Update 03/15/2021: Xbox has confirmed that Outriders will join Xbox Game Pass for console (and Android devices via Xbox Cloud Gaming) on its launch day. It doesn't appear to be coming to Game Pass for PC, however. After teasing an announcement over the weekend, Xbox confirmed that the game would come for Xbox Game Pass for Console, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on its April 1 launch day. "Starting April 1 (not an April Fool’s joke, I assure you)," reads the announcement, "Xbox Game Pass for Console and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can jump into this true genre-hybrid from Square Enix, which combines brutal combat with deep RPG systems." It's another high-profile addition to Game Pass, after Xbox added 20 Bethesda games to the service, 5 of which benefit from Xbox Series X's FPS Boost feature. [poilib element="accentDivider"] A new tease may be hinting that Square Enix's Outriders may soon be coming to Xbox Game Pass. As it is known to do, Xbox Game Pass on Twitter shared a joke e-mail from Melissa McGamepass, the Executive Senior VP Lieutenant of General Video Game Communications, who confirmed a new game is on its way to the service. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/02/outriders-review-in-progress-demo-impressions"] Alongside stating that this new game is "completely unrelated" to other previous announcements like the 20 Bethesda games that recently joined Xbox Game Pass, the e-mail's ending seems to all but confirm Outriders is the game in question. "Before I go, I did have something I wanted to ask," McGamepass wrote. "Has anyone else noticed a mysterious signal appearing in the distance lately or am I the anomaly in the situation?" Since its reveal at E3 2019, Outriders has made clear that players will be setting out across the ruined world of Enoch in search of the source of a mysterious signal. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=outriders-ign-first&captions=true"] Furthermore, those who have tried the lengthy Outriders Demo (which is available for free now!) will know that one of the main missions has players escaping an anomaly. The timing of this McGamepass e-mail is also of note as it arrives only a few days before Square Enix's Digital Showcase on March 18 that will include announcements for Outriders. Outriders is set to be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia on April 1, 2021. For more, check out our Outriders demo impressions and 10 tips and tricks to make the most out of the demo. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/10/outriders-no-turning-back-trailer"] [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.

Alex Zedra, the actress for Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare's Mara, got two cheaters banned on Twitch after she called them out. As reported by Eurogamer, Zedra took to Twitter to expose these cheaters who were using aimbots in a Warzone tournament that took place on March 12, 2021. Zedra was hosting one of these cheaters following the end of her own Twitch stream, and she was alerted to the wrongdoings shortly thereafter.

Hey @Twitch I hosted a streamer hacking during a tourney...just thought you should know. IcyVixen and BeardedBanger. pic.twitter.com/ZQgEpAgYeM

— A L E X (@Alex_zedra) March 12, 2021

Both of their channels have been suspended, and it appears that they deleted their Twitter accounts following this ban. Zedra thanked Twitch for acting so quickly and making the Warzone a better place for all. "Thank you @Twitch for banning the most toxic hackers I've ever come across in my 5 years of being on this platform," Zedra wrote on Twitter. "Glad I got to witness him being banned Live after being called bitch and to 1v1 them as they're blatantly hacking." Cheating in Call of Duty: Warzone has been a constant issue for both the developers and players, and just last month Activision banned over 60,000 cheaters. That was the third large ban since Warzone's launch in 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/04/activision-infinity-ward-sued-over-modern-warfare-character"] Mara also made the news in February, as Activision, Infinity Ward, and Major League Gaming Corp. (MLG) were hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit that claimed the companies were responsible for making a direct copy of the character for use in the game. [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.

Alex Zedra, the actress for Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare's Mara, got two cheaters banned on Twitch after she called them out. As reported by Eurogamer, Zedra took to Twitter to expose these cheaters who were using aimbots in a Warzone tournament that took place on March 12, 2021. Zedra was hosting one of these cheaters following the end of her own Twitch stream, and she was alerted to the wrongdoings shortly thereafter.

Hey @Twitch I hosted a streamer hacking during a tourney...just thought you should know. IcyVixen and BeardedBanger. pic.twitter.com/ZQgEpAgYeM

— A L E X (@Alex_zedra) March 12, 2021

Both of their channels have been suspended, and it appears that they deleted their Twitter accounts following this ban. Zedra thanked Twitch for acting so quickly and making the Warzone a better place for all. "Thank you @Twitch for banning the most toxic hackers I've ever come across in my 5 years of being on this platform," Zedra wrote on Twitter. "Glad I got to witness him being banned Live after being called bitch and to 1v1 them as they're blatantly hacking." Cheating in Call of Duty: Warzone has been a constant issue for both the developers and players, and just last month Activision banned over 60,000 cheaters. That was the third large ban since Warzone's launch in 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/04/activision-infinity-ward-sued-over-modern-warfare-character"] Mara also made the news in February, as Activision, Infinity Ward, and Major League Gaming Corp. (MLG) were hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit that claimed the companies were responsible for making a direct copy of the character for use in the game. [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.

Ubisoft has confirmed that Watch Dogs: Legion's online modes will add crossplay and cross-generation-play in a future update. Watch Dogs: Legion's Twitter account responded to a user asking for the game to add cross-gen play by saying, "while crossplay and cross-generation-play is currently not available for the Watch Dogs: Legion Online Mode, the development team is working on adding this feature to the game with a later update." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/22/watch-dogs-legion-online-co-op-preview"] While Watch Dogs: Legion's online modes launched on consoles last week, the PC version is still indefinitely delayed due to an issue that has caused the game to crash for computers with certain GPUs. On March 23, the raid-like Tactical Operations will be made available after a short delay. Until then, PS5 and PS4 players will also have to deal with "limited in-game text chat." We recently got to preview Watch Dogs Legion's online co-op modes, and said "The co-op missions remind me a lot of Assassin’s Creed Unity’s approach to friendly multiplayer, in that they are effectively identical to the fare you find in the main campaign, just redesigned with more participants in mind." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/09/watch-dogs-legion-online-mode-launch-trailer"] In our Watch Dogs Legion review, we said its "bold use of roguelike mechanics in an open-world action game pays off in interesting ways, making this visit to near-future London feel more varied than the previous two games." [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.

Crusader Kings 3: Northern Lords is a Norse-themed flavor pack that is set to be released on March 16, 2021 as the game's first paid DLC. While this isn't a full-blown expansion to Crusader Kings 3, Northern Lords will still give players "dozens of new stories" and chances to "raid foreign shores, brave harsh winters, or establish a new Viking realm." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=crusader-kings-3-northern-lords-screenshots&captions=true"] Players will have a chance to found a new realm and establish power in foreign lands. Furthermore, Holy Norse warriors, shield-maidens, and poets will be available as new character roles. Since the Norse culture is the focus of this flavor pack, it will allow players to immerse themselves in that world by doing everything from erecting runestones to honor your ancestors to sacrificing prisoners in a sacred blot ritual. There will also be new Dynastic legacies, cultural innovations, and other events that will add depth to these new experiences. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/31/crusader-kings-3-review"] Crusader Kings 3: Northern Lords can be purchased for $6.99 USD or as part of the game's expansion pass that includes a new expansion and another new flavor pack. In our 10/10 review of Crusader Kings 3, we said that it "takes the throne as the new king of historical strategy by expanding on and deepening the best parts of what made its predecessor memorable and unique." [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.

Crusader Kings 3: Northern Lords is a Norse-themed flavor pack that is set to be released on March 16, 2021 as the game's first paid DLC. While this isn't a full-blown expansion to Crusader Kings 3, Northern Lords will still give players "dozens of new stories" and chances to "raid foreign shores, brave harsh winters, or establish a new Viking realm." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=crusader-kings-3-northern-lords-screenshots&captions=true"] Players will have a chance to found a new realm and establish power in foreign lands. Furthermore, Holy Norse warriors, shield-maidens, and poets will be available as new character roles. Since the Norse culture is the focus of this flavor pack, it will allow players to immerse themselves in that world by doing everything from erecting runestones to honor your ancestors to sacrificing prisoners in a sacred blot ritual. There will also be new Dynastic legacies, cultural innovations, and other events that will add depth to these new experiences. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/31/crusader-kings-3-review"] Crusader Kings 3: Northern Lords can be purchased for $6.99 USD or as part of the game's expansion pass that includes a new expansion and another new flavor pack. In our 10/10 review of Crusader Kings 3, we said that it "takes the throne as the new king of historical strategy by expanding on and deepening the best parts of what made its predecessor memorable and unique." [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.

EA has halted all FIFA discretionary content granting for an indefinite period of time as it investigates allegations that an employee, or at least someone involved with EA FIFA, has been selling rare FIFA 21 Ultimate Team items on a makeshift black market for real money. EA gave an update on this scandal, which the community has dubbed "EA Gate," and explained how it has launched a "rigorous investigation" on how this could have happened and how it is narrowing down which accounts received content through this "illicit method." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/06/fifa-21-review"] The company has also made clear that any accounts that have received items that were "transferred nefariously" will be permanently banned. These items, which are meant to be earned through gameplay or other engagement (i.e. a Twitch broadcast), were granted to other accounts by one or more EA accounts, which were "either compromised or being used inappropriately by someone within EA." Content granting or purchasing player items in exchange for money is in no way condoned by EA, as it "runs counter to the game's competitive integrity, is a violation of EA’s User Agreement, and is not something we tolerate." While EA's initial investigation uncovered that this questionable activity only involved a small number of accounts and items, it is still unacceptable to the team. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-fifa-game-review-ever&captions=true"] Following the investigation, EA will take action against any employee found guilty and any items that have been granted through this manner will be removed from the FUT ecosystem and the accounts that had these items will be permanently banned. "Regardless of these actions, we appreciate how concerning this is to all of our players, and we apologize for the impact of these improper grants within the community," EA wrote. "We also appreciate how extremely annoying and frustrating it is that this practice might have come from within EA.  We’re angry too.  We know that the trust of our communities is hard-earned, and is based on principles of Fair Play.  This illicit activity shakes that trust.  We’ve also been clear since the creation of Ultimate Team that items cannot be exchanged outside our game, and that’s key to how we keep our game safe from manipulation and bad actors.  This is a breach of that principle, as well -- and we won’t let it stand." For those who are unfamiliar with content granting, it is a process in which certain in-game items are directly distributed to a specific account. In FIFA, these items can be a player, a kit, or a consumable. The three most prevalent ways content granting occurs is through Worldwide Customer Experience, Testing & QV, and Discretionary Content Granting (Athletes, Partners, & Employees). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/09/fifa-21-legacy-edition-switch-review"] A Worldwide Customer Experience granting is for when a player accidentally deletes content, content goes missing due to a technical glitch, or a mistake was made by EA and a player is given to them as a make-good. Testing & QV is for when content is granted for testing and quality verification. This usually occurs on dedicated test servers and isn't seen by the global player base, but sometimes these tests must occur in the live environment to ensure all is working as it should. Discretionary Content Granting is for when EA wants to "recognize contributions that have been made by certain Pro Footballers, celebrity partners, or even our [EA's] own employees." These items are always non-tradeable and can only be used by the account to which it was given. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/20/fifa-21-beckham-is-back-trailer"] These items only account for 0.0006% of the total player items in the FIFA 21 ecosystem and have no impact on the odds of any account receiving a specific player or item through normal means. [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.

EA has halted all FIFA discretionary content granting for an indefinite period of time as it investigates allegations that an employee, or at least someone involved with EA FIFA, has been selling rare FIFA 21 Ultimate Team items on a makeshift black market for real money. EA gave an update on this scandal, which the community has dubbed "EA Gate," and explained how it has launched a "rigorous investigation" on how this could have happened and how it is narrowing down which accounts received content through this "illicit method." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/06/fifa-21-review"] The company has also made clear that any accounts that have received items that were "transferred nefariously" will be permanently banned. These items, which are meant to be earned through gameplay or other engagement (i.e. a Twitch broadcast), were granted to other accounts by one or more EA accounts, which were "either compromised or being used inappropriately by someone within EA." Content granting or purchasing player items in exchange for money is in no way condoned by EA, as it "runs counter to the game's competitive integrity, is a violation of EA’s User Agreement, and is not something we tolerate." While EA's initial investigation uncovered that this questionable activity only involved a small number of accounts and items, it is still unacceptable to the team. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-fifa-game-review-ever&captions=true"] Following the investigation, EA will take action against any employee found guilty and any items that have been granted through this manner will be removed from the FUT ecosystem and the accounts that had these items will be permanently banned. "Regardless of these actions, we appreciate how concerning this is to all of our players, and we apologize for the impact of these improper grants within the community," EA wrote. "We also appreciate how extremely annoying and frustrating it is that this practice might have come from within EA.  We’re angry too.  We know that the trust of our communities is hard-earned, and is based on principles of Fair Play.  This illicit activity shakes that trust.  We’ve also been clear since the creation of Ultimate Team that items cannot be exchanged outside our game, and that’s key to how we keep our game safe from manipulation and bad actors.  This is a breach of that principle, as well -- and we won’t let it stand." For those who are unfamiliar with content granting, it is a process in which certain in-game items are directly distributed to a specific account. In FIFA, these items can be a player, a kit, or a consumable. The three most prevalent ways content granting occurs is through Worldwide Customer Experience, Testing & QV, and Discretionary Content Granting (Athletes, Partners, & Employees). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/09/fifa-21-legacy-edition-switch-review"] A Worldwide Customer Experience granting is for when a player accidentally deletes content, content goes missing due to a technical glitch, or a mistake was made by EA and a player is given to them as a make-good. Testing & QV is for when content is granted for testing and quality verification. This usually occurs on dedicated test servers and isn't seen by the global player base, but sometimes these tests must occur in the live environment to ensure all is working as it should. Discretionary Content Granting is for when EA wants to "recognize contributions that have been made by certain Pro Footballers, celebrity partners, or even our [EA's] own employees." These items are always non-tradeable and can only be used by the account to which it was given. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/20/fifa-21-beckham-is-back-trailer"] These items only account for 0.0006% of the total player items in the FIFA 21 ecosystem and have no impact on the odds of any account receiving a specific player or item through normal means. [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.

Update: And it's done, according to Deadline, James Cameron's Avatar is once again the all-time worldwide box office champion after earning an estimated $21.1 million from its three-day re-release weekend in China. This puts Avatar's total box office gross at around $2.81 billion. This surpasses Avengers: Endgame's $2.7 billion gross. This puts Disney's big Marvel event film in second-place for all-time box office records. Congratulations to Disney for beating Disney at the box office. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Original Story: Avatar is about to retake the title of the highest-grossing movie of all-time thanks to its return to Chinese movie theaters this weekend. For almost 10 years, James Cameron’s sci-fi epic Avatar was the highest-grossing film worldwide until Avengers Endgame was released in 2019. The margin was thin as Endgame’s gross of $2.7902 billion narrowly overtook Avatar’s $2.7897 billion. However, as reported by Variety, Avatar was re-released in theaters across China this weekend where it grossed $3.5 million on Friday and taking the film’s total to $2.7926. Box office watchers expect Avatar’s total to come out on top again once the weekend totals are tallied. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-actor-and-character-confirmed-for-the-avatar-sequels&captions=true"] China’s film bureau requested popular films, like Avatar, to be re-released as a way to help its theater re-openings. Avatar was a hit in the country, grossing $206 million when it was released there in 2010. Avatar’s record gross was helped along before when the film was re-released in theaters back in 2010 with an extended theatrical cut. This re-release added $33.2 million to Avatar’s box office gains. Ultimately the big winner here is Disney which now owns Avatar after its acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. Regardless of whether Avatar or Avengers Endgame is the top-grossing movie of all-time, both are Disney properties, along with six other of the top 10 grossing films of all-time. Meanwhile, James Cameron is working on two more Avatar sequels slated for 2022 and 2024 respectively. And Marvel’s Phase 4 has begun thanks to its TV premieres of WandaVision and the upcoming Falcon and The Winter Soldier. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Update: And it's done, according to Deadline, James Cameron's Avatar is once again the all-time worldwide box office champion after earning an estimated $21.1 million from its three-day re-release weekend in China. This puts Avatar's total box office gross at around $2.81 billion. This surpasses Avengers: Endgame's $2.7 billion gross. This puts Disney's big Marvel event film in second-place for all-time box office records. Congratulations to Disney for beating Disney at the box office. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Original Story: Avatar is about to retake the title of the highest-grossing movie of all-time thanks to its return to Chinese movie theaters this weekend. For almost 10 years, James Cameron’s sci-fi epic Avatar was the highest-grossing film worldwide until Avengers Endgame was released in 2019. The margin was thin as Endgame’s gross of $2.7902 billion narrowly overtook Avatar’s $2.7897 billion. However, as reported by Variety, Avatar was re-released in theaters across China this weekend where it grossed $3.5 million on Friday and taking the film’s total to $2.7926. Box office watchers expect Avatar’s total to come out on top again once the weekend totals are tallied. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-actor-and-character-confirmed-for-the-avatar-sequels&captions=true"] China’s film bureau requested popular films, like Avatar, to be re-released as a way to help its theater re-openings. Avatar was a hit in the country, grossing $206 million when it was released there in 2010. Avatar’s record gross was helped along before when the film was re-released in theaters back in 2010 with an extended theatrical cut. This re-release added $33.2 million to Avatar’s box office gains. Ultimately the big winner here is Disney which now owns Avatar after its acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. Regardless of whether Avatar or Avengers Endgame is the top-grossing movie of all-time, both are Disney properties, along with six other of the top 10 grossing films of all-time. Meanwhile, James Cameron is working on two more Avatar sequels slated for 2022 and 2024 respectively. And Marvel’s Phase 4 has begun thanks to its TV premieres of WandaVision and the upcoming Falcon and The Winter Soldier. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.