1996's Heroes Reborn is among the more infamous Marvel Comics crossovers of the '90s, but that apparently isn't stopping the publisher from capitalizing on the project's 25th anniversary. Marvel has released a series of teaser images hinting at a new spin on the Heroes Reborn concept. So far Marvel has released eight teaser images, all drawn by Carlos Pacheco (Ultimate Avengers). You can check out the slideshow gallery to see all the teasers revealed to date: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=heroes-reborn-marvel-teases-the-return-of-an-infamous-crossover&captions=true"] For those not familiar with the original Heroes Reborn, the crossover was Marvel's short-lived attempt at rebooting the Avengers and Fantastic Four franchises. Following the events of the Onslaught crossover, the world believed both teams had sacrificed their lives to stop the all-powerful villain. But in truth, Franklin Richards used his powers to create a new pocket universe where his friends could lead new lives with no memory of the world they left behind. Relaunched titled like Avengers, Fantastic Four, Captain America and Iron Man effectively restarted their respective characters' stories from square one, sometimes introducing significant changes to established origins. Heroes Reborn was also notable because Marvel - which was in the throes of bankruptcy at the time - outsourced production on the various books to Jim Lee's Wildstorm Productions and Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. Naturally, this change didn't last, and the various heroes were folded back into the regular Marvel Universe the following year with memories restored. Marvel has revisited the Heroes Reborn universe a handful of times since, most notably in 2006's Onslaught Reborn. It remains to be seen how the new Heroes Reborn is meant to connect to the original, if at all. The teasers seem to suggest this will be a brand new story that shares little in common with its predecessor other than name. This Heroes Reborn instead seems to be set in a world where the lives of many heroes and villains have taken different paths. For example, we see what looks to be a powerless Peter Parker photographing Spider-Woman for the Daily Bugle, a version of Alpha Flight with Wolverine still a member and Shaman playing the role of Sorcerer Supreme, Phil Coulson running for President and Ben Grimm and Reed Richards serving as members of SHIELD. Though in other cases it appears as though this project will combine multiple characters into one (a la 2018's Infinity Wars), with Doctor Doom wielding the powers of Juggernaut and an apparent hybrid of Scarlet Witch and Enchantress. Marvel is promising full details on the new Heroes Reborn next week, so we'll keep you updated as we learn more. Whatever this new project is, it'll most likely kick off in April 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/04/what-to-expect-from-marvel-in-2021"] We already have at least one alternate reality Marvel story to look forward to in April. Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow is a What If-style limited series that explores a world where Peter Parker becomes Venom instead of Eddie Brock. That also happens to be the month Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman are wrapping up their Venom run with the Venom #200 anniversary special. Be sure to check out IGN's full breakdown of what to expect from Marvel in 2021. [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.

CD Projekt Red has released Patch 1.1 for Cyberpunk 2077 on PC, consoles, and Stadia. As detailed on Cyberpunk.net, this update's big focus is on stability improvements. As noted on Twitter, this update "lays the groundwork for the upcoming patches." Memory usage improvements in various systems within the game are part of this patch, and should improve "characters, interactions, navigation, in-game videos (news, tv, etc.), foliage, laser effects, minimap, devices, AI, street traffic, environmental damage system, GPU-related, and more." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/21/cyberpunk-2077s-current-state-before-patch-11-patch-106-performance-review"] There have also been various crash fixes related to, among others, "loading saves, game opening/closing, and Point of No Return." Many fixes for Quests and the Open World are detailed (which you can see below), as well as others for UI, Visual, Achievements, and more. Those on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are experiencing the most issues in Cyberpunk 2077, and Patch 1.1 looks to fix crash issues on PS4 and "Improved memory usage for character creation, mirrors, scanning, camera remote control, menus (inventory, map) on Xbox One, Xbox One X and Xbox One S." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/20/cyberpunk-2077-reviews-one-month-later-the-review-crew"] The full Patch 1.1 notes are as follows; Stability Various stability improvements including:

• Memory usage improvements in various systems within the game: characters, interactions, navigation, in-game videos (news, tv, etc.), foliage, laser effects, minimap, devices, AI, street traffic, environmental damage system, GPU-related, and more.
• Various crash fixes (related to, among others, loading saves, game opening/closing and Point of No Return).

