The Last of Us HBO TV series will replace the proposed movie adaptation, according to a source familiar with Sony’s plans for the popular Naughty Dog video game. IGN has learned from sources at Sony Pictures that the newly announced HBO TV adaptation of The Last of Us will replace the film adaptation that Sony previously announced back in 2014. At the time, Sony announced that Neil Druckmann would write and produce the film adaptation under Sony’s Screen Gems’ movie label. Sam Raimi was also attached to produce the film. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-playstation-4-games&captions=true"] By 2015, Durckmann said that a second draft of the movie script was written and that actors had read for roles in the film. But by 2016, movement on the film stalled and there were no further updates on the project. Instead, it seems Sony has decided to move forward with a television adaptation in its place. Druckmann is still attached to write and produce the series, but this time with Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin. The project has also moved under the PlayStation Productions label which was created in 2019 specifically to create adaptations of popular PlayStation video games. Other video game adaptations currently being produced at PlayStation Productions include the Uncharted movie starring Tom Holland as a young Nathan Drake. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/24/the-last-of-us-2-release-date-trailer"] The Last of Us HBO series doesn’t have a release date yet, and in a tweet announcing the TV news, Druckmann said that first, they need to release a video game. A reference to The Last of Us Part 2 which is the long-awaited sequel scheduled to be released this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

Riot has revealed the first character from its competitive FPS Valorant. Phoenix is an agent from Britain who can use fire-based abilities to get the edge on enemy players. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/05/valorant-phoenix-agent-reveal"] Valorant’s playable characters are known as Agents, and Phoenix is the first one to get a proper introduction. The short video Riot has put out shows him using a couple of abilities that involve controlling fire. The first is a fireball summoned with a click of his fingers that can be bounced around corners. While the video does not explicitly explain what each ability does, it appears to work akin to a flash bang, as the ability’s victim appears to have a stun-like visual before Phoenix scores an easy headshot on them. It appears that the ability can be used twice in a round, as it has two charges on the HUD. The HUD also shows a further three abilities with a single charge each, one of which Phoenix uses to summon a wall of fire that’s impossible to see through. This allows him to cut a lane of the map off, use a fireball to help take on two enemies, and then eliminate someone approaching from the other angle as the firewall extinguishes. The other two abilities are not used in the video, but the icons suggest one may be another form of the fireball ability (perhaps one that deals damage instead) and another ability that seems as if it could heal. With Phoenix borrowing his name from the legendary bird that rises from the ashes after death, could this be a resurrect skill? [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=riot-games-fps-valorant&captions=true"] Abilities in Valorant work differently to other hero shooters, in that they are ‘bought’ at the start of each round with currency earned from kills and objective wins, rather than a permanent part of an Agent’s kit. If anything like Counter-Strike’s economy elements, certain abilities will be very expensive and require a certain amount of success in a match to afford. For more on Valorant, check out our hands-on preview of Riot’s potentially huge FPS. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann will team up with Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin on a television adaptation of The Last of Us for HBO. According to THR, Druckmann will be involved in the creation of the HBO The Last of Us series. This is a rarity for video game adaptations as the game creators aren’t usually directly involved with the adaptation process of their games. Druckmann and Mazin will write and adapt. Naughty Dog president Evan Wells will serve as executive producer alongside Carolyn Strauss. Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions will co-produce the series for the cable network. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-playstation-4-games&captions=true"] Mazin is best known for creating 2019's award-winning series Chernobyl about the nuclear disaster in Ukraine. Mazin is reportedly a fan of video games and has called Druckmann "without question the finest storyteller working in the video game medium, and The Last of Us is his magnum opus." "Getting a chance to adapt this breathtaking work of art has been a dream of mine for years, and I'm so honored to do it in partnership with Neil." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/24/the-last-of-us-2-release-date-trailer"] Drukmann also commented on the project saying, "From the first time I sat down to talk with Craig I was equally blown away by his approach to narrative and his love and deep understanding of The Last of Us. With Chernobyl, Craig and HBO created a tense, harrowing, emotional masterpiece. I couldn't think of better partners to bring the story of The Last of Us to life as a television show." Druckmann confirmed the news in a Tweet.

Ellie and Joel are heading to HBO! But first... we got a little game to finish! https://t.co/eMIy5gmUiw

— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) March 5, 2020

The Last of Us was released first on PlayStation 3 in 2013, with a PlayStation 4 remaster following soon after. Naughty Dog is currently developing The Last of Us Part 2 for the PlayStation 4, which is set to release later this year. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/06/chernobyl-official-trailer-2019-stellan-skarsgard-jared-harris-emily-watson"] IGN is reaching out to HBO to learn further details about the project. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.  

The Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker novelization has reportedly revealed that Rey's father was actually a "not-quite-identical clone" of Emperor Palpatine. An excerpt from an advanced copy of the Star Wars tie-in book, written by Rae Carson, recently emerged online (h/t ScreenRant) and shed new light on Rey's backstory, as it exposed her father to be a failed clone of the all-powerful Sith Lord. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/03/star-wars-emperor-palpatine-is-a-clone-in-the-rise-of-skwalker-explained-ign-now"] The passage pertaining to the revelation was posted on Reddit by a user who shared a photograph of the text, which reads: "The heretics of the Sith Eternal toiled, splicing genes, bolstering tissue, creating unnatural abominations in the hope that one of these strandcasts would succeed and become a worthy receptacle. The heretics would do anything, risk anything, sacrifice anything, to create a cradle for their god-consciousness. "Nothing worked. But their efforts were not entirely in vain. One genetic strandcast lived. Thrived, even. A not-quite-identical clone. His 'son.' But he was a useless, powerless failure. Palpatine could not even bear to look upon such disappointing ordinariness. The boy's only worth would lay in continuing the bloodline through more natural means." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-every-jedi-and-every-sith-ever&captions=true"] It was previously revealed that Palpatine's spirit was thrust into a clone body, though it wasn't strong enough to maintain his power. However, this new extract adds an extra layer of understanding, as it reveals that the Sith Eternal strived to locate a new vessel for Palpatine's essence while one of the other failed strandcasts "thrived" to become Rey's father. It was heavily teased before the release of The Rise of Skywalker – even by director J.J. Abrams himself – that Rey's backstory, and who her parents were, would be explained, despite the events of The Last Jedi having left some fans disappointed over the previous build-up to Rey's origins being halted by the not so earth-shattering revelation that her parents were "nobodies," junkers who sold their young daughter for drinking money. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/08/whats-next-for-star-wars-after-the-rise-of-skywalker"] Last year, reports indicated that The Rise of Skywalker would be the longest Star Wars film ever, clocking in at 155 minutes, but before the film landed in theatres the new official runtime of 141 minutes was announced, suggesting that some more material had been cut in an effort to condense the film; this was further evidenced by a Reddit user who posted a complex thread alluding to a "JJ Cut" of Episode IX that supposedly hit around the three-hour mark. Regardless of whether or not that JJ Cut exists, it seems that we should expect a few more twists and turns to come out of The Rise of Skywalker novelization, hitting shelves on March 17, as it is said to include some "expanded scenes and content not seen in theatres, as well as a few surprises — all culled from deleted scenes, never-before-seen material, and input from the filmmakers." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-upcoming-star-wars-movie&captions=true"] For more on the Skywalker Saga, find out how The Rise of Skywalker's Visual Dictionary answers some of the plot's key questions, take a look at a few images of leaked concept art from Colin Trevorrow's axed Duel of the Fates film, and read all about George Lucas' secret cameos in recent Star Wars films. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Foldable phones are officially a trend now and while we’ve seen devices that fold in half vertically and horizontally, TCL has shown us something completely new with its rollable phone. At first glance, this handset looks mostly like any traditional 6.75-inch smartphone you would have in your pocket, but you can pull it apart to expand it into a 7.8-inch tablet. It’s a different spin on foldable phones as it keeps the expanded OLED display tucked away inside the phone itself. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tcl-rollable-phone&captions=true"] We only saw a dummy mockup of the rollable phone during our meeting with TCL, but the company tells us it has a working prototype with a working screen and even a motor that takes care of expanding the phone for you. Out of all the foldable phones we’ve seen so far this one was the most appealing to us because it feels and looks like a regular smartphone when it's not expanded. It’s the closest thing we’ve seen to the Global Link communicator from Earth: Final Conflict and we hope to see a working prototype soon. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tcl-tri-fold-phone&captions=true"]

Triple Changer

TCL also showed off a second foldable device that features a tri-fold display. It looks like a folding phone straight out of Westworld and its one of the first devices we’ve seen with two separate hinge mechanisms. Basically, you start off with a 6.65-inch phone that unfurls like a paper menu into a 10-inch tablet. Since you have one part of the screen that folds into the device and the second part that wraps around it you can use it in a variety of modes as a regular phone, a two- or three-screen tablet, and even a laptop. The last mode basically has you fold the device in a way that the middle third of the screen is sitting at an angle while the side that lays flat for you to type. We got our hands on a prototype that works and it was amazing to see the screen quickly adapt between us using one, two, or three screens. That said, when fully folded up this prototype is as thick as two or three smartphones stacked together, which is a lot to put in your pocket. We hope TCL refines this prototype into something thinner and slighter as its one of the most versatile foldable devices we’ve seen so far. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

