Earlier this week, IGN ran a poll asking you which edition of GTA 6 you planned to buy: the $80 Standard Edition, or the $100 Ultimate Edition. Well, after thousands of respondents, the results are in — and they might come as a surprise to some.

Rockstar has confirmed $79.99 as the price of the base GTA 6 game, which is single-player only. This represents a $10 increase on the standard $69.99 price point we’ve seen this console generation, although Nintendo has gone to $80 with games such as Mario Kart World. So, at its cheapest, GTA 6 is still more expensive than most other games.

The Ultimate Edition is $20 more expensive at $99.99, and comes with a number of eye-catching exclusives, such as exclusive shops and even an exclusive mission. If you need a reminder, here’s everything you get in the Ultimate Edition:

The GTA 6: Ultimate Edition includes:

• '67 Vapid Dominator Buggy and Paradise Garage: A Mud Club monster offering impressive off-road handling for the backwoods of Mount Kalaga and beyond, conveniently stored at a garage in Watson Bay, featuring a weapon locker to customize your loadout for any occasion plus a stash box to deposit stolen goods to be fenced.
• ’95 Grotti Cheetah: Grotti's signature mid '90s sports car and ode to Shore Drive, the ’95 Grotti Cheetah, complete with a minimalist, retro-futuristic livery and available to punctuate later-stage action.
• Vehicles and Vapid Ganado Retro Build at Jason’s Safehouse: Switch gears and soak up the sun in either an Army fatigue-tinged Dinka Enduro motorcycle and Crest Kayak, or inject some muscle and classic stylings into Jason's well-worn Vapid Ganado pickup with exclusive mods including a cab spoiler, rear aerials, and special livery.
• Vehicle Mod Shops: Two preeminent vehicle customization destinations are exclusively open for business with the Ultimate Edition and feature a wide selection of artistic and performance-based vehicle mods. At Rideout Customs in Vice City, transform vanilla vehicles into magnificent works of art with detailed interiors, exquisite rims, and donk stylings. Meanwhile at One-Eyed Willie’s in Lake Leonida, transform off-road vehicles with exclusive mods and even attain custom hand-painted masterpieces.
• Classic Car Collection: Track down a variety of abandoned classic and work-in-progress project cars and revitalize them to their former glory in this special commission from eccentric collector and local fixer, Wyman. Restore these and make them your own, including four vehicles that are only available in the Ultimate Edition.
• Shitzu Squalo: Perfect for casting in Gambit Bay and reeling in catches of all sorts, this gradient pink and blue Squalo docked at Washington Beach is made open-ocean-ready with an explosives-laden weapons crate.
• Hawk & Little Morgan Revolver: Sourced exclusively from the Vercetti Estate and found at Ammu-Nation stores as Jason and Lucia’s story progresses, his and hers versions of the powerful Hawk & Little Morgan Revolver are available with classic Vice City stylings for both Jason and Lucia, including palm-tree-etched grips, engraved detailing, high-performance scope, and personalized finishes.
• Personalized Weapon Variants: Personalized sidearms with detailed engravings for both Jason's Girardi ES9 pistol and Lucia's Klose K17 pistol.
• PTT Youngin$ Compound and Scores: One of Leonida’s loudest and most socially active gangs, the PTT Youngin$ grow premium hydroponics in places you’d least expect. Find a way to raid the PTT Youngin$ Illegal Goods Store in Southside Vice City and escape safely to score some special items and distinct contraband.
• Vice City Styles for Jason and Lucia: Whether poolside or side by side, Jason and Lucia can look the part with exclusive outfits, tattoos, and more.
• Goodtime Gear: A capsule collection of apparel and accessories inspired by the Goodtime State’s hit TV show character, Macca the Gator.
• Stock 305 Clothing Store: Exclusively open for business with the Ultimate Edition, Stock 305 is Stockyard’s premiere destination for elevated streetwear. Style various unique and exclusive looks for Jason and Lucia that complement the murals, tags, and artwork that put the neighborhood on the map.
• Sara’s Unisex Salon: Get signature salon hair styles for both Jason and Lucia, including facial hair for Jason and makeup and nails for Lucia.
• Electric Fang Tattoo: Stockyard’s most iconic ink bar, with over 50 exclusive, signature tattoos for both Jason and Lucia — all designed by the artist collective FAILE.

The Ultimate Edition has sparked significant debate, with some saying Rockstar has effectively charged $100 for GTA 6 before fans won’t want to miss out on all this content. But we wanted to find out if the Ultimate Edition actually will prove to be the more popular choice, even though it’s $20 more. So we asked you.

We’ve had just shy of 3,000 votes so far, and at the time of this article’s publication, 70.7% said they are buying the Ultimate Edition, leaving just 29.3% saying they are buying the Standard Edition. That’s not even slightly close — clearly the Ultimate Edition content has done the trick here. Fans really want it, and most will pay more to get it.

There are a lot of other issues factoring into decisions around GTA 6, of course. The lack of a disc in the physical version is certainly one of the hottest topics coming out of this week’s big reveal, and I’ve seen plenty of people saying they’re going to hold off just in case Rockstar decides to release a box with an actual disc in it further down the line. Some are saying the $80 price point is too expensive, and they will hold off on a sale. My gut feeling is most will want to be there for GTA 6 on day one when it comes out in November. This is looking like the biggest entertainment launch of all time, and the FOMO will be hard to resist.

And then there’s the question of GTA Online. Rockstar hasn’t said anything yet about a potential new version of GTA Online for GTA 6, although fans expect it to arrive eventually. Could that come in time for Christmas? Early next year? Even later? Perhaps some will wait for confirmation before handing over their hard-earned cash.

For now, though, we can safely say that the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition is the overwhelmingly popular choice, which begs the question: is GTA 6 effectively the first $100 game?

Certainly some seem to think so. "The Ultimate Edition is the default option for this game and the $80 is the cheaper option," said redditor ice_spice2020. "Because how else can you explain Rockstar priced the Ultimate Edition at only $100, why not $120 or $140 like other companies? $20 gap between Standard and Ultimate Edition of a game of this magnitude is too odd to ignore. I bet they really wanted to charge the game at $100, but they know going from $70 to $100 is too big of a jump to warrant it. So they paywalled some of the content. It was one thing to lock items behind, but to even go so far as to making certain locations exclusive to Ultimate Edition (even down to certain side missions) makes the Standard $80 edition look unfinished. I also see people somehow defending it, but to me it sets a dangerous precedent and it will only get worse from here."

Others agreed. "I view it as $100 for the single-player game," said No-Significance2070. Others disagreed, however, and said they weren't bothered by missing out on the Ultimate Edition content. "I couldn’t care less about stores or my character’s appearance," Carniscrub said. "Losing a couple cars is lame but not a deal breaker. $80 is the default."

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe has reassured fans that he’s still working on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, and explained why it’s taking so long.

ConcernedApe, real name Eric Barone, announced Haunted Chocolatier back in 2021, but amid ongoing work on his phenomenally successful Stardew Valley, progress on the follow-up has been slow going.

In a new blog post titled “Still here, still grinding…,” ConcernedApe insisted he was still working on the game, which he sounds somewhat embarrassed to have to keep on saying. “Feels kinda dumb posting this same thing over and over, but that’s the reality,” he said.

“I know it’s taking a long time,” he continued, before explaining the hold up. ConcernedApe is fussing over every last detail, it seems, in a bid to make Haunted Chocolatier as close to perfect as humanly possible.

“I am being very thoughtful about every aspect of the game,” he said. “The things in the game which the player will be interacting with or using very often need to be ‘perfect.’ They need to be seamless, clear, intuitive, satisfying, aesthetic.”

He used the example of iterating on the recipe book for making chocolates, which sounds like a significant challenge.

