2023’s Modern Warfare 3 includes perhaps the most poorly received campaign in Call of Duty history. It has a metascore of 56 on Metacritic and a 'mostly negative' user review rating on Steam. IGN’s own Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 single-player campaign review returned a 4/10. We said: “Underbaked, rehashed, and cobbled together from multiplayer parts, Modern Warfare 3’s single-player campaign is everything a Call of Duty story mode shouldn’t be.” Eurogamer added: “Clearly rushed to market, Modern Warfare 3's campaign tapes together ill-conceived open areas, underwhelming linear missions, and a meaningless story.” In short, it was all a bit of a disaster.

A year later and Call of Duty fans are yet again faced with another campaign from the first-person shooter behemoth, this time the Raven Software-developed Black Ops 6 campaign. IGN has just reported on how Black Ops 6 is set to offer the most varied Call of Duty campaign ever, but did Raven tweak anything in response to the reaction to Modern Warfare 3, or perhaps learn any lessons from Modern Warfare 3’s campaign?

Not so, Jon Zuk, associate creative director at Raven Software, told IGN in an interview.

“The campaign… all game development is very fluid and we react to a lot of different things, but in the case of the previous game’s reception, we were already pretty locked in on the story we were telling and the missions we were creating,” Zuk said. “So we didn't react to how that was received.”

One key point of difference between the developments of Modern Warfare 3, led by Sledgehammer Games, and Black Ops 6, led by Treyarch, is time. Modern Warfare 3, originally conceived as an expansion pack for 2022’s Modern Warfare 2, reportedly imposed crunch on its developers as they battled to create a fully-fledged sequel in just 16 months. Sledgehammer studio head Aaron Halon has insisted Modern Warfare 3 was “years in the making.”

Black Ops 6, however, has enjoyed a longer development time than any other mainline Call of Duty game. Treyarch has worked on it for four years, ever since Black Ops Cold War came out in 2020. And for the campaign, Raven too has benefited from this extra time.

“The extra development time certainly gives us time to do a little bit more prototyping and a little bit more trying something out, finding out if it's fun and if it works and throwing some things away,” Zuk explained.

“When you have the shorter development cycle, sometimes you're stuck with things just for the time crunch that maybe you aren't as happy with as you could be. So I do feel like we had good opportunities to keep crafting and recrafting the missions until we were happy with them.”

Players can also expect Black Ops 6’s campaign to be longer than Cold War’s, Zuk confirmed, although your mileage may vary depending on how much time you spend back at your safehouse hub.

“You can go back, you can talk to your team, you can upgrade your weapon and your equipment and things like that,” Zuk said. “And you can do a little bit of searching around the safehouse , but there's players who are going to do all of that, and there's players who are going to do none of that and are just, I want to get to the next mission as quickly as possible.

“So I think that the game length is going to be variable from player to player, but even if you do try to do the speed run version of it, it is going to be longer than Cold War.”

Black Ops 6 is of course the first Call of Duty game to launch straight into Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription service. It comes after Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard for an eye-watering $69 billion, and has sparked a debate about whether the move will cannibalize sales of the game.

But will launching straight into Game Pass have a meaningful impact on the number of people who play Black Ops 6’s campaign? Unlike with previous Call of Duty games, Activision is not releasing an early access campaign for Black Ops 6, which means everyone jumps in at the same time from October 25.

Zuk said that from Raven’s perspective, it’s trusting owner and publisher Activision to do what’s best for the game. “I have no input in the business side of that at all,” Zuk replied. “The decision was made to not do early access this year, and I trust that Activision has thought out every bit of this and is very confident in the success of the title.”

We've also got confirmation of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's launch Multiplayer maps, modes, and Operators, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's preload and global launch times.

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.

Call of Duty’s greatest campaigns have offered one thing over all else: variety. Whether it’s the original Modern Warfare’s memorable behind-enemy-lines sniping of All Ghillied Up or Cold War’s KGB infiltration and hallucinogenic episodes, it’s those missions that take you out of the standard first-person shooter cadence that foremost stick in the memory. While we’re yet to play it, it’s therefore encouraging that Black Ops 6 is aiming to pack its campaign full of these moments, so much so Jon Zuk, associate creative director at Raven Software, tells me it's treating each of the levels as “its own mini blockbuster”.

