Sony has revealed the targeted release dates for its all-new version of PlayStation Plus, and those in the Americas are set to be able to start using the new service on June 13, 2022.

As detailed on PlayStation.Blog, Asia markets (excluding Japan) will be the first to get the new service as it is currently targeting May 23, 2022. Japan will be next on June 1, followed by the Americas on June 13, and then finally Europe on June 22.

Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO also revealed that PlayStation would be expanding its cloud streaming access to Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. These markets will also offer the Premium tier of PlayStation Plus at launch.

This all-new version of PlayStation Plus will bring together both PS Plus and PS Now into a three-tier subscription service and it will include up to 700 games and access to retro games at its highest Premium tier.

The first tier is PlayStation Plus Essential and it provides all the same benefits that the current iteration of PlayStation Plus offers at the same price of $9.99/month. PlayStation Plus Extra is the next step up at $14.99/month and that adds a catalog of up to 400 of "the most enjoyable PS4 and PS5 games."

The PlayStation Plus Premium tier is the highest option and will cost $17.99/month. In addition to all the previous benefits, it will also add up to 340 games from PS1, PS2, PS3 (via cloud streaming), and PSP. This tier will also offer time-limited game trials.

Unlike Xbox Game Pass, however, PlayStation Plus will not initially offer first-party titles on the new service the day they launch.

For more, check out our look at why Sony (probably) won't emulate the PS3 and how this new service compares to Xbox Game Pass and Nintendo Switch Online.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The Gayming Awards are back for the second time in 2022 to celebrate LGBTQ+ video gaming and queer geek culture and honor the video games, tabletop games, comic books, and esports players that best championed diversity and inclusivity globally in 2022.

IGN will be hosting the Gayming Awards 2022 livestream, and this watch guide will provide you with everything you need to watch the show, including when it starts, where you can watch it with us, and what you can expect to see from the award show.

Gayming Awards 2022 Date and Start Time

The Gayming Awards 2022 will stream live from the Troxy Theater in London on Monday, April 25, 2022, at 11:45am PT/2:45pm ET/7:45pm BST. If you live in Australia, that translates to Tuesday, April 25, at 4:45am AEST. The show will last roughly 90 minutes.

There will also be a pre-show performance of "nerdy drag from the famous Cybil's House, featuring Cybil War, Aubrey Wodonga, RhyssPieces, Lolo Brow and Shardeazy Afrodesiak" that will begin at 11am PT/2pm ET/7pm BST. In AEST, that's 4am.

How to Watch the Gayming Awards 2022

IGN plans to carry the Gayming Awards 2022 stream, which means we'll have it available on a variety of platforms. Here’s the full list of places you can watch the event with us;

• IGN.com (homepage)
• IGN’s Twitter
• IGN's Twitch Channel
• IGN’s Youtube Channel
• IGN's iOS App
• IGN's Android App
• IGN's PlayStation 4 App
• IGN's Xbox One App
• Roku
• IGN App for Android TV
• IGN for Amazon Fire TV
• Apple TV

What to Expect at the BAFTA Games Awards 2021

The Gayming Awards 2022 has a mission to "celebrate diversity and inclusivity globally within games and interactive media," and it looks to do so by honoring video games, tabletop games, comic books, and esports players through 11 categories, two of which - Streamer of the Year and Gayming Magazine Readers' Award - can be voted on by the public.

There will also be an exclusive pre-show performance of "nerdy drag from the famous Cybil's House, featuring Cybil War, Aubrey Wodonga, RhyssPieces, Lolo Brow and Shardeazy Afrodesiak."

If you happen to live in London or can be there on April 25, tickets are still available to attend the show. Doors open at 6pm BST and the pre-show starts at 7pm BST before the main event kicks off at 7:45pm BST. 20% of all tickets sales will go to the It Gets Better Project to suport its mission to uplit, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe.

