Microsoft has said the idea of a video game exclusive locked to a single storefront has become antiquated for most people, as the company soldiers on with its multiplatform push for Xbox games.Xbox has left console exclusivity behind in truth some years ago now with most Xbox Game Studios published games releasing on platforms other than Xbox. Indeed, when Microsoft finally announced Playgrounds Forza Horizon 6 and confirmed it would launch on PlayStation 5 after Xbox and PC, it came as a surprise. Nowadays, Xbox Game Studios is one of the most prolific and successful publishers on PlayStation.Microsofts approach is in stark contrast to Nintendo and Sonys. Nintendo has the most hardline policy on its games, releasing them on its consoles only. Sony has softened its approach in recent years, releasing the bulk of its games on PC after PlayStation (and in the case of Helldivers 2, eventually on Xbox). But Sony still refuses to launch its big single-player games on anything other than PlayStation day one (the latest example of this is Sucker Punch's Ghost of Yotei).Speaking to Mashable, Xbox president Sarah Bond pointed to the likes of Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft as evidence that the majority of gamers had moved on from exclusives.We're really seeing people evolve way past that. The biggest games in the world are available everywhere, she said. You look at Call of Duty, you look at Minecraft, you look at Fortnite, you look at Roblox, that's actually what's really driving community in gaming. That's where people gather. They have experiences. And the idea of locking it to one store or one device is antiquated for most people. You want to be able to play with your friends anywhere regardless of what they're on.Microsofts stance on exclusives has become one of the biggest talking points in the Xbox community, and that conversation is ramping up again as the company begins to discuss in vague terms about its next-gen Xbox.In the same interview, Bond suggested the next-gen Xbox console would be a console PC hybrid, and described it as a very premium, very high-end curated experience.The comments come hot on the heels of the release of the ROG Xbox Ally X handheld, which costs $1,000. (In another interview, Bond said this and the less powerful, $600 ROG Ally are ultimately Asus-made handhelds and because of this, Asus set the price.)Xbox fans are now wincing at the thought of how expensive the next-gen console will be, particularly in the context of recent price rises to Xbox Game Pass and the Xbox Series X and S.It now seems certain that it wont come with any console exclusives.And we're really leaning into that with this [ROG Xbox Ally X handheld] experience because it just opens up another way for you to play, Bond continued. As does cloud, as does PC, as does the consoles that we all own and have in our living room.One prominent critic of the exclusive is former president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America Shawn Layden, who last year said that when a video games costs exceed $200 million, exclusivity is your Achilles heel.It reduces your addressable market, Layden told GamesBeat, before citing the success of Arrowheads Helldivers 2, which launched on PlayStation 5 and PC to explosive success. Particularly when youre in the world of live service gaming or free-to-play. Another platform is just another way of opening the funnel, getting more people in. In a free-to-play world, as we know, 95% of those people will never spend a nickel. The business is all about conversion. You have to improve your odds by cracking the funnel open. Helldivers 2 has shown that for PlayStation, coming out on PC at the same time. Again, you get that funnel wider. You get more people in.Layden said single-player games have a similar audience consideration as multiplayer games, though not exactly the same. For single-player games its not the same exigency, he said. But if youre spending $250 million, you want to be able to sell it to as many people as possible, even if its just 10% more.Laydens comments echo those of former Xbox boss Peter Moore, who in a recent interview with IGN suggested Microsoft will be debating internally whether to release Xbox poster-child Halo on PlayStation.If Microsoft says, wait, we're doing $250 million on our own platforms, but if we then took Halo as, let's call it a third-party, we could do a billion You got to think long and hard about that, right? Moore said. I mean, you just got to go, yeah, should it be kept? It's a piece of intellectual property. It's bigger than just a game. And how do you leverage that? Those are the conversations that always happen with, how do you leverage it in everything that we would do?The video game console business is currently under increased scrutiny following mass layoffs and studio closures. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has explained Microsofts recent, devastating layoffs in terms of the industry's failure to grow the gaming audience beyond the traditional console install base.Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Magic The Gatherings Final Fantasy set in June set new records for the franchise, and given the popularity of Commander, wed imagine plenty of the four decks included in the set were shifted.The trouble is, theres always been a discrepancy in price, with the Final Fantasy 6 deck Revival Trance going for much less, Final Fantasy 7s Limit Break going for much more, and the other two falling somewhere in between.Best Buys answer? Discounting them all to the same price.Best Buy Has Every Final Fantasy Magic Deck Under MSRPOn the positive side, this means you can get Limit Break, a deck that regularly sells for much more than its MSRP, for $48.99.Its a very fun deck thats themed around equipment and dealing combat damage, and will no doubt be an easy pickup for anyone who waited for a discount.On the downside, that means Revival Trance is also $48.99. Its under MSRP, sure, but this decks messy game plan and lack of big reprints mean you can snap it up for around $35 elsewhere if you keep an eye out.Rounding out the quartet, Ive been having more fun with Scions and Spellcraft recently, the Final Fantasy 14 deck helmed by YShtola. Its all about pinging opponents around the table for damage, which isnt something you often get in a blue/white/black deck. Its $48.99 now.Finally, arguably the best deck from the set, Counter Blitz is helmed by Final Fantasy Xs Tidus and Yuna, and lets you manipulate counters to deal big damage or keep Summons around longer. And, guess what? Its $48.99 now, too.Each deck also comes with a Collector Booster Sample Pack which includes two cards in foil or borderless treatment, too.Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has released the Into the Unjust: 4.1.0 update, which it said is designed to make the game feel better to play.This much anticipated update overhauls how Arrowhead approaches patching to better target the pain points youve shared with us. The studio said that means more focus on stability, balance, and the issues that affect your experience the most.Over 200 bugs have been fixed, along with key balance updates and quality-of-life improvements. Arrowhead said that while new features are coming, this patch marks a big step forward: both in the game itself and in how we work to improve it. More refinements are already underway, the studio continued.In terms of balance, the overall effectiveness of primary weapons, sidearms, throwables, and stratagems is increased. SMGs and pistols, for example, have been adjusted to emphasize their role as close-quarters weapons, with increased close-range damage and increased damage falloff.Its worth noting changes are made to enemies across the board. The Dragon Roach, for example, has seen its spawn rate decreased, and destruction of the wings now results in instant death. Each wing has a health pool, and the Dragon Roach should be more susceptible to explosions because even if you hit the body you now also hit the wings and do more damage. Overall, there should be fewer Dragon Roaches and they should be easier to take down.Check out the patch notes, courtesy of the Helldivers 2 Discord, below:Helldivers 2 Into the Unjust: 4.1.0 patch notes:BalancingGeneral changesPrimaries, Sidearms, Throwables, and StratagemsImprovements have been made to increase the overall effectiveness of primary weapons, sidearms, throwables, and stratagemsLight vs. Medium Penetration WeaponsLight and medium penetration weapons now offer more distinct advantages.Light penetration weapons generally deal a higher percentage of their total damage against durable enemies, differentiating them more clearly from medium penetration optionsSMGs and PistolsSMGs and pistols have been adjusted to emphasize their role as close-quarters weapons. Close-range damage has been increased, and damage falloff has been increased to reinforce their short-range combat identityMelee Weapons and ThrowablesMelee weapons and throwables have been improved to make each feel more impactful and unique in their functionResupply RackThe resupply rack is not climbable anymorePrimary weaponsSG-8P Punisher PlasmaDamage projectile decreased from 100 to 0Damage explosion increased from 150 to 225SG-8S SluggerDamage increased from 280 to 330Durable damage increased from 75 to 90AR-23 LiberatorDamage increased from 80 to 90Durable damage increased from 15 to 22AR-23A Liberator