Hidetaka Miyazaki the creator of the Souls series, really enjoyed It Takes Two from Hazelight Studios it seems. That's quite the praise especially coming from someone who had worked on some of the most influential games of all time.

In an interview over at the PlayStation Blog, Miyazaki said that he doesn't really have much time to play video games, but he tries to make time for them when he can. It Takes Two was one that stood out to him and he played the game from start to finish across three days with a friend online.

When asked about what made It Takes Two so memorable to him, Miyazaki explained, "It didn’t let up throughout, and it never let me get bored. The art and gameplay are different in each stage, and the game encourages you to cooperate across its entirety yet still maintains that artistic element. It’s continually fun to play and felt extremely fresh to me right up until the end, which was impressive to me as a fellow creator."

He continued, "Honestly, I didn’t have that much interest in it at first. But when I gave it a go with my friend, it finally clicked. And with a small child of my own, the narrative resonated with me, which was most interesting in the end."

He's not the only high-profile Japanese game developer to have talked about It Takes Two. Super Smash Bros creator Masahiro Sakurai hinted that he may have played the game solo with two controllers. Additionally, Naughty Dog senior communications manager Rochelle Snyder and co-president Evan Wells also included It Takes Two as their favorite games of 2021.

It Takes Two is the newest game from outspoken video game director Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios. Like Fares' previous games, It Takes Two is meant to be play cooperatively as two players take control of Cody and May, a married couple on the brink of divorce. Their adventure together through fantastical challenges tests their relationship as well as that of the players'.

It Takes Two won the coveted title of game of the year award at The Game Awards 2021. It's also included in IGN's best games of 2021 as well.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey

Hidetaka Miyazaki the creator of the Souls series, really enjoyed It Takes Two from Hazelight Studios it seems. That's quite the praise especially coming from someone who had worked on some of the most influential games of all time.

In an interview over at the PlayStation Blog, Miyazaki said that he doesn't really have much time to play video games, but he tries to make time for them when he can. It Takes Two was one that stood out to him and he played the game from start to finish across three days with a friend online.

When asked about what made It Takes Two so memorable to him, Miyazaki explained, "It didn’t let up throughout, and it never let me get bored. The art and gameplay are different in each stage, and the game encourages you to cooperate across its entirety yet still maintains that artistic element. It’s continually fun to play and felt extremely fresh to me right up until the end, which was impressive to me as a fellow creator."

He continued, "Honestly, I didn’t have that much interest in it at first. But when I gave it a go with my friend, it finally clicked. And with a small child of my own, the narrative resonated with me, which was most interesting in the end."

He's not the only high-profile Japanese game developer to have talked about It Takes Two. Super Smash Bros creator Masahiro Sakurai hinted that he may have played the game solo with two controllers. Additionally, Naughty Dog senior communications manager Rochelle Snyder and co-president Evan Wells also included It Takes Two as their favorite games of 2021.

It Takes Two is the newest game from outspoken video game director Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios. Like Fares' previous games, It Takes Two is meant to be play cooperatively as two players take control of Cody and May, a married couple on the brink of divorce. Their adventure together through fantastical challenges tests their relationship as well as that of the players'.

It Takes Two won the coveted title of game of the year award at The Game Awards 2021. It's also included in IGN's best games of 2021 as well.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey

Amazon Prime Video subscribers have a lot to look forward to in February, and on the top of many's list will undoubtedly be the animated series The Legend of Vox Machina. Based on the first campaign from the beloved web series Critical Role, this story follows "Vox Machina, a band of misfits with a fondness for boozing and brawling. In a desperate attempt to pay off their mounting bar tab, these unlikely heroes end up on a quest to save the realm of Exandria from dark magical forces."

Fans of comedy will want to check out Phat Tuesdays, which tells the "unbelievable story of how one man, Guy Torry, moved mountains to launch an all-Black comedy night at The Comedy Store." Among others, this tale is told in the words of Anthony Anderson, Tiffany Haddish, Steve Harvey, Regina King, and more.

February will also see the return of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for its fourth season, a new Amazon Original series called Reacher that follows a veteran military police investigator who is wrongfully accused of murder, a romantic comedy called I Want You Back that stars Charlie Day and Jenny Slate, and much more.

