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Activision Blizzard has been charged $35 million by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for "failing to maintain disclosure controls related to complaints of workplace misconduct and violating whistleblower protection rule." The SEC shared the news in a press release, stating Activision Blizzard agreed to pay the $35 million to settle its violations, and the charges stemmed from issues dating back to 2016. "According to the SEC’s order, between 2018 and 2021, Activision Blizzard was aware that its ability to attract, retain, and motivate employees was a particularly important risk in its business, but it lacked controls and procedures among its separate business units to collect and analyze employee complaints of workplace misconduct," The SEC wrote. Between 2016 and 2021, the SEC stated Activision Blizzard also "executed separation agreements in the ordinary course of its business that violated a Commission whistleblower protection rule by...

Sons of the Forest Will Now Launch in Early Access to Avoid More Delays

Sons of the Forest developer Endnight Games has announced it will be changing the game's February 23 release date to an early access release date to prevent further delays and to allow fans to jump in and help the studio reach the finish line. Endnight Games revealed its plan for the Sons of the Forest's release and development going forward via a post on Steam , and shared it very much wants the community's help as it did for the original game. "It’s been a long journey since we first started ‘Sons of The Forest’ development and it’s grown into the biggest most complex game we have ever made," the post reads. "There is still so much more we want to add; items, new mechanics, gameplay balance and more. We didn’t want to delay again so have instead decided to involve the community in the continued development of this project and keep our February 23rd release date but instead release in Early Access. "‘The Forest’ turned out to be a massive success,...

Nintendo Has Had Some of the All-Time Best E3 Moments

Welp. Nintendo won't be on the floor at E3 2023. Neither will Xbox. Sony… well, we knew Sony and the ESA haven't been hitching horses for a while now. So that means the "Big 3" are no-shows at what we had all hoped was going to be a triumphant, perhaps even jubilant, return of the most legendary gaming show of them all. I'm not going to write about "Is E3 even relevant?" or "do we still need a show like E3?" Those pieces have already been written, often by people much more talented and wise than I. Instead, I just want to say, as a fan of video gaming, how I am truly bummed out to see E3 once again falling to the wayside. Some of the greatest E3 moments of all time come from Nintendo, and while they stopped doing live conferences in 2012, their E3-timed Directs have been some of the most memorable parts of E3 without technically being part of E3. While Nintendo wasn't doing live press conferences, its presence on the showfloor was alway...

The Great War: Western Front Preview - A Rare WWI RTS

As I am writing this, the wikipedia article " List of World War II video games '' includes over 1000 entries. But the prequel to end all prequels, World War I, doesn't even have 200 games to speak of. The Great War: Western Front might, in fact, be the first World War I RTS worth mentioning in the modern era. It's not especially pretty, but neither was the Battle of the Somme. And the ways it models early 20th Century warfare feel surprisingly authentic without dragging everything down to a snail's pace. When I think about World War I, particularly the Western Front, I immediately think of trench warfare. And, indeed, that is a key component of how The Great War's battles play out. Each engagement begins with a set-up phase where both sides can place and upgrade trenches, position artillery and machine gun nests, and deploy troops along the line. This draws from a common pool of supplies that are also used once the clock starts to order bombardments and ...

Knockout City is Shutting Down

Free-to-play, team-based dodgeball game Knockout City is about to be, well, knocked out. According to an official post today, it's shutting down in June. We have an important announcement about the future of Knockout City. Season 9 will be our final Season. All servers will be shut down on June 6th. We have more in store, so stay tuned! Learn more about the upcoming sunset in our latest blog: https://t.co/15hTpzmSyq — Knockout City (@knockoutcity) February 3, 2023 In the full blog post , developer and publisher Velan Studios says that Season 9 will be the final season for Knockout City, with the game shutting down on June 9, 2023 — over two years after launch. This means that all servers will shut down and Knockout City won't be playable at all. Beginning February 28 (the same day that Season 9 starts), all real-money transactions will be removed. However, Velan reassures that Season 9 will include copious rewards in the form of XP, style chips, and the currency hol...

Hi-Fi Rush Review

The last thing I expected from developer Tango Gameworks was a vibrant, fun-loving action game with the heart of a cartoon I would’ve absolutely loved. The studio’s primarily known for the dark and creepy likes of The Evil Within or Ghostwire: Tokyo , but Hi-Fi Rush is instead filled with a joyous, youthful personality seen in its stunning animation, art style, and characters. And while the surprising change of pace is already refreshing, Tango’s greatest accomplishment is how it expertly executes on the singular concept that permeates Hi-Fi Rush’s design — that rhythm is everything. Right from the jump, Hi-Fi Rush establishes its reverence for modern garage and alt-rock, kicking things off by using The Black Keys’ “Lonely Boy” to introduce the cheesy but endearing protagonist Chai and the colorful, high-tech industrialized world he lives in. Labeled a “defect” by robotics megacorp Vandelay Industries after a surgical mishap leaves him with an iPod stuck in his chest, Chai can see ...