CarbineDamage increased from 80 to 90Durable damage increased from 15 to 22AR-23P Liberator PenetratorDamage increased from 60 to 65AR-23C Liberator ConcussiveDamage increased from 65 to 75Durable damage increased from 30 to 35AR-61 TenderizerDurable damage increased from 22 to 30AR-32 PacifierDamage increased from 50 to 55Stun value per projectile increased from 1.5 to 2SMG-37 DefenderDamage increased from 80 to 100Durable damage increased from 8 to 18Drag increased from 0.6 to 1.2MP-98 KnightDamage increased from 70 to 90Durable damage increased from 7 to 18Drag increased from 0.6 to 1.2SMG-32 ReprimandDamage increased from 125 to 135Drag increased from 0.6 to 1.2SMG-72 PummelerDamage increased from 70 to 85Durable damage increased from 7 to 18Stun value per projectile increased from 1.5 to 2Drag increased from 0.6 to 1.2LAS-16 SickleDamage increased from 55 to 60Durable damage increased from 5 to 6MA5C Assault RifleDamage increased from 80 to 90M7S SMGDamage increased from 70 to 80Durable damage increased from 7 to 16Drag increased from from 0.6 to 1.2StA-11 SMGDamage increased from 70 to 90Durable damage increased from 7 to 18Drag increased from 0.6 to 1.2PLAS-39 Accelerator RifleExtra spare magazines increased from 8 to 12Ergonomics increased from 40 to 60Sidearm weaponsCQC-2 SaberDamage increased from 110 to 125Durable damage increased from 55 to 65CQC-5 Combat HatchetDamage increased from 110 to 160Durable damage increased from 55 to 80Attack speed has been slightly reducedCQC-42 MacheteDamage increased from 170 to 200Durable damage increased from 80 to 100P-2 PeacemakerDamage increased from 85 to 95Durable damage increased from 25 to 30Drag increased from 0.6 to 1.2P-19 RedeemerDamage increased from 60 to 70Durable damage increased from 5 to 12Drag increased from 0.6 to 1.2P-113 VerdictDamage increased from 125 to 135Drag increased from 0.6 to 1.2M6C/SOCOMDamage increased from 100 to 110Drag increased from 0.6 to 1.2P-92 WarrantDrag decreased from 0.3 to 0Gravity multiplier decreased from 1 to 0.3ThrowablesTED-63 DynamiteDamage increased from 700 to 1000Armor penetration increased from Medium to HeavyDemolition strength increased from 30 to 40Stagger increased from 30 to 40Uses decreased from 4 to 3G-7 PineappleShrapnel from main explosion increased from 7 to 18Demolition strength on the main explosion increased from 20 to 30Inner radius on shrapnel explosion increased from 1 to 2.5mDamage on shrapnel explosion increased from 70 to 100Removed lifetime on the shrapnelShrapnel from the shrapnel explosion decreased from 6 to 0G-50 SeekerHigher priority for flying enemiesHighest target priority for marked targetDamage increased from 400 to 500G-6 FragUses increased from 5 to 6G-3 SmokeUses increased from 4 to 5Throwing knifesDamage increased from 250 to 300Durable damage increased from 100 to 150PLAS-1 ScorcherPlasma projectiles will now pass through foliage without losing velocityStratagemsPLAS-45 EpochDuration until explosion increased from 3 to 3.25 secDelayed muzzle charge VFX by 0.5 seconds so it now appears when the projectile is overcharged, improving visibility of the charge stateDamage on standard projectiles explosion increased from 400 to 500Demolition strength on overcharged projectile increased from 10 to 30M-105 StalwartDamage increased from 80 to 90Durable damage increased from 15 to 22FLAM-40 FlamethrowerCanister capacity increased from 130 to 150Starting canisters increased from 2 to 3Max spare canisters increased from 4 to 5APW-1 Anti-Materiel RifleDurable damage increased from 180 to 225Starting magazines increased from 4 to 5Max spare magazines increased from 6 to 8AC- 8 AutocannonDamage increased from 260 to 325GL-52 De-EscalatorDamage increased from 55 to 100Durable damage increased from 55 to 70MS-11 Solo SiloHealth increased from 800 to 1500Enemies will not attack itIncreased demolition strength needed to destroy itOrbital Railcannon StrikeCooldown decreased from 210 to 180 secEXO-45 Patriot ExosuitMissile Armor penetration in worse angles increased from 6-6-4-0 to 6-6-5-0Rotary gun ammo capacity increased from 1000 to 1350EnemiesThe goal is to make light and medium armor-piercing weapons equally effective against certain common enemies by adjusting their durable damage and durable resistance valuesIlluminatesFleshmobTargeting the faces deals extra damage to its main health, effectively creating weak spotsMain health decreased from 6000 to 5000Most health zones are slightly more durableSlightly less vulnerable to fire to balance health decreaseElevated OverseerMain health decreased from 600 to 450Head health increased from 150 to 200Head zone armor decreased from 3 to 2Torso health decreased from 600 to 450Arms health decreased from 300 to 