PlatinumGames may break its silence on Bayonetta 3 in 2021, as game director Hideki Kamiya says "it's safe to expect" news on the long-awaited Switch exclusive sometime this year. In an interview with VGC, Kamiya was asked about providing an update on Bayonetta 3 in 2021, to which he replied: "It’s not really our position to say, but… it’s January. We’ve got to have something come out, right? I guess it’s safe to expect that something will come out. There’s still a lot of the year left is what I’m saying." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/12/08/bayonetta-3-official-teaser-trailer"] Platinum has kept Bayonetta 3 tightly under wraps since it was revealed in 2017. No further details or gameplay footage has been shared in the three-plus years since, with Platinum only breaking its silence to confirm development was ongoing. When asked by VGC if this year's potential update will be "more substantial than another CGI logo," Kamiya laughed and said, "I understand it’s driving the fans crazy! In light of that, my suggestion would be that maybe we should all reset and forget about Bayonetta 3. Then when something finally does happen, it will be a nice surprise, won’t it?" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=bayonetta-2-on-switch-screenshots&captions=true"] 2021 marks the seventh year since the series' last entry; Bayonetta 2 was released exclusively on Wii U in 2014, though it was more recently ported to Switch alongside the original. IGN's Bayonetta 2 review awarded it a 9.5, praising its "outstanding 10-hour campaign" that "builds on everything that made the original great." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

PlatinumGames may break its silence on Bayonetta 3 in 2021, as game director Hideki Kamiya says "it's safe to expect" news on the long-awaited Switch exclusive sometime this year. In an interview with VGC, Kamiya was asked about providing an update on Bayonetta 3 in 2021, to which he replied: "It’s not really our position to say, but… it’s January. We’ve got to have something come out, right? I guess it’s safe to expect that something will come out. There’s still a lot of the year left is what I’m saying." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/12/08/bayonetta-3-official-teaser-trailer"] Platinum has kept Bayonetta 3 tightly under wraps since it was revealed in 2017. No further details or gameplay footage has been shared in the three-plus years since, with Platinum only breaking its silence to confirm development was ongoing. When asked by VGC if this year's potential update will be "more substantial than another CGI logo," Kamiya laughed and said, "I understand it’s driving the fans crazy! In light of that, my suggestion would be that maybe we should all reset and forget about Bayonetta 3. Then when something finally does happen, it will be a nice surprise, won’t it?" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=bayonetta-2-on-switch-screenshots&captions=true"] 2021 marks the seventh year since the series' last entry; Bayonetta 2 was released exclusively on Wii U in 2014, though it was more recently ported to Switch alongside the original. IGN's Bayonetta 2 review awarded it a 9.5, praising its "outstanding 10-hour campaign" that "builds on everything that made the original great." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

Dark Horse Books and Squanch Games are teaming up to release The Art of Trover Saves the Universe, giving fans a closer look at the development of the quirky puzzle game. IGN can exclusively reveal the cover to Trover Saves the Universe. Check it out below: [caption id="attachment_2467222" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Image Credit: Dark Horse[/caption] Like all of Dark Horse's video game art books, The Art of Trover Saves the Universe will feature plenty of concept designs, art and creator commentary. Even if you have played the game, the book may be worth reading just to peek inside the mind of creator Justin Roiland, who's also responsible for a little show called Rick and Morty. The Art of Trover Saves the Universe is 192 pages and is priced at $39.99. The book is scheduled for release on July 28, 2021. Trover Saves the Universe earned an 8.7 from IGN when it hit PC, consoles and Oculus Rift in 2019. Reviewer Tom Marks writes, "Trover Saves the Universe is a short and sweet VR platformer wrapped in one of the most ridiculous video game stories you’ll ever see. Justin Roiland and Squanch Games have done an excellent job of taking the ludicrous, freeform humor of Rick and Morty and molding it around a straightforward but enjoyable 3D brawler – even if it’s lacking the complex and well-crafted plots the best episodes of that show are known for." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/28/trover-saves-the-universe-review"] As for Rick and Morty, the wait continues for Season 5, though we did get a sneak peek of Rick's nemesis Mr. Nimbus at Comic-Con last year. Roiland and Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon are also developing a new animated sitcom for Fox, which is expected to debut in Spring 2022. [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.

