Sony has announced that Persona 5 Strikers, Dirt 5, and Deep Rock Galactic are the PlayStation Plus games for January 2022.

Announced on PlayStation.Blog, these three games will all be available on Tuesday, January 4 until Tuesday, February 1, and are the first PlayStation Plus games for the new year.

Persona 5 Strikers, Deep Rock Galactic, and Dirt 5 are available with PlayStation Plus starting January 4.

Full details: https://t.co/ehw153oCPc pic.twitter.com/BLrE2Zh0vY

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) December 29, 2021

PS4's Persona 5 Strikers is a spin-off that stars Persona 5's Phantom Thieves and picks up just a few months after the end of the original game (sorry Persona 5 Royal fans!). Instead of featuring turn-based combat, the action in Persona 5 Strikers is focused on combo-driven hacking and slashing that is somewhat similar to a musou game, but not quite.

In our Persona 5 Strikers review, we said that its "main story is every bit the direct sequel to Persona 5 that it seems, making this summer road trip with the Phantom Thieves essential for fans of the original (and probably pretty confusing for anybody who hasn't played it)."

PS4 and PS5's Dirt 5 is the second game on the list and takes driving fans around the world for an "amplified off-road racing experience." Dirt 5 features 70 routes across 10 global locations and comes packaged with a full career mode, four-play split-screen, online multiplayer, a Playgrounds creator mode, and more.

In our Dirt 5 review, we said that it "represents a complete about-face for the main Dirt series, shedding virtually all semblance of simulation in favour of an unabashed, arcade-inspired racing experience that draws from just about every influence you can name except its direct predecessor."

PS4 and PS5's Deep Rock Galactic rounds out January 2022's PlayStation Plus trio and offers a 1-4 player co-op FPS experience that features "badass space Dwarves, 100% destructible environments, procedurally-generated caves, and endless hordes of alien monsters."

In our Deep Rock Galactic review, we said that it "is the best kind of four-player co-op game. Exciting combat, great missions, and lots of upgrades make this one a winner."

While you wait for these games to arrive, don't forget that you have until January 3 to claim December 2021's PlayStation Plus games - Godfall: Challenger Edition, LEGO DC Super Villains, Mortal Shell, The Persistence, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Standard Edition, and Until You Fall.

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 has announced that Persona 5 Strikers, Dirt 5, and Deep Rock Galactic are the PlayStation Plus games for January 2022.

Announced on PlayStation.Blog, these three games will all be available on Tuesday, January 4 until Tuesday, February 1, and are the first PlayStation Plus games for the new year.

Persona 5 Strikers, Deep Rock Galactic, and Dirt 5 are available with PlayStation Plus starting January 4.

Full details: https://t.co/ehw153oCPc pic.twitter.com/BLrE2Zh0vY

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) December 29, 2021

PS4's Persona 5 Strikers is a spin-off that stars Persona 5's Phantom Thieves and picks up just a few months after the end of the original game (sorry Persona 5 Royal fans!). Instead of featuring turn-based combat, the action in Persona 5 Strikers is focused on combo-driven hacking and slashing that is somewhat similar to a musou game, but not quite.

In our Persona 5 Strikers review, we said that its "main story is every bit the direct sequel to Persona 5 that it seems, making this summer road trip with the Phantom Thieves essential for fans of the original (and probably pretty confusing for anybody who hasn't played it)."

PS4 and PS5's Dirt 5 is the second game on the list and takes driving fans around the world for an "amplified off-road racing experience." Dirt 5 features 70 routes across 10 global locations and comes packaged with a full career mode, four-play split-screen, online multiplayer, a Playgrounds creator mode, and more.

In our Dirt 5 review, we said that it "represents a complete about-face for the main Dirt series, shedding virtually all semblance of simulation in favour of an unabashed, arcade-inspired racing experience that draws from just about every influence you can name except its direct predecessor."

PS4 and PS5's Deep Rock Galactic rounds out January 2022's PlayStation Plus trio and offers a 1-4 player co-op FPS experience that features "badass space Dwarves, 100% destructible environments, procedurally-generated caves, and endless hordes of alien monsters."

In our Deep Rock Galactic review, we said that it "is the best kind of four-player co-op game. Exciting combat, great missions, and lots of upgrades make this one a winner."

While you wait for these games to arrive, don't forget that you have until January 3 to claim December 2021's PlayStation Plus games - Godfall: Challenger Edition, LEGO DC Super Villains, Mortal Shell, The Persistence, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Standard Edition, and Until You Fall.

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.

Could Norman Reedus be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Ghost Rider?

