Sand Land, the Video Game Based on Dragon Ball Creator Akira Toriyama's Manga, Has a Release Date

Sand Land launches on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, and PC on April 26, 2024, publisher Bandai Namco has announced.

Announced in 2023, Bandai Namco's Sand Land looks to translate a cult Japanese comic into an open-world adventure. Sand Land debuted in 2000 as a short-lived tale of a demon prince exploring a desolate wilderness.

Created by Akira Toriyama, a manga artist of major renown for his Dragonball series as well as his contributions to many games such as Dragon Quest, Sand Land remained a print-only phenomenon until 2023. A feature-length film debuted last summer, with this game serving as the next multimedia tie-in.

"Joining Beelzebub, the Fiend Prince, his chaperone, Thief, and Sheriff Rao, prepare to explore the vast desert and take on the Royal Army in various customisable vehicles," reads the official synopsis.

"This unlikely team uniting humans and demons sets out on an adventure in search for the Legendary Spring capable of ending the terrible drought that has taken over the world. Together, they will travel beyond Sand Land to uncharted territories."

IGN played a Sand Land demo at last year’s Tokyo Game Show. “Sand Land has a long way to go before I'd consider giving it another look,” we said at the time. “At present, the driving, combat, and exploration don't entice me to dig any deeper.”

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Elden Ring Receives Slim PC Update For Version 1.10.1

Elden Ring has received a slim update on PC, bringing the game up to version 1.10.1, but neither publisher Bandai Namco nor developer FromSoftware mentioned the highly anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree expansion in the notes.

Released on Bandai Namco's website, the update specifically addresses the Steam version of Elden Ring, specifically updating its anti-cheating measures in accordance with a Steam operating system update. This obviously won't change much for most players, but will be a relief for those still invading in Elden Ring, or engaging in its dedicated player versus player Colosseum areas.

This update was added more than a year ago now in December 2022, letting players face off in new competitive modes in the grand arenas scattered throughout The Lands Between.

It's not the Elden Ring update fans are waiting for, of course, and every hint of movement from Bandai Namco or FromSoftware causes the internet to hold its breath. That's because, as Elden Ring approaches its second anniversary in February, neither has revealed when fans might be able to play the much anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree.

The expansion was announced in March as a major expansion coming to Elden Ring. A single piece of concept art was released alongside the announcement but didn't give much away, just showing a character atop a spectral steed looking towards the horizon that featured a dying Erdtree.

It will likely arrive as the only Elden Ring expansion (outside of a smaller piece of player-versus-player DLC) and be akin to the likes of Bloodborne's The Old Hunters expansion or Dark Souls 3's The Ringed City.

Elden Ring Version 1.10.1 Patch Notes

• Easy Anti-Cheat update to support the Steam OS update.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Dark Souls Trilogy 25th Anniversary Compendium Is Up For Preorder

Future Press will be releasing a '25th Anniversary Edition' of the Dark Souls Trilogy Compendium, featuring the complete breakdown of every single minute detail from the legendary FromSoftware games. It will cost $59.99, with preorders now available via Amazon (see here).

For clarity, this is the 25th Anniversary of the first game guide published by Future Press, not the 25th Anniversary of Dark Souls (which was released on September 22, 2011). The original Compendium book is considered rare online and can be difficult to find or buy at a reasonable rate, which makes news of this reprint very welcome indeed.

Future Press describes the Limited Edition reprint as featuring, "The enemies, items, equipment, areas and NPC dialogue of each game are all presented in an easy-to-reference format. This beautifully laid out book is designed to make it easy to find what you’re looking for—each entry is color-coded by game, and everything is fully indexed."

This is also a strictly limited one-time reprint, featuring "unique 25th Anniversary branding and some slight changes to the slipcase and cover" but otherwise the re-release will be identical to the original Dark Souls Trilogy printing.

The reprint features 480 pages that dive into the core story beats of the Dark Souls games, alongside a complete World Guide for each title and its DLCs, and even four unique bonus art prints "that show the beauty of FromSoftware’s character designs".

Future Press is also responsible for the beautiful Official Strategy Guides for Elden Ring (Vol.1 & Vol. 2), which are also currently down to $44.99 at Amazon. Those in the UK can preorder the Dark Souls Trilogy 25th Anniversary Compendium directly from Future Press -- costing £49.99 and release on February 29, 2024.

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

Viral Parody of Fake Mobile Game Ads Hits PlayStation

D3 Publisher Inc. has announced the arrival of 'Those Games' on PlayStation 4 and 5 priced $9.99 / £7.99. It launched on Nintendo Switch and Steam last year.

