20 Years of Awesome

Mature, Active, Engaged and Organized gaming with friends.
The last guild you will ever need.

  • Recent SG News

    • SG News Team

      3:50 pm By Slayer
      We Need You! Have writing chops? Want to help your fellow gamers with kick ass reviews or game related guides? We need you to sign up Read More »
    • New Website

      2:55 pm By Slayer
      Well folks, it has taken us long enough, but after a couple of YEARS of waiting we finally have a new site, its pretty basic, but Read More »

Gaming News Feed

Crimson Desert Gets Major Patch Designed for Players Who'd Made Pywel Too Peaceful Because They'd Killed All the Enemies

Crimson Desert developer Pearl Abyss has dropped another major patch for the game, this time adding brand new features designed for endgame players who had cleared out the world of combat.

As IGN has reported, some Crimson Desert players had started to complain that the vast open world of Pywel had become too peaceful because they’d killed everyone. This was because for the most part enemies do not respawn, and camps, which you can overtake, do not become repopulated with enemies once you’ve cleared them out.

Today’s patch changes all that by adding the boss Rematch and Re-blockade features. “We understand that as more regions of the continent were liberated, opportunities for combat naturally became less frequent,” Pearl Abyss said. “So to keep the sense of challenge alive, we've added the Rematch and Re-blockade content. We are continuing to refine these features, and this update serves as the first step by implementing their core, foundational systems. Building upon this base in future patches, we plan to progressively refine the content and craft a deeper world, so we hope you're looking forward to what we have in store.”

Pearl Abyss has added two modes for the Rematch feature, which applies to 69 bosses from the release of the patch: Reminisce, which lets you fight the boss as it was when you first encountered them; and Resonate, which scales the boss’ stats to match your progression.

There are three modes for Re-blockage to adjust its frequency, so you can tweak the probability that enemies will reappear at a stronghold.

Re-blockade Frequency: StableRe-blockades will not occur.Re-blockade Frequency: Conflict (default setting)Re-blockades will occur intermittently.Re-blockade Frequency: WarRe-blockades will occur frequently.

Having these various options should make pretty much all players happy, given you can turn it off completely if you’re not a fan, or crank it all the way up to War if you want constant bloodshed. During the Re-blockade, 13 different factions will carry out re-blockades across 23 forts and quarries. Yes, if you really want to spend hours clearing out Karin Quarry again, you can.

Early reaction to the patch is very positive within the Crimson Desert community. "After beating the main story and all the bosses, I'm hungry for s**t to beat up and kill lol," said one fan. "Now I can actually tackle a bunch of remaining side quests without worrying about locking myself out of Sealed Abyss challenges or having to find them all first," added another. "Yup I’m setting that s**t to War. The combat with regular enemies is imo the best part of the game so I’m definitely itching for more of it," another declared.

Pearl Abyss said it plans to gradually increase the number of participating factions and targeted strongholds in the near future, will adjust the enemies appearing during re-blockades to "pose a much greater threat," and, interestingly, it plans to “improve the overall system of Liberation and Re-blockade.” Could a more complex, strategic mechanic be coming down the line?

That’s not all this patch does. It also adds new legendary creatures that can be kept as Pets, and fixes the issue preventing the summoning of legendary mounts and the issue causing comrade trust to reset following the release of the prior patch.

The patches are still coming thick and fast for Crimson Desert, which is now significantly changed compared to the launch version we got back in March. But if you’re just getting into the game, we recommend you take a look at our guide to Things to Do First in Crimson Desert, plus Things Crimson Desert Doesn’t Tell You. We’ve also got a guide to the Best Early Weapons we recommend picking up, the Best Skills to Get First (including a handy explainer of the skills system), and 34 Essential Tips and Tricks to help you succeed in Pywel.

Patch notes, from the Crimson Desert website, are below.

