Category: Video Games

Avatar Generations launched today for iOS and Android, with developer Navigator Games and publisher Crystal Dynamics Eidos Entertainment celebrating with a new trailer. It is free-to-play with in-app purchases.

The trailer shows several characters from the series in battle and some brief glimpses of the user interface. It seems like characters will have a star rating to indicate their strength ranging all the way to 6 stars. Additionally, characters will have different skills to utilize during combat. Players can also level up Arts in order to make them more powerful.

The game is a turn-based RPG where players collect different characters from the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe to create a team and play through different iconic moments from the franchise. There will also be new scenarios too.

A variety of characters will be available to collect, including the main cast of Katara, Sokka, Zuko, and Toph, as well as supporting characters like Blue Spirit, Princess Yue, and Kyoshi Warrior Suki. Future updates for Avatar Generations will provide additional characters, companions, cosmetics, and customizable gear.

Avatar Generations is the latest game based on the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise since 2014’s Legend of Korra by developer PlatinumGames. In IGN’s The Legend of Korra: The Game review, we said, “What a disappointment. Even with a reputable developer behind it, The Legend of Korra game left us bent out of shape.”

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, the asymmetical multiplayer ghost-hunting game based on the popular films, has unveiled its first free DLC including a new map, ghost type, and other updates. And it’s all out today.

The new DLC includes The Facility, a new map set in an abandoned health center closed in the 1980s, but set to reopen…if its construction crews can get past the ghost problem. We’ll also see a new ghost type, the Glutton, a class that includes the Muncher ghost and two other variants. Developer Illfonic says the Muncher is the most-requested ghost type thus far – we were first introduced to the metal-eating ghost in in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Additionally, the DLC will bring new character customization options, improved matchmaking, and improve AI behavior both for teammates and ghosts.

Illfonic reiterated that it plans to continue releasing free DLC each quarter of this year for Spirits Unleashed, so we should expect more content along these lines at least three more times this year.

We enjoyed Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed at launch, finding it an entertaining asymmetical multiplayer game, but did lament that it was held back by some balance issues and map wonkiness at the time. We noted that it also badly needed more content, which this DLC and future ones hopefully will alleviate.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Microsoft has announced that it will raise the recommended retail price (RRP) of the Xbox Series X|S in Japan, starting on Friday February 17.

“After carefully evaluating the market condition in Japan, we have decided to change the suggested retail price of Xbox consoles in the country,” said a Microsoft representative in a statement to Famitsu, which was translated by Gematsu.

“We regularly evaluate the impact of local pricing to maintain reasonable consistency across regions. This price revision affects our customers and was a difficult decision to make, but going forward we will continue to provide the ultimate Xbox experience that our customers expect.”

The price of the Series X is set to rise from ¥54,978 ($423) to ¥59,978 ($462), while the Series S will similarly rise from ¥32,278 ($248) to ¥37,978 ($292) for a price rise of roughly $40 each.

Phil Spencer had initially assured consumers that the price of the Xbox Series X|S would remain static in the wake of Sony’s 2022 move to increase the list price for the PS5 by around $50 in markets outside of the U.S. However, the Xbox boss later shifted the company’s position on price increases in an interview with the Wall Street Journal in October last year.

“I do think at some point we’ll have to raise the prices on certain things, but going into this holiday we thought it was important to maintain the prices,” Spencer said. “We’ve held price on our console, we’ve held price on games, and our subscription. I don’t think we’ll be able to do that forever. I do think at some point we’ll have to raise some prices on certain things.”

In December 2022 Microsoft announced that the price of games developed exclusively for the Xbox Series X|S would rise from $60 to $70 in order to account for the “content, scale, and technical complexity” of upcoming titles including Starfield and Forza Motorsport.

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer