Blizzard has made clear that Diablo IV will not include lootboxes and, like Overwatch before it, will instead offer Battle Passes and cosmetics through an in-game store.

Announced during its latest development update, Blizzard confirmed Diablo IV will be a full-price game and, while players can spend money if they want to, "you will not be able to pay for power".

Post-launch content will instead be structured around Seasons that will rotate every three months, with each new season feeling like a fresh start for players. The Season Journey model from Diablo III will return, a free progression system that lets players earn rewards by completing challenges, and Blizzard will also offer a more traditional seasonal battle pass too.

Branded as the Season Pass (despite Blizzard calling it "battle pass-style progression), this progression system will let players earn cosmetics and premium currency, with "free tiers and premium tiers" available. Blizzard hasn't shared prices of its Season Pass or how many tiers will be available to purchase.

The in-game shop will offer a variety of different customisation items but "the best looking cosmetics aren't exclusive to the shop," the update said. Diablo IV's fanciest armor will be item drops that players can earn through playing the game instead of just buying. Again, Blizzard made clear that "nothing offered in the shop grants a direct or indirect gameplay advantage".

It's likely hitting this message following the controversy around Diablo: Immortal, its free-to-play mobile game that only offers its best loot to players who spend lots and lots of money. Blizzard has gone the opposite direction with Diablo IV, however, as it did with Overwatch, recently announcing that it too will scrap lootboxes in favor of a battle pass and store.

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

The main Hellboy/BPRD saga may be over, but creator Mike Mignola has yet to fully close the door on this iconic horror universe. IGN can exclusively reveal the latest addition to the Hellboy mythos, Koschchei in Hell.

As the title suggests, this four-issue limited series centers around Hellboy's old nemesis. This series is a follow-up of sorts to 2018's Koshchei the Deathless and reunites Mignola with artist Ben Stenbeck and colorist Dave Stewart.

Koshchei originally made his debut in Hellboy: Darkness Calls, where he was depicted as an immortal servant of Baba Yaga sent to kill Hellboy. Koshchei's true motivation, however, is to find his displaced soul and finally end his unnaturally long life. When we last saw him in Koshchei the Deathless, he and Hellboy shared a drink in Hell before Koshchei resumed that quest.

Koshchei in Hell opens with the character trying to enjoy a quiet retirement in the underworld. But as is so often the case with retired killers, a familiar face will coax him back into action as a terrible enemy threatens Hell itself.

“It’s always a pleasure working with Ben as he can really do everything,” said Mignola in Dark Horse's press release. “And there’s just something about how he does things—something very natural and almost quiet—subtle—til it’s time to NOT be subtle. Just really works with the kind of stories I’m trying to tell. And Koshchei—I just love this guy. I’ve really put him through the wringer but he keeps on going. And Hell—well is it odd to say I love that place?”

“Koshchei would love to just sit back and read books and drink wine in his socks,” said Stenbeck. “That’s the series Koshchei wants this to be. But that's not what he's getting. He has to leave the house. Then he's going to run into a lot of familiar faces and meet some new ones and they are pretty much all asking for a fight. Poor old Koshchei, it's never easy.”

Koshchei in Hell #1 will debut in comic shops and digital storefronts on November 30, 2022.

November also marks the debut of Brian Michael Bendis' latest comic at Dark Horse, a kooky superhero comedy called The Ones.

For more on Hellboy, learn why the Hellboy/BPRD saga is an unprecedented accomplishment.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Bethesda had fans excited for a Starfield announcement at Gamescom next week... but may have made a mistake, as it subtly removed a mention of the game on its website.

As reported by Eurogamer, a Bethesda blog post outlining the company's plans for Gamescom told fans that both upcoming games would have gameplay on show. "Come see Redfall and Starfield gameplay and get your hands on Fallout 76 while you're there," the post said. "We also have a few surprises and goodies in store for you."

However, after fans started pointing out the mention, this portion of the blog post has been removed entirely. It may be that Xbox will simply be screening the existing gameplay revealed earlier this summer - or it may be a total mistake.

All that remains of Starfield at Gamescom is mention of a photo opportunity with a life-size robot companion from the game called VASCO. Starfield is also missing from Xbox's official Gamescom plans despite the publisher saying it would offer "updates on some announced games" instead of revealing brand new titles at the event.

