Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge gets a new Dimension Shellshock DLC for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox One later this year, publisher Dotemu and developer Tribute Games have announced.
The DLC adds Usagi Yojimbo as a new playable character to the well-received beat ‘em-up. The rabbit samurai is the star of the self-titled comic book series and has popped up in the various Turtles animated series.
There’s also a new game mode, fresh original music from composer Tee Lopes, and alternative colour schemes for playable fighters.
Meanwhile, a second free update is set to be released, which adds an additional range of colour palette options separate from those included within the Dimension Shellshock DLC.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge was a critical and commercial hit, with over one million copies sold.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. Send news tips to wesley_yinpoole@ign.com.
Souaïb ‘carn’ Hanaf was livestreaming Diablo 4 when the game disconnected. After logging back in, carn discovered his max level Hardcore Barbarian was gone, leaving him no option but to create another character and start all over again.
Diablo 4’s Hardcore mode features permadeath, which means if a character dies it’s gone for good.
Clearly upset and confused, carn wonders whether he has suffered a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. He then spends some time searching Diablo 4’s menus for a trace of his character, to no avail.
“This is the one thing when I was playing the beta that I was praising Blizzard for,” carn says.
“Like, holy shit, a DC-proof game. But no. I guess not.”
Then, after an extended period of silence: “I don’t know who I’m even supposed to talk to about this.”
It’s a heartbreaking moment given the time and effort carn put into the character, which is set to be immortalised on Blizzard’s Lilith statue as part of the race to max level Hardcore challenge.
And the scene is a stark reminder of the perils of always-online video games. The clip of carn’s disconnect is sure to fuel complaints about Blizzard’s decision to make Diablo 4 unplayable offline.
It remains to be seen whether Blizzard is able to recover carn’s character or, even if it is able to, whether it would be willing to.
“I’m not expecting it,” carn says of the potential for Blizzard to restore his character.
Despite this disconnect, Diablo 4 has enjoyed a relatively smooth launch, and is a smash hit.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. Send news tips to wesley_yinpoole@ign.com.
No Man’s Sky’s next big update is about AI and robot uprisings.
The update, out today for all formats, is dubbed Singularity. It is the 10th major update for the long-running space exploration game.
Singularity forms a part of a much longer narrative arc that kicked off in the Interceptor update and is set to play out as the year goes on.
Players investigate curious robot heads that are delivering cryptic clues across the galaxy. The story is about AI corruption and robotic uprisings, with Hello Games teasing “strong hints of what’s to come in No Man’s Sky”.
“Throughout the five week long expedition, the whole community will be working with Nada and Polo on the space anomaly to try to breathe new life into the galaxy, and work together for some exciting rewards,” Hello Games explained.
“The expedition concludes with the player having to make a choice which will have far-reaching consequences…”
The idea is by the end of the season, the No Man’s Sky community will have worked together to uncover clues that lead to hints at future updates and more story.
New rewards include No Man’s Sky’s first new full character customisation set in years.
Blizzard’s $70 action role-playing game leans heavily on in-game monetisation, with plans for various battle passes post-launch.
Available now, however, is the in-game shop, which has become a bone of contention among fans.
Diablo 4’s shop sells cosmetics only. There are no gameplay-affecting items up for sale. While that is very much a good thing, and in keeping with promises Blizzard made before launch, the pricing of some of these cosmetics has raised eyebrows.
Take the Triune Apostate armour set, for example. It weighs in at 2,500 Platinum. Platinum is Diablo 4’s premium in-game currency, and must itself be bought with real-world money. 2,500 Platinum will set you back £20.99 / $24.99 (2,500 plus 300 Platinum “free”).
The Cryptic Hunter mount costs £6.39. That’s a direct payment with real-world money. No need for Platinum.
And of course there’s horse armour for new mounts. The Three-Fold Nightmare Prestige mount and armour costs 1,500 Platinum, or just shy of £13.
If you want to buy all the cosmetics currently available in the shop, you’re looking at spending hundreds of dollars or pounds. One redditor worked it out, and came up with $357 to get everything in the most cost-effective way possible.
