Microsoft has announced that Battletoads will be available on Xbox Game Pass or to purchase on Xbox One and PC on August 20, 2020. The release date was revealed on Xbox Wire alongside a brand new trailer, and it shows more of the game that brings back Zitz, Rash, and Pimple for the first time in 26 years. This newest Battletoads adventure is developed by Dlala Studios, and is supported by series creator Rare. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/31/battletoads-official-release-date-trailer"] For those unfamiliar with Battletoads, it follows Zitz, Rash, and Pimple as they fight of "the Dark Queen and her abominable allies, in action that takes place across a variety of beat 'em up, platforming, and racing stages." The original Battletoads was known for its difficulty, but Dlala is giving players more options in how they want to play. These options include couch co-op and multiple difficulty settings that will "suit everyone from Tadpole to Battletoad." Battletoads features a hand-animated art style and "pays homage to the stylish, self-aware cartoon of the late '90s." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=battletoads-release-date-announcement-screenshots&captions=true"] In our hands-on of the new Battletoads, we said that while it's still tough, it is no longer sadistic, and "It felt like playing as Dante, or pre-fatherhood Kratos, and I mean that in a good way." [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.

The Last of Us HBO series producer Craig Mazin has promised that the TV show adaptation will not "undo" the popular Naughty Dog PlayStation game. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Chernobyl Special, Mazin, the creator of the remarkable miniseries about the 1986 Soviet nuclear disaster, opened up about the current project that he is working on with Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann, as he explained the careful process behind adapting The Last of Us for television, assuring fans that they plan to "expand" the source material rather than "undo" it. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/12/07/the-last-of-us-2-ellie-and-joels-journey"] "I think fans of something worry that, when the property gets licenced to someone else, those people don't really understand it, or are going to change it," Mazin explained. "In this case, I'm doing it with the guy who did it, and so the changes that we're making are designed to fill things out and expand, not to undo, but rather to enhance." As a self-proclaimed fan of The Last of Us franchise, Mazin described the project as a "dream come true," though he also acknowledged the strong emotions that are attached to the iconic game and the challenges that can create for a small-screen adaptation. "We're creating anew and we're also reimagining what is already there to present a different format," he added. "It's kind of a dream come true for me. I'm a little bit scared because a lot of emotions connected to this game are rather intense. I think I'm probably going to go hide in a bunker for a while because you can't make everyone happy!" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-last-of-us-hbo-series-8-actors-who-could-play-joel-and-ellie&captions=true"] Shortly after The Last of Us HBO series was announced, Mazin promised that the character of Ellie would still be gay on the TV show and explained why the story, overall, worked better as an ongoing series rather than a standalone movie, as this project is replacing the film adaptation that Sony previously announced back in 2014. Instead, Sony Pictures Television has now teamed with PlayStation Productions to co-produce the upcoming series, which recently scored its first episode director. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The House of Representatives has voted down an amendment designed to prevent the US Army from recruiting through video games, with U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) expressing concern at tech literacy within Congress. Ocasio-Cortez filed the measure earlier this month after backlash against the Army's activities on Twitch forced it to suspend activities on the livestreaming platform. The amendment would have stopped the military from using funds to “maintain a presence on Twitch.com or any video game, e-sports, or live-streaming platform.” Ocasio-Cortez opened her statement to the house by quoting the Marine Service, saying, "War is not a game". She continued by pointing out that the majority of viewers on Twitch are below recruitment age for the Army, and that the military was found to be linking to recruitment forms, not educational material on the service. 126 Democrat representatives voted for the amendment, but 103 Democrats, 188 Republicans and 1 Independent voted against it, putting an end to the proposal as it currently stands. Ocasio-Cortez has posted a thread of tweets (below) about the decision, and expressed concern about the level of tech literacy among those in Congress, and how that affects decisions such as this.

