| | | Star Wars Fans Praise Ahsoka Finale's 'Amazing' Clone Wars and Rebels References | | by Adele Ankers-Range Oct 4, 2023 | | Warning: The below contains major spoilers for Ahsoka Episode 8, which is now streaming on Disney+. The final episode of Ahsoka featured several callbacks to The Clone Wars and Rebels, which fans have praised online, acknowledging that it is "amazing" to see such Easter eggs in a live-action Star Wars series. Episode 8 of Ahsoka, "The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord", proved to be an action-packed 49 minutes, leaving the audience with plenty to unpack and discuss after its emotional final scenes played out. Some of the biggest talking points stemmed from The Clone Wars and Rebels references littered throughout the finale. One particularly significant moment sees Morgan Elsbeth receiving the "Blade of Talzin" as a gift from the Nightsisters of Dathomir during her initiation into the coven. The weapon's name is a callback to Mother Talzin, who wielded the almighty sword in a duel against Mace Windu during the animated Clone Wars series. Several tribes of Nightsisters once existed on Dathomir, though during the Clone Wars, a powerful matriarch known as Mother Talzin unified these factions and their members, including Asajj Ventress, who got a mention in Episode 7 of Ahsoka. Still, fans were surprised to hear the reference and see the blade in live-action. Ahsoka has featured a few notable cameos, including fleeting moments from C-3PO and Captain Rex, but the series didn't end without dropping in another totally unexpected Clone Wars and Rebels character. Towards the end of the episode, a mysterious white bird appears: most likely Morai, a convor who debuted in Rebels. Fans quickly identified Ahsoka's feathered friend as Morai because she is prone to showing up for key moments in her story. Morai has appeared in several Clone Wars and Rebels episodes and is likely the same bird that showed up in the second season of The Mandalorian, so people were elated to see her again. Morai is a female convor known to have spiritual ties to the Force wielders of Mortis, particularly the Daughter, one of three Force gods introduced in The Clone Wars. Near the end of Ahsoka's final episode, Baylan Skoll appears to be standing atop stony statues resembling the Mortis Gods: the Father, the Son, and the Daughter. Viewers were keen to see where Baylan would end up after parting ways with his apprentice, Shin Hati, and we now know that the Mortis God statues were his final destination. Here, the Son represents the dark side of the Force, the Daughter resembles the light side of the Force, while the Father acts as a balance between the two. The season finale of Ahsoka certainly left viewers with a lot to think about and will no doubt keep discussions going for a while. IGN's review of Ahsoka Episode 8 praised the show for an "excellent conclusion" that managed to "complete satisfying arcs for all its characters while still setting up a big cliffhanger". Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter. | | | | | Netflix's One Piece Actually Expanded the Manga After Eiichiro Oda Provided New Art to Showrunners | | by Ryan Dinsdale Oct 4, 2023 | | Netflix's One Piece might be a live action adaptation of the long-running series but it actually expanded the manga canon slightly after author Eiichiro Oda provided new artwork of a 20 year-old character to the showrunners. Spotted by Library of Ohara on Twitter (below), co-showrunner Matt Owens posted the first ever artwork of the original Mr 7 on Instagram alongside the story of how it came to be. Mr 7 was only mentioned by name in the manga, in 2001's Chapter 190, and Oda later drew a simple picture of the character's face in a question and answer segment (called SBS) of 2005's Volume 36. This can be seen in the top left corner of the art provided by Oda. "I pitched a lot of ideas to Oda in our first meeting. One was about how to introduce Zoro in an action based scene to show off what he can do before we meet him in Shells Town," Owens said in the post. "In an old SBS Oda mentioned that Zoro was previously recruited by Mr 7 of Baroque Works and killed him in combat. This was exactly what I was looking for: something within canon while never actually shown in the manga itself. Oda turned to one of his editors and said: 'Did I say that?' " Oda was impressed with Owens' knowledge of One Piece and liked the idea, so finally drew Mr 7 in full for the first time ever. It's from this design that Owens and the Netflix team based their live action version of Mr 7, who appears in one of the opening scenes of Episode 1. One Piece premiered August 31 and was quickly renewed for Season 2, with the CEO of production company Tomorrow Studios Marty Adelstein saying it can be ready within 18 months of the actors' strike ending. Fans have debated how reindeer-human hybrid Tony Tony Chopper will work in live action, and creator, writer, and co-showrunner Steven Maeda told IGN it would certainly be a challenge. In a wider conversation around Season 1 and beyond, Maeda also addressed a major fan theory regarding another upcoming character. Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day. | | | | | Former Ubisoft Execs Reportedly Arrested After Year-Long Sexual Harassment Investigation | | by Ryan Dinsdale Oct 4, 2023 | | Five former Ubisoft executives were reportedly arrested following a year-long sexual assault and harassment investigation within the company. As reported by French publication Libération, translated by GI.biz, former chief creative officer Serge Hascoët and former VP of editorial and creative services Tommy François — both of whom left Ubisoft in summer 2020 following a wave of sexual misconduct allegations — were among those placed in police custody. The case is being handled by the public prosecutor's office in the Paris district of Bobigny after simultaneous complaints were made by the Solidaires Informatique union and two victims on their own behalf. Judicial police then collected testimonies from around 50 current and former employees. The plaintiff's lawyer Maude Beckers told Libération the investigation "reveals systemic sexual violence". When asked for comment by IGN, Ubisoft said: "Ubisoft has no knowledge of what has been shared and therefore can’t comment." Allegations emerged against multiple Ubisoft departments and studios in 2020. Assassin's Creed Valhalla director Ashraf Ismail was fired from the company, while Hascoët, François, and global head of HR Cécile Cornet all stepped down. Ubisoft committed to making major changes following the allegations. "I am determined to make profound changes in order to improve and strengthen our corporate culture," Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot said at the time. "We already have acted swiftly and firmly, announcing and introducing large-scale initiatives intended to transform our organization. Our overriding aim is ensuring that all Ubisoft employees have a safe and inclusive workplace environment." A report which emerged a year later, however, had Ubisoft employees claiming "nothing has changed". Guillemot said Ubisoft had strengthened its anti-harassment and non-discrimination policies and created new HR processes, among other changes, but committed again to making further improvements. "Management — myself included — have a responsibility to act as role models and be exemplary for our teams," Guillemot said at the time. "I want to stress my personal commitment to continue to improve our workplace culture and create real, lasting and positive change at Ubisoft." Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day. | | | | | Star Trek: Lower Decks Showrunner Casts Doubt On The Series' Future | | by Ryan Leston Oct 4, 2023 | | Star Trek is entering a strange, new world... and it could mean Lower Decks is in jeopardy. During an interview with Cinema Blend, Lower Decks showrunner Mike McMahan explained that Star Trek is heading in a bold direction, and what that could mean for its current wave of shows. “Yeah, I mean, listen, we’re in weird times,” he said. “Everything is changing. I think everything’s gonna continue to change. I would say nothing is safe. I don’t have any bad news for anybody, but also, I think you shouldn’t assume that this stuff is gonna stick around unless you vocally and watch it early on.” Star Trek: Lower Decks has been something of a fan-favourite since the show launched back in August 2020. Telling the story of low-ranking support crew on the starship Cerritos, Lower Decks' irreverent humor and piles of Star Trek Easter eggs have kept fans amused and intrigued in equal measure. The animated series stars Jack Quaid as Brad Boimler and Tawny Newsome as Beckett Mariner, two of those low-ranking crew members who have gone on to give us four seasons of spacefaring shenanigans. However, McMahan has teased that while he’s already working on Season 5, that could be the last we see of the Lower Decks crew. “I do not know if we’re going to have another season after the season we’re working on right now,” he said. “Lower Decks could very well be a five-season show.” It’s true that Star Trek is in a strange place right now. There’s plenty on the horizon, including a new season of Strange New Worlds as well as the upcoming Starfleet Academy show and a Section 31 film starring Michelle Yeoh. However, there are also some casualties already being reported. Star Trek Prodigy was abruptly canceled back in June, and despite fans attempting to save the canned Trek series, it looks as though it won’t be coming back. Then there’s Star Trek: Discovery, which has been confirmed to end in 2024 with its fifth and final season. Even Star Trek: Picard looks as though it's reached its conclusion, with Picard settling into what seems like a neat ending at the end of Season 3. The show’s star Patrick Stewart has since confirmed it was only ever envisioned to run for three seasons, but he has hopes for a follow-up film. Whether or not Lower Decks will survive remains to be seen, but the animated Star Trek show has seen a lot of goodwill from fans. Either way, it sounds as though we can expect a fifth season at the very least. IGN’s Lower Decks Season 4 review gave it 8/10 and said: “Star Trek: Lower Decks expands its storytelling in season 4 by upgrading the career tracks of the Beta Shift team. By tapping into their enthusiasm and self-doubt as they work their way up the Federation ladder, the season offers more opportunity for chaos and character maturity. Plus, the Trek Easter eggs remain deep and plentiful.” Want to read more about Star Trek? Check out the ‘original’ ending of Star Trek: Picard as well as why Star Trek should embrace its silly side. Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter. | | | | | Red Dead Redemption Update 1.03 Quietly Adds 60fps | | by Wesley Yin-Poole Oct 4, 2023 | | Red Dead Redemption now has an option to play at 60 frames per second after the surprise drop of an update. Patch 1.03, which weighs in at just a few hundred MB, adds a 60fps toggle to Red Dead Redemption on PlayStation 5. The port launched on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in August, and is available to play on PS5 via backwards compatibility. At launch, Red Dead Redemption ran at 30fps only across PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch, disappointing many fans of the 2010 epic. Fans are now welcoming this new update following the backlash the Red Dead Redemption port received upon launch. Fans complained about the barebones improvements to the game’s performance as well as its $50 price point, especially considering