It’s an incredible sales success for developer Warhorse Studios’ medieval Europe action role playing game sequel, which launched on February 4 across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Embracer said Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 did particularly well on Steam, where it saw over 250,000 peak concurrent players. For context, the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance hit a peak Steam concurrent player count of 96,069 seven years ago.
It’s worth noting that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s actual peak concurrent player count will be bigger, given the game launched on console as well as PC. However, neither Sony nor Microsoft make player numbers public.
Embracer, which owns Warhorse Studios via its subsidiary, Plaion, said Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 “has been initially successful, not only in terms of player and critic reception, but also in terms of performance.”
“This reflects the dedication and hard work of our development studio, Warhorse Studios, and our publisher, Deep Silver,” Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors said.
“It is our strong belief that the game will continue to generate substantial revenues over the coming years, highlighting the exceptional quality, immersion and appeal of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Warhorse Studios has a robust roadmap, including updates and new content over the next 12 months, ensuring an engaging and continuously evolving experience for the community.
“We are immensely proud of the teams involved in the successful release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which has significantly outperformed our expectations so far,” Wingefors added.
Other than Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Embracer has Killing Floor 3 due out later this quarter (January to March 2025).
Embracer said it has more than 5,000 game developers working on its upcoming games, with 10 triple-A games due out over the next three financial years (FY 2025/26, FY 2026/27, and FY 2027/28). Eight of these are from internal studios, two from external studios.
In FY 2025/26, Embracer has two triple-A games scheduled to be released towards the end of the financial year. Mid-size releases include Gothic 1 Remake, REANIMAL, Fellowship, Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core, Titan Quest II, Screamer, Echoes of the End (working title), Tides of Tomorrow, Satisfactory (console) and the full release of Wreckfest 2, alongside a similar number of mid-sized games yet to be announced.
Embracer has endured a tough time in recent years, laying off thousands of staff and selling a number of its studios, including Borderlands maker Gearbox and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 developer Saber Interactive. It still owns Metro developer 4A Games, which is working on a brand new game in the series.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
PlayStation 5 just had its biggest quarter yet, selling 9.5 million units between October and December 2024.
That brings overall PS5 sales to 75 million, and bumps Sony’s gaming business by 37% compared to the same period last year.
Sony has now bundled PS5 Pro sales into its overall hardware numbers, so we’re unable to separate the success of its new upgraded console. But the company stressed that sales of all PS5s now brought its latest console in-line with its projected 18 million sales by the end of March 2025, and just 1.5 million units behind predecessor PS4, which had sold 76.5 million units at the same point in its production cycle.
Monthly active users across its service are also up to 129 million, up 5% year-on-year and marking a new milestone, with overall sales of games and consoles also up by 16%. 42% of PS5 sales were to new PlayStation Network users. Sony’s big release during the quarter was Astro Bot, which has sold 1.5 million copies.
With “significant increases” reported during its games and network services segment for the quarter, Sony raised its profit forecast by 2%.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Last week, Rockstar parent company Take-Two reiterated GTA 6’s fall 2025 release window, but now we know Borderlands 4 is out in September, there’s no chance GTA 6 will be out the same month.
So when? October? November? December 2025? All seem up for grabs now for GTA 6. The risk of course is that Take-Two ends up cannibalizing its big 2025 games by releasing them too close together. And let’s not forget Mafia: The Old Country launches at some point summer 2025.
Could Take-Two’s big games, and by that we really mean GTA 6, end up doing more harm to each other than good by releasing too close to each other? That’s a question we put to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick in an interview ahead of the company’s third quarter financial results. As you’d expect, Zelnick said Take-Two is planning its releases to avoid a risk of cannibalization, insisting the timing is driven by a desire to “respect the consumer’s need to spend a lot of time playing these hit games before they go on to the next.”
“No, I think we will plan the releases so as not to have that be a problem,” Zelnick said. “And what we found is when you’re giving consumers hits, they tend to be interested in pursuing other hits. In other words, I’ve said this many times, even when the hits aren’t ours, they’re a good thing for the industry. In this case, we hope that the hits will largely be ours. So we feel really good about it and I think that we will time our releases so as to respect the consumer’s need to spend a lot of time playing these hit games before they go on to the next.”
