Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 Plot Detail Seemingly Leaked By Voice Actor
A possibly major plot detail for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 has seemingly leaked from Daruk's Italian voice actor Pietro Ubaldi.
This article contains Breath of the Wild and possible Breath of the Wild 2 spoilers going forward.
As spotted by ResetEra user Alexander_Wand, Zelda-focused YouTube channel Lega Hyrule shared an interview with Ubaldi, who said he not only voiced Daruk in the sequel but also the Goron character's ancestor.
Daruk himself passes into the afterlife at the end of Breath of the Wild, meaning his appearance is a little odd in itself, but the apparent ancestor character is also a complete mystery.
Time is at the centre of Breath of the Wild's story - with Link waking up 100 years after Ganondorf ruined everything during the Great Calamity - and several flashbacks occur throughout the game.
This ancestor could indicates that Link will once again have to address the past, with some fans theorising that they're from the "ancient times" mentioned in the game, which took place 10,000 years prior. Daruk's ancestor could be an original Divine Beast pilot, for example.
Even more interesting, trailers for Breath of the Wild's (still officially untitled) sequel have shown what looks to be a longer haired, seemingly injured version of Link. Some now believe that that version of Link himself is from the ancient times – which could explain his toga-like clothing, too.
As Zelda games love to play with time in general - and Link himself is known as the Hero of Time - it's unsurprising that Breath of the Wild 2 would explore this theme further. How exactly it does so though, only time will tell (pardon the pun).
Nintendo has been fairly quiet about the sequel since it was revealed at E3 last year and is even yet to unveil its full subtitle as this will give away too much.
While it was originally expected to be released in 2022, Breath of the Wild 2 was pushed back to 2023 as of March, meaning fans will have to wait even longer before they discover the full meaning behind the ancestor leak.
They'll continue to wildly theorise in the meantime though, but there are at least some things we know about Breath of the Wild 2 for definite, including the inclusion of new gear, weapons, and more.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
Meta Will Reportedly Release 2 New Quest VR Headsets by 2024
Facebook's parent company Meta is reportedly planning to release four new VR headsets by 2024 – including two new Meta Quest )formerly Oculus Quest) gaming headsets.
According to a report from The Information, Meta's internal roadmap has four VR headsets scheduled to release in the next three years. The two Meta Quest headsets will be for gaming, of course, while the latter two – including Project Cambria, which was revealed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week – will be for work purposes.
A high-end gaming headset, seemingly the successor to the Quest 2, is reportedly scheduled for release in 2023 while a budget model will release the following year.
Project Cambria, however, appears to be the furthest along in development and was actually supposed to be released last year but suffered delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. An updated version of Cambria, codenamed Project Funston, is expected to be released in 2024.
Cambria will be Meta's first work-focused VR headset, ehich has outward facing cameras allowing for full colour passthrough, essentially meaning users can see through the headset in real time, allowing for augmented reality as well as virtual.
Cambria will apparnetly have a high-resolution screen that allows it to be used for longer without experiencing fatigue, and while it's expected to be on the heavy side due to the larger battery pack, it's designed to be comfortable over long periods.
This complements Zuckerberg's comments last week, in which he said that the device can eventually replace an entire work setup. Employees have reportedly referred to Cambria as a "laptop for the face".
The headsets will be Meta's first foray into the metaverse, as Cambria will also include features to seemingly simulate the user's position within a virtual world. Zuckerberg said in the reveal last week: "We're also building in eye tracking and face tracking so that your avatar can make eye contact and facial expressions, which dramatically improves your sense of presence."
Though Cambria was revealed without mention of the gaming headsets, the recent Meta Quest Gaming Showcase made clear the company was still pursuing a more traditional gaming route.
Ghostbusters VR and Resident Evil 4 - The Mercenaries VR were both announced for the platform alongside new virtual reality games based on Among Us, The Walking Dead, and the NFL.
It's not all about the digital space though, as Meta's first retail store, set in the real world (specifically in Burlingame, California) will open next month.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
The Last-Ever PlayStation Now Games Have Been Announced
Sony has announced that the final games to join PlayStation Now – before it merges with the new PlayStation Plus – are Soulcalibur VI, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, and Blasphemous.
Announced on the PlayStation Blog, each of the three games are available to play from May 3. These also seem to be permanent additions to the service before its games roll into PS Plus Extra and Premium next month.
The full list of games included in the all-new PS Plus hasn't been revealed just yet. But, we do know its top tier will offer more than 700 games for streaming or download (including streaming on PC), and the library will be "regularly refreshed".
