Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax (which includes Bethesda) has taken two major steps towards completion, after being approved by both the European Commission and the SEC. In the US, the SEC – the country's agency in charge of preventing market manipulation – published a notice of effectiveness, which acts as a declaration that a company registration has been accepted. In this case, it was accepting an S-4 registration, which marks a merger or acquisition. The European Commission, meanwhile, has provided an Article 6(1)(b) decision, which approves the merger without changes or opposition, and says it "does not raise serious doubts as to its compatibility with the common market." A statement from the EC reads: "The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, given the combined entity’s limited market position upstream and the presence of strong downstream competitors in the distribution of video games. The transaction was examined under the normal merger review procedure." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/29/bethesdas-todd-howard-hard-to-imagine-elder-scrolls-6-as-an-xbox-exclusive"] While neither approval makes the merger official, and Microsoft and ZeniMax have not yet made statements, these represent major steps forwards for the $7.5 billion USD deal, which brings Bethesda Game Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango GameWorks and more into the Microsoft fold. EU documents previously suggested that Microsoft was setting up a new subsidiary, Vault to complete the deal, although it's still unclear if this is simply a holding business, or a more formal studios brand (in the same vein as the existing Xbox Game Studios). Microsoft isn't actively planning Bethesda's future until the acquisition is complete, but we're heard a lot about its intentions. While Bethesda and its studios will continue to run semi-independently, Microsoft wants Bethesda games to be "first, better, or best" on Xbox. “[I]f you think about something like Game Pass," said Xbox CFO Tim Stuart last year, "if it shows up best in Game Pass, that’s what we want to see, and we want to drive our Game Pass subscriber base through that Bethesda pipeline." Much of the interest around the deal lies around whether Bethesda games will become Xbox exlusives. Both sides have said this will likely be a case-by-case decision, but Bethesda boss Todd Howard previously explained that it's "hard to imagine" The Elder Scrolls 6 being a full exclusive. We've contacted Microsoft for comment on the approvals. [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.

A prison escapee has been recaptured after coming out of hiding to buy Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War. As reported by Kotaku, Clint Butler had been hiding from UK police since November, having fled from Spring Hill prison in Buckinghamshire, where he was serving a 17-year sentence for robbery and firearms offences. West Midlands Police spotted Butler and a friend out in Birmingham city centre in January and, after a scuffle, cuffed the former prisoner. When asked why Butler was in the city centre during the UK's current lockdown measures, Butler's friend told the police "I’ve come to get the new Call of Duty because I can’t sit around in lockdown.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/12/black-ops-cold-war-multiplayer-gameplay-pc"] Butler has had his sentence extended by 19 months following the act. "Quite why he decided to risk being returned to prison by making the idiotic decision to come into town during lockdown with a friend to buy a video game will remain a bit of a mystery,” West Midlands Police Superintendent Nick Rowe said. Butler escaped from Spring Hill open prison on November 28, and the public had been warned not to approach him. Officers were alerted to Butler and his friend when they suddenly changed direction having seen them and, when challenged, Butler gave a fake name before attacking the officers. He was subdued with help from local security guards, and was sent back to prison. Activision recently revealed that owners of a 500 GB PlayStation 4 may "need to make room" to fit both Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare/Warzone on one system. For more information on the topic, check out our article covering growing video game install sizes. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

A prison escapee has been recaptured after coming out of hiding to buy Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War. As reported by Kotaku, Clint Butler had been hiding from UK police since November, having fled from Spring Hill prison in Buckinghamshire, where he was serving a 17-year sentence for robbery and firearms offences. West Midlands Police spotted Butler and a friend out in Birmingham city centre in January and, after a scuffle, cuffed the former prisoner. When asked why Butler was in the city centre during the UK's current lockdown measures, Butler's friend told the police "I’ve come to get the new Call of Duty because I can’t sit around in lockdown.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/12/black-ops-cold-war-multiplayer-gameplay-pc"] Butler has had his sentence extended by 19 months following the act. "Quite why he decided to risk being returned to prison by making the idiotic decision to come into town during lockdown with a friend to buy a video game will remain a bit of a mystery,” West Midlands Police Superintendent Nick Rowe said. Butler escaped from Spring Hill open prison on November 28, and the public had been warned not to approach him. Officers were alerted to Butler and his friend when they suddenly changed direction having seen them and, when challenged, Butler gave a fake name before attacking the officers. He was subdued with help from local security guards, and was sent back to prison. Activision recently revealed that owners of a 500 GB PlayStation 4 may "need to make room" to fit both Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare/Warzone on one system. For more information on the topic, check out our article covering growing video game install sizes. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Pepe Le Pew, the controversial french skunk from Looney Tunes, has had his scene cut from Space Jam: A New Legacy and will no longer be making an appearance in the sequel to the film he was a part of in 1997. As reported by Deadline, there was a hybrid live-action animation scene that was shot in June 2019 and featured both Pepe Le Pew and Jane the Virgin actress Greice Santo. This particular scene was filmed by Space Jam: A New Legacy's first director Terence Nance, yet was cut by Malcolm D. Lee, his replacement, before the scene was even animated. The scene in question was described as follows;

"Pepe was set to appear in a black-and-white Casablanca-like Rick’s Cafe sequence. Pepe, playing a bartender, starts hitting on a woman at the bar played by Santo. He begins kissing her arm, which she pulls back, then slamming Pepe into the chair next to hers. She then pours her drink on Pepe, and slaps him hard, sending him spinning in a stool, which is then stopped by LeBron James’ hand. James and Bugs Bunny are looking for Lola, and Pepe knows her whereabouts. Pepe then tells the guys that Penelope cat has filed a restraining order against him. James makes a remark in the script that Pepe can’t grab other Tunes without their consent."

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=everything-coming-to-hbo-max&captions=true"] Santo learned that her scene with Pepe Le Pew was cut and was upset because she believed "the skunk finally gets his comeuppance." "This was such a big deal for Greice to be in this movie," A spokesperson for Santo said. "Even though Pepe is a cartoon character, if anyone was going to slap a sexual harasser like him, Greice wished it would be her. Now the scene is cut, and she doesn’t have that power to influence the world through younger generations who’ll be watching Space Jam 2, to let younger girls and younger boys know that Pepe’s behavior is unacceptable.” Santo has been a victim of sexual harassment and has spoken up against it. Furthermore, she recorded a single titled "Você Você” with Grammy-winning producer Humberto Gatica to empower women to stand up to sexual predators and sexual harassment. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/25/hbo-maxs-looney-tunes-cartoons-series-premiere-sneak-peek"] Santo also has a non-profit, Glam with Greice, that works to help victims of domestic violence and help them change their lives for the better. While unrelated to the cut scene, Pepe Le Pew was recently the focus of New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow, who wrote that the character "added to rape culture." Pepe Le Pew isn't the only Looney Tunes character that has come under controversy, as old Looney Tunes episodes on HBO Max do not feature Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, or any other character carrying a gun. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/04/the-pros-and-cons-of-wbs-industry-shaking-move"] Space Jam: A New Legacy will be released in theaters and on HBO Max on July 16, 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Pepe Le Pew, the controversial french skunk from Looney Tunes, has had his scene cut from Space Jam: A New Legacy and will no longer be making an appearance in the sequel to the film he was a part of in 1997. As reported by Deadline, there was a hybrid live-action animation scene that was shot in June 2019 and featured both Pepe Le Pew and Jane the Virgin actress Greice Santo. This particular scene was filmed by Space Jam: A New Legacy's first director Terence Nance, yet was cut by Malcolm D. Lee, his replacement, before the scene was even animated. The scene in question was described as follows;

"Pepe was set to appear in a black-and-white Casablanca-like Rick’s Cafe sequence. Pepe, playing a bartender, starts hitting on a woman at the bar played by Santo. He begins kissing her arm, which she pulls back, then slamming Pepe into the chair next to hers. She then pours her drink on Pepe, and slaps him hard, sending him spinning in a stool, which is then stopped by LeBron James’ hand. James and Bugs Bunny are looking for Lola, and Pepe knows her whereabouts. Pepe then tells the guys that Penelope cat has filed a restraining order against him. James makes a remark in the script that Pepe can’t grab other Tunes without their consent."

