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In a massive industry shakeup, Sony unexpectedly canceled its partnership on Hideo Kojima’s next-gen action-espionage title Physint, prompting Microsoft to step in and secure Xbox as the official publisher for the spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid. The high-profile pickup gives Xbox a major prestige win and extends its creative relationship with Kojima Productions across gaming, film, and television.

News & Reviews

Marvel’s Wolverine Review · IGN Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Wolverine delivers vicious, blood-soaked claw combat and outstanding character animation, paired with a surprisingly nuanced, introspective narrative for Logan. However, the combat mechanics lack long-term progression and wear thin across its 15-hour campaign due to repetitive arena encounters and a lack of puzzle variety. While it stands as a solid Weapon X entry backed by cinematic flair, the core gameplay loop fails to fully match its narrative strength.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Hands-On Preview · IGN Hands-on time with Final Fantasy VII Revelation showcases best-in-class evolved combat with Cid and Vincent joining the party, high-flying open-world traversal via the Highwind, and a breathtaking reimagining of Wutai. However, the demo raised concerns over potential open-world map bloat and constant UI interruptions from assistant MAI. Separately, director Naoki Hamaguchi addressed fan backlash regarding the single-disc PS5/Xbox physical release requiring a mandatory internet download, maintaining that splitting the game across multiple discs would have compromised visual fidelity.

Rockstar Faces Employment Tribunal Over Fired GTA 6 Workers · IGN Rockstar Games appeared before a UK employment tribunal to contest claims from the IWGB union that 31 developers working on GTA 6 were unlawfully blacklisted and terminated for union organizing. Rockstar strongly rejects the claims, maintaining that the staff members were dismissed for gross misconduct after leaking confidential development information in a Discord channel. Meanwhile, limited-edition GTA 6 DualSense controllers caused massive online storefront queues and instant eBay scalping ahead of the game’s November 19 launch.

Wardogs Surpasses 1 Million Sales on Day One of Early Access · IGN Bulkhead’s new all-out warfare FPS Wardogs blew past one million copies sold and surged past 300,000 peak concurrent players on Steam during its very first day in Early Access. Blending tactical mil-sim combat with accessible large-scale shooter action, the $39.99 PC title has emerged as one of the biggest multiplayer hits of the year. A full 1.0 release is targeted for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2028.

Nintendo Switch & Switch 2 System Update 23.0.0 Released · IGN Nintendo launched system update 23.0.0, introducing TV-mode Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support for Switch 2 consoles alongside a required dock firmware update. The firmware update adds full console-to-console data transfers for Switch 2 and enables temporary online license authentication when virtual game cards cannot be transferred offline. Additional tweaks include per-TV sound settings, Portuguese text-to-speech accessibility, and background music toggles for Mii editing.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Preorders Discounted · IGN Physical preorders for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake on Switch 2 are already marked down by $10 at Amazon and Walmart to $59.88, matching digital pricing ahead of its November 5 launch. The first physical printing features limited-edition textured foil cover art and contains the complete game directly on the cartridge. Meanwhile, former Nintendo art director Takaya Imamura suggested that Link’s divisive new visual model reflects Shigeru Miyamoto’s affinity for traditional puppet drama aesthetics.

Ace Combat 8 Prequel Live-Action Series “Hour Zero” Revealed · IGN Bandai Namco announced Hour Zero, a four-part live-action prequel miniseries setting up the narrative for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve prior to its October 2 launch. Starring Josh Holloway, Brandon Routh, and Tamlyn Tomita, the episodes will stream exclusively on IGN starting September 15. Holloway praised the game’s visceral cockpit combat and advised players to maintain relentless aggression during dogfights.

Free Games & Deals

PC gamers can claim two free games on the Epic Games Store through September 17: the 2D Zodiac-boss platform roguelite Astral Ascent and Vlambeer’s arcade aerial shooter Luftrausers. On the hardware deal front, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally handheld PC is down to $399.36 for used like-new units on Amazon Resale. Premium displays and gear also saw heavy price cuts, including the 34" AOC Agon Pro QD-OLED ultrawide monitor dropping $200 down to $399.99 and the haptic-inductive Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike wireless mouse selling for half price at $90.

Also Worth Knowing

• Professor Layton and the Curious Village Remake Announced (IGN): Level-5 revealed a 3D remake of the classic DS puzzle game arriving in 2027 for Switch, Switch 2, PS5, and PC.
• Apple AirPods 5 Preorders Go Live with Active Noise Cancellation (IGN): Apple opened preorders for the AirPods 5 starting at $129, featuring 50% improved active noise cancellation and spatial audio.
• Dead or Alive 6 Last Round Dials Back Sexy Costumes (IGN): Koei Tecmo sparked community debate after revealing it is stepping back from provocative outfits because competitive players feel embarrassed using them in matches.
• Legendary Anime Voice Actor Mike McFarland Passes Away at 56 (IGN): Famed voice actor and ADR director Mike McFarland, best known as Master Roshi in Dragon Ball and Jean Kirstein in Attack on Titan, died at age 56 following a battle with brain cancer.
• LEGO Astro Bot Set Leaked as PlayStation Gift With Purchase (IGN): Leaked images confirmed a 276-piece LEGO Astro Bot set will be bundled exclusively as a gift with purchase for the upcoming $179.99 LEGO PS1 console.

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