Xbox Says Players Can Once Again ‘Purchase & Launch Games or Start Cloud Gaming Sessions’ [UPDATE]

Update (5/8/22) - Xbox Support has confirmed that players should "no longer be seeing issues when it comes to purchases, launching games, or joining Cloud Gaming sessions."

They also thanked everyone for being patient and wished everyone some "happy gaming!"

The original story follows.

Xbox Support has warned that "some users are unable to purchase & launch games or start Cloud Gaming sessions" on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and devices that support Cloud Gaming.

Xbox Support tweeted out its latest update on May 7 at 2:34 PT/5:34pm ET, saying 'We are still working on resolving the issue. In the meantime players may see improvement with launching games by rebooting your Xbox console."

While those with games on disc should have no issues, users with digital games may have trouble starting them. Starting cloud games can also be a problem, and users that do connect my be unexpectedly disconnected after it begins. Lastly, users may not be able to purchase new games from the Microsoft Store.

We will add any new updates to this page, but anyone can check out the official Xbox Status page to see up-to-the-minute updates.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Xbox Says Some Users Are ‘Unable to Purchase & Launch Games or Start Cloud Gaming Sessions’

Xbox Support has warned that "some users are unable to purchase & launch games or start Cloud Gaming sessions" on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and devices that support Cloud Gaming.

Xbox Support tweeted out its latest update on May 7 at 2:34 PT/5:34pm ET, saying 'We are still working on resolving the issue. In the meantime players may see improvement with launching games by rebooting your Xbox console."

While those with games on disc should have no issues, users with digital games may have trouble starting them. Starting cloud games can also be a problem, and users that do connect my be unexpectedly disconnected after it begins. Lastly, users may not be able to purchase new games from the Microsoft Store.

We will add any new updates to this page, but anyone can check out the official Xbox Status page to see up-to-the-minute updates.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Wraps Filming as James Gunn Teases an ‘Unannounced Actor’

Alongside revealing that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has finished filming, writer and director James Gunn has teased an "unannounced actor" that will be part of this final chapter of this particular group of heroes and friends.

Gunn shared the news on Twitter with a photo of himself and members of the cast - Sean Gunn (Kraglin), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Karen Gillan (Nebula), and Dave Bautista (Drax) - sitting around a table laughing and smiling together.

"And that’s a picture wrap on the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy," Gunn wrote. "I love this amazing cast & crew & their beautiful talent & kind souls. I’m a lucky human to have them on the journey with me for nearly a decade."

Zoe Saldana (Gamora) was missing from the photo, but Gunn did not forget about her and shared an image of her and Peacemaker's Jennifer Holland. Gunn was not in the picture as the only picture he had of her and him from that night "has an unannounced actor with us!"

No further hints were given as to who this mysterious actor or character is, but Gunn did follow-up that tweet by saying, "no no [the unannounced actor is] not Jenn, I mean the only picture I have with her and me - this is from the same night."

Gunn also shared an image of the final slate for the final shot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and revealed a tease of the final scene filmed.

"After over 100 days of shooting & over 3000 shots, this is the slate for the final shot of #GotGVol3, presented to me by the camera crew," Gunn wrote. "It was an easy shot of Rocket seated, 1st with @seangunn, & then nothing there, & took everything in me not to break down sobbing on the spot."

He continued to share how much not only these films meant to him, but also how much the characters and those who brought them to life have changed him forever.

"The majority of the last ten years of my life have been spent working on & thinking about the Guardians," Gunn wrote. "I still have a long road ahead of me with VFX & editing, but it was still momentous to me.

"It is somewhat simple to explain to others how much I love this cast & crew. It is more difficult to explain how much I love these characters - that I see them as parts of myself & parts of those I love, & filming them, & writing their words, is a way of expressing that love.

"Again, I’ll still be working with them over the next year until release, but shooting that last shot was a reminder of the warm impermanence of life & love, & how that impermanence makes it so precious, so valuable, & is a good reason to be grateful for what I have right now."

Gunn followed up with a couple more tweets, confirming not only that he and the team "finished the Holiday Special Thursday," but also reiterating that "i've made the three i've made on my own terms. This is the end of this story & of this team."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to be released in theaters on May 5, 2023, but fans will be able to see them in action in Thor: Love and Thunder on July 8.

