EA has shifted Criterion Games off of its current Need for Speed project to help EA DICE with development on the next Battlefield game. This game, which is currently untitled, is expected to release this Fall on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, and it seems DICE needed some extra help getting the game ready for that release, according to a new report from Polygon. EA insists that Criterion Games will return to development of its Need for Speed title in 2022, though. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/28/new-battlefield-coming-in-2021-no-more-star-wars-battlefront-2-and-battlefield-5-updates"] EA made the call to have Criterion work with DICE on the next Battlefield project due to pandemic-related working conditions and because of the fact that following the Codemasters acquisition made last month, EA will have at least one racing game release this year — likely its annual Formula One title. EA chief studios officer, Laura Miele, told Polygon that neither the Battlefield franchise or the Need for Speed franchise are in trouble. "There's no way we would have made a decision like this without including [Criterion] and discussing this with them first, and the impact that they could have on [Battlefield]," Miele said. "They've worked on [Star Wars] Battlefront, they've worked on Battlefields, and they have a really tight, close collaborative partnership with DICE. I'm really confident that this is going to be a pretty positive win for them." As far as the Need for Speed franchise goes, Miele told Polygon that Criterion owns the Need for Speed franchise, which is why they managed the recent remaster of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and why the studio is responsible for the next project in the series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-greatest-racing-games-ever&captions=true"] Miele said an urgent solution for Battlefield, which is expected to release this Holiday season, was needed as a result of the potential the project has and the difficulty in developing a game during a pandemic with work-from-home conditions. "Making games is one of the most sophisticated and complicated forms of media that exists, and it requires creative energy and connection to team members," Miele said. "I think that there's been, you know, fatigue and some burnout, working from home. A lot of that even has to do with just the needs that people have with their families. Some people are taking care of their kids at home. So our productivity is not as high, and then the creative connection and creative energy isn't as high when they're working from home." She continued and said that rather than pushing to get the next Need for Speed game out this year at a time when it might be cannibalized by a Codemasters racing game release, Criterion's efforts are better suited for working on the next Battlefield at the moment. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/need-for-speed-hot-pursuit-remastered-review"] She also insisted that the Need for Speed series is not being taken away from Criterion in any form and that the studio will return to its development next year, where the team will work to launch the game on current and previous PlayStation and Xbox generations of hardware. It was announced last June that Criterion Games, the studio behind the Burnout series, was taking the reins of the Need for Speed franchise from Ghost Games. While waiting for the next Need for Speed, check out this story about EA's $1.2 billion acquisition of racing game developer, Codemasters, and then read about how Codemasters is to remain an 'independent group' even after this acquisition. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

EA has shifted Criterion Games off of its current Need for Speed project to help EA DICE with development on the next Battlefield game. This game, which is currently untitled, is expected to release this Fall on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, and it seems DICE needed some extra help getting the game ready for that release, according to a new report from Polygon. EA insists that Criterion Games will return to development of its Need for Speed title in 2022, though. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/28/new-battlefield-coming-in-2021-no-more-star-wars-battlefront-2-and-battlefield-5-updates"] EA made the call to have Criterion work with DICE on the next Battlefield project due to pandemic-related working conditions and because of the fact that following the Codemasters acquisition made last month, EA will have at least one racing game release this year — likely its annual Formula One title. EA chief studios officer, Laura Miele, told Polygon that neither the Battlefield franchise or the Need for Speed franchise are in trouble. "There's no way we would have made a decision like this without including [Criterion] and discussing this with them first, and the impact that they could have on [Battlefield]," Miele said. "They've worked on [Star Wars] Battlefront, they've worked on Battlefields, and they have a really tight, close collaborative partnership with DICE. I'm really confident that this is going to be a pretty positive win for them." As far as the Need for Speed franchise goes, Miele told Polygon that Criterion owns the Need for Speed franchise, which is why they managed the recent remaster of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and why the studio is responsible for the next project in the series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-greatest-racing-games-ever&captions=true"] Miele said an urgent solution for Battlefield, which is expected to release this Holiday season, was needed as a result of the potential the project has and the difficulty in developing a game during a pandemic with work-from-home conditions. "Making games is one of the most sophisticated and complicated forms of media that exists, and it requires creative energy and connection to team members," Miele said. "I think that there's been, you know, fatigue and some burnout, working from home. A lot of that even has to do with just the needs that people have with their families. Some people are taking care of their kids at home. So our productivity is not as high, and then the creative connection and creative energy isn't as high when they're working from home." She continued and said that rather than pushing to get the next Need for Speed game out this year at a time when it might be cannibalized by a Codemasters racing game release, Criterion's efforts are better suited for working on the next Battlefield at the moment. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/need-for-speed-hot-pursuit-remastered-review"] She also insisted that the Need for Speed series is not being taken away from Criterion in any form and that the studio will return to its development next year, where the team will work to launch the game on current and previous PlayStation and Xbox generations of hardware. It was announced last June that Criterion Games, the studio behind the Burnout series, was taking the reins of the Need for Speed franchise from Ghost Games. While waiting for the next Need for Speed, check out this story about EA's $1.2 billion acquisition of racing game developer, Codemasters, and then read about how Codemasters is to remain an 'independent group' even after this acquisition. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

