IGN can exclusively reveal that Netflix has announced its casting of Kurama in the upcoming live action Yu Yu Hakusho series. The beloved fox demon will be played by Japanese actor and voice artist Jun Shison.

Kurama's character in the original manga and anime is one of the most popular and beloved among fans. He's a fox demon that, after being wounded, put his spirit into a newborn human to recover and, over time, became fond of his human mother.

He first meets protagonist Yusuke after Kurama steals a mirror that can grant wishes with the intent of using it to save his ill mother. Later, he joins up with Yusuke to battle against his former comrade Hiei, and fights alongside him in multiple arcs after that including the rescue of ice apparition Yukina and the Dark Tournament. He's known for his ability to transform into his silver-haired fox demon form, as well as his signature Rose Whip attack.

“The original work has been popular for more than 30 years now and I am sure that many people think very highly- and have their own interpretation of it. We are all working together to create the best series we can, with everything that we can express in this day and age here in Japan. I hope you will enjoy it!" Kurama says.

Jun Shison is a part of the D2 Japanese actor group, and has played a number of voice and acting roles over the years in numerous anime and adaptations going back to 2011. He's known for portraying Kōmei Sakakibara in 2017's Battle of Supreme High, and more recently he played Masa in The Way of the Househusband (both the TV series and the 2022 film), and Hibiki in Bubble.

Netflix first announced its live action adaptation of the popular manga late last year alongside a number of other anime investments. Yu Yu Hakusho currently isn't slated for release until December 2023, so we've got a while to wait, but the original anime is still available on the streaming service to tide us over until then.

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

IGN can exclusively reveal that Netflix has announced its casting of Kurama in the upcoming live action Yu Yu Hakusho series. The beloved fox demon will be played by Japanese actor and voice artist Jun Shison.

Kurama's character in the original manga and anime is one of the most popular and beloved among fans. He's a fox demon that, after being wounded, put his spirit into a newborn human to recover and, over time, became fond of his human mother.

He first meets protagonist Yusuke after Kurama steals a mirror that can grant wishes with the intent of using it to save his ill mother. Later, he joins up with Yusuke to battle against his former comrade Hiei, and fights alongside him in multiple arcs after that including the rescue of ice apparition Yukina and the Dark Tournament. He's known for his ability to transform into his silver-haired fox demon form, as well as his signature Rose Whip attack.

“The original work has been popular for more than 30 years now and I am sure that many people think very highly- and have their own interpretation of it. We are all working together to create the best series we can, with everything that we can express in this day and age here in Japan. I hope you will enjoy it!" Kurama says.

Jun Shison is a part of the D2 Japanese actor group, and has played a number of voice and acting roles over the years in numerous anime and adaptations going back to 2011. He's known for portraying Kōmei Sakakibara in 2017's Battle of Supreme High, and more recently he played Masa in The Way of the Househusband (both the TV series and the 2022 film), and Hibiki in Bubble.

Netflix first announced its live action adaptation of the popular manga late last year alongside a number of other anime investments. Yu Yu Hakusho currently isn't slated for release until December 2023, so we've got a while to wait, but the original anime is still available on the streaming service to tide us over until then.

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

Soulframe is the next game from Warframe developers Digital Extremes, and this new project that is inspired by Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke looks to be the "mirror universe version of Warframe" set in a fantasy world.

As reported by The Washington Post, Soulframe was announced during TennoCon 2022 and is being led by Steve Sinclair, the director of Warframe who is stepping down from his current role to help bring this new adventure to life.

Soulframe is a free-to-play open-world adventure that is "heavily influenced by themes of nature, restoration, and exploration" alongside such works as Princess Mononoke and The NeverEnding Story. These inspirations will help the team build a world that is "the collision between industry and nature. In service of that, the world will show its displeasure toward players who occupy it."

