Ubisoft has revealed fresh details on the upcoming Season Pass for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, including a new combat game mode and the first look at Rayman, who will be a playable character in the third DLC offering.

Davide Soliani, the creative director for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, first revealed that the game would receive three packs of DLC content during a Ubisoft Forward event in September earlier this year. Now, thanks to an official press release posted on the company's website, we finally have some concrete information as to what form the post launch content will take.

The first piece of upcoming DLC - entitled Tower of Doooom - is set to release early next year and will be exclusive to gamers who have purchased the $29.99 season pass. Tower of Doooom will see Mario and the gang clean out Madame Bwahstrella’s multidimensional tower, all while storming through a series of "highly strategic battles" as they attempt to rescue the returning Rabbid character Spawny.

The second DLC pack, which is due to drop in mid-2023, will take the heroes to an entirely new and “enchanted” world featuring its own colorful cast of characters, enemies, environments and mysterious secrets.

Lastly, the later part of 2023 will see the release of the third and final DLC offering included in the season pass, which will see Rabid Mario and Rabid Peach team up with Rayman to explore “a new and mysterious place”.

Unlike the first piece of DLC which is exclusive to the season pass, players will be able to buy the second and third expansions separately.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope - which released on to Nintendo Switch consoles on October 20 - retains the intelligent XCOM style of combat from the original 2017 game, albeit reimagined to have a more dynamic and free flowing feel. For a more complete breakdown of what we think of the zany sequel’s over world, customization options and other qualities and foibles, be sure to check out IGN’s full review.

Anthony Wood is a freelance science writer for IGN.

Square Enix has officially announced Symbiogenesis, a new NFT collectible art project that’s coming in Spring 2023 alongside a free browser service.

"Symbiogenesis is brand-new entertainment content set in a self-contained world where a wide cast of characters symbiosis, all of which can be collected as digital art; an interactive story and a dedicated community," Square Enix says in a statement. "The art can be used for social media profile pictures (PFP) and as a character in a story that takes place in an alternate world where the player can ’untangle’ a mystery by completing missions that revolve around questions of the monopolization and distribution of resources. With each strategic move players make, more of the story unfolds."

NFT Collectible Art Project
SYMBIOGENESIS
Untangle the Story
Spring 2023#SYMBIOGENESIS #symgeNFT #NFT #NFTProjects pic.twitter.com/Kk1JvMdQx4

— SYMBIOGENESIS (@symbiogenesisPR) November 3, 2022

Not much else is known about this Web3 project, but last month, Square Enix trademarked Symbiogenesis in Japan. It was rumored to be some sort of Parasite Eve revival due to the word Symbiogenesis meaning a process where two separate organisms combine to create one. Notably, this process is the basis for Parasite Eve’s story.

Those who were hoping for a new Parasite Eve game will undoubtedly be disappointed. Square Enix already mentioned it was interested in dabbling in blockchain games. Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda ushered in 2022 with a New Year’s letter explaining how the metaverse would be an upcoming hot topic within the games industry and for the company. And then earlier this year, the company also sold a Cloud Strife figure that doubled as an NFT.

The last Parasite Eve game was The 3rd Birthday, which was released in 2011 for the PlayStation Portable.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He's been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey

Tuca & Bertie has been canceled once more, this time by Adult Swim — the network that swooped in and picked the series up after it was axed by Netflix.

Series creator Lisa Hanawalt announced the show's cancelation in a heartfelt post on Twitter, writing: "To all our fans – we love you and can't thank you enough for your support over the years. Please never stop making weird fan art (and dressing up as the characters for Halloween!), it brings me endless joy.

Goodbye to Tuca & Bertie, for now :( pic.twitter.com/fVodONC4mY

— Lisa Hanawalt (@lisadraws) November 2, 2022

"Working with Adult Swim was very creatively fulfilling, our execs were all smart and thoughtful, and I'm grateful that we got the space to make all these wild and heartfelt episodes about things that matter to me very much," she added, giving a shoutout to her talented coworkers and collaborators.

