Nintendo Confirms It’s Missing E3 2023

After reports that all three major platform holders were skipping E3, Nintendo has confirmed to IGN that it will indeed be missing the event slated for June.

“We approach our involvement in any event on a case-by-case basis and are always considering various ways to engage with our fans,” Nintendo told IGN in a statement. “Since this year’s E3 show didn’t fit into our plans, we have made the decision to not participate. However, we have been and continue to be a strong supporter of the ESA and E3.”

IGN previously broke the news that Xbox, Sony, and Nintendo would not be formally taking part in E3 2023, with Nintendo pulling out due to a lack of major releases to promote. Xbox will be hosting its own event in Los Angeles, but it will not be at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

With E3 roughly three months away, uncertainty continues to hover around the event as publishers weigh their options. Ubisoft recently announced that it would attend E3 if the event went forward, but otherwise IGN understands that little has changed from a month ago, with few publishers being willing to full commit to attending.

E3 2023 is currently slated for June 13 to June 16 in the Los Angeles Convention Center. It is unclear whether Nintendo will hold a Nintendo Direct to match, as it has in previous years.

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

Question Block: NVC’s Essential Switch Games

It’s time for another Question Block edition of the weekly NVC column. This week, we’re answering what seems like an easy one, but it turns out it’s NOT easy. Shane Dowley wrote us at nvc@ign.com and asked the following question:

“For new Switch buyers, what would be your top 5 essential games that you would tell them to buy?”

First off, we answered this during this week’s episode of NVC, but we’re getting a little more formal with the answers. Much as Wheel of Fortune automatically gives players in the final round a free R,S,T,L,N and E, we answered this question with the most common games as give-ins: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Mario Odyssey. The remaining picks are below.

Reb Valentine

Assuming you have some other device to play multi-platform games that are nonetheless superb on the Switch already (like Hollow Knight or Celeste), then obviously you need a trove of Switch exclusives. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an essential cornerstone of the Switch library for its ability to suck you in for hundreds of hours alone as well as incorporate joyful, social play. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle introduces a genre many Nintendo enthusiasts might be less familiar with by painting it with a familiar and family-friendly veneer (and it is, I argue, better than Sparks of Hope!). Luigi’s Mansion 3, easily one of the best games on the system, deserves a spot on sheer charm. And there’s literally nothing in the world like Ring Fit Adventure, one of the most unique RPGs I’ve ever played and with absolutely no peer on any other system anywhere. For my fifth pick, obviously you’ll need the NSO Expansion Pass for all the games it comes with (yes, even though I regularly quip that no one actually plays them), but more importantly for the Mario Kart and Animal Crossing DLC.

Peer Schneider

I usually start my recommendations with SteamWorld Dig, but I’m gonna mix it up this time! Switch has a strong lineup of wonderful co-op multiplayer games – some ported from other platforms like Diablo III, New Super Mario Bros. or Donkey Country: Tropical Freeze, but many are unique to the system. My number one Switch Essential pick – and a co-op delight – is Luigi’s Mansion 3. Seriously, it’s fantastic. Next up, it’s Splatoon 3. It’s just a ridiculously good competitive shooter. You can lose hundreds of hours to this game in competitive and co-op modes, or just have fun for a weekend with the campaign mode. For my final three picks, I’m going with a trio of top-tier remakes/remasters: the charming handheld classic The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, multi-scenario Square JRPG Live A Live, and most-likely prettiest game on Switch forever Metroid Prime Remastered.

Seth Macy

This is a tough one, and so I’m going to cheat right off the bat by recommending the Nintendo Switch Online expansion pass. It costs as much as a game – granted, a game you have to buy every year – but it has so many great games included with the service it’s totally worth it now. After that, I have the controversial pick of Minecraft for Nintendo Switch. Yes, you can play Minecraft on a TI-89 calculator at this point, but it works so great on Switch and there’s something extra special about playing it handheld. After that, things get trickier for me. I’m going to say Bayonetta 2, even though it’s originally a Wii U game. It’s better than its sequel and just feels so damn good to play. Metroid Prime Remastered is also another absolute must-play, and while you probably can’t get it as a physical cart anymore, it’s on the eShop (and cheaper that route, too). Finally, and this is just me being weird, I’m going to say if you have a Switch, you should also have Axiom Verge 2. You don’t need to have played the first to enjoy the second, and it’s probably my favorite Metroidvania of the last decade. It’s super good!