“To me, it’s not a simple task, as I torture myself over every last detail,” he said. “This is a UI you will be using fairly often, so it has to be perfect. You need to be able to accomplish your goal with the minimal number of clicks. There needs to be just the right amount of data presented to the player: not so much as to be overwhelming, but not so little as to be trivial or mundane. And the way that this data is laid out on the page is crucial… If the data is all clustered together, it will be disgusting to look at. The data needs to be grouped into compelling, intuitive and easy to read/understand groupings. It needs to look appealing and intriguing. And this is just the bare minimum, that players will likely take for granted. If all of that is accomplished then the player is now comfortable while perusing the recipe book. But I want more than just comfort. I want to delight the player. All of this typically requires me to iterate on something several times before I’m satisfied with it.”

This situation with the recipe book for making chocolates is just one aspect of Haunted Chocolatier, of course. ConcernedApe is applying this same pursuit of perfection to the entire game.

“And it’s a big game,” he added. “So there are many things for me to fuss over. But, this is what it will take to make a game I’m satisfied with.”

ConcernedApe also explained why he doesn’t want to show Haunted Chocolatier off too much at this stage of development. “Partly, it feels like I’m serving a half-baked bread. I would rather serve a fully baked bread,” he said. “Also, I know that many parts of the game will likely evolve and change before release, so if I reveal them early, I risk disappointing players if the final product does not match their expectation. Fortunately, I’m in a position where I don’t need to market the game, so I can take my preferred approach.

“As always, I really appreciate your patience.”

Haunted Chocolatier is so far without a release date. Neither does the hotly anticipated Stardew Valley 1.7 update, which ConcernedApe isn’t working on directly. Earlier this year, he explained his current way of working in an interview with IGN.

“Well, part of the reason why I've expanded my team a little bit is so that hopefully I can spend more time working on Haunted Chocolatier," he told us in February. "And it's worked out pretty well so far, I would say. On 1.7, the approach we're taking is that I am like, you might say the creative director and I'm involved with like, 'Okay, here's what we're going to do. Here's some of the ideas.' Then I let the team work on that. And then meanwhile, I'm working on Haunted Chocolatier.

"At some point in 1.7's cycle, I will get heavily involved, because I feel like my hand needs to touch every part of the game, every aspect of the update. I need to go over it and adjust it or at least approve everything. So it will require a lot of my time anyway, but I think the balance has been a little bit more shifted, so that I can spend more time focused on Haunted Chocolatier. And I think it's been working out pretty good. That's been a big change from the 1.3 update or 1.1 or something where it's completely me. I had no time to work on a new game. So that has changed.

"It is difficult because it's hard to shift gears, I guess. If I'm thinking about Haunted Chocolatier, it's difficult to be like, 'Okay, I'm going to one day of the week or two days of the week work on Stardew Valley.' That's not how my brain works. I'm all in one thing or the other. So I've been trying to work on that. I feel like it requires a lot of discipline, which I'm always working to improve on."

And, on Haunted Chocolatier, ConcernedApe told IGN:

"The progress isn't as fast as I would like. Nothing is ever as fast as I would like. The main important thing about Haunted Chocolatier is I'm not going to release anything that I'm not happy with. If I don't think it's a great game, I'm not going to release it. So even if that takes years and years, so be it. That's just what I want to do. Fortunately, I don't feel like there's any real pressure. I haven't received funding from anyone or crowdfunding. There's not going to be any pre-orders.

"I don't actually owe anyone the game. It's like when I want to do it and when I want to release it, it'll get done. I mean, it's true that I've announced the game, that does create a lot of pressure on me because I do feel like I don't want to disappoint the fans by taking too long, but there's no real physical obligation with it. It's more just mental constructs, you might say."

We interviewed ConcernedApe and chatted about topics such as the addition of two new marriage candidates with 1.7, the one secret players still haven't found yet, and why there isn't a Stardew Valley TV show yet. We also chatted with the Stardew Valley community about what the game has meant to them over the years.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Popular Tabletop Simulator Steam mods that recreate the in-person Warhammer 40,000 game have reportedly received takedown requests from Games Workshop.

While Games Workshop hasn’t commented on its action here — and rarely does in cases such as this — one of the chief creators of Tabletop Simulator Warhammer 40,000 mods alleged that the UK company was to blame.

Tabletop Simulator is a long-running and popular physics sandbox designed to let people make their own board games in virtual form. It launched over a decade ago on Steam, where there are thousands of community-created mods, including Warhammer 40,000 mods.

This week saw the launch of the 11th Edition of Warhammer 40,000, Games Workshop’s flagship tabletop game and one of the biggest releases in the company’s history. It sells pricey box sets packed with miniatures to fans, who then assemble, paint, and deploy on a battlefield using the new rules and units introduced by this latest edition of the game.

Already, 11th Edition mods were made available on TS Warhammer Steam Workshop, but two of the most high-profile are now removed. A modder called hutber, who had released an 11th Edition map for TTS just a week ago, took to reddit to say they had removed it “after a request from GW.”

“Seems we're ready for another crack down from GW, which is their right to do,” hutber said in a thread titled "Hutber Map | TTS Map cease and desist." “So we cannot complain of course :D”

ForceOrg, another popular mod used to play Warhammer 40,000 digitally, was also taken down from Steam Workshop. TTS modder Seaborne said in a reddit thread that ForceOrg had been removed as a result of Games Workshop’s action.

“Regrettably, this is going to be our version of the Dark Age Of Technology,” Seaborne said. “Those who have never subscribed to ForceOrg before won't be able to subscribe to it now. Those currently subscribed may still be able to use these mods, but how long this will last is uncertain.”

Games Workshop is notorious for protecting its intellectual property with takedown requests and, in some cases, direct DMCA strikes. Earlier this year, IGN reported on Void War, a strategy game dubbed ‘FTL in a Warhammer 40,000 skin,’ after it was pulled from Steam when Games Workshop issued a DMCA takedown due to an image of a shoulder pad.

Why take on the TTS Warhammer 40,000 modding community now after years of inaction? Seaborne speculated that it has to do with the recent release of Warhammer 40,000 11th Edition. In theory, some Warhammer 40,000 fans may be content playing the tabletop game digitally, rather than get involved with what is an expensive hobby in an official capacity — potentially denying Games Workshop revenue that might have come from that.

On the other hand, some say Warhammer 40,000 TTS mods are crucial for letting them play with friends they would never be able to play the tabletop with, perhaps because they’re overseas or have other issues actually meeting up in-person. Some found Warhammer 40,000 TTS mods helped them through Covid lockdowns, and have stuck with it since.

It’s worth noting that while there are many, many Warhammer 40,000 video games out there, none are straight-up recreations of the tabletop experience. Sure, there are Warhammer 40,000 strategy games, some of which are even turn-based. But none follow the rules of the tabletop game, rather established video game conventions. There’s a clear reason for that: Games Workshop doesn’t want to give fans any digital experience that might effectively replace the tabletop, which remains the crown jewel in its portfolio. Warhammer 40,000 video games must offer an alternative, complimentary experience only — it’s a strategy that makes sense commercially, even if there is an obvious market for a direct digital recreation.

The TTS Warhammer 40,000 modding community has been through this before and it eventually returned to basically doing what it had been doing. ForceOrg's continuation will be determined in the next 48 hours, Seaborne said. “Long-term, this is nothing but a momentarily stop gap.” In the meantime, Seaborne suggested TTS Warhammer modders “hide, delist and create backups for your works until the coast feels clear.”

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The layoffs Bungie announced yesterday hit nearly 300 staff who worked at the developer’s Bellevue, Washington office, official records have revealed.

A Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice issued by Sony to the Washington State Employment Security Department, reported by Game File, reveals 292 staff have been let go with a formal separation date set for July 9. This number does not account for Bungie staff outside Washington state. It is unknown how many staff remain at Bungie following the cuts, although the studio was reported to have employed 850 staff as of 2024.

It is Bungie's third round of layoffs in three years. According to The Seattle Times, Bungie once had 1,000 employees in Bellevue, according to a 2023 annual financial report from the city. Between October 2023 and July 2024, Bungie laid off around 320 staff. Local press have called the cuts a "bloodbath."