“The conceit [in ‘Soulframe’] is that the world itself is a little angry about what’s been done to it, and the grounds underneath tend to shift throughout the day,” said creative director Geoff Crookes. “So there’s going to be proceduralism within the cave networks and crevasses and so on underneath the world.”

The game is still very early in development, but Sinclair notes that it will share Warframe's focus on cooperative player-vs-environment combat and procedurally generated environments. Furthermore, Soulframe will be a "suitably strange take on fantasy" and will differ from Warframe's "flesh-mech-powered spin on the sci-fi genre."

The differences don't just end there either.

"Where ‘Warframe’ is focused on shooting, this one’s focused on melee,” Sinclair said. “Where ‘Warframe’ is super fast and crazy high-speed, this one’s going to be a lot more slow and heavy. But it still has a lot of similarities to the genre that we have experience in.”

Soulframe looks to have a very open hub world which will be similar to Warframe's newer open-world planets, but it will have a greater focus on exploration that its predecessor. The team also wants to make it "feel more alive to players on a moment-to-moment basis."

Given the game is called Soulframe, it may seem as though Digital Extremes is also taking inspiration from FromSoftware's Dark Souls or Elden Ring. However, that wasn't the plan they originally laid out.

"I think it certainly isn’t an inspiration for the initial ideas or what we wanted to do,” Sinclair said. “Ironically, other titles that were maybe borrowing from ‘Warframe’ might have been some sort of reverse influence. But ‘Elden Ring’ has absolutely been a subject of some conversation — maybe to do with camera, maybe to do with how excellent their combat pacing is. And you know, screw those guys, because damn, ['Elden Ring'] was absolutely fantastic.”

The "basic concepts" for Soulframe began floating around the studio in 2019, and a very small team comprised of mainly artists had been the only ones working on it up until this February. So, why did Digital Extremes decide to announce the game now?

“Our work has been extremely community driven,” Sinclair said. “It feels disingenuous not to tell [players] about changes and who’s leading ‘Warframe.’ It’s way too early to announce ‘Soulframe,’ actually! But in terms of transparency and making sure they understand how we think, we tend to be a lot more open … than most studios.”

Sinclair and Crookes also said they don't plan to go silent for years as some games announced too early tend to do, and instead they plan on giving fans a "look behind the curtain" as soon as possible. Furthermore, "Digital Extremes die-hards will get to play a version of 'Soulframe' within a year."

“The thing we want to try is to do similar to ‘Warframe,’ which is, ‘Hey, watch us make the game and get your hands on the rough bits and tell us how you feel,’ ” Sinclair said.

For those interested in learning more about Soulframe, be sure to head over to the game's official website. While you have to solve a small puzzle to gain access, the website features a few images and a way to sign up for updates.

In addition to learning more about the game as new details are revealed, fans can also reserve their Envoy's Title (in-game display name) and instantly get the Alca's Eye item when the game launches.

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.

Soulframe is the next game from Warframe developers Digital Extremes, and this new project that is inspired by Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke looks to be the "mirror universe version of Warframe" set in a fantasy world.

As reported by The Washington Post, Soulframe was announced during TennoCon 2022 and is being led by Steve Sinclair, the director of Warframe who is stepping down from his current role to help bring this new adventure to life.

Soulframe is a free-to-play open-world adventure that is "heavily influenced by themes of nature, restoration, and exploration" alongside such works as Princess Mononoke and The NeverEnding Story. These inspirations will help the team build a world that is "the collision between industry and nature. In service of that, the world will show its displeasure toward players who occupy it."

“The conceit [in ‘Soulframe’] is that the world itself is a little angry about what’s been done to it, and the grounds underneath tend to shift throughout the day,” said creative director Geoff Crookes. “So there’s going to be proceduralism within the cave networks and crevasses and so on underneath the world.”

The game is still very early in development, but Sinclair notes that it will share Warframe's focus on cooperative player-vs-environment combat and procedurally generated environments. Furthermore, Soulframe will be a "suitably strange take on fantasy" and will differ from Warframe's "flesh-mech-powered spin on the sci-fi genre."

