CD Projekt Red is co-publishing The Witcher: Old World, a board game from Go On Board that explores the world of The Witcher in the years before Geralt took up his sword. Designed by Łukasz Woźniak (creator of Titans and Valhalla), the deck building game supports between two and five players. It's set around a competition between Witchers, with each player aligned to one of the five Witcher schools: the Wolf (sword combat), the Griffin (magic), the Cat (speed), the Bear (defensive), or the Viper (poison). Players are provided with a deck of ten cards suited to their chosen school, which include attacks, blocks, dodges, and magical Signs, which are used in combat encounters. Killing monsters will provide players new cards to add to their deck, gradually building the ability to play powerful combos. Players are able to embark on a variety of quests that will reward both cash and renown. Success in quests is important, as the first player to earn a certain amount of trophies will be crowned the winner. The competition between players will also result in fights between rival Witchers. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/05/26/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-blood-and-wine-review"] It wouldn’t be a Witcher game without tests of your moral fibre, so there are also narrative decisions to make as the game progresses. BoardGameGeek reports that The Witcher: Old World will be launched through Kickstarter, as is often the case with a great deal of modern board games. The funding campaign is set to be launched in May, with an April 2022 window targeted for full release. The first images of the game show that it will come with at least two miniatures; a Witcher casting Igni and a wendigo. The full opening of the Kickstarter should reveal the full contents of the box. For more on the video game side of The Witcher, take a look at the news of CD Projekt being held to random over stolen Witcher source code. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Nintendo has launched a concierge program in the US, allowing new Nintendo Switch owners to take 1-on-1 consultations with a Nintendo representative to figure out what games they should play next, among other topics. Details about The Nintendo Switch Concierge program can be seen on Nintendo's website, where the consultation process is explained in simple steps – pick a topic, book a slot and jump on a video call with a Nintendo rep. New Nintendo Switch owners that are over 18 years old and located in the United States can apply to take part in a session on a first-come, first-served basis. The website's application system offers a variety of topics: Nintendo Switch 101, Games (Getting Started), Games (What to Play Next), Security and Privacy, Nintendo Account, and Customization. The idea is clearly to offer users less familiar with gaming, or parents who are buying their kids a Switch, an opportunity to be walked through their console. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/21/nintendo-switch-welcome-to-nintendo-switch-trailer"] The What to Play Next session will see a representiative "discuss recommendations on games to play next based on who is playing, play styles, favorite games, system and accessories owned." It's perhaps no surprise that Nintendo's starting the program – the Nintendo Switch recently surpassed the 3DS in sales, clocking in nearly 80 million units sold as of December 2020, so it makes sense that Nintendo is keen to help all of these new users onboard with the popular console and find games that suit their tastes. A concierge system seems like this is a great way to familiarize new gamers with the device or help parents get to grip with the intricacies of the Nintendo Switch and set up privacy controls. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Zynga is aiming to release its unrevealed Star Wars game by the end of 2021, with more news to come soon, and a soft launch in the summer. Zynga (Words With Friends, Farmville) revealed that it was working on its first Star Wars game late last year. In the company's latest earnings reports, the company revealed: "We also expect our first Star Wars game to enter soft launch in early summer with the potential to launch by the end of the year." A soft launch is a release strategy often used for mobile games, similar to a beta, but with games usually released in specific territories as developers fix bugs and test server capacity, with a global launch coming later. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-star-wars-game-review&captions=true"] We still don't know exactly what the Star Wars game will be, but it seems we won't have to wait too long. In an investor Q&A, CEO Frank Gibeau wouldn't be drawn on more details, but added, "There'll be more news on the Star Wars title as we progress into the first part of this year." Zynga opened a brand new Austin, Texas studio to develop its Star Wars game, adding that it had a "mission of bringing AAA console visuals and deep, compelling gameplay to mobile platforms." Whatever it is, this new game will be one of the first new Star Wars games to be housed under the returning Lucasfilm Games brand, and is presumably one of the new projects Lucasfilm promised would be revealed during 2021. So far, Lucasfilm Games has announced an open-world Ubisoft Massive game, an Indiana Jones game from MachineGames, and confirmed that EA still has more Star Wars games to come. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/how-star-wars-games-can-flourish-now-that-ea-lost-exclusivity"] [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.