Quests/Open World

• Fixed an issue where calls from Delamain would end immediately and seem like they cannot be picked up in Epistrophy.
• Fixed an issue where players would not receive calls from Delamain when approaching relevant vehicles in Epistrophy.
• Fixed an issue where the objective could get stuck on "Answer the call from Mr. Hands" in M'ap Tann Pèlen.
• Fixed an issue where Judy could teleport underground in Pyramid Song.
• Fixed an issue where it would be impossible to talk to Zen Master in Poem of The Atoms.
• Fixed an issue where Takemura wouldn't call in Down on the Street.
• Fixed an issue where Jackie could disappear in The Pickup.
• Fixed an issue where it could be impossible to get out of the car in The Beast in Me: The Big Race.
• Fixed an issue where players could stop receiving calls and messages after moving too far away from A Day In The Life area.
• Fixed an issue where opening the package wouldn't update Space Oddity.
• Retro-fixed the saves affected by a rare issue where speaking to Judy in Automatic Love would be impossible due to an invisible wall. The underlying issue is under investigation.
• Fixed an issue that prevented players from collecting the reward in Gig: Freedom of the Press. The quest will auto-complete for those who could not collect the reward previously, and the reward will be provided automatically.
• Fixed an issue where Delamain would remain silent throughout Epistrophy if the player initially refused to help him.

UI

• Fixed an issue where prompt for exiting braindance could be missing.
• Removed an invalid item from loot.

Visual

• Fixed an issue where a grenade's trajectory could be displayed in photo mode.
• Fixed particles' hue appearing pink when viewed close up.
• Fixed cars spawning incorrectly in Reported Crime: Welcome to Night City.

Achievements

• Fixed an issue where completing one of theassaults in progress in Santo Domingo would sometimes not contribute towards progression for The Jungle achievement, preventing its completion.

Miscellaneous

• Addressed the issue responsible for saves getting oversized (related to the modifier indicating if the item is crafted), and trimmed the excess size from already existing saves (note: this won’t fix PC save files corrupted before 1.06 update).
• Fixed an issue where input could stop registering upon opening the weapon wheel and performing an action.
• Fixed an issue where the "Continue" button in the Main Menu could load an end game save.

PlayStation-specific

• Performance optimization of crowds on PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation 5.
• Various crash fixes on PlayStation 4.

Xbox-specific

• Improved memory usage for character creation, mirrors, scanning, camera remote control, menus (inventory, map) on Xbox One, Xbox One X and Xbox One S.

PC-specific

• It will now be possible to obtain achievements while in Steam offline mode. Note: Offline mode needs to be enabled before starting the game. This change does not work retroactively.
• Addressed the game startup crashes related to loading cache on NVIDIA graphics cards.

Stadia-specific

• Concert audio should no longer be inaudible in Never Fade Away.
• Fixed corrupted textures on several melee weapons.
• Tweaked default deadzone settings to be more responsive. Note: the change will not affect settings unless they’re set to default.

For more on Cyberpunk 2077, check out what Johnny Silverhand may have looked like pre-Keanu Reeves, CD Projekt's response to a report about the fake E3 demo and developmental issues, and how the Cyberpunk 2077 next-gen update won't be released until the "second half" of 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

CD Projekt Red has released Patch 1.1 for Cyberpunk 2077 on PC, consoles, and Stadia. As detailed on Cyberpunk.net, this update's big focus is on stability improvements. As noted on Twitter, this update "lays the groundwork for the upcoming patches." Memory usage improvements in various systems within the game are part of this patch, and should improve "characters, interactions, navigation, in-game videos (news, tv, etc.), foliage, laser effects, minimap, devices, AI, street traffic, environmental damage system, GPU-related, and more." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/21/cyberpunk-2077s-current-state-before-patch-11-patch-106-performance-review"] There have also been various crash fixes related to, among others, "loading saves, game opening/closing, and Point of No Return." Many fixes for Quests and the Open World are detailed (which you can see below), as well as others for UI, Visual, Achievements, and more. Those on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are experiencing the most issues in Cyberpunk 2077, and Patch 1.1 looks to fix crash issues on PS4 and "Improved memory usage for character creation, mirrors, scanning, camera remote control, menus (inventory, map) on Xbox One, Xbox One X and Xbox One S." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/20/cyberpunk-2077-reviews-one-month-later-the-review-crew"] The full Patch 1.1 notes are as follows; Stability Various stability improvements including:

• Memory usage improvements in various systems within the game: characters, interactions, navigation, in-game videos (news, tv, etc.), foliage, laser effects, minimap, devices, AI, street traffic, environmental damage system, GPU-related, and more.
• Various crash fixes (related to, among others, loading saves, game opening/closing and Point of No Return).

Quests/Open World

• Fixed an issue where calls from Delamain would end immediately and seem like they cannot be picked up in Epistrophy.
• Fixed an issue where players would not receive calls from Delamain when approaching relevant vehicles in Epistrophy.
• Fixed an issue where the objective could get stuck on "Answer the call from Mr. Hands" in M'ap Tann Pèlen.
• Fixed an issue where Judy could teleport underground in Pyramid Song.
• Fixed an issue where it would be impossible to talk to Zen Master in Poem of The Atoms.
• Fixed an issue where Takemura wouldn't call in Down on the Street.
• Fixed an issue where Jackie could disappear in The Pickup.
• Fixed an issue where it could be impossible to get out of the car in The Beast in Me: The Big Race.
• Fixed an issue where players could stop receiving calls and messages after moving too far away from A Day In The Life area.
• Fixed an issue where opening the package wouldn't update Space Oddity.
• Retro-fixed the saves affected by a rare issue where speaking to Judy in Automatic Love would be impossible due to an invisible wall. The underlying issue is under investigation.
• Fixed an issue that prevented players from collecting the reward in Gig: Freedom of the Press. The quest will auto-complete for those who could not collect the reward previously, and the reward will be provided automatically.
• Fixed an issue where Delamain would remain silent throughout Epistrophy if the player initially refused to help him.

UI

• Fixed an issue where prompt for exiting braindance could be missing.
• Removed an invalid item from loot.

Visual

• Fixed an issue where a grenade's trajectory could be displayed in photo mode.
• Fixed particles' hue appearing pink when viewed close up.
• Fixed cars spawning incorrectly in Reported Crime: Welcome to Night City.

Achievements

• Fixed an issue where completing one of theassaults in progress in Santo Domingo would sometimes not contribute towards progression for The Jungle achievement, preventing its completion.

Miscellaneous

• Addressed the issue responsible for saves getting oversized (related to the modifier indicating if the item is crafted), and trimmed the excess size from already existing saves (note: this won’t fix PC save files corrupted before 1.06 update).
• Fixed an issue where input could stop registering upon opening the weapon wheel and performing an action.
• Fixed an issue where the "Continue" button in the Main Menu could load an end game save.

PlayStation-specific

• Performance optimization of crowds on PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation 5.
• Various crash fixes on PlayStation 4.

Xbox-specific

• Improved memory usage for character creation, mirrors, scanning, camera remote control, menus (inventory, map) on Xbox One, Xbox One X and Xbox One S.

PC-specific

• It will now be possible to obtain achievements while in Steam offline mode. Note: Offline mode needs to be enabled before starting the game. This change does not work retroactively.
• Addressed the game startup crashes related to loading cache on NVIDIA graphics cards.

Stadia-specific

• Concert audio should no longer be inaudible in Never Fade Away.
• Fixed corrupted textures on several melee weapons.
• Tweaked default deadzone settings to be more responsive. Note: the change will not affect settings unless they’re set to default.

