Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino has reportedly put a temporary pause on his music scores to take to the director's chair for a Marvel TV project.

The Batman director Matt Reeves recently sat down with Variety to discuss Giacchino's haunting and dramatic score for his 2022 franchise reboot. It is just one of the many famous film scores that he is responsible for, having previously composed music for tons of movies, including several entries in the MCU such as Spider-Man: Homecoming and its two sequels.

Giacchino's work as a composer is undeniably prolific but it sounds like he might be venturing down a different avenue as a sentence at the end of the article reveals: "The composer was unavailable for this story; he is reportedly off directing a television project for Marvel," giving further legitimacy to past rumors about him helming Werewolf by Night.

Several outlets have shared the rumor, with The DisInsider citing prominent insider Daniel Richtman as a source of the news. It was first reported in February that Giacchino had been tapped as the director of the Werewolf by Night Disney+ Halloween special, which was said to be in development from Marvel Studios in August of last year.

Werewolf by Night is the name adopted by two separate characters appearing across the pages of Marvel comics. The first, Jack Russell, debuted in a 1972 issue of Marvel Spotlight. The series ran for a total of 43 issues and one of those featured the first appearance of Moon Knight, who is headlining his own Disney+ show with Oscar Issac in the titular role.

The second incarnation of the character, Jake Gomez, a Native American with a cursed family, showed up in the third volume of Werewolf by Night. Gomez's recent appearance in Marvel comics may mean he's the one that fans may initially associate with the Werewolf by Night character, though it's currently unknown which version may star in the Halloween special.

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

Thumbnail image credit: Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for SBIFF.

Amazon Games will slowly but surely open up Lost Ark's gender-locked classes.

Classes are currently locked to specific genders, meaning only men can be warriors, only women can be mages, and so on, but franchise lead Soomin Park told Eurogamer that this will change over time.

He said: "Classes are tied pretty closely to their character models in terms of function and animation, so bringing opposite gender characters to a class takes more work than just making a differently gendered model available."

When the North American version was released last month, Park said developer Smilegate RPG made an effort to include classes that currently have a male and female version in the further along Korean version. Players will therefore eventually be able to choose different genders within classes but it's unclear when that will be.

Lost Ark has also been criticized for its female characters' revealing outfits and, while Amazon Games is aware of the issue, it has no plans to remove these from the game.

Park said: "While we aren't altering any of the original costumes from the game, we are making adjustments so that the more revealing options won't be front and center in places like our marketing or the initial character creation screen.

"We are also including in some new outfit options that are not quite as revealing, but these are an addition and not a replacement.

"As we are aware of the balance between hardcore fans, who want a Lost Ark experience that is close to the original Korean version, and new players who may not like the current armour and costume options, we are adding outfits and alternatives to the game instead of taking away options."

Lost Ark has become incredibly popular since it released in the west on February 11, shooting to second place in Steam's most-played games of all time by concurrents, and the game now has more than 20 million users worldwide.

In our 8/10 review, IGN said "Lost Ark is an extremely generous free-to-play ARPGMMO that draws a lot from Diablo – including its well-worn story about humans and Heaven teaming up against demons."

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

Firefly is one of the most beloved sci-fi series of all time, and fans will soon be able to bring home a die-cast model of the iconic Serenity spaceship thanks to Hero Collector.

The Firefly-class Serenity transport vessel was purchased by Malcolm Reynolds after the Unification War, and its name was inspired by the battle of Serenity Valley. Considering it was the ship for Captain Mal and his crew, It is also a fitting choice for Hero Collector’s first Firefly ship.

This XL die-cast model is over 26cm and long and comes complete with a detachable display stand that will make it the perfect addition to any collection.

Hero Collector’s Firefly model is built to be as accurate from the show as possible, from the “hull-mounted solar panels to its array of EVA hatches.” As fans of the series will know, there will be no guns on the model ship. However, that just means it will be even easier to “ignore Wash’s bluffs.”

Those who can’t wait to add the Firefly to their fleet can head on over to Hero Collector’s site to pre-order the model right now. The piece will be available for $79.99 and will arrive in June 2022.

For more in the world of Hero Collector, be sure to check out the two-foot long model of the Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation, models from Star Trek: Picard, Discovery, and Strange New Worlds, Marvel VS figurines and MCU weapons that will bring epic superhero battles to life.

