Batman is returning to the world of Fortnite, and he's bringing Catwoman and Harley Quinn along for the ride. This latest collaboration between DC and Epic Games is dubbed Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point. But while this isn't the Dark Knight's first dalliance with Fortnite, this crossover is unique in that it's primarily driven by a comic book tie-in. Naturally, there will also be new Batman-themed costumes and items coming to the game. [caption id="attachment_2479303" align="aligncenter" width="3818"] Harley Quinn's DC Rebirth costume is the first of several new items and skins being added to Fortnite. (Image Credit: Epic Games)[/caption] Zero Point is a six-issue limited series scripted by Christos Gage (Spider-Geddon), based on a concept and story consultation from Epic's Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard. The series features art from Reilly Brown, Christian Duce, Nelson DeCastro and John Kalisz. Zero Point brings the Dark Knight and other DC icons like Catwoman and Harley Quinn crashing into the Fortnite universe, with Batman struggling to remember who he is and where he came from and solve the mystery of the Zero Point. The series will be in-canon with the Fortnite universe and add new layers to the game's mythology. DC's press release teases, "As [Batman] fights to recall his past and escape an endless loop of chaos and struggle, he’ll come face-to-face with the likes of Renegade Raider, Fishstick, Bandolier, and more. While the world's greatest detective strives to make sense of this strange new world, he’ll uncover the shocking truth about the Island, what lies beyond the Loop, and how everything is connected to the mysterious Zero Point." Each issue of Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point will be released day-and-date in print and digital formats, but Fortnite fans will have special incentive to buy the print versions. Each print issue will include a DLC code for a Batman-themed item or costume to use in Fortnite, with the first being a DC Rebirth Harley Quinn costume. Collecting all six codes will allow players to unlock an exclusive "Armored Batman Zero" skin. So yes, you can finally be Batman again in Fortnite, but that privilege requires a certain level of commitment. Alternatively, Zero Point will also be free to read for subscribers of the DC Universe Infinite service, along with the DLC codes. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=batmanfortnite-zero-point-1-preview&captions=true"] “When DC first approached me about doing a Batman/Fortnite series I thought it would be a lot of fun,” said Gage in DC's press release. ”After speaking with Donald [Mustard] and discovering just how deeply we'd be diving into the secrets behind the world of Fortnite, I was amazed! This series will reveal things about Fortnite that have never been seen or heard before yet are very much part of the canon of the game.” “I’m also looking forward to integrating other DC Super Heroes into the series, characters that Batman has existing relations with,” Gage continued. “It’ll be exciting to share with fans how these relationships will be reshaped in this new world. The art by Reilly, Christian, Nelson, and John is stunning, and my prediction is that this series will blow everybody’s mind, whether you’re a fan of DC, Batman or Fortnite.” Each issue of Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point is priced at $4.99 for the standard cover and $5.99 for the cardstock variant cover. The series will debut on Tuesday, April 20, with new issues shipping twice-monthly until the finale on July 6. Batman isn't the only DC hero putting in an appearance in Fortnite this year. Epic recently added a Flash skin modeled after the Arrowverse TV series. The game is also bringing in Ellen Ripley and the Alien Xenomorph. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/26/fortnite-ripley-and-alien-xenomorph-trailer"] Previously in 2020, Epic collaborated with Marvel Comics to bring Thor, Wolverine and other playable Marvel heroes into Fortnite: Season 2, Chapter 4. That crossover also had a comic book tie-in in Fortnite X Marvel: Nexus War - Thor #1, though that issue was framed a standalone prelude to the in-game content. Funnily enough, this shared Fortnite connection is the closest thing to a Marvel/DC crossover we've seen in almost 20 years. The two publishers haven't collaborated on a crossover together since 2003's JLA/Avengers, though the final issue of DC's Watchmen sequel Doomsday Clock offers some hope that'll change one day. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

District 9 director Neill Blomkamp has revealed that work is now underway on the District 10 screenplay. Blomkamp announced on Twitter that he had reteamed with his District 9 partners Sharlto Copley and Terri Tatchell to write the screenplay for District 10, the long-awaited follow-up to his sci-fi action movie, District 9, which opened in 2009 to critical acclaim. He told his followers: "District 10 screenplay also being written by @sharlto (Sharlto Copley) @territachell (Terri Tatchell) and I. It's [sic] coming..."

