Psyonix is adding new visual options for the Rocket League arena Neon Fields following reports from players of potential seizures. In early January, The Loadout reported on the neon-soaked new arena, noting that it was potentially causing seizures in some players. User psyonixistrynakillme made a post on the official Rocket League subreddit, which started "I am epileptic and the new map is giving me seizures. I've tried complaining on psyonix support and tweeting at them. Got no real answers than pretty much "Oops! Sorry!" So I made a reddit and hopefully my voice is heard here." Other members of the subreddit rallied around the post, bringing it to the attention of Psyonix, who replied to the thread in an attempt to speak to the poster. [caption id="attachment_2465964" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Neon Fields arena in Rocket League. Source: Psyonix[/caption] Players' voices haver clearly have been heard as the latest update announcement on the Rocket League blog talks about the new effects settings that will be added to the game on February 1. "Based on recent player feedback, we've become aware that the effects and lighting in Neon Fields can negatively impact the game experience for some players," the blog post reads. "Following the update, players will be able to change this setting to 'Default or 'Low.'" If players switch to the Low setting, pulsing effects, flashing lights, background light intensity and moving FX will be reduced or removed entirely when playing on Neon Fields. This will hopefully allow players who have been reporting the seizure-inducing effects to play the game once more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/rocket-league-season-2-trailer"] In other Rocket League news, the game recently made our list of the best games of the PS4/Xbox One generation. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

The release of Wonder Woman 1984 helped HBO Max to double the number of activated subscriptions on its platform in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to the third quarter. AT&T highlighted WarnerMedia in its report of fourth-quarter and full-year results, noting that HBO Max subscribers had doubled - to 17.2 million - in the fourth quarter of last year. In addition, the company acquired 41.5 million HBO and HBO Max subscribers in the US by the end of 2020, up from 34.6 million the previous year. Plus, HBO and HBO Max subscribers topped nearly 61 million worldwide in 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/26/wonder-woman-1984s-biggest-wtf-questions"] AT&T said that the 41 million-strong US subscriber count for HBO and HBO Max came two years faster than the company's initial forecasts. AT&T CEO John Stankey attributed these figures, in part, to the release of Wonder Woman 1984, the Patty Jenkins-directed superhero sequel starring Gal Gadot, which he said ultimately helped to "drive" the subscriber numbers up. Towards the end of the year, WarnerMedia also likely benefited from its long-awaited distribution deal with Roku, which resulted in HBO Max finally being rolled out to Roku-enabled devices after being unavailable for several months. The new agreement gave Roku owners the opportunity to download the HBO Max app and gain full access to its library, including Wonder Woman 1984. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-best-reviewed-movies-of-2020&captions=true"] As previously reported, HBO Max saw an estimated 554,000 users sign up from December 25 - Wonder Woman 1984's release date - to December 27. This figure included a record 244,000 downloads on December 27 alone. WarnerMedia also said that "nearly half" of its HBO Max subscribers watched Wonder Woman 1984 on the day of release. In our review of Wonder Woman 1984, we shared our belief that the Cold War-set sequel landed "exactly at a time that can benefit from it the most." We praised the movie for presenting "a nostalgic look back to a beloved time," which we felt ultimately provided "escapism from an exceptionally difficult year" and offered the "kind of bright and hopeful movie the character's legacy deserves." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Among a recent slew of exciting developer-acquires-major-franchise announcements, the one that really stands out as a truly natural fit is IO Interactive’s acquisition of the James Bond licence. It’s easy to see why this team is a perfect fit for the license – the developer’s recent Hitman games have oozed 007 energy, from their sharp suits and jet-setting missions to kill animations that are practically Moore-era one-liners in physical form. With Hitman 3, IO Interactive has effectively crossed the finish line on a three-part proof-of-concept for the iconic spy. In this final entry, we see all the tools necessary to not just make a great Bond game, but to continue the evolution of IOI’s design philosophy into more cinematic territory. The secret to that lies in Hitman 3’s unparalleled blend of sandbox level design, meticulously-crafted simulation, and emergent, player-driven storytelling. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/19/io-interactive-bond-game-project-007-teaser-trailer"] One of the hallmarks of all Bond stories – and, by extension, Bond games – is that they take place across a variety of exciting locations. This is perhaps what makes IOI so immediately recognisable as a great fit for 007: Hitman is a globe-hopping series. It takes Agent 47 to a wide variety of international locales, from the streets of Mumbai, to italian villas, to the extravagant parties of clandestine societies. But it’s how Hitman allows you to deploy your predatory skills in each of these unique arenas that really demonstrates IOI’s talent for the secret operative genre. The trilogy offers unparalleled freedom of approach, allowing you to infiltrate zones and eliminate targets in almost any method you can imagine. Intertwining groups of NPCs permit the ascension from backstreets to penthouse, such as disguising yourself as hotel staff to infiltrate a room and steal a socialite’s identity, which in turn allows you to blend in at a wealthy party. Exactly like Bond, Agent 47 uses a tuxedo as a keycard to grant access to his objective. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Challenges%20could%20be%20reconfigured%20for%20classically%20Bond%20methods%2C%20such%20as%20foiling%20a%20nuclear%20plot%20with%20a%20Q-Branch%20exploding%20pen."]With a target in sight, efficient, by-the-book players may choose to use Agent 47’s standard equipment, such as a simple pistol at close range, or perhaps a shot from a distant sniper nest. More creative killers, though, can find dastardly options throughout each environment. That may be an industrial grape presser in a wine factory, or an explosive golf ball placed just-so on a CEO’s driving range. A colossal number of in-game challenges encourages diverse applications of deadly force, and reward players handsomely for working out how to achieve them. It’s not hard to see how these could be reconfigured for classically Bond methods; points awarded for foiling a nuclear plot with a Q-Branch exploding pen, for example, or escaping a tricky situation by kicking a henchman into their own shark enclosure. However, complete freedom of approach can come at expense of narrative clarity. There’s a reason why many licensed games often play more like Uncharted or Gears than Minecraft or Breath of the Wild: linear mission design allows the experience to deliver a stronger curated story. Bond’s roots in books and films means that IOI will need to provide a compelling narrative for 007 – and that’s where Hitman’s Mission Stories come in; narrative threads that gently guide you through a chain of crafted moments and provide cinematic kill opportunities at the end. It's a system that adds some narrative depth, but still provides players the freedom to improvise as events unfold. All three of the recent Hitman games have featured these, but it’s in Hitman 3 that IO has refined the Mission Stories to the point of them being recognisable enough to be slotted into something more narrative-dependent. While the previous two games used the system to gradually nudge players to areas where cool moments could play out, Hitman 3 presents more cohesive, satisfying stories. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-hitman-review&captions=true"] Take, for instance, the Death In The Family mission from Hitman 3. It’s a level that sets players on a mission to assassinate a matriarch at her mansion, but upon arrival you discover that every member of her extended family are suspects in the recent death of her brother. While the aim of the level remains the extermination of this particularly wretched old lady, one Mission Story allows you to disguise yourself as a private investigator and solve the murder. The quest plays out as a perfect slice of Agatha Christie, complete with a hateful ensemble cast of suspects that seem like more than a knowing wink towards Rian Johnson’s Knives Out. When setting up the blueprints of a Bond game, it’s moments like this that provide an investigation angle that’s vital for fulfilling the spy fantasy. Replace interviewing shifty family members with digging for information across a poker table, and the quieter, more detail-focused moment’s of 007’s career are covered. Of course, what you then do with that information is a vital part of Hitman’s freeform mantra. At the Dartmoor estate, you can uncover the clues and solve the murder, all while adhering to honorable PI rules – or you can also be a ruthless scumbag, maiming the mansion’s staff in pursuit of some twisted idea of “justice”. Upon discovery of the murderer, you could take punishment into your own hands, or twist the case to meet your own ends. This freedom to react to the presented plot as you please would work well in a Bond situation, allowing players to craft 007 in their favoured image. Perhaps a suave Sean Connery, flirting his way to an efficient kill? Or a more brutal Daniel Craig, pulling a target aside half-way through the mission to drown them in a bathroom sink? Or, as Hitman has famously demonstrated its aptitude for, a Roger Moore-style approach using bombs disguised as rubber ducks and escaping the scene dressed as a clown. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Great%20shootouts%20and%20fun%20punch-ups%20will%20be%20mandatory%20for%20providing%20players%20the%20full%20Bond%20experience."]IOI has already confirmed that Project 007 will be an origin story and won’t be based on a specific Bond actor, which is a perfect opportunity to present the super spy as a blank slate for players to build into whatever their preferred version of the character is. The stronger Mission Stories presented in Hitman 3 successfully apply cinematic techniques to sandbox mission design, and further refinements to that system would allow for the polish we expect of a James Bond game – all while retaining the player-directed action that IOI has perfected. And with a new challenge system reformatted to reflect the greatest exploits of Britain's most famous spy (one for killing a bad guy with their own laser torture device, please) the pieces are practically all there already. Not every Bond trope has been covered perfectly by Hitman, though, meaning IOI will need to improve in some areas and tread new ground in others. While the trilogy has never shied away from letting you go full guns blazing, action is not Hitman’s forté, though the latest game has shown improvement in this department. The Berlin-set Apex Predator mission, which finds Agent 47 in an underground nightclub, effectively parallels the Red Circle Club scene from John Wick, despite being unable to replicate the film's kinetic energy. It makes up for sub-par gunplay by generating a predatory atmosphere as you stalk foes through neon-soaked crowds, your approach scored by a menacing, bass-heavy DJ set. These aesthetics emphasise the grimy violence of double-tapping a goon on a sweaty dance floor or smashing their face into a toilet bowl. That atmosphere could take Project 007 a long way, but great shootouts and fun punch-ups will be mandatory for providing players the full Bond experience. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/20/why-a-james-bond-007-game-from-the-hitman-team-has-major-potential"] Completely out of IOI’s established comfort zone, however, would be car chases. While not every movie has a big chase sequence, they’re enough of a Bond hallmark that it’s almost impossible to think of a 007 game without one. With minimal history in vehicles or racing, it’s hard to imagine how such a setpiece could fit in with the studio’s MO. A driving segment would have to offer multiple angles of approach, which seems impossible for cars without building an open world map – but if Hitman has proved anything, it’s that IOI is a resourceful studio with the capability to find inventive solutions. Its solution will no doubt be interesting, if not successful. It’s rare that we get trilogies of such consistently high standards in video games, and when we do it’s often sad to see developers move on. But with the World of Assassination trilogy complete, and all its achievements on show, it’s difficult to be upset about where IO Interactive is going next. The Hitman games are clearly as much a love letter to James Bond as they are a refinement of Agent 47’s own series, and so it’s fantastic to see the developers at IOI move on to something they so obviously cherish. Hitman 3 has proven the franchise is in more than capable hands, and hopefully the end result will mean IOI’s Bond is mentioned alongside Insomniac’s Spider-Man and Rocksteady’s Batman as an example of licensed games gone right. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

CD Projekt Red has begun releasing official modding support tools for Cyberpunk 2077, paving the way for more complex mods of the PC version. The official Cyberpunk 2077 mod support page explains that it will offer "official tools and resources that will help you modify and create your own experiences in the world of Cyberpunk 2077." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/08/5-best-pc-mods-to-help-fix-cyberpunk-2077"] Those tools tools are currently fairly limited, offering downloads of the game's metadata, and two utilities for listing game data and settings. There's nothing just yet that allows modders to easily unpack and edit the game's files, so this should be considered a first step on the road to official mods, rather than the beginning of a new influx. CDPR adds that, "Tools will be continuously updated alongside with game patches to ensure compatibility." It also encourages users to read the licence agreement before opting to use modding tools, presumably to ensure all users understand the guidelines around using third-party software in relation to CD Projekt's own creation. While official mod support is only just being added, the community has been producing mods for Cyberpunk 2077 since the game released in December last year. While generally simple, some successful mods so far include one that adds the smoggy atmosphere of Blade Runner to Night City, renders the game in a Borderlands-style cell shaded look, and a variety of others than improve the game. Arguably less successful is the Cyberpunk 2077 third person mod, which feels like it more so proves that the game should be played in first person than anything else. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Global Executive Editor of News. 

