Microsoft has revealed the PC system requirements for Flight Simulator, and it requires a huge 150GB of harddrive space. While install sizes have been steadily increasing over the years, this places Microsoft Flight Simulator among the very largest on PC. For comparison, this is the same size as Red Dead Redemption 2’s PC port, although still under Modern Warfare’s colossal 175GB install. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/14/microsoft-flight-simulator-9-beautiful-cities-in-4k60-x019"] It means, then, that Microsoft Flight Simulator is packing as much data as the intricately detailed world Rockstar created for Red Dead Redemption, and the huge resolution textures used for Modern Warfare’s painstaking reproduced weapons. In some respects that’s not wholly surprising considering the game features the entire planet and its 40,000 real-world airports, and depicts most parts of the world in 3D photorealism. That world is drawn from Bing map data, of which it has access to two petabytes (two million gigabytes) of, streaming via an internet connection. So even that 150GB isn’t all the data that Microsoft Flight Simulator uses to create its world, weather, and flight mechanics. In addition to hard drive space the system requirements also request a minimum of 5 mbps of bandwidth (50 mbps ideally), indicating that data streaming is a vital part of the game. As for your GPU, Microsoft asks that you ideally have the expensive Radeon VII or Nvidia RTX 2080 cards, but recommends the older Radeon RX 590 or Nvidia GTX 970. If your machine is feeling its age, though, the minimum specs also support the Radeon RX 570 and Nvidia GTX 770. 8GB of RAM is the minimum requirement, but the ideal spec asks for 32GB. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=microsoft-flight-simulator-airports&captions=true"] Recommended processors are the Ryzen 5 1500X and Intel i5-8400, but the more recent Ryzen 7 Pro 2700X and Intel i7-9800X are suggested for ideal specification. Minimum specs call for the Ryzen 3 1200 or Intel i5-4460. Microsoft has only confirmed the install size for the PC version of Flight Simulator. It remains to be seen if the Xbox version will also demand 150GB of space. For more, check out our hands-on preview of Microsoft Flight Simulator, and how it deals with the areas of the world that governments don’t want you to see.

Michael Mando, the actor behind iconic Far Cry 3 villain, Vaas, has hinted towards him playing the role again. In a Reddit AMA, the Better Call Saul and Orphan Black actor was asked if he was still recognised as Vaas. His reply seems to imply that he'll be recognised more in future: "Thank you so much! Vaas is my spirit animal - having co-created that character is something that will always be dear to me. I still get recognized as Vaas, and I still feel the outpouring of love for that character - makes me very happy. Who knows... maybe I will reprise the role very soon? :p Thank you for watching xo" [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/02/02/far-cry-3-classic-edition-trailer"] While not a confirmation by any means, the "very soon" in particular is oddly specific language. If Mando was to reprise the Vaas role, it's not clear what form that would take - as recently as last year, Ubisoft was planning a Far Cry TV show, although that was reported to be an animated Blood Dragon spin-off. If this was a game-focused role, it leaves us with some interesting possibilities. Famously, Vaas is killed halfway through the course of Far Cry 3, meaning any new role for Mando would likely be in a remake of the game (although this feels unlikely given the current-gen re-release Far Cry 3 got in 2018), or a prequel. That said, Far Cry isn't exactly afraid to get weird with it when it wants to - undead Vaas, anyone? [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/14/far-cry-new-dawn-review"] We awarded the original Far Cry 3 release a 9/10 review, with a lot of praise centred on the manic, unpredictable performance that created Vaas - in fact we said the game's "fantastic performances are among the best acting in video games". We certainly wouldn't complain about another opportunity to be frightened by Vaas. We've heard nothing about a new Far Cry game since the release of Far Cry: New Dawn but, with Ubisoft planning to release 5 AAA games by early 2021, it feels likely that we'll see one pop up sooner or later. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News, and he still doesn't know the definition of insanity. Follow him on Twitter.

