Sony has announced that Cities: Skylines and Farming Simulator 19 are the PS Plus free games for May 2020. Revealed on the PlayStation Blog, both games will be available for PlayStation Plus subscribers from Tuesday, May 5. They’ll be available to claim until Monday, June 1. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/29/playstation-plus-free-games-lineup-may-2020-trailer"] Cities: Skylines is a city builder and management game from strategy legends Paradox Interactive, focused on developing small little communities into a sprawling metropolis. The PlayStation 4 Edition of the game has an overhauled UI and control system, making a genre that has typically been a PC affair into something that works just right on console. Farming Simulator 19, meanwhile, does exactly what it says in the title. Harvest crops, raise livestock, drive around in a bright green tractor (other colours are available) and generally live the life of a farmer. It’s exactly the kind of methodical, peaceful escapism many of us need in our current strange times. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-playstation-first-party-exclusive-review&captions=true"] If Cities: Skylines or Farming Simulator 19 are not for you, there’s still time to grab April’s PS Plus games, which include Uncharted 4. Or if you also have an Xbox, then Xbox Games With Gold for May 2020 include V-Rally 4, Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr, and a couple more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

Former president of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aimé has launched a gaming podcast alongside journalist Harold Goldberg, with donations helping to bring mentorship and technology to disadvantaged youths in New York City. Talking Games with Reggie and Harold is a seven-episode podcast featuring Reggie and Goldberg, the latter of whom is the founder of the New York Videogame Critics Circle, a non-profit organization that mentors those less fortunate in journalism and game development. You can learn more about what the NYVGCC does over on its website.

⁦@haroldgoldberg⁩ and I are Talking Games in a new podcast. Donations will fund activities for underserved communities. One of the first guests: ⁦@geoffkeighley⁩ Join us! https://t.co/9DjakIFwqO

— Reggie Fils-Aime (@Reggie) April 29, 2020

According to The Washington Post, the first guest on Talking Games will be Geoff Keighley, head honcho of The Game Awards. As for Fils-Aimé's intentions with the podcast, he told The Post, "Our vision is to create a fun, entertaining, informative podcast with its goal to benefit the nonprofit.” As for his connection to the NYVGCC, Fils-Aimé grew up in the New York neighbourhood of The Bronx, where he's returned following his retirement to mentor local students. As well as the podcast announcement, Fils-Aimé and Goldberg have launched a funding campaign with plans to raise $15,000. If your wallet is ready, donations are being gathered via GoFundMe and will help fund the NYVGCC's mentoring work, as well as providing gaming technology and education to homeless youths in New York City. The NYVGCC is also moving its journalism courses online free of charge so they can be accessed by educators and prospecting students. Those who wish to donate will receive "extra content" from Fils-Aimé and the forthcoming podcast guests, as well as a means to bid for special gaming memorabilia held by the NYVGCC. Reggie Fils-Aimé recently joined GameStop's Board of Directors to help save the struggling retailer. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Hellraid lives! At least as an upcoming DLC pack for Techland’s zombie shooter Dying Light. A new teaser released today announced some kind of Hellraid content is coming to Dying Light this summer. The trailer is short but shows an abandoned hallway right before a demonic arcade cabinet appears from an otherworldly portal. The screen quickly displays the Dying Light logo along with a new subtitle, “Hellraid.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/29/dying-light-hellraid-dlc-teaser"] Techland confirmed to IGN that this is a paid DLC game mode for Dying Light set in a dark fantasy Hellraid world but featuring Dying Light gameplay. The DLC is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One this summer. Hellraid was a new project for the developer, announced in 2012. A year later Techland announced that the project was “on hold.” The developer confirmed to IGN that today’s announcement is just DLC and that the company is not working on any other Hellraid projects. Developers are still working on Dying Light 2 at its Wrocław, Poland studio, as well as an unannounced IP in its Warsaw location. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=18-games-that-seemingly-vanished&captions=true"] Still, when we reached out to Techland for our games that vanished feature, the developer seemed to have a soft spot for the dark fantasy world of Hellraid, so it makes sense the developers are visiting this idea through DLC. Check out IGN’s Dying Light review and Dying Light 2 preview for more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

