Warning: Full spoilers for WandaVision follow. [poilib element="accentDivider"] WandaVision's Jac Schaeffer has explained how the show's Quicksilver cameo supported the larger narrative of the MCU experiment, and says she didn't want anyone to feel that the lack of connection to X-Men universe was a "prank". Schaeffer, who served as WandaVision's showrunner and executive producer, recently sat down with IGN's Joshua Yehl to address some of the twists and turns that were plotted throughout the Disney+ series. In particular, Schaeffer shared her considerations for Quicksilver's surprise appearance in Episode 5, explaining how the casting of Evan Peters "felt very right" for the identity of the show. "The idea of it was us, [co-executive producer] Mary Livanos and me in a room, being like, 'Oh my God, could we do that? Could we actually do that?' Then the first question was literally, legally, can we do that?" Schaeffer revealed. "We didn't want it to just be a gimmick and just be a gag because that's no good, so there were several things in play." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/05/marvels-wandavision-just-introduced-the-mcus-strangest-ever-cameo-ign-news"] "First, it was the 'this is the metaist metashow in the metaverse,'" Schaeffer added, explaining the thought process behind the inclusion of the cameo from Pietro Maximoff, aka Quicksilver. "It's just meta, meta, meta, and so it complemented the overall tone and aesthetic of the show in this uber way, so that felt very right and great for the identity of the show." When Wanda opened the door to find her brother standing there, it was a big twist for Wanda, who certainly never expected to see her dead sibling alive again, but also a big twist for the audience because the actor playing him was not the MCU's Aaron Taylor-Johnson, but rather Evan Peters, who played the character in Fox's X-Men universe, which sparked theories about an MCU crossover with the existing X-Men movie universe by Fox. However, the WandaVision finale revealed "Pietro" to be someone called Ralph Bohner, a Westview resident who was unlucky enough to be drafted into Wanda's fake reality. Despite the audience's misdirection, Schaeffer told IGN that she didn't want anyone to feel like a "prank" had been pulled on them because, after all, there were some very meaningful reasons behind the casting choice. "I don't want anyone to feel like a prank was pulled on them. I don't want anyone to feel tricked and of course, you don't want people disappointed in things," she said, addressing those fans who were invested in the idea of the cameo potentially turning into an X-Men connection. "I would redirect to what the show is really about, and what is meaningful about the show, and what does resonate." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/06/why-the-wandavision-finale-is-not-the-end-for-wanda-or-vision-mcu-canon-fodder"] Schaeffer said the cameo was a way for the audience to get inside Wanda's headspace. She explained: "It was really about what's happening in Wanda's head and the idea that someone could show up and not look like her brother and that she would accept it. What's going on with her in terms of her denial, and her self-doubt, and her disorientation that Agatha could trick her in this way? "We wanted to feel that very viscerally and it seemed like an incredible opportunity for the audience to feel it too with this meta-level of casting, with all of their associations to Evan in this other space. The idea of doing it with just any other actor, I'm like, 'That's not going to land.' That's not going to have the same thrill, and craziness, and questions, and be as disorienting." WandaVision director Matt Shakman also spoke to IGN about the team's decision to bring Evan Peters into the MCU as a "fake Pietro." He explained how the cameo thematically tied into the show's narrative — particularly Wanda's inability to cope with the overwhelming loss that she has encountered throughout her life, and her all-consuming grief. "Our whole show ultimately is about how we deal with trauma, how we come to terms with loss," he said. "And sometimes we trick ourselves, and sometimes we agree to see things that we know are not there, because it brings us some solace. She's willing to fall into the arms of Evan Peters, believing that it's Aaron Taylor-Johnson, because she needs it. And I think that my heart goes out to her for that." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-cast-and-characters&captions=true"] While WandaVision aimed to deliver a "satisfying and also surprising" conclusion for the audience, Scarlet Witch's journey in the MCU is far from over. The character will return in Marvel's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which started filming in November with Sam Raimi at the helm. The plot of that movie is also said to be connected to Spider-Man: No Way Home. The Doctor Strange sequel is scheduled to be released on March 25, 2022, but there's a lot of MCU to come before that. With the credits rolling on the WandaVision finale, many are now turning their attention to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, coming up on March 19. There's also Black Widow, Loki, Shang-Chi, What If...?, Eternals, and the third Spider-Man sequel starring Tom Holland. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Rust developer Facepunch Studios has said that it is expecting a "large amount of data loss" after a fire burst out at a datacenter that held many of the game's EU servers. The news came in a tweet from the official Rust account earlier today, as the studio learned that a blaze had broken out at the OVHCloud Datacenter in Strasbourg, France. "25 of our EU servers remain offline due to a fire at OVH Datacenter in the early hours of this morning," the statement reads. "Unfortunately, the fire destroyed SBG-2 building. We're expecting a large amount of data loss across the affected servers." According to a statement from OVHCloud, the fire broke out at 12:47am local time on March 10. The fire was contained several hours later, and OVHCloud has confirmed that no one was harmed.

