Category: Games

After the indulgent Monster Hunter Rise Tokyo Game Show presentations and our developer interview, we’ve already learned multiple details about the next Nintendo Switch Monster Hunter. Out of all of these, there’s one detail that will continue to affect all Monster Hunter games, at least for the near future: Monster Hunter games with subheads, like World and Rise, are the new norm for the series, with numbered games no longer preferred.

In an interview with Monster Hunter Rise producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Yasunori Ichinose (which you can learn more about in the video above), Tsujimoto said each new game is based around a specific theme or concept, and they decided that it would be better to give new Monster Hunters a title that reflects their focus – for example, World’s introduction of large, open areas, and Rise’s emphasis on verticality.

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Specifically, I asked if Rise and World were examples of a new normal naming convention, and if we were done with numbered Monster Hunters. Tsujimoto responded with: “Yeah… Each new game is based around a specific theme or concept, and we decided that it would be better for the players to understand what kind of, what the game is about, if we give the game a title that reflects what it’s about rather than just a number. So yes, we will be doing this in the future as well.”

Though we can’t be completely certain numbered Monster Hunters are permanently put to rest, expect more descriptive titles in the near future.

For more on Monster Hunter Rise, read about Monster Hunter Rise’s Skippable Cutscenes and More New Details we learned in our full interview, and watch the Monster Hunter Rise Tokyo Game Show gameplay presentation above.

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Casey DeFreitas is an Editor at IGN who loves monster hunting, slaying, and catching. Catch her on Twitter @ShinyCaseyD.

Just before Fall Guys came out, we discussed the creation of one of its hardest games, Slime Climb, with lead game designer Joe Walsh and junior level designer Joseph “JJ” Juson. Two months later, as we approach the release of Fall Guys Season 2, we invited the pair back to talk through a level that might just take Slime Climb’s crown.

Yesterday, we were pleased to exclusively reveal a new level, Knight Fever, and you can watch footage of it in action below. But what went into creating this medieval gauntlet of spikes, scythes and drawbridges? This is how Mediatonic created Knight Fever, your new favourite level to fear.

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What Is Knight Fever?

Joseph “JJ” Juson: Knight Fever is, I guess, familiar in a sense that it’s a race level. It’s one of our big 60-player, race-to-the-finish-line, be top 75% [events]. We knew that this was going to be dropping after people had got to grips with these kinds of levels, and had got quite good at them, and so we thought, “Let’s make one for these players who’ve conquered everything else so far and do a really hard version of that.”

On a smaller scale, we have a lot of new obstacles in Season 2, and a lot of these are showcased in this level. So we have rotating spike logs, and we have these scythes that swing really fast, and we have these massive log swings with spikes on them that are trying to get you. So when we were looking at this level, it was really about, “How can we show these off in a difficult way, and also in a way where it’s back-to-back obstacles?” I think, more than our other races, you can fall off at any point – there are some bits that I still find really hard and I’m falling off all the time.

The Inspiration

Joe Walsh: There are just a couple of obstacles in game shows that we’d seen when we were researching Fall Guys in general. One of the things we looked at is Richard Gere in The First Knight – he goes through this epic swinging obstacle course of swinging scythes and that was in our brains, like, “That’s pretty good. We should probably use that.” Then the other one is this TV show called Raven that used to exist back in the day, and it had this thing called The Way Of The Warrior, where the person who was rubbish at Raven would get a go at completing this obstacle course in order to qualify. For those who don’t know, it’s a kids’ TV show with a high fantasy style and an amazing Scottish host. It’s just a great obstacle course with some really scary-looking obstacles.

I think we just had really good ideas for medieval obstacles that felt too good to put into the launch game, because it felt like we could do a whole season just around medieval stuff. Knight Fever is like a greatest hits of all of our favorite medieval obstacles from these shows that we like.

