Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson may be the president that we never knew we needed, according to his old WWE pal The Undertaker. Mark Calaway, aka The Undertaker, believes that the wrestling-champion-turned-Hollywood-heavyweight could add a new title to his already impressive resume, per TMZ Sports. The Undertaker endorsed his former nemesis from the squared circle for a position in the Oval Office, saying that Johnson could be "the uniter that people are looking for" if he decided to run for president. "That man works his tail off and he dives in wholeheartedly in everything that he does and if he gets his mindset that he wants to make a run at politics, ya know what? I think he'll do it," The Undertaker told the outlet, verbally tag-teaming his friend into the running. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dwayne-the-rock-johnsons-10-best-movies&captions=true"] The Undertaker, who officially announced his retirement from WWE last year, seemed confident that his pal wouldn't have to put up much of a fight in the presidential election. When asked if he thought Johnson could help to mend the political divide in America, he said: "I think so. He's so charming, he's so witty, I think he can be the uniter that people are looking for." "I know that he has the charisma. Maybe all it would take would be one eyebrow, and he'd look at the left, raise the eyebrow. Look at the right, raise an eyebrow and hit 'em with 'the People's Elbow," he added. "I don't know man, there's so many possibilities and if that's what he chooses to do, I'll support wholeheartedly in his efforts to do so." So that's one vote in the bag for Johnson, who previously confirmed that a foray into the political arena wouldn't be out of the question for him. In fact, Johnson told USA Today earlier this month that he would be open to considering "a presidential run in the future if that's what the people wanted." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/10/disneys-jungle-cruise-official-trailer-2"] Johnson has a championship belt of achievements to his name, arising out of a career that includes everything from being a former professional wrestler and American football player to being an A-list actor, producer, and businessman. He was also named the world's highest-paid actor for a second consecutive year in 2020, having earned an estimated $87.5 million in a 12-month period. Over the past year, Johnson has been busy working on multiple productions, including Disney's Jungle Cruise and Netflix's Red Notice, a forthcoming action-comedy thriller from Rawson Marshall Thurber. The movie marks the third collaboration between Johnson and Thurber after 2016's Central Intelligence and 2018's Skyscraper, and it's coming to Netflix this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

A damning report about the state of studio culture at Polish developer Techland has revealed a number of issues impacting the creation of Dying Light 2. The situation, which stems from what the rapport alleges is a bullish, autocratic tier of upper management, has resulted in numerous staff walking away from the project and studio. The report, published by The Gamer, compiles a number of testimonies from anonymous sources who either currently work or have been employed by Techland. Among the many allegations, it appears that the company’s management is having a negative effect on both the morale and workflow of its employees, and thus in turn complicating and slowing development of Dying Light 2. Apparently at least 20 staff have left Techland in the last two months. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/09/dying-light-2-gameplay-trailer-e3-2019"] Much of the problem apparently stems from harsh demands and feedback provided by the upper management, led by company CEO Pawel Marchewka. He and his managers allegedly refute the advice of the studio’s own experts, and insist on the team using ideas found in other games rather than creating their own. “Whenever an expert starts advising things that are not aligned with the board’s agenda, they slowly get isolated from the project and responsibilities,” a source told The Gamer. “That leads to them leaving or eventually getting fired. To make a career at Techland, you have to be subservient.” Apparently Marc Albinet, a 30-year industry veteran previously at Ubisoft, was brought in to restructure the studio’s design process, but ultimately was unable to convince management on a new structure. Similarly, veteran Techland employee Paweł Zawodny apparently wanted to try and make workflow easier by replacing Techland’s procedures with a more traditional development pipeline, using either Unreal or Unity. He was denied, which allegedly led to a falling out between Zawodny and Marchewka. Zawodny then left the studio. “Trust and the flow of ideas in a large organisation is a complex issue,” Marchewka told The Gamer in response to the allegations. “After all, you can trust someone, but not agree to their idea, because it is not, for example, the right moment to implement it or it does not fit the certain project.” Another issue staff at the studio apparently deal with is Marchewka’s demands for game features to be based on those in existing games. “One of his super strict rules for design is that ‘an idea can't be implemented if it doesn't have an existing reference from another game’,” said a source. Apparently, Marchewka is “infatuated” with CD Projekt Red. Such a demand means that the staff feel creatively stifled. “If you have references from games Marchewka may not know about, you may as well not have any references, and anything slightly innovative or expensive is [off] the table immediately,” a source said. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dying-light-2-e3-trailer-screenshots&captions=true"] The rejection of ideas can apparently come in offensive form, with reports of management team members using homophobic and course language in feedback. A source explained that such treatment makes you feel like “you don’t know sh*t”. This studio environment has meant many staff have exited the company. Notably, Dying Light 2’s story is currently being worked on by the sixth iteration of the narrative team. The constant turn over of writers - one of which was Chris Avellone who split from the company over allegations of sexual harassment rather than studio issues - has meant the story is apparently a “Frankenstein’s monster” of stitched together ideas from different teams. A source said that they “have no idea what the final game will be, or what the story is. It’s changed so much. People kept quitting, getting fired.” In response to the issue of high staff turnover, Marchewka told The Gamer: “Making games is tough and it is normal that sometimes there is a need to change the workplace and look for new challenges. I am very sorry that some of our employees left us and decided to find their way outside the structures of Techland but I’d always wish them the best.” As far as the management’s demands for ideas from other games, he said “It's natural that I pay attention to what others in our industry are doing, so when talking about examples of high-quality solutions, I often refer to CD Projekt Red. I point out that it is also a Polish company, so certainly our origins and roots should not be an excuse. Currently, Dying Light 2 is without a release date after being delayed in January 2020. No significant news about the game has come out of Techland since the announcement, meaning our last proper look at the game was the Dying Light 2 developer commentary back in 2019. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