In its statement yesterday, Hermen Hulst, CEO, Studio Business Group, Sony Interactive Entertainment, spoke about the layoffs in general terms, only saying a “significant” number of employees had been affected, hitting "most of the Destiny team and some Marathon team members.”

Hulst described the decision as "difficult" and "painful," but "necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals." The news follows the recent ending of new content for Destiny 2, and the release of hardcore extraction shooter Marathon, which has struggled for players. Sony has insisted it remains committed to Marathon, whose team is also said to be working on “incubation efforts for future projects.”

The WARN notice redacts individual names, but includes job titles. It reveals staff across all departments were hit, including artists and technical animators, audio leads and sound designers, engineers, producers, and systems designers, and integrated Sony support teams that manage day-to-day Bungie infrastructure.

A number of former Bungie staff have taken to social media to confirm they were hit by the layoffs. Some are Bungie veterans of over a decade. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier said Bungie studio head Justin Truman, who succeeded Pete Parsons last year, had stepped down. According to Forbes reporter Paul Tassi, former Bungie VP of Operations, Poria Torkan, has reportedly taken charge of the studio.

Social media users have also picked up on the mention of “Chief Vision Officer” in the WARN notice. Some are speculating that this is Bungie co-founder and Halo and Destiny creator Jason Jones, who maintains a low profile and rarely speaks to the press. Jones appeared in an official Destiny 2 video released in 2021 in which he was described as Chief Vision Officer. If Jones has left Bungie — and this remains unconfirmed for now — it would represent a true end of an era for the studio behind some of the most iconic first-person shooters ever released.

Bungie has struggled financially for some time, and reportedly was on the brink of closure before Sony bought the studio back in 2022 for $3.6 billion. Sony recently reported a $765 million impairment loss due to underperformance of Bungie specifically.

Bungie's issues with Destiny 2 reportedly began around the time of last summer's Edge of Fate expansion, which was said to have underperformed. The decision to pull the plug was allegedly made "earlier this year" after it was decided not to relaunch the franchise as "Destiny Infinity."

Forbes reported that Bungie began discussing different scenarios about "what the future of Destiny 2 would look like" after December's Renegades, its Star Wars-themed crossover expansion, "did even worse [than Edge of Fate] and didn't change sales or retention trajectory."

Destiny Infinity would have been a relaunch alongside a return to the one big expansion model Destiny used to have, but the idea fell by the wayside after it was allegedly decided that the costs and risks were too high, especially in the context of support for Marathon.

Destiny 3 "was considered, as ever, but things didn't swing that way," and there has been no behind-the-scenes hints that a third Destiny game is coming, with the cost of the game's production cited as the key issue.

Destiny 2 launched on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 6, 2017, with a PC version following a month later. Behind the scenes, however, tension between Bungie and Activision emerged, and the two companies officially parted ways in January 2019, ending their 10-year publishing deal five years early.

With Destiny in its own hands, Bungie self-published the game, but it couldn't escape financial troubles and layoffs as Destiny 2 expansions failed to hit the mark and the player base dwindled. Extraction shooter Marathon launched early March, with a reported budget of more than $250 million. It too, according to analysts, has failed to meet sales expectations.

Photographer: Troy Harvey/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The Kingdom Hearts games have amassed one of the most loyal fandoms in gaming. Square Enix really tapped into something special when it combined classic Disney characters with a totally unique RPG. Unfortunately for Kingdom Hearts fans, none of the Prime Day Square Enix deals this year include any of the actual games. There is, however, a 3-foot stainless steel Keyblade that just dropped to its lowest price ever on Amazon.

Look, nobody actually needs a sword. But we only recently got Kingdom Hearts 4 gameplay footage for the first time earlier this month and there's absolutely no release date attached. Waiting forever for the next entry in the series is inevitable, but whether or not you own a replica of Sora's iconic blade is entirely in your control.

Amazon’s Prime Day Sale is in full swing and full of incredible gaming deals. However, the only way to score Pokémon Pokopia at a discount is in a Nintendo Switch 2: Choose Your Game Bundle. With this deal, you get the game for just $49.99, a $20 savings. Mario Kart World or Donkey Kong Bananza are the other available games in the bundle, and all are digital downloads, not physical games.

The bundle goes for $499.99, and will likely be one of your last chances to save on the Nintendo Switch 2 before the impending price increase. After September, the Switch 2 will rise by $50 to $499.99 with no included games.

Save $20 on Pokémon Pokopia with a Switch 2 Bundle

If you're looking to upgrade your Pokémon TCG deck or hunt down some of the rarest pulls of the 2026 Mega Evolution series, you need to act fast if you want to get in on Amazon Prime Day deals for them. This sale only lasts from June 23–26, and Pokémon TCG products are notorious for selling out quickly, either to fans or to resellers looking to make a quick buck. Luckily for you, we’ve scoured the web to bring you the best Pokémon TCG deals we’ve found.

Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box

Pokemon TCG: Mega Zygarde ex Premium Collection

Mega Lucario ex League Battle Deck

Switch 2 owners, check out this excellent Amazon Prime Day deal on yet another first-party, Switch 2-exclusive game. Kirby Air Riders, normally $69.99, is down to $49.94 today with free shipping. It's on sale at both Amazon and Walmart. This is the lowest price I've seen for a brand new, retail physical copy of the game, with the previous price low at $59.99.

Kirby Air Riders (Nintendo Switch 2) for $49.94

Fan hopes for GTA 6 Trailer 3 have been dashed after preorders went live without a new official video from Rockstar.

Last week, Rockstar Games revealed the cover art for GTA 6 and confirmed that preorders would go live on June 25. Many felt that a third trailer in this window would be a safe bet, as it would get the hype machine back up and running and push people to preorder the game. Instead, Rockstar released a big batch of new GTA 6 screenshots, which tease all kinds of new details about the game, but there's no Trailer 3.

Trailer 2 was released in May 2025 and it still has the game's old release date attached to it, a date that passed a month ago. Some had thought that Rockstar would want a new trailer that advertises the correct release date on it alongside preorders, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

"Weird decision to not have Trailer 3 go live now," said one fan on X. [...] "So this might be it... until July?!" "Personally, I'm really disappointed," said another fan. "Even though Rockstar never officially announced anything, we've been waiting for such a long time now." "No Trailer 3. No Gameplay. Come on, man," remaked another fan.

One fan even began to suggest that Rockstar is in a unique situation, as the lack of gameplay this close to launch would be cause for concern with any other studio: "If this was any other game/publisher, gamers would be saying, it must be something wrong with it or its not running as smoothly as they'd like etc."

Another user looked to the past to try and make sense of the decision. "Looking back at GTAV, pre-orders opened on November 5th, 2012, but the trailer didn't drop until 9 days later on November 14th," they said. "Not sure what to make of this. I really hope we get something concrete within the next 15 days, otherwise it’s getting ridiculous."

While some have made the argument that GTA 6 is so big that it doesn't even need marketing, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has indicated the opposite.

"[...] I do think no matter how big a franchise is, the consumers need to engage with that prior to release. And I think the motion picture business reflects that as well. So if you put out a sequel to Mission: Impossible, trust me, the studio is still going to spend a whole lot of money marketing that title, even though we kind of know what we're going to get and we know we're going to see Tom Cruise, and we're thrilled that we will. Marketing is still an important part of any entertainment release.”

It's unclear when we'll see the next trailer, but one can hope that it will be a proper look at the gameplay of GTA 6 rather than another story trailer. Fans are hungry to see how the game actually plays and what they'll be able to do in it. It may be another month before we get such a thing, as Rockstar is planning to roll out a new GTA Online update in July, which will likely take center stage for marketing for a few weeks. So, maybe there is no GTA 6 Trailer 3, and Rockstar will skip straight to a gameplay reveal.

GTA 6 will release on November 19 for Xbox Series X and S and PS5, and cost $79.99 for the standard edition and $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition, which includes a boatload of extra content including cosmetics, weapons, and access to certain shops and missions. Unfortunately for physical media lovers, GTA 6 won't be released on a disc at launch.

