George R.R. Martin Says Not All Game of Thrones Characters Who Survived the Show Will Live In the Books

George R.R. Martin is still working on Winds of Winter, as he has been for more than a decade at this point. The creator of Game of Thrones is still reticent to offer a detailed update lest he spoil the story by mistake, but he does say that A Song of Ice and Fire is moving "further and further away from the television series."

Writing on his blog, Martin talked about what he called the "inevitable" departure from the series, saying that certain things that happened on the HBO Show "will not happen in the books." That includes new characters, who he says the major players will be encountering "in lands far and near."

What's more, not all of those major characters are guaranteed to survive, Martin says, though he reserves the right to change his mind.

"One thing I can say, in general enough terms that I will not be spoiling anything: not all of the characters who survived until the end of GAME OF THRONES will survive until the end of A SONG OF ICE & FIRE, and not all of the characters who died on GAME OF THRONES will die in A SONG OF ICE & FIRE. (Some will, sure. Of course. Maybe most. But definitely not all) ((Of course, I could change my mind again next week, with the next chapter I write. That's gardening))," Martin writes.

Fans have feverishly speculated on how Winds of Winter will differ from the show ever since its divisive finale. Martin has hinted at various points that he reserves the right to go in a different direction from the series, but this is the strongest indication yet that the books will be a dramatic departure from HBO's depiction of the events in and around King's Landing.

In the meantime, more Game of Thrones projects are underway, including a Jon Snow sequel series reportedly pitched by Kit Harington. And with San Diego Comic-Con later this month, there will no doubt be plenty more Game of Thrones news where that came from.

As for the Winds of Winter, the wait continues.

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.

Captain America 4 Lands Cloverfield Paradox Director

Captain America 4 will be directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Julius Onah, who previously directed The Cloverfield Paradox.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Onah will serve as the director on the next Captain America movie, marking his MCU debut.

The next Captain America movie will star Anthony Mackie, picking up from his transformation into the next Captain at the end of Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Mackie's character Sam Wilson originally took the mantle of Falcon before inheriting Captain America's shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier creator Malcom Spellman is currently writing the script for the next Captain America movie alongside staff writer Dalan Musson.

No word on whether Sebastian Stan will reprise his role as Bucky (aka Winter Soldier) or even if Chris Evans might return as well.

Onah is best known for his work on the third Cloverfield movie which was surprise-released after the 2018 Super Bowl. He also directed the drama Luce starring Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, and MCU alumn Tim Roth.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier was one of Disney's first original Marvel series for its streaming service and reunited Sam Wilson with Bucky and the villain Baron Zemo. While the characters shone brightly the storylines were a bit thin. Read our full Falcon and the Winter soldier review here.

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

Captain America 4 Lands Cloverfield Paradox Director

Captain America 4 will be directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Julius Onah, who previously directed The Cloverfield Paradox.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Onah will serve as the director on the next Captain America movie, marking his MCU debut.

The next Captain America movie will star Anthony Mackie, picking up from his transformation into the next Captain at the end of Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Mackie's character Sam Wilson originally took the mantle of Falcon before inheriting Captain America's shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier creator Malcom Spellman is currently writing the script for the next Captain America movie alongside staff writer Dalan Musson.

No word on whether Sebastian Stan will reprise his role as Bucky (aka Winter Soldier) or even if Chris Evans might return as well.

Onah is best known for his work on the third Cloverfield movie which was surprise-released after the 2018 Super Bowl. He also directed the drama Luce starring Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, and MCU alumn Tim Roth.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier was one of Disney's first original Marvel series for its streaming service and reunited Sam Wilson with Bucky and the villain Baron Zemo. While the characters shone brightly the storylines were a bit thin. Read our full Falcon and the Winter soldier review here.

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

Newly Discovered Dinosaur Species Shares the T. Rex’s Tiny Arms, But Has ‘No Direct Relation’

Paleontologists have discovered a new giant predatory dinosaur and it had teeny tiny itty bitty arms.

