Category: IGN

Helldivers II developer Arrowhead Studios has announced that players can earn 50% extra XP and Requisition until the end of the day on Sunday in Central European Time thanks to a bug that prevented some players from earning rewards after a mission.

This morning, the official Helldivers II Twitter account posted a statement by Deputy Game Director, Sagar Beroshi in the hopes of addressing reports of the progress-preventing bug. The statement confirms that Arrowhead is working on a fix for the issue and that all players will receive the XP boost, not just those affected by the error.

A message to the HELLDIVERS 2 community from Deputy Game Director Sagar Beroshi about the upcoming weekend: pic.twitter.com/oqFQ9cG0QB

— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) February 16, 2024

Players looking to ensure that they’re benefitting from the surge in rewards should look for a Game Master Effect called “Accounting Corrections” while in the Super Destroyer. Beroshi then thanked the Helldivers II community for its support and patience.

Problems with players earning rewards after a mission are only some of the issues the comically-tinged shooter has faced since its launch earlier this month, though Arrowhead studios has promptly squashed many of these issues. Most recently, matchmaking is currently unusable according to Arrowhead Studios’ community manager, Katherine “Baskinator” Baskin, but players can still party up with their friends.

If you’re looking to take advantage of the boost in experience points this weekend, check out our guide for the best stratagems in Helldivers II! Or if you want to learn more about the game, here’s our Helldivers II review in progress.

Charlie Wacholz is a freelance writer at IGN.

Star Wars Jedi and Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment is reportedly working on a first-person Mandalorian video game.

Insider Gaming reports Respawn’s Mandalorian game, which in the early stages of development, lets players control a Mandalorian bounty hunter during a time when the Empire is dominating the galaxy. IGN has asked EA for comment.

The player is reportedly tasked with taking on bounties for cash, as you might expect from a Mandalorian video game. There’s word the iconic Mandalorian jetpack plays a part in the game’s “high mobility”, with boost sliding similar to that seen in Respawn’s battle royale, Apex Legends.

It’s said to be “fast-paced”, with health regenerating upon successive kills. Gadgets supposedly include a wrist rocket, grapple hook, and a visor for tagging enemies and bounties. According to Insider Gaming, this Mandalorian game is not open world, rather made up of linear levels set across multiple planets. There’s no word on multiplayer. As for when this game will come out, Insider Gaming reports it’s still a year or two away at least.

It’s extremely busy times for Respawn, which is working on the ongoing live service Apex Legends, the third game in the Star Wars Jedi series, an untitled Star Wars first-person shooter, and even a Star Wars strategy game.

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.

Following the revelation that Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone are getting a surprise Warhammer 40,000 crossover, a dataminer has revealed what the skins actually look like in-game.

Modern Warfare 3 dataminer TheOfficeCOD posted a video showcasing two Space Marine operator skins coming to Activision’s shooter, one from the Ultramarines chapter, the other from the Blood Angels.

#MW3 EXCLUSIVE MW3 x WARHAMMER 40K COLLABORATION LEAK‼️
The first look at the Marines in game!🤠
Is this a W Collab? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/tnIw3UJ5Dl

— TheOfficeCOD🏢 (@theofficecod) February 15, 2024

While the Space Marines look goofy holding Call of Duty guns (these Power Armour-clad transhuman warriors are meant to dwarf the average human in terms of size and power), it sounds like they are reserved for use with the Juggernaut killstreak, which lets you wear a hulking, armoured suit and wield a devastating minigun. That sounds much more up a Space Marine’s street. Perhaps the Juggernaut’s minigun will be swapped out for a Bolter, the iconic Space Marine weapon from Games Workshop’s grim dark sci-fi universe.

Indeed, TheOfficeCOD revealed the Warhammer 40,000 skins are labelled as Juggernaut in the files, and suggests they are reserved for a limited-time event or special game mode. But, there are Space Marine finishers, apparently, which suggests an Operator addition.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone are in the middle of Season 2, which promises a Juggermosh LTM in-season. This mode sees all players play as a Juggernaut in third-person, which would lend itself to seeing the Power Armour in all its glory were it to be aligned with the Warhammer 40,000 crossover. Modern Warfare 3 Season 2 Reloaded is set for early March.

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.

