A new report has learned that a viral video of a 6 year-old child being banned from Call of Duty: Warzone was faked by the boy’s parents in an attempt to progress in a competition held by FaZe Clan. The extensive PC Gamer investigation reveals that a video clip from RowdyRogan, the young COD streamer with 95,000 followers on Twitch, in which Rogan is seen to have his Warzone account banned, was scripted by his parents. This was all part of an attempt to create a viral video of Rogan, one of the tasks set as part of FaZe Clan’s FaZe5 competition.

As some of you know, Rogan was banned from Warzone on stream tonight. The Team and us are currently trying to handle the situation and will keep you guys updated. Thank you for all the support. #FreeRogan pic.twitter.com/df1B28Fa8R

— RowdyRogan (@RowdyRogan) December 10, 2020

The talent contest-style competition sees five winners inducted into the popular esports organisation. As part of the final 20 competitors, RowdyRogan had been tasked to "try and make content that goes viral." Rogan's parents - who work as his managers - attempted to do this via a doctored livestream. The stream was edited to show a ‘permanently banned’ alert (in reality his mother had logged into his account on a different PC to cause a disconnect) and the clip then circulated on Twitter with the hashtag #FreeRogan. A ‘reveal’ video posted to RowdyRogan’s YouTube channel the following day explained how and why Rogan’s parents put together the video. "I know there are some people that aren't going to be happy when they find out this was a stunt for the FaZe5 challenge," says Rogan’s father, Harry Drew. "I also don't want to bring any more negativity towards them, Activision has done nothing wrong,” he added, in reference to an outpouring of anger from fans towards Activision for ‘banning’ Rogan. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/23/call-of-duty-warzone-review"] In a statement to PC Gamer, FaZe CEO Lee Trink said “What finalists choose to do with these tasks and how they approach each challenge is also being assessed, not just the quantitative results. A broad challenge is more emblematic of what their experience will be like in FaZe since a key goal of ours is to support our talent’s vision of their individual career.” Trink appears to offer no condemnation or support of the video. For more from Warzone, take a look at Warzone’s Rebirth Island, which will arrive as part of Season One of Black Ops Cold War. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Vin Diesel has joined developer Studio Wildcard as an Executive Producer on Ark 2, the game he also stars in. As detailed by The Hollywood Reporter, Diesel will act as the "President of Creative Convergence" at Studio Wildcard as well as playing the character Santiago, described as a "freedom fighter" who will appear in Ark 2 and Ark: The Animated Series, which was announced alongside the sequel during this year's Game Awards ceremony. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/ark-2-cinematic-trailer"] Diesel said in a statement that he is "excited to join the Studio Wildcard team to develop the story both in-game and in the new animated series." Studio Wildcard CEO Doug Kennedy also added that Diesel "has played 1000's of hours of Ark: Survival Evolved" and "understands the game intimately," which explains last week's surprise trailer appearance. It's worth noting that this is not Diesel's first foray into game development. The Hollywood actor founded Tigon Studios in 2002, which contributed to the development of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, Wheelman, and Fast & Furious Crossroads. For more on Ark 2, check out our article covering the game's announcement, which digs into everything you need to know from the prehistoric cinematic trailer. We reviewed Ark: Survival Evolved back in 2017, scoring it a 7.7 and touting its "great moments of battle with prehistoric beasts." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