Indeed, Call of Duty is at its best when presented as playable cinema. Tense, tight corridor shootouts open up into large-scale explosive set pieces and one-off experiments – not dissimilar to how Mario platformers introduce ideas for individual levels but with AC-130 gunships instead of animal costumes. Set against the backdrop of the Gulf War in 1991, Black Ops 6 is playing in the shadowy political grey areas that lend themselves to spycraft and subterfuge. So while the campaign will undoubtedly have its louder moments, it's given Raven more scope to experiment with different styles of gameplay.

“We wanted to make sure that each one was memorable and could stand alone,” says lead narrative producer Natalie Pohorski, talking about missions in Black Ops 6. “Each one has unique gameplay opportunities, unique objectives, and how you tackle those.” It’s a sentiment Jon Zuk agrees with, adding, “We didn't want to just create three or four levels that are fun to play, but all kind of feel the same. We wanted to make sure each mission had its thing, its own special, unique sauce to it, as it were. So variety was number one throughout the entire process for us.”

Variety has always been a priority for Raven when it comes to designing COD campaigns. There have always been interesting ideas hidden away, even in the games that are less fondly remembered. It’s something that Zuk, who has been at the studio since 1996, recalls as being a key aspect of their gameplay design:

“That's always been something that we've really been interested in doing. Federation Day back on Ghosts really had the variety. The ‘looking at your target from afar, then zip lining, then repelling on the side of the building and then doing some sneaking or combat and then full-on combat and then a big epic moment to end the level’.”

Zuk also cites a chapter near the end of the original Black Ops as one of his favourite Call of Duty missions. Rebirth tells its tale from two separate perspectives as the player takes control of Woods and Hudson at different points in time during the same event. “It really intrigued me because it's like telling a story from two different perspectives and kind of seeing that your version of the truth is not always the truth or that the truth is malleable.”

The truth and deciphering just who to believe is at the crux of Black Ops 6’s story, but this isn’t the only aspect borrowed from this particular 14-year-old mission. High Rollers looks set to be one of 6’s tentpole levels - a high-risk heist with a casino vault as its target. Players take control of multiple members of the team as they switch perspectives over its course, creating distraction opportunities and executing security breaches in tandem. While not offering the malleable nature that something like GTA V did with its multiple-protagonist heists, it does open up the playbook for fun storytelling possibilities for Raven.

“Ahead of time they have the mission briefing where they're each like, okay, I'm going to do this, you’re going to do this, you’re going to do this,” explains Pohorski. “They're all undercover, and it's sort of like a passing of the baton is really how it plays out.”

“What we wanted to tell there was kind of the perfect heist mission where everybody's doing their part and so there's a very particular plan that's taking place and you've got all of the characters taking place or taking part in this and it's got to work in a certain clockwork type fashion for them to pull off this event”, Zuk confirms.

That briefing takes place in the expanded mansion hideout you’ll get to explore in Black Ops 6, an evolution of Cold War’s safehouse location that lets you talk to other characters, uncover secrets by exploring, and interact with the all-important evidence board.

Another distinctive element of Cold War was its willingness to let you holster your weapon for an extended amount of time – a virtually alien idea compared to the majority of what Call of Duty stands for. A prime example of this was the memorable mission Desperate Measures, which had you infiltrate a high-security KGB building, talking your way through checkpoints and wearing disguises as Raven fully embraced the espionage lifestyle. It was more Hitman than Call of Duty and we’re set for similar antics in Black Ops 6.

“Most Wanted, which you've seen in the trailers, that one we do have more of a pick your way of how you want to accomplish this part of the mission”, states Zuk about a mission taking place at a political gala. “There's two distinct parts of the mission where you can choose how you want to play it. And for the replayability factor, certainly more so in the first part, there are multiple ways to accomplish a goal. So we think that players are really going to do one and they're going to talk to their friend and say, ‘I talked to the senator's wife and did A, B and C’, and he's going to be like, ‘Oh, I didn't do that at all. I was trailing this shady character and ended up meeting, accomplishing my goal this other way’. And then that crosstalk gets people interested, well, what did I miss? I should go back and check that out and see what the other path is.”

