Skyrim: Anniversary Edition Got a Surprise Switch Release Today
Surprise! Skyrim Anniversary Edition just landed on Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo has announced that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available now on the Nintendo eShop – a nice surprise for fans who want to play the classic RPG on the move.
“New quests, foes, weapons, and more await you in Tamriel,” said Nintendo via Twitter. “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is out now on #NintendoSwitch!”
Of course, it’s been on the cards for a while. Skyrim was released on Nintendo Switch back in 2017 and with the arrival of the Anniversary Edition on other platforms, it was only a matter of time. It's a lovely surprise to wake up and find it's already out, however.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available from today, September 29 as a stand-alone bundle or as an upgrade if you already own the base game on your Switch. The bundle includes the base game and all bonus content for $69.99 USD, whereas the upgrade will set you back $19.99.
IGN’s original Skyrim review gave it 9.5/10 and said: “It's difficult to ever feel completely satisfied with a play session of Skyrim. There's always one more pressing quest, one more unexplored tract of land, one more skill to increase, one more butterfly to catch. It's a mesmerizing game that draws you into a finely crafted fictional space packed with content that consistently surprises.”
Since its release in 2011, Skyrim's become one of the most beloved games of modern times, seeing many, many re-releases. We've since placed it at number 41 in our list of the 100 best games of all time.
Want to read more about Skyrim? Check out our full walkthrough to help you defeat the World-Eater as well as the new mod that lets you play Skyrim in two-player co-op mode.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
How Nintendo Is Finally Embracing the Grassroots Competitive Super Smash Bros. Scene
Like most major corporations, Nintendo is very protective of its brand as a leader of family friendly entertainment. This protectiveness has sometimes come at the expense of the competitive Super Smash Bros. community, which for years has often gone it alone to organize grassroots tournaments and nurture a passion they all share.
But in November 2021, Nintendo announced it was partnering with Panda Global on the first officially licensed Super Smash Bros. Circuit. A series of tournaments throughout 2022 will all lead up to the Panda Cup Finale from December 16 to 18. The Los Angeles event will offer a $100k prize pool for 32 of the best Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Super Smash Bros. Melee players across the country.
Nintendo Embraces the Grassroots
The Panda Circuit could finally bring Nintendo together with the powerful grassroots community that has grown alongside the popularity of Super Smash Bros. IGN spoke with Nintendo’s Bill Trinen and Panda Global’s Dr. Alan Bunney about what the Panda Circuit means for Super Smash Bros. and its competitive future.
“For [Nintendo], Panda Cup was really an important kind of step for us and finding a way to partner with the community, finding a way that we can partner with a company like Panda who’s been in the community, knows the history of the community, and is really familiar with all of the grassroots efforts that have gone into it,” Trinen says.
The basic structure of the Panda Circuit is broken up into qualifiers at various grassroots tournaments, and existing events like CEO and Dreamhack will field competitors for the Panda Cup Finale. Online qualifiers have also taken place for additional competitors, with the final invitations handed out to players chosen by a panel composed of trusted members of the Super Smash Bros. competitive community.
Nintendo chose Panda for its ability to engage and organize the Smash Bros. grassroots community that has built itself over the years, and give it the official backing of Nintendo’s brand.
“We’ve been in this community for eight and a half years… We understand it very intrinsically. We know what it needs, we know we have that vision. But also we’ve been doing it, we create infrastructure, we create stability,” Bunney explains.
Along with elevating the grassroots tournaments, Panda can also upgrade the health and safety of these events and let these tournaments highlight the players who’ve dedicated themselves to Smash Bros. That's a key element considering some of the controversies the community has faced over the years.
As for Nintendo, becoming an official partner means that these grassroots events can be taken to a new level of polish, with clear goals and prizes for winners.
“In terms of what we’re bringing to the table obviously number one is the license, and licensing this circuit with Panda means Panda becomes the only officially licesned Super Smash Bros. circuit that there is. That opens up a lot of opportunities,” Trinen explains.