As for Firefly, read on as to why it is one of the 12 canceled TV shows we’d love to see brought back and one of the eight best sci-fi shows you can binge watch right now.

Rockstar has offered more details about GTA Online's new Career Builder tool, which will let new players jump more smoothly into the game on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Revealed alongside pre-loading for the new console versions going live, Career Builder effectively allows players to start a new Online account with a number of perks that might otherwise have taken considerable time (or some real-life money) to unlock, keeping them on something of a par with existing players. It is available only on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game.

Career Builder gives players a choice of business properties, vehicles, weapons, and extra in-game cash from the start of the game. Your first choice will be to choose one of four career paths in the multiplayer game: Biker, Executive, Nightclub Owner, or Gunrunner.

After choosing one, players are given $4 million of in-game money to buy a from a range of upgraded or non-upgraded properties, vehicles and weapons. $1 million of that cash can be brought with you into the game if you'd prefer, but $3 million must be spent on starting upgrades.

Of course, this option is open to anyone opening the new version of GTA Online on their new-gen consoles, meaning you can abandon a profile on a last-gen version of the game if you want to. However, as Rockstar previously confirmed, one-time GTA Online profile transfers will be available from March 15.

There's an important point to noted about profile transfers. While in-game money earned by playing GTA Online can be carried from any platform to any platform, in-game cash purchased with real-life money can only be transferred within a console family - i.e. PS4 to PS5.

Those that choose to bring a character over will receive "a fully converted Karin S95 souped up by the experts at Hao’s Special Works, along with a Hao’s Special Work Racing Outfit and set of new Chameleon paints usable on all vehicles." Hao's Special Works is a new addition to the Los Santos Car Meet, offering vehicle upgrades, and in-game events.

We had it confirmed today that GTA 5 and the newly standalone GTA Online won't be offered as free PS5 and Xbox Series upgrades, but they will launch with significant discounts – and Online will be entirely free on PS5 for three months.

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.

Sony has announced a State of Play broadcast for tomorrow, Wednesday March 9. It will cover "new reveals and eye-catching updates" for PS4 and PS5 titles.

The broadcast will be around 20 minutes long, and starts at 2pm Pacific / 5pm Eastern / 10pm UK (that's March 10 at 9am AEDT). The show will be broadcast on Twitch and YouTube.

Sony makes clear that the show will not contain any PSVR 2 hardware or game details. Instead, this show will have a "special focus" on games from Japanese publishers.

Many will be hoping that one of those publishers will be Square Enix, with a view to seeing more of Final Fantasy 16. The game was announced as a PS5 console exclusive in 2020, and had completed basic development the same year, but a COVID-related slowdown meant we've seen very little since. Hopefully now's the time.

The last State of Play came in February, when Sony revealed a deep-dive into Gran Turismo 7. This show will seemingly be showing of a number of new games, including new reveals.

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 new-gen versions of GTA 5 and GTA Online are coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on March 15, and you can pre-load the game right now if you preorder digitally through either the PlayStation 5 console store or Microsoft Store.

Those on PS5 will be able to get GTA 5+GTA Online for $9.99 USD / £8.75 / $14.99 AUD for the first three months after launch. But for those on Xbox, it will cost $19.99 USD / £17.49 / $29.97 AUD instead. There are no free upgrades available, and the game will revert to cost $39.99 USD from June 15 onwards. So, here's everything else you need to know about preorders, and how to download the next-gen version of GTA 5 right now.

How to Upgrade and Pre-Load GTA 5 on Next-Gen Consoles

Technically, there isn't an upgrade path for GTA 5 on new-gen consoles, such as the PS5 or Xbox Series X. If you're on PS5 it currently costs $10, while those on Xbox will be paying $20 instead.

If you do want to play the game with its new updates, you can digitally preorder the updated version right now on the Microsoft or PlayStation Store. Once you've preordered, you can then pre-load the game on your console, so you're all set for yet-another GTA 5 launch day. Once you've purchased the game, your console should give you a prompt to immediately start downloading it. But, you can't play the update just yet, as this will be officially available on March 15, 2022.