A new job listing for a position at Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment has revealed that the battle royale is seemingly planning to take the leap to next-gen consoles. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/03/apex-legends-season-4-assimilation-gameplay-trailer"] EA’s recruitment website currently features a job listing for a senior rendering engineer at Respawn Entertainment. The job description states that “Respawn is looking for Senior Rendering Engineers to push next-gen platforms and the PC to their limits on Apex Legends.” That’s a pretty clear cut indicator that Apex Legends is set to receive an upgrade for next-generation consoles. The job specification asks for a “shader enthusiast” who enjoys “maintaining or improving visual fidelity”, indicating that Respawn could be looking to improve the graphical quality of Apex Legends for next-gen consoles and PC. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=20093211&captions=true"] EA nor Respawn have yet to make any official comment on the possibility of Apex Legends on next-generation consoles. Backwards compatibility is supported by both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 so theoretically there should be no problem playing the existing version of Apex Legends on the new platforms, but it does appear that Respawn has bigger plans than simply keeping the game as it is. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

The setting for the next Assassin's Creed game – rumoured to be set in the Viking era – will be revealed in a stream today. Ubisoft has kicked off a stream hosted by digital artist Bosslogic, who'll create a "unique art piece" that will reveal the setting. We'll be updating this post as the day goes on, noting anything we learn from the art below. You can watch the stream on Twitter, Mixer, YouTube and Facebook and Twitch. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=a-history-of-assassins-creed-leaks&captions=true"] Update 1 - 6am PT: The image is now clearly in two halves, showing a frozen-looking shore on the left, and a more vibrant contryside on the right. That could signify the Vikings' raiding journeys from Scandinavia to warmer countries in the south. The first major addition to the image is a large stone castle, which would seem to lend some credence to the idea of an Assassin's Creed game set in the Middle Ages - although stone castles first emerged in Europe towards the very end of the Viking Age, around 1,000 CE. [poilib element="accentDivider"] The next Assassin's Creed game is widely rumoured to centre around Vikings, so we could potentially see a Middle Ages setting emerge over the course of the stream – the Viking Age is a time period lasting from 800 CE to 1066 CE. Rumours have suggested that the game is subtitled (or code named) Kingdom or Ragnarok. The Division 2 may have already teased that setting, given it included Assassin's Creed's Apple of Eden artifact placed suspiciously close to the word 'Valhalla'.

If that does turn out to be the case we'd be in favour of that move, as we think a Viking-based game could bring the franchise full circle.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News, and he wants to go to Jorvik Viking Centre as research. Follow him on Twitter.

A new Fortnite datamine has unearthed a new map and what appears to be a Limited Time Mode in which players simply hang out and don’t fight each other.

Leaked "Papaya" Map!

(via @VastBlastt & @FNBRHQ) pic.twitter.com/DmKxeK0XUj — ShiinaBR - Fortnite Leaks (@ShiinaBR) April 29, 2020

Prolific Fortnite leaker Twitter account ShiinbaBR has posted several Tweets, one of which includes a look at a new map called Papaya, as well as a series of 9 communication emotes that are reportedly designed for the new map. Those emotes include the likes of nodding and shaking your head, waving, sitting, cheering, and waving a phone - all very much non-combat gestures. ShiinbaBR also posted descriptions of two new Limited Time Modes. Party Royale allows players to “hang out with friends, play games, perfect your skydive and more” and asks you to leave your “weapons and mats behind”. Operation Payload is an escort mode with push/stop mechanics, where players can switch roles and choose “tech” each round. The Papaya map image features a variety of location icons that all suggest non-violent activities, such as races, skydiving, soccer, and boating, which may mean these are the things available to do in Party Royale mode. It’s unclear if Operation Payload is a non-violent mode or not, but the description suggests it could favour tech over weapons. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/20/fortnite-chapter-2-season-2-top-secret-launch-trailer"] Fortnite’s update 12.50 goes live today, April 29, and so it should not be long before we see these elements materialise (provided ShiinbaBR remains as accurate as they have been). For more from Fortnite, check out its latest event which featured a Travis Scott concert attended by 12.3 million players, and when you can expect Fortnite Chapter 2 - Season 3 to begin. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

The PC demo for Trials of Mana has been pulled from Steam after an exploit was found that let players access the full game from within. The news was revealed in an announcement post on the Trials of Mana Steam Community page, where the developers didn't address the specifics of the exploit, citing "unforeseen circumstances" as the reason behind taking the demo down. In the comments below, many users are pointing out that hackers were able to bypass the restrictions of the demo to play the full game. There is no mention of a revised release date for the demo, but the developers made note that they "hope to have it back up again very soon." Player progression within the now-pulled demo will be carried over into the new revision, so you can get back to where you left off once Square Enix fixes the exploit. If you own a PS4 or Nintendo Switch, you could play the demo on those platforms instead for the time being. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/24/trials-of-mana-launch-trailer"] It's important to note that the game is already available on PC, PS4 and Nintendo Switch - it launched on April 24th, last week, and this exploit was caught after the game's release. It's not clear at time of writing how players were using the demo version to play the full game, but many comments make mention of Denuvo anti-tamper, a DRM (digital rights management) solution. This isn't the first instance of a demo being taken down due to an exploit leading players to the full game - back in 2018, Sega was forced to spike the demo for Yakuza 6: The Song of Life from the US PlayStation Store after users were exploiting it to access the full game. For more on Trials of Mana, check out our review, which we called "a great remake of a 16-bit classic." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter. 

