The Game Awards won't exclusively focus on big game awards and reveals, as host Geoff Keighley has revealed that the first trailer for the long-awaited Halo TV series will be shown off during the event. It will continue what's already a huge week for the Halo franchise, with the release of Halo Infinite's campaign happening tomorrow.

To teased the event, Keighley posted a quick video showing UNSC soldiers and Marines running through a hangar, with iconic Halo vehicles like Warthogs and Pelicans shown in the background. Get a quick look at the footage below.

A big week for @halo just got bigger.

Thursday, see the world premiere of the first trailer for #HaloTheSeries during #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/lqOG5XImhM

— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) December 7, 2021

The show is set to debut on Paramount Plus next year, and we already know much of the cast. Pablo Schreiber will star as Master Chief, with Danny Sapani and Olive Gray set to play Jacob and Miranda Keyes, respectively. Jen Taylor, the voice of Cortana in the Halo games, will reprise her role as the AI in the TV series. You can check out the full cast list here.

Otto Bathurst is director and producer of the Halo TV series. The show started production in 2019, but was slowed due to COVID-19. The series will apparently tell an original story in the Halo universe, while remaining respectful to the established lore.

This is far from the first attempt to create a Halo TV series. From a Ridley Scott spin-off to a Neill Blomkamp project that never saw the light of day, it's been a long road for Halo fans. We'll have to see what this project looks like later this week, but initial impressions say Schreiber's Master Chief looks fantastic.

The Game Awards will take place on Thursday, December 9 at 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET. To see the Halo reveal the second it happens, check out our guide on how to watch The Game Awards.

And, that's far from the only Halo news happening this week. Halo Infinite's highly-anticipated campaign drops tomorrow, and reception is very positive. In our Halo Infinite campaign review, we said Infinite, "has absolutely brought Halo’s single-player campaign back into contention as one of the finest out there."

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

The Game Awards won't exclusively focus on big game awards and reveals, as host Geoff Keighley has revealed that the first trailer for the long-awaited Halo TV series will be shown off during the event. It will continue what's already a huge week for the Halo franchise, with the release of Halo Infinite's campaign happening tomorrow.

To teased the event, Keighley posted a quick video showing UNSC soldiers and Marines running through a hangar, with iconic Halo vehicles like Warthogs and Pelicans shown in the background. Get a quick look at the footage below.

A big week for @halo just got bigger.

Thursday, see the world premiere of the first trailer for #HaloTheSeries during #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/lqOG5XImhM

— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) December 7, 2021

The show is set to debut on Paramount Plus next year, and we already know much of the cast. Pablo Schreiber will star as Master Chief, with Danny Sapani and Olive Gray set to play Jacob and Miranda Keyes, respectively. Jen Taylor, the voice of Cortana in the Halo games, will reprise her role as the AI in the TV series. You can check out the full cast list here.

Otto Bathurst is director and producer of the Halo TV series. The show started production in 2019, but was slowed due to COVID-19. The series will apparently tell an original story in the Halo universe, while remaining respectful to the established lore.

This is far from the first attempt to create a Halo TV series. From a Ridley Scott spin-off to a Neill Blomkamp project that never saw the light of day, it's been a long road for Halo fans. We'll have to see what this project looks like later this week, but initial impressions say Schreiber's Master Chief looks fantastic.

The Game Awards will take place on Thursday, December 9 at 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET. To see the Halo reveal the second it happens, check out our guide on how to watch The Game Awards.

And, that's far from the only Halo news happening this week. Halo Infinite's highly-anticipated campaign drops tomorrow, and reception is very positive. In our Halo Infinite campaign review, we said Infinite, "has absolutely brought Halo’s single-player campaign back into contention as one of the finest out there."

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

At long last, the first third-party PS5 controller has been announced. Scuf has introduced its new Reflex, Reflex Pro, and Reflex FPS controllers designed specifically for the PS5.

