Category: Gaming

Final Fantasy 16’s development team consists of an all-star line-up, with several industry veterans from not just the Final Fantasy series, but Dragon Quest and Devil May Cry .

Shared on the game’s Twitter (below), Final Fantasy 16’s combat director, Ryota Suzuki, was a gameplay lead on Dragon’s Dogma, an effects designer on Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and a designer on Devil May Cry 5. It seems fair to say that the action elements of the new RPG come with some pedigree.

Producer Naoki Yoshida, while most known for turning Final Fantasy 14 Online from a dead-on-arrival game into an incredibly successful MMO, has also worked on Dragon Quest X and Dragon Quest Builders, and director Hiroshi Takai has plenty of JRPG chops having previously worked on Final Fantasy 5, SaGa Frontier, and The Last Remnant.

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An introduction to the team behind Final Fantasy XVI. #FF16 pic.twitter.com/NpFv0a6XBe

— FINAL FANTASY XVI (@finalfantasyxvi) June 3, 2022

The Final Fantasy 14 experience goes deeper as creative director and screenplay writer Kazutoyo Maehiro and art director Hiroshi Minagawa worked on the game with Yoshida, alongside character design lead Kazuya Takahashi who also worked on Final Fantasy 12 and Tactics.

The game’s music is being composed by Masayoshi Soken, who created most of the music in Final Fantasy 14 and its expansions plus the Nanashi no Game series and music from Mario Sports Mix.

PlayStation’s June State of Play showed a new trailer for Final Fantasy 16 and revealed its release window as summer 2023 for PS5 and PC after a lot of teasing from Yoshida.

The producer has been fairly open about its development timeline though, saying in July last year that the story and English voice over was almost complete but the game was later delayed as a result of COVID-19.

This Final Fantasy news was just one of several announcements made at the State of Play, with everything else you need to know available in IGN’s round-up of the event.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

V Rising – 13 Things To Do First

Whether you’re just starting to explore the vast open world of Vardoran or you want to know how to use unique Vampire Powers or new weapon techniques, we’re here to tell you 13 things to do first in V Rising.00:00 – Intro00:25 – 1: Don’t Ignore Quests00:57 – 2: Choose Your Castle Location Wisely01:23 – 3: Store Spare Resources01:41 – 4: Beware of The North02:01 – 5: Stock Up02:16 – 6: Right Tool for the Job02:37 – 7: The Refiner Things02:56 – 8: Scarce Resources03:28 – 9: Upgrade Your Weapons03:49 – 10: The Light! It Burns!04:10 – 11: Track V Blood Carriers04:47 – 12: Unlock Wolf Form05:05 – 13: Unlock the Crossbow/Fishing RodFor more beginner tips and vampire ability breakdowns, check out our full guide on IGN.https://www.ign.com/wikis/v-rising

We already have a release window for Final Fantasy 16: Summer 2023. It’s being planned for release on the PlayStation 5 and PC.

Revealed at today’s Sony State of Play event, Final Fantasy 16 also got a new trailer, the first look at gameplay after previous cinematics.

During that gameplay trailer, titled “Dominance,” we got a good look at how combat will unfold, as well as some new details about the world of Valisthea. There was also a significant focus on summons, showing battles with Titan, Shiva, Ifrit, and more.

“Hopefully with this preview, you all were able to get a better picture of what actual gameplay will entail — namely, high-octane battles featuring our protagonist Clive Rosfield wielding a full arsenal of attacks unique to the game’s many Eikons (summons),” producer Yoshida Naoki said in a PlayStation Blog post published after the State of Play. “Not to mention epic clashes between the Eikons themselves that put you right in the action.”

Final Fantasy XVI – State of Play June 2022

Final Fantasy 16 was first announced for PS5 back in September of last year, at which time it was also originally announced for PC, then retracted — seeming to be a timed exclusive of some kind. The game had already completed “basic development” by October, and we’ve since gotten more details about its heroes, world, and story, as well as the six realms it takes place in.