The Walking Dead star has long been suggested as a potential Ghost Rider – a motorcycle stuntman who has been bound to the Spirit of Vengeance and has gained supernatural powers. Now, it looks as though Reedus himself might be interested.

A recent Twitter post seems to suggest he’s at least thinking about it.

https://t.co/ziUr5gl2qc

— norman reedus (@wwwbigbaldhead) December 28, 2021

As well as the above tweet, in which Reedus links to a fan-made image of himself as the Ghost Rider, he’s also been liking a lot of tweets from the fans which suggest him for the role of Johnny Blaze.

Additionally, Giant Freakin Robot reports that Norman Reedus has already signed up for Ghost Rider, and will be joining the MCU. The folks at Giant Freakin Robot have a good track record breaking exclusive movie news over the last couple of years – confirming that Ryan Gosling had been cast in the upcoming Barbie movie, among others.

And Reedus himself isn’t shy about his comic book aspirations.

During an interview with ComicBook.com earlier this year, Reedus revealed that he would love to join the MCU as Marvel’s Ghost Rider.

“I want to play Ghost Rider," he confirmed. “The Ghost Rider conversation has been coming up for years, and yeah, tell them to put me in it.”

Ghost Rider was last played by Nicolas Cage in the non-MCU (and critically panned) films, Ghost Rider (2007) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011). And while it’s unlikely that we’ll see Cage return in the role, Ghost Rider could be a great addition to the MCU. Even if we have seen the character recently in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

After all, with Sony bringing Morbius to the big screen and Marvel working to relaunch Blade with Mahershala Ali, there’s definitely a place for the more supernatural antiheroes such as Ghost Rider to appear alongside them.

Whether or not Reedus lands the comic book role remains to be seen. But it looks as though he’s still interested, at least.

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

Could Norman Reedus be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Ghost Rider?

The Walking Dead star has long been suggested as a potential Ghost Rider – a motorcycle stuntman who has been bound to the Spirit of Vengeance and has gained supernatural powers. Now, it looks as though Reedus himself might be interested.

A recent Twitter post seems to suggest he’s at least thinking about it.

https://t.co/ziUr5gl2qc

— norman reedus (@wwwbigbaldhead) December 28, 2021

As well as the above tweet, in which Reedus links to a fan-made image of himself as the Ghost Rider, he’s also been liking a lot of tweets from the fans which suggest him for the role of Johnny Blaze.

Additionally, Giant Freakin Robot reports that Norman Reedus has already signed up for Ghost Rider, and will be joining the MCU. The folks at Giant Freakin Robot have a good track record breaking exclusive movie news over the last couple of years – confirming that Ryan Gosling had been cast in the upcoming Barbie movie, among others.

And Reedus himself isn’t shy about his comic book aspirations.

During an interview with ComicBook.com earlier this year, Reedus revealed that he would love to join the MCU as Marvel’s Ghost Rider.

“I want to play Ghost Rider," he confirmed. “The Ghost Rider conversation has been coming up for years, and yeah, tell them to put me in it.”

Ghost Rider was last played by Nicolas Cage in the non-MCU (and critically panned) films, Ghost Rider (2007) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011). And while it’s unlikely that we’ll see Cage return in the role, Ghost Rider could be a great addition to the MCU. Even if we have seen the character recently in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

After all, with Sony bringing Morbius to the big screen and Marvel working to relaunch Blade with Mahershala Ali, there’s definitely a place for the more supernatural antiheroes such as Ghost Rider to appear alongside them.

Whether or not Reedus lands the comic book role remains to be seen. But it looks as though he’s still interested, at least.

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

YouTube has wracked up hundreds, if not thousands of billions of views over the last year. But which videos were the most popular? It’s no surprise that the world has been switched onto YouTube during lockdowns and social distancing – with 2 billion users watching videos every single month.

And with over 500 hours of content uploaded to YouTube every minute, it can be a bit overwhelming. What’s everyone else been watching?

Per YouTube itself, here are the 10 top trending videos this year:

10) Game Night Stereotypes

We’ve all got friends who take board games way too seriously, but which Game Night Stereotype are you? This hilarious video from Dude Perfect shines a light on some of the most irritating gamers you can find. The forever dice roller makes me want to scream.

9) I Spent 100 Days in a Zombie Apocalypse in Minecraft... Here's What Happened

This impressive video sees Forge Labs create the Mustard Virus in Minecraft… and spend 100 days trying to survive without succumbing to the encroaching apocalypse. The kicker? The virus mutates every 10 days after day 20, resulting in zombies that are better, faster, stronger.

