Following a tease from Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon, rumors around Mortal Kombat 12 have already started circulating ahead of any official announcement from Netherrealm Studios.
Days ago, Boon posted a short video of a ticking clock on Twitter counting down to something, and that something is most certainly Mortal Kombat 12. The clock almost reaches the 12th hour before an explosion rockets it ahead to land on “1.”
Today, another Twitter account associated with previous PSN leaks, @billbil_kun, alleges that the next grizzly fighter is titled Mortal Kombat 1, making that “1” in Boon’s video seems a little more significant.
As you may notice, game will be available for Next-Gen consoles only (while including Nintendo Switch)
Comes in 3 editions: – Standard – Premium – Kollector’s Edition (Physical only, not available for Nintendo Switch)
“Next Mortal Kombat game from NetherRealm Studios / WB Games will be called: Mortal Kombat 1,” @ billbil_kun wrote, following up with a bulleted list of specifics:
“PC, PS5, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch
Standard: 69.99$ (PS5, XB) / 59.99$ (SW)
Premium: 109.99$
Kollector’s: 249.99$ (PS5, XB)”
The tweets also note an official announcement “should be close,” and the game is only for this generation of consoles. There’s no Kollector’s Edition available for Switch either, and the pricey package will only have a physical release.
Whether or not the “1” in the official Mortal Kombat video actually means something–like a reboot–remains unknown, as official channels are limited to teasers. Once the rumors took off, Boon denied claims from leakers, following up with another tweet highlighting a video from @unCAGEDgamez “shootin’ down the rumors.”
Specifics like pricepoint, platform, and title may be easier to glean from a glance, but Mortal Kombat 12’s initial “reveal” remains the more surprising. Last February, the news Netherrealm was planning another Mortal Kombat sometime this year broke during an earnings call when a Warner Brothers executive mentioned the title by name.
It’s been four years since Netherrealm released Mortal Kombat 11, though the recent teases line up with a bigger milestone celebrating the series’ 30th anniversary. The studio has also mentioned it’s working on another project, which is why it ended MK11’s DLC support, though Netherrealm never announced what that project is.
Andrea Shearon is a freelance contributor for IGN covering games and entertainment. She’s worn several hats over her seven-year career in the games industry, with bylines over at Fanbyte, USA Today’s FTW, TheGamer, VG247, and RPG Site. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) or the Materia Possessions podcast chatting about FFXIV, RPGs, and any series involving giant robots.
Deviation Games has laid off a number of developers as Sony reevaluates its portfolio. The studio is currently working on a new original AAA IP with PlayStation.
Several developers from Deviation Games took to LinkedIn to announce that they had been let go of their current positions. These include now-former associate producer Jared Bailey, technical combat and encounter designer Luke Stumpf, and software engineer Kyle Perras.
Not much context or information was provided about the reason for layoffs, but Perras mentioned that Deviation Games “ran into a difficult situation and was forced to make a number of layoffs which I was a part of.” It’s unknown whether the layoffs have anything to do with PlayStation’s project with Deviation Games and its current status.
Deviation Games was founded in June 2021 by Call of Duty veterans Jason Blundell and Dave Anthony, who initially revealed the partnership with PlayStation. However, Blundell left Deviation Games shortly after a year in September 2022.
Deviation Games isn’t the only studio going through layoffs this week. PlayStation’s first-party studio and Concrete Genie developer, PixelOpus, is shutting down on June 2. Ubisoft had a wave of layoffs earlier this week too.
Not much is currently known about Deviation’s new IP, but it’s presumably going to release on PlayStation 5. Sony has also been investing in more multiplayer titles with developers such as Haven Studios and Firewalk Studios, so it’s possible that Deviation’s game will be multiplayer as well.
Today, Square Enix revealed that it is thinking about creating new studios and acquiring existing studios as part of its plan to grow its in-house development resources.
According to slides from the company’s full earnings report released today, Square Enix plans to “consider M&A, creating new studios, and taking minority stakes” to bring in more external development resources.”
In addition, it plans to hire more engineers and developers “to develop not only HD and smart device games but also content for future cross-platform offerings.”
