Nier: Automata Ver1.1a, a spin-off anime, will arrive in January next year, and game creator Yoko Taro has discussed how it will adapt the original game.

An official announcement trailer revealed that Nier: Automata Ver1.1a will premiere in January 2023 but the exact release date hasn’t yet been announced. We see clips of main character 2B in action, as well as fellow android 9S.

Creator Yoko Taro spoke about the anime's creation during Aniplex Online Fest over the weekend, and how he was surprised to be asked about the project:

"When I actually heard about making an anime version, I thought, 'What? This late?' Normally an anime version is released right around the game's release to gain synergy and increase the game sales as a result."

The idea has been to create a version that tells a different kind of story, rather than rehashing the original:

“The anime title has the affix 'Ver 1.1a' because Nier: Automata was a story we created to be a game, so copying it as is wouldn’t make an interesting story for an anime. So I brought up the idea of changing things around,” said Taro.

Despite the animation studio's apparent reluctance to change the story too much, Taro and the team seem to have come to a compromise:

"I often see fans who worry that creators are going through their creative process with a complete disregard for the original game. But in this case, those worries have no grounds," he said. "The fact that the anime side, starting with the director, really respected the game struck a chord with me.

“I'm the one going around and breaking things for [Aniplex],” joked Taro. “So, if anyone is dissatisfied [with the anime's story], it's likely to be my fault.”

Nier: Automata was released back in 2017 to critical success. It tells the story of Combat Android 2B – created to help liberate Earth from the clutches of hostile machine lifeforms built by an unknown alien race.

The upcoming anime was first announced back in February. Although details are scarce, we know that the set-up will be very close to the original game, thanks to the announcement’s description:

“The stage is a far future where humanity is defeated by the moon in front of the overwhelming force of 'mechanical life forms' that aliens carry out,” reads a translation of the YouTube description. “2B belonging to the newly organized Android unit YoRHa will throw themselves into a fierce battle to recapture the earth”.

IGN’s review of Nier: Automata gave it 8.9/10 and said: “Nier: Automata is a crazy, beautiful, and highly entertaining journey full of nutty ideas and awesome gameplay. It may not include the most sensical story or compelling characters, but its frenzied combat -- coupled with beautiful visuals and a stunning soundtrack – make it too much fun to pass up.”

Want to read more about Nier Automata? Check out all the details about the recent Nier: Automata ‘Church’ mystery, as well as details about the upcoming Nintendo Switch release.

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

Nier: Automata Ver1.1a, a spin-off anime, will arrive in January next year, and game creator Yoko Taro has discussed how it will adapt the original game.

An official announcement trailer revealed that Nier: Automata Ver1.1a will premiere in January 2023 but the exact release date hasn’t yet been announced. We see clips of main character 2B in action, as well as fellow android 9S.

Creator Yoko Taro spoke about the anime's creation during Aniplex Online Fest over the weekend, and how he was surprised to be asked about the project:

"When I actually heard about making an anime version, I thought, 'What? This late?' Normally an anime version is released right around the game's release to gain synergy and increase the game sales as a result."

The idea has been to create a version that tells a different kind of story, rather than rehashing the original:

“The anime title has the affix 'Ver 1.1a' because Nier: Automata was a story we created to be a game, so copying it as is wouldn’t make an interesting story for an anime. So I brought up the idea of changing things around,” said Taro.

Despite the animation studio's apparent reluctance to change the story too much, Taro and the team seem to have come to a compromise:

"I often see fans who worry that creators are going through their creative process with a complete disregard for the original game. But in this case, those worries have no grounds," he said. "The fact that the anime side, starting with the director, really respected the game struck a chord with me.

“I'm the one going around and breaking things for [Aniplex],” joked Taro. “So, if anyone is dissatisfied [with the anime's story], it's likely to be my fault.”

Nier: Automata was released back in 2017 to critical success. It tells the story of Combat Android 2B – created to help liberate Earth from the clutches of hostile machine lifeforms built by an unknown alien race.

The upcoming anime was first announced back in February. Although details are scarce, we know that the set-up will be very close to the original game, thanks to the announcement’s description:

“The stage is a far future where humanity is defeated by the moon in front of the overwhelming force of 'mechanical life forms' that aliens carry out,” reads a translation of the YouTube description. “2B belonging to the newly organized Android unit YoRHa will throw themselves into a fierce battle to recapture the earth”.

