It's now confirmed: a fresh Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase presentation will air this week, featuring updates on Switch and Switch 2 games from third-party publishers.

Nintendo announced the broadcast on social media today, and confirmed the show will last 25 minutes.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow, Thursday July 31 at 6am Pacific / 9am Eastern / 2pm UK time — and, as ever, IGN will be reporting on all of the announcements as they happen.

Join us for a #NintendoDirect Partner Showcase tomorrow, July 31, at 6am PT! Tune in for roughly 25 minutes of information on upcoming #NintendoSwitch2 and #NintendoSwitch games from our publishing partners.

Watch here: https://t.co/PvBBmmxGTI pic.twitter.com/8hJBngwXHw

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 30, 2025

With Switch 2 launched, alongside Mario Kart World and brilliant new platformer Donkey Kong Bananza, attention now turns to the rest of the new console's first year on sale — and support from the platform's third-party publishers.

As a Partner Showcase event, tomorrow's broadcast will likely feature no new games from Nintendo itself. Instead, be on the lookout for more news on games coming from other publishers. Switch 2 already has solid support, with upcoming big hitters such as Borderlands 4 and 007 First Light previously confirmed for the platform. But what else might tomorrow bring?

Could we see more of Hollow Knight Silksong, perhaps, before its playable demo at Gamescom — and maybe even get a release date? Will FromSoftware show more of its Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods, set for arrival in 2026? And might Activision finally tell everyone what's going on with Call of Duty coming to Nintendo platforms?

Time, and also this Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase, will tell. See you tomorrow!

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

The Naked Gun opens in theaters Friday, August 1.

The Naked Gun is stupid. I say this with all my heart and in every sense of the word: The 2025 update of the classic police-movie spoofs starring Leslie Nielsen is idiotic, asinine, and downright preposterous. And its parade of slapstick, sight gags, and deadpan wordplay had me grinning ear to ear. This is a movie that subjects the Oscar-nominated star of Schindler’s List to a battery of humiliations that include, but are not limited to, extended scenes of intestinal distress, visual sexual innuendo, and interactions with multiple, intentionally janky-looking puppets. I liked all 85 minutes of it, and I can’t wait to see it again just to pick up any of the punchlines I laughed over or funny little signs I overlooked.

Stupid was the name of the game when Nielsen played boneheaded cop Frank Drebin in six episodes of the brilliant-yet-canceled Police Squad! and its three big-screen spin-offs. And it remains so with Liam Neeson in the role of boneheaded cop Frank Drebin Jr. The fearless foolishness of the new Naked Gun begins with casting Neeson because his name kinda sorta sounds like Nielsen’s, and doesn’t let up until the last fake, pun-laden credit rolls. But as proven by every sweaty genre parody that popped up in Scary Movie’s wake, it takes genuine wit, talent, and inspiration to make a good movie out of something this dumb. Frank Jr. may be standing on the just-out-of-frame shoulders of spoof giants David Zucker, his brother Jerry, and their longtime collaborator Jim Abrahams, but he’s been hoisted up there by a guy who knows a good idea (hear him out, hear him out) when he sees one: The Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer.

Schaffer’s primary upgrade to The Naked Gun formula is an added visual panache; as opposed to the flat, overlit, TV-like compositions preferred by Abrahams and the Zuckers, his camera swirls and swoops around Frank Jr., his Police Squad comrade Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) and femme fatale/true-crime author Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson). Taking the filmmaking so seriously only serves to underline the glorious absurdities unfolding within the frame: At one point, Neeson is locked in a frenetic punch-up that wouldn’t look out of place in a Taken sequel (or Taken knockoff) – until he pulls his adversary’s arms off and starts swinging them like flesh-and-bone nunchuks.

The gravitas that carried Neeson through both the “acclaimed star of prestigious period pictures” and “aging action-movie badass” phases of his career is trickier to wield. He’s fully committed to playing Frank’s obliviousness and delusions of heroism, never giving way to the shameless, cross-eyed mugging Nielsen was frequently guilty of. He expertly modulates into a higher register to, say, rant about DVR etiquette or wince through a chili-dog-induced bathroom emergency – but when he’s in beatdown mode, the goofus-turned-gallant contrast isn’t quite there. It’s almost like we need a gag as outrageous as the detachable arms (or the stream of bad guys queuing up behind a “take a number” stanchion that follows it) to remind us that this is, indeed, a comedy. Not exactly what you want from a franchise renowned for playing its funny business with the straightest face possible.

Fortunately, the vintage ZAZ spirit translates more cleanly in other areas. This thing is absolutely packed with jokes, not all of which call attention to themselves – several phony corporate logos and silly slogans linger in the foreground and background. (My favorite: The Crypto.com Arena-riffing name of the setting for a climactic MMA bout.) Frank is constantly being handed coffee cups from offscreen, with Schaffer and the props department making a meal of the cups’ size, where they’re deposited, and how they’re delivered. If a certain timeliness appears to be creeping into the humor via Danny Huston’s tech-mogul villain Richard Cane and the way his evil scheme subtly razzes the Hollywood reboot fever that made this Naked Gun possible, just remember that the second movie in the franchise pinned some of its laughs to the not-so-evergreen foibles of Zsa Zsa Gabor and Walter Mondale. More worrisome are references to the 2004 Super Bowl and the lineup of the Black Eyed Peas that, for all their non sequitur specificity, feel like they’re left over from drafts of earlier, circa 2010s attempts to bring Drebin out of cold storage.

Still, it’s hard to get too mad about a movie whose big, apocalyptic plot hinges on a gizmo identified onscreen as the P.L.O.T. Device. The Naked Gun’s hit-to-miss ratio is highly weighted toward the hits – and there’s a great variety to them, too. The “Cigarette?” “Yes, it is”-style setups pile up quickly (If I may shout out another favorite: “You can’t fight city hall.” “No, it’s a building.”), but they’re balanced with a couple of segments where Schaffer lets his freak flag fly at length. And while Hauser is largely stuck playing straight man to Frank’s nonsense – keeping him from the sort of lunacy that allowed his Mole Man to steal swaths of First Steps out from under the Fantastic Four – Anderson gets a couple of spotlight moments to go hilariously H.A.M. The path to her full-fledged, post-The Last Showgirl comeback runs through some on-point comedic scatting here.

For these and other reasons (I haven’t even gotten to the fun the script has with Frank’s hard-boiled voiceover narration) it’s tempting to overrate The Naked Gun for merely existing, for being itself – or, to paraphrase the musician who’s now appeared in all four Naked Guns, daring to be stupid. There’s nothing truly new about a new release that’s built on the bones of a comedy that came out in 1988 – but the general lack of major-studio comedies of this caliber in theaters in 2025 deepens the impression The Naked Gun leaves. It, like its predecessors and previous Schaffer efforts like Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, will thrive in living rooms and on laptops, where you’ll be able to pause and screenshot every last joke. But I can’t overstate how good it felt to laugh at those jokes in a dark room full of friends and strangers, where Liam Neeson’s naked butt (or that of a body double) was spread wide across a giant screen.

It’s a sad comment on the current state of movies, but there actually is some novelty to that experience. The new Naked Gun may not be a groundbreaking comedy classic, but in its own, silly way, it does feel important. It shows that something that’s this much of a lark can still be made with craft and care and maximum entertainment value. I hope we get to see more Naked Guns, and more movies like them. I hope they’re not sentenced to streaming purgatory. Because to stop making broad, unabashed comedies of this stripe, or to keep them from coming to a theater near you? Now that’d be really stupid.

Activision has finally dropped new details of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's fifth season.

Set to launch on August 7, Activision wants you to "unleash your inner action hero" courtesy of six new modes, four new and/or remastered maps, and a smorgasbord of new weapons, updates, and enemies across Black Ops 6, Zombies, and Warzone.

