Category: Games

Multiple sources say that Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage could be delayed to January 21, 2022.

According to Variety, several inside sources have revealed that the much-delayed, highly-anticipated Venom sequel will leave 2021 entirely, even as studios wrestle with putting movies exclusively in theaters. Variety says this is likely, but given the uncertainties around COVID-19 things are still up in the air.

Sony has not made any official confirmation, and the report indicates that the company will wait until after the annual CinemaCon exhibition before making an announcement if any.

If the delay does happen, Venom’s 2022 January release date is currently occupied by the Jared Leto movie Morbius, which will likely shift dates once Venom moves into its spot.

This will be Venom’s fourth delay if confirmed, having first been slated to premiere in June, before getting pushed back to September 17, then September 24, and then most recently October 15.

As vaccinations were introduced in the United States, production companies were slowly releasing movies again exclusively in theaters, or at the very least hybrid distributions between theaters and digital. Black Widow for example was released in both theaters and Disney Premiere Access.

However, new surges with the Delta Variant have potentially impacted return to theaters, and several high-profile releases, like Black Widow, were met with lower than expected box office returns.

This development may be forcing some movie companies to begin considering further delays until customers are once again comfortable seeing movies in theaters.

IGN has reached out to Sony for comment.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Ghost of Tsushima‘s Iki Island expansion adds a new side-activity where you can create safe havens for the local cat population. By playing a flute mini-game, Jin can bring together cats to live in a peaceful sanctuary where you can hang out and pet them to your heart’s content. Below, we’ve compiled a guide on how to find them all.

Completing one Cat Sanctuary earns you the Charm of Nekoma’s Hunt. This stealth charm allows you to throw kunai at distant targets during Chain Assassinations, essentially allowing you to kill three targets still even if one of them isn’t near you. And the range you can throw kunai will only increase with every subsequent Cat Sanctuary you only.

For more about Ghost of Tsushima’s Iki Island expansion, be sure to read our full review. Otherwise, be sure to check out our other Iki Island guides roundup and our guides roundup for the base game.

East of Old Gambler’s Wood

Gallery

The first Cat Sanctuary you’ll find is likely the one located east of Old Gambler’s Wood. You’ll see it on a hill just before hitting the river that runs through the area.

West of Zasho River

Gallery

The next Cat Sanctuary is west of Zasho River and Yahata Forest, located on the river bank near a small waterfall.

North of Barrier Cove

Gallery

The last Cat Sanctuary is located at the northeastmost tip of Iki Island, just north of Barrier Cove. Unfortunately, some Mongols have taken up residence in this area, and even worse, they’ve taken several cats hostage. Clear this area of the Mongols and liberate the cats from their cages. Once that’s done, you can safely establish this final Cat Sanctuary.

Today’s Destiny 2 Showcase included a look at new content that already has fans of the franchise excited. However, it also included Bungie’s next step in its fight against cheaters, which could come with some side effects. The developer is now using BattlEye anti-cheat software in Destiny 2, a step that should keep cheaters out of the game. Unfortunately, it may come at the player’s expense, making the game run worse.

In a post on its website, Bungie detailed BattlEye’s implementation and exactly what the anti-cheat software will do. According to the post, BattlEye will let the developer “detect more active cheats” but “won’t be a silver bullet fix that will end all cheating in Destiny forever.”

For the time being, BattlEye isn’t being given free rein to ban players either. Bungie is putting the service through a kind of trial period, with automatic ban permission coming “sometime before Trials of Osiris goes live on September 10.”

While the new anti-cheat software will likely prevent some cheaters from ruining games in Destiny 2, players will have to pay for that security, not with money but precious frames per second. “Anti-cheat solutions require some additional system resources to keep watch and you may see some reduction in frames and performance after Update 3.3.0 goes live,” said Bungie. BattlEye will also cause Destiny 2 to boot up slower, but won’t affect your system’s overall performance when the game isn’t running.

Bungie’s post goes on to say how the developer is combating other forms of cheating in Destiny 2, including win trading, a practice where players intentionally throw matches to boost another team’s ranking. Bungie is now “targeting players for bans who are actively engaging in win trading.”

