Vue lecture

9 juin 2025 à 17:42

One Mario Kart World character in particular has caught the attention of the gaming public since the game launched alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 last week. Although Cow might appear to be a simple, adorable bovine — players have discovered that the background NPC-turned-playable character is one of the more powerful of the starting line-up of racers.

Now, Japanese social media has picked up on something else: Cow's butt. Specifically, some users seem to have a beef about how mucky Cow’s bottom is sometimes, such as in the shot below shared on X with the caption “Dirty butt!!!!!!." Another user responded with "I love this character so much that I feel sad when people badmouth her, but at the same I also feel like, yep it’s dirty."

ケツきったな！！！！！！#マリオカートワールド #NintendoSwitch2 pic.twitter.com/eSupIAP2Y3
— ゆゆキチ📛 (@YuyukichiRTA) June 5, 2025

As commenters continued to chew the cud on Cow’s butt, the discussion soon attracted the attention of a farmer, who expressed admiration for the game’s realism and attention to detail.

"Honestly, cow butts are about this mucky. Especially when set out to pasture, herds can end up covered in mud," Renta explained in a tweet viewed an incredible 8.4 million times. According to their Twitter / X profile, Renta studied livestock farming at university and now works as a rice farmer in Japan’s Gifu prefecture. “The strangest thing about this game is that the dirtiness of the cow’s butts has been recreated with incredible realism,” Renta enthused.

“I think you’d have to love cows to be able to do this.” Adding more info, Renta shared some cute photos of real cows and explained that farmers battle to keep cow butts clean every day: “They’re basically clean as long as you scrub the floors and make sure they are healthy.”

めっちゃバズっててわろた
補足すると農家さんも牛のケツと日々激闘しているので床掃除と健康を整えれば基本的には綺麗ですし、
ブラシやシャワーで落としたりしていますので、そこは誤解のないようお願いします。それも愛です。

あと牛はいいぞ、可愛いから。 pic.twitter.com/tchxn78Ojd
— 蓮田/Renta (@taihibansei) June 7, 2025

Mario Kart’s new milker racer also scrubs up apparently; her butt is clean when you start a race, however driving through mud makes her behind gradually get dirtier.

Although Moo Moo Cows have been spotted grazing in the background of Mario Kart games ever since 1996’s Mario Kart 64, this is the first time they have got behind the wheel. In a previous interview with IGN, the game’s art director Masaaki Ishikawa explained how the idea for a playable Cow racer came about:

“One of the designers came up with that silly sketch of Cow cruising along, and I thought to myself, 'This is it!' (Laughs) So that's when we realized the course surroundings actually contained a lot of untapped resources."

This led the developers to make other Mario series NPCs like the red fish Cheep Cheep and the cactus Pokey into controllable characters for the first time.

Cow’s reveal two months ago got fans all excited as the reaction videos on YouTube show. Since Mario Kart World came out last week, many players who managed to get the game and a Switch 2 have been maining the Cow, filling online lobbies with kart and motorcycle-riding bovines. It remains to see if Cow retains her popularity as more players unlock the game’s other racers.

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.

Harry Potter HBO TV Series Casts Draco and Lucius Malfoy

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 17:35

The upcoming Harry Potter HBO TV series has cast its Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, Molly Weasley and a number of other key roles.

Katherine Parkinson, best known for The IT Crowd, will portray Molly Weasley, mother of Ron Weasley and matriarch of the Weasley clan, as played by Julie Walters in the previous Harry Potter films.

Newcomer Lox Pratt has been cast in the key role of Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter's blond Slytherin rival who serves as his Hogwarts antagonist throughout the series. Lovesick actor Johnny Flynn will meanwhile portray Draco's father, the scheming Lucius Malfoy.

Other roles cast today include a number of other newcomers as Harry (and Draco)'s fellow Hogwarts students, such as Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, and Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown.

The news follows other casting information shared earlier this afternoon, in which The Crown's Bertie Carvel was confirmed as Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, while Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby were announced as playing Harry Potter's aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley.

As the series nears the beginning of its shooting schedule, we now know the majority of its key roles, including the three newcomers who will play its main trio: Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione, and Alastair Stout as Ron.

First to be announced for the series was veteran actor John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, with subsequent cast updates naming Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.

The Harry Potter TV series is expecting to begin filming its first season this year, with a debut on HBO planned for late 2026 or the beginning of 2027. The plan is for the show to adapt one book per TV season, with the full story to be told over the course of the next decade.

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

Jurassic World Evolution 3 Lets You Channel Your Inner John Hammond

IGN

Par :Ryan McCaffrey

9 juin 2025 à 17:28

I never stopped thinking about wanting to repeat all of John Hammond's mistakes since the first time I saw him make them in 1993's Jurassic Park. And I've had many opportunities to do so in various park-builder games in the decades since, ranging all the way from pretty disappointing to pretty great. The latest, Jurassic World Evolution 3, is looking to deliver more features than we've ever seen in a dinosaur park management game before. And at least for my part, you had me at [insert signature T-Rex roar in your mind's eye here].

The thing that's always bugged me about the previous Jurassic World Evolution games is that they seemed a bit stripped-down compared to what Frontier has shown us is possible with their sister franchises, Planet Zoo and Planet Coaster. So the thing I'm most excited about with Evolution 3 is that it seems like we're finally getting the full Frontier feature set in a Jurassic game.

You can build your own hotels, gift shops, and staff buildings by snapping together tons of resizable and re-colorable props. You can reshape the terrain at will, make your own functional waterfalls, and even create dinosaur enclosures that use natural rock formations instead of electric fences as part of the perimeter. The devs want everything you build to feel like it still belongs in the Jurassic franchise, so the props and such are a bit more grounded-looking than what you might see in Planet Coaster 2. But for the first time, it doesn't feel like they're compromising at all on the sandbox elements that make their other games great for the sake of being a licensed game.

LIFE FINDS A WAY

The other major addition here is the inclusion of dinosaur breeding and baby dinosaurs for the first time. While the previous games in the series relied on artificial fertilization and incubation of eggs, Evolution 3 will actually allow you to clone fertile dinosaurs, place dinosaur nests, and even selectively crossbreed for specific skins, stats, and personality traits. And this, of course, comes with the addition of juvenile models for all of the more than 80 species included in the base game. On top of this, adult males and females will now exhibit varying levels of sexual dimorphism, like male triceratops having larger frills, meaning there will be more than 240 distinct dino and prehistoric reptile models in total.

This will introduce new challenges to manage within your enclosures, too. For instance, Frontier told us a male T-rex will not have any interest in coexisting with other adult males, though large groups of females can put up with each other. This will vary somewhat from species to species, as they have different social dynamics with each other and with other species. It even matters for breeding, since some species will only nest if they're out of view of pesky humans and don't have any other species around.

A male T-rex will not have any interest in coexisting with other adult males, though large groups of females can put up with each other.

Evolution 3 will also be taking us to a variety of different worldwide locations that are new to the series, including the mountains of Japan and the Mediterranean island of Malta. They not only feature their own distinct plant life and terrain, but also building sets and props that can add a little bit of global flair to your park. The ones we saw included an East Asian-themed set, an Alpine European-themed set, a set based on the original Jurassic Park films with a kitschy jungle aesthetic, and one based on the newer Jurassic World films that looks more modern and shiny.

While we won't be fighting with the climate in different biomes the same way as in Planet Zoo, each one will feature different clients in the campaign mode that want you to focus on different objectives. Some might be interested in simply selling as many tickets and luxury hotel rooms as possible, while others lean more into conservation and science.

CHANGING WORLD

All the while we'll be working with the Dinosaur Integration Network, or DIN. To be honest, the newer films are mostly just a big mushy blob in my head, but I think the idea is that dinosaurs just live in the wild now and we're trying to learn how to coexist with them instead of putting them back in cages. It's whatever. The originals are still the ones that matter to me, and it sounds like we'll be fully able to build a dinosaur theme park in the spirit of the original films.

But there also seems to be something sinister going on with a secretive group who doesn't like DIN and might cause trouble at your park, based on an ominous moment in the trailer. And that could be interesting, too. In previous games, tropical storms and equipment malfunctions could lead to dinosaurs breaking out and running rampant. But the first book and film were about a human saboteur causing a massive disaster, so that feels in the spirit of the franchise for me as well.

If you are worried about your dinos going for a stroll and choosing to have the kind of snack that's going to require you to pay out millions to their family, there are some new tools for that as well. You won't be warned automatically, for instance, if a fence is in poor shape or being attacked by a hangry carnotaurus. For that, you'll need security cameras with full coverage along the length of the fence, allowing you to be notified as soon as there's a problem. And if the cameras go down, well, I hope you have good lawyers.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

At the end of the day, you don't have to work particularly hard to get me excited about a new dinosaur park management game. Especially one with the in-depth customization tools Frontier has become known for. Watching a baby triceratops play in the grass is adorable. I don't care who you are. And the breeding mechanics open up a lot of long-term possibilities for making not just the parks I want, but the kinds of dinosaurs I want, too. As a paleontology nerd who's a bit bummed the designs in the Jurassic franchise are a bit stuck in the 90s, I asked if I could breed my raptors to have feathers, but the devs were a bit tight-lipped about that. I guess we can hope.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 will be coming to Playstation 5, Xbox, and PC on October 21.

10 Things You Should Know About MindsEye, the New Game from Ex-GTA Lead Leslie Benzies

IGN

Par :Ryan McCaffrey

9 juin 2025 à 17:20

I've been curious about MindsEye ever since it was announced, but as the first game from former longtime Grand Theft Auto lead Leslie Benzies has neared release, I've become increasingly confused. Benzies’ studio Build A Rocket Boy's debut game is a linear-action adventure, with GTA-style mechanics used to tell a more direct, cinematic story. But it's also set in an expansive city that is, in theory, fully explorable. On top of that, it's also a digital platform that lets players create and publish their own game content, using bespoke tools that were used in-part to build the game itself.

It's a lot of different layers? But how do they all come together? Can you actually explore MindsEye's world freely? And what the hell happened to Build A Rocket Boy's previous project, Everywhere?

These are the questions that were on my mind when I visited Build A Rocket Boy's studio last week. Now that I've seen MindsEye in action, I have a much clearer picture of what it is and what it hopes to achieve. With that in mind, here are ten things you should know about MindsEye.

1) MindsEye is set in the city of Redrock, a near-future spin on Las Vegas

MindsEye's setting of Redrock is heavily inspired by Las Vegas, a desert city that arose to prominence as a hub for casinos and entertainment. But MindsEye takes place in an imagined near-future where those casinos have been shut down, and Redrock's economy has shifted into being a haven for tech companies. "You find a lot of companies moving to very specific places in America because of these tax breaks, and it's also a good place to go and hide," says Benzies, MindsEye's director. "There's a lot of characters, or groups of characters who are hiding from things."

MindsEye's setting of Redrock is heavily inspired by Las Vegas.

As a virtual space, Redrock is fully mapped out, with a total map size of 9x9 kilometres, and a playable area measuring 6x6 kilometres. As you're driving around it, it has a definite GTA-ish feel, with a believable road network, a built-up downtown area, more suburban areas on the fringes, and sparser settlements on the outskirts. "We took a lot of inspiration from Las Vegas, of course, like the population, the way that the different demographics are working," says executive producer Misha Shmakov. "We have low-income areas, high income areas. So we see different cars, different people there."

2) MindsEye's story takes place at a tipping point in society's relationship with technology

Redrock is essentially a city-wide social experiment, where the residing tech companies have a heavy influence on society and, in some cases, operative control of social institutions. The city is "protected" by AI powered copbots, and citizens are monitored by a centralised surveillance system called 'CARE'.

These ideas were still far-flung concepts back when MindsEye began development, but have become more relevant as tech-like large-language models have emerged. "A lot of the things that we came up with back then weren't necessarily mainstream, or even really known about, and we just thought they would be great ways to present the world," Benzies says.

MindsEye's story sees Redrock at a crossroads with this technology – one inspired by Benzies' own perspective on the power and potential pitfalls he sees in real-life technological innovations. "Whenever I jump on and use AI and ask it questions, I am communicating with the most intelligent thing that exists on this planet right now, the collective intelligence of every single human being, and it's quite friendly to me," he says. "Used wisely, it's going to benefit humans. Used wrongly, which so many pieces of technology are, things could go pretty bad for us.

"That's the question that MindEye poses. What do you think? What's going to happen? Is it going to end up like this, like, this story we're telling you. Or is it all going to be happy and light?"

3) You play as Jacob Diaz, an ex-military drone pilot with a shattered memory

In MindsEye's campaign, you play as Jacob Diaz, a former military drone pilot who has been implanted with a MindsEye chip that allows him to interface with the drone directly. Players enter Diaz's story after he has left the military and his chip has been decommissioned, a process that left his memory in pieces.

At the story's outset, Diaz gets a new job as a security guard at Silva Industries, the manufacturer of the MindsEye chip. Through this, Diaz intends to conduct his own investigation of the company and attempt to piece together his past.

It's a story you experience through a sequence of missions that'll take you all across Redrock, in a similar fashion to the Mafia games. According to Benzies, the linearity of the experience is a storytelling decision. "It's sometimes difficult to tell a story in an open world, and you join Jacob at a very set point in his life, and then you leave Jacob at a very set point in his life," he explains. "If Jacob was to go off and pop into a casino and gamble for three days, it kind of breaks the illusion of being Jacob who's on a mission."

4) Missions will involve racing across the city by both land and air, and occasionally shooting enemies with a massive energy cannon

The mission I was shown involves Diaz escorting Silva Industries' CEO Marco Silva to a campaign rally for Redrock's mayor. After arriving at the rally via his personal VTOL, and engaging in a heated debate with mayor Vega over his plans to launch a rocket into space, Silva is drugged and abducted by an armed gang, and Diaz must chase them down.

The ensuing mission sees you pursue Diaz' abductors in a VTOL before continuing the chase in a car, weaving through the desert and barrelling through an ongoing dune buggy race. The vehicle handling is slightly lighter and more arcade-y than GTA, but still has enough weight and inertia that they require skill to control at high-speed, as I learned after repeatedly slamming my car into the boulders strewn across the desert.