“Some of the missions have those options of like, okay, these are the objectives, and then you can kind of get the lay of the land and choose which one you want to tackle first,” Pohorsky confirms. “If you want to go in hot or stealthy, there's options for that too. So it kind of depends on the mission, but I think that's where some of the replayability comes in with the political gala. This time you want to blackmail the senator, or this time you want to hack into a silent auction.”

While variety is at the forefront of Black Ops 6’s campaign, so is flexibility and that desire to approach objectives the way you want to. The game may lead you in a certain direction or politely suggest a wise method, but that doesn’t mean you’ll need to listen. Crucially, apart from a couple of occasions, you won’t be punished for doing something ‘the wrong way’. Auto-fail stealth, for example, will be a highly rare occurrence, says Zuk.

“There are moments where we are very much wanting the player to play stealthily and be careful and quiet, but where possible we try to allow you to play it how you want,” he explains. “And I would say more times than not, you can go loud if that's the way you want to play it. And I can only think of a couple of instances where we sort of don't allow that because it didn't fit with the story. But yeah, I would say in the majority of cases where we have those stealth moments where we're kind of recommending guns down and being more of a spy, certainly we know that people like being action heroes too, so we let that happen.”

“You're still getting all of those blockbuster combat moments for sure”, confirms Pohorski. “I mean that's the bread and butter, but in addition to that, we're layering in these other elements. So yeah, I think I love the more stealthy side. I like going in undercover, so it's been a lot of fun for me to play.”

That variety is promised across the board and while only a couple of examples have been name-checked here, the plan is that no one mission stands out as being Black Ops 6’s ace in the pack. Instead, Raven has endeavoured to keep the campaign’s chapters consistently engaging and surprising in their setup.

“We're not banking on any particular mission doing that [stealing the show]”, says Pohorski. “I think what's so great about the variety is that depending on what kind of player you are, there's different missions that you like. And I mean I have personal story elements that I like in certain missions, but then the way that I get to play in another one might be different.”

The Black Ops series is known for its twisting stories, full of memorable characters and globetrotting locations. With an added emphasis on gameplay variety, Black Ops 6 is shaping up to be an exciting possibility. Throw in the different ways to approach these missions and the expectation is that you’ll want to replay certain parts too.

These gameplay options won’t necessarily have an impact on the story as a whole, though, as the plot itself is locked-in this time around with no multiple or hidden endings to go in search of. “Black Ops 6 is a linear story, so there is not a branching ending for this one”, Zuk states. He also promises a slightly longer campaign than Cold War’s, of which its short length was a main criticism held against it. We’ll find out just how much of Black Ops 6’s campaign lives up to the promise when it arrives on October 25th.

Simon Cardy is loves it when the words "blockbuster" and "spy" are put together. Follow him on Twitter at @CardySimon.

The publisher of smash hit action game Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has said it has no issue with modding in the game’s co-op PvE mode, but it has admitted to secretly clamping down on modding in PvP with the release of its latest patch.

Publisher Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive this week released Update 4.0 for the massive-selling third-person action game set within Games Workshop’s grimdark science fiction universe. Officially, it adds a new PvE map, a new Tyranid enemy type, and a new Lethal difficulty mode. But there’s one thing Focus failed to mention: an update to the encryption Space Marine 2 uses on its game files designed to block modding in the game’s PvP mode, dubbed Eternal War.

Eternal War has had a cheating problem ever since Space Marine 2’s explosive launch in September. Normally, Space Marine classes are restricted to using certain weapons in the PvP. The Heavy, for example, is under normal circumstances restricted to the Heavy Bolter and Heavy Plasma Incinerator weapons. But cheaters have changed the game so that they have access to weapons and abilities their class shouldn’t have, ruining the balance of PvP.

While Space Marine 2’s Update 4.0 patch notes failed to mention any attempt to combat PvP modding, IGN has confirmed with the game’s modding community and with Focus Entertainment itself that the patch has changed the game under the hood to do so.

Tom, aka ‘Warhammer Workshop,’ is perhaps the community’s leading Space Marine 2 mod maker. Tom operates a Space Marine 2 modding Discord home to over 2,000 members, and has an extensive profile on Nexus Mods. According to Tom, with Update 4.0 Saber updated the encryption used on the game files to make it much harder for modders to break through.

