A senior writer on Horizon: Forbidden West has left Guerrilla Games to join Playground and work on the upcoming Xbox exclusive Fable reboot.

As reported by Eurogamer, Andrew Walsh announced on LinkedIn that he was leaving the world of PlayStation to start work on its rival Xbox's upcoming fantasy game developed by the Forza Horizon studio.

This won't be Walsh's first foray into Fable, however, as he previously served as narrative lead on the cancelled co-op spin-off game Fable Legends, working at the now defunct Lionhead Studios from 2013 to 2015.

Walsh had most recently served as associate narrative director on the PlayStation VR 2's Horizon: Call of the Mountain, but has a long-running career in video game writing. He's previously worked on Watch Dogs Legion, The Division 2, Shadow of the Beast, and more.

It's still unknown when fans can expect to see more of the legendary fantasy franchise, but it's certainly been a long wait so far, given Fable for Xbox Series X was officially announced more than two years ago in July 2020.

Xbox has shared that it's being developed using the Forza Engine and that the game will mark "a new beginning" for the Fable franchise, but has remained tight-lipped otherwise.

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

Actor Justin Long has revealed that Vince Vaughn has a plan for Dodgeball 2, but Ben Stiller might need some convincing.

Speaking with ComicBook.com, Long, who starred in 2004's Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story alongside Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller, revealed that Vaughn has come up with a "funny idea" for a sequel but Stiller seems to be dodging, ducking, dipping, diving, and dodging the pitch, given that the original movie was released 18 years ago, in 2004.

"Vince had been telling me that he has this great idea for a sequel," Long said, noting that he would "love" to return for a second round. "I hope that it ends up happening, but I think Ben is a little, what he told me on that podcast was that he's a little trepidatious about doing a sequel to something so beloved, something that people enjoy so much that.

"It's very risky, you don't wanna s*** on the original, you want something just as good," he added. "I think he's a little wary of that, of trying to recreate something that was very specific to that time, but I hope he comes around on it. Vince is a very convincing person, so I'm just hoping Vince can convince him with his idea. It's a funny idea, I don't wanna say what it is."

While Stiller is understandably hesitant about returning for a sequel, Long indicated that there still might be a chance they can get him back in the game. Of particular significance, Long spoke fondly of a 2017 charity event that reunited the cast — recalling Stiller's enthusiasm for Dodgeball and his character in the movie, offering a glimmer of hope for a future reprisal.

"I know Ben loves Dodgeball and loves that character," he said. "I remember how much fun he had playing it. He was always laughing. When we got together years later to do a little mini reunion for this charity and Ben put on the mustache again, I remember him talking about how how happy it made him playing White Goodman again and how much fun that character was."

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story made more than $160 million worldwide on a reported budget of $20 million, but Stiller's qualms over a sequel might stem from his experience on Zoolander 2. The follow-up to the 2001 film bombed at the box office and earned nine Razzie nominations, including two for Stiller in the Worst Actor and Worst Director categories.

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

Actor Justin Long has revealed that Vince Vaughn has a plan for Dodgeball 2, but Ben Stiller might need some convincing.

Speaking with ComicBook.com, Long, who starred in 2004's Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story alongside Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller, revealed that Vaughn has come up with a "funny idea" for a sequel but Stiller seems to be dodging, ducking, dipping, diving, and dodging the pitch, given that the original movie was released 18 years ago, in 2004.

"Vince had been telling me that he has this great idea for a sequel," Long said, noting that he would "love" to return for a second round. "I hope that it ends up happening, but I think Ben is a little, what he told me on that podcast was that he's a little trepidatious about doing a sequel to something so beloved, something that people enjoy so much that.

"It's very risky, you don't wanna s*** on the original, you want something just as good," he added. "I think he's a little wary of that, of trying to recreate something that was very specific to that time, but I hope he comes around on it. Vince is a very convincing person, so I'm just hoping Vince can convince him with his idea. It's a funny idea, I don't wanna say what it is."

While Stiller is understandably hesitant about returning for a sequel, Long indicated that there still might be a chance they can get him back in the game. Of particular significance, Long spoke fondly of a 2017 charity event that reunited the cast — recalling Stiller's enthusiasm for Dodgeball and his character in the movie, offering a glimmer of hope for a future reprisal.

"I know Ben loves Dodgeball and loves that character," he said. "I remember how much fun he had playing it. He was always laughing. When we got together years later to do a little mini reunion for this charity and Ben put on the mustache again, I remember him talking about how how happy it made him playing White Goodman again and how much fun that character was."

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story made more than $160 million worldwide on a reported budget of $20 million, but Stiller's qualms over a sequel might stem from his experience on Zoolander 2. The follow-up to the 2001 film bombed at the box office and earned nine Razzie nominations, including two for Stiller in the Worst Actor and Worst Director categories.

