Now here is something really cool. Modder âKalunnâ has released a new mod for Batman: Arkham Knight that allows you to play as X-Menâs favourite mutant, Wolverine. This mod replaces Batmanâs moveset with a new one for Wolverine. As such, all the hits and grabs are made for Wolverineâs mutant abilities. Then, you can use ⌠Continue reading Batman: Arkham Knight just got an amazing X-Men Wolverine Modâ
KRAFTON has released the detailed PC system requirements for its upcoming game that will rival EAâs The Sims. inZOI is a life simulation game that will be powered by Unreal Engine 5. So, letâs take a look at these latest detailed PC requirements. To run the game, PC gamers will at least need an Intel ⌠Continue reading inZOI gets detailed PC requirements, will support Ray Tracingâ
Let the demon hunting begin. Netflix is giving Devil May Cry the anime treatment â and we finally have a taste of what it has in store with a brand new trailer the streamer just dropped. But what might be even more exciting is that the legendary late voice actor Kevin Conroy will posthumously star in the new game adaptation.
Conroy, who is best known and celebrated as the longtime voice of Bruce Wayne and Batman in the many animated films and TV shows that have focused on the character over the years, stars in the series as VP Baines, a new character that can be heard in voiceover at the beginning of the sneak peek.
Back in July 2024, Conroy was praised for his posthumous voice performance in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part 3, so itâs awesome that fans will have another chance to experience his artistry after his untimely passing in November 2022 at the age of 66. Rounding out the cast alongside the late actor is Scout Taylor-Compton as Mary, Hoon Lee as White Rabbit, Chris Coppola as Enzo, and Johnny Yong Bosch as Dante himself.
According to the official synopsis provided by Netflix, âSinister forces are at play to open the portal between the human and demon realms. In the middle of it all is Dante, an orphaned demon-hunter-for-hire, unaware that the fate of both worlds hangs around his neck.â
Producer Adi Shankar will serve as showrunner for the series. He is known for his work as executive producer on the 2012 Judge Dredd reboot film Dredd, as well as the Brad Pitt star vehicle Killing Them Softly from the same year, and 2014âs Ryan Reynolds vehicle The Voices. He is also slated to executive produce an adaptation of Assassinâs Creed, but considering it was announced in 2017 and still has yet to see the light of day, who knows if that series will ever actually get made? Fingers crossed, though.
Studio Mir, a well-established South Korean studio known for their work on popular projects like The Legend of Korra and X-Men â97, will serve as the chief production studio on this new series. Devil May Cry will be released on Netflix on April 3, 2025.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
Dark Regards is easily the most intriguing new indie comics to come along in quite some time. It's a book whose back-story is as wild and crazy as the comic itself. But you can be the judge in our exclusive preview of Dark Regards #1.
Check out the slideshow gallery below for an exclusive look inside the new series, but beware of some NSFW language ahead!
Dark Regards is the brainchild of comedian/writer/musician Dave Hill and artist Artyom Topilin (Cruel Universe, I Hate This Place). The four-issue series is inspired by Hill's own experiences forming a fictional Satanic metal band called Witch Taint and the unexpected spiral of chaos that ensued.
Here's Oni Press' official description of the series:
Two decades ago, Dave Hill and his first band set out to rock their high school auditorium in a fury of heavy metal hellfire. They failed miserably. Years later, Dave has made a new life for himself as a rising star in the New York comedy scene â a career where getting laughed at on stage is the entire point and not just a tragic consequence. But when Dave's metal ambitions are re-awakened by the Ăźber self-serious, âSatanicâ genre of Norwegian black metal, Dave creates a ridiculously hyperbolic alter ego and a band to match that, together, reignite the spark of his forgotten rock 'n roll fantasy. But when Dave's internet-fueled rumors of Witch Taint â a metal band âso extreme that you must remove all sharp objects from the immediate areaâ when their music is played â spreads all the way to Europe, his story will spiral dangerously out of control as Norway's most extreme black metal butchers come to reap their revenge . . . and put everything and everyone Dave holds dear in the crosshairs (of their axes, which, truth be told, don't actually have crosshairs, but, hey, it's a metaphor).
âA few years back, I sat down in my underwear late one night and decided to let my obsession with Norwegian black metal run wild by emailing a Norwegian black metal record label, telling them all the bands on their label sucked despite the fact that I had never listened to any of them, and suggesting they sign my extremely extreme black metal band Witch Taint, which had yet to record any music and didn't even exist beyond the band name I'd just made up on the spot,â said Hill in a statement. âThis first email led to months of correspondence with the record label that I never intended for anyone to see. But the Internet being the Internet, eventually a lot of people saw it and things got nuts. Now, beyond my wildest dreams, this story has become my first comic book series Dark Regards, written by me and illustrated by the amazing Artyom Topilin. If you don't devour every single issue, you are basically insane.â
Dark Regards #1 is priced at $4.99 and will be released on May 13, 2025.
Independent game developer Kyrylo Burlaka has revealed Fracture Point, his new fast-paced roguelike first-person shooter that promises procedurally generated levels with looter shooter elements "in a realistic dystopian metropolis engulfed in a war between a powerful corporation and the resistance."
Making your way up the corporation's skyscraper, you'll scavenge for gear and loot to upgrade your character as you go floor-by-floor fighting mercenaries, going toe-to-toe with security forces, and facing off against bosses. Watch the announcement trailer above and take a look at the first screenshots in the gallery below.
Fracture Point reminds me a lot of Criterion's classic PS2-era first-person shooter Black, and perhaps you'll agree when you watch the trailer. When I mentioned this to Burlaka, he said, "Criterion's games were a big part of my gaming experience growing up," so perhaps the comparison is warranted.
If you're interested in following Fracture Point's development progress and playing it as soon as it's ready, you can wishlist it on Steam.
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.
Two Zenless Zone Zero voice actors discovered they had been replaced when the game's patch notes went live, they have claimed, in the latest casualty of the battle for generative AI protections.
The Screen Actors GuildâAmerican Federation of Television and Radio Artists' (SAG-AFTRA) ongoing dispute with the video game industry revolves around the use of generative AI to replicate voice actor performances.
ZZZ, developed by Genshin Impact company HoYoverse, is not subject to the strike because it was in development before July 25, 2024, when the strike began. However, voice actors may choose not to sign new contracts in solidarity with striking union members, or in the absence of a SAG Interim Agreement.
Emeri Chase â who portrays Soldier 11 â said they were "replaced as Soldier 11 because I am unwilling to perform work not covered by a SAG Interim Agreement during a strike for AI protection, the outcome of which will determine the future of our industry." Nicholas Thurkettle, who played Lycaon, has been similarly replaced, although Thurkettle is not a union member.
"I'd like to clarify that there's a difference between being 'struck' and not being on an Interim Agreement," Chase explained in a thread on Bluesky (thanks, Eurogamer). "Union projects that began work prior to the strike and non-union projects are not 'struck.' But they also do not offer the Union-enforced AI rights we are fighting for.
"Many actors are choosing to voluntarily withhold work on these categories of projects because we feel it is the best way to support the union's fight for the protections that are critical to our continued ability to create the art we love."
Chase added that they knew "that by withholding work it was possible" they'd be replaced, but had "hoped [developer HoYoVerse] would choose to leave her silent until I was able to return."
"I found out the role was recast today alongside all of you," Chase said, while Thurkettle stated: "I'm learning about this as you are, and I share your shock. Neither HoYoverse nor Sound Cadence has communicated with me since October. I've been fully available and recorded multiple voice jobs in that time.
"I'm not SAG but what game companies want to do with AI is an existential threat. I took a personal stand to ask for protection, and had to be willing to give up the best thing that's ever happened in my professional life. I stand by my choice."
