George R.R. Martin admits he isn't really a video games guy, but apparently when Hidetaka Miyazaki and his fellow game designers approached him to work on the worldbuilding for Elden Ring, he found their pitch "too exciting to refuse."

"Miyazaki and his team from FromSoftware were doing groundbreaking stuff with gorgeous art, and what they wanted from me was just a bit of worldbuilding: a deep, dark, resonant world to serve as a foundation for the game they planned to create," Martin wrote in a blog post over the weekend. "And as it happens, I love creating worlds and writing imaginary history."

Despite not being into video games broadly, Martin also admitted he used to play a few: Railroad Tycoon, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Master of Orion specifically. No word on whether he dabbled in other FromSoftware games, like Dark Souls, as research for Elden Ring.

Martin also reiterated that his contributions for Elden Ring were done years ago, saying that he essentially did his part before handing things off to FromSoftware in Japan. His portion of the work largely involved crafting the backstory and history for Elden Ring, and he did not have any direct involvement in writing dialogue or other specific text — that's all being handled by Miyazaki. In fact, Martin is the reason that Elden Ring's story will be more focused on characters and less abstract than other FromSoftware games.

Elden Ring is headed to PC, Xbox Series S and X, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5 on February 25, 2022.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

George R.R. Martin admits he isn't really a video games guy, but apparently when Hidetaka Miyazaki and his fellow game designers approached him to work on the worldbuilding for Elden Ring, he found their pitch "too exciting to refuse."

"Miyazaki and his team from FromSoftware were doing groundbreaking stuff with gorgeous art, and what they wanted from me was just a bit of worldbuilding: a deep, dark, resonant world to serve as a foundation for the game they planned to create," Martin wrote in a blog post over the weekend. "And as it happens, I love creating worlds and writing imaginary history."

Despite not being into video games broadly, Martin also admitted he used to play a few: Railroad Tycoon, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Master of Orion specifically. No word on whether he dabbled in other FromSoftware games, like Dark Souls, as research for Elden Ring.

Martin also reiterated that his contributions for Elden Ring were done years ago, saying that he essentially did his part before handing things off to FromSoftware in Japan. His portion of the work largely involved crafting the backstory and history for Elden Ring, and he did not have any direct involvement in writing dialogue or other specific text — that's all being handled by Miyazaki. In fact, Martin is the reason that Elden Ring's story will be more focused on characters and less abstract than other FromSoftware games.

Elden Ring is headed to PC, Xbox Series S and X, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5 on February 25, 2022.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Jurassic World: Dominion has just unveiled a new dinosaur – The Atrociraptor.

During an interview with Empire Magazine, director Colin Trevorrow unveiled a new image from Jurassic World: Dominion which features Chris Pratt being chased by the new dino.

“It’s a sequence set in Malta,” he said. “And the picture speaks for itself – it’s Chris Pratt being chased by an Atrociraptor. And if they catch up, he’s gonna die, I can tell you that.”

Meet the 'brutal, vicious' Atrociraptors – one of the deadliest new dinosaurs in #JurassicWorldDominion.

Read director Colin Trevorrow discussing the new raptors and see the exclusive image here: https://t.co/gmi0pi5b6F pic.twitter.com/RGFnmlBxtt

— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) December 20, 2021

A real-life specimen of Atrociraptor was discovered in 1995 in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation in Canada. And it sounds like quite a formidable foe. At around two meters long and fifteen kilograms, the Atrociraptor packs quite a punch.

“Where the Velociraptor is a little bit more of a stealth hunter, the Atrociraptors are a bit more brutish,” explained Trevorrow. “These things will just come at you. And in this particular case, they’ve picked his scent, and they’re not going to stop until he’s dead. They’re pretty brutal. They’re pretty vicious.”

Jurassic World: Dominion shows us what the Atrociraptor is capable of – a more heavy-hitting raptor than we’ve seen before, with straight rows of raked teeth which will make quick work of Pratt and his motorcycle… if it can catch up with him.

