Category: Video Gaming

Netflix might be controlling its spending a little bit now, but is also still looking to put out gigantic blockbusters that rarely hit the big screen. Up next, we have the Russo Brothers’ The Electric State, an adaptation of Simon Stålenhag’s 2018 illustrated novel of the same name.

While the Russos’ The Gray Man didn’t resonate with critics nearly as well as everyone would’ve liked, it did well enough views-wise for Netflix, who remains quite interested in keeping the collaboration with the Marvel Studios legends going. If nothing changes, however, this will be their last Netflix-backed movie before returning to the MCU to tackle both Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.

Ever since the first-look images were released, many readers have been criticizing the movie swapping out the more downbeat and depressive dystopian tone of the novel in exchange for a more familiar and adventurous feeling, which also applies to the visuals. This first trailer certainly does a better job of selling the flick, but it’s still a far cry from Stålenhag’s work, I’d say. You can watch it below:

Straight from Netflix, here’s the official synopsis that’s been released alongside the early teaser trailer: “Set in the aftermath of a robot uprising in an alternate version of the ’90s, The Electric State follows an orphaned teenager who ventures across the American West with a cartoon-inspired robot, a smuggler, and his sidekick in search of her younger brother.”

The reported budget sits at the insane $320 million mark, which half-explains how the cast is so stacked. It’s spearheaded by Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Norman, Giancarlo Esposito, and Stanley Tucci. Additionally, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Hank Azaria, Colman Domingo, and Alan Tudyk have voice roles in it.

The bigger question here, comparisons to the novel aside, is: Does the movie looks like a $320 million behemoth? I believe the answers is negative. Marvel scribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely also teamed up with the Russos once again for this one, so the end result should be a pretty good indicator of what to realistically expect from Avengers: Doomsday… unless the secret sauce to their success was pre-Phase 4 Kevin Feige all along. Looking at how both Cherry and The Gray Man turned out despite the entirely different genres they belonged to, maybe that theory is right.

Regardless, I’m sure most Netflix subscribers will give this a chance when it’s dropped on the platform on March 14, 2025. At the very least, it feels like it could be a nice flashy time-killer, but here’s hoping for something more memorable.

Diablo 4’s new class is also its best class by far. And I mean like trillions of damage better than the rusty old classes from the distant past of 2023. The spiritborn are so powerful that in the next patch Blizzard is just going to show abbreviated damage numbers to clean up the screen during combat. It’s not, however, going to fix any of the egregious bugs that are keeping almost every spiritborn build at the top of the meta.

The greatest minds in the Diablo 4 community have spent the last few weeks deconstructing the class and they’ve found major bugs that seem to exponentially increase their power regardless of what build you run. One bug in particular is responsible for multiplying their damage by upwards of five times, and utilizing it is incredibly easy.

As Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 approaches, we’re excited to introduce the Black Ops 6 Collection—a range of thoughtfully designed accessories that bring the covert operations of the Black Ops series to life. The collection includes the Xbox Wireless Controller, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, and the Xbox Series X Wrap. Each piece is crafted to capture the tension and intrigue of the ’90s spy thriller theme, with visual elements that immerse players deeper into the game’s world.

The Black Ops 6 controllers are available to customize and purchase now, exclusively through Xbox Design Lab.  Players can also get their hands on the Xbox Series X Wrap – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 available for pre-order exclusively from the Microsoft Store. For a limited time, when you pre-order the Xbox Series X Wrap – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 from the Microsoft Store, players will receive a one-hour 2XP token for use in Black Ops 6. 

Inspired by the covert, clandestine forces and spy action thriller nature of the new game, the Xbox Wireless Controller – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 captures the intrigue of Black Ops 6 with striking visual elements. The top case and side caps feature a layered pattern of redacted documents, hidden coordinates, and concealed Black Ops symbols, representing a campaign shrouded in secrecy. Choose from a range of Call of Duty-inspired color options for buttons, triggers, and grips, and complete the look with metallic upgrades for added tactical appeal.

Personalize your setup further by selecting rubberized side and back grips for extra control or adding a custom engraved message over the classified intel, making your controller a true piece of spy craft. Whether you switch between stealth operations in the Campaign, high-octane Multiplayer showdowns, or thrilling Zombies action, the Xbox Wireless Controller is ready to keep up — featuring Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth technology for seamless connectivity to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android, and select Samsung and Amazon Fire TV devices (see xbox.com/controller-compatibility for more details). 

