Monthly Archives: October 2022

Meta Connect 2022: Everything Announced

Today's Meta Connect 2022 event gave Quest 2 owners plenty to look forward to, as Facebook detailed a number of upcoming titles for its VR platform. IGN has you covered with every announcement from the show, including Marvel's Iron Man VR, Among Us VR, and the all-new Meta Quest Pro headset.

Meta Quest Pro Coming October 25, Costs $1499.99

Meta unveiled its next VR headset, the Meta Quest Pro. The new device is coming on October 25 for $1499.99, which includes the headset itself, the Meta Quest Touch Pro controllers, stylus tips, partial light blockers, and a charging dock. The machine comes with 2GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and 10 high res sensors. The Quest Pro has 37% more pixels per inch than Meta Quest 2, along with improved peripherals and colors. The company is calling it the first entry in the new high-end line of devices.

Xbox Cloud Gaming Coming to Meta Quest Store

In a blog post, Meta confirmed that the Xbox Cloud Gaming Beta is coming to the Meta Quest Store. This means you'll be able to connect an Xbox controller to your headset to play console games from the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate library. There's no timeline yet for when Xbox Cloud Gaming will arrive on the Meta Quest Store.

Among Us VR Gets November Release Date, Launch Trailer

Among Us VR is coming to Meta Quest 2 and Steam VR on November 10. The VR version of the hit social game will cost $9.99, and it supports up to ten players. Among Us VR shifts the tasks, killing, and accusations to the first person perspective, giving players a totally fresh spin on the gameplay. We also know Among Us VR will come to PSVR 2 sometime next year.

Marvel's Iron Man VR Launches on Quest 2 Next Month

Iron Man VR, which was previously exclusive to PSVR, is coming to Quest 2 on November 3. The game lets players take to the skies in Tony Stark's iconic Iron Man armor as the hero faces off against Ghost, a hacker with control of a drone army. In our review, we called the game good, saying, "While Tony Stark’s story may not have grabbed my interest at all, flying around as his alter ego was a thrill, and its intuitive aerial combat stayed engaging even as mission and enemy variety thinned."

Three Studios Join Oculus Studios, Including Resident Evil 4 VR Developer

Meta announced that it acquired Armature Studio, which is the studio behind Resident Evil 4 VR. The VR port of the horror classic was a huge hit, winning best VR/AR game at The Game Awards 2021. Meta also confirmed its acquisitions of Camoflaj Team and Twisted Pixel, developers of Marvel's Iron Man VR and Path of the Warrior, respectively. Meta said it will be a while until it reveals what these newly-acquired studios are working on.

The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners: Chapter 2 Retribution Launches On December 1

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners was a noteworthy step forward for VR gaming, as its combat was some of the best the medium has seen so far. Fans of the original can look forward to Chapter 2: Retribution, which is coming to Quest 2 on December 1. The second chapter from Skydance Interactive will take players back to New Orleans, where you'll have to work your way through a city that's been nearly picked clean already. Earlier this year, the developers also teased "a new and bloodthirsty threat that will hunt you across the city."

Behemoth: New Project Coming from Walking Dead Saints & Sinners Combat Designers

Skydance Interactive is also working on Behemoth, a new VR game that takes place in a grim world. We don't know much about the title just yet, besides that it will force players to fight for survival, similar to Saints and Sinners. The brief teaser trailer showed icy terrain, eerie music, and text that said "a brutal new world". The developer is building Behemoth from the ground up.

Population: One Sandbox Brings User-Generated Content to the VR Battle Royale

Population: One is a VR first person shooter/battle royale hybrid, and it's about to get a huge boost with user-created content. At today's event, we learned about Population: One Sandbox, a new user-generated game creator that lets you take the action anywhere. Players will be able to create games in whatever setting they like, or play through featured community games from other creators.

