Category: IGN

Amazon is currently offering Amazon Prime members a Romoss 40,000mAh USB Type-C Power Bank with 18W of USB Power Delivery for only $23.99 after you clip a 50% off coupon on the product page. Non-Prime members can get it for $29.99. That’s an excellent price for a pretty massive 40,000mAh power bank that’s also equipped with a USB Type-C output with 18W of Power Delivery, which is the ideal wattage for charging your Nintendo Switch gaming handheld.

Romoss 40,000mAh USB Type-C Power Bank for $23.99

Amazon Prime members only ($29.99 for non-Prime members)

The Romoss 40,000mAh power bank has a larger capacity than most portable battery backups we’ve seen. The tradeoff is its size; it’s a pretty hefty device, measuring in at 6.7 x 3.2 x 1.7 inches and weighing in at 2 pounds. It’s important to note that the Romoss can’t be brought onto the plane as carry-on. The maximum cutoff is 27,000mAh and 100Wh, whereas this powerbank is 40,000mAh and 148Wh. A smaller 10K mAh power bank might be a better choice as a daily driver or airplane travel, however the extra battery capacity is useful for when you don’t have access to a power outlet for longer periods of time.

There are four total ports: one USB Type-A input, one USB Type-C input/output, and two USB Type-A outputs. The maximum amount of Power Delivery is 18W via USB Type-C, which also happens to be the max charging speed for the Nintendo Switch. The Steam Deck, on the other hand, supports a max of 38W and the ASUS ROG Ally even higher at 65W. If you want the most efficient charging for those gaming systems, there are better (and more expensive) options. If you’re not in a rush, though, this power bank can still charge up all three without a problem, it will just take a little onger.

It’s important to note that technically, the Romoss can’t be brought onto the plane as carry-on. The maximum cutoff is 27,000mAh and 100Wh, whereas this powerbank is 40,000mAh and 148Wh.

For more options, check out our picks for the best powerbanks of 2024.

The day has finally come for Peacemaker fans to step into the shoes of the DC anti-villain in Mortal Kombat 1, becoming available to those who purchased Kombat Pack 1 as one of the previously announced DLC characters. And with that, we’ve also gotten a sizable patch that includes a number of fixes.

In addition to adding Peacemaker to the roster, the patch, released across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Steam, Epic Games Store, and Nintendo Switch, fixes some visual bugs with brutalities, and remedies a few issues in online play. Janet Cage has also been added as a DLC Kameo fighter, although she won’t be available until March. You can check out the full patch notes below.

Peacemaker, along with Omni-Man (from Invincible), Quan Chi, Ermac, Homelander (from The Boys), and Takahashi Takeda, was announced as one of the first DLC characters coming to Mortal Kombat 1 at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con. The characters are included as part of the Kombat Pack 1, but will be available as a separate purchase after a brief early access period for those who purchased the DLC pack.

In our review of Mortal Kombat 1, we wrote: “The bone-crunching gameplay of Mortal Kombat 1 is some of the best the series has ever seen, thanks to the game-changing Kameo system. Netherrealm delivers a fantastic single-player story mode as well. However, the new Invasions mode is a grind, and the online options feel dated.”

Mortal Kombat 1 February 2024 Patch Notes

PC, Steam, & Epic Games Store

• System requirement changes
  • Size from 100GB to 140GB to account for current and future Kombat Pack content

General Fixes & Adjustments

• Move list corrections & Localization fixes
• AI adjustments & improvements
• Improvements to Screen Reader functionality
• Added Peacemaker Roster Character
• Added Janet Cage Kameo Character (Available March 2024)
• Added UMK3 skins for Scorpion, Reptile, & Smoke and MK3 Skin for Sub-Zero
• Fixed several visual issues with brutalities
• Fixed visual issues with several projectiles after being reflected
• Fixed issue with cloth physics becoming active on frozen opponents during the in-game Fatal Blow attacks
• Match Timer now resumes immediately if a Fatal Blow misses or is blocked
• Added Kameo Form sound option to Accessibility Extra Audio Feedback Settings
• Fixed issue with Up Block vulnerability persisting after knockdown if some wakeup attacks were performed
• Fixed rare issue near arena corners that could result in excessively long delay before a turnaround occurs
• Using a Breaker while a Kameo Summon is being performed will now always put the Kameo on cooldown