Crimson Desert update 1.05.00 patch notes:

Content

Added the Rematch content. (This content will be continuously improved through future patches.)The powerful bosses you faced throughout Crimson Desert await your challenge once again. You can now rematch any boss at any time to test your progress and experiment with different tactics to perfect your own combat style.By lighting up your lantern at the site of a previous boss encounter, you can read the Memory Fragment to initiate a rematch.Memory Fragments become active after a boss is defeated.You can locate the Memory Fragments for rematches on both the World Map and minimap.Select "Open Map" from the Knowledge > Memory Fragments > Bosses tab to see exactly where you previously fought a boss.You can attempt a rematch with any character (Kliff, Oongka, Damiane).The Rematch will initially feature two modes and you will be able to have a rematch with 69 bosses starting from this week.ReminisceFight the boss exactly as they were when you first encountered them.ResonateThe boss's stats will scale to match the player's progression. This only applies if the player's stats are higher than the original boss's stats.In Rematch, any consumables used will be restored to their prior state once the battle ends, and no separate loot can be obtained. Please note that this may be changed through future updates.Added the Re-blockade content. (This content will be continuously improved through future patches.)Re-blockades will occur at a set probability for strongholds that meet specific time and condition requirements.Re-blockades are applied after a loading screen occurs, such as after saving and loading, or sleeping in a bed. The Re-blockade offers three modes to adjust its frequency. You can change this via the Re-blockade Frequency option under Settings > Gameplay. (If the Re-blockade Frequency is changed, the new frequency will be applied to the game after all the previously planned Reblockades are initiated.)Re-blockade Frequency: StableRe-blockades will not occur.Re-blockade Frequency: Conflict (default setting) (Edited: 2026/05/02)Re-blockades will occur intermittently.Re-blockade Frequency: WarRe-blockades will occur frequently.During the Re-blockade, 13 different factions will carry out re-blockades across 23 forts and quarries.We plan to gradually increase the number of participating factions and targeted strongholds in the near future.We also plan to adjust the enemies appearing during re-blockades to pose a much greater threat.We also plan to improve the overall system of Liberation and Re-blockade.Added new legendary animals that can be kept as pets: Iron Eagle and Hyacinth Macaw.The Iron Eagle appears upon meeting certain conditions.Added a new creature: Mountain God Boar.The Mountain God Boar appears upon meeting certain conditions.Added a shop that sells disguise items.Added new items to shops. (To prevent spoilers, details are listed in the dropdown menu below.)When wearing the Ring of Lightning after defeating the Titan, you can purchase the Lightning Bolt Plate Boots from Bari's shop.Improved interaction with gold bars placed throughout the world that were previously unobtainable. Picking them up now yields a Crude Gold Bar worth 5 Silver.Added a new location to obtain the Pumpkin Head near pumpkin patches.Added Carry, Lower, and Pet interactions for goose and duck pets.Fixed an issue where housing items automatically retrieved due to Camp Expansion were not displayed in the housing installables UI.Improved crop harvesting in the garden so that you consistently receive a minimum of 2 crops regardless of fertilizer or water supply.Improved the visibility of hints in certain puzzles.Improved the ruins puzzle at the lake near Kharonso so that progress is maintained even after saving and loading or leaving the area.Improved Mission Dispatch to automatically cancel if missions can no longer be sustained.Improved Embed Abyss Gear and Create Socket functions to support locked items.Improved the highlight effect when dyeing outfits to make the dyeable parts clearer.Moved the Abyss Nexus near Zargan Tankworks, where the Research Institute is located, to the top of the cliff. (If you have already activated the Abyss Nexus, it will remain activated after relocation.)Improved the graphics quality of certain animals.Fixed an issue where a comrade's Trust would reset to 10 under certain conditions.Fixed an issue where certain livestock could not be sold or butchered.Fixed an issue where a comrade's status would display as "In Progress" even when they were not on a mission.Fixed an issue where certain knowledge could not be acquired.Fixed several issues regarding specific bosses. (To prevent spoilers, details are listed in the dropdown menu below.)Fixed an issue where Kliff could not customize/dye after defeating Umbra.Fixed an issue where the text would not display properly when reading the Aeserion Gear Blueprint.Fixed revolving doors in certain puzzles reacting to Force Palm.Fixed an issue where the Tesla Coil item would get stuck in the air under certain conditions.Fixed an issue in the Home Decoration mode where moving an object placed on top would also move the object underneath it.Fixed an issue where the drill and chainsaw items could not be equipped in safe zones.Fixed an issue where legendary mounts would die immediately upon being summoned under certain conditions.