Best Deal: You've Got Until June 15 to Secure GTA 5 for $10

PS5 players are getting the best deal when it comes to GTA 5's next-gen upgrades, with the game costing just $10. That's 75% off for the three months from launch day. You can preorder right now, giving you immediate access to pre-load the game. GTA Online will also be free to download and keep on PS5 from March 15 if you don't want to purchase the full game again.

If you're on Xbox, I've got some bad news, unfortunately. Not only is the full GTA 5 package $20 instead, if you just want to play GTA Online it will cost $9.99 USD / £8.99 / $15.47 AUD. If you're confused about the pricing model, consider it as a new game immediately releasing on sale (this is just an example, I know it isn't). GTA 5 costs $39.99, but is 'on sale' (75% off on PS5, and 50% off on Xbox) until June 15. For more, check out our full breakdown on the GTA 5 new-gen pricing here.

Where to Preorder GTA 5 for PS5 and Xbox Series X

Physical editions of the game won't be available until sometime in April, so you'll need to purchase the game digitally if you want to play the game on PS5 or Xbox Series X for now.

That means preorders will only be available for each console's different storefront. We'll leave the links for each listing just below here. If you can't secure the purchase from the online store, check the PS Store or Xbox Store on your home console instead.

Preorder in the US

Preorder in the UK

Can I Upgrade for Free if I Own GTA 5 on PS4 or Xbox One?

Unfortunately, there won't be a free upgrade available for GTA 5 from PS4 or Xbox One. You can purchase the game at a discount for the first three months (March 15 - June 15), but this is also available for everyone with a new console, not just those who have previously owned the game.

What's New on the GTA 5 Next-Gen Version?

These new versions of GTA 5 and GTA Online launch will feature up to 4K resolution, 60 frames per second, improved texture qualities, HDR options and ray tracing, faster loading times, 3D audio, platform-specific features, and more.

Can You Transfer Your GTA 5 Progress from PS4 or Xbox One?

Yes, you will also be able to transfer Story Mode progress from your PS4 or Xbox One. You can do this by uploading a save to the Rockstar Games Social Club, and you’ll also be able to migrate your GTA Online character on March 15. Those transferring progress will also get a fully converted Karin S95, along with a Hao’s Special Work Racing Outfit, and a set of new Chameleon paints usable on all vehicles.

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

Editor's Note: The war in Ukraine is an ongoing, painful and emotive topic. IGN urges community members to be respectful when engaging in conversation around this subject and does not endorse harassment of any kind.

Indie game marketplace Itch.io has released a $10 bundle with 600 games and almost 1,000 items overall to raise money for Ukraine aid.

Worth more than $6,500 if every item was bought separately, the bundle of 991 items is available until March 18. The minimum price is $10, though Itch is urging people to pay above the minimum price if possible. It has already raised $800,000, which will be split between International Medical Corps and Voices of Children.

The pack includes Celeste, Towerfall Ascension, Superhot and literally hundreds of other indie titles, plus more than 300 digital tabletop RPGs, dozens of asset packs, books, zines, comics, soundtracks, and more.

Celeste, which IGN called a masterpiece in our 10/10 review, is currently $19.99 on Steam, meaning the bundle for that game alone is already a great deal.

Itch.io collaborated with more than 700 creators to donate their work - none of which is normally available for free - to raise funds. As Itch points out, "Several prominent developers and publishers signed up to itch.io specifically to be in this bundle."

On the bundle's official page, Itch said: "The people of Ukraine are under attack. As game developers we want to create new worlds, not to destroy the one we have. That's why we've banded together to present this charity bundle to help Ukrainians survive this ordeal and thrive after the war ends."

"We kept the minimum low," the message adds later, "but we highly urge you to pay above the minimum if you can afford to do so. We stand with Ukrainians, and with all people around the world who despise war."

Itch.io is the latest major voice in the games industry to announce support for Ukraine, joining dozens of other developers, publishers, and influencers in raising funds and taking action against the war. Many other developers and publishers have stopped selling games in Russia altogether, heeding a call from Ukraine's government.

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

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home!

Daredevil star Charlie Cox thinks his MCU character works better in an R-Rated film.

During an interview with ComicBook.com, the 39-year-old Marvel superhero said that Daredevil could work in a PG-13 setting… but would be better R-Rated.

“It absolutely can work, but I guess what you can’t deny is Daredevil is never going to work as well in a PG world as Spider-Man does,” said Cox. “Do you know what I mean? That’s the point. I think that the age of the character, the Christian guilt, his history with women and stuff, it’s like it’s a little bit more mature, it has to be.”

