Month: March 2020

Splinter Cell is crossing over with Ghost Recon again, with Sam Fisher joining in for a new adventure announced for the series’ latest iteration, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. The event will go live on March 24, along with a big content update that hopefully won’t be delayed due to COVID-19.

A teaser trailer features the infamous agent conversing with a member of the Ghosts present on Auroa–the fictional island that is home to the armed-drone nightmare of Breakpoint’s main campaign. Fisher also mentions Terminators, which references a limited-time event that was previously live in Breakpoint where players could hunt down a T-800. You can watch the teaser below.

This isn’t the first time Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon have crossed over. Sam Fisher previously appeared in Ghost Recon: Wildlands for a similar purpose, giving players an additional mission to undertake with the night-vision goggles wearing soldier.

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Animal Crossing fans, your time is nearly here: Animal Crossing: New Horizons finally releases on Nintendo Switch tomorrow, March 20. Excitement for the next mainline entry in the popular series couldn’t be higher, and to top it off, there’s been an influx of Animal Crossing merchandise that’s just too cute to handle. One of our favorite pieces of Animal Crossing merch has been hard to find for a while, but it’s coming back into stock later this year. The Isabelle Nendoroid released for Animal Crossing: New Leaf is back up for pre-order, releasing this September. It’s available for $44.

The adorable Nendoroid figure for Isabelle (or “Shizue,” as she’s known in Japan) features her iconic look from New Leaf, and her trademark hair accessory actually includes a real bell that makes noise. The Nendoroid also includes multiple accessories like musical notes, a clipboard and pen, and a question mark to recreate her various poses from the game. The figure, which is painted partially by hand, comes with a stand that you’ll need to use; Isabelle won’t balance on her own. This is a small figure, just under four inches, so it won’t take up too much space.

This is the fourth release for this Isabelle Nendoroid, which first hit the market in October 2013 and was subsequently re-released in 2016 and 2019. Although the release date is still months away, pre-orders are only open for a limited time. You can pre-order the Isabelle Nendoroid now until April 16 at midnight PT / 3 AM ET.

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With a global shortage of surgical masks due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, gaming hardware company Razer has begun manufacturing masks to donate to hospitals in need globally.

Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan announced last night on Twitter that “[Razer] intend[s] to donate up to 1M masks to health authorities of different countries.”

While Razer is known primarily for its keyboards, mice, and other computer peripherals, this is quite a departure from illuminated gaming gear. Tan firmly believes that “all of us have a part to play in fighting the virus – no matter which industry we come from.”

We intend to donate up to 1M masks to the health authorities of different countries globally. For starters, we’ve been in touch with the authorities in Singapore (where the @Razer SEA HQ is based) to donate some of the initial shipments to assist their fight against COVID-19.

— Min-Liang Tan (@minliangtan) March 19, 2020

Razer has been working tirelessly over the past couple of days, including 24-hour shifts, to convert its existing manufacturing lines in order to produce the surgical masks. Tan also mentioned he and his team have been in touch with authorities in Singapore (where Razer’s HQ is located) to donate some of its initial shipments.

The remainder of Razer’s global offices will be reaching out to other governments and health authorities to prioritize its support going forward.

It’s important to stay safe during this global pandemic. We’ve put together a page to help answer any questions you may have around safety, and how you can help contribute to fighting the virus.

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Matthew Adler is a News and Features writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter or watch him stream on Twitch.

Less than two years after launching, MapleStory 2 will have its global servers shut down. The servers will officially go dark on May 27.

The decision was announced on the game’s official website, which details which regions will be affected and when players can expect support to cease. MapleStory’s global servers encompassed most regions, with only South Korea and China expected to stay running after May. MapleStory 2 support will also be shut down on June 27.