A Grand Theft Auto Online modder says they've figured out a way to reduce the game's lengthy loading times by nearly 70% – and claims Rockstar could implement the fix in the space of a day. As reported by PCGamer, user T0ST has published a fascinating blog post detailing how they reduced the GTA Online loading screen time down from six minutes to a far more healthy one minute and 50 seconds. You can check out T0ST's code for yourself here on GitHub, though be warned, it's just a proof of concept, and as they point out on the page, modifying your game in online mode may lead to an account suspension. Users on social media have reported using the fix themselves and finding similar results. In their write-up of the process, T0ST points to the game's single thread CPU bottleneck and a "poorly built" 10MB JSON file that may contain all of GTA Online's purchasable in-game items and upgrades. When it finds an item, this file checks an entire array with 63 thousand entries, and T0ST says that it performs this check nearly 2 billion times, which is what they believe to be delaying the loading process. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/06/07/gta-online-gunrunning-trailer"] T0ST attempted to smooth this process out and, with some patching, dropped the loading time by 69.4%. "This won’t solve everyone’s load times - there might be other bottlenecks on different systems, but it’s such a gaping hole that I have no idea how R* has missed it all these years," T0ST says. Rounding off their piece, the coder addresses Rockstar directly, noting that it "shouldn't take more than a day for a single dev to solve," and offering a set of solutions for the company to implement the fix. There's been no word from Rockstar on having seen the post, but T0ST has had to update the post to ask players to stop sending the link to the company's support account, in case it gets in the way of normal customer service requests. In other GTA Online news, Take-Two Interactive recently forced a GTA Online cheat maker to close and donate their proceeds to charity. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN, who has lost hours of his life to GTA Online loading screens. Follow him on Twitter.

A Grand Theft Auto Online modder says they've figured out a way to reduce the game's lengthy loading times by nearly 70% – and claims Rockstar could implement the fix in the space of a day. As reported by PCGamer, user T0ST has published a fascinating blog post detailing how they reduced the GTA Online loading screen time down from six minutes to a far more healthy one minute and 50 seconds. You can check out T0ST's code for yourself here on GitHub, though be warned, it's just a proof of concept, and as they point out on the page, modifying your game in online mode may lead to an account suspension. Users on social media have reported using the fix themselves and finding similar results. In their write-up of the process, T0ST points to the game's single thread CPU bottleneck and a "poorly built" 10MB JSON file that may contain all of GTA Online's purchasable in-game items and upgrades. When it finds an item, this file checks an entire array with 63 thousand entries, and T0ST says that it performs this check nearly 2 billion times, which is what they believe to be delaying the loading process. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/06/07/gta-online-gunrunning-trailer"] T0ST attempted to smooth this process out and, with some patching, dropped the loading time by 69.4%. "This won’t solve everyone’s load times - there might be other bottlenecks on different systems, but it’s such a gaping hole that I have no idea how R* has missed it all these years," T0ST says. Rounding off their piece, the coder addresses Rockstar directly, noting that it "shouldn't take more than a day for a single dev to solve," and offering a set of solutions for the company to implement the fix. There's been no word from Rockstar on having seen the post, but T0ST has had to update the post to ask players to stop sending the link to the company's support account, in case it gets in the way of normal customer service requests. In other GTA Online news, Take-Two Interactive recently forced a GTA Online cheat maker to close and donate their proceeds to charity. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN, who has lost hours of his life to GTA Online loading screens. Follow him on Twitter.

Lawyers behind a PS5 drift lawsuit are encouraging potential members of a class action to opt out of a clause in the PS5's terms, potentially allowing the case to more easily reach a courtroom.

Lawyers behind a PS5 drift lawsuit are encouraging potential members of a class action to opt out of a clause in the PS5's terms, potentially allowing the case to more easily reach a courtroom.

