Category: IGN

Happy New Year! It’s a fresh start for Xbox in what should be a huge 2023 for them. We discuss the one thing Microsoft needs to do ASAP in order to get the year off on the right foot, and then we make a total of nine predictions for Xbox’s year.

Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 of this week’s episode. For more awesome content, check out our interview with Todd Howard, who answered all of our Starfield questions after the big reveal at the Xbox Showcase:

For more next-gen coverage, make sure to check out our Xbox Series X review, our Xbox Series S review, and our PS5 review.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

While The Last of Us fans are currently setting their sights on the upcoming HBO show and multiplayer title, Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann isn’t ruling out the possibility for The Last of Us Part 3.

Speaking to THR ahead of The Last of Us show’s premiere later this month, Druckmann couldn’t reveal if Part 3 is in the works at Naughty Dog, but said, “I think there’s more story to tell.”

This is the first we’ve heard of a potential follow-up to 2020’s The Last of Us Part 2 since April 2021, when Druckmann said he and Part 2 co-writer Halley Gross have written an outline for a story that “we’re not making – but I hope one day can see the light of day – that explores a little bit what happens after this game. We’ll see.”

Naughty Dog also shared new concept art for the upcoming multiplayer game today. Druckmann promised that more details on The Last of Us multiplayer title will come this year, which marks the 10th anniversary of the original game’s release in 2013.

In addition to more information about the multiplayer title, Naughty Dog’s anniversary plans include the Last of Us TV show airing on January 15 on HBO and behind-the-scenes looks at the original game for PlayStation 3 and the Part 1 remake for PlayStation 5.

For more on The Last of Us, check out the TV series’ latest official trailer and character posters.

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.

Kenny Omega may be debated as one of professional wrestling’s greatest talents, but he’s undoubtedly one of the sport’s most dedicated gamers, proving it with a recent tribute to Final Fantasy 7’s Sephiroth at Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom.

At this year’s event, which is the largest in the huge professional wrestling market of Japan, the Canadian former AEW World Champion attended to face England’s Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.

Omega entered the bout wearing a costume reminiscent of Sephiroth and made his way to the ring while the iconic One Winged Angel theme played in the background.

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Kenny Omega, real name Tyson Smith, drew his ring name from Final Fantasy’s Omega Weapon and has used a finishing move called the One Winged Angel for a sizable portion of his lengthy career, meaning this cosplay isn’t without context.

Smith has used other components of video games as part of his repertoire such as Street Fighter, taunting opponents with Alex’s signature “You can’t escape!” and delivering a move called the V Trigger knee strike.

Professional Wrestling has been popular in Japan since at least the 1950s and a wrestling show has taken place every January 4 at the Tokyo Dome since 1992. Omega hasn’t appeared at a Wrestle Kingdom since 2019, where he was defeated by Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event and would soon after make his move to All Elite Wrestling in America.

In this previous appearance he entered the ring to Hopes and Dreams from the Undertale soundtrack, with a costume inspired in part by Deltarune’s main character.

Kenny Omega has been rated the number one wrestler in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Top 500 performers twice in his career.

If you’re interested in seeing his latest Final Fantasy themed performance in full, New Japan’s subscription service NJPW World is available for a monthly fee of ¥999 (around $7.50).

Mat Jones is IGN’s UK Social Coordinator, and will turn back into a pumpkin at midnight.

Perhaps somewhat in thanks to its turbulent launch period, Cyberpunk 2077 has been given the Labor of Love award at the Steam Awards 2022.

Steam published the winners of its player-voted awards, and while Elden Ring took the overall Game of the Year position, Cyberpunk 2077 also made an appearance in what’s essentially the most improved game category.

Up against No Man’s Sky, Deep Rock: Galactic, Dota 2, and Project Zomboid, Cyberpunk 2077’s stream of post-launch updates and fixes was seemingly enough to push it over the top.

The game has undergone somewhat of a resurgence since its incredibly rocky launch (that did mostly affect consoles) thanks to these improvements and further excitement brought on by Netflix’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime series.

“This game has been out for a while. The team is well past the debut of their creative baby, but being the good parents they are, these devs continue to nurture and support their creation,” reads the award synopsis. “This game, to this day, is still getting new content after all these years.”

