Valve has acknowledged early reports of 'stick drift' on Steam Deck, thankfully saying that this is a "deadzone calibration issue" that should be fixed by a new firmware update.

Stick drift is an issue that affects many gaming controllers, in which the controller registers left or right stick inputs that are not actually being put in by the player. Reports of stick drift issues on Steam Deck began spreading yesterday, March 1, and many worried that this was a hardware issue, as it appears to be in the likes of Nintendo's Joy-Con controllers.

Thankfully, Valve says this is a firmware issue, and a fix has already been applied. In a statement to IGN, a Valve spokesperson wrote:

"The team has looked into these reports and has determined there was a deadzone calibration issue introduced in a recent firmware update. We have just shipped a fix to address the problem, and the team will continue to watch for reports related to this issue."

IGN has not been able to independently confirm that the fix is effective, but multiple users on Reddit have since said that it has fixed their issues. However, some – like Reddit user Stijnnl – think the current fix has been to simply add a larger deadzone to the controllers, effectively increasing the amount of stick movement needed to begin registering as an input.

While this may fix the problem, it also likely reduces Steam Deck's ability to register smaller stick movements. It's not clear if this is a final fix for the issue, or if Valve aims to continue working on it – we've contacted Valve for comment.

Valve has been aware of the issue of Stick Drift since the console's announcement, telling IGN that it had been working to avoid any issues in that area since early in the design process.

That's likely down to the major reactions to drift on other consoles. Nintendo has been the subject of multiple lawsuits surrounding drift on Switch, and the PS5 DualSense has also been notably affected. We've previously dug into the real science behind controller drift, to show the reasons it could be happening.

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

Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail is heading up a TV adaptation of Fritz Lang's Metropolis for Apple TV Plus as part of his overall deal with Universal Content Productions.

According to Deadline, the streamer has handed a series order to the long-in-development project, with Esmail taking the helm as showrunner. He will be in charge of writing and directing every single episode of the small screen adaptation, which he will also executive produce in tandem with his Esmail Corp production partner Chad Hamilton.

Plot details are being kept under wraps for now, though the 1927 film on which the series is based was widely lauded for its impressive visual design and effects, which helped to present the vision of a future society divided by class warfare, with the rich elite living in the towering skyscrapers of Metropolis, and the lowly workers toiling below.

The upcoming TV series has had quite a long gestation period as the project first went into development with Esmail at UCP in late 2016. The Metropolis miniseries made headlines shortly thereafter but then it fell silent for some time, up until last year when it was reported that Esmail had been busy working on the pilot script for the show.

The original Metropolis movie was directed by Lang and written by Thea Von Harbou from her 1925 novel of the same name. The silent science-fiction film continues to make an impact and has inspired countless other sci-fi projects both onscreen and off, prevailing as one of those rare features that truly does get better and more relevant with age.

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

The Futurama revival coming to Hulu will return with its full voice cast including John DiMaggio who has agreed to reprise his role as Bender.

According to Deadline, DiMaggio has signed on to return to Futurama in the upcoming 20-episode revival season. He will once again voice Bender, a bending unit with a penchant for booze, gambling, and any other kind of vice.

This means that Futurama will have its original voice cast when the series returns to Hulu. When a revival series was announced, DiMaggio was the only voice actor not yet signed to return and the producers promised to try their best to get DiMaggio or recast the role.

However, DiMaggio asked that the studio pay him, as well as the cast, more for their services particularly since Futurama and characters like Bender are so beloved. DiMaggio revealed that he was negotiating with producers for a better contract.

The saga resulted in a social media campaign called #BenderGate, which DiMaggio also used while addressing the situation. According to producers, plans to recast the role never went far and producers table read for Bender while negotiations with DiMaggio continued.

DiMaggio announced the news by saying “I’m back, baby!” and thanked fans, colleagues, and his wife for being able to return to the role.

“#Bendergate is officially over, so put it on the back of a shelf behind Xmas decorations, or maybe in the kitchen drawer with all of the other crap you put in there like old unusable crazy glue, or maybe even put it in a jar you save farts in. Whatever floats your boat, I don’t care, you get the picture. I”m back, Baby! Bite my shiny metal ass!”