Over the course of today and the past weekend, multiple rumours regarding a potential Elden Ring reveal, as well as internal delays to the game, have begin picking up steam. Several publications and industry insiders have reported on the potential of an Elden Ring reveal of some kind - whether as part of an event, or a first new trailer since 2019 – but it's become an increasingly tangled web in the last few days. With that in mind, here's a rundown of the newest Elden Ring rumours (which we'll update as we learn more). As always, take all of the below with a grain of salt – and we'll confirm anything we can as time goes on. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/09/elden-ring-official-reveal-trailer-e3-2019"]

Elden Ring Microsoft Showcase Rumours

All of this arguably began as fans linked two separate sets of rumours together. On February 26, Microsoft reporter Paul Thurrott tweeted to say that he believed an Xbox event would be held on March 23. On the same day, journalist Jeff Grubb said on the GamesBeat Decides podcast that he believed new Elden Ring information would be released by the end of March. On February 28, investigative journalist Jason Schreier added that there was "strong evidence floating around that the game will be shown relatively soon." Fans and websites put the two sets of information together, speculating that the Microsoft event would include an Elden Ring trailer. Microsoft GM of Marketing Aaron Greenberg subsequently said that "this is not happening."

Reported Elden Ring Trailer Leak

Today, VGC, reported that an Elden Ring trailer has leaked online, apparently showing off-screen footage of gameplay from the much-anticipated From Software open-world RPG. The trailer is reportedly being shared in "online chat groups". Jason Schreier added that this purported trailer was the evidence he had mentioned previously. VGC adds that the trailer "shows a montage of familiar Souls-style melee combat, boss battles against a fire-breathing dragon and a large, sword-wielding foe, and a glimpse at horseback combat in a large, open environment." Since that report, multiple images purporting to be from that trailer have been posted on Reddit but have since been proven to be fake – an image of a warrior in ornate armour gained traction online, but was since proven to come from the ArtStation account of artist Ben Reubold.  7 seconds of what purports to be the game in motion, showing several elements included in VGC's reporting, have now begun circulating online. IGN has contacted publisher Bandai Namco for comment on the purported trailer leak. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/12/elden-ring-is-a-vast-open-world-souls-like-game-e3-2019"]

Bandai Namco Next Trademark

Twitter user Nibel pointed out a Bandai Namco trademark registered in 2020 for product called Bandai Namco Next. Some have speculated that Next could be the branding for a Bandai Namco-specific games showcase, similar to Nintendo Direct, at which an Elden Ring trailer could be shown. The trademark was published in January 2021, and Bandai Namco has not commented on what Next could be since that time.

Elden Ring Internal Delay Rumours

As part of its reporting on the trailer, VGC said that sources close to Elden Ring had told the publication that the game has been delayed "several times" because of pandemic-related production difficulties. Those delays were speculated by one source to have pushed the game's release out of 2021. Elden Ring has been notably quiet since its reveal in 2019, although Head of Xbox Phil Spencer said he's 'played quite a bit' of the game, and concept art created for the trailer did recently emerge. Developer FromSoftware has previously thanked fans for their support, after the game's subreddit took telling the game's story into its own hands. [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.

Over the course of today and the past weekend, multiple rumours regarding a potential Elden Ring reveal, as well as internal delays to the game, have begin picking up steam. Several publications and industry insiders have reported on the potential of an Elden Ring reveal of some kind - whether as part of an event, or a first new trailer since 2019 – but it's become an increasingly tangled web in the last few days. With that in mind, here's a rundown of the newest Elden Ring rumours (which we'll update as we learn more). As always, take all of the below with a grain of salt – and we'll confirm anything we can as time goes on. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/09/elden-ring-official-reveal-trailer-e3-2019"]

Elden Ring Microsoft Showcase Rumours

All of this arguably began as fans linked two separate sets of rumours together. On February 26, Microsoft reporter Paul Thurrott tweeted to say that he believed an Xbox event would be held on March 23. On the same day, journalist Jeff Grubb said on the GamesBeat Decides podcast that he believed new Elden Ring information would be released by the end of March. On February 28, investigative journalist Jason Schreier added that there was "strong evidence floating around that the game will be shown relatively soon." Fans and websites put the two sets of information together, speculating that the Microsoft event would include an Elden Ring trailer. Microsoft GM of Marketing Aaron Greenberg subsequently said that "this is not happening."