Of course, it’s not the only new dinosaur heading to Jurassic World: Dominion.

According to Empire, we’ll see a “swathe” of new dinosaur species’ including the Pyroraptors and Moros Intrepidus among others.

“I love the Pyroraptors. I love the Atrociraptors,” he said. “There's a little one called the Moros Intrepidus, who doesn't do a ton in the movie, but whenever it shows up, I always love it.”

It certainly sounds as though Jurassic World: Dominion has spared no expense with its new additions to the park. But you have to wonder what our real-life paleontologists think of it.

Jurassic World: Dominion debuts in theaters on June 10, 2022, and will reportedly conclude both Jurassic Park and Jurassic World trilogies.

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

Jurassic World: Dominion has just unveiled a new dinosaur – The Atrociraptor.

During an interview with Empire Magazine, director Colin Trevorrow unveiled a new image from Jurassic World: Dominion which features Chris Pratt being chased by the new dino.

“It’s a sequence set in Malta,” he said. “And the picture speaks for itself – it’s Chris Pratt being chased by an Atrociraptor. And if they catch up, he’s gonna die, I can tell you that.”

Meet the 'brutal, vicious' Atrociraptors – one of the deadliest new dinosaurs in #JurassicWorldDominion.

Read director Colin Trevorrow discussing the new raptors and see the exclusive image here: https://t.co/gmi0pi5b6F pic.twitter.com/RGFnmlBxtt

— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) December 20, 2021

A real-life specimen of Atrociraptor was discovered in 1995 in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation in Canada. And it sounds like quite a formidable foe. At around two meters long and fifteen kilograms, the Atrociraptor packs quite a punch.

“Where the Velociraptor is a little bit more of a stealth hunter, the Atrociraptors are a bit more brutish,” explained Trevorrow. “These things will just come at you. And in this particular case, they’ve picked his scent, and they’re not going to stop until he’s dead. They’re pretty brutal. They’re pretty vicious.”

Jurassic World: Dominion shows us what the Atrociraptor is capable of – a more heavy-hitting raptor than we’ve seen before, with straight rows of raked teeth which will make quick work of Pratt and his motorcycle… if it can catch up with him.

Of course, it’s not the only new dinosaur heading to Jurassic World: Dominion.

According to Empire, we’ll see a “swathe” of new dinosaur species’ including the Pyroraptors and Moros Intrepidus among others.

“I love the Pyroraptors. I love the Atrociraptors,” he said. “There's a little one called the Moros Intrepidus, who doesn't do a ton in the movie, but whenever it shows up, I always love it.”

It certainly sounds as though Jurassic World: Dominion has spared no expense with its new additions to the park. But you have to wonder what our real-life paleontologists think of it.

Jurassic World: Dominion debuts in theaters on June 10, 2022, and will reportedly conclude both Jurassic Park and Jurassic World trilogies.

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

While Robert Pattinson’s Batman is well into his second year as a superhero in The Batman, the movie will act as an origin story for a different character – Zoë Kravitz' Catwoman.

During an interview with Empire Magazine, actress Zoë Kravitz revealed that The Batman will also serve as an origin story for her new take on Selina Kyle.

“This is an origin story for Selina,” she said. “So, it’s the beginning of her figuring out who she is, beyond just someone trying to survive. I think there’s a lot of space to grow and I think we are watching her become what I’m sure will be the femme fatale.”

The Batman stars Robert Pattinson as a young Bruce Wayne, but crucially it's not an origin story but rather a 'Year Two' story for Batman. Kravitz stars alongside Pattinson as Selina Kyle, who'll become Catwoman by the end of the movie.

Kravitz worked with stunt coordinator Rob Alonzo to add to her physical training, studying nature footage of big cats to mimic their feline movements ad add to the role alongside a more brutish Batman.