Yoshida confirmed in the blog post that Final Fantasy 16 is now “is fully playable from start to finish,” though the development team still faces a number of challenges in the final stretch.

Looking for more highlights from the show? Check out our guide to the biggest announcements from PlayStation today.

Update [6/2/22]: This story was updated with new information about Street Fighter 6 provided by Capcom after the State of Play.

Capcom delivered our first look at Street Fighter 6’s gameplay and more of its roster at PlayStation’s June State of Play. The trailer showed off several iconic Street Fighter characters and teased what looks to be a new logo.

After the reveal Capcom confirmed the three new modes: Fighting Ground, World Tour, and Battle Hub. Arcade Mode, Training Mode, local versus battles, and online matches will also return. Capcom said details about the roster and Battle Hub will be revealed at a later date. It did share, however, that World Tour will be Street Fighter 6’s single-player story mode that “pushes the boundaries of what a fighting game is and allows players to leave their own legacy with their player avatar.”

Street Fighter 6 will feature a new mechanic called the Drive System, which Capcom describes as “a new gauge used to perform five distinct techniques to enhance a player’s offensive or defensive capabilities.” The techniques include Drive Impact, Drive Parry, Overdrive Art, Drive Rush, and Drive Reversal.

Street Fighter 6 State of Play June 2022

Capcom also announced the “Real Time Commentary Feature,” a feature that adds commentary from FGC commentators like Jeremy “Vicious” Lopez, Aru, and others promising “real-time feedback and a new perspective.”

Street Fighter 6 is being developed with Capcom’s RE Engine and is slated for a 2023 release on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC. Catch all the announcements and reveals from PlayStation’s June State of Play with IGN’s news roundup.

Miranda Sanchez is the executive editor of guides at IGN and a member of Podcast Unlocked. She’s a big fan of stationery and fountain pens. You can sometimes find her on Twitter.

The Callisto Protocol gameplay has finally been revealed alongside a release date set for December 2, 2022.

A third-person survival horror game, developer Striking Distance Studios was founded by Dead Space creator Glen Schofield. In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Schofield explained said “I’m excited to be returning to my roots with an all-new take on the sci-fi survival horror genre.”

That influence is clear in its reveal trailer, with horrifying monsters and zombie-like creatures all throughout its futuristic setting of Jupiter’s moon. You play as Jacob Lee, voiced by Josh Duhamel, who is a prisoner on the moon trying to survive during a “mysterious outbreak” that’s mutating people into terrible monsters called Biophage.

Schofield says “horror starts with atmosphere,” and that special antention has been paid to things like lighting and the PS5’s 3D audio. The Callisto Protocol will also take advantage of The Dualsense controller’s haptics for everything from heavy enemy footsteps to swinging your weapon.

The Callisto Protocol – Sony State of Play June 2022 Screenshots

Speaking of combat, the blog post describes it as having a “a strategic combat system that forces players to get up close and personal with our horrifying creatures.” Additionally, you’ll use a gravity weapon named the GRP to mix ranged and melee, allowing you to do things like freeze enemies in place or use pieces of the terrain as a defensive tool.

The Callisto Protocol was originally was originally supposed to be set in the same universe as PUBG, but it was recently announced that was no longer the case

Looking for more highlights from the show? Check out our guide to the biggest announcements from PlayStation today.

Horizon Forbidden West has a new update available today on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, it was announced during the June 2022 State of Play Presentation.

That new update includes a Performance Mode, which improves visual fidelity on PS5 and PS4 Pro; the transmog feature to switch outfit looks; the ability to redistribute skill points; ultra hard difficulty; and New Game+, which allows replaying with endgame gear.

Guerrilla Games shared the full list of patch notes on Reddit, which includes new weapons, trophies, and dyes and face paints for Aloy. The patch also includes fixes for several bugs in the main and side quests.

The update was far from the only Horizon news announced during today’s State of Play. Horizon: Call of the Mountain, the Horizon series’ VR spinoff, also got a new gameplay trailer, showing new methods of traversal.

You can read about everything that was announced at the June 2022 State of Play in IGN’s round-up.

