Microsoft is allegedly in talks to purchase Discord, the gaming-focused chat software, for over $10 billion USD. As reported by Bloomberg, these discussions appear to be early as there is no imminent deal on the horizon. Furthermore, one source said that, despite these talks, Discord may be more likely to go public than sell itself. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/why-ps5-series-x-games-have-yet-to-blow-us-away-next-gen-console-watch"] While Microsoft is one of potential suitors, Discord has also been in discussions with Epic Games and Amazon. VentureBeat first reported that Discord, the company with roughly 140 million monthly userrs that recently raised $100 million at a $7 billion valuation, was exploring a sale worth more than $10 billion. Discord was said to be the one who reached out to Microsoft to gauge interest in a potential sale and that Xbox head Phil Spencer has been part of these chats. While purely speculation, it's important to consider how beneficial having a service like Discord could be for the future of communication on the Xbox platform. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-games-to-play-on-xbox-series-xs&captions=true"] Xbox and Discord have worked together in the past, as Xbox owners have had the ability to link their Discord accounts to see what their friends are doing. This acquisition, if it does happen, would bolster Microsoft's continuing plans to make gaming as easy and accessible for all. It's strategy is focused on offering its games, especially via Xbox Game Pass, on consoles, PC, and mobile, and having Discord integration could make communicating across all these platforms a much smoother process. Owning Discord would only strengthen the value of the Xbox brand, which recently completed its $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax Media, the parent company of developers like Bethesda, Arkane, id Software, and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/09/microsoft-bethesda-heres-to-the-journey-official-announcement-trailer"] [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.

Niantic, the developers of Pokemon Go, are teaming up again with Nintendo on more AR games based on Nintendo franchises, starting with Pikmin. Niantic's blog post announced a new partnership between the AR developer and Nintendo where the two companies will "jointly develop mobile titles" using Niantic's AR technology and Nintendo's characters. The Pikmin game, then, sounds like the first of these joint partnership games and Niantic says it'll be released later this year. "The app will include gameplay activities to encourage walking and make walking more delightful," Niantic says in its blog post. "This will be the first title created by our Tokyo Studio since it was established in April 2018." Niantic says it'll share more news about its apps in the future, though who knows which Nintendo franchise will get the AR treatment next. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/07/05/pokemon-go-friends-trailer"] Niantic made its name on real-world AR games like Ingress. When Niantic released Pokemon Go in 2016, it was and remains a full-blown phenomenon. Since then Niantic has worked with other licenses such as Settler of Catan and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. But the new partnership means Niantic will be partnering with Nintendo to create several new AR apps. While gameplay details haven't been announced, the Pikmin AR game will still utilize Niantic's combination of gameplay and going out. As IGN reported when speaking with Pokemon Go players, some aspects of Niantic's games were impacted by the stay-at-home orders which were a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Niantic, the developers of Pokemon Go, are teaming up again with Nintendo on more AR games based on Nintendo franchises, starting with Pikmin. Niantic's blog post announced a new partnership between the AR developer and Nintendo where the two companies will "jointly develop mobile titles" using Niantic's AR technology and Nintendo's characters. The Pikmin game, then, sounds like the first of these joint partnership games and Niantic says it'll be released later this year. "The app will include gameplay activities to encourage walking and make walking more delightful," Niantic says in its blog post. "This will be the first title created by our Tokyo Studio since it was established in April 2018." Niantic says it'll share more news about its apps in the future, though who knows which Nintendo franchise will get the AR treatment next. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/07/05/pokemon-go-friends-trailer"] Niantic made its name on real-world AR games like Ingress. When Niantic released Pokemon Go in 2016, it was and remains a full-blown phenomenon. Since then Niantic has worked with other licenses such as Settler of Catan and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. But the new partnership means Niantic will be partnering with Nintendo to create several new AR apps. While gameplay details haven't been announced, the Pikmin AR game will still utilize Niantic's combination of gameplay and going out. As IGN reported when speaking with Pokemon Go players, some aspects of Niantic's games were impacted by the stay-at-home orders which were a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Two weeks after the end of WandaVision, Marvel already has another hit. Disney+ has announced that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's premiere weekend was the biggest yet for any series on the streaming service. Disney+ did not provide exact viewership numbers for the premiere. However, it did mention that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stands above WandaVision and the Season 2 premiere of The Mandalorian, with the trio composing the top three most watched weekend premieres for the platform. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/18/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-preview"] During its annual shareholders meeting earlier this month, Disney announced that its streaming service had reached 100 million subscribers since its launch 16 months ago. The success of WandaVision and The Mandalorian, as well as movie releases like Pixar's Soul and Raya and the Last Dragon likely played a major role in boosting popularity for Disney+. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier began its six-episode run on March 19, with new episodes debuting on Disney+ every Friday for the next few weeks. There are currently no announcements for a second season, though Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has confessed that some ideas are being bounced around. On the horizon for Disney+ original series, Marvel will debut Loki on June 11. The studio is also eyeing release dates before the end of the year for Hawkeye and Ms. Marvel. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-cast-and-characters&captions=true"] In our review of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere, IGN gave the episode an 8, saying it was "packed with thoughtful character observations and themes that run deeper than many Marvel movies and shows." [poilib element="accentDivider"] J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

