CD Projekt Red has confirmed that a new Witcher game is currently in development and that it will use Unreal Engine 5.

While not much has been revealed about this upcoming game, the announcement did confirm that this new game will be "kicking off a new saga for the franchise and a new technology partnership with Epic Games."

No development timeframe or release date were given either, but CD Projekt Red did share a teaser image (which you can see below), that features a medallion and the phrase, "a new saga begins."

CD Projekt did state, however, that "we are not planning on making the game exclusive to one storefront" despite working together with Epic.

There was also no word as to whether Geralt of Rivia would star in this new "saga," but the medallion does appear to be of a similar fashion to Geralt's wolf medallion that is just one of those that were given to witcher candidates from the School of the Wolf after they pass the Trial of the Grasses. The medallion is covered in snow, so it could be one from the School of Cat or a new school altogether, but we will have to wait to find out.

The move to Unreal Engine 5 is also notable as CD Projekt Red had used their own propreitary REDending technology to build their games since The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

"One of the core aspects of our internal RED 2.0 Transformation is a much stronger focus on technology, and our cooperation with Epic Games is based on this principle," CD Projekt Red CTO Paweł Zawodny said. "From the outset, we did not consider a typical licensing arrangement; both we and Epic see this as a long-term, fulfilling tech partnership.

"It is vital for CD PROJEKT RED to have the technical direction of our next game decided from the earliest possible phase as; in the past, we spent a lot of resources and energy to evolve and adapt REDengine with every subsequent game release. This cooperation is so exciting, because it will elevate development predictability and efficiency, while simultaneously granting us access to cutting-edge game development tools. I can’t wait for the great games we’re going to create using Unreal Engine 5!”

“Epic has been building Unreal Engine 5 to enable teams to create dynamic open worlds at an unprecedented scale and level of fidelity," Founder and CEO of Epic Games Tim Sweeney added. "We are deeply honored by the opportunity to partner with CD PROJEKT RED to push the limits of interactive storytelling and gameplay together, and this effort will benefit the developer community for years to come.”

While this new Witcher game will utilize Unreal Engine 5, CD Projekt Red did say that REDengine is "still being used for the development of the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 expansion."

The Witcher 3 was released in 2015 and it won "a total of 250 Game of the Year awards," including from IGN. In 2020, CD Projekt Red released Cyberpunk 2077 and it had a rough start, to say the least, particularly on last-gen consoles.

This led to Sony removing the game from the PSN store and massive backlash. Since then, CD Projekt Red has committed to righting the ship and recently released the next-gen upgrades for the game for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

CD Projekt also confirmed that it's learned a "huge lesson," and hopefully that translates to many fewer problems for the launch of this new Witcher game.

In 2020, CD Projekt confirmed that it would return to the world of The Witcher after Cyberpunk 2077 is released and that it would not be The Witcher 4, i.e. a continuation of Geralt's story. The team has previously said that Geralt's story was complete, but this new press release neither confirms nor denies that this new direction is still the case.

While the wait for this new entry may be a long one, CD Projekt is still planning on releasing the next-gen upgrade for The Witcher 3 later this year and fans can check out Season 2 of Netflix's The Witcher right now.

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.

CD Projekt Red has confirmed that a new Witcher game is currently in development and that it will use Unreal Engine 5.

While not much has been revealed about this upcoming game, the announcement did confirm that this new game will be "kicking off a new saga for the franchise and a new technology partnership with Epic Games."

No development timeframe or release date were given either, but CD Projekt Red did share a teaser image (which you can see below), that features a medallion and the phrase, "a new saga begins."

CD Projekt did state, however, that "we are not planning on making the game exclusive to one storefront" despite working together with Epic.

There was also no word as to whether Geralt of Rivia would star in this new "saga," but the medallion does appear to be of a similar fashion to Geralt's wolf medallion that is just one of those that were given to witcher candidates from the School of the Wolf after they pass the Trial of the Grasses. The medallion is covered in snow, so it could be one from the School of Cat or a new school altogether, but we will have to wait to find out.

The move to Unreal Engine 5 is also notable as CD Projekt Red had used their own propreitary REDending technology to build their games since The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

"One of the core aspects of our internal RED 2.0 Transformation is a much stronger focus on technology, and our cooperation with Epic Games is based on this principle," CD Projekt Red CTO Paweł Zawodny said. "From the outset, we did not consider a typical licensing arrangement; both we and Epic see this as a long-term, fulfilling tech partnership.

