Bungie head of HR Gayle d'Hondt is stepping down from her role at the company after more than 14 years effective today, IGN has learned.

In an email circulated to employees today which IGN has seen in full, d'Hondt reflected on her time at the company, saying she wants to do "everything in my power to make sure everyone who works here has a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment." She then cited the need for the company's people team to "move forward" with membership "largely comprised of people new to Bungie."

"I know that they need to be trusted to be your advocates – not labeled as 'enablers' or seen as company resources who provide bad actors with safe harbor," she wrote.

D'Hondt is officially stepping out of her official role as senior employee relations manager, but it is not clear whether or not she will remain with the company. In her email, she states that she "will work with Holly [Barbacovi, chief people officer] and the leadership team at Bungie to determine what the appropriate next steps are."

Also in her message, d'Hondt mentioned that her time at Bungie had included working through "deeply challenging interpersonal conflicts" including termination of employees for "performance, bad behavior, and for discrimination, racism, and sexual harassment."

She added that this included reporting her own abuser: "a man, an executive, and someone I thought was my friend at Bungie — which resulted in Bungie firing him."

D'Hondt concluded her email: "I am proud of the work I did at this company. I believe I made recommendations that were in the best interest of our people and in service of the company we wish to become. I also believe we made some mistakes, and that to become the better version of ourselves – the company I know we can be – we have to acknowledge and confront them, in good faith, and grow together."

D'Hondt's announcement comes less than a week after our extensive report on Bungie's work culture, which spanned a long history of sexism, boys' club culture, crunch, and HR protection of abusers over more than a decade. It also included details on Bungie's more recent efforts to turn that culture around, including quietly removing a number of harmful individuals from the company in the last few years.

Bungie did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Bungie head of HR Gayle d'Hondt is stepping down from her role at the company after more than 14 years effective today, IGN has learned.

In an email circulated to employees today which IGN has seen in full, d'Hondt reflected on her time at the company, saying she wants to do "everything in my power to make sure everyone who works here has a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment." She then cited the need for the company's people team to "move forward" with membership "largely comprised of people new to Bungie."

"I know that they need to be trusted to be your advocates – not labeled as 'enablers' or seen as company resources who provide bad actors with safe harbor," she wrote.

D'Hondt is officially stepping out of her official role as senior employee relations manager, but it is not clear whether or not she will remain with the company. In her email, she states that she "will work with Holly [Barbacovi, chief people officer] and the leadership team at Bungie to determine what the appropriate next steps are."

Also in her message, d'Hondt mentioned that her time at Bungie had included working through "deeply challenging interpersonal conflicts" including termination of employees for "performance, bad behavior, and for discrimination, racism, and sexual harassment."

She added that this included reporting her own abuser: "a man, an executive, and someone I thought was my friend at Bungie — which resulted in Bungie firing him."

D'Hondt concluded her email: "I am proud of the work I did at this company. I believe I made recommendations that were in the best interest of our people and in service of the company we wish to become. I also believe we made some mistakes, and that to become the better version of ourselves – the company I know we can be – we have to acknowledge and confront them, in good faith, and grow together."

D'Hondt's announcement comes less than a week after our extensive report on Bungie's work culture, which spanned a long history of sexism, boys' club culture, crunch, and HR protection of abusers over more than a decade. It also included details on Bungie's more recent efforts to turn that culture around, including quietly removing a number of harmful individuals from the company in the last few years.

Bungie did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Fable creator Peter Molyneux's next game isn't even out yet, but it's already making millions of dollars through NFTs, including selling one plot of land for a breathtaking amount of money.

Over the weekend Molyneux announced that his new game is called Legacy, and it's described as "an innovative new game that pushes the boundaries of Blockchain Gaming". To get into the game, players have to buy a "Land NFT" which lets them open a "blockchain business association" in the game.

This allows players to create digital buildings and products to sell to other players. Basically, you can become a virtual business owner in the hopes of making real money.