As you’d expect, the Diablo community has pointed out just how expensive these cosmetics are, and the fact armour sets are available for just one class only devalues your purchase somewhat.
But others point out that up to $25 for a bundle that includes a skin and a few minor cosmetics is pretty standard these days. Anyone who’s played Activision’s recent Call of Duty games, for example, will be familiar with this sort of pricing.
Of course, the true test of Diablo 4’s monetisation will come when its battle passes launch and we get a sense of whether Blizzard is paywalling the game’s best-looking armour sets, or if the base game itself includes fancy fits that hold their own.
Counter-Strike 2 now lets players refund their weapons.
Developer Valve confirmed the feature, which Counter-Strike players have long-called for, in the tweet below.
Bought the wrong thing? Meant to buy a different weapon, armor, or grenade? Sell your purchase back and buy again (during buy time). pic.twitter.com/7KJ4WN82XU
“Bought the wrong thing? Meant to buy a different weapon, armor, or grenade? Sell your purchase back and buy again (during buy time).”
Currently, Counter-Strike does not allow refunds under any circumstances, which means if you buy a gun in error you either have to use it or fork out more cash to buy another.
It’s worth noting Counter-Strike rival Valorant, from Riot, does offer refunds.
The update also includes a revised loadout system that lets players select 15 weapons from three categories (Valve demonstrated this in another tweet, below). Mirage has replaced Dust II on the test matchmaking servers, too.
Any 5 pistols, any 5 mid-tier weapons, and any 5 rifles. Today’s Counter-Strike 2 update introduces a revised loadout system where players select 15 weapons from 3 categories on CT and T-side to bring with them into matches. Including the M4A4 and M4A1-S. pic.twitter.com/enl7mW9qnT
IGN’s Summer of Gaming is officially on, and the events keep rolling with Summer Game Fest 2023 on Thursday, June 8. With E3 being cancelled, Summer Game Fest promises to be one of the biggest events of the season. Jeff Keighley’s show debuted some heavy hitters last year, like The Last of Us Part 1 and Marvel’s Midnight Suns, so there’s definitely potential for juicy surprises this time around, especially since it’s a live in-person event this year.
If you want to tune into Summer Game Fest we’ll point you to where you can watch the livsetream and let you know when it starts. We’ll even do a bit of speculation about what to expect!
Summer Game Fest 2023 Start Time
Summer Game Fest kicks off on June 8, 2023 at 12pm PT/ 3PM ET/8PM BST, and if you’re watching from Australia, that means the show will be premiering Friday, June 9 at 5am AEST. We don’t know which games will be at Summer Game Fest, but we do know the show will be around two hours long, so there will probably be a ton of content stuffed into the presentation.
IGN will also be hosting a pre- and post-show for Summer Game Fest, and that will kick off at 11:30am PT/2:30PM ET/7:30PM BST, or 30 minutes before the show officially starts. The post show will immediately follow Summer Game Fest. This looks to be one of the most packed events for Summer of Gaming.
Where to Watch Summer Game Fest 2023
If you want to watch Summer Game Fest, IGN will be hosting a stream on our homepage and across our other social media pages. Here’s everywhere you can watch the kick-off of Summer Game Fest 2023 on Thursday, June 8.
Because Summer Game Fest is an in-person event at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California, an absolute deluge of publishers have signed on for the event, including CD Projekt Red, Square Enix and Xbox.
So while there’s sure to be trailers from games that are right around the corner, like Final Fantasy XVI from Square Enix, this lineup combined with the live audience is the perfect time to debut “World Premieres.” There’s also Day of the Devs, which focuses on indie games and developers, if that’s more your speed.
Sony will also be at Summer Game Fest, but it comes just a couple weeks after the Playstation Showcase back in May, so don’t expect any huge first-party titles to drop. The same is true of Xbox, although it may sneak some of its highly anticipated game reveals into the show, as the company is confirmed to be a part of the live show. That means we might see a bit of Starfield, though that game is getting its own entire show this year.
