If you've been meaning to catch up on Star Trek: Picard, star Patrick Stewart has a present for you. Ahead of the upcoming Season 1 finale, Stewart tweeted out a code giving fans a free one-month subscription to CBS All Access. Along with the code word "GIFT" (which unlocks the service until April 23), Stewart delivered the message to fans, "It's felt good to bring Picard back. I can't wait to reunite with our cast and crew for Season 2." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tv-shows-to-watch-in-2020&captions=true"] IGN has confirmed with CBS that the code unlocks the full CBS All Access library, not just Star Trek: Picard, and it's valid for both the commercial-free and limited commercial subscription tiers. There's never been a better time to finally binge Picard, Discovery, The Twilight Zone or the various other CBS All Access-exclusive series. For more on what the streaming service has to offer, check out IGN's recent CBS All Access review and our general State of Streaming hub page. This isn't the only way Stewart has worked to entertain fans recently. He's also been taking to social media to perform iconic Shakespeare sonnets. As Stewart alluded, CBS is moving forward with the second season of Star Trek Picard. The series was officially renewed for Season 2 in January, and Stewart later appeared on The View to invite former costar Whoopi Goldberg to reprise her role as Guinan. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/picard-episode-1-premiere-review-no-spoilers"] If you need help preparing for this voyage into the unknown, we have a guide to the essential Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes to watch before Picard. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Stargirl creator and showrunner Geoff Johns penned a letter sharing the personal story behind the upcoming DC TV series Stargirl. The series is based on Johns' first published work for DC Comics, a comic called Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. inspired by his late sister Courtney, who died in the 1996 TWA Flight 800 disaster. Stargirl, or Courtney Whitmore, was named after Johns' sister and the series served as an outlet for Johns to put the spirit and optimism his sister always had back into the world. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=who-is-dcs-stargirl&captions=true"] Stargirl is set to premiere on the DC Universe streaming service on May 11, with episodes airing on CW afterwards, but Warner Bros. Television has already sent preview screeners of the show to press. Attached with those preview screeners was a personal letter from Johns explaining his personal connection to Stargirl, and IGN received permission to share the letter for fans to read, as well. To Everyone About To Watch Stargirl – I know you have real life concerns to deal with, as we all do, so if you are watching these I hope it’s to take a break from it and I’d encourage you to watch Stargirl with your family. It’s what the show was created for and what the show is about -- and, quite frankly, right now is the time to be with family. My entire career began with heroes. A cold call to Superman director Richard Donner’s office landed me an internship that eventually led to me being Dick’s assistant in 1996. During that first year working for him, my sister - Courtney - was killed in the TWA flight 800 disaster. Courtney was on her way to France as a foreign exchange student. She was 18. She was smart, funny and endlessly enthusiastic. Dick bought my ticket home to Detroit and told me I would have a job waiting for me in Los Angeles whenever I was ready to come back. That fall, we shot a film called Conspiracy Theory in New York. He invited my parents to the set and put them in the movie. It was the first time I remember them smiling and having fun since my sister’s death. Dick was my hero for that. A year later, I sold my first comic book proposal to DC Comics. It was called Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E.. The premise, which is also the premise of the show, was that teenager Courtney Whitmore’s mother, Barbara, marries mechanic Pat Dugan and Courtney (reluctantly) moves with them from Los Angeles to Nebraska. In Nebraska, Courtney discovers that her new step-father used to be a superhero sidekick and steals his partner’s old stuff, taking it for a joy ride. Ultimately, Courtney takes on the mantle of Stargirl and Pat is forced to come out of retirement and becomes a sidekick to his step-daughter as S.T.R.I.P.E. It is a story about how family is created by bond, not blood. Stargirl was, obviously, named after and inspired by my sister, Courtney. It is her spirit and optimistic energy that I wanted to put back in the world with Stargirl. It is celebratory, forward-looking and positive. And I hope that comes through when you watch these episodes. I’ve written a lot of superhero stories in my career, but this is by far the most personal on every level. The cast, crew and everyone involved has given their talent and passion to bringing Stargirl to life and I couldn’t be more grateful for them. I think their hard work paid off and, at the very least, I hope you smile a few times while you watch Brec Bassinger, playing Courtney, and Luke Wilson, playing Pat, take up their mantles individually and together. I apologize for the length of this “introductory” note. Weeks ago, I had thought it would be a simple paragraph or two. But now, I almost feel apologetic for assuming you have the time to watch Stargirl. Again, thank you, and if anyone wants to talk further about the show, I’d be happy to. Best to you and your family – Geoff Johns" If you're unfamiliar with Stargirl, read up on who this CW/DC Universe superhero is here. You can also check out a trailer from the show featuring Stargirl finding the Staff of Starman. Speaking of Starman, read up on Joel McHale's casting as the golden age character. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Warner Bros. has postponed the releases of its upcoming films Wonder Woman 1984, Scoob!, In the Heights, and Malignant due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Wonder Woman 1984 will shift from its original June 5th release date to August 14. The release date shift comes on the heels of the studio shooting down rumors of the DC sequel foregoing a theatrical release in favor of a digital debut. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/08/wonder-woman-1984-official-trailer-1] Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins took to Twitter to explain why they shifted the release date and to reiterate that she made the film for the big screen not streaming:

We made Wonder Woman 1984 for the big screen and I believe in the power of cinema. In these terrible times, when theater owners are struggling as so many are, we are excited to re-date our film to August 14th 2020 in a theater near you, and pray for better times for all by then pic.twitter.com/85ykQ8x6NE

— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) March 24, 2020

Warner Bros. has also indefinitely postponed the releases of Scoob! (originally slated for May 15), the musical In the Heights (formerly June 26), and the James Wan-directed horror film Malignant, which had originally been scheduled for the August 14 slot now occupied by Wonder Woman 1984. No new release dates have been set yet for the latter three films, according to Variety. In the Heights creator Lin-Manuel Miranda took to Twitter to address the film's delay:

Alright, mama, okay... pic.twitter.com/1uxOuUxe53

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) March 24, 2020

These four Warner Bros. titles join Black Widow, F9, No Time to Die, and nearly every other major upcoming film release in being delayed due to COVID-19. Get the full rundown of every delayed movie release and affected production here. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] For more on Wonder Woman 1984, get the latest details on its villains. And be sure to discover how Scoob! revamps the classic TV characters for CG animation.

Netflix announced it is renewing Love Is Blind for two more seasons. The reality dating TV show, hosted by Vanessa and Nick Lachey, follows thirty men and women who enter a speed dating experiment where they can talk to each other, without seeing what the other person looks like. After 10 days, the men get to propose to the woman they want to marry. Then, the couples meet each other in person and decide if they want to continue their relationship. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/28/new-to-netflix-for-march-2020"] During the first season, Love Is Blind's 11 episodes were released over the course of four weeks. Netflix has not yet announced release plans for the second season, just saying that the next season is currently casting in Chicago and will debut in 2021. Earlier this year, Netflix announced a new feature that displays the 10 most popular movies and television shows on the service. Love Is Blind proved to be popular, and at one point it was the second most-popular show on Netflix. Netflix also announced that Rhythm + Flow will receive a second season, and The Circle is coming back for two more seasons. For more, read about Netflix's new COVID-19 relief fund for the entertainment industry. Or, read our review of Netflix's Castlevania: Season 3, which we called a masterpiece. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=castlevania-season-3-gallery&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