The mission culminates in a protracted gunfight through an industrial backlot. At a basic level, combat is a familiar, cover-shooter affair, pressing yourself against cars and shipping crates as you pick off enemies one by one.

Your basic arsenal comprises slightly futuristic variants of familiar firearms like pistols, assaults rifles etc. While these are effective weapons (the shotgun in particular has a satisfying punch to it) they aren't vastly different from what you'd see in other cover shooters. But later weapons include a massive energy cannon that fires charged, explosive projectiles.

The developers stressed this would not normally be available at this point in the campaign, but I nonetheless enjoyed using it to obliterate cars and send enemies flying, and it was interesting to see how MindsEye's arsenal will expand over the course of the campaign.

5) Combat is designed to be tactical, with you using a drone to scout enemy placements and hack robots to fight by your side

When you're not causing havoc with a rocket launcher from the future, MindsEye's combat is designed to be a more tactical affair than that seen in GTA. Enemies will not only attempt to outgun you, but also outmanoeuvre you too. "Some of them will be more defensive. “Some of them will come and try to push you out of [cover], some of them will try to flank you," Shmakov says. "They also look at what type of weapon [you] use. If you use a shotgun, they will try to close the distance while others are putting pressure on you."

Initially, you'll have to deal with these foes using straight firepower. But eventually, Jacob will regain access to his MindsEye drone, which has several functions. It can scan the environment, highlighting enemy positions. It can stun enemies for a short duration, and it can hack robotic enemies to turn them to your side. You can also deploy these functions either as quickfire abilities, or through direct control of the drone, piloting it into enemy territory to survey the battlefield or disrupt enemies before engaging directly.

6) MindsEye also features optional side-missions that provide more insight into the world of Redrock

Although MindsEye's campaign is linear, there are side missions. As you follow Jacob's story, you'll occasionally encounter optional missions designed to provide a broader understanding of MindsEyes world. "These are narratively extra experiences that relate to the game but are not main story critical," says Adrian Butchart, creative strategist at Build a Rocket Boy. "We've got some that are young Jacob, and some that are just completely different characters that we meet."

One such example sees you play as Jacob in his military years, while another places you in the role of a member of the Back Niners, a criminal gang embroiled in a deal gone wrong. Both seemed like fairly straightforward combat sequences, but I didn't see the full extent of how they played out, because these side missions don't just exist to fill out the backstory, they're also intended to be a gateway into MindsEye's more creative side.

7) Build.MindsEye lets you create your own missions and experiences using MindsEye’s own assets

Part of the side content's role is to introduce players to Build.MindsEye, aka the creative tools. These can actually be accessed at any time during play, and are usable in any area of Redrock. But the portals are designed to showcase what's possible with the tools, and act as isolated bubbles for experimentation.

The tools themselves are designed balance accessibility with power. Assets like vehicles and characters can be added to the world through a simple drag and drop interface, while you can adjust their size, positions, and mess around with other parameters. Senior Level Designer Josh Mattyas demonstrates this in the side-mission set in Jacob's past, jumping into build mid-action and adding in several trucks that deploy copbots. Returning to the action, the mission plays out precisely as it would normally, cutscenes and all, but with the copbot trucks integrated. "It's quite powerful. It's tempting to throw in all kinds of crazy stuff," he says.

But Build can be used to construct the entire logic of a level or the ruleset of a game, via a node-based scripting system that Build a Rocket Boy describes as a blend of Unreal Engine Blueprint scripting and Minecraft Redstone. Users can also save groups of assets or scripted elements as stamps, which you can then place with a single click or publish for other people to use.

According to Benzies, the end goal of Build.MindsEye is to give players the tools to create games of blockbuster quality. "There's nothing really out there that allows you to build triple-A quality content with ease," he says. "Roblox, great for building in, but it's bloody difficult, whereas Minecraft is a lot easier, but you're not really getting that quality. We're trying to create something in the middle."

8) Build.MindEye is PC only, but there are plans to bring it to consoles in the future.

On launch, MindsEye Build will only be available on PC. Benzies says this is mainly a control issue. "Controllers are difficult. We will do it on console at some point. We just didn't have the time to do it properly." Moreover, if and when Build does arrive on console, it may not function in precisely the same manner as the PC version. "I can see there's certain things you wouldn't be able to do, but I think it will still [be able to] make a pretty compelling piece of content.

In the meantime, console players will receive monthly updates of new missions and other content via Play.MindsEye, the same menu that enables access to the existing side missions when you’re not near a portal.

9) While MindsEye's campaign is linear, you can explore Redrock openly through its "Free Roam" mode

Although MindsEye's campaign doesn't let you explore Redrock freely, players can wander around the city as they please through its recently added Free Roam mode. Free Roam takes place after the events of the story, putting you in the role of a character called the Preacher. "You can just explore the city, see what's happening, like, see what the other gangs are up to, fight them," Shmakov says. "You will have a functionality where you can just call a car, your car, to come to you."

It isn't clear how much there will be to do in Free Roam on launch, but Build a Rocket Boy plans to add more features with future updates. "[It's] a really big part of our post-launch, because we'll keep updating it and keep improving on it," Shmakov says. Part of this may well include making free roam multiplayer. "This is at first, it's single-player, then we'll think about how it can evolve."

10) Build a Rocket Boy plans for MindsEye to build into its larger project, Everywhere

MindsEye is designed to function as a standalone game, but it also forms part of Build A Rocket Boy's larger project, the massively multiplayer game platform Everywhere. "Everywhere still exists, we just closed it down," Benzies says. "It was in beta for a while, so we got a load of data from the players. It was a decent-sized community, a very engaged community. So we've learned a lot from that. We took all that learning [and] we put it into the Builder Tools."

Benzies says the tools players can use to build MindsEye are game and genre-agnostic. "Those builder tools don't really care if it's MindsEye, if it's Everywhere, or if it's any other game. They just work in exactly the same way," he says. "It doesn't matter what theme the game is, once you've learned the skills of the creator, they'll just work across anything."

As for how MindsEye and Everywhere relate, Benzies says the former ties into the overarching narrative of the latter. "MindsEye is a piece of content that probably sits in the middle of our big story," he says. "So Everywhere will come back online in a slightly different shape, but will be the same thing, and it will all be part of the story."

The Dursleys and Cornelius Fudge Have Been Cast in Upcoming Harry Potter HBO Series

IGN

Par :Lex Briscuso

9 juin 2025 à 17:16

The new Harry Potter TV series continues to take shape, with more casting announcements for the upcoming HBO series. The Crown star Bertie Carvel, who played former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the historical drama, is now set to join the Potter cast as Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. Additionally, Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby will take on the roles of Harry's aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley.

According to a reports from Deadline and Variety respectively, the actors will be joining a stacked cast, which now includes Paapa Essiedu as Professor Snape, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Hagrid, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, as well as the three newcomers cast as central protagonists Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger: Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton.

Deadline reported that Carvel's role on the series will be a recurring one, which is in-line with Fudge’s appearances in the film franchise. Robert Hardy, who played the character in the Daniel Radcliffe-led series, appeared in four consecutive installments of the films, with his first appearance being in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. For their part, the Dursleys were originally played by Fiona Shaw and the late Richard Griffiths. Their son, Dudley — who was originally played by Harry Melling — has not yet been cast in the upcoming adaptation.

That said, HBO did, in fact, decline to confirm or deny the report of Carvel's casting. “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation,” an HBO rep told the outlet in response to the tip. “As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”

However, the trades have been pretty spot on with their reports about casting for the series so far, so it wouldn’t surprise us if these two also come to fruition as well.

The network is said to be adapting one book per season, with a seven season arc planned as they look toward what they hope is a 2026 debut for the show.

The HBO Original Harry Potter television series has cast the following roles:

Molly Weasley - Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley
Malfoy family members - Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy and Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy
Hogwarts students - Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, and Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown
Dursley parents - Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley and Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley
Cornelius Fudge - Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge

Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

Konami's Hosting a Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Silent Hill f Livestream Later This Week — Here's What To Expect

IGN

Par :Vikki Blake

9 juin 2025 à 17:06

Konami's hosting a live showcase, Konami Press Start Live, on June 12.

The livestream event will feature game updates and appearances from Konami developers and producers, and take an extended look at Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Silent Hill f, and more.

Live at 6am PT (9pm ET, 9pm CEST), the show will run for approximately 37 minutes. It's an opportunity to hear directly from the "creative minds behind some of Konami's most iconic franchises," gain insights into the development process, catch exclusive content, and stay up to date.

I, for one, am very much hoping Konami's reference to "and more" will include No Code's Silent Hill Townfall. It's been years since we've had a meaningful update, and I'm desperate to know more. I'm also still waiting for news on subsequent remakes, or possible DLC for Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 Remake.

Did you catch Silent Hill f during Sony's State of Play June 2025 showcase? For some, the emphasis on combat encounters may be surprising, as Silent Hill is a series that has tended to focus on environmental storytelling and psychological horror over combat.

However, producer Motoi Okamoto has said Silent Hill f's combat will have a heavier focus on melee and be more action-oriented compared to last year’s Silent Hill 2." It's out September 25.

How to Play the Resident Evil Games in Chronological Order

IGN

Par :Jordan Sirani

9 juin 2025 à 16:51

Through its (near-)consistent excellence, innovation, and longevity, Resident Evil games have earned their crown as the king of survival horror. Capcom debuted its world of mutants and mercenaries in 1996 and has since grown Resident Evil into a multimedia franchise that spans over two dozen console games, six films, two recent Netflix series, novels, comics, and even stage plays.

It can be an exciting franchise to explore given the amount of content it houses, though for the same reason, it can be an equally daunting series to approach in 2025. With the upcoming launch of Resident Evil 9, this article focuses exclusively on video games and cuts out the convolution by presenting two ways to play only the most narratively significant and accessible Resident Evil games in order.

Jump to:

How Many Resident Evil Games Are There?

There are 10 core Resident Evil games: RE 0-7, Village, and Code: Veronica. However, the total number of Resident Evil console games — including spinoffs and remakes — sits around 30. That number rises near 60 when accounting for mobile and pachinko games.

Which Resident Evil Game Should You Play First?

Our overall suggestion for where to begin is with Resident Evil 4 Remake. It's the most visually/technically impressive RE remake to date and, thanks to its masterful mix of action and horror, arguably the best overall Resident Evil game in the franchise's nearly 30-year history. It's a largely self-contained story that doesn't require you to play each game that came before it.

However, if you prefer first-person horror, we recommend starting with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. It's the beginning of the Ethan Winters storyline and an excellent game that uses the more immersive first-person camera to heighten the horror.

How to Play the Resident Evil Games in Chronological Order

For this list, we’re focusing on 12 Resident Evil games: all 10 core entries and the two Revelations spinoffs. While many others are considered canon, this is not an exhaustive chronology, but rather an approachable guide to entering and enjoying the world of Resident Evil video games.

Missing from this list are mobile and pachinko games, light gun and Wii shooters (Resident Evil Survivor, Survivor 2, Dead Aim, Umbrella Chronicles, Darkside Chronicles), and non-canonical/non-consequential/difficult to access spinoffs (Resident Evil Gaiden, Outbreak, Outbreak: File #2, Mercenaries 3D, Operation Raccoon City, Resistance, Umbrella Corps, Re:Verse)

With series newcomers in mind, the brief plot synopses below contain only mild spoilers such as broad plot points and character introductions.

1. Resident Evil 0

Resident Evil 0 is the fifth game released in the series but the first chronologically. It takes place just before the events of Resident Evil, with Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) medic Rebecca Chambers and former marine Billy Coen discovering a train full of zombies in the Arklay Mountains (home to the Spencer Mansion). Billy and Rebecca uncover valuable information related to series villains Albert Wesker and William Birkin. We also learn more about the origins of the sinister Umbrella Corporation and its deadly T-Virus. The game wraps with Rebecca headed toward the mansion, where she’d serve as a supporting character in RE 1.

2. Resident Evil

The first Resident Evil came to PlayStation in 1996, though for those coming to the franchise in 2022, you’ll want to play the 2002 remake (or its more recent HD remaster), as it improves gameplay and expands on the story.

RE 1 picks up right after RE 0. You play as one of two S.T.A.R.S. agents — Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine — who come to the Spencer Mansion while investigating a series of murders in the woodlands outside of Raccoon City. Chris/Jill encounters the murderous, mutated victims of the T-Virus and uncovers key information about Umbrella and its biological experimentation.

3. Resident Evil 2

Taking place two months after RE 0 and 1, Resident Evil 2 introduces two new protagonists — rookie cop Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield (Chris’s sister) — each with their own connected yet distinct campaign. RE 2 also introduces the recurring character Ada Wong and the iconic Tyrant enemy.

We learn more about William Birkin and his work on an even more threatening virus called the G-virus. Leon/Claire uncover more disturbing details about the clandestine work of Umbrella, as well as its ties to the Raccoon Police Department.

Resident Evil 2 is currently available to play for free with an Xbox Game Pass subscription.

4. Resident Evil 3

The chronology gets dicey with Resident Evil 3, but for the sake of simplicity, we recommend playing it after 2. The first part of RE 3 takes place before the events of RE 2; the second part takes place after. You could play halfway through 3, pause, play through 2, then return for the second half of 3. However, playing RE 3 after 2 won’t detract from the experience or your understanding of the story. We chose to place it fourth on this list seeing as its conclusion progresses the overall narrative beyond RE 2.

You begin RE 3 as Jill Valentine, still coping with her experience from RE 1, trying to escape from an overrun Raccoon City. For part of the game, while Jill is indisposed, control shifts to her mercenary ally Carlos Oliviera. RE 3 also introduces Nemesis and reveals the fate of Raccoon City.

5. Resident Evil: Code – Veronica

Resident Evil: Code – Veronica advances the timeline by a couple of months and sees Claire Redfield continue the search for her brother Chris that began in RE 2. This time Claire’s search takes her to an Umbrella facility in France, where she escapes captivity and follows the trail to the southmost region of Earth.

