Maisie Williams is “finally proud” of her role as Arya Stark in HBO’s Game of Thrones, even if the series didn’t end on the same strong note it began.

During a Twitch Stream with her brother, James Williams, Variety spotted Maisie’s sentiment on the series finale, which she acknowledged “definitely fell off at the end.” After her recent rewatch, the actor and her brother discussed their feelings on the HBO series, and it sounds like her opinions on the show have evolved since its controversial ending.

“It was very good, and for a long time, I felt like I had to avoid it because it was too triggering,” Williams said. “But now, I feel like I’ve made peace with it all again.” she continued.

“It feels good to be proud of it; it was ten years of my life,” she continued after discussing the more emotional moments from season one. The youngest Stark sibling seems to reflect on it fondly now, while her real-life brother insists it’s still “great TV.”

In an April interview with GQ, Masie explained growing up with the show and her complicated relationship with playing Arya. It didn't always make for an easy childhood in the spotlight, but she hinted to warming to the idea of returning as Arya. When asked about reprising the role, she said, “it has to be the right time and the right people,” and “it has to be at the right time for me.”

Game of Thrones is still going in the form of spin-offs, with the House of the Dragon prequel wrapping up its first season now on HBO.

Andrea Shearon is a freelance news writer at IGN covering games and entertainment. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) chatting about FFXIV and other RPGs

Apple is raising the cost of its subscription services across the board, and the change includes increases to Apple TV+, Apple Music, and its Apple One bundle.

Apple says it's raising its prices to account for the music industry’s “increase in licensing costs” and explains its Apple TV+ hike is in order after a “very low price” launch. The publisher has grown its TV and movie offerings since its 2019 debut at $4.99, remaining one of the cheapest streaming services until now.

Apple’s sweeping price bumps take effect today and include:

• Apple TV+ - $6.99 a month, previously $4.99
• Apple Music - $10.99 a month, previously $9.99
• Apple One - $16.95 a month, previously $14.95

While those increases cover individuals, the rates for family packages also jump. Apple One — a subscription bundling Music, Apple TV+, Arcade, and iCloud+ — now costs $22.95. The Premier package, which adds extra storage, News+, and Fitness+, raises to $32.95 for families.

In the complete statement from the company, an Apple spokesperson explained the rise in subscription fees:

The subscription prices for Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple One will increase beginning today. The change to Apple Music is due to an increase in licensing costs, and in turn, artists and songwriters will earn more for the streaming of their music. We also continue to add innovative features that make Apple Music the world’s best listening experience. We introduced Apple TV+ at a very low price because we started with just a few shows and movies. Three years later, Apple TV+ is home to an extensive selection of award-winning and broadly acclaimed series, feature films, documentaries, and kids and family entertainment from the world’s most creative storytellers.

The price bump is a first for the publisher’s Apple TV+ service, but it’s not the only streaming platform to raise its subscription fees this year. Netflix kicked off 2022 with a price hike and later announced a limited, ad-supported plan will be released on November 3. Disney+ and Hulu also just raised their fees, and Disney+ launches its ad-based tier on December 8.

Across the world, consumers continue to grapple with raising subscription prices during a period of inflation and rising operational costs. For options like Apple TV+, its library remains among one of the smaller options when compared to other streaming giants like Hulu and Netflix, but the service has come a long way.

The original 2019 IGN review called the $4.99 Apple TV+ pricetag too high for its “lackluster library of movies and TV shows.” However, after revisiting the service in 2022, we praised Apple’s improvements, noting “you just can’t beat the quality-to-price ratio” found in the current library.

Andrea Shearon is a freelance news writer at IGN covering games and entertainment. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) chatting about FFXIV and other RPGs

Apple is raising the cost of its subscription services across the board, and the change includes increases to Apple TV+, Apple Music, and its Apple One bundle.

Apple says it's raising its prices to account for the music industry’s “increase in licensing costs” and explains its Apple TV+ hike is in order after a “very low price” launch. The publisher has grown its TV and movie offerings since its 2019 debut at $4.99, remaining one of the cheapest streaming services until now.

Apple’s sweeping price bumps take effect today and include:

• Apple TV+ - $6.99 a month, previously $4.99
• Apple Music - $10.99 a month, previously $9.99
• Apple One - $16.95 a month, previously $14.95

While those increases cover individuals, the rates for family packages also jump. Apple One — a subscription bundling Music, Apple TV+, Arcade, and iCloud+ — now costs $22.95. The Premier package, which adds extra storage, News+, and Fitness+, raises to $32.95 for families.