Combat and Action

Applied bug fixes and improvements regarding specific bosses. (To prevent spoilers, details are listed in the dropdown menu below.)Fixed an issue with Corrupted Caliburn displaying abnormal attack patterns occasionally during combat.Improved combo fluidity when attacking the Storm Crusher and Thunder Tank bosses.Fixed an issue where the Abyss Nexus would reset upon saving and loading after defeating Abyss Kutum. A warning message will now display if you move out of the combat area during the fight against Ludvig.Fixed an issue where bosses would occasionally not enter a staggered state.Fixed an issue where certain bosses would not take damage from bows and ranged attacks while staggered.Fixed an issue where bosses would endlessly repeat evade animations under certain conditions.Increased the damage reduction rate applied upon a successful guard for all weapon types.Reduced the character's travel distance when using the Force Current skill.Fixed an issue where repeatedly pressing the input for "Escape" would not free the character from immobility when afflicted with the Freeze status effect.Fixed an issue where comboing into the Evasive Shot skill while casting Charged Shot did not work properly.Fixed an issue where Focused Charged Shot could be used even if the skill hadn't been learned.Fixed an issue where Axiom Force would not activate properly when aiming while the character is falling.Fixed an issue where using Healing Force Palm on specific objects would cause the Daze status effect to the player.Fixed an issue where monsters near the Spire of Frost would take cold damage.Fixed an issue where the character would not perform a falling animation when jumping from high places under certain conditions.Fixed an issue where the weapon looked unnatural when using the Weapon Throw skill under certain conditions.Fixed an issue where certain attacks from Walker monsters dealt excessive damage.Fixed an issue where the Visione was worn while holding a weapon under certain conditions.Fixed an issue where the weapon's appearance wouldn't return if the character was swapped after a Weapon Throw.Fixed an issue where the weapon would occasionally bounce in midair when the Crow's Pursuit Abyss Gear was equipped.Fixed an issue where stamina wasn't consumed during flight under certain conditions.Improved the appearance of hostile Marni's mech monsters.Fixed an issue where destructible objects occasionally didn't break when hit by projectiles at a distance.Fixed an issue where the character would bounce unnaturally when falling into a shallow river.Improved interactions on certain merchant NPCs to include Tackle and Carry.[Damiane] Fixed an issue where enemies right next to the character would not take damage when using Piercing Light with a greatsword.[Damiane/Oongka] Fixed an issue where the character would automatically recover upon receiving fatal damage.

Controls

Fixed an issue where controller and keyboard/mouse control presets would reset.Fixed an issue where the Vault skill did not trigger consistently.Pressing the Jump key once during an attack will execute a standard Vault.Pressing the Jump key again during its activation will execute a Double Jump, leaping off the enemy.Separated the interaction keys for Sit and Lean on terrain and objects.Fixed an issue where the 3rd hit of Force Palm would occasionally activate without additional key input after the 2nd hit.[Damiane/Oongka] Improved control responsiveness after using the Throw skill.Fixed an issue where some key inputs were delayed during cutscenes.[Keyboard/Mouse] Fixed an issue where changing quick slot tabs didn't work near interactable targets.Fixed an issue in certain water terrains where repeatedly starting/stopping swimming would lock the player's controls.Fixed an issue where certain controls were disabled at the start of an Unarmed Duel.

