Author: Trafficblast

Disc Room, Devolver Digital’s upcoming game about running through rooms full of razor-sharp buzzsaws, has a release date and a Switch version on the way. The game, previously announced for PC, will hit both Steam and the Switch Eshop on October 22.

Nothing we write is going to sum up Disc Room quite as elegantly as the description at the start of the video below: “Disc Room is a game about rooms with discs. Really, really sharp discs.”

The game is set in 2089, when a giant disc appears around Jupiter. For whatever reason, you’re sent in there to explore it–and it turns out the rooms in the disc are filled with traps.

There are unique goals to complete in each room, all of which revolve around dodging between saws. Sometimes the goals you’ll need to complete are obtuse, and are more like puzzles than reflex tests.

You’ll also unlock new abilities throughout Disc Room as you die repeatedly, which will make rooms easier to complete. Leaderboards in each level will let you know how you compare against other players, too.

For more on Disc Room, check out our video of eight of the game’s deadly chambers.

Among Us players have started to experience different types of cheating when they hop into matches. Thanks to cheaters, players have had their nicknames edited, their entire crews ejected at the start of the match, and had games where there was an extra impostor. The three person studio Innersloth has been trying to tackle the problem.

“We’re rushing to get an account system in place so we can have better moderation and reporting systems built around that,” Among Us programmer Forest Willard told Kotaku. “Also getting help with making the servers better at detecting and blocking hacks. And investigating client-side hack prevention as well. I’m sort of scrambling to get all the right people in place, but I’m attacking it from multiple angles so it can get better in many ways hopefully all at once.”

There is no reward, cosmetic or otherwise, for winning in Among Us, which makes the presence of cheaters and griefers particularly odd.

Among Us saw a huge uptick in players over the last few months after multiple streamers broadcasted the game. The popularity, just like Fall Guys before it, brought a number of cheaters to the online game. Innersloth didn’t expect any of this success so they are racing to get basic features, like accounts, set up. The studio cancelled their planned sequel in order to focus on improving the current game.

While Innersloth works to implement these changes, the best way to avoid cheaters is to get a group of friends together and play with them.

Today’s deal of the day at Amazon is a good one for anyone who enjoys candy. It’s also good for anyone planning on providing sugary treats in a safe way to tick-or-treaters this year. The online retailer has bulk Hershey candy, including Halloween variety packs, up to 30% off. But grab these deals fast if you want them, because they go away at midnight.

The only problem with this sale is that the candy ships several weeks before Halloween. Might want to order extra to make sure you still have some on hand when the spooky holiday rolls around.

Save Up to 30% Off Halloween Candy

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And while we’re on the subject of Amazon, a reminder that Amazon Prime Day is a two-day event spanning October 13-14. See our full Prime Day rundown for a look at early deals and what to expect once the sale gets in full swing.

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered has been announced, and it’s coming out for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 6. A Nintendo Switch release will follow on November 13.

The Criterion Games-developed Need For Speed Hot Pursuit came out 10 years ago and is still a fan-favorite. It’s being released this November with updated visuals, all of its DLC, cross-platform multiplayer, and more in the form of a remaster from EA. You can check out the remaster’s reveal in the trailer below:

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“Unleash a savage sense of speed both as an outlaw and a cop in this timeless racing experience updated for today’s platforms,” a blog post detailing the announcement reads. “Get cross-platform multiplayer and Autolog, enhanced visuals, all main DLC delivered at launch, and much more. It’s time to reignite the pursuit.”

This remaster will be presented with updated visuals across all platforms. The Nintendo Switch version runs at 1080p/30fps in its docked mode and 720p/30fps undocked. Depending on PC specifications, the PC version can play up to 4K/60fps and the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X can play at either 4K/30fps or 1080p/60fps. The base version of those consoles plays at 1080p/30fps.

“In addition to the listed improvements for the Nintendo Switch version, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions, (the game has also been) updated with upressed UI, higher resolution reflections, boosted textures, more particles, and improved AA/SSAO,” the blog post reads.