So what are your picks for the five essential Nintendo Switch games (that aren’t Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Super Mario Odyssey)? Start the arguments in the comments!

IGN UK Podcast 685: You Kang Make Me Whole Again

Atomic Heart is out and Cardy, Mat, and Dale have been having a dabble with it as well as dipping into the PS VR2 waters. That isn’t all, though. Dale has some thoughts on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Mat has been enjoying Like a Dragon: Ishin, and Cardy has had a blast with Kerbal Space Program 2.

Got a game for us to play, or just want to tell us the weirdest thing you’ve eaten for breakfast? Drop us an email: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.

IGN UK Podcast 685: You Kang Make Me Whole Again

DICE Awards 2023 Winners: The Full List

The 26th annual D.I.C.E. Awards have arrived and, while God of War Ragnarok led the night with seven wins, Elden Ring took home the ultimate prize of Game of the Year for 2022.

The D.I.C.E. Awards are hosted by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) and this year’s show was hosted by IGN’s Stella Chung and Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller. Additionally, IGN was proud to be the media partner for the 26th D.I.C.E. Awards.

There were 23 different categories in the show and, as previously mentioned, God of War Ragnarok won the most categories, including Outstanding Achievement awards for Animation, Art Direction, Character, Original Music Composition, Audio Design, and Story.

Elden Ring, alongside winning Game of the Year, won four other categories – Outstanding Technical Achievement, Outstanding Achievement in Game Design, Outstanding Achievement in Game DIrection, and Role-Playing Game of the Year.

Alongside honoring games and their studios, the D.I.C.E. Awards took the time to induct Double Fine Productions founder Tim Schafer into the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame for his over 30-year impact on the games industry.

With all that out of the way, here are all the winners from the 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards:

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

  • Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course
  • Elden Ring
  • God of War Ragnarok – WINNER
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • Moss: Book 2

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
  • God of War Ragnarok – WINNER
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • Stray
  • The Callisto Protocol

Outstanding Achievement in Character

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Alejandro Vargas
  • God of War Ragnarok – Atreus
  • God of War Ragnarok – Kratos – WINNER
  • Horizon Forbidden West – Aloy
  • Return to Monkey Island – Guybrush Threepwood

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

  • A Plague Tale: Requiem
  • God of War Ragnarok – WINNER
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • Metal: Hellsinger
  • Moss: Book 2

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

  • A Plague Tale: Requiem
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Gotham Knights
  • Somerville

Outsanding Achievement in Story

  • Elden Ring
  • God of War Ragnarok – WINNER
  • I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
  • IMMORTALITY
  • NORCO

Outstanding Technical Achievement

  • A Plague Tale: Requiem
  • Elden Ring – WINNER
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • Teardown

Action Game of the Year

  • Bayonetta 3
  • Grounded
  • Neon White
  • Sifu
  • Vampire Survivors – WINNER

Adventure Game of the Year

  • God of War Ragnarok – WINNER
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • NORCO
  • Stray
  • TUNIC

Family Game of the Year

  • Disney Dreamlight Valley
  • Kirby’s Dream Buffet
  • Lost in Play
  • Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope – WINNER
  • Trombone Champ

Fighting Game of the Year

  • JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R
  • MultiVersus – WINNER
  • Rumbleverse
  • SpiderHeck
  • THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV

Racing Game of the Year

  • F1 22
  • Gran Turismo 7 – WINNER
  • Need for Speed Unbound

Role-Playing Game of the Year

  • Citizen Sleeper
  • Elden Ring – WINNER
  • Weird West
  • World of Warcraft: Dragonflight
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Sports Game of the Year

  • EA SPORTS FIFA 23
  • Mario Strikers: Battle League
  • MLB The Show 22
  • NBA 2k23
  • OlliOlli World – WINNER

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

  • Dwarf Fortress – WINNER
  • IXION
  • Marvel’s Midnight Suns
  • Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
  • Warhammer 40,000: CHaos Gate – Demonhunters