Those who missed The Protege - which stars Maggie Q, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Keaton - will have another chance to watch the action-thriller as it will join Prime Video on February 25.

Check out the slideshow gallery below for a spotlight of some of the most notable February 2022 Prime Video releases followed by the full list:

February 1

Movies

• (500) Days Of Summer (2009)
• A Fistful Of Dollars (1964)
• All About Steve (2009)
• Alpha Dog (2005)
• America's Sweethearts (2001)
• Borat (2020)
• Bride Wars (2009)
• Die Hard (1988)
• Die Hard: With A Vengeance (1995)
• Don't Be A Menace To South Central
• While Drinking Your Juice In The
• Hood (1995)
• Forrest Gump (1994)
• Gone In Sixty Seconds (2000)
• Half Baked (2021)
• Hollywood Shuffle (1987)
• How High (2001)
• Humpday (2009)
• I Heart Huckabees (2004)
• Just Between Friends (1986)
• Killers (2010)
• King Arthur (2004)
• Life Partners (2014)
• Lincoln (2012)
• Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
• Live Free Or Die Hard (2007)
• Love & Other Drugs (2010)
• Overboard (1987)
• Platoon (1986)
• Posse (1993)
• Reign Of Fire (2002)
• Robocop (1987)
• Ski Patrol (1990)
• Southern Charm: New Orleans
• S2 (2019)
• Step Up (2019)
• The A-Team (2010)
• The Fly (1986)
• The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)
• The Impossible (2012)
• The Rock (1996)
• Turistas (2006)
• Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness
• Protection (2015)
• Untamed Heart (1993)
• Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
• Walk The Line (2005)
• What Happens In Vegas (2008)
• You Again (2010)

Series

• Bad Girls Club, Seasons 15-16 (2016)
• Key & Peele, Seasons 1-2 (2012)
• Khloe & Lamar, Seasons 1-2 (2011)
• Nathan for You, Seasons 1-2 (2013)
• Revenge Body with Khloe
• Kardashian, Seasons 1-3 (2017)
• Workaholics, Seasons 1-7 (2011)

February 2

Movies

• Freakonomics (2010)

February 4

Movies

• Book of Love - Amazon Original Movie (2022)

Series

• Reacher - Amazon Original Series (2022): Season 1
• Phat Tuesday - Amazon Original Series (2022): Season 1

February 11

Movies

• I Want You Back - Amazon Original Movie (2022)
• HOMESTAY (2022)

Series

• Sofia Niño de Rivera: Lo Volvería a Hacer - Amazon Original Series (2021): New Episodes

February 18

Movies

• Lov3 - Amazon Original Movie (2022)

Series

• LOL: Last One Laughing Canada - Amazon Original Series (2022): New Season
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Amazon Original Series (2019): Season 4
• The Legend of Vox Machina - Amazon Original Series (2022): Season 1

February 25

Movies

• The Protégé (2021)

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Amazon Prime Video subscribers have a lot to look forward to in February, and on the top of many's list will undoubtedly be the animated series The Legend of Vox Machina. Based on the first campaign from the beloved web series Critical Role, this story follows "Vox Machina, a band of misfits with a fondness for boozing and brawling. In a desperate attempt to pay off their mounting bar tab, these unlikely heroes end up on a quest to save the realm of Exandria from dark magical forces."

Fans of comedy will want to check out Phat Tuesdays, which tells the "unbelievable story of how one man, Guy Torry, moved mountains to launch an all-Black comedy night at The Comedy Store." Among others, this tale is told in the words of Anthony Anderson, Tiffany Haddish, Steve Harvey, Regina King, and more.

February will also see the return of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for its fourth season, a new Amazon Original series called Reacher that follows a veteran military police investigator who is wrongfully accused of murder, a romantic comedy called I Want You Back that stars Charlie Day and Jenny Slate, and much more.

Those who missed The Protege - which stars Maggie Q, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Keaton - will have another chance to watch the action-thriller as it will join Prime Video on February 25.