UI Fixes & Improvements

Fixed an issue where the displayed chapter name during an autosave or manual save did not match the actual ongoing chapter.Please accept our sincere apologies, and note that save files displaying an incorrect chapter name will only be updated to the correct chapter name after being manually saved again.Improved the Skills menu to directly open the skills screen for the character currently being played.Improved the UI on the Abyss map to intuitively display teleport paths.If a specific object is discovered and registered in Journal - Notifications, you can now select that notification to check its location on the map.Improved the minimap to display owned pets when in the Greymane Camp.Improved Sell and Gift lists to grey out locked items.Added the Cancel key guide to appear during Eavesdrop.Improved the Save menu to display the autosave slot.Added a feature to delete saved data from the Load menu.This feature cannot be used when the Load menu is accessed from the Main Menu.Fixed an issue where the owned quantity of an item displayed in the bottom right of the inventory was abnormal.Fixed an issue where the displayed owned currency differed from the actual amount when loading a save.[Keyboard/Mouse] Fixed an issue where the key guides during Home Decoration looked unnatural.[Keyboard/Mouse] Improved mouse selection for inventory category tabs.Fixed an issue where the Quick Menu list remained open if playing a Memory Fragment failed.Fixed an issue where other tabs could not be selected after scrolling down in Map Details.Fixed an issue where the Preview All feature was unusable in the Pets - Tailor's Shop menu.Fixed an issue where the Stormtalon Ridge Watchtower still showed as blockaded on the map even after being liberated.

Graphics & Settings

[PC] With the implementation of NVIDIA Streamline SDK 2.11.1, the "Dynamic Multi-Frame Generation" option has been added under Settings > Video. (GeForce RTX 50 Series exclusive)[Playstation 5 Base / Xbox Series S,X] Added the "Sharpness Enhancement" option under Settings > Video.[Mac] Fixed rendering errors occurring in certain scenes, including water graphics.Improved rain falling from eaves to look more natural.Fixed an issue where the appearance of the bow and quiver looked unnatural under certain conditions.Improved guides displayed in fullscreen so they can reviewed in Menu > Journal > Notifications.

Stability, Gameplay

[PC] Fixed crashing issues that occurred when configuring options in certain environments.Improved overall stability and fixed several crashes across PC, Mac, and consoles.

Localization

Fixed various localization errors and improved localization quality across all languages.

