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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – Here’s What Comes in Each Edition

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on October 25. This installment brings the sub-series up to the early 1990s, with in-game representations of world leaders like George H. W. Bush, Saddam Husseine, and Margaret Thatcher. As usual, it will include a single-player campaign, multiplayer, and zombies. It’s now available for preorder at all the usual retailers. Below, we have full details about where to buy it and how much it costs. Let’s dive in.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

PS5

Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One

PC

PS4 / PS5 (Cross-Gen Bundle)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Vault Edition

The Vault Edition of Black Ops 6 gets you the base game, plus these digital upgrades:

  • Hunters vs. Hunted Operator Pack (4 Operator Skins: Adler, Park, Brutus and Klaus)
  • Mastercraft Collection (5 Mastercraft Weapons)
  • BlackCell (1 Season) -(Includes: Battle Pass, 20 Tier Skips, 1,100 CP and more
  • GobbleGum Pack for Zombies (12 GobbleGums of high rarities)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Vault Edition Upgrade

The Xbox- and PC-exclusive Vault Edition upgrade is for people who either are playing Black Ops 6 on Game Pass, or bought the standard edition (perhaps because you wanted a physical copy). It upgrades your standard edition to have all the extras in the Vault Edition.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Will Be on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on Day One

If you don’t want to drop $70 all at once to play the new CoD, you can subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, because the subscription service will get Black Ops 6 on day one.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Trailer

Other Preorder Guides

Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Addresses Studio Closures – IGN Live 2024

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has addressed the recent closure of a number of studios at Microsoft’s gaming business, insisting he has to make “hard decisions” to run a sustainable business.

Speaking to IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey at IGN Live, Spencer briefly commented on the shock decision to shut Redfall developer Arkane Austin and Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks.

“The closure of any team is hard obviously on the individuals there, hard on the team,” Spencer said. “I haven’t been talking publicly about this, because right now is the time for us to focus on the team and the individuals. It’s obviously a decision that’s very hard on them, and I want to make sure through severance and other things that we’re doing the right thing for the individuals on the team. It’s not about my PR, it’s not about Xbox PR. It’s about those teams.

“In the end, I’ve said over and over, I have to run a sustainable business inside the company and grow, and that means sometimes I have to make hard decisions that frankly are not decisions I love, but decisions that somebody needs to go make.

“We will continue to go forward. We will continue to invest in what we’re trying to go do in Xbox and build the best business we can, which ensures we can continue to do shows like the one we just did.”

“Sometimes I have to make hard decisions that frankly are not decisions I love.

Microsoft announced to staff in May that it would be closing Redfall maker Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Games, while Roundhouse Studios would be absorbed by ZeniMax Online Studios. The move led to shock and anger throughout the industry, especially considering one of Xbox’s most successful recent exclusives, Hi-Fi Rush, was developed by Tango, a studio that was absorbed by Microsoft via its acquisition of parent company Zenimax in 2021.

It’s the first time Spencer has commented on the studio closures since they were announced, and follows similar comments from other Xbox executives who were asked about the decision.

A few days after the layoffs, Xbox President Sarah Bond was asked about them at a Bloomberg conference, where she insisted the Xbox business remains healthy for the long-term during what she called “this moment of transition.”

Microsoft announced it would be laying off 1,900 staff from its video game workforce back in January. It was only one of a number of devastating cuts that the industry has been hit with over the past year, with other companies including Sony, Riot, and Epic laying off hundreds of staff.

For more, read our report exploring the recent uptick of layoffs across the video game industry. And for everything announced during the Xbox Showcase, check out our roundup.

Thumbnail credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Stormgate Sets Steam Early Access Release Date for August

Frost Giant Studios took the time to announce a PC via Steam Early Access release date of August 13, 2024, for its sci-fi fantasy RTS, Stormgate, during the June 2024 PC Gaming Show.