Update: We've confirmed a total loss of the affected EU servers during the OVH data centre fire. We're now exploring replacing the affected servers.

Data will be unable to be restored. — Rust (@playrust) March 10, 2021

Footage of the destroyed Datacenter can be seen here, courtesy of Microsoft's Kevin Beaumont. The Rust account later confirmed that "Data will be unable to be restored" after assessing the total loss of the EU servers affected by the fire, although it remains unclear how many players will be affected by the event. The studio is currently exploring how it can replace the servers that have been affected by the fire. The console edition of Rust was initially delayed due to the impact of COVID-19 and transitioning to remote work, but we recently learned that it is now coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this spring. The game initially launched on PC in 2013 but saw a huge surge in popularity in 2020 as streamers flocked to the game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/rust-console-launch-reveal-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Rust developer Facepunch Studios has said that it is expecting a "large amount of data loss" after a fire burst out at a datacenter that held many of the game's EU servers. The news came in a tweet from the official Rust account earlier today, as the studio learned that a blaze had broken out at the OVHCloud Datacenter in Strasbourg, France. "25 of our EU servers remain offline due to a fire at OVH Datacenter in the early hours of this morning," the statement reads. "Unfortunately, the fire destroyed SBG-2 building. We're expecting a large amount of data loss across the affected servers." According to a statement from OVHCloud, the fire broke out at 12:47am local time on March 10. The fire was contained several hours later, and OVHCloud has confirmed that no one was harmed.

Update: We've confirmed a total loss of the affected EU servers during the OVH data centre fire. We're now exploring replacing the affected servers.

