Another familiar face from Star Wars: The Clone Wars will be making the jump to live-action in the upcoming second season of The Mandalorian. Slash Film reports Katee Sackhoff will reprise the role of Mandalorian warrior Bo-Katan Kryze in Season 2. Sackhoff voiced Bo-Katan in The Clone Wars and the followup series Star Wars Rebels, but this will be her first time playing the character in live-action. This comes on the heels of news that ex-Jedi Ahsoka Tano is also making her live-action debut in Season 2, where she's reportedly being played by Rosario Dawson (Marvel's Daredevil). No doubt the two characters' stories will intertwine in The Mandalorian. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-mandalorian-concept-art&captions=true"] Slash Film's sources indicate Sackhoff already filmed her scenes in February. We previously learned production on The Mandalorian Season 2 wrapped in March and post-production work has been carrying on remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Warning: The following paragraph contains spoilers for The Mandalorian Season 1 and Star Wars Rebels: [poilib element="accentDivider"] Bo-Katan's presence in The Mandalorian is especially intriguing given the way Season 1 ended. Giancarlo Esposito's character Moff Gideon is shown wielding the Darksaber, an ancient blade granting the wielder the honor of ruling Mandalore. Chronologically, the Darksaber was last seen in the final season of Star Wars Rebels, as Sabrine Wren passed the Darksaber onto Bo-Katan. Presumably, Season 2 will reveal how Bo-Katan lost the Darksaber to Gideon. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Bo-Katan and Ahsoka aren't the only two Star Wars icons appearing in Season 2. Temuera Morrison has reportedly been tapped to play iconic bounty hunter Boba Fett, having previously played Jango Fett in Episode II and voiced Boba Fett in later versions of the original trilogy movies. Michael Biehn (Terminator) has also been cast in an undisclosed role. Here's our explainer on how Boba Fett might've survived to appear in The Mandalorian. The Mandalorian Season 2 is slated to debut on Disney + in October 2020. The lineup of directors for Season 2 includes Peyton Reed (Ant-Man and the Wasp) and Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror). Meanwhile, pre-production work on Season 3 has already begun. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/27/why-the-mandalorian-works-better-than-the-movies-opinion"] For even more on The Mandalorian, find out how Ahsoka may fit into Season 2's story and see why Mark Hamill is praising the series for going "back to basics." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Ghost of Tsushima is set to be released on PS4 on July 17, and developer Sucker Punch will be showing off the game in a Sony State of Play this week. PlayStation has announced the first State of Play of 2020 will air on Thursday, May 14 at 1 pm PT/4 pm ET dedicated entirely to Ghost of Tsushima, the PS4 exclusive from the Infamous and Sly Cooper developers. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/ghost-of-tsushima-story-trailer"] According to the PlayStation Blog, the State of Play is still being finalized, but clocks in around 18 minutes long at the moment. But, to set expectations, Sony confirms this State of Play won't feature any PS5 news or updates — instead, it's entirely focused on the upcoming open-world adventure. Ghost of Tsushima recently had its release date pushed from June to July after Sony delayed The Last of Us Part 2 and Marvel's Iron Man VR. While Ghost is set to be released in just a couple months, we've only gotten a few scant looks at the game recently. The story trailer above was our most recent look, while an in-depth trailer at 2019's The Game Awards offered us a new look at Ghost of Tsushima's gory gameplay. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=20076638&captions=true"] Ghost of Tsushima is, as of now, the last currently scheduled major first-party exclusive set for PS4 ahead of the PS5's planned holiday 2020 release. Stay tuned to IGN for coverage of the Ghost of Tsushima State of Play, and be sure to tune into IGN's weekly PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond! for all the latest on the world of PS4, PS5, and PSVR. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Disclosure: Andrew Goldfarb, former IGN employee, is currently working at Ghost of Tsushima developer Sucker Punch. Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor and host of IGN's weekly PlayStation show Podcast Beyond! Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 is a remake compilation of the first two games in the acclaimed skateboarding series, and the first screenshots showcase developer Vicarious Visions' impressive work on modernizing the originals. Check out the gallery below for our first look at the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 remakes, which VV studio head Jen Oneal spoke to IGN about ahead of the announcement. The gallery includes comparisons provided by Activision of locations in the original games to the same spots in the remake. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tony-hawks-pro-skater-1-and-2-reveal-screenshots&captions=true"] Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 will be released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via the Epic Game Store on September 4, 2020, with preorders offering fans early access to a demo of the iconic Warehouse level. Of course, the announcement of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 also came with a reveal trailer, and a first look at gameplay, which you can see in our conversation breaking down all the first gameplay details below. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/12/tony-hawks-pro-skater-1-and-2-remake-gameplay-details"] Stay tuned to IGN for more on THPS 1 and 2. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=97140c9d-47ff-415a-94e4-2c5eb2c11481"] [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is back, as Activision has announced Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2, a compilation remake of the first two THPS games developed by Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy studio Vicarious Visions, which has a long history with the series. THPS 1 and 2 will be released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via the Epic Game Store on September 4, 2020, with preorders offering fans early access to a demo of the iconic Warehouse level. The game is a remake compiling the first two games in the beloved THPS franchise, including all levels (even the secret ones), and IGN spoke with Vicarious Visions studio head Jen Oneal to learn more about what’s new and returning to THPS 1 and 2. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/12/tony-hawks-pro-skater-1-and-2-remaster-announcement-trailer"]

