Rainbow Six Siege: High Calibre and New Operator Thorn Full Season Breakdown

Ubisoft has fully revealed High Calibre, the fourth season of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Year 6 that will not only add a new Operator in the defender Brianna “Thorn” Skehan and her Razorbloom Shell gadget, but also a rework of Outback, greater customization, new team colors, and more.

High Calibre Season, Thorn, and the new Battle Pass featuring a new exotic weapon skin will all be available November 30. To help give you a headstart on becoming the best Thorn you can be, we’ve enlisted the help of Rainbow Six Siege professional player and TSM FTX member Jason “Beaulo” Doty to share some of the best tips for using this new Defender.

Thorn and Her Razorbloom Shells Can Be a Big Problem For Attackers

While Thorn’s loadout includes a UZK50GI SMG, a Deployable Shield, and Barbed Wire, her Razorbloom Shells are the star of her arsenal. These shells can be thrown by Thorn and will stick to any surface it hits. After it detects an opponent, it “automatically propels a set of sharp blades in all directions, delivering lethal damage.” According to Beaulo, these are “proximity mines on steroids” that will strike fear into your opponents.

“Thorn’s main thing is her Razorbloom Shells which, in my eyes, are like beefed-up proximity mines or proximity mines on steroids because it alerts you to an enemy’s presence and it puts fear and this sense of danger into the attacker,” Beaulo said.

“To get the most bang for your buck out of Thorn’s Razorbloom Shells, probably put them in choke points, maybe right before they get to the site,” Beaulo continued. “If it comes down to the last minute execution on the attackers side, it really kind of speeds them up or slows them down and makes them a little bit clumsy and better positioned for you to react off of it.”

Despite Beaulo stating that these Razorbloom Shells aren’t “meta changing,” as there are other proximity mine-type gadgets in Rainbow Six Siege already, the flexibility that comes from the ability to throw them on higher or lower surfaces that would be otherwise unreachable sets them apart.

“Thorn is a little more versatile in the sense of a trap operator, because you can actually throw the gadget, you can throw it up high on the ceiling, you can throw it at the very bottom at the ground on the low end of the staircase, whatever it may be,” Beaulo said.

“I think it’s really good because if an attacker is about to challenge you at an angle and then all of a sudden they know their life is in danger, they are going to have to look at the ceiling or the bottom, completely away from head-level of where Thorn is probably going to be swinging,” Beaulo explained. “So, distracting the attacker to look away from you or divert their crosshair placement from your head is pretty impactful.”

Beaulo continued by sharing that Thorn can really be an asset to the Defenders during late-round play when the Attackers aren’t checking their surroundings as thoroughly as they would in earlier rounds.

“The real opportunities that Thorn can capitalize on and really benefit from are in the late-round, whenever the attackers get a little bit lazy,” Beaulo said. “They’ve done all the work in the pre-round and mid-round, and when it gets to the execution of the late-round, they might not be checking every single corner, they might not be checking every nook and cranny, so there are definitely going to be mistakes had on the attackers in the dying seconds of the round, and I think that’s where it’s going to really benefit the overall Defenders.”

While Thorn can be a… well… thorn in the side of the Attackers, Beaulo says she can also be countered relatively easily by most players who are cautious enough to look out for her Razorbloom Shells. Since Attackers have access to a drone, they have the ability to find Thorn’s gadget hiding around the map and alert their teammates to their location. This obviously adds another layer to an Attackers plan, but it’s an important one if Thorn is in play.

Beaulo also believes that Thorn is a great Operator for new players and veterans alike, as she has a “low-risk, high-reward” style of gameplay. Additionally, since her loadout includes a shield, barbed wire, and good guns, it makes it a good choice for those looking to learn the ropes of Rainbow Six Siege. For veterans, this variety of equipment will undoubtedly prove useful in many situations.

For those looking to learn a bit more about Thorn, Ubisoft has revealed that she was born in County Kildare, Ireland on June 18, 1993, and grew up on a farm that was known for both horse racing and military training. While most of her family members joined the military when they became of age, she chose to become part of the mounted division of Ireland’s national police force - the Garda Síochána - after one of her brothers led criminals to her family’s farm who ended up burning a stable to the ground, killing the champion horses inside. She quickly rose the ranks of the division and earned a spot at Garda’s elite tactical branch. One of her big achievements was redesigning the unit’s obstacle course, a move that would grab the attention of Caveira who, “upon barely completing the training exclaimed with exhaustion, ‘You want a job?’”

Rainbow Six Siege’s High Calibre Changes and New Features

As previously stated, High Calibre adds a bunch of new changes and new features to Rainbow Six Siege, including a rework of Outback that looks to improve balancing and player comfort. Alongside changing the main building and its exterior to help Attackers better strategize their assaults, there have also been soft walls added to the building and other areas have been cleaned up to “provide better lines of sight and balance.”

