Microsoft has applied to renew its Fable trademark as rumours of a sequel to Lionhead's RPG franchise continue to swirl. You can check out the trademark application here, which was filed on June 26. It's standard practice for businesses to renew trademarks for IPs that they own, but within the current context, it's an interesting move – especially when you notice the Intent to Use tag, which is marked as 'Yes', despite the Current Use tag being marked as 'No', suggesting that Microsoft has future plans for the franchise. The Fable rumour mill has been spinning for years at this point, and there's plenty of information to dig in to. Earlier this week, Microsoft downplayed the significance of a placeholder Fable Twitter account, despite it seemingly having been registered in March of this year by a user with a Microsoft email address. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/01/22/fable-creator-peter-molyneux-on-what-he-wants-from-a-new-fable-game"] Back in November 2017, we reported that Playground Games was hiring talent for a new game, listed as an "open world action-RPG." In fact, the developer opened an entirely new studio earlier that year to create Project 2, a game that will not feature any racing, distancing it from the Forza series the developer is known for. Then, in 2018, Playground Games Creative Director Ralph Fulton told Daily Star Online that the Xbox One X will be the "lead platform" for the studio's next game, just days after a Eurogamer report surfaced, suggesting that a new Fable game was in development at Playground. If you're interested in what Fable creator Peter Molyneux is looking for in a new entry from the franchise, check out our interview from early 2018. Phew, OK, we're all caught up on the rumours. All eyes are now on Microsoft's July first-party event for Xbox Series X - so watch this space for more Fable news, we'll be sure to keep you posted. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN who wants to see proper morphing Hero Weapons. Follow him on Twitter.

Microsoft has applied to renew its Fable trademark as rumours of a sequel to Lionhead's RPG franchise continue to swirl. You can check out the trademark application here, which was filed on June 26. It's standard practice for businesses to renew trademarks for IPs that they own, but within the current context, it's an interesting move – especially when you notice the Intent to Use tag, which is marked as 'Yes', despite the Current Use tag being marked as 'No', suggesting that Microsoft has future plans for the franchise. The Fable rumour mill has been spinning for years at this point, and there's plenty of information to dig in to. Earlier this week, Microsoft downplayed the significance of a placeholder Fable Twitter account, despite it seemingly having been registered in March of this year by a user with a Microsoft email address. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/01/22/fable-creator-peter-molyneux-on-what-he-wants-from-a-new-fable-game"] Back in November 2017, we reported that Playground Games was hiring talent for a new game, listed as an "open world action-RPG." In fact, the developer opened an entirely new studio earlier that year to create Project 2, a game that will not feature any racing, distancing it from the Forza series the developer is known for. Then, in 2018, Playground Games Creative Director Ralph Fulton told Daily Star Online that the Xbox One X will be the "lead platform" for the studio's next game, just days after a Eurogamer report surfaced, suggesting that a new Fable game was in development at Playground. If you're interested in what Fable creator Peter Molyneux is looking for in a new entry from the franchise, check out our interview from early 2018. Phew, OK, we're all caught up on the rumours. All eyes are now on Microsoft's July first-party event for Xbox Series X - so watch this space for more Fable news, we'll be sure to keep you posted. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN who wants to see proper morphing Hero Weapons. Follow him on Twitter.

On this week's episode of IGN's weekly PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Steve Saylor, along with Lucy O'Brien and Janet Garcia, to discuss The Last of Us Part 2! We break down some of the accessibility features and strides TLoU 2 takes in pushing gaming accessibility forward, as well as thoughts on PlayStation Plus' 10th anniversary and more. Plus, Phil Tibitoski and Kevin Zuhn of developer Young Horses join us to discuss Bugsnax, in case you needed another excuse to have its earworm of a theme song stuff in your head. Phil and Kevin dive into some gameplay and world details, inspirations, and ideal Bugsnax pun names (that have been revealed so far). Download or listen to the show on these platforms: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=playstation-5-console-dualsense-and-accessories&captions=true"]

• Direct Download

• YouTube

•  Apple Podcasts/iTunes

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• PlayerFM

• Podbay

• TuneIn

• Podbean

• Feedburner

Podcast Beyond! is live every Wednesday. For more on PS5, check out the PS5 full specs list, why we're excited about PS5's 3D audio focus, and an analysis of what teraflops really mean for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=5e30320c-7b56-4ab8-8333-469a99e933e9"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

