Update 04/28/2021: 4A Games has announced that Metro Exodus: Enhanced Edition will arrive on PC on May 6. The new version will be a free upgrade for those who bought the original game on Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG and the Microsoft Store - although save transfers will not be available on Microsoft Store versions. The game won't be a patch or version of the original game – it's only available as an entirely separate product. Coming in at an 80GB total install size, and its minimum specifications require a ray tracing-capable graphics card. 4A says it "offers additional Ray Tracing features including Advanced Ray Traced Reflections and support for the much requested DLSS 2.0 on NVIDIA hardware, which offers sharper image details and increased framerates and display resolutions." No word has been given on the release date for next-gen console versions of the game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/13/metro-exodus-review"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] A next-gen enhanced edition for Metro Exodus has been announced for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and ray-tracing capable PCs. This will be provided as a free upgrade for all existing owners of Metro Exodus. The PS5 and XSX console versions of Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition will run at 4K/60 FPS, while the Xbox Series S will target 1080p/60 FPS. All versions will use ray traced lighting and global illumination, across both the base game and DLC expansions. Textures will be rendered at 4K, and loading times will be reduced. There will be a few platform specific features, too, such as a spatial audio system for Xbox and haptic support for the PS5’s DualSense controller. The PC version, meanwhile, will require a ray tracing compatible GPU as standard. As well as all the enhancements seen in the console versions, the PC upgrade also has advanced ray traced reflections and support for Nvidia’s DLSS 2.0 technology. Since these changes mean it is fundamentally different from the original version, it will be added to your Steam/EGS/GoG library as a new, separate game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/15/metro-exodus-launch-trailer"] No specific dates have been announced for release, but the PC version is slated for Spring 2021 and the console version later this year. In addition, Metro Exodus will be made available on Mac in March, and on Linux a little later in the year. If you're just catching up on the game, take a look at our Metro Exodus review. And if the Enhanced Edition is where you'll be jumping on, be sure to check our guide of what you need to know before playing. Unsurprisingly, Metro Exodus is a looker, and the current version is already a game that will make the most of your graphics card. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Silent Hill and Gravity Rush creator Keiichiro Toyama has given fans a glimpse at his new horror action-adventure project (and Bokeh Game Studio's first game) by way of some never-before-seen concept art – and it's looking suitably unsettling. In a promotional interview posted on Bokeh's YouTube channel, Toyama revealed a first clear look at his new studio's upcoming project. The images, which you can view in the gallery below, give fans an insight into what Bokeh's debut title may look like, and how Toyama is returning to his horror roots at the independent developer. One image shows a skeletal insect-like monster erupting from a corpse, while others appear to be inspired by scorpions, squid, and perhaps the cordeceps fungus, which inspired the Last of Us' Infected enemies. We also see one image of a sword-toting figure, which may hint at the unnamed game's previously announced action-adventure approach. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=10-concept-art-images-from-the-silent-hill-creators-next-horror-game&captions=true"] Speaking about the chief influences on the monstrous designs and the game overall, Toyama revealed that death game comics and day-to-day life have had a significant impact on the title's creatures and vibe. "I often read comics as a form of entertainment," Toyama explained. "Recently, you see a trend for 'death game' type of content. These works tend to add entertainment to somewhat brutal worlds, so I naturally took that approach. The view I have of horror is the everyday life being shaken. Rather than just showing scary things, it should question our position and make us challenge the fact that we're living peacefully." Japanese death game comics recently gained more western attention due to the release of Netflix's Alice in Borderland - an adaptation of the manga of the same name, in which characters are seemingly transported to an alternate Tokyo and forced to participate in deadly challenges.