Meta Quest 2 Active Pack Coming Later This Month

The Meta Quest 2 Active Pack is coming on October 25. This pack comes with a wipeable facial interface, wrist straps, and adjustable knuckle straps. It will likely work with active games like Gym Class, a VR basketball title shown where you can compete against your friends. A new development tool called Fitness API Beta is also releasing this fall for select developers to work on fitness apps for the Quest. Next year, you'll be able to share your fitness progress with select friends. There are also more fitness accessories planned for the Quest in the coming year.

NBC's Peacock App Is Coming to Quest

NBC's Peacock streaming app is coming to Quest. This means you'll be able to watch Peacock's suite of content using your VR headset. No timeline was given for when we can expect the Peacock app to arrive. In our review of the Peacock streaming service, we called it "okay", saying "there’s something undeniably charming about the service, and there’s some seriously great content hidden in its catalog."

Developing...

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Among Us VR Gets November Release Date

Among Us VR, the virtual reality port of the 2018 online social game, arrives on November 10 and will cost $9.99.

Initially announced at the 2021 Game Awards, Among Us VR allows you to play with up to ten players. You assume the role of either a crewmate or an imposter, with the former looking to complete all the tasks around the map while the player(s) posing as Imposter(s) try to kill all the crewmates without being detected.

Among Us is already a fun game, but the VR port adds a new level of suspense and chaos that will provide a fresh perspective for longtime players. In the gameplay trailer released back in April, you can see that the game shifts to a first-person perspective. Adding to the level of chaos is the inclusion of hands that you can flail around as you run or use to physically point fingers at an individual you feel may be the imposter in the group.

Our review of the non-VR version noted that Among Us "successfully transfers the devious gameplay of in-person cloak-and-dagger games to video game form."

In addition to the Meta Quest 2 version, Among Us VR will also be available on Steam VR. A PlayStation VR2 port is also in development and will be available "when the [PSVR2] is released." Currently, the PSVR2 is slated to release sometime next year.

In addition to a release date and pricing for Among Us VR, today's Meta Connect keynote also shared details on new studios acquired by Meta, which include RE4 VR developer Armature Studio. Check out our roundup to see everything announced during today's event.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Among Us VR Gets November Release Date

Among Us VR, the virtual reality port of the 2018 online social game, arrives on November 10 and will cost $9.99.

Initially announced at the 2021 Game Awards, Among Us VR allows you to play with up to ten players. You assume the role of either a crewmate or an imposter, with the former looking to complete all the tasks around the map while the player(s) posing as Imposter(s) try to kill all the crewmates without being detected.

Among Us is already a fun game, but the VR port adds a new level of suspense and chaos that will provide a fresh perspective for longtime players. In the gameplay trailer released back in April, you can see that the game shifts to a first-person perspective. Adding to the level of chaos is the inclusion of hands that you can flail around as you run or use to physically point fingers at an individual you feel may be the imposter in the group.

Our review of the non-VR version noted that Among Us "successfully transfers the devious gameplay of in-person cloak-and-dagger games to video game form."

In addition to the Meta Quest 2 version, Among Us VR will also be available on Steam VR. A PlayStation VR2 port is also in development and will be available "when the [PSVR2] is released." Currently, the PSVR2 is slated to release sometime next year.

In addition to a release date and pricing for Among Us VR, today's Meta Connect keynote also shared details on new studios acquired by Meta, which include RE4 VR developer Armature Studio. Check out our roundup to see everything announced during today's event.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Marvel Hitting Pause on Blade Amid Search for New Director

Marvel is temporarily shutting down production on Blade, its revamp of the popular vampire hunter series that was originally set to be released in 2023.

THR reports that the decision follows in the wake of director Bassam Tariq's departure from the project two weeks ago. Marvel will use the break to search for a replacement while further developing it.

First announced back in 2019, Blade brough aboard Tariq in 2021, who praised Marvel for taking "big swings." Since then there have been rumors of multiple rewrites and other issues, with Tariq subsequently departing the project last month due to scheduling conflicts.

The project was scheduled to begin shooting in November but is now likely to commence in 2023, which will likely push its release to 2024 in turn. It's currently slated to be part of Phase 5 of the MCU.