For those seeking the next-level edge in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 delivers pro-level performance wrapped in a design inspired by the game’s gritty ’90s spy thriller aesthetic. The controller features the same sleek Black Ops 6 top case with redacted text, tactical schematics, and hidden insignia—a homage to covert operations. The specialized neural-textured front grips that the Elite Series 2 not only enhances control, but also incorporates the controller artwork on top of the grips.  

Customize your Elite controller further by selecting from metal D-pads and metallic triggers and utilize the four interchangeable back paddles to map critical moves to how you choose to play. The adjustable-tension thumbsticks are perfect for mastering Black Ops 6’s new Omnimovement mechanics, and shorter hair trigger locks help tailor your controller to match your playstyle.

Choose from your favorite set of Call of Duty-inspired button designs and finishes and add a custom top case engraving to complete the look—transforming the Elite Series 2 into a one-of-a-kind controller that balances both style and performance for the ultimate Black Ops experience. Create your perfect Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 controller combination with Xbox Design Lab and play like a pro on Xbox console, PC, and cloud. Visit Xbox Design Lab for additional information. 

 Complete your Call of Duty setup with the Xbox Series X Wrap – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, designed to give your console a striking new look that embodies the covert intrigue of the Black Ops series. Featuring a layered design inspired by ’90s spy thriller themes, the wrap’s exterior showcases a mind-bending array of redacted documents, classified files, and Black Ops 6 Campaign references. Beneath the intricate surface pattern reveals even more hidden details, nodding to the game’s complex narrative and iconic Zombies mode. 

The precision-fit wrap is built with solid panels and a high-quality fabric finish, making it a perfect match for your Xbox Series X. It’s fastened with Velcro enclosures, making installation and removal quick and tool-free—no adhesives or complex setups required. The inside sleeve features a clean, dotted gray pattern marked with the Call of Duty logo in white, and each wrap includes a removable cover for the disc drive to ensure compatibility across all Xbox Series X consoles. The Xbox Series X Wrap – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a must-have for fans looking to transform their console into a true piece of Black Ops memorabilia. Preorder exclusively from the Microsoft Store now through October 22, 2024 and, for a limited time, receive a one-hour 2XP token for use in Black Ops 6.  

Now’s the time to gear up for the newest high-octane entry in the popular Black Ops series with this complete accessory collection. The new Xbox Wireless Controller – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available now starting at $84.98 USD ERP and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available now, starting $164.98 USD ERP, exclusively through Xbox Design Lab, where you can customize each controller to make it your own. The Xbox Series X Wrap – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available for pre-order exclusively from the Microsoft Store for 54.99 USD ERP. The console wrap will be released on October 23 for purchase through Microsoft Store as well as Xbox Design Lab in all Xbox Design Lab markets where Microsoft Store is present. 

We’re also excited to introduce the latest additions to the Xbox Icon Collection. Inspired by the same striking visual elements featured on the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 controllers, the new hoodie and new joggers are now available exclusively at the Xbox Gear Shop. 

Hi everyone, I’m Jenn, Lead Writer and Voice Producer on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Since revealing the game in June, we’ve been blown away by its reception (and impressed by the eagle-eared listeners who identified the voices in the trailers). It brings us great pleasure to finally reveal our English voice cast and share some more information about our characters and their world.

We’ve lived and breathed these characters for the past few years, so it was surreal and an honor to witness our incredible voice cast bring them to life.

The actors were phenomenal to work with (and just all-around great people). We had a lot of fun during the recording sessions. The cast beautifully conveyed the complexity of the characters, who have each been shaped by the harshness of their world. Every character has been affected by deep and constant loss and has dealt with this in their own way.

Previously, we introduced four of the characters.

Charlie Cox (Daredevil) is the voice of Gustave, the lead engineer of Expedition 33. Gustave grew up in Lumière under the Paintress’ shadow and has devoted his life to safeguarding the city. With his final year ticking away, Gustave is hell-bent on defeating the Paintress and reclaiming a future for Lumière’s children.

Jennifer English (Baldur’s Gate 3) plays Maelle, a shy loner eager to escape the constraints of Lumière. Orphaned as a child, Maelle has always felt like an outsider. Her only connection is with Gustave, her foster brother. She is the youngest member of the Expedition, at 16, and sees this as her chance to finally explore the world beyond.

Kirsty Rider (Sandman) voices Lune, the chief researcher of the Expedition. Lune is intensely driven in her quest to defeat the Paintress and complete the work of her parents. She feels keenly the weight of responsibility and the gravity of the stakes involved.

