Take-Two CEO Says a Long-Term Video Game Actor Strike ‘Wouldn’t Be Good for Anyone’

Video game voice actors continue to strike in an effort to push gaming companies toward a deal on AI protections for all actors. But while CEOs at major publishers like EA and Take-Two don’t think the strike will have a short-term business impact, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledges that a “long-term strike wouldn’t be good for anyone.”

Speaking to IGN today ahead of the company’s Q1 earnings, Zelnick responded to a question about whether or not the strike would impact the company’s business broadly. Like EA CEO Andrew Wilson, he doesn’t expect an immediate impact to the business. That’s to be expected, given that technically games in production before August 25, 2023 are not officially struck work. While actors can still opt to express solidarity by refusing to work on them, it seems likely that most of Take-Two’s upcoming slate of games already has most of its acting work complete anyway. GTA VI, for instance, isn’t expected to be impacted.

But should the strike wear on for longer, potentially impacting projects signed since last year or which don’t have acting work captured yet, Zelnick admits it wouldn’t be a good thing.

“We deeply value our talent relationships. Historically, we’ve worked really successfully with all the guilds, including SAG-AFTRA. We’re going to continue to work hard to come to a resolution. We’ve already reached common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, so I’m confident we can find a way to get to a deal and we certainly hope that we will. That said, we do not expect the strike to have an impact on our business in the near-term. Obviously, a long-term strike wouldn’t be good for anyone.”

As Zelnick notes, SAG-AFTRA and game companies have come to an agreement on 24 out of 25 proposals, with the remaining proposal concerning use of artificial intelligence to create digital replicas of actors for use in games. Union members are demanding that companies disclose use of generative AI to create such models to actors and receive consent before doing so, as well as compensation for that use.

SAG-AFTRA claims that among other disagreements, companies are attempting to exclude certain types of actors from these agreements, while the union wants these agreements to cover everyone: face, motion, and voice actors. We’ve written elsewhere about what this strike and its impacts might mean for gamers.

Take-Two reported total net bookings of $1.22 billion for the quarter, within its guidance, and projects net bookings between $1.4 billion and $1.47 billion for Q2. Its full year guidance remains unchanged, expecting between $5.55 billion and $5.65 billion in net bookings. The company also reported that GTA V sales have exceeded 200 million, and Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold over 65 million units today. Its expectations for GTA 6’s release in Fall of 2025 remain unchanged.

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

Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition Is Up for Preorder

It took a while, but you can finally preorder the Final Fantasy Pixel Remastered games physical form. Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition is set to release October 8 for Switch and PS4 (don’t worry, you can play the PS4 version on PS5 just fine). It costs a hefty $74.99, but it does collect souped-up versions of the first six mainline Final Fantasy games. It also comes with a sticker sheet, so that’s something.

Preorder Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition

Switch

PS4

There are no other editions (besides the digital versions), so this is the one to get.

Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition Bonus

As a pack-in bonus for everyone who picks up this collection, you’ll get a sticker sheet. It includes 12 circular stickers featuring delightful sprite art of characters from the games. There’s a black mage, a moogle, Terra, Kane, and even one of Kefka on his back laughing his unforgettable laugh.

What’s Included in Final Fantasy I-VI Collection?

The collection contains the pixel remasters of the first six Final Fantasy games. Rather than doing a major artistic revamp like Square Enix has done for some of these games in the past, the art in these editions is tastefully updated to look good on modern displays. It retains the pixelated look, but it’s visually cleaner, and it looks great whether you’re playing on a giant TV or in handheld mode.

The soundtracks have gotten orchestral upgrades, with the new versions overseen by the original composer Nobuo Uematsu. They’ve also ironed out some of the quirks of the originals and rebalanced the difficulty and added quality-of-life options to turn off random encounters and bump up experience and gil earned. Overall, there’s not a lot to complain about.

For more, check out all the biggest upcoming video game release dates.

Other Preorder Guides

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Threads.

The Best DC Board Games for Fans of the Comics

With James Gunn’s soft reboot of the DC Extended Universe looming, there has never been a better time to brush up on your DC Comics lore. And while reading comics is great, it’s also a lot of fun to play board games. Board games can do a lot, including expose you to delightful comic lore. The below list of the best DC Comics board games will help you explore and learn more about these characters, while immersing you and your friends in exciting gameplay for players of all ages and levels of experience.