For more, read on how this third film will introduce Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and how Gunn previously hinted that Rocket's past will be a 'big part' of this new story.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Wraps Filming as James Gunn Teases an ‘Unannounced Actor’

Alongside revealing that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has finished filming, writer and director James Gunn has teased an "unannounced actor" that will be part of this final chapter of this particular group of heroes and friends.

Gunn shared the news on Twitter with a photo of himself and members of the cast - Sean Gunn (Kraglin), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Karen Gillan (Nebula), and Dave Bautista (Drax) - sitting around a table laughing and smiling together.

"And that’s a picture wrap on the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy," Gunn wrote. "I love this amazing cast & crew & their beautiful talent & kind souls. I’m a lucky human to have them on the journey with me for nearly a decade."

Zoe Saldana (Gamora) was missing from the photo, but Gunn did not forget about her and shared an image of her and Peacemaker's Jennifer Holland. Gunn was not in the picture as the only picture he had of her and him from that night "has an unannounced actor with us!"

No further hints were given as to who this mysterious actor or character is, but Gunn did follow-up that tweet by saying, "no no [the unannounced actor is] not Jenn, I mean the only picture I have with her and me - this is from the same night."

Gunn also shared an image of the final slate for the final shot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and revealed a tease of the final scene filmed.

"After over 100 days of shooting & over 3000 shots, this is the slate for the final shot of #GotGVol3, presented to me by the camera crew," Gunn wrote. "It was an easy shot of Rocket seated, 1st with @seangunn, & then nothing there, & took everything in me not to break down sobbing on the spot."

He continued to share how much not only these films meant to him, but also how much the characters and those who brought them to life have changed him forever.

"The majority of the last ten years of my life have been spent working on & thinking about the Guardians," Gunn wrote. "I still have a long road ahead of me with VFX & editing, but it was still momentous to me.

"It is somewhat simple to explain to others how much I love this cast & crew. It is more difficult to explain how much I love these characters - that I see them as parts of myself & parts of those I love, & filming them, & writing their words, is a way of expressing that love.

"Again, I’ll still be working with them over the next year until release, but shooting that last shot was a reminder of the warm impermanence of life & love, & how that impermanence makes it so precious, so valuable, & is a good reason to be grateful for what I have right now."

Gunn followed up with a couple more tweets, confirming not only that he and the team "finished the Holiday Special Thursday," but also reiterating that "i've made the three i've made on my own terms. This is the end of this story & of this team."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to be released in theaters on May 5, 2023, but fans will be able to see them in action in Thor: Love and Thunder on July 8.

For more, read on how this third film will introduce Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and how Gunn previously hinted that Rocket's past will be a 'big part' of this new story.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Thor: Love and Thunder Image Gives Us a Great New Look at Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor

A new image from Thor: Love and Thunder has given us another great look at Natalie Portman's Mighty Thor.

The image was revealed by Empire Magazine, and it shows Portman standing with Chris Hemsworth's Thor. Not only are they both in full costume, but Portman is even holding the rebuilt Mjolnir.

Alongside the image, Empire also spoke to Thor: Love and Thunder writer and director Taika Waititi about the upcoming film, and he explained a bit more about what Jane Foster's return means for Thor.

"It’s been about eight years,” Waititi said. “She’s had a whole other life, and then the love of your life comes back on the scene, and is now dressed like you. It’s a real mindfuck for Thor.”

While Waititi isn't ready to reveal much more about Portman's return as Foster, he did discuss why he felt this was the right way to bring her back and how using Jason Aaron's The Mighty Thor comic run as an inspiration for the film came later than you may expect.

"I didn’t know we were going to use the storyline of the Mighty Thor character until we started working out the actual story,” says Waititi. “I was writing and it was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be kind of cool to bring Jane back into the storyline?

"You don’t want Natalie coming back and playing that same character who’s walking around with science equipment. You know, while Thor’s flying around, she’s left on Earth, tapping her foot going, ‘When’s he going to be back?’ That’s boring. You want her to be part of the adventure.”

Waititi was also excited to let Portman bring some of her comedic skills to the role.