UPDATE, April 29: Cineworld, the parent company of theater chain Regal Entertainment, has joined AMC Theaters in banning Universal movies once their cinemas reopen. "Today we make it clear again that we will not be showing movies that fail to respect the windows as it does not make any economic sense for us,” Cineworld said in a statement (via Variety). Our original report from April 28 follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] AMC Theaters says it will no longer show Universal Pictures releases when their cinemas finally reopen due to the studio's decision to release some of their movies early to VOD rather than wait to show them in theaters. The major theater chain blasted Universal following a report touting how well Trolls World Tour had done on VOD and the studio saying it sees this as a roadmap for other possible releases. With movie theaters shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic -- including AMC, which closed down in mid-March -- Universal opted to release their Trolls sequel digitally this month rather than wait to release it in cinemas later in the year or next year. It was a big gamble for Universal, as theater owners fumed over the studio's decision to ditch cinemas, but it reportedly paid off big time for the studio. What makes digital releases even more appealing to studios is that they retain 80 percent of the profits from a VOD release, which is significantly higher than the 50 percent of profits they take home from box office receipts with theatrical releases. As it turned out, Universal made more revenue from Trolls World Tour after three weeks in digital release than they did from five months of the original Trolls in theaters. While Universal isn't expected to employ this digital model for huge franchise releases such as a Fast & Furious title because of how much money those movies do typically rake in theatrically, the studio is already embracing it for smaller movies, such as Judd Apatow's comedy The King of Staten Island, which is now going straight to VOD. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] In a letter sent Tuesday from AMC Theatres chair-CEO Adam Aron to Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley, AMC said "Universal’s unilateral actions and intentions have left us with no choice. Therefore, effectively immediately AMC will no longer play any Universal movies in any of our theaters in the United States, Europe or the Middle East." The theater chain may be playing a game of chicken with Universal seeing as how the coronavirus is being mulled by many observers as a possible death knell for the theatrical experience. AMC is flirting with bankruptcy, while a new Reuters poll indicates that only 40 percent of Americans are open to attending movies, concerts, amusement parks, or sporting events until a vaccine can be found. Universal, like Disney, is heavily dependent on both movies and amusement parks for business so they are pivoting to streaming options for revenue during this time of crisis. AMC's letter, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, went on to state:

"This policy affects any and all Universal movies per se, goes into effect today and as our theaters reopen, and is not some hollow or ill-considered threat. Incidentally, this policy is not aimed solely at Universal out of pique or to be punitive in any way, it also extends to any movie maker who unilaterally abandons current windowing practices absent good faith negotiations between us, so that they as distributor and we as exhibitor both benefit and neither are hurt from such changes. Currently, with the press comment today, Universal is the only studio contemplating a wholesale change to the status quo. Hence, this immediate communication in response."

The reference to "any movie maker who unilaterally abandons current windowing practices" seems a not so thinly veiled dig at Warner Bros. for pivoting to release Scoob! to premium VOD instead of theatrically. AMC did go on to say in the letter that they are "willing to sit down with Universal to discuss different windows strategies and different economic models between your company and ours," but ultimately they found "Universal’s unilateral pronouncements on this issue (to be) unpalatable to us." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/f9-fast-furious-9-official-trailer-1"] Universal issued the following statement in response to AMC's letter:

“Our goal in releasing Trolls: World Tour on PVOD was to deliver entertainment to people who are sheltering at home, while movie theatres and other forms of outside entertainment are unavailable. Based on the enthusiastic response to the film, we believe we made the right move.  In fact, given the choice of not releasing Trolls: World Tour, which would not only have prevented consumers from experiencing the movie but also negatively impacted our partners and employees, the decision was clear.

Our desire has always been to efficiently deliver entertainment to as wide an audience as possible.  We absolutely believe in the theatrical experience and have made no statement to the contrary.  As we stated earlier, going forward, we expect to release future films directly to theatres, as well as on PVOD when that distribution outlet makes sense.  We look forward to having additional private conversations with our exhibition partners but are disappointed by this seemingly coordinated attempt from AMC and NATO to confuse our position and our actions.”

Universal recently rescheduled Fast & Furious 9, Jurassic World: Dominion, and Minions: The Rise of Gru -- all major franchises for the studio -- for theatrical releases in 2021. The studio's next 2020 titles include Candyman (Sept. 25), Bios (Oct. 2), and Halloween Kills (Oct. 16).