Bungie’s action against cheaters in Destiny 2 also extends outside of the game and into the courtroom. The company recently filed a joint lawsuit with Ubisoft against Ring-1, a cheat distributor that sells cheat bundles for Destiny 2, Rainbow Six Siege, and other competitive titles.

Riot is moving the League of Legends’ World Championship 2021 from China to Europe, citing concerns over COVID. In a video, the global head of esports at Riot Games, John Needham, announced the decision to move the competition from China to Europe because COVID protocols and travel restrictions might cause some players and teams to be unable to attend the event in China.

“Riot esports will always maintain the competitive integrity of our sport,” Needham said. “A Worlds where a handful of qualified teams and possibly more wouldn’t be able to compete with their full rosters felt very compromised.”

According to a report from Upcomer, production teams at Riot ran into difficulties securing travel to China, and this decision was made recently. Some teams looking to qualify for Worlds were still attempting to secure travel visas as recently as Friday. Worlds was set to be a multi-city tournament, spanning multiple Chinese cities.

Needham said that while Worlds will take place in Europe, the exact location has not yet been determined. He said that the primary factor will be the ability to have as many players and teams that qualify to attend as possible.

The League of Legends World Championship does not yet have any announced dates either. The 2020 Championship was held in China without fans, except for the Grand Finals, which accommodated a small crowd. Needham apologized to the Chinese League of Legends community in the video, saying that Riot is planning on still holding viewing events in China for the World Championship, although no details were provided.

Destiny 2’s next big expansion was officially unveiled during Bungie’s latest showcase event. Destiny 2: The Witch Queen releases February 22, 2022 for Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, and Stadia. Multiple editions are already available to preorder, including a lavish Collector’s Edition. You can get numerous bonuses and in-game content for preordering, and the items unlock instantly.

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen preorder bonuses

If you preorder any edition of Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, you’ll receive three items that can be used in Destiny 2 immediately:

• Throne World Exotic Ghost Shell
• The Enigma Exotic Emote
• Legendary Emblem

Note: Xbox preorders aren’t live just yet, but they should be available soon.

Score great deals on two unique standalone “consoles”. The Atgames Legends Gamer Mini looks like an arcade stick (and can be used as such), but it has over 100 games built-in so you can play without connecting it to anything other than your TV. The Oculus Quest 2 is easily best VR headset that can be played without tethering to your PC. Today, Oculus released the “V2” model with double the storage for the same price. In other deal news, save 15% off the newly released Aliens Fireteam Elite game, grab an Intel Evo certified ultraportable laptop for under $600, or take advantage of the Herman Miller Gaming Anniversary Sale, which ends tomorrow. These deals and more below.

45% Off Atgames Legends Gamer Mini (Standalone Arcade Console)

The Atgames Legends Gamer Mini is a wireless arcade control top that also serves as a standalone arcade console (with the included puck). Plug the puck in and you get to play over 100 licensed built-in arcade classics without ever having to buy a separate arcade cabinet. The Gamer Mini connects via Bluetooth or via USB (hard-wired). You can also use it as a controller for your PC, streaming device, or gaming console.

Out Today: New Oculus Quest 2 VR Headset with More Storage, Same Price

The Oculus Quest 2 has so far been the best value when it comes to VR gaming. It’s hundreds of dollars cheaper than its competitors, it has phenomenal tracking, it doesn’t need to be tethered to a PC, and it boasts a huge library of games (even Half Life: Alyx is easily playable on the Quest 2). It’s also the best VR headset for Beat Saber. Now, Oculus has re-released its Oculus Quest 2 VR headset with double the storage (128GB vs 64GB) for the exact same price. There’s even less of a reason now to pick something else.

15% Off Aliens Fireteam Elite

If you’re looking for a fun and scary co-op shooter romp, then give Aliens Fireteam Elite a try. It just came out this week and it’s already 15% off at Walmart. It even comes with the preorder bonus, which includes some character and weapon skins and emotes. Both the PS5 and Xbox versions are currently discounted.

