Monthly Archives: October 2021

Eureka: Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution Anime Film Gets 2022 U.S. Release Window

During New York Comic-Con, Funimation gave an update on its upcoming movie slate beginning with the upcoming Eureka Seven movie.

Eureka: Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution, the final full-length film in the Eureka sequel trilogy will be released in 2022. Set 10 years after the events of the last film, Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution will star Eureka, who is living by herself as atonement for the destruction of the world. Things are quiet until she meets Iris, a new “Eureka.”

The two of them set out into the world thanks to their shared destiny. One, a Eureka who has lost her powers, the other is afraid of her newfound abilities.

Hi-Evolution is the third film after 2017's Eureka Seven: Hi-Evolution 1 and 2018's Anemone: Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution. The trilogy began by retelling of some of the events from the 2005 anime before taking the story in a new direction.

This is reminiscent of the Rebuild of Evangelion movies which started as a retelling of the anime before revealing itself to be a true sequel. The Evangelion Rebuild movies ended after the fourth and final movie premiered earlier this year.

Funimation’s full panel also included updates on another anime film, Sing a Bit of Harmony, about an AI high school student and the new friends she makes at school. This co-production from Funimation is directed by award-winning anime filmmaker Yasuhiro Yoshiura.

For more from New York Comic-Con, check out IGN for the latest news and announcements.

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

Best Buy Will Have Nintendo Switch OLEDs in Stock Tomorrow

The Nintendo Switch OLED model will release tomorrow. If you already own a Switch, it might not be worth the upgrade; but if you are looking to pick up the latest Switch model, Best Buy will have the console in stock tomorrow, according to its website.

Heading to the Nintendo Switch OLED landing page, Best Buy has a countdown timer to prepare for the release of the hybrid gaming console. We reached out to Best Buy for comment on when the restocks will be firmly available, but the countdown implies that it could be available when the timer hits zero.

The landing page offers listings for both the White and Neon Red/Neon Blue Switch OLED consoles, though there are also a ton of new listings, bundling one of the Switch OLED colors along with either a carrying case, a copy of Metroid Dread (which also releases tomorrow), or all three items together.

The Nintendo Switch OLED was originally announced back in July and features a slightly larger OLED display. The new Switch model uses the same specs as the base Nintendo Switch, so this is not the long-rumored "Switch Pro" many were hoping for.

In our review of the Nintendo Switch OLED, I praised the slightly larger and brighter display despite recycling the same graphical and processing power, making it easier to play in direct sunlight. And that the console was a major upgrade for those that primarily play the Switch in handheld or tabletop mode.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Destiny 2 Will Lose The Forsaken Expansion to the Vault

Bungie has announced that the Destiny 2 Forsaken campaign will enter the Destiny Content Vault early next year.

Players can still access the content until February 22, at which point the campaign as well as the Tangled Shore desination will leave the game. This is the same day as the launch of Year 5 of Destiny 2, which includes The Witch Queen expansion. Bungie says Forsaken's departure also makes way for new features including weapon crafting, a Legendary difficulty campaign option, a new weapon type, and more.

If you haven't played the Forsaken campaign, it will be available for free to all Destiny players beginning on December 7.

Bungie created the Destiny Content Vault last year as a way to begin recycling content from Destiny 1 and 2. Last year, Bungie added three campaigns to the vault: The Red War, Curse of Osiris, and Warmind. Besides campaigns, the vault can also include strikes, gambit maps, raids, and other content.

It's a big time for Bungie's universe. Besides the upcoming Witch Queen expansion, Destiny may be expanding beyond games into TV shows, movies, and more. And, it just got a little easier to enjoy cross-play, as Bungie recently added voice chat to cross-play in Destiny 2. Bungie also just removed a controversial employee contract clause as a step to improve diversity in the workplace.

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

Koichi Sugiyama, the Pioneering Dragon Quest Composer Known For His Controversial Views, Has Died

Koichi Sugiyama, the composer who defined a generation of RPGs with his music but was also known for his controversial views on LGBTQ+ people and Japan's action in World War II, has died. He was 90 years old.

Like Nobuo Uematsu and a handful of other pioneering composers, Koichi Sugiyama helped define music on the Famicom in the mid-1980s. Known primarily for his work on Dragon Quest, he started as a director at Fuji TV and later worked on projects including Science Ninja Team Gatchaman: The Movie.