Stray, the game about a cat navigating a cyberpunk city, will be released on July 19 for PS4 and PS5.

Shown at Sony’s State of Play event today, the PlayStation console exclusive puts players in the furry little feet of a cat lost in a futuristic cyber city that’s falling apart. Separated from its family, the cat must solve an ancient mystery and find its way home with the help of a small robot friend known as B12.

It was also announced that Stray will be on PlayStation Plus at launch for members of the “Extra” tier and above.

In a PlayStation blog post, BlueTwelve Studio producer Swann Martin-Raget reminsced on Stray’s seven-year development, and the challenges that came with making a believable, playable cat:

“Trying to control a cat – whether it’s in real life or when making a video game – is definitely not a walk in the park! From the very beginning, we knew that the controls and animations of our star character needed to be absolutely spot-on in order to properly convey this exhilarating feeling of skills and movement. So Miko, our cat animator, took the challenge to heart and spent considerable time looking for images and video references. The good and somewhat surprising thing we found is this: It really seems that the whole internet was basically invented for the sole purpose of hosting loads of cute cat pictures and videos! So we ended up having a lot of very good material to work with for references.”

Of course, there are plenty of real-life cats around Stray’s team, too. Apparently, around 80% of their studio has cats at home, and they have two office cats named Oscar and Jun. Unfortunately, the blog post did not include any photos of either of them.

Stray was first announced alongside the PS5 itself, but was pushed from a 2021 release into this year. The 3D adventure has you piloting a cat through a robot-filled city, avoiding dangers and making friends along the way.

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

We are delighted to announce that IGN Expo – our exclusive showcase that will feature new announcements, never-before-seen gameplay, and world premieres – will be returning in 2022 as part of IGN’s Summer of Gaming.

IGN will of course be carrying the IGN Expo stream and, as usual, this watch guide will provide you with everything you need to know to watch the show, including when it starts, a list of places you can watch it with us, and what you can expect to see.

IGN Expo 2022 Start Time

IGN Expo 2022 will take place on June 10, 2022, at 9am PT/12pm ET/5pm BST. If you live in Australia, that translates to June 11 at 2am AEST.

Where to Watch the IGN Expo 2022

If you’re interested in watching the IGN Expo, we’ll be hosting the stream here and across our many channels on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Here’s the full list of places you can watch the IGN Expo for 2022:

What to Expect at the Upcoming IGN Expo 2022

As previously mentioned, IGN Expo 2022 will feature new announcements, never-before-seen gameplay, and exclusive gaming reveals from some of the best developers around the globe. While we aren’t ready to unveil exactly what surprises are in store for this year’s show, we encourage you to look at our recap of 2021’s IGN Expo to get an idea of what to expect.

In 2021, some of the biggest stories out of IGN Expo included Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, World War Z Aftermath, and the reveal of a new studio from the Call of Duty Zombies creator in partnership with PlayStation.

IGN Expo is only one of the many events that are part of IGN’s Summer of Gaming in 2022. Be sure to check out our schedule to ensure you don’t miss any of the biggest gaming and entertainment events of the year, including Netflix Geeked Week, Summer Game Fest Kickoff, the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase, and much more.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Deus Ex actor Elias Toufexis has denied working on a sequel to 2016’s Mankind Divided after rumours circulated as a result of a misinterpreted tweet.

Toufexis posted on June 1 that he’s been voicing a character “in this huge AAA game for a few years”, causing speculation that he was talking about a fifth mainline Deus Ex game. Toufexis’ best known role is as Adam Jensen, the protagonist of Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. The latter game ended on a cliffhanger fans have been hoping will be resolved for many years.

This tied in with Embracer Group’s recent comments (the new owner of the Deus Ex franchise) that it sees “great potential” in sequels, remakes, and spin-offs of Deus Ex, but Toufexis has now put these rumours to bed.

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I tweet about anything in gaming and then articles come out saying I’ve confirmed Deus Ex. Guys, I’ve done something like 30 games since Deus Ex. I’m on a couple right now that are even bigger than Deus Ex.