Where to Preorder GTA 6

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.

Deltarune's story will continue next year, as creator Toby Fox has set a 2027 release window for Chapter 6.

Yesterday, Deltarune Chapter 5 was finally released to much anticipation. Within hours of its launch, the release helped the game shatter its previous concurrent player record on Steam. Previously, the record was 133,920 concurrent players, now the record sits at 290,973 concurrent players, more than double the original all-time peak. Despite Deltarune being nearly a decade old, it seems like it has only grown in popularity over time.

With all of that said, Toby Fox isn't slowing down when it comes to continuing the story. In an FAQ on the game's Steam page, the developer confirmed that Chapter 5 is not the end of the story and Chapter 6 will release next year.

"We are aiming for a 2027 release," reads the FAQ. "Meanwhile, we will be periodically releasing information on the development progress of the game."

Previously, Fox noted how smoothly development was progressing on Chapter 6 and said that it was possible that Chapter 7 may enter full development in the near future.

"This sounds crazy, but it’s not unrealistic that some staff members may start working on Chapter 7 before the end of the year," Fox said.

It's unclear how long Deltarune will be supported for. Perhaps Fox will try to tie everything up in 2028, when the game reaches its 10th anniversary. As of right now, we'll just have to wait and see, but it has been a wonderful indie phenomenon to follow.

We gave Deltarune a 9/10, noting that it manages to impress despite the fact it is largely unfinished: "Toby Fox and his team have really accomplished something incredible with Deltarune and its new chapters, even if that accomplishment isn’t quite finished just yet. The fact that what appears to be a halfway point in the story can leave off on such a phenomenal and high-stakes note after roughly 20 hours still has me reeling knowing I’ve yet to see the true depths of where this adventure will lead."

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.

Popstar Olivia Rodrigo is joining Fortnite today, as the latest celebrity addition to Epic Games' battle royale.

Rodrigo's addition to Fortnite follow the launch of her third album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, which charted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, with the biggest launch by a solo artist this year.

Known for tunes such as Drivers License, Good 4 U, Vampire and Drop Dead, Rodrigo began her career as a child actor on Disney series such as High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, before switching to pop and scooping three Grammy Awards, as well as headlining Glastonbury Festival last year.

Now, Rodrigo can be found on Fortnite's battle royale Island, and in its lucrative item shop at its next refresh.

On the Island, you can earn a couple of freebie cosmetics just by dropping by where her in-game character is located. In the shop, you can purchase two skins featuring outfits inspired by her appearance in various musical videos, emotes, and Jam Tracks to play in the game's Rock Band-inspired Festival mode.

Rodrigo's appearance in Fortnite follows numerous other musical icons such as Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Metallica, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter. Who will join Fortnite next?

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Like The Witness before it, Order of the Sinking Star uses a simple puzzle structure as a vehicle for unexpected problem solving. Pushing blocks around a grid to press a button or reach some exit is far from a new concept, but neither was sliding a line around some symbols, and that was hardly “the point” of developer Thekla, Inc.’s previous masterpiece – and while the demo I played didn’t reveal all of its secrets, that certainly seems to be the case here as well.

Order of the Sinking Star is really many block-pushing games in one. There’s an overworld with its own lead character that has to figure out how to even reach each of its self-contained levels, all of which are sorted into different areas of the map representing various stories, characters and mechanics of their own. Those ideas will eventually blend together (though they didn’t yet in the parts I played), and it’s already clear that this is more than just a glorified level-select screen as I saw tantalizing secrets waiting just out of reach.

I started by heading north to play as the Hearty Heroes of Hauling, a fantasy-themed area where I controlled a handful of different characters at once, each with a unique way to interact with the movable blocks and monsters that blocked their path. Swapping between those characters to guide them to the end of each stage was very different from the levels of The Mirror Isles to the east, which instead had me command a single person who could warp through and copy himself with the help of some pushable magic mirrors. And that was different still from The Promise to the west, which was a more futuristic setting that stitched together multiple puzzle screens into a single, infinitely looping level rather than individual stages. (The southern area, Skipping Stones to Lonely Homes, wasn’t available in the demo at all.)

One thing I appreciated across all the areas is how often my usual puzzling instincts didn’t seem to apply. I’ve played so many games like this over the years that I can typically look at a level and pretty quickly intuit what is going to need to happen, even if I don’t necessarily know how to actually do that thing right away. But Order of the Sinking Star kept me on my toes more often than not, making me figure out solutions that weren’t what I was expecting. That’s not to say it’s super challenging, it just felt like its designers never settled for the “first” answer or idea they could come up with.

Any one of these areas likely could have been sold as its own game and still made for a pretty fun evening of puzzle solving, but they add up to something impressively imposing when taken as a whole. I completed all of the available demo levels in about four hours – that’s already larger than some entire puzzle games I’ve played, and I felt like I was barely getting started. Order of the Sinking Star’s open-world map seems huge, too, so it’s hard to even guess at how much I didn’t see (but I’m sure it’s a lot).

Of course, the flipside of having such radically different designs in a single package is that it’s a lot more noticeable when one idea isn’t as fun as another. I really liked quick-swapping between the Heroes of Hauling depending on which of their abilities I needed at any given moment – be that pushing, pulling, or full-on teleportation. So when I got to the blander island setting that followed, its mirror puzzles were noticeably less entertaining – still clever and well-designed, but just not as fundamentally interesting as the areas that came before or after.

That said, it’s hard to tell which ideas will or won’t hold up over a longer playtime, especially because Order of the Sinking Star already did a great job of introducing new ideas and then testing your mastery of those concepts within this demo. It’s also notable that I didn’t get to see what is supposed to be one of the primary pitches of this split-story structure, which is that levels will eventually blur the lines between each world and the unique puzzle mechanics along with them. Like I said, none of the areas I tried felt like half-baked ideas waiting for this twist to occur, so I can see the complexity of even its simplest tricks ramping up substantially in the later levels.

I am also extremely curious about how the overworld and larger story will eventually come into play. Order of the Sinking Star isn’t trying to be as sneaky as The Witness was in terms of hiding additional puzzles in plain sight – that is to say, it’s made quite clear from the jump that the overworld is a bit of a puzzle in itself. But that doesn’t mean I fully understand what might be hidden up its sleeve either, and I am excited for an opportunity to go digging further. If the way I devoured this demo is any indication, the full game is one I’m not going to want to put down.

Tom Marks is IGN's Associate Reviews Director for games. He loves card games puzzles, platformers, puzzle-platformers, and lots more.

Amazon Prime Day is now more than halfway through, but one of the event's best Nintendo deals is still flying surprisingly under the radar.

While most of the attention has been focused on Switch 2 hardware, Pokémon, and Zelda discounts, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has quietly dropped to just $29.99 on Nintendo Switch. Even better, that discount unlocks what might be the cheapest route into the Switch 2 version as well.

If you've been waiting for the right moment to pick up Samus's long-awaited return, this is probably it.

My long-dormant memories of International Superstar Soccer 64's stilted commentary reawaken instantly. I haven't heard it for 25 years, but before the final whistle in the first World League match I’ve played since childhood, I'm reciting every repetition – "No foul the referee says! The referee says play on!" – and mimicking the jarring tone shifts between canned phrases.

"He's hit it with his … left foot! ... ENGLAND… are on the scoresheet!"

It's laughably clumsy compared to modern sims but every line is delivered with timeless, infectious gusto. The commentator is one of the most committed voice actors ever. He's too invested in big moments to care about voice cracks and his pithy phrases after each goal, delivered with weight and verve – "Incredible comeback!" … "That must be the winning goal!" … "and the gap has widened!" – capture and amplify mid-match momentum shifts.

The more I play ISS64, the more I'm convinced the rest of the game is equally timeless.

