion, Resident Evil 3 Remake). As one commenter responded: “That’s… stacked lol.”

Here’s the full list, along with an idea of where you may have heard their voices before:

• Jennifer English (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3)
• Ben Starr (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hades II, Final Fantasy 14)
• Roger Clark (Red Dead Redemption 2)
• Elias Toufexis (Deux: Ex: Human Revolution)
• Nika Futterman (Destiny, Doom Eternal, Starcraft)
• Erica Lindbeck (Fortnite, God of War Ragnarok)
• Reina Guthrie (Squid Game)
• Elliot Knight (Call of Duty series)
• JB Tadena (Call of Duty: Vanguard)
• Morla Gorrondona (Destiny 2: The Final Shape)
• Donnla Hughes
• Darin De Paul (Overwatch 2, Doom Eternal)
• Lee Shorten (Ghost of Yotei, Rise of the Ronin)
• Dave Fennoy (The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us)
• Tracy Wiles (Baldur’s Gate 3, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
• Fred Tatasciore (Marvel Rivals, Destiny 2)
• Krizia Bajos (The Outer Worlds 2, Mafia: The Old Country)
• Samantha Beart (Baldur’s Gate 3, Demon’s Souls)
• Beau Bridgland (Exoprimal)
• Ry Chase (Destiny: Rising, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2)
• Keston John (Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, The Outer Worlds 2)
• Sohm Kapila (Dune: Awakening, Hogwarts Legacy)
• Rich Keeble (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Total War: Warhammer III)
• Piotr Michael (Star Trek: Resurgence, Black Ops Cold War, Doom Eternal)
• Brent Mukai (Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Ghost of Yotei)
• Neil Newbon (Baldur’s Gate 3, Resident Evil 3 Remake)
• Ariana Nicole George (Genshin Impact, Dynasty Warriors: Origins)
• Emily O’Brien (League of Legends, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, Starfield)
• Jason Spisak (Doom Eternal, Fortnite, Anthem)
• Craig Lee Thomas (Octopath Traveler 0, DC: Dark Legion)
• Oliver Vaquer (Dune: Awakening, Death Stranding)
• Erin Yvette (Oxenfree, The Wolf Among Us, Firewatch)
• Scott Whyte (Marvel Rivals, Halo Infinite, Avowed).

What we don’t know yet is what characters the actors will portray, of course, but with the list essentially in alphabetical order besides front-runners English, Starr, Clark, Toufexis, Futterman, Lindbeck, Guthrie, Knight, Tadena, Gorrondona, Hughes, De Paul, Shorten, Fennoy, Wiles, and Tatasciore, that may suggest those particular actors will be portraying the characters we’ll get to know best when playing Marathon.

Following various delays, Marathon’s launch is now less than two months away — and pre-orders are open now. The pressure is on for Marathon to succeed amid Destiny 2’s high-profile struggles and Marathon’s troubled development. At the end of last year, parent company Sony said Bungie had failed to meet its sales and user engagement targets, resulting in a $200 million impairment charge, and Bungie found itself battling yet more accusations of plagiarism back in May after an artist accused the studio of lifting aspects of her artwork for Marathon.

Last June Marathon was delayed into 2026 as Bungie worked to respond to feedback from playtests. Things went dark until Marathon re-emerged in October, when Bungie announced the extraction shooter was ready for a limited, invite-only playtest for players in North America and Europe across PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and Steam.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

CD Projekt has confirmed it issued a DMCA strike on a paid Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod, after its creator refused to make it free for everyone upon the studio’s request.

The R.E.A.L. VR mod for Cyberpunk 2077 was created by Luke Ross, who, according to a 2022 report by The Verge, makes $20,000 a month modding PC games to run in VR headsets. His mods are locked behind a Patreon, which sparked CD Projekt’s concern.

In a tweet, Jan Rosner, VP, Business Development at CD Projekt Red, said the company issued the DMCA strike because Cyberpunk VR was a paid mod, which violates its fan content guidelines.

“We never allow monetization of our IP without our direct permission and/or an agreement in place,” Rosner said. “We were in touch with Luke last week and informed him that he needs to make it free for everyone (with optional donations) or remove it.