250Slight increase on how easy it is to set on fireLeviathanNow equipped with beam-based weaponryLeviathans will not show up in missions outside of citiesTerminidsRupture Strain enemiesUpdated textures for all Rupture Strain enemies for better readabilityRupture WarriorMovement speed when underground has been decreasedNeeds to surface more often when moving undergroundIts burrow attack is slightly slower and leaves more space to be dodgedSmaller damage boxes when attacking from belowFront legs armor decreased from 3 to 2Will prefer to emerge before attacking turrets instead of destroying them from below groundRupture SpewerRetuned the timing of how fast it starts to act from when it unburrowsBile Spewer VariationsIncreased size of its mouth weak spotBrood CommandersSlightly harder to set on fireWarriorsSlightly harder to set on fireSlight durable increase in head and bodyDragon roachSpawn rate decreased50% lower on difficulty 5,640% lower on difficulty 7,8,933% lower on difficulty 10Destruction of the wings results in instant termination of the DragonWings now have their own health pool of 4000Increased how much damage wings take from explosionBile spewersSlightly harder to set on fireLarger body parts are slightly more durableHive LordImproved performance during Hive Lord encounters.AutomatonsBase AlarmingAutomaton troopers in bases will require better visual confirmation before calling in reinforcements, instead of calling them in immediatelyDevastatorsSlightly harder to be put on fireLarge body parts are slightly more durableCommand Bunker TurretRemoved ragdolling from its projectiles explosionFactory StriderSlightly less vulnerable to fireWar StriderShoots 2 fewer grenades per salvoShoots grenades less oftenRemoved ragdolling from its projectiles explosionsAdded weak spots aim for the eyes and the vents on the backScout StridersArmored top shield is more durableFixesStratagemsFixed an issue where Helldivers were unable to call down stratagems in the objective area of the "Nuke Nursery" cave missionFixed an issue with the B-100 Portable Hellbomb stratagem sometimes falling on Cave roofs in the "Destroy Spore Lung" missionFixed an issue with the drill objective stratagem sometimes landing in unintended places such as on top of caves, in Nuke Nursery Hive World missionsPlayers can now stay aiming down sights when activating the LIFT-860 Hover PackCrashesFixed a rare crash occurring when fighting IlluminatesFixed a crash when hotjoining and readying up before other hotjoinersFixed a crash occurring when a player would re-join multiple timesFixed a rare crash caused by Eagle-1Fixed a rare bug where the Eagle-1 would never be removed from the game session and eventually cause crashesFixed rare crash bug that could happen when spawning in groups of enemiesFixed crash affecting Helldivers trying to lean out from a vehicleFixed a crash that could happen when scrolling through the weapon customization menuFixed a crash that could happen during game shutdownWeaponsFixed armor penetration values in the Stats Menu for CQC-5 Combat Hatchet, CQC-30 Stun Baton,CQC-19 Stun Lance, CQC-2 Saber, CQC-1 One True Flag and the G-7 Pineapple grenade; the armor penetration value displayed as Medium instead of LightImproved initial bullet alignment while strafing and riding in vehiclesMoved the first person camera further away from the MS-11 Solo Silo's Target Designator scopeFixed the weapon reload animations desyncing when wielding armor passives that give increased reload speedThe FAF-14 Spear can now lock onto Automaton AA turretsFixed projectiles hitting direct center of sights when extremely close to objectsHaptics feedback is now present throughout the firing of the FLAM-40 Flamethrower stratagemMiscellaneousFixed a bug where Hive Lord body parts would not spawn properlyFixed an instance where the Helldiver couldn't re-join their previous host, if said host left a joined game in progress from the loadoutFixed a bug where the LIFT-182 Warp Pack would sometimes get stuck suspended in the air or crash Fixed Adreno-Defibrillator armor passive animation bugFixed disconnection issues when joining a solo player with 3 cross-platform playersFixed mesh clipping for the arms on some animationsReduced the chance of the Extraction Shuttle clipping through terrainFixed a flickering bug on the avatar when the Helldiver gets affected by mud or snowFixed a bug hole covered by terrain in one of the CR10 Mega NestsRupture Warriors can no longer destroy deployable turrets while still undergroundFixed an issue where the front door of the GATER could become inaccessibleFixed a rare issue where the player could be disconnected when they are a part of a mixed platform, 3 person lobby that joins a solo player