Monthly Archives: January 2021

8 Ways Your Visit to Super Nintendo World Will be Gamified

When Super Nintendo World opens at Universal Studios Japan on February 4, it will be the largest themed area at the Osaka park to date. But more than that, the new Nintendo area promises a level of interaction that draws from the video game antics of Mario and friends in meaningful ways, developed with input from Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and the creative team at Nintendo.

With a ton of new information dropping today at an exclusive media briefing attended by IGN Japan, read on for eight ways that Super Nintendo World will gamify the theme park experience.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/30/super-nintendo-world-reveal-trailer"]

1. Rides

Both Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge and Yoshi’s Adventure showcase a level of interaction that really set them apart from other theme park rides.

Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge is an on-rails experience with four riders per kart, and a blend of AR and projection mapping to bring the ride to life. Better yet, each rider in Mario’s team has their own steering wheel, which they must turn in time with arrows that appear on their adorable Mario hat-shaped AR headset; timing each turn just right nets a coin. Similarly, riders will pick up Green Shells from item boxes along the course, which they can aim at enemies in the AR headset by turning their head towards them – a direct hit will also earn a coin. Each team of riders will have to collect a set number of coins during the five-minute ride to beat Bowser’s team – and the game comes with good and bad endings depending on whether your team wins or loses.

[caption id="attachment_2458403" align="alignnone" width="1280"]Count us in. Count us in.[/caption]

We saw a video showing a mock-up of the AR visuals that will appear in the headset display: as familiar characters like Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad zigzag around you in their karts, enemies such as Bullet Bill and Boo will get right up in your face, while at one point a set of windshield wipers struggled to keep CG raindrops from obscuring the view of the course. All of this is set against a projection-mapped real-world background for what looks like a chaotic drive through the Mushroom Kingdom.

Yoshi’s Adventure is a lot more relaxed, but still includes interactive elements. As explained to us by a spokesperson from USJ, this five-minute ride is aimed at families with young children, and focuses on discovery – in a similar vein to Disneyland’s It’s A Small World attraction. Each carriage on the gentle ride is shaped like Yoshi, with two guests sitting on the loveable dino’s back, taking a cute and peaceful tour above the park. But there’s a twist: riders must search for Captain Toad’s coloured eggs that have been hidden around the course, and report their findings using the corresponding coloured buttons inside the Yoshi carriage.

[caption id="attachment_2458431" align="alignnone" width="1280"]Hey kid - he's right there. Hey kid - he's right there.[/caption]

2. Power Up Bands

You might already have seen that visitors at Super Nintendo World will have the option of buying a Power Up Band in one of six designs (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Yoshi and Daisy), priced at 3,200 yen each (about $31 USD/£23). Yes, that’s a lot on top of a park ticket, but these bands bring a ton of functionality that will appeal to gamers visiting USJ. Each band has a QR code on the back, which can be used to connect with the USJ smartphone app – which will track a number of neat things, from the virtual coins you collect to your place on leaderboards to various unlockable achievements. Of course, you can keep the Power Up Band for your next visit and keep building up your scores.

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Oh, by the way: If you meet a life-size Mario or Luigi mascot at photo spots in the park, you’ll notice that they can speak, uttering pre-recorded phrases. But if you are wearing a Power Up Band, the conversation might take a different course – with each different coloured band unlocking different phrases. (Peach and Toad mascots will also be on hand for photos, but sadly they remain mute.)

3. Coins

Once you have your Power Up band, you can collect coins as you venture around the park  – just like Mario. The most obvious way is to punch a Question Block or Brick Block. (Yes, we winced when we saw Shigeru Miyamoto smacking his fist into these blocks in his tour video last month, and we dread to think how many people will bloody their knuckles collecting coins.) Just like in the games, one punch gets you one coin – and while there is nothing to stop you repeatedly hammering the same block over and over, the USJ spokesman explained that each block will stop dispensing coins after a certain number of hits from the same guest – just like in the games.