Swamp Thing: The DCU Monster's Origin and History Explained

The monstrous hero Swamp Thing is coming to the big screen thanks to DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DCU plan, the first part of which is dubbed Chapter One: Gods and Monsters . Looks like we know which section of that title Swamp Thing fits in... The character has gotten his fair share of cross-media attention in recent years, including being in the roster for the 2017 fighting game Injustice 2 as well as having his own live-action TV series on the DC Universe streaming app. Alas, that show only lasted one season, and the service itself is long gone as well now. Still, Swamp Thing has had a long and interesting history at DC Comics. Here's everything you need to know about the roots of this character (pun intended) and the role he plays in the larger DCU. Who Is Swamp Thing? Alec Holland was a brilliant scientist developing a "bio-restorative formula" that promised to change the fields of botany and medicine forever. But when Holland refus...

PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch OLED Are All in Stock

This console generation -- the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and (kind of) Nintendo Switch OLED -- has been an unusual one, to put it mildly. Finding current-gen consoles in stock, either in brick-and-mortar stores or online, has been far more difficult than usual. For the average consumer, the PS5 in particular was nearly impossible to find in stock at pretty much any point over the past two years. Sony recently said the PS5 shortage is essentially over , and we’re finally seeing that bear out. Right now, you can order all of the latest game consoles at one retailer or another, and they will ship almost immediately. It’s about time. Where to Buy Current-Gen Consoles Naturally, there are a couple of caveats. For the PS5 disc edition, the only SKU that’s currently available is the one that comes with God of War: Ragnarok and costs $559. Back in the old days, game pack-ins came at no additional cost, but those days are over. (Thankfully, it’s a great game; see our 10/10 God of War Ragnarok...

Sony Testing Discord Voice Chat on PlayStation 5 With Beta Users

A new PS5 system software beta has added Discord voice chat and Variable Refresh Rate support for 1440p displays, among a number of other upgrades. Announced on the PlayStation Blog , the new system software is available for beta participants in the U.S., Canada, Japan, UK, Germany, and France. Its main feature is the addition of Discord voice chat, which allows cross-platform calls through the popular Discord system. Users will need to link their Discord and PlayStation Network accounts to use the service, and then begin a call on the Discord mobile app before transferring it to their console. It seems a little more fiddly than a standard PSN party, but will no doubt be very welcome to those who frequently play with friends who are on Xbox and PC. The other headline feature of the beta update is Variable Refresh Rate support for 1440p resolution displays. This allows smoother visual performance when using a VR-compatible HDMI 2.1 display, provided the game supports Variable Refr...

Hi-Fi Rush Must Be Celebrated – Unlocked 580

Now that we've had a week to play Hi-Fi Rush and see the incredible viral reaction to it, we had a deep and extended conversation about Tango Gameworks' surprise rhythm-action release. We discuss why it was exactly what Xbox was needed, whether we might get a sequel, and more. Plus: the second half of the podcast is dedicated to an equally deep and heartfelt conversation about the state of 343 Industries and the Halo IP. Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our YouTube channel , or grab an MP3 of this week's episode . For more awesome content, check out our interview with Todd Howard, who answered all of our Starfield questions after the big reveal at the Xbox Showcase: For more next-gen coverage, make sure to check out our Xbox Series X review , our Xbox Series S review , and our PS5 review . Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked , as well as our monthly(-ish) interview ...

Midnight Suns Director Reacts to James Gunn's DCU Games Plan: 'This Would Have Been a Nightmare'

James Gunn and Peter Safran have some pretty big plans for connecting the DC Universe (DCU), including video games. But at least one developer is skeptical of this approach. Reacting to the news that Gunn and Safran plan to work games into the overall plan for the DCU , Firaxis Games designer Jake Solomon tweeted, "This would have been a nightmare for us on Midnight Suns. I understand the desire (I think) but movies and games are so, so different. And the pressure this puts on the amazing voice actors in the games space? Different universes. And that's how they should/will stay." This would have been a nightmare for us on Midnight Suns. I understand the desire (I think) but movies and games are so, so different. And the pressure this puts on the amazing voice actors in the games space? Different universes. And that’s how they should/will stay. https://t.co/grKQGkhCsl — Jake Solomon (@SolomonJake) February 1, 2023 Solomon was co-director on Marvel's Midnight S...

Best Dungeons and Dragons Gift Ideas for 2023

Whether they play D&D online or prefer your tabletop RPGs on an actual table, the roleplaying nerd in your life deserves something cool, so we've put together this list of the best D&D gifts of 2023 - along with some recommendations for other great tabletop games and accessories, too! Whether you're a seasoned adventurer or a newcomer to the world of tabletop gaming, this gift guide is for you. We've scoured the land to bring you the best gifts for those who love to roll the dice and embark on epic quests. So, gather your party and let's embark on a journey to find the ultimate D&D gifts TL;DR - Must-Have D&D Gifts of 2023 We've got a ton of recommendations for the RPG fan in your life further down the page, but if you're looking for the short short version, these are our picks for the must-have D&D and tabletop gifts this year. Jump To The Best D&D Gifts Under $50 The Best D&D Books & Adventures Other Awesome Tabletop...

