PlayStation’s new San Diego-based studio is working to “expand upon existing franchises”, according to the LinkedIn profile of the studio’s former head. Michael Mumbauer worked at PlayStation as Studio Head until November 2020. In the segment of his profile detailing his work with the new San Diego team, Mumbauer writes: “His latest achievement is having built a brand new, all-star, AAA Action/Adventure development team for Playstation. Based in San Diego and utilizing proprietary engine technology, this team was assembled to expand upon existing franchises and craft all new stories for the next generation of gamers.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/05/31/uncharted-5-predictions-beyond"] As to what those existing franchises could be, there have been rumours for a while that PlayStation has been working on a partnership with Naughty Dog to continue the Uncharted series. Nothing official is available to confirm that this new development team is working on an Uncharted game, but there is an unusual and interesting wrinkle... In the ‘Featured’ section of Mumbauer’s LinkedIn profile, between videos of a keynote presentation and GDC talk from him, is a video from YouTuber RobinGaming about Sony “secretly” creating a studio to make Uncharted 5. The ‘Featured’ section of a LinkedIn profile is filled in by the profile owner themselves, and so this Uncharted 5 theory video has been purposefully placed there by Mumbauer. This is, of course, by no means an official confirmation of the rumour, but is an interesting detail all the same. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-2021-games-with-confirmed-release-dates&captions=true"] As for this new development team, it should not be confused with San Diego Studio, Sony’s first-party development house that has spent much of its lifetime dedicated to creating installments of MLB The Show. Instead, this new San Diego-based studio is a new assembly that has yet to be officially announced. For more on PlayStation Studios, take a look at the news of the upcoming God of War Ragnarok, PS5 exclusive Returnal dropping in March, and the discussion of PS5’s 2021 lineup. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

PlayStation’s new San Diego-based studio is working to “expand upon existing franchises”, according to the LinkedIn profile of the studio’s former head. Michael Mumbauer worked at PlayStation as Studio Head until November 2020. In the segment of his profile detailing his work with the new San Diego team, Mumbauer writes: “His latest achievement is having built a brand new, all-star, AAA Action/Adventure development team for Playstation. Based in San Diego and utilizing proprietary engine technology, this team was assembled to expand upon existing franchises and craft all new stories for the next generation of gamers.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/05/31/uncharted-5-predictions-beyond"] As to what those existing franchises could be, there have been rumours for a while that PlayStation has been working on a partnership with Naughty Dog to continue the Uncharted series. Nothing official is available to confirm that this new development team is working on an Uncharted game, but there is an unusual and interesting wrinkle... In the ‘Featured’ section of Mumbauer’s LinkedIn profile, between videos of a keynote presentation and GDC talk from him, is a video from YouTuber RobinGaming about Sony “secretly” creating a studio to make Uncharted 5. The ‘Featured’ section of a LinkedIn profile is filled in by the profile owner themselves, and so this Uncharted 5 theory video has been purposefully placed there by Mumbauer. This is, of course, by no means an official confirmation of the rumour, but is an interesting detail all the same. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-2021-games-with-confirmed-release-dates&captions=true"] As for this new development team, it should not be confused with San Diego Studio, Sony’s first-party development house that has spent much of its lifetime dedicated to creating installments of MLB The Show. Instead, this new San Diego-based studio is a new assembly that has yet to be officially announced. For more on PlayStation Studios, take a look at the news of the upcoming God of War Ragnarok, PS5 exclusive Returnal dropping in March, and the discussion of PS5’s 2021 lineup. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Matt Damon has reportedly landed in Australia to quarantine for two weeks ahead of production on Thor: Love and Thunder. As reported by local news outlet News.com.au, Damon and his family were spotted disembarking a private jet in Sydney on Sunday before they reportedly moved into a private facility to undertake a mandatory 14-day quarantine to help prevent any potential spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Once the isolation period elapses, it's believed that Damon will head out for the Thor 4 shoot. "I'm so excited that my family and I will be able to call Australia home for the next few months," Damon reportedly said in a statement to the local press on his arrival in the country, per CNET. "Australian film crews are world-renowned for their professionalism and are a joy to work with so the 14 days of quarantine will be well worth it." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/24/thor-can-love-and-thunder-redeem-jane-foster-the-way-ragnarok-did-thor"] Damon's alleged role in the movie remains a mystery, though it's worth noting that he previously made a very brief appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, playing an Asgardian actor portraying the God of Mischief in a stage play. It's unknown whether he will have an expanded role in Taika Waititi's next movie, which has been reported as being almost like an Avengers 5 due to its large cast. The all-star ensemble features the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Chris Pratt, Tessa Thompson, and Christian Bale as the villainous Gorr the God Butcher. Waititi will also once again voice Thor's alien pal Korg in the movie, which is currently slated for release on May 6, 2022. It will follow Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and many more in the MCU's Phase 4. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] For more on the studio's future slate of projects and releases, read our breakdown of the biggest and most noteworthy developments in the MCU, on Disney+ and in Marvel's comics this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Matt Damon has reportedly landed in Australia to quarantine for two weeks ahead of production on Thor: Love and Thunder. As reported by local news outlet News.com.au, Damon and his family were spotted disembarking a private jet in Sydney on Sunday before they reportedly moved into a private facility to undertake a mandatory 14-day quarantine to help prevent any potential spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Once the isolation period elapses, it's believed that Damon will head out for the Thor 4 shoot. "I'm so excited that my family and I will be able to call Australia home for the next few months," Damon reportedly said in a statement to the local press on his arrival in the country, per CNET. "Australian film crews are world-renowned for their professionalism and are a joy to work with so the 14 days of quarantine will be well worth it." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/24/thor-can-love-and-thunder-redeem-jane-foster-the-way-ragnarok-did-thor"] Damon's alleged role in the movie remains a mystery, though it's worth noting that he previously made a very brief appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, playing an Asgardian actor portraying the God of Mischief in a stage play. It's unknown whether he will have an expanded role in Taika Waititi's next movie, which has been reported as being almost like an Avengers 5 due to its large cast. The all-star ensemble features the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Chris Pratt, Tessa Thompson, and Christian Bale as the villainous Gorr the God Butcher. Waititi will also once again voice Thor's alien pal Korg in the movie, which is currently slated for release on May 6, 2022. It will follow Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and many more in the MCU's Phase 4. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] For more on the studio's future slate of projects and releases, read our breakdown of the biggest and most noteworthy developments in the MCU, on Disney+ and in Marvel's comics this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

