Author: Trafficblast

While we did see some pretty amazing stuff at E3 2021 Nintendo Direct, we didn’t get any new announcements about Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Fans of the series noticed the absence of news on Twitter, with many posting memes and jokes in response.

It’s not clear what Nintendo’s long-term plans are for New Horizons, but we’ll update this story with new details if we hear anything. Recent updates added cheese rolling to New Horizons, as well as some seasonal items themed around the Dano and Dragon Boat Festivals.

Then again, since E3 is traditionally reserved for brand new games, it’s not necessarily a surprise that Animal Crossing was a no-show. Still, DLC for several notable games did serve as highlights for some, especially the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate announcement.

Though this news is disappointing to New Horizons fans, the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct featured many surprises. You’ll soon be able to headbutt Kirby as Kazuya Mishima in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which adds the Tekken veteran to its line-up of iconic fighting game characters like Ryu and Terry Bogard.

We also got an announcement of a new 2D Metroid game, Metroid: Dread. Dread is being made by Metroid: Samus Return developers MercurySteam, and it’s the first brand new 2D game in the series since 2002’s Metroid Fusion. By the look of things, it’s a direct sequel to Fusion, and takes that game’s SA-X concept to the next level with a evil robot called EMMI.

Bethesda has published a new video for Starfield that sheds a little more light on the developer’s new sci-fi RPG and invites fans to join a program known as Constellation.

Constellation is program you can sign up for to receive new updates on Starfield and get access to developer interviews and “behind-the-scenes looks” at the title. All you have to do is sign in with your Bethesda.net account to join Constellation. Separately, the Bethesda Game Studios Discord will have “exclusive AMAs and community conversations” available to members.

In the new video, game director Todd Howard spoke at a high level about Bethesda’s ambitions for Starfield, which is the developer’s first new IP in 25 years. After so many years making games set within traditional terrestrial boundaries, Starfield takes players to space for a new journey.

“At Bethesda Game Studios, we love to create experiences that, through art and technology, transport you. We’ve brought that to many worlds, but never to what’s above us,” Howard said. “When we look to the sky, we wonder if we’re alone, what’s out there, what our future holds. In some ways, since every element in each of us is from the stars, we want to return. Starfield is our first new universe in over 25 years. It’s a game we’ve dreamt of playing. It’s only now that we have the hardware, the technology, and the experience to push our creative boundaries even further.”

Constellation also appears to be the name of a group that Starfield players will join in the game itself, according to Howard.

“We invite you to join Constellation, the last group of space explorers. It’s a next-generation role-playing game where you’ll be who you want, go where you want, experience our stories, and forge your own,” he said. “More than that, Starfield is about hope, our shared humanity, and searching for the answers to life’s greatest mystery.”

Players can join the Constellation program on the internet to learn more about the “inspiration and process” for Starfield, according to Howard.

The video may contain some clues about what to expect from Starfield beyond what Bethesda has officially announced. People noticed that the text on the screen attempted 0:58 in the video mentions a band of “individual captains” operating under the title “jolly roger,” which fans have taken as a reference to space pirates. Separately, fans believe they’ve found an Elder Scrolls reference in the Starfield E3 trailer.

Starfield is slated for release on November 11, 2022 for Xbox Series X|S and PC. It’ll also be available on Xbox Game Pass for subscribers.

World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Classic’s first Arena season has officially begun, allowing players to test their might against other players in 2v2, 3v3, or 5v5 rated PvP.

By competing in Arena, players can earn Arena points on a weekly basis based on their team’s performance, which can then be cashed in to acquire powerful weapons and armor. Teams will need to complete at least 10 games to qualify for points in a given week, with an individual player needing to have participated in at least 30% of matches played that week in order to earn points. The top .5% of players will also earn a Swift Nether Drake Mount, which will only be available during the game’s first Arena season.

Arena mode was first introduced to World of Warcraft with the original Burning Crusade expansion in 2007, and has become a key activity in the game ever since. In later versions of the game, players could also compete in Rated Battlegrounds in addition to Arena to earn the game’s most powerful PvP gear.

How Burning Crusade Classic’s Arena system works is a little different from how it was back in 2007. In Burning Crusade Classic, players will start at a rating of 0, instead of the 1500 Arena rating all teams started from in the original game. As a result, Blizzard is making it so that teams with a rating lower than 1500 will earn a higher amount of Arena points than in the original game.