the port does not include multiplayer or a PC release. Plus, Red Dead Redemption is already playable on the Xbox Series X in 4K and, thanks to Xbox Series X and S backwards compatibility, has been accessible on Microsoft platforms for years. In an August interview with IGN, Strauss Zelnick, boss of parent company Take-Two, defended the high price of Red Dead Redemption: “That's just what we believe is the commercially accurate price for it,” Zelnick said. Take-Two’s EVP of Finance, Hannah Sage, also pointed out the port isn’t just the Red Dead base game but also Undead Nightmare. When asked if Undead Nightmare was the reason for its $50 price, Zelnick said the add-on “was a great standalone game in its own right when it was originally released, so we feel like it's a great bundle for the first time, and certainly a great value for consumers”. Thoughts inevitably turn to Red Dead Redemption 2 and the possibility of a next-gen upgrade. Last month’s explosive Xbox leak sent shockwaves throughout the Red Dead Redemption community after a Red Dead Redemption 2 next-gen update was found listed by a Microsoft executive in a planning email. Rockstar has yet to 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. | | | | | Star Wars Fans React to Emotional Final Scenes in Ahsoka Episode 8 | | by Adele Ankers-Range Oct 4, 2023 | | Warning: The below contains major spoilers for Ahsoka Episode 8, which is now streaming on Disney+. The final episode of Ahsoka proved emotional for Star Wars fans, with the closing "starlight in the shadows" moment leaving an indelible impression on viewers long after the credits rolled. Episode 8 of Ahsoka, "The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord", saw the heroes of the story race to prevent Grand Admiral Thrawn's escape. Not everything goes as planned, but the finale still brings a sense of closure for Ahsoka and Sabine, who wind up back on Peridea out in the new galaxy while Ezra Bridger returns home. Sabine gazes out across the night sky as she senses "shadows in the starlight", prompting Ahsoka to shift her focus and give a knowing nod. As she turns around, we see the Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker smiling and watching over them. He is also now sporting his Jedi Master robes, similar to those worn in Return of the Jedi. The poignant moment elicited an emotional response from fans as they took to social media to celebrate the last appearance from Hayden Christensen's Anakin in Ahsoka's debut season. Viewers felt it was an important piece of connective tissue for the franchise, signalling that Anakin has always looked out for Ahsoka. Christensen's first appearance in Ahsoka came in Episode 4, when Ahsoka met the spirit of her old master in the World Between Worlds. The two engaged in an epic lightsaber duel in Episode 5 before parting ways again. He showed up briefly in Episode 7, but it was a big win for fans to see his legacy honoured in the finale. Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter. | | | | | Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Multiplayer Beta Global Release Time Confirmed | | by Wesley Yin-Poole Oct 4, 2023 | | Activision has confirmed the global release times for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 beta on PC and console. Modern Warfare 3’s release date is set for November 10, 2023 on PC via Battle.net and Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S. But Activision has a beta planned for the multiplayer portion of the game that will let fans get their hands on Sledgehammer's shooter from October 6. We now have exact timings for the staggered release of this beta, which includes early access for those who pre-order on PlayStation before being available to all. Here’s the list of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 release times worldwide: - Early Access PlayStation (pre-order): Oct 6 at 6pm BST / 10am PT / 1pm ET until Oct 8 at 6 pm BST / 10am PT / 1pm ET
- Open to all PlayStation players: Oct 8 at 6pm BST / 10am PT / 1pm ET until Oct 10 at 6pm BST / 10am PT / 1pm ET
- Early Access PC / Xbox (pre-order), open for PlayStation players: Oct 12 at 6pm BST / 10am PT / 1pm ET until Oct 14 at 6pm BST / 10am PT / 1pm ET
- Open to all players: Oct 14 at 6pm BST / 10am PT / 1pm ET until Oct 16 at 6pm BST / 10am PT / 1pm ET
IGN has a helpful guide on how to access the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 beta, if you fancy getting in on the action. Activision has yet to announce what will be available in the beta, but fans can expect a sample of the 16 core multiplayer maps set for Modern Warfare 3’s launch. These are remakes of classic Modern Warfare 2 maps, including fan-favourite Rust. Brand new MP maps are expected post-launch. Yesterday, Activision released a first proper look at Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer, leaning heavily on nostalgia for these classic maps and returning mechanics, such as map voting, the classic minimap, and slide cancelling. Activision will reveal more about Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 and battle royale Warzone 2.0 during its COD Next event, which kicks off October 5. The show will not feature the DMZ mode, however. 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. | | | | | Warcraft Rumble Arrives Alongside BlizzCon in November | | by Ryan Dinsdale Oct 4, 2023 | | Warcraft Rumble, previously Warcraft Arclight Rumble, will arrive alongside BlizzCon itself on November 3, developer Blizzard Entertainment has announced. Revealed in a tweet (below), Blizzard shared what players can look forward to when the fast-paced mobile strategy game launches with a new trailer. Players can collect more than 65 miniatures, challenge iconic Warcraft characters, and develop an army of their own at launch. Alongside a single-player campaign, players can also go head to head in PvP battles and more. Warcraft Rumble will likely be a hit at BlizzCon 2023, with the event for all things Blizzard taking place in person for the first time in four years starting launch day on November 3 to November 4. Blizzard released a handful of trailers and gameplay videos for Warcraft Rumble, first announced in February 2022, before going quiet ahead of a delay to 2023. In our preview of the game, IGN said: "Warcraft: Arclight Rumble doesn't seem to be trying to hide the fact that it's Blizzard's foray into the kingdom of mobile strategy games that generally have an icon of some sort of wacky pack warrior yelling at you from the app store." Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day. | | | | | Patrick Stewart Says Tom Hardy 'Wouldn't Engage' With Co-Stars On Star Trek: Nemesis | | by Ryan Leston Oct 4, 2023 | | Stark Trek legend Sir Patrick Stewart isn’t a fan of Star Trek: Nemesis. Among the problems he encountered was actor Tom Hardy, who Stewart claims was "challenging" to work with on the 2002 Star Trek movie. “Tom wouldn’t engage with any of us on a social level,” Stewart claimed in his new memoir Making It So (via Insider). “Never said, ‘Good morning,’ never said, ‘Goodnight,’ and spent the hours he wasn’t needed on set in his trailer with his girlfriend.” “He was by no means hostile,” added Stewart. “It was just challenging to establish any rapport with him.” Star Trek: Nemesis starred Hardy as Shinzon, the villainous Praetor and leader of the Romulan empire who turns out to be an imperfect clone of Picard himself. The film was critically panned and sits at 38% on Rotten Tomatoes. Perhaps most embarrassingly, Stewart wasn’t a fan of the film, either. “Nemesis, which came out in 2002, was particularly weak,” he said. “I didn’t have a single exciting scene to play, and the actor who portrayed the movie’s villain, Shinzon, was an odd, solitary young man from London. His name was Tom Hardy.” As for Hardy himself, Stewart admitted he never thought he would find such a long career. “On the evening Tom wrapped his role, he characteristically left without ceremony or niceties, simply walking out of the door,” Stewart revealed. “As it closed, I said quietly to [co-stars] Brent [Spiner] and Jonathan [Frakes], ‘And there goes someone I think we shall never hear of again.’ It gives me nothing but pleasure that Tom has proven me so wrong.” Hardy has reportedly proved difficult to work with, allegedly causing a friction between himself and Mad Max: Fury Road co-star Charlize Theron that resulted in her feeling unsafe while filming the sci-fi hit. “[I spent] several weeks on that movie where I wouldn’t know what was going to come my way, and that’s not necessarily a nice thing to feel when you’re on your job,” she said. “It was a little bit like walking on thin ice.” IGN’s Star Trek: Nemesis review gave it 3/10 and said: “I walked out of Star Trek Nemesis – whose promotional tag line is ‘A generation's final journey begins’ – with the words of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country's Chancellor Gorkon echoing in my head: ‘Don't let it end this way.’ Not for The Next Generation, and not for the franchise in general.” Want to read more about Star Trek? Check out the ‘original’ ending of Star Trek: Picard as well as why Star Trek should embrace its silly side. Image Credit: Paramount Pictures. Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter. | | | | | Nintendo Shutting Down 3DS and Wii U Online Servers in 2024 | | by Ryan Dinsdale Oct 4, 2023 | | Nintendo is shutting down online servers for 3DS and Wii U games in early April 2024, with the exception of Pokémon Bank. The announcement came in a tweet (below) and in an update on Nintendo's support website, where the publisher thanked players for using its hardware but confirmed the shutdown is just six months away. A specific shutdown date will be announced later. "In early April 2024, online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software," the post said. "This also includes online co-operative play, internet rankings, and data distribution." Though Nintendo said plans are subject to change and could potentially arrive sooner than announced, the one exception to the rule is Pokémon Bank, which will remain online but "may also end at some point in the future". The predecessor to Pokémon Home, Pokémon Bank essentially connects all the digital Pokémon Game Boy Games with the Game Boy Advance, DS, and Nintendo 3DS titles. It's also the only way to transfer Pokémon from these games to the Nintendo Switch through Pokémon Home. "Please note that if an event occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software, we may have to discontinue services earlier than planned," the publisher added. "We sincerely thank players for using the online services of Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software over a long period of time and apologize for any inconvenience." Games can still be played offline on these platforms, of course, and beloved 3DS social interaction game StreetPass will survive thanks to it using local communication and not online services. The shutdown isn't particularly surprising in the context of the Switch's lifecycle coming to an end, never mind that of its predecessors the Wii U and 3DS. The eShops for both consoles were also shut down in March 2023, meaning no new games could be purchased on either platform. The end of the Switch is otherwise being discussed at Nintendo, though the publisher has promised it will continue making new games until at least 2025. It's reportedly set to release its next-gen console during the second half of 2024. Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day. | | | | | Seven Former BioWare Employees Are Suing the Company for Better Severance | | by Alex Stedman Oct 4, 2023 | | After BioWare eliminated 50 jobs back in August, seven of those former employees are now suing the Dragon Age and Mass Effect maker for better severance. Per a press release obtained by IGN today (spotted by Kotaku's Ethan Gach), the group of employees has filed a Statement of Claim with Alberta’s Court of King’s Bench, requesting fair severance pay and punitive damages for what they call “unreasonably fair treatment by BioWare.” The press release notes that the employees were fired without cause, and that in recent cases of termination without cause in the Alberta Courts, former employees have been granted one month severance pay per year of service, including the full value of benefits. Without delving into specifics, the release says the laid-off employees were offered “significantly less than this amount,” despite alleged efforts to negotiate with BioWare. In filing the lawsuit, these employees have refused BioWare's offered severance pay. The seven employees filing the lawsuit have an average of 14 years at the company, says the release. In a statement, one of the terminated employees notes that while they “remain supportive” of the long-awaited Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, “we are struggling to understand why BioWare is shortchanging us in this challenging time.” “In light of the numerous recent industry layoffs and the fact that BioWare’s NDAs prevent us from showing any of our recent work on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf in our portfolios, we are very concerned about the difficulty many of us will have finding work as the holiday season approaches,” the statement says. R. Alex Kennedy, a lawyer with Worobec Law Offices who is representing the former employees, says BioWare may have included illegal provisions regarding termination in company contracts: “BioWare attempted to reduce its obligation to these employees well below what the courts typically award, including by eliminating benefits from its termination pay – that appears to be contrary to the Employment Standards Code.” IGN has reached out to EA for comment on the lawsuit. When the layoffs were announced, BioWare General Manager Gary McKay said in a blog post that it was part of a “long-term vision” to make it a "more agile and more focused studio." He added that while they were “committed” to supporting the affected employees, including in regards to finding them placement elsewhere within the company, they would not be able to find new jobs for everyone. The cuts came amid development for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and the next Mass Effect, with the layoffs affecting experienced employees for both series. In his press release at the time, McKay insisted that their commitment to the fourth major Dragon Age game “remains steadfast,” while the next Mass Effect continued on in pre-production. As the statement above notes, there has been a number of layoffs in the games industry over just over the past month or so. Earlier today, a Kotaku report revealed that Sony-owned studio Naughty Dog has apparently suffered a round of layoffs, joining likes of Blizzard’s Hearthstone team, Worms maker Team17, Immortals of Aveum maker Ascendant Studios, Callisto Protocol publisher Striking Distance, and Fortnite’s Epic Games – which laid off 830 employees – among others. “These people are artists and creators who have worked very hard and for a very long time in a difficult industry, producing big profits for their employer,” Kennedy says in today’s press release. “Their termination without cause en masse like this calls for a response. Employers here can terminate anyone at any time without cause, but with that right comes a responsibility to the people they put in that situation.” Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons. | | | | | Assassin's Creed Mirage Global Launch Times Confirmed | | by Alex Stedman Oct 4, 2023 | | Assassin's Creed Mirage, the 13th major installment in Ubisoft's franchise, is nearly upon us. Mirage will debut on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC on Oct. 5, a full week earlier than originally planned. But these days, it can be tough to figure out what that means exactly in terms of when you'll be able to start playing. Luckily, Ubisoft has detailed the global release times for both PC and console, which vary by an hour or so in most regions. For the most part, you'll be able to start playing in the wee hours of Friday, Oct. 5, with a few regions getting a jumpstart on PC late on Thursday. Mirage is already available for pre-loading. You can see the various release times in their graphic, and we've also broken it down below. Los Angeles: - PC: Oct. 4, 10 p.m. PDT
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. PDT
Montreal: - PC: Oct. 5, 1 a.m. EDT
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. EDT
London: - PC: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. BST
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. BST
Stockholm: - PC: Oct. 5, 1 a.m. CEST
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. CEST
Kyiv: - PC: Oct. 5, 2 a.m. EEST
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. EEST
Mexico City: - PC: Oct. 4, 12 a.m. CST
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. CST
Sao Paulo: - PC: Oct. 5, 2 a.m. BRT
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. BRT
New York: - PC: Oct. 5, 1 a.m. EDT
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. EDT
Paris: - PC: Oct. 5, 1 a.m. CEST:
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. CEST
Abu Dhabi: - PC: Oct. 5, 3 a.m. GST
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. GST
Johannesburg: - PC: Oct. 5, 1 a.m. SAST
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. SAST
Shanghai: - PC: Oct. 4, 9 p.m. CST