Test Servers are also getting a bit of a change and will now only be open at three times throughout a season. These three times will be labeled as Seasons Release, Lab Release, and Balancing Release. Season will contain content set to ship in the upcoming season, Lab will contain experimental content that the Rainbow Six Siege team will offer to players to gain feedback on features that are in development, and Balancing will test out Operator and other balancing changes.

Team Colors are changing from blue and orange to red and blue to “bring consistency to the UI and improve onboarding for newcomers.” While red and blue will be the new default, this can still be changed in the Accessibility section of the Options menu to any combination of red, blue, or orange. Teams will also now be referred to as “Your Team” and “Opponents” instead of “Blue Team” and “Orange Team.”

Customization is also taking center stage in Year Six, Season 4 and will let players customize their Operator’s abilities in their Loadout, view customization options in the Operators section for any character, customize their Operator Cards, and much more. There will also be new Exotic weapon skins that have a 3D effect and can be earned through Battle Pass progression.

As with most new seasons, certain Operators will see their price decreased, including Nomad, Kaid, Kali, Wamai, and Aruni. There will also be a ton of new player comfort and balancing changes, and one of them involves a Bulletproof Camera Rework that lets Defenders “rotate the Bulletproof Camera and use it to fire EMP bursts that disable opponent devices.”

As a reminder, you can unlock Thorn instantly with the premium Battle Pass available on the High Calibre season launch on November 30.

The State of PlayStation Studios

PlayStation Studios has been busy as the PlayStation 5 closes out its first year Throughout 2021, Sony’s collection of worldwide development teams has continued to turn out acclaimed hits, reinvigorate old franchises, and expand with a host of acquisitions and first-party publishing partnerships. Let’s check in on the state of PlayStation’s First-Party Studios.

Before we jump in, a few notes. First off, we’ll be focusing on PlayStation first-party studios only. So we won’t be talking about studios developing third-party console exclusives or third-party partnerships. Hey, we didn’t cover Housemarque for this very reason the last time around, and since then they’ve been acquired by PlayStation, so never say never.

Bend Studio

Last game published: Bend’s last published game was 2019’s Days Gone, an open world, motorcycle-riding adventure through the Pacific Northwest in which players starred as Deacon St. John fighting against hordes of Freakers. Bend continued to support Days Gone after launch with technical patches and some content updates, including a series of challenges for players to test their Freaker-fighting mettle against.

Current game in development: Though reports and tweets from past employees suggest a Days Gone 2 was pitched, that particular world is currently not what the team has in the works. Instead, Bend announced earlier this year that it is developing a brand new IP, also shooting down rumors that we might be seeing a return to the world of its acclaimed Syphon Filter series. No exact details are known on said new IP just yet, though PlayStation Studios Head Hermen Hulst did previously say Bend would be “building on the deep open-world systems that they developed with Days Gone.”

Bluepoint Games

Last game published: As of press time, Bluepoint is PlayStation Studios’ newest acquisition, with no games published post acquisition, but Bluepoint and PlayStation’s history goes back years. The studio made a name for itself with PlayStation remasters for Uncharted and more. It then transitioned into remakes, tackling beloved PlayStation hits like Shadow of the Colossus on PS4 and, most recently, Demon’s Souls on PS5.

post-acquisition Bluepoint hasn’t announced official details of its next game. But speaking to IGN at the time of the acquisition announcement, Bluepoint president Marco Thrush indicated the team wants to work on original content moving forward, meaning we shouldn’t expect a remake next from the studio, as much as it’s proven itself in that space.

Firesprite Games

Last game published: Firesprite Games is another very recent acquisition of PlayStation’s, and the studio hasn’t technically published a game as just yet. Firesprite also has a lengthy history with PlayStation, most recently developing the PSVR title The Persistence VR, as well as previously having collaborated with PlayStation on The Playroom and The Playroom VR on the PS4, and Run Sackboy! Run!

The studio’s lineage with PlayStation goes back even further though. It was originally formed in 2012 by former employees of Sony’s now-shuttered Liverpool Studio, the home of the Wipeout racing franchise.

Current game in development: We don’t quite know what Firesprite will specifically be developing for PlayStation, but this acquisition is one to keep an eye on - it’s a huge studio of more than 250 employees who, according to Hermen Hulst in an interview with with gamesindustry.biz, will be working on their own projects as a first-party studio, rather than supporting the games of others like they have in the past. Prior to joining the first party stable, Firesprite was hiring for two games, including a “game-changing huge multiplayer shooter and an ambitious dark narrative blockbuster,” as well as Star Citizen: Theaters of War, but Sony has not commented on what, if any, of those projects will remain in development.

Guerrilla Games

Last game published: Guerrilla Games last published the first entry in its new acclaimed series, Horizon Zero Dawn, in 2017. It followed it up with a DLC expansion, The Frozen Wilds, as well as a PC port of Zero Dawn in 2020. Zero Dawn went on to sell over 10 million copies, and has seen spinoffs in the world of comic books and video games.