Sugiyama joined Enix after sending the studio a postcard expressing his appreciation for a PC shogi game they had published. His work on the first Dragon Quest was considered revolutionary for the time. In a look back on the series, 1UP wrote that "he took his cues from classical composers and Wagnerian opera, resulting in a soundtrack that was deeper, heavier, and emotional than any other Famicom game, despite the hardware's strict limits. It's no accident that Sugiyama continues to hold yearly orchestral performances of Dragon Warrior's music in Japan — there are soundtracks that impress the player more, but only very few are better works of art than his work on this series."

Sugiyama continued composing music for the series up until Dragon Quest 11, which released in 2017. While more than a few criticized its somewhat repetitive tunes — a consequence, perhaps, of Sugiyama's age — it was still hard not to be stirred by the symphonic overture leading into its title screen. It remains one of the most readily identifiable themes in gaming, particularly in Japan.

Sugiyama, however, became a controversial figure in his later years. In 2015, Sugiyama appeared alongside Japanese politician Mio Sugita, where he endorsed claims that the lack of children from LGBTQ+ couples were an issue for Japan.

Sugiyama also subscribed to Japan's nationalist rhetoric around World War 2, opposing a resolution to ask Japan to apologize for the use of "comfort women" — a colloquial term for women who were forced into sexual servitude by soldiers during the conflict. Square Enix responded by distancing itself from the composer over those comments, saying that it does not "condone discrimination or harassment of any kind" and that it "respects the diversity of sexuality and gender equality of everyone around the world."

Sugiyama's mixed legacy is reflected in the comments on Twitter following his death.

Square Enix, for its part, issued a release saying the publisher "mourns his passing."

Square Enix president and CEO Yosuke Matsuda added, "I would like to take this opportunity to offer my deepest sympathy to Koichi Sugiyama's friends and loved ones. Words cannot express the scale of the contribution made by Koichi Sugiyama from the birth of the DRAGON QUEST series until now. I remember seeing him conduct the orchestra in a DRAGON QUEST concert as if it were yesterday. I thank and honor him for his long years of service and the many wonderful pieces of music he has written for our games, and offer my heartfelt prayers for the repose of his soul."

Sugiyama was set to serve as composer for Dragon Quest 12, which was announced earlier this year. Square Enix has not yet announced who will step in as his successor.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

Diablo 4 Has a New Director

Activision Blizzard is currently facing serious ongoing allegations of harassment and mistreatment of marginalized workers. To learn more, please visit our timeline as well as our in-depth report on the subject.

Joe Shely, who has worked on World of Warcraft and DIablo 3, has taken over as director of Diablo 4. In today's Diablo 4 quarterly update, Shely said he is honored to continue the vision of the next Diablo as its director.

The previous director, Luis Barriga, was let go from Activision Blizzard in August amid allegations of harassment and abuse within Blizzard. Barriga had been with Blizzard since 2006, and was let go alongside level designer Jesse McCree and WoW designer Jonatan LeCraft. In today's post, Shely briefly addressed the ongoing allegations.

"Like many of you, our team has been reflecting upon recent events," Shely wrote. "A lot has happened since our last blog and the hard work of practicing the values we aspire to must continue. In parallel with that important work, development of Diablo IV continues too."

In late September, Activision Blizzard settled an equal opportunity commission lawsuit for $18 million. Blizzard's Chief Legal Officer also departed the company last month.

We don't yet have a release date for Diablo 4, but last year, then-director Barriga said, "a game of this scope takes time. This is a very, very early first step. We're not coming out soon... not even Blizzard soon."

Diablo fans just recently got Diablo 2: Resurrected, a remake of the classic Diablo sequel. In our review, we called the game "good," saying, "Diablo 2: Resurrected updates the graphics of a great, classic action RPG for a new generation. It masterfully preserves the mood of a singular game, and at the same time it preserves the gameplay as it has been for over a decade – mostly for better, occasionally for worse."

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

Netflix’s 3rd and Final Season of Lost in Space Gets a Premiere Date, Trailer and Photos

Netflix has revealed the release date, first look photos, and an official trailer for the third and final season of Lost in Space.

You certainly won't have to wait long for Lost in Space Season 3, as Netflix has just announced that the 8-episode final season of the sci-fi adventure is coming to the streaming service on December 1. The newly-released trailer teases the story's epic conclusion, hinting at some of the dangers that lie ahead for the Robinson family.

According to Netflix, Lost in Space Season 3 will see the Robinson family's survival instincts put to the ultimate test. Judy, Penny, Will and the Robot will lead the mysterious planet's 97 young Colonists forward in a harrowing evacuation — but not before unearthing some secrets that will change their lives forever.

