EA's DICE has finally addressed criticisms of one of Battlefield 2042's maps, which was dubbed a "walking simulator" by fans. The new update 1.2 reworks Kaleidoscope to include an "improved gameplay flow".

The developer released patch notes for the update which arrives today, August 2, detailing its midseason update – which also includes a handful of other changes. The Kaleidoscope rework headlines these improvements, however, marking the first map update since DICE said it understands why fans "use terms such as 'walking simulator' to describe" Battlefield 2042 back in March.

"We identified several focus areas for our launch maps where our quality standards could be improved through cover, intensity, line of sight, pathing and traversal changes," DICE said. "Reworking maps takes time, and Kaleidoscope is the first map for which we have completed this rework."

Changes include the addition of more cover through new assets and raised terrain in some areas, creating new flag positions, and adding brand new areas including a forward operating base in the park and a second command post close to the tower.

DICE will release an update to Renewal next as it works its way through improving Battlefield 2042's seven launch maps. This will arrive sometime during Season 2, the developer said, meaning sometime between September and November.

Today's update also brings updated character models, changes to guns including the RAH-68 Huron and YG-99 Hannibal 30mm Cannon, a player profile page, and improved aim assist on console.

Battlefield 2042 has had a fairly turbulent post-launch period, only launching its Season 1 seven months after launch in June after it was delayed to focus on more pressing issues such as including a scoreboard - but this update was also delayed.

Publisher EA admitted around the same time that Battlefield 2042 did not meet expectations, and soon after a petition asking for refunds started online that more than 230,000 players have now signed. Battlefield 2042's number had diminished in the meantime, as in early March it had fewer players on Steam than Battlefield 1, 4, and 5.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

EA's DICE has finally addressed criticisms of one of Battlefield 2042's maps, which was dubbed a "walking simulator" by fans. The new update 1.2 reworks Kaleidoscope to include an "improved gameplay flow".

The developer released patch notes for the update which arrives today, August 2, detailing its midseason update – which also includes a handful of other changes. The Kaleidoscope rework headlines these improvements, however, marking the first map update since DICE said it understands why fans "use terms such as 'walking simulator' to describe" Battlefield 2042 back in March.

"We identified several focus areas for our launch maps where our quality standards could be improved through cover, intensity, line of sight, pathing and traversal changes," DICE said. "Reworking maps takes time, and Kaleidoscope is the first map for which we have completed this rework."

Changes include the addition of more cover through new assets and raised terrain in some areas, creating new flag positions, and adding brand new areas including a forward operating base in the park and a second command post close to the tower.

DICE will release an update to Renewal next as it works its way through improving Battlefield 2042's seven launch maps. This will arrive sometime during Season 2, the developer said, meaning sometime between September and November.

Today's update also brings updated character models, changes to guns including the RAH-68 Huron and YG-99 Hannibal 30mm Cannon, a player profile page, and improved aim assist on console.

Battlefield 2042 has had a fairly turbulent post-launch period, only launching its Season 1 seven months after launch in June after it was delayed to focus on more pressing issues such as including a scoreboard - but this update was also delayed.

Publisher EA admitted around the same time that Battlefield 2042 did not meet expectations, and soon after a petition asking for refunds started online that more than 230,000 players have now signed. Battlefield 2042's number had diminished in the meantime, as in early March it had fewer players on Steam than Battlefield 1, 4, and 5.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Last month, we learned that the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, would unveil statues of Breaking Bad characters Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Now, the statues have been revealed, and actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul were present to see their larger-than-life replicas unveiled.

You can take a look at the statues in our gallery below.

As you can see, the two statues are very impressive, showcasing the two characters standing side by side with very serious looks on their faces. They are currently on display inside the Albuquerque Convention Center. The statues were sculpted by Trevor Grove, and they were donated to the city by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan and Sony Pictures Television.