We got a ton of Starfield news back in June, including the length of its main quest, how its space combat works, and the ridiculous number of planets available to explore in the game.

Even if it doesn't make a Gamescom appearance, IGN will be there covering everything worth seeing at the show, from its Opening Night Live on August 23 to the cosplay competition on August 28.

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

Barbie co-stars Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie are reportedly reteaming again to star in the Ocean's Eleven prequel over at Warner Bros.

According to a new report from Puck News, Gosling is in talks to star alongside Robbie in the proposed Ocean's prequel. This news comes shortly after the pair wrapped production on Greta Gerwig's live-action Barbie movie, in which Gosling plays Ken and Robbie plays Barbie, as Warner Bros. gears up to greenlight and schedule some more big theatrical tentpoles for their upcoming movie release slate.

If greenlit, the prequel will apparently have a "much bigger budget" than any of the other Ocean's movies that have come before it, including Ocean's 8, which was made on a production budget of $70 million. "The new one will feel more theatrical and maybe even summer-worthy, while not costing anywhere near the $200 million Netflix burned on Gosling's The Gray Man," the report adds.

The studio is keeping its cards close to its chest in regards to plot details, but The Hollywood Reporter previously noted that it will be an original addition to the film series, with events taking place "in Europe in the 1960s." The goal is to begin production in spring 2023, with Jay Roach in the director's chair, and Robbie producing alongside Tom Ackerley, her production partner at LuckyChap.

The 2001 Ocean's Eleven is a remake of the original movie from the 1960s. The film featured a star-studded ensemble cast with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, Bernie Mac, and Julia Roberts. It spawned two more ensemble entries in 2004 and 2007. Over a decade later, the series returned with a Sandra Bullock-led, all-female spinoff called Ocean's 8.

Before seeing Gosling and Robbie in a potential Ocean's prequel, they'll be bringing to life the iconic dolls in Gerwig's upcoming Barbie movie, which is scheduled to be released on July 21, 2023. Major plot details have yet to be revealed about the film, but numerous photos have circulated showcasing Gosling and Robbie as Barbie in retro, throwback outfits inspired by Barbies from years past.

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

Barbie co-stars Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie are reportedly reteaming again to star in the Ocean's Eleven prequel over at Warner Bros.

According to a new report from Puck News, Gosling is in talks to star alongside Robbie in the proposed Ocean's prequel. This news comes shortly after the pair wrapped production on Greta Gerwig's live-action Barbie movie, in which Gosling plays Ken and Robbie plays Barbie, as Warner Bros. gears up to greenlight and schedule some more big theatrical tentpoles for their upcoming movie release slate.

If greenlit, the prequel will apparently have a "much bigger budget" than any of the other Ocean's movies that have come before it, including Ocean's 8, which was made on a production budget of $70 million. "The new one will feel more theatrical and maybe even summer-worthy, while not costing anywhere near the $200 million Netflix burned on Gosling's The Gray Man," the report adds.

The studio is keeping its cards close to its chest in regards to plot details, but The Hollywood Reporter previously noted that it will be an original addition to the film series, with events taking place "in Europe in the 1960s." The goal is to begin production in spring 2023, with Jay Roach in the director's chair, and Robbie producing alongside Tom Ackerley, her production partner at LuckyChap.

The 2001 Ocean's Eleven is a remake of the original movie from the 1960s. The film featured a star-studded ensemble cast with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, Bernie Mac, and Julia Roberts. It spawned two more ensemble entries in 2004 and 2007. Over a decade later, the series returned with a Sandra Bullock-led, all-female spinoff called Ocean's 8.

Before seeing Gosling and Robbie in a potential Ocean's prequel, they'll be bringing to life the iconic dolls in Gerwig's upcoming Barbie movie, which is scheduled to be released on July 21, 2023. Major plot details have yet to be revealed about the film, but numerous photos have circulated showcasing Gosling and Robbie as Barbie in retro, throwback outfits inspired by Barbies from years past.

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

Regal Cinemas owner Cineworld is preparing to file for bankruptcy within the next few weeks, after the post-pandemic return to cinemas didn't prove as profitable as expected.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the London-based Cineworld is expected to file for bankruptcy in both the UK and US having amassed $4.8 billion in debt. It operates more than 9,000 screens in 751 locations around the world, including Picturehouse and Cineworld cinemas in the UK and Ireland, Cinema City in Europe, Yes Planet in Israel, and Regal Cinemas in the U.S. It is the second largest theater chain in the world, following AMC, which has weathered post-pandemic issues partly because of becoming a meme stock.

