Scientists from the University of Waterloo studying how rubies are formed discovered the residue of a microorganism inside a 2.5 billion-year-old gemstone.

The team found a ruby that contained graphite while working in Greenland, which is home to some of the oldest known deposits of colored gemstones. Graphite is made of pure carbon and analysis of its atomic mass indicated that it was produced by an ancient lifeform.

Carbon-12 atoms are easier to integrate into living cells than heavier carbon-13 or carbon-14 atoms. The ruby's graphite had an elevated level of carbon-12, which indicated it was once alive. There wasn't much oxygen in Earth's atmosphere when the gem was formed, meaning the microorganism was likely a cyanobacteria or part of an algae film.

“The graphite inside this ruby is really unique," Waterloo professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Chris Yakymchuk said in a press release. "It’s the first time we’ve seen evidence of ancient life in ruby-bearing rocks. The presence of graphite also gives us more clues to determine how rubies formed at this location, something that is impossible to do directly based on a ruby’s color and chemical composition.”

The team discovered that the microorganisms actually allowed the rubies to form by changing the chemical composition of nearby rocks. The results of the study were recently published in Ore Geology Reviews.

Samantha Nelson is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @samanthanelson1.

Scientists from the University of Waterloo studying how rubies are formed discovered the residue of a microorganism inside a 2.5 billion-year-old gemstone.

The team found a ruby that contained graphite while working in Greenland, which is home to some of the oldest known deposits of colored gemstones. Graphite is made of pure carbon and analysis of its atomic mass indicated that it was produced by an ancient lifeform.

Carbon-12 atoms are easier to integrate into living cells than heavier carbon-13 or carbon-14 atoms. The ruby's graphite had an elevated level of carbon-12, which indicated it was once alive. There wasn't much oxygen in Earth's atmosphere when the gem was formed, meaning the microorganism was likely a cyanobacteria or part of an algae film.

“The graphite inside this ruby is really unique," Waterloo professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Chris Yakymchuk said in a press release. "It’s the first time we’ve seen evidence of ancient life in ruby-bearing rocks. The presence of graphite also gives us more clues to determine how rubies formed at this location, something that is impossible to do directly based on a ruby’s color and chemical composition.”

The team discovered that the microorganisms actually allowed the rubies to form by changing the chemical composition of nearby rocks. The results of the study were recently published in Ore Geology Reviews.

Samantha Nelson is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @samanthanelson1.

Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus lineup for November, and it includes six free games for PS Plus subscribers. The lineup includes First Class Trouble and Knockout City for PS5/PS4, and Kingdoms of Amular: Re-Reckoning on PS4.

To celebrate PlayStation VR's 5th anniversary, PS Plus subscribers can also download three PS VR games: The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, The Persistence, and Until You Fall. The games will be available for download starting Tuesday, November 2.

Knockout City is a team-based multiplayer dodgeball game that launched earlier this year. We said the game was amazing in our Knockout City review, saying, "Knockout City is one of the best team-based PvP games to come out in years. It's a fresh take on the American schoolyard staple that proves that lowering the mechanical bar for entry doesn’t have to come at the cost of deep tactical gameplay.

First Class Trouble was just detailed in this week's State of Play. and it's a new multiplayer mafia-like game that sees a group of players trying to escape a cruise ship, while two of the players work to sabotage the rest of the team.

Finally, the Kingdoms of Amular remaster brings the 2012 game to modern consoles, but in our review, we said the remaster only meets the bare minimum expectations.

Sony announced earlier this month that it would give away free PS VR games to celebrate the platform's 5th anniversary. VR is still in the long-term plans for PlayStation, as Sony is working on a PS VR 2, which could include a 4K display, eye tracking, haptic feedback, and more.

October 2021's PS Plus lineup, which includes Hell Let Loose, PGA Tour 2K21, and Mortal Kombat X, is still available until November 1.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus lineup for November, and it includes six free games for PS Plus subscribers. The lineup includes First Class Trouble and Knockout City for PS5/PS4, and Kingdoms of Amular: Re-Reckoning on PS4.

