Monthly Archives: April 2021
Apple Event Coming This Month (After Siri Leaks It)
Update: Apple has confirmed that it will hold an event on April 20 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Easter / 6pm UK.
No details were given about the contents of the event, with Apple simply writing: "Please join us for a special Apple Event from Apple Park. Watch it online at apple.com."
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Apple's AI companion Siri might have leaked an April 20 date for the company's next big event.
As reported by MacRumors, users based in America have been asking their Apple devices "When is the next Apple Event" and receiving a legitimate response from Siri, suggesting the next showcase is coming later this month.
“The special event is on Tuesday, April 20th, at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA. You can get all the details on Apple.com,” is the reported response from the AI companion. The link it suggests doesn't lead to anything special - just the normal Apple Event page, which currently refers to the most recent product showcase in October.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/13/apple-unveils-new-iphone-12-lineup-ign-news"]
I asked Siri the same question in the UK but the response is currently, "You can get all the details about Apple events on Apple.com." However, as seen in this response a tweet from The Verge, a Romanian user has seen the message pop up for them too, so it seems to be available outside of the US in some cases.
It may just be a bug, but the wide amount of users on social media reporting the same response suggests that it's legit (if not a little early) and we can expect a full announcement of a 4/20 Apple event soon. The last event saw the announcement of iPhone 12 Pro and Mini models, as well as a HomePod Mini model, so we can hope for some other major product announcements here.
In other Apple news, a recent report suggested that Apple's VR headset could have 8K displays and cost $3000.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Cyberpunk 2077 1.2 Patch Is ‘a Step’ Towards Bringing the Game Back to PlayStation Store
CD Projekt plans to continue patching up and supporting Cyberpunk 2077 after its rocky launch, which may include a return to the PlayStation Store on PS4 and PS5.
Speaking to Reuters, CD Projekt Joint Chief Executive Adam Kicinski said the studio has, "friendly relations," with Sony, and March's big 1.2 patch brings the companies a step closer to bringing Cyberpunk 2077 back to the PlayStation Store.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/30/cyberpunk-2077-update-12-the-biggest-changes-and-updates"]
Last month's big Cyberpunk 2077 update included hundreds of fixes for those exploring Night City. The update addressed stability, animation, graphics, and more. However, the update also seemingly introduced a handful of new bugs.
It has now been over 100 days since Cyberpunk 2077 was removed from the PlayStation Store. The game launched with a myriad of performance problems and bugs, with last-gen consoles taking the biggest hit.
Sony pulled the game down from its digital storefront on December 17, 2020, just one week after its worldwide launch. Sony offered refunds for the game, and said the title would be removed, "until further notice."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/11/20/the-sims-4-xbox-one-and-playstation-4-review"]
Despite the buggy launch and delisting from the PS Store, Cyberpunk 2077 still managed to sell through over 13 million copies in its first 10 days. The successful sales numbers, along with a plan to eventually sell more copies by releasing a next-gen version of the game on PS5 and Xbox Series X, means CD Projekt isn't throwing in the towel on Cyberpunk 2077 anytime soon.
“I don’t see an option to shelve Cyberpunk 2077," Kicinski said. "We are convinced that we can bring the game to such a state that we can be proud of it and therefore successfully sell it for years to come.”
For more, check out how Cyberpunk 2077's 1.2 update also fixed one of the most visible typos in the game. And, read up on CD Projekt's plans to develop future Witcher and Cyberpunk AAA titles simultaneously beginning next year.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/30/cd-projekt-red-will-work-on-cyberpunk-and-witcher-games-simultaneously"]
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Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.
Cyberpunk 2077 1.2 Patch Is ‘a Step’ Towards Bringing the Game Back to PlayStation Store
CD Projekt plans to continue patching up and supporting Cyberpunk 2077 after its rocky launch, which may include a return to the PlayStation Store on PS4 and PS5.
Speaking to Reuters, CD Projekt Joint Chief Executive Adam Kicinski said the studio has, "friendly relations," with Sony, and March's big 1.2 patch brings the companies a step closer to bringing Cyberpunk 2077 back to the PlayStation Store.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/30/cyberpunk-2077-update-12-the-biggest-changes-and-updates"]
Last month's big Cyberpunk 2077 update included hundreds of fixes for those exploring Night City. The update addressed stability, animation, graphics, and more. However, the update also seemingly introduced a handful of new bugs.
It has now been over 100 days since Cyberpunk 2077 was removed from the PlayStation Store. The game launched with a myriad of performance problems and bugs, with last-gen consoles taking the biggest hit.