The Meraxes Gigas, uncovered in northern Patagonia, Argentina, roamed the earth millions of years before Tyrannosaurus rex. But Juan Canale, the project lead at Ernesto Bachmann Paleontological Museum in Neuquén, Argentina, tells CNN that Meraxes has no direct relation to T. Rex.

After recovering a nearly complete forelimb, paleontologists determined that Meraxes had much smaller arms compared to the size of the rest of its body. Similar to a very famous predatory dinosaur we all know and love from movies.

Despite the discovery of many fossils the specifics on the anatomy of Meraxes have evaded scientists for nearly 30 years. The fossil the researchers recently unearthed has revealed much more about the carnivore, including that it was 36 feet long and weighed more than four tons.

The predators belong to the Carcharodontosaurid, a group of dinosaurs that inhabited most continents during the Early Cretaceous period.

While paleontologists continue to study the new bones for deeper insight into the Meraxes, it has been given an appropriate name for now.

According to the science journal Current Biology, Meraxes was named after a dragon in A Song of Ice and Fire ridden by Queen Rhaenys Targaryen, who is set to appear in the upcoming series House of the Dragon.

Michelle Jalbert is a social coordinator and contributing freelancer for IGN.

Newly Discovered Dinosaur Species Shares the T. Rex’s Tiny Arms, But Has ‘No Direct Relation’

Paleontologists have discovered a new giant predatory dinosaur and it had teeny tiny itty bitty arms.

The Meraxes Gigas, uncovered in northern Patagonia, Argentina, roamed the earth millions of years before Tyrannosaurus rex. But Juan Canale, the project lead at Ernesto Bachmann Paleontological Museum in Neuquén, Argentina, tells CNN that Meraxes has no direct relation to T. Rex.

After recovering a nearly complete forelimb, paleontologists determined that Meraxes had much smaller arms compared to the size of the rest of its body. Similar to a very famous predatory dinosaur we all know and love from movies.

Despite the discovery of many fossils the specifics on the anatomy of Meraxes have evaded scientists for nearly 30 years. The fossil the researchers recently unearthed has revealed much more about the carnivore, including that it was 36 feet long and weighed more than four tons.

The predators belong to the Carcharodontosaurid, a group of dinosaurs that inhabited most continents during the Early Cretaceous period.

While paleontologists continue to study the new bones for deeper insight into the Meraxes, it has been given an appropriate name for now.

According to the science journal Current Biology, Meraxes was named after a dragon in A Song of Ice and Fire ridden by Queen Rhaenys Targaryen, who is set to appear in the upcoming series House of the Dragon.

Michelle Jalbert is a social coordinator and contributing freelancer for IGN.

NBA 2K23 On PC Is Still the Previous-Gen Version

In recent years, players have been asking for the next generation upgrades from the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of NBA 2K to be added to PC as well.

Despite these requests, however, it looks like NBA 2K23's PC version will still be based on the previous-gen console version.

According to an answer in the FAQs section of the 2K Games website, the PC and Nintendo Switch versions of the next NBA 2K game won't receive the graphical and technical upgrades that the game's next-gen console versions will have.

"This is something the team is passionate about and will continue to investigate what is possible for the franchise in the future," the answer reads. "For now, the focus was on assuring NBA 2K23 was optimized for the new consoles (PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S), while also making sure the experience remains fresh and innovative for players on other platforms."

This will be a disappointment to PC fans of the NBA 2K series, as the developers continue to prioritize the console experience.

NBA 2K is a long-running basketball sim. While little else is known about the upcoming addition to the 2K series, 2K Games recently announced that Michael Jordan will be on the cover of the appropriately named Michael Jordan Edition and the limited Championship Edition.

His iconic Michael Jordan challenges are also set to return to the game, which releases on September 9. Devin Booker is the cover star on the standard edition.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they've contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.

NBA 2K23 On PC Is Still the Previous-Gen Version

In recent years, players have been asking for the next generation upgrades from the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of NBA 2K to be added to PC as well.

Despite these requests, however, it looks like NBA 2K23's PC version will still be based on the previous-gen console version.

According to an answer in the FAQs section of the 2K Games website, the PC and Nintendo Switch versions of the next NBA 2K game won't receive the graphical and technical upgrades that the game's next-gen console versions will have.

