The Fifteenth Doctor’s Companion Has Been Revealed

Millie Gibson is Doctor Who's newest companion. Gibson will play Ruby Sunday, joining Ncuti Gatwa in the fifteenth generation of Doctor Who. The announcement was made live on BBC Children in Need on Friday.

Gibson, who is currently 18-years-old, is best known for her role on Coronation Street as Kellie Neelan. She has also appearend in the shows Butterfly and Love, Lies and Records. Now, Gibson will join the Time Lord in the Tardis when the series returns in the end of 2023.

"Whilst still being in total disbelief, I am beyond honoured to be cast as the Doctor’s companion," Gibson told the BBC. "It is a gift of a role, and a dream come true, and I will do everything to try and fill the boots the fellow companions have travelled in before me. And what better way to do that than being by the fabulous Ncuti Gatwa’s side, I just can’t wait to get started."

Gibson is joining a new era of Doctor Who that is striving to break barriers. Gatwa, the 30-year-old Sex Education star, is the first black actor to portray the Doctor as a series lead. He will take over the helm of Time Lord from Jodie Whittaker, the first female protagonist on the show. Throughout her four-year tenure, Mandip Gill played Whittaker's sidekick, Yasmin Khan. Now, Gibson and Gatwa are taking over the reins.

"Millie just is the Companion," Gatwa said. "She is full of talent, strength, she has a cheeky sparkle in her eye and is sharp as a razor. From the moment she walked into the room she captured all of our attention with her effervescence and then solidified that attention with the sheer torque of her talent. This adventure is going to be so wild and so fun, I cannot WAIT to sail the universe with Millie!"

Doctor Who is expected to return next year with Russell T Davies at the helm. Before Gatwa's debut is aired, David Tennant will return as the Doctor in three episodes for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary.

Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.

The Fifteenth Doctor’s Companion Has Been Revealed

Millie Gibson is Doctor Who's newest companion. Gibson will play Ruby Sunday, joining Ncuti Gatwa in the fifteenth generation of Doctor Who. The announcement was made live on BBC Children in Need on Friday.

Gibson, who is currently 18-years-old, is best known for her role on Coronation Street as Kellie Neelan. She has also appearend in the shows Butterfly and Love, Lies and Records. Now, Gibson will join the Time Lord in the Tardis when the series returns in the end of 2023.

"Whilst still being in total disbelief, I am beyond honoured to be cast as the Doctor’s companion," Gibson told the BBC. "It is a gift of a role, and a dream come true, and I will do everything to try and fill the boots the fellow companions have travelled in before me. And what better way to do that than being by the fabulous Ncuti Gatwa’s side, I just can’t wait to get started."

Gibson is joining a new era of Doctor Who that is striving to break barriers. Gatwa, the 30-year-old Sex Education star, is the first black actor to portray the Doctor as a series lead. He will take over the helm of Time Lord from Jodie Whittaker, the first female protagonist on the show. Throughout her four-year tenure, Mandip Gill played Whittaker's sidekick, Yasmin Khan. Now, Gibson and Gatwa are taking over the reins.

"Millie just is the Companion," Gatwa said. "She is full of talent, strength, she has a cheeky sparkle in her eye and is sharp as a razor. From the moment she walked into the room she captured all of our attention with her effervescence and then solidified that attention with the sheer torque of her talent. This adventure is going to be so wild and so fun, I cannot WAIT to sail the universe with Millie!"

Doctor Who is expected to return next year with Russell T Davies at the helm. Before Gatwa's debut is aired, David Tennant will return as the Doctor in three episodes for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary.

Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.

Ticketmaster Being Investigated by Justice Department Following Taylor Swift Ticket Fiasco

The Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into Live Nation Entertainment following a fiasco earlier this week concerning its subsidiary Ticketmaster.

The New York Times reports that the Justice Department is investigating the company to determine whether or not Live Nation Entertainment abused its market power in the live events business. Earlier this week, pre-sale tickets for Taylor Swift's upcoming "Eras" tour when up, and the website crashed due to overwhelming demand.

Ticketmaster then announced on Thursday that it was canceling the public sale of Swift's tour due to "extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand."

Live Nation Entertainment has previously been under antitrust controversy as the company is currently under a consent decree as part of a settlement with the Justice Department following its merger with Ticketmaster in 2010.

However, this is not the only legal probe against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, as the Attorney Generals for North Carolina and Tennessee announced that they were also investigating Ticketmaster due to the Taylor Swift pre-sale ticket fiasco.

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

Ticketmaster Being Investigated by Justice Department Following Taylor Swift Ticket Fiasco

The Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into Live Nation Entertainment following a fiasco earlier this week concerning its subsidiary Ticketmaster.