Minecraft has announced that it will be offering free in-game educational lessons to help entertain and educate students who are stuck at home due to COVID-19. These lessons are part of the Minecraft: Education Edition and will allow students to explore the inside of the human eye, the international space station, learn to code, and much more, according to the official blog post. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=games-to-play-while-stuck-at-home&captions=true"] New education packs are being added to the Minecraft Marketplace today and will be available for free through June 30. Further, Minecraft is offering additional support to teachers to help aid remote learning. "We understand the important role gaming is playing right now to connect people and provide joy in these isolating and stressful times, and our teams are working diligently to ensure we can be there for our players," said Xbox head Phil Spencer. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/21/13-minutes-of-minecraft-dungeons-gameplay-gamescom-2019"] "I believe gaming has a unique power to bring people together, to entertain, to inspire and connect us, and I believe that’s even more true under these unique circumstances. Many are looking to gaming to remain connected with their friends while practicing social distancing, and we are seeing an unprecedented demand for gaming from our customers right now." There is no doubt that people stuck at home have turned to gaming to help pass the time, as Steam recently broke its record for concurrent users. With more and more movies and TV shows being delayed due to the coronavirus, more people will likely be turning to video games to help pass the time. If that's you, we've put together a list of the best games to play while you're stuck at home. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor with IGN. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.

The sequel to Train to Busan, Peninsula, was inspired by Akira and Mad Max: Fury Road, according to the movie's director. Director Yeon Sang-ho spoke to ScreenDaily about Peninsula, which was originally set to premiere at the now-postponed 2020 Cannes Film Festival, and said he used mangas like Akira and Dragon Head, and movies like Fury Road and Land of the Dead, for looks and world views when creating the film. Other movies like Mad Max 2 and The Road also served as inspiration points for the movie, Sang-ho said. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Peninsula takes place four years after Train to Busan in the same universe but stars a different cast of characters and a new story. The zombie outbreak in Korea has decimated government authority leaving nothing in its wake other than the geographical traits of the location, which is why film is called Peninsula, Sang-ho explained. The film's star, Gang Dong-won, plays a former soldier who must return to Korea after escaping on a mission. When he returns to Korea, he finds survivors still on the peninsula and that encounter and what comes next is the crux of the film. "The scale of Peninsula can't compare to Train to Busan, it makes it look like an independent film," Sang-ho said. "Train to Busan was a high-concept film shot in narrow spaces whereas Peninsula has a much wider scope of movement." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/10/28/watch-an-intense-scene-from-train-to-busan"] That's where inspiration from properties like Akira and Fury Road likely comes in. With a wider scope than its predecessor, Peninsula could see the grand scales of Akira and Fury Road come into play and it's easy to see where world views from the two might have inspired Peninsula, with all three taking place in post-apocalyptic or post-disaster worlds. "But the idea of being able to build a post-apocalyptic world — which would be sort of savage but also in a way like ancient times, or like ruined modern times, with rules of its own — was interesting to me," Sang-ho said. Peninsula's Cannes premiere was postponed after the entire festival was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and Sang-ho said he's seen some of the not-so-great facets of humans in his movies appear in the real world during this crisis. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/28/the-10-best-horror-movies"] "Of course I never dreamt of anything like the new coronavirus," Sang-ho said. "But recently, I have been learning news about the collective selfishness that you do see facets of in Train to Busan and in Peninsula, that brings about tragedy." If you haven't seen Train to Busan, you can check it out now by following our list of the 10 best free movies to watch online and where to find them. It's also in our list of the top 100 best horror movies. If you're looking for a horror fix, horror streaming service Shudder is offering a 30-day free trial right now. Here are some ways you can help others and stay safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Outlets of UK game and entertainment retailer CeX are continuing to have staff travel to work. This update comes after the chain closed its corporate-owned and franchised stores to the public and the UK government subsequently announced new lockdown measures to arrest the spread of COVID-19 (a.k.a. the novel coronavirus).

The second-hand retailer announced that it was closing its shops across the country yesterday, following increasingly public concerns and complaints from employees fearful of transmitting or contracting the virus. IGN has obtained a follow-up memo from corporate management, which asks teams of 2 employees to travel to closed shops in order to fulfil online orders, as well as empty cash tills and safes.

