Denis Villeneuve has said that his Dune adaptation will be split into two movies because the world of Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi novel is "too complex" to fit into a single feature film. "I would not agree to make this adaptation of the book with one single movie," Villeneuve told Vanity Fair. "The world is too complex. It's a world that takes its power in details." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/14/tease-for-dune-2020-shows-timothe-chalamets-hero-ign-now"] The original novel is an incredibly dense and multi-layered story, with many rival factions and characters set against the backdrop of a futuristic human civilization, making it notoriously difficult for filmmakers to adapt for the big screen. "It's a book that tackles politics, religion, ecology, spirituality—and with a lot of characters," Villeneuve explained. "I think that's why it's so difficult. Honestly, it's by far the most difficult thing I've done in my life." Villeneuve's reboot is the first of a planned duology adapting the original book, which chronicles the struggle between warring houses in a distant future where a psychotropic spice known as Melange is the most coveted resource in the universe. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dune-movie-every-actor-in-the-sci-fi-reboot&captions=true"] Villeneuve has assembled an incredible cast for his adaptation, one that includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem. For more on Villeneuve's first Dune movie, take a look at the new series of set photos featuring the cast in their costumes, find out about the disgusting yet practical function of their sci-fi suits, and then read our explainer to learn more about the franchise and what to expect from the upcoming adaptation. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Developer Saber Interactive, who was recently acquired by the Embracer Group for an industry-rattling $525 million, has announced World War Z. World War Z: Game of the Year Edition. The new package for the co-op third-person shooter will include new content such as weapon packs, character packs, and most notably a new three-mission PvE episode set in the French city of Marseille (see gameplay from Marseille in the video below). It also packs in all of the previously released DLC. A Nintendo Switch version is also in development, though no release date has been confirmed. Saber Interactive also has NBA 2K Playgrounds, Halo Anniversary, and the Nintendo Switch port of The Witcher 3 on its resume. Studio CEO Matt Karch told IGN, "World War Z has had a huge impact on our studio in all respects. It feels fantastic to hit goals that perhaps a few years ago seemed unimaginable. We have over 10 million registered players that have played the game and our concurrent player counts are regularly in the tens of thousands.  During our free week on the Epic Games Store 9.9 million people claimed the game and we peaked at 250k simultaneous users across platforms. The Epic team told me WWZ was the most successful free game on EGS yet - we even topped Left 4 Dead 2 in terms of downloads and number of players." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=world-war-z-game-of-the-year-edition-marseille-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Getting%20this%20to%20run%20on%20the%20Switch%20is%20the%20hardest%20thing%20that%20we%20have%20had%20to%20do.%20%E2%80%93%20Saber%20CEO%20Matt%20Karch"] As to whether or not NBA 2K Playgrounds will continue following the studio's purchase by the Embracer Group, Karch said, "Absolutely. We have a fantastic relationship with 2K and we plan on continuing the partnership." He added, "Our acquisition by Embracer won’t change Saber’s DNA, in fact I would say that one of the reasons we were so keen to join them is because I believe their culture will amplify what has made us successful. Embracer allows its studios to become the best versions of ourselves, I think you see that with the other companies under their umbrella." Finally, Karch spoke to the technical challenges of getting The Witcher 3 to run on the Switch: "The biggest challenge was finding which compromises could be made to the game which wouldn’t have a significant impact on the visuals.  We needed to make sure the game looked great, fit into the Switch’s memory and ran at a solid frame rate.  There was really no single factor which made this a reality.  We experimented constantly for the first few months until we found that balance." He added that the upcoming World War Z port could be even more challenging, telling IGN that "Keep in mind that we are rendering scenes with hundreds of enemies and four players online. Getting this to run on the Switch is the hardest thing that we have had to do - this is true even though we are porting our own [Swarm] engine over to the platform." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/15/world-war-z-3-minutes-of-marseille-gameplay"] World War Z: GOTY Edition will be released on May 5 for Xbox One and PS4 for $49.99, while the PC version will launch the same day on the Epic Games Store for $44.99. Details of the Nintendo Switch release are unknown at this time. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