under poor network conditionsFixed an issue with Illuminate dropships not taking correct damage during the Repel Invasion Fleet missions The currency symbol for Saudi riyal is now displayed correctly in the in game shopThe Oil Rigs reverse audio will no longer continuously play if the player attempts to reverse during oil extractionFixed Helldivers going through the floor in the tutorial mission, when diving near the barbed wiresFixed a rare soft-lock in tutorialHelldiver is now killed when driving into drill holes during Nuke Nursery missionsFixed an issue where Helldivers could enter a vehicle even though the seat got claimed by someone else firstFixed controller vibrations behaving incorrectly when connecting or disconnecting controllers on PCFixed miscellaneous threading issues in the audio systemFixed minor texture clipping issues on the floor between hellpod launchers on the shipFixed an issue where voice chat could sometimes change volume unexpectedly - particularly when entering cavesOptimizationsOptimized status effectsOptimized physics by only enabling powered ragdolls when neededOptimized physics body handling for damage calculationsOptimized Automaton units and NPC eyes, by changing them from particle effects to shadersOptimized AI behaviors by analyzing and stripping out redundant codeReduced stuttering during drop-in sequence for missions on Hive WorldsImproved audio IO performanceSnow distribution and overall look has been reworkedImproved performance by tweaking LOD settings for charactersOptimized asset distribution for several planets typesOptimized scattered assets such as grass on various planet typesOptimized asset distribution in Hiveworlds and Terminid cavesOptimized asset setup and geometry for assets used in Hiveworlds and Terminid cavesOptimized status effect physics and particle systems while maintaining visual feedback and fidelityOptimized various Automaton explosion VFXOptimized Acid Rain effects during Acid StormsOptimized Dragonroach fire attack VFXMade various optimizations to the fire system, including particle and light optimization.Improved performance by optimizing the rendering of several shadersWesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

With Fallout Day upon us and rumors swirling around remakes, remasters, and even new games in the famous post-apocalyptic role-playing series, one Hollywood star has made his thoughts crystal clear.That star is Danny Trejo, whose appearances in the likes of From Dusk till Dawn, Con Air, and Spy Kids made him a cult figure. But hes intimately familiar with Fallout, too, having played Raul Alfonso Tejada, a Ghoul companion, in the much-loved Fallout: New Vegas.So it stands to reason that Trejo would, like so many fans, love to see Fallout: New Vegas return in some fashion. Responding to Bethesdas official Instagram post on what to expect from Fallout Day, Trejo said: Remaster New Vegas boss! alongside a fire emoji. Trejo has 3.1 million followers on Instagram, so his comment will be heard loud across the social network.Alas, a Fallout: New Vegas remaster was not on Bethesdas official list of games set to appear during its Fallout Day broadcast, which is set for 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm UK today, October 23. Specifically on Fallout 76, Bethesda will show more of the Burning Springs update. This big expansion, due out in December, sees Walton Goggins reprise his fan-favorite role as The Ghoul from the Fallout TV show.Fallout Shelter is also mentioned, as is Fallout 4 and Creations, which suggests the decade old role-playing game will get some new content soon. Creations are community created mods released officially for Bethesdas video games.Elsewhere, there are new merch drops, community in-person events, and a post-show celebrating the community. There is no specific mention of the Fallout TV show, either. with Season 2 due out in December.There are all sorts of rumors floating around about potential Fallout remakes now that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is out the door (Fallout 3 Remastered was leaked back in 2023, but those plans may have changed). And we know Bethesda plans to eventually get to Fallout 5, albeit after The Elder Scrolls 6.The last we heard on Fallout 5, by the way, was back in June 2024, when Bethesda Softworks head Todd Howard said he wasnt interested in rushing it out the door. Howard opened up about the future of the hit post-apocalyptic RPG series during an interview with YouTube content creator MrMattyPlays."For other Fallout games in the future, you know, obviously I cant talk about those right now, but I would say, sort of rushing through them, or we kind of need to get stuff out that is different than