On this week's episode of IGN's weekly PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Steve Saylor, along with Lucy O'Brien and Janet Garcia, to discuss The Last of Us Part 2! We break down some of the accessibility features and strides TLoU 2 takes in pushing gaming accessibility forward, as well as thoughts on PlayStation Plus' 10th anniversary and more. Plus, Phil Tibitoski and Kevin Zuhn of developer Young Horses join us to discuss Bugsnax, in case you needed another excuse to have its earworm of a theme song stuff in your head. Phil and Kevin dive into some gameplay and world details, inspirations, and ideal Bugsnax pun names (that have been revealed so far). Download or listen to the show on these platforms: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=playstation-5-console-dualsense-and-accessories&captions=true"]

• Direct Download

• YouTube

•  Apple Podcasts/iTunes

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• PlayerFM

• Podbay

• TuneIn

• Podbean

• Feedburner

Podcast Beyond! is live every Wednesday. For more on PS5, check out the PS5 full specs list, why we're excited about PS5's 3D audio focus, and an analysis of what teraflops really mean for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=5e30320c-7b56-4ab8-8333-469a99e933e9"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Marvel Studios reportedly aims to restart production at Fox Studios in Australia on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings by the end of this month. Deadline's Aussie source claims Marvel is taking "careful steps" to return to set. "The cast and crew of Shang-Chi who travel to Australia will be quarantined upon arrival per the country’s guidance," Deadline reports. "Accommodations for those in quarantine are identified by the government." [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/26/marvels-shang-chi-movie-explained] Shang-Chi halted first unit filming in March after director Destin Daniel Cretton self-isolated over concerns he had contracted the coronavirus; his test came back negative. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was to have opened Feb. 12, 2021 but has now been pushed to May 7, 2021 in a recent overhaul that saw many MCU Phase 4 movies swapping release dates. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-phase-4-official-lineup&captions=true"] A slew of film and TV projects -- including Jurassic World: Dominion and The Witcher -- hope to resume production soon after shutting down in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it all depends on local governments. In the US, many states are currently seeing a huge spike in new cases which is slowing Hollywood's plan to resume production. Worldwide, film and TV productions shooting in countries who have flattened the curve or seen fewer increased infections are more likely to move ahead.

A 16-year-old suspect has been arrested by Tokyo police for allegedly making a bomb threat to Konami’s Japan headquarters. As reported by Yomiuri (and covered by Kotaku) the high school suspect made multiple threats to bomb Konami’s headquarters between June 16 - 18. The threats were made in the user reviews section for the PES mobile game in an online app store. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=32-pes-2020-screenshots&captions=true"] According to the reports, the suspect allegedly wrote “I’m going to blow up Konami’s headquarters” and “I’m going to kill the people who work at Konami,” in their reviews. Following his arrest, the suspect admitted to making the bomb threats, claiming he was “pissed” at the company over a bug in the PES mobile game that resulted in him losing. Konami is a Japanese video game company best known for franchises like Metal Gear Solid, Pro Evolution Soccer, and Silent Hill. The latter recently had a crossover with the online horror game Dead by Daylight. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

CBS All Access has announced that the new animated Star Trek series Star Trek: Lower Decks will debut on the streaming service on Thursday, August 6. New episodes of the 10-episode first season will then be available weekly. New images from the show were also revealed Wednesday, including a poster featuring our first look at the show's starship, which is described in a press release as "one of Starfleet’s least important ships" -- the U.S.S. Cerritos. Check it out below: [caption id="attachment_2374639" align="aligncenter" width="567"] "One of Starfleet’s least important ships," the U.S.S. Cerritos from Star Trek: Lower Decks.[/caption] Lower Decks was developed by Mike McMahan, of Rick and Morty fame, and is about the support crew of the Cerritos. Set in the year 2380 -- which for those keeping count is 10 years after the last episode of The Next Generation and 19 years before Picard Season 1 -- the show features Ensigns Beckett Mariner (voiced by Tawny Newsome), Brad Boimler (voiced by Jack Quaid), Rutherford (voiced by Eugene Cordero) and Tendi (voiced by Noël Wells) who "have to keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies." At San Diego Comic-Con last year, Star Trek uber-producer Alex Kurtzman recalled McMahan’s pitch: “I want to do a show about the guy who brings the yellow cartridge to the back of the replicator so that a banana comes out the front.” Check out more new images from the series in the slideshow below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-trek-lower-decks-cast&captions=true"] The bridge crew of the show include Captain Carol Freeman (voiced by Dawnn Lewis), Commander Jack Ransom (voiced by Jerry O’Connell), Lieutenant Shaxs (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) and Doctor T’Ana (voiced by Gillian Vigman). Star Trek: Lower Decks is just one of many Trek shows in various stages of production right now. Star Trek: Discovery's third season is expected to launch this year, Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is currently being written, the untitled Section 31 spin-off starring Michelle Yeoh is in development, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds featuring the return of Anson Mount's Captain Pike and crew was recently greenlit. Then there's also the other animated series in the works at Nickelodeon and at least one more live-action series that Kurtzman has hinted at. That's a lot of Trek! [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/picard-season-1-review-is-the-star-trek-spinoff-worth-it-spoilers"]

