In an interview with New Zealand's 1 News, Valve boss Gabe Newell has said that multiple games are in development at the studio, and are waiting to be announced. The Valve co-founder has been staying in New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic after taking a vacation there following the launch of Half-Life: Alyx. "We definitely have games in development that we're going to be announcing — it's fun to ship games," Newell said when asked about future games coming out of Valve. Valve has developed - and subsequently cancelled - a lot of games in the past (including several versions of Half-Life 3). The fact that Newell specifically says these new games will be announced suggests a shift from the company's recent history of being reticent to release new software. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/18/ign-first-half-life-alyx-gabe-newell-interview"] Newell also spoke about the process of creating Half-Life: Alyx, and Valve's return to single-player: "Alyx was great — to be back doing single-player games, that created a lot of momentum inside of the company to do more of that." Newell's comments also suggest that the studio is energised and keen to work on more single-player titles, which makes sense considering the plot of Half-Life: Alyx. It means that we may see more of Gordon Freeman (or hell, maybe even Chell?) in the future. That tallies with his Half-Life: Alyx's developers' comments after the game arrived, with more than one telling IGN that the team wanted to work on more Half-Life games now that Alyx was complete. Famously, Valve revealed Half-Life: Alyx in November 2019 and then launched it in March of 2020. Newell's explanation that Valve is "going to be announcing" these games could suggest that we may even hear about them soon. In less positive Valve news, The European Commission recently issued the company with a fine over alleged "geo-blocking". [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/27/why-valve-never-made-half-life-2-episode-3"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Former Xbox and EA executive Peter Moore has revealed he has rejoined the games industry, taking a position at Unity. Moore noted on Twitter that he will join game engine development company Unity as its Senior Vice President and General Manager of Sports & Live Entertainment.

Hardly the biggest news of the day, but I’m delighted to announce that I’ve joined the incredibly-talented team at @unity3d as SVP and GM of Sports & Live Entertainment. Delighted to be reunited with so many industry friends as we work on some really cool stuff. More to come...

— Peter Moore (@PeterMooreLFC) January 20, 2021

Moore first worked at SEGA during the Dreamcast era, acting as the President of Sega of America. He then moved to Microsoft in the early 2000s to work on the original Xbox - famously revealing what seemed to be a tattoo of the Halo 2 logo and release date at E3 2004. In 2007, Moore then left Microsoft to head up the sports division at Electronic Arts. Moore left games in 2017, and after a stint as the CEO of his hometown football club Liverpool F.C, he has returned to work at Unity. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2006/09/22/peter-moore-interview"] In his tweet, Moore notes that he is, "Delighted to be reunited with so many industry friends as we work on some really cool stuff. More to come..." For more on Peter Moore, check out our interview with Moore about his storied career, as part of IGN's Unfiltered series. It's also worth checking out Moore's appearance on our episode of Podcast Unlocked, where we brought together Xbox bosses past and present for a talk about the history of Microsoft's consoles. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

A fan-created LEGO set featuring characters from the Metroid franchise received another milestone update today as Ridley has now been added to the project. It features fully articulating arms, legs, a tail, and head, and can even grab minifigures in its hands. Ridley has been one of bounty hunter Samus Aran's longtime arch nemeses throughout the series dating back to the original NES/Famicom title, appearing in many subsequent games and even becoming a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate after being one of the most-requested characters for years. But this LEGO creation might be one of Ridley's coolest iterations yet. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=lego-metroid-fan-project&captions=true"] The project by user L-DI-EGO actually began in May 2020, but has received a steady stream of updates as more supporters have backed the project, including multiple helmet styles for Samus, space pirate variants, and an alternate Hunter-class gunship variant seen in the Metroid Prime series. LEGO Ideas is a website where master builders can submit their ideas and if 10,000 people support the project it will be reviewed by a panel of LEGO experts and potentially be made into a real set. At any given time there can be hundreds of pop culture-inspired submissions that fans have created. One of the more popular LEGO Ideas to gain traction recently and become an official set was the Friends-themed Central Perk set that was released in 2019 to celebrate Friends' 25th anniversary. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=17-images-of-the-friends-lego-set&captions=true"] Merely gaining 10,000 followers doesn't guarantee an official set will be produced, however. A LEGO Ideas creation featuring a small diorama from Untitled Goose Game achieved the needed backers, but was ultimately passed on by The LEGO Company after review. Nintendo surprised many when it announced a Super Mario-themed LEGO crossover series of interactive playsets last year. A new batch of LEGO Super Mario expansion sets were announced recently that are expected to launch this year and will include Chain Chomps, Wigglers, a Tanooki suit, and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/17/lego-super-mario-series-2-expansion-sets-trailer"] Many longtime Nintendo fans were delighted to receive an official LEGO playset featuring an NES complete with controller and Super Mario Bros. cartridge along with a "playable" retro-style TV that released last year, as well. If you want to support this Metroid-themed LEGO set in the hopes that it may one day become a reality make sure to head over to the LEGO Ideas page and show it some love. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, Reviews, and Wikis writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.

