Square Enix has reported year-on-year growth in its latest earnings reports, despite operating at a loss on its gaming side for two consecutive quarters. During the nine months ending December 2020, Square reports that it saw an increase in net sales of 33.7% over the same period in 2019. Additionally, the company’s operating income rose by 47.7% to 41,022 million yen. This kept the company profitable, but not quite as healthy as 2019; profits were 4.3% less than the same period last year. Despite this, Square forecasts the full year will eventually result in a more profitable year overall by 12.4%. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/10/marvels-avengers-review"] Factors relating to these figures can be seen in Square Enix’s presentation slides detailing the sales of HD Games across the nine months. In Q1, when the highly successful Final Fantasy 7 Remake launched, net sales were more than double Square’s best period in 2019, at 34.1 billion yen. Operating income also rose in tandem, creating an impressive spike of almost 15 billion yen. But Q2 saw a decline in net sales and a steep drop in operating income, with the company operating at a loss of approximately -6 billion yen. Net sales continued to fall in Q3, amassing 18.8 billion yen, while operating income managed to increase, but still remained at a loss. This decline correlates with the launch of Marvel’s Avengers in Q2, which received mixed reviews and struggled to maintain a healthy player base through Q3. Q3 saw a decline in MMO sales, too, with no major expansions for Final Fantasy 14 or Dragon Quest X, but the division remained in profit thanks to continued revenue generated by players. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/19/marvels-avengers-kate-bishop-trailer"] On the amusements side, Square has managed to recover from a dismal Q1, in which its arcade business was significantly dented by the impact of COVID. Q3 has seen it operate at a profit, and return net sales to similar levels previously seen in 2019. While Marvel’s Avengers was September 2020’s best selling game, Square Enix had yet to recoup its development costs by the end of November. A next-gen version of the game will be released this year, although it remains to be seen if that will turn around its fate. Developer Crystal Dynamics is “confident” that players will return to the game when new modes are added, though. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

A new PS5 system update has resolved an issue that caused PS4 game discs to attempt to install the last-gen version of a game, even if it had already been upgraded. The 20.02-02.50.00 update includes Sony's usual vague disclaimer that it "improves system performance", but adds details of one more specific change: "The following issue was resolved: The PS4 version of the game was sometimes installed from the PS4 game disc even after upgrading the disc version of a PS4 game to the PS5 version." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/05/how-to-transfer-data-from-your-ps4-to-ps5"] The issue affected cross-gen games such as Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which saw release on a PS4 disc and would then unlock a PS5 upgrade when used in the newer console. The bug would cause the console to repeatedly attempt to install the PS4 version from the disc, every time it was turned on, despite the PS5 version already being present. It closes another issue with PS4-PS5 upgrades, after fixes for a download queue bug that blocked PS5 version installations, and a new warning system that shows if you're starting a PS4 game on your new console. If you're moving between consoles, we've got a guide on how to transfer save data from your PS4 to PS5. Sony today announced that it shipped 4.5 million PS5s in 2020 - matching the PS4's launch. It's estimated that, in the US, 10-15% of PS5s have been resold for profit. If you've been playing PS4 or PS5, you can check out your personal wrap-up for last year right now to see exactly how much you played. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"]   [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales sold through 4.1 million units in 2020. Revealed during Sony's Q3 FY2020 results, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales contributed to the total PS5 and PS4 game unit sales in 2020 that reached 103.7 million. First-party sales accounted for 18.4 million units sold, which Miles Morales qualifies for. The PlayStation 5 shipped 4.5 million units in 2020, matching the PS4's launch amount in 2013. The PS4, on the other hand, shipped 1.4 million units. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/marvels-spider-man-miles-morales-review"] For comparison, Marvel's Spider-Man, in 2018, became the fastest-selling PlayStation exclusive of all time with 3.3 million copies sold within the first three days of its release. In our Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales review, we said, "Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales may not be quite as packed with content as the original, but it stands out as an essential story in Insomniac’s Spidey Universe. It earns its spot as a fantastic follow-up, telling a wonderful Miles-specific story while improving upon the fundamentals of the first game with distinctive moves and enemies." Also in 2020, PlayStation Plus saw its subscriber count reach 47.4 million, and there were 114 million monthly active users on the PlayStation Network in the quarter. It was also announced that 87% of PS5 users are subscribed to PlayStation Plus. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"] For more on Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, check out the new 60FPS ray tracing mode, what games joined Miles Morales in our list of the best PS5 games, and our complete Wiki guide to help you become the best Spidey you can be. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Sony has announced that the PlayStation 5 shipped 4.5 million units in 2020, matching the PlayStation 4's launch in 2013. Revealed during Sony's Q3 FY2020 results, the game and network services segment of Sony saw a 40% increase year-on-year, in large part due to the launch of the PS5 on November 12, 2020. Sony also confirmed that there was "loss resulting from strategic price points for PS5 hardware that were set lower than manufacturing costs." It also noted that it is still on track to meet its goal of 7.6 million PS5 sales by the end of March 2021. The PS4, which shipped 1.4 million units in the same time frame, saw "higher profit margins" in hardware costs. In the same quarter last year, PS4 shipped 6.0 million units. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/22/the-state-of-playstation-studios-2021-update"] PS5 and PS4 game unit sales reached 103.7 million, up from 83.3 million in the same quarter in 2019. First-party titles accounted for 18.4 million of the total game sales. Year-on-year, total game sales and first-party game sales are up from 83.3 million and 16.3 million, respectively. While digital game sales were down from 59% to 53% of the total game sales, they were up from the 50% in the same quarter in 2019. It was also announced that Mavel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales sold through approximately 4.1 million units by the end of December 2020. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"] PlayStation Plus saw its subscriber count reach 47.4 million, and there were 114 million monthly active users on the PlayStation Network in the quarter. Furthermore, 87% of PS5 users are subscribers to PlayStation Plus. For more on PlayStation, check out your PlayStation Wrap Up to see you gaming stats from 2020, the state of PlayStation Studios, and the Best PS5 games. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Borderlands developer Gearbox has today announced it will be joining Embracer Group as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Swedish holding company formerly known as THQ Nordic AB. The deal, reportedly worth up to US$1.3B, will see Gearbox and its 550 staff in Frisco, Texas and Quebec City become Embracer Group’s seventh official operating group. Embracer’s existing operating groups include THQ Nordic, Saber Interactive, Koch Media, DECA Games, Amplifier Game Invest, and Coffee Stain Holding. “Lars [Wingefors]’s vision of Embracer as an allied partner group committed to fuelling and accelerating the ambitions of a series of decentralized, successful entrepreneurial companies while magnifying the collective value and advantages of diversification across the entire group is the most brilliant strategy and design for short, medium, and long-term success in this industry that I have ever encountered in my 30 years in this industry,” said Gearbox co-founder and CEO Randy Pitchford in a statement accompanying the announcement. “The feeling at Gearbox is that we are just getting started and this transaction is not merely a stimulant for the talent of our employee-owned company, but a propellant for the exciting future we have planned.” Pitchford will continue as Gearbox boss following the merger. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/09/borderlands-3-next-level-mayhem-official-trailer] Embracer has also acquired Austin, Texas-based developer and publisher Aspyr. Aspyr and its 140 staff will operate as a stand-alone entity under Saber Interactive. Gearbox and Aspyr join a long list of acquisitions for Embracer, which spent 2020 scooping up an exhaustive list of developers from all over the world (including 13 companies announced on a single day). Embracer now has access to more than 200 game franchises and more than 5,500 employees.

