Marvel Comics is bringing back the classic version of The Defenders this summer, pivoting away from the Netflix-inspired roster introduced in the 2017 Defenders comic. The "New Defenders" team looks to feature mostly classic members, with Doctor Strange rallying his allies to battle a new threat to the Marvel timeline. Marvel hasn't yet revealed a creative team or details on this new project, but they have released a new teaser image drawn by The History of the Marvel Universe artist Javier Rodriguez. Check it out below: [caption id="attachment_2471408" align="aligncenter" width="1988"] Art by Javier Rodriguez. (Image Credit: Marvel)[/caption] The teaser was accompanied by the tagline, "Who will answer Doctor Strange's call to be... the New Defenders!" and promising a Summer 2021 release date. Strange is accompanied by The Masked Raider, a relatively new addition to the Marvel Universe who exists as an update to an obscure Golden Age hero. The Masked Raider wears a cosmic artifact known as the Eternity Mask and was at the heart of Marvel Comics #1000, an oversized anniversary special that laid the groundwork for a number of future storylines. Given that Immortal Hulk writer Al Ewing has been the Marvel creator most associated with the Masked Raider so far, we wouldn't be at all surprised if Ewing is the writer of New Defenders, possibly with Rodriguez as artist. For those keeping track, here are the heroes featured on the tarot cards in this teaser:

• Beast
• Cloud
• Daimon Hellstrom
• Harpy (Betty Ross)
• Hulk
• Moondragon
• Namor
• Silver Surfer
• Valkyrie (Brunnhilde)

While the original Defenders lineup featured Doctor Strange, Hulk, Namor and Silver Surfer, both the team roster and the series itself have undergone many changes over the decades. Most recently, Marvel's 2017 Defenders comic broke with tradition to feature an all-new lineup modeled directly on the Netflix series - Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. But with Netflix and Marvel ending their partnership, it would seem this MCU-inspired team is no more. It's just as well, as Daredevil has plenty of other problems to deal with these days always. What's your ideal Defenders lineup? Do you prefer the classic team or modern overhauls like the Netflix version? Let us know in the comments below. For more on what's coming in 2021, see everything you can expect from Marvel this year and our 21 most anticipated comics of 2021. [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.

Ubisoft doesn't want to be as reliant on AAA game releases as it has in the past, and will instead look more closely at free-to-play games and its back catalog to make money. In an earnings call today following the company's Q3 financial results, the publisher said that its plans for fiscal 2022 (the period from April 2021 through March 2022) included three AAA game releases, but that in the future, Ubisoft didn't want AAA games to be the focus of its business model. "We said for a number of years that our normal template is to come with either three or four AAA games, so we'll stick to that plan for fiscal 2022," said CFO Frederick Duguet. "But we see that we are progressively, continuously moving from a model that used to be only focused on AAA releases to a model where we have a combination of strong releases from AAA and strong back catalog dynamics, but also complimenting our program of new releases with free-to-play and other premium experiences." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/12/far-cry-6-reveal-trailer"] He went on to specify that the company had a number of titles, AAA and otherwise, in the pipeline, naming Far Cry 6, Rainbow Six Quarantine, Skull & Bones, Riders Republic, the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake, and Roller Champions. He also nodded to a previously-announced Assassin's Creed mobile game planned to come to China with the help of Ubisoft investor Tencent, which he said was a part of the company ramping up its investment and interest in free-to-play games, especially on mobile. Mobile currently makes up about 9% of the company's total business. "In fiscal 2022, we will continue our evolution from a AAA release-centric model toward a model where AAA stands alongside new premium and free-to-play innovative experiences across platforms," Duguet said. "These diverse experiences will feed on each other through complementary gameplay and business models." Notably, there wasn't a single mention on the call about Ubisoft's free-to-play battle royale Hyper Scape, which flopped tremendously at launch and is currently undergoing an overhaul. Elsewhere in the call, CEO Yves Guillemot also noted that the company's back catalog -- or its already-released games that are still bringing in revenue long term -- will also play a heavier role in the company's revenues in the future, and already are. As an example, six-year-old Rainbow Six Siege added 15 million new players in the last 12 months, growing to 70 million total players since launch, and is still a major revenue driver for the publisher. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/09/assassins-creed-valhalla-review"] "We are continuing to move toward an increasingly pronounced recurrence of our revenues on the back of growing audiences," said Guillemot. "Therefore, we expect our highly-profitable back catalog to account for an even larger share of our business going forward." Ubisoft has struggled in recent years to get its AAA game releases out in a timely manner, with the publisher delaying Rainbow Six Quarantine, Gods & Monsters, and Watch Dogs Legion a year out from their intended release during a 2019 earnings call, then pushing Quarantine again the following year alongside Far Cry 6, and delaying its upcoming Avatar game into 2022. And that's not to mention whatever's going on with Skull & Bones, which has been delayed multiple times and seems to have been rebooted entirely mid-development. Meanwhile, Ubisoft's financials indicate that games like Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Far Cry 5, The Crew 2, Anno 1800, older Just Dance games, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and aforementioned Rainbow Six Siege are still doing meaningful numbers for the company, meaning it doesn't necessarily need to churn out multiple blockbusters a year to keep making money -- though based on Assassin's Creed Valhalla's launch sales breaking records, it certainly doesn't hurt. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