The company issued a statement to Game Developer admitting characters in Black Ops 6âs Zombies mode were recast amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
Zombies characters William Peck (Zeke Alton) and Samantha Maxis (Julie Nathanson) are currently voiced by new, unknown actors. Alton told Game Developer that he took no issue with Activisionâs actions with Peck, but expressed concern âfor my brand as a performer.â
âFans of the game have reached out to me because the lack of crediting [of the replacement actor] implies that it may still be me which unfairly represents my abilities as a performer," Alton said at the time.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
If there's any console manufacturer that truly embraces customization and color variety in its controllersâit's Xbox. For more than a decade, Xbox has released a steady stream of unique colors, patterns, and limited edition controllers across its Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles. And, if the official offerings aren't enough for you, Xbox Design Lab allows you to go wild creating your own controller design from scratch.
Aside from some minor tweaks to the design when the Xbox Series X|S launched in 2020, the Xbox Wireless Controller has largely gone unchanged since the Xbox One era. Even better, you can use your Xbox One controllers on Xbox Series X|S and vice-versa. But, if you're curious just how many official controllers Xbox has released since the beginning of the Series X|S generation, we've got you covered. Check out the full rundown below of every Xbox controller color by release date including standard, special edition, and limited edition controllers.
If you're looking for a good alternative, you can also check out our guide to more of the best Xbox controllers.
The Robot White controller released alongside the Xbox Series S in 2020 and is indentical in functionality to its Series X counterpart aside from its stark white color.
Shock Blue Xbox Controller
Release Date: November 10, 2020
Rounding out the trio of original controller colors debuting alongside the Xbox Series X|S, the Shock Blue controller was the only actual color available for the new generation for its first few months.
Pulse Red Xbox Controller
Release Date: February 9, 2021
The Pulse Red Xbox released just before Valentine's Day 2021, and what better way to show your love than to buy your partner this bright red controller?
Electric Volt Xbox Controller
Release Date: April 27, 2021
Xbox's next controller was the shocking Electric Volt color that falls somewhere between Mountain Dew and a highlighter. It's definitely a head-turner.
Deep Pink Xbox Controller
Release Date: May 17, 2022
The only standard controller option released in 2022 was the Deep Pink Xbox controller, featuring a vibrant pink color with matching buttons.
Velocity Green Xbox Controller
Release Date: March 7, 2023
Announced and released on the same day in 2023, the Velocity Green controller is surprisingly the first plain all-green controller released by Xbox since the transparent Xbox Controller S nearly 20 years ago.
Astral Purple Xbox Controller
Release Date: October 3, 2023
The most recent standard edition controller released nearly two years ago and features a rich, purple color that's as close in color that you're going to get to the console-exclusive Fortnite Xbox One controller, but without the gradient effect.
Every Special Edition Color
In addition to the standard colors above, Xbox has released a slew of "special edition" colors and patterns over the years. While some of these can be recreated today in Xbox Design Lab, if you're looking to pick up a retail version, your options may be limited to third-party resellers or refurbished models.
Daystrike Camo Special Edition Xbox Controller
Release Date: May 4, 2021
The first camo controller option for the Xbox Series X|S generation released in 2021 and featured a red camo pattern with deep red matching buttons.
Mineral Camo, the fourth camo-themed Xbox controller (second during the Xbox Series X|S generation) released featured a unique color scheme that included blues, purples, and teals.
Lunar Shift Special Edition Xbox Controller
Release Date: October 11, 2022
The Lunar Shift controller released in 2022 and was inspired by the "awe-inspiring aura of the moon" as its unique color shifts from gold to silver.
Stellar Shift Special Edition Xbox Controller
Release Date: February 7, 2023
The final member of the Shift series, Stellar Shift, featured a mesmerizing blue-purple color that exuded "deep space vibes" and came with a special dynamic background for your Xbox console when paired.
Arctic Camo Special Edition Xbox Controller
Release Date: May 2023
Interestingly enough, the Arctic Camo controller was actually a re-release of an earlier Xbox One version, but with the updated features of the modern Xbox Series X|S-era controllers. It was quietly released in the US in 2023 and made its way to the rest of the world in 2024.
The final entry in the "Vapor series," Nocturnal Vapor, released in 2024 and featured swirling, earthy tones, but didn't include a matching dynamic background for some reason.
Released about a year before the Xbox Series X|S, the second edition of the Xbox Elite controller featured a number of upgrades including better grips, more customization, and a redesigned D-pad that would go on to inspire the future Xbox Wireless Controller update.
When there's a red version, there's almost always a blue version to accompany it. Released alongside its Red-hued counterpart, the Blue Elite Core controller featuresâyou guessed itâa blue faceplate, matching buttons, and black grip.
Limited Edition Xbox Controllers
If standard and special edition controllers don't tickle your fancy, Xbox is no stranger to limited edition controllers either. Since the launch of the Xbox Series X|S, there have been a number of limited edition controllers for Xbox games such as Forza Horizon 5, Starfield, a Halo Infinite-themed Elite Controller, and most recently, a special edition controller for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Arguably the biggest controller announcement during the Series X|S generation, though, is the return of Xbox Design Lab in 2021. Not only can you customize your perfect controller, but you can also create exclusive designs featuring popular franchises like Fallout and Call of Duty.
Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch
While the Battlefield team has teased there's still more tests to come to give more players a chance to get involved, we've pulled together all the improvements and new features we've spotted so far.
Battlefield 6 has a drag mechanic
Perhaps most notable is the ability to drag wounded allies away to safety. At the time of writing, a video clip on the Battlefield subreddit showing off the new feature has had almost 8,000 upvotes.
In a post on X, Battlefield lead producer, David Sirland, confirmed he was "not okay with leaks," hinting that "[leakers] are [being] dealt with accordingly." Despite this, however, Sirland acknowledged that the new drag and revive feature is a key part of the "revive loop," adding: "I am expecting to see some interesting use in the next test on labs."
"With this feature, there's more of that fun interaction with more pieces to the puzzle," he teased. "There's some really fun combinations that can happen (it's cancellable at any time with hold version). I can't wait for you guys to start finding out what they are."
Battlefield 6 lets you cling on to vehicles
It also looks as though players can cling to vehicles, too, either to get around the map quicker or lie in wait for a perfect sneaky ambush. While some players still aren't sure if the images are merely enter/exit animations, this feature was rumored some time ago, and it appears the playtest now confirms it.
There's also been a lot of positive chatter about in-game movement, too, with improved and/or reintroduced movement features such as crouch sprint, combat dive, and landing roll, as well as new visual indicators "to make it easier to understand when movements such as vaulting or leaning are possible."
Battlefield 6 reportedly has 3D maps
3D maps are back as well. According to sources who've played the pre-alpha playtest, it looks as though both the mini-map and the spawn screen maps are 3D. This makes it easier to see the elevation of tall buildings and landscapes, helping you choose the perfect spawn point. The last time we saw 3D maps in Battlefield was in 2018's Battlefield 5.
Battlefield 6 has improved destruction
Environmental destruction â a key part of Battlefield's appeal that can be used to give players a tactical advantage â is similarly beefed up, as this brief clip, with over 9000 upvotes and 600 comments, shows.
As for what's next? Lead producer Sirland revealed DICE now has "loads of feedback from the very active testers selected [...] in good amounts and in the right areas for us to be able to use it."
"There is a rationale to the approach we are taking, and it's working well so far. There will be more tests and we'll open up to more over time," he added.
Have we missed your favorite feature or mechanic? Let us know in the comments below.
EA has been playing its cards pretty close to its chest about the new Battlefield, and we still don't know when, exactly, it will launch. But EA's last financial report suggested it'll come sometime between April 2025 and March 2026.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Steelcase has been one of the biggest names in luxury office seating for decades, and the company recently released an update to its popular mesh Karman model that has gamers in its sights. This new model features a high-back design with some truly eye-catching mesh weaves. It's well-made and premium-priced, starting at $1,030, but if youâre looking for tons of adjustments like the Gesture, Leap, or Think, you might be left wanting more.
Steelcase Karman High Back â Design and Features
The Steelcase Karman High Back is a striking mesh computer chair. The Karman in general was already an eye-catcher, with its intricately woven fabrics, unique color combinations, and prominent contours, and the High Back takes those features and builds on them. Itâs one of the most interesting and, in my opinion, best-looking mesh chairs you can buy right now.