Aside from having access to Nintendo’s partners for potential sponsorship opportunities, Nintendo is also helping with logistics, production, and even helping individual tournaments that make up the building blocks of the Panda Circuit series.
Trinen and Bunney point out that this is a true partnership, and Bunney wanted to clarify exactly what that means: “Some people see this little legalese clause that Nintendo’s not a sponsor at the bottom of some of our trailers and social media things and whatnot,” Bunney says. “They make a big deal about that. That specifically means that Nintendo is not paying us to put advertisements like a sponsor would. That is what a sponsor is… [Nintendo is] truly a partner of us.”
Overcoming Internal Challenges
Nintendo has hosted various Super Smash Bros. events and tournaments over the years, most notably the E3 2018 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate invitational. But the community has also criticized Nintendo for attempting to shut down some grassroots events and competitive ventures.
Trinen says that it is a result of internal challenges that can sometime override the grassroots community.
“We love the grassroots community, we want to see it thrive, we want to see it be strong, but there’s also- we as Nintendo have our own internal challenges,” Trinen says. “For example, if we run into issues where people are trying to do things that aren’t using the brand in a way that’s appropriate, that can be a challenge for us. If people are either not engaging with us or are maybe engaging with us without giving us enough time to be able to work through some of those questions or requests, that becomes a challenge.”
“That’s actually why we wanted to specifically partner with Panda, because they’ve been in the community for a long time as an organization. They’ve been around for a number of years and have been a part of that. But what it does bring is it brings a place where those grassroots tournaments can find a home.”
Bunney says that working with Nintendo elevates the production of these grassroots tournaments. “Nintendo also gives us access to assets that are official from the game, from the brand, and also know the guidelines to be able to assist these events - and doing promotional materials and to do things correctly.” Bunney cites access to “really high quality” character renders which Panda can use for its events.
It's Ultimately About Smash Bros.
The crowning jewel of the circuit is the Panda Cup Finale in December and there’s one thing the Panda Cup has that other esports don’t: Super Smash Bros. itself.
“The thing about Super Smash Bros. - and really competitive Super Smash Bros. - is that there’s a camaraderie there that I think is unique among a lot of games,” Trinen explains.
“The way that game brings people of many different backgrounds together, you get exposed to lots of different types of people and the number of people that have made friends through that grassroots community over the years has, to me, been really touching.”
“I think that to me is really kind of what Nintendo is about. If you even go back to the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System or the Nintendo 64, or even the Wii, a lot of what Nintendo has been about is bringing people together in front of the television to enjoy that fun and enjoy that camaraderie and enjoy a little bit of that competition. Smash Bros. kind of epitomizes what has really been at the heart of Nintendo and the smiles that it tries to bring through the entertainment it creates.”
“I firmly believe that we don’t really want to do the same stuff that everyone else is doing,” Bunney agrees. “Everyone’s got what you think of certain ways for competitive play, you think that everyone wants to be that super cool thing and fog machines and all that stuff. That’s fine, that is totally fine. But we view this and the Panda Cup and what we want to create hopefully is more — it’s going to sound corny, I apologize — but magic.”
Presently the focus is on the Panda Cup final, and while Nintendo and Panda are keen on growing the competitive Smash Bros. scene they’re not ready to discuss plans beyond 2023 just yet. While the E3 2018 invitational was a huge event for the series, there are no plans for adding next year’s E3 to the event schedule just yet.
“I wish I could answer that question, but obviously, I think the E3 news, at least the most recent news, just hit [this week]. I don’t have any plans at the moment, but also we’re still looking at what the future holds and where we might try to put some of those tournaments and what tournaments Nintendo may be looking at running versus what Panda may do on its own for Panda Cup or how the two of those may mix together.”