For more on Cyberpunk 2077, check out what Johnny Silverhand may have looked like pre-Keanu Reeves, CD Projekt's response to a report about the fake E3 demo and developmental issues, and how the Cyberpunk 2077 next-gen update won't be released until the "second half" of 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Something weird is happening with GameStop stock in that it’s currently trading at an all-time high. But this isn’t a sign that GameStop has miraculously turned its fortunes around overnight. Instead, the stock surge is a result of a very strange confluence of opposing stock traders and dare I say, stock trolling. The video game retail chain saw its stocks jump to an all-time high of $76.76 per share today. Compared to last year when shares were trending as low as $3 a share. The 80% surge today from its already upward trending $43 per share opening price forced GameStop to temporarily halt trading according to Bloomberg. How did this happen? GameStop’s stock (traded as GME) has been trending upward all January. But behind the scenes, the reasoning for the jump has less to do with GameStop’s actual business performances and more to do with a fight between short-sellers like Citron Research and the subreddit r/WallStreetBets. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gamestop-in-the-news-timeline&captions=true"] Short selling is a strategy where an investor will borrow stock in exchange for an IOU. They can then sell the stock for a set price, let’s say 20 shares for $400. That stock could then lose value, and the investor can buy back 20 shares for $300. They’ll then return the 20 shares back to the original stock owner and pocket the extra $100. Several firms have shorted GameStop, including Citron Research, a short-seller specializing in bets that companies will fail. The idea wasn’t far-fetched given the spate of GameStop’s bad news ranging from store closures to the general health of stores during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the opposing “side” so to speak are users of the subreddit WallStreetBets and finance influencers on TikTok (or FinTok) who, through a combination of chaotic investing and savvy, predicted investors would try and short GameStop stock and made moves to profit from it. [caption id="attachment_2464452" align="alignnone" width="863"] Source: Google, captured by IGN.[/caption] There were also signs the market became somewhat more optimistic for GameStop after it promoted Ryan Cohen, co-founder of pet retail empire Chewy, as a board member. Cohen has spoken publicly about plans to turn GameStop into some kind of digital retail leader. Redditors and others moved ahead of short-sellers by buying GameStop stock early when it was incredibly cheap. As short sellers moved to “cover” their short by buying back the stock they needed to return to their lenders, prices began to climb, forcing the short sellers to accelerate their buying, which in turn continued to drive up stock prices, creating a short squeeze. Basically, it set off a chain reaction of short-sellers trying to cut any of their losses by purchasing more GameStop stock, which drove prices up even further. There are testimonials on Reddit and elsewhere of people profiting from this sudden surge. Some have shared their GME portfolios hitting as high as $5 million USD in value. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/11/how-is-gamestop-still-a-thing-ign-daily-fix"] Vice and Ars Technica have excellent explainers on the full “war” between WallStreetBets and short-sellers, but ultimately GameStop’s stock success is a strange case of the wild world of speculative investing. GameStop has declined to comment on its stock performance. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Something weird is happening with GameStop stock in that it’s currently trading at an all-time high. But this isn’t a sign that GameStop has miraculously turned its fortunes around overnight. Instead, the stock surge is a result of a very strange confluence of opposing stock traders and dare I say, stock trolling. The video game retail chain saw its stocks jump to an all-time high of $76.76 per share today. Compared to last year when shares were trending as low as $3 a share. The 80% surge today from its already upward trending $43 per share opening price forced GameStop to temporarily halt trading according to Bloomberg. How did this happen? GameStop’s stock (traded as GME) has been trending upward all January. But behind the scenes, the reasoning for the jump has less to do with GameStop’s actual business performances and more to do with a fight between short-sellers like Citron Research and the subreddit r/WallStreetBets. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gamestop-in-the-news-timeline&captions=true"] Short selling is a strategy where an investor will borrow stock in exchange for an IOU. They can then sell the stock for a set price, let’s say 20 shares for $400. That stock could then lose value, and the investor can buy back 20 shares for $300. They’ll then return the 20 shares back to the original stock owner and pocket the extra $100. Several firms have shorted GameStop, including Citron Research, a short-seller specializing in bets that companies will fail. The idea wasn’t far-fetched given the spate of GameStop’s bad news ranging from store closures to the general health of stores during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the opposing “side” so to speak are users of the subreddit WallStreetBets and finance influencers on TikTok (or FinTok) who, through a combination of chaotic investing and savvy, predicted investors would try and short GameStop stock and made moves to profit from it. [caption id="attachment_2464452" align="alignnone" width="863"] Source: Google, captured by IGN.[/caption] There were also signs the market became somewhat more optimistic for GameStop after it promoted Ryan Cohen, co-founder of pet retail empire Chewy, as a board member. Cohen has spoken publicly about plans to turn GameStop into some kind of digital retail leader. Redditors and others moved ahead of short-sellers by buying GameStop stock early when it was incredibly cheap. As short sellers moved to “cover” their short by buying back the stock they needed to return to their lenders, prices began to climb, forcing the short sellers to accelerate their buying, which in turn continued to drive up stock prices, creating a short squeeze. Basically, it set off a chain reaction of short-sellers trying to cut any of their losses by purchasing more GameStop stock, which drove prices up even further. There are testimonials on Reddit and elsewhere of people profiting from this sudden surge. Some have shared their GME portfolios hitting as high as $5 million USD in value. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/11/how-is-gamestop-still-a-thing-ign-daily-fix"] Vice and Ars Technica have excellent explainers on the full “war” between WallStreetBets and short-sellers, but ultimately GameStop’s stock success is a strange case of the wild world of speculative investing. GameStop has declined to comment on its stock performance. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Amazon Prime Video has announced the release date for its upcoming adaptation of Robert Kirkman's Invincible, which will premiere on the streamer on Friday, March 26, 2021. The announcement was made by Kirkman during a livestream to celebrate the 18-year anniversary of the release of Invincible #1 from Image Comics. Invincible's 8-episode first season will air in a weekly format, with the first three episodes dropping on March 26, followed by the remaining chapters airing every Friday until the finale on April 30, 2021. During the livestream, Amazon also revealed a new clip featuring Steven Yeun's Mark Grayson playing catch with his father, J.K. Simmons' Nolan Grayson. You can check out this awesome clip in the video below or at the top of the page: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/22/invincible-official-baseball-clip-2021-steven-yeun-jk-simmons"] Per Amazon, Invincible centers on "seventeen-year-old Mark Grayson (Yeun), who’s just like every other guy his age — except that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man (Simmons). But as Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers that his father’s legacy may not be as heroic as it seems." Simmons and Yeun are joined by an all-star lineup of voice actors, including Sandra Oh (Killing Eve), Seth Rogen (This is the End), Gillian Jacobs (Community), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Walton Goggins (Justified), Mahershala Ali (True Detective), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Ezra Miller (Justice League), and many more. For more on the series, be sure to check out our Invincible explained breakdown, the first trailer for Invincible, and some nifty Invincible character designs from the series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=how-invincible-became-a-modern-superhero-icon&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.