On the surface, the Scuf Reflex looks nearly identical to the traditional DualSense, but there are plenty of small improvements to be found. The biggest thing the Reflex line adds is a removable set of back control paddles. These back paddles work similarly to those on the Xbox Elite Series 2, but you can reprogram or disable them on the fly via a small rubber button on the back of the controller.

The Reflex and Reflex Pro still feature Sony’s adaptive triggers, but the Reflex FPS swaps them out for instant triggers that actuate with one tap similar to a mouse button.

You also get swappable thumbsticks on the Reflex, allowing you to change them out for long, short, domed, and concave options. The faceplate trim around the thumbsticks is also removable in case you want to swap colors.

Speaking of colors, the Reflex line will be available in white, gray, black, orange, navy blue, and red. However, only the black version will be available at launch with more colorways to be released in the next few weeks and months.

It's worth noting that technically the Scuf Reflex isn't the first non-Sony PS5 controller to hit the market – custom shops HexGaming and AimControllers both have launched customized DualSense variants already, but this is the first major company to launch its own PS5 controller thus far. Here's hoping other manufacturers like Astro will follow suit and bring more options to the market.

The Scuf Reflex line is available now with the baseline controller costing $199. The Scuf Reflex Pro and Reflex FPS retail for $229 and $259, respectively.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Kevin Lee is IGN's SEO Updates Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.

At long last, the first third-party PS5 controller has been announced. Scuf has introduced its new Reflex, Reflex Pro, and Reflex FPS controllers designed specifically for the PS5.

On the surface, the Scuf Reflex looks nearly identical to the traditional DualSense, but there are plenty of small improvements to be found. The biggest thing the Reflex line adds is a removable set of back control paddles. These back paddles work similarly to those on the Xbox Elite Series 2, but you can reprogram or disable them on the fly via a small rubber button on the back of the controller.

The Reflex and Reflex Pro still feature Sony’s adaptive triggers, but the Reflex FPS swaps them out for instant triggers that actuate with one tap similar to a mouse button.

You also get swappable thumbsticks on the Reflex, allowing you to change them out for long, short, domed, and concave options. The faceplate trim around the thumbsticks is also removable in case you want to swap colors.

Speaking of colors, the Reflex line will be available in white, gray, black, orange, navy blue, and red. However, only the black version will be available at launch with more colorways to be released in the next few weeks and months.

The Scuf Reflex line is available now with the baseline controller costing $199. The Scuf Reflex Pro and Reflex FPS retail for $229 and $259, respectively.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Kevin Lee is IGN's SEO Updates Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.

Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista has signed up to M. Night Shyamalan’s mysterious new movie.

According to Deadline, the 52-year-old former wrestler jumped at the chance to join Knock At The Cabin – Shyamalan’s upcoming film project.

“Dave Bautista has found his next A-list director to work as the Dune actor is in negotiations to star in M. Night Shyamalan’s new top-secret pic Knock at the Cabin,” they revealed.

Unfortunately, little else is known about Knock At The Cabin, except that M. Night Shyamalan will both write and direct the movie, as well as produce it alongside Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock, and Steven Schneider.

Despite keeping his upcoming movie tightly under wraps, Shyamalan recently took to Twitter to tease the project to his fans:

“The next one,” he said. “On third draft. Super tight. Under a 100 pages.”

The next one. On third draft. Super tight. Under a 100 pages. pic.twitter.com/gMjqH0nbAp

— M. Night Shyamalan ⌛ (@MNightShyamalan) August 30, 2021

The previously untitled project has since been confirmed to be called Knock At The Cabin. But what that quite means remains to be seen.

And, presumably, he will once again film in Philadelphia.

“My new friend @DaveBautista you have shown strength not in the obvious ways but in choosing risky roles and making yourself vulnerable,” Shyamalan said via Twitter. “I cannot wait for you to come to Philly. Knock knock…”

Contrary to Shyamalan’s recent film, Old, it’s thought that Dave Bautista has been brought on board to “anchor” his upcoming movie – similar to how Bruce Willis was used as a pillar for his superhero hit, Unbreakable.