Gayming Awards 2022 Categorites and Nominees

Gayming Awards 2022 Game of the Year

• Boyfriend Dungeon
• Life is Strange: True Colors
• Psychonauts 2
• Unpacking

Gayming Magazine Readers’ Award

• Boyfriend Dungeon
• Forza Horizon 5
• Metroid Dread
• Resident Evil Village
• Sable
• Shin Megami Tensei V
• Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania
• The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Gayming Awards Industry Diversity Award

• I Need Diverse Games
• London Gaymers
• Ukie's #RaiseTheGame pledge
• Women in Games International

Gayming Awards Authentic Representation Award

• Boyfriend Dungeon
• Life is Strange: True Colors
• Unpacking
• Unsighted

Gayming Awards Best LGBTQ Character Award

• Alex Chen, Life is Strange: True Colors
• Helmut Fullbear & Bob Zanotto, Psychonauts 2
• Steph Gingrich, Life is Strange: True Colors
• Meredith Weiss, Lake

Gayming Awards Best LGBTQ Indie Game Award

• A Year Of Springs
• Boyfriend Dungeon
• Lake
• Sword of the Necromancer
• Unpacking
• When The Night Comes

LGBTQ Streamer of the Year Award

• Aimsey
• BlizzB3ar
• CriticalBard
• Eevoh
• Eret
• Nihachu
• ReadySetBen
• RekItRaven
• Sammy M Jay
• Shaaba and Jamie
• Shawn
• Toph

LGBTQ Streamer Rising Star Award

• ItsMeHollyy
• Cruuuunchy
• CoderGirlChan
• LuciaEverblack
• Luke_Boogie
• Trish Olson

Best LGBTQ Comic Book Moment

• DC Pride #1
• Killer Queens
• The Pride Omnibus
• X-Factor #10

LGBTQ Tabletop Game Award

• Adventuring With Pride: Queer We Go Again
• The House Doesn't Always Win
• Thirsty Sword Lesbians
• Wanderhome

Best LGBTQ Contribution to Esports

• Amanda Stevens
• Cloud9 White Valorant Team
• Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association [CMSA]
• Emi "CaptainFluke" Donaldson

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The Gayming Awards are back for the second time in 2022 to celebrate LGBTQ+ video gaming and queer geek culture and honor the video games, tabletop games, comic books, and esports players that best championed diversity and inclusivity globally in 2022.

IGN will be hosting the Gayming Awards 2022 livestream, and this watch guide will provide you with everything you need to watch the show, including when it starts, where you can watch it with us, and what you can expect to see from the award show.

Gayming Awards 2022 Date and Start Time

The Gayming Awards 2022 will stream live from the Troxy Theater in London on Monday, April 25, 2022, at 11:45am PT/2:45pm ET/7:45pm BST. If you live in Australia, that translates to Tuesday, April 25, at 4:45am AEST. The show will last roughly 90 minutes.

There will also be a pre-show performance of "nerdy drag from the famous Cybil's House, featuring Cybil War, Aubrey Wodonga, RhyssPieces, Lolo Brow and Shardeazy Afrodesiak" that will begin at 11am PT/2pm ET/7pm BST. In AEST, that's 4am.

How to Watch the Gayming Awards 2022

IGN plans to carry the Gayming Awards 2022 stream, which means we'll have it available on a variety of platforms. Here’s the full list of places you can watch the event with us;

• IGN.com (homepage)
• IGN’s Twitter
• IGN's Twitch Channel
• IGN’s Youtube Channel
• IGN's iOS App
• IGN's Android App
• IGN's PlayStation 4 App
• IGN's Xbox One App
• Roku
• IGN App for Android TV
• IGN for Amazon Fire TV
• Apple TV

What to Expect at the BAFTA Games Awards 2021

The Gayming Awards 2022 has a mission to "celebrate diversity and inclusivity globally within games and interactive media," and it looks to do so by honoring video games, tabletop games, comic books, and esports players through 11 categories, two of which - Streamer of the Year and Gayming Magazine Readers' Award - can be voted on by the public.