Futurama is an animated sci-fi comedy from The Simpsons creator Matt Groening about a 20th-century pizza delivery boy who finds himself in the year 3000. He joins an intergalactic delivery team alongside his best friend Bender and captain Leela.

DiMaggio will join other original cast members Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman.

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

Xbox CEO Phil Spencer received a Lifetime Achievement Award at DICE 2022 last week, putting an exclamation mark on a nearly 35-year career that has seen him rise from intern to one of the most powerful leaders in the games industry.

Speaking with IGN after his acceptance speech, Spencer directly addressed the gaming community, urging them to respect creators above all else.

"[K]eep playing, keep using your voice, understand the power of creativity, the power of community," Spencer said. "And the other thing I would just say is, let's respect creators. I think it's very often that creations can be kind of weaponized and used in battles between platforms and other things. I look at everybody who is brave enough to create something, put it out...have their peers, the industry, players, play and analyze and talk about what they do, and let's just celebrate the fact that so many great games are coming out from so many creators, and realize that's such a foundation for where this industry is going to go."

Spencer's comments followed a speech in which he called out toxicity in gaming, saying that the games industry has a "responsibility to billions of players."

"We have a responsibility to everyone in this business. We have a responsibility to society. And we have a responsibility to ourselves," Spencer said. "Our responsibility is simple: do everything possible to ensure that this entire industry is about treating every single person with dignity and respect."

Toxicity was a major theme throughout DICE, an industry-focused conference that brings together executives and developers for a week of networking and discussions culminating in the DICE Awards. In her keynote, EA Senior Vice President Laura Miele called for the removal of leaders "who fall short of basic standards" in what seemed to be a reference to the allegations that have roiled Activision Blizzard over the past year.

Spencer, who faces the task of integrating Activision Blizzard into Xbox following the publisher's recent acquisition, said that he still believes gaming is a "force for good in this world." However, he also called on both "players and employees" to provide a safe and inclusive environment for everyone in the games industry.

"We fall short when we fail to provide a safe and inclusive environment for every person who works in our industry. We fall short when we tolerate abuse. We fall short every single time someone feels unwelcome in our industry and in our communities. We can, we must, and we will do better," Spencer said.

Spencer has consistently campaigned for greater inclusiveness in gaming, making Xbox one of the industry leaders in accessibility. He also recalled what he called the "painful" moment when women described their experiences at Xbox, and "feeling the emotion, the anger, the disappointment.”

Spencer's speech was one of the highlights in a show that saw It Takes Two take home its second major Game of the Year Award, with Ratchet & Clank, Forza Horizon 5, and Halo Infinite also among big winners on the night. You can read our full recap of the DICE Awards here.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

The Game Awards is a big celebration for video games that are put on at the end of every single year. Thousands of viewers watch it every year and so video game developers love to have their own games showcased on it. What's even better is if your own game wins an award. Celeste was among the games that won big in 2018, but apparently never received an actual trophy... at least until it was recovered by a Youtuber who happened to be visiting eBay.

PrestigeIsKey, or Ryan B., is a Youtuber and streamer. He always wanted a replica of the Game Award trophy, so he scoured eBay for the past five years to see if there were any. He ended up coming across a listing for $500 that contained one. After putting in an offer for $375, the seller accepted it and shipped it to Ryan. The seller didn't even deal in video games and its other listings included car parts, mufflers, and engine components. Even on the listing, the seller admitted it had no idea what the trophy's origins were.

When Ryan received the package, the trophy wasn't a replica. It turned out to be the actual trophy that Extremely Ok Games won at the 2018 Game Award for Best Independent Game with Celeste. He then reached out to Heidy Motta, Operations Manager at Extremely Ok Games, and confirmed with her that Celeste's developers never received the trophy.

Ryan decided to ship the trophy back to its rightful owners, but not before doing an unboxing video for it, which Motta agreed to let him do. The box itself has The Game Awards logo, and the inside of the box is covered in smooth black silk. Ryan also mentions that the trophy is heavier than it looks, with most of the weight centered at the base so it could hold up the rest of the award. Additionally, he mentions that the trophy's wingtips were shaper than anticipated, as they are wrapped in foam in order to protect people from its edges.

For his generosity, Ryan says that Extremely Ok Games will offer him signed copies of Celeste, as well as reimburse him for the amount he paid for the eBay listing.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey

Patrick Stewart has finally confirmed the semi-obvious: That he's in the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer that premiered during the Super Bowl.

