CD Projekt Red's next mainline Witcher game, codenamed Polaris, is at least three years away according to studio president and joint CEO Adam Kiciński.

Following the studio's announcement that it plans to release the new Witcher trilogy over six years starting with Polaris, Kiciński was asked during an investors' call when players can expect the next mainline game to be released.

"For Polaris we are preparing technology. This is the first project to be released on the new engine, Unreal Engine 5, [so] there is a need for some extra work making this technology," he said. "For this project, for sure we need some extra effort to deliver."

Kiciński went on to say that the second and third new Witcher trilogy games would go much smoother due to this foundation being created now. He was then asked, as the two "smoother" to develop games will take on average three years each, would it be reasonable to ascertain that the next mainline game is more than three years away, to which Kiciński said yes.

As Polaris was only announced in March, however, three years may still be on the earlier side of this assessment. Senior vice president of business development Michał Nowakowski commented during the same call that, based on past experiences, creating a new game alongside new technology like CD Projekt Red is doing with Polaris usually takes four or five years, though this won't necessarily be the case this time.

CD Projekt Red confirmed ahead of the call that at least five new Witcher games would be released in the coming years, alongside a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel and a game based on the studio's first brand new IP.

Outside of Polaris and its two sequels, CD Projekt Red's The Molasses Flood studio is working on a new Witcher game with multiplayer elements and a currently unconfirmed third developer is creating another "full-fledged Witcher game".

Very little is known about any of the games however, with Polaris being the only one with some context behind it thanks to CD Projekt Red announcing that it had entered pre-production back in May, and that it's being developed using Unreal Engine 5.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

CD Projekt Red's next mainline Witcher game, codenamed Polaris, is at least three years away according to studio president and joint CEO Adam Kiciński.

Following the studio's announcement that it plans to release the new Witcher trilogy over six years starting with Polaris, Kiciński was asked during an investors' call when players can expect the next mainline game to be released.

"For Polaris we are preparing technology. This is the first project to be released on the new engine, Unreal Engine 5, [so] there is a need for some extra work making this technology," he said. "For this project, for sure we need some extra effort to deliver."

Kiciński went on to say that the second and third new Witcher trilogy games would go much smoother due to this foundation being created now. He was then asked, as the two "smoother" to develop games will take on average three years each, would it be reasonable to ascertain that the next mainline game is more than three years away, to which Kiciński said yes.

As Polaris was only announced in March, however, three years may still be on the earlier side of this assessment. Senior vice president of business development Michał Nowakowski commented during the same call that, based on past experiences, creating a new game alongside new technology like CD Projekt Red is doing with Polaris usually takes four or five years, though this won't necessarily be the case this time.

CD Projekt Red confirmed ahead of the call that at least five new Witcher games would be released in the coming years, alongside a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel and a game based on the studio's first brand new IP.

Outside of Polaris and its two sequels, CD Projekt Red's The Molasses Flood studio is working on a new Witcher game with multiplayer elements and a currently unconfirmed third developer is creating another "full-fledged Witcher game".

Very little is known about any of the games however, with Polaris being the only one with some context behind it thanks to CD Projekt Red announcing that it had entered pre-production back in May, and that it's being developed using Unreal Engine 5.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Alec Baldwin’s Rust will resume filming in January 2023 following a settlement with the estate of Halyna Hutchins, the movie's cinematographer who was tragically killed in an on-set shooting incident last year.

As reported by Deadline, Matthew Hutchins, husband of Halyna, said: “We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed.”

Halyna died on October 21, 2021, while filming Rust as the result of a fatal firearms accident. According to initial reports, a prop firearm was accidentally loaded with live ammunition, resulting in the death of Hutchins after the gun was handed to Baldwin, the film’s star.

With a settlement agreed, Matthew Hutchins will now take on the role of executive producer on the film. “The filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board in January 2023,” he confirmed.

Following the incident, it was revealed that Baldwin had been in possession of the firearm when it was discharged. Baldwin since claimed he did not pull the trigger. Additionally, reports of previous incidents involving the film’s armorer, Dave Hall, made it difficult to establish exactly who had been at fault on the day.