The money in the game is a cryptocurrency called LegacyCoin that's part of the Ethereum blockchain. You can read more about Legacy's planned ecosystem, and how it plans to let players earn LegacyCoin.

While the game isn't due out until next year, the Land NFTs went up for sale this weekend. And, Rock Paper Shotgun reports some of the plots of Land sold for incredibly high prices.

Overall, the plots of land sold for a total of more than $53 million. The most expensive and rare plot called the London plot, sold for a staggering $900,000. The game isn't out until 2022, so the new "Land" owners will have to wait until then to start working on their digital businesses within Legacy.

Much of the game industry is starting to experiment with NFTs and blockchain. Ubisoft took a crack at it when it announced its new Quartz system, and STALKER 2 announced a blockchain project just today. On the flipside, Steam has banned blockchain games and NFTs from its platform entirely.

Public opinion is divided on NFTs as a model for commerce and games. Ubisoft's Quartz reveal was quickly downvoted, and critics say that NFTs offer nothing new while draining precious resources. The market is also rife with speculation, making the monetary potential of the concept shaky at best.

Axios' Stephen Totilo noted that Ubisoft's Ghost Recon NFTs are being listed for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the offers are a paltry $21, meaning sellers are looking to cash in on the hype more than the actual interst.

Those Ghost Recon NFT gun skins are now on crypto marketplaces. Of the 2,000 skins issued, I found 19 on sale. Asking prices ranged from $634 to $423,000.

The highest offer anyone is making on the market I checked?

$21

The sector is full of speculatorshttps://t.co/cOuyVdn2Fv

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) December 15, 2021

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

Fable creator Peter Molyneux's next game isn't even out yet, but it's already making millions of dollars through NFTs, including selling one plot of land for a breathtaking amount of money.

Over the weekend Molyneux announced that his new game is called Legacy, and it's described as "an innovative new game that pushes the boundaries of Blockchain Gaming". To get into the game, players have to buy a "Land NFT" which lets them open a "blockchain business association" in the game.

This allows players to create digital buildings and products to sell to other players. Basically, you can become a virtual business owner in the hopes of making real money.

The money in the game is a cryptocurrency called LegacyCoin that's part of the Ethereum blockchain. You can read more about Legacy's planned ecosystem, and how it plans to let players earn LegacyCoin.

While the game isn't due out until next year, the Land NFTs went up for sale this weekend. And, Rock Paper Shotgun reports some of the plots of Land sold for incredibly high prices.

Overall, the plots of land sold for a total of more than $53 million. The most expensive and rare plot called the London plot, sold for a staggering $900,000. The game isn't out until 2022, so the new "Land" owners will have to wait until then to start working on their digital businesses within Legacy.

Much of the game industry is starting to experiment with NFTs and blockchain. Ubisoft took a crack at it when it announced its new Quartz system, and STALKER 2 announced a blockchain project just today. On the flipside, Steam has banned blockchain games and NFTs from its platform entirely.

Public opinion is divided on NFTs as a model for commerce and games. Ubisoft's Quartz reveal was quickly downvoted, and critics say that NFTs offer nothing new while draining precious resources. The market is also rife with speculation, making the monetary potential of the concept shaky at best.

Axios' Stephen Totilo noted that Ubisoft's Ghost Recon NFTs are being listed for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the offers are a paltry $21, meaning sellers are looking to cash in on the hype more than the actual interst.

Those Ghost Recon NFT gun skins are now on crypto marketplaces. Of the 2,000 skins issued, I found 19 on sale. Asking prices ranged from $634 to $423,000.

The highest offer anyone is making on the market I checked?

$21

The sector is full of speculatorshttps://t.co/cOuyVdn2Fv

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) December 15, 2021

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

Get ready for some nostalgia, Harry Potter fans, as the first poster for the upcoming Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts has been revealed.