The Concept

JJ: The first step of working on a level like this was basically taking those obstacles and brainstorming around different sections that would fit them. There are some obstacles where it feels very natural, what you’re going to be doing with them. The scythe for example – at least to start with, you’re going to be running through a row of these scythes. And then it was kind of like, “OK, well how do we make that interesting? How do we make that feel like Fall Guys?” Because we obviously still want it to feel like it’s a game show, and this is an obstacle course. So, I spent a few days doing that and put together a document of some ideas for sections with these obstacles. The obstacle designs were so good that it was like they kind of made themselves.

We realized quite early that there was a lot of balancing, basically. You’re either running along a beam and avoiding scythes, or you’re running along a beam and avoiding the swinging log, or you’re running across this spike log and it’s like, “OK, well it’s a bit overboard on balancing, that’s all you’re doing.” So we then took it back a little bit and looked at different ways to use these obstacles that weren’t necessarily just about staying on a tight beam.

One of the things I knew, even actually before we started, probably before we even had the obstacles, was I knew that I wanted a drop halfway through the level, like a slimy drop. Kind of reversed to the end of Hit Parade where you’re going up and there are the things moving across – let’s give people the opportunity to just go down as a fun moment halfway through. So that kind of forms the basis of the structure.

Once we had that on paper and we were happy with that, we went into the blocking out phase and I would make these sections separately. It’s an interesting way to make a level, especially a level like this that’s pretty big and quite long – you have no idea how any of the sections are really going to play or feel until you have the whole thing together. I could go down that little slide on its own and it’s like, “Well, great. Does it feel like I earned that in the level and does it feel like it’s actually fun in conjunction with the other stuff?” So you have to make it all to then know if these sessions are going to work.

We had one section, which had these giant logs swings, and it was kind of like a maze that you would be going through, under the log swings. On paper it looked quite cool, it felt like you’d be able to make some interesting choices and jump across. Then when I actually got in the [level] editor, it probably should have been something I saw before, but the log swings were just hitting each other, because they were massive and there was no space. It was so cramped and it just didn’t really work as a section. I was playing around with it a bit, but I think you get that inherent feeling now, I think having worked on these levels for a long time, you just know, “This doesn’t Fall Guys and it’s not going to work.”

I think we realized, we don’t need that many because they’re so big and so tricky to get past, that two is enough. So we have this massive half pipe with loads of holes in it, and you’ve got to avoid these giant log swings. I think it’s much more enjoyable than the original section we wanted to make.

Joe: [Knight Fever] is more of a skill check, I think. It’s definitely harder and I think it creates this nice image of storming the castle, which is something we talked about really early on – we wanted the finish line to be these two big crenelated towers and it’s like a hoard of badly dressed, wacky, overweight Fall Guys charging through. It just seemed like the right thing and we wanted to, just for this one at least, really funnel players together and have them getting in each other’s way and tripping over each other and stuff like that.

The Future

JJ: I think when you think you’ve mastered how to make a Fall Guys level, it changes because people master this stuff and get better at it and are like, “Well, where’s the new challenge? What’s the next new thing for me to tackle in this game?” Part of [dealing with] that is we’ve been doing this level variation stuff where we’ve got different versions of the levels we know. I think having these new obstacles, the Season 2 drop isn’t the end of how we can use this stuff. It just gives us a really good platform for the future.

Joe: I do think we’re asking more of players with Season 2, for sure – both in these levels and then later on when we bring these obstacles elsewhere in the game – I think it’s going to be really exciting to see people try and master these ones.

JJ: If every race level was as hard as Knight Fever, I don’t think the game would be as fun as it is, but I think when you can sprinkle this into the mix of levels that are already there, you really give different play styles and different people the opportunity to shine or have fun – I think that’s really cool.

One of the things we’re thinking about when we’re making our levels now, which is different, is how we’re going to remix this more down the line. We know exactly how the system works and we know what’s fun. We know what people like. I think the thrill of it is those surprises, moments that you didn’t expect to see in this level because you know it so well. So we definitely want to keep this level fresh – we’re leaving these sections, giving them more space to be able to play with in the future.

