Amazon UK's store page briefly showed off a number of Alan Wake Remastered screenshots today (September 9) alongside its listing for the game.

As spotted by Wario64 and reported by wccftech, an Amazon UK listing briefly showed off screenshots for the upcoming remaster of Alan Wake as well as a price for the game (£24.99) and its box art. Despite the page recently being taken down, IGN was able to access the listing and verify that the screenshots were shown across the store page for a period of time.

As displayed in a comparative tweet by @BenjiSales, the screenshots across the site showed off some impressive graphical improvements to the title, which originally launched for Xbox 360 in 2010.

Alan Wake Original vs Remastered comparison screenshots

Definitely looks like a nice solid upgrade. Can't freaking wait to play this pic.twitter.com/fax58J0Y6I

— Benji-Sales (@BenjiSales) September 9, 2021

Further screenshots of the title were put together by Wario64 on Twitter and appear to show improvements to a range of the game's features including deeper color tones, fuller foliage and environment textures, more realistic players models, and improvements to the game's tone and lighting. Screenshots of the title's upcoming box art for PlayStation 5 were also captured.

Alan Wake Remastered's Alan Wake vs original Alan Wake

+ box art package pic.twitter.com/oqX5ZRzzrI

— Wario64 (@Wario64) September 9, 2021

With the Amazon UK page quickly being taken down, it is fair to say that the screenshots almost certainly shouldn't have been shared in the first place. If that is to be the case, then this wouldn't be the first leak to affect the game in recent weeks. Remedy and Epic's reveal of the cult classic's remaster officially became public knowledge on September 7. However, only a week prior, a leak spotted through a Taiwanese store listing provided speculation that the title would be launching in October. While the official reveal did not include a release date, the previously leaked store listing suggested that the game would come out on October 5.

For more on Alan Wake, make sure to check out our review of the original game where we gave the title a 9/10 and said that it did a "great job of mixing elements of written work, television, and video games to create an experience full of scares, laughs, and thrills that's just as fun to play as it is to watch."

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Microsoft is testing a new firmware update for Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One controllers, Xbox Elite 2, and Xbox Adaptive controllers that will grant them a range of next-gen features previously only available on Xbox Series X|S controllers.

Microsoft announced that it has begun testing the new firmware update in a blog post on the Xbox website. The firmware update, which is available to Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha users today, aims to reduce controller latency and improve cross-device connectivity.

In terms of the latter, the firmware update will allow the compatible controllers to support Bluetooth Low Energy, which allows for better pairing experiences between devices. The majority of Xbox One controllers are already able to utilize Bluetooth support when connecting to a PC or smartphone, but pair with Xbox consoles through the Xbox Wireless protocol. The Bluetooth Low Energy update will allow for a quicker switching experience between Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth devices as players will be able to do so at the double-tap of the pair button.

In line with next-gen controllers, the updated Xbox One, Xbox Elite 2 and Xbox Adaptive controllers will receive Dynamic Latency Input (DLI). This essentially allows for more responsive gameplay by delivering controller inputs more efficiently when connected to an Xbox Series X|S console. DLI is a feature that was previously only incorporated on Xbox Series X|S controllers, and while the firmware update isn't necessarily as useful for players using last-gen consoles, it certainly improves the versatility of the accessories overall.

In the blog post, Xbox elaborated further on its reasoning behind testing the firmware update on its controllers. "We believe it’s important to maintain backward compatibility with Xbox accessories people already have in their collection and to ensure we deliver the best gaming experience no matter how you choose to play," said Xbox.

In other Xbox news, Microsoft recently announced a new Forza Horizon 5 Limited Edition Controller as part of its Xbox Gamescom showcase. The upcoming controller features translucent yellow panels with an accompanying pink and blue color scheme and will launch on November 9 alongside its dedicated racing title. Fans can already pre-order the controller.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

The Titanfall 2 community is once again being roiled by issues with hacking, with rumors on Twitter and other social channels of a major security vulnerability.

The rumors appear to stem from this screenshot of a Discord announcement, which has been making the rounds for most of the day.

Several members of the Titanfall 2 community incl. @DirectXeon are reporting that Titanfall 2 is currently massively compromised.

If you own Titanfall 2 on PC, *DO NOT* launch the game. Uninstall it for now until a fix is released. pic.twitter.com/lNZGbufOL1

— Wicked Good Gaming (@WickedGoodGames) September 8, 2021

The bug reportedly allows local code execution from Respawns' servers, potentially affecting both PCs and consoles with Titanfall 2 installed. While there are still plenty of unknowns, several community members have raised the alarm and encouraged players to uninstall the game until the vulnerability is fixed.

Respawn responded on Twitter, "We are aware of reports of a security vulnerability affecting Titanfall 2 and are investigating. We have no other information to share at the moment but will update once we do."

We are aware of reports of a security vulnerability affecting Titanfall 2 and are investigating. We have no other information to share at the moment but will update once we do.

— Respawn (@Respawn) September 8, 2021

The rumors of Titanfall 2's vulnerability follow months of server issues, denial of server attacks, and other problems. In early July, Apex Legends was hacked by a group ostensibly trying to raise awareness of Titanfall's woes, but who were then accused of having their own ulterior motives by other community members. Needless to say, it's been a strange time for the Titanfall community.

The constant barrage of wild rumors has seemingly led some members of the Titanfall 2 community to treat the rumors with ambivalence. "You are all panicking over a tweet of a screenshot of a discord post claiming the existence of a zero-day multi-platform RCE in a moderately popular game," one Reddit poster wrote.

Amid all this, Titanfall 2 has enjoyed renewed attention of late thanks to critical praise, the ongoing popularity of Apex Legends, and an extended run on Xbox Game Pass. But as a five year old game, it reportedly only has "one or two" people working on its various hacks.

IGN has reached out separately to Respawn and EA. We will continue to monitor the situation and update with additional information.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.

While Benedict Cumberbatch will be donning the cape once again for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, some players from the original film will not be returning for the follow-up — namely director Scott Derrickson. In January 2020, the filmmaker announced that he had departed the Marvel sequel due to "creative differences."

Now, Cumberbatch has offered his own thoughts on marching forward without Derrickson in a profile in The Hollywood Reporter. The actor also recounted his experience collaborating with Sam Raimi, who took over as director on the Marvel sequel.

“I was sad to hear about it, but that was not my decision,” Cumberbatch says. “I completely respected the studio’s decision, and it was done very amicably. The grown-ups called and just talked me through it. And that was that.”

Cumberbatch dug into Raimi's approach on the project, saying that the Spider-Man trilogy director encouraged him to improvise while filming. While the freedom intimidated the actor at first, Cumberbatch explained that he had gained experience improvising banter while filming his Avengers: Infinity War scenes with Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Holland.

"I remember on the [Infinity War] set when I called [Robert Downey Jr.] a douchebag, there was this sort of ripple effect. ‘Oh my God. Did you just call Iron Man a douchebag?’" Cumberbatch said. "They kept it, good for them. And then, it got the same kind of response at the cinema."

"I got bored of being compared to Liberace or whatever other retorts the guy with the same camp goatee had opposite me, so I tried to knock him down," he continued. "It’s great fun to play with that stuff. You find your feet. The more times you do it, the more familiar it becomes.”

Cumberbatch also explained how a Doctor Strange sequel left more room for improvisation, as the production had fewer worries about establishing its characters and world.

“With the first film, you’re always locked into a script, because it’s the origin story,” he said. “But there was a lot more freedom this time around... Marvel has this amazing ability to come into production: ‘We really just have to start shooting now. It doesn’t matter that the third act is not quite where you want it to be.’ You really do things on a wing and a prayer sometimes.”

Derrickson praised the selection of Raimi when Marvel announced the director would be taking over the Doctor Strange sequel, calling Raimi "a true living legend."