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

The marketing for God of War: Ragnarok is ramping up ahead of next week's release, and the latest trailer features appearances from three big celebrity names.

In the new "All Parents Can Relate" video (which you can watch above!), Ben Stiller, LeBron James, and John Travolta are all attending a counseling session with their kids. Stiller steals the show, dressed up just like God of War's Kratos, saying "The God of War dynamic plays out in every parent-child relationship. When that clicked for me, I picked up my Leviathan Axe, and felt truly close to my son for the very first time."

Stiller and Travolta bond over the fact that they lay in bed awake at night thinking about Kratos, causing Travolta's daughter to lean in and tell her dad he's "being too thirsty" for the God of War. Other highlights include Stiller helping LeBron and his son reach a "LeBreakthrough" in their relationship, and Travolta's daughter bluntly telling her dad "you're old and you're bald." Many viewers in the YouTube comments are now clamoring for a Ben Stiller DLC skin for Kratos in God of War Ragnarok.

If you're as obsessed with Kratos as Ben Stiller apparently is, you're in luck, as we're just over a week out from the release of God of War Ragnarok. While you wait over the next week, check out our God of War impressions and our spoiler-free Ragnarok Q&A. Plus, you can figure out what performance settings you want to try out first. Just be careful, because Ragnarok spoilers are already out there on the internet.

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.

The marketing for God of War: Ragnarok is ramping up ahead of next week's release, and the latest trailer features appearances from three big celebrity names.

In the new "All Parents Can Relate" video (which you can watch above!), Ben Stiller, LeBron James, and John Travolta are all attending a counseling session with their kids. Stiller steals the show, dressed up just like God of War's Kratos, saying "The God of War dynamic plays out in every parent-child relationship. When that clicked for me, I picked up my Leviathan Axe, and felt truly close to my son for the very first time."

Stiller and Travolta bond over the fact that they lay in bed awake at night thinking about Kratos, causing Travolta's daughter to lean in and tell her dad he's "being too thirsty" for the God of War. Other highlights include Stiller helping LeBron and his son reach a "LeBreakthrough" in their relationship, and Travolta's daughter bluntly telling her dad "you're old and you're bald." Many viewers in the YouTube comments are now clamoring for a Ben Stiller DLC skin for Kratos in God of War Ragnarok.

If you're as obsessed with Kratos as Ben Stiller apparently is, you're in luck, as we're just over a week out from the release of God of War Ragnarok. While you wait over the next week, check out our God of War impressions and our spoiler-free Ragnarok Q&A. Plus, you can figure out what performance settings you want to try out first. Just be careful, because Ragnarok spoilers are already out there on the internet.

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.

The upcoming Final Fantasy Trading Card Game set, Resurgence of Power, will soon release this year on December 9. The new booster set is packed full of fan favorites from Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 8, and Final Fantasy 13 just to name a few. Speaking of Final Fantasy 13, we have an exclusive reveal of the newest Lightning card, one of the rarest cards in the set. Take a look in all its glory:

The new dual-color Lightning is a crazy strong card costing a measly two crystal power or mana. If you're running a lightning and water deck or cards that can play two cost cards for free, this Lightning will fit in just perfectly. First off, she has Haste which allows her to attack the same turn she was played. Paired with her enter-the-field ability, not only are you leaving room to deal direct damage to your opponent but you also draw a new card. With her power being 7000 as well, she's stronger than the average of her cost type.

To top it all off, she has a secondary ability where she can be summoned back from the Break Zone or discard pile. There is a lot of discard removal in the current meta with the likes of Exdeath or Mist Dragon, but you can activate this to save your Lighting and gain a body on the field again. This is really a great card, and I wouldn't be surprised if Lightning returns to dominate the meta in this next set.

Three rare variants and more

In addition to this exclusive Lightning card, here are some of the rarest cards in the set and maybe the entire card game:

The three variants are from Final Fantasy 7 including Aerith, Sephiroth, and Cloud. Some of these new cards include variants featuring the iconic art of Yoshitaka Amano. In addition, the upcoming set is introducing a new type of rare collectible card, the Special Card. For the Final Fantasy 7 25th Anniversary Celebration, the new Special Card will be a Full Art Foil Yuffie with a gold stamped signature from Tetsuya Nomura. Here's a closer look:

This will be one of the card game's biggest collector's items yet. Rounding the last of the featured cards is Sonon as we see him from Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade. This is Resurgence of Power's box topper which means it comes with every booster box that you buy. Sonon is a good defensive card that can be played on your opponent's turn with Back Attack. A great addition to a Final Fantasy 7 deck or a lightning and earth deck.

Resurgence of Power is the 18th set adding 130 standard cards, plus 170 premium cards featuring 28 sweet, full-art card designs plus the one Yuffie Special Card.