In the complete statement from the company, an Apple spokesperson explained the rise in subscription fees:

The subscription prices for Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple One will increase beginning today. The change to Apple Music is due to an increase in licensing costs, and in turn, artists and songwriters will earn more for the streaming of their music. We also continue to add innovative features that make Apple Music the world’s best listening experience. We introduced Apple TV+ at a very low price because we started with just a few shows and movies. Three years later, Apple TV+ is home to an extensive selection of award-winning and broadly acclaimed series, feature films, documentaries, and kids and family entertainment from the world’s most creative storytellers.

The price bump is a first for the publisher’s Apple TV+ service, but it’s not the only streaming platform to raise its subscription fees this year. Netflix kicked off 2022 with a price hike and later announced a limited, ad-supported plan will be released on November 3. Disney+ and Hulu also just raised their fees, and Disney+ launches its ad-based tier on December 8.

Across the world, consumers continue to grapple with raising subscription prices during a period of inflation and rising operational costs. For options like Apple TV+, its library remains among one of the smaller options when compared to other streaming giants like Hulu and Netflix, but the service has come a long way.

The original 2019 IGN review called the $4.99 Apple TV+ pricetag too high for its “lackluster library of movies and TV shows.” However, after revisiting the service in 2022, we praised Apple’s improvements, noting “you just can’t beat the quality-to-price ratio” found in the current library.

Andrea Shearon is a freelance news writer at IGN covering games and entertainment. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) chatting about FFXIV and other RPGs

Former Bayonetta voice actor Hellena Taylor has taken to Twitter to defend herself against claims that she is a ‘liar and golddigger’ in relation to an ongoing controversy surrounding Bayonetta 3 regarding payment for reprising her role as the titular character.

Last weekend, Taylor took to Twitter to vent frustration at allegedly being offered just $4,000 dollars to voice Bayonetta in the upcoming game. Following this, articles from Bloomberg’s Jason Schrier and VGC’s Andy Robinson - which cited multiple sources and documentation - that contradicted Taylor’s account she was offered only $4,000 to reprise her role as Bayonetta.

Today, the voice actor released a new statement via Twitter in which she sought to defend herself and her reputation in the industry.

The reports suggested that PlatinumGames had attempted to hire Taylor for up to five, four-hour sessions, paying between $3,000 - $4,000 a sitting. The total fee would have amounted to roughly $15,000, which was significantly more than Taylor had been paid for previous titles, according to VGC.

Taylor had reportedly turned this offer down and sought a six-figure sum and residual payments in exchange for her involvement with the project.

In a series of tweets, Taylor stated that the initial offer from PlatinumGames - which she rejected - would have amounted to $10,000 in total, and that following her correspondence with Hideki Kamiya she was offered an additional $5,000.

Taylor says she declined the $15,000, and 11 months later also turned down an offer of $4,000 to voice “some lines” as a flat fee.

According to Taylor, there were no extensive talks, and claims that she was offered $4,000 for 5 recording sessions are, in her own words, “total fabrications”. Furthermore, she denies that she negotiated for a six-figure payment.

“There were not “extensive negotiations,” Taylor tweeted. “I’ve also been informed of ridiculous fictions, such as I asked for 250,000 dollars. I am a team player. I was just asking for a fair, living wage in line with the value that I bring to this game.”

It has come to my attention that some people are calling me a liar and golddigger. I feel the need to defend myself and my reputation in the industry. See thread #PlatinumGames #Nintendo #Bayonetta #Bayonetta3 #Bayonutters #Boycott #NintendoEurope #NintendoAmerica #NintendoJapan

— Hellena Taylor (@hellenataylor) October 24, 2022

The veteran voice actor also said that she was paid a “shockingly low” £3,000 pounds sterling for the original Bayonetta game, and only a “little more” for Bayonetta 2.

Taylor ended the Twitter thread by telling supporters that any money she took from fan signings was donated to charity.

Friends, Worldlings, Bayonutters. Hear ye!#PlatinumGames #Nintendo #Bayonetta #Bayonetta3 #Bayonutters #Boycott #NintendoEurope #NintendoAmerica #NintendoJapan pic.twitter.com/h9lwiX2bBt

— Hellena Taylor (@hellenataylor) October 15, 2022

On Oct.15, Taylor posted a series of videos to Twitter in which she accused PlatinumGames - the developers of the Bayonetta franchise - of paying her what she described as an insultingly low rate to voice the game.

In the videos, Taylor explained that she rejected an initial ‘insulting offer’ from PlatinumGames to reprise her role in Bayonetta 3 - a franchise that she claims is worth $450 million. She then wrote to the series’ director Hideki Kamiya to - in Taylor’s own words - “ask him for what I’m worth.”

According to Taylor, Kamiya responded, explaining that he appreciated her work on the series. He then reportedly offered her a flat rate of US$4,000 to voice the game, which she turned down, prompting PlatinumGames to approach Mass Effect’s Jennifer Hale for the role.

