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.

Facebook has chosen to block all Australian and international news from the feeds of its Australian users as the company escalates its opposition to proposed new laws that would require tech companies to pay for the journalism they display. “The proposed law fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers who use it to share news content,” claimed Facebook Australia & New Zealand MD William Easton in a statement published this morning. “Google Search is inextricably intertwined with news and publishers do not voluntarily provide their content. On the other hand, publishers willingly choose to post news on Facebook, as it allows them to sell more subscriptions, grow their audiences and increase advertising revenue.” Unfortunately, Facebook’s summary removal of news from Australian feeds has resulted in the removal of a large number of non-news organisations, including emergency services, government health departments, various charities, satirical comedy websites, video game publishers, and even a host of international sports teams. Some feeds that were blocked have since been restored by Facebook (including Fire & Rescue NSW and Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services) but many remain inaccessible, from non-profit organisation Bowel Cancer Australia to EA to… the Denver Broncos. [caption id="attachment_2474895" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] A whole host of non-news organisations have been muted by Facebook in Australia, from charities to comedy sites, and video game publishers to random sports teams.[/caption] For its part, the Australian government is reportedly moving ahead with the legislation, which is likely to pass the Senate next week. “Facebook needs to think very carefully about what this means for its reputation and standing,” Communications Minister Paul Fletcher told the ABC. “We will be making the point that the position that Facebook has taken means that the information that people see on Facebook does not come from organisations with a fact-checking capability, paid journalists, with editorial policies.” Facebook claims it generated approximately 5.1 billion referrals to Australian publishers last year, a figure it says is worth an estimated AUD $407 million. The Australian Tax Office’s most recent annual corporate tax transparency report indicates Facebook made over AUD $582 million in revenue in 2018-19 but only declared a taxable income of AUD $51.4 million and paid just AUD $15.4 million in tax. Facebook’s Australian operation has previously faced scrutiny for reducing its taxable income by sending hundreds of millions of dollars to undisclosed overseas subsidiaries.

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Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly.

Facebook has chosen to block all Australian and international news from the feeds of its Australian users as the company escalates its opposition to proposed new laws that would require tech companies to pay for the journalism they display. “The proposed law fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers who use it to share news content,” claimed Facebook Australia & New Zealand MD William Easton in a statement published this morning. “Google Search is inextricably intertwined with news and publishers do not voluntarily provide their content. On the other hand, publishers willingly choose to post news on Facebook, as it allows them to sell more subscriptions, grow their audiences and increase advertising revenue.” Unfortunately, Facebook’s summary removal of news from Australian feeds has resulted in the removal of a large number of non-news organisations, including emergency services, government health departments, various charities, satirical comedy websites, video game publishers, and even a host of international sports teams. Some feeds that were blocked have since been restored by Facebook (including Fire & Rescue NSW and Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services) but many remain inaccessible, from non-profit organisation Bowel Cancer Australia to EA to… the Denver Broncos. [caption id="attachment_2474895" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] A whole host of non-news organisations have been muted by Facebook in Australia, from charities to comedy sites, and video game publishers to random sports teams.[/caption] For its part, the Australian government is reportedly moving ahead with the legislation, which is likely to pass the Senate next week. “Facebook needs to think very carefully about what this means for its reputation and standing,” Communications Minister Paul Fletcher told the ABC. “We will be making the point that the position that Facebook has taken means that the information that people see on Facebook does not come from organisations with a fact-checking capability, paid journalists, with editorial policies.” Facebook claims it generated approximately 5.1 billion referrals to Australian publishers last year, a figure it says is worth an estimated AUD $407 million. The Australian Tax Office’s most recent annual corporate tax transparency report indicates Facebook made over AUD $582 million in revenue in 2018-19 but only declared a taxable income of AUD $51.4 million and paid just AUD $15.4 million in tax. Facebook’s Australian operation has previously faced scrutiny for reducing its taxable income by sending hundreds of millions of dollars to undisclosed overseas subsidiaries.

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Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly.

