Category: IGN

The weekend is finally here, and new deals have popped up. Today, while the PSVR 2 deal remains, the majority of Sony’s back to school deals have ended. However, plenty of new deals have popped up for Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PS5. The best deals for Sunday, August 4, include Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, PSVR2, Persona 5 Tactica, Final Fantasy XVI, and more.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for $44.99

For the first time since launch, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for Nintendo Switch is available on sale. This classic RPG is perfect for anyone, even if you’ve never played an RPG before. The Thousand-Year Door features a loveable cast of characters, a fun combat system, and, overall, a refreshing take on the classic Mario formula.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance for $39.99

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is back down to its all-time low price! SMT V: Vengeance is an enhanced version of the former Nintendo Switch exclusive SMT V, launched in 2019. The biggest feature available in this upgraded re-release is the all new Canon of Vengeance route, which is essentially 40 hours of new story content. At $39.99, this is a steal for what will likely end up being one of the most popular RPGs of the year.

PSVR2 for $349.99

You can score a new PlayStation VR2 headset for a record-low $349.99 right now at Amazon. This VR headset has all sorts of high-end features, including a 110-degree FOV, 4K HDR visuals, eye tracking, and more. Plus, the PC Adapter is set to release in just a few days, which will allow you to play Steam VR titles through the PSVR2 headset. While it’s certainly a tough buy if you play exclusively on PS5, the PSVR2 can make for an excellent PC headset, especially at this price.

Save Big on Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the latest title in the long-running RPG series, and you can score the massive title for an all-time low right now at Woot. Kiryu Kazama returns following the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, uniting with Ichiban Kasuga in a wild adventure you won’t forget anytime soon. Save up to 71% today and pick up one of the biggest RPGs of 2024.

Final Fantasy XVI for $29.99

Final Fantasy XVI for PlayStation 5 has hit a new all time low at Amazon at $29.99. As one of the biggest titles of 2023, FFXVI brings a wide variety of new systems and elements to the world of Final Fantasy. You play as Clive Rosfield on a mission to track down the one who killed your brother as a child. You can expect larger-than-life setpieces, mesmerizing boss battles, and a memorable soundtrack from Masayoshi Soken.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD for $44.99

Launched at the very end of June, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is a massive upgrade from the original 3DS title. Developers of Skyward Sword HD, Tantalus, have provided key new HD upgrades, including hundreds of new textures, animations, and more. If you’re looking for another spooky experience on Nintendo Switch, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is the perfect game this Summer!

Persona 5 Tactica for $19.99

Amazon has Persona 5 Tactica listed for $19.99, matching the all-time low for this title. This action-packed adventure takes the Phantom Thieves into a new adventure with tactical combat. If you enjoyed Persona 5 Royal or Persona 5 Strikers, P5 Tactica should be a game on your radar. Erina, a character new to the series, is a great addition to an already amazing cast of characters.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for $49.99

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is also on sale, priced now at $49.99. This matches the previous low, which occurred during the Days of Play sale earlier this year. Spider-Man 2 features both Peter Parker and Miles Morales as playable characters, with a whole new area of New York to explore. You can swing through the city with new suit abilities like Web Wings and take down criminals all around. You’ll need to be prepared, as both Kraven the Hunter and the symbiote Venom are prepared to take you down and rule over NYC.

God of War Ragnarok for $39.99

Years later, God of War Ragnarok is still one of the best PS5 games you can pick up. This action game acts as the sequel to 2018’s God of War, following Kratos and Atreus as Fimbulwinter looms. If you’ve yet to play this game, this is a great time to pick up Ragnarok at a discount and see why so many players love this series. $39.99 is a fantastic price, and you’re not likely to see anything lower outside of major holiday sales toward the end of the year.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- Sweep the Board! for $29.99

Sweep the Board! is the latest game from Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba-, focusing on a fun, party-like title that is extremely similar to Mario Party. You play as Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and the rest of the Demon Slayer cast as they traverse through multiple party boards and complete minigames against each other.

