Fred Hechinger, star of HBO's The White Lotus, has been cast in the upcoming Kraven the Hunter film, rumored to play the titular anti-hero's brother Chameleon, Deadline reports.

Hechinger is also known for his roles in Netflix's The Woman in the Window, Tom Hanks' News of the World, and a recurring star role in Fear Street. He's currently starring in Hulu's Pam & Tommy as infamous pornographer Seth Warshavsky, and the upcoming Pale Blue Eye, starring Christian Bale.

More specifically, Chameleon (real name Dmitiri Smerdyakov) is the illegitimate half-brother of Kraven, and regarded as a master of disguise, capable of impersonating anyone. In Marvel comics lore, Chameleon has impersonated the likes of Captain America, Bruce Banner, Spider-Man, and other major heroes. Hechinger joins Aaron Taylor Johnson as the titular Kraven, whom Chameleon has a tortured relationship with thanks to a history of familial abuse.

Kraven the Hunter releases in theaters on January 13, 2023 as part of Sony's Spider-Man universe, alongside the Venom franchise and Jared Leto's Morbius. It's being directed by J.C. Chandor (Triple Frontier, A Most Violent Year) with Art Marcum and Matt Holloway (Iron Man, Uncharted) and Richard Wenk (Lethal Weapon 5, The Equalizer) writing.

You can read our explainer of Kraven the Hunter's history and rivalry with Spider-Man here, if you're curious why the genetically superpowered Russian is one of the few baddies to send Spider-Man to an early grave. You can also check out how Spider-Man: No Way Home was almost a Kraven movie if the multiverse idea didn't pan out.

(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/master of disguise for IGN.

Fred Hechinger, star of HBO's The White Lotus, has been cast in the upcoming Kraven the Hunter film, rumored to play the titular anti-hero's brother Chameleon, Deadline reports.

Hechinger is also known for his roles in Netflix's The Woman in the Window, Tom Hanks' News of the World, and a recurring star role in Fear Street. He's currently starring in Hulu's Pam & Tommy as infamous pornographer Seth Warshavsky, and the upcoming Pale Blue Eye, starring Christian Bale.

More specifically, Chameleon (real name Dmitiri Smerdyakov) is the illegitimate half-brother of Kraven, and regarded as a master of disguise, capable of impersonating anyone. In Marvel comics lore, Chameleon has impersonated the likes of Captain America, Bruce Banner, Spider-Man, and other major heroes. Hechinger joins Aaron Taylor Johnson as the titular Kraven, whom Chameleon has a tortured relationship with thanks to a history of familial abuse.

Kraven the Hunter releases in theaters on January 13, 2023 as part of Sony's Spider-Man universe, alongside the Venom franchise and Jared Leto's Morbius. It's being directed by J.C. Chandor (Triple Frontier, A Most Violent Year) with Art Marcum and Matt Holloway (Iron Man, Uncharted) and Richard Wenk (Lethal Weapon 5, The Equalizer) writing.

You can read our explainer of Kraven the Hunter's history and rivalry with Spider-Man here, if you're curious why the genetically superpowered Russian is one of the few baddies to send Spider-Man to an early grave. You can also check out how Spider-Man: No Way Home was almost a Kraven movie if the multiverse idea didn't pan out.

(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/master of disguise for IGN.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy had a slow start for Square Enix as the publisher admitted the game initially underperformed when it launched in October last year.

During its latest financial briefing, Square Enix commented that despite receiving positive reviews, Guardians of the Galaxy's "sales on launch undershot our initial expectations."

The game made up ground later however through different sales initiatives (such as store discounts) that began in November, and Square Enix said it intends "to work to continue to expand sales to make up for the title’s slow start."

It proved to be the second shaky start for Square Enix's Marvel games as its president Yosuke Matsuda commented in November that its Avengers game "has unfortunately not proven as successful as we would have liked."

Guardians of the Galaxy certainly reviewed better than Avengers, as IGN said it was "great" and "another convincing example of how much fun a linear, no-frills, single-player campaign can be."