Sony pulled the game down from its digital storefront on December 17, 2020, just one week after its worldwide launch. Sony offered refunds for the game, and said the title would be removed, "until further notice."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/11/20/the-sims-4-xbox-one-and-playstation-4-review"]
Despite the buggy launch and delisting from the PS Store, Cyberpunk 2077 still managed to sell through over 13 million copies in its first 10 days. The successful sales numbers, along with a plan to eventually sell more copies by releasing a next-gen version of the game on PS5 and Xbox Series X, means CD Projekt isn't throwing in the towel on Cyberpunk 2077 anytime soon.
“I don’t see an option to shelve Cyberpunk 2077," Kicinski said. "We are convinced that we can bring the game to such a state that we can be proud of it and therefore successfully sell it for years to come.”
For more, check out how Cyberpunk 2077's 1.2 update also fixed one of the most visible typos in the game. And, read up on CD Projekt's plans to develop future Witcher and Cyberpunk AAA titles simultaneously beginning next year.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/30/cd-projekt-red-will-work-on-cyberpunk-and-witcher-games-simultaneously"]
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Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.
Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead Trailer Pits Dave Bautista Against a Zombie Tiger
Netflix has released a new trailer for Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead, which sees Dave Bautista and his band of mercenaries come up against a zombie tiger.
The explosive new trailer for the post-apocalyptic picture ups the ante for Dave Bautista's Scott Ward and his ragtag group of fortune seekers, as they take the ultimate gamble and venture into a Las Vegas quarantine zone to raid a casino for its vault full of cash. Before hitting the jackpot, however, the tenacious team must face hordes of the shambling undead and one very wild surprise.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/13/army-of-the-dead-official-trailer"]
The stakes are raised even further as the group must break through the corpse-filled chaos to retrieve the $200 million from the vault situated beneath the strip before the city is nuked by the government in 32 hours. With a ticking clock, a notoriously impenetrable vault, and a smarter, faster horde of Alpha zombies closing in, only one thing's for certain in the greatest heist ever attempted: survivors take all.
In addition to Bautista, Army of the Dead's impressive ensemble cast includes Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Garret Dillahunt, Raúl Castillo, Omari Hardwick, Tig Notaro, Nora Arnezeder, Matthias Schweighöfer, Samantha Win, Theo Rossi, Huma Qureshi, and Hiroyuki Sanada, as well as Raúl Castillo, Huma Quereshi, Samantha Win, Richard Cetrone, and Michael Cassidy.
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Army of the Dead appeared in Netflix's sizzle reel for 2021 at the beginning of the year, with the streaming giant promising to release at least one new movie a week throughout 2021 for a total of at least 70. Snyder's high-stakes heist movie will take a slot on next month's slate, with the movie set to premiere on Netflix and in select theaters on May 21.
Army of the Dead is also getting a prequel movie and an anime series at Netflix, with Shay Hatten onboard to write the scripts for both. Schweighöfer is attached to helm and star in the international prequel movie, which is said to follow his Army of the Dead safe-cracking character, while the anime series, Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, will chronicle the origins of Bautista's Scott Ward.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead Trailer Pits Dave Bautista Against a Zombie Tiger
Netflix has released a new trailer for Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead, which sees Dave Bautista and his band of mercenaries come up against a zombie tiger.
The explosive new trailer for the post-apocalyptic picture ups the ante for Dave Bautista's Scott Ward and his ragtag group of fortune seekers, as they take the ultimate gamble and venture into a Las Vegas quarantine zone to raid a casino for its vault full of cash. Before hitting the jackpot, however, the tenacious team must face hordes of the shambling undead and one very wild surprise.
The stakes are raised even further as the group must break through the corpse-filled chaos to retrieve the $200 million from the vault situated beneath the strip before the city is nuked by the government in 32 hours. With a ticking clock, a notoriously impenetrable vault, and a smarter, faster horde of Alpha zombies closing in, only one thing's for certain in the greatest heist ever attempted: survivors take all. In addition to Bautista, Army of the Dead's impressive ensemble cast includes Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Garret Dillahunt, Raúl Castillo, Omari Hardwick, Tig Notaro, Nora Arnezeder, Matthias Schweighöfer, Samantha Win, Theo Rossi, Huma Qureshi, and Hiroyuki Sanada, as well as Raúl Castillo, Huma Quereshi, Samantha Win, Richard Cetrone, and Michael Cassidy. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=zack-snyders-army-of-the-dead-behind-the-scenes-photos&captions=true"] Army of the Dead appeared in Netflix's sizzle reel for 2021 at the beginning of the year, with the streaming giant promising to release at least one new movie a week throughout 2021 for a total of at least 70. Snyder's high-stakes heist movie will take a slot on next month's slate, with the movie set to premiere on Netflix and in select theaters on May 21. Army of the Dead is also getting a prequel movie and an anime series at Netflix, with Shay Hatten onboard to write the scripts for both. Schweighöfer is attached to helm and star in the international prequel movie, which is said to follow his Army of the Dead safe-cracking character, while the anime series, Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, will chronicle the origins of Bautista's Scott Ward. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.The risk? A zombie-infested Las Vegas. The reward? $200 mil. Go all in. Army Of The Dead, the new film from Zack Snyder is in select theaters May and on Netflix May 21. pic.twitter.com/EhPIYxq4Ur
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) April 13, 2021
Nintendo Indie World Showcase Announced for Tomorrow, April 14
Nintendo has announced that a 20-minute Indie World Showcase will take place tomorrow, April 14, at 9am PT/12pm ET/5pm BST that will be focused on "fresh and new indie games coming to #NintendoSwitch."
