Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, the cooperative multiplayer mode launching today as a free update for GoT players, may be coming after the initial game's release, but some form of multiplayer has been part of the Tsushima vision since the start. Speaking to IGN ahead of Legends' launch, Sucker Punch's Darren Bridges, the lead on Legends, explained how, while the concept for Legends came some part into development, multiplayer was always considered a "pillar" of the game. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ghost-of-tsushima-legends-and-version-11-new-game-screenshots&captions=true"] "From the very beginning when Nate [Fox] and the team pitched Ghost, we knew that we wanted cooperative multiplayer to be a pillar of the game," Bridges explained. "We probably spent six months to a year thinking about different ideas... and ultimately we came to Legends. We've been working on it really in parallel, both on the engine side and the content side from the beginning of the project." But of course, one major way in which Legends deviates from the core Tsushima experience is in its exploration of supernatural myth in a very real way that Jin Sakai's main story doesn't. "We at the studio like supernatural stuff, but Ghost of Tsushima from the beginning was a very grounded experience. That was a core thing that we wanted to get right. So when we batted around different ideas for multiplayer, Legends rose to the top, in part because it allowed us to connect to Jin's story without [the player] being exactly Jin," Bridges explained. "It allows us to also have the freedom to have cooperative abilities that players can use. We have supernatural elements that allow us to be more flexible with the fiction and the abilities and the techniques, all the way down to the cosmetics. And it allowed it to fit nicely in Jin's story because these are Legends, these aren't grounded. These are separate, these are Legends that are told by a storyteller in Tsushima." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/ghost-of-tsushima-version-11-update-trailer"] As confirmed before, players will be able to access Legends either via in-game menus or by finding this new storyteller, who is being added to Tsushima alongside the rest of the robust 1.1 update, which includes New Game+ and more. And game director Nate Fox explained how New Game+ came about, in part, because the the fans asking for it. "We want to give people New Game Plus because, frankly, people were clamoring for it. We kept getting requests, 'I want to go in through the story again, I've got all of these abilities, I want to use them and experience some of these missions or some of the Mongol encampments.' And so we came at it being very focused on delivering what we were being asked to do, which was let people have more time with their character that they've developed and with the equipment that they've earned," Fox explained, noting that they also wanted to offer something new to the experience for players to discover, which led to the addition of Ghost Flowers and a new merchant. The mode will also increase enemy strength from the get-go, so players can really put their maxed out character builds to the test. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/ghost-of-tsushima-creative-director-interview-podcast-beyond-episode-658"] "We wanted to bring up the level of the enemies and their aggressiveness, the speed, to match your level of power. Of course, if it's too challenging, you can always ratchet up or down the difficulty in the game and New Game Plus, but we've tried to equalize the enemies to match your level of progression," he said. But also, players, by the time they get to the end of the single-player game, they're really skillful, and there is a strong element of skill that allows you to succeed at the game. You can't just mash your way through it." Players will be able to test their skills in both New Game+ and in Legends starting today, as the update rolls out to all Ghost of Tsushima players for free. For more on the game, be sure to check out our original Ghost of Tsushima review, and if you're playing through, check out our Ghost of Tsushima guide for help along the way. You can also watch our deep dive interview with Sucker Punch's Jason Connell on the making of Ghost above, and find out what to expect if you plan to play Ghost of Tsushima backward compatible on PS5.

Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, the cooperative multiplayer mode launching today as a free update for GoT players, may be coming after the initial game's release, but some form of multiplayer has been part of the Tsushima vision since the start. Speaking to IGN ahead of Legends' launch, Sucker Punch's Darren Bridges, the lead on Legends, explained how, while the concept for Legends came some part into development, multiplayer was always considered a "pillar" of the game. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ghost-of-tsushima-legends-and-version-11-new-game-screenshots&captions=true"] "From the very beginning when Nate [Fox] and the team pitched Ghost, we knew that we wanted cooperative multiplayer to be a pillar of the game," Bridges explained. "We probably spent six months to a year thinking about different ideas... and ultimately we came to Legends. We've been working on it really in parallel, both on the engine side and the content side from the beginning of the project." But of course, one major way in which Legends deviates from the core Tsushima experience is in its exploration of supernatural myth in a very real way that Jin Sakai's main story doesn't. "We at the studio like supernatural stuff, but Ghost of Tsushima from the beginning was a very grounded experience. That was a core thing that we wanted to get right. So when we batted around different ideas for multiplayer, Legends rose to the top, in part because it allowed us to connect to Jin's story without [the player] being exactly Jin," Bridges explained. "It allows us to also have the freedom to have cooperative abilities that players can use. We have supernatural elements that allow us to be more flexible with the fiction and the abilities and the techniques, all the way down to the cosmetics. And it allowed it to fit nicely in Jin's story because these are Legends, these aren't grounded. These are separate, these are Legends that are told by a storyteller in Tsushima." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/ghost-of-tsushima-version-11-update-trailer"] As confirmed before, players will be able to access Legends either via in-game menus or by finding this new storyteller, who is being added to Tsushima alongside the rest of the robust 1.1 update, which includes New Game+ and more. And game director Nate Fox explained how New Game+ came about, in part, because the the fans asking for it. "We want to give people New Game Plus because, frankly, people were clamoring for it. We kept getting requests, 'I want to go in through the story again, I've got all of these abilities, I want to use them and experience some of these missions or some of the Mongol encampments.' And so we came at it being very focused on delivering what we were being asked to do, which was let people have more time with their character that they've developed and with the equipment that they've earned," Fox explained, noting that they also wanted to offer something new to the experience for players to discover, which led to the addition of Ghost Flowers and a new merchant. The mode will also increase enemy strength from the get-go, so players can really put their maxed out character builds to the test. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/ghost-of-tsushima-creative-director-interview-podcast-beyond-episode-658"] "We wanted to bring up the level of the enemies and their aggressiveness, the speed, to match your level of power. Of course, if it's too challenging, you can always ratchet up or down the difficulty in the game and New Game Plus, but we've tried to equalize the enemies to match your level of progression," he said. But also, players, by the time they get to the end of the single-player game, they're really skillful, and there is a strong element of skill that allows you to succeed at the game. You can't just mash your way through it." Players will be able to test their skills in both New Game+ and in Legends starting today, as the update rolls out to all Ghost of Tsushima players for free. For more on the game, be sure to check out our original Ghost of Tsushima review, and if you're playing through, check out our Ghost of Tsushima guide for help along the way. You can also watch our deep dive interview with Sucker Punch's Jason Connell on the making of Ghost above, and find out what to expect if you plan to play Ghost of Tsushima backward compatible on PS5.

Blizzard has announced that it is ending development of paid-for content for StarCraft 2, a decade on from the game’s first launch. A blog post from the StarCraft 2 team explained that “for-purchase content”, such as Commanders and War Chests, will no longer be developed, but that the team will continue to support the game and its esports scene. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/07/26/starcraft-2-pc-starcraft-ii-campaign-overview"] “We’re going to continue supporting StarCraft 2 in the same manner as we have with our previous longstanding games, such as Brood War, focusing primarily on what our core and competitive communities care about most,” the post explains. “What this means is that we’re not going to be producing additional for-purchase content, such as Commanders and War Chests, but we will continue doing season rolls, and necessary balance fixes moving forward.” Blizzard will not release another update in 2020, making the August balance update the last of the year. However, the blog does emphasize that these balance updates will still be developed as needed in the future. The esports scene, maintained by Blizzard in partnership with ESL Gaming and GSL, will continue as normal. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-blizzard-game-review&captions=true"] Perhaps most exciting for StarCraft fans is the explanation as to why the team is winding down content development. “We know some of our players have been looking forward to some of the things we’re moving away from, but the good news is this change will free us up to think about what’s next, not just with regard to StarCraft II, but for the StarCraft universe as a whole,” said Blizzard. It’s impossible to know what Blizzard is planning for StarCraft, but the important thing is that the studio is thinking about the series’ future. Whether that’s a classic-style sequel with StarCraft 3, or something else entirely, remains to be seen. For more future plans from Blizzard, check out what we know about Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Blizzard has announced that it is ending development of paid-for content for StarCraft 2, a decade on from the game’s first launch. A blog post from the StarCraft 2 team explained that “for-purchase content”, such as Commanders and War Chests, will no longer be developed, but that the team will continue to support the game and its esports scene. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/07/26/starcraft-2-pc-starcraft-ii-campaign-overview"] “We’re going to continue supporting StarCraft 2 in the same manner as we have with our previous longstanding games, such as Brood War, focusing primarily on what our core and competitive communities care about most,” the post explains. “What this means is that we’re not going to be producing additional for-purchase content, such as Commanders and War Chests, but we will continue doing season rolls, and necessary balance fixes moving forward.” Blizzard will not release another update in 2020, making the August balance update the last of the year. However, the blog does emphasize that these balance updates will still be developed as needed in the future. The esports scene, maintained by Blizzard in partnership with ESL Gaming and GSL, will continue as normal. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-blizzard-game-review&captions=true"] Perhaps most exciting for StarCraft fans is the explanation as to why the team is winding down content development. “We know some of our players have been looking forward to some of the things we’re moving away from, but the good news is this change will free us up to think about what’s next, not just with regard to StarCraft II, but for the StarCraft universe as a whole,” said Blizzard. It’s impossible to know what Blizzard is planning for StarCraft, but the important thing is that the studio is thinking about the series’ future. Whether that’s a classic-style sequel with StarCraft 3, or something else entirely, remains to be seen. For more future plans from Blizzard, check out what we know about Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Analogue, the makers of high-end retro consoles, have announced their latest vehicle for nostalgia: The Duo. The Analogue Duo is a system that can play NEC's high energy video games. The All-in-one system is capable of playing nearly every NEC system and game formate including TurboGrafx-16, PC Engine, SuperGrafx, TurboGrafx CD. PC Engine CD-ROM2, and Super Arcade CD-Rom2 all at 1080p. The Analogue Duo has two drives for CD-ROMs and Hucards and TurboChips. There are also accessory ports that support controllers and original hardware from Analogue. The Duo also supports 2.4g and Bluetooth and will sync up with any wireless 8BitDo Bluetooth or 2.4g controller directly. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=analogue-duo-nec-system&captions=true"] As a bonus, Analogue also announced a new adapter for Analogue Pocket which supports TurboGrafx-16 cartridges. This will be released separately in 2021. Analogue is a hardware manufacturer founded in 2011 specializing in high-end retro consoles. Unlike emulators, Analgoue's systems can play retro games directly from the source and can usually upres the games for modern TVs. Analogue previously released the Analogue Nt and Super Nt for NES and SNES games as well as the Mega Sg for Sega systems. The most recent release was the Analogue Pocket which can play most handheld game cartridges. Analogue says the Duo will be released in limited quantities in 2021 for $199.99. Check out IGN's review of the Analogue Mega Sg for our take on Analogue's previous retro hardware. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Analogue, the makers of high-end retro consoles, have announced their latest vehicle for nostalgia: The Duo. The Analogue Duo is a system that can play NEC's high energy video games. The All-in-one system is capable of playing nearly every NEC system and game formate including TurboGrafx-16, PC Engine, SuperGrafx, TurboGrafx CD. PC Engine CD-ROM2, and Super Arcade CD-Rom2 all at 1080p. The Analogue Duo has two drives for CD-ROMs and Hucards and TurboChips. There are also accessory ports that support controllers and original hardware from Analogue. The Duo also supports 2.4g and Bluetooth and will sync up with any wireless 8BitDo Bluetooth or 2.4g controller directly. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=analogue-duo-nec-system&captions=true"] As a bonus, Analogue also announced a new adapter for Analogue Pocket which supports TurboGrafx-16 cartridges. This will be released separately in 2021. Analogue is a hardware manufacturer founded in 2011 specializing in high-end retro consoles. Unlike emulators, Analgoue's systems can play retro games directly from the source and can usually upres the games for modern TVs. Analogue previously released the Analogue Nt and Super Nt for NES and SNES games as well as the Mega Sg for Sega systems. The most recent release was the Analogue Pocket which can play most handheld game cartridges. Analogue says the Duo will be released in limited quantities in 2021 for $199.99. Check out IGN's review of the Analogue Mega Sg for our take on Analogue's previous retro hardware. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have delayed the next major updates for Marvel’s Avengers, pushing the next-gen versions into next year and delaying the addition of the game’s first DLC character, Kate Bishop. In a post on the Avengers blog, Crystal Dynamics’ studio head, Scot Amos, apologised for the “slight delay” to the Kate Bishop DLC, but explained that it is due to ensuring new content is given the time for extensive internal testing. “With this in mind, we’ve decided to push Kate Bishop’s Operation launch back a bit, out of October,” said Amos, but no new date was given for this first new character. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/01/marvels-avengers-kate-bishop-reveal-trailer"] Additionally, Amos explained that next-gen updates are being pushed back. “We’ve also made the decision to shift our PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launch to next year to ensure that we give our team the time to deliver a next-gen experience showcasing all that this game is meant to be,” he said. While a next-gen version with optimised upgrades won’t arrive for a while, Amos does note that playing the current-gen versions on PS5 or Xbox Series consoles will benefit from improved frame rates and faster loading times. These are issues that Avengers on current-gen certainly suffers with, so there should be some noticeable benefit. Amos also confirmed that existing saves will transfer to next-gen consoles. In addition to detailing the delays, Amos also apologies for the troubles Avengers has suffered in its first months. “Marvel’s Avengers’ launch was not without turbulence, and we recognize that a number of issues detracted from your enjoyment of the game,” he said. “This does not align with Crystal Dynamics’ value of craftsmanship, and for that we sincerely apologize.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-avengers-hero-challenge-cards-vendors-and-marketplace&captions=true"] As a thank you to players who have suffered through that launch, Crystal Dynamics is giving all players 1500 credits, 7000 units, 250 upgrade modules, 20 DNA keys, and a Sarah Garza-inspired nameplate. These rewards will be added to your account if you log in between October 22 and November 5. While the most anticipated content has been delayed, Amos assured players that performance and stability, multiplayer matchmaking, rewards, and late-game content is all being worked on at the studio. This includes a much-requested ping system, and the ability to replay the campaign with your high-level gear. For more, check out our review of Marvel’s Avengers, the promise of new missions and modes, and our guide to the Avengers Initiative online mode. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have delayed the next major updates for Marvel’s Avengers, pushing the next-gen versions into next year and delaying the addition of the game’s first DLC character, Kate Bishop. In a post on the Avengers blog, Crystal Dynamics’ studio head, Scot Amos, apologised for the “slight delay” to the Kate Bishop DLC, but explained that it is due to ensuring new content is given the time for extensive internal testing. “With this in mind, we’ve decided to push Kate Bishop’s Operation launch back a bit, out of October,” said Amos, but no new date was given for this first new character. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/01/marvels-avengers-kate-bishop-reveal-trailer"] Additionally, Amos explained that next-gen updates are being pushed back. “We’ve also made the decision to shift our PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launch to next year to ensure that we give our team the time to deliver a next-gen experience showcasing all that this game is meant to be,” he said. While a next-gen version with optimised upgrades won’t arrive for a while, Amos does note that playing the current-gen versions on PS5 or Xbox Series consoles will benefit from improved frame rates and faster loading times. These are issues that Avengers on current-gen certainly suffers with, so there should be some noticeable benefit. Amos also confirmed that existing saves will transfer to next-gen consoles. In addition to detailing the delays, Amos also apologies for the troubles Avengers has suffered in its first months. “Marvel’s Avengers’ launch was not without turbulence, and we recognize that a number of issues detracted from your enjoyment of the game,” he said. “This does not align with Crystal Dynamics’ value of craftsmanship, and for that we sincerely apologize.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-avengers-hero-challenge-cards-vendors-and-marketplace&captions=true"] As a thank you to players who have suffered through that launch, Crystal Dynamics is giving all players 1500 credits, 7000 units, 250 upgrade modules, 20 DNA keys, and a Sarah Garza-inspired nameplate. These rewards will be added to your account if you log in between October 22 and November 5. While the most anticipated content has been delayed, Amos assured players that performance and stability, multiplayer matchmaking, rewards, and late-game content is all being worked on at the studio. This includes a much-requested ping system, and the ability to replay the campaign with your high-level gear. For more, check out our review of Marvel’s Avengers, the promise of new missions and modes, and our guide to the Avengers Initiative online mode. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.