the work were doing in 76 we dont feel like we need to rush any of that," he said. "The Fallout TV show fills a certain niche in terms of the franchise and storytelling."The last mainline Fallout game was Fallout 4, which was released in 2015. DLC content for the entry was steadily released for PC and consoles over the next year, and in 2018, Bethesda launched its multiplayer-centered offshoot, Fallout 76. While fans slowly flocked to the West Virginia-set open-world RPG, it wasnt until the premiere of Prime Videos Fallout TV show that the Bethesda series leveled up in terms of attention.Still, Howard wouldn't budge when it came to desires for a substantial video game release. For him, it comes down to wanting to treat Bethesda's franchises with care."Totally get the desire for a new kind of mainline single-player game," he said. "And look, those things take time. I dont think its bad for people to miss things. We just want to get it right and make sure that everything were doing in a franchise, whether its Elder Scrolls, Fallout, or now Starfield, that those become meaningful moments for everybody who loved these franchises as much as we do."Perhaps Danny Trejo should have a word?Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

With Gen V Season 2 wrapped up, fans are wondering how the incredibly powerful Marie might fare in a showdown with The Boys supervillain Homelander. Well, according to showrunner Eric Kripke, fans shouldnt expect Marie to appear in The Boys Season 5 as a Captain Marvel-style deus ex machina who kicks Homelanders ass.Thats because Marie still hasnt mastered her powers, or as Kripke has put it in a number of Gen V Season 2 finale spoiler interviews, shes not Net at the end of The Matrix.Warning! Spoilers for The Boys and Gen V follow.For a much deeper dive on all this, check out IGNs Gen V Season 2 Ending Explained: How It Sets Up the Final Season of The Boys article, but to summarize, Marie can control blood, which potentially makes her more powerful even than Homelander. Homelander, for the uninitiated, is a sort of evil Superman, a character so overpowered that few rivals dare question his word. But Marie Moreau, played by Jaz Sinclair, has the potential to kill him due to her ability to command and weaponize blood.But, it seems, Marie hasnt realized her potential, and wont have by the time The Boys Season 5 rolls around. Speaking to Variety, Kripke confirmed that The Boys Season 5 picks things up around half a year after the Gen V Season 2 finale, with Marie and co joining Annie/Starlight (Erin Moriarty) and A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) in the fight against Vought.Shes super powerful, but that doesnt necessarily mean that shes amazing at controlling it, Kripke said. Shes not Keanu at the end of The Matrix, because based on the next couple Matrixes its not great for drama. You want a character whos really struggling and growing, especially a kid like Marie. So even though she has a lot of raw power, she has to learn how to control it.It was a similar thought in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, in which Kripke said: ... Maries still young, and just because shes incredibly powerful doesnt mean she has perfect control over it. Theres a journey. Shes not Neo at the end of The Matrix. Those become bummer, boring Messiah characters, and shes not that. Shes still a person and has a hard time wrestling with the amount of power that shes finding herself to have.And, following the same thread in an interview with ComicBook, Kripke added: Obviously, what I would like to see is Homelander get his ass kicked. He deserves it. The truth is just because Marie is very powerful, it doesnt mean she knows how to control it. She is still just a kid. She is not Neo at the end of The Matrix. Marie has a lot of growing to do, and a lot of setbacks and challenges. And she should. Thats what makes the character interesting the struggle. With all that being said, I dont know if a direct confrontation with Homelander would go so great. And, there are a lot of people in line and waiting to bitch slap Homelander.The big question, of course, is whether Homelander actually dies in The Boys Season 5. Kripke wouldnt give that away, of course, but did tell THR that Billy Butcher is front of that line. But then theres the likes of Stan Edgar, the aforementioned Marie, Annie, and Huey who would no doubt all like a piece.Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Battlefield 6 has unveiled the skins arriving in Season 1, and some are already complaining they are too unrealistic, while others argue it's really not that bad.Battlefield 6 producers previously stressed that it's "really important to us" that cosmetics "feel grounded," and by extension basically assured that the FPS game would not to add wacky skins like its contemporaries after Call of Duty went full Fortnite with the likes of American Dad and Beavis and Butthead skins arriving in the game. Battlefield 6 Season 1 is kicking off next week, and the developers have shown off the skins arriving in season, but now that the first set of camos have arrived in the game, people are already upset that some of them are too wild.One look at the Battlefield subreddit shows a ton of posts of people talking about how the skins are no longer "grounded" with some creating their own edited versions. One user asks "what are these meme skins?" while pointing out that they look like paintball outfits, as another says: "So much for realistic and grounded."The problem being that some of the skins arriving have bright colors that don't exactly scream realistic military uniforms. One blue skin in particular is catching flak due to its garish colors and silly teeth design on the mask. Over on Twitter, others reckon the complaints are an overreaction, as the skins are still military-themed despite their colors, and there are some that are still pretty grounded. Another Twitter user reckons "Battlefield fans just hate any sort of color whatsoever in their game."Meanwhile, one on the side of these skins being bad asks the defining question of our time, "why do you want to dress as a blue crayola[?]"I see the Battlefield 6 skin discourse has started. While I agree with not having wacky skins in the game, these really are not THAT bad.The reality is that no one is going to buy the Battle Pass en masse for a bunch of dogshit dessert camo skins... Sorry, but they are just pic.twitter.com/tt7I92cqR6October 22, 2025Granted, from watching other games, I don't really think muted skins are a big draw in the battle pass format. I don't feel like these skins are particularly good looking, but it feels like a solid middle ground between regular military camo and how over-the-top designs in other games will be (but then again, I don't see the point in skins for a first-person game where you won't see it 90% of the time, anyway). If I've learned anything from years of playing online shooters, people love flashy, garish stuff to show off with, like COD's golden guns going as far back as the original Modern Warfare.But ultimately the choice now is for players to vote with their wallets. If EA notices the battle pass doing well and these skins getting tons of use, the "flashy" skins will undoubtedly continue, but if faced with total rejection from the community, future passes will likely tone it down somewhat.Battlefield 6 Season 1 is a compelling free content drop that should see the FPS through the disruptive release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.

Maika Monroe has given a rather positive update on upcoming horror sequel It Follows 2, officially titled They Follow, which follows on (pardon the pun) from the star's 2014 horror hit It Follows.I was sent the script, and I thought it was incredible. Also, its very different from the original, said Monroe in an interview with Discussing Film. I felt the original is a little more heightened and dramatic, and this I think is really quite grounded and sort of follows the story of these two women that are just mentally dealing with a lot. I thought it was really an interesting take on it.The sequel was announced in 2023 and was set to start filming in 2024, but it didn't. Not much has been said about the horror movie since. Later in the interview, the star added, Fingers crossed it happens. Next year is the rumor.It Follows was a surprise hit 11 years ago, starring Monroe as a teenager named Jay Height, who sleeps with her new boyfriend only to become plagued by a shape-shifting demon that follows her everywhere she goes. If the demon catches up to you, you die, and the only way to rid yourself of the curse is to pass it on to someone else via sexual intercourse.It Follows was met with stellar praise from critics and fans alike, and stands at a near-perfect 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. They Follow sees Monroe reprise her role as Jay, with original writer-director David Robert Mitchell back on board to direct.Since It Follows, Monroe has made quite a name for herself in the horror genre, starring in such pictures as Watcher and Longlegs. Monroe's newest project, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, has just hit Hulu. The thriller is a remake of the classic '90s movie, and co-stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead.They Follow does not yet have a release date. For more, check out our guide to new horror movies coming your way very soon.

