Category: Games

Datamining of a recent Nintendo Switch update could suggest that the console will get a new dock for a 4K version of the console, and that it may see an update to allow for Bluetooth audio.

Dataminer OatmealDome has pointed out that the Switch’s 12.0.0 update contains references to potentially unannounced features. While Nintendo’s patch notes only say that a save data backup bug has been fixed, fans looking through the update files have remarked on other changes.

OatmealDome initially spotted that the update seems to allow for the Switch’s dock to be updated itself – something that shouldn’t be necessary given how basic the components in the dock are. However, hexkyz on Twitter pointed out that the use of the term ‘crda’ in the firmware seems to stand for “Cradle Aula” – ‘Cradle’ being the internal term for the Switch dock, and ‘Aula’ being a purported codename for the much-rumoured 4K Switch upgrade.

OatmealDome also points to a new internal setting – ‘4kdp_preferred_over_usb30’ – that could relate to a 4K display port output, something that would only be needed in a Switch upgrade. While none of the above is certain, and firmware settings can be implemented without ever being used, the idea of a new dock and 4K output tallies with the idea of new, potentially more expensive Switch model.

[Nintendo Switch Firmware Update]

About my earlier tweet about update 12.0.0 being able to upgrade the dock firmware…

There is also this setting:

“is_crda_fw_update_supported”

“CrdA” = Cradle (Dock) for Aula. Aula is the codename for the new model.

(Thanks to @hexkyz!) https://t.co/USSPCbG20q pic.twitter.com/gwsOZdmg6b

— OatmealDome (@OatmealDome) April 6, 2021

Separately, the dataminer has shown off that the firmware update adds audio support to the Switch’s Bluetooth driver. Bluetooth audio has been a much requested feature since the Switch’s launch – allowing players to use wireless headsets rather than the 3.5mm jack – and its possible that update would finally allow it to work.

However, the dataminer makes clear that they’re not sure anything on the console uses it at this point and, as with the dock changes, it could end up never being utilised at all. It is possible, of course, that a Switch upgrade would add the feature however (and mainly-docked players like me would be very happy about that).

While impossible to confirm officially at this time, if Nintendo is working on a new Switch, it stands to reason that it would look to implement internal upgrades to support it ahead of release.

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Rumours of a so-called Switch Pro model have persisted for a long time, with Nintendo going as far as saying it wouldn’t announce a new model ‘anytime soon’, and analysts remaining conflicted on a 2021 release.

However, with the company reportedly expecting a second year of record sales, it may be that a new model is seen as a means to boosting software sales. We’ve also looked into whether a rumoured new chip will help the Switch keep up with PS5 and Xbox Series X.

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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].

Arkane and Bethesda have announced that Deathloop has been delayed once more, pushing the time-looping immersive sim back to September 2021.

In a video and written statement, game director Dinga Bakaba and art director Sebastien Mitton explained that Arkane has made the decision to delay Deathoop from May 21 to September 14, 2021.

pic.twitter.com/f0OWWxdUkt

— DEATHLOOP (@deathloop) April 8, 2021

“We’re committed to quality and preserving our team’s ambitions for Deathloop while ensuring the health and safety of everyone at Arkane,” reads the statement. “We’ll be using this extra time to accomplish our goal: create a fun, stylish, and mind-bending player experience.”

Originally, Deathloop was intended to release in the launch window of the PlayStation 5, and so was expected around November/December 2020. Arkane delayed the project to Q2 2021, settling on the May 21 date. But now we’ll have to wait a few more months, with September 14 being the new date.

As for the game release calendar, this moves Deathloop away from the upcoming Resident Evil Village and Mass Effect Legendary edition, so there’s now more space in your calendar for those.

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For more on Arkane’s fascinating new game, check out the full presentation on Deathloop from IGN Fan Fest earlier this year, where we learned that players will once again be able to use powers similar to those in Dishonored to succeed in their quest of breaking the time loop.

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

Regé-Jean Page has spoken out after a report alleged that he was rejected from a role in Syfy’s Superman spin-off series Krypton because of his race.

A report from The Hollywood Reporter published on Tuesday alleged that Page had previously auditioned for the role of Superman’s grandfather in Krypton because, according to multiple sources, the creators of the show had expressed that they were “passionate about doing some nontraditional casting” for the show, which was later cancelled after just two seasons on the air.

After auditioning for the part, Page is said to have missed out on the role because former DC Films chairman Geoff Johns, who was overseeing the series at the time, allegedly “vetoed the idea,” with sources claiming that Johns had stated that Superman “could not have a black grandfather.” Reps for Johns have since weighed in on the report, denying that he ever made such a comment.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Page appeared to address the report that had circulated just one day earlier, as he shared a message that seemingly referenced the allegations. “Hearing about these conversations hurts no less now than it did back then,” he wrote. “The clarifications almost hurt more tbh. Still just doing my thing. Still we do the work. We still fly.”

A rep for Johns told E! News: “Geoff never said Superman can’t have a Black ancestor or be Black—there have been diverse versions of Superman throughout the comics for decades so he does and can be diverse. However, the expectation for Krypton was that it would initially be perceived as a possible prequel to Man of Steel by the fans and the lead was expected to invoke a young Henry Cavill.”