The differences don't just end there either.

"Where ‘Warframe’ is focused on shooting, this one’s focused on melee,” Sinclair said. “Where ‘Warframe’ is super fast and crazy high-speed, this one’s going to be a lot more slow and heavy. But it still has a lot of similarities to the genre that we have experience in.”

Soulframe looks to have a very open hub world which will be similar to Warframe's newer open-world planets, but it will have a greater focus on exploration that its predecessor. The team also wants to make it "feel more alive to players on a moment-to-moment basis."

Given the game is called Soulframe, it may seem as though Digital Extremes is also taking inspiration from FromSoftware's Dark Souls or Elden Ring. However, that wasn't the plan they originally laid out.

"I think it certainly isn’t an inspiration for the initial ideas or what we wanted to do,” Sinclair said. “Ironically, other titles that were maybe borrowing from ‘Warframe’ might have been some sort of reverse influence. But ‘Elden Ring’ has absolutely been a subject of some conversation — maybe to do with camera, maybe to do with how excellent their combat pacing is. And you know, screw those guys, because damn, ['Elden Ring'] was absolutely fantastic.”

The "basic concepts" for Soulframe began floating around the studio in 2019, and a very small team comprised of mainly artists had been the only ones working on it up until this February. So, why did Digital Extremes decide to announce the game now?

“Our work has been extremely community driven,” Sinclair said. “It feels disingenuous not to tell [players] about changes and who’s leading ‘Warframe.’ It’s way too early to announce ‘Soulframe,’ actually! But in terms of transparency and making sure they understand how we think, we tend to be a lot more open … than most studios.”

Sinclair and Crookes also said they don't plan to go silent for years as some games announced too early tend to do, and instead they plan on giving fans a "look behind the curtain" as soon as possible. Furthermore, "Digital Extremes die-hards will get to play a version of 'Soulframe' within a year."

“The thing we want to try is to do similar to ‘Warframe,’ which is, ‘Hey, watch us make the game and get your hands on the rough bits and tell us how you feel,’ ” Sinclair said.

For those interested in learning more about Soulframe, be sure to head over to the game's official website. While you have to solve a small puzzle to gain access, the website features a few images and a way to sign up for updates.

In addition to learning more about the game as new details are revealed, fans can also reserve their Envoy's Title (in-game display name) and instantly get the Alca's Eye item when the game launches.

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.

Former EA CEO and current Unity CEO John Riccitiello has apologized for calling game developers who don't focus on implementing monetization early on in the creative process some of the "biggest f****** idiots."

Riccitiello shared the apology on Twitter and clarified his comments regarding these devs he called both the "most beautiful and pure, brilliant people" and "some of the biggest f****** idiots."

"I want to talk about both what I said in the interview, and my follow up tweet," Riccitiello wrote. "I'm going to start with an apology. My word choice was crude. I am sorry. I am listening and I will do better.

"What I can do, perhaps, is provide more on what I was thinking when I did the interview. What I would have said if I had taken great care.

"First -- I have great respect for game developers. The work they do is amazing. The creativity can be incredible whether on a AAA console, mobile or indie game, designed to be played by millions. Or a creative project, a game made just for the sheer joy of it.

"Second -- one thing I have seen is that most game devs work incredibly hard and want people to play their game. To enjoy it. And, when appropriate for players to engage deeply. For the game devs I have worked most closely with there is often anxiety about whether players will love the game and appreciate all the work and love that went into making it.

"Third -- Sometimes all a game developer wants is to have a handful of friends enjoy the game. Art for art sake and art for friends. Others want player $ to buy the game or game items so they can make a living. Both of these motivations are noble.

"Fourth -- What I was trying to say, and clearly failed at saying, is that there are better ways for game developers to get an early read on what players think of their game. To learn from their feedback. And, if the developer wants, to adjust the game based on this feedback. It's a choice to listen and act or just to listen. Again, both are very valid choices.

