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Axiom Verge — the critically-acclaimed Metroidvania — has released its first free content update six years after its release, a Randomizer Mode for all the speedrunners out there.

Developer Tom Happ is busy working on the sequel Axiom Verge 2, but as a recognition of Axiom Verge’s popular speedrunning community, he has released a Randomizer Mode as a free update.

The mode will let players randomize the items they get as they progress in the game. But instead of just a simple jumbler, the mode is “smart enough to know that in certain areas you need weapons with certain characteristics to progress.”

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As par for the genre, players will need certain items to backtrack and access previously inaccessible areas. And the Randomizer will take this into account while still adding an element of chaos and difficulty for speedrunners.

The Randomizer Mode is currently only available on Epic Games Store and Steam copies of Axiom Verge, with a console release slated for a later date. Epic Games Store users will find a beta version of Axiom Verge with the new mode automatically in their library.

On Steam, players will right-click their copy of Axiom Verge in their library, go to Betas, and select the new version with the Randomizer update.

Happ says he’s adding the “finishing touches” to Axiom Verge 2 and there will be an update on it soon. Check out IGN’s review of Axiom Verge for more.

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Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

As of January 12, the online servers for the open-world action-RPG Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor have shut down, publisher WB Games confirmed on the game’s support page.

WB Games cited “changes with our network” as the reason for Shadow of Mordor’s servers to have gone offline. As a result, several online features, like Nemesis Forge and Vendetta missions, are no longer available on PC (via Steam), PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Players familiar with the game’s sequel, 2017’s Middle-earth: Shadow of War, may recall the Nemesis Forge. A featured added to Shadow of Mordor shortly before Shadow of War launched, Nemesis Forge allowed players to import their most-hated nemesis and most-loyal ally from Mordor into War. This feature is offline now that the servers have shut down.

The same is true for Vendetta missions, tasks that saw players track down and beat powerful orcs that have killed other players in their own games. This feature is also offline now.

Other features that not are no longer functional in Shadow of Mordor include leaderboards and the WBPlay platform. While some features go offline, a few achievements can still be unlocked, including “Lord of the Ring,” “Rapid in Blood,” and “The Hunt is My Mistress.” Furthermore, because they were connected to the WBPlay platform and that’s now offline, the Epic runes “Gravewalker” and “Orc Hunter” are automatically awarded to all players.

Shadow of Mordor is a six-year-old game now, originally launching in September 2014 for PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. The sequel, Shadow of War, was met with criticism over its use of microtransactions, which were later cut from the game entirely.

In other Lord of the Rings new, the long-running Lord of the Rings Online MMO from publisher Daybreak Game Company may be preparing to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Looking for something new to play but don’t want to spend any money? Microsoft has announced the latest additions to the Free Play Days promotion, and they include some big-name titles.

Now through Sunday, January 17, Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass Ultimate members can play Star Wars: Squadrons, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Yooka-Laylee for the low, low price of $0.00.

To get started, you can queue up a download of each game through the Xbox website. You can also download the games on your Xbox by visiting the Subscriptions tab of the Xbox Store and then navigate to the Gold member area to find the Free Play Days library.

Any Gamerscore and achievements you earn in the titles during the free play period will move forward with you should you decide to buy the games outright. Squadrons ($24) and Yooka-Laylee ($10) are on sale, too, so you can pick them up on the cheap. Dragon Ball FighterZ, however, remains at full price.

All three games received generally favorable review scores–check out some excerpts from GameSpot’s reviews below.

Star Wars: Squadrons Review — 7/10

“The campaign’s narrative leaves you wanting, and the flagship Fleet Battles can be incredibly uneven. But the feeling of Squadrons’ core flight combat is gratifying enough to sustain you through it all,” reviewer Edmond Tran said [Full review]

Dragon Ball FighterZ Review — 9/10

“Where past games attempted to get there through huge character rosters and deliberately predictable trips down memory lane, FighterZ has bottled the essence of what makes the series’ characters, animation, and sense of humor so beloved and reconfigured it into something new: a Dragon Ball fighting game that can go toe-to-toe with the best of the genre,” said reviewer Peter Brown [Full review]

Yooka-Laylee Review — 6/10

“If you’re looking for a faithful return to the Banjo-Kazooie formula, Yooka-Laylee certainly delivers–from the font to the music to the wealth of collectibles, it’s worthy of the title of spiritual successor,” reviewer Kallie Plagge said [Full review]

Nintendo has added a couple of new physical rewards to its My Nintendo loyalty program. My Nintendo members can now spend their points on a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate greeting card set or a Splatoon 2 keychain set.