The videos posted by Taylor have since been collectively viewed over 10 million times, and have triggered a debate around the payment of voice actors in the gaming industry amid the ongoing controversy.

They have also cast a shadow over the imminent release of Bayonetta 3 which is set to be one of Nintendo's biggest releases this holiday season.

Anthony Wood is a freelance science writer for IGN

HBO has set a release window for the next season of Succession.

Before the House of the Dragon finale, HBO Max revealed that Succession will return for its fourth season next Spring.

Along with the announcement, a short teaser trailer was released, which you can watch below.

The rebel alliance.#Succession returns Spring 2023 on HBO Max. pic.twitter.com/tqzlYpvSeY

— HBO Max (@hbomax) October 24, 2022

Succession follows the fictional Roy family, who run a media empire not unlike the Murdoch family and Fox. Season 3's finale even incorporated real-world events, taking inspiration from the Disney buyout of Fox and AT&T’s buyout of Time Warner.

Brian Cox's Logan Roy agreed to sell Waystar Royco to fictional tech giant Gojo, setting the stage for a very dramatic fourth season. The teaser trailer doesn't share a ton of plot details, but you can surely expect a mountain of family and corporate drama next Spring.

Season 4 could mark the beginning of the end for Succession. When the renewal was announced last year, Succession executive producer Georgia Pritchett said there's an end in sight for Succession, and that the show may conclude after its fourth or fifth season.

Season 3 of Succession was a big hit, earning a nomination from IGN for the best television series of 2021. in our review, we called the third season amazing, saying, "Succession Season 3 returns with just as much petty hilarity, punishing woes, and blazing performances as previous seasons with a civil war storyline to keep you hooked on the exploits of these awful rich people."

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Original Jigsaw killer Tobin Bell will be back in the next Saw movie.

That’s right – Jigsaw is back, for real this time, as Tobin Bell reprises the role of John Kramer in the next Saw movie.

The upcoming Saw film is heading into production later this month and will eventually head to theaters on October 27, 2023.

The upcoming Saw movie was originally thought to be a sequel and was announced earlier this year with Saw 6 and Saw: The Final Chapter director Kevin Greutert at the helm. But Bell’s return poses more questions – namely, will this be a prequel?

Jigsaw was first introduced in the original Saw back in 2004 as the Jigsaw Killer – a serial killer who captures his victims and tests their will to survive by placing them in life-threatening “games”. The film was a huge hit and spawned a number of sequels and a recent spin-off.

Unfortunately, little is known about the upcoming project, so it’s also unclear whether or not this will be a prequel or a spin-off itself. Although a sequel is unlikely given Bell’s appearance (Kramer was effectively killed off at the end of Saw 3) it could still e possible, especially if he appears in a flashback.

Whether or not that’s the case, remains to be seen.

“What a thrill to be reuniting with Tobin,” said Saw producers, Mark Burg and Oren Koules. “His performance as John Kramer is part of the magic that made this franchise a phenomenon and his character is an active part of this film.”

It’s unclear whether or not the upcoming film will tie into Spiral.

IGN’s Spiral review gave it just 3/10 and called it “a sequel that hopes to court Saw fans and mainstream audiences alike, Spiral: From the Book of Saw is likely to alienate them both. It’s a hollow imitation of the series, unable to meet its most basic visual and narrative expectations. It’s also a bad film in general, which tries to tell a socially relevant story that it can’t seem to handle.”

Given that Saw is now a billion-dollar franchise, they might want to skip any ties to Spiral.

Want to read more about Saw? Check out how Spiral fits into the Saw timeline, as well as our rundown of the Saw saga’s complicated backstory.

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

The issues surrounding Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM continue, as one ex-developer has apparently filed a lawsuit against the company.

According to a report from Tech News Space, an official website of the Estonian court revealed that the lead game designer of Disco Elysium, Robert Kurvitz, is suing ZA/UM.

According to the report, Kurvitz filed a lawsuit on behalf of his own company, Telomer. The court date is currently set for November 28, but we don't know exactly what the hearing will be about.

Earlier this month, Disco Elysium editor Martin Luiga said key Disco Elysium developers "involuntarily" left ZA/UM, including Luiga, Kurvitz, writer Helen Hindpere, and lead of art and design Aleksander Rostov. The ex-developer said the core members of the team haven't been at the studio since the end of 2021.

Luiga also announced the dissolution of the ZA/UM cultural association, which was a separate entity from the studio ZA/UM that was responsible for Disco Elysium's development.