"It is vital for CD PROJEKT RED to have the technical direction of our next game decided from the earliest possible phase as; in the past, we spent a lot of resources and energy to evolve and adapt REDengine with every subsequent game release. This cooperation is so exciting, because it will elevate development predictability and efficiency, while simultaneously granting us access to cutting-edge game development tools. I can’t wait for the great games we’re going to create using Unreal Engine 5!”

“Epic has been building Unreal Engine 5 to enable teams to create dynamic open worlds at an unprecedented scale and level of fidelity," Founder and CEO of Epic Games Tim Sweeney added. "We are deeply honored by the opportunity to partner with CD PROJEKT RED to push the limits of interactive storytelling and gameplay together, and this effort will benefit the developer community for years to come.”

While this new Witcher game will utilize Unreal Engine 5, CD Projekt Red did say that REDengine is "still being used for the development of the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 expansion."

The Witcher 3 was released in 2015 and it won "a total of 250 Game of the Year awards," including from IGN. In 2020, CD Projekt Red released Cyberpunk 2077 and it had a rough start, to say the least, particularly on last-gen consoles.

This led to Sony removing the game from the PSN store and massive backlash. Since then, CD Projekt Red has committed to righting the ship and recently released the next-gen upgrades for the game for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

CD Projekt also confirmed that it's learned a "huge lesson," and hopefully that translates to many fewer problems for the launch of this new Witcher game.

In 2020, CD Projekt confirmed that it would return to the world of The Witcher after Cyberpunk 2077 is released and that it would not be The Witcher 4, i.e. a continuation of Geralt's story. The team has previously said that Geralt's story was complete, but this new press release neither confirms nor denies that this new direction is still the case.

While the wait for this new entry may be a long one, CD Projekt is still planning on releasing the next-gen upgrade for The Witcher 3 later this year and fans can check out Season 2 of Netflix's The Witcher right now.

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.

West Side Story star Rachel Zegler has revealed that she will not be attending the Oscars 2022 because she has not received an invitation to the awards show.

Zegler starred as Maria, one of the lead roles in Steven Spielberg's musical movie remake of West Side Story, which is up for a total of seven Oscars at the 94th Academy Awards, but she apparently didn't make it onto the ceremony's list of invitees this year as she commented on social media about her alternative plans for the evening of the event, per THR.

The star said she was planning to watch the show from her couch after someone on social media expressed excitement over her outfit choice for the Oscars. Zegler responded in the comments section of her most recent Instagram post, warning fans that she would not be spotted on the red carpet, "I'm not invited so sweatpants and my boyfriend's flannel."

"I will root for West Side Story from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did 3 years ago," Zegler elaborated further. "I hope some last minute miracle occurs and I can celebrate our film in person but hey, that's how it goes sometimes, I guess. Thanks for all the shock and outrage— I'm disappointed, too. But that's okay. So proud of our movie."

As THR notes, each nominee and presenter at the Academy Awards are offered a pair of tickets to enable them to bring guests to the event, with film studios also receiving their fair share of tickets to allocate to people who are connected to their films, though the Academy "not infrequently finds additional tickets for VIPs who wish to attend," too.

Zegler admitted she had attempted to score an invite to the prestigious event but it didn't "seem to be happening" despite the endorsement from fans. "My goodness, folks!! Appreciate all the support, I really really do," she commented on Twitter. "We live in such unprecedented times, and a lot of work behind the scenes goes into making movie magic happen.

"That goes for film productions (like the one I am so lucky to be currently shooting in London) and awards shows alike. Let's all just respect the process and I'll get off my phone."

The Colombian-American actress is currently filming with Spider-Man director Mark Webb in the UK, having landed the lead role in Disney's upcoming live-action remake of 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Zegler will make her next big-screen appearance, however, in Shazam! Fury of the Gods alongside Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu this December.

Spielberg's new version of West Side Story picked up seven nominations for the 2022 Oscars, including Best Picture, competing alongside The Power of the Dog, Dune, and many others. It also received nods for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress for Ariana DeBose.

The 94th Academy Awards are set to take place on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, with Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes serving as the hosts of this year's event. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to IGN for coverage of the awards, including a rundown of all of the winners from the show.

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

West Side Story star Rachel Zegler has revealed that she will not be attending the Oscars 2022 because she has not received an invitation to the awards show.