Speaking to IGN, Sylvain Le Roux, senior brand manager at Focus Entertainment, confirmed Update 4.0 had made this change.

“Modding was possible in PvP for those really looking to do it, but has never been a major issue,” Le Roux insisted, stressing it was limited to PvP on PC where it did occur. “So far, we’ve received very, very few reports of it in relation to the huge number of games played, which is not to say that it wasn’t annoying of course.

“That being said, we’ve removed this possibility with today’s Patch 4. Modding in PvP is no longer possible. For players who may have encountered other cheating this way, our recommendation is to use the report and block features built in the game to avoid playing against them in future games.”

Cheating in Space Marine 2’s PvP mode seems particularly pointless when you consider it does not have ranked play, nor a competitive scene, nor a rewards system attached to PvP only. It is a relatively bare-bones offering that pits loyalist marines against traitor marines in quickfire matches for little more than bragging rights. Call of Duty Ranked Multiplayer it is not.

“Besides winning a few matches and likely getting reported by the whole lobby or even banned, there is no actual benefit to modding to gain an unfair advantage,” Le Roux stressed, “no monetary benefit, no exclusive in-game items, no special status, no invitation to tournaments.”

Unfortunately, it seems that while Update 4.0 may have made it harder for people to use mods to cheat in PvP, it has had the knock-on effect of making it harder to mod Space Marine 2’s PvE mode, Operations.

Operations mode sees a squad of three players battle through carefully designed maps as they face off against the Tyranid horde or the Thousand Sons Chaos Marines, usually with a spectacular boss fight or raid-like mechanic thrown in at the end. Controversially, Saber has deliberately tuned Operations to prevent two of the same class of Space Marine 2 being used. IGN has reported on the upshot of this design decision: awkward pre-mission standoffs as players wait for the other to switch class first.

Space Marine 2’s modding community has already released some quality of life mods like Instant Armour Unlocker, Operations Arsenal Unlocker, and Holstered Weapons. Tom’s most popular mod by far is the Unlock All Armours mod, which saves people from having to grind Operations just to unlock new helmets or armor sets.

“While the grind can be enjoyable, I completely understand that people with busy lives — jobs, families, and limited free time — might appreciate that shortcut,” Tom said. “The great thing is, it’s not permanent. Once you remove the mod, everything locks up again, so there’s still that long-term goal if you want it.

“Ultimately, people just want to bring their tabletop fantasy to life by customizing their character, whether that’s perfecting their appearance or creating more lore-accurate loadouts.”

Modders are also diving into the more exciting things, like Operations and Campaign replacers, where you can play as Deathwatch or Chaos Marines. Indeed, right now Tom is working on a mod that replaces the Thousand Sons enemies with Tyranids (“because honestly, chainsawing a Termagant in half is far more satisfying than taking down a walking dust-bucket!”). Other ambitious ideas in the works include playable Dreadnoughts and the Imperial Guard, but those are still a bit down the road.

Remarkably, the changes Space Marine 2 mods make to the Space Marines themselves, whether it’s a purely aesthetic customization not normally possible or certain classes using weapons and equipment they’re not supposed to, can be seen online by other players in public PvE sessions. While Space Marine 2 uses dedicated servers, a lot of the game elements are client-side controlled. So if you’re playing with random players, there’s a chance you might see things like Bulwarks wielding Thunder Hammers.

"As for Operations, it’s a bit of a grey area," Tom said. "From my perspective as a game designer, all weapons have their roles — none are strictly stronger than the others, just better suited to different tasks, whether that’s taking down hordes or priority targets. The only time things get a bit overpowered is with heavy weapons on non-default classes, which is why those are locked to the Heavy.

"Other weapons might seem strong, but they’re balanced by the fact that other classes don’t get the same perks. For example, a sniper’s perks really benefit the las-fusil, but the tactical class won’t see as much of an advantage. So sure, you could equip it on the tactical, but you wouldn’t get the full benefits of your class perks."

Le Roux downplayed the pervasiveness of modding in Space Marine 2 relative to its huge playerbase (4.5 million players and counting), but confirmed Focus Entertainment’s stance on PvE modding specifically, saying it has no problem with it at all.

