Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker, the upcoming expansion for Square Enix's massively successful MMORPG, marks the end of a major story arc that stretches across one reboot and four expansions. Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida shared with IGN how this long-running saga was only possible thanks to the MMO's continued success. Earlier this month, Yoshida appeared on stage in Japan to reveal the next expansion for Final Fantasy 14, Endwalker. The upcoming expansion closes the book on a storyline that first began in Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, which was released in 2013. This storyline focusing on a war between two gods, Hydaelyn and Zodiark, will be eight years old by the time Endwalker is released later this year. But even getting to this point was not guaranteed for the development team. "The idea of creating a large-scale saga and bringing closure to it after multiple expansions came about when we were working on A Realm Reborn," says Yoshida in an interview with IGN. "However, in order to make that idea a reality, gaining popularity and acquiring the adequate funds and acclaim to continue long-term service would be required." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/06/final-fantasy-14-endwalker-teaser-trailer"] Yoshida says that until the launch of the second expansion, Heavensward, it was still unclear if the development team could achieve its goal of telling a long, multi-expansion storyline. "Our goal largely depended on if players were enjoying the game and continuing to play," admits Yoshida. He goes on to say that it wasn't until the release of the Stormblood expansion when he "finally felt confident that we would be able to make this a reality." As to whether future storylines in Final Fantasy 14 will be as long, Yoshida isn't sharing just yet. "I believe the development staff is most keen on finding out more about the next story, including how long it right be and if we'll be going in the direction of shorter storylines." Final Fantasy 14 famously suffered a disastrous launch back in 2010. Initial impressions from critics and players found there were just too many complicated systems and bugs weighing the MMO down for it to be enjoyable. IGN reviewed the original version and gave it a 5.5. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=final-fantasy-xiv-endwalker-screenshots-and-artwork&captions=true"] Yoshida was tasked with revitalizing Final Fantasy 14, a process that took over two years. Then, in 2013, the popular MMORPG that players love today launched renewed under a new title, A Realm Reborn. But given such a rocky start and the need for a complete overhaul, it's understandable why Yoshida would feel uncertain whether or not Final Fantasy 14 could even make it to Endwalker. Eight years and 20 million players later, Final Fantasy 14 is probably in its strongest position yet after glowing reviews for the last expansion, Shadowbringers. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/16/final-fantasy-16-reveal-trailer"] Along with the conclusion to the Hydaelyn storyline, Endwalker will introduce two new job classes. The first class that was revealed is Sage, a new "barrier" healer type class where characters control floating swords that deal damage and heal allies. Yoshida tells IGN that the character animation work, in particular, will be something that will impress fans. Yoshida is also serving as producer on the upcoming Final Fantasy 16, developed by a team that includes former Final Fantasy 14 developers. Yoshida has already shared details about the heroes and world of Final Fantasy 16 here. Final Fantasy 14 will also be coming to PS5 later this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is News Editor at IGN.