Data will be unable to be restored. — Rust (@playrust) March 10, 2021

Footage of the destroyed Datacenter can be seen here, courtesy of Microsoft's Kevin Beaumont. The Rust account later confirmed that "Data will be unable to be restored" after assessing the total loss of the EU servers affected by the fire, although it remains unclear how many players will be affected by the event. The studio is currently exploring how it can replace the servers that have been affected by the fire. The console edition of Rust was initially delayed due to the impact of COVID-19 and transitioning to remote work, but we recently learned that it is now coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this spring. The game initially launched on PC in 2013 but saw a huge surge in popularity in 2020 as streamers flocked to the game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/rust-console-launch-reveal-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek has confirmed that Marvel's Black Widow remains on the theatrical release calendar for May 7. According to Deadline, Chapek touched on the release of Black Widow at Disney's annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday, as he offered the latest update on the company's plans for the Cate Shortland-directed title, which was originally scheduled to be released in May of last year. Speaking at the event, Chapek reaffirmed Disney and Marvel's intentions for the theatrical rollout of the MCU movie. "As we've said we believe it’s important to put the consumer in charge and let them decide how they want to enjoy our films particularly as we navigate through the [COVID-19] pandemic," Chapek explained. "We are really excited about the full slate of films we have in store. Next up is Black Widow, currently sent for release in theaters on May 7." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/09/black-widow-official-final-trailer"] Chapek previously spoke about the company's commitment to releasing the Scarlett Johansson-led movie on the big screen, though he also acknowledged that the situation required ongoing surveillance, with strategies being reassessed if and when required. The company's considerations reportedly include the status of theater closures, as well as audience demand for the theatrical experience. For a while now, speculation has been rife over whether Black Widow may debut on Disney+, with rumors accelerating shortly after Disney started to change course with a number of its other planned theatrical releases. Mulan premiered on Disney+ in September for a premium price of $29.99, while Pixar's Soul skipped theaters and headed to streaming in December at no additional cost. Around the same time, a report surfaced about the company mulling over Disney+ premieres for some of its other tentpole family movies. The most recent pivot saw Disney+ release its new animated fantasy film, Raya and the Last Dragon, via Premier Access, costing subscribers $29.99 to stream. However, per the report, Chapek mentioned nothing of Raya's financial success during the recent meeting. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] Black Widow's May 7, 2021 release date is almost exactly one year after its original May 1, 2020 release date. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic first prompted Disney to push Black Widow to November 6, 2020, before the company decided to shift that date again. However, it was reported in March of last year, via an unnamed Marvel insider, that "pushing Black Widow affects nothing on the MCU timeline." Nevertheless, the rescheduling of Black Widow's release caused a cascade effect for the rest of the MCU movies on the calendar, as all of the other titles on Marvel's dock shifted along. For more on the studio's future slate of projects and releases, read our breakdown of the biggest and most noteworthy developments in the MCU, on Disney+, and in Marvel's comics this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek has confirmed that Marvel's Black Widow remains on the theatrical release calendar for May 7. According to Deadline, Chapek touched on the release of Black Widow at Disney's annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday, as he offered the latest update on the company's plans for the Cate Shortland-directed title, which was originally scheduled to be released in May of last year. Speaking at the event, Chapek reaffirmed Disney and Marvel's intentions for the theatrical rollout of the MCU movie. "As we've said we believe it’s important to put the consumer in charge and let them decide how they want to enjoy our films particularly as we navigate through the [COVID-19] pandemic," Chapek explained. "We are really excited about the full slate of films we have in store. Next up is Black Widow, currently sent for release in theaters on May 7." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/09/black-widow-official-final-trailer"] Chapek previously spoke about the company's commitment to releasing the Scarlett Johansson-led movie on the big screen, though he also acknowledged that the situation required ongoing surveillance, with strategies being reassessed if and when required. The company's considerations reportedly include the status of theater closures, as well as audience demand for the theatrical experience. For a while now, speculation has been rife over whether Black Widow may debut on Disney+, with rumors accelerating shortly after Disney started to change course with a number of its other planned theatrical releases. Mulan premiered on Disney+ in September for a premium price of $29.99, while Pixar's Soul skipped theaters and headed to streaming in December at no additional cost. Around the same time, a report surfaced about the company mulling over Disney+ premieres for some of its other tentpole family movies. The most recent pivot saw Disney+ release its new animated fantasy film, Raya and the Last Dragon, via Premier Access, costing subscribers $29.99 to stream. However, per the report, Chapek mentioned nothing of Raya's financial success during the recent meeting. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] Black Widow's May 7, 2021 release date is almost exactly one year after its original May 1, 2020 release date. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic first prompted Disney to push Black Widow to November 6, 2020, before the company decided to shift that date again. However, it was reported in March of last year, via an unnamed Marvel insider, that "pushing Black Widow affects nothing on the MCU timeline." Nevertheless, the rescheduling of Black Widow's release caused a cascade effect for the rest of the MCU movies on the calendar, as all of the other titles on Marvel's dock shifted along. For more on the studio's future slate of projects and releases, read our breakdown of the biggest and most noteworthy developments in the MCU, on Disney+, and in Marvel's comics this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Blizzard has quietly rolled out Xbox Series X and S enhancements for Overwatch, but PS5 hasn't received the same treatment. The news was revealed in the game's March 9 patch notes over on the Blizzard forums, in a post which details a series of new performance mode optimizations coming to the game for next-gen Xbox players. Players are now able to switch between three different graphics option modes to suit their preferred playstyle:

• Resolution: Series X: 4K @ 60Hz, Series S: 1440p @ 60Hz – "This mode prefers higher-resolution output at the cost of some image-quality"
• Balanced: Series X: 1440p @ 60Hz, Series S: 1080p @ 60Hz – "This mode prefers image-quality at the cost of resolution"
• Framerate: Series X: 1440p @ 120Hz, Series S: 1080p @ 120Hz – "This mode prefers higher frame-rate at 120 frames-per-second at the cost of both image-quality and resolution"

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/19/overwatch-2-55-new-details"] These modes take advantage of the extra horsepower of the Series S and X to deliver higher resolutions and framerates, allowing users to play Overwatch at native 4K or 120 FPS on consoles for the first time. Bear in mind that you'll need a 120hz or Variable Refresh Rate-compatible TV to take advantage of the 'Framerate' option. Blizzard hasn't revealed any upgrades in the pipeline for the PlayStation version of the game, which means PlayStation 5 players will be stuck with the PlayStation 4 version of the game for the time being (although PS5 hardware does naturally offer some in-built improvements). We've contacted Blizzard for comment on whether PS5 will be getting its own enhancements. In other Overwatch news, the game recently made our list of the 25 best modern PC games. Here's our big interview with Blizzard's Jeff Kaplan about Overwatch 2, the forthcoming sequel. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Blizzard has quietly rolled out Xbox Series X and S enhancements for Overwatch, but PS5 hasn't received the same treatment. The news was revealed in the game's March 9 patch notes over on the Blizzard forums, in a post which details a series of new performance mode optimizations coming to the game for next-gen Xbox players. Players are now able to switch between three different graphics option modes to suit their preferred playstyle:

• Resolution: Series X: 4K @ 60Hz, Series S: 1440p @ 60Hz – "This mode prefers higher-resolution output at the cost of some image-quality"
• Balanced: Series X: 1440p @ 60Hz, Series S: 1080p @ 60Hz – "This mode prefers image-quality at the cost of resolution"
• Framerate: Series X: 1440p @ 120Hz, Series S: 1080p @ 120Hz – "This mode prefers higher frame-rate at 120 frames-per-second at the cost of both image-quality and resolution"