“We are big fans of mods to our games — some of the work out there has been nothing short of amazing, including Luke’s mod for Cyberpunk 2077. We’d be happy to see it return as a free release. However, making a profit from our IP, in any form, always requires permission from CD Projekt Red.”

Ross responded to Rosner’s tweet to take issue with his work being characterized as fan content. Rather, Ross insisted, it is independent software and thus does not infringe on CD Projekt’s IP rights.

“I’m sorry but I don’t believe you are within your rights in demanding that my software needs to be free,” Ross said. “It is not ‘derivative work’ or ‘fan content’: it supports a large number of games which were built upon different engines, and it contains absolutely zero code or assets from your IP. Saying that it infringes your IP rights is equivalent to maintaining for example that RivaTuner violates game publishers’ copyrights because it intercepts the images the game is drawing on screen and it processes them in order to overlay its statistics.”

Ross went on to say he wants to find a “win-win solution,” and suggested CD Projekt make his Cyberpunk VR mod official, “or at least sanctioned by your company.” He added: “I think the current state of affairs is not the best way to resolve this misunderstanding.”

As it stands, Ross has left his Cyberpunk VR mod behind (in a post on Patreon, Ross said, “So long, and thanks for all the fish,”), and he has pulled support for the game. Ross’ tweet here has sparked a debate about the legal implications of his mod, a point he expanded on in a post on Patreon:

“As usual they stretch the concept of ‘derivative work’ until it’s paper-thin, as though a system that allows visualizing 40+ games in fully immersive 3D VR was somehow built making use of their intellectual property,” he said. “And as usual they give absolutely zero f***s about how playing their game in VR made people happy, and they cannot just be grateful about the extra copies of the title they sold because of that — without ever having to pour money into producing an official conversion (no, they’re not planning to release their own VR port, in case you were wondering).

“The bottom line is all that matters, and gamers be damned.

“Am I a little bitter about all of this? Yeah, you bet I am. Especially in the same week when Meta pulls the plug on three major VR studios. Especially after four years during which I (together with other modders) spent so much time keeping our mods alive in spite of CDPR’s constant breaking updates. Especially when they never even knew or cared during all this time that the VR conversion was there, and are only knee-jerk reacting now because somebody reported to them that it existed and it was not free.”

This is not the first time Ross has been hit by a DMCA strike. In July 2022, Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two issued a DMCA notice against Ross for his GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 VR mods, among others. He made a similar argument against the decision back then, insisting “none of my modifications are built using software belonging to Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc, and the modifications are not intended to replace their games, nor are they a means of exploiting Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc’s proprietary IP or assets.”

Cyberpunk is just one of a number of games for which Ross has released VR mods, and he sounds undeterred by CD Projekt’s action here. Ross already has VR mods for the likes of Sony’s Days Gone, FromSoftware’s Elden Ring, and Ubisoft’s Far Cry 5 games. Now he’s turning his attention to Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Free-to-play dark fantasy action RPG Dark December from developer Needs Games has officially launched on PC, Android, and iOS with crossplay and cross-progression. It marks a return to the world of Undecember, this time with more streamlined gameplay built around three core character classes.

If you’re not already familiar with the series or need a little refresher, Undecember was a quarter-view hack-and-slash game with no classes. It introduced a world created by 12 beings who shared their powers and brought peace and prosperity to the land. In time, they came to be worshipped as gods. But then a 13th being arose, who introduced evil to the world and corrupted mankind.

Dark December brings you back to that world, but many years before the events of Undecember and in an alternate timeline. The camera can now be moved freely, and it also marks a departure from the complex progression systems of its predecessor, instead focusing on timing, skill use, and streamlined growth in three character classes: Berserker, Raven, and Morgana. The system is designed to be more approachable, so players new to the series can feel comfortable jumping into this prequel without missing anything.

Berserker is your classic melee-based physical attacker that uses a two-handed greatsword to unleash powerful strikes. It has very high HP and defense, so it’s meant to rush headlong into enemy hordes and take out large groups with its heavy strikes. Their unique ability sends them into a berserk state, which speeds up their attacks and makes them capable of dishing out big damage very quickly.