In the latest sign the '90s are still alive and well, iconic slackers Beavis and Butt-Head are making their return to the airwaves. Comedy Central has ordered two new seasons of the iconic animated sitcom. Creator Mike Judge is returning to write and produce this Beavis and Butt-Head revival, as well as to voice the two title characters. Judge's arrangement with Comedy Central also allows for future spinoffs and specials, suggesting the network has ambitious plans for these two degenerate metal-heads. "We are thrilled to be working with Mike Judge and the great team at 3 Arts again as we double down on adult animation at Comedy Central," said Chris McCarthy, president of ViacomCBS' entertainment and youth group, in a statement. "Beavis and Butt-Head were a defining voice of a generation, and we can’t wait to watch as they navigate the treacherous waters of a world light-years from their own." This latest incarnation of the series will re-imagine the characters and their misadventures for a 2020 setting. As the original run did for Generation X, the new Beavis and Butt-Head will satirize Gen-Z culture even as it explores the titular duo's wacky misadventures. The Beavis and Butt-Head characters originally debuted in Judge's 1992 short film "Frog Baseball" before spinning out into their own series on MTV in 1993. Beavis and Butt-Head received praise for its edgy humor and heavy emphasis on social satire, though the show's humor and violent content also became a source of regular controversy during its seven season run. MTV eventually responded by running a disclaimer before each episode - "Beavis and Butt-Head are not role models. They're not even human. They're cartoons. Some of the things they do would cause a person to get hurt, expelled, arrested, possibly deported. To put it another way: don't try this at home." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=11-animated-sitcoms-that-need-a-revival&captions=true"] This will actually be the second time Beavis and Butt-Head has returned to the air since the original series wrapped in 1997. The series was previously revived for an eighth season in 2011. It's also worth remembering that fellow MTV animated sitcom Daria is technically a spinoff of Beavis and Butt-Head. In fact, this announcement comes days after Comedy Central announced its acquisition of Daria spinoff Jodie, focused on Tracee Ellis Ross' character Jodie Landon. Are we seeing the beginnings of a shared Beavis and Butt-Head universe (the Beavis-verse?) on Comedy Central? For now, neither series has a release date. Beavis and Butt-Head joins a growing lineup of animated sitcoms getting long overdue revivals, including a new Boondocks series on HBO Max and Netflix's Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus. We have some thoughts on other animated sitcoms that deserve a revival. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/21/invader-zim-enter-the-florpus-review"] [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.

From July 21 - July 27, the Summer Game Fest Demo Event will let Xbox One owners try out over 60 brand-new game demos for upcoming, unreleased Xbox One games, including Cris Tales, Destroy All Humans!, and Haven. Announced as part of Summer Game Fest by Xbox and Geoff Keighley, this digital event is meant to recreate the experience of trying out upcoming games at events like E3, PAX, and Gamescom. It's important to note, however, that most of these demos will only be available for that week and will not be playable after. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=summer-game-fest-demo-xbox-one-event-2020-confirmed-games&captions=true"] The full list of games will be revealed closer to July 21, but a few of the games have been revealed, including Cris Tales, Destroy All Humans!, Haven, Hellpoint, Skatebird, The Vale: Shadow of the Crown, Raji: An Ancient Epic, and Welcome to Elk. According to Xbox, there will be "somewhere between 75 and 100 [games] when the dust settles." These games will appear in a special Game Fest Demo tile on the Xbox One Dashboard that week and are not your "normal game demos." Many of these games are early in development and some games are far away, but they will give Xbox One owners a chance to try our early builds and see how they evolve. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/19/28-big-xbox-games-coming-in-2020"] [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.

Devolver Direct, the yearly showcase from indie publisher Devolver Digital, will be broadcast on July 11 at 12pm Pacific / 3pm Eastern / 8pm UK (that's July 12 at 5am AEST). The pre-recorded show will be broadcast live on Twitch and Steam, and promises, "New game reveals, gameplay reveals, release date announcements, and special guests from the industry to help usher in these important marketing bullet points." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/10/devolver-digital-big-fancy-e3-2019-press-conference"] The press release makes clear that the show will consist of "nearly all gameplay because that’s what the youths of today demand." The show will end with "a few surprises", and game demos will immediately become available to play, including Carrion, Disc Room, and an unannounced title. Devolver's yearly showcases have become legendarily strange, gross and interconnected - it'll be worth checking out just to see what on Earth could happen to chief synergy officer Nina Struthers this year. [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.