Joe: I dread to think what you’ve got up your sleeve for Knight Fever remixes down the line.

JJ: There’s some really good stuff. I’m a bit obsessed with Big Yeetus as well, because it always feels inherently fun to jump into a hammer and get flown across a map. But now it’s like, how can we do this in a different way? How can we give players who care more about finishing in style than just finishing? Yeah, that’s really exciting.

Fall Guys Season 2 will be released on Thursday, October 8.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Capcom featured Monster Hunter Rise prominently at Tokyo Game Show, with not one, but two 20-minute gameplay demos with developer commentary. After that showcase, we had the opportunity to interview Monster Hunter Rise producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Yasunori Ichinose, and learned even more.

Here is some of the most important new information about Monster Hunter Rise for the Nintendo Switch, from skippable cutscenes to how Capcom is handling Nintendo Switch Online.

1. The New Normal Naming Convention

This is more of a big picture detail, but you should know Monster Hunter games with subheads, like World and Rise, are the new norm.

Tsujimoto said each new game is based around a specific theme or concept, and they decided that it would be better to give new Monster Hunters a title that reflects their focus – for example, World’s introduction of large, open areas, and Rise’s emphasis on verticality.

Specifically, I asked if Rise and World were examples of a new normal naming convention, and if we were done with numbered Monster Hunters. Tsujimoto responded with: “Yeah… Each new game is based around a specific theme or concept, and we decided that it would be better for the players to understand what kind of, what the game is about, if we give the game a title that reflects what it’s about rather than just a number. So yes, we will be doing this in the future as well.”

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2. Rise Is “Very Much Its Own Unique Thing”

Though it has shared similarities with Monster Hunter World, Tsujimoto and Ichinose insisted it’s “very much its own unique thing” and “not just a carbon copy of World.”

Ichinose was the director for Monster Hunter Generations, and had been wanting to make a new portable Monster Hunter, which he began working on largely in tandem with Monster Hunter World – this game became what we now know as Monster Hunter Rise.

“If you try out the game, I’m sure you will notice that it is very much its own unique thing,” Ichinose said. “We have some of the same quality of life improvements [as Monster Hunter World], but it is very much focused on the Switch as a platform.”

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As for whether Rise “feels” more like World or a more classic Monster Hunter like Generations, Ichinose said “there are elements from Generations and from World, but, [Rise is] going to have its own unique, new things as well. Some of which we are not allowed to talk about yet. So there’s a lot to look forward to.”

Ichinose also said that Rise will certainly feel like a Monster Hunter, and every game in the series has to meet those standards as not to alienate fans. With that in mind, any experience from any past game, whether it’s World, Generations, or an older Monster Hunter game, will prepare you for a new game in the series.

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 3. Single-Player and Multiplayer Quests are Separated

If you’ve only played Monster Hunter World, you’ll be used to the idea that all key quests can be completed either solo or with friends. But in previous Monster Hunters, there was a separation between the two playstyles, with single-player quests accepted in the “Village Hub” and multiplayer quests accepted in a “Gathering Hub”-like location.

This more traditional method of quest separation returns in Monster Hunter Rise – but don’t worry, single-player progression won’t affect your ability to progress in multiplayer quests and vice versa. However, past Monster Hunters did require players to progress the single-player campaign in order to unlock certain features and facilities, and we don’t know if this is the case for Rise just yet.

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 4. Monster Hunter Rise’s Cutscenes Can Be Skipped

In Monster Hunter Rise, cutscenes are skippable in both multiplayer and single-player. This means they will no longer create a barrier to joining multiplayer quests, like they did in World.

“We made sure not to put too many restrictions on that,” Ichinose explained. “…So, you can play with anyone you want. The only restrictions that are in place are your Hunter Rank [your character level in multiplayer].”