Square Enix also revealed that sales and profit were down during its 2023 fiscal year, though it partially attributed this to the lack of expansions in comparison to last year’s DLC for Final Fantasy XIV. The company forecasts a stronger fiscal year in 2024.
Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they’ve contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.
We already knew that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom includes a pretty major improvement to Breath of the Wild’s cooking systme in the form of recipe cards. But there are some brand new recipes to cook up too, including everyone’s favorite lazy dinner night dish: pizza.
Warning: Minor spoilers for a Tears of the Kingdom sidequest follow the image. Read on at your own risk!
Incredibly, Tears of the Kingdom’s pizza is actually not that easy to make. It consists of wheat, tomato, and cheese, but one ingredient proves particularly difficult: the cheese. Officially, there’s no cheese available in Hyrule when you start the game. You have to head to Hateno Village and complete a questline in order to make it, after which you can buy it and bake some pizza-y goodness any time you like.
What’s even funnier is the content of this sidequest. Essentially, the story is that the mayor of Hateno’s grandfather figured out how to make cheese years ago, but concluded that the people weren’t ready for it. So everyone just somehow forgot cheese existed, and now a woman in Hateno is trying to recreate it and needs your help to effectively invent cheese for the second time ever. Incredible.
Pizza isn’t the only food item you’ll be cooking up in Tears of the Kingdom, even if it might rank among the silliest ones. There are tons of other recipes you can discover, and we have a full guide on the way to help you sort them out.
You can also dive into the rest of our guides content for Tears of the Kingdom, including:
Don’t miss our big checklist of things to do first here
Our massive Tears of the Kingdom Map has the locations of every Shrine, Tower, and Korok Seed.
If you are looking for a Tears of the Kingdom walkthrough, we’ve got that, complete with Side Adventures.
Every Shrine location and guide can be found here.
We’ve amassed all of the cheats and secrets we’ve discovered in TOTK as well.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, as soon as players completed the initial Great Plateau tutorial era, it was possible to grab a paraglider and sprint straight to the game’s final boss, clearing the game in under an hour. Based on our time with the game so far, it seems like a similar path is available in the sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, albeit with a key difference from its predecessor.
WARNING:Spoilers for Tears of the Kingdom follow. Scroll below the video at your own risk.
Just like in Breath of the Wild, in Tears of the Kingdom you can finish the game’s “tutorial” of sorts on on The Great Sky Island, and then go straight to the end of the game. However, there’s a key difference from Breath of the Wild. In Breath of the Wild, you were given the quest “Defeat Ganon,” which told you exactly where to go and what to do to trigger the ending. But Tears of the Kingdom gives you no such quest. You have to already know where the end of the game is and head there without in-game guidance, and then know what to do when you get there.
The end of Tears of the Kingdom is only truly accessible once you finish a very early main quest to get the Paraglider. However, where you’re going and what you’re doing is actually a massive, massive spoiler – one big enough that we don’t want to touch it in an article like this. If you really, really want to skip to the end right away, check out our guide on how to do so. But really, we’re warning you, it’s a pretty big spoiler. Once you know, there’s no going back.
We have tons more Tears of the Kingdom content lined up in the coming days. In the meantime, check out our review of Tears of the Kingdom, which we called “an unfathomable follow-up to one of the greatest games ever made, somehow improving upon it in nearly every way.” And for help getting started, take a look at our Wiki guide to everything you could ever want to know about making your way through Hyrule.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an enormous beast with an incredible amount to see and fuse, but just how long is it? Here we’ll let you know exactly how many hours it took different members of the IGN team to finish the story, and what they prioritised doing with their time.
How Long is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?
Our fastest player finished it in 60 hours.
Our “slowest” player spent 82 hours before credits rolled.
Everyone plays games differently, so read on for more details about how everyone played, how long it took to reach the credits, and how much extra time players spent exploring the world. Once you’ve finished the game yourself, be sure to submit your times on How Long To Beat and see how your time compares!
Brendan Graeber – Senior Guides Editor
While it’s probably more accurate to say that I beat the main story of Tears of the Kingdom after about 60 hours of playtime, I want it on record that I could have beaten it after the first few hours I spent taking in all that the tutorial island had to offer. One of the very first things I did after Breath of the Wild’s Great Plateau was to march my shirtless Link right up to the final boss to give him a beatdown, so realizing Ganondorf obviously hadn’t learned his lesson, I resolved to do it again.