STALKER 2 developer GSC Game World has announced that its long awaited sequel will come to Xbox Game Pass on the day of launch, and will feature both ray tracing technology and 4K resolution support. In a new update on the Xbox Wire blog, GSC said "you can be confident the game will come to Xbox Game Pass on day one." Additionally, the studio detailed the current progress of the game. "We’re progressing smoothly, including Xbox Series X|S versions as well. The aim is to deliver the product of the highest quality possible on every platform it’s announced for. With fast SSD, RTX support (both Series X and S) and 4K-resolution (Series X), we’re pleased to see how S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is shaping up to be the ultimate experience we’ve initially promised." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/30/stalker-2-official-in-engine-gameplay-teaser"] Based on the in-engine trailer released in December last year, it seemed pretty much guaranteed that STALKER 2 would be pushing the graphical envelope. It's nice to now have a guarantee that ray tracing will be available on all formats, and 4K on both Xbox Series X and PC. Finally, the post also revealed that STALKER 2's protagonist has the codename Skif. While nothing further has been revealed about Skif, GSC promises that "His actions will shape the new grand chapter in the history of the Zone." Little else is known about STALKER 2, but you can check out the first screenshot and the original Xbox announcement, as well as how the studio's boss announced STALKER 2 without consulting anyone. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

STALKER 2 developer GSC Game World has announced that its long awaited sequel will come to Xbox Game Pass on the day of launch, and will feature both ray tracing technology and 4K resolution support. In a new update on the Xbox Wire blog, GSC said "you can be confident the game will come to Xbox Game Pass on day one." Additionally, the studio detailed the current progress of the game. "We’re progressing smoothly, including Xbox Series X|S versions as well. The aim is to deliver the product of the highest quality possible on every platform it’s announced for. With fast SSD, RTX support (both Series X and S) and 4K-resolution (Series X), we’re pleased to see how S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is shaping up to be the ultimate experience we’ve initially promised." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/30/stalker-2-official-in-engine-gameplay-teaser"] Based on the in-engine trailer released in December last year, it seemed pretty much guaranteed that STALKER 2 would be pushing the graphical envelope. It's nice to now have a guarantee that ray tracing will be available on all formats, and 4K on both Xbox Series X and PC. Finally, the post also revealed that STALKER 2's protagonist has the codename Skif. While nothing further has been revealed about Skif, GSC promises that "His actions will shape the new grand chapter in the history of the Zone." Little else is known about STALKER 2, but you can check out the first screenshot and the original Xbox announcement, as well as how the studio's boss announced STALKER 2 without consulting anyone. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