TL;DR DC Comics Board Games

DC Deck-Building Game

  • Players: 2-5 players
  • Age Range: 15+
  • Play Time: 30-45 minutes

Easily the most popular game on this list, the DC Deck Building Game has been going strong since 2012, with countless expansions covering the vast DC Multiverse and giving the spotlight to its enormous cast of the most popular and lesser known superheroes and villains. It’s a deck-building game, of course. In it, players battle it out to see who can triumph over the others with the most Victory Points – whoever does, wins. You do this by first choosing one hero to play as, then build your deck turn by turn as you power up, use unique abilities, and do battle with iconic villains. Numerous card combos help spice up your strategy each time you play.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – The Game

  • Players: 1-2
  • Age Range: 14+
  • Play Time: 90 minutes

A huge game that can be enjoyed as a solo board game, Frank Miller’s legendary story is adapted into a tabletop experience spanning four Books, each with unique mechanics, characters, and rules, and each subsequent Book’s outcomes are affected by the previous. Each Book’s campaign lasts around 90 minutes, so planning the best strategy with your cards and items to come out on top is key. This game is light on story, and prior knowledge of the source graphic novel is highly recommended.

Funkoverse: DC Comics Board Game

  • Players: 2-4
  • Age Range: 10+
  • Play Time: 20-60 minutes

Quick and easy to set up and friendly to all ages, the Funkoverse DC Comics is a perfect board game for kids, useful for introducing younger gamers and future comics fans to the DC Universe. The game begins by each player agreeing on one of many scenarios, then going through the steps of each round: Choose a character, take two actions, then exhaust (players can only choose non-exhausted characters at the start of their turn). Actions allow characters to move, assist others, use items, and interact with the environment. Funkoverse has a number of different expandalones stretching across different IPs that are all compatible with each other, so you can play the ultimate mash-up game.

The Batman Who Laughs Rising

  • Players: 1-4
  • Age Range: 15+
  • Play Time: 60-90 minutes

The Op Games’ next iteration in their long-running Rising series, The Batman Who Laughs Rising shines the spotlight on one of the DC Universe’s most unique and evil villains out there: The Batman Who Laughs, a hybrid of Batman and the Joker from a different universe. Gameplay is heavily dice-based, as players will roll numerous dice in order to recruit allies, take out baddies, and use unique abilities, all culminating in a showdown with the titular antagonist at the end of your session, included with the game as an impressive oversized miniature statue.

DC Comics Dice Masters: Justice Campaign Box

  • Players: 2
  • Age Range: 14+
  • Play Time: 30 minutes

This iteration of the DC Comics Dice Masters game is based on the Justice limited series by legendary comics writer and artist Alex Ross. This campaign box is an oversized starter set for experienced and newer players alike, including 15 playable characters, their dice, the rulebook, dice bags, over 70 cards, and more. Players begin by choosing their character cards and their corresponding dice. As the name implies, this is a dice-rolling board game. Each player rolls their dice to power up their heroes and use abilities. As an odd oversight, certain character cards have dice limits that are higher than the included character dice they can use.

The Joker: A Diabolical Party Game

  • Players: 3-6
  • Age Range: 12+
  • Play Time: 45-60 minutes

Duke it out as some of Gotham City’s most heinous villains in this social deduction party game that has you battle for territory control, send other villains to the dreaded Arkham Asylum, hoard stacks of cash, and re-strategize as the Joker changes the board and certain aspects of the game and unleashes chaos. Your anarchal assault on the city may change drastically, so make sure you have plenty of cash to make it out. Each session offers different outcomes and scenarios from the Joker cards, and the random secret identity mechanics will keep you coming back for more. Great as a party board game, or of families and younger players!

Marvel vs. DC Board Games

Those are our picks for the best DC board games. But what is the Marvel fan to do? We have you covered; check out the best Marvel board games to see the top games featuring Spider-Man, X-Men, and the like. In fact, there are a good number of noteworthy Marvel board games, so you’ll definitely want to check them out.

Myles Obenza is a freelance commerce writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @Myles Obenza.

DOOM and DOOM 2 Getting New Enhanced Versions With a Brand-New Episode and More

QuakeCon 2024 officially starts today, and ahead of the convention, which typically features major news and announcements from various ZeniMax Media IPs, a new listing reveals that among the announcements incoming will be enhanced remasters of the first two Doom games.