The Smash Bros. greeting card set costs 400 Platinum points and is designed to resemble the series’ signature invitation letter. The Splatoon 2 keychain set, meanwhile, costs 350 Platinum points and comes with keychains of the Super Mushroom and Super Star, the two Mario power-ups featured during this weekend’s Mario-themed Splatfest.

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As is generally the case with other physical rewards, both items are likely limited in supply, so you should grab them quickly if either catches your eye. Once you redeem your Platinum points, you’ll be able to add the items to your Nintendo Store cart for free, although you will need to pay for shipping.

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The aforementioned Mario Splatfest runs from January 15-17. To take part in the event, you’ll need to first pick a side from the voting terminal in Inkopolis Square, then participate in Turf War matches this weekend. Everyone who takes part in the event will earn Super Sea Snails after the results are announced.

If you don’t have Splatoon 2 yet, you can pick up a digital copy at a nice price right now. The colorful shooter is one of many games currently discounted as part of the eShop’s New Year sale. That sale runs through January 21.

In other news, Nintendo also revealed a second Super Mario 35th anniversary pin set. To be eligible for this one, you’ll need complete 15 Mario My Nintendo missions, including purchasing Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. That launches for Switch on February 12 and is releasing alongside a special Mario edition Switch console.

Fans of real time strategy games can pick up Bomber Crew, a game about managing the inner workings of a World War 2 bomber, for free by subscribing to the Humble Bundle newsletter. The offer is only around for the next three days, so players will need to act quickly if they want to grab this freebie.

Visit Humble Bundle’s official website, click on the banner on top, create an account, and enter your email in order to receive a copy of Bomber Crew. This offer will end on January 17, 2021 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET.

Bomber Crew puts you in charge of various crews flying missions at the height of World War 2. You’ll act as their invisible leader, giving engineers, gunners, and other crewmate’s orders. The graphics may look charming, but there is a real challenge hidden behind Bomber Crew’s colorful visuals.

Developer Runner Duck has also revealed the upcoming sequel to Bomber Crew, titled Space Crew. Gameplay will be similar to its predecessor, meaning you’ll be able to customize your ship, recruit unique team members, and deal with aliens when they board your ship.

GameSpot did not review Bomber Squad, but the Nintendo Switch version–which has the most reviews–has an average rating of 75 on GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

A notoriously tricky “ultra-shortcut” in Mario Kart Wii has been performed by a human, after years of attempts. The shortcut is on the final track, Rainbow Road, and though players have known about its theoretical existence for almost five years, no one has been able to pull it off.

As noted on Reddit, streamer @ArthuurrrP is the first person to have performed the shortcut. You can see it in the streamed video below: The racer stops and turns their kart just after the starting line, then rides the railing and hops over to a piece of the track, bypassing most of Rainbow Road and going straight to the finish line. Total lap time: 22.5 seconds. Doing this successfully is said to have taken thousands of hours.

This is one of the “ultra-shortcuts” in Mario Kart Wii, and a 2018 video from Summoning Salt explains what makes it so rare and tricky. Mario Kart Wii uses a series of checkpoints to load in and make sure you’ve finished the entire track in sequence, so if you find a shortcut, you need to trip those markers or it won’t count your progress. This particular shortcut was discovered in March 2016, and had been recreated with bots, but there wasn’t yet a record of a person actually performing it.

This almost mythical ultra-shortcut requires a very particular sequence of events. You have to turn around and ride just outside the rail, which is tricky enough. But then you need to perform a perfectly-timed drift dash off that tiny piece of ledge, hop at the correct angle, and then use another boost mushroom to make the extra distance. If you do all of that, perfectly in sequence, you manage to just barely land in the correct part of the track.

Obviously a shortcut that can only be performed once in five years isn’t very functional for winning competitive races, but it’s an impressive look at perseverance to pull off an almost-impossible gaming feat.