Tuca & Bertie is a comedy about the friendship between two 30-something female birds who live in the same apartment building — Tuca, a cocky, carefree toucan, and Bertie, an anxious, daydreaming songbird. Its first season aired on Netflix in 2019, but the steaming service dropped it after just one season. Adult Swim then picked it up for a further two seasons.

Hanawalt expressed her desire to give the series a proper ending, saying: "I still have a beautiful and weird ending to T&B in mind, hopefully someday we'll get a chance to finish the story. In the meantime, I'm not done creating. I've witnessed so many people connecting with this show on a profound level, and I intend to keep telling stories like this, no matter what."

As shown by the sudden disappearance of numerous films and shows from the HBO Max library, Warner Bros. Discovery, the owner of Adult Swim, has been aggressively cleaning house as part of its efforts to cut costs following a very expensive merger. However, Hanawalt did not indicate whether Tuca & Bertie's cancelation came as a result of these changes.

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

One of the most controversial parts of Halo Infinite has been its approach to progression, as originally it would only reward players with XP for completing challenges and not for how they performed in a match. This is all about to change as Halo Infinite's Winter Update will add match and performance-based XP when it is released on November 8.

As detailed on Halo Waypoint, the Match XP Beta is part of 343 Industries' mission to address player feedback in regard to progression. With Match XP, "players will be rewarded for playing whatever mode they want, and your performance in those matches will tie into those rewards." Furthermore, the "majority of XP" will come from Match XP as opposed to Challenges.

On November 8, Match XP will award players with XP for such things as completing matches and being on the winning team as well as rewarding them with more XP for where they stand on the end-of-match placement.

343 has said it is calling this "Match XP Beta" as it is going to "be monitoring the values for each reward category, adjusting them as we move forwards with this new model." This means the values will not be final when Match XP arrives and will be adjusted accordingly.

Match XP will be the main driver in progressing the Battle Pass, and Challenges will provide a "bonus boost" to gaining those tiers. The purpose of Challenges, according to 343, is being "redirected" and they will now "primarily serve as the path towards earning customization items each week through the Ultimate Reward." There will still be XP rewards, but Match XP will be the main source of progression.

343 is updating how Challenges work, and the three "main points" of change are as follows:

• We are reducing the number of Challenges required to hit the Ultimate Challenge from 20 to 10
• All Challenges in regular weekly decks can be completed in any playlist
• Challenges are more “general” overall

The Winter Update will also be the first step in making it so "all challenges will be playlist agnostic." This means that, for now, Event Challenges can still only be completed in Event Playlists, but that will all change in the future.

How do these changes sit with you? Be sure to let us know how you are feeling about the future of Halo and what you'd like to see adjusted.

Alongside Match XP, Halo Infinite players will also be able to look forward to the official launch of Forge Mode on November 8 and the full release of online campaign co-op. Unfortunately, split-screen co-op has been canceled entirely.

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.

Santa Monica Studio has revealed the graphics modes for God of War Ragnarok on PS5, PS4 Pro, and PS4.

Santa Monica Studio shared these modes on Twitter, and the news follows a report that stated God of War Ragnarok would have a 120hz performance mode on PS5. This appears to still officially be the case with the Favor Performance + HFR (High Frame Rate) mode and the Favor Performance + HFR + VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) mode. As always, achieving 120hz requires a TV or monitor that supports HDMI 2.1.

You can check out the full range of graphics modes below in the image and the bulleted list below to get an idea of how you may want to play God of War Ragnarok when it is released on November 9.