Online

• Players can now manually link a game profile to a WB Friends Account
• Added Social Menu where players can add others to their WB Friend List & manage their WB Friend Account
• Added Krossplay support (PC, Xbox Series X/S, & PlayStation 5 versions) to Private Versus Matches
• Added Krossplay support (PC, Xbox Series X/S, & PlayStation 5 versions) to Ranked Kombat League & Kasual Versus matchmaking
• Fixed rare issue where UI & Announcer timing could be mismatched at round start in online matches
• Fixed rare issue where health could be slightly visually incorrect for a few frames after losing a round during some Fatal Blow cinematics
• Fixed online rollback issue with characters’ visuals changing when blocking certain brutalities starting attacks while at low health
• Adjusted Match found sound when looking for a Kombat League match
• Fixed an online issue that caused framerate to drop when the opponent continuously pauses during the match.

Invasions

• Added in-game HUD indicators showing Invasion Character Level & Elemental Types for the player & their opponent
• Added in-game HUD indicators displaying Modifiers active during a match
• Significantly increased Fighter & Kameo Mastery XP base rewards per Encounter, which is no longer no longer repeatable and are no longer subject to diminishing returns if the opponent is a lower level
• Increased Fighter & Kameo Mastery XP & item rewards from Encounters in the Gateway Mesa
• Removed negative passive bonuses from some Relics
• Konsumables with Stat Bonuses are now rewarded in more areas
• Krowns can now be rewarded for defeating Major Enemies
• Relic & Talisman Buy & Sell prices are now affected by Level & Rarity
• Fixed end of round slow motion happening on certain attacks when there could be more opponents left to fight in the encounter
• Fixed rare situation where the opponent losing to time out while performing an armored move could cause an incorrect animation

Practice Mode

• Damage text in Practice mode when hitting an opponent with an air-only attack will now display AIR instead of UNBLOCKABLE
• Added ability to configure the following Fighter & Kameo specific mechanics under “Practice Settings”
  • Ashrah
    • Heaven / Hell Mode Debuffs
  • Geras
    • Countdown Charges
  • General Shao
    • Axe & Dark Energy
  • Johnny Cage
    • Hype & Wowing Out
  • Kenshi
    • Sento & Spirit
  • Havik
    • Link Active
  • Nitara
    • Blood Sacrifice
  • Raiden
    • Electric Charge
  • Sindel
    • Inspire Active
  • Tanya
    • Royal Guidance
  • Quan Chi
    • Zones
  • Tremor
    • Variation
  • Khameleon
    • Disguise