“Modding in PvE missions does not represent an issue to us,” Le Roux clarified. “This is a cooperative, unranked game mode. If players wish to go through the trouble of modding the game and re-doing it every couple of weeks when our patches break their mods, just to have a Thunder Hammer on a Bulwark for a PvE mission with their friends, that is their choice.

“It is true that balance may be affected but this is a non-competitive environment where balance doesn’t carry the same importance. Sure, this may make the game easier for them, but the cosmetics unlocks are tied to completing missions regardless of difficulty. They could achieve the same results by playing on very easy with maxed out characters and weapons.”

Tom initially thought this PvP crackdown had inadvertently killed online mods for PvE for good, but has told IGN the community has managed to get them up and running again. “We'll have to wait and see for how long though,” Tom added.

“The sad thing is that this will likely do little to actually stop people from hacking the PvP, but it buys Saber a little time against the most egregious hackers, while the majority of their PvP player base is active,” Tom continued.

“I hold zero ill will towards Saber — as a fellow game developer, I completely understand the reasoning and rationale behind what they've done.”

You can see why Space Marine 2 modding would be popular; the tabletop game upon which it is based revolves around player customization of the models, with Games Workshop encouraging the community to experiment and even make up their own chapters while sticking to the overall rules. Fans really love to play dress up with their Space Marines, and if a mod can make that quicker and easier and even more extensive that Space Marine 2 currently provides, it will prove popular.

“For me, modding is a lot like converting miniatures,” Tom said. “I’ve got far too many plastic armies (as any Warhammer fan does), but what I enjoy most is making each model unique — a true labor of love. Modding games feels the same. It’s about tweaking things, pushing boundaries, and adding that personal touch. And like Warhammer, it’s all done out of a love for the game and its universe.”

Then there’s the issue of satisfying the relentless hunger from the Space Marine 2 player base for new content. Players want new classes, new maps, new weapons, new armor pieces, new equipment, new enemy types, and, generally, a lot more stuff, and they want it now. They want their favorite chapter in the game, story DLC, new enemy factions, and more to do on the Battle Barge. Saber will be aware of all this, of course, but the reality of video game development means it will, like the Space Marines themselves, need to pick their battles carefully.

We’ve seen other studios struggle to cope with satisfying this sort of demand before, especially in the face of unexpected success. Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead, for example, has had trouble keeping its massive playerbase going after 12 million sales in 12 weeks. After 4.5 million sales in just over a month, Saber may run into the same problem. It might already be there.

Mods, then, may fill the gap. “For whatever reason, Warhammer games tend to get far more modding attention than most,” Tom said. “If I had to guess, it's because of the sheer depth of lore and history behind everything, so there's so much more that people want to see than any single studio can reasonably produce.

“And modeling is very much about taking something and making it your own (at least to a lot of people).”

Sega has brought forward the release date of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii to February 21, 2025 to avoid a clash with Monster Hunter Wilds.

In a video shared by Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, below, studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama said the release date is shifting up one week from the originally announced February 28. Capcom announced the same release date for Monster Hunter Wilds just five days after RGG Studio revealed Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's.

While Yokoyama didn't mention Monster Hunter WIlds explicitly, he did say RGG Studio wanted fans "to play the game that comes out after with peace of mind" and "enjoy hunting at [their] own pace."

The Monster Hunter and Like a Dragon franchises are both developed in Japan and, while the monster hunting role-playing game and pirate action adventure don't share genres, it makes sense that Sega and Capcom wouldn't want two of their headlining franchises going head-to-head on the same day.

"We have decided to bring forward the release date by a week to February 21, 2025," Yokoyama said. "This is partly because development is progressing more smoothly than expected, but we also want to deliver the game to players around the world as soon as possible. We wanted you to be able to play the game that comes after it with peace of mind."

He added later: "If you are interested in pirates, but aren't familiar with the series overall, please have a go. And after that, I hope you'll also enjoy hunting at your own pace."

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a spin-off sequel to Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the eighth mainline entry in the Yakuza / Like a Dragon series (or ninth including Yakuza 0). It follows fan favorite character Goro Majima as he wakes up with amnesia and becomes a pirate.