The future is unclear for Disco Elysium, as Luiga doesn't think ZA/UM Studio will make a sequel. After leaving the company, the ex-developer said, "I think ZA/UM Studio in its current form will not be developing the sequel and I am unsure of the number of people that left in the company who also worked on the original Disco." A ZA/UM spokesperson told IGN "the ZA/UM creative team’s focus remains on the development of our next project," but it's unclear if that's related to Disco Elysium, or something else entirely.

Given the original game's success, Disco Elysium fans are likely disappointed to hear about the ongoing troubles at the studio. We gave a glowing 10/10 review to Disco Elysium - The Final Cut, saying the Final Cut elevates the original from "an already phenomenal RPG to a true must-play masterpiece."

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Bethesda has announced that Fallout 4 is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S with an official next-generation update next year.

As part of the Fallout 25th Anniversary celebration, Bethesda released a blog post that announced the long-awaited free update that is also coming to PC.

Arriving eight years after Fallout 4 was first released, the update includes a performance mode that allows for higher frame rates, a quality mode for 4K graphics, plus bug fixes and more Creation Club content (Bethesda's official mod support).

The developer didn't reveal a specific release date or window for Fallout 4's next-gen update, nor did it give a full list of features, but it will also likely include console-specific upgrades such as the use of PlayStation 5's haptic feedback.

It may be the only "new" Fallout update for a while, at least officially, as Fallout 5 is likely years away as Bethesda won't release it until after the Elder Scrolls 6, which in turn is coming after 2023's Starfield.

The modding community is putting in work though, as Fallout 4's LC-sized mod, Fallout London, is due to be released in 2023. In our 9/10 review of the base game, IGN said: "An outstanding world, great crafting system, strong story and characters and more earn Fallout 4 a glowing endorsement."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Beau DeMayo, a former producer and writer on The Witcher, has claimed that some writers on the Netflix series "actively disliked" Andrzej Sapkowski's books and CD Projekt Red's games.

As reported by The Direct, DeMayo recently participated in a Q&A on his Instagram Stories where he discussed his role as showrunner on the upcoming X-Men '97 Disney+ series. Speaking about how he assembled the production team for the project, he revealed that those involved "HAD to be a fan" of the material — because that hasn't always been his experience.

"I've been on show - namely Witcher - where some of the writers were not or actively disliked the books and games (even actively mocking the source material)," DeMayo explained. "It's a recipe for disaster and bad morale. Fandom as a litmus test checks egos, and makes all the long nights worth it. You have to respect the work before you're allowed to add to its legacy."

DeMayo served as a co-producer on two episodes of The Witcher's first season and penned another story in the eight-episode block before returning as a writer on the second episode of Season 2. He didn't mention any names and with several changes on the writing team each season, it's unclear who he is taking aim at and whether those people remain on board.

Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich originally underscored the importance of the books and the original short stories when crafting The Witcher for Netflix. "We're all big fans of the books," she said. "We're all big fans of the video games as well, but this is solely based on the books and that's really where we drew our inspiration from – starting with the short stories."

The team behind The Witcher have also previously spoken about the future direction of the show's planned seven seasons, and how the original novels will be the guiding light. Henry Cavill revealed his hopes for Season 3 to be loyal to the books "without too much in the way of diversions," especially when it comes to the relationships between the core characters.

The third season of the hit fantasy series will bring back Cavill's Geralt, Anya Chalotra's Yennefer, and Freya Allan's Ciri along with several new key players. The Witcher Season 3 is coming Summer 2023, while Blood Origin is out this December, with Minnie Driver joining the cast in a role that will be "pivotal" in connecting the prequel series to the main Witcher series.

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

The first trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has finally been released, giving us our first glimpse at the MCU's villainous variant of Kang the Conqueror, and much more besides.

The new trailer shows off the set-up for the movie, with the Lang, Van Dyne and Pym families pulled into the Quantum Realm after setting up a "satellite for deep space, but quantum". From there, we see a lot of trippy imagery, from sci-fi civilizations to the giant version of Ant-Man being pulled apart... as Scott Lang watches.

But most importantly, we may be seeing two different versions of Kang - one who appears to want to help Scott Lang and co, and the other (much more blue) version of the character seemingly being the movie's main threat.

Kang was first introduced in Marvel's Loki series, which also ushered in the Marvel multiverse, and set the stage for multiple variants of Kang to appear and threaten to become the comics' Conqueror figure. Marvel boss Kevin Feige has called Quantumania "a direct line into Phase 5 and Kang Dynasty", referring to the first of two Avengers movies coming in 2025.

We didn't get to see the glimpse of MODOK that attendees of D23 got back in September, however. We'll probably get that in another trailer ahead of the movie's release on February 17 next year.

We also got a new poster for the movie today:

Marvel Studios’ #AntManAndTheWasp: Quantumania arrives 2.17.23. pic.twitter.com/4rk9YPYEqE

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) October 24, 2022

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.