"The Rogue Black Ops team is finally back in the good graces of the CIA, and that means access to all the weapons and firepower they could ask for," the publisher teases. "It’s time to finish the job they started and crush the final Pantheon moles, putting their betrayal to rest once and for all."

In terms of maps, you'll find three new ones in Black Ops 6: Runway (6v6), Exchange (6v6, 2v2), the remastered World Motor Dynasty (WMD) (6v6), plus an in-season update is on the way for Jackpot (6v6). Warzone, on the other hand, gets a Stadium POI update in Verdansk.

New modes coming to Black Ops 6 are the headshot-tastic Aim High, Snipers Only, Cranked Moshpit, plus in-season updates to Cranked Demotion, Blueprint Gunfight, and Ransack. Warzone gets LTM modes Stadium Resurgence and Deadline.

Warzone gets new cosmetics, weapon attachments, bundles, and a number of limited-time events like 90 Action Heroes, Atomic Block Party, and Operation: Hell Ride "and more."

"Recent intelligence indicates a massive disruption across Verdansk is imminent, as recon teams have confirmed the existence of a clandestine military base hidden within the sealed walls of the National Acropolis Arena," Activision added. "The extent of the threat remains unclear, though a weapon capable of large-scale destruction is expected to be unearthed within the vicinity.

"Breach the stadium in possibly the most impressively explosive way possible as you and other enemy squads attempt race to complete the multi-step Satellite Hijack Contract. Infiltrate the Stadium by any means necessary, confirming the nefarious operations and hidden compound within."

As always, expect a plethora of rewards — charms, emblems, calling cards, stickers, and weapon skins — for those daring to step into ranked play, regards of whether you're jumping into Black Ops 6's multiplayer or Warzone's battle royale.

Activision added that it has now completed the second phase of testing Warzone's Casual Solos and Core Solos side-by-side, with results showing players are more than three times likely to step into Casual over Core. Consequently, as Season 5 rolls over, both Core and Casual will be available globally on day one, but within a couple of days, Core Solos will only remain an option for North American and European players — Casual will continue to be available for all.

"By tailoring playlists based on regional data, we’re ensuring that every Call of Duty: Warzone player gets the best possible experience, regardless of location," the publisher said. "This is the next step in refining how we build playlists that serve all Call of Duty: Warzone players. We’ll continue to evaluate performance and feedback as Season 05 rolls out."

Rounding out the update are some features for Zombies, including new map Reckoning and new Wonder Weapon Gorgofex, which combines fungal, floral, and insectile traits to "deliver precise impact damage and gravity-defying disruption in close quarters, glowing membranes on the weapon show hints of motion and circulation under the surface." You can also expect new field upgrade Mister Peeks, enemies Uber Klaus and Kommando Klaus, as well as new grief arenas and a shiny new combat bow for stealthy takedowns.

Earlier today, we learned that Activision unshackled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 from the main Call of Duty HQ launcher. In a brief message posted to social media, publisher Activision confirmed people with either Modern Warfare 2 or 3 will be able to "access them directly" and without going into HQ first once they've redownloaded fresh installs of the shooter games.

Activision didn't give a reason for the change, but it's fair to suggest this is just a way of tidying up HQ ahead of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's release later this year.

And while we're talking about the next Call of Duty game… Announced at the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 last month, we know it'll feature the Skirmish and Overload multiplayer modes as well a 20v20 wingsuit option after details of a developer-only Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 playtest were accidentally released to all fans on the Call of Duty app last month.

That's not the only CoD-flavored news we had last month, either. Activision ended up pulling controversial adverts placed inside Black Ops 6 and Warzone loadouts, insisting they were a “feature test” published “in error.”

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.

Activision has unshackled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 from the main Call of Duty HQ launcher.

In a brief message posted to social media, publisher Activision confirmed players with either Modern Warfare 2 or 3 will be able to "access them directly" and without going into HQ first once they've redownloaded fresh installs of the shooter games.