"This is something the team is passionate about and will continue to investigate what is possible for the franchise in the future," the answer reads. "For now, the focus was on assuring NBA 2K23 was optimized for the new consoles (PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S), while also making sure the experience remains fresh and innovative for players on other platforms."

This will be a disappointment to PC fans of the NBA 2K series, as the developers continue to prioritize the console experience.

NBA 2K is a long-running basketball sim. While little else is known about the upcoming addition to the 2K series, 2K Games recently announced that Michael Jordan will be on the cover of the appropriately named Michael Jordan Edition and the limited Championship Edition.

His iconic Michael Jordan challenges are also set to return to the game, which releases on September 9. Devin Booker is the cover star on the standard edition.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they've contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.

Destiny 2: Where Is Xur Today? Location and Exotic Items for July 8-12

The man with zeal for a deal, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.

Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.

We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.

Where Is Xûr Today?

Xûr's location can be found at Winding Cove in the EDZ on July 8 through July 12. To reach him, travel to the landing point at Winding Cove. When you arrive, make for the rock cliffs at the far end of the cove and look for a cave winding up to a platform next to some Fallen. There you'll find the freakish salesman we all adore.

What's Xûr Selling Today?

Exotic Engram

The Queensbreaker - Exotic Linear Fusion Rifle

Wormhusk Crown- Exotic Hunter Helmet

  • 14 Mobility
  • 15 Resilience
  • 3 Recovery
  • 16 Discipline
  • 13 Intellect
  • 2 Strength
  • Total: 63

Stronghold - Exotic Titan Gauntlets

  • 2 Mobility
  • 12 Resilience
  • 22 Recovery
  • 10 Discipline
  • 14 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 66

Felwinter's Helm - Exotic Warlock Helmet

  • 12 Mobility
  • 2 Resilience
  • 16 Recovery
  • 7 Discipline
  • 16 Intellect
  • 9 Strength
  • Total: 62

The only must-have exotic this week is the Titan gauntlets, Stronghold, which have a spectacularly high stat roll with beautifully low mobility and stats in all the right places. Skip the rest!

Exotic Weapons

Hawkmoon - Exotic Hand Cannon

  • Paracausal Shot
  • Plygonal Rifling
  • Alloy Magazine
  • Eye of the Storm
  • Textured Grip

Dead Man's Tale - Exotic Scout Rifle

  • Cranial Spike
  • Corkscrew Rifling
  • Light Mag
  • Snapshot Sights
  • Composite Stock

Hawkmoon and Dead Man's Tale are both great weapons, but neither of this week's rolls are especially stellar -- especially compared to some really great ones we've seen in recent weeks. Buy them if you need them, but otherwise I'd wait.

Legendary Weapons

Bite of the Fox - Sniper Rifle

  • Full Bore/Smallbore
  • Accurized Rounds/Flared Magwell
  • Snapshot Sights
  • Explosive Payload
  • Reload Speed Masterwork

Seventh Seraph Carbine - Auto Rifle

  • Extended Barrel/Fluted Barrel
  • Alloy Magazine/Appended Mag
  • Slideshot
  • Swashbuckler
  • Handling Masterwork

Enigma's Draw - Sidearm

  • Shortspec SAS/Tactic SAS
  • Extended Mag/High-Caliber Rounds
  • Zen Moment
  • Demolitionist
  • Handling Masterwork

Temptation's Hook - Sword

  • Hungry Edge/Enduring Blade/Jagged Edge
  • Burst Guard/Swordmaster's Guard
  • Tireless Blade
  • Surrounded
  • Impact Masterwork

Deafening Whisper - Grenade Launcher

  • Confined Launch/Hard Launch
  • High-Velocity Rounds/Implosion Rounds
  • Killing Wind
  • Rampage
  • Blast Radius Masterwork

Extraordinary Rendition - Submachine Gun

  • Fluted Barrel/Hammer-Forged Rifling
  • Appended Mag/Extended Mag
  • Surplus
  • Tap The Trigger
  • Stability Masterwork

Sorrow's Verse - Auto Rifle

  • Corkscrew Rifling/Smallbore
  • Accurized Rounds/Appended Mag
  • Dynamic Sway Reduction
  • One For All
  • One Quiet Moment/Suros energy
  • Reload Speed Masterwork

There's a decent sniper rifle in Bite of the Fox this week and a Sorrow's Verse that's pretty darn good as auto rifles go, but nothing this week really screams "buy me," unfortunately.