"Natalie’s really funny in real life,” says Waititi. “She’s kind of goofy and has got a great sense of humour, and I don’t think that was exploited enough in the first films.”

Thor: Love and Thunder will be released in theaters on July 8, 2022. For more, check out Waititi's comments on why Gorr the Butcher is probably the best villain in the MCU, how Love and Thunder can reconcile the MCU's most inconsistent character arc, and more about how Jane Foster becomes Mighty Thor.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Thor: Love and Thunder Image Gives Us a Great New Look at Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor

A new image from Thor: Love and Thunder has given us another great look at Natalie Portman's Mighty Thor.

The image was revealed by Empire Magazine, and it shows Portman standing with Chris Hemsworth's Thor. Not only are they both in full costume, but Portman is even holding the rebuilt Mjolnir.

Alongside the image, Empire also spoke to Thor: Love and Thunder writer and director Taika Waititi about the upcoming film, and he explained a bit more about what Jane Foster's return means for Thor.

"It’s been about eight years,” Waititi said. “She’s had a whole other life, and then the love of your life comes back on the scene, and is now dressed like you. It’s a real mindfuck for Thor.”

While Waititi isn't ready to reveal much more about Portman's return as Foster, he did discuss why he felt this was the right way to bring her back and how using Jason Aaron's The Mighty Thor comic run as an inspiration for the film came later than you may expect.

"I didn’t know we were going to use the storyline of the Mighty Thor character until we started working out the actual story,” says Waititi. “I was writing and it was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be kind of cool to bring Jane back into the storyline?

"You don’t want Natalie coming back and playing that same character who’s walking around with science equipment. You know, while Thor’s flying around, she’s left on Earth, tapping her foot going, ‘When’s he going to be back?’ That’s boring. You want her to be part of the adventure.”

Waititi was also excited to let Portman bring some of her comedic skills to the role.

"Natalie’s really funny in real life,” says Waititi. “She’s kind of goofy and has got a great sense of humour, and I don’t think that was exploited enough in the first films.”

Thor: Love and Thunder will be released in theaters on July 8, 2022. For more, check out Waititi's comments on why Gorr the Butcher is probably the best villain in the MCU, how Love and Thunder can reconcile the MCU's most inconsistent character arc, and more about how Jane Foster becomes Mighty Thor.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Moon Knight Producer Reveals Why A Big Eternals Cameo Was Scrapped

The first season of Marvel’s Moon Knight has come to a close, and the Oscar Isaac helmed series has proven to be a hit with both fans and critics. While it is, of course, set within the framework of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, Moon Knight is refreshing in that its story is self-contained and rarely references the rest of the MCU.

But that wasn't always the case, and originally there had been plans for crossovers with at least two other Marvel franchises. Now Moon Knight’s head writer, Jeremy Slater, in an interview with The Direct, has revealed that he had wanted The Eternals to be one of those cameos.

Specifically, Slater explained that he had wanted Kumail Nanjiani’s character Kingo to appear in a flashback sequence taking place in Ancient Egypt. In addition, Slater said that, in an early draft, he had wanted several of The Eternals to take part in a large-scale action sequence.

"I tried very hard to get the Eternals into the show, just because I’m buddies with Kumail Nanjiani... At one point, there was a flashback on the page that sort of showed one of Khonshu’s Avatars back in ancient Egypt, sort of dealing with Ammit being locked away, and Alexander the Great, and all of that stuff," Slater said.

Slater had originally envisioned this action sequence to take place during the cold open to an episode, but ultimately it was cut as it would have been too expensive, and the cost would have been felt elsewhere in the show's budget.

"It hurt, but it was also the right thing to do for the show, and I think everyone sort of collectively agreed," he explained. "There’s plenty of time in the future to team this guy up with other characters in the MCU and start building these connections; let's not force something just because the other shows have all had it."

While it might have been fun for fans to have gotten to see this team-up in the first season, remaining aloof from the rest of the MCU has given Moon Knight room to find his own footing, and doubtless, there will collaborations with other MCU characters in the future.

In the meantime, check out how psychologists rate Moon Knight's handling of mental health issues now that Season 1 is complete,

Khayl Adam is a freelance writer IGN.