“We watched cats and lions and how they fight and talked about what is actually possible when you’re my size, and Batman’s so much stronger than me,” she said. “What is my skill? It’s being fast and tricky. So, we did some really interesting floor work that incorporated different kinds of martial arts and capoeira and a kind of feline, dance-like movement.”

Of course, Kravitz isn’t the only one taking outside inspiration for her Batman character, with director Matt Reeves revealing that Robert Pattinson’s take on the Dark Knight is based on grunge legend, Kurt Cobain.

“When I write, I listen to music, and as I was writing the first act, I put on Nirvana’s ‘Something In The Way’,” said Reeves. “That’s when it came to me that, rather than make Bruce Wayne the playboy version we’ve seen before, there’s another version who had gone through a great tragedy and become a recluse.”

Focusing on the rise of a serial killer in Gotham City, The Batman introduces new versions of several fan favourites including Catwoman, The Riddler and The Penguin. But a recent trailer also teased the return of Batman’s greatest adversar

The Batman debuts in theaters on March 4, 2022.

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

While Robert Pattinson’s Batman is well into his second year as a superhero in The Batman, the movie will act as an origin story for a different character – Zoë Kravitz' Catwoman.

During an interview with Empire Magazine, actress Zoë Kravitz revealed that The Batman will also serve as an origin story for her new take on Selina Kyle.

“This is an origin story for Selina,” she said. “So, it’s the beginning of her figuring out who she is, beyond just someone trying to survive. I think there’s a lot of space to grow and I think we are watching her become what I’m sure will be the femme fatale.”

The Batman stars Robert Pattinson as a young Bruce Wayne, but crucially it's not an origin story but rather a 'Year Two' story for Batman. Kravitz stars alongside Pattinson as Selina Kyle, who'll become Catwoman by the end of the movie.

Kravitz worked with stunt coordinator Rob Alonzo to add to her physical training, studying nature footage of big cats to mimic their feline movements ad add to the role alongside a more brutish Batman.

“We watched cats and lions and how they fight and talked about what is actually possible when you’re my size, and Batman’s so much stronger than me,” she said. “What is my skill? It’s being fast and tricky. So, we did some really interesting floor work that incorporated different kinds of martial arts and capoeira and a kind of feline, dance-like movement.”

Of course, Kravitz isn’t the only one taking outside inspiration for her Batman character, with director Matt Reeves revealing that Robert Pattinson’s take on the Dark Knight is based on grunge legend, Kurt Cobain.

“When I write, I listen to music, and as I was writing the first act, I put on Nirvana’s ‘Something In The Way’,” said Reeves. “That’s when it came to me that, rather than make Bruce Wayne the playboy version we’ve seen before, there’s another version who had gone through a great tragedy and become a recluse.”

Focusing on the rise of a serial killer in Gotham City, The Batman introduces new versions of several fan favourites including Catwoman, The Riddler and The Penguin. But a recent trailer also teased the return of Batman’s greatest adversar

The Batman debuts in theaters on March 4, 2022.

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

Marvel Comics hasn't published an ongoing Punisher comic since 2019, which might seem strange given the character's ongoing popularity. Thankfully, that's going to change in 2022. Marvel is currently prepping what may well be the most dramatic revamp of the Punisher franchise since the extremely divisive Franken-Castle.

The latest volume of Punisher is a 13-issue, prestige format limited series that will explore both Frank Castle's bloody past and a very surprising status quo shift in the present. The series also boasts quite the impressive creative team, including writer Jason Aaron (The Avengers, The Mighty Thor), artists Jesús Saiz (Star Wars) and Paul Azaceta (Outcast by Kirkman & Azaceta) and colorist Dave Stewart. Saiz and Azaceta will collaborate on each issue, with Saiz handling the present-day portions of the story and Azaceta the flashbacks.

