Arkane and Bethesda have announced that Deathloop has been delayed once more, pushing the time-looping immersive sim back to September 2021. In a video and written statement, game director Dinga Bakaba and art director Sebastien Mitton explained that Arkane has made the decision to delay Deathoop from May 21 to September 14, 2021.

pic.twitter.com/f0OWWxdUkt

— DEATHLOOP (@deathloop) April 8, 2021

"We're committed to quality and preserving our team's ambitions for Deathloop while ensuring the health and safety of everyone at Arkane," reads the statement. "We'll be using this extra time to accomplish our goal: create a fun, stylish, and mind-bending player experience." Originally, Deathloop was intended to release in the launch window of the PlayStation 5, and so was expected around November/December 2020. Arkane delayed the project to Q2 2021, settling on the May 21 date. But now we'll have to wait a few more months, with September 14 being the new date. As for the game release calendar, this moves Deathloop away from the upcoming Resident Evil Village and Mass Effect Legendary edition, so there's now more space in your calendar for those. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/25/deathloop-deja-vu-state-of-play-trailer"] For more on Arkane's fascinating new game, check out the full presentation on Deathloop from IGN Fan Fest earlier this year, where we learned that players will once again be able to use powers similar to those in Dishonored to succeed in their quest of breaking the time loop. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Regé-Jean Page has spoken out after a report alleged that he was rejected from a role in Syfy's Superman spin-off series Krypton because of his race. A report from The Hollywood Reporter published on Tuesday alleged that Page had previously auditioned for the role of Superman's grandfather in Krypton because, according to multiple sources, the creators of the show had expressed that they were "passionate about doing some nontraditional casting" for the show, which was later cancelled after just two seasons on the air. After auditioning for the part, Page is said to have missed out on the role because former DC Films chairman Geoff Johns, who was overseeing the series at the time, allegedly "vetoed the idea," with sources claiming that Johns had stated that Superman "could not have a black grandfather." Reps for Johns have since weighed in on the report, denying that he ever made such a comment. [caption id="attachment_2497423" align="alignnone" width="720"] Image credit: Twitter/regejean[/caption] In a tweet on Wednesday, Page appeared to address the report that had circulated just one day earlier, as he shared a message that seemingly referenced the allegations. "Hearing about these conversations hurts no less now than it did back then," he wrote. "The clarifications almost hurt more tbh. Still just doing my thing. Still we do the work. We still fly." A rep for Johns told E! News: "Geoff never said Superman can't have a Black ancestor or be Black—there have been diverse versions of Superman throughout the comics for decades so he does and can be diverse. However, the expectation for Krypton was that it would initially be perceived as a possible prequel to Man of Steel by the fans and the lead was expected to invoke a young Henry Cavill." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dc-extended-universe-every-upcoming-movie&captions=true"] While Cameron Cuffe ultimately landed the Seg-El role, Page went on to play Simon Bassett in Bridgerton, Netflix's Regency era debutante drama. In IGN's review of the series, Bridgerton was awarded a nine out of 10, with particular praise being given for the "impeccable" chemistry between Page's mysterious and conflicted Basset and Phoebe Dynevor's Daphne Bridgerton. However, Page will not be returning for Bridgerton Season 2. Bridgerton's official Twitter page shared a letter from Lady Whisteldown to announce the news last week. "We bid adieu to Rege-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings," the post read. "We'll miss Simon's presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Co-developers Dotemu, Lizardcube, and Guard Crush Games have announced that Streets of Rage 