Chris Redfield, one of the protagonists from the original game, returns as a second playable character in Code Veronica. Chris, like Claire, is looking for his sibling, and the search results in a meeting with series antagonist Albert Wesker.

6. Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4, arguably the series' most beloved entry, puts players back in the shoes of Leon Kennedy six years after his time in Racoon City during RE 2. Leon travels to a rural village in Spain on a mission to rescue the U.S. president’s daughter.

There, Leon encounters a cult and explores its ties to a mind-controlling parasite. The story that unfolds weaves together the narratives of two characters from Resident Evil's past: Albery Wesker and Ada Wong.

Read our Resident Evil 4 Remake review to see the improvements that were made since the original.

7. Resident Evil Revelations

Resident Evil Revelations is set between the events of RE 4 and 5. It explores another consequence of Umbrella’s bioweapon development and introduces players to the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA).

Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield are now BSAA agents, with Jill serving as the game’s primary protagonist. The duo head to the Mediterranean to combat the use of T-Abyss, a new variant of the T-Virus.

8. Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil 5 is set five years after RE 4. Chris Redfield, as part of the BSAA, flies to Africa with his partner Sheva Alomar to prevent the black market sale of a bioweapon. The people of Kijuju, however, have already been infected with an enhanced version of the mind-controlling parasite seen in RE 4.

It’s a larger-scale story than past Resident Evils, though Chris also embarks on the more personal mission of finding his long-lost partner, Jill Valentine. We also learn of Albert Wesker’s latest nefarious plot.

Unlike past games in the series, RE 5 can be played cooperatively; the second player controls Sheva.

9. Resident Evil Revelations 2

Resident Evil Revelations 2 is set between RE 5 and 6. It brings Claire Redfield back into the spotlight for the first time since Code Veronica. The game is split into four episodes, with each episode divided into two parts: a past sequence with Clarie and Moira Burton and a present sequence with Barry Burton (Moira's father) attempting to locate them. The story introduces another antagonistic Wesker.

10. Resident Evil 6

Resident Evil 6 is an action-heavy adventure that tells an even more sprawling (and convoluted) tale than that of RE 5. It weaves together four campaigns starring Leon Kennedy, Chris Redfield, Ada Wong, and a mercenary named Jake Muller.

The BSAA introduced in Revelations plays an important role in 6, as the quartet of protagonists work to squash the bioterrorist group Neo-Umbrella and prevent the spread of yet another mutant-creating virus (the C-Virus).

11. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

With Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Capcom reinvented the franchise in several ways: It’s RE’s return to mass acclaim and fandom following the largely disappointing fifth and sixth entries, it introduces a new protagonist in Ethan Winters, and most notably it switches the series’ longrunning perspective from third-person to first-person.

Despite all these changes, RE 7 still exists on the series canonical timeline, presumably taking place in the modern-day sometime after RE 6. The game is set in rural Louisiana, with the first part taking place in the home of the wonderfully insane Baker family. Its ties to past RE games are rather loose, though many of the series staples are here: clandestine human experimentation, bioweapons, and toward the end, a familiar face.

12. Resident Evil Village

Resident Evil Village is a continuation (and the conclusion) of Ethan Winters’s story, set three years after the events of RE 7. Biohazard and Village stand on their own as a duology of games. Though Village includes a few more ties to the series’ past, including a more prominent role for the aforementioned “familiar face” and further information about the origins of Umbrella.

A post-credits scene extends the timeline even further. We’ll save the details, but those curious can read on to the next section for a bit more context.

Bonus: Shadows of Rose DLC

Picking up shortly after Village’s post-credits scene (16 years after the main story of Village), Shadows of Rose progresses the Resident Evil timeline further than any game before it. Assuming the events of Village take place in 2021, Shadows of Rose brings the franchise into the near future of 2037.

The 3-4 hour DLC stars Ethan’s daughter Rose, who attempts to rid herself of the unwanted powers inherited from her father.

How to Play the Resident Evil Games by Release Date

Resident Evil (1996)*
Resident Evil 2 (1998)*
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999)*
Resident Evil: Code – Veronica (2000)*
Resident Evil 0 (2002)*
Residet Evil 4 (2005)*
Resident Evil 5 (2009)*
Resident Evil: Revelations (2012)
Resident Evil 6 (2012)*
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015)
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)*
Resident Evil Village/Shadow of Rose (2021/2022)*

*Mainline Resident Evil games

The Future of Resident Evil Games

There's plenty to look forward to from this iconic horror series. In late 2023, Capcom confirmed they're working on more RE remakes, and some reports suggest Resident Evil Zero and Code Veronica are up next.

Capcom isn't just looking to previous games, however. The studio confirmed that Resident Evil 9 is in development last year, and a full reveal trailer for what is officially titled Resident Evil Requiem was presented at Summer Games Fest.

Helmed by Resident Evil 7's director Koshi Nakanishi, the new trailer appears to show Raccoon City, from the original trilogy, after it was destroyed in an attempt to contain the virus. The trailer also introduces Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst and potentially the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft from Resident Evil Outbreak. There's surely more than meets the eye here, and some theorists believe the game will once again feature none other than Leon Kennedy.

Either way, Resident Evil Requiem is set to launch on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox on February 27, 2026.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 Director on Including a Ninja Turtle and a Surreal Pinball Park | IGN Live 2025

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 16:38

After the success of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 remake, more classic games in the beloved franchise are set to get revamped with the impending release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4. At IGN Live, the game’s director, Kurt Tillmanns, was on hand to talk about what this collection has to offer in terms of mixing new and old elements - including one bright green new inclusion in the form of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle's resident party dude, Michaelangelo.

Said Tillmans, about including such an offbeat and notable new skater on the roster, “It was awesome working with Nickelodeon on getting Mikey in here. We were super passionate. Everyone who gets an opportunity to be part of a Tony Hawk game is just incredibly gracious and excited to be a part of it. They're wonderful collaborators. You know, we took great pride in building him for the game. He's also got three turtle-themed special tricks in the game that you can get when you unlock him, and you can equip those onto any other skater in the game. So, that's a ton of fun by itself!”

When it came to adding a two-minute timer element to this version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, Tillmans remarked, “We’re rebuilding two of the best games of all time from the ground up. And we wanted this to be one game. It's got the concept from two awesome games, but it really is one game. So that means that Tony Hawk 3 is going to get some features and things that Tony Hawk 4 had and Tony Hawk 4, along with the classic goals that you remember, is going to be able to be played with a two-minute timer. That timer can actually be extended up to an hour for people who want to play more at their own pace. We've also got all of the classic game modes returning, so you can skate around in the four parks and free skate single session or speed run and continue to do things at your own pace in those modes.”

Tillmans said he was excited by the online play aspect of the game because he felt, for Iron Galaxy, “That is the heritage of our studio. So, we are extremely excited to be bringing this game to seven platforms. We’ve got both PlayStations, both Xboxes, both Switches, and three PC stores. And not only that, we are going to feature cross-play across every single platform. So that's huge. This game is coming to the widest audience, to the widest player base that any Tony Hawk game has ever had."

Asked about developing the Switch 2 version of the game, Tillmans laughed, “I mean, honestly, what's one other platform when we’re already doing six, right? As soon as we knew that we were going to be in the window and it was going to be possible for us to be able to support it, we just jumped at the opportunity.” As for the performance of the game on the new console, he noted, “We're going to run at 60 FPS on Switch 2 on every park, so it's going to be amazing performance.”

The soundtracks have always been a big part of the Tony Hawk games, and Tillmans said that for the remake of Pro Skater 3 + 4, “We have a ton of people who are just super passionate about the soundtrack. Obviously, when you start making a Tony Hawk game, that's one of the things that people are most excited about. We take it very seriously. Tony Hawk himself has a lot of opinions about the soundtrack and he probably knows more about the music that skaters are listening to than anyone else in the world, so we obviously hold his opinion in high esteem."

As for what it was like working with Hawk himself, Tillmans said, “He’s an awesome collaborator. He's great to work with. He takes this being kind of the lexicon for skating very seriously. He plays the game frequently and he will often tell us, ‘Hey, think this trick name is now called something else. Let me check with some people.’ And he will make sure that the trick list, which has been updated from 1 + 2, represents the language and the verbiage that skaters are using today."

Regarding the new skate parks the game includes, Tillmans said, “It’s a huge honor for us to be able to add, for the first time in over 10 years, three brand new parks into a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game. The game is going to feature the water park, the movie studio, and the pinball park. And the pinball park is super exciting. It fits in with that kind of park, like Roswell or Area 51 and Skater Heaven, where only Tony Hawk games could really take the skater into these fantastical places..”

As Tillmans explained, “When we come up with ideas for these parks, we think about the types of things that might be a forbidden place for a skater to go and skate, like a shut down water park that really fulfills that skater fantasy. And also those fantastic places, like a pinball park where the skater is actually like the size of a pinball in the machine skating around. The ball will ping pong around everywhere and wipe you out. And if you look up, there's actually a giant Tony Hawk playing the pinball machine that you're in. Then he'll react when you bail and cover his eyes. It's great."

So, now that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1-4 have gotten the remake treatment, should we expect the fifth game, Tony Hawk’s Underground, next? When asked that question, Tillmans remained mostly tightlipped, but he let it be known the interest is certainly there, replying “We’re focused on shipping [3 + 4]. I'm getting text messages right now from people working on the game. So we want to ship this game. We can't wait to get 3 + 4 out to the audience. Beyond that, we would absolutely love to keep working on this.”

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 will be released on July 11, 2025, and you can check our first impressions of the remake right here.

"Remakes and remasters are very much an 'in' thing at the moment, and while it's no surprise that we would eventually see what are arguably two of the best entries in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series make their way to modern platforms, I definitely didn't expect this package to be as robust of a remake as it's shaping up to be," Our previewer, Nick Maillet said.

Nintendo Delays Live-Action The Legend of Zelda Movie

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 16:03

Nintendo has delayed the launch of its upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie, the company has just confirmed.

A statement by Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto, posted to social media this afternoon, states that "extra time" will now be taken to improve the film's quality.

The movie had been set to arrive on March 26, 2027, and will now arrive May 7, 2027 — the date previously held by the now-delayed Avengers: Secret Wars.

"This is Miyamoto," the statement reads. "For production reasons, we are changing the release date of the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda to May 7, 2027.

"It will be some weeks later than the release timing we originally announced, and we will take the extra time to make the film as good as it can be. Thank you for your patience."

Nintendo did not elaborate further on its decision to move the Zelda film's launch date, but the company's choice of Avengers: Secret Wars' previous slot ensures Nintendo takes advantage of Marvel's previous key window while steering clear of several other big hitters due to arrive around its now-vacated March date.

Zelda's previous release date had been just one week after the scheduled release of Sonic The Hedgehog 4, on March 19, 2027, and would have seen it square up directly with Godzilla x Kong: Supernova. Avengers: Secret Wars is now set for December 17, 2027, meanwhile.

With less than two years to go until Nintendo's Zelda movie materialises, we still know remarkably little about the project. So far, there has been no word on who might star in the film, and no details of its plot.

Officially announced in November 2023, the film is being produced by Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad, former CEO of Marvel Studios. Sony Pictures Entertainment will handle distribution in addition to co-financing the movie with Nintendo. Jurassic World’s Derek Connolly is writing the screenplay, while Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' Wes Ball will direct.

In May 2024, Ball said making an all mo-cap Zelda movie “probably isn't his choice” after completing work on the CG-heavy KIngdom of the Planet of the Apes. Instead, Ball said, The Legend of Zelda should feel "grounded" and "real."

"I want to fulfill people's greatest desires," Ball said in another interview about the project. "I know it's important, this franchise, to people, and I want it to be a serious movie. A real movie that can give people an escape… [It has] to feel like something real. Something serious and cool but fun and whimsical."

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

Gears of War: Reloaded Skips PS5 Release in Japan Due to 'Platform Policies'

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 15:44

Microsoft has announced via Xbox Live Japan that the remaster of the first Gears of War game, Gears of War: Reloaded, will not get a Japanese PS5 release. However, the title will still come to Xbox Series X and S, Xbox PC, Game Pass, and PC via Steam in Japan this August.

According to Microsoft, Gears of War: Reloaded, due out August 26, 2025, will not be sold for PS5 in the country due to “regional rating restrictions” and “platform policies.” The “regional rating restrictions” explanation refers to the classification standards laid out by CERO, Japan’s game rating board. Although it has not been officially announced exactly what aspect of Gears of War: Reloaded failed to pass the board, it is highly likely that violence and gore was the issue.

The Gears of War series features chainsaw weapons that allow you to bloodily slice your way through enemies. “Mutilation/body-cutting” is one of the categories of violent expression highlighted on CERO’s official website. The ratings board has historically had a strict approach towards depictions of limb severance — The Callisto Protocol and the 2023 Dead Space remake are two examples of games that were banned on consoles in Japan due to this.

So why is Gears of War: Reloaded coming to other platforms in Japan, but not PS5? If a game is refused CERO classification, developers can either make suggested cuts and apply for re-rating from CERO, or they can try to obtain a classification from the IARC (International Age Rating Coalition) instead. However, all games with 18+ content in Japan must pass CERO’s board in order to be sold on the PlayStation Store (source: Automaton) — this is likely the “platform policies” that the announcement refers to. The Japanese Microsoft Store page for Gears of War: Reloaded shows an IARC 18+ rating, with no CERO certificate listed. This suggests that Microsoft decided to go with IARC after the title failed to obtain a CERO Z (18+) classification.

The original Xbox 360 version of Gears of War had its violence censored in Japan, with the severed limbs being blacked out. At the time of writing, it is not known whether Gears of War: Reloaded will be censored in Japan or not.

A new trailer for Gears of War: Reloaded was shown during Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase in June 2025. Prequel Gears of War: E-Day skipped the showcase, however, although Xbox boss Phil Spencer confirmed it's due out in 2026. For more, check out everything announced at Xbox Games Showcase June 2025.