Whatever happens, Marvel is said to be content to take its time with finding a replacement, with a source reportedly telling THR that the studio wants to "really get it right."

For those who can't wait for some Marvel monster action, Werewolf by Night is out now, and we gave it a 9 in our review for its "mesmerising take on Universal monster movies with a Marvel twist." You can also check out our list of the most important monsters of the Marvel universe.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Marvel Hitting Pause on Blade Amid Search for New Director

Marvel is temporarily shutting down production on Blade, its revamp of the popular vampire hunter series that was originally set to be released in 2023.

THR reports that the decision follows in the wake of director Bassam Tariq's departure from the project two weeks ago. Marvel will use the break to search for a replacement while further developing it.

First announced back in 2019, Blade brough aboard Tariq in 2021, who praised Marvel for taking "big swings." Since then there have been rumors of multiple rewrites and other issues, with Tariq subsequently departing the project last month due to scheduling conflicts.

The project was scheduled to begin shooting in November but is now likely to commence in 2023, which will likely push its release to 2024 in turn. It's currently slated to be part of Phase 5 of the MCU.

Whatever happens, Marvel is said to be content to take its time with finding a replacement, with a source reportedly telling THR that the studio wants to "really get it right."

For those who can't wait for some Marvel monster action, Werewolf by Night is out now, and we gave it a 9 in our review for its "mesmerising take on Universal monster movies with a Marvel twist." You can also check out our list of the most important monsters of the Marvel universe.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Character Posters Released Alongside New Featurette

Marvel Studios has released a gallery of character posters for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, along with a featurette that puts the spotlight on the sequel's ensemble cast.

The 12 new posters offer a closer look at the movie's main characters, including returning stars such as Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, and Letitia Wright, as well as several new faces, with posters for the likes of Tenoch Huerta's Namor, Michaela Coel's Aneka, and Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams, who is making her MCU debut in the film.

Instead of pivoting around one lead character, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will focus on the larger supporting cast, with Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M'Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje banding together to protect their nation from intervening world powers as they attempt to forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda in the wake of King T'Challa's death.

The new featurette for the film takes viewers behind the scenes of the sequel, with commentary supplied by director/co-writer Ryan Coogler and some members of the cast. They discuss their touching connections with Chadwick Boseman and how they wanted to channel those feelings into something special that would honor the late actor's legacy.

The video also highlights the arrival of Namor from the underwater kingdom of Talocan. He is described as "a living god" who possesses certain powers that set him apart from his fellow Atlanteans. Namor and T'Challa have a long and dysfunctional relationship in the comics, so we will likely see Namor butting heads with Shuri as their two nations go to war.

According to a recent theater listing, the upcoming Marvel movie clocks in at 2 hours 41 minutes – that makes it the longest Phase 4 movie as well as the longest non-Avengers film in the entire MCU – but with plenty of new stories emerging in the recent Wakanda Forever teaser trailer, it looks like there's plenty of justification for a pretty hefty runtime.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released in theaters on November 11, 2022.

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

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Character Posters Released Alongside New Featurette

Marvel Studios has released a gallery of character posters for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, along with a featurette that puts the spotlight on the sequel's ensemble cast.

The 12 new posters offer a closer look at the movie's main characters, including returning stars such as Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, and Letitia Wright, as well as several new faces, with posters for the likes of Tenoch Huerta's Namor, Michaela Coel's Aneka, and Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams, who is making her MCU debut in the film.

Instead of pivoting around one lead character, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will focus on the larger supporting cast, with Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M'Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje banding together to protect their nation from intervening world powers as they attempt to forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda in the wake of King T'Challa's death.

The new featurette for the film takes viewers behind the scenes of the sequel, with commentary supplied by director/co-writer Ryan Coogler and some members of the cast. They discuss their touching connections with Chadwick Boseman and how they wanted to channel those feelings into something special that would honor the late actor's legacy.