Others

Fixed an issue where the Golden Fire reward was not granted after defeating Golden Star.Improved the sound of footsteps for certain characters.Improved the sound effects when walking on glass-textured ore veins.Improved the audibility of certain lines during the quest, "Trials of Kindness."Improved lines of certain cutscenes to play more naturally.Improved certain NPC lines, voices, and reactions to be more natural and context-appropriate.Fixed an issue where Aerial Maneuver would not activate after using Axiom Force on Karanda.Fixed an issue where, at times, sound would fail to play when putting down an uprooted tree.Improved the earrings equipped on the character to move more naturally.Fixed an issue where certain outfits would appear unnatural depending on the character's movement.Fixed an issue where characters would shake unnaturally when Kliff was positioned at a certain spot during the chapter 1 quest, "Actions Speak Louder than Words."Fixed unnatural target movement when using a lantern in the Vault of Vengeance.Fixed an issue where Kliff's posture would appear awkward at the beginning of a cutscene while using Blinding Flash.Improved the motions for the memory fragment "Lair of Animal Thieves" to be more natural.Fixed an issue where the game would crash when selecting an item of max refinement level from the Refinement screen.Fixed an issue where the game would be unplayable when loading saved data when death has found the character.Fixed an issue where the title screen would display when purchasing 2 horses at the stable.Fixed an issue where, at times, the character couldn't ride the Icicle Edge Alpine Ibex.[Kliff] Fixed an issue where the character's movement would appear awkward in certain outfits.[Damiane] Improved the character's movement to be more natural in the Elegant Carmine Plate Helm.[Damiane] Fixed an issue where the character would temporarily move up and down in preview mode at a barber or tailor's shop.[Damiane] Fixed an issue where the character's cloak would vanish while using Axiom Force midair.[Damiane] Fixed an issue where performing a heavy attack with the Laser Cannon Spear or the Kuku Laser Cannon Spear would pierce through enemies.[Damiane/Oongka] Changed the skill description of Double Jump.[Damiane/Oongka] Fixed an issue where the character would spawn at an abnormal location when escaping from certain terrain.[Oongka] Fixed an issue where certain hairstyles would appear awkward.[Oongka] Fixed an issue where equipment that shouldn't display would show during Duo.Fixed an issue where the outfits of certain monsters would appear awkward.Fixed an issue where, at times, the previously equipped weapon would disappear when equipping a weapon.Fixed an issue where the weapon's appearance would vanish under certain conditions.Fixed an issue where certain NPCs would look unnatural.Changed the appearance of some packs.Fixed an issue where the appearance would abnormally overlap when equipping certain cloaks and two-handed swords.Fixed an issue where the character couldn't catch creatures storable in the inventory such as insects, mammals, and rodents while sitting.Improved the Open/Close interaction buttons for windows to appear more quickly when climbing walls.Improved the dye to be more natural for the Blackwing Mask.Fixed an issue where the "Cancel" button wouldn't work properly when selecting the difficulty at the start of the game.Fixed an issue where an unequipped equipment would display from the Refinement - Equipped menu.Fixed an issue where, at times, failing to cheat at a minigame in certain regions would either not teleport the character to the constabulary or move the character to the constabulary of another region.Fixed an issue where the character couldn't play Duo when transferred to prison from committing a crime during an archery contest.Fixed an issue where the comrade wouldn't return after being dispatched on a mission to Azerian's manor.Improved comrades to return properly after completing a mission in progress.Fixed an issue where, at times, items wouldn't display properly at Patrigio's Secret Shop.Fixed an issue where the "Examine" screen wouldn't close underwater when the mount dies while using the "Examine" option while on the mount.Fixed an issue where you couldn't change the material when dying certain items.Fixed an issue where Kliff as a comrade wouldn't stay dead when using the "Load" option after being critically wounded.Fixed an issue where the striped marlin on the character's back would either disappear or fall to the ground when using a shop.Fixed an issue where the part of the A.T.A.G. that couldn't be dyed would appear in the dye menu.Fixed an issue where the camera would move awkwardly when controlling a strongbox placed at a specific spot.Fixed an issue where the Skybridge Alignment Device could be grabbed with Axiom Force even when incomplete.Fixed an issue where the character would keep rotating automatically when entering the dye or customization menu when closing it while the character rotates.Fixed an issue where the dye wouldn't apply to headgear and cloaks with the "Display Headgear" option on during customization.Fixed an issue where the headgear would appear abnormal when discarding certain headgear.Fixed an issue where certain displayed knowledge wouldn't match the actual name.Fixed an issue where the turbine breaker would reset after liberating Marni's Drilling Rig.Fixed an issue where enemies in the area wouldn't disappear after purifying the Sanctum of Penitence.Fixed an issue where geese would abnormally appear from under the water.Fixed an issue where certain NPCs would be placed in awkward spots in Pailune.Fixed an issue where you couldn't interact with Grimmick due to a cow being in the same spot.Fixed an issue where the character could climb up to the top of a door or gate.Fixed an issue where the character could climb up to the top of the Sotdae of Bond.Fixed an issue where animals would die because of Abyss Grass in certain areas.Fixed various other in-game issues.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Tech Experts Say The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Still Suffers From Issues That Plagued It at Launch

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, without a patch on PC since July 2025, still suffers from issues that plagued it at launch, including worsening performance the more you play.

In May last year, the tech experts at Digital Foundry said The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered suffered from significant performance problems, including hitches while roaming the open world, frame-rate problems, and even performance degrading slowly with more playing time, potentially due to a memory leak.

Now, a year after the game’s release, Digital Foundry has revisited Oblivion Remastered to check in on how it performs, and found many of the same issues.

“As you may have noticed, the game hasn't been patched on PC since its 1.2 update arrived in July 2025 - a very short post-launch support window, given that the game was only released in late April the same year,” Digital Foundry said. “Unfortunately, that abandonment means that the game remains in a state that could be described as anywhere from ‘annoying’ to ‘practically unplayable,’ depending on your appetite for persistent hitches and stutters, crashing and other profound technical woes.