Amazon Prime Video has announced the release date for its upcoming adaptation of Robert Kirkman's Invincible, which will premiere on the streamer on Friday, March 26, 2021. The announcement was made by Kirkman during a livestream to celebrate the 18-year anniversary of the release of Invincible #1 from Image Comics. Invincible's 8-episode first season will air in a weekly format, with the first three episodes dropping on March 26, followed by the remaining chapters airing every Friday until the finale on April 30, 2021. During the livestream, Amazon also revealed a new clip featuring Steven Yeun's Mark Grayson playing catch with his father, J.K. Simmons' Nolan Grayson. You can check out this awesome clip in the video below or at the top of the page: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/22/invincible-official-baseball-clip-2021-steven-yeun-jk-simmons"] Per Amazon, Invincible centers on "seventeen-year-old Mark Grayson (Yeun), who’s just like every other guy his age — except that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man (Simmons). But as Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers that his father’s legacy may not be as heroic as it seems." Simmons and Yeun are joined by an all-star lineup of voice actors, including Sandra Oh (Killing Eve), Seth Rogen (This is the End), Gillian Jacobs (Community), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Walton Goggins (Justified), Mahershala Ali (True Detective), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Ezra Miller (Justice League), and many more. For more on the series, be sure to check out our Invincible explained breakdown, the first trailer for Invincible, and some nifty Invincible character designs from the series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=how-invincible-became-a-modern-superhero-icon&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.

