No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle have been rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board for PC, indicating they may become available on PC for the first time in the future. As spotted by Gematsu, No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle are both listed for Windows PC on the ESRB's website, which gives a breakdown of each game's ratings and a summary of what players can expect to experience in-game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/no-more-heroes-launch-trailer"] No More Heroes 1 and 2 were both originally released on the Nintendo Wii, but were made available on Switch on October 28, 2020. Travis Strikes Again: No More Hereos did make its way to the PC in 2019, but the upcoming No More Heroes 3 will be a Nintendo Switch exclusive when it arrives in 2021. In our review of No More Heroes, we said "In the end, No More Heroes is a grab bag of highs and lows, and the end result is going to be different based on your expectations. No More Heroes has one of the most unique, stylistic designs we’ve seen in years (maybe since Killer 7, in fact), as the presentation is made up of pixel art, a retro-themed audio production, and some of the best characters out there." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/no-more-heroes-2-desperate-struggle-launch-trailer"] In our review of No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, we said "Desperate Struggle blows [the original] out of the water with a more streamlined experience, far more charm and style throughout, and some downright amazing boss battles. You still run across the occasional weak boss fight, horrible camera situation or framerate crawl, but with as much pure fun as there is packed into the game, you forgive the downsides almost instantly." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle have been rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board for PC, indicating they may become available on PC for the first time in the future. As spotted by Gematsu, No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle are both listed for Windows PC on the ESRB's website, which gives a breakdown of each game's ratings and a summary of what players can expect to experience in-game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/no-more-heroes-launch-trailer"] No More Heroes 1 and 2 were both originally released on the Nintendo Wii, but were made available on Switch on October 28, 2020. Travis Strikes Again: No More Hereos did make its way to the PC in 2019, but the upcoming No More Heroes 3 will be a Nintendo Switch exclusive when it arrives in 2021. In our review of No More Heroes, we said "In the end, No More Heroes is a grab bag of highs and lows, and the end result is going to be different based on your expectations. No More Heroes has one of the most unique, stylistic designs we’ve seen in years (maybe since Killer 7, in fact), as the presentation is made up of pixel art, a retro-themed audio production, and some of the best characters out there." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/no-more-heroes-2-desperate-struggle-launch-trailer"] In our review of No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, we said "Desperate Struggle blows [the original] out of the water with a more streamlined experience, far more charm and style throughout, and some downright amazing boss battles. You still run across the occasional weak boss fight, horrible camera situation or framerate crawl, but with as much pure fun as there is packed into the game, you forgive the downsides almost instantly." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Update (12/19/20) - CD Projekt Red has announced that Hotfix 1.05 for Cyberpunk 2077 is now available for PC as well. Original story follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] CD Projekt Red has released Hotfix 1.05 for Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, and it looks to address issues in quests, visuals, stability, and much more. The update for the PC version will "follow soon." As detailed on Cyberpunk.net, many of the changes listed should help with problems experienced in quests and some of the fixes ensure "Jackie will no longer disappear in The Pickup or The Heist" and fix "an issue preventing players from landing the helicopter in Love like Fire." What will hopefully most welcome, especially to those playing on base Xbox One and PS4 units, are the "multiple stability improvements, including crash fixes." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/18/sony-pulls-cyberpunk-2077-from-ps-store-will-offer-refunds"] Visual improvements have also been added, and now NPCs in Suspected Organized Crime Activity: Just Say No and Gig: Hot Merchandise should no longer T-pose and V should appear "more modest in the inventory preview after the half year montage ;)." It will be curious to see how much it improves the experience on those consoles, and if it will prevent players from requesting a refund. For those unaware of the fallout from the messy messaging behind Cyberpunk 2077's launch, CD Projekt Red, Sony, and Microsoft are officially offering refunds for those unhappy with their experience in the game. Furthermore, Sony has indefinitely removed Cyberpunk 2077 from the PS Store until these problems are improved. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cyberpunk-2077-examples-of-visual-bugs&captions=true"] The full list of changes included in Cyberpunk 2077's Hotfix 1.05 are as follows; Quests