A damning report about the state of studio culture at Polish developer Techland has revealed a number of issues impacting the creation of Dying Light 2. The situation, which stems from what the rapport alleges is a bullish, autocratic tier of upper management, has resulted in numerous staff walking away from the project and studio. The report, published by The Gamer, compiles a number of testimonies from anonymous sources who either currently work or have been employed by Techland. Among the many allegations, it appears that the company’s management is having a negative effect on both the morale and workflow of its employees, and thus in turn complicating and slowing development of Dying Light 2. Apparently at least 20 staff have left Techland in the last two months. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/09/dying-light-2-gameplay-trailer-e3-2019"] Much of the problem apparently stems from harsh demands and feedback provided by the upper management, led by company CEO Pawel Marchewka. He and his managers allegedly refute the advice of the studio’s own experts, and insist on the team using ideas found in other games rather than creating their own. “Whenever an expert starts advising things that are not aligned with the board’s agenda, they slowly get isolated from the project and responsibilities,” a source told The Gamer. “That leads to them leaving or eventually getting fired. To make a career at Techland, you have to be subservient.” Apparently Marc Albinet, a 30-year industry veteran previously at Ubisoft, was brought in to restructure the studio’s design process, but ultimately was unable to convince management on a new structure. Similarly, veteran Techland employee Paweł Zawodny apparently wanted to try and make workflow easier by replacing Techland’s procedures with a more traditional development pipeline, using either Unreal or Unity. He was denied, which allegedly led to a falling out between Zawodny and Marchewka. Zawodny then left the studio. “Trust and the flow of ideas in a large organisation is a complex issue,” Marchewka told The Gamer in response to the allegations. “After all, you can trust someone, but not agree to their idea, because it is not, for example, the right moment to implement it or it does not fit the certain project.” Another issue staff at the studio apparently deal with is Marchewka’s demands for game features to be based on those in existing games. “One of his super strict rules for design is that ‘an idea can't be implemented if it doesn't have an existing reference from another game’,” said a source. Apparently, Marchewka is “infatuated” with CD Projekt Red. Such a demand means that the staff feel creatively stifled. “If you have references from games Marchewka may not know about, you may as well not have any references, and anything slightly innovative or expensive is [off] the table immediately,” a source said. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dying-light-2-e3-trailer-screenshots&captions=true"] The rejection of ideas can apparently come in offensive form, with reports of management team members using homophobic and course language in feedback. A source explained that such treatment makes you feel like “you don’t know sh*t”. This studio environment has meant many staff have exited the company. Notably, Dying Light 2’s story is currently being worked on by the sixth iteration of the narrative team. The constant turn over of writers - one of which was Chris Avellone who split from the company over allegations of sexual harassment rather than studio issues - has meant the story is apparently a “Frankenstein’s monster” of stitched together ideas from different teams. A source said that they “have no idea what the final game will be, or what the story is. It’s changed so much. People kept quitting, getting fired.” In response to the issue of high staff turnover, Marchewka told The Gamer: “Making games is tough and it is normal that sometimes there is a need to change the workplace and look for new challenges. I am very sorry that some of our employees left us and decided to find their way outside the structures of Techland but I’d always wish them the best.” As far as the management’s demands for ideas from other games, he said “It's natural that I pay attention to what others in our industry are doing, so when talking about examples of high-quality solutions, I often refer to CD Projekt Red. I point out that it is also a Polish company, so certainly our origins and roots should not be an excuse. Currently, Dying Light 2 is without a release date after being delayed in January 2020. No significant news about the game has come out of Techland since the announcement, meaning our last proper look at the game was the Dying Light 2 developer commentary back in 2019. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Sony is bringing back its Play At Home initiative, offering select games and entertainment for free from March through June. First up, Ratchet & Clank (2016) will be free for all PlayStation 4 and 5 owners throughout March, including players who do not subscribe to PlayStation Plus. Sony says once you redeem the game, it is yours to keep with no time limit attached. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/04/11/ratchet-clank-video-review"] Beginning March 25, for a limited time, anime streaming services Funimation and Wakanim will offer extended access for new subscribers in supported countries. For Funimation, the offer is available in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. The Wakanim offer is available in most of Western and Northern Europe. Those are the only offers Sony has currently announced for the second round of the Play At Home initiative. Last April, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey were available for free for a limited time. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/11/ratchet-clank-rift-apart-release-date-trailer"] In IGN's Ratchet & Clank PS4 review, we called the game amazing, saying it is, "a culmination of everything Insomniac has done with the series over the past 14 years." The Ratchet & Clank PS4 reboot is free just three months ahead of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart's June 11 release date. Developer Insomniac Games says the PS5-exclusive sequel is a great place to start if you've never played a Ratchet & Clank game, but it will include deeper connections to previous games. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ratchet-clank-rift-apart-key-art-box-art-pre-order-bonuses-digital-editions&captions=true"] The developers say Rift Apart, "showcases what’s possible for games designed around PS5’s ultra-high speed SSD and DualSense wireless controller." For more, you can check out our Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart preorder guide. Or, you can learn about the new Ratchet and Clank animated short that is unrelated to Rift Apart. [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.