To celebrate PlayStation VR's 5th anniversary, PS Plus subscribers can also download three PS VR games: The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, The Persistence, and Until You Fall. The games will be available for download starting Tuesday, November 2.

Knockout City is a team-based multiplayer dodgeball game that launched earlier this year. We said the game was amazing in our Knockout City review, saying, "Knockout City is one of the best team-based PvP games to come out in years. It's a fresh take on the American schoolyard staple that proves that lowering the mechanical bar for entry doesn’t have to come at the cost of deep tactical gameplay.

First Class Trouble was just detailed in this week's State of Play. and it's a new multiplayer mafia-like game that sees a group of players trying to escape a cruise ship, while two of the players work to sabotage the rest of the team.

Finally, the Kingdoms of Amular remaster brings the 2012 game to modern consoles, but in our review, we said the remaster only meets the bare minimum expectations.

Sony announced earlier this month that it would give away free PS VR games to celebrate the platform's 5th anniversary. VR is still in the long-term plans for PlayStation, as Sony is working on a PS VR 2, which could include a 4K display, eye tracking, haptic feedback, and more.

October 2021's PS Plus lineup, which includes Hell Let Loose, PGA Tour 2K21, and Mortal Kombat X, is still available until November 1.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill will host a new video game showcase event from Thunderful, publisher of the SteamWorld franchise, Aerial Knight's Never Yield, and many other indie games.

Dubbed "Thunderful World," the digital event will take place on November 10 at 11 AM PT/2 PM ET. You can watch the stream on IGN, the IGN YouTube channel, the IGN Twitch channel, and the IGN Twitter.

Hamill will be presenting new game reveals and announcements from Thunderful throughout the show. We can expect to see more of Planet of Lana, the hand-painted puzzle adventure game first revealed at Geoff Keighley's Summer Games Fest kickoff. We'll also see news about The Gunk (the SteamWorld team's next game), Firegirl, Cursed to Golf, Source of Madness, Tinkertown, and White Shadows.

If you're wondering if Thunderful's lineup of games is in your wheelhouse, it's worth knowing they've also published the sci-fi shooter Industria, low-poly biking sim Lonely Mountain: Downhill, the quirky Say No More, and both Bridge Constructor: Portal and Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead.

Besides Thunderful CEO Brjánn Sigurgeirsson and Xbox's corporate vice president Sarah Bond, Thunderful promises "a few other surprise industry partners" will make an appearance during the show.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/once dressed up as Dagobah Luke Skywalker in kindergarten...for IGN.

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill will host a new video game showcase event from Thunderful, publisher of the SteamWorld franchise, Aerial Knight's Never Yield, and many other indie games.

Dubbed "Thunderful World," the digital event will take place on November 10 at 11 AM PT/2 PM ET. You can watch the stream on IGN, the IGN YouTube channel, the IGN Twitch channel, and the IGN Twitter.

Hamill will be presenting new game reveals and announcements from Thunderful throughout the show. We can expect to see more of Planet of Lana, the hand-painted puzzle adventure game first revealed at Geoff Keighley's Summer Games Fest kickoff. We'll also see news about The Gunk (the SteamWorld team's next game), Firegirl, Cursed to Golf, Source of Madness, Tinkertown, and White Shadows.

If you're wondering if Thunderful's lineup of games is in your wheelhouse, it's worth knowing they've also published the sci-fi shooter Industria, low-poly biking sim Lonely Mountain: Downhill, the quirky Say No More, and both Bridge Constructor: Portal and Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead.

Besides Thunderful CEO Brjánn Sigurgeirsson and Xbox's corporate vice president Sarah Bond, Thunderful promises "a few other surprise industry partners" will make an appearance during the show.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/once dressed up as Dagobah Luke Skywalker in kindergarten...for IGN.