Donald Glover has reportedly signed a multi-year overall deal with Amazon, and Malia Obama might already be onboard for one of the projects. According to The Hollywood Reporter, sources have claimed that Glover has left his pact with FX, home to his award-winning series Atlanta, and signed an eight-figure deal with Amazon. His brother Stephen Glover has also inked a deal with the streamer to develop projects for a new content channel on the Amazon Prime video hub, which will "spotlight Glover's work and other curated content." One of the projects, called Hive, has reportedly already started staffing a writers room, with insiders noting that Malia Obama is among those recruited to work on the show, which hails from Watchmen TV series writer Janine Nabers. Barack and Michelle Obama's eldest daughter has previously interned and worked on several other productions' sets, including HBO's Girls and CBS's Extant. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/05/22/solo-a-star-wars-story-donald-glover-falcon-tour"] As well as Hive, which is rumored to revolve around a Beyoncé-like public figure (cue the BeyHive), Glover will executive produce numerous other projects for the streaming platform. This includes the recently-announced Mr. and Mrs. Smith series created by Glover and Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who are both also starring in and executive producing the series with showrunner/EP Francesca Sloane. Despite Glover's prospective slate of work, Atlanta is still said to be on track for its third and fourth seasons. Sources claim that production on the series is set to kick off in March, with both seasons filming back-to-back in Atlanta, as well as undisclosed locations outside of the US, which makes sense considering Season 2 ended with Paper Boi, Earn, and Darius departing for a European tour. The Donald Glover-created series was renewed for a fourth season in August 2019, ahead of Season 3. At the time, each season was expected to consist of eight episodes. However, at Glover's request, Season 3 will now be 10 episodes long "because things went so well in the writers room," according to FX President John Landgraf. There's no official word on Season 4's episode count. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=solo-a-star-wars-story-easter-eggs-trivia-and-references&captions=true"] At this stage, it's unknown whether Atlanta will be picked up for additional seasons in the future, though Glover is said to have established an agreement whereby he will be able to continue to work on the critically acclaimed series in addition to his other commitments with Amazon should that be something that he would like to build into his schedule. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Valheim is getting new boss battles, ship customisation, biomes, and more in various updates throughout 2021, Iron Gate Studios has confirmed. In an interview with PC Gamer, Valheim's developer provided more details on what content is coming to the Viking open-world survival RPG. Until recently, a loose roadmap - posted on Valheim's Steam community page - was the only information we had on what additional content would arrive. Now, Iron Gate Studios co-founder Henrik Törnqvist has elaborated on Valheim's 2021 updates and how each one will expand on its unique world. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/12/valheim-11-tips-to-get-you-started"] Hearth and Home - Valheim's first update - will "focus on the house building aspect of the game," Törnqvist said, "With more building pieces and stuff to do in and around the house." Recipes and food preparation, and new building materials to fortify your house, will also form part of Hearth and Home. Cult of the Wolf will follow Hearth and Home, and focuses on combat and exploring Valheim's various biomes. Iron Gate declined to elaborate when asked but, given the update's name, it's likely to encompass the icy Mountain biome in some capacity. Törnqvist also confirmed that update three - Ships and the Sea - "will bring in some ship customisation and try to flesh out the ocean biome a bit more", while the Mistlands biome patch will introduce new enemies, items, bosses, resources, and more to keep Valheim fresh for established players. Speaking specifically on the boss front, Törnqvist also revealed that each of Valheim's nine biomes will contain a boss battle when the game's final version launches, and that Iron Gate is "also exploring adding mini-bosses and stuff like that". [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/17/valheim-early-access-review"] Törnqvist didn't provide any new information on the roadmap's wishlist, such as a Sandbox mode and multiplayer interactions among other possible inclusions. Iron Gate's five-strong team currently has its hands full with the myriad of bugs that players have discovered, so don't expect further updates on that front any time soon. Valheim has stormed the Steam charts since its Early Access launch over a fortnight ago. The indie title sold two million copies in its first 13 days, and had a peak concurrent user count of 374,300 as of today, according to Steam Database. In our Early Access review, we said Valheim "has created a world I'm consistently joyful to live in and discover more of." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Tom Power is a UK-based freelance journalist. Follow him on Twitter.