While Trinen tells IGN to stay tuned, it seems clear that Nintendo is moving forward with competitive Smash Bros. Lucky for them, the enthusiasm and community for the game are already there, waiting for them.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
Shudder’s Horror Anthology, Creepshow Is Becoming a Game
Horror anthology show Creepshow is being turned into a video game.
According to Variety, the Shudder exclusive TV series is being adapted in a collaboration between DreadXP and developer DarkStone Digital – heading for a 2024 launch.
“I’m extremely excited to be a part of such a fun project,” said developer Brian Clarke. “I’ve always loved Creepshow’s format, and the idea of driving the cohesion of multiple perspectives on horror is really compelling to me. I feel honored to have been asked to be a part of this. I can’t wait to jump in and bring the best I can to such a great IP.”
The show is based on George A. Romero’s 1982 film, and It’s reported that the game will follow Creepshow’s anthology format – telling multiple self-contained horror stories using different kinds of gameplay styles and tones.
As for where you’ll be able to play it, production company Cartel Entertainment will help bring the game to “multiple platforms”, but that's all we're getting right now.
“The game will represent an expansion of our tremendously successful collaboration with Brian Clarke, whose expertise in crafting lore-rich narratives and clever scares makes him the perfect creative director for the project,” said DreadXP producer Ted Hentschke.
Using the show’s anthology format is likely a smart move, especially if the game debuts in an episodic format like Tales from the Borderlands and the like.
“Hot on the heels of the Skybound Comic release this summer and wrapping post-production on Season 4, I feel like this is an opportunity to celebrate the genre with horror fans around the world in a way that takes us through a myriad of experiences,” said Creepshow producer Greg Nicotero.
IGN’s review of Creepshow’s season 1 debut gave it 8/10 and said: “Creepshow is one of the more innocuous, ‘Why the hell not?’ revivals of the streaming age (which has also recently seen Netflix spend millions of dollars and thousands of arduous labor hours on a full Dark Crystal prequel series). It's a free-wheeling and easy fit for Shudder that, while not out for blood, is good for a chuckle and a jump. Creepshow isn't out to change the game in horror but instead take us back to splashy scares from long ago, with quasi-campy shorts filled with familiar faces.”
Want to read more about Creepshow? Check out the show’s horror influences as well as the best horror movies on Shudder right now.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure Coming to PC Next Month
A leak has confirmed PlayStation exclusive Sackboy: A Big Adventure is coming to PC on October 27, 2023.
According to an official trailer (which seems to have been published early by Sony’s Latin America YouTube account), the recent Sackboy game will be heading to PC next month after previously only being available on PS4 and PS5.
The trailer also confirms that the PC version of Sackboy: A Big Adventure will support 4K, 120FPS, 21:9 ultrawide monitors, Nvidia DLSS, and VRR. An official announcement is likely to be on its way soon.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure was originally released in 2020. Starring Sackboy from the LittleBigPlanet franchise, the game follows in its footsteps, instead offering 3D platforming which differs from the side-scrolling action of the main series.
IGN’s Sackboy: A Big Adventure review gave it 8/10 and said: “A Big Adventure is a lovely spin-off of LittleBigPlanet that’s filled with charming sights and sounds alike. Its level designs are adorable and creative, really shining in co-op but still entertaining when played alone. Its platforming can occasionally frustrate, falling short of the precision and nuance needed to really make it stand out from other games like it, but the feel-good vibe that permeates every corner of its crafted world still makes it a joy to play.”
This isn’t the only PlayStation exclusive to make its way to PCs this year. A PC version of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is heading to PC on October 19, with a PC version of Spider-Man: Miles Morales on its way, too.
A recent leak also suggests that Returnal is heading to PC, too, with several improvements over the original PS5 version.
Want to read more about Sackboy: A Big Adventure? Check out our Sackboy: A Big Adventure walkthrough for a full guide or get some hints and tips if you just need a helping hand.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Scorn Release Date Moved Forward
Scorn, the upcoming H.R. Giger-inspired puzzle adventure, is coming out earlier than expected. The game will now be released on October 14 instead of October 21.
Coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC, no reason has been given for the move in date – but given how many delays we've had this year, it's a welcome bit of news.
Scorn promises to take players "into an isolated, strange, dream-like world. Left unguided to fend for themselves, players must explore Scorn’s interconnected bio-labyrinth, learning its rules and mastering grotesque puzzles along the way as they come to understand their own predicament."
We went hands-on with the first hour of the game recently, saying, "At its best, Scorn already feels like a deeply odd, deeply thoughtful approach to more open puzzling, perhaps most easily comparable to The Witness. Personally, that’s what I hope to see more of – but if you’re looking for a dose of real unpleasantness, it seems to have you covered there too."
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.
PlayStation Stars Loyalty Program Currently Offers Better Customer Service as a Reward
Sony's PlayStation Stars loyalty programme is offering better customer support to those at a higher reward tier.
As reported by VGC, those using the service after its launch in Japan today, September 29, have complained that those on the service's fourth tier get improved customer support. Users can move up tiers by buying games from the PlayStation store and earning trophies, effectively meaning that those with more money will receive better support from Sony.
"When contacting PlayStation Customer Support, you will be given priority in the chat order," the reward list reads, and getting there requires users to first buy four games from the PlayStation Store and earn 128 rare trophies.
【ニュース】PS4/PS5向け特典プログラムPlayStation Stars国内でスタート。ポイントがもらえ、レベルを上げればカスタマーサポートも優先順位上がるhttps://t.co/R5hjUYK0oW pic.twitter.com/HnecYI4Ur1
— AUTOMATON(オートマトン) (@AUTOMATONJapan) September 29, 2022
Those who've done so will therefore be able to speak with PlayStation's customer support ahead of those who've spent less money, something that has some users upset.
It's not guaranteed that this PlayStation Stars reward will arrive with the North American, European, and other versions of the service, but Sony hasn't indicated that anything will be different between regions.
The reward programme will also give players the likes of PlayStation Store wallet funds and select PlayStation Store products, alongside a series of virtual collectibles (that are definitely not NFTs).
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
Elizabeth Olsen Wants Scarlet Witch to Team Up With the MCU X-Men Now That Wolverine’s Involved
This story contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Marvel’s Scarlet Witch star Elizabeth Olsen wants to team up with the X-Men in the MCU after Hugh Jackman announced his return as Wolverine.
During an interview with Variety, the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star explained that she’d love to team up with the X-Men now that Logan is in the mix.
“I guess Wolverine is X-Men,” said Olsen, when asked about which characters she hopes to team up with in the future. “It would be cool to work with a lot of those people from the X-Men franchise. I guess [Magneto actor Michael Fassbender] is my dad in some world?”
In the comic books, both Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are mutants – the children of villain, Magneto. Magneto has been played by both Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellan in the X-Men film series. However, it’s a very different story in the MCU.
Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver (played in the MCU by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) made their MCU debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron back in 2015, long before Disney’s high-profile purchase of 20th Century Fox. Since Marvel didn't have the rights to the X-Men, it was forced to come up with a different backstory for Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver that veered away from their comic book origins. In the films, they were experimented upon by Baron von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann) and obtained their powers from Loki’s scepter during these frightful tests.
Obviously, Olsen is keen to play the Scarlet Witch again… but can she return? Despite the character seemingly dying off-screen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it looks as though she could be back at some point.
“There really is so much more to explore,” Marvel boss Kevin Feige told Variety. “We still haven’t touched on many of her core storylines from the comics. I’d work with Lizzie for another 100 years if we could. Anything’s possible in the multiverse! We’ll have to see.”
Hugh Jackman’s entry into the MCU comes via the upcoming Deadpool 3, which was recently unveiled by Ryan Reynolds. Whether or not he’ll cross paths with the Scarlet Witch remains to be seen.
