A developer has created a very smart mod that turns Crusader Kings 3 and Mount & Blade 2 into a single game, allowing players to strategize in the former and battle inside the latter.

For as much as Crusader Kings 3 does an impressive job at simulating the complex political and social structures of medieval rule, one particular element that it lacks is a battle simulator that allows players to jump into the action and see their forces battle it out in real-time.

Now, however, a developer has created Crusader Blade - a new mod that remedies that exact problem. Taking your armies from Crusader Kings 3, the Crusader Blade mod then uses the battle engine from Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord to allow you to fight against your enemies at ground level before sending the data back to Crusader Kings 3 to update your campaign.

The mod even accounts for scaling issues and factors in the size and scope of battles that each game can run. As it doesn't have to render conflict in real-time, battles in Crusader Kings 3 can sometimes be fought between tens of thousands of troops on the battlefield at once - a factor that Mount & Blade 2 can't quite manage.

Thankfully, the mod takes this into account. Taking a proportional approach to unit representation as it brings data from Crusader Kings 3 to Mount & Blade 2, the mod looks at both the size and composition of the armies set to go into battle and maintains this as it scales the forces down to a size that Mount and Blade can render on screen. Then when the battle is over, the mod applies a similar logic to sending that data back to Crusader Kings 3 - scaling up your losses so that they make sense in your campaign going forward.

If you're hoping to get a hold of the mod itself then you can do so by downloading it from Crusader Blade's itch.io page. While the mod has launched, its developers plan to keep it updated over time, supported by a Patreon. In order to run the mod, you will of course need to own both Crusader Kings 3 and Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord.

To learn more about both games, check out our 10/10 Crusader Kings 3 review, and our look at Mount & Blade 2's early access version, which we awarded an 8/10.

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

FromSoftware has announced that 15 minutes of Elden Ring gameplay will be showcased tomorrow, November 4.

Join us for a 15-minute glimpse of #ELDENRING gameplay on November 4th at 3 PM CET/7 AM PDT

Youtube: https://t.co/yNnvFmV3ky
Twitch: https://t.co/jFFOwDSEfr

— ELDEN RING (@ELDENRING) November 3, 2021

The announcement was made on the Elden Ring Twitter page, with no details offered beyond a time: 3pm CET / 7am PDT. It will be available to view on Bandai Namco US' Twitch channel, as well as on YouTube. Links to both are available in the tweet above.

November will be a big month for Elden Ring fans; following this 15 minute slice of gameplay, a closed network test will be available on console from November 12-14. This will offer up a playable segment of the game, although interested fans needed to have registered by November 1 if they wanted to get involved.

For more, check out our first preview of Elden Ring, based on 15 minutes of footage. You can also read how the in-game text is written by Miyazaki, not George R.R Martin, whose contributions were done "years ago."

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

FromSoftware has announced that 15 minutes of Elden Ring gameplay will be showcased tomorrow, November 4.

Join us for a 15-minute glimpse of #ELDENRING gameplay on November 4th at 3 PM CET/7 AM PDT

Youtube: https://t.co/yNnvFmV3ky
Twitch: https://t.co/jFFOwDSEfr

— ELDEN RING (@ELDENRING) November 3, 2021

The announcement was made on the Elden Ring Twitter page, with no details offered beyond a time: 3pm CET / 7am PDT. It will be available to view on Bandai Namco US' Twitch channel, as well as on YouTube. Links to both are available in the tweet above.

November will be a big month for Elden Ring fans; following this 15 minute slice of gameplay, a closed network test will be available on console from November 12-14. This will offer up a playable segment of the game, although interested fans needed to have registered by November 1 if they wanted to get involved.

For more, check out our first preview of Elden Ring, based on 15 minutes of footage. You can also read how the in-game text is written by Miyazaki, not George R.R Martin, whose contributions were done "years ago."

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

A solo Donkey Kong movie is reportedly in the works, with Seth Rogen set to reprise his upcoming role as the iconic Nintendo character.

According to Giant Freakin Robot, Donkey Kong will be the next Nintendo character heading to the big screen following the upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie.

Seth Rogen has already been confirmed to voice Donkey Kong as a side character in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie, so it’s not a huge leap to see Rogen head up his own solo project.