Ghost of Tsushima will be released on June 26. Announced on the PlayStation Blog, Sucker Punch's new game also got a new story trailer, and details of the special, collector's and digital deluxe versions of the game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/05/ghost-of-tsushima-story-trailer"] The story trailer shows off the game's hero, Jin Sakai, as well as his uncle Shimura – who is the lord of Tsushima – and Khotun Khan, the leader of the invading Mongol army. As for those various editions of the game, you can get a good look at each one, and their contents, in the gallery below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ghost-of-tsushima-collectors-digital-deluxe-and-special-editions&captions=true"] Both the special and digital deluxe versions of the game come in at $69.99, and collector's edition at $169.99 (UK and AU prices not available at time of writing). If you preorder any edition of Ghost of Tsushima, you'll get a digital mini soundtrack and Jin avatar, as well as a new PS4 Dynamic Theme based on the game's box art, which you can see in the tweet below:

Anyone who pre-orders any edition of #GhostOfTsushima will get access to a digital mini soundtrack and Jin avatar, as well as a new PS4 Dynamic Theme based on our box art pic.twitter.com/xMHdW376XP

— Ghost of Tsushima June 26 (@SuckerPunchProd) March 5, 2020

It's been a long time waiting for Sucker Punch fans – Ghost of Tsushima was announced at Paris Games Week in 2017, and it was unclear when we'd get the game until last year's Game Awards, when were were teased with a 'Summer' release window. Ghost of Tsushima will likely be the last major Sony exclusive for PS4, ahead of the release of PS5 in Q4 this year. We'd quite like an Infamous sequel from Sucker Punch after that, if you please. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=9-sequels-that-would-make-ps5-a-force-to-reckon-with&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Weirdly, IGN's old Executive Editor of News, Andrew Goldfarb, wrote the blog post he based this story on. Follow him on Twitter (Joe, not Andrew, he's got enough followers).

Lucifer star Tom Ellis has reportedly finalised a new deal to return as the title character in a possible sixth season of the supernatural series on Netflix. This latest update, reported by TVLine, is devilishly good news for Lucifans, as it seems to indicate that the show's stars are signing on to extend their contracts ahead of a potential season renewal, as co-showrunners Ildy Modrovich and Joe Henderson were also reported to have inked new deals last week. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/01/new-to-netflix-for-march-2020"] It is believed that Netflix recently entered talks with Warner Bros. to resurrect Lucifer beyond its planned fifth and "final" season, as fans have been campaigning for the show's continuation ever since it was cancelled by Fox after just three seasons on the air. The fifth season of Lucifer was originally set to be a 10-episode run but Netflix significantly expanded the episode count while the show was still in production, ordering six additional episodes to take the grand total up to 16, split across two parts on the streamer. The episode expansion signified that the writers required more scope to tell the story and wrap up all of the threads from the fourth season of the series, loosely based on Neil Gaiman's depiction of the Devil from the Sandman comic book and its spinoff Lucifer. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-netflix-original-movies-and-tv-shows&captions=true"] Meanwhile, veteran actor Dennis Haysbert recently joined the cast of Lucifer to play God in the show's expanded fifth season. His role as the Almighty could potentially give his two sons, Lucifer and Amenadiel, more opportunities to bond together as a family. In our review of Lucifer Season 4, we commended the characters' individual storylines, saying "a shorter season spins a tighter arc in which all threads wind together for a finale that either serves as a bittersweet conclusion or leaves the door open for a fresh, new chapter." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Yoshinori Kitase, the director of the original Final Fantasy 7 and producer of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, thinks "it would be a waste" to not use the game's characters again in some form.

Kitase said this during an interview with Japanese wrestler Kenny Omega for the official Square Enix YouTube channel. Omega brought up the fact that Kitase was the producer for The 3rd Birthday, which was the third and so far final game in the Parasite Eve series, released for PSP in Japan in 2010.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/30/the-top-25-scariest-games-of-this-generation"]

Omega then asked Kitase if he would like to see more Parasite Eve in the future. "The characters are very deep and rich, especially Aya Brea," Kitase said. "I don't know of any plans right now, but it would be a waste to not use those characters."