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

  • Cosmonious High
  • Moss: Book 2
  • Red Matter 2 – WINNER
  • Tenatcular
  • The Last Clockwinder

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

  • IMMORTALITY
  • Neon White
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
  • TUNIC – WINNER
  • Vampire Survivors

Mobile Game of the Year

  • Diablo Immortal
  • Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
  • IMMORTALITY
  • MARVEL SNAP – WINNER
  • Poinpy

Online Game of the Year

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
  • EA SPORTS FIFA 23
  • FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker – WINNER
  • MARVEL SNAP
  • Rumbleverse

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

  • Elden Ring – WINNER
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • MARVEL SNAP
  • TUNIC
  • Vampire Survivors

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

  • Elden Ring – WINNER
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • IMMORTALITY
  • TUNIC

Game of the Year

  • Elden Ring – WINNER
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • Stray
  • Vampire Survivors

For more, check out which game we crowned the greatest of last year, the full list of winners from The Game Awards 2022, and what games you should be looking out for this year!

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

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

PlayStation Plus Games for March 2023 Headlined by Battlefield 2042

The PlayStation Plus games for March 2023 have been officially confirmed to be Battlefield 2042, Minecraft Dungeons, and Code Vein, and they’ll be available to all subscribers from March 7 through April 3.

PlayStation shared the news during its latest State of Play, where it also shared that Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, Tchia, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Immortals Fenyx Rising, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction will all be joining the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, which is available to Extra and Premium members.

Battlefield 2042 is the latest entry in the long-running first-person shooter franchise and, while it doesn’t feature a single-player campaign, it does introduce the Portal mode. For those unfamiliar, this new mode lets you mix and match maps, weapons, classes, and equipment from Battlefield 1942, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Battlefield 3, and Battlefield 2042 to make the experience you’ve always wanted to play.

In our Battlefield 2042 review, we said its “highpoint is its powerful Portal mode, which lets you relive the series’ past glories and tweak them to your liking. Its current batch of modes is overstuffed with players and utter chaos, though Hazard Zone scales things down in an interesting, high-stakes way.”

Minecraft Dungeons is a twist on Mojang’s game and looks to combine the best parts of dungeon crawlers like Diablo with all the charm and aesthetic of Minecraft. It was first released in 2020 and we enjoyed our time with it, even it is isn’t revolutionary.

In our Minecraft Dungeons review, we said it “is a beautiful and fun dungeon crawler with a simple but tried-and-true set of systems in place. It plays it extremely safe, though, without bringing anything mining or crafting spins to the genre to accompany Minecraft’s signature look and feel. Still, it’s just so damn charming, and so fun, it’s hard to fault it for going the safe route.”

Lastly, Code Vein is an “anime Soulslike” that aimed to give players a new way to experience the brutal yet rewarding challenge of games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and more. It also sets itself apart from being a simple clone by including a unique post-apocalyptic setting, a flexible class system, and an AI partner.

In our Code Vein review, we said it “takes some interesting chances with Soulslike mechanics and finds mixed results, but there’s something worth sinking your teeth into here”

As for the Game Catalog games, there are some heavy hitters in there, but Tchia is the sole new release. This gorgeous tropical open-world adventure game is heavily inspired by New Caledonia, and it also lets you soul jump into animals and most objects you find. Tchia will be released on March 21.

While you wait for these games to arrive, be sure to check out our full recap of the latest State of Play and don’t forget to download February’s PlayStation Plus games – OlliOlli World, Mafia: Definitive Edition, Evil Dead: The Game, and Destiny 2: Beyond Light.

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

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

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy Sells 12 Million Units in First Two Weeks

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy has sold more than 12 million units since its debut earlier this month, making it the biggest global launch ever for Warner Bros. Games.

Hogwarts Legacy’s sales numbers were revealed alongside Warner Bros. Discovery’s earnings, which saw the company lose some $2.1 billion. That makes Hogwarts Legacy, which has been controversial itself, a rare bright spot for the company’s financials.

On top of the large sales figure, Warner Bros. Games touted $850 million in sales globally and 1.28 million peak concurrent viewers on Twitch — a new record for a single-player game.

Developed by Avalanche Software under the Portkey Games label, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy earned notice by allowing players to roam a fully-realized version of Hogwarts Castle on next-gen platforms.