The poster features Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, or Harry, Ron, and Hermione, front and center, with many other familiar faces surrounding them. They appear to be standing in Hogwarts' Great Hall, which is decked out for the holiday season.

Last week, we got our first look at the Harry Potter reunion through an image of Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson all sitting together on set.

The reunion was announced back in November, and it's set to be a big celebration of the film franchise, featuring many of the film series' cast beyond the big three. The reunion's announcement made no mention of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who has come under fire for her controversial anti-transgender views.

The special is set to air on New Year's Day on HBO Max. If you want to be ready to check it out for yourself, check out how to watch the Harry Potter 20th anniversary special.

The HBO Max special might not be the last reunion between the main three actors. Sorcerer's Stone director Chris Columbus wants to bring Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson together for an adaptation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – the hit theatre production that features Harry, Ron, and Hermione's children.

There's plenty of other stuff going on in the wizarding world, as well. Just this week, we got a look at the first trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, which is coming to theaters on April 15, 2022.

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

Get ready for some nostalgia, Harry Potter fans, as the first poster for the upcoming Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts has been revealed.

The poster features Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, or Harry, Ron, and Hermione, front and center, with many other familiar faces surrounding them. They appear to be standing in Hogwarts' Great Hall, which is decked out for the holiday season.

Last week, we got our first look at the Harry Potter reunion through an image of Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson all sitting together on set.

The reunion was announced back in November, and it's set to be a big celebration of the film franchise, featuring many of the film series' cast beyond the big three. The reunion's announcement made no mention of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who has come under fire for her controversial anti-transgender views.

The special is set to air on New Year's Day on HBO Max. If you want to be ready to check it out for yourself, check out how to watch the Harry Potter 20th anniversary special.

The HBO Max special might not be the last reunion between the main three actors. Sorcerer's Stone director Chris Columbus wants to bring Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson together for an adaptation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – the hit theatre production that features Harry, Ron, and Hermione's children.

There's plenty of other stuff going on in the wizarding world, as well. Just this week, we got a look at the first trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, which is coming to theaters on April 15, 2022.

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

Activision Blizzard is currently facing serious ongoing allegations of harassment and mistreatment of marginalized workers. To learn more, please visit our timeline as well as our in-depth report on the subject.

Diablo II’s last meaningful balance-focused patch arrived on March 23, 2010. That was to be the evermore version of the classic action-RPG. And yet, more than 21 years after Diablo II first launched, that’s not the end of the story. That version of the game - 1.13c to be precise - was the foundation upon which Diablo II: Resurrected was built. That game took the underlying game logic of the original and laid a 3D engine laid over the top, and the goal was to keep the gameplay (almost) exactly as it once was.

Now, however, Blizzard has announced a new patch coming to Diablo II: Resurrected that will once again take the experience somewhere new. Patch 2.4 - which will be coming to a PTR (Public Test Realm) on PC early next year - is set to make significant changes, close to 12 years since the last such update.

The changes will be geared around opening up new opportunities. The team isn’t interested in messing with things that work, and will instead focus on giving players more options. All seven playable classes are being reworked to some extent, in fact, capitalising on the game’s impressively open class design to elevate class fantasies that aren’t currently viable in high-level play. A few examples of builds the team have focused on, for instance, are melee-powered Amazons, martial arts-focused Assassins, and axe throwing Barbarians.

The re-introduction of Ladder Play (seasonal play), meanwhile, will introduce new Rune Word items, which are high level armour pieces and weapons crafted using hard to find socketable items. Set items are being buffed too, and Mercenaries (AI support characters) are being reworked.

These changes are a big deal considering how sacrosanct the original game was during Resurrected’s development, but it makes sense. The light touch tweaks that were made for Resurrected, such as (optional) auto-gold pick-up and adding a skill bar for PC players, were well-received, and the team have had many months of community feedback too.