For more Final Fantasy, be sure to check out what we learned from the newest Final Fantasy 16 trailer and the full card list from the last FFTCG Booster Set, Rebellion's Call.

Mike Mamon is a writer at IGN.

The upcoming Final Fantasy Trading Card Game set, Resurgence of Power, will soon release this year on December 9. The new booster set is packed full of fan favorites from Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 8, and Final Fantasy 13 just to name a few. Speaking of Final Fantasy 13, we have an exclusive reveal of the newest Lightning card, one of the rarest cards in the set. Take a look in all its glory:

The new dual-color Lightning is a crazy strong card costing a measly two crystal power or mana. If you're running a lightning and water deck or cards that can play two cost cards for free, this Lightning will fit in just perfectly. First off, she has Haste which allows her to attack the same turn she was played. Paired with her enter-the-field ability, not only are you leaving room to deal direct damage to your opponent but you also draw a new card. With her power being 7000 as well, she's stronger than the average of her cost type.

To top it all off, she has a secondary ability where she can be summoned back from the Break Zone or discard pile. There is a lot of discard removal in the current meta with the likes of Exdeath or Mist Dragon, but you can activate this to save your Lighting and gain a body on the field again. This is really a great card, and I wouldn't be surprised if Lightning returns to dominate the meta in this next set.

Three rare variants and more

In addition to this exclusive Lightning card, here are some of the rarest cards in the set and maybe the entire card game:

The three variants are from Final Fantasy 7 including Aerith, Sephiroth, and Cloud. Some of these new cards include variants featuring the iconic art of Yoshitaka Amano. In addition, the upcoming set is introducing a new type of rare collectible card, the Special Card. For the Final Fantasy 7 25th Anniversary Celebration, the new Special Card will be a Full Art Foil Yuffie with a gold stamped signature from Tetsuya Nomura. Here's a closer look:

This will be one of the card game's biggest collector's items yet. Rounding the last of the featured cards is Sonon as we see him from Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade. This is Resurgence of Power's box topper which means it comes with every booster box that you buy. Sonon is a good defensive card that can be played on your opponent's turn with Back Attack. A great addition to a Final Fantasy 7 deck or a lightning and earth deck.

Resurgence of Power is the 18th set adding 130 standard cards, plus 170 premium cards featuring 28 sweet, full-art card designs plus the one Yuffie Special Card.

For more Final Fantasy, be sure to check out what we learned from the newest Final Fantasy 16 trailer and the full card list from the last FFTCG Booster Set, Rebellion's Call.

Mike Mamon is a writer at IGN.

While Gears of War has always been connected to the Xbox brand, the series was created by Epic Games as an exclusive. And though the series eventually found its way to Microsoft's first-party portfolio, lead designer Cliff Bleszinski shared his thoughts on the sale.

IGN sat down with Bleszinski for a new episode of Unfiltered and found out how the game director felt when it was announced that Epic Games would sell the franchise to Microsoft in 2014. This was two years after Bleszinski left Epic Games in 2012.

"I honestly think once Lee Perry [Gameplay Designer, Gears of War 2], myself, and Rod Ferguson [Producer, Gears of War] left, I believe that Epic didn't really know what to do with the franchise," Bleszinski tells IGN. He further believes the sale helped Epic fund its future ventures and growth.

"They hadn't shipped a game in a while. The [Unreal] engine was doing rather well, but they were growing and they probably needed the income even though they really didn't know what to do with the future of the franchise."

Bleszinski also says that following the sale, the only person to call him about it was Xbox's Phil Spencer. "As much as I loved Tim and Mark [Rein, VP of Epic Games] and we're still in touch, but when the IP was sold to Microsoft the only phone call I got was from Phil Spencer. Right? And that's Phil. Phil is, as they say, a gentleman and a scholar."

After Microsoft acquired the Gears of War franchise from Epic, the development of the games was handed over to The Coalition, an Xbox Game Studios team in Canada. Under The Coalition, the team developed Gears of War 4 and Gears 5.

Epic Games has since charted a new path in the post-Gears of War years, primarily with the global hit Fortnite. Epic is also continuing to develop the next-gen game engine, Unreal Engine 5, which coincidentally The Coalition is using for its next game.

Bleszinski did share his thoughts on the new games on Unfiltered as well, saying that he doesn't feel the new games have the same "heart" the original trilogy has.

"I will say about the latest ones is that at the end of one of the recent ones, they made the player choose between which character lives and dies. And I'm like, 'Dude, really?' We committed to Dom dying. We committed to Maria being killed.'" The Coalition may have painted itself into a narrative "corner" according to Bleszinski.

For more on Bleszinski and his new book, 'Control Freak: My Epic Adventure Making Video Games," check out IGN Unfiltered.