In a new Steam listing (spotted by X/Twitter user @Wario64), DOOM + DOOM 2 is a new compilation that will provide definitive, newly enhanced versions of the first two DOOM games. This includes both games running on the KEX Engine, a proprietary game engine that was also used in several re-releases of other classic shooters, including DOOM 64 (2020), Quake (2021), and Quake 2 (2023).

You can see the official trailer below.

Some new enhancements coming to DOOM + DOOM 2 include online, cross-platform deathmatch, and co-op support for up to 16 players. Additionally, the re-release will include upgraded visuals, support for modern controllers, and a weapon carousel, allowing for faster weapon switching. A new Deathmatch map pack, consisting of 25 new maps, will also be included.

The listing notes that those who purchase the compilation will not only receive both games but also additional content. Most notably, Legacy of Rust, a brand-new episode for DOOM 2, was co-developed by id Software, Nightdive Studios, and MachineGames.

When it’s released, DOOM + DOOM 2 will be perhaps the most comprehensive version of the venerable shooters to date. The series has received multiple reissues and updates over the years and retains a dedicated fanbase to this day. A documentary and drama series about John Romero, one of DOOM’s original designers, is among the projects currently in the works.

DOOM + DOOM 2 has no release date, but it will likely shadow-drop during QuakeCon. Yet, this compilation is just one of the new projects coming for the long-running first-person shooter. In June, id Software announced DOOM: The Dark Ages, a prequel to the 2016 game Doom that is slated to be released sometime next year for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

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

Vampire Survivors Comes to PlayStation This Month

Indie sensation Vampire Survivors is finally coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on August 29, 2024.

Developer Poncle announced the release date in an admittedly ridiculous trailer, below, promising 500,000 texture mapped garlic balls and at least 13.5 hours of gameplay, all for the price of a peri peri chicken wrap.

Vampire Survivors is a fast paced and over the top gothic horror game with rogue-lite elements, where your choices can allow you to quickly snowball against the hundreds of monsters that get thrown at you.

It became one of the biggest surprise hits of the last few years as what launched as a humble indie game on Steam blew up in popularity and snowballed itself.

Poncle soon added layers of new content to the game and the core experience now offers 50 playable characters and 80 weapons to play with. That’s before the two major expansions too.

In our 8/10 review, IGN said: “Need a game to play while listening to podcasts? This is it. Vampire Survivors is outwardly simple but turns out to be an incredibly deep hole to fall down — though it’s not without extended dull periods when you get ahead of its curve.”

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

College Football 25’s First Major Update Adds Expanded Playbook Options, New Uniform Pieces, and More

Nearly a month ago, the long-awaited return to College Football video games arrived on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. And today, EA Sports has announced the first major update for College Football 25, which introduces new playbook options, new uniform pieces, tweaks to gameplay, addresses various bug fixes in game modes like Road to Glory, and more.

In a new Campus Huddle blog post, EA Sports revealed a slew of new changes as part of College Football 25’s Title Update 2. The most notable ones include expanded playbook options and new uniform pieces. Regarding new playbook options, the new update adds 8 new shotgun formations to 35 teams, providing more variation in offensive strategies to the applicable terms. This update’s specific formations include Bunch Quads Open and Slot F Wing.

Regarding the new uniforms, EA Sports revealed that new uniform pieces are introduced in College Football 25. According to the blog post, the following teams have received new uniform pieces: Baylor Oregon, Iowa State, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Bowling Green, Northwestern, UTEP, Boise State, New Mexico State, App State, Texas State, Louisiana, New Mexico, and South Alabama. Some schools, like TCU and Missouri, also received adjusted uniform pieces to reflect the upcoming season.

College Football 25’s Title Update 2 also introduces tweaks to gameplay. Some notable adjustments include adjusting the O-Line behavior, resulting in fewer ineligible receiver downfield penalties when players executed an RPO-style play, specifically when players opted to pass instead of running the ball.

Changes to specific game modes, most notably Dynasty and Road to Glory. The most notable one for the former includes addressing an issue where players could not have more than 20 created coaches at one time during an online Dynasty League. The most notable change for the latter includes an additional undisclosed scenario and new NIL content, alongside fixing an issue that caused some players’ games to crash when quitting a Position Battle.

The full patch notes will be provided below.

College Football 25 has been a massive success for EA. While the publisher has disclosed no firm sales numbers, the publicly available data revealed that 2.2 million people were willing to spend $100 to pre-order the Deluxe version, which granted buyers access to College Football 25 a couple of days early.