Warlock Legendary Armor

For Warlocks, Xûr is selling the Illicit Invader set which includes:

Illicit Invader Gauntlets

  • 2 Mobility
  • 26 Resilience
  • 2 Recovery
  • 8 Discipline
  • 19 Intellect
  • 2 Strength
  • Total: 59

Illicit Invader Chest Armor

  • 2 Mobility
  • 13 Resilience
  • 14 Recovery
  • 16 Discipline
  • 7 Intellect
  • 8 Strength
  • Total: 60

Illicit Invader Helmet

  • 19 Mobility
  • 9 Resilience
  • 2 Recovery
  • 15 Discipline
  • 2 Intellect
  • 14 Strength
  • Total: 61

Illicit Invader Leg Armor

  • 18 Mobility
  • 2 Resilience
  • 10 Recovery
  • 10 Discipline
  • 21 Intellect
  • 2 Strength
  • Total: 63

Illicit Invader Bond

The best thing Warlocks have to offer this week are the boots, but even those are pretty meh. Honestly, unless you want those super resilience-focused gauntlets (which aren't amazing overall), you should probably hold off on buying any of these.

Titan Legendary Armor

For Titans, Xûr is selling the Illicit Invader set which includes:

Illicit Invader Gauntlets

  • 2 Mobility
  • 30 Resilience
  • 2 Recovery
  • 9 Discipline
  • 15 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 64

Illicit Invader Chest Armor

  • 2 Mobility
  • 13 Resilience
  • 14 Recovery
  • 12 Discipline
  • 9 Intellect
  • 8 Strength
  • Total: 58

Illicit Invader Helmet

  • 2 Mobility
  • 17 Resilience
  • 10 Recovery
  • 8 Discipline
  • 9 Intellect
  • 13 Strength
  • Total: 59

Illicit Invader Leg Armor

  • 9 Mobility
  • 9 Resilience
  • 12 Recovery
  • 2 Discipline
  • 17 Intellect
  • 9 Strength
  • Total: 58

Illicit Invader Mark

Those gauntlets are absolutely to die for, with decently high overall stats and super-focused resilience that's as spiky as it comes. Pick this up as resilience is too important on Titans to ignore.

Hunter Legendary Armor

For Hunters, Xûr is selling the Illicit Invader set which includes:

Illicit Invader Gauntlets

  • 10 Mobility
  • 2 Resilience
  • 18 Recovery
  • 19 Discipline
  • 10 Intellect
  • 2 Strength
  • Total: 61

Illicit Invader Chest Armor

  • 7 Mobility
  • 19 Resilience
  • 6 Recovery
  • 17 Discipline
  • 10 Intellect
  • 2 Strength
  • Total: 61

Illicit Invader Helmet

  • 12 Mobility
  • 6 Resilience
  • 9 Recovery
  • 2 Discipline
  • 17 Intellect
  • 12 Strength
  • Total: 58

Illicit Invader Leg Armor

  • 10 Mobility
  • 16 Resilience
  • 2 Recovery
  • 10 Discipline
  • 10 Intellect
  • 10 Strength
  • Total: 58

Illicit Invader Cloak

Hunters drew the short end of the stick this week with very few options to get excited about, unfortunately. Pass!

That's a wrap on Xûr for this week, Guardians! What did you think of the dramatic conclusion to the Season of the Haunted's story this week? Let us know in the comments! For more on Destiny, check out some of the new weapons and gear you can find in The Witch Queen and read about how Sony's purchase of Bungie fits into its larger plans.

Travis Northup is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @TieGuyTravis and read his games coverage here.

Destiny 2: Where Is Xur Today? Location and Exotic Items for July 8-12

The man with zeal for a deal, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.

Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.

We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.

Where Is Xûr Today?

