Twitch has acknowledged its fault in the way it has handled the DMCA controversy that put streamers at risk of losing their accounts because they played license music during their recordings. At the same time, the company says streamers aren’t out of the woods yet and strongly recommends they not play licensed music during streams as negotiations continue between Twitch and r In the first, detailed blog post about DMCA after streamers were hit with takedown notices en masse over the summer, Twitch explained that up until that point DMCA was not a major issue for streamers. “Until May of this year, streamers received fewer than 50 music-related DMCA notifications each year on Twitch,” the company says in its blog post. “Beginning in May, however, representatives for the major record labels started sending thousands of DMCA notifications each week that targeted creators’ archives, mostly for snippets of tracks in years-old Clips.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/02/20/streamer-sues-twitch-over-suspension-ign-news"] We’ve covered DMCA in-depth before, but the gist is that when license-holder issues a DMCA takedown request, a platform — in this case, Twitch — must comply with the takedown first before a reviews process can be initiated. The mass takedown requests created a domino effect where suddenly streamers found several, maybe even hundreds, of years-old clips that were flagged as violating DMCA. These put streamers at risk of breaking Twitch’s three-strike rule fairly quickly. To help streamers, Twitch released a mass deletion tool that would help streamers purge their archives of videos, but streamers were undoubtedly not enthusiastic about deleting years of work. Twitch acknowledged that it should have taken better precautionary steps to prevent this. “One of the mistakes we made was not building adequate tools to allow creators to manage their own VOD and Clip libraries,” Twitch says. “You’re rightly upset that the only option we provided was a mass deletion tool for Clips, and that we gave you three-days notice to use this tool.” Twitch also acknowledged a lack of forethought in its toolsets for these situations, writing, “We could have developed more sophisticated, user-friendly tools awhile ago. That we didn’t is on us. And we could have provided creators with a longer time period to address their VOD and Clip libraries — that was a miss as well.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/09/12/twitch-chat-beats-a-chess-grandmaster"] Twitch has rolled out a Music tool that will let streamers play licensed music during their streams without worrying about DMCA takedowns. But negotiations with big music labels are ongoing, so in the meantime Twitch strongly urges streamers to not play recorded music during streams. The company says in the future it will roll out more tools to help streamers have greater control in managing their archives, control the audio in streams that potentially infringe copyright, and better tools to review DMCA notifications. But it might be some while before recorded music is safe to play during Twitch streams. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

HBO Max has announced additional cast members who will join John Cena in its Peacemaker series, which is based on the character from James Gunn's upcoming The Suicide Squad. We learned back in September that Peacemaker was getting his own HBO Max spinoff series, but beyond its inclusion of John Cena in the titular role and Steve Agee as John Economos, not much else was said about the show. HBO announced four additional characters for the series on Wednesday as well as the actors that will play them: Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black) as Leota Adebayo, Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgement Day, HBO's Perry Mason) as Auggie Smith, Jennifer Holland (Bright Burn, American Horror Story) as Emilia Harcourt, who she's also playing in The Suicide Squad, and Chris Conrad (Perpetual Grace, LTD., Patriot) as the DC Comics character Vigilante/Adrian Chase. [caption id="attachment_2437047" align="alignnone" width="720"] (L to R): Danielle Brooks (Photo Credit: Matt Doyle), Robert Patrick (Photo Credit: Manfred Baumann), Jennifer Holland (Photo Credit: Dana Patrick), Chris Conrad (Photo Credit: Helen Palmaira)[/caption] HBO said details about the series are being kept under wraps, but that it will "explore the origins of the character that Cena will play in the upcoming film, a man who believes in peace at any cost — no matter how many people he has to kill to get it." James Gunn, who is directing The Suicide Squad where Cena's Peacemaker will make his debut, is writing all eight episodes of the HBO Max series and will direct some of them, including the pilot. Cena and Peter Safran will co-executive produce the series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=who-is-dcs-peacemaker-john-cenas-the-suicide-squad-character-explained&captions=true"] It's still unknown when the series will debut, but it's likely to be released after The Suicide Squad hits theaters on August 6, 2021. While waiting for the movie and Peacemaker, read about HBO Max's Justice League Dark series announced in May and then read about HBO Max's Green Lantern series. Also, be sure to watch this behind-the-scenes teaser for The Suicide Squad. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/the-suicide-squad-official-cast-reveal"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