There will also be an exclusive pre-show performance of "nerdy drag from the famous Cybil's House, featuring Cybil War, Aubrey Wodonga, RhyssPieces, Lolo Brow and Shardeazy Afrodesiak."

If you happen to live in London or can be there on April 25, tickets are still available to attend the show. Doors open at 6pm BST and the pre-show starts at 7pm BST before the main event kicks off at 7:45pm BST. 20% of all tickets sales will go to the It Gets Better Project to suport its mission to uplit, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe.

Gayming Awards 2022 Categorites and Nominees

Gayming Awards 2022 Game of the Year

• Boyfriend Dungeon
• Life is Strange: True Colors
• Psychonauts 2
• Unpacking

Gayming Magazine Readers’ Award

• Boyfriend Dungeon
• Forza Horizon 5
• Metroid Dread
• Resident Evil Village
• Sable
• Shin Megami Tensei V
• Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania
• The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Gayming Awards Industry Diversity Award

• I Need Diverse Games
• London Gaymers
• Ukie's #RaiseTheGame pledge
• Women in Games International

Gayming Awards Authentic Representation Award

• Boyfriend Dungeon
• Life is Strange: True Colors
• Unpacking
• Unsighted

Gayming Awards Best LGBTQ Character Award

• Alex Chen, Life is Strange: True Colors
• Helmut Fullbear & Bob Zanotto, Psychonauts 2
• Steph Gingrich, Life is Strange: True Colors
• Meredith Weiss, Lake

Gayming Awards Best LGBTQ Indie Game Award

• A Year Of Springs
• Boyfriend Dungeon
• Lake
• Sword of the Necromancer
• Unpacking
• When The Night Comes

LGBTQ Streamer of the Year Award

• Aimsey
• BlizzB3ar
• CriticalBard
• Eevoh
• Eret
• Nihachu
• ReadySetBen
• RekItRaven
• Sammy M Jay
• Shaaba and Jamie
• Shawn
• Toph

LGBTQ Streamer Rising Star Award

• ItsMeHollyy
• Cruuuunchy
• CoderGirlChan
• LuciaEverblack
• Luke_Boogie
• Trish Olson

Best LGBTQ Comic Book Moment

• DC Pride #1
• Killer Queens
• The Pride Omnibus
• X-Factor #10

LGBTQ Tabletop Game Award

• Adventuring With Pride: Queer We Go Again
• The House Doesn't Always Win
• Thirsty Sword Lesbians
• Wanderhome

Best LGBTQ Contribution to Esports

• Amanda Stevens
• Cloud9 White Valorant Team
• Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association [CMSA]
• Emi "CaptainFluke" Donaldson

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Obi-Wan Kenobi composer Natalie Holt is officially the first woman to score a live-action Star Wars project.

The news was revealed during an interview with Vanity Fair, where Loki and Batgirl composer Natalie Holt discussed the honor of providing music to that galaxy far, far away and working with Star Wars legend John Williams.

"Obviously, I'm just thrilled to be mentioned in the same breath as John Williams,” Holt says. “It's been exciting and overwhelming at times, because I'm such a fan. I want to pay respect to the history of it, and do it justice as well.”

While we've seen a bit of footage of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series, we have yet to hear Holt's work as the trailers have featured John Williams' Duel of the Fates. She did tease, however, that she grew up with Williams' work and her "starting point was just being a huge fan of the music for the show already."

She also added that she is a "violinist and I come from an orchestral background, so I've been able to do something on an epic scale with these big forces." Furthermore, she will be singing and playing viola and violin throughout the score.

Speaking of Williams, she also shared that one of the main reasons he decided to write Obi-Wan's theme in this new series was that he was "the only legacy character he hadn't done."

"Obi-Wan is a legacy character that John hadn't written a theme for because he died quite early on in A New Hope," Holt shared. "It's the only legacy character that he hadn't done. So he spoke to [Lucasfilm president] Kathleen Kennedy and said, 'I just want to write Benny a theme.' So who can deny him that? And he did, he wrote the Obi theme, and it just embodies the spirit of the show entirely."