Current game in development: Confirmed last year, Guerrilla Games has been hard at work on Horizon Forbidden West, which is currently set for a debut on PS4 and PS5 on February 18, 2022. Originally planned to launch in 2021, Forbidden West was delayed to give the developers more time and balance in bringing Aloy’s adventures out west to life, though since its reveal we’ve seen a large chunk of gameplay showcasing some of the sequel’s new additions. And though not officially announced, Guerrilla in recent years has been hiring for roles with multiplayer experience. Game director Simon Larouche, who previously left Guerrilla to work on Rainbow Six at Ubisoft and has since rejoined, also listed an unannounced title as their current project on their Linkedin Profile. Guerrilla’s continued success with Horizon has cemented it as one of PlayStation’s most exciting studios.

Housemarque

Last game published: Another acquisition this year by PlayStation, Housemarque hasn’t officially published a game for its new publisher, but what’s a few months between new coworkers? Published by PlayStation Studios and developed in tandem with Sony’s XDEV studio, Returnal is Housemarque’s biggest game to date. The studio known for its series of isometric or sidescrolling arcade shooters took the lessons of the genre and applied them to one of the most popular genres around - the roguelike - to create a timelooping, alien-hunting PS5 exclusive. Setting players on a course through the alien world of Atropos as the human astronaut Selene, Returnal lets players uncover its dark, fascinating plot on repeat visits through the planet's distinct biomes, while testing out a host of alien weapons and power-ups.

Current game in development: Housemarque hasn’t announced its follow-up to Returnal, though the game certainly marked a new era of ambition for what the studio could achieve. At the time of the acquisition, Housemarque’s co-founder and managing director said the team was taking a well-deserved break before jumping into anything new. More recently, it seems that Housemarque could be teasing Returnal DLC

Insomniac Games

Last game published: Insomniac has been putting in work since the start of the PS5’s lifecycle. The studio, which PlayStation officially acquired in 2019 after generations of partnership, launched Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PS4 and PS5, as well as Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered for PS5 on the PS5’s launch day.

As if that weren’t enough, earlier this year Insomniac revived its beloved platformer series with the PS5 exclusive Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, a beautiful, charming, and fun showcase for the PlayStation 5.

Current game in development: Insomniac isn’t taking it easy after all that, though. While we wouldn’t be surprised if the studio has more of its sleeves, for now, we know to expect Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 in 2023, which will bring Miles and Peter together and introduce Venom to the series. And for even more Marvel, Insomniac is working on a full-sized, mature-in-tone adventure featuring another beloved character with Marvel’s Wolverine.

London Studio

Last game published: London Studio’s last outing was the PSVR hit Blood & Truth, which captured all the trappings of a blockbuster action movie and put players right in the midst of it, with wonderful use of PlayStation’s VR headset. The studio also supported it with post-launch challenges for players to test their mettle.

Current game in development: London Studio has been relatively quiet since Blood & Truth’s release, though we certainly hope it’ll put what it learned on PSVR to good use with whatever PlayStation’s next-gen VR headset turns out to be. Behind-the-scenes, the studio appointed two new co-studio heads earlier in 2021, Tara Saunders and Stuart Whyte, but their appointment didn’t offer many details on what’s next. Other than Saunders teasing that their next project “has HUGE potential”

Malaysia Studio

The Malaysia Studio is one you may not have heard of yet, and there’s a pretty understandable reason - it’s one of Sony’s newest studios, and hasn't been discussed much. Announced in 2019 to open in 2020, Malaysia was opened to provide art and animation for Worldwide Studios’ portfolio, and more recent job listings indicated the studio was working on a “well-known and well-loved” PlayStation franchise.

Media Molecule

Last game published: Media Molecule has had its hands full for a little while with its ambitious game-music-movie-whatever-you-want creation suite Dreams. Announced early in the life of the PS4, Dreams stayed in development for quite some time before finally seeing the light of day in 2020. And since then, Media Molecule has continued to support the game with new updates and, just as importantly, support the community with regular spotlights and events like the now annual Impy Awards and DreamsCom.

Current game in development: Dreams continues to be Media Molecule’s future, at least as far as we can tell, and its in-house developers are continuing to make games within Dreams. During DreamsCom, TREN and Ancient Dangers: A Bat’s Tale were announced under the MM Originals banner, indicating the studio’s continued commitment to making games in its highly elastic Dreams system.

Naughty Dog

Last game published: Naughty Dog brought the PS3 generation to a close with The Last of Us, and similarly marked the end of the PS4 with the Last of Us Part II in the summer of 2020. It capped a run of several big successes on the PS4 for Naughty Dog, including Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.

Current game in development: Speaking of those two Uncharted entries, they’re set to be remastered for a PC and PS5 release in 2022, packaged up as the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. Naughty Dog hasn’t officially announced any other projects just yet, but we do know it’s working on some sort of multiplayer game, which many have been looking forward to ever since plans for a Factions follow-up did not come to fruition for The Last of Us Part 2’s release. And hopefully that wait won’t be too long.