Either way, we’ll probably see some glimpses of the best games 2023 has to offer, and we might even get a peek into the future.
If you’ve started compiling a collection of digital games, you probably already know just how limited the Switch’s base storage capacity. The Switch and Switch OLED have 32GB and 64GB of internal storage respectively. Some of that is reserved for the OS. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom takes up over 18GB of storage all by itself. Other must-have titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Pokemon Sword or Shield tap out at 13.5GB each. There’s only one expansion slot in the Switch console so you want to make sure you get the biggest card you can afford.
The Lowest Prices on MicroSDXC Cards (Updated)
These Micro SDXC cards are 100% compatible with any Nintendo Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite console. Some of them may be rated for higher speeds than the official Nintendo Switch branded memory cards. That doesn’t really matter though; the Nintendo Switch can only support U1 speeds, so a U3 speed will just be throttled back down to U1 speeds.
Steam Deck Owners Can Use These Cards Too!
The Switch isn’t the only gaming system that accepts these cards. If you’re a Steam Deck owner, you can also use this card, especially if you picked up the 64GB storage option.
For more deals, take a look at our daily deals for today.
Hit mobile game Angry Birds is getting a brand-new animated series on Amazon Prime.
Announced today, the 24-episode series, titled Angry Birds: Mystery Island, will follow three new hatchlings – Mia, Rosie, and Buddy. There’s also a foreign exchange piglet called Hamylton.
“We’re excited to work with Amazon to add a new chapter to the Hatchlings’ story in Angry Birds Mystery Island,” said Rovio’s head of brand licensing, Hanna Valkeapää-Nokkala. “I’m sure fans of the Hatchlings will be eager to see them in their own series, with speaking voices for the first time.”
Get ready to venture into uncharted territory. ? ?️
An all new Amazon Original series takes us to parts unknown, somewhere in the Angry Birds world. What secrets does this island hold, and who will be there to unravel them?https://t.co/FhPhA73vYI
The show follows the four youngsters as they set off on an all-expenses-paid island getaway, but are instead mistakenly catapulted to a mysterious, uncharted island.
It’s not exactly FarCry, but the ragtag bunch will need to explore the island and unlock its secrets if they want to find their way home. Meanwhile, they encounter exotic sights and unexplained natural phenomena – all while being away from home with no parents in sight.
“Working with such a dream team and cast has been the highlight of my career,” said creator Eric Rogers. “Together, we are hatching a series full of comedy, heart, and binge-worthy mystery, filled with laugh-out-loud moments.”
Speaking of the cast, the four leads will be voiced by none other than Harvey Guillén, Kate Micucci, Dominic Monaghan, and Nasim Pedrad.
“It’s exciting to expand the Angry Birds universe with endearing new characters and multilayered storytelling that speaks equally to kids and kids at heart,” said Amazon Kids head of original series, Veronica Pickett.
Other hatchlings were seen in the animated movie, Angry Birds 2, and have also played a role in the hit game series.
“The Angry Birds captivated people of all ages and became a global phenomenon with the debut of their first game, and their cultural presence has remained steadfast,” said Amazon Studios head of animation, Melissa Wolfe. “We are excited by the opportunity to expand the Hatchlings’ world into a family series for our global customers to enjoy even more stories around these beloved birds.”
It’s Pride Month; the time of year where we not only commemorate the history and achievements of the LGBTQIA+ community in celebration, but also take time to reflect on hardships, current issues, and make space to listen and share their stories, uplift their voices and support them.
We invite you to celebrate and support LGBTQIA+ folks with us; whether it be reading stories by the queer community and its allies, learning about how Pride is more than just a rainbow flag (do you know its history?), or donating to an impactful charity changing and saving the lives of LGBT+ youth (see below); it’s all incredibly important.
What’s more, we’re excited to showcase several Pride-related features you’ll love to read from IGN, Humble and other Ziff Davis sister sites, with more to come throughout June.
IGN is excited to share reading lists and resources to support LGBTQIA+ voices in the industry and beyond. Here’s a shortlist to get you started. Our new piece is up, so take a look now:
8 Queer Comics to Read:
Check back throughout the month as we share more lists and exclusive content for Pride each week!
