Kena: Bridge of Spirits, the third-person action-adventure game that debuted at last year's PS5 June showcase, now has a release date for later this year. Ember Lab announced, as part of PlayStation's February 2021 State of Play, that Kena will be released on PS4, PS5, and PC via the Epic Games Store on August 24. There will be both a standard edition for $39.99 and a deluxe digital edition for $49.99, which additionally includes the game's soundtrack, an in-game silver staff, and golden Rot skin exclusives. And whatever edition you buy on PlayStation entitles you both PS5 and PS4 digital copies of it. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=kena-bridge-of-spirits-state-of-play-trailer-stills&captions=true"] "We’re taking the next few months to further polish and optimize for the best possible game. It’s been quite an experience completing our first title during the pandemic. We are super excited to reveal the latest trailer and announce the launch date," Ember Lab COO Josh Grier said in a statement alongside the announcement. Ember Lab revealed the release date alongside a new trailer for Kena, which showcased our best look at gameplay yet, including traversal across a number of different locations, and some major battles against potential bosses. We also learn more about Kena's journey, and get a sense for some of the darkness at play in the world. Kena originally had been set for release in 2020 but saw a delay to 2021 due to COVID-19 impacts on development, but around the same time, we learned more about Kena's story, combat, and world to tide over those anticipating the new game. The developers had previously shared new Kena details during IGN's Summer of Gaming

The newest entry in the vast Oddworld franchise, Oddworld: Soulstorm, is coming to PS5 April 6. Additionally, PS5 owners with active PlayStation Plus subscriptions can play for free. The news, along with new gameplay details, came during the Sony PS5 State of Play event. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/oddworld-soulstorm-gameplay-reveal-trailer"] Our first glimpse at Oddworld PS5 gameplay came in June 2020, Oddworld: Soulstorm draws "on the crowd mechanics familiar from the earlier parts of the series."

During today's Sony State of Play, we got a first look at gameplay from Solar Ash, the next game from Hyper Light Drifter developer Heart Machine. In an extended gameplay showcase, Heart Machine Creative Director Alex Preston said that "at its core, Solar Ash is a game about movement," with a focus on speed and fluidity. It's a 3D platformer takes place across a huge map with a very agile main character named Rei who can skate across a ground made of ashen clouds, scale certain walls, and more. Watch the full gameplay below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/25/solar-ash-gameplay-overview-trailer"] Rei has descended into a massive black hole (where the game takes place) in order to save her homeworld, where she is shown moving fast, picking up little pink blobs scattered about, skating across rails, and using some type of grappling hook to pull herself to specific points. There's also combat, which Preston described as "simple, fast, and fluid, built to empower players and encourage flow." Rei is also shown fighting and climbing much larger, white-plated creatures called Sentinels, which apparently "hold the key to her quest" that are very reminiscent of a game like Shadow of the Colossus. Solar Ash is coming to PS5, PS4, and PC sometime in 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Tom Marks is IGN's Deputy Reviews Editor and resident pie maker. You can follow him on Twitter.

Nearly a year after its initial launch, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is about to welcome six new residents into the game -- and they're all adorable Sanrio-themed characters. In a short trailer today, Nintendo announced the Sanrio Collaboration Pack of amiibo cards coming exclusively to Target on March 26. The cards had previously been available in Japan, but this is the first time they will debut in the United States. The six cards depict new Animal Crossing town residents themed after the Sanrio characters Hello Kitty, My Melody, Little Twin Stars, Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, and Keroppi -- respectively Rilla, Chelsea, Etoile, Marty, Chai, and Toby. Scanning these cards in Animal Crossing: New Horizons will let players invite these residents to live in their in-game towns, and will also allow them to order themed items from the in-game store to decorate their homes and towns. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/17/animal-crossing-new-horizons-super-mario-items-trailer"] This is the first time New Horizons has gotten new residents, though the addition is not without precedent. In Animal Crossing: New Leaf's Welcome amiibo update, the game added a number of new villagers themed around The Legend of Zelda that could be obtained by scanning actual amiibo: W. Link, Medli, Ganon, and Epona. These four characters have not appeared in New Horizons even with amiibo, however. At the moment, it looks like all six characters come in a single pack of Sanrio cards, so you don't have to worry about random chance as you do with normal amiibo card packs. However, given how popular some of these characters are, there's a chance this results in scalpers buying up the cards and selling them for high prices at online retailers -- so mind that if you are trying to order them. New Horizons just got a different themed change to the game today with the 35th-anniversary celebration of Mario. Today's update will allow players to obtain a number of Mario-themed costumes and items -- though, sorry, no Mario-themed villagers for now. The game also just recently concluded its Festivale event for February, meaning that, sadly, Bunny Day is on the horizon once again. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