THPS 1 and 2 Gameplay

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 will introduce some new moves not featured in the original games, like reverts, but VV hopes the muscle memory of the originals kicks in while playing. And that will in part be because VV employed the original handling code from THPS 1 devs Neversoft. “We started with Neversoft's original handling code. We started with that as a foundation and then layered on what we needed to do to modernize it,” Oneal said in an interview with IGN. “The other thing that we looked at was the geometry because we wanted to match inch by inch the geometry so that those lines feel exactly the same that they were before,” she continued. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tony-hawks-pro-skater-1-and-2-reveal-screenshots&captions=true"] One of those big, modernized changes is, of course, thinking about playing these games with control sticks. Oneal confirmed players could opt between classic and modern control schemes, but that the core of the controls players will remember is intact. “We didn't want to change anything because the reality is your muscle memory sets in and you're automatically hitting the buttons the way you remember it. But the one thing that we did have to put a little extra attention on, because back then it didn't exist were the analog sticks,” she said. In addition to gameplay tweaks to make the skateboarding itself more modern, THPS 1 and 2 will mark the return of all the hallmark missions — collecting SKATE letters, secret tapes, etc. — from the original games, while also introducing some new challenges. “We've added more challenges to each of the levels that you can accomplish, some that are per skater for example,” Oneal explained.

Multiplayer and Customization

THPS will support competitive online play, but the remake will also feature split screen multiplayer for those who want to play with friends locally. And THPS 1 and 2’s online functionality will also extend to the return of the Create-a-Park and Create-a-Skater modes. Players will be able to share their creations online, and VV is hoping to give players a wide array of options to build their dream skate parks. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/12/tony-hawks-pro-skater-1-and-2-remake-gameplay-details"] “Create-a-Park is more robust than ever. It's a deep set of tools for creating your ultimate skate park. And it's not just a huge library of ramps, rails and boxes, you name it. On top of that, you're able to do some deformation,” Oneal explained. “So you're able to take some of the pieces and shape them in different ways and make your ultimate ultimate skate amusement park, if you will.” That level of customization should give players plenty of freedom in designing their dream parks, and Oneal said she and the team are excited to see how players recreate their own real-world skateparks and design completely original ones.

Soundtrack

Since its inception, the Tony Hawk Pro Skater franchise has been married to its soundtracks, with locations and skaters as key to its identity as the songs that supported them. Oneal is happy to confirm that while not every song is back, given the trickiness of music licensing, the vast majority of these two soundtracks return, including fan-favorite tracks. “Most of the songs made it into the game. There's only a small handful that we just couldn't get the licensing rights for. It's a pretty full soundtrack and you'll get to hear your favorites, like “Guerrilla Radio” is in there, “Superman,” which is kind of like the anthem of THPS, is in there,” she said.

Remake or Remaster?