Zegler starred as Maria, one of the lead roles in Steven Spielberg's musical movie remake of West Side Story, which is up for a total of seven Oscars at the 94th Academy Awards, but she apparently didn't make it onto the ceremony's list of invitees this year as she commented on social media about her alternative plans for the evening of the event, per THR.

The star said she was planning to watch the show from her couch after someone on social media expressed excitement over her outfit choice for the Oscars. Zegler responded in the comments section of her most recent Instagram post, warning fans that she would not be spotted on the red carpet, "I'm not invited so sweatpants and my boyfriend's flannel."

"I will root for West Side Story from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did 3 years ago," Zegler elaborated further. "I hope some last minute miracle occurs and I can celebrate our film in person but hey, that's how it goes sometimes, I guess. Thanks for all the shock and outrage— I'm disappointed, too. But that's okay. So proud of our movie."

As THR notes, each nominee and presenter at the Academy Awards are offered a pair of tickets to enable them to bring guests to the event, with film studios also receiving their fair share of tickets to allocate to people who are connected to their films, though the Academy "not infrequently finds additional tickets for VIPs who wish to attend," too.

Zegler admitted she had attempted to score an invite to the prestigious event but it didn't "seem to be happening" despite the endorsement from fans. "My goodness, folks!! Appreciate all the support, I really really do," she commented on Twitter. "We live in such unprecedented times, and a lot of work behind the scenes goes into making movie magic happen.

"That goes for film productions (like the one I am so lucky to be currently shooting in London) and awards shows alike. Let's all just respect the process and I'll get off my phone."

The Colombian-American actress is currently filming with Spider-Man director Mark Webb in the UK, having landed the lead role in Disney's upcoming live-action remake of 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Zegler will make her next big-screen appearance, however, in Shazam! Fury of the Gods alongside Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu this December.

Spielberg's new version of West Side Story picked up seven nominations for the 2022 Oscars, including Best Picture, competing alongside The Power of the Dog, Dune, and many others. It also received nods for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress for Ariana DeBose.

The 94th Academy Awards are set to take place on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, with Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes serving as the hosts of this year's event. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to IGN for coverage of the awards, including a rundown of all of the winners from the show.

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

Godfall, the former PS5 launch title by Counterplay Games and Gearbox Publishing, is finally headed to Steam and Xbox. To mark the occasion, it's receiving its largest free content update to date.

As confirmed by Godfall publisher Gearbox, Godfall: Ultimate Edition will arrive on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One on April 7. Gearbox also confirmed that the Xbox Series X/S versions will receive exclusive hardware-based enhancements, including Variable Refresh Rate and support for Dolby Vision.

Godfall: Ultimate Edition will include the base game, the Fire & Darkness expansion, and the three content updates: Primal, Lightbringer, and Exalted. Gearbox also noted that previous exclusives such as pre-order bonuses and Ascended Edition content will be bundled with the Ultimate Edition.

Alongside the new versions announced, Gearbox detailed the new Exalted update, which launches the same day as Godfall: Ultimate Edition. The latest update will introduce highly-requested player features, such as streamlining inventory management and Knockdown 2.0, a new recovery skill that will allow players to quickly get up and continue fighting after being knocked down. A new mode called Spirit Realms will also be added, allowing you to experience co-op with up to five other players.

Gameplay will also be overhauled in Godfall thanks to the Exalted update. Some major additions include all the weapons coming equipped with Timing Attacks that you can execute after using a weapon technique, as well as the inclusion of a revive system, which should make co-op a lot more enjoyable. While those looking for a challenge can test their skill in the Exalted Tower of Trials, where enemies can reach a level as high as 150.

The news of additional platforms and a significant update revamping Godfall comes at an interesting time for the game. Although it was one of the first games to show off the PS5's technical capabilities, in our review, we noted that "the repetition of [Godfall's] missions wears thin before the end of its campaign, and even thinner in the endgame afterward."

With the new content coming from the Exalted update, there might be plenty to return to for older players as new players jump in through other platforms.

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

Godfall, the former PS5 launch title by Counterplay Games and Gearbox Publishing, is finally headed to Steam and Xbox. To mark the occasion, it's receiving its largest free content update to date.

As confirmed by Godfall publisher Gearbox, Godfall: Ultimate Edition will arrive on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One on April 7. Gearbox also confirmed that the Xbox Series X/S versions will receive exclusive hardware-based enhancements, including Variable Refresh Rate and support for Dolby Vision.