"If I had been smarter in choosing my words I would have just said this... we are working to provide developers with tools so they can better understand what their players think, and it is up to them to act or not, based on this feedback.

"Anyway, that's it. Lots of words. And a sentence that I wish I had never said."

Riccitiello received a lot of negative feedback on his comments, including from Last Night developer Tim Sore who tweeted that he was "destroying the Unity we all loved."

For more on monetizing games and microtransactions, check out our look at how loot box and microtransactions addiction destroys lives and Valve's thoughts on microtransactions and their place in the industry.

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.

Former EA CEO and current Unity CEO John Riccitiello has apologized for calling game developers who don't focus on implementing monetization early on in the creative process some of the "biggest f****** idiots."

Riccitiello shared the apology on Twitter and clarified his comments regarding these devs he called both the "most beautiful and pure, brilliant people" and "some of the biggest f****** idiots."

"I want to talk about both what I said in the interview, and my follow up tweet," Riccitiello wrote. "I'm going to start with an apology. My word choice was crude. I am sorry. I am listening and I will do better.

"What I can do, perhaps, is provide more on what I was thinking when I did the interview. What I would have said if I had taken great care.

"First -- I have great respect for game developers. The work they do is amazing. The creativity can be incredible whether on a AAA console, mobile or indie game, designed to be played by millions. Or a creative project, a game made just for the sheer joy of it.

"Second -- one thing I have seen is that most game devs work incredibly hard and want people to play their game. To enjoy it. And, when appropriate for players to engage deeply. For the game devs I have worked most closely with there is often anxiety about whether players will love the game and appreciate all the work and love that went into making it.

"Third -- Sometimes all a game developer wants is to have a handful of friends enjoy the game. Art for art sake and art for friends. Others want player $ to buy the game or game items so they can make a living. Both of these motivations are noble.

"Fourth -- What I was trying to say, and clearly failed at saying, is that there are better ways for game developers to get an early read on what players think of their game. To learn from their feedback. And, if the developer wants, to adjust the game based on this feedback. It's a choice to listen and act or just to listen. Again, both are very valid choices.

"If I had been smarter in choosing my words I would have just said this... we are working to provide developers with tools so they can better understand what their players think, and it is up to them to act or not, based on this feedback.

"Anyway, that's it. Lots of words. And a sentence that I wish I had never said."

Riccitiello received a lot of negative feedback on his comments, including from Last Night developer Tim Sore who tweeted that he was "destroying the Unity we all loved."

For more on monetizing games and microtransactions, check out our look at how loot box and microtransactions addiction destroys lives and Valve's thoughts on microtransactions and their place in the industry.

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.

Netflix has found the star of its upcoming live-action adaptation of classic manga Yu Yu Hakusho. IGN can exclusively reveal that the main character, Yusuke Urameshi, will be played by Tokyo Revengers' Takumi Kitamura.

Netflix announced the adaptation last year, which will present a new version of the 1990 manga in which a teenage boy, Yusuke, dies and begins a new afterlife as an underworld detective. Kitamura (Let Me Eat Your Pancreas, Tokyo Revengers) will play Yusuke, and you can see a first look at him in costume below:

"The original work is a universal and unique masterpiece and a reason why Japan is so proud of its strong manga and anime culture. I am happy to share the masterpiece of Yu Yu Hakusho with the world and I hope we can create something people everywhere will enjoy," Kitamura tells IGN.

Kitamura is the only member of the cast announced so far. Netflix's synopsis of the manga and show follows:

"The manga revolves around Yusuke Urameshi, a junior high school student who spends his days getting into fights and dies in an accident while trying to protect a young child. As he grapples with the fact that he is looking down on his dead body, a woman named Botan, who calls herself a guide to the spirit world, relays to him the shocking truth: no one expected a delinquent like Yusuke to die performing an act of goodness, and there was no place for him in either heaven or hell. Thus, Yusuke is given a chance to be revived, and after passing his trial, he becomes an Underworld Detective. From there, Yusuke becomes entwined in a mystery that envelopes the human, demon and spirit worlds. The spectacular adventure of Yusuke will now become a live action series on Netflix."