A fan-created LEGO set featuring characters from the Metroid franchise received another milestone update today as Ridley has now been added to the project. It features fully articulating arms, legs, a tail, and head, and can even grab minifigures in its hands. First featured in 1994's Super Metroid, Ridley has been one of bounty hunter Samus Aran's longtime arch nemeses throughout the series, appearing in many subsequent games and even becoming a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate after being one of the most-requested characters for years. But this LEGO creation might be one of Ridley's coolest iterations yet. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=lego-metroid-fan-project&captions=true"] The project by user L-DI-EGO actually began in May 2020, but has received a steady stream of updates as more supporters have backed the project, including multiple helmet styles for Samus, space pirate variants, and an alternate Hunter-class gunship variant seen in the Metroid Prime series. LEGO Ideas is a website where master builders can submit their ideas and if 10,000 people support the project it will be reviewed by a panel of LEGO experts and potentially be made into a real set. At any given time there can be hundreds of pop culture-inspired submissions that fans have created. One of the more popular LEGO Ideas to gain traction recently and become an official set was the Friends-themed Central Perk set that was released in 2019 to celebrate Friends' 25th anniversary. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=17-images-of-the-friends-lego-set&captions=true"] Merely gaining 10,000 followers doesn't guarantee an official set will be produced, however. A LEGO Ideas creation featuring a small diorama from Untitled Goose Game achieved the needed backers, but was ultimately passed on by The LEGO Company after review. Nintendo surprised many when it announced a Super Mario-themed LEGO crossover series of interactive playsets last year. A new batch of LEGO Super Mario expansion sets were announced recently that are expected to launch this year and will include Chain Chomps, Wigglers, a Tanooki suit, and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/17/lego-super-mario-series-2-expansion-sets-trailer"] Many longtime Nintendo fans were delighted to receive an official LEGO playset featuring an NES complete with controller and Super Mario Bros. cartridge along with a "playable" retro-style TV that released last year, as well. If you want to support this Metroid-themed LEGO set in the hopes that it may one day become a reality make sure to head over to the LEGO Ideas page and show it some love. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, Reviews, and Wikis writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.

The European Commission has fined Valve, Capcom, Bandai Namco, Focus Home, Koch Media, and ZeniMax a combined €7.8 million (~ USD 9.4 million) over the practice of “geo-blocking,” which the Commission says breaks European Union antitrust rules. Geo-blocking is the practice in which a platform holder like Steam forces users in one country to pay the set video game price for only that country, instead of allowing them to purchase the game somewhere else within Europe where it might be cheaper. In a press release, the European Commission says PC platform Steam and the five previously listed publishers restricted cross-border sales of PC games based on geographical location with the European Economic Area (EEA). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/06/02/steam-introduces-refund-system-ign-news"] The five publishers have agreed to cooperate with the Commission and saw a reduced fine, whereas Valve “chose not to cooperate” and was fined over €1.6 million (~ USD 1.9 million). Today’s sanctions against the ‘geo-blocking’ practices of Valve and five PC video game publishers serve as a reminder that under EU competition law, companies are prohibited from contractually restricting cross-border sales,” executive vice president Margrethe Vestager said in a statement on today’s fines. “Such practices deprive European consumers of the benefits of the EU Digital Single Market and the opportunity to shop around for the most suitable offer in the EU.” Valve was previously fined AUD 3 million by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in 2016 over what the country says was “false or misleading representations under the Australian Consumer Law” with Valve’s refund policies. At the time Steam did not have a refund system but introduced one in 2015. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

