Wizards of the Coast has announced in a press release that it is collaborating with the team behind the popular web series Critical Role to create a new official Dungeons and Dragons crossover adventure book.

Named Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep, the book is being co-lead by D&D Game Design Architect Chris Perkins as well as Critical Role DM Matthew Mercer and D&D Beyond Writer James Haeck. The book itself will take players on an adventure inspired by the campaigns from the web series and is the first of its kind to be set in Critical Role's world of Exandria.

Call of the Netherdeep will explore previously referenced locations in Exandria such as the Wastes of Xhorhas and the continent of Marquet - the latter of which also happens to be where the show's upcoming third season will begin. As their adventure progresses, players will be tasked with saving a "mighty champion of gods" who has been trapped in the darkest depths of Exandria for eons. Along their way, Call of the Netherdeep will introduce a range of new creatures and magical items into the campaign as well as mechanics for a rival party of NPCs.

"Getting to bring a direct adventure book within Exandria to life is really such an exciting thing, especially exploring ideas and elements I've never been able to bring to a campaign myself yet,” Mercer explains in the press release. “Working with such a talented team to develop and craft a tale like this is an absolute honor, and I cannot wait for folks to step into the unique mysteries and dark challenges that Call of the Netherdeep invites."

For those hoping to delve into Call of the Netherdeep, the adventure book itself contains seven different chapters and takes players from levels 3 - 12. While still suitable for players who haven't watched through Critical Role's web series, the company notes that many of the storyline's elements tie into themes of previous Critical Role campaigns.

Pre-orders for Call of the Netherdeep are available now, although the book won't officially release until March 15, 2022. Amid the wait for Call of the Netherdeep to launch, make sure to read this article about the two companies' previous collaboration, which saw them release the D&D roleplaying book the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount. Alternatively, to find out more about Critical Role's other collabs, then check out this article on the Exandrian minis that the team announced in partnership with WizKids.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Wizards of the Coast has announced in a press release that it is collaborating with the team behind the popular web series Critical Role to create a new official Dungeons and Dragons crossover adventure book.

Named Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep, the book is being co-lead by D&D Game Design Architect Chris Perkins as well as Critical Role DM Matthew Mercer and D&D Beyond Writer James Haeck. The book itself will take players on an adventure inspired by the campaigns from the web series and is the first of its kind to be set in Critical Role's world of Exandria.

Call of the Netherdeep will explore previously referenced locations in Exandria such as the Wastes of Xhorhas and the continent of Marquet - the latter of which also happens to be where the show's upcoming third season will begin. As their adventure progresses, players will be tasked with saving a "mighty champion of gods" who has been trapped in the darkest depths of Exandria for eons. Along their way, Call of the Netherdeep will introduce a range of new creatures and magical items into the campaign as well as mechanics for a rival party of NPCs.

"Getting to bring a direct adventure book within Exandria to life is really such an exciting thing, especially exploring ideas and elements I've never been able to bring to a campaign myself yet,” Mercer explains in the press release. “Working with such a talented team to develop and craft a tale like this is an absolute honor, and I cannot wait for folks to step into the unique mysteries and dark challenges that Call of the Netherdeep invites."

For those hoping to delve into Call of the Netherdeep, the adventure book itself contains seven different chapters and takes players from levels 3 - 12. While still suitable for players who haven't watched through Critical Role's web series, the company notes that many of the storyline's elements tie into themes of previous Critical Role campaigns.

Pre-orders for Call of the Netherdeep are available now, although the book won't officially release until March 15, 2022. Amid the wait for Call of the Netherdeep to launch, make sure to read this article about the two companies' previous collaboration, which saw them release the D&D roleplaying book the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount. Alternatively, to find out more about Critical Role's other collabs, then check out this article on the Exandrian minis that the team announced in partnership with WizKids.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Call of Duty has officially announced the name of its upcoming Anti-Cheat initiative developed specifically for its popular shooter. Called Ricochet, this is a "multi-faceted approach" designed to combat cheating using kernel-level monitors. Going forward Ricochet will be required to play Call of Duty: Warzone on PC.