Dark Horse Books and Squanch Games are teaming up to release The Art of Trover Saves the Universe, giving fans a closer look at the development of the quirky puzzle game. IGN can exclusively reveal the cover to Trover Saves the Universe. Check it out below: [caption id="attachment_2467222" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Image Credit: Dark Horse[/caption] Like all of Dark Horse's video game art books, The Art of Trover Saves the Universe will feature plenty of concept designs, art and creator commentary. Even if you have played the game, the book may be worth reading just to peek inside the mind of creator Justin Roiland, who's also responsible for a little show called Rick and Morty. The Art of Trover Saves the Universe is 192 pages and is priced at $39.99. The book is scheduled for release on July 28, 2021. Trover Saves the Universe earned an 8.7 from IGN when it hit PC, consoles and Oculus Rift in 2019. Reviewer Tom Marks writes, "Trover Saves the Universe is a short and sweet VR platformer wrapped in one of the most ridiculous video game stories you’ll ever see. Justin Roiland and Squanch Games have done an excellent job of taking the ludicrous, freeform humor of Rick and Morty and molding it around a straightforward but enjoyable 3D brawler – even if it’s lacking the complex and well-crafted plots the best episodes of that show are known for." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/28/trover-saves-the-universe-review"] As for Rick and Morty, the wait continues for Season 5, though we did get a sneak peek of Rick's nemesis Mr. Nimbus at Comic-Con last year. Roiland and Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon are also developing a new animated sitcom for Fox, which is expected to debut in Spring 2022. [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.

Toy company Hasbro has revealed a new form of Clone Trooper that will be featured in the upcoming Star Wars series, The Bad Batch. The Elite Squad Trooper is a Clone Trooper clad in black armour with green eye lenses. Hasbro revealed next to nothing about their role in The Bad Batch, but were able to show off the new design as the Elite Squad Trooper will be available in action figure format via the company’s Black Series line. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-the-bad-batch-figures-hasbro-black-series&captions=true"] A livestream reveal emphasized that the Elite Squad Trooper is a brand new variant, featuring a black decal applied to a Clone Trooper Phase 2 sculpt and equipped with a DC-15S blaster carbine. The packaging shown was not labeled with a character name, just Elite Squad Trooper, so it may be that these are background characters in the show rather than main characters. The Elite Squad Trooper is the third entry to Hasbro’s Black Series from The Bad Batch; the reveal stream also showed off figures of Hunter and Crosshair, which will be sold in Bad Batch-branded packaging. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/12/star-wars-the-bad-batch-trailer-breakdown"] For more from Hasbro’s recent reveals, take a look at the upcoming retro-style Star Wars figures coming to the Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary collection. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Toy company Hasbro has revealed a new form of Clone Trooper that will be featured in the upcoming Star Wars series, The Bad Batch. The Elite Squad Trooper is a Clone Trooper clad in black armour with green eye lenses. Hasbro revealed next to nothing about their role in The Bad Batch, but were able to show off the new design as the Elite Squad Trooper will be available in action figure format via the company’s Black Series line. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-the-bad-batch-figures-hasbro-black-series&captions=true"] A livestream reveal emphasized that the Elite Squad Trooper is a brand new variant, featuring a black decal applied to a Clone Trooper Phase 2 sculpt and equipped with a DC-15S blaster carbine. The packaging shown was not labeled with a character name, just Elite Squad Trooper, so it may be that these are background characters in the show rather than main characters. The Elite Squad Trooper is the third entry to Hasbro’s Black Series from The Bad Batch; the reveal stream also showed off figures of Hunter and Crosshair, which will be sold in Bad Batch-branded packaging. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/12/star-wars-the-bad-batch-trailer-breakdown"] For more from Hasbro’s recent reveals, take a look at the upcoming retro-style Star Wars figures coming to the Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary collection. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Bungie has left members of the Destiny 2 community concerned after publicly targeting changes to the game ahead of the addition of full crossplay later this year - possibly signalling that it will merge mouse-and-keyboard and controller players in matchmaking. In the latest Bungie blogpost, senior community manager dmg04 writes, "This Season, we’re making some targeted changes to weapon archetypes that need some love as well as beginning some preparations for crossplay." The major change involves increasing recoil on certain weapon types solely for mouse-and-keyboard players, bringing the level of recoil closer to that of the same weapons when used on controller. While this might seem a relatively small change, the mention that the move is being made with crossplay in mind has led community members to wonder if it means that Destiny 2 PvP will matchmake a mixed pool of PC and console players by default, or even as the only option. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/24/destiny-2-beyond-light-review"] It plays into longstanding problems for players across platforms, with mouse-and-keyboard play seen as offering an innate advantage, particularly in shooters (although Destiny 2's heavy aim-assist for controller players complicates that theory a little in this case). Cheating is also generally more prevalent on PC versions of games. Many current crossplay games offer controller-using players the choice to play only with other controller players, but Bungie hasn't specified Destiny 2's approach as yet. With crossplay due later this year but details still somewhat hazy, players are speculating what approach Bungie will take - and even trying to alter the developer's course. At time of writing, one of the most popular posts on the popular DestinyTheGame subreddit is titled 'Do NOT mix the console and PC PvP player pool (by default)'. "These are exactly my thoughts as well," replies 1Soulbrotha, "I was really nervous to read about the recoil changes for PC. If they go the route of everyone being lumped into the same queues for PVP then this coming recoil change is just a lazy way to 'balance' things." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=how-to-get-destiny-2-beyond-lights-exotic-weapons-and-armor&captions=true"] While many console players are concerned about being put at a disadvantage, PC players are also concerned about Bungie's balances impacting the game they know. In a separate thread, SilverCervy writes, "It just creates a situation where the game has to be dumbed down for some to make things more fair for others. PC players should not have to deal with gameplay nerfs for the sake of console players." We've contacted Bungie for comment. Destiny 2's Beyond Light expansion already added cross-generation play within console families, with the promise of full crossplay to come. We awarded Beyond Light a 7/10 review, calling it a "solid expansion to the ever-evolving shooter that you know and love, but falls prey to the same content scarcity and repetitious grind it’s always had" [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.