The video also highlights the arrival of Namor from the underwater kingdom of Talocan. He is described as "a living god" who possesses certain powers that set him apart from his fellow Atlanteans. Namor and T'Challa have a long and dysfunctional relationship in the comics, so we will likely see Namor butting heads with Shuri as their two nations go to war.

According to a recent theater listing, the upcoming Marvel movie clocks in at 2 hours 41 minutes – that makes it the longest Phase 4 movie as well as the longest non-Avengers film in the entire MCU – but with plenty of new stories emerging in the recent Wakanda Forever teaser trailer, it looks like there's plenty of justification for a pretty hefty runtime.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released in theaters on November 11, 2022.

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

PlayStation 5 US Shipments Are Up 400% From Last Year

Sony is producing way more PlayStation 5 consoles than it was last year with new figures showing a 400% increase in shipments to the United States year over year.

Senior analyst at MST Financial David Gibson shared the stats on Twitter (below), showing a huge spike in the number of units being shipped to the US in September.

Gibson noted that the increase will in part be to prepare for God of War: Ragnarok's launch on November 9, but the increase in shipments generally bodes well for those looking to buy a PS5 in the US over the holiday period.

Sony's next generation console, alongside the entire tech industry, has suffered from severe production issues since it was released in 2020, caused by chip shortages and the knock-on effects of Covid-19.

Interestingly, these shortages were estimated last year to take place until September 2022, the exact month where Sony saw its spike in PS5 shipments.

Despite these struggles, Sony had still sold more than 20 million PS5 consoles as of June 2022, and while it missed its original 2021 sales target by 3.3 million units, the company declared that it estimated a further 18 million sales by March 2023.

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

PlayStation 5 US Shipments Are Up 400% From Last Year

Sony is producing way more PlayStation 5 consoles than it was last year with new figures showing a 400% increase in shipments to the United States year over year.

Senior analyst at MST Financial David Gibson shared the stats on Twitter (below), showing a huge spike in the number of units being shipped to the US in September.

Gibson noted that the increase will in part be to prepare for God of War: Ragnarok's launch on November 9, but the increase in shipments generally bodes well for those looking to buy a PS5 in the US over the holiday period.

Sony's next generation console, alongside the entire tech industry, has suffered from severe production issues since it was released in 2020, caused by chip shortages and the knock-on effects of Covid-19.

Interestingly, these shortages were estimated last year to take place until September 2022, the exact month where Sony saw its spike in PS5 shipments.

Despite these struggles, Sony had still sold more than 20 million PS5 consoles as of June 2022, and while it missed its original 2021 sales target by 3.3 million units, the company declared that it estimated a further 18 million sales by March 2023.

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

Black Adam Will ‘Absolutely’ Fight Superman In the DCEU Says Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson has promised that his DCEU character Black Adam will "absolutely" fight Superman in an upcoming film.

Speaking to Cinema Blend, Johnson remained confident that Black Adam is marking a new era in the otherwise struggling DC cinematic universe.

When asked if Black Adam and Superman will ever throw fists, Johnson said: "Absolutely. That is the whole point of this. There's a new era in the DC universe that's about to begin."

He went on to claim that DC is now listening to its fans and doing its best to meet their expectations, though warned that "sometime down the road" it may not be able to do so.

Johnson firmly believes that the DCEU - which began with Man of Steel and has since included the original Suicide Squad, Justice League, Wonder Woman, and so on - has been going through a transitory period and will begin again with Black Adam.

"So finally, after many months turned into many years, we ended up with what we ended up at," he said. "And the whole goal and intention now is to this new era, new time. Now let's build out."

It's not the first time the Fast and Furious and Jumanji star has been vocal about the future of the DCEU, as Johnson commented in August that he's "optimistic" that it will one day cross over with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

There perhaps isn't as much optimism about other DCEU properties, however, as DC Comics chief creative officer Jim Lee said in July that Zack Snyder's time at the helm has likely come to an end. He believes the "Snyderverse" - which consists of Justice League, Batman v Superman, and Man of Steel - has concluded, as "there's no plans for additional work on that material."

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