The company was allegedly relying on blockbuster films including The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick and Thor: Love and Thunder to bolster cinema admission sales but the current numbers are lower than anticipated. Cineworld also commented that there simply aren't enough films scheduled to be released in the coming months, meaning a positive turn in profits isn't expected until the end of 2022.

"Despite a gradual recovery of demand since reopening in April 2021, recent admission levels have been below expectations," Cineworld said in a statement earlier this week.

"These lower levels of admissions are due to a limited film slate that is anticipated to continue until November 2022 and are expected to negatively impact trading and the group’s liquidity position in the near term."

The company, officially Cineworld Group Plc, is currently speaking with lawyers from Kirkland and Ellis LLP and consultants from AlixPartners to assist with its filing for bankruptcy. It also filed for bankruptcy during the height of COVID-19 in 2020 but was saved thanks to a lifeline from creditors.

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

Regal Cinemas owner Cineworld is preparing to file for bankruptcy within the next few weeks, after the post-pandemic return to cinemas didn't prove as profitable as expected.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the London-based Cineworld is expected to file for bankruptcy in both the UK and US having amassed $4.8 billion in debt. It operates more than 9,000 screens in 751 locations around the world, including Picturehouse and Cineworld cinemas in the UK and Ireland, Cinema City in Europe, Yes Planet in Israel, and Regal Cinemas in the U.S. It is the second largest theater chain in the world, following AMC, which has weathered post-pandemic issues partly because of becoming a meme stock.

The company was allegedly relying on blockbuster films including The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick and Thor: Love and Thunder to bolster cinema admission sales but the current numbers are lower than anticipated. Cineworld also commented that there simply aren't enough films scheduled to be released in the coming months, meaning a positive turn in profits isn't expected until the end of 2022.

"Despite a gradual recovery of demand since reopening in April 2021, recent admission levels have been below expectations," Cineworld said in a statement earlier this week.

"These lower levels of admissions are due to a limited film slate that is anticipated to continue until November 2022 and are expected to negatively impact trading and the group’s liquidity position in the near term."

The company, officially Cineworld Group Plc, is currently speaking with lawyers from Kirkland and Ellis LLP and consultants from AlixPartners to assist with its filing for bankruptcy. It also filed for bankruptcy during the height of COVID-19 in 2020 but was saved thanks to a lifeline from creditors.

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

Gorgeous action-adventure Kena: Bridge of Spirits is getting a major update including a New Game+ mode – and it's coming to Steam.

IGN can exclusively reveal that the game will receive a free Anniversary Update on September 27, which includes New Game+, Charmstones, Spirit Guide Trials, Kena Outfits, accessibility features. On the same day, the game will get a Steam release, having previously been an Epic Games Store PC exclusive.

You can check out a new trailer below:

Kena: Bridge of Spirits - Anniversary Update Additions

• "New Game+, which will allow players who’ve completed the game to restart Kena’s journey with all of their previously unlocked abilities, upgrades, outfits, Rot, etc and take on redesigned and more challenging combat encounters."
• "Charmstones that are individually equipable - these unique collectibles each provide different adjustments to Kena’s stats and abilities."
• "New game mode called the Spirit Guide Trials, challenging players’ skills with a variety of replayable challenges across three different categories; Obstacle Courses, Wave Defenses, and Boss Reflects."
• "Completing the Spirit Guide Trials unlock outfits for Kena, each one inspired by one of the characters she meets along her journey. Succeeding at bonus objectives within each trial can unlock color variations of each outfit, as well as some unique Charmstones."
• "An exclusive new outfit for Deluxe Edition owners."

Kena: Bridge of Spirits was the debut game for Ember Lab, a studio made up of movie animation experts who had made the famous Majora's Mask - Terrible Fate fan film. We awarded the game an 8/10 in our review, calling it "an open-world action-adventure that harkens back to the days of the N64/Gamecube-era Zeldas, Okami, and Star Fox Adventures, while also adding some modern sensibilities and a distinct personal touch."

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

SEGA has revealed the full list of games included with its SEGA Genesis Mini 2, with Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Super Street Fighter II, and Golden Axe 2 featuring alongside 57 other titles.