In the context of Borderlands 4’s just-announced September release date, when might GTA 6 come out? If Take-Two wants Borderlands 4 fans to spent “a lot of time” playing before moving on to, say, GTA 6, how long is a lot of time? One month? Two months? Three?
Amid all this speculation is of course the prospect that GTA 6 will be delayed either into early winter, or at some point in the first quarter of 2026.
“Look, there’s always a risk of slippage and I think as soon as you say words like absolutely, you jinx things,” Zelnick responded when IGN asked how confident he was that Rockstar would hit fall 2025 for GTA 6. “So we feel really good about it.”
On Borderlands 4, Zelnick insisted the brand remains “really strong” despite the disastrous Borderlands movie, which bombed at the box office and was mauled by critics and fans alike. In fact, Zelnick said that the movie’s failure won’t impact the potential success of Borderlands 4 at all.
“It’s no secret that the movie was a disappointment, but interestingly, it really benefited our catalog sales,” Zelnick explained. “So actually the effect was quite positive. It would’ve assumed been more positive if the movie had been better received. But the brand is really strong. We feel great about Borderlands 4.”
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for February 2025.
Revealed during the State of Play 2025 broadcast, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, TopSpin 2K25, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1 and more hit the subscription service this month.
Sony also confirmed a first look at games launching into Game Catalog and PlayStation Plus Premium soon. This includes several games that launch day and date into PlayStation Plus Game Catalog.
It highlighted two new indie games set for Game Catalog: Blue Prince, launching day one into Game Catalog this spring; and Abiotic Factor, available in Game Catalog when it launches this summer.
Blue Prince is a “genre-bending architectural adventure. Every door is a new decision as you build out a sprawling manor, with 45 shifting rooms adding layers of strategy, puzzles, and exploration.”
Abiotic Factor, meanwhile, is a six-player survival crafting game from Playstack and Deep Field Games. “Stranded miles beneath the surface, you and a team of scientists must craft ingenious gear and traps to outwit your enemies and make this bizarre underground complex your new home.”
Elsewhere, three FromSoftware mecha action games hit PlayStation Plus Premium later this year. The first three Armored Core titles from the original PlayStation – Armored Core, Armored Core Project Phantasma, and Armored Core Master of Arena – launch soon.
On February 18, as part of Game Catalog’s February lineup, expect Don’t Nod’s first instalment of episodic narrative adventure Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1. Tape 2 launches into Game Catalog as part of April’s lineup on April 15.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and TopSpin 2K25 are also a part of February’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup, and will be available to play from February 18.
Two classics join PlayStation Plus Premium on the same day: PSP’s rhythm game Patapon 3 and PS2’s combat flight simulation Dropship: United Peace Force.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The internally developed racing game is set for launch across PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch. A closed network test is set for February 21.
Build your ultimate vehicle and race across land, sea, air, space, and time in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds!
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds features iconic characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog universe and a distinct racing mechanic that promises to transport Sonic racing fans into a “new dimension.”
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Obsidian has confirmed the early access release times for its upcoming role-playing game Avowed.
Early access, available to Avowed Premium Edition players, kicks off on February 13 at 10am PST across PC and Xbox Series X and S, Obsidian confirmed in a tweet. Avowed launches to those who pay the standard price on February 18. As a Microsoft first-party title, Avowed is an Xbox Game Pass day-one launch.
Set in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity, Avowed is a first person fantasy RPG with a grand emphasis on player choice. The story weaves through tales of war, mystery, and intrigue, as players navigate the land and forge friendships or rivalries with those around them.
IGN’s Avowed Final Preview praised its nuanced conversations, player freedom, and said “Avowed is just a lot of fun.”
Avowed early access global release times:
10am PT, February 13
12pm CT, February 13
1pm ET, February 13
3pm BRT, February 13
6pm GMT, February 13
7pm CET, February 13
3am JST, February 14
3am KST, February 14
5am AEDT, February 14
7am NZDT, February 14
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Overwatch 2 is undergoing some radical changes heading into 2025. While the roadmap ahead includes much of what you’d expect to see in terms of new content, the core gameplay itself will see a seismic shift, including the additions of hero perks.