“I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin),” said Hutchins, “All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”

Rust is a western set in 1880s Kansas, telling the story of an outlaw, Harland Rust (Baldwin), who becomes a fugitive along with his thirteen-year-old grandson (Brady Noon) after rescuing him from being hanged after he’s sentenced to death for murder.

“Those of us who were lucky enough to have spent time with Halyna knew her to be exceedingly talented, kind, creative, and a source of incredible positive energy,” said director Joel Souza. “I only wish the world had gotten to know her under different circumstances, as it surely would have through her amazing work. In my own attempts to heal, any decision to return to finish directing the film could only make sense for me if it was done with the involvement of Matt and the Hutchins family. Though certainly bittersweet, I am pleased that together, we will now complete what Halyna and I started. My every effort on this film will be devoted to honoring Halyna’s legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to see this through on her behalf.”

On Instagram, Alec Baldwin offered his own statement. "We are pleased to announce today the settlement of the civil case filed on behalf of the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins," he wrote. "Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna’s son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation."

The Hutchins estate originally filed a lawsuit following Halyna’s death, alleging that Baldwin and the film’s producers “did not take action to correct the situation and ensure that basic gun safety rules were followed on October 21, 2021”.

“Had Defendant Baldwin, the Producers, and the Rust Production Companies taken adequate precautions to ensure firearm safety on the set of Rust or if basic firearm safety rules had been followed on the set of Rust on October 21, 2021, Halyna Hutchins would be alive and well, hugging her husband and nine-year old son,” continued the filing (via Variety).

Almost a year after the incident, local law enforcement is yet to bring charges against anyone.

Thumbnail credit: Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for National Geographic

Alec Baldwin’s Rust will resume filming in January 2023 following a settlement with the estate of Halyna Hutchins, the movie's cinematographer who was tragically killed in an on-set shooting incident last year.

As reported by Deadline, Matthew Hutchins, husband of Halyna, said: “We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed.”

Halyna died on October 21, 2021, while filming Rust as the result of a fatal firearms accident. According to initial reports, a prop firearm was accidentally loaded with live ammunition, resulting in the death of Hutchins after the gun was handed to Baldwin, the film’s star.

With a settlement agreed, Matthew Hutchins will now take on the role of executive producer on the film. “The filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board in January 2023,” he confirmed.

Following the incident, it was revealed that Baldwin had been in possession of the firearm when it was discharged. Baldwin since claimed he did not pull the trigger. Additionally, reports of previous incidents involving the film’s armorer, Dave Hall, made it difficult to establish exactly who had been at fault on the day.

“I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin),” said Hutchins, “All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”

Rust is a western set in 1880s Kansas, telling the story of an outlaw, Harland Rust (Baldwin), who becomes a fugitive along with his thirteen-year-old grandson (Brady Noon) after rescuing him from being hanged after he’s sentenced to death for murder.

“Those of us who were lucky enough to have spent time with Halyna knew her to be exceedingly talented, kind, creative, and a source of incredible positive energy,” said director Joel Souza. “I only wish the world had gotten to know her under different circumstances, as it surely would have through her amazing work. In my own attempts to heal, any decision to return to finish directing the film could only make sense for me if it was done with the involvement of Matt and the Hutchins family. Though certainly bittersweet, I am pleased that together, we will now complete what Halyna and I started. My every effort on this film will be devoted to honoring Halyna’s legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to see this through on her behalf.”

On Instagram, Alec Baldwin offered his own statement. "We are pleased to announce today the settlement of the civil case filed on behalf of the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins," he wrote. "Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna’s son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation."

The Hutchins estate originally filed a lawsuit following Halyna’s death, alleging that Baldwin and the film’s producers “did not take action to correct the situation and ensure that basic gun safety rules were followed on October 21, 2021”.