The CW has ordered a pilot for a live-action Powerpuff Girls series. This series, which was in development as of last August, will center on the girls who are now disillusioned twenty-something-year-olds who resent that they lost their childhood to years of fighting crime, according to Variety. The series will answer the question of whether or not the former team reunites once more when their crime-fighting skills are needed again. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/02/29/the-powerpuff-girls-vs-the-lava-lady"] This series comes by way of writers and executive producers, Heather Regnier and Diablo Cody, with the latter executive producing under the banner of Vita Vera Films. Regnier worked on the recent Veronica Mars revival, iZombie, and Sleepy Hollow while Cody is best known for writing Juno and working on Jennifer's Body and Young Adult. Greg Berlanti, David Madden, and Sarah Schechter will executive produce the show under the Berlanti Productions banner. Erika Kennair and Warner Bros. Television will produce the show. The Powerpuff Girls ran for six seasons for a total of 78 episodes between 1998 and 2005. The original animated series was created by Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network and centered around three superhero crimefighters by the names of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. These girls were created when Professor Utonium combined "sugar, spice, and everything nice with the mysterious Chemical X," as the show's intro reminded you with every episode. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-adult-cartoon-tv-series&captions=true"] A Powerpuff Girls movie was released in 2002 and a reboot of the series aired on Cartoon Network in 2016. It's unclear what this live-action series will pull from the animated series beyond the actual Powerpuff Girls, but the writers have plenty to pull from by way of nefarious villains such as Him, Mojo Jojo, and more. For more Powerpuff Girls, read about how the former Powerpuff Girls voice actresses were replaced for the reboot, and then check out our thoughts on that reboot in our Powerpuff Girls "Man Up" review. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.   

Blue Sky Studios, the 20th Century Fox animation production division behind the popular Ice Age series, will be closed in April. Deadline reports that Disney, which acquired Blue Sky as part of the larger acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019, has decided to close the studio, with 450 employees losing their jobs at the studi as a result of the closure. However, according to Deadline, Disney will work with employees in possibly finding work at some of Disney's other internal studios. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=fox-movie-and-tv-show-properties-possibly-headed-to-disney&captions=true"] Blue Sky is largely known for the Ice Age franchise, and while the studio may be closing, Disney still holds the rights to the franchise and had greenlit a Disney+ Ice Age series. "Given the current economic realities, after much consideration and evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to close filmmaking operations at Blue Sky Studios," a spokesperson told Deadline. The closure will affect the studio's upcoming release, Nimona, which will now no longer come out, leaving the last film from the studio as Spies in Disguise, which IGN called " a wonderful message for the holiday season, and it’s going to leave you wanting to see Will Smith and Tom Holland do a live-action film together one day" in our Spies in Disguise review. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/07/20/ice-age-collision-course-review"] The last entry in the Ice Age series was Collision Course, which we said "is fun but isn’t as continually engaging for adults or kids as previous entries" in our Ice Age: Collision Course review. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