We’re now nearly nine years out from the debut of Overwatch in 2016, and two-and-a-half from the launch of Overwatch 2. Season 15, kicking off on February 18, is set to completely alter the way Overwatch is played with the inclusion of perks.
Game director Aaron Keller and several Blizzard team members announced a swathe of changes and updates planned for Overwatch 2 in the coming months. From new collaborations and heroes to an entirely new way to play, it certainly seems like Overwatch 2 is set for a significant overhaul in the coming year.
The changes come amid significant pressure on Blizzard to spark renewed interest in and enthusiasm for Overwatch 2 as it faces tough competition from the likes of NetEase’s hugely popular rival hero shooter Marvel Rivals.
Overwatch 2 is adding hero perks
Each hero will now have two perks, minor and major, to select at newly ascribed levels throughout the match. At level two, a minor perk can upgrade a base aspect of the hero in some way; Orisa’s primary fire refunding Heat with critical hits, for example. But a major perk can essentially rework the hero mid-match, like replacing Orisa’s Javelin Spin with her Barrier or making her Energy Javelin chargeable, increasing its speed, Knockback, and letting it pierce through enemies.
These levels are doled out over the course of a match, eventually unlocking “gameplay-shifting” alterations, as Overwatch 2 lead gameplay designer Alec Dawson described it. These are also either-or choices, so opting for one perk means ditching the other. It’s reminiscent of the talent options in another Blizzard game, Heroes of the Storm.
Stadium is a new round-based mode, with third-person
Adding perks alone is a notable change, but Season 16 (currently planned for April) teases a second major addition to the Overwatch 2 ecosystem in Stadium mode. Keller calls it the “biggest game mode” the team has made since Overwatch launched, and it’s got some radical ideas.
Stadium is a 5v5, best-of-7 round-based competitive mode where players accrue and spend currency between bouts to improve their heroes. Modifications can boost attributes like survivability or damage, while traits can unlock some big hero-shifting alterations, like Reaper flying in his Wraith Form. Perks are not in Stadium, but that doesn’t seem to mean that those additions will not make it in, in some way and at some point.
Alongside the added modification options and rounds, Stadium also introduces a third-person mode, to “see more of the battlefield and your modifications in action,” as Keller put it. Players will have the option to swap between either a first or third-person camera. Stadium will launch with a core roster of 14 heroes to start, with more heroes arriving, as well as additional maps and modes, as time goes on.
GOATs are coming to Overwatch Classic
Blizzard is continuing to experiment with several other play modes, including 6v6 and Overwatch Classic. On the former front, more events are on the way, and Blizzard is planning to launch a 6v6 competitive open queue, with a maximum of two tanks per team.
Those hoping for more tanks will want to head to Overwatch Classic, arriving midway through Season 16, which will revive the “GOATs Meta” days of Overwatch 1. The three-tank, three-support era of Overwatch will return in another iteration of the throwback mode, reminding us all of that game-shifting strategy.
The development team is also planning on more seasonal events including April Fools’, Summer Games, and Dr. Junkenstein’s Halloween event.
Freja arrives in Season 16 – and Aqua follows
The next hero heading to Overwatch 2, Freja, is set for Season 16. She’s a crossbow-wielding bounty hunter from Denmark who can fill an enemy full of explosive bolts and bola them if they try to run.
Alongside Freja’s reveal and some gameplay, we also got a brief look at concept art for Blizzard’s next hero, Aqua. Boasting an ornate staff and bending some water, he’s definitely got a look. We’ll learn more about Aqua later this year.
Loot boxes are back
Yes, the infamous loot box is coming back to Overwatch. After disappearing amid the transition into battle passes and other options for cosmetics, Blizzard is adding loot boxes back. IGN has confirmed that loot boxes will not be paid for, and only available through free means, such as the free track of the battle pass and weekly rewards. One notable change is you’ll see the odds in a loot box, and what you’re likely to get from it, before opening.
“We’re keeping it fun while being transparent about what’s inside, and the rate of various drops from opening each box,” senior systems designer Gavin Winter said.
Hero bans, map voting, and more are coming to competitive play
A host of competitive updates are on the way for Overwatch 2. Season 15 will reset competitive ranks, but new rewards, like Galactic weapon skins and special weapon charms, should provide incentive to grind back up. Hero portraits will also get rank icons again.