CD Projekt has said that it didn't feel any unusual "external or internal pressure" to launch Cyberpunk 2077 on December 10, and explained that the decision not to delay the game was, at least in part, because it "definitely did not spend enough time looking" at compromised last-gen versions. The company also explains that, "in theory" it could have released the game on PC only. In an unscheduled investor call, senior members of CD Projekt were asked whether the company felt they had to release the game before 2021. SVP of business development, Michał Nowakowski replied: "I wouldn’t say that we felt any external or internal pressure to launch on the date – other than the normal pressure, which is typical for any release." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/15/cyberpunk-2077-for-xbox-one-and-playstation-4-review"] With major issues present in the base PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game, not to mention persistent bugs in upgraded last-gen, next-gen, and PC versions, many have questioned why CD Projekt Red didn't delay the game further after three previous delays (the first two of which, in particular, were celebrated by many fans for showing a dedication to creating a polished product). In fact Nowakowski seems to imply that the company simply didn't realise how broken some versions of the game were: "It is more about us looking – as was previously stated – at the PC and next-gen performance rather than current-gen. We definitely did not spend enough time looking at that." As part of the same line of questioning, the board was asked how the game passed certification on Xbox and PlayStation, which appears to come down to trust from the console companies. "In terms of the certification process and the third parties," Nowakowski explained, "this is definitely on our side. I can only assume that they trusted that we’re going to fix things upon release, and that obviously did not come together exactly as we had planned." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/10/cyberpunk-2077-looks-flat-out-bad-on-ps4-and-xbox-one-ign-daily-fix"] In a separate question, the board was asked if the company could have simply released a PC version of the game on December 10, and delayed a console release. "In pure theory, if we had decided that one day before the launch then yes; we might have released just the PC version," said Nowakowski. He went into no further detail about whetehr those discussion took place. However, Nowakowski went onto make clear that it would have been impossible to release a next-gen-only version alongside PC: "[Next-gen consoles] get a completely different version of the game, so it’s not like we could have decided at any point recently to 'flip the switch', so to say, and change the old-gen version to the next-gen version and release only on next-gens. As you have noticed, there is no native next-gen release. The game runs on next-gens and takes advantage of how next-gens are performing, but it’s not like we had a next-gen version in our hands and decided to keep it on the shelf." CD Projekt yesterday formally apologised for the below-par version of the game released on PS4 and Xbox One, and informed customers that they could apply for refunds. After receiving the console version of the game late, we've published a 4/10 review of the base console version, saying that it "fails to hit even the lowest bar of technical quality one should expect even when playing on lower-end hardware". [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

Epic Games has added a new Performance Mode to Fortnite on PC, which reduces the game’s visual quality and memory usage to provide significant performance gains, particularly on lower spec hardware. A prompt will be displayed for users of older hardware to encourage using performance mode. While those with very modern PCs will have no need for the mode, and those with modest rigs can simply scale settings down, this option will allow those with the very minimum specs for Fortnite to run the game at a much more competitive framerate. This will potentially open up the ability to play Fortnite to many more people. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/03/fortnite-chapter-2-season-5-zero-point-update-guide"] Epic provided two benchmarks as an example of the gains provided by performance mode. Using an i5-8265U laptop processor with integrated graphics and 8GB RAM, performance mode boosted frame rates from 24fps to 61fps at 720p. On an AMD A10-5745M-powered machine (another laptop CPU) with the mobile HD 8610G graphics chip and 6GB of RAM, performance increased from 18fps to 45fps at 720p. These are impressive improvements from such low-end hardware. In addition, players can now opt out of high-resolution textures, should you wish to improve performance or even just save hard drive space. This is done from the Epic Games Launcher, via the options menu on the Fortnite section in your game library. High-res textures take up 14.48GB of space, so it’s quite a saving if you’re in a pinch or don’t need them. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=master-chief-in-fortnite&captions=true"] Available from December 15, the mode will be available in the Advanced Graphics section of the video settings menu. It can be found under Rendering Mode, which now offers a choice between DirectX 11, DirectX12, and Performance. This new option is an “experimental” mode that is currently in alpha. For more, check out Fortnite’s latest additions in the form of Master Chief, Kratos, and The Mandalorian, all of which have arrived in the wake of the massive Fortnite Galactus event. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