Speaking to YouTube channel Jake's Takes, Stewart confirmed it was indeed his voice that Doctor Strange hears upon being escorted into an ominous-looking hall.

"I actually didn't recognize my own voice, it sounded different. Whether I had a cold or something at the time, I don't know,” the actor said. “But I was astonished — and all they saw was the back of my shoulder and I think my earlobe, nothing else — that there would have been so many connections made. It pleased me.”

Stewart can be heard saying "we should tell him the truth" in the trailer, suggesting his X-Men character Professor Charles Xavier will have some role to play in Strange's journey through the multiverse. It also signals a greater potential crossover between the MCU and the X-Men, which Disney now owns following the acquisition of 20th Century Fox.

This all comes a mere week after Stewart claimed that his voice in the trailer was supposedly an impersonation, chilling rumors that Professor X would make an appearance. That appears to have been yet another example of actors lying about their roles in movies.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is out in theaters on May 6, and promises to see quite a few returning faces, including Chiwetel Ejiofor's Mordo, Rachel McAdams' Christine Palmer, Elizabeth Olson's Wanda Maximoff, and Benedict Wong. Xochitl Gomez stars as America Chavez, a member of the Young Avengers (in the comics anyway) with the ability to punch star-shaped holes in the fabric of reality.

In the meantime, read why Kevin Feige thinks Doctor Strange is the anchor of the Marvel universe, or what one of the Russo brothers thinks of Disney's ability to surprise comic fans.

(Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

Ever since the first Tyrannosaurus skeleton was put on display in 1905, the tyrant lizard has captivated the world. Now, researchers say that the Tyrannosaurus may have actually developed into three distinct species beyond just the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex.

A team of three researchers led by paleontologist Gregory Paul said on Monday that variations of about three dozen fossils indicated that two additional species deserved recognition. Paul and the fellow researchers dubbed these two new species Tyrannosaurus Imperator and Tyrannosaurus Regina.

"After over a century of all specimens being placed into one species without the issue being carefully examined, the first and only analysis finds that the variation in Tyrannosaurus is beyond the norms for dinosaurs, and is distributed over time in a manner that indicates that Darwinian speciation from one (species) to two new species had occurred before the final dinosaur extinction cut off further evolution," Paul said in an abstract published to Evolutionary Biology, first reported by Reuters.

Paul cited differences in size and shape of several features: Femurs, thighbones, and the number of small teeth in the lower tip of the jaw.

Some researchers, however, disagree with Paul and his partners' findings.

"Ultimately, to me, this variation is very minor and not indicative of meaningful biological separation of distinct species that can be defined based on clear, explicit, consistent differences," University of Edinburgh paleontologist Steve Brusatte said. "It's hard to define a species, even for animals today, and these fossils have no genetic evidence that can test whether there were truly separate populations."

If accepted as true, Paul's new findings would indicate that Sue, a Tyrannosaurus skeleton exhibited at Chicago's Field Museum, is actually a T-Imperator rather than a T-Rex. Sue stands more than 40 feet long and 13 feet wide, making it the largest Tyrannosaurus specimen ever discovered, as well as the most complete assembly of Tyrannosaurus fossils.

Another paleontologist by the name of Thomas Carr, who published a 2020 study finding no species variation in the Tyrannosaurus, similarly disagreed with Paul's findings.

"Perhaps most damning is the fact that the authors were unable to refer several excellent skulls to any of the three species," Carr said. "If their species are valid, then more than just two features should identify them: nearly every detail — especially in the head — should be different."

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

NASA has announced funding for research into 17 science fiction-esque projects aimed to advance the possibilities of space exploration, including drones to explore Venus, asteroid destroying technology, and more.

The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) programme is funding 12 brand new and five ongoing projects.