We said Avengers on the other hand was "okay" as its campaign is fun and endearing, but the loot-based post-game meant to be the meat of this meal is unrewarding and overly repetitive.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy had a slow start for Square Enix as the publisher admitted the game initially underperformed when it launched in October last year.

During its latest financial briefing, Square Enix commented that despite receiving positive reviews, Guardians of the Galaxy's "sales on launch undershot our initial expectations."

The game made up ground later however through different sales initiatives (such as store discounts) that began in November, and Square Enix said it intends "to work to continue to expand sales to make up for the title’s slow start."

It proved to be the second shaky start for Square Enix's Marvel games as its president Yosuke Matsuda commented in November that its Avengers game "has unfortunately not proven as successful as we would have liked."

Guardians of the Galaxy certainly reviewed better than Avengers, as IGN said it was "great" and "another convincing example of how much fun a linear, no-frills, single-player campaign can be."

We said Avengers on the other hand was "okay" as its campaign is fun and endearing, but the loot-based post-game meant to be the meat of this meal is unrewarding and overly repetitive.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

An independent gaming store in Minnesota reportedly had around $250,000 dollars worth of Pokémon merchandise stolen by a thief who broke through the wall during the night.

Fox 9 reporter Mary McGuire tweeted security camera footage (below) of the alleged break-in that showed a man crawling into Punch-Out Gaming in Forest Lake.

According to McGuire, who spoke with the store's owner, the thief emptied two full storage rooms of products that included high-value items like sealed booster boxes of Pokémon cards worth upwards of $100 each.

They completely cleaned out two entire storage rooms full of products…but left behind all of the plush toys. pic.twitter.com/fBgDXBga4G

— Mary McGuire (@mcguirereports) February 13, 2022

A post on the store's Facebook page shared further footage of the break-in and said: "This guy broke into the neighbour's store and cut holes through our wall. He took cash and over 200k worth of product."

The next-door unit is reportedly empty and the thief broke into there before forcing their way through into Punch-Out Gaming.

The shop shared in further Facebook posts that it will continue to operate as normal and has received significant support from the community and other game store owners who have helped resupply it with products.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

An independent gaming store in Minnesota reportedly had around $250,000 dollars worth of Pokémon merchandise stolen by a thief who broke through the wall during the night.

Fox 9 reporter Mary McGuire tweeted security camera footage (below) of the alleged break-in that showed a man crawling into Punch-Out Gaming in Forest Lake.

According to McGuire, who spoke with the store's owner, the thief emptied two full storage rooms of products that included high-value items like sealed booster boxes of Pokémon cards worth upwards of $100 each.

They completely cleaned out two entire storage rooms full of products…but left behind all of the plush toys. pic.twitter.com/fBgDXBga4G

— Mary McGuire (@mcguirereports) February 13, 2022

A post on the store's Facebook page shared further footage of the break-in and said: "This guy broke into the neighbour's store and cut holes through our wall. He took cash and over 200k worth of product."

The next-door unit is reportedly empty and the thief broke into there before forcing their way through into Punch-Out Gaming.

The shop shared in further Facebook posts that it will continue to operate as normal and has received significant support from the community and other game store owners who have helped resupply it with products.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Bethesda.net Launcher, a PC gaming launcher home to games by Bethesda Softworks, is shutting down this year, the company announced today.

Beginning in early April, players that regularly use the game launcher will have the option to migrate their game library and virtual currency onto Steam. Bethesda notes that players will not be able to access or play games on the launcher starting in May, suggesting that players impacted by the news start the migration process as soon as it begins in April.

The studio notes that many titles in the launcher will have their saves migrated, though "a few" will require manual transfers to ensure you do not lose your progress. Games that still require a Bethesda.net login, such as Fallout 76, will continue to require it after the move.

The move comes at an interesting time for the company, which has several titles slated to launch this year, including Tango Gameworks' Ghostwire: Tokyo, Arkane Studios' Redfall, and Bethesda Game Studios' highly anticipated ARPG Starfield, which is set to launch on November 11.

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

Bethesda.net Launcher, a PC gaming launcher home to games by Bethesda Softworks, is shutting down this year, the company announced today.

