Hitman 3 - Cloud Version for Nintendo Switch will be released on January 20, 2021 - the same day as PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia. Announced on Twitter by IO Interactive, Hitman 3 - Cloud Version is the exact same version as the other platforms, but is a cloud-based version that requires a persistent internet connection to play. Hitman 3 - Cloud Version was revealed at the Nintendo Direct Mini in October 2020 and follows Control's Cloud Version that was released following that same Nintendo Direct Mini. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/28/hitman-3-nintendo-switch-announcement"] Ahead of its release, we were able to get one final preview of Hitman 3, in which we said "Hitman 3’s sandbox is vast and filled with many toys. Sure, it still has some cheesy dialogue and voice acting, as well as some goofy animations, but overall I’m extremely impressed by what I’ve played so far." Hitman 3 is the end of the trilogy that began with the first Hitman in 2016. Alongside taking Agent 47 to new locations like Chongqing, this new game will also bring the rendering, animation, and AI upgrades of Hitman 3 to the missions of Hitman 1 and 2, which are available free of charge to owners of the previous entries. For more on Hitman 3, check out every location in the game and how you can play the entire Hitman Trilogy in VR. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/08/hitman-3-the-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.

Hitman 3 - Cloud Version for Nintendo Switch will be released on January 20, 2021 - the same day as PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia. Announced on Twitter by IO Interactive, Hitman 3 - Cloud Version is the exact same version as the other platforms, but is a cloud-based version that requires a persistent internet connection to play. Hitman 3 - Cloud Version was revealed at the Nintendo Direct Mini in October 2020 and follows Control's Cloud Version that was released following that same Nintendo Direct Mini. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/28/hitman-3-nintendo-switch-announcement"] Ahead of its release, we were able to get one final preview of Hitman 3, in which we said "Hitman 3’s sandbox is vast and filled with many toys. Sure, it still has some cheesy dialogue and voice acting, as well as some goofy animations, but overall I’m extremely impressed by what I’ve played so far." Hitman 3 is the end of the trilogy that began with the first Hitman in 2016. Alongside taking Agent 47 to new locations like Chongqing, this new game will also bring the rendering, animation, and AI upgrades of Hitman 3 to the missions of Hitman 1 and 2, which are available free of charge to owners of the previous entries. For more on Hitman 3, check out every location in the game and how you can play the entire Hitman Trilogy in VR. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/08/hitman-3-the-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.

Adam Badowski, the studio head of CD Projekt Red, has responded to a recent report regarding Cyberpunk 2077's alleged fake E3 demo and development issues. Badowski took to Twitter to respond to certain points of a report by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier about Cyberpunk 2077, and first addressed the claim that the E3 demo was "entirely fake." "It's hard for a trade show game demo not to be a test of vision or vertical slice two years before the game ships, but that doesn't mean it's fake," Badowski wrote. "Compare the demo with the game. Look at the Dumdum scene or car chase, or the many other things. What the people reading your article may not know is that games are not made in a linear fashion and start looking like the final product only a few months before launch. If you look at that demo now, it's different yes, but that's what the 'work in progress' watermark is for. Our final game looks and plays way better than what that demo ever was. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/cyberpunk-2077-cd-projekts-commitment-to-quality"] "As for 'missing' features, that's part of the creation process. Features come and go as we see if they work or not. Also, car ambushes exist in the final game almost verbatim to what we showed in the demo. And if we get a bit more granular about our release, the vision we presented in this demo evolved into something that got multiple 9/10s and 10/10s on PC from many renown gaming outlets in the world. As for the old-gen consoles, yes that is another case, but we've owned up to that and are working super hard to eliminate bugs (on PC, too - we know that's not a perfect version either) and we are proud of Cyberpunk 2077 as a game and artistic vision. This all is not what I'd call disastrous." Badowski then responded to the claim that many Cyberpunk 2077 developers knew the game would not be ready for release in 2020. "You've talked with 20 people, some being ex employees, only 1 of whom is not anonymous," Badowski said. "I wouldn't call that 'most' of the over 500-people staff openly said what you claim." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/08/5-best-pc-mods-to-help-fix-cyberpunk-2077"] Lastly, Badowski addressed the claim that Polish-speaking employees would speak Polish in front of non-Polish staffers, which "violated company rules" and made them feel "ostracized." "Everyone here speaks English during meetings, every company-wide email and announcement is in English - all that is mandatory," Badowski explained. "Rule of thumb is to switch to English when there's a person not speaking a given language in a casual conversation. It is, however, pretty normal for Germans speaking German, Poles speaking Polish, Spaniards speaking Spanish etc. (there are 44 nationalities at the studio, you get the point) when there's no one else around. We are working in a multicultural environment. If the question is if it's hard to move to another country, sometimes culture, and work and live there, then the answer is yes. But that's universal to every company all over the world, and we're doing what we can to ease that transition." Schreier responded to Badowski's message, saying that "CD Projekt chose not to respond to specific questions or make Badowski available for our article, so it's interesting to see these comments arriving now." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/18/sony-pulls-cyberpunk-2077-from-ps-store-will-offer-refunds"] He also mentioned that he does regret bringing up the language issue, as it has gotten a "disproportionate amount of attention and is not a particularly big deal," but also notes that Badowski did not address the "brutal crunch and the unrealistic timeline." For more on Cyberpunk 2077, check out CD Projekt Red co-founder Marcin Iwiński's public apology for Cyberpunk 2077's rocky launch and how he claims that the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S next-gen update will arrive in the "second half" of 2021. [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.

Adam Badowski, the studio head of CD Projekt Red, has responded to a recent report regarding Cyberpunk 2077's alleged fake E3 demo and development issues. Badowski took to Twitter to respond to certain points of a report by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier about Cyberpunk 2077, and first addressed the claim that the E3 demo was "entirely fake." "It's hard for a trade show game demo not to be a test of vision or vertical slice two years before the game ships, but that doesn't mean it's fake," Badowski wrote. "Compare the demo with the game. Look at the Dumdum scene or car chase, or the many other things. What the people reading your article may not know is that games are not made in a linear fashion and start looking like the final product only a few months before launch. If you look at that demo now, it's different yes, but that's what the 'work in progress' watermark is for. Our final game looks and plays way better than what that demo ever was. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/cyberpunk-2077-cd-projekts-commitment-to-quality"] "As for 'missing' features, that's part of the creation process. Features come and go as we see if they work or not. Also, car ambushes exist in the final game almost verbatim to what we showed in the demo. And if we get a bit more granular about our release, the vision we presented in this demo evolved into something that got multiple 9/10s and 10/10s on PC from many renown gaming outlets in the world. As for the old-gen consoles, yes that is another case, but we've owned up to that and are working super hard to eliminate bugs (on PC, too - we know that's not a perfect version either) and we are proud of Cyberpunk 2077 as a game and artistic vision. This all is not what I'd call disastrous." Badowski then responded to the claim that many Cyberpunk 2077 developers knew the game would not be ready for release in 2020. "You've talked with 20 people, some being ex employees, only 1 of whom is not anonymous," Badowski said. "I wouldn't call that 'most' of the over 500-people staff openly said what you claim." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/08/5-best-pc-mods-to-help-fix-cyberpunk-2077"] Lastly, Badowski addressed the claim that Polish-speaking employees would speak Polish in front of non-Polish staffers, which "violated company rules" and made them feel "ostracized." "Everyone here speaks English during meetings, every company-wide email and announcement is in English - all that is mandatory," Badowski explained. "Rule of thumb is to switch to English when there's a person not speaking a given language in a casual conversation. It is, however, pretty normal for Germans speaking German, Poles speaking Polish, Spaniards speaking Spanish etc. (there are 44 nationalities at the studio, you get the point) when there's no one else around. We are working in a multicultural environment. If the question is if it's hard to move to another country, sometimes culture, and work and live there, then the answer is yes. But that's universal to every company all over the world, and we're doing what we can to ease that transition." Schreier responded to Badowski's message, saying that "CD Projekt chose not to respond to specific questions or make Badowski available for our article, so it's interesting to see these comments arriving now." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/18/sony-pulls-cyberpunk-2077-from-ps-store-will-offer-refunds"] He also mentioned that he does regret bringing up the language issue, as it has gotten a "disproportionate amount of attention and is not a particularly big deal," but also notes that Badowski did not address the "brutal crunch and the unrealistic timeline." For more on Cyberpunk 2077, check out CD Projekt Red co-founder Marcin Iwiński's public apology for Cyberpunk 2077's rocky launch and how he claims that the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S next-gen update will arrive in the "second half" of 2021. [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.