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=everything-coming-to-hbo-max&captions=true"] Santo learned that her scene with Pepe Le Pew was cut and was upset because she believed "the skunk finally gets his comeuppance." "This was such a big deal for Greice to be in this movie," A spokesperson for Santo said. "Even though Pepe is a cartoon character, if anyone was going to slap a sexual harasser like him, Greice wished it would be her. Now the scene is cut, and she doesn’t have that power to influence the world through younger generations who’ll be watching Space Jam 2, to let younger girls and younger boys know that Pepe’s behavior is unacceptable.” Santo has been a victim of sexual harassment and has spoken up against it. Furthermore, she recorded a single titled "Você Você” with Grammy-winning producer Humberto Gatica to empower women to stand up to sexual predators and sexual harassment. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/25/hbo-maxs-looney-tunes-cartoons-series-premiere-sneak-peek"] Santo also has a non-profit, Glam with Greice, that works to help victims of domestic violence and help them change their lives for the better. While unrelated to the cut scene, Pepe Le Pew was recently the focus of New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow, who wrote that the character "added to rape culture." Pepe Le Pew isn't the only Looney Tunes character that has come under controversy, as old Looney Tunes episodes on HBO Max do not feature Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, or any other character carrying a gun. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/04/the-pros-and-cons-of-wbs-industry-shaking-move"] Space Jam: A New Legacy will be released in theaters and on HBO Max on July 16, 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles will soon be getting a new upgraded Microsoft Edge Chromium-powered browser that is capable of playing Google Stadia. As reported The Verge, testers in Xbox's Alpha Skip-Ahead group can now access this new version of Edge, and while it still doesn't have full mouse and keyboard support and is a bit buggy, it appears much better than the current solution. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/17/the-biggest-games-coming-in-2021"] One benefit of a Chromium browser on Xbox is allowing it to work with browser-based streaming services like Google Stadia and Amazon Luna. Additionally, even though Xbox consoles have native access to Xbox Game Pass, this could theoretically also allow for Xbox's Cloud Gaming through a browser once Microsoft adds support for it in Spring 2021. Furthermore, this should allow for improved compatibility with browser-based games and services like Skype and Discord through the web. This early version also includes the same or a similar sync engine used on Edge, which allows for extensions, vertical tabs, Collections, and most other featured found on Edge's desktop version. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-games-to-play-on-xbox-series-xs&captions=true"] While Google may have shut down Stadia's internal studios, the streaming service is still running and is set to get "more than 100 games" in 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles will soon be getting a new upgraded Microsoft Edge Chromium-powered browser that is capable of playing Google Stadia. As reported The Verge, testers in Xbox's Alpha Skip-Ahead group can now access this new version of Edge, and while it still doesn't have full mouse and keyboard support and is a bit buggy, it appears much better than the current solution. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/17/the-biggest-games-coming-in-2021"] One benefit of a Chromium browser on Xbox is allowing it to work with browser-based streaming services like Google Stadia and Amazon Luna. Additionally, even though Xbox consoles have native access to Xbox Game Pass, this could theoretically also allow for Xbox's Cloud Gaming through a browser once Microsoft adds support for it in Spring 2021. Furthermore, this should allow for improved compatibility with browser-based games and services like Skype and Discord through the web. This early version also includes the same or a similar sync engine used on Edge, which allows for extensions, vertical tabs, Collections, and most other featured found on Edge's desktop version. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-games-to-play-on-xbox-series-xs&captions=true"] While Google may have shut down Stadia's internal studios, the streaming service is still running and is set to get "more than 100 games" in 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Ubisoft has shared a bit more info on the big update coming to The Division 2 in late 2021 at the earliest, including that there will be a brand-new game mode and new ways to progress your agent. The Division 2 development team shared the update, following up on its recent confirmation that more content was on the way and that Title Update 12 was no longer going to be the last major update to the game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/02/division-2-on-ps5-14-minutes-of-4k-60fps-gameplay"] While the team didn't reveal too much, they did tease that this new game mode is "entirely new to the franchise." Furthermore, the team is "investigating new ways to progress your agent with an emphasis on increasing build variety and viability." Development on this new update is still in its early stages and will take several months to complete, according to the team, and it is currently scheduled to release in late 2021 at the earliest. The goal is to make "meaningful change to the game," so the necessary time will be taken to ensure that can come true. Until the update is ready, Ubisoft Massive will be re-running previous seasons released during Year 2. This means that the next season - Season 5 - will be a re-run of Season 1 and will give players a chance to collect rewards and collectibles that they may have missed the first time around. There will also be regular Leagues and Global Events, new Apparel Events, and minor Title Updates focused on game health. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/23/the-division-2-review"] Ubisoft Massive also revealed that The Division 2 has seen over 40 million players and that March 2020 saw the highest activity for the game since its launch in February 2019. Development on The Division 2 will continue on as the studio also works on creating its Avatar game and the recently announced open-world Star Wars project. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Ubisoft has shared a bit more info on the big update coming to The Division 2 in late 2021 at the earliest, including that there will be a brand-new game mode and new ways to progress your agent. The Division 2 development team shared the update, following up on its recent confirmation that more content was on the way and that Title Update 12 was no longer going to be the last major update to the game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/02/division-2-on-ps5-14-minutes-of-4k-60fps-gameplay"] While the team didn't reveal too much, they did tease that this new game mode is "entirely new to the franchise." Furthermore, the team is "investigating new ways to progress your agent with an emphasis on increasing build variety and viability." Development on this new update is still in its early stages and will take several months to complete, according to the team, and it is currently scheduled to release in late 2021 at the earliest. The goal is to make "meaningful change to the game," so the necessary time will be taken to ensure that can come true. Until the update is ready, Ubisoft Massive will be re-running previous seasons released during Year 2. This means that the next season - Season 5 - will be a re-run of Season 1 and will give players a chance to collect rewards and collectibles that they may have missed the first time around. There will also be regular Leagues and Global Events, new Apparel Events, and minor Title Updates focused on game health. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/23/the-division-2-review"] Ubisoft Massive also revealed that The Division 2 has seen over 40 million players and that March 2020 saw the highest activity for the game since its launch in February 2019. Development on The Division 2 will continue on as the studio also works on creating its Avatar game and the recently announced open-world Star Wars project. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Ant-Man is the latest Marvel superhero to arrive in Fortnite, and the teases leading up to his arrival were a tiny bit hilarious. The Fortnite Team announced that Ant-Man will be arriving in the Item Shop alongside the Toothpick Pickaxe and Ant-Man's trusty steed, Ant-Tonio, as Back Bling. While Ant-Man joining Fortnite is a wonderful thing on its own, the teases leading up to his official announcement were just as great. Fortnite's Twitter shared three different images of small Ant-Man on other Marvel characters, including Cable, Blade, and Captain America. You can see all the images in the slideshow below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=fortnite-ant-man-tease-and-official-reveal&captions=true"] Ant-Man is the latest Marvel superhero to join Fortnite, and the latest pop culture crossover character since Ripley and the Xenomorph from the Alien franchise. This addition is surely a welcome one for fans of Ant-Man, who have to wait until 2022 to see Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Peña are all returning for the third Ant-Man film, with Peyton Reed once again directing. It has been reported that Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors has been cast in a major villain role, and their sources claim he will be playing Kang the Conqueror. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/01/fortnite-llambro-arrives-for-fortnite-crew-members-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.