Nintendo’s latest console, the Nintendo Switch, has quickly become one of its best-selling consoles of all-time, surpassing even the likes of the massively popular Nintendo Wii. Since its launch in 2017, it has been heavily sought after by seasoned and casual gamers alike, as well as families due to its massive library of family-friendly Nintendo Switch games.

If you’re looking for the best places to purchase Nintendo Switch consoles online, we’ve got you covered with a full breakdown below, including pricing on current Nintendo Switch consoles, the best time to buy a Nintendo Switch, information on Nintendo Switch Online, as well as where to trade in your exisiting Nintendo consoles and games.

Where to Buy Nintendo Switch Consoles Online

If you’re looking to buy a new Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo Switch, or Nintendo Switch Lite, here’s where you can purchase them online in 2024. You can also check out our guide to the best Nintendo Switch deals for potential discounts.

Nintendo Switch OLED

Nintendo’s newest Switch is the Nintendo Switch OLED, aptly named due to its larger 7″ vivid OLED touchscreen display. Nintendo Switch OLED retails for an MSRP of $349.99. Internally, it’s no more powerful than the standard Nintendo Switch, but has double the internal storage at 64GB, an improved kickstand for tabletop mode and better speakers. Here are all of the main retailers currently selling this Switch model:

Nintendo Switch

The base Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console that can be enjoyed on the TV in docked mode, propped up on its kickstand for tabletop mode, and on-the-go in handheld mode. The standard Nintendo Switch retails for an MSRP of $299.99. It features a 6.2″ touchscreen display, 32GB of internal storage, and up to nine hours of battery life. Here are all of the main retailers currently selling this Switch model:

Nintendo Switch Lite

Nintendo Switch Lite is a smaller console designed for handheld play and comes in a variety of different colors including turquoise, gray, yellow, coral, and blue. It features a 5.5″ touchscreen display, 32GB of internal storage, and up to seven hours of battery life. The Nintendo Switch Lite retails for an MSRP of $199.99. It’s worth noting that the Nintendo Switch Lite cannot be connected to a TV and does not feature detachable Joy-Con controllers like the other two models. Here are all of the main retailers currently selling this Switch model:

How Much Does a Nintendo Switch Cost?

The Nintendo Switch family features three current models: Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch Lite. Currently, the Nintendo Switch OLED retails for an MSRP of $349.99, the Nintendo Switch retails for an MSRP of $299.99, and the Nintendo Switch Lite retails for an MSRP of $199.99. These prices don’t usually change much, even for Black Friday.

There are also a number of limited-edition bundles throughout the year that feature either a Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo Switch, or Nintendo Switch Lite, often with a unique color or design, and sometimes include a download code for a game or two in the box, as well.

Occasionally, Nintendo will release a special edition console such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom special edition, Splatoon 3 special edition, and the Pokemon Scarlet & Violet special edition, although these consoles do not come with any games.

Nintendo Switch Online Pricing

Nintendo Switch Online is an annual subscription that allows you to play games online with your friends and family, as well as gain access to a growing library of classic games across the NES, SNES, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance Catalogs. Additionally, there’s an expansion pack that provides access to DLC for popular games such as Mario Kart 8, Animal Crossing, and Splatoon 2, as well as adding a library of Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and Sega Genesis titles. There are also family plans for each that allow you to share your membership with up to eight accounts.

Nintendo Switch Online – Individual User

Nintendo Switch Online for a single user costs $19.99/year and allows you to play online with friends, as well as access a growing library of titles across NES, SNES, and Game Boy. You can also opt for shorter plans including $3.99 for a single month or $7.99 for three months. Additionally, you’ll be able to sync your game saves to the cloud and access the Nintendo Switch Online app on your mobile device.

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack – Individual User

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack for a single user costs $49.99/year and allows you to play online with friends, as well as access a growing library of titles across NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Sega Genesis. Additionally, you’ll have access to the Mario Kart 8: Booster Course Pass, Animal Crossing’s Happy Home Paradise expansion, as well as the Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion DLC. You’ll also be able to sync your game saves to the cloud and access the Nintendo Switch Online app on your mobile device.

Nintendo Switch Online – Family Plans

As previously stated, there are also family plans for Nintendo Switch Online. The base Nintendo Switch Online family plan is $34.99 per year, while the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack for the family costs $79.99 per year. Each plan includes the benefits of the corresponding individual plan above, but allows you to share these benefits with up to eight accounts.