I won’t reveal exactly how things played out this time around, but I will say a handful of rocks taped to tree branches can only get you so far against the big bad when you only have four hearts. Afterwards, I spent much of my time just exploring the wide world, uncovering secrets, and revisiting familiar locations to see what had changed. When I finally decided to see how the main story played out, I still had so much left to explore, and hadn’t even completed most of the shrines I discovered. By now, I’m well over 100 hours in, and since I plan to see and do everything to help build out our wiki guide, I expect to be clocking countless more hours before I’m done.
Tom Marks – Senior Reviews Editor
I beat the story of Tears of the Kingdom around the 82-hour mark, but I let myself wander and get distracted along the way as that’s sort of the point. You could almost certainly beat it faster than that if you’re just trying to get to the end, but even after 100 total hours played I still have an absurd amount of stuff left to do – side quests to finish, secrets to find, shrines to complete, and so much more. The in-game tracker tells me I’ve barely passed 50% completion, and while the story itself is only a small fraction of that, the overall size of this game is truly impressive.
John Tyler Sullivan – Video Freelancer
It took me about 70 hours to get to the credits of Tears of the Kingdom with 35% of the game completed. Being on the video walkthrough often means replaying parts of the game to get good clips, but I didn’t have to do that as much this time around. I’m not exactly sure why but I think it has something to do with there being so many different answers to every problem.
I completed 16 side adventures, 10 side quests, 3 shrine quests, and about 72 shrines. If I hadn’t been on a deadline, I would have spent way more time getting distracted by everything else there was to do besides just focusing on the main quests. Remember that episode of South Park about World of Warcraft? Now I can finally play the game.
If you want to see how Tears of the Kingdom stacks up in length to the previous games in the series, check out our complete Playlist of Zelda games. You can sort it by HLTB playtime, rating, and release date. And you can of course make your own lists and rankings, too. And if you need a little help with anything in Hyrule, be sure to check out our Tears of the Kingdom guides.
Nintendo has no plans to cut the price of its Switch console until April 2024 at the earliest, according to company president Shuntaro Furukawa.
“Currently, there are no plans to reduce the price of our hardware during this fiscal year,” he said during a Q&A session with investors following the release of the entertainment giant’s most recent earnings report.
“On the other hand, while we also have no plans to raise prices, the yen continues to be weak, and procurement costs remain high, so we will continue to monitor the situation carefully.”
The Nintendo boss acknowledged that the prices of certain production materials had fallen, but that it would take time for this to be reflected in manufacturing costs, and that the overall costs of manufacturing the Switch “remain high”.
“In the history of our dedicated video game platform business, we have never anticipated sales of 15 million units of hardware and 180 million units of software in the seventh year for a system, so we see ourselves as having entered uncharted territory,” continued Furukawa.
The Nintendo president also re-iterated that the prices of future first party Switch games would be decided on a case-by-case basis, and that the $10 price increase of Tears of the Kingdom over its predecessor Breath of the Wild didn’t indicate a general increase in the price of software.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
A select few rare Tears of the Kingdom items are now back in stock at Best Buy (for what is likely a very limited time). Each of these was exceptionally rare in the build-up to Tears of the Kingdom, so we wouldn’t be surprised if they sell out again rather quickly. So, get in quick and secure those goods, we’ll leave all the handy links you need just below. (Note: you need a Best Buy account to order most of these as well.)
TL;DR – Where to Buy
Where to Buy Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Collector’s Edition (Extremely Limited Stock)
Update; 7:14 AM ET. It’s quite remarkable but at the time of writing this is still available to buy. We’re in no doubt that it will sell out soon, but for now you can pick it up from Best Buy, or get it delivered straight to your front door. If you missed out on buying the Tears of the Kingdom Collector’s Edition before this week, jump on this quick while you still can.
Where to Buy Link – Tears of the Kingdom Amiibo Right Now
The new amiibo featuring Link in his new Tears of the Kingdom look will grant access to materials, weapons, and special fabric for Link’s paraglider when scanned. It will cost $15.99 and is only available to order from Walmart at the time of writing.