WandaVision director Matt Shakman and President of Marvel Studios Kevin Fiege had lunch with TV legend Dick Van Dyke - who is also a consultant on Disney+ series - and while he helped set the tone of WandaVision, he also was a bit oblivious to the massive success of the MCU. Shakman spoke with ET about WandaVision and his lunch at Disneyland's Club 33 with Dick Van Dyke - who was the star of The Dick Van Dyke Show and many other classic films - and ET asked Shakman how well-versed Van Dyke was in the MCU. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/16/wandavision-heres-whos-doing-this-to-wanda-and-vision-mcu-canon-fodder"] "We did have to give him the explanation, and he didn't seem to be too fluent with the MCU," Shakman said. "It was great. He did say at one point during our lunch, "Oh, I hear you guys have had some great success. That's wonderful. Congratulations. What did you just put out?" And Kevin, who's great, obviously Kevin is this mastermind of this incredible creative endeavor that's had so much success, he said, "Well, yes, well, we just put out Avengers: Endgame." And [Dick] was like, "Oh, Avengers: Endgame? Oh, great. Fantastic." He said, "Yep, it's actually the biggest movie of all time." "Oh, great. Is it-- What! The biggest movie of all time?!" He was like, "That's amazing!" It was so sweet to see Kevin realize and Dick realized what they were talking about. It was really fun." Shakman then continued to say how they met with Van Dyke when they were already in pre-production of WandaVision and had yet to start shooting. However, he still helped immensely in making WandaVision what it is today. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-all-the-marvel-and-tv-easter-eggs-in-every-episode&captions=true"] "We were many months into pre-production at that point already, but we had yet to start shooting," Shakman said. "So, a lot of the things that I took from that lunch really did affect how we approached especially our pilot episode, which is sort of an homage to The Dick Van Dyke Show, as well as I Love Lucy and some of the other sitcoms of that era. But we learned from Dick Van Dyke that their number one rule for how they approached anything was that if it couldn't happen in real life, it can't happen on the show. Which is this idea that you need to ground what you're doing in real-life stories, but then that gives you the permission to be incredibly silly and to fall over the ottoman and do pratfalls. That was very helpful in how we approached the tone of it, because getting the tone right is the hardest thing in the '50s, the '60s, the '70s. It changes. It adjusts. What is funny? How far does comedy go? I mean, Archie Bunker and Dick Van Dyke are very different, and yet they're both hilarious. Their humor is timeless, and yet very different. Archie Bunker would never do a pratfall over an ottoman, right? And so, it's just about figuring out how you put your finger on that and how as actors, Paul, Lizzie and the rest of this amazing cast, could put their finger on that as well and calibrate." As to whether or not Van Dyke may make a cameo in WandaVision, Shakman wasn't ready to confirm one way or another, saying "Gotcha. I couldn't possibly say. [Laughs] Couldn't possibly say!" [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/15/wandavision-episodes-1-and-2-review"] For more on WandaVision, check out our review of the first two episodes, our explainer on who the secret agency may be in the show, and where WandaVision takes place in the MCU timeline. Image Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images [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.