Character Specific Adjustments

• Main Fighters
  • Ashrah
    • Bleeding Blade (Down + Back Punch) now deals bonus damage & causes knockdown reaction when hitting an opponent’s Kameo
  • Baraka
    • Fixed Chop Chop using same input regardless of Alternate Kontrols setting
  • General Shao
    • Fixed incorrect animation used when Kameo Fatality is performed while Axe is planted
    • Fixed issue that could cause incorrect blood locations when komboing Jump Attacks into Basic Attacks
  • Geras
    • Fixed a rare issue that could cause Geras to not teleport after hitting a Main Fighter & Kameo with Inevitable at the same time
  • Havik
    • Skab Stab (Away + Back Punch, Back Punch, Throw) no longer allows the opponent to perform a Kameo Ambush Attack while in its hit reaction
    • Fixed Enhanced Neoplasm having no sound effects when performed at very close distance to the opponent
    • Fixed lingering visual with Enhanced Blood Bath if Disarmed And Dangerous (Fatal Blow) is used before activating Corpse Taunt
  • Johnny Cage
    • Fixed invulnerability to high attacks during the some of the recovery frames of Ball Buster while in Wowing Out hype state
  • Kenshi
    • Kameo Meter color is now blue when Ancestor is active
    • Kenshi will now take 20 damage when Ancestor is hit by an attack
    • Ancestor is now vulnerable to attacks while Kenshi is performing a throw attempt
    • Fixed situation where hitting the Ancestor while in certain actions would cause two hitsparks to occur
  • Kung Lao
    • Fixed throw immunity during some recovery frames of Hat Toss
  • Li Mei
    • Enhanced Nova Blast’s followup hits are no longer sometimes blockable when done at full screen against certain characters
  • Liu Kang
    • Fixed visual issue that could occur when Dragon’s Breath is interrupted by Sub-Zero’s Ice Klone
  • Mileena
    • Slightly adjusted Hit Region on Straight Sai & Enhanced Straight Sai
    • Fixed issue with Feral Gashes (Front Punch, Back Punch, Throw) no longer allows the opponent to perform a Kameo Ambush Attack while in its hit reaction
    • Fixed issue that could cause (Air) Enhanced Teleport Down & (Air) Homing Ball to not be possible while in the air from Khameleon’s Fan Lift
    • Fixed issue causing a misaligned teleport attack to occur if Enhanced Sai Toss connects with an opponent’s kameo
    • Fixed visual misalignment during “Maybe Next Time” brutality
  • Nitara
    • Fixed visual issue with Wings having improper animation after missing Fatal Blow
  • Rain
    • Rain God Waterball is no longer destroyed if Rain is hit after the projectile becomes active
    • Fixed Ancient Trap interacting with some reflect moves
    • Fixed issue that could cause (Air) Confluence Beam to not be possible while in the air from Khameleon’s Fan Lift
  • Reiko
    • Fixed rare issue that could cause Reiko to switch sides with the opponent when performing The Soldier’s Spearit (Fatal Blow) while close to the arena corner
      • Fixed visual issue when Tactical Takedown is interrupted by Kameo Kung Lao’s Away We Go
  • Shang Tsung
    • Fixed Bed of Spikes interacting with reflect moves
    • Added visual effect to signify when Form Stealer damage boost has ended
    • Fixed issue with Form Stealer cloth physics not functioning correctly in certain circumstances when returning to Shang Tsung form
  • Sindel
    • Kameo Meter color is now pink when Enhanced Queen’s Kommand is active
    • Using Snatched (Fatal Blow) while Enhanced Queen’s Command is active no longer ends control over opponent’s Kameo
    • Fixed rare issue that could cause Sindel’s Kameo to become unresponsive if some Fatal Blows were performed immediately after hitting an opponent’s Kameo with Enhanced Queen’s Command
    • Stolen Kameos using Enhanced Queen’s Kommand performing a buff move will no longer wait for the buff to expire before returning to their partner
  • Smoke
    • Fixed rare issue that could cause Smoke to become invisible for an extended period of time if he is interrupted during Everywhere (Back Punch, Front Punch, Back Punch) at specific timing
  • Sub-Zero
    • Fixed visual issue that could cause Ice Klones to appear in cinematics
  • Tanya
    • Spinning Splits Kick and (Air) Spinning Splits Kick can now hit the opponent’s Kameo
    • Heavenly Hand & Enhanced Heavenly Hand now continue to be active after hitting an opponent’s Kameo
    • Spinning Splits Kick & (Air) Spinning Splits Kick air hit reaction knocks down for 1 frame longer