A trailer released at the October Xbox Partner Showcase revealed a proper first look at ship combat akin to Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag and the return of the beloved character Taiga Saejima, perhaps teasing more ties to the main series than previously thought.

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

Lenovo is offering a great deal on Xbox controllers, now priced at just $39.99 with the promo code FALLXBOX at checkout. This discount applies to the Astral Purple, Electric Volt, and standard Carbon Black models, bringing the price down from $64.99. It's one of the best Xbox deals currently available, making it a strong option to consider ahead of the upcoming Black Friday sales.

In other Xbox controller news, the Ghost Cipher transparent controller also recently became available at Amazon, and it's already down to just $59.49 (over $10 off its $69.99 list price). If you have been loving Xbox’s venture into OG Xbox 2000’s nostalgia territory, the new gamepad style should certainly be tickling your fancy.

Other notable big deals right now include the Resident Evil 4 down to just $21.99 for PS5, PS4, and Xbox. It's one of the best deals of the season so far and on one of the best games ever made as well. "Whether you're a fan of the original or a newcomer with a hankering for some action-heavy horror of the highest quality, Resident Evil 4 is like a parasite-riddled Spaniard: a total no-brainer." Tristan Ogilvie said 10/10 Resident Evil 4 review for IGN.

The latest Xbox showcase also recently wrapped up, and we saw a mix of new trailers and gameplay for upcoming games arriving on the console and PC. We got some big announcements from partners like Remedy Entertainment, Sega, 505 Games, and more. The event only lasted about 25 minutes, so there was a lot be packed into that timeframe. If you missed the event, you can watch the recording yourself, or you can check out our video above for the recap.

If you're searching for more game deals, you're in the right place. We’ve got a range of video game roundups packed with discounts for every platform, including the best PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch deals. For an overview of the top offers across all consoles, check out our best video game deals roundup. You can also find more great savings, including tech deals, in our Daily Deals section.

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

As we approach the end of the year, and with Black Friday sales right around the corner, there's never been a better time to find top Switch discounts. We've gathered the best Switch deals currently available, including a new discount on Super Mario Party Jamboree, and the Switch Black Friday bundles are already up and available at Best Buy. Check out our favorite deals at the moment below, and for more updates on the latest discounts, follow @IGNDeals on Twitter/X.

Best Nintendo Switch Game Deals

Our absolute favorite Switch deal at the moment is Super Mario Party Jamboree, down to just $47.99 at Woot. IGN's Logan Plant loved the new entry into the series, awarding it a 9/10 and saying in his review: "Super Mario Party Jamboree is the series’ newest superstar, with fantastic boards, minigames, and customizable rules that return to the classic formula while also confidently improving upon it."

Best Switch Micro SD Card Deals

The best Switch SD card should be fast, reliable, and as future-proof as possible. That last one is important, especially with the Switch successor on the horizon. Therefore, you're going to want to opt for the latest in SD card tech, which is a micro SDXC UHS-I U3 A2 V30 memory card. That's a lot of random letters, so to save you a bit of time we've left our top suggestions and deals just above and below for your convenience.

Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Holiday Bundles Are Live

Black Friday has arrived a little early for Nintendo fans. For the past few years, Switch holiday bundles with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have dropped during the holiday sale event. If you've been itching to pick up one of these bundles, you thankfully don't need to wait until November as the Standard and new OLED bundle are already live at Best Buy. With these bundles, you're essentially getting the game for free, which is totally worth it.

Best Switch Power Bank Deals

Looking for a new power bank? This incredible deal on the Anker PowerCore 737 is absolutely worth checking out. Featuring a spacious 24,000mAh capacity and a hefty 140W charging output, it's a fantastic pick for your Nintendo Switch. We also featured it in our list of the best power banks for 2024, so it's well worth investing in.

Best Nintendo Switch Accessory Deals

Whether you're looking for a new controller or a carrying case for your Switch, there are quite a few different accessory deals that are worth checking out. Here, we've listed just a few of our favorite discounts at the moment, including a deal on an Orzly carrying case and a great deal on Neon Purple and Neon Orange Joy-Cons.

More Accessory Deals:

• PowerA Joy Con Comfort Grips for Nintendo Switch - Black for $9.88
• Hori Nintendo Switch Split Pad Pro (Black) for $41.99

When Should You Buy a Nintendo Switch?