“Had Defendant Baldwin, the Producers, and the Rust Production Companies taken adequate precautions to ensure firearm safety on the set of Rust or if basic firearm safety rules had been followed on the set of Rust on October 21, 2021, Halyna Hutchins would be alive and well, hugging her husband and nine-year old son,” continued the filing (via Variety).

Almost a year after the incident, local law enforcement is yet to bring charges against anyone.

Thumbnail credit: Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for National Geographic

A new Disney Plus app is now available for Sony's PlayStation 5 that allows users to stream their favourite movies, TV shows, originals, and more in 4K HDR quality.

As noted by The Verge, PS5's former version of the Disney+ app was actually a PS4 app that was running on the newer console, which meant visuals were capped at 1080p resolution, whereas the relaunched Disney+ app has been designed natively for PS5 and now supports 4K High-Dynamic Range playback across the service's growing catalogue of titles.

"A key part of our global expansion strategy is to meet consumers wherever they are, which is why we're excited to enhance Disney+ for PlayStation 5 users," Jerrell Jimerson, EVP of Product and Design for Disney Streaming, said in a press release. "The ability to support 4K HDR video streaming on the platform will also improve the viewing experience for fans."

The relaunch of the Disney+ app on PS5 comes a couple of months before the streamer rolls out a new subscription model that includes the launch of an ad-supported membership tier. The ad-supported subscription will be available on December 8 for $7.99 a month, while the ad-free subscription will now be known as the "Premium" tier at $10.99 a month.

PS5 users can download the new Disney+ app from the media section of the console's homescreen. Disney+ subscribers will then need to log in to gain access to the service's library and start streaming titles at 4K HDR quality, with a full catalog of movies and shows to choose from, including the likes of Hocus Pocus 2, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Andor.

Andor is Disney Plus' fourth live-action Star Wars show. The series just dropped its fifth episode, which IGN called a "good" chapter that "settles back into setup mode" by plunging further into "the developing dynamics between Cassian and his skeptical new friends," substituting "edge-of-your-seat tension" for "small character moments" that look to pay off in the future.

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

A new Disney Plus app is now available for Sony's PlayStation 5 that allows users to stream their favourite movies, TV shows, originals, and more in 4K HDR quality.

As noted by The Verge, PS5's former version of the Disney+ app was actually a PS4 app that was running on the newer console, which meant visuals were capped at 1080p resolution, whereas the relaunched Disney+ app has been designed natively for PS5 and now supports 4K High-Dynamic Range playback across the service's growing catalogue of titles.

"A key part of our global expansion strategy is to meet consumers wherever they are, which is why we're excited to enhance Disney+ for PlayStation 5 users," Jerrell Jimerson, EVP of Product and Design for Disney Streaming, said in a press release. "The ability to support 4K HDR video streaming on the platform will also improve the viewing experience for fans."

The relaunch of the Disney+ app on PS5 comes a couple of months before the streamer rolls out a new subscription model that includes the launch of an ad-supported membership tier. The ad-supported subscription will be available on December 8 for $7.99 a month, while the ad-free subscription will now be known as the "Premium" tier at $10.99 a month.

PS5 users can download the new Disney+ app from the media section of the console's homescreen. Disney+ subscribers will then need to log in to gain access to the service's library and start streaming titles at 4K HDR quality, with a full catalog of movies and shows to choose from, including the likes of Hocus Pocus 2, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Andor.

Andor is Disney Plus' fourth live-action Star Wars show. The series just dropped its fifth episode, which IGN called a "good" chapter that "settles back into setup mode" by plunging further into "the developing dynamics between Cassian and his skeptical new friends," substituting "edge-of-your-seat tension" for "small character moments" that look to pay off in the future.

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

Writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank are renowned for their many DC Comics collaborations (including Action Comics, Doomsday Clock and Batman: Earth One), but the two creators turned heads in 2021 with their decision to pivot to Image Comics for Geiger, their first creator-owned project together. That collaboration now continues with Junkyard Joe, a prequel series revealing the origin of the titular robot soldier.