Reported Elden Ring Trailer Leak

Today, VGC, reported that an Elden Ring trailer has leaked online, apparently showing off-screen footage of gameplay from the much-anticipated From Software open-world RPG. The trailer is reportedly being shared in "online chat groups". Jason Schreier added that this purported trailer was the evidence he had mentioned previously. VGC adds that the trailer "shows a montage of familiar Souls-style melee combat, boss battles against a fire-breathing dragon and a large, sword-wielding foe, and a glimpse at horseback combat in a large, open environment." Since that report, multiple images purporting to be from that trailer have been posted on Reddit but have since been proven to be fake – an image of a warrior in ornate armour gained traction online, but was since proven to come from the ArtStation account of artist Ben Reubold.  7 seconds of what purports to be the game in motion, showing several elements included in VGC's reporting, have now begun circulating online. IGN has contacted publisher Bandai Namco for comment on the purported trailer leak. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/12/elden-ring-is-a-vast-open-world-souls-like-game-e3-2019"]

Bandai Namco Next Trademark

Twitter user Nibel pointed out a Bandai Namco trademark registered in 2020 for product called Bandai Namco Next. Some have speculated that Next could be the branding for a Bandai Namco-specific games showcase, similar to Nintendo Direct, at which an Elden Ring trailer could be shown. The trademark was published in January 2021, and Bandai Namco has not commented on what Next could be since that time.

Elden Ring Internal Delay Rumours

As part of its reporting on the trailer, VGC said that sources close to Elden Ring had told the publication that the game has been delayed "several times" because of pandemic-related production difficulties. Those delays were speculated by one source to have pushed the game's release out of 2021. Elden Ring has been notably quiet since its reveal in 2019, although Head of Xbox Phil Spencer said he's 'played quite a bit' of the game, and concept art created for the trailer did recently emerge. Developer FromSoftware has previously thanked fans for their support, after the game's subreddit took telling the game's story into its own hands. [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 secret audio recording that briefly continues the story of Halo 5 has been discovered hidden in a 343 Industries blog update. The audio, posted on Reddit, features a conversation between an unknown voice, Master Chief, and Catherine Halsey, creator of the SPARTAN-II super soldier project. Halsey notes that “Right now, we are in survival mode, again. Cortana’s message has spread across the galaxy, most sentient AI are siding with her.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/halo-infinite-9-minutes-of-campaign-gameplay"] The conversation seemingly takes place in the wake of Halo 5, in which Cortana goes rogue and is seemingly positioned to be the villain of further Halo stories. However, Halo Infinite has been shown to feature The Banished as its antagonist, the Brute-led faction from Halo Wars 2. This seemed to suggest that 343 was cutting away from the poorly received Halo 5 narrative and forging a new direction, but this audio suggests maybe the Cortana story thread may not have been dropped. The recent Inside Infinite update this audio was found in spends a lot of time discussing Halo Infinite’s position as a “spiritual reboot” of the original Bungie games, and will return to the feeling and “essence” of games like Combat Evolved. But, while it seems 343 is looking to produce a clean-ish break from Halo 5, perhaps 343 plans to carry on with its ideas born in Halo 5 while adjusting the gameplay direction to be closer to Bungie’s games. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=halo-infinite-new-screenshots-february-2021&captions=true"] For more Halo Infinite, be sure to check out the news of its rebuilt, customisable control scheme. Also, if you're heard about other Halo games, they may not be happening soon: job listings for a new 343 game were a mistake, and Halo Wars 3 is not in the works.  [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

A secret audio recording that briefly continues the story of Halo 5 has been discovered hidden in a 343 Industries blog update. The audio, posted on Reddit, features a conversation between an unknown voice, Master Chief, and Catherine Halsey, creator of the SPARTAN-II super soldier project. Halsey notes that “Right now, we are in survival mode, again. Cortana’s message has spread across the galaxy, most sentient AI are siding with her.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/halo-infinite-9-minutes-of-campaign-gameplay"] The conversation seemingly takes place in the wake of Halo 5, in which Cortana goes rogue and is seemingly positioned to be the villain of further Halo stories. However, Halo Infinite has been shown to feature The Banished as its antagonist, the Brute-led faction from Halo Wars 2. This seemed to suggest that 343 was cutting away from the poorly received Halo 5 narrative and forging a new direction, but this audio suggests maybe the Cortana story thread may not have been dropped. The recent Inside Infinite update this audio was found in spends a lot of time discussing Halo Infinite’s position as a “spiritual reboot” of the original Bungie games, and will return to the feeling and “essence” of games like Combat Evolved. But, while it seems 343 is looking to produce a clean-ish break from Halo 5, perhaps 343 plans to carry on with its ideas born in Halo 5 while adjusting the gameplay direction to be closer to Bungie’s games. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=halo-infinite-new-screenshots-february-2021&captions=true"] For more Halo Infinite, be sure to check out the news of its rebuilt, customisable control scheme. Also, if you're heard about other Halo games, they may not be happening soon: job listings for a new 343 game were a mistake, and Halo Wars 3 is not in the works.  [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.