Developer Saber Interactive, who was recently acquired by the Embracer Group for an industry-rattling $525 million, has announced World War Z. World War Z: Game of the Year Edition. The new package for the co-op third-person shooter will include new content such as weapon packs, character packs, and most notably a new three-mission PvE episode set in the French city of Marseille (see gameplay from Marseille in the video below). It also packs in all of the previously released DLC. A Nintendo Switch version is also in development, though no release date has been confirmed. Saber Interactive also has NBA 2K Playgrounds, Halo Anniversary, and the Nintendo Switch port of The Witcher 3 on its resume. Studio CEO Matt Karch told IGN, "World War Z has had a huge impact on our studio in all respects. It feels fantastic to hit goals that perhaps a few years ago seemed unimaginable. We have over 10 million registered players that have played the game and our concurrent player counts are regularly in the tens of thousands.  During our free week on the Epic Games Store 9.9 million people claimed the game and we peaked at 250k simultaneous users across platforms. The Epic team told me WWZ was the most successful free game on EGS yet - we even topped Left 4 Dead 2 in terms of downloads and number of players." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=world-war-z-game-of-the-year-edition-marseille-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Getting%20this%20to%20run%20on%20the%20Switch%20is%20the%20hardest%20thing%20that%20we%20have%20had%20to%20do.%20%E2%80%93%20Saber%20CEO%20Matt%20Karch"] As to whether or not NBA 2K Playgrounds will continue following the studio's purchase by the Embracer Group, Karch said, "Absolutely. We have a fantastic relationship with 2K and we plan on continuing the partnership." He added, "Our acquisition by Embracer won’t change Saber’s DNA, in fact I would say that one of the reasons we were so keen to join them is because I believe their culture will amplify what has made us successful. Embracer allows its studios to become the best versions of ourselves, I think you see that with the other companies under their umbrella." Finally, Karch spoke to the technical challenges of getting The Witcher 3 to run on the Switch: "The biggest challenge was finding which compromises could be made to the game which wouldn’t have a significant impact on the visuals.  We needed to make sure the game looked great, fit into the Switch’s memory and ran at a solid frame rate.  There was really no single factor which made this a reality.  We experimented constantly for the first few months until we found that balance." He added that the upcoming World War Z port could be even more challenging, telling IGN that "Keep in mind that we are rendering scenes with hundreds of enemies and four players online. Getting this to run on the Switch is the hardest thing that we have had to do - this is true even though we are porting our own [Swarm] engine over to the platform." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/15/world-war-z-3-minutes-of-marseille-gameplay"] World War Z: GOTY Edition will be released on May 5 for Xbox One and PS4 for $49.99, while the PC version will launch the same day on the Epic Games Store for $44.99. Details of the Nintendo Switch release are unknown at this time. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

Rosario Dawson says her reported role as Ahsoka Tano on the second season of The Mandalorian has not been made official yet, but she is "very excited" for it to be confirmed at some point. Speaking to Variety, Dawson addressed the rumours that she has been cast as the fan-favourite Jedi Padawan, who plays one of the main protagonists in Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and TV series, as she thanked fans for potentially making it happen. "That's not confirmed yet but when that happens, I will be very happy. I'm very excited for that to be confirmed at some point," she said, adding that the casting would be "a million and one percent because of the fans." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/20/rosario-dawson-reportedly-cast-as-ahsoka-tano-in-the-mandalorian"] Dawson has been vocal about her desire to play Ahsoka in the past, particularly on Twitter, where she has replied to several fans who have supported the idea of her appearing in the Star Wars universe. In January, the actress quote tweeted a fan who posted an image of her and Ahsoka side-by-side, saying "Just for reference Ahsoka Tano would be in her early-mid 40s during #TheMandalorian." Dawson responded by saying, "Tell 'em! #AhsokaLives." This isn't the only character in a sci-fi franchise that she would like to take on though, as she revealed that she would love to work in both the Star Wars and Star Trek universes. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/19/clone-wars-ahsoka-tano-explained-in-a-minute"] "The two universes, Star Trek and Star Wars. I get in those two, I'm telling you, man, that's it," Dawson admitted. "I will just retire." Even though she would be happy to play a background Romulan or Vulcan on Star Trek, her father has her pegged as playing Q, the god-like being that frequently torments Picard and crew in the Next Generation. "I mean it would be great 'cause then I could jump on Discovery," Dawson said. "I could be on Picard. I just want to be with Jean-Luc Picard." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-upcoming-star-wars-movie&captions=true"] Disney's Bob Iger previously said that television would be the priority for the Star Wars franchise in the next few years, with The Mandalorian Season 2 premiering on Disney+ in October and then "more coming from The Mandalorian thereafter," including "the possibility of infusing it with more characters and the possibility of taking those characters in their own direction in terms of series." So, watch this space! [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Rosario Dawson says her reported role as Ahsoka Tano on the second season of The Mandalorian has not been made official yet, but she is "very excited" for it to be confirmed at some point. Speaking to Variety, Dawson addressed the rumours that she has been cast as the fan-favourite Jedi Padawan, who plays one of the main protagonists in Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and TV series, as she thanked fans for potentially making it happen. "That's not confirmed yet but when that happens, I will be very happy. I'm very excited for that to be confirmed at some point," she said, adding that the casting would be "a million and one percent because of the fans." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/20/rosario-dawson-reportedly-cast-as-ahsoka-tano-in-the-mandalorian"] Dawson has been vocal about her desire to play Ahsoka in the past, particularly on Twitter, where she has replied to several fans who have supported the idea of her appearing in the Star Wars universe. In January, the actress quote tweeted a fan who posted an image of her and Ahsoka side-by-side, saying "Just for reference Ahsoka Tano would be in her early-mid 40s during #TheMandalorian." Dawson responded by saying, "Tell 'em! #AhsokaLives." This isn't the only character in a sci-fi franchise that she would like to take on though, as she revealed that she would love to work in both the Star Wars and Star Trek universes. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/19/clone-wars-ahsoka-tano-explained-in-a-minute"] "The two universes, Star Trek and Star Wars. I get in those two, I'm telling you, man, that's it," Dawson admitted. "I will just retire." Even though she would be happy to play a background Romulan or Vulcan on Star Trek, her father has her pegged as playing Q, the god-like being that frequently torments Picard and crew in the Next Generation. "I mean it would be great 'cause then I could jump on Discovery," Dawson said. "I could be on Picard. I just want to be with Jean-Luc Picard." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-upcoming-star-wars-movie&captions=true"] Disney's Bob Iger previously said that television would be the priority for the Star Wars franchise in the next few years, with The Mandalorian Season 2 premiering on Disney+ in October and then "more coming from The Mandalorian thereafter," including "the possibility of infusing it with more characters and the possibility of taking those characters in their own direction in terms of series." So, watch this space! [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Riot has revealed why its new anti-cheat system for Valorant runs all the time on users’ PCs, even when the game is not being played. As part of a currently 1,700 comment-long Reddit thread about Vanguard, the anti-cheat system that protects Valorant, Riot’s Paul Chamberlain - known as RiotArkem on Reddit - explained why it is important to have the anti-cheat kick in the moment you turn on your PC. In short: it is impossible for cheaters to run any cheat software before the anti-cheat loads up, which is a common way cheaters exploit other anti-cheat solutions that only run when a game is active. And no, it's not spyware. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/11/every-valorant-character-explained"] “Vanguard contains a driver component called vgk.sys (similar to other anti-cheat systems), it's the reason why a reboot is required after installing. Vanguard doesn't consider the computer trusted unless the Vanguard driver is loaded at system startup (this part is less common for anti-cheat systems),” said Chamberlain. “This is good for stopping cheaters because a common way to bypass anti-cheat systems is to load cheats before the anti-cheat system starts and either modify system components to contain the cheat or to have the cheat tamper with the anti-cheat system as it loads,” he added. “Running the driver at system startup time makes this significantly more difficult.” Importantly, Chamberlain emphasises that even though Vanguard is constantly running while your PC is on, it “does not collect or send any information about your computer back to us. Any cheat detection scans will be run by the non-driver component only when the game is running.” Essentially, while Vanguard is constantly running, it is only active while Valorant is active. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gameplay-screenshots-of-valorant-closed-beta&captions=true"] It’s understandable why people are wary of a new piece of software running constantly in the background of their PC; that’s effectively the basic recipe for spyware. We’re all concerned about companies tracking our digital footprints and gathering data about us, and so it’s easy to be suspicious when new tech looks akin to what we’ve been told to avoid. In this case, however, it looks like Riot’s intentions are purely on ensuring Valorant is free of cheaters. For more on Valorant, check out our review-in-progress of the newly launched 5v5 shooter from the studio behind League of Legends. And if you’re in the closed beta yourself, then check out our Valorant tips and tricks guide. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

Riot has revealed why its new anti-cheat system for Valorant runs all the time on users’ PCs, even when the game is not being played. As part of a currently 1,700 comment-long Reddit thread about Vanguard, the anti-cheat system that protects Valorant, Riot’s Paul Chamberlain - known as RiotArkem on Reddit - explained why it is important to have the anti-cheat kick in the moment you turn on your PC. In short: it is impossible for cheaters to run any cheat software before the anti-cheat loads up, which is a common way cheaters exploit other anti-cheat solutions that only run when a game is active. And no, it's not spyware. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/11/every-valorant-character-explained"] “Vanguard contains a driver component called vgk.sys (similar to other anti-cheat systems), it's the reason why a reboot is required after installing. Vanguard doesn't consider the computer trusted unless the Vanguard driver is loaded at system startup (this part is less common for anti-cheat systems),” said Chamberlain. “This is good for stopping cheaters because a common way to bypass anti-cheat systems is to load cheats before the anti-cheat system starts and either modify system components to contain the cheat or to have the cheat tamper with the anti-cheat system as it loads,” he added. “Running the driver at system startup time makes this significantly more difficult.” Importantly, Chamberlain emphasises that even though Vanguard is constantly running while your PC is on, it “does not collect or send any information about your computer back to us. Any cheat detection scans will be run by the non-driver component only when the game is running.” Essentially, while Vanguard is constantly running, it is only active while Valorant is active. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gameplay-screenshots-of-valorant-closed-beta&captions=true"] It’s understandable why people are wary of a new piece of software running constantly in the background of their PC; that’s effectively the basic recipe for spyware. We’re all concerned about companies tracking our digital footprints and gathering data about us, and so it’s easy to be suspicious when new tech looks akin to what we’ve been told to avoid. In this case, however, it looks like Riot’s intentions are purely on ensuring Valorant is free of cheaters. For more on Valorant, check out our review-in-progress of the newly launched 5v5 shooter from the studio behind League of Legends. And if you’re in the closed beta yourself, then check out our Valorant tips and tricks guide. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

An HD remake of '90s cereal box Doom conversion, Chex Quest will arrive on Steam this summer. There's a sentence we bet you weren't expecting. Chex Quest HD received a Steam page yesterday, boasting upgraded graphics, six playable characters and split-screen multiplayer. The current release date is listed as Summer 2020. For the uninitiated, Chex Quest was a 1996 DOS game developed by Digital Cafe that people could find by purchasing boxes of Chex cereal. The game was a total conversion modification of id Software's Doom - albeit one that removed all displays of violence, replacing the plot and mobs with aliens and... pieces of cereal. You play as the Chex Warrior, a soldier adorned in armour made out of the eponymous cereal. The Chex Warrior repels the Flemoids from the planet Bazoik with his Zorchers, liberating captured colonists in the process. Naturally, the game garnered quite the cult following in the decades since the promotion and the original Chex Quest was re-released in 2019 by Chex manufacturer General Mills. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=9-corporate-ad-games-that-didnt-suck&captions=true"] Chex Quest HD has been in development since 2016 by Team Chex Quest Studio and Flight School Studio, responsible for 2018's Island Time VR. Meanwhile, the original Chex Quest is receiving a physical launch thanks to Limited Run Games. The Chex Warrior Edition of Chex Quest will contain a full-scale Zorcher Replica, a piece of memorabilia that I imagine will be a high-demand item for any Chex Quest enthusiast worth their salt. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman hails from the United Kingdom and therefore does not understand why you're all enamoured by this cereal game. Tell him what Chex is on Twitter.

