Activision issued a DMCA takedown notice to the Twitter account of website Video Games Chronicle after it legitimately covered map leaks from Call of Duty: Warzone. This resulted in the VGC account being temporarily locked (a standard Twitter process in response to DMCA claims, but one that can eventually lead to full account suspension), with the tweet in question also struck from Twitter. The DMCA also affected VGC editor-in-chief, Andy Robinson. Both tweets pointed to VGC's coverage of the leaks – which Activision has seemingly not moved to take down. Twitter's policies say that it will "respond to reports of alleged copyright infringement, such as allegations concerning the unauthorized use of a copyrighted image as a profile or header photo, allegations concerning the unauthorized use of a copyrighted video or image uploaded through our media hosting services, or Tweets containing links to allegedly infringing materials." Robinson has made clear that the tweets did not contain Twitter-hosted images of the leaked material. Twitter links do automatically pull images from their stories, which could appear to show a leaked image – however the image in VGC's tweet (and story) appeared to be a screenshot from the 'Ashes to Ashes' mission in the Black Ops Cold War campaign, not a leaked image. Robinson confirmed to IGN that that image was the header from publish time onwards, and came from the existing game, not the leaks. VGC's coverage included only instances of the leaked material as embeds from other sites, and no leaked material was privately hosted. Many of those embedded, leaked images remain live at time of writing. Even if embedded images inside a news story were deemed to be a link to "allegedly infringing materials," Twitter's own guidelines on fair use make clear that copyrighted material can be posted or linked to if it is deemed transformative, including "educational explanation or additional context", both of which could easily be said to be a part of news coverage.

Here comes Activision removing our legitimate coverage of their leaks from Twitter (I’ve never received a DMCA from any other games company) pic.twitter.com/y6ig52lO1Q

— Andy Robinson (@AndyPlaytonic) April 1, 2021

Activision has not publicly explained why it sought to pull down the tweets, and Twitter has not explained why they were deemed to infringe its policies despite fair use. Activision has also not explained why it seemingly only sought to pull down the tweets. In a statement to IGN, Robinson confirmed that Activision has now been in touch, and is seeking to resolve the situation:

"It’s disappointing that this happened to a legitimate story about information that’s in the public domain. 

"I’ve been a reporting on the games industry for nearly two decades, and I understand that companies are sensitive about leaks and need to police their IP. However, when taking action such as this, there’s the inherent risk that good faith reporting such as VGC’s can be caught in the crossfire.

"On that basis, and since tweeting about this issue, Activision has been in touch to explain what happened and promised to take action to resolve the situation, so I’m satisfied with the outcome."

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-and-warzone-season-two-combat-pack-trailer"] While Activision is by no means alone in its use of DMCA to approach leaked game industry information, this approach to the removal of links to news about leaks, rather than many of the leaked assets themselves – and Twitter's seeming acceptance of it – could be seen to set a harmful precedent to taking action against legitimate news coverage. IGN contacted Activision Blizzard for comment, but received no comment. At the very least, Activision's approach to coverage of the leaks certainly seems to suggest that they are legitimate. The leaks themselves originated with a clip of a live-action trailer of a new, 1980s-themed Warzone map shared onto social media by the account On Thin Ice, before being promptly taken down by Activision. The footage has since been shared across social media, on Reddit and YouTube. In its coverage, VGC corroborated the leak, with its sources saying that Warzone was set to swap its current-day Verdansk map for a Black Ops Cold War-era revision on April 22 as part of an "explosive in-game event". VGC's report also says that the new map was supposed to launch in November 2020 alongside Black Ops Cold War, but was pushed out of that window by "several factors." In other recent Activision-Blizzard news, the company reportedly carried out layoffs affecting nearly 190 employees. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter. Joe Skrebels is IGN's executive editor of news.

The PS5 Open Beta of Final Fantasy 14 will land on the next-gen console on April 13. Revealed in a tweet from the official Final Fantasy 14 account on Twitter, the PS5 Open Beta for the popular MMO will coincide with the launch of Patch 5.5.

The #FFXIV PS5 version open beta test begins Tuesday, April 13 alongside the release of Patch 5.5!

Learn how to participate https://t.co/ubsSmNPIub pic.twitter.com/ueMQrgduyZ — FINAL FANTASY XIV (@FF_XIV_EN) April 1, 2021

You can check out all the details on how to participate in the beta on the official Final Fantasy 14 website. PS5-exclusive benefits include "greatly increased frame rates, true 4K resolution, 3D Audio and haptic feedback." Those who own the physical edition of Final Fantasy 14 on PlayStation 4 can upgrade by heading to the PlayStation Store and downloading the "FINAL FANTASY XIV PS5 Upgrade Edition (Beta Version)". Those who own the digital edition of the game can upgrade directly from their game library. If you're a PS5 player new to Final Fantasy 14, all you have to do is download the "FINAL FANTASY XIV Free Trial" from the PlayStation Store if you wish to try it out. The official service start date for the PlayStation 5 version of the game will be announced on the lodestone, and determined "based on the progress of the open beta test." Square Enix also notes that all data from the beta will be transferred to the full version of the game. In other FF14 news, here's Director Naoki Yoshida reflecting on the MMO reaching its first major ending with Endwalker. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

The PS5 Open Beta of Final Fantasy 14 will land on the next-gen console on April 13. Revealed in a tweet from the official Final Fantasy 14 account on Twitter, the PS5 Open Beta for the popular MMO will coincide with the launch of Patch 5.5.

The #FFXIV PS5 version open beta test begins Tuesday, April 13 alongside the release of Patch 5.5!

Learn how to participate https://t.co/ubsSmNPIub pic.twitter.com/ueMQrgduyZ — FINAL FANTASY XIV (@FF_XIV_EN) April 1, 2021

You can check out all the details on how to participate in the beta on the official Final Fantasy 14 website. PS5-exclusive benefits include "greatly increased frame rates, true 4K resolution, 3D Audio and haptic feedback." Those who own the physical edition of Final Fantasy 14 on PlayStation 4 can upgrade by heading to the PlayStation Store and downloading the "FINAL FANTASY XIV PS5 Upgrade Edition (Beta Version)". Those who own the digital edition of the game can upgrade directly from their game library. If you're a PS5 player new to Final Fantasy 14, all you have to do is download the "FINAL FANTASY XIV Free Trial" from the PlayStation Store if you wish to try it out. The official service start date for the PlayStation 5 version of the game will be announced on the lodestone, and determined "based on the progress of the open beta test." Square Enix also notes that all data from the beta will be transferred to the full version of the game. In other FF14 news, here's Director Naoki Yoshida reflecting on the MMO reaching its first major ending with Endwalker. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

New York Comic-Con 2021 is set to return with an in-person convention this October. Taking to Twitter, editor Aaron Couch issued an update to THR's report about San Diego Comic-Con's "uphill battle" to secure talent for its in-person show in November to reveal the news that New York Comic-Con is also planning an in-person convention this year, running from October 7-10, 2021. He added that "a virtual element" is being planned in conjunction with the event as well. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] This development comes on the heels of San Diego Comic-Con revealing its revised plans to hold an in-person show over Thanksgiving weekend, November 26-28, 2021, at the San Diego Convention Center. The company made reference to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in its announcement, saying they hoped that, by fall, "conditions will permit larger public gatherings." While the details of New York Comic-Con haven't been officially confirmed yet, the October dates provided place it more than a month prior to San Diego Comic-Con, which was previously pegged to be the first in-person convention produced by the organization since Comic-Con 2019, and the first since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to THR, though, the San Diego Comic-Con announcement hasn't been well-received, with multiple studio, publishing, and publicity insiders indicating "a pushback is brewing" behind the scenes. Sources cited various reasons for the criticism, including safety concerns, quarantine issues, and the event schedule, having been booked for the "first post-vaccine Thanksgiving holiday." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/the-new-mutants-comic-con-2020-footage-breakdown"] Comic-Con International highlighted "all the great elements that make Comic-Con such a popular event each year," as well as the company's hopes to "generate much-needed revenue, not only for the organization but also for local businesses and the community" by hosting an event that could potentially mark "a slow return to larger in-person gatherings in 2022." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

New York Comic-Con 2021 is set to return with an in-person convention this October. Taking to Twitter, editor Aaron Couch issued an update to THR's report about San Diego Comic-Con's "uphill battle" to secure talent for its in-person show in November to reveal the news that New York Comic-Con is also planning an in-person convention this year, running from October 7-10, 2021. He added that "a virtual element" is being planned in conjunction with the event as well. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] This development comes on the heels of San Diego Comic-Con revealing its revised plans to hold an in-person show over Thanksgiving weekend, November 26-28, 2021, at the San Diego Convention Center. The company made reference to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in its announcement, saying they hoped that, by fall, "conditions will permit larger public gatherings." While the details of New York Comic-Con haven't been officially confirmed yet, the October dates provided place it more than a month prior to San Diego Comic-Con, which was previously pegged to be the first in-person convention produced by the organization since Comic-Con 2019, and the first since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to THR, though, the San Diego Comic-Con announcement hasn't been well-received, with multiple studio, publishing, and publicity insiders indicating "a pushback is brewing" behind the scenes. Sources cited various reasons for the criticism, including safety concerns, quarantine issues, and the event schedule, having been booked for the "first post-vaccine Thanksgiving holiday." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/the-new-mutants-comic-con-2020-footage-breakdown"] Comic-Con International highlighted "all the great elements that make Comic-Con such a popular event each year," as well as the company's hopes to "generate much-needed revenue, not only for the organization but also for local businesses and the community" by hosting an event that could potentially mark "a slow return to larger in-person gatherings in 2022." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

After weeks of cryptic social media teasing, shark RPG Maneater is breaching the surface at last with the reveal of its new DLC: Truth Quest, which is planned for this summer. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/01/maneater-truth-quest-reveal-trailer"] In the new trailer above, we get a story-driven context for the coming DLC: investigative journalist Trip Westhaven (reprised by Chris Parnell) is back, and is once again working to uncover the secrets of Port Clovis, including a government conspiracy about what's happening to the marine life in the area, and why there seems to be a coverup about it. The trailer doesn't show much in the way of actual gameplay, but in an announcement from developer Tripwire we learned a bit more about what to expect in Truth Quest as we once again dive into the fins of the heroine shark. There's a new evolution set of organs, the maximum level cap is being raised to 40, and yes, the shark can get even bigger now. We'll also see new objective types like time trials and destroying new target objectives. New wildlife will also appear, including a new "Uber" apex predator to fight, and new military forces will appear as a part of the bounty hunter system, sending helicopters and land forces after the shark -- and five new boss bounties will accompany this. Maneater launched last year, and at the time we found it lacked the depth we wanted, though playing as "mutant Jaws on steroids" was extremely fun. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

After weeks of cryptic social media teasing, shark RPG Maneater is breaching the surface at last with the reveal of its new DLC: Truth Quest, which is planned for this summer. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/01/maneater-truth-quest-reveal-trailer"] In the new trailer above, we get a story-driven context for the coming DLC: investigative journalist Trip Westhaven (reprised by Chris Parnell) is back, and is once again working to uncover the secrets of Port Clovis, including a government conspiracy about what's happening to the marine life in the area, and why there seems to be a coverup about it. The trailer doesn't show much in the way of actual gameplay, but in an announcement from developer Tripwire we learned a bit more about what to expect in Truth Quest as we once again dive into the fins of the heroine shark. There's a new evolution set of organs, the maximum level cap is being raised to 40, and yes, the shark can get even bigger now. We'll also see new objective types like time trials and destroying new target objectives. New wildlife will also appear, including a new "Uber" apex predator to fight, and new military forces will appear as a part of the bounty hunter system, sending helicopters and land forces after the shark -- and five new boss bounties will accompany this. Maneater launched last year, and at the time we found it lacked the depth we wanted, though playing as "mutant Jaws on steroids" was extremely fun. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Update (4/2/21) - Netflix's The Witcher's Twitter has shared an image of Henry Cavill as Geralt celebrating the filming for the second season coming to a close. "That's a wrap on Season 2! The White Wolf awaits you back on The Continent." Netflix's The Witcher wrote on Twitter. Original story follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] A hair and makeup artist on Netflix's The Witcher has revealed that Season 2 has wrapped filming. Jacqueline Rathore posted an Instagram story on Wednesday, sharing a photograph of a barren corkboard with a bunch of pins tacked to it. The colorful text overlay confirmed that production had wrapped on the second season of The Witcher. However, Rathore quickly followed up with a second story to clarify that most of the work was "done," but filming was expected to officially wrap on April 1. [caption id="attachment_2494873" align="alignnone" width="720"] Image credit: Instagram/rathorejacqui[/caption] Cameras started rolling on The Witcher Season 2 back in February 2020, but production was paused shortly thereafter as Netflix paused filming on all of its films and TV shows in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These delays prompted the shoot to be rescheduled, which resulted in Thue Rasmussen dropping out of the cast, having originally signed up to portray Eskel in Season 2. Netflix resumed production on The Witcher Season 2 in August after being given the "green light" to start filming again. The next significant update arrived in November when Henry Cavill revealed that filming was moving back to the studio ahead of England's second national lockdown. However, less than a week later, the production was shut down again due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflixs-the-witcher-season-2-photos&captions=true"] News of the tumultuous production wrapping comes shortly after several new cast members joined The Witcher Season 2 in roles that will likely be recognizable to fans of Andrzej Sapkowski's book saga, including Bridgerton's Adjoa Andoh as Nenneke, who appears in the novels as a priestess of Melitele, and the head of the Temple of Melitele in Ellander, just outside of the main city. Other new cast additions for season 2 included Cassie Clare (Brave New World) in the role of Phillippa Eilhart, Liz Carr (Silent Witness) as Fenn, Graham McTavish (Outlander) as Dijkstra, Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey) portraying Ba'lian, Simon Callow (A Room with A View) as Codringher, and Chris Fulton (Bridgerton) in the role of Rience, a major antagonist in the Witcher book series. The show's second season will pick up with Geralt of Rivia taking Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen, where he will strive to protect Ciri from the mysterious power she possesses inside while the Continent's kings, elves, humans, and demons strive for supremacy outside the walls of the castle, located within the Kingdom of Kaedwen. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/the-witcher-season-2-will-see-all-characters-exist-on-same-timeline-ign-news"]

The Witcher Season 2 has no premiere date yet, though Season 3 is expected to be announced at some point. Netflix is also working on The Witcher: Blood Origin, a six-part spin-off prequel series set 1,200 years before Geralt walked the lands of the Northern Kingdoms, and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, an anime feature film centered around Vesemir, Geralt's close friend and mentor.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Update (4/2/21) - Netflix's The Witcher's Twitter has shared an image of Henry Cavill as Geralt celebrating the filming for the second season coming to a close. "That's a wrap on Season 2! The White Wolf awaits you back on The Continent." Netflix's The Witcher wrote on Twitter. Original story follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] A hair and makeup artist on Netflix's The Witcher has revealed that Season 2 has wrapped filming. Jacqueline Rathore posted an Instagram story on Wednesday, sharing a photograph of a barren corkboard with a bunch of pins tacked to it. The colorful text overlay confirmed that production had wrapped on the second season of The Witcher. However, Rathore quickly followed up with a second story to clarify that most of the work was "done," but filming was expected to officially wrap on April 1. [caption id="attachment_2494873" align="alignnone" width="720"] Image credit: Instagram/rathorejacqui[/caption] Cameras started rolling on The Witcher Season 2 back in February 2020, but production was paused shortly thereafter as Netflix paused filming on all of its films and TV shows in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These delays prompted the shoot to be rescheduled, which resulted in Thue Rasmussen dropping out of the cast, having originally signed up to portray Eskel in Season 2. Netflix resumed production on The Witcher Season 2 in August after being given the "green light" to start filming again. The next significant update arrived in November when Henry Cavill revealed that filming was moving back to the studio ahead of England's second national lockdown. However, less than a week later, the production was shut down again due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflixs-the-witcher-season-2-photos&captions=true"] News of the tumultuous production wrapping comes shortly after several new cast members joined The Witcher Season 2 in roles that will likely be recognizable to fans of Andrzej Sapkowski's book saga, including Bridgerton's Adjoa Andoh as Nenneke, who appears in the novels as a priestess of Melitele, and the head of the Temple of Melitele in Ellander, just outside of the main city. Other new cast additions for season 2 included Cassie Clare (Brave New World) in the role of Phillippa Eilhart, Liz Carr (Silent Witness) as Fenn, Graham McTavish (Outlander) as Dijkstra, Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey) portraying Ba'lian, Simon Callow (A Room with A View) as Codringher, and Chris Fulton (Bridgerton) in the role of Rience, a major antagonist in the Witcher book series. The show's second season will pick up with Geralt of Rivia taking Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen, where he will strive to protect Ciri from the mysterious power she possesses inside while the Continent's kings, elves, humans, and demons strive for supremacy outside the walls of the castle, located within the Kingdom of Kaedwen. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/the-witcher-season-2-will-see-all-characters-exist-on-same-timeline-ign-news"]

The Witcher Season 2 has no premiere date yet, though Season 3 is expected to be announced at some point. Netflix is also working on The Witcher: Blood Origin, a six-part spin-off prequel series set 1,200 years before Geralt walked the lands of the Northern Kingdoms, and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, an anime feature film centered around Vesemir, Geralt's close friend and mentor.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Platinum Games has released a new trailer for its 2020 April Fools game Sol Cresta, leading many to wonder whether it's actually coming out. Back in April 2020, Platinum Games updated its 'Platinum 4' website and revealed a side-scrolling shooter called Sol Cresta, which was apparently being developed in collaboration with HAMSTER Corporation. Given that the news came on April Fool's Day, it's thought that the game wasn't actually a real project, despite how authentic it looked. Sure enough, the trailer was eventually tagged with #AprilFoolsDay and #Gotcha, confirming that it was a ruse.

#Platinum４ のボーナスステージがついに公開！！ あの名作合体シューティング『ムーンクレスタ』『テラクレスタ』の魂を受け継いだ新作『ソルクレスタ』が発売決定！#SolCresta #MoonCresta #TerraCrestahttps://t.co/gS9CNDpFqG pic.twitter.com/a2k9L2oYaU

— プラチナゲームズ公式アカウント (@platinumgames_j) April 1, 2021

But fast forward to April 2021 and Platinum is back at again. There's a new trailer for Sol Cresta, but this time there are no April Fool's tags. Instead, we get some in-development gameplay footage and the trailer ends by revealing that the game is coming to PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Steam, as part of the NEO-Classic Arcade Series Vol. 1. So are the developers still joking? As spotted by Elixir on Twitter, an official trademark for Sol Cresta was spotted in February, adding more fuel to the fire that the game is really coming out. It wouldn't be the first time an April Fool's game became a reality. Yakuza: Like a Dragon's turn-based combat was famously first announced as an April Fool's Joke. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.