Breaking Bad and its prequel show, Better Call Saul, both take place in Albuquerque, making the real-life city a perfect travel destination for superfans of the shows. Better Call Saul is wrapping up its final season this summer, and we know the next episode is titled 'Breaking Bad', giving fans hope that this is the week White and Pinkman will appear.

For more, you can check out our list of the top ten Breaking Bad episodes.

Photos by Sam Wasson/Getty Images

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

Last month, we learned that the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, would unveil statues of Breaking Bad characters Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Now, the statues have been revealed, and actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul were present to see their larger-than-life replicas unveiled.

You can take a look at the statues in our gallery below.

As you can see, the two statues are very impressive, showcasing the two characters standing side by side with very serious looks on their faces. They are currently on display inside the Albuquerque Convention Center. The statues were sculpted by Trevor Grove, and they were donated to the city by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan and Sony Pictures Television.

Breaking Bad and its prequel show, Better Call Saul, both take place in Albuquerque, making the real-life city a perfect travel destination for superfans of the shows. Better Call Saul is wrapping up its final season this summer, and we know the next episode is titled 'Breaking Bad', giving fans hope that this is the week White and Pinkman will appear.

For more, you can check out our list of the top ten Breaking Bad episodes.

Photos by Sam Wasson/Getty Images

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

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn reveals the film had a “very difficult” shoot.

Asked whether the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy sequel or the Holiday Special was his favorite story to shoot, the 55-year-old filmmaker opened up about his experience on set.

“The Holiday Special was a pure joy,” he revealed via Twitter. “Vol 3 was very difficult for a billion reasons, beginning with its size and complexity. It might be my favorite movie but it probably wasn’t my favorite shooting experience, other than the love I have for the whole team.”

The Holiday Special was a pure joy. Vol 3 was very difficult for a billion reasons, beginning with its size and complexity. It might be my favorite movie but it probably wasn’t my favorite shooting experience, other than the love I have for the whole team.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 29, 2022

He also explained where the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special fits into the MCU.

“The Guardians Holiday Special is the epilogue of Phase 4,” he revealed, while also confirming that the Holiday Special is also part of the MCU canon.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was recently unveiled to be part of MCU’s Phase 5 during Marvel’s panel at San Diego Comic Con.

Gunn recently confirmed that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would be a lot more mature than previous installments, with a much more emotional story this time around. And that could account for some of the difficulty Gunn faced when bringing the story to the big screen.

“It's an incredibly emotional story,” he explained “Much more mature than the other Guardian stories in a way because, you know, we started making these movies that were 10, 11 years old when they saw the first one, and now they're 20, 21 years old. The movie has grown up with them.”

There doesn’t seem to have been any huge production issues, either, as Gunn recently confirmed that the film was neither pulled nor delayed when several other Marvel titles were pushed back.

Whether or not the film’s grueling (but world record-breaking) makeup had anything to do with Gunn’s troubles is also unknown. However, with stars keeping each other amused by pranking their director with Rick and Morty toys, it looks as though they helped keep each other’s spirits up.

It may not have been his favorite film to shoot, but we’ll find out next year whether it’s the best Guardians of the Galaxy film so far.

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

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn reveals the film had a “very difficult” shoot.

Asked whether the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy sequel or the Holiday Special was his favorite story to shoot, the 55-year-old filmmaker opened up about his experience on set.

“The Holiday Special was a pure joy,” he revealed via Twitter. “Vol 3 was very difficult for a billion reasons, beginning with its size and complexity. It might be my favorite movie but it probably wasn’t my favorite shooting experience, other than the love I have for the whole team.”

The Holiday Special was a pure joy. Vol 3 was very difficult for a billion reasons, beginning with its size and complexity. It might be my favorite movie but it probably wasn’t my favorite shooting experience, other than the love I have for the whole team.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 29, 2022

He also explained where the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special fits into the MCU.

“The Guardians Holiday Special is the epilogue of Phase 4,” he revealed, while also confirming that the Holiday Special is also part of the MCU canon.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was recently unveiled to be part of MCU’s Phase 5 during Marvel’s panel at San Diego Comic Con.