In our review of College Football 25, IGN wrote: “College Football 25 nails the on-field action with a dynamic feel, stellar graphics, and tons of smart gameplay tweaks. However, so much of what’s off the field feels unfinished, with UI issues and barebones modes that seem like they are waiting for a rebuild next season.”

College Football 25 Title Update 2 Patch Notes

  • Gameplay
    • Included 8 new shotgun formations to a total of 35 teams: Bunch Quads Open (Known as Diamond Quads; added to teams including Texas Tech, Western Michigan), Deuce Twins Over (Buffalo, Toledo), Slot F Wing (NC State, Liberty), Split Pro Far (NC State, Liberty), Split Pro Near (NC State), Tight Y Off Flex (Florida), Wing HB Wk Close (Indiana, Minnesota), Wing Slot Over (Texas A&M, Kansas State)
    • Tuning and logic enhancements to pursuit angles.
    • Introduced new behavior that further differentiates players with high pursuit ratings vs lower pursuit ratings.
      • Dev Note: We will monitor feedback on how this change impacts gameplay and based on results could make further adjustments in a future title update.
    • Reduced frequency of broken tackles from trailing defenders.
    • Fixed various instances of rare broken play bugs.
    • Fixed issue where certain formations had offensive players align too wide when on the near or far hash.
    • Fixed an issue where you could not use 4-2-5 or 3-3-5 formations in a custom playbook.
    • Fixed an issue where singleback formations would be assigned the wrong name when creating a custom playbook.
    • Fixed an issue where Spiking the Ball in online modes was not working as part of the Turbo Tempo system.
    • Fixed an issue so a Speed Option Running Back will follow the QB longer.
    • Adjusted AI QB behavior on shot plays to make more lob throws vs bullet passes.
    • Adjusted AI QB behavior to be less aggressive based on awareness rating.
    • Adjusted AI offensive line behavior resulting in less illegal man downfield penalties during RPO style plays.
      • Dev Note: For best chances at success, make sure you press the icon of which receiver you want to throw to before the RB receives the ball.
    • Adjusted the DB’s ability to more effectively shed blocks on the perimeter.
    • Increased the speed penalty for running out of stamina during play.
    • QB scrambles behind the line of scrimmage will lose stamina at a faster rate.
    • Fixed an exploit where players would leave a QB contain player unblocked and run around them.
      • Dev Note: We will make further improvements to QB Contain in a future title update.
    • Increased the reward players receive for shading inside or outside correctly in Man Coverage vs passing routes.
    • Adjusted False Start chances when you make preplay adjustments late in the play clock.
    • Fixed an issue where run-fit defenders were not responding as effectively to Wildcat run plays.
    • Made an adjustment to the Wildcat Unbalanced Motion Zone play.
    • Reduced the effectiveness of multiple laterals in a single play.
    • Adjusted the thresholds required to receive the most effective Juke and Spin moves.
    • Adjusted press animations to be more of an effective counter to the Takeoff Ability.
    • Updated pass protection mechanic to only include the RB in the protection if they are already on a block or block and release assignment.
    • Abilities
      • Updated the coloring of Platinum tier Abilities to further distinct the look vs Silver Abilities.
      • Rebalanced the Gold and Platinum tiers of the Juke and Spin abilities like 360 and Side Step.
      • Rebalanced the Platinum tier of the extender ability which includes not firing on QB designed run plays.
      • Slightly rebalanced the effectiveness of the Gold and Platinum tiers of the Quick Jump Ability. Additionally we made adjustments to the tier levels found on the Texas Front 7.
  • Dynasty Mode
    • Fixed an issue where players were unable to have more than 20 created coaches at one time in an online Dynasty League.
    • Various fixes around score summaries and Box Scores.
    • Various fixes for News Stories.
    • Introduced a new Playoff Bracket Screen.
    • Updated Texas/Oklahoma Rivalry data.
    • Discovered that FCS SE, MW, and NW were secretly using professional players and passing them off as collegiate players. Gave them sanctions and ensured they are now using properly-rated players.
      • Dev Note: For this change to go into effect, you will need to create a new Dynasty.
    • Fixed an issue where Wear and Tear did not recover for FCS teams resulting in a high number of FCS team injuries during gameplay.
    • Reduced dynamic attendance penalties for playing FCS teams.
    • Increased dynamic attendance in rivalry games.
