Monthly Archives: January 2021

Morbius: Sony Postpones Marvel Movie Release Again

Morbius, which stars Jared Leto, has been delayed once more from March 19, 2021 to October 8, 2021 by Sony. As reported by Variety, Morbius is one of the many films that have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and fans will need to wait a bit longer to see Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius, a biochehemist who battled Spider-Man in Marvel Comics that accidentally becomes a monster while trying to create a cure for his rare blood disease. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/16/morbius-jared-letos-marvel-movie-explained"] Morbius is directed by Daniel Espinosa and written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, and the film is part of Sony's Spider-Man Marvel movie universe that will also include Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which is currently scheduled to be released on June 25, 2021. Morbius' first trailer was released in January 2021 and it revealed a surprising connection to the universe of Tom Holland's Spider-Man with Michael Keaton making an appearance, presumably reprising his role as Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. Vulture. For more on Morbius, check out our explainer on this particular Spider-Man spin-off character, whether or not Morbius is actually a vampire, and every other Spider-Man movie spin-off currently in development. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=2021-movies-preview&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.

A New Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury Trailer Is Arriving Tomorrow

Nintendo has announced that we will be getting a new 2-minute long trailer for Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury tomorrow, January 12, at 6am PT/9am ET/2pm GMT, but it will not arrive in the form of a Nintendo Direct. Revealed on Twitter, This new trailer will arrive a month before Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is released on Nintendo Switch on February 12, 2021. This remaster includes the full Wii U game from 2013 plus the Bowser's Fury expansion that we still don't know much about. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/super-mario-3d-world-bowsers-fury-official-trailer"] While getting a new look at Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is exciting, many are still waiting for the first proper Nintendo Direct since September 4, 2019. Since then, we have had Nintendo Direct Minis, Indie World Showcases, Partner Showcases, special presentations for games, and more, but it's been 495 days since a full Direct. This announcement of a trailer is also an interesting one, as Nintendo usually holds a special focused Direct on games that are around a month away that dives deeper into what players can expect. It has done so for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Pokemon Sword and Shield, and much more. Hopefully a true Nintendo Direct is just around the corner that could possibly reveal the rumored Switch Pro, a potential celebration of The Legend of Zelda's 35th Anniversary, and a new glimpse or possible release date for Breath of the Wild 2. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-2021-games-with-confirmed-release-dates&captions=true"] Stay tuned to IGN for the new trailer tomorrow, and a break down of everything we will learn about Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury on Nintendo Voice Chat and more. [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.

Pragmata Delayed to 2023, Project Athia Gets 2022 Release Window

Sony’s CES 2021 press conference was a touch light on games, but a new sizzle reel did contain updated release windows for some highly-anticipated PS5 games, including Pragmata which is now slated for 2023. Pragmata is Capcom’s new game that was announced during Sony’s PlayStation 5 “Future of Gaming” presentation in 2020. The trailer ended with a tag that slated Pragmata for a 2022 release window. However, the latest CES sizzle has bumped the date up into 2023. The sizzle has also confirmed some releases for other upcoming, third-party PS5 games including Kena: Bridge of Spirits in March 2021, Ghostwire Tokyo in October 2021, Little Devil Inside in July 2021, and Project Athia in January 2022. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] Athia is Square Enix’s new game which was announced without a release window. Square Enix is also working on Final Fantasy 16, which also doesn’t have a confirmed release window. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/pragmata-announcement-trailer-ps5-reveal-event"] IGN has reached out to Capcom and we are awaiting a further response. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter @lawoftd.

Spanish Fortnite Streamer TheGrefg Breaks All-Time Twitch Viewership Record

Spanish Twitch Streamer David “TheGrefg” Martinez just broke the Twitch record for concurrent viewers on an individual channel with 2.4 million watching him reveal his skin collaboration with Fortnite. Martinez’s stream, which topped off at over 2 million viewers, handily beat the previous record for concurrent viewers on an individual stream, set by Tyler “Ninja” Blevins in 2018 with 635,000 viewers. Martinez was streaming to reveal his collaboration with the Icon Series in Fortnite, a line of character skins based on top Fortnite content creators. Streamers like Ninja, Lachlan Power, and Kathleen “Loserfruit” Belsten have skins based on them in the Icon Series, and now Martinez joins the roster. [caption id="attachment_2460289" align="alignnone" width="1280"]TheGrefg's Icon skins inspired by Dragon Ball Z. TheGrefg's Icon skins inspired by Dragon Ball Z.[/caption] “One of the big takeaways of TheGrefg’s stream is that it illustrated the global appeal of the medium,” says StreamElements CEO Doron Nir in a statement to IGN on why the record is such a milestone. “All of the major live streaming platforms have sizable international bases, but having a milestone like this set by a Spanish language streamer helps put a spotlight on the broad appeal of the industry.” According to StreamElements, non-English streamers like Gaules, auroplay, ibai, and Rubius all charted high on StreamElements report on top streamers of 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/04/fortnite-kratos-skin-reveal-trailer"] Martinez’s record-breaking stream shows how streaming, whether on Twitch or elsewhere, is a global phenomenon and that creators who don’t necessarily cater to English-speaking audiences are thriving in this global ecosystem. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @lawoftd.