“The first stage was, let's launch the game, have it be successful, and make sure that all the bugs and all the kinks and all the server stuff… was taken care of and smoothed out before moving on to stage two,” says Matthew Cederquist, Senior Game Producer. “I think we took the right approach, making sure everything was good before making changes. There was such an abundance of feedback that came through too, it was almost overwhelming. Players still love this game, 20 years later, and want to see updates. We took that and ran with it.”

Let’s dig into the changes in more detail.

Class Balance Changes

As mentioned, the changes to the seven playable classes (Amazon, Assassin, Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Paladin and Sorceress) won’t alter what they can already do, but instead will foster new viable builds.

“Conservative is a good way to put it,” says Robert Gallerani, Studio Design Director. “We're taking baby steps… which is why you'll notice that nothing's being nerfed.”

So what constitutes a viable build? Well that would be high-level play in Diablo II’s Nightmare and Hell difficulties. “We're not looking to make a brand new game, Diablo II is still going to be Diablo II,” Matthew Cederquist adds. “The main goal is to take the less viable classes and builds, stuff that has thematic value, and raise them up. 20 years ago, if you played a Blizzard Sorceress and you jumped back in [today] you’d still be able to play the same Blizzard Sorc. But, what if you always loved the idea of a Throwing Barbarian? It wasn't viable before. That's what we’re looking to do.”

It’s a commendable approach, and one that will no doubt pave the way for new builds complemented by both existing items and new Rune Words. Also, while viability is determined by high-level play it’s worth noting that all changes will benefit lower difficulty too.

The Amazon changes are being described as melee focused, with skills like Impale and Fend highlighted as two that are being buffed to increase damage potential. There’ll be changes to synergy requirements too, meaning you might not need to put a decent number of skill points into a synergy skill purely for the buff it can give.

High level play Assassins in Diablo II are usually all about placing sentries and traps and keeping your distance from mobs. With Patch 2.4, the martial arts skill tree is getting a rework specifically to offer up more choice. Not only that but lesser used traps are set to get a damage scaling buff – which means more options than simply going for Lightning Sentries every time.

For the Barbarian, in addition to the aforementioned Throwing Barbarian (Double Throw and Throwing Mastery) build, Leap Attack and Grim Ward are being looked into. For the Necromancer, Skeletal Mages and lesser used golems are getting a rework alongside bone skills for damage reduction.

Druid, meanwhile, is getting what sounds like a substantial rework of fire skills (right down to timings) and other elemental skills. In addition to this, the pet side of the Druid, the summons, are being buffed with a mind towards high-level Hell runs. This means that the Druid’s pets should be getting increased health, higher damage output, and some new synergies.

The Paladin’s cool sounding but not that cool Fist of the Heavens is getting a buff of some sort alongside Offensive Auras. For the Sorceress, skills like the Hydra will be improved whilst the team is looking to make the Inferno skill “less clunky” to use.

Mercenaries Rework and Set Item Buffs

Another area the team is focusing on is Mercenaries and making all of these recruitable AI characters useful across all difficulties. This means buffing their skills and base stats, with new Rune Words also supporting the lesser used Mercenaries. Basically, anyone other than Act II’s Desert Mercenary.

It’s a significant move, especially for those that struggle to keep their Mercenaries alive as they progress onto Nightmare and Hell. The goal here is to try and service the player base that sits in the middle, between casual and high-end expert. This philosophy is also driving the changes that are being made to some of the sets found in Diablo II.

“Diablo II is easy to get into and hard to master,” Matthew Cederquist says. “And there is a middle point that's a little vague. That's where the set items come into play. We wanted to be able to identify which ones were solid and didn't need changing at all. We put a couple of the others in front of the community and they were like, ‘oh yeah, I instantly sell those’. When something like that happens, you probably want to design them a little differently.”

An example of a set that isn’t changing is Cow King’s Leathers; a useful collection of green goodness you could work into any number of builds. Gear that’s confirmed to be getting a rework is Death’s Garb, which currently falls into that “instantly sell” category.