While the original was a standard mid-back office chair, the High Back adds a sculpted backrest and integrated headrest. When I was initially approached about doing this review, the representative explained that the company had gamers in mind with this release. In a way, it's easy to see why. It's certainly a chair that you can lean back in with a controller and game comfortably. On the other hand, there are enough color options and the design is minimalist enough that it could easily fit into an office setting. It's a good-looking design that can work well in a variety of environments.
Like every Steelcase chair Iâve reviewed so far, it offers impeccable build quality and a fine attention to detail. Across the board, the Karman High Back feels well made and designed to last. It uses a metal frame with a flawless finish (color-matched to the color scheme of the chair) and high-quality open-weave Intermix fabric mesh. The material is simultaneously soft, flexible, and clearly robust. It feels soft to the touch, like traditional fabric chairs, and not plasticky like many mesh ergo seats. Time will have to tell, but upon close inspection, it doesn't seem like it would be prone to fraying like a more traditional thread might be with such an open weave.
I have to admit that the new high back design initially had me worried. Its prominent contours left me wondering if it would actually match my back or if I would find myself huddled in the middle without actually being supported. Thankfully, the backrest is designed to allow the mesh to flex and match the exact contours of your back. That said, I would still recommend picking up the optional adjustable lumbar accessory. While the mesh is able to flex, the lumbar support provided that little bit of extra support my lower back needed for long hours at my desk.
This new model comes with an integrated neckrest. Note that it isnât a headrest and doesnât work as one. It's small and thin, only moves up and down, and positioning it under the head forces you forward uncomfortably. Shifting it beneath the neck, however, allows the contoured high back to support the head much more naturally. That also means that the actual headrest is completely non-adjustable. I'm happy to see a neck support, but if a headrest is a make or break feature for you, I would highly recommend testing the chair before picking one up for yourself.
While I personally found the chair comfortable, I was surprised by the lack of adjustments it offers in comparison to other leading options in Steelcase's line. You can adjust the backrest across four levels, but two of these options are locks (upright and limited tilt). The other two offer more or less tension when you recline. Itâs the same LiveBack system I remarked on in my review of the Think (2025).
The other adjustments are limited and basic. You can move the neckrest up and down, the armrests up, down, in, out, or tilt them to different angles, and adjust the chair's height. If you pick up the optional adjustable lumbar accessory, you can adjust that up and down too. There are no knobs to adjust the lumbar pressure or other fine adjustments. It's just two tabs that move a plastic-backed cushion up and down behind the mesh. Seat depth is also locked.
Steelcase does offer other benefits, however. There's a dedicated cushion beneath the seat rest, bringing the best of both worlds between traditional and mesh chairs. The edges of the chair are also soft, so you wonât need to worry about it digging into your skin. Steelcase also nails the cushions on the armrests. Theyâre firm enough to feel made-to-last but soft enough that you can actually lean on them without giving yourself a sore elbow. The contouring of the chair is also well done too, with a waterfall edge on the seat, and curves to guide you into a proper seating posture.
The Karman may also take the cake as Steelcase's best-looking chair. Unlike most mesh options on the market, you have the option of getting translucent or opaque fabric. The latter does a good job of masking the fact that it's even a mesh chair at all until you look closely. There are plenty of options to choose from too so you can find a color scheme that matches your personality. All told, there are a dozen different schemes to choose from, as well as two Intermix Shift options.
Intermix Shift is where things really get interesting for the aesthetics of the chair. It's named such because it weaves together two different hues of mesh to create a gradient that shifts depending on how youâre looking at it. As of this writing, there are two options: red-blue, and green-gold. I was sent the red and blue version, and the shifting, reactive gradient is downright beautiful.
Other customization options are more limited, though. Unlike the Think and Amia, you can't customize the color of the base or frame of the chair. Instead, that's dictated by your fabric color. You can choose between 4D armrests, height adjustable armrests, or no armrests at all, which, coincidentally, is where that base price of $1,030 comes in. You can also choose between wheels for carpet or hardwood floors with or without wheel hubs.
The cheapest version with armrests (height only) and the adjustable lumbar will set you back $1,269. The most expensive version, which includes opaque fabric, 4D armrests, the lumbar support add-on, and hubless wheels for hardwood floors tops out at $1,584. With its comparatively limited adjustments, this draws into question the value of the chair. While there's no mistaking its quality, if you really want your chair to be 100% tailored to you, it simply may not be the best option (even if it is the best looking one).
Steelcase Karman High Back â Performance
Over my years of testing chairs, I've come to recognize that I generally prefer fabric. I've sat in many mesh chairs and found them to be very comfortable, but between the two, I prefer the feel of soft fabric and supportive cushioning versus the breathable web of mesh seating. This is entirely subjective, of course, but I wanted to share that fact because some of my conclusions are going to be based on that personal preference, so keep your own tastes in mind.
The Intermix Shift fabric is excellent, and since it's a weave of different colors, it stands to reason that the other variations of Intermix would be equally soft and comfortable. There is nothing plasticky about this mesh. It feels very nice to touch and has a softness that I don't typically associate with this style of chair. At the same time, it maintains the benefits of being flexible and breathable, something that the seat cushion, surprisingly, doesnât really hinder.
The design of the seat allows it to be significantly more comfortable than other mesh chairs I've tested. One of its defining qualities is that it has a very lightweight cushion directly under the seat, allowing you to have a cushioned seating experience while most others simply feel taut under your backside. It doesn't take up the entire surface of the seat, so it doesn't quite emulate a more traditional foam seating experience, even from Steelcase itself, but compared to typical mesh designs, it's a big improvement.
The backrest takes some getting used to, but I did eventually come around on it. The first couple of days were a learning experience as I adapted to its contours. The upper back is far more curved than any other chair I've tried. Once I was used to it, however, I came to enjoy it. You have to relax and settle in and get that neckrest positioned correctly for everything to come together.
Head support is fine thanks to the adjustable neckrest, but I wish there was some adjustability in its support. The neckrest does well positioning your head so that the contoured back can fill the role of a headrest too, but it falls short of a truly adjustable headrest like the one found on the Gesture.
The armrests are surprisingly less adjustable than on the Think and Amia â there seems to be less width adjustment, and they don't seem to move quite as smoothly either. They get the job done, and practically speaking, the differences in range arenât that large. The soft but durable padding on the armrests is a much more important quality, and Steelcase nails it. Even so, it's hard not to feel like they are a step down from those other models. It was able to accommodate gaming with a keyboard and mouse or a controller easily, however, and could be positioned to support my arms over extended typing sessions too.
The lack of adjustments is disappointing. I would have much preferred to see a recline tensioner instead of the LiveBack system included here. LiveBack is based on body weight, according to the company, but in practice, it really just provides you with low or high resistance when leaning back. I personally found the higher resistance setting to be too great and the lower resistance setting to be too loose. I eventually settled on the low resistance option so the chair didn't feel like it was fighting me. But I wasn't able to dial in an exact setting for my weight and sitting habits.
The adjustable lumbar support also seems woefully overpriced for what it is. You'll have to pay upwards of $50 to have it added to your chair. And while it does work, it really seems like a cushioned fabric strip with plastic structural support. My perception here is probably influenced by the chair's limited adjustments overall since itâs functional and doesnât seem particularly weak or prone to breakage. But this is an expensive chair and itâs strange to see it so good in some areas and limited in others.
The overall impression is that while the Karman High Back is comfortable, well-made, and features several unique design elements, the biggest selling point of this chair is that it looks incredible. You are making some clear trades in form over functionality, and if that's what you value in a luxury seat, more power to you. Given what's available elsewhere in Steelcase's line-up and the wider market, I wish there was more here to really make it your own.
Niantic Inc. has confirmed the sale of PokĂŠmon Go, Pikmin Bloom, Monster Hunter Now, and their development teams to the Saudi-owned maker of Monopoly Go! for $3.5 billion.
An additional $350 million of cash from Niantic is being distributed as part of the deal, yielding a total value of approximately $3.85 billion for Niantic equity holders.