The European Commission has fined Valve, Capcom, Bandai Namco, Focus Home, Koch Media, and ZeniMax a combined €7.8 million (~ USD 9.4 million) over the practice of “geo-blocking,” which the Commission says breaks European Union antitrust rules. Geo-blocking is the practice in which a platform holder like Steam forces users in one country to pay the set video game price for only that country, instead of allowing them to purchase the game somewhere else within Europe where it might be cheaper. In a press release, the European Commission says PC platform Steam and the five previously listed publishers restricted cross-border sales of PC games based on geographical location with the European Economic Area (EEA). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/06/02/steam-introduces-refund-system-ign-news"] The five publishers have agreed to cooperate with the Commission and saw a reduced fine, whereas Valve “chose not to cooperate” and was fined over €1.6 million (~ USD 1.9 million). Today’s sanctions against the ‘geo-blocking’ practices of Valve and five PC video game publishers serve as a reminder that under EU competition law, companies are prohibited from contractually restricting cross-border sales,” executive vice president Margrethe Vestager said in a statement on today’s fines. “Such practices deprive European consumers of the benefits of the EU Digital Single Market and the opportunity to shop around for the most suitable offer in the EU.” Valve was previously fined AUD 3 million by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in 2016 over what the country says was “false or misleading representations under the Australian Consumer Law” with Valve’s refund policies. At the time Steam did not have a refund system but introduced one in 2015. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

On this week's episode of IGN's PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Brian Altano, Max Scoville, and Mitchell Saltzman to discuss why Hitman 3 is one of 2021's first great games, as well as what PlayStation franchises we hope make a return on PS5. With more word that a new Sony studio is working on bringing back existing Sony series, we discuss the likelihood of various franchises, from Uncharted to Infamous to Ape Escape, making a debut on PS5. Watch the episode above! [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"]

• Direct Download

• YouTube

•  Apple Podcasts/iTunes

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• PlayerFM

• Podbay

• TuneIn

• Podbean

• Feedburner

Podcast Beyond! is live every Wednesday. For more on PS5, check out our PS5 console review and our PS5 wiki guide for tips on how to best use your system. And for more Beyond, be sure to watch the first episode of our Bloodborne let's play! [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=f72748d4-3754-4213-a27e-66173a199a56"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

On this week's episode of IGN's PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Brian Altano, Max Scoville, and Mitchell Saltzman to discuss why Hitman 3 is one of 2021's first great games, as well as what PlayStation franchises we hope make a return on PS5. With more word that a new Sony studio is working on bringing back existing Sony series, we discuss the likelihood of various franchises, from Uncharted to Infamous to Ape Escape, making a debut on PS5. Watch the episode above! [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"]

• Direct Download

• YouTube

•  Apple Podcasts/iTunes

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• PlayerFM

• Podbay

• TuneIn

• Podbean

• Feedburner

Podcast Beyond! is live every Wednesday. For more on PS5, check out our PS5 console review and our PS5 wiki guide for tips on how to best use your system. And for more Beyond, be sure to watch the first episode of our Bloodborne let's play! [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=f72748d4-3754-4213-a27e-66173a199a56"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

To kick things off, Disney+ is releasing four new episodes of WandaVision every Friday in February (See our full WandaVision Season 1 release schedule here). In our review of WandaVision's two-part Season 1 premiere, we called it " a good introduction to the MCU's most high-concept idea so far, but is more set-up than plot." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/15/wandavision-episodes-1-and-2-review"] The streamer is also dropping all five seasons of the original Muppet Show on February 19. On the movie front, Disney+ is debuting Flora and Ulysses on February 19. Per Disney, the film is "based on the Newbery Award-winning book about 10-year old Flora, an avid comic book fan and a self-avowed cynic, whose parents have recently separated. After rescuing a squirrel she names Ulysses, Flora is amazed to discover he possesses unique superhero powers which take them on an adventure of humorous complications that ultimately change Flora's life--and her outlook--forever." Check out the slideshow gallery below for a spotlight of some of the most notable February Disney+ releases, followed by the full list: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=disney-spotlight-february-2021&captions=true"]