Hitman Series Is 'Definitely Not Done,' Insists IO Interactive CEO

IGN

Par :Rebekah Valentine

9 juin 2025 à 15:14

007: First Light. Project Fantasy. MindsEye. IO Interactive has a lot going on in the coming days, months, and years. But one key franchise of theirs has been conspicuously quiet: Hitman.

It's not that IOI is doing nothing with Hitman — it did just announce that a co-op mode is in the works for the games and Mads Mikkelsen will reprise his iconic Casino Royale role as an Elusive Target. But as for new Hitman games, the franchise has officially been on hiatus since 2023. Updates aside, it seems like IOI might be getting a touch too busy to give Agent 47 more major work.

So I asked Hakan Abrak, CEO of IO Interactive, if that was the case when we sat down for an interview this past weekend following the reveal of 007: First Light. And he reassured me that Agent 47 was still on active duty.

"The Hitman series is definitely not done," Abrak said. "We're not done with Hitman. IO has been synonymous with Hitman, despite the other IPs we have done. We absolutely are proud, grateful, and happy with Hitman. But obviously doing another new IP, Project Fantasy, and doing Bond, it takes a lot of our resources and time. But as you saw, we announced the Hitman co-op, which is a big dream of mine. And they will be maybe in different shapes, but they will definitely be more Hitman in the future."

My question to Abrak was sparked by our prior discussion of the differences between Agent 47 and James Bond. Though IO Interactive's espionage pedigree is certainly what led to the studio being trusted with the Bond license [to kill], the two heroes are quite different in practice. Bond leans more toward action, with Agent 47 preferring stealth and disguise. And while Bond certainly has a classy sense of humor, the Hitman games are renowned for being... well, pretty silly! Agent 47 dresses up in a flamingo mascot suit at one point, for Pete's sake.

So will 007: First Light still have that Hitman flavor? Yes, said Abrak, but it will have a tone all its own.

"It is very, very important to get the humor right. In Denmark, we love dark humor and the silliness because it takes away from the seriousness of being an assassin. Bond is different. Bond, the humor is first of all very British. And the humor there is to support the energy and his personality, which is much more front and center. So I would say less silly. It's not flamingo disguises, as you said, but still entertaining."

Abrak continued: "And it's a game that plays differently. It's emphasizing more action, for sure. And the structure of Bond is more like it's breathing more. Like there are more linear parts where you have the spectacle moments and exotic vehicles. And then we also give space in Bond to open up a bit and breathe a bit. So you have definitely glimpses of IO Interactive, as you would know from Hitman games as well, but it's more front foot. It's less of an analytical mind, chess play, where you sit and meticulously plan. All the clockwork things in Hitman where if you do this or do this, where Bond is more impulsive, more reckless sometimes. It's more like he's just taking things and acting and handling it more as they arise.

"So it's a different dynamism, because we want to make something that feels true for a Bond fantasy. So it's definitely not a re-skin of a Hitman kind of thing, but I feel that people will see IO Interactive, that is a game made by Interactive, but they will also see that this game is something else. It's something that's true to what we are hopefully going to deliver 360, an ultimate Bond experience."

We’ll be publishing our full interview with Abrak later this week, including discussion of not just Hitman, but also 007: First Light and upcoming IO Interactive-published game MindsEye.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Nintendo Fans Spot Shigeru Miyamoto Missing From Mario Kart World Credits — but It Isn't Too Much of a Surprise

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 15:06

Mario Kart World's credits don't feature Nintendo's most famous designer, Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario himself. But as fans who complete the game spot Miyamoto's absence, others have pointed to his changed role of late as something of an explanation.

In days gone by, Miyamoto's name was synonymous with much of Nintendo's gaming output. From Donkey Kong to Nintendogs, Pikmin to Pokémon, Miyamoto was in the credits for dozens of games each year. Indeed, video game credit tracking website Mobygames has 20 credits for Miyamoto in games released within 2000 alone.

But Miyamoto's role has changed over the years, and increasingly so within the past decade after he adopted the more supervisory role of Creative Fellow at Nintendo in 2005. Once a familiar face during Nintendo Direct broadcasts, Miyamoto now most commonly appears in relation to the company's expanded reach beyond games — such as when there is news to share on Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. Movie, or its Super Nintendo World theme parks.

Miyamoto's most recent game credits before the Nintendo Switch 2 launch are from 2024, where he is listed as a Senior Supervisor on Mario spin-off games Mario & Luigi: Brothership and Princess Peach: Showtime! And while Miyamoto is credited as a Supervisor on 2023's Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the company's last big Mario platformer, it was notably fellow Nintendo veterans Takashi Tezuka and Shiro Mouri who took charge of the game's development as its producer and director, respectively.

So, while Mario Kart 8 featured Miyamoto in its credits back in 2014, it's perhaps not surprising to see Mario Kart World does not — and simply being the original creator of Mario isn't a factor. (Miyamoto wasn't credited for the more recent spin-off Mario Kart Tour, either.)

Another familiar name not in Mario Kart World's credits is voice actor Samantha Kelly, who discovered her 18-year tenure as Super Mario characters Princess Peach and Toad was over on Nintendo Switch 2 launch day, when Mario Kart World released without her in it.

Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images. Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Last of Us TV Series Showrunner Wants You To Know He Didn't Kill Anyone In Real Life: 'The Actor Is Alive And He's In Literally Everything Else'

IGN

Par :Vikki Blake

9 juin 2025 à 15:01

Warning! Spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2 follow.

The Last of Us Season 2 has been and gone, and though most of us who played the second game knew what was coming, it seems many viewers did not — and showrunner Craig Mazin says he's still getting bewildered fans asking: "Why did you kill Pedro Pascal?"

"[Game creator and fellow showrunner Neil Druckmann] did a thing. Everyone lost their sh*t, and then I had to do that same thing, because he did the thing. I loved doing the thing, I thought it was great," Mazin said of Joel's death, at a Variety panel.

"The big complaint that I've gotten is, 'Why did you kill Pedro Pascal?' And I keep explaining, we didn't kill him! He's a man, he's alive. He's fine. And he's in literally everything else. So I don't know what the problem is!"

“People had very strong reactions to whatever controversial story decision we made,” added Druckmann.

As for fan hopes generally for Season 2, Mazin said that although "the second season comes with so many expectations" and the team "did learn a lot of lessons [...] you’re not allowed to make those mistakes anymore, which is tragic."

"You do feel pressure to somehow fulfill what people want but also surprise them," he said. "You’re now a topic of discussion, whereas before you were just new and surprising. I mean, the bar for video game adaptations was pretty low. We had that going for us in Season 1 — now we kind of f***ed ourselves.”

HBO has hailed the success of The Last of Us Season 2, saying an "influx" of viewers had raised the series' global audience to over 90 million since Season 1 ended, but insisted the Season 2 finale suffered low viewing levels because of the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

And last month, showrunner Craig Mazin indicated a fourth season is pretty much essential for the series. In an interview, Mazin agreed that in order to wrap up The Last of Us’ story from the two Naughty Dog-developed video games in Season 3 would mean Season 3 itself "would take forever." So, while there's a "decent chance" Season 3 will be longer than Season 2, at the end of the day, "there’s no way to complete this narrative in a third season."

Mazin and Neil Druckmann also recently let us in on a little secret: they don't yet know "how much, or rather how little" some of our favorite characters will be around.

The team behind the HBO series stopped by IGN Live over the weekend to break down some of the most pivotal moments of the game to TV show adaptation and expand on what it took to create scenes like Joel's death, the horde attack, the planetarium, and more.

Materialists Review

IGN

Par :Erik Adams

9 juin 2025 à 15:00

Materialists opens in theaters Friday, June 13.

Celine Song’s follow-up to her Best Picture nominee Past Lives is a Trojan horse. From a distance, the movie’s plot resembles the type of fun, quirky, often disposable romantic comedy that filled theaters and video-store shelves in the 2000s, in which a professional woman, single by choice, is challenged by unexpected notions of love. Song, however, plays with these familiar tropes as well as the expected “types” of stars Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, in order to pull the rug out from under her audience. Beneath an inviting surface lie heavy themes of loneliness and self-loathing, and some of the most cynical characters this side of Lars von Trier. Johnson, Evans, and Pascal play people who find uncomfortable ways to face and overcome their most misanthropic leanings in a world of zeros and ones, expensive matchmakers, and the financial expectations of dating in your 30s and 40s. The result is as jagged as it is soothing: a love triangle that starts out withheld and austere, before gradually deepening.

The movie begins in wildly unexpected fashion, with a saccharine prehistoric scene of a cave-dwelling couple that hints toward the movie’s poetic promise. The engagement ring they share, made from a pristine white daisy, is immediately contrasted with the glistening trinkets in the modern Manhattan apartment of matchmaker Lucy Macarro (Johnson). In keeping with Lucy’s character: the sentimental becomes material. As she walks to the office, Lucy hands out flashy business cards to any single men who catch her eye – or whose eye she catches, turning their advances into a business opportunity.

At work, she and her colleagues update one another on the progress of various single (or once single) clients, whom they refer to as “Charlotte B,” “Peter C,” “Mark P,” and so on. This speaks to the relative anonymity their services offer, though it becomes clear when Lucy sits down with a client who’s also something of a friend – the eager but perpetually single “Sophie L” (Zoë Winters) – that people are little more than data points to her. “Five-eleven.” “Six figures a year.” “Fit.” “Balding.” She speaks about marriage and romance as transactions that increase people’s value and add to their security, as though she were some combination of a dating app and an investment portfolio given human form. However, when Lucy attends a wedding she helped make happen, that stern, professional façade is put to the test – first by the groom’s brother and best man, handsome doctor Harry (Pascal), and then by one of the waiters working the event, down-on-his luck actor – and Lucy’s ex-boyfriend – John (Evans).

This eccentric love triangle hinges on some unexpectedly poignant performances. Song uses Johnson’s generally icy demeanor to tremendous effect: as a flimsy wall whose cracks betray a wariness and selfishness. Brief flashbacks to her tumultuous relationship with John – as a pair of wannabe Broadway performers raised in poverty – hint at the superficial reasons she left him many years ago, in the hopes of a more luxurious lifestyle. The breakup has long worn on John as well, affording Evans the chance to play a rom-com lead whose charisma is sanded down by the sheer exhaustion of the acting grind. It’s a pivotal ballast, preventing his flowery, hopelessly romantic declarations from floating off into oblivion, to be forgotten among so many other movies’ wannabe “you complete me”s.

As Lucy’s gilded, tender new alternative Harry, Pascal’s withdrawn charm creates an air of mystery that works wonders on multiple fronts. He’s just as guarded as Lucy, and just as materialistic (hey, like the title!), but they vibrate at the exact same romantic wavelength. She’s immediately taken by what are, essentially, business proposals in the form of fancy dates and nights spent at his eight-figure Tribeca penthouse – a space introduced to us during mischievous love making scenes where Johnson’s eyes keep drifting in awe towards the high ceilings. (Quite the contrast to the ramshackle, three-bedroom walkup shared by John and his off-putting roommates.) She wants more, and more, and more, and Materialists never lambasts her for it. Song fully understands the allure of the finer things and the classically Hollywood escapism of onscreen luxury.

Lucy’s eventual dilemma isn’t so much about choosing a life of opulence with Harry or a life of struggle with John but rather, about what each man represents for her. Harry is a perfect match on paper. Her relationship with John has proven messy in the past. But before long, the question becomes about which of them truly knows her, and is willing to help see herself in ways she no longer can after cocooning herself off from the possibility of love.

Materialists is as jagged as it is soothing.

Song approaches both paths with a deft cinematic hand. Whether they’re chatting or smoking in silence, the space between Lucy and her suitors always feels electrified – albeit at different voltages for each man. The exorbitant dates Harry takes her on have the warm glow of something comforting, and valuable. In bed together, they tangle in satin sheets, shot as if in a pristine, perfectly-planned perfume commercial, accompanied by Daniel Pemberton’s lightly melodic score. Meanwhile, nearly every scene involving the rough-and-tumble John involves a roving camera and the harsh sounds of New York City. His presence feels more improvised compared to the classically composed steeliness of Harry’s.

But it isn’t just these dueling notions of romance that force Lucy to look within. The movie takes some somber left turns courtesy of Winters’ magnificently modulated performance as the self-effacing Sophie, who becomes the center of some surprisingly difficult scenes, both about her transactional friendship with Lucy, and about the underlying dangers of the blind dates pushed her way. Although not always smoothly blended with Materialists’ love triangle, this subplot ends up a necessary reflection of the worst parts of Lucy’s career and her algorithmic approach to other people.

Materialists as a whole feels intentionally caught in this very same tug-of-war. It takes an open-hearted approach to even the most pessimistic attempts at dating, by people who think they might not deserve love, or who feel like they’ve reached an age where time is running out. So, they choose to settle for numbers and checked boxes in lieu of real connections. But behind every corner lies demanding, even uncomfortable possibility, which Lucy discovers as she goes through the motions of the traditional rom com – and then gets yanked past them. Song confronts her lead character with tough questions about her worth as a person when so much of what she does and says has unpleasant ripple effects for other people’s romantic journeys. The answers are, refreshingly, not so simple, yielding a romantic drama that rests heavy on your heart for lengthy stretches, without ever letting up.

Chad Stahelski Was 'Against' Keanu Reeves Popping Up in John Wick Spin-Off Ballerina, but Wanted to Give It a 'Fighting Chance'

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 14:51

John Wick director Chad Stahelski has revealed he was initially against Keanu Reeves appearing in spin-off Ballerina, but understood why it needed to happen: to give the movie a "fighting chance."

The John Wick movies are unique in that their box office has grown with each release, to the point where John Wick 4 hit a huge $440 million globally.

It’s with John Wick’s success in mind that Chad Stahelski discussed Keanu Reeve’s appearance in Ana de Armas’ Ballerina in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. He said that initially he was dead set against John Wick appearing in Ballerina, and revealed the cameo wasn’t even in the original script, but he understands why it ended up happening.

“That wasn’t in the original script,” Stahelski said. “To be honest, I was kind of against it. But I do see the benefit and we wanted to help out [director Len Wiseman]. We had just opened John Wick 4 and it was huge. He couldn’t go back to the model of the first John Wick and do a little $18 million indie thing and try to build it up.