Thankfully, you will always be able to rewatch these cutscenes at your leisure, even if you do choose to skip them initially.

5. No, Monster Hunter Rise Is Not Inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

In Monster Hunter Rise you can climb and explore pretty freely, so it’s not hard to make comparisons to another familiar and explosively popular Nintendo Switch game. I’m sure Ichinose and Tsujimoto have heard this comparison quite a bit already, because they burst out laughing when I asked if Rise was inspired at all by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But contrary to what people might think, Breath of the Wild isn’t the inspiration behind Rise, as the team has wanted to create a Monster Hunter with a lot more freedom of movement ever since they completed Generations – which was released in 2015 for the Nintendo 3DS.

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“[Monster Hunter games] already had a lot of exploration elements to them, and we basically wanted to build on that. We wanted to give the player even more freedom to move around,” Ichinose said.  “Just moving around alone is going to be a lot more fun in this game.”

As far as how this freedom of movement affects combat, I was told “it doesn’t mean that you have to use the Wirebug during the battle, but monsters’ attacks have different variations, and depending on where the hunter is, there are monsters that will change their attack methods.”

So don’t expect to be able to cheese monsters too badly by taking advantage of being able to traverse walls. Ichinose also said, “We hope that players enjoy having the freedom to do various actions by using the Wirebug.”

6. All About the Wirebug (and More Surprises to Come)

In both the trailers and TGS gameplay, we’ve been able to see quite a few flashy new attacks made possible by consuming the Wirebug gauge. These attacks remind me of Generations’ Hunter Arts – however, Ichinose explained that while Hunter Arts were mostly used as a “sort of special moment that could only be used occasionally because of long cooldowns,” the Wirebug attacks are something they “actively want players to use during combat in between attacks to make new combos.”

Also unlike Hunter Arts, these Wirebug attacks are not customizable.  However – here comes the exciting part – there are other new elements regarding actions that they can’t talk about yet. They said to please look forward to that. (And as a bonus detail about combat, they told me there would be no armor skills that augment the Wirebug’s abilities.)

 7. Icons Are Being Adapted to Suit the Nintendo Switch’s Small Screen

I must admit, I didn’t actually notice this myself, but I did see plenty of buzz around it online – and like me, the director and producer were surprised that so many people were talking about it:  the change in the antidote icon. In previous Monster Hunter games, the antidote icon looked exactly like a potion except it was blue. However, in Monster Hunter Rise it has a totally different shape. This is because they are adapting some icons to be more legible on the smaller screen of the Switch. As a result, they’ve been looking over existing icons and fixing them to suit the Switch as necessary, like Bowgun ammo as well.

8. NintenDon’t Voice Chat

Speaking of adapting for the Nintendo Switch (and unfortunately moving on to the “not so hype” part of this list),  there will be no voice chat on the Nintendo Switch or on the Switch mobile app. This is pretty much the norm when it comes to Nintendo Switch games, however I can’t help but be a bit disappointed. When asked to elaborate as to why, they said they “cannot comment on Nintendo Switch hardware features.”

Instead, you will be able to input messages, create quick commands, post stickers, and use gestures in order to communicate with your fellow hunters. Capcom also confirmed a Nintendo Switch Online subscription would be required to play online multiplayer.

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9. Prowler Mode Is Not Returning

Finally, one final bit of mildly disappointing news we learned is that the Prowler mode, which let you play as a felyne in Generations, will not be returning in Monster Hunter Rise. But hey, at least you can play with your adorable Palicos and Palamutes by your side instead!

Of course, we learned a ton more than that during the gameplay videos shown at Tokyo Game Show – like how you won’t need paintballs or scout flies to track monsters in Rise – which you can read about in Monster Hunter Rise: Gameplay Shows Off New Abilities, Combat and More or watch in the presentation above.