In a note to press, Scopely, which is owned by Saudi investment company Savvy Games, said the Niantic games business has over 30 million monthly active players (MAUs), over 20 million weekly active players, and saw more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024. PokĂŠmon Go is the jewel in the crown, ranking as a top 10 mobile game every year since its launch nearly a decade ago, with over 100 million unique players in 2024.
Niantic said its game team has âexciting long-term roadmaps that they will continue to build upon as part of Scopely.â
âThis partnership ensures that our games have the long term support needed to be âforever gamesâ that will endure for future generations,â Niantic said in a blog post.
âPlayers can expect that the games, apps, services, and events they know and love will continue to receive Scopelyâs ongoing investment, driven by the same teams that have always created these experiences.â
âAs itâs always important to me, and our entire game team, that our community understands and is excited by the long-term vision for this game, I want to share why I believe a partnership with Scopely will be a positive step for all of you and the gameâs future,â Wu, who was the original engineer on the PokĂŠmon Go codebase and was there for its massive 2016 launch, said.
âScopely expressed a deep admiration for this community and our team. I have every belief PokĂŠmon Go will further flourish as part of Scopely, not only into its second decade, but for many more years to come, under the mission of discovering PokĂŠmon in the real world and inspiring people to explore together,â Wu continued.
âOur new partnership, along with our decade long partnership with The PokĂŠmon Company, means we can maintain this long-term focus. Scopely fully believes in our mission and ongoing goal to create the best PokĂŠmon Go experience possible. Their focus will be to support our team, providing resources to continue delivering the gameplay you all know and love.
âThe entire PokĂŠmon Go team is staying together through this partnership. The same people who have been guiding and building the game for years will continue doing what we love. Weâre always continually adding to the game - Raid Battles, friends, Go Battle League, Routes, Dynamax/Gigantamax, and, of course, PokĂŠmon Go Fest and our live events - which I look forward to continuing to do for many years to come. Scopely empowers their game teams as autonomous groups to go after the roadmaps that theyâre inspired to pursue, and what each team believes is best for the player experience. This approach is extremely appealing to us at Niantic games. I have spoken to a number of game leaders at Scopely who have given me great confidence in how the company enables each game to independently develop and creatively thrive.
âWe will be joining a broader organization dedicated to games. I believe that PokĂŠmon Go can continue to thrive with Scopelyâs exclusive and long-term focus on game-making. Scopelyâs status as a private company also means we can prioritize whatâs best for you, our Trainers, for the long term. We believe that prioritizing short-term gains at the expense of our long-term mission would be counterproductive and self-defeating. Every interaction Iâve had with Scopely leaders has reinforced that we are in total agreement that the scale, longevity and most of all, real world community, of PokĂŠmon Go make it truly special. We are united in protecting that.
âWith Scopelyâs full commitment, experience and resources, weâre going to make PokĂŠmon Go the very best it can be â with incredible battles for thousands of Trainers at a time at our live events and new ways to connect to your friends and community, all while remaining focused on the excitement and experience of discovering PokĂŠmon in the real world. We have invested to empower thousands of Community Leaders and Ambassadors who lead millions of Trainers to play together in the real world, and Scopely is in full agreement that this highly-admired program will be a priority to invest in together. The real-world community that loves PokĂŠmon Go will remain our guiding light in all we do.
âOur partners at The PokĂŠmon Company have always been central to how we build this game together, starting with the physics of the first PokĂŠ Ball throw that we hand-tuned together. I am incredibly grateful for their daily wisdom, guidance, and careful stewardship of our shared vision for discovering PokĂŠmon in the real world, and Iâm very excited that our partnership with The PokĂŠmon Company will continue as it has for the last decade.
âI wonât say that PokĂŠmon Go will remain the same, because it has always been a work in progress. But how we create and evolve it will remain unchanged, and I hope that we can make the experience even better for all of you.
âI have so much gratitude for the incredible joy of serving hundreds of millions of Trainers in our real-world community for the past nine years, and I truly believe the best is yet to come.â
Elsewhere, Niantic said itâs spinning off its controversial geospatial AI business into a new company, Niantic Spatial Inc., âenabling it to accelerate and scale even more rapidly.â Scopely is a $50 million investor in this new venture, which also has $200 million from Niantic itself.
Niantic Spatial will continue to own and operate its other real-world AR games, Ingress Prime and Peridot.
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.
In the world of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 competitive multiplayer, there are thousands upon thousands of final kills captured and published online by players delighted with their online exploits. But few are better than this.
Ricochet Blades are unique ammo for the D1.3 Sector secondary weapon, introduced with the controversial Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles event last month. It wasnât long after the ammo made its way in-game that the Ricochet Blades became a talking point for their unpredictable trajectory as they bounce off multiple surfaces.
Player kev99gh captured and published the final kill in a round of hardcore Search and Destroy on the Lowtown map in which they bounced a Ricochet Blade, affectionately known as a âpizzaâ by the community, out of the map then back inside for a one-hit kill on an enemy player who dared to peek out a window.
kev99ghâs astonishing clip may well be the longest Ricochet Blade kill yet, given it bounces outside the map itself. In the video we see kev99gh line up the shot from behind cover, then let fly, aiming out into the unknown. kev99gh then switches to the overhead map view to track the blade, which moves alongside the edge of the map before bouncing back towards the window for the kill.
Elaborate, seemingly improbable blade bounce trick shots like this arenât just down to luck. Redditor SpawnTubing, who posted kev99ghâs clip to the platform, said the Black Ops 6 crew âlook for and practice for common spots people camp.â And, as commenters have pointed out, the way the unsuspecting enemy player peeked just as the âpizzaâ flew in the window is "peak" Black Ops 6 timing. Weâve all been there.
Indeed, it seems Black Ops 6âs Ricochet Blades have sparked something of a bounce kill meta, with a number of not quite as impressive kills across the gameâs various Multiplayer maps making their way online. Some of these kills, like the one below, involve multiple bounces before they make their way to their target.
Some players arenât so impressed and have said the bouncing blades are frustrating and annoying to play against. These critics won't be happy that developer Treyarch recently buffed the Ricochet Bladesâ physics and bouncing speeds via an update, ensuring they one-hit kill on contact. There's the relevant patch note:
D1.3 Sector
Our initial design for the D1.3 Sector Ricochet Blades revolved around quickly launching many high-speed blades, meant to perform best blind firing into enclosed spaces. We have been following your feedback and agree that, in practice, the use cases for this ammo type are too low. The Ricochet Blades will now do 100 damage to enable one-hit kills, and to compensate we are lowering the fire rate and projectile speed. We think the popularity of this ammo type will see some new interest with these changes and look forward to seeing more of your cross-map killcams in MP.
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.
In December 2024, we shared a fan remake demo of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in Unreal Engine 5. And yesterday, Greg Coulthard released a brand new version of it, featuring over 1000 new textures. For those unaware, this project brings the entire map of Skyrim in Unreal Engine 5. So, this is what weâd ⌠Continue reading New Version of Skyrim Fan Remake in Unreal Engine 5 Releasedâ
KRAFTON has released Title Update 34.2 for its battle-royale game, PUBG: Battlegrounds, and shared its full patch notes. This patch brings festive decorations, Arcade mode enhancements, a new Survivor Pass, and more. Going into more details, Patch 34.2 brings festive decorations across various maps, including care packages, energy drinks, and the starting plane. The starting ⌠Continue reading PUBG: Battlegrounds Patch 34.2 Released & Detailedâ
With Monster Hunter Wilds breaking Steam records and Resident Evil more popular than ever thanks to Village and a handful of stellar remakes, itâs almost as if Capcom is incapable of failure. But that wasnât always the case. Less than a decade ago, after a string of critical and commercial flops, Capcom was on its knees. It had lost its way and its audience.
Capcom was suffering from an identity crisis. Resident Evil, which established the survival horror genre, had lost its bite after Resident Evil 4. Another big hitter, Street Fighter, was on the ropes after the poorly-received Street Fighter 5. It could easily have been the critical end of Capcom and its much-loved games.
But in the darkness, there was light. A change in the way Capcom made its games, supported by a powerful new game engine, gave these much-loved series a new lease of life, and kickstarted years of critical and financial success that catapulted Capcom back into the big league.