    • Retuned Toughest Places to Play formula to reduce the impact that large stadiums have on Toughest Places to Play and increase the value of filling the stadium and winning games at home historically.:
    • Reduced impact of raw crowd size.
    • Increased impact of historical win rate.
    • Increased impact of attendance rate.
    • Updated Right hand panel in Stadium Atmosphere Grade on My School screen to accurately reflect the Toughest Places to Play at all times.
    • Increased the accumulation of Pride stickers, particularly for defensive players and offensive linemen.
    • Reduced the Chance to Transfer Penalty for players rated below 90 OVR.
    • Updated Coach Talents on Wyoming Offensive Coordinator.
      • Dev Note: For this change to go into effect, you will need to create a new Dynasty.
    • Defensive Schemes and Playbooks for the following teams have been updated.
      • Dev Note: For this change to go into effect, you will need to create a new Dynasty.
        • USC
        • UCLA
        • Mississippi State
        • Texas Tech
        • UConn
        • Miami
        • Memphis
        • Nevada
        • North Carolina
        • Notre Dame
        • Oregon State
        • San Jose State
        • TCU
        • Texas A&M
        • Troy
      • UMass
    • Updating your coach’s playbook in the Schemes and Playbooks screen will now update your team’s scheme and should be reflected in Team Needs.
    • Fixed an issue where Offensive Linemen would appear in the Preseason Heisman Watch in future seasons.
    • Updated the Heisman Watch logic to reduce the value of receiving TDs.
    • Recruiting
      • Dev Note: Our primary goals for this update were to remove most of the recruiting strategies that were discovered during early access and to smooth out the pain points our players were reporting. Recruiting is a delicate balance as we want to try to make things as realistic as possible, while also allowing players to live out their football fantasies. With that in mind, we decided to introduce additional recruiting logic and balance changes:
  • Fixed an issue where teams were pursuing too many quarterbacks in High School Recruiting.
  • Reduced the number of unrecruited 4 and 5 stars early in the season.
  • Increased the number of players that the AI will pursue at one time.
    • Dev Note: The above changes strive to decrease the number of players that go unrecruited until late in the cycle, while also slightly reducing how aggressive the AI could be with those recruits once they start to recruit them. Our goal is to deliver a fun but balanced recruiting experience that feels rewarding to all players. We will monitor the impacts these changes have on the overall recruiting experience and continue to adjust as needed.
    • Visits
    • Fixed an issue where you could not schedule visits for recruits in certain situations.
    • Fixed an issue where a visit remained scheduled even if a recruit was removed from a board.
    • Fixed an issue where the allowed the number of visits scheduled for a week to exceed 4.
    • Tuned Visit Influence effects:
    • Removed initial influence when scheduling a visit.
    • Increased disparity between winning and losing a game during a visit.
    • Tuned the logic for game stakes to better account for ranked teams.
    • Increased the penalty for choosing a visit activity that the team does not have a high grade in or the player is not interested in.
    • SuperSim
    • Increased hand off rate for simulated RPOs to increase the number of running plays across the country, especially for teams with a lot of RPOs in their playbook.
    • Various tuning fixes to increase the gap between good and bad teams/players.
      • Dev Note: We are going to continue to monitor the simulation results to ensure that teams and players are performing within expected ranges, including reducing frequency of upsets, based on Pre-Season Projections and expected win totals.
    • Polls
    • Increased the loss penalty for schools with more than 1 loss.
    • Increased the weighing of Conference Prestige in the poll calculation.
    • Reduced variance in CFP poll logic vs Media/Coaches
      • Dev Note: As with the other systems mentioned above, we will continue to monitor the Polls system to ensure that it strikes a balance between realism and reward for player success.
    • Custom Conferences/Custom Schedules
      • Dev Note: We will continue to monitor feedback about Custom Conferences and Scheduling. Based on this feedback we plan to continue making adjustments in future title updates.
    • Fixed an issue in Conference Rules where Divisions were changed to off, even if those Divisions were previously turned on.
    • Fixed an issue where the Independents Tab disappeared when removing all teams from Independents