EA has formally completed its $1.2 billion acquisition of Codemasters, and has confirmed to IGN that it will be treating the company's studios as an 'independent group', making their own games. EA did however signal an interest in perhaps bringing the Formula 1 license back under its own EA Sports brand. In a press release, EA explained that Codemasters' franchises such as Formula 1, Dirt, and Project CARS will sit alongside EA's existing racing games. Speaking to IGN, EA executive vice president of strategic growth Matt Bilbey explained that Codemasters' studios (including Slightly Mad, which it purchased in 2019) would remain somewhat autonomous after the purchase. "We will be treating the Codemasters’ studios as an independent group for the foreseeable future, giving them all the support they need to deliver their much-loved games and exploring all opportunities for growth as we go," Bilbey explained. "We’re incredibly excited about what the future holds for them and while they will remain independent, we will be there to pour fuel on their growth capabilities through the power of EA’s distribution." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/19/dirt-5-review"] Bilbey explained the motivation for the purchase by saying that EA sees further room for growth in racing games, with the acquisition allowing EA "to deliver racing experiences to fans on a more regular basis". Formula 1 seems to be of particular interest, with Bilbey describing it as, "one of the few true global sports, with strong fan growth in North America, Asia and continued growth in Europe." Speaking of Formula 1, IGN also asked whether there were plans to bring the license (which Codemasters has held since 2009) under the EA Sports banner. EA Sports last held the F1 license in 2000-2003. Bilbey didn't commit to that move, but did signal some interest: "We are very proud of the values and reach that the EA Sports brand brings," replied Bilbey. "Codemasters have very similar values and a proven track record of quality. We do believe that the opportunity to partner Formula 1 with the Codemasters brand and EA Sports is a compelling proposition to reach even more racing fans globally." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/06/f1-2020-review"] EA does have something of a chequered history with racing game-focused studios in recent years, with EA Black Box shuttered and two Ghost Games studios closed in the last decade. We asked Bilbey what message the company had for those cynical of the move: "We are huge fans of the racing genre and I know that many of your readers are too," explained Bilbey, "which is why I’m sure they’ll understand just why we’ve admired Codemasters for so long. Our intent is to build on the success that Codemasters have generated, ensuring we help create a bright, brilliant and exciting future for racing fans, that’s populated by amazing games delivered into the hands of more players than ever before. "Codemasters joins one of the strongest creative collectives in the industry alongside DICE, Respawn, Bioware, Criterion EA Sports and many others, and the shared knowledge and expertise of this group paves the way for significant innovation for all. We are looking forward to providing Codemasters with every level of support to drive success together, and know there is a strong future ahead of us." Additional reporting by Luke Reilly and Matt Kim. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Embracer Group, which owns a number of video game studios including Gearbox Software, Volition and 4A Games, is creating a comprehensive video game archive which plans to include every video game ever made. Martin Lindell, an adviser at Embracer Group posted the news to Twitter, and you can watch CEO Lars Wingefors talk about his plans for the archive at this timestamped video link. Wingefors has already donated his own collection to form "the foundation of the archive" but Embracer Group plans to create "an archive of all video games" and has been acquiring significant collections from private collectors in Europe over the past year. It currently holds around 50,000 pieces, including "games, consoles, peripherals and arcades," many of which are described as extremely rare. Wingefors has said that the project "will take decades to complete," but the group is committed to seeing it through.

Something I'm very proud to be a part of is our efforts at @embracergroup to build a games archive. The project is led by Thomas Sunhede, my friend and co-author of the book about Swedish video games dev history. pic.twitter.com/tmbosfVSDm

— Martin Lindell (@martinlindell) February 18, 2021

The archive may be kept near the Embracer Group Headquarters in Värmland, Sweden but the company has plans to create "satellite exhibits" at the companies it owns about the creative history of their companies. It may also create external travelling exhibits around the globe. The project is being spearheaded by Thomas Sunhede, co-author of a book concerning the history of Swedish video game development. Embracer Group has said that the archive will also act as a "complete reference library for the benefit of the group." Elsewhere, the Embracer Group has revealed that it has 150 games in development, with 70 to be completed by March 2022. The company recently acquired Borderlands developer Gearbox Software for $1.3 Billion in early February. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Embracer Group, which owns Gearbox Software (Borderlands), Volition (Saint's Row), Coffee Stain (Satisfactory) and 4A Games (Metro Exodus) to name a few, has 150 games in development, with 70 due to be completed before March 2022. The news was revealed as part of the group's third-quarter interim report, published on the Embracer Group website. The number of game development projects at Embracer Group increased 56% year-on-year, from 96 in October-December 2019 to 150 in October-December 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/13/metro-exodus-review"] "We now expect the next financial year ending March 2022 to become the strongest in our history driven by numerous significant releases towards the second half of the year," the report reads. "In total, we expect to complete more than 70 premium game development projects." This means that by March 2022, 70 of the 150 games in development will be in a state fit for release (although they won't necessarily all see release in that time period) The Embracer Group has clearly been on a hiring spree to account for all of these new games in development. "Total headcount increased 93% to 5,730 (2,970) where total game developers increased 92% to 4,325 (2,258)," the report reads. That's nearly double the number of game developers onboarded in the space of a year. We reported back in May of 2020 that Embracer Group had 69 unannounced games in development, so hopefully we'll hear more about all of these new projects in the near future. At that point, the group also had 118 games in development, so its embarked on a whopping 32 new projects since May of last year. The group could easily add more games to this list in the wake of its latest string of acquisitions, which included port pioneers Aspyr Media and Borderlands developer Gearbox, which it picked up earlier this month for $1.3 Billion. One game it seemingly won't be helping make is Little Nightmares 3, with developer Tarsier now focusing on new IP. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Tarsier Studios "will, from now on, focus on creating new IPs", potentially spelling the end of its Little Nightmares series. Tarsier parent company Embracer Group revealed its Q3 earnings today, including a section on the Swedish studio. "After the quarter Tarsier studios game Little Nightmares 2 was published [by Bandai Namco] and was well received by its audience," reads the earnings report. "Tarsier studios will, from now on, focus on creating new IPs." In a webcast to accompany the earnings, Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors went into more detail. "I'm super-thrilled, and I spoke to the CEO of Tarsier the other day, and congratulated him [on] the critical success of Little Nightmares 2. It's an IP they created, but it's owned by Bandai Namco and published by Bandai Namco, so it doesn't really have any significant commercial impact for us, even though if it does really well it could have some royalty revenues over time. "But I'm super excited about them achieving such a game again, because the first game was very well received, and this game looks as well received. Now, having that game created, they will move over to create new IPs, and I'm super excited, and that was the main reason we made this acquisition a bit over a year ago." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/04/26/little-nightmares-review"] Wingefors' comments don't outwardly say that Tarsier will no longer make Little Nightmares games, but his mention of the series' ownership by Bandai Namco (a competing publisher), and his pointing to new IPs being the reason for the acquisition seem to imply it. It is, of course, possible that Bandai Namco could now hand the Little Nightmares IP to a new studio, given its success. We've contacted Tarsier, Embracer, and Bandai Namco for comment. Tarsier was acquired by Embracer Group (the prolific acquisition-focused holding company that now owns the likes of Gearbox, 4A Games, Volition, and many more games companies) in December 2019. Little Nightmares 2 had been announced earlier that year, implying that devlopment had already begun for Bandai Namco at the time of the acquisition. We awarded Little Nightmares 2 a 7/10 review, saying "There’s no doubting developer Tarsier Studios’ artistry and ability, but I hope for its next project it leaves these Little Nightmares behind and dares to dream bigger." It seems that may now be the case. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News, and he really wants you to play Tarsier's somewhat forgotten VR game, Statik. It's fantastic. Follow him on Twitter.

