Monthly Archives: February 2022

Rebel Wolves, New Game Studio From The Witcher 3 Director, Is Creating a Dark Fantasy RPG In Unreal Engine 5

Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, game director on The Witcher 3 and co-director for Cyberpunk 2077 has started up a new AAA studio in Poland called Rebel Wolves.

The studio has already lined up its first project, a AAA dark fantasy game built using Unreal Engine 5. You can check out the first teaser art for the game below.

The Rebel Wolves team is assembled from veterans of the Polish AAA development scene including developers who’ve worked on Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher series, Thronebreaker, and Shadow Warrior 2.

This includes director Tomaszkiewicz, design director Daniel Sadowski (Witcher 1), Narrative director Jakub Szamalek (Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077), animation director Tamara Zawada (Witcher 3), art director Bartlomiej Gawel (Witcher 1-3), CFO Michal Boyrka, and studio head Robert Muzynowski.

“In order to create truly great games, we won’t chase trends or numbers,” says Szamalek. “Our goal is clearly defined: to create memorable games, tell moving stories, and evoke visceral emotions. It’s ambitious, true - and I’m glad it is. Art needs ambition. I don’t want to create another game, I want to work on titles people will remember.”

Founder Tomaszkiewicz says the name for the studio was inspired by the power that comes from a pack of wolves versus a lone wolf. “Personally, I couldn’t be happier to have banded together with friends who share this passion. We’re developing a video game we’d like to play in a way that games should be made,” Tomaszkiewicz says in reference to the studio goal of breaking away from traditional AAA development.

“We want to evolve the cRPG genre by creating unforgettable stories… all while working as a tightly knit team united by a shared goal and ambition… We want to stay small and agile — a place where people know and care for each other.”

The move away from traditional AAA development could be a response to reports of crunch employed in some of Poland’s biggest development studios like CD Projekt Red and Techland. With breaking this trend as a stated goal for Rebel Wolves, the team is looking to hire and build out its new game studio with open positions currently available.

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

No Man’s Sky is Getting a Complete Combat Overhaul in its Sentinel Update

No Man's Sky is getting a complete combat overhaul with its Sentinel Update. The free update changes the look and feel of weapons, adds new ones altogether, and provides an array of new and tweaked enemies to use them on.

Due to be released today, developer Hello Games says Sentinels should create "a more dynamic and impactful combat experience". Sentinels have existed as robotic enemies in the game since launch, but will themselves be tweaked in the update, and Hello is also adding new Sentinel-focused story missions to let players explore the range of new features.

The arsenal of new weapons includes a high-energy Neutron Cannon, an active camo cloaking device, and an electrifying stun grenade, but players can also upgrade current weapons with new abilities and install an AI into their Minotaur Exomech to make it a personal bodyguard.

All Multi-Tool systems have also received a visual overhaul to add new projectiles, beams, lighting effects, and so on, while "a vast list of tweaks and refinements have been made to weapon feel and flow."

To make it a fair fight, the Sentinels themselves are receiving an update too. Several new drones are being added, specialising in heavy combat, shielding, repairing, and summoning backup.

For those seeking a tougher challenge, a Sentinel Hardframe Mech is also being added to No Man's Sky. These new enemies are big, heavily armoured, and equipped with lasers, grenades, a plasma-powered flamethrower, and a jetpack.

There also seems to be a Sentinel raid of sorts in the form of Sentinel PIllars, which Hello says offers "exclusive rewards and mysterious stories awaiting those who would breach its robotic archive."

Speaking to IGN, Hello Games founder Sean Murray said it was the will of No Man's Sky community that led them to create this combat-focused update.

He said: "Combat has long been requested as an update feature, and we're delighted to finally be able to focus on it.

"No Man's Sky is a game about exploration sure, but our universe has always been one with a lot of danger, from pirates, to sentinels, to hazardous planets. It's always been a game about survival, and improving the variety and depth of the challenge I think lifts all aspects with it."

This is because, while combat is just a sliver of No Man's Sky's overall gameplay, it's "not uncommon to see folks spending 10 plus hours at a time on missions or expeditions which are combat focused."

While the update is available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC today, Nintendo players can enjoy the update alongside the rest of No Man's Sky when it comes to Switch this summer.

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

The Last of Us TV Show’s Pedro Pascal Says Adaptation Can “More Than Live Up To” Original Game

The Last of TV Show can do Naughty Dog's original game justice according to Pedro Pascal, the actor playing Joel in the upcoming HBO series.

In an interview with German magazine Neelix, as spotted by Dualshockers, Pascal was asked if he feels a lot of pressure given how beloved the original Last of Us game is.