Netflix appears to be diligent about calling this a manga adaptation, although Yu Yu Hakusho has also been adapted as an anime in the past. It was a beloved version of the story, and we've previously called it one of the best anime series of all time.

“When I first heard about Yu Yu Hakusho receiving a live-action adaptation, I honestly wondered if it would even be possible—but after being presented with the producer’s vision and possibilities with Netflix, my expectations grew and I found myself burning with passion to make this project come to life. More than anything, I think the appeal of Yu Yu Hakusho comes from its characters, which is why I wanted to highlight the appealing relationships and battles in Yu Yu Hakusho," director Sho Tsukikawa tells IGN.

Tsukikawa says that the show will include "plenty of action scenes."

"The visual effects we use are quite advanced, as we utilize cutting-edge technology, aimed for the best quality we can achieve. Lastly, from the very beginning, we were strongly aware of creating a series for a global audience. Just like when I first heard about this adaptation, there may be people out there who feel it’s an impossible undertaking, but no matter how many ways I express how I feel, I believe the work will speak for itself and prove it's possible. I will continue to pour my heart and soul into the project to deliver the best entertainment from Japan to the world," he says.

Netflix's Yu Yu Hakusho will be released in December 2023. It will be directed by Tsukikawa, written by Tatsuro Mishima and produced by Akira Morii.

Joe Skrebels is the Executive Editor of News at IGN.

Netflix has found the star of its upcoming live-action adaptation of classic manga Yu Yu Hakusho. IGN can exclusively reveal that the main character, Yusuke Urameshi, will be played by Tokyo Revengers' Takumi Kitamura.

Netflix announced the adaptation last year, which will present a new version of the 1990 manga in which a teenage boy, Yusuke, dies and begins a new afterlife as an underworld detective. Kitamura (Let Me Eat Your Pancreas, Tokyo Revengers) will play Yusuke, and you can see a first look at him in costume below:

"The original work is a universal and unique masterpiece and a reason why Japan is so proud of its strong manga and anime culture. I am happy to share the masterpiece of Yu Yu Hakusho with the world and I hope we can create something people everywhere will enjoy," Kitamura tells IGN.

Kitamura is the only member of the cast announced so far. Netflix's synopsis of the manga and show follows:

"The manga revolves around Yusuke Urameshi, a junior high school student who spends his days getting into fights and dies in an accident while trying to protect a young child. As he grapples with the fact that he is looking down on his dead body, a woman named Botan, who calls herself a guide to the spirit world, relays to him the shocking truth: no one expected a delinquent like Yusuke to die performing an act of goodness, and there was no place for him in either heaven or hell. Thus, Yusuke is given a chance to be revived, and after passing his trial, he becomes an Underworld Detective. From there, Yusuke becomes entwined in a mystery that envelopes the human, demon and spirit worlds. The spectacular adventure of Yusuke will now become a live action series on Netflix."

Netflix appears to be diligent about calling this a manga adaptation, although Yu Yu Hakusho has also been adapted as an anime in the past. It was a beloved version of the story, and we've previously called it one of the best anime series of all time.

“When I first heard about Yu Yu Hakusho receiving a live-action adaptation, I honestly wondered if it would even be possible—but after being presented with the producer’s vision and possibilities with Netflix, my expectations grew and I found myself burning with passion to make this project come to life. More than anything, I think the appeal of Yu Yu Hakusho comes from its characters, which is why I wanted to highlight the appealing relationships and battles in Yu Yu Hakusho," director Sho Tsukikawa tells IGN.

Tsukikawa says that the show will include "plenty of action scenes."