Meanwhile, John and Maureen must band together with Don to battle overwhelming odds as they try to reunite with their kids. The Robinsons will have to grapple with the emotional challenge of not just being lost but also being separated from the ones they love as they face their greatest alien threat yet.

Netflix shared five new photos from the space-faring series to give fans a further taste of what's to come in the show's final transmission. The images offer glimpses of the show's main cast, which includes Toby Stephens, Molly Parker, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, Taylor Russell, Ignacio Serricchio, and Parker Posey.

If you feel like you might need a refresher before the new season debuts, be sure to check out IGN's review of Lost in Space Season 2. Our critic notes that the unrelenting disasters of the second season occasionally drag but the "performances are so good, and the family-first credo is so vital, that the drama never dips."

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

CD Projekt Offers a Glimpse Of The Witcher 3 Running On Steam Deck

CD Projekt Red has offered fans a brief look at how the Witcher 3 will run on Steam Deck, using a number of short clips to show off various aspects of the game running on the new handheld.

Showcased in a series of tweets posted on the Witcher 3 Twitter account, fans will be pleased to see that the Witcher 3 appears to run smoothly on Valve's upcoming handheld PC.

The clips shared by CD Projekt Red detail a range of scenarios including general exploration and combat. Shot on an external camera and with Twitter video compression, it's difficult to tell exactly what resolution the game is running at, but fans on Twitter are impressed with how the game is looking on the handheld's native 800p screen.

From what has been shown by CD Projekt, the game's framerate appears to hold up well across the board. Even as Geralt enters more densely populated areas such as the game's cities, there doesn't seem to be a noticeable effect on performance. As previously reported, we know that the Steam Deck aims to have a baseline target of 30fps for all games being accessed on the handheld - a factor that seems to be maintained in captured gameplay.

We haven't seen what the game looks like when docked and connected to a TV with a higher resolution. Valve has noted that the device won't receive a performance boost when doing so, so it will be interesting to see if and how the performance changes.

While the Witcher 3 is certainly graphically demanding, footage of the game working well on the handheld may not come as a surprise considering that the game has already been ported successfully to Nintendo Switch, which is a less powerful machine. To find out more about the two devices, make sure to check out our comprehensive rundown for how the Steam Deck looks to shape up in comparison to Nintendo's Switch OLED.

In other related news, Valve recently published a video breaking down the Steam Deck in order to showcase the console's inner parts. During the video, the company not only showed fans how to open up the Steam Deck but also how to replace a number of components including the device's thumbsticks and SSD. Despite being an official demo, Valve issued a number of warnings at the beginning of its walkthrough stating that, while they can't stop you from doing so, it is strongly advising you not to open up the Steam Deck for any reason.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN who is thoroughly looking forward to "clearing his steam backlog" on the go. You can follow him on Twitter where he'll inevitably break that promise to himself in the coming months.

Far Cry 6 Includes a Puzzling, Unexpected Connection to Far Cry 3

Mainline Far Cry games always tell a new story, with new heroes and villains to get to know. However, Far Cry 6 breaks from tradition by including one direct, unexpected, and slightly puzzling connection to Far Cry 3.

This story contains major spoilers for the ending Far Cry 6. Don't read any further if you don't want to know more.

While Far Cry 6 very much tells its own story, the ending offers a surprising connection to Far Cry 3 by reintroducing the voice of Vaas (played by original actor Michael Mando). After the credits role, an audio-only scene plays out featuring a conversation between guerrilla fighter Juan Cortez and a character referred to in the captions as 'Smuggler', but who is very clearly the voice of Vaas.

The conversation is fairly innocuous, discussing the final events of the game and establishing that Juan is supplying Viviro (the fictional cancer drug produced in the Far Cry 6's setting, Yara) to the smuggler. But the fact that Vaas is here at all is more interesting than the chat itself (which you can listen to in the video below).

The thing is, Vaas is very much supposed to be dead. In Far Cry 3, protagonist Jason Brody stabs the iconic villain multiple times (although, to be fair, Vaas does appear to be still faintly alive the last time we see him). Far Cry 3 is set in 2012, while an alternative ending in Far Cry 6 all but confirms that it takes place in 2020 or 2021 by mentioning pandemic lockdowns.

So, does this mean that Vaas survived after all? And, if so, does Ubisoft have plans to bring him back into the mainline Far Cry games? We know that Vaas will be a playable character in upcoming Far Cry 6 DLC, but that's depicted as an in-world video game, so this cameo might be hinting at something larger in the character's future. We've asked Ubisoft for comment.

