Monthly Archives: September 2021

Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge – Last Call Arrives Later This Month

Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge, a virtual reality experience set on the Star Wars planet of Batuu, will get an extended chapter called “Last Call” on September 15.

Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge is developed by ILMxLAB, LucasFilm’s VR studio, and today the team announced Last Call’s release date. The new chapter adds new characters, two new Tales, and several new items to buy and try at Mubo’s Workshop.

Some new faces (who you might recognize) coming to Batuu in Last Call includes Hondo Ohnaka, Neeva, Lt. Gauge, Boggs Triff, and IG-88, everyone’s favorite robot assassin who will be voiced by Rhys Darby.

There will also be returning characters like Ady Sun’Zee, R2-DS and C-3PO, Dok-Ondar, Seezelslak, Lens Kamo, and Baron Attsmun.

In Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge - Last Call, you’ll be able to explore Batuu in virtual reality. Help Dok-Ondar recover an ancient artifact from the Sardeevem Chasm and the Cavern of the Moons, or escape the First Order on the Black Spire Outpost.

There are also new Tales to experience. In The Bounty of Boggs Triff players will become IG-88 as they hunt down the mobster Bogs. Or you can continue the story of Ady’Sun Zee in The Sacred Garden set during The High Republic.

ILMxLAB has been creating several VR experiences set in the Star Wars universe including Vader Immortal. However, while the VR was certainly immersive, the story had much to be desired.

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

Xbox Game Pass in September 2021: Final Fantasy 13, Surgeon Simulator 2, The Artful Escape, and More

A new month and a new batch of games coming to different services. PlayStation announced its September 2021 PS Plus lineup, and now Xbox has announced what games are coming to Xbox Game Pass this month also.

Leading the charge on September 2 is Craftopia, an ID@Xbox game about living on a small island by hanging out, fighting bosses, crafting items, really whatever you want. Or if you want to try out something completely different, Final Fantasy 13 is also heading to Xbox Game Pass for both console and PC.

Square Enix’s RPG has something of a mixed reputation, but it’s undeniably one of the best-looking Final Fantasy games even over a decade after it was first released in 2009. There are also new indie releases coming out day-and-date this month including Surgeon Simulator 2 and The Artful Escape.

What's Coming to Xbox Game Pass in September 2021

  • Craftopia (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox - September 2

  • Final Fantasy XIII (Console and PC) - September 2

  • Signs of the Sojourner (Cloud, Console, and PC) - September 2

  • Surgeon Simulator 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox - September 2

  • Crown Trick (Console and PC) ID@Xbox - September 7

  • Breathedge (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox - September 9

  • Nuclear Throne (Console and PC) ID@Xbox - September 9

  • The Artful Escape (Console and PC) ID@Xbox -September 9

Here's What's Leaving Xbox Game Pass in September 2021

  • Red Dead Online (Cloud and Console) - September 13

  • Company of Heroes 2 (PC) - September 15

  • Disgaea 4 (PC) - September 15

  • Forza Motorsport 7 (Cloud, Console, and PC) - September 15

  • Hotshot Racing (Cloud and Console) - September 15

  • The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics (Cloud, Console, and PC) - September 15

  • Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales (Cloud and Console) - September 15

If you missed it, a bunch of Quake games including the newly announced Quake Remaster also went up on Xbox Game Pass in August. The collection was announced at, where else? Quakecon.

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

All Nine Seasons of Seinfeld Are Coming to Netflix in October

All nine seasons of Seinfeld will be available to stream on Netflix on October 1 — and in 4K. This will mark the first time that every episode of the NBC series will be available to stream on a single service globally.

To accompany the announcement, Netflix released a video on Twitter touting the show's arrival on the streamer as a "180 episode premiere."

“[Seinfeld co-creator] Larry [David] and I are enormously grateful to Netflix for taking this chance on us. It takes a lot of guts to trust two schmucks who literally had zero experience in television when we made this thing,” said Jerry Seinfeld in a press release. “We really got carried away, I guess. I didn’t realize we made so many of them. Hope to recoup god knows how many millions it must have taken to do. But worth all the work if people like it. Crazy project.”