8) The Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris | Jan. 20th, 2021

It’s a day we all remember – Joe Biden’s inauguration as President of the United States. The video, created by the Biden Inaugural Committee, documents the inauguration of the new president, alongside his VP, Kamala Harris.

7) Golden Buzzer: Nightbirde's Original Song Makes Simon Cowell Emotional

Next up, it’s America’s Got Talent with an original song from Nightbirde. Her song, ‘It’s Okay’, tells the emotional story of the last year of her life, dealing with cancer of the lungs, spine and liver. Needless to say, it has the audience in tears, as well as the usually stoney-faced judge, Simon Cowell.

6) Kids MAKE FUN OF Boy With AUTISM, They Instantly Regret It

This next video from Dhar Mann subverts people’s expectation of autism – specifically tackling how children can sometimes be mean to other kids with autism. It’s a superb way of tackling the stigma around the condition and shines a light on how thinking differently is definitely not something to be mocked.

5) Friday Night Funkin' KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER (Part 2)

Part music video, part playthrough, CoryxKenshin takes on Friday Night Funkin, the 2020 rhythm game with some truly excellent beats. It’s basically an animated rap battle with the comedy stylings of one of our favourite YouTubers. Great stuff.

4) The Weeknd’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show

The NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show is a highlight of the year, and 2021 was no exception. Starring The Weeknd, this video shows his full Halftime set include absolute bangers such as Call out my Name, Starboy, and Blinding Lights.

3) Glitterbomb Trap Catches Phone Scammer (who gets arrested)

This hilarious video from Mark Rober sets up a phone scammer to be caught on camera – using a glitterbomb to give the scammer a surprise, as well as identifying him to the police. But it’s more than that – Rober takes it up a notch, using his glitterbomb to help Homeland Security bring down a network of scammers. Impressive.

2) Minecraft Speedrunner VS 5 Hunters

Another Minecraft video makes the Top 10, this time Dream attempts to speedrun the game while 5 of his friends hunt him down. It’s essentially Minecraft meets Dead by Daylight, with a lot more at stake. This tense game of cat and mouse sees him start with nothing, working his way up to tools and weapons as his friends hunt him down.

1) I Spent 50 Hours Buried Alive

That’s right – the most watched video of 2021 is Mr Beast’s 50 Hours Buried Alive, where he spends a total of 50 hours, well, buried in a plexiglass coffin. This insane stunt saw his team seal Mr Beast inside the see-through box before covering it with earth and adding a tombstone. Absolutely terrifying.

As you can see, it’s been a pretty impressive year for YouTube with some hilarious, emotional and downright terrifying videos. But who was the top YouTuber in 2021?

According to YouTube, here’s how they stacked up in 2021:

1. MrBeast
2. Dhar Mann
3. SSSniperWolf
4. CoryxKenshin
5. Dream
6. TommyInnit
7. Mark Rober
8. Kallmekris
9. Technoblade
10. The Royalty Family

Don’t forget to subscribe to IGN’s own YouTube account for video games, tech, TV, movie news, reviews, exclusive previews, and home-brewed shows like Devs React to Speedruns and IGN Inside Stories.

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

YouTube has wracked up hundreds, if not thousands of billions of views over the last year. But which videos were the most popular? It’s no surprise that the world has been switched onto YouTube during lockdowns and social distancing – with 2 billion users watching videos every single month.

And with over 500 hours of content uploaded to YouTube every minute, it can be a bit overwhelming. What’s everyone else been watching?

Per YouTube itself, here are the 10 top trending videos this year:

10) Game Night Stereotypes

We’ve all got friends who take board games way too seriously, but which Game Night Stereotype are you? This hilarious video from Dude Perfect shines a light on some of the most irritating gamers you can find. The forever dice roller makes me want to scream.

9) I Spent 100 Days in a Zombie Apocalypse in Minecraft... Here's What Happened

This impressive video sees Forge Labs create the Mustard Virus in Minecraft… and spend 100 days trying to survive without succumbing to the encroaching apocalypse. The kicker? The virus mutates every 10 days after day 20, resulting in zombies that are better, faster, stronger.

8) The Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris | Jan. 20th, 2021

It’s a day we all remember – Joe Biden’s inauguration as President of the United States. The video, created by the Biden Inaugural Committee, documents the inauguration of the new president, alongside his VP, Kamala Harris.

7) Golden Buzzer: Nightbirde's Original Song Makes Simon Cowell Emotional

Next up, it’s America’s Got Talent with an original song from Nightbirde. Her song, ‘It’s Okay’, tells the emotional story of the last year of her life, dealing with cancer of the lungs, spine and liver. Needless to say, it has the audience in tears, as well as the usually stoney-faced judge, Simon Cowell.

