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Revealed back in 2019, Prime 1 Studio’s Cliff Unger from Death Stranding statue has finally gone up for preorder. Portrayed by Hollywood actor Mads Mikkelsen and based on his likeness in the Hideo Kojima-directed game, the statue features a tailored fabric outfit, a themed base with poseable tendrils, and lED illuminations.

Depending on which version you opt for, there’ll also be two head sculpts to choose from. For the standard edition statue there’s the main portrait cast in polystone, or for the Black Label version, a more realistic portrait that features medical grade silicone for Unger’s face and rooted hair.

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Not just incredibly detailed, this statue of the Combat Veteran is also pretty large and stands at around 40 inches tall on its base. That’s 1/2 scale or half a Mads Mikkelsen in case you’ve ever wanted to own a mini version of the Danish actor.

Prime 1’s statues usually command a premium price, and this version of Unger will set you back $2,600 for the standard edition or $3,600 for the Black Label version that is limited to 250 pieces. Shipping isn’t included in the price, but considering that the statue has a weight of 57 pounds, it likely won’t be cheap.

This isn’t Prime 1’s first piece of Death Stranding merchandise, as the company unveiled a Sam Porter Bridges statue around the time period in which the game released. Also featuring an uncanny likeness of the man behind the character, Norman Reedus, that premium version of the statue is available for $3,600 ahead of its release later this year.

For a slightly more affordable option, there’s always the official Death Stranding PC case, although you’ll have to book a flight to Japan to pick it up.

A new special Max Raid event is now underway in Pokemon Sword and Shield. To celebrate World Penguin Day, the penguin Pokemon Eiscue is appearing in Max Raid battles across the Wild Area, Isle of Armor, and Crown Tundra until April 25, and you’ll even have a chance to find a Shiny variant.

Eiscue is normally one of the version-exclusive Pokemon only available in Pokemon Shield, but it will appear in Max Raids across both games throughout this event. You may also come across a Shiny Eiscue in five-star Max Raids, but its appearance rate is very low, so you’ll need to be persistent and check as many Raids as you can if you’re hoping to catch one.

The Eiscue Max Raid event runs until 4:59 PM PT / 7:59 PM ET / 11:59 PM UTC on April 25. Before you can participate in the event, you’ll need to refresh your Max Raid dens. You can do this either by connecting your game online via the Y-Comm, or by selecting Get the Wild Area News from the Mystery Gift menu.

There are a few new Pokemon games on the horizon. New Pokemon Snap, the long-awaited follow-up to the N64 Pokemon spin-off, releases for Nintendo Switch next week on April 30. Nintendo recently shared a lengthy overview trailer for the game that provided a closer look at its environments and new mechanics.

After that, remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are slated to launch on Switch in late 2021. Unlike other Pokemon remakes, these are staying very faithful to the originals, featuring the same chibi art style and top-down perspective as the classic DS games. Then in 2022, Game Freak is releasing a new Pokemon adventure set in ancient Sinnoh called Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

According to The NPD Group’s Player Engagement Tracker, Fortnite enjoyed the most unique active users in the month of March on both PlayStation and Xbox platforms. For more information on Player Engagement Tracker, check a look https://t.co/w9RkQXyC8y pic.twitter.com/a8u1p9zgK2

— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) April 22, 2021

Nier Replicant ver1.22474487139 is out today for PC, and you can claim a tidy launch day discount for the Steam version. Green Man Gaming is offering 20% off Steam keys for Nier Replicant with a coupon code, bringing the price down to $48. To claim the discount, first add the game to your cart on the GMG Store. Then at checkout, enter the promo code SPR21 for to take 20% off. After checkout you’ll receive a Steam key via email, which you can activate in the Steam launcher.

Nier Replicant is a remake of the cult classic action-RPG that later spawned the breakout hit Nier Automata. While the original was met with middling reviews and poor sales, the critical reception to this remake has been much more positive. Critics in particular have mentioned its combat improvements and a newfound appreciation for the design style of director Yoko Taro.