Netflix acquired the rights to stream Seinfeld in 2019. Hulu had held the exclusive streaming rights to Seinfeld until last June. This new deal will see Netflix house the NBC sitcom for five years. While financial details of the agreement were not disclosed at the time, it was reported that Netflix paid "far more" than $500 million — the total that NBCUniversal paid to bring The Office to Peacock.

"This is the first time we’ve taken a risk of this nature, going all in on 9 seasons at the jump. But Jerry has created something special with this sitcom that nobody has ever done," Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement.

In other Seinfeld news, a fan-designed LEGO set of Jerry Seinfeld's apartment in the show hit the market last month, complete with Minifigs of the show's main characters (and Newman). And if you really can't wait to see some Seinfeld on Netflix, Bee Movie is currently available to watch on the streaming service in the US.

J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Delayed by One Week

With Paramount pushing Top Gun: Maverick to Memorial Day 2022, Sony Pictures is swooping in to claim its now-vacated pre-Thanksgiving release window. Ghostbusters: Afterlife will now hit theaters one week later than previously planned, moving from a November 12 release date to November 19.

The delay gives the Jason Reitman-directed sequel a little more room from Marvel's Eternals, which is set to hit theaters on November 5. Ghostbusters: Afterlife will now open against the Warner Bros.' Will Smith drama King Richard, though that film will also be simultaneously released on HBO Max for 31 days.

Additionally, the Ghostbusters sequel will now play in IMAX and other premium format auditoriums, many of which were originally being reserved for Top Gun: Maverick.

While Paramount has delayed its entire theatrical slate beyond 2021, Sony has maintained most of its plans for the year. Although Sony Pictures Animation is working out a deal with Amazon to bring Hotel Transylvania: Transformania to streaming, most of the studio's fare is still on track to release this year.

Rumors swirled about the studio potentially pushing Venom: Let There Be Carnage to 2022, but new promotional material indicates that the sequel will still hit theaters on October 15. Additionally, Spider-Man: No Way Home remains set for an exclusive theatrical run this holiday season.

For more on Ghostbusters: Afterlife, check out our exclusive trailer breakdown with director Jason Reitman and take a look at our breakdown of the franchise's new and returning cast members. And if you haven't already, meet Muncher.

J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

Paramount Delays Top Gun: Maverick, Jackass Forever to 2022

Paramount is shuffling its upcoming schedule of theatrical tentpoles once again. Deadline reports that Top Gun: Maverick will now open on Memorial Day weekend next year, taking the release date originally set for Tom Cruise's other upcoming blockbuster, Mission: Impossible 7. The action sequel will now hit theaters three months later, on August 22, 2022.

In addition to the two Cruise vehicles, Paramount has also delayed Jackass Forever to next year, moving the slapstick reunion from its October 22 release to February 4, 2022. With these delays, Paramount no longer has any theatrical releases planned for the remainder of 2021.

The delays reflect a growing lack of confidence in theatrical distribution amid the current spread of COVID-19 and its more infectious Delta variant. Paramount aims to draw a large audience with each of these films and sees 2022 as a healthier theatrical marketplace to open them in.

Last month, Paramount took Clifford the Big Red Dog off of its September 17 release date due to concerns over rising COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, rumors have spread about Sony potentially pushing Venom: Let There Be Carnage to 2022, though a new poster indicates that it's still full steam ahead for the sequel's October 15 release date.

Other upcoming releases like Marvel's Eternals, MGM's No Time to Die, and Sony's Spider-Man: No Way Home are still set to debut in theaters this year. After simultaneously releasing Black Widow in theaters and through Disney +'s Premier Access program, Marvel is returning to an exclusive theatrical release for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings this weekend.

For more on Top Gun: Maverick, read about how Tom Cruise would have refused to make the sequel if Val Kilmer didn't return as Iceman.

J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns Combat Uses a Card System, But Won’t Have Loot Boxes [Update]

Update: Since unveiling the tactics card battle system in Marvel's Midnight Suns, some players have expressed concerns there could be loot boxes in the game.

However, the developers have confirmed that there are no loot boxes in Midnight Suns, or any microtransactions involved with the cards system. There will however be purely cosmetic skins that will be available for purchase, but these won't impact the balance of the game.