Best Time to Buy a Nintendo Switch

Generally, the best time to buy a Nintendo Switch console is during major yearly shopping events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the various Amazon Prime Day sales. While Nintendo Switch consoles rarely go on sale, you can often scoop up limited-time bundles that include an additional game or two, a trial of Nintendo Switch Online, and more.

How to Trade in Your Old Nintendo Consoles

If you’re looking to trade in your old Nintendo consoles, you can do so at select retailers in-store and online. Often, the most widely available retailers are GameStop and Best Buy. However, you can also trade your used devices online at retailers such as Amazon and Microsoft.

Some retailers will offer you cash for your used goods, while others may provide you with a gift card that can be used in-store and online. This is a great way to offload your old gaming gear and get some money that you can put towards a newer console and games.

While trading devices in at retailers will often net you the lowest amount for your used consoles, there are also online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and OfferUp that may fetch higher prices, but you’ll often be responsible for packing and shipping costs, or be required to meet someone in person for the transaction, the latter of which poses its own risks.

Where to Trade in Nintendo Switch Games

Similar to Nintendo console trade ins, you can also trade your existing games in at specific retailers. The most widely available retailer accepting used video games is GameStop, but they are notorious for giving you pennies on the dollar for your pre-owned titles. However, if you’re looking for an easy way to offload some of your library for cash or in-store credit, this is a convenient option. You can always look up the expected trade-in value on GameStop’s website before heading into a store, so you know exactly how much you’ll receive. Additionally, you can trade in your used games online through Amazon in exchange for an Amazon gift card.

Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.

A Tomb Raider fan who was unofficially remaking the original games was hired as technical director on the Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered collection.

Timur Gagiev, better known online as XProger, celebrated the accomplishment with a series of posts on X/Twitter. Gagiev addressed fans asking about his unofficial remakes, called OpenLara, explaining they’ve not made any progress on them because of a certain “dream project”, which is the “culmination of the last eight years” of their life.

“I’m grateful to the heads of Saber Interactive for trusting me to lead the project and assemble a dream team of true fans,” Gagiev continued.

“From the beginning we had complete freedom and set ourselves an impossible goal, which could only be approached by a small ‘development team’ of crazy people, ready to work 24/7 [for the] next year with an absolute vision of what and for whom we are doing.

“Thanks to the original developers and community. We eagerly read all your comments, interviews, reviews, and reactions. The responsibility to you all was higher than the fear of deadlines and the insane amount of work.”

Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered arrived February 13 as an upgraded version of the original trilogy: Tomb Raider and The Unfinished Business expansion, Tomb Rader 2 and The Gold Mask expansion, and Tomb Raider 3 and The Lost Artifact Expansion.

Crystal Dynamics included a sensitivity warning in the collection for what it called “deeply harmful” racial and ethnic prejudices included, but said it didn’t remove them “in the hopes that we may acknowledge its harmful impact and learn from it”.

Its release was followed by the official reveal of protagonist Lara Croft’s redesign, which will presumably debut officially in Tomb Raider Next. The next mainline game in the franchise is currently being developed in Unreal Engine 5, with Amazon Games supporting development.

It will be the first new entry since 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which wrapped up a trilogy of games during the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One generation. This series reset Lara Croft’s origins in a grittier setting, but it’s unclear how Tomb Raider Next will fit into the equation.

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

Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has said the release of the Kingdom Hearts Sora Amiibo marks the end of his work on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

In a post on X/Twitter translated by Siliconera, Sakurai posted a photo of the Sora Amiibo alongside a statement celebrating its release and confirming the end of his work on the Nintendo Switch game.

“Sora’s Amiibo comes out today,” Sakurai began. “Thank you to everyone who worked on it (this was an amazing accomplishment). The design was always perfect, and the details and the colours look exactly as intended. The pose and sculpting look good as well.