An insightful interview with our very own Keiichiro Toyama, who describes how he came into the games industry and what we have in mind for our new project. 我らがクリエイティブディレクター、外山圭一郎にフォーカスを当ててみました。 #BokehGameStudio #BGS https://t.co/EeTeoGc81W

— Bokeh Game Studio (@BokehGameStudio) February 15, 2021

Discussing what other elements Bokeh Game Studio was looking to include in its first game, Toyama insisted that he wanted fans to feel exhilarated despite the horror-driven aesthetic and narrative that the team would employ. "I'm coming back to my roots, for example towards horror," Toyama added. "However, rather than something deeply rooted into horror, I want to keep an entertainment note. While keeping elements from horror, I want players to feel exhilarated when playing the game." This latest tease comes two months after Toyama revealed that Bokeh's maiden horror action-adventure game was likely to launch sometime in 2023. Speaking to IGN Japan at the time, Toyama said that the game would "appeal to fans of my previous work", and that it should come to PC and "as many console platforms as possible." Bokeh was announced in December, and brings together a number of Sony Japan developers as a new indie studio. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/10/will-e3-still-have-a-big-impact-in-2021-plus-silent-hill-rumors-beyond-episode-687"] In other Silent Hill news, a recent interview with series composer Akira Yamaoka was pulled after he seemingly teased that Konami was working on a new entry in the franchise. Konami denied that it had asked for the clip's removal, with the uploader telling IGN that a "third party" had requested the interview to be removed. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Tom Power is a UK-based freelance writer. Follow him on Twitter.

Dark Horse Comics is continuing its line of The Witcher comics with another new limited series starring Geralt of Rivia. IGN can exclusively reveal the next chapter in this saga - The Witcher: Witch's Lament. Witch's Lament is again written by Bartosz Sztybor, who also serves as narrative manager and writer for developer CD Projekt Red. The series is drawn by Vanesa R. Del Ray (Scarlet Witch), with colors by Jordie Bellaire (Batman) and letters by Aditya Bidikar. You can see the cover to issue #1 below: [caption id="attachment_2473260" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] (Image Credit: Dark Horse/CD Projekt Red)[/caption] As that evocative image shows, Witch's Lament deals with the tragic death of a witch, burned at the stake by a fearful populace. Geralt is drawn into that conflict, as he's haunted by dreams of the dead witch and hints at a greater conspiracy at play in her death. Witch's Lament will span four issues in total, with the first chapter scheduled for release on May 26, 2021. That release will be followed by the trade paperback collection of the previous Witcher comic, The Witcher: Fading Memories, which will release on July 28. For those who haven't been following Dark Horse's Witcher comics, these stories are specifically designed as standalone tie-ins to the video games, rather than the original novels or the live-action Netflix series. Most of these projects tell original stories featuring Geralt rather than adapting author Andrzej Sapkowski's work. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/27/the-witcher-season-1-review"] Witch's lament will no doubt help fill the void as fans wait for the Netflix series to return for Season 2. Netflix recently teased that new season through its "Witchmas" event, which included season 2 set photos, a logo for the Witcher anime movie Nightmare of the Wolf, and much more. The Witcher: Season 2 is scheduled to be released on Netflix in 2021, and we've gathered everything we know about the upcoming story in one place. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Valheim is already nearly the biggest survival game ever on Steam, and it’s not even a fortnight old. On February 14, Valheim hit an all-time peak of 367,443 players on Steam, barely two weeks following its February 2 release. Compared to the most popular survival games on Steam, this makes it the fastest growing game in the genre ever. Its key genre rivals, Rust and ARK: Survival Evolve, cannot boast such a high number of concurrents in their entire lifetimes, and only hit comparable peaks years after launch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/08/valheim-is-an-early-access-hit"] The only barrier to Valheim claiming the crown of ‘most concurrent players of a survival game ever’ is the all-time high held by Terraria, which hit 489,886 players in May 2020. It should be noted that this was a short and unusual spike caused by the announcement and launch of Terraria’s final ever update. On a normal day, Terraria pulls in around 30-50,000 players, with its prior highest peak occurring on June 29, 2015, with 159,171 players. As such, Valheim is already bigger than Terraria has been for almost all of its lifetime. For a better comparison, look at the two survival games that stay almost cemented near the top of the Steam most played list; Rust and ARK. Despite launching in early access in 2014, Rust only hit more than 100,000 concurrent players as recently as March 2020. ARK had a much faster trajectory; after launching in June 2105, it hit over 100,000 concurrent players in January 2017. ARK’s all-time peak is 157,400, which it hit in March 2020. Rust, meanwhile, hit its all-time peak of 245,243 in January 2021. This puts Valheim’s growth far ahead of its genre competition, and more in line with the viral explosion of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. But even PUBG, which launched in March 2017, took three months to hit more than Valheim's current high of simultaneous players, with a then-high of 382,779 concurrent back on July 10, 2017. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/13/what-is-valheim-5-things-you-need-to-know"] This means the only truly comparable games, numbers wise, are major AAA titles. But these games tend to peak immediately at launch and then quickly taper off. Indeed, the curve of Cyberpunk 2077 is essentially the complete inverse of Valheim’s. The RPG started life at an all-time high of over a million players, but had less players than Valheim currently has within a fortnight. Because of AAA, Valheim can’t quite claim to be the fastest growing game on Steam ever. But it certainly is one of, if not the biggest indie success story on the platform. It’s particularly notable how close to launch all this comes; while Among Us has a higher all-time peak at 447,476, it took over a year for the game to catch on, spending much of its life with barely a few hundred players. Among Us was also fuelled by streamer culture, something which hasn’t been a notable part of Valheim’s success. From what we can see, there's no other survival game on Steam that's had such a remarkable launch. For more on this massive early access success, take a look at our essential tips for playing Valheim. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

A US lawfirm has filed a class action lawsuit against Sony, alleging that the PS5 DualSense controller is defective due to drift, and that Sony was aware of the problem without disclosing it. The suit calls Sony's conduct, "fraudulent, deceptive, unlawful, and unfair". Last week, we reported on an investigation into DualSense drift by law firm Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP (CSK&D). The firm has now formally filed a class action suit in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. In documents provided to IGN, the suit is filed on behalf of plaintiff Lmarc Turner and "all others similarly situated", and names the defendants as Sony Corporation of America and Sony Interactive Entertainment. To IGN's knowledge, this is the first such suit filed against Sony regarding DualSense – it may well not be the last. The complaint describes the PS5 DualSense controller as "defective", as it contains "a defect that results in characters or gameplay moving on the screen without user command or manual operation of the joystick", known popularly as controller drift. Further, the complaint alleges that Sony has "at all relevant times" been aware of the problems with drift, "through online consumer complaints, complaints made by consumers directly to it, and through its own pre-release testing." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/ps5-dualsense-controller-review"] The suit also alleges that Sony's options for controller repair are too limited: "When consumers experience the Drift Defect, the options for repair are slim. Reportedly, Sony PlayStation’s dedicated portal for issues with PS5 hardware—including the DualSense Controller—is experiencing a backlog and redirecting consumers to contact a customer service agent via the contact page for PlayStation support. Customers are experiencing long wait times and having to deal with a maze of pre-recorded phone prompts before finally speaking with an agent concerning repairs for DualSense Controller drift." The suit seeks a jury trial, and "monetary relief for damages suffered, declaratory relief, and public injunctive relief." The documents point to counts of breach of excess warranty, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, unjust enrichment, and violations of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The Virginia-based plaintiff, Lmarc Turner, reportedly bought their PS5 on or around February 5, 2021, and found that it was suffering from drift on the same day. Turner apparently then contacted Sony customer service, and was told to reset the game and console, but offered no further assistance. The issue not solved, Turner then bought a second DualSense. "Had Plaintiff been aware of the Drift Defect prior to purchasing his PS5," the documents add, "he otherwise would not have purchased the PS5, or would have paid substantially less for it." One interesting extra detail: Turner admits to having agreed to Sony's terms and conditions when setting up the PS5, but reportedly sent a letter to Sony expressing an intent to opt out of "any disputes with Sony through individual arbitration." A separate CSK&D class action suit against Nintendo regarding controller drift was recently compelled to arbitration before reaching the courts. It may be that a similar move isn't possible in this case, making it more likely to reach the requested jury trial. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/11/joy-con-drift-is-still-a-huge-problem-3-years-laterhttps://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/11/joy-con-drift-is-still-a-huge-problem-3-years-later"] Aside from Turner's report, the documents show a number of examples of social media comments regarding PS5 drift, with players complaining of drift out of the box, or within days of use. CSK&D points to reports of drift on the PS4's Dualshock 4 controllers, too – given that the sticks inside both controller models are similar, CSK&D adds that to its evidence of Sony's prior knowledge of the problem. The suit says there is "no indication" that Sony has developed a fix for drift in the DualSense: "Rather, it appears to simply perform some sort of minor refurbishment and send the DualSense Controller back to consumers still defective and susceptible to manifestation of the Drift Defect in the future." The suit calls for relief in the form of an order to stop Sony's "unlawful, deceptive, fraudulent, and unfair business practices", the set-up of a recall or free replacement program for DualSense controllers, compensatory damages, and more. IGN has contacted Sony for comment on the lawsuit. Drift has become an increasingly hot topic in recent years. We've previously called drift in Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers a "disaster" for the company, and Nintendo is now facing official scrutiny and lawsuits across the world, including an investigation from the European Commission. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