While doing a press tour for Tenet, Christopher Nolan has said that Tom Hardy's portrayal of Bane in The Dark Knight Rises has yet to be "fully appreciated." As reported by IndieWire (via NME), Nolan was speaking to MTV's Happy Sad Confused podcast and discussed how Hardy really delivered "quite a performance." “There’s no safety net for any of these guys and Tom, I mean… what he did with that character has yet to be fully appreciated. It’s an extraordinary performance, and truly amazing,” Nolan said. “The voice, the relationship between just seeing the eyes and the brow. We had all these discussions about the mask and what it would reveal and what it wouldn’t reveal, and one of the things I remember him saying to me, he sort of put his finger up to his temple and his eyebrow and said, ‘Can you give me this to play with? Let people see this.' Sure enough, you see there in the film, this kind of Brando-esque brow, expressing all kinds of just monstrous things. It’s really quite a performance.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/19/ranking-the-batman-movie-villains"] The reception to Hardy's Bane was mostly positive, but many complained that his muffled dialogue made it hard to truly understand what he was saying. This caused Nolan to adjust some of the sounds mixing to make it a bit clearer, but he would not change the voice completely. Nolan is very set in his ways, and also believes that not being able to hear his movies' dialogue isn't a big deal. This is but a small glimpse into the directorial style of Nolan, the same director who seemingly doesn't allow chairs on his movie sets and changed a character's "sickening" death scene in The Dark Knight rises as it would have given the film a NC-17 rating. Later in the podcast, Nolan defended David Fincher's work in Alien 3, saying "“Everyone always complains that sequels get bigger but we’re the people making sequels get bigger, we do want them bigger. You don’t want them smaller. It’s the ‘Alien 3’ lesson that [David] Fincher learned. You can do it but it’s not going to make anybody happy, even though personally I love that film, a lot more than he does in fact.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ranking-the-batman-movies&captions=true"] These comments were one of the many recently made by Nolan alongside those criticizing HBO Max and WB's decision to shift its 2021 film slate to make its films available on both HBO Max and theaters on the same day. [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

December 2020's Nintendo Switch Online Games are NES' Nightshade and SNES' Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, The Ignition Factor, SUPER VALIS IV, and Tuff E Nuff. Announced by Nintendo, all of these games will become available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers on December 18, 2020, and follow September 2020's games that included Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Mario's Super Picross. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/15/nintendo-switch-online-december-2020-game-updates"] Nintendo also released a "Classified Information" video that features codes for Donkey Kong Country 3, The Ignition Factor, and Super Valis IV. These codes include bonus rooms, level selects, and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/15/nintendo-switch-online-december-2020-classified-information"] Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! was released in 1996 and sees both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong go missing. It's up to Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong to find and rescue them. The Ignition Factor was released in 1994 and is an intense firefighting game that has you saving people from towering infernos and flame-filled factories. Super Valis IV has players taking on the role of Lena, the only warrior able enough to wield the Valis sword against the forces of evil in this action platformer. The longer it takes you to beat a level, the harder the bosses at the end will become. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-25-switch-games-fall-2020-update&captions=true"] Tuff E Nuff is an action game that has four champions seeking to challenge the great tower. Fight your way up to Jade, the self-proclaimed Fighting King. It also features an instant replay feature to allow you to watch the last moments of a fight play out. Nightshade is the only NES game in this bunch of Nintendo Switch Online games, and has players becoming Mark Gray under the guise of Nightshade, who is the last person standing between Sutekh and total control of Metro City. The gameplay is a combination of point-and-click and action. [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy director Peter Jackson has revealed that his favorite scene from the three films was not written or directed by him. As reported by IndieWire (via The Independent), Jackson was speaking to Stephen Colbert and was asked to pick his favorite scene. While there are many iconic choices, it wasn't Helm's Deep, it wasn't Sam helping Frodo climb Mount Doom, but it was Gollum's monologue where he was having a conversation with himself as Sméagol from The Two Towers. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2014/12/22/ranking-peter-jacksons-lord-of-the-rings-and-hobbit-movies"] “We were shooting ‘Two Towers’ and it was introducing Gollum,” Jackson said. “A key thing with Gollum is that most people know he’s Sméagol and he’s Gollum, it’s like a split. But we hadn’t got a scene where you really got the idea of it…‘This guy is two people.’ So we knew that we needed it but we had no time to shoot it.” Jackson was busy with other parts of production at the time, and had asked his co-writer and co-producer Fran Walsh to create this scene where the two halves of Gollum were interacting with each other. Not only did Walsh write the scene, she also went on to direct it. “Fran wrote a scene where Sam and Frodo are asleep, so they can be just lumps in the bed, we don’t even have to have Elijah [Wood] and Sean [Astin],” Jackson said. “We didn’t have anyone to direct it, so I said to Fran, ‘You wrote it, you should shoot it.’ So she went in for a day and she wrote and directed a scene which has become pretty famous now.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-the-lord-of-the-rings-every-confirmed-actor&captions=true"] Jackson was out helping promote the 4K released of both The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit, both of which we included in our Best Gifts for Movie Lovers for 2020. [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