According to Deadline, Bautista was “quick to jump at the opportunity” largely due to the director’s impeccable track record when it comes to interesting scripts.

Bautista himself recently wrapped production of Knives Out 2 and is currently filming the Marvel sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with James Gunn. He’s also expected to film the upcoming sci-fi sequel, Dune Part 2.

Knock At The Cabin will open in theaters on February 3, 2023.

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

Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista has signed up to M. Night Shyamalan’s mysterious new movie.

According to Deadline, the 52-year-old former wrestler jumped at the chance to join Knock At The Cabin – Shyamalan’s upcoming film project.

“Dave Bautista has found his next A-list director to work as the Dune actor is in negotiations to star in M. Night Shyamalan’s new top-secret pic Knock at the Cabin,” they revealed.

Unfortunately, little else is known about Knock At The Cabin, except that M. Night Shyamalan will both write and direct the movie, as well as produce it alongside Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock, and Steven Schneider.

Despite keeping his upcoming movie tightly under wraps, Shyamalan recently took to Twitter to tease the project to his fans:

“The next one,” he said. “On third draft. Super tight. Under a 100 pages.”

The next one. On third draft. Super tight. Under a 100 pages. pic.twitter.com/gMjqH0nbAp

— M. Night Shyamalan ⌛ (@MNightShyamalan) August 30, 2021

The previously untitled project has since been confirmed to be called Knock At The Cabin. But what that quite means remains to be seen.

And, presumably, he will once again film in Philadelphia.

“My new friend @DaveBautista you have shown strength not in the obvious ways but in choosing risky roles and making yourself vulnerable,” Shyamalan said via Twitter. “I cannot wait for you to come to Philly. Knock knock…”

Contrary to Shyamalan’s recent film, Old, it’s thought that Dave Bautista has been brought on board to “anchor” his upcoming movie – similar to how Bruce Willis was used as a pillar for his superhero hit, Unbreakable.

According to Deadline, Bautista was “quick to jump at the opportunity” largely due to the director’s impeccable track record when it comes to interesting scripts.

Bautista himself recently wrapped production of Knives Out 2 and is currently filming the Marvel sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with James Gunn. He’s also expected to film the upcoming sci-fi sequel, Dune Part 2.

Knock At The Cabin will open in theaters on February 3, 2023.

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

Ubisoft has today announced Ubisoft Quartz, its first blockchain-powered NFT system. But while NFTs are a source of excitement for some, many are concerned about their environmental impact due to the energy consumption they require. Ubisoft says that it has chosen an energy efficient system for Quartz, but has told IGN that it will reconsider the project if the blockchain ecosystem proves to be unsustainable.

Talking to IGN ahead of the Ubisoft Quartz announcement, Nicolas Pouard, VP of Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab, said: “That’s a first step for us. If we see [blockchain technology] cannot go [more energy efficient], if it’s not sustainable, of course, we will think again of what we are doing. But for now, on the technology we decided to work on, we are taking this concern very seriously.”

Pouard explained that Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab eventually settled on using Tezos, a blockchain system that uses the ‘proof-of-stake’ concept. Proof-of-stake systems are more energy efficient than the alternative ‘proof-of-work’, a system used by Bitcoin and other blockchains that has been repeatedly criticised for its negative environmental impact. Tezos, according to Ubisoft, uses one million times less energy per transaction than Bitcoin. For comparison, that’s 30 seconds of streaming a video versus one whole year.

However, the whole ecosystem is not clear cut. While Ubisoft Quartz uses Tezos and the proof-of-stake model for its NFTs, those items can then be sold on third-party marketplaces for cryptocurrency. That cryptocurrency is likely to be Ethereum, which is currently based on proof-of-work. Essentially, while Ubisoft’s own operation may be more energy efficient than some other blockchain solutions, it’s still putting items out into the world that can be purchased using environmentally damaging currency.