Secret Single-Player Titanfall Game Reportedly Canceled by EA

Electronic Arts is currently in the midst of a slew of cancellations and closures, the latest being a previously unknown project code-named TFL or Titanfall Legends — a secret single-player game set in the Titanfall and Apex Legends universe. The news was first reported by Bloomberg . Not much is known about Titanfall Legends save that it was reportedly directed by Mohammad Alavi, who served as a design on the Titanfall games among other projects. Alavi departed EA early last year. The cancellation coincides with the closure of the mobile versions of Apex Legends and Battlefield, as well as the shuttering of Industrial Toys. According to Bloomberg, roughly 50 developers were affected by the Titanfall Legends' cancellation. EA will reportedly try to place them in other positions within the company. Titanfall's last solo outing was in 2016. It initially sold poorly but subsequently gained a following thanks to its superb single-player shooter design. "It's rare th...

Amazon Lightning Deal: SanDisk 1TB Micro SDXC Card (Nintendo Switch Compatible) for $99.99

For today only Amazon is offering this Lightning deal : score a SanDisk Ultra 1TB Micro SDXC card for only $99.99, down about 30% from its original retail price of $139.99. This is the same deal we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you've started compiling a collection of digital games, you probably already know just how limited the Switch's base storage capacity. With only 32GB of starting space (and some of it reserved for the OS), you'll barely fit The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Pokemon Sword or Shield, which tap out at 13.5GB each! There's only one expansion slot in the Switch console so you want to make sure you get the biggest card you can afford. Black Friday Deals on Nintendo Switch Memory Cards The SanDisk Ultra Micro SDXC cards are pretty much the exact same memory cards as the ones that have the Nintendo branding on them. In fact, the Nintendo branded cards are also made by SanDisk. The SanDisk Ultra has respectable U1 A1 read a...

IGN Fan Fest Returns With The Last of Us, John Wick: Chapter 4, Redfall, and More

IGN Fan Fest will officially return the week of Feb. 13, with exclusive trailers, clips, news, reveals, interviews, and more surprises for upcoming games, movies, and shows rolling out all week. The main event will be a live-stream on Feb. 17 and 18, starting 10am and streaming across all IGN platforms. It'll feature the likes of Redfall, John Wick: Chapter 4, HBO's The Last of Us, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Hogwarts Legacy, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Creed III, and a whole lot more. See below just a taste of what'll be featured: Games Redfall Diablo IV Hogwarts Legacy Street Fighter 6 Elder Scrolls Online AEW: Fight Forever Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Layers of Fears Homebody Movies John Wick: Chapter 4 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Creed III Shazam! Fury of the Gods Polite Society Cocaine Bear Scream VI TV and Streaming Netflix’s Shadow and Bone HBO’s The Last of Us Trigun Stampede Star ...

PlayStation Plus Games for February 2023 Announced

Sony has announced that the PlayStation Plus games for February 2023 are OlliOlli World (PS4 and PS5), Mafia: Definitive Edition (PS4), Evil Dead: The Game (PS4 and PS5), and Destiny 2: Beyond Light (PS4 and PS5). As revealed on the PlayStation Blog , all four games will be made available at no extra cost to PlayStation Plus subscribers on February 7. OlliOlli World is a skateboarding action-platformer that lets players traverse a wild and wacky colourful world on, well, a skateboard. Players can take on different missions, customise their look, meet eccentric characters, and explore vibrant locations in a skateboarding utopia. In our 9/10 review , IGN said: "Rollercoaster-like courses and a wealth of moves make OlliOlli World a huge amount of fun to play, whether you’re just cruising or out to become a true skate god." Mafia: Definitive Edition is a considerably different type of game, taking players back in time to 1930s America in a remake of the original PlayStati...

Konami's Online Murder Mystery Game Being Removed From Sale Just Ten Months After Launch

Konami's online murder mystery game Crimesight is being removed from sale just ten months after it launched, and shut down for good in May. As reported by PC Gamer , Konami quietly updated the game's Steam page to announce that sales of the game would be ending on February 27 and it would be made unplayable on May 1. Crimesight will therefore essentially cease to exist, due to what Konami called "various circumstances", but perhaps most likely as a result of a player-base that dwindled almost immediately. Despite a generally positive reception, Steam DB data shows just 572 players online at its launch on April 14 last year, though this fell to just a few dozen a month later and has ranged from ten to 20 players since December. "Online battles will not be available after the service ends," the Steam post reads. "Also, the game itself won’t be able to play. Although the time left until the end of the service is limited, we hope you will enjoy it...

Xbox 360 Marketplace Purge Sees Dark Souls, The Witcher 2, and More Removed Next Week