The weekend is finally here, and new deals have popped up. This time, most of the major deals are for PlayStation 5, as Sony is currently hosting its Back to School sale. Today is your last chance to score on these deals before they’re gone. The best deals for Saturday, August 3, include PSVR2, PS5 Slim, Persona 5 Tactica, Returnal, Demon’s Souls, and more.

PSVR2 for $349.99

You can score a new PlayStation VR2 headset for a record-low $349.99 right now at Amazon. This VR headset has all sorts of high-end features, including a 110-degree FOV, 4K HDR visuals, eye tracking, and more. Plus, the PC Adapter is set to release in just a few days, which will allow you to play Steam VR titles through the PSVR2 headset. While it’s certainly a tough buy if you play exclusively on PS5, the PSVR2 can make for an excellent PC headset, especially at this price.

Save $50 Off a PS5 Slim Console

Alongside deals on games and PSVR2, you can also save on a PlayStation 5 Slim! Both the Disc and Digital versions are available on sale for $50 off, which is likely the best deal you can grab outside of the Holiday season. If you’ve been thinking about picking up a PS5 for College Football 25 or the upcoming Astro Bot, now is an amazing time to save $50 and grab a new system.

Demon’s Souls for $29.99

Demon’s Souls has returned to an all-time low with the PlayStation Back to School sale. For $29.99, you can expirence this Bluepoint Games remake of one of FromSoftware’s most memorable titles. Since this title is only on PlayStation 5, you won’t be able to play Demon’s Souls on PC or other platforms. Slay the demons and explore the world of Boletaria like never before.

Persona 5 Tactica for $19.99

Amazon has Persona 5 Tactica listed for $19.99, matching the all-time low for this title. This action-packed adventure takes the Phantom Thieves into a new adventure with tactical combat. If you enjoyed Persona 5 Royal or Persona 5 Strikers, P5 Tactica should be a game on your radar. Erina, a character new to the series, is a great addition to an already amazing cast of characters.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for $49.99

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is also on sale, priced now at $49.99. This matches the previous low, which occurred during the Days of Play sale earlier this year. Spider-Man 2 features both Peter Parker and Miles Morales as playable characters, with a whole new area of New York to explore. You can swing through the city with new suit abilities like Web Wings and take down criminals all around. You’ll need to be prepared, as both Kraven the Hunter and the symbiote Venom are prepared to take you down and rule over NYC.

Save 57% Off Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was one of the first major PlayStation 5 titles, releasing in June 2021. This title featured Rivet for the first time, another Lombax who exists in the universe. Together, Rivet and Ratchet must work to take down Doctor Nefarious and save the galaxy once again. With the classic action gameplay and new features, Rift Apart is an excellent platform you should play if you are a fan of the genre.

God of War Ragnarok for $39.99

Years later, God of War Ragnarok is still one of the best PS5 games you can pick up. This action game acts as the sequel to 2018’s God of War, following Kratos and Atreus as Fimbulwinter looms. If you’ve yet to play this game, this is a great time to pick up Ragnarok at a discount and see why so many players love this series. $39.99 is a fantastic price, and you’re not likely to see anything lower outside of major holiday sales toward the end of the year.

Returnal for $29.99

Returnal is also on sale this weekend as part of Sony’s Back to School sale. This challenging shooter features a procedural world that changes at every death. To date, this is still one the most tactical games you can buy on PS5, with dozens of hours of action awaiting. At $29.99, it’s not likely that we’ll see this title go much lower, if at all.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition on Sale for $39.99

Amazon has Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition listed for $39.99, which is one of the lowest prices we’ve seen. This is an amazing deal since you’re essentially getting both Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Spider-Man Remastered for under $20 each. Both rarely go on sale for that low, so this is your best option to pick up these games.