Another DC icon is making their way to HBO Max. Variety reports a Constantine reboot series is "in early development" at the streamer. The new series won't be connected to either the 2005 movie or the short-lived 2014 series on NBC. Instead, Variety's sources indicate the series features a brand new take on the John Constantine character, and one tied to HBO Max's Justice League Dark series being produced by JJ Abrams' Bad Robot. Casting is still underway for the lead role, and The Syndicate's Guy Bolton is attached to write the series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dc-extended-universe-every-upcoming-movie&captions=true"] Variety's sources also suggest the series will focus on a younger version of John Constantine, which could imply the series will act as a prequel to Justice League Dark in the same way Peacemaker and Gotham PD are connected to The Suicide Squad and The Batman, respectively. The series is also said to stick closer to the subject matter of the comics compared to the movie, emphasizing supernatural horror over religious elements. Matt Ryan currently plays the Arrowverse's version of John Constantine, reprising his role from the NBC series. Ryan's Constantine officially made the jump to the Arrowverse in a 2015 episode of Arrow, before going on to play a recurring role on DC's Legends of Tomorrow. It's unknown whether this new series will impact Constantine's presence in the Arrowverse, though Legends of Tomorrow was among numerous CW shows recently renewed for the 2021-2022 TV season. Even as The CW continues to boost its Arrowverse lineup, two potential spinoff series won't be moving forward at the network. It was reported at the start of the year that Green Arrow and the Canaries is now "officially dead." The planned Wonder Girl series has also been scrapped, despite only just being announced in November 2020. This comes along with the news that Supergirl will end with the upcoming Season 6 and Black Lightning will end after Season 4. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/09/constantine-city-of-demons-micro-movie-review"] Are you ready for a new John Constantine? Let us know what you think of this DC news in the comments below. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Another DC icon is making their way to HBO Max. Variety reports a Constantine reboot series is "in early development" at the streamer. The new series won't be connected to either the 2005 movie or the short-lived 2014 series on NBC. Instead, Variety's sources indicate the series features a brand new take on the John Constantine character, and one tied to HBO Max's Justice League Dark series being produced by JJ Abrams' Bad Robot. Casting is still underway for the lead role, and The Syndicate's Guy Bolton is attached to write the series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dc-extended-universe-every-upcoming-movie&captions=true"] Variety's sources also suggest the series will focus on a younger version of John Constantine, which could imply the series will act as a prequel to Justice League Dark in the same way Peacemaker and Gotham PD are connected to The Suicide Squad and The Batman, respectively. The series is also said to stick closer to the subject matter of the comics compared to the movie, emphasizing supernatural horror over religious elements. Matt Ryan currently plays the Arrowverse's version of John Constantine, reprising his role from the NBC series. Ryan's Constantine officially made the jump to the Arrowverse in a 2015 episode of Arrow, before going on to play a recurring role on DC's Legends of Tomorrow. It's unknown whether this new series will impact Constantine's presence in the Arrowverse, though Legends of Tomorrow was among numerous CW shows recently renewed for the 2021-2022 TV season. Even as The CW continues to boost its Arrowverse lineup, two potential spinoff series won't be moving forward at the network. It was reported at the start of the year that Green Arrow and the Canaries is now "officially dead." The planned Wonder Girl series has also been scrapped, despite only just being announced in November 2020. This comes along with the news that Supergirl will end with the upcoming Season 6 and Black Lightning will end after Season 4. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/09/constantine-city-of-demons-micro-movie-review"] Are you ready for a new John Constantine? Let us know what you think of this DC news in the comments below. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Stubbs the Zombie is returning with a re-release of the 2005 game Rebel Without a Pulse, to be published by Aspyr. Rebel Without a Pulse will be released on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam on March 16, with the game being available via backward compatibility on Xbox Series X and S and PS5. The re-release appears to not be a proper remake but more of a remaster as the game's official press release touts the return of "the painfully slow, forced tutorial," but with achievements/Trophies and modernized controls available as part of the new version. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/stubbs-the-zombie-nintendo-switch-trailer"] IGN's Stubbs the Zombie review said Rebel Without a Pulse was "well built, has a satisfying though limited gameplay style, and cooperative support allows players to really get the most out of this title. The art and sound of the game is very well done, incorporating the style of the 1950s with retro-futuristic laser pistols, flying saucers, and robots." Be sure to check out everything announced at the February 2021 Nintendo Direct for more. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Stubbs the Zombie is returning with a re-release of the 2005 game Rebel Without a Pulse, to be published by Aspyr. Rebel Without a Pulse will be released on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam on March 16, with the game being available via backward compatibility on Xbox Series X and S and PS5. The re-release appears to not be a proper remake but more of a remaster as the game's official press release touts the return of "the painfully slow, forced tutorial," but with achievements/Trophies and modernized controls available as part of the new version. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/stubbs-the-zombie-nintendo-switch-trailer"] IGN's Stubbs the Zombie review said Rebel Without a Pulse was "well built, has a satisfying though limited gameplay style, and cooperative support allows players to really get the most out of this title. The art and sound of the game is very well done, incorporating the style of the 1950s with retro-futuristic laser pistols, flying saucers, and robots." Be sure to check out everything announced at the February 2021 Nintendo Direct for more. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Splatoon 3 has been announced during the February 2021 Nintendo Direct, with a scheduled release sometime in 2022. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/17/splatoon-3-reveal-trailer"] The reveal trailer showed a squid kid's cosmetic look being customized, alongside a fishy companion pet and a bow weapon, before they took a train to a new dense city locale. From there, it showed a fresh look for a lot of familiar sights: two teams of four players launching into an arena to fight and cover it in their color ink. New weapons and cosmetics were shown (as well as an adorable robot crab that turns into some kind of ball) on a single desert map, but no other details were given at this time. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=splatoon-3-reveal-screens&captions=true"] Splatoon 2 was released in July 2017 – we awarded the team shooter an 8.3 review, praising the new co-op mode and its upgrades to the Wii U original. We've since named it one of the best games on Nintendo Switch.