SPOILERS ahead for Season 2 of The Mandalorian. [poilib element="accentDivider"] A Lucasfilm creative art manager has defended a recent episode of The Mandalorian that features a few instances of Baby Yoda eating a creature's eggs. The Season 2 episode "The Passenger" features a creature known as Frog Lady who carries around a tank of water and eggs. Mando is helping Frog Lady bring the eggs to her husband so they can be fertilized, but Baby Yoda helps himself to a few of them in a couple of scenes in the episode. After a Twitter backlash from some users, Phil Szostak, who is a creative art manager at Lucasfilm and author of some of the movies' Making Of books, defended the episode in a series of tweets on Monday.

For the record, Chapter 10 of #TheMandalorian makes it clear that the Frog Lady’s eggs are unfertilized, like the chicken eggs many of us enjoy. But obviously, chickens aren’t sentient beings and the Child eating the eggs is intentionally disturbing, for comedic effect.#StarWars https://t.co/Js51fLpE3C

— Phil Szostak (@PhilSzostak) November 9, 2020

"For the record, Chapter 10 of #TheMandalorian makes it clear that the Frog Lady’s eggs are unfertilized, like the chicken eggs many of us enjoy," Szostak wrote. "But obviously, chickens aren’t sentient beings and the Child eating the eggs is intentionally disturbing, for comedic effect." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/07/the-mandalorian-season-2-ep-2s-side-mission-means-more-than-you-think"] In another tweet, Szostak continued to defend the episode by saying that people are naturally going to react to "disturbing" jokes differently. "Fans of horror know that disturbing things make some of us laugh and some of us squirm, or both," Szostak tweeted. "Your mileage may vary." Lucasfilm and Disney clearly weren't prepared for any backlash as Entertainment Weekly points out that a Funko Pop toy of "The Child with Egg Canister" is now available for purchase. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-mandalorian-season-2&captions=true"] IGN's The Mandalorian: "The Passenger" review said the episode "is arguably the episode where Mando comes to realize what it truly means to be a parent - that it's not just about protecting your kid, but also making sure that they learn right from wrong and recognize that their actions have consequences." Anybody who has Xbox Game Pass can check out the episode since all Game Pass members can redeem a 30-day free trial of Disney+ for a limited time. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