Intel Announces Its 11th Gen H-Series CPUs for Gaming Laptops

Intel has announced its first trio of 11th Gen H-Series processors meant for the next generation of gaming laptops. Starting with the Intel Core i7-11375H Special Edition, it’s a 4-core, 8-thread processor with a maximum single-core boost of 5GHz. Intel claims to outperform its competitors, including the AMD Ryzen 4800HS and 4900H, by 30% in single-threaded performance. Following that is the Intel Core i7-11370H, which is also a 4-core, 8-thread processor that hits a slightly slower 4.8GHz Turbo Boost clock. Lastly, there’s the more mid-range Intel Core i5-11300H CPU that surprisingly still offers as many cores and threads, and a still quick 4.4GHz speed. Intel 11th Gen H-Series Intel also teased even more 11th Gen H-series processors that will come later this quarter including an 8-core, 16-thread chip. It promises an up to 5 GHz boost clock, 20 lanes of PCIe 4.0 for fastest storage and discrete graphics, and Intel Killer Wi-fi 6E (Gig+) wireless. Whereas in years past the Intel made a big splash by introducing its first octa-core CPUs or hitting 5GHz for the first time, this year’s crop of mobile processors brings some more humble, but important platform improvements to portable PC gaming. Intel 11th Gen H-Series Firstly, the new 11th Gen H-Series processors add PCIe 4.0 support for the faster RTX 3000 Series graphics we’re bound to see on upcoming gaming laptops. The new CPUs also enable faster DDR4 3200MHz and DDR4x 4266MHz memory. On the connectivity end, the 11th Gen H-series adds support for Thunderbolt 4 ports. Users can even expect faster wireless with the new Wi-Fi 6E for gig+ connections. Intel Core i9-11900K

Desktop processors

Intel didn’t quite fully announce its desktop CPUs today, but Team Blue is giving us a preview of what we can expect from its 11th Gen Core S-series Rocket Lake-S chips. One of the first chips from the line we can expect is the Intel Core i9-11900K. This chip features 8 cores, 16 threads, 20 CPU-based PCIe 4.0 lanes, native 3,200MHz memory support, and new Intel UHD graphics. These processors jump to a new Intel 500 chipset, but they’ll be backward compatible with Intel 400 chipset motherboards. You will need a new motherboard if you want to take advantage of the added support for x8 DMI and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G). More generally, this new 11th Gen architecture promises to deliver a 19% IPC improvement and 50% better integrated graphics performance. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=best-gaming-keyboards&captions=true"]

What about 10nm?

Of course, we’re all much more interested in hearing about when Intel will finally introduce its first 10nm desktop processors. Well, we got a tease that Alder Lake will arrive in the second half of 2021. Alder Lake will be the first Intel desktop CPU featuring high-performance and high-efficiency cores built on a 10nm process.

Hitman 3: Every Location Revealed

Warning: Spoilers for Hitman 3's locations and when you visit them in-game follow. [poilib element="accentDivider"] IO Interactive has unveiled all locations Agent 47 will be traveling to in Hitman 3. Hitman 3 arrives in just a handful of days on January 20 and until now, we had only known about a few of the locales the hitman will be visiting this time around. IO Interactive revealed that along side the locations we had already known about —Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Dartmoor in the United Kingdom, and Chongqing in China — Agent 47 will  be heading to Berlin, Germany, Mendoza, Argentina, and the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=hitman-3-all-locations-in-game&captions=true"] "Agent 47's adventure will take him around the world to six unique locations across three continents, where he'll take on the most important contracts of his entire career," IO Interactive's blog post about the locations reads. "Each location has been crafted to deliver a unique and memorable gameplay experience, from the game's first mission at the tallest building in the world through to the dramatic epilogue that concludes the trilogy in style with a narrative-focused finale." IO Interactive also wrote a bit about each location and its place in the story of Hitman 3. The game starts in Dubai with Agent 47 just outside the world's tallest building and following the events of this location, the hitman heads to Dartmoor in the United Kingdom where he's tasked with taking out a target and potentially solving a murder mystery. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/08/hitman-3-gameplay-trailer"] From the United Kingdom, Agent 47 will head to Berlin, Germany, which IO Interactive says is the mid-way point of the game, followed by Chongqing, China. Hitman 3's penultimate mission takes place in a vineyard in the sloping hills of Mendoza, Argentina, and the game's epilogue and final mission in the World of Assassination trilogy takes place in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. While waiting for the game to release later this month, check out this trailer for the Dartmoor mission and then read IGN's final Hitman 3 preview for the game. Check out what comes in each edition of Hitman 3 after that. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes

Identical Twins Don’t Always Have Identical DNA, Study Shows

Identical twins don't always have identical DNA, according to a new study. Identical twins differ by 5.2 genetic changes on average, according to a new January 7 report in Nature Genetics, as reported by Science News. This study goes contrary to the belief that identical twins are identical in genetics, which was often the basis for the idea that differences in health between twins is a result of their environment. This new study shows that genetics might have more to do with that than previously believed. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-movie-twins-ever&captions=true"] "Imagine you have identical twins who are reared apart," DeCode Genetics CEO and founder, and study co-author, Kari Stefansson, told CNN. "If one of them developed autism, the classic interpretation is that it is down to environmental factors. But our work shows that before you conclude that it's caused by the environment, you have to sequence the genome of the twins to know what could account for the autism." Stefansson said this "mutation divergence" could be the cause of "devastating childhood illnesses" such as epilepsy and metabolic disorders. She also said a large percentage of "such horrific syndromes of very early childhood are down to genome mutations." Identical twins, which are also known as monozygotic twins because they come from a single fertilized egg as noted by Science News, are often studied to determine the origin of specific traits, diseases, or conditions, be it the result of genetics or the result of their environment. This study in particular looked at 381 pairs of identical twins and determined that 38 of the pairs had identical genetics, but that most pairs had some differences in DNA that arose very early in their development. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/19/5-great-sci-fi-movies-on-netflix-that-arent-star-wars-or-the-mcu"] Thirty nine of the pairs had over 100 changes between the twins and the study suggests that these DNA differences occur when the embryo splits to form two in early development or shortly after the embryo splits. It suggests that this embryo split isn't as clean or neat as previously thought, which results in the DNA changes seen. Some twins arise when a single cell or small group of cells split off of the embryo, Science News notes, and it's the number of cells that a twin originates from that can determine the genetic differences between it and its other twin. The more uneven splits of the embryo that occur, the larger the number of genetic differences between twins. "This is an extraordinary, exciting, and insightful effort to pinpoint early cellular mechanisms that explain genetic differences between MZ (monozygotic) twins," California State University, Fullerton, psychology professor, Nancy Segal, told CNN. "It is well known that MZ co-twins do not show perfect resemblance and that some dissimilarities may reflect genetic differences. The present study offers new information as to the source of the MZ co-twin differences." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/19/theres-a-5050-chance-were-living-in-a-simulation"] Segal said the study shows that "some twin models underestimate genetic effects and require revision." For more twins, check out our list of the best movie twins ever, and if you're looking for more DNA science, read this story about how a new study reveals that most Vikings weren't blond or blue-eyed. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes

There Will Be More Avengers Movies “At Some Point,” Says Feige

Although a team-up Avengers film isn’t in the cards for Marvel’s Phase 4, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige says that there will eventually be another Avengers film that will bring the MCU’s heroes together on another mission. IGN spoke with Feige during the WandaVision press junket and asked the MCU boss if we’ll ever see another Avengers film following the events of Avengers: Endgame which shook up the status of the MCU considerably. “I would have to think so. I would have to say yes, at some point,” Feige answered. He also jokes, “It’s a good title. Could use that.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/04/wandavision-official-new-era-trailer"] Marvel’s Phase 4 is looking incredibly stacked. Starting with Black Widow, there are 11 films slated to be a part of Phase 4, not to mention several TV series premiering on Disney+ that will intersect with the MCU. However, when IGN spoke with Feige in 2019, the Marvel boss said there won’t be an Avengers film in Phase 4. “We had a movie this year called Avengers: Endgame, and it is very much an ending, as you saw, to so many of those characters,” he said. “So Phase 4 is about beginnings, and Phase 4 is about learning new things about characters you already think you know, like Black Widow; meeting incredible new characters like The Eternals and Shang-Chi[.]” This makes sense given that in Phase 4 alone, the MCU will introduce new heroes like Shang-Chi, the Eternals, Fantastic Four; and from the TV side Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, and Ironheart. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=disney-spotlight-january-2021&captions=true"] The crop of young heroes suggests that Marvel has the pieces to put together a Young Avengers, or an obviously new version of the Avengers with different heroes. For more from IGN’s interview with Feige, check out details about how many episodes there will be in the She-Hulk series on Disney+. Feige also revealed separately that Deadpool 3 will be in the MCU with an R-rating. Marvel’s WandaVision premieres on January 15 on Disney+ with two episodes to start. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