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As mentioned in the trailer above, the game’s multiplayer will feature cross play and rankings will display on your friends’ Speedwalls — leader boards — no matter what platform they play on. In terms of DLC, the remaster includes the SCPD Rebel Racer pack, the Super Sports pack, the Armed and Dangerous pack, the Lamborghini Untamed pack, and the Porsche Unleashed pack, all available at launch. This adds “an extra six hours of gameplay and more than 30 challenges,” according to EA.

The remaster also includes new achievements, car colors, car wraps, reduced hard stops, an updated photo mode and gallery, multiple quality-of-life updates, and more.

For those unfamiliar with the game, Hot Pursuit was notable at the time of its release because it allowed you to race as vehicles on both sides of the law. You could race your best vehicle through Seacrest County’s many roads or you could drive as the police, chasing down those who use the county’s roads as race tracks. Check out our original review of Need For Speed Hot Pursuit, where we awarded the game a 9/10 and called it “pure over-the-top driving entertainment”.

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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Genshin Impact has managed 17 million downloads on mobile alone over the first four days of its release, with analysts estimating that it’s grossed $50 million since launch.

The free-to-play action-RPG arrived on PlayStation 4, PC, iOS and Android on September 28, and mobile analytics company App Annie posted the downloads milestone on Twitter on October 4.

Oct 5 – #AppAnnie‘s #mobile #statoftheday

#GenshinImpact by @mihoyo saw 17 Million global downloadsin its first 4 days! #mobilegaming

Follow us for your daily dose of the latest #mobilestats
https://t.co/an6BE4NU6I to follow @GenshinImpact‘s #appstore rankings

— App Annie (@appannie) October 4, 2020

That huge early uptake means that the game is already a top grossing mobile title in across Asia, and in the US. Speaking to IGN, Daniel Ahmad, Senior Analyst at Niko Partners, estimates that the game has grossed $50 million in its first week, with the majority of that revenue coming from China, Japan, and the US.

“The game had more than 20 million pre-registrations prior to launch, of which more than 5 million were from outside China”, explains Ahmad. “This is a huge achievement not just for a Chinese developed game, but for a new original IP too.”

Genshin Impact has been compared to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild due to its visual aesthetic and design. The game is an open-world action-RPG with gachapon elements, and it has already proven to be quite the success on social media. A Nintendo Switch version is currently in the works too, with a release date unannounced.

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It’s the latest in a series of Chinese games that have caught western attention, which Ahmad says is part of a deliberate attempt to crack new markets: “As the mobile games market matures in China, developers are looking to reach new players, both outside China and on new platforms. Both small and large Chinese studios have been investing in more robust experiences that can scale to console and PC. As many have seen with previously announced games such as Lost Soul Aside, Bright Memory Infinite and Black Myth Wu Kong, Chinese game developers are beginning to make their mark in the West.”

“While the distribution and monetisation model for Genshin Impact are already accepted in China,” Ahmad continues, “the game is popularising AAA free to play and gacha games in the West. [Developer] MiHoYo has worked to ensure that gamers can play the title without needing to pay to progress, while still being able to monetise from those who want to pay and obtain the best characters and equipment earlier.”

If you’re interested in checking Genshin Impact out, take a look at our hands-on preview from March of this year to learn more about how it plays. We’ve also got some Genshin Impact guides to check out if you’re already playing. Here’s the skinny on acquiring wishes and here’s an article explaining how you can play co-op with your friends.

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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Egypt has unearthed 59 ancient mummies from 2,600 years ago and fortunately for Brendan Fraser, no curse has been detected.

Egypt’s Tourism and Antiquities Minister, Khalid el-Anany, announced on October 3 that a team of archaeologists discovered dozens of coffins in a necropolis south of Cairo, according to a report from The Washington Post. This led to the discovery of 59 sealed sarcophagi, many of which had mummies inside. It was determined that these sarcophagi were buried more than 2,600 years ago.

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“I consider this the beginning of a big discovery,” el-Anany said.

That’s because el-Anany said this discovery was just the first of many that he believes will lead to even more sarcophagi from the area. As if Brendan Fraser, who played famed adventurer and tomb raider Rick O’Connell in 1999’s The Mummy, wasn’t already sweating over what might lie within, one of the 59 sarcophagi was opened at a press conference on October 3 to reveal the mummy inside. Fortunately, no curses were released and Imhotep and his army of undead were nowhere to be found.