Netflix has released first-look images for Shadow and Bone, a new eight-episode fantasy series premiering on April 23. The new photos, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, offer fans an early glimpse at some of the characters in the series, including Kaz "Dirtyhands" Brekker, portrayed by Freddy Carter, who leads a gang known as the Dregs. Kaz is pictured alongside Inej Ghafa (Amita Suman), a dangerous spy operating on behalf of the ragtag crew, and Jesper Fahey (Kit Young), a sharpshooter who keeps one hand on his gun. In another picture, Inej, also known as The Wraith, is shown delicately gripping onto one of her many knives, which are all named after saints, whilst a further snapshot captures a warm embrace between Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), the series' central protagonist, and her childhood best friend, Malyen Oretsev (Archie Renaux), a gifted tracker and military man. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflix-spotlight-february-2021&captions=true"] Based on Leigh Bardugo's worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, Shadow and Bone will explore a war-torn world where Alina unleashes an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. However, with the monstrous threat of the Shadow Fold looming, Alina finds herself torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha. Ultimately, Alina struggles to hone her power, as she discovers that allies and enemies can be one and the same and that nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. There are dangerous forces at play, including a crew of charismatic criminals, and it will take more than magic to survive in this world that has been cleaved in two by a massive barrier of perpetual darkness. The Netflix series will combine the stories of the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology, both of which exist in the same universe, but take place across different timelines, meaning that fans of the two fantasy book series' will be able to witness the two stories come together to form a new cohesive narrative, with "certain characters meeting certain other characters" from the two timelines. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/16/the-10-best-reviewed-shows-on-netflix-in-2020"] "Shadow and Bone takes place in a very different kind of fantasy world," Bardugo explained. "Think Imperial Russia, not Medieval England, repeating rifles instead of broadswords. It's a story about the people who have been told how much they don't matter proving how much they do. And it's been incredible to see that story take shape on such an epic scale, the battles, the magic, but also the relationships between the characters." Speaking about the first-look images for the forthcoming Netflix adaptation, Bardugo added: "These photos give just a tiny hint at what's in store—a mapmaker with an extraordinary gift, the people who want to use her, the tracker who will do anything to protect her, and the team of thugs and thieves who are about to cause some very big trouble for everyone involved." "These photos offer a glimpse into the expansive, textured world Leigh created in her books," showrunner Eric Heisserer continued. "We worked tirelessly to craft a lived-in feel for fictional lands like Ketterdam and Ravka, with invented languages, uniforms, currency, and artistic choices from set design to costuming. You're immersed in the Grishaverse when you read, and it's our hope that both new and existing fans have that same feeling when they watch the show. The series has an incredibly passionate fanbase and we can't wait for new people to discover the magic that is Shadow and Bone." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflixs-the-witcher-season-2-photos&captions=true"] Shadow and Bone will debut on Netflix on April 23. The series follows in the footsteps of the streamer's wildly popular adaptation of The Witcher books, with The Witcher Season 2 also expected to premiere later this year. If you can't wait any longer, then you might want to read the first page of a script from the upcoming season or take a look at what we might be able to expect from the story this time. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Nintendo has revealed a new Monster Hunter Rise variant of the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Posted to Twitter by Nintendo of Europe, the special edition Monster Hunter Rise Nintendo Switch is adorned with a variety of runes and symbols relating to the game, with some engraved onto the back of the console. The Joy-Cons also feature golden accents, with the dock itself depicting the Magnamalo and raining fire. This Monster Hunter Rise #NintendoSwitch bundle (includes download code for #MHRise + Deluxe Kit DLC + bonus content) will be available on 26/03, alongside this special edition Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. pic.twitter.com/38qm3qPZF0

— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) January 27, 2021