Any legacy content relating to either game "within the main Call of Duty install" will be automagically removed come August 7 to "free up storage space," although a later tweet clarifies "Call of Duty: Warzone content such as MW2/MW3 operators and weapons will not be impacted by this change."

Call of Duty HQ is the platform from which Call of Duty games are launched, previously making it impossible to jump straight into Modern Warfare 3, Modern Warfare 2, or battle royale Warzone via their own dedicated apps. Instead, players must log into Call of Duty HQ, find their game of choice via a Netflix-style launcher, then load the app. At the time, Call of Duty HQ was required to play either Modern Warfare 3, 2, or Warzone, and unlike parts of those games, Call of Duty HQ itself cannot be deleted if you want to play.

At the time, Activision said Call of Duty HQ "was developed to bring players benefits like Carry Forward, easier file size management, and more seamless switching between Call of Duty: Warzone and the latest annual releases," but that wasn't the reality many players reported, as getting to a selected game or mode could be really time-consuming, particularly with endless prompts to "update to restart." It also takes up a tremendous amount of space on console.

Activision didn't give a reason for the change, and it doesn't seem HQ haters are going to be relinquished of the launcher any time soon, but it's fair to suggest this is just a way of tidying up HQ ahead of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's release later this year.

As for the next Call of Duty game? Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 — which was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 last month — is the first ever consecutive release within the Black Ops sub-series. Matt Cox, General Manager of Call of Duty, insisted that “as a team, our vision from the start was to create a back-to-back series experience for our players that embraced the uniqueness of the Black Ops sub-franchise.” It's set to star Milo Ventimiglia, Kiernan Shipka, and Michael Rooker, with Ventimiglia portraying David Mason, Shipka as new character Emma Kagen, and Rooker reprising his Black Ops 2 role of Mike Harper.

We know it'll feature the Skirmish and Overload multiplayer modes as well a 20v20 wingsuit option as details of a developer-only Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 playtest were accidentally released to all fans on the Call of Duty app. Whoops.

Last month, Activision pulled controversial adverts placed inside Black Ops 6 and Warzone loadouts, insisting they were a “feature test” published “in error.” It’s worth remembering that Black Ops 6 is a premium, $70 game, and this year’s Black Ops 7 is expected to jump to $80 after Microsoft said that gamers will see Xbox charging $79.99 for new, first-party games around the holiday season.

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.

Crunchyroll’s annual Summer Sale has arrived. From July 30 to August 26, the Crunchyroll Store is offering thousands of items on sale across anime merch and physical media. In case you were wondering, yes, the deals stack with existing Crunchyroll member discounts.

The Summer Sale is a great opportunity to get your favorite anime on Blu-ray, pick up some physical manga, or grab a figure of your favorite character. You might even be able to find the perfect accessory for your next cosplay.

Crunchyroll Summer Sale Is Now Live

Crunchyroll Summer Sale: Week One Highlights

If you’re currently watching the new season of My Dress-Up Darling (Marin my love), you can pick up discounted physical volumes of the original manga. The Blu-ray version of potentially my favorite anime of all time, the 1997 adaptation of Berserk, has also dropped by 25%.

On the apparel side, you’ll find tons of cosplay-ready accessories and anime-themed graphic tees. I grew up a Bulls fan, so I have to mention the NBA’s crossover gear with My Hero Academia. The collection, created by Hyperfly, happens to include a clean satin Chicago Bulls-themed jacket with a graphic of the iconic All Might himself. Who knew he was a baller?

Of course, tons of figures are included in the sale, which are some of the best deals to grab considering these are typically in limited stock. You’ll find action-packed poses from Chainsaw Man and Demon Slayer, though a personal standout for me is the absolutely adorable figure of Anya Forger from SPY x FAMILY.

Crunchyroll Members Can Stack Discounts

Aside from getting access to one of the best anime streaming services, Crunchyroll members also get tiered discounts on the Crunchyroll store. These discounts stack on top of the existing deals from the Summer Sale, so Mega Fan Crunchyroll subscribers can get up to an additional 15% off.