If you have an active PS Now subscription, you'll be automatically upgraded to a PS Plus Premium membership when the subscription changes.
This also applies to those who have active subscriptions for both PS Plus and PS Now simultaneously. The length of your membership will then be equal to the longest subscription owned.
Asia markets (excluding Japan) will be the first to get the new service as it is currently targeting May 23, 2022. Japan will be next on June 1, followed by the Americas on June 13, and then finally Europe on June 22.
Sony has also recently revealed that users will be able to upgrade their PS Plus subscriptions onto the new premium tiers, with a "pro-rated fee to level up the remaining time" required to pay before you do.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
John Woo Is Remaking One Of His ’80s Action Classics For Peacock
A streaming service is nothing without new premium films and shows to draw in subscribers. While Netflix falters, NBCUniversal is investing more in original feature films going directly to Peacock. Today, the company announced three films coming to the streamer in 2023 – including one from action legend John Woo.
Woo will direct a reimagining of his 1989 film, The Killer. The original starred Chow Yun-fat as the eponymous hitman Ah Jong. During one job, he accidentally hurts a nightclub singer by shooting a gun near her. Ah Jong was going to retire following that job, but his guilt forces him to take another job to get the money for the singer's eye surgery. Danny Lee plays Li Ying, a detective obsessed with Ah Jong, while Sally Yeh is Jennie, the nightclub singer.
The Killer wasn't Woo's first film in the "heroic bloodshed" drama, with dudes brooding and shooting everywhere – that honor falls to 1986's A Better Tomorrow. The Killer was the first use of doves by Woo, however, something that would become a signature feature of his later films, including 1992's Hard Boiled.
It's unclear if this new remake of The Killer is related to the project announced way back in 2018. That film was also going to be directed by Woo, with Black Panther and Us actress Lupita Nyong'o starring in the new lead role. The synopsis given by NBCUniversal at the time had the same premise as the original film, but with a female assassin protecting a young woman blinded by an earlier job.
The Killer is planned for release in 2023 on Peacock. It will mark Woo's first American production since Paycheck back in 2003. There was a film previously announced, the no-dialogue action film Silent Night, but that film has no current release window.
The second Peacock project is Shooting Stars, a collaboration with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Company. The film will dramatize LeBron's early years as a high-school basketball player. The third movie is Praise This, a new project from Girls Trip producer Will Packer. This film will star actress Chloe Bailey as "the newest member of a community's church choir who pushes her members in a hipper musical direction."
Fast X Director Justin Lin Reportedly Quit After a Major Blowup With Vin Diesel
It was only a matter of time before the real story behind Fast X director Justin Lin's departure came to light. A report from the New York Daily News earlier today hinted that it was over differences with actor Vin Diesel, and now The Hollywood Report is corroborating those reports with an in-depth story of its own.
According to THR, Lin's decision to quit was a spur of the moment decision driven by differences of opinion over the script. Where Lin considered the script finished, Diesel and Universal apparently disagreed. The conflict apparently came to a head when Diesel showed up with additional notes on April 23, leading to a shouting match that ended with a slammed door.
Lin quickly reached a settlement with the studio that would see him remain as a producer. The news that he was stepping down was revealed in an official statement in which he spoke appreciateively of working on five films over 10 years, but did not mention the creative differences that fueled his decision to quit.
In the wake of Lin's departure, Fast X's production was paused, likely costing Universal hundreds of thousands of dollars per day. A replacement was announced earlier today, with former Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier taking his place.
Aside from the reported disagreement between Lin and Diesel, the story also hints at other issues with the production, including a key location that was cut due to the war in Ukraine. In addition, a key villain has reportedly still yet to be cast, though Charlize Theron is already confirmed to be returning. Lin apparently also didn't take kindly to the studio sending in another writer to polish the dialogue.
Meanwhile, Fast X's budget continues to grow, with THR reporting that it is already near the $300 million market even without the marketing and publicity spend. Like most movies, Fast X has had to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 era amid various delays.
Fast X is currently slated to release on May 19, 2023, with Jason Momoa and Brie Larson confirmed to be part of the cast.
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.
Sam Raimi Still Doesn’t Quite Get Venom, Has Never Seen the Tom Hardy Movies
Spider-Man 3 is often lambasted as one of the worst Spider-Man movies of the Sam Raimi trilogy partly due to the rushed inclusion of Venom. It turns out Raimi himself still doesn't understand Venom and has never seen Tom Hardy's version of the anti-hero.