Coins can also be won from activities and Key Challenges around the park (more on that below), on the rides as mentioned above, and by visiting during seasonal coin bonus campaigns throughout the year. Your coins are stored in the Power Up Band, and can be viewed on the app.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/18/super-nintendo-world-direct-presentation"]

4. Key Challenges

Key Challenges add an extra layer of complexity to the Power Up Band interaction. There are five challenges in the park, and successfully beating them will win you virtual keys that are required to face the boss battle with Bowser Jr (see below). You may have seen Miyamoto trying his hand at the Koopa Troopa POWer Punch challenge in his USJ tour video: A Koopa Shell scrolls left and right through a T-shaped pipe, and hitting an adjacent POW Block at just the right time will redirect the shell up through the top of the pipe to collect a key.

A more difficult challenge awaits in the Piranha Plant Nap Mishap: As explained to us by the USJ spokesperson, here players must silence 12 oversized alarm clocks by hitting them all within a strict time limit, before they awaken a massive Piranha Plant – a mission that looks harder than it sounds. Other Key Challenges are the Bob-omb Kaboom Room, Thwomp Panel Panic and Goomba Crazy Crank, pitting players against familiar foes from the Mario universe. It’s pretty cool to see large physical props merge with digital interaction in this imaginative way.

5. Boss stage

It wouldn't be Mario without a boss stage. We were shown a video of the newly revealed Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown activity, in which players who have collected enough keys from Key Challenges can face off against Bowser Jr on a life-size 2D scrolling Mario stage, which is projection-mapped onto a wall. The players’ silhouettes appear on the screen too, thanks to some well-placed back lights, and their shadows can interact with the game: collect powerups such as a Fire Flowers to shoot flames in real-time by flinging your arms towards the screen, progressing through the stage to attack Bowser Jr as he floats around in his Junior Clown Car. It remains to be seen how well this will work in a crowded theme park, but it definitely looks like fun.[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Players...%20can%20face%20off%20against%20Bowser%20Jr%20on%20a%20life-size%202D%20scrolling%20Mario%20stage%2C%20which%20is%20projection-mapped%20onto%20a%20wall."]

6. Leaderboards

So, you’ve been busy collecting virtual coins during your trip to Super Nintendo World. Now what? Well, the first cool thing that happens is that everything is fed into a series of leaderboards, which can be checked at any time on the USJ app. So long as you bought a Power Up Band and linked it to the app, your coins will be fed into a daily ranking that shows how you are competing with other visitors that day. Also, depending on which of the six character bands you bought, your score will also contribute to a team ranking based on visitors to the park that day. There are separate leaderboards for the Bowser Jr boss battle and Mario Kart ride too, while your personal coin total will show up in the all-time leaderboard. If you really want to chase your ultimate high score, we’d suggest moving to Osaka and getting an annual USJ pass.

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7. Achievements

This is where things get next-level, hardcore gamified. Yes, Super Nintendo World has achievements.

Again tracking your interactions via the Power Up Band and the app, you will be able to unlock digital stamps of Mario-related characters, with each stamp unlocking under specific conditions. For example, reaching the Top 10 in each of the leaderboards will unlock the corresponding stamps, as will finding a Blue Egg in the queue for Yoshi’s Adventure, or hitting Bowser with a Green Shell during the Mario Kart ride, or scoring a Super Mushroom from a Brick Block, and so on. Other achievements will require you to visit between certain date ranges.

You can see the silhouettes of stamps that you haven’t got yet, and tapping on these will give you a hint on how to earn it, so that you can plan your next goal – last time you made Top 10 on the leaderboard for Mario Kart, so maybe on the next trip you’ll aim to do the same for the Bowser Jr boss battle, and so on.

Every stamp you get gives you a stack of coins, boosting your standing in the leaderboards, while the stamps themselves are endlessly collectible. Well, almost endlessly – there will be a whopping 174 stamps available when Super Nintendo World opens, with more to be added later. It goes without saying, this is a Nintendo completionist’s fever dream.[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=There%20will%20be%20a%20whopping%20174%20stamps%20available%20when%20Super%20Nintendo%20World%20opens..."]

8. A 360-degree Mario world

Of course, visiting Super Nintendo World will be rewarding in its own right. The fully enclosed area of the theme park offers a 360-degree view plucked straight out of the Mario universe, from the moment you step through the Warp Pipe at the entrance and emerge from a replica of Princess Peach’s Castle from Super Mario 64.