While Gears of War has always been connected to the Xbox brand, the series was created by Epic Games as an exclusive. And though the series eventually found its way to Microsoft's first-party portfolio, lead designer Cliff Bleszinski shared his thoughts on the sale.

IGN sat down with Bleszinski for a new episode of Unfiltered and found out how the game director felt when it was announced that Epic Games would sell the franchise to Microsoft in 2014. This was two years after Bleszinski left Epic Games in 2012.

"I honestly think once Lee Perry [Gameplay Designer, Gears of War 2], myself, and Rod Ferguson [Producer, Gears of War] left, I believe that Epic didn't really know what to do with the franchise," Bleszinski tells IGN. He further believes the sale helped Epic fund its future ventures and growth.

"They hadn't shipped a game in a while. The [Unreal] engine was doing rather well, but they were growing and they probably needed the income even though they really didn't know what to do with the future of the franchise."

Bleszinski also says that following the sale, the only person to call him about it was Xbox's Phil Spencer. "As much as I loved Tim and Mark [Rein, VP of Epic Games] and we're still in touch, but when the IP was sold to Microsoft the only phone call I got was from Phil Spencer. Right? And that's Phil. Phil is, as they say, a gentleman and a scholar."

After Microsoft acquired the Gears of War franchise from Epic, the development of the games was handed over to The Coalition, an Xbox Game Studios team in Canada. Under The Coalition, the team developed Gears of War 4 and Gears 5.

Epic Games has since charted a new path in the post-Gears of War years, primarily with the global hit Fortnite. Epic is also continuing to develop the next-gen game engine, Unreal Engine 5, which coincidentally The Coalition is using for its next game.

Bleszinski did share his thoughts on the new games on Unfiltered as well, saying that he doesn't feel the new games have the same "heart" the original trilogy has.

"I will say about the latest ones is that at the end of one of the recent ones, they made the player choose between which character lives and dies. And I'm like, 'Dude, really?' We committed to Dom dying. We committed to Maria being killed.'" The Coalition may have painted itself into a narrative "corner" according to Bleszinski.

For more on Bleszinski and his new book, 'Control Freak: My Epic Adventure Making Video Games," check out IGN Unfiltered.

Video game industry veteran Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski has admitted he had an intense rivalry with id Software co-founder and Doom co-creator John Romero in the 1990s when he was working at Epic Games.

Speaking to IGN, Bleszinski said that, as the co-designer of Unreal, he was "gunning to try and defeat" id Software's Quake and its lead designer and director Romero.

"I saw Romero as my enemy," he said. "He was dating Stevie Case at the time, who's in Playboy and whatnot, and I was like, 'I'm going to take that guy down'. It goes back to, again, the whole, I had nothing and I wanted it, you had everything and you flaunted it. So we were gunning to try and defeat [Quake]."

He continued: "Ramiro was one of the first rockstar game designers and I looked at his playbook and I tried to emulate it as much as possible. He had his signature long hair, he has his painted nails, 'It's rock and roll, mate,' and then I was doing the whole blonde hair, the red hair, changing my looks up a lot because [of] being a pop culture nut."

Bleszinski said Epic utilized the concept of "counter programming" at the time, where they'd consider what id Software was doing, then do the opposite to one-up them and appeal to a different audience.

"Yes, we were making a multiplayer first person shooter, but we wanted to have bright colours, not make it kind of dark and dreary," he said. "Same thing with the first Unreal. Unreal had the bright coloured lighting, it had sky castles, it had all these beautiful environments, whereas Quake was deep, dark, Trent Resner fuelled, Cthulhu dungeons."

Though he's now good friends with Romero, Bleszinski admitted he went too far with some elements of the rivalry. Romero founded Ion Storm after leaving id Software in 1996, but the studio didn't have much success and shut down in 2005.

"It really is a classic Hollywood kind of story, rooting for Romero to fall," Bleszinski said. "I wound up recruiting a whole bunch of really, really talented people at Epic Games [when Ion Storm shut down], but it's one of those things that, in hindsight, it was really dickish to have the schadenfreude of seeing somebody else's studio fail.

"Then, again, the matrix God was sending me another signal, like, 'well now your studio's going to fail. You're going to see how it f**king feels'," he added.

Bleszinski co-founded Boss Key Productions in 2014 and the studio began work on Lawbreakers, a PC arena shooter intended to rival Overwatch. Though he again deployed his "counter programming" strategy in an attempt to take down Blizzard's game, Lawbreakers did not take off and Boss Key Productions shut down in 2018.

Romero, on the other hand, is currently creating a new first person shooter in (ironically) Unreal Engine 5, and is also developing Sigil 2 (which will run on Doom 2’s engine) at his studio Romero Games.

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