Nixxes Software

Last game published: Nixxes Software is another of PlayStation’s recent acquisitions, so the studio hasn’t technically published anything while under the PlayStation first-party banner. The studio has most recently been working with Square Enix on titles such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Marvel’s Avengers.

Current game in development: Like the Malaysia Studio, it seems that Nixxes will be acting as support to other PlayStation studios. PlayStation Studios Head Hermen Hulst said “Nixxes will be a strong asset for everyone across PlayStation Studios, helping our teams focus on their most important goal, which is to create unique PlayStation content at the best possible quality.” Nixxes has also, in particular, been part of the PC porting and optimization work done for Square Enix’s games, leading many to assume the team may help in further bringing PlayStation games to PC. However, no official projects have yet been announced.

Pixelopus

Last game published: Pixelopus is one of the smallest teams in the PlayStation stable, and most recently made Concrete Genie for the PS4, which allowed players bring its world to life no matter their artistic acumen with an imaginative drawing mechanic.

Current game in development: Pixelopus is working on a new project for the PS5, though we don’t know exactly what it will be. According to recent job listings, we know it will use both the studio’s own engine technology and Unreal Engine 5, and will also be made in collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation, the company behind Oscar-winning hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the Hotel Transylvania franchise, and The Mitchells Vs. the Machines.

Polyphony Digital

Last game published: Polyphony is, of course, the home of Gran Turismo, and most recently released Gran Turismo Sport on the PS4, which saw updates long after its initial launch.

Current game in development: While Sport was the only entry in the series on PS4 so far, Polyphony is hitting the racetracks again soon with Gran Turismo 7, which is set to come to both PS4 and PS5 on March 4, 2022.

San Diego Studio

Last game published: San Diego Studio’s most recent game was the latest in its annual baseball franchise, MLB: The Show ‘21, which marked the first time the franchise was available on non-PlayStation consoles through a new MLB publishing deal that saw it also hit Xbox One and Xbox Series.

Current game in development: This may come as a shock, but though it’s not announced, we’re expecting San Diego Studio to...continue working on MLB: The Show. Presumably, next year’s entry will be multiplatform as well.

Santa Monica Studio

Last game published: Sony Santa Monica Studio last released 2018’s God of War, IGN’s Game of the Year winner that marked the return of a longstanding PlayStation series with a new spin.

Current game in development: Santa Monica Studio is next working on God of War: Ragnarok, the sequel to 2018’s revival and also the closure of the Norse mythology story established in that game. New director Eric Williams, who has been with the series for years, has taken the helm, and players can look forward to Ragnarok coming in 2022 on PS4 and PS5. According to job listings, Santa Monica Studio may have a second project in the works, but no official details have been revealed.

Sucker Punch Productions

Last game published: After kicking off the PS4 generation with Infamous: Second Son, Sucker Punch ended it with its acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima. Since its launch in 2020, the studio surprised players with a multiplayer component, Legends, which has since become available as a standalone game, and released Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut for PS4 and PS5, which included a new expansion set on Iki Island.

Current game in development: Sucker Punch hasn’t revealed what’s to come next from the studio famous for Sly Cooper, Infamous, and now Ghost. But considering a Ghost of Tsushima movie is in the works, and the incredible sales success of this new franchise, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a return to the world of Jin Sakai.

Team Asobi

Last game published: Sony effectively shuttered its famous Sony Japan Studio, itself containing several teams working across a number of different projects throughout the PS4’s life. That restructuring led to Team Asobi becoming the sole focus of what was once Japan Studio, and that team most recently released the PS5 free pack-in, and still best showcase for the ingenuity of the DualSense, Astro’s Playroom.

Current game in development: Team Asobi is working on new projects, though we don’t know exactly what just yet. But as with other PlayStation studios, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it continue the adventures of Astro, and not just because his head is part of the company’s logo. Playroom continues to define the potential of the DualSense’s haptics, and we can’t wait to see what the studio does next, either in Astro’s world or a new one entirely. Also, Sony, if you want to give Team Asobi the keys to Ape Escape, I won’t complain.

XDev

Last game published: XDev is a unique studio within the PlayStation portfolio, as it works as a collaborative team with non-PlayStation-owned studios to develop exclusives. Most recently, the team collaborated with Sumo Digital on Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Lucid Games on Destruction AllStars, and the now-first-party Housemarque on Returnal.

Current game in development: XDev hasn’t announced any new collaborations just yet, but earlier in 2021 job listings pointed to producer roles being hired for XDev to work on AAA games with partners, so expect to hear more soon enough.

Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior Features Editor, PlayStation Lead, and host of Podcast Beyond! He's the proud dog father of a BOY named Loki. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Metroid Dread Developer Now Working on a Dark Fantasy RPG

Metroid Dread developer MercurySteam is currently working on a third-person action RPG that will be set in a dark fantasy world, and has partnered with Control publisher 505 Games to make it.