The date arrived alongside a new trailer, a one-minute video also reveals that the game’s third faction is the Celestial Armada. It’s described as a “race of highly technologically advanced interstellar travelers” that seeks to challenge the Infernal Host faction for control of Earth.

Frost Giant says its playtesters have called the Celestial Armada the “most original RTS faction they’ve ever played.” You can dive into the details of this powerful new race here.

Stormgate is free-to-play but offers a trio of Early Access bundle deals for those looking to sweeten their RTS experience. You can read more about them, as detailed by Frost Giant, below:

  • The Early Access Pack ($25 USD) includes the Amara Human Vanguard Hero, the first Chapter of the Vanguard campaign, and the Gold Vanguard Army Accent.
  • The Deluxe Early Access Pack ($40 USD) includes everything in the Early Access Pack plus the Maloc Infernal Host Hero, the Auralanna Celestial Armada Hero, and the Chicken Pet.
  • The Ultimate Early Access Pack ($60 USD) includes everything in the Deluxe Early Access Pack plus Chapters 2 and 3 of the Vanguard campaign (available sometime after August 13) and the Firestorm Fog of War Shader.

Each pack comes with its own variety of goodies, but the real benefit comes from the preview access. Every bundle grants owners two weeks of preview access, meaning you can play Stormgate as early as July 30, 2024. Progress made during these two weeks will not be reset upon the full Early Access launch.

“Launching Stormgate in Early Access represents a major milestone for our team and our community,” Frost Giant CEO and Production Director Tim Morten said. “We believe Early Access is a better way to make games, as it allows us to form a true partnership with our players. Their feedback and participation have already been invaluable in shaping the future of Stormgate, and we can’t wait to see what future contributions they’ll make as together we forge a bright future for the real-time strategy genre.”

Stormgate was revealed as Frost Giant’s debut video game in 2022. Its team is comprised of former Blizzard Entertainment developers with experience on titles like StarCraft 2 and WarCraft, and that background shows in their work. Late last year, we put Stormgate under the microscope to see what makes it tick and what sets it apart from other RTS titles.

While we wait for Stormgate to launch into Early Access, you can read our interviews with other ex-Blizzard developers who went on to start their own companies. You can also learn more about the developer who helped write Stormgate’s story before eventually heading back to Blizzard.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and 3 Content Does Not Carry Forward Into Black Ops 6

Black Ops 6 acts as a “fresh start for everyone,” developer Treyarch has confirmed.

2023’s Modern Warfare 3 carried forward content from Modern Warfare 2 into the game. However, in Black Ops 6, fully revealed during Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty Direct, only Black Ops 6 content will be available to use across Multiplayer and Zombies.

In an interview with IGN, Miles Leslie, associate creative director at Treyarch, said Black Ops 6 is “a fresh start.” This means that when Black Ops 6 comes out in October, players will not be playing Multiplayer and Zombies modes in the many and varied skins they’ve already bought for Modern Warfare 3 and Modern Warfare 2. Yes, that means you don’t have to worry about killer clowns and Warhammer 40,000 soldiers ruining that early 90s look and feel.

It also means you won’t see operators from the Modern Warfare sub-brand, which is currently set years after the events of Black Ops 6, confusing matters.

“So, day one, you won’t be running around with any of those skins, so that it doesn’t break that immersion in that narrative we want,” Leslie explained. “Now, of course, we’re going to add those things into post-launch. We know players like those stuff, and then we’ll find really cool things that tie to Black Ops lore and also new exciting stuff as well.”

There is one exception to this rule: the Black Ops 6 Vault Edition Woods Operator Pack preorder benefit. It is currently available in Modern Warfare 3 and will carry forward into Black Ops 6, Activision said.

When Modern Warfare 3 launched last year, some players complained that it was cluttered with fully leveled weapons carried forward from Modern Warfare 2. On the other hand, some players said they appreciated the fact the money they’d spent on content for Modern Warfare 2 did not go to waste just a year later.