According to the team though, it’s not just about buffing lesser-used items. “Just taking other games into consideration, stuff outside of action-RPGs, when you have one [piece] of a set, there's something in the back of your mind where you want to get the other one,” Robert Gallerani reflects. “You need the matching set. That fantasy of putting together a matching set, having these two or more things that belong together. This is a key reason we’re buffing sets. A set is a really cool thing, you got it, so it should be good for you.”

‘Tis the Season for Ladder Play

Ladder Play will also be coming with patch 2.4, but this is no great surprise, as it was announced as a post-launch feature when Resurrected was first revealed. It will take a form that’s very familiar to old school Diablo II players - a race to level 99. Each new Ladder Play period generally lasts for a few months, and players start from scratch at the beginning of each season. Ladder Play encompasses four modes covering vanilla Diablo II, the Lord of Destruction expansion, and Hardcore versions of both.

Ladder Play has historically seen the debut of Rune Words in Diablo II and that tradition will continue with Resurrected. Ladder Play will be the only place where the new Rune Words coming in Patch 2.4 will drop, at least initially. Focusing on Rune Words as opposed to new uniques is an ingenious way to introduce new and powerful items, as it relies on crafting, negating the need to alter things like drop rates covering countless variations or possible loot.

Although details on the exact Rune Words aren’t yet available, or the total number, we do know quite a bit. All of the new Rune Words will utilise existing runes that are already available in Diablo II - some of them are actually high-level items that were designed back in the day, but that never made their way into the final game. Most of them though will be brand new and set to synergise with the meatier changes being introduced in patch 2.4.

The new Rune Words will complement the set item buffs, some will suit Mercenaries, and others will help amplify reworked class fantasies. As is the way with Ladder Play, the new Rune Words will eventually make their way over to the core Diablo II: Resurrected experience, but only after the inaugural ladder season has come to a close. On this front Blizzard expects the first ladder season to last roughly four months. However, this could change as Patch 2.4 rolls out.

Introducing the PTR

For the development team, remaining true to the original Diablo II and its Lord of Destruction expansion was always the goal. So even though patch 2.4 sounds a little bit like a Trojan Horse-style 180 on that idea, it was only after the positive reception from fans that the team felt they could “start acting on a lot of those theories and ideas we had through development.”

“When we were very first thinking of remastering this game I went out to these storage lockers around the town,” Matthew Cederquist says. “And they had all of these handwritten books and notebooks, ancient things that you had to dust off. But within them were the original thoughts of the designers. So when you’re looking to change something that's so many years old, you don't want to simply add something because you think it might be cool. These changes hearken back to what the original team created. Getting to see what they were thinking, we put ourselves in that position and then built upon that.”

“There are times where we've hit a bridge too far,” Robert Gallerani adds. “For example, fire immunities. A lot of people talk about how at a certain point in the game, fire immunity [on monsters] can screw a particular build. So why don’t we go in and start changing how fire immunity works? Well, the systems of Diablo II are all intertwined, so changing this one thing over here could change 19 other things over there. So we have to do it in a staggered approach. That's not to say we're thinking about getting rid of immunities, we’re just taking it slow. Let's see how everyone reacts, and as we go along, what works and what doesn't.”

Patch 2.4 will roll out early next year on PC in PTR form. It promises to help keep Diablo II vital as we move through 2022. And best of all? This is only the beginning.

Kosta Andreadis is an Australian musician and freelancer who wrote this longform Diablo retrospective. Check out his tunes and follow him on Twitter.

Guerrilla has shown off some further screenshots for Horizon Forbidden West on PlayStation 4, and unsurprisingly, the game looks absolutely beautiful even on older hardware.

As shared on Twitter, Horizon Forbidden West developer Guerrilla spoke further about the sequel’s upcoming launch on PS4. “We've showed you a lot of footage of Horizon Forbidden West on PS5 so far,” writes the developer, “but the game also looks – and plays – stunning on the PlayStation 4”.