The leaps forward for Cyberpunk 2077 arguably began in February with the launch of the Next-Gen Update, or Version 1.5 for PC players, which saw several bug fixes and even free DLC added to the game.

This theme continued in September when developer CD Projekt Released the Edgerunners update to go alongside the launch of the anime series (which itself was praised by fans and critics alike). It also announced the Phantom Liberty expansion which is due to launch this year, and continued to build excitement by revealing that its sequel, codenamed Orion, is also on the way.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Wizards of the Coast is canceling at least five unannounced games as it seeks to focus on games “strategically aligned with developing our existing brands,” according to a new report by Bloomberg.

While it’s unclear which games have been canceled, Wizards of the Coast claims that fewer than 15 people at the company have been impacted by the changes. The company told IGN in a statement:

We remain committed to using digital games as a cornerstone of our strategy for bringing our games to players around the world. We have made some changes to our long-term portfolio to focus on games which are strategically aligned with developing our existing brands and those which show promise in expanding or engaging our audience in new ways.

Hidden Path Entertainment and OtherSide Entertainment, both of which were working on games for Wizards of the Coast, are among the studios potentially affected by the cancellations.

The cancellations come in the wake of an ambitious 2022 expansion that saw the company open multiple new studios. They included Skeleton Key, an Austin-based studio led by former BioWare developer Christian Dailey, and Invoke Games, a Montreal-based studio organized by the developers of 2021’s Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance.

In addition to opening Invoke Games and Skeleton Key, Wizards of the Coast is publishing Baldur’s Gate 3 by Larian Studios. It also had several other games in the works, including a sci-fi role-playing game by former BioWare developer James Ohlen and a game by Atomic Arcade starring G.I. Joe’s Snake Eyes.

In pushing into the digital space, Wizards of the Coast has found success with Magic: The Gathering Arena, but its Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance revival by Tuque Games was panned by fans and critics alike. Hasbro likewise saw its stock plummet late last year over its handling of Magic: The Gathering, including its pricey 30th anniversary edition that sparked furor among fans.

Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast will hope for a better reception for Baldur’s Gate 3, which is slated to enter full release in August.

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.

With Team Ninja’s upcoming action game Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty as January’s IGN First, 2023 is off to a good start. If you like dying, that is – because you’ll be doing that a lot. Expect tons of exclusive coverage throughout the month of this new Soulsborne based on Chinese martial arts, developed by the team behind Ninja Gaiden and Nioh.

First off, we have 10 minutes of exclusive gameplay from Tianzhushan, a stage early in the game. The beautiful mountainscape and lush bamboo forests are breathtaking, but with bloodthirsty enemies around each corner, it might be best not to spend too long admiring the scenery.

With items hidden on top of rocks that can be reached using the double jump and secret passages that can be discovered by cutting bamboo trees, Tianzhushan is a good example of Wo Long’s diverse exploration.

Our video debuts gameplay of the Staff as well. Iconic to traditional Chinese martial arts, the Staff is one of Wo Long’s 13 melee weapon types and boasts acrobatic body movement.

The eerie mermaids and fearsome tigers from the demo are back, but new enemies including a giant ape and a hedgehog-like creature with a spinning attack reminiscent of Nioh’s Wheelmonk caught us off guard. Inside a creepy cave, we were welcomed by a surprise attack from an enemy that still gives us nightmares. Check out the video to see for yourself!

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is set to release on March 3 for PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC and will be available on Xbox Game Pass day one! Expect to see much more new Wo Long content throughout January on IGN.

Esra Krabbe is an editor at IGN Japan.

It seems that From Software is really onto something with Elden Ring. Not only was it IGN’s Game of the Year 2022, but it’s also been a massive success with fans, selling millions and millions of copies. If you count yourself an Elden Ring fan, you might want to check these out: up for preorder on Amazon right now are volume 1 and volume 2 of the Elden Ring official Art Books. They’re set to publish on July 25, and they’re both on sale for $53.99, which is six dollars off their MSRP.

Preorder Elden Ring Official Art Books

Both volumes are oversized hardcover editions that measure 8.25″ x 11.75″. The’re full-color volumes that feature key art, concept work, and development designs for all parts of the open-world action RPG.

The first volume weighs in at 432 pages and contains art from Elden Ring’s opening movie, plus scenes from the open world of the Lands Between, including the dungeons. You’ll also get to see images and artwork of many of the game’s characters and armor designs.