Players who are suspected of cheating in Call of Duty: Warzone will now be forced into the same matches as punishment. The news was revealed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward on Twitter, which gave fans an update about its plans for fixing the influx of cheaters into the game's battle royale mode, Warzone. Starting this week, the matchmaking system will check and match suspected cheaters into the same lobbies so they can duke it out. May the best aimbot win! [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/23/call-of-duty-warzone-review"] Additional measures to support this change to the matchmaking system include notifying players when a cheating report results in a successful ban and "increased resources across backend tech, studio, and enforcement teams." As well as a set of dedicated security updates, Infinity Ward notes in the statement that there are still some new anti-cheat features on their way to Warzone. Namely, Report-A-Player functionality is coming to Killcam and Spectate modes, meaning players can catch hackers in the act with increased efficiency. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/11/call-of-duty-warzone-isnt-just-a-battle-royal"] This follows a report from last week that found Warzone console players were going to great lengths to opt-out of crossplay altogether to get away from the abundance of cheaters running riot in the PC version of the game. Back in early April, Activision banned over 50,000 Call of Duty: Warzone cheaters, though this clearly hasn't squashed the issue altogether. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Microsoft has trademarked what seems to be the logo for Xbox Series X. Filed on April 16, the treatment follows a similar style to the Xbox One X and S logos. The X, in particular, differs from the title treatments we've seen for the upcoming console previously. You can see it below: Whether this is Microsoft getting its legal ducks in a row, or a sign that it's about to reveal more about the console is unknown. What we do know is that Microsoft wants to be able to print this logo on a lot of things - the trademark listing includes not just game consoles, but bags, jewelery, posters, trading cards and, er, "fire extinguishing apparatus". Some have been quick to point out that a trademark for 'Series X' by itself - rather than the full 'Xbox Series X' - leaves open the possibility that we'll see multiple versions of Xbox, necessitating logos to distinguish between them. That's fuelled somewhat by rumours that there will be two next-gen Xbox consoles - the Series X, and a less powerful, digital-only console apparently codenamed Lockhart. However, Microsoft has made no similar public filings for any other potential console names in recent weeks. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/07/the-technology-behind-xbox-series-x"] For more on Xbox Series X, make sure to check out its full specs, how it compares with PS5, and our best guess at its price. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News, and he would probably buy a Series X fire extinguisher. Stylish and safe! Follow him on Twitter.

GameStop has announced business updates and its plans to reopen stores and cut executives salaries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. After originally keeping some store's open in defiance of certain state government's orders that shut down all non-essential businesses, GameStop's retail locations eventually transitioned to a curbside pick-up only model to keep its employees and customers safe from coronavirus. GameStop CEO George Sherman stated that "since we closed stores to the public on March 22, through omni-channel fulfillment, we have retained over 90% of our planned sales volumes in the two-thirds of our stores that are conducting curbside operations.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/07/how-gamestop-plans-to-save-itself"] In its latest move, Sherman announced "salary reductions for our senior management team and board of directors, as well as wage rate reductions for some other corporate and field support staff." GameStop is also offering certain employees the option to work under a half-time/half-pay structure or temporary furlough program. Sherman is taking a temporary base salary reduction of 50%, while CFO Jim Bell and the rest of the executive leadership team will be taking a temporary 30% cut. The Board of Directors has also reduced cash compensation to directors by 50%. Certain other employees will see their pay temporarily reduced by 10%-30%. GameStop, as previously mentioned, shut down one-third of its stores, with the others adopting the curbside pick-up model. The company has now begun the process of opening stores in Italy, Germany, and Austria, while South Carolina and Georgia are preparing to potentially re-open "in the coming weeks." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gamestop-in-the-news-timeline&captions=true"] Australia, on the other hand, has had none of its stores closed and it has seen "strong results continuing with approximately 24% comparable store sales for the nine weeks ended April 4, 2020." The company as a whole, in the nine-week period ended April 4, 2020, has seen its sales decline approximately 23% year-over-year. GameStop currently operates around 5,500 stores across 14 countries and, as of April 4, has $772 million in total cash and liquidity. In March 2020, it announced its plan to close 300 of those stores. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gamestop-experimental-stores&captions=true"] GameStop has had a tumultuous recent history, and we recently spoke to many its workers on what its like to work for the 36-year old video game retail company. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Nintendo says it is investigating the recent uptick in unauthorized access attempts on people’s Nintendo Accounts. The company is also urging Nintendo Account owners to enable two-factor verification for added security. “We are aware of reports of unauthorized access to some Nintendo Accounts and we are investigating the situation,” Nintendo of America told IGN in a statement. Nintendo also shared links to its FAQ on enabling two-step verification and its official support page. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-2020-video-game-release&captions=true"] In recent weeks Nintendo Switch owners have shared unauthorized attempts at accessing their accounts. Some have shared on social media sites that they’ve received emails from Nintendo notifying them that someone has attempted to log into their account. Nintendo shares where the login attempts come from and some IGN staffers have reported attempted access from hackers in China and the US. Others report that their accounts were successfully breached and that the PayPal account tied to their Nintendo account was used to purchase Fortnite VBucks. Two-step verification is quick safety precaution users can enable. The process requires Google’s free Authenticator app for iOS and Android. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/26/nintendo-switch-lite-review"] It’s unclear exactly how hackers are gaining access to Nintendo accounts, or why there’s a surge at this time. However, we recommend users activate two-step verification if they haven’t done so already. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

After 18 months of boycotting the Google Play Store, Epic Games has given in and put Fortnite on the Android app store. Up to this point, Fortnite was available on Android devices through a "third-party platform," but not through the Play Store. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/14/fortnite-season-2-chapter-2-extended"] In a statement to IGN, Epic called out Google's practices towards third party software sources, saying that it hopes "Google will revise its policies and business dealing in the near future." The full statement from Epic can be seen below.:

"After 18 months of operating Fortnite on Android outside of the Google Play Store, we’ve come to a basic realization: Google puts software downloadable outside of Google Play at a disadvantage, through technical and business measures such as scary, repetitive security pop-ups for downloaded and updated software, restrictive manufacturer and carrier agreements and dealings, Google public relations characterizing third-party software sources as malware, and new efforts such as Google Play Protect to outright block software obtained outside the Google Play store. Because of this, we’ve launched Fortnite for Android on the Google Play Store. We’ll continue to operate the Epic Games App and Fortnite outside of Google Play, too. We hope that Google will revise its policies and business dealings in the near future, so that all developers are free to reach and engage in commerce with customers on Android and in the Play Store through open services, including payment services, that can compete on a level playing field."