By now you’ve already seen the huge statue of Bowser inside his atmospheric castle and drooled over exclusive merchandise and food items available at the gift shops, cafe and food stalls. So here’s a new one for you. At the media briefing this week, we learned that there is even an underground area loosely based on World 1-2 from Super Mario Bros, with hidden 8-bit character sprites that can be revealed by touching a Power Up Band on M panels on the wall. Bob-ombs are dotted around the corridors, and as you approach the end of the first room, you will get caught in an explosion, triggering the familiar sound effect of Mario getting smaller. Now, in the next room, all of the wall blocks and Question Blocks appear oversized, offering a new perspective on how Mario must feel when he’s little. That’s just one neat touch in a theme park that truly strives to transport gamers old and young to the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond.

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Super Nintendo World is scheduled to open at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka on 4 February. For more on Super Nintendo World, check out some more details we learned when the park’s official website went live today, our report from the Mario Cafe & Store in the main area of the park and IGN Japan’s video showing the inside of Bowser’s Castle.

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Daniel Robson is Chief Editor at IGN Japan. Follow him on Twitter to find out which Power Up Band he ends up getting.

Dexter Revival Reveals Villain Casting and Plot Details

Showtime’s Dexter series revival has its villain, and it’s none other than Mr. Krabs himself: Clancy Brown.

Variety reports that Brown will play Kurt Caldwell, the unofficial mayor of the town of Iron Lake. A former truck driver who now owns the local truckstop and several trucks, Caldwell is described as a classic figure you should never cross: Kind to his friends, but ruthless to those who wrong him.

Brown has had a strong career between film, television, and video game roles. IGN readers will recognize him as the voice of Spongebob Squarepant’s Mr. Krabs, Detroit: Become Human’s jaded detective Hank Anderson, as well as roles in The Shawshank Redemption, Highlander, and Starship Troopers. He's more recently starred in ABC's Emergence and Shudder's The Mortuary Collection.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/01/how-they-ruined-the-dexter-finale"]

Brown will be joining Dexter star Michael C. Hall, who is reprising his role as the vigilante serial killer Dexter Morgan. Hall has previously stated that he’s excited to return to the role after the original series’ “unsatisfying” ending.

The 10-episode revival will serve as a “second finale” for the show, which largely disappointed fans. Plot details are still scarce, but Showtime’s president of entertainment Gary Levine has praised Hall and showrunner Clyde Phillips for finding a narrative that’s “truly worthy of the brilliant, original series.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/serial filler for IGN.

Dexter Revival Reveals Villain Casting and Plot Details

Showtime’s Dexter series revival has its villain, and it’s none other than Mr. Krabs himself: Clancy Brown.

Variety reports that Brown will play Kurt Caldwell, the unofficial mayor of the town of Iron Lake. A former truck driver who now owns the local truckstop and several trucks, Caldwell is described as a classic figure you should never cross: Kind to his friends, but ruthless to those who wrong him.

Brown has had a strong career between film, television, and video game roles. IGN readers will recognize him as the voice of Spongebob Squarepant’s Mr. Krabs, Detroit: Become Human’s jaded detective Hank Anderson, as well as roles in The Shawshank Redemption, Highlander, and Starship Troopers. He's more recently starred in ABC's Emergence and Shudder's The Mortuary Collection.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/01/how-they-ruined-the-dexter-finale"]

Brown will be joining Dexter star Michael C. Hall, who is reprising his role as the vigilante serial killer Dexter Morgan. Hall has previously stated that he’s excited to return to the role after the original series’ “unsatisfying” ending.

The 10-episode revival will serve as a “second finale” for the show, which largely disappointed fans. Plot details are still scarce, but Showtime’s president of entertainment Gary Levine has praised Hall and showrunner Clyde Phillips for finding a narrative that’s “truly worthy of the brilliant, original series.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/serial filler for IGN.

