Arc Raiders Dev Says Players Who Used 'Recent Exploits' Will Face Warnings and Suspensions Starting This Week

Embark Studios is keeping its promise to take action against players who took advantage of duplication exploits and other glitches in Arc Raiders by issuing warnings and suspensions.

The developer behind the popular survival shooter offered an update for its ongoing cheater crackdown with a blog post on its website. While its efforts to stamp out nefarious Raiders began last month, the message arrives as a sign that it shows no signs of slowing anytime soon.

Embark promised to subject those who utilized exploits to “further review and possible penalties” with the launch of last week’s 1.15.0 update. Today’s message follows up on that promise, offering a detailed explanation as to why it’s taken the team some time to issue a response. Now that reports of exploit usage have been confirmed and their impact on the in-game Arc Raiders economy has been measured, the studio is ready to act.

“We want to act once, with intention, and with confidence that we’re doing the right thing,” Embark said. “This is the first time we’ve handled an incident of this nature at such scale in ARC Raiders. Rather than rushing, we chose to take the time needed to fully understand the situation and make sure our response was consistent with our values and expectations.”

Players who took advantage of glitches such as the dupe exploit to a limited degree could find a warning on their accounts as soon as today and through the next week. At least one Reddit user has already shared such a notification, telling them that “continued use of exploits could lead to a suspension.”

Glitch abusers are now receiving messages from the team in ARC Raiders. https://t.co/c5CnTGRWtq pic.twitter.com/lbU9znPqc2

— Rooster (@TheRooster) February 17, 2026

Embark added that any Coins tied to dupe activity have also been removed. For “severe cases,” or instances where exploit usage had a notable impact on other players’ experiences, players could receive an immediate ban. It’s unclear how many warnings or suspensions Embark plans to deal through the week, or how long suspensions will be. The Arc Raiders team tells players to report new exploits and glitches on its official Discord.

“It's our hope that this response provides a platform for future action, and we’ve already improved our detection and tracking, internal review tools, and safeguards to limit the impact of similar exploits,” the message continues.

“We take this incident seriously, and we’re approaching it as both a corrective effort and a learning opportunity to strengthen the systems that support fair play.”

While Arc Raiders has continued as one of the most popular games of the year, Embark has found itself facing a stream of technical issues. Some, as the studio admitted today, stem “from a design flaw,” while others, such as a late-January Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack, are more difficult to anticipate.

One early exploit saw players sneakily hiding behind walls in Stella Montis, while dupe exploits have seen players finding mountains of ducks in Buried City. After a fix brought an end to duck duplication last week, some players were almost immediately hit by an issue that cleared their inventory.

We spoke to Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund about all things Arc Raiders earlier this month and learned that the studio has already banned “tens of thousands of players so far.” We also found out how the studio’s success will help it make more games while keeping its existing fans happy.

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

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.Hack//Z.E.R.O. Is Our First .Hack Game in Almost 10 Years

Surprise! Japanese studio CyberConnect2 is marking its 30th anniversary with the announcement of a new .hack game: .hack//Z.E.R.O.

To whet our collective appetites, we've even been treated to a teaser trailer, which you can watch below.

.hack is a series of action RPG games that explore a virtual game-space called The World, with action taking place both there and in our real world, branching off of a multimedia franchise that extends to a collectible card game, a Japanese-only MMORPG, plus animated movies, manga, and live-action TV shows.

Today, February 16, 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of CyberConnect2.

To commemorate, we will begin development of .hack//Z.E.R.O., a new original game. This title will be fully self-published by CyberConnect2, from planning to development to release.#hackZERO #dothack pic.twitter.com/J5nrgnXU83

— CyberConnect2 Official (EN) (@cc2information) February 16, 2026

It's been the best part of ten years since we last had a .hack game — the last was .hack//G.U. Last Recode in 2017 — but don't let that put you off: Hiroshi "Piros" Matsuyama recently told Famitsu that the new release won't link directly to any previous title, so you don't need to come into the game with any prior knowledge.

Although .hack has always been developed by CyberConnect2 and has usually been published by Bandai Namco, Bandai Namco has given CyberConnect2 permission to "manage the entirety of the project from planning and development to release."

As for what to expect? "World-renowned violinist Taro Hakase has penned the music, kick-starting the project to the dexterous tune of his violin. .hack//Z.E.R.O. will be a novel RPG experience that blends the series’ trademark duality of fantasy (game world) and reality (real world) with modern expectations, infused with 100% pure CyberConnect2 spirit.

"The game will be enjoyable for both veteran fans and new players alike," the team said. "Please look forward to this newest iteration of .hack."