Activision further explained the decision in a blog post. Here’s the statement:

We want to make sure that everybody starts fresh, together, as we move into an all-new experience with the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Allowing everyone to experience the Black Ops universe the way it’s meant to be played, learning the era-specific weapons and gear, learning the gameplay innovations like Omnimovement, and keeping that signature Black Ops style is important.

Therefore, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3 content will not carry forward to the Black Ops 6 Premium experience.

Despite this fresh start for “premium” Call of Duty players, as Activision calls it, Black Ops 6 content will integrate into Warzone and sit alongside all the Modern Warfare 2 and 3 content already available in the battle royale. Warzone is a Call of Duty mash-up that seemingly has no restrictions when it comes to skins.

Black Ops 6 is set in the early 1990s, after the events of Black Ops Cold War and tied to the 1980s flashbacks in 2012’s Black Ops 2. Multiplayer launches with 16 new maps, including 12 core 6v6 maps, and four smaller Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.

For more details, check out everything we know about Call of Duty Black Ops 6, including its brand new movement systems. And for more of what Microsoft has up its sleeve, check out everything announced at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024.

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.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Release Date Announced During Xbox Games Showcase

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 launches November 19, 2024, Microsoft announced during its Xbox Games Showcase.

The follow-up to 2020’s well-received Microsoft Flight Simulator is designed to take advantage of the latest technologies in simulation, cloud, machine learning, and graphics, Microsoft said. It’s all powered by an evolved Asobo Studio engine and built by French outfit Asobo Studio.

As an Xbox Game Studios title, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 launches day-one across Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows 10/11, and Steam. For more, check out everything announced at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024.

Developing…

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.

State of Decay 3 Trailer to Debut at Xbox Showcase, According to Leak

State of Decay 3 will be one of the games shown off at tomorrow’s Xbox Showcase, according to a fresh leak today.

As spotted by @gematsu on X/Twitter, developer Undead Labs seemingly accidentally leaked the news itself with a link to a press kit on its jobs page. The link, per gematsu, leads to a press release which reads, in part, “Undead Labs revealed its new brand during the highly anticipated Xbox Showcase presentation on June 9th in the newest State of Decay 3 trailer.” Its new logo also appeared to leak.

The Undead Labs jobs page, however, was swiftly taken down once the leak was spotted. The website’s homepage is still live, but the navigation bar at the top of the page, which includes “jobs,” no longer has any hyperlinks.

It’s big news for fans of the survival horror series, considering it’ll mark our first look in years at the long-awaited sequel. The last one we got was its cinematic announcement trailer all the way back at a July 2020 Xbox Showcase, where Undead Labs revealed it was in early development. Ever since then, there’s been few updates, and it was a no-show at last year’s Xbox summer showcase as well. We’re still awaiting a release window, but that could be revealed during the trailer debut tomorrow.

State of Decay 3 is only one of a number of titles that have leaked ahead of tomorrow’s Xbox Showcase. In the days and weeks leading up to the livestream, reports have cropped up about the announcement of a new Doom installment (which is reportedly called Doom: The Dark Ages, and will apparently also be announced for PS5) and Gears of War 6.

While we wait to see if there are other surprises left in store for the Xbox Showcase, check out our breakdown of everything we’re expecting there. Additionally, stay turned for our subsequent chat with Xbox head Phil Spencer at IGN Live.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

All the Games Featured in the 2024 indie.io Showcase

IGN’s Summer of Gaming is in full swing, and as part of the festivities, indie developer platform indie.io took the stage at IGN Live for a showcase of their upcoming slate of games. If you’re not familiar with indie.io, you might know them as Freedom Games, publisher of popular titles like Symphony of War, Coromon, and Dark Deity.

They recently unveiled their new name, and they began their new era with a showcase that gave us reveals, trailers, and info for lots of upcoming games. If you weren’t able to watch it live, no worries. We have details on all the games that were featured during the show.