District 10 screenplay also being written by @sharlto @territatchell and I. Its coming...

— Neill Blomkamp (@NeillBlomkamp) February 26, 2021

District 10 has been rumored and speculated about for years, but up until now, Blomkamp has seemingly prioritized other projects. In 2013, Blomkamp told IGN that he had a great idea for the District 9 follow-up but he had a bunch of other "ideas and stuff" that he wanted to make first. He provided a further update in 2017, telling IGN that he needed to "find the right time" to work on the sequel. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] In recent years, Blomkamp has helmed various horror shorts under his Oats Studios banner. The studio's first short was an alien invasion aftermath tale called "Rakka," the second was "Firebase," which introduced viewers to a wild alternate-history take on the Vietnam War, and the third was "Zygote," a sci-fi horror thriller starring Dakota Fanning and Jose Pablo Cantillo. Blomkamp has also been keeping busy during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Last summer, he filmed an "under-the-radar" supernatural horror movie in British Columbia (with on-set COVID-19 protocols in place). The movie is said to be something that Blomkamp has always wanted to make, and will reportedly have a "strong sci-fi and VFX component" like his other feature-length movies. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Sony has revealed that the PS4 version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Maquette, Farpoint VR, and Remnant: From the Ashes are the PlayStation Plus games for March 2021. Announced on the PlayStation Blog, all four games will be available free to PS Plus subscribers from March 2. The blog confirms that the PS Plus version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake will not offer a free upgrade to Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on PS5.

Final Fantasy VII Remake, Maquette, Remnant: From the Ashes and Farpoint are your PlayStation Plus games for March: https://t.co/tQFJNoURI9 pic.twitter.com/cPOmwsKxHN

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) February 26, 2021

We awarded Final Fantasy 7 Remake an 8/10 review, saying that it "delivered on letting me relive (part of) a classic in stupendous fashion, while also standing as a great RPG all its own." While this PS4 version won't upgrade to the shiny new version later this year, it is of course compatible with PS5. Maquette is a PS5 recursive puzzler from Graceful Decay and Annapurna Interactive, and will make its debut on PS Plus. The game stars Bryce Dallas Howard and Seth Gabel playing romantic couple Kenzie and Michael, who are characters that will guide players through the game but won't be "explicitly seen on screen." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/06/final-fantasy-7-remake-review"] Remnant: From the Ashes is a Dark Souls-inspired shooter that we awarded an 8/10 review, calling it "a co-op action-RPG that's punishing and grotesque, but exciting and beautiful all at the same time." Farpoint VR earned itself a 7.5/10 review, as we said, "fantastic gunplay and freedom of movement sets PSVR's Farpoint apart from most VR shooting galleries." You have until March 1 to claim two of February's free PS Plus games, Control: Ultimate Edition, and Concrete Genie, but you can grab Destruction All-Stars for free until April 5. [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.