“It's hard to look beyond the initial design phase when it comes to apportioning blame, which sandwiched the original game's architecture within an Unreal Engine 5 front-end. Both of these elements are notoriously CPU and GPU heavy, so the combination presents with extremely poor frame-time stability that gets worse the longer you play. Still, the lack of updates suggest that Bethesda didn't feel like meaningful improvements were possible, and not even making the attempt feels even worse.”

It’s yet another damning assessment of Oblivion Remastered, which has a ‘mostly positive’ Steam user review rating for all reviews, but a ‘mixed’ user review rating for recent reviews. “Abandonware,” declared one negative review left in April. “There are still glaring bugs and performance issues. They updated twice after release and now we are getting close to one year without anything.”

“Whatever update they did last ruined the performance for me,” said another disgruntled player. “The game even lags on the main menu, when previously I was able to play the game at an acceptable level. Unfortunately I can't get a refund with over 100 hours played. Game's abandoned.”

Oblivion Remastered, overall, seems like a big success for Bethesda, which contracted Virtuos to help remake its much-loved role-playing game using Unreal Engine 5. It’s seen over 9 million players, and Bethesda development chief Todd Howard told IGN in December that the studio was “really, really pleased with how well it did.” So it seems somewhat odd that the game hasn’t seen an update since July 2025.

Digital Foundry suggests the release of the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 version of Oblivion Remastered may be the time for an update for all versions. It's due out at some point in 2026.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Crimson Desert Player Takes a Dragon Ride Out of Bounds, Discovers Previously Unseen Parts of Pywel

An intrepid Crimson Desert player has ventured far out of bounds and discovered a deserted but fully functional village. No-one knows what the village is for, but some are speculating it may be cut content, or even hint at a location for DLC.

Pearl Abyss’ smash hit single-player open world game has an enormous map to explore, and for some who have put hundreds of hours into it already, that journey is over. But for a Crimson Desert player known as Riskbreaker, that was not enough.

As shown in a clip on the Crimson Desert subreddit, below, Riskbreaker headed north on the back of a dragon and went out of bounds. Far north of Pailune, they found, is a fully functional, snow-drenched village.

I found an entire unused village hidden behind a mountain while exploring out of bounds
by u/RazielOfBoletaria in CrimsonDesert .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }

Riskbreaker visited the village a few times to get a decent look around, using Photo Mode to pause time and move the camera about. The village is deserted, but there are objects, many of which you’d find in a normal Crimson Desert village. For example, there is a notice board where you’d normally pick up bounties. There are even items and chests. Riskbreaker speculates this village was meant to make it into the final game but was cut.

This village is far, far north of Pailune, so you do need a dragon — on a timer of its own — to get there. Riskbreaker said it takes about two and a half minutes as the crow — or dragon — flies to reach the village. The normal out of bounds timer kicks in, of course, but Riskbreaker was able to find what they call “reset points” along the route that for some reason stopped and started the timer, enabling a journey farther than you’d expect. Riskbreaker detailed the journey in a YouTube video.

Frustratingly, there doesn’t appear to be one of Riskbreaker's reset points near the village, so by the time they land, there are only a handful of seconds left on the out of bounds timer to explore. The village looks close to finished, although there are a few objects floating around. And, of course, there are no NPCs.

The amount of trial and error it will have taken to find this village is immense, given the out of bounds timer that restricts normal exploration. It turns out there are a number of points of interest, including forts, camps, and watchtowers, out of the normal bounds of Pywel, but this village is of most interest because of how far away it is, and how tricky it is to reach. From what I can tell, this is the first time it has been reached, or at least, the first time its discovery has surfaced within the Crimson Desert community.

Perhaps the most impressive moment in the video is when Riskbreaker leaps off their dragon and flies through the air to a house up on a hill, just a tad farther north of the village. There is a shrine. What could it have been for? It’s almost impossible to find out more, given there are only a few seconds left by the time they land.