Justice League director Zack Snyder has revealed that he has ideas for a potential sequel that could follow up his HBO Max miniseries. As Screen Rant reports, Snyder recently appeared as a special guest on a League of Mayhem Livestream from The Nerd Queens to discuss his version of Justice League, which will release in four parts on HBO Max in 2021. Over the course of the conversation, Snyder revealed that he already knows how the story would develop beyond the series for a potential Justice League 2. "What do I say to the world about, you know, what happens when Darkseid comes to Earth?" he quizzed. "Then what? You know, is that a thing? And I think, listen, the truth is that, did I write and did I have and conceive a complete... do I know what happens when Darkseid? Yes. I do know what happens. To say and to speculate about what that is, that would be exciting. I think that's a fine thing." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/23/justice-league-the-snyder-cut-trailer-breakdown"] Ray Porter's Darkseid is expected to be featured a few times during the Snyder Cut of Justice League. First, Diana will see him depicted in an ancient mural and then, it seems, a flashback will show us Darkseid leading the Parademons against the Greek gods, as his pre-Darkseid version Uxas. It's likely the uber-baddie will appear a few more times in the movie as well, especially after Steppenwolf's defeat. Darkseid's role is just one of many confirmed differences that the Snyder Cut will offer, check out our slideshow below for more or read our individual stories about the new design for Darkseid's herald Steppenwolf, Jared Leto returning to reprise his Joker role from Suicide Squad, and Joe Manganiello reprising the role of Deathstroke for the Justice League reshoots, which reportedly cost $70 Million. For more on The Snyder Cut in general, check out our deep dive into the legendary project's history. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=justice-league-snyder-cut-all-the-known-differences-from-the-theatrical-version&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The upcoming Mortal Kombat movie reboot has been delayed indefinitely, according to its producer. It will not be released until theaters have reopened nationwide. Mortal Kombat was originally scheduled to launch in March of 2021. As spotted by Game Informer, Mortal Kombat’s producer Todd Garner answered a fan question on Twitter regarding the possibility of new information about the reboot. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=meet-the-cast-of-the-mortal-kombat-reboot-movie&captions=true"] “We’d always planned for it & thought we’d do it in March. The pandemic had other plans,” Garner said. “We won’t have a release date for the movie until theaters re-open. Same for trailer.” Garner also confirmed that they are reshooting some portions of the film since there’s currently no solid release date. This is just one of dozens of films that have been impacted this year due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/17/mortal-kombats-jax-says-movie-will-have-grounded-realism-but-also-fatalities-ign-now] Although delays are never positive news, it’s probably best to wait until it’s safe to return to theaters. As we saw earlier this year, Christopher Nolan’s summer blockbuster Tenet underperformed at the domestic box office due to a majority of movie theaters being closed or operating at limited capacity. Hopefully, Mortal Kombat's cast and crew can use the additional time to iron out the kinks and perhaps deliver a faithful adaptation of the storied fighting franchise. For more Mortal Kombat action check out the history of its bizarre movie and TV adaptations and how the upcoming film will be grounded in realism. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, Reviews, and Wikis writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.

Videos of the Xbox Series X spewing smoke have seemingly been debunked as nothing more than a prank utilizing a vape. As Xbox Series X consoles begin making their way into people’s homes, videos have begun appearing showing them fume with smoke. But those videos appear to be pranks that can be easily fabricated with nothing more than an Xbox Series X and a vaporizer. As demonstrated in this tweet from @XboxStudio (Not an official Xbox-affiliated account), the chimney-like design of the Xbox Series makes funneling smoke from the back vent through the top vent with vape smoke fairly easy.

CANSADO de las FAKE NEWS.

Os dejo un video MIO explicando porque es Fake lo de la consola "Quemada" y como han logrado este efecto incluso estando la consola "APAGADA" pic.twitter.com/LfXzIBSu6N — Xbox Studio (@XboxStudio) November 11, 2020

One of the biggest rumors leading up to the launch of the Xbox Series X was that the console had an issue with overheating. IGN’s review, and others, have debunked these rumors using heat tests, but the smoking video seemingly capitalized on those rumors. IGN has also reached out to Xbox for comment. There are some real, day one, issues with the Xbox Series X regarding firmware compatibility with certain TVs. And Xbox Live was temporarily down yesterday preventing some users from properly setting up their consoles. But those are unrelated to any kind of overheating. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/05/xbox-series-x-review"] For more, check out IGN’s review of the Xbox Series X and our Xbox Series X wiki for new owners. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

A reference to the Avengers being on the West Coast in Marvel's Spider-Man appeared to have been removed from the remastered version, but it is actually still in the game and the dialogue may have just been cut short due to nearby crimes or activities. IGN alum and Kinda Funny co-founder Greg Miller shared the scene in the remastered version, which is triggered when Spider-Man takes a picture of New York's Avengers Tower, and it appears to remove part of Spidey's response from the original.

Interesting.