Check out the slideshow gallery below for a spotlight of some of the most notable February 2022 Prime Video releases followed by the full list:

February 1

Movies

• (500) Days Of Summer (2009)
• A Fistful Of Dollars (1964)
• All About Steve (2009)
• Alpha Dog (2005)
• America's Sweethearts (2001)
• Borat (2020)
• Bride Wars (2009)
• Die Hard (1988)
• Die Hard: With A Vengeance (1995)
• Don't Be A Menace To South Central
• While Drinking Your Juice In The
• Hood (1995)
• Forrest Gump (1994)
• Gone In Sixty Seconds (2000)
• Half Baked (2021)
• Hollywood Shuffle (1987)
• How High (2001)
• Humpday (2009)
• I Heart Huckabees (2004)
• Just Between Friends (1986)
• Killers (2010)
• King Arthur (2004)
• Life Partners (2014)
• Lincoln (2012)
• Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
• Live Free Or Die Hard (2007)
• Love & Other Drugs (2010)
• Overboard (1987)
• Platoon (1986)
• Posse (1993)
• Reign Of Fire (2002)
• Robocop (1987)
• Ski Patrol (1990)
• Southern Charm: New Orleans
• S2 (2019)
• Step Up (2019)
• The A-Team (2010)
• The Fly (1986)
• The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)
• The Impossible (2012)
• The Rock (1996)
• Turistas (2006)
• Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness
• Protection (2015)
• Untamed Heart (1993)
• Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
• Walk The Line (2005)
• What Happens In Vegas (2008)
• You Again (2010)

Series

• Bad Girls Club, Seasons 15-16 (2016)
• Key & Peele, Seasons 1-2 (2012)
• Khloe & Lamar, Seasons 1-2 (2011)
• Nathan for You, Seasons 1-2 (2013)
• Revenge Body with Khloe
• Kardashian, Seasons 1-3 (2017)
• Workaholics, Seasons 1-7 (2011)

February 2

Movies

• Freakonomics (2010)

February 4

Movies

• Book of Love - Amazon Original Movie (2022)

Series

• Reacher - Amazon Original Series (2022): Season 1
• Phat Tuesday - Amazon Original Series (2022): Season 1

February 11

Movies

• I Want You Back - Amazon Original Movie (2022)
• HOMESTAY (2022)

Series

• Sofia Niño de Rivera: Lo Volvería a Hacer - Amazon Original Series (2021): New Episodes

February 18

Movies

• Lov3 - Amazon Original Movie (2022)

Series

• LOL: Last One Laughing Canada - Amazon Original Series (2022): New Season
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Amazon Original Series (2019): Season 4
• The Legend of Vox Machina - Amazon Original Series (2022): Season 1

February 25

Movies

• The Protégé (2021)

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Ubisoft’s new NFT service hasn’t gone down well ever since it was revealed, but execs say that gamers just don’t get it.

During an interview with Finder, Ubisoft Strategic Innovations Lab vice president Nicolas Pouard said that gamers simply don’t understand the benefits of NFTs.

“I think gamers don't get what a digital secondary market can bring to them,” he said. “For now, because of the current situation and context of NFTs, gamers really believe it's first destroying the planet, and second just a tool for speculation. But what we [at Ubisoft] are seeing first is the end game. The end game is about giving players the opportunity to resell their items once they're finished with them or they're finished playing the game itself.”

Back in December last year, Ubisoft announced Quartz — its first foray into NFTs. This new service offers limited-edition cosmetic items in Ubisoft games, that can then be resold via third-party marketplaces for cryptocurrency.

But it’s gone down like a lead balloon, after its integration into Ghost Recon: Breakpoint raised eyebrows among gamers.

After the service launched on December 9, three limited-edition NFT items were added to the game, including a ‘Wolves’ skin for the M4A1 Tactical Rifle, a helmet, and a pair of pants. These three items are free to claim… but there’s a catch.

The rifle requires you to reach XP level 5 in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, while the pants require 100 hours played in the game. The helmet requires a massive 600 hours in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint… all for a helmet with a number on it.

But while sales of Ubisoft NFTs haven’t exactly been great, Pouard insists that gamers just don’t understand.