WandaVision director Matt Shakman and President of Marvel Studios Kevin Fiege had lunch with TV legend Dick Van Dyke - who is also a consultant on Disney+ series - and while he helped set the tone of WandaVision, he also was a bit oblivious to the massive success of the MCU. Shakman spoke with ET about WandaVision and his lunch at Disneyland's Club 33 with Dick Van Dyke - who was the star of The Dick Van Dyke Show and many other classic films - and ET asked Shakman how well-versed Van Dyke was in the MCU. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/16/wandavision-heres-whos-doing-this-to-wanda-and-vision-mcu-canon-fodder"] "We did have to give him the explanation, and he didn't seem to be too fluent with the MCU," Shakman said. "It was great. He did say at one point during our lunch, "Oh, I hear you guys have had some great success. That's wonderful. Congratulations. What did you just put out?" And Kevin, who's great, obviously Kevin is this mastermind of this incredible creative endeavor that's had so much success, he said, "Well, yes, well, we just put out Avengers: Endgame." And [Dick] was like, "Oh, Avengers: Endgame? Oh, great. Fantastic." He said, "Yep, it's actually the biggest movie of all time." "Oh, great. Is it-- What! The biggest movie of all time?!" He was like, "That's amazing!" It was so sweet to see Kevin realize and Dick realized what they were talking about. It was really fun." Shakman then continued to say how they met with Van Dyke when they were already in pre-production of WandaVision and had yet to start shooting. However, he still helped immensely in making WandaVision what it is today. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-all-the-marvel-and-tv-easter-eggs-in-every-episode&captions=true"] "We were many months into pre-production at that point already, but we had yet to start shooting," Shakman said. "So, a lot of the things that I took from that lunch really did affect how we approached especially our pilot episode, which is sort of an homage to The Dick Van Dyke Show, as well as I Love Lucy and some of the other sitcoms of that era. But we learned from Dick Van Dyke that their number one rule for how they approached anything was that if it couldn't happen in real life, it can't happen on the show. Which is this idea that you need to ground what you're doing in real-life stories, but then that gives you the permission to be incredibly silly and to fall over the ottoman and do pratfalls. That was very helpful in how we approached the tone of it, because getting the tone right is the hardest thing in the '50s, the '60s, the '70s. It changes. It adjusts. What is funny? How far does comedy go? I mean, Archie Bunker and Dick Van Dyke are very different, and yet they're both hilarious. Their humor is timeless, and yet very different. Archie Bunker would never do a pratfall over an ottoman, right? And so, it's just about figuring out how you put your finger on that and how as actors, Paul, Lizzie and the rest of this amazing cast, could put their finger on that as well and calibrate." As to whether or not Van Dyke may make a cameo in WandaVision, Shakman wasn't ready to confirm one way or another, saying "Gotcha. I couldn't possibly say. [Laughs] Couldn't possibly say!" [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/15/wandavision-episodes-1-and-2-review"] For more on WandaVision, check out our review of the first two episodes, our explainer on who the secret agency may be in the show, and where WandaVision takes place in the MCU timeline. Image Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images [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.

Those who own Hitman and Hitman 2 on PC will be able to import locations into Hitman 3 for free, although not at launch. IO Interactive announced the news on Twitter and revealed that, even though the import feature won't be available on January 20 when the PC version launches exclusively on the Epic Games Store, the Hitman 1 GOTY Access Pass will be free to all players who pre-purchase or purchase Hitman 3 in the first 10 days after release to help make up for it. IO Interactive assures that players will not need to repurchase these older games and that the import feature will be available in "the coming weeks." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=hitman-3-all-locations-in-game&captions=true"] As of this writing, only Hitman and Hitman 3 are available for purchase/pre-purchase on the Epic Games Store, and there is currently no way to show that you purchased Hitman 2 from another store. As detailed in Hitman 3's pre-launch guide, players will be able to carryover their progression from Hitman 2 at launch through a web browser. While that process hasn't been detailed yet, it will require an IOI Account. For those who don't own a previous version of Hitman and wish to play previous levels in Hitman 3, Access Passes for both Hitman and Hitman 2 will be available for purchase. Furthermore, there will an 80% discount on the Access Passes on the Epic Games Store for the first 14 days after launch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/08/hitman-3-the-final-preview"] Luckily, console players don't have to worry about any of this and will be able to take advantage of previous levels if they own Hitman and/or Hitman 2 at release. For more on Hitman 3, check out every location that will appear in the game and our final preview. [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.

Those who own Hitman and Hitman 2 on PC will be able to import locations into Hitman 3 for free, although not at launch. IO Interactive announced the news on Twitter and revealed that, even though the import feature won't be available on January 20 when the PC version launches exclusively on the Epic Games Store, the Hitman 1 GOTY Access Pass will be free to all players who pre-purchase or purchase Hitman 3 in the first 10 days after release to help make up for it. IO Interactive assures that players will not need to repurchase these older games and that the import feature will be available in "the coming weeks." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=hitman-3-all-locations-in-game&captions=true"] As of this writing, only Hitman and Hitman 3 are available for purchase/pre-purchase on the Epic Games Store, and there is currently no way to show that you purchased Hitman 2 from another store. As detailed in Hitman 3's pre-launch guide, players will be able to carryover their progression from Hitman 2 at launch through a web browser. While that process hasn't been detailed yet, it will require an IOI Account. For those who don't own a previous version of Hitman and wish to play previous levels in Hitman 3, Access Passes for both Hitman and Hitman 2 will be available for purchase. Furthermore, there will an 80% discount on the Access Passes on the Epic Games Store for the first 14 days after launch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/08/hitman-3-the-final-preview"] Luckily, console players don't have to worry about any of this and will be able to take advantage of previous levels if they own Hitman and/or Hitman 2 at release. For more on Hitman 3, check out every location that will appear in the game and our final preview. [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.