As with most of Nintendo's announcements of upcoming showcases, no further information was given besides the date, time, and length of the event.
Nintendo's last Indie World Showcase took place in December 2020 and featured Among Us, Spelunky 1&2, and 17 other games that were to be released in 2020 and 2021.
This is also the first Nintendo presentation since the long-awaited Nintendo Direct in February 2021 that included The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, Xenoblade Chronicles 2's Pyra and Mythra joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Splatoon 3, Mario Golf: Super Rush, and more.
The Indie World Showcase announcement follows Nintendo's reveal of the blue-colored Nintendo Switch Lite that will be released on May 21, 2021 alongside Miitopia, a Switch version of the 3DS RPG.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/24/the-best-nintendo-switch-games-fall-2020-update"]
For more on Nintendo Switch, check out the news of possible stock issues that may occur later in 2021 due to the ongoing global semiconductor shortage, and catch up on all the reports on the alleged "Switch Pro."
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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.
Nintendo Indie World Showcase Announced for Tomorrow, April 14
Nintendo has announced that a 20-minute Indie World Showcase will take place tomorrow, April 14, at 9am PT/12pm ET/5pm BST that will be focused on "fresh and new indie games coming to #NintendoSwitch."
As with most of Nintendo's announcements of upcoming showcases, no further information was given besides the date, time, and length of the event.
Nintendo's last Indie World Showcase took place in December 2020 and featured Among Us, Spelunky 2, and 17 other games that were to be released in 2020 and 2021.
Developing...
The Walking Dead: Telltale’s Clementine to Make Her Comic Book Debut
While Telltale's The Walking Dead games are set within the same universe as the comic books, we've never seen the main protagonist of the games, Clementine, make an appearance in the comics. That's finally set to change in July.
Clementine's comic book debut is one of several major stories featured in Skybound X, a weekly limited series celebrating the tenth anniversary of Robert Kirkman and David Alpert's Skybound Entertainment. Skybound X will feature a number of Image Comics creators debuting new stories, many set within the worlds of popular comics like Murder Falcon, Birthright, Redneck and Stillwater. That includes a new The Walking Dead tale focused on Clementine.
Get a taste of what's to come in Skybound X in the slideshow gallery below:
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Each issue of Skybound X will also include a serialized chapter of "Rick Grimes 2000," which is set in the alternate universe introduced in The Walking Dead #75's backup story. Here, Kirkman and Invincible artist Ryan Ottley will reunite to explore what happens when Rick Grimes awakens from a second coma and discovers aliens are the true enemy controlling the undead.
Skybound X is as much about teasing what's to come for this imprint as well as celebrating the previous ten years. Issue #5 will feature a mystery story from Kirkman and The Astounding Wolf-Man artist Jason Howard, one which looks to be a prelude to a new series from this creative team.
The creative lineup for Skybound X also includes Donny Cates, Joshua Williamson, Chip Zdarsky, James Harren, Daniel Warren Johnson and many other creators. The series is set to debut on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 and ship weekly through through August 4.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/13/telltales-the-walking-dead-the-final-season-episode-one-review"]
Clementine originally made her debut in The Walking Dead: Season 1 in 2013, alongside her guardian Lee Everett. That series concluded with The Walking Dead: The Final Season in 2019, the same year the comic book made its surprise conclusion. Though it seemed The Final Season would be cut short by Telltale's massive layoffs in 2018, Kirkman's Skybound Games stepped in to ensure the series would be completed as intended.
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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
The Walking Dead: Telltale’s Clementine to Make Her Comic Book Debut
While Telltale's The Walking Dead games are set within the same universe as the comic books, we've never seen the main protagonist of the games, Clementine, make an appearance in the comics. That's finally set to change in July.
Clementine's comic book debut is one of several major stories featured in Skybound X, a weekly limited series celebrating the tenth anniversary of Robert Kirkman and David Alpert's Skybound Entertainment. Skybound X will feature a number of Image Comics creators debuting new stories, many set within the worlds of popular comics like Murder Falcon, Birthright, Redneck and Stillwater. That includes a new The Walking Dead tale focused on Clementine.