IGN can exclusively debut three new pages from Junkyard Joe #1, which is in stores now. Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look, though beware of some NSFW imagery:

Junkyard Joe flashes back several decades before the apocalyptic events of Geiger, exploring that world's version of the Vietnam War. The series focuses on battle-weary cartoonist Muddy Davis, who will later go on to make Junkyard Joe famous as the hero of a popular comic strip. But in 1972, Junkyard Joe is just a killing machine fighting a bloody war, and Muddy and his platoon will discover just what sacrifices have to be made in order to make it back alive. While set in the same universe as Geiger, the series is also designed to work as a standalone war story.

"These few pages show a glimpse of what Muddy Davis and his platoon go through in 1972 in Vietnam, including Muddy’s encounter with the strange soldier that he’ll one day refer to as Junkyard Joe," Johns tells IGN. "Before diving into the present, we wanted to introduce the reader to early days of Muddy and Joe where they experience the dangers that bonded them together."

"I loved these scenes," adds Frank. "They're pivotal but it’s also fun/horrific/touching. They feel like fantasy elements but, under the surface, they're the beginning of the core story, the reality and truth that it’ll be dealing with."

Proceeds from the variant covers of Junkyard Joe #1 will be donated to two veteran support groups - The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and Veterans Aid. Johns' Mad Ghost Productions will donate an additional $2 for every copy sold.

Johns continues to pen new comics for DC in addition to this recent push into creator-owned territory. Johns is currently co-writing the Flashpoint sequel Flashpoint Beyond, a comic that recently made headlines by revealing the Joker's real name. Flashpoint Beyond will then pave the way for a relaunched Justice Society of America series with Batman artist Mikel Janin.

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

Writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank are renowned for their many DC Comics collaborations (including Action Comics, Doomsday Clock and Batman: Earth One), but the two creators turned heads in 2021 with their decision to pivot to Image Comics for Geiger, their first creator-owned project together. That collaboration now continues with Junkyard Joe, a prequel series revealing the origin of the titular robot soldier.

IGN can exclusively debut three new pages from Junkyard Joe #1, which is in stores now. Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look, though beware of some NSFW imagery:

Junkyard Joe flashes back several decades before the apocalyptic events of Geiger, exploring that world's version of the Vietnam War. The series focuses on battle-weary cartoonist Muddy Davis, who will later go on to make Junkyard Joe famous as the hero of a popular comic strip. But in 1972, Junkyard Joe is just a killing machine fighting a bloody war, and Muddy and his platoon will discover just what sacrifices have to be made in order to make it back alive. While set in the same universe as Geiger, the series is also designed to work as a standalone war story.

"These few pages show a glimpse of what Muddy Davis and his platoon go through in 1972 in Vietnam, including Muddy’s encounter with the strange soldier that he’ll one day refer to as Junkyard Joe," Johns tells IGN. "Before diving into the present, we wanted to introduce the reader to early days of Muddy and Joe where they experience the dangers that bonded them together."

"I loved these scenes," adds Frank. "They're pivotal but it’s also fun/horrific/touching. They feel like fantasy elements but, under the surface, they're the beginning of the core story, the reality and truth that it’ll be dealing with."

Proceeds from the variant covers of Junkyard Joe #1 will be donated to two veteran support groups - The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and Veterans Aid. Johns' Mad Ghost Productions will donate an additional $2 for every copy sold.

Johns continues to pen new comics for DC in addition to this recent push into creator-owned territory. Johns is currently co-writing the Flashpoint sequel Flashpoint Beyond, a comic that recently made headlines by revealing the Joker's real name. Flashpoint Beyond will then pave the way for a relaunched Justice Society of America series with Batman artist Mikel Janin.

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

Bayonetta voice actress Hellena Taylor won’t be returning for Bayonetta 3.

A statement from PlatinumGames to Game Informer (via Nintendo Everything) has confirmed that Taylor, who voiced Bayonetta in the first two games, won’t be back.

“Various overlapping circumstances made it difficult for Hellena Taylor to reprise her role,” they confirmed. “We held auditions to cast the new voice of Bayonetta and offered the role to Jennifer Hale, whom we felt was a good match for the character.”