Original Story: Marvel’s Midnight Suns is the next big Marvel superhero game, but with a tactics twist. In a new gameplay reveal, developer Firaxis shared more on the card-based strategy combat system players will use to fight in the battle with Lilith.

Midnight Suns is being developed by the Xcom makers at Firaxis, the strategy combat system might not be a big surprise. But in addition to the turn-based combat, players will also be utilizing the environment, team composition, and a random assortment of ability cards.

As revealed in today’s gameplay walkthrough, combat in Midnight Suns involves picking three heroes and using a deck of random ability cards. Your abilities are tied to these cards, and because each “hand” is random at the start of a battle, you’ll have to think strategically to get results. These cards can also be upgraded as you progress through the game.

This isn't a card game like Hearthstone, but something similar to rogue-lites that use card abilities like Slay the Spire.

Players can use these ability cards in conjunction with the environment to deal massive damage to enemies as well. Blast your enemy at nearby gas tanks or even off the ledge to quickly clear the field of bad guys when you’re in a pinch.

You can also coordinate team attacks if you have the right heroes with you. Improving your relationship with these characters during Midnight Suns’ social segments will also improve your tag-team abilities.

As revealed during Gamescom ONL, Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a darker take on the Marvel universe with an emphasis on its more supernatural side. You’ll play as an original Marvel hero that you can fully customize and fight and live alongside famous Marvel heroes. While you’ll be able to socialize with them, you, unfortunately, can’t date anyone.

Check out the full gameplay walkthrough in the video above right here on IGN.

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

DC’s Injustice Animated Movie Arrives This October

DC's feature-length animated Injustice movie officially has a release date of October 19, 2021. It will launch on Blu-ray and Digital formats.

The movie is based on the fighting video game series of the same name, which includes 2013's Injustice: Gods Among Us and 2017's Injustice 2. Developed by Mortal Kombat studio NetherRealm, the series is set in an alternate universe where Joker tricks Superman into killing Lois Lane, sending him down a dark path.

The movie is set to be based on the first game, as well as the best-selling graphic novel based on the series, titled Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year One.

The Injustice movie cast features Justin Hartley as Superman, who is no stranger to the DC universe. Hartley is known for playing Green Arrow in Smallville. Anson Mount, who plays Captain Christopher Pike in Star Trek: Discovery, will star alongside Hartley as Batman. Other members of the cast include Laura Bailey, Yuri Lowenthal, and Steven Universe's Zach Callison.

The film features a script by the writer of Batman: Hush, Ernie Altbacker, and is directed by Matt Peters, who directed Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.

While you're waiting for the Injustice movie, check out IGN's review of Batman: The Long Halloween Part One and Part Two. And, if you need to get caught up on the Injustice hype, take a look at IGN's Injustice: Gods Among Us explainer.

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

Pokémon Go Announces Changes After Community Outcry

Pokémon Go developer Niantic has announced a set of changes and future intentions following the community’s outcry to its handling of COVID-19 related alterations.

Following the announcement that the interaction radius for PokéStops and Gyms would be kept at 80 meters instead of the previously proposed 40 meters, Niantic has also said that it intends to roll out seasonal bonuses on a global level, rather than country-by-country. It has also set out plans to keep in closer contact with players via regular developer diaries and conversations with community leaders.

Starting in October, Niantic will publish a developer diary every other month that explains the company’s current priorities, events, and planned features for the game. Additionally, the Known Issues page on the Pokémon Go website will be updated to allow greater visibility of the status of bugs.

Following the outcry about PokéStops and Gyms having their interaction radius reduced, Niantic spoke with 30 community leaders from around the world. The developer intends to continue these conversations on a regular basis.

In a statement released by Niantic, executive producer Steve Wang said “The lack of communication regarding the PokéStop and Gym interaction radius was not handled well on our part, and it was a great learning experience on how to better engage with our players moving forward.”

While the distances for PokéStops and Gyms will stay at 80 meters, Wang still hopes to encourage people to head out into the world. “We still believe in the importance of discovering interesting places and things in the real world, and we don’t want to lose sight of that,” he said. “The team and I are eager to develop new ways that motivate and reward Trainers for exploring and exercising in the real world. As a result of the taskforce, we have new ideas to explore and we look forward to sharing more in the coming months.”