The 12 new projects that have received funding are below:

• Cryospheric Rydberg Radar, a new type of quantum radar that could theoretically be used in virtually every setting.
• Silent, Solid-State Propulsion for Advanced Air Mobility Vehicles, designed to get around the field's biggest obstacle of community opposition to noise.
• Combined Heat Shield and Solar Thermal Propulsion System for an Oberth Manuever, a spacecraft that uses solar light to travel at unprecedented speeds.
• CREW HaT: Cosmic Radiation Extended Warding using the Halbach Torus, a device that produces a magnetic field to protect astronauts from radiation in space.
• The Spacesuit Digital Thread: 4.0, which scans astronauts and creates custom spacesuits for them using the carbon-dioxide rich atmosphere on Mars.
• Breathing Mars Air: Stationary and Portable O2 Generation, a device used to generate oxygen from the Mars atmosphere ten times more effectively than current technology.
• Pi - Terminal Defense for Humanity – essentially an asteroid destroyer.
• Hybrid Observatory for Earth-like Exoplanets (HOEE), a football field-sized starshade used to block glare from stars, allowing telescopes to see further.
• In-situ Neutral-Optics Velocity Analyzer for Thermospheric Exploration (INOVATE), a spacecraft swarm used to study space weather.
• Starburst: A Revolutionary Under-Constrained Adaptable Deployable Structure Architecture, a satellite used to analyse storms on Earth (and predict when they're coming).
• Venus Atmosphere and Cloud Particle Sample Return for Astrobiology, a study aiming to detect life on Venus by capturing samples of gas and clouds before returning to earth.
• SCOPE: ScienceCraft for Outer Planet Exploration, a spacecraft that uses solar sails to go further into deep space than previously possible.

These 12 projects are all in Phase 1 of funding, meaning they're brand new ideas being researched over the next nine months, with $175,000 awarded. Five projects have also been funded for Phase 2, research which is further along in development and has been given $600,000 for a two-year period.

The five ongoing projects that have received funding are below:

• BREEZE (Bioinspired Ray for Extreme Environments and Zonal Exploration), bird-like drones used to study Venus's atmosphere and weather patterns (video above).
• Kilometer-Scale Space Structures from a Single Launch, a rotating space habitat with artificial gravity that would remove the health risks of long-duration spaceflight.
• Atomic Planar Power for Lightweight Exploration (APPLE), a new way of using nuclear power for spacecraft.
• ReachBot: Small Robot for Large Mobile Manipulation Tasks in Martian Cave Environments, a small spelunking robot designed to explore subsurface caves on Mars.
• SWIM-Sensing with Independent Micro-swimmers, a swarm of 3D-printed swimming micro-robots that could explore ocean worlds like Enceladus, Europa, and Titan.

Jim Reuter, an associate administrator at NASA, said: "NASA's mission to explore the universe requires new technologies and new ways of doing things. Studying these creative ideas is the first step to turn science fiction into science fact."

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy added: "As we set our sights on ever more challenging destinations for exploration with humans and robots, innovative ideas and future thinking will be critical to helping us reach new milestones.

"Concepts like those being studied with this new round of NIAC funding are helping us expand the scope of the possible so we can make it reality."

The various Venus projects will contribute nicely to NASA's returning interest to Venus, as it announced last year new missions to study the planet for the first time in 30 years that will take place sometime this decade. Soon after, by 2031, NASA plans to crash the International Space Station into the ocean as it's replaced by commercial space stations.

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

Amazon Luna is now officially available for those in the US. If you're an Amazon Prime member, that means you can jump into the service right now to try it out, at no additional cost.

But it's not all that simple, as there are actually a few different ways to use Amazon Luna, and not all of them are free. Still, if you're a Prime member, feel free to head on over to Prime Gaming to check out the first few games you can stream. Otherwise, stick around while I attempt to unravel the latest cloud gaming service, Amazon Luna.

What is Amazon Luna?

Amazon Luna has been in early access for over a year now, first launching in the US in late 2020 for the select users who opted in. It's now fully available, but for now, it's still just in the US. There's no word on when it will be available elsewhere, but here's everything you need to know about the service now that it's officially available.

Put simply, Luna is a cloud gaming platform that's been split into multiple optional segments, or 'Channels'. Most of these are pay to access, with the exception of one for Prime members. Your choices include the Retro Channel, Family Channel, Jackbox Games Channel, Ubisoft+, Luna+, and finally the Prime Gaming Channel.

Prime Gaming Channel is the most notable out of these, simply because it will offer Amazon Prime members a selection of free games to play on Luna that rotate each month. So you're not getting the full library of games that Luna+ or any of the other channels would offer, but at least it's something.