4 is to receive a new game mode, characters, and customisation options across two DLC packages; a paid-for pack and a free update. The paid-for Mr. X Nightmare DLC adds three new playable characters and a survival mode. All three characters have yet to be revealed, but the DLC announcement trailer reveals that Estel Aguirre, who was an enemy character in Street of Rage 4’s campaign, will now be a playable fighter. As for the new survival mode, the developers promise challenges and special tests of skills. As with the DLC characters, an air of mystery has been left over the details, so we’ll have to wait to find out more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/08/streets-of-rage-4-mr-x-nightmare-dlc-official-trailer"] This premium DLC pack also includes the ability to customise the fighting style of each character, allowing players to choose new moves. During levels, players will also find new weapons and enemies to contend with. A separate, free update will also introduce the New Mania+ difficulty level to offer a “brutal challenge” for experienced players, while a new training system will help people perfect combos. It also adds new colour palette options for characters. Dotemu has not announced a release date for either the paid-for DLC or free update, only going as far as to say they will be available later this year. If Streets of Rage 4 hasn’t caught your eye so far, be sure to check out our review. And if you’re already a fan, check out how to unlock every retro level. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Jodie Turner-Smith has exited Netflix's upcoming Witcher prequel series, The Witcher: Blood Origin, due to a scheduling conflict. Deadline first reported the news of Smith's departure, with a statement from Netflix confirming the actress' exit from the series. "Due to a change in the production schedule for The Witcher: Blood Origin limited series, unfortunately Jodie Turner-Smith will no longer be able to continue on in the role of Éile," a spokesperson for the streamer told the outlet. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-witcher-explaining-all-the-characters-and-who-plays-them&captions=true"] Smith had been lined up to star in one of the show's lead roles, playing Éile, "an elite warrior blessed with the voice of a goddess, [who] has left her clan and position as Queen's guardian to follow her heart as a nomadic musician. A grand reckoning on the continent forces her to return to the way of the blade in her quest for vengeance and redemption." A new actress will now need to be found for the role, starring alongside previously-announced cast member Laurence O'Fuarain, who has been cast as Fjall, a warrior that "carries a deep scar within, the death of a loved one who fell in battle trying to save him," propelling him to fight "beside the most unlikely of allies as he carves a path of vengeance across a continent in turmoil." Set 1,200 years before the events of The Witcher, Netflix's hit series starring Henry Cavill, the streamer's upcoming six-part prequel series will tell a story lost to time — regarding the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal "conjunction of the spheres," when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/the-witcher-season-2-will-see-all-characters-exist-on-same-timeline-ign-news"] Blood Origin is being developed by the original series' showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, and Declan de Barra who wrote The Witcher Season 1 episode 'Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials.' The Witcher novelist Andrzej Sapkowski is also onboard as a creative consultant. No release date has been set for The Witcher: Blood Origin or The Witcher Season 2, though production recently wrapped on the latter. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Infinity Ward added a trio of new maps to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare last week, but the studio has now quietly removed two of them without explanation. Last week we reported that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which Activision had seemingly ended support for, received the classic Call of Duty 4 map Killhouse, as well as two new maps called Al-Raab Airbase and Drainage.