Additionally, the developer’s experience with adjusting settings for New Zealand in response to the country’s lockdown has encouraged it to abandon a country-by-country approach and opt for global changes. Starting with the Season of Mischief, all bonuses will be set at a global level and be tied directly to the seasons in the game.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Niantic made several changes to Pokémon Go to make it easier to play during lockdown conditions. These changes were enthusiastically received by the community as it not only permitted play during quarantine, but also opened up the game to disabled players and other groups who previously struggled to play. The roll back of these changes sparked community backlash, online fury, and an eventual back and forth between Niantic and fans in search of a solution.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Hitman 2, Overcooked Headline September 2021’s PlayStation Plus Lineup

PlayStation has announced that the PS Plus lineup for September 2021 includes Overcooked: All You Can Eat, Hitman 2, and Predator: Hunting Grounds. Overcooked is for PlayStation 5 owners, and the other two titles will be available on PS4. The new games arrive next week, on September 7.

Overcooked: All You Can Eat includes remastered versions of all the content from Overcooked and Overcooked 2, as well as every piece of DLC. The crazy cooking game touts local and online multiplayer, so you can get together with your friends and family to play with too many cooks in the kitchen.

Hitman 2 takes Agent 47's assassination shenanigans to new sandbox locations around the globe. Hitman 2 introduced new features to the series, including a Sniper Assassin mode and co-op play for the first time in the franchise. Earlier this year, IO Interactive continued the series with Hitman 3, which we called 'Amazing' in our Hitman 3 review.

Finally, Predator: Hunting Grounds is an asymmetrical multiplayer shooter that finds humans facing off against the Predator. In IGN's review, we said, "There’s a consistently enjoyable experience buried somewhere in the janky jungle of Predator: Hunting Grounds, but it’s just not that easy to find yet." However, if you're a fan of the original Predator movie, you can find Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch as DLC in the game.

The games will be available from September 7 to October 4. August's PS Plus games, which include Hunter's Arena: Legends, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, and Tennis World Tour 2, are still available for download until September 6.

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

Neill Blomkamp’s Cancelled Alien 5: Sigourney Weaver Wanted It, But Fox Didn’t

Aside from the occasional piece of concept art surfacing online, news about Neill Blomkamp's Alien sequel is mostly a thing of the past with the film's fate having been sealed many years ago. However, the director recently opened up further on his attachment to Alien 5, the status of the film, and the support he had from Sigourney Weaver on the project.

In an interview with the Independent, Blomkamp was asked about whether there he had any interest in the discontinued Alien project. Blomkamp answered, "I don't know, to be honest. I'm not sure that I would do that project. My assumption is that it's completely dead."

The director went on to reaffirm that whilst Alien star Sigourney Weaver had shown support for the project, it had broken down on Fox's end. "Sigourney was unbelievably supportive and amazing. I have nothing but the best things to say about Sigourney," said Blomkamp. "I’m such a fan of hers on every level. She was always into the project, but Fox just clearly doesn’t want it. I haven’t had anything to do with that for years."

Weaver's interest in creating a fifth Alien movie spans back long before Blomkamp's Alien 5 was suggested to be in the works. In 2004, IGN reported that Weaver had suggested to Fox that she "thought it would be interesting to do a small, spooky movie" in the form of a psychological thriller that could "take Ripley to whatever the next stage may be."

Despite confirmation that Blomkamp isn't currently interested in revisiting Alien 5, he didn't completely rule out one day looping back to the concept. "I wonder if it’s possible to do an entire loop, where you're really into it up until the point it gets shut down, then you lose interest and years go by and you loop all the way back around to being really into it again. Maybe that’s hypothetically possible," he concluded with the Independent.

Currently, the only Alien project in the works is Noah Hawley's TV series for FX. The Alien series is not a Ripley story but will be heavily steeped in the Alien universe established in the movies.

Whilst no new news surrounding Alien 5 looks set to come out anytime soon, the recent release of Aliens: Fireteam Elite has stolen a few headlines. You can read our review of the Cold Iron Studios developed co-op shooter where we gave it a 7/10. We praised the game for its wild shootouts but thought that awkward pacing and repetitive level design held it back from becoming a classic.

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