Spider-Man 2018 originally referenced the Avengers being on the West Coast in this scene. This year, the Avengers game saw the team based in San Francisco. Spider-Man Remastered on #PS5 no longer makes the West Coast reference. pic.twitter.com/W6zxNa4Jid — Greg Miller (@GameOverGreggy) November 11, 2020

In Marvel's Spider-Man, Spidey himself says "Avengers Tower, so cool! Too bad they’re never around to use it. They’re on the west coast or something. Probably surfing." IGN's Jonathon Dornbush also checked out this new scene, and he did have the line about the West Coast, but it did not have any mention of surfing.

Spidey does still say the line about the Avengers being on the west coast in #SpiderManRemastered on #PS5. pic.twitter.com/jRD0YVSHIx

— Jonathon Dornbush - Black Lives Matter (@jmdornbush) November 11, 2020

This variation in dialogue could be related to a ton of factors, including nearby crimes, Yuri or Otto calling Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson's podcast, and more. This potential change was thought to maybe avoid confusion with Marvel's Avengers, as a PlayStation-exclusive version of Spider-Man, which is different from Insomniac's Spider-Man, will be arriving in Square Enix's game in early 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/marvels-spider-man-remastered-ps4-pro-vs-ps5-graphics-comparison"] While this may not be a case, there was a pretty big example of Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered being changed from its original, as the face of Peter Parker has been completely replaced by a new actor, who also appears in Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered is part of the Ultimate Edition of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which is set to be released as a launch title for the PS5 tomorrow, November 12. In our review of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, we said it "may not be quite as packed with content as the original, but it stands out as an essential story in Insomniac’s Spidey Universe. It earns its spot as a fantastic follow-up, telling a wonderful Miles-specific story while improving upon the fundamentals of the first game with distinctive moves and enemies." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-spider-man-miles-morales-review-screenshots&captions=true"] [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.

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer says reports about Xbox discussing Japanese developer acquisitions are likely not correct.

IGN can exclusively reveal that Showtime's Halo TV series has recast its Cortana actress, bringing in Jen Taylor for the role. You'll know Taylor from her role as Cortana in all the mainline Halo games. Cortana, the AI that assists (and occasionally turns on) Master Chief throughout the game series, was originally due to be played on TV by Natascha McElhone, who was cast in a dual role, also playing Cortana's creator, Dr. Catherine Halsey. Due to scheduling difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, McElhone can no longer complete her work as Cortana - but will continue in the role of Halsey. [caption id="attachment_2436796" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cortana and Jen Taylor[/caption] Step in Jen Taylor, who reprises the role she's played in Halo 1, 2, 3, Reach, 4, 5, and as Microsoft's virtual assistant on Windows devices. Taylor has also played Catherine Halsey in the game series, but that won't be the case here. It's not yet clear if Taylor will play the role in-person, or lend her performance to a full CGI character. Taylor will join Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief, Danny Sapani and Olive Gray as Jacob and Miranda Keyes, Bokeem Woodbine as Soren-066, Shabana Azmi as Admiral Margaret Parangosky, and Bentley Kalu, Natasha Culzac and Kate Kennedy as three new Spartan characters. The Showtime series is being made in production with game developers 343 Industries and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. Peaky Blinders and Black Mirror director Otto Bathurst is due to direct and executive produce the 9-episode first season. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/01/10/the-halo-tv-series-what-we-want"] It's not totally clear what the show's plot will centre on, but Showtime explains that it will dramatise "an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. Halo will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future." One major deviation from the games may come in the form of seeing Master Chief's face, but that remains unconfirmed. Behind closed doors, we've seen Schreiber wearing the Chief's iconic armour, and can report that it looks fantastic. With the major players all now seemingly in place, all that's left to find out is when we'll actually be able to watch the show – a question we sadly still can't answer. [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.

The judge presiding over the Epic Games vs. Apple case has thrown out some of Apple's claims brought in a counter-suit against the makers of Fortnite.