The status quo change in question involves Frank Castle taking control of the ninja cult known as The Hand and becoming "The King of Killers," a servant of The Beast. Along with that new job comes a brand new costume and an even bigger arsenal of weapons.

Why Frank makes that choice is unclear, but it seems to tie back to previously unrevealed secrets about his past. And as Marvel teases, this change is merely a prelude for something even bigger on the horizon. With any luck, the new series may redefine the Punisher franchise as dramatically as House of X and Powers of X did for the X-Men line line in 2019.

“A few years ago, Jason Aaron came into one of our creative summits with a pitch for Frank that made our collective jaws drop,” said Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski in a press release. “The story Jason is telling – a truly epic tale about darkness, violence, and choices – can only be told with the Punisher at its core. This series will build on Frank’s legacy while introducing us to a side of him we’ve never seen before, setting the stage for an evolution that we’ll find was inevitable.”

“After writing the Punisher over the years, I’ve always been fascinated by the character of Frank Castle. What moments made him the Punisher, even before that fateful day in the park? And how far will he go to win the war that has consumed his life? Spoiler: as far as it damn well takes,” said Aaron. “This story is the destined next step in the dark and tragic evolution of Frank Castle, from troubled kid to heroic soldier to revenge-driven vigilante…to the duly anointed King of Killers. Believe me when I say, I am as excited about this story as anything I’ve ever written for Marvel.”

Fans of Aaron's work will probably remember he previously collaborated with the late Steve Dillon on PunisherMAX from 2010 to 2012. However, that series was set in Marvel's MAX universe, whereas this Punisher comic is firmly set within the traditional Marvel Universe.

Look for The Punisher #1 to hit stores in March 2022. For now, let us know in the comments what you think of this new direction for Frank Castle and where you hope to see the character end up in 2023.

Be sure to check out IGN's ten nominees for the best comic book series or original graphic novel of 2021 and find out which one took home the award.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Marvel Comics hasn't published an ongoing Punisher comic since 2019, which might seem strange given the character's ongoing popularity. Thankfully, that's going to change in 2022. Marvel is currently prepping what may well be the most dramatic revamp of the Punisher franchise since the extremely divisive Franken-Castle.

The latest volume of Punisher is a 13-issue, prestige format limited series that will explore both Frank Castle's bloody past and a very surprising status quo shift in the present. The series also boasts quite the impressive creative team, including writer Jason Aaron (The Avengers, The Mighty Thor), artists Jesús Saiz (Star Wars) and Paul Azaceta (Outcast by Kirkman & Azaceta) and colorist Dave Stewart. Saiz and Azaceta will collaborate on each issue, with Saiz handling the present-day portions of the story and Azaceta the flashbacks.

The status quo change in question involves Frank Castle taking control of the ninja cult known as The Hand and becoming "The King of Killers," a servant of The Beast. Along with that new job comes a brand new costume and an even bigger arsenal of weapons.

Why Frank makes that choice is unclear, but it seems to tie back to previously unrevealed secrets about his past. And as Marvel teases, this change is merely a prelude for something even bigger on the horizon. With any luck, the new series may redefine the Punisher franchise as dramatically as House of X and Powers of X did for the X-Men line line in 2019.

“A few years ago, Jason Aaron came into one of our creative summits with a pitch for Frank that made our collective jaws drop,” said Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski in a press release. “The story Jason is telling – a truly epic tale about darkness, violence, and choices – can only be told with the Punisher at its core. This series will build on Frank’s legacy while introducing us to a side of him we’ve never seen before, setting the stage for an evolution that we’ll find was inevitable.”

“After writing the Punisher over the years, I’ve always been fascinated by the character of Frank Castle. What moments made him the Punisher, even before that fateful day in the park? And how far will he go to win the war that has consumed his life? Spoiler: as far as it damn well takes,” said Aaron. “This story is the destined next step in the dark and tragic evolution of Frank Castle, from troubled kid to heroic soldier to revenge-driven vigilante…to the duly anointed King of Killers. Believe me when I say, I am as excited about this story as anything I’ve ever written for Marvel.”