    • Fixed Cudgel Strike (Down + Back Punch) now deals bonus damage & causes knockdown reaction when hitting an opponent’s Kameo
    • Fixed rare situation with 100 Hands (Fatal Blow) not going into cinematic despite its attack connecting on opponent in certain circumstances with Kameo Goro
  • Omni-Man
    • Fixed issue with Spilled Kontents (Towards + Back Kick, Front Punch, Throw) no longer allows the opponent to perform a Kameo Ambush Attack while in its hit reaction
  • Quan-Chi
    • New move Zone of Waste added. It creates a zone that drains meter from the opponent and if the opponent stands in it for an extended period Quan Chi will briefly gain armor
    • Zone of Fear now lasts 2 seconds longer
    • Zone of Fear & Zone of Power along with Zone of Waste can now be active at the same time
    • Field of Bones & Enhanced Field of Bones now activates the cage trap if the opponent blocks the attack
    • Field of Bones & Enhanced Field of Bones now has an increased duration on the cage trap
    • Adjusted victim region while duck blocking
    • Fixed inconsistency between air and ground hit reactions for Zone of Power Enhanced Head Rush allowing the opponent to block followup attacks at certain distances
    • Fixed Koccyx Krusher (Away + Front Kick, Back Kick, Back Punch) having improper animation and auto-correcting if performed as the opponent jumps over
    • Fixed Sareena Jataaka’s Kurse still triggering if it is only connecting with Field of Bones
    • Fixed Skewer Strike tracking the opponent if the first hit connects with Field of Bones
    • Fixed lingering visual effects if opponent is interrupted during the hit reaction of Enhanced Head Rush
    • Fixed several unintended visual effects lingering during cinematics
    • Fixed visual issue with skull projectiles lingering on screen if they are evaded by Omni-Man’s Viltrumite Stance
    • Fixed visual issue with lingering effects after hitting Field of Bones with Sub-Zero’s Ice Klone Charge
    • Fixed an issue which would allow opponent’s Shujinko to use Zone of Power to buff their projectiles
    • Fixed visual issue with Zone of Fear that could cause visual effects on the opponent to linger after they have exited the zone
• Kameo Fighters
  • Darrius (Kameo)
    • Fixed AI being unable to perform several followups to Tornado Kick
    • Twister Kicks, Double Daegon Kick, Eat Dirt, & Heelturn Attacks are no longer affected by projectile Invulnerability
  • Jax (Kameo)
    • Kameo Meter color now changes when Ground Pound is active
    • Adjusted AI behavior when it tries to avoid Ground Pound
  • Kano (Kameo)
    • Fixed visual issues with several Fighters’ weapons during the Eye Laser and Forward Throw animations
  • Kung Lao (Kameo)
    • Fixed animation issue when the Spin is blocked at far ranges
  • Motaro (Kameo
    • Fixed rare issue with Reflect which could cause some projectiles to still be reflected after it hits a main character
  • Scorpion (Kameo)
    • The main character will now pass through other characters when pulled by Get Over Here
    • Fixed visual issue with Hell Blades brutality causing the victim to move in certain circumstances
  • Shujinko (Kameo)
    • When morphing into the opponent Shang Tsung’s kameo and using the full Kameo Meter, Shujinko will return to his normal state
    • Stolen Kitana Fan-Nado can now be directed close or far
    • Fixed issue causing Kopy Kat & Mimic to increase the hype meter for Johnny Cage when used
    • Fixed visual issues with using Reptile Invisibility and Stolen Acid Spit at the same time
  • Sub-Zero (Kameo)
    • Fixed rare issue with Arctic Armor not deactivating when hit by low attacks in certain circumstances
    • Fixed lingering visual effects appearing after missing Fatal Blow
  • Tremor (Kameo)
    • Fixed issue with Tremor still being vulnerable to attacks after using Crystal Armor and disappearing
    • Fixed Rolling Rock visual effects lingering after it collides with Sub-Zero’s Ice Klone
  • Khameleon (Kameo)
    • HUD weapon icon will now pulse to indicate Disguise is about to change
    • Slightly increased damage scaling on Glaive, Roll, & Fan Lift when used in a combo
    • Fan Lift will now work on characters that have projectile immunity active
    • Fixed Breaker being possible while Khameleon is on cooldown
    • Using Khameleon Roll & Mileena Roll in the same combo will no longer cause alternate hit reaction
    • Fixed visual issue that could cause weapons to appear incorrectly in Tower victory cinematic