In March, Prime members will get access to Devil May Cry 5, Observer System Redux, PHOGS!, and Flashback. Immortals Fenyx Rising will also be available to play for free for a limited period from March 8-15 instead of the whole month.

When it comes to the paid selection of channels, you've got a few choices. The Retro Channel, costing $4.99/month, includes classic games like Street Fighter II, Metal Slug 3, and Castlevania Anniversary Collection. Whereas Luna+ includes some newer games like Control Ultimate Edition, Dirt 5, Sonic Mania, Ghostrunner, Call of the Sea, and more. Luna+ cost $5.99/month, and isn't included with Amazon Prime.

Is Amazon Luna Like Google Stadia?

Is some aspects, yes. You're paying a fee and can access a selection of games for no extra cost (like Stadia Pro). But, where it differs is that's the only way you play the games available. You can't purchase anything, and the main bulk of games are simply included in the Luna+ subscription - which is then further serviced by the additional Luna 'Channels'.

The best way to explain is to simply compare it to the Cloud Streaming portion of Game Pass. It's like that, games you can stream via the cloud, but split into different segments depending on your preferences.

If you want to get everything Luna has to offer, you're paying up to $18.96/month, or $36.95 if you include Ubisoft+. But again, it's still worth noting all this is all optional. Essentially, Luna is a pay for what you want cloud streaming service. You don't have to purchase any of the games, and you can cancel at any time.

Where Can You Play Amazon Luna?

Amazon Luna is currently supported to play on PC, Mac, Fire TV, Fire tablet, Chromebook devices and via web browser apps for iPhone, iPad and Android phones.

Amazon states that Luna can play games up to 1080p/60fps. This will heavily depend on what device your using, the quality of internet connection, and the current game you're attempting to stream. Amazon recommends a consistent 10/Mbs as a minimum for streaming at 1080p. If you can, you should also be using your router's 5GHz Wi-Fi band.

It's also worth noting that Luna includes a "Couch Mode". This means you can accept an invite code from a friend to play local multiplayer games like Overcooked 2, even if you aren’t a subscriber.

Amazon's Luna Controller

Similar to Google Stadia, there's a controller to go alongside the cloud gaming service. The Luna controller connects directly to Amazon’s custom game servers, and according to Amazon, this will reduce any latency from 30 to 17 milliseconds (compared to using Bluetooth). But, if you want to, you can still use this controller with Bluetooth on Windows PC, Mac, and Fire TV devices.

It currently costs just under $50 from Amazon directly, down from the initial $70 asking price. You don't need this controller to use Luna, however, and any connectable Bluetooth enabled controller should work on your devices. The only difference is that the corresponding buttons may not match up i.e 'X' and 'A' not matching a PlayStation gamepad.

For more on Amazon or cloud gaming, check out all the games coming to Xbox Game Pass in March (including xCloud), or find out how to avoid paying $139 a year for Amazon Prime.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

A brand-new poster for Jordan Peele’s Nope has given us a confusing glimpse of the upcoming film… and reveals almost nothing.

Still, it puts a fresh spin on the film’s original poster, this time replacing the ominous gas cloud with the image of a horse floating in the air. Or is it being dragged into the sky by a tractor beam?

The image looks as though it depicts a horse being abducted by aliens. With alien plush toys also among the debris being dragged into the sky, it may be our first hint about what exactly is going on in Nope.

At the moment, very little is known about Nope, with Universal keeping the plot of Peele’s upcoming movie firmly under wraps.

But the mysterious project reunites the filmmaker with Oscar-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya, who previously starred in his critically-acclaimed horror, Get Out. And while a recent trailer gives us a hint of what we might expect, there’s little else to go on.

The trailer does reveal that Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer are both part of a Black-run horse farm that trains horses for Hollywood productions. It all seems to be going well, but things soon take a turn for the worse with a glimpse of what could be a UFO.

Not to mention that disturbing shot of a kite line hanging from… whatever it is that’s in the film’s poster.

What does it all mean? For now, we’ll have to wait and see. But Nope is one of our most anticipated horror movies of the year and is due to be released in theaters on July 22, 2022.

Jordan Peele’s Nope stars Daniel Kaluuya, Steven Yeun, and Keke Palmer. Jordan Peele both wrote and directed the project which he also produced alongside Ian Cooper. Robert Graf is also on board as executive producer.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.