Sony is bringing back its Play At Home initiative, offering select games and entertainment for free from March through June. First up, Ratchet & Clank (2016) will be free for all PlayStation 4 and 5 owners throughout March, including players who do not subscribe to PlayStation Plus. Sony says once you redeem the game, it is yours to keep with no time limit attached. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/04/11/ratchet-clank-video-review"] Beginning March 25, for a limited time, anime streaming services Funimation and Wakanim will offer extended access for new subscribers in supported countries. For Funimation, the offer is available in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. The Wakanim offer is available in most of Western and Northern Europe. Those are the only offers Sony has currently announced for the second round of the Play At Home initiative. Last April, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey were available for free for a limited time. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/11/ratchet-clank-rift-apart-release-date-trailer"] In IGN's Ratchet & Clank PS4 review, we called the game amazing, saying it is, "a culmination of everything Insomniac has done with the series over the past 14 years." The Ratchet & Clank PS4 reboot is free just three months ahead of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart's June 11 release date. Developer Insomniac Games says the PS5-exclusive sequel is a great place to start if you've never played a Ratchet & Clank game, but it will include deeper connections to previous games. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ratchet-clank-rift-apart-key-art-box-art-pre-order-bonuses-digital-editions&captions=true"] The developers say Rift Apart, "showcases what’s possible for games designed around PS5’s ultra-high speed SSD and DualSense wireless controller." For more, you can check out our Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart preorder guide. Or, you can learn about the new Ratchet and Clank animated short that is unrelated to Rift Apart. [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.

With February comes a month-long commemoration of Black History. It’s an essential time of year for raising awareness of important causes and honoring all the spectacular contributions the Black community has made to our society — from science and tech to music, art, and so much more. In honor of that, IGN invites you to celebrate this occasion with us during our Black History Month charity stream. We’ll be hanging out with talented Black creators, entertainers, and friends while raising money for an important cause. If you don't want to miss out on the fun, here’s everything you need to know to join in.