Zack Snyder Explains the Importance of Superman’s Black Suit in Justice League

Zack Snyder recently explained the importance of Superman's black suit as a time delineator in his upcoming cut of Justice League. When asked by ComicBook Debate what Superman's black suit means to him, Snyder said the suit is an important way to demonstrate the change Superman goes through. He also explained that it works as a great time delineator, especially when presenting flashbacks and flash-forwards of the character. "I really was always a very strong advocate for the black suit," Snyder said. "I really wanted the black suit and it made sense for me because — it's exactly as you say — Superman, as a character, notoriously does not grow. He's like a rock and everything just smashes against him and then we learn, by trying to change a thing that's unchangeable so that we can learn about ourselves, (and) that's sort of the old way, the old Superman." Zack Snyder Post on Vero - Black Suited Superman "I really felt like my Superman...has to sort of level up and sort of learn something and be something different because in the end, the idea is that, or what I had planned was that, the...final step for Superman is kind of his real return, or his real coming into, what I would consider almost the classic Superman," Snyder added. Snyder went on to say that the "classic" Superman moment doesn't really happen in this movie. He also explained that the black suit in his cut of the movie is a "great time delineator" that allows audiences to see where in the timeline they are with the character. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/22/justice-league-the-snyder-cut-trailer"] "I really was always excited about using the black suit to kind of lock us in to...when he goes from the black suit to the red and blue suit (and) what that means," he said. "You can't just be like, 'oh now let's put him in the blue suit, now let's put him in the black suit.' It's like, 'no, that's not cool.'" You'll be able to see how all of Snyder's black suit thoughts translate onto the screen this year when the Justice League: Snyder Cut is released on HBO Max. Check out this clip that shows Superman in the black suit meeting Alfred and after that, read about Snyder casually announcing that the first part of the Snyder Cut will release in March. The Snyder Cut will be a four-part series where each part is one hour long, so it's unclear when the other three parts will be released if just the first part is released in March. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Zack Snyder Explains the Importance of Superman’s Black Suit in Justice League

Zack Snyder recently explained the importance of Superman's black suit as a time delineator in his upcoming cut of Justice League. When asked by ComicBook Debate what Superman's black suit means to him, Snyder said the suit is an important way to demonstrate the change Superman goes through. He also explained that it works as a great time delineator, especially when presenting flashbacks and flash-forwards of the character. "I really was always a very strong advocate for the black suit," Snyder said. "I really wanted the black suit and it made sense for me because — it's exactly as you say — Superman, as a character, notoriously does not grow. He's like a rock and everything just smashes against him and then we learn, by trying to change a thing that's unchangeable so that we can learn about ourselves, (and) that's sort of the old way, the old Superman." Zack Snyder Post on Vero - Black Suited Superman "I really felt like my Superman...has to sort of level up and sort of learn something and be something different because in the end, the idea is that, or what I had planned was that, the...final step for Superman is kind of his real return, or his real coming into, what I would consider almost the classic Superman," Snyder added. Snyder went on to say that the "classic" Superman moment doesn't really happen in this movie. He also explained that the black suit in his cut of the movie is a "great time delineator" that allows audiences to see where in the timeline they are with the character. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/22/justice-league-the-snyder-cut-trailer"] "I really was always excited about using the black suit to kind of lock us in to...when he goes from the black suit to the red and blue suit (and) what that means," he said. "You can't just be like, 'oh now let's put him in the blue suit, now let's put him in the black suit.' It's like, 'no, that's not cool.'" You'll be able to see how all of Snyder's black suit thoughts translate onto the screen this year when the Justice League: Snyder Cut is released on HBO Max. Check out this clip that shows Superman in the black suit meeting Alfred and after that, read about Snyder casually announcing that the first part of the Snyder Cut will release in March. The Snyder Cut will be a four-part series where each part is one hour long, so it's unclear when the other three parts will be released if just the first part is released in March. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Zack Snyder Has ‘No Plan’ to Make More DC Movies After Justice League Snyder Cut

Director Zack Snyder says he has no plans to make more DC movies after the release of the Snyder Cut of Justice League.

In an interview with Comic Book Debate (via Collider), Snyder commented on the matter of future films, while leaving the door open for the future.