Xbox has announced that it is delaying Avowed from later in 2024 to February 18, 2025, to “give players’ backlogs some breathing room.”

Xbox shared the news on X/Twitter alongside a graphic showing all of its currently announced first party Xbox games.

“So many games coming! As such, we’re moving Avowed to Feb 18, 2025, to give players’ backlogs some breathing room,” Xbox wrote. “Stay tuned for more from our games across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda & Xbox Game Studios at gamescom, including our Aug 23 livestream for a look at Avowed.”

So many games coming! As such, we’re moving Avowed to Feb 18, 2025 to give players’ backlogs some breathing room.

Stay tuned for more from our games across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda & Xbox Game Studios at gamescom, including our Aug 23 livestream for a look at Avowed:… pic.twitter.com/3RnyVwlHRa

— Xbox (@Xbox) August 2, 2024

The current release schedule for all of these games is as follows;

• World of Warcraft: The War Within – August 26, 2024
• Age of Mythology: Retold – September 4, 2024
• Ara: History Untold – September 24, 2024
• Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred – October 8, 2024
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – October 25, 2024
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 – November 19, 2024
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – 2024 TBA
• Starfield: Shattered Space – 2024 TBA
• TowerBorne – 2024 TBA
• Avowed – February 18, 2025
• South of Midnight – 2025
• Doom: The Dark Ages – 2025
• Fable – 2025
• And More…

Avowed was originally planned to be released in Fall 2024. In June, a blog post accidentally revealed a new date of November 12, 2024, but it was quickly deleted as it appeared to not be set in stone.

Avowed got a new story trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase in June, and a 30-minute gameplay deep dive followed shortly after. The lengthy gameplay showed both first and third-person gameplay in the world of Eora and showcased some of the magical tools players will access to in the RPG.

With Avowed out of the way for now, you can check out what other games to focus on in our look The Biggest Games of August 2024 and beyond. Additionally, you can also check out the rest of Xbox’s gamescom plans right here.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

If you were called on to guess the best-selling tabletop games on Amazon, you’d probably opt for a household name like Monopoly, or one of its exhausting catalog of identikit variants. Much of the time – sales numbers vary day by day, of course – you’d not only be wrong, but likely astonished to learn that Monopoly, Scrabble and a host of other well-worn names are regularly outsold by a humble series of murder mystery games called Cryptic Killers.

“Our bestselling game, Murder of a Millionaire, has consistently been above Monopoly’s classic board game for quite some time,” says Andrew Hobbs, co-inventor of the series. “We’re super proud to be up there amongst the big guys.” It also made IGN’s list of best murder mystery games.

Following the news that Bungie laid off 220 people, details have reportedly been revealed about the company’s future, including that it isn’t currently working on Destiny 3, that it will shift its focus from larger expansions to smaller updates for Destiny 2 that may be free, and that a Destiny spin-off was canceled.

Bloomberg spoke to ten current and former Bungie employees who asked not to be identified, and they “described a company that grew too fast and tried to develop too many projects at once, spreading resources too thin rather than prioritizing its chief moneymaker, Destiny 2.”

Instead of Destiny 3, Bungie Placed a Big Bet on Payback

While there may be many who believed Bungie was hard at work on Destiny 3, especially considering Destiny 2 was released in 2017, the studio decided to shift its focus to something completely new called Payback.

Payback, which was described as taking elements from such games as Warframe and Genshin Impact, was set in the Destiny universe but was meant to “shake up the formula in major ways.” Instead of being a first-person shooter, Payback was being developed as a third-person title that would see players using the franchise’s characters to explore a large world and work together to “battle monsters and solve puzzles.”

This was not being billed as a sequel to Destiny 2, but more of a spin-off. Sadly, Payback was canceled just two months ago so Bungie could prioritize its more imminent games. Instead, it moved much of the payback team to work on Marathon, its PvP-focused extraction shooter live-service game which is set to be released in 2025.