Scientists have proposed a new theory that could explain the origin of the celestial body that is largely attributed as the cause of the mass extinction event that wiped out dinosaurs. EurekAlert! shared the findings from the recent study, published in Nature's Scientific Reports, which theorizes that the break-up of a long-period comet could have been the real culprit of the dinosaur extinction, not an asteroid (like some scientists have previously hypothesized). The researchers examined the potential origin and journey of the catastrophic object that forever changed history. In the paper, Amir Siraj and Avi Loeb put forward a theory to suggest that a piece of cometary shrapnel crashed into Earth over 66 million years ago to create the Chicxulub crater. The research indicates that the long-distance comet originated from the Oort Cloud - an icy sphere of debris located on the edge of the solar system - and found its trajectory from Jupiter's gravitational force and the sun's tidal forces. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/20/jurassic-world-dominion-will-conclude-both-jurassic-park-trilogies"] "The solar system acts as a kind of pinball machine," Harvard University astrophysics undergraduate student Siraj explained to the outlet, as he detailed the comet's potential journey through the solar system, which could have led to its collision with Earth. "Jupiter, the most massive planet, kicks incoming long-period comets into orbits that bring them very close to the sun. "In a sungrazing event, the portion of comet closer to the sun feels a stronger gravitational pull than the part that is further, resulting in a tidal force across the object. You can get what's called a tidal disruption event, in which a large comet breaks up into many smaller pieces. And crucially, on the journey back to the Oort cloud, there's an enhanced probability that one of these fragments hit the Earth." The analysis revealed new calculations that show that roughly 20 percent of long-period comets become "sungrazers," and that the chances of comet debris impacting Earth's surface increases by a factor of 10. The study authors determined that the new rate of impact would be consistent with the Chicxulub impact crater, thereby providing a satisfactory explanation for the origin of the impactor. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-deaths-in-the-jurassic-park-movies&captions=true"] "Our paper provides a basis for explaining the occurrence of this event," stated study co-author Loeb, a Harvard astronomer who hopes that their hypothesis will be investigated further. "We are suggesting that, in fact, if you break up an object as it comes close to the Sun, it could give rise to the appropriate event rate and also the kind of impact that killed the dinosaurs." An earlier study assessed other factors that may have played a part in the wipeout of dinosaurs prior to the celestial object striking Earth. Researchers examined fossilized marine mollusk shells across the globe and discovered high levels of mercury contamination from volcanic eruptions, which could have posed a significant health threat to dino populations before the Chicxulub impact event. For more dinosaur discoveries, dig into this story about the record-setting T. Rex fossils that sold for $31.8 million, then read all about the scientists who are extracting DNA from insects preserved in resin but have no intention of raising dinosaurs or take a look through our dueling dinosaurs fossil photo gallery that shows a T. Rex and Triceratops locked into the same fossil preservation. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