“I’m not going to lie, Nier Replicant made me ugly-cry on several occasions,” Michael Higham wrote in GameSpot’s Nier Replicant review. “Kainé, Emil, and Weiss will win your heart with their earnest and endearing personalities, making their tragic journey with you and tremendous story moments hit hard. Despite some significant gameplay enhancements, the lengths you have to go to see the story all the way through will be a test of your willpower. But for all its antiquated designs retained from the original version, it’s worth the effort in the end. Thus, Nier Replicant is essential for anyone who has love for Automata, and it’s a special experience on its own.”

The Nier games aren’t for everyone, but even the least-sad person in the world has to admit that both Nier Replicant and Nier Automata are packed full of bangers. Composer Keiiche Okabe is a wizard, and you can currently get a vinyl box set that comes with dozens of tracks from both games.

The Nier Automata / Nier Gestalt and Replicant Original Soundtrack Vinyl Box set is available on the Square Enix store. It features 35 tracks across four vinyl records, and its gorgeous packaging features characters from both games. It’s done in a watercolor style, with the recurring Lunar Tear flower visible in a few spots, and was drawn by Tokyo Ghoul creator Sui Ishida.

You can see the full track listing for the album here, but it’s worth noting that not every single song is included. If you get the CD or MP3 version of the Nier Automata soundtrack, for instance, it includes 46 songs, while the original Nier soundtrack had 43. Some of these are variants of the same tune, such as the multiple “Weight of the World” versions that accompany key moments in Automata’s story.

Nier’s music has received so much acclaim that it was toured internationally in a special concert series, with stops in major cities like London and Chicago. During one concert called “The Memories of Puppets,” a small one-act play was also performed, serving as an epilogue to Automata’s story. If you want to watch it, you can pick up a Blu-ray recording that also includes 17 songs.

Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139–that’s the approximate square root of 1.5–is available today on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. In our Nier Replicant review, Michael Higham said the game made him “ugly-cry” multiple times and praised its storytelling, revamped combat, and, of course, its music. You can get the PC version on sale for $48 via Green Man Gaming with the code SPR21.

Valheim publisher Coffee Stain said it was caught off-guard by the game’s massive success. The publisher, which also has two other successful titles under its belt–Deep Rock Galactic and Satisfactory–scrambled to deal with the success of Valheim, according to an interview with GamesIndustry.Biz.

That’s not to say that some level of success wasn’t expected by Coffee Stain. “We knew from the beta period that the game was well received by players, who played more than we thought they would–that set us up with quite positive expectations,” said Sebastian Badylak, Valheim’s executive producer. “We were confident that the game would do well, and definitely sell in the tens of thousands in the first week.”

However, those expectations were easily met and then surpassed. Valheim has been one of the hottest items on Steam since its early-access release on February 2. A week after release, it didn’t just sell 10 or 20 thousand copies; it sold one million. Within six weeks of releasing, Valheim had moved six million units.

Coffee Stain CEO Albert Säfström was taken aback by the game’s success. Also speaking to GamesIndustry.Biz, he compared its sales to knocking over a bathtub full of water.

“But normally you sell the most at the beginning and then it starts to taper down. For at least the first week, every day we outsold what we’d managed the previous day. It was like if you knock over a glass of water on your desk. Most of the water comes out in the beginning, and that’s what your sales are like. This felt more like if you tried to tip over a bathtub full of water.”

This success, spurred on by the pandemic, the popularity of Vikings in mainstream culture, and even the success of Rust, according to both Säfström and Badylak, has radically shifted the post-release plans for Valheim. For instance, as an early-access title, Valheim has a lot of bugs. Now, instead of a trickle of bug reports, Iron Gate is flooded with them. According to Badylak, the only reason there are more reports is because of the game’s high player-count, not because the game has a myriad of bugs.

For the team at Iron Gate, which consists of just five developers, squashing these bugs while also updating the game with new content has presented a problem. To alleviate that stress, Iron Gate is hiring new developers, and Coffee Stain is even working with Unity, the company that built the engine Valheim runs on.

Past the struggles that came with Valheim’s popularity, Coffee Stain has learned something that it will be applying to future titles. The game only costs $20 and has no microtransactions, and is admittedly high-quality. Prioritizing games with this model will be a key strategy for the publisher moving forward.