The short answer is that you should buy a Nintendo Switch whenever there’s any kind of sale, regardless of the time of year. Amazon will likely offer the same console bundles on any other sale as it will on Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, so there’s no real reason to wait if you’re in need of a Nintendo Switch.

That being said, there are sometimes some unique bundles and promotions during Black Friday that you won’t find any other time of the year. They usually includes additional games (like the infamous Mario Kart 8 bundle) or Switch accessories for free, but quantities tend to be limited. As always, do your research into the seller before you make a purchase and keep in mind that the Nintendo Switch 2 is coming out next year.

Where to Buy a Nintendo Switch in 2024

• Nintendo Switch Console for $299.00
• Nintendo Switch Lite Console for $199.00

With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we're trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We've got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as PlayStation and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand-new offers. If you're trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.

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

Even though there are some major seasonal sale events around the corner, Xbox has plenty of excellent deals for fans to take advantage of right now. That includes a superb deal on Xbox controllers at Lenovo using code FALLXBOX, with colors like Astral Purple down to just $39.99 for a limited time. There's also Resident Evil 4 (2023 remake), down to just $21.99, which is its best price ever. That's not all, as there are also offers on more games, storage, and so much more.

Best Xbox Controller Deals

Lenovo has a killer deal on the Astral Purple, Electric Volt, or Carbon Black Xbox Controllers, now down to just $39.99 when using promo code FALLXBOX at checkout. This is one of the best Xbox deals going right now, and well worth considering even with the Black Friday sales right around the corner. The new Xbox Ghost Cipher Controller is also discounted now long after release, down from $69.99 to $59.49 at Amazon today.

Lenovo $40 Controller Deal (FALLXBOX)

Resident Evil 4 for Just $21.99 and More

This time of year is great for finding games on sale. At the moment, you can score some incredible deals on a wide variety of physical games, including Resident Evil 4 for just $21.99, alongside 58% off Unicorn Overlord, 64% off Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and more.

Here's what Tristan Ogilvie had to say in his 10/10 Resident Evil review for IGN: "Whether you're a fan of the original or a newcomer with a hankering for some action-heavy horror of the highest quality, Resident Evil 4 is like a parasite-riddled Spaniard: a total no-brainer."

More Xbox Video Game Deals:

Best Xbox Series X Deals

Two new variants of Xbox Series X are now available alongside a new 1TB Series S. If you're interested in picking one of these up, the fancy 2TB Galaxy Black Series X will set you back $599.99, the 1TB All-Digital Robot White Xbox Series X can be bought for $449.99, and the 1TB Robot White Xbox Series S goes for $349.99.

Best Xbox Game Pass Deals

CURRENTLY SOLD OUT - STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES

One of our favorite Xbox Game Pass Ultimate deals has returned at Woot, providing another opportunity for users to stack their membership at a discounted rate. You can get three months of the service for just $36.49. This price won't stick around for long, so act fast to secure your membership.

Considering the new price of Game Pass Ultimate is $19.99/month, you're saving $23.48 with this 3-month deal. This is the best way to avoid the Xbox Game Pass price hike. By stacking these codes you can set yourself up for success to play all of their upcoming releases at a lower price.

What's Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass

The headline here is of course the October 25 release of Black Ops 6, the first Call of Duty game to launch day-one on Game Pass. It comes a year after Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which has also seen the likes of Diablo 4 and Modern Warfare 3 arrive on Game Pass, and will, in November, see StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection hit the subscription service.

Black Ops 6’s launch straight into Game Pass is a big gamble for Microsoft. It hopes the power of Call of Duty will boost subscriber numbers and revenue (itself bolstered by the recent Game Pass price rise and restructure), but it comes with the risk of losing sales of the full-price game. While Xbox executives have insisted sales can be boosted by a game’s presence on Game Pass, some publishers remain unconvinced.

• South Park: The Fractured but Whole (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 16
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
• Donut County (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 17
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
• MechWarrior 5: Clans (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – October 17
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 25
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (Cloud) – October 25
  Game Pass Ultimate
• Call of Duty: Warzone (Cloud) – October 25
  Game Pass Ultimate
• Ashen (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 29
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
• Dead Island 2 (PC) – October 31
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• StarCraft: Remastered (PC) – November 5
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• StarCraft II: Campaign Collection (PC) – November 5
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Best Xbox Accessory Deals

Does your family complain when you stay up playing loud shooters late into the night? They'll stop complaining if you pick up an Xbox headset that lets no one but you hear the delightful explosions you cause on the screen.

Right now, you can get 13% off the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX wireless headset and 36% off the Razer Kaira Pro wireless headset at Amazon. To see even more gaming headsets on sale, visit our roundup of the best gaming headset deals.

What is Xbox's Recent Controversy?

The recent discomfored surrounding Xbox can be isolated to a recent round of brutal layoffs. Microsoft is closing a number of Bethesda studios, including Redfall maker Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks, and more in devastating cuts at Bethesda. Alpha Dog Games, maker of mobile game Mighty Doom, will also close. Roundhouse Studios will be absorbed by The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios. Microsoft, currently valued at over $3 trillion, did not say how many staff will lose their jobs, but significant layoffs are inevitable.

Microsoft's announcement of the cuts at Bethesda come over three months after the company announced plans to cut 1,900 staff from its video game workforce, and amid a boom time for Bethesda's Fallout series following the breakout hit Prime Video TV show.

Is Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Coming to Xbox Game Pass?

Microsoft has confirmed the arrival of Call of Duty Black Ops 6 day-one on Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft made the announcement alongside the release of a live-action reveal trailer called 'The Truth Lies'. In it we see world leaders including Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, George H. W. Bush, Colin Powell, and Saddam Hussein, delivering cryptic speeches. Black Ops 6 will be set during the events of the Gulf War during the early '90s.

When Should I Buy an Xbox?

In general, it is advisable to keep an eye out for sales and restocks throughout the year, as availability has improved since the initial launch of the console. Unlike the Nintendo Switch, there is no specific recommendation to wait for a sale regardless of the time of year. Instead, it's a good idea to monitor various retailers and online platforms for restock announcements and promotional offers.

However, certain events like Black Friday or other holiday seasons may bring about unique bundles, discounts, or promotional deals specifically for the Xbox Series X. These bundles may include additional games, accessories, or exclusive limited editions. While quantities for such promotions might be limited, they can provide an opportunity to get more value for your purchase. See our guide to Xbox Series X prices for more info.

Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S?

Choosing between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S ultimately depends on your gaming preferences, budget, and specific requirements. Let's compare the two consoles to help you make an informed decision:

1. Performance: The Xbox Series X is the more powerful option, offering native 4K gaming, higher graphical fidelity, and faster loading times. It has more advanced hardware, including a larger storage capacity. On the other hand, the Xbox Series S targets a lower price point and offers a less powerful performance, targeting 1440p resolution gaming and upscaling to 4K.

2. Price: The Xbox Series S is more affordable compared to the Xbox Series X. If budget is a significant factor for you, the Xbox Series S provides a cost-effective option while still delivering a next-generation gaming experience. For example, the Series S can play Starfield at 1440p 30fps (vs 4K 30fps on Series X).

3. Storage: The Xbox Series X comes with a larger internal storage capacity, allowing you to store more games directly on the console. The Xbox Series S, however, has a smaller storage capacity, which means you may need to manage your game library more actively or rely on external storage solutions.

4. Disc Drive: The Xbox Series X includes a disc drive, enabling you to play physical game discs and enjoy a wider range of media options, including Blu-ray and DVD playback. The Xbox Series S, in contrast, is a digital-only console, meaning you can only play games downloaded from the digital store.

5. Graphics and Performance: While both consoles support ray tracing, the Xbox Series X provides a more immersive and visually impressive experience due to its superior hardware capabilities. If you prioritize cutting-edge graphics and want the best performance available, the Xbox Series X is the preferable choice.

Consider your gaming preferences, budget, and whether you prioritize top-of-the-line performance or cost-effectiveness. If you have a 4K TV, want the most powerful console, and are willing to invest more, the Xbox Series X is the recommended option. If you have a lower budget, a 1080p or 1440p TV, and don't mind sacrificing some performance, the Xbox Series S offers excellent value for money.

With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we're trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We've got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as Switch and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you're trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.

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