505's parent company, Digital Bros released a press release announcing that MercurySteam's next game is codenamed Project Iron – a third-person action RPG set for release on PC and consoles. While the company hasn't commented on a potential release window for the game, it does note that the project's initial investment amounts to 27 million euros (or around 30 million dollars).

Elsewhere in the announcement, it is stated that Project Iron's IP is co-owned by MercurySteam and Digital Bros. While very few details have emerged about the project so far, it looks like it should be in safe hands given MercurySteam's wealth of experience. Prior to developing Metroid Dread, the company also worked on titles such as Metroid: Samus Returns and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

“We are thrilled to work with the team at MercurySteam, a proven studio that over the years has created
numerous phenomenal IPs – including the recent hit release Metroid Dread in partnership with Nintendo,”
explained co-CEOs of Digital Bros. Group Raffi and Rami Galante. “With MercurySteam’s creative vision and talent and 505 Games' extensive experience, gamers can expect a high-quality, captivating and engaging videogame.”

MercurySteam launched Metroid Dread alongside Nintendo back in October. While the series certainly has its fair share of devoted fans, the game's success allowed it to comfortably beat record sales in the US for the series - a factor that could bode well for the future of the franchise.

Following its release, the game debuted as October's third best-selling game in the US. Despite being released over a week into that period, Metroid: Dread also came out as the highest-ranked selling game on the Nintendo Switch.

For more on Metroid Dread, make sure to check out our review of the game, where we awarded it a 9/10 and stated that it "brings back the [franchise's] legendary exploration and progression and merges it with excellent modern combat and some of the best boss fights ever."

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

Starfield Is About ‘Grounded Exploration’ in a More Realistic Universe

A new Starfield developer diary has revealed new concept art from the upcoming Bethesda game, as well as discussed its focus on grounded, realistic exploration.

In the video diary, Game Director Todd Howard explained that the staff at Bethesda Games Studios all had exploration in mind when it came to what Starfield would be about. "Coming to Starfield, everybody's starting over and saying 'What would you want to do? What does going to space mean to you?'" he said. "And everybody comes back with the same one: I want to see what's out there."

But compared to Skyrim's epic fantasy setting and Fallout's retropunk apocalypse, Starfield will offer a different approach to how we will explore. "It's got a more realistic, science-based backing to it," said Art Director Matt Carofano. "This is a more grounded game and a grounded setting about exploration. So I think that gives us a different take on how we make everything."

Howard notes that, despite the more grounded, scientific approach, the way the world works will still be similar to that seen in The Elder Scrolls games. "The mechanics of the world are entirely different, but there are similarities," he said. "I think that those are the things we like. We like playing first person. We like having all the coffee cups, we like being able to touch everything. Those moments make the whole thing believable. Being able to watch the sun set and night-time come, and just sit there and watch the world go by seems like it's not gameplay, but it is vital to how you feel through the rest of it."

Howard also points out that "It is a universe, not just a game," and how that affects the design process. The video includes a lot of concept art of astronaut food and other 'mundane' things that help make the world of Starfield more believable and authentic. He also discusses that culture is important, and so things like toys, bedtime stories, art, and entertainment are all woven into the world.

He also teases that there will be more than one moment akin to emerging from Fallout's vault or Oblivion's starting dungeon. "We always have that 'step out' moment into the world," he said. "I like to say that Stafield has two 'step out' moments. It's cryptic."

For more from Starfield, see how the game will react to your pronouns, and fully support mods. You can also check out our interview with Todd Howard, where he revealed Bethesda had to make Starfield now or never.

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

Second Life Creator Has Doubts About Facebook's Metaverse

Second Life creator Philip Rosedale has cast his doubts over Facebook's plans to create its own metaverse.

In a recent interview with Axios, the Rosedale spoke about his doubts over future attempts to build a metaverse and the questions that still remain over the digital spaces.

Rosedale somewhat pioneered the idea of a playable metaverse with Second Life, an online platform that saw players create avatars and take up residence in a virtual world. Those visiting Second Life did so for a number of reasons - whether that be on a smaller scale to socialize with friends and check out the surroundings or at a more in-depth level by taking up jobs as performers, politicians, or teachers. There was certainly plenty to keep people occupied.

Rosedale founded Linden Labs in 1999, where he worked until 2013. During that time, Second Life became an increasingly popular way to live digitally. Over the years, a huge number of people engaged with the platform, which peaked at over a million users, even leading the Swedish government to set up an embassy within the platform.

Having worked for the best part of two decades on the concept, Rosedale explains how his views on the concept have changed over time. “I think what we've learned — and somewhat with some sadness, given the work that I've done, I would have to agree — is that it's not for everybody, and maybe it's never for everybody," he says.

As part of the interview, Rosedale spoke about the draw of the metaverse at the time stating that there was a belief that, "inevitably we would all spend an increasingly large fraction of our lives in a virtual world." Despite the game's popularity, however, the creator highlights a number of lessons that he's learned from his time with Second Life.