If you’ve put down your controller this year to go touch a very particular patch of grass, you might have noticed that something strange is going on at the world’s major film festivals. It started in May, when a film adaptation of virally-successful Japanese indie game Exit 8 premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival – the first videogame movie to do so. The film’s director, Genki Kawamura, gives his source material a compelling structural spin, appealing equally to the arthouse crowd and to game fans. But live-action adaptations of video games are, of course, nothing new.

That’s why Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Cinematic Cut is so interesting. It is not a live-action adaptation of developer Warhorse Studios’ critically-acclaimed RPG. Instead, it is an abridged and reformatted version of Act One of the game itself, presenting a newly-edited blend of the open-world game’s cutscenes and gameplay in a two-hour linear form. It was perhaps the strangest Special Presentation at this month’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic – a unique cross-format experiment. One that wasn’t Warhorse’s idea.

“It all happened at the official launch of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2,” explains KVIFF artistic director, Karel Och. “The first contact was made through a mutual friend, and Warhorse and KVIFF made each other understand that they wanted to collaborate at some point. During the following months, it was exciting to have a glimpse of what Warhorse represents – and I dare to say the same goes for our friends from the top of the gaming business.”

Warhorse’s communications director, Tobias Stolz-Zwilling, concurs. “They wanted to make the festival more modern and interesting – to offer something new”. The largest film festival in Eastern Europe, KVIFF attracts a younger, more adventurous audience than its contemporaries. The studio saw the film festival’s strange idea as a chance to give video games greater cultural relevancy in the broader mainstream. Besides – much of the game’s cinematics team were already speaking the festival’s language.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s cinematic director, Petr Pekař, studied film editing and directing with the intention of becoming a traditional filmmaker, but he found his calling in video games. “There are a lot of filmmakers in the Czech Republic, but the market is not that big, so it's a bit overcrowded.” says Pekař. “Thankfully, there are multiple studios creating cutscenes, which are basically animated movies”. Pekar learned on the job creating cutscenes for Mafia 3, then joined Warhorse – first as a cinematic designer on the original Kingdom Come, then as director on its sequel.

Bringing Deliverance 2’s cutscenes to the big screen invites comparison with conventional cinema, an arena far from the cinematics’ original purpose. “If you're a player, you’re mainly looking forward to playing the game,” says Pekař. “The cutscenes are more like dessert for the game – not necessary – but when it's good and it clicks, it really helps the game, the story, and the overall feel”.

The Cinematic Cut opens, naturally, on the game’s first cutscene. As it happens, you can’t help but feel like you’re settling in for a YouTube video titled ‘Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – All Cutscenes’ (“I don’t think anybody actually watches those in full” Pekař quips). The team’s cinematic direction is confident, but familiar – steeped in high fantasy tropes. A fiery siege on the castle is highly reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy – a major influence on Warhorse’s stylistic approach. Transported to the cinema screen, the scene serves as a striking reminder of how video games have traded in pastiche since their inception, responding to our desire to live out the fantasy ourselves whenever we see something cool on screen. But, of course, Cinematic Cut doesn’t deliver on this pivotal fantasy like its source material does – it’s non-playable.

When the cutscene footage ends, something curious happens. Father Godwin readies his crossbow and the scene transitions into first-person. But this is no Let’s Play. Smart, quick cuts establish a new, more cinematic editing language for first-person gameplay. Godwin heads towards the stairs – cut – now he’s halfway up them – cut – now he’s atop the ramparts, plunging his sword into an enemy. It’s remarkably thrilling. “[The gameplay] was mostly recorded by Vítek Mičke, our marketing specialist,” explains Pekař. “He also made the trailers, and he's got a good sense of timing and aesthetics. He knows how to control the camera with the controller to properly set the scene and set the mood – so it looks cool.”