HBO Max has unveiled the first look at its upcoming Aquaman: King of Atlantis animated series. The image, which you can see in the tweet below, was revealed as part of HBO Max's virtual Television Critics Association junket on Wednesday, February 17. The screenshot appears to show Arthur Curry - aka Aquaman - and long-standing love interest Mera preparing to do battle with someone, but it's unclear who the duo are facing off against. Aquaman: King of Atlantis' distinctive art style is a far cry from the DCEU's take on the water-dwelling character, and suggest that we'll be seeing a more comical, wacky version of the Justice League member.

The first promotional image for HBO Max's AQUAMAN: KING OF ATLANTIS has been released pic.twitter.com/pfRwXAt6gn

— What's On HBO Max (@WhatsOnHBOMax) February 17, 2021

A three-part animated mini-series, Aquaman: King of Atlantis will follow Curry as he tackles the first days of his new role as Atlantis' ruler. Advised by Mera and right-hand man Vulko, Aquaman will need to deal with unscrupulous surface dwellers, underwater threats, and his half-brother Orm, who wishes to claim the throne for his own. Aquaman: King of Atlantis is being executively produced by James Wan and his Atomic Monster production company. Victor Courtright and Mary Halpern-Graser, who respectively produced and wrote Thundercats Roar, will serve as showrunners and co-executive producers on the animated mini-series. The show was announced in January 2020 and, at the time, HBO Max's Head of Original Content Sarah Aubrey stated that Aquaman: King of Atlantis would be an "exciting addition" to the company's slate of shows. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/17/dc-super-hero-girls-teen-power-nintendo-switch-reveal-trailer"] Aquaman has seen a resurgence in recent years thanks to Jason Momoa's take on the superhero. In our review of Aquaman's 2018 standalone movie, we said "it really shouldn’t work as well as it does, but it’s all so inherently weird and brazenly bonkers that the siren call of this giddy, otherworldly romp is hard to resist." A sequel and a spin-off movie - The Trench - are in the works. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Tom Power is a UK-based freelance journalist. Follow him on Twitter.

A series of leaks suggest that Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will receive a new Zombies mode called Outbreak in the near future. Multiple reports suggest that the Call of Duty website changed briefly overnight to display the words "Welcome to Outbreak - A new, large-scale Zombies experience." You can see a screencap of the text on the ModernWarzone Twitter account. This was echoed by The Gaming Revolution and users on Reddit like MrTheRevertz, who found the same text in the Call of Duty App. A complementary leak from ColdWarLeakz shows a number of Zombies-related icons that have apparently been found in the Warzone files. Officially, Treyarch has been teasing something Zombies-related on Twitter over the past few days, starting with a purple portal visual (which will be familiar to Zombies players) and a glimpse at the Ural Mountains. The studio's latest tweet offers "Requiem recon intel," and mentions how Aetherium crystals "are spreading across" a snowy region and altering the atmosphere.

New Requiem recon intel incoming… pic.twitter.com/vK0YctDOEV

— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) February 17, 2021

This lines up with a circulated leak from Twitter user Okami in early February, which said that Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War would receive a "new mode called Outbreak." At the time, Okami said it would be "Treyarch style, co-op zombies on a large scale Fireteam map", and described it as "open world zombies," which gives us a decent idea of how the new rumoured mode will function. Seeming Zombies teasers were first spotted inside of Call of Duty: Warzone last week, bringing machines from Cold War's Zombies mode into the battle royale game, as well as screen distortion effects that pointed towards Nova 6 and other facets of COD Zombies lore. So far, Outbreak seems to be mentioned as a Black Ops Cold War mode, but it's possible that it would come with some connection to Warzone. We recently learned that Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War is one of the best selling games in US history. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.