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Casey DeFreitas is an Editor at IGN who loves monster hunting, slaying, and catching. Catch her on Twitter @ShinyCaseyD.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said that he isn’t sure if 8K resolution will ever be standard for video games, calling it “aspirational technology.”

Talking to Wired, Spencer said “I think 8K is aspirational technology. The display capabilities of devices are not really there yet. I think we’re years away from 8K being—if it ever is—standard in video games.”

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Spencer’s comments come despite the Xbox Series X being able to support 8K output. However, while it may technically be able to push video at a resolution of 7680 x 4320, there are more factors to consider, chiefly being if anyone even has an 8K television or monitor to view such visuals on. According to Wired’s chat with Liz Hamren, head of gaming engineering at Xbox, Microsoft’s data suggests that 4K TV adoption is less than what publishers may think, and so that suggests 8K adoption is still years away at least.

If you aspire to 8K gaming, you’re best off taking a look at PCs and the new Nvidia RTX 3090 GPU, which costs a cool $1499 (and requires the rest of a PC and an 8K display, too). If that’s out of your budget, then you’re out of luck on 8K for now.

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For more on Microsoft’s new console, check out our hands-on preview of the Xbox Series X and our discussion on how expandable storage and SSDs are huge parts of the next-gen experience.

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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Marvel’s upcoming Eternals movie may have seen one of its key villains leak, thanks to an action figure.

If you want to know nothing more about Eternals ahead of release, mild spoilers may follow. This is your chance you turn back!

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We already knew that the Eternals would see their mortal enemies, the Deviants appear as villains, but it seems the Deviants’ traditional leader, Kro will be putting in an appearance – and we may have seen a glimpse of his MCU true form.

Discovered by Instagram user dtapia22, an unreleased Marvel Legends Series action figure appears to show Kro in the form of a sinewy humanoid with an opalescent sheen. The back of the figure’s box shows him with tentacle-like hands, four eyes, and a six-back to be proud of.

The box blurb reads: “A powerful Deviant unlike any other the Eternals have faced over the millenia, Kro’s appearance is the harbinger for a global threat.”

Kro is the leader of the Deviants, a race of destructive immortals created alongside the Eternals that harbours a very longstanding grudge against their sister species. We’d already guessed that Kro may be making an appearance in the movie, especially as – in the comics – he has a past relationship with the Eternals’ Thena (due to be played by Angelina Jolie).

It’s not yet known who’ll play Kro in the movie, but we know the full hero line-up for the Eternals: Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Don Lee as Gilgamesh and Angelina Jolie as Thena. Kit Harrington will also appear as Dane Whitman, who becomes Black Knight in the comics.

Eternals is due to be Marvel’s “most sci-fi” movie so far, and has been set up by the ending of Avengers: Endgame in some fashion. Sadly, it’s a part of the huge slate of Disney movies recently delayed, now scheduled to arrive on November 5, 2021.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

The new technology in the PS5 DualSense controller was developed alongside Astro’s Playroom, with developer Japan Studio helping test and refine the controller through the design process.

Talking to Famitsu, as detailed in an English-language report from VGC, Japan Studio boss Nicolas Doucet said that the systems they developed for Astro’s Playroom helped them provide critical feedback for the controller team.

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“After considering the experience of the game, we thought about what parts should be further improved and what direction should be taken,” he said. “We continued to send that feedback with the development of the DualSense. It’s really quite fun, and I think it’s an uncommon development practice, but it may lead the way to the future of gameplay, so it’s really exciting to be able to do this kind of work.”

“For example, as we tested haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, we compiled personal feedback, such as ‘this has too strong of a recoil.’ We shared such thoughts with the hardware team and then shared them with our international studios,” he explained.

“The DualSense received a lot of feedback and was progressively getting more cohesive and better integrated. This was quite a long process – about a year-and-a-half to two years.”

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Doucet explained that the design of the DualSense has “changed considerably” over the nearly two years of development, but it has always been designed with haptics and adaptive triggers.