As the intensity of cheating grows, games like Call of Duty: Warzone and even the Call of Duty: Vanguard beta have been victims of cheats. During a media tour for the upcoming Vanguard, Activision announced a new dedicated anti-cheat solution for Warzone and Vanguard.

That solution now has a name and additional details. Ricochet utilizes a kernel-level driver, similar to Riot's Vanguard technology (unrelated to the Call of Duty game). If you recall, Riot's Vanguard was criticized for having kernel-level access to a computer, but in recent months the tide has turned as Vanguard has proven to be effective at combating cheating.

Activision is hoping to do the same here with Ricochet. In an FAQ, Activision justifies its new anti-cheat by saying that as cheating software becomes more sophisticated, "A kernel-level driver allows for the monitoring of applications that may attempt to manipulate Call of Duty: Warzone game code, while it is running."

Compared to user-level applications with limited access to a computer, kernel-level drivers will allow for more sophisticated counters to cheats.

Ricochet will not be always-on and Activision says that the driver will shut down when you exit a game and only turn back on when you start a new game.

Activision also says that Ricochet only examines processes that interact with Call of Duty: Warzone, and while it won't completely eliminate cheating, it is a stronger anti-cheat than Activision has utilized previously.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Call of Duty has officially announced the name of its upcoming Anti-Cheat initiative developed specifically for its popular shooter. Called Ricochet, this is a "multi-faceted approach" designed to combat cheating using kernel-level monitors. Going forward Ricochet will be required to play Call of Duty: Warzone on PC.

As the intensity of cheating grows, games like Call of Duty: Warzone and even the Call of Duty: Vanguard beta have been victims of cheats. During a media tour for the upcoming Vanguard, Activision announced a new dedicated anti-cheat solution for Warzone and Vanguard.

That solution now has a name and additional details. Ricochet utilizes a kernel-level driver, similar to Riot's Vanguard technology (unrelated to the Call of Duty game). If you recall, Riot's Vanguard was criticized for having kernel-level access to a computer, but in recent months the tide has turned as Vanguard has proven to be effective at combating cheating.

Activision is hoping to do the same here with Ricochet. In an FAQ, Activision justifies its new anti-cheat by saying that as cheating software becomes more sophisticated, "A kernel-level driver allows for the monitoring of applications that may attempt to manipulate Call of Duty: Warzone game code, while it is running."

Compared to user-level applications with limited access to a computer, kernel-level drivers will allow for more sophisticated counters to cheats.

Ricochet will not be always-on and Activision says that the driver will shut down when you exit a game and only turn back on when you start a new game.

Activision also says that Ricochet only examines processes that interact with Call of Duty: Warzone, and while it won't completely eliminate cheating, it is a stronger anti-cheat than Activision has utilized previously.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Star Trek legend William Shatner has become the oldest person to ever reach space following the successful completion of a flight aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket.

The 90-year-old actor launched into space on a Blue Origin flight alongside Audrey Powers, Chris Boshuizen, and Glen de Vries just before 10:50 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning. The trip lasted around 10 minutes from takeoff to landing, with the capsule carrying the crew touching down safely near the Texas launch site, where Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos greeted them.

"I'm so filled with emotion about what just happened. It's extraordinary. I hope I can maintain what I feel now. I don't want to lose it. It's so much larger than me and life," Shatner said on his return to Earth, per CNN. "It hasn't got anything to do with the little green men and the blue orb. It has to do with the enormity and the quickness and the suddenness of life and death."

This is only the second crewed outing for Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, having successfully completed its first-ever human spaceflight three months ago. Bezos was joined by three other passengers on that trip, including 82-year-old Wally Funk who became the oldest astronaut to travel to space — a record that has now been broken by Shatner.

Shatner became a cultural icon for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek television series, steering the USS Enterprise through its voyages between 1966 and 1969. He reprised his role in Star Trek: The Animated Series, as well as Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He played Kirk in the next six Star Trek films prior to the character's demise.