Xûr's location can be found at Winding Cove in the EDZ on July 8 through July 12. To reach him, travel to the landing point at Winding Cove. When you arrive, make for the rock cliffs at the far end of the cove and look for a cave winding up to a platform next to some Fallen. There you'll find the freakish salesman we all adore.

What's Xûr Selling Today?

Exotic Engram

The Queensbreaker - Exotic Linear Fusion Rifle

Wormhusk Crown- Exotic Hunter Helmet

  • 14 Mobility
  • 15 Resilience
  • 3 Recovery
  • 16 Discipline
  • 13 Intellect
  • 2 Strength
  • Total: 63

Stronghold - Exotic Titan Gauntlets

  • 2 Mobility
  • 12 Resilience
  • 22 Recovery
  • 10 Discipline
  • 14 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 66

Felwinter's Helm - Exotic Warlock Helmet

  • 12 Mobility
  • 2 Resilience
  • 16 Recovery
  • 7 Discipline
  • 16 Intellect
  • 9 Strength
  • Total: 62

The only must-have exotic this week is the Titan gauntlets, Stronghold, which have a spectacularly high stat roll with beautifully low mobility and stats in all the right places. Skip the rest!

Exotic Weapons

Hawkmoon - Exotic Hand Cannon

  • Paracausal Shot
  • Plygonal Rifling
  • Alloy Magazine
  • Eye of the Storm
  • Textured Grip

Dead Man's Tale - Exotic Scout Rifle

  • Cranial Spike
  • Corkscrew Rifling
  • Light Mag
  • Snapshot Sights
  • Composite Stock

Hawkmoon and Dead Man's Tale are both great weapons, but neither of this week's rolls are especially stellar -- especially compared to some really great ones we've seen in recent weeks. Buy them if you need them, but otherwise I'd wait.

Legendary Weapons

Bite of the Fox - Sniper Rifle

  • Full Bore/Smallbore
  • Accurized Rounds/Flared Magwell
  • Snapshot Sights
  • Explosive Payload
  • Reload Speed Masterwork

Seventh Seraph Carbine - Auto Rifle

  • Extended Barrel/Fluted Barrel
  • Alloy Magazine/Appended Mag
  • Slideshot
  • Swashbuckler
  • Handling Masterwork

Enigma's Draw - Sidearm

  • Shortspec SAS/Tactic SAS
  • Extended Mag/High-Caliber Rounds
  • Zen Moment
  • Demolitionist
  • Handling Masterwork

Temptation's Hook - Sword

  • Hungry Edge/Enduring Blade/Jagged Edge
  • Burst Guard/Swordmaster's Guard
  • Tireless Blade
  • Surrounded
  • Impact Masterwork

Deafening Whisper - Grenade Launcher

  • Confined Launch/Hard Launch
  • High-Velocity Rounds/Implosion Rounds
  • Killing Wind
  • Rampage
  • Blast Radius Masterwork

Extraordinary Rendition - Submachine Gun

  • Fluted Barrel/Hammer-Forged Rifling
  • Appended Mag/Extended Mag
  • Surplus
  • Tap The Trigger
  • Stability Masterwork

Sorrow's Verse - Auto Rifle

  • Corkscrew Rifling/Smallbore
  • Accurized Rounds/Appended Mag
  • Dynamic Sway Reduction
  • One For All
  • One Quiet Moment/Suros energy
  • Reload Speed Masterwork

There's a decent sniper rifle in Bite of the Fox this week and a Sorrow's Verse that's pretty darn good as auto rifles go, but nothing this week really screams "buy me," unfortunately.

Warlock Legendary Armor

For Warlocks, Xûr is selling the Illicit Invader set which includes:

Illicit Invader Gauntlets

  • 2 Mobility
  • 26 Resilience
  • 2 Recovery
  • 8 Discipline
  • 19 Intellect
  • 2 Strength
  • Total: 59

Illicit Invader Chest Armor

  • 2 Mobility
  • 13 Resilience
  • 14 Recovery
  • 16 Discipline
  • 7 Intellect
  • 8 Strength
  • Total: 60

Illicit Invader Helmet

  • 19 Mobility
  • 9 Resilience
  • 2 Recovery
  • 15 Discipline
  • 2 Intellect
  • 14 Strength
  • Total: 61

Illicit Invader Leg Armor

  • 18 Mobility
  • 2 Resilience
  • 10 Recovery
  • 10 Discipline
  • 21 Intellect
  • 2 Strength
  • Total: 63

Illicit Invader Bond

The best thing Warlocks have to offer this week are the boots, but even those are pretty meh. Honestly, unless you want those super resilience-focused gauntlets (which aren't amazing overall), you should probably hold off on buying any of these.