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/19/overwatch-2-55-new-details"] These modes take advantage of the extra horsepower of the Series S and X to deliver higher resolutions and framerates, allowing users to play Overwatch at native 4K or 120 FPS on consoles for the first time. Bear in mind that you'll need a 120hz or Variable Refresh Rate-compatible TV to take advantage of the 'Framerate' option. Blizzard hasn't revealed any upgrades in the pipeline for the PlayStation version of the game, which means PlayStation 5 players will be stuck with the PlayStation 4 version of the game for the time being (although PS5 hardware does naturally offer some in-built improvements). We've contacted Blizzard for comment on whether PS5 will be getting its own enhancements. In other Overwatch news, the game recently made our list of the 25 best modern PC games. Here's our big interview with Blizzard's Jeff Kaplan about Overwatch 2, the forthcoming sequel. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog is hiring for a multiplayer game that is built for "longevity," job listings have revealed. A position for an Economy Designer (Multiplayer) was spotted on the Naughty Dog website, which mentions that the successful candidate will "ensure robust longevity" for the studio's games as well as "design, implement, and tune game economy and player progression systems." The listing also notes that the candidate will "create avenues for self-expression for our players," suggesting that the game will feature customization or cosmetic personalization options of some description. "Robust longevity" also suggests that the game will be supported over the years, potentially incorporating live service features that speak to the listing summary, which mentions the importance of providing players with "great rewards to strive for." Naughty Dog is looking for candidates experienced in "player psychology" and "narrative tone," suggesting there may be some sort of story threaded throughout the experience. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/the-last-of-us-part-2-review"] It seems likely that the successful candidate could be working on the standalone 'Factions' equivalent for The Last of Us Part 2. Factions in The Last of Us was a survival multiplayer spin-off that pit teams of players against each other, utilising the combat seen in the game's campaign. Back in September 2019, Naughty Dog said that The Last of Us Part 2 wouldn't include an online mode, but added that players "will eventually experience the fruits of our team's online ambition, but not as part of The Last of Us Part II." The post wraps up by saying that Naughty Dog is "excited to share more when it's ready." This can be interpreted two ways, either Naughty Dog is creating a multiplayer game unrelated to The Last of Us 2 or is working on an in-universe multiplayer spin-off disconnected from the single-player experience. Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann said at the start of March that the studio is working on "several cool things," and hopefully we'll hear more about them soon. In other The Last of Us 2 news, check out this article about how hard it was to implement doors in the game. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog is hiring for a multiplayer game that is built for "longevity," job listings have revealed. A position for an Economy Designer (Multiplayer) was spotted on the Naughty Dog website, which mentions that the successful candidate will "ensure robust longevity" for the studio's games as well as "design, implement, and tune game economy and player progression systems." The listing also notes that the candidate will "create avenues for self-expression for our players," suggesting that the game will feature customization or cosmetic personalization options of some description. "Robust longevity" also suggests that the game will be supported over the years, potentially incorporating live service features that speak to the listing summary, which mentions the importance of providing players with "great rewards to strive for." Naughty Dog is looking for candidates experienced in "player psychology" and "narrative tone," suggesting there may be some sort of story threaded throughout the experience. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/the-last-of-us-part-2-review"] It seems likely that the successful candidate could be working on the standalone 'Factions' equivalent for The Last of Us Part 2. Factions in The Last of Us was a survival multiplayer spin-off that pit teams of players against each other, utilising the combat seen in the game's campaign. Back in September 2019, Naughty Dog said that The Last of Us Part 2 wouldn't include an online mode, but added that players "will eventually experience the fruits of our team's online ambition, but not as part of The Last of Us Part II." The post wraps up by saying that Naughty Dog is "excited to share more when it's ready." This can be interpreted two ways, either Naughty Dog is creating a multiplayer game unrelated to The Last of Us 2 or is working on an in-universe multiplayer spin-off disconnected from the single-player experience. Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann said at the start of March that the studio is working on "several cool things," and hopefully we'll hear more about them soon. In other The Last of Us 2 news, check out this article about how hard it was to implement doors in the game. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

We Were Here Forever, the next co-op puzzle game in the We Were Here series, has been announced for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Set for an end of 2021 release, We Were Here Forever continues the series of puzzle games set in the Antarctic in which players must cooperate while being separated. Using a walkie talkie, you must describe what you see to your partner, and together work out how to solve asymmetrical puzzles that each person can only see half of. By combining the information each player can access, duos will be able to discover the solution to these puzzles. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/10/we-were-here-forever-official-reveal-trailer"] In this fourth instalment in the series, players will be able to explore previously unseen areas of the series’ Castle Rock setting, as well as dig up mysteries in a graveyard and find a way out of the King’s Keep. There’s also a promise of improved “next level” interface and gameplay in addition to the new puzzles. “Our goal for We Were Here Forever is to further refine the cooperative gameplay people love so much from the series, designed for a new generation of hardware with a more immersive, darker, livelier Castle Rock,” said Lucia de Visser, managing director of developer Total Mayhem Games. For more co-op puzzle solving that’s coming very soon, take a look at our final preview of It Takes Two. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.