ソラのamiiboが本日発売!
関係者のかた､本当にありがとうございました｡(スゴいことだと思います)
元々の完璧なデザインに､色分けも精細でバッチリ｡
造形もポーズもよいですね｡

全ファイターがamiibo化され､『スマブラSP』仕事もいよいよフィニッシュでしょうか｡おつかれさまでした｡ pic.twitter.com/zUBdMtA29y

— 桜井 政博 / Masahiro Sakurai (@Sora_Sakurai) February 16, 2024

“Now that all of the fighters have an Amiibo, my work on Super Smash Bros Ultimate is basically done. Thank you for everything.”

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launched in 2018 and Sora arrived as its final expansion fighter in 2021. The Kingdom Hearts character wrapped up an 89 character roster for the game, which includes fighters from The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, Banjo Kazooie, Dragon Quest, Persona, Mega Man, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Minecraft, and many more.

It’s this expansive roster that’s made the future of the franchise somewhat unclear, however. Sakurai said in October 2023 he’s not sure where to take Super Smash Bros. next, because “it’s difficult to imagine an increase of this magnitude happening again”.

Sakurai’s future in video games at all was even in question for a while, after the famed developer started a YouTube channel in August 2022 to reflect on his career and his time making games. Fans’ hope has been restored more recently though, as Sakurai said in January 2024 he’s still focused on making games and will be leaving his YouTube channel behind sometime this year.

These developments, alongside word that Sakurai considers his work on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate complete, will no doubt have fighting game fans looking to the future once again, eager to hear about the next game in the franchise.

If it does exist, Nintendo will perhaps look to line it up with its next console, which will reportedly be released in late 2024. Very little is known about what’s been dubbed the Switch 2, but more and more tidbits are emerging as the expected late 2024 release window approaches.

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

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios has released another patch for the popular co-op shooter which takes aim at the various matchmaking issues that have plagued launch.

While Helldivers 2 is a critical and commercial success, selling over one million copies across PlayStation 5 and PC, and becoming Sony’s biggest ever launch on Steam, its release has been blighted by server problems that made matchmaking a serious issue. Arrowhead even promised to compensate players for lost rewards.

The developer has worked to combat these issues since launch, admitting it was not prepared for the over 360,000 concurrent players it had to deal with. And now patch 01.000.008 is here on PS5 and PC to help in the fight.

According to the Helldivers 2 Steam page, the main areas of focus for the patch are resolving crashes, improving matchmaking, optimising the game’s server, and to update the new Defend event, which has seen new planets open up in the fight against the Automatons.

Helldivers 2 Update 01.000.008 Patch Notes

Fixes

The following issues have been fixed for this version.

• Matchmaking
• Playfab optimization
• Playfab environment optimized – All lobbies now have proper data to run more effective matchmaking
• Filtering optimization
• We are optimizing the filter system when players are searching for lobbies, so that it excludes already full lobbies.
• Stability and crashes
• We have fixed three of our top crashes in the game, including particle renderer crashes and ragdoll crashes.
• Fixed an issue where the application prioritized integrated graphics over some GPU in laptops.
• Defend Events and Major Orders.
• For readability purposes, we added a visual progression indicator to major order defend events

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.

• Players may still experience some instability while matchmaking.
• Background music, Sound effects and JP audio does not play during the opening cutscene. Japanese VO is also missing from the Ship TV.

It’s busy times in the world of Helldivers 2 following its impressive launch. This week, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt said the developer will “never” add PvP to Helldivers 2 in order to reduce “toxic elements” from the community. Speaking of the community, one of the cool things about Helldivers 2 is that players have established an ‘unspoken’ co-op etiquette, which is useful for a game in which voice comms are rarely used when playing with randoms.

And overnight, Xbox boss Phil Spencer brought up Helldivers 2, which is Sony’s first simultaneous PS5 and PC release, saying in an interview with Game File: “I will say, when I look at a game like Helldivers 2 — and it’s a great game, kudos to the team shipping on PC and PlayStation — I’m not exactly sure who it helps in the industry by not being on Xbox. If you try to twist yourself to say, like, somehow that benefited somebody somewhere.”

Check out IGN’s Helldivers 2 tips and tricks for getting started if you’re jumping in.

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 27th D.I.C.E. Awards have arrived and celebrated the best of the best in the world of video games from 2023. While there were a ton of winners, Baldur’s Gate 3 walked home with Game of the Year alongside Best Role-Playing Game and Outstanding Achievement awards in Story, Game Direction, and Game Design.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 may not have won Game of the Year, but it did lead the night with six wins – Action Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement awards in Animation, Character, Original Music Composition, Audio Design, and Technical Achievement.