During the February 2021 Nintendo Direct, it was announced The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is coming to Nintendo Switch. Originally released in 2011, the Wii title will make its way to Nintendo's latest system. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD retains the motion plus controls from the Nintendo Switch, while also adding a new button-only controller scheme so you can play in handheld mode. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/17/the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-hd-nintendo-switch-announcement-trailer"] To accompany Skyward Sword HD, Nintendo announced a new set of Legend of Zelda-themed Joy-Cons. The left and right Joy-Cons are modeled after the Master Sword and Hylian Shield respectively, to mimic how the Joy-Cons will function when played in motion-controller mode. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was the last console Zelda game released before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Skyward Sword took full use of the Wii's motion controls using the Wii Motion Plus adapter. This means motion controls for Skyward Sword were more sophisticated than the Wii port of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which utilized waggles versus full motion controls. But the button controls will now let players control Skyward Sword with a more conventional button scheme. Read IGN's Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword review here. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-hd-screenshots&captions=true"] Funny enough, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for Switch was leaked last year by Amazon. Both Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and the Joy-Cons will be released on July 16.  

Splatoon 3 has been announced during the February 2021 Nintendo Direct, with a scheduled release sometime in 2022. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/17/splatoon-3-reveal-trailer"] The reveal trailer showed a squid kid's cosmetic look being customized, alongside a fishy companion pet and a bow weapon, before they took a train to a new dense city locale. From there, it showed a fresh look for a lot of familiar sights: two teams of four players launching into an arena to fight and cover it in their color ink. New weapons and cosmetics were shown (as well as an adorable robot crab that turns into some kind of ball) on a single desert map, but no other details were given at this time. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=splatoon-3-reveal-screens&captions=true"] Splatoon 2 was released in July 2017 – we awarded the team shooter an 8.3 review, praising the new co-op mode and its upgrades to the Wii U original. We've since named it one of the best games on Nintendo Switch.