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Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly.

George R.R. Martin has shared an update on The Winds of Winter, the sixth installment of his fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire that was adapted into HBO's Game of Thrones, revealing that he's written "hundreds and hundreds" of pages in 2020. Martin explain in a Not a Blog entry that, while he has made a lot of progress in The Winds of Winter, he still has "hundreds of more pages to write to bring the novel to a satisfactory conclusion." Despite that, he claims that 2020 was "the best year I've had on WOW since I began it." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/30/game-of-thrones-prequel-series-house-of-the-dragon-coming-to-hbo"] He hopes to reach this "satisfactory conclusion" in 2021, but makes no predictions on when he will finish the much anticipated novel. "Every time I do, assholes on the internet take that as a 'promise,' and then wait eagerly to crucify me when I miss the deadline. All I will say is that I am hopeful." Martin wrote. Martin also discussed the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on him and his loved ones, Trump, and how he has "a zillion other things to do as well." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=everything-coming-to-hbo-max&captions=true"] Martin shared a similar sentiment last year, hoping that "both COVID-19 and The Winds of Winter will be done" in 2021. For more on Game of Thrones, check out the news of a Game of Thrones animated series, a possible Game of Thrones prequel with a "Tales of Dunk and Egg" series, and what Martin thinks is his favorite Game of Thrones scene. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Following the departure of BioWare's former general manager Casey Hudson and Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah, EA leadership is reassuring investors that it is "very, very confident" in the studio's future.

During the company's Q3 earnings call today, CEO Andrew Wilson responded to a question from an investor about the recent departures by praising BioWare, while simultaneously acknowledging criticism over the studio's output in recent years.

"I think that from the outside world there have been some blips in [BioWare's] delivery over the last couple of years, but that has come as a result of them pushing deeply into innovation and creativity, and we feel very, very confident about their future roadmap," he said. "And we've talked about games like Dragon Age and Mass Effect in their future.

"With respect to Casey and Mark leaving, both good friends of mine, and we have tremendous respect for both of them. But this happens in the natural course of creative organizations from time to time, and we feel very very good about the ongoing leadership of that studio."

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Hudson and Darrah departed the studio in December, leaving Samantha Ryan in charge of the studio as a whole, Christian Dailey in the role of Dragon Age executive producer, Matthew Goldman staying as creative director on the same project, and Mike Gamble remaining as the lead on Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.