Pouard is hopeful that things will soon change, though. “The ecosystem linked to what we’re doing with NFTs is Ethereum, and the whole Ethereum ecosystem is moving towards proof-of-stake,” he says. Ethereum plans to move to proof-of-stake in 2022.

For more, check out what Ubisoft Quartz is and how it works. This is the first Ubisoft's blockchain project, and will initially roll out for Ghost Recon Breakpoint. NFTs and blockchain use in games is already a hot topic among developers; while Ubisoft and Epic Games are pro, Valve has already banned blockchain games on Steam.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Ubisoft has today announced Ubisoft Quartz, its first blockchain-powered NFT system. But while NFTs are a source of excitement for some, many are concerned about their environmental impact due to the energy consumption they require. Ubisoft says that it has chosen an energy efficient system for Quartz, but has told IGN that it will reconsider the project if the blockchain ecosystem proves to be unsustainable.

Talking to IGN ahead of the Ubisoft Quartz announcement, Nicolas Pouard, VP of Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab, said: “That’s a first step for us. If we see [blockchain technology] cannot go [more energy efficient], if it’s not sustainable, of course, we will think again of what we are doing. But for now, on the technology we decided to work on, we are taking this concern very seriously.”

Pouard explained that Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab eventually settled on using Tezos, a blockchain system that uses the ‘proof-of-stake’ concept. Proof-of-stake systems are more energy efficient than the alternative ‘proof-of-work’, a system used by Bitcoin and other blockchains that has been repeatedly criticised for its negative environmental impact. Tezos, according to Ubisoft, uses one million times less energy per transaction than Bitcoin. For comparison, that’s 30 seconds of streaming a video versus one whole year.

However, the whole ecosystem is not clear cut. While Ubisoft Quartz uses Tezos and the proof-of-stake model for its NFTs, those items can then be sold on third-party marketplaces for cryptocurrency. That cryptocurrency is likely to be Ethereum, which is currently based on proof-of-work. Essentially, while Ubisoft’s own operation may be more energy efficient than some other blockchain solutions, it’s still putting items out into the world that can be purchased using environmentally damaging currency.

Pouard is hopeful that things will soon change, though. “The ecosystem linked to what we’re doing with NFTs is Ethereum, and the whole Ethereum ecosystem is moving towards proof-of-stake,” he says. Ethereum plans to move to proof-of-stake in 2022.

For more, check out what Ubisoft Quartz is and how it works. This is the first Ubisoft's blockchain project, and will initially roll out for Ghost Recon Breakpoint. NFTs and blockchain use in games is already a hot topic among developers; while Ubisoft and Epic Games are pro, Valve has already banned blockchain games on Steam.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Ubisoft has announced its first foray into the world of blockchain technology and NFTs. Called Ubisoft Quartz, it will offer limited-edition cosmetic items for Ubisoft games that can then be re-sold on third-party marketplaces for cryptocurrency. It will launch in beta on December 9, starting with items for Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

The NFT items that Ubisoft Quartz offers are called Digits, and each is a limited edition, in-game cosmetic item. Every Digit is made ‘unique’ by a serial number that will be visible on the item. For example, a rifle may have its number on the magazine, or a helmet could be ‘engraved’ across the rim. Furthermore, embedded in the Digit’s metadata is your Ubisoft Connect username. As a Digit is sold to new owners, their usernames are added to the metadata, creating a history of ownership for the NFT. In addition to the in-game cosmetic item, a Digit also comes with a video file showing the item being used in-game.

When Ubisoft Quartz launches on December 9, three Digits will be available for Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s Ubisoft Connect PC version: a ‘Wolves’ skin for the M4A1 Tactical rifle, a helmet, and a pair of pants. These Digits will be provided for free, although must be claimed within a limited time window (drops will occur on December 9, 12, and 15). Additionally, players must fulfil certain criteria to be eligible to claim them: the rifle requires you to have reached XP level 5 in Ghost Recon Breakpoint, while the pants demand you’ve played at least 100 hours, and the helmet at least 600 hours. As Ubisoft’s Blockchain Business and Product Director, Baptiste Chardon, explains, “the idea is to focus on our most engaged players with this first batch.”