Shala Nyx (The Old Guard) voices Sciel, a calm and cheerful warrior unfazed by the obstacles ahead. Overcoming her past has allowed her to accept the odds against them. They will do all in their power, and it will either be enough or it won’t.

In our latest trailer, we introduce two new characters.

Many of you astutely identified the voice of our beloved Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI), who plays Verso, a dangerous stranger tracking the Expedition’s every move.

We asked Ben how he’d describe Verso, and he said, “lost, lonely, and dangerous,” and that he expects players to feel “every emotion imaginable” as they get to know his character.

Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings, Black Panther) plays the role of Renoir, a man relentlessly driven to save his family. He knows that victory demands sacrifice, and he’s ready to pay the price.

We also have the wonderful Rich Keeble and Maxence Cazorla playing two of our favorite characters. We’ll share more about them soon.

Developing the characters was a multi-part process, which included charting a detailed history of Lumière and each character’s family history and thinking through how prior generations responded to the Paintress. These factors all played a role in who each character is and what they are trying to overcome.

In many ways, the process of writing is the ultimate RPG. It’s an extended thought experiment where we place our characters, with their backstories, in these particular situations, and step into their shoes. What do they do? How do they feel? How have their past experiences shaped them, and how does that influence their choices today?

Cast and characters aren’t the only new elements in this trailer. Attentive fans may have recognized new locations, alongside new enemies. Golgra and The Tisseur are two fearsome adversaries who will test your reflexes in our reactive turn-based combat.

We’ve also highlighted more traversal elements within the game. The pictos-powered grapple allows members of the Expedition to summit heights and clear gaps, increasing the speed at which you can explore the world.

Developing the world, the story, and the characters has been deeply satisfying (and fun and engrossing and maddening). We are proud and excited to share the game with everyone when it releases in Spring 2025.

We hope you enjoyed today’s reveals! Stay tuned for more information about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. We have a great deal more to show you, including elements about the world, the gameplay, other characters, and sneak peek Behind the Scenes.

“Do you have a ping of 1000 or something,” my opponent asked, during my inaugural bout of Straftat. Ah yes, this is it, that sense of unpleasantly intimate sheepishness. That‘s the withering late-90s chatbox scorn I’ve been missing, in this age of glossy live service multiplayer. I hid under a stairwell in order to meditate upon my response, then laboriously typed: “No, I just suck.” Right on cue, the other player tumbled into view and shredded me with an AK.

The player I met in my second match was more forgiving. “I honestly think the characters need more HP,” they said, generously. My wrists need more HP, actually. My eyes and reflexes need urgent patching.

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Director Christopher Nolan’s 2024 Best Picture winner, Oppenheimer, has been available on 4K Blu-ray for almost a year–but if you missed out the steelbook case at Best Buy last year, you have another opportunity to get a similar one at Walmart. A new Oppenheimer 4K Steelbook Edition releases November 19 exclusively at Walmart. Preorders are available now for $30, which is cheaper than the now out-of-print Best Buy steelbook ($38) and Walmart’s Icon Edition ($35, also out of print).

The main selling point of this edition of Oppenheimer is its collectible steelbook case, making for a great-looking addition to your physical media shelf. This edition includes the movie in 4K Ultra HD, as well as a standard Blu-ray version, and a code for a digital copy, as well.

The price is what makes Oppenheimer most alluring, though. You can preorder this edition for $30, which is pretty decent–some steelbook editions cost a great deal more. Walmart also guarantees that if the price drops before release, you’ll get the lowest price offered after placing your order. Oppenheimer releases on November 19, but if you intend to grab it, you might want to do so quickly, as steelbook editions often sell out.

Walmart offers a whole lot of other exclusive steelbook editions of movies, including some notable upcoming releases. Christopher Nolan’s 2014 space epic Interstellar is getting a Limited-Edition Steelbook release on December 10, and you can preorder the three-disc set for $31. Also releasing on November 19 for $30 is Dune: Part Two’s Limited-Edition Steelbook; the film’s initial steelbook version sold out at launch earlier this year. Sticking with sci-fi but on the sillier side, Galaxy Quest’s Steelbook Edition is up for preorder ahead of its December 3 release.