Certain pieces of gear will also have rating requirements that must be met in order to be acquired, something that was introduced later in the expansion’s lifespan with the arrival of Burning Crusade Arena Season 3. Once a new season starts, gear from older Arena seasons can be purchased via points with no rating requirements. Burning Crusade Classic’s Arena matchmaking system has also seen adjustments from the original game, with Blizzard tweaking its MMR system to improve match quality.

Blizzard introduced a number of changes to Burning Crusade Classic outside Arena, as well, when the game launched earlier this month, ranging from allowing players to purchase a level boost to how the game’s endgame content is rolled out.

Amazon Prime Day 2021 is coming up soon on June 21 and 22, and headphone deals are sure to make a strong showing during the annual sale. From budget brands to high-end headphones from brands like Sony, Bose, and Apple, you can count on there being Prime Day headphones deals at every price range, making Prime Day 2021 a great time to pick up a new pair.

Though Prime Day’s official early deals largely focus on smart Fire TVs and smart devices like the Echo and Fire TV Stick, you can already find some nice headphones deals ahead of Prime Day, both on over-ear and in-ear wireless headphones. These include deals on higher-end models like the Apple AirPods Max, AirPods Pro, and Sony WH-1000XM4, along with lower-end budget models that sport many of the same features like wireless charging and phone assistant connectivity. Amazon’s newly released Echo Buds are seeing their first discount as well, with $40 slashed off the price. Prime Day also sparks competition among other tech retailers, so Best Buy is offering discounts on headphones like the wireless Beats Pro.

Though you can certainly use Bluetooth headphones for gaming, we have a separate guide to the best Prime Day gaming headset deals if that’s what you’re looking for.

We’ll be tracking all the best Prime Day deals leading up to and during Amazon’s blowout sale and will be adding the very best Prime Day headphones deals to this roundup as they appear. In the meantime, catch up on more of our Prime Day 2021 guides, including how to get Amazon Prime for free and tips for saving the most money on Prime Day. For other gadgets and home electronics, be sure to check out the best Prime Day TV deals, monitor deals, and laptop deals. For console gaming deals, see the best Prime Day PlayStation deals, Switch deals, and Xbox deals. And if you’re for a phone to connect with your new set of headphones, be sure to read up on the best Amazon Prime Day phone deals.

$500 (was $550)

Apple’s high-end headphones are pricey to start with, but the Silver and Sky Blue models are on sale for the first time since the AirPods Max were announced last year. These premium headphones feature noise cancellation for when you want to shut out the world, a transparency mode for when you don’t, and spatial audio with head tracking for surround sound. It’s also got an Apple H1 chip inside for software connectivity.

Our sister site CNET praised the headphones in their Apple AirPods Max review, noting their comfortable fit, impressive sound and build quality, top-notch adaptive noise canceling, and more.

$197 (was $250)

The upper tier of Apple’s in-ear buds, the AirPods Pro feature noise cancellation and transparency mode just like the Max, along with a conveniently tiny wireless charging case. You’ll also get three sizes of silicone tips so you can find the perfect fit for your ears. $197 is about as low as they usually go, but the AirPods Pro did drop to $170 during last Prime Day, so we’ll be keeping an eye out in case they get any cheaper next week.

$298 (was $350)

Sony’s own over-ear, noise-canceling headphones promise 30 hours of battery life with super fast charging. You can also use the built-in touch sensors to play, skip, control volume, activate your phone’s voice assistant, or answer phone calls.

CNET called the Sony WH-1000XM4 a “nearly flawless noise-canceling headphone” in their review, and at $200 less than the AirPods Max, the WH-1000XM4 is a slightly more affordable option for those seeking a premium pair of headphones for less this Prime Day.

$80 (was $120)

Just released in May, Amazon’s brand-new Echo Buds are seeing their first price drop as an early Prime Day deal. Featuring dynamic audio and active noise cancellation, the Echo Buds let you take Alexa on the go and works with other voice assistants as well, like Siri and Google Assistant. Providing five hours of music playback (and up to 15 hours with the charging case), the Echo Buds are lightweight, sweat-resistant, and a nice choice for those who already own other Amazon smart devices, as you can control them through the Alexa app.

The Echo Buds are available with either a wired or wireless charging case, and both styles are $40 off, with the wired case version going for $80. The Echo Buds with a wireless case are slightly more expensive, available for $100 (down from $140).