Apex Legends Season 11 Escape is right around the corner and we’re getting a lot of new content. From the biggest map, Respawn has released for Apex Legends yet, to a new weapon and Legend coming into the games.

There is a lot to take in, but don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Let’s go over everything you need to know about Ash’s abilities, the new Stormpoint map, and the new CAR SMG.

A New Challenger - Ash

Let’s start with Ash. If you want a full breakdown of Ash’s lore and backstory I have a recap video you can check out above.

In terms of abilities, Ash heavily mirrors a Titan's abilities from Titanfall. Her tactical “Arc Snare” has her throwing out a projectile that shocks enemies and tethers them to the ground, reminiscent of the Northstar Titan’s ability. Ash’s tactical requires you to be extremely precise with how you deploy it. If you throw it on the ground next to your enemy, it needs to be close enough to the enemy to catch them in the tether.

The best bet is to hit the enemy in the body with the Snare to catch them for the stun damage. The Snare also only lasts a few seconds on its surface if it doesn’t attach to anyone, so precision is key with her tactical. A player caught in the Snare can run in the opposite direction quickly to snap it.

Ash’s passive, “Marked for Death,” reveals deathboxes on the map whenever a player dies but also has another passive that allows her to throw a Dataknife at a deathbox to find where the killer squad is. This is potentially one of Ash’s strongest abilities. Note she can only use this ability once per box and the tracking only pings the enemy’s location like a manual player ping so it’s not constantly tracking.

Ash’s Ultimate “Phase Breach” is reminiscent of her Ronin Titan’s ability and it allows her to rip a portal up to 70 feet ahead and instantly teleport her to the other side. This can be utilized horizontally or vertically. Unlike Wraith’s portal where the portal opens on two sides and can be taken from either side, Ash’s portal is more offense-based and helps open up fights or even quickly escape from intense situations where she’s trapped.

The portal only lasts for a few seconds so Ash’s teammates can take the portal after it’s placed but again, it cannot be taken back.

Ash’s abilities make her an extremely aggressive Legend allowing her to open up fights for her teammates and giving her more survivability as a solo Legend if her teammates die. Include cooldowns.

Welcome to Paradise - Stormpoint

The new map, Stormpoint, is the biggest that Apex has seen yet and there is a lot to explore within it. The map is set on a tropical island that has varying degrees of elevation and transportation. Tridents are available on this map as well as new Gravity Canons (similar to the ones in Halo) that throw you through the air to cover some ground.

You can use abilities and guns when traveling through the air in the Canons but be careful since the Canons do make a significant amount of noise when you enter it and can alert enemies to your rotations. There’s the return of prowlers, the animals you see when initiating Trials in World’s Edge, and new Prowler nests where they’ll spawn constantly.

Throughout the map, there are also spider eggs that hang on walls and ceilings of caves or tunnels. These will not drop spiders on you until they’ve been shot at so you have the option to avoid these enemies outright. These new additions to wildlife will drop loot-like attachments and ammo and will give you a small bit of damage towards your Evo Shield.

Stormpoint is about 15% bigger than World’s Edge and early rotations will be important since there’s more area to cover. The map rotations this season will be Stormpoint and World’s Edge, which also applies to the Ranked playlist. There is plenty of unnamed POIs filled with loot so you won’t be scrambling for too long to find your loadout.

New Weapon - CAR SMG

Speaking of loadouts, there have been a few weapon changes and a new gun added to the loot pool. The CAR SMG is a fan favorite from Titanfall and it enters Apex with a few changes from the previous games.

The CAR can utilize heavy or light ammo and can switch between the two whenever. The CAR will automatically switch to whatever ammo type you have left when it runs out of the other. The CAR also can take any heavy or light attachments, so it can use the level-3 heavy mag but also light ammo mag. It has an incredibly high rate of fire and is most effective in close-range fights.