In addition to Killhouse, the Drainage (Gunfight) and Al-Raab Airbase maps are also available in #ModernWarfare Private Matches.

Read more: https://t.co/lVkbsr6UCG pic.twitter.com/bK7Cr6ShEV — Call of Duty Tracker (@CODTracker) March 31, 2021

But, as spotted by Eurogamer, both of the new maps have now been removed, while Killhouse remains, accompanied by the Killhouse 24/7 playlist inside the game. Drainage and Al-Raab Airbase were previously playable in private matches, but if you log into the game now, you won't be able to choose them during custom game setup. It's not clear why the maps were even added, never mind removed, and Activision nor Infinity Ward haven't commented on the situation, which makes it all the more confusing. Hopefully, we'll get an official explanation soon. We've contacted them for comment.

Infinity Ward appears to have removed Al-Raab Airbase and Drainage MP maps from Modern Warfare quietly. The two maps were added to play in Private Matches last week. Both are no longer on the list for players.

Killhouse is still available. — Call of Duty News (@charlieINTEL) April 7, 2021

In other Call of Duty news, check out our article covering how the Season 2 update finally reduced the game's massive file size. The actor behind Modern Warfare's Mara character also recently got two Warzone cheats banned after calling them out during a Twitch stream. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Capcom has announced a Resident Evil Village showcase for April 15, and files for a new 'gameplay demo' appear to have been uploaded to the PlayStation Network. Announced on Twitter, Capcom says the showcase will include a new trailer and gameplay, "along with a few other surprises" on April 15 at 3pm Pacific / 6pm Eastern / 11pm UK (that's April 16 at 8am AEST).

Brace yourselves for the next Resident Evil Showcase which goes live on April 15th at 3 PM PDT / 11 PM BST! Once again hosted by Brittney Brombacher (@BlondeNerd), watch the teaser below for more info, and join the Resident Evil Re:Verse Open Beta Test while you wait! pic.twitter.com/ZFNhSfztRM

— Resident Evil (@RE_Games) April 8, 2021

Those surprises could include the promised second demo for Resident Evil Village (which will be multi-platform). MP1st reports that files for a new demo have been uploaded to PlayStation Network's backend, calling it a "Gameplay Demo" (presumably to differentiate from the previous Maiden demo, which was more of an interactive experience, with no combat included). MP1st reports that the files are around 10GB in size, and includes Vita Remote Play controls, which suggests it can be played on PS4, PS5, or Vita. The Maiden demo was released alongside the last showcase, so it feels likely that Capcom will repeat that trick. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/resident-evil-village-first-ever-ps4-pro-gameplay-4k-ign-first"] We're running an IGN First for Resident Evil Village throughout April, giving you exclusive looks at the game you won't see anywhere else. We've already shown gameplay on PS4 Pro, and run you through the evolution of Lady Dimitrescu, and we have much more coming. An open beta for the game's multiplayer mode, RE:Verse is playable right now, and it feels likely we'll see more of it in the showcase. It's possible we may also learn more about live-action movie Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which will remake the first two games as a single film. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