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. CST
Tokyo: - PC: Oct. 4, 10 p.m. JST
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. JST
Seoul: - PC: Oct. 4, 10 p.m. KST
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. KST
Sydney: - PC: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. AEDT
- Consoles: Oct. 5, 12 a.m. AEDT
Assassin's Creed Mirage is also getting a release on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Max Pro sometime in the first half of 2024, although we're still waiting for an exact release date on that. In the meantime, Ubisoft is asking fans to not release spoilers as that release date quickly approaches. Mirage follows Basim Ibn Ishaq, a character introduced in 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and has been hailed as a return to the series' roots, with a focus on stealth and linear storytelling. To sate your appetite, check out our hands-on preview, as well as our interview with Narrative Director Sarah Beaulieu out of Summer of Gaming. Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons. | | | | | Boomerang X Developer Dang! Is Shutting Down: 'We Are Out of Money' | | by George Yang Oct 3, 2023 | | Boomerang X developer Dang! has announced that the studio is closing its doors due to being unable to secure funding for its next game. “Dang is closing up shop. Unfortunately, we were not able to find funding for our next game and we are out of money,” the studio said in a statement written on the desktop Notepad app. “We’re not writing off the possibility of working on some small stuff together in the future but for now we’re all going our separate ways. Thanks to all the love you’ve shown to us over the years and thanks for playing Boomerang X.” While the studio joked that it was rather unserious about its closure announcement by not making a professional-looking one with a logo, it assured that the news wasn’t a joke. The studio also mentioned that it considered crowdfunding, but said that the approach didn’t make sense for the situation. Furthermore, Boomerang X will not be taken off any storefronts and will still be available for sale. Many studios have shut down this year, such as Saints Row developer Volition, due to restructuring. However, Dang’s situation wasn’t the result of mass layoffs. Studios like Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew developer Mimimi Games have voluntarily closed due to a variety of factors, like wanting to prioritize developer well-being. Boomerang X was released on July 8, 2021 for PC and Nintendo Switch. In IGN’s Boomerang X review, we said, “Exciting combat, fantastic art direction, and interesting environments only make me wish Boomerang X were twice as long.” George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He's been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety. When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey | | | | | Joker: Folie à Deux Director Shares New Image of Joaquin Phoenix a Year Before Its Release Date | | by Adam Bankhurst Oct 3, 2023 | | In celebration of Joker: Folie à Deux being exactly one year away, the film's director Todd Phillips has shared a new image of Joaquin Phoenix as the legendary DC villain. Phillips shared the image on Instagram, and it shows Phoenix's Joker standing in the rain next to four people with umbrellas of the colors red, orange, blue, and yellow. Joker himself does not have an umbrella, and is looking to the sky with his eyes closed as rain falls upon him. It also can be seen as the colors a clown may wear on their face, clothes, or hair pouring down on him. "Oct. 4. Thanks for all the messages," Phillips wrote. "Four years ago we had quite a ride. Lots of great memories. More to come." Joker: Folie à Deux will be released in theaters on Oct. 4, 2024, and Phillips previously shared an image in April of Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn and Phoenix's Joker while confirming the sequel had wrapped filming. We still don't know much about Joker: Folie à Deux, but we do know it will exist outisde of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU and will instead call DC Elseworlds its home. It's also been reported that this film will actually be a musical, although that has not been confirmed one way of the other. In our 10/10 review of 2019's Joker, we said it "isn’t just an awesome comic book movie, it’s an awesome movie, period. It offers no easy answers to the unsettling questions it raises about a cruel society in decline. Joaquin Phoenix’s fully committed performance and Todd Phillips’ masterful albeit loose reinvention of the DC source material make Joker a film that should leave comic book fans and non-fans alike disturbed and moved in all the right ways." For more, check out the rest of Joker: Folie à Deux's cast that we know of and all the other DC movies and TV shows on the horizon. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch. | | | | | Square Enix Finally Ends the Debate on How to Say Cait Sith | | by George Yang Oct 3, 2023 | | Square Enix has officially revealed how to correctly pronounce the name of a Final Fantasy VII character. After years of debate on the internet, we finally have confirmation of how to say Cait Sith. Cait Sith is, of course, a feline character that rides a large stuffed toy in Final Fantasy VII. Square Enix confirmed in a post on X/Twitter today that, at least in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Cait Sith is pronounced like “Kate Sihth.” Basically, the name is pronounced how it’s read on paper. Square Enix said, “We saw many of you were asking so we hope this helps!” The debate on how to correctly pronounce Cait Sith’s name has been going on for a while now - if you want to be exact, basically dating back to 1997 when Final Fantasy VII was first released. Back in 2008, a few users on