He replied: "I think the cinematic adaptation can more than live up to the original game. I have absolutely no doubts that we won’t disappoint fans of the game or new viewers alike [IGN's own translation]."

The (extremely expensive) show will cover the entirety of the first game in Season 1, but may take detours along the way. A previous movie version of the project fell apart, as it was too action focused, and The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann explained that the show would be shot more like an indie film, dispensing with some of the more superfluous action sequences needed for pacing when playing, and seemingly focusing more on the human drama.

Druckmann also seems to have faith in the series as he shared his excitement upon seeing a first look on Twitter: "When I first saw them on set in full costume, I was like: 'Hooooooly s**t! It's Joel & Ellie!'" Druckmann himself will seemingly be directing at least some episodes of the show.

The show's 10-episode first season is expected to be in production until at least the summer of 2022, and HBO have so far released just one image of characters on set. It shows Pascal as Joel alongside Bella Ramsey as Ellie, standing facing away from the camera as they look across a barren landscape.

The majority of the series' cast has already been revealed by HBO, which also includes Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman as Bill, Anna Torv as Tess, and Merle Dandridge as Marlene.

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

Batman Takes Over Superman’s Fortress of Solitude in New DC Series

Batman may have a plan for just about everything, but he's still just an ordinary human. But what happens when Batman is suddenly given control of some of the most powerful weapons in the DC Universe? That's the premise behind an upcoming DC Comics series dubbed Batman: Fortress.

Written by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's Gary Whitta and drawn by Transmetropolitan and The Boys co-creator Darick Robertson, Fortress explores what happens when Batman is forced to respond to an alien invasion. With Superman MIA, Batman has no choice but to take command of the Fortress of Solitude and unleash every tool in its vast arsenal to combat the invaders.

Here's DC's official description for the eight-issue limited series:

When an unknown alien ship enters Earth’s atmosphere, disrupting global power and communications and plunging the planet into chaos, the world is left wondering…where is Superman when he is needed most? In the mysterious absence of the Last Son of Krypton, Batman must rally the rest of the Justice League to counter the alien threat…but first, he must quell a crime wave on the blacked-out streets of Gotham! Gary Whitta (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and Darick Robertson (The Boys) join forces to turn everything you think you know about Superman upside down in DC’s new comic book mini-series Batman: Fortress launching this May!

“This has been my first opportunity to collaborate with my Oliver co-creator Gary Whitta for DC, on a character that is one of my all-time favorites to draw,” said Robertson in DC's press release. “I'm having the best time creating the art for this series and with my pal and original The Boys editor, Ben Abernathy at the helm, it's been a dream project, with a lot of fun twists and surprises ahead for the readers!”

“It’s always been my dream to write a truly epic Batman story, one that draws inspiration from some dark and unexpected corners of the DC universe,” said Whitta. “The opportunity to once again collaborate with my friend Darick Robertson makes this all the sweeter. I hope that together we’ve done justice to some of DC’s most iconic characters, while at the same time reinventing everything you thought you knew about them…”

Batman: Fortress #1 will be released on Tuesday, May 24.

Fortress may well be one of the few outlets for a traditional Justice League story in 2022. DC recently revealed that almost every member of the team will be killed off in April's Justice League #75, a story echoing 1992's infamous Death of Superman crossover. That tragedy paves the way for Dark Crisis, a new crossover that shows new Superman Jon Kent rallying Earth's surviving heroes against an existential threat.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops Will Be Discontinued In 2023

The Wii U and Nintendo 3DS eShops will be discontinued in "late March 2023," Nintendo announced today, effectively closing off access to a host of content that can only be found on those platforms.

The shutdown will be a multi-stage process that will last through 2022 and until 2023. The specific dates are as follows:

May 23, 2022: It will no longer be possible to add funds using a credit card to a 3DS/Wii U eShop account.

August 29, 2022: It will no longer be possible to use an eShop card to add funds. However, it will still be possible to redeem download codes.

Late March 2023: It will no longer be possible to make purchases, download demos or themes, redeem a download code, or add funds.

If you're worried about your existing library of eShop games, the good news is that you will be able to redownload content you already own as well as existing software updates. However, it will be impossible to purchase new games.

The discontinuation of the Wii U/3DS eshop will remove access to 1799 titles currently available on the eShop. They include Virtual Console releases for the GBA as well as a host of other unique updates, such as the 3D Classics remakes. While many 3DS and Wii U games can be purchased physically, the eShop closure will put additional pressure on supply and raise prices across the board.

One element of Nintendo's FAQ addresses the company's obligation to classic game preservation. The statement — now deleted — directs fans to Nintendo Switch Online, saying that Nintendo "currently have no plans to offer classic content in other ways."