Advances in tech and decades of refinement make many older sports games unplayable, at least for me, but what I intended as a nostalgic jaunt during the World Cup has turned into a new obsession. I'm already 20 matches deep in ISS64's signature 70-match World League tournament and I've won the game's not-World-Cup twice on the hardest difficulty.

One goal I score for England against Argentina encapsulates its joy.

I've switched from the messy default 3-5-2 formation to a custom 4-2-4, with two deep-lying midfielders and two advanced wingers (tactics are surprisingly flexible). Platt, my white-haired enforcer, dives into a tackle near the centre circle, then fires a through pass down the right wing to the onrushing Charlton. Jink inside one defender, sprint past another and cross, the ball heading for the goalkeeper – "there's a fight for aerial domination!" – before curling away towards the penalty spot. Keegan, my best striker, settles under it, leaps, and rams a header into the near top corner past the already committed keeper.

"Goal! Ah, Goal! Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!"

I replay it step by step. First, the tackle.

Slide tackles are magnetic. If you're within lunging distance you can steal the ball, even if the attacker has beaten you for pace. Like many bits of ISS64 it's designed for fun over realism, enabling impossible goal-saving tackles. I love when football games capture the panic of last-ditch defending and the relief of finally hacking it clear, and ISS64 does that better than most, pinging shots off the goalkeeper, the post, and sliding defenders, both teams throwing themselves at the loose ball.

Then, Platt's through pass.

The ISS series would later morph into Pro Evolution Soccer, whose through passes felt slicker and more incisive than FIFA's and helped it become the best football series of the early- and mid-noughties. ISS64's through balls are more choreographed: pressing the button lasers the ball towards a predetermined destination, often too hard and often straight at a defender. But you can sense the roots of what's to come. When everything lines up, when your centre-midfielder cuts the pass perfectly inside the full-back and your dashing attacker meets it in stride, you feel like a genius.

Charlton, on the wing.

Skills in ISS64 are flashy but pointless. Simply changing direction as a defender approaches by tilting the control stick is almost too reliable. You can slalom at a jog straight from kick-off to the opponent's box, even on the highest difficulty. But what the game nails, and what many games that came after it would miss, is the unstoppable momentum of a sprinting footballer. A sprint is a commitment, and a flat-out winger can't suddenly twist 90-degrees and keep running. Here, you must conserve your dash, curve your dribble rather than zig zag, and always plan ahead, knowing when to cut your sprint short to nip inside a defender and when to barrel on, nudging it past them.

To the byline, and the cross.

For the past decade in FIFA, now EA FC, if your striker is free in the box, crosses with roughly the right power and direction will home in on their head or foot, netting satisfying goals. In ISS64 the satisfaction is different: crosses aren't fully manual but they require more precision. The window for ideal power is narrow and there's no on-screen indicator, so you cross by feel, an extended button tap rather than a full hold – all while concentrating on exactly where you're pushing the control stick to find your striker.

Thankfully, curving the ball can salvage a wayward cross, but it's fiddly. After the cross you fully let go of the control stick and then tilt to swerve and dip the ball. You're simultaneously directing your striker to meet the cross and aiming your header. The finger gymnastics are too much for my N64 controller's single, shaky stick – and so when I somehow pull it off, it feels like a big achievement.

Jump, and header.

Like all shots in ISS64, headers are bullets. In theory, the longer you hold the shoot button, the higher your shot and the greater margin for error – but in practice, it's small variations on thwacking the ball at the top corner. Every goal is emphatic, but keepers are menaces on higher difficulties and can reach every part of the goal, leaping between posts like monkeys between tree trunks. Maneuvering them from their starting position, such as by coaxing them towards a curved cross or by dribbling across the box, is your best bet.

And when my header thumps the net I'm rewarded with the glee of the commentator – "A vital goal for… ENGLAND!" – plus a giant gold "GOAL" that pops on screen as the ball crosses the line, and a charmingly twee celebration (I've seen dozens of imaginary babies rocked to sleep).

Not everything about ISS64 holds up, though.

Injury time at the end of each half lasts forever but has a knack of ending as the ball falls to your striker in front of an open goal. A lack of jockey or pressure button while defending means that if you misjudge your angles, attackers can slip by while you just stand there. One-twos, assigned to a dedicated button, simply don't work.

And the superpowered goalkeepers force you towards repeatable and abusable tactics. There's a particular save animation, one arm up like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, that repels anything close-range. Long shots are equally impossible unless you sprint directly sideways along the edge of the box and shoot (I must've scored hundreds of goals this way when I first played ISS64).

But I can forgive it because the ways you can score – rebounds, headers, dribbling around the goalkeeper, and free kicks – are still rewarding, as is the build up play that leads to them, whether that's tiki-taka passes or those pinpoint crosses.

Yesterday I booted up the free-kick practice mode, the commentary replaced with light, bouncy music that felt just as nostalgic. I pinged balls into the area from every angle, mastering power and curve, scoring headers, volleys, and bicycle kicks – and a few direct shots into the top corner.

Before I knew it, 90 minutes of real time had passed. I was seven years old again, fingers sore from wrestling the N64 controller, grinning with glee. International Superstar Soccer 64 really is timeless.

Destiny developer Bungie will lose a "significant number of employees" as part of brutal-sounding layoffs that will include "most of the Destiny team and some Marathon team members," PlayStation CEO Hermen Hulst has confirmed.

In a public blog post, Hulst described the decision as "difficult" and "painful," but "necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals." The news follows the recent ending of new content for Destiny 2, and amid a lackluster player numbers for new launch Marathon.

Hulst's statement claims that "multiple alternatives" were explored before the layoffs were finalized, though offers no suggestion of what these might be. On Bungie's Destiny franchise, Hulst calls the series "remarkable" but simply acknowledges that Destiny 2 is no longer receiving new content. There's no suggestion of anything else being planned. (One report claimed that a Destiny 2 relaunch, rebranded as Destiny Infinity, was discussed but ultimately dismissed.)

On Marathon, Hulst describes the fledgling extraction shooter as "an important part of our portfolio," though also suggests its team — which sounds like it will be the only team left within Bungie — will also work on other projects.

"Marathon remains an important part of our portfolio, and we will continue to support the team as they build on the strong foundation established in Season 1 and 2, and as they work on incubation efforts for future projects," Hulst says. "While it’s too early to discuss, we are encouraged by the creativity and opportunities that lie ahead."

PlayStation acquired Bungie back in 2022 for $3.6 billion, at a time that Destiny 2 was still going strong, and Sony was still looking to live-service games as the future — a policy it has since all but reversed. While exact staff numbers impacted by layoffs today have not been confirmed, Bungie is known to have employed 850 staff as of 2024, many of which were assigned to Destiny.

Today's layoffs will also impact a smaller number of PlayStation's own staff, whose roles were linked to supporting Bungie's operations.

In its own statement, published via social media, Bungie confirmed its employees would suffer layoffs as the company was reorganized. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier has stated that Bungie's studio head Justin Truman is stepping down.

Job losses at the studio had sadly been previously reported as likely following the shock news that Bungie was effectively putting the Destiny franchise on ice after more than a decade, with no further updates or expansions in the pipeline, and no imminent plan to make a full Destiny 3, despite countless calls from fans.

Bungie's own statement on the job losses lies below in full:

"With great sadness, we are announcing a reduction in force as we reorganize Bungie.

"As the leaders of Bungie, past and present, we recognize Destiny 2 fell short of expectations these past several years. Following our final content update to Destiny 2, and with our future projects still in early incubation, we unfortunately could not continue operating at our previous size.

"We know this decision has a profound impact on the people affected, their families, friends, and teammates. While these changes are necessary to best position the studio now and for the future, that does not lessen the difficulty of this moment or the impact it has on those affected.

"Later, we will share more about that future with you all but today is not that day.

"Today, we wish to extend our gratitude and compassion to every member of the Bungie team who has been impacted and to those who remain.