“Its open-world adventure captures all the excitement and wonder of the Wizarding World with its memorable new characters, challenging and nuanced combat, and a wonderfully executed Hogwarts student fantasy that kept me glued to my controller for dozens of hours,” we wrote in our review. “It’s certainly weighed down by technical issues, a lackluster main story, and some poor enemy variety, but even those couldn’t come close to breaking its enchanting spell over me.”

Hogwarts Legacy is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

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

Call of Duty 2023 Will Continue Modern Warfare 2 Story, Will be Led by Sledgehammer Games

Changes are coming to the Call of Duty franchise’s upcoming release in 2023, and players will remain settled in the modern era.

In a new report from Bloomberg, Activision has modified its annual Call of Duty release schedule plans. Shifting away from a planned expansion for Modern Warfare, reports now state that it will move towards another full game set in the Modern era, to be developed by Sledgehammer Games. Previous reports last year stated that plans for Call of Duty in 2023 would be an experimental phase for the franchise, focusing on a high-end expansion for last year’s Modern Warfare 2, which is apparently scaled up for a full release.

Though no official details are out as of this time, the Bloomberg report stated that the game would focus on a continuation of Modern Warfare 2 and its systems, but it will not be Modern Warfare 3. Sledgehammer Games, the developers behind Call of Duty: Vanguard, will be heading up the game’s development, with support coming from other Activision studios, including Infinity Ward and Treyarch.

According to previous reports, the original plan for COD 2023 was to maintain growth and support for Modern Warfare 2, which is now the fastest-selling game to hit $1 billion in franchise history. In the Bloomberg report, this shift has caused concerns among the development team at Sledgehammer Games. However, anonymous staff has stated that Activision is putting significant resources toward the new game to ensure its release in 2023.

A change of direction for Call of Duty

Traditionally, Call of Duty games would switch off between different installments made by alternating teams; the Modern Warfare series from Infinity Ward, the Black Ops series from Treyarch, and different variations and experimental games from Sledgehammer Games. However, recent years have seen the franchise go through some growing pains, with some developers having to ship games sooner than expected or having more time than expected.

With the growing reports about the development of the COD 2023, and the looming Activision/Microsoft merger still in litigation, this year will likely see the franchise in its most unusual spot. Still, the franchise will continue on as planned.

Furthermore, Activision has also pledged to release future COD games on the Nintendo Switch and Nvidia’s games streaming service.

Alessandro Fillari is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @afillari.

Destiny 2 Lightfall Launch Trailer Debuts During Sony’s State of Play

We got our first early at the events of Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion during Sony’s February State of Play showcase. Launching next week on February 28, Lightfall sees the Guardians embrace the Strand darkness power to even the odds against The Witness and their army.

In the cinematic trailer showing the next major phase of Destiny 2, we see the Guardians prepare for their fight against The Witness and Callus’ Shadow Legion of Cabal. The trailer highlighted the immense scale of the battle, which brings many different factions from the Destiny universe to face off against the growing forces of Darkness. We also looked at the new Cloud Strider faction in the city of Neomuna, located on Neptune.

We also got new footage of Destiny 2’s upcoming Stand subclass along with the new story beats. This new class will allow Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters to manipulate energy to bind enemies, use a grappling hook across levels, and even command smaller energy beings to attack foes.

Destiny 2 is in its final week of Witch Queen seasonal events before the launch of the Lightfall expansion, and the community is wrapping up missions and unlocks before the big reset for Lightfall. Today, Bungie also announced that Witch Queen and its exotic weapons will be free for all players for this weekend until February 26. The Monday before Lightfall drops will see a day-long update ahead of the expansion, with the game opening back up on launch day.

For more on the game revealed during the State of Play livestream, go check out IGN’s full breakdown of the event.

The Best PS5 SSD Deals for 2023: New Price Drops on Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850X

2023 might finally be the year where 2TB PS5 SSDs might actually be worth the upgrade. Last year, prices for 1TB PS5 SSDs averaged around $150, whereas 2TB SSDs hovered closer to $300. This year, we’re seeing 1TB SSDs trickle below the $100 price point and 2TB SSDs are under $200. The reason PS5 SSD upgrades are pricey is that you can’t use any old SSD and expect it to perform well on the PS5 console. You’ll want to pick up an PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid state drive with a rated 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5’s internal drive. That means, for better or for worse, picking a top-shelf SSD.

Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD. Not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we’ll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don’t, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (we recommend this one for $10) and install it yourself. It’s very easy.

Samsung 2TB PS5 SSD with Heatsink for $159.99

Samsung SSDs need no introduction. They’ve made some of the most popular and reliable PS5 SSDs on the market. The 980 Pro has been out for a while now, but it’s still one of Samsung’s fastest M.2 PCIe SSD, with only the newly released 990 Pro being faster. It is fully PS5 compatible in terms of form factor and performance, with blistering speeds of up to 7,100MB/s. It goes toe to toe with other well-known options like the WD Black SN850 and the Seagate Firecuda 530.

WD Black 2TB PS5 SSD with Heatsink for $169.99

Amazon has the newest WD Black Series SN850X M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD for the best price we’ve seen. In fact, this is lower than the price we saw on Black Friday. The SN850X is the successor to the SN850 SSD. It has newer flash chips (BiCS5 vs BiCS4) and an updated firmware, which combined offer improved sequential and random read/write speeds. For PC gamers, there’s also an updated Game Mode 2.0 utility that’s designed to tune the SSD for better performance during gaming sessions.

Corsair MP600 PRO LPX 2TB “Optimized for PS5” SSD with Heatsink for Only $169.99

Corsair is a very well known brand for DIY PC builders. Corsair makes some of the best gaming products on the market, and that includes solid-state memory like RAM and SSDs. The MP600 Pro is the same super-fast M.2 NVMe PCIe x4 Gen4 SSD that’s marketed for enthusiast gaming PC builds. This one is “optimized for PS5” because it includes a rugged preinstalled heatsink that is slim enough to fit in the PS5 bay without any issues. Performance wise, the MP600 Pro matches the best SSDs out there with its 7,100MB/sec sequential read and 6,800MB/sec sequential write speeds.

More PS5 SSD Deals

There may be other SSD deals out there, but these are the PS5 SSDs we’ve tried ourselves and highly recommend. They also double up as outstanding boot drives for your gaming PC, in case you don’t need additional storage for your PS5 console.

How easy is it to install the SSD?

It’s extremely easy! Removing the case cover is completely toolless. In fact, the only screw you have to remove is the one that keeps the cover for the SSD bay in place. You don’t even put it back when you’re done. Sony has a quick and easy YouTube video guide.

What if the SSD I bought doesn’t have a heatsink?

Sony recommends you install an SSD that has an attached heatsink. If the SSD you purchase doesn’t include one, it’s simple enough to buy one for about $10 on Amazon and add it yourself. Most of these heatsinks are just attached using an adhesive like thermal tape.

For more deals, take a look at our daily deals for today.

EA Dice to Assist in Developing Single Player Battlefield Game

Battlefield’s next single-player campaign appears to be a big focus for EA DICE, as the company is reportedly building a new team to support Ridgeline Games in creating the franchise’s first single-player campaign since 2018’s Battlefield V.

Ridgeline games is a new studio led by Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto. The studio was established last fall to create a new narrative campaign set in the Battlefield universe. Reported by GI.biz, the new support team is a slight change of course in the previously-established plan for the Battlefield series.

EA tasked three studios with the future of Battlefield: DICE was handed the multiplayer aspect, Ridgeline Games was to work on the single-player campaign, and Ripple Effect is making a “completely different” Battlefield experience. Now, DICE is expanding to help Ridgeline Games on the campaign while continuing work on multiplayer.

We just heard last December that former Battlefield 4 producer David Sirland returned to DICE to lead development of Battlefield. In addition to producing Battlefield 4, Sirland’s long history with the franchise includes credits on Battlefield 2, Bad Company, 1, and V.

Battlefield’s last entry was 2021’s Battlefield 2042, which was met with lukewarm reception. Players were frustrated with the lack of features at launch, and the game failed to draw in the same playerbase as Battlefield 1, 4, and V. EA is still releasing new content for Battlefield 2042, with Season 4 set to kick off on February 28.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.