This review contains spoilers for Marvel's WandaVision episode 8, now available to view on Disney+. To remind yourself of where we left off, check out our WandaVision episode 7 review. [poilib element="accentDivider"] With the finale in sight and the big Agatha Harkness reveal dropped at the end of its last chapter, you’d expect WandaVision to ramp up the pace for its penultimate episode. Instead it does the very opposite; episode 8 is an exercise in taking stock. It’s a series of flashbacks that feels akin to pre-flight checks, ensuring the audience is fully informed before heading into the show’s final take-off. There are a few fun twists to be found, as well as some emotional value, but for anyone fully invested in both WandaVision and the MCU, it feels like the brakes have been applied when it should have been the accelerator. It should be pointed out that episode 8’s most important reveal comes not as part of the main show, but in a mid-credits scene. It turns out Hayward was lying back in episode 5 about Wanda having stolen Vision’s corpse. Instead, he has rebuilt Vision - a nod to the White Vision from the comics - and has activated him using the Hex’s energy. This means Hayward has broken the Sokovia Accords’ rules, should you need any more evidence that Hayward is as corrupt as they come. This all presumably paves the way for some kind of zombie Vision vs clone Vision showdown in the finale. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-all-the-marvel-and-tv-easter-eggs-in-every-episode&captions=true"] A reveal as large as that is unfortunately relegated to a post-credits due to this week’s structure, which takes place almost entirely in Wanda’s memories, and so there’s no natural room for a detour to SWORD’s base. This design, which walks viewers through key moments of Wanda’s life, acts as a catch-up on her origin story so far. For anyone invested in the MCU, this is largely an exercise in watching stuff you already know, and even those who have only seen WandaVision will have pieced together these events thanks to expository dialogue in earlier episodes. That’s not to say there’s no merit in these scenes; their key value to fans comes in their emotional weight, and how they contextualise the sitcom elements with Wanda’s childhood love of imported American DVDs. But, for much of the episode, it does feel like we’re doing revision for our final WandaVision exam, rather than learning a whole lot of new topics. Where we do learn new things is with Agatha Harkness, although it may be that Marvel overstated her impact in the last episode by suggesting it was Agatha all along. Yes, she’s definitely been up to no good, but Agatha is almost entirely in the dark about Wanda’s power, rather than being the manipulator behind it. This does neatly position her as a sort of investigator for the episode, working as a guide for the audience’s thought process as she interrogates Wanda from memory to memory, attempting to discover the root of her power. Power which, by the end of the episode, Agatha has determined is Chaos Magic. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/21/wandavision-episode-7-the-real-villain-finally-revealed-mcu-canon-fodder"] With that discovery, Agatha proclaims Wanda as The Scarlet Witch, suggesting that in the MCU the title is some kind of prophecy or lineage for witches. It’s an interesting spin on inserting Wanda’s superhero name into the show, and the whole episode helps establish that this is who she was destined to be from birth, rather than via experimentation. The scene in Hydra’s lab, in which Wanda sees a vision of herself within the Mind Stone dressed in the classic Scarlet Witch costume, was a particularly strong method of adding a feeling of legend and weight to her story. It is, though, another reveal that really only works with the benefit of comic book knowledge. There’s nothing in the episode to contextualize Chaos Magic and its sinister comic origins, nor really demonstrate how Agatha has come to identify it. Still, it’s clear that Agatha wants to at least interfere with what Wanda has, and will cruelly hold her children hostage to meet that goal. This positions Wanda between the two enemies of Agatha and SWORD for the finale, which will hopefully provide some entertaining results. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=agatha-harkness-wandavisions-other-marvel-witch-explained&captions=true"] Episode 8 certainly has its flaws, then, but there are enough components that worked to prevent itself from feeling truly unnecessary. This largely comes from Elizabeth Olsen herself, who provides a sense of heft to the episode’s emotional sequences. As ever in the MCU, it's in the fleeting, quieter moments that we see the heroes’ most interesting character traits, and for episode 8 that comes in the flashback to Wanda and Vision at the Avengers HQ. Here we see that it’s not just Vision’s death that has caused all this grief, but a life of accumulating tragedy that has “drowned” her. Olsen really conveys Wanda’s exhaustion here, and is wonderfully matched by Paul Bettany, who’s back in classic Vision mode for a lovely tender moment. Wanda’s visit to SWORD’s headquarters to reclaim Vision also showed a new perspective; Hayward’s lies had convinced us that she’d stolen Vision’s body in rage, but the truth is much gentler than that. Seeing what SWORD had done, Wanda’s depression spirals deeper rather than manifests into violence, further emphasising the sad tragedy of the story. The sequence in which Wanda arrives in Westview for the first time, and opens Vision’s heart-signed property deed for the land, is sure to wrench even the coldest of hearts.