Super Mario Bros. Any% category is probably the most impressive in all the speedrunning world because, well, this is a game that's four whole decades old and people are still finding ways to break records. This year alone has seen multiple world records broken as speedrunners inch ever closer to literal perfection.In the case of Super Mario Bros, perfection is actually a 4:54.26 tool-assisted speedrun. Essentially, it's mathematically the quickest way of beating the classic platformer (so far) if certain inputs are executed at exactly the right frames. And the closest speedrunner to perfection is Niftski, who has just broken another Any% record for the third time this year. (Again, this is a game that came out in 1985... mind blowing.)Niftski previously got just 18 frames away from the TAS run back in January, beating his own record. Then, in a dramatic twist, speedrunner averge11 broke his four-year-long streak with a time only 15 frames away from that TAS goal, before the record flip-flopped back to Niftski a couple weeks ago.And, now, he's only 11 frames away as he just knocked out a 4:54.448 run in last night's stream. "Oh my god, dude," he yells after leaping over Bowser's head in record time. "Not dot three, dude, I really wanted that to be dot three. Or I'd be popping off so much harder right now. But let's go!"Niftski seemingly has no plans to just let the TAS goal go, either, as he streamed his attempts for another hour after breaking his own record. "This is only the beginning, more to come soon," he tweets.Discovering new Super Mario Bros levels that have "secretly been accessible" for over 30 years, "legendary Mario scientists" find themselves in a psychedelic cyberpunk hellscape hiding on their childhood SNES cartridges

IT: Welcome to Derry showrunner Brad Caleb Kane has confirmed that his new horror show, a spin-off of Friday the 13th titled Crystal Lake, has wrapped filming."CRYSTAL LAKE wrap party was epic! I'm madly in love with and totally in awe of this stellar bunch of artists and humans," Kane wrote in the caption to a post on Instagram. "A fella couldn't ask for a more talented and wonderful group of collaborators. S1 (almost sorta not quite) done and dusted. More please and thank you." Check it out below.A post shared by Brad Kane (@bradcalebkane)A photo posted by on Crystal Lake stars Linda Cardinelli as Pamela Voorhees, mother of Jason Voorhees. In the original movie (spoiler alert), Pamela was the killer, taking revenge on the irresponsible camp counselors who murdered her son at Camp Crystal Lake. At the moment, it's unclear if the new show will follow this same plotline or not, since the show is described as a prequel. The series is on the way from A24 and is set to debut on Peacock.As for IT: Welcome to Derry, that show, a prequel to the IT movies based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, is coming to HBO this October 26. Along with Kane, Jason Fuchs showruns, while Andy Muschietti returns to direct multiple episodes and executive produce."Welcome to Derry is a supremely confident and well-realized step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown. Nobody is safe in this blood-soaked prequel to Andy Muschietti's movies. Even so, it can't escape a sense of over-familiarity as Pennywise stalks another gang of unlucky kids," reads our 3-star IT: Welcome to Derry review verdict.Crystal Lake doesn't yet have a release date. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming TV shows of this year and beyond for everything else that's on the way.

Director-writer Osgood Perkins' upcoming horror movie The Young People has officially entered production.The news was announced via Twitter by movie studio Neon, captioned, "The Young People. Day 1." The post contains a first look at the film, which you can see above, showing The Summer I Turned Pretty star Lola Tung learning over a bathtub filled with blood. Check out the full post below.The Young People. Day 1.: Osgood Perkins pic.twitter.com/vs7K33KQX1October 21, 2025According to Bloody Disgusting, shooting is taking place in Vancouver, and the movie is set for a 2026 theatrical release via Neon. The movie also stars The Last of Us actor Nico Parker.Plot details are being kept tightly under wraps. However, the director has also released an image of the first page of the script, which reads, "The Young People Blue Revisions/August 22, 2025." However, there is a page peaking out at the top with the text, "One of The Old Ones steps forward, drops its robe to reveal its naked body."'The Old Ones' may be referring to the alien-like creatures known as Old Ones or The Elder Things from H. P. Lovecraft's works. The monsters are powerful, malignant beings who were once gods and rulers of the earth. The first look certainly has a sci-fi edge, with Tung sitting in a strange white room with scalloped cleanings and only one small round window.The Young People will be Perkins fourth film in just three years, released under Neon. The director, whose earlier works include The Blackcoat's Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, made a name for himself in the horror genre with his 2024 social media sensation Longlegs, starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe.Perkins' horror comedy The Monkey hit screens earlier this year, and the director's upcoming movie Keeper opens in theaters on November 14.The Young People is due to hit screens in 2026. For more, check out our guide to new horror movies coming your way very soon.