Bungie has left members of the Destiny 2 community concerned after publicly targeting changes to the game ahead of the addition of full crossplay later this year - possibly signalling that it will merge mouse-and-keyboard and controller players in matchmaking. In the latest Bungie blogpost, senior community manager dmg04 writes, "This Season, we’re making some targeted changes to weapon archetypes that need some love as well as beginning some preparations for crossplay." The major change involves increasing recoil on certain weapon types solely for mouse-and-keyboard players, bringing the level of recoil closer to that of the same weapons when used on controller. While this might seem a relatively small change, the mention that the move is being made with crossplay in mind has led community members to wonder if it means that Destiny 2 PvP will matchmake a mixed pool of PC and console players by default, or even as the only option. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/24/destiny-2-beyond-light-review"] It plays into longstanding problems for players across platforms, with mouse-and-keyboard play seen as offering an innate advantage, particularly in shooters (although Destiny 2's heavy aim-assist for controller players complicates that theory a little in this case). Cheating is also generally more prevalent on PC versions of games. Many current crossplay games offer controller-using players the choice to play only with other controller players, but Bungie hasn't specified Destiny 2's approach as yet. With crossplay due later this year but details still somewhat hazy, players are speculating what approach Bungie will take - and even trying to alter the developer's course. At time of writing, one of the most popular posts on the popular DestinyTheGame subreddit is titled 'Do NOT mix the console and PC PvP player pool (by default)'. "These are exactly my thoughts as well," replies 1Soulbrotha, "I was really nervous to read about the recoil changes for PC. If they go the route of everyone being lumped into the same queues for PVP then this coming recoil change is just a lazy way to 'balance' things." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=how-to-get-destiny-2-beyond-lights-exotic-weapons-and-armor&captions=true"] While many console players are concerned about being put at a disadvantage, PC players are also concerned about Bungie's balances impacting the game they know. In a separate thread, SilverCervy writes, "It just creates a situation where the game has to be dumbed down for some to make things more fair for others. PC players should not have to deal with gameplay nerfs for the sake of console players." We've contacted Bungie for comment. Destiny 2's Beyond Light expansion already added cross-generation play within console families, with the promise of full crossplay to come. We awarded Beyond Light a 7/10 review, calling it a "solid expansion to the ever-evolving shooter that you know and love, but falls prey to the same content scarcity and repetitious grind it’s always had" [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.