As the community fusses over Riskbreaker's mysterious village, another out of bounds oddity has emerged. There is a question mark, indicating… something of interest, that’s popping up far out of bounds to the east. This has puzzled players who have found the question mark on their in-game maps. Riskbreaker suggests this is likely a bug, as the east side of the desert is the end of the continent, and there's nothing further to the east, only water.

Comment
by u/Fearless_Ride5592 from discussion
in CrimsonDesert .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }

Still, there’s an entire inaccessible named part of the map, called Sunbaked Peaks, to the east of Varnia. Could it be the place for DLC?

“Most of the unused land is actually on the west and north sides of the map, so I'd assume that's where a potential DLC would take place,” countered Riskbreaker, bringing their experience exploring the game to bear. Sunbaked Peak is only a “small extension of the desert, and if you go around it, there's only a fort on the side facing Varnia, and another one on the north side of the island, while the rest is just rocks and a few trees.” So perhaps this hidden village is indeed a clue to DLC.

But will Crimson Desert get DLC? In March, after the game’s sales success had become evident but sentiment was still mixed, Pearl Abyss CEO Heo Jin-young said updates were the focus. “While it is good to see sales driven by expansion packs, I believe there are games that generate revenue by increasing sales of the base game as content expands,” he said. “I want to make strategic decisions that ensure the base game of Crimson Desert sells well.”

Given Crimson Desert has now sold over 5 million copies — enough to spark a $3,400 bonus for all staff — perhaps DLC is inevitable.

Image credit: Riskbreaker / YouTube.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Pragmata Community Comforts a Dad Who Shared That Diana Reminds Him of His Late Daughter

The Capcom community is getting misty-eyed after one fan shared how Pragmata reminded him of his late daughter.

The subreddit for Capcom's new third-person sci-fi action game has been home to hundreds of messages from fans since it was announced in 2020. However, it's 55-year-old gamer TheRealDuke777's post from just five days ago that has rocketed to the top of its all-time list, and it's easy to see why.

The post introduces readers to McKenzie Erin, his daughter who passed away at 8 years old in 2009. Placed atop side-by-side images comparing her to Pragmata's Diana is a simple title: "Missing My Little Girl."

Missing My Little Girl
by u/TheRealDuke777 in Pragmata .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }

"She’s forever eight," TheRealDuke777 said. "This is her in the picture above."

In a separate post, he explained that McKenzie had seizures and atrial tachycardia starting at just 11 months old, which then developed into Super Ventricular Tachycardia (SVT), a condition that causes the heart to beat faster than normal, after she turned 8. One day while playing outside, she passed out and had a seizure, and then was flown to a children's hospital. She was pronounced with no brain activity on her sixth day in the hospital.

"We never get over losing a child or someone THAT close to us," he said. "We just learn to get through it. We get through it every single day over and over again. Some days are easier, especially with time. Some days take me back to that time."

After last playing video games in college three decades ago, he says he fell back in love with gaming in February 2024 thanks to the efforts of his 9-year-old daughter, Ella. What began with Fortnite eventually blossomed into Hogwarts Legacy and the Red Dead Redemption series. They're experiences that he says "helped me get through a lot in life," but Pragmata is one game that he's had in the back of his mind for some time.

"When I watched some videos of PRAGMATA, Ella said, 'Daddy, she reminds me of pictures of McKenzie. I wonder if Diana is like McKenzie?'" TheRealDuke777 added. "So I purchased the whole bundle and we started playing it."

Diana is an android sidekick with hacking abilities who accompanies Earth's Hugh Williams throughout the events of Pragmata. If you couldn't tell from the previously shared pictures, she also happens to look a lot like McKenzie, but TheRealDuke777 said the similarities don't stop there. Now, after playing through what he estimates to be about 30% of the story, he said Pragmata has allowed him to spend more time with Ella, too.

"Diana is very much like both my daughters," he continued. "Maybe I got a little bit teary eyed. Maybe… I absolutely love this game and the time Ella spends with me. PRAGMATA is Therapeutic for my soul."

Comment
by u/TheRealDuke777 from discussion
in Pragmata .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }

Replies to the post have been filled with hundreds of comments from fans sharing their condolences. Some even took to the replies section to share their own memories of loved ones they've lost. Even game director Cho Yong-hee acknowledged and replied to the story after the post made its way to X/Twitter.