Moon Knight Producer Reveals Why A Big Eternals Cameo Was Scrapped

The first season of Marvel’s Moon Knight has come to a close, and the Oscar Isaac helmed series has proven to be a hit with both fans and critics. While it is, of course, set within the framework of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, Moon Knight is refreshing in that its story is self-contained and rarely references the rest of the MCU.

But that wasn't always the case, and originally there had been plans for crossovers with at least two other Marvel franchises. Now Moon Knight’s head writer, Jeremy Slater, in an interview with The Direct, has revealed that he had wanted The Eternals to be one of those cameos.

Specifically, Slater explained that he had wanted Kumail Nanjiani’s character Kingo to appear in a flashback sequence taking place in Ancient Egypt. In addition, Slater said that, in an early draft, he had wanted several of The Eternals to take part in a large-scale action sequence.

"I tried very hard to get the Eternals into the show, just because I’m buddies with Kumail Nanjiani... At one point, there was a flashback on the page that sort of showed one of Khonshu’s Avatars back in ancient Egypt, sort of dealing with Ammit being locked away, and Alexander the Great, and all of that stuff," Slater said.

Slater had originally envisioned this action sequence to take place during the cold open to an episode, but ultimately it was cut as it would have been too expensive, and the cost would have been felt elsewhere in the show's budget.

"It hurt, but it was also the right thing to do for the show, and I think everyone sort of collectively agreed," he explained. "There’s plenty of time in the future to team this guy up with other characters in the MCU and start building these connections; let's not force something just because the other shows have all had it."

While it might have been fun for fans to have gotten to see this team-up in the first season, remaining aloof from the rest of the MCU has given Moon Knight room to find his own footing, and doubtless, there will collaborations with other MCU characters in the future.

In the meantime, check out how psychologists rate Moon Knight's handling of mental health issues now that Season 1 is complete,

Khayl Adam is a freelance writer IGN.

Genshin Impact On Switch ‘Still In Development’

It’s been over two years since miHoYo announced the Nintendo Switch port of Genshin Impact. News about the port has been sparse since then, but the company confirmed that the project is still in development on Thursday.

During the lengthy wait for the Switch port, some players began doubting the project’s eventual completion, theorizing that miHoYo had abandoned the project due to the Switch’s technical limitations. miHoYo, however, took to a statement to reassure players that the project is still in progress.

“The Switch version is still in development, and we will release more information as we progress further along,” a representative told GoNintendo.

No further details were provided by miHoYo regarding the upcoming port.

While the Switch port’s release date still remains unknown, the Genshin Impact team has been consistent in updating the game every six weeks (aside from a currently unexplained hiatus). Most recently, miHoYo introduced Version 2.6, which introduced the new character Kamisato Ayato and an expansion to Liyue called The Chasm. Version 2.6 also further fleshed out the story of the Kamisato Clan, a well-loved family from the in-game land of Inazuma.

IGN gave Genshin Impact a 9, praising it for its creative characters and the in-game world Teyvat’s massive scope. We also coined Genshin as one of the best ongoing games of 2021 thanks to its consistent content updates.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.

Genshin Impact On Switch ‘Still In Development’

It’s been over two years since miHoYo announced the Nintendo Switch port of Genshin Impact. News about the port has been sparse since then, but the company confirmed that the project is still in development on Thursday.

During the lengthy wait for the Switch port, some players began doubting the project’s eventual completion, theorizing that miHoYo had abandoned the project due to the Switch’s technical limitations. miHoYo, however, took to a statement to reassure players that the project is still in progress.

“The Switch version is still in development, and we will release more information as we progress further along,” a representative told GoNintendo.

No further details were provided by miHoYo regarding the upcoming port.

While the Switch port’s release date still remains unknown, the Genshin Impact team has been consistent in updating the game every six weeks (aside from a currently unexplained hiatus). Most recently, miHoYo introduced Version 2.6, which introduced the new character Kamisato Ayato and an expansion to Liyue called The Chasm. Version 2.6 also further fleshed out the story of the Kamisato Clan, a well-loved family from the in-game land of Inazuma.

IGN gave Genshin Impact a 9, praising it for its creative characters and the in-game world Teyvat’s massive scope. We also coined Genshin as one of the best ongoing games of 2021 thanks to its consistent content updates.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.