Twitch has accidentally leaked a new Street Fighter V character called Eleven via an email sent to users – Eleven is the last character to be added in SF5's final season of content. As spotted by AllGamesDelta on Twitter, an email rounding up the coming week's events on Twitch contains a blurb about the Street Fighter V Winter Update, which is set to occur on Thursday. The blurb notes that it will feature "an exclusive look at the newest character, Eleven."

Twitch accidentally leaks the identity of Street Fighter V: Champion Edition's final Season 5 character

It's Eleven, the precursor to Street Fighter III's Twelve https://t.co/SG0EABqd79 pic.twitter.com/PreEJ8NDPp — AllGamesDelta (@AllGamesDelta_) February 11, 2021

This all but confirms that Eleven will be the next character added to Street Fighter V during Season 5. According to Capcom's roadmap for the game, we can expect Eleven to land in Fall 2021, following new characters Dan, Rose, Oro and Akira Kazama from Rival Schools. Eleven has already featured in Street Fighter V during the character story of Urien, and the character is a pale shapeshifter developed by the in-game Secret Society. They served as a prototype of the character Twelve, who first appeared in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/02/15/street-fighter-5-review"] After Eleven, Street Fighter 5 will seemingly be content-complete - and with Capcom all but confirmed to be working on Street Fighter 6, it seems clear where the team's attentions will be turned afterwards. Back in August of 2020, veteran Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono left Capcom after almost 30 years. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal has been cast as Joel in the upcoming HBO adaptation of The Last of Us. As reported by Deadline, Pascal will join Game of Thrones' Bella Ramsey, who is set to play Ellie. The Last of Us series is being developed by Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin and The Last of Us games' director and Naughty Dog Co-President Neil Druckmann. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/20/hbo-orders-the-last-of-us-to-series"] Image Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images. Developing...

Actress Gina Carano, known for playing former Rebel Alliance soldier Cara Dune on Disney's the Mandalorian, has been fired from the show, according to io9. In a statement sent to io9, a Lucasfilm representative spoke on the matter:

“Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”

Carano was the subject of much criticism recently when, in a now-deleted Instagram post, she compared being a modern-day Republican to being Jewish during the Holocaust. The hashtag #FireGinaCarano has trended on social media in recent months after other incendiary comments by the television and film star. Sources tell the Hollywood Reporter that Lucasfilm planned on announcing in December that Carano would star in her own Star Wars series. Those plans were scrapped after Carano's November tweets. "They have been looking for a reason to fire her for two months, and today was the final straw," THR's sources said. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/15/the-mandalorian-season-2-trailer"] Carano has also been a vocally against the use of masks in public spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as insinuating voter fraud conspiracies regarding the 2020 Presidential election. Carano first appeared as Cara Dune in episode four of The Mandalorian season one, when she teamed up with the titular bounty hunter to protect a community against raiders using stolen Empire weaponry. She returned midway through season two/episode 12 to assist in destroying an Imperial base and later in episode 15 to help infiltrate a refinery. The character proved initially to be popular with Star Wars fans, but opinion quickly soured following Carano's comments. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/bro for IGN.

The Last of Us TV show coming to HBO has found its Ellie. Bella Ramsey, best known for playing Lyanna Mormont in HBO’s Game of Thrones, will play the main role in Craig Mazin’s adaptation. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Ellie’s casting today and cleared up rumors on another bit of casting news as well. True Detective star Mahershala Ali will not be playing Joel in the HBO series, though the actor was at one point circling the role. Ellie is one of the main characters in The Last of Us. A young orphan, she is discovered to be immune to the virus that has overtaken Earth that turns infected people into horrible creatures. A fixer named Joel is tasked with delivering Ellie to a group called The Fireflys so they can create a cure for the virus.