The mummies were discovered in Saqqara, which is home to 11 pyramids. These sarcophagi were specifically discovered in the Step Pyramid. The burial sites in Saqqara date back to the 1st Dynasty, which ranges from 2921 B.C. to 2770 B.C.E., and to the Coptic period, which ranges from 395 to 492 C.E.

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Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, told reporters that the coffins likely belonged to priests and other elite figures of the Pharaonic Late period, which ranges from 664 to 525 B.C.E. These coffins were found with 28 statues of Ptah-Soker, the main god of the Saqqara necropolis, and a 35cm bronze statue of Nefertum, god of the lotus blossom and perfume.

El-Anany said these 59 coffins will join 30 ancient wooden coffins discovered earlier this month in Luxor and all of them will be showcased at the Grand Egyptian Museum currently under construction near the Giza Pyramids.

For more mummies, read about this dinosaur mummy discovered in 2017 and then read about what happened when when a mysterious black sarcophagus was finally opened in Egypt last year.

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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

The Festival of the Lost, Destiny 2 yearly Halloween event, is back starting October 6. The final holiday event before the release of the Beyond Light expansion on November 10 is free to all players, and revamps some of the aspects that have defined the Festival for the last few years. As usual, you’ll have the ability to dress up and trick-or-treat in-game for the event, gathering candy from activities and other characters and wearing Halloween masks to increase your bounties. But this year’s take on the Festival makes a few small, subtle changes, allowing you to earn both new rewards and new versions of old ones.

Bungie detailed the Festival in a blog post, which explains the tweaks to this year’s festivities. Once again, players will return to a spooky version of Mercury’s Infinite Forest. Dubbed the Haunted Forest, your goal there is to get as far as you can in 15 minutes. Your goal is to kill as many enemies as possible to extend your timer as you work through each of the Haunted Forest’s branches–but you’ll be hunted by some huge unkillable baddies along the way, as well.

Destiny 2 Festival of the Lost Start Time

• October 6, 10 AM PT
• October 6, 1 PM ET
• October 6, 5 PM GMT
• October 7, 4 AM AET

Venturing into the Forest and completing Festival of the Lost bounties will earn you Chocolate Strange Coins, which you can then spend on special Festival rewards. These include a variety of masks of different characters that you’ll be able to wear on a helmet you earn during the Festival. The masks are all armor ornaments for the Masquerader’s Helmet you’ll get from vendor Eva Levante, which means you can wear them without a big Power loss as in previous years. You’ll earn new masks from Eva, and if you have the masks from the 2018 and 2019 Festival of the Lost, you’ll be able to equip those as well.

In addition to the other currencies at play, this year, there’s a new caveat–when you start the festival, you’ll visit the Spider on the Tangled Shore. He’ll introduce you to a new item called a Cipher Decoder. You’ll gather these in events in the rest of the solar system, then take them into the Haunted Forest to open optional caches scattered throughout; as many as five per run.

Past Festival of the Lost rewards return this year, offering the opportunity to get new rolls on the guns. Both Horror Story from two years ago and last year’s Braytech Werewolf will be available on your Haunted Forest runs, offering random rolls so you can get find some new favorites. There are new Triumphs with the Festival of the Lost this year, and you’ll be able to earn some new masks through gameplay, as well as buy additional masks and other cosmetics through the Eververse Store.

The Halloween event also has its own cosmetic rewards. You can snag some new monster-themed gear from the Eververse Store, and there are new items you can earn through gameplay, including a bandage wrapped sparrow, ship, and Ghost shell.

As has been the case for the last year, the Festival of the Lost will feature its own set of specific Triumphs to clear during the month-long event. There are also a few Festival-specific mods that can give you an edge in the Haunted Forest, like Vampiric Touch, which gives you health regeneration on precision kills, and Energetic Assassin, which makes precision kills grant grenade and melee energy. You’ll only be able to use those mods during the Festival, though, so make sure you unlock them and equip them early for best results.

The Festival of the Lost is open to all players, including those in the free-to-play New Light version of Destiny 2. You’ll need to be at least 770 Power to access the Haunted Forest, which is pretty low and easily attainable with a bit of grinding even if you’re brand new to the game. The Festival of the Lost kicks off on October 6 and runs until November 3.