Titan Legendary Armor

For Titans, Xûr is selling the Illicit Invader set which includes:

Illicit Invader Gauntlets

  • 2 Mobility
  • 30 Resilience
  • 2 Recovery
  • 9 Discipline
  • 15 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 64

Illicit Invader Chest Armor

  • 2 Mobility
  • 13 Resilience
  • 14 Recovery
  • 12 Discipline
  • 9 Intellect
  • 8 Strength
  • Total: 58

Illicit Invader Helmet

  • 2 Mobility
  • 17 Resilience
  • 10 Recovery
  • 8 Discipline
  • 9 Intellect
  • 13 Strength
  • Total: 59

Illicit Invader Leg Armor

  • 9 Mobility
  • 9 Resilience
  • 12 Recovery
  • 2 Discipline
  • 17 Intellect
  • 9 Strength
  • Total: 58

Illicit Invader Mark

Those gauntlets are absolutely to die for, with decently high overall stats and super-focused resilience that's as spiky as it comes. Pick this up as resilience is too important on Titans to ignore.

Hunter Legendary Armor

For Hunters, Xûr is selling the Illicit Invader set which includes:

Illicit Invader Gauntlets

  • 10 Mobility
  • 2 Resilience
  • 18 Recovery
  • 19 Discipline
  • 10 Intellect
  • 2 Strength
  • Total: 61

Illicit Invader Chest Armor

  • 7 Mobility
  • 19 Resilience
  • 6 Recovery
  • 17 Discipline
  • 10 Intellect
  • 2 Strength
  • Total: 61

Illicit Invader Helmet

  • 12 Mobility
  • 6 Resilience
  • 9 Recovery
  • 2 Discipline
  • 17 Intellect
  • 12 Strength
  • Total: 58

Illicit Invader Leg Armor

  • 10 Mobility
  • 16 Resilience
  • 2 Recovery
  • 10 Discipline
  • 10 Intellect
  • 10 Strength
  • Total: 58

Illicit Invader Cloak

Hunters drew the short end of the stick this week with very few options to get excited about, unfortunately. Pass!

That's a wrap on Xûr for this week, Guardians! What did you think of the dramatic conclusion to the Season of the Haunted's story this week? Let us know in the comments! For more on Destiny, check out some of the new weapons and gear you can find in The Witch Queen and read about how Sony's purchase of Bungie fits into its larger plans.

Travis Northup is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @TieGuyTravis and read his games coverage here.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Leviathan Summon Was Included as a Reference to the Original Game’s Demo

The Leviathan summon in Final Fantasy 7 Remake was included specifically as a reference to the original game's demo.

In a Square Enix blog post, Remake's co-director Naoki Hamaguchi explained the logic behind why each specific summon made an appearance in the game.

"At an early stage of development we looked over the line-up of summons in the original FFVII and decided to go with Ifrit, Chocobo and Moogle, Shiva, Fat Chocobo, Leviathan and Bahamut, for a roster of six," Hamaguchi said. "The reason Leviathan was included is because he was featured in the original FFVII demo, so I personally wanted him in the first Remake too."

Hamaguchi went on to explain that the developers had to be pretty certain before development began which summons they were going to include, as it takes a lot of work to even create one.

"It costs a lot of development resources to create a summon, so there weren't any that we planned for but discarded. We strived to be as accurate as possible in the planning and then stuck to that plan until the final version," he said.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake includes some pretty big story changes (and we're yet to see the ramifications of these) but stays pretty faithful to the original game with a number of other Easter Eggs, with this Leviathan one now added to the list. The second game in the series, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, is expected to be released in winter 2023.