Today, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition received an official release date for May, and you can read our early impressions of the trilogy collection here.

BioWare is also currently working on a new Mass Effect project with a "veteran team," as well as Dragon Age 4 -- which received a new cinematic trailer at The Game Awards in December.

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

EA is hoping that its planned acquisition of British racing game maker Codemasters will enable it to start releasing a new racing game every year, on par with its other EA Sports franchises.

In a slide deck accompanying the publisher's Q3 financial results today, EA highlighted the motivations behind its pending acquisition, including the desire to increase its presence in racing, with EA CEO Andrew Wilson describing the sport as "one of the few truly global sports" during the company's earnings call.

EA's presentation further outlined Codemasters' IP line-up, which includes owned IP Dirt, Dirt Rally, Grid, Project Cars, and upcoming mobile franchise Project Cars Go, as well as licensed IP F1 and upcoming licensed games for World Rally Championship beginning in 2023.

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These would be added to EA's owned racing franchises Need for Speed and Burnout Paradise, as well as Real Racing -- which hasn't had a new game launch since Real Racing 3 in 2013.

Later in the earnings call, COO Blake Jorgensen praised the viability of F1 racing in particular as a global franchise currently gaining further traction in the US, suggesting that EA hopes to become the go-to publisher for racing games more broadly, saying the genre is "one of the best growth opportunities there is."

"On top of the fact that the Dirt Franchise, the Grid franchise, all of their franchises are incredible games, but none of them are actually taking advantage of a large publishing organization and the marketing muscle that we are able to deliver. And we think that has growth to it. Not to mention, the talent that can continue to help our Need for Speed business or our Real Racing business could be very powerful. So we know it is not a FIFA-sized business, but we know there is an incredible opportunity to own essentially all the driving business there is."

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Wilson added that EA also sees an opportunity with Codemasters' titles to incorporate further live service elements, saying that "F1 plus live service plus our marketing muscle is a profound opportunity."

This comes alongside a further statement from Wilson during the earnings call, stating EA's intent to expand EA Sports into different types of sports, with more announcements planned "in the weeks and months ahead." Wilson added that this includes "at least one new experience" launching next fiscal year -- which begins April 2021.

EA announced its intent to acquire Codemasters earlier this month for an approximate price of $1.2 billion, which was initially in contest with a $1 billion offer from Take-Two Interactive before the latter retracted its offer. The acquisition is expected to complete in Q1 of 2021, or between April and June of this year, and is currently pending a shareholder vote from Codemasters.

Codemasters launched Dirt 5 in November of last year as a launch title for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Our review called it "a complete about-face" for the franchise, and an "unabashed, arcade-inspired racing experience."

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Rebekah Valentine is a reporter for IGN.

EA has spoken at length that a new Battlefield game will be released in 2021 with a reveal planned for Spring. Today during EA’s latest financial call, the company reaffirmed this timeline and says the next Battlefield game will take “full” advantage of next-gen platforms. During the latest EA investor call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed the next Battlefield game will be released on holiday this year and a reveal is planned for Spring. During the Q&A portion, Wilson shared more details on the next Battlefield, short of a reveal. When asked about the next Battlefield game, Wilson says it will utilize the “full power of next-gen platforms to ensure this is ‘exactly’ the game that Battlefield fans want to play.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-battlefield-review&captions=true"] Wilson also says that the next Battlefield will be a return to “full-out military warfare” and will support more players than ever before. The hope is for the next Battlefield game to pave the way for the series into the future. A lot is riding on the next Battlefield game. Battlefield 5 was the last game in the series that EA released, and that was back in 2018. Reception to Battlefield 5 failed to meet expectations, and regular content updates for Battlefield 5 ended in 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/04/this-is-battlefield-5-trailer"] EA announced that it will take an extended time to develop a new Battlefield title, regularly citing a 2021 release window for the next series. During this time, EA has shifted its structure, moving Respawn’s Vince Zampella to lead DICE LA. Check back in the spring when EA is expected to reveal the next Battlefield game officially. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Apex Legends is coming to Nintendo Switch on March 9, developer Respawn announced.

Director Chad Grenier wrote in a blog post that the Switch version of Apex Legends will launch with cross-platform functionality, season 8 content, and “full-feature parity” with other versions.

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Worried you’re already behind during the current season? The good news is that Switch players who purchase the season 8 battle pass will receive 30 battle pass levels for free. Players will also earn double XP during the first two weeks after launch.

Porting Apex Legends to its smallest screen yet is a major achievement, and we couldn’t have done it without our friends at Panic Button,” Grenier said. “We’re very proud of what the team has been able to achieve with some smart optimizations for the Switch port to deliver a full-featured Apex Legends experience on the go.”

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/02/apex-legends-season-8-mayhem-battle-pass-trailer"] Apex Legends season 8 kicked off today, featuring the arrival of its 16th character, demolitions enthusiast Fuse, a new lever-action rifle, and the usual assortment of new cosmetics and battle pass items. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/Crypto main for IGN.