Fans of Aaron's work will probably remember he previously collaborated with the late Steve Dillon on PunisherMAX from 2010 to 2012. However, that series was set in Marvel's MAX universe, whereas this Punisher comic is firmly set within the traditional Marvel Universe.

Look for The Punisher #1 to hit stores in March 2022. For now, let us know in the comments what you think of this new direction for Frank Castle and where you hope to see the character end up in 2023.

Be sure to check out IGN's ten nominees for the best comic book series or original graphic novel of 2021 and find out which one took home the award.

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 Witcher Season 3 is almost completely written, but the Netflix show is not going to be back in production anytime soon.

During an interview with TechRadar, showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich revealed that The Witcher Season 3 is still in early development.

“Actually, this is our last week [December 3] in the writers’ room," she revealed. “We’re almost done with the scripting phase, and it’s amazing. I’m really thrilled with how the season is shaping up because it’s based on my favorite book in the saga, which is The Time of Contempt.”

Time of Contempt is the second novel in The Witcher saga by author Andrzej Sapkowski, focusing on the rising tension between the Northern Kingdoms and Nilfgaard as the two prepare for all-out war.

The Northern Kings are still conspiring with one another as they attempt to lure Nilfgaard into war. Meanwhile, Ciri is due to be enrolled at Aretuza in order to study magic, but soon comes into contact with some of the most powerful sorceresses on The Continent. With a brutal and bloody war looking inevitable, Ciri goes on the run with a group of bandits.

If you’re interested in the novels, we’ve worked out the perfect order to read them.

Don't expect the team to move straight into filming, though. Hissrich explained that the scripts have only just been written, and that the “creative process was only just starting”.

“I feel like Seasons 1 and 2 have been laying the playing field for everything huge that’s about to happen,” she added. “But the creative process is now really just starting. We have the scripts, and now we’ll bring directors on, the actors back in, and really start delving in deeper and reflecting back and making sure that it’s the perfect season.”

Season 2 of The Witcher is already going down well with fans, despite almost derailing Henry Cavill’s action career. But with a seven season plan, it looks as though Cavill and the rest of the cast are in it for the long haul.

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

The Witcher Season 3 is almost completely written, but the Netflix show is not going to be back in production anytime soon.

During an interview with TechRadar, showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich revealed that The Witcher Season 3 is still in early development.

“Actually, this is our last week [December 3] in the writers’ room," she revealed. “We’re almost done with the scripting phase, and it’s amazing. I’m really thrilled with how the season is shaping up because it’s based on my favorite book in the saga, which is The Time of Contempt.”

Time of Contempt is the second novel in The Witcher saga by author Andrzej Sapkowski, focusing on the rising tension between the Northern Kingdoms and Nilfgaard as the two prepare for all-out war.

The Northern Kings are still conspiring with one another as they attempt to lure Nilfgaard into war. Meanwhile, Ciri is due to be enrolled at Aretuza in order to study magic, but soon comes into contact with some of the most powerful sorceresses on The Continent. With a brutal and bloody war looking inevitable, Ciri goes on the run with a group of bandits.

If you’re interested in the novels, we’ve worked out the perfect order to read them.

Don't expect the team to move straight into filming, though. Hissrich explained that the scripts have only just been written, and that the “creative process was only just starting”.

“I feel like Seasons 1 and 2 have been laying the playing field for everything huge that’s about to happen,” she added. “But the creative process is now really just starting. We have the scripts, and now we’ll bring directors on, the actors back in, and really start delving in deeper and reflecting back and making sure that it’s the perfect season.”

Season 2 of The Witcher is already going down well with fans, despite almost derailing Henry Cavill’s action career. But with a seven season plan, it looks as though Cavill and the rest of the cast are in it for the long haul.

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