      • Dev Note: This also fixes issues with tabs to the right of Independents having incorrect or missing data.
    • Addressed UI issues around the Conference Title game for the CUSA and PAC-12
    • Addressed UI issues around Dynasty Team Select UI appropriately respecting Custom Conference moves
    • Updated text in the Team Header on the Custom Schedules Screen
  • Road to Glory
    • Added an additional scenario and NIL content.
    • Fixed rare issues where you’d get a scenario reward screen that did not align with your received bonuses.
    • Fixed an issue where users were getting Skill Points maxed out after completing a practice.
    • Fixed a crash when quitting a Position Battle.
    • Reworked Wear and Tear UI to show position-appropriate ratings-impacts.
    • Fixed an issue where you cannot equip a Mental Ability during the RTG Player creation flow if you enter a settings menu during creation.
    • Fixed an issue where Meter Mental Progress is not tracked during Bye Weeks.
    • Fixed an issue where it is impossible to lose Coach Trust once you reach max Coach Trust.
    • Fixed a UI issue related to the display of Coach Trust when a user is close to max Coach Trust.
    • Fixed an issue where you cannot Upgrade your player during Bye Weeks.
    • Fixed a UI issue related to the display of Weekly Energy in the Meters Screen.
    • Fixed issues with Mental Goals not tracking correctly or reaching Platinum correctly.
    • Fixed UI issues around Text Messages.
    • Fixed an issue where backing out of the Team Selection step in RTG Creation can soft lock the mode.
    • Fixed an issue where a player can continue to work on Academics after graduating early.
  • College Football Ultimate Team
    • Generating ‘Best Lineup’ no longer changes your equipped visuals and playbook.
    • Player Portraits will no longer appear on non-player items after filtering or sorting.
    • Fixed a crash that occurred during kicking off at halftime when playing Champs.
    • Attributes on the front of Player Items should update correctly after a Player Item has been upgraded.
    • Fixed an issue that was occurring when highlighting the Rename Team tile on the UT Hub.
    • Fixed an issue with Squads 3v3 that prevented 2 users from being able to connect to the game.
    • Fixed an issue with the Orientation Pack that was preventing new users from being able to upgrade their lineup and progress through the Orientation Field Pass.
    • Fixed an issue on the Player Profile Screen that prevented users from being able to transition within the Profile selections.
    • Removed the Green Gavel icon that appeared on owned items placed on the Auction House.
    • Fixed a crash with House Rules: Touchdown Tango that triggered when the play clock reached 0.
    • Player Items displayed on the New Items Screen no longer appear transparent when not highlighted.
    • When viewing Challenge Details the yardage marker is now displayed within the Conditions.
    • On the Lineup Screen names of players in backup slots contributing to Chemistry should change in scale when highlighting a Chemistry boost.
    • Improved UI around Attributes that are receiving chemistry boosts when viewing the Attributes tab of the Item Detail screen.
    • Fixed issue that was causing long load transitions on the New Item Screen during the First Time User Experience.
    • The Difficulty star for Challenges now displays correctly when scrolling down the Play Co-op List.
    • Fixed an issue that was causing users to error out to the Main Hub when trying to access the Auction House.
    • Conference Filters in the Auction House now work correctly.
    • Fixed stability issues for users entering Ultimate Team for the first time.
  • Presentation
    • Added new uniform pieces for Baylor, Oregon, Iowa State, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Bowling Green, Northwestern, UTEP, Boise State, New Mexico State, App State, Texas State, Louisiana, New Mexico, and South Alabama.
    • Adjusted uniform pieces for 2024 season: TCU, Arkansas, Missouri, Baylor
    • Various improvements made to teams’ uniform pieces for authenticity
    • Updates have been made to the following stadiums:
      • Holiday Bowl
      • Texas State
      • Kansas
      • Kennesaw State
      • Oklahoma State
      • Wake Forest
      • UL-Monroe
      • Nebraska
    • Fixed an Issue where the USC Mascot would disappear during the opening ceremony.
    • Fixed an Issue where the incorrect mascot would appear during different situations.
    • Restored opening chants for Penn State, FSU, and Tennessee on Xbox Series S.
  • Road to the College Football Playoff
    • Tier Rebalancing and Reconstruction changing the format from 3 tiers to 5 tiers.