"We hope you will do the same. - Bungie"

Earlier this month, a former Bungie staff member said that the only way to support the studio now was to support Marathon.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Rockstar has finally pulled back the curtain on GTA 6, confirming fresh details, releasing new screenshots, and launching preorders. There's a huge amount of news to take in, including plenty of reaction from fans. In the live blog, below, we'll continue to update you on everything that's happening in the world of GTA 6, big and small, bringing you hot takes, all the news (official and rumors), and anything Rockstar releases to keep fans going.

June 26, 2026

The poll results are in!

The results are in, and they show the majority of fans will buy the $100 Ultimate Edition of GTA 6 over the $80 Standard Edition. We polled the IGN audience earlier this week, and after nearly 3,000 respondents, the results show a clear winner: 70% will buy the Ultimate Edition, 30% the Standard Edition. But what does this tell us about Rockstar's strategy here, and the appeal of the Ultimate Edition itself? Is GTA 6 effectively the first $100 video game?

Keep an eye on that GTA+ auto renew...

As Rockstar has confirmed, a digital preorder of GTA 6 also gets you a free month of GTA+. Here's how it works, direct from Rockstar:

"Experience the dynamic blockbuster GTA Online now with the best way to get the most out of its ever-evolving world. Preorder any edition of Grand Theft Auto VI on the PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store and get one free month of GTA+ — featuring a recurring monthly GTA$500,000 deposit into your GTA Online character's bank account, access to special Shark Cards with 15% bonus GTA$, access to free and discounted GTA Online vehicles, a rotating selection of classic Rockstar Games titles and other featured games in the GTA+ Games Library, and much more."

The thing to watch out for here is this subscription auto renews, so if you don't turn that off or cancel beforehand, you'll be charged $7.99 for the following month once the trial expires. You've been warned!

GTA 6 marketing posters start to arrive

We have what I think is our first look at official marketing posters for GTA 6, which are now popping up across various retailers. GAME, a video game retailer in the UK, posted the image, below, on its social media channel showing the GTA 6 poster. It points to preorders now being live, and uses the official GTA 6 cover art Rockstar released last week. Expect this poster to pop up pretty much everywhere in the run up to GTA 6's release date in November.

Easter eggs in the GTA 6 screenshots

As the dust settles on what has been an explosive week for GTA 6 news, fans are finding more and more to discuss in the screenshots Rockstar released. For example, it looks like the Ultimate Edition screenshots contain a fun Easter egg relating to the release dates of Vice City and vice City Stories.

June 25, 2026

Xbox console prices just went up

Microsoft has just announced a significant price hike for Xbox Series X and S, which has implications for anyone wanting to buy a new console to play GTA 6. Remember, GTA 6 launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S only this November, so if you don't have a current-gen console, you can't play the game. Perhaps with this in mind, Microsoft has gone ahead and announced price rises for Xbox consoles, blaming the rising cost of components. The price rises kick in on August 1, so if you need a new console to play GTA 6 in November, perhaps now is the time to buy one.

• Xbox Series S 512GB: $399.99 ---> $499.99
• Xbox Series S 1TB: $449.99 ---> $599.99
• Xbox Series X 1TB Digital: $599.99 ---> $749.99
• Xbox Series X 1TB: $649.99 ---> $799.99

Are the new GTA 6 screenshots representative of the actual game?

Rockstar released 63 impressive new screenshots that show off an incredible level of detail in GTA 6. But will GTA 6 actually look like that when we get to play it? The tech experts at Digital Foundry don't think so. They think it's it “unlikely” that the screenshots represent real-time results on any platform GTA 6 is set to launch on this November. It’s safe to rule out the Xbox Series S, of course, but DF also questions whether the screenshots came from the PS5, Xbox Series X, or even the PS5 Pro. DF can’t be sure at this stage — like everyone, they’re waiting for GTA 6 to actually come out before issuing a verdict — but there’s evidence to suggest that what we’re seeing in the screenshots isn’t actually feasible on the current-gen consoles.

New Rockstar Games GTA 6 tweet alert!

Rockstar has tweeted again about GTA 6 (9am PT / 5pm UK time), but don't get too excited, it's just pushing the Ultimate Edition. Fans still desperate for a new trailer are on the edge of their seats, and anything Rockstar puts out on its official channels at this point causes a jolt of excitement.

The Grand Theft Auto VI: Ultimate Edition amplifies the deepest and most immersive GTA experience yet with an exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia’s story.

Pre-order now: https://t.co/7gUj6s6uhi pic.twitter.com/JIPzW31FDr

— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) June 25, 2026

What do the new GTA 6 screenshots tell us about gameplay?

Yesterday, Rockstar released 63 new GTA 6 screenshots, showing off what you get from the Ultimate Edition as well as preorder bonuses. As you'd expect, these screenshots contained gameplay clues, and we had a lot of fun working through them all. Check out the video below to find out all the new GTA 6 gameplay details we spotted.

GTA 6 Ultimate Edition 'paywall'

How do you feel about the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition "paywall," as some have called it? There are exclusive shops and even a mission tied to the $100 Ultimate Edition, which some have complained about. Exclusive content locked to more expensive editions is nothing new for video games, of course. And indeed Rockstar games have done this in the past. But what do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

As a reminder, here's what you get with it:

• '67 Vapid Dominator Buggy and Paradise Garage: A Mud Club monster offering impressive off-road handling for the backwoods of Mount Kalaga and beyond, conveniently stored at a garage in Watson Bay, featuring a weapon locker to customize your loadout for any occasion plus a stash box to deposit stolen goods to be fenced.
• ’95 Grotti Cheetah: Grotti's signature mid '90s sports car and ode to Shore Drive, the ’95 Grotti Cheetah, complete with a minimalist, retro-futuristic livery and available to punctuate later-stage action.
• Vehicles and Vapid Ganado Retro Build at Jason’s Safehouse: Switch gears and soak up the sun in either an Army fatigue-tinged Dinka Enduro motorcycle and Crest Kayak, or inject some muscle and classic stylings into Jason's well-worn Vapid Ganado pickup with exclusive mods including a cab spoiler, rear aerials, and special livery.
• Vehicle Mod Shops: Two preeminent vehicle customization destinations are exclusively open for business with the Ultimate Edition and feature a wide selection of artistic and performance-based vehicle mods. At Rideout Customs in Vice City, transform vanilla vehicles into magnificent works of art with detailed interiors, exquisite rims, and donk stylings. Meanwhile at One-Eyed Willie’s in Lake Leonida, transform off-road vehicles with exclusive mods and even attain custom hand-painted masterpieces.
• Classic Car Collection: Track down a variety of abandoned classic and work-in-progress project cars and revitalize them to their former glory in this special commission from eccentric collector and local fixer, Wyman. Restore these and make them your own, including four vehicles that are only available in the Ultimate Edition.
• Shitzu Squalo: Perfect for casting in Gambit Bay and reeling in catches of all sorts, this gradient pink and blue Squalo docked at Washington Beach is made open-ocean-ready with an explosives-laden weapons crate.
• Hawk & Little Morgan Revolver: Sourced exclusively from the Vercetti Estate and found at Ammu-Nation stores as Jason and Lucia’s story progresses, his and hers versions of the powerful Hawk & Little Morgan Revolver are available with classic Vice City stylings for both Jason and Lucia, including palm-tree-etched grips, engraved detailing, high-performance scope, and personalized finishes.
• Personalized Weapon Variants: Personalized sidearms with detailed engravings for both Jason's Girardi ES9 pistol and Lucia's Klose K17 pistol.
• PTT Youngin$ Compound and Scores: One of Leonida’s loudest and most socially active gangs, the PTT Youngin$ grow premium hydroponics in places you’d least expect. Find a way to raid the PTT Youngin$ Illegal Goods Store in Southside Vice City and escape safely to score some special items and distinct contraband.
• Vice City Styles for Jason and Lucia: Whether poolside or side by side, Jason and Lucia can look the part with exclusive outfits, tattoos, and more.
• Goodtime Gear: A capsule collection of apparel and accessories inspired by the Goodtime State’s hit TV show character, Macca the Gator.
• Stock 305 Clothing Store: Exclusively open for business with the Ultimate Edition, Stock 305 is Stockyard’s premiere destination for elevated streetwear. Style various unique and exclusive looks for Jason and Lucia that complement the murals, tags, and artwork that put the neighborhood on the map.
• Sara’s Unisex Salon: Get signature salon hair styles for both Jason and Lucia, including facial hair for Jason and makeup and nails for Lucia.
• Electric Fang Tattoo: Stockyard’s most iconic ink bar, with over 50 exclusive, signature tattoos for both Jason and Lucia — all designed by the artist collective FAILE.