Gunn recently confirmed that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would be a lot more mature than previous installments, with a much more emotional story this time around. And that could account for some of the difficulty Gunn faced when bringing the story to the big screen.

“It's an incredibly emotional story,” he explained “Much more mature than the other Guardian stories in a way because, you know, we started making these movies that were 10, 11 years old when they saw the first one, and now they're 20, 21 years old. The movie has grown up with them.”

There doesn’t seem to have been any huge production issues, either, as Gunn recently confirmed that the film was neither pulled nor delayed when several other Marvel titles were pushed back.

Whether or not the film’s grueling (but world record-breaking) makeup had anything to do with Gunn’s troubles is also unknown. However, with stars keeping each other amused by pranking their director with Rick and Morty toys, it looks as though they helped keep each other’s spirits up.

It may not have been his favorite film to shoot, but we’ll find out next year whether it’s the best Guardians of the Galaxy film so far.

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

If you want a Sega Genesis Mini 2, you'll have to turn to Amazon Japan, as western customers will have to import Sega's next mini console.

According to a report from Polygon, Sega is only selling the Genesis Mini 2 to the West through Amazon Japan due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage in the global supply chain.

The mini console will also be far rarer than 2019's Sega Genesis Mini, with the total production run only amounting to one-tenth of the original. In fact, Sega originally planned to only manufacture enough Genesis Mini 2 consoles for the Japanese market, before deciding to make the North American version available on Amazon Japan.

Right now, you can preorder the Genesis Mini 2 on Amazon for $103.80, with the order fulfilled by Amazon Japan. After the listed shipping of $21.99, the grand total comes out to $125.79. This is far more expensive than the original's $79.99 price point.

If you do want to pick one of these mini consoles up, you should probably act sooner rather than later. With a limited production run and an import system in place, the Genesis Mini 2 will likely be difficult to come by shortly after launch.

The Sega Genesis Mini 2 is launching on October 27, 2022. The console will include over 50 classic titles, made up of Genesis games not found on the original mini console, arcade ports, Sega CD games, and a previously unreleased game.

We scored the original Genesis Mini a 9, saying, "The SEGA Genesis Mini is the closest thing we have to a perfect all-in-one mini console so far. There are a few weird emulation issues here and there, but the sheer number of games and its delightful interface far outshines any graphical hiccups in these classic games."

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

If you want a Sega Genesis Mini 2, you'll have to turn to Amazon Japan, as western customers will have to import Sega's next mini console.

According to a report from Polygon, Sega is only selling the Genesis Mini 2 to the West through Amazon Japan due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage in the global supply chain.

The mini console will also be far rarer than 2019's Sega Genesis Mini, with the total production run only amounting to one-tenth of the original. In fact, Sega originally planned to only manufacture enough Genesis Mini 2 consoles for the Japanese market, before deciding to make the North American version available on Amazon Japan.

Right now, you can preorder the Genesis Mini 2 on Amazon for $103.80, with the order fulfilled by Amazon Japan. After the listed shipping of $21.99, the grand total comes out to $125.79. This is far more expensive than the original's $79.99 price point.

If you do want to pick one of these mini consoles up, you should probably act sooner rather than later. With a limited production run and an import system in place, the Genesis Mini 2 will likely be difficult to come by shortly after launch.

The Sega Genesis Mini 2 is launching on October 27, 2022. The console will include over 50 classic titles, made up of Genesis games not found on the original mini console, arcade ports, Sega CD games, and a previously unreleased game.

We scored the original Genesis Mini a 9, saying, "The SEGA Genesis Mini is the closest thing we have to a perfect all-in-one mini console so far. There are a few weird emulation issues here and there, but the sheer number of games and its delightful interface far outshines any graphical hiccups in these classic games."

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

DC League of Super Pets is just the latest comic book movie with a post-credits scene. But while the post-credit creation process might usually be from the writers, this one was down to Dwayne Johnson and a bottle of tequila.