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

Super Mario Party Jamboree Is Up for Preorder

A new entry in the Mario Party series is heading our way. Super Mario Party Jamboree is set to release exclusively for Nintendo Switch on October 17. It comes with over 110 minigames and supports up to 20 players in online competitions. Better yet, it includes a free three-month membership to Nintendo Switch Online (individual membership). It’s available to preorder now from a variety of retailers (see it at Best Buy). Read on for the details.

Preorder Super Mario Party Jamboree

No special editions have been announced, so the standard one is all you can get. If you’re holding off to preorder from Amazon, you might not want to do that. Recently, physical copies of Switch games have been appearing on Amazon at launch rather than becoming available to preorder beforehand.

Super Mario Party Jamboree Bonus

Preordering (or buying) Super Mario Party Jamboree gets you a free 3-month individual membership to Nintendo Switch Online. An NSO account is required to play the 20-player online Koopathlon mode, which should be pretty cool. It also gets you access to cloud saves, a bunch of NES and SNES games, and more.

What is Super Mario Party Jamboree?

The Super Mario Party series dates all the way back to 1998, in the halcyon days of the Nintendo 64 era. The series has come a long way since then, so long (and with so many entries) that they stopped numbering the new installments after the 10 one, which came out on the Wii U. And that’s just the console entries — there were even more on Nintendo’s handhelds throughout the years.

Jamboree is the third Mario Party game on the Switch, and it’s the biggest one yet. Announced during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, it takes place on an island resort. It has seven boards, including new ones like a racetrack-themed one called Roll ‘em Raceway and a shopping mall one called Rainbow Galleria. It also has a few favorite boards from previous games. With over 110 minigames, it’s the biggest Mario Party game yet. It has a number of play modes, including a 20-player online Koopathlon, which has you duke it out for a high score against more players than ever before in the series.

Other Preorder Guides

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Threads.

Best Nintendo Switch Deals Today (August 2024)

Nintendo games can be pricey, but Switch fans can still find fantastic deals. Throughout the year, there are numerous sales on games, Switch consoles, and accessories that are worth exploring. We’ve gathered the top deals currently available below, including Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for Switch for $24.99 (50% off), the Timmy & Tommy’s Aloha Edition Nintendo Switch Lite bundle for $159 at Walmart, and more. Check out our favorite deals at the moment below, and for more updates on the latest discounts, follow @IGNDeals on Twitter or Threads.

Preorder the the Nintendo Switch Lite Hyrule Edition Console

Announced alongside The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom during June’s Nintendo Direct, the Nintendo Switch Lite: Hyrule Edition handheld console is officially up for preorder. Best Buy is offering preorders for $209.99 with orders shipping out on September 26. That’s $10 more than a stock Switch Lite, but that’s more than justified by the fact that this edition includes a 12 month Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.

Score a Nintendo Switch Lite with Animal Crossing for $159

Walmart still has this excellent deal available, which is worth taking advantage of if you’ve been hoping to get your hands on a Switch console. Right now, you can grab a Nintendo Switch Lite (Timmy & Tommy’s Aloha Edition) bundle with Animal Crossing for 20% off, marking it down to $159.

More Nintendo Switch Game Deals

There are quite a few different Switch games on sale at the moment that are worth picking up for your collection. Some of our favorites right now are Unicorn Overlord for $39.99, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for $45.95, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which is 50% off to just $24.99. You can see even more of our favorite Switch game deals below.

More Switch Video Game Deals

Best Switch Micro SD Card Deals

The best Switch SD card should be fast, reliable, and as future-proof as possible. That last one is important, especially with the Switch successor on the horizon. Therefore, you’re going to want to opt for the latest in SD card tech, which is a micro SDXC UHS-I U3 A2 V30 memory card. That’s a lot of random letters, so to save you a bit of time we’ve left our top suggestions and deals just above and below for your convenience (like this excellent deal on a Lexar 1TB PLAY microSDXC Memory Card for $73.99). To see even more SD card deals, make sure to check out our roundup of the best SD card deals.

More Switch Micro SD Card Deals

Best Nintendo Switch Accessory Deals

Whether you’re looking for a new controller or a little bag to carry your Switch in, there are quite a few different deals on Nintendo Switch accessories that are worth checking out right now as well. Here, we’ve listed just a few of our favorite discounts at a variety of retailers that are worth picking up.

When Should You Buy a Nintendo Switch?

The short answer is that you should buy a Nintendo Switch whenever there’s any kind of sale, regardless of the time of year. Amazon will likely offer the same console bundles on any other sale as it will on Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, so there’s no real reason to wait if you’re in need of a Nintendo Switch.