PlayStation is all-in on GTA 6

It's clear that Sony has partnered with Rockstar for the marketing of GTA 6, and it's resulted in some cool changes clearly designed to give the game an almost exclusive feel on PS5. For example, load up your PS5 today and you'll be greeted by a new custom user interface advertising GTA 6. Check it out in the video below:

Scalpers are trying to take advantage of GTA 6 already

It was perhaps inevitable: scalpers are of course interested in cashing in on GTA 6, with a number of listings for the on the likes of eBay at inflated prices already. But it seems unlikely they will remain, or that scalpers will find much success, as the physical edition of GTA 6 remains freely available to preorder.

The PS5 version of GTA 6 did briefly sell out on Amazon earlier today, which perhaps explains the scalper rush on the game, but it's now back in stock. As always, do not buy GTA 6 at anything but face value or below.

Fans make their own GTA 6 disc

Without an official GTA 6 physical edition with a disc, fans are making their own and actually selling them. Over on Etsy, one person is selling a fan-made 'GTA 6 Collector's Edition Display Set,' which includes a custom case and disc, for $55. It costs extra if you want a rotating stand to put the disc on. Expect more of this sort of thing over the next few months as people try to cash in on the enormous interest in all things GTA 6.

Why does GTA 6 launch without a disc?

It's one of the big questions coming out of Rockstar's GTA 6 info dump yesterday. The physical version of the game has a download code in the box. There is no disc. There are rumors floating about that Rockstar may have a disc version up its sleeve for this Christmas, but there's nothing official on that front.

We've asked Rockstar why it decided to ditch discs for GTA 6, but it has yet to respond. So we went to analysts to find out, and they had plenty to say about it. The upshot: while some gamers will be upset, it just makes commercial sense. Now, will more big games follow suit?

GTA 6 Trailer 3 no-show

You might have noticed that Rockstar went live with all its GTA 6 news yesterday, June 24, just a few hours before preorders went live at midnight in New Zealand. Many fans had hoped the launch of preorders would come with the long-awaited release of Trailer 3, but it was nowhere to be seen. And today, June 25, it was another no-show, after many had again pinned hopes on a potential release.

The lack of a new video is odd given most publishers do release trailers in order to boost interest and encourage preorders. But this is Rockstar and GTA 6 we're talking about. I'm not sure they need to play by anyone's rules but their own. And as we've seen, when it comes to marketing, they'll do it their way.

The question now is, will there be a Trailer 3 at all? Does GTA 6 even need one? Could Rockstar get away with releasing no new assets between now and GTA 6's November launch? Let me know what you think in the comments below. And while you wait to find out, watch Trailer 2 for a jolt of nostalgia.

Console shortage warning ahead of GTA 6 release date

As we all know, GTA 6 is being released on the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S only, which means if you don't have a current gen console and you want to play the game, you'll have to buy one. But not only are they super expensive right now after repeated price rises (thanks, AI!), there are warnings that it may be hard to actually find a console.

The Game Business reports that a major games retailer has told it there won’t be enough consoles to meet demand over the Holiday period. Here's the quote:

"We’ve been informed that because of the on-going issues around hardware component availability, we won’t be getting the units we want ahead of GTA. Demand will likely outstrip supply during the year end period."

Are you in the market for a current-gen console to play GTA 6? If so, which one will you buy? Do you anticipate problems?

How to preorder GTA 6

If you're looking to preoder GTA 6, we've got you covered. Check out our GTA 6 preorder guide, which includes plenty of information to help you secure your copy of the game.

The big GTA 6 price debate

To kick things off, let's run through how much GTA 6 costs. Rockstar has announced the GTA 6 Standard Edition costs $79.99, which amounts to a $10 increase on the standard price for a triple-A video game this generation. The Ultimate Edition, meanwhile, costs $99.99, and includes exclusive content. This has sparked a significant debate about the value of GTA 6, as well as the value of the content locked behind the Ultimate Edition. So, which edition of GTA 6 will you buy?

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Peppa Pig's cast of child actors have reportedly been told they must sign new contracts that allow brand owner Hasbro to reproduce their voices using AI.

Hasbro has owned the Peppa Pig franchise, which began as a popular British children's TV series, since 2019. Now, however, the company is seeking to expand the franchise further with AI-voiced usage of its characters, including those voiced by minors.

The situation has caught public attention after an open letter from the Agents of Young Performers Association flagged the situation without naming the franchise involved. However, a subsequent Deadline report has now confirmed that it is the cast and owners of Peppa Pig who are currently in dispute.

"A major studio who owns the IP for an international children's franchise producing a long-running animated television series has offered contracts to child voice actors insisting that they agree to the use of AI thus allowing them to use the child's voice in all commercial assets within their franchise," the open letter explained.

"The refusal to remove this clause with an attitude of 'take it or leave it' has led us write this letter to make it clear that this will not be accepted and to bring this matter to the attention of the wider industry."

The letter argues that children cannot provide informed legal consent to sign away their voice for AI usage, and that companies should not be able to ask a parent to provide consent for their child.

"Any agreement involving a child's voice should be fully exempt from all AI usage," the letter concluded. "No child should have their future professional identity shaped by an AI model created before they were old enough to understand its consequences. Their voice should not become a permanent commercial asset before they have the legal and personal capacity to decide for themselves."

Since its first episode aired in 2004, Peppa Pig has featured various voices for its younger characters, such as Peppa herself and her brother George, over more than 400 episodes to date. As its actors grow up, the series has continually replaced its younger cast — as Peppa herself remains a piglet throughout.

In a statement to Deadline, a Hasbro spokesperson said they were aware of the open letter, but could not comment on specific negotiations or contractual arrangements.

"The protection of child performers is core to who Hasbro is, it's part of our DNA," Hasbro's spokesperson said. "As industry standards around AI continue to evolve, we are committed to engaging with this issue in a responsible and transparent manner."

Hasbro acquired Peppa Pig in 2019 for $3.8 billion. The series is now shown in over 180 countries, and has been spun off to include a movie, various theme parks, music albums, and countless merchandise.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

It's been a year since I was introduced to EVE Frontier, Fenris Creations' (formerly CCP) ambitious space survival sandbox that looks to turn more control over to the players than EVE Online ever could. And it's come a long way mechanically and visually, going from rectangles in space to massive, spooky temple complexes drifting in the void. I even got a chance to feel how its modular vessels control and dig into the mysteries of its galaxy.

I won't spend too much time talking about the blockchain integration and monetization stuff, since I covered that in my preview last year and my thoughts haven't changed much. The bespoke crypto token, called $EVE, does seem very difficult to avoid interacting with it at all even as a solo player, as it's the only way to buy disposable mining lenses that are used to acquire basic resources needed to play and progress. The demos we saw didn't feature a finalized version of this game loop, so I remain cautious and skeptical, though I was assured it's possible to acquire everything you need to progress with in-game currency, including the token itself.

While it will ultimately be up to the players what kind of galaxy they want to create in Frontier, and I'm not entirely unconvinced they won't make a Pepe-laden, libertarian crypto hellscape given half the chance, it's clear that Fenris has strong ideas about the vibe they want to push. And it’s a brash, oppressive atmosphere of grounded, cosmic horror.