Imagine trying to explain to your colleagues who are members of Congress what Twitch is

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 30, 2020

"When our legislative bodies aren’t sufficiently responsive to tech, then that means we don’t have the tools required to protect people", Ocasio-Cortez wrote. "This is partially why companies know way more about you than you may even be aware of - bc it’s legal, and Congress is struggling to keep up." The New York representative did strike a hopeful note, however, pointing out that the majority of House Democrats voted in favour of the amendment. "That’s a really solid start for this being the first time this issue has been brought before Congress," she wrote, signalling a possible intent to bring similar proposals to Congress in future. CNN's Shannon Liao has said that the US Army and Navy have confirmed that they will continue to stream on Twitch. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Kevin Smith has signed on to develop a Green Hornet animated series for WildBrain, the kids' entertainment company behind Peanuts and Inspector Gadget. Deadline reports that the newly announced family-friendly series will be set in a contemporary time and will follow the adventures of a new Green Hornet and Kato - the son and daughter of George W. Trendle and Fran Striker's original 1930s crime-fighting duo - who will rev up the engine of the Black Beauty and head out on the road to patrol the streets of Century City. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/11/24/the-green-hornet-trailer-2] "It's an honor to escort the legendary Green Hornet and Kato into their very own animated series for the first time in the rich history of these iconic pop culture characters," said Smith. "We'll be telling a tale of two Hornets – past and future – that spans generations and draws inspiration from a lifetime spent watching classic cartoons and amazing animation like Batman: The Animated Series, Heavy Metal, and Super Friends. I can't believe WildBrain gave me this job and I can't thank them enough for the opportunity to extend my childhood a little longer." "We're thrilled to embark on a new animated Green Hornet series with Kevin, who has set up an incredibly rich world with a cast of amazing characters – especially Kato, who is no longer just a sidekick, but is now a strong female partner to the Green Hornet," added Stephanie Betts, WildBrain's EVP of content and current series. "With his ingenious talent and passion for superheroes and classic franchises, Kevin is the perfect creator to update the Green Hornet. We're excited to share the new Green Hornet and Kato with audiences worldwide." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=stars-who-were-almost-superheroes&captions=true"] Smith appears to have an affinity with The Green Hornet, as he was once attached to write and direct a feature film centered around the costumed character for Miramax. This project never actually made it to the big screen, though Michel Gondry later helmed Sony's 2011 adaptation, which starred Seth Rogen in the title role, Jay Chou as Kato, Cameron Diaz, and Christoph Waltz. Smith continued to buzz around the material and ended up turning the unused script for his Green Hornet feature film into a comic book series for Dynamite Entertainment. He wrote the first four-issue story arc of the series, which was published in 2010 to largely positive reviews. IGN praised the opening issue for paying "tribute to both the television and comic versions of the pulp adventurer while interjecting some modern sensibilities." In addition to the new animated series, Universal Pictures and Amasia Entertainment have recently teamed up to develop a feature film project titled The Green Hornet and Kato, which is expected to "launch an exciting new cinematic world for Britt Reid, Kato, and the Black Beauty." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Halo Infinite will feature a free-to-play multiplayer mode and run at up to 120 FPS on Xbox Series X, according to a retailer listing and other sources. Smyths Toys includes Halo Infinite in its listing for Xbox Series X, saying, "The legendary Halo series returns with the most expansive Master Chief campaign yet and a groundbreaking free-to-play multiplayer experience. Enjoy up to 120 FPS and greatly reduced load times creating seamless gameplay with Xbox Series X." The section in question has now been removed, but the image below shows it in its original form:Both sources for Windows Central and noted Xbox insider Klobrille have since supported the claim that Halo Infinite's multiplayer will be free-to-play. Klobrille adds that the 120 FPS is an aim for Arena mode on Xbox Series X, and that multiplayer will include a Battle Pass system, and feature types of customisation new to the Halo series. We've contacted Xbox for comment. We've heard previously that Halo Infinite's campaign will run at a locked 60 FPS, and the idea that multiplayer would both run and be released in a different fashion to the single-player portion fits with 343's plan for Halo Infinite to become more of a platform than a standalone game in the series. 343 has previously had to counter rumours that the multiplayer mode would not be released at launch, and yesterday addressed criticism of the game's visuals, saying "the team is working as quickly as possible on plans to address some of the feedback around detail, clarity, and overall fidelity." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/halo-infinite-9-minutes-of-campaign-gameplay"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries has addressed some of the biggest concerns following its Xbox Games Showcase reveal, including graphics, if there will be a multiplayer beta, and how the game will handle microtransactions. The answers to these questions and more were discussed on Halo Waypoint, and 343 came right out and acknowledged the feedback, both good and bad, that followed Halo Infinite's campaign gameplay reveal, beginning with the graphics. Community manager John Junyszek explained that there are "two key areas being debated around the community – overall art style and visual fidelity." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/halo-infinite-9-minutes-of-campaign-gameplay"]