Two of the biggest upcoming 4K Blu-ray releases with steelbook cases aren’t exclusive to Walmart, but collectors should have them on their radar. Deadpool & Wolverine has two steelbook editions, one for each character, but Amazon is currently sold out of both and Walmart only has the Deadpool-themed version in stock. It’s worth noting Walmart has an exclusive standard Blu-ray edition of Deadpool & Wolverine with pop-up art on its sleeve. Meanwhile, Alien: Romulus’ Limited-Edition Steelbook releases December 3 and is available for the lowest price at Amazon.

Riot Games has announced it will be laying off an unknown number of developers from the League of Legends PC development team, while simultaneously pledging to increase the size of the League of Legends team.

In a post to X/Twitter today, Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill shared “An Update on How We’re Evolving League” in which he announced the layoffs, explaining that this “isn’t about reducing headcount to save money.” Instead, the layoffs are apparently occurring so the company can make “sure we have the right expertise.”

“While team effectiveness is more important than team size, the League team will eventually be even larger than it is today as we develop the next phase of League,” Merrill continued. “For Rioters who are laid off, we’re supporting them with a severance package that includes a minimum of six months’ pay, annual bonus, job placement assistance, health coverage, and more.”

Merrill continued his explanation in a follow-up post, in which he said that the success of a development team is unrelated to its size. “If we’re solving the wrong problems, more resources won’t fix it. It’s about building smarter and healthier, not just bigger.”

While we’re on the subject of team size, I want to talk a little about both size and budget, and why they aren’t the right way to measure whether a team will be successful. We’ve definitely been memed in the past for talking about budgets, and rightly so. Success isn’t about…

— Tryndamere (@MarcMerrill) October 15, 2024

IGN has reached out to Riot Games for more clarity on why these layoffs are occurring, how many roles were impacted, and if any of those individuals are being considered for placement in roles as a part of the planned team expansion. A spokesperson confirmed that 27 employees were impacted across League of Legends development team and an additional five roles on Riot’s publishing team. The spokesperson stated that those impacted would have the ability to use the company’s internal job board to apply for other roles at Riot, but declined to share anything else.

These layoffs come rather uncomfortably as League of Legends celebrates its 15th anniversary, which Merrill references briefly in the post “so that League continues to be great for another 15 years and beyond.” They also come nine months after Riot already laid off 530 individuals, roughly 11% of its staff, in an effort to cut costs after allegedly taking on too many “big bets” as a company.

According to a games industry layoff tracker, this puts the number of laid off game developers this year alone at over 13,000, with over 10,000 laid off in 2023 and over 8,000 in 2022. We wrote about how the ongoing industry mass layoffs have impacted developers earlier this year.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

I’ve played Guilty Gear: Strive, Tekken 8, and Street Fighter 6 against people in the states over the weekend, and I think it’s safe to say that the war for better netcode in fighting games is pretty much won at this point.

We’ve got developers delaying games to make sure their online functionality works well, which is as much a green flag as you can get. But when one war ends, another starts. It’s pretty clear to me that the next major hurdle for the genre will be about monetization – extracting money from you beyond the initial sale of the game. It’s inevitable as fighting game developers hurdle towards a live service-dominated industry.

It’s proving to be a tricky battle. Tekken 8 is the most relevant game, lately, to fumble its post-launch monetisation strategy. In aiming to do something that both made Bandai Namco some money, and appealy fairly to players, it looks like it fell short of either goal.

With the release of Heihachi, his stage, featured in the story mode and quite important to the overall competitive future of the game, was sold for $5. Ergo; it isn’t included in the season pass. This left many confused as to why they’re earlier purchases of a season-wide content pass didn’t include all the goodies. Harada had to step forward and try to explain what had happened (before deleting said explanation), and the game remains negatively reviewed on Steam.

Street Fighter 6 has avoided such PR problems, but has recieved critisism towards the price of its post-launch cosmetic events and DLC. Even so, what it’s given out alongside each season has gotten better over time, it’s just the price that’s proven tricky for some to swallow.

Then there’s Mortal Kombat 1, a game that has implemented its IAP strategy so aggressively and boldly that pretty much no-one has anything good to say about it (even the ever-loyal MK fans are getting a bit peeved, at this point). But, it’s clearly working for WB Games – are we, as players, rewarding their bad behaviour?

With all three marquee games clearly focusing on selling off extra content (as fighting games have in the past), but taking slightly different routes through the problem, developers at Capcom, WB Games, and Bandai Namco are running into a serious dilemma: with video games most expensive than ever to make and maintain, is the tried-and-testing way of doing things enough? And if it is, how do you convince players to continually bite?