“We are forever grateful for your patience and dedication to MapleStory 2 as we tried to rework the game starting with Project New Leaf, but ultimately we’ve decided that we will not be able to provide the type of service that would live up to your expectations,” the announcement reads. “We took a hard look at the current state of the game and its future roadmap, and sadly reached the conclusion that it would be difficult to maintain long-term continuation of the game while remaining true to what made MapleStory 2 your MapleStory 2.”

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You may remember The Messenger, the 2018 ninja ’em up that sliced between 8- and 16-bit art styles. Developer Sabotage has announced a prequel game that pivots to an entirely different genre: the classic turn-based RPG. Watch the debut trailer above.

Sea of Stars is set hundreds of thousands of years before The Messenger and follows two playable main characters as they train to defeat the villainous Fleshmancer. Sabotage says it is “inspired by the classics,” and at a glance it definitely gives off Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana vibes. The turn-based combat features timed hits and active defense options, reminiscent of the systems in Super Mario RPG and the Mario & Luigi games.

Sabotage’s mission is to make games with retro aesthetics but modern design, and to that end you’ll notice some features right away that would not have been possible in the ’90s games from which it draws inspiration. A dynamic lighting system renders a day-to-night cycle that creates realistic shadows you don’t normally see in 2D pixel-art games. Players have much more freedom to explore the environment, and are able to swim across bodies of water, climb cliffs, or vault off ledges.

Sea of Stars is still early in development and isn’t planned for release until 2022 on PC and (presumably next-gen) consoles. A Kickstarter was just launched today where you can learn more.

Introducing Sea of Stars a turn-based RPG inspired by the classics, chock-full of endearing characters and unrestrained exploration from the creators of The Messenger.

2018’s The Messenger was a stellar throwback to the action-genre from the era dominated by the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. Developed by Sabotage Studios, it took great inspiration from games like Castlevania and Ninja Gaiden, while at the same time possessing an incredibly self-aware and humorous story with the protagonist traveling between the 8- and 16-bit realms. Following the success of The Messenger, the developers have their eyes set on bringing their talent for stylized sprite work and action gameplay to the realm of the JRPG.

With their follow-up, Sea of Stars, the developers have launched a Kickstarter–with a goal set at $90,760 USD–to gain more funding for their next game inspired by 16-bit era JRPGs like Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger. In this new RPG coming to PC and consoles, you play as Valerie and Zale, two heroes fated to become Solstice Warriors–individuals who can use powers that channel energy from the sun and moon. By working together, they’ll be able to combine their strengths and utilize a new type of power known as Eclipse Magic, allowing them to face dangerous foes and powerful threats. Just like their previous game, this homage also plays with tropes and other elements familiar from retro games. But in a surprising twist, Sea of Stars is actually set in the same universe as The Messenger, serving as a prequel to Sabotage’s previous game. The two protagonists in the RPG even made an appearance in The Messenger during the Sunken Shrine dungeon, which the developers described as a nod to what lied ahead for Sabotage Studios.

Just before its debut on Kickstarter, we had the chance to see a quick demo and speak with Sabotage Studios co-founder and creative director Thierry Boulanger about the making of Sea of Stars. In development since the launch of The Messenger in 2018, Sea of Stars was the game the developers have been wanting to make for some time.

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A new Max Raid event has begun in Pokemon Sword and Shield. For a limited time, Pokemon that are typically version-exclusive will appear more frequently in Max Raid dens, giving you a chance to catch monsters you couldn’t otherwise find in your game.

Until March 25, Pokemon Sword players will be able to encounter Galarian Corsola, Ponyta, Oranguru, and female Indeedee, while Shield players will be able to find Galarian Farfetch’d, Darumaka, Passimian, and male Indeedee. Other rare Pokemon like Karrablast, Shelmet, and Pincurchin will appear in both games.

In addition to those Pokemon, Gigantamax Snorlax, Machamp, and Gengar are also still available. All three of those monsters will appear more frequently in Max Raids until March 25. Gigantamax Pokemon are normally incredibly rare, making this your best chance to catch them. You can see all the Max Raid events happening right now in our roundup.

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