For more PS5 news, take a look at our story about Sony predicting that PS5 will sell more in its first fiscal year than PS4 did, and what you need to know about PS4 to PS5 save transfers.

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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer.

SteelSeries’ award-winning Arctis 7 wireless gaming headset arrives just in time for the next generation of consoles in two distinct flavors – the Arctis 7X and Arctis 7P (for Xbox and PlayStation, respectively). Featuring improved battery life, USB-C connectivity, and a fresh coat of paint to match your new Xbox Series X or PS5, this is an all-around fantastic headset.

Just as many games get a “definitive edition” upgrade for the next-gen consoles, this is very clearly the definitive version of the Arctis 7 headset.

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SteelSeries Arctis 7 – Design and Features

The SteelSeries Arctis 7X and Arctis 7P feature the same S1 40mm audio drivers as the original Arctis 7 headset, as well as DTS Headphone:X v2.0 for spatial surround sound audio (although surround sound is not supported on PlayStation consoles as this feature is still locked to Sony’s first-party USB headsets). Both gaming headsets include a USB-C dongle adapter that allows for lossless and low-latency 2.4GHz wireless audio up to 40 feet (12m) away.

The battery life has been improved a bit from the original Arctis 7 headset now featuring up to 24 hours of wireless playtime (up from 20 hours previously), giving you that extra bump for extended play sessions.

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A major difference between the two headsets is compatibility. The Arctis 7X is designed for Xbox Series X and S, but also works with Xbox One X and S, PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch (both docked and in handheld mode), and Android devices (with a USB-C connector). The Arctis 7P is designed for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 but also works with Nintendo Switch (in docked and handheld mode), gaming PC, and Android devices (with a USB-C connector).

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Of course, you can plug either headset into a compatible device with a 3.5mm auxiliary output for audio listening, as well. So, between the two headsets, the Arctis 7X covers all your bases, while the Arctis 7P is a bit more limited with its compatibility.

The dongle included with the Arctis 7X is a bit larger to allow for Xbox wireless audio compatibility and features a toggle for “Xbox” or “USB” while the Arctis 7P does not feature a toggle. Both headsets include a USB-C to USB-A adapter cable, allowing you to plug the dongle into just about any USB device.

Much of the design from the original Arctis 7 remains unchanged, and the Arctis 7X and Arctis 7P are virtually identical to one another, aside from a few minor differences. Both headsets feature the signature Ski Goggle Headband that offers extreme comfort without putting much pressure on the top of your head. In fact, the headset almost floats above your head with its suspended design. The headband can be adjusted to accommodate various head sizes, and when dialed in properly offers a very snug fit without causing any discomfort.

The frame of the headband itself is made of a sturdy, lightweight aluminum, giving it a premium feel without feeling like it could snap if stretched too wide. The rest of the headset is built from a matte plastic that blends well with the overall design and doesn’t feel cheap.

The ear cups feature an around-the-ear design and what SteelSeries call Airweave ear cushions. The foam inserts are covered with a soft, breathable mesh design that allows for better airflow to and from your ears.

On the outside of the headset’s ear cups are the controls and inputs. There’s a standard volume dial that’s large and has a textured grip on it so it’s easy to find. A mute button sits above the volume dial and sits flush with the headset when the microphone is open. If the microphone is muted, the button actually pops out so it’s easy to tell which state it’s in. The mic boom also features a small LED strip light on it that illuminates red when muted, so it’s easy to tell whether the microphone is muted or not without having to find the button itself.

There’s a micro-USB port for charging the headset as well as a proprietary input for the included 3.5mm auxiliary cable for connecting to iOS and Android phones. There’s also a 3.5mm auxiliary output just below this port that allows for audio sharing directly from the headset, so you and a friend can listen to music or watch a movie together with two separate headsets.

The boom mic is on the left side of the headset and includes a retractable design. The ClearCast microphone is the same as the original Arctis 7 headset, featuring bidirectional audio that helps cancel out any unwanted noise.