6) Kids MAKE FUN OF Boy With AUTISM, They Instantly Regret It

This next video from Dhar Mann subverts people’s expectation of autism – specifically tackling how children can sometimes be mean to other kids with autism. It’s a superb way of tackling the stigma around the condition and shines a light on how thinking differently is definitely not something to be mocked.

5) Friday Night Funkin' KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER (Part 2)

Part music video, part playthrough, CoryxKenshin takes on Friday Night Funkin, the 2020 rhythm game with some truly excellent beats. It’s basically an animated rap battle with the comedy stylings of one of our favourite YouTubers. Great stuff.

4) The Weeknd’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show

The NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show is a highlight of the year, and 2021 was no exception. Starring The Weeknd, this video shows his full Halftime set include absolute bangers such as Call out my Name, Starboy, and Blinding Lights.

3) Glitterbomb Trap Catches Phone Scammer (who gets arrested)

This hilarious video from Mark Rober sets up a phone scammer to be caught on camera – using a glitterbomb to give the scammer a surprise, as well as identifying him to the police. But it’s more than that – Rober takes it up a notch, using his glitterbomb to help Homeland Security bring down a network of scammers. Impressive.

2) Minecraft Speedrunner VS 5 Hunters

Another Minecraft video makes the Top 10, this time Dream attempts to speedrun the game while 5 of his friends hunt him down. It’s essentially Minecraft meets Dead by Daylight, with a lot more at stake. This tense game of cat and mouse sees him start with nothing, working his way up to tools and weapons as his friends hunt him down.

1) I Spent 50 Hours Buried Alive

That’s right – the most watched video of 2021 is Mr Beast’s 50 Hours Buried Alive, where he spends a total of 50 hours, well, buried in a plexiglass coffin. This insane stunt saw his team seal Mr Beast inside the see-through box before covering it with earth and adding a tombstone. Absolutely terrifying.

As you can see, it’s been a pretty impressive year for YouTube with some hilarious, emotional and downright terrifying videos. But who was the top YouTuber in 2021?

According to YouTube, here’s how they stacked up in 2021:

1. MrBeast
2. Dhar Mann
3. SSSniperWolf
4. CoryxKenshin
5. Dream
6. TommyInnit
7. Mark Rober
8. Kallmekris
9. Technoblade
10. The Royalty Family

Don’t forget to subscribe to IGN’s own YouTube account for video games, tech, TV, movie news, reviews, exclusive previews, and home-brewed shows like Devs React to Speedruns and IGN Inside Stories.

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

Jean-Marc Vallée, the director of Dallas Buyers Club and Big Little Lies, has died at the age of 58.

According to his representative, Vallée died suddenly over the Christmas weekend from a suspected heart attack at his cabin outside Quebec City, Canada.

“Jean-Marc stood for creativity, authenticity and trying things differently,” said his producing partner Nathan Ross in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “He was a true artist and a generous, loving guy.”

“Everyone who worked with him couldn’t help but see the talent and vision he possessed,” added Ross. “He was a friend, creative partner and an older brother to me. The maestro will sorely be missed but it comforts knowing his beautiful style and impactful work he shared with the world will live on.”

Vallée was perhaps best known for Dallas Buyers Club – the Oscar-winning drama starring Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey. The film is based on the true story of Ron Woodroof – an AIDS patient who smuggled pharmaceutical drugs into Texas.

Vallée went on to direct the first season of Big Little Lies starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz. This won him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie back in 2017.

“Jean-Marc Vallée was a brilliant, fiercely dedicated filmmaker, a truly phenomenal talent who infused every scene with a deeply visceral, emotional truth,” said HBO in an official statement. “He was also a hugely caring man who invested his whole self alongside every actor he directed. We are shocked at the news of his sudden death, and we extend our heartfelt sympathies to his sons, Alex and Émile, his extended family, and his long-time producing partner, Nathan Ross.”

Born in Montreal, Vallée made his feature film debut with Black List in 1995 following a career in music videos. His second film, C-R-A-Z-Y, was based on the life of a close friend. This led to his breakthrough film The Young Victoria in 2009 which earned Vallée 3 Oscar nominations.

He was also confirmed to direct another upcoming series for HBO, Gorilla and the Bird, about a public defender who suffers a sudden psychotic break.

Jean-Marc Vallée is survived by his two children and three siblings.

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

Jean-Marc Vallée, the director of Dallas Buyers Club and Big Little Lies, has died at the age of 58.

According to his representative, Vallée died suddenly over the Christmas weekend from a suspected heart attack at his cabin outside Quebec City, Canada.