Activision Blizzard has confirmed that Vicarious Visions, the developer behind such titles as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 and Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy, is officially being merged into Blizzard Entertainment. As reported by GamesIndustry.Biz, the Vicarious Visions team of about 200 people will now be employees of Blizzard and are "fully dedicated to existing Blizzard games and initiatives." This means Vicarious Visions will no longer be creating games as a lead developer. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/tony-hawks-pro-skater-12-review"] "After collaborating with Vicarious Visions for some time and developing a great relationship, Blizzard realized there was an opportunity for [Vicarious Visions] to provide long-term support," a representative said to GamesIndustry.Biz. However, Activision Blizzard did not reveal what the team has/will be working on going forward. Vicarious Visions studio head Jen Oneal has been promoted to Blizzard executive vice president of development and will be part of Blizzard's leadership team and will report directly to Blizzard president J. Allen Brack. Simon Ebejer, who was the chief operating officer for Vicarious Visions, will take over the studio head role from Oneal. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/06/29/crash-bandicoot-n-sane-trilogy-review"] Vicarious Visions was founded in 1990 and was acquired by Activision in 2005. The studio has worked on everything from Guitar Hero, Spider-Man, Tony Hawk, Crash Bandicoot, Destiny, Skylanders, and much more. Founding members Karthik Bala and Guha Bala departed the company in 2016 in order to establish Velan Studios, the development studio behind Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Activision Blizzard has confirmed that Vicarious Visions, the developer behind such titles as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 and Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy, is officially merging with Blizzard Entertainment. As reported by GamesIndustry.Biz, the Vicarious Visions team of about 200 people will now be employees of Blizzard and are "fully dedicated to existing Blizzard games and initiatives." This means Vicarious Visions will no longer be creating games as a lead developer. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/tony-hawks-pro-skater-12-review"] "After collaborating with Vicarious Visions for some time and developing a great relationship, Blizzard realized there was an opportunity for [Vicarious Visions] to provide long-term support," a representative said to GamesIndustry.Biz. However, Activision Blizzard did not reveal what the team has/will be working on going forward. Vicarious Visions studio head Jen Oneal has been promoted to Blizzard executive vice president of development and will be part of Blizzard's leadership team and will report directly to Blizzard president J. Allen Brack. Simon Ebejer, who was the chief operating officer for Vicarious Visions, will take over the studio head role from Oneal. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/06/29/crash-bandicoot-n-sane-trilogy-review"] Vicarious Visions was founded in 1990 and was acquired by Activision in 2005. The studio has worked on everything from Guitar Hero, Spider-Man, Tony Hawk, Crash Bandicoot, Destiny, Skylanders, and much more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

As we enter 2021 and the PS5 is officially in the wild (well, sort of), it’s time to take a look at the state of Sony’s first-party studios. The launch of the PS5 brought with it a host of new PlayStation exclusive games, but the stable of PlayStation Studios has plenty more in store.

One quick note — we’re specifically discussing internal, first-party owned studios. So no third-party exclusives or second-party games (think Lucid’s Destruction AllStars for PS5) will be included.

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

But from recently released like The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima to impending exclusives like Horizon Forbidden West, let’s take a look at what every PlayStation Studio has in the works.

Bend Studio

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/22/days-gone-the-world-of-days-gone-video"]

Last release: After years of teases, Bend Studio finally released its post-apocalyptic thriller and motorbike simulator Days Gone in 2019. Set in the Pacific Northwest, Bend’s open-world adventures introduced us to Freaker hordes, Boozeman, and Deacon St. John, while also — SPOILERS — possibly tying in a beloved Bend franchise into its world.

Currently working on/next project: Days Gone… still! Bend has actually done a great job of post-launch support for Days Gone, from performance patches to free weekly challenges, and even wackier DLC options like a Death Stranding-themed bike. And it’s even got improved performance on PS5, with framerates up to 60 FPS. The studio has since been recruiting for a new project, but has revealed no details on it just yet.