“We want it to feel like you’re getting a good deal when you buy one of our games,” said Säfström. “That you almost feel bad for the developer or publisher that you can get so much game for that amount of money.”

Since Call of Duty: Warzone’s big new Season 3 update went live, some players have reported that their balance of Call of Duty Points has vanished. Thankfully, this is only a visual error. Developer Raven Software said on Twitter that players need only go back to the main menu or restart the game to fix the issue.

Do this and you should see your Call of Duty Points balance return to normal. “Your points are safe!” Raven Software said on Twitter.

Call of Duty Points are earned by spending real money to acquire them or by progressing through the new Season 3 Battle Pass to unlock them. Either way, they are precious, so it’s good to know this is only a visual error and not something worse.

Call of Duty Points can be spent on various cosmetic bundles for Warzone (and Black Ops Cold War), including the recently released Stoner’s Delight DLC.

Warzone’s original Verdansk map was nuked as part of a special event and it is never coming back. For more on Verdansk ’84, check out GameSpot’s video preview above that covers everything you need to know. You can also check out the Season 3 patch notes.

The Internet is already obsessed with Resident Evil Village’s towering Lady Dimitrescu – but she will be only one of four main Lords who serve Mother Miranda in the game. Today, IGN can exclusively reveal the full roster of these villainous boss characters, as well as a little info on the horrific locations they each inhabit.

After playing the main game for five hours, I was still in Castle Dimitrescu, but the game’s map – which we revealed last week – shows that this is only one area in a much larger game. Each area is not just unique from a visual standpoint, but also comes with different enemy types, gameplay mechanics and boss fights. The village, located somewhere in Eastern Europe, is ruled by a figure known as Mother Miranda. She comes across as a type of cult leader, and the villagers can be seen worshipping her like a deity.

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In previous footage, you can see Lady Dimitrescu talking with Mother Miranda over the phone. From their conversation, it becomes clear that even everyone’s favorite giantess is a servant to Mother Miranda. Mother Miranda has four main servants located in different areas of the village, known as the four Lords – of which Lady Dimitrescu is one. The four Lords function as the game’s main villains. “Village’s creatures and characters were inspired by classic gothic horror. Lady Dimitrescu was inspired by vampires, while other characters were based on werewolves, mermen and ghosts,” Village’s art director Tomonori Takano explains.

Caption: Portraits of Mother Miranda and the four Lords, found in a church inside the village.

Lady Dimitrescu and her castle have already been introduced in detail, so let’s see what the other lords and their hideouts look like in this exclusive reveal.

Karl Heisenberg and Heisenberg’s Factory

Karl Heisenberg can be seen in multiple trailers. He is an engineer who lives in his family factory. Heisenberg carries a giant iron hammer with one hand, while he casually holds a cigar in the other hand. With sunglasses, a hat and leather jacket, Heisenberg’s design seems rather extravagant for someone in a remote Eastern European village. Takano says that like Lady Dimitrescu, his appearance was inspired by fashion from the 1960s.

Turning the act of killing into a game, the session of Heisenberg’s torture that takes place in the beginning of the game sets a good example of what this character is capable of. Having barely survived his games during my hands-on, just thinking about what could be awaiting at Heisenberg’s Factory makes me shiver.

Compared with other areas in the village, the factory appears to be in sync with the times, with modern facilities available. Another aspect that differentiates the factory is the fact that it’s not covered in snow. The factory is located on the Northeastern edge of the map, perhaps on a lower altitude.

Salvatore Moreau and Moreau’s Reservoir

Salvatore Moreau’s design was inspired by mermen from gothic horror. Compared with the other humanoid Lords, Moreau looks more like your typical Resident Evil creature. Moreau hides most of his appearance with a long robe. The character briefly made an appearance during my time playing the game, waddling into view in a scene where protagonist Ethan is at the mercy of the four Lords. ”We designed Moreau with the concept of creating the most repulsive character on Earth,” Takano says.

Moreau lives by a reservoir close to an obsolete fishing village. Two windmills can be spotted nearby on the game’s map, one being displayed in the image above. The windmill has a ladder, suggesting that players might be able to climb all the way up.