Where to Buy The Tears of the Kingdom Switch Pro Controller
A limited edition Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is also among the rare Zelda-themed items available at the moment. YMMV on this one, as it’s out of stock everywhere buy Best Buy, and even there it’s for pickup only! Check the links below if you want to see if it’s in stock for you locally.
Bonus: Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Official Guide
Tears of the Kingdom looks to be a truly massive game with tons of things to do and surprises to find. You can get some help on that front with the official guide to the game, available in both a collector’s and a standard paperback edition.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Smartwatches have been on the rise over the years, especially when Apple entered the wearable tech market with the very first Apple Watch. In fact, the Apple Watch is the most popular and best selling smartwatch in the world. Ever since its release, the tech company has been refining the wearable with every new iteration.
However, trying to find the sweet spot for an Apple Watch is easier said than done because much like the Apple iPhone and the Apple MacBook, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. That’s where we come in. This buyer’s guide will help you find the best Apple Watch at the best price for you. Whether you’re planning to pick up your first Apple Watch or you’re looking to upgrade, we’re here to navigate you through the various models that suit you the best.
If you want the best Apple Watch in 2023, then the Series 8—which is the most current model—is the one to pick. It has the same features that people have enjoyed in the past with the Apple Watch, such as GPS, heart rate monitor, and sleep tracker.
But, the watch also comes with a new S8 SiP chipset and new features that are not available on previous models, including crash and fall detection for emergency SOS, a skin temperature sensor, cycle and fertility tracking, and more. The smartwatch also boasts up to 18 hours of battery life per charge.
Meanwhile, it comes in two models—41mm and 45mm “always-on” watch faces—while it also comes in four aluminum or stainless steel case colors with matching sport band—including Midnight, (PRODUCT) RED, Silver, and Starlight. The smartwatch also comes in a cellular option, so it doesn’t have to be tethered to an Apple iPhone for mobile data.
Apple Watch Series 7
Runner Up
While the Series 8 is the latest and greatest from Apple, it’s a pretty small upgrade from the Apple Watch Series 7—which is the best runner-up pick in 2023. It features the same GPS, heart rate monitor, sleep tracker, blood oxygen tracker, electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure electrical activity of the heart, and more, but it doesn’t have the latest chipset (it sports the older S7 SiP) and features, like crash and fall detection, cycle and fertility tracking, and others.
Released in 2021, the Series 7 also comes in the same two model sizes as the Series 8—41mm and 45mm “always-on” displays. But, it does come in aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium, instead of the Series 8’s aluminum and stainless steel options.
If you don’t need the latest features and you want to save some money, then the Series 7 is the one to pick. However, Apple discontinued the smartwatch, but you can find it in various color options available at retailers like Amazon starting as low as $221.
Apple Watch SE
Best Budget
Looking for an Apple Watch on the cheap? Starting at $249, the Apple Watch SE (second generation) is a fantastic pick if you’re on a budget. Although its exterior design is a bit older, the SE’s interior is blazing-fast with Apple’s latest S8 SiP chipset—which is the same chipset in the newest Series 8. This means you’re going to get the same speed as the Series 8, but at a fraction of its price tag.
The wallet-friendly smartwatch also features GPS, fitness and sleep trackers, heart rate monitor, and more. It even comes with crash and fall detection—which isn’t available in the Series 7. However, it doesn’t come with ECG, cycle and fertility tracking, or a skin temperature sensor.
It comes in 40mm and 44mm watch face options (“always-on” displays are not available), while there are three aluminum case color options available—Silver, Midnight, and Starlight. Stainless steel and titanium materials are also not available.
Apple Watch Ultra
Best for Adventurers, Athletes, and Runners
Apple created a new category with their newest wave of Apple Watch models. The Apple Watch Ultra—which starts at $799—is made for adventurers and serious athletes who need something with a very long battery life and durability for outdoor activities, such as trail running, mountain climbing, deep sea diving, and more.
Made from titanium and sapphire glass, the rugged smartwatch is designed with an extra physical “Action” button that’s customizable for additional control. This means you can start a workout, mark a location on a compass, begin a dive, and more with just a touch of a button. It even has increased water resistance of up to 100m (about 328 feet) underwater and up to a whopping 36 hours of battery life to keep up with you.