Get a taste of what's to come in Skybound X in the slideshow gallery below:
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-walking-dead-telltales-clementine-to-make-her-comic-book-debut-in-skybound-x&captions=true"]
Each issue of Skybound X will also include a serialized chapter of "Rick Grimes 2000," which is set in the alternate universe introduced in The Walking Dead #75's backup story. Here, Kirkman and Invincible artist Ryan Ottley will reunite to explore what happens when Rick Grimes awakens from a second coma and discovers aliens are the true enemy controlling the undead.
Skybound X is as much about teasing what's to come for this imprint as well as celebrating the previous ten years. Issue #5 will feature a mystery story from Kirkman and The Astounding Wolf-Man artist Jason Howard, one which looks to be a prelude to a new series from this creative team.
The creative lineup for Skybound X also includes Donny Cates, Joshua Williamson, Chip Zdarsky, James Harren, Daniel Warren Johnson and many other creators. The series is set to debut on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 and ship weekly through through August 4.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/13/telltales-the-walking-dead-the-final-season-episode-one-review"]
Clementine originally made her debut in The Walking Dead: Season 1 in 2013, alongside her guardian Lee Everett. That series concluded with The Walking Dead: The Final Season in 2019, the same year the comic book made its surprise conclusion. Though it seemed The Final Season would be cut short by Telltale's massive layoffs in 2018, Kirkman's Skybound Games stepped in to ensure the series would be completed as intended.
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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Street Fighter Crossover Coming to Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid is getting a Street Fighter crossover, with Ryu and Chun-Li transformed into the Crimson Hawk Ranger and Blue Phoenix Ranger respectively.
Announced exclusively with IGN, a Street Fighter DLC Pack will come to PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Stadia on May 25, priced at $12.50 USD. The pack will include both fighters, and "exclusive skins to be revealed at a later date." Ryu and Chun-Li will also be sold separately for $5.99 each.
Check out an announcement trailer below:
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/13/power-rangers-battle-for-the-grid-street-fighter-crossover-trailer"]
Ryu and Chun-Li each become their own Power Ranger in the pack, with their designs originally added to mobile game Power Rangers: Legacy Wars – and they've been added to Battle for the Grid by fan request.
Despite the older designs, they should bring some new ideas to the tag-team fighter. "The entire 2D fighting genre can be traced back to Chun-Li and Ryu (among others) making such a splash in Street Fighter II," says Rose Silvestre from the nWay Community and Marketing team. "Tag fighters in particular owe a spiritual debt to the Capcom - Marvel crossovers of the 90s, X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom. While Power Rangers in Battle for the Grid take the bulk of their inspiration from other mediums – the shows, movies, and comics – Ryu and Chun-Li have decades of classic fighting game appearances to draw from.
"They fit right in alongside the existing roster and mechanics, but they also work a bit differently, like their Street Fighter and crossover series styles. We thought of it a bit like how Ryu and Ken (and other guest characters, like Terry Bogard) were treated in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Ryu and Chun-Li follow some of their own rules where it makes sense to inject that Street Fighter feel. Aside from the sheer fact that they’re basically the king and queen of 2D fighting games, that’s what separates them from the rest of the roster."
A press release description of Ryu's Crimson Hawk Ranger form explains that he "brings to the battle his trademark stoic, reserved poise and a lifetime of Shotokan training. His fluid, almost water-like fighting style is deadly at both range and up close, with his moves executed using classic, genre-defining input commands. Keep opponents on their toes from a distance with classic Hadouken, or punish aggressive play up close with his Tastumaki Senpukyaku or iconic Shoryuken. "
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I asked Silvestre how this unusual collaboration came about in the first place, and it turns out that it was down to an important figure on the Street Fighter side: "[Power Rangers creator] Saban introduced us to Capcom before Power Rangers was acquired by Hasbro. We met with Capcom and it turns out the producer for Street Fighter, Yoshinori Ono, was a big fan of Power Rangers. Capcom suggested that it would be cool if Ryu and Chun-Li wore Power Rangers suits and we said heck yeah."
The designs of the characters themselves were also a collaboration between the teams. "Capcom had originally submitted early concepts, which our team built off of in collaboration with their then Udon Entertainment Comic Book artist," explains Silvestre. "Inspired by these designs, we then worked with Saban to further develop additional designs such as the Ranger Coin which also led to all parties agreeing on an animal theme, Crimson Hawk and Blue Phoenix. As a result, our art team was able to create a unique ranger suit that would exist in both universes."
Developer nWay is also announcing Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid - Super Edition, another May 25 release (with a physical edition to follow in July). It will include the base game, all three current Season Passes of content, the Street Fighter pack, and 4 bonus skins. Those with the base game will be able to upgrade to the Super Edition, but no pricing has been announced.
On release we awarded Battle for the Grid a 6.8 review, saying "There are some surprisingly good fighting game mechanics in Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, but there’s very little meat on that skeleton." The Super Edition should hopefully solve part of that problem.
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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.