• Jackie will no longer disappear in The Pickup or The Heist.
• Fixed an issue preventing players from landing the helicopter in Love like Fire.
• Fixed an issue with Takemura not calling in Play it Safe.
• It's no longer possible to trigger the same dialogue twice in Big in Japan.
• Fixed an issue with Delamain appearing upside down at the end of Don't Lose Your Mind.
• Saul now correctly reaches the van in Riders on the Storm.
• Fast travelling before the encounter with Tyger Claws no longer breaks progression in I Fought the Law.
• Fixed an issue blocking progress in Ghost Town if an autosave made upon Raffen Shiv's arrival was loaded.
• Fixed an issue with not receiving new calls or messages if Happy Together failed as a result of combat.
• Elizabeth Peralez stops being excessively insistent with her calls after her job offer is refused.
• The scene with Misty and Jackie now starts properly after leaving Viktor's clinic.
• Wakako's dialogues no longer get blocked after finishing Search and Destroy.
• Walking away from Stefan in Sweet Dreams shouldn't prevent other characters from calling you anymore.
• Brick’s detonator should now be properly interactable for players to disarm. Or set off. Your call.
• Elevator doors should now correctly open in The Heist.
• Saul now correctly gets out of cars in Riders on the Storm.
• Fixed an issue with not receiving new calls or messages after running too far away from Frank in War Pigs.
• Jackie now correctly leaves the factory after the combat is finished in The Pickup.
• Fixed an issue with Militech reinforcements not spawning if driving through the gate too fast in Forward to Death.
• Skipping time while in the club in Violence no longer results in issues with progression.
• Fixed issues with starting Gig: Getting Warmer...
• Fixed an issue with not receiving new calls or messages after Pyramid Song has been abandoned midway.
• Fixed an issue whereby Delamain core could be already broken when player enters the Core room in Don't Lose Your Mind.
• Fixed issues with Delamain not appearing or doing nothing outside the Afterlife in The Heist.
• Fixed an issue with objective getting stuck on "Talk to Viktor" in The Ripperdoc.
• Fixed an issue whereby it was impossible to talk to the bouncer in front of Lizzie's in The Information.
• Added description for Don't Lose Your Mind in the Journal.
• Fixed an issue preventing player from saving, using fast travels, and talking to other NPCs after reloading a save with an active call with Frank in War Pigs.
• Fixed an issue with Panam not calling about any other matter until I'll Fly Away is completed.
• Fixed an issue with Dum Dum following V after The Pickup is finished.

Gameplay

• Improved the reaction times of NPCs taking cover.
• Corrected the number of shots needed to kill civilians from a distance while in combat.

Visual

• Fixed an issue with Delamain's image displayed on top of the current caller during phone calls.
• V's mouth doesn't stay open after entering the space lock in Where is My Mind.
• Fixed some UI overlap issues.
• V appears more modest in the inventory preview after the half year montage ;)
• NPCs are faster to appear in the quest area during Stadium Love.
• Added some warmth to HDR.
• Fixed T-posing NPCs in Suspected Organized Crime Activity: Just Say No and Gig: Hot Merchandise.
• Fixed an issue whereby after a braindance it was possible to be stuck in 3rd person view with no head.
• Silencer icons are no longer displayed with no image in the inventory.

UI

• Fixed an issue with weapon crosshair persisting on screen.
• The inventory menu no longer closes immediately after opening it for the first time after leaving a car.
• Fixed an issue whereby upon accessing a fast travel terminal the button shown on the top right corner prompting to open the quest journal would not work.

Performance & Stability

• Multiple stability improvements, including crash fixes.

Miscellaneous

• Offscreen explosions make noise now.

PC-specific

• [AMD SMT] Optimized default core/thread utilization for 4-core and 6-core AMD Ryzen(tm) processors. 8-core, 12-core and 16-core processors remain unchanged and behaving as intended. This change was implemented in cooperation with AMD and based on tests on both sides indicating that performance improvement occurs only on CPUs with 6 cores and less.
• Fixed an issue with the way Raw Input is collected.
• Removed the use of AVX instruction set thus fixing crashes occurring at the end of the Prologue on processors not supporting AVX.
• Removed debug console to prevent functions that could lead to crashes or blocked quests. This doesn't mean we don't want to support the modding community. Stay tuned for more info on that.
• Ray traced reflections should no longer seem too bright in comparison to the environment.
• Fixed an issue with Steam Overlay crash on game shutdown.
• Removed the memory_pool_budgets.csv file. which was not connected with the final version of the game and had no influence on it (it was a leftover file used during the development to estimate memory usage. It had no effect on how much memory was actually allocated). Perceived performance increase after editing the file may have been related to restarting the game.