Resident Evil Lost Its Way
2016 was a bad year for Capcom.
The big Resident Evil game released that year was Umbrella Corps, an online co-op shooter that was pummeled by reviewers and fans alike. Meanwhile, Street Fighter 5 was met by a collective eyebrow raise from longtime fans who could hardly believe this lackluster fighting game was the sequel to the brilliant Street Fighter 4. And Dead Rising 4, which featured the long-awaited return of beloved photojournalist Frank West, would end up being the seriesâ final new entry.
This was the low ebb of a string of forgettable years Capcom had endured since 2010. The mainline Resident Evil games were met with diminishing critical reception despite strong sales. Street Fighter was on the ropes thanks to a poorly received new entry, and Capcom mainstays like Devil May Cry were nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, the companyâs most popular and successful franchise at the time, Monster Hunter, was huge in Japan but struggled breaking into international markets.
"Many of us started feeling that what the fans and players wanted from the series was getting a little bit separate from what we were making.â
All of this is a far cry from the Capcom we know today. Since 2017, Capcom has been one of the few major development studios that has rarely missed a beat. The Osaka-based company has released a stream of hit games from its most famous franchises, racking up both sales and accolades. Weâre talking about a run of releases that includes Monster Hunter World, Devil May Cry 5, Street Fighter 6, and a trio of industry-leading remakes plus an acclaimed soft reboot of the Resident Evil series. In short: lately, Capcom seems incapable of failure. .
Achieving this success took more than simply learning from mistakes. Capcom had to re-think its entire strategy, from the type of players it targeted to the technology it used, to make such a turnaround possible. To learn more about this seismic shift, IGN sat down with four of Capcomâs leading creatives to find out how one of gamingâs most successful gaming companies tripped, fell, and picked itself up better than ever.
Capcom was founded in 1979 as a maker of electronic game machines, or âcapsule computersâ. It rose to ascendency during the 80s and 90s thanks to 2D games like Street Fighter and Mega Man, and then made the all-important jump to 3D with games like Resident Evil. Between 2000 and 2010 Capcom successfully transitioned many of its big, golden-era franchises into the modern age, a process that gave birth to one of the greatest games of all time: Resident Evil 4.
2005âs Resident Evil 4 is considered by many to be a generational high point thanks to its ingenious mix of horror and action. But that mix altered the course of the Resident Evil franchise dramatically. At its core, Resident Evil 4 is a horror game, inspired by the likes of Friday the 13th, H.P. Lovecraft, and the works of John Carpenter. But sprinkled between the strands of its horror DNA are tremendously effective moments of Hollywood action cinema.
Unfortunately, this ideal balance between horror and action was lost in subsequent games. In 2009âs Resident Evil 5, hero Chris Redfield punches a car-sized boulder with his bare fists, and infected enemies are gunned down in a car-chase sequence thatâs more Fast and Furious than frightening. The series was losing its identity and this was clear to both players and the developers like Resident Evil 4 remake director Yasuhiro Ampo whoâs been working on Resident Evil games since 1996.
âOverall throughout the Resident Evil series, we set up different goals, challenges, and things we want to try with each game⌠But this time, many of us started feeling that what the fans and players wanted from the series was getting a little bit separate from what we were making,â Ampo says.
This directional confusion would result in games like 2012âs Resident Evil 6, a game that tried to have its cake and eat it too. In order to please both action and horror fans, Resident Evil 6 split the game between six playable characters and three unique storylines. Each section catered to either horror or action fans, and so never achieved that all-important balance of both genres, which ultimately left nobody truly satisfied. Disgruntled fans shared their disappointment in these new, action-packed Resident Evil games online, while the developers continued experimenting with spinoffs that ventured into new territory like online co-op.
This downward trend was not exclusive to Capcomâs survival horror series, though. Not so long after the release of Resident Evil 4, the companyâs Street Fighter team was also flying high. Street Fighter 4 was an instant hit thanks to its unique art-style and great cast of new and returning characters. It became an immediate hit at fighting game tournaments and in college dorms alike.But, like with Resident Evil, Capcom failed to match those highs with a sequel. Compared to its imaginative and full-fledged predecessor, 2016âs Street Fighter 5 was criticized for releasing barebones with hardly any single player content, as well as its abysmal online functionality. Fans cite a clear lack of polish and a confusing philosophy towards balance that made the overall experience just plain frustrating.
But it wasnât just Street Fighter and Resident Evil that were struggling. Almost every key franchise struggled to make a mark. Devil May Cry, the studioâs popular, heavy-metal action game was seeing diminishing returns to the point where Capcom outsourced the next game in the series, 2013âs DmC: Devil May Cry, to UK-based studio Ninja Theory. While itâs gone on to become something of a cult title, DmCâs fresh take on the seriesâ mythology, redesigned protagonist, and sluggish 30fps frame rate was met with vitriol from online fans. Perhaps unsurprisingly, after such a muted reception the series was shelved until further notice.
This slate of misfortunes defines the Capcom of the early to mid-2010s. Key franchises struggled to replicate the successes of the past, while other titles were put in cold storage. New games attempting to capture the western market, like Lost Planet and Asuraâs Wrath, also failed to land with audiences. There was the odd bright spot, like Dragonâs Dogma, the new dark fantasy RPG from Devil May Cry director Hideaki Itsuno, but for the most part Capcomâs focus was all over the place.
It was clear something needed to change.
Street Fighter 5, The Lost Cause
By the mid-2010s Capcom had begun to enact a number of strategy-shifting changes that would totally transform the companyâs fate. Such changes had to begin small, and so the first matter of business was putting out the existing fires. Street Fighter 5 needed to be fixed. And so Capcom enlisted director Takayuki Nakayama and producer Shuhei Matsumoto to help steer the troubled game towards stability.
While neither were there from the ground floor of Street Fighter 5âs development, and therefore canât detail why Street Fighter 5 was released in the state it was, the duo inherited a game that greatly needed some substantial fixes in order to regain the trust of fans.
âThere definitely were some challenges within the production of the game, and that was part of the reason why I was brought into the team,â Nakayama admits. âAnd because we were in a point in development where we couldnât really make any major pivots or shifts, we had to proceed and move forward in the direction we were currently in, which created constraints on what we could and couldnât do.â
Those constraints severely limited the scope of what the pair could achieve. And so rather than transform Street Fighter 5 into a S-tier game, much of the work Nakayama did was fixing the gameâs most pressing problems and biding his time until work could begin on Street Fighter 6.
"We just didnât really have enough time to address some of the problems and challenges we faced in Street Fighter V," Nakayama says. "And so, with our hands tied behind our backs, we basically had to wait for those ideas to be brought back for the initial conceptual phases for Street Fighter 6, so we could tackle and do things properly for the next title."
All this considered, why did Capcom not just end Street Fighter 5âs development and begin working right away on a sequel? If it was such a weight around the necks of the developers, couldnât they just start from scratch? According to Matsumoto, abandoning Street Fighter 5 just wasnât in the cards. âThere wasnât any sort of sense of like, âOkay letâs just end Street Fighter 5 and focus on Street Fighter 6.â It was more like, while we were working on Street Fighter V, we were trying to figure out what we really wanted to do in Street Fighter 6 content-wise,â he says.
âBasically, we tried different things during the development of Street Fighter 5 to see if it worked and then we took the things that did work and applied that to Street Fighter 6. It was like the development of Street Fighter V was an ongoing process that helped us figure out, âOkay, what is it that we want to do for the next level?â
"We were in a point in development where we couldnât really make any major pivots or shifts, we had to proceed and move forward in the direction we were currently in, which created constraints on what we could and couldnât do.â
The team treated Street Fighter 5 as a lab where they could learn from their design mistakes and figure out what to do differently for the sequel. The years-long process required careful consideration of the gameâs every core aspect, which informed several important changes . There were numerous updates, starting with the fundamentals like steady improvements to the netcode and character re-balances, and progressing all the way up to new characters, V-Triggers, and even entire new mechanics like V-Shift, a new defensive move that provided a brief window of invincibility that the devs were considering introducing in Street Fighter 6 but decided to test in Street Fighter 5.