Alongside the tweet, the developer showcased a range of images for the game that beautifully capture its blend of nature and technology. As well as displaying the sequel’s desert and wetland environments, the screenshots also further detailed some of the Forbidden West’s upcoming features, showing off several of the game’s mechanical creatures, a previously featured human settlement and some homegrown natural wildlife - including a particularly wholesome looking fox.

While the game certainly looks stunning on PS4, that’s not necessarily a surprise given that Guerrilla has previously noted that it was designed with the hardware in mind. “A lot of the development has taken place on the PlayStation 4, and a lot of playtesting has been done on PlayStation 4,” said Game Director Mathijs de Jonge earlier this year. “So we are ensuring that owners of that console have a great experience and the game will look fantastic on that console.”

That being said, the game will launch with a number of graphical differences between the console and its PlayStation 5 counterpart. During the same interview, de Jonge noted that current-gen console owners should notice a number of graphical improvements - particularly where water and lighting is concerned. Despite creating a game that will need to deliver across multiple console generations, separate comments by de Jonge explained that the experience was “not limiting in any way.”

Horizon Forbidden West is set to launch February 18, 2022. For players who are currently on PlayStation 4 hardware but thinking about making the switch to current-gen, Forbidden West will come with an upgrade path between the two systems.

For more on Horizon Forbidden West, make sure to check out this piece detailing how the game has an entire team of developers dedicated solely to making the game feel alive. And, if you’ve read that, then why not try this piece offering a closer look at the game’s new abilities.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Nintendo is finishing off the year with one last Indie World Showcase with a look forward to 2022. Check out all the delightful, charming indie games coming to the Switch including a JRPG throwback, gorgeous puzzle games, and a critically-acclaimed RPG from a popular designer.

Check below for everything announced at the Nintendo Indie World Showcase for December 2021.

Sea of Stars

A JRPG-inspired prequel to The Messenger. Sea of Stars follows a Lunar Monk and a Solar Blade Dancer as they work together to stop an evil force. Developer Sabotage Studio is promising a deep classic RPG story and a freely traversable world. Plus music from Chrono Trigger composer Yasunori Mitsuda. Coming holiday 2022.

River City Girls 2

A sequel to River City Girls, there are now six playable characters joining the roster. Get ready to fight through new locations in a bigger city, and fight with new moves and techniques in this modern beat 'em up. Coming to Switch in summer 2022.

Omori

Developed and designed by artist Omocat, Omori is set between two strange worlds, each with friends and foes. Play through this story and uncover the mysteries behind your forgotten past. The critically-acclaimed RPG comes to Nintendo Switch in spring 2022.

Allisha - The Oblivion of Twin Goddesses

Taiwanese studios Underscore developed this 3D puzzle game that lets you control twin sisters either solo or in co-op. Aisha and Lisha must work together and exchange clues and operate different devices to help you explore deeper into the mysterious temple. Aliisha - The Oblivion of Twin Goddesses launches in spring 2022.

Loco Motive

From Robust Games, a classic point-and-click adventure game set aboard the Royce Express. When there's a murder, players must solve the mystery as a lawyer, undercover agent, and amateur detective as they work to prove themselves innocent when they become the prime suspects. Coming to Switch in summer 2022.

After Love EP

A modern-day story of music and love. After a young musician named Rama loses his girlfriend, he must work to regain himself in a game that combines a visual novel with a rhythm game. Multiple endings mean you can replay to try and complete your next EP. Coming to Switch in summer 2022.

Dungeon Munchies

A 2D side-scrolling action platformer where you play an undead Necro-Chef named Simmer. Hunt monsters to cook and eat, and then gain their powers. Mix-and-match ingredients to create about 100 dishes which will give you skills to suit your playstyle. Coming to Switch later today.