"In order to stay in the same game, you got to give him a fighting chance. And the easiest way to transfer that over — at least, from the studio point of view — was have Wick in Ballerina in a special timeline.”

Ballerina launched last week and made $51 million at the global box office, a figure that is considered to be lower than expected for its opening weekend.

Given Ballerina’s soft opening weekend box office, it looks like Wick’s appearance failed to convince enough fans to turn up for the spin-off. Studio Lionsgate even added ‘From the World of John Wick’ to Ballerina’s title to make it clear the movie was Wick adjacent.

Still, further Wick spin-offs are in the works. But don’t expect Reeves to turn up every time. For example, Stahelski ruled out John Wick in Caine, the Donny Yen spinoff.

“The Donny Yen spinoff doesn’t have the John Wick character,” he confirmed. “It’s got Donny Yen and it’s an ode to kung fu movies. If John Wick 1 was about Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin, this is about Chow Yun-fat, John Woo and Wong Kar-wai. So I think that one is a little easier to get it across to audiences because it’s in a sub-genre of what we love.”

IGN's From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review returned an 8/10. We said: "In spite of a slow start, Ballerina proves she belongs in The World of John Wick with fight choreography that’s every bit as creative (and fun) as anything else the series has given us and a story and character that stand on their own."

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.

Nintendo Switch 2 Hides Cool GameCube Easter Eggs You Can Unlock With Just a Few Button Presses

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 14:24

Nintendo has hidden a few cool Easter eggs for the GameCube within Switch 2, fans have discovered.

With the launch of Nintendo's new console, fans can finally play GameCube games using Nintendo Switch Online — but load up a title from the era of Nintendo's beloved purple brick, and you'll note that something is missing: the console's iconic startup animation.

Anyone who owned a GameCube will have the image of the console's logo unfurling around the screen burned into their memories, as its chirpy soundtrack played. Well, with a simple button press, Nintendo actually allows you to restore this sequence — not that the console ever specifically tells you how.

Credit, then, goes to Spawn Wave for noting that you can prompt the GameCube startup animation by holding the Switch 2's control stick in any direction while loading the Nintendo Switch Online GameCube app. This will then play the retro console's startup sequence, just as you remembered it.

Except this isn't quite as you remembered it — it's actually polished up in 4K. Yes, this is the shiny new version of the logo that debuted during Nintendo's Switch 2 Direct earlier this year, when GameCube games were first confirmed for the console.

"Cool, when the stick drift starts you can get it every time," one fan quipped when learning of the secret.

As tested by IGN, a further version of this Easter egg allows you to replicate the secondary GameCube startup sound, prompted on the original console by holding down its Z button. On Switch 2, you must tilt the control stick and hold down the R button (try doing it just as the '2' on the Switch 2 app logo pops up).

Now, fans are wondering the third GameCube startup sound might also be included, hidden behind an even more secret button combination. This could originally be prompted by the Z button down on four GameCube controllers at once.

Over the weekend, fans plugging in their new wireless GameCube controllers made for use with Nintendo Switch 2 discovered the pads now incorporated gyro controls for the first time, opening up many possibilities for use in various retro games.

Right now, the Switch Online's Nintendo GameCube - Nintendo Classics collection is looking pretty thin, with just the original version of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, plus F-Zero GX and SoulCalibur 2 available.

Still, Nintendo has confirmed a number of other GameCube classics will follow (including Super Mario Sunshine, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Mario Smash Football, Luigi's Mansion and Chibi-Robo!), though there's no word yet on when they might materialise.

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

GOG Announces New One-Click Mod System, Skyblivion Mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Coming This Year

IGN

Par :Vikki Blake

9 juin 2025 à 14:01

GOG has just unveiled its latest project: one-click mods.

The PC platform said that as installing mods can be a bit of a time sink, the One-Click Mods project lets players browser, install, and play mods "faster and easier than ever." That's why it has collected a "curated" selection of premium mods and directly packed them with the corresponding game for "the smoothest installation."

Furthermore, GOG said "mods are [also] an essential part of video games preservation," letting community-made mods fix bugs and restore cutscenes, quests, and characters to games, as well as "freshly-made new content" by fans.

We can't wait to get Skyblivion into your hands later this year! Thanks to our friends over @GOGcom for helping us make that easier and more accessible. https://t.co/nxk8kXx7Qr
— Skyblivion (@TESRSkyblivion) June 8, 2025

So far the depository includes mods for Heroes of Might and Magic 3: Complete, Doom 3, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, and Fallout 4. For the former, you'll get an expansion that adds new factions, campaigns, creatures, artifacts, and numerous quality-of-life improvements, such as a working multiplayer lobby system, while the latter is a one-click installation of Fallout: London, a standalone storyline set in the UK during the apocalypse events from Fallout 4.

For Doom 3, you get the Phobos mod, which is a prequel to the original game, delivering a "narrative-driven, classic-style FPS experience with modern enhancements," and for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, you get the unofficial patch which fixes numerous bugs "left unresolved by the original developers," as well as restored and enhanced cut content such as quests, levels, characters, and dialogue.

That's not all, though; Skyblivion, the hotly anticipated mod for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition, is also coming to GOG later this year and will be a part of the One-Click Mods project.

Skyblivion is the volunteer-based project by the TESRenewal modding group, which aims to remake The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion in Skyrim: Special Edition. Bethesda has given the project its blessing, despite releasing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered itself in April. Bethesda even gifted Oblivion Remastered keys to the entire Skyblivion modding team.

This is just the latest in a slew of projects from GOG designed to preserve games. Last year, it announced its preservation program to ensure the longevity of games like Resident Evil, Fallout: New Vegas, and The Witcher 2. It follows increasing concerns from developers and players alike that the move toward online- and digital-only games will see some made unavailable entirely, such as The Crew, which Ubisoft removed from sale and took offline in March 2024.

Doctor Who Actor Seemingly Confirms Finale's Original Ending Plans — Before Those Reshoots Due to Ncuti Gatwa's Departure

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 13:37

The original ending for Doctor Who's just-finished second season — which now concludes with Ncuti Gatwa's exit and the sudden arrival of Billie Piper — has seemingly been confirmed by the TikTok account of an actor who appeared in the finale.

Ahead of the finale being broadcast, film and TV leaker Daniel Richtman wrote online that the episode had originally concluded very differently, before Gatwa's later decision to leave the show's title role prompted extensive reshoots for the episode at the beginning of this year, in order to work in his departure.

Now, Richtman's account of the episode's original ending has seemingly been verified by the TikTok account of Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps, the child star who plays Poppy, a key character in the episode.

"The original ending of Dr Who S2 (before the reshoots) was [that] The Doctor, Ruby, Belinda etc are all having a big party," Richtman wrote. "Susan is seen over watching them from afar which would've been the cliffhanger leading into a S3.

"It's unclear how much of this has been salvaged into the new ending," he added.

Now, the TikTok account for Mavanga-Phipps, which is run by the child actor's mother, has reposted Richtman's comments, and suggested to fans it is legitimate.

Did she film that part?" asked one fan, in a comment seen by IGN. "So was this actually legit if you're posting it?" wrote another. Mavanga-Phipps' account has Liked both of these posts.

"Makes sense. That finale was shambles," wrote another fan, to which Mavanga-Phipps' account has replied with two crying emojis.

When asked to share photos of the cut ending, Mavanga-Phipps' account replied: "I wish I could hun... but due to NDA I can't."

Mavanga-Phipps' account goes on to reveal further plot details from the cut plans, which state what many fans had suspected: that Poppy (technically the Doctor's daughter, albeit from an alternate reality) would have been revealed as the mother of Susan, his granddaughter from the series' original episodes back in the 1960s.

After decades without mention, Susan, played by original actress Carol Ann Ford, returned for a cameo this season — which ties with the show's original plans apparently being for her to feature more in its next season, production of which is currently on hold.

"So Poppy was supposed to be Susan's child?" a fan asked on TikTok. "Mother," Mavanga-Phipps' account replied.

"Still can't believe we could have gotten the perfect ending with Poppy and Susan," wrote another fan, to which Mavanga-Phipps' account replied with a laughing emoji.

In press releases and in Doctor Who's behind the scenes spin-off series Unleashed, the reshoots featuring Gatwa's exit have been glossed over, with the actor's final day on set presented as if it could have been part of the show's original filming and the actor's plan all along

But fans tracking the series' production believe that filming for the past season originally wrapped in May 2024, at a point when Gatwa was still intending to return and film a third season. Production on the finale's reshoots to cater for Gatwa's exit then took place in February 2025.

Other evidence of the finale's original version also remains — including a promotional photo uploaded to Disney+ showing the Doctor and Belinda dancing at a party, in a scene that never made the final version of the episode. Fans suspect this was the party scene mentioned by Richtman, from the episode's original ending.

The BBC's Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has previously said Gatwa had always planned to stay as long as he did in the TARDIS, though it's believed the BBC had hoped to have filmed a third season by this point. Instead, there has been no formal word on the show's renewal, and no public confirmation of whether Doctor Who's lucrative Disney+ deal will continue.

Billie Piper's hastily-added cameo at the end of the episode appears to have been filmed in secret even later than Gatwa's departure, as suggested by Unleashed's latest episode which includes an interview with the actress, presented with a caveat by host Steffan Powell that the documentary series had not been told of her new casting.

This is particularly odd, as Unleashed was able to film at the series' reshoots, and cover production secrets such as Gatwa's departure and the cameo of past Doctor Jodie Whittaker. One explanation could be that Piper's casting and filming of her cameo confirmed even later, with the identity of Gatwa's replacement up in the air.

Indeed, fans aren't sure whether Piper is really playing the next official incarnation of the Doctor — and the ambiguity over her casting is only adding to growing uncertainty over the show's future.

Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images. Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Henry Cavill Says He's Enjoying the Challenge of Creating the Warhammer 40,000 Cinematic Universe: 'It Is a Tricky IP, and a Very Complex IP, and That's What I Love About It'

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 13:27

Henry Cavill has said he’s enjoying the challenge of adapting what he called the "tricky" and “very complex” Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game.

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. But that has failed to prevent excitement 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.

For Cavill himself, though, it is a daunting prospect. Not only will he star in whatever ends up being made, but he is executive producer, which means he is more involved with, and responsible for, the quality of the Warhammer 40,000 Cinematic Universe.

And then there’s the fact that the Warhammer 40,000 IP, which is backed up by decades of often contradictory lore, is so vast that it can sometimes feel bewildering to newcomers. Amazon and Cavill will be keenly aware that they need to make their Warhammer 40,000 projects accessible while pleasing the core fans who already have an encyclopedic knowledge of the setting, which may prove a tricky balancing act.

Condensing the sheer scope of the IP into films and TV shows while sticking to a reasonable budget may also 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.

Perhaps that’s why Cavill, in a recent interview with Esquire, 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."

He added: "together, we've been sifting through the plethora of incredible characters and poring over old tomes and texts. Our combined efforts have led us to a fantastic place to start our Universe, which has been agreed upon by those up on high at both Amazon and Games Workshop. That starting place shall, for now, remain a secret. Watch this space, though — more to come in time!"

Who might Cavill play across the Warhammer 40,000 Cinematic Universe? Talking to IGN in 2021, Cavill expressed interest in playing one of the Primarchs or Captain-Generals, who are high-ranking key characters from the Warhammer lore.

While we wait to find out, there’s always Saber Interactive’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 to play, and Amazon’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 animation to watch as part of the Secret Level anthology series.

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.

P-Studio Director 'Confident' Persona 4 Revival Will Be 'Fresh and Surprising'

IGN

Par :Vikki Blake

9 juin 2025 à 12:48

Atlus finally revealed at yesterday's Xbox Game Showcase that yes, a remake of Persona 4 is really happening: Persona 4 Revival. But not everyone liked what they saw in the 40-second trailer.

Some players took issue with the quality of the graphics, coloring, animations, and lighting, while others were frustrated that there were no further details like a release date or a confirmed Nintendo Switch 2 version.

"Man, the graphics looks like stock Unreal lol," said one player. "Honestly, almost looks fanmade (don't hit me)," to which another replied: "Highly underwhelming trailer, lol."

As this remake was one of the worst-kept secrets in gaming, some fans speculated that the teaser was put together simply to acknowledge that yes, it was in development.

"This is a 'damn, here you go' ass trailer," responded this fan, while another said: "Feels like they threw this thing together after the VAs said they weren't returning. I could imagine they walked over to marketing and asked them to throw together a 30-second clip the same day."

Following the reveal, P-Studio director Kazuhisa Wada popped up on social media to reassure fans that Atlus is "actively preparing for the future development of the Persona series as a studio."

"We are very pleased to announce the release of Persona 4 Revival. We look forward to sharing even more information in due time," Wada wrote. "Persona 4 has spawned numerous spin-off works, including TV anime, Persona 4 Arena, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, and Persona 4: Dancing All Night, and is a special title that has been a part of Atlus for many years and holds a personal place in my heart.

"We are currently working on this project with all our passion and love. We are confident that this will be a fresh and surprising product for both newcomers and long-time fans and we look forward to sharing it with you all."

P4G vs P4R Early Comparison
byu/hyperdefiance inPERSoNA

Wada added: "Additionally, we are actively preparing for the future development of the Persona series as a studio. We are working hard to meet the expectations of fans around the world, and our work is progressing well." Wada then thanked fans for their support and teased that they should "stay tuned" for more updates.

We gave the original Persona 4 a 9/10 back in the day, saying: "A significant improvement over the previous Persona games in many ways, Persona 4 provides a deeper dungeon crawling/social link experience that makes it engaging to play." An enhanced version, Persona 4 Golden, has since become the best way to enjoy the game on modern consoles, but fans have long lamented that it's not available on Nintendo Switch, despite years of begging.

Persona 4 Revival, meanwhile, is due out for Xbox, PlayStation 5, and PC, and it will be available day-one on Game Pass. For more, check out everything announced at Xbox Games Showcase June 2025.