A skin based on DC's Flash superhero is coming to Fortnite this week, but it's possible to earn it three days early. The Flash is the latest DC superhero to join the lineup of DC skins in Fortnite and it will be available for all to purchase starting February 13 at 7 p.m. ET/4 pm PT. A Flash-themed set will be available too, featuring not only the skin, but the Speed Force Slashers pickaxe, the Speed Force back bling, and the Quick Bite emote as well. If you don't want to wait until February 13, you can earn the skin and back bling on February 10. "On February 10, we're celebrating The Flash in Fortnite with a The Flash Cup, a Duos tournament," a blog post from Epic Games reads. "Dash into the Battle Bus with your Duos partner and play up to 10 matches in a 3-hour window. The top-performing Duos in each region will unlock The Flash Outfit and the Speed Force Back Bling before they're in the Item Shop." Epic Games says specific timing for each region's Flash cup can be found in Fortnite's "Compete" tab in-game. In order to compete, your account level must be at least level 30 and you must have two-factor authentication enabled. A Victory Royale during the cup will earn a duo 42 points while second place earns 36 points, third place 32 points, and so on. The top duos in Europe, North America East, North America West, Brazil, Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East will receive The Flash skin and matching back bling three days before they're available for purchase in the game's store. You can read more about the cup's rules here. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/02/fortnite-season-5-the-mandalorian-skin-gameplay"] For more Fortnite, check out this Snake Eyes skin recently added to the game, and then check out Vi, the latest character skin available to Fortnite Crew members. Watch this trailer for the Mando's Bounty Limited Time Mode in Fortnite after that. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Here's every official first look photo of the live-action Joker, from Batman '89 to Jared Leto in The Snyder Cut.

Horizon Zero Dawn's PC port is capable of being played at a brain-hurting 72p resolution, according to a recent YouTube benchmark video. Lisbon-based YouTuber Kryzzp (spotted by The Verge) who also goes by zWORMz Gaming, has shown that it's possible to play Guerrilla Games' action-adventure title with a display of 128 pixels by 72 pixels. The test was conducted to show that even budget graphics cards, such as the Nvidia GT 710 card used during Kryzzp's experiment, can run AAA games if their resolution is dropped to its lowest level. You can see a clip of the 72p version of the game in the tweet below (and watch the original video here):

Did you know the PC Version of Horizon: Zero Dawn lets you toggle the resolution to 72p? (256x144) pic.twitter.com/3nYccHPQDZ

— St1ka (@St1ka) February 6, 2021

Using the GT 710's 2GB DDR3 version, Kryzzp began the benchmark test by loading up Horizon Zero Dawn's ultra graphic settings at a resolution of 1080p. As the video progresses, Kryzzp lowers the graphics quality to 'favor performance', which is the game's lowest 1080p resolution mode. The display settings continue to drop through 720p, 360p, and 144p and, while Horizon Zero Dawn's graphical quality clearly diminishes, Kryzzp is still able to run around and traverse the game's huge map. The final test, which sees Kryzzp drop the resolution down to its lowest point of 72p, shows how Horizon Zero Dawn might have looked if it had been released during the PlayStation 1 era. Incredibly, Kryzzp manages to escape the attention of one of Zero Dawn's robotic dinosaurs, but it's unclear how much ammo he used to chase off his pursuer. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/01/31/horizon-zero-dawn-4k-commentary"] If nothing else, Kryzzp's experiment poses the question about what other games could theoretically be played with a 72p resolution. Given how it's almost impossible to read anything on screen, though, we wouldn't advise making this your go-to setting. In our Horizon Zero Dawn PC port analysis, we said it was "a very beautiful game, and it arrives on PC in a version which allows for higher framerates, arbitrary resolution rendering, 21:9 aspect ratio support and a field of view adjustment option." In other news, Guerrilla recently announced that it was slowing down on Horizon Zero Dawn PC updates in order to focus on its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Tom Power is a UK-based freelance writer who has sore eyes after watching that video. Follow him on Twitter.

Striking Distance Studios is teaming up with The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman and his company Skybound Entertainment to expand the reach of the upcoming survival-horror game The Callisto Protocol. The Callisto Protocol is an upcoming, single-player survival horror game from Striking Distance Studios and PUBG developer Krafton Inc. Striking Distance says The Walking Dead creator’s company will utilize Skybound’s “expertise in building horror-themed transmedia” brands. In a statement, Kirkman cites The Walking Dead’s expansion from original comics to TV shows, novels, video games, and more and says that he “can’t wait to explore similar possibilities for The Callisto Protocol with Skybound’s multiplatform expertise.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/the-callisto-protocol-announcement-trailer"] So while it’s unclear what this strategic partnership will look like, it sounds like Kirkman and Skybound believe in The Callisto Protocol as a horror brand and are interested in exploring more platforms for the series, possibly beyond games. The Callisto Protocol is being developed by Dead Space creator Glen Schofield and is set within the PUBG universe, but 300 years into the future. Despite this connection, Schofield says The Callisto Protocol will be purely focused on being “the scariest game on next-gen platforms.” Originally revealed at The Game Awards, The Callisto Protocol also premiered a gory Red-Band Trailer. Set in the year 2320 on the Jupiter moon of Callisto, players “must survive unspeakable horrors as they escape Black Iron [Prison] and uncover the dark secrets of the mysterious United Jupiter Company.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/is-the-callisto-protocol-the-dead-space-successor-weve-been-waiting-for-rewind-theater"] Schofield told IGN in an interview that the idea for The Callisto Protocol pre-dated its induction into the PUBG universe, and is a pure, third-person, survival horror game, not a battle royale. The Callisto Protocol will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC sometime in 2022. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

The first images of Jared Leto as the Joker in Zack Snyder's Justice League have been revealed, and he's looking much more like a classic interpretation of the character than the version seen in Suicide Squad.