The New York Times reports that the Justice Department is investigating the company to determine whether or not Live Nation Entertainment abused its market power in the live events business. Earlier this week, pre-sale tickets for Taylor Swift's upcoming "Eras" tour when up, and the website crashed due to overwhelming demand.

Ticketmaster then announced on Thursday that it was canceling the public sale of Swift's tour due to "extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand."

Live Nation Entertainment has previously been under antitrust controversy as the company is currently under a consent decree as part of a settlement with the Justice Department following its merger with Ticketmaster in 2010.

However, this is not the only legal probe against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, as the Attorney Generals for North Carolina and Tennessee announced that they were also investigating Ticketmaster due to the Taylor Swift pre-sale ticket fiasco.

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

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Don’t Include Pokérus

It's seemingly official: Pokérus is gone. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet just released on Thursday, but players are already discovering the rare, fictional disease is not present in the new games.

Pokérus was first introduced in Gen 2 Pokémon games. The status is essentially a virus; it infects any Pokémon adjacent to an infected Pokémon in your party, even though they're both still in Poké Balls.

The disappearance of Pokérus was discovered by Twitter user and dataminer @mattyoukhana_, who found that the game's code showed no indication of Pokérus.

While a virus surely sounds bad, Pokérus is actually completely beneficial. The status, which was indicated by a small icon, doubled the EV points that the infected Pokémon gained from battle, making training exceedingly easy.

All you had to do was place your Pokémon all around the infected and poof! Within hours, all your Pokémon would have the status.

With Scarlet and Violet, Pokérus is no more. The icon indicating the infections is gone, and there aren't any assets for it in the game. In fact, the status can't even be found on wild Pokémon.

So, for those of you trying to gain EV quickly and easily, hoping to get Pokérus isn't gonna be a great strategy.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have been to a rough start, with many players experiencing gameplay issues on the Nintendo Switch. According to IGN’s Rebekah Valentine in her review in progress: there really isn’t a moment in [Pokémon Scarlet & Violet] where’d I’d say they run well. Frame rates are dropping, Pokémon are clipping through walls and character models are popping in and out.

For our full review of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, stay tuned to everything IGN.

Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Don’t Include Pokérus

It's seemingly official: Pokérus is gone. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet just released on Thursday, but players are already discovering the rare, fictional disease is not present in the new games.

Pokérus was first introduced in Gen 2 Pokémon games. The status is essentially a virus; it infects any Pokémon adjacent to an infected Pokémon in your party, even though they're both still in Poké Balls.

The disappearance of Pokérus was discovered by Twitter user and dataminer @mattyoukhana_, who found that the game's code showed no indication of Pokérus.

While a virus surely sounds bad, Pokérus is actually completely beneficial. The status, which was indicated by a small icon, doubled the EV points that the infected Pokémon gained from battle, making training exceedingly easy.

All you had to do was place your Pokémon all around the infected and poof! Within hours, all your Pokémon would have the status.

With Scarlet and Violet, Pokérus is no more. The icon indicating the infections is gone, and there aren't any assets for it in the game. In fact, the status can't even be found on wild Pokémon.

So, for those of you trying to gain EV quickly and easily, hoping to get Pokérus isn't gonna be a great strategy.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have been to a rough start, with many players experiencing gameplay issues on the Nintendo Switch. According to IGN’s Rebekah Valentine in her review in progress: there really isn’t a moment in [Pokémon Scarlet & Violet] where’d I’d say they run well. Frame rates are dropping, Pokémon are clipping through walls and character models are popping in and out.

For our full review of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, stay tuned to everything IGN.

Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.

James Gunn and Peter Safran’s Master Plan For DC Will Be Announced Soon

James Gunn and Peter Safran may have only been handed the reigns to DC Studios recently, but the pair are apparently fine-tuning their master plan for the DC universe, with plans to unveil them soon.

According to The Wrap, the DC Studios master plan is still fermenting, with news of Gunn and Safran’s takeover only announced less than a month ago. But an inside source says their long-term plan for DC “should be revealed in the next two months.”

The future of the DC universe is seemingly fractured, but unified, all at once. Prior to Gunn and Safran’s arrival, DC movies were shooting in several directions whether it’s the remnants of the Snyderverse like Aquaman and The Flash, new arrivals like Black Adam, Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe, and Todd Phillips’ Joker films.

At the same time, Gunn and Safran will gain overall creative control over most of these movies (Reeves’ The Batman and Phillips’ The Joker are potentially autonomous) and could give DC Studios a unified vision similar to the MCU under Kevin Feige.