But while the songs remain the same, the look certainly does not. Vicarious Visions, which was largely responsible for the impressive THPS handheld games, has done a lot of ground-up work into the look of the games, as evidenced by the impressive first screenshots and gameplay. “...We wanted to match inch by inch the geometry [of the levels] so that those lines feel exactly the same that they were before. So that was our starting point. But all the assets, everything on top of [Neversoft’s handling code] is all original stuff,” Oneal said of the work the developers have done on the updated versions. “We went for a photo-real quality,” Oneal explained of the new look. “We're using scanned material from getting the skaters to come back in and get scanned, photogrammetry references for textures and assets within the environment. So it all looks just luscious and beautiful. Let's make it feel like you're in a skate video. Let's make it feel like you're in Thrasher magazine taking these really awesome shots. [widget path="global/page/imagecomparison" parameters="comparisons=%7B%22comparisons%22%3A%5B%7B%22caption%22%3A%22THPS%20Remake%20Vs.%20Original%22%2C%22images%22%3A%5B%7B%22id%22%3A%225ebac591e4b0113dce779142%22%2C%22label%22%3A%22THPS%201%20Original%22%7D%2C%7B%22id%22%3A%225ebac599e4b0113dce779145%22%2C%22label%22%3A%22THPS%201%20and%202%20Remake%22%7D%5D%7D%5D%7D"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] While we haven’t been able to go hands-on with Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2 just yet, Vicarious Visions aims to retain what made the franchise so beloved at its start, while bringing it forth to a modern setting and, perhaps, trying to curb a bit of the bad taste Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5 left. And given Vicarious Visions’ pedigree with the series, having worked on a number of the handheld entries in the series, and the current team there having ties to the franchise, it’s clear the team wants to do right by THPS. “ For all of us, it's like revisiting a really important part of our past,” Oneal said, noting she worked at Activision at the time of the original release, while members of the VV team had previously worked at Neversoft or the THPS series as a whole. “21 years has gone by and we get to revisit something that is so meaningful to our careers. We're so grateful to have this opportunity.” Stay tuned to IGN for more on Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=97140c9d-47ff-415a-94e4-2c5eb2c11481"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and a Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 stan. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Marvel's Iron Man VR has a new release date and will now arrive on PlayStation 4/PSVR on July 3, 2020. No further details were given alongside the announcement on PlayStation's Twitter, but SIE does promise we will be getting "more news in the coming weeks!" [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/02/iron-man-vr-hands-on-impressions"] Iron Man VR was delayed alongside The Last of Us Part 2, which also has a new release date of June 19, 2020. Iron Man VR and The Last of Us Part 2 were both delayed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that was impacting studios around the globe and "preventing [Sony] from providing the launch experience our players deserve." We got our hands and eyes on Iron Man VR last year and came away excited for more. We said "Arkham VR definitely had its gameplay limitations, but it nailed that sensation of putting you into the shoes, and mask, of a hero, and my short time with Iron Man VR gave me a similar feeling. And with as robust of a gameplay system as appears to be in place, I’m excited to explore the skies and life of Tony Stark in the full game...and maybe not fly myself into so many rock walls next time around. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=2020-platform-exclusives&captions=true"] Furthermore, we learned that Iron Man VR will be more than a simple flight and laser shooting simulator and will actually tell an original Tony Star story. Iron Man VR is one of the many platform exclusives in 2020 that also include Ghost of Tsushima, Halo Infinite, and many more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/04/iron-man-vr-story-trailer"] [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.

Denis Villeneuve's take on Dune is shaping up to be on of our most anticipated upcoming movies, thanks in part to a series of glimpses at its star cast. We've put together a gallery of every official image so far (below) - the newest being a shot of Josh Brolin's Gurney Halleck and Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides clinging to the back of what may be a Carryall. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dune-movie-images&captions=true"] Villeneuve has made it clear that this movie will be the first of two, because Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi novel is "too complex" to fit into a single feature film. For more on Villeneuve's first Dune movie, take a look at a 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"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is coming to Predator: Hunting Grounds as DLC later this month. Announced today on PlayStation.Blog, this paid DLC arrives on May 26 and will see Schwarzenegger's Dutch character from the original 1987 Predator movie added to the game. Considering Predator: Hunting Grounds is a game based on the universe of that movie, Dutch joining in on the hunt only makes sense. You can check out what Dutch will look like in the game below. "Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger has reprised one of my favorite roles from childhood for this game," IllFonic Chief Creative Officer Jared Gerritzen said. "We got to spend a day in sunny California recording with Arnold." As indicated by Gerritzen, Schwarzenegger himself returned to the role to voice lines for Dutch. In order to introduce Dutch into the game, IllFonic will add cassettes to the game for players to earn that allows them to "learn where Dutch has been all these years and hear his story in his own words through a series of voice tapes that you earn as you level up." When the DLC is released on May 26, players will get access to the Dutch character and the QR5 "Hammerhead" Rifle, as well as Dutch's knife. The rifle and knife will be made available to all players, free of charge, later in June. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/28/predator-hunting-grounds-review"] The Dutch DLC pack is the first of at least four paid DLCs with the second coming in June, the third coming in July and the fourth in August. The blog post does not mention a price for this DLC. You can read our review of Predator: Hunting Grounds right here, and then read about how we think the game sets the stage for a Terminator game. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=big-ps4-ps5-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

VPNs are a hot commodity these days. Short for Virtual Private Network, VPNs offer the promise of privacy online – or just access to another country’s Netflix catalog. But they tend to cause as many problems as they solve when it comes to gaming online. IGN and its sister site PCMag recently surveyed our readers on VPN usage with PC Gaming. 58% of respondents said they use a VPN to protect their privacy online, while gaming-related uses such as accessing games from another region or to play with people in different countries together accounted for just 15%. There’s a reason gamers tend to not like VPNs either: of those who do use a VPN while gaming, more than 75% reported performance issues or lag. Not exactly what you want when trying to land headshots in a fast-paced shooter. This matches with another survey question, which indicates that prospective VPN users care most about speed when choosing a service. For more insights from the survey, check out PCMag’s analysis as well.