$149 (was $300)

Beats are a more economical option than the offerings from Apple and Sony, but sport many of the same features. With these wireless, on-ear Bluetooth headphones, you’ll get active noise canceling and a transparency mode, up to 22 hours of listening time, a built-in mic for your voice assistant. Plus, they come in a variety of colors, whether you’re looking for vibrant color or a neutral shade. Walmart has numerous shades on sale for 50% off ahead of Prime Day, an excellent deal.

$110 (was $160)

The in-ear Powerbeats Pro boast up to nine hours of listening time and more than 24 with the included charging case. The ear hooks make them a good choice if you have trouble keeping standard earbuds in your ears, and each of the buds has touch controls for volume and track controls. Their sweat- and water-resistant design makes them a great option for workouts too.

Note that these are Geek Squad refurbished, which means they’ve been thoroughly tested to work and restored to a “like-new” state. A 90-day warranty is included. As a point of comparison, the Powerbeats Pro are on sale for $170 at Amazon (with a list price of $200), which is about as low as brand-new pairs get.

$130 (was $180)

Google’s Pixel Buds are a little less expensive than some of their in-ear competitors, promising many of the same features like speed charging and phone assistant support. These true wireless in-ear headphones sport only five hours of listening time on a charge, which is less than the Powerbeats Pro, but with the charging case, they match its 24 hours total. And as you might expect, Google Assistant is built in so you can use all sorts of voice commands while on the go.

$29 (was $60) with coupon

On the least expensive side of earbuds are these sub-$30 buds, which offer smart controls and six hours of playtime with up to 30 using the charging case. Well-rated with over 128,000 Amazon reviews and 4.5 out of 5 stars, the Tozo T6 true wireless earbuds shouldn’t disappoint, especially at this price.

Netflix has apparently hired veteran Hollywood writer Jeb Stuart–who penned the screenplays for Die Hard and The Fugitive–to write the upcoming Assassin’s Creed TV series. This is according to a report from Variety, which credited the information to its sources.

Spokespeople for Netflix and Stuart did not respond to a request for comment by Variety.

Stuart most recently wrote and created the show Vikings: Valhalla, which is coming to Netflix, so he already has an in at the streaming network. Assassin’s Creed will be Stuart’s first video game project. He wrote the 1995 movie Just Cause, though the Sean Connery/Laurence Fishburne film has nothing to do with the games.

In addition to this new live-action series, Netflix is producing an animated series based on Assassin’s Creed. A 2016 Assassin’s Creed movie starring Michael Fassbender was set during the Spanish inquisition, but it was a critical flop.

Outside of Assassin’s Creed, Netflix is also making multiple Far Cry series, a Splinter Cell anime series from John Wick’s Derek Kolstad, and a Division movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, meanwhile, is still getting new updates and DLC. The next expansion is called The Siege of Paris, and we learned more about it at E3 2021.

EA’s multiplayer dodgeball-battler Knockout City is getting a batch of Juneteenth related player icons later this week in its in-game shop. The icons will be free for all players.

Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19 every year, and is the date used to mark the emancipation of those who had been enslaved before and during the American Civil War. Originally starting in Texas, it has since become a country-wide celebration for many Americans.

Developer Velan Studios says the free icons were created to honor and support the game’s Black community. Knockout City also added 21 free LGBTQA+ player icons in June to celebrate Pride Month, which Velan Studio says will continue to be available for free even after Pride 2021 is over.

Knockout City, which features cross-play across Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC, reached more than 5 million players following its free trial period, after which Velan Studios made the game entirely free up until players reach level 25. EA says Knockout City’s initial “Block Party” event, which kicked off the game’s launch, exceeded expectations (though EA didn’t specify what those expectations were).

Knockout City has received two major patches so far since its release, including a matchmaking quality balance update that related specifically to high ping in the game’s ranked League Play mode. Prior to the update, Knockout City prioritized speedy matchmaking, regardless of connection quality. Now, players may have to wait a little longer for a match, but the chances of playing against an opponent with high ping will be greatly reduced.

Jade Raymond has seen the future, and the future is user-generated content. The former Stadia VP, who helped create hit franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs, argues in a recent blog post hosted by a venture capital firm that the biggest game franchises will rely just as much (if not more) on fans to create content and context than the game developers themselves.