“It was a reaction we were expecting,” he said of the backlash to Quartz. “We know it's not an easy concept to grasp. But Quartz is really just a first step that should lead to something bigger. Something that will be more easily understood by our players.”

Despite the major backlash, it looks as though Ubisoft is keen to continue its NFT journey. Even if nobody gets it.

“That's the way we think about it and why we will keep experimenting,” he added. “We will keep releasing features and services around this first initiative. And our belief is that, piece by piece, the puzzle will be revealed and understood by our players. We hope they will better understand the value we offer them.”

Despite downplaying NFTs environmental impact, Pouard previously stated that Ubisoft could reconsider its position if energy consumption issues aren’t solved.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Ubisoft’s new NFT service hasn’t gone down well ever since it was revealed, but execs say that gamers just don’t get it.

During an interview with Finder, Ubisoft Strategic Innovations Lab vice president Nicolas Pouard said that gamers simply don’t understand the benefits of NFTs.

“I think gamers don't get what a digital secondary market can bring to them,” he said. “For now, because of the current situation and context of NFTs, gamers really believe it's first destroying the planet, and second just a tool for speculation. But what we [at Ubisoft] are seeing first is the end game. The end game is about giving players the opportunity to resell their items once they're finished with them or they're finished playing the game itself.”

Back in December last year, Ubisoft announced Quartz — its first foray into NFTs. This new service offers limited-edition cosmetic items in Ubisoft games, that can then be resold via third-party marketplaces for cryptocurrency.

But it’s gone down like a lead balloon, after its integration into Ghost Recon: Breakpoint raised eyebrows among gamers.

After the service launched on December 9, three limited-edition NFT items were added to the game, including a ‘Wolves’ skin for the M4A1 Tactical Rifle, a helmet, and a pair of pants. These three items are free to claim… but there’s a catch.

The rifle requires you to reach XP level 5 in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, while the pants require 100 hours played in the game. The helmet requires a massive 600 hours in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint… all for a helmet with a number on it.

But while sales of Ubisoft NFTs haven’t exactly been great, Pouard insists that gamers just don’t understand.

“It was a reaction we were expecting,” he said of the backlash to Quartz. “We know it's not an easy concept to grasp. But Quartz is really just a first step that should lead to something bigger. Something that will be more easily understood by our players.”

Despite the major backlash, it looks as though Ubisoft is keen to continue its NFT journey. Even if nobody gets it.

“That's the way we think about it and why we will keep experimenting,” he added. “We will keep releasing features and services around this first initiative. And our belief is that, piece by piece, the puzzle will be revealed and understood by our players. We hope they will better understand the value we offer them.”

Despite downplaying NFTs environmental impact, Pouard previously stated that Ubisoft could reconsider its position if energy consumption issues aren’t solved.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki has discussed that, while he doesn't think the game is necessarily easier than previous FromSoftware titles, he does believe more people will be able to finish it this time around.

Speaking to PlayStation.Blog, Miyazaki was asked about the "ongoing discourse" that surrounds the challenge and accessibility of FromSoftware's games, if the team was more mindful of these conversations when developing Elden Ring, and if they have impacted the way the team "tailored and maintained FromSoftware's trademark difficulty" for the game.

"Yes, we have," Miyazaki said. "It’s a valid discussion. I feel like our approach to these games, not just Elden Ring, is to design them to encourage the player to overcome adversity. We don’t try to force difficulty or make things hard for the sake of it. We want players to use their cunning, study the game, memorize what’s happening, and learn from their mistakes. We don’t want players to feel like the game is unfairly punishing, but rather that there’s a chance to win a difficult encounter and make progress.

"We understand that Souls-like games are regularly associated with impossible levels of difficulty with high barriers to entry. But we try to design the games to make the cycle of repeatedly trying to overcome these challenges enjoyable in itself. So we hope that with Elden Ring and the new options it provides, it will be a success in that respect."

He continued to discuss how the level of freedom Elden Ring offers in its more open-world format should also lead to more players finishing the game, even though FromSoftware did not "intentionally lower the game's difficulty."