Mark Hamill has confirmed that his time as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise is officially over. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hamill, who has portrayed Skywalker since the space saga began in 1977, spoke about his "bittersweet" farewell to the character in Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, as he admitted that he "can't imagine" ever returning to the galaxy far, far away again. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/04/the-star-wars-saga-timeline-in-chronological-order"] "I had a beginning, middle, and end," he explained. "Those films gave me far more than I ever expected when we started out so it's never even occurred to me. My farewell was in Episode IX and it was bittersweet. I love all those people and I certainly have affection for George [Lucas] and the character he created. I'm full of gratitude for what it has given me and my career but I don't want to be greedy. There are still so many more stories to tell and so many great actors to tell them, they don't need me." Shortly after the release of The Rise of Skywalker, the veteran actor penned a heartfelt letter to fans thanking them for their devotion to the Skywalker saga and the Star Wars universe, noting how it will "continue to grow with new storytellers building an even bigger galaxy." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/27/why-the-mandalorian-works-better-than-the-movies-opinion"] Hamill may have hung up his Jedi robes for good, but he remains excited about the future of the franchise. Specifically, the Star Wars universe-expanding series The Mandalorian, which he praised for going "back to the basics" with the western in space concept. "I think they have a wonderful advantage on The Mandalorian in that it's economical storytelling. They don't have the burden of delivering a gigantic special effects extravaganza like the films had to do," he said. "It sort of gets back to the basics of George envisioning it as a western in space. It has that tone of a Sergio Leone Western. I'm very impressed with it and to me, a very smart move on their part because you can't keep trying to top... It's like the superhero movies that have to deliver these gargantuan epics. And with The Mandalorian, they can concentrate more on the characters and the storytelling. I think it's excellent." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-upcoming-star-wars-movie&captions=true"] If you want to find out how the first season of The Mandalorian was brought to life, be sure to check out Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian on Disney+, which features in-depth interviews with the cast and crew. In a recent episode, Clone Wars boss Dave Filoni shared some interesting insights into the Duel of the Fates scene in Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The Mandalorian Season 2 is expected to debut in October 2020 on Disney+. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Sony has announced that it has created a new umbrella brand, PlayStation Studios, that will unite all its first-party titles and launch alongside PlayStation 5. As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, this new branding will only be used on those games that are developed and managed by Sony. A new opening video for PlayStation Studios was also revealed that includes characters from The Last of Us, God of War, Uncharted, Ratchet & Clank, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and LittleBigPlanet. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/12/playstation-studios-opening-animation-trailer"] PlayStation 4 games will also have the PlayStation Studios branding, but such games as The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima will not feature it as it won't be quite ready for launch. This branding will also be making the jump to PC, as Sony's senior vice president and head of global marketing at Sony Interactive Entertainment has said "any future games it releases on other platforms will also carry the branding." However, it will not be ready by the launch of Horizon Zero Dawn on PC this summer. "Over the last few years -- and even the last decade -- the strength of the titles coming out from our studios has been stronger than ever," Lempel said. "We have been thinking about how we unite all of these great games under one brand, and really the purpose of that is to make the consumer understand that, when they see this brand, they're getting ready for a robust, innovative, deep experience that they've come to expect from games coming from PlayStation. So we came up with PlayStation Studios." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] There will also be variations on the opening video seen above, and although it appears similar to what one would see before a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Lempel says "the inspiration for the branding came from the games themselves." "What we really wanted to do was create a way to bring the consumer into the world," Lempel says. "When they play our games that's the nice robust piece that happens, and then you're transported into an adventure with rich worlds, old characters, and really captivating stories. We're all huge Marvel fans. One of our biggest games of all time has a Marvel character in it with Spider-Man. But this is really about doing something specific for our games and our industry. In addition to PlayStation Studios including titles from such studios as Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Santa Monica Studio, Media Molecule, and Guerrilla Games, the brand will also "apply to games made by work-for-hire developers under Sony's direction." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/17/ps5-and-xbox-launch-game-candidates-next-gen-console-watch"] [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.