That being said, there are sometimes some unique bundles and promotions during Black Friday that you won’t find any other time of the year. They usually includes additional games (like the infamous Mario Kart 8 bundle) or Switch accessories for free, but quantities tend to be limited. As always, do your research into the seller before you make a purchase and keep in mind that the Nintendo Switch 2 is coming out next year.

Where to Buy a Nintendo Switch in 2024

With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as PlayStation and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand-new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.

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

WB Discovery Wants to License Franchises, Which Include Batman to Harry Potter and More, to Other Studios

Batman. Justice League. Harry Potter. Looney Tunes. Game of Thrones. The list of intellectual property owned by Warner Bros. Discovery is massive, and an awful lot of it seems ripe for being turned into a video game. If you’re thinking WB’s been a little slow to leverage that library, it sounds like the company’s leadership agrees, and is looking not just to make more of its own games, but to license out some of its biggest franchises to other game studios in the future.

Today on the Warner Bros. Discovery Q2 earnings, call CEO David Zaslav and president of global streaming and games JB Perrette responded to a question about the “strategic value” of games to Warner Bros. given recent “uneven performance”. The company had just reported gaming revenue down 41% year-over-year due to underperformance of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League compared to Hogwarts Legacy’s massive success last year. Does WB see games as a core part of its portfolio?

Seems like the answer is yes. Both Zaslav and Perrette explained that they wanted to grow the gaming business, especially in the free-to-play space, which Perrette says can help balance out some of the ups-and-downs of the cyclical console industry. That’s part of why WB acquired Player First Games, developer of Multiversus, earlier this year.

Zaslav followed up by noting that not only did WB want to keep leveraging its eleven studios, but that there’s “also a lot of interest among others in coming to take advantage of some of that IP for gaming, which we’re looking at.”

Here’s both of their answers in full below:

Warner Bros. Discovery reported revenue of $9.7 billion for the quarter, but an overall net loss of $10 billion, $9.1 billion of which was due to impairment charges. The company also reported subscription services were up 3.6 million subscribers from last quarter, bringing its total to 103.3 million.

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

Ready at Dawn, VR Studio Behind Lone Echo and God of War PSP, Shuttered by Meta

Ready at Dawn, a venerable game studio that once worked on God War and Daxter among other projects, is closing its doors. Android Central reports that Meta is shuttering the studio effective immediately, with employees being encouraged to apply for other positions within Oculus Studios.

The closure follows Meta’s decision to discontinue Echo VR in 2023, which coincided with major layoffs impacting a third of the studio. Oculus Studios had previously acquired Ready at Dawn, which had found success with the Lone Echo series, to develop VR games for its platforms.

“As many have already heard, this morning Ready At Dawn Studios is closing its doors. I’ve been at RAD for over 10 years and I am incredibly sad to see this wonderful team I’ve grown to love be broken apart this way,” designer director Robert Duncan wrote. “That said, at least for now I’m trying to focus my effort on (and, let’s be honest, distract myself by) finding solid places for all my dear friends to land. If anyone has any leads/positions they’d like to share, please feel free to reach out to me directly and I’ll try my best to get you in touch with good folks that might be interested.”

The games industry mourned the closure on social media and elsewhere, with many describing it as underappreciated. MinnMax founder Ben Hanson posted a documentary he produced with Game Informer that provides a snapshot of the studio circa 2014, when it was preparing to release The Order: 1886.

Ready at Dawn’s history extends all the way back to 2003, when it was formed by former employees of Naughty Dog and Blizzard Entertainment. It was particularly well-known for its prowess on the PlayStation Portable, producing multiple God of War games for the platform.

Following the mixed reception of The Order: 1886, Ready at Dawn began to move into VR, releasing Lone Echo for the Oculus Rift in 2017. We wrote at the time, “Lone Echo and Echo Arena are the rare games that demonstrate the true value of VR and hand tracking. Its sense of movement feels great, and it couldn’t exist in any other way.”

After it was purchased by Oculus Studios in 2021, Ready at Dawn released Lone Echo II, but otherwise has not put out a game since. A report in mid-July stated that Meta was reportedly cutting its Reality Labs division’s budget by 20 percent in 2026 in order to make a “better long-term impact” in VR development. Meta subsequently told Android Central that this isn’t a signal “wider cuts” to the number of first-party games on Quest.

Ready at Dawn is one many game studios to close in 2024, joining Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Roll7, and more in what has been a difficult year for games. For more, check out our deep dive into the layoffs impacting the games industry.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.