In an interview with Uproxx, Raimi lamented that he didn't really get Venom and found the character quite difficult:
"It was really more just that I didn’t understand the character that well. It wasn’t close to my heart. The best thing I like about Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s Spider-Man is that they made relatable characters that I understand. Even if they were confused, like Norman Osborn, they still have goodness in their heart. They want them to do the right thing, or Peter Parker. Or even J. Jonah Jameson has goodness in his heart. When I read about Venom, which I hadn’t read as a kid, I had to catch up on it when they wanted him to be in the movie. I didn’t recognize enough humanity within that character to be able to identify with him properly. That’s really what it boils down to."
Raimi famously didn't want to include Venom in Spider-Man 3, but caved due to pressure from then-Marvel Studios President Avi Arad. Speaking with Collider in 2007:
"But when we were done [writing the script], Avi Arad, my partner and the former president of Marvel at the time, said to me, Sam, you're so, you're not paying attention to the fans enough. You need to think about them. You've made two movies now with your favorite villains, and now you're about to make another one with your favorite villains. The fans love Venom, he is the fan favorite. All Spider-Man readers love Venom, and even though you came from '70s Spiderman, this is what the kids are thinking about. Please incorporate Venom, listen to the fans now. And so that's really where I, I realized okay, maybe I don't have the whole Spider-Man universe in my head, I need to learn a little bit more about Spider-Man and maybe incorporate this villain to make some of the real diehard fans of Spider-Man finally happy."
Unfortunately, despite Raimi's efforts to include Venom in the movie, critics and fans decried the lack of character development that was afforded Sandman and Harry Osbourne's Green Goblin.
Since then, Tom Hardy's portrayal of the famous symbiote in both Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage has brought a bit of redemption to the character (as far as the box office is concerned). In the same interview, Raimi said he had not yet seen Tom Hardy's Venom movies, which have found success as a kind of screwball comedy featuring Eddie Brock and The Symbiote.
"That makes sense. I’m glad they were able to make a success out of that," Raimi responded after the premise was described to him.
After being away from superhero movies, Raimi is continuing the multiverse shinanigans with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This sequel to Strange's previous solo film has the former Sorceror Supreme face off against Karl Mordo and Scarlet Witch.
Catch up on Doctor Strange's story here and read about how Rick & Morty "trained" one Multiverse of Madness writer.
David Matthews is a freelance writer at IGN.
Doctor Strange 2 Writer Explains How Rick & Morty ‘Trained’ Him for Multiverse Of Madness
Following his work on the acclaimed Disney Plus series Loki, Michael Waldron's next MCU foray will be Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, for which he thanks his time writing on Rick and Morty as prep.
In an interview with Slash Film, Waldron revealed he was tasked with tying together not just the MCU films and Disney Plus series, but also the various other universes including Spider-Man and X-Men. Finding a writer experienced with the multiverse and the intricacies of trans-dimensional travel is no easy task.
But Waldron thanks his experience writing for ‘Rick and Morty’ as a test course for writing Multiverse of Madness.
"It was the perfect training ground. Because every week in that show, we take a big sci-fi concept that frankly, you could probably write a movie about, you could write some kind of high concept spec about at least, and we basically blow it apart in the first five minutes of the show.
"Really, you've got to explain it to the audience quickly and then shift it to the background so they can get swept up in the adventure, in the rest of what's just a 22-minute episode. And so 'Rick and Morty' trained me in how to introduce these big sci-fi concepts in ways that were digestible, palatable to the audience, and without getting them bogged down in the boring details."
Before serving as executive producer and head writer of Loki, Waldron had worked on the Adult Swim series, Rick and Morty for years. In an interview with Bleeding Cool, it was revealed that Dan Harmon chose Waldron to be the series showrunner of Rick and Morty season 5 before Waldron ultimately accepted to take on Loki.
Waldron had come on board of the project after the original director of Doctor Strange, Scott Derrickson, had officially left the project and was replaced by director Sam Raimi. The collaborative minds of both Waldron and Raimi spent months salvaging and reshooting Multiverse of Madness.
"... When COVID came down and delayed us several months, it gave Sam and me the opportunity to say, 'all right, well, now we have the time. If we wanted to start over from scratch, what would our version of the movie be?' And Marvel was fortunately very supportive of that," Waldron reveals. "And he and I set to work and kind of created our own thing."
Delays caused by the pandemic were a blessing as the two had been given more time to execute their vision. Waldron accredits his adaptive skills working in TV as preparing him for the crunch.
Christian Angeles is a Freelance Writer for IGN.