On the opposite ear cup is the power button which also doubles as the battery indicator, illuminating green, yellow, or red to let you know roughly how much battery life is remaining.

The dial above the power button is different for each headset. On the Arctis 7X it is a ChatMix dial, allowing you to easily adjust the game audio and voice chat audio mix in real-time without having to go into any menus. On the Arctis 7P this dial is instead a sidetone adjustment that allows you to fine-tune the microphone monitoring of your own voice played back in the headset.

The other difference between the two headsets is the color itself. The Arctis 7X features an all-black design with green lines stitched into the Ski Goggle Headband that pairs well with the Xbox Series X design. The Arctis 7P is predominantly white, and includes black and blue accents to match the PS5’s new design. The Arctis 7P is also available in black if you prefer a more uniform colorway, though.

SteelSeries Arctis – Software

Both headsets are paired with the USB-C dongle out of the box which allows for a truly plug-and-play experience without any setup. If you’re playing on PC, you can download the SteelSeries Engine 3 software that gives you the ability to fine-tune either headset further including EQ controls, dynamic range compression adjustments, microphone sidetone levels (on the Arctis 7X only), and update the device’s firmware. You can also customize and save different preset configurations tuned for gaming, movies, and music.

SteelSeries Arctis 7 – Gaming

Both headsets were tested with their respective consoles (Arctis 7X on Xbox One and Arctis 7P on PS4) as well as with PC. As these headsets use the same audio drivers as the previous Arctis 7 headset, not much has changed. It still offers great spatial surround sound (on Windows and Xbox) and a noise-cancelling microphone.

To really get an idea of the surround sound capabilities I played Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege, an extremely tactical first-person shooter where every little sound matters, from enemy footsteps to boarded up doors and windows being broken in. The Arctis 7X performed extremely well. Not only was the audio crisp and clear, I was able to discern exactly where enemies were around my character, whether that be somewhere behind me or a floor above. Even small details, like the sound of an enemy phone buzzing in the other room was able to be discerned with pinpoint accuracy.

I tested the microphone by recording voice samples and while it’s definitely not a replacement for a good standalone microphone, it worked surprisingly well. I even spoke into the headset with a fan pointed directly at me and it was able to filter out the sound to a low hum while keeping my voice clear and audible. I only wish the boom on the mic was a bit longer, as it only reaches around to the front side of my mouth. That being said, teammates had no issues hearing me speak during gameplay.

The customizable audio EQ’s are a nice addition on PC, as well, as you can choose from a number of presets including Performance, Immersion, Entertainment, and Music. Each one automatically adjusts the equalizer channels accordingly and there was a noticeable difference between each one. You can create and save custom EQ presets, too, giving you complete control over your audio experience.

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The biggest surprise to me, however, was how comfortable these headsets remain after extended gaming sessions. The around-the-ear nature of the cups ensures no pressure is put on my ears, and even with glasses on I never got any fatigue from wearing them for hours at a time. It’s a fairly light headset, all things considered, and I noticed I wasn’t fidgeting with them to adjust all that often, unlike many other headsets.

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SteelSeries Arctis 7 – Purchasing Guide

Both SteelSeries Arctis 7X and SteelSeries Arctis 7P headsets will be available beginning October 6, 2020 on the SteelSeries’ website or at major retailers for $149.

Netflix has revealed the first official look at Freya Allan as Ciri in The Witcher Season 2.

The two new photos were shared to The Witcher’s official Twitter account on Tuesday in a post that teases Ciri’s training at Kaer Morhen, as the accompanying tweet reads: “She gave tearful goodbyes on a most violent night. Now this child of surprise is preparing to fight.”

The photos were also posted on the show’s official Instagram page, with a caption that suggests that Ciri has been “spending time with a witcher.” In the first snap, Ciri has swapped out her usual hooded robes for a combat-ready outfit, as she clutches for a weapon by her side. The second image reveals that her weapon is a wooden practice sword, which further teases Ciri and Geralt’s training sessions.