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Square Enix has caused havoc in Japan by accidentally mislabelling all the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth discs.

As reported by Gematsu, the once boasted two-disc physical edition of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has had a bit of a misstep, as a manufacturing error has seen every Play Disc printed with “Data Disc” and every Data Disc printed with “Play Disc”.

Square Enix issued a statement on its Japanese website announcing the error and explaining to players they’ll need to swap the discs during the installation process. “We apologise for the inconvenience this has caused,” it said.

Square Enix advertised the two discs boldly when it announced Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s launch window, putting “on two discs” on the big screen to the amusement of fans.

The highly anticipated sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake arrives tomorrow, February 29, and lets players explore iconic locations from the original like Gold Saucer and Junon. The latter can be explored in the recently updated demo too.

In our 9/10 review of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, IGN said: “Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth impressively builds off of what Remake set in motion, both as a best-in-class action-RPG full of exciting challenges and an awe-inspiring recreation of a world that has meant so much to so many for so long.”

Those looking to see how long it takes to get through the epic can also check out IGN’s How Long Is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? guide.

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

The developer of Steam hit Last Epoch has addressed the influx of negative reviews that came in after the action RPG’s bumpy launch.

Last Epoch is one of the most-played games on Steam, but its long-standing Early Access user review rating of ‘mostly positive’ plummeted to ‘mixed’ in recent reviews after the game launched in 1.0 form with a raft of issues that prevented people from playing. Online connectivity was so bad that Eleventh Hour Games announced plans to give players an in-game gift as compensation.

Now, in a post on Steam, Eleventh Hour Games founder and game director Judd Cobler expressed his surprise and delight at hitting 265,000 players online at one time over the weekend, the 39th highest concurrent user count recorded on Steam ever.

“We appreciate you all bearing with us as the load initially gave us trouble for online gameplay, but we’re happy to say that we’re holding mostly steady above 200,000 players in-game and have made improvements each day in the backend infrastructure to support the demand,” Cobler said. “We’ll continue to monitor and address any issues that crop up.”

Still, Last Epoch’s ‘mixed’ user review rating remains, at least for now, and clearly it’s caused some concern within the game’s community and Eleventh Hour Games itself, so much so that Cobler moved to calm the player base, declaring: “Last Epoch is here to stay.”

“While we’re continuing to receive high praise about the game itself, Steam reviews and sentiment took a heavy hit due to the initial turbulence of online services at launch,” Cobler said. “We are committed to regaining that trust by making improvements to our backend infrastructure for this amount of load and providing a great experience for online play.

“We take time to read your reviews and feedback on Steam, socials, and our forum and take swift action to improve the areas that we see players are dissatisfied with. We know that seeing our Steam reviews lower than they’ve ever been is concerning to players who are looking forward to the future of Last Epoch, but we want to assure you that the team has always been committed to making a game you can enjoy and expect updates from for years to come. We’ve seen that passion reflected back at us in the community this past week, and it has bolstered our resolve to that goal even further.

“Last Epoch is here to stay.”

To that end, Cobler outlined future content plans, including the upcoming patch, 1.1. There’s a heavy emphasis on expanding end-game content now Last Epoch has launched out of early access. “For future patches we have plans to expand the monolith, bring great new itemization options, add more boss content, class and balance updates, campaign content, etc,” Cobler revealed.

“For 1.1 specifically we’ll be focusing on bringing some ‘pinnacle’ content, or very hard fights that will give you challenges to aspire to. We’ll be sharing more on this and more of what’s to come in 1.1 in the not too distant future.”