The recently-released Super Pets movie stars Johnson as the voice of Krypto the Superdog – a mind-boggling bit of casting that’s absolutely perfect when you hear it. But the film’s post-credits scene is a nod to one of Johnson’s other characters… and it was all his idea.

“THANK YOU for making SUPER PETS the #1 MOVIE,” he said via Instagram. “But did you stay til the VERY END credits?”

The film’s post-credits scene begins with Superman and Krypto playing fetch in the park (with Squeezy Bruce, of course).

But the joyous moment is interrupted when another dog gets hold of Krypto’s famous toy – a dog called “Anubis”. And it turns out to be the pet of none other than DC antihero, Black Adam.

“You guys already know how I feel about SUPERMAN vs BLACK ADAM,” he added. “The Indestructible Force meets the Immovable Object. With the DC SUPER PETS UNIVERSE we had an opportunity to build out this awesome animated universe in a big, fun, cool way.”

Of course, this cute stinger was a reference to Dwayne Johnson’s other DC role as Shazam! nemesis, Black Adam. And with Johnson voicing Krypto, Anubis, and Black Adam for this scene, it all gets a bit meta.

Not to mention the fact that Johnson has been open about his desire to take on Superman. But while this post-credits scene was all Johnson’s doing, we shouldn’t take it too seriously. After all, it was fuelled by a glass or three of tequila.

“So three-ish [tequilas] later, I came up with an end credits idea,” he said. “Allow me to introduce the baddest, meanest, antihero canine walkin’ God’s green earth…. ANUBIS. Complete with his new favorite toy - squeezy Bruce Batman.”

Whether or not Black Adam will actually take on Superman within the DCEU remains to be seen. But at least their dogs got the chance to go paw-to-paw.

Want to find out more about DC League of Super Pets? Check out how it did at the box office, as well as our full review of the animated superhero flick.

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

DC League of Super Pets is just the latest comic book movie with a post-credits scene. But while the post-credit creation process might usually be from the writers, this one was down to Dwayne Johnson and a bottle of tequila.

The recently-released Super Pets movie stars Johnson as the voice of Krypto the Superdog – a mind-boggling bit of casting that’s absolutely perfect when you hear it. But the film’s post-credits scene is a nod to one of Johnson’s other characters… and it was all his idea.

“THANK YOU for making SUPER PETS the #1 MOVIE,” he said via Instagram. “But did you stay til the VERY END credits?”

The film’s post-credits scene begins with Superman and Krypto playing fetch in the park (with Squeezy Bruce, of course).

But the joyous moment is interrupted when another dog gets hold of Krypto’s famous toy – a dog called “Anubis”. And it turns out to be the pet of none other than DC antihero, Black Adam.

“You guys already know how I feel about SUPERMAN vs BLACK ADAM,” he added. “The Indestructible Force meets the Immovable Object. With the DC SUPER PETS UNIVERSE we had an opportunity to build out this awesome animated universe in a big, fun, cool way.”

Of course, this cute stinger was a reference to Dwayne Johnson’s other DC role as Shazam! nemesis, Black Adam. And with Johnson voicing Krypto, Anubis, and Black Adam for this scene, it all gets a bit meta.

Not to mention the fact that Johnson has been open about his desire to take on Superman. But while this post-credits scene was all Johnson’s doing, we shouldn’t take it too seriously. After all, it was fuelled by a glass or three of tequila.

“So three-ish [tequilas] later, I came up with an end credits idea,” he said. “Allow me to introduce the baddest, meanest, antihero canine walkin’ God’s green earth…. ANUBIS. Complete with his new favorite toy - squeezy Bruce Batman.”

Whether or not Black Adam will actually take on Superman within the DCEU remains to be seen. But at least their dogs got the chance to go paw-to-paw.

Want to find out more about DC League of Super Pets? Check out how it did at the box office, as well as our full review of the animated superhero flick.

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