Batman and Harley Quinn Are Returning to Fortnite
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.
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“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.
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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.Batman and Harley Quinn Are Returning to Fortnite
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.
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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 10 in the Works from the District 9 Creators
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.District 10 screenplay also being written by @sharlto @territatchell and I. Its coming...
— Neill Blomkamp (@NeillBlomkamp) February 26, 2021
PlayStation Plus Games for March 2021 Announced
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.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
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Monster Hunter Rise Is Coming to PC in 2022
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.
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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.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]Ryuichi Kataoka is a freelance writer for IGN Japan. Daniel Robson is Chief Editor at IGN Japan.