No other game won multiple awards, but some of the other highlights included Alan Wake 2 winning Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom winning Adventure Game of the Year, Super Mario Bros. Wonder winning Family Game of the Year, and Street Fighter 6 winning Fighting Game of the Year.

You can check out the full list of winners from the 27th D.I.C.E. Awards below.

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

• Final Fantasy XVI
• Hi-Fi RUSH
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – WINNER
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

• Alan Wake 2 – WINNER
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Starfield

Outstanding Achievement in Character

• Alan Wake 2 – Saga Anderson
• Baldur’s Gate 3 – Astarion
• Baldur’s Gate 3 – Karlach
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Miles Morales – WINNER
• Thirsty Suitors – Jala

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

• Alan Wake 2
• Diablo IV
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – WINNER
• Planet of Lana
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

• Alan Wake 2
• COCOON
• Hi-Fi RUSH
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – WINNER
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Outstanding Achievement in Story

• Alan Wake 2
• Baldur’s Gate 3 – WINNER
• DAVE THE DIVER
• Thirsty Suitors
• Venba

Outstanding Technical Achievement

• Alan Wake 2
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – WINNER
• Hogwarts Legacy
• THE FINALS
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Action Game of the Year

• ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON
• Dead Space
• Hi-Fi RUSH
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – WINNER
• Remnant II

Adventure Game of the Year

• Alan Wake 2
• COCOON
• DAVE THE DIVER
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – WINNER

Family Game of the Year

• Disney Illusion Island
• Fae Farm
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure
• Midnight Girl
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder – WINNER

Fighting Game of the Year

• Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
• Pocket Bravery
• Street Fighter 6 – WINNER

Racing Game of the Year

• F-ZERO 99
• Forza Motorsport – WINNER
• Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged
• LEGO 2K Drive

Role-Playing Game of the Year

• Baldur’s Gate 3 – WINNER
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
• Diablo IV
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Starfield

Sports Game of the Year

• EA SPORTS FC 24
• MLB The Show™ 23 – WINNER
• WWE 2K23

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

• Against the Storm
• Cobalt Core
• Dune: Spice Wars – WINNER
• The Last Spell
• Wartales

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

• Asgard’s Wrath 2
• Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
• Horizon: Call of the Mountain – WINNER
• Vertigo 2
• We Are One

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

• Asgard’s Wrath 2 – WINNER
• Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
• Horizon: Call of the Mountain
• Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice
• Vertigo 2

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

• COCOON – WINNER
• DREDGE
• El Paso, Elsewhere
• Thirsty Suitors
• Venba

Mobile Game of the Year

• Gubbins
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure
• Honkai: Star Rail
• Terra Nil
• WHAT THE CAR? – WINNER

Online Game of the Year

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
• Diablo IV – WINNER
• Omega Strikers
• Street Fighter 6
• THE FINALS

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

• Baldur’s Gate 3 – WINNER
• COCOON
• DAVE THE DIVER
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

• Baldur’s Gate 3 – WINNER
• COCOON
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Game of the Year

• Alan Wake 2
• Baldur’s Gate 3 – WINNER
• COCOON
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The 27th D.I.C.E. Awards have arrived and are here to celebrate the best of the best in the world of video games from 2023. The show, which is put on by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) and takes place at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas, will feature 23 categories and 56 games that were nominated by and voted on by game developers.

Going into the show, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is leading the way with nine nominations, Alan Wake 2 is close behind with eight, Baldur’s Gate 3 is at seven, and Cocoon is at six. Anything can happen when D.I.C.E. begins, however, and we’ll be gathering all the winners here below and updating it live throughout the night, so be sure to keep checking back to see who took home the ultimate prizes!

You can also watch the show above if you’d like as IGN is the official media partner of this year’s D.I.C.E. Awards, which is hosted by IGN’s Stella Chung and Kinda Funny CEO and IGN alum Greg Miller. Good luck to all the games and incredible people behind them!