I can promise you this: those separate from the development team, those in live ops and the financial sides of each company, are giving this some thought. Fighting games don’t exist in a vacuum, they never have. More so now than ever before, fighting games will be compared to other games from other genres, which are being min/maxed to generate as much money as possible during their shelf life.

While Capcom seems content with releasing great games with typical post-launch DLC, Bandai Namco, especially, has been looking for new ideas on how to rake in the cash: see its attempt at making an MMO with Blue Protocol, which, notably, crashed and burned.

As with most things, the most ambitious approaches can be seen away from the old guard. Cygames has been doing pretty solid with Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, offering a free-to-play version of its game with a limited cast of playable characters in hopes of tempting over a wider base of players who can then ideally spend widely on the full cast of characters if they’re so including, combining efforts to both lower the barrier of entry and get people spending money. Cygames is also selling loads of character recolours, weapon sets, and DLC characters, too, attacking the monetization problem on multiple fronts.

What this problem needs is a first game to go really bold and break through the brick wall, opening a path for other series to follow. For the netcode problem it was Guilty Gear Strive, which showed the world how well a game with good netcode could perform during the height of COVID. For monetization, it could well be Riot Games’ 2XKO. Totally free-to-play, it’ll be financed like all of Riot’s games; with post-launch cosmetics and DLC. Even the alpha test had a battle pass and unlockable character skins! If Riot can make a game that’s free, but generates a boat load of revenue, as League or Valorant does, then it’ll light a flare for other games to follow suit.

Or, maybe, 2XKO will fail spectacularly at this. It’s easy to think back to the fight for better netcode as a casualty-free venture, but that’s simply not the case. Plenty of games tried to implement good online and failed, like Samurai Showdown. There will be games that try, and fail, to get this right, and will lose millions in the process. Don’t believe me? Look at live-service shooters that are built around this very model. They’ve been doing it longer than any other genre, and still we see games come out and mess it up. It’s a perilous road.

But it’s one that will surely be travelled. I, like many, quite like the simple strategy of releasing a full price fighting game and selling characters and costumes. But again, fighting games don’t exist in a vacuum, and efforts to transform them into money printers will inevitably happen. Hell, it already kind of is. You can even see what Multiversus is doing as trail-blazing, to a degree, if you’re feeling generous. Like the fight for better netcode it’s something the community will have to remain vocal about, and it’s sure to rage on for years.

Find a new angle for your daily Wordle with our tips, designed to help you make the most out of every clue you find. Need something more to the point? Then keep scrolling and you’ll soon find it. There’s a hint for the October 15 (1214) Wordle ready to go, as well as today’s answer if you need to quickly turn your game around.

I quickly uncovered the dreaded “skyscraper” today, two neat columns of green letters standing tall with a single grey space between them. Yeah, one of those Wordles. The sort where I definitely almost had the answer every row, wondered if the alphabet had secretly invented a new letter when I wasn’t looking, and breathed a huge sigh of relief at the end of it.  

Today’s Wordle hint

Wordle today: A hint for Tuesday, October 15

We’re thrilled to announce the next Xbox Partner Preview – our no-fluff, all-games broadcast – is coming this Thursday, October 17. In the latest installment, we’ll feature a mix of new and upcoming games for you from incredible partners like Remedy Entertainment, Sega, 505 Games, and many more, with over a dozen new trailers over the course of around 25 minutes.

During Xbox Partner Preview, you’ll get a first look at gameplay from Alan Wake II’s next expansion, The Lake House, an action-packed new trailer for Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, a peek at multiple bosses in dark-fantasy action game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, multiple world premieres, and other great titles coming to Xbox consoles, Windows PC, and Game Pass.

As always, Xbox Partner Preview is all about sharing exciting games news from our talented partners across the globe: you’ll get new game reveals, release date announcements, and fresh new gameplay from upcoming games. And to sweeten the deal, during the broadcast, Xbox Wire will post exclusive behind-the-scenes stories about select titles shown.

This event will be broadcast digitally on Thursday, October 17, at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK across our Xbox channels on YouTube and Twitch. Read on for all the details you need to know in advance:

Q&A

What time does Xbox Partner Preview begin? Thursday, October 17, at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK.

How do I watch? Xbox Partner Preview will be available through a variety of outlets:

Please note, YouTube.com/Xbox will be in 4K at 60fps, while all other channels will be 1080p / 60fps.