Most notably, hero bans are coming to competitive Overwatch 2 in Season 16. A commonplace option for many competitive games, this could be an interesting method for shaking up play. Further on, after hero bans are implemented, Blizzard also plans to add map voting as well.
Cosmetics galore
A gigantic amount of cosmetics were shown throughout today’s stream, spotlighting numerous new looks for the heroes of Overwatch 2. Zenyatta is the next Mythic skin, inspired by the dragon Pixiu. He arrives in Season 15, alongside many other skins for characters like Doomfist, Venture, Tracer, Junker Queen, and more. A Widowmaker Mythic weapon skin is also on the way, for midway through Season 15.
Further out, several more cosmetic options will arrive, including a magical girl-inspired “Dokiwatch” Mythic skin for Juno and a Mythic weapon skin for Mercy. Reaper is also due for a Mythic weapon skin, and D.Va will be getting a Mythic skin later on too.
On top of all that, Overwatch 2 is certainly no stranger to collaborations, and the team is planning more of them. K-pop fans will probably be happy to hear that LE SSERAFIM is partnering with Blizzard for a second collaboration, with brand-new in-game skins and cosmetics this March.
The competitive landscape grows
Overwatch’s competitive side is also expanding, with a new stage added in China and more live events, which the team says will double the amount of gameplay and broadcasts. Face.it leagues are getting integrated into the competitive ecosystem, and a new tournament system for promotion and relegation is on the way. Teams are also getting in-game items for fans to rep, with proceeds going directly towards the organizations.
No matter which platform you prefer, there’s an excellent variety of video game deals to check out right now. Especially with Presidents’ Day sales kicking off, you can enjoy nice savings on some big releases, including IGN’s 2024 Game of the Year Metaphor: ReFantazio. There’s plenty more to enjoy outside of Presidents’ Day sales, too.
Whether you’re gaming on PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or PC, we’ve rounded up the best offers to help you get more for your money. And while not a deal, we’ve also included where you can preorder Elden Ring Nightreign, in case you’re itching to return to The Lands Between. Best Buy’s also offering a free $10 gift card with your purchase. What can be better than that?
Preorder Elden Ring Nightreign
FromSoftware isn’t done with Elden Ring yet. Elden Ring Nightreign is now available to preorder, and as a nice little treat Best Buy’s also offering a free $10 gift card with your purchase. By preordering any version of the game you’ll also get the “It’s Raining” gesture, which you can show off with your co-op buddies on your adventure in The Lands Between.
Best Buy’s Presidents’ Day Sale – Gaming Deals
Presidents’ Day sales have kicked off, and Best Buy’s offering an excellent selection of gaming deals. Whether you’re looking to buy physical games or want to save on accessories, there’s quite a bit to look through. You can even score a discount on the Lenovo Legion Go gaming handheld, which is definitely worth taking advantage of.
Best PC Game Deals
There are plenty of excellent deals for PC players to enjoy right now, including a nice little discount on a preorder of Monster Hunter Wilds at Fanatical. Metaphor: ReFantazio is also discounted right now and you can even build your own Capcom bundle over at Fanatical. You can check out even more of our favorite PC game deals below.
Woot’s offering discounts on quite a few Nintendo Switch titles. From The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom to Donkey Kong Country Returns HD to Super Mario RPG, you can stock up on some great games at lower prices. Alongside the games previously mentioned, we’ve included even more below so you can expand your Switch library even further.
Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 RTX 4080 Super Gaming PC
Do you prefer to play on a dedicated PC tower? Navigating the options online can be quite the ordeal. Desk space, portability, and price point are often factors in the decision. However, there are some great PC deals that pop up every now and again that are worth jumping on. With Presidents’ Day sales kicking off right now as well, you can score some especially nice discounts on gaming desktops. One of our favorite deals at the moment is on this Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 RTX 4080 Super Gaming PC. To see even more PC deals, check out our roundup of the best gaming PC deals.
More PC Deals:
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Civilization 7 is out and developer Firaxis is already working to address its ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam. But modders are also on the case, adding what they can to expand and iterate on the base experience.