"In Elden Ring, we have not intentionally tried to lower the game’s difficulty, but I think more players will finish it this time," Miyazaki said. "As I mentioned, the player’s level of freedom to progress through the world or return to a challenge later are all elements that I feel will help people get through the game at a more leisurely pace. Also, there isn’t a focus on pure action. The player has more agency to dictate their approach against, for example, the field bosses in the overworld and how they utilize stealth in various situations.

"We’ve even reduced the number of hoops that you have to jump through to enjoy it in multiplayer. So we hope the players embrace that idea of receiving help from others. And we feel like the overall clear rate will go up this time because of these things."

For those who may still be a bit worried Elden Ring may not be for them, Miyazaki did offer one further piece of advice when picking a class - don't choose the Wretch!

"As for a starting class, it’s entirely up to the player," Miyazaki said. "It’s an RPG, and they can approach it however they like and choose whichever looks the coolest to them. But I would recommend against choosing the naked one (known as the Wretch). As before, it’s probably the most difficult starting class!"

For more on Elden Ring, which will be released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC on February 25, 2022, be sure to check out our hands-on preview of the game's closed network test, how long it will take to beat, and more details on its multiplayer.

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.

Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki has discussed that, while he doesn't think the game is necessarily easier than previous FromSoftware titles, he does believe more people will be able to finish it this time around.

Speaking to PlayStation.Blog, Miyazaki was asked about the "ongoing discourse" that surrounds the challenge and accessibility of FromSoftware's games, if the team was more mindful of these conversations when developing Elden Ring, and if they have impacted the way the team "tailored and maintained FromSoftware's trademark difficulty" for the game.

"Yes, we have," Miyazaki said. "It’s a valid discussion. I feel like our approach to these games, not just Elden Ring, is to design them to encourage the player to overcome adversity. We don’t try to force difficulty or make things hard for the sake of it. We want players to use their cunning, study the game, memorize what’s happening, and learn from their mistakes. We don’t want players to feel like the game is unfairly punishing, but rather that there’s a chance to win a difficult encounter and make progress.

"We understand that Souls-like games are regularly associated with impossible levels of difficulty with high barriers to entry. But we try to design the games to make the cycle of repeatedly trying to overcome these challenges enjoyable in itself. So we hope that with Elden Ring and the new options it provides, it will be a success in that respect."

He continued to discuss how the level of freedom Elden Ring offers in its more open-world format should also lead to more players finishing the game, even though FromSoftware did not "intentionally lower the game's difficulty."

"In Elden Ring, we have not intentionally tried to lower the game’s difficulty, but I think more players will finish it this time," Miyazaki said. "As I mentioned, the player’s level of freedom to progress through the world or return to a challenge later are all elements that I feel will help people get through the game at a more leisurely pace. Also, there isn’t a focus on pure action. The player has more agency to dictate their approach against, for example, the field bosses in the overworld and how they utilize stealth in various situations.

"We’ve even reduced the number of hoops that you have to jump through to enjoy it in multiplayer. So we hope the players embrace that idea of receiving help from others. And we feel like the overall clear rate will go up this time because of these things."

For those who may still be a bit worried Elden Ring may not be for them, Miyazaki did offer one further piece of advice when picking a class - don't choose the Wretch!

"As for a starting class, it’s entirely up to the player," Miyazaki said. "It’s an RPG, and they can approach it however they like and choose whichever looks the coolest to them. But I would recommend against choosing the naked one (known as the Wretch). As before, it’s probably the most difficult starting class!"

For more on Elden Ring, which will be released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC on February 25, 2022, be sure to check out our hands-on preview of the game's closed network test, how long it will take to beat, and more details on its multiplayer.

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.

Sea of Thieves has laid out its coming year's worth of updates, and it includes brand new adventures, a murder mystery and the closure of the game's Arena mode.

Revealed today as part of a 2022 preview, Sea of Thieves is getting changes to its Seasons, as well as all new Adventures and Mysteries.

Adventures are new narrative-led live events designed to offer new story content more frequently, with each adventure part of a wider storyline that the playerbase will directly affect with their actions.

The plan, according to creative director Mike Chapman, is to release one Adventure every month with each lasting around two weeks. Additionally, each season will include a major Adventure that ties together plot threads and moves one of the game's larger stories forward.