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The official synopsis for The Witcher Season 2 confirms that Ciri will be visiting the Witcher castle Kaer Morhen, which is presumably the snow-covered grounds that she is pictured in above.

It reads: “Convinced Yennefer’s life was lost at the Battle of Sodden, Geralt of Rivia brings Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen. While the Continent’s kings, elves, humans, and demons strive for supremacy outside its walls, he must protect the girl from something far more dangerous: the mysterious power she possesses inside.”

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These two new images follow the release of the first-look photos of Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia yesterday, which show The White Wolf suited up in his new armour. In the photos, the actor is wearing an all-black studded leather outfit with large shoulder plates and extended wrist cuffs, together with some belt and buckle detailing to ensure that he’s harnessed in for any dual-wielding this season.

We’ll find out more about Geralt and Ciri’s adventures when The Witcher Season 2 premieres in 2021. Filming resumed on The Witcher’s highly anticipated second season in August following a five-month production shutdown as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Netflix is also currently hard at work on The Witcher: Blood Origin and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Fallout 76 group the Free States Militia found its group wiped from Facebook with no warning last week, after either Facebook moderation AI or a human moderator mistook it for a real militia, Kotaku reports. The group has now been reinstated, but the accidental ban speaks to Facebook’s uneven moderation efforts.

The Free States Militia’s social media may be confusing for onlookers with no knowledge of Fallout lore, but the group is for players who want to roleplay as members of Fallout’s Appalachian Free States. The group posted about their ban on Twitter, saying that the group had been removed and five of its admins had been banned from Facebook outright.

“It makes no sense, especially when there are real life militia groups still up and running on Facebook,” a Free States admin told Kotaku over private message.

The group was reinstated after just a day after outcry from other members of the Fallout 76 community. “We apologize for removing the Fallout 76 Groups in error and have since restored the Group and admin accounts,” Facebook said in a statement sent to Kotaku. “We are committed to taking action against Groups tied to violence. We have both AI that detects these groups as well as 15,000 human content reviewers, but occasionally Groups are removed in error. If we detect a Group is connected to a dangerous organization, we may remove the Group and associated admin Profiles are disabled.”

Facebook hasn’t said what about the Free States Militia group that triggered it for deletion, even as the platform faces criticism for failing to get rid of actual militias peddling dangerous rhetoric on the social media platform.

The Free States Militia has now removed the word “Militia” from its account names, and is being overly cautious with its social media presences. The group’s Twitter handle now reads “FSM Playstation Video Game Club,” while the Facebook group has been rebranded as “The Original Free States (Fallout 76 Group) PS4.”

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has a new official podcast, one that will get you acquainted with the history of the vikings ahead of the game’s release. The series, Echoes of Valhalla, consists of five episodes, all of them available now.

The series is a documentary, featuring history experts and comedians taking part in reconstructed scenes from Scandinavian history. Each episode focuses on a different part of Viking life, including details of their lives and military strategies.

The show is exclusive to Spotify, so you can’t listen to it on Apple podcasts, Pocket Casts, or anywhere else. You can listen to the whole show on the embedded player below.

Here’s the episode list:

• Episode 1 : The Sons of the Great North (16 mins)
• Episode 2 : Dragon of the Seas (15 mins)
• Episode 3 : Thor’s Hammer (16 mins)
• Episode 4 : Birth of an Empire (16 mins)
• Episode 5 : the Dawn of a New Era (16 mins)

It does not seem that further future episodes are planned, which is good news for those of us with huge podcast backlogs. While you’re on Spotify, it’s worth checking out the Valhalla EP, featuring seven songs from the game.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla releases November 10 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC. Ubisoft is offering free upgrades on both platforms, with the Xbox versions using Microsoft’s Smart Delivery system.