Guerrilla Games

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/17/horizon-forbidden-west-guerrilla-talks"]

Last release: Horizon Zero Dawn, the 2017 hit that introduced PlayStation 4 owners to a world of fascinating robotic beasts to fight in an intriguing world. Guerrilla released a big expansion to Horizon, The Frozen Wilds, later that year. Since then, the studio also released Horizon on PC as one of the first major PS4 exclusives from a Sony first-party to make the jump to another platform.

Currently working on/next project: Alongside the reveal of the PS5, Horizon Forbidden West was one of the initial big, first-party exclusives announced for the new system. Set tentatively for a release in the second half of 2021, Forbidden West continues Aloy’s journey, introducing new enemies, locations, and mysteries to uncover. No gameplay has been shown, but if Forbidden West is still set for this year, we should hopefully see some soon before it hits PS4 and PS5 later this year.

Insomniac Games

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/marvels-spider-man-miles-morales-review"]

Last release: Since becoming a first-party studio early last year, Insomniac has already been one of the more prolific studios in the lineup. Following up on its massive success with 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man, Insomniac debuted its sequel Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales on both PS4 and on PS5 as a launch game. Alongside that, the developer also brought Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered to PS5, bringing a next-gen look and feel to the beloved original.

Currently working on/next project: As if that wasn’t enough, Insomniac has one more “launch window” PS5 game in the works - Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. Rift Apart promises reality-hopping gameplay made possible by the PS5’s SSD, and is easily one of the most anticipated PS5 games in the first half of 2021. And though it’s not officially announced, let’s be real...there’s plenty of post-credit scene teases to indicate a new Spider-Man game is on the way, eventually.

Japan Studio

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Last release: Sony’s Japan Studio has been quite prolific, either developing or co-developing plenty of games in just the life of PS4 alone. From work on Knack to The Last Guardian to PSVR breakout Astro Bot Rescue Mission to most recently co-developing Everybody’s Golf, Japan Studio has been involved in a lot of major Sony first-party titles, and the ASOBI Team within the studio delivered at the PS5’s launch with Astro’s Playroom. It may have seemed like just a free pack-in, but ASOBI’s ingenuity transformed the bundled PS5 game into an incredible showcase for what the DualSense can do.

Currently working on/next project: We don’t know too much about what the studio has coming up next, but I’d expect it to be nothing short of a varied mix of PS4, PS5, and PSVR games to come. There’s also some uncertainty about what projects may be in the works given that three major Sony Japan devs, Junya Okura, Kazunobu Sato, and Silent Hill/Gravity Rush creator Keiichiro Toyama recently left the studio. But given the acclaim, success, and promise of more to come from Astro, hopefully a larger scale game could be in the works.

London Studio

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Last release: London Studio has contributed both the PS4 release SingStar Celebration and the PSVR title PlayStation VR Worlds to Sony’s current-gen output, and most recently released the pretty great PSVR action-adventure Blood & Truth.

Currently working on/next project: London Studio has continued to support Blood & Truth with post-launch content updates. We don’t know what London Studio is working on afterward, but given the strong reception and Sony’s commitment to PSVR, I’d expect more VR outings from the studio.

Manchester Studio

Unfortunately, Sony shut down its Manchester VR studio before the team could release a game. Originally opened in 2015, the studio is now the third internal Sony studio to be shut down during the PS4’s lifecycle.

Media Molecule

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Last release: After introducing the world to LittleBigPlanet on the PS3 in 2008, the infinitely creative Media Molecule gave us Tearaway for the PlayStation Vita (which got a port to the PS4 in 2015) and most recently released Dreams for PS4.

Currently working on/next project: More Dreams! Media Molecule’s creation suite has allowed players’ ingenuity to run wild, and turn out a continuous stream of impressive games, music videos, and short films. Media Moelcule has continued to support Dreams and its community, making it one of the most exciting and creative products in PlayStation’s first-party lineup.

Naughty Dog

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Last release: During the life of the PS4, Naughty Dog put out a handful of incredible games, including The Last of Us Remastered, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, and most recently, The Last of Us Part 2.