"Based on our learnings from Halo 4, Halo 5, and Halo Wars 2 – along with strong community feedback – we decided to shift back towards the legacy aesthetics that defined the original trilogy. With Halo Infinite, we’re returning to a more ‘classic’ art style which was a key message going back to the very first reveal that garnered enthusiastic and positive responses. This translates to a more vibrant palette, “cleaner” models and objects with less “noise”, though it doesn’t mean less detail. While we appreciate this may not be everyone’s personal preference, we stand by this decision and are happy to see it resonating with so many fans around the world." "The second theme being discussed involves visual fidelity. Negative feedback in this area includes comments around characters and objects appearing flat, simplistic and plastic-like, lighting feeling dull and flat, and object pop-in. We’ve read your comments, we’ve seen the homemade examples of retouched content, and yes we’ve heard the Digital Foundry assessments. In many ways we are in agreement here – we do have work to do to address some of these areas and raise the level of fidelity and overall presentation for the final game. The build used to run the campaign demo was work-in-progress from several weeks ago with a variety of graphical elements and game systems still being finished and polished. While some of the feedback was expected and speaks to areas already in progress, other aspects of the feedback have brought new opportunities and considerations to light that the team is taking very seriously and working to assess. We don’t have firm answers or outcomes to share yet but the team is working as quickly as possible on plans to address some of the feedback around detail, clarity, and overall fidelity. The team is committed and focused on making sure we have a beautiful world for players to explore when we launch."

As for the Multiplayer Beta / Flighting, Junyszek reiterated what 343 head Chris Lee stated last week, saying their plans for a multiplayer beta have been impacted "in large part due to the challenges of working from home during the COVID-19." 343 is not sure a Beta will end up happening, but it is hoping "to have an opportunity for broader hands-on before release." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=halo-infinite-xbox-games-showcase-gameplay-reveal-screenshots&captions=true"] Microtransactions in Halo Infinite were confirmed back in 2018, but Junyszek reassured fans that Halo Infinite "will not include real-money loot boxes." This should come as a relief, especially considering the level of player customization that will be part of Halo Infinite. As Junyszek said, "If you liked the level of armor customization options in Halo: Reach, you will be pleased." There were many other smaller details in this Infinite Inquires post, including the reduction of Kill Barriers and "Return to Battlefield" zones in the campaign to encourage exploration in Halo Infinite's open world, and confirmation that the Battle Rifle (BR75) will be making a return. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/halo-infinite-step-inside-cinematic-teaser"] Additionally, the new grapple hook will make its way to multiplayer, but will function a bit differently and will be available as an item that can be picked up on the battlefield. Halo Infinite will be released on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC in Holiday 2020. For more on the latest Halo game, be sure to check out more details on its villain and story, why there won't be a Halo Infinite 2, and why Halo Infinite will be a perfect jumping on point for new players. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/the-complete-halo-saga-in-22-minutes"] [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.