The legendary actor has been involved with plenty of pioneering projects before. For his birthday this year, the Star Trek legend announced a special collaboration with Los Angeles-based tech company StoryFile and revealed that they would be creating an interactive AI-powered video of himself, so family and friends could interact with him for years to come.

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

Star Trek legend William Shatner has become the oldest person to ever reach space following the successful completion of a flight aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket.

The 90-year-old actor launched into space on a Blue Origin flight alongside Audrey Powers, Chris Boshuizen, and Glen de Vries just before 10:50 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning. The trip lasted around 10 minutes from takeoff to landing, with the capsule carrying the crew touching down safely near the Texas launch site, where Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos greeted them.

"I'm so filled with emotion about what just happened. It's extraordinary. I hope I can maintain what I feel now. I don't want to lose it. It's so much larger than me and life," Shatner said on his return to Earth, per CNN. "It hasn't got anything to do with the little green men and the blue orb. It has to do with the enormity and the quickness and the suddenness of life and death."

This is only the second crewed outing for Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, having successfully completed its first-ever human spaceflight three months ago. Bezos was joined by three other passengers on that trip, including 82-year-old Wally Funk who became the oldest astronaut to travel to space — a record that has now been broken by Shatner.

Shatner became a cultural icon for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek television series, steering the USS Enterprise through its voyages between 1966 and 1969. He reprised his role in Star Trek: The Animated Series, as well as Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He played Kirk in the next six Star Trek films prior to the character's demise.

The legendary actor has been involved with plenty of pioneering projects before. For his birthday this year, the Star Trek legend announced a special collaboration with Los Angeles-based tech company StoryFile and revealed that they would be creating an interactive AI-powered video of himself, so family and friends could interact with him for years to come.

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

Sony is giving away three free PlayStation VR games to PS Plus members next month in celebration of the headset's fifth birthday. As part of the celebrations, it also revealed the most-played PSVR games of all time.

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, the company says that PlayStation Plus members will be able to get their hands on the free games as of November. "To celebrate this PS VR milestone, we wanted to give a special thank you to PlayStation fans," reads the blog post. "Starting in November, PlayStation Plus members will get three PSVR bonus games for no extra charge."

Sony hasn't yet revealed what three games that fans will be able to download on their consoles but does note that those interested should "stay tuned for more details" that will be announced as part of the PlayStation Plus update in the next few weeks.

Elsewhere in the article, Sony noted which PSVR-compatible games had seen the most playtime over the last five years. Featuring very few surprises, the list of the most-played games globally on the headset comprised Rec Room, Beat Saber, PSVR Worlds, Skyrim, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Sony did note that data collected excluded playtime for Playroom VR and that when ranked by region, Firewall: Zero Hour managed to sneak into the list ahead of Resident Evil 7 in North America.

Celebrations aside, Sony doesn't look set to be moving away from the medium anytime soon. Earlier this year, it was officially announced that the company is working on a PSVR 2, which reportedly could include a 4K display, eye tracking, haptic feedback, and more. Following its headset announcement, the company then gave fans a first glimpse at the PSVR 2's new controllers, which have been designed to fit around the user's hands and include finger tracking technology as well as a number of other features such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

While the PSVR 2 is yet to receive an official release date, there's still plenty of upcoming PSVR content to look forward to in the meantime - including games such as Wanderer, After the Fall, and Zenith: The Last City. So, if you don't currently own a PS VR, it may still be worth taking advantage of the free games coming next month and adding them to your library anyway - you know, just in case.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Sony is giving away three free PlayStation VR games to PS Plus members next month in celebration of the headset's fifth birthday. As part of the celebrations, it also revealed the most-played PSVR games of all time.

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, the company says that PlayStation Plus members will be able to get their hands on the free games as of November. "To celebrate this PS VR milestone, we wanted to give a special thank you to PlayStation fans," reads the blog post. "Starting in November, PlayStation Plus members will get three PSVR bonus games for no extra charge."

Sony hasn't yet revealed what three games that fans will be able to download on their consoles but does note that those interested should "stay tuned for more details" that will be announced as part of the PlayStation Plus update in the next few weeks.