With no Payback and no Destiny 3 in the near future, Bungie is planning to continue supporting Destiny 2, albeit in a different way. Despite Destiny 2’s The Final Shape expansion reviewing very well – we gave it a 9/10 – the studio looks to “no longer pursue paid expansions as it did in the past.” According to one of the sources, sales for each expansion have declined year after year.

Instead of this annual release model for big expansions, Bungie looks to “retain and attract players with smaller-scale drops modeled after Into the Light.” For those unfamiliar, Into the Light was released ahead of The Final Shape and added the Onslaught activity, the Hall of Champions social space, Parade Armor 2.0, the return of 12 iconic guns with the BRAVE Arsenal, and much more.

Furthermore, Bungie is aiming to release these updates for free alongside overhauling activities it hopes will keep its hardcord player satisfied. There are also “other vague plans” that include a storyline that “will feature characters and worlds that Destiny has not yet explored.”

So, instead of big new Destiny 2 expansions, Bungie will put resources into these updates, a smoother onboarding process, and more. In one bright spot, some of the sources said they are “optimistic about the vision for Destiny 2 under new director Tyson Green.”

Trouble at the Top

The layoffs have hit the team hard, and most of the people Bloomberg spoke to were critical of Bungie CEO Pete Parsons, saying he “failed to take accountability for his own bad bets” and that he was “overly optimistic in his communication with the staff.”

There is also worry because longtime veterans Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy left Bungie this week, and that has led to a lot of “lingering questions about the future of decision-making at Bungie.” Now, without some of its leaders, a big hit to audio, narrative, and player support teams, and much more, Bungie staff are now looking at creating world-class experiences with a “smaller staff, tighter schedules, and a company that looks significantly different than it did three days ago.”

In addition to the layoffs, Bungie is hoping to move 155 of its employees to Sony Interactive Entertainment, and a seperate group will be part of a team working on an incubation project code-named Gummybears.

Ever since Sony’s $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie, things have not gotten better. Bungie took that cash and “hired hundreds of new staff members and pursued myriad incubation projects, including mobile versions of Destiny, remakes of old games and new franchises.” Now, it’s most important former and current employees are suffering after some of these plans never saw the light of day or turned out as those in charge hoped. One of the sources even noted that Parsons told staff in a meeting in later 2023 that Bungie had missed its revenue targets by 45% and was losing money.

For more, check out how another former Bungie employee claimed the studio faced insolvency without Sony’s acquistion and the games industry’s criticism of Bungie mangagement and Parsons in wake of these layoffs.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

Following a quick Open Beta period, Riot Games has surprised fans by officially launching Valorant on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.

Valorant Console is now available to players in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Brazil and promises to bring the “same uncompromising, competitive experience that we’ve provided PC players for years: a precise, team-based, tactical shooter.”

🚨 Incursion Imminent 🚨

VALORANT is now LIVE on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. pic.twitter.com/cX5boZXPRI

— VALORANT (@VALORANT) August 2, 2024

As previously discussed, cross-play will not be available between PC and console players as Riot Games wishes to “maintain Valorant’s renowned standard for competitive integrity.” PlayStation and Xbox players will be able to play together, however.

While that may not be the best news for some, Riot Games has reassured fans that their Friends List, Collection (Skins, Player Cards, Gun Buddies, etc.), Battle Pass progress, and Agent unlocks will carry over. Furthermore, both PC and console players will “receive simultaneous platform releases of all live patch balances, new agents, maps, premium content, and additional live service features.”

“We’ve received so much valuable feedback from players during Limited Beta, and feel confident to deliver on our gameplay promise for console player,” Arnar Gylfason, production director of Valorant, said. “Whether it’s hitting that perfect shot, executing a flawless team play, or wiping out the enemy team, we look forward to seeing console players experience the same gameplay thrill as VALORANT PC players.”