Friday, February 5

• Disney My Music Story: Yoshiki
• Disney Upside-Down Magic
• Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks (s7)
• WandaVision Episode 5

Friday, February 12

• Life Below Zero: The Next Generation (s1)
• Marvel Battleworld: Mystery of the Thanostones (s1)
• Marvel’s Behind the Mask
• WandaVision Episode 6
• Inside Pixar: Portraits

Friday, February 19

• The Book of Life
• Cheaper by the Dozen
• Cheaper by the Dozen 2
• The Muppet Show (s1)
• The Muppet Show (s2)
• The Muppet Show (s3)
• The Muppet Show (s4)
• The Muppet Show (s5)
• Flora & Ulysses
• WandaVision Episode 7

Friday, February 26

• Car Sos (s8)
• Disney Channel Games 2008 (s1)
• Disney Illuminations Firework Show Disneyland Paris
• Disney Pair of Kings (s1)
• Disney Pair of Kings (s2)
• Disney Pair of Kings (s3)
• Disney Roll it Back (s1)
• Disney’s American Dragon: Jake Long (s1)
• Disney’s American Dragon: Jake Long (s2)
• Mickey Go Local (s1)
• Okavango: River of Dreams
• Secrets of Sulphur Springs (First 5 Episodes)
• Shanghai Disney Resort Grand Opening Gala
• Myth: A Frozen Tale
• WandaVision Episode 8

[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.

To kick things off, Disney+ is releasing four new episodes of WandaVision every Friday in February (See our full WandaVision Season 1 release schedule here). In our review of WandaVision's two-part Season 1 premiere, we called it " a good introduction to the MCU's most high-concept idea so far, but is more set-up than plot." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/15/wandavision-episodes-1-and-2-review"] The streamer is also dropping all five seasons of the original Muppet Show on February 19. On the movie front, Disney+ is debuting Flora and Ulysses on February 19. Per Disney, the film is "based on the Newbery Award-winning book about 10-year old Flora, an avid comic book fan and a self-avowed cynic, whose parents have recently separated. After rescuing a squirrel she names Ulysses, Flora is amazed to discover he possesses unique superhero powers which take them on an adventure of humorous complications that ultimately change Flora's life--and her outlook--forever." Check out the slideshow gallery below for a spotlight of some of the most notable February Disney+ releases, followed by the full list: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=disney-spotlight-february-2021&captions=true"]

Friday, February 5

• Disney My Music Story: Yoshiki
• Disney Upside-Down Magic
• Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks (s7)
• WandaVision Episode 5

Friday, February 12

• Life Below Zero: The Next Generation (s1)
• Marvel Battleworld: Mystery of the Thanostones (s1)
• Marvel’s Behind the Mask
• WandaVision Episode 6
• Inside Pixar: Portraits

Friday, February 19

• The Book of Life
• Cheaper by the Dozen
• Cheaper by the Dozen 2
• The Muppet Show (s1)
• The Muppet Show (s2)
• The Muppet Show (s3)
• The Muppet Show (s4)
• The Muppet Show (s5)
• Flora & Ulysses
• WandaVision Episode 7

Friday, February 26

• Car Sos (s8)
• Disney Channel Games 2008 (s1)
• Disney Illuminations Firework Show Disneyland Paris
• Disney Pair of Kings (s1)
• Disney Pair of Kings (s2)
• Disney Pair of Kings (s3)
• Disney Roll it Back (s1)
• Disney’s American Dragon: Jake Long (s1)
• Disney’s American Dragon: Jake Long (s2)
• Mickey Go Local (s1)
• Okavango: River of Dreams
• Secrets of Sulphur Springs (First 5 Episodes)
• Shanghai Disney Resort Grand Opening Gala
• Myth: A Frozen Tale
• WandaVision Episode 8

[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.