"The visual effects we use are quite advanced, as we utilize cutting-edge technology, aimed for the best quality we can achieve. Lastly, from the very beginning, we were strongly aware of creating a series for a global audience. Just like when I first heard about this adaptation, there may be people out there who feel it’s an impossible undertaking, but no matter how many ways I express how I feel, I believe the work will speak for itself and prove it's possible. I will continue to pour my heart and soul into the project to deliver the best entertainment from Japan to the world," he says.

Netflix's Yu Yu Hakusho will be released in December 2023. It will be directed by Tsukikawa, written by Tatsuro Mishima and produced by Akira Morii.

Joe Skrebels is the Executive Editor of News at IGN.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has officially completed its $3.7 billion deal to acquire Bungie - the studio behind Destiny and every Halo game up to Halo: Reach - and has welcomed it into the PlayStation family.

PlayStation shared the news on Twitter, saying, "the agreement to acquire Bungie has closed. So now we can officially say... welcome to the PlayStation family, Bungie!"

Bungie also shared some words to mark the occasion and expressed how excited it is to "join the incredible team at PlayStation."

"We are proud to officially join the incredible team at PlayStation, we are excited for the future of our company, and we are inspired to bring together players from all over the world to form lasting friendships and memories," Bungie wrote. "Per Audacia ad Astra!"

Sony announced that it was going to acquire Bungie in February 2022 for $3.6 billion, but the SEC filing for the completed deal from July 15 notes that the total price was "approximately $3.7 billion."

When the deal was made public, Bungie confirmed that it will be run as "an independent subsidiary" of SIE and will remain a multiplatform studio with the option to "self-publish and reach players where they choose to play."

Bungie is currently hard at work on supporting Destiny 2, but it has much more planned for the future. While the details of these projects have yet to be revealed, the studio did confirm Destiny 2 contains an Easter Egg teasing its next game.

In 2019, Bungie said it wanted to release at least one non-Destiny game by 2025. Various job listings have hinted that this new IP could be "comedic" and may feature "whimsical characters."

While this acquisition is completed, Sony has no plans of stopping and is looking to purchase more studios in the future.

As for the future of Destiny, Bungie shared the roadmap it has planned after the PlayStation acquisition and the studio is reportedly working on a Destiny mobile game.

For more, check out our look at how Sony's Bungie buy fits into its larger PlayStation plan.

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.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has officially completed its $3.7 billion deal to acquire Bungie - the studio behind Destiny and every Halo game up to Halo: Reach - and has welcomed it into the PlayStation family.

PlayStation shared the news on Twitter, saying, "the agreement to acquire Bungie has closed. So now we can officially say... welcome to the PlayStation family, Bungie!"

Bungie also shared some words to mark the occasion and expressed how excited it is to "join the incredible team at PlayStation."

"We are proud to officially join the incredible team at PlayStation, we are excited for the future of our company, and we are inspired to bring together players from all over the world to form lasting friendships and memories," Bungie wrote. "Per Audacia ad Astra!"

Sony announced that it was going to acquire Bungie in February 2022 for $3.6 billion, but the SEC filing for the completed deal from July 15 notes that the total price was "approximately $3.7 billion."

When the deal was made public, Bungie confirmed that it will be run as "an independent subsidiary" of SIE and will remain a multiplatform studio with the option to "self-publish and reach players where they choose to play."

Bungie is currently hard at work on supporting Destiny 2, but it has much more planned for the future. While the details of these projects have yet to be revealed, the studio did confirm Destiny 2 contains an Easter Egg teasing its next game.

In 2019, Bungie said it wanted to release at least one non-Destiny game by 2025. Various job listings have hinted that this new IP could be "comedic" and may feature "whimsical characters."

While this acquisition is completed, Sony has no plans of stopping and is looking to purchase more studios in the future.

As for the future of Destiny, Bungie shared the roadmap it has planned after the PlayStation acquisition and the studio is reportedly working on a Destiny mobile game.

For more, check out our look at how Sony's Bungie buy fits into its larger PlayStation plan.

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.