Holt would then build much of her music off those "tentpoles" that were set by Williams, and she says her score is more rooted in Star Wars tradition than the different path that Ludwig Göransson took with The Mandalorian.

"I think it's an emotional score, and it does have its roots in the Star Wars tradition a little more than The Mandalorian does," Holt said. "We had a collection of 250 horns and flutes, and I used this hunting horn in the score. We’re also blending the orchestra with some more modern synths sounds as well. It's definitely what we're used to and a few new elements."

In closing, Holt discussed that she wanted to bring in many different types of musical genres and cultures into her score alongside making it feel "otherworldly."

"There are some Latin influences in one of the planets," Holt said. "There's some Thai, Hong Kong sounds that are more Eastern. Definitely you take flavors from around the world, and then try and turn them into something … otherworldly. You're on Star Wars, you're scoring a planet, it has to have scale."

Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to have its two-episode premiere on May 27, 2022. For more, check out Hayden Christensen's comments on returning to Darth Vader after 17 years, who the Sith Inquisitors are in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and McGregor's thoughts on once again playing the beloved character.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Obi-Wan Kenobi composer Natalie Holt is officially the first woman to score a live-action Star Wars project.

The news was revealed during an interview with Vanity Fair, where Loki and Batgirl composer Natalie Holt discussed the honor of providing music to that galaxy far, far away and working with Star Wars legend John Williams.

"Obviously, I'm just thrilled to be mentioned in the same breath as John Williams,” Holt says. “It's been exciting and overwhelming at times, because I'm such a fan. I want to pay respect to the history of it, and do it justice as well.”

While we've seen a bit of footage of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series, we have yet to hear Holt's work as the trailers have featured John Williams' Duel of the Fates. She did tease, however, that she grew up with Williams' work and her "starting point was just being a huge fan of the music for the show already."

She also added that she is a "violinist and I come from an orchestral background, so I've been able to do something on an epic scale with these big forces." Furthermore, she will be singing and playing viola and violin throughout the score.

Speaking of Williams, she also shared that one of the main reasons he decided to write Obi-Wan's theme in this new series was that he was "the only legacy character he hadn't done."

"Obi-Wan is a legacy character that John hadn't written a theme for because he died quite early on in A New Hope," Holt shared. "It's the only legacy character that he hadn't done. So he spoke to [Lucasfilm president] Kathleen Kennedy and said, 'I just want to write Benny a theme.' So who can deny him that? And he did, he wrote the Obi theme, and it just embodies the spirit of the show entirely."

Holt would then build much of her music off those "tentpoles" that were set by Williams, and she says her score is more rooted in Star Wars tradition than the different path that Ludwig Göransson took with The Mandalorian.

"I think it's an emotional score, and it does have its roots in the Star Wars tradition a little more than The Mandalorian does," Holt said. "We had a collection of 250 horns and flutes, and I used this hunting horn in the score. We’re also blending the orchestra with some more modern synths sounds as well. It's definitely what we're used to and a few new elements."

In closing, Holt discussed that she wanted to bring in many different types of musical genres and cultures into her score alongside making it feel "otherworldly."

"There are some Latin influences in one of the planets," Holt said. "There's some Thai, Hong Kong sounds that are more Eastern. Definitely you take flavors from around the world, and then try and turn them into something … otherworldly. You're on Star Wars, you're scoring a planet, it has to have scale."

Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to have its two-episode premiere on May 27, 2022. For more, check out Hayden Christensen's comments on returning to Darth Vader after 17 years, who the Sith Inquisitors are in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and McGregor's thoughts on once again playing the beloved character.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Developer OrionGames has announced Arto, an action-RPG with a visually unique graphical style. It's in development for PC.

Arto features, as you'd expect from an action-RPG, plenty of weapons to unlock and upgrade as well as over two dozen enemy types to fight. But what makes it stand out is obvious by looking at the screenshots below or the announcement trailer above: it's the distinct art style, which Orion describes as breathing life into a word devoid of color. Each of the six biomes will deliver its own unique look.