Clearly angling for a remake or another original game in the Parasite Eve series, Omega responded saying that, "horror games are very popular right now, and Parasite Eve had some RPG elements to it. It was very original and unique, so I think now is a good time… Parasite Eve has a very unique game style. There are no games like it right now."

Omega is likely referencing the fact that Capcom has seen a lot of success by remaking horror games such as Resident Evil 2 and the upcoming Resident Evil 3.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=15-games-we-want-on-playstation-classic&captions=true"]

Parasite Eve started out life as a 1995 sci-fi novel written by Hideaki Sena. Square made a video game released in 1998 that acted as a sequel to the novel, while at the same time, two Parasite Eve mangas and a film adaptation were released. In 1999, Parasite Eve 2 was released, and the spin-off game The 3rd Birthday came out much later in 2010.

The games follow a New York police officer called Aya Brea who has to fight a powerful entity called Eve and the horrific creatures she controls as she tries to take over Earth. The first game was particularly unusual, especially for a survival horror game, as it has some RPG elements.

This includes active-time combat, similar to the original Final Fantasy 7, during which time can be paused and actions take up certain amounts of time. Parasite Eve 2 dropped this in favour of real-time combat more typical of survival horror games.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Taika Waititi is set to write, direct, and executive produce two new animated series' for Netflix, both of which will be based on the beloved works of Roald Dahl. On Thursday, Netflix announced that the first series will be inspired by the whimsical world and colourful characters of the 1964 classic children's book while the other series will be a wholly original take on the Oompa-Loompas, otherwise known as the carolling characters who manufacture candy at Willy Wonka's infamous factory. The streaming giant promised that the new shows will "retain the quintessential spirit and tone of the original story while building out the world and characters far beyond the pages of the Dahl book for the very first time." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/11/27/netflix-to-adapt-roald-dahl-books-into-animated-event-series"] "Finding just the right creative partner to bring Willy Wonka, Charlie and the Oompa-Loompas to life in animation was a daunting task... until Taika walked into the room,"  Melissa Cobb, Netflix Vice President of original animation, said, per Variety. "Then, it was really obvious. If Dahl had created a character of a filmmaker to adapt his work, I'm pretty sure he would have created Taika."

"In the words of Willy Wonka himself – we are 'Delighted! Charmed! Overjoyed!' with Taika's appointment on this project," Gideon Simeloff, commercial and entertainment director for the Roald Dahl Story Company, added. "There is something undeniably Wonka-esque about Taika's creative flair and inimitable sense of humor and we cannot think of anyone more perfectly suited to leading the creative charge on these first of their kind, feature-quality Netflix shows."

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-netflix-original-movies-and-tv-shows&captions=true"] This announcement marks the beginning of an extensive partnership between Netflix and the Roald Dahl Story Company, who are teaming up to create a spate of "animated event series," reimagining more of Dahl's stories, including Matilda, The Twits, The BFG, and others. However, some of Dahl's stories have not been included in the agreement between the two companies, with such works as James and the Giant Peach and Fantastic Mr. Fox omitted from the list of potential new adaptations. Still, this deal could end up being a major coup for Netflix, as it comes at a time when the online streaming market is growing more crowded than ever before – with the likes of Disney+ having recently joined the ranks. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The organisers of Gamescom, the world's largest gaming event, say that preparations for the show are continuing in the wake of COVID-19 (a.k.a. Coronavirus), despite a rash of cancellations and postponements across the events industry – including some that were due to take place at the Gamescom venue. A spokesperson for Koelnmesse, the organiser and venue for Gamescom, confirmed to IGN that it was monitoring the situation: "The consequences of the coronavirus, which is now occurring almost worldwide, also affect our Koelnmesse events. The health of all trade fair participants, customers and partners is paramount." Koelnmesse also pointed out that three shows due to be held at the venue – The International Hardware Fair, FIBO and IAW – have already been postponed. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-the-big-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"] However, the organisation makes clear that all other planned shows, including Gamescom, remain in motion: "With a view to all other trade fairs planned in Cologne, we are in constant contact with our customers. For each individual event, we will evaluate the recommendations of the Federal Government regarding major events and, as before, we will make our decisions after careful consideration. In this respect, preparations for our upcoming events in Cologne are continuing." Fears about coronavirus transmission have already caused Taipei Game Show, and Game Developers Conference to be postponed, and many other shows have been affected by the outbreak. E3 has said it will also move ahead "full speed" with preparations for its June show, even reiterating that fact after LA declared a state of emergency. GDC was postponed after a similar message from the mayor of San Francisco. [poilib element="accentDivider"]