There was a much larger goal for all these improvements beyond just elevating the game to an acceptable level, though. Capcom was on a mission to rediscover the fun. At the end of the day, fighting games should be enjoyable to play, but Street Fighter 5 had become a somewhat frustrating discipline to master.
âWe both realized that fighting games are fun, and when you get used to them, it becomes more enjoyable and something you can essentially play forever as long as you have an opponent to play against,â Matsumoto says. âHowever, one of the challenges that we faced with Street Fighter V is that we felt that there wasnât a clear pathway that helped guide players to get to that level where they finally feel like theyâre having fun and will want to continue playing.â
Street Fighter had previously tried to be more approachable by lowering the difficulty, but this only served to turn off longtime fans. Instead, Street Fighter 6âs approach was to expand the tools available to new players while giving experienced fans everything they already loved about the series.
While they could have cut their losses on Street Fighter 5 and immediately tried to win fans back with a sequel, Nakayama and Masuhiro knew that this would be a shortcut that didnât grow Street Fighter in any meaningful way. But by sticking with Street Fighter 5 and using it as a testbed for new ideas, 2023âs Street Fighter 6 was able to launch as one of the most critically-acclaimed games in the entire franchise.
While Matsumoto and Nakayama were able to take the work put into Street Fighter 5 Arcade Edition and apply the lessons they learned to Street Fighter 6, it was important that Capcom did not repeat these kinds of situations and be forced into having to overhaul games again. A significant shift in strategy was needed that would prevent such a disaster ever happening. And thatâs where a couple of vital behind-the-scenes changes came into play.
Monster Hunter Took Over The World
Around the time of Street Fighter 5âs launch in 2016, Capcom underwent an internal reorganization in order to prepare for a new generation of games. These games would run on the companyâs brand new RE Engine, a replacement for Capcomâs ageing MT Framework. But this change was about more than just tools. Alongside the engine upgrade came a new mandate to ensure Capcomâs games were being made not just for existing, territory-specific fans, but for a global audience.
âIt was a few factors that came together,â says Hideaki Itsuno, a former game director at Capcom best known for his work on Devil May Cry. âThe change of the engine and also all teams were given a very clear goal at that point to make games that reach the global market. [Games] that are fun for everyone.â
If you look at almost all of Capcomâs games released during the PS3 and Xbox 360 era, you get the feeling that the company was going all-in on trying to capture an imagined version of the âWestern games market.â The action-heavy Resident Evil 4 was a big hit, true. But the more gun-focused spinoffs like Umbrella Corps, as well as the sci-fi shooter series Lost Planet, were all clearly chasing late-2000s Western gaming trends to no avail. After several years, Capcom realized it needed to create games that could appeal to everyone, not just fans of traditional Western genres.
âI think that we had that clear goal of just focusing and not holding anything back,â Itsuno says. âTowards making good games that would reach people from all over the world.â
Itsuno notes that the time leading up to 2017 was pivotal. âThe changes in organization and the changes in the engine, all these elements came together around that time,â he says. When Resident Evil 7 launched that year, it kickstarted a Capcom renaissance.
âI think that we had that clear goal of just focusing and not holding anything back towards making good games that would reach people from all over the world.â
No other series embodies this new company goal for global success better than Monster Hunter. While it had its diehard fans in the West, for decades Monster Hunter was much, much bigger in Japan than the rest of the world. The series was never conceived to be something that was only big in Japan, but there were real-world factors as to why this happened.
Firstly, Monster Hunter found tremendous success moving from PlayStation 2 to the PSP with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. The handheld gaming market has always been much stronger in Japan than in the West, as seen with the success of not just the PSP but also Nintendoâs DS and, more recently, the Switch.The popularity of handhelds in Japan is rooted in a number of factors, but the thing that really worked for Monster Hunter, according to the seriesâ executive producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, was that Japanese gamers were able to reliably play with friends thanks to the widespread adoption of mobile consoles.
â20 years ago in Japan, having a network connection wasn't as easy, and there werenât a huge amount of people playing Monster Hunter online. However, handheld consoles made multiplayer gameplay easy without internet access, and I regard it as a great success that we had players experience the game in this way, which was one of the ways we really wished for them to play and enjoy it, even in that era when online gameplay wasn't easy.â
Monster Hunter, which is built on a core pillar of cooperative play, recognized that this aspect would best be served when friends could quickly jump into hunts together. There was no better avenue for that at the time than handheld consoles. Thanks to Japanâs mobile games market, it meant Monster Hunter was being developed for a local market first, even if that wasnât an intentional approach.
This created a loop of sorts. Monster Hunter games would become best-sellers primarily in Japan, and to keep pace with the audience, Capcom would release Japan-only content and host Japan-only special events, further reinforcing Monster Hunter as a âJapan-onlyâ brand.
But the reality was that Monster Hunter did have fans in the west, and they were enviously looking from the outside in as Japanese players received exclusive tie-ins and quests. But as the Western world improved its internet infrastructure and online play became practically mandatory for most console gamers, Tsujimoto and the team saw an opportunity to launch their most advanced and most globally-accessible Monster Hunter game to date.
Released in 2018 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, Monster Hunter: World was a gigantic change for the franchise. Rather than being scoped for small, less-capable handheld consoles, it delivered large-scale, AAA console quality action with souped up graphics, bigger areas, and, of course, bigger monsters.
âOur approach to the globalization of the series and Monster Hunter in general really ties into not only the themes that we had going into designing the game, but also in the name of the game,â Tsujimoto reveals. âThe fact that we called it Monster Hunter: World is really kind of a nod to the fact that we wanted to appeal to this worldwide audience that we wanted to really dig into and experience Monster Hunter for the first time.â
It was also vital that Monster Hunter: World not do anything that gave off the impression that Capcom was prioritizing one market over the other. Monster Hunter: World would be released simultaneously worldwide, and there wouldnât be exclusive content locked to Japan, something Tsujimoto says âcomes with realigning ourselves to hit those global standards that people come to expect of titles around the world.â
It wasnât just a matter of making sure other regions got Monster Hunter: World at the same time as Japan (though it certainly helped). Tsujimoto and co. drilled deep to see what other ways Monster Hunterâs formula could be tweaked to broaden its appeal with players from all around the world.
âFor World, we conducted focus tests across the world, and some of the feedback and opinions that we got during that process really affected how we designed our game systems and impacted how much success we had globally,âTsujimoto says.
One important change that resulted from these playtests was simply showing damage numbers when players hit the monsters. Little tweaks here and there to an already successful formula drove Monster Hunter to the greatest heights it had ever reached. Previous Monster Hunter games had typically sold around 1.3 to 5 million copies, not including re-releases and special editions. Monster Hunter: World and its 2022 follow-up, Monster Hunter Rise, both recorded sales greater than 20 million copies.
âThe fact that we called it Monster Hunter: World is really kind of a nod to the fact that we wanted to appeal to this worldwide audience that we wanted to really dig into and experience Monster Hunter for the first time.â
This explosion of player growth didnât happen by accident. Instead of changing the spirit of Monster Hunter to suit Western tastes, Tsujimoto and the team found ways to open up the seriesâ unique (and, admittedly, obtuse) nature to a wider audience without making sacrifices. This approach continues with the seriesâ latest game, Monster Hunter Wilds.
âAt its heart, Monster Hunter really is an action game, and that sense of accomplishment you get from really mastering that action is an important aspect of Monster Hunter,â Tsujimoto explains. âBut for newer players, it's really about getting to that point. The steps involved in getting to that sense of accomplishment is what we're trying to strategize for, in terms of designing for new players. So with World and Rise, for example, we were taking great care to analyze where players got stuck, what was hard to understand, what they were having trouble with, getting player feedback, and also doing our own kind of research into that. And all of that kind of knowledge has impacted how we've implemented new systems into Wilds.â
Resident Evil 7 Began Turning Things Around
Monster Hunter had a winning formula.The challenge Capcom faced was finding ways to convince global audiences to give it a shot. But it was not such a straightforward task for every series in the companyâs portfolio. When it came to Resident Evil, the development team had to decide which of the seriesâ intertwined formulas was a winner; gory action or survival horror. Ultimately it was Resident Evil executive producer Jun Takeuchi who made the call.