Is the event available in languages other than English?  We will be providing live subtitle support in the following languages: Arabic (MSA), Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Czech, French, Canadian French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, Mexican Spanish and Turkish.

Aside from going directly to a regional Xbox channel, you’ll be able to find 30+ languages at YouTube.com/Xbox in the days following the show. Just click the gear icon in the lower righthand corner of the primary stream to choose the language of your choice.

Is the show going to be Accessible to those with low/no hearing or low/no vision? There will be a version of the show with Audio Descriptions (AD) in English on the Xbox YouTube channel, and American Sign Language (ASL) on Xbox’s YouTube channel and the /XboxASL Twitch channel. The /XboxOn YouTube channel will also carry a British Sign Language (BSL) feed.

I’m not going to be able to watch, where can I find out what was announced? A full show recap will go live immediately following the end of Xbox Partner Preview. As announcements roll out during the broadcast, the Xbox Wire team will be publishing exclusive blog posts about select titles right here on Xbox Wire (including localized versions in Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, LATAM Spanish, and Japanese).

Co-streamer and content creator notes for the Xbox Partner Preview: We at Xbox greatly appreciate any co-stream efforts and aim to ensure you have a smooth experience if you choose to do so. However, due to forces beyond our control, we cannot guarantee that glitches or disruptions by bots and other automated software won’t interfere with your co-stream. For those planning to create post-show breakdowns of Xbox Partner Preview in the form of Video on Demand (VOD) coverage, we recommend you do not use any audio containing copyrighted music to avoid any action by automated bots, and to also consult the terms of service for your service provider.

We can’t wait for you to join us on Thursday for the next Xbox Partner Preview! See you soon.

Sektori promises to “transport you into another state of consciousness”, but what the pulsing soundtrack initially did was transport me to Youtube so I could look up this scene from Spaced, where Michael Smiley raves out to a boiling kettle. By elegant coincidence, that video is about the length of my longest run so far in Sektori’s demo – a very busy 60 seconds or so.

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Get ready, Squirrel With a Gun will be available on PS5 on October 15! That’s right, your favorite armed mammal is almost ready to clean up the town by taking down those pesky suited-up Agents. And just when you thought Squirrel With a Gun couldn’t get any more packed with squirrely goodness, we have a whole set of free updates planned and incoming. Today we’ll give you a taste of two major updates, the new Photo Mode releasing October 15 and the Boss Battle update coming in the near future. Who knew that a single squirrel would have so much to do, ey?

Serve squirrely lewks with Photo Mode

Get ready to capture your most epic squirrel moments with the new Photo Mode! Whether you’re pulling off a daring escape, doing something wicked-cool mid-air, or making new friends in the neighborhood, you can now snap and save all those unforgettable moments. The best part is that there are plenty of modes to help you create the perfect shot. 

First up is the classic Cam Adjust Mode, which helps you control the camera like a pro. Move the camera around, rotate it, and even give it a dramatic Dutch angle for some serious flair. Zoom in and out with the Field of View (FoV) slider to frame your perfect shot, whether you’re up close and personal or catching the action from afar.

Next up is the Focus Mode. Add a touch of photography magic by playing with the camera’s focus. Choose the Player setting to keep the focus on you (because let’s face it, you’re the star), or go full-on creative with Manual Mode, where you control the focal distance for that perfect screenshot.

And finally, the Filter Mode. Why settle for ordinary when you can add a touch of whimsy to your photos? With 15 unique filters to collect, such as the cute kawaii-esqe filter, or the timeless and still oh-so relevant awesome meme face filter, you can turn every snapshot into something truly memorable or hilarious.

Prepare to face a legendary boss

Coming in one of our later updates, a new boss and boss battle are slowly brewing behind the scenes. Your foe is the legendary Ratatoskr, the squirrel of Norse legends. Forcibly allied with the Agents, you must climb to the heavens and battle this mythical rodent so it won’t destroy the neighborhood.

This boss fight is unlike any of the other battles you will face. This squirrel moves fast, has a variety of ranged and melee attacks, and is a considerably smaller target! Fortunately, you will be granted a special SMG with a magazine of infinite bullets for this grandiose occasion.

Now that’s not all that’s coming to the neighborhood. You can expect new outfits, a whole new level, new furs, and perhaps even a game-changing gadget from the lab that can alter gravity itself! All of these updates are coming to Squirrel With a Gun free of charge. We want to keep the fun going as long as we can!

Squirrel With a Gun is coming to PS5 on October 15!