The DC slate is apparently at a bit of a standstill until Gunn and Safran finalize their plans. According to The Wrap, there’s actually no formal deal with Cavill to return as Superman while Gunn and Safran figure out a “long range plan for the DCU.”

Despite Cavill posting an Instagram story about his return, and his cameo in Black Adam, several insiders say that there’s no writer or director attached for Man of Steel 2. Cavill has even departed his popular role as Geralt in Netflix’s The Witcher series with many speculating it was to prepare for a new string of DC appearances.

All this to say, the future of DC will be laid out soon and it remains to be seen just how involved Cavill will be under the new regime. For more, read why Gunn's arrival could be the best thing to happen for DC.

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

James Gunn and Peter Safran’s Master Plan For DC Will Be Announced Soon

James Gunn and Peter Safran may have only been handed the reigns to DC Studios recently, but the pair are apparently fine-tuning their master plan for the DC universe, with plans to unveil them soon.

According to The Wrap, the DC Studios master plan is still fermenting, with news of Gunn and Safran’s takeover only announced less than a month ago. But an inside source says their long-term plan for DC “should be revealed in the next two months.”

The future of the DC universe is seemingly fractured, but unified, all at once. Prior to Gunn and Safran’s arrival, DC movies were shooting in several directions whether it’s the remnants of the Snyderverse like Aquaman and The Flash, new arrivals like Black Adam, Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe, and Todd Phillips’ Joker films.

At the same time, Gunn and Safran will gain overall creative control over most of these movies (Reeves’ The Batman and Phillips’ The Joker are potentially autonomous) and could give DC Studios a unified vision similar to the MCU under Kevin Feige.

The DC slate is apparently at a bit of a standstill until Gunn and Safran finalize their plans. According to The Wrap, there’s actually no formal deal with Cavill to return as Superman while Gunn and Safran figure out a “long range plan for the DCU.”

Despite Cavill posting an Instagram story about his return, and his cameo in Black Adam, several insiders say that there’s no writer or director attached for Man of Steel 2. Cavill has even departed his popular role as Geralt in Netflix’s The Witcher series with many speculating it was to prepare for a new string of DC appearances.

All this to say, the future of DC will be laid out soon and it remains to be seen just how involved Cavill will be under the new regime. For more, read why Gunn's arrival could be the best thing to happen for DC.

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

Cooking Mama: Cookstar Is Permanently Being Taken Off the Menu

The otherwise sweet and wholesome Cooking Mama has been in some hot water over the last year as a legal dispute threw 2020's Cooking Mama: Cookstar into contention. The good news is that this dispute seems to have been resolved.

The bad news is that Cooking Mama: Cookstar is being pulled from store shelves, and may never return.

In a press release from license holder Office Create, the company says that its ongoing legal battle with Cookstar publisher Planet Entertainment has been resolved in its favor.

According to Office Create's account, Planet Entertainment released Cookstar back in 2020 for the Switch without Office Create's approval — a decision for which Office Create revoked its license to Cooking Mama. But Planet continued to sell the game and even released a PS4 version the following year.

Office Create took Planet to international court over it, which has now ruled that the release infringed on Office Create's trademark, and has ordered the game removed from all digital and physical store shelves.

It's a bit confusing how we got here in the first place, but here's the summary: Cooking Mama: Cookstar is licensed by Office Create, the company that owns the Cooking Mama franchise. Planet Entertainment signed on to develop Cookstar, but according to Office Create, the game wasn't up to standards. Office Create says it instructed Planet to correct the issues and resubmit, but that Planet then just went and released the game anyway on the eShop.

At some point, it seems like another developer called 1st Playable was involved too. But its involvement has since been scrubbed from official websites and other spaces, so it's unclear what, if anything, that studio did on the game.

That back and forth probably explains why Cookstar's initial release was such a mess, with some official sources claiming it was available on the eShop when it actually wasn't, retail copy availability being wildly spotty, especially in Europe, and a PS4 release that wasn't announced at all.

Even the run-up to its release was a mess, with unlisted trailer leaks, incorrect release windows, non-existent websites, and a brief controversy in which it was announced the game would allow for background mining of cryptocurrency, only for that to be retracted. While we don't know how or why any of those individual instances happened, a rogue developer releasing something without permission and a license holder trying its best to walk it back might explain at least some of it — and that's certainly what Office Create has claimed.

If all that has your eggs scrambled, you're in good company. It's a confusing mess and one that isn't much clarified by the seeming conclusion of this lawsuit. We also haven't heard much of Planet Entertainment's side of the story at all — our attempts to reach the developer last year went ignored, and when I tried again for this piece, all my emails bounced back.