Godfall: Ultimate Edition will include the base game, the Fire & Darkness expansion, and the three content updates: Primal, Lightbringer, and Exalted. Gearbox also noted that previous exclusives such as pre-order bonuses and Ascended Edition content will be bundled with the Ultimate Edition.

Alongside the new versions announced, Gearbox detailed the new Exalted update, which launches the same day as Godfall: Ultimate Edition. The latest update will introduce highly-requested player features, such as streamlining inventory management and Knockdown 2.0, a new recovery skill that will allow players to quickly get up and continue fighting after being knocked down. A new mode called Spirit Realms will also be added, allowing you to experience co-op with up to five other players.

Gameplay will also be overhauled in Godfall thanks to the Exalted update. Some major additions include all the weapons coming equipped with Timing Attacks that you can execute after using a weapon technique, as well as the inclusion of a revive system, which should make co-op a lot more enjoyable. While those looking for a challenge can test their skill in the Exalted Tower of Trials, where enemies can reach a level as high as 150.

The news of additional platforms and a significant update revamping Godfall comes at an interesting time for the game. Although it was one of the first games to show off the PS5's technical capabilities, in our review, we noted that "the repetition of [Godfall's] missions wears thin before the end of its campaign, and even thinner in the endgame afterward."

With the new content coming from the Exalted update, there might be plenty to return to for older players as new players jump in through other platforms.

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

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that it has entered an agreement to acquire Haven Entertainment Studios, the company founded by Jade Raymond that will become the 18th studio to join the PlayStation Studios family.

Raymond, who was also the founder of Ubisoft Toronto and Motive Studios and one of the key figures behind Assassin's Creed, began Haven Studios in 2021 with an investment from SIE. When Haven Studios was announced, Raymond shared that the team was looking to "create worlds where players can escape, have fun, express themselves, and find community."

Furthermore, it was confirmed the project the team was working on would be a new IP that would be exclusive to PlayStation. This news just further cements their partnership.

“Joining PlayStation Studios provides Haven with the creative freedom and unparalleled support to focus on building the highest quality games,” said Jade Raymond, CEO & Founder, Haven Studios. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from all of the exceptional PlayStation Studios teams. We intend to fully embrace the incredible capabilities of the PS5 to create new worlds that inspire players and allow them to connect in new ways.”

This new game is "a new live service experience for PlayStation built upon a systemic and evolving world focused on delivering freedom, thrill, and playfulness." Raymond also previously revealed the game will feature social elements and user-generated content.

Haven Studios currently has over 60 employees and "the day-to-day operations post–acquisition will continue to be run by the management team at Haven Studios in close collaboration with PlayStation Studios’ leadership team."

“Haven Studios is an emerging studio with an exceptional team of talent, and we’re delighted to welcome them into PlayStation as our first game development studio in Canada,” said Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment. “The studio’s focus on creating an original AAA multiplayer game will not only flex the power of PlayStation 5 but will further expand upon the diverse catalog of gaming experiences that can only be found on PlayStation.”

“We’ve had the privilege of working closely with the team at Haven Studios over the past year and have been extremely impressed with its growth and progress on its first project,” said Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios. “Jade has built a world-class team with the creative and technical prowess necessary to deliver on such an ambitious project. We value the studio’s dedication to building a player-first, collaborative game environment that can last for generations and are thrilled to have them officially become a part of PlayStation Studios.”

Prior to starting Haven Studios, Raymond was leading the now-shut down Stadia Games and Entertainment first-party studio.

This acquisition follows SIE's announcement that it was acquiring Destiny developer Bungie for $3.6 billion and it is also in the wake of Microsoft's intention to purchase Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. The terms of this latest deal were not disclosed due to contractual commitments.

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.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that it has entered an agreement to acquire Haven Entertainment Studios, the company founded by Jade Raymond that will become the 18th studio to join the PlayStation Studios family.

Raymond, who was also the founder of Ubisoft Toronto and Motive Studios and one of the key figures behind Assassin's Creed, began Haven Studios in 2021 with an investment from SIE. When Haven Studios was announced, Raymond shared that the team was looking to "create worlds where players can escape, have fun, express themselves, and find community."

Furthermore, it was confirmed the project the team was working on would be a new IP that would be exclusive to PlayStation. This news just further cements their partnership.