Volume two is 384 pages long and focuses more on the enemies, of which there are many great and small in the game. You’ll also find art and lists of the weapons and items found in the game in this volume.

If you’re interested in more Elden Ring hardbacks, take a look at where you can find both of the Elden Ring Official Strategy Guide. One volume is available now, and the other is expected to release in the first quarter of 2023.

Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

Hitman 3 is being rebranded as Hitman: World of Assassination with the entire trilogy’s content being streamlined and packaged into one game.

Announced in a blog post from developer IO Interactive, World of Assassination will become the only modern Hitman game available to purchase as of January 26, as Hitman 1 and 2 are both being removed from storefronts. Those who already own Hitman 3 will get an upgrade to the new game for free.

World of Assassination will otherwise cost around $70 and includes what was previously known as the Hitman 1 Game of the Year Access Pass (which is essentially all content from the original game), the Hitman 2 Standard Access Pass (all main content from the second game), and the Hitman 3 base game.

An additional World of Assassination Deluxe Pack can be purchased for $30 which adds the remaining bits of DLC including the Hitman 3 Deluxe Pack, the Hitman 3 Seven Deadly Sins Collection, and the Hitman 2 Expansion Access Pass.

Those who own this content already won’t have to pay anything extra for the rebranded game, and those who own some but not all of the content will be able to purchase the remaining pieces individually, similarly to how it works currently. Players who’ve purchased Hitman 1 or 2 will also still be able to access and play the games fully despite their removal from storefronts.

“We’re absolutely certain that these changes will have a hugely positive effect on existing players and new players alike,” said the developer.

“For many players, it will mean free content to enjoy. For others, it will mean significantly cheaper DLC prices. For new players, who probably aren’t reading this here, they’ll have a much better experience buying Hitman games.”

In our 9/10 review of the original Hitman 3, IGN said: “Rich, rewarding, and highly replayable, Hitman 3 is one of the barcoded butcher’s best appearances.”

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Rally driver and racing game icon Ken Block has died in a snowmobile accident aged 55.

As reported by ABC News, Block was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident in Utah on January 2 after his snowmobile upended on a steep slope.

Alongside a successful professional racing career, Block also had a significant presence in racing video games, having appeared in several premier franchises including Need for Speed, Dirt, and Forza.

“We are saddened to hear of the loss of Kenneth and our hearts are with his family and friends so deeply affected,” said the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office.

Block’s auto media and apparel company, Hoonigan Industries, also took to social media to pay respects to its co-founder. “Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed,” it said on Instagram.

Block played himself in the live action scenes of 2015’s Need for Speed, featuring as the Style Icon that the player character strove to impress. He also appeared as a driver in Colin McRae’s Dirt 2 and Dirt 3, and his Hoonigan cars appeared in Forza Motorsport 7 and Forza Horizon 3, 4, and 5.

Image Credit: Massimo Bettiol/Getty Images

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

If you’ve been eyeing the official drum controller for the Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! but shied away at the steep price, look again. Right now it’s on sale for the lowest price ever.

Official Taiko no Tatsujin Controller for Switch

Right now you can pick up the officially licensed Hori Taiko no Tatsujin drum controller from the Bandai Namco Store for only $62.99, a 10% price drop from the original $70 MSRP. This drum kit is almost never i stock at Bandai Namco, and the only way to normally get it is via 3rd party vendorslike on Amazon. They are usually more expensive, between $80-$100. Note that the game isn’t included with the drum kit, so pick up the heavily discounted Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythm Festival game over at Amazon at the same time.

Taiko no Tatsujin is an extremely fun and challenging drum rhythm game for the Nintendo Switch. Taiko no Tatsujin might not be well down in the United States, but the franchise is hugely successful and popular in Japan. There, it’s a common presence in arcade galleries where you’ll often see maestros performing superhuman combos on the highest difficulty levels. The Nintendo Switch game emulates this game in everything but its controls. Whereas in the arcade version you’re banging away on drumsticks, you’re relegated to using the button controls or the touchscreen interface in the Switch version. This official drum kit from Hori is as close to the arcade version as you’re going to get. It’s responsive, it’s durable, and it will make Taiko no Tatsujin feel like a whole new (and better) game.

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