Square Enix has clarified that Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade's Yuffie Episode can't be played as a standalone and will be exclusive to the PS5. An FAQ page was uploaded after Intergrade's reveal during the most recent Sony State of Play broadcast. The Yuffie Episode was announced alongside Intergrade, but is a separate piece of DLC – but Square Enix has made clear that it won't be coming to PS4. The FAQ says that, "the new Yuffie Episode is optimized for PlayStation 5, so it is not available on PlayStation 4." This means that the only way to access the Yuffie Episode is to buy Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on PS5 or, if you own a PlayStation 4 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake and a PlayStation 5, upgrade your version of the game – but you will still need to purchase the Yuffie Episode separately if you upgrade. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/25/final-fantasy-7-remake-intergrade-reveal-trailer"] Square Enix also explains that, even though you can purchase it separately as part of the upgrade process on PS5, Yuffie Episode can't be played as a standalone game without the rest of the package. "The new episode featuring Yuffie can only be played by either purchasing Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on PlayStation 5, or by purchasing it separately after completing the free PlayStation 5 enhancement upgrade," the FAQ reads. Alongside Intergrade, Square Enix also announced a Final Fantasy VII Battle Royale game called Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier. as well as a mobile remake of Final Fantasy 7 and its spin-offs, called Ever Crisis. It's also looking likely that Final Fantasy 7 Remake will be coming to PS Plus – but it will be the PS4 version, and seemingly won;t be upgradeable to Intergrade. Intergrade comes to PS5 with improved textures, fog effects, lighting, and faster load times, as well as a new photo mode and support for the DualSense controller's haptic feedback. It will be playable in either Performance Mode, which runs at 60 FPS, or Graphics Mode, which prioritizes 4K resolution. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Tom Holland has said that his approach to playing Nathan Drake in the upcoming Uncharted movie may have been a "mistake." In an interview with GQ, Holland reflected on his role in the Uncharted movie, now dated for release in 2022, and shared his own personal concerns about his acting performance. He said he felt that, at times, he "kind of fell under that spell" of concentrating on the way that he looked in certain shots rather than channeling all of his focus solely into playing the character. "As soon as you start worrying about 'Do I look good in this shot?' acting becomes something other than playing a character," Holland told the publication. "I think there are elements of my performance in Uncharted where I kind of fell under that spell of being 'I want to look good now. I want this to be my cool moment.' I had to play this very tough, very stoic guy – basically, be Mark Wahlberg." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/03/uncharted-mark-wahlberg-is-only-signed-for-one-movie"] He went on to say that the experience had taught him an "important lesson" about his attitude towards certain elements of the role. He admitted that, even though he is yet to see whether he successfully delivered Nate's big "action hero" moments, he would probably consider taking a different approach to the way in which he plays these types of characters in the future. "My character is supposed to be a f**king action hero in this moment!" he explained further. "Look, I haven't seen it, so I don't know if I succeeded in that. But it was an important lesson learned, because, at times, it was less about land a mark and go through this scene and more about land a mark, stand like this and see my bulging biceps... It was a mistake and is something that I will probably never do again." Despite critiquing one aspect of his performance, Holland has shared some promising updates throughout the movie's various stages of production. The actor expressed optimism for the project early on, saying the movie will appeal to a wider audience because it's an origin story, and then, as filming got underway, he said the shoot was "going so well" and it was everything he "dreamed it would be." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-video-game-movie-in-development-almost&captions=true"] The Uncharted movie is said to be "just the beginning" of Sony's efforts to expand into new media. Towards the end of last year, Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra revealed that his studio was in the process of developing 10 video game adaptations, including seven TV shows and three movies based on PlayStation properties, though he didn't specify whether Uncharted was included in that count. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The PS4 version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake seems to be coming to PS Plus next March, at least in Japan – but it won't upgrade freely to the new PS5 version. As pointed out by Twitter user aibo, the Japanese PS Store listing for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade includes small print that indicates the original PS4 game will be added to PS Plus on March 1. However, roughly translated, that listing adds that, "The PlayStation®4 version "FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE" obtained as a free play by subscribing to PlayStation®Plus cannot be upgraded to the PlayStation®5 version." It's worth pointing out that Japanese PS Plus games can differ from those in other territories. We've contacted Sony for comment. Developing...