Elsewhere in the article, Sony noted which PSVR-compatible games had seen the most playtime over the last five years. Featuring very few surprises, the list of the most-played games globally on the headset comprised Rec Room, Beat Saber, PSVR Worlds, Skyrim, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Sony did note that data collected excluded playtime for Playroom VR and that when ranked by region, Firewall: Zero Hour managed to sneak into the list ahead of Resident Evil 7 in North America.

Celebrations aside, Sony doesn't look set to be moving away from the medium anytime soon. Earlier this year, it was officially announced that the company is working on a PSVR 2, which reportedly could include a 4K display, eye tracking, haptic feedback, and more. Following its headset announcement, the company then gave fans a first glimpse at the PSVR 2's new controllers, which have been designed to fit around the user's hands and include finger tracking technology as well as a number of other features such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

While the PSVR 2 is yet to receive an official release date, there's still plenty of upcoming PSVR content to look forward to in the meantime - including games such as Wanderer, After the Fall, and Zenith: The Last City. So, if you don't currently own a PS VR, it may still be worth taking advantage of the free games coming next month and adding them to your library anyway - you know, just in case.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

In celebration of its opening at Walt Disney World in 2022, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will be getting a 5-issue comic book miniseries that will focus on the many voyages of the Halcyon - the starcruiser that this experience takes place on.

As detailed on StarWars.com, this miniseries, which is titled Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy, is being written by Star Wars: Bounty Hunters' Ethan Sacks and features art by Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren's Will Sliney. This team also worked on the Star Wars: Galaxy's Ede comic miniseries that launched in 2019.

This "era-spanning story from the High Republic to the days of the First Order" that covers 275 years will allow fans to learn more about the Halcyon and those who have been part of its history. Alongside seeing the first meeting of Lando Calrissian and Hondo Ohnaka, we will also learn the story of The High Republic's Burryaga Agaburry and Nibs Assek fending off an attack by the Nihil on one of Halcyon's first voyages.

Speaking of Burryaga, the Wookie Jedi will be featured on the cover of Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy #1 with art from E.M. Gist.

While there is no release date as of this writing, it very well may be released ahead of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser's March 1, 2022, opening date. This two-night, immersive adventure's goal is to let its guests live out their own Star Wars story. From wielding a lightsaber to helping the crew on the bridge keep the Halcyon running properly to trying food from that galaxy far, far away, there is meant to be something for everyone.

Considering the price of a standard cabin can run you around $6,000 for a group of four, we've tried to gather everything we know about Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser in one place so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not you want to board the Halcyon in Walt Disney World.

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.

In celebration of its opening at Walt Disney World in 2022, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will be getting a 5-issue comic book miniseries that will focus on the many voyages of the Halcyon - the starcruiser that this experience takes place on.

As detailed on StarWars.com, this miniseries, which is titled Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy, is being written by Star Wars: Bounty Hunters' Ethan Sacks and features art by Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren's Will Sliney. This team also worked on the Star Wars: Galaxy's Ede comic miniseries that launched in 2019.

This "era-spanning story from the High Republic to the days of the First Order" that covers 275 years will allow fans to learn more about the Halcyon and those who have been part of its history. Alongside seeing the first meeting of Lando Calrissian and Hondo Ohnaka, we will also learn the story of The High Republic's Burryaga Agaburry and Nibs Assek fending off an attack by the Nihil on one of Halcyon's first voyages.

Speaking of Burryaga, the Wookie Jedi will be featured on the cover of Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy #1 with art from E.M. Gist.

While there is no release date as of this writing, it very well may be released ahead of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser's March 1, 2022, opening date. This two-night, immersive adventure's goal is to let its guests live out their own Star Wars story. From wielding a lightsaber to helping the crew on the bridge keep the Halcyon running properly to trying food from that galaxy far, far away, there is meant to be something for everyone.

Considering the price of a standard cabin can run you around $6,000 for a group of four, we've tried to gather everything we know about Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser in one place so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not you want to board the Halcyon in Walt Disney World.

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.