Ending Tomorrow: Herman Miller Gaming Anniversary Sale: 15% Off Gaming Chairs

Herman Miller makes the best ergonomic chairs in the industry. They’re also not cheap, with several of their models easily topping over $1000 in price. Penny pinchers might find it a waste of money, but honestly, in this case you get what you pay for. Many of us could spend a majority of our lives stuck to our chair, it makes sense that this would be one of the most important purchases we make. Today, Herman Miller is offering 15% off their top-of-the-line gaming collaborations with Logitech. This is the first time we’ve seen a substantial discount on these outside of Sample Sales and employee-only offers. If you’ve got deep pockets, then you’ll save on what is probably the best gaming chair on the market.

Dell G15 RTX 3050 Ti Gaming Laptop

This is the lowest price we’ve seen for an RTX 3050 Ti equipped gaming laptop. The RTX 3050 Ti is the modern day equivalent to the super popular GTX 1660 Ti, with performance roughtly the same between the two. The GTX 1660 Ti has 2GB more VRAM, but the RTX 3060 Ti has DLSS, which very noticeably improvesgaming performance without compromising on image quality. If you’re going to be gaming at 1080p, this card should fit the bill quite nicely.

Dell XPS 13 Intel Iris Xe Ultraportable Laptop (2.6lbs)

If you’re looking for an ultraportable laptop at a low price, you can’t beat this deal. The Dell XPS 13 weighs only 2.6 pounds and the chassis is cut from two blocks of aluminum. Thanks to the compact bezel, the 13.3″ screen fits in a 11″ form factor. Despite the compact size, there’s plenty of power under the hood, including an 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor, the latest Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of memory, and a generous 1TB SSD, all for under $1K.

MSI Prestige 14″ Intel Evo Ultraportable Laptop

Not any ultraportable laptop can get the official “Intel Evo” certification. They have to meet a rather long list of strict requirements. For example, they must be equipped with 11th gen Intel processors and Intel Iris Xe graphics, they need to be able to run for up to 9 hours of “strong” use and 16 hours of video playback, they need to be able to recharge 4 hours of battery life in 30 minutes, they need to be able to wake from sleep in under 1 second, they need to be equipped with WiFi 6, Thunderbolt 4, and USB Type-C, and more. That usually makes Intel Evo laptops pricier than your average ultraportable. This MSI Prestige laptop is the least expensive Evo laptop we’ve seen, even cheaper than the ones we saw on Prime Day.

2021 LG C1 4K OLED TVs with Free Newegg Credit

Newegg is offering a bonus gift card and extended 3 year warranty on top of the best price you’ll find on the new 2021 LG OLED TV. The LG C1-series OLED TV improves upon last year’s highly-rated CX model with an upgraded A9 Gen 4 processor that delivers slightly better image quality, better 4K scaling, and improved audio handling as well as a new webOS smart TV redesign. The C1 OLED TV (especially the 48″ model) works well with an RTX 30 series equipped gaming PC because it has HDMI 2.1 inputs that support 4K at 120Hz, G-SYNC, and chroma 4:4:4. It’s easily one of the best (if not the best) TVs on the market right now.

Mario Kart Live Home Circuit for Switch

Mario Kart Live Home Circuit originally debuted at $99.99 but today it’s a whopping 40% off. Mario Kart Live combines the traditional Mario Kart video game with an actual remote-controlled car. Your house is the literal race track. The car doesn’t feel like a cheap toy either; it’s a decent size and weight, with good responsive controls, and a built-in camera so that it can see its surroundings and set up a virtual course. If you have multiple cars, up to 4 players can race around the house together.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for PS5

Ratchet & Clank is the best looking game on the PS5 console, and probably one of the best look games on any console, ever. Of course, it’s not just about looks; Rift Apart is a fantastic game overall, with an engaging story, hilarious characters, and super fun platforming gameplay. The cheapest way to get this game right now is to buy a pre-owned copy at Gamefly. If you’re worried about the quality of Gamefly pre-owned games, fret not. We’ve purchased several pre-owned games from them and they’ve always come in mint condition, with original covers and scratch-free discs. They’re definitely a big step up from the gamble you’d be making at Gamestop.