After an extended period of being almost silent, developer Experiment 101 recently announced a May release date for Biomutant, its long-awaited open-world action game. That silence was for good reason - studio head Stefan Ljungqvist tells us that parts of the game have become bigger and more complex, but with only 20 people to make all that extra work happen. Rather than ship a buggy game, Ljungqvist says Experiment 101 has been taking its time to quietly build a truly finished product. “It's a big game, a big bite for 20 people to chew off,” says Ljungqvist. While Biomutant’s map may be just eight square kilometers, it’s packed with warring tribes, conquerable outposts, strange creatures to fight, and a protagonist who can mutate into new forms to overcome obstacles. As we’ve said before, Biomutant looks bananas, and its many moving parts are a challenge for the studio behind them. That 20-person team, established by ex-Avalanche Studios employees, is determined to stay small. But while that helps keep the studio nimble, it also imposes some restrictions. “At the end of the project, there's only a certain amount of bugs that you can physically fix during the course of the day,” says Ljungqvist. And that’s what much of Biomutant’s last year of development has been: bug squashing. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/24/biomutant-10-minutes-of-new-gameplay-footage"] “It’s been a huge amount of work for QA, because it's not easy in an open-world game to find them,” explains Ljungqvist. “And then once they've been found, we have to fix them, and that's put some additional challenge on us, being a small team.” Ljungqvist is realistic about being able to ship Biomutant completely bug free - a game with so many systems in its sandbox world is difficult to deliver without the odd problem - but he wants it to arrive in players' hands as solid as possible. “Any game is going to ship with [smaller] bugs, but I'm talking about bugs that are truly disruptive to the game experience,” he says. “We don't want to ship with that. I think that's what caused us to just wait until we were ready to do it.” Quality assurance isn’t the only thing that’s been happening at Experiment 101 over the last year, though. Biomutant has, well, mutated in that period, too. “If you look at the script, by the end of 2019 I think it was about 80-85,000 words. Pretty much a novel,” recalls Ljungqvist. “But in the final game, it's closer to 250,000 words. That was a big thing, to wrap that script.” Those new words are scattered across many different areas of the game, which in turn has demanded further development work on those features. Ljungqvist notes that, as a result of the expanded script, players can expect a reactive karma system called Aura, which will change NPC dialogue based on your light or dark allegiance. There’s also a better tutorial system, which more effectively communicates Biomutant’s overflowing toy box of ideas. On top of the additional script forming the basis of these features, the game will be available in 13 different languages, 10 of which are fully voiced, and so localisation is required on all those added words. It’s safe to say it’s been a busy year for Experiment 101. Ljungqvist has been careful to pace the studio, though. “I've been doing this for quite some time,” he says, referring to his almost decade-long tenure at Avalanche Studios. “I myself was burned out. I learned a lot on those themes, on those subjects. I learned to recognize it.” This goes some way to explain the studio’s ‘ready when it’s done’ approach, and lack of constant public updates. It’s an approach that has been supported by publisher THQ Nordic, Ljungqvist says, at a level he’s “never had before”. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/22/new-biomutant-gameplay-demo-gamescom-2018"] The lack of pressure from THQ Nordic to ship Biomutant has been a blessing, as the negative outcome of crunch would be destructive to both individual staff and the studio overall, Ljungqvist explains. “I mean, the studio, we are 20 people and we can't afford to have [staff] leave the studio, or be destroyed during development. That would be devastating.” “For certain pushes, you might do it in a limited form,” he acknowledges. “But the most important thing is you get paid, which is not common in our industry, crazily enough. And also you get ‘recap time’, because you have to have rest. If you're just doing this constantly for 12-14 hours a day, you will eventually have to pay for it.” “I think it's part of the DNA of the studio to not do it,” he concludes. “That's why I think for us, if we do it, it's controlled, and it has been rare. I guess now moving into the release, we're prepared to do it for some days, but it's not the constant thing. It will kill you.” With the announcement of the May 25 release date, some fans may have been surprised to see that PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are not listed as platforms that Biomutant will launch on. It is, afterall, easy to assume Experiment 101’s silence and the continued development was due to the team preparing Biomutant for next-generation systems. Ljungqvist confirms this is not the case - Biomutant is a ‘last-gen’ game - but there’s good reason for that. “When we developed the game, we lead on the last-gen,” says Ljungqvist. “And if you look at it from a development perspective, that's really important because it's easier to scale up than to scale down.” “I think for us, as a team, we would like as many as possible to be able to play the game,” he adds, noting the currently small install bases for PS5 and Xbox Series consoles. “So, if we just release it for ‘next-gen’, I think that would not have been a good way forward.” Despite this, Biomutant still takes advantage of high-spec hardware. “There is a high-end version of Biomutant already made for PC high-end versions,” Ljungqvist says. “I mean, the game already in some form exists in what you would expect on the current-gen platforms.” “Are you going to be able to play it on those consoles?” he asks himself of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, teasing the future of Biomutant. “Definitely. We will see moving forward what's going to happen, but you will definitely be able to play it on those consoles.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