Those Games, developed by Monkeycraft Co. and published by D3 Publisher, is short for YEAH! YOU WANT ‘THOSE GAMES' RIGHT? SO HERE YOU GO! NOW, LET'S SEE YOU CLEAR THEM!, a minigame collection filled with challenges based on the inscrutable mobile game ads no-one can escape from.

Those Games briefly became a viral sensation in 2023, and speaking to IGN, producer Maya Ito said: “I see these mini-games on a daily basis and thought to myself, I want to play them; thoroughly and to my heart’s content!”

Mini games include the Pin Pull, Number Tower, Parking Lot, Cash Run, and Colour Lab. There are 250 levels overall set across the five mini games. You can collect coins and create customised nameplates, as well as compete with other players. Rankings are reset on the first day of each month.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

PS5 ‘V2 DualSense’ With ‘Exceptional 12-Hour Battery Life’ Spotted Online

An unannounced PS5 DualSense controller has appeared on Best Buy Canada’s website.

The listing, spotted by ResetEra user ezidro3, is for an $89.99CAD "PlayStation 5 V2 DualSense Wireless Controller - White". While the controller appears to have the same dimensions as the existing model, it has what’s described as an "exceptional 12-hour battery life on a full charge," which "supports long gaming sessions."

If true, this would make for a significant upgrade on the existing DualSense, which offers a roughly six-hour battery life, depending on the game played. Elsewhere, a DualSense charging station is said to be included, offering "easy click-in charging."

Best Buy's full description reads: "Take the gaming action into your own hands when you play with the PlayStation 5 V2 DualSense wireless controller. With dynamic triggers, a built-in microphone and so much more, this gaming controller offers a truly immersive experience. The iconic comfortable design lets you play for hours and hours."

Best Buy's website published a number of images of this new DualSense too, which are below:

PS5 V2 DualSense Product Features

• Compatible with the PlayStation 5
• Wireless connectivity ensures you will never get tangled up in wires while gaming
• Iconic comfortable design fits naturally in your hands
• Haptic feedback replaces the traditional rumble motors for more realistic gameplay
• Dynamic adaptive triggers let you experience different levels of force and tension as you interact with your game
• Built-in microphone lets you engage with fellow gamers in online play
• Headset jack lets you plug in your favourite headset, so you can tune in to your game audio easily
• Dual Sense charging station (included) offers easy click-in charging
• Exceptional 12-hour battery life, on a full charge, supports long gaming sessions

PS5 V2 DualSense Product Specifications

• Product Condition: Brand New
• Controller Type: Wireless
• Specialty Controller: Yes
• Rumble Vibration: Yes
• Headset Jack: Yes
• Colour: White
• Width: 6.6 cm
• Height: 16 cm
• Depth: 10.6 cm
• Width (Inches): 2.6 in
• Height (Inches): 6.3 in
• Depth (Inches): 4.17 in
• Weight: 280 g

Sony has yet to announce such a controller, but IGN has asked the company for comment.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Marvel Snap Appears Safe After Dev Secures $100 Million Funding

It looks like Marvel Snap is secure after its developer, Second Dinner, secured a $100 million investment.

In November, Second Dinner was forced to reassure concerned players of the well-received online card game after its publisher ran into trouble.

Reports indicated TikTok maker ByteDance planned to wind down its Nuverse gaming brand and retreat from mainstream video games, and was looking for ways to sell off launched titles. That included Marvel Snap, Second Dinner’s Marvel-themed Hearthstone-a-like that launched in 2022. Nuverse published Marvel Snap across mobile and PC.

But now, Second Dinner has secured $100 million in a Series B funding round led by Griffin Gaming Partners, which means the developer will continue to operate independently, and use the cash to develop new games.

"We want to make smart, targeted bets that leverage our strengths and give us space to build fresh, innovative games that we love and that we want to share with millions of players," Second Dinner's CCO Matt Wyble told GamesBeat.

Nick Tuosto, co-founder and managing director of Griffin Gaming Partners, added: "Second Dinner has assembled one of the strongest creative teams that we have ever come across. Marvel Snap adds to the management team's incredible track record of creating hit titles.

"We are thrilled to partner with Second Dinner to grow Marvel Snap and look forward to new titles developed by this ridiculously talented team."

According to GI.biz, Marvel Snap has seen $50 million in player spending since it launched in October, with 18 million player downloads. Publisher Nuverse was only set up in 2019, and was seen as part of ByteDance’s big-budget bid to get in on the video game market. Last year, Reuters reported Nuverse hadn't performed well enough, and that Marvel Snap had “amassed a cult following but was not a commercial hit."

Second Dinner was co-founded by former Hearthstone director Ben Brode and fellow Blizzard veteran Hamilton Chu back in 2019. As for ByteDance, Reuters reports it's in talks with "multiple prospective buyers" of its gaming assets, including Tencent.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

New Apex Legends and Final Fantasy Crossover Event Stuns Fans With $290 Microtransactions

A new Apex Legends and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth crossover event launched January 9th — a first for EA's free-to-download battle royale — and it’s been a big source of criticism from players due to the high price of its microtransactions.

Respawn recently launch a new collaboration with Square Enix as part of the run-up to the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The event brings with it a new category of cosmetics, and it has the potential to cost players hundreds of dollars.

Previously, each Event Pack cost 700 Apex Coins, or around seven dollars. In this event, the price for one event pack is 1,000 Apex Coins, or about $10. With that change alone, this is the most expensive event to date for Apex Legends, with Milestone Rewards like the event’s Death Box skin costing as much as $290.

~1% chance to pull the sword out of $10 packs and a $360 DEATH BOX. 😂

— primehgss *insert something quirky* (@hgssprime) January 6, 2024

Great crossover, but not worth $295 for all the stuff .

— Benzrkx (@Benzrkx) January 9, 2024

What’s more, the pricing isn’t as straightforward as it was in previous events. When players load up the Seasonal Event tab, they’re greeted with a free event box and a new Milestone Reward track that shows the “free” reward for that tier. The two most controversial items are the brand-new Death Box skin and the Heirloom Buster Sword R5 cosmetics, the expensive items guaranteed at the end of the Milestone Rewards.

There are two options for purchasing packs: individual and bundled. When players look at the options before hitting the first milestone, the packs cost a discounted 100 Apex Coins individually, or 1,600 for the four. However, this pricing changes the more packs you purchase.

I discovered this after attempting to see how many Apex Coins the full 36 items would cost with that initial discounted price. I saw that after my first four pack bundle purchase, the pricing jumped from 100 Apex Coins to 500, pushing it to 2,400 Apex Coins. The pricing slowly crept upward, and I wasn’t even halfway through the Milestones when the pack prices were back to 1,000 Apex Coins.

I found myself with 21 items left to unlock before getting the final controversial Death Box skin for “free.” I would have had to spend an additional 21,000 Apex Coins ($210) on top of the previous 8,000 ($80) I already spent in order to obtain it. In total, with all deals applied, the 36 items — 35 not counting the free pack on login — would have cost me 29,000 Apex Coins, or $290 USD.

So it’s less than $360, but not by a large margin. On top of that, the Apex Coins cannot be bought at a 1:1 ratio. In order to get 29,000 Coins to purchase all the items, you have to go to the Apex Coins bundles and buy from the available amounts. The fluctuating prices depending on how many packs you’ve bought isn’t addressed or stated in the event messaging.

While it’s theoretically possible to obtain these items for free, it’s not easy. Players were shocked at the probability chances of the Buster Sword being unlocked through purchasing Event Packs, which is less than one percent. For players not wanting to spend more money, the chances are near impossible to win before unlocking all event items.

Respawn has been criticized by players before for not including more free rewards that can be earned from just playing the game and limited-time modes. In the current free rewards shop for this crossover event, you can earn up to three free event packs, which saves you around 3,000 Apex Coins if you're trying to get all the cosmetics. However, it hardly makes a dent against the 36 total that you have to buy.

In previous collection events, players were able to at least go to the event shop and buy the specific Legend Skins, but Apex Legends' new crossover event only allows players to purchase the character skins for 2,150 Apex Coins ($21.50), with no additional Event or Apex Packs.

In short, this is the most expensive event Apex Legends has ever put on, and fans are not happy about it.

IGN has reached out to Respawn and EA for comment.

Stella is a Video Producer, Host, and Editor at IGN. Her gameplay focus is on competitive FPS games and she's previously reviewed Apex Legends, Hyper Scape, Halo Infinite Multiplayer, Modern Warfare 3, Warzone, and Battlefield 2042. She regularly hosts and shoutcasts competitive Apex Legends and Halo Infinite tournaments when she isn't streaming on her Twitch channel after work outs. You can follow her on Twitter @ParallaxStella.