Valorant is free-to-play, but Xbox Game Pass members will be happy to know that all current and future Agents will be unlocked.

In our Valorant review for PC from 2020, we said, “Valorant is the most fun I’ve had with a multiplayer FPS since Valve’s Team Fortress 2. The flexibility of its magically-infused cast paired with a deep arsenal makes for a magnificent competitive canvas, if a tricky one to initially pick up. I’m already pondering new strategies to pull off with my friends in the future, and that joyous daydreaming won’t stop anytime soon.”

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

Alongside Elden Ring becoming the best-selling game of June 2024 thanks to its Shadow of Erdtree expansion, Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece’s arrival on Steam launched it from #399 to #3 month over month.

As reported by Circana’s Mat Piscatella, Elden Ring has returned to the top of a monthly best-selling list for the first time since May 2022, and, as we mentioned, that was due to the huge success of Shadow of the Erdtree. For some context, Shadow of the Erdtree sold a massive five million copies in just its first three days on the market.

As for Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece, its astonishing jump was because it was only available on Nintendo Switch via Cloud before it came to Steam in June. For those unfamiliar, this collection includes Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind DLC.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance led the way for new games in June, as it managed to reach fourth place in its first month. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD also performed admirably by cracking the top 10 and placing eighth.

We also want to shout out The Elder Scrolls: Online, as it jumped from #198 to #18 this month thanks to the launch of The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road, and Street Fighter 6, as it jumped from #72 to #20 thanks to promotional pricing.

June 2024’s Best-Selling Games

1. Elden Ring
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
3. Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece
4. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
5. Hogwarts Legacy
6. Minecraft
7. MLB: The Show 24
8. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD
9. EA Sports FC 24
10. Sea of Thieves
11. Helldivers II
12. Ghost of Tsushima
13. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
14. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
15. Mortal Kombat 1
16. UFC 5
17. Mario Kart 8
18. The Elder Scrolls Online
19. Dragon’s Dogma II
20. Street Fighter 6

In the world of hardware, PlayStation 5 claimed the top prize in regard to unit and dollar sales, and Nintendo Switch finished second. Xbox, however, passed Switch in terms of dollar sales. Hardware as a whole dropped 37% when compared to 2023.

Which games do you think will be the best selling of August? Will it be one of the biggest new games of the month, including Star Wars: Outlaws, Madden NFL 25, Concord, Black Myth: Wukong, or something else? Let us know!

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

The Game Boy Advance title Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team is headed to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on August 9, 2024.

Nintendo revealed the news on X/Twitter, confirming that the rougelike Pokemon spin-off game that sees the player character turn into a Pokemon and go on a grand adventure is about to return.

Introducing the newest Pokémon. You!

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team is coming to #NintendoSwitch for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion members on 8/9! pic.twitter.com/ZPtmbrkUOv

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 2, 2024

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team was first released in 2006 and was the first Pokemon-themed Mystery Dungeon game in franchise history and the last Pokemon game released for the Game Boy Advance.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team was released for the Nintendo DS at the same time and was mostly the same, but it did take advantage of the DS’ two screens and improved power. Each game also had six exclusive Pokemon, much like other Pokemon games always do.

An updated remake of these two games was released on March 6, 2020, for the Nintendo Switch and we said it “feels like putting a bandaid on a flawed game that badly needed major surgery instead.”

In our original review of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, we said, “This style of gameplay certainly has its following, as ChunSoft has been doing this type of game for years. But its implementation in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon hasn’t evolved a whole lot to provide enough variety that’ll sustain its extensive storyline. It drags on and on without much change, which is why it’s a good thing it’s been structured in segments for quick-shot, handheld-friendly dungeon exploration.”

For more from the world of Pokemon, check out our feature on why a mainline Pokemon entry skipping 2024 is a good thing and our look at Pokemon TCG’s ‘small but brilliant’ Shrouded Fable expansion.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.