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While Cameron Cuffe ultimately landed the Seg-El role, Page went on to play Simon Bassett in Bridgerton, Netflix’s Regency era debutante drama. In IGN’s review of the series, Bridgerton was awarded a nine out of 10, with particular praise being given for the “impeccable” chemistry between Page’s mysterious and conflicted Basset and Phoebe Dynevor’s Daphne Bridgerton.

However, Page will not be returning for Bridgerton Season 2. Bridgerton’s official Twitter page shared a letter from Lady Whisteldown to announce the news last week. “We bid adieu to Rege-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings,” the post read. “We’ll miss Simon’s presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family.”

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

Co-developers Dotemu, Lizardcube, and Guard Crush Games have announced that Streets of Rage 4 is to receive a new game mode, characters, and customisation options across two DLC packages; a paid-for pack and a free update.

The paid-for Mr. X Nightmare DLC adds three new playable characters and a survival mode. All three characters have yet to be revealed, but the DLC announcement trailer reveals that Estel Aguirre, who was an enemy character in Street of Rage 4’s campaign, will now be a playable fighter. As for the new survival mode, the developers promise challenges and special tests of skills. As with the DLC characters, an air of mystery has been left over the details, so we’ll have to wait to find out more.

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This premium DLC pack also includes the ability to customise the fighting style of each character, allowing players to choose new moves. During levels, players will also find new weapons and enemies to contend with.

A separate, free update will also introduce the New Mania+ difficulty level to offer a “brutal challenge” for experienced players, while a new training system will help people perfect combos. It also adds new colour palette options for characters.

Dotemu has not announced a release date for either the paid-for DLC or free update, only going as far as to say they will be available later this year.

If Streets of Rage 4 hasn’t caught your eye so far, be sure to check out our review. And if you’re already a fan, check out how to unlock every retro level.

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

SpongeBob collectable memes first became a thing in 2019 to some fanfare, and subsequently, rapidly fell out of stock, becoming unavailable for quite some time. Well, if you missed out then, you’re in luck. Most figures are now available, and there are even some brand new entries to check out.

Among the new figures is Tired SpongeBob, priced at $19.99 and now in stock and available at Amazon. Other figures available include Handsome Squidward, Surprised Patrick, and Mocking SpongeBob. Dabbing Squidward IRL figure is another new figure in 2021, but is currently out of stock at the time of writing, disappointing we know.

New SpongeBob Collectables Meme Figures Now Available

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We’ll keep a keen eye out for the Dabbing Squidward IRL figure, as it seems like it could end up being the most popular out of the whole bunch. For live updates on collectable stock, next-gen consoles, and more, check out @IGNDeals on Twitter.

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Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. Send him awesome gaming screenshots @robertliam21 on Twitter.

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Jodie Turner-Smith has exited Netflix’s upcoming Witcher prequel series, The Witcher: Blood Origin, due to a scheduling conflict.

Deadline first reported the news of Smith’s departure, with a statement from Netflix confirming the actress’ exit from the series. “Due to a change in the production schedule for The Witcher: Blood Origin limited series, unfortunately Jodie Turner-Smith will no longer be able to continue on in the role of Éile,” a spokesperson for the streamer told the outlet.

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Smith had been lined up to star in one of the show’s lead roles, playing Éile, “an elite warrior blessed with the voice of a goddess, [who] has left her clan and position as Queen’s guardian to follow her heart as a nomadic musician. A grand reckoning on the continent forces her to return to the way of the blade in her quest for vengeance and redemption.”

A new actress will now need to be found for the role, starring alongside previously-announced cast member Laurence O’Fuarain, who has been cast as Fjall, a warrior that “carries a deep scar within, the death of a loved one who fell in battle trying to save him,” propelling him to fight “beside the most unlikely of allies as he carves a path of vengeance across a continent in turmoil.”

Set 1,200 years before the events of The Witcher, Netflix’s hit series starring Henry Cavill, the streamer’s upcoming six-part prequel series will tell a story lost to time — regarding the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal “conjunction of the spheres,” when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.

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Blood Origin is being developed by the original series’ showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, and Declan de Barra who wrote The Witcher Season 1 episode ‘Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials.’ The Witcher novelist Andrzej Sapkowski is also onboard as a creative consultant. No release date has been set for The Witcher: Blood Origin or The Witcher Season 2, though production recently wrapped on the latter.

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

Jed Shepherd, who co-wrote the Zoom-themed horror movie Host for Shudder last year, is now branching out into games, with the announcement of the FMV-style game Ghosts. The game will reunite most of the cast of Host, with a paranormal antagonist called The Long Lady designed by Sirenhead creator Trevor Henderson and brought to life by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

The game follows a crew of ghost hunters (featuring Host stars Emma Louise Webb, Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Radina Drandova, and Caroline Ward) exploring “the most haunted location in London,” with the player taking the role of the broadcast producer. With a number of different live feeds coming in, the player must decide what goes to air, making decisions that will hurt or help the show–and potentially the cast itself. The game will involve looking after the safety of the cast, while also making sure the show is entertaining.