A couple of awkward transitions disrupt this otherwise ‘cinematic’ tempo. A sudden cut to a ladder lowering, for example, has the distinct feel of a gameplay segment ending and a cutscene beginning, and reminds you of the objective-based game that birthed the footage. But these moments are few and far between, and they accentuate how much Warhorse has otherwise succeeded in their first attempt.

“I think this is an experiment that somebody can pick up and do better than we did – or maybe we can do it again in the future with our future projects, and learn from our mistakes.” reflects Pekař. “It’s a really interesting experience to see it on the big screen – and I was surprised that it held up. It’s odd, but it somewhat works. It’s not some kind of new cinematic media that will sit next to the movies, but for festivals and conventions, for fans – I think it’s a format that others will be doing as well”.

The team at KVIFF are equally pleased with the results. “Storytelling has many faces,” says Och. “We’re proud that a new chapter in the festival’s modern history was written in collaboration with people that we respect a great deal who follow the same goal.”

“I think this format builds a bridge,” concludes Pekař. “Gamers can come to appreciate aesthetics and cinematography, the color palettes and moods in games more, and – in the same way – movie fans can understand how movies have different functions when they’re working with interactivity. When these two mediums collaborate, sometimes it creates really strange and cool ideas. When people go out of their bubble to see something different, it helps us to understand each other’s mediums.”

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Cinematic Cut is available to watch on the KVIFF.TV website for a small fee (approx. $6) until July 31, 2027.

Blake Simons is a journalist with a taste for the self-reflexive, sentimental and surreal.

Work on the Warhammer 40,000 Cinematic Universe continues, Games Workshop has said in its latest financial report, but don’t expect any significant news any time soon — it’ll be “several years” before anything comes of it.

That’s the brief message the UK company issued to investors as part of its annual report this week, which also included a promising-sounding update on what to expect.

Former Superman actor and Warhammer 40,000 superfan Henry Cavill is set to star in and executive produce the Warhammer 40,000 franchise across all Amazon Studios productions after Games Workshop and Amazon finalized their deal late last year.

Cavill's Warhammer 40,000 Cinematic Universe is shrouded in mystery, and Games Workshop itself has cautioned fans not to expect to see anything of it for some time. Still, fans are excited about the prospect of finally seeing Warhammer 40,000 brought to life in live-action form across films and TV shows — and with Cavill steering the ship, they’re confident it will be done right.

However, condensing the vast scope of the IP into films and TV shows while sticking to a reasonable budget may prove a challenge. Warhammer 40,000 is a highly detailed setting with multiple factions, thousands of years of war played out on a galactic scale, and, at the heart of it all, enormous Space Marines who often fight against even bigger monsters. We’re talking space battles that can last hundreds of years, gargantuan land battles that can consume entire planets, and the Warp, a place so unknowable that it can be pretty much anything you can imagine.

That’s why fans have wondered about the story Amazon plans to tell with its 40K project. Perhaps something a bit more grounded that doesn’t necessarily revolve around Space Marines is a more realistic option, such as author Dan Abnett’s much-loved Eisenhorn series, which follows the inquisitors Gregor Eisenhorn and Gideon Ravenor as they hunt heretics and demons.

But if Amazon wants to go full-blown galactic Space Marine, it could tell the story of the sprawling and foundational The Horus Heresy saga, or perhaps pick one of the more famous battles in the current setting, such as The Fall of Cadia.

Either way, realizing 40K in live-action is a huge undertaking, which is why Games Workshop’s statement in its financial report has fans purring:

“On 10 December 2024 we announced the conclusions of our negotiations with Amazon for the adaptation of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe into films and television series, together with associated merchandising rights. The project continues in line with our contractual agreement with Amazon. This same contract prohibits us from sharing any specific details or commercial terms.

"We have great partners who continue to display their commitment to present Warhammer authentically and at the scope and scale befitting our fantastical setting. This is a long-term partnership with Amazon and there won’t be any significant news in the short term — these things take several years to bring to market.”