Beginning in early April, players that regularly use the game launcher will have the option to migrate their game library and virtual currency onto Steam. Bethesda notes that players will not be able to access or play games on the launcher starting in May, suggesting that players impacted by the news start the migration process as soon as it begins in April.

The studio notes that many titles in the launcher will have their saves migrated, though "a few" will require manual transfers to ensure you do not lose your progress. Games that still require a Bethesda.net login, such as Fallout 76, will continue to require it after the move.

The move comes at an interesting time for the company, which has several titles slated to launch this year, including Tango Gameworks' Ghostwire: Tokyo, Arkane Studios' Redfall, and Bethesda Game Studios' highly anticipated ARPG Starfield, which is set to launch on November 11.

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

Three new character posters have been released for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, spotlighting the titular Blue Blur alongside his best buddy Tails, and his friendly nemesis Knuckles.

Paramount Pictures debuted the latest batch of posters on Twitter ahead of the movie's theatrical release on April 8. The one-sheets showcase stylish shots of Sonic the Hedgehog 2's main trio, pairing each character with an appropriately punny tagline while offering a closer look at Sonic as well as his good buds Miles 'Tails' Prower and Knuckles the Echidna.

As the posters highlight, Ben Schwartz is returning as the voice of Sonic alongside Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails, and Idris Elba as Knuckles. James Marsden and Tika Sumpter are both also reprising their roles as Tom and Maddie Wachowski, while Jim Carrey is returning to star as the villainous Dr. Robotnik for the live-action adaptation of the hit Sega video game.

The upcoming sequel will see Sonic embarking on a globe-trotting journey with his loyal sidekick, Tails, to try and outrun Robotnik, now known as Dr. Eggman, as he returns from the mushroom planet with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of an emerald that can provide the power to build and destroy civilizations, spelling potential doom for the planet.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is set to be released in theaters on April 8, 2022, and the film will apparently be "chock full" of Sonic 2 game references as the sequel expected to lean more into Sega's source material than the original Sonic movie released in 2020, which was a road trip fish-out-of-water comedy that just happened to include the blue hedgehog.

IGN rated the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie a 7 out of 10, saying that the "family-friendly action-comedy suffers from a simplistic story and leans too heavily on tired visual cliches," though it is "boosted by solid performances from Ben Schwartz as Sonic and Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik" who partake in an entertaining cat-and-mouse game throughout the film.

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

Three new character posters have been released for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, spotlighting the titular Blue Blur alongside his best buddy Tails, and his friendly nemesis Knuckles.

Paramount Pictures debuted the latest batch of posters on Twitter ahead of the movie's theatrical release on April 8. The one-sheets showcase stylish shots of Sonic the Hedgehog 2's main trio, pairing each character with an appropriately punny tagline while offering a closer look at Sonic as well as his good buds Miles 'Tails' Prower and Knuckles the Echidna.

As the posters highlight, Ben Schwartz is returning as the voice of Sonic alongside Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails, and Idris Elba as Knuckles. James Marsden and Tika Sumpter are both also reprising their roles as Tom and Maddie Wachowski, while Jim Carrey is returning to star as the villainous Dr. Robotnik for the live-action adaptation of the hit Sega video game.

The upcoming sequel will see Sonic embarking on a globe-trotting journey with his loyal sidekick, Tails, to try and outrun Robotnik, now known as Dr. Eggman, as he returns from the mushroom planet with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of an emerald that can provide the power to build and destroy civilizations, spelling potential doom for the planet.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is set to be released in theaters on April 8, 2022, and the film will apparently be "chock full" of Sonic 2 game references as the sequel expected to lean more into Sega's source material than the original Sonic movie released in 2020, which was a road trip fish-out-of-water comedy that just happened to include the blue hedgehog.

IGN rated the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie a 7 out of 10, saying that the "family-friendly action-comedy suffers from a simplistic story and leans too heavily on tired visual cliches," though it is "boosted by solid performances from Ben Schwartz as Sonic and Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik" who partake in an entertaining cat-and-mouse game throughout the film.

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