Video Game Deals

More Daily Deals for August 24

EA is giving away accessibility-related patents used in some of its biggest games, including Apex Legends’ popular Ping system, in the hope that they will be used and expanded upon by other developers to help make video games more inclusive.

There are currently five patents covered under EA’s “Patent Pledge,” which involves EA making pledged patents available for public use alongside a legally binding promise to not file a lawsuit against those who use any patents documented in the pledge.

One of those patents, the “contextually aware communication systems,” is the Ping system used in Apex Legends. Revolutionary when Apex Legends first released, it allows players to better communicate in-game without the need for text or voice communication, making the game more accessible. The ping system has since been mimicked by numerous other shooters since, including Call of Duty: Warzone.

Three other patents involve making games more accessible for players with vision-related issues by “automatically detecting and modifying colors, brightness, and contrast in-game to improve visibility of objects with similar luminosities.” These vision-related patents have been used in games like Madden and FIFA.

A fifth patent involves technology EA notes it has not actually developed yet, but would be used for “generating personalized music based on a user’s hearing information and stylistic preference to best comport with the user’s hearing issues.”

EA says it plans to add more accessibility-related patents to the pledge in the future while also looking to identify other potential technologies it could make open source.

Chris Bruzzo, executive vice president of positive play, commercial and marketing at EA, said in a press release that EA’s mission is to “inspire the world to play,” but that can only be done if video games are more accessible for all players.

“We hope developers will make the most of these patents and encourage those who have the resources, innovation and creativity to do as we have by making their own pledges that put accessibility first,” Bruzzo said. “We welcome collaboration with others on how we move the industry forward together.”

Accessibility options have become increasingly important features for games to include. Games like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart made it so enabling accessibility options would have no effect on collecting the game’s trophies, and Last of Us Part 2 offered a particularly robust set of accessibility tools for player to enable.

No matter how strong the members of your squad are in Aliens: Fireteam Elite, they’re always going to need someone to patch them up during combat. Biological superweapons with an insatiable urge to murder anything that threatens their hive leave a lasting effect on even the hardiest of marines, but fortunately the Doc-class is always round to keep soldiers in the fight. Here’s everything that you need to know about using Aliens: Fireteam Elite’s medic.

Weapons

• Rifle
• Hand gun

Medics should be kept away from danger as much as possible, and their arsenal reinforces that notion as they can make use of a wide range of weapons that work from any distance. The primary rifle-class guns they can wield allow them to work from long to mid-range easily with auto rifles and marksman gear, while their secondary guns can rip through any Xenomorphs that get too close to them. Hand guns are a versatile slot, and can be filled with hard-hitting revolvers, pay ‘n spray SMGs, and even small shotguns.

Abilities

• Trauma Station
• Combat Stims

The key ability for the Doc is a mobile medic station that can be deployed, which instantly heals anyone within its field. The catch here though is that a trauma station has a limited supply of energy, so you’ll have to choose when and where to use it strategically. Its energy supplies can be restored by picking up any leftover first aid kits in the game though, so players who are willing to sacrifice their med-kits can help keep this device stocked and charged for the big showdowns that lie at the end of each level.

The Doc’s Combat Stims are also incredibly useful for keeping players in fighting fit form, as this ability temporarily buffs your party with a big increase to accuracy, stability, stamina regen, and movement speed. Popping this skill when a horde approaches turns regular soldiers into super-soldiers, and if used at the right time, allows them to tear through even the toughest enemies on the battlefield.

Unique ability – Field Medic

For each nearby ally, your ability recharge speed is increased by 15%. Picking up an aid kit restores a portion of your trauma station’s energy.