The game director of the PS5 exclusive Abandoned has responded to rumours about the game being a secret Hideo Kojima project – and teased that it will receive a demo and a potential closed alpha test. Revealed earlier this week, Abandoned is a cinematic, first-person horror survival shooter with realistic visuals, pegged to launch in Q4 2021. Developer Blue Box Game Studios has a quiet social media presence, a fairly unknown history, and released a P.T.-esque trailer – all of which led some fans led to believe that it was actually a front for a new Kojima Productions project. The studio quickly issued an official response to the rumours on the company website: "We have no association with Hideo Kojima nor do we claim to have any association nor was it our intention to claim such a statement. We are a small group of developers working on a passionate title we wanted to work on for a long time." In an interview with IGN, Blue Box Game Studios director Hasan Kahraman spoke in more detail about the rumours: "It wasn't fun but it did make me laugh," they explained. "At first I was receiving messages from people telling me that they’ve been watching me and that I (As Kojima) used some marketing tricks to promote his next game. I didn’t know what they meant until I Googled it." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/07/abandoned-announcement-teaser-trailer"] You may remember all the way back in 2012 when a game called 'The Phantom Pain' was revealed during the 2012 Video Game Awards. Supposedly developed by 'Moby Dick Studios', its CEO Joakim Mogren (Joakim being an anagram of Kojima) appeared covered in bandages in an interview with Geoff Keighley to promote the game before it was later revealed that the project was actually Metal Gear Solid V. Many took the unknown nature of Blue Box to mean something similar was happening now. Kahraman assures us that it isn't, and that this isn't the way they'd hoped to announce a new game: "It did bother me a bit as we as a team are so excited to tease a bit of our game and then this conspiracy comes." Kahraman continued. "All I wanted to do is to tease our game. Regarding our social media presence, we’re a small team and not a big AAA studio, it’s already hard work to work on a highly polished game for PS5 so we really can’t spare the time to work on our social media presence full-time (while it is important)." Moving past the misunderstanding, Kahraman also shared some more details about the game with IGN. Blue Box has been working on Abandoned since 2017, and the studio's initial goal was to create a tactical shooter game with cinematic storytelling and realistic gameplay. "We wanted to make something different than traditional shooter games," Kahraman said. "We wanted to make a game that feels real. Like when reloading, you get to see the whole animation, while in combat. Or when you get hit, you really need to stop the bleeding in order to continue fighting." Kahraman talks about several gameplay situations that will affect a character's stability in realistic fashion: "When you get hit in the legs, for example, you would fall down, unequipping your firearm by dropping it on the ground. You would eventually have to choose to take your firearm and fight or to stop the bleeding and cleanse the wound to prevent getting a disease," Kahraman adds. "This is not going to be a comforting battle. I promise." Kahraman says that the game's realistic environmental graphics were achieved through photogrammetry and retopology of the models (a process that takes high quality visuals and shrinks them for more efficient use), and has been bolstered by the horsepower of the PS5. "The PS5 console is powerful enough to run these images at a 4k resolution," Kahraman notes. "However optimization is needed to run the game at 60 FPS. At the end of the teaser, you’ll see some heavy cam shakes and frame drops. The animation isn’t final while the cam shake is removed and the framerate will go up to 60FPS, unlike the teaser video." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=abandoned-screenshots-of-the-ps5-exclusive&captions=true"] According to Kahraman, the game also "depends" on the DualSense wireless controller and makes good use of the immersive benefits of the PS5. "The feel and sound of the controller would change depending on if your firearm is loaded or unloaded. 3D audio is used for tactical purposes like to determine the distance between you and the enemy." they add. Much like Kojima's own P.T. (which was intended as a teaser for the cancelled Silent Hills), or Resident Evil's recent demos, a "small teaser" for Abandoned will be available to download on the PS5 ahead of launch, but Kahraman says the studio "can't share more details about it just yet. We are also thinking of doing some closed alpha testing on PS5 sometime after, but that isn’t 100% sure." Aside from Abandoned PS5's 2021 exclusives include Returnal (April), Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart (June), and Horizon Forbidden West (TBA 2021). We've also got a rundown of all of Sony's first party studios and what they're working on. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Dontnod is embracing a new direction: it's amping up its publishing arm so it can publish games made by other studios, beginning with a new title from PortaPlay. Today, the Life is Strange developer announced it would be publishing a brand new game from the developer of drunken zombie fighting game Broken Lines. Details about what this new game is have yet to be revealed, though PortaPlay head of development Hans von Knut Skovfoged said in a statement that the studio felt "called to work on games with meaning" with a focus on storytelling "about individuals in crisis situations tackling moral dilemmas." A bio sent with the announcement press release describes PortaPlay as a studio that makes games about "war and conflicts, told from the perspectives of the men and women enduring them." This announcement comes after statements last year from Dontnod CEO Oskar Guilbert, who said then that the developer was building a publishing and marketing arm to self-publish its own games, intending to be "as independent as possible" in the future. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/06/broken-lines-teaser-trailer"] In a statement, Dontnod head of publishing Xavier Spinat indicated that this was by no means the end to internal development at Dontnod: "As a publisher, we want to offer players experiences that are both accessible to the wider audience, while setting the bar high regarding themes and quality of design," he said. "From our first discussions with PortaPlay, it became clear to us that co-producing and publishing this original creation would allow us to expand our portfolio with a game complementary to our in-house productions, while remaining true to our DNA." Dontnod most recently released two of its own games last year: Twin Mirror and Tell Me Why. Our review called the former a "frustratingly uneven adventure," but Tell Me Why told "a good story in a charming world" and received praised for its main character Tyler, the first playable transgender video game hero from a major studio. It is unknown what Dontnod might be working on next itself. Earlier this year, Tencent purchased a minority stake in the studio to help it create a new IP, and at least for now Dontnod's acclaimed Life is Strange series appears to be in the hands of Deck Nine for the next entry, True Colors. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