Of course, Daredevil recently appeared in a cameo during Spider-Man: No Way Home… so it looks as though Marvel is keen to get Spidey and Daredevil to share some screen time.

Not to mention, Tom Holland is totally up for it, too.

Despite his objections, Charlie Cox admitted that a PG Daredevil could work, especially with Marvel on the case.

“I wouldn’t put it past the folks at Marvel to be able to accomplish that,” he explained. “I’m such a fan of everything they’ve done so far, I wouldn’t underestimate them at all. So, if they wanted to make a more PG version of Daredevil, I back them to find a way to do where it feels totally in keeping with everything we’ve done [on the show]. And maybe there’s a little less blood, maybe there’s a little whatever, but I back them to do it.”

It’s an exciting time for Daredevil fans. Cox recently confirmed that his Daredevil would be back in the MCU, while long-time adversary The Kingpin (played by Vincent D’Onofrio) also made a comeback in the Hawkeye spin-off show.

Getting the two back together for a big MCU face-off would be awesome, and Cox has hinted that there could be another face-off with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin in his future.

For now, Marvel’s Daredevil plans remain firmly under wraps, but I wouldn’t mind betting we see him alongside other MCU heroes before long.

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

Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss won’t have anything to do with the upcoming spin-offs.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Weiss confirmed that they won’t be heading back to Westeros for any of the Game of Thrones spin-off shows.

“We never saw more Game of Thrones shows [as] something that made sense for us to be involved with, given where we were just as people at the time we were done with the original,” he explained.

HBO is clearly hoping to continue the success of Game of Thrones with its upcoming prequels and spin-offs, starting with House of the Dragon later this year. The series is based on writer George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, charting the history of the Targaryen empire.

Although a previous attempt at a prequel, starring Naomi Watts, was ultimately canceled.

“All in, we were 11 years, probably, doing that show,” explained Weiss. “When I say 11 years, it was full-on, all in, all day, every day for 11 years. It was the best decade of our lives. It still kind of feels a bit like a dream, but we got to a place where it was pretty clear to us that we had reached the end of what made sense for us to be involved with in that world that we lived. It just felt like, for us, it was time to move on and get excited and terrified about building something else — building lots of something elses.”

Although Game of Thrones was a huge hit, it wasn’t without detractors… especially when it comes to the show’s finale. Leaving plenty of unanswered questions, the final episode left a lot of fans disappointed.

Other Game of Thrones spin-off shows currently include 10,000 Ships which follows the story of Princess Nymeria, an ancestor of House Martell and founder of the kingdom of Dorne. This series is set a whole millennium before the events of Game of Thrones.

Then, there’s 9 Voyages which tells the story of Lord Corlys Velaryon, also known as the Sea Snake, and the head of the House of Velaryon.

Finally, there’s a Tales of Dunk and Egg spin-off in the works which is written by The Secret Life of Walter Mitty scribe, Steve Conrad.

Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon is expected to premiere on HBO in 2022.

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

A man from Georgia, USA, has been jailed for fraudulently using COVID-19 relief payments to buy a rare, shiny Charizard Pokémon card.

As reported by Polygon, 31-year-old Vinath Oudomsine pretended to be a small business owner to receive an $85,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan, and then spent most of it on the card.

The first-edition, shadowless, holographic Charizard (super rare, super shiny) was bought for $57,789 in December and has now been handed over to the state.

Oudomsine pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced to three years in prison, three years of "supervised release" afterward, and must also pay a $10,000 fine on top of the loan repayment.

Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, Philip Wislar said: "COVID-19 disaster relief loans are issued by the government to help businesses struggling to survive during a pandemic, not to use for trivial collectible items. This sentence highlights the FBI’s commitment to aggressively pursue anyone who would abuse taxpayer dollars and divert them from citizens who desperately need them.”

It's not the only recent Pokémon card related crime – someone reportedly broke through the wall of an independent gaming store in Minnesota last month and stole around $250,000 worth of products.

The thief allegedly cleared out two storage rooms of different Pokémon card items including booster boxes worth upwards of $100 each.

A similar incident also occurred in Tokyo last year when a man allegedly used a rope to descend into a store and steal Pokémon cards and cash.

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