Elsewhere, Cobler reaffirmed plans to release Last Epoch on console “in the future”, and so improvements it’s making to the existing gamepad support will benefit the game long-term.

IGN’s Last Epoch review returned an 8/10. “Push past its one-note campaign and Last Epoch is an impressive, time-bending action RPG that combines rich customization with modern action,” we said.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology Edition for PC is up for preorder, with a release date that’s not too far away either on April 11. This collection will set you back $59.99 and contains PC codes for Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, Fallout New Vegas: Ultimate Edition, Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition, Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition, and Fallout 76. On top of that, they’re all packaged inside a mini-nuke case that even features an audible bomb sound.

This is a must-have investment for Fallout fans. You can preorder yours at the link below.

Bethesda’s Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology Edition for PC is Up for Preorder

Games included:

• Fallout
• Fallout 2
• Fallout Tactics
• Fallout New Vegas: Ultimate Edition
• Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
• Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition
• Fallout 76

The timing of this release also lines up well with the brand new Fallout TV show, which will premiere on Prime Video on April 12. Considering the show’s creators have stated that they view the new series as Fallout 5, there’s no better time to go back and revisit all of the previous games and their stories. McFarlane Toys is even releasing some new Fallout figures alongside the series, if you’re looking to pick some up for your collectible collection.

If you’re looking for even more games to preorder, there’s plenty to look forward to this year. Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is one highly-anticipated release, set to come out on June 21, and is available to preorder right now with a variety of different editions. These range from a digital download of the expansion alone, which will set you back $39.99, to a $249.99 Collector’s Edition. But, if you’re curious to see what’s coming out in the next few weeks, check out our Dragon’s Dogma 2 preorder guide. There, you can learn more about what editions are available to preorder ahead of its release on March 22.

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

Former Call of Duty: Black Ops developer David Vonderhaar has founded a new studio and announced a new first-person co-op game.

The remote-first Los Angeles-based studio, called BulletFarm, is backed by NetEase and on the hunt for staff. It’s working on “an ambitious new AAA game set in an original universe with an emphasis on co-operative gameplay”, NetEase said. This unannounced new game is built using Unreal Engine 5, and “will craft a more intimate and relatable experience while offering a fresh take on first-person gameplay.” Also at BulletFarm as creative director is Chris Cowell, who also worked at Treyarch on the Call of Duty series.

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has released yet another patch for the hugely popular co-op shooter, and it makes some key fixes for troublesome issues.

Patch 1.000.13 fixes the Super Credits issue that was preventing the in-game resource from showing up after purchase or collection. Elsewhere, the patch fixes the unlimited stratagem use glitch that occurred after an AFK kick. This was something IGN reported on as part of shining a spotlight on the growing problem of cheating in Helldivers 2. On that, there’s no note about anti-cheat in this latest patch.

Helldivers 2 is Sony’s biggest PC game launch of all time, with a peak concurrent player figure of 458,709 on Steam. Helldivers 2’s success has even sparked renewed interest in Starship Troopers, the film from which it draws quite a bit of inspiration. If you’re playing, be sure to check out IGN’s Helldivers 2 guide.

There’s a lot going on in the world of Helldivers 2. IGN has reported on the fall of Malevelon Creek, one of the game’s most popular maps, as part of the galaxy-wide war against the bugs and bots. We’ve also reported on how Helldivers 2 players are kicking teammates who don’t have ‘meta’ loadouts, and Arrowhead’s return to the “original plan” now it’s on top of the server issues.