Two weeks after the end of WandaVision, Marvel already has another hit. Disney+ has announced that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's premiere weekend was the biggest yet for any series on the streaming service. Disney+ did not provide exact viewership numbers for the premiere. However, it did mention that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stands above WandaVision and the Season 2 premiere of The Mandalorian, with the trio composing the top three most watched weekend premieres for the platform. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/18/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-preview"] During its annual shareholders meeting earlier this month, Disney announced that its streaming service had reached 100 million subscribers since its launch 16 months ago. The success of WandaVision and The Mandalorian, as well as movie releases like Pixar's Soul and Raya and the Last Dragon likely played a major role in boosting popularity for Disney+. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier began its six-episode run on March 19, with new episodes debuting on Disney+ every Friday for the next few weeks. There are currently no announcements for a second season, though Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has confessed that some ideas are being bounced around. On the horizon for Disney+ original series, Marvel will debut Loki on June 11. The studio is also eyeing release dates before the end of the year for Hawkeye and Ms. Marvel. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-cast-and-characters&captions=true"] In our review of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere, IGN gave the episode an 8, saying it was "packed with thoughtful character observations and themes that run deeper than many Marvel movies and shows." [poilib element="accentDivider"] J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

Microsoft has officially renamed Xbox Live to Xbox Network. The online Xbox experience will be updated to reflect this new name. Originally reported by The Verge, Microsoft issued an official statement confirming the name change. “Xbox network’ refers to the underlying Xbox online service, which was updated to the Microsoft Service Agreement,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge. “The update from ‘Xbox Live’ to ‘Xbox network’ is intended to distinguish the underlying service from Xbox Live Gold memberships.” Xbox Live Gold is Microsoft’s long-running online subscription service where for $9.99 a month, players will have access to online gaming as well as some free monthly games through Games With Gold. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"] Xbox previously announced a price hike for Xbox Live Gold that would double the price of the service, but changed course and said prices will remind unchanged. Furthermore, free-to-play games, like Fortnite, will no longer require Xbox Live Gold for online play. Xbox also added Xbox Live Gold perks into its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription which also includes Xbox Game Pass access for a total of $15 a month. With the name change, this means Microsoft’s online services will now be called Xbox Network. The subscription to access online play will still be called Xbox Live Gold, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will also include access to Xbox Network, along with the library of games. Seems simple enough, right? [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Microsoft has officially renamed Xbox Live to Xbox Network. The online Xbox experience will be updated to reflect this new name. Originally reported by The Verge, Microsoft issued an official statement confirming the name change. “Xbox network’ refers to the underlying Xbox online service, which was updated to the Microsoft Service Agreement,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge. “The update from ‘Xbox Live’ to ‘Xbox network’ is intended to distinguish the underlying service from Xbox Live Gold memberships.” Xbox Live Gold is Microsoft’s long-running online subscription service where for $9.99 a month, players will have access to online gaming as well as some free monthly games through Games With Gold. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"] Xbox previously announced a price hike for Xbox Live Gold that would double the price of the service, but changed course and said prices will remind unchanged. Furthermore, free-to-play games, like Fortnite, will no longer require Xbox Live Gold for online play. Xbox also added Xbox Live Gold perks into its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription which also includes Xbox Game Pass access for a total of $15 a month. With the name change, this means Microsoft’s online services will now be called Xbox Network. The subscription to access online play will still be called Xbox Live Gold, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will also include access to Xbox Network, along with the library of games. Seems simple enough, right? [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Keanu Reeves recently made his comic book writing debut on the BOOM! Studios series BRZRKR, and now the actor will produce and star in a live-action BRZRKR movie and anime series on Netflix. Netflix has acquired the rights to the series just weeks after the March 3 release of BRZRKR #1. The live-action movie will be released first, though no release timetable has been revealed. The anime series will follow later and expand on characters and story elements introduced in the movie. Reeves will also lend his voice to the anime. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=brzrkr-get-a-sneak-peek-of-keanu-reeves-new-comic&captions=true"] The BRZRKR comic is written by Reeves and Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT), with art by Ron Garney (Daredevil), colors by Bill Crabtree (The Sixth Gun), letters by Clem Robins (100 Bullets), and character designs and covers by Rafael Grampá (Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child). The series follows a protagonist named B, an immortal demigod who's spent 80,000 years honing his skills as a killer. In the present, B works as an agent of the US government, hoping to finally uncover the truth of his existence and find a way to end his unnaturally long life. As you can see from the preview art above, the character B is directly modeled after Reeves himself, so it's likely he and his collaborators were planning for a film version from the very beginning. Along with Reeves, BOOM! Studios executives Ross Richie and Stephen Christy and Company Films' Stephen Hamel will produce the movie. BOOM's Adam Yoelin will executive produce. Netflix has yet to announce a writer, director or other cast members. The BRZRKR comic will run for 12 issues in total and will also be collected into three graphic novels. BOOM! also offered the series on Kickstarter last September, giving readers the chance to purchase exclusive versions of all three graphic novels. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/03/matrix-4-dune-more-2021-movies-coming-to-hbo-max-ign-now"] Reeves's next big action movie will be The Matrix 4, which hits theaters and HBO Max on December 22. Reeves is also set to begin production on the fourth and fifth John Wick movies in 2021, which will shoot back-to-back. Kindt, meanwhile, recently made headlines by creating one of the world's first single-release NFT comics. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Keanu Reeves recently made his comic book writing debut on the BOOM! Studios series BRZRKR, and now the actor will produce and star in a live-action BRZRKR movie and anime series on Netflix. Netflix has acquired the rights to the series just weeks after the March 3 release of BRZRKR #1. The live-action movie will be released first, though no release timetable has been revealed. The anime series will follow later and expand on characters and story elements introduced in the movie. Reeves will also lend his voice to the anime. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=brzrkr-get-a-sneak-peek-of-keanu-reeves-new-comic&captions=true"] The BRZRKR comic is written by Reeves and Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT), with art by Ron Garney (Daredevil), colors by Bill Crabtree (The Sixth Gun), letters by Clem Robins (100 Bullets), and character designs and covers by Rafael Grampá (Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child). The series follows a protagonist named B, an immortal demigod who's spent 80,000 years honing his skills as a killer. In the present, B works as an agent of the US government, hoping to finally uncover the truth of his existence and find a way to end his unnaturally long life. As you can see from the preview art above, the character B is directly modeled after Reeves himself, so it's likely he and his collaborators were planning for a film version from the very beginning. Along with Reeves, BOOM! Studios executives Ross Richie and Stephen Christy and Company Films' Stephen Hamel will produce the movie. BOOM's Adam Yoelin will executive produce. Netflix has yet to announce a writer, director or other cast members. The BRZRKR comic will run for 12 issues in total and will also be collected into three graphic novels. BOOM! also offered the series on Kickstarter last September, giving readers the chance to purchase exclusive versions of all three graphic novels. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/03/matrix-4-dune-more-2021-movies-coming-to-hbo-max-ign-now"] Reeves's next big action movie will be The Matrix 4, which hits theaters and HBO Max on December 22. Reeves is also set to begin production on the fourth and fifth John Wick movies in 2021, which will shoot back-to-back. Kindt, meanwhile, recently made headlines by creating one of the world's first single-release NFT comics. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

The Disney Plus Hawkeye show isn't even out yet, but the streamer is already putting together at least one spinoff from the show, one focused on the character Echo. Variety reports that a new show focused on Echo, a deaf Native American character played by Alaqua Cox in the upcoming Hawkeye series, is in development for Disney Plus. Echo is a Marvel Comics character created by David Mack and Joe Quesada, first appearing in Daredevil Vol. 2 #9. Real name Maya Lopez, Echo has the ability to perfectly copy anyone's fighting style (much like Black Widow villain Taskmaster). She winds up being Daredevil's enemy and Matt Murdock's love interest, and eventually joins the New Avengers as the first Ronin. The latter identity is one that Hawkeye occasionally takes on also, as seen in Avengers: Endgame when Hawkeye travels the post-Blip world fighting various criminal organizations. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=whos-who-in-marvels-hawkeye-on-disney-plus&captions=true"] Echo's comic arc sees her tangled up with a bunch of Marvel characters, not just Hawkeye and Daredevil, but also Moon Knight. This makes Echo a bridge between possible Disney Plus shows like the planned Moon Knight series starring Oscar Isaac. Hawkeye, and the potential Echo spinoff, are just one of many, many shows in development for Disney Plus. WandaVision has already wrapped its first season and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier recently premiered. But other series like Loki, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and more are on the way. And if the reports of an Echo spinoff are true, it means Marvel is opening the doors for even more shows spinning-off from the previously announced titles. Could we see a Hellcat spinoff from She-Hulk? Or a Skrull spinoff series from Secret Invasion? Disney seems open to the possibilities. Check out IGN's full cast breakdown for Hawkeye, and read Kevin Fiege's latest update on the state of the different Disney Plus Marvel shows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. Blogroll Image source: Marvel Entertainment