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

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Almost a Year On, Assassin's Creed Shadows Post-Launch Support Continues With the Addition of a Jump Button

It's been almost a year since Assassin's Creed Shadows released, and Ubisoft is not done updating its feudal Japan-set stabathon. This month brings the addition of a manual jump option, alongside two other fan-requested changes.

As part of the 1.1.8 update going live today, February 17, Ubisoft will add a manual jump option to the game (if you've toggled on your Advanced Parkour setting), which returns from previous titles in the series.

Two other small additions are also set to become available: a detailed stat page so you can analyze your build in granular detail, and some visual improvements to when you make a critical hit. All of these changes had been requested by fans, so are likely to be positively received.

That said, this is a pretty small set of additions that look like the game's only major update across the first three months of this year. Update 1.1.7 launched back in December, capping off a first nine months of post-release additions that had arrived pretty much every month.

Today's update to Assassin's Creed Shadows is the first notable addition to the game of 2026, and according to a Winter Roadmap released by Ubisoft looks to be the only one coming ahead of the game's March 20 anniversary, which the company will celebrate with a livestream and giveaways. Here's hoping we hear more of what's coming to the game in its second year then.

The only other item of note before then is the Switch 2 launch of the game's Claws of Awaji expansion on March 10. The add-on caps off the game's main narrative and now looks to be the only major expansion the game will get. It's hard not to compare the level of support for Shadows with that for the series' previous game Valhalla, which received three major expansions, an Odyssey crossover DLC, an epilogue DLC and several major new modes, and feel like Shadows has been underserved in comparison.

Earlier this month, a report stated that Ubisoft had scrapped a multiplayer Assassin's Creed game that originally began as Shadows DLC. The DLC would allegedly have involved four Assassins joining forces to take on a series of scripted missions with up to four players that would have ultimately concluded the story told in the game's now-canceled Season Pass.

Meanwhile, 2026 is widely-expected to be the year Ubisoft releases its long-awaited Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remaster, which has leaked more times now than a very old pirate boat. As of yet, however, the project still officially remains under wraps.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

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There's a Whole Bunch of Disney Lorcana Cards on Sale at Amazon Today

Amazon has some excellent deals on Disney Lorcana cards today, and in particular, you can currently pick up a Booster Display set of Azurite Sea for just $90.50. That's a significant 37% drop from the list price of $143.99, and one of the best deals we've ever seen on the booster set.

That includes 24 Packs with 12 cards in each, so that's a total of 288 cards, with each pack guaranteeing at least six common and three uncommon cards, alongside two cards of rare, super rare, or legendary rarity, and finally 1 randomly selected foil card amongst these.

But, it's also worth noting that this is a limited-time lightning deal at Amazon, and once it's gone, it's gone. At this price, I wouldn't be surprised if fans snap these up as soon as possible, as there's still plenty of trading potential in Azurite Sea.

Otherwise, there are loads of other great Lorcana deals to check out at Amazon this week as well. That includes the Gateway Board Game down to just $16.30 - 35% off, and it is basically the perfect way to start playing Lorcana, or even teach you and a friend how to start off on one of the most promising new TCGs in recent years.

My other favorite in the sale is on the Azurite Sea Stitch Collector's Gift Set, which includes six collector cards and four Booster packs of 12 additional game cards in each. That's down to just $33.94 right now, and another tidy drop from the $49.99 list price.

In other Disney Lorcana news, there is a brand new Gift Set and Collection Set up for preorder at Amazon today, featuring Scrooge McDuck and Stitch respectively.

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Robert Anderson is IGN's Senior Commerce Editor and resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Bluesky.

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It Sounds Like Stellar Blade May Launch on Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2 This Year

The developer of Stellar Blade is looking to expand the game to more platforms, signalling a potential release on Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2.

Korean studio Shift Up mentioned the move in the Q&A section of its most recent financial report. It said Stellar Blade had established itself as "a steady, long-tail IP, supported by sustained sales momentum and strong user reception since launch," and that the team was "reviewing platform expansion beyond PS5 and PC to broaden audience reach." "This approach is expected to both introduce the title to new players and gradually build anticipation for the next chapter in the series," Shift Up continued.

That "next chapter" is, of course, sequel Stellar Blade 2, which is now in development.

"We expect 2026 to be a year in which more users experience the existing title while momentum and anticipation builds toward the next phase of the Stellar Blade franchise," Shift Up added.

Shift Up is also working on Project Spirits, to be published by Level Infinite. Self-described as the studio's "next flagship title," it is progressing "steadily under strategic collaboration with a global partner."

"The project is being developed as a next-generation flagship title with a focus on achieving a high level of completion and quality, taking into account its global scalability," Shift Up explained. "Through co-development and other strategic partnerships, Shift Up and the global partner continues to maintain close collaboration across full spectrum of planning, development, and service operations."