Activision Says It's Doing Almost No Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Pre-Promotion: 'We're Setting This Up More Like a Beyonce Album Dropping'

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 12:29

Microsoft announced Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 at its Xbox Games Showcase June 2025, a reveal that came later in the year than is usual for the series. And the debut trailer, below, gave fans little to go on beyond a story tease and confirmation of the year in which the game is set (2035) and its protagonist: David Mason.

It turns out, this is all part of Activision’s marketing strategy for Black Ops 7, which is all about not revealing much at all before the game comes out later in 2025. To what end? Activision wants Black Ops 7’s launch to feel like a surprise Beyonce album drop.

Speaking to Variety, Activision marketing chief Tyler Bahl explained what the company is trying to achieve with Black Ops 7:

“Usually at this point in time, we would have teased everything that’s coming out. And I think in a lot of ways we’re setting this up more like a Beyonce album dropping; nobody’s going to know about it, or nobody’s going to see it coming.

“The whole goal was to really do something different, and for us to zag and show up in a unique way. And one way of doing that is almost not doing any pre-promotion and giving it to players in a really unexpected way.”

While Activision promised a bigger reveal for some point in the summer, perhaps it won’t reveal much at all, and fans will have to wait until the release date to get a real sense of what Black Ops 7 is all about.

So, what do we know? Black Ops 7 is set in 2035, more than 40 years after the events of Black Ops 6, at a time when the world is on the brink of chaos following the events of Black Ops 2 and last year’s Black Ops 6. Co-op campaign returns for Black Ops 7 after 6 skipped it (you can still play the campaign solo). Expect to use near-future weaponry in Multiplayer, with brand-new maps. Meanwhile, there’s the next chapter of Round-Based Zombies in the heart of the Dark Aether.

Here's the official blurb:

Wielding cutting-edge technology, David Mason and his team must fight back against a manipulative enemy who weaponizes fear above all else.

According to Variety, Black Ops 7 sees This Is Us star Milo Ventimiglia play David Mason (the character is recast with a new face), Kiernan Shipka as a new character called Emma Kagen (CEO of The Guild), and Michael Rooker, who reprises his role as Mike Harper from Black Ops 2.

Also confirmed is that Activision is sticking with last-gen consoles for Black Ops 7, which is due out across Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via “Xbox PC,” Battle.net, and Steam. As you’d expect, you can play day-one on Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass. There was no mention of Nintendo Switch 2 in the announcement. It’s a co-development between Treyarch and Raven Software.

Black Ops 7 marks the first time the Black Ops sub-series has seen back-to-back releases, and comes just a year after Black Ops 6’s launch. Some fans are already saying this makes Black Ops 7 feel like a stop-gap, as 2023’s Modern Warfare 3 was considered by some within the community given it followed 2022’s Modern Warfare 2 just a year later. Activision, however, has insisted Black Ops 7 “delivers the full Call of Duty package for our players.”

The expectation is Infinity Ward will return with a new Modern Warfare game in 2026, resetting the Call of Duty cycle once again.

For more, check out everything announced at Xbox Games Showcase June 2025.

Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images.

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.

Former The Witcher 3 Director Shows Off New Footage of Dark Fantasy Adventure The Blood of Dawnwalker

IGN

Par :Vikki Blake

9 juin 2025 à 11:28

Rebel Wolves — the studio led by former The Witcher 3 game director and co-director for Cyberpunk 2077, Konrad Tomaszkiewicz — has confirmed its upcoming dark fantasy action-RPG, The Blood of Dawnwalker, will release in 2026.

At yesterday's Xbox Games Showcase, Rebel Wolves showed off some pre-beta gameplay footage, following Coen, "a young man turned into a Dawnwalker, human by day and vampire by night," as he comes to grips with his newly acquired abilities.

That's not all, though. On June 21, we'll find out even more as Rebel Wolves invites us to join it on the longest day of the year, "where the veil between day and night blurs, bringing unexpected outcomes." The 45-minute-long event will reveal around 15 minutes of new gameplay content, accompanied by an extended developer commentary.

Interestingly, we'll also learn more about "several key gameplay features," including the directional combat system that blends swordfighting, spells, and vampiric powers, as well as how players navigate Vale Sangora’s locations and "further explore the game world and highlight the gameplay differences between day and night, which will have a significant impact on the story and its course."

"It’s been a pleasure to finally show you more of the game, and I want to thank our community for the incredible support," Tomaszkiewicz said. "Back in January, when we first revealed the game, we promised to shed more light on the gameplay this summer — and that moment has finally arrived.

"We’d like to invite you to join us on June 21 for our Gameplay Reveal Event. You’ll learn more about the abilities Coen gains as he becomes the Dawnwalker — a mysterious being balancing the line between the world of day and the realm of night."

In The Blood of Dawnwalker, you play as Coen, a young man who is a being no longer fully human, yet not entirely a vampire. With just 30 days and nights to save Coen’s family or exact bloody revenge on his sire, regardless of the consequences or the cost of Coen’s thirst for blood. But the most important question for players remains: is it worth sacrificing your humanity for the ones you love?

For more, check out everything announced at Xbox Games Showcase June 2025.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Developer Responds to Release Date Confusion, Promises Launch 'Before Holiday,' Not Tied to Xbox Handheld Arrival

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 11:13

The developer of Hollow Knight: Silksong has addressed the game's brief appearance yesterday at Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase 2025, when it popped up alongside the new ROG Ally X handheld.

During the show, Xbox president Sarah Bond stated that Silksong would be "available at launch and in Game Pass when Ally releases later this year" — leading many fans to believe the game was being lined up to arrive specifically as a launch title for the new hardware, which has a Holiday 2025 launch window.

But this isn't the case, Silksong developer Team Cherry has now said.

Writing on the game's official Discord, in messages seen by IGN, Team Cherry marketing manager Matthew 'Leth' Griffin stated that Silksong was not sat waiting for the ROG Ally X to launch — and that the game would arrive before the holidays.

"I confirmed BEFORE Holiday," Griffin wrote, adding: "we are not tied to a console release."

And just in case of confusion, when asked which holiday he was referring to, Griffin added: "Christmas yes."

So, how long before Christmas will Silksong finally release? Remember the fact that the game will apparently be playable in September at an Australian museum, the country's national museum of screen culture in Melbourne, from September 18. Could the game still be set for launch as early as that?

Silksong fans had hoped for more definitive news on a release date from yesterday's Xbox Games Showcase, especially as multiple updates to the game's Steam store page over the last week appeared to point towards an imminent launch, or perhaps even a shadow drop.

Instead, Xbox reserved its usual shadow drop release for the belated arrival of Final Fantasy 16 — and Silksong fans were left still wondering when the long-awaited Metroidvania would finally arrive. Still, Christmas is only six months away now.

IGN has already gone hands-on with the ROG Ally X, should you wish to play Silksong on it, whenever the handheld arrives.

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

Invincible VS Creators on Killer Instinct Influences, Authenticity, Why Its a 3v3 Tag Fighter, and More - IGN Live 2025

IGN

Par :Adam Bankhurst

9 juin 2025 à 11:03

One of the big reveals from the Xbox Showcase was that Invincible VS is on its way, and we were able to chat with members of Skybounds's Quarter Up at IGN Live to learn why this 3v3 fighting game is giving Robert Kirkman's superhero epic the tag fighter it deserves, complete with Killer Instinct influences.

Invincible VS features fan-favorite characters from the comics and animated series, including Mark Grayson (Invincible), Omni-Man, Thula, AtomEve, and Bulletproof, but one of the main reasons the title is a 3v3 fighter is because of the series' many teams. For art director Dan Eder and combat designer Reepal Parbhoo, this made the choice for what type of game this would be an easy one.

"In general, when you're watching the Invincible series or reading the comics, the team format really stands out, right?" Parbhoo posits. "You've got teams like Teen Team, you've got Guardians of the Globe, you've got the Global Defense Agency, you've got the Viltrumites. So, I think that naturally lends to a multi-team format versus a standard one-person one "

While teams may have informed the type of game, Invincible VS is obviously all about the characters, and the team needed to nail that aspect by making each one as authentic as possible.

"We really wanted to do the characters justice," Eder said. "The overall aesthetic of the show was a huge inspiration for us, but also we had to adapt it to a video game, right? So, there were a lot of decisions that had to be made with high levels of detail, rendering style, overall anatomy, and more. Do we go realistic? Do we go a little bit more stylized? We wanted to capture a really interesting 2D-3D sort of hybrid where characters are, for the most part, pretty realistically lit, but then you have an outline.

"At the end of the day, we wanted this to feel like an authentic representation of the characters that the show and the comic. Thankfully, with Invincible, there's so much inspiration and reference to pull from that made it easy for us."

With the characters and game type out of the way, we shifted our chat to the combat itself. Killer Instinct fans was be delighted to know that Invincible VS is the debut title for Skybound's Quarter Up studio, which is led by former members of the core Killer Instinct (2013) dev team.

"Killer Instinct was a 1v1 tag fighter, but there's a big impact in a lot of the hits, right? So we've brought that over to Invincible VS," Parbhoo said. "However, the core of the Killer Instinct influence in here is with that two-way interaction between offense and defense. A lot of the time in Killer Instinct, you could react to the combos. If you were aware and had good reflexes, you could actually break the combos right at the highest level of the game. That actually got a little bit out of hand. The combos got really short because of it, but in an attack fighter, you want to still have long combos and feel like you're doing a lot. So what we've done is just put those break points when you call in your active assist to break the combo."

Speaking of combos, Invincible VS is meant to be a joy to play, even if you aren't as skilled with fighting games. Players will have an option to enable the ability to do a combo by just hitting one button repeatedly, which will perform a special, a super, and even a tag to bring in another teammate.

There will also be an Overkill system in Invincible VS, which, as Parbhoo puts it, means "you are literally going to hit a superhero so hard that you're probably going to knock off a limb or two. That's just the way it goes in invincible."

Fans can also rest easy knowing series creator Robert Kirkman is involved in this project, from an artistic perspective and as "the one who kind of put this world together, we value his opinion big time."

"We don't want this to feel detached from the source material," Eder said. "If anything, I think there's a lot we can kind of use from his knowledge and find ways to mix it up. We don't want to just kind retread old ground like, 'Hey, we did this in the show, let's do this one-to-one in the game!' I think that can get a little bit boring. Instead, we're always looking at ways to elevate it. And Robert is a very core part of that conversation, because who knows these characters better than him and Ryan Ottley and Corey Walker and the other creators?"

Invincible VS will be out in 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. For more, check out all the other biggest moments from both IGN Live and the Xbox Games Showcase.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.

After Starfield's Xbox No-Show, Even Its Most Loyal Fans Are Starting to Worry: 'Bethesda Makes It So Hard to Defend This Game'

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 10:43

There were a number of high-profile no-shows from the Xbox Games Showcase. State of Decay 3, for example, failed to turn up. The Perfect Dark reboot was conspicuous by its absence. But perhaps Starfield’s ongoing M.I.A. status hurts the most — at least for long-suffering fans of the game.

The Starfield community had hoped Bethesda would announce something to do with the game at its Xbox Games Showcase, but while The Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76 both getting their moment in the spotlight, Starfield skipped proceedings entirely. No DLC, no expansion, no PlayStation 5 release… nothing.

It’s fair to say the Starfield community is starting to lose hope and a good deal of faith in Bethesda, whose silence around the game has been deafening.

“I had so much hope for today's Xbox show, but no,” said acatato on the Starfield subreddit. “After so much time of silence (let's not talk about small update) the game looks so dead now, it's sad.”

“What a complete disappointment,” added totallynormalpersonz. “What a joke the only thing we ever hear from Bethesda about this game nowadays is stuff off the Creation Club. The Xbox showcase would have been the perfect time to show off something new for this game. Unfortunately Bethesda doesn't seem to care. Wouldn't surprise me if Bethesda has abandoned this game and are hoping the community will make content for them. This does not bode well for future Bethesda game studio projects.”

“Bethesda makes it so hard to defend this game,” said TheVossDoss. “I love Starfield. 1,100 hours in. If it weren’t for mods, I’d given up long ago. Knowing that Bethesda will never read this, I’m nonetheless speaking directly to you — shame on you for keeping your loyal fans in the dark, and for throwing in the towel. If you decided to give up on this game and move on, fine, but let us know so we’re not holding on to hope. I cannot believe Starfield was a complete no-show today. Thank you to all the modders out there who have kept the game on life support. I fear, though, we’re getting dangerously close to the heart monitor flatlining.”

Clearly, fans just want some sort of communication from Bethesda on the future of the game. If it’s left it behind, they’d like to know. If the promised second expansion is coming, they’d like to know. If Starfield is coming to other platforms, they’d like to know.

Comments from Starfield fans are now spilling over into social media posts from Bethesda Game Studios about unrelated matters. Take, for example, this post about a Fallout 76 interview at Summer Game Fest. The replies include questions about Starfield’s status, including “Why did you guys abandon starfield?”, “Have you guys abandoned Starfield?”, “I’m uninstalling Starfield…. I’m tired of waiting,” and “RIP Starfield.” You get the idea.

Amid the growing disappointment are some within the community who are pointing out that Bethesda may shadow-drop a Starfield expansion and a PS5 release. It enjoyed huge success with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which it shadow-dropped in April to the tune of over 4 million players. Perhaps this is the new way forward for Bethesda. And if that’s the case, then perhaps some sort of Starfield update could be around the corner.

Whatever the case, the Starfield community is left sifting through previous statements from Bethesda as they look for a glimmer of hope. Starfield launched in September 2023 as Bethesda’s first brand new IP in 25 years, but it was not as well received as the studio’s previous games in the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls franchises, and the Shattered Space expansion, released a year later in September 2024, has a ‘mostly negative’ user review rating on Steam.

Starfield went on to reach 15 million players, but the question of whether Bethesda might walk away from the game to focus on its other franchises has been a running theme since release. In June 2024, Bethesda insisted it remained committed to supporting Starfield, and confirmed at least one other story expansion would release following Shattered Space. And in an interview with YouTube channel MrMattyPlays, Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard said the developer was aiming to release an annual story expansion for “hopefully a very long time.”

The wait to find out if all that still stands goes on.