Core perks

• Doc Handgun Training – Increase the range and weak point damage of handguns by 15%.
• Bedside Manner – You can pick up downed allies twice as fast and your entire team’s bleedout time is increased by 25%.
• Doc Rifle Training – Increases the accuracy and magazine capacity of rifles by 15%.
• Surgeon’s Hands – You can no longer be stumbled while interacting with objects, reviving allies, or using an aid kit.
• Anesthesiologist – After not taking damage for at least 10 seconds, gain 10% of your current health as temp health.
• Readiness – Your movement and ability recharge speeds are increased by 10% and your reload speed and handling are increased by 20%.

Modifiers

• Painkiller Station – Your trauma station now increases damage resistance and gun handling by 30%, but has 20% less energy.
• Suppression Station – Your trauma station now has a larger radius and debuffs enemies who step into it, reducing their movement speed and damage dealt.
• Support System – Your outgoing healing is increased by 20% and allies now gain 15% ability recharge speed while standing near you.
• Super Serum – Combat Stims grant 30% handling and additionally cause stamina regeneration to no longer be halted by dodging for its duration.
• Doc Rifle Expertise – Increases the stability and weak point damage of rifles by 15%.
• Doc Handgun Expertise – Increases the reload speed and accuracy of handguns by 15%.
• Beneficial Side-Effects – Whenever trauma station heals a target, they are granted 2.5% of unmodified combat stims.
• Rapid Recovery – Picking up a downed ally grants them 50% more health and your entire team’s bleedout time is increased by another 25%.
• Overdose – The cooldown time of Combat Stims is doubled but its effects are twice as powerful and lasts 50% longer.
• Doc Rifle Mastery – Increases the fire rate and handling of rifles by 15%.
• Doc Handgun Mastery – Increases the fire rate and handling of handguns by 15%.
• Strength In Numbers – Field Medic now also grants you 5% damage dealt, 5% damage-resistant for each nearby ally.
• Peace of Mind – Increases the radius of trauma station by 20%

Strategy

Docs aren’t just vital for keeping your team healthy, they’re actually tough combat medics who can boost a fireteam’s abilities with their combat stims to turn them into even deadlier soldiers. Keeping an eye on a Doc and ensuring that they remain relatively safe from any harm is essential, but Docs in return need to focus more on boosting their fellow troopers in battle and ensuring that they can carry on fighting during even the direst of situations. Likewise, this class can modify its core abilities to turn entire battles around with their abilities to shrug off interruptions, resulting in a marine that’s hard to knock down and complements other classes well.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is out now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. For more on the game, you can check out our review and our other guides that’ll get you prepped for the fight ahead.

The Gunk, the latest game from the Steamworld creators Image & Form (part of Thunderful), is now set for an Xbox console and PC launch this December.

Revealed alongside a new gameplay trailer during the Gamescom 2021 Xbox stream, Thunderful confirmed The Gunk will be released sometime in December 2021, though did not offer an exact release date just yet. You can check out the new gameplay below.

Developed in Unreal Engine 4, Thunderful explained that The Gunk will run at a stable 30 fps on Xbox One, while it will play at 60 fps and up to 4K resolution on Xbox Series X and S and PC.

Players take on the role of Rani, who, along with her partner Becks, arrive on an alien planet only to discover the titular gunk, which is damaging their new environment. The Gunk has a focus on exploration, and will introduce players to a number of different biomes, such as “a rocky canyon region, a dense jungle, deep subterranean caves (we couldn’t help ourselves) and a few more surprises, too,” according to Thunderful’s Ulf Hartelius on the Xbox Wire.

Rani uses her proesthetic power-glove, known as Pumpkin, to clean up the gunk as she aims to save these natural environments from corruption.

Thunderful first debuted The Gunk last year, marking a shift away from the familiar aesthetic of the developer’s acclaimed Steamworld series. We awarded he last SteamWorld release, SteamWorld Quest, an 8.6 review, saying its “card-based RPG combat offers an insane amount of choice, making it as flexible as it is fun.”

Jonathon Dornbush is IGN’s Senior Features Editor, PlayStation Lead, and host of Podcast Beyond! He’s the proud dog father of a BOY named Loki. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.