Citing the coronavirus pandemic's profound impact on Hollywood, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced new rules on Tuesday for the 93rd Academy Awards that will allow movies that debuted on digital or streaming platforms to qualify for Best Picture. There are catches, however, the foremost being that this is an exception made for this year's Oscars race only and not in perpetuity. The Academy's current rules require a film to be shown in a commercial movie theater in L.A. County "for a theatrical qualifying run of at least seven consecutive days, during which period screenings must occur at least three times daily." Going forward, but for only the 93rd Oscars, films that were previously planned for theatrical release but are initially made available on a commercial streaming or VOD service may qualify in the Best Picture, general entry and specialty categories for the 93rd Academy Awards. There are provisions, though. The Academy dictates:

• The film must be made available on the secure Academy Screening Room member-only streaming site within 60 days of the film’s streaming or VOD release;
• The film must meet all other eligibility requirements.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] The Academy also says that when theaters reopen in accordance with legally specified guidelines and criteria, and on a date to be determined by the Academy, those rule exemptions will no longer apply and all films released thereafter must comply with the Academy's previous standard theatrical qualifying requirements. And when theaters do reopen, the Academy will expand the metropolitan areas for qualifying theatrical runs to also include the City of New York; the Bay Area; Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; and Atlanta, Georgia. Previously, Netflix titles such as Roma, The Irishman, and Marriage Story all had to have qualifying limited theatrical runs before debuting on streaming in order to be considered for Best Picture. This is obviously an unprecedented move on the part of the Academy given the nationwide closure of cinemas due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent delays in studios' being able to release their films theatrically. Several studios, including Universal and Warner Bros., have opted to release some of their titles that had been meant for theatrical release straight to VOD now instead. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/11/what-was-eminem-doing-at-the-oscars-ign-now] The Academy's Board of Governors also announced the following rules changes in the categories of Sound, Music and International Feature Film:

• The two Sound categories, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing, have been combined into one award for best achievement in Sound that emphasizes the team effort. The number of Oscar® statuettes remains the same; up to six statuettes may be awarded. Eligible recipients may include one production sound mixer, two supervising sound editors and three rerecording mixers.
• In the Music (Original Score) category, for a score to be eligible, it must comprise a minimum of 60% original music. Additionally, for sequels and franchise films, a score must have a minimum of 80% new music.
• In a procedural change in the International Feature Film category, all eligible Academy members will now be invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting. For the first time, film submissions will be made available through the Academy Screening Room streaming platform to those members who opt-in. These members of the International Feature Film Preliminary Voting committee must meet a minimum viewing requirement in order to be eligible to vote in the category.

What do you think of these Oscar rules changes? Let us know in the comments.

Universal Pictures' decision to forego a theatrical release for Trolls World Tour in favor of a straight to premium VOD debut appears to have been very successful -- and could mean bad news for cinemas once the coronavirus pandemic passes. With movie theaters shut down due to COVID-19, Universal opted to release their Trolls sequel digitally rather than wait to release it in cinemas later. It was a big gamble, as theater owners fumed over the studio's decision to ditch them entirely and industry observers wondered whether Trolls World Tour could possibly earn back enough money from a VOD debut than the studio could have made from a wide theatrical release. According to the Wall Street Journal, Universal's bet has paid off big time. “With nearly five million rentals, the digital release has in three weeks generated more revenue for Universal than the original Trolls did during its five-month theatrical run," the paper reports, citing a source familiar with the research. "Its performance has convinced Universal executives that digital releases can be a winning strategy, and may diminish the role of theaters even after the pandemic passes.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/20/trolls-world-tour-trailer-1"] What makes digital releases even more appealing to studios is, as the paper points out, that they retain 80% of the profits from a VOD release than they do with theatrical, where they only take home 50% of box office receipts. In the case of Trolls World Tour, that means Universal made $77 million in revenue from $95 million in rental fees. By comparison, Universal also made $77 million from the first Trolls film, but that movie made $153.7 million at the domestic box office, meaning theaters (exhibitors) kept the difference. While Universal isn't expected to employ this digital model for huge franchise releases such as Fast & Furious because of how much money those movies rake in theatrically, the studio is already embracing it for smaller titles, such as Judd Apatow's comedy The King of Staten Island, which is now going straight to VOD. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=new-movies-coming-to-vod-early&captions=true"] Universal's not the only studio embracing digital releases due to the pandemic. Warner Bros. recently opted to release Scoob! on digital on May 15. Universal was also among the first studios to pivot their theatrical releases to early digital debuts when the shutdown began.