Console-specific

• Improved image sharpness with Chromatic Aberration and Film Grain on.
• Settings should no longer reset to default after several game session restarts.
• Fixed visual issues occurring during the transition between The Heist and Love Like Fire.
• Corrected the look of several vehicles.
• [Xbox] Entering combat while Synaptic Accelerator is active no longer ends in player health bar not being displayed.
• [Xbox] Game no longer becomes unresponsive when signing out from a profile when the controller disconnection message is visible.
• Telemetry consent request will appear once more due to an earlier issue with settings reset.
• Fixed an issue whereby it was possible to fall down the elevator shaft in Megabuilding H8 in Automatic Love.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Online virtual communications app Discord has raised $100 million more in funding and has achieved a $7 billion valuation. This puts Discord theoretically more valuable than some game companies. Discord, an online app that lets friends connect in voice calls or chat rooms and includes integration with video game launchers like Steam, raised $100 million in investor funding after Discord doubled its user base from a year ago according to Techcrunch. This shows investors are clearly considering Discord a valuable company with estimates of the company’s worth hitting $7 billion. Compare that to the valuation of certain game developers like Bethesda which Microsoft acquired for $7.5 billion. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=discord-game-store-images&captions=true"] Valuations, however, are approximate figures based on several financial factors and attempt to reflect the true cost of a company. This valuation is subject to fluctuation based on changes in the market or the company. But valuations serve as a good barometer, and Discord’s value is now comparable to that of Bethesda, or even bigger than studios like 2K ($3.22 billion) or Capcom ($3.44 billion). However, the upper levels of game developers can reach as high as $80 billion such as in the case of Nintendo. But companies like Ubisoft (~$11 billion), EA (~$22 billion), and Activision Blizzard (~$30 billion) are worth more than Discord.  And even compared to other enterprise apps, Discord is dwarfed by companies like Slack which was acquired by Salesforce for $27.7 billion. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, apps like Discord which connect friends and users virtually online have only become more important. Originally marketed as a tool for gamers, including launching its own games store, Discord has shifted considerably into a more all-purpose service for artists, communities, gamers, and more. In 2019 Discord shut down its game store to focus on its core business. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Online virtual communications app Discord has raised $100 million more in funding and has achieved a $7 billion valuation. This puts Discord theoretically more valuable than some game companies. Discord, an online app that lets friends connect in voice calls or chat rooms and includes integration with video game launchers like Steam, raised $100 million in investor funding after Discord doubled its user base from a year ago according to Techcrunch. This shows investors are clearly considering Discord a valuable company with estimates of the company’s worth hitting $7 billion. Compare that to the valuation of certain game developers like Bethesda which Microsoft acquired for $7.5 billion. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=discord-game-store-images&captions=true"] Valuations, however, are approximate figures based on several financial factors and attempt to reflect the true cost of a company. This valuation is subject to fluctuation based on changes in the market or the company. But valuations serve as a good barometer, and Discord’s value is now comparable to that of Bethesda, or even bigger than studios like 2K ($3.22 billion) or Capcom ($3.44 billion). However, the upper levels of game developers can reach as high as $80 billion such as in the case of Nintendo. But companies like Ubisoft (~$11 billion), EA (~$22 billion), and Activision Blizzard (~$30 billion) are worth more than Discord.  And even compared to other enterprise apps, Discord is dwarfed by companies like Slack which was acquired by Salesforce for $27.7 billion. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, apps like Discord which connect friends and users virtually online have only become more important. Originally marketed as a tool for gamers, including launching its own games store, Discord has shifted considerably into a more all-purpose service for artists, communities, gamers, and more. In 2019 Discord shut down its game store to focus on its core business. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Today, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto hosted a very special Nintendo Direct where he tours the newly finished Super Nintendo World theme park at Universal Studios Japan. Miyamoto went around the park to highlight the biggest attractions, including the Mario Kart ride. Super Nintendo World is a theme park based on, you guessed it, Nintendo. In collaboration with Universal Studios, the first park is set to open in Japan with versions of Super Nintendo World set to come to North American parks afterward. Aside from entire structures built to resemble levels and areas from Super Mario World, the park utilizes a wrist band that attendees can wear and use to interact with various attractions around the park. A QR code can also be scanned and connect your smartphone to a special Super Nintendo World app. Check the video below for the full tour. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/18/super-nintendo-world-direct-presentation"] For example, wearing the wrist band, attendees can “punch” a power block and earn a digital coin that will be saved to your smartphone. Miayamoto says there are several secrets hidden around the park that will utilize the wrist band, and that the coins may unlock some kind of reward as well. The wristbands also function like amiibo and will apparently be useable with your Nintendo Switch after you take them home. Along with coins, other items like keys can also be stored in the smartphone app which can presumably unlock even more secrets. These interactive elements are called “Activities.” If you find three keys you can unlock a special activity — a battle with Bowser Jr. Miyamoto also gave a brief tour of the 1-Up Factory, the gift store with exclusive Mario merchandise that can only be purchased at the park. Miyamoto says that some items were developed in collaboration with Nintendo developers. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=super-nintendo-world-direct-screenshots&captions=true"] After some brief stops at the restaurants where Mario-themed food will be served, Miyamoto ended his tour with the Mario Kart ride, a roller-coaster where attendees work together to fight Bowser. There’s also an AR-glasses component to the ride. Super Nintendo World is set to open in Japan on February 4, 2021. The park will also open in other locations including Los Angeles, California; Orlando, Florida; and Singapore in the future. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Today, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto hosted a very special Nintendo Direct where he tours the newly finished Super Nintendo World theme park at Universal Studios Japan. Miyamoto went around the park to highlight the biggest attractions, including the Mario Kart ride. Super Nintendo World is a theme park based on, you guessed it, Nintendo. In collaboration with Universal Studios, the first park is set to open in Japan with versions of Super Nintendo World set to come to North American parks afterward. Aside from entire structures built to resemble levels and areas from Super Mario World, the park utilizes a wrist band that attendees can wear and use to interact with various attractions around the park. A QR code can also be scanned and connect your smartphone to a special Super Nintendo World app. Check the video below for the full tour. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/18/super-nintendo-world-direct-presentation"] For example, wearing the wrist band, attendees can “punch” a power block and earn a digital coin that will be saved to your smartphone. Miayamoto says there are several secrets hidden around the park that will utilize the wrist band, and that the coins may unlock some kind of reward as well. The wristbands also function like amiibo and will apparently be useable with your Nintendo Switch after you take them home. Along with coins, other items like keys can also be stored in the smartphone app which can presumably unlock even more secrets. These interactive elements are called “Activities.” If you find three keys you can unlock a special activity — a battle with Bowser Jr. Miyamoto also gave a brief tour of the 1-Up Factory, the gift store with exclusive Mario merchandise that can only be purchased at the park. Miyamoto says that some items were developed in collaboration with Nintendo developers. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=super-nintendo-world-direct-screenshots&captions=true"] After some brief stops at the restaurants where Mario-themed food will be served, Miyamoto ended his tour with the Mario Kart ride, a roller-coaster where attendees work together to fight Bowser. There’s also an AR-glasses component to the ride. Super Nintendo World is set to open in Japan on February 4, 2021. The park will also open in other locations including Los Angeles, California; Orlando, Florida; and Singapore in the future. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Yoshitaka Amano, the artist known for his illustrative art of the Final Fantasy series, has contributed once again to the DC comics universe with a new variant cover for Harley Quinn #1.