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to hit theaters on March 24, 2022, but Marvel viewers will be reacquainted with Cumberbatch's Sorcerer Supreme a bit sooner. The character will appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home this December. For more about the Doctor Strange sequel, catch up on the rumors that the sea monster Gargantos will play a role in the film.

J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

After being spoken about for years, a live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop is almost here, premiering on Netflix on November 19, 2021. And despite showing off the cast of heroes led by John Cho’s Spike Spiegel, fans have wondered where the fourth member, Ed, might be.

In a new interview showrunner and Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol screenwriter André Nemec tells Polygon that fans looking forward to Ed shouldn’t worry.

“Ed — everybody wants to know about Ed!” Nemec says. “People will be… very delighted when they watch the season.”

The people behind Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop have said previously that the hacker known as Ed (full name Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV) will be in the series. But with the main cast revealed there’s still no Ed anywhere to be seen, nor any news about casting.

Still, Nemec seems pretty confident that fans looking forward to Ed will be pleased with the live-action Netflix series, which is as strong a confirmation as we’ll likely get before the series premieres in November.

The full interview is worth a read for anyone curious about the direction of the live-action series. According to Nemec, the live-action series is not going to “ape the anime” but “live in the spirit” of the series. “There are obviously things that we cannot achieve with real people that an anime can,” Nemec says. Instead, the series will “build out the continuing stories of Spike Spiegel and Jet Black and Faye Valentine.”

One area from the anime that was vital for the team to bring back was the music of anime composer Yoko Kanno, who will be composing the original soundtrack for Netflix’s show. According to Nemec, Kanno has “completely reimagined” the music for the series, and old favorites from the anime will return in the Netflix show but in new ways.

Cowboy Bebop is shaping up to be a different kind of anime adaptation than the ones we have seen from Netflix so far. John Cho also recently spoke about taking on the role of Spike, including acknowledging the questions some might have about his age.

We’ll have to wait until November to see if Nemec and his team — which includes writers from Thor: Ragnarok, Sons of Anarchy, and Lost — will stick the landing.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

The developer of PS5 launch title Bugsnax is permanently transitioning to a four-day work week in an attempt to give its employees a healthier work-life balance.

Axios reports that back in July, Young Horses said it tested out a four-day work week model as a trial run. Now, that change will become the norm for the eight-person studio. Young Horses President Phil Tibitoski says they know this shift was easier for them due to the studio's small size.

"It was easier for us to implement because to measure our small team's output is simple relative to those bigger studios, so our trial period and decision-making is faster than a studio who has to get buy-in from so many departments and investors," Tibitoski said. He added that he thinks a four-day work week is possible at larger studios, but that expectations would have to change in order for it to work.

Crunch remains a heavily-discussed topic within the video game industry. Earlier this month, the co-presidents of Naughty Dog shared their thoughts on potential remedies to crunch, including unionization, mandatory hours, and more.

In our Bugsnax review, we called the game, 'great,' saying, "the laughs outnumbered the groans significantly as I found myself surprisingly invested in the events of the island and its inhabitants." Now the game is set to come to Steam sometime next year.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

After a supporting turn as Mobius in Marvel's Loki, Disney is back in the Owen Wilson business. The actor is set to star in the studio's Haunted Mansion, a new movie based off of the company's popular theme park ride. The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Wilson joins a cast that already includes LaKeith Stanfield and Tiffany Haddish. Reports describe it as an ensemble production.

Director Justin Simien is helming the production, which will begin shooting in Atlanta in October. The filmmaker is coming off of his directorial debut Dear White People and the 2020 horror movie Bad Hair. Ghostbusters and The Heat writer Katie Dippold is penning the adaptation.

Haunted Mansion will be the latest Disney film based off of one of the company's theme park rides. This summer, the studio's Jungle Cruise grossed $193.7 million at the global box office, along with additional profits from its release on Disney Plus' Premier Access program. A sequel has already been confirmed.