This approach aims to ensure Digits are obtained by genuine Ubisoft players and not those just looking to just trade with them on third-party marketplaces. Users are also limited to owning just one of each Digit, further reinforcing scarcity and denying the ability to farm collectibles.

Should all this be of interest, signing up for Ubisoft Quartz comes with a number of requirements. You will need to have a Ubisoft Connect account, open up a crypto-wallet with a third party system (either Kukai or Temple), and be over 18 years of age. The beta is also only available in select territories: Canada, USA, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Australia.

Ubisoft Quartz will launch in beta, and while there are plans for further Digits drops in 2022 (I was shown a collection of handguns, helmets, rifles, and even vehicles for Ghost Recon Breakpoint) it’s clear the system is very early in development and experimental in nature. That means, at least for now, the focus is on cosmetics rather than any kind of blockchain-based gameplay systems. “We’re really focused on cosmetics only,” says Chardon. “I doubt it will change an existing game. For what we’re doing now, there will be no impact on the gameplay.”

But why exactly does Ubisoft want to get into the blockchain and NFT business? The publishers’ Strategic Innovation Lab says that it's to do with making players “stakeholders”, and putting value into their hands.

“Our long-term efforts led us to understand how blockchain’s decentralized approach could genuinely make players stakeholders of our games, in a way that is also sustainable for our industry, placing back into their hands the value they generate through the time they spend, the items they buy or the content they create online,” said Nicolas Pouard, VP of Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab, in a press release. “Ubisoft Quartz is the first building block in our ambitious vision for developing a true metaverse.”

From an outside perspective, it’s initially difficult to see what Ubisoft can gain from this. With the NFTs being given away for free, at least in this first drop, the publisher stands to make no direct money. However, the value for the company may come from beyond the NFTs themselves. Should future Digits also require hundreds of hours of gameplay to unlock, this could be a way to encourage a pro-NFT crowd to play huge amounts of Ubisoft games, which could in turn lead to the purchase of microtransaction items, DLC upgrades, and even other games (the decentralised nature of Digits means they could, theoretically, move from game to game).

An even more pressing question is that of Ubisoft Quartz’s environmental impact, although the publisher’s Strategic Lab assures us that it is doing its due diligence to make the system energy efficient. Quartz has been built on the Tezos blockchain network, which uses a ‘proof-of-stake’ system designed to be more energy efficient than the ‘proof-of-work’ systems used by blockchains such as the Bitcoin network. Ubisoft says that a Quartz transaction uses 1 million times less energy than a Bitcoin transaction; the system is comparable to 30 seconds of video streaming, rather than the one year of video streaming for Bitcoin.

Earlier this year Ubisoft announced its blockchain plans with the term “play-to-earn”, a concept we can see in action with Quartz’s demands for hundreds of hours played to unlock its Digits. While the company’s move into blockchain is the first in the AAA space, the games industry has already been toying with the idea. In response, Valve has stamped down on the concept, with Steam banning blockchain games that issue NFTs. Epic Games, meanwhile, is okay with blockchain games.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Ubisoft has announced its first foray into the world of blockchain technology and NFTs. Called Ubisoft Quartz, it will offer limited-edition cosmetic items for Ubisoft games that can then be re-sold on third-party marketplaces for cryptocurrency. It will launch in beta on December 9, starting with items for Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

The NFT items that Ubisoft Quartz offers are called Digits, and each is a limited edition, in-game cosmetic item. Every Digit is made ‘unique’ by a serial number that will be visible on the item. For example, a rifle may have its number on the magazine, or a helmet could be ‘engraved’ across the rim. Furthermore, embedded in the Digit’s metadata is your Ubisoft Connect username. As a Digit is sold to new owners, their usernames are added to the metadata, creating a history of ownership for the NFT. In addition to the in-game cosmetic item, a Digit also comes with a video file showing the item being used in-game.