According to Rosedale, despite Second Life granting the freedom for people to escape reality and live altered lives in a digital setting, people didn't generally want to spend long periods in it. The creator cites that people felt uncomfortable controlling avatar versions of themselves and communicating that way with others.

Rosedale says that a number of those factors are still yet to be answered by newer companies like Meta, who are looking to build toward new versions of a metaverse. "There still arises this weighty question of what is it that's going to cause, you know, normal people, a lot of the time, to be willing to go into these online spaces," he says. “And I think we still haven't answered that question.”

Despite casting his doubts over further pursuits to build a metaverse, Rosedale is still optimistic that virtual worlds will play a part in how people interact in the future. “You might be able to create a public space that could be a positive thing for people — where you could go and make new friends, where you could cry out about injustice,” he says before noting that this modern vision would necessitate public freedom and not be controlled by one large corporate company.

For more on Facebook, make sure to check out this article detailing the company's recent rebrand to Meta and how it coincides with the company's big focus on creating a metaverse.

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

New GTA Trilogy Patches Fix Rain, Add Cinematic Camera, and More

GTA Trilogy has released updates for all three games, which are available now on all platforms aside from Switch. The updates include fixes for the remasters' infamous rain effect, the addition of a cinematic camera, and more.

Announced on Rockstar's support website, the 1.03 patch includes fixes for individual games and specific platforms, as well as general improvements across the entire collection.

Some of the bigger changes include removing rain from indoor scenes, fixing some of the typos players have spotted throughout all three games, texture corruption problems in San Andreas, and the curiously non-specific "issue with Tommy’s hands when wearing the Havana Outfit in the mission Shakedown." We also have a fix for the much-ridiculed fact that the giant nut at the Tuff Nuts donut shop had been turned into a washer.

The update also reintroduces GTA's cinematic camera, which can make longer drives more interesting with some artful camera angles. While noty included on the patch notes, GTANet also says that the update adds an option to remove the white outline added to targets.

The patches 1.03 patch for Nintendo Switch will arrive in "the coming days" according to Rockstar. The last patch for Nintendo Switch arrived three days after other platforms'.

You can see the full 1.03 patch notes below:

General - PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

• Stability improvements
• Added the cinematic camera, which can be toggled by cycling through the camera modes when in game
• Fixed a number of misspellings on texture art/signage
• Fixed a number of instances where rain would appear indoors during cutscenes

Grand Theft Auto III – The Definitive Edition

• Adjusted the rain during the Give Me Liberty intro cutscene so it matches what is visible during gameplay
• Improved the resolution of the signs on taxi front doors
• Fixed an issue where rain could be seen inside the mansion during the cutscene to the mission Cutting the Grass
• Fixed an issue where rain could be seen inside Donald Love’s apartment during the cutscene to the mission Liberator
• Fixed an issue where rain could be seen inside Luigi’s Club during the cutscene to the mission Don’t Spank Ma Bitch Up
• Fixed an issue where rain could be seen inside Joey’s Garage during the cutscene to the mission Cipriani’s Chauffeur
• Fixed an issue where rain could be seen inside during the cutscene to the mission Bomb Da Base: Act I
• Fixed an issue where the rain appears under water when falling
• Fixed an issue where grass could be seen inside Joey’s garage during the outro of the mission Drive Misty For Me
• Fixed an issue where a wall texture near the hospital in Portland appeared incorrectly while driving
• Fixed an issue where pink or black textures would appear on the floor of the Turtle Head Fish Co.
• Fixed an issue in the audio menu where the Dialog Volume slider did not adjust the sample audio being played
• Fixed an issue where UI would overlap the timer when doing taxi or vigilante missions
• Fixed an issue with missing object collision on walls below the Callahan Bridge in Chinatown
• Fixed an issue where the player was able to stretch a two-seater vehicle using the car crusher
• Fixed several camera issues when playing RC missions
• Fixed an issue where misaligned text would appear after delivering to the Import Garage
• Fixed an issue where the mission title would linger on screen too long at the beginning of any mission
• Fixed an issue with texture display on the Staunton Pay ‘n’ Spray sign
• Fixed an issue where the wheels were not connected to the vehicle being worked on by Joey
• Fixed a spelling error on the Deli and Pizza storefront on Staunton Island