On this week's episode of IGN's PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Brian Altano and Lucy O'Brien to break down all the biggest Sony news of the last week, including the confirmation that E3 2021 is returning as an all-digital event, but as of right now Sony won't be there. The panel discusses why this isn't shocking, and how PlayStation can still have a big 2021 even without needing to be at E3. Plus, the cast jumps into MLB the Show's availability on Game Pass for Xbox players but it not yet being announced for PlayStation Plus. The cast digs into how we think the two companies' services are comparing, what, if anything, we expect to change about Sony's offering, and more. Then, we dive into some of the games we're playing now, like Oddworld: Soulstorm, Disco Elysium, and Outriders, plus a haunted Memory Card story, and much more! Watch the new episode above! [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"]

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Podcast Beyond! is live every Wednesday. For more on PS5, check out our PS5 console review and our PS5 wiki guide for tips on how to best use your system. And for more Beyond, be sure to watch the first episode of our Bloodborne let's play! [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=6dd2b926-8863-4080-99b2-d08eb61f67f6"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Capcom has revealed its upcoming plans for Street Fighter V, including details about the three new characters set to join the roster over the coming months. The latest fighter, Dan, was added to the game in February, and up next is Rose, who was announced during the Winter update for the game. Rose, a soul-powered fortune teller, will be released on April 19 with a moveset that Capcom says will "change the future of Street Fighter V." Some of those moves include her V-Skill I, Soul Fortune, which allows Rose to use a tarot card to either buff herself or debuff her opponent, and her V-Skill II, Soul Satellite, which makes a return from Street Fighter IV. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=street-fighter-5-season-5-dlc-characters&captions=true"] "When activated, Rose summons an orb that will circle around her," the PlayStation SFV Spring Update blog post reads. "Hit V-Skill again to summon a second orb. Each orb can either hit once or negate a single projectile hit. Use this V-Skill to put more pressure on opponents." Oro, the wandering hermit, will join the game's roster after Rose. Last seen in Street Fighter III, Oro does not yet have a release date, but Capcom says he'll be added to the game this Summer. Oro comes with a moveset featuring some of his classic moves from Street Fighter III and some new moves as well. "He even retains his one-armed combat style," the blog post reads. "However, unlike SFIII where he sealed one of his arms, here he is holding his new turtle pet during combat." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/06/street-fighter-v-akira-kazama-teaser"] One of Oro's new moves is called Tsuranekeashi. It's a kick move "used to help keep opponents at bay, but can also be used in combos." Another new move for this fighter is his V-Skill II called Minomushi. It's essentially a small hop that can be extended into a combo of kicks and punches. The last big thing detailed in the Spring Update blog post is Akira Kazama, a fighter announced last August, and the second to last fighter coming with the Street Fighter V Season 5 premium pass. Not much was said about this new character who originally hails from video game Rival Schools, but Capcom did release a work-in-progress trailer that you can view above. More will be revealed about Akira "in the near future," according to Capcom. Hitting the game alongside Rose's release on April 19 are three new costumes for Vega, Seth, and Juri. You can check those out below: [caption id="attachment_2497177" align="alignnone" width="720"] New costumes for Vega, Seth, and Juri, Photo Credit: Street Fighter V, Capcom[/caption] Check out everything already in the Street Fighter V Season 5 premium pass and character pass, and everything coming to the passes in the future, below: [caption id="attachment_2497181" align="alignnone" width="720"] Street Fighter V Season 5 Passes, Photo Credit: Street Fighter V, Capcom[/caption] While waiting for these new characters to hit Street Fighter V, catch up on all the new fighters announced last August and then check out this trailer for the game's Eleven character after that. Then, read our thoughts on the game in the official IGN Street Fighter V review. For more details about all of the fighter mentioned above, including detailed breakdowns of all their moves, check out Capcom's Spring Update on the PlayStation Blog. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.