It’s that line about having “great” partners (Amazon and Henry Cavill) who are apparently committed to presenting Warhammer “at the scope and scale befitting our fantastical setting” that is of interest here. For fans, that hopefully means Amazon will go big on 40K in terms of production value at least, with its hugely expensive The Lord of the Rings show The Rings of Power fresh in the memory.

As Games Workshop insisted, this is not something we will see anything of any time soon. So we’re left with scraps to mull over, such as recent comments from Dan Abnett about NDAs and upcoming books.

In the meantime, Games Workshop pointed to the well-received Warhammer 40,000 episode on Amazon Prime’s animation show Secret Level, which it described as “a taster of Warhammer IP in digital form on the small screen.”

In June, Cavill himself touched on the “complexity” and “trickiness” of adapting the Warhammer 40,000 IP. But, he insisted, he’s loving the challenge, which for fans will be great to hear. Bringing Warhammer to life "is a dream come true," Cavill said, "but it's different from what I've done before, in the sense I haven't had my hand on the tiller of things before. It's wonderful doing that. It is a tricky IP, and a very complex IP, and that's what I love about it. The challenges that come with putting this on the page in a way that is doing justice to that complexity, that trickiness, and that nuance, is a challenge I'm enjoying enormously."

When the Games Workshop / Amazon deal was announced, Cavill issued a statement on Instagram saying he’d been “working away in concept rooms, breaking down approaches to the enormity and magnificence of the Warhammer world."

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.

The Pokémon Company has dramatically pulled the design of a new Pokémon TCG Pocket trading card, amid a firestorm of controversy over its apparent origins.

Fans had said the card, Ho-Oh EX from the game's Wisdom of Sea and Sky expansion, was based on plagiarised fan art — and in a statement issued today, The Pokémon Company essentially admitted as much.

Now, the card's artwork — alongside that of its sister Lugia EX card, which also features the Ho-Oh design — have been pulled from the game, mere hours before Wisdom of Sea and Sky's global launch. Addressing the situation, The Pokémon Company said it "deeply apologize[d] for any inconvenience" and was now conducting a review of all other cards, to ensure no other designs were at fault.

"To our community, thank you for your continued support and passion for Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket," The Pokémon Company wrote. "We want to share an important update regarding the upcoming expansion, Wisdom of Sea and Sky. It has come to our attention that there was a production issue regarding the illustration of Ho-Oh featured in the immersive card artwork for Ho-Oh EX (3-Star) and Lugia EX (3-Star).

"After internal review, we discovered that the card production team provided incorrect materials as official documents to the illustrator commissioned to create these cards. As a result, both cards have been replaced with a temporary placeholder that the team is actively working to replace with new artwork as soon as it's ready.

"We are also conducting a broader investigation to ensure no similar issues exist elsewhere in the game."

Currently, obtaining the card shows an empty card design with awkward-looking "New Art Coming Soon" text — and then a black screen in place of the card's immersive artwork. It doesn't look great.

Holy cow guys I can’t believe I opened this in Pokemon TCG pocket 🤯 pic.twitter.com/3st3ILATSW

— Poli (@ProfPoliwag) July 30, 2025

Yesterday's controversy, which came after the Wisdom of Sea and Sky's card designs were datamined and examined online, sparked a wider discussion over the Pokémon's legal terms for fanart — which appear to suggest the company could, if it wanted, do whatever it liked with fan-made designs.

Today's action strongly suggests that while The Pokémon Company may legally be able to argue it can use fan designs, it in practice does not want to typically do so, or leave fans thinking it now sees fanart as fair game for its commercial use.

"To all our players who have been looking forward to this expansion, and to the talented illustrators who bring the Pokémon world to life, we deeply apologize for any inconvenience this has caused," The Pokémon Company continued. "We take this matter very seriously and are committed to strengthening our quality control processes to prevent this from happening again.

"Thank you for your understanding, patience, and continued support of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. We remain dedicated to delivering an experience that you can enjoy."