Support LGBTQIA+ by Donating to The Trevor Project
This year, we’re joining sister site, Humble Bundle to support The Trevor Project.
Humble selected The Trevor Project as their featured charity, where 5% of every June Humble Choice membership (available starting June 6) will go to support The Trevor Project until the end of the month. This month’s Humble Choice games include Ghostwire: Tokyo, Remnant: From the Ashes – Complete Edition, and six more.
Humble will be offering a number of bundles throughout the month that support The Trevor Project. Their Blender Animation & Games by Packt is available right now—so be sure to keep an eye out for more bundles supporting The Trevor Project in the days and weeks ahead.
“Last year, your support of The Trevor Project through Humble purchases helped them increase their base of volunteers by 315—that’s 315 trained and qualified people fielding an estimated total of 31,500 crisis contacts over the course of their first year. We’re proud to team up with them again this year and continue supporting their mission to help LGBTQ+ youth through times of crisis.” –Humble Bundle Team
Show Your Pride
You can now shop over 20 fun franchise Pride shirts, including IGN’s own designs made by our amazing designers:
History of Pride Month
Every year, Pride is recognized across the United States during the month of June. This is largely due to the Stonewall Uprising that took place in New York City in 1969. The Stonewall Uprising helped fuel the momentum of the gay rights movement, and following the event, activists began to organize Pride marches and parades throughout June. That tradition continues today, though there are many cities that hold their events at different times of the year.
LGBTQIA+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and the + symbol holds space for the diverse gender and sexual identities that continue to be explored and understood.
You may have seen a “2” included at times, which can be more or less common based on region. For example, as stated on Princeton’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center page; “within the Canadian Government, they use the acronym LGBTQ2, with “2” standing for Two-spirit; a term used by some indigenous communities to represent gender and sexual diversity, often regarded throughout the tribal history as different figures within the community”.
We use LGBTQIA+ to be inclusive while recognizing and understanding it may not include all identities as an acronym and continues to be expanded upon.
If you are someone who identifies as LGBTQIA+ and are thinking of harming yourself, get immediate support here from The Trevor Project, and know there is help available without judgment. You can also text ‘START’ to 678-678 or call 1-866-488-7386 to talk to someone now.
Lindsey (she/her) is the Senior Audience Development Manager for IGN since 2021. Find her on Twitter at @LindseySalzer.
After several betas and an early access period, Diablo 4 is finally available for all to play. IGN’s expert guide writers have been hard at work uncovering its many secrets and adding them to the Diablo 4 Walkthrough. While Diablo 4’s open regions allow you to explore and delve into various dungeons, it’s still worthwhile to tackle the main story as soon as you can, as it’s the only way you can eventually unlock a mount to ride across Diablo 4’s vast areas.
While you’re free to tackle Diablo 4’s first few Acts in any order you like, we recommend taking the bulk of them on in the order listed below, due to the minimum recommended level that increases with each Act. Here’s every Diablo 4 main quest that we recommend doing, in the order we recommend, so far.
Upon completing the Prologue in Kyovashad, the game will open up so you can go out and explore more of Sanctuary’s world, along with continuing the main campaign. Act 1: A Cold and Iron Faith contains 19 quests for you to complete in the main region of the Fractured Peaks, and are best done first.
This section of the game contains 17 main story quests to complete and takes place in the main region of Scosglen to the North, and recommends that you’re at least level 10 or higher before embarking on the journey, so is best completed after Act 1 depending on your level.
This Act contains 16 main story quests to complete in the main region of the Dry Steppes to the West, and it’s recommended that you go into it around level 15 or higher, which is why we advise completing the other two acts first.
After completing the previous three Acts, you’ll be ready to move into Act 4. It only has 6 main story quests, but completing the second quest will finally allow you to visit the Stable and unlock the ability to ride and customize mounts to travel around Sanctuary at increased speeds. It’s recommended that you head into it at level 20 or higher as well.