Pragmata launches for PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S April 17, 2026. We gave it an 8/10 in our review.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Battlefield 6 Players Divided After EA Opens the Door to Battle Pass Pre-Orders

Battlefield 6 fans are divided after they noticed that publisher EA and developer Battlefield Studios added an option to pre-order the Season 3 battle pass almost two weeks before its launch.

Confusion began when one player shared a screenshot of their findings on Reddit. The clear-cut image shared shows an in-game "Next Season Preorder" page, offering two pre-purchase options: one for the standard battle pass and one for the Battlefield Pro version.

IGN can confirm the in-game addition, with Battlefield 6 players now able to purchase the Season 3 pass by simply following the button prompt on the bottom-left side of the battle pass screen. The original Reddit post, however, seems to be a bit out of date, as an updated version of the page shows the Battlefield Pro package is available for $25 instead of the previously shown 500 Battlefield Coins. The standard pass can be purchased for 1,100 Coins, or about $9.99.

The option to pre-order battle passes in Battlefield 6 marks a slight change in monetization strategy that allows players to lock in for Season 3 ahead of its expected May 12 release date. Those who commit to either pass early unlock rewards, such as the Verdant L110 Weapon Package for the standard battle pass, or a collection of two weapon packs for the Pro version.

Battlefield 6 players aren't sure what to make of the post-launch battle pass pre-order option, mostly because it's not exactly a common practice in the gaming space. Many have already pointed out that Call of Duty, which has come under fire for aggressive monetization tactics in the past, has strayed from implementing such an option.

However, Apex Legends, which is also published by EA, has previously opened the door to pre-orders for battle passes. The primary point of contention here, though, is that EA and BF Studios have yet to announce what exactly is included in the Season 3 battle pass, while others comment on the fact that the publisher won't have limited stock for a digital content pass.

Comment
by u/Different-Poetry9973 from discussion
in Battlefield .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }

"Not even [Call of Duty] does it," one Reddit user said.

"Hey guys!" another on Reddit replied. "Look you'll be able to buy passes for the pass that gets you the battle pass."

While some argue against allowing EA to push for battle passes that can be pre-ordered, others have already committed to Season 3. Battlefield 6 battle passes typically grant premium pass holders enough coins to purchase the following pass, making the option of an early purchase (plus some goodies) easier for a select group of players.

"It's weird but I don't see it as a big issue that you're trying to make it out to be," one player replied.

"I finished [Season 2]," someone else said. "I have 1100 [Battlefield Coins] sitting there. Why wouldn’t I do this lol."

The introduction of Battlefield 6 battle pass pre-orders coincides with the impending launch of Season 3. As detailed in a preview event attended by IGN in April, the next content drop, as well as what has been promised for Seasons 4 and 5, will help determine the future of EA's military FPS franchise.

While we wait to see how Season 3 will play out, you can read about how BF Studios plans to continue tackling community feedback in the near future. You can also check out why some players suspect Season 5 will include a Las Vegas multiplayer map.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Primary Portal Games

World of Warcraft

Sturmgrenadier is more organised, more active, and more structured than most guilds you would come across in WoW. We believe this gives us a distinct advantage in being the best guild we can be for our members, because everyone knows where they stand, and are treated equally. Players with negative attitudes will not be tolerated. That means that there is no epeen measuring, no belittling of other players, and no trolling.

 

EVE

EVE Online is Sturmgrenadier’s longest-played game, with over 16 years of continuous influence throughout New Eden. Traditional hallmarks of our gaming syndicate; organization and leadership, have propelled our in-game history to include participation in many of the defining moments of EvE gameplay.

New World

New World is an upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing video game by Amazon Game Studios set to release in May 2020. Set in the mid-1600s, players colonize a fictional land modeled after British America in the Atlantic Ocean. Players scavenge resources, craft items, and fight other players.

Other Games we PLay

Supporting our Streamers

Find out more, Join Today!