• PS5
  • Favor Performance
    • 1440-2160P
    • 60 FPS Target
  • Favor Performance + High Frame Rate
    • 1440P
    • Unlocked 60 FPS
  • Favor Performance + High Frame Rate + Variable Refresh Rate
    • 1440P
    • Unlocked 60 FPS
  • Favor Quality
    • 2160P [Native 4K]
    • 30 FPS Target
  • Favor Quality + High Frame Rate
    • 1800-2160P
    • 40 FPS Target
  • Favor Quality + High Frame Rate + Variable Refresh Rate
    • 1800-2160P
    • Unlocked 40 FPS
• PS4 Pro
  • Favor Performance
    • 1080-1656P
    • Unlocked 30 FPS
  • Favor Quality
    • 1440-1656P
    • 30 FPS Target
• PS4
  • Standard
    • 1080P
    • 30 FPS Target

For more on God of War Ragnarok, check out the hilarious Japanese trailer that's much happier than it has any right to be and one starring John Travolta, Ben Stiller, LeBron James, and their kids.

Also, be sure to check out our hands-on preview of God of War Ragnarok and check back today, November 3, at 9am PT/12pm ET/4pm GMT/5pm CEST for our official review.

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.

Post-acquisition, Twitter's $8 verification fee isn’t the only new monetization plan on the horizon, with reports that new owner Elon Musk may also look to add a “Paywalled Video” feature soon.

According to The Washington Post, the paid video feature allows creators to charge for their content and nets Twitter a cut of the fee. The internal emails provided to the Washington Post also highlight legal compliance concerns, and Twitter’s Product Trust Team “identified the risk as high.”

Twitter’s timeline for the feature doesn’t give internal teams long for compliance review, with only three days to assess its risk. Monetization options include pre-set amounts, with options for $1, $2, $5, and $10 to reveal a video. Users can still interact with the content by liking or retweeting, but the video appears blurry until paid for.

The report could not confirm if the paywall functionality was a project launched before or after Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion last week, but Musk hasn’t been shy about changing things up. In addition to those plans for a verification fee, the platform may bring back Vine, and he’s already fired top executives.

On the actual platform, Musk has continued to defend his monetization plans, and said the verification option “will also give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators.”

This will also give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022

Twitter has a few options to monetize a creator’s online presence already, including the Tip Jar and Super Follow. The Super Follow feature is paid as a monthly fee, with the creator providing an “extra level of access and bonus content.” The difference here puts blurred-out videos on user timlines, asking for a one-time transaction to view.

Andrea Shearon is a freelance contributor for IGN covering games and entertainment. She's worn several hats over her seven-year career in the games industry, with bylines over at Fanbyte, USA Today's FTW, TheGamer, VG247, and RPG Site. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) or the Materia Possessions podcast chatting about FFXIV, RPGs, and any series involving giant robots.

Post-acquisition, Twitter's $8 verification fee isn’t the only new monetization plan on the horizon, with reports that new owner Elon Musk may also look to add a “Paywalled Video” feature soon.

According to The Washington Post, the paid video feature allows creators to charge for their content and nets Twitter a cut of the fee. The internal emails provided to the Washington Post also highlight legal compliance concerns, and Twitter’s Product Trust Team “identified the risk as high.”

Twitter’s timeline for the feature doesn’t give internal teams long for compliance review, with only three days to assess its risk. Monetization options include pre-set amounts, with options for $1, $2, $5, and $10 to reveal a video. Users can still interact with the content by liking or retweeting, but the video appears blurry until paid for.

The report could not confirm if the paywall functionality was a project launched before or after Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion last week, but Musk hasn’t been shy about changing things up. In addition to those plans for a verification fee, the platform may bring back Vine, and he’s already fired top executives.

On the actual platform, Musk has continued to defend his monetization plans, and said the verification option “will also give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators.”

This will also give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022

Twitter has a few options to monetize a creator’s online presence already, including the Tip Jar and Super Follow. The Super Follow feature is paid as a monthly fee, with the creator providing an “extra level of access and bonus content.” The difference here puts blurred-out videos on user timlines, asking for a one-time transaction to view.