Weapon Changes

The G7 Scout has been put into the Care Package with the option for Double Tap fire mode enabled and slight buffs. The damage output for the G7 has also been increased from 34 to 36. The Triple Take is now back on ground loot and now takes energy ammo since it’s no longer considered a sniper. The EVA-8 has been nerfed again this time to pre-season 10 changes so the fire rate has been reduced from 2.1 to 2.0.

The L-Star is also getting a few nerfs to balance last season’s buffs. The L-Star's barrel effectiveness has been lowered across all rarity tiers, the fired projectile sizes are smaller (to avoid blinding), and the damage has been reduced from 18 to 17.

There’s also a new hop-up called the Dual-Shell that cuts the reload time in half for the Mastiff and the 30-30 Repeater since it reloads two shells at a time.

Ranked Changes

For competitive players, there have been a few changes to the Ranked system though nothing quite major. The Kill Ranked Points values will now take into account the player's ranks. So if a Platinum player queued with their Diamond teammate and are now in Diamond ranked games and they kill a Diamond player, the Platinum player will receive more RP.

Players killed by lower ranked players will not lose more points when killed, only the killer benefits from the modifier.

Apex Predators and Masters players are now treated as the same tier. The Kill RP cap is being raised from six to seven but you still need to place first to get the max total RP. The maximum Kill Point RP cap is 175 which doesn't include the placement RP bonus you'd get for placing higher in a match.

Additional Changes

Starting in Season 11, you’ll be able to use 50 Crafting Materials to upgrade your white shield to a blue shield (level 2). The value has been changed so you can craft for more levels right away. The armor level points you can craft have also increased from 100 to 150.

Another adjustment players will be happy about is that Wattson is getting buffed this season. Wattson's hitbox has been slightly increased to make up for the removal of the low profile from the Legacy update. Her fence cooldowns have been cut in half and she can place them 50% further and a bit faster. Crossing Wattson’s fences will be more punishing since the damage a fence does is increased by 33%.

The Fences activate a little faster now when a teammate crosses through one. Wattson's ultimate, Interception Pylon, will have a health pool, similar to how Lifeline’s drone operates. Her ultimate's shield health pool is at 250 shields that can be given to nearby players and the shield recharge rate has been increased by 150%.

Her Pylon will also last forever and not time out after 90 seconds. But once it's been depleted of its shield health pool it will no longer recharge shields though will continue to destroy incoming ordinances. As a balance, Wattson can only have one of her ultimate Pylons up at once instead of three now.

How do you feel about Ash entering the Apex games? Are you excited about the new map? Let us know! We’ll be sure to keep you up to date with all the Apex news so be sure to stay here at IGN.

Stella is a Video Producer, Host, and Editor at IGN. Her gameplay focus is on competitive FPS games and she is also a shoutcaster/host on Apex Legends tournaments outside of IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @ParallaxStella.

Apex Legends Season 11 Escape is right around the corner and we’re getting a lot of new content. From the biggest map, Respawn has released for Apex Legends yet, to a new weapon and Legend coming into the games.

There is a lot to take in, but don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Let’s go over everything you need to know about Ash’s abilities, the new Stormpoint map, and the new CAR SMG.

A New Challenger - Ash

Let’s start with Ash. If you want a full breakdown of Ash’s lore and backstory I have a recap video you can check out above.

In terms of abilities, Ash heavily mirrors a Titan's abilities from Titanfall. Her tactical “Arc Snare” has her throwing out a projectile that shocks enemies and tethers them to the ground, reminiscent of the Northstar Titan’s ability. Ash’s tactical requires you to be extremely precise with how you deploy it. If you throw it on the ground next to your enemy, it needs to be close enough to the enemy to catch them in the tether.

The best bet is to hit the enemy in the body with the Snare to catch them for the stun damage. The Snare also only lasts a few seconds on its surface if it doesn’t attach to anyone, so precision is key with her tactical. A player caught in the Snare can run in the opposite direction quickly to snap it.