HBO Max is releasing two Warner Bros. theatrical films on its streaming platform for March 2021. To kick things off, the streamer is debuting the much-anticipated Zack Snyder's Justice League on March 18. To learn more about the history of this film, be sure to check out our in-depth look at the true story behind the "Snyder Cut" in the video below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/21/the-true-story-behind-the-snyder-cut"] HBO Max will also be home to Godzilla vs. Kong on March 31. Here's how Warner Bros. describes the film: "As a squadron embarks on a perilous mission into fantastic uncharted terrain, unearthing clues to the Titans’ very origins and mankind’s survival, a conspiracy threatens to wipe the creatures from the face of the earth forever." And if you're feeling nostalgic, Superman: The Animated Series comes to HBO Max in high definition on March 17. Check out the slideshow gallery below for the highlights of HBO Max's March offerings, followed by the full list: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=hbo-max-spotlight-march-2021&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"]

March 1

• 10 Years, 2012 (HBO)
• A Mouse Tale, 2012 (HBO)
• Adventureland, 2009 (HBO)
• Assault On Precinct 13, 1976 (HBO)
• Assault On Precinct 13, 2005 (HBO)
• Bandits, 2001 (HBO)
• Barefoot, 2014 (HBO)
• Blade, 1998
• The Brothers Grimm, 2005 (HBO)
• Bowfinger, 1999 (HBO)
• Cesar Chavez, 2014 (HBO)
• Charlotte’s Web, 2006 (HBO)
• CHiPs, 2017 (HBO)
• Constantine, 2005
• The Doors, 1991 (HBO)
• Dr. Dolittle 2, 2001 (HBO)
• Dream House, 2011 (HBO)
• Driving Miss Daisy, 1989
• Eulogy, 2004 (HBO)
• Fierce People, 2007 (HBO)
• Final Analysis, 1992 (HBO)
• Final Space, Seasons 1-2
• Finding Neverland, 2004 (HBO)
• Gloria, 2014 (HBO)
• Going In Style, 2017 (HBO)
• Gone, 2012 (HBO)
• Hard, Season 2 Premiere (HBO)
• Hellbenders, 2013 (HBO)
• Henry Poole Is Here, 2008 (HBO)
• House Arrest, 2012 (HBO)
• Immigration Tango, 2011 (HBO)
• Jungle Master, 2014 (HBO)
• Just Before I Go, 2015 (HBO)
• The King's Speech, 2010
• Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man, 2006 (HBO)
• Live By Night, 2016 (HBO)
• The Lost Boys, 1987
• Machine Gun Preacher, 2011 (HBO)
• Malice, 1993 (HBO)
• Man On A Ledge, 2012 (HBO)
• Miss Sharon Jones!, 2015
• No Se Aceptan Devoluciones (AKA Instructions Not Included), 2013 (HBO)
• Ocean's Eleven, 2001
• Ocean's Thirteen, 2007
• Ocean's Twelve, 2004
• One More Time, 2016 (HBO)
• Our Brand Is Crisis, 2015 (HBO)
• Parental Guidance, 2012 (HBO)
• Pitch Perfect, 2012 (HBO)
• Princess Kaiulani, 2010 (HBO)
• The Quiet Ones, 2014 (HBO)
• The Raven, 2012 (HBO)
• Red Dragon, 2002 (HBO)
• Repentance, 2014 (HBO)
• The River Wild, 1994 (HBO)
• School Dance, 2014 (HBO)
• Secretary, 2002
• Shadows, 2021 (HBO)
• Stand Up Guys, 2013 (HBO)
• Super Capers, 2009 (HBO)
• Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, 2005
• The Undocumented Lawyer, 2021 (HBO)
• Unforgettable, 2017 (HBO)
• The Voices, 2015 (HBO)
• Veronica Mars, 2014
• Wedding Crashers, 2005
• Wiener Dog Internationals, 2017 (HBO)