âIt was around the time I was working on Resident Evil Revelations 1 and 2. I was trying to test different things, try different approaches,â recalls Resident Evil 2 and 4 Remake director Yasuhiro Ampo recalls. âAnd around this time is when the R&D teams were divided into R&D division one and two. The executive producer of the Resident Evil series, Jun Takeuchi, took command of R&D division one, and he set the core direction that the Resident Evil series needed to go back to its origins, to its roots.â
Takeuchi ruled that Resident Evil must focus on survival horror as its guiding light. This proved to be the right decision. Resident Evil 7 was announced at PlayStationâs E3 2016 conference with a moody trailer shot in first-person, showing the insides of a dilapidated house. I was there in attendance when the Roman numeral for seven appeared, followed by the title Resident Evil. The convention hall roared in excitement.
âWe cannot underestimate how critical it is for the series for it to be scary."
There were, of course, questions about how Resident Evil could make the jump to first-person. By that point, third-person, over-the-shoulder gunplay had become synonymous with the series. It turns out, however, that in exchange for moving to a first-person perspective, Resident Evil regained something it had lost: It became scary again.
âWith Resident Evil 7, the executive producer, Jun Takeuchi, made it clear that we cannot underestimate how critical it is for the series for it to be scary and about survival. So he made it clear that Resident Evil 7 would go back to its origins, it would be very cautious with its survival elements. And with that as a basis, then we would try new and different things,â Ampo says.
The game was a hit. While maybe not quite operating on the same level as Resident Evil 4, this significant shift in direction allowed for a welcome return to survival horror. Thanks to its unsettling and claustrophobic southern gothic setting, Resident Evil 7 ranks as one of the scariest games in the entire series.
But Capcom wasnât going to abandon the third-person perspective that was so key to the seriesâ DNA. While new mainline titles like Resident Evil 7 and 8 would stay in first-person, Capcom planned to release third-person games through a series of brand-new remakes, starting with Resident Evil 2. Capcom realized there was a demand for remakes thanks to the appearance of several fan projects at the time.
âIt was like, âall right people really want this to happen.â So producer [Yoshiaki] Hirabayashi came up with the slogan: âWell, weâll do it,ââ Ampo reveals.
The result is one of the best games in the entire series. The Resident Evil 2 remake is a perfect blend of horror, combining all the action and puzzles fans have come to expect from the series with a new menacing Tyrant system that allows the hulking Mr. X to continuously stalk you throughout the Raccoon City police station. Under Ampoâs direction, Resident Evil 2 Remake became the second best-selling Resident Evil game in the franchiseâs history.
"Resident Evil 4 is a game that is so beloved. If we get anything wrong with the remake, people might be quite vocal about their discomfort.â
Naturally, Capcom would follow up its incredible success with a remake of Resident Evil 3, another PlayStation 1 game that could clearly benefit from a modern reinvention. But, following that, surely Capcom wouldnât remake Resident Evil 4 â a game that still felt refreshingly modern despite being almost 20 years old. Why touch something many considered to be almost perfect?
Ampo reveals that there was some hesitation to tackle Resident Evil 4 for sure. âAs you mentioned, [Resident Evil 4] was still a title that enjoyed some popularity. So there was a lot of internal discussion on how maybe itâs not a good idea. Maybe we donât need a remake for Resident Evil 4, especially because Resident Evil 4 is a game that is so beloved. If we get anything wrong with the remake, people might be quite vocal about their discomfort.â
But despite any initial hesitation, the team pushed through with a remake and the results speak for themselves. Resident Evil 4 Remake was another bonafide hit. Much of its success comes down to the biggest changes, which were focused on fine-tuning the action-horror ratio to achieve Takeuchiâs goal of keeping the series true to its survival horror roots. And so gone were some of the original gameâs campier elements, replaced by a moodier, darker tone that still kept the heart-pounding action hero moments.
Around the same time as Resident Evilâs rediscovery of its horror core, longtime Devil May Cry director, Hideaki Itsuno, had a similar epiphany. After a brief sojourn into the RPG world with Dragonâs Dogma, Itsuno watched as the action genre began to soften in order to appeal to a more casual audience. And so when the chance to direct Devil May Cry 5 arrived, Itsuno saw an opportunity to challenge the audience of a genre he felt was in need of a good kick in the ass. He would do so in spectacular fashion, achieved by leveraging the companyâs most powerful game engine to date.
The Reason Behind The Change
âI felt like the main trend with action games was to make action games that were very kind,â Itsuno admits. âMaybe, for me, a little bit too kind to the players, lending a hand to the player too much to my liking.â
Itsuno took over director duties on Devil May Cry starting with the second game in the series, and has since helmed every new iteration, save for Ninja Theoryâs DmC. Following the release of Devil May Cry 4 in 2008, it would be almost 11 years before Itsuno directed another Devil May Cry game. But when he did finally return, he would oversee one of the most critically and financially successful games in the entire franchise.
The 10 years away from the franchise gave Itsuno time to figure out where he wanted to take the series. And more importantly he would return with a new arsenal of tech. "Technology-wise, there were not just little improvements that you would have when you work on a series consecutively," Itsuno says. "When thereâs a wide timeframe, [the technology] changes significantly.â
This vision coincided with the launch of Capcomâs new RE Engine. Itâs the engine that most of Capcomâs games run on today. Replacing the old MT Framework that had powered everything from Dead Rising to Monster Hunter World, the major upshot of the RE Engine was its handling of photorealistic assets. This gave Capcomâs development teams access to higher levels of visual fidelity than ever before. It was also much nimbler than its predecessor, making it easier to implement changes if something wasnât working as it should.
"Ever since I took over the series from Devil May Cry 3, I put everything that I, as a person, I considered throughout my life to be cool."
Ampo tells me the origins of the RE Engine thus, "So the original concept for the RE Engine was to allow for a development environment that was less stressful and could help us to make things quicker. Because itâs an internally developed engine, when we needed any additional tools, well, we could ask for them internally. They could be fixed somewhat quickly, internally, and also iterated on.â
This meant Capcomâs developers could also trial-and-error development choices on the fly. This proved vital for Itsuno, whose goal was to make the âcoolestâ action game of all time. That meant a lot of trial-and-error to make sure everything from the way the game looked to the way it played was as slick and stylish as possible. The RE Engineâs combination of rapid development tools and photorealistic capabilities meant Itsuno was able to increase the pure style of Devil May Cry by magnitudes.
âDevil May Cry is a franchise that stands on being cool,â Itsuno says. âThatâs what the franchise is, itâs about being cool. Ever since I took over the series from Devil May Cry 3, I put everything that I, as a person, I considered throughout my life to be cool. Anything Iâve seen on TV, in movies, and comics Iâve read, any sport experiences Iâve had, I try to distill everything that I think is cool into what the game is.â
A New Capcom Golden Age
Since 2017, Capcom has released a game of the year contender on a nearly annual basis. In a time when major studios are struggling to find consistency, Capcomâs winning streak of 10 critically acclaimed games in less than a decade is a major outlier. That trend only looks to continue with Monster Hunter Wilds.
Focusing on a central goal of creating globally appealing games, all built with a technologically advanced engine capable of powering a multitude of different genres, proved to be a formula for unprecedented success. The Capcom of today is able to elegantly switch from laser-focused fighting games to tight survival horror to sprawling open-world action RPGs without missing a beat.
"Capcom is going through a golden era, and, well, now we have to do everything we can so that this lasts one more year, one more year, and every year, one more year."
But whatâs more impressive is that Capcomâs mission of making global, mainstream games did not dilute its games in the slightest. Instead, Capcom appears to have found the ultimate balance of keeping its games true to themselves â whether thatâs the pure survival horror of Resident Evil, competitive spirit of Street Fighter, or the unique battle systems of Monster Hunter â all while expanding the audience for these games by millions.