Ash’s passive, “Marked for Death,” reveals deathboxes on the map whenever a player dies but also has another passive that allows her to throw a Dataknife at a deathbox to find where the killer squad is. This is potentially one of Ash’s strongest abilities. Note she can only use this ability once per box and the tracking only pings the enemy’s location like a manual player ping so it’s not constantly tracking.

Ash’s Ultimate “Phase Breach” is reminiscent of her Ronin Titan’s ability and it allows her to rip a portal up to 70 feet ahead and instantly teleport her to the other side. This can be utilized horizontally or vertically. Unlike Wraith’s portal where the portal opens on two sides and can be taken from either side, Ash’s portal is more offense-based and helps open up fights or even quickly escape from intense situations where she’s trapped.

The portal only lasts for a few seconds so Ash’s teammates can take the portal after it’s placed but again, it cannot be taken back.

Ash’s abilities make her an extremely aggressive Legend allowing her to open up fights for her teammates and giving her more survivability as a solo Legend if her teammates die. Include cooldowns.

Welcome to Paradise - Stormpoint

The new map, Stormpoint, is the biggest that Apex has seen yet and there is a lot to explore within it. The map is set on a tropical island that has varying degrees of elevation and transportation. Tridents are available on this map as well as new Gravity Canons (similar to the ones in Halo) that throw you through the air to cover some ground.

You can use abilities and guns when traveling through the air in the Canons but be careful since the Canons do make a significant amount of noise when you enter it and can alert enemies to your rotations. There’s the return of prowlers, the animals you see when initiating Trials in World’s Edge, and new Prowler nests where they’ll spawn constantly.

Throughout the map, there are also spider eggs that hang on walls and ceilings of caves or tunnels. These will not drop spiders on you until they’ve been shot at so you have the option to avoid these enemies outright. These new additions to wildlife will drop loot-like attachments and ammo and will give you a small bit of damage towards your Evo Shield.

Stormpoint is about 15% bigger than World’s Edge and early rotations will be important since there’s more area to cover. The map rotations this season will be Stormpoint and World’s Edge, which also applies to the Ranked playlist. There is plenty of unnamed POIs filled with loot so you won’t be scrambling for too long to find your loadout.

New Weapon - CAR SMG

Speaking of loadouts, there have been a few weapon changes and a new gun added to the loot pool. The CAR SMG is a fan favorite from Titanfall and it enters Apex with a few changes from the previous games.

The CAR can utilize heavy or light ammo and can switch between the two whenever. The CAR will automatically switch to whatever ammo type you have left when it runs out of the other. The CAR also can take any heavy or light attachments, so it can use the level-3 heavy mag but also light ammo mag. It has an incredibly high rate of fire and is most effective in close-range fights.

Weapon Changes

The G7 Scout has been put into the Care Package with the option for Double Tap fire mode enabled and slight buffs. The damage output for the G7 has also been increased from 34 to 36. The Triple Take is now back on ground loot and now takes energy ammo since it’s no longer considered a sniper. The EVA-8 has been nerfed again this time to pre-season 10 changes so the fire rate has been reduced from 2.1 to 2.0.

The L-Star is also getting a few nerfs to balance last season’s buffs. The L-Star's barrel effectiveness has been lowered across all rarity tiers, the fired projectile sizes are smaller (to avoid blinding), and the damage has been reduced from 18 to 17.

There’s also a new hop-up called the Dual-Shell that cuts the reload time in half for the Mastiff and the 30-30 Repeater since it reloads two shells at a time.

Ranked Changes

For competitive players, there have been a few changes to the Ranked system though nothing quite major. The Kill Ranked Points values will now take into account the player's ranks. So if a Platinum player queued with their Diamond teammate and are now in Diamond ranked games and they kill a Diamond player, the Platinum player will receive more RP.

Players killed by lower ranked players will not lose more points when killed, only the killer benefits from the modifier.

Apex Predators and Masters players are now treated as the same tier. The Kill RP cap is being raised from six to seven but you still need to place first to get the max total RP. The maximum Kill Point RP cap is 175 which doesn't include the placement RP bonus you'd get for placing higher in a match.