Want to read more about Marvel’s upcoming plans? Check out Marvel’s Phase 5 line-up as well as everything we know about Marvel’s Phase 6 so far.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Rap Icon Coolio Dead at 59
US rapper, actor, and record producer Coolio has died today in Los Angeles, according to TMZ. He was 59.
Coolio reportedly passed away suddenly while visiting a friend. An official cause of death is yet to be confirmed.
Artis Leon Ivey, Jr., known professionally as Coolio, began his music career in the late 1980s but shot to international stardom in 1995 when he released “Gangsta’s Paradise”, one of the most-acclaimed hip hop tracks of all-time. The song was recorded for the 1995 Michelle Pfeiffer high school drama Dangerous Minds and subsequently appeared on Coolio second studio album of the same name.
The Grammy award-winning rapper was also an actor with a long list of film and TV appearances and cameos.
Coolio had been performing across the US as part of the I Love the '90s Tour alongside Vanilla Ice, Color Me Badd, Young M.C. and more.
Returnal for PC Seemingly Leaks, Includes DLSS and Ray-Traced Shadows
Footage of Returnal on PC appeared to leak earlier today, seemingly confirming that Housemarque's roguelite will be joining Sony's other first-party releases on the platform.
The leaked footage first appeared on Icon-Era after being uploaded to Youtube, showing off the options and customization of the PC version including ray-traced shadows, reflections, DLSS, and FSR. The footage was pulled by Sony not long after.
Assuming the footage is real, it shows that Returnal will receive significant enhancements over the PS5 release, which favored frame-rate over pure visual fidelity.
First released in 2021, Returnal was lauded for its originality and its actions. In our review we wrote that "the moment-to-moment gameplay of Returnal is sublime," and that it never drops the ball on the story, but that runs have a tendency to last too long. Housemarque has since released a number of improvements, including multiplayer co-op and the ability to save in the middle of runs.
Sony has yet to officially announce a PC version of Returnal, but it seems very likely given the recent pipeline that includes Spider-Man, God of War, and Horizon: Zero Dawn. It would be another showcase release for the Steam Deck, which we recently covered in a wide-ranging interview with Valve.
For now, Returnal's PC release date remains unknown, but if the footage is real, an announcement appears imminent.
Major Disney Dreamlight Valley Patch Featuring Scar Gets a Timing Update
Disney Dreamlight Valley’s upcoming patch is coming in about three weeks.
The update, which also adds The Lion King character, Scar, will be coming this fall, but Disney is yet to pin down an actual release date.
“The next bug fixes will be released as part of the first content update featuring Scar, this fall,” they confirmed via Twitter. “While we can't share exact timing yet, we are targeting a release in around 3 weeks.”
Although the developers didn’t give a definite date, they did confirm that this will be separate from the current Star Path end date. They also gave an update on what they consider to be priority issues in the game:
“Expect updates on the following in the coming weeks as we get closer to locking fixes: Preventing progress loss, Missing Founder's Pack rewards, Console crashes.”
As well as these priority issues, the patch will also include over 40 bug foxes, such as PS4 optimizations, Lightning VFX, two quest fixes, Switch audio distortion, and an issue where rain doesn't water crops.
Additionally, the patch will also add an improved photo mode and more avatar poses.
“We know it can be frustrating to run into bugs or issues, so we appreciate your patience,” they stated. “There are a ton of fixes coming and many are thanks to your helpful issue reports! Stay tuned for more status updates in the coming weeks and thanks again.”
IGN’s Dreamlight Valley review gave it 8/10 and said: “Disney Dreamlight Valley is an awesome life simulator that flexes its iconic characters to riveting, satisfying effect. Adding these instantly recognizable villagers to your magical kingdom and forging friendships with them through quests is a blast, even when many of those amount to mundane village errands.”
Want to read more about Disney Dreamlight Valley? Check out our Disney Dreamlight Valley tips and find out which expansions are coming soon.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