Shepherd has cited FMV games like Night Trap, Phantasmagoria, and Double Switch as inspiration, but is looking to set Ghosts apart through the implementation of “real time” functionality. Under this system, players will have to log on to play the game at 10pm, and leaving the computer for a break of any sort will result in the cast meeting quite gruesome ends.

While the concept is interesting, it’s yet to be seen how it will play out in practice. It looks like there will be a way to work around the restrictive timing however, with the game’s Kickstarter mentioning an “unlockable pre-watershed version where you can breathe and save your progress,” available before 10pm.

The creators are looking to raise about $227,000 for the game on Kickstarter, after partnering with indie studio Visible Games and publisher Limited Run Games to bring Ghosts to life. At the time of writing around $46,000 has been pledged, with 29 days to go.

Ghosts is targeting a release date of February 22 in 2022 on PlayStation consoles, Nintendo Switch, and PC, but the campaign says the release date could change depending on how the fundraising goes.

Dontnod is embracing a new direction: it’s amping up its publishing arm so it can publish games made by other studios, beginning with a new title from PortaPlay.

Today, the Life is Strange developer announced it would be publishing a brand new game from the developer of drunken zombie fighting game Broken Lines. Details about what this new game is have yet to be revealed, though PortaPlay head of development Hans von Knut Skovfoged said in a statement that the studio felt “called to work on games with meaning” with a focus on storytelling “about individuals in crisis situations tackling moral dilemmas.” A bio sent with the announcement press release describes PortaPlay as a studio that makes games about “war and conflicts, told from the perspectives of the men and women enduring them.”

This announcement comes after statements last year from Dontnod CEO Oskar Guilbert, who said then that the developer was building a publishing and marketing arm to self-publish its own games, intending to be “as independent as possible” in the future.

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In a statement, Dontnod head of publishing Xavier Spinat indicated that this was by no means the end to internal development at Dontnod:

“As a publisher, we want to offer players experiences that are both accessible to the wider audience, while setting the bar high regarding themes and quality of design,” he said. “From our first discussions with PortaPlay, it became clear to us that co-producing and publishing this original creation would allow us to expand our portfolio with a game complementary to our in-house productions, while remaining true to our DNA.”

Dontnod most recently released two of its own games last year: Twin Mirror and Tell Me Why. Our review called the former a “frustratingly uneven adventure,” but Tell Me Why told “a good story in a charming world” and received praised for its main character Tyler, the first playable transgender video game hero from a major studio.

It is unknown what Dontnod might be working on next itself. Earlier this year, Tencent purchased a minority stake in the studio to help it create a new IP, and at least for now Dontnod’s acclaimed Life is Strange series appears to be in the hands of Deck Nine for the next entry, True Colors.

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Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Of the many military sims that are available to gamers, the Arma series probably takes its source material most seriously. Now, a third-party developer is using the game’s suite of tools to create S.O.G. Prairie Fire, a serious and realistic recreation of the Vietnam war.

The expansion is being built by developers Savage Game Design within Arma 3, as reported by Kotaku, and is basically its own complete game. The DLC will launch complete with a narrated single-player campaign, new single-player and multiplayer scenarios, and a multiplayer co-op campaign.

The crowning glory of S.O.G. Prairie Fire is the Cam Lao Nam Terrain, a 300 km² open-world battlefield designed to represent the Vietnam War’s entire Area of Operations. The game will also seek to recreate the unique weapons, uniforms, and other equipment of the various combatants involved in the Vietnam war.

Developer Savage Game Design says it developed the game in collaboration with veterans of the United States Special Forces’ Military Assistance Command, Vietnam: Studies and Observations Group, or MACV-SOG, after which the DLC was named. It also says it has consulted with Vietnamese advisors in developing S.O.G. Prairie Fire.

S.O.G. Prairie Fire will be available for $22.99 as a Creator DLC, which is ArmA’s name for projects developed by third-party studios and published by Bohemia Interactive. It’ll be available in Q2 2021, and can be wishlisted now on Steam.

The Sanrio Characters Collection is back in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp for 2021, and the latest announcement is a suite of outfits, wigs and plushies themed after some of Sanrio’s most popular characters.

The Animal Crossing mobile game has seen Sanrio crossovers since 2019, often drawing the ire of players of the main series games, whose recent Sanrio rollout was a bit of a mess. Already released in Pocket Camp’s Sanrio Characters Collection for 2021 are themed character t-shirts, uchiwa fans, and even a Sanrio carousel.

The latest suite of items include a set of lolita-style outfits themed after the Sanrio characters Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, Pompompurin, Little Twin Stars, Kerokerokeroppi, Pochacco, My Melody, and Kuromi. The collection also includes a small plush for each of the featured characters, as well as matching accessories.

The new items arrive in Pocket Camp on April 9, with the Sanrio Characters Collection event continuing all the way until May 9. Players can expect even more cute Sanrio-themed items to be announced before the event finishes up, including both returning items from previous Sanrio events, and new items for 2021.