While Nintendo Switch owners may still be waiting for Netflix, those who love to watch anime will be happy to know that Funimation will be available to download on Tuesday, December 15. The Funimation App will include hundreds of titles, including My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan Final Season, One Piece, Naruto, Megalobox, Cowboy Bebop, and much more. On December 15, Funimation on Nintendo Switch will be available in the U.S. and Canada, with "plans to expand to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Mexico and more countries in the coming months." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/25/top-10-best-anime-series-of-all-time"] Funimation is the only anime app available on Switch and is only the second Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) app released following the addition of Hulu. “We will always go where the community wants their anime, and Funimation is 100% committed to listening to and servicing fans on every platform. When Nintendo Switch was a possibility in front of us, we were a resounding ‘absolutely’ with the opportunity to further serve fans,” said Kaliel Roberts, Chief Product Officer at Funimation. “Our teams approached the partnership with a shared goal to create a uniquely engaging app experience built for anime fans. That passionate approach paid off with a compelling and immersive touchpoint that was purpose-built specifically for our audience.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-anime-of-the-decade-2010-2019&captions=true"] For more on anime, check out our list of the Top Best Anime Series of All Time and the best anime of the past decade. [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

While Zack Snyder's Justice League will be making its debut on HBO Max in 2021, Snyder himself thinks it might get a R-rated theatrical release - complete with "an F-bomb-dropping Batman." As reported by EW, Snyder began discussing how he is sure that his cut of the Justice League would get an R-rating if it were to make its way to theaters. "Here's one piece of information nobody knows: The movie is insane and so epic and is probably rated R — that's one thing I think will happen, that it will be an R-rated version, for sure," Snyder told EW. "We haven't heard from the MPAA, but that's my gut." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/22/justice-league-the-snyder-cut-trailer"] When asked why it would receive a R-rating, Snyder explained that one of the biggest reasons was due to the previously mentioned F-bomb by the Dark Knight himself and more. "There's one scene where Batman drops an F-bomb. Cyborg is not too happy with what's going on with his life before he meets the Justice League, and he tends to speak his mind. And Steppenwolf is pretty much just hacking people in half. So [the rating would be due to] violence and profanity, probably both." As for making the theatrical release a reality, Snyder had previously said that it is his preference to also have a "big-screen rollout" for Justice League, and that steps are being taken to make that happen, although no decision has been made one way or the other. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=justice-league-snyder-cut-trailer-screenshots&captions=true"] "I'm a huge fan and a big supporter of the cinematic experience, and we're already talking about Justice League playing theatrically at the same time it's coming to HBO Max," Snyder says. "So weirdly, it's the reverse [of the trend]." This trend he was speaking of is Warner Bros.' decision to release every one of its 2021 films on HBO Max the same time they are released in theaters. Snyder also discussed his feeling on the move, as Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve did before him. "It felt like a pretty bold move and that maybe the implication wasn't 100 percent thought out," he says. "I feel like there's a lot of people panicking during COVID. I hope that, in the end, that's what this was — some sort of knee-jerk to COVID and not some sort of greater move to disrupt the theatrical experience. I thought we were kind of already getting very close to the ideal theatrical window where you still had marketing material out there and you hadn't forgotten about the film by the time it came out on DVD or streaming. I thought we were starting to hone in on that sweet spot, but this kind of throws a monkey wrench in the works." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/justice-league-the-snyder-cut-trailer-breakdown"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Title Update 1.1.0 will arrive tomorrow, December 15, and includes fixes for a lot of quest bugs and improves performance of the game on all platforms. As revealed on Ubisoft.com, Title Update 1.1.0 will fix over 30 Quest, World Event, and Side Activity issues, many that would prevent players from proceeding due to glitches and problems. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/16/is-assassins-creed-valhalla-the-best-in-the-franchise-the-review-crew-ep-1"] Many of the issues being fixed are related to characters not appearing in the right places, allies not helping Eivor opening doors at certain points, bosses getting stuck underground or not progressing to their next phase, certain weapons not being able to perform heavy attacks, and so much more. In addition, Title Update 1.1.0 tweaks NPC power level behavior, addresses some specific actions that would cause freezes, fixed graphics and clipping issues, and, perhaps most importantly, will make sure NPCs will cut wheat instead of the air when farming. In addition to bug fixes, this new update will bring support for both the Settlement expansion and the Yule Festival. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-assassins-creed-review&captions=true"] Assassin's Creed Valhalla was released alongside Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 and, in our review, we said "is a big, bold, and ridiculously beautiful entry to the series that finally delivers on the much-requested era of the Viking and the messy, political melting pot of England’s Dark Ages." For more, check out the 12 best weapons to use, our best tips and tricks, and the 6 best abilities to use. Additionally, you can see the full list of Quests, World Events, and Side Activities that are getting fixes in Title Update 1.1.0 below;