The publisher did release a statement last year, but it's a bit thin. In it, Planet admitted there were "creative differences" involved in Cookstar's creation, but insisted that “Planet is fully within its rights to publish Cooking Mama Cookstar” and that “There is no active litigation or ruling that prevents Planet from publishing the game.”

What we do know is this: Cooking Mama: Cookstar was a weird game with a lot of unanswered questions about its creation and ownership. And now it is no longer available on digital storefronts, and pretty soon it might vanish from retail as well (at the time of this piece, we were still able to find it on Amazon and Walmart).

If for some reason you're dying to play a cooking game by Planet Entertainment, it did just release a rather similar-looking game called Yum Yum Cookstar for Switch and Xbox. And it is, funnily enough, developed by 1st Playable. Meanwhile, a new Cooking Mama game wholly made by Office Create just dropped on apple Arcade in July, entitled Cooking Mama: Cuisine!

That said if you're still going to try to grab a copy of Cooking Mama: Cookstar before it vanishes forever, maybe don't worry about it: our reviewer called it a "stale, undercooked simulator that needed a lot more time in the oven."

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Cooking Mama: Cookstar Is Permanently Being Taken Off the Menu

The otherwise sweet and wholesome Cooking Mama has been in some hot water over the last year as a legal dispute threw 2020's Cooking Mama: Cookstar into contention. The good news is that this dispute seems to have been resolved.

The bad news is that Cooking Mama: Cookstar is being pulled from store shelves, and may never return.

In a press release from license holder Office Create, the company says that its ongoing legal battle with Cookstar publisher Planet Entertainment has been resolved in its favor.

According to Office Create's account, Planet Entertainment released Cookstar back in 2020 for the Switch without Office Create's approval — a decision for which Office Create revoked its license to Cooking Mama. But Planet continued to sell the game and even released a PS4 version the following year.

Office Create took Planet to international court over it, which has now ruled that the release infringed on Office Create's trademark, and has ordered the game removed from all digital and physical store shelves.

It's a bit confusing how we got here in the first place, but here's the summary: Cooking Mama: Cookstar is licensed by Office Create, the company that owns the Cooking Mama franchise. Planet Entertainment signed on to develop Cookstar, but according to Office Create, the game wasn't up to standards. Office Create says it instructed Planet to correct the issues and resubmit, but that Planet then just went and released the game anyway on the eShop.

At some point, it seems like another developer called 1st Playable was involved too. But its involvement has since been scrubbed from official websites and other spaces, so it's unclear what, if anything, that studio did on the game.

That back and forth probably explains why Cookstar's initial release was such a mess, with some official sources claiming it was available on the eShop when it actually wasn't, retail copy availability being wildly spotty, especially in Europe, and a PS4 release that wasn't announced at all.

Even the run-up to its release was a mess, with unlisted trailer leaks, incorrect release windows, non-existent websites, and a brief controversy in which it was announced the game would allow for background mining of cryptocurrency, only for that to be retracted. While we don't know how or why any of those individual instances happened, a rogue developer releasing something without permission and a license holder trying its best to walk it back might explain at least some of it — and that's certainly what Office Create has claimed.

If all that has your eggs scrambled, you're in good company. It's a confusing mess and one that isn't much clarified by the seeming conclusion of this lawsuit. We also haven't heard much of Planet Entertainment's side of the story at all — our attempts to reach the developer last year went ignored, and when I tried again for this piece, all my emails bounced back.

The publisher did release a statement last year, but it's a bit thin. In it, Planet admitted there were "creative differences" involved in Cookstar's creation, but insisted that “Planet is fully within its rights to publish Cooking Mama Cookstar” and that “There is no active litigation or ruling that prevents Planet from publishing the game.”

What we do know is this: Cooking Mama: Cookstar was a weird game with a lot of unanswered questions about its creation and ownership. And now it is no longer available on digital storefronts, and pretty soon it might vanish from retail as well (at the time of this piece, we were still able to find it on Amazon and Walmart).

If for some reason you're dying to play a cooking game by Planet Entertainment, it did just release a rather similar-looking game called Yum Yum Cookstar for Switch and Xbox. And it is, funnily enough, developed by 1st Playable. Meanwhile, a new Cooking Mama game wholly made by Office Create just dropped on apple Arcade in July, entitled Cooking Mama: Cuisine!

That said if you're still going to try to grab a copy of Cooking Mama: Cookstar before it vanishes forever, maybe don't worry about it: our reviewer called it a "stale, undercooked simulator that needed a lot more time in the oven."

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.