The game map also shows an illustration of a huge whale-like monster in the reservoir, which can also be briefly spotted in the latest trailer. Takano mentions that the lake he saw when traveling to Eastern Europe for research was frozen, but the team eventually decided against including a frozen lake in the game, as it would be hard for the area’s creatures to survive under such conditions.

Donna Beneviento and House Beneviento

Donna Beneviento operates a puppet called Angie. Clad in mourning black with her face covered, everything about Donna remains a mystery. Another question that remains is to what extent Angie is alive. Director Morimasa Sato says that when presenting the game to his Capcom colleagues in the United States, he was surprised to find out that many people found the duo to be the most frightening of all of the Lords.

“In the United States, people’s reactions towards the puppet were pretty intense,” Sato says. “Of course, this made me happy, but as a Japanese person, it surprised me that they found the puppet that scary.”

Takano says that for Angie’s design, the team went for something they hoped would have instant impact rather than being purely frightening, but he is also happy that the reactions turned out this way. Donna and Angie live at House Beneviento, located on the outskirts of the village. No visitors ever come by. Sato hinted that House Beneviento is in many ways an evolution of the horror elements he used in Resident Evil 7 – and we won’t have to wait long to find out what that connection will be.

Resident Evil Village is set to release on May 7. Be sure to check out our in-depth preview of the first five hours of the game. For those curious about the last-gen version, be sure to check out our PS4 Pro gameplay footage. If you can’t wait to get your blood drained by Lady Dimitrescu, don’t miss our feature on the towering villain, and also be sure to check out our reveal of the game’s map and Mother Miranda art. Look forward to more exclusive Resident Evil Village content throughout April as part of IGN First.

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Esra Krabbe is an editor at IGN Japan. He’s confident the four Lords will give him plenty of sleepless nights.

At first glance the 8BitDo Pro 2 may look nearly identical to the SN30 Pro+ controller that came before it. While it shares the same design, the new model has some meaningful improvements both physically and with its optional software. With more of an emphasis on “pro” than ever before, this is the definitive 8BitDo controller to own for retro enthusiasts and modern gamers alike.

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8BitDo Pro 2 – Design and Features

Drawing inspiration from the SNES controller, the 8BitDo Pro 2 has an immediate nostalgic feel, albeit with contemporary features like dual analog sticks, vibration, and more. The controller has great ergonomics, so it feels comfortable to hold. It’s very comparable to PlayStation’s DualShock 4 controller in both size and weight – with the Pro 2 weighing just 18 grams more than Sony’s controller. Even the “enhanced grip” on the back of both controllers feels the same. The major difference is that the stems are a bit straighter on the 8BitDo, while the DualShock 4 extends at more of an angle.

As far as compatibility goes, the Pro 2 can be used with Nintendo Switch, Windows PCs, macOS computers, Android smartphones and tablets, and Raspberry Pi. It supports Bluetooth 4.0 on all compatible devices, as well as a wired mode, if you prefer.

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8BitDo has nearly perfected the modern D-pad, reproducing something that feels like the best version of what appeared on the SNES controller while maintaining the original size, shape, and feel. Opposite the D-pad are four face buttons (laid out in Nintendo’s A/B/X/Y style) which have a satisfying click when pressed. They are slightly taller than the buttons found on modern controllers like the DualShock, DualSense, and Xbox Series X/S controllers – but the point at which the button registers a press feels roughly the same.

The analog sticks sit below the pill-shaped Start and Select buttons and are spaced out just a tad more than the DualShock 4’s analog sticks. The sticks themselves feel a bit stiff, but very responsive, snapping back to the default position almost instantly. Both have a distinct click when pressed in and a comfortable groove for your thumbs.

On top, the L and R buttons are similar to what you’d find on a SNES controller as well. They are both long, narrow buttons that curve with the controller and are easy to press. Further back, the L2 and R2 buttons feel great. They are easy to press down, but have a bit of tension to them. In fact, these are analog triggers, meaning they can distinguish how far they are being pressed for games that support it.