An HD remake of '90s cereal box Doom conversion, Chex Quest will arrive on Steam this summer. There's a sentence we bet you weren't expecting. Chex Quest HD received a Steam page yesterday, boasting upgraded graphics, six playable characters and split-screen multiplayer. The current release date is listed as Summer 2020. For the uninitiated, Chex Quest was a 1996 DOS game developed by Digital Cafe that people could find by purchasing boxes of Chex cereal. The game was a total conversion modification of id Software's Doom - albeit one that removed all displays of violence, replacing the plot and mobs with aliens and... pieces of cereal. You play as the Chex Warrior, a soldier adorned in armour made out of the eponymous cereal. The Chex Warrior repels the Flemoids from the planet Bazoik with his Zorchers, liberating captured colonists in the process. Naturally, the game garnered quite the cult following in the decades since the promotion and the original Chex Quest was re-released in 2019 by Chex manufacturer General Mills. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=9-corporate-ad-games-that-didnt-suck&captions=true"] Chex Quest HD has been in development since 2016 by Team Chex Quest Studio and Flight School Studio, responsible for 2018's Island Time VR. Meanwhile, the original Chex Quest is receiving a physical launch thanks to Limited Run Games. The Chex Warrior Edition of Chex Quest will contain a full-scale Zorcher Replica, a piece of memorabilia that I imagine will be a high-demand item for any Chex Quest enthusiast worth their salt. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman hails from the United Kingdom and therefore does not understand why you're all enamoured by this cereal game. Tell him what Chex is on Twitter.

The Cooking Mama series creator, Office Create, has called Cooking Mama: Cookstar's release on Switch "unauthorized", and said it has not licensed a PS4 version of the game currently listed for release. The company is now evaluating legal action against Cookstar publisher Planet Entertainment. The statement today helps clear up a number of factors in the confusing story of Cooking Mama: Cookstar's release. In a public statement today, Office Create explains that it licensed Cooking Mama to Planet Entertainment in August 2018. However, ahead of release, the license holder "rejected a wide range of deficiencies affecting the overall feel, quality and content of the game". According to Office Create, Planet was contractually obligated to then "correct the identified deficiencies and resubmit the corrected game for Office Create’s approval". However, Planet Entertainment went onto release the game through Nintendo eShop - which was shortly after pulled from release, and remains unavailable to buy digitally - and physical copies of the game were released to retailers. According to the license holder, this was "an unauthorized release in breach of Planet’s contract with Office Create." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/09/what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-cooking-mama-nvc-503"] Several retailers in the US have now removed listings for the boxed game but, as of time of writing, Cooking Mama: Cookstar is available from major European retailers. IGN has now reviewed one of those physical copies, awarding the game a 3/10. Office Create says it subsequently terminated Planet Entertainment's license for the game, and is "evaluating all legal action against Planet to protect our customers, intellectual property rights and the Cooking Mama series." It seems likely that the game will not receive another digital release, at the very least while the dispute is ongoing. This statement confirms several elements of an anonymous interview given to ScreenRant, which also claims that Office Create used its contacts at Nintendo to have the game pulled from sale. A separate anonymous source, speaking to IGN, also stated that there had been disagreements between Planet and Office Create when the license holder visited to offices of developer 1st Playable Productions last year. Office Create's statement does not mention 1st Playable's involvement at any point. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/14/cooking-mama-cookstar-review"] Office Create's statement also brings up the mooted PS4 version of the game, effectively saying it is unaware of any version of the game outside of Nintendo Switch: "Office Create has not licensed Planet (or any other entity) to create any Cooking Mama games for PS4™. Office Create itself has not been involved in the development of any PS4™ Cooking Mama game." At time of writing, Cookstar's European distributor, Koch Media still lists a PS4 version of the game, with a release date of May 12 and a price of €39.99. IGN spoke to a representative Koch Media last week, who was unable to confirm whether the PS4 version was still coming, despite that listing. It's another twist in an already bizarre story, which previously forced 1st Playable to deny the game was secretly mining cryptocurrency while you played. IGN reached out to Office Create for comment on the Screenrant article last week, but has received no response. Planet Entertainment hasn't replied to IGN requests for comment for several weeks. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News, and can't believe how much he's thought about Cooking Mama in recent weeks. Follow him on Twitter.