• Addressed an issue in A Sword-Shower in Anecastre where Aelfgar didn't move to the assault location.
• Addressed an issue where players cannot complete Honor's Hubris.
  • Note: This fix will spawn Ljufvina again, reset her position, and restart the quest.
• Addressed an issue that caused Tarben to follow Eivor everywhere when The Baker's Plaint wasn't completed. Your watch has ended, Tarben.
• Addressed an issue where Fast Travel wouldn't be available under certain conditions when returning to England after completing the Hordafylke arc.
• Addressed an issue where Allies would not help Eivor opening doors at the Isle of Ely Monastery. Team work makes the dream work!
• Addressed an issue with the Settlement Anomaly's light beams that prevented players from completing the anomaly.
• Addressed an issue in Well-Traveled where the objective would not update under certain circumstances.
• Addressed an issue where Fenrir could get stuck underground.
• Addressed an issue where Eivor would sometimes be levitating during Assault outros. No more Wingardium Leviosa for this one.
• Addressed an issue in Defensive Measures where Jotuns would be able to pass through the shield after the Bring the Invaders into the Shield objective was completed. You shall not pass!
• Addressed an issue in Brewing Rebellion where the cutscene wouldn't trigger when the door was opened by an NPC by accident.
• Addressed an issue in The False Ealdormancy that prevented players from completing it under certain conditions. This Hunwald ain’t loyal...
• Addressed an issue in Kingdom’s End where Guthrum doesn't leave the Hamptun Blockade area after releasing the prisoners or could randomly become inactive.
• Addressed an issue in A Sword-Shower in Anecastre that prevented players from completing the quest.
• Addressed an issue in The Goddess of Birth that prevented players from completing the event.
• Addressed an issue in Glory Regained where players could become stuck on the platform with the horn.
• Addressed an issue in View Above All where the quest objective would sometimes not update after closing the gates.
• Addressed an issue in A Rivalry for the Ages where players couldn't complete the quest under certain circumstances.
• Addressed an issue in The Boar with the Golden Nose where players couldn't complete a world event due to Lady Trotters not spawning.
• Addressed an issue in Defensive Measures where players would die when returning to Asgard.
• Addressed an issue in Cruel Destiny that prevented players from proceeding to the second phase of the boss fight. Quest name checks out.
• Addressed an issue in Madness of the Stones that prevented players from proceeding with the quest.
• Addressed an issue in Bleeding the Leech that prevented players from completing the quest.
• Addressed an issue where Petra would run into the opposite direction of the Elk. See this, Petra?
• Addressed an issue where players could sometimes not get back into the room with the Norns.
• Addressed an issue in Giants of Fimbulwinter where Eivor could get stuck inside the quest area.
• Addressed an issue in Smashing the Compass that prevented players from completing the quest.
• Addressed an issue in War Weary where players couldn't re-enter the church under certain circumstances.
• Addressed an issue in War of the Collectors where the world event wouldn't be completed under certain circumstances.
• Addressed an issue in The Big Finish where the quest objective wouldn't update further.
• Addressed an issue that prevented players from entering Skyrmir's Mitten in The Lost Cauldron.
• Addressed an issue in Firing the Arrow where the quest objective would sometimes not update.
• Addressed an issue where some players couldn't progress the game anymore upon reaching England after Title Update 1.0.4.
• Addressed an issue with the SteinnBjorn encounter.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.