IGN’s review of Nier: Automata gave it 8.9/10 and said: “Nier: Automata is a crazy, beautiful, and highly entertaining journey full of nutty ideas and awesome gameplay. It may not include the most sensical story or compelling characters, but its frenzied combat -- coupled with beautiful visuals and a stunning soundtrack – make it too much fun to pass up.”

Want to read more about Nier Automata? Check out all the details about the recent Nier: Automata ‘Church’ mystery, as well as details about the upcoming Nintendo Switch release.

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

Netflix has announced and revealed five images from an Onimusha anime based on the hit Capcom game series.

Revealed in a tweet from Netflix Anime (below), the stills show a handful of characters against a backdrop of Japan's Edo period. The anime is being created with 3D, CGI characters and hand-drawn backgrounds, and the series promises to give new life to the classic game series.

No release date was announced but Netflix did reveal the team behind Onimusha's anime. The project is being led by Takashi Miike and Shinya Sugai from Sublimation (the studio that released the Dragon's Dogma anime in 2020) and features Toshihiro Mifune as Musashi Miyamoto.

pic.twitter.com/NcKtTe22ew

— Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) September 25, 2022

A short plot-synopsis was also released (courtesy of Gematsu), with Netflix saying: "The beginning of the Edo period, Musashi is no longer a young man. He departs with the legendary Oni Gauntlet to defeat the Genma."

The Onimusha series began in 2001 but has been more or less dormant (outside of a mobile game, browser game, and remaster) since 2006, when Dawn of Dreams was released on the PlayStation 2.

Capcom hasn't said much about whether the series will make a full return, but did comment the this would be "the first animated adaptation of its game series Onimusha" and it is "firmly committed to enhancing the brand value of its content" through different forms of media.

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

Netflix has announced and revealed five images from an Onimusha anime based on the hit Capcom game series.

Revealed in a tweet from Netflix Anime (below), the stills show a handful of characters against a backdrop of Japan's Edo period. The anime is being created with 3D, CGI characters and hand-drawn backgrounds, and the series promises to give new life to the classic game series.

No release date was announced but Netflix did reveal the team behind Onimusha's anime. The project is being led by Takashi Miike and Shinya Sugai from Sublimation (the studio that released the Dragon's Dogma anime in 2020) and features Toshihiro Mifune as Musashi Miyamoto.

pic.twitter.com/NcKtTe22ew

— Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) September 25, 2022

A short plot-synopsis was also released (courtesy of Gematsu), with Netflix saying: "The beginning of the Edo period, Musashi is no longer a young man. He departs with the legendary Oni Gauntlet to defeat the Genma."

The Onimusha series began in 2001 but has been more or less dormant (outside of a mobile game, browser game, and remaster) since 2006, when Dawn of Dreams was released on the PlayStation 2.

Capcom hasn't said much about whether the series will make a full return, but did comment the this would be "the first animated adaptation of its game series Onimusha" and it is "firmly committed to enhancing the brand value of its content" through different forms of media.

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

James Earl Jones, the 91-year-old legendary voice actor behind the most menacing voice from that galaxy far, far away, has signed off on A.I. recreations of his Darth Vader voice as he looks to step back from the iconic role.

The news comes via a report from Vanity Fair about how Ukrainian tech workers at Respeecher worked to make Darth Vader sound like he did 45 years ago for Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi series despite the ongoing Russian invasion of their country. Jones' voice has obviously changed over the years and he has "stepped back from the role," so bringing in A.I. tech is a way to keep the voice we all know and love alive for many years to come.

Respeecher uses "archival recordings and a proprietary A.I. algorithm to create new dialogue with the voices of performers from long ago," and Lucasfilm supervising sound editor Matthew Wood said the company also has this "elusive human touch" that makes all the difference.

“Certainly my main concern was their well-being,” Wood added. “There are always alternatives that we could pursue that wouldn’t be as good as what they would give us. We never wanted to put them in any kind of additional danger to stay in the office to do something.” While the risks were very real for these Ukrainians, the project was a lifelong dream of the Respeecher employees, including Bogdan Belyaev.

Wood continued to discuss how he had recorded Jones' performances as Darth Vader at least a dozen times, with the last time being for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Around that time, Jones began talking about how his time as the character may be coming to an end, and this is when the idea of Respeecher keeping his voice going was brought up.

"He had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character,” says Wood. “So how do we move forward?” The answer, it appears, is Respeecher, as "the actor signed off on using his archival voice recordings to keep Vader alive and vital even by artificial means—appropriate, perhaps, for a character who is half mechanical."