"We think this is an effective way to make classic content easily available to a broad range of players," the statement read. "Within these libraries, new and longtime players can not only find games they remember or have heard about, but other fun games they might not have thought to see out otherwise."

The statement came under fire from Nintendo fans on Twitter and is currently unavailable on Nintendo's website.

PlayStation fans faced a similar predicament in 2021 when Sony announced that it was discontinuing support for the PS3 and Vita stores. In a remarkable reversal, though, Sony ultimately decided to keep the stores open, with CEO Jim Ryan saying that it was "clear that we made the wrong decision here."

Nintendo's decision to shutdown the 3DS and Wii U follows the closure of the Wii Shop, which shuttered in 2019. The Wii U's Miiverse, the system's online social service, also closed in 2017.

Nintendo's decision to remove access to digital releases once again raises questions about game preservation and other issues, which have become more persistent as physical releases have waned. For the most part, it's been up to the fans to maintain digital services after they are abandoned by platform holders. The Nintendo Switch will no doubt suffer a similar fate at some point in the future.

In the meantime, if you're feeling nostalgic, Nintendo is offering a service that allows you to see your Wii U and 3DS memories. You can also see our list of the 25 best Wii U games as well as the 25 best 3DS games. Use those lists to find the games that you want to download and keep, because they won't be easily accessible for much longer.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

A Quiet Place Part 3 Announced By Paramount

Paramount, formerly Viacom CBS, hit us with a deluge of news today. Among said news is A Quiet Place Part III, the third installment in John Krasinski's groundbreaking franchise that was first released in 2018.

The studio also confirmed that the currently untitled spinoff helmed by Michael Sarnoski, the director behind 2021's cult-favorite Pig starring Nicolas Cage, is still expected to hit in 2023.

As far as A Quiet Place Part III goes, it will still be some time until we get an official synopsis on the project. However, it does feel safe to assume that the human survivors of Earth are headed towards all-out war with the creatures after the close of A Quiet Place Part II.

A Quiet Place Part III is currently credited to writers Scott Beck and Jeff Nichols, with John Krasinski still receiving a creator credit. At the time of this announcement, it is unclear who will be directing Part III for Paramount. However, given that Krasinski has directed the other two installments, it seems likely he'll be the one to close out the trilogy.

With A Quiet Place Part II managing to gross $297 million at the beginning of the pandemic (against the first installment's whopping $340.9 million), it's relatively safe to assume that Paramount will release Part III in theaters only. But, given the unpredictable nature of releases over the last couple of years, it's still anyone's guess. Regardless of the where and how A Quiet Place Part III will hit screens sometime in 2025.

To read more on Paramount's huge news day, check out South Park and Beavis and Butt-head Are Moving Exclusively to Paramount+ (but not until 2025), the Knuckles Spin-Off Series Announced With Idris Elba In Lead Role, and learn about the New Star Trek Movie with the J.J. Abrams Cast In the Works.

Amelia Emberwing is the streaming editor at IGN.

A Blues Clues Movie Is Happening, And It’s Going To Be Like Spider-Man: No Way Home

A new Blue's Clues movie is coming this year, and it brings together every era of the popular children's show.

Titled Blue's Big City Adventure, the movie features all three Blue's Clues hosts: Steve, Joe, and Josh. You can get a look at all three hosts, as well as Blue, below.

Steve Burns hosted Blue's Clues during its original run from 1996 to 2002. After Burns left the show, Donovan Patton took over as Joe, who hosted until the show's cancelation in 2006.

The show was rebooted in 2019 as Blue's Clues & You!, starring Josh Dela Cruz. Joe and Steve are recurring characters in the current run of the show, as well. There have been three seasons of the rebooted series, with a fourth season already planned.

Much like how last year's Spider-Man: No Way Home brought together three generations of Spider-Man with Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, this new movie also looks to bring together the three leading men from Blue's Clues history. We don't know what other Blue's Clues characters will appear besides Blue herself, but we'll find out when the movie comes to Paramount Plus later this year.

Paramount Plus dropped a ton of big announcements today thanks to the ViacomCBS Investor Day presentation, including Sonic Movie 3 in development with a Knuckles spinoff show, a second season of the Halo TV series, and details on the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie from Seth Rogen.

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

Three More SpongeBob SquarePants Movies Are In the Works For 2023

SpongeBob SquarePants is getting not one, not two, but three new movies.

The upcoming SpongeBob spin-offs will each focus on a different character from the SpongeBob SquarePants universe, with the first heading to Paramount+ in 2023.

At the moment, the movies’ plots are firmly under wraps, but it’s thought that one of these SpongeBob spin-offs will include the previously reported Sandy Cheeks movie.

“We’re doubling down on giving [kids and families] what they want by expanding the universes of the characters they love the best,” said Paramount+ chief content officer of movies and kids and family, Brian Robbins.