The console, which will be available from October 27 for $106.65, includes a handful of oddities amongst its game library such as never before released games Devi & Pii and Star Mobile. New ports of Fantasy Zone, Space Harrier, Space Harrier 2, Spatter, Super Locomotive, and the custom "demake" VS Puyo Puyo Sun are also included as bonuses.

The main list includes 53 games by itself, with 41 of them being SEGA Genesis “cartridge” games (such as Streets of Rage 3 and Virtua Racing) and the remaining 12 being SEGA CD titles (such as Ecco the Dolphin and Final Fight CD).

SEGA Genesis Mini 2 Full Game List

SEGA Genesis:

• After Burner II
• Alien Soldier
• Atomic Runner
• Bonanza Bros.
• ClayFighter
• Crusader of Centy
• Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf
• Earthworm Jim 2
• Elemental Master
• Fatal Fury 2
• Gain Ground
• Golden Axe II
• Granada
• Hellfire
• Herzog Zwei
• Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar
• Midnight Resistance
• OutRun
• OutRunners
• Phantasy Star II
• Populous
• RAINBOW ISLANDS -EXTRA-
• Ranger-X
• Ristar
• ROLLING THUNDER 2
• Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
• Shining Force II
• Shining in the Darkness
• Sonic 3D Blast
• SPLATTERHOUSE 2
• Streets of Rage 3
• Super Hang-On
• SUPER STREET FIGHTER II THE NEW CHALLENGERS
• The Ooze
• The Revenge of Shinobi
• ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
• Truxton
• VectorMan 2
• Viewpoint
• Virtua Racing
• Warsong

SEGA CD

• Ecco the Dolphin (CD Ver.)
• Ecco: The Tides of Time (CD Ver.)
• Final Fight CD
• Mansion of Hidden Souls
• NIGHT STRIKER
• Night Trap
• Robo Aleste
• Sewer Shark
• Shining Force CD
• SILPHEED
• Sonic The Hedgehog CD
• THE NINJAWARRIORS

Bonus Games:

• Devi & Pii
• Fantasy Zone
• Space Harrier II (+Space Harrier)
• Spatter
• Star Mobile
• Super Locomotive
• VS Puyo Puyo Sun

The mini console was first announced for Japan as the Mega Drive Mini 2 before SEGA confirmed a Genesis Mini 2 North American edition in July. Sadly, the new version will be a more limited run, and the only way to secure a North American version will be to import from Amazon Japan.

The original SEGA Mega Drive Mini was launched in 2019 with 42 games amid a craze of retro consoles being released, such as "Classic" editions of Nintendo's NES and the original PlayStation. In our 9/10 review, IGN said: "The SEGA Genesis Mini isn't perfect, but it's as close to perfect as any retro all-in-one mini console has come so far."

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

Gorgeous action-adventure Kena: Bridge of Spirits is getting a major update including a New Game+ mode – and it's coming to Steam.

IGN can exclusively reveal that the game will receive a free Anniversary Update on September 27, which includes New Game+, Charmstones, Spirit Guide Trials, Kena Outfits, accessibility features. On the same day, the game will get a Steam release, having previously been an Epic Games Store PC exclusive.

You can check out a new trailer below:

Kena: Bridge of Spirits - Anniversary Update Additions

• "New Game+, which will allow players who’ve completed the game to restart Kena’s journey with all of their previously unlocked abilities, upgrades, outfits, Rot, etc and take on redesigned and more challenging combat encounters."
• "Charmstones that are individually equipable - these unique collectibles each provide different adjustments to Kena’s stats and abilities."
• "New game mode called the Spirit Guide Trials, challenging players’ skills with a variety of replayable challenges across three different categories; Obstacle Courses, Wave Defenses, and Boss Reflects."
• "Completing the Spirit Guide Trials unlock outfits for Kena, each one inspired by one of the characters she meets along her journey. Succeeding at bonus objectives within each trial can unlock color variations of each outfit, as well as some unique Charmstones."
• "An exclusive new outfit for Deluxe Edition owners."

Kena: Bridge of Spirits was the debut game for Ember Lab, a studio made up of movie animation experts who had made the famous Majora's Mask - Terrible Fate fan film. We awarded the game an 8/10 in our review, calling it "an open-world action-adventure that harkens back to the days of the N64/Gamecube-era Zeldas, Okami, and Star Fox Adventures, while also adding some modern sensibilities and a distinct personal touch."

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.