Don’t worry, I will let you know when I know anything. pic.twitter.com/hLC36nWp4t— Elias Toufexis (@EliasToufexis) June 2, 2022

“I tweet about anything in gaming and then articles come out saying I’ve confirmed Deus Ex,” he said. “Guys, I’ve done something like 30 games since Deus Ex. I’m on a couple right now that are even bigger than Deus Ex. Don’t worry, I will let you know when I know anything.”

While the Deus Ex franchise began in 2000 (with a sequel released in 2003), the series was revamped in 2011 with Human Revolution. The series was reportedly put on hold after the latter failed to meet sales expectations (despite being very well received) and developer Eidos-Montréal later helped Crystal Dynamics with Shadow of the Tomb Raider before creating last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy game.

It’s currently unknown what Eidos-Montréal is working on next, but as mentioned previously, its new owner Embracer Group is seemingly eager to revisit Deus Ex. Based on Toufexis’ comments, he’s heard nothing yet, but we can hope.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Walmart will be offering PS5 consoles beginning today at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET. The console drop is part of its upcoming Walmart+ weekend, and as the name suggests, only Walmart+ members will get access to new PS5 stock this time around.

There are two ways to get Walmart+: you can either pay a $98 annual fee, or you can sign up for the month-to-month $12.95/ month alternative. Both methods are perfectly acceptable if you’re looking to get a better chance to secure a PS5, and you can even save money, too. Walmart is offering users $25 off your next $50+ order when you join as a monthly member, or $50 off your next $75+ order when you join as an annual member. For more details on how this works, see here.

PS5 Walmart Restock Is Happening Today, June 2

New DualSense Wireless Controllers Down to $59 (was $74.99)

How to Get $12 Off a PS5 With Walmart+

So here’s the deal, you’ve got to pay to access Walmart’s PS5 drop on June 2. In other words, the free trial membership doesn’t qualify you to get access to PlayStation 5 availability. But, here’s another deal, you can actually save $25 on your next purchase of $50 or more when you sign up for the monthly membership. It costs $12.95/ month – but with that extra saving you’re effectively cancelling this out and actually saving around $12 on the PS5.

It’s not been confirmed whether this will work on the PS5, but if you are really desperate to get the console, I’d absolutely say it’s worth the gamble. Worst case scenario is that it doesn’t work on the PS5, but you can still buy a brand new game at $12 off. Not a bad deal overall.

How to Buy a PS5 in 2022: Tips and Tricks

First of all, make sure you’re following @IGNDeals on Twitter, and stick notifications on for good measure. We’ll inform you immediately when the PS5 stock goes live, and you can be quick to the mark. Remember, Walmart likes to release inventory in short bursts averaging every 15 minutes.

If you can’t get a console on your first try, keep at it, there will be more stock. Walmart drops can last anywhere between 1-3 hours, so it’s worth multiple attempts once it goes live. Otherwise, here are a few other tips and tricks to help you successfully purchase that PS5.

1. Sign into Walmart on multiple devices (Laptop, Tablet, Phone, etc),
2. Have Walmart+ setup and active (Sign up here)
3. Have your credit card and delivery address setup before 12 PM PT
4. Add PS5 Digital and PS5 Disc to your Walmart Shopping List
5. If buying from the listing fails, try from your Shopping List

More PS5 Stock Drops Expected Soon

If you’re not interested in signing up for Walmart+, have no fear, more stock drops are here (soon). If there’s any more PS5 availability we’ll announce the details on our deals Twitter page @IGNDeals. For now, here are all the other retailer pages you’ll need to keep primed and ready for when stock is available.

When Will the PS5 Be Coming Back in Stock?

Walmart will have PS5 stock today, June 2, at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET, you need to be a paid Walmart+ member to get access to the drop.

When Is the Sony State of Play?

If you’re lucky enough to grab a PS5 during the Walmart+ restock, then you’ll be extra excited for 6 PM ET/3 PM PT, when Sony’s State of Play broadcast goes live. The State of Play will run for 30 minutes and you can watch it right here.

Must Have PS5 Accessories

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.