When Ubisoft Quartz launches on December 9, three Digits will be available for Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s Ubisoft Connect PC version: a ‘Wolves’ skin for the M4A1 Tactical rifle, a helmet, and a pair of pants. These Digits will be provided for free, although must be claimed within a limited time window (drops will occur on December 9, 12, and 15). Additionally, players must fulfil certain criteria to be eligible to claim them: the rifle requires you to have reached XP level 5 in Ghost Recon Breakpoint, while the pants demand you’ve played at least 100 hours, and the helmet at least 600 hours. As Ubisoft’s Blockchain Business and Product Director, Baptiste Chardon, explains, “the idea is to focus on our most engaged players with this first batch.”

This approach aims to ensure Digits are obtained by genuine Ubisoft players and not those just looking to just trade with them on third-party marketplaces. Users are also limited to owning just one of each Digit, further reinforcing scarcity and denying the ability to farm collectibles.

Should all this be of interest, signing up for Ubisoft Quartz comes with a number of requirements. You will need to have a Ubisoft Connect account, open up a crypto-wallet with a third party system (either Kukai or Temple), and be over 18 years of age. The beta is also only available in select territories: Canada, USA, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Australia.

Ubisoft Quartz will launch in beta, and while there are plans for further Digits drops in 2022 (I was shown a collection of handguns, helmets, rifles, and even vehicles for Ghost Recon Breakpoint) it’s clear the system is very early in development and experimental in nature. That means, at least for now, the focus is on cosmetics rather than any kind of blockchain-based gameplay systems. “We’re really focused on cosmetics only,” says Chardon. “I doubt it will change an existing game. For what we’re doing now, there will be no impact on the gameplay.”

But why exactly does Ubisoft want to get into the blockchain and NFT business? The publishers’ Strategic Innovation Lab says that it's to do with making players “stakeholders”, and putting value into their hands.

“Our long-term efforts led us to understand how blockchain’s decentralized approach could genuinely make players stakeholders of our games, in a way that is also sustainable for our industry, placing back into their hands the value they generate through the time they spend, the items they buy or the content they create online,” said Nicolas Pouard, VP of Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab, in a press release. “Ubisoft Quartz is the first building block in our ambitious vision for developing a true metaverse.”

From an outside perspective, it’s initially difficult to see what Ubisoft can gain from this. With the NFTs being given away for free, at least in this first drop, the publisher stands to make no direct money. However, the value for the company may come from beyond the NFTs themselves. Should future Digits also require hundreds of hours of gameplay to unlock, this could be a way to encourage a pro-NFT crowd to play huge amounts of Ubisoft games, which could in turn lead to the purchase of microtransaction items, DLC upgrades, and even other games (the decentralised nature of Digits means they could, theoretically, move from game to game).

An even more pressing question is that of Ubisoft Quartz’s environmental impact, although the publisher’s Strategic Lab assures us that it is doing its due diligence to make the system energy efficient. Quartz has been built on the Tezos blockchain network, which uses a ‘proof-of-stake’ system designed to be more energy efficient than the ‘proof-of-work’ systems used by blockchains such as the Bitcoin network. Ubisoft says that a Quartz transaction uses 1 million times less energy than a Bitcoin transaction; the system is comparable to 30 seconds of video streaming, rather than the one year of video streaming for Bitcoin.

Earlier this year Ubisoft announced its blockchain plans with the term “play-to-earn”, a concept we can see in action with Quartz’s demands for hundreds of hours played to unlock its Digits. While the company’s move into blockchain is the first in the AAA space, the games industry has already been toying with the idea. In response, Valve has stamped down on the concept, with Steam banning blockchain games that issue NFTs. Epic Games, meanwhile, is okay with blockchain games.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.