“The goal of a game is no longer to be the most buzzworthy topic of conversation at launch; it’s to become the context for buzzworthy conversations,” she writes. “In other words: if the original Assassin’s Creed was gearing up to be the opening night of Hamilton, we want future IPs to be a neighborhood bar where people talk about whatever the latest Hamilton is: the place that is perennially cool, comfortable, and welcoming–because the patrons are driving the conversation and, in fact, are the stars of the show.”

Raymond cites Star Wars as an example of a franchise that is essentially owned by fans, despite George Lucas’s well-known resistance to fanfiction. She says that her work on The Sims is what first made her realize the power of user-generated content, because tens of millions of players have used the game to act out their own original stories. She also argues that the ongoing shift towards a games as a service (GAAS) model will likely continue, because it facilitates “lightweight” game interactions that can act as a substitute for real-life social interaction.

“When it’s not possible to have people over for a barbecue in the real world, you can fire up a cooking station in Valheim,” she writes. “…Whether it’s in Valheim, Animal Crossing, Fortnight Creative, or Minecraft, the past year of quarantine has shown us that shared creative gameplay is the glue that binds communities.”

The full blog post touches on a wide variety of topics besides those mention above, so if you’re interested in Raymond’s perspective, check out the link above. Raymond recently founded a new game studio in Montreal called Haven, which is working on an original IP for PlayStation platforms. This new studio follows the high-profile collapse of Stadia Games and Entertainment, and Haven recently hired other ex-Stadia developers in the wake of those layoffs.

Welcome to IGN Unfiltered, our regularly occurring interview series where we sit down with the best, brightest, and most fascinating minds in the video game industry. (Catch up on the other 50-plus episodes here.) My guest this episode is ZeniMax Online Studios boss Matt Firor, who discusses his long career in MMORPGs, bringing The Elder Scrolls online, what the studio is up to next after the Microsoft acquisition, and more!

Check out the full episode in the video above, but if you’d prefer to listen to the 75-minute interview, here’s an audio-only podcast download link. One way or the other I hope you’ll check out the interview! Below is a clip, in which Firor discusses the possibility of an ESO sequel:

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And if you missed it, here’s the previous episode of Unfiltered, in which Shadow Warrior 3 game director Kuba Opon discusses how he rose from programmer to game director and what it has been like to reboot a ’90s first-person shooter for the modern era:

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Catch up on every episode of IGN Unfiltered here, including conversations with Bethesda game director Todd Howard, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, former PlayStation boss Jack Tretton, Journey creator Jenova Chen, Halo boss Bonnie Ross, and many more!

Disney World in Orlando, Florida is dropping its masking requirement starting today. Visitors who are fully vaccinated are free to go without masks, CBS News reports, though the staff won’t require proof of vaccination from guests prior to entry.

Those who are not vaccinated (under the honor system) and children under 12 will still need to wear masks. And all visitors will still have to wear masks on buses, monorails, and the Skyliner gondola.

Disney eased its mask requirement for outdoor attractions last month, but this new change applies across more attractions. The company does note that “some experiences and entertainment may still be operating with limited capacity or may remain temporarily unavailable.” It says it plans to ease other physical restrictions sometime soon, and that it “look[s] forward to to the day when Disney pals and princesses are able to hug once again.”

Disneyland in Anaheim, California is also easing its requirements for vaccinated visitors, and like in Florida, proof of vaccination is not required. There guests will still need to wear masks for bus transportation to and from the parking structure.

Disney parks shut down in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, then reopened with strict requirements for visiting. Those have been progressively eased as time goes on, and this latest change is the next step toward turning the experience back to normal. Disney has also had to close loopholes regarding its safety guidelines in the past.

With today’s Direct comes a level of (possibly unwarranted) hype, but if you want to at least feel satisfied with the opportunity to save, Nintendo’s E3 2021-adjacent sales event is starting to go live now. My personal favorites are the Nintendo Online subscription deal and the Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch.

Various things retailers are already rolling out sale prices, and the official sale at the Nintendo eShop kicks off today at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. We’ll keep updating this article as deals go live.

Buy Nintendo Online, Get a Free 128GB microSD Card

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Nintendo Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. Edition Deal

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Nintendo Switch Game Deals

Nintendo Switch Deals at Amazon

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Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Deals

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Be sure to check out our full E3 2021 schedule to make sure you don’t miss any of the Nintendo announcements happening later today. And for more discounts, be sure to check out early Prime Day sale items, and what to expect in terms of Prime Day video game deals.

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Seth Macy is IGN’s Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and just wants to be your friend. You can follow him on Twitter.