Forgotten Seas

Early Access Available Now!

You are stranded in the Bermuda Void; ocean stretches as far as your eyes can see, and dry land scarce. You’ll craft a ship in a bottle, then toss it into the ocean and watch it expand, morphing into a new ship primed to sail the high seas. Search for new land, build camps, and hunt for treasures — just be ready to defend your ship from pirates!

Everholm

Coming Soon – Wishlist Now

Everholm is an open-ended minimalist RPG where you play as Lilly, a young girl transported to a cute and cozy island while on a quest to find her missing sister. You soon discover that it’s not all sunshine and daisies in Everholm; everyone on the island seems to be acquainted with Lilly and her quest, yet she cannot recall ever visiting before. You’ll establish a homestead and work to uncover the secrets of the villagers as you try to solve the mystery surrounding this enigmatic island. Get whisked away to Everholm by playing its demo on Steam.

Dark Deity 2

Wishlist Now

In 2021, Dark Deity introduced a new turn-based strategy RPG series inspired by past classics, and Dark Deity 2 looks to expand on the foundation set by its predecessor. You’ll command an army of heroes as you try to push back the advance of an invading empire, and your decisions will shape the world, from which characters live and die to the fates of whole nations. With 20 heroes who have access to 45 branching classes, no two playthroughs will be the same.

Immortal Hunters

Wishlist Now

People killed an underground god, stole his power, and built a civilization ruled by the Church, which is served by powerful Immortal Hunters. But now, creatures rise out of the depths of the earth, and it’s your job to stop them. Choose your hero and fight back against the apocalypse in this side-scrolling action RPG. Play as an Immortal Hunter today, with its demo now available on Steam.

The Haunting of Joni Evers

Wishlist Now

This first-person psychological thriller will bring you to the small town of Harvest, Oklahoma. You’ll confront Joni’s memories in an emotional story of an estranged family … but there’s something very creepy afoot. Joni is being haunted by something, but what is it? And what does it want? Get a sneak peek by playing the brand-new demo on Steam.

Echoes of the Plum Grove

Available Now

If you’re a fan of cozy farming sims, this one’s for you. Start a new life in Honeywood, where you can build a community that will last generations. Tend your farm, socialize with the townspeople, find your soulmate, and raise a family. Everything, from the gameplay to the art style to the soundtrack, is meant to be relaxing and enjoyable at whatever pace you want.

SoulQuest

Wishlist Now

SoulQuest is a side-scrolling action game that puts you in the shoes of a powerful warrior on a journey to seize the power of the Goddess of Death and retrieve the soul of her beloved. Build up combos to destroy hordes of enemies in fast-paced gameplay through a world inspired by Celtic mythology. There’s a free demo available on Steam now, so give it a try.

Chronomon

Wishlist Now

Part monster tamer, part farming sim, Chronomon has you combine your skills at both to rebuild a post-apocalyptic world. Catch Chronomon out in the world, train them, evolve them, and use them on your ranch to get materials. Gather other materials by fishing and foraging, and use them to craft items to keep building up your farm and make the world beautiful again. Discover Chronomon and play the new demo on Steam.

World of Football

Wishlist Now

Do you love soccer but feel like most soccer video games are determined too much by luck or randomness? Then check out World of Football, a physics-based soccer game where the results are based purely on skill. It’s fairly simple at first blush, but the mechanics are challenging to truly master. Bring up to 10 people together to really test your skills.

Pinball Spire

New Demo Available on Steam – Wishlist Now

This one-of-a-kind game is a unique mix of genres that basically make it a pinballvania. You’ll make your way through a mysterious spire, with each floor being a dungeon-like pinball level. You can use abilities to complete challenges as you bump, spin, shoot, and flip your way to the top of the spire.