Many of Capcomâs contemporaries are now finding themselves where Capcom was just a decade ago â fruitlessly chasing trends and losing sight of their identities. But for Capcom, the changes it made over the past decade has resulted in a new golden age that shows no sign of slowing down. Capcom may have fallen, but it has risen up better than ever.
When asked if they believe this is a new Capcom Golden Age, the directors largely agreed. Street Fighterâs Nakayama tells me, âItâs a very exciting time to be at Capcom right now. A lot of us are able to get excited about what weâre working on and are able to focus on things that we think are fun. So, yes, I guess a golden age may be one interpretation of that.â
Monster Hunterâs Tsujimoto put it more plainly: âCapcom is going through a golden era, and, well, now we have to do everything we can so that this lasts one more year, one more year, and every year, one more year. Hopefully we can extend it as long as we can.â
Rockstarâs new and improved version of Grand Theft Auto 5 isnât going down well on Steam following its launch earlier in March.
Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced, which released on March 4, has a âmixedâ user review rating on Steam, with 54% of the 19,772 user reviews flagged as positive.
To put that into context, the original GTA 5 on Steam, now unlisted at the request of Rockstar Games and as a result unable to appear in search on Valve's platform, has a âvery positiveâ user review rating on Steam.
In fact, GTA 5 Enhanced is currently the worst user-reviewed GTA on Steam, with its closest competitor for the unwanted crown, Grand Theft Auto III â The Definitive Edition, on 66% positive reviews.
GTA 5 Enhanced is a free upgrade for GTA 5 on PC that includes sought-after features previously only available in the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S versions of GTA Online â including all the latest vehicles and performance upgrades available at Haoâs Special Works, animal encounters, and access to purchase a GTA+ Membership â along with improved graphics options and faster loading times. All players who currently own GTA 5 on PC can upgrade to this new version for free, with the ability to migrate your Story Mode and Online progress.
Youâd think that would be a relatively straightforward process, but it appears the account migration isnât working as intended for many players. Indeed, account migration problems are at the heart of most of the negative reviews flagged as âmost helpful.â
â âThe GTA Online profile associated with this Rockstar Games account is not eligible for migration at this time,â â reported one disgruntled player. âIf you think I'm throwing away nearly 700 hours of gameplay on one character so that you can make a few more bucks off me, then you can lick my anal orifice clean.
âThis is an objective downgrade from the âoldâ version. Gonna pretend this was never released and continue to enjoy Legacy version until the new game comes out when I'm 60.â
âI'm leaving a negative review mainly due to Rockstar deciding that some accounts should arbitrarily not be able to migrate, and if you ask for help from support, they just say they can't do anything about it,â reads another.
"I can't migrate either of my two accounts," another negative review reads. "R* support is completely useless and can't help. With the game being over 10 âĽâĽâĽâĽâĽâĽâĽ years old I am sure as hell not going to completely restart all my progress in Online just to get marginally better graphics (if that) and HSW and whatever other minuscule âĽâĽâĽâĽ they added."
Despite these issues, GTA 5 Enhanced remains one of the most-played games on Steam, with a 187,059 peak concurrent player count since launch. But it has sparked concern over the inevitable PC release of Grand Theft Auto 6, with some PC gamers worrying that Rockstar's struggles with GTA 5 Enhanced could signal launch trouble down the line.
GTA 6 is planned for launch during the fall of 2025 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S only, leaving PC gamers out in the cold. In December 2023, a former developer at Rockstar attempted to explain why GTA 6 is coming to PC after it hits console, and called on PC gamers to give the studio the âbenefit of the doubtâ over its controversial launch plans.
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.
A minority shareholder in Ubisoft is attempting to organize a protest outside the company's Paris headquarters, accusing it of failing to disclose alleged discussions with Microsoft, EA, and others publishers reportedly interested in acquiring its franchises.
In a statement seen by IGN, Juraj KrĂşpa, CEO of AJ Investments, claimed Ubisoft is "horribly mismanaged by current management," and wants a "clear roadmap for recovery" from the senior team to address "declining shareholder value, lackluster operational execution, and failure to adapt effectively to market trends."
KrĂşpa alleged that Ubisoft has not been transparent about its decision-making, accusing the firm of "hiding information," including an Assassin Creed Mirage DLC partnership with the Saudi investment firm Savvy Group.
The shareholder also pointed to a restricted article published by business investment platform MergerMarket that alleged "discussions between Microsoft, EA, and others that are interested in acquiring IPs from Ubisoft." "Management did not inform public about these steps either," KrĂşpa claimed.
Ubisoft issued the following statement to IGN:
"As we mentioned during our Q3 sales, the review of various transformational strategic and capitalistic options is ongoing. The Board has established an ad-hoc independent Committee to oversee this formal and competitive process, so as to extract the best value from Ubisoftâs assets and franchises for all stakeholders. Ubisoft will inform the market in accordance with applicable regulations if and once a transaction materialises.â
Back in October, Bloomberg reported that Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family and shareholder Tencent were in discussions to take the company private following a number of high-profile flops, game cancellations, and the collapse of the company's share price. At the time, the talks were merely exploratory, and Ubisoft told IGN it would "inform the market if and when appropriate."
Meanwhile, rumors continue to spin about what exact proposals the board is considering, with some media outlets floating the idea that Tencent is increasingly reluctant to embrace Ubisoft due to the Guillemot family's insistance on retaining a significant amount of control. Sans Tencent, there are few other companies big enough and rich enough to spend the cash needed to save the albatross Ubisoft has grown into.
"Management postponed its current game (which should save the company and its financials) Assassinâs Creed first time on 18th of July 2024," KrĂşpa's statement said. "On that date, Ubisoft confirmed full-year guidance for the year and release of AC Shadows on November 15. 2024. Just [a] couple months later, in September 2024, Ubisoft delayed the game again and revised its guidance, which in our view, was [a] move that could have [been] predicted by Ubisoft management.
"After [the] third delay, the game will finally be published on March 20, 2025. These delays and revised guidances caused severe stock declines, which harmed mostly retail investors that have limited resources to manage their positions accordingly. This action benefited mainly corporate and institutional investors who were on the buy side for distressed prices such as Credit Agricole, Goldman Sachs clients, Morgan Stanley, and others."
Believing management did not communicate with shareholders "appropriately," AJ Investments is calling on all investors "who are frustrated with the prolonged stagnation in Ubisoft's stock performance and the lack of decisive action from the management team" to join its protest in May.
âWe are aware that Ubisoftâs management and CEO have initiated a financial review of potential strategic options, advised by Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. We expect this review to yield results in the coming months,â said Juraj KrĂşpa, founder of AJ Investments.
âThat is why we are organizing this demonstration in May â to ensure they have time to reach a conclusion that genuinely increases shareholder value. If their conclusion effectively enhances shareholder value, we will call off the demonstration.
âAll shareholders/investors of Ubisoft deserve a company that maximizes value and operates with transparency and accountability,â KrĂşpa added. âUbisoft has continued to underperform compared to its industry peers, and it is time for the company to listen to its shareholders. This demonstration will be a powerful statement from investors who believe in the company's potential but demand urgent change.â
AJ Investors said that it is prepared to "sue the company for misleading investors."
This isn't the first time this investor has called for the company to go private amid a shares slump following the disappointing release of Star Wars Outlaws.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
EA has added microtransactions to Skate during its latest alpha test, and ahead of a release date announcement.
As reported by Insider Gaming, developer Full Circle added microtransactions to the ongoing closed alpha test of EA's free-to-play Skate revival.
You can spend real-world money on a virtual currency called San Van Bucks, which in turn is used to buy cosmetic items. It sounds like Full Circle wants to test Skateâs microtransaction purchase system, as it states it wants players to have a âpositive experience when purchasing items from the Skate store.â
âYour feedback will be greatly appreciated in providing a great experience at Early Access launch,â the message continues.
According to Insider Gaming, Full Circle has warned testers that progress will be fully reset before Skate launches into early access, and any purchases you make will be converted back into San Van Bucks and made available again at the start of early access.
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.
Connexion