The Crown Prince of Crime, @JaredLeto. #SnyderCut pic.twitter.com/ALYZ0bXFz0

— Zack Snyder's Justice League (@snydercut) February 9, 2021

The black and white images, first revealed by Vanity Fair but then posted to Twitter by the movie's official account, show a Joker with heavy white makeup, smudged eyes and lips, and greasy, long hair. The big difference, though, is that there's not a single tattoo in sight. Yup, the much debated 'Damaged' forehead design is gone. The white coveralls and disguise if his arm and hand tattoos remain, though. We'd already heard that Joker would have a "road-weary" look in Zack Snyder's new cut of Justice League, and this version of the character is certainly that. We'd previously been granted a very blurry shot of Jared Let's new look on Twitter, and back then we guessed that the white clothing may be a hospital gown or some kind of straight jacket/institution clothing. We can now see that it's a surgical gown, and that there's a mask hanging from his neck. Snyder told Vanity Fair that this is "probably" a remnant of his escape into the wild. Snyder also revealed how Joker factors into the movie's story, so if you'd like to remain in the dark for your viewing of the Snyder cut of Justice League, perhaps it's best to turn away now. But if you're up for spoilers, catch them in the next paragraph. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/22/justice-league-the-snyder-cut-trailer"] Joker will appear in a new sequence set on a ruined Earth after Darkseid has invaded the planet. This is a vision experienced by Bruce Wayne as a warning of what will happen if the Justice League fails to stop Darkseid's plans. Naturally, Batman's iconic nemesis is alive and well in this terrible nightmare future. “The cool thing about the scene is that it's Joker talking directly to Batman about Batman,” Snyder told Vanity Fair. “It's Joker analyzing Batman about who he is and what he is. That’s the thing I also felt like fans deserved from the DC Universe. That is to say, the Jared Leto Joker and the Ben Affleck Batman, they never really got together. It seemed uncool to me that we would make it all the way through this incarnation of Batman and Joker without seeing them come together.” Batman and the Joker have never faced off in the current DCEU movies, but in Batman v Superman we saw that the two definitely have history. Snyder suggests that this appearance will address the death of Robin, whose armour we saw in the Batcave, covered in the Joker's taunting graffiti. For more, check out the first Snyder-issued image of Batman in his Knightmare costume, and the news that Justice League will be rated R. And don't forget that Zack Snyder himself will be joining us for IGN Fan Fest this month to talk more about his new cut of the movie. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=joker-first-look-photos&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is making its way to PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch, and more this year, following its 2020 debut on PS4 and Xbox One. Activision and developer Toys for Bob have announced that Crash 4 will be released for PS5, both Xbox Series platforms, and Nintendo Switch on March 12, with a PC release via Battle.net sometime later this year. The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions will run natively at 4K 60 FPS, while the Xbox Series S version will run at 60 FPS with upscale to 4K. These next-gen versions will also include faster loading times and 3D audio, and players who have already purchased It's About Time on PS4 or Xbox One can upgrade to the respective next-gen version at no extra cost, except for in Japan, and transfer over save data. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/01/crash-bandicoot-4-its-about-time-review"] The PS5 version of It's About Time will also make use of the DualSense's adaptive triggers when using weapons like Neo Cortex's blaster and Tawna's Hookshot, while Activity Cards on the system will offer breakdowns of progress in each dimension. For those not upgrading, the PS5/Xbox Series versions will cost $59.99, and the Switch version is available for preorder today in certain territories for $39.99, the same price it will cost on PC. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=crash-bandicoot-4-its-about-time-new-platforms-announcement-screenshots&captions=true"] Activision also promises more "fun happenings in celebration of the franchise's 25th anniversary" to come later this year for Crash fans to look forward to, but future plans remain a secret for now. For more on the Crash sequel, be sure to check out our Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time review, read up on Crash Bandicoot 4's throwback map design, and whether you've started playing or plan to, be sure to check out IGN's Crash 4 wiki guide. And for what may come next, be sure to read up on what may be a tease for Spyro 4. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.