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.

How to Train Your Dragon Review

IGN

Par :Erik Adams

9 juin 2025 à 08:00

How to Train Your Dragon opens in theaters Friday, June 13.

Live-action adaptations of beloved animated movies are a dime a dozen these days; hell, Disney has released two of them before 2025 is even half over. But the new How to Train Your Dragon has some novelty going for it: It’s the first time one of these remakes shares a director with the original that inspired it. And by hewing so close to that tale of the young Viking Hiccup and his friendship with the gentle dragon Toothless, Dean DeBlois creates the additionally odd situation of being incredibly faithful to, well, himself. Though it contains expanded roles for a few side characters, the 2025 How to Train Your Dragon is remarkably similar to the 2010 version DeBlois made alongside Chris Sanders, often playing like a shot-for-shot re-creation.

Given my own familiarity with How to Train Your Dragon, the new one did feel like a copy. With so many of the action sequences, gags, and lines of dialogue carrying over, how could it not? But it also crucially recaptures the compelling core of the saga of Hiccup (played here by Mason Thames) attempting to broker peace between his people and Toothless’ fire-breathing kin. Whether it’s being acted out by digital pixels or flesh-and-blood humans, that’s a good story. And it’s what helps DeBlois and company land a pretty solid re-do of How to Train Your Dragon.

The first third is probably the most awkward and hardest to adjust to – some of the slapstick goofiness just feels strained and out of place in live-action. This is where Thames’ likeable, sympathetic take on Hiccup comes in handy, acting as a grounding force amid the cartoon wackiness. Not that it’s all that different from Jay Baruchel’s rendition of the character across multiple movies and TV series set on the mythical isle of Berk. It often feels like Thames is doing his best to make his voice resemble the animated Hiccup’s – and doing a decent job of it, honestly.

Nico Parker is suitably scrappy and charismatic in the role of Astrid, the tough-as-nails young warrior who Hiccup crushes on. But it’s Gerard Butler who makes the biggest impression, reprising his portrayal of Hiccup’s father, Stoick. At first, it’s hard not to chuckle at the star of 300 and Olympus Has Fallen sporting a giant horned helmet and beard, but he’s giving a genuinely great performance from beneath all that hair and headgear. He obviously knows Stoick inside and out at this point, and taps into the stubborn-yet-loving core of the character. He and Thames work very well together, bringing some real feeling to Hiccup and Stoick’s arguments about whether Vikings and dragons can coexist. (He has a great rapport with Nick Frost as Stoick’s trusted friend Gobber, too.)

By sticking to the same plot points and resolutions – Vikings fight dragons, Hiccup learns dragons aren’t to be feared, dragons and VIkings team up to fight one big dragon – the screenplay for this How to Train Your Dragon plays things pretty safe. The town’s elder, Gothi (Naomi Wirthner), has a more significant part, and there’s a small subplot for the father-son duo of Spitelout (Peter Serafinowicz) and Snotlout (Gabriel Howell). But these added touches don’t stray far from the original. This results in a less interesting film than, say, the new Lilo & Stitch (another recent live-action remake of a DeBlois and Sanders team-up, coincidentally), albeit one that still works as a touching spin on the story we already know. Guiding his first live-action feature film, DeBlois shows a knack for directing actors, and he handles action really well, including a couple of key sequences where Hiccup and Toothless soar through the air. Though, as with so much of How to Train Your Dragon, the director is largely replicating decisions he and Sanders made 15 years ago.

How he’s translated the intangibles of the original shouldn’t be taken for granted. You can restage all the iconic scenes of an animated classic in live-action and still lose all their impact and enchantment in the process – I’m looking at you, Lion King 2019. But for all of its blatant mimicry, DeBlois’ remake captures the heart and soul of How to Train Your Dragon Version 1.0. John Powell’s revamped score is also a major contributor: The composer is another case of someone basically covering their own work here, but damn if “Test Drive” – the theme that kicks in during Hiccup’s first successful flight with Toothless – doesn’t elicit a rush every time it plays. The story of Hiccup and Toothless’ bond is just that potent. DeBlois may be overly reverential to his past success, but he still clearly has a lot of love for these characters, and his investment in them shines through. It’s hard not to have a reaction to Hiccup and Toothless proving how far they’re willing to go for one another – even if you might already know exactly what that will entail.

McFarlane Toys on Their Lilith and Doom Slayer Figures, Mortal Kombat and More | IGN Live 2025

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 01:56

During a special IGN Live edition of Up at Noon today, McFarlane Toys’ Brian Walters (Director, Brand Creative) stopped by to chat with Max Scoville and Brian Altano about what the company has in the pipeline, including their new Elite Edition series that’s kicking off with Doom Slayer from Doom: The Dark Ages, followed by Lilith from Diablo IV.

Walters said the idea behind the Elite Edition was “to create highly decorated, super detailed, iconic version of characters from games.” One way these figures stand out is by their inclusion of soft goods, such as the fur cloak on Doom Slayer, and Walters noted they were “Introducing new materials we haven’t used.”

Walters pointed out the many accessories Doom Slayer came with, including the Pulveriser, flail, combat shotgun, and shield saw, saying he felt it was ”a really great first item for [Elite Edition].” Though pre-orders for Doom Slayer were currently sold out, Walters said the figure would be available at retailers like Walmart and Gamestop upon release. And yes, it was implied some monsters are in the works for the Doom Slayer to battle.

Lilith in the meantime just went up for pre-order today, tied to IGN Live. Her accessories include multiple palace fates for a variety of expressions, and Williams said the idea was they were “holding nothing back with this figure,” including articulated wings and “a soft PVC tail so you can pose it however you want.”

Williams said the challenge with a figure like Lilith was “the balance of executing the design but still making a functional toy. You have to make tough decisions.” He added that probably the hardest thing was pulling off “the engineering without compromising the look of the character.”

As for what else McFarlane Toys had in the pipeline, there’s the Power Armor from Fallout, which is based on the game, not the series. The previous figures they made for the TV version were from the Movie Maniacs line, so the Power Armor will be the first articulated Fallout figure. Williams teased there was “more to come here. We’ve got some good surprises coming.”

Last but not least, Williams showed off two of the figures from the upcoming Mortal Kombat Classics line - including a boxed Sub-Zero, featuring very fun retro arcade packaging that includes joystick controls on the box art and the original character select image of Sub-Zero, along with his bio, on the back.

The Last of Us Creative Team on How They Crafted Season 2’s Most Crucial Episodes | IGN Live 2025

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 01:29

Full Spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2 follow.

At IGN Live today, The Last of Us Co-Creator and Executive Producer Craig Mazin was joined by several of the show’s core creative team – including Ksenia Sereda (Cinematographer), Ann Foley (Costume Designer), Don Macaulay (Production Designer), Alex Wang (VFX Supervisor), Timothy Good (Editor), and David Fleming (Co-Composer) – to discuss the tremendous amount of work that went into the just-completed second season of the HBO series.

As the panel began, Mazin remarked, “The truth is that Neil [Druckmann] and I are vastly over-credited for the success of the show. We work really hard on it but these are the people that bring it to life and they deserve so much credit… All of it is necessary to make it what it is.”

When the panel was asked to name their favorite episode from Season 2, nearly everyone named either episode two ("Through the Valley") or episode six (“The Price”), which made sense since they were such standouts - and segued nicely into the fact that these were the two episodes moderator Amelia Emberwing focused on for the conversation.

"Through the Valley” of course had two monumental events, including the horde of infected attacking Jackson and, well… that other thing which we’ll get back to. With footage of the massive attack sequence playing, Mazin noted that there were visual effects in basically every shot, saying, “I think Alex had to touch nearly everything here.”

Rewatching the attack on Jackson, Macaulay joked, “All I can think about is the thousands of meetings we have,” saying they quite seriously probably had 10 meetings about how the barrels would be launched from the town gates into the horde. As he put it, “Nearly every shot in this took 10-15 meetings. Craig loves meetings!” Even after all of that there was “a lot of retrofitting on set. Lots of rooftops we weren’t planning to do.”

Foley said episode two was definitely the hardest part of the season for her as the costume designer because of how many actors and extras were in that episode working on multiple filming units - and that it was all taking place while they were also working on the Seraphite costumes for upcoming episodes. As she explained, this involved "65 people in three different areas.”

Wang stressed that previs is crucial, and the many discussions they have about what Macaulay will build vs. what Wang will oversee being added digitally. It’s a long process, with Wang noting, “You’re planning for success 6-8 months down the line” and that he’s constantly in communication with Macaulay, the stunt team, and many more. Mazin joked that when he calls Wang in for one of his infamous meetings, “His heart sinks because he knows he’s about to go over budget again.”

One reason the infected horde was so tricky was that it dealt with such a large army and as Wang explained, in the visual effects world, when you have a group that large “repetition is usually okay,” since you have characters in the same costumes or creatures of the same type. Here though, Mazin wanted to sell that these were all originally different human beings who were different sizes and ages in different outfits before they were infected. As he put it, they nearly “broke Wētā [FX]” over the specifics they asked for.

Then there’s Good and his crucial work as editor. He has to begin editing without the final effects in place, which can be tricky. And not just because, as he pointed out, in the early footage “a Bloater isn’t a Bloater, it’s a green dot.” But after they may have cut of the episode they're happy with, “we get the animation back and everything’s changed. The motion’s become faster than a human actor is able to do," so they have to re-edit to adjust.

When it came to scoring the “Through the Valley,” Fleming described it as particularly challenging, because Mazin asked him, “How do we start this at 11 and then keep going up for the whole episode?” The idea was they were “building up momentum so it just felt relentless relentless relentless. Then at the end, it was kind of the opposite with the pivotal scene with Joel.” When Fleming paused and said he’d been avoiding talking about how that episode ended for so long, Mazin couldn’t resist chiming in: “He died!”

As Fleming explained, the original music for Joel's wrenching death scene was much busier but then “Craig asked ‘strip it back.’ It was a less is more situation.”

While praising the performances of Pedro Pascal, Kaitlyn Dever and Bella Ramsey, Good revealed that for Joel’s death “I actually edited it five times before I was ready to show it to Craig,” because he knew how important it was to get it right.

As Joel’s death scene played out, the panel couldn’t help but become somber and when Mazin cracked, “Let’s talk about the golf clubs we picked out. They have lots of meaning" to release some tension, he then paused and added that actually, when it came to which exact club Abby would use to beat Joel with, “There was a whole discussion!”

The conversation then moved to episode six and its flashbacks to Joel and Ellie together set between Season 1 and 2. The sequence where Ellie climbs the dinosaur was shown and Mazin remarked, “I love this in the game. I love that we got to do it!”

He added that this was a funny situation where the actual dinosaur built for Ellie to climb “was wobbling too much so then Alex stopped it from wobbling. But then it looked fake so we had to make it wobble [again] a little bit.”

Discussing Joel and Ellie’s clothes, Foley noted they did their best to match their looks in the game, though there might be slight changes occasionally for specific reasons. One such case was in the museum scene. In the game, Ellie is wearing a tank top in this sequence. However, on the show, they wanted to underline that Bella Ramsey was playing a more youthful version of Ellie in these flashback scenes, so they ended up making it a t-shirt because “changing it from a tank to a t-shirt made it look baggier and make her look younger.” In general though, “Joel and Ellie are in the same things they wear in the game because there’s no reason to change it.”

Ksenia Sereda said she was both excited and nervous about shooting the scene where Ellie and Joel go inside the space capsule, because “the way it was done in the game was so brilliant,” including the close up on Ellie smiling, imagining going into space. Sereda joked the game provided “the most expensive previs I’ve ever had to work with.”

Mazin marveled how Sereda lit the screen so that all of the light changes on Ellie’s face were done practically, without visual effects needed. Sereda explained how difficult it was, because “the whole sequence is lit through this teeny tiny window on the side of the capsule. It was very challenging to find this whole look.”

This sequence had particular significance to Mazin because “This is the first thing that Neil ever showed me from the second game.” He elaborated that when he went to Naughty Dog to speak to Druckmann about turning The Last of Us into a TV show, the team were nearing the completion of The Last of Us Part II. When Druckmann showed Mazin the space capsule sequence, his response was, “‘We’re doing that!’ In my mind, I was like, 'We need to do a good enough job for Season 1 that we’re renewed [to do that].'"

With Season 3 of The Last of Us now in the works, Mazin said he was eager to get back in the thick of it, turning to his fellow panelists and saying “I can’t wait to do that. I can’t wait to do that with all of you.” He then proclaimed: “Don, are we going to have meetings!!”

Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy Creators on Choosing the Right Characters for the Cards | IGN Live 2025

IGN

9 juin 2025 à 00:00

Having already out pre-orders of many packs and bundles already, the Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy cards officially will be released June 13 and Principal Designer Gavin Verhey and Executive Producer Zakeel Gordon were on hand at IGN Live today to discuss the much-anticipated collaboration.

Verhey and Gordon said that there have been other IP crossovers with Magic before, Final Fantasy was particularly exciting because, as Verhey put it, “It’s Final Fantasy! That really helps! We’ve been working on this set for about five years.”

The duo noted everyone at Wizards of the Coast were big fans of Final Fantasy, noting most had been playing the games longer than they’d played Magic and means so much to them.

Verhery said their approach was to incorporate something from all 15 games – which upped to 16 as they were working on the cards – which began with making spreadsheets of all the characters, items and story modes. They then split up the possible inclusions into three tiers - what Verhey described as the "gotta have: primary elements and most popular characters, followed by the second tier, which is where “cool side characters” came into play, while the third tier were the deep cuts, “like Guy speaking beaver. We wanted to get it all in there. Every game is represented from most iconic characters to deep cuts you can’t believe they put on a Magic card.”

There are four Commander decks, based on Final Fantasy X, XIV, VI and VII and Verhery promised “Everything besides the lands is themed to the game” and that playing the FF7 deck “ is like seeing the whole game play out before you eyes.” Added Gordon, “We chose those decks to represent different eras. We tried to really get the breadth of the entire franchise in our product.”