Forza Horizon Reappears On Xbox Store 6 Years After Being Delisted
Six years after being delisted, the original Forza Horizon made a brief reappearance on the Xbox Store on Saturday, according to a variety of Twitter users who managed to successfully access the popular Xbox 360 racing title.
Forza Horizon was initially delisted from all storefronts in 2016, but eagle-eyed fans reported the game showed up for $19.99 for a short while before disappearing again a few hours later. It's unknown whether the relisting is indication that Xbox is planning to bring the game back to the store or if someone at Xbox just made a mistake that caused it to pop back up for a little while.
Either way, the eventual removal of Forza games is a common practice for Microsoft, as the third party licensing deals run out for the series' wide selection of cars, tracks, songs, and more. In September 2021, Forza Motorsport 7 became the most recent game in the franchise to be delisted – 4 years after it was released on Xbox One.
Developer Turn10 is hard at work on an upcoming reboot of the mainline Forza Motorsport series, though news about the game has trickled out very slowly since its original reveal back in 2020. What we know so far is that it will act as a fresh start for the franchise, leveraging the power of the Xbox Series X – meaning that the game won't land on Xbox One. It will also launch on Xbox Game Pass on day one.
In the meantime, fans can get their hands on the team's well-received sandbox racer Forza Horizon 5, which we gave a perfect score in our review, calling it "a deep and nuanced car nirvana for revheads and auto geeks to endlessly collect, tinker, and experiment."
Billy Givens is a freelance writer at IGN.
Netflix Cancels Meghan Markle’s New Show Before It Even Airs
Meghan Markle is the latest creator to fall victim to Netflix's animation budget cuts, with her planned show Pearl being canceled before even being released. The series, executive produced by the Duchess of Sussex, is the latest Netflix animated series to get canned, joining other shows including Bone.
The series was meant to be about a 12-year-old girl named Pearl, who on a journey of self-discovery, sought to get inspiration from extraordinary women in history.
Markle described the show’s premise this way: “Like many girls her age, our heroine Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life’s daily challenges.”
Originally reported by Deadline, Pearl was but one of many works planned by Archewell Productions, the studio created by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, after the couple left their royal duties and moved to the U.S. With plans to make Netflix original programming including documentaries, features, and children's shows, it’s reported that Netflix still has every intention to move forward with its original programming with Archewell Productions, just minus the children’s animated series planned to be Pearl.
Already in 2022, the company has already canceled nine original series including Space Force, Raising Dion, Pretty Smart, On The Verge, The Baby-Sitters Club, Archive 81, Another Life, Gentefied, and Cooking with Paris. Last week, two other planned children's animated series were canned, including Dino Daycare and Boons and Curses.
The cancellations follow Netflix's recent subscriber drop, which saw its share price drop to its lowest price since 2018.
Blogroll Image Credit: Karwai Tang/Getty Images
Christian Angeles is a freelance writer for IGN.
Avatar: The Last Airbender – Dark Horse Reveals New PVC Statue Line
14 years after Avatar: The Last Airbender ended its run on Nickelodeon, it seems fans have more options than ever when it comes to collectibles. Dark Horse is kicking off a new line of Avatar statues, beginning with two of the most popular characters from the animated series.
Dark Horse will release two Avatar: The Last Airbender statues in October 2022. Both are cast in PVC and targeted at the more affordable side of the market. First, take a look at the Prince Zuko statue:
Dark Horse's press release reads, "As a young prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko was originally the bitter enemy of Avatar Aang and his friends. After much internal struggle, he realized it was his responsibility to end the Fire Nation’s reign of terror. Now, as a lifelong friend to the Avatar and reigning Fire Lord, he strives to lead his people into a new era of peace."
Naturally, Zuko will be joined by one of his element-bending rivals, but perhaps not the one you're expecting. Katara is the other release planned for the first wave:
Dark Horse's press release reads, "As the last known Waterbender in her war-ravaged Southern Water Tribe, Katara held onto hope in a hopeless world until she discovered the long-lost Avatar. Now, she’s a waterbending master who helped end the Hundred Year War and will always jump into harm's way to fight injustice."
The Zuko statue measures 6.5 inches tall, while Katara measures 8 inches tall. Both are priced at $59.99 and are slated for release on October 26, 2022. Both are currently available for preorder through the IGN Store and other online retailers.
In other Avatar news, Netflix announced the live-action adaptation in 2018, when Avatar creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino were on board to helm the series. However, the original creators departed the project due to creative differences. Now, Albert Kim is serving as showrunner alongside Dan Lin, Lindsey Liberatore, and Michael Goi. You can check out IGN's full breakdown of the live-action Avatar cast.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.