Helldivers 2 Update 1.000.13 Patch Notes

Fixes

• Improved: login speed and error messages on PS5
• Improved: support for AZERTY keyboards by allowing the Ship HUD shortcuts to be rebound
• Fixed: Super Credits not showing up after purchase or collection
• Fixed: Premium Warbond not being accessible after purchase
• Fixed: crash which could occur when a player changed their rank or title
• Fixed: missing text in HUD for Acquisitions and Social menus
• Fixed: crash which could occur while browsing the mission Hologram
• Fixed: unlimited stratagem use glitch which occurred after an AFK kick
• Fixed: missing equipment issues after an AFK kick
• Fixed: purple question marks appearing after an AFK kick

Known Issues

These are issues that were either introduced by this patch and are being worked on, or are from a previous version and have not yet been fixed.

• New Personal Orders are not showing.
• Login rate limiting when many are logging in at the same time.
• Players can become disconnected during play.
• Rewards and other progress may be delayed or not attributed.
• Various UI issues may appear when the game interacts with servers.
• Pick-up of certain objects in-game may cause characters to freeze in place for an extended period of time.
• Some games would not be joinable by others for a short period of time during heavy load.
• Other unknown behaviors may occur.
• Japanese VO is missing from intro cutscene and Ship TV.
• Armor values for light/medium/heavy armor do not currently function as intended.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been getting some tremendous reviews, even getting a 9/10 from us at IGN, and plenty of critical acclaim elsewhere as well. The game is finally out on February 29, so there’s only a limited window remaining in which to secure the best deal on your preorder for the game, and so you can play at launch with everyone else. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth preorders are currently down to just £51.96 in the UK (see here), all you need to do is use code LEAP20 at checkout to secure the offer.

This is a tremendous deal, and guaranteed to arrive on launch day February 29. But, as it’s also over £18 off the RRP, it’s already gone out of stock once and since come back, so we’d recommend securing your order ASAP to avoid disappointment. If you order today, the game will likely still turn up tomorrow as The Game Collection has a great track record with last-minute orders.

There’s plenty more on offer in the LEAP20 sale at eBay as well, with hundreds of trusted sellers discounting tech, video games, homeware, and more. Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is also on sale right now, down to just £23.96 with LEAP20 as well.

Other great deals in the eBay sale right now include Helldivers 2 for £30.28, Dragon’s Dogma 2 for £50.36, and Steam Deck (LCD model) for £375. These deals will expire at 11:59 PM on February 29, so don’t delay if you’re looking to secure the offer.

In our review of Rebirth, we said: “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth impressively builds off of what Remake set in motion, both as a best-in-class action-RPG full of exciting challenges and an awe-inspiring recreation of a world that has meant so much to so many for so long.” If you’re in the US, check out our Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth preorder guide here instead.

It was also recently announced at the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth State of Play that a demo is now available to download via the PlayStation Store. It will let fans play as Cloud and Sephiroth in a sequence from the early part of the game among other content. This is a great opportunity to try the game out before you commit to purchasing via the deal we mentioned above.

There’s also a new relationship system, called Bonds of Friendship, that has been added to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. As explained in the system’s tutorial, “the strength of these bonds can alter portions of the story.” One of those story moments is the Gold Saucer date, and you’ll be able to see how your potential partner feels about you via a variety of emoji-like faces.

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

The Helldivers 2 community was left in tatters after fan-favorite planet Malevelon Creek, dubbed ‘Space Vietnam’ by players, finally fell to the Automatons.

The community reacted in horror overnight as they discovered Malevelon Creek with the dreaded ‘0% Liberated’ flag, and, even more devastating, a ‘Planet Lost’ retreat order. This made the planet inaccessible, and players have even reported getting booted from its surface mid-mission.

Malevelon Creek is widely thought of as Helldivers 2’s best planet. It sees players go up against Automatons — Terminator-style killer robots – in an atmospheric environment clearly inspired by iconic imagery from Vietnam war movies. Its eternally twilight forest biome is creepy, awe-inspiring, and, if you’re doing well, more than a little heroic.

But overnight, Malevelon Creek fell in a surprise twist in the ongoing meta narrative that makes up Helldivers 2’s Galactic War. Here, Super Earth and the alien enemy wrestle for control over entire sectors of the galaxy as players battle to complete operations (sets of missions) and positively contribute to each planet’s liberation status.