HumanitZ

Available Now in Early Access

HumanitZ is an isometric shooter that drops you into an open world that has been destroyed by a zombie outbreak. You’re one of the last humans left, and your task is to survive as long as possible, either solo or in co-op. You can craft weapons and build a base, but to gather the necessary materials, you’ll need to venture out into the zombie-infested world. How long can you last? HumanitZ is planning the game’s biggest update since its release into Early Access, which players can expect to go live on Steam near the end of June.

Cursed Dawn

Wishlist Now

How about a different flavor of zombie action? Cursed Dawn is a survival FPS with fast-paced, intense action that has you mowing through zombies by the dozens. Each map is large and packed with secrets and dynamic spawns, so you never know where the next horde is coming from. You’ll constantly need to stay on the move as you try to master each map.

Get Your Tentacles Off My Waifu!

Wishlist Now

Giant tentacle monsters have taken pony waifus hostage, and it’s up to you to save them. Dodge tentacles and projectiles and keep your blasters firing to destroy a variety of different monsters piece by piece. The monsters will get bigger and more difficult as the game progresses, but can you take them all down and save all the waifus? Get Your Tentacles Off My Waifu! also has a free Steam demo, so experience the fun for yourself and then add it to your wishlist.

Hauntsville

Wishlist Now

You’re stranded in a cursed ghost town in the Old West, surrounded by frightening monsters, with nothing but a few weapons and your own resourcefulness to aid you. You’ll need to build a homestead and work the land to help you survive this Western horror game. There’s a free demo on Steam for you to try, if you dare.

SCP: Fragmented Minds

Wishlist Now

Humanity is on the verge of extinction. The last hope of survival relies on an abandoned facility on Mars, where you awaken. The facility is overrun with horrifying anomalies that have escaped and are hunting down any remaining humans. You’ll need to use every tool you can find to help you survive and find a way to save humanity. Will you use the stealth approach, or take the monsters head on? Either way, the odds are stacked against you.

Shoot on Sight

Coming Soon – Wishlist Now!

In this multiplayer isometric tactical shooter, you’ll have several characters to choose from, each with their own weapon loadouts and abilities. As you continue playing with a character, you’ll level up and unlock new abilities and gadgets to keep gameplay fresh. There are lots of different maps, each with destructible pieces of the environment to use to your advantage. Blow up vehicles or shoot through walls, anything it takes to come out on top.

AI.VI

New Reveal! Wishlist Now

This FPS/tower defense hybrid casts you as a mercenary robot that’s been forced out of retirement to fight back against an evil corporation that conquered the planet and is bleeding it dry. Use all the skills at your disposal to turn your corporate enemies into scrap, seize the means of production, and retake the planet for the worker bots.

Blood Reaver

Wishlist Now

Use a combination of melee weapons, ranged weapons, and blood magic to take on hordes of enemies in this dark fantasy FPS. In wave-based combat, four heroes will team up to restore an ancient order and stop a demonic invasion. It’s a classic battle of good versus evil, with the fate of the world on the line.

A Death in the Red Light

Wishlist Now

It’s 1988 in Amsterdam, and a dead body has just been discovered in the Red Light District. A washed up detective takes on the case looking for redemption, but you’ll need to collect clues, connect the dots, and chase down leads. Can you solve this real-life mystery in time?

Shrine’s Legacy

Wishlist Now

Inspired by the 16-bit RPGs of the Super Nintendo era, Shrine’s Legacy is set in a fantasy world and tells a classic tale of two heroes who need to unite the elements and save the land. If you’re itching for some nostalgia and want to feel like a kid again, this is the game for you.

Adventurer’s Gambit: Dungeons of Fortune

Wishlist Now

Create your hero and enter endlessly varied dungeons as you try to ascend the Tower. You can test yourself solo or team up with up to three friends, and you’ll use deck-based character building to battle 18 foes and contend with traps and other obstacles. You can choose to use a blade, magic, or curses, but be prepared for a challenge.