While Jones may not be as involved as he once was, he still helped bring Vader to life in Obi-Wan Kenobi as a "benevolent godfather" who helped the team get Vader just right.

As for the workers at Respeecher, they continue to work as it means so much to them and their country.

"We create places to work for people, we create jobs, we pay them money, we contribute to the Ukrainian economy, and that’s quite meaningful,” Respeecher CEO and Co-Founder Alex Serdiuk says. “But also, hopefully more people will hear about Ukraine—about our tech community, about our start-ups—because of it.”

It may be some time until we hear Vader's voice again, but Respeecher wants us to know, as they continue to work hard on secret projects, that Obi-Wan Kenobi did provide a "rare moment of celebration" for those facing so much.

"Why did I do it? It’s a big honor to work with Lucasfilm, and I’ve been a fan of Star Wars since I was a kid," Belyaev said. "Even if it’s war, there’s no excuse for you to be the troublemaker of what you loved from childhood.”

For more, check out why we chose Darth Vader to top the list of our Best 100 Villains and our review of Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

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.

James Earl Jones, the 91-year-old legendary voice actor behind the most menacing voice from that galaxy far, far away, has signed off on A.I. recreations of his Darth Vader voice as he looks to step back from the iconic role.

The news comes via a report from Vanity Fair about how Ukrainian tech workers at Respeecher worked to make Darth Vader sound like he did 45 years ago for Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi series despite the ongoing Russian invasion of their country. Jones' voice has obviously changed over the years and he has "stepped back from the role," so bringing in A.I. tech is a way to keep the voice we all know and love alive for many years to come.

Respeecher uses "archival recordings and a proprietary A.I. algorithm to create new dialogue with the voices of performers from long ago," and Lucasfilm supervising sound editor Matthew Wood said the company also has this "elusive human touch" that makes all the difference.

“Certainly my main concern was their well-being,” Wood added. “There are always alternatives that we could pursue that wouldn’t be as good as what they would give us. We never wanted to put them in any kind of additional danger to stay in the office to do something.” While the risks were very real for these Ukrainians, the project was a lifelong dream of the Respeecher employees, including Bogdan Belyaev.

Wood continued to discuss how he had recorded Jones' performances as Darth Vader at least a dozen times, with the last time being for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Around that time, Jones began talking about how his time as the character may be coming to an end, and this is when the idea of Respeecher keeping his voice going was brought up.

"He had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character,” says Wood. “So how do we move forward?” The answer, it appears, is Respeecher, as "the actor signed off on using his archival voice recordings to keep Vader alive and vital even by artificial means—appropriate, perhaps, for a character who is half mechanical."

While Jones may not be as involved as he once was, he still helped bring Vader to life in Obi-Wan Kenobi as a "benevolent godfather" who helped the team get Vader just right.

As for the workers at Respeecher, they continue to work as it means so much to them and their country.

"We create places to work for people, we create jobs, we pay them money, we contribute to the Ukrainian economy, and that’s quite meaningful,” Respeecher CEO and Co-Founder Alex Serdiuk says. “But also, hopefully more people will hear about Ukraine—about our tech community, about our start-ups—because of it.”

It may be some time until we hear Vader's voice again, but Respeecher wants us to know, as they continue to work hard on secret projects, that Obi-Wan Kenobi did provide a "rare moment of celebration" for those facing so much.

"Why did I do it? It’s a big honor to work with Lucasfilm, and I’ve been a fan of Star Wars since I was a kid," Belyaev said. "Even if it’s war, there’s no excuse for you to be the troublemaker of what you loved from childhood.”

For more, check out why we chose Darth Vader to top the list of our Best 100 Villains and our review of Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

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.

13 years after it first made its theatrical debut, Avatar has once again won the global weekend box office thanks to its remastered re-release's $30.5 million performance.

According to Comscore, Avatar brought in $20.5 million internationally and $10 million domestically, which only adds to its lead as the highest-grossing film of all time. As it stands, Avatar, through all its theatrical releases, has earned $2,877,897,339. Avengers: Endgame sits behind Avatar at $2,797,501,328.

Domestically, Avatar claimed third place and was bested by Don't Worry Darling's $19.2 million and The Woman King's $11.1 million. Rounding out the top five, according to Box Office Mojo, were Barbarian's $4.8 million and Pearl's $1.9 million.

Avatar's remastered re-release was sent to theaters to excite moviegoers for the long-awaited release of Avatar: The Way of Water on December 16, 2022.