Harley Quinn writer Stephanie Phillips shared the artwork on Twitter this past Thursday.

By the way, here's the full Yoshitaka Amano Harley Quinn #1 cover.  pic.twitter.com/bJ8TKcaHpj

— Stephanie Phillips (@Steph_Smash) December 17, 2020

 

The art style is definitely Amano’s, with its watercolor, art nouveau, and woodblock print influences. Take out the tattoos and DC iconography (like the smoke taking the shape of Superman) and it could easily pass for one of Amano’s illustrations of Final Fantasy characters.

This isn’t the first time Amano has worked with DC, though. The artist previously illustrated Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman: The Dream Hunters, a sidestory in the Sandman universe set in ancient Japan.

Harley Quinn #1 hits comic store shelves on March 23, 2021.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Blogroll image credit: Yoshitaka Amano and DC Comics.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/bird for IGN.

Yoshitaka Amano, the artist known for his illustrative art of the Final Fantasy series, has contributed once again to the DC comics universe with a new variant cover for Harley Quinn #1.

Harley Quinn writer Stephanie Phillips shared the artwork on Twitter this past Thursday.

By the way, here's the full Yoshitaka Amano Harley Quinn #1 cover.  pic.twitter.com/bJ8TKcaHpj

— Stephanie Phillips (@Steph_Smash) December 17, 2020

 

The art style is definitely Amano’s, with its watercolor, art nouveau, and woodblock print influences. Take out the tattoos and DC iconography (like the smoke taking the shape of Superman) and it could easily pass for one of Amano’s illustrations of Final Fantasy characters.

This isn’t the first time Amano has worked with DC, though. The artist previously illustrated Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman: The Dream Hunters, a sidestory in the Sandman universe set in ancient Japan.

Harley Quinn #1 hits comic store shelves on March 23, 2021.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Blogroll image credit: Yoshitaka Amano and DC Comics.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/bird for IGN.

Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN's weekly video game podcast. Our Game of the Year Nominees have been announced, so it's time for your Omega Cops -- Daemon Hatfield, Tina Amini, Sam Claiborn, and Justin Davis -- to discuss, Animal Crossing, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, Half-Life Alyx, The Last of Us Part 2, Spider-Man Miles Morales, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and more. Watch the video above or hit the link below to your favorite podcast service. Listen on: Apple Podcasts YouTube Spotify Stitcher   Find previous episodes here!