A US lawfirm has filed a class action lawsuit against Sony, alleging that the PS5 DualSense controller is defective due to drift, and that Sony was aware of the problem without disclosing it. The suit calls Sony's conduct, "fraudulent, deceptive, unlawful, and unfair". Last week, we reported on an investigation into DualSense drift by law firm Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP (CSK&D). The firm has now formally filed a class action suit in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. In documents provided to IGN, the suit is filed on behalf of plaintiff Lmarc Turner and "all others similarly situated", and names the defendants as Sony Corporation of America and Sony Interactive Entertainment. To IGN's knowledge, this is the first such suit filed against Sony regarding DualSense – it may well not be the last. The complaint describes the PS5 DualSense controller as "defective", as it contains "a defect that results in characters or gameplay moving on the screen without user command or manual operation of the joystick", known popularly as controller drift. Further, the complaint alleges that Sony has "at all relevant times" been aware of the problems with drift, "through online consumer complaints, complaints made by consumers directly to it, and through its own pre-release testing." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/ps5-dualsense-controller-review"] The suit also alleges that Sony's options for controller repair are too limited: "When consumers experience the Drift Defect, the options for repair are slim. Reportedly, Sony PlayStation’s dedicated portal for issues with PS5 hardware—including the DualSense Controller—is experiencing a backlog and redirecting consumers to contact a customer service agent via the contact page for PlayStation support. Customers are experiencing long wait times and having to deal with a maze of pre-recorded phone prompts before finally speaking with an agent concerning repairs for DualSense Controller drift." The suit seeks a jury trial, and "monetary relief for damages suffered, declaratory relief, and public injunctive relief." The documents point to counts of breach of excess warranty, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, unjust enrichment, and violations of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The Virginia-based plaintiff, Lmarc Turner, reportedly bought their PS5 on or around February 5, 2021, and found that it was suffering from drift on the same day. Turner apparently then contacted Sony customer service, and was told to reset the game and console, but offered no further assistance. The issue not solved, Turner then bought a second DualSense. "Had Plaintiff been aware of the Drift Defect prior to purchasing his PS5," the documents add, "he otherwise would not have purchased the PS5, or would have paid substantially less for it." One interesting extra detail: Turner admits to having agreed to Sony's terms and conditions when setting up the PS5, but reportedly sent a letter to Sony expressing an intent to opt out of "any disputes with Sony through individual arbitration." A separate CSK&D class action suit against Nintendo regarding controller drift was recently compelled to arbitration before reaching the courts. It may be that a similar move isn't possible in this case, making it more likely to reach the requested jury trial. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/11/joy-con-drift-is-still-a-huge-problem-3-years-laterhttps://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/11/joy-con-drift-is-still-a-huge-problem-3-years-later"] Aside from Turner's report, the documents show a number of examples of social media comments regarding PS5 drift, with players complaining of drift out of the box, or within days of use. CSK&D points to reports of drift on the PS4's Dualshock 4 controllers, too – given that the sticks inside both controller models are similar, CSK&D adds that to its evidence of Sony's prior knowledge of the problem. The suit says there is "no indication" that Sony has developed a fix for drift in the DualSense: "Rather, it appears to simply perform some sort of minor refurbishment and send the DualSense Controller back to consumers still defective and susceptible to manifestation of the Drift Defect in the future." The suit calls for relief in the form of an order to stop Sony's "unlawful, deceptive, fraudulent, and unfair business practices", the set-up of a recall or free replacement program for DualSense controllers, compensatory damages, and more. IGN has contacted Sony for comment on the lawsuit. Drift has become an increasingly hot topic in recent years. We've previously called drift in Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers a "disaster" for the company, and Nintendo is now facing official scrutiny and lawsuits across the world, including an investigation from the European Commission. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Remedy more than doubled its operating profit in 2020, achieving a record financial year despite releasing no games. According to the company’s latest financial report for the 12 months ending December 31, 2020, full-year revenue is up by 30% at €41.1 million. Operating profit comes in at €13.2 million, over twice the €6.5 million achieved during 2019. These figures make 2020 a record-breaking, landmark year for the Finnish developer. This was all done without a new game release. Instead, success has come via the continued sales of Control. Remedy launched the game on additional platforms in 2020, such as Steam, Xbox Game Pass, and cloud services, and an Ultimate Edition was published by 505 Games that included a next-gen upgrade for console players. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/02/control-ultimate-edition-launch-trailer"] While no new games were released in 2020, Remedy did release expansions for Control, including AWE, which tied together shared story threads between Control and Alan Wake. With a record year out of the way, Remedy is on for a development-heavy 2021. The company recently secured a deal with Epic Games’ new publishing label, with which it will produce a AAA game and a smaller scale project, both for console and PC. Additionally, Remedy is also working with Smilegate on the single player campaign of Xbox exclusive shooter, CrossfireX. We’ve already had a short look at what has been produced so far, and it appears that Remedy is going full Call of Duty on this one. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Remedy more than doubled its operating profit in 2020, achieving a record financial year despite releasing no games. According to the company’s latest financial report for the 12 months ending December 31, 2020, full-year revenue is up by 30% at €41.1 million. Operating profit comes in at €13.2 million, over twice the €6.5 million achieved during 2019. These figures make 2020 a record-breaking, landmark year for the Finnish developer. This was all done without a new game release. Instead, success has come via the continued sales of Control. Remedy launched the game on additional platforms in 2020, such as Steam, Xbox Game Pass, and cloud services, and an Ultimate Edition was published by 505 Games that included a next-gen upgrade for console players. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/02/control-ultimate-edition-launch-trailer"] While no new games were released in 2020, Remedy did release expansions for Control, including AWE, which tied together shared story threads between Control and Alan Wake. With a record year out of the way, Remedy is on for a development-heavy 2021. The company recently secured a deal with Epic Games’ new publishing label, with which it will produce a AAA game and a smaller scale project, both for console and PC. Additionally, Remedy is also working with Smilegate on the single player campaign of Xbox exclusive shooter, CrossfireX. We’ve already had a short look at what has been produced so far, and it appears that Remedy is going full Call of Duty on this one. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

It seems that the 46th president of the United States enjoys a bit of Mario Kart, although he’s apparently a “little rusty” these days. As reported by Kotaku, in a story post published to Instagram by Joe Biden’s granddaughter, Naomi Biden, the President can be seen playing Mario Kart Arcade GP DX at Presidential retreat Camp David. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/16/mario-kart-live-home-circuit-launch-trailer"] In the post, Naomi Biden said that her grandad is a “little rusty”, implying that the President isn’t new to Mario Kart. Despite the rust, he “(barely) won”. Perhaps it seemed like his granddaughter was in first place for much of the race, only for Joe Biden to soar ahead thanks to a timely deployed blue shell? Mario Kart Arcade GP DX is, naturally, a great way to play Mario Kart since it’s an arcade machine with a wheel. But where did Biden pick up his now-rusty skills? Was he a fan of Double Dash? The hugely popular Mario Kart Wii? Or has he not played since the glory days of Mario Kart 64? For Mario Kart adventures that don’t require a Presidential retreat, take a look at our review of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, the latest version of Nintendo’s beloved series. If you don’t have the space for a full RC race track in your home, then it’s not too late to get into the more classic Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

It seems that the 46th president of the United States enjoys a bit of Mario Kart, although he’s apparently a “little rusty” these days. As reported by Kotaku, in a story post published to Instagram by Joe Biden’s granddaughter, Naomi Biden, the President can be seen playing Mario Kart Arcade GP DX at Presidential retreat Camp David. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/16/mario-kart-live-home-circuit-launch-trailer"] In the post, Naomi Biden said that her grandad is a “little rusty”, implying that the President isn’t new to Mario Kart. Despite the rust, he “(barely) won”. Perhaps it seemed like his granddaughter was in first place for much of the race, only for Joe Biden to soar ahead thanks to a timely deployed blue shell? Mario Kart Arcade GP DX is, naturally, a great way to play Mario Kart since it’s an arcade machine with a wheel. But where did Biden pick up his now-rusty skills? Was he a fan of Double Dash? The hugely popular Mario Kart Wii? Or has he not played since the glory days of Mario Kart 64? For Mario Kart adventures that don’t require a Presidential retreat, take a look at our review of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, the latest version of Nintendo’s beloved series. If you don’t have the space for a full RC race track in your home, then it’s not too late to get into the more classic Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.