Players will be able to upgrade their PlayStation 5 internal storage following an update in the summer, according to a Bloomberg report. Sources close to the planning process told Bloomberg that a firmware patch will arrive later this year, and will let players upgrade the internal storage on the console with compatible M.2 SSD drives. The console launched with the upgradable expansion slot, but it's been unusable – the patch will finally activate it, allowing owners to improve upon the 667 GB of storage available from the PS5's internal SSD, crucially letting them store more than a few PS5 games on the system at one time. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/25/state-of-play-live-stream-playstation"] The console's storage can already be expanded via an external drive connected by USB, but it will only be able to play and store PS4 games. At present, native PS5 games have to be played on the console's internal storage, but this reported patch will at least let players have more internal space for PS5 games. Bloomberg's report says that the update will also unlock "higher cooling-fan speeds" to support custom drives and mitigate overheating. This reported patch will be important given the ballooning storage real-estate taken up by modern games. Earlier this week, Activision said that 500 GB PS4 owners may "need to make room" if they wish to have the fully updated versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone installed. In other PlayStation 5 news, Sony hosted a State of Play this week that revealed new games such as Sufi and Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Nintendo Switch title Monster Hunter Rise will eventually come to PC, according to producer Ryozo Tsujimoto. While the latest title in the Monster Hunter series will launch on Switch on March 26, Tsujimoto told IGN Japan in an interview that PC players can expect to get their hands on the game sometime in early 2022.

“We received a lot of requests for a PC version of Monster Hunter Rise, particularly from overseas players, and so we have decided to develop a version for PC, which we aim to release in early 2022,” said Tsujimoto. “This is still under development, so I’d like to share more detailed information when the time is right.”

No other details of the PC version were available.

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While Monster Hunter has long been a killer franchise in Japan, 2018’s Monster Hunter: World and its Iceborne expansion brought the series to global success, with World selling over 16.8 million units worldwide, and a further 7.2 million sales for Iceborne. It’s encouraging to hear that Capcom is listening to series fans around the world when it considers platforms for new entries such as Rise.

Monster Hunter Rise has been specifically designed with the Switch’s capabilities in mind – for example, Tsujimoto said in the interview that during development “we considered the characteristics of the Nintendo Switch, which can be used as a handheld, and with that in mind we focused on hunting at a higher tempo than before.”

It is not clear how such aspects will translate to a PC version. But Rise’s emphasis on action results in tightened core mechanics that should be fun to play regardless of platform, and the game has been made even more welcoming to new players than the already accessible Monster Hunter World.

[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Getting%20the%20necessary%20performance%20out%20of%20the%20%5BSwitch%5D%20hardware%20required%20some%20adjustments"]

For example, in addition to the feline Palico buddies from previous games, Rise introduces Palamutes, canine creatures that assist the player in battle and that can even be ridden like a horse, making exploration much faster and more dynamic. “We especially wanted to have the fun of traveling around on the Palamute available in multiplayer,” said Tsujimoto. “Getting the necessary performance out of the [Switch] hardware required some adjustments, but we were able to achieve it eventually through continued development.”

While the Switch hardware does come with technical limitations, Rise is a beautiful game with stunning art direction and a complex ecosystem that allows monsters to interact organically with one another. It is notably the first Monster Hunter on a handheld system to feature seamless maps with no loading between areas, a challenge that the development team worked hard to pull off. So there should be no reason to worry that a PC version would be held back by the game’s Switch origins.

Capcom has had success with previous ports to more powerful hardware, such as when 2011’s Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate received a gorgeous HD update for Wii U in 2012. So perhaps a PC version of Rise could receive a similar makeover.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/26/monster-hunter-rise-kamura-village-tour-and-new-details"]

For more on Monster Hunter Rise, take a tour of Kamura Village in the video above, with brand new surprising details about its facilities, like the Gathering Hub, Canteen, and Training Area!  Also, check out our Monster Hunter Rise preview of the game overall.

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Ryuichi Kataoka is a freelance writer for IGN Japan. Daniel Robson is Chief Editor at IGN Japan.

 

343 Industries has shared seven new Halo Infinite screenshots showcasing the new Halo ring and a day and night cycle.