After an extended period of being almost silent, developer Experiment 101 recently announced a May release date for Biomutant, its long-awaited open-world action game. That silence was for good reason - studio head Stefan Ljungqvist tells us that parts of the game have become bigger and more complex, but with only 20 people to make all that extra work happen. Rather than ship a buggy game, Ljungqvist says Experiment 101 has been taking its time to quietly build a truly finished product. “It's a big game, a big bite for 20 people to chew off,” says Ljungqvist. While Biomutant’s map may be just eight square kilometers, it’s packed with warring tribes, conquerable outposts, strange creatures to fight, and a protagonist who can mutate into new forms to overcome obstacles. As we’ve said before, Biomutant looks bananas, and its many moving parts are a challenge for the studio behind them. That 20-person team, established by ex-Avalanche Studios employees, is determined to stay small. But while that helps keep the studio nimble, it also imposes some restrictions. “At the end of the project, there's only a certain amount of bugs that you can physically fix during the course of the day,” says Ljungqvist. And that’s what much of Biomutant’s last year of development has been: bug squashing. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/24/biomutant-10-minutes-of-new-gameplay-footage"] “It’s been a huge amount of work for QA, because it's not easy in an open-world game to find them,” explains Ljungqvist. “And then once they've been found, we have to fix them, and that's put some additional challenge on us, being a small team.” Ljungqvist is realistic about being able to ship Biomutant completely bug free - a game with so many systems in its sandbox world is difficult to deliver without the odd problem - but he wants it to arrive in players' hands as solid as possible. “Any game is going to ship with [smaller] bugs, but I'm talking about bugs that are truly disruptive to the game experience,” he says. “We don't want to ship with that. I think that's what caused us to just wait until we were ready to do it.” Quality assurance isn’t the only thing that’s been happening at Experiment 101 over the last year, though. Biomutant has, well, mutated in that period, too. “If you look at the script, by the end of 2019 I think it was about 80-85,000 words. Pretty much a novel,” recalls Ljungqvist. “But in the final game, it's closer to 250,000 words. That was a big thing, to wrap that script.” Those new words are scattered across many different areas of the game, which in turn has demanded further development work on those features. Ljungqvist notes that, as a result of the expanded script, players can expect a reactive karma system called Aura, which will change NPC dialogue based on your light or dark allegiance. There’s also a better tutorial system, which more effectively communicates Biomutant’s overflowing toy box of ideas. On top of the additional script forming the basis of these features, the game will be available in 13 different languages, 10 of which are fully voiced, and so localisation is required on all those added words. It’s safe to say it’s been a busy year for Experiment 101. Ljungqvist has been careful to pace the studio, though. “I've been doing this for quite some time,” he says, referring to his almost decade-long tenure at Avalanche Studios. “I myself was burned out. I learned a lot on those themes, on those subjects. I learned to recognize it.” This goes some way to explain the studio’s ‘ready when it’s done’ approach, and lack of constant public updates. It’s an approach that has been supported by publisher THQ Nordic, Ljungqvist says, at a level he’s “never had before”. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/22/new-biomutant-gameplay-demo-gamescom-2018"] The lack of pressure from THQ Nordic to ship Biomutant has been a blessing, as the negative outcome of crunch would be destructive to both individual staff and the studio overall, Ljungqvist explains. “I mean, the studio, we are 20 people and we can't afford to have [staff] leave the studio, or be destroyed during development. That would be devastating.” “For certain pushes, you might do it in a limited form,” he acknowledges. “But the most important thing is you get paid, which is not common in our industry, crazily enough. And also you get ‘recap time’, because you have to have rest. If you're just doing this constantly for 12-14 hours a day, you will eventually have to pay for it.” “I think it's part of the DNA of the studio to not do it,” he concludes. “That's why I think for us, if we do it, it's controlled, and it has been rare. I guess now moving into the release, we're prepared to do it for some days, but it's not the constant thing. It will kill you.” With the announcement of the May 25 release date, some fans may have been surprised to see that PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are not listed as platforms that Biomutant will launch on. It is, afterall, easy to assume Experiment 101’s silence and the continued development was due to the team preparing Biomutant for next-generation systems. Ljungqvist confirms this is not the case - Biomutant is a ‘last-gen’ game - but there’s good reason for that. “When we developed the game, we lead on the last-gen,” says Ljungqvist. “And if you look at it from a development perspective, that's really important because it's easier to scale up than to scale down.” “I think for us, as a team, we would like as many as possible to be able to play the game,” he adds, noting the currently small install bases for PS5 and Xbox Series consoles. “So, if we just release it for ‘next-gen’, I think that would not have been a good way forward.” Despite this, Biomutant still takes advantage of high-spec hardware. “There is a high-end version of Biomutant already made for PC high-end versions,” Ljungqvist says. “I mean, the game already in some form exists in what you would expect on the current-gen platforms.” “Are you going to be able to play it on those consoles?” he asks himself of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, teasing the future of Biomutant. “Definitely. We will see moving forward what's going to happen, but you will definitely be able to play it on those consoles.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.