It only comes in one size, 49mm, and one case color, titanium, but also comes in an assortment of band and loop colors and types—such as Starlight alpine loop, blue and gray trial loop, Midnight ocean band, and much more.
Apple Watch Hermès
Best Luxury
Want to splurge? The Apple Watch Hermès is the tech company’s most expensive smartwatch. Apple partnered with Hermès, a Paris-based design house, to deliver an Apple Watch that’s luxurious and chic for high-end and fashionable shoppers.
The watch itself is a 41mm or 45mm Apple Watch Series 8 with stainless steel case, so you’re going to get the same features, functions, and usage as our best overall pick. But, Hermès makes the packaging, exclusive watch faces, and watch bands—which are made from high quality leather or woven nylon and cut and stitched by hand.
However, that kind of opulence is not cheap. The Apple Watch Hermès starts at $1,229 with a Casaque Single Tour woven nylon band and goes up to $1,759 with a Gourmette Metal Double Tour leather band.
What to Look for in an Apple Watch
Although there are more Apple Watch models than ever before, it’s not as overwhelming to pick the best one. While models vary from size, durability, and price, its user experience stays just about the same—thanks to the current watchOS 9 software.
Each model will run at its best, while delivering notifications, tracking health vitals and sleep, taking phone calls, sending text messages, and, of course, displaying the time all from the convenience of your wrist. But, there are differences in the hardware itself that could make it tough to navigate, so here’s what to look for in an Apple Watch in 2023.
From casual everyday use to the rugged outdoors, there’s now an Apple Watch for just about all users. Starting at $399, the Apple Watch Series 8 is the model most people will gravitate to—thanks to its sleek design, wide range of features and apps, and usefulness when paired with an Apple iPhone. It’s the all-around favorite for its speed, long battery life, and utility when tracking health and sleep. It’s the gold standard.
However, if you’re on a budget, then go with the previous model Apple Watch Series 7 or the wallet-friendly Apple Watch SE (second generation). The Series 7 has just about the same features and usability than the latest Series 8, except it’s slower and doesn’t have crash and fall detection or cycle and fertility tracking. Apple discontinued the Series 7, but you can still find it new at retailers like Amazon and Walmart at slightly cheaper prices.
As for the SE, which starts at $249, it features an older design on the outside, but the latest S8 SiP chipset on the inside. This means it will run as smooth and fast as the Series 8, but without the latest features, such as an ECG, cycle and fertility tracking, and a skin temperature sensor.
For the serious athlete or the outdoorsy among us, the Apple Watch Ultra will satisfy. Apple created the Ultra line specifically for adventurers, athletes, and runners who want precision and detailed tracking and utility. This model is rugged enough for even the harshest of conditions and activities, such as mountain climbing and deep sea diving.
Meanwhile, most Apple Watch models come in two sizes—either 41mm or 45mm “always-on” watch faces—except for the Apple Watch SE, which comes in 40mm or 44mm, and the Ultra, which comes in only one size, a generous 49mm “always-on” display. Picking the best size for you depends on the size of your wrist.
As for connectivity, there are only three Apple Watches that have a GPS-only model option—the Series 8, Series 7, and the SE. This means you’d have to be tethered to an Apple iPhone for mobile data. But, the other models—Series 8, Series 7, and Ultra—have GPS and cellular connectivity options. This means you don’t need an iPhone for mobile data to use these models. They have their own cellular antennas and work independently. But, this also means you’d have to get a separate mobile plan line for the Apple Watch.
Overall, the Apple Watch Series 8 is the best option for most people. It hits the mark when it comes to the newest features and price. But, if this model is too expensive, then the Series 7 is a worthy runner-up pick—especially since it has just about the same design as the Series 8 at a discounted price.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is here, but Cardy, Matt, and Emma haven’t had a chance to play it yet so you’ll have to wait until next week to hear all about it. In the meantime, the opportunity is taken to design our own (weird) dream Zeldas made up of bits and bobs from other games. Before that, get on board for some quick Honkai: Star Rail thoughts.
Has a game ever gotten better after you’ve finished its main story? Give us your co-op game suggestions and drop us an email: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.