Cyberpunk 2077 was 2020’s hottest game, and it was shaping up to be a good enough launch when reviews for the PC version began trickling out a few days before its December 12 release date. But once players got their hands on Cyberpunk 2077, especially the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, excitement turned into frustration as players encountered bugs, glitches, and more. In a report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, developers at CD Projekt Red knew the game was not ready for launch in 2020. According to one developer, "they expected the game to be ready in 2022," based on the progress the team was making back in 2019. Beyond just bugs and glitches, Cyberpunk 2077’s overall performance and playability on consoles like the base PS4 and Xbox One have been reviled. IGN gave the console versions of Cyberpunk 2077, specifically, a four in its review. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/cyberpunk-2077-graphics-comparison-ps5-vs-ps4-base-model"] One hurdle was that the developers tried to develop the engine and the game simultaneously, a decision one developer on Cyberpunk says was like "trying to drive a train while the tracks are being laid in front of you at the same time," according to Bloomberg. Cyberpunk 2077’s console versions, not the PC version, have been hammered by players for glitches and bugs, some bugs which are game-breaking and end up crashing the entire game or sometimes the system it’s being played on. Developers seemingly pushed through challenges by believing they could overcome these obstacles themselves, similar to the infamous "BioWare Magic," but Cyberpunk 2077 was also developed through periods of intense crunch. In a follow-up tweet, Schreier claims that despite promises from management that crunch would not be required, some managers guilted employees into working more hours by saying other employees will work longer to pick up the slack. Salaries were also reportedly low, with one junior programmer reportedly making around $700 a month. In a video message to the public earlier this week CD Projekt Red co-founder Marcin Iwiński says improving the performance of Cyberpunk 2077 is now the studio’s number one priority, pushing back the launch of the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X version and planned free DLC. It should be noted that current PS5 and Series X players are actually playing backward-compatible versions of the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Cyberpunk. But during this message, Iwiński claimed that CDPR’s internal testing did not show many of the bugs and issues players eventually encountered on consoles. A statement some on social media says does a disservice to QA Testers, whose jobs it is to find and evaluate bugs and performance issues. As for why early previews of Cyberpunk 2077 demoed to the public at events like E3 2019 looked better than the final product, that's because the demo was "entirely fake," according to the report. Neither code nor the gameplay was finalized when the demo was made, and months spent working on the fake demo took away from developing the full game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/09/cyberpunk-2077-keanu-reeves-reveal-trailer-e3-2019"] The backlash has led CDPR to offer an unprecedented full-refund policy for Cyberpunk 2077. But while Sony says it will honor the refunds, it also announced it will remove digital copies of Cyberpunk 2077 from the PSN store until its issues are resolved. Furthermore, CDPR faces class-action lawsuits over misrepresenting the game to consumers, and the company is under investigation from consumer advocacy groups over claims the product is not indicative of what was promised. Nevertheless, Cyberpunk 2077 sold over 13 million copies, despite the refunds, and managed to fully recoup its development and marketing costs. Read the full story at Bloomberg. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Cyberpunk 2077 was 2020’s hottest game, and it was shaping up to be a good enough launch when reviews for the PC version began trickling out a few days before its December 12 release date. But once players got their hands on Cyberpunk 2077, especially the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, excitement turned into frustration as players encountered bugs, glitches, and more. In a report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, developers at CD Projekt Red knew the game was not ready for launch in 2020. According to one developer, "they expected the game to be ready in 2022," based on the progress the team was making back in 2019. Beyond just bugs and glitches, Cyberpunk 2077’s overall performance and playability on consoles like the base PS4 and Xbox One have been reviled. IGN gave the console versions of Cyberpunk 2077, specifically, a four in its review. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/cyberpunk-2077-graphics-comparison-ps5-vs-ps4-base-model"] One hurdle was that the developers tried to develop the engine and the game simultaneously, a decision one developer on Cyberpunk says was like "trying to drive a train while the tracks are being laid in front of you at the same time," according to Bloomberg. Cyberpunk 2077’s console versions, not the PC version, have been hammered by players for glitches and bugs, some bugs which are game-breaking and end up crashing the entire game or sometimes the system it’s being played on. Developers seemingly pushed through challenges by believing they could overcome these obstacles themselves, similar to the infamous "BioWare Magic," but Cyberpunk 2077 was also developed through periods of intense crunch. In a follow-up tweet, Schreier claims that despite promises from management that crunch would not be required, some managers guilted employees into working more hours by saying other employees will work longer to pick up the slack. Salaries were also reportedly low, with one junior programmer reportedly making around $700 a month. In a video message to the public earlier this week CD Projekt Red co-founder Marcin Iwiński says improving the performance of Cyberpunk 2077 is now the studio’s number one priority, pushing back the launch of the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X version and planned free DLC. It should be noted that current PS5 and Series X players are actually playing backward-compatible versions of the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Cyberpunk. But during this message, Iwiński claimed that CDPR’s internal testing did not show many of the bugs and issues players eventually encountered on consoles. A statement some on social media says does a disservice to QA Testers, whose jobs it is to find and evaluate bugs and performance issues. As for why early previews of Cyberpunk 2077 demoed to the public at events like E3 2019 looked better than the final product, that's because the demo was "entirely fake," according to the report. Neither code nor the gameplay was finalized when the demo was made, and months spent working on the fake demo took away from developing the full game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/09/cyberpunk-2077-keanu-reeves-reveal-trailer-e3-2019"] The backlash has led CDPR to offer an unprecedented full-refund policy for Cyberpunk 2077. But while Sony says it will honor the refunds, it also announced it will remove digital copies of Cyberpunk 2077 from the PSN store until its issues are resolved. Furthermore, CDPR faces class-action lawsuits over misrepresenting the game to consumers, and the company is under investigation from consumer advocacy groups over claims the product is not indicative of what was promised. Nevertheless, Cyberpunk 2077 sold over 13 million copies, despite the refunds, and managed to fully recoup its development and marketing costs. Read the full story at Bloomberg. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

As the movie industry continues to play musical chairs with release dates, Godzilla vs. Kong is actually bumping its release date up instead of pushing it back further. It will now open in theaters nationwide as well as debut on HBO Max on March 26, 2021. Originally slated for May 21, 2021, Godzilla vs. Kong has moved its release date a few times since its original planned opening in 2020. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=2021-movies-preview&captions=true"] The upcoming film is a sequel to 2019's Godzilla: King of Monsters and 2017's Kong: Skull Island in which the two titular monsters will finally go toe-to-toe in Legendary's so-called Monsterverse. Directed by Adam Wingard, known for his work primarily on horror films such as You're Next, V/H/S, and Blair Witch, Godzilla vs. Kong is going to be his first action-centric film. It will also see returning star Millie Bobbie Brown joined by co-stars Alexander Skarsgård and Rebecca Hall. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/24/godzilla-kong-in-5-minutes] Godzilla and Kong have been building towards this epic clash since 2014's Godzilla reboot and fans have been eager to see the two universes collide on the big screen since the first footage was released late last year. It's unlikely that these are the only two Titans that will be featured, however, as many of the kaiju from the Godzilla franchise are likely to make another appearance. Check out the gallery below to see every monster featured in the movies, so far. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=monsterverse-every-major-monster&captions=true"] For more, check out all the big movies (probably) coming out in 2021 as well as everything else coming to HBO Max this year and beyond. [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.