This memo was sent before Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s address yesterday evening, which put the UK into a form of lockdown. Asked for comment on whether that policy would continue after the government’s new measures, CeX’s UK marketing team says that members of corporate-owned stores (i.e. not franchises) are being asked to go into stores on a “purely voluntary basis”, something the original memo confirms. According to two current employees, both from corporate and franchise stores, those now forced to stay at home will receive at least the UK government’s 80% mandated pay.

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“None of our colleagues are being ‘sent’ or forced to work in CeX Corporate locations” reads the CeX statement. “It is a voluntary request and we are limiting the numbers of colleagues in each location to ensure safe social distancing can take place. We expect the same approach from our franchised stores.”

That same approach doesn’t seem to be happening at franchised stores as at corporate-owned stores, however. Despite that corporate expectation, multiple members of staff from CeX franchises have contacted me (under condition of anonymity, due to fears of management retaliation), to say that managers and supervisors aren’t being given the option to volunteer, but being told to go to work as normal. It’s unclear how strict that ruling is, and it likely varies from franchise to franchise, but one employee told me they were frightened that any future redundancies would hit those in their franchise who said they wouldn’t go in.

A franchise employee, a supervisor for their store, has explained that managers have been asked not only to fulfil orders, but clean their shops and fill out routine paperwork. The same employee explains that some CeX outlets are within shopping centres, which have closed their bathroom facilities, meaning employees can’t wash their hands as instructed by NHS guidelines.

The CeX marketing team statement points out that the company is working within current UK government advice. While shops selling goods deemed non-essential (including entertainment products) have been told to close in the UK, online delivery businesses have been allowed to remain open, and travel to places of work for employment that cannot be completed from home has been permitted when “absolutely necessary”. CeX operates online delivery services from both warehouses and its stores, meaning online retail work technically takes place in both.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/07/how-gamestop-plans-to-save-itself"]

“This is common with many retailers and if anything [working in stores], allows greater self distancing than many warehouse facilities” the statement continues. “Most CeX stores are large locations with big open floor space.”

Two franchise employees have separately pointed out that, while this is true of floor space in their stores, all stock is stored behind cash desks, meaning workers have significantly less space to keep the advised distance away from one another than the floor plans of stores would suggest.

While CeX is abiding by current government advice and regulations, staff who have contacted me today remain afraid that, by being asked to continue to travel to work, working with stock passed on by customers within the coronavirus outbreak timeline, and working in smaller spaces, virus transmission remains a distinctly higher possibility for them than those who are staying at home today. Undoubtedly, some responsibility lies at the feet of the UK government’s approach to locking down the country, but that isn’t likely to ease employees’ fears.

Here's how you can help and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Plague Inc. will soon have a new free mode entirely focused on fighting a pandemic instead of spreading one. The new mode, which will be free for all players during the pandemic, intends on providing a whole new perspective. Developed with aid from the WHO and Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, players will have to prevent diseases from spreading using methods like quarantining, social distancing, closing public sources, and boosting healthcare systems. Some of these methods are already being used today in response to COVID-19. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/27/plague-inc-mysteriously-removed-from-sale-in-china"] Developer Ndemic Creations announced the new mode on its website, alongside pledging a $250,000 donation to fighting the coronavirus. This donation is split between the World Health Organization and the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Plague Inc. creator, James Vaughan, spoke about how he never expected players to use Plague Inc. as a way to deal with COVID-19. “Eight years ago, I never imagined the real world would come to resemble a game of Plague Inc. or that so many players would be using Plague Inc. to help them get through an actual pandemic," he said. "We are proud to be able to help support the vital work of the WHO and CEPI as they work towards finding a vaccine for COVID-19” Back in January, the strategy simulation game spiked in sales as the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread. The influx in new sales even led to the Chinese government banning Plague Inc. from being sold. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/25/how-coronavirus-is-impacting-the-games-industry"] The developer intends to support the WHO further by promoting a way for players to donate money in-game.   This news follows the cancellation or postponement of several video game conventions like E3 due to the impact of the pandemic. For every game event that has been affected thus far, take a look at our full story. Keep safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and understand how to stay healthy with these CDC guidelines. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=games-to-play-while-stuck-at-home&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jeffrey Lerman is a Freelance News Writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @Snakester95.

