They gave a verdict on the game in the headline.
They played stupid clickbait games and won no prize.
Dude, you used to be a journalist, why are you against this preview?
IGN knew that being denied review code was a possibility, and Tom Marks' tweet may be a little overcooked (given that supposedly no sites are getting review code, although I bet code will be sent to influencers, which would make sense why Marks is ticked that they're trying to just hold back Metacritic numbers.) They got their clicks from the headline, and now they're paying backtaxes in delayed review traffic. But if the choice is between sugarcoating the preview to get a final build or telling the truth as soon as you know it, I don't see the sugar route being sensible, and if you're a working, honest journalist, I don't see there being a choice. (A little even-handed optimism is one thing, but if gameplay makes you miserable then that's your context.)
IGN’s policy on previews was always to be neutral and save the verdict for the review.
I don't think there was ever a public policy on previews (there nothing about it on the policy page now. )
Timely, comprehensive, and reliable
corp.ign.com
And as far as that being as EIC recommemdation, that's not been the "policy" anywhere i worked. Previewers should always convey to the audience what is good about the product (as in what play features might appeal to them, because that's why people are reading the preview, for a feel of what the game is all about and whether they should continue to follow it or consider a preorder) and be light or skip on technical criticism of products that are far from done. (I'm sure you remember though E3 previews that would still say stuff like, "If they can iron out the choppy framerate of the E3 build, then this could be good...", or "We encountered a few bugs but hourly those will be squashed before release..." , stuff like that. ) A preview for a game rarely goes hard like this. But most previews aren't for games 7 years in development and with a launch four weeks away from the first allowed hands-on.