Figment 2: Creed Valley

In a rhythmic world, play through a human mind that is overcome by nightmares in this musical puzzle-adventure game. The sequel to Figment, players will solve environmental puzzles and face off against symphonic bosses. Coming to Nintendo Switch in February 2022 with a free demo available later today.

Let’s Play! Oink Games

A collection of board games developed by Oink Games. Play investor-themed board game Startups, or as a con artist in A Fake Artist Goes to New York. Oink Games can be played either locally or online and new titles will become available over time. Coming to Nintendo Switch later today.

Endling - Instinction Is Forever

An environmentally conscious game about a fox who navigates a post ecologically devastated Earth. Help your young animal friends avoid human and environmental dangers. As the last mother fox, you have to keep your three cubs alive in a game that blends stealth, survival, and adventure. Hunt other animals and teach your cubs new skills, but not every cub might survive. Coming to Switch in spring 2022.

OlliOlli World

Skateboard your way through trippy cool environments as you skate towards “Gnarvana” where you will battle in rank skates and work up the leaderboards. All in Radlandia. Coming to Nintendo Switch on February 8, 2022, with pre-orders starting later today.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

The critically-acclaimed painting adventure game where you use your painting powers to solve puzzles and help the world is coming to Nintendo Switch later today.

Timelie

A stealth puzzle game that controls like a media player. Use your abilities to see future events and plan your escape accordingly while sneaking past enemies and manipulating time. Timelie and a free demo are coming to the Nintendo Switch later today.

Don't Starve Together

The gothic multiplayer survival game Don't Starve Together lets players work together to unravel the mysteries of "The Constant." Players can try the game for free from December 15 to December 21 and carry over your save when you purchase the full game.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Ubisoft has announced that it has greenlit the development of a remake of its stealth classic, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.

Announced on Ubisoft's website, the remake will be developed by lead studio Ubisoft Toronto, the developers of Splinter Cell: Blacklist. It will be built from the ground up using the Snowdrop engine, which is the tech being used for The Division games, the upcoming Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora game, and Ubisoft's as-yet-untitled Star Wars game.

In an interview posted to the Ubisoft website, producer Matt West said, "I think it kind of has to be a remake as opposed to a remaster. Although we're still in the very earliest stages of development, what we're trying to do is make sure the spirit of the early games remains intact, in all of the ways that gave early Splinter Cell its identity."

Part of keeping that remake true to the series identity is that it will be a linear game, and not open world akin to many other Ubisoft games. As for the gameplay that happens within those linear levels, the emphasis is once again on stealth, not action.

"It’s safe to say a lot of us on the team are stealth purists, and we're behind that level of seriousness when it comes to those kinds of mechanics, and those sorts of things that we want to see in this game," says Chris Auty, Splinter Cell's new creative director. "And we're very, very aware of what makes classic Splinter Cell what it is."

"It’s important for us to preserve the sense of mastery by supporting players who observe the situations, make their plan, use their gadgets, and outsmart the enemy creatively to deal with the challenges they are presented with," he explained. "Ideally, they end up coming out on the other side with no one having realized you were even there. That’s the essence of Splinter Cell."

"The gameplay experience we are targeting is directly tied to what we want players to feel, to capture the essence back when we were all playing the original games," said West.

It's unclear if anyone from the original Splinter Cell team is working on this remake, but technical producer Peter Handrinos says that series veterans are part of the new team. "There are a lot of vets here, so we're going to have a really good mix of people who have worked on previous Splinter Cell games, and new team members who are joining and bringing fresh energy and fresh ideas," he said.

But it looks like this remake could just be the start of Ubisoft's revised efforts on Splinter Cell. "With this remake, we are building a solid base for the future of Splinter Cell," Auty said.

While this is the first 'true' Splinter Cell game for many years, Ubisoft also last year announced that a Splinter Cell VR game is in development. With two Splinter Cell games in active production, it means Sam Fisher's curse of being relegated to a guest star in every other Tom Clancy game, from Ghost Recon to Rainbow Six, seems to be finally over.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.