Amazon's upcoming Lord of the Rings streaming series will purportedly include three classic characters previously depicted in the Peter Jackson-directed films. According to a tweet from TheOneRing.Net, Sauron, Galadriel and Elrond will appear on Amazon's Lord of the Rings series. Earlier reports pegged Morfydd Clark as playing the role of the young Galadriel, one of the great Elves of Middle-earth, portrayed by Cate Blanchett in the Peter Jackson movies. Hugo Weaving played Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, in those films. The villainous Sauron was played in humanoid form by Sala Baker, while Alan Howard voiced the antagonist in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Sauron, disguised as Necromancer, appeared in the Hobbit movies where he was played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The super-expensive show already has a multi-season commitment from Amazon. Production had begun earlier this year in New Zealand before shutting down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Filming reportedly aims to resume in September. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/19/amazons-lord-of-the-rings-the-second-age-explained"] Amazon's Lord of the Rings takes place during Middle-earth's Second Age, a period only briefly seen in the Lord of the Rings movies. In our extensive breakdown of the Second Age, we said the setting "spans a long period of time in between the banishment of Morgoth (the original Dark Lord) and the first defeat of his servant Sauron. The Second Age is defined by key events like the rise and fall of the kingdom of Númenor, the creation of the Rings of Power and the formation of the Last Alliance that temporarily saved the world from Sauron's wrath." The long-lived, half-elven Elrond was the captain and herald of Gil-Galad, the High King of the Ñoldor, during the Second Age. During this time, Elrond fought in the War of the Last Alliance, which saw Men and Elves battling against Sauron. These events were depicted in Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring. In addition to Morfydd Clark as young Galadriel, Amazon's Lord of the Rings series cast includes Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, and Daniel Weyman. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-the-lord-of-the-rings-every-confirmed-actor&captions=true"]

The Epic Games Store is finally getting achievements and mod support. Epic Games Store users have been requesting achievements basically since the launch of the store in 2018 and it seems the feature is finally happening. Epic Games said on Twitter on July 29 that certain games will start displaying the achievements as they're unlocked, but it didn't name which games it's referring to. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-modern-pc-games&captions=true"] "Certain games on the Epic Games Store may begin to display achievements as you unlock them," the tweet said. "This is an early version of the feature and you can expect to see changes & adjustments. We'll have more info to share on achievements in the future, so stay tuned!" Nothing more was said beyond that but the tweet does include a quick video showcasing what an achievement pop looks like in an Epic Games Store-launched game. You can check it out below.

Certain games on the Epic Games Store may begin to display achievements as you unlock them.

This is an early version of the feature and you can expect to see changes & adjustments. We'll have more info to share on achievements in the future, so stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/80dnoLYegV — Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) July 29, 2020

That same day, it was announced that the Epic Games Store would begin supporting mods and that MechWarrior 5:  Mercenaries would be the first game on the platform to support them. "We are extremely excited to announce that MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is the first game to participate in the Beta launch of Epic Games Store Mods," MechWarrior 5 developer Piranha Games said in a blog post. "With this release, discovering and installing MW5 Mods made by the amazing modding community will be easier than ever, integrated directly into the existing Epic Games Launcher." As noted by Piranha Games, the mods feature of the EGS is in beta. It's unknown at this time when the feature will leave beta. Their blog post highlights a few community-created mods that players can expect to utilize for MechWarrior 5. After giving that a look, read about how the Epic Games Store is the first real threat to Steam. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

2K has announced a partnership with OneTeam Partners and the National Football League Players Association to include "football's most prominent star players" in future NFL 2K games. 2K currently has "multiple football games in development" which will start launching in 2021, and this partnership will allow them to feature "the names, numbers, images and likenesses for over 2,000 current NFL players." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/10/nfl-2k-isnt-really-coming-back-ign-now"] The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 2K President David Ismailer noted that the partnership will bring "the biggest and best stars in football" to 2K's upcoming NFL titles. "We want to give fans experiences that are authentic, memorable and fun, and having a roster of real-life sports heroes through The Players Association and OneTeam is a huge part of delivering on that promise." EA penned a deal with the NFL in December 2004 to make Madden the only series able to use NFL teams and player names, but this partnership suggests that officially licensed players will also feature in NFL 2K games going forward. 2K stated in March of this year that its NFL games will be "non-simulation football game experiences," with titles, developers and release dates to be announced at a later date. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

With the news that Netflix will adapt Splinter Cell into an animated series, let's take a look at all the upcoming feature film and TV series adaptations of video game properties.