Additional Changes

Starting in Season 11, you’ll be able to use 50 Crafting Materials to upgrade your white shield to a blue shield (level 2). The value has been changed so you can craft for more levels right away. The armor level points you can craft have also increased from 100 to 150.

Another adjustment players will be happy about is that Wattson is getting buffed this season. Wattson's hitbox has been slightly increased to make up for the removal of the low profile from the Legacy update. Her fence cooldowns have been cut in half and she can place them 50% further and a bit faster. Crossing Wattson’s fences will be more punishing since the damage a fence does is increased by 33%.

The Fences activate a little faster now when a teammate crosses through one. Wattson's ultimate, Interception Pylon, will have a health pool, similar to how Lifeline’s drone operates. Her ultimate's shield health pool is at 250 shields that can be given to nearby players and the shield recharge rate has been increased by 150%.

Her Pylon will also last forever and not time out after 90 seconds. But once it's been depleted of its shield health pool it will no longer recharge shields though will continue to destroy incoming ordinances. As a balance, Wattson can only have one of her ultimate Pylons up at once instead of three now.

How do you feel about Ash entering the Apex games? Are you excited about the new map? Let us know! We’ll be sure to keep you up to date with all the Apex news so be sure to stay here at IGN.

Stella is a Video Producer, Host, and Editor at IGN. Her gameplay focus is on competitive FPS games and she is also a shoutcaster/host on Apex Legends tournaments outside of IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @ParallaxStella.

In a reflection of Sony's recent embrace of PC gaming, the platform holder has introduced the PlayStation PC brand for several of its games on Steam.

The new label popped up just recently as the publisher for Days Gone on Steam, and Video Games Chronicle reports that the name was registered back in April. It further solidifies Sony's intentions for PC, suggesting that PlayStation intends to bring plenty more games to Steam in the near future.

Already, several PlayStation exclusives have made their way to PC, including Horizon Zero Dawn, Death Stranding and Days Gone. God of War and the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection are both due in 2022. PlayStation has generally worked with external developers on these projects, including 505 Games and Jetpack Interactive.

Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan explained PlayStation's strategy for PC in an interview with GQ, "There’s an opportunity to expose those great games to a wider audience and recognize the economics of game development, which are not always straightforward. The cost of making games goes up with each cycle, as the caliber of the IP has improved. Also, our ease of making it available to non-console owners has grown. So it’s a fairly straightforward decision for us to make."

Meanwhile, Epic Games reportedly offered Sony $200 million to get its games on PC.

Whatever fans may think of this approach, it appears that PlayStation's PC strategy is here to stay. Sony's next major release on the platform is God of War, which launches January 14.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

In a reflection of Sony's recent embrace of PC gaming, the platform holder has introduced the PlayStation PC brand for several of its games on Steam.

The new label popped up just recently as the publisher for Days Gone on Steam, and Video Games Chronicle reports that the name was registered back in April. It further solidifies Sony's intentions for PC, suggesting that PlayStation intends to bring plenty more games to Steam in the near future.

Already, several PlayStation exclusives have made their way to PC, including Horizon Zero Dawn, Death Stranding and Days Gone. God of War and the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection are both due in 2022. PlayStation has generally worked with external developers on these projects, including 505 Games and Jetpack Interactive.

Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan explained PlayStation's strategy for PC in an interview with GQ, "There’s an opportunity to expose those great games to a wider audience and recognize the economics of game development, which are not always straightforward. The cost of making games goes up with each cycle, as the caliber of the IP has improved. Also, our ease of making it available to non-console owners has grown. So it’s a fairly straightforward decision for us to make."

Meanwhile, Epic Games reportedly offered Sony $200 million to get its games on PC.

Whatever fans may think of this approach, it appears that PlayStation's PC strategy is here to stay. Sony's next major release on the platform is God of War, which launches January 14.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN