The Electronic Software Association has announced its plans for the first digital-only E3, which will include Nintendo and Xbox, but currently does not include Sony. Taking place from June 12-15, E3 2021 is confirmed to include appearances from Nintendo, Xbox, Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Games, Koch Media. Sony is conspicuous by its absence on that list, and we've contacted the company for comment. Other major missing companies include EA (which has recently preferred to host its own EA Play events during E3's timing), Square Enix, Sega, Bandai Namco, Tencent, 505, and Activision Blizzard. The ESA makes clear that the list of partners marks "early commitments", so other publishers and developers could come onboard at a later date. However, before the show's pandemic-related cancellation, Sony had confirmed that it had no plans to attend E3 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/10/will-e3-still-have-a-big-impact-in-2021-plus-silent-hill-rumors-beyond-episode-687"] After announcing that the show would return as a digital-only event, the E3 website promises "live press conferences and a four-day long video stream," and says the show will be "a reimagined and hyper-engaged digital experience." Concrete details about the show remain thin on the ground, but ESA president Stanley Pierre-Louis used a press release to say: “We are evolving this year’s E3 into a more inclusive event, but will still look to excite the fans with major reveals and insider opportunities that make this event the indispensable center stage for video games.” What we know for sure is that the event will be entirely free. After previous reports that parts of E3 2021 could be put behind paywalls, the ESA told IGN that "E3’s 2021 digital show is a free event for all attendees". [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.

A native 4K port of TimeSplitters 2 is tucked inside Homefront: The Revolution. There's just one problem – the code to unlock it has seemingly been lost. During the Easter weekend, ex-Vlambeer developer Jan Willem Nijman asked fellow devs to point out their favourite Easter eggs hidden in their games. Matt Phillips, who previously worked at Homefront: The Revolution developer Dambuster, revealed a doozy: "My proudest moment. Fully playable, native 4K port of TimeSplitters 2 hidden in this arcade machine in Homefront: The Revolution."

My proudest moment. Fully playable, native 4K port of TimeSplitters 2 hidden in this arcade machine in Homefront: The Revolution. https://t.co/U0ulGEW1A1 pic.twitter.com/a4UsyOw7eh

— Matt Phillips (@bigevilboss) April 4, 2021

We already knew that two levels of the classic shooter were hidden inside Homefront, and fans had previously found the full game in Homefront's files, but it remained unplayable by normal means. However, Phillips says that the game was "fully playable" with the use of an unlock code. And that's where it gets tricky, as Phillips no longer has the notebook where he wrote it down. Even worse, his previous attempts to spread it were shut down. Responding to a fan's request for how to unlock the rest, Phillips said: "The unlock code has been lost to time, I don't have the notebook with it in any more. I once gave it to a friend to leak in some Discord channel and they called him a liar and banned his account ahahah". [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/05/17/homefront-the-revolution-timesplitters-2-easter-egg"] Amazingly, Phillips even points out that he specifically designed Homefront's in-game arcade machine, which activates the TimeSplitters Easter egg, so that it would activate a multiplayer menu if placed in the same map as a second arcade machine. Making clear that it would only work in theory, Phillips wrote: "I ported the network stack to ride on top of [Homefront: The Revolution's] co-op mode. If, and that's a big if, anyone was able to hack two or more arcades into one of the co-op maps, it'll boot to the [multiplayer] menu." Phillips says he thinks there were two of the game's multiplayer maps included. Of course, the Internet is already looking for ways to find the code, with many players already combing the game's files for clues. Phillips says this may be a fruitless search: "To put you out of your misery," he wrote to several Twitter users, "there's nothing in the base game that even remotely hints at the cheat, sorry." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/14/new-timesplitters-saints-row-dead-island-2-updates-from-thq-nordic"] That likely won't stop fans looking for ways to circumvent the code (or go searching for someone who has it), however – TimeSplitters 2 is a cult classic to this day, and the lure of a 4K port is likely enough to keep the community scouring. As for how the entirety of TimeSplitters 2 was allowed into Homefront: The Revolution in the first place, Dambuster started life as TimeSplitters creator Free Radical, which held onto the source code and later gained the rights to use it. Given the fan response to this Easter egg, it doesn't seem like a terrible idea to just... release the port as a standalone game. We may see more TimeSplitters one day, too – Koch Media has previously hinted at a new project in the series, and brought on co-creator Steve Ellis to "plot the future course" of the franchise. [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.

A native 4K port of TimeSplitters 2 is tucked inside Homefront: The Revolution. There's just one problem – the code to unlock it has seemingly been lost. During the Easter weekend, ex-Vlambeer developer Jan Willem Nijman asked fellow devs to point out their favourite Easter eggs hidden in their games. Matt Phillips, who previously worked at Homefront: The Revolution developer Dambuster, revealed a doozy: "My proudest moment. Fully playable, native 4K port of TimeSplitters 2 hidden in this arcade machine in Homefront: The Revolution."

My proudest moment. Fully playable, native 4K port of TimeSplitters 2 hidden in this arcade machine in Homefront: The Revolution. https://t.co/U0ulGEW1A1 pic.twitter.com/a4UsyOw7eh

— Matt Phillips (@bigevilboss) April 4, 2021

We already knew that two levels of the classic shooter were hidden inside Homefront, and fans had previously found the full game in Homefront's files, but it remained unplayable by normal means. However, Phillips says that the game was "fully playable" with the use of an unlock code. And that's where it gets tricky, as Phillips no longer has the notebook where he wrote it down. Even worse, his previous attempts to spread it were shut down. Responding to a fan's request for how to unlock the rest, Phillips said: "The unlock code has been lost to time, I don't have the notebook with it in any more. I once gave it to a friend to leak in some Discord channel and they called him a liar and banned his account ahahah". [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/05/17/homefront-the-revolution-timesplitters-2-easter-egg"] Amazingly, Phillips even points out that he specifically designed Homefront's in-game arcade machine, which activates the TimeSplitters Easter egg, so that it would activate a multiplayer menu if placed in the same map as a second arcade machine. Making clear that it would only work in theory, Phillips wrote: "I ported the network stack to ride on top of [Homefront: The Revolution's] co-op mode. If, and that's a big if, anyone was able to hack two or more arcades into one of the co-op maps, it'll boot to the [multiplayer] menu." Phillips says he thinks there were two of the game's multiplayer maps included. Of course, the Internet is already looking for ways to find the code, with many players already combing the game's files for clues. Phillips says this may be a fruitless search: "To put you out of your misery," he wrote to several Twitter users, "there's nothing in the base game that even remotely hints at the cheat, sorry." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/14/new-timesplitters-saints-row-dead-island-2-updates-from-thq-nordic"] That likely won't stop fans looking for ways to circumvent the code (or go searching for someone who has it), however – TimeSplitters 2 is a cult classic to this day, and the lure of a 4K port is likely enough to keep the community scouring. As for how the entirety of TimeSplitters 2 was allowed into Homefront: The Revolution in the first place, Dambuster started life as TimeSplitters creator Free Radical, which held onto the source code and later gained the rights to use it. Given the fan response to this Easter egg, it doesn't seem like a terrible idea to just... release the port as a standalone game. We may see more TimeSplitters one day, too – Koch Media has previously hinted at a new project in the series, and brought on co-creator Steve Ellis to "plot the future course" of the franchise. [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.

A playable prototype of a cancelled Dreamcast Castlevania 3D platformer has seemingly been found. As reported by Polygon, a YouTube video titled Castlevania Resurrection Exists has surfaced, showing a user booting and playing what appears to be an early prototype of the cancelled late '90s project. According to Dreamcast preservationists, the build comes from before E3 1999 and features five 3D environments and a boss fight. You can read more about the game on Unseen64, which explains how it was cancelled due to "disagreements between the Japanese and American Konami teams." It would have been set in 1666 and featured Sonia Belmont (from Castlevania Legends) meeting new character Victor Belmont (who would later appear in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2013/06/06/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-interview"] The anonymous owner boots the game from a disc marked "Sega confidential", dated 1999, and reading 'Castlevania Resurrection' in handwritten text. The owner then shows a number of levels from a "section select" developer menu, including Logo, Title, Courtyard, Stairs, Hall, Corridor and Chapel. Movement appears intact as ghostly figures follow Sonia around a lava pit and a spooky chapel. If legitimate, it's a fascinating glimpse into a promising looking game that was never made, an all-too-common story in the games industry. IGN even wrote about the game before it was cancelled, playing an early version and appraising early images. "Unlike the somewhat bland interface of the N64 version," IGN wrote, "this game looks like it might have what it takes to bring back the visual flair that once reigned supreme in the series, with a variety of creepy villains and a moody, light-sourced atmosphere that is a creepy as it is breath-taking." While Victor Belmont eventually made his debut in 2014's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, that also marked the last time we saw a new installment in the series. Konami has since been reluctant to develop new console games for its classic franchises – but it hasn't shut down its gaming division, despite some rumours. [poilib element="accentDivider"]. Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

A playable prototype of a cancelled Dreamcast Castlevania 3D platformer has seemingly been found. As reported by Polygon, a YouTube video titled Castlevania Resurrection Exists has surfaced, showing a user booting and playing what appears to be an early prototype of the cancelled late '90s project. According to Dreamcast preservationists, the build comes from before E3 1999 and features five 3D environments and a boss fight. You can read more about the game on Unseen64, which explains how it was cancelled due to "disagreements between the Japanese and American Konami teams." It would have been set in 1666 and featured Sonia Belmont (from Castlevania Legends) meeting new character Victor Belmont (who would later appear in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2013/06/06/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-interview"] The anonymous owner boots the game from a disc marked "Sega confidential", dated 1999, and reading 'Castlevania Resurrection' in handwritten text. The owner then shows a number of levels from a "section select" developer menu, including Logo, Title, Courtyard, Stairs, Hall, Corridor and Chapel. Movement appears intact as ghostly figures follow Sonia around a lava pit and a spooky chapel. If legitimate, it's a fascinating glimpse into a promising looking game that was never made, an all-too-common story in the games industry. IGN even wrote about the game before it was cancelled, playing an early version and appraising early images. "Unlike the somewhat bland interface of the N64 version," IGN wrote, "this game looks like it might have what it takes to bring back the visual flair that once reigned supreme in the series, with a variety of creepy villains and a moody, light-sourced atmosphere that is a creepy as it is breath-taking." While Victor Belmont eventually made his debut in 2014's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, that also marked the last time we saw a new installment in the series. Konami has since been reluctant to develop new console games for its classic franchises – but it hasn't shut down its gaming division, despite some rumours. [poilib element="accentDivider"]. Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Paul Ritter – who appeared in Chernobyl, Quantum of Solace, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and more – has died at the age of 54. Speaking to The Guardian, Ritter's agent said the actor had died peacefully after suffering with a brain tumour. Ritter is survived by his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah. Ritter was a multi-talented screen and stage actor, known for taking on both dramatic and comedic roles. In recent years, he was perhaps best known for playing deputy-chief engineer Anatoly Dyatlov in Chernobyl and the hilarious (often shirtless) Martin Goodman in UK sitcom Friday Night Dinner. He also played Guy Haines in Bond movie Quantum of Solace, Eldred Worple in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and appeared in many other movie and TV projects. [caption id="attachment_2496469" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Paul Ritter as Anatoly Dyatlov in Chernobyl.[/caption] Friday Night Dinner creator Robert Popper called him the "greatest actor I ever worked with" in a tribute on Twitter, while comedian Rob Delaney pointed to Ritter's versatility: "Knocked it out of the PARK in Chernobyl. Watching it I consciously thought, "Oh, we have a new movie star." Between that & how funny he was in Friday Night Dinner... just unreal talent. Rest in peace, Paul Ritter." Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss wrote, "Paul Ritter. What an actor. What a presence. So shocked and saddened by this awful news. RIP." Actor Eddie Marsan added, "Just out of drama school I saw a production of 3 Sisters. A young actor playing Tuzenbach, did the monologue before the duel. I’d heard it every week at DS. But when he did it, I forgot I’d heard it before. He went on to be one of our greatest actors.  RIP Paul Ritter."

Devastated at this terribly sad news. Paul was a lovely, wonderful human being. Kind, funny, super caring and the greatest actor I ever worked with x https://t.co/yD6QpHEeo8

— Robert Popper (@robertpopper) April 6, 2021

All of us at IGN offer our condolences to Ritter's family and friends. [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.

Paul Ritter – who appeared in Chernobyl, Quantum of Solace, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and more – has died at the age of 54. Speaking to The Guardian, Ritter's agent said the actor had died peacefully after suffering with a brain tumour. Ritter is survived by his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah. Ritter was a multi-talented screen and stage actor, known for taking on both dramatic and comedic roles. In recent years, he was perhaps best known for playing deputy-chief engineer Anatoly Dyatlov in Chernobyl and the hilarious (often shirtless) Martin Goodman in UK sitcom Friday Night Dinner. He also played Guy Haines in Bond movie Quantum of Solace, Eldred Worple in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and appeared in many other movie and TV projects. [caption id="attachment_2496469" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Paul Ritter as Anatoly Dyatlov in Chernobyl.[/caption] Friday Night Dinner creator Robert Popper called him the "greatest actor I ever worked with" in a tribute on Twitter, while comedian Rob Delaney pointed to Ritter's versatility: "Knocked it out of the PARK in Chernobyl. Watching it I consciously thought, "Oh, we have a new movie star." Between that & how funny he was in Friday Night Dinner... just unreal talent. Rest in peace, Paul Ritter." Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss wrote, "Paul Ritter. What an actor. What a presence. So shocked and saddened by this awful news. RIP." Actor Eddie Marsan added, "Just out of drama school I saw a production of 3 Sisters. A young actor playing Tuzenbach, did the monologue before the duel. I’d heard it every week at DS. But when he did it, I forgot I’d heard it before. He went on to be one of our greatest actors.  RIP Paul Ritter."

Devastated at this terribly sad news. Paul was a lovely, wonderful human being. Kind, funny, super caring and the greatest actor I ever worked with x https://t.co/yD6QpHEeo8

— Robert Popper (@robertpopper) April 6, 2021

All of us at IGN offer our condolences to Ritter's family and friends. [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.

Borderlands writer and Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has made clear that the Borderlands cinematic universe is different to the Borderlands video game universe, after fans expressed concerns about the recently revealed plot for the Borderlands movie. Pitchford revealed the news in a tweet after the synopsis for the forthcoming Borderlands film was released earlier this week. The plot summary revealed that the movie was diverging from the plot of the game series, mainly by introducing a mostly unseen character called Atlas as the main antagonist, played by Edgar Ramirez. Many also pointed to the lack of mention of a Vault – sources of alien technology that act as something of a Holy Grail for the protagonsts of the Borderlands games – and Handsome Jack, the villain most associated with the series. Seemingly in response to those questions around the plot, Pitchford wrote: "The Borderlands Cinematic Universe is not identical to the Borderlands Videogame Universe. We are authentic to characters, tone and style, but allow for independent storylines. The mediums are not the same, so the content should not be bound to the same rules."

To the interested: The Borderlands Cinematic Universe is not identical to the Borderlands Videogame Universe. We are authentic to characters, tone and style, but allow for independent storylines. The mediums are not the same, so the content should not be bound to the same rules.

— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) April 6, 2021

Essentially, Director Eli Roth (Hostel) and writer Craig Mazin (Chernobyl, The Last of Us) are trying to tell a new story in a new verison of the Borderlands universe, riffing off of the themes and characters established in the game franchise, which is par for the course for most adaptations. However, some fans have expressed disappointment after reading the synopsis, which is likely what led Pitchford to clarify how the team is approaching the movie with regards to the established narrative in the game series. In IGN's comments section for the news of the movie's plot, TheCreepyPasta wrote, "Aaaaah now I get it! So many theories to explain a weird cast and age discrepancies, only to prove again that the simplest answer is often the right one: they never ever tried to adapt the story of the franchise in first place." Alien_Whal3 on Reddit said that it "sounds painfully like they already had a script for some generic sci-fi movie and they adapted borderlands to it. "I don't expect it to be awful, I'm sure it will be okay, but damn is it going to be painful to see how poorly they represent the games and characters." James-Avatar added, "This is just another ‘not made for the fans and too weird for the general public’ box office bombs." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/borderlands-the-movie-gets-an-official-synopsis"] It's of course possible that Vaults, Handsome Jack and other recognisable elements from the games will appear in the final movie, and are being held back from the basic synopsis – but fans are clearly concerned at the early changes being made to the formula. The Borderlands movie, which doesn't yet have a release date, will see Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Tannis, Jack Black as Claptrap, Kevin Hart as Roland, an ex-soldier turned mercenary, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Tina Tina's protector, Krieg, and Hillbilly Elegy's Haley Bennett as an unnamed character connected to Lilith. The movie will see the crew "battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect [a] missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power. The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other." It's one of a host of in-production movie and TV adaptations of games right now. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Borderlands writer and Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has made clear that the Borderlands cinematic universe is different to the Borderlands video game universe, after fans expressed concerns about the recently revealed plot for the Borderlands movie. Pitchford revealed the news in a tweet after the synopsis for the forthcoming Borderlands film was released earlier this week. The plot summary revealed that the movie was diverging from the plot of the game series, mainly by introducing a mostly unseen character called Atlas as the main antagonist, played by Edgar Ramirez. Many also pointed to the lack of mention of a Vault – sources of alien technology that act as something of a Holy Grail for the protagonsts of the Borderlands games – and Handsome Jack, the villain most associated with the series. Seemingly in response to those questions around the plot, Pitchford wrote: "The Borderlands Cinematic Universe is not identical to the Borderlands Videogame Universe. We are authentic to characters, tone and style, but allow for independent storylines. The mediums are not the same, so the content should not be bound to the same rules."

To the interested: The Borderlands Cinematic Universe is not identical to the Borderlands Videogame Universe. We are authentic to characters, tone and style, but allow for independent storylines. The mediums are not the same, so the content should not be bound to the same rules.

— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) April 6, 2021

Essentially, Director Eli Roth (Hostel) and writer Craig Mazin (Chernobyl, The Last of Us) are trying to tell a new story in a new verison of the Borderlands universe, riffing off of the themes and characters established in the game franchise, which is par for the course for most adaptations. However, some fans have expressed disappointment after reading the synopsis, which is likely what led Pitchford to clarify how the team is approaching the movie with regards to the established narrative in the game series. In IGN's comments section for the news of the movie's plot, TheCreepyPasta wrote, "Aaaaah now I get it! So many theories to explain a weird cast and age discrepancies, only to prove again that the simplest answer is often the right one: they never ever tried to adapt the story of the franchise in first place." Alien_Whal3 on Reddit said that it "sounds painfully like they already had a script for some generic sci-fi movie and they adapted borderlands to it. "I don't expect it to be awful, I'm sure it will be okay, but damn is it going to be painful to see how poorly they represent the games and characters." James-Avatar added, "This is just another ‘not made for the fans and too weird for the general public’ box office bombs." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/borderlands-the-movie-gets-an-official-synopsis"] It's of course possible that Vaults, Handsome Jack and other recognisable elements from the games will appear in the final movie, and are being held back from the basic synopsis – but fans are clearly concerned at the early changes being made to the formula. The Borderlands movie, which doesn't yet have a release date, will see Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Tannis, Jack Black as Claptrap, Kevin Hart as Roland, an ex-soldier turned mercenary, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Tina Tina's protector, Krieg, and Hillbilly Elegy's Haley Bennett as an unnamed character connected to Lilith. The movie will see the crew "battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect [a] missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power. The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other." It's one of a host of in-production movie and TV adaptations of games right now. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Space software engineer Michael Pick has not only created the world's largest playable Nintendo Switch, he also donated it to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt for the kids to enjoy. Pick shared a video creating this Switch on his YouTube page, and explained how he built a fully functional Switch that has a 650% larger screen than the standard Switch and features a 4K display. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=engineer-builds-the-worlds-largest-playable-nintendo-switch&captions=true"] Every button on this 65-pound, 70"x30" Switch works just like the real one, but Joy-Con and Switch Pro Controllers can also be used. Pick built this Switch with a combination of wood and 3D printing material, and it uses a real Switch alongside servos and a micro controller that allows the buttons to register when pushed. The joysticks were also 3D printed, and rubber bands were used to center the giant joysticks over the factory joysticks. Pick shows the massive Switch playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Fortnite, and you can see how it takes his entire wingspan to use all the buttons. IGN spoke to Pick about his latest project, and he explained the inspiration behind taking on the challenge of building the world's largest Switch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/04/new-nintendo-switch-with-bigger-screen-4k-output-on-the-way-ign-news"] "I kept losing my switch...haha," Pick joked. "No, seriously I thought it would be a really cool project. And I knew that the kids at the children's hospital would love it. So it was a win-win in my book. "The hospital told me they intend to install the Giant Switch in one of the play rooms for the kids to play games on. They'll most likely be using Joy-Cons/pro controllers, so using the switch to play games on won't be a full-body workout (like what you see in my video! haha)." Before the Switch, Pick's focus was on smaller creations, such as building the world's smallest MacBook Pro, iMac, and Gaming PC, and he teased that his next project was going to be a Guinness World Record attempt based on a "very iconic children's toy." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-25-switch-games-fall-2020-update&captions=true"] While the rumored Switch Pro may not have a screen quite as big as this one, it's always great to see what a larger, 4K display would look like on Nintendo's ever-popular console. [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.