Also on the front of the controller are 8BitDo’s two signature buttons: Star and Heart, each on opposite sides of the controller. These buttons function as the screenshot and home buttons on Nintendo Switch, respectively, but can be mapped to whatever you like on any platform. There’s also a button in the center that allows you to quickly toggle between three preset profiles that you can customize.

On the back are two “pro” back paddle buttons. These low-profile buttons are nestled comfortably into the natural curvature of the grips and make an audible click when pressed. This is one of the new features on the Pro 2, and is a nice touch for those looking to optimize their inputs. Another new feature is a small toggle switch on the back that allows you to select between four devices to connect to: Switch, macOS, Android, and Windows. This is a welcome improvement over previous 8BitDo controllers which required holding the Start button and one of the face buttons simultaneously in order to change the paired device.

There’s also a battery door that houses 8BitDo’s removable 1000mAh lithium-ion battery pack, allowing you to replace it if necessary without buying a new controller. The battery lasts for around 20 hours on a single charge and can be recharged in roughly four hours via the USB-C port on top of the controller. Wired modes are supported for playing and charging simultaneously, however, you’ll likely want to pick up another USB-C cable as the one provided is only about three feet long.

8BitDo Pro 2 – Software

8BitDo’s Ultimate Software tool is the bread and butter of its modern controllers. By plugging in to your PC or Mac, you can customize just about every aspect of the controller to suit your playstyle.

What sets the Pro 2 apart is that it can now be configured with either an iOS or Android device via a companion app. This is an absolute game changer, as it allows even casual gamers to begin tinkering with their controller and easily remap the buttons to their liking. The UI is easy to navigate, and changes sync instantly over Bluetooth. My only complaint is that while the controller can be customized on iOS via the app, it can’t actually be used on iPhone or iPad to play mobile games, which feels like an odd omission.

Within the customization software/app, you can adjust the active and inactive areas of both the left and right analog stick, as well as invert the axes for one or both sticks. The rear triggers can also be customized, allowing you to determine how far down each one needs to be pressed. Vibration levels can be tweaked for both sides of the controller, as well. Even more, Ultimate Software allows you to create your own macros, allowing a series of commands with a single button press.

The customization software, either on PC/Mac or iOS/Android, is also the only way to configure the pro back paddle buttons, as they aren’t assigned out of the box. While having a way to configure these rear paddles directly from the controller would’ve been nice, the fact that you no longer need a computer for customization is a welcome addition and something I hope to see in all future 8BitDo controllers.

Every customization you make can be saved to one of three custom profiles that can then be toggled between by pressing the button on the middle of the controller. What’s great is it actually saves three profiles per platform, meaning you could have separate profiles for different Switch games that don’t interfere with configurations you have for certain PC games.

8BitDo Pro 2 – Gaming

Swapping between games on Nintendo Switch and PC is a breeze on the Pro 2, thanks to the platform toggle on the back. Once you’ve paired the controller initially it remembers the device for each input mode, allowing you to use a single controller across multiple platforms with ease.

On Switch, I spent time playing Super Mario 3D World where movement felt tight and responsive from the analog sticks. Having built-in rumble was also a nice touch, as many third party controllers lack this crucial feature. During my gameplay, I had no noticeable input delay, and all buttons responded as expected. The only drawback is that it can’t wake the Switch up from sleep, which is a minor inconvenience.

After finishing my search for green stars, I popped over to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where I dug into customizing profiles. Because I was able to configure them so easily through my smartphone, I made custom configurations for different characters that made playing them much easier. For instance, I created a macro for one of the rear paddles that let me quickly swap between Pyra and Mythra instead of pressing down and B simultaneously. While this may not seem substantial, the fact that you can essentially bind entire moves to a single button press had me genuinely excited.

I also played through a handful of retro games on SNES Online to really put the D-pad through its paces. I’m pleased to report that 8BitDo still makes a fantastic D-pad that actually feels good to use, unlike the last few Xbox controllers, and many other 3rd-party controllers I’ve used. Movement was precise and platforming in the various Mario games felt as good as ever. I even spent some time with Spelunky 2 on my gaming PC, a game that requires the utmost precision, and was not let down a single time by the D-pad, or the controller itself.

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Purchasing Guide

8BitDo Pro 2 is available on Amazon for $49.99.