Dwellink

New Reveal! Wishlist Now

Dwellink is a dark fantasy creature-collecting RPG where the nine worlds are holding out against an assault by beings known as Dwellers. You’ll capture them, harness their powers, and use them in turn-based combat to defeat your enemies as you try to solve the mystery of the Great Link before it’s too late.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra

Wishlist Now

The retro, side-scrolling, arcade-style beat ’em up is alive and thriving, and G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra is proof. The villainous Cobra is back and hatching up another one of their evil plots, but thankfully G.I. Joe is here to stop them. You’ll pick your hero, jump into the fight, and spoil Cobra’s plans once again. There’s a brand-new demo available now, so get in there and send Cobra packing.

New Label Knights Peak Reveals Colorful Platformer Nikoderiko, Shares Trailer for Soulslike Mandragora

It’s been another rough year for the games industry, with seemingly constant layoffs taking place and studios being shuttered. However, a new publishing label announced today hopes to help curb this trend by uplifting developers.

Today, European publisher MY.GAMES announced Knights Peak, its new publishing division “dedicated to supporting both emerging and established studios.” Knights Peak also revealed its diverse initial roster of upcoming games and re-releases.

Among Knights Peak’s announcements was the world premiere of Nikoderiko, a colorful platformer in the style of Banjo-Kazooie that’s in development at VEA Games. It’s headed to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC later this summer with music by Donkey Kong Country composer David Wise.

The previously announced dark fantasy Soulslike side-scroller Mandragora is also headed to Knights Peak. During a new trailer for the game, developer Primal Game Studio showed off the game’s massive skill trees and hinted at its story about lost humanity, with Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines writer Brian Mitsoda working as the game’s narrative lead. Mandragora is slated for release in late 2024 on PC, PS5, and Xbox X|S.

Knights Peak is also now publishing the long-awaited Starship Troopers: Extermination, which received an October release date and is now getting console ports as well as a lengthy singleplayer mode that features original movie actor Casper Van Dien.

The publishing label also revealed its back catalog, with the previously released action-adventure game Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread heading to Amazon Prime this summer and the classic RPG Pathfinder: Kingmaker – Enhanced Plus Edition slated for a release on Amazon Luna this year.

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, and they’re currently developing a game called Garage Sale. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.

Destiny 2 Clan Completes the Final Shape Raid, Unlocks Incredible Final Mission for All

A Destiny 2 clan has completed The Final Shape expansion’s raid, unlocking a final mission for all players that brings to an end the series’ decade-long story that began back in 2014.

This article does not include any spoilers for Destiny 2 The Final Shape.

PC Gamer has a great rundown of events up to and including this moment, but for our purposes, we’ll just say that clan Parabellum completed The Final Shape raid before any other and in the process unlocked a 12-person final mission called Excision that acts as a fitting end to everything that has proceeded it over the last 10 years.

But it looks like there is an issue with Excision that is causing players in fireteams to be unable to view all cutscenes upon completion of the Excision activity. In a post on X/Twitter, Bungie recommended players complete the activity solo to ensure they experience all the cutscenes.

Now that The Final Shape’s main story has come to an end, Destiny 2 players are wondering what’s next. Excision leaves a number of story threads hanging out there in the galaxy, threads Bungie will probably pull at over the coming months. The developer has already announced a showcase set for June 10 at 8am PT in which it will reveal the next year of Destiny 2. That could mean it will touch on The Final Shape’s upcoming three episodes, the first of which kicks off next week. But perhaps Bungie will also hint at bigger things to come.

In previous videos, Bungie developers have teased that The Final Shape is not the end of Destiny 2 or even the series, with the developer — now owned by Sony — also working on multiplayer game Marathon. This week, in a series of X/Twitter posts marking the release of The Final Shape, Bungie executive creative director Luke Smith discussed the road to The Final Shape’s release and the effort its developers put in to make it happen. In one of the posts, Smith mentioned the word Hope three times, each capitalized, which was enough to spark Destiny 3 theories within the community.