Epic does note that it will continue to support Fortnite on the Android devices through its third-party software, but will also be making it available on the Google Play Store to avoid Googe's efforts to "outright block software obtained outside the Google Play store." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/11/best-places-to-land-in-fortnite-chapter-2"] Similar to Steam, the Google Play store takes a 30% cut of revenue from all developers. In December 2018, Epic launched its own gaming store, which only takes a 12% cut from developers, leaving them with significantly more profit than Steam. The store has generated $680 million since its first year of business and credits its exclusive titles for bringing in the majority of the revenue, a practice that has been criticized by a lot of gamers. However, Epic claims its only goal is to disrupt the status quo and would get rid of exclusives if Steam would change its revenue share policy. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor with IGN. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.

Big cat mania is alive and well on Netflix, as the streaming giant announced that its popular documentary, Tiger King, has surpassed 64 million views in its first four weeks in a Q1 letter to shareholders. While Tiger King's numbers are impressive, Netflix revealed that its Spanish crime drama, La Casa de Papel (aka Money Heist), is projected to have been watched by 65 million "member households" for its fourth season. The streamer also revealed that Ozark Season 3 is projected to earn 29 million views, while the new reality dating series, Love Is Blind, nabbed 30 million views of its own. It's important to keep in mind that Netflix doesn't usually share its viewership numbers unless the show or movie is a success like Tiger King or The Witcher. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix no longer counts views as a subscriber watching 70 percent of one episode or film. "Now, it’s touting that viewers 'chose to watch' a given title, meaning that member watched for as little as two minutes — 'long enough to indicate the choice was intentional.'" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Netflix said, "we’ve paused most of our productions across the world in response to government lockdowns and guidance from local public health officials. In Q2, there is only a modest impact on our new releases, which is primarily language dubbing. No one knows how long it will be until we can safely restart physical production in various countries, and, once we can, what international travel will be possible, and how negotiations for various resources (e.g., talent, stages, and post-production) will play out. The impact on us is less cash spending this year as some content projects are pushed out." For more on the entertainment world, check out our list of all the movies and TV shows delayed due to the novel Coronavirus, a clip featuring Sonya Blade in the Mortal Kombat animated film, and what's new to Netflix in April 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/26/new-to-netflix-for-april-2020"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

The Mandalorian Season 2 premiere may still be months away, but Season 3 is reportedly already in development at Disney+. "Sources close to the production have confirmed that creator Jon Favreau has been 'writing season 3 for a while,' and that the art department, led by Lucasfilm vice president and executive creative director Doug Chiang, has been creating concepts for Season 3 'for the past few weeks,'" according to Variety. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tracing-the-mystery-of-yoda-yaddle-and-baby-yodas-species&captions=true"] The production design department is said to have commenced work on April 20 due to the amount of time needed to prep each season. The Mandalorian Season 2 wrapped production last month just before the coronavirus pandemic caused film and TV productions around the world to shut down. The show is slated to premiere on Disney+ this October. To tide you over until then watch our parody trailer for the show featuring moody Teen Yoda, and then learn the latest from Rosario Dawson about her reported casting as Ahsoka Tano, plus see what Clone Wars star Ashley Eckstein has to say about the final run of episodes in the video below. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/18/the-siege-of-mandalore-is-some-of-the-best-star-wars-ever-made-says-ashley-eckstein"]

ReedPop has announced that PAX West will move forward as planned from September 4 to September 7 at the Seattle Convention Center despite the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic. In a message to attendees, PAX organizers ReedPOP revealed that this year’s Seattle event is still being planned for Labor Day weekend. The organizers also shared that they are “optimistic” and “will continue to carefully monitor the latest developments regarding COVID-19[.]” ReedPOP says it’s “working with health officials at all levels of government and adhering to the guidelines of the CDC and WHO to ensure our event is safe, health-conscious, and responsible.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] The news comes at a time when many event organizers are postponing or canceling events that require a mass gathering of people. Events like E3 and SXSW have been canceled. And while September is still months away, events Gamescom, originally scheduled for the end of August, was also recently canceled. Other events, like GDC, have been postponed. But as the situation around COVID-19 continues to develop, plans are less certain than ever. For a full list of postponements and cancellations as a result of COVID-19 see IGN’s master list here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. Header image by ReedPOP/PAX