What Cause Are We Raising Funds For?

During IGN’s Black History Month charity stream, we’ll be raising funds for an organization called Gameheads which features a tech program aimed at diversifying the video game industry through teaching youth of color and youth from low-income households about game design, development, and DevOps. If you would like to help us raise funds, we encourage you to join us for the stream or simply donate using Tiltify. Check out the Gameheads official website for more information.

Where Can I Watch IGN’s Black History Month Charity Stream?

If you’d like to join us, you can watch our charity stream here, on the IGN homepage, and across all of our main social media channels listed below:

• IGN.com (homepage)
• IGN's Facebook Channel
• IGN's Tik Tok
• IGN’s Twitter
• IGN's Twitch Channel
• IGN’s Youtube Channel
• IGN's iOS App
• IGN's Android App
• IGN's PlayStation 4 App
• IGN's Xbox One App
• Roku
• IGN App for Android TV
• IGN for Amazon Fire TV
• Apple TV
• IGN 1 on Samsung TV Plus
• Pluto TV
• Plex Live TV

IGN's Black History Month Charity Stream Schedule

We have two main events planned for our charity stream:

Black Women in Media Panel

1:30pm PST | 4:30pm EST | 9:30pm GMT A panel with incredible women in the industry talking about various topics related to gaming and entertainment. Hosted by Khalilah Alston Joined by Special Guests:

• Jay-Ann Lopez, Founder at Black Girl Gamers
• Allegra Frank, Senior Editor at Slate
• Gita Jackson, Staff Writer at Motherboard
• Jeannail “Cuddle_Core”, Pro Tekken 7 player at EQNXGaming
• Riana Manuel, Senior Manager and Brand Marketing at G4TV

Among Us Charity Stream

2pm PST | 5pm EST | 10pm GMT A casual stream playing Among Us and raising funds with some friends! Hosted by Akeem Lawanson Joined by Special Guests:

• Blessing Adeoye Jr., Host/Producer at KindaFunny
• Zeno Robinson, Voice Actor from My Hero Academia
• Echo Kellum, Actor/Comedian, Mr. Terrific from CW's Arrow
• Shofu, Musician and Twitch Influencer
• Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter at Mashable
• Krystina Arielle, Host at Star Wars The High Republic Show
• JazzyGuns, YouTube Streamer and Content Creator
• EbonixSims, Twitch Influencer and Co-Founder of Black Twitch UK

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With February comes a month-long commemoration of Black History. It’s an essential time of year for raising awareness of important causes and honoring all the spectacular contributions the Black community has made to our society — from science and tech to music, art, and so much more. In honor of that, IGN invites you to celebrate this occasion with us during our Black History Month charity stream. We’ll be hanging out with talented Black creators, entertainers, and friends while raising money for an important cause. If you don't want to miss out on the fun, here’s everything you need to know to join in.

What Cause Are We Raising Funds For?

During IGN’s Black History Month charity stream, we’ll be raising funds for an organization called Gameheads which features a tech program aimed at diversifying the video game industry through teaching youth of color and youth from low-income households about game design, development, and DevOps. If you would like to help us raise funds, we encourage you to join us for the stream or simply donate using Tiltify. Check out the Gameheads official website for more information.

Where Can I Watch IGN’s Black History Month Charity Stream?

If you’d like to join us, you can watch our charity stream here, on the IGN homepage, and across all of our main social media channels listed below:

• IGN.com (homepage)
• IGN's Facebook Channel
• IGN's Tik Tok
• IGN’s Twitter
• IGN's Twitch Channel
• IGN’s Youtube Channel
• IGN's iOS App
• IGN's Android App
• IGN's PlayStation 4 App
• IGN's Xbox One App
• Roku
• IGN App for Android TV
• IGN for Amazon Fire TV
• Apple TV
• IGN 1 on Samsung TV Plus
• Pluto TV
• Plex Live TV

IGN's Black History Month Charity Stream Schedule

We have two main events planned for our charity stream:

Black Women in Gaming and Entertainment Panel

1:30pm PST | 4:30pm EST | 9:30pm GMT A panel with incredible women in the industry talking about various topics related to gaming and entertainment. Hosted by Khalilah Alston Joined by Special Guests:

• Jay-Ann Lopez, Founder at Black Girl Gamers
• Allegra Frank, Senior Editor at Slate
• Gita Jackson, Staff Writer at Motherboard
• Jeannail “Cuddle_Core”, Pro Tekken 7 player at EQNXGaming
• Riana Manuel, Senior Manager and Brand Marketing at G4TV

Among Us Charity Stream

2pm PST | 5pm EST | 10pm GMT A casual stream playing Among Us and raising funds with some friends! Hosted by Akeem Lawanson Joined by Special Guests:

• Blessing Adeoye Jr., Host/Producer at KindaFunny
• Echo Kellum, Actor/Comedian, Mr. Incredible from CW's Arrow
• Shofu, Musician and Twitch Influencer
• Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter at Mashable
• Krystina Arielle, Host at Star Wars The High Republic Show
• JazzyGuns, YouTube Streamer and Content Creator
• EbonixSims, Twitch Influencer and Co-Founder of Black Twitch UK

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The Dungeons & Dragons team has announced a new horror-themed sourcebook, Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft (see it at Amazon).

Featuring work from authors like Cassandra Khaw, Molly Ostertag, and K. Tempest Bradford, Van Richten's Guide is set for a May 2021 release. It focuses on the various Domains of Dread -  perhaps better known to some D&D veterans as the Demiplane of Dread - featured in past editions of the game, from the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Realm of Terror to the hugely popular 2016 Fifth Edition adventure Curse of Strahd. [caption id="attachment_2477054" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Cover art for Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, by Anna Podedworna (L) and Scott M. Fischer (R).[/caption] The guide won’t simply be Curse of Strahd 1.5, however – you can check out last year’s ReVamped edition for that – VRGtR will provide options for a variety of horrific adventures and settings. “We understand that Curse of Strahd came out many years ago,” says Wes Schneider, senior D&D designer and lead on Van Richten’s Guide. “It’s been very popular, a lot of folks have played it already. So we wanted to make sure that if you played Curse of Strahd or other adventures in Ravenloft, that Van Richten’s Guide isn’t just like, ‘Oh, well, I did that.’” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/27/dd-curse-of-strahd-revamped-collectors-edition-first-look-w-chris-perkins"] From classic monsters like werewolves and mummies to adaptations of eastern folk tales or fantastical takes on more modern horror themes, Van Richten’s Guide will cover a wide variety of terror tropes to throw at your adventurers. The “Demiplane of Dread”, as it was known, contains a variety of isolated realms - or “domains” - each one ruled over by a Darklord, a sort of “lead” monster or character based on the particular horror theme that forms the basis of each domain. Consider it like a more terrifying version of the various sections of Disney World - but instead of Tomorrowland or Galaxy’s Edge, you’re trapped in Frankenstein World or on Werewolf Island. “Just like how the original Ravenloft adventure then spread out into an entire campaign setting back in the ’90s, we’re doing very much the same thing,” Schneider said. “We’re starting with the core of Curse of Strahd and then expanding out from there into other Domains of Dread and beyond just Gothic horror. We’ll also be seeing cosmic horror, ghost stories, dark fantasies, psychological horror – all of these different things, depending on what your favorite flavor of nightmare might be.” [caption id="attachment_2477059" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Full alternate cover art by Scott M. Fischer.