For now, The Final Shape is going down well with fans, despite initial server problems Bungie ended up apologizing for. Check out IGN’s The FInal Shape review in progress to find out what we think.

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.

Wholesome Direct 2024: 15 Of Our Favorite Games

Showing off over 70 indie games with positivity and compassion at their core, today’s Wholesome Direct had quite a few neat games to keep an eye on, whether today marked their world premiere or just the debut of a brand new trailer. A handful of games even received surprise releases, and there are quite a few more demos out right now!

From a cheese-filled decorating simulator for mice to an exploration game where you play as a house on a date (and an impressive number of games with “lands” somewhere in their titles), here are 15 of our favorite games from this year’s Wholesome Direct.

Squeakross: Home Squeak Home

Receiving a world premiere at today’s Wholesome Direct, Squeakross: Home Squeak Home is an adorably named combination between a puzzle game and a decorating simulator. Players will solve furniture-shaped puzzles made of cheese, watch as the cheese turns into furniture, and then use it to decorate rooms for their mice. With hundreds of furniture items, stickers, and accessories available, I’m already determined to collect everything and be the best mouse parent I can be.

Squeakross doesn’t have a release window yet, but it’s headed to Steam (and will run on Steam Deck).

Fruitbus

In the upcoming adventure game Fruitbus, players will get to customize their own food truck, drive around and gather ingredients from an open world, and help adorable customers through cooking. While the core game loop is focused around cooking and experimenting with recipes, there’s also a narrative about the previous owner’s past to uncover, stirring up what looks to be a tasty balance between open-ended gameplay and story.

Fruitbus is headed to Steam and consoles this October, and it also has a demo out now.

Wax Heads

I’ve always been on the hunt for a game that authentically nails the feeling of just really caring about music, and Wax Heads seems to have it down perfectly. Set in the struggling store Repeated Records, players will help quirky customers find the perfect album to take home. Along the way, they’ll play minigames, get distracted by the shop’s secrets, and learn about each musical act (like Scandinavian metal band Jarhead, which may or may not have… murdered their own singer and kept his head in a jar).

It’s headed to Steam and has a demo out right now — no word on a release date yet, though.

Building Relationships

Flaunting what’s possibly the weirdest concept I’ve ever seen in a Wholesome Direct, Building Relationships is a dating and exploration sim where you play as… a house. While exploring a 3D island and its many biomes, you’ll search for eligible bachelor pads, fish for cars, discover secrets, and unlock movement skills that let you lumber up mountains.

Building Relationships is headed to Steam, Itch.io, and consoles later this year.

POOOOL

Sitting somewhere between last year’s viral Suika Game and GamePigeon 8-Ball is POOOOL, a tiny physics puzzler about combining pool balls with faces while saving space for more. It’s clean, colorful, and full of satisfying sound effects. It’s also just unexpectedly challenging to get the hang of, as pool balls get heavier and slower as they grow, which adds a neat dimension of skill to the growing camp of 2048-like games.

Receiving a surprise release during today’s Wholesome Direct, POOOOL is out now on Steam.

Littlelands

Everything looks like a toy in Littlelands, an adventure game with detailed, stylized environments that just make the characters look… so small and cute! It’s a little bit like Animal Crossing — players can catch bugs, fish, grow berries, and befriend their neighbors — but it also has an exploration element, and players can even head to dangerous areas inhabited by goblins.

Littlelands doesn’t yet have a release window, but it’s headed to Steam.

Tiny Lands 2

What’s even smaller than Littlelands? Tiny Lands 2! In this find the difference puzzle game, players will find the differences between photorealistic miniature worlds that tell their own stories. Each scene made up of big objects is inhabited by little people, whether they’re conducting traffic amid a cluttered desk full of art supplies, gathering around a fire beneath a tea kettle, or diving into a cup of coffee.