Hosted on the Civ Fanatics site, mods are already starting to pop up for Civilization 7. Many build on the base game or put extra modifiers on world effects. More Natural Wonders, for example, does exactly what it says, doubling the amount of Natural Wonders that spawn on each map size. Or, for those who don’t want to meet the requirements to unlock certain civilizations, the Unlock all Civs mod undoes that particular constraint. While not exactly in the spirit of balance, the mods are nice tools to have if you’re looking to tinker with the game.
The most popular mod, judging by downloads, is Sukritact’s Simple UI Adjustments, which makes “[quality of life] and aesthetic adjustments to the game’s UI.” The mod lets Diplomacy be initiated through the city banner, adjusts Plot Yield icons to be smaller on unimproved or unworked tiles, and adjusts the tooltips as well.
The official Patch 1.01 for Civilization 7 has already begun to address some of these issues, taking aim at the user interface, AI, map variety, and other community complaints. It’s the first in a “series of upcoming patches” from Firaxis, intent on addressing feedback from Civilization 7’s advanced access period.
Yet modders are still honing in on everything from AI to fonts and lenses, and even the pause menu. While early quality-of-life updates are prominent, some mods are looking to future possibilites, like one that adds massive map sizes. It’s still early days, but considering Civ’s long history of eager mod support, it’s likely we’ll see more and more outside adjustments pop up alongside Firaxis’ own efforts to fine-tune Civilization 7.
In a recent interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the negative reviews, but said the “legacy Civ audience” will come around.
“We think that as people play the game longer, the sentiment improves because with every launch of a new Civ, the team pushes the envelope a little bit and our legacy Civ audience is a little bit nervous about what they initially see and then they realize, wow, this is actually really incredible, and they dive in,” Zelnick said.
Elden Ring Nightreign is set to release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on May 30. A new standalone game set in the world of Elden Ring, Nightreign lets you team up with two other players to slice your way through an oppressive fantasy world. It’s kind of like a faster-paced remix of the original game. It’s available for preorder in a number of editions (see it at Best Buy, where you get a free $10 gift card with purchase), so read on for the details about what comes in each one.
From the store listing, here’s what comes in the Bandai Namco Store-exclusive collector’s edition of the game:
Additional DLC – Additional DLC that will be available after the release of the main game
Statue of Wylder – A perfect replica of the nomadic warrior, Wylder, a lone swordman in pursuit of the Night Lord. Crafted by Pure Arts. Size : 25cm
SteelBook – Premium metal case with a full-color illustration of Wylder. The perfect protection and display for your game disc
Nightfarer Cards – A set of eight high-quality tarot cards featuring detailed illustrations of the Nightfarers. These glossy, full color cards are the perfect way to predict your future in Limveld
Exclusive Hardcover Artbook – An exclusive 40-page artbook tracing the development of ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN through previously unseen concept art, sketches, and full color illustrations. Size: 24 x 21 cm Language: English
Digital Soundtrack Download Code – The unforgettable original soundtrack is included in this Collector’s Edition. Return to Limveld again and again with fully orchestrated tracks from ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN.
Collector’s Box – A beautiful case to store or display your statue and artbook.
Elden Ring Nightreign Preorder Bonus
Preorder any version of the game, and you’ll receive the following digital extra:
“It’s Raining” Gesture
Additionally, if you preorder any edition at Best Buy, you’ll receive a free $10 gift card when the game releases.
If you want a physical Helmet of Wylder statue to go with the game, you can pick one up at exclusively the Bandai Namco Store for $189.99.
What Is Elden Ring Nightreign?
Elden Ring Nightreign is a standalone game, which means you don’t need the original Elden Ring to play it. It’s a co-op adventure that the game’s director Junya Ishizaki describe as a “condensed RPG experience.” It lets you build your character as you explore the world and fight tough enemies and bosses, all in shorter, tighter gameplay sessions.
In each run, you and two friends are dropped into the game world as level one characters, but the locations of the enemies and castles is randomized. That means you can’t simply memorize where everything is like you can in the original game. It sounds like a pretty cool new twist on the established template. For more info, check out our hands-on preview, plus our impressions of the network test build.
Other Preorder Guides
Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Bluesky @chrislreed.com.