[/caption] These aren’t just reprintings of AD&D worlds with 5e mechanics, of course. While many domains have been refreshed, some have been entirely reimagined to stretch the Ravenloft domains outside the realm of “classical Gothic horror”. The domain of Falkovnia, for example, was another domain featuring a vampire Darklord - a need already fulfilled by Barovia’s Strahd Von Zarovich – so Scheinder and the team pivoted the realm to focus on a more modern horror theme: the zombie apocalypse. “Ravenloft had never had that before, just because that’s not really a Gothic horror trope,” Schneider says. “Now, we have this entire domain that’s constantly crumbling under the weight of these endless zombie invasions. And the new Darklord, Vladeska Drakov, is this terrible character but is also the domain’s last hope to survive against this even more overwhelming supernatural disaster.” He says finding the right intersection between both new and old horror themes and the D&D experience has been a big part of the book’s design process. “If you look at the Zombie in the Monster Manual, even a first-level party is gonna be like, ‘Oh, zombie... huh,’” he says with an air of fake boredom. “But what happens when there are more zombies than there are fireballs? And how does that affect an entire society, and then how does that affect the characters?” “The book deals a lot with the idea that any horror story across any piece of media is – whether it’s a movie, or it’s a book, or it’s a tabletop RPG – in general, at its core, a story about a haunting,” says Amanda Hamon, another Senior Designer at D&D and one of the authors of Van Richten’s Guide. “What scares the character? What has happened to the character? What are the characters' hangups, and the bad things that have happened to them? And [how] to bring them forward into the narrative?” [caption id="attachment_2477063" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Concept art of a 'Dark Gift,' by Paul Scott Canavan.[/caption] To help players lean into the horror atmosphere, the Guide will also introduce new character options, including a set of new lineages - building off the options introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything - as well as two new subclasses. The lineages, which players may recognize from the recently published Unearthed Arcana, include the Dhampir, Hexblood, and Reborn, which feature traits born of vampires, hags, or undead creatures, respectively. The subclasses included in VRGtR are the College of Spirits Bard, who can contact otherworldly spirits through gaming sets and trinkets like a medium, and the Undead Patron Warlock, granting characters power from beyond the grave. Also included are a collection of new Dark Gifts, similar to those found in Curse of Strahd, which can provide horror-themed bonuses and/or roleplay options to players and their characters. “One of the things that differentiate a horror game from just a normal tabletop RPG high-fantasy game,” Hamon says, “is the really intense role-playing in the atmospheric environment that you’re playing in. And I’m just really excited that [the Dark Gifts are] able to build in some of these mechanical ways of supporting that so that it’s not just describing a thing or kind of being superficial. It really feels baked into the game, and I feel like that’s an important piece of this book as well.” Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft is set to release on May 18, 2021. It will feature cover art by Anna Podedworna, with an alternate cover by Scott M. Fischer available at local game stores. For more D&D on IGN, check out our guide to playing Dungeons & Dragons online or check out our unboxing of the latest Beadle & Grimm platinum edition with Mattew Lillard himself! [poilib element="accentDivider"] JR is a Senior Editor at IGN and very much looking forward to taking his players to Frankenstein World. Give him mean puzzle ideas on Twitter.