We can explicit further details "within the year," including information about the project’s "direction and key features."

Last month, Shift Up once again gave bonuses and gifts worth around $4,000 to its entire team, including a pair of Apple AirPods Max, an Apple Watch, and a cash bonus of around $3,400. The year prior, the studio gifted all staff a PS5 Pro as well as a cash bonus of $3,400. Staff also secured a Nintendo Switch 2 each in June when Stellar Blade hit the 3 million copies sold milestone. In 2024, staff were given pre-paid credit cards worth around $6,800, and in 2023, staff were given iPhone 14s, among other bonuses. The studio provides these bonuses to retain and encourage existing talent.

Meanwhile, the CEO of Shift Up recently received the Presidential Commendation at this year's Korean Content Awards for his contribution to the Korean games industry with the games Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Stellar Blade.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

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Here's Why Rainbow Six Siege Didn't Add Metal Gear Solid's Cardboard Box as Well as Solid Snake

Rainbow Six Siege is getting Snake from Metal Gear Solid as a new Operator next month — but the game also nearly had a cardboard box item to hide in, too.

Speaking to IGN, Rainbow Six Siege creative director Josh Mills confirmed that the idea had been discussed internally, but ultimately was dismissed pretty quick — and for good reason. Simply put, Siege fans know the game's maps too well.

While hiding from enemies in a cardboard box might work against NPCs, Siege fans simply remember the game's levels too intricately to be tricked by a random package lying around.

"Our players already know every inch of every map, and among the team we have a saying, Operator's eyes don’t lie," Mills told IGN. "So, if there were suddenly a box in the corner of a room on any given map our players would promptly shoot that box."

It's a fair point, though sadly one which does mean we won't be crouching inside any cardboard in Rainbow Six Siege anytime soon.

Ubisoft first teased its Rainbow Six Siege and Metal Gear Solid crossover last month, when it showed Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher taking a Codec Call. Full details on Snake — and a look at us playing as him — lie in the video above. And yes, that is indeed David Hayter providing his voice once again.

Snake officially arrives in Siege as part of Season One: Operation Silent Hunt on March 3, which will also see the launch of a Gray Fox skin for Jackal, and a Meryl skin for Ash.

"We're excited to bring the world of Metal Gear Solid series into Rainbow Six Siege with Season 1's new Redacted event, a limited-time 4v4 infiltration mode where Snake and Zero lead a team of elite Operators to recover stolen data," Mills said. "The team also went a step further with 'Last Assignment', a new mission for Dual Front designed as a special nod to long-time Metal Gear Solid fans."

Metal Gear Solid may be one of the wildest crossovers for Rainbow Six Siege so far, but it’s far from the first. Other recent collaborations have brought the Attack on Titan and The Boys universes into the fold with various cosmetics for existing Operators. Splinter Cell didn’t launch with the game when it first launched back in 2015, but Sam Fisher did go on to get his own Operator in the form of Specialist Zero in 2020.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

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Silent Hill 2 Remake Developer Bloober Team Announces Layers of Fear 3

Bloober Team has revealed the video game it teased last month as Layers of Fear 3.

In a video presentation celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Layers of Fear franchise, CEO Piotr Babieno thanked fans for keeping the series "close to your hearts for all these years," before setting up the final reveal: Layers of Fear 3.

Layers of Fear is a psychological horror series that has seen three main releases so far: 2016’s Layers of Fear; 2021’s Layers of Fear 2; and a remake released in 2023.

Layers of Fear 3 doesn’t have a launch window or confirmed platforms, but Bloober Team did release a creepy live action teaser, which features a man reading William Blake’s The Sick Rose in a grand room. We see a painting of a woman, presumably the “sick rose,” and another painting of what looks like a humanoid figure, potentially the same woman, amid a sickness with their mouth sewn shut. A ghostly figure moves past this painting before the painting of the woman falls to the ground. The man waves this away as being the responsibility of his “little friend” who “tries to help” but hasn’t quite got the hang of the afterlife. The teaser ends with the man issuing a Valentine’s Day warning to the audience before turning over a sand timer. The Layers of Fear 3 tagline reads: “Some Things Never Leave The Walls. They Only Learn To Wait.”

That’s pretty much all we have for now on Layers of Fear 3, which sits alongside the Silent Hill remake Bloober Team also has in the works. There’s also a number of smaller games from its subsidiary, Broken Mirror Games, which include a mysterious Switch exclusive codenamed Project M. This all follows what has been a high-profile period for the Polish studio, which has enjoyed success with the Silent Hill 2 remake for Konami, as well as self-published releases including Cronos: The New Dawn and The Medium.

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

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