It's not the only Far Cry connection we learned about recently. In our IGN Inside Story about the making of Far Cry's villains, director Clint Hocking confirmed a long-discussed theory that the villain of Far Cry 2 was an older version of the protagonist from Far Cry 1.

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.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage Almost Had a Very Different Title

Venom: Let There Be Carnage director Andy Serkis has revealed that the film almost had a very different title – one that would have leant into Eddie and Venom's relationship.

Speaking with Collider, Serkis admitted that, at one point, the Sony Pictures sequel was called Venom: Love Will Tear Us Apart. Venom 2's alternate title is one that will be familiar to fans of the British rock band Joy Division as it actually shares the same name as one of the group's classic 1980s tracks. However, Let There Be Carnage ultimately emerged as the frontrunner.

"We did think for a moment it might be called 'Love Will Tear Us Apart,' that was a going concern for a little while," Serkis said, right after he confirmed that Venom: Lethal Protector wasn't on the table. "But 'Let There Be Carnage' just seems to do it. There wasn't a lot of fighting over the other titles we were thinking of. Because this was such a strong contender."

Love Will Tear Us Apart not only humorously plays up the relationship between Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock and his symbiote, it also applies to the reunion of Woody Harrelson's Cletus Kasady and his equally disturbed former flame, Naomie Harris' Shriek. Though they eventually landed on Let There Be Carnage as the title, it wasn't the only subject up for debate.

The mid-credits scene included in Venom: Let There Be Carnage teases what quite possibly may be one of the most anticipated moments fans have been waiting for since we first knew Tom Hardy would become Venom. However, Serkis recently revealed that the scene was "100% in flux" and actually only came together later into the production.

All of the pieces came together in end and the film was released in theaters on October 1. Venom 2 set a pandemic record with its $90.1 million domestic box office debut, surpassing Black Widow's $80 million performance earlier this year, though it's important to remember that Black Widow earned another $60 million from its release on Disney+ Premier Access.

IGN's critic awarded the Sony Pictures sequel a 7 out of 10 (Good) in our Venom: Let There Be Carnage review, writing that it "improves on everything from the first movie, leaning into its own absurdity. While it plays it a little safe, it still points the series in an exciting direction." As for the wider critic community, most seem to have a slightly dimmer view of the film.

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

EA Is Considering Renaming the FIFA Series

EA says that it's "exploring the idea" of renaming its FIFA series. If it did so, it would end an almost three decade association between EA Sports and the international football organization.

In a press release about the launch of FIFA 22, EA Sports' Cam Weber explained, "As we look ahead, we’re also exploring the idea of renaming our global EA SPORTS football games." The developer made clear that this wouldn't change its football games' extensive partnerships and licenses: "This means we’re reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our other official partnerships and licenses across the football world."

EA doesn't make clear why it's making this consideration at this time, although the FIFA name has gained less favourable associations in recent years. FIFA is the international governing body for association football, but has been mired in controversy for many years, including major corruption scandals.

EA also doesn't specify what the series could be renamed to, but repeatedly refers the series as "our EA Sports football games," rather than FIFA. EA and FIFA first partnered for 1993's FIFA International Soccer, with at least one new FIFA game released every year since. It has since become one of the best selling game series in history.

Weber makes very clear that, despite dropping one familiar license, EA Sports football games won't lose their commitment to recreating real-life professional football. "Through years of building our global franchise, we also know that authenticity is essential to the experience. That’s why we focus so much energy on the collective strength of over 300 individual licensed partners that give us access to 17,000+ athletes across 700+ teams, in 100 stadiums and over 30 leagues around the world. We continually invest in the partnerships and licenses that are most meaningful to players [...] The breadth of our partnerships and our ecosystem of licensed content will enable us to continue to bring unrivaled authenticity in our EA Sports football games, now and for many years to come."

This news comes shortly after Konami announced that it had changed the name of long-running FIFA rival, Pro Evolution Soccer (known as Winning Eleven in Japan) to eFootball. Unfortunately, that name change has been coupled to a game launch we've described as a tragedy.

We awarded this year's FIFA installment, FIFA 22 a 7/10 review, saying, "Microtransactions still loom large, but small iterative changes and the horsepower of new-gen consoles combine to make FIFA 22 feel like a worthwhile upgrade without needing anything revolutionary or terribly exciting from EA’s side."

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.