“Jean-Marc stood for creativity, authenticity and trying things differently,” said his producing partner Nathan Ross in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “He was a true artist and a generous, loving guy.”

“Everyone who worked with him couldn’t help but see the talent and vision he possessed,” added Ross. “He was a friend, creative partner and an older brother to me. The maestro will sorely be missed but it comforts knowing his beautiful style and impactful work he shared with the world will live on.”

Vallée was perhaps best known for Dallas Buyers Club – the Oscar-winning drama starring Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey. The film is based on the true story of Ron Woodroof – an AIDS patient who smuggled pharmaceutical drugs into Texas.

Vallée went on to direct the first season of Big Little Lies starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz. This won him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie back in 2017.

“Jean-Marc Vallée was a brilliant, fiercely dedicated filmmaker, a truly phenomenal talent who infused every scene with a deeply visceral, emotional truth,” said HBO in an official statement. “He was also a hugely caring man who invested his whole self alongside every actor he directed. We are shocked at the news of his sudden death, and we extend our heartfelt sympathies to his sons, Alex and Émile, his extended family, and his long-time producing partner, Nathan Ross.”

Born in Montreal, Vallée made his feature film debut with Black List in 1995 following a career in music videos. His second film, C-R-A-Z-Y, was based on the life of a close friend. This led to his breakthrough film The Young Victoria in 2009 which earned Vallée 3 Oscar nominations.

He was also confirmed to direct another upcoming series for HBO, Gorilla and the Bird, about a public defender who suffers a sudden psychotic break.

Jean-Marc Vallée is survived by his two children and three siblings.

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

Squid Game creator Hwang Gon-hyuk has confirmed that he’s already talking to Netflix about a second and third season of the hit Korean TV show.

During an interview with Korean broadcaster KBS (via The Korean Times) the 50-year-old South Korean filmmaker revealed that Squid Game will likely be back.

“I'm in talks with Netflix over season 2 as well as season 3,” he said. “We will come to a conclusion any time soon.”

This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. After all, Squid Game landed the biggest series launch ever on Netflix with its debut in September 2021. Additionally, it’s expected to create over $900 million in value for the streaming service.

So, it’s easy to see why Netflix would be keen to see Squid Game return.

Although the show has only been out for a couple of months, there’s already been talk of a second season, with Hwang previously confirming that Season 2 of Squid Game is coming.

“There's been so much pressure, so much demand and so much love for a second season,” he revealed. “So, I almost feel like you leave us no choice! But I will say there will indeed be a second season. It's in my head right now. I'm in the planning process currently. But I do think it's too early to say when and how that's going to happen.”

Although the Squid Game creator wouldn’t reveal any details about the upcoming second season, he did confirm that protagonist Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) will return.

“I will promise you this, Gi-hun will come back,” he revealed. “He will do something for the world.”

Additionally, he has revealed that the Squid Game follow-up may not focus on the contestants, instead exploring the role of the Korean police in proceedings. Despite the show’s overnight success, it turns out that Squid Game was in development for 10 years, after its creator failed to bring the project from script to screen.

Squid Game is available to stream now on Netflix.

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

Squid Game creator Hwang Gon-hyuk has confirmed that he’s already talking to Netflix about a second and third season of the hit Korean TV show.

During an interview with Korean broadcaster KBS (via The Korean Times) the 50-year-old South Korean filmmaker revealed that Squid Game will likely be back.

“I'm in talks with Netflix over season 2 as well as season 3,” he said. “We will come to a conclusion any time soon.”

This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. After all, Squid Game landed the biggest series launch ever on Netflix with its debut in September 2021. Additionally, it’s expected to create over $900 million in value for the streaming service.

So, it’s easy to see why Netflix would be keen to see Squid Game return.

Although the show has only been out for a couple of months, there’s already been talk of a second season, with Hwang previously confirming that Season 2 of Squid Game is coming.

“There's been so much pressure, so much demand and so much love for a second season,” he revealed. “So, I almost feel like you leave us no choice! But I will say there will indeed be a second season. It's in my head right now. I'm in the planning process currently. But I do think it's too early to say when and how that's going to happen.”

Although the Squid Game creator wouldn’t reveal any details about the upcoming second season, he did confirm that protagonist Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) will return.

“I will promise you this, Gi-hun will come back,” he revealed. “He will do something for the world.”

Additionally, he has revealed that the Squid Game follow-up may not focus on the contestants, instead exploring the role of the Korean police in proceedings. Despite the show’s overnight success, it turns out that Squid Game was in development for 10 years, after its creator failed to bring the project from script to screen.

Squid Game is available to stream now on Netflix.

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