Here’s a snippet of the reaction to the fall of Malevelon Creek:

We’ve lost Malevelon Creek.

The Automatons won.. pic.twitter.com/xut96CP7Pg

— 『ʀᴀᴢᴏʀ』 (@Razor_VRC) February 27, 2024

we lost malevelon creek pic.twitter.com/nGGmPzd9vi

— Sara (@Sarapocalypse) February 28, 2024

// For Immediate Public Release

// 2/27/2024

[Unknown] on Malevelon Creek, having missed the last Pelican out after the planet fell, requesting the remaining Destroyers in the system glass his grid square before warping out.

We will return. pic.twitter.com/pJvLAd5qq8

— Shadz (@Shadzey1) February 28, 2024

Malevelon Creek fell… it was all for nothing… pic.twitter.com/YJxvE6jFZS

— B0l (@Bolverk15) February 28, 2024

Meanwhile, on what’s left of Malevelon Creek… pic.twitter.com/32p3ZKTMB8

— Chillton 🪶 (@The_Chillton) February 28, 2024

malevelon creek fell less than an hour ago o7 pic.twitter.com/G7OzP8n4re

— sen (@tailsinge) February 27, 2024

⚡️BREAKING: HELLDIVERS EVACUATED THE EMBASSY ON MALEVELON CREEK, TOTAL HELLDIVER PULLOUT ANNOUNCED ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/NLw0JovKwf

— Winters 🐺👻|| VIdiot (@Thee_marked_one) February 28, 2024

It truly is the saddest of days #HelldiversII #HELLDIVER2 pic.twitter.com/IUf8sRkugu

— Helldivers Alerts (@HelldiversAlert) February 28, 2024

However, as of this morning, the fightback has begun. IGN has verified a tiny percentage pushback on Malevelon Creek as players work to wrestle control away from the Automatons. Malevelon Creek is playable once again.

Deck Nine, the studio behind Life Is Strange entries Before the Storm and True Colors, as well as The Expanse: A Telltale Series, laid off 20% of its staff today.

The studio announced the news in a statement on X/Twitter today, writing, “Like many others in the games industry right now, Deck Nine has been affected by the game industry’s worsening market conditions.”

“These people are amazing, talented, and awesome developers,” the statement adds. “They have made a huge impact during their time at Deck Nine Games and we did not take this decision lightly. Please hire these people if you can, they’re amazing.”

pic.twitter.com/rEVSYzwLQp

— Deck Nine Games (@DeckNineGames) February 27, 2024

Deck Nine didn’t specify how many people that 20% equates to, but IGN understands that the studio employed roughly between 100 and 130 staffers prior to today’s layoffs.

A number of the laid-off staffers were quick to post about the news on social media. Elizabeth Ballou, who served as a Narrative Designer at Deck Nine, wrote that all workers affected by the layoffs would be getting only two weeks of severance pay, regardless of time spent at the company.

we are all getting 2 weeks of severance, including people who have worked at the studio for 7+ years.

— elizabeth ballou (@lizbetballou) February 27, 2024

Deck Nine previously went through another round of layoffs last May which, according to a statement sent to GameDeveloper.com, affected 30 people. As mentioned, the studio is best known for its work on its work on the Life Is Strange series, including 2022’s Remastered Collection, as well as The Expanse title it co-developed with Telltale Games.

As Deck Nine’s statement notes, it’s unfortunately only the latest in a long list of layoffs to hit the games industry over the past year. Just earlier today, Sony announced layoffs at PlayStation that will affect 900 staff members, or about 8% of its global workforce. Microsoft, meanwhile, is laying off a shocking 1,900 people from its video game workforce, it was revealed earlier this year. An estimated 10,000 game workers lost their jobs in 2023 alone, and this year has continued to be relentless in the industry.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.