GameFaqs noted that the name comes from the Gaelic language, theorizing the name would be pronounced closer to its Celtic origins, something like “Ket Shee.” However, it seems like Square Enix has taken a different approach to the name and is pronouncing it closer to how it’s actually spelled in the English language. While Cait Sith has had English voice actors in past media, such as Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus, it seems like the name “Cait Sith” was never actually said by any character. We've reached out to Square Enix to confirm that this is indeed the first official confirmation, although by all accounts, it is. Cait Sith will also be a playable party member in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth when it launches on Feb. 29, 2024 for PlayStation 5. In IGN’s Final Fantasy VII Rebirth preview, we said, “Story-wise, Rebirth again feels very familiar, and yet also different. This is due in part to the tremendous difference in scale and presentation – here, like with Remake, areas that were previously sparse or bare are expanded out into lush zones to explore. But there are also little changes that are mostly inconsequential, but they still play out in different ways than fans of the original FF7 are used to.” George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He's been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety. When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey | | | | | Apple's $17,000 Gold Apple Watch No Longer Eligible For Repairs | | by Taylor Lyles Oct 3, 2023 | | If you were one of the few people who spent $10,000 to $17,000 on the 18-karat gold Apple Watch, I have some bad news for you: that pricey wearable is no longer eligible for repairs. As reported by MacRumors, Apple internally listed that all first-gen Apple Watch models are now "obsolete," meaning they can no longer be taken to Apple Stores or Apple Authorized Service Provider locations to receive repairs or additional services. Apple is no longer providing parts, repairs, or any services for its first smartwatch outing. Apple entered the smartwatch market in 2015 with the first generation (also known as Apple Watch Series 0). Apple Watch Series 0 would be discontinued a year later. Still, the tech giant continued to support Series 0 in some capacity, with the last software update (watchOS 4.3.2) released in 2018 and offering parts, repairs, and replacement services until this year. The gold Apple Watch Series 0 remained something of an icon in the wearable's history. Aside from its hefty price tag, the watch was on the wrists of several celebrities, including Beyoncé and Drake. The Series 0 gold model was also reported to be a passion project for Jony Ive, the former lead designer at Apple. A report published by The Wall Street Journal in 2019 said Ive wanted the Apple Watch to be a fashion accessory and not make it something that was an extension of the iPhone. Of course, if you are familiar with the Apple Watch, it became a mix of both: an accessory heavily embedded in the Apple ecosystem and one of the more higher-end, luxury-esque options, like the gold Series 0 and Apple Watch Hermès. Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster. | | | | | Star Wars Reveals Crucial Lore Detail in Ahsoka: Sabine's Loth-cat's Name | | by Adam Bankhurst Oct 3, 2023 | | While people are expecting a great many things from tonight's Ahsoka finale, Star Wars has just answered one of the show's biggest questions in the best way possible just before its debut, as it revealed Sabine's Loth-cat is named Murley. As if that wasn't a wonderful enough treat for us fans as we wait for the final episode of Ahsoka's first season, Star Wars has also gave us to an adorable Star Wars Lofi livestream of Murley sleeping on a table with music from Sean and Deana Kiner - the children of Ahsoka composer Kevin Kiner. For those unfamiliar, the wonderful Loth-cats were first introduced in Star Wars Rebels and Murley was first seen in Ahsoka as Sabine's trusty pet and friend. They are from the planet of Lothal, and the last time we saw Murley was at Sabine's home at LothalNet comm tower E-272. Many were worried that Murley was simply abandoned by Sabine when she went off with Ahsoka and Huyang on their trip to Seatos, but Star Wars has reassured us that our favorite feline from that galaxy far, far away is apparently doing just fine. For more to read as we wait for tonight's finale, be sure to check out our review of Ahsoka's seventh episode. We said it was "largely a piece-moving affair, getting several of its main characters to places that viewers could have guessed they were going – but those pieces sure move excitingly, with fleet pacing and some good old-fashioned Star Wars fights and engaging performers from the main cast." You can also check out our look at the massive questions and revelations the penultimate episode of Ahsoka left us with alongside fans' celebrations over the surprise cameo and how the episode ignited intrigue about Baylan Skoll and how the series will wrap up. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch. | | | | | Disney VFX Workers Vote Unanimously to Unionize | | by Cristina Alexander Oct 3, 2023 | | Visual effects workers at Walt Disney Pictures have voted unanimously to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). The IATSE announced Disney's VFX workers's vote on unionization on Tuesday. The company's in-house VFX unit, comprised of 18 employees, filed for a union election at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Aug. 28, and votes were cast by mail between Sept. 8 and Sept. 28. When votes were counted on Monday, 13 voted in favor of unionization and zero opposed. "Today’s unanimous victory shows that VFX workers everywhere have a clear path to winning a meaningful say about their working conditions and quality of life," IATSE’s VFX organizer Mark Patch said in a statement. "We’ll be continuing our work to win a great contract, but we need to bring every studio and vendor in line to bring those union standards to all VFX workers." Disney's VFX workers — whose work encompasses a host of live-action remakes of Disney's animated classics, including Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Cinderella, The Lion King, and more recently The Little Mermaid — are the second in-house unit of VFX workers to unionize with the IATSE after Marvel Studios' VFX workers unanimously voted to do the same last month. Just like Marvel's VFX workers, Disney's group is pushing for fair compensation for all hours worked and other benefits. "For so long we’ve wanted the same protections as everyone else, but there was no hope in sight," VFX senior coordinator Mack Robinson said. "Winning this election was a long fight, but I’m proud to say it’s been won by each and every VFX worker wanting a brighter, sustainable future." The unanimous vote also comes nearly a week after the WGA strikes ended after 148 days, with the union reaching a tentative deal with the AMPTP that includes restrictions on A.I. use in productions and better compensation. The SAG-AFTRA strikes are still ongoing. The VFX workers will negotiate with Disney on a collective bargaining agreement, but negotiation dates have not been set yet. Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15. | | | | | Only Murders in the Building Renewed for Season 4 | | by Adele Ankers-Range Oct 3, 2023 | | Only Murders in the Building, the murder-mystery comedy starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, has been renewed for a fourth season by Hulu. Fans of Only Murders in the Building will be breaking out their hummus and dips in celebration as news of the renewal comes on the same day as the third season finale, which left the series on a cliffhanger, ensuring that the show's vigilante detective squad will be back for more crime-solving escapades in the future. The show follows Charles Haden-Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) as they investigate a series of suspicious deaths that occur inside the Arconia building in New York's Upper West Side while recording a true crime podcast about the cases as they attempt to crack them. The series has received critical acclaim and awards noteriety, having racked up 17 nominations for the 74th Emmy Awards, including comedy acting nods for Martin and Short. They also got recognition at the Golden Globes alongside Gomez, who gained a nomination for Best Television Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series. Only Murders in the Building hails from co-creators and writers Martin and John Hoffman, who executive produce along with Short, Gomez, Dan Fogelman, and Jess Rosenthal. Season 3 showcased a bit of extra razzle dazzle by welcoming a new round of guest stars in Meryl Streep, Paul Rudd, Jesse Williams, and Ashley Park. IGN's review of Only Murders in the Building Season 3 said the new additions delivered "strong performances", but the show did not "spend enough time having Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez actually solve a mystery", so it ultimately "lost sight of what made the first two seasons of the true-crime spoof so compelling". Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter. | | | | | Barbie Will Release on Blu-Ray and DVD Later This Month | | by Ryan Leston Oct 3, 2023 | | Barbie arrives on Blu-Ray and DVD later this month on Oct. 17, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today. After its home digital debut last month, Greta Gerwig’s smash hit Barbie is finally getting its DVD and Blu-Ray release, with a 4K UHD version also available when the movie debuts on physical media later this month. Barbie also contains the following special features on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray: - Welcome to Barbie Land – featurette
- Becoming Barbie – featurette
- Playing Dress-Up – featurette
- Musical Make-Believe – featurette
- All-Star Barbie Party – featurette
- It’s A Weird World – featurette
Barbie has earned over $1.4 billion since its theatrical debut on July 21, 2023, making it the biggest hit of the year so far, soaring to incredible highs alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer which debuted on the same day. Barbie stars Margot Robbie as the beloved doll alongside Ryan Gosling as the classic Ken. America Ferrera also stars along with Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell, as well as Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Ana Cruz Kayne, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Dua Lipa, and Helen Mirren. Barbie tells the story of the quintessential Barbie, who loses her positive attitude and ends up thrust into the terrifying real world. IGN’s Barbie review gave it 9/10 and said: “Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is a masterful exploration of femininity and the pressures of perfection. This hyper-femme roller-coaster ride boasts meticulous production design, immaculate casting, and a deep-seated reverence for Barbie herself. Margot Robbie sparkles at the center of the film, alongside Ryan Gosling’s airheaded Ken and America Ferrera’s well-meaning Gloria. Ultimately, Barbie is a new, bold, and very pink entry into the cinematic coming-of-age canon. Absolutely wear your pinkest outfit to see this movie, but make sure you bring tissues along too.” Want to read more about Barbie? Check out how Barbie is now the highest-grossing movie in Warner Bros. history as well as the cool Barbie movie-inspired Ken doll that you can add to your collection. Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter. | | | | | |
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