GFR claims that the upcoming Donkey Kong solo movie is currently in development at Illumination – the studio that has previously brought Despicable Me and the Minions to the big screen. The company is also working on the Super Mario Bros. movie starring Chris Pratt as everyone’s favourite Italian plumber.

While very much an early report, the folks at Giant Freakin Robot have a good track record breaking exclusive movie news over the last couple of years – confirming that Ryan Gosling had been cast in the upcoming Barbie movie, among other stories. It's also worth pointing out that movies can be in development before being subsequently cancelled, so this isn't an assurance than the movie will arrive.

The very much confirmed Super Mario Bros. movie will star Chris Pratt as Mario, with Charlie Day in the role of Luigi. They’re joined by Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong.

Additionally, Kevin Michael Richardson will voice Kamek, Fred Armisen will voice Cranky Kong, and Sebastian Maniscalco will voice Foreman Spike, while long-time Mario voice artist Charles Martinet will have a number of featured cameos in the movie.

Although Seth Rogen has been highlighted to star in the new Donkey Kong movie, it’s unclear whether any of his Super Mario Bros. co-stars will be joining him.

While the Super Mario Bros. movie was originally announced back in 2018, nothing has been heard about a solo Donkey Kong movie until now.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

A solo Donkey Kong movie is reportedly in the works, with Seth Rogen set to reprise his upcoming role as the iconic Nintendo character.

According to Giant Freakin Robot, Donkey Kong will be the next Nintendo character heading to the big screen following the upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie.

Seth Rogen has already been confirmed to voice Donkey Kong as a side character in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie, so it’s not a huge leap to see Rogen head up his own solo project.

GFR claims that the upcoming Donkey Kong solo movie is currently in development at Illumination – the studio that has previously brought Despicable Me and the Minions to the big screen. The company is also working on the Super Mario Bros. movie starring Chris Pratt as everyone’s favourite Italian plumber.

While very much an early report, the folks at Giant Freakin Robot have a good track record breaking exclusive movie news over the last couple of years – confirming that Ryan Gosling had been cast in the upcoming Barbie movie, among other stories. It's also worth pointing out that movies can be in development before being subsequently cancelled, so this isn't an assurance than the movie will arrive.

The very much confirmed Super Mario Bros. movie will star Chris Pratt as Mario, with Charlie Day in the role of Luigi. They’re joined by Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong.

Additionally, Kevin Michael Richardson will voice Kamek, Fred Armisen will voice Cranky Kong, and Sebastian Maniscalco will voice Foreman Spike, while long-time Mario voice artist Charles Martinet will have a number of featured cameos in the movie.

Although Seth Rogen has been highlighted to star in the new Donkey Kong movie, it’s unclear whether any of his Super Mario Bros. co-stars will be joining him.

While the Super Mario Bros. movie was originally announced back in 2018, nothing has been heard about a solo Donkey Kong movie until now.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

The Nintendo Switch N64 controller released in conjunction with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership will seemingly remain sold out until 2022 in the US.

After selling out quickly following release late last month, the US Nintendo Store now displays a notice saying, "More controllers will be available in 2022." It's not clear if that applies worldwide – while also sold out in the UK, that regional store doesn't include the same notice.

It's more of a problem than you might expect – the difference in layout between the N64 controller and Joy-Cons means that some N64 games released on Switch have seen unusual button mapping, which can't currently be remapped. In essence, players may find it hard to play the games they're subscribing for without the appropriate controller.

We've contacted Nintendo for comment on the controller shortages.

N64 games were added to Nintendo Switch as part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, which adds the benefits of the original Nintendo Switch Online service as well as N64 and Sega Genesis Games, as well the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise DLC – albeit at a $30 price increase per year.

The Expansion Pack, particularly its price and problems with the games upon release, have made it a controversial addition by Nintendo. Our own Nintendo Voice Chat podcast said that its N64 emulation leaves a lot to be desired.

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.

The Nintendo Switch N64 controller released in conjunction with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership will seemingly remain sold out until 2022 in the US.

After selling out quickly following release late last month, the US Nintendo Store now displays a notice saying, "More controllers will be available in 2022." It's not clear if that applies worldwide – while also sold out in the UK, that regional store doesn't include the same notice.