She-Hulk: Feige Reveals Length and Episode Count for the Disney+ Series

Marvel's Kevin Feige has revealed the length and episode count of the upcoming She-Hulk series on Disney Plus. In an interview with IGN, Feige confirmed Marvel's She-Hulk will consist of ten half-hour episodes. That puts She-Hulk above fellow Marvel series like WandaVision (nine episodes) and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (six episodes). However, Feige told IGN most of these MCU series are designed to clock in around the six hour mark in total length, and the material dictates the exact format and episode count. "It's about six hours of content," said Feige. "Sometimes that'll be six episodes, sometimes that'll be nine episodes, in the case of WandaVision. Sometimes that'll be 10 episodes. You basically have 10 half-hour episodes, which is what She-Hulk ... will be." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=she-hulk-through-the-years&captions=true"] Feige noted one of the main benefits of Disney+ is that things like syndicated reruns and commercial breaks aren't a factor, allowing teams to focus on telling the best possible stories. "It all varies based on the story that we're telling and only based on the story that we're telling," said Feige. "A lot of the reasons for... other things are the rules of, you need this many commercial breaks, you need this many episodes in a season, you need this many episodes to be able to resell it in syndication. There are lots of non-creative reasons for the way a story would be told." Feige continued, "Now, there are ways to make all of that work. None of that was a factor when it comes to streaming [on] Disney+, so we got to just say basically, 'Here's what we're thinking, here's how we'd like to do it.'" Marvel's She-Hulk stars Orphan Black's Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, a lawyer who gains incredible strength after receiving a blood transfusion from her cousin, Bruce Banner. Mark Ruffalo will reprise his role as Hulk in the series. Feige confirmed Maslany and Ruffalo's casting during Disney's Investor Day press event in December, while also confirming Tim Roth's Abomination will finally return to the MCU. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/04/what-to-expect-from-marvel-in-2021"] In other MCU news, Feige also confirmed an R-rated Deadpool 3 will be part of the MCU and Marvel's Secret Invasion won't have an Avengers: Endgame-size cast. [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.

Secret Invasion Series Won’t Have an Endgame-Sized Cast

Secret Invasion is one of many Marvel series in the works at Disney+. But if you're confused why Marvel Studios would opt for the small-screen treatment rather than tackling Secret Invasion as a blockbuster movie, don't be. Kevin Feige hints the series will be a much more intimate story than its comic book inspiration. In an interview with ComicBook.com, Feige said the Secret Invasion series won't have a massive ensemble cast a la Avengers: Endgame, but will instead highlight Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn's Talos as the two characters investigate a cosmic conspiracy. "Well, there were more characters in the Secret Invasion comic series than there were in Endgame so, no," Feige said. "It's not that but it very much is a showcase for Sam Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn and tapping into the paranoia elements of the Secret Invasion comic series that was great with the twists and turns that that took. So, that's certainly our focus more than, 'Can we cram in more characters than Endgame like publishing?'" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] The original Secret Invasion comic was published in 2008 and dealt with a vast conspiracy involving Skrull double agents using their shape-shifting powers to impersonate various heroes and villains and pave the way for the Skrull Empire to take over the planet. By the end of the series, nearly every active Avenger and X-Man - along with a great many villains - join forces to beat back the Skrull invaders. Clearly, the live-action series won't be following that same road map. It also makes sense the Disney Plus series would carve its own path, given that the MCU's Skrulls have thus far been painted in a more heroic light than their comic book counterparts. 2019's Captain Marvel revealed Fury has been working directly with the Skrulls to defend Earth, with the fruits of those labors being revealed in a post-credits scene in Spider-Man: Far From Home. It remains to be seen if the Skrulls are even meant to be the antagonists of Secret Invasion, or if the MCU will flip the script by having the Kree or another alien race attempt a hostile takeover of Earth instead. Feige officially confirmed the Secret Invasion series in December 2020 as part of Disney's Investors Day press event, alongside numerous other MCU announcements. That news included confirmation that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will connect to Spider-Man 3The Falcon and the Winter Solder's release date, and Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau joining the cast of Captain Marvel 2. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/04/what-to-expect-from-marvel-in-2021"] [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.