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

• Final Fantasy XVI
• Hi-Fi RUSH
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

• Alan Wake 2
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Starfield

Outstanding Achievement in Character

• Alan Wake 2 – Saga Anderson
• Baldur’s Gate 3 – Astarion
• Baldur’s Gate 3 – Karlach
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Miles Morales
• Thirsty Suitors – Jala

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

• Alan Wake 2
• Diablo IV
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – WINNER
• Planet of Lana
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

• Alan Wake 2
• COCOON
• Hi-Fi RUSH
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – WINNER
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Outstanding Achievement in Story

• Alan Wake 2
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• DAVE THE DIVER
• Thirsty Suitors
• Venba

Outstanding Technical Achievement

• Alan Wake 2
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Hogwarts Legacy
• THE FINALS
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Action Game of the Year

• ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON
• Dead Space
• Hi-Fi RUSH
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – WINNER
• Remnant II

Adventure Game of the Year

• Alan Wake 2
• COCOON
• DAVE THE DIVER
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – WINNER

Family Game of the Year

• Disney Illusion Island
• Fae Farm
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure
• Midnight Girl
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Fighting Game of the Year

• Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
• Pocket Bravery
• Street Fighter 6

Racing Game of the Year

• F-ZERO 99
• Forza Motorsport
• Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged
• LEGO 2K Drive

Role-Playing Game of the Year

• Baldur’s Gate 3 – WINNER
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
• Diablo IV
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Starfield

Sports Game of the Year

• EA SPORTS FC 24
• MLB The Show™ 23 – WINNER
• WWE 2K23

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

• Against the Storm
• Cobalt Core
• Dune: Spice Wars
• The Last Spell
• Wartales

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

• Asgard’s Wrath 2
• Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
• Horizon: Call of the Mountain
• Vertigo 2
• We Are One

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

• Asgard’s Wrath 2
• Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
• Horizon: Call of the Mountain
• Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice
• Vertigo 2

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

• COCOON
• DREDGE
• El Paso, Elsewhere
• Thirsty Suitors
• Venba

Mobile Game of the Year

• Gubbins
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure
• Honkai: Star Rail
• Terra Nil
• WHAT THE CAR? – WINNER

Online Game of the Year

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
• Diablo IV – WINNER
• Omega Strikers
• Street Fighter 6
• THE FINALS

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• COCOON
• DAVE THE DIVER
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• COCOON
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Game of the Year

• Alan Wake 2
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• COCOON
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Amid a flurry of Xbox news today, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed that four Xbox exclusives are headed to other platforms. He’s not, however, expecting other companies to take the same approach.

In an interview for Stephen Totilo’s Game File newsletter, Spencer specifically brought up Helldivers 2, Sony’s first simultaneous PS5 and PC release, while touching on the subject.

“I will say, when I look at a game like Helldivers 2 — and it’s a great game, kudos to the team shipping on PC and PlayStation — I’m not exactly sure who it helps in the industry by not being on Xbox,” he said. “If you try to twist yourself to say, like, somehow that benefited somebody somewhere.”

Still, Spencer relents a little bit, saying, “but I get it”: “There’s a legacy in console gaming that we’re going to benefit by shipping games and not putting them on other places. We do the same thing.”

He also pointed out that that Helldiver 2’s simultaneous release on PC and PS5 is “doing really well,” and he’s not wrong. The cooperative action sequel notched Sony’s biggest-ever game launch on Steam when it debuted last week.

The state of exclusive games

While Spencer doesn’t expect every other publisher to take Xbox’s approach, he did say during an Xbox podcast today that he has a “fundamental belief that, over the next 5 or 10 years, exclusive games – games that are exclusive to one piece of hardware – are gunna be a smaller and smaller part of the game industry.”

“That’s not some great insight, because if you look at the last 10 years and what the biggest games are today, it’s a natural place,” he said. “Whether it’s one console and PC; multiple consoles and PC; mobile, console, and PC; you see big games landing on multiple platforms, and we wanna be a great platform for creators that are trying to realize that potential.”

Spencer didn’t reveal what four Xbox games are headed to other platforms, but he did confirm that that number does not include Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Even then, in a separate interview with The Verge, he wouldn’t say they’ll never come to PS5, adding “I don’t think we should as an industry ever rule out a game going to any other platform.”

Altogether, it’s all spawned even more discourse about platform exclusivity, Xbox’s strategy, and a whole lot more. You can see everything we learned from today’s Xbox announcements right here.