A movie based on Haunted Mansion was first released in 2003. The Eddie Murphy-starring comedy was a modest box office success, grossing $182.3 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $90 million.

In our review of the series premiere of Loki, IGN gave the episode a 7, saying that "Wilson and [Tom] Hiddleston have stellar comedic chemistry." The actor can next be seen in Wes Anderson's next film The French Dispatch in October.

For more on Disney's upcoming slate, read our complete rundown of the studio's line-up of live-action remakes.

J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

Metroid Prime is nearly 20 years old, but a new interview is shedding light on the development of the groundbreaking series.

Former Retro Studios developer Mike Wikan went on an episode of the Kiwi Talkz podcast to discuss crunch within Retro during the development of Metroid Prime, as well as the effort from Nintendo to change the Metroid Prime Trilogy's writing to fit within the Metroid Prime universe.

The 'Nine Month Death March' at the End of Metroid Prime's Development

Discussions surrounding crunch are at the forefront of video game discourse in 2021. From Naughty Dog to Rockstar, to CD Projekt Red, more employees, writers, and fans are speaking out about a problem in the video game industry that dates back to long before the wider public noticed it.

In this case, it dates back to 2002, when the Austin, Texas-based Retro Studios was developing the first-ever 3D Metroid game in partnership with Nintendo. Wikan, who worked on the game, said that crunch was a big problem during the development of Metroid Prime.

"I had two times where I was there for 48 hours straight with one hour of sleep, and then a couple of 36 hour days," Wikan said. "The last nine months we were pretty much there 24/7, working on the game."

After Metroid Prime shipped, Wikan says morale was low within Retro's ranks. In fact, according to Wikan, many team members were ready to quit, and Wikan himself even had multiple job offers on the table. Then, things changed for the studio when Nintendo stepped in.

"To their credit, Nintendo realized what was going on, and they came in and took over the company, [they] bought it out," Wikan said. After Nintendo bought Retro, Nintendo of America's Michael Kelbaugh was put in charge. Wikan says he asked Retro employees to give him a few weeks to turn it around, and he eventually, "restored faith in leadership."

The turbulent past of Retro Studios pre-Nintendo is well-documented. The studio has a history of layoffs, crunch, and unrealized ambition prior to Nintendo's decision to step in and put Kelbaugh in charge, who is still President of Retro Studios today.

According to Wikan, the change in ownership and leadership worked, and the studio began following healthier work practices. However, it still wasn't perfect. "In fact, after Metroid Prime 1, we rarely crunched," Wikan said. "We had some crunch but it wasn't like the nine-month death march at the end of Metroid Prime 1. That was the worst."

Nintendo's Involvement in Reworking Metroid Prime Trilogy's Script

Also in the interview, Wikan revealed he was part of a four-person team tasked with reworking the three mainline Metroid Prime games into a collection. The package was released in 2009 on Wii as Metroid Prime: Trilogy.

Besides changing some boss fight balance issues, and some small technical problems, Wikan and his team left the three games largely unchanged. At least, until Nintendo came in and started reworking the script. Wikan says Nintendo combed through the scans from all three Prime games and created a spreadsheet analysis of how it fits within the Metroid Prime universe.

"They sent us hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of edits and changes for all the text to make sure everything harmonized and worked in the Metroid universe. That’s the level of detail that they put into it," Wikan said. "Probably 50 to 60% of the work we did on the Trilogy was changing those dang scan files."

Wikan is no longer with Retro, but the studio is now working on the delayed Metroid Prime 4. At E3 this year, Nintendo said they're "working hard" on Metroid Prime 4, which lead to the announcement of Metroid Dread; a new entry in the mainline 2D Metroid series. Dread is wrapping up the story of Samus and the Metroids, a story that is largely unrelated to her adventures in the Prime games.

Check out the full episode of the Kiwi Talkz Podcast for more insight from Wikan on his time at Retro Studios making Metroid Prime.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.