Today’s Wholesome Direct marked the world premiere of Tiny Lands 2, which is headed to Steam, the Epic Games Store, and Switch.

Sally

There’s a lot to do in Sally, which doubles as the name of the game as well as its subject, a magical ship that’s in search of floating islands. Players can cook, take care of animals, work in the machine room, and disembark to gather resources from floating islands, all while leading the Sally to its destination. Best of all, though, they can make friends and find a sense of community among a roster of characters that changes with every game — “everyone’s in the same boat.”

Sally has a new demo out now and is headed to Steam and Switch.

Lost and Found Co.

Lost and Found Co. is a hidden objects game that takes place in a beautifully hand-drawn world full of personality. Alongside a cast of quirky characters, players can search for items in bustling boardwalks, restaurants, homes, gardens and more, getting to decorate their office (and restore the fame of a forgotten goddess, no big deal) as a neat little reward.

With a new demo out right now, Lost and Found Co. is headed to Steam, consoles, and mobile.

Into The Emberlands

Into The Emberlands is an exploration game about bringing light back to a procedurally generated world engulfed by darkness (and helping bring home the villagers who got lost along the way). Once they’re home, players can help their newfound neighbors thrive by repairing houses, running errands, and expanding the village. Just don’t let the lantern light fade!

Into The Emberlands is slated for release on Steam later this year and got a new demo today.

Tracks of Thought

Tracks of Thought is a cozy mystery that’s set on a train. After the train goes through a mysterious tunnel, every bug on board somehow forgets where they’re headed. Through card battles, players (playing as a really cute ladybug) can help their fellow bugs resolve conflicts, reach a consensus, and solve the mystery, all while making their way to the control room through the train’s many different cars.

Tracks of Thought also received a surprise release today, and it’s out now on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Curiosmos

A solar system seemingly made out of clay is the player’s canvas in Curiosmos, an adorable space adventure game that received a new trailer during today’s Wholesome Direct. Players can chip away at planet surfaces with meteors, drag debris into black holes, and add gravity (and even life) to adorable planets with faces. While there isn’t much information about Curiosmos available yet, I’m curious to see what kind of sandbox adventure it might shape up to be.

Curiosmos isn’t yet slated to release on a specific platform, but more information can be found on its website.

Rooster

Receiving a new trailer during today’s Wholesome Direct, Rooster is a point and click narrative adventure about the animals of the Chinese zodiac. Each level has completely different gameplay that ranges from cooking and dating sims to tower defense and hidden objects (all depicted in the game’s gorgeous watercolor art style), and it all culminates in a story about helping others and sharing love.

It’s headed to Steam and consoles early next year.

Caravan SandWitch

Caravan SandWitch is a narrative adventure about a young woman searching the desolate world of Cigalo for her lost sister. While the trailer shows off the game’s exploration, including driving the game’s signature yellow caravan through beautifully modeled futuristic environments, riding on a zipline, and traversing through massive storms, the Steam page also promises a meaningful narrative about living in harmony despite over-exploitation.

Caravan SandWitch is headed to Steam and the Epic Games Store along with Switch and PS5, and it received a brand new demo during today’s Wholesome Direct.

Goodlands

Goodlands is a game about being a dinosaur and unearthing fossils of other dinosaurs in an open world inspired by the Badlands. With an art style vaguely reminiscent of A Short Hike, players will customize their own dinosaur, clean fossils in minigames, and restore an empty museum by donating their brand new digs.

Goodlands was briefly shown off during the direct’s montage section and is headed to Steam and Itch.io.

Find more information on all of these games (and the rest we couldn’t fit in this roundup) on the Wholesome Games website or on the Wholesome Direct Steam curator page. Wholesome Direct is also part of IGN’s Summer of Gaming, which contains quite a few showcases and runs through the end of June.

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, and they’re currently developing a game called Garage Sale. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.