The Dungeons & Dragons team has announced a new horror-themed sourcebook, Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft (see it at Amazon).

Featuring work from authors like Cassandra Khaw, Molly Ostertag, and K. Tempest Bradford, Van Richten's Guide is set for a May 2021 release. It focuses on the various Domains of Dread -  perhaps better known to some D&D veterans as the Demiplane of Dread - featured in past editions of the game, from the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Realm of Terror to the hugely popular 2016 Fifth Edition adventure Curse of Strahd. [caption id="attachment_2477054" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Cover art for Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, by Anna Podedworna (L) and Scott M. Fischer (R).[/caption] The guide won’t simply be Curse of Strahd 1.5, however – you can check out last year’s ReVamped edition for that – VRGtR will provide options for a variety of horrific adventures and settings. “We understand that Curse of Strahd came out many years ago,” says Wes Schneider, senior D&D designer and lead on Van Richten’s Guide. “It’s been very popular, a lot of folks have played it already. So we wanted to make sure that if you played Curse of Strahd or other adventures in Ravenloft, that Van Richten’s Guide isn’t just like, ‘Oh, well, I did that.’” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/27/dd-curse-of-strahd-revamped-collectors-edition-first-look-w-chris-perkins"] From classic monsters like werewolves and mummies to adaptations of eastern folk tales or fantastical takes on more modern horror themes, Van Richten’s Guide will cover a wide variety of terror tropes to throw at your adventurers. The “Demiplane of Dread”, as it was known, contains a variety of isolated realms - or “domains” - each one ruled over by a Darklord, a sort of “lead” monster or character based on the particular horror theme that forms the basis of each domain. Consider it like a more terrifying version of the various sections of Disney World - but instead of Tomorrowland or Galaxy’s Edge, you’re trapped in Frankenstein World or on Werewolf Island. “Just like how the original Ravenloft adventure then spread out into an entire campaign setting back in the ’90s, we’re doing very much the same thing,” Schneider said. “We’re starting with the core of Curse of Strahd and then expanding out from there into other Domains of Dread and beyond just Gothic horror. We’ll also be seeing cosmic horror, ghost stories, dark fantasies, psychological horror – all of these different things, depending on what your favorite flavor of nightmare might be.” [caption id="attachment_2477059" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Full alternate cover art by Scott M. Fischer.[/caption] These aren’t just reprintings of AD&D worlds with 5e mechanics, of course. While many domains have been refreshed, some have been entirely reimagined to stretch the Ravenloft domains outside the realm of “classical Gothic horror”. The domain of Falkovnia, for example, was another domain featuring a vampire Darklord - a need already fulfilled by Barovia’s Strahd Von Zarovich – so Scheinder and the team pivoted the realm to focus on a more modern horror theme: the zombie apocalypse. “Ravenloft had never had that before, just because that’s not really a Gothic horror trope,” Schneider says. “Now, we have this entire domain that’s constantly crumbling under the weight of these endless zombie invasions. And the new Darklord, Vladeska Drakov, is this terrible character but is also the domain’s last hope to survive against this even more overwhelming supernatural disaster.” He says finding the right intersection between both new and old horror themes and the D&D experience has been a big part of the book’s design process. “If you look at the Zombie in the Monster Manual, even a first-level party is gonna be like, ‘Oh, zombie... huh,’” he says with an air of fake boredom. “But what happens when there are more zombies than there are fireballs? And how does that affect an entire society, and then how does that affect the characters?” “The book deals a lot with the idea that any horror story across any piece of media is – whether it’s a movie, or it’s a book, or it’s a tabletop RPG – in general, at its core, a story about a haunting,” says Amanda Hamon, another Senior Designer at D&D and one of the authors of Van Richten’s Guide. “What scares the character? What has happened to the character? What are the characters' hangups, and the bad things that have happened to them? And [how] to bring them forward into the narrative?” [caption id="attachment_2477063" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Concept art of a 'Dark Gift,' by Paul Scott Canavan.[/caption] To help players lean into the horror atmosphere, the Guide will also introduce new character options, including a set of new lineages - building off the options introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything - as well as two new subclasses. The lineages, which players may recognize from the recently published Unearthed Arcana, include the Dhampir, Hexblood, and Reborn, which feature traits born of vampires, hags, or undead creatures, respectively. The subclasses included in VRGtR are the College of Spirits Bard, who can contact otherworldly spirits through gaming sets and trinkets like a medium, and the Undead Patron Warlock, granting characters power from beyond the grave. Also included are a collection of new Dark Gifts, similar to those found in Curse of Strahd, which can provide horror-themed bonuses and/or roleplay options to players and their characters. “One of the things that differentiate a horror game from just a normal tabletop RPG high-fantasy game,” Hamon says, “is the really intense role-playing in the atmospheric environment that you’re playing in. And I’m just really excited that [the Dark Gifts are] able to build in some of these mechanical ways of supporting that so that it’s not just describing a thing or kind of being superficial. It really feels baked into the game, and I feel like that’s an important piece of this book as well.” Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft is set to release on May 18, 2021. It will feature cover art by Anna Podedworna, with an alternate cover by Scott M. Fischer available at local game stores. For more D&D on IGN, check out our guide to playing Dungeons & Dragons online or check out our unboxing of the latest Beadle & Grimm platinum edition with Mattew Lillard himself! [poilib element="accentDivider"] JR is a Senior Editor at IGN and very much looking forward to taking his players to Frankenstein World. Give him mean puzzle ideas on Twitter.

Developer Soda Den has announced Roots of Pacha, a Stone Age life simulator that might be most akin to a "Stone Age Stardew Valley." You can back it now on Kickstarter. "By connecting with nature at your own pace you’ll help your clan evolve, develop culture and relationships, and discover the mysteries of Pacha, mother nature," the development team said in its description of Roots of Pacha. Check out the announcement trailer above as well as screenshots (and gameplay gifs) in the gallery below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=roots-of-pacha-screenshots&captions=true"] Cooperative play is supported, and in the game you'll farm, craft, build, tame and ride animals, evolve your clan, and more. Future features have been promised as well, including marrying fellow Pachans, breeding animals, petting those animals, participating in festivals and rituals, and more. Kickstarter backers at a sufficient tier will have access to a closed alpha demo starting on March 26. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.