It's more of a problem than you might expect – the difference in layout between the N64 controller and Joy-Cons means that some N64 games released on Switch have seen unusual button mapping, which can't currently be remapped. In essence, players may find it hard to play the games they're subscribing for without the appropriate controller.

We've contacted Nintendo for comment on the controller shortages.

N64 games were added to Nintendo Switch as part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, which adds the benefits of the original Nintendo Switch Online service as well as N64 and Sega Genesis Games, as well the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise DLC – albeit at a $30 price increase per year.

The Expansion Pack, particularly its price and problems with the games upon release, have made it a controversial addition by Nintendo. Our own Nintendo Voice Chat podcast said that its N64 emulation leaves a lot to be desired.

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.

Battlefield 2042 will be getting a 10-hour trial for members of EA Play, starting on November 12. This will also include Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members on consoles, alongside members of Game Pass PC, and EA Play Pro on PC.

The game had a fairly interesting open beta, sparking a lot of debate about the current state of the shooter. EA has tried to calm nerves by informing fans that the beta build was a few months old at least, but that doesn't mean there still won't be concerns about the final product. So, this trial might be a good opportunity for a second chance at a first impression.

Battlefield 2042 is set to release on November 19, 2021, after being delayed by a month from its original October 22 launch day.

This upcoming trial will be another feather in the cap for Xbox Game Pass users, since Game Pass already has an absolutely stacked November lined up, with Forza Horizon 5, GTA San Andreas, and It Takes Two all coming to the service.

Game Pass is also currently on sale at Amazon (US only), coming down to just $37.99 for 3-Months of Game Pass Ultimate (see here), which will stack on your current membership. Game Pass PC is also down to $1 for 3-months for new and returning users.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Battlefield 2042 will be getting a 10-hour trial for members of EA Play, starting on November 12. This will also include Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members on consoles, alongside members of Game Pass PC, and EA Play Pro on PC.

The game had a fairly interesting open beta, sparking a lot of debate about the current state of the shooter. EA has tried to calm nerves by informing fans that the beta build was a few months old at least, but that doesn't mean there still won't be concerns about the final product. So, this trial might be a good opportunity for a second chance at a first impression.

Battlefield 2042 is set to release on November 19, 2021, after being delayed by a month from its original October 22 launch day.

This upcoming trial will be another feather in the cap for Xbox Game Pass users, since Game Pass already has an absolutely stacked November lined up, with Forza Horizon 5, GTA San Andreas, and It Takes Two all coming to the service.

Game Pass is also currently on sale at Amazon (US only), coming down to just $37.99 for 3-Months of Game Pass Ultimate (see here), which will stack on your current membership. Game Pass PC is also down to $1 for 3-months for new and returning users.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Actress Gemma Whelan, who played Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones, has said that the show’s sex scenes were “a frenzied mess”.

During an interview with The Guardian, she recalled her time filming intimate scenes on Game of Thrones where actors were left to get on with it.

“They used to just say, ‘When we shout action, go for it!’, and it could be a sort of frenzied mess,” she said. “But between the actors there was always an instinct to check in with each other.”

On the hit HBO fantasy show, Whelan played the bisexual Lady Yara Greyjoy, who shared more than a few sex scenes throughout the show’s 8 seasons.

“There was a scene in a brothel with a woman and she was so exposed that we talked together about where the camera would be and what she was happy with,” she explained. “A director might say, ‘Bit of boob biting, then slap her bum and go!’, but I’d always talk it through with the other actor.”

During the second season of Game of Thrones in 2012, Whelan performed one of the show’s most infamous sex scenes – a horseback scene involving Yara’s brother, Theon, played by Alfie Allen. “Alfie was very much, ‘Is this OK? How are we going to make this work?’"

Whelan explains that the addition of intimacy directors – film set employees specifically brought into help actors feel comfortable with love or sex scenes – has improved the process on other projects. "With intimacy directors, it’s choreography – you move there, I move there, and permission and consent is given before you start. It is a step in the right direction.”

Recently, Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington described “mental health” issues he faced while filming the show, which led to him taking time away from acting. Hannah Waddingham, who played Unella, also called the filming of one scene in the show "the worst day of my life". Game of Thrones is set to return to TV in 2022 with the upcoming prequel series, House of the Dragon.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.