Paramount has already made three SpongeBob SquarePants movies – The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie debuting in 2004.

The live-action/animated hybrid saw SpongeBob and Patrick team up to stop Plankton, who is trying to discredit Mr. Krabs, steal the Krabby Patty formula (of course), and take over the world. Featuring a hilarious cameo from David Hasselhoff, The SpongeBob SquarePants movie earned $131 million at the worldwide box office and a rating of 68% on Rotten Tomatoes.

This was followed up with Sponge Out of Water in 2015, while Sponge on the Run opened in 2020. The live-action/animated hybrid formula seems to be a winning combination for SpongeBob with each of the previous films adopting this same style. It’s thought that the Sandy Cheeks movie will also be a live-action/animated hybrid, too.

Now, it looks as though the adventures will continue with SpongeBob’s fellow Bikini Bottom residents. And it’s likely that this live-action hybrid style will continue throughout the three spin-offs.

These three films will join the growing SpongeBob SquarePants universe which also includes the Kamp Koral spin-off as well as The Patrick Star Show… not to mention the original series that started it all.

Additionally, a fourth SpongeBob SquarePants release from Nickelodeon Animation is currently in development for theatrical release.

But no further details about this project have been revealed.

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

Cyberpunk 2077 Fans Share Their Favorite Changes In Patch 1.5

At long last, Cyberpunk 2077 has received its next-gen upgrades in a surprise drop this morning, alongside a massive 1.5 patch for all versions. The patch contains a ton of new features of varying sizes and scopes, many of which are delighting the Cyberpunk community as they discover them.

One of the best-received updates is the ability to change the protagonist's appearance after the game's prologue via the mirror in their apartment. You can't change everything — cyberware and tattoos are off the table, for instance — but there seem to be new hair colors and other small adjustments added to the creator. There are also a few new apartment options to change up the look of the place, including the option to move to a different apartment in a different location with a completely different view and floorplan.

Fans are also delighted by the announcement of extended romances with Panam, Kerry, River, and Judy, including added interactions in their homes. The announcement of this change is prompting a number of players to start the game all over again to romance the same characters they did the first time, just to see the full breadth of interactions. Especially with Judy.

And a lot of community members have been sharing footage of police chases, which appear to have been added to the game and can just be run across organically when exploring the city.

Also being celebrated are a lot of smaller touches, such as the ability to reject phone calls. This was likely added in response to complaints that the phone calls were constantly interrupting other things going on in the game, such as story-relevant conversations or even just quaint exploration. You can also now skip the braindance tutorial, which players found to be long and tedious. And even smaller notes are being praised as well, such as the new effects added to water.

Overall, it seems like players are happy with the update, as it seems to address a number of quality of life issues that players have been complaining about since launch. The hope at the moment seems to be that the update will breathe new life into the Cyberpunk community, especially as new players pick the game up for the first time on PS5 and Xbox Series consoles.

The Cyberpunk 1.5 update is available now, though some PS5 players are unable to download it at this precise moment due to a region issue. If you're on the fence, you can take a look at some official next-gen gameplay on either PS5 or Xbox Series X, or even download a free five-hour trial to give the game a shot yourself.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

South Park and Beavis and Butt-head Are Moving Exclusively to Paramount+

If you’re a fan of rude cartoon kids like the ones seen on South Park and Beavis and Butt-head, you’ll be able to catch them exclusively on Paramount+.

During Viacom CBS’ Investor Day presentation, the company announced that South Park will move from HBO Max to Paramount+ starting in 2025 and will be the home for the full catalog of South Park episodes, movies, and new material.

In 2024 starting with South Park season 27, new episodes will be exclusive to Paramount+ while also airing on Comedy Central.

Likewise, all 200 episodes of Beavis and Butt-head will come to Paramount+ along with a new series and movie, Beavis and Butt-head Do the Universe. Creator Mike Judge has already shared a preview of the movie with pictures of middle-aged Beavis and Butt-head.

Paramount+ is consolidating its franchises under a single streaming roof. The company previously licensed South Park to HBO Max as a means to get its properties in front of eyeballs, but with Viacom CBS seemingly going all-in on streaming, the company is making sure these properties come under the Paramount+ roof.

So with South Park and Beavis and Butt-head both heading to Paramount+ it will join other franchises like Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Halo.

All of these franchises were given updates during today’s investor day. Halo has been renewed for a second season before the series has even premiered, while Seth Rogen’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot will become a new universe.

Furthermore, a new Star Trek starring the cast from the J.J. Abrams reboot is also being planned for production this fall. Finally, the company also announced a third Sonic movie and a spinoff series starring Idris Elba’s Knuckles.

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