March 3

• Hunter x Hunter, (Dubbed, episodes 100-148) (Crunchyroll Collection)

March 4

• Persona: The Dark Truth Behind Personality Tests, Max Original Documentary Premiere

March 5

• No Matarás (Aka Cross The Line), 2021 (HBO)
• Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 2 (Dubbed, episodes 14-25) (Crunchyroll Collection)

March 6

• 12 oz. Mouse, Season 3
• Lost Resort
• Rocky, 1975 (HBO)
• Rocky Balboa, 2006 (HBO)
• Rocky II, 1979 (HBO)
• Rocky III, 1982 (HBO)
• Rocky IV, 1985 (HBO)
• Rocky V, 1990 (HBO)
• March 8
• The Investigation, Limited Series Finale

March 9

• Ballmastrz: 9009, Season 2
• COVID Diaries NYC, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

March 10

• YOLO: Crystal Fantasy

March 11

• Genera+ion S1A, Max Original Premiere
• South ParQ Vaccination Special
• Tig n' Seek, Season 1B Premiere

March 12

• Isabel
• Nuestras Madres (Aka Our Mothers), 2021 (HBO)
• Tigtone, Season 2

March 13

• Speed, 1994 (HBO)
• Three Busy Debras

March 14

• Allen v. Farrow, Documentary Series Finale
• Messy Goes to Okido

March 15

• Infomercials

March 16

• Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, Season 5 (Dubbed) (Crunchyroll Collection)

March 17

• Superman: The Animated Series

March 18

• Zack Snyder's Justice League, Max Original Film Premiere

March 19

• A Tiny Audience, Season 2 Premiere (HBO)

March 20

• Beverly Hills Cop, 1984 (HBO)
• Beverly Hills Cop II, 1987 (HBO)
• Beverly Hills Cop III, 1994 (HBO)

March 22

• Beartown, Limited Series Finale

March 23

• Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, (HBO)

March 26

• Hotel Coppelia, 2021 (HBO)

March 27

• Tina, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

March 30

• The Last Cruise, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

March 31

• Godzilla vs. Kong, Warner Bros. Film Premiere, 2021

[poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

During the 2021 Television Critics Association winter press tour, Hulu revealed the release date and a teaser trailer for its upcoming adult animated series, Marvel's M.O.D.O.K., which is set to premiere on the streamer on Friday, May 21, 2021. Here's how Hulu describes the upcoming series: "In Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., the megalomaniacal supervillain M.O.D.O.K. (Patton Oswalt) has long pursued his dream of one day conquering the world. But after years of setbacks and failures fighting the Earth’s mightiest heroes, M.O.D.O.K. has run his evil organization A.I.M. into the ground. Ousted as A.I.M.’s leader, while also dealing with his crumbling marriage and family life, the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing is set to confront his greatest challenge yet!" You can watch the hilarious new trailer in the video below or at the top of the page: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/25/marvels-modok-official-teaser-trailer-2021-patton-oswalt-ben-schwartz"] Joining Oswalt is a talented lineup of voice actors, including Melissa Fumero, Aimee Garcia, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ben Schwartz, Beck Bennett, Jon Daly, and Sam Richardson. Marvel's M.O.D.O.K is written and created by executive producers Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt. What did you think of the new trailer? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check out M.O.D.O.K. when it debuts on Hulu on May 21. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-modok-gallery&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Update: SIE has confirmed that PlayStation Studios JAPAN Studio will be re-organized following reports that game development at the first-party developer will be scaled back. In a statement to IGN, Sony announced that Japan Studio will be "re-centered" around Team ASOBI, the development unit behind Astro's Playroom. Localization, IP management, and external production will also be concentrated within the global functions wing of PlayStation Studios. Sony launched PlayStation Studios as a new umbrella brand that houses the company's first-party game developers including Sony Santa Monica, Naughty Dog, Sucker Punch, Insomniac, and more. Effectively shifting parts of Japan Studio's assets to the global brand. Here is the full statement from JAPAN Studio below:

In an effort to further strengthen business operations, SIE can confirm PlayStation Studios JAPAN Studio will be re-organized into a new organization on April 1.  JAPAN Studio will be re-centered to Team ASOBI, the creative team behind Astro's PLAYROOM, allowing the team to focus on a single vision and build on the popularity of Astro’s PLAYROOM.   In addition, the roles of external production, software localization, and IP management of JAPAN Studio titles will be concentrated within the global functions of PlayStation Studios.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Original Story: Sony is reportedly scaling back video game development at Sony Japan Studio, a Tokyo-based first-party developer responsible for games like Ape Escape, Gravity Rush, and The Last Guardian. According to sources, VGC is reporting that a “vast majority” of Japan Studio’s developers have been laid off after their annual contracts weren’t renewed. What remains at the studio are the localization and business staff; as well as ASOBI Team, the developer of the Astro Bot series. ASOBI will reportedly continue to make games as a standalone studio.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"]

It’s unclear what the future holds for Japan Studio’s External Development Department, which helped on such titles as Demon’s Souls and Bloodborne, as well as working with other third-party developers in Japan. IGN has reached out to PlayStation for comment and has added the studio's response in an update above. Sources tell VGC that Japan Studio has just not been profitable enough, and there were disagreements over the direction of the studio. Japan Studio wanted to create games for the Japanese market first with global appeal, while PlayStation reportedly wanted Japan Studio to work on global hits, similar to its North American and European first-party teams. There has been a string of high-profile departures from Sony’s Tokyo-based studio in the past couple of years. Keiichiro Toyama, the director of Silent Hill and Gravity Rush, left Japan Studio in 2020 along with Gravity Rush designers Junya Okura and Kazunobu Sato to form Bokeh Game Studio. And just the other day, Bloodborne producer Masaaki Yamagiwa also announced on Twitter that he left Japan Studio, though he says he intends to remain in the games industry. Bloomberg reported in November that Japan Studio has been “sidelined,” though executives have downplayed those reports. PlayStation’s Jim Ryan and other executives at the company stressed all first-party studios are important to PlayStation, though the focus remains on creating global hits rather than local ones. Some of the Sony Japan Studio veterans are already working as independent developers. Bokeh Game Studio for example shared concepts of their first project, a horror game aiming for a 2023 release. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is News Editor at IGN.

Update It's baaaaack. The extremely popular 50% off deal went away when CBS All Access turned into Paramount+, but now it's available again with a new coupon code. All you have to do is sign up for a year and enter the coupon code YEAR at checkout. You can get it here. If you're looking to add another monthly streaming service to your dossier, you've no doubt heard about Paramount+, the newest major network to enter the streaming fray. But what, exactly, is Paramount+ and what's its relationship to CBS All Access? Read on to unravel the mystery.

How Do I Sign Up for Paramount+?

[poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=paramount-plus-sign-up-deal"] Right now you can sign up for Paramount+ and save 50% off an annual subscription (normally $59.99). The plan with ads is normally $59.99, and the ad-free plan is $99.99 a year, so chopping those figures in half is a pretty sweet deal. Plus you get your first 7 days for free. When you get to the subscription page, make sure to click on the "Save 15% with an annual membership" to change the monthly to yearly rates. After that, enter the coupon code YEAR in the box to knock 50% off the subscription.

What Is Paramount+?

OK, so remember CBS All Access? Well, the simplified version is Paramount+ is basically CBS All Access with a new name. The slightly more advanced version is Paramount+ folded all of CBS All Access' content into the new service and added more shows and movies, as well as live sports and news, so it earned its "plus" rating. According to the Paramount+ FAQ, the new service adds "exclusive new original series," along with "thousands of additional episodes from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and Smithsonian Channel," and also promises "hundreds of movies from Paramount Pictures." So there's a lot of new stuff, for sure. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/24/halo-tv-series-will-debut-on-streaming-service"]

How Much Does Paramount+ Cost?

If you want Paramount+ with ad-supported content, it's $5.99 a month or $59.99 for a full year. If you'd rather not watch commercials, you can sign up for ad-free Paramount+ for $99.99 a year. If you sign up now, you can save 50% off an annual subscription by using coupon code YEAR, which is pretty sweet.

If I Have Paramount+ With Ads, Can I Upgrade?

Yeah totally. As long as you have a Paramount+ account, monthly or annual, you can upgrade your plan to whatever fits your needs. However, the sign-up page warns trial subscribers will forfeit any time they have left on their 7-day free trial, so it's best to maximize your value by waiting that one out.

Every Movie and TV Series Coming to Paramount+

For my money, it doesn't get much better than an all-new Beavis and Butthead movie, but there are plenty of other newly-announced shows coming to Paramount+. Mission Impossible 7, A Quiet Place 2, a Workaholics movie, a new Reno 911 special and more were recently announced for Paramount+. The Halo TV series is moving from Showtime to Paramount+, and there's also a Frasier revival in the works and a weird-looking Rugrats reboot. For a list of everything coming to Paramount+ at launch and in the future, check out the gallery below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-exclusive-movie-and-tv-series-coming-to-paramount&captions=true"]

What Devices Work With Paramount+?

Here are the list of supported devices, via the Paramount+ FAQ:

• Apple TV
• iPhone and iPad
• Android TV
• Android phone and tablet
• Chromecast
• Fire TV
• Portal TV
• PlayStation 4
• Samsung TV
• Vizio TV
• LG TV
• Roku
• Xbox
• Xfinity Flex

UPDATE: originally the article said CBS All Access was $5.99 a week, when it's actually $5.99 a month. The article has been updated with this correction. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Seth Macy is IGN's Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and just wants to be your friend.

After the success of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and the troubles of Anthem, Dragon Age 4 will reportedly be a single-player RPG without multiplayer. Just a day after the official cancellation of Anthem Next, an update planned for BioWare's latest game that aimed to overhaul many of the live game's systems and fix its problems, Bloomberg reports that Dragon Age 4 will not have multiplayer and instead will be a single-player only RPG. According to Bloomberg's report, EA gave BioWare, the team behind Dragon Age 4, the go-ahead to remove all planned multiplayer and games as service components from the RPG in recent months. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/dragon-age-4-cinematic-trailer"] This pivot to an entirely single-player experience is reportedly the result of Fallen Order's success, which sold millions of copies to beat out EA's expectations, and the failure of Anthem to win back audiences after a rocky launch. Bloomberg reports that sources close to the development of Dragon Age 4 said the game was previously designed to have a "heavy multiplayer component." The game's development began in 2015 and two years later, in the fall of 2017, EA and BioWare reportedly rebooted development to include long-term monetization, the report reads. That reboot and push for monetization are apparently what led to the departure of Mike Laidlaw from BioWare. Dragon Age 4 was then referred to as "Anthem with dragons" by those working on the game. During this time, some of BioWare's leaders pushed back against EA and fought to pivot development back to a single-player focus. It sounds like they eventually won the fight for single-player if this new report is anything to go on. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dragon-age-4-game-awards-trailer-screenshots&captions=true"] A release date for Dragon Age 4 has not been announced. The next thing to come from BioWare is Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, which is set to release this May. While waiting for that and the eventual return to Thedas, check out this Dragon Age 4 teaser trailer and then read this story about how Tevinter was confirmed to be the main location of the upcoming game. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

2021 is a big year for Star Wars books, between the launch of the High Republic publishing initiative, Marvel's War of the Bounty Hunters crossover and the finale of the Alphabet Squadron series of novels. If the last of those projects is on your radar, you'll be pleased to know IGN has an exclusive excerpt of Star Wars: Victory's Price - An Alphabet Squadron Novel. Victory's Price is the final book in the Alphabet Squadron trilogy by author Alexander Freed. The series is set shortly after the events of Return of the Jedi, as the titular New Republic fighter squadron hunts down an elite Imperial unit known as Shadow Wing. These books also tie into Marvel's Star Wars: TIE Fighter comic, which chronicles the opposite side of that conflict. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/21/star-wars-2021-upcoming-tv-shows-games-comics-and-more"] First, a little context before we get into the excerpt. This passage focuses on one of the series' main protagonists, Imperial defector Nath Tensent, as he tries to fend off a group of buzzdroids attacking the Deliverance, a former Imperial Star Destroyer retrofitted by the New Republic. Star Wars: Victory's Price - An Alphabet Squadron Novel is due for release on Tuesday, March 2. If you're hungry for more Star Wars book content, check out our excerpt of Star Wars: the High Republic - Into the Dark and the first chapter of Star Wars: The High Republic - Light of the Jedi. [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.