Gordon said inevitably they still couldn’t include every single character or game aspect they would have liked, given they didn’t have unlimited cards, noting, “The big challenge is we were going for the entire mainline series. We limited it to core games which left out a few great characters, but by design.”

Gordon explained that the Through the Ages cards, which include classic Final Fantasy artwork was an idea that came up halfway through the development process, simply because they were looking at the art – from the likes of Yoshitaka Amano and Tetsuya Nomura – so much already and, as Gordon put it “The art was so amazing they wanted to put it on cards.”

A couple of lucky fans at IGN Live were given decks of cards before release and when showing them off, their decks included the likes of Final Fantasy VII’s Sephiroth and Final Fantasy IV’s Rosa. Verhey said he felt that was an appeal of the Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy cards - taking two characters “you’d never see in [the same] game but here they are together.”

The Outer Worlds 2 Direct: Everything Announced

IGN

Par :Michael Cripe

8 juin 2025 à 23:44

Obsidian Entertainment debuted its special The Outer Worlds 2 Direct today, revealing a planet-sized presentation full of gameplay with new details about its 2025 sequel.

The 30-minute showcase gave players a tongue-in-cheek look at how Obsidian is building on the foundation laid by its original 2019 space adventure RPG with tweaks to existing mechanics as well as completely new gameplay features. It was also all hosted by comedian and Sonic the Hedgehog movie voice actor Ben Schwartz, who helped keep The Outer Worlds 2 Direct going with plenty of skits in between the nitty-gritty details.

From wacky new Flaws and planets to a fresh perspective on player choice, we’ve collected all of the highlights from today’s The Outer Worlds 2 Direct and shared them below. Also, as announced at the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase, The Outer Worlds 2 now has a release date of October 29, 2025. You can read up on everything announced at that show here.

Exploring Space as an Earth Directorate Agent

Players are dropped into The Outer Worlds 2 as an Earth Directorate Agent. Obsidian describes these do-gooders as “space cowboys or space sky marshals” or “good guys that go in to places and fix everything that’s wrong.” How you build out your character and experience from here, though, is up to you.

Filling out your character’s story means choosing things like a Background and Traits, with the latter setting the foundation for how you approach gameplay throughout the story. You can be Brilliant, Heroic, Innovative, Lucky – or Dumb, if that’s your thing.

There are also skills, which have been refined this time around, and perks, which are heavily inspired by the system used in Fallout: New Vegas. One example of a perk shown during the Direct is Assassin, an ability that grants a movement bonus after a stealth kill.

More Guns, More Choice

The Outer Worlds 2 is about expanding the universe Obsidian created in 2019, and that means introducing vast improvements to the gameplay across the board. There are more guns with more unique animations to be found here, with many of them shown off during the Direct.

It’s all very Borderlands, as some weapons carry unique traits. Rookie’s Reward is a great example of what’s in store, as this firearm slowly levels up with the player as it's used through the game, celebrating each new level with a confetti and fireworks show. There’s also the Pop-Up Gun, which distracts enemies with pop-up ads projected by a pesky drone. Another highlight is a music-infused sword that rewards players who smack enemies to the beat of a song.

Much of this creativity was carried over into the new throwable tools. Grenades, for example, can trigger a simple explosion, or players can use science grenades that suspend foes with zero-gravity technology.

As for movement, Obsidian says it’s revamped its approach to exploration, too. That means more freedom to run, jump, slide, and parkour around Arcadia as they find valuable loot. You’ll also be able to take advantage of both first- and third-person perspectives after the option was absent from the original game.

Flaws Are Back and Better (and Worse) Than Ever

One beloved elements from the original The Outer Worlds were Flaws, a feature that gave players the option to take on negative attributes in exchange for other perks. We got to see four Flaws as part of today’s presentation: Bad Knees, Kleptomaniac, Sungazer, and Overprepared.

Bad Knees gives players, well, bad knees, allowing them to move quicker in exchange for joints that pop (and alert enemies) when leaving the crouching position. Kleptomaniac grants higher selling values for stolen items while occasionally forcing players to nick some items against their will, while Sungazer causes permanent vision damage in exchange for a daytime healing passive and increased weapon spread. Overprepared is a Flaw for the kind of player who is always cautiously reloading, granting them increased magazine sizes with a penalty if a clip ever organically runs out of ammo.

Factions and Companions

To no one’s surprise, The Outer Worlds 2 is populated by an army of key factions and individuals to help and halt your journey. The Protectorate, for example, is described as an authoritarian group in the isolated colony of Arcadia.

“Their dictatorship is thematically based around the question of how much freedom people will give up for security and luxury,” Obsidian describes. “For Protectorate subjects, unfortunately, that answer is ‘everything.’”

There’s also the Order of the Ascendant, an offshoot of the Order of Scientific Inquiry from the original Outer Worlds that also has past ties to The Protectorate. These major factions and more have been made to have close ties to the story and themes of The Outer Worlds 2, but they’ve also been made to be even more absurd as Obsidian aimed to expand the humor. Additionally, players can expect to listen to a Fallout: New Vegas-inspired radio system, which features stations from each major faction, with each carrying around 20 original songs.

Factions have been fleshed out and improved for The Outer Worlds 2, and Obsidian says companions, of which there are six, have received the same treatment. Niles, an Earth Directorate agent whose story can be shaped by the player’s action, is the first companion you’ll meet. Today’s Direct also showcased the “somewhat cute” automech drone, who helps Niles, named Val, as well as the deadly assassin and mathematician Marisol, the cultlist Aza, a combat medic who survived experimentation named Inez, and Tristan, a heavily armored Protectorate arbiter.

The Bridge

Obsidian wants players to know that they’ve got options when it comes to how they choose to experience The Outer Worlds 2, and the best example of player choice is an early mission called The Bridge. It’s all about finding ways to lower a bridge, with players able to take more straightforward options like convincing The Protectorate to lower the bridge themselves, sneaking to the control room, and going in guns blazing.

Obsidian takes the options a step further, though, giving players the choice to use a shield that protects against poison gas to get around dangerous areas or jump boots that offer more traversal options. You can even sacrifice a companion in order to gain bridge clearance. This is the kind of freedom the team says players can expect from The Outer Worlds 2.

As today’s Direct came to a close, Obsidian shared its thoughts on the sequel, saying, “The Outer Worlds 2 is really the biggest game we’ve ever made.” As we move closer to its newly announced release date, it’s easy to see why. For more on The Outer Worlds 2, you can read up on its October release date announcement. You can also check out more information on its price, which is confirmed to be $80, as well as our talk with Obsidian's Marcus Morgan at IGN Live.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor 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).

The Outer Worlds 2 Looks to Expand the Gunplay and Combat While Sticking to Its RPG Roots | IGN Live 2025

IGN

8 juin 2025 à 23:15

Marcus Morgan, Obsidian's VP of Operations, came by IGN Live to discuss The Outer Worlds 2 in the lead up to its much-anticipated October 29 release date, including its Flaws system, a new ice planet that has become one of his favorites, a goo pistol, and more.

Morgan began by sharing that the sequel is digging deeper into the RPG aspects, remarking, “Obsidian is rooted in RPGs. We wanted to evolve with Outer Worlds.” He's not even comfortable calling The Outer Worlds 2 part RPG, part FPS. Instead, he stressed he would "only ever call it an RPG."

However, the team heard a lot of feedback that fans wanted gunplay and combat to evolve, so there will be plenty of new weapons to look forward to, including some that are science-based. Morgan also described “a melee weapon that, if you hit it to the beat, it amplifies the damage.” These new additions are meant to add to the experience while retaining the RPG core.

“One of my favorite weapons is the goo pistol," Morgan added while joking he doesn't condone littering in real life. "You take this biomass canister and you dump the goo into the gun and you chuck the canister away."

Morgan also wants to let those who have never played the first Outer Worlds to know that they won't get lost in this sequel, noting, “We’re moving to a brand new colony, Arcadia. with a brand new set of characters.” He described the Earth Directorate, the organization you are part of, as “sort of the space rangers of the universe. You’re there to protect against the tyrannies of capitalism, authoritarianism and various aspects of extreme religions with certain group."

Morgan was also particularly excited by Outer Worlds 2’s Flaws system, saying it was a way to take the usual idea of leveling up and putting a humorous spin on it. For example, one of these flaws is “The Sungazer Flaw - if you stare at the sun for too long you can regain health but the world is blurred out.” Another is for those who never run out of ammo as you'll do more damage. If you do let it run down, however, you'll be penalized with a debuff for a bit." He described the Flaws as “A fun way to integrate progression with levity.”

As for the Psychopath Perk, Morgan remarked, “One great thing in Outer Worlds 1 is you could kill every single person, and we brought it back in Outer Worlds 2. And you'll get a perk if you do that. Also, you can finish a quest even if you kill the quest giver.” On the other hand, “You can be a pacifist if you choose. You can talk your way through the entire game [without killing anyone]. You’ve got the entire spectrum.”

When it came to bugs, Morgan noted “We’re already in our bug fixing mode. This is probably the earliest we’ve been in that mode.”

Among the new planets in The Outer Worlds 2, Morgan revealed, “One of my favorites is a planet called Cloister. It’s a giant ice planet you go to because there’s a super computer trying to solve a big calculation.” He elaborated by saying the computer is connected to one of the game’s groups of religious fanatics who believe they can predict the future using math. In this case, the super computer and the immense energy (and resulting heat) it takes to power it are on Cloister to keep it cool, and Morgan said “I loved the nuance of why we created the ice world.”

Lastly, Morgan mentioned the first game’s Dumb mode and how they are leaning into those sorts of options again for Outer Worlds 2. They’ve also integrated their dialogue system into the title screen, and Morgan explained that as you load up the game “You might hear prompts like ‘Hey, you seem to be dying a lot. Should you lower your difficulty?’”

The Outer Worlds 2 will be released on October 29, 2025, and it will officially be Microsoft's first $80 game.

For more, check out our hands-on preview of The Outer Worlds 2 and the incredible Moon Man Statue and artbook from Dark Horse for the game.

Anno 117: Pax Romana Release Date Revealed

IGN

Par :Adam Bankhurst

8 juin 2025 à 22:36

Anno 117: Pax Romana will officially be released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on November 13, 2025.

This latest entry in the beloved Anno series is finally taking players to Rome and allowing them to become a governor in charge of, among other things, encouraging economic growth, expanding their empire through war, leading a rebellion, uniting the different people in the region under one banner, and much more.

We were able to get our hands on Anno 117: Pax Romana in May and said, "I can already see myself losing dozens of hours to Anno 117: Pax Romana. Much of what made Anno 1800 such a great time has been deftly carried over here, while the building-specific bonuses and dedicated research tree are each smart innovations that, deployed wisely, can supercharge your economy."

Anno 117 takes place, unsurprisingly, in 117 AD and sets you loose in the uncharted territories of the Roman Empire with two provinces - Latium and Albion - under your control. The choice is up to you in how you rule and expand, and the fate of an empire will be up to you.

We had the chance to speak to creative director Manuel Reinher and brand director Haye Anderson about why this is the most exciting time to be or become a fan of the series and why this really is an Anno for the modern age."

"We want to tell the untold story of how it was to govern Roman provinces," Reinher said, "During that era, there was over 200 years of peace and it was the time after a big conquest. And we are talking an empire of people from three continents that accounted for almost 20% of the world's population. So, the story we are trying to tell is how did the Romans manage to stabilize this?"

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.

007: First Light Isn’t Part of the James Bond Film Canon

IGN

Par :Rebekah Valentine

8 juin 2025 à 21:36

We’ve finally gotten our first look at IO Interactive’s new James Bond game: 007: First Light. It’s an origin story of the infamous spy, showing how he “earned the number” of 007.

So far, everything we’ve seen has been cinematic and story-focused, so there are still plenty of questions lingering about how First Light will play, and who exactly this new Bond will be. Fortunately, I was able to sit down with IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak at an IO Interactive event this weekend and grill him on everything Bond. While he wouldn’t tell me who they had cast as the new Bond (the internet thinks it’s Patrick Gibson, but Abrak says they’re “waiting a bit” to reveal the cast), he did confirm that 007: First Light isn’t part of the film canon; it’s a “standalone, reimagined interpretation.”

“I think from the get-go that was extremely important for us that we will be able to put our fingerprints on this,” Abrak said. “This is the first game we are making that is not our IP. IO is a creative house that's created five original IPs and we are doing the sixth IP on the Fantasy Project [literally codenamed Project Fantasy] we're working on as well. So we have to pour something of ourselves into what we do.

“...It was such a huge opportunity to take such a beloved franchise and then a privilege to be able to pour our originality into that. And our take was, well, we wanted to reimagine his becoming story. We wanted to reimagine a coming-of-age, this young man with all his quirkiness and optimism, his wits and his personality. Getting introduced to these intrigues and espionage, this harsh world of dog-eats-dog and how he fares and how he manages that with his inner values.”

But even if the story itself is creating its own canon independent from the movies, that doesn’t mean IO Interactive isn’t taking cues from the film Bond. For one, Abrak said he got “some insight” into how film Bonds are typically cast and what the film directors usually look for. But ultimately, IO Interactive was left to its own devices as to how it wanted to proceed on selecting a new Bond. And it did end up picking a real actor.

“It was a blank slate, which is a huge privilege, that we can cast these people or try to 3D-model something," he said. "Is it going to be an actor, or not, and what do we do? So that was really, really daunting. I tell you this, it took a long time, and we've been through a few models to figure out what we wanted. But I think the process was chaotic, to be honest. I mean the process was feeling it, trying some things out, feeling the emotional... And it's not necessarily huge A/B tests out there with a lot of agencies and whatnot. It was very important for us to feel his warmth or charm, his quirkiness and all these things. But then we found someone and we’re really, really happy about it today.”

We’ll be publishing our full interview with Abrak later this week, including discussion of not just 007: First Light, but also the future of the Hitman franchise and upcoming IO Interactive-published game MindsEye. We’ll keep waiting to hear more about 007: First Light, including gameplay, sometime soon. It launches in 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

The Outer Worlds 2 Is Microsoft's First Confirmed $80 Game

IGN