Andrea Shearon is a freelance contributor for IGN covering games and entertainment. She's worn several hats over her seven-year career in the games industry, with bylines over at Fanbyte, USA Today's FTW, TheGamer, VG247, and RPG Site. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) or the Materia Possessions podcast chatting about FFXIV, RPGs, and any series involving giant robots.

Aubrey Plaza looks to be the latest star to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she is reportedly set to star alongside Kathryn Hahn and Joe Locke in Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

Deadline reports that while Plaza's role is being kept under wraps, she is apparently set to play a villain in the forthcoming WandaVision spin-off. Plaza is currently starring in White Lotus, which recently kicked off its second season.

Agatha: Coven of Chaos will mark the return of Hahn as Agatha Harkness, who was introduced as one of Wanda Maximoff's main rivals in WandaVision. It's one of two WandaVision spin-offs reported to be in development, with Marvel also said to be working on a show featuring Vision.

Plaza found fame on Parks and Rec as April Ludgate, a cynical intern who eventually marries Chris Pratt's character. She later went on to additional roles in Scott Pilgrim and White Lotus.

Little else is known about Coven of Chaos at this point save that it will be released around the end of 2023.

Thumbnail photo credit: Raymond Hall/Getty Images

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.

Aubrey Plaza looks to be the latest star to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she is reportedly set to star alongside Kathryn Hahn and Joe Locke in Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

Deadline reports that while Plaza's role is being kept under wraps, she is apparently set to play a villain in the forthcoming WandaVision spin-off. Plaza is currently starring in White Lotus, which recently kicked off its second season.

Agatha: Coven of Chaos will mark the return of Hahn as Agatha Harkness, who was introduced as one of Wanda Maximoff's main rivals in WandaVision. It's one of two WandaVision spin-offs reported to be in development, with Marvel also said to be working on a show featuring Vision.

Plaza found fame on Parks and Rec as April Ludgate, a cynical intern who eventually marries Chris Pratt's character. She later went on to additional roles in Scott Pilgrim and White Lotus.

Little else is known about Coven of Chaos at this point save that it will be released around the end of 2023.

Thumbnail photo credit: Raymond Hall/Getty Images

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.

Despite conflicting reports and deleted tweets, it appears Netflix has renewed Sandman for another installment.

According to Deadline, Netflix has renewed The Sandman, ensuring Neil Gaiman's DC comic will continue with more stories. The renewal was accidentally leaked by DC's official Twitter account before it was deleted.

The now-deleted tweet jumped the gun it seems writing, "The dream continues. @Netflix_Sandman will return with new episodes based on multiple volumes of the Neil Gaiman graphic novel to explore even more stories of the Endless."

Netflix later officially confirmed the renewal with a quote from Gaimain who says, "It gives me unbelievable pleasure to say that, working with Netflix and Warner Bros., Allan Heinberg, David Goyer and I will be bringing even more of The Sandman stories to life."

Gaiman added, "There are some astonishing stories waiting for Morpheus and the rest of them (not to mention more members of the Endless Family to meet). Nobody is going to be happier about this than the Sandman cast and crew: they are the biggest Sandman fans there are. And now it's time to get back to work. There's a family meal ahead, after all. And Lucifer is waiting for Morpheus to return to Hell…”

The Sandman premiered on August 5, 2022. and was praised for its faithful adaptation of the beloved Neil Gaiman comic book series following Dream, a god-like personification that rules over people's dreams in a realm called the Dreaming.

The cast includes Tom Sturridge as Dream as well as Boyd Holbrook, David Thewlis, Jenna Coleman, Gwendoline Christie, and more.

The first season consisted of ten episodes, based on stories directly from the comics. A special, two-part eleventh episode was released two weeks after the first season premiered.

In our review, IGN awarded The Sandman a 9, calling it an adaptation that fans "could only conjure up in their deepest of sleeps."

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.