“Look, I never thought I’d be here doing this. I didn’t think I’d be finishing Justice League… The truth is, and it’s been widely reported, and I have no issue, this is an old movie. This is a years-old movie I’m working on. The DC universe has gone and branched off and done its own thing and that’s fine… As far as what I did and as far as what my vision for what I wanted to do with these characters and the journey I wanted them to go on, it’s well known that I planned on more movies — five movies or something — but I’m busy. I’ve got a lot going on. Is it cool that the fans have so much faith in the trajectory? Yes, it’s amazing, and I couldn’t be happier and I’m excited for them to see Justice League so they can really drink the entire elixir of Justice League. But would I continue? I have no plan to. But like I said, I didn’t think I’d be here, so who knows?”

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The long-awaited (and at one time seemingly mythical) Snyder Cut is reportedly due to release in March on HBO Max in four hour-long segments. Snyder says he is including 150 minutes of previously unseen footage, and won’t be using any of director Joss Whedon’s work on the film following Snyder’s original departure.

Snyder certainly isn’t the only one considering his future with DC. Cyborg actor Ray Fisher has said he won’t work with DC Films president Walter Hamada again after Fisher accused Hamada of enabling a toxic work environment under Joss Whedon.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/26/wonder-woman-1984s-biggest-wtf-questions"]

In the meantime, DC fans have the divisive Wonder Woman 1984 to watch on HBO Max. Thankfully, you can finally tune in on your PS5 and Roku. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/cyborg for IGN.

Zack Snyder Has ‘No Plan’ to Make More DC Movies After Justice League Snyder Cut

Director Zack Snyder says he has no plans to make more DC movies after the release of the Snyder Cut of Justice League.

In an interview with Comic Book Debate (via Collider), Snyder commented on the matter of future films, while leaving the door open for the future.

“Look, I never thought I’d be here doing this. I didn’t think I’d be finishing Justice League… The truth is, and it’s been widely reported, and I have no issue, this is an old movie. This is a years-old movie I’m working on. The DC universe has gone and branched off and done its own thing and that’s fine… As far as what I did and as far as what my vision for what I wanted to do with these characters and the journey I wanted them to go on, it’s well known that I planned on more movies — five movies or something — but I’m busy. I’ve got a lot going on. Is it cool that the fans have so much faith in the trajectory? Yes, it’s amazing, and I couldn’t be happier and I’m excited for them to see Justice League so they can really drink the entire elixir of Justice League. But would I continue? I have no plan to. But like I said, I didn’t think I’d be here, so who knows?”

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=2021-movies-preview&captions=true"]

The long-awaited (and at one time seemingly mythical) Snyder Cut is reportedly due to release in March on HBO Max in four hour-long segments. Snyder says he is including 150 minutes of previously unseen footage, and won’t be using any of director Joss Whedon’s work on the film following Snyder’s original departure.

Snyder certainly isn’t the only one considering his future with DC. Cyborg actor Ray Fisher has said he won’t work with DC Films president Walter Hamada again after Fisher accused Hamada of enabling a toxic work environment under Joss Whedon.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/26/wonder-woman-1984s-biggest-wtf-questions"]

In the meantime, DC fans have the divisive Wonder Woman 1984 to watch on HBO Max. Thankfully, you can finally tune in on your PS5 and Roku. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/cyborg for IGN.

Cyberpunk Mod Adds Male V Romance Option With Surprise Full Dialogue

A mod for the PC version of Cyberpunk 2077 allows male V players to romance Judy, who can only be romanced by V with a female body and female voice in the unmodified version of the game. As reported by Eurogamer, modders recently discovered a way to unlock Judy's romance scene using V with a male body type and male voice. The modded scenes with Judy include full voice work for male V, which had some fans thinking Judy was initially supposed to be romanceable by both male and female protagonists. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cyberpunk-2077-pc-gameplay-screenshots&captions=true"] However, a CD Projekt Red representative told Eurogamer Judy was always intended to be a romance option just for female V, saying they still recorded the male V dialogue, "so we could avoid missing something by mistake that would require future recordings." The rep said the team recorded all lines with both voices, just to be safe. And, CDPR confirmed there was no male romance option cut from Cyberpunk 2077. If you want to see how to access the scene in Cyberpunk 2077, you can check out an NSFW video from YouTuber FrederickFlower. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/05/how-to-play-cyberpunk-2077-in-3rd-person"] There are four romanceable characters in Cyberpunk 2077, and each one has different requirements for V's voice and body type. You can check out our Cyberpunk romance guide to see how to progress with each character. Besides romance, you'll also want to find out how to improve your relationship with Johnny Silverhand. This isn't the first big mod we've seen in Cyberpunk. Modders have also created a way to play Cyberpunk 2077 in third-person. Cyberpunk 2077 is out now, check out our separate reviews for Cyberpunk 2077 on PC, and on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. For more, you can read why some think Cyberpunk 2077 deserved better. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/cyberpunk-2077-graphics-comparison-ps5-vs-ps4-base-model"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