You play as a rider, incarnated into a clone body somewhat like EVE Online's capsuleers, with your permanent consciousness stored in some unspecified location. These transhuman entities get their name from the fact that they "ride" their ships, sort of becoming the vessel itself in a more direct way where they can pilot it on instinct and perceive what its various sensors do. But the organic form at the center isn't just a microchip.

Assuming Direct Control

Unlike in EVE Online, Frontier requires you to look after the biological needs of your clone. If you don't manage heat effectively, it can overheat or freeze to death in the bowels of the ship. Overclocking systems to fly faster or shoot harder don't only tax the vessel itself, but could put the clone in danger. In some situations, radiation can become an issue. And you may even find yourself dealing with psychological consequences. When Fenris says this is a survival game, they mean it.

This is reflected in the much more tactile control scheme. I got a chance to fly a few laps around a space complex with a controller, and it couldn't feel any more different from the click-to-orbit gameplay of EVE. Thrusters function using realistic physics and momentum is preserved until you slow yourself down or run into something, which means manual piloting definitely has a learning curve. The ships have tangible weight and handling quirks.

You're not required to take direct control all the time if you're, for instance, flying in a straight line between two player structures in a solar system. But many areas will reward fine motor skills. We got a hands-off look at a few different areas that were basically massive abandoned temples, almost like dungeons in space. Navigating through their winding corridors reminded me more than anything of the Descent games.

Ship Shape

If you don't like how a ship handles, though, there's quite a lot you can do about it. With the start of Cycle 6 of Frontier's pre-release, modular shipbuilding is being introduced. And it's pretty freaking impressive – at least on paper. I haven't gotten to play around with the shipbuilding myself yet. Riders will be able to assemble custom vessels out of a handful of basic components and even sell their custom creations to other players. Of course, there's no patent law on the Frontier stopping someone from reverse-engineering your designs unless player organizations choose to enforce that in their corner of space.

Every component you add has physical properties within the simulation. So if a member of EVE's massive Goonswarm alliance wanted to build a ship that looks like a giant bee as an homage to their logo, it wouldn't necessarily be the most maneuverable or efficient. More mass means you need more fuel. More components can generate more heat. Engines can be placed anywhere, in almost any orientation, so you'll have to think about factors like center of mass and center of thrust to build something that's easy to fly. Ship designs should, at least in theory, evolve convergently toward efficient and effective designs for players who want to get the most out of them, even if we will doubtlessly have some giant bees flying around.

And you'll want to be flying the best ship you can design when you see what you're up against in Frontier's cold, ancient galaxy. Other players will always be a threat, of course. But Fenris' contribution to the ecosystem are the Ferals – rogue, autonomous ships from an ancient, fallen age who have adapted very organic-looking mechanical forms and range in size from the smallest drones up to literal moon-eating behemoths that serve a role similar to raid bosses. The cosmic horror influence is really clear here, with metallic tendrils and insectoid elements giving Ferals a truly alien appearance.

They behave somewhat like a hive, as the devs explained it to me, sending out little scouts to scan solar systems for player activity. The more activity you generate, building structures and automating industry, the more curious they will become, eventually launching probing attacks against you. The loop reminds me a little bit of Factorio. And they're meant to remain dangerous even to large player alliances and civilizations who have well-defended border systems. The walls of the city will always be under attack, as it were.

Down With the Sickness

The other factor that makes Ferals dangerous is their ability to infect player ships with their bio-mimic technology, which can spread like an infection through your systems and even to structures and other ships. Some of these might even be situationally beneficial. But it's generally something you want to avoid, since the intrusive components are somewhat like cancer. They don't care much what your ship was built for, nor about the wellbeing of the clone inside.

This is, of course, the hostile, ruin-strewn wilderness we're meant to build new societies on top of. Using "smart assemblies" and even scripting to create everything from deep space Rickrolls to a top-down isometric marketplace minigame that allows you to visually move an avatar around to different stalls in a player marketplace instead of simply buying from a menu, a lot of Frontier's uniqueness is riding on the massive possibilities for user-generated content.

I discussed some possibilities with the devs, like building an elven-themed enclave somewhere in deep space that survives entirely by remaining undiscovered – and picking off any nosy Feral drones without alerting the hive. This, and more, they hope will be possible with the tools we're given.

EVE Frontier remains a dream with two parallel stories running through it, unavoidably. There's the gloomy, spectacular, horror-laden PvE world of fallen temples and Feral drones, of keeping your clone alive in the unforgiving environments of space. And there's the desire to hand control over to the players, for better or worse, using blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, which have both become so closely associated in my mind at this point with scams and techbro nonsense that I can't fully place my trust in this MMO just yet. It's going to remain a wait-and-see for a long time yet, I suspect.

What really matters in the end will be the answer to the question: is it a fun space ship video game? Can I fly around and shoot bad guys without having to deal with the possibility of, as I put it before, being trapped in a Pepe-laden, libertarian crypto hellscape? And I'm certainly impressed with the modular shipbuilding, the detailed interiors for a Descent-like dungeon crawl experience, the dark fantasy vibes, and the detailed, twitch-based controls. For those with Founder's Access, you can check out Cycle 6 yourself starting today.

Leana Hafer is a contributing freelancer for IGN with a specialty in RPGs, strategy, horror, and survival games. She has been reviewing video games professionally since 2010 and is one of IGN's most prolific contributors, with more than 100 reviews published. You can also find her work on sites like PC Gamer and PCGamesN.

Insomniac Games has responded to a fan on social media who asked if the physical version of Marvel's Wolverine is just a code in the box — with the question now top of mind following Rockstar’s shock decision not to sell GTA 6 on disc at launch.

Yesterday, Rockstar confirmed the physical version of GTA 6 comes with a download code inside the box. There is no disc.

This has proven to be a huge talking point, with some fans even saying they won’t buy the game because of it. Video game preservation enthusiasts have criticised Rockstar, and some retailers have even refused to sell the game because of it.

One follow-up question is, has Rockstar just hit the final nail in the coffin for the video game disc? If a game like GTA 6, which is expected to be the biggest entertainment launch of all time, skips releasing on a disc, will other rival game companies follow suit? It's a question we put to analysts, who insist Rockstar's decision just makes commercial sense.

For now, with the GTA 6 situation fresh in mind, it looks like developers and publishers will have to answer an increasing number of questions around the physical versions of their games. Sony-owned studio Insomniac was asked if Marvel’s Wolverine, due out in September, will be released on disc or as a code in a box, and in a tweet the studio responded: “the physical version will include a disc in box.”

That response is clear, but it has also been viewed over 1.1 million times — evidence, surely, of the GTA 6 effect. Certainly Rockstar has changed the game here, and I suspect every triple-A developer and publisher will be asked the same question from now on, more often than they would have been otherwise. Will EA release the next FC game on disc, for example? Could Call of Duty do the same? Will Sony eventually do it?

Nintendo has dabbled with releasing physical versions with just a code in the box with its controversial Game Key-Card releases for the Switch 2. It’s been explained away as helping improve the performance of games because they are downloaded to the console's internal memory. With GTA 6, which is set for launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S only, there are all sorts of theories. Analysts have suggested to IGN that the decision was in part about Rockstar's desire to avoid damaging leaks that might have emerged from releasing a disc into a pre-release supply chain. They've also explained that releasing GTA 6 without a disc will cut manufacturing costs and make Rockstar more money because it can subsequently control the price of the game. Rockstar has yet to explain its decision.

We’ve got plenty more on GTA 6 preorders for you, including analyst opinion on what GTA 6’s $80 price point means for other video games and the tech expert verdict on the 63 new GTA 6 screenshots.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

With Grand Theft Auto 6, arguably the biggest and most mass market game of the generation, skipping a disc-based launch — is physical media now dead?

The rise of digital as the most common form of game ownership began long ago, but certain mass market titles — the Call of Dutys, the FIFAs of the world — have resisted that trend to some degree. These are games played by an enormous audience who still might look for a copy in their local entertainment outlet, or expect to pick it up at a superstore alongside their grocery shopping. These are games like GTA.