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – The Definitive Edition

• Ad banners added to the sides of the Rumpo, Coach, Benson, and Boxville vehicles
• Fixed an issue where the cutscene at the end of the mission Shakedown would hang as it transitioned back to gameplay
• Fixed an issue where rain could be seen inside during the cutscene to the mission Publicity Tour
• Fixed an issue where rain could be seen inside during the cutscene to the mission Alloy Wheels of Steel
• Fixed an issue where rain could be seen inside the limo during the cutscene to the mission Two Bit Hit
• Fixed an issue with Tommy’s hands when wearing the Havana Outfit in the mission Shakedown
• Fixed an issue in the mission Cop Land where the mission would fail when the café would blow up
• Fixed an issue where the Diaz mansion had missing textures during the outro to the mission Rub Out
• Fixed a crash at the end of the mission Checkpoint Charlie
• Fixed a crash encountered during the Bloodring Arena Event
• Fixed an issue where texture corruption could be seen on the roads during extended play sessions
• Fixed a 10 second pause when listening to the radio station V-Rock
• Fixed a 15 second pause when listening to the radio station Wildstyle Radio
• Fixed an issue during the cutscene for Supply and Demand where ambient characters were present during the cutscene
• Fixed a hole in the game world near Café Robina
• Fixed a spelling error on the Welcome to Vice City billboard near the airport
• Fixed an error with the Shaft Hot Dog stand logo
• Fixed several texture issues that appeared on island walls
• Fixed an issue where crates could not be destroyed during the mission Gun Runner, preventing game progression
• Fixed an issue where the flamethrower was damaging items behind Tommy
• Fixed a hole in the game world when standing on Tommy’s wardrobe in the Ocean View Hotel
• Fixed an issue where the ramped Packer vehicle textures would corrupt while Tommy is standing in close proximity
• Fixed an issue where corrupt textures would appear on the road if failing the mission Hog Tied
• Fixed an issue where corrupt textures would appear on the road if failing the mission Boomshine Saigon
• Fixed an issue where glass particles would appear oversized when shattering the windows of the Gash Store
• Fixed several texture corruption issues that appeared on the Enforcer police van
• Fixed an issue where the barrel of the minigun did not spin when fired
• Fixed an issue where the main rotor speed of helicopters did not match the rear rotor speed
• Fixed an issue on the mini map where the swimming pool shaped like the Rockstar Games logo was incorrectly reflected on the mini map for Starfish Island
• Fixed a texture corruption issue on traffic lights and foliage when raining on the mainland
• Fixed an issue where the sign was not properly animating on Hyman Memorial Stadium
• Fixed a spelling error on the Mavis Bookstore window
• Fixed a spelling error when the player is busted during the Paramedic missions
• Fixed an issue where Tommy appears small while standing in front of buildings in Little Havana
• Fixed an issue where Lance would be duplicated after restarting the mission Copland
• Fixed an issue where the open graves behind Funeraria Romero were not visible

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition

• Introduced cloud cover at high altitude
• Added alternate walking and running animations when CJ is at Max Fat or Max Muscle
• Fixed several issues with grass textures that did not display properly
• Fixed a white outline in Cesar’s hairline during the cutscene to the mission King in Exile
• Fixed an issue with CJ’s body in the cutscene to the mission The Meat Business
• Fixed an issue with CJ’s body during the opening cutscene to the mission Supply Lines
• Fixed an issue with Cesar’s fingers during the end scene of the mission Cesar Vialpando
• Fixed an issue with Cesar’s fingers during the end scene of the mission Wu Zi Mu
• Fixed a save game issue at the end of the mission Blood Bowl
• Fixed a crash that occurred during the mission Dam and Blast
• Fixed a texture corruption issue that occurred after prolonged gameplay
• Fixed an issue where CJ and Big Smoke would get stuck near the end of the mission Just Business
• Fixed a crash that occurred when drowning near the Ocean Beach end of South Bridge
• Fixed an issue where CJ’s face would obscure the camera when looking behind him while riding a quad bike
• Fixed an issue where CJ’s face would obscure the camera when looking behind him while piloting the Hydra in first person view
• Fixed a crash experienced when retrying a checkpoint during the mission Ice Cold Killa
• Fixed a spelling error on a Mexican food advertisement
• Fixed a spelling error on a guitar store shop front
• Fixed an issue where players were able to purchase cornrows at the barbershop without sufficient funds
• Fixed a missing bridge in the Shady Creeks section of the map
• Fixed a bug where the burger on the Burger Shot sign was not spinning
• Fixed a spelling error on the FleischBerg factory sign
• Fixed multiple issues in cutscenes where CJ’s arms clip through his body while at Max Fat
• Fixed a lighting issue in the Rockshore West Safehouse
• Fixed an issue where the Wasted or Busted screen could be seen when loading an autosave file
• Fixed graphical corruption on CJ’s head and body during the motel sequence of the mission Reuniting the Families
• Fixed an issue where window panes are translucent at the Dillmore gas station during the mission Tanker Commander
• Fixed an issue where tattoos would project out of CJ’s lower arm when he has a muscular body type
• Fixed an issue where rain drops did not appear on the water surface
• Fixed an issue where various map icons, such as mission blips, would pop in and out of the radar while panning and rotating the camera
• Fixed an issue where NPC’s who wear numbered jerseys no longer had a random number overlapping the number 7
• Fixed an issue where the rain was not displayed corrected when flying during rainy or stormy weather conditions
• Fixed an issue with the audio not playing properly when using the changing room at any of CJ’s properties
• Fixed an issue where CJ’s forklift would not act as intended during the mission Robbing Uncle Sam
• Fixed an issue with the shape of the Donut and Nut props at the Tuff Nuts donut shop
• Fixed a spelling error with the storefront Sayonara
• Fixed an issue where the Dodo plane had an inverted nose cone
• Fixed an issue where boat propellers did not spin properly
• Fixed an issue where the minigun barrel did not spin when fired
• Fixed an issue where the incorrect police station sign did not appear in Las Venturas
• Fixed an issue where the wrong prices were appearing on the Burger Shot’s outside menu
• Fixed an issue where CJ appeared too dark when in the 69 Cent store
• Fixed an issue where haircuts would be swapped out with the Caesar haircut anytime CJ wore a hat
• Fixed an issue where the radar would disappear after getting caught in the mission Home Invasion
• Fixed an issue where police cars could clip through the ground
• Fixed an issue where the UFO prop did not rotate at the Lil’ Probe Inn