Cyberpunk Mod Adds Male V Romance Option With Surprise Full Dialogue

A mod for the PC version of Cyberpunk 2077 allows male V players to romance Judy, who can only be romanced by V with a female body and female voice in the unmodified version of the game. As reported by Eurogamer, modders recently discovered a way to unlock Judy's romance scene using V with a male body type and male voice. The modded scenes with Judy include full voice work for male V, which had some fans thinking Judy was initially supposed to be romanceable by both male and female protagonists. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cyberpunk-2077-pc-gameplay-screenshots&captions=true"] However, a CD Projekt Red representative told Eurogamer Judy was always intended to be a romance option just for female V, saying they still recorded the male V dialogue, "so we could avoid missing something by mistake that would require future recordings." The rep said the team recorded all lines with both voices, just to be safe. And, CDPR confirmed there was no male romance option cut from Cyberpunk 2077. If you want to see how to access the scene in Cyberpunk 2077, you can check out an NSFW video from YouTuber FrederickFlower. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/05/how-to-play-cyberpunk-2077-in-3rd-person"] There are four romanceable characters in Cyberpunk 2077, and each one has different requirements for V's voice and body type. You can check out our Cyberpunk romance guide to see how to progress with each character. Besides romance, you'll also want to find out how to improve your relationship with Johnny Silverhand. This isn't the first big mod we've seen in Cyberpunk. Modders have also created a way to play Cyberpunk 2077 in third-person. Cyberpunk 2077 is out now, check out our separate reviews for Cyberpunk 2077 on PC, and on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. For more, you can read why some think Cyberpunk 2077 deserved better. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/cyberpunk-2077-graphics-comparison-ps5-vs-ps4-base-model"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

Minecraft Earth AR Game Is Shutting Down

Mojang Studios has announced that it is shutting down its augmented reality mobile game Minecraft Earth, which lets players interact with a Minecraft game superimposed onto real-world GPS data. In a new blog post, the Minecraft Earth team confirmed that it is winding down its game with plans to end support on June 30, 2021. Although never explicitly mentioned, the devs cite the complications of managing an AR game during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of its decision to shut down Minecraft Earth. “Minecraft Earth was designed around free movement and collaborative play — two things that have become near impossible in the current global situation,” the staff writes in a blog post. Other AR games, like Pokemon Go, faced similar COVID-related obstacles during the pandemic. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/17/minecraft-earth-official-reveal-trailer"] Still, the developers will support Minecraft Earth until June 2021 and are releasing one more update before the end that will let players enjoy the game before the shutdown. As part of the update, Minecraft Earth will remove real-money transactions, drastically reduce ruby costs, add all content — complete and unreleased, reduce time requirements for crafting and smelting, replace unused crafting and smelting boosts with radius boosts, and grant a set of Character Creator items to anyone who signs in between January 5 and June 30. Then, on June 30, Mojang will discontinue all content and service support for Minecraft Earth. This will also mean people will no longer be able to download or play Minecraft Earth. On July 1, Mojang will delete any Minecraft Earth player data unrelated to Character Creator [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/17/17-minutes-of-minecraft-earth-closed-beta-gameplay"] As another bonus, anyone who has paid for the in-game currency will receive Minecoins which can be used in the Minecraft Marketplace, and anyone who has made a purchase in Minecraft Earth will receive a free copy of the Minecraft Bedrock Edition. IGN has a brief overview of Minecraft Earth here if you’re interested in checking out the AR game before it sunsets for good on June 30.