Lyanna Mormont and more round out our favorite characters from Game of Thrones Season 6. https://t.co/vZm1PMRXhX pic.twitter.com/5kp6wwmx4m

— IGN (@IGN) July 9, 2016

Ramsey is best known for her role as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones. The young lord of House Mormont, Lyanna served as a key ally to the Starks in their quest to retake Winterfell from House Bolton, and later fend off the White Walkers and the Night King. Casting rumors from earlier this week claimed Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali will play Joel in HBO's TV series, but The Hollywood Reporter says this is not the case. Though there appears to have at least been some consideration for Ali at one point. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-video-game-movie-in-development-almost&captions=true"] Instead, Ali is slated to play the vampire/vampire hunter Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The upcoming Marvel movie has tasked Watchmen writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour to write the movie. HBO's Last of Us series is being developed by Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin with the help of video game director Neil Druckmann. Russian director Kantemir Balgov will direct the pilot. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2014/06/10/the-last-of-us-remastered-e3-trailer"] The HBO Last of Us series will replace the planned movie adaptation, and the producer for the show has said the TV series will "enhance" the original game. You can check out why we think The Last of Us is better suited for HBO than the big screen. Also, this isn't the only Naughty Dog game adaptation in the works as Tom Holland's Uncharted film has finally finished filming. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is News Editor at IGN.

On this week's episode of IGN's PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Brian Altano, Lucy O'Brien, and Max Scoville to discuss the news that E3 is planning a digital event in 2021, and what that could look like after a year off for the show. The panel discusses E3's place in the wider realm of digital events, and more. Watch the new episode above! Plus, we discuss the latest Silent Hill comeback rumors, and whether we think a new SIlent Hill game is actually on the way. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"]

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Podcast Beyond! is live every Wednesday. For more on PS5, check out our PS5 console review and our PS5 wiki guide for tips on how to best use your system. And for more Beyond, be sure to watch the first episode of our Bloodborne let's play! [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=6dd2b926-8863-4080-99b2-d08eb61f67f6"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Extras from HBO Max's upcoming show, Generation, reportedly quit after actual cat corpses were used in dissection scenes. Generation, otherwise known as Genera+ion, is a show that touts itself as an ultra-realistic look at high school created by 19-year-old Zelda Barnz and her father, Daniel Barnz. Lena Dunham is an executive producer on the show and before it has even been released on the HBO streaming service, it's already facing trouble in the form of extras quitting the show, according to Variety. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/30/hbo-max-streaming-service-review"] "Got word from a friend in the industry, HBO has a new show called Generation coming out," Twitter user Lilith Rose wrote in a tweet posted February 5. "It's produced by Lena Dunham and earlier this week they brought in real dead kittens for background to 'dissect' on set. No warning, people had trauma responses." Rose goes on to say in additional tweets that the extras were apparently told they'd be dissecting frogs, but they showed up to "real dead kittens" on set and were expected to stay and shoot through the scheduled scenes. Variety received a statement from HBO Max on the situation and the company denies that the actors weren't warned in advance. "Genera+ion depicts the unfiltered experiences of high school students and is drawn from many formative moments in the lives of the show's writers," the statement reads. "The production recently filmed scenes depicting a biology classroom assignment involving dissection of animal specimens. These were ethically sourced in consultation with American Humane via a biological supply company that works with schools." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=everything-coming-to-hbo-max&captions=true"] "Everyone involved was informed in advance that this would be a sensitive scene involving a real dissection; the assistant directors checked in regularly with all participants on set, and two background actors who expressed discomfort were released with full pay," the statement continues. "However, after subsequent discussion with the creative team, the scene is being reconceived and will not appear in the series. We deeply regret that this occurred." Rose also wrote on Twitter that at the wrap of day two of shooting, the crew was informed that a camera man on set had tested positive for COVID-19, "as a cherry on top of their traumatic experience." Rose wrote that the positive case "should have been disclosed earlier, but (HBO Max) clearly wanted their shots of these kittens." Sources close to Variety confirmed to the publication that a member of the crew had, in fact, tested positive for COVID-19, and that this person is currently in isolation. The sources told Variety that the crew had learned of the positive test result after the day filming had wrapped, which contradicts Rose's tweet. The show will resume filming when it's safe to do so per safety guidelines, according to Variety. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/03/warner-bros-and-hbo-max-2021-movies-announcement-trailer"] Dunham, who is a creative and executive producer on the show, didn't hear about this incident until February 6, according to one of Variety's sources. "I am committed in my life and work to the principled, humane and ethical treatment of animals," a statement from Dunham reads. "I don't use animal cadavers in any of my work, ever, and I was not on set or aware that they were used in a recently shot scene depicting a biology classroom assignment. I fully support the scene being edited out of the show." Genera+ion is expected to premiere this Spring on HBO Max. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.