Xbox One – All Titles

• Fixed an issue where the game would not respond for several seconds after exiting certain interiors
• Fixed an issue where the player was unable to unlock achievements that other users on other accounts (linked to the same Social Club account) had previously unlocked

PC – All Titles

• Fixed a bug where players were unable to highlight or select Cancel or Confirm using a controller on the Mission Failed! screen
• Fixed a bug where players with special characters in the PC account name were unable to save gameplay progress
• Fixed the in game layout when playing with an ultra-wide screen monitor
• Fixed an issue where options were not being properly highlighted when hovering a mouse over them
• Fixed an issue where clicking sections in the game menus too quickly would prevent those menu options from being displayed
• Fixed an issue where the player was unable to select a UI element with a controller if the mouse cursor is already hovering over it
• Fixed an issue where, when in Fullscreen, changing the Resolution setting would briefly show the old resolution value
• Fixed an issue where graphics settings were not saving after restarting the game

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Best Xbox Game Pass Deal UK: 2-Months of Game Pass Ultimate for £16

Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, and GTA San Andreas are all available on Xbox Game Pass, so this definitely isn't the time to let your subscription expire. Thankfully, I've found some excellent deals to keep your membership going for a little while longer.

I've found deals for both active and new Xbox Game Pass subscribers at the moment, both of which are incredible discounts, and well-worth stocking up on before the offer expires. Here's the absolute best Xbox Game Pass deals in the UK, available right now.

What is the Best Xbox Game Pass Deal?

Post-Cyber Monday sales, the best Xbox Game Pass deal right now comes in the form of a conversion trick. Right now, 3-months of Xbox Game Pass for PC is down to £15.99 on Amazon. This means if you're a current Game Pass Ultimate member, you can extend your current subscription at a reduced cost, as 3-months of Game Pass for PC will auto-convert to 2-months of Game Pass Ultimate (current members).

2-months of Ultimate would usually cost £21.98, so you're saving just under £6 in total. If you really want to maximise your savings, stack these Game Pass for PC codes, and get 4-months for £31.98 (saving you £11.98 in total), or 6-months for £47.97 (saving you £17.97).

I can personally confirm that this deal is active, and the conversion trick works perfectly, as I've tested it myself. Here are the relevant steps broken down for you as well.

How to Get 2-Months of Game Pass Ultimate for £16

1. Confirm you are a current member of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
2. Buy an Xbox Game Pass for PC (3-Month) Code - see here
3. Enter the code at the official Microsoft web store - see here
4. Microsoft will then auto-convert your membership to 2-months of Game Pass Ultimate

New Game Pass Users: How to Get 4-Months of Game Pass for £11.99

New Xbox Game Pass members can also secure a brilliant deal right now, all thanks to the Xbox Game Pass for PC sign-up offer. Just follow these steps if you're currently not a Game Pass member.

1. Confirm you are currently NOT a member of Game Pass Ultimate
2. Sign up to Xbox Game Pass for PC, 3-months for £1 - see here
3. Upgrade your membership to Game Pass Ultimate for £10.99 - see here
4. You will now have 4-months of Game Pass Ultimate for £11.99

66% Off Xbox Game Pass for PC Codes with Xbox Accessory Purchases

If you've bought any gaming accessories during the Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales, such as the Xbox 1TB SSD, make sure you take advantage of the discount code it has provided you with. This 66% code will get you an Xbox Game Pass for PC 3-month membership for just £7.99 (was £23.99).

This means if you convert it with your current Ultimate membership, you're getting 2-months of Ultimate for just £8. This is a huge discount, as 2-months would usually cost £21.98.

Will Halo Infinite be on Xbox Game Pass?

Halo Infinite's campaign will be available at no extra cost to current Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Halo Infinite's multiplayer is free-to-play, and is available for all Xbox users - so you don't need to be a Game Pass subscriber to play the online player-vs-player multiplayer.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.