The single-player story also promises a branching narrative with multiple endings, an open world to explore, and plenty of challenging boss fights.

You can wishlist Arto on Steam if you're interested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Developer Orion Games has announced Arto, an action-RPG with a visually unique graphical style. It's in development for PC.

Arto features, as you'd expect from an action-RPG, plenty of weapons to unlock and upgrade as well as over two dozen enemy types to fight. But what makes it stand out is obvious by looking at the screenshots below or the announcement trailer above: it's the distinct art style, which Orion describes as breathing life into a word devoid of color. Each of the six biomes will deliver its own unique look.

The single-player story also promises a branching narrative with multiple endings, an open world to explore, and plenty of challenging boss fights.

You can wishlist Arto on Steam if you're interested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Drivers in the UK could be allowed to watch TV from behind the wheel of a self-driving car if proposed updates to the law go through.

As reported by the BBC, an update to The Highway Code will arrive this summer that addresses what is and isn't legal in automated vehicles, and could arrive in the UK as early as this year.

The draft amendment states that watching TV from a car's infotainment apparatus – essentially a touch screen mounted on the dashboard – will be legal in situations where automated driving itself is legal. At the moment, this is only expected to be while travelling at low speeds on congested motorways.

It states: "While a self-driving vehicle is driving itself in a valid situation, you are not responsible for how it drives. You may turn your attention away from the road and you may also view content through the vehicle’s built-in infotainment apparatus, if available."

Using your phone or similar handheld technology in the car will still be illegal though, even if the car is allowed to be self-driving – unless, as the normal law applies, the driver is required to call emergency services.

This update was part of what the government calls "interim measures" to support early adopters of automated vehicles but full regulatory framework is expected to arrive by 2025.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Drivers in the UK could be allowed to watch TV from behind the wheel of a self-driving car if proposed updates to the law go through.

As reported by the BBC, an update to The Highway Code will arrive this summer that addresses what is and isn't legal in automated vehicles, and could arrive in the UK as early as this year.

The draft amendment states that watching TV from a car's infotainment apparatus – essentially a touch screen mounted on the dashboard – will be legal in situations where automated driving itself is legal. At the moment, this is only expected to be while travelling at low speeds on congested motorways.

It states: "While a self-driving vehicle is driving itself in a valid situation, you are not responsible for how it drives. You may turn your attention away from the road and you may also view content through the vehicle’s built-in infotainment apparatus, if available."

Using your phone or similar handheld technology in the car will still be illegal though, even if the car is allowed to be self-driving – unless, as the normal law applies, the driver is required to call emergency services.

This update was part of what the government calls "interim measures" to support early adopters of automated vehicles but full regulatory framework is expected to arrive by 2025.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Borderlands 3 is finally getting cross-play after PlayStation initially blocked the feature.

As reported by GameSpot, developer Gearbox announced at PAX East that cross-play would arrive this spring, meaning players on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC can all play together.

The studio revealed last year that full cross-play was ready for Borderlands 3 but it was told to pull the feature from PlayStation consoles.

Cross-play was available in Gearbox's latest game, however, as Tiny Tina's Wonderlands included the feature from the moment it launched last month, allowing up to four players to play online together regardless of platform.

Sony has been historically resistant to letting its players join those on its competitors' platforms but titanic titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Rocket League have helped push cross-play into the norm.

Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida had previously commented that "our way of thinking is always that PlayStation is the best place to play", which caused significant backlash amongst players on all platforms.

A few years on in 2022 and multiple games support cross-play, including Rainbow Six Extraction, MLB The Show, and Overwatch. PlayStation boss Jim Ryan made the turnarond clear, saying last June that the publisher supports and encourages the feature.

In our 9/10 review, IGN said: "Borderlands 3 sticks to its guns and outdoes itself with an amazing arsenal of weapons, humour, and missions."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.