Hale is perhaps best known as the female voice of Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series, as well as voicing Samus Aran in the Metroid Prime series.

“I understand the concerns some fans have about the voice change at this point in the series, but Jennifer’s performance was way beyond what we could have imagined,” they said. “I’m confident that her portrayal of Bayonetta will exceed our fans’ expectations.”

Bayonetta 3 is currently due for release at the end of the month. A sequel to Bayonetta 2, the game sees the titular heroine tackling Homunculi as she travels to the island of Thule to stop an evil entity known as The Singularity.

Taylor first hinted that she wouldn’t be back for the third installment earlier this year, as fans took to Twitter to say they couldn’t imagine Bayonetta without her voice work.

“Well you might have to,” she replied.

Bound by a confidentiality agreement at the time, she was unable to confirm whether or not she would return for Bayonetta 3, but now we know.

IGN’s Bayonetta review gave it 8.2/10 and said: “Although Bayonetta has more than a few similarities to Devil May Cry, I believe that this game is worth playing... but it's hard to recommend the PS3 version when the 360 version is so much better. Even when you consider the fantastic combat system, the slowdown and load times really do spoil the fun. With that said, Bayonetta is still stylish, entertaining, and unique. If you have no other choice but to purchase the PS3 version, you'll still get a kick out of it. Just be ready to be exorbitantly patient.” Our Bayonetta 2 review was even more positive, with a score of 9.5.

Want to read more about Bayonetta? Check out our hands-on with Bayonetta 3 and find out about Hideki Kamiya's obsession with classic arcade games.

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

Scarlet Witch actress Elizabeth Olsen has revealed that the cast of Avengers: Infinity War didn't know they were getting blipped until the day they started filming the scene.

During an interview with Variety, Olsen was asked about her experience of working on Infinity War and Endgame, leading up to the climactic showdown between the Avengers and Thanos. She revealed that the cast of Infinity War didn't know how the movie ended until they reached those scenes in the shooting schedule because the blip was omitted from the script.

"I mean, those movies I really don't know what's going on," she admitted, shedding some light on the secretive production process. "I just get my pages, so I understand the part of the story I'm fulfilling. I get a story that is told to me from the Russos about what's happening in the rest of the movie. And it isn't in the script that everyone gets blipped."

Marvel restricted access to the script by keeping the document on one specific iPad that could only be accessed inside an office that was manned by a security guard. Olsen said she was privy to the fates of some characters in the Avengers movies, such as Tony Stark, whose funeral was referred to as "The Wedding" internally, but the blip was a total shock.

"I didn't know I got blipped away until we shot it. That was told to us that day," she said. "All of us went to the van where they had a bunch of equipment to show us pre-viz: Scarlett [Johansson], Chris [Hemsworth], Chadwick [Boseman], Sebastian [Stan]. We were all just in this van, and they said, 'This is what's happening. You guys will disappear.' And we're like, 'OK.' It was shocking. I mean, we didn't know. We thought the movie ended differently."

The Infinity Saga, encompassing Phase 1, 2 and 3 of the MCU, featured four Avengers movies across seven years, with the first Avengers film being released in 2012 and the last arriving in 2019. The first three Avengers movies were released with three years between each, while Infinity War and Endgame debuted just a year apart from one another.

The next Avengers film, The Kang Dynasty, will arrive six years after Endgame, as a "saga-capper" that will close out Phase 6 along with Avengers: Secret Wars. The Kang Dynasty will hit the big screen on May 2, 2025, and Secret Wars will be released six months later on November 7, 2025. Phase 6 will also officially conclude the MCU's Multiverse Saga.

Secret Wars may well be Marvel's biggest superhero movie yet, one that could possibly dwarf Endgame in scope and the sheer number of characters involved. If you're not familiar with this huge cosmic epic, then you might want to check out IGN's breakdown of everything you need to know about Secret Wars to find out why the MCU's Phase 6 will be the biggest ever.

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