As the movie industry continues to play musical chairs with release dates, Godzilla vs. Kong is actually bumping its release date up instead of pushing it back further. It will now open in theaters nationwide as well as debut on HBO Max on March 26, 2021. Originally slated for May 21, 2021, Godzilla vs. Kong has moved its release date a few times since its original planned opening in 2020. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=2021-movies-preview&captions=true"] The upcoming film is a sequel to 2019's Godzilla: King of Monsters and 2017's Kong: Skull Island in which the two titular monsters will finally go toe-to-toe in Legendary's so-called Monsterverse. Directed by Adam Wingard, known for his work primarily on horror films such as You're Next, V/H/S, and Blair Witch, Godzilla vs. Kong is going to be his first action-centric film. It will also see returning star Millie Bobbie Brown joined by co-stars Alexander Skarsgård and Rebecca Hall. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/24/godzilla-kong-in-5-minutes] Godzilla and Kong have been building towards this epic clash since 2014's Godzilla reboot and fans have been eager to see the two universes collide on the big screen since the first footage was released late last year. It's unlikely that these are the only two Titans that will be featured, however, as many of the kaiju from the Godzilla franchise are likely to make another appearance. Check out the gallery below to see every monster featured in the movies, so far. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=monsterverse-every-major-monster&captions=true"] For more, check out all the big movies (probably) coming out in 2021 as well as everything else coming to HBO Max this year and beyond. [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.

John Wick creator and writer, Derek Kolstad, is set to write and develop a pitch for a live-action Dungeons & Dragons series. This news comes by way of The Hollywood Reporter that states Kolstad is penning the series for Paramount and Hasbro's entertainment studio, eOne, which is the same studio developing a Dungeons & Dragons movie starring Chris Pine. Kolstad's series isn't the only series in the works as eONe is already working with and looking for more writers to pen multiple projects set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, according to the report. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=whats-in-beadle-grimms-legendary-edition-of-curse-of-strahd&captions=true"] No plot details were given for this series, but it will be live-action and it will be the first official Dungeons & Dragons TV show since the animated television series, Dungeons & Dragons, which ran from 1983 to 1985. Kolstad not only created the character of John Wick, but he wrote the first John Wick movie and worked on the two sequels in the series. He's also a writer on Marvel's upcoming The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Disney Plus series. In 2019, it was revealed that Kolstad was also working on a feature film set on the video game franchise, Just Cause, and that he would be the screenwriter for the movie. While little is known about this series, it's safe to say that Kolstad has a lot of source material to pull from considering the breadth of Dungeons & Dragons content in the multiple decades it has been around. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/24/dungeons-dragons-unboxing-the-dd-essentials-kit"] While waiting for more details to arise about this live-action Dungeons & Dragons TV series, read about the new Dungeons & Dragons book, Candlekeep Mysteries, that was announced this week. Be sure to check out this story about the Dungeons & Dragons movie starring Chris Pine coming in 2022 after that and then check out these shots of the Beadle & Grimm's Curse of Strahd: Legendary Edition set recently revealed. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

John Wick creator and writer, Derek Kolstad, is set to write and develop a pitch for a live-action Dungeons & Dragons series. This news comes by way of The Hollywood Reporter that states Kolstad is penning the series for Paramount and Hasbro's entertainment studio, eOne, which is the same studio developing a Dungeons & Dragons movie starring Chris Pine. Kolstad's series isn't the only series in the works as eONe is already working with and looking for more writers to pen multiple projects set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, according to the report. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=whats-in-beadle-grimms-legendary-edition-of-curse-of-strahd&captions=true"] No plot details were given for this series, but it will be live-action and it will be the first official Dungeons & Dragons TV show since the animated television series, Dungeons & Dragons, which ran from 1983 to 1985. Kolstad not only created the character of John Wick, but he wrote the first John Wick movie and worked on the two sequels in the series. He's also a writer on Marvel's upcoming The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Disney Plus series. In 2019, it was revealed that Kolstad was also working on a feature film set on the video game franchise, Just Cause, and that he would be the screenwriter for the movie. While little is known about this series, it's safe to say that Kolstad has a lot of source material to pull from considering the breadth of Dungeons & Dragons content in the multiple decades it has been around. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/24/dungeons-dragons-unboxing-the-dd-essentials-kit"] While waiting for more details to arise about this live-action Dungeons & Dragons TV series, read about the new Dungeons & Dragons book, Candlekeep Mysteries, that was announced this week. Be sure to check out this story about the Dungeons & Dragons movie starring Chris Pine coming in 2022 after that and then check out these shots of the Beadle & Grimm's Curse of Strahd: Legendary Edition set recently revealed. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.