Raven is an archer class that can use multiple different arrow types to take advantage of enemy weaknesses. It’s quick and agile, so it’s designed to constantly stay on the move while keeping enemies at arms’ length and picking them off with precise strikes. Where Berserker is meant to soak up damage, Raven is meant to avoid it altogether.

That leaves Morgana, a spellcasting class that wields a staff and can summon spirits. It uses the staff to unleash poison and fire spells, while summons are infused with elemental energy and can be used for a variety of things. Some deal damage matching its elemental type, while others apply debuffs. So Morgana is all about strategy and versatility, combining their abilities to deliver steady, continuous damage.

As you’d expect, each of these classes unlock unique skills as they level up, and these can be further powered up through skill upgrades and the Support Rune system. Each skill has two Support Rune slots, where you can equip Support Runes that provide all kinds of different bonuses. Each skill also has its own type and attribute, and Support Runes can only be equipped in slots that are compatible with that type and attribute.

Offensive runes provide bonuses like increasing damage, crit rate, or expanding AoE range. Defensive runes can do things like shielding you or reducing damage. And utility runes can enhance status effects, reduce cooldowns, or increase skill usage count. These are just a few examples of each type, there are plenty more options to choose from. And you can freely swap out Support Runes at any time, giving you the chance to test out lots of different builds or change things up strategically for particular fights or situations.

While progression has been simplified and combat has been streamlined, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s not about memorizing one ability loop you can simply use over and over to decimate everything. You need to learn what works in what situations, adapt to new things being thrown at you, and use your abilities at the right time.

The central narrative of Dark December will take you through several different locations, and a waypoint system allows you to teleport between those areas quickly as well as return to a central hub area. There are also other gameplay modes you can play if you want to take a break from the main story.

The Abyss of Chaos is a dungeon that allows you to choose what region it’s based on, which alters its level and the rewards you can get from it. It also houses a randomly occurring event called the Realm of Chaos, which spawns powerful bosses that drop rare materials and resources.

The Hall of Oblivion is a challenge mode where you can choose the difficulty level and fight bosses from around the world. And Dimensional Rift: Veles is a defense mode where you and up to three other players can team up to see how long you can survive against neverending waves of enemies.

The monetization system is mostly focused on cosmetic items such as costumes and wings, and the game is designed so players who choose not to spend money are not at a disadvantage. Some stat-increasing items are also available through alternative routes, such as crafting or obtaining them directly through gameplay. This approach is intended to let players who prefer not to spend still enjoy the game without feeling pressured to pay.

Dark December is available to download now on PC, Android, and iOS. To keep up with the latest news and info, you can follow the game on Discord, YouTube, or TikTok.

Rockstar Games has reportedly granted the wish of a terminally-ill fan whose family member asked if they could play Grand Theft Auto 6 ahead of its November launch date.

The unnamed fan was contacted by Rockstar after a LinkedIn post from a relation blew up and apparently caught the attention of Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick (thanks, Insider Gaming).

Anthony Armstrong, a developer at Ubisoft Toronto, originally made the plea on behalf of his family member last month, calling for help from any connections or games industry colleagues in getting the message out.

“A member of my family who has been battling cancer for years just recently got the worst possible news, he was given 6-12 months to live,” Armstrong wrote. “The reason I’m reaching out is that they are a huge GTA fan and, with this latest updates [sic], he may not be around long enough to actually get to see GTA6 launch, best case scenario he will be leaving us the same month it does.

“He currently lives only a stones throw from [Rockstar’s] Oakville studio, so its my hope that one of you may be able to set up an exclusive playtest, so he can have a chance to experience the game, before passing.”

Armstrong later updated his post several times — firstly to confirm it had caught Zelnick’s attention, and then lastly to state that Rockstar Games had been in contact with “great news.”

“That’s all I can really say,” Armstrong concluded, “but thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Grand Theft Auto 6 is currently set for launch on November 19, following repeated delays. When announcing the latest change in arrival, Take-Two said it was “confident” the game would arrive then as a more polished experience.

Earlier today, emergency services were called to GTA 6 developer Rockstar North, following a boiler room incident that sparked the need for numerous fire crews. Rockstar has since played down the incident, and confirmed the office is now open again.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social