Pokemon TCG 2019 World Champion Henry Brand just added another major victory to his record, and this time he did it in style. Kanto style, to be exact. Brand took first place at the Pokemon Regional tournament in Perth, Australia with an “Ultimate Mew3” deck that had never been seen before -- and the biggest surprise to longtime Pokemon fans was that it used all three Gen I starters: Charizard, Venusaur and Blastoise. Even though those three superstar Pokemon are beloved in the fandom, anyone who plays the Pokemon TCG knows they don’t exactly have the best performance record. Instead, the strongest Pokemon in the card game tend to be the likes of Rayquaza, Gardevoir, and Garbodor. That said, each respective Kanto starter has had its time to shine over the years -- a Blastoise deck won the 2015 Pokemon TCG World Championship, many decks have earned big wins with Reshiram & Charizard GX since it was released in May 2019, and Venusaur, well, it gets points for trying. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=6b9768b2-4227-43c5-b586-39407e7e705b"] One key aspect that made Brand’s deck so unexpected is how it uses so many Pokemon of different types. Most meta decks are generally built focusing on one, maybe two Pokemon types. There are exceptions, of course, but it’s more common to see, for example, a pure Psychic or Lightning deck than a deck that tries to mix many types together. Having too many types hurts consistency, so it’s harder to make those decks work. That’s a big reason why it’s unheard of for the Fire, Grass and Water Kanto starters to all appear together. The special ingredient that allows Charizard, Venusaur and Blastoise to coexist in the same deck is none other than Mewtwo & Mew GX. This obscenely powerful card has the “Perfection” ability that lets it use the attacks of other Pokemon GX on the bench or in the discard pile. Think of it as a Swiss-army Pokemon where a player can choose from a wide variety of attacks and use whichever is best depending on the situation. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=key-cards-in-ultimate-mew3&captions=true"] For example, if Mewtwo & Mew GX takes a big hit, it can return the damage (and then some) with Reshiram & Charizard GX’s Outrage attack. If Mewtwo & Mew GX needs to reach a high number to take a knockout on a Pokemon with high HP, it can use Blastoise GX’s Rocket Splash to get there. As for Venusaur & Snivy GX, rather than its attack, it’s in the deck for its "Shining Vine" ability that lets it gust up vulnerable benched Pokemon. Brand was able to answer the multi-type problem with the newly released Aurora Energy that provides all types of energy. When four copies are added to the deck along with four Rainbow Energy, which has the same effect for a different cost, the deck has eight energies that let Mewtwo & Mew GX use virtually any attack. In addition to the Kanto trio, the deck uses a handful of odd Pokemon like Alolan Raticate GX, Vileplume GX, and Flygon GX that most other players had long written off as “binder trash,” but Brand saw they had very specific uses that he could exploit to take opponents off guard and come out victorious. Those are just the highlights of the deck, but if you want a detailed explanation of everything it can do (and it’s quite a lot), then check out Brand and testing partner Jordan Palmer giving a full run-through of how it works on The SAbleyes YouTube channel. Brand won the 2019 Pokemon TCG World Championship with a Mewtwo & Mew GX deck, as well. His winning list went on to inform how competitive players built the deck for the rest of the season, and now it looks like Brand has done it again by innovating to create a new kind of deck for the metagame. What do you think of this unique deck that features the Kanto starting trio? Let us know in the comments. For more Pokemon throwback fun, check out all the differences between the original Pokemon: The First Movie and the new version Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution that just came to Netflix: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/biggest-differences-between-pokemon-the-first-movie-and-mewtwo-strikes-back-evolution"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been postponed due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.