IGN had the chance to sit down with director James Cameron and discuss the re-release, and he said that even he was "a bit shocked a how good it looks."

Cameron also talked with us about why he believes 3D TVs for homes failed and how he is "very excited" by what Ubisoft is doing with the Avatar game.

As for Avatar: The Way of Water, D23 gave attendees a handful of clips to watch from the new film, and it teased a bit of the adventures to come later this year.

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.

13 years after it first made its theatrical debut, Avatar has once again won the global weekend box office thanks to its remastered re-release's $30.5 million performance.

According to Comscore, Avatar brought in $20.5 million internationally and $10 million domestically, which only adds to its lead as the highest-grossing film of all time. As it stands, Avatar, through all its theatrical releases, has earned $2,877,897,339. Avengers: Endgame sits behind Avatar at $2,797,501,328.

Domestically, Avatar claimed third place and was bested by Don't Worry Darling's $19.2 million and The Woman King's $11.1 million. Rounding out the top five, according to Box Office Mojo, were Barbarian's $4.8 million and Pearl's $1.9 million.

Avatar's remastered re-release was sent to theaters to excite moviegoers for the long-awaited release of Avatar: The Way of Water on December 16, 2022.

IGN had the chance to sit down with director James Cameron and discuss the re-release, and he said that even he was "a bit shocked a how good it looks."

Cameron also talked with us about why he believes 3D TVs for homes failed and how he is "very excited" by what Ubisoft is doing with the Avatar game.

As for Avatar: The Way of Water, D23 gave attendees a handful of clips to watch from the new film, and it teased a bit of the adventures to come later this year.

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.

Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals has been delayed to 2023 to make it Night School Studio's "best game yet."

Night School Studio shared the update on Twitter, saying the delay was, in part, due to wanting to make it "truly special" and "add more localizations."

"We owe it to our amazing community to make OXENFREE II: Lost Signals the best game it can possibly be," Night School Studio wrote. "Seeing your fan art, reading your excited comments, and connecting with you fuels our ambition to make this our best game yet. To make OXENFREE II truly special and add more localizations, we're moving our release window to 2023.

"Thank you for your patience, support, and understanding. We can't wait to share the game with you. Stay tuned."

Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals was first announced for a 2021 release on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and Steam, and it will serve as a sequel set five years after the events of the original 2016 supernatural teen drama game.

This new story will follow Riley, who "returns to her hometown of Camena to investigate mysterious radio frequency signals causing curious disturbances."

In our Oxenfree 2 hands-off preview, we said, "the promise of its expanded potential seemed clear in just this brief section." Night School also noted that it is "aiming to deepen the promise of player agency and choice within an authored world and story, and do that in ways that extend beyond choosing dialogue options during a conversation."

If you have yet to play the original Oxenfree, be sure to check out our review and the news that a special Netflix edition of Oxenfree is now available to all subscribers at no extra cost.

For more, read the details on Netflix's acquisition of Night School Studio and how Oxenfree got updates five years after its launch to tie it to Oxenfree 2.

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.

Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals has been delayed to 2023 to make it Night School Studio's "best game yet."

Night School Studio shared the update on Twitter, saying the delay was, in part, due to wanting to make it "truly special" and "add more localizations."

"We owe it to our amazing community to make OXENFREE II: Lost Signals the best game it can possibly be," Night School Studio wrote. "Seeing your fan art, reading your excited comments, and connecting with you fuels our ambition to make this our best game yet. To make OXENFREE II truly special and add more localizations, we're moving our release window to 2023.

"Thank you for your patience, support, and understanding. We can't wait to share the game with you. Stay tuned."

Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals was first announced for a 2021 release on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and Steam, and it will serve as a sequel set five years after the events of the original 2016 supernatural teen drama game.

This new story will follow Riley, who "returns to her hometown of Camena to investigate mysterious radio frequency signals causing curious disturbances."

In our Oxenfree 2 hands-off preview, we said, "the promise of its expanded potential seemed clear in just this brief section." Night School also noted that it is "aiming to deepen the promise of player agency and choice within an authored world and story, and do that in ways that extend beyond choosing dialogue options during a conversation."

If you have yet to play the original Oxenfree, be sure to check out our review and the news that a special Netflix edition of Oxenfree is now available to all subscribers at no extra cost.

For more, read the details on Netflix's acquisition of Night School Studio and how Oxenfree got updates five years after its launch to tie it to Oxenfree 2.

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.