Currently working on/next project: After a few delays, The Last of Us Part 2 released to critical and commercial acclaim in mid-2020, and  Naughty Dog has continued to support free post-launch updates. The company has no newly announced projects, but as far as we know, it is quietly plugging way at some form of Factions, The Last of Us' multiplayer mode that was expected to return for Part 2 but didn’t make it in time for release due to the expanding scope of the single player.

Pixelopus

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Last release: Concrete Genie, the beautiful action-adventure game that gives players the power of a magical paintbrush. Originally scheduled for a spring 2019 launch, Concrete Genie has been pushed to this fall, but along with that delay came the announcement of a PSVR mode to accompany the main campaign.

Currently working on/next project: We don’t know! Pixelopus is definitely one of Sony’s smallest internal studios, but Concrete Genie showcased big creative ambitions, a knack for some charming art and storytelling, and a unique gameplay idea that still felt like it could hold its own against Sony’s bigger games.

Poylphony

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Last release: The Sony studio Poylphony gave us Gran Turismo Sport last generation, and has been busy providing content updates and patches to the game since its launch in 2017.

Currently working on/next project: Unsurprisingly, the studio continues to work on the acclaimed racing sim franchise, and  Gran Turismo 7 was announced for the PS5 last year. Though it has no exact release date, release a Sony advertisement teasing upcoming PS5 games hinted at a 2021 release. Whether it remains on track is unclear at this time, but it’s no surprise that Sony’s newest console will also be home to one of its longest-running franchises.

San Diego Studio

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Last release: San Diego just released MLB: The Show 20, its annual baseball hit.

Currently working on/next project: MLB: The Show 21 is, unsurprisingly, probably on the way next from San Diego Studio. Though a recent  announcement that future MLB: The Show installments could come to non-PlayStation home consoles as early as 2021, there’s been no indication of whether this year’s MLB will actually kick off that trend.

Sony Santa Monica

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Last release: God of War, IGN’s Best Game of 2018 and a huge evolution of the long-running Sony franchise.

Currently working on/next project: Unsurprisingly, more God of War. Very little is known about the upcoming sequel, other than a brief teaser trailer and the tagline “Ragnarok is coming.” And while we’re still largely in the dark about Kratos’ continuing adventures through Norse mythology, we do know that it’s planned for a 2021 release. Additionally, the studio is working on an unannounced game according to recent hiring notices from Santa Monica.

Sucker Punch

Last release: Sucker Punch’s long-awaited new franchise, Ghost of Tsushima, debuted as the fastest-selling new IP of the PS4 generation for Sony, and while Sucker Punch has supported its release with patches and PS5 performance updates,  the studio also surprised fans with an unexpected post-launch multiplayer mode. Ghost of Tsushima: Legends surprised and delighted fans with a new take on Ghost’s combat, with up two four players taking on missions, including a Raid, together.

Currently working on/next project: Sucker Punch hasn’t revealed what’s to come after Tsushima and Legends, but given the impressive success and reception of both the single-player and multiplayer components, we wouldn’t be surprised if Jin Sakai returned in the future.

One More Thing

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We don’t have the full details just yet, but another team within Sony’s first-party stable is assembling. While the San Diego-based studio has been the subject of rumors and speculation for years, we’ve gotten one of our best bits of information on them yet just recently. Michael Mumbauer worked as the Head for the unnamed studio until November 2020, and in his Linkedin profile description, we've learned that the studio is “a brand new, all-star, AAA Action/Adventure development team for Playstation. Based in San Diego and utilizing proprietary engine technology, this team was assembled to expand upon existing franchises and craft all new stories for the next generation of gamers.” Older rumors suggested that the new team is working to continue the Uncharted franchise, but as of right now that’s just speculation Sony has yet to confirm.

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Of course, when we hear more about this studio or any of Sony’s other first-party teams, you can be sure to read and watch about it on IGN. And of course, for everything big happening in the world of PlayStation, be sure to check out our weekly PlayStation show, Beyond!, for more insight.

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Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.