According to the tweet, the Monster Hunter Rise Nintendo Switch bundle will include a download code for the game as well as "Deluxe Kit DLC + bonus content." The bundle and the Monster Hunter Rise Nintendo Switch Pro Controller will be available for purchase on the 26th of March to coincide with the game's release. In other Monster Hunter Rise news, Capcom is set to launch ultra-rare and golden Japan-only Monster Hunter Rise amiibo, available as part of a 7-Eleven promotion. If you want to figure out what version of the game to buy, check out our article rounding up all of the different editions of the game. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Bethesda has revealed The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood, a new story chapter that serves as a prequel to the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It will launch on separate dates in June for PC and consoles. Revealed in a livestream on the Bethesda Twitch channel, the chapter will launch on PC on June 1 and June 8 on consoles. Blackwood will task players with "uncovering the schemes of the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon," who served as the primary antagonist of Oblivion. 30 hours of story content is set to be added to the game, set over 800 years before the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/27/the-elder-scrolls-online-gates-of-oblivion-blackwood-expansion-trailer"] This update will also introduce Oblivion Portal World Events, quality-of-life features and a Companions system similar to the single-player Elder Scrolls games, where players will be able to recruit, develop and customize NPCs to fight alongside them. It's all part of a year-long 'Gates of Oblivion' content roadmap for Elder Scrolls Online. The expansion will send players to famous locations related to the fourth Elder Scrolls game, including Leyawiin and Blackwood itself, which is "caught between the Argonian homeland and Imperial province of Cyrodiil." The Blackwood narrative will kick off with the Flames of Ambition DLC, which adds new dungeons that "reveal the threat of Mehrunes Dagon". Flames of Ambition is set to launch on March 8 for PC, Mac and Stadia and March 16 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/the-elder-scrolls-online-gates-of-oblivion-cinematic-trailer"] Bethesda's stream also teased an "end-of-year story DLC" which will take players to the Deadlands, Mehrunes Dagon's personal realm. In other Bethesda news, a Naughty Dog veteran recently joined Elder Scrolls Online developer Zenimax Online to work on a "new, unannounced AAA IP." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Godzilla vs. Kong promises to be the first big blockbuster movie of 2021. And like any good blockbuster, there will be toys. IGN can exclusively reveal a new line of Funko POP figurines inspired by Godzilla vs. Kong, as the company applies its trademark cutesy vinyl approach to this epic monster movie mash-up. Revealed as part of the Funko Fair 2021 event, the Godzilla vs. Kong line will feature several variations on the two beasts. In addition to the traditional 4.5-inch POP scale, Funko will release oversized 10-inch figures and smaller POP Keychain figurines. You can check them all out in the slideshow gallery below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=godzilla-vs-kong-funko-pop-figures-revealed&captions=true"] Fans are waiting to see if any other monsters show up in Godzilla vs. Kong besides the titular duo. But assuming these two icons will eventually put aside their differences to fight a villain like Mechagodzilla. fans may have to wait longer before that battle is immortalized in Funk POP form. Funko also recently unveiled a line of Deadpool 30th Anniversary POP figures. You can preorder both series, along with other new reveals, through Walmart's Funko Fair 2021 portal [note - the Godzilla vs. Kong figures will be added at 8am PT on January 27]. Godzilla vs. Kong will debut in theaters and on HBO Max on March 31, several days later than its previous release date. For more on the new movie, check out our breakdown of every monster in the MonsterVerse and an explanation of why Kong is so much bigger in this sequel. Also, be sure to cast your vote and let us know who you think will win in this titanic matchup: [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=3cbd7961-dad2-44a2-8b3e-8cf1466039d8"] [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.

Microsoft has posted record profits this quarter, including a boom in its gaming sector which has revenues up 51%. The company as a whole posted a record-breaking $43.1 billion in revenue. In the most recent financial earnings report for the period ending on December 31, 2020, Microsoft shared that revenue increased by 17% to reach $43.1 billion and $15 billion in profit. As per the case for the last several quarters, profits were driven by Microsoft’s cloud platform, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t other successful ventures. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"] Hardware saw the biggest growth thanks to the launch of the Xbox Series X|S. Microsoft says the gaming hardware segment grew 86% thanks to the new hardware, though the company hasn’t shared exact numbers. Meanwhile, Microsoft reported that revenue has grown 51% overall in games, with Xbox content and services revenue up 40%. The growth has been attributed to third-party titles, Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, and first-party titles. News of Microsoft’s successful quarter has pushed up Microsoft stock. The success of the company is of course based on a broad array of product and offerings, not just gaming. Microsoft’s line encompasses software, apps, home computers, and more; while the R&D department dabbles in projects like putting servers underwater. For more, check out IGN’s review of the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S review, and details on a new Halo Infinite info drop later this week. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him @lawoftd on Twitter.