“Joining PlayStation Studios provides Haven with the creative freedom and unparalleled support to focus on building the highest quality games,” said Jade Raymond, CEO & Founder, Haven Studios. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from all of the exceptional PlayStation Studios teams. We intend to fully embrace the incredible capabilities of the PS5 to create new worlds that inspire players and allow them to connect in new ways.”

This new game is "a new live service experience for PlayStation built upon a systemic and evolving world focused on delivering freedom, thrill, and playfulness." Raymond also previously revealed the game will feature social elements and user-generated content.

Haven Studios currently has over 60 employees and "the day-to-day operations post–acquisition will continue to be run by the management team at Haven Studios in close collaboration with PlayStation Studios’ leadership team."

“Haven Studios is an emerging studio with an exceptional team of talent, and we’re delighted to welcome them into PlayStation as our first game development studio in Canada,” said Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment. “The studio’s focus on creating an original AAA multiplayer game will not only flex the power of PlayStation 5 but will further expand upon the diverse catalog of gaming experiences that can only be found on PlayStation.”

“We’ve had the privilege of working closely with the team at Haven Studios over the past year and have been extremely impressed with its growth and progress on its first project,” said Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios. “Jade has built a world-class team with the creative and technical prowess necessary to deliver on such an ambitious project. We value the studio’s dedication to building a player-first, collaborative game environment that can last for generations and are thrilled to have them officially become a part of PlayStation Studios.”

Prior to starting Haven Studios, Raymond was leading the now-shut down Stadia Games and Entertainment first-party studio.

This acquisition follows SIE's announcement that it was acquiring Destiny developer Bungie for $3.6 billion and it is also in the wake of Microsoft's intention to purchase Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. The terms of this latest deal were not disclosed due to contractual commitments.

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.

Bungie has confirmed it did not order the copyright strikes currently impacting the Destiny YouTube community.

A number of channels have been affected by these strikes, but Bungie said in a tweet (below) that, while its aware of the issue, "these actions are not being taken at the request of Bungie or our partners".

It also said its own channels have been affected by the copyright claims, and a popular lore explanation channel, My Name is Byf, has been hit as well.

We’re aware of a series of copyright takedowns on YouTube and we're actively investigating. This includes content on our own Bungie channels.

These actions are NOT being taken at the request of Bungie or our partners. Please standby for future updates.
https://t.co/xPY1EzkgTh

— Bungie (@Bungie) March 20, 2022

This and the other channels include Bungie-owned music from the Destiny games, though the developer's own copyright guidelines don't make clear if this is a violation.

According to its IP and trademarks guidelines, "Bungie strongly supports the efforts of our community to produce non-commercial content using video images, footage, music, sounds, dialogue, or other assets from our games, subject to a few conditions."

It adds: "Players may create videos using Destiny gameplay, which may be uploaded to third party sharing services like YouTube. If a chosen video-on-demand service enables players to monetize content, we will generally not request takedown if at least 20% of the content within the video has been created by the player."

Bungie said in the tweet that it's actively investigating the issue and will offer future updates when it has them.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Bungie has confirmed it did not order the copyright strikes currently impacting the Destiny YouTube community.

A number of channels have been affected by these strikes, but Bungie said in a tweet (below) that, while its aware of the issue, "these actions are not being taken at the request of Bungie or our partners".

It also said its own channels have been affected by the copyright claims, and a popular lore explanation channel, My Name is Byf, has been hit as well.

We’re aware of a series of copyright takedowns on YouTube and we're actively investigating. This includes content on our own Bungie channels.

These actions are NOT being taken at the request of Bungie or our partners. Please standby for future updates.
https://t.co/xPY1EzkgTh

— Bungie (@Bungie) March 20, 2022

This and the other channels include Bungie-owned music from the Destiny games, though the developer's own copyright guidelines don't make clear if this is a violation.

According to its IP and trademarks guidelines, "Bungie strongly supports the efforts of our community to produce non-commercial content using video images, footage, music, sounds, dialogue, or other assets from our games, subject to a few conditions."

It adds: "Players may create videos using Destiny gameplay, which may be uploaded to third party sharing services like YouTube. If a chosen video-on-demand service enables players to monetize content, we will generally not request takedown if at least 20% of the content within the video has been created by the player."

Bungie said in the tweet that it's actively investigating the issue and will offer future updates when it has them.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.