Mysteries, on the other hand, are a new storytelling style that will take place both inside and outside the game, adding side quests and ARG elements. New clues will be added as players begin to solve the mysteries.

“Mysteries are something that we’re super excited about,” said executive producer, Joe Neate. “These are going to be stories that players are going to have to work together to uncover, and this will happen in-game and out-of-game, in terms of clues being released, and they will evolve over a longer time period than a typical Adventure will.”

“We’re going to be teasing and hinting and looking at how people are solving this – are people figuring this stuff out?" added Mike Chapman. "When’s the right time to move this forward? It’s based on players uncovering the next stages of these mysteries.”

What exactly will these new mysteries be about?

“We see certain genres fitting really well in terms of mystery telling," said senior designer Chris Davies, "so you’ve got murder mysteries, whodunnits, ghost stories, that certainly take inspiration from those kinds of mysteries in other media.”

Although little has been released about them, for obvious reasons, the first mystery will involve players solving the murder of a well-known character in Sea of Thieves.

Here’s what we can expect for the rest of the year when it comes to Sea of Thieves updates:

Sea of Thieves Season 6 will begin in March 2022 and will introduce these new Adventures and Mysteries as well as six new Sea Forts to the game. Sea Forts are designed to offer smaller scale raiding opportunities for solo players and small crews, and will be tied into the wider storyline. There will also be mysterious new missions for those that have reached Pirate Legend status. You can also expect a new Plunder Pass and an update to the monthly Emporium content.

Among all of these additions however, one element is leaving Sea of Thieves for good – the PvP Arena mode is being taken out of the game to allow the developers to focus solely on the much more popular core game.

With the player base rapidly exploding to record highs since last year, it seems Rare has a lot more ideas for its ongoing project.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Sea of Thieves has laid out its coming year's worth of updates, and it includes brand new adventures, a murder mystery and the closure of the game's Arena mode.

Revealed today as part of a 2022 preview, Sea of Thieves is getting changes to its Seasons, as well as all new Adventures and Mysteries.

Adventures are new narrative-led live events designed to offer new story content more frequently, with each adventure part of a wider storyline that the playerbase will directly affect with their actions.

The plan, according to creative director Mike Chapman, is to release one Adventure every month with each lasting around two weeks. Additionally, each season will include a major Adventure that ties together plot threads and moves one of the game's larger stories forward.

Mysteries, on the other hand, are a new storytelling style that will take place both inside and outside the game, adding side quests and ARG elements. New clues will be added as players begin to solve the mysteries.

“Mysteries are something that we’re super excited about,” said executive producer, Joe Neate. “These are going to be stories that players are going to have to work together to uncover, and this will happen in-game and out-of-game, in terms of clues being released, and they will evolve over a longer time period than a typical Adventure will.”

“We’re going to be teasing and hinting and looking at how people are solving this – are people figuring this stuff out?" added Mike Chapman. "When’s the right time to move this forward? It’s based on players uncovering the next stages of these mysteries.”

What exactly will these new mysteries be about?

“We see certain genres fitting really well in terms of mystery telling," said senior designer Chris Davies, "so you’ve got murder mysteries, whodunnits, ghost stories, that certainly take inspiration from those kinds of mysteries in other media.”

Although little has been released about them, for obvious reasons, the first mystery will involve players solving the murder of a well-known character in Sea of Thieves.

Here’s what we can expect for the rest of the year when it comes to Sea of Thieves updates:

Sea of Thieves Season 6 will begin in March 2022 and will introduce these new Adventures and Mysteries as well as six new Sea Forts to the game. Sea Forts are designed to offer smaller scale raiding opportunities for solo players and small crews, and will be tied into the wider storyline. There will also be mysterious new missions for those that have reached Pirate Legend status. You can also expect a new Plunder Pass and an update to the monthly Emporium content.

Among all of these additions however, one element is leaving Sea of Thieves for good – the PvP Arena mode is being taken out of the game to allow the developers to focus solely on the much more popular core game.

With the player base rapidly exploding to record highs since last year, it seems Rare has a lot more ideas for its ongoing project.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.