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Following an "in-depth" investigation, the European Commission has approved Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision-Blizzard. The investigation began last November, with the commission citing Microsoft's potential expansion into the cloud gaming market as a primary concern. This was just one of many roadblocks the company faced, including ongoing battles with America's Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Roughly summarized, here are the conclusions the European Commission came to as a result of their investigations: Microsoft's merger would not provide them any incentive to refuse to distribute Activision-Blizzard games to Sony consoles. Even if Microsoft did withhold those games from Sony, it would not significantly harm the console market. Even prior to the merger, Activision would not make its games available on multi-game subscription services (i.e. Xbox Game Pass) If Microsoft made Activision games exclusive to...

Ranked Play is coming to Fortnite, and it's coming soon. According to a blog post from last Saturday, the team behind Fortnite will implement the new mode in the 24.40 update, introducing eight main ranks players can progress through. If Epic keeps to their usual schedule, the mode is expected to come this week, but a date has yet to be formally announced. Once Ranked Play is added to the game, players will be able to toggle it on or off from the main menu. Other than the fact that it's generally more competitive, there aren't any major gameplay differences between Ranked and unranked play, though that's subject to change. In fact, most details about Ranked Play are not concrete, as Epic says this mode is going to be the start of Ranked Season Zero, so they can "make any adjustments to...

Fans of first-person shooters and old-timey cartoons should keep an eye on Mouse. The recently announced game slaps the classic animation of yesteryear over a retro shooter template to create an experience that's old-school in more ways than one.  Mouse comes from Polish indie developer Fumi Games and is billed as a noir story-driven shooter about murder and deception set in a corrupt city. Players control a private detective wielding vintage firearms like a Tommy Gun, revolver, and Carcano rifle to blast the rather adorable rodent enemies. The game’s Steam page describes Mouse as a play-your-way type of experience, emphasized by a power-up system in which players can collect special abilities and weapon upgrades that cater to a chosen playstyle. The trailer shows the game is very much a work-in-progress, but it’s already an eye-catcher.  Mouse is rendered in the classic rubber hose animation style that...

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Fortnite Ranked Play is finally arriving in Battle Royale and Zero Build modes in the upcoming V24.30 patch, which looks to be set to arrive on May 16, 2023....

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is out today, and like its predecessor Breath of the Wild, it includes numerous references to other Zelda games. But there's one specific reference that has us simultaneously baffled and cackling over its utter